Correction in reds, personal flavor in green

Eugene and I have spent a month-long holiday on the island. Jackson died on the second day of our stay there. Then we arrived to the airport, took a bus and came back home. I got the mail out from the mailbox. We sat down at the table and I was looking through the newspaper during lunch/breakfast/dinner. Then I exclaimed, "Can you imagine? Michael jackson died." (I dunno why, it never sounded natural to me to add "has" before died.)