Fans party on Jackson's birthday

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

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

In New York, film director Spike Lee staged what he described as a "joyous, festive and celebratory" event.

Other gatherings 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. Fans also left messages and memorabilia at his Neverland ranch and his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Spike Lee now wants to make his party, in Brooklyn's Prospect 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 distinctive attire 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.