41 years ago today, Michael touched down in Perth, Australia for Channel 7’s Telethon as part of the deal that let him buy the ATV catalogue including the Beatles songs from Robert Holmes a Court. He met the Little Telethon Stars, received the keys to the city, visited sick kids at Princess Margaret Hospital and helped push the Telethon to a then record 2.8 million. A power move that linked one of music biggest catalog deals to a children’s charity broadcast.

44 years ago today, Michael Jackson dropped “The Girl is Mine” featuring Paul McCartney as the lead single from Thriller. MJ wrote the song after Quincy Jones suggested a song about two guys fighting over a girl. The friendly tug of war over the same girl with those signature spoken word exchanges peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit #1 on the R&B charts, giving the world a taste of what would become the biggest selling album of all time.

On this day in 1996, Michael Jackson slipped out of his hotel to go shopping in Taipei just one day before the HIStory World Tour stop in Taiwan. Accompanied by Omer Bhatti, he moved through electronic stores, a record shop in the neon of Ximending, and a nearby toy store, browsing CDs and gadgets. Staff got signatures and hugs and the streets turned into a scene with fans pressed against the windows to catch a glimpse of the King of Pop, Rock and Soul.