Who Was Alive

Were Michael Jackson and Linus Torvalds alive at the same time?

Yes. Michael Jackson and Linus Torvalds were alive at the same time for 39 years, from 1969 to 2009.

Michael Jackson was 11 when Linus Torvalds was born.

Linus Torvalds was 39 when Michael Jackson died, aged 50.

Michael Jackson

American singer, songwriter, record producer, and dancer

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

Linus Torvalds

Finnish software engineer

Born 28 December 1969 · living, 56 as of September 2026

  1. Ronald Reagan
  2. Nelson Mandela
  3. Donald Trump
  4. Vladimir Putin
  5. Michael Jackson
  6. Barack Obama
  7. Linus Torvalds
Michael Jackson and Linus Torvalds 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.