title: Jigsaw (2017 film)

text: After the intended conclusion, Lionsgate ceased making "Saw" films, while waiting to hear a pitch that they thought made it worthwhile to resurrect the series. In December 2011, while speaking with CNBC, Lionsgate Vice Chairman Michael Burns revealed that a new "Saw" film was being discussed and would eventually be made. In August 2012, it was reported by some sources that Lionsgate was considering rebooting the original film. In November 2013, it was reported that Lionsgate was actively developing an eighth "Saw" film. "Jigsaw" was conceived when writers Josh Stolberg and Peter Goldfinger, who had spent two years pursuing the opportunity to write a "Saw" entry, proposed their vision. Stolberg and Goldfinger, both longtime "Saw" fans, had been called by their agents that Twisted Pictures and Lionsgate were considering reviving the franchise and if they were interested in pitching an approach. According to Stolberg, "Saw" producers Mark Burg and Oren Koules called them months later and hired them to write the film, as unlike other takes they had heard from, their pitch contained one particular element they really liked.


title: Jigsaw (2017 film)

text: The original pitch Stolberg and Goldfinger took place in an oil derrick in the middle of the ocean, so when the players escaped from the room they were trapped in, they ended up finding themselves in the middle of the ocean with no way out, but that element didn't convince Lionsgate and the duo had to present several different pitches until they settled on the idea of telling the story through a time shift storyline like in previous "Saw" films, but in a different way. It was at that point that "Jigsaw" was greenlit, so Stolberg and Goldfinger spent the following months rewriting and polishing their script. Their first draft for the film originally took place outside entirely, taking place in a new world unusual to that from the franchise instead of the usual claustrophobic environment, but the idea didn't work out and they resolved to set the plot in a barn. In regards to the story, Lionsgate was adamant to make the film a stand-alone sequel which could work out for viewers unfamiliar to the sequels which followed "Saw III".


title: Jigsaw (2017 film)

text: In July 2016, it became known that brothers Michael and Peter Spierig would direct the film. Burg and Koules, who produced previous "Saw" entires, were announced to produce. Composer Charlie Clouser has described the film as a "reinvention" of the series, opining that "the Spierig brothers can deliver a fresh take on the material that will establish a new story line and new characters that can carry the saga into the future". The directors further detailed their approach as being ""Saw" for 2017", and Michael Spierig explained, "It's perhaps not quite as vicious, and more fun. But it's still full of gore, that's for sure. It's got a really great mystery, and there are very interesting twists".


title: Jigsaw (2017 film)

text: On January 25, 2017, "Variety" announced that Laura Vandervoort and Hannah Emily Anderson had joined the cast. On January 30, Mandela Van Peebles joined the cast. On March 2, "Bloody Disgusting" revealed the first plot details and a full actor list, confirming that Tobin Bell would return in the role of John Kramer and that Brittany Allen, Callum Keith Rennie, Matt Passmore, Josiah Black, Shaquan Lewis, Michael Boisvert, and James Gomez had joined the cast along with Vandervoort, Anderson, and Van Peebles; the website also confirmed that Cary Elwes and Costas Mandylor, who previously appeared in the series as Dr. Lawrence Gordon and Mark Hoffman, would not return for the new film. On July 13, it was confirmed that Paul Braunstein had also been cast in the film. During filming, it was reported by a "Bloody Disgusting" reader that Jon Cor, who previously played Ryan (not to be confused with the character of the same name Braunstein plays in the film) in "Saw 3D", would be appearing in scenes along with Bell, but the character didn't appear in the finished film.


title: Jigsaw (2017 film)

text: Passmore had to audition for the role of Logan Nelson. He got the role after Koules and Burg requested him to come to lunch with them and it turned out they were fans of a television show Passmore starred in, liking the script they gave to him and finding it reminiscent to the first film due to its lack of gore. To prepare for his role as a police coroner, Passmore watched some police-focused shows and was aided by an adviser expert on the matter while filming. Vandervoort was drawn to playing Anna due to the character's flaws, aside her love for the "Saw" franchise and the horror genre, wanting to make a thriller or horror film and to work with the Spierig Brothers. Allen auditioned for the role of Carly determined to get it, feeling immediately that she would get it before being hired. After his manager offered him to do an audition, Van Peebles was cast as Mitch, which was the last role the film needed to cast. Coupled with his love for horror films, Van Peebles found the role as physically and emotionally challenging, prompting him to make his own horror scream by practicing it in the shower or in the car until he got the scream.


title: Jigsaw (2017 film)

text: In October 2016, production was confirmed to have commenced under the working title of "Saw: Legacy". The film was shot in Toronto in November 2016, and entered post-production by January. In June 2017, the Motion Picture Association of America listed the film under the official title of "Jigsaw", rating it R, for "sequences of grisly bloody violence and torture, and for language". "Jigsaw" is the only film in the "Saw" franchise to date to have never been rated NC-17 by the MPAA, having obtained an R rating without cuts. On August 14, 2017, the film passed uncut in the United Kingdom with an 18 Certificate by the BBFC. In regard to the new title, writer Josh Stolberg clarified that "when a writer is writing a movie, they put something on the cover page to separate it from other films. [...] So when we were writing this film, the title read "Saw: Legacy" but it was never official or 'decided'."


title: Jigsaw (2017 film)

text: Charlie Clouser, who provided the score for all previous entries in the "Saw" series, returned to score "Jigsaw". Clouser re-imagined the music of the "Saw" franchise, following the six-year hiatus between "Saw 3D" and "Jigsaw". Clouser stated in 2016, "this will be an opportunity [for me] to re-imagine how [I] approach the score, and [I] will be trying a more stark, bold, and stripped-down approach that will be more in line with the strong vision that the Spierig brothers are bringing to the table". The soundtrack of the film was distributed digitally on October 27, 2017. Some tracks from the film can also be found on Volume 2 of the "Saw" Anthology Collection.


title: Jigsaw (2017 film)

text: On September 16, 2017, Lionsgate released five posters to promote "Jigsaw". The posters show off people in the traditional Billy the Puppet makeup, captioned "He is Everything. He is Everywhere. He is Everyone". The release of the posters was Lionsgate's way of reasserting the series' dominance over the Halloween season.


title: Jigsaw (2017 film)

text: The Annual Blood Drive is the series' tradition, where before the release of the films in October, mobile blood stations are set up around the United States, where fans who donate blood receive a free ticket to see the respective film of that year. The tradition started in 2004, after the overwhelming success of "Saw", and continued for each of the sequels until it stopped in 2009 before the release of "Saw VI". Due to the arrival of "Jigsaw" in October, the blood drive was revived for another year, promoting the film with eight posters released by Lionsgate, featuring "Nurses" Grae Drake, Dan Rockwell, Susanne Bartch, Nyakim Gatwech, Shaun Ross, Mosh, Mykie, and Amanda LePore.


title: Jigsaw (2017 film)

text: As of September 25, 2017, 120,000 pints (57,000 L) of blood had been donated, which has led to over 360,000 lives being saved.


title: Jigsaw (2017 film)

text: "Jigsaw" was released in the United Kingdom on October 26, 2017, and in the United States theatrically on October 27, 2017. It was featured in IMAX screenings for the first week of its theatrical run.


title: Jigsaw (2017 film)

text: "Jigsaw" was released digitally on January 9, 2018, and on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD on January 23, 2018. It was the first "Saw" film to be re-released in 4K.


title: Jigsaw (2017 film)

text: "Jigsaw" has grossed $38.1 million in the United States and Canada, and $64.9 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $102.9 million, against a production budget of $10 million.


title: Jigsaw (2017 film)

text: In the United States and Canada, "Jigsaw" was released alongside "Thank You for Your Service" and "Suburbicon", and was projected to gross around $20 million from 2,941 theaters in its opening weekend. It made $1.6 million from Thursday night previews at 2,400 theaters, just below the $1.7 million "Saw 3D" made from midnight screenings seven years prior, and $7.2 million on its first day. It went on to open to $16.64 million, finishing first at the box office but marking the second lowest debut of the franchise. In its second weekend the film dropped 61% to $6.56 million, finishing third behind newcomers "" and "A Bad Moms Christmas". In its third weekend, the film dropped another 47% and made $3.43 million, finishing fifth.


title: Jigsaw (2017 film)

text: On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 33% based on 89 reviews, with an average rating of 4.80/10. The site's critical consensus reads, ""Jigsaw" definitely won't win many converts to the "Saw" franchise, but for longtime fans, it should prove a respectably revolting—if rarely scary—diversion." On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating to reviews, the film has a weighted average score of 39 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported women under 25 (21% of the film's audience) and older males (30%) gave it a 76% and 70% overall positive score, respectively.


title: Jigsaw (2017 film)

text: "IGN" gave the film a score of 4.5/10, writing "The good news is, "Jigsaw" is not the worst horror movie of the year. The bad news is, it's still bad enough that that's the good news...[It] doesn't capture what made the "Saw" franchise work in the first place." Darren French of "Entertainment Weekly" gave the film a "C", calling it disappointing and overly long. "Bloody Disgusting" gave the film two and a half out of five, saying the film "while being a fun ride, fails to justify its existence with a story that is overly familiar and a twist that doesn't live up to most of its predecessors".


title: Jigsaw (2017 film)

text: "Variety"s Owen Gleiberman found the film "garishly rote" saying "For 92 minutes, it more or less succeeds in sawing through your boredom, slicing and dicing with a glum explicitness that raises the occasional tingle of gross-out suspense but no longer carries any kick of true shock value." Germain Lussier of "io9" largely panned the film saying "[it] is one of the better films in the franchise. Unfortunately, that's not saying much."


title: Jigsaw (2017 film)

text: The ninth installment of the "Saw" franchise known as "Spiral: From the Book of Saw", directed by longtime "Saw" series director Darren Lynn Bousman, stars Chris Rock, Samuel L. Jackson, Max Minghella, and Marisol Nichols. Production took place in Toronto from July to August 2019. Lionsgate Films planned to release "Spiral" in theaters on May 15, 2020, however due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the film was moved to May 14, 2021.


title: Jigsaw (2017 film)

text: In April 2021, a tenth installment and direct sequel film was confirmed to be in development with Twisted Pictures. However, Bousman stated that it was a premature announcement that surprised him and the film's producers. He said, "Just because we made "Spiral" doesn't mean "Saw" ceases to exist. Just because "Spiral" is here, that doesn't mean there won't be a "Saw IX". This is not the ninth film in the "Saw" franchise. There easily could be a "Saw IX" that follows "Jigsaw". I think they're waiting to see how ["Spiral"] goes and how audiences respond to determine what happens next." In May 2021, Bousman confirmed that "Saw IX" and an eventual "Saw X" were separate projects from "Spiral 2" and "3", with all four films as well as a television series being in active development. In October 2022, Tobin Bell was set to reprise the role of John Kramer / Jigsaw for "Saw X".


title: Edward V of England

text: Edward V (2 November 1470 – mid-1483) was "de jure" King of England and Lord of Ireland from 9 April to 25 June 1483. He succeeded his father, Edward IV, upon the latter's death. Edward V was never crowned, and his brief reign was dominated by the influence of his uncle and Lord Protector, the Duke of Gloucester, who deposed him to reign as King Richard III; this was confirmed by the Act entitled "Titulus Regius", which denounced any further claims through his father's heirs.


title: Edward V of England

text: Edward V and his younger brother Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York, were the Princes in the Tower who disappeared after being sent to heavily guarded royal lodgings in the Tower of London. Responsibility for their deaths is widely attributed to Richard III, but the lack of solid evidence and conflicting contemporary accounts allow for other possibilities.


title: Edward V of England

text: Edward was born on 2 November 1470 at Cheyneygates, the medieval house of the Abbot of Westminster, adjoining Westminster Abbey. His mother, Elizabeth Woodville, had sought sanctuary there from Lancastrian supporters who had deposed his father, the Yorkist king Edward IV, during the course of the Wars of the Roses. Edward was created Prince of Wales in June 1471, following his father's restoration to the throne, and in 1473 was established at Ludlow Castle on the Welsh Marches as nominal president of a newly created Council of Wales and the Marches. In 1479, his father conferred the earldom of Pembroke on him; it became merged into the crown on his succession.


title: Edward V of England

text: Prince Edward was placed under the supervision of the queen's brother Anthony Woodville, 2nd Earl Rivers, a noted scholar. In a letter to Rivers, Edward IV set down precise conditions for the upbringing of his son and the management of the prince's household. He was to "arise every morning at a convenient hour, according to his age". His day would begin with matins and then Mass, which he was to receive uninterrupted. After breakfast, the business of educating the prince began with "virtuous learning". Dinner was served from ten in the morning, and then he was to be read "noble stories ... of virtue, honour, cunning, wisdom, and of deeds of worship" but "of nothing that should move or stir him to vice". Perhaps aware of his own vices, the king was keen to safeguard his son's morals, and instructed Rivers to ensure that no one in the prince's household was a habitual "swearer, brawler, backbiter, common hazarder, adulterer, [or user of] words of ribaldry". After further study, in the afternoon the prince was to engage in sporting activities suitable for his class, before evensong. Supper was served from four, and curtains were to be drawn at eight. Following this, the prince's attendants were to "enforce themselves to make him merry and joyous towards his bed". They would then watch over him as he slept.


title: Edward V of England

text: As with several of his other children, Edward IV planned a prestigious European marriage for his eldest son, and in 1480 concluded an alliance with Francis II, Duke of Brittany, whereby Prince Edward was betrothed to the duke's four-year-old heir, Anne. The two were to be married upon their majority, with their eldest son inheriting England and their second son Brittany. Anne later married Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor.


title: Edward V of England

text: It was at Ludlow that the 12-year-old prince received news, on Monday 14 April 1483, of his father's sudden death five days before. Edward IV's will, which has not survived, nominated his trusted brother Richard, Duke of Gloucester, as Protector during the minority of his son. The new king left Ludlow on 24 April, with Richard leaving York a day earlier, planning to meet at Northampton and travel to London together. However, when Richard reached Northampton, Edward and his party had already travelled onward to Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire. The Earl Rivers travelled back to Northampton to meet Richard and Buckingham who had now arrived. On the night of 29 April Richard dined with Rivers and Edward's half-brother, Richard Grey, but the following morning Rivers, Grey and the king's chamberlain, Thomas Vaughan, were arrested and sent north. Despite Richard's assurances all three were subsequently executed. Dominic Mancini, an Italian who visited England in the 1480s, reports that Edward protested, but the remainder of his entourage was dismissed and Richard escorted him to London. On 19 May 1483, the new king took up residence in the Tower of London, where, on 16 June, he was joined by his younger brother Richard of Shrewsbury, Duke of York.


title: Edward V of England

text: The council had originally hoped for an immediate coronation to avoid the need for a protectorate. This had previously happened with Richard II, who had become king at the age of ten. Another precedent was Henry VI whose protectorate (which started when he inherited the crown aged 9 months) had ended with his coronation aged seven. Richard, however, repeatedly postponed the coronation.


title: Edward V of England

text: On 22 June, Ralph Shaa preached a sermon declaring that Edward IV had already been contracted to marry Lady Eleanor Butler when he married Elizabeth Woodville, thereby rendering his marriage to Elizabeth invalid and their children together illegitimate. The children of Richard's older brother George, Duke of Clarence, were barred from the throne by their father's attainder, and therefore, on 25 June, an assembly of Lords and Commons declared Richard to be the legitimate king (this was later confirmed by the act of parliament "Titulus Regius"). The following day he acceded to the throne as King Richard III.


title: Edward V of England

text: Dominic Mancini recorded that after Richard III seized the throne, Edward and his brother Richard were taken into the "inner apartments of the Tower" and then were seen less and less until the end of the summer to the autumn of 1483, when they disappeared from public view altogether. During this period Mancini records that Edward was regularly visited by a doctor, who reported that Edward, "like a victim prepared for sacrifice, sought remission of his sins by daily confession and penance, because he believed that death was facing him." The Latin reference to had previously been translated as "a doctor from Strasbourg", because the Latin name for the city of Strasbourg, , was still current at the time; however, D. E. Rhodes suggests it may actually refer to "Doctor Argentine", whom Rhodes identifies as John Argentine, an English physician who would later serve as provost of King's College, Cambridge, and as doctor to Arthur, Prince of Wales, eldest son of King Henry VII of England (Henry Tudor).


title: Edward V of England

text: The princes' fate after their disappearance remains unknown, but the most widely accepted theory is that they were murdered on the orders of their uncle, King Richard. Thomas More wrote that they were smothered to death with their pillows, and his account forms the basis of William Shakespeare's play "Richard III", in which Tyrrell murders the princes on Richard's orders. In the absence of hard evidence a number of other theories have been put forward, of which the most widely discussed are that they were murdered on the orders of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, or by Henry Tudor. However, A. J. Pollard points out that these theories are less plausible than the straightforward one that they were murdered by their uncle who in any case controlled access to them and was therefore regarded as responsible for their welfare. In the period before the boys' disappearance, Edward was regularly being visited by a doctor; historian David Baldwin extrapolates that contemporaries may have believed Edward had died of an illness (or as the result of attempts to cure him). An alternative theory is that Perkin Warbeck, a pretender to the throne, was indeed Richard, Duke of York, as he claimed, having escaped to Flanders after his uncle's defeat at Bosworth to be raised by his aunt, Margaret, Duchess of Burgundy.


title: Edward V of England

text: Bones belonging to two children were discovered in 1674 by workmen rebuilding a stairway in the Tower. On the orders of King Charles II, these were subsequently placed in Westminster Abbey, in an urn bearing the names of Edward and Richard. The bones were re-examined in 1933, at which time it was discovered the skeletons were incomplete and had been interred with animal bones. It has never been proven that the bones belonged to the princes, and it is possible that they were buried before the reconstruction of that part of the Tower of London. Permission for a subsequent examination has been refused.


title: Edward V of England

text: In 1789, workmen carrying out repairs in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, rediscovered and accidentally broke into the vault of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. Adjoining this was another vault, which was found to contain the coffins of two children. This tomb was inscribed with the names of two of Edward IV's children who had predeceased him: George, Duke of Bedford, and Mary. However, the remains of these two children were later found elsewhere in the chapel, leaving the occupants of the children's coffins within the tomb unknown.


title: Edward V of England

text: In 1486 Edward IV's daughter Elizabeth, sister of Edward V, married Henry VII, thereby uniting the Houses of York and Lancaster.


title: Edward V of England

text: As outlined above, on the orders of Charles II, the presumed bones of Edward V and his brother Richard were interred in Westminster Abbey; Edward was thus buried in the place of his birth. The white marble sarcophagus was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and made by Joshua Marshall. The sarcophagus can be found in the north aisle of the Henry VII Chapel, near Elizabeth I's tomb.


title: Edward V of England

text: Edward appears as a character in the play "Richard III" by William Shakespeare. Edward appears alive in only one scene of the play (Act 3 Scene 1), during which he and his brother are portrayed as bright, precocious children who see through their uncle's ambitions. Edward in particular is portrayed as wiser than his years (something his uncle notes) and ambitious about his kingship. Edward and his brother's deaths are described in the play, but occur offstage. Their ghosts return in one more scene (Act 5 Scene 3) to haunt their uncle's dreams and promise success to his rival, Richmond (i.e. King Henry VII). In film and television adaptations of this play, Edward V has been portrayed by the following actors:


title: Edward V of England

text: Edward V is also featured as a mute role in another of Shakespeare's plays, "Henry VI, Part 3", where he appears as a newborn baby in the final scene. His father Edward IV addresses his own brothers thus: "Clarence, and Gloster, love my lovely queen, And kiss your princely nephew, brothers both." Gloster, the future Richard III, is at the close of this play already encompassing his nephew's demise, as he mutters in an aside, "To say the truth, so Judas kiss'd his master, And cried – All hail! when as he meant – all harm."


title: Edward V of England

text: Edward appears in "The White Queen", a 2009 historical novel by Philippa Gregory and in the subsequent 2013 TV miniseries "The White Queen"; in the latter, he is played by Sonny Ashbourne Serkis.


title: Edward V of England

text: As heir apparent, Edward bore the royal arms (quarterly France and England) differenced by a label of three points argent. During his brief reign, he used the royal arms undifferenced, supported by a lion and a hart as had his father. His livery badges were the traditional Yorkist symbols of the fetterlocked falcon and the rose argent.


title: Kansas (band)

text: Kansas is an American rock band that became popular during the 1970s initially on album-oriented rock charts and later with hit singles such as "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind". The band has produced nine gold albums, three multi-platinum albums ("Leftoverture" 4×, "Point of Know Return" 4×, and "The Best of Kansas" 4×), one other platinum studio album ("Monolith"), one platinum live double album ("Two for the Show"), and a million-selling single, "Dust in the Wind". Kansas appeared on the US "Billboard" charts for over 200 weeks throughout the 1970s and 1980s and played to sold-out arenas and stadiums throughout North America, Europe and Japan. "Carry On Wayward Son" was the second-most-played track on US classic rock radio in 1995 and No. 1 in 1997.


title: Kansas (band)

text: In 1969, Don Montre and Kerry Livgren (guitars, keyboards, synthesizers) were performing in a band called the Reasons Why in their hometown of Topeka, Kansas. After leaving to form the band Saratoga with Lynn Meredith and Dan Wright, they started playing Livgren's original material, with Scott Kessler playing bass and Zeke Lowe coming in on drums.


title: Kansas (band)

text: In 1970 they changed the band's name to Kansas and merged with members of rival Topeka progressive rock group White Clover. White Clover members Dave Hope (bass) and Phil Ehart (drums, percussion) joined with Livgren, vocalists Meredith and Greg Allen, keyboardists Montre and Wright and saxophonist Larry Baker. This early Kansas group, sometimes called Kansas I, lasted until early 1971 when Ehart, Hope and some of the others left to re-form White Clover.


title: Kansas (band)

text: Ehart was replaced by Zeke Lowe and later Brad Schulz, Hope was replaced by Rod Mikinski on bass and Baker was replaced by John Bolton on saxophone and flute. This lineup is sometimes referred to as Kansas II, and 30 years later would re-form under the name Proto-Kaw.


title: Kansas (band)

text: In 1972, after Ehart returned from England (where he had gone to look for other musicians), he and Hope once again re-formed White Clover with Robby Steinhardt (vocals, violin, viola, cello), Steve Walsh (vocals, keyboards, synthesizers, percussion) and Rich Williams (guitars). In early 1973 they recruited Livgren from the second Kansas group, which then folded. Eventually they received a recording contract with Don Kirshner's eponymous label, after Kirshner's assistant, Wally Gold, heard one of their demo tapes and came out to check out the band at one of their local gigs in March 1973 in Ellinwood, Kansas. After signing with Kirshner, the group decided to return to using the name "Kansas".


title: Kansas (band)

text: Their 1974 self-titled debut album, produced by Gold, was released in March 1974, nearly a year after it was recorded in New York. It defined the band's signature sound, a mix of American-style boogie rock and complex, symphonic arrangements with changing time signatures. Steinhardt's violin was a distinctive element of the group's sound, being defined more by heartland rock than the jazz and classical influences which most progressive rock violinists followed.


title: Kansas (band)

text: The band slowly developed a cult following due to promotion by Kirshner and extensive touring for the debut album and its two follow-ups, "Song for America" (February 1975) and "Masque" (October 1975). "Song for America" was co-produced by Wally Gold and their former White Clover bandmate Jeff Glixman, who would go on to produce all of their albums from "Masque" to "Two for the Show" (October 1978) on his own, returning to the helm for 1995's "Freaks of Nature". Both "Masque" and their next release, "Leftoverture", were recorded at a studio in the middle of the Louisiana Bayou named Studio in the Country.


title: Kansas (band)

text: Kansas released its fourth album, "Leftoverture", in October 1976, which produced a hit single, "Carry On Wayward Son", in 1977. The follow-up, "Point of Know Return", recorded at Studio in the Country in Bogalusa, Louisiana and Woodland Sound in Nashville and released in October 1977, featured the title track and "Dust in the Wind", both hit singles. "Leftoverture" was a breakthrough for the band, hitting No. 5 on "Billboard"s pop album chart. "Point of Know Return" peaked even higher, at No. 4. Both albums sold over four million copies in the U.S. Both "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind" were certified gold singles, selling over one million units each. "Dust in the Wind" was certified gold as a digital download by the RIAA in 2005, almost 30 years after selling one million copies as a single. "Leftoverture" was eventually certified five-times platinum by the RIAA in 2001.


title: Kansas (band)

text: During this period, Kansas became a major headlining act and sold out the largest venues available to rock bands at the time, including New York's Madison Square Garden. The band documented this era in 1978 with "Two for the Show", a double live album of recordings from various performances from its 1977 and 1978 tours. The band gained a solid reputation for faithful live reproduction of their studio recordings.


title: Kansas (band)

text: In March 1978 Kansas was brought over to tour Europe for the very first time and later on that same year, they were named UNICEF Deputy Ambassadors of Goodwill.


title: Kansas (band)

text: The follow-up studio album to "Point of Know Return" was "Monolith" (May 1979), which was self-produced. The album generated a Top 40 single in "People of the South Wind", whose title refers to the meaning of the 'Kanza' (Kaw) Native American people, after whom the state and the band are named. The album failed to garner the sales and radio airplay of its two predecessors. Nevertheless, the album eventually went platinum. Livgren's platinum award for the album is on display at the Kansas Museum of History. The band toured the US for "Monolith" during the summer and fall of 1979 then went over to tour Japan for the first time in January 1980.


title: Kansas (band)

text: Kansas bandmembers began to drift apart in the early 1980s. During the tour supporting "Monolith", Livgren became a born-again Christian, and this was reflected in his lyrics on the next three albums, beginning with "Audio-Visions" (September 1980). "Hold On", a Top 40 single from that album, displayed his new-found faith. Hope soon converted to Christianity as well. This would be the final album with the original lineup (until they briefly reunited in 1999–2000), and also the last Kansas studio album to be certified gold by the RIAA.


title: Kansas (band)

text: Due to creative differences over the lyrical direction of the next album, Walsh left in October 1981 to form a new band, Streets. In early 1982 Walsh was replaced by vocalist/keyboardist/guitarist John Elefante, who—unknown to Livgren and Hope at the time—was also a Christian. He was chosen from over 200 applicants, such as Sammy Hagar, Doug Pinnick, Ted Neeley (who played the title character in the movie "Jesus Christ Superstar"), Warren Ham (ex-Bloodrock, who would join the band on the road in 1982 adding sax, flute, harmonica, back-up vocals and extra keyboards) and Michael Gleason (who would supply keyboards and back-up vocals on the group's 1983 tour).


title: Kansas (band)

text: The first Kansas album with Elefante, "Vinyl Confessions", was released in June 1982. The record renewed interest in the group and generated the band's first Top 20 hit in several years, "Play the Game Tonight", which hit number 4 on Billboard's newly deployed Mainstream Rock chart. The album's mostly Christianity-based lyrics attracted a new audience and garnered radio airplay on the then fledgling Contemporary Christian Music format. The album featured backing vocals from Queen drummer Roger Taylor, who was recording in the studio next door. Still, sales of the album fell short of gold status.


title: Kansas (band)

text: "Drastic Measures" followed in July 1983. For various reasons, Livgren contributed only three songs to the album; the rest were penned by John Elefante and his brother Dino. With violinist Steinhardt leaving the group before the recording sessions, the result was a more mainstream pop-rock album. Though the album charted lower than any Kansas album since "Masque", peaking at number 41, its single "Fight Fire with Fire" fared better. It did not crack the Top 40 on the "Billboard" Hot 100, but reached No. 3 on the "Billboard" Mainstream Rock chart. It was the highest chart position of any Kansas release on any chart, though this particular chart did not exist prior to 1981. For their 1983 tour for "Drastic Measures", Kansas was joined on stage by the aforementioned Michael Gleason and Terry Brock (who covered the absent Steinhardt's harmony vocals).


title: Kansas (band)

text: During the band's time with Elefante as lead vocalist, Livgren became increasingly uncomfortable with Kansas representing his Christian worldview. After a final New Year's Eve performance on December 31, 1983, Livgren and Hope left to form AD with Warren Ham and Michael Gleason. They were joined by drummer Dennis Holt.


title: Kansas (band)

text: Elefante, Ehart and Williams sought to continue as Kansas and recorded one more song, "Perfect Lover", which appeared on the retrospective "The Best of Kansas" (August 1984), which has sold over four million units in the U.S. alone. The song would eventually be removed in favor of other songs on the remastered release of the compilation. The group disbanded after its release, which thus became the final Kansas recording with Elefante. Since leaving the band, Elefante has become a popular Contemporary Christian music artist and has not performed with the group since.


title: Kansas (band)

text: In March 1984 Ehart, Williams and Elefante were part of a United Service Organizations (USO) tour of US military bases that had been put together by Ehart, called 1st Airborne Rock and Roll Division, that also included Patrick Simmons (Doobie Brothers), Leon Medica (LeRoux), David Jenkins, Cory Lerios and John Pierce (from Pablo Cruise) and Robin Zander, Rick Nielsen and Bun E. Carlos (from Cheap Trick). The supergroup began four days of rehearsals in Hawaii on March 10 before beginning a 17-day tour playing for the United States Seventh Fleet in the Indian Ocean and land-based troops in Korea, Okinawa, Diego Garcia and the Philippines. This was followed by a second USO tour in March 1985 that included Ehart, Williams and Steve Walsh.


title: Kansas (band)

text: In July 1985 the band came back together with Ehart, Williams and Walsh (who had briefly played keyboards on the road for Cheap Trick in the spring and summer of 1985 after the break up of Streets), but without Livgren, Hope or Steinhardt. The new lineup included Streets bassist Billy Greer and guitarist Steve Morse (formerly of the Dixie Dregs). The first performances of the new lineup with Morse and Greer took place during a third USO 1st Airborne Rock and Roll Division tour that toured US military bases in the US, Japan, Okinawa, the Philippines, Singapore, Iceland and most of Europe during the late summer through early October 1986.


title: Kansas (band)

text: The re-formed band released "Power" in November 1986. The first single, "All I Wanted", became the last Kansas single to hit the "Billboard" Top 40 chart, peaking at No. 19. It also received considerable airplay on MTV. Two more singles, the title track and "Can't Cry Anymore", were less successful, "Power" hitting the lower end of the Hot 100 and getting substantial play and charting on the Rock Charts, but "Can't Cry Anymore" receiving little airplay despite a clever music video.


title: Kansas (band)

text: The band added Baton Rouge native Greg Robert on keyboards and back-up vocals at the suggestion of LeRoux's Leon Medica. Greg played his first show with Kansas on January 31, 1987 along with 38 Special at Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Puerto Rico. The new lineup released a second album, "In the Spirit of Things", in October 1988. The concept album and subsequent tour were popular with the fan base but did not receive widespread airplay beyond the "Stand Beside Me" video on MTV. Morse temporarily left the band at the end of a tour of Germany in April 1989.


title: Kansas (band)

text: On September 15, 1990 Walsh, Williams and Ehart played a charity event at the Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu, California, alongside Saga, Lou Gramm (of Foreigner), Mr. Big, Eddie Money, Kevin Cronin (from REO Speedwagon) and others. Alex Lifeson joined them on stage for a short set of Kansas before Geddy Lee flew in to join Alex for a Rush set, with Ehart on drums subbing for Neil Peart.


title: Kansas (band)

text: In November 1990 a German promoter arranged to reunite all the original members of Kansas (except for Steinhardt) for a European tour. Greer joined them, along with keyboardist Greg Robert. At the end of the tour, Hope left again, but Livgren remained on into 1991.


title: Kansas (band)

text: In March 1991 violinist David Ragsdale (who had submitted a tape of his playing to Ehart several years earlier) was invited to join the group and the return of the violin allowed Kansas to perform earlier material in arrangements closer to the originals. Livgren left during the 1991 summer tour, to be replaced temporarily by Steve Morse again. After the tour, Morse left the band for good to return to his own projects and eventually become a member of Deep Purple, and Ragsdale took over the extra guitar parts, leaving Williams as the primary guitar player. The resulting lineup of Ehart, Greer, Ragsdale, Robert, Walsh and Williams lasted from 1991 to 1997. This period saw one live album and accompanying video, "Live at the Whisky" (July 1992), and one studio album, "Freaks of Nature" (May 1995).


title: Kansas (band)

text: During the fall of 1993, drummer Van Romaine (formerly of Blood Sweat and Tears and Steve Morse's band) came in to substitute for Ehart, who was taking care of the group's business and putting together "The Kansas Boxed Set", which was released in July 1994. Bryan Holmes, from The Producers, likewise filled in for Ehart during the spring and summer of 1994 until that December, when Phil returned for a tour of Germany.


title: Kansas (band)

text: In May 1998 Kansas released "Always Never the Same", which featured Larry Baird conducting the London Symphony Orchestra. The album was a mix of older Kansas material (with new arrangements by Baird), several new songs and a cover of "Eleanor Rigby".


title: Kansas (band)

text: "Somewhere to Elsewhere", a new studio album released in July 2000, featured all the original members of Kansas, plus Greer, with all songs written by Kerry Livgren. That same summer, Kansas was the opening act for Yes during their "Masterworks" tour.


title: Kansas (band)

text: During the late 1990s and early 2000s, Livgren would occasionally attend Kansas shows and come on stage to play one or more songs with the band. At a March 9, 2002 concert at Lake Tahoe, he played the whole show, subbing for Rich Williams who was "under the weather", and another live album and DVD from Kansas, entitled "Device - Voice - Drum", which was recorded in the band's present home of Atlanta on June 15, 2002, was released that October.


title: Kansas (band)

text: Also in 2002, Kansas II (the lineup prior to the recording and release of the first Kansas album) released an album under the name Proto-Kaw, featuring demos and live material recorded from 1971 to 1973. It led to a new studio album, "Before Became After" (2004), with most of the Kansas II members participating. Proto-Kaw released a third album, "The Wait of Glory", in 2006 and their fourth and final studio album, "Forth", was released in 2011, after which the band ceased.


title: Kansas (band)

text: Kansas continued to tour every year. The 2006 tour was delayed for a few weeks due to Steinhardt's second departure in March and Ragsdale's subsequent return to the lineup.


title: Kansas (band)

text: In 2008 the Kansas website announced that four of the five members (Ehart, Ragsdale, Williams, and Greer) had formed a side recording group called Native Window and they released their self-titled debut album in June 2009.


title: Kansas (band)

text: In February 2009 Kansas recorded a concert in Topeka featuring a full symphony orchestra, with Larry Baird conducting. Morse and Livgren appeared as special guests on several songs. The performance was released on CD, DVD, and Blu-ray as "There's Know Place Like Home" that October and the DVD hit No. 5 on the "Billboard" Music Video Chart the week after its release.


title: Kansas (band)

text: In July 2010 Kansas completed a 30-day "United We Rock" tour with fellow classic rock acts Styx and Foreigner. Kansas then began a collegiate tour in September 2010. On this tour they performed with the symphony orchestras of various US colleges in an effort to raise money for the individual schools' music programs. The success of the tour led the band to start another one the following year.


title: Kansas (band)

text: On September 13, 2012 Kansas began a new tour with a performance at the Best Buy Theater in New York City. Opening for them was the band King's X and a one-man-band called That 1 Guy. This tour featured many hits from the albums "Leftoverture" and "Point of Know Return", as well as material from a number of their other albums.


title: Kansas (band)

text: The band kicked off 2013 being featured on the Rock Legends II cruise. The floating rock festival for a cause aboard Royal Caribbean International's Liberty of the Seas departed January 10, 2013 from Fort Lauderdale, FL. Other big names included Foreigner, Paul Rodgers, Creedence Clearwater Revisited, Bachman & Turner, 38 Special, The Marshall Tucker Band, Blue Öyster Cult, Foghat and Molly Hatchet.


title: Kansas (band)

text: On March 1, 2013 Kansas announced a 40th anniversary celebration was in the works. However, Steinhardt suffered a heart attack days before the concert and was unable to participate. Nevertheless, the show went on, billed as the "40th Anniversary Fan Appreciation Concert", performed in Pittsburgh on August 17, 2013 at the same venue, Benedum Center (formerly The Stanley Theater), which had propelled them to national recognition. The show featured guest appearances by Kerry Livgren and Dave Hope and the first set featured symphonic accompaniment by the Three Rivers Orchestra, conducted by Larry Baird. Intermission featured Phil Ehart overseeing random prize drawings of autographed band merchandise, videotaped 40th anniversary well-wishes from other bands and an exclusive first-look at the trailer for the upcoming feature-length documentary "Miracles Out of Nowhere".


title: Kansas (band)

text: On July 2, 2014 a statement was issued on the band's official Facebook page announcing the impending retirement of lead singer Steve Walsh.


title: Kansas (band)

text: On July 6, 2014 former Kansas lead singer John Elefante issued a statement that he had been contacted by the band on July 2 to discuss rejoining. However, on July 4, after turning to prayer, he said that it was not meant to be. At that point, he also cited Steve Walsh as one of the reasons he wanted to become a singer.


title: Kansas (band)

text: A statement was issued on July 14, 2014 through the band's official Facebook page stating that Chicago native Ronnie Platt (who had previously sung with Shooting Star) had been selected as the band's new lead vocalist and keyboard player.


title: Kansas (band)

text: On July 24, 2014 the band announced that their longtime lighting specialist David Manion would be handling the main keyboard parts for the band on stage along with Platt, giving the group a full-time keyboardist for the first time since Greg Robert's departure in 1997. Manion had also handled keyboard responsibilities for Kansas bassist and vocalist Billy Greer's band, Seventh Key.


title: Kansas (band)

text: In March 2015 the band released the aforementioned documentary, "Miracles Out of Nowhere". The documentary chronicles the band's formation and follows them throughout their success with "Leftoverture" and "Point of Know Return". It was initially available in a limited-edition release that contained an extra DVD of bonus interviews. The documentary was released alongside a companion CD of the same name that contained a selection of the band's greatest hits along with snippets of commentary from the documentary.


title: Kansas (band)

text: On September 1, 2015 a press release announced that Kansas had signed with Inside Out Music, a German label dedicated to progressive rock and related genres, for the release of their upcoming 15th studio album. The release of this album marked the longest period to date between studio releases since the previous album, "Somewhere to Elsewhere", had been released over 15 years prior, in 2000. On February 26, 2016 the group officially announced "The Prelude Implicit" for a September 2016 release. The album's co-producer and co-writer, Zak Rizvi, was subsequently named as a full member of the band, giving Kansas a second full-time guitarist for the first time since Steve Morse's departure in 1991.


title: Kansas (band)

text: On September 30, 2016 the current lineup kicked off a multi-city tour at the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh, in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the release of "Leftoverture", which was done again in the spring of 2017 with a twelve show 40th anniversary tour, that, like the fall jaunt, included performances of newer tracks, older songs and a complete rendering of the full "Leftoverture" album. A two CD set, "Leftoverture Live & Beyond", was released in November 2017 that contained nineteen songs culled from different shows during the tour and the band's 2017 fall dates also included further 40th anniversary shows.


title: Kansas (band)

text: In 2018 the group decided to celebrate the 40th anniversary of "Point of Know Return" by playing that album in its entirety at the shows on a tour, set to begin in September.


title: Kansas (band)

text: After the conclusion of the fall tour dates, keyboardist David Manion departed the band and in December Tom Brislin (who had played with Yes, Meat Loaf, Debbie Harry, Renaissance, Camel, Dennis DeYoung and others) was announced as the new keyboardist, with the second leg of the "Point" 40th anniversary tour slated to resume in March 2019.


title: Kansas (band)

text: On June 25, 2019 "The New York Times Magazine" listed Kansas among hundreds of artists whose material was destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.


title: Kansas (band)

text: In December 2019 the band played the entire "Leftoverture" and "Point of Know Return" albums in a special performance at the Beacon Theater in New York City.


title: Kansas (band)

text: On March 20, 2020, the band announced the upcoming release of a new studio album, "The Absence of Presence". Due to manufacturing delays, the album was released on July 17, 2020. It has been promoted by the release of videos for three songs: "Throwing Mountains", "Memories Down the Line" and "Jets Overhead". Recording for the album took place simultaneously during the band's 2019 touring schedule.


title: Kansas (band)

text: To promote the album, an autumn 2020 tour of Europe was scheduled, but following the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the tour has been postponed to 2022.


title: Kansas (band)

text: On May 28, 2021, the group released "Point of Know Return: Live and Beyond", with performances taken from various dates on the 2019 to early 2020 legs of the "Point of Know Return" 40th Anniversary Tour.


title: Kansas (band)

text: Former violin player and vocalist Robby Steinhardt died from pancreatitis on July 17, 2021, at the age of 71.


title: Kansas (band)

text: On December 9, 2022, the 3 disc compilation "Another Fork In The Road - 50 Years Of Kansas" was released to commemorate the band's 50th anniversary in 2023. Included on it are various tracks from all 16 Kansas studio albums, however, tracks from "Power" and "In The Spirit Of Things" are omitted on disc 2 of the North American version. Also featured is a new 2022 recording of "Can I Tell You", a track originally from Kansas' debut album.


title: Kansas (band)

text: Kansas's musical style, a fusion of hard rock, southern rock, and progressive rock, was influenced by several bands. The music of Yes and Genesis was inspirational to Kansas, especially demonstrated in the lyrics of Walsh. Livgren cited the 1960s band Touch as foundational to his development. Livgren's evolving spirituality is reflected in the band's songs, with early works showing an interest in the mysticism of Eastern religions, works in the late 1970s influenced by the American spiritual philosophy of "The Urantia Book", followed in the early 1980s by works embracing born-again Christianity. The re-formed band produced a harder pop metal album in the late 1980s.


title: Kansas (band)

text: In a 2003 interview with "The A.V. Club", Berkeley Breathed, the creator of the "Opus" comic strip, revealed that "Opus was named after a Kansas song." From the band's 1976 album "Leftoverture", the songs "Opus Insert" and the epic "Magnum Opus" could both be the inspiration for the name. He also added, "If you're too young to know who Kansas was, to hell with you."


title: Kansas (band)

text: "Carry On Wayward Son" has been covered by many artists. It was included on soundtracks for the following movies and television shows: "", "Family Guy", "Gentlemen Broncos", "Happy Gilmore", "Heroes" (1977)*, "Scrubs", "South Park" ("Guitar Queer-o" episode), "King of the Hill" ("My Own Private Rodeo") and "Strangers with Candy" ("Yes You Can't"). It was also featured in the video games "Grand Theft Auto V", "Guitar Hero II", "Guitar Hero Smash Hits", "Rock Band 2", and "Rock Band Unplugged".


title: Kansas (band)

text: The song is frequently played throughout the show "Supernatural" and also appears in "Supernatural: The Anime Series" (as the ending for each episode). It is often hailed as the show's unofficial theme song.


title: Kansas (band)

text: "Carry On Wayward Son" was removed from the 1977 movie "Heroes" when it was discovered that the movie had not obtained rights to use the song. The DVD release by MCA/Universal Home used a different (unknown) song, yet the credit for "Wayward Son" remains.


title: Kansas (band)

text: "Dust in the Wind" was parodied by comedian Tim Hawkins, the parody called "A Whiff of Kansas" which is on the "Pretty Pink Tractor" album, and a video parody on the "Insanitized" live DVD. In 2016, the music video for the song was parodied on "The Late Late Show with James Corden". In the 2003 movie "Old School", the song was sung by Frank "The Tank" Ricard, played by Will Ferrell, at the funeral for Joseph "Blue" Pulaski, a fraternity brother, played by Joseph Patrick Cranshaw, and as such, the song appears on the movie's soundtrack. In the 1989 movie "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure", Ted, played by Keanu Reeves, quotes the song lyric "All we are is dust in the wind, dude" to philosophize with Socrates.


title: Propylene glycol

text: Propylene glycol (IUPAC name: propane-1,2-diol) is a viscous, colorless liquid, which is nearly odorless but possesses a faintly sweet taste. Its chemical formula is CHCH(OH)CHOH.


title: Propylene glycol

text: Containing two alcohol groups, it is classed as a diol. It is miscible with a broad range of solvents, including water, acetone, and chloroform. In general, glycols are non-irritating and have very low volatility.


title: Propylene glycol

text: It is produced on a large scale primarily for the production of polymers. In the European Union, it has E-number E1520 for food applications. For cosmetics and pharmacology, the number is E490. Propylene glycol is also present in propylene glycol alginate, which is known as E405. Propylene glycol is a compound which is GRAS (generally recognized as safe) by the US Food and Drug Administration under 21 CFR x184.1666, and is also approved by the FDA for certain uses as an indirect food additive. Propylene glycol is approved and used as a vehicle for topical, oral, and some intravenous pharmaceutical preparations in the U.S. and in Europe.


title: Propylene glycol

text: The compound is sometimes called (alpha) α-propylene glycol to distinguish it from the isomer propane-1,3-diol, known as (beta) β-propylene glycol. Propylene glycol is chiral. Commercial processes typically use the racemate. The S-isomer is produced by biotechnological routes.


title: Propylene glycol

text: Industrially, propylene glycol is mainly produced from propylene oxide (for food-grade use). According to a 2018 source, 2.16 M tonnes are produced annually. Manufacturers use either non-catalytic high-temperature process at to , or a catalytic method, which proceeds at to in the presence of ion exchange resin or a small amount of sulfuric acid or alkali.


title: Propylene glycol

text: Final products contain 20% propylene glycol, 1.5% of dipropylene glycol, and small amounts of other polypropylene glycols. Further purification produces finished industrial grade or USP/JP/EP/BP grade propylene glycol that is typically 99.5% or greater. Use of USP (US Pharmacopoeia) propylene glycol can reduce the risk of Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) rejection.


title: Propylene glycol

text: Propylene glycol can also be obtained from glycerol, a byproduct from the production of biodiesel. This starting material is usually reserved for industrial use because of the noticeable odor and taste that accompanies the final product.


title: Propylene glycol

text: "S-"Propanediol is synthesized via fermentation methods. Lactic acid and lactaldehyde are common intermediates. Dihydroxyacetone phosphate, one of the two products of breakdown (glycolysis) of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, is a precursor to methylglyoxal. This conversion is the basis of a potential biotechnological route to the commodity chemical 1,2-propanediol. Three-carbon deoxysugars are also precursor to the 1,2-diol.


title: Propylene glycol

text: Forty-five percent of propylene glycol produced is used as a chemical feedstock for the production of unsaturated polyester resins. In this regard, propylene glycol reacts with a mixture of unsaturated maleic anhydride and isophthalic acid to give a copolymer. This partially unsaturated polymer undergoes further crosslinking to yield thermoset plastics. Related to this application, propylene glycol reacts with propylene oxide to give oligomers and polymers that are used to produce polyurethanes. Propylene glycol is used in water-based acrylic architectural paints to extend dry time which it accomplishes by preventing the surface from drying due to its slower evaporation rate compared to water.


title: Propylene glycol

text: Propylene glycol is also used in various edible items such as coffee-based drinks, liquid sweeteners, ice cream, whipped dairy products and soda. Vaporizers used for delivery of pharmaceuticals or personal-care products often include propylene glycol among the ingredients. In alcohol-based hand sanitizers, it is used as a humectant to prevent the skin from drying. Propylene glycol is used as a solvent in many pharmaceuticals, including oral, injectable, and topical formulations. Many pharmaceutical drugs which are insoluble in water utilize propylene glycol as a solvent and carrier; benzodiazepine tablets are one example. Propylene glycol is also used as a solvent and carrier for many pharmaceutical capsule preparations. Additionally, certain formulations of artificial tears use propylene glycol as an ingredient.


title: Propylene glycol

text: The freezing point of water is depressed when mixed with propylene glycol. It is used as aircraft de-icing and anti-icing fluid. A 50% water-diluted and heated solution is used for removal of icing accretions from the fuselages of commercial aircraft on the ground (de-icing), and 100% undiluted cold solution is used only on wings and tail surfaces of an aircraft in order to prevent ice accretion from forming during a specific period of time before takeoff (anti-icing). Normally, such time-frame is limited to 15–90 minutes, depending on the severity of snowfall and outside air temperature. Water-propylene glycol mixtures dyed pink to indicate the mixture is relatively nontoxic are sold under the name of RV or marine antifreeze. Propylene glycol is frequently used as a substitute for ethylene glycol in low toxicity, environmentally friendly automotive antifreeze. It is also used to winterize the plumbing systems in vacant structures. The eutectic composition/temperature is 60:40 propylene glycol:water/−60 °C. The −50 °F/−45 °C commercial product is, however, water rich; a typical formulation is 40:60.


title: Propylene glycol

text: Propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, or a mixture of both, are the main ingredients in e-liquid used in electronic cigarettes. They are aerosolized to resemble smoke and serve as carriers for substances such as nicotine and flavorants.


title: Propylene glycol

text: When used in average quantities, propylene glycol has no measurable effect on development and/or reproduction on animals and probably does not adversely affect human development or reproduction. The safety of electronic cigarettes—which utilize propylene glycol-based preparations of nicotine or THC and other cannabinoids—is the subject of much controversy. Vitamin E acetate has also been identified in this controversy.


title: Propylene glycol

text: The acute oral toxicity of propylene glycol is very low, and large quantities are required to cause perceptible health effects in humans; in fact, the toxicity of propylene glycol is one third of ethanol's. Propylene glycol is metabolized in the human body into pyruvic acid (a normal part of the glucose-metabolism process, readily converted to energy), acetic acid (handled by ethanol-metabolism), lactic acid (a normal acid generally abundant during digestion), and propionaldehyde (a potentially hazardous substance). According to the Dow Chemical Company, The LD (Lethal Dose that kills 50% of the test population) for rats is 20 g/kg (oral/rat).


title: Propylene glycol

text: Toxicity generally occurs at plasma concentrations over 4 g/L, which requires extremely high intake over a relatively short period of time, or when used as a vehicle for drugs or vitamins given intravenously or orally in large bolus doses. It would be nearly impossible to reach toxic levels by consuming foods or supplements, which contain at most 1 g/kg of PG, except for alcoholic beverages in the US which are allowed 5 percent = 50 g/kg. Cases of propylene glycol poisoning are usually related to either inappropriate intravenous administration or accidental ingestion of large quantities by children.


title: Propylene glycol

text: The potential for long-term oral toxicity is also low. In an NTP continuous breeding study, no effects on fertility were observed in male or female mice that received propylene glycol in drinking water at doses up to 10100 mg/kg bw/day. No effects on fertility were seen in either the first or second generation of treated mice. In a 2-year study, 12 rats were provided with feed containing as much as 5% propylene glycol, and showed no apparent ill effects. Because of its low chronic oral toxicity, propylene glycol was classified by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration as "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) for use as a direct food additive, including frozen foods such as ice cream and frozen desserts. The GRAS designation is specific to its use in food, and does not apply to other uses.


title: Propylene glycol

text: Propylene glycol may be non-irritating to the skin, see section Allergic Reaction below for details on allergic reactions. Undiluted propylene glycol is minimally irritating to the eye, producing slight transient conjunctivitis; the eye recovers after the exposure is removed. A 2018 human volunteer study found that 10 male and female subjects undergoing 4 hours exposures to concentrations of up to 442 mg/m3 and 30 minutes exposures to concentrations of up to 871 mg/m3 in combination with moderate exercise did not show pulmonary function deficits, or signs of ocular irritation, with only slight symptoms of respiratory irritation reported. Inhalation of propylene glycol vapors appears to present no significant hazard in ordinary applications. Due to the lack of chronic inhalation data, it is recommended that propylene glycol not be used in inhalation applications such as theatrical productions, or antifreeze solutions for emergency eye wash stations. Recently, propylene glycol (commonly alongside glycerol) has been included as a carrier for nicotine and other additives in e-cigarette liquids, the use of which presents a novel form of exposure. The potential hazards of chronic inhalation of propylene glycol or the latter substance as a whole are as-yet unknown.


title: Propylene glycol

text: According to a 2010 study, the concentrations of PGEs (counted as the sum of propylene glycol and glycol ethers) in indoor air, particularly bedroom air, has been linked to increased risk of developing numerous respiratory and immune disorders in children, including asthma, hay fever, eczema, and allergies, with increased risk ranging from 50% to 180%. This concentration has been linked to use of water-based paints and water-based system cleansers. However, the study authors write that glycol ethers and not propylene glycol are the likely culprit.


title: Propylene glycol

text: Propylene glycol has not caused sensitization or carcinogenicity in laboratory animal studies, nor has it demonstrated genotoxic potential.


title: Propylene glycol

text: Studies with intravenously administered propylene glycol have resulted in LD values in rats and rabbits of 7 mL/kg BW. Ruddick (1972) also summarized intramuscular LD data for rat as 13-20 mL/kg BW, and 6 mL/kg BW for the rabbit. Adverse effects to intravenous administration of drugs that use propylene glycol as an excipient have been seen in a number of people, particularly with large bolus dosages. Responses may include CNS depression, "hypotension, bradycardia, QRS and T abnormalities on the ECG, arrhythmia, cardiac arrhythmias, seizures, agitation, serum hyperosmolality, lactic acidosis, and haemolysis". A high percentage (12% to 42%) of directly-injected propylene glycol is eliminated or secreted in urine unaltered depending on dosage, with the remainder appearing in its glucuronide-form. The speed of renal filtration decreases as dosage increases, which may be due to propylene glycol's mild anesthetic / CNS-depressant -properties as an alcohol. In one case, intravenous administration of propylene glycol-suspended nitroglycerin to an elderly man may have induced coma and acidosis. However, no confirmed lethality from propylene glycol was reported.


title: Propylene glycol

text: Propylene glycol is an approved food additive for dog and sugar glider food under the category of animal feed and is generally recognized as safe for dogs, with an LD of 9 mL/kg. The LD is higher for most laboratory animals (20 mL/kg). However, it is prohibited for use in food for cats due to links to Heinz body formation and a reduced lifespan of red blood cells. Heinz body formation from MPG has not been observed in dogs, cattle, or humans.


title: Propylene glycol

text: PG has been used in the dairy industry since the 1950s for cows showing signs of ketosis. The negative energy balance during the early stages of lactation can cause the animal's body to have lower glucose levels, inducing the liver to make up for this by the conversion of body fat, leading to several health conditions, e.g. displaced abomasum. PG "reduces the propionate ratio of acetate to acetaminophen, while increasing conversion of ruminal PG to propionate, and aid[s] in the closure of energy deficit in cattle."


title: Propylene glycol

text: Estimates on the prevalence of propylene glycol allergy range from 0.8% (10% propylene glycol in aqueous solution) to 3.5% (30% propylene glycol in aqueous solution). The North American Contact Dermatitis Group (NACDG) data from 1996 to 2006 showed that the most common site for propylene glycol contact dermatitis was the face (25.9%), followed by a generalized or scattered pattern (23.7%). Investigators believe that the incidence of allergic contact dermatitis to propylene glycol may be greater than 2% in patients with eczema or fungal infections, which are very common in countries with lesser sun exposure and lower-than-normal vitamin D balances. Therefore, propylene glycol allergy is more common in those countries.


title: Propylene glycol

text: Because of its potential for allergic reactions and frequent use across a variety of topical and systemic products, propylene glycol was named the American Contact Dermatitis Society's Allergen of the Year for 2018. Recent publication from The Mayo Clinic reported 0.85% incidence of positive patch tests to propylene glycol (100/11,738 patients) with an overall irritant rate of 0.35% (41/11,738 patients) during a 20-year period of 1997–2016. 87% of the reactions were classified as weak and 9% as strong. The positive reaction rates were 0%, 0.26%, and 1.86% for 5%, 10%, and 20% propylene glycol respectively, increasing with each concentration increase. The irritant reaction rates were 0.95%, 0.24%, and 0.5% for 5%, 10%, and 20% propylene glycol, respectively. Propylene glycol skin sensitization occurred in patients sensitive to a number of other concomitant positive allergens, most common of which were: Myroxylon pereirae resin, benzalkonium chloride, carba mix, potassium dichromate, neomycin sulfate; for positive propylene glycol reactions, the overall median of 5 and mean of 5.6 concomitant positive allergens was reported.


title: Propylene glycol

text: Propylene glycol occurs naturally, probably as the result of anaerobic catabolism of sugars in the human gut. It is degraded by vitamin B12-dependent enzymes, which convert it to propionaldehyde.


title: Propylene glycol

text: Propylene glycol is expected to degrade rapidly in water from biological processes, but is not expected to be significantly influenced by hydrolysis, oxidation, volatilization, bioconcentration, or adsorption to sediment. Propylene glycol is readily biodegradable under aerobic conditions in freshwater, in seawater and in soil. Therefore, propylene glycol is considered as not persistent in the environment.


title: Propylene glycol

text: Propylene glycol exhibits a low degree of toxicity toward aquatic organisms. Several guideline studies available for freshwater fish with the lowest observed effect concentration of 96-h LC50 value of 40,613 mg/L in a study with "Oncorhynchus mykiss". Similarly, the effect concentration determined in marine fish is a 96-h LC50 of >10,000 mg/L in "Scophthalmus maximus".


title: Propylene glycol

text: Although propylene glycol has low toxicity, it exerts high levels of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) during degradation in surface waters. This process can adversely affect aquatic life by consuming oxygen needed by aquatic organisms for survival. Large quantities of dissolved oxygen (DO) in the water column are consumed when microbial populations decompose propylene glycol.


title: John Larroquette

text: John Bernard Larroquette (born November 25, 1947) is an American actor. He is known for his starring roles in the NBC military drama series "Baa Baa Black Sheep" (1976–1978), the NBC sitcom "Night Court" (1984–1992; for which he received four consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series), the NBC sitcom "The John Larroquette Show" (1993–1996), the David E. Kelley legal drama series "The Practice" (1997-2002), the ABC legal comedy-drama series "Boston Legal" (2004–2008), and the TNT series "The Librarians" (2014–2018).


title: John Larroquette

text: In 2011, he made his Broadway debut in the musical revival of Frank Loesser's "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" alongside Daniel Radcliffe. He played J.B. Bigley in a role for which he received a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, and a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical. The following year he starred as William Russell in the Broadway revival of Gore Vidal's "The Best Man" (2012) directed by Mike Nichols starring James Earl Jones, Candice Bergen, and Angela Lansbury.


title: John Larroquette

text: He made his film debut by providing the opening narration of the horror film "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" (1974), following which he appeared in films such as "Stripes" (1981), "Meatballs Part II" (1984), "Richie Rich" (1994), and the Hallmark Channel mystery series "McBride" (2005–2008).


title: John Larroquette

text: Larroquette was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, the son of Berthalla Oramous (née Helmstetter), a department store clerk who mostly sold children's clothes, and John Edgar Larroquette Jr., who was in the United States Navy. His paternal grandfather, John Larroquette Sr., was born in France and emigrated to the United States in 1895.


title: John Larroquette

text: Larroquette grew up in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans, near the French Quarter. He played clarinet and saxophone through childhood and into high school, where he and some friends organized a band they called The N.U.D.L.E.S (The New Universal Demonstration for Love, Ecstasy and Sound). He discovered acting in his senior year at Francis T. Nicholls High School.


title: John Larroquette

text: He moved to Hollywood in 1973 after working in radio as a DJ during the early days of 'underground' radio, when each disc jockey was free to play what they wished.


title: John Larroquette

text: His first acting role in Hollywood was providing the opening voiceover narration for "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" (1974). Larroquette did this as a favor for the film's director Tobe Hooper. His first series regular role was in the 1970s NBC program "Baa Baa Black Sheep", where he portrayed a World War II United States Marine Corps fighter pilot, 2nd Lt. Bob Anderson.


title: John Larroquette

text: In a 1975 appearance on "Sanford and Son", Larroquette plays Lamont's counterpart in a fictitious sitcom based on Fred and Lamont called "Steinberg and Son". During the filming of "Stripes" (1981), his nose was nearly cut off in an accident. He ran down a hall into a door that was supposed to open but did not, and his head went through the window in the door.


title: John Larroquette

text: Larroquette played Dan Fielding on "Night Court"; the character was initially rather conservative, but changed after the sitcom's creator Reinhold Weege came to learn more about Larroquette's sense of humor. The role won him Emmy Awards in 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988. In 1989, he asked not to be considered for an Emmy Award. His four consecutive wins were, at the time, a record.


title: John Larroquette

text: "Night Court" ran on NBC from 1984 until 1992. Larroquette, Harry Anderson (as Judge Harry Stone), and Richard Moll (as bailiff Bull Shannon) appeared in every episode of the series. There was talk of spinning Dan Fielding off into his own show, but Larroquette said no to the idea. Rather, Larroquette ended up on the 2023 series continuation as the only regular character from the original in the revival.


title: John Larroquette

text: Instead of a spinoff, Larroquette and Don Reo developed a show revolving around some of Larroquette's own personal demons, particularly alcoholism. "The John Larroquette Show", named by the insistence of NBC, starred Larroquette as the character John Hemingway. The show was lauded by critics, but failed to attract the prime-time audience, ranking around #97 for most of the first season. NBC threatened cancellation; however, Larroquette and Reo were granted the chance to retool the series, which saw it carry on for just over two more seasons. The show has a loyal cult following, although the series has never received an official home video release from Warner Bros.


title: John Larroquette

text: In 1998, he guest-starred on three episodes of the legal drama "The Practice". His portrayal of Joey Heric, a wealthy, wisecracking, narcissistic psychopath with a habit of stabbing his gay lovers to death, won him his fifth Emmy Award. He reprised the role for one episode in 2002, for which he was once again Emmy Award–nominated. He also appeared in an episode of "The West Wing" as Lionel Tribbey, White House Counsel.


title: John Larroquette

text: In 2003, Larroquette reprised his narration for the remake of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre". From 2004 to 2006, he played the title role in the "McBride" series of 10 "Hallmark Mysteries" television films. In 2007, he joined the cast of "Boston Legal" playing Carl Sack, a serious, ethical lawyer (the polar opposite of his more famous lawyer character, Dan Fielding). He also guest-starred in the drama "House" where he played a previously catatonic father awakened to try to save his son, and on "Chuck" as veteran spy Roan Montgomery.


title: John Larroquette

text: He had voice roles in "Phineas and Ferb" as Bob Weber, as a lifeguard, and as a man about to marry the boys' aunt, Tiana Weber.


title: John Larroquette

text: From 2014 to 2018, Larroquette was a regular on "The Librarians" as Jenkins (actually the long-lived Camelot knight Sir Galahad), who provides support to the Librarians as a researcher and caretaker.


title: John Larroquette

text: In 2019, he appeared in a recurring role in the series "Blood & Treasure", as Jacob "Jay" Reece, a billionaire and father figure to main character Danny.


title: John Larroquette

text: His starring roles include the 1989 film "Second Sight" with Bronson Pinchot, and "Madhouse" with Kirstie Alley. Other films in which Larroquette had significant roles include: "Blind Date", "Stripes", "Meatballs Part II", "Summer Rental", "", "JFK" and "Richie Rich". He also starred in "Demon Knight" at the beginning, as a hackman; he received no credit.


title: John Larroquette

text: Larroquette made his musical stage debut in the Los Angeles production of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" as Old Max in 2009. He made his Broadway debut in the 2011 revival of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" as J B. Biggley alongside Daniel Radcliffe. He won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance in the show.


title: John Larroquette

text: He also appeared on Broadway in a revival of Gore Vidal's "The Best Man," the cast of which also included James Earl Jones, Angela Lansbury, Candice Bergen, Mark Blum, Eric McCormack, Jefferson Mays, and Michael McKean, who needed to be replaced after suffering a car accident during the run of the show.


title: John Larroquette

text: In early 2019, he was back in New York City starring in the play "Nantucket Sleigh Ride" by John Guare, at the Lincoln Center Theatre. In this off-beat play, Larroquette portrayed the lead character, Edmund "Mundie" Gowery, for a three-month run.


title: John Larroquette

text: Larroquette met his wife Elizabeth Ann Cookson in 1974 while working in the play "Enter Laughing". They were married July 4, 1975, as that was the only day they had off from rehearsals. They have three children. One of their sons co-hosts a comedy podcast called "Uhh Yeah Dude".


title: John Larroquette

text: Larroquette battled alcoholism from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s. On "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on March 10, 2007, he joked, "I was known to have a cocktail or 60." He stopped drinking on February 6, 1982.


title: Economy of Germany

text: The economy of Germany is a highly developed social market economy. It has the largest national economy in Europe, the fourth-largest by nominal GDP in the world, and fifth by GDP (PPP). In 2017, the country accounted for 28% of the euro area economy according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Germany is a founding member of the European Union and the Eurozone.


title: Economy of Germany

text: In 2016, Germany recorded the highest trade surplus in the world, worth $310 billion. This economic result made it the biggest capital exporter globally. Germany is one of the largest exporters globally with $1810.93 billion worth of goods and services exported in 2019. The service sector contributes around 70% of the total GDP, industry 29.1%, and agriculture 0.9%. Exports accounted for 41% of national output. The top 10 exports of Germany are vehicles, machinery, chemical goods, electronic products, electrical equipment, pharmaceuticals, transport equipment, basic metals, food products, and rubber and plastics. The economy of Germany is the largest manufacturing economy in Europe, and it is less likely to be affected by a financial downturn. Germany conducts applied research with practical industrial value and sees itself as a bridge between the latest university insights and industry-specific product and process improvements. It generates a great deal of knowledge in its own laboratories.


title: Economy of Germany

text: Germany is rich in timber, lignite, potash and salt. Some minor sources of natural gas are being exploited in the state of Lower Saxony. Until the German reunification, the German Democratic Republic mined for uranium in the Ore Mountains (see also: SAG/SDAG Wismut). Energy in Germany is sourced predominantly by fossil fuels (30%), with wind power in second place, then nuclear power, gas, solar, biomass (wood and biofuels) and hydro. Germany is the first major industrialized nation to commit to the renewable energy transition called Energiewende. Germany is the leading producer of wind turbines in the world. Renewables produced 46% of electricity consumed in Germany (as of 2019).


title: Economy of Germany

text: 99 percent of all German companies belong to the German "Mittelstand", small and medium-sized enterprises, which are mostly family-owned. Of the world's 2000 largest publicly listed companies measured by revenue, the Fortune Global 2000, 53 are headquartered in Germany, with the Top 10 being Allianz, Daimler, Volkswagen, Siemens, BMW, Deutsche Telekom, Bayer, BASF, Munich Re and SAP.


title: Economy of Germany

text: Germany is the world's top location for trade fairs. Around two thirds of the world's leading trade fairs take place in Germany. The largest annual international trade fairs and congresses are held in several German cities such as Hanover, Frankfurt, Cologne, Leipzig and Düsseldorf.


title: Economy of Germany

text: The Industrial Revolution in Germany got underway approximately a century later than in the United Kingdom, France, and Belgium, partly because Germany only became a unified country in 1871.The establishment of the Deutscher Zollverein (German Customs Union) in 1834 and the expansion of railway systems were the main drivers of Germany's industrial development and political union. From 1834, tariff barriers between increasing numbers of the Kleindeutschland German states were eliminated. In 1835 the first German railway linked the Franconian cities of Nuremberg and Fürth – it proved so successful that the decade of the 1840s saw "railway mania" in all the German states. Between 1845 and 1870, of rail had been built and in 1850 Germany was building its own locomotives. Over time, other German states joined the customs union and started linking their railroads, which began to connect the corners of Germany. The growth of free trade and a rail system across Germany intensified economic development which opened up new markets for local products, created a pool of middle managers, increased the demand for engineers, architects, and skilled machinists, and stimulated investments in coal and iron.


title: Economy of Germany

text: Another factor that propelled German industry forward was the unification of the monetary system, made possible in part by political unification. The Deutsche Mark, a new monetary coinage system backed by gold, was introduced in 1871. However, this system did not fully come into use as silver coins retained their value until 1907.


title: Economy of Germany

text: The victory of Prussia and her allies over Napoleon III of France in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871 marked the end of French hegemony in Europe and resulted in the proclamation of the German Empire in 1871. The establishment of the empire inherently presented Europe with the reality of a new populous and industrializing polity possessing a considerable, and undeniably increasing, economic and diplomatic presence. The influence of French economic principles produced important institutional reforms in Germany, including the abolition of feudal restrictions on the sale of large landed estates, the reduction of the power of the guilds in the cities, and the introduction of a new, more efficient commercial law. Nonetheless, political decisions about the economy of the empire were still largely controlled by a coalition of "rye and iron", that is the Prussian Junker landowners of the east and the Ruhr heavy industry of the west.


title: Economy of Germany

text: Regarding politics and society, between 1881 and 1889 Chancellor Otto von Bismarck promoted laws that provided social insurance and improved working conditions. He instituted the world's first welfare state. Germany was the first to introduce social insurance programs including universal healthcare, compulsory education, sickness insurance, accident insurance, disability insurance, and a retirement pension. Moreover, the government's universal education policy bore fruit with Germany achieving the highest literacy rate in the world – 99% – education levels that provided the nation with more people good at handling numbers, more engineers, chemists, opticians, skilled workers for its factories, skilled managers, knowledgeable farmers, and skilled military personnel.


title: Economy of Germany

text: By 1900 Germany surpassed Britain and the United States in steel production. The German economic miracle was also intensified by unprecedented population growth from 35 million in 1850 to 67 million in 1913. From 1895 to 1907, the number of workers engaged in machine building doubled from half a million to well over a million. Only 40 percent of Germans lived in rural areas by 1910, a drop from 67% at the birth of the Empire. Industry accounted for 60 percent of the gross national product in 1913. The German chemical industry became the most advanced in the world, and by 1914 the country was producing half the world's electrical equipment.


title: Economy of Germany

text: The rapid advance to industrial maturity led to a drastic shift in Germany's economic situation – from a rural economy into a major exporter of finished goods. The ratio of the finished product to total exports jumped from 38% in 1872 to 63% in 1912. By 1913 Germany had come to dominate all the European markets. By 1914 Germany had become one of the biggest exporters in the world.


title: Economy of Germany

text: The Nazis rose to power while unemployment was very high, but achieved full employment later thanks to massive public works programs such as the Reichsbahn, Reichspost and the Reichsautobahn projects. In 1935 rearmament in contravention of the Treaty of Versailles added to the economy.


title: Economy of Germany

text: The post-1931 financial crisis economic policies of expansionary fiscal policies (as Germany was off the gold standard) was advised by their non-Nazi Minister of Economics, Hjalmar Schacht, who in 1933 became the president of the central bank. Hjalmar Schacht later abdicated from the post in 1938 and was replaced by Hermann Göring.


title: Economy of Germany

text: The trading policies of the Third Reich aimed at self-sufficiency but with a lack of raw materials Germany would have to maintain trade links but on bilateral preferences, foreign exchange controls, import quotas, and export subsidies under what was called the "New Plan"(Neuer Plan) of 19 September 1934. The "New Plan" was based on trade with less developed countries who would trade raw materials for German industrial goods saving currency. Southern Europe was preferable to Western Europe and North America as there could be no trade blockades. This policy became known as the Grosswirtschaftsraum ("greater economic area") policy.


title: Economy of Germany

text: Eventually, the Nazi party developed strong relationships with big business and abolished trade unions in 1933 in order to form the Reich Labor Service (RAD), German Labor Front (DAF) to set working hours, Beauty of Labour (SDA) which set working conditions and Strength through Joy (KDF) to ensure sports clubs for workers.


title: Economy of Germany

text: Beginning with the replacement of the Reichsmark with the Deutsche Mark as legal tender, a lasting period of low inflation and rapid industrial growth was overseen by the government led by German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and his minister of economics, Ludwig Erhard, raising West Germany from total wartime devastation to one of the most developed nations in modern Europe.


title: Economy of Germany

text: In 1953 it was decided that Germany was to repay $1.1 billion of the aid it had received. The last repayment was made in June 1971.


title: Economy of Germany

text: Apart from these factors, hard work and long hours at full capacity among the population in the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s and extra labor supplied by thousands of Gastarbeiter ("guest workers") provided a vital base for the economic upturn.


title: Economy of Germany

text: By the early 1950s, the Soviet Union had seized reparations in the form of agricultural and industrial products and demanded further heavy reparation payments. Silesia with the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, and Stettin, a prominent natural port, were lost to Poland.


title: Economy of Germany

text: Exports from West Germany exceeded $323 billion in 1988. In the same year, East Germany exported $30.7 billion worth of goods; 65% to other communist states. East Germany had zero unemployment.


title: Economy of Germany

text: The German economy practically stagnated in the beginning of the 2000s. The worst growth figures were achieved in 2002 (+1.4%), in 2003 (+1.0%) and in 2005 (+1.4%). Unemployment was also chronically high. Due to these problems, together with Germany's aging population, the welfare system came under considerable strain. This led the government to push through a wide-ranging program of belt-tightening reforms, Agenda 2010, including the labor market reforms known as Hartz I - IV.


title: Economy of Germany

text: In the later part of the first decade of 2000, the world economy experienced high growth, from which Germany as a leading exporter also profited. Some credit the Hartz reforms with achieving high growth and declining unemployment but others contend that they resulted in a massive decrease in standards of living and that its effects are limited and temporary.


title: Economy of Germany

text: The nominal GDP of Germany contracted in the second and third quarters of 2008, putting the country in a technical recession following a global and European recession cycle. German industrial output dropped to 3.6% in September vis-à-vis August. In January 2009 the German government under Angela Merkel approved a €50 billion ($70 billion) economic stimulus plan to protect several sectors from a downturn and a subsequent rise in unemployment rates. Germany exited the recession in the second and third quarters of 2009, mostly due to rebounding manufacturing orders and exports - primarily from outside the Euro Zone - and relatively steady consumer demand.


title: Economy of Germany

text: Germany is a founding member of the EU, the G8 and the G20, and was the world's largest exporter from 2003 to 2008. In 2011 it remained the third largest exporter and third largest importer. Most of the country's exports are in engineering, especially machinery, automobiles, chemical goods and metals. Germany is a leading producer of wind turbines and solar-power technology. Annual trade fairs and congresses are held in cities throughout Germany.


title: Economy of Germany

text: 2011 was a record-breaking year for the German economy. German companies exported goods worth over €1 trillion ($1.3 trillion), the highest figure in history. The number of people in work has risen to 41.6 million, the highest recorded figure.


title: Economy of Germany

text: The following table shows the main economic indicators in 1980–2021 (with IMF staff estimates in 2022–2027). Inflation below 5% is in green.


title: Economy of Germany

text: Of the world's 500 largest stock-market-listed companies measured by revenue in 2010, the Fortune Global 500, 37 are headquartered in Germany. 30 Germany-based companies are included in the DAX, the most popular German stock market index. Well-known global brands are Mercedes-Benz, BMW, SAP, Siemens, Volkswagen, Adidas, Audi, Allianz, Porsche, Bayer, BASF, Bosch, and Nivea.


title: Economy of Germany

text: Germany is recognised for its specialised small and medium enterprises, known as the Mittelstand model. SMEs account for more than 99 per cent of German companies. Around 1,000 of these companies are global market leaders in their segment and are labelled hidden champions.


title: Economy of Germany

text: From 1991 to 2010, 40,301 mergers and acquisitions with an involvement of German firms with a total known value of 2,422 bil. EUR have been announced. The largest transactions since 1991 are: the acquisition of Mannesmann by Vodafone for 204.8 bil. EUR in 1999, the merger of Daimler-Benz with Chrysler to form DaimlerChrysler in 1998 valued at 36.3 bil. EUR.


title: Economy of Germany

text: Berlin (Economy of Berlin) developed an international Startup ecosystem and became a leading location for venture capital funded firms in the European Union.


title: Economy of Germany

text: Since the German reunification, there have been 52,258 mergers or acquisitions deals inbound or outbound in Germany. The most active year in terms of value was 1999 with a cumulated value of 48. bil. EUR, twice as much as the runner up which was 2006 with 24. bil. EUR (see graphic "M&A in Germany").


title: Economy of Germany

text: Here is a list of the top 10 deals (ranked by value) that include a German company. The Vodafone - Mannesmann deal is still the biggest deal in global history.


title: Economy of Germany

text: Germany as a federation is a polycentric country and does not have a single economic center. The stock exchange is located in Frankfurt am Main, the largest Media company (Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA) is headquartered in Gütersloh; the largest car manufacturers are in Wolfsburg (Volkswagen), Stuttgart (Mercedes-Benz and Porsche), and Munich (Audi and BMW).


title: Economy of Germany

text: Germany is an advocate of closer European economic and political integration. Its commercial policies are increasingly determined by agreements among European Union (EU) members and EU single market legislation. Germany introduced the common European currency, the euro on 1 January 1999. Its monetary policy is set by the European Central Bank in Frankfurt.


title: Economy of Germany

text: The southern states ("Bundesländer"), especially Bayern, Baden-Württemberg, and Hessen, are economically stronger than the northern states. One of Germany's traditionally strongest (and at the same time oldest) economic regions is the Ruhr area in the west, between Duisburg and Dortmund. 27 of the country's 100 largest companies are located there. In recent years, however, the area, whose economy is based on natural resources and heavy industry, has seen a substantial rise in unemployment (2010: 8.7%).


title: Economy of Germany

text: The economy of Bayern and Baden-Württemberg, the states with the lowest number of unemployed people (2018: 2.7%, 3.1%), on the other hand, is based on high-value products. Important sectors are automobiles, electronics, aerospace, and biomedicine, among others. Baden-Württemberg is an industrial center especially for the automobile and machine-building industry and the home of brands like Mercedes-Benz (Daimler), Porsche and Bosch.


title: Economy of Germany

text: With the reunification on 3 October 1990, Germany began the major task of reconciling the economic systems of the two former republics. Interventionist economic planning ensured gradual development in eastern Germany up to the level of former West Germany, but the standard of living and annual income remains significantly higher in western German states. The modernization and integration of the eastern German economy continues to be a long-term process scheduled to last until the year 2019, with annual transfers from west to east amounting to roughly $80 billion. The overall unemployment rate has consistently fallen since 2005 and reached a 20-year low in 2012. The country in July 2014 began legislating to introduce a federally mandated minimum wage which would come into effect on 1 January 2015.


title: Economy of Germany

text: The following top 10 list of German billionaires is based on an annual assessment of wealth and assets compiled and published by "Forbes" magazine on 1 March 2016.


title: Economy of Germany

text: Wolfsburg is the city in Germany with the country's highest per capita GDP, at $128,000. The following top 10 list of German cities with the highest per capita GDP is based on a study by the Cologne Institute for Economic Research on 31 July 2013.


title: Economy of Germany

text: Germany has a social market economy characterised by a highly qualified labor force, a developed infrastructure, a large capital stock, a low level of corruption, and a high level of innovation. It has the largest national economy in Europe, the fourth largest by nominal GDP in the world, and ranked fifth by GDP (PPP) in 2015.


title: Economy of Germany

text: In 2010 agriculture, forestry, and mining accounted for only 0.9% of Germany's gross domestic product (GDP) and employed only 2.4% of the population, down from 4% in 1991. Agriculture is extremely productive, and Germany can cover 90% of its nutritional needs with domestic production. Germany is the third-largest agricultural producer in the European Union after France and Italy. Germany's principal agricultural products are potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruit, and cabbages.


title: Economy of Germany

text: Despite the country's high level of industrialization, almost one-third of its territory is covered by forest. The forestry industry provides for about two-thirds of domestic consumption of wood and wood products, so Germany is a net importer of these items.


title: Economy of Germany

text: The German soil is relatively poor in raw materials. Only lignite (brown coal) and potash salt (Kalisalz) are available in significant quantities. However, the former GDR's Wismut mining company produced a total of 230,400 tonnes of uranium between 1947 and 1990 and made East Germany the fourth-largest producer of uranium ore worldwide (largest in USSR's sphere of control) at the time. Oil, natural gas, and other resources are, for the most part, imported from other countries.


title: Economy of Germany

text: Potash salt is mined in the center of the country (Niedersachsen, Sachsen-Anhalt and Thüringen). The most important producer is K+S (formerly Kali und Salz AG).


title: Economy of Germany

text: Germany's bituminous coal deposits were created more than 300 million years ago from swamps which extended from the present-day South England, over the Ruhr area to Poland. Lignite deposits developed similarly, but during a later period, about 66 million years ago. Because the wood is not yet completely transformed into coal, brown coal contains less energy than bituminous coal.


title: Economy of Germany

text: Lignite is extracted in the extreme western and eastern parts of the country, mainly in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Sachsen and Brandenburg. Considerable amounts are burned in coal plants near the mining areas, to produce electricity. Transporting lignite over far distances is not economically feasible, therefore the plants are located practically next to the extraction sites. Bituminous coal is mined in Nordrhein-Westfalen and Saarland. Most power plants burning bituminous coal operate on imported material, therefore the plants are located not only near to the mining sites, but throughout the country.


title: Economy of Germany

text: In 2019, the country was the world's 3rd largest producer of selenium, the world's 5th largest producer of potash, the world's 5th largest producer of boron, the world's 7th largest producer of lime, the world's 13th largest producer of fluorspar, the world's 14th largest producer of feldspar, the world's 17th largest producer of graphite, the world's 18th largest producer of sulfur, in addition to being the 4th largest world producer of salt.


title: Economy of Germany

text: Industry and construction accounted for 30.7% of the gross domestic product in 2017 and employed 24.2% of the workforce. Germany excels in the production of automobiles, machinery, electrical equipment and chemicals. With the manufacture of 5.2 million vehicles in 2009, Germany was the world's fourth-largest producer and largest exporter of automobiles. German automotive companies enjoy an extremely strong position in the so-called premium segment, with a combined world market share of about 90%.


title: Economy of Germany

text: Small- to medium-sized manufacturing firms (Mittelstand companies) which specialize in technologically advanced niche products and are often family-owned form a major part of the German economy. It is estimated that about 1500 German companies occupy a top three position in their respective market segment worldwide. In about two thirds of all industry sectors German companies belong to the top three competitors.


title: Economy of Germany

text: Germany is the only country among the top five arms exporters that is not a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.


title: Economy of Germany

text: In 2017 services constituted 68.6% of gross domestic product (GDP), and the sector employed 74.3% of the workforce. The subcomponents of services are financial, renting, and business activities (30.5%); trade, hotels and restaurants, and transport (18%); and other service activities (21.7%).