Fans around the world have marked what would have been Michael Jackson's 51st birthday with parties and mass dances.

世界各地的粉丝以聚会和大规模舞会的形式纪念本该是Michael Jackson的生日。

In Mexico City, organisers said they had broken a record for the most people dancing to Thriller¹ at the same time, reporting that 12,937 people turned up.

In New York, film director Spike² Lee staged what he described as a "joyous³, festive⁴ and celebratory" event.

Other gatherings⁵ remembered Jackson in cities including London, Paris, Moscow, Delhi, Barcelona and Bucharest.

An all-day street party near Jackson's childhood home in Gary, Indiana, featured local performers and a candlelight vigil（烛光守夜）.

Fans also left messages and memorabilia（大事记） at his Neverland ranch⁶ and his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Spike Lee now wants to make his party, in Brooklyn's Prospect⁷ Park, an annual event.

"I was just like everyone else. I loved his talent," said Lee, who directed the music video for Jackson's 1996 hit They Don't Care About Us.

The festival attracted up to 10,000 people despite heavy rain, with a DJ playing Jackson's hits.

Edna Robles, from Brooklyn, said: "It could be thundering, I don't care. I watched him through the years and I think he's the best. I love him."

Many fans at the global gatherings dressed in Jackson's distinctive⁸ attire⁹（服装，盛装） and danced to his hits.

Mickael Ayeri, in Paris, said: "He's my inspiration for dance and for song. He is the greatest artist, a complete artist. And when I see, when he died, honestly, I lost a part of me."

In India, some of Bollywood's biggest stars, including Shahrukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif, released a free musical tribute to Jackson.

Jackson's family had originally planned to bury the pop star on his birthday. But he will now be laid to rest in a private ceremony on Thursday.

On Friday, a coroner ruled that Jackson's death was homicide, primarily caused by the powerful anaesthetic（麻醉剂） propofol（异丙酚）.