Who Was Alive

Were Gao Xingjian and Michael Jackson alive at the same time?

Yes. Gao Xingjian and Michael Jackson were alive at the same time for 50 years, from 1958 to 2009.

Gao Xingjian was 18 when Michael Jackson was born.

Gao Xingjian was 69 when Michael Jackson died, aged 50.

Gao Xingjian

Chinese novelist and playwright

Born 4 January 1940 · living, 86 as of September 2026

Michael Jackson

American singer, songwriter, record producer, and dancer

Born 29 August 1958 · died 25 June 2009, aged 50

  1. Albert Einstein
  2. Adolf Hitler
  3. Ronald Reagan
  4. Nelson Mandela
  5. Gao Xingjian
  6. Donald Trump
  7. Vladimir Putin
  8. Michael Jackson
  9. Barack Obama
Gao Xingjian and Michael Jackson in bold, with some of their best-known contemporaries. Drag across to see the age each reached in any year. Faded ends mark uncertain dates.