title: Shameless (British TV series)

text: Series 7 saw the arrivals of Libby Croker, played by Pauline McLynn, the next serious love interest for Frank, and her battleaxe mother, Patty, who uses a wheelchair, with Valerie Lilley taking on the role. This series also introduced Maxine's brother Bruce, who would only appear during this series. Also to arrive in Series 7 was Billy Tutton (Michael Taylor), a new love interest for Mimi, who would return as a regular in the following series. Sean Gilder left his role as Paddy Maguire towards the end of Series 7, with Warren Donnelly, Joanna Higson, Gerard Kearns and Ben Batt also leaving their roles as Stan Waterman, Maxine Donnelly, Ian Gallagher and Joe Pritchard. Kelli Hollis also left her role as Yvonne Karib, however she would return in the final series. In the series finale, Mimi surprisingly gave birth to baby Cilla, a storyline which would continue into the eighth series. Karen's bipolar and her affair with Joe, Carl and Chesney being on the run for murder, and the wedding of Shane and Kelly are all prominent storylines to feature in the seventh series.


title: Shameless (British TV series)

text: Unlike any previous series, the eighth series of 22 episodes was split into two halves. The first five episodes were aired consecutively during one week, from 10 to 14 January 2011, to tie in with a series-opener story-arc. After this, the series returned to its regular weekly slot, and continued for a further 7 episodes between 18 January to 8 March 2011. After a four-month break, the final 9 episodes of the eighth series began on 30 August 2011 and concluded the series on 25 October 2011. Starting with series 8 the show took a more light hearted, comedy approach, rarely taking on board the gritty realistic drama it had started out with.


title: Shameless (British TV series)

text: Series 8 saw a variety of new characters arrive, including the Powell family, consisting of Emmanuel Ighodaro as Jackson, Karen Bryson as Jackson's wife Avril, and Kira Martin as their daughter Letitia. Also, Libby and Patty's relative, Aidan Croker, played by Robbie Conway, arrived to fill the hole left by Liam, following his departure in the early episodes of the series. Billy Tutton returned and is revealed as the father of Mimi's baby, Cilla, while Aysha Kala took on the role of Chesney's cousin, Sita Desai, however the character departed midway through the series. Annabelle Apsion reprised her role as Monica Gallagher for the early episodes of the series, to coincide with a storyline featuring Frank and Libby and the departure of Liam. Also departing this series was Libby, who left after realizing that Frank shows her no affection. Samantha Siddall returned as an apparition of her deceased character Mandy, who appeared as a vision to Mimi when she suffered from insomnia during this series. This series also saw the return of Jack Deam as Marty Fisher as a regular cast member, who left the show in Series 4. When Frank finds himself being framed for brutally mugging a pensioner, Kev Ball, who left the show in Series 4, returned to help, with Dean Lennox Kelly reprising the role for a single episode to mark "Shameless"s 100th episode.


title: Shameless (British TV series)

text: The ninth series of Shameless began on 9 January 2012 and concluded on 13 March 2012. The ninth series, originally consisting of 22 episodes, was reduced to 11 episodes, with the remaining 11 being turned into the tenth series. Like 2011, the first two episodes aired on two consecutive nights.


title: Shameless (British TV series)

text: The ninth series primarily featured the arrivals of Gloria Meak, played by Angeline Ball, and her brother, Dominic Meak, with former "EastEnders" actor Stephen Lord taking on this role. Gloria embarked on an affair with Jamie after having a catfight with Karen. Also in Series 9, Mimi's glamorous Scottish niece, Ruby Hepburn, portrayed by Kari Corbett, arrived. Ciarán Griffiths left his role as Micky Maguire during this series, with the character leaving after helping a woman give birth and agreeing to raise the baby when the woman dies. Also departing this series was Carl, who made numerous guest appearances before leaving. Prominent storylines for this series include Micky being the victim of a homophobic attack, and Frank, Jamie, Shane, Ruby and Aidan being trapped underground when a plan to rob lottery tickets goes dramatically wrong.


title: Shameless (British TV series)

text: Series 10, originally planned to be the second half of the ninth series, was reduced from 11 episodes to 10. It aired between 13 September and 1 November 2012. As with the last two series, the first two episodes aired on two consecutive nights.


title: Shameless (British TV series)

text: The final episode of the tenth series saw three prominent characters depart: Emmanuel Ighodaro left his role as Jackson Powell when he and Avril's mounting debts and fractured marriage become too much, Kari Corbett's character Ruby Hepburn was killed off when she took Mimi hostage which resulted in her falling out of a window to her death, and Valerie Lilley made her exit as Patty Croker, when she was told that she was dying and wanted Frank to take her to the beach to see Ireland one last time, however Frank left her to go to the pub, allowing the tide to take her away. Jamie continued his affair with Gloria in Series 10, however this stopped following a pregnancy scare, and eventually Karen discovers his deceit. Shane accidentally killed a man after running him over in a hit-and-run, and battled his conscience as he began helping the man's family through their grief.


title: Shameless (British TV series)

text: The eleventh and final series of Shameless began on 26 February 2013 and concluded the show itself on 28 May 2013. An expansion from the last two series, the eleventh series consisted of 14 episodes. The show's final episode saw the return of several departed characters, mostly consisting of the Gallagher children.


title: Shameless (British TV series)

text: During the eleventh series, all characters made their final appearances, however only certain characters made exits from Chatsworth. These include Sally Carman as Kelly Maguire, Jack Deam as Marty Fisher, Angeline Ball as Gloria Meak and Stephen Lord as Dominic Meak. A variety of new characters made their first appearances in the final series, including Jacqueline Boatswain as Avril's older sister Patreesha St. Rose and her daughter Mary-Mae, who would begin a relationship with Chesney. Also, Moya Brady – who played The Jockey's former landlady Cassie Western in Series 2 – returned playing Remona, who opened a pharmacy in Chesney's shop. A new family, the Blancos, arrived consisting of Kassi, played by Jalaal Hartley, Esther, portrayed by Isy Suttie, and their three children: Tam (Rhys Cadman), Thalia (Jade Kilduff) and Saul (Lewis Hardaker). Also, Sherilee and Derilee, played by Sarah Totty and Sue Vincent, appeared for a number of episodes as Frank's new prostitutes.


title: Shameless (British TV series)

text: Most notably, the role of Stella Gallagher was recast, with Nikita Brownlee playing the character. The final ever episode saw numerous old cast members return, including Annabelle Apsion as Monica Gallagher, Anne-Marie Duff as Fiona McBride, Jody Latham as Lip Gallagher, Elliott Tittensor as Carl Gallagher, Dean Lennox Kelly as Kev Ball and Kelli Hollis as Yvonne Karib. Storylines covered in the final series included Jamie discovering that Paddy is not his biological father, and finding his new half-brother Kassi and his family; Frank's dalliance with prostitutes Sherilee and Derilee, with a hostage situation occurring at the Gallagher household when Derilee's husband Baxter finds out; Shane's brief relationship with a copper, Sgt. Randall (Thaila Zucchi), putting a strain on his relationship with his family; Mimi starting work at a primary school as a governor; and the breakdown of Kelly and Lillian's friendship after Kelly and Marty steal a large amount of money from her.


title: Shameless (British TV series)

text: The Gallagher family resides at 2 Windsor Gardens on the fictional Chatsworth Estate, a deprived council estate in Stretford, Greater Manchester. Originally the show was filmed on location on the corner of Wenlock way and Clowes Street in West Gorton in East Manchester and at the Pie Factory Studios in Salford. Some scenes were also filmed in the Wythenshawe area in the south of the city.


title: Shameless (British TV series)

text: After Series 5, the show was filmed at a purpose-built set on the Roundthorn Industrial Estate in South Manchester, on the site of an old Umbro warehouse, and around Wythenshawe and Sale.


title: Shameless (British TV series)

text: "Shameless" initially focused on the layabout Frank Gallagher and the lives of his six children, Fiona, Lip, Ian, Carl, Debbie, Liam, Fiona’s boyfriend Steve, and the family's next door neighbours, Kev and Veronica. Later the Maguire family was introduced: Paddy, his wife, Mimi, and their three sons—Jamie, Shane and Micky—and daughter, Mandy. The Maguires became the focus of the show as the Gallagher children departed. Other characters also become the focus after only starting off as minor characters, such as those from the Karib family.


title: Shameless (British TV series)

text: In April 2005, the programme's first series won the Best Drama Series category at the British Academy Television Awards. It was also nominated for Best British Drama at the National Television Awards 2007, but lost out to "Doctor Who". "Shameless" won an award at the Royal Television Awards Society North West Awards 2007 where it beat "Coronation Street" to the Best Continuing Drama Award.


title: Shameless (British TV series)

text: The programme has been sold overseas, where it airs on channels such as SBS One (Australia), UKTV (New Zealand), Acht (Belgium), I.Sat (Argentina), Showcase (Canada), Virgin 17 (France), Nederland 3 (Netherlands), YLE FST5 (Finland), SIC Radical (Portugal), RTÉ Two (Ireland), BBC America (only aired the first series) and Sundance Channel (United States), yes+ (Israel), I.Sat (Latin America), Jimmy (Italy), and Netflix.


title: Shameless (British TV series)

text: By October 2009, the development had moved to Showtime. John Wells Productions filmed a pilot episode for the cable network in January 2010. Set in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on the south side of Chicago, it stars William H. Macy in the Frank Gallagher role. Allison Janney was cast as a romantic interest for Frank, but left after taking a job on Matthew Perry's "Mr. Sunshine" and was unable to be a part of both series. Academy Award nominee Joan Cusack joined the cast as the new Sheila Jackson, along with Emmy Rossum as Frank's sensible and feisty eldest daughter, and Justin Chatwin as a car thief who falls for her. Showtime's "Shameless" cast also includes Jeremy Allen White, Cameron Monaghan, Emma Kenney, Ethan Cutkosky, Noel Fisher, Steve Howey and Shanola Hampton. The first episode of the series aired on Showtime on 9 January 2011. The American version has received critical acclaim and some of Showtime's highest recorded ratings. Like its predecessor, the American adaptation ran for 11 seasons before the series ended in April 2021, making it the network's longest-running original-scripted program.


title: Shameless (British TV series)

text: On 14 September 2017, Fox Türkiye began airing the Turkish adaptation, starring Hazal Kaya and Burak Deniz. It is called "Bizim Hikaye", which translates to "Our Story".


title: Mayotte

text: Mayotte (; , ; Shimaore: "Maore", ; Kibushi: "Maori", ), officially the Department of Mayotte (), is an overseas department and region and single territorial collectivity of France. It is located in the northern part of the Mozambique Channel in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Southeastern Africa, between Northwestern Madagascar and Northeastern Mozambique. Mayotte consists of a main island, Grande-Terre (or Maore), a smaller island, Petite-Terre (or Pamanzi), as well as several islets around these two. Mayotte is the most prosperous territory in the Mozambique Channel, making it a major destination for immigration.


title: Mayotte

text: Mayotte's land area is and, with its 299,348 people according to January 2022 official estimates, is very densely populated at 800 inhabitants per km (2,073 per sq mi). The biggest city and prefecture is Mamoudzou on Grande-Terre. The Dzaoudzi–Pamandzi International Airport is located on the neighbouring island of Petite-Terre. The territory is also known as Maore, the native name of its main island.


title: Mayotte

text: Mayotte is one of the overseas departments of France as well as one of the 18 regions of France, with the same status as the departments of Metropolitan France. It is an outermost region of the European Union and, as an overseas department of France, part of the eurozone.


title: Mayotte

text: French is the official language and is spoken as a second language by an increasing part of the population, with 63% of the population 14 years and older reporting in the 2007 census that they could speak it. The native languages of Mayotte are Shimaore, which is the most spoken, and the lesser spoken Kibushi, a Malagasy language, of which there are two varieties, Kibushi sakalava, most closely related to the Sakalava dialect of Malagasy, and Kibushi antalaotsi, most closely related to the dialect spoken by the antalaotra of Madagascar. Both have been influenced by Shimaore.


title: Mayotte

text: The island was populated from neighbouring East Africa with later arrival of Arabs, who brought Islam. A sultanate was established in 1500. The vast majority of the population today is Muslim. In the 19th century, Mayotte was conquered by Andriantsoly, former king of Iboina on Madagascar.


title: Mayotte

text: Mayotte broke away from the Comoros and remained with France after the Comoros declared its independence following in the 1974 referendum. Mayotte became an overseas department on 31 March 2011 and became an outermost region of the European Union on 1 January 2014, following a March 2009 referendum with an overwhelming result in favour of the department status.


title: Mayotte

text: The department faces enormous challenges. According to an INSEE report published in 2018, 84% of the population live under the poverty line (established at €959 per month and per household), compared to 16% in metropolitan France, 40% of dwellings are corrugated sheet metal shacks, 29% of households have no running water, and 34% of the inhabitants between the age of 15 and 64 do not have a job. In 2019, with an annual population growth of 3.8%, half the population was less than 17 years old. In addition, as a result of immigration from neighboring islands, 48% of the population are foreign nationals.


title: Mayotte

text: The term Mayotte (or Maore) may refer to all of the department's islands, of which the largest is known as Maore () and includes Maore's surrounding islands, most notably Pamanzi (), or only to the largest island. The name is believed to come from "Mawuti", contraction of the Arabic "Jazīrat al-Mawt" – meaning "island of death" (maybe due to the dangerous reefs circling the island) and corrupted to "Mayotta" in Portuguese, later turned into French. However, the local name is "Mahore", and the Arabic etymology is doubtful.


title: Mayotte

text: The main island, Grande-Terre (or Maore), geologically the oldest of the Comoro Islands, is long and wide, and its highest point is Mount Benara, at above sea level. Because of the volcanic rock, the soil is relatively rich in some areas. A coral reef encircling much of the island ensures protection for ships and a habitat for fish. Dzaoudzi was the capital of Mayotte (and earlier the capital of all the colonial Comoros) until 1977, when the capital was relocated to Mamoudzou on the main island of Grande-Terre. It is situated on Petite-Terre (or Pamanzi), which at is the largest of several islets adjacent to Maore. The area of the lagoon behind the reef is approximately , reaching a maximum depth of about 80m. It is described as "the largest barrier-reef-lagoon complex within the southwestern Indian Ocean".


title: Mayotte

text: Mayotte is the oldest of the four large islands of the Comoros archipelago, a chain of land emerging from a crescent-shaped submarine relief at the entrance to the Mozambique Channel. Located 295 km west of Madagascar and 67 km southeast of Anjouan, sometimes visible at sunset in the shade, it is composed of several islands and islets covered with lush vegetation. The two largest islands are Grande-Terre and Petite-Terre, backed by a coral reef.


title: Mayotte

text: This 160 km long coral reef surrounds a 1,100 km lagoon, one of the largest and deepest in the world. Part of the barrier reef features a double barrier that is rare on the planet. It protects almost all of Mayotte from ocean currents and waves, except for a dozen passes, including one in the east called the "S-pass". The lagoon, which averages 5 to 10 km wide, is up to 100 meters deep.


title: Mayotte

text: It is dotted with about a hundred coral islets, such as Mtsamboro. This reef serves as a refuge for boats and oceanic fauna. The volcanic activity that created the islands makes the soil particularly fertile.


title: Mayotte

text: The total area of Mayotte is about 374 km, which makes it by far the smallest French overseas department (after Martinique, which is three times larger at 1,128 km). However, this area is difficult to assess accurately, given the number of small uninhabited islets, some of which are completely underwater at high tide, but may reveal significant areas at low tide. The main islands are


title: Mayotte

text: Mayotte is a primarily volcanic island rising steeply from the bed of the ocean to a height of on Mont Bénara (Open Street Map gives this as ).


title: Mayotte

text: Two volcanic centres are reported, a southern one (Pic Chongui, ) with a breached crater to the NW, and a northern centre (Mont M'Tsapéré, ) with a breached crater to the south-east. Mont Bénara is on the curving ridge between these two peaks, approximately at the contact point of the two structures. Volcanic activity started about 7.7 million years ago in the south, ceasing about 2.7 million years ago. In the north, activity started about 4.7 million years ago and lasted until about 1.4 million years ago. Both centres had several phases of activity. The most recent age reported for an ash band is 7000 year BP.


title: Mayotte

text: The November 11, 2018, seismic event occurred about off the coast of Mayotte. It was recorded by seismograms in many places, including Kenya, Chile, New Zealand, Canada, and Hawaii located almost away. The seismic waves lasted for more than 20 minutes, but despite this, no one felt it.


title: Mayotte

text: Subsequently, the earthquake swarm has been linked to a newly discovered undersea volcano located away from Mayotte at a depth of .


title: Mayotte

text: Mayotte is surrounded by a typical tropical coral reef. It consists in a large outer barrier reef, enclosing one of the world's largest and deepest lagoons, followed by a fringing reef, interrupted by many mangroves. All Mayotte waters are ruled by a National Marine Park, and many places are natural reserves.


title: Mayotte

text: The outer coral reef is long, housing of lagoon, including of mangrove. There are at least 250 different species of coral, 760 tropical fish species, and the National Natural Heritage Inventory (INPN) has no fewer than 3,616 marine species, but this is probably a far cry from the actual count. As this region of the world is still poorly inventoried by scientists, the waters of Mayotte continue to harbour many species unknown to science, and allow important scientific discoveries each year.


title: Mayotte

text: Mayotte has a great diversity in its plant life: more than 1,300 species are recorded, half of them being endemic, making this island one of the richest in plant diversity in the world compared to its size. 15% of the island is classified as natural reserve; however, the primal forest now covers barely 5% of the island due to illegal deforestation.


title: Mayotte

text: Just like many volcanic islands, Mayotte shelters quite a limited mammal biodiversity, the only native species being flying foxes ("Pteropus seychellensis comorensis"). However, there are 18 species of reptiles, 23 of terrestrial molluscs, 116 butterflies, 38 dragonflies, 50 grasshoppers, and 150 beetles.


title: Mayotte

text: By 2021 there were 30 protected areas on Mayotte, totaling or 13.94% of Mayotte's land area, and 100% of Mayotte's marine area. Protected areas on Mayotte include Mayotte Marine Natural Park, Pointes et plages de Saziley et Charifou, and Ilôt Mbouzi National Nature Reserve.


title: Mayotte

text: On 3 May 2021 the French government created the Forests of Mayotte National Nature Reserve (). The reserve consists of 2,801 hectares in six mountain forests, covering 51% of Mayotte's reserve forests and 7.5% of Mayotte's total land area. Areas protected by the reserve include Mount Mtsapéré, Mount Combani, Mount Benara, and Mount Choungui. The purpose of the reserve is to protect the relict primary forests of the island, restore the island's secondary forests, and protect the island's native flora and fauna.


title: Mayotte

text: In 1500, the Maore sultanate was established on the island. In 1503, Mayotte was observed and named (firstly "Espirito Santo") by Portuguese explorers, but not colonized. The island has known several eras of wealth (especially during the 11th century at Acoua or between 9th and 12th centuries at Dembéni), being an important part of the Swahili coast culture. However, its sister island Anjouan was preferred by international traders due to its better suitability to large boats, and, for a long time, Mayotte remained poorly developed compared to the three other Comoros islands, often being targeted by pirates and Malagasy or Comorian raids.


title: Mayotte

text: In the early 19th century, Mayotte was controlled by a mercantile family that claimed Omani origins. The Sultans of Mayotte had political ties with the Anjouan Sultanate during this period. Mayotte was sparsely populated and mainly consisted of Comorian speakers that were politically aligned with the local sultan and the Malagasy who were autonomous.


title: Mayotte

text: In 1832, Mayotte was conquered by Andriantsoly, former king of Iboina on Madagascar; in 1833, it was conquered by the neighbouring sultanate of Mwali ("Mohéli" in French). On 19 November 1835, Mayotte was again conquered by the Ndzuwani Sultanate (Anjouan sultanate in French); a governor was installed with the unusual Islamic style of Qadi (from the Arabic , meaning "judge"). However, in 1836 it regained its independence under a last local Sultan. Andriantsoly won again the island in 1836, but his depopulated and unfortified island was in a weak position towards the sultans of Comoros, Malagasy kings and pirates. Looking for the help of a powerful ally, he began to negotiate with the French, installed in the nearby Malagasy island of Nosy Bé in 1840.


title: Mayotte

text: Mayotte was purchased by France in 1841, and integrated to the Crown. In the immediate aftermath, slavery was abolished and laborers were imported to the area to work in fields and plantations. The abolishment of slavery led to several slave-owning elites to leave Mayotte as their authority was undermined. However, the freed slaves were often subsequently forced to work under harsher conditions for the French government or colonists in their plantations. Additionally, many of the imported laborers were victims of the slave trade.


title: Mayotte

text: Mayotte therefore became a French island, but it remained an island with a sparse population due to decades of wars, as well as by the exodus of former elites and some of their slaves: most of the cities were abandoned, and nature regained its rights over the old plantations. The French administration therefore tried to repopulate the island, recalling first of all the Mayotte exiles or refugees in the region (Comoros, Madagascar), proposing the former exiled masters return in exchange for compensation, then by inviting wealthy Anjouan families to come and set up trade. France launched some first major works, such as the realization in 1848 of the Boulevard des Crabes connecting the rock of Dzaoudzi to Pamandzi and the rest of Petite-Terre.


title: Mayotte

text: As it had done in the West Indies and Réunion, the French government planned to make Mayotte a sugar island: despite the steep slopes, large plantations were developed, 17 sugar factories were built and hundreds of foreign workers (mainly African, in particular Mozambic Makwas) hired from 1851 onwards. However, production remained mediocre, and the sugar crisis of 1883–1885 quickly led to the end of this crop in Mayotte (which had just reached its peak of production), leaving only a few factory ruins, some of which are still visible now. The last sugar plant to be closed was Dzoumogné in 1955: the best preserved, and now heritage, is Soulou, in the west of the island.


title: Mayotte

text: At the Berlin conference in 1885, France took control over the whole Comoros archipelago, which was actually already ruled by French traders; the colony took the name of "Mayotte and Dependencies".


title: Mayotte

text: In 1898, two cyclones razed the island to the ground, and a smallpox epidemic decimated the survivors. Mayotte had to start from the beginning once again, and the French government had to repopulate the island with workers from Mozambique, Comoros and Madagascar. The sugar industry was abandoned, replaced by vanilla, coffee, copra, sisal, then fragrant plants such as vetiver, citronella, sandalwood, and especially ylang-ylang, which later became one of the symbols of the island.


title: Mayotte

text: Mayotte was the only island in the archipelago that voted in referendums in 1974 and 1976 to retain its link with France and forgo independence (with 63.8% and 99.4% of votes respectively). The United Nations' constant policy regarding decolonisation has been that independence must be effected in the framework of the colonial borders and for that reason it has not recognized the validity of that referendum; during the late 20th century, over twenty UN resolutions have condemned France's annexation of Mayotte, while the independent Comoros have never ceased to claim the island. A draft 1976 United Nations Security Council resolution recognizing Comorian sovereignty over Mayotte, supported by 11 of the 15 members of the council, was vetoed by France. It was the only time, , that France cast a lone veto in the council. The United Nations General Assembly adopted a series of resolutions on the issues, under the title "Question of the Comorian Island of Mayotte" up to 1995. Since 1995, the subject of Mayotte has not been discussed by the General Assembly, and all the following referendums over Mayotte independence have shown a strong will of Mayotte people to remain French, self-determination being the main value of the UN.


title: Mayotte

text: Mayotte became an overseas department of France in March 2011 in consequence of a 29 March 2009 referendum. The outcome was a 95.5 percent vote in favour of changing the island's status from a French "overseas community" to become France's 101st département. Its non-official traditional Islamic law, applied in some aspects of the day-to-day life, will be gradually abolished and replaced by the uniform French civil code. Additionally, French social welfare and taxes apply in Mayotte, though some of each will be brought in gradually. Comoros continues to claim the island, while criticising the French military base there.


title: Mayotte

text: The politics of Mayotte takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic government and of a multi-party system, whereby the President of the Departmental Council is the head of the local assembly. Executive power is exercised by the French government.


title: Mayotte

text: Mayotte also sends two deputies to the French National Assembly and two senators to the French Senate. The deputies represent Mayotte's 1st constituency and Mayotte's 2nd constituency.


title: Mayotte

text: Unlike the other overseas regions and departments of France, Mayotte possesses a single local assembly, officially called the "Departmental Council" ("conseil départemental"), which acts both as a regional and departmental council.


title: Mayotte

text: The situation of Mayotte proved to be awkward for France: while a significant majority of the local population did not want to join the Comoros in becoming independent of France, some post-colonial leftist governments voiced criticism of Mayotte's ongoing ties to France. Furthermore, the peculiar local administration of Mayotte, largely ruled by customary Muslim law, would be difficult to integrate into the legal structures of France, not to mention the costs of bringing the standards of living to levels close to those of Metropolitan France. For these reasons, the laws passed by the national parliament had to state specifically that they applied to Mayotte for them to be applicable on Mayotte.


title: Mayotte

text: The status of Mayotte was changed in 2001 towards one very close to the status of the departments of France, with the particular designation of departmental collectivity. This change was approved by 73% of voters in a referendum. After the constitutional reform of 2003 it became an overseas collectivity while retaining the title "departmental collectivity" of Mayotte.


title: Mayotte

text: Mayotte became an overseas department of France ("département d'outre-mer", DOM) on 31 March 2011 following the result of the March 2009 Mahoran status referendum, which was overwhelmingly approved by around 95% of voters. Becoming an overseas department will mean it will adopt the same legal and social system as used in the rest of France. This will require abandoning some customary laws, adopting the standard French civil code, and reforming the judiciary, educational, social and fiscal systems, and will take place over a period of about 20 years.


title: Mayotte

text: Despite its domestic constitutional evolution from the status of an overseas collectivity to that of an overseas department, effectively becoming a full constituent territory within the French Republic, with regards to the European Union, Mayotte remained an 'overseas country and territory' (OCT) in "association" with the Union (as per Article 355(2) TFEU) and not a constituent territory of the European Union in the same way as the other four overseas departments. However following a directive of the European Council in December 2013, Mayotte became an outermost region of the European Union on 1 January 2014.<ref name="CD 2013/61/EU"></ref> This successful agreement between the 27 member states follows a petition made by the French government for Mayotte to become an integral territory of the European Union nonetheless benefiting from the derogation clause applicable in existing outermost regions, namely Article 349 TFEU, as favoured in a June 2012 European Commission opinion on Mayotte's European constitutional status.


title: Mayotte

text: Defence of the territory is the responsibility of the French Armed Forces, principally carried out by a Foreign Legion Detachment in Mayotte. One "Engins de Débarquement Amphibie – Standards" (EDA-S) landing craft is to be delivered to naval forces based in Mayotte by 2025. The landing craft is to better support coastal operations in the territory.


title: Mayotte

text: About 170 personnel of the National Gendarmerie are stationed in Mayotte while the Maritime Gendarmerie operates the patrol boat "Odet" in the territory.


title: Mayotte

text: Mayotte is divided into 17 communes. There are also 13 cantons (not shown here). It is the only department and region of France without an arrondissement.


title: Mayotte

text: In 2019, the GDP of Mayotte at market exchange rates was €2.66 billion (US$2.98 bn). In that same year the GDP per capita of Mayotte at market exchange rates, not at PPP, was €9,692 (US$10,850), which was eight times larger than the GDP per capita of the Comoros that year, but only 42.8% of the GDP per capita of Réunion and 26.4% of the GDP per capita of Metropolitan France. Living standards are therefore lower than in metropolitan France. At the 2017 census, 10% of dwellings in Mayotte had no electricity, 29% of dwellings had no running water inside the dwelling, and 54% of dwellings had no toilets inside the dwelling.


title: Mayotte

text: The economy of Mayotte has grown significantly since the end of the 20th century due to financial transfers from the French central state and the gradual transformation of the territory into a full-fledged French department after a 2009 referendum, with considerable upgrading of public services and infrastructure.


title: Mayotte

text: The economy of Mayotte grew by an average of +9.3% per year in real terms from 2001 to 2008, before being affected by the Global Financial Crisis of 2008 and experiencing as a result a recession of −0.4% in 2009. The economy rebounded as early as 2010, driven by the transformation of the territory into an overseas department, decided in a referendum in 2009 and taking effect in 2011. From 2010 to 2017, the economy of Mayotte grew on average by +6.9% per year in real terms, but economic growth slowed to +2.1% in 2018 due to the massive civil unrest experienced by the territory that year, with weeks of demonstrations, roadblocks, and work stoppages paralyzing Mayotte's economy between January and April 2018. Economic growth rebounded to +5.2% in 2019, but Mayotte was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, with growth estimated at only +1.1% in 2020.


title: Mayotte

text: Thanks to rapid economic growth, Mayotte has begun to catch up with the rest of France in terms of standards of living. Despite high population growth, Mayotte's GDP per capita managed to rise from 15.4% of Metropolitan France's level in 2000 to 27.3% of Metropolitan France in 2017, but this catching-up process has stalled since 2018 due to the civil unrest that took place in Mayotte that year and its economic consequences. Compared to Réunion, Mayotte's GDP per capita rose from 28.7% of Réunion's level in 2000 to 43.7% in 2017, before falling back slightly.


title: Mayotte

text: The local agriculture is threatened by insecurity, and due to a more expensive workforce cannot compete on the export ground with Madagascar or the Comoros union. The major economic potential of the island remains tourism, however hampered by delinquency rates.


title: Mayotte

text: On 1 January 2022, a record 299,348 people were living in Mayotte (official INSEE estimate). According to the 2017 census, 58.5% of the people living in Mayotte were born in Mayotte (down from 63.5% at the 2007 census), 5.6% were born in the rest of the French Republic (either metropolitan France or overseas France except Mayotte) (up from 4.8% in 2007), and 35.8% were immigrants born in foreign countries (up from 31.7% at the 2007 census, with the following countries of birth in 2007: 28.3% born in the Union of the Comoros, 2.6% in Madagascar, and the remaining 0.8% in other countries).


title: Mayotte

text: According to a field study conducted by INSEE in 2015–2016, only 35.6% of the adults (18 y/o and older) living in Mayotte were born in Mayotte of mothers themselves born in Mayotte, whereas 37.4% of the adults were either born in Anjouan (in the Union of the Comoros) or born in Mayotte of mothers born in Anjouan, 13.5% were either born in Grande Comore or Mohéli (in the Union of the Comoros) or born in Mayotte of mothers born in Grande Comore or Mohéli, 7.9% were either born in France (outside of Mayotte) or in Mayotte of mothers born in France (outside of Mayotte), and 5.7% were either born in foreign countries (other than the Comoros) or in Mayotte of mothers born in foreign countries (other than the Comoros).


title: Mayotte

text: Most of the inhabitants of the island are culturally Comorians. The Comorians are a blend of settlers from many areas: Arabs, mainland Africans, Iranian traders, and Malagasy. Comorian communities can also be found in other parts of the Comoros chain as well as in Madagascar.


title: Mayotte

text: In 2017, mothers born in foreign countries (predominantly the Union of the Comoros) were responsible for 75.7% of the births that took place in Mayotte although many of these births were to French fathers: 58% of children born in Mayotte in 2017 had at least one French parent.


title: Mayotte

text: The main religion in Mayotte is Islam. The French census does not collect religious data, but the CIA World Factbook estimates that the population is 97% Muslim and 3% Christian.


title: Mayotte

text: The main religious minority, Roman Catholicism, has no proper diocese but is served, together with the Comoros, by a missionary jurisdiction, the Apostolic Vicariate of Comoros Archipelago.


title: Mayotte

text: French is the sole official language of Mayotte. It is the language used for administration, education, most television, and radio, as well as in commercial announcements and billboards. In spite of this, knowledge of French in Mayotte is lower than in any other part of France.


title: Mayotte

text: Shingazidja and Shimwali on the one hand and Shimaore on the other hand are generally not mutually intelligible. Shindzwani and Shimaore are perfectly mutually intelligible.


title: Mayotte

text: No questions regarding the knowledge and/or use of languages were asked in the 2012 and 2017 censuses, and no question relative to languages will be asked in the future censuses of Mayotte, leaving the now quite outdated census data from 2007 as the last official data on the topic of languages. Improvement in schooling has markedly increased French literacy and knowledge since 2007.


title: Mayotte

text: At the 2007 census, 63.2% of people 14 years and older reported that they could speak French, with large differences with age. 87.1% of those whose age was 14 to 19 years old reported that they could speak it, whereas only 19.6% of those aged 65 and older reported that they could speak it. 93.8% of the population whose age was 14 or older reported that they could speak one of the local languages of Mayotte (Shimaore, Kibushi, Kiantalaotsi, or any of the Comorian dialects, which the census included in the 'local languages'). 6.2% of the population aged 14 and older reported that they spoke none of the local languages and could speak only French.


title: Mayotte

text: A survey was conducted by the French Ministry of National Education in 2006 among pupils registered in CM2 (equivalent to fifth grade in the US and Year 6 in England and Wales). Questions were asked regarding the languages spoken by the pupils as well as the languages spoken by their parents. According to the survey, the ranking of mother tongues was the following (ranked by number of first language speakers in the total population; note that percentages add up to more than 100% because some people are natively bilingual):


title: Mayotte

text: When also counting second language speakers (e.g., someone whose mother tongue is Shimaore but who also speaks French as a second language) then the ranking became:


title: Mayotte

text: With the mandatory schooling of children and the economic development both implemented by the French central state, the French language has progressed significantly on Mayotte in recent years. The survey conducted by the Ministry of National Education showed that while first and second language speakers of French represented 56.9% of the population in general, this figure was only 37.7% for the parents of CM2 pupils, but reached 97.0% for the CM2 pupils themselves (whose age is between 10 and 14 in general).


title: Mayotte

text: Nowadays there are instances of families speaking only French to their children in the hope of helping their social advancement. With French schooling and French-language television, many young people turn to French or use many French words when speaking Shimaore and Kibushi, leading some to fear that these native languages of Mayotte could either disappear or become some sort of French-based creole.


title: Mayotte

text: Approximately 26% of the adult population, and five times as many women as men, report entering trance states in which they believe they are possessed by certain identifiable spirits ("Djinns") who maintain stable and coherent identities from one possession to the next.


title: Mayotte

text: The island of Mayotte, which has very varied coastal relief, offers fewer sandy beaches than its neighbors Grande Comore, Mohéli, the Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar, but has a great diversity of coastlines and sand colors (black, brown, gray, red, beige, white). Its lagoon is the largest () and deepest in this part of the world (and one of the largest on the planet), and its double barrier reef is a biological curiosity that has only a dozen occurrences on our planet, hosting a great diversity of animals, including large cetaceans, which is extremely rare.


title: Mayotte

text: Several associations such as Les Naturalistes de Mayotte offer guided outings (hikes, visits, bivouacs), and several marine operators accompany tourists to discover the lagoon and in particular its marine mammals, not to mention the many scuba diving clubs.


title: Mayotte

text: The departmental committee of tourism of Mayotte is the official body that administers everything related to tourism for the territory of Mayotte. It is in itself the central official authority that oversees the development and enhancement of tourism in Mayotte.


title: David Wenham

text: David Wenham (born 21 September 1965) is an Australian actor who has appeared in film, television and theatre. He is known for his roles as Faramir in "The Lord of the Rings" film trilogy, Friar Carl in "Van Helsing", Dilios in "300" and its sequel "", Al Parker in "Top of the Lake", Lieutenant John Scarfield in "", and Hank Snow in "Elvis". He is known in his native Australia for his role as Diver Dan in "SeaChange" and Price Galese in "Les Norton".


title: David Wenham

text: Wenham was born on 21 September 1965 in Marrickville, New South Wales, the son of Kath and Bill Wenham. He has five older sisters; Helen, Anne, Carmel, Kathryn, and Maree; and one older brother, Peter. He was raised in the Roman Catholic faith and attended Christian Brothers' High School, Lewisham, Sydney.


title: David Wenham

text: Wenham started his career as an actor after graduating from Theatre Nepean at the University of Western Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts (Performing Arts) in 1987. Wenham's television credits include several telefilms, such as his AFI award-winning role in 1997's "Simone de Beauvoir's Babies"; and his role as the outwardly laid back but deeply enigmatic diver Dan Della Bosca in the 1998 and 1999 seasons of the ABC television series "SeaChange". His role as "Diver Dan" has made the actor something of a sex symbol, although he dislikes thinking of himself as such, and he has been voted Australia's "sexiest man alive". A portrait of Wenham by artist Adam Cullen won the Archibald Prize in 2000.


title: David Wenham

text: Australian films Wenham has starred in include "The Boys" (1998) based on the play of the same name premiered at Griffin Theatre Company and in turn based on the murder of Anita Cobby; "" (1999), based on the life of Father Damien; "The Bank" (2001); "Gettin' Square" (2003); "Stiff" (2004); "The Brush-Off" (2004) and "Three Dollars" (2005). Wenham has periodically appeared in Hollywood films; he is known for playing Faramir, son of Denethor II, in New Line Cinema's "" and "".


title: David Wenham

text: He was seen in "Van Helsing" playing Hugh Jackman's sidekick, Friar Carl. His character, Dilios, narrated and appeared in the 2007 film "300". He reprises his role of Dilios in both the 2014 sequel, "" and the video game, "" for Sony PlayStation Portable, which contains a substantial amount of new dialogue. Minor roles of Wenham's in overseas films include in "The Crocodile Hunter" as a park ranger, and briefly in "Moulin Rouge!" as Audrey. Wenham stars in the music video for Alex Lloyd's single "Brand New Day". In 2008's "Australia", he reunited with Hugh Jackman playing antagonist Neil Fletcher.


title: David Wenham

text: In 2009, he appeared in "Public Enemies" as one of John Dillinger's men. He also returned to the stage, this time as the lead actor, Jerry Springer, in the British musical "". During its 6-day run at the Sydney Opera House he played in sold-out performances alongside ARIA award-winning singer Kate Miller-Heidke.


title: David Wenham

text: In 2010, he played the character 'Len' in the Australian drama film "Oranges and Sunshine". Also in 2010, Wenham starred as the disgraced Melbourne lawyer Andrew Fraser in the Australian television series "Killing Time". This ten-part series shows Fraser's fall from grace as he defends many Melbourne criminals during the 1980s and 1990s. It was shown on TV1 in late 2011.


title: David Wenham

text: Wenham plays New Zealand detective Al Parker alongside Elisabeth Moss in the 2013 BBC series "Top of the Lake".


title: David Wenham

text: In 2013, Wenham returned to the stage to play the lead role of John Proctor, in the Melbourne Theatre Company's mid-year production of Arthur Miller's "The Crucible".


title: David Wenham

text: In 2014, Wenham starred as Patrick Jones in "Paper Planes", released on 15 January 2015. That same year, Wenham voiced the role Jacko a frilled-neck lizard, in "Blinky Bill the Movie". In 2016, Wenham played the role of John, the adoptive father of Saroo Brierley in "Lion".


title: David Wenham

text: Wenham played the role of the villain Harold Meachum in the Netflix original television series "Iron Fist", which premiered in March 2017.


title: David Wenham

text: In 2018, Wenham plays the voice of Johnny Town-Mouse in "Peter Rabbit", a role he reprised in the 2021 sequel "".


title: David Wenham

text: In 2020, it was announced that Wenham was cast as Jasper Queller in the upcoming Netflix thriller series "Pieces of Her", which is adapted from the Karin Slaughter novel of the same name.


title: David Wenham

text: In 2022, Wenham returned to work with director Baz Luhrmann again to play the role of country singer Hank Snow in the biographical film "Elvis".


title: David Wenham

text: He read a poem by Rupert McCall at the memorial service for Steve Irwin. The poem was entitled "The Crocodiles are Crying".


The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (often shortened to Ziggy Stardust) is the fifth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 16June 1972 in the United Kingdom through RCA Records. It was co-produced by Bowie and Ken Scott and features Bowie's backing band the Spiders from Mars, comprising Mick Ronson, Trevor Bolder and Mick Woodmansey. Most of the songs were written around the same time as Bowie's previous album "Hunky Dory" (1971). After that album was completed, recording for "Ziggy Stardust" commenced in November 1971 at Trident Studios in London, with further sessions in early February 1972.


title: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

text: Described as a loose concept album and rock opera, "Ziggy Stardust" concerns Bowie's titular alter ego Ziggy Stardust, a fictional androgynous and bisexual rock star who is sent to Earth as a saviour before an impending apocalyptic disaster. In its story, Ziggy wins the hearts of fans but suffers a fall from grace after succumbing to his own ego. The character was inspired by numerous musicians, including singers Vince Taylor and Iggy Pop. Most of the album's concept was developed after the songs were recorded. The glam rock and proto-punk musical styles were influenced by Pop, the Velvet Underground, and Marc Bolan of T. Rex, while the lyrics discuss the artificiality of rock music, political issues, drug use, sexual orientation and stardom. The album cover, photographed in monochrome and recoloured, was taken in London, outside the home of furriers "K. West".


text: Preceded by the single "Starman", "Ziggy Stardust" peaked at number 5 in the UK and number 75 in the United States. It initially received favourable reviews from music critics; some praised the musicality and concept while others were unable to comprehend it. Shortly after its release, Bowie performed "Starman" on Britain's "Top of the Pops" in early July 1972, which propelled him to stardom. The Ziggy character was retained for the subsequent Ziggy Stardust Tour, leaving Bowie unable to differentiate between Ziggy and himself. Not wanting Ziggy to define him, Bowie created a new character for his next album "Aladdin Sane" (1973), which Bowie described as "Ziggy goes to America". Performances from the tour were later released on a concert film of the same name with an accompanying (1983) and "Live Santa Monica '72" (2008).


text: Retrospectively, "Ziggy Stardust" is considered one of Bowie's best works and has appeared on numerous lists of the greatest albums of all time. Bowie had ideas for a musical based on the album, although this project never came to fruition; ideas were later used for "Diamond Dogs" (1974). "Ziggy Stardust" has been reissued several times and was remastered in 2012 for its 40th anniversary. In 2017, it was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry, being deemed "culturally, historically, or artistically significant" by the Library of Congress.


text: Following his promotional tour of America in February 1971, David Bowie returned to Haddon Hall in England and began writing songs, many of which were inspired by the diverse musical genres that were present in America. He wrote over three dozen songs, many of which would appear on his fourth studio album "Hunky Dory" and "Ziggy Stardust"; among these were "Moonage Daydream" and "Hang On to Yourself", which he recorded with his short-lived band Arnold Corns in February 1971, and subsequently reworked for "Ziggy Stardust". Work officially began on "Hunky Dory" in June 1971 at Trident Studios in London. The sessions featured the musicians who would later become known as the Spiders from Mars – guitarist Mick Ronson, bassist Trevor Bolder and drummer Mick Woodmansey. Ken Scott, who previously worked as an engineer for Bowie's two previous albums and the Beatles, was chosen as producer. The sessions also featured keyboardist Rick Wakeman on piano who, after completing work on the album, declined Bowie's offer to join the Spiders to instead join the English progressive rock band Yes. According to Woodmansey, "Hunky Dory" and "Ziggy Stardust" were almost recorded back-to-back. However, the Spiders realised that most of the songs on "Hunky Dory" were not suitable live material, so they needed a follow-up that could be toured behind.


text: After Bowie's manager Tony Defries terminated his contract with Mercury Records, Defries presented the album to multiple labels in the US, including New York City's RCA Records. The head of the label, Dennis Katz, heard the tapes and saw the potential of the piano-based songs, signing Bowie to a three-album deal on 9September 1971; RCA became Bowie's label for the rest of the decade. "Hunky Dory" was released on 17December to very positive reviews from critics but sold poorly and failed to break the UK Albums Chart, partly due to poor marketing from RCA; the label had heard from Scott that Bowie was going to be changing his image for his next record so they did not know how to promote it.


text: The first song to be properly recorded for "Ziggy Stardust" was the Ron Davies cover "It Ain't Easy", on 9 July 1971. Originally slated for release on "Hunky Dory", the song was passed for inclusion on that album and subsequently placed on "Ziggy Stardust". With "Hunky Dory" being readied for release, the sessions for "Ziggy Stardust" officially began at Trident on 8November 1971, using the same personnel as "Hunky Dory" minus Wakeman. In 2012, Scott said that "95 percent of the vocals on the four albums I did with him as producer, they were first takes." According to biographer Nicholas Pegg, Bowie's "sense of purpose" during the sessions was "decisive and absolute"; he knew exactly what he wanted for each individual track. Since most of the tracks were recorded almost entirely live, Bowie recalled that at some points, he had to hum Ronson's solos to him. Due to Bowie's generally dismissive attitude during the sessions for "The Man Who Sold the World" (1970), Ronson had to craft his solos individually and had very little guidance. However, Bowie had a much better attitude when recording "Hunky Dory" and "Ziggy Stardust", and gave Ronson guidance on what he was looking for. For the album, Ronson used an electric guitar plugged to a 100-watt Marshall amplifier and a wah-wah pedal; Bowie played acoustic rhythm guitar.


text: On 8November 1971, the band recorded initial versions of "Star" (then titled "Rock 'n' Roll Star") and "Hang On to Yourself", both of which were deemed unsuccessful. Both songs were rerecorded three days later on 11November, along with "Ziggy Stardust", "Looking For a Friend", "Velvet Goldmine" and "Sweet Head". The next day, the band recorded two takes of "Moonage Daydream", one take of "Soul Love", two takes of "Lady Stardust" and two takes of a new version of "The Man Who Sold the World" track "The Supermen". Three days later on 15November, the band recorded "Five Years" and unfinished versions of "It's Gonna Rain Again" and "Shadow Man". Woodmansey described the recording process as very fast-paced, saying they would record the songs, listen to them back and if they didn't capture the sound they were looking for, they recorded them again. On this day, a running order was created, which included the Chuck Berry cover "Around and Around" (titled "Round and Round"), the Jacques Brel cover "Amsterdam", a new recording of "Holy Holy" and "Velvet Goldmine"; "It Ain't Easy" was absent from the list. According to Pegg, the album was to be titled "Round and Round" as late as 15December.


text: Following the 15November session, the group took a break for the holiday season. Reconvening on 4January 1972, the band underwent rehearsals for three days at Will Palin's Underhill Studios in Blackheath, in preparation for the final recording sessions. After recording some of the new songs for radio presenter Bob Harris's "Sounds of the 70s" as the newly dubbed Spiders from Mars in January 1972, the band returned to Trident that month to begin work on "Suffragette City" and "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide". After receiving a complaint from RCA executive Dennis Katz that the album did not contain a single, Bowie wrote "Starman", which replaced "Round and Round" on the track listing at the last minute; according to biographer Kevin Cann, the replacement occurred on 2February. Two days later, the band recorded "Starman", "Suffragette City" and "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide", bringing the sessions to a close.


text: "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars" is about a bisexual alien rock superstar named Ziggy Stardust. It was not initially conceived as a concept album; much of the story was written after the album was recorded. Tracks rewritten for the narrative included "Star" (originally titled "Rock 'n' Roll Star"), "Moonage Daydream", and "Hang On to Yourself". Some reviewers have categorised the record as a rock opera, although Paul Trynka argues that it is less an opera and more a "collection of snapshots thrown together and later edited into a sequence that makes sense." The characters were androgynous. Mick Woodmansey said the clothes they had worn had "femininity and sheer outrageousness", and that the characters' looks "definitely appealed to our rebellious artistic instincts". Nenad Georgievski of "All About Jazz" said the record was presented with "high-heeled boots, multicolored dresses, extravagant makeup and outrageous sexuality". Bowie had already developed an androgynous appearance, which was approved by critics, but received mixed reactions from audiences.


text: The album's lyrics discuss the artificiality of rock music in general, political issues, drug use, sexual orientation and stardom. Stephen Thomas Erlewine described the lyrics as "fractured, paranoid" and "evocative of a decadent, decaying future". Apart from the narrative, "Star" reflects Bowie's idealisations of becoming a star himself and shows his frustrations at not having fulfilled his potential. On the other hand, "It Ain't Easy" has nothing to do with the overarching narrative. The outtakes "Velvet Goldmine" and "Sweet Head" did fit the narrative, but both contained provocative lyrics, which likely contributed to their exclusions. Meanwhile, "Suffragette City" contains a false ending, followed by the phrase "wham bam, thank you, ma'am!" Bowie uses American slang and pronunciations throughout, such as "news guy", "cop" and "TV" (instead of "newsreader", "policeman" and "telly", respectively). Richard Cromelin of "Rolling Stone" called Bowie's imagery and storytelling in the track some of his most "adventuresome" up to that point, while James Parker of "The Atlantic" called Bowie "one of the most potent lyricists in rock history".


text: One of the main inspirations for Ziggy Stardust was English singer Vince Taylor, whom Bowie met after Taylor had a mental breakdown and believed himself to be a cross between a god and an alien. Iggy Pop, singer of the proto-punk band the Stooges, provided another main inspiration. Bowie had recently become infatuated with the singer and took influence from him for his next record, both musically and lyrically. Other influences for the character included Bowie's earlier album "The Man Who Sold the World", Lou Reed, singer and guitarist of the Velvet Underground, Marc Bolan, singer and guitarist of glam rock band T. Rex, and the cult musician Legendary Stardust Cowboy. An alternative theory is that, during a tour, Bowie developed the concept of Ziggy as a melding of the persona of Iggy Pop with the music of Lou Reed, producing "the ultimate pop idol". Woodmansey also cited guitarist and singer Jimi Hendrix and the progressive rock band King Crimson as influences.


text: Sources for the Ziggy Stardust name included the Legendary Stardust Cowboy, the song "Stardust" by Hoagy Carmichael, and Bowie's fascination with glitter. A girlfriend recalled Bowie "scrawling notes on a cocktail napkin about a crazy rock star named Iggy or Ziggy", and on his return to England he declared his intention to create a character "who looks like he's landed from Mars". In 1990, Bowie explained that the "Ziggy" part came from a tailor's shop called Ziggy's that he passed on a train. He liked it because it had "that Iggy [Pop] connotation but it was a tailor's shop, and I thought, Well, this whole thing is gonna be about clothes, so it was my own little joke calling him Ziggy. So Ziggy Stardust was a real compilation of things." He later asserted that Ziggy Stardust was born out of a desire to move away from the denim and hippies of the 1960s.


text: In 2015, Tanja Stark proposed that due to Bowie's well-known fascination with esoterica and his self-identification as 'Jungian', the Ziggy character may be a neologism influenced by Carl Jung, Greek and Gnostic concepts of Syzygy with their connotations of androgyny, the conjunction of male and female, and union of celestial bodies "hinting perhaps, at 'Syzygy' Stardust as futuristic alchemical theatre...foreshadow[ing] the double-headed mannequin of 'Where Are We Now?' (2013)".


text: The album begins with "Five Years", in which a news broadcast reveals that the Earth only has five years left before it gets destroyed by an impending apocalyptic disaster. The first two verses are from the point of view of a child, who hears this news for the first time and goes numb as it sinks in. By the third verse, the listener is addressed directly, while the character of Ziggy Stardust is introduced indirectly. Afterwards, the listener hears the point of view of numerous characters dealing with love before the impending disaster ("Soul Love"). Biographer Marc Spitz notes the sense of "pre-apocalypse frustration" in the track. Doggett notes that following the "panoramic vision" of "Five Years", "Soul Love" offers a more "optimistic" landscape, with bongos and acoustic guitar indicating "mellow fruitfulness." Ziggy directly introduces himself in "Moonage Daydream", where he proclaims himself "an alligator" (strong and remorseless), "a mama-papa" (non-gender specific), "the space invader" (alien and phallic), "a rock'n'rollin' bitch" and a "pink-monkey-bird" (gay slang for a recipient of anal sex).


text: "Starman" sees Ziggy bringing a message of hope to Earth's youth through the radio, salvation by an alien 'Starman', told from the point of view of one of the youths who hears Ziggy. "Lady Stardust" presents an unfinished tale with what Doggett states as "no hint at a denouement beyond a vague air of melancholy". Ziggy is recalled by the audience using both 'he' and 'she' pronouns, showing a lack of gender distinction. Ziggy then looks at himself through a mirror, pondering what it would be like to make it "as a rock'n'roll star" and if it would all be "worthwhile" ("Star"). In "Hang On to Yourself", Ziggy is put in front of the crowd. The track emphasises the metaphor that rock music goes from sex to fulfilment and back to sex again; Ziggy plans to abandon the sexual climax for a chance at stardom, which ultimately leads to his downfall.


text: "Ziggy Stardust" is the central piece of the narrative, presenting a complete "birth-to-death chronology" of Ziggy. He is described as a "well-hung, snow white-tanned, left-hand guitar-playing man" who rises to fame with his backing band the Spiders from Mars. However, he lets his ego take control of him, effectively alienating his fans and losing his bandmates. Unlike "Lady Stardust", "Ziggy Stardust" shows the character's rise and fall in a very human manner. O'Leary notes that the song's narrator is not definitive: it could be an audience member retrospectively discussing Ziggy, it could be one of the Spiders or even the "dissociated memories" of Ziggy himself. Following his fall from grace, Ziggy is described by Pegg as "a hollow figure caught in the headlights of braking cars as he stumbles across the road." Rather than dying in blood, Ziggy cries to the audience ("Rock 'n' Roll Suicide"), requesting they "give him their hands" because they are "wonderful," before perishing on stage.


text: The music on "Ziggy Stardust" has been retrospectively described as glam rock and proto-punk. Georgievski felt the record represents Bowie's interests in "theater, dance, pantomime, "kabuki", cabaret and science fiction". The Library of Congress also notes the presence of blues, garage rock, soul and stadium rock. Some of the tracks also feature elements of 1950s rock and pop ("Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" and "Sweet Head"), pop and jazz ("Soul Love"), heavy metal ("Moonage Daydream") and late-1970s punk rock ("Hang On to Yourself"). Bowie himself compared the record's sound to the music of Iggy Pop. Author James Perone opinions that the music is "more focused" than Bowie's previous works, being full of melodic and harmonic hooks.


text: Following the departure of Rick Wakeman on piano, the songs on "Ziggy Stardust" are considerably less piano-led than the songs on "Hunky Dory" and are more guitar-led, primarily due to the influence of Ronson's guitar and string arrangements. Nevertheless, biographers have noted stylistic similarities to "Hunky Dory" in "Velvet Goldmine" and the string arrangement for "Starman". Along with guitar and strings, Ronson played piano on the album, and according to Pegg, his playing on tracks like "Five Years" and "Lady Stardust" foreshadow the skills he would showcase on Lou Reed's "Transformer" (1972). Meanwhile, his electric guitar playing dominates tracks like "Moonage Daydream", "It Ain't Easy", "Ziggy Stardust", and "Suffragette City". Additionally, Bowie's acoustic guitar playing is prominent on some tracks, notably "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide". Perone argues that although listeners tend to pay closer attention to Ronson's electric, "Ziggy Stardust" is "one of the better albums" in Bowie's catalogue to highlight his rhythm guitar playing.


text: The songwriting includes a wide variety of influences, from singer Elton John and poet Lord Alfred Douglas ("Lady Stardust"), Little Richard ("Suffragette City"), "Over the Rainbow" from the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz" ("Starman"), and the Velvet Underground ("Suffragette City" and "Velvet Goldmine"). As well as covering Chuck Berry's "Around and Around" during the sessions, Berry and Eddie Cochran influence the straightforward rockers "Hang On to Yourself" and "Suffragette City".


text: As well as including faster-paced numbers ("Star"), the album also contains the minimalist tracks "Five Years" and "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide". Both tracks are primarily led by Bowie's voice, building intensity throughout their runtimes. While "Five Years" contains what author David Buckley calls a "heartbeat-like" drum beat, "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" starts acoustic and builds to a lush arrangement, backed by an orchestra. Pegg describes "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" as Bowie's own "A Day in the Life". The album also features some experimentation. "Soul Love" contains bongos, a hand-clap rhythm and a saxophone solo from Bowie, which Doggett calls "relaxing". "It Ain't Easy" features a harpsichord contribution from Rick Wakeman and backing vocals from Dana Gillespie, both of which were uncredited. Additionally, "Suffragette City" features one of Bowie's earliest uses of the ARP synthesiser, which later became the backbone of his late-1970s Berlin Trilogy.


text: The album cover photograph was taken by photographer Brian Ward in monochrome, and recoloured by illustrator Terry Pastor, a partner at the Main Artery design studio in Covent Garden with Bowie's longtime friend George Underwood; both had previously done the artwork and sleeve for "Hunky Dory". The typography, initially pressed onto the original image using Letraset, was airbrushed by Pastor red and yellow and inset with white stars. Pegg notes that unlike many of Bowie's album sleeves, which feature close-ups of Bowie in a studio, the "Ziggy" image has Bowie almost in the foreground. Pegg describes the shot as: "Bowie (or Ziggy) [stands] as a diminutive figure dwarfed by the shabby urban landscape, picked out in the light of a street lamp, framed by cardboard boxes and parked cars". Bowie is also holding a Gibson Les Paul guitar, which was owned by Arnold Corns guitarist Mark Pritchett and was the same guitar Pritchett used on the Corns' recordings of "Moonage Daydream" and "Hang On to Yourself". Similar to "Hunky Dory"s cover, Bowie's jumpsuit and hair, which was still his natural brown at the time, were artificially retinted, which Pegg believes gives the impression that the "guitar-clutching visitor" is from another dimension or world.


text: The photograph originated during a photoshoot on 13 January 1972 at Ward's Heddon Street studio in London, just off Regent Street. Suggesting they take photos outside before natural light was lost, the Spiders chose to stay inside while Bowie, who was ill with flu, went outside just as it started to rain. Not willing to go very far, he stood outside the home of furriers "K. West" at 23 Heddon Street. According to Cann, the "K" stands for Konn, the surname of the company's founder Henry Konn, and the "West" indicated it was on the west end of London. Soon after "Ziggy Stardust" became a massive success, the directors of K. West were displeased with their company's name appearing on a pop album. A solicitor for K. West wrote a letter to RCA saying: "Our clients are Furriers of high repute who deal with a clientele generally far removed from the pop music world. Our clients certainly have no wish to be associated with Mr. Bowie or this record as it might be assumed that there was some connection between our client's firm and Mr. Bowie, which is certainly not the case". However, tensions eased and the company soon became accustomed to tourists photographing themselves on the doorstep. K. West moved out of the Heddon Street location in 1991 and the sign was taken down; according to Pegg, the site remains a popular "place of pilgrimage" for Bowie fans. Bowie said of the sign, "It's such a shame that sign [was removed]. People read so much into it. They thought 'K. West' must be some sort of code for 'quest.' It took on all these sort of mystical overtones".


text: The rear cover of the original vinyl LP contained the instruction "To be played at maximum volume" (stylised in all caps). The cover was among the ten chosen by the Royal Mail for a set of "Classic Album Cover" postage stamps issued in January 2010. In March 2012, The Crown Estate, which owns Regent Street and Heddon Street, installed a commemorative brown plaque at No. 23 in the same place as the "K. West" sign on the cover photo. The unveiling was attended by Woodmansey and Bolder, and was unveiled by Gary Kemp. The plaque was the first to be installed by The Crown Estate and is one of few plaques in the country devoted to fictional characters.


text: Before Bowie changed his appearance to his Ziggy persona, he conducted an interview with journalist Michael Watts of "Melody Maker" where he came out as gay. Published on 22January 1972 with the headline "Oh You Pretty Thing", the announcement garnered publicity in both Britain and America, although according to Pegg the declaration wasn't as monumental as latter-day accounts perceive. Nevertheless, Bowie was adopted as a gay icon in both countries, with "Gay News" describing him as "probably the best rock musician in Britain" and "a potent spokesman" for "gay rock". Although Defries was reportedly "shocked" by the announcement, Scott believed Defries was behind it from the start, wanting to use it for publicity. According to Cann, the ambiguity surrounding Bowie's sexuality drew press attention for his tour dates, the upcoming album and the subsequent "John, I'm Only Dancing" non-album single.


text: RCA released the lead single, "Starman", on 28April 1972, backed by "Suffragette City". The single sold steadily rather than spectacularly but earned many positive reviews. To promote the upcoming album, Bowie, the Spiders and keyboardist Nicky Graham performed the song on the Granada children's music programme "Lift Off with Ayshea" on 15June, which was presented by Ayshea Brough. "Ziggy Stardust" was issued a day later in the UK on 16June, with the catalogue number SF 8287. It sold 8,000 copies in Britain in its first week and entered the top 10 in its second week on the UK Albums Chart. The "Lift Off" performance was broadcast on 21June in a "post-school" time slot, where it was witnessed by thousands of British children. By 1July, "Starman" rose to number 41 on the UK Singles Chart, earning Bowie an invitation to perform on the BBC television programme "Top of the Pops".


text: Bowie, the Spiders and Graham performed "Starman" on "Top of the Pops" on 5July 1972. Bowie appeared in a brightly coloured rainbow jumpsuit, "shocking" red hair and astronaut boots while the Spiders wore blue, pink, scarlet and gold velvet attire. During the performance, Bowie was relaxed and confident and wrapped his arm around Ronson's shoulder. Transmitted the following day, the performance brought public attention to the album and helped solidify Bowie as a controversial pop icon. Buckley writes: "Many fans date their conversion to all things Bowie to this "Top of the Pops" appearance." The performance was a defining moment for many British children. U2 singer Bono said in 2010, "The first time I saw [Bowie] was singing 'Starman' on television. It was like a creature falling from the sky. Americans put a man on the moon. We had our own British guy from space – with an Irish mother." After the performance, "Starman" charted at number 10 in the UK while peaking at number 65 in the US. In April 1974, impatient for a follow-up to "Rebel Rebel", RCA belatedly released "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" as a single. Buckley calls this move a "dosh-catching exercise".


text: After dropping down the chart in late 1972, the album began climbing the chart again; by the end of 1972, the album had sold 95,968 units in Britain. It peaked at number five on the chart in February 1973. In Canada, the album reached number 59 and was on the charts for 27 weeks. In the US, the album peaked at number 75 on the "Billboard" Top LPs & Tape chart in April 1973. The album returned to the UK chart on 31 January 1981, peaking at number 73, amid the New Romantic era that Bowie had helped inspire. After Bowie's death in 2016, the album reached a new peak of 21 in the US "Billboard" 200. It has sold an estimated 7.5 million copies worldwide, making it Bowie's second-best-selling album.


text: Upon release, "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" received generally lukewarm reviews from music critics. James Johnson of "New Musical Express" ("NME") said the album has "a bit more pessimism" than on previous releases and called the songs "fine". Watts published in "Melody Maker" that, while "Ziggy Stardust" had "no well-defined story line", it had "odd songs and references to the business of being a pop star that overall add up to a strong sense of biographical drama." In "Rolling Stone", writer Richard Cromelin thought the album was good, but he felt that it and its style might not be of lasting interest: "We should all say a brief prayer that his fortunes are not made to rise and fall with the fate of the 'drag-rock' syndrome."


text: Some reviewers gave overwhelming praise to the album. A writer for "Circus" magazine wrote that the album is "from start to finish... of dazzling intensity and mad design", and called it a "stunning work of genius". With the album, Jack Lloyd of "The Philadelphia Inquirer" declared that "David Bowie is one of the most creative, compelling writers around today". The "Evening Standard"s Andrew Bailey agreed, praising the songwriting, performances, production and "operatic" music. Robert Hilburn positively compared "Ziggy" to the Who's "Tommy" (1969) in the "Los Angeles Times", describing the music as "exciting, literate and imaginative". Jon Tiven of "Phonograph Record" praised the album, calling it "the "Aftermath" of the Seventies", where there are no filler tracks. He further called Bowie "one of the most distinctive personalities in rock" and believed that should Bowie ever become a star "of the "Ziggy Stardust" magnitude", he deserves it. In "Creem", Dave Marsh considered "Ziggy Stardust" Bowie's best record up to that point, stating "I can't see him stopping here for long". "Creem" would later place the album at the top of their end of year list. Meanwhile, Lillian Roxon of "New York Sunday News" chose "Ziggy Stardust" over the Rolling Stones' "Exile on Main St." as the best album of the year up to that point, even considering Bowie "the Elvis of the Seventies".


text: Nevertheless, the album did receive some negative reviews. A writer for "Sounds" magazine, who praised "Hunky Dory", opined: "It would be a pity if this album was the one to make it... much of it sounds the work of a competent plagiarist." Writing for "The Times", Richard Williams felt that the persona was just for show and Bowie "doesn't mean it". Although Nick Kent of "Oz" magazine enjoyed the album as a whole, he felt the character of Ziggy Stardust didn't quite come together as well, stating that Bowie was "over-reaching himself". Doggett states that this was the general verdict for reviewers who had enjoyed the "dense, philosophical songs" of Bowie's previous releases, as they could not relate to the "mythology" of "Ziggy Stardust".


text: In promotion of "Ziggy Stardust", Bowie began touring. The first part started in the UK and ran from 29January to 7September 1972. A show at the Toby Jug pub in Tolworth on 10February of the same year was hugely popular, catapulting him to stardom and creating, as described by Buckley, a "cult of Bowie". Bowie retained the Ziggy character for the tour. His love of acting led his total immersion in the characters he created for his music. After acting the same role over an extended period, it became impossible for him to separate Ziggy from his own offstage character. Bowie said that Ziggy "wouldn't leave me alone for years. That was when it all started to go sour ... My whole personality was affected. It became very dangerous. I really did have doubts about my sanity."


text: Upon his arrival to America in September 1972, he told "Newsweek" magazine that he began having trouble differentiating between himself and Ziggy. Fearing that Ziggy would define his career, Bowie quickly developed a new persona for his follow-up album, "Aladdin Sane" (1973), which was mostly recorded from December 1972 to January 1973 between legs of the tour. Described by Bowie as "Ziggy goes to America", "Aladdin Sane" contained songs he wrote while travelling to and across America during the earlier part of the Ziggy tour. The character of Aladdin Sane was far less optimistic, rather engaging in aggressive sexual activities and heavy drugs. "Aladdin Sane" became Bowie's first number-one album in the UK.


text: The tour lasted eighteen months and passed through the US and Canada; it then continued to Japan, to promote "Aladdin Sane". The final date of the tour was 3July 1973, which was performed at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. At this show, Bowie made the sudden surprise announcement that the show would be "the last show that we'll ever do", later understood to mean that he was retiring his Ziggy Stardust persona. The performance was documented by filmmaker D. A. Pennebaker in a documentary and concert film, which premiered in 1979 and commercially released in 1983 as "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars", with an accompanying soundtrack album titled "". After being widely bootlegged, a show performed in Santa Monica, California, on 20October 1972 was officially issued in 2008 as "Live Santa Monica '72".


text: While recording "Ziggy Stardust", Bowie offered "Suffragette City" to the band Mott the Hoople, who were on the verge of breaking up, but they declined. So, Bowie wrote a new song for them, "All the Young Dudes". With Bowie producing, the band recorded the track in May 1972. Bowie would also produce the band's fifth album named after the song. Bowie would perform the song on the Ziggy Stardust Tour and record his own version during the "Aladdin Sane" sessions. The tour took a toll on Bowie's mental health; it marked the beginning of his longtime cocaine addiction. During this time, he underwent other projects that contributed to growing exhaustion. In August, he co-produced Lou Reed's "Transformer" with Ronson in London in between tour commitments. Two months later, he mixed the Stooges' 1973 album "Raw Power" in Hollywood during the first US tour; Bowie had become friends with the band's frontman Iggy Pop.


text: In November 1973, Bowie conducted an interview with writer William S. Burroughs for "Rolling Stone". He spoke of a musical based on "Ziggy Stardust", saying: "Forty scenes are in it and it would be nice if the characters and actors learned the scenes and we all shuffled them around in a hat the afternoon of the performance and just performed it as the scenes come out." The musical, considered by Pegg a "retrograde step", fell through, but Bowie salvaged two songs for he had written for it—"Rebel Rebel" and "Rock 'n' Roll with Me"—for his 1974 album "Diamond Dogs".


text: "Ziggy Stardust" is widely considered to be Bowie's breakthrough album. Although Pegg believes "Ziggy Stardust" wasn't Bowie's greatest work, he states that it had the biggest cultural impact of all his records. Trynka states that besides the music itself, the album "works overall as a drama that demands suspension of disbelief", making each listener a member of Ziggy's audience. He believes that decades later, "it's a thrill to be a part of the action."


text: In retrospectives for "The Independent" and "Record Collector", Barney Hoskyns and Mark Paytress, respectively, noted that unlike Bolan, who became a star a year before Bowie and influenced his glam persona of Ziggy Stardust, was unable to stay in a position of stardom in the long run due to a lack of adaptability. Bowie, on the other hand, made change a theme of his entire career, progressing through the 1970s with different musical genres, from the glam rock of "Ziggy Stardust" to the Thin White Duke of "Station to Station" (1976). Hoskyns argued that through the Ziggy persona, Bowie "took glam rock to places that the Sweet only had nightmares about". "Ultimate Classic Rock"s Dave Swanson stated that as the public were adapting to glam, Bowie decided to move on, abandoning the persona within two years. Writing on Bowie's influence on the glam rock genre as a whole, Joe Lynch of "Billboard" called both "Ziggy Stardust" and "Aladdin Sane" records that "ensured his long-term career and infamy". He argues that both albums "transcended" the genre, are "works of art", and are not just "glam classics", but "rock classics". In 2002, Chris Jones of BBC Music argued that with the album, Bowie fashioned the template for the "truly modern pop star" that had yet to be matched.


text: Before their formation, the members of English gothic rock band Bauhaus watched Bowie's performance of "Starman" on "Top of the Pops", recalling that it was "a significant and profound turning point in their lives". The band thereafter idolised Bowie and subsequently covered "Ziggy Stardust" in 1982. In 2004, Brazilian singer Seu Jorge contributed five cover versions of Bowie songs, three of them from "Ziggy Stardust", to the soundtrack for the film "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou". Jorge would later rerecord the songs as a solo album called "The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions". On the album's liner notes, Bowie wrote, "Had Seu Jorge not recorded my songs in Portuguese I would never have heard this new level of beauty which he has imbued them with." In 2016, Jorge toured performing his Portuguese covers of Bowie's songs in front of sailboat-shaped screens. Musician Saul Williams named his 2007 album "The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!" after the album. In June 2017, an extinct species of wasp was named "Archaeoteleia astropulvis" after Ziggy Stardust (""astropulvis"" is Latin for "stardust").


text: Retrospectively, "Ziggy Stardust" has received critical acclaim and is recognised as one of the most important rock albums. When reviewing the 30th anniversary edition of "Ziggy Stardust" in 2002, Daryl Easlea of "Record Collector" called the album "a monumental piece of work", praising the backing band of the Spiders and noting its cultural impact. Jones noted the album's importance in rock music 30 years later and credits Scott and the Spiders as elements that elevated the album to the status it has received, finding it to be the "peak" of that group's creativity and achievements. "Billboard" wrote that the record serves as a reminder to record companies that "hopelessly idiosyncratic and excessively provocative" music can initially be disliked but later celebrated as "timeless". Writing for "Slant Magazine" in 2004, Barry Walsh found that aside from the "pop culture phenomenon" the album has become, the songs are among Bowie's finest and most memorable, and ultimately called the album "truly timeless". Erlewine wrote for AllMusic: "Bowie succeeds not in spite of his pretensions but because of them, and "Ziggy Stardust" – familiar in structure, but alien in performance – is the first time his vision and execution met in such a grand, sweeping fashion." Greg Kot, writing for "Chicago Tribune", described the album as a "guitar-fueled song cycle", saying it "enacted the deaths of Joplin, Morrison, Hendrix and the '60s and presaged the dread, decadence and eroticism of a new era."


text: Multiple reviewers have considered the album a masterpiece. Reviewing its 40th anniversary, Jordan Blum of "PopMatters" writes: "It's easy to appreciate how "Ziggy Stardust" was a revolutionary record in 1972, and it's still as vibrant, significant, and enjoyably today." In a 2013 readers' poll for "Rolling Stone", "Ziggy Stardust" was voted Bowie's greatest album. The magazine argues that it "is the Bowie album that will be in history books". Reviewing in 2015, Douglas Wolk of "Pitchfork" commented that while it has an incoherent concept overall, it still remains a great collection of tracks, "overflowing with huge riffs and huger personae". A year later, Ian Fortnam wrote for "Classic Rock" that ""Ziggy Stardust" is David Bowie's crowning achievement. Obviously, contrarians will insist other albums have proven to carry greater cultural weight or defined his artistic legacy better, but revisit "Ziggy" today and its visceral and emotional impact remains undeniable. Especially when played, as advised, 'at maximum volume'... "Ziggy" reflected and shaped its time and its audience like no other album".


text: "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" has frequently appeared on numerous lists of the greatest albums of all time by multiple publications. In 1987, as part of their 20th anniversary, "Rolling Stone" ranked it number six on "The 100 Best Albums of the Last Twenty Years". In 1997, "Ziggy Stardust" was named the 20th greatest album of all time in a "Music of the Millennium" poll conducted in the UK. It was voted number 11 and 27 in the second and third editions of English writer Colin Larkin's book "All Time Top 1000 Albums", respectively. He stated in the second edition: "The blend of rock star persona and alien creature defining "Ziggy Stardust" was probably [Bowie's] finest creation". In 2003, "Rolling Stone" ranked it 35th on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. It retained the same position on the updated 2012 list, and was re-ranked 40th in 2020. In 2004, it was placed at number 81 in "Pitchfork"s list of the 100 Best Albums of the 1970s, while "Ultimate Classic Rock" included it in a similar list of the 100 best rock albums from the 1970s in 2015, calling it "a masterstroke of genius myth-making". In 2006, "Q" magazine readers ranked it as the 41st best album ever, while "Time" magazine chose it as one of the 100 best albums of all time. In 2013, "NME" ranked the album 23rd in their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, writing: Ziggy Stardust'... demands to be engaged with from start to finish".


text: The album was also included in the 2018 edition of Robert Dimery's book "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". In March 2017, the album was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the United States National Recording Preservation Board, which designates it as a sound recording that has had significant cultural, historical, or aesthetic impact in American life. Based on "Ziggy Stardust"s appearances in professional rankings and listings, the aggregate website Acclaimed Music lists it as 2nd most acclaimed album of 1972, the 6th most acclaimed album of the 1970s and the 19th most acclaimed album in history.


text: "Ziggy Stardust" was first released on CD in November 1984 by RCA. Subsequently, Dr. Toby Mountain remastered the album at Northeastern Digital Recording, Southborough, Massachusetts, from the original master tapes for Rykodisc. The reissue was released on 6 June 1990, with five bonus tracks. This reissue charted for four weeks on the UK Albums Chart, peaking at number 25. The album was remastered again by Peter Mew and released on 28 September 1999 by Virgin.


text: On 16 July 2002, a two-disc version was released by EMI/Virgin. The first in a series of "30th Anniversary 2CD Editions", this release included a newly remastered version as its first CD. The second disc contained twelve tracks, most of which had been previously released on CD as bonus tracks on the 1990–1992 reissues. The new mix of "Moonage Daydream" was originally done for a 1998 Dunlop television commercial.


text: On 4 June 2012, a "40th Anniversary Edition" was released by EMI/Virgin. This edition was remastered by original Trident Studios' engineer Ray Staff. The 2012 remaster was made available on CD and on a special, limited edition format of vinyl and DVD, featuring the new remaster on an LP, together with 2003 remixes of the album by Scott (5.1 and stereo mixes) on DVD-Audio. The latter included bonus 2003 Scott mixes of "Moonage Daydream" (instrumental), "The Supermen", "Velvet Goldmine" and "Sweet Head".


text: The 2012 remaster of the album and the 2003 remix (stereo mix only) were both included in the Parlophone box set "Five Years (1969–1973)", released on 25 September 2015. The album, in its 2012 remastering, was also rereleased separately, in 2015–2016, in CD, vinyl, and digital formats, with Parlophone releasing the separate LP on 26 February 2016 on 180g vinyl. On 16 June 2017, Parlophone reissued the album as a limited edition LP pressed on gold vinyl.


title: Cynthia Daniel

text: Cynthia Lynn Daniel (married name: Cynthia Hauser) is an American photographer and former actress. She is the twin sister of actress Brittany Daniel and is best known for her role as Elizabeth Wakefield in the 1990s syndicated teen drama "Sweet Valley High".


title: Cynthia Daniel

text: Born in Gainesville, Florida, Cynthia is five minutes younger than her twin sister, Brittany. They have an older brother, Brad. Their parents are Carol and Charlton B. Daniel, Jr. (who died of cancer in 2008). Cynthia was named Homecoming Queen of her high school.


title: Cynthia Daniel

text: At age 11, the girls began modelling and were signed to the Ford Agency, and appeared in "YM" and "Sassy". They also appeared in ads for Doublemint gum as the Doublemint Twins.


title: Cynthia Daniel

text: Both twins made their television acting debut in a 1987 episode of "The New Leave It to Beaver". In 1994, Daniel won the role of Elizabeth Wakefield in the television series "Sweet Valley High", based on the book series by Francine Pascal (sister Brittany played Elizabeth's twin, Jessica Wakefield). During "Sweet Valley High's" run, the girls made their film debut in the 1995 drama "The Basketball Diaries".


title: Cynthia Daniel

text: After "Sweet Valley High" was canceled in 1997, Daniel retired from acting and became a photographer. She has since made only one acting appearance, in a 2002 episode of "That 80s Show", which also starred twin sister Brittany. In 2022, she and Brittany starred in the 2022 remake of "Cheaper by the Dozen", marking her first acting role since 2002.


title: Crow

text: A crow is a bird of the genus "Corvus", or more broadly a synonym for all of "Corvus". Crows are generally black in colour. The word "crow" is used as part of the common name of many species. The related term "raven" is not pinned scientifically to any certain trait, but is rather a general grouping for larger "Corvus spp."


title: Amnesty International

text: Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and supporters around the world. The stated mission of the organization is to campaign for "a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights instruments." The organization has played a notable role on human rights issues due to its frequent citation in media and by world leaders.


title: Amnesty International

text: AI was founded in London in 1961 by the lawyer Peter Benenson. Its original focus was prisoners of conscience, with its remit widening in the 1970s, under the leadership of Seán MacBride and Martin Ennals to include miscarriages of justice and torture. In 1977, it was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In the 1980s, its secretary general was Thomas Hammarberg, succeeded in the 1990s by Pierre Sané. In the 2000s, it was led by Irene Khan.


title: Amnesty International

text: Amnesty draws attention to human rights abuses and campaigns for compliance with international laws and standards. It works to mobilize public opinion to generate pressure on governments where abuse takes place.


title: Amnesty International

text: Amnesty International was founded in London in July 1961 by English barrister Peter Benenson, who had previously been a founding member of the UK law reform organisation JUSTICE. Benenson was influenced by his friend Louis Blom-Cooper, who led a political prisoners’ campaign. According to Benenson's own account, he was travelling on the London Underground on 19 November 1960 when he read that two Portuguese students from Coimbra had been sentenced to seven years of imprisonment in Portugal for allegedly "having drunk a toast to liberty". Researchers have never traced the alleged newspaper article in question. In 1960, Portugal was ruled by the Estado Novo government of António de Oliveira Salazar. The government was authoritarian in nature and strongly anti-communist, suppressing enemies of the state as anti-Portuguese. In his significant newspaper article "The Forgotten Prisoners", Benenson later described his reaction as follows: Open your newspaper any day of the week and you will find a story from somewhere of someone being imprisoned, tortured or executed because his opinions or religion are unacceptable to his government... The newspaper reader feels a sickening sense of impotence. Yet if these feelings of disgust could be united into common action, something effective could be done.


title: Amnesty International

text: Benenson worked with his friend Eric Baker. Baker was a member of the Religious Society of Friends who had been involved in funding the British Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament as well as becoming head of Quaker Peace and Social Witness, and in his memoirs, Benenson described him as "a partner in the launching of the project". In consultation with other writers, academics and lawyers and, in particular, Alec Digges, they wrote via Louis Blom-Cooper to David Astor, editor of "The Observer" newspaper, who, on 28 May 1961, published Benenson's article "The Forgotten Prisoners". The article brought the reader's attention to those "imprisoned, tortured or executed because his opinions or religion are unacceptable to his government" or, put another way, to violations, by governments, of articles 18 and 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The article described these violations occurring, on a global scale, in the context of restrictions to press freedom, to political oppositions, to timely public trial before impartial courts, and to asylum. It marked the launch of "Appeal for Amnesty, 1961", the aim of which was to mobilize public opinion, quickly and widely, in defence of these individuals, whom Benenson named "Prisoners of Conscience". The "Appeal for Amnesty" was reprinted by a large number of international newspapers. In the same year, Benenson had a book published, "Persecution 1961", which detailed the cases of nine prisoners of conscience investigated and compiled by Benenson and Baker (Maurice Audin, Ashton Jones, Agostinho Neto, Patrick Duncan, Olga Ivinskaya, Luis Taruc, Constantin Noica, Antonio Amat and Hu Feng). In July 1961, the leadership had decided that the appeal would form the basis of a permanent organization, Amnesty, with the first meeting taking place in London. Benenson ensured that all three major political parties were represented, enlisting members of parliament from the Labour Party, the Conservative Party, and the Liberal Party. On 30 September 1962, it was officially named "Amnesty International". Between the "Appeal for Amnesty, 1961" and September 1962 the organization had been known simply as "Amnesty".


title: Amnesty International

text: What started as a short appeal soon became a permanent international movement working to protect those imprisoned for non-violent expression of their views and to secure worldwide recognition of Articles 18 and 19 of the UDHR. From the very beginning, research and campaigning were present in Amnesty International's work. A library was established for information about prisoners of conscience and a network of local groups, called "THREES" groups, was started. Each group worked on behalf of three prisoners, one from each of the then three main ideological regions of the world: communist, capitalist, and developing.


title: Amnesty International

text: By the mid-1960s, Amnesty International's global presence was growing and an International Secretariat and International Executive Committee were established to manage Amnesty International's national organizations, called "Sections", which had appeared in several countries. They were secretly supported by the British government at the time. The international movement was starting to agree on its core principles and techniques. For example, the issue of whether or not to adopt prisoners who had advocated violence, like Nelson Mandela, brought unanimous agreement that it could not give the name of "Prisoner of Conscience" to such prisoners. Aside from the work of the library and groups, Amnesty International's activities were expanding to helping prisoners' families, sending observers to trials, making representations to governments, and finding asylum or overseas employment for prisoners. Its activity and influence were also increasing within intergovernmental organizations; it would be awarded consultative status by the United Nations, the Council of Europe and UNESCO before the decade ended.


title: Amnesty International

text: In 1966, Benenson suspected that the British government in collusion with some Amnesty employees had suppressed a report on British atrocities in Aden. He began to suspect that many of his colleagues were part of a British intelligence conspiracy to subvert Amnesty, but he could not convince anybody else at AI. Later in the same year there were further allegations, when the US government reported that Seán MacBride, the former Irish foreign minister and Amnesty's first chairman, had been involved with a Central Intelligence Agency funding operation. MacBride denied knowledge of the funding, but Benenson became convinced that MacBride was a member of a CIA network. Benenson resigned as Amnesty's president on the grounds that it was bugged and infiltrated by the secret services, and said that he could no longer live in a country where such activities were tolerated. "(See Relationship with the British Government)"