Description: ever one to be shy, this may be one of Tom Ford’s more benign advertising campaigns. It was, however, banned in Italy for its suggestively provocative and overtly vulgar imagery

Description: Colt 45 alcohol ad banned for its message

Description: Tomford perfume banned ad, for being obscene

Description: Eva Mendes’ new commercial for the Calvin Klein perfume “Secret Obsession” has been deemed so risque that U.S. television networks won’t air it.

Description: This ad was banned for being too sexist and demeaning

Description: This Kenwood ad got too many complaints by wives from all over, for belittling the role of a wife in the family.

Description: A cosmetic brand ad that was found too be too racy

Description: One of the most talked about Tomford perfume ad that was banned for being ridiculously cheap and demeaning.

Description: An ice cream advert that showed a priest and a nun in a “seductive pose” has been banned after official complaints were made against it.

Astrology buffs all over the world are in a tizzy after learning of a thirteenth sun sign yesterday, along with the fact that changes in the earth’s axis have affected the star sign they are born under.

According to the Washington Post, Minnesota Planetarium Society board member Parke Kunkle announced the existence of the new sign, Ophiuchus, on an NBC TV show.

The constellation Ophiuchus is in the same plane as the other constellations of the zodiac, occurring between Scorpio and Sagittarius — meaning that in Western astrology, people born between November 29 and December 17 now fall under that sign.

So how did all this come about? According to several Western astrologers quoted on the Internet, the existence of Ophiuchus is not a new discovery. The Western astrological chart is derived from that of the ancient Babylonians, who created the star signs by tracking where the sun was in the sky each month. They then got rid of the thirteenth sign to bring the number down to an even 12 over 2,000 years ago.

Kunkle further added that the moon’s gravitational pull has slowly moved the Earth on its axis in the last 3,000 years, creating about a one-month bump in the stars’ alignment. The International Business Times quoted the astronomer as saying, “Because of this change of tilt, the Earth is really over here in effect and the sun is in a different constellation than it was 3,000 years ago.”

In other words, all star signs have changed. According to the ancient Babylonian chart that is followed today, those born between September 23 and October 22 are Librans. If, however, we take into consideration the shift in the earth’s axis over the last two millenia, Libra now falls between October 30 and November 23!

Here is the system we’ve been following so far:

Aries: March 21 – April 19
Taurus: April 20 – May 20
Gemini: May 21 – June 20
Cancer: June 21 – July 22
Leo: July 23 – August 22
Virgo: August 23 – September 22
Libra: September 23 – October 22
Scorpio: October 23 – November 21
Sagittarius: November 22 – December 21
Capricorn: December 22 – January 19
Aquarius: January 20 – February 18
Pisces: February 19 – March 20

Now, compare it to the completely revised list as per the Minnesota Planetarium Society:

Capricorn: January 20 – February 16
Aquarius: February 16 – March 11
Pisces: March 11 – April 18
Aries: April 18 – May 13
Taurus: May 13 – June 21
Gemini: June 21 – July 20
Cancer: July 20 – August 10
Leo: August 10 – September 16
Virgo: September 16 – October 30
Libra: October 30 – November 23
Scorpio: November 23 – December 17
Sagittarius: December 17 – January 20

If you have decided to lose weight, that’s good for you. You might be eating healthy now, working out on a regular basis and using all trades of the weight loss book to achieve your goals.

But for some reason, the scale refuses to go down. You are trying very hard to lose weight and might be following instructions to weight loss, but the needle just doesn’t budge.

Here are the top reasons why you are losing your battle with weight:

…………………………………………………………

1. You eat too little

Some people often think that by having a light breakfast and lunch they will be losing weight as their calorie intake is going to be less. There is a misconception that skipping any meal saves calories.

Skipping meals and fasting results in your metabolism slowing down, and your body stops metabolizing fat to lose weight. You should never consume less than 1,200 calories per day.

Strive for atleast three meals a day and always start your day with a healthy breakfast.

2. Liquid calories

When counting calories, we often ignore calories from alcohol, smoothies, coffee with cream and sugar, sweetened juices, teas, and soft drinks which can easily make or break your weight loss plans…..

3. Too much stress

Being under constant stress can increase the production of the hormone cortisol that can increase your appetite and make you store more fat (especially around the abdominal region).

The simplest way to overcome the overeating is to find a way to manage your stress more effectively. Simple ways to manage stress include taking a few minutes a day to relax or meditate, listening to your favorite music or taking a walk outside.

4. Hypothyroidism

If thyroid hormone levels decrease, everything in your body slows down including metabolism, a condition called hypothyroidism.

All of the extra calories that you are consuming become stored as fat resulting in weight gain. The right medications will get you back on track towards losing weight.

5. Cheating in your diet plan

Being too restrictive can result in binge-eating, and you’ll be less likely to sustain your diet. You can eat what you like once a week but you should seriously restrict the quantity.

6. Irregular meal timing

If you’re juggling a job and a family, it’s hard to eat at regular times. Eating infrequently can also cause weight loss plans to stop working. Your eating habits are directly proportional to your weight loss.

7. Lack of sleep

When you don’t get enough sleep, it may affect the secretion of the hormone cortisol that regulates appetite. Studies have shown that lack of sleep could increase appetite and compromise insulin sensitivity which can contribute to weight gain.

Furthermore, a new study suggests that even getting too much sleep (nine or more hours a night) may also lead to weight gain. To be an efficient fat-burning machine, your body requires at least eight hours of sleep a night.

8. Not eating enough protein

Lean protein helps you stay satisfied for longer and it boosts metabolism to help you burn more fat. Protein also happens to require the most energy for the digestion process so your total net calories are lower.

9. Gaining muscle

Weighing scale doesn’t tell the whole story always. For example, it doesn’t measure the fat mass and muscle mass.

Weight training along with proper diet will lead to fat loss, but it also promotes muscle gain and better bone density. So, if you don’t see any improvement although you feel good, it’s most likely extra muscle and stronger bone from weight training.

You can measure your body fat percentage to get a more accurate progress from your weight loss efforts.

10. Insulin resistance

Chronically elevated blood sugar levels result in greater metabolic dysfunction. This is called Syndrome X. If you suspect that you might be insulin resistant, see your doctor for a simple test followed by proper medication.

Obesity is a very complex medical problem in our society and achieving an ideal weight requires a multifaceted approach. Despite what you might hear, fat loss is not just about diet and exercise.

Most people tend to shift from one diet or exercise program to the other when they do not see immediate results. When it comes to weight loss, Patience is a virtue.

• There are a total of 1.8 billion Internet users in the world.
• There are 32 countries with more than 10 million Internet users.




• The top 10 countries on the Internet together have 1.17 billion Internet users. That’s 65% of all Internet users in the world.




• The top 20 countries on the Internet together have 1.47 billion Internet users. That’s just under 82% of all Internet users.




• China together with the United States make up half of the Internet users in the top 15.




• Out of the top 20 countries, the five with the highest Internet penetration (not users) are: United Kingdom (82.5%), South Korea (81.1%), Germany (79.1%), Japan (78.2%), United States (76.3%).




• Seven out of the top 20 countries are Asian (35%).




• Five out of the top 20 countries are European (25%). Six (30%) if you also count Russia.




• Three of the top 20 are English-language countries (four if you count India).

In spite of their stellar rankings, Internet users in both China and India make up a minority of the population.

On the contrary, countries like the United States, Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom have already converted most of their population to Internet users.

While there is little scope of Internet growth in these countries, as it has already reached saturation point, in the next five to ten years, the balance of power on the Internet will start to shift to countries like India, China, Brazil, Vietnam, the Philippines and Russia. A study by World Data Stats came out with the folllowing figures.

China

Population: 1330.1 million ( 1.3 billion);
Internet users: 420 million

Despite the controversies that Google faced in China, the country leads as far as Internet users are concerned.

On September 20, 1987, China’s first Net connection was established between Beijing and Karlsruhe University in Germany.

The first e-mail went out on September 14, 1987 with the message ‘Across the Great Wall, we can reach every corner in the world’.

China had 420 million Internet users by June 2010. It is projected that China’s Internet population will reach 469 million by the end of 2010, and the number will hit 718 million by 2013.

United States

Population: 307.2 million
Internet users: 234.4 million

In the United States it all started in the late 1960s, when Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency developed a project called the ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network).

The Internet, which grew out of this initial project, first gained a public face in the 1990s.

By 2004, three quarters of Americans had Internet access at home, and by June 2010 total number of Internet users stands 234.4 million.

Interestingly, in 2008, the United States ranked 15th out of 30 countries in broadband penetration rates.

This low worldwide ranking is surprising to many, as the Internet itself was invented in the United States. The country ranked behind most other developed nations, including the UK, Germany, France, Denmark (#1), Switzerland, and Canada.

Japan

Population: 126.8 million
Internet users: 99.1 million

The Washington Post in a report once wrote, ‘Americans invented the Internet, but the Japanese are running away with it.’

Japan has the world’s third fastest Internet connections (7.8 Mbps), delivering more data at a lower cost than almost anywhere else.

The speed advantage allows the Japanese to watch broadcast-quality, full-screen television over the Internet, an experience that mocks the grainy, wallet-size images Americans endure, WSJ wrote.

Overcoming the substantial barriers erected by the Japanese government to the introduction of the Internet, promoters and entrepreneurs managed to create a flexible and dynamic Internet society. From a slow start, Japan has emerged as the global leader in the mobile Internet.

Today Japan has 99.1 million Internet users.

India

Population: 1173.1 million (1.2 billion)
Internet users: 81 million

Internet in India was established more than a decade ago as ERNET — Educational Research Network. It was a joint undertaking of the Department of Electronics (DOE) of the Government of India, and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

On August 15 1995, Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited launched the Gateway Internet Access Service.

In 1998, India introduced new ISP (Internet Service Provider) policy which ended VSNL’s monopoly on Internet.

Today India has 81 million Internet users.

Brazil

Population: 198.7 million
Internet users: 72 million

The Internet was launched in Brazil in 1988, when the now defunt National Research Network was formed by the academic communities of Rio de Janeiro and S o Paulo.

It was introduced to the general public, in 1995. Brazilian Internet depended strongly on efforts led by the Federal government and the state-owned communications company Embratel and its holding, Telebras.

This changed in 1998, as a result of the privatisation of Telebras, and the blossoming of private groups such as Telefonica, Telemar and Brasil Telecom.’

Currently, there are about 72 million Internet users in Brazil.

Germany

Population: 82.3 million
Internet users: 65.1 million

Competition in the Internet market in Germany is intense and, like all areas of the telecom market, there is a wide range of companies offering services and promotional rates to customers.

High speed Internet access is best through a DSL connection and there are many options for telephone and Internet packages.

Most towns and cities have Internet cafes and Internet “hotspots” providing access via laptop or short-range wireless LAN.

Using the Internet to make telephone calls (Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP) is gradually becoming more popular in Germany.

Today Germany has 65.1 million Internet users.

Russia

Population: 139.4 million
Internet users: 59.7 million

It all started in january 1990 with the creation of the social organisation Glasnet (Glasnost + Network). The name and funding was provided by San Francisco based Association for Progressive Communication.

IT provided grants, which financed Internet work for teachers, human rights workers, ecologists, informal groups and other guarantors of the open society.

In 1993, Glasnet became a commercial provider.

Russia still has some e-addresses that have existed since 1991, which were among the first 150 Russian (or, rather, Soviet) electronic addresses.

In 1994 Russia opened its first website – Moscow Libertarium. It is one of the oldest sites on the Russian Internet and is supposed to be among the first 3,000 WWW sites in the world.

Russia today has 59.7 million users.

United Kingdon

Population: 62.3 million
Internet users: 51,4 million

Broadband Internet access in the UK  was, initially, provided by a large number of regional Cable television and telephone companies which gradually merged into larger groups.’

More than half of UK homes have broadband.

Currently internet access is available to businesses and home users in various forms, including dial-up, cable, DSL, and wireless.

It has 51.4 million users now.

France

Population: 64.8 million
Internet users: 44.6 million

France has several high-speed / DSL ISPs which all offer more or less the same deal: unlimited Internet, TV, and telephone (with free calls to fixed phones in dozens of countries) for about euro 30 per month.

In February this year, the lower house of the French parliament approved a draft bill that will allow the state unprecedented control over the Internet.

Although the government said it will improve security for ordinary citizens, civil rights activists warned of a ‘new level’ of censorship and surveillance.

There are 44.6 million Internet users in France.

Nigeria

Population: 152.2 million
Internet users: 44 million

How many Nigerian scam mails do you receive in a week? Innumerable would probably your answer. However, ICT experts of the country are concerned about Nigeria’s disinterest in the Internet.

They feel the country needs massive, cheap high speed Internet to further progress and improve access to connectivity.

While the global average broadband penetration is 30 per cent, in Nigeria broadband has a little penetration of one per cent out of the estimated seven per cent of Internet access.

In spite of this, Nigeria ranks tenth in the list with 44 million Internet users.

The final ten in order of ranking are:

South Korea

Population: 48.6 million
Internet users: 39.4 million

Turkey

Population: 77.8 million
Internet users: 35.0 million

Iran

Population: 76.9 million
Internet users: 33.2 million

Italy

Population: 58.1 million
Internet users: 30.0 million

Indonesia

Population: 243 million
Internet users: 30 million

Phillippines

Population: 99.9 million
Internet users: 29.7 million

Spain

Population: 46.5 million
Internet users: 29.1 million

Mexico

Population: 111.2 million
Internet users: 27.6 million

Canada

Population: 33.5 million
Internet users: 25.1 million

Vietnam

Population: 89.6 million
Internet users: 24.3 million

From reality stars like Paris Hilton to supermodels like Carolyn Murphy to actresses like Rebecca Gayheart, RadarOnline.com compiled a list of the most beautiful women who have spent some X-rated time in front of their own cameras.

Such tapes are often released without consent of their subjects and can damage celebrities’ careers. In 1988 a sex tape aided the downfall of Rob Lowe‘s career. However, in recent years many celebrities have benefited from the publicity of the release of a sex tape

Carolyn Murphy

Supermodel Carolyn Murphy’s sex tape was filmed during her 1999 honeymoon in Barbados with then-husband Jake Schroeder. Check out more stunning photos of the supermodel here.

Chelsea Handler

Comedian Chelsea Handler’s sex tape was created before she hit it big, and the funny lady still jokes about it! See more of Chelsea at RadarOnline.com

Paris Hilton

Paris Hilton’s sex tape with Rick Solomon employed the use of night vision to catch the action. The tape catapulted her from party girl obscurity into reality show superstardom. View more bikini photos of Paris at RadarOnline.com

Pam Anderson

The queen of celebrity sex tapes, Pamela Anderson has had more than one sex tape released with more than one rock star. See sexy bikini photos of Pamela here.

Nicole Narain

Nicole Narain appeared with Colin Farrell in a fourteen-minute sex tape that was quickly taken off the market. View more revealing snaps of Nicole here

Jenna Lewis

In 2004, a 42-minute sex tape of Survivor contestant Jenna Lewis and her husband Travis Wolfe surfaced. Scope out these shots of Jenna

Carrie Prejean

Former beauty queen Carrie Prejean apologized for her sex tape, saying it was the worst mistake of her life. Take a look at stunning bikini photos of Carrie in this gallery

Kendra Wilkinson

Kendra Wilkinson shot her sex tape just a few months before her introduction to Hugh Hefner at a Playboy Mansion party. The rest is sex tape hsitory, as her video could be the most-watched ever. Take a look at these smokin’ photos of Kendra

Mindy McCready

Earlier this year, country star Mindy McCready’s sex tape with an ex named Peter was released. See more of Mindy at RadarOnline.com

Rebecca Gayheart

Rebecca Gayheart and Eric Dane filmed a nude video of themselves with former beauty queen Kari Ann Peniche. Check out Rebecca in a bikini here

Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian reportedly settled with Vivid Entertainment for $5 million over the release of her sex tape with then-boyfriend Ray J. Check out hot bikini photos of Kim here

E*Trade, Scottrade, and Ameritrade are today’s leading online brokerage companies that offer a simple way to buy and sell stocks. If you’re not an experienced investor, but still want to take a plunge into the stock market, learning about different options available can help you find out the benefits of each. Still, each brokerage offers different types of accounts and fees depending on the level of activity each period. Some also charge inactivity fees on top of variable commission rates and balance requirements. Knowing where to invest is the first step to building a successful portfolio. Here’s a quick comparison of E*trade, Scottrade, and Ameritrade so you can make the best investment decisions:

E*Trade offers an extensive line of trading and investment services, covering many options in stocks, mutual funds, bonds, IPOs, Futures, and Options. The online resources are substantial, but may be intimidating for the beginning investor. E*Trade does offer a user-friendly help center to guide you through rates, news, and different account options but requires a fair amount of review to get started. Highlights of E*Trade offerings include:

• $6.99-$9.99 flat rates depending on number of stock and options trades with fees up to $12.99 for anything less than $50,000

• Mutual fund transaction fees of $19.99

• 1,000+ ‘no-load, no-transaction fee funds’ for each account (but early redemption fees do apply)

• Asset allocation tools available online

• Access to advisors to help with asset allocation

Bottom line: E*Trade offers a variety of options for the seasoned investor, with premium services available for active traders. However, beginning investors may not find rates competitive enough to stick with them in the long term.

Scottrade is ideal for average and inexperienced stock investors, and offers competitive startup rats as well as low monthly fees. Highlights of scottrade accounts include:

• $500 account minimum requirements

• $7 flat rate for market and limit orders-no extra fees to worry about

• No inactivity fees; you can leave your account alone for a period of time without worrying about stacking up fees

• Three platforms to choose from: Scottrade.com, scottrader, and scottradeElite.

Bottom line: Scottrade is a great place for beginning investors to get started, and can help build a portfolio in a short amount of time.

Scottrade Free Trades Coupon Code:

Referred by: KALLAL PAUL
ReferALL code: DBCP6171

Ameritrade offers a very easy trading platform with its online services. It boasts $9.99 internet equity trades with no maintenance fees, so you don’t have to pay any additional fees to get started with an account. Other highlights of Ameritrade include:

• Easy-to-access reporting and stock analysis each day

• Access to Ameritrade representatives throughout your state if you need advice or guidance

• A ‘Command Center 2.0′ to make trading very easy and simple to follow

• Free trades for $45 and a $100 bonus

Bottom line: Ameritrade offers plenty of options for beginning investors, and is a great choice if you’re looking for something simple and straightforward. The flat-rate is competitive, but do read the guidelines on which types of trades qualify under this program. If you need to speak with a representative or advisor, Ameritrade does make it easy to locate someone to guide you through the process.

Today’s online stock trading websites enable you to buy and trade stocks with ease; you don’t have to depend on a middleman to guide you through the process, and each one offers helpful tutorials to take you through the steps. Still, the services come at a price; be sure to read the terms and conditions of each brokerage to calculate the ‘real’ cost of your transactions. Ameritrade and Scottrade offer convenient accounts for beginners, while E*Trade is best suited for a seasoned investor.

Similar Post:

1. Scottrade Free Trades- Coupon Code

According to a report in The Times, Honda’s creation, a decade in the making, restores Japan’s reputation as the most fanatical of mad inventors.

The thousands of tiny movements the human hand instinctively makes to keep the broom upright are simulated in the U3-X by a lattice of motion sensors and Honda’s new omni-directional wheel.

The new Honda drive system can do all sorts of useful things ordinary wheels cannot, such as moving sideways.

The compact electric personal mobility device fits between the rider’s legs to provide movement forward, backward, side-to-side, and diagonally. It is made to easily use, carry, or store.

The 10-kg unicycle’s most spectacular feat is that it can stand upright on its own.

The unicycle has a foldable seat and footrests – and a body that functions as the frame in which users can retract the various components.

When unfurled, riders jump on and go – adjusting speed and motion by simply shifting weight.

Taken off its charging stand and held in the starting position for a few seconds, the U3-X quivers to life. It will not fall over as long as its batteries last.

Even while in motion, the unicycle is nearly impossible to topple and makes no balancing demands.

The driver merely leans the torso in the desired direction of travel and the single wheel compensates improbably for the shifting weight of its master, rumbling off with a puny electric whirr.

The machine is far more portable than a fold-up bicycle and takes up no more pavement space than a pedestrian.

According to Shinichiro Kobashi, an engineer, one day, polo matches will be played on these machines.

For the moment, though, any match would be a slow one. Honda has limited the unicycle to a maximum speed of 4mph (6km/h) – a speed at which it makes considerably more sense to walk.

Some disease-causing microbes are becoming resistant to existing antibiotics. As a result, scientists worldwide are searching for new antibiotics.

Previous studies have hinted that pumpkin, long used as folk medicine in some countries, might have antibiotic effects.

In the new study, Kyung-Soo Hahm, Yoonkyung Park and colleagues extracted proteins from pumpkin rinds to see if the proteins inhibit the growth of microbes, including Candida albicans (C. albicans).

That fungus causes vaginal yeast infections, diaper rash in infants, and other health problems.

One protein had powerful effects in inhibiting the growth of C. albicans, in cell culture experiments, with no obvious toxic effects.

The study suggests that the pumpkin protein could be developed into a natural medicine for fighting yeast infections in humans.

The protein also blocked the growth of several fungi that attack important plant crops and could be useful as an agricultural fungicide, the researchers found.

The study has been published in the current issue of ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry , a bi-weekly publication.

LinkedIn

Founded in 2003, LinkedIn is the most popular social networking site for professionals. It was valued by its investors last year at $1 billion and has annual revenue beyond $100 million. Subscribers provide their professional background on line as a way of meeting others in their field and as a way for companies to help hire.

The company has 43 million members, half outside the United States, and adds 1.5 to 2 million monthly. It turned profitable in 2008.

Solyndra

Founded in 2005, Solyndra is a clean tech company which makes solar electric installations for commercial rooftops. It has a unique system using tubes that make it more efficient than standard photovoltaic systems and cheaper to install.

The company’s latest round of growth capital came from the US Department of Energy, which gave it a $535 million loan guarantee in March. It will use the money to increase its annual production capacity to 610 megawatts (MW) from 110 MW.

Zynga

Established in 2007, Zynga in less than two years has grown to be the largest casual online gaming company in the world with 76 million users a month.

It was profitable almost from the beginning, advertising on Facebook and MySpace to tell users about how it works. Games are played between friends and there is no charge to play.

“We think this is going to be a major industry,” said Chief Executive Mark Pincus. But he said he is “being careful” and “not rushing for the door” to sell the company.

Silver Spring

Founded in 2002, Silver Spring is a clean tech company that provisions “smart grid” utilities networks, Silver Spring sells smart electric and gas meters and software to conserve energy, minimize interruptions and cut carbon emissions.

The utilities that are the company’s clients represent more than 20% of the US population, and its staff of 300 employees is growing.

“We’ve added well over 100 people this year and are projected to add well over that,” said CEO Scott Lang. The company sees opportunities for growth in plug-in electric vehicles, which could create problems on the grid if they become widely used. It is also looking at acquisitions. Lang said a deal could come in less than two months.

LiveOps

Established in 2000, LiveOps operates call centers in the cloud, connecting them with than 20,000 people who work at home as private contractors.

Chief Executive Maynard Webb came to LiveOps after being chief operating officer of eBay. He said the company’s revenues are accelerating in double digits this year, despite the recession, and its revenues are above $100 million for the third year running.

Webb said he will take the company public but only when it hits internal benchmarks, because his company has no need for money beyond what it generates.

Guidewire

Founded in 2002, Guidewire writes the core software for property and casualty insurance companies, replacing decades-old installations that used the old COBOL language.

Guidewire does in insurance what Oracle and SAP do for enterprise software. Guidewire’s applications run on the Web, both as an intranet for internal company use and as an Internet for consumers and claims adjusters. It is designed to handle underwriting, claims and billing.

“We’ve just had our best year ever by far,” said CEO John Raguin. He said the company, whose 70 customers include Geico, AAA and Tokio Marine Nichido Fire, grew by over 40% in the latest fiscal year.

August 29, 1958: Born in Gary, Indiana. 

August 1962: Singing debut with his brothers, The Jackson Five.

March 1969: First Jackson Five contract with Tamla Motown, Detroit’s black-owned record label. Michael’s voice propels the group onto the hit parade with “ABC” and “I’ll Be There”.

1970: Launch of solo career alongside that of the Jackson Five.

August 1979: Release of “Off The Wall” album, produced by Quincy Jones, which sold 11 million copies.

December 1982: release of “Thriller” album, whose seven hits included “Billie Jean” and “Beat It,” pushing sales to 50 million copies worldwide.

1984: Jackson’s face gets burnt during filming for a Pepsi ad.

1985: Buys ATV Music — a company with rights to John Lennon and Paul McCartney songs — for 47.5 million dollars.

1985: Jackson writes “We Are The World,” which benefited the fight against hunger in Africa.

1987: Release of “Bad,” which sold 26 million copies and marked the end of his collaboration with Quincy Jones.

1988: His autobiography “Moonwalk” comes out.

1990: Michael Jackson is seen for the first time wearing a surgical mask in public/

1992: Release of “Dangerous,” which sold 22 million copies/

August 1993: A father accuses Jackson of molesting his 13-year-old son, but settles out of court/

May 1994: February 1996: marriage to Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis

June 1995: Release of “History” album

November 1996-October 1999: Marriage to Debbie Rowe, a 37-year-old nurse with whom he has two children, Prince Michael and Paris Michael Katherine
.
October 2001: Release of “Invincible”.

July 2002: Jackson accuses record labels of exploiting artists, especially African-Americans.

November 19, 2002: Scandal after Jackson dangles his third son, nine-month-old Prince Michael II, from a Berlin hotel balcony.

January 31, 2003: Sotheby’s auction house sues for non-payment of 1.7 million dollars for two paintings.

February 3: In documentary “Living with Michael Jackson” broadcast on ITV, Jackson claims never to have abused a child, merely to have shared his bed.

February: The singer’s manager brings a 13-million-dollar lawsuit for back salary, which is settled out of court in June.

November 18: Police raid Jackson’s Neverland ranch in California as “Number Ones” album is released.

November 19: Warrant issued for Jackson’s arrest on several counts of child molestation.

November 20: Jackson is arrested and handcuffed after surrendering to police, held briefly then released on bail.

December 18: Michael Jackson is formally charged with child molestation.

January 16, 2004: Jackson pleads not guilty during his first appearance amid a media circus.

January 31, 2005: Michael Jackson trial begins with jury selection.

February 28, 2005: Opening arguments begin in trial.

June 4, 2005: Jurors begin considering their verdict.

June 13, 2005: Jackson acquitted on all charges against him.

March 5, 2009: Jackson announces series of comeback concerts in London — billed as the “final curtain” — his first major shows for more than a decade.

May 20, 2009: Jackson delays comeback shows. Concert organizers say singer’s health is “fantastic”.

June 25, 2009: Jackson dies in Los Angeles.