2009: Pop singer Michael Jackson dies at the age of 50 in Los Angeles, California, of acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication after suffering from cardiac arrest. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene along with his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1964, and began his solo career in 1971. With a career that lasted more than four decades featuring contributions to music, dance and fashion, he is recognized by Guinness World Records as the most successful entertainer of all time.