The world has virtually ground to a halt with the death of two of the greatest icons of our time. Music legend Michael Jackson has died from a reported heart attack at the age of 50 and screen icon and sex symbol Farrah Fawcett, famed for her role in Charlie's Angels, has also passed away following a long battle with cancer.

Sources at the UCLA Medical Centre said that the self-styled "King of Pop" did not come out of a coma and died after having stopped breathing by the time paramedics arrived on the scene.

Jackson's amazing career is widely acclaimed for revolutionising pop music with his hit albums Bad and Thriller, however his career and life were tainted with allegations of child abuse.

Jackson was set to perform a highly-anticipated 50-date "farewell" tour in London beginning next month, however fears for his health emerged after he postponed the first dates.

In the same day, Farrah Fawcett, screen icon and sex symbol of the 1970s lost her long battle with cancer. The stunning actress was admitted to a Los Angeles hospital earlier this week and her long-term partner, Ryan O'Neal reported that "After a long and brave battle with cancer, our beloved Farrah has passed away."

Fawcett was diagnosed with rectal cancer in 2006 and after surgery to remove the tumour she discovered the cancer had returned a year later. The cancer spread to her liver despite undergoing experimental treatment in Germany.

Fawcett has waged a very public battle with cancer and O'Neal, who has been her partner since 1982, has been a constant presence by her side. The pair announced earlier this week that they were to marry in a death bed ceremony.

O'Neal said in a statement following Fawcett's death, "Although this is an extremely difficult time for her family and friends, we take comfort in the beautiful times that we shared with Farrah over the years and the knowledge that her life brought joy to so many people around the world."

Born Ferrah Leni Fawcett in Corpus Christi, Texas, Fawcett was a multiple Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominee but rose to fame for her portrayal of private investigator Jill Munroe in the hit TV series Charlie's Angels in 1976. Her long blonde locks and bronzed, blue-eyed, all-American looks saw her rise as a pop culture figure whose hairstyle was emulated by millions of young women and whose poster sales broke records, making her an international sex symbol in the 1970s and 1980s.

Fawcett's story of her brave struggle with cancer was told in a documentary, Farah's Story, an acclaimed two-hour film telling of her brave fight against cancer. Farah's Story screened last May on the NBC network to an audience of nine-million viewers.

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