title: Illinois (Sufjan Stevens album)

text: "John Wayne Gacy, Jr." documents the story of the 1970s Chicago-based serial killer of the same name. Several lyrics make explicit references to events in his life: "[w]hen the swingset hit his head" refers to an event in Gacy's childhood, when a swing hit his head and caused a blood clot in his brain; "He dressed up like a clown for them / with his face paint white and red" alludes to the nickname given to Gacy—the "Killer Clown"; and "He put a cloth on their lips / Quiet hands, quiet kiss on the mouth" references Gacy's use of chloroform to subdue and molest his victims. The song ends with the narrator turning inward with the lyrics: "And in my best behavior, I am really just like him / Look beneath the floorboards for the secrets I have hid." Stevens stated in a 2009 interview with "Paste" that "we're all capable of what [Gacy] did."


title: Illinois (Sufjan Stevens album)

text: "Casimir Pulaski Day" interweaves a personal story with the state holiday Casimir Pulaski Day. "The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts" makes references to Superman, whose fictional hometown of Metropolis was partially modeled after Chicago (the town of Metropolis, Illinois has also capitalized on this association). Jessica Hopper of the "Chicago Reader" noted that Ray Middleton—who was the first actor to play the comic book superhero—was also born in Chicago. "They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back from the Dead!! Ahhhh!" makes references to ghost towns of Illinois. Stevens relates experiences from a summer camp he went to as a child in Michigan for "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us!", but moved the locale to Illinois for the sake of the album. The track "Decatur, or, Round of Applause for Your Stepmother!" includes references to Decatur, Illinois, but Stevens stated the track also acted as "an exercise in rhyme schemes". Some references to Decatur included in the song were alligator sightings in the area, the equipment manufacturer Caterpillar, and a flood that exhumed a graveyard of soldiers from the Civil War.


title: Illinois (Sufjan Stevens album)

text: Other allusions to the state's people, places, and events include the Black Hawk War, author Carl Sandburg, Stephen A. Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, the Sangamon River, the Chicago Cubs, Lydia Moss Bradley, the Sears Tower dubbed "Seer's Tower" (now called Willis Tower), and the localities of Jacksonville, Peoria, Metropolis, Savanna, Caledonia, Secor, Magnolia, Kankakee, Evansville, and the several locations named Centerville, Illinois. During the tour following the release of "Illinois", Stevens' band wore cheerleader outfits based on those of the University of Illinois.


title: Illinois (Sufjan Stevens album)

text: Although "Illinois" is a concept album about the U.S. state, Stevens also explored themes related to Christianity and the Bible. As a Christian, he has written and recorded music about spiritual themes throughout his career—particularly on the 2004 album "Seven Swans"—and prefers to talk about religious topics through song rather than directly in interviews or public statements. The song "Decatur, or, Round of Applause for Your Stepmother!" includes the line "It's the great I Am"—taken from the response God gave when Moses asked for his name in the Book of Exodus (). "Casimir Pulaski Day" describes the death of a romantic partner due to bone cancer (despite Bible study prayers for healing), and the narrator questions God in the process. More abstract allusions appear in "The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts", which utilizes Superman as a Christ figure and "The Seer's Tower", which references the Book of Revelation and the Second Coming of Christ. Songs which were not written with an explicit theological focus—such as "John Wayne Gacy, Jr."—also feature religious themes such as sin and redemption.


title: Illinois (Sufjan Stevens album)

text: Divya Srinivasan created the album artwork, depicting a variety of Illinois-related themes, including Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, the Sears Tower, and Black Hawk. The album cover reads, "Sufjan Stevens Invites You To: Come On Feel the Illinoise!" as a wordplay on the common mispronunciation of the state's name as "ill-i-NOYZ" and a reference to the Slade song "Cum On Feel the Noize" made famous in the United States by the metal band Quiet Riot. The text on the cover caused some confusion over the actual title of the album—it is officially titled "Illinois", as opposed to "Come on Feel the Illinoise" or "Illinoise". "Paste" listed "Illinois" as having the seventh best album art of the decade 2000–2009. The album also won the PLUG Independent Music Award for Album Art/Packaging of the Year in 2006.


title: Illinois (Sufjan Stevens album)

text: Shortly after the release of the album, reports arose that DC Comics had issued a cease and desist letter to Asthmatic Kitty because of the depiction of Superman on the cover. However, on October 4, 2005, Asthmatic Kitty announced that there had been no cease and desist letter; the record company's own lawyers had warned about the copyright infringement. On June 30, 2005, Asthmatic Kitty's distributor Secretly Canadian asked its retailers not to sell the album; however, it was not recalled. On July 5, the distributor told its retailers to go ahead and sell their copies, as DC Comics agreed to allow Asthmatic Kitty to sell the copies of the album that were already manufactured, but the image was removed from subsequent pressings. Soon after it was made public that the cover would be changed, copies of the album featuring Superman were sold for as high as $75 on eBay. On the vinyl edition released on November 22, 2005, Superman's image is covered by a balloon sticker. The image of the balloon sticker was also used on the cover of the compact disc and later printings of the double vinyl release. Stevens himself was surprised by the development and also had to pay a fee for referencing lyrics from Woody Guthrie's folk anthem "This Land Is Your Land" in the track "No Man's Land", which was later released on "The Avalanche".


title: Illinois (Sufjan Stevens album)

text: The 10th anniversary vinyl reissue of "Illinois" features the Marvel character Blue Marvel, who hails from Chicago, in place of Superman. Asthmatic Kitty obtained permission from Marvel to use the character's likeness. The Blue Marvel edition's artwork was created by Divya Srinivasan and has LP 1 on "cape white" vinyl, LP 2 on "antimatter blue" vinyl, and a bonus single of "Chicago (Demo)" (on both sides) on a red vinyl 12" disc shaped like a six-sided star in reference to the municipal flag of Chicago.


title: Illinois (Sufjan Stevens album)

text: "Illinois" was Sufjan Stevens' greatest commercial and critical success to date. For the first time, his work charted on the "Billboard" 200 and received several awards from critics. The site assesses this as "universal acclaim" and designated it the best-reviewed album of 2005, alongside "Z" by My Morning Jacket. In 2020, "Consequence of Sound" ranked several of Stevens' studio albums, with "Illinois" coming in second behind the 2015 release "Carrie & Lowell".


title: Illinois (Sufjan Stevens album)

text: Andy Battaglia of "The A.V. Club" said that Stevens "has grown into one of the best song-makers in indie rock" with the album. Tim Jonze of "NME" called "Illinois" "a brainy little fucker" and described Stevens as "prolific, intelligent and—most importantly—brimming with heart-wrenching melodies." Rob Sheffield of "Rolling Stone" responded favorably to the album, praising the "over-the-top arrangements" and Stevens' "breathy, gentle voice" as well as the personal nature of songs such as "Chicago" and "Casimir Pulaski Day", but criticized "John Wayne Gacy, Jr.", stating that it "symbolizes nothing about American life except the existence of creative-writing workshops". Michael Metivier of "PopMatters" described "John Wayne Gacy, Jr." as "horrifying, tragic, and deeply sad without proselytizing." Amanda Petrusich of "Pitchfork" described "Illinois" as "strange and lush, as excessive and challenging as its giant, gushing song titles." Dave Simpson of "The Guardian" echoed this sentiment by saying that the music sounds like "The Polyphonic Spree produced by Brian Eno." The diversity in instrumentation also received a positive review from "Entertainment Weekly"s Kristina Feliciano.


title: Illinois (Sufjan Stevens album)

text: Jesse Jarnow of "Paste" praised the playful nature of "Illinois", commenting that it had "sing-song" melodies and "jaunty" orchestrations. Jarnow also noted ironic lyrics, citing a line from "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is Out to Get Us!": "I can't explain the state I'm in ..." after a section of the song that references many Illinois landmarks. "Q" called the album a "sizeable step forward" from "Michigan", and said Stevens' love for the state of Illinois is infectious. Critic Andy Gill dubbed "Illinois" "an extraordinary achievement" in "Uncut", and in a separate review for "The Independent" added that it "makes most other albums seem small-minded and, ironically, rather parochial." Catherine Lewis of "The Washington Post" responded favorably to the album, stating that it has well-written lyrics, comparing Stevens' rhyming to that of Stephin Merritt. Lewis cited "Casimir Pulaski Day" as one of the most memorable songs of the album. In December 2005, American webzine "Somewhere Cold" voted "Illinois" CD of the Year on their "2005 Somewhere Cold Awards Hall of Fame" list.


title: Illinois (Sufjan Stevens album)

text: "Illinois" achieved recognition with inclusion on numerous reviewers' "best of the year" and "best of the decade" lists. In particular, the album topped the best of the decade list appearing in the November 2009 issue of "Paste" and NPR named "Illinois" on their list of "The Decade's 50 Most Important Recordings". "Pitchfork" called "Illinois" the sixteenth best album of the decade, with Stevens' previous album—"Michigan"—placing 70 on that same list. The album also won the 2005 New Pantheon Award—a type of Shortlist Music Prize. The album was also included in the book "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". Finally, "Paste" listed Stevens as one of their "100 Best Living Songwriters" in 2006, primarily due to the writing on "Michigan" and "Illinois".


title: Illinois (Sufjan Stevens album)

text: In its first week of sales, "Illinois" sold 9,000 copies, 20% coming from online sales. Overall, the album sold more than 100,000 copies by November 2005 and over 300,000 by the end of 2009. It was Stevens' first release to place on the "Billboard" 200, reaching number 121 within eight weeks on the chart. It also reached number one on "Billboard"s Heatseekers Albums chart and number four on the Independent Albums chart, remaining on them for 32 and 39 weeks, respectively. In August 2017, the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), signifying shipments in excess of 500,000 copies in the United States.


title: Illinois (Sufjan Stevens album)

text: In July 2013, it was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for 60,000 sold units in the United Kingdom.


title: M103 (heavy tank)

text: The M103 Heavy Tank (officially designated 120mm Gun Combat Tank M103, initially T43) was a heavy tank that served in the United States Army and the United States Marine Corps during the Cold War. Introduced in 1957, it served through 1974, by which time evolution of the concept of a main battle tank had rendered heavy tanks obsolete.


title: M103 (heavy tank)

text: In December 1950 the U.S. Army made blueprints for a heavy tank reference design. In January 1951 it awarded Chrysler a $99 million contract to produce the tank. Chrysler tasked Robert T. Keller, the son of Chrysler Board Chairman K.T. Keller, with overseeing its design, and construction at the company's new Newark, Delaware, tank plant.


title: M103 (heavy tank)

text: The first T43 pilot model was completed in November 1951. Officials said the tank would "out-slug any land-fighting machine ever built."


title: M103 (heavy tank)

text: Like the contemporary British Conqueror, the M103 was designed to counter Soviet heavy tanks, such as the later IS-series tanks or the T-10 if conflict with the Eastern Bloc broke out. Its long-ranged 120 mm cannon was designed to destroy enemy tanks at extreme distances.


title: M103 (heavy tank)

text: Some 300 tanks were built in 1953–54, initially designated T43E1. Details about the tank, including production plans and specifications, were tightly held. Seeking to keep the tank out of public sight, Secretary of Defense Charles E. Wilson nixed an October 1953 exhibition for the American Ordnance Association at Aberdeen Proving Ground. In May 1954 the tank was debuted publicly at a demonstration at the Newark tank plant.


title: M103 (heavy tank)

text: In 1953 the Pentagon began a reversal of the President Truman administration policy of a broad production base in favor of Wilson's "single, efficient producer" concept. In September Wilson chose General Motors over Chrysler to take over production of the M48 Patton. General Motors would also become heir to any additional T43 orders after Chrysler tank production wrapped up in June 1954.


title: M103 (heavy tank)

text: Testing was unsatisfactory, with the tanks failing to meet Continental Army Command's standards and being put into storage in August 1955. Following the approval of 98 improvements the tank was redesignated the M103 Heavy Tank in April 1956. Of the 300 T43E1s built, 80 went to the US Army (74 of which were rebuilt to M103 standard), and 220 were accepted by the US Marine Corps, to be used as infantry support, rebuilt successively to improved M103A1 then M103A2 standards.


title: M103 (heavy tank)

text: A House Government Operations subcommittee report in July 1957 called for the heavy tank program to be audited. Investigators had been unable to determine the cost of the program, which was estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The report said the Army had hastened production of the tank for war in Korea despite there being no need for it there. The tank was also unsuited to the rigors of the nuclear battlefield, the report said.


title: M103 (heavy tank)

text: Following contemporary American design philosophy, the M103 was built with a two-piece, cast elliptic armor scheme, similar to the M48's design. It featured seven road wheels per side, mounted with long-arm independent torsion bars. The track was shoed in steel backed rubber chevron tracks, allowing for a ground pressure of 12.9 psi. The Continental AV-1790 engine was placed at the rear of the tank, and produced a maximum output of and of torque, fed through a General Motors CD-850-4 two-speed transmission. This allowed the 60-ton heavy tank to achieve a maximum road speed of and a maximum climbing gradient of 60%.


title: M103 (heavy tank)

text: Initial production versions suffered a host of drivetrain mechanical problems. The Continental powerpack, shared by the much lighter M48/M60 tanks, was insufficient to drive the much heavier M103. The resulting performance of the tank was dismal; being severely underpowered and very fuel intensive. This presented a host of logistical problems for the vehicle, most prominently the extremely limited range of just . Though this was partially corrected with the introduction of the AV-1790-2 diesel unit, it would remain cumbersome and fuel-thirsty for the majority of its service life.


title: M103 (heavy tank)

text: For ease of production, many of the large components of the tank were made from cast armor. This design scheme was also much more mass efficient than traditional rolled plate armor. Despite being better protected than the T29-series of prototypes which preceded it, the M103 was nearly 10 tons lighter, making it competitive with the Soviet T-10/IS-8 tank. The frontal hull glacis was a compound pike, welded at the center seam, with up to 10 inches thick armor at the front. The turret was a massive single-piece cast design, fitted with heavily sloped 10-inch (254 mm) rolled-homogeneous armor.


title: M103 (heavy tank)

text: The M103 was designed to mount the 120 mm M58 gun, fitted in the M89 turret mount. Using standard Armor-Piercing Ballistic Cap Tracer Rounds, it was capable of penetrating of 30-degree sloped rolled-homogeneous armor at 1,000 yards and at 2,000 yards. It could also penetrate 60-degree sloped rolled-homogeneous armor at 1,000 yards and at 2,000 yards. The commander could select from 34 rounds of either M358 Armor-Piercing Ballistic Cap Tracer Rounds or M469 HEAT shells, mounted at the rear of the turret and in the hull. With both loaders, the maximum firing rate of the gun was five rounds per minute, owing to the design of the two-piece ammunition. Using the electrohydraulic turret traverse, the gunner could turn the turret at 18 degrees per second, with 15 degrees of elevation and 8 degrees of gun depression.


title: M103 (heavy tank)

text: US Army 7th Army wanted the new heavy tank to supplement its M48 tanks. In Europe, the US Army fielded only one battalion of heavy tanks, from January 1958, originally assigned to the 899th Tank Battalion, later re-designated the 2d Battalion, 33d Armor. The US Army heavy armor battalion, in contrast to other armor units, was organized into four tank companies, composed of six platoons each, of which each platoon contained three M103s, for a total of 18 tanks per company. Standard US Army armor battalions at the time had three companies per battalion, each with three five-tank platoons, with 17 tanks per company (two tanks were in headquarters platoon).


title: M103 (heavy tank)

text: One of the flaws of M103 vehicle was it did not have adequate reliability in retreat operations. US Army was aware that more Tiger tanks had been lost during retreat operations than during actual combat, and US Army in Europe could not afford that. In Europe it was found that the engine was underpowered, requiring replacement of engines and transmissions after only about 500 miles.


title: M103 (heavy tank)

text: In addition, the ammunition stowage was not convenient and repeated firing caused excess chamber erosion, tracks were easily thrown. Last but not least crew safety, comfort and ability to function were impaired by poor interior arrangement.


title: M103 (heavy tank)

text: The M103 was placed on the road to obsolescence when the US Army shifted to the concept of a single main battle tank optimizing firepower, protection, and mobility in a single medium tank design. The U.S. M60 tank fulfilled the breakthrough functions of M103 heavy tank while retaining the mobility of M48 medium tanks. By that time it was years since US Army had realized Soviet heavy tanks were not as potent as suspected, and thus the M103s were rather overkill and expensive to deal with T-54/55 tanks.


title: M103 (heavy tank)

text: The US Marine Corps assigned one M103 company to each of its three Marine tank battalions, including its Marine reserve units. The M103 was never used in combat.


title: M103 (heavy tank)

text: While the US Army deactivated its heavy armor units with the reception of the new M60 series main battle tanks in 1963, the remaining M103s stayed within the US Marine Corps inventory until they began receiving the M60 series main battle tank. With the disappearance of the heavy tank from US forces came the full acceptance of the main battle tank in 1960 for the US Army, and 1973 for the US Marine Corps. Although the later M1 Abrams main battle tank utilizes the same caliber of main gun, 120 mm, the M103's cannon was a rifled gun firing a separate-loading round, in which the projectile was loaded into the breech, followed by a cartridge case consisting of a brass case, primer, and propellant in a fixed unit. This separate-loading system necessitated the use of two loaders. The only part of the cartridge case consumed during firing was the propellant and a plastic cap on the end of the brass cartridge case. The spent brass cartridge case was ejected after firing. The M1 tank's 120 mm main gun is a smooth bore firing a semi-caseless round, ejecting only a back cap of the original loaded round; the bulk of the M1's 120 mm shell casing is consumed during firing.


title: Martin Mystery

text: Martin Mystery (French: Martin Mystère) is an animated television series based on the Italian comic book "Martin Mystère" by Alfredo Castelli. The show was produced by Marathon Media Group (French television production company based in Paris), and Image Entertainment Corporation (a Canadian production and animation company based in Montreal). It uses an art style similar to Japanese anime. The series premiered on YTV on 1 October 2003 in its originating country of Canada.


title: Martin Mystery

text: The series re-imagines the comic books' main characters Martin Mystery and Diana Lombard as teenage stepsiblings attending Torrington Academy, a boarding school located in the city of Sherbrooke, Quebec. They work for a secret organization known as "The Center," which covertly protects the people of Earth from supernatural threats and investigates the unknown and the paranormal. Their allies at The Center include Billy, a small, green-skinned alien who is one of Martin's best friends; and Java, a caveman from 200,000 years ago, who works as a janitor at Torrington Academy and is the arm of the group.


title: Martin Mystery

text: Martin's vast knowledge of the supernatural and his remarkable intuition make him a valued agent of The Center, and compensate for his huge ego and his clumsy attitude. Diana resents these flaws at times, as Martin often does not seem to understand the seriousness of his missions, but generally respects him, and loves him and his way of being himself without compromises.


title: Martin Mystery

text: "Martin Mystery" aired in Canada on YTV and Discovery Kids in English, and on Vrak in French, from 2003 until the series finale in 2006.


title: Martin Mystery

text: In the United States, the first 7 episodes were originally shown on FoxBox in May and June 2004. Nickelodeon later picked up the series, and aired the series on Nicktoons Network from 4 July 2005 until 27 April 2008.


title: Martin Mystery

text: Other channels that aired the show included M6 in France, Rai 2 in Italy, and Jetix throughout Europe (excluding Italy and Poland). Additional channels in Europe included SVT1 and SVT Barnkanalen in Sweden, NRK Super in Norway, Yle TV2 in Finland, GMA Network and Q (now known as GTV) in the Philippines, VT4 in Belgium and ZigZap in Poland.


title: Martin Mystery

text: MBC 3, Ajyal TV, and ART 3 broadcast this show in Arabic throughout the Middle East, with the voice talents of Mo'awad Ismail as Martin and Mariam El Khesht as Diana.


title: Martin Mystery

text: Home video of "Martin Mystery" was distributed in France by "PolyGram" and "MK2". In Italy, home video was distributed by 01 Distribution. Home video for the English version of season 1 was also released in Canada and the United States, but has become a rarity in recent years.


title: Martin Mystery

text: Background characters resembling Martin, Diana, and Marvin have appeared on other series produced by Marathon and Image, such as "Team Galaxy", "Totally Spies!," and "The Amazing Spiez!".


title: Martin Mystery

text: In 2007, a year after the series ended, the characters of Martin and M.O.M appeared on a fifth season episode of "Totally Spies!". In the episode "Totally Mystery Much?", Martin helps the team investigate a series of Yeti sightings in Antarctica. None of the other "Martin Mystery" characters appeared or were mentioned in the episode.


title: Martin Mystery

text: In December 2013, a possible "new season project" was announced on the official Martin Mystery Facebook page. As of 2022, there has been no further announcement or plans for such. However, there have been talks about a potential digital remaster and re-release of the series in widescreen.


title: Aalborg

text: Aalborg (, , ) is Denmark's fourth largest town (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an urban population of 143,598 (1 July 2022). As of 1 July 2022, the Municipality of Aalborg had a population of 221,082, making it the third most populous in the country after the municipalities of Copenhagen and Aarhus. Eurostat and OECD have used a definition for the Metropolitan area of Aalborg (referred to as a "Functional urban area"), which includes all municipalities in the Province (Danish: "landsdel") of North Jutland (Danish: "Nordjylland"), with a total population of 594,323 as of 1 July 2022.


title: Aalborg

text: By road Aalborg is southwest of Frederikshavn, and north of Aarhus. The distance to Copenhagen is if travelling by road and not using ferries.


title: Aalborg

text: The earliest settlements date to around AD 700. Aalborg's position at the narrowest point on the Limfjord made it an important harbour during the Middle Ages, and later a large industrial centre. Architecturally, the city is known for its half-timbered mansions built by its prosperous merchants. Budolfi Church, now a cathedral, dates from the end of the 14th century and Aalborghus Castle, a royal residence, was built in 1550. Today, Aalborg is a city in transition from a working-class industrial area to a knowledge-based community. A major exporter of grain, cement, and liquors, its thriving business interests include Siemens Wind Power, Aalborg Industries, and Aalborg Portland. These companies have become global producers of wind turbine rotors, marine boilers, and cement.


title: Aalborg

text: With its theatres, symphony orchestra, opera company, performance venues, and museums such as Aalborg Historical Museum and the Aalborg Museum of Modern Art, Aalborg is an important cultural hub. The Aalborg Carnival, held at the end of May, is one of the largest festivals in Scandinavia, attracting some 100,000+ people annually. The town's major university is Aalborg University (often abbreviated to AAU), founded in 1974, which has more than 20,000 students (as of 2018). AAU is also North Jutland's largest university and overall academic institution. The University College of Northern Denmark (UCN) is one of seven new regional organisations while the Royal School of Library and Information Science (RSLIS) provides higher education in library and information science. Trænregimentet, the Danish regiment for army supply and emergency medical personnel, is also in Aalborg. Aalborg University Hospital, the largest in the north of Jutland, was founded in 1881.


title: Aalborg

text: The football club Aalborg BK, established in 1885 and based at Nordjyske Arena, won the Danish Superliga in the 1994–95 season, the 1998–99 season, the 2007–08 season, and the 2013–14 season. Other sports associations include the ice hockey club Aalborg Pirates, the men's handball team Aalborg Håndbold, the rugby club Aalborg RK, and Aalborg Cricket Club. Aalborg Railway Station, on John F. Kennedys Plads has connected the city to Randers and the south since 1869. Aalborg Airport is just northwest of the city centre, and the E45, a European route from Alta, Norway, to Gela, Italy, passes through Aalborg.


title: Aalborg

text: The European Commission has concluded that the citizens of Aalborg are the most satisfied people in Europe with their city.


title: Aalborg

text: The area around the narrowest point on the Limfjord attracted settlements as far back as the Iron Age leading to a thriving Viking community until around the year 1000 in what has now become Aalborg. In the Middle Ages, royal trading privileges, a natural harbour and a thriving herring fishing industry contributed to the town's growth. Despite the difficulties it experienced over the centuries, the city began to prosper once again towards the end of the 19th century when a bridge was built over Limfjord and the railway arrived. Aalborg's initial growth relied on heavy industry but its current development focuses on culture and education.


title: Aalborg

text: Aalborg traces its history back over a thousand years. It was originally settled as a trading post because of its position on the Limfjord. The sites of what were two settlements and a burial ground can be seen on Lindholm Høje, a hill overlooking the city. These large settlements, one from the 6th-century Germanic Iron Age, the other from the Viking Age in the 9th to 11th centuries, evolved at the narrowest point on Limfjord as a result of the traffic between Himmerland to the south and Vendsyssel to the north.


title: Aalborg

text: The first mention of Aalborg under its original name "Alabu" or "Alabur" is found on coins from  1040, the period when King Harthacnut (Hardeknud) settled in the area. In  1075, Adam of Bremen reported that "Alaburg", as he called it in German, was an important harbour for ships sailing to Norway. In Valdemar's Danish Census Book from 1231 it was called "Aleburgh", possibly meaning "the fort by the stream" as in Old Norse "all" meant a stream or current and "bur" or "burgh" a fort or a castle.


title: Aalborg

text: The Church of Our Lady in Aalborg was originally built in the early 12th century but was demolished during the Reformation. The Franciscan friary, or Greyfriars, on the east side of Østerå, was probably built around 1240; it was documented in 1268, but like many other Roman Catholic monasteries and convents was shut down in 1530 as a result of the Reformation.


title: Aalborg

text: Aalborg's earliest trading privileges date from 1342, when King Valdemar IV received the town as part of his huge dowry on marrying Helvig of Schleswig. The privileges were extended by Eric of Pomerania in 1430 and by Christopher of Bavaria in 1441. The town prospered, becoming one of the largest communities in Denmark. Its prosperity increased when the merchant- and trade association Guds Legems Laug was established in 1481, facilitating trade with the Hanseatic League,


title: Aalborg

text: especially from 1516 when Christian II granted it a monopoly in salting Limfjord's herring. The king frequently visited the town, where he held court and stayed in the old Aalborghus. The herring fishery linked Aalborg to the East coast of England, across the North Sea, both in commercial competition and cultural exchange. During the Middle Ages a number of important institutions were established in Aalborg, including Budolfi Cathedral in the late 14th century and the Hospital of the Holy Ghost, a monastery and nunnery founded in 1451 to help those in need. It was converted into a hospital during the Reformation and is still in use today as a nursing home for the elderly.


title: Aalborg

text: In 1530 a large part of the town was destroyed by fire, and in December 1534 it was stormed and plundered by the king's troops after a peasants' revolt known as the Count's Feud led by Skipper Clement. It resulted in the death of up to 2,000 people. The Reformation in 1536 brought about the demolition of the town's two monasteries. As a result of the Reformation, Aalborg became a Lutheran bishopric in 1554.


title: Aalborg

text: From the 1550s to the 1640s, as a result of increased foreign trade, Aalborg enjoyed great prosperity, second only to that of Copenhagen. The population grew in parallel with the development of many fine buildings in the city as merchants benefitted from their shipping routes from Norway to Portugal. In 1663, the city suffered yet another serious fire, which destroyed the tower of Budolfi Church.


title: Aalborg

text: During the second half of the 18th century, Aalborg entered a further period of prosperity. In Erik Pontoppidan's "Danske Atlas" (Danish Atlas) it was described as "after Copenhagen, the best and most prosperous market town in Denmark". The population grew from 4,160 in 1769 to 5,579 in 1801. In 1767, the second newspaper ever published in Denmark appeared in the city.


title: Aalborg

text: After Denmark ceded Norway to Sweden in 1814, Aalborg lost its important role as the country's centre for Norwegian trade. Its former prosperity also suffered as a result of difficulties with the herring industry as the fish disappeared after the sea breached the Agger Tange (which had linked Thy with the rest of Jutland at the western end of Limfjord) in the 1825 North Sea storm. The after effects of the state bankruptcy in 1813 also contributed to widespread poverty in the city. In the mid-19th-century, Aalborg was overtaken by Aarhus as the largest city in Jutland. Towards the end of the 19th century there was however an upturn. In 1865, the pontoon bridge over Limfjord was completed, and in 1869, the railway reached the city with a railway bridge over the sound to Vendsyssel three years later. The harbour facilities were also improved, making Aalborg Denmark's second port. Aalborg became the country's main producer of tobacco products and spirits, followed in the 1890s by fertilisers and cement. By 1901, the population had increased to almost 31,500.


title: Aalborg

text: Around the beginning of the 20th century, as a result of decisions taken by the municipality, many of the city's half-timbered houses were torn down. They were replaced by hundreds of modern buildings, completely changing the look of the city. Factories with smoking chimneys became ever more prevalent in the outskirts. Among the most important were De Danske Spritfabrikker (spirits and liquors), De forenede Textilfabrikker (textiles), the East Asiatic Company (trading), Dansk Eternit (building materials) and C.W. Obel's tobacco factory (established in 1787). Aalborg Portland, run by F.L. Smidth, was one of several cement factories operating in 1913, together employing some 800 workers. By the 1930s, Aalborg was being promoted as "Denmark's new centre for industry and workers". Replanning continued with additional thoroughfares cutting through the city. The port facilities were also improved with the help of a dredger and the opening of new docks. In 1933, Christian X inaugurated a new bridge over Limfjord to replace the fragile pontoon crossing.


title: Aalborg

text: Aalborg Airport, officially opened in 1938 because of the success of the cement industry, had in fact operated flights to Copenhagen since 1936. During the German invasion of Denmark in 1940, the airport was captured by German paratroopers on the night of 21 April as a base for German aircraft flying to Norway. On 13 August 1940, a dozen Bristol Blenheim bombers of No. 82 Squadron RAF were launched against the Luftwaffe airfield during one of the most disastrous Royal Air Force raids of the war. One turned back because of fuel problems, but all of the remaining 11 were shot down by enemy fighters and/or flak batteries within 20 minutes. After the war, the Royal Air Force destroyed all the German facilities including planes, hangars and equipment but left the passenger facilities intact.


title: Aalborg

text: By 1960, Aalborg had become known as the "city of smoking chimneys", with half of the inhabitants working in industry or manufacturing. Ten years later, Aalborg's population had grown to around 97,000 inhabitants.


title: Aalborg

text: The significance of Aalborg's industry began to decline in the 1970s, precipitating a fall in the city's population until about 1990, when it began to increase again. By the year 2000, the service and education sectors accounted for about 60 percent of the workforce, partly as a result of the founding of Aalborg University (AAU) in 1974. Since 1970, Aalborg and the northern suburb of Nørresundby have become a major administrative centre, thanks in part to the offices of the Region Nordjylland established in the east of the city. In addition to large industrial companies including Aalborg Portland, the only cement-producing company in the country, and the building products company Eternit, many small and medium-sized enterprises have been established. The telecommunications and information technology sector has developed with the support of Aalborg University and the North Jutland knowledge park NOVI.


title: Aalborg

text: The First European Conference on Sustainable Cities and Towns took place in Aalborg in 1994. It adopted the Aalborg Charter, which provides a framework for the delivery of local sustainable development and calls on local authorities to engage in Local Agenda 21 processes. The Fourth European Sustainable Cities and Towns Conference, held in Aalborg in 2004, adopted the more binding Aalborg Commitments on local sustainable development. The commitments have now been signed by 650 local authorities while over 2,500 have signed the earlier Aalborg Charter.


title: Aalborg

text: Aalborg is in North Jutland (northwestern Denmark), at the narrowest point of the Limfjord, a shallow sound that separates North Jutlandic Island (Vendsyssel-Thy) from the rest of the Jutland Peninsula and connects Aalborg to the Kattegat about to the east. Aalborg is north of Aarhus, north of Randers, and southwest of Frederikshavn. It is by Great Belt Fixed Link to Copenhagen, by the Frederikshavn-Göteborg ferry to Gothenburg in Sweden, and by the Frederikshavn-Oslo ferry to Oslo in Norway.


title: Aalborg

text: The area close to the waterfront is low-lying, with an elevation averaging about , but there are many hills in and around city, some reaching over . Nørresundby, on the northern side of the sound, is also a hilly area. Villages to the south of Aalborg from west to east include Frejlev, Svenstrup, and Gistrup (which contains extensive woodland to the south as well as a golf club). Klarup and Storvorde lie to the southeast along the 595 road, which, flanking a stretch of the Limfjord known as Langerak, leads to the town of Hals. Nibe, with a harbour on the Limfjord, is to the southwest, past the village of Frejlev. The Nibe Broads (Nibe Bredning) in the Limfjord not only has the largest eelgrass belts in Danish waters but is an important sanctuary for thousands of migratory birds. To the north of the city, villages include Vadum, Aabybro, Vestbjerg, Sulsted, Tylstrup, Vodskov, and Hjallerup. There is an extensive plantation, Branths Plantage - Møgelbjerg, immediately north of Vodskov.


title: Aalborg

text: The Himmerland region to the south still has a number of moors which once formed a vast area of heathland extending to the Rold Forest near Arden. Rebild Hills in the Rold Forest stretch over of rolling heath country about south of Aalborg. Lille Vildmose, to the southeast, is reported to be the largest raised bog in north-western Europe.


title: Aalborg

text: The city centre, dating from the Middle Ages, lies on a series of clay banks between the former streams of Vesterå and Lilleå, which used to run into the sound. Despite effective drainage, the main streets, including Algade, still run east to west while the side streets run north to south. The Budolfi Church and the old town hall line Gammeltorv, the old market square. The main shopping streets are Algade and Bispengade, the latter lying in between the modern Vesterbro thoroughfare and Nytorv square. Østerågade, once the old harbor, is noted for its merchants' mansions.


title: Aalborg

text: The city cemetery, the Kilden park and the modern art museum, Kunsten, are in the modern commercial and administrative area around the railway station to the west. Beyond this, Hasseris has become a residential district with a number of large villas and detached houses. The city's main development area is now to the east of the centre although in addition to the university and new areas of housing, it still contains the shipping harbor, Østhavnen, and the cement factory. The waterfront to the northeast of the centre is being transformed from a harbour into a recreational area with the Utzon Center and Musikkens Hus.


title: Aalborg

text: Off the northwestern side of the city in the sound is the island of Egholm, reached via ferry. The island, with a population of 55 , covers an area of and consists mainly of farmland although there are still a few untilled areas of salt marshes and woodland. Dikes have been built along the coastline to protect the island from flooding. The Kronborg Forest on the island, covering an area of , was acquired by the municipal government in 1945. A restaurant in the vicinity was established in 1918 but rebuilt in 1946 following a fire. To the west of Egholm is the smaller uninhabited Fruensholm, and there are also three small islands to the north.


title: Aalborg

text: There are several man-made lakes nearby: Lindholm Kridtgrav lies to the northwest of Skanse Park on the northern side of Limfjord, while Nordens Kridtgrav to the northwest of Mølleparken is on the southern side. The Aalborg area is one of three in Denmark where chalk deposits are found (the others being Møns Klint and Stevns). The largest quarry is at Rørdal in Øster Sundby ( to the east of the city centre), while Vokslev ( to the west) has also provided chalk. Clay is also quarried in Østerådalen in the southern outskirts, making the area ideal for cement production.


title: Aalborg

text: The Østre Anlæg park is one of the oldest in Aalborg, visited by up to 175,000 people a year. It was used as a dumping ground in the 1920s before being cleaned up and made into a recreational area in the 1930s and 1940s. It contains lawns, flowers, tall trees, bushes, and a lake, overlooked by St. Mark's Church on the eastern side. The lake is on the site of a former clay pit. Fifty-one species of bird have been recorded in the park.


title: Aalborg

text: Lindholm Fjordpark, to the south of the Lindholm's industrial park, forms part of the green sector of the city known as 'Ryåkilen' along the coast of the sound, covering roughly . Like Østre Anlæg, it once served as a waste site with landfill, and a housing estate was built on its northeastern side. Its use as a landfill site was gradually discontinued in the 1990s, and in 1996, extensive restoration work began. Today it has woodlands and open areas with grass and herbaceous vegetation, notably buckthorn. It is also a habitat for many species of migratory birds such as pale-bellied brent geese, curlews, and songbirds. The park is also used by the Nordjysk Windsurfing Club and has a six-hole golf course.


title: Aalborg

text: Aalborg has a number of additional civic parks and recreational facilities. Among them are Kildeparken, which hosts the annual Aalborg Carnival, Mølleparken, which contains a pond, statues, an outdoor exercise facility, and a 2.5 kilometre (1.6 mi) jogging trail (within the trail lies the "Lysløjpen", a 45-metre [148 ft] gradient), Sohngårdsholmpark, a wooded area containing trails for both walking/jogging and biking and a six-hole golf course (free to the public), the Aalborg Open Air Swimming Pool, also free to the public, Bundgårdsparken, and Lindholm Strandpark.


title: Aalborg

text: The Aalborg Zoo was opened in 1935 and typically houses 1,300 animals from 138 different species, including tigers, chimpanzees, zebra, elephants, giraffes, penguins and polar bears. It is one of the area's major tourist attractions with over 300,000 visitors a year. Within the zoo an African savannah has been created where exotic animals are housed.


title: Aalborg

text: Aalborg was home to an amusement park, Karolinelund, founded in 1946. In 2005, still owned by the founding family, it was sold to an entrepreneur who resold it to the city the following year. When the park closed in 2010, it was home to 17 attractions. Recently, the city has reopened the park to volunteers who wish to return it to operating status. The park is once again open to the public as a leisure facility but without rides and attractions. The association, Platform4, a non-profit user-driven project-oriented venue that experiments with technology (electronics) in combination with artistic genres is now located in the park. Volunteers frequently arrange seminars, exhibitions, films, music concerts, and more which are open to the public.


title: Aalborg

text: Aalborg has a maritime climate (Cfb), just above the humid continental climate classification (Dfb) with short, mild summers and long, moderately cold winters.


title: Aalborg

text: Aalborg is cool most of the year, with average high temperatures of around and lows of during the summer, and average temperatures of during the coldest months of January and February, rarely dropping below . The warmest months are typically July and August, with an average temperature of , but by October the temperature averages . June has the highest number of hours of sunshine on average at 218, closely followed by May and July. Precipitation is rather evenly distributed all year around, with an average of during October, normally the wettest month with an average 14 days with rainfall, and an average of during February, normally the driest month with an average of eight days of precipitation, closely followed by April.


title: Aalborg

text: Henning G. Jensen, a Social Democrat, was the long-serving Mayor of Aalborg from 1998 until 2013. He was succeeded by Thomas Kastrup-Larsen, also a Social Democrat, who was elected to the City Council in 1998.


title: Aalborg

text: The civic government in Aalborg consists of seven departments: the Mayor's Department (responsible for the titular position, the four Citizen Service Centres in Aalborg, the Financial Services division, the Commercial Services division, the General Services division, and the Fire and Rescue Centre); the Technical and Environmental Department (responsible for urban planning, transportation oversight, the Parks and Nature division, and the Environmental Division); the Department of Family and Employment (responsible for Children and Family services, social services, and the city's "Job Centre"); the Department of Care of the Elderly and Disabled (responsible for social benefits, senior citizen care, and disabled citizen care); the Department of Education and Cultural Affairs (responsible for the municipal schools, the public libraries, the Cultural Affairs division, and the city archives); the Health and Sustainable Development Department (responsible for public health, the Occupational Health and Safety Division, the Public Transportation division, and the Sustainable Development division); and the Utilities Department (responsible for gas, heating, water, sewage, and refuse collection).


title: Aalborg

text: Aalborg City Council consists of 31 members, including a mayor. As of September 2013, 11 of the council seats are held by the Social Democratic Party, nine by Venstre, three by the Socialist People's Party, two by the Danish People's Party, and two by the Conservative People's Party, while three members are professed independents. The council is mandated to hold a minimum of two meetings per month, with meetings of a public forum format.


title: Aalborg

text: Aalborg was the largest town in Jutland until it was surpassed by Aarhus in the mid-19th century. In 1672, it had 4,181 inhabitants, growing slowly during the 18th century, with 4,425 in 1769, 4,866 in 1787 and 5,579 by 1801. By 1845, there were 7,477 inhabitants, increasing to 10,069 by 1860. Dramatic growth began in the late 19th century, with an increase from 14,152 in 1880 to 31,457 in 1901. By 1930, the population had grown to 59,091, although the figure was boosted by the merging of Nørre Tranders, Rørdal Fabriksby, Øster Sundby, and Øster Uttrup into Aalborg.


title: Aalborg

text: In 1950, it reached 87,883, which grew to 100,587 by 1970. There was a temporary decline in population to 94,994 in 1976 but in 1981, following the incorporation of Nørresundby, it grew to 114,302. The population has increased steadily since then; according to the census of 1 January 2009, Aalborg had a total of 122,461 inhabitants, 101,497 of them living in the town and 20,964 in the independent suburb of Nørresundby.


title: Aalborg

text: , the town had a total population of 142,561 (118,871 in the city proper and 23,690 in Nørresundby) making it the fourth most populous in Denmark after Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense. Statistics for 2016 showed there were 210,316 people living in the Municipality of Aalborg.


title: Aalborg

text: Aalborg is North Jutland's major industrial and commercial centre, exporting grain, cement, and spirits. Heavy industry was behind the city's prosperity until fairly recently. Many of the factories have now closed, to be replaced by developments in the knowledge-based and green-energy sectors. Mobile and wireless communications industries have grown substantially since the 1990s, as has rotor production for wind turbines.


title: Aalborg

text: In January 2011, there were some 9,200 enterprises in Aalborg, employing around 109,000 people or approximately 35% of the workforce of the Northern Region. In the 2010s, the city is set on increasing its participation in the global economy through both existing companies and new entrants. Its efforts are focused on four areas: energy and environment, information technology, health support systems and "Arctic business". The latter covers trade with Greenland as the Port of Aalborg handles over 60% of all goods shipped to Greenland. Four harbours dot the waterfront, Marina Fjordparken, Skudehavnen, Vestre Badehavn, and Østre Havn. Tourism is also growing, with a considerable rise in the number of passengers at Aalborg Airport. Aalborg Municipality has Denmark's second highest revenue from tourism and is the only municipality in the north of Denmark where overnight stays are increasing.


title: Aalborg

text: Telenor Denmark, part of the Norwegian Telenor telecommunications and mobile phone company, has a workforce of about 1,100 in Aalborg, making it one of the city's largest new employers. Siemens Wind Power has rotor-blade production and testing facilities in Aaborg. In 2012 and 2013, there were additions in both areas. The new testing plant is the world's largest research test centre for wind turbine technology. In 2012, the company shipped a record 570 wind turbine blades from the Port of Aalborg, mainly to England and Ireland, up 45% on the previous year.


title: Aalborg

text: Aalborg was home to De Danske Spritfabrikker or Danish Distillers (now owned by the Norwegian company Arcus), which produces numerous brands of akvavit, until 2014. The company is the world's largest akvavit producer and exporter.


title: Aalborg

text: Aalborg Industries, the world's largest manufacturer of marine boilers, has been established in Aalborg since the 1920s. It has recently expanded into floating production systems for the offshore market. Employing 2,600 people, in December 2010 it was acquired by the Swedish Alfa Laval, also a specialist in the area. Aalborg Portland, a subsidiary of the Italian Cementir since 2004, was founded in 1889 with the support of FLSmidth. Able to draw on the chalk deposits from Rørdal to the east of the city, it rapidly became a major cement producer. Today it is the world's largest supplier of white cement, which it exports around the globe.


title: Aalborg

text: Aalborg has a wide selection of shops and restaurants. In the city centre, there are both large department stores and smaller speciality shops. One of the largest shopping malls in Denmark, the Aalborg Storcenter, is to the south of the city in Skalborg. It has about 75 stores, including a large Bilka supermarket. The city has over 300 restaurants, catering in Danish, European and Asian dishes. Notable establishments include "Fusion" on the waterfront, "Mortens Kro", run by celebrity chef Morten Nielsen, and "Irish House", a pub in the 17th-century Jens Olufsen's House. While Aalborg is renowned for its alcohol and nightlife, there are also a number of coffee shops.


title: Aalborg

text: Aalborg has 12 large hotels, most within walking distance of the city centre. The Helnan Phønix Hotel is the largest, occupying what was originally built as a lavish private residence in 1783 for a Danish brigadier. It was converted into a hotel in 1853, and in 2011 had 210 rooms, furnished with dark oak. The Chagall was established in the 1950s and has reproductions of Marc Chagall paintings in the rooms. Radisson Blu Limfjord Hotel, operated by the Radisson Hotels chain, contains 188 rooms and has the Italian restaurant "Vero Gusto". The Park Hotel, opposite the railway station, was established in 1917. Other hotels include Cabinn Aalborg, Hotel Hvide Hus, Hotel Krogen and Prinsen Hotel. Several banks including Danske Bank, Forex, Jyske Bank, Spar Nord and Nordea have branches in Aalborg.


title: Aalborg

text: Despite its industrial background and the factories along its waterfront, the city has gained popularity for tourism in recent years, offering a wide variety of attractions and historic buildings in addition to its museums, churches and parks. See the religion section for details on churches.


title: Aalborg

text: Jens Bang's House (), on Østerågade near the old town hall, is one of Denmark's best examples of 17th-century domestic architecture. Built in 1624 by the Aalborg merchant Jens Bang in the Dutch Renaissance style, the four-story sandstone building is noted for its rising gables and sculpted auricular window decorations. For over 300 years, it has housed the city's oldest pharmacy.


title: Aalborg

text: Jørgen Olufsen's House ("Jørgen Olufsens Gård") on Østerågade is Denmark's best preserved merchant's mansion in the Renaissance style. Built mainly of sandstone in 1616, it also has a half-timbered section. The style is reminiscent of similar buildings in the north of Germany and in the Netherlands. Olufsen, Jens Bang's half brother, was not only a successful merchant but also mayor of Aalborg. When it was built, the residence with its integrated warehouse was on the Østerå, an inlet from the sound with access for barges. The old iron bar with a hook for scales can be seen in the portico.


title: Aalborg

text: Aalborghus Castle ("Aalborghus Slot") is a half-timbered building with red-painted woodwork and whitewashed wall panels. It was built in the mid-16th century by King Christian III for his vassals who collected taxes and is the only remaining example of its kind in the country. The park, dungeon and casemates, but not the castle itself, are open to the public in the summer months. In the 1950s, the castle was converted into administrative offices.


title: Aalborg

text: Aalborg's old city hall in Gammeltorv, in service until 1912, was built in 1762. It is now only used for ceremonial and representative purposes. Designed in the Late Baroque style, the building with its black-glazed tile roof consists of two storeys and a cellar. The yellow-washed façade is decorated with white pilasters and a frontispiece featuring the Danish coat of arms and a bust of King Frederick V. His motto, "Prudentia et Constantia", is also seen above the main entrance. The well-preserved door is an example of the Rococo style. The building was listed by the Danish Heritage Agency in 1918.


title: Aalborg

text: Another old building of note is the half-timbered Håndværkerhuset (at Kattesunded 20) from  1625, which originally housed a number of warehouses. It is now used as a centre for arts and crafts. Finally, the headquarters of Danish Distillers ("De Danske Spritfabrikker"), to the west of the Limfjord Bridge, is noted for its Neoclassical appearance. Completed in 1931 by the architect Alf Cock-Clausen, it combines functionality with decorative classical symbolism. Considered a masterpiece of Danish factory design, it is now a Danish National Heritage site. When the factory closed in 2014, was the area bought by an investor, who will use the buildings to create an international culture city with museums, theatres, apartments etc.


title: Aalborg

text: Jomfru Ane Gade (literally Virgin Anne's Street) is one of the most famous streets in Aalborg if not in Denmark. Popular for its cafés and restaurants during the day, it is even busier at night with its clubs, discos and bars. During the 1990s, the street was infamously a 'hang out' of two biker gangs who were at war for some years all over Scandinavia. As the bikers disappeared it became increasingly popular for people of all ages. The pedestrian hubs of Nytorv Square and John F. Kennedy Square in the central city area are also part of the cityscape.


title: Aalborg

text: Aalborgtårnet is a tripod tower erected in 1933 with a restaurant on the top. The tower itself is high; but as it stands on the top of the Skovbakken hill, it reaches a total height of above sea level, providing a view over the sound and the city. Designed by Carlo Odgård, it was erected in 1933 in connection with the North Jutland Fair.


title: Aalborg

text: In 2008, the Utzon Center, its art, architecture and design credited to the noted architect Jørn Utzon, is also dedicated to him. It was built next to the Limfjord at the central harbour front in Aalborg. Born in Copenhagen, Utzon grew up in Aalborg. The centre contains an exhibition on Utzon's work, which includes the Sydney Opera House, as well as educational displays on architecture and design. The centre consists of several individual buildings creating a special place around a courtyard on a platform. The tall sculptural roofs of the auditorium and the boat-hall, both on the harbour front, and the library facing the park area and the city are set off by the lower roofs of the exhibition and workshop areas inside the complex.


title: Aalborg

text: The annual Aalborg Carnival usually takes place in the last weekend of May. It consists of three events: the children's carnival ("Børnekarneval"), the battle of carnival bands, and the carnival proper. Attracting about 100,000 visitors, it is the biggest carnival in Scandinavia and one of the largest in northern Europe. Hjallerup Market in Hjallerup, about northeast of Aalborg is one of the oldest and largest markets in Denmark and is the largest horse market in Europe. Held for three days in the beginning of June, it annually attracts more than 200,000 people and 1200 horses.


title: Aalborg

text: In 1999 Aalborg was for the first time one of the four host ports in The Tall Ships Race (then Cutty Sark Tall Ships Race) of that year. The city hosted the world's largest event for sailing vessels again in 2004 and 2010, and will do so for the fourth time in less than two decades when The Tall Ships Races visits Aalborg in early August 2015.


title: Aalborg

text: Aalborgs Kongres & Kultur Center, designed in a functional style by Otto Frankild, was completed in 1952. The centre's main component, the Aalborg Hall, can be divided into sections. The complex also contains a hotel, restaurant, bowling alley, and a number of meeting rooms. The smaller Europahallen was added in 1991, making the centre the largest in Scandinavia. With over 100 theatrical and musical presentations per year, it offers international stars, opera, ballet, musicals, classical concerts, productions for children as well as pop and rock concerts. It can accommodate audiences of up to 2,500.


title: Aalborg

text: Aalborg Teater, built in 1878 and subsequently modified by Julius Petersen, seats 870 in the main auditorium. First privately owned, the theatre is now controlled and owned by the Danish Ministry of Culture. While most productions are housed in the main hall, the building can accommodate up to four shows at once in halls of varying sizes. Over the years, the theatre has produced a wide selection of drama and musicals.


title: Aalborg

text: Nordkraft is a cultural centre in a former power plant near the harbour. It has theatres, a cinema, and concert facilities. Kunsthal Nord, established in the centre in 2009, arranges up to five exhibitions a year of all forms of contemporary art, especially of local origin but also from other parts of Denmark and beyond. It serves as the exhibition centre for KunstVærket, the North Jutland centre for the arts, and also works in collaboration with the modern art museum Kunsten designed by the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto.


title: Aalborg

text: In the same neighbourhood, a huge concert hall, Musikkens Hus, designed by Coop Himmelb(l)au, opened in 2014. It is Aalborg's most ambitious construction project in recent years.


title: Aalborg

text: The city also has a wide selection of galleries and arts and crafts outlets operated by local artists. The Academy of Music also has a presence in Aarhus. There are several glass workshops; others produce jewelry, sculptures or exhibit paintings.


title: Aalborg

text: There are various museums in the city. The Aalborg Historical Museum was established in 1863, making it one of the earliest provincial museums in the country. The North Jutland Historical Museum conducted a series of archaeological excavations in the 1950s at Lindholm Høje, revealing ancient burial sites. In 1992, the Lindholm Høje Museum was opened there and extended in 2008. In 1994 and 1995, excavations at the site of the Greyfriars Monastery resulted in the creation of the underground Gråbrødrekloster Museum in the city centre. Several organisations now collaborate under the leadership of the North Jutland Historical Museum. The Springeren - Marine Experience Center is a marine museum on the city's wharf with a wide range of exhibits including "Springeren", an old Danish submarine, whence its name. The Aalborg Defence and Garrison Museum documents Danish defences during the Second World War as well as the history of Aaborg's garrison since 1779. The KUNSTEN Museum of Modern Art Aalborg was built from 1958 to 1972; the collection consists of around 1,500 art objects, including paintings, sculptures and other media.


title: Aalborg

text: The Aalborg Symphony Orchestra ("Aalborg Symfoniorkester") founded in 1943 presents about 150 concerts a year, frequently playing in the Musikkens Hus. It also plays for the Jutland opera company ("Den Jyske Opera", also based in Aalborg), and at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen. It is one of the main organisers of the 10-day Aalborg Opera Festival held every March. Aalborg has the jazz club Jazzclub Satchmo and an annual jazz and blues festival ("Den Blå Festival"), also known as the Mini New Orleans Festival. Over four days in mid-August, concerts are performed on squares, in the streets, and in cafés and restaurants. Since 2012, the Egholm Festival, a small music festival on the island of Egholm near Aalborg has been organized in the first weekend of August. It features relatively unknown upcoming pop, rock and hip-hop artists. The festival has two stage areas and was organized by the Musical Association Aalborg (MUSAM) and Aalborg Events.


title: Aalborg

text: The principal religion in Aalborg as in the rest of Denmark is Christianity. Aalborg is the seat of a bishop within the Lutheran State Church of Denmark. The cathedral of this bishopric is the Budolfi Church, originally built no later than 1132 by Viborg's Bishop Eskil. This church was considerably smaller than the current one, as it was merely a parish church. The existing structure was completed in the late 14th century, on the grounds of the former church, and was listed for the first time in the Atlas of Denmark in 1399. The church was named after St Botolph, an English abbot and saint. The church is constructed in the Gothic style. In 1554 Aalborg was made a diocese and, after consideration, St Budolfi Church was made the seat of the Bishop of Aalborg. Aalborg is also home to the former Catholic church, the Abbey of Our Lady, converted from a Benedictine nunnery.


title: Aalborg

text: The present Budolfi Church, which has the status of a cathedral, dates from the end of the 14th century, although at least two earlier churches stood on the same spot. Built in the Gothic style, it consists of a nave flanked by two aisles, a tower, and a porch. After the original tower was destroyed by fire in 1663, the striking new Baroque tower, based on that of an earlier Copenhagen city hall, was completed in 1779. The church has 16th-century frescoes and an intricately carved early Baroque altarpiece from 1689 created by Lauridtz Jensen.


title: Aalborg

text: Abbey of Our Lady ("Vor Frue Kirke") was designed in 1878 by J.E. Gnudtzmann in the Neo-Romanesque style. The original Church of Our Lady from the early 12th century was pulled down after the Reformation because it was old and unstable, but the 12th-century tower and the original portal with sculpted decorations can still be seen. The carved pulpit dates to around 1581.


title: Aalborg

text: As a result of the considerable population increase from the end of the 19th century, a number of new churches were built in various styles. Next to Aalborg Hall, Ansgar's Church with its tall tower was built in 1929 to a design by Hother August Paludan in a modern Baroque style. St Mark's Church ("Sankt Markus Kirke"), completed in 1933, was designed by Einar Packness. Its tower is crowned by an imposing spire. The Biblical figures known as the Johannes Group (based on Christ's meeting with John the Baptist in Matthew, Chapter 3) sculpted by Bertel Thorvaldsen are displayed around the interior. The Margrethe Church with its steeply sloping roof reaching is the work of Carlo Odgaard and Aaby Sørensen. Bent Exner designed some of the artefacts in the church including the crucifix over the altar.


title: Aalborg

text: Aalborg's cemeteries have a history dating to the end of the Middle Ages. Sankt Jørgens Kirkegård (St George's Cemetery) was on the corner of Hasserisgade and Kirkegårdsgade. The site was chosen in a district outside the city as it provided isolation for those affected by the plague, many of whom died in the neighbouring hospice, Sankt Jørgens Gårde. In 1794, a new cemetery was opened in Klostermarken, immediately to the south of Sankt Jørgens Kirkegård. It was further extended in 1804, 1820 and 1870. It is now known as Aalborgs Almen Kirkegård (meaning "common cemetery") and contains the graves of many of the city's most notable citizens.


title: Aalborg

text: Aalborg had a synagogue, built in 1854; and the Jewish rabbi Salomon Mielziner served it for 35 years. Services were no longer offered after Mielziner died, and in 1924 the synagogue was donated to the city government, which began using it to store the city archives (Stadsarkivet). It was burned down by the Schalburg Corps in April 1945 towards the end of World War II, destroying its centuries-old Torahs. Anti-semitism continues to exist in Denmark, and in 1999, an unlicensed Nazi radio station began operating from a neo-Nazi stronghold in Fynen, Nørresundby, within Aalborg municipality. The activity has been widely denounced with organized opposition in Aalborg and the rest of Denmark, and in February 1999, 12 anti-fascists were arrested for possession of explosives at their base in Fynen.


title: Aalborg

text: The major university in Aalborg is the University of Aalborg, founded in 1974. It has more than 17,000 students and more than 3,000 employees. In 2012, 3,000 new students started at the university. In 1995 it merged with Esbjerg Engineering College. The university has attempted from the outset to "develop a more "relevant" form of education than was then being offered by the established universities". It has sought to develop what is known as "contextual knowledge", a form of problem-based learning based around the project work conducted by students, rather than the curriculum focusing on traditional academic disciplines.


title: Aalborg

text: The University College of Northern Denmark is one of seven new regional organisations ("professionshøjskoler") of different study sites in Denmark offering courses normally at the bachelor level. The Royal School of Library and Information Science (RSLIS) provides higher education in library and information science; one of its two departments is in Aalborg. With about 4,500 students a year and 700 employees, Tech College Aalborg offers a wide spectrum of vocational training and runs Aalborg Tekniske Gymnasium. Aalborg Business College provides basic training in retail and trading for private enterprises and the public sector, with courses which cover information technology, economics, sales and communication, and languages.


title: Aalborg

text: The island of Egholm contains the former Egholm Skole, which was closed in 1972 when a ferry service to Aalborg was established and children on the island began attending the Vesterkæret Skole in Aalborg. Today the old school on Egholm is run as a school camp by the City of Aalborg, with 18 beds and facilities for 60 people. Skipper Clement International School is a private school for children between 6 and 16. The international department conducts its classes in English, the first to be established in the Jutland peninsula, but it does have department which educates in Danish, like the public schools in Denmark.


title: Aalborg

text: The city is home to Aalborg BK, established in 1885 and known as "AaB" for short. The club has won the Danish championship (Superliga) four times in recent years (1995, 1999, 2008, 2014). The team qualified for the group stages of the 1995–96 and 2008–09 UEFA Champions League seasons. Aalborg Chang is a Danish amateur association football club, previously known as FC Nordjylland.


title: Aalborg

text: Aalborg is also known for the women's handball club Aalborg DH, and the men's handball club Aalborg Håndbold. Established in 2001 and 2011, respectively, they both play their games in the Gigantium. Rugby in Aalborg is represented by Aalborg RK "Lynet" (Lightning), established in 1964. The city also has the Aalborg Cricket Club, which is part of the Danish Cricket League. They were established in 2000 and have players from various nations.


title: Aalborg

text: Aalborg Tennisklub is located along the Kastetvej road in the centre of Aalborg. About to the southwest of the city, near the hamlet of Restrup Enge, is Aalborg Golf Klub. Aalborg Golf Klub is the second oldest golf club in Denmark, and was originally established in 1908 in the eastern part of Aalborg. In 1929 it moved to Sohngaardsholm, but 30 years later the course had to again move because of developments with the university. The present course to the southwest of Aalborg was designed in 1968 by Graham Lockey and Commander John Harris as a 9-hole course, later expanded to 18 holes in 1976 and 27 in 2006. In 2010 the club hosted the European Girls Team Golf Championships. Another course, Ørnehoj Golfklub, is at the southeastern limits of the city, in the village of Gistrup.


title: Aalborg

text: On 11 September 1977, Aalborg hosted the Final of the Long Track World Championship for Motorcycle speedway. The Final was won by Swedish rider Anders Michanek. He defeated West Germany's Hans Seigl and Denmark's own speedway hero Ole Olsen.


title: Aalborg

text: On the north side of the Limfjord is Nørresundby, connected to Aalborg by the Limfjordsbroen road bridge, which was inaugurated in 1933, replacing a pontoon bridge which dated to 1865. The iron Limfjord Railway Bridge, inaugurated in 1938, is a nine-span bascule bridge. It opens 4,000 times a year, allowing around 10,000 vessels to sail under it. Opening in 1969 as the first motorway tunnel to be built in Denmark, the Limfjord Tunnel is long and has three lanes in each direction. It forms part of the E45, stretching from Alta, Norway, to Gela, Italy.


title: Aalborg

text: Aalborg Airport is northwest of the city centre. With its two runways, it has 20 direct routes to destinations in Denmark, Norway, Ireland, the Netherlands, the UK, Spain, and Turkey, along with seasonal flights to additional Spanish destinations and the Faroe Islands. Processing 1.4 million passengers a year, the airport is the third largest in Denmark. The Aalborg Air Base, an important Danish Air Force facility, occupies part of the extensive airport area. The Port of Aalborg is northern Denmark’s main import/export hub, operated by Aalborg Havn A/S on the Limfjord. Two additional private harbours serve the cement factory, Aalborg Portland A/S, and the power station, Vattenfall A/S.


title: Aalborg

text: The city's main train station, Aalborg Railway Station, is on John F. Kennedys Plads. It opened in 1869, when the Aalborg to Randers railway was inaugurated. The original station building was designed by N.P.C. Holsøe while the present building, which opened in 1902, was designed by Thomas Arboe. Aalborg Railway Station is operated by Banedanmark and DSB. Other rail stations in Aalborg are Skalborg Station, Aalborg Vestby Station and Lindholm Station. There are regular bus services covering the inner city as well as the wider urban area.


title: Aalborg

text: Cycling is also relatively popular in Aalborg. Statistics for 2012 indicate 44% of the population use their bicycles several times a week while 27% of the workforce cycle to work. The municipal authorities hope to increase the use of bicycles by providing better cycle tracks and parking facilities, as well as improved support services. Starting from 2009, city bikes were provided free of charge in Aalborg and Nørresundby from April to November with numerous stands throughout the area, however the city bike system was closed down in 2014 when funding ran out. In 2008, plans were made to build a to serve Aalborg, similar to Odense Letbane and Aarhus Letbane. In 2014, the government committed funding to light rail in Aalborg, only to retract the funding after a new cabinet was elected in the 2015 general election. In 2017, government funding was approved to build a bus rapid transit system instead of the light rail. The system known as is planned to be operational in 2023.


title: Aalborg

text: Aalborg University Hospital, the largest in the north of Jutland, was founded in 1881. , it consists of two large buildings in Aalborg, the hospital in Dronninglund and smaller departments in Hobro and Hjørring. It is the largest employer in the area with around 6,500 on the payroll. The hospital has traditionally undertaken research but from the beginning of 2013 it has had a formal collaboration with Aalborg University. A new building, designed by schmidt hammer lassen architects and to be completed by 2020, will provide for hospital buildings and for the university's Faculty of Health. The Aalborg University Hospital, section south, is on Hobrovej and has a 24-hour emergency ward. The northern section is in Reberbanegade, which is in the western part of the city centre. Trænregimentet, the Danish regiment for army supply and emergency medical personnel, is also in Aalborg.


title: Aalborg

text: "Nordjyske Stiftstidende", published in Aalborg, is Denmark's second oldest newspaper founded in 1767 as "Nyttige og fornøyelige Jydske Efterretninger". It was later known as "Aalborg Stiftstidende" (until 1999). In 1827, it merged with Aalborg's second newspaper "Aalborgs Stifts Adresse-Avis". The paper now serves the whole of Vendsyssel and most of Himmerland and has local editions in Aalborg, Hjørring, Hobro, Frederikshavn, Fjerritslev, Skagen, and Brønderslev.


title: Aalborg

text: ANR (also Aalborg Nærradio and Alle Nordjyders Radio) is a local radio station operated by Nordjyske Medier, owner of "Nordjyske Stiftstidende". The TV news channel, 24Nordjyske, is operated by the same firm.


title: Aalborg

text: Aalborg practices twinning on the municipal level. For the twin towns, see twin towns of Aalborg Municipality.


title: Aalborg

text: Among those who contributed to Aalborg's prosperity in the 19th century were Poul Pagh (1796–1870) who significantly developed trade and shipping, and Christen Winther Obel (1800–1860) who increased production at the C.W. Obel tobacco factory until it became the city's main employer. Another important figure of the times was Marie Rée (1835–1900) who ran the local newspaper "Aalborg Stiftstidende" until 1900, often promoting women's rights.


title: Aalborg

text: More recently, the actor and script-writer Preben Kaas (1930–1981), who was born in Aalborg, starred in over 50 Danish films. Among the city's many sporting figures, Peter Gade (born 1976) stands out as one of the world's most successful badminton players.


title: Aalborg

text: On the cultural side, Jørn Utzon (1918–2008), designer of the Sydney Opera House, grew up in Aalborg; the iconic Utzon Center which he inspired now serves as a museum for his architectural designs and offers courses of study based on his approach.


title: Arashi

text: With the release of their eighteenth single "Love So Sweet", Arashi began to gain commercial success as it was used as the opening theme song for the high-rating drama "Hana Yori Dango 2" whose protagonist is played by Matsumoto, making it one of the top five best-selling singles of 2007 in Japan and the group's first single to exceed 400,000 copies sold overall in nearly seven years. For the next two years, Arashi gained a number of achievements and records as they became the first artist to place the top two rankings on the "Oricon" singles yearly chart for two consecutive years with their singles "Truth / Kaze no Mukō e" and "One Love" in 2008 and "Believe / Kumorinochi, Kaisei" and "Ashita no Kioku / Crazy Moon (Kimi wa Muteki)" in 2009, simultaneously topped the 2009 "Oricon" singles, album and music DVD yearly charts, and became the third artist in "Oricon" history to monopolize the top three best-selling singles of the year. In 2010, all six of Arashi's singles ranked within the top ten of the "Oricon" singles yearly chart, and their million-selling studio album "Boku no Miteiru Fūkei" was named the best-selling album of the year in Japan. , the group had sold over 58.8 million copies of albums, singles and videos and became the best selling boy band in Asia. Since then, Arashi has continued to release chart-topping singles and albums, perform in sold-out concert tours, host a number of variety shows, and remain an influential figure in Japanese media.


title: Arashi

text: On January 27, 2019, Arashi announced that group activities would be suspended as of December 31, 2020.


title: Arashi

text: Johnny & Associates announced the group's debut on September 15, 1999, through a press conference aboard a cruise ship off the coast of Honolulu, Hawaii. Then-president Johnny Kitagawa chose five trainees from the Johnny's Jr. division of the agency to become the members of Arashi, the Japanese word for "Storm", and to represent the agency's thrust of "creating a storm throughout the world". On November 3, 1999, they made their CD debut by releasing the single "Arashi", which became the theme song for the FIVB Volleyball Men's World Cup hosted by Japan in 1999. It went on to become a major hit, selling 557,430 copies in its first week and almost a million copies by the end of its chart run.


title: Arashi

text: On April 5, 2000, Arashi released their second single, "Sunrise Nippon/Horizon", which debuted at number-one on the "Oricon" weekly singles chart selling 304,340 copies. The next day, the group began their first concert tour at Osaka Hall. In July, the group released their next single "Typhoon Generation", which debuted at number three on the weekly singles chart with 256,510 copies sold, and continued to chart for nine weeks before leaving the charts. After holding more concerts in August, the group released their last single of 2000, "Kansha Kangeki Ame Arashi". The single debuted at number two on the "Oricon" weekly singles chart and had first-week sales of 258,720.


title: Arashi

text: In January 2001, Arashi released their first studio album, "". The album debuted at number-one on the "Oricon" weekly album chart with initial sales of 267,220 copies. Until the release of their tenth anniversary compilation album "All the Best! 1999–2009", the album remained the group's best-selling album with overall sales of about 323,030 for nearly ten years. From March 25 to April 30, 2001, the group embarked on their first nationwide concert tour "Arashi Spring Concert 2001". The tour took place in Sendai, Osaka, Nagoya, Hokkaidō, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kanazawa, Toyama, and Tokyo with an unprecedented twenty-six performances. Before moving to a private record label by the end of 2001, Arashi released "Jidai" as their final single under Pony Canyon. Used as the theme song for Matsumoto's drama "Kindaichi Shōnen no Jikenbo 3", it was named Best Theme Song in the 30th Television Drama Academy Awards.


title: Arashi

text: Arashi began 2002 by releasing their first single under J Storm. "A Day in Our Life" was used as the theme song for Sakurai's comedy drama "Kisarazu Cat's Eye" and debuted atop of the "Oricon" weekly singles chart selling 226,480 copies. Their subsequent releases of the year, "Nice na Kokoroiki" and "Pikanchi", were used as the theme songs for the anime "Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo" and Arashi's movie respectively.


title: Arashi

text: Starting in 2003, the group would only release two singles every year until 2007. Both singles released in 2003, "Tomadoi Nagara" and "Hadashi no Mirai/Kotoba Yori Taisetsu na Mono", debuted at number two on the charts. The song "Kotoba Yori Taisetsu na Mono" marked the first time a member contributed to the penning of a single, as many of the group's songs are produced by other lyricists, composers, or musicians. Sakurai, who is the designated rapper of Arashi, has since written all the incorporated rap lyrics of the group's releases.


title: Arashi

text: The year 2004 was Arashi's fifth anniversary since debut. They began the year by releasing their twelfth single, "Pikanchi Double", in February as the theme song for their second movie . Selling 89,106 copies in the first week, it is Arashi's lowest-selling single to date. In celebration of their anniversary, the group released a greatest hits album "5x5 The Best Selection of 2002–2004", which included their second 2004 single "Hitomi no Naka no Galaxy/Hero".


title: Arashi

text: In 2005, on New Year's Day, Arashi released their first concert DVD since "How's It Going?" in 2003 titled "2004 Arashi! Iza, Now Tour!!". From July 26 to August 24, they embarked on a summer tour titled "One" to support their album of the same name. One of the highlights of the tour included the live performance their first single of the year, "Sakura Sake", on top of , a transparent stage that travels over the top of the audience. Invented by Matsumoto, "Johnny's Moving Stage" has since been used in a majority of Arashi's concerts to allow them to move closer to the audience seated at a distance from the main stage. In November, Arashi released a theme song for the manga-based drama "Hana Yori Dango", which starred Matsumoto as one of the lead actors. "Wish" went on to sell an estimated 178,000 copies in its first week and over 300,000 copies by the end of its chart run, making it their first single to sell over 300,000 copies in total in nearly three years since "A Day in Our Life" in 2002.


title: Arashi

text: By 2006, the group's singles and albums were being released outside Japan. Their studio album, "Arashic", was released not only in Japan, but also in Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. The album was successful in Korea as the first 10,000 copies of the album were sold out on the first day, and it even topped the non-Korean sales charts on the third week of July.


title: Arashi

text: In the midst of Arashi's summer concert tour "Arachic Arashic Arasick Cool and Soul", the group embarked on a publicity tour around Asia called "Jet Storm Tour" on July 31. The group visited Taiwan, Thailand and South Korea, countries which later became part of their 2006 Asia tour, all in one day to hold press conferences and promote their "Arashic" album. For two days, September 16 and 17, Arashi held their first concerts in Taipei at the Taipei Arena.


title: Arashi

text: Performing "Arashi", "Wish" and "Kitto Daijōbu", which was their first single release of the year, the group represented Japan in the 3rd annual Asia Song Festival in South Korea on September 22. Almost two months later, they became the first group from Johnny's to perform individual concerts in South Korea. According to "The Korea Times", the concerts in Korea were decided because about 1,500 Korean fans gathered at the Incheon International Airport during the group's Jet Storm Tour. Arashi proved popular to Korean fans when their concert tickets were sold out in an hour, as some 150,000 people rushed to book tickets online.


title: Arashi

text: The group traveled back to Japan and then released their second and final the single of the year "Aozora Pedal", which was written and composed by Japanese musician Shikao Suga and used for Sakurai's movie "Honey and Clover". Although Arashi had planned to return to Thailand to hold a concert on October 7, it was canceled due to a military coup d'état.


title: Arashi

text: On February 21, the group released their first single of the year, "Love So Sweet", the theme song for the high-rating drama "Hana Yori Dango 2", which peaked at the number-one spot on the "Oricon" daily and weekly charts. It is also Arashi's first single to sell more than 200,000 copies in a week in almost five years. Their nineteenth single "We Can Make It!", released on May 2, also charted number-one on the "Oricon" daily and weekly charts.


title: Arashi

text: In April, the group performed in one of their largest concerts: "Arashi Around Asia in Dome", a continuation of their Triumphant Homecoming concert held in January, which was aimed to celebrate the successful Asia tour. "Arashi Around Asia in Dome" was held at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka and at Tokyo Dome, making it Arashi's first time performing there. On July 14, Arashi launched their summer tour titled "Time – Kotoba no Chikara" to support their seventh studio album "Time". The album sold over 190,000 copies in its first week, not only extending the group's string of number-one releases but also propelling the album to reach Platinum status by Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ).


title: Arashi

text: Also in July, the TBS drama production of the manga "Yamada Tarō Monogatari", which starred Ninomiya and Sakurai, began. Arashi sang the theme song of the drama, titled "Happiness", and released it on September 5 as their third single of the year. The year proved successful for the group as all of their singles ranked within the Top 30 of the annual "Oricon" charts, with "Love So Sweet" ranking fourth in single sales overall, making it the group's first single to rank within the Top 10 on the annual charts. "Love So Sweet" was also named one of "The Best 10 Singles" in the 22nd Japan Gold Disc Awards in 2008.


title: Arashi

text: The group's success in 2007 sparked renewed public interest. In February, Arashi released their first single of the year, "Step and Go", which debuted at the top of the "Oricon" weekly chart for having sold 324,223 copies, making it as the group's first single to exceed 300,000 copies sold in the first week since "Sunrise Nippon/Horizon" in 2000. The same month, it was announced that the group would be doing a concert tour of the five major domes in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Sapporo. The tour, titled "Arashi Marks 2008 Dream-A-Live", consisted of ten performances, from May 16 in Osaka to July 6 in Sapporo. The only other Johnny's artists who have done a five dome tour were SMAP and KinKi Kids. The tour also coincided with their eighth studio album, "Dream "A" Live", which was reported to be a hit with male buyers by "Oricon" despite the fact that most releases by Johnny's artists are geared towards female teens and young adults. In the midst of the tour, Arashi released their twenty-second single "One Love", the theme song for the last production of the "Hana Yori Dango" trilogy. Like "Step and Go", the single sold over 300,000 copies in its first week and charted at number-one of the weekly singles chart.


title: Arashi

text: As the start of the group's second Asia tour, Arashi became the third musical group—after SMAP and Dreams Come True—to perform at the National Olympic Stadium in Tokyo as their first major outdoor concert on September 5. The first two legs of the tour included a return to Taipei and Seoul while the third leg was a first time trip to Shanghai. The concert in Shanghai also marked Johnny & Associates' first concert in China. Almost a month after the release of "One Love", their twenty-third single, "Truth/Kaze no Mukō e", was released. Debuting atop of the "Oricon" weekly charts, the double A-side single sold 467,288 copies. Before the group's concert in Shanghai on November 15, they released their fourth single of the year, "Beautiful Days", which was used as the theme song for Ninomiya's drama "Ryūsei no Kizuna". Although "Beautiful Days" only had a little over a month to chart before the "Oricon" charting period for 2008 ended on December 11, the single managed to climb up to be the tenth best-selling single of the year. Their concert DVD "Summer Tour 2007 Final Time - Kotoba no Chikara", released on April 16, also ranked as the second best-selling music DVD of 2008 and ranked sixth place in the general DVD category.


title: Arashi

text: The group released two double A-side singles, "Believe/Kumorinochi, Kaisei" and "Ashita no Kioku/Crazy Moon (Kimi wa Muteki)", on March 4 and May 27 respectively. Both singles sold over 500,000 copies in first week sales, making Arashi the first artist to have two consecutive singles exceed the 500,000 mark within a week in seven years seven months since Keisuke Kuwata.


title: Arashi

text: At the end of June, Arashi announced their tenth anniversary tour "Arashi Anniversary Tour 5x10", which included three consecutive shows at the National Olympic Stadium in Tokyo. They became the first artist to play at the stadium for three consecutive days. Their third single of the year, "Everything", was released on July 1 and sold nearly 342,000 copies in the first week. On August 19, Arashi released their greatest hits album "All the Best! 1999–2009", which featured most of their singles since debut, a new song with lyrics written by the members themselves, and a limited edition third disc containing ten of the group's selections. The album sold over 753,000 copies in the first week. Thirteen days after the release, the album broke the one million mark, a first in Arashi's history. It became the first album of 2009 to break one million.


title: Arashi

text: On November 11, Arashi released "My Girl" as their last single of the year. It debuted atop of the "Oricon" daily chart by selling about 178,000 copies on the first day and about 432,000 copies by the end of its first week. It was announced on November 17 that Arashi had thus monopolized the top four best first-week sales for singles of 2009.


title: Arashi

text: On November 20, Arashi held an event organized by House Foods called "Arashi in Tokyo DisneySea Premium Event". Reserving the entire theme park for one night, the group performed a special medley of Christmas songs and their own songs such as "Arashi" and "One Love", which made the Arashi the first celebrity to sing their own songs at Tokyo DisneySea.


title: Arashi

text: Arashi attended the 60th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen on New Year's Eve, making it not only the group's first time performing on the show but also the first time in twenty-one years another group from Johnny's other than SMAP and Tokio, the two traditional participants, performed at Kōhaku.


title: Arashi

text: On January 5, it was announced that Arashi would provide the song "Yurase, Ima o" as the theme song for the 2010 Winter Olympics news coverage on NTV. On January 6, Sakurai announced that Arashi would provide the theme song "Troublemaker" for his then-upcoming comedy drama. The next day, "Mezamashi TV" aired the first preview of the theme song for the drama special "Saigo no Yakusoku", the group's first drama together in nearly ten years. The theme song "Sora Takaku" was announced during the press conference for the drama special on December 15, 2009. Of the three newly recorded songs, only "Troublemaker" and "Yurase, Ima o" were included in the group's first single of the year released on March 3, with "Troublemaker" being the A-side song.


title: Arashi

text: On February 24, the 24th Japan Gold Disc Awards awarded Arashi the "Artist of the Year" prize and nine other awards in various categories. As a result, they became the first artist to win ten awards at once.


title: Arashi

text: It was announced on April 5 that Arashi would provide the theme song "Monster", which was released on May 19 as a single, for Ohno's fantasy comedy drama based on Fujiko Fujio's manga series "Kaibutsu-kun". On May 24, "Monster" debuted at number-one on the "Oricon" weekly chart selling 543,000 copies in its first week, making Arashi the first act to have thirty consecutive singles rank in "Oricon's" weekly Top 3 since their debut.


title: Arashi

text: On June 5, it was announced that the group was to release their first studio album in two years and four months since "Dream "A" Live" (April 2008) and hold a nationwide concert tour at the National Olympic Stadium in Tokyo for four days and the five major domes in Osaka, Sapporo, Tokyo, Nagoya and Fukuoka. Although the four days are not consecutive, Arashi became the first to hold four concerts at the National Olympic Stadium in the same tour.


title: Arashi

text: The group's song "Love Rainbow" was used as the theme song for the romance drama starring Matsumoto and Yūko Takeuchi. "To Be Free", Arashi's third single of 2010, became the group's twentieth consecutive number-one single since "Pikanchi Double" (2004) on July 13. Together with Ohno's solo single , which was released on the same day as "To Be Free" and placed at number-two, Arashi and Ohno accomplished the rare feat of a group and a solo artist from the group simultaneously taking the top two spots for the first time in nearly ten years.


title: Arashi

text: Arashi provided the theme song "Dear Snow" for the live-action movie adaptation of the award-winning "" manga starring Ninomiya and Kou Shibasaki. On August 10, Arashi's ninth studio album "Boku no Miteiru Fūkei" placed at number-one on the "Oricon" weekly album chart, selling around 731,000 copies. The album maintained its number-one spot in the second week, making it Arashi's first studio album to lead the "Oricon" weekly album chart for two consecutive weeks. By selling around another 125,000 copies, the album has sold a total of 856,000 copies. In September, Japan Airlines (JAL) launched a domestic Boeing 777-200 bearing both the images of the members of Arashi and the title of their "Boku no Miteiru Fūkei" album, which was sold with a specially designed cover in-flight. Japan Airlines will use the "Arashi Jet" until January 2011.


title: Arashi

text: The song "Love Rainbow" was released as a single on September 8. It debuted at number-one on the "Oricon" weekly singles chart and sold around 529,000 copies, making "Love Rainbow" the group's third 2010 single to surpass 500,000 copies sold in the first week. On October 12, "Boku no Miteiru Fūkei" sold a total of a million copies, making it the group's first studio album to sell over a million copies and the first album in Japan to reach a million copies sold in 2010. Additionally, "Dear Snow" was released as a single on October 6 and became Arashi's fourth 2010 single to sell over 500,000 copies in the first week.


title: Arashi

text: The group released their sixth single of 2010, "Hatenai Sora", on November 10. The single sold 572,000 copies in its first week, surpassing the group's old personal record of 557,000 copies sold in the first week set by their debut song "Arashi" in 1999. The group became the first male artist to achieve six number-one singles in a year. On December 31, 2010, Arashi co-hosted the 61st NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen with Nao Matsushita, becoming the first group to host the show.


title: Arashi

text: On January 5, 2011, the 25th Japan Gold Disc Awards awarded Arashi the "Artist of the Year" prize for the second year in a row. It was announced on January 15, 2011, that Arashi would release the song "Lotus" as a single on February 23, 2011. "Lotus" was also adopted as the theme song for Aiba's drama "Bartender".


title: Arashi

text: Released on January 26, 2011, Arashi's music DVD "Arashi 10–11 Tour "Scene": Kimi to Boku no Miteiru Fūkei – Stadium" sold 618,000 copies in its first week, making it the first music DVD in "Oricon" history to sell over 600,000 copies in the first week. The DVD sold another 59,000 copies, bringing the total to an estimate of 677,000 copies sold and pushing the group's overall music DVD sales to 4,014,000 copies. As a result, Arashi became the first artist in "Oricon" history to sell over four million DVDs.


title: Arashi

text: In early May 2011, the group announced their new tour with concerts in July, September, and January 2012 called the "Beautiful World Concert Tour". The group then announced on May 19, 2011, that they will hold charity events at Tokyo Dome for three days starting June 24, 2011, release their tenth studio album titled "Beautiful World" on July 6, 2011, and start their nationwide concert tour on July 24, 2011. According to Matsumoto, the title was chosen to reflect on Arashi's thoughts on the future of Japan after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. Their nationwide tour was held at four of the five major domes and the National Olympic Stadium, making it the group's fourth consecutive year performing at the stadium.


title: Arashi

text: On June 22, 2011, "Oricon" announced that the group's second music DVD "Arashi 10–11 Tour "Scene": Kimi to Boku no Miteiru Fūkei – Dome+" sold 539,000 copies in its first week of sales, pushing their all-time DVD sales to 5.282 million, making them the first Japanese artist to sell over five million DVDs.


title: Arashi

text: On October 19, 2011, NHK announced Arashi and actress Mao Inoue as the hosts for the 62nd NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen. This was the second year in a row for Arashi to be in charge of the White Team.


title: Arashi

text: On November 2, 2011, the group released their 36th single "Meikyū Love Song". "Meikyū Love Song" was adapted as the ending theme song for Sakurai's drama "Nazotoki wa Dinner no Ato de". The single sold over 240,000 copies on the first day and over 530,000 copies in the first week.