A Bit of HIStory for today

July 22, 1988: Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck characters present Michael Jackson with a pair of specially engraved ice skates backstage before his fourth concert in Wembley.

A Bit of HIStory for today

July 20, 1988:  Michael Jackson was presented with a Sword to commemorate the Bad Tour at the Guildhall party.

In the evening, a banquet is held to commemorate the imminent Bad shows at Wembley Stadium. Michael became the first ever commoner to enter the London’s historic Guildhall’s Royal Entrance, a unique privilege that required the Queen’s personal approval.

His arrival was heralded by the red-jacketed trumpeters of the Life Guard cavalry, usually seen marching along the Mall. There followed a pounds 75,000 banquet, during which the roast beef was paraded through the room by the Corps of Drums of the Honourable Artillery Company.

Dancers in Olde English costume scattered rose petals at Michael’s feet. Then he watched wide-eyed as first Henry VIII, then Elizabeth I, Lord Nelson, Nell Gwynn, Robin Hood, Maid Marion and Dick Whittington paid their respects.

Ballet dancers burst from a box.

Fire-eaters, jugglers, jesters and Elizabethan musicians visited his table. Then Michael was stunned as Merlin appeared in a puff of smoke, and glittering knights in armour bowed before him.

Michael took the salute as the Band of the Corps of Royal Engineers beat the retreat, walking up and down a line of liveried Life Guard troops as if he were a general inspecting them.

He bopped lightly on his heels as the band played and grinned wildly when they launched into a version of Billie Jean.

Then a knight in shining armour galloped across the courtyard, leapt from his saddle, pulled a sword from a stone and went down on one knee before handing the sword to Michael.

He was blissfully unaware of the historical significance, and handed the sword – the sword King Arthur pulled from the stone before he recruited the knights of the Round Table Knights of the Round Table – to a 7 ft minder wearing a top hat, and made him the King of England.

source: http://mjjtime.blogspot.com

Today in HIStory

July 16, 1988:  Princess Diana of Wales attended Michael's third sold-out concert at Wembley Stadium, along with Prince Charles.

Prior to taking the stage, Michael met with the royal couple and presented a $450,000 cheque for the Princes' Trust, a charity for disadvantaged children; from the proceeds of the seven-sold-out Wembley concerts. 


Michael also made a donation of ₤100,000 to the Wishing Well Fund, established to help finance the construction of a new building for London's Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital for Sick Children.

Michael also gave Princess Diana two custom made Bad World Tour jackets; one each for her young sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, and a framed set of cassettes and compact discs of Off The wall, Thriller and Bad.

The Princess had said that Michael was her favourite Pop Star; Michael was equally happy to meet her. "I was so excited at meeting the royal couple. I'm very very happy that they came to watch me perform. I thought the Princess was just wonderful"

HIStory for today

July 14, 1988: Michael Jackson launched his first British tour with a two-hour concert at Wembley Stadium in London.

The shows on his Bad World Tour were attended by a total of 504,000 fans, beating the record previously held by Genesis. Ticket demand for the dates exceeded 1.5 million, enough to fill the 72,000 capacity venue 20 times over.

"Together we can make a change of the world."

Michael Jackson, In His Own Words

Exeter Stadium Speech

On June 14, 2002, Michael Jackson made a speech at the stadium of Exeter in the United Kingdom.

"Hello everybody. Hello to you wonderful people of Exeter. To the great supporters of the Exeter City Football Club. Welcome to all the great fans that have come from here and far. To all you children.

I’m very happy, very happy to be here with you today. Today, today we come here to support children. We come here to support children with AIDS. To help, to help beyond these of those affected by HIV and AIDS. We more help them to build a good future. All of us working together for them. A future without prejudice. For these children and their families. We are here to support and help the people of Africa to find a solution in the fight against the swear of HIV AIDS ... and malaria ... through education and awareness, we aim at conviction but we help with cure. We are here to support you, the supporters and players of this great football club.

Sadly, sadly, we live in a state of fear. Everyday we hear of war on the news, on the radio and television and the newspapers, always of war. We hear of nations hurting each other, of neighbours hurting each other, of families hurting each other and the children killing each other. We must learn to live and love each other before it’s too late. We have to stop! We have to stop the prejudice, we have to stop the hating, we have to stop living in fear of our own neighbours.

I would like all of you now to take the hand of the person to the left and to the right. Go ahead! Right now! I mean it! Don’t be shy! Do it! It starts now! To the person next to you. To the left and the right. I mean it. Right now! Go ahead! Don’t be shy. Do it! Do it! Now, tell the person ... tell the person next to you that you care for them. Tell them that you care for them. Tell them that you love them. Tell them that you love them. This is what makes the difference. 

Together ... together we can make a change of the world. Together we can help to stop racism. Together we can help to stop prejudice. We can help the world live without fear. It’s our only hope, without hope we are lost..."

--- by Michael Jackson

   

Here are more pictures of that occasion taken various sources;