Childhood and Education Journey of George Michael in Timeline
An overview of the childhood and early education of George Michael, highlighting the experiences that shaped the journey.
George Michael was a highly influential English singer-songwriter and record producer, achieving global recognition as a pop culture icon. His impact stemmed from his creative abilities in songwriting, distinctive vocal style, and innovative visual presentations. He is remembered for his significant contributions to the music industry and enduring influence on popular culture.
1937: Birth of Lesley Angold (Harrison)
In 1937, Lesley Angold Harrison, who would later become George Michael's mother, was born. She later married Kyriacos Panayiotou.
1958: Birth of Yioda
In 1958, Yioda, one of George Michael's sisters, was born.
1960: Birth of Melanie
In 1960, Melanie, George Michael's other sister, was born.
June 1963: George Michael's Birth
In June 1963, George Michael, born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, was born in East Finchley.
September 1984: Wham! Benefit Concert for Striking UK Miners
In September 1984, Wham! performed at a benefit concert at London's Royal Festival Hall for the striking UK miners.
November 1984: Joined Band Aid for Famine Relief
In November 1984, George Michael joined other British and Irish pop stars to form Band Aid, singing on "Do They Know It's Christmas?" for famine relief in Ethiopia.
December 1984: "Do They Know It's Christmas?" Number One Hit
In December 1984, "Do They Know It's Christmas?" became the UK Christmas number one, holding Michael's song, "Last Christmas" by Wham!, at No. 2.
June 1986: Wham!'s Official Separation
In June 1986, Wham! officially separated after releasing a farewell single, "The Edge of Heaven", and a farewell concert at Wembley Stadium.
1991: Michael's relationship with Anselmo Feleppa begins
In 1991, George Michael began a relationship with Anselmo Feleppa, who was diagnosed as HIV-positive six months into their relationship.
1991: Release of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" for Charity
In 1991, George Michael's single "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" proceeds were divided among 10 different charities for children, AIDS and education.
April 1992: Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
In April 1992, George Michael wore a red ribbon at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert at Wembley Stadium.
March 1993: Death of Anselmo Feleppa
In March 1993, Anselmo Feleppa, George Michael's lover, passed away, which prompted Michael to write the tribute song "Jesus to a Child."
1993: Death of Anselmo Feleppa
In 1993, Anselmo Feleppa, George Michael's partner, died of an AIDS-related brain haemorrhage.
1996: Relationship with Kenny Goss begins
In 1996, George Michael started a long-term relationship with Kenny Goss.
April 1998: Arrest for public lewdness
In April 1998, George Michael's homosexuality became publicly known following his arrest for public lewdness.
April 1998: George Michael arrested for lewd act
On 7 April 1998, George Michael was arrested for "engaging in a lewd act" in a public restroom of the Will Rogers Memorial Park in Beverly Hills, California.
1998: Coming Out as Gay
In 1998, George Michael publicly came out as gay, becoming an active advocate for LGBT rights.
1998: George Michael publicly acknowledges being gay
In 1998, shortly after being outed for his sexuality, George Michael stated on Parkinson that he became confident he was gay when he fell in love with a man.
1999: George Michael discusses sexuality in interview
In 1999, George Michael stated that it was "falling in love with a man that ended his conflict over bisexuality".
2000: Equality Rocks Concert
In 2000, George Michael performed in Washington, D.C. as part of Equality Rocks, a concert to benefit the Human Rights Campaign, an American LGBT rights group.
2003: Invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq prompted George Michael to release the song 'Shoot the Dog'.
2004: George Michael discusses past relationships with women
In 2004, George Michael discussed his past relationships with women during the Wham! days and his decision to stop sleeping with them due to concerns about AIDS and being honest about his bisexuality.
November 2005: Plans for civil partnership postponed
In late November 2005, George Michael and Kenny Goss reportedly planned to register their relationship as a civil partnership in the UK, but postponed their plans.
2005: Patron of the Swan Lifeline Charity
From 2005, George Michael was a patron of the Swan Lifeline charity.
2005: Release of A Different Story
In 2005, the documentary A Different Story, covering George Michael's career and personal life, was released.
February 2006: Arrest for drug possession
In February 2006, George Michael was arrested for possession of Class C drugs and cautioned by the police.
July 2006: Accusation of public sex
On 23 July 2006, George Michael was again accused of engaging in anonymous public sex, this time at London's Hampstead Heath.
2006: Start of 25 Live Tour Earnings
From 2006, George Michael earned £48.5 million from the 25 Live tour alone.
2006: Free Concert for NHS Nurses
In 2006, George Michael performed a free concert for NHS nurses in London to thank them for caring for his late mother.
2006: Arrested for drug-related offences
In 2006, George Michael was arrested for drug-related offenses.
2007: Guilty plea for drug-impaired driving
In 2007, George Michael pleaded guilty to drug-impaired driving and was banned from driving for two years and sentenced to community service.
2007: George Michael discusses hiding his sexuality
In 2007, George Michael said he had hidden his sexuality because of worries over what effect it might have on his mother.
2007: "Peace Tour" with John Lennon's Piano
In 2007, George Michael sent John Lennon's piano around the United States on a "peace tour", displaying it at places where notable acts of violence had taken place. He also devoted his concert in Sofia to the Bulgarian nurses prosecuted in the HIV trial in Libya.
June 2008: Michael Discusses His Grandmother's Heritage
In June 2008, George Michael revealed in an interview with the Los Angeles Times that his maternal grandmother was Jewish but kept her heritage hidden due to fears during World War II.
June 2008: Expressed support for same-sex marriage legalization
On June 17, 2008, George Michael expressed that he was thrilled by California's legalisation of same-sex marriage, calling the move "way overdue".
September 2008: Arrest for drug possession
On 19 September 2008, George Michael was arrested in a public convenience in the Hampstead Heath area for possession of Class A and C drugs.
2008: George Michael on the loss of Anselmo Feleppa
In 2008, George Michael spoke about the loss of Anselmo Feleppa, describing it as a terribly depressing time.
2008: Arrested for drug-related offences
In 2008, George Michael was arrested for drug-related offenses.
December 2009: Michael explains cutting back on cannabis
In December 2009, George Michael explained he had cut back on cannabis and was smoking only "seven or eight" spliffs per day instead of the 25 per day he had formerly smoked.
July 2010: Arrest for crashing car into shop
In July 2010, George Michael crashed his car into a Snappy Snaps store in Hampstead and was arrested on suspicion of being unfit to drive.
August 2010: Charged with possession and driving under the influence
In August 2010, George Michael was charged with possession of cannabis and with driving while unfit through drink or drugs.
September 2010: Guilty plea for driving under the influence
In September 2010, George Michael pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of drugs.
October 2010: Sentenced to prison and driving ban
In October 2010, George Michael was sentenced to eight weeks in prison, fined, and banned from driving for five years.
2010: Anonymously paid for IVF treatment
In 2010, George Michael anonymously paid for a woman's IVF treatment after seeing her talk about her problems conceiving on an episode of This Morning.
2010: Arrested for drug-related offences
In 2010, George Michael was arrested for drug-related offenses.
August 2011: George Michael announces split from Kenny Goss
On 22 August 2011, George Michael announced that he and Kenny Goss had split two years earlier.
October 2011: Performance cancelled due to viral infection
In October 2011, George Michael cancelled a performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London due to a viral infection.
2011: George Michael's Coma
In 2011, George Michael fell into a coma due to pneumonia but eventually recovered.
2012: Relationship with Fadi Fawaz begins
In 2012, George Michael began a relationship with Fadi Fawaz.
2012: IVF Treatment Success
In 2012, the woman who George Michael had anonymously paid for IVF treatment gave birth to a girl.
May 2013: Car Accident on M1 Motorway
In May 2013, George Michael sustained a head injury in a car accident on the M1 motorway near St Albans in Hertfordshire and was airlifted to hospital. His injuries were reported as superficial, and he was later discharged.
July 2014: Celebrity Investor in Tax Avoidance Scheme
In July 2014, George Michael was reported to have been a celebrity investor in a tax avoidance scheme called Liberty.
2014: Refrained from Cannabis Use
In 2014, George Michael stated that he had refrained from using cannabis for one and one half years.
June 2015: Checked into Drug Rehabilitation Facility
In June 2015, George Michael checked into a drug rehabilitation facility in Switzerland.
2015: Worth £105 million
According to the Sunday Times Rich List in 2015, George Michael was worth £105 million.
2016: Death of George Michael
In 2016, George Michael died in bed at his home in Goring-on-Thames, at the age of 53. He was found by his partner, Fadi Fawaz.
2016: Kathy Jeung's reaction to Michael's death
In 2016, Kathy Jeung reacted to George Michael's death by calling him a "true friend" with whom she had spent "some of the best time of [her] life".
2016: George Michael found dead
On Christmas morning 2016, George Michael's body was found by Fadi Fawaz.
January 2017: Donation Revealed
In January 2017, another woman came forward (with the permission of Michael's family) and revealed that George Michael had anonymously paid for her IVF treatment after seeing her talk about her problems conceiving on an episode of This Morning in 2010.
February 2017: Tribute at Grammy Awards
At the 59th Annual Grammy Awards on February 12, 2017, Adele performed "Fastlove" in tribute to George Michael.
March 2017: George Michael's Funeral
In March 2017, George Michael's funeral was held and he was buried at Highgate Cemetery in north London, on one side of his mother's grave.
March 2017: Cause of Death Revealed
In March 2017, a senior coroner in Oxfordshire attributed George Michael's death to natural causes due to dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and a fatty liver.
2017: Memorial Garden Created
In the summer of 2017, a temporary informal memorial garden was created outside George Michael's former home in The Grove, Highgate, tended by fans for approximately eighteen months.
March 2019: Auction of Art Collection
In March 2019, George Michael's art collection was auctioned in England for £11.3 million. The proceeds were donated to various philanthropic organizations Michael gave to while he was alive.
2020: Mural in Brent
In 2020, George Michael was commemorated with a mural in his native borough of Brent, commissioned to pay tribute to his contribution to the fields of music and entertainment.
2021: Financial Settlement with Kenny Goss
In 2021, following legal proceedings, the trustees of George Michael's estate entered into a financial settlement with Kenny Goss.
