Michael Jackson Dies Unexpectedly

Marilyn Monroe - 1962. Elvis Presley - 1977. Anna Nicole Smith - 2007. Michael Jackson - 2009. Is there something in the water in Hollywood?

It was a day unlike any other for most of us; heading to work, grabbing a cup of coffee for the road, listening to the radio at our desks or in our cars. Then something strange happened. News broke that the King of Pop, age 50, had suffered cardiac arrest in his rented home outside of Los Angeles.

One reputable news source, CNN, did not report on Michael Jackson's status changes immediately as they awaited credible information and verification, but a full story was already available on the celebrity website TMZ. It was soon announced on TMZ that at 2:26pm Pacific time that Michael Jackson died at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. The title on the TMZ article clearly stated, simply, "Michael Jackson Dies". CNN, MSNBC and ABC announced this news shortly following. Almost immediately, radio stations began playing back-to-back Michael Jackson hits in his remembrance. Twitter, Facebook and MySpace were buzzing with the news of Michael's death and the internet traffic jam almost brought the World Wide Web to a grinding halt.

There are news reports leaking to the press at this moment stating that Michael Jackson was given an injection of Demerol right before his death. At this time, any word of Demerol being the cause of Michael Jackson's death is pure speculation. It has been confirmed, however, that Michael Jackson had a personal physician with him at his home at the time of his collapse. Police are searching for the physician who may have administered this lethal dosage to Michael Jackson, but he is nowhere to be found. The physician's BMW was towed from Michael Jackson's rented home in Holmby Hills, California yesterday evening.

Michael Jackson will be missed and mourned throughout the World. His talent will not likely be surpassed by another in our generation. For all of his faults, he was a leader in the entertainment industry and helped shape the likes of Justin Timberlake, Usher, Britney Spears and others. His humanitarian work and humble upbringing in Gary, Indiana further cement the loss felt around the World.

Michael Jackson is survived by his three children Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr., Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince Michael Jackson II (nicknamed "Blanket").