Poll: Deaths of Michael Jackson and Steve Irwin Draw Equal Interest From American Public

A recent poll gauges how closely Americans followed the recent deaths of celebrities. The top five:

Posted July 8, 2009

Princess Diana (September 1997): 54 percent of Americans followed her death "very closely"
John F. Kennedy Jr. (July 1999): 54 percent of Americans followed his death "very closely"
Steve Irwin (September 2006): followed "very closely" by 30 percent of Americans
Michael Jackson (June 2009): followed "very closely" by 30 percent of Americans
Tim Russert (June 2008): followed "very closely" by 28 percent of Americans