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2009 will be remembered for a lot of reasons. And yes, that includes the Jon and Kate drama, not to mention the frenzy surrounding the Twilight movies (and the romance between its stars)...

But 2009 is also the year that Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, passed away. No one expected it, especially because 70s icon Farrah Fawcett died earlier the same day (June 25th) after a long struggle with cancer.

Much has been made about the many drugs MJ was taking up until the time of his death, as well as what role his doctor Conrad Murray played in the singer's final days. And let's not forget daughter Paris' heartfelt speech at Jackson's very public Staples Center Memorial, where she proclaimed through her tears: "Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine. I just wanted to say that I love him... so much."

But let's not dwell on the negative today. Michael Jackson was an extraordinary performer, This Is It has become the highest grossing documentary ever and his album Thriller remains the best selling album of all time.

Kudos to MJ!

Check out our monster gallery below of the beloved icon...