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Michael Jackson

2009-07-20T03:39:00.000-07:00

~:: Nicknames ::~
The Gloved One
Wacko Jacko
Jacko
King Of Pop
M J

~:: Height ::~
5' 10" (1.78 m)

~:: Occupation ::~
Singer, Songwriter, Producer, Dancer, Choreographer, Businessman

~:: Net worth ::~
$236 million (2007)

~:: Spouse(s) ::~
Lisa Marie Presley (1994–1996)
Debbie Rowe (1996–1999)

~:: Children ::~
Prince Michael Jackson I (b. 1997)
Paris Katherine Michael Jackson (b. 1998)
Prince Michael Jackson II (b. 2002)

~:: Parents ::~
Joseph Jackson (father)
Katherine Jackson (mother)

~:: Brothers ::~
Sigmund "Jackie"
Toriano "Tito"
Jermaine
Marlon
Steven "Randy"

~:: Sisters ::~
Rebbie Tackson
Janet Jackson
La-Toya Jackson.

Michael Joseph Jackson born on the 29th of August 1958 in Gary, Indiana.He was the 7th of nine children.He is the second-youngest brother of seven and the eighth of ten children of Joseph and Katherine Jackson.

Michael began his musical career at the age of 5 as the lead singer of the Jackson 5 who formed in 1964. In these early years the Jackson 5, Jackie, Jermaine, Tito, Marlon and lead singer Michael played local clubs and bars in Gary Indiana and moving further afield as there talents grew and they could compete in bigger competitions. From these early days Michael would be at the same clubs as big talented stars of there days, such as Jackie Wilson and would be learning from them even back then.

In 1968 the Bobby Taylor and The Vancouver's discovered the Jackson five and from there they got an audition for Berry Gordy of Motown Records.The group hit stardom, with their first four singles which charted at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100. As a solo artist, Jackson released Got to Be There in 1971 and Ben in 1972. These were released as part of the Jackson 5 franchise and produced successful singles such as "Got to Be There", "Ben", and a remake of Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin". The Jackson 5 signed for Motown and moved to California. Their first 4 singles, "I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save", and "I'll Be There" all made US No1 hits. The Jackson 5 recorded 14 albums and Michael recorded 4 solo albums with Motown.

The Jackson 5 stayed with Motown until 1976, wanting more artistic freedom they felt they had to move on and signed up with Epic. The group name Jackson 5 had to be changed as it was owned by Motown, so they reverted to The Jacksons as they had be known in the early days. Brother Jermaine married Berry Gordy's daughter and stayed with Motown. Youngest brother Randy joined in his place. The Jacksons had a number of hit records and in total made 6 albums between the years of 1976 and 1984.

In 1977 Michael made his first film debut when he starred in the musical 'The Wiz' playing Scarecrow with Diana Ross in the lead role of Dorothy. It was at this time Michael met Quincy Jones who was doing the score for the film.

Michael teamed up with Quincey Jones as his producer for his first solo album with Epic Records. 'Off the Wall', released in 1979, was a worldwide hit, and became the first album in history to spawn four top-ten hits, including "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock With You".

In January 1980, Jackson won his first awards for his solo efforts at the American Music Awards. He won "Favorite Soul/R&B Album" (for Off The Wall), "Favorite Male Soul/R&B Artist" and Favorite Soul/R&B Single (for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"). Later that month, he also won two Billboard Awards (for "Top Black Artist" and "Top Black Album").

On February 27, 1980, Jackson won a Grammy Award for "Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male" (for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough").

In November 1982, the storybook for E.T.: The Extra-terrestrial was released. It included Jackson reading the story as well as one original song ("Someone in the Dark"). The album later won a Grammy for "Best Album for Children".

In 1982 Michael Jackson released the world's largest selling album of all time, 'Thriller'. This album produced 7 hit singles, breaking yet again more records, and went on to sell over 50 million copies worldwide. Michael was keen to use music video or short films as he called them to promote his singles from the album. He worked with the best directors and producers, using the latest technology and special effects for the hit song 'Billie Jean' The short film 'Thriller' used the latest make-up artists technology combined with fantastic dancing and choreography, to produce a 14 minute video, with a start, a middle and an ending. So successful was this video that 'The Making Of Michael Jackson's Thriller' became the world's largest selling home video combined with soaring album sales. In 1983 Michael performed the now legendary moonwalk for the first time on the 'Motown 25 years' anniversary show. This performance alone set Michael undoubted into the realm of a superstar.

In 1983, whilst performing "Billie Jean" at the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever concert Jackson debuted what can be regarded as his signature move: the moonwalk.

In 1983, he started a sponsorship deal with Pepsi-Cola, and, as part of the deal, he agreed to star in a commercial. While filming a Pepsi commercial with his brothers in 1984, before a live audience, his hair caught on fire when a pyrotechnic effect went wrong. Jackson suffered serious burns on his scalp, which required skin grafts.

In February 1984, Jackson is nominated for twelve Grammy awards and wins eight, breaking the record for the most Grammy awards won in a single year. Seven were for the critically acclaimed Thriller and the other for the E.T.: The Extra-terrestrial storybook. In 1984, he also won eight American Music Awards and the "Special Award of Merit" and three MTV Video Music Awards.

After reuniting with his brothers, he then helped to write the Victory album. He then performed and starred in the successful Victory Tour which started on July 6, 1984 and lasted for five months.

On December 9th 1984 at the last concert of the Jackson's Victory Tour, Michael announced he was splitting from the group and going solo.

In 1985, Jackson was invited to the White House and was personally thanked by then-President Ronald Reagan at a White House ceremony for donating the song "Beat It" for use in drunk driving prevention television and radio public service announcements.

Jackson continued his charity work in 1985 by co-writing, with Lionel Richie, the hit single "We Are the World". The charity single helped to raise money and awareness for the famine in East Africa and was one of the first instances where Jackson was seen as a humanitarian. The song also won a Grammy Award for "Song of the Year".

In 1986, Jackson starred in the George Lucas-produced, Francis Ford Coppola-directed 3-D film Captain EO. The film lasted 17 minutes but had costs estimated at $17 million. At the time, it was the most expensive film ever produced on a per-minute basis. In the USA, the Disney theme parks hosted Captain EO. Disneyland featured the film in tomorrow-land from September 18, 1986 until April 7, 1997. It was also featured in Walt Disney World in Epcot from September 12, 1986 until July 6, 1994.

( Michael Jackson's gold-plated military style Jacket with Belt which he wore in the Bad Era. )

In 1987 Michael released his much awaited third solo album, titled 'Bad', and launched his record breaking first solo world tour.This is his final album with producer Quincy Jones. He initially wanted to make the album 30 tracks long, but Jones cut this down to 10.

In comparison to Thriller, Bad had lower sales but it was still a huge commercial success. It spawned seven hit singles, of which five went to number-one, those being: "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror", and "Dirty Diana". The album went onto sell 29 million copies worldwide; the RIAA eventually certified Bad at 8x Platinum. In September 1987, he embarked upon his first solo world tour, the Bad World Tour. The tour lasted sixteen months, in which Jackson performed at 123 concerts, to over 4.4 million fans worldwide. Jackson insisted on a personal bus, plane and helicopter to be available to him all at the same time.

Jackson hired film director Martin Scorsese to direct the video for the album's title track. When the 18-minute music video debuted on TV, it sparked a great deal of controversy as it became apparent that Jackson's appearance had changed dramatically. Although Jackson's skin color was a medium-brown color for the entire duration of his youth, his skin had been becoming paler gradually since 1982, and had become a light brown color. This change became so noticeable that it gained widespread media coverage with some tabloid's claiming that it was due to Jackson bleaching his skin.Another significant reason for the change in appearance was the use of plastic surgery. Despite a number of surgeons' claims that Jackson had undergone multiple nasal surgeries as well as a forehead lift, thinned lips and cheekbone surgery.

1988, Michael wrote his first autobiography, Moonwalk, talking for the first time on his childhood and his career. At the end of the 1980s Michael was named 'Artist Of The Decade' for his success off of his 'Thriller' and 'Bad' albums.

The success Jackson achieved during this period in his career led to him to be dubbed the "King of Pop", a nickname which he continues to be referred to by fans. There are various conflicting reports as to the origin of the nickname. According to Jackson, it was conceived by actress and long-term friend Elizabeth Taylor when she presented Jackson with an "Artist of the Decade" award in 1989, proclaiming him "the true king of pop, rock and soul". Additionally, this period saw Jackson enjoy "a level of superstardom previously known only to Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Frank Sinatra".

In 1991 Michael signed with Sony Music the largest ever recording contract and released his fourth solo album, 'Dangerous'. The major hit from Dangerous was "Black or White". The single was accompanied by a controversial video which featured scenes of a sexual nature as well as violence and racism. The video was banned on most music-television channels until these scenes were removed.He toured world again in 1992, taking his concerts to countries that had never before been visited by a pop/rock artist.

On February 10, 1992, MTV kicked off its first global sweepstakes with "My Dinner with Michael". Winners from around the world attended a dinner party hosted by Michael Jackson on the set of his music video "In the Closet". Later that year, a biopic, The Jacksons: An American Dream debuted on ABC based on the true story of the rise of The Jackson 5.

Jackson founded the "Heal the World Foundation" (named after his humanitarian single "Heal the World") in 1992. The charity organization brought underprivileged children to Jackson's Neverland Ranch, located outside Santa Ynez, California, to go on theme park rides which Jackson had built on the property after he purchased it in 1988.

In January 1993, Michael Jackson performed during the halftime show at Super Bowl XXVII. It drew one of the largest viewing audience in the history of American television.

On the Oprah Winfrey Show in 1993, Jackson claimed that the change in his skin color was due to vitiligo. In the interview, Jackson stated that his skin was, at first, black with white spots which he used make-up to cover. But later, some time after Thriller, his skin became increasingly white with black spots; he then used white make-up to cover the black spots.

Jackson was reported to be inviting or allowing children to sleepover at Neverland. This practice came under much media and public scrutiny in 1993 when allegations of child molestation were brought against Jackson by a child who had stayed with him on several occasions. That year, Jordan Chandler, the son of former Beverly Hills dentist Evan Chandler, represented by civil lawyer Larry Feldman, accused Jackson of child sexual abuse. On December 22 Jackson responded to the allegations via satellite from his Neverland compound, and claimed to be "totally innocent of any wrongdoing".

On January 25, 1994, Jackson settled out of court with the accuser for an undisclosed sum, reported to be $20 million, and was not charged.

In 1994 After the allegations were settled Michael married Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of rock legend Elvis Presley. The marriage only lasted for 19 months, as they divorced in 1996.

In June 1995, Jackson released History : Past, Present And Future - Book I. The first disc, History Begins, was a fifteen-track greatest hits album (this disc was later released as Greatest Hits - History Vol. I in 2001), while the second disc, History Continues, contained fifteen new songs. The first single released from HIStory was "Scream". The single reached the top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. The music video for "Scream" is currently the most expensive music video ever made. On September 7, 1995 at the MTV Video Music Awards, Jackson and Janet Jackson won three awards for the song "Scream", from HIStory. At
the awards show, Jackson also performed a medley, "Billie Jean", "Dangerous" and "You Are Not Alone".

"They Don't Care About Us" was the fourth single released from History, and caused controversy over anti-Semitic lyrics. The song contained the lyrics "Jew me, sue me" and "kick me, kike me". After significant pressure from the Jewish community, later releases changed the verse to the same-sounding "do me, sue me" and "kick me, hike me" or censored it with a thumping sound.

On November 14, 1996, during the Australian leg of the tour, Michael married for his second time to Debbie Rowe who was a nurse that Michael had met in the treatment of his skin pigment disorder. Together they had their first child Prince Michael Joseph Jackson jr born on February 13 1997 and a daughter Paris Michael Katherine Jackson born on April 3rd 1998.

At the 1996 Brit Awards, Jackson performed the track "Earth Song".

In 1997 Michael released the remix album 'Blood On The Dance Floor' which also contained 5 new song linked with a 38min film "Ghosts". The album's five original songs were named "Blood On The Dance Floor", "Is It Scary?", "Ghosts", "Superfly Sister" and "Morphine". Of the new songs, three were released globally: the title track, "Ghosts", and "Is It Scary?". The title track reached number-one in the UK. The singles "Ghosts" and "Is It Scary" were based on a film created by Jackson called "Ghosts". The short film, written by Michael Jackson and Stephen King and directed by Stan Winston, features many special effects and dance moves choreographed to original music written by Michael Jackson. The music video for "Ghosts" is over 35 minutes long and is currently the Worlds Longest Music Video. This film Michael played 5 roles using the latest special effects and make-up artistry, combined with his dance and music. Jackson dedicated the album to Elton John, who reportedly helped him through his addiction to painkillers, notably morphine.

In September, 2001 Michael celebrated his 30th anniversary as a solo artist with two concerts to be held in New York, USA. Many artists such as Whitney Houston, Usher, Destinys Child, Shaggy and many more performed there own and Michael Jacksons past songs. Michael then reunited with all of his brothers and performed there biggest hits. Michael then went onto perform solo some of his biggest hits.

In October 2001, Invincible was released and debuted at number-one in thirteen countries. The singles released from the album include "You Rock My World", "Cry", and "Butterflies". Jackson and 35 other artists recorded a charity benefit single entitled "What More Can I Give" which was never released. Shortly after the albums release there were rumors of a rift with Sony Music and a clear lack of promotion of the album. The second single "Cry" was released with a very poor music video which did not feature Michael and no other singles were released.

On September 7 and September 10, 2001, Jackson organised a special 30th Anniversary celebration at Madison Square Garden for his 30th year of being a solo artist. Later, the show aired on November 13, 2001. It featured performances by Mýa, Usher, Whitney Houston, Billy Gilman, Shaggy, Rayvon, Rikrok, Destiny's Child, Monica, Deborah Cox, Rah Digga, Tamia, James Ingram, Gloria Estefan, 98 Degrees, Luther Vandross, Liza Minnelli, Lil' Romeo, Master P, 'N Sync, the Jacksons and Slash.

In November 2002, Jackson travelled to Berlin to accept an award for his humanitarian efforts. He was surrounded by fans outside his room at the Hotel Adlon who were chanting in approval of the singer. According to the pop star, they also called out to see his baby. In response, Jackson brought his son onto the balcony, holding him in his right arm with a towel over the baby's head, apparently to protect his identity. Jackson briefly extended the baby over the railing of the balcony.In the documentary Living with Michael Jackson, Jackson said that the media was wrong in their comments about him being irresponsible with his children, "I love my children", he explained. "I was holding my son tight. Why would I throw a baby off the balcony? That's the dumbest, stupidest story I ever heard".

In February 2003, a controversial documentary titled Living with Michael Jackson aired in the UK (on the 3rd) and in the US (on the 6th). The documentary included interviews with Jackson which included information on his private life.

In June 2003, Jackson's friend, actor Marlon Brando, signed a half-acre plot of land on his island Tetiaroa to Jackson, in gratitude for Jackson hosting a party for Brando's daughter, Nina, then aged 13.

In November 2003 a new single "One More Chance" was released as a single and was also a track on new compilaition album "Number Ones".The compilation has sold over six million copies worldwide.

Jackson was accused of sexual abuse by Gavin Arviso, who appeared in the Living with Michael Jackson documentary earlier that year. The allegations later led to a trial in which Jackson was found not guilty of all charges.

on December 17, 2003 Jackson converted to the Nation of Islam . Later in 2005, because of his links with the Bahrain Royal Family, he converted to Sunni Islam.

Marlon Brando, who was a frequent user of the Internet, informed Jackson on February 8, 2004 that the declarations made by Jordy Chandler relating to the 1993 child molestation allegations had been published on the internet site The Smoking Gun. This happened when Jackson was about to start an interview with journalist Ed Bradley for 60 Minutes. Jackson immediately left the studio and did not conduct the interview. Jackson also attended Brando's memorial service in 2004 along with Sean Penn, Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty.

On August 6, 2004, Man In The Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story debuted on VH1 starring Flex Alexander as Michael Jackson.

Rapper Eminem parodied new allegations raised against Jackson by Gavin Arviso in his music video for "Just Lose It" in 2004. The clip caused controversy and fueled Jackson to make a statement.

On June 13, Jackson was acquitted of all ten charges, including four additional lesser ones.

In February 2006, Jackson's label released Visionary - The Video Singles, a box set made up of twenty of his biggest hit singles, each of which were issued individually week by week over a five-month period.

On May 27, 2006, Michael Jackson accepted a Legend Award at MTV Japan's VMA Awards in Tokyo. It was his first major public appearance since being found not guilty in his child molestation trial almost a year earlier. The award honors his influence and impact on music videos in the last 25 years.

On November 14, 2006, Sony officially released the Visionary box set. He also visited the London office of the Guinness World Records. There, he received eight awards: "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time", "Youngest Vocalist to Top the US Singles Charts" (at the age of 11 as part of the Jackson Five), "First Vocalist to Enter the US Singles Chart at Number One" (for "You Are Not Alone"), "First Entertainer to Earn More Than 100 million Dollars in a Year", "Highest Paid Entertainer of All Time" ($125 in 1989), "First Entertainer to Sell More Than 100 Million Albums Outside the US", "Most Weeks at the Top of the US Albums Chart" (for the album Thriller) and "Most Successful Music Video" (for the music
video Thriller).

On November 15, 2006, Michael Jackson received the Diamond Award, for selling over 100 million albums, at the World Music Awards.

In March 2009, Michael annouced a shock comeback tour at the O2 Arena in London to start in July 2009, intially for 10 dates but the total grew to a sold out 50 dates with over 750,000 tickets sold. All sold tickets sold out within minutes of being released.

On June 25th 2009 Michael Jackson died suddenly of a reported cardiac arrest. He was 50 years old.

~:: R.I.P MJ ::~

Studio albums

Motown releases

1971: Got to Be There
1972: Ben
1973: Music and Me
1975: Forever, Michael

Epic releases

1979: Off the Wall
1982: Thriller
1987: Bad
1991: Dangerous
1995: HIStory
1997: Blood on the Dance Floor
2001: Invincible

Music Videos

1983: "Billie Jean"
1983: "Beat It"
1983: "Thriller"
1987: "Bad"
1987: "The Way You Make Me Feel"
1988: "Smooth Criminal"
1989: "Leave Me Alone"
1991: "Black or White"
1992: "Remember the Time"
1995: "Scream"
1995: "Earth Song"
1997: "Blood on the Dance Floor"
2001: "You Rock My World"

Films

1978: The Wiz
1986: Captain EO
1988: Moonwalker
1997: Ghosts
2004: Men in Black II (Cameo appearance)
2004: Miss Cast Away (Cameo appearance)

Video DVD s

1988: Moonwalker
1993: Dangerous - The Short Films
1995: Video Greatest Hits - HIStory
1997: HIStory on Film, Volume II
2003: Number Ones
2004: The One
2005: Live In Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour

Television

The Jacksons TV Show was an animated series that first aired on June 16, 1976 and last aired on March 9, 1977. It starred Jackie, Tito, Marlon, Michael, Randy, Rebbie, LaToya, and Janet Jackson.
The Simpsons, Season 3 Episode 1, "Stark Raving Dad". The episode first aired on September 19, 1991. He was credited as John Jay Smith.

Video games

Michael Jackson's Moon walker is an arcade game that was ported to the Sega Mega Drive/Sega Genesis and Sega Master System and various 8-bit home computers, including the Amiga, which sported more levels and better graphics.
Sonic The Hedgehog 3 features sampled noises from Jackson and his instrument players who worked for him at the time. Due to his 1993 scandal some songs written by him were removed; however the original game still contains some content from him and his team although Jackson is uncredited. New Sega PC "retro" versions do not contain any of the material from Jackson or his team.
Space Channel 5 for the Sega Dreamcast featured Michael Jackson in the later levels.
Space Channel 5 Part 2, a dance game for the PlayStation 2 and Sega Dreamcast also featured Michael Jackson in the later levels.
Ready 2 Rumble Round 2 is a fighting game for the PlayStation 2 and Sega Dreamcast featuring Michael Jackson as a hidden character.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City for the PS2, PC, and Xbox includes two songs by Michael Jackson: "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'".

Major Awards

American Music Awards - 22
Billboard Awards - 40
BRIT Awards - 7
Golden Globe Awards - 1
Grammy Awards - 19
Guinness World Records - 13
MTV Awards - 13
NAACP Image Awards - 14
RIAA Awards - 56
World Music Awards - 12
Total Major Awards Won :: 197
(These are only Major Awards.He won many more...)

~:: we will never let you apart

you will be always in our hearts ::~

- we miss u

Mother Teresa

2009-07-18T06:21:00.000-07:00

MOTHER TERESA ( August 26 1910 - September 5,1997 )

“By blood, I am Albanian.
By citizenship, an Indian.
By faith, I Am a Catholic nun.
As to my calling, I belong to the world.
As to my Heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus.”

Agnesë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu was born on August 26, 1910, in Üsküb, Ottoman Empire (now Skopje, capital of the Republic of Macedonia). Although she was born on August 26, she considered August 27, the day she was baptized, to be her "true birthday". She was the youngest of the children of a family from Shkodër, Albania, born to Nikollë and Drane Bojaxhiu. Her father was involved in Albanian politics.

In 1919, after a political meeting, which left Skopje out of Albania, he fell ill and died when Agnes was about eight years old. After her father's death, her mother raised her as a Roman Catholic. According to a biography by Joan Graff Clucas, in her early years Agnes was fascinated by stories of the lives of missionaries and their service, and by age 12 was convinced that she should commit herself to a religious life. She left home at age 18 to join the Sisters of Loreto as a missionary. She never again saw her mother or sister.

Agnes initially went to the Loreto Abbey in Rathfarnham, Ireland, to learn English, the language the Sisters of Loreto used to teach school children in India. She arrived in India in 1929, and began her novitiate in Darjeeling, near the Himalayan mountains. She took her first religious vows as a nun on May 24, 1931. At that time she chose the name Teresa after Thérèse de Lisieux, the patron saint of missionaries. She took her solemn vows on May 14, 1937, while serving as a teacher at the Loreto convent school in eastern Calcutta.

Although Teresa enjoyed teaching at the school, she was increasingly disturbed by the poverty surrounding her in Calcutta. A famine in 1943 brought misery and death to the city; and the outbreak of Hindu/Muslim violence in August 1946 plunged the city into despair and horror.

She began her missionary work with the poor in 1948, replacing her traditional Loreto habit with a simple white cotton sari decorated with a blue border, adopted Indian citizenship, and ventured out into the slums. Initially she started a school in Motijhil; soon she started tending to the needs of the destitute and starving. Her efforts quickly caught the attention of Indian officials, including the Prime Minister, who expressed his appreciation.

Teresa received Vatican permission on October 7, 1950 to start the diocesan congregation that would become the Missionaries of Charity, Its mission was to care for, in her own words, "the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled, the blind, the lepers, all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society, people that have become a burden to the society and are shunned by everyone." It began as a small order with 13 members in Calcutta; today it has more than 4,000 nuns running orphanages, AIDS hospices, and charity centers worldwide, and caring for refugees, the blind, disabled, aged, alcoholics, the poor and homeless, and victims of floods, epidemics, and famine.

With the help of Indian officials she converted an abandoned Hindu temple into the Kalighat Home for the Dying, Those brought to the home received medical attention and were afforded the opportunity to die with dignity, according to the rituals of their faith; Muslims were read the Quran, Hindus received water from the Ganges, and Catholics received the Last Rites. "A beautiful death," she said, "is for people who lived like animals to die like angels—loved and wanted."

As the Missionaries of Charity took in increasing numbers of lost children, Mother Teresa felt the need to create a home for them. In 1955 she opened the Nirmala Shishu Bhavan, the Children's Home of the Immaculate Heart, as a haven for orphans and homeless youth.The order soon began to attract both recruits and charitable donations, and by the 1960s had opened hospices, orphanages, and leper houses all over India. Mother Teresa then expanded the order throughout the globe. Its first house outside India opened in Venezuela in 1965 with five sisters.Others followed in Rome, Tanzania, and Austria in 1968; during the 1970s the order opened houses and foundations in dozens of countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the United States.

By the 1970s she was internationally famed as a humanitarian and advocate for the poor and helpless, due in part to a documentary, and book, Something Beautiful for God by Malcolm Muggeridge. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 1980 for her humanitarian work. Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity continued to expand, and at the time of her death it was operating 610 missions in 123 countries, including hospices and homes for people with HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis, soup kitchens, children's and family counselling programs, orphanages, and schools.

She has been praised by many individuals, governments and organizations; however, she has also faced a diverse range of criticism. These include objections by various individuals and groups, including Christopher Hitchens, Michael Parenti, Aroup Chatterjee, Vishva Hindu Parishad, against the proselytizing focus of her work including a strong stance against abortion, a belief in the spiritual goodness of poverty and alleged baptisms of the dying. Several medical journals also criticised the standard of medical care in her hospices and concerns were raised about the opaque nature in which donated money was spent.

Mother Teresa suffered a heart attack in Rome in 1983, while visiting Pope John Paul II. After a second attack in 1989, she received an artificial pacemaker. In 1991, after a battle with pneumonia while in Mexico, she suffered further heart problems. She offered to resign her position as head of the Missionaries of Charity. But the nuns of the order, in a secret ballot, voted for her to stay. Mother Teresa agreed to continue her work as head of the order.

In April 1996, Mother Teresa fell and broke her collar bone. In August she suffered from malaria and failure of the left heart ventricle. She had heart surgery, but it was clear that her health was declining. Another controversy surrounding her is that when she fell ill, instead of being treated at one of her clinics, she opted to be treated at a well-equipped hospital in California. On March 13, 1997, she stepped down from the head of Missionaries of Charity and died on September 5, 1997. The Archbishop of Calcutta, Henry Sebastian D'Souza, said he ordered a priest to perform an exorcism on Mother Teresa with her permission when she was first hospitalized with cardiac problems because he thought she may be under attack by the devil.

At the time of her death, Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity had over 4,000 sisters, an associated brotherhood of 300 members, and over 100,000 lay volunteers, operating 610 missions in 123 countries. These included hospices and homes for people with HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis, soup kitchens, children's and family counseling programs, personal helpers, orphanages, and schools.

MAJOR AWARDS RECEIVED BY MOTHER TERESA :

( TOTAL 124 AWARDS )

o 1962 Padma Shri Award for distinguished service. This was her first prize for her humanitarian work.

o 1971 Pope John XXIII Peace Prize

o 1971 Prize of the Good Samaritan, Boston

o 1971 Kennedy Prize

o 1972 Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding

o 1972 Koruna Dut, angel of charity, from the President of India

o 1973 Templeton Prize

o 1974 Mater et Magistra

o 1975 Albert Schweitzer International Prize

o 1977 Honorary PhD in Theology ( Doctor Honoris Causa in Theology ), University of Cambridge, England

o 1979 Nobel Peace Prize

o 1982 Honorary PhD ( Doctor Honoris Causa ) from the Catholic University Brussels, Belgium

o 1985 Presidential Metal of Freedom

o 1996 Honorary U.S. citizenship (only the 4th person to receive this honor)

o 1997 Congressional Gold Metal

SOME QUOTES BY MOTHER TERESA :

"There is no greater sickness in the world today than the lack of love."
"God loves a cheerful giver. She or he gives best who gives with a smile."
"The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread."
"The other day I dreamed that I was at the gates of heaven. And St. Peter said, 'Go back to Earth, there are no slums up here.' "
"People who love each other fully and truly are the happiest people in the world. They may have little, they may have nothing, but they are happy people. Everything depends on how we love one another."
"When I was crossing into Gaza, I was asked at the checkpost whether I was carrying any weapons. I replied: Oh yes, my prayer books."
"If you have a sick or lonely person at home, be there. Maybe just to hold a hand, maybe just to give a smile, that is the greatest, the most beautiful work."
"Prayer gives us a pure heart and a pure heart can do much."
"The poor do not need our sympathy and our pity. The poor need our love and compassion."
"Christ is hidden under the suffering appearance of anyone who is hungry, naked, homeless, or dying."
"You who have received so much love, share it with others. Love others the way that God has loved you, with tenderness."
"Love does not measure; it just gives.

THE SIMPLE PATH
The fruit of silence is PRAYER.
The fruit of prayer is FAITH.
The fruit of faith is LOVE.
The fruit of love is SERVICE.
The fruit of service is PEACE.

PRAYER

When I was hungry, you gave me food.
When I was thirsty you gave me drink.
Whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren, you do it to Me.
When I was a stranger, you opened your doors.
When I was naked, you gave me clothes.
When I was tired, you gave me peace.
When I was frightened, you calmed me down.
When I was lonely, you gave me your love.
When I was sick or wounded, you took care of me.
Looking for friendship, you gave me your hand.
When I was old, you smiled at me.
When I couldn't find peace, you brought it to me.
You were on my side in times of despair, and in the hour of joy, we were together.

Amen