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More than half a million fans from around the world applied for 17,500 free tickets to Michael Jackson’s public memorial service next week, organizers said on Friday as a massive security operation got underway.

The life and music of the self-proclaimed “king of pop,” who died of sudden cardiac arrest last Thursday, will be celebrated on Tuesday at the Staples Center, a basketball arena in downtown Los Angeles.

Officials on Friday unveiled an ambitious online lottery that will allow fans to attend either the televised service at the arena or watch the proceedings on a big screen at the nearby Nokia Theater.

But within minutes, the staplescenter.com (http://www.staplescenter.com) server crashed. Officials warned additional disruptions were likely as fans logged on ahead of the Saturday deadline at 6 p.m. PDT.

“You might want to consider watching this from the comfort of your own home,” said Los Angeles City Councilwoman Jan Perry, who

Following is a transcript of the emergency call placed from Michael Jackson’s Los Angeles mansion at 12:21 p.m. (1921 GMT, 0221 Manila) Thursday:

Operator: Fire and paramedics 33. What is the address of the emergency?

Caller: Yes sir, I need an ambulance as soon as possible, sir.

Operator: OK, sir. What is your address?

Caller: It’s 100 North Carolwood Drive, Los Angeles, California, 90077.

Operator: You said Carolwood?

Caller: Carolwood Drive, yes.

Operator: OK, sir. What is the phone number that you’re calling from?

Caller: (REDACTED)

Operator: And what exactly happened?

Caller: We have a gentleman here that needs help and he’s not breathing yet. He’s not breathing and we’re trying to pump him but he’s not. He’s not.

Operator: OK, how old is he?

Caller: He’s 50 years old, sir.

Operator: 50? OK, he’s not breathing? Not conscious.

Caller: No, he’s not breathing. He’s not conscious sir.

Operator: Do you have him on the floor? Where’s he at right now?

Caller: He’s on the bed

CEBU, Philippines – The Filipino inmates who shot to global fame with a YouTube video of their “Thriller” dance swayed and stomped again Saturday in a behind-bars tribute to their idol, Michael Jackson.

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After being told of Jackson’s death Thursday in Los Angeles, the 1,500 inmates at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center hit the exercise yard, practicing for nine hours Friday night – and into the wee hours of Saturday morning – for the show.

They took breaks only to eat or when it rained, said professional choreographer Gwendolyn Lador, hired by the prison to teach the inmates the dance.

“I felt sad because we lost our idol,” said inmate Wenjiel Resane, who plays the role of Jackson’s girlfriend in the video.

Crisanto Nieri, 38, was feeling a little extra stress. He danced Jackson’s part

As we mourn the loss of Michael Jackson, the undeniable King of Pop, who succumbed to cardiac arrest Thursday, we take a look back at some of top news making moments in his life.

10) Michael Extends A Hand

Michael teamed with fellow pop star Lionel Richie to write the song “We Are The World,” an All-Star benefit that included dozens of noted artists: Diana Ross, Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen, Bette Middler and Cyndi Lauper. The Quincy Jones produced song benefited United Support Of Artists For Africa and sold 800,000 copies.

9) Michael Amuses Himself
Since Michael’s hectic professional work schedule prevented him from having a normal childhood, it is not surprising the he would eventually build his own personal amusement park. Michael opened the Neverland Ranch in 1988 on the lot of his estate in California’s San Ynez Valley. The 2,800 acre attraction was both a zoo and

Michael Jackson the singer was also Michael Jackson the billion-dollar business.Yet after selling more than 61 million albums in the U.S. and having a decade-long attraction open at Disney theme parks, the “King of Pop” died Thursday at age 50 reportedly awash in about $400 million in debt, on the cusp of a final comeback after well over a decade of scandal.

The moonwalking pop star drove the growth of music videos, vaulting cable channel MTV into the popular mainstream after its launch in 1981. His 1982 hit “Thriller,” still the second best-selling U.S. album of all time, spawned a John Landis-directed music video that MTV played every hour on the hour.

“The ratings were three or four times what they were normally every time the video came on,” said Judy McGrath, the chairman and CEO of Viacom Inc.’s MTV Networks. “He was inextricably tied to the so-called MTV