July 26, 1928 : Birth of Joseph Walter Jackson in Fountain Hill, Arkansas. He is the son of Samuel & Chrystal Jackson. Joe is the eldest of five children : Lula Mae Jackson (deceased in 2018), Lawrence Jackson (deceased in 2017), Luther Jackson (deceased in 2021), Verna Mae Jackson (deceased in 1935).
May 4, 1930 : Birth of Katherine Esther Scruse (born Kattie B. Screws) in Barbour Country, Alabama. She is the daughter of Martha Upshaw (December 14, 1907 – April 30, 1990) and Prince Albert Screws (October 16, 1907 – January 21, 1997). The family lives in Russell County, Alabama, a rural farming area that has been home to the family for generations. In 1931, Katherine parents’s have another daughter named Hattie.
1932 : Katherine contracts polio at age two, which leaves her with a noticeable limp
1934 : Prince Screws changes his surname to Scruse and renames Katherine Esther Scruse. The Scruse family moves to East Chicago, Indiana.
1935 : Prince & Martha get a divorce. Martha remains in East Chicago with Katherine & Hattie.
Mid 1940’s : Samuel and Chrystal divorce. Samuel moves to Oakland with Joe while Chrystal takes Joseph’s brothers and sisters to East Chicago. Later when Samuel marries a third time, Joseph decides to join his mother and siblings in Indiana.
1948 : Joseph Jackson gets married but his mariage lasts only one year. Soon after he meets Katherine Scruse and they begin dating.
November 5, 1949 : Joseph and Katherine get married in Crown Point after a six month engagement.
January 1950 : Joseph and Katherine move to the city of Gary, Indiana where they purchase a small home for 8500 dollars with a 500 down payment. The two-bedroom house is located at at 2300 Jackson Street.
May 29, 1950 : Katherine gives birth to Maureen “Rebbie” Jackson .
May 4, 1951 :Katherine gives birth to Sigmund “Jackie” Jackson.
October 15, 1953 : Katherine gives birth to Toriano “Tito” Jackson .
December 11, 1954: Katherine gives birth to Jermaine Lajaun Jackson.
May 29, 1956 : Katherine gives birth to LaToya Yvonne Jackson.
March 12, 1957 : Katherine gives birth to baby twins Marlon & Brandon Jackson but Brandon dies eight hours later.
August 29, 1958 : Katherine gives birth to Michael Joseph Jackson in Gary Indiana.
1960 : From Jermaine Jackson’s book in 2011 : “GOD WAS ALWAYS RESIDENT IN OUR house, but Jehovah moved in before Mother fell pregnant with Randy, when Michael was two. She had been raised a Christian with devoted family links to the Baptist Church, but two things happened in 1960 : a local pastor she respected at Gary’s Lutheran church turned out to be having an affair and therefore broke his covenant with God; and a practising Jehovah’s Witness, a friend named Beverly Brown, knocked on our door at the exact time of Mother’s spiritual disillu-sionment. That was when Christmas and birthdays moved out of our home. Mother says that I ‘must’ remember having a Christmas tree and presents until I was six, but I honestly can’t. After her conversion the only ‘special occasion’ was the bligatory visit with Mother to the local Kingdom Hall. It was her resnonsibility to show us the love of God.
October 29, 1961 : Katherine gives birth to Steven Randall Jackson (Randy).
1962 : Joe finds Tito playing with his guitar after a string broke, and he is impressed enough to buy him his own guitar. Tito, Jermaine, and Jackie later formed their own group and are trained by Joseph.
1963 : Michael, aged 5, joins the group playing congas. Soon after, he takes over from Jermaine as lead vocalist for the group. Marlon joins the group on tambourine.
Katherine is baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness in the swimming pool at Roosvelt High in Gary. From then on, she asks that the rest of the family gets dressed in their best clothes every sunday to attend the service at Kingdom Hall.
August 29, 1965 : The brother’s first invitation to perform comes courtesy of a children’s s fashion show in Glen Park. Having until then performed as the Jackson Family and The Jackson Brothers, it is here that the name The Jackson 5 is born, in preference to the Jackson Brothers Five suggested by show organizer Evelyn LaHaie. They perform three numbers, one being a current hit by The Larks, ‘Doin’ The Jerk.’
After a suggestion from Joe’s sister-in-law, Bobbie Rose Jackson, The Jackson 5, comprising Michael, Marlon, Jermaine, Jackie and Tito, enter and win the Rossevelt High School talent show where they perform “My Girl” and “Barefootin'”.
Two months later, The Jackson 5 win the Annual talent Search at Gilroy Stadium. The Jackson 5 also receive their first ever press in the Gary Post Tribune.
Joseph books The Jackson 5 into Mr. Lucky’s, a nightclub in Gary. They earn $8 a night for five sets, six or sometimes even seven days a week. They prove popular with the customers who show appreciation by throwing money onto the stage, amounting to well above their nightly fee.
Late 1965 : Joseph sends Motown founder, Berry Gordy, a tape of The Jackson 5. Three months later, it is returned with no offer.
1966 : The Jackson Five’s first professional shows take place at Mister Lucky’s Laune in Gary. Johnny Porter Jackson (no relation to the family) joins the group as a drummer. Ronny Rancifer also joins the group as a keyboardist.
May 16, 1966 : Katherine gives birth to Janet Damita Jo Jackson in Gary.
August 20, 1966 : Joe Jackson takes his sons, along with the band’s drummer, Earl Gault, to see his father, Samuel Jackson in Winslow, Arizona. While in Winslow, they pergorm at the Elks IBPOE, formerly known as the Old Arcadia Hall, a venue located just steps from Standin’ on the Corner Park, as well as at the Prairie Moon Tavern. The band performs covers of hits by James Brown, Sam and Dave, and Motown artists
Jackson Dynasty 