MICHAEL JACKSON (1958-2009)

Jackson, 50, was rushed to a hospital in Los Angeles Thursday afternoon and was reportedly not breathing.

Jackson was known as the king of pop and was one of the most successful entertainers of all time. He started out with the Jackson Five in the 1960s and began a solo career in the 1980s that spanned three decades.

Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana on August 29, 1958 and was led into the music industry by his father, Joseph Jackson. With his brothers Jackie, Tito Jermaine and Marlon, the Jacksons dominated the music scene throughout the 1970s.

Jackson's "Thriller" album was the biggest-selling album of all time, and the music video became a legend, widely regarded as one of the best ever. Jackson also acted, playing the Scarecrow in the 1979 film "The Wiz," an adaptation of the Broadway musical based on "The Wizard of Oz."

He was married twice, once to Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie Presley.

In February 1984, Jackson held a record-breaking 12 Grammy nominations, going on to win eight, the most Grammy Awards to be won by anyone in a single year. He was also named the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time" by the Guinness Book of World Records.

In 2005, he was acquitted of all charges of child molestation in a highly publicized case that required Jackson to surrender to police authorities.

TMZ was the first news outlet to report the story, around 5:20 p.m. Despite the TMZ report, CNN reported at 6:22 p.m. EDT that Michael Jackson was "in a coma." By 6:25 p.m., the Los Angeles Times confirmed the report of Jackson's death. By 6:30 p.m., the Associated Press and NBC News confirmed the singer's death. The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office finally confirmed Jackson's death at 7:36 p.m. EDT.