Today would’ve been Michael Jackson’s 54^th birthday, but since the world said goodbye to him back in 2009, today is a day to celebrate the man who will forever be regarded not only as the King of Pop, but as probably the greatest artist of all time.

He not only stole hearts as a mere child in the Jackson 5, but he grew up to rule the charts and airwaves with hit after hit, including classics like “Thriller,” “Black or White,” and “Scream.” And despite all the scandals and scrutiny he faced throughout his life, one thing’s for sure, the music world would not be what it is today without his influence on both song and dance. Happy birthday Michael! Here are some interesting facts about the king: 

-Looking back at his days in Jackson 5, Michael admits he sounded “like Minnie Mouse” on their earlier records.

-Childlike in almost every way, Michael Jackson was a very ticklish man.

-He broke color barriers as “Billie Jean” became the first video by a black artist to air on MTV.

-Could he have gone to Comic-Con? Maybe for a X-Men panel since Morph from X-Men was his favorite superhero.

-People always wondered if it was really Michael on The Simpsons back in the day. Well yes and no, he recorded a voice-over, but wasn’t allowed to do the actual singing due to contract issues.

-Today and forever, Michael’s dance moves are still being immolated and celebrated, but one time MC Hammer challenged Jackson to a dance-off.  Jackson apparently responded, “I’ve seen your videos and every single dance move you use, you got off of me.”