title: Bright Lights, Big City (film)

text: Fox had to be back in Los Angeles to start taping his television series "Family Ties" by mid-July, giving Chopra only ten weeks to finish the film. Studio executives did not like what Chopra was shooting and, a week into filming, the studio's chairman and its president of production flew from L.A. to New York City to check on the film. Neither had read the script and both were unaware of how different it was from the novel. McInerney has said that Cole wrote all the drugs out of the script while Cole said that he did this on instructions from Pollack, who was worried that the film would hurt Fox's wholesome image with audiences. Cole recalls, "There was definitely pressure and concern at that time about how Michael was seen by America." The studio announced that "a more experienced director" was needed as a result of an impending strike by the Directors Guild of America. On the short list of possible replacements were Ulu Grosbard, Bruce Beresford, and James Bridges. Bridges received a call on a Friday that the film was in trouble, read the novel that night, and flew to New York City on Sunday. He agreed to direct if he could start from scratch and hire Gordon Willis as his cinematographer.


title: Bright Lights, Big City (film)

text: In seven days, Bridges wrote a new draft bringing back the darker elements of the novel such as the main character's heavy drinking and drug abuse and replaced six actors, casting instead Jason Robards, John Houseman, Swoosie Kurtz, Frances Sternhagen, and Tracy Pollan, while keeping Sutherland and Dianne Wiest. The new cast members read the novel because there was no script at the time. The strike forced the production to shoot in seven weeks and use McInerney's first draft, which Bridges liked the best. Bridges worked on the script on weekends with McInerney, who was enlisted to help with revisions. The two agreed to share screenwriting credit but the Writers Guild of America decided to give it to McInerney only.


title: Bright Lights, Big City (film)

text: The cocaine that Fox snorts in the film was a prop called milk sugar. The filmmakers shot two different endings—one where Fox's character decides to start his life all over but is vague with what he specifically plans to do and an alternative one, to please the studio, where he has finished writing a novel to be called "Bright Lights, Big City" with a new girlfriend who is proud of what he has written.


title: Bright Lights, Big City (film)

text: "Bright Lights, Big City" was released on April 1, 1988, in 1,196 theaters, and grossed USD $5.1 million during its opening weekend. The film went on to make $16.1 million domestically, well below its budget of $25 million.


title: Bright Lights, Big City (film)

text: The film received mixed reviews from critics and has a 60% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 20 reviews. In his review for "Newsweek", David Ansen wrote, ""Bright Lights" isn't an embarrassment, like "Less Than Zero"; it's a smooth, professional job. But when it's over you may shrug your shoulders and ask, "Is that "all"?" Janet Maslin, wrote in her review for "The New York Times", "Mr. Bridges may not have breathed fire into this material, but he has preserved most of its better qualities. He has treated it with intelligence, respect and no undue reverence, assembling a coherent film that resists any hint of exploitation". In his review for "The Washington Post", Hal Hinson criticized Fox's performance, stating that he "was the wrong actor for the job. Fox, who in "The Secret of My Succe$s" showed a gift for light comedy, is too stylized a performer for the heavier stuff; he has no natural weight. In addition, Fox shows a reluctance to let the audience see him in an unflattering light". However, Roger Ebert praised the actor's performance: "Fox is very good in the central role (he has a long drunken monologue that is the best thing he has ever done in a movie)". "Time" magazine's Richard Schickel felt that the film, "arrives... looking like something that has been kicking around too long in the dead-letter office".


title: Bright Lights, Big City (film)

text: A special edition DVD version of "Bright Lights, Big City" was released on September 2, 2008. In her review for "The Washington Post", Jen Chaney wrote, "In the end, that's what is most disappointing about this DVD. What could have become a compelling look at a seminal novel of the 1980s and its rocky path through Hollywood ends up being a rudimentary release with a couple of decent commentary tracks and two forgettable featurettes".


title: Bright Lights, Big City (film)

text: On July 31, 2010, the story's author stated in an NPR "All Things Considered" interview that "Gossip Girl" co-creator Josh Schwartz would remake an updated version of the film.


title: Chicago P.D. (season 5)

text: The fifth season of "Chicago P.D.", an American police drama television series by executive producer Dick Wolf, premiered on September 27, 2017, and concluded on May 9, 2018. It contains 22 episodes, including the series' 100th. It is the final season featuring Elias Koteas as Alvin Olinsky.


title: Chicago P.D. (season 5)

text: On May 25, 2017, it was announced that Sophia Bush would be departing the series, while Jon Seda is set to return after the cancellation of "Chicago Justice". After recurring last season as Detective Hailey Upton, Tracy Spiridakos has been promoted to a series regular for this season.


title: Chicago P.D. (season 5)

text: Mykelti Williamson reprises his role of Lieutenant Denny Woods in a recurring role, and Wendell Pierce join the cast as Alderman Ray Price, in a recurring role.


title: Chicago P.D. (season 5)

text: Wil Traval guest stars as Sergeant McGrady, who shares a history with Upton. Anabelle Acosta joins the cast in the recurring role of Camila, and began appearing from episode 7, while Zach Appelman made his debut as Burgess' boyfriend and federal prosecutor, Matt Miller from episode 8.


title: Richard Erdman

text: Richard Erdman ( John Richard Erdmann; June 1, 1925 – March 16, 2019) was an American character actor and occasional film and television director. He appeared in more than 160 films and television productions between 1944 and 2017, mostly in supporting roles. He is most known for his roles in the classic films "Stalag 17" (1953) and "Tora! Tora! Tora!" (1970). In his final years, Erdman found renewed fame through his portrayal of Leonard in the critically acclaimed comedy series "Community" (2009–2015).


title: Richard Erdman

text: Erdman was born John Richard Erdmann in Enid, Oklahoma. His parents divorced during his childhood. He, a sibling, and their mother moved to Colorado Springs when he was a teenager. He graduated from Palmer High School, where he would perform on stage.


title: Richard Erdman

text: During his youth, he worked as a paper boy for the "Colorado Springs Evening Telegraph". A stage director named Newton Winburne encouraged him to try his luck in Hollywood.


title: Richard Erdman

text: Erdman started his career at Warner Bros. where he signed a studio contract. Two of his first roles were in the films "Mr. Skeffington", starring Bette Davis and Claude Rains and "Janie", starring Joyce Reynolds. After a few smaller roles he achieved success as a character actor in supporting roles. In a career that spanned seven decades, his best-known roles are that of the barracks chief Hoffy in "Stalag 17", and the garrulous, tedious barfly McNulty in the "Twilight Zone" episode "A Kind of a Stopwatch". He also appeared in "The Men" (1950) with Marlon Brando and the film noir "Cry Danger" (1951) with Dick Powell and Rhonda Fleming. In "Tora! Tora! Tora!" (1970) he played Colonel Edward F. French, the officer who responded to the failure to transmit the warning to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In the CBS TV series "Perry Mason" he played as murder victim Arthur Binney in the 1958 episode "The Case of the Gilded Lily". He then later plays the role for murderer three times ("The Case of the Absent Artist" [1962], "The Case of the Antic Angel" [1964], and "The Case of the Vanishing Victim" [1966]).


title: Richard Erdman

text: He guest starred in a wide variety of shows such as "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", "The Dick Van Dyke Show", "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.", "I Dream of Jeannie", "The Beverly Hillbillies", "Here's Lucy", "That Girl", "The Six Million Dollar Man", "The Bionic Woman", "One Day at a Time", "Lou Grant", "Quincy, M.E.", "Cheers", and "Murder, She Wrote".


title: Richard Erdman

text: He was also known as a voice artist, contributing to the animated shows, "Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo", "The Amazing Spider-Man", "Jonny Quest", "DuckTales", "Snorks", "Paddington", and "".


title: Richard Erdman

text: He directed the 1971 TV film "Mooch Goes to Hollywood". From 2009 to 2015, Erdman had a recurring role as the antagonistic and elderly community college student Leonard on "Community". His last role was in 2017 in the sitcom "Dr. Ken".


title: Richard Erdman

text: Erdman married actress Leza Holland in 1948, but they divorced two years later. He was married to his second wife, Sharon Randall, from 1953 until her death in 2016. They had one daughter, Erica, who was born in 1954 and died on February 18, 2010, of an accidental overdose of prescription medicine. Erica was a poet and illustrator ("The Ellyn Maybe Coloring Book") and the author of one full-length collection of poems ("The Apocalyptic Kid").


title: Richard Erdman

text: Erdman died on March 16, 2019, aged 93, in an assisted-living facility in Los Angeles, California. He had been suffering "from age-related dementia" and had recently had a fall.


title: Harry Winston

text: Harry Winston (March 1, 1896December 8, 1978) was an American jeweler. He donated the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian Institution in 1958 after owning it for a decade. He also traded the Portuguese Diamond to the Smithsonian in 1963 in exchange for 3,800 carats of small diamonds.


title: Harry Winston

text: Winston founded the Harry Winston Inc. in New York City in 1932. He had been called by many the "King of Diamonds".


title: Harry Winston

text: Winston's father Jacob started a small jewelry business. He and Winston's mother were Jewish immigrants to the United States from the Russian Empire. While growing up, he worked in his father's shop. When he was twelve years old, he recognized a two-carat emerald in a pawn shop, bought it for 25 cents, and sold it two days later for $800. Winston started his business in 1920 and opened his first store in New York City in 1932.


title: Harry Winston

text: Winston's jewelry empire began in 1926, with his acquisition of Arabella Huntington's jewelry collection, for $1.2 million. The wife of railroad magnate Henry E. Huntington, Arabella amassed one of the world's most prestigious collections of jewelry, largely from Parisian jewelers such as Cartier. When Winston bought the collection after her death, the designs of the jewelry in the collection were quite old fashioned. Winston redesigned the jewelry into more contemporary styles and showcased his unique skill at jewelry crafting.


title: Harry Winston

text: When he died, Winston left the company to his two sons, Ronald and Bruce, who then entered into a decade-long battle over the control of the company. In 2000, Ronald along with new business partner, Fenway Partners, bought Bruce out from the company for $54.1 million.


title: Harry Winston

text: Winston was among the most noted jewelers in the world, well-known to the general public. In the 1953 musical film "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes", the song "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" includes the spoken interjection "Talk to me, Harry Winston, tell me all about it!" The Lauren Weisberger comic novel "Chasing Harry Winston" was published in May 2008.


title: Harry Winston

text: In a 2009 Episode of "", bank robber Frank Hager references a diamond heist as "$750,000 of Harry Winston's Finest"


title: Harry Winston

text: In 2015, Harry Winston, Inc. operated 39 salons and numerous retail affiliates in locations such as New York, Beverly Hills, Las Vegas, Dallas, Honolulu, Bal Harbour, Chicago, Costa Mesa, and other countries around the world.


title: HMS Nelson (28)

text: HMS "Nelson" (pennant number: 28) was the name ship of her class of two battleships built for the Royal Navy in the 1920s. They were the first battleships built to meet the limitations of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. Entering service in 1927, the ship spent her peacetime career with the Atlantic and Home Fleets, usually as the fleet flagship. During the early stages of World War II, she searched for German commerce raiders, missed participating in the Norwegian Campaign after she was badly damaged by a mine in late 1939, and escorted convoys in the Atlantic Ocean.


title: HMS Nelson (28)

text: In mid-1941 "Nelson" escorted several convoys to Malta before being torpedoed in September. After repairs she resumed doing so before supporting the British invasion of French Algeria during Operation Torch in late 1942. The ship covered the invasions of Sicily (Operation Husky) and Italy (Operation Avalanche) in mid-1943 while bombarding coastal defences during Operation Baytown. During the Normandy landings in June 1944, "Nelson" provided naval gunfire support before she struck a mine and spent the rest of the year under repair. The ship was transferred to the Eastern Fleet in mid-1945 and returned home a few months after the Japanese surrender in September to serve as the flagship of the Home Fleet. She became a training ship in early 1946 and was reduced to reserve in late 1947. "Nelson" was scrapped two years later after being used as a target for bomb tests.


title: HMS Nelson (28)

text: The "Nelson"-class battleship was essentially a smaller, battleship version of the G3 battlecruiser which had been cancelled for exceeding the constraints of the 1922 Washington Naval Treaty. The design, which had been approved six months after the treaty was signed, had a main armament of guns to match the firepower of the American and Japanese es in the battleline in a ship displacing no more than .


title: HMS Nelson (28)

text: "Nelson" had a length between perpendiculars of and an overall length of , a beam of , and a draught of at mean standard load. She displaced at standard load and at deep load. Her crew numbered 1,361 officers and ratings when serving as a flagship and 1,314 as a private ship. The ship was powered by two sets of Brown-Curtis geared steam turbines, each driving one shaft, using steam from eight Admiralty 3-drum boilers. The turbines were rated at and intended to give the ship a maximum speed of 23 knots. During her sea trials on 26 May 1927, "Nelson" reached a top speed of from . The ship carried enough fuel oil to give her a range of at a cruising speed of .


title: HMS Nelson (28)

text: The main battery of the "Nelson"-class ships consisted of nine breech-loading (BL) 16-inch guns in three turrets forward of the superstructure. Designated 'A', 'B' and 'C' from front to rear, 'B' turret superfired over the others. Their secondary armament consisted of a dozen BL Mk XXII guns in twin-gun turrets aft of the superstructure, three turrets on each broadside. Their anti-aircraft (AA) armament consisted of six quick-firing (QF) Mk VIII guns in unshielded single mounts and eight QF 2-pounder () guns in single mounts. The ships were fitted with two submerged 24.5-inch (622 mm) torpedo tubes, one on each broadside, angled 10° off the centreline.


title: HMS Nelson (28)

text: The "Nelson"s were built with two director-control towers fitted with rangefinders to control the main guns. One was mounted above the bridge and the other was at the aft end of the superstructure. Each turret was also fitted with a rangefinder. A back-up director for the main armament was positioned on the roof of the conning tower in an armoured hood. The secondary armament was controlled by four directors equipped with rangefinders. One pair were mounted on each side of the main director on the bridge roof and the others were abreast the aft main director. The anti-aircraft directors were situated on a tower abaft the main-armament director with a 12-foot high-angle rangefinder in the middle of the tower. A pair of torpedo-control directors with 15-foot rangefinders were positioned abreast the funnel.


title: HMS Nelson (28)

text: The ships' waterline belt consisted of Krupp cemented armour (KC) that was thick between the main gun barbettes and thinned to over the engine and boiler rooms as well as the six-inch magazines, but did not reach either the bow or the stern. To improve its ability to deflect plunging fire, its upper edge was inclined 18° outward. The ends of the armoured citadel were closed off by transverse bulkheads of non-cemented armour thick at the forward end and thick at the aft end. The faces of the main-gun turrets were protected by 16-inch of KC armour while the turret sides were thick and the roof armour plates measured in thickness. The KC armour of the barbettes ranged in thickness from .


title: HMS Nelson (28)

text: The top of the armoured citadel of the "Nelson"-class ships was protected by an armoured deck that rested on the top of the belt armour. Its non-cemented armour plates ranged in thickness from over the main-gun magazines to over the propulsion machinery spaces and the secondary magazines. Aft of the citadel was an armoured deck thick at the level of the lower edge of the belt armour that extended almost to the end of the stern to cover the steering gear. The conning tower's KC armour was thick with a roof. The secondary-gun turrets were protected by of non-cemented armour.


title: HMS Nelson (28)

text: Underwater protection for the "Nelson"s was provided by a double bottom deep and a torpedo protection system. It consisted of an empty outer watertight compartment and an inner water-filled compartment. They had a total depth of and were backed by a torpedo bulkhead 1.5 inches thick.


title: HMS Nelson (28)

text: The high-angle directors and rangefinder and their platform were replaced by a new circular platform for the High Angle Control System (HACS) Mk I director in May–June 1930. By March 1934, the single two-pounder guns and the starboard torpedo director were removed and replaced by a single octuple two-pounder "pom-pom" mount on the starboard side of the funnel. It was provided with a Mk I director mounted on the bridge roof. In 1934–1935, "Nelson" was fitted with a pair of quadruple mounts for Vickers AA machineguns that were positioned on the forward superstructure. The ship was also fitted with a crane to handle a Supermarine Seagull biplane flying boat carried for test purposes; the crane was retained after the end of the trials. Sometime in 1936–1937, she received her portside "pom-pom" and its director. In addition gun shields were fitted to the 4.7-inch guns although they were removed by March 1938. During her refit from June 1937 to January 1938, "Nelson" had her high-angle director tower reinforced and enlarged to accommodate a pair of HACS Mk III directors and new non-cemented deck armour was installed. Like the aft deck armour, it was at the level of the bottom of the armour belt, and extended forward from the front of the citadel almost to the bow; ranging in thickness from close to the citadel to near the bow.


title: HMS Nelson (28)

text: While under repair from January–August 1940 after being mined in December 1939, "Nelson" had her aft 6-inch directors replaced by a pair of octuple 2-pounder "pom-pom" mounts and another was added on the quarterdeck. She was also fitted with a Type 279 early-warning radar. Gun shields were reinstalled on the 4.7-inch guns and a pair of four 20-tube UP rocket launchers were mounted on the roofs of 'B' and 'C' turrets. These changes increased the size of her crew to 1,452.


title: HMS Nelson (28)

text: During her repairs after being torpedoed in October 1941, "Nelson" had her torpedo tubes and UP rocket launchers removed and an octuple 2-pounder "pom-pom" mount was installed on the roof of 'B' turret. A pair of Oerlikon AA guns were installed on the roof of 'C' turret and eleven more were mounted in various places on the superstructure; all of which were in single mounts. The existing "pom-pom" directors were replaced by Mk III models and three additional directors were fitted. Each of these directors was equipped with a Type 282 gunnery radar. The HACS directors received Type 285 gunnery radars while the forward main-armament director was fitted with a Type 284 gunnery radar. The ship was also equipped with a Type 273 surface-search radar and four Type 283 radars for using the 16- and 6-inch guns in barrage (anti-aircraft) fire. Another Oerlikon gun was added to the roof of 'C' turret during a refit in September–October 1942. The 0.5-inch Vickers machine guns were removed and 26 single Oerlikon guns were added in May–June 1943; five of which were on the roof of 'C' turret and the other were mounted on the deck and the superstructure.


title: HMS Nelson (28)

text: While refitting in the United States in late 1944 to prepare her for operations in the Pacific Ocean, her anti-aircraft armament was augmented with 21 more Oerlikon guns for a total of 61 weapons. The back-up director and its armoured hood were replaced by a new platform for a pair of quadruple mounts for 40 mm Bofors AA guns; another pair of quadruple mounts were added abaft the funnel. Most of the "pom-pom" directors were replaced by four Mk 51 directors for the Bofors guns. These additions increased the ship's deep displacement to and her crew to 1,631–1,650 men.


title: HMS Nelson (28)

text: "Nelson", named after Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, was the third ship of her name to serve in the Royal Navy. She was laid down on 28 December 1922 as part of the 1922 Naval Programme at Armstrong Whitworth's Low Walker shipyard in North Tyneside, Newcastle upon Tyne and was launched on 3 September 1925. After completing her preliminary sea trials, she was commissioned on 15 August 1927 at a cost of £7,504,055. The "Nelson"-class ships received several nicknames: "Nelsol" and "Rodnol" after the Royal Fleet Auxiliary oil tankers with a prominent amidships superstructure and names ending in "ol", "The Queen's Mansions" after a resemblance between her superstructure and the Queen Anne's Mansions block of flats, the "pair of boot", the "ugly sisters" and the "Cherry Tree class" as they were cut down by the Washington Naval Treaty. "Nelson"s trials resumed after she was formally commissioned and continued in October; the ship entered service on 21 October as the flagship of the Atlantic Fleet (renamed as Home Fleet in March 1932) and remained so, aside from refits or repairs, until 1 April 1941. Prince George, Duke of Kent, the fourth son of King George V and Queen Mary, served aboard her as a lieutenant on the Admiral's staff until his transfer to in 1928. In April 1928, the ship hosted King Amanullah of Afghanistan during exercises off Portland.


title: HMS Nelson (28)

text: On 29 March 1931, she collided with the steamship , of Cardiff, Wales, in foggy conditions off Cape Gilano, Spain, although neither vessel was badly damaged. "Nelson"s damage was repaired in July. In mid-September, the crew of "Nelson" took part in the Invergordon Mutiny when they refused orders to go to sea for an exercise, although they relented after several days when the Admiralty reduced the severity of the pay cuts that prompted the mutiny. On 12 January 1934, she ran aground on Hamilton's Shoal, just off Southsea, as she was about to depart with the Home Fleet for the spring cruise in the West Indies. After removing some supplies and equipment, the ship floated off during the next high tide, undamaged. The subsequent investigation did not find any of the ship's officers at fault, attributing the incident to her poor handling at low speed. "Nelson" participated in King George V's Silver Jubilee Fleet Review in Spithead on 16 July 1935 and then King George VI's Coronation Fleet Review on 20 May 1937. After a lengthy refit later that year, the ship visited Lisbon, Portugal, together with her sister in February 1938.


title: HMS Nelson (28)

text: When Great Britain declared war on Germany, on 3 September 1939, "Nelson" and the bulk of the Home Fleet were unsuccessfully patrolling the waters between Iceland, Norway and Scotland for German blockade runners and then did much the same off the Norwegian coast from 6–10 September. On 25–26 September, she helped to cover the salvage and rescue operations of the damaged submarine . A month later, the ship covered an iron ore convoy from Narvik, Norway. On 30 October, "Nelson" was unsuccessfully attacked by the near the Orkney Islands and was hit by two of the three torpedoes fired at a range of , none of which exploded. After the sinking of the armed merchant cruiser off the coast of Iceland on 23 November by the German battleships and , "Nelson" and her sister participated in the futile pursuit of them. On 4 December 1939, she detonated a magnetic mine (laid by ) at the entrance to Loch Ewe on the Scottish coast and was under repair in HM Dockyard, Portsmouth until August 1940. The mine blew a hole in the hull forward of 'A' turret which flooded the torpedo compartment and some adjacent compartments. The flooding caused a small list and caused the ship to trim down by the bow. No one was killed, but 74 sailors were wounded.


title: HMS Nelson (28)

text: After returning to service in August, "Nelson", "Rodney" and the battlecruiser were transferred from Scapa Flow to Rosyth, Scotland, in case of invasion. When the signal from the armed merchant cruiser that she was being attacked by the German heavy cruiser on 5 November was received by the Admiralty, "Nelson" and "Rodney" were deployed to block the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands, although "Admiral Scheer" headed for the South Atlantic afterwards. When the Admiralty learned that "Gneisenau" and "Scharnhorst" were attempting to breakout into the North Atlantic to resume commerce raiding operations, "Nelson", "Rodney" and the battlecruiser were ordered on 25 January 1941 to assume a position south of Iceland where they could intercept them. After spotting a pair of British cruisers on 28 January, the German ships turned away and were not pursued.


title: HMS Nelson (28)

text: "Nelson" became a private ship on 1 April and she was detached to escort Convoy WS.7 from the UK to South Africa, visiting Freetown, Sierra Leone, on the 4th. On the return voyage, she and the aircraft carrier passed the at a range of during the night of 18 May in the South Atlantic without spotting the German ship. After the Battle of the Denmark Strait on 24 May, the was spotted two days later heading for France and "Nelson" and "Eagle" were ordered to join the pursuit from their position north of Freetown. "Bismarck" was sunk the following day well before "Nelson" and her consort could reach her. On 1 June, the battleship was assigned to escort Convoy SL.75 to the UK. After the German supply ship "Gonzenheim" was able to evade the armed merchant cruiser on 4 June, "Nelson" was detached to intercept the German ship, which was scuttled by her crew when they spotted "Nelson" approaching later that day. After arriving in the UK, the ship rejoined the Home Fleet.


title: HMS Nelson (28)

text: On 11 July, the ship was assigned to escort Convoy WS.9C that consisted of merchantmen that were to pass into the Mediterranean to deliver troops and supplies to Malta. Once they passed Gibraltar, the escorts were designated as Force X and they were to be reinforced by Force H while in the Western Mediterranean. The ships entered the Mediterranean on the night of 20/21 July and they were attacked by Italian aircraft beginning on the morning of the 23rd. "Nelson" was not engaged and joined Force H later that day as the merchantmen and their escort continued onwards to Malta. The cruisers from Force X rejoined them two days later and the combined force arrived back in Gibraltar on 27 July. On 31 July–4 August, Force H provided distant cover to another convoy to Malta (Operation Style). Vice-Admiral James Somerville, commander of Force H, transferred his flag to "Nelson" on 8 August. Several weeks later, the ship participated in Operation Mincemeat, during which Force H escorted a minelayer to Livorno to lay its mines while s aircraft attacked Northern Sardinia as a diversion. On 13 September, Force H escorted "Ark Royal" and the aircraft carrier into the Western Mediterranean as they flew off 45 Hawker Hurricane fighters to Malta.


title: HMS Nelson (28)

text: As part of a deception operation when Operation Halberd, another mission to convey troops and supplies to Malta, began on 24 September, Somerville's flag was transferred to "Rodney" while "Nelson" and some escorting destroyers departed Gibraltar heading westwards as if the former ship had relieved the latter. "Rodney" and the rest of Force H headed eastwards with "Nelson" and her escorts joining the main body during the night. The British were spotted the following morning and attacked by (Royal Italian Air Force) aircraft the next day. A Savoia-Marchetti SM.84 torpedo bomber penetrated the screen and dropped a torpedo at a range of . It blew a hole in the bow, wrecked the torpedo compartment and caused extensive flooding; there were no casualties amongst the crew. Although she was down at the bow by and ultimately limited to a speed of to reduce the pressure on her bulkheads, "Nelson" remained with the fleet to so that the Italians would not know that she had been damaged. After emergency repairs were made in Gibraltar, the ship proceeded to Rosyth where she was under repair until May 1942.


title: HMS Nelson (28)

text: "Nelson" was assigned to the Eastern Fleet after she finished working up and departed 31 May, escorting Convoy WS.19P from the Clyde to Freetown and its continuation WS.19PF to Durban, South Africa, en route. She was recalled on 26 June to participate in Operation Pedestal, a major effort to resupply Malta. Reaching Scapa Flow exactly a month later, she became the flagship of Vice-Admiral Edward Syfret, commander of the operation, the following day. The convoy departed the Clyde on 3 August and conducted training before passing through the Strait of Gibraltar on the night of 9/10 August. The convoy was spotted later that morning and the Axis attacks began the following day with the sinking of "Eagle" by a German submarine. Despite repeated attacks by Axis aircraft and submarines, "Nelson" was not damaged and made no claims to have shot down any aircraft before the convoy's capital ships turned back before reaching the Skerki Banks between Sicily and Tunisia late in the day on the 12th. The ship returned to Scapa Flow afterwards.


title: HMS Nelson (28)

text: She was transferred to Force H in October to support Operation Torch, departing on the 30th and she arrived in Gibraltar on 6 November. Two days later, Force H provided cover against any interference by the for the invading forces in the Mediterranean as they began their landings. Syfret, now commander of Force H, hoisted his flag aboard "Nelson" on 15 November. Force H covered a troop convoy from Gibraltar to Algiers, French Algeria, in January 1943. Syfret temporarily transferred his flag to the battleship in May as "Nelson" returned to Scapa Flow to train for Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily. The ship departed Scapa on 17 June and arrived at Gibraltar on the 23rd.


title: HMS Nelson (28)

text: On 9 July, Force H, with "Nelson", "Rodney" and the carrier , rendezvoused in the Gulf of Sirte with the battleships , and the carrier coming from Alexandria, Egypt to form the covering force for the invasion. The following day, they began patrolling in the Ionian Sea to deter any attempt by the to interfere with the landings in Sicily. On 31 August, "Nelson" and "Rodney" bombarded coastal artillery positions between Reggio Calabria and Pessaro in preparation for Operation Baytown, the amphibious invasion of Calabria, Italy. The sisters covered the amphibious landings at Salerno (Operation Avalanche) on 9 September with "Nelson" using her main guns in "barrage" mode to deter attacking German torpedo bombers. The Italian armistice was signed between General Dwight Eisenhower and Marshal Pietro Badoglio aboard the ship on 29 September.


title: HMS Nelson (28)

text: "Nelson" departed Gibraltar on 31 October for England to rejoin the Home Fleet. She provided naval gunfire support during the Normandy landings in June 1944, but was badly damaged after hitting two mines on the 18th. Temporarily repaired in Portsmouth, the ship was sent to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in the United States on 22 June for repairs. She returned to Britain in January 1945 and was then assigned to the Eastern Fleet, arriving in Colombo, Ceylon, on 9 July. The ship became the fleet flagship three days later. "Nelson" was used on the western coast of the Malayan Peninsula for three months, taking part in Operation Livery. The Japanese forces there formally surrendered aboard her at George Town, Penang, on 2 September 1945. Ten days later, the ship was present when the Japanese forces in all of South-east Asia surrendered in Singapore.


title: HMS Nelson (28)

text: "Nelson" was relieved as flagship on 20 September and departed for home on 13 October. She arrived at Portsmouth on 17 November and became the flagship of the Home Fleet a week later. "King George V" replaced her as flagship on 9 April 1946 and "Nelson" became a training ship in July. When the Training Squadron was formed on 14 August, the ship became flagship of the Rear-Admiral that commanded the training battleships. She was relieved as flagship by the battleship in October and became a private ship. "Nelson" was slightly damaged by a collision with the submarine in Portland on 15 April 1947. The ship was placed in reserve on 20 October 1947 at Rosyth and was listed for disposal on 19 May 1948. From 4 June to 23 September, she was used as a target ship for armour-piercing aerial bombs to evaluate their ability to penetrate the ship's armoured deck. "Nelson" was turned over to the British Iron & Steel Corporation on 5 January 1949 and was allocated to Thos. W. Ward for scrapping. The ship arrived at Inverkeithing on 15 March to begin demolition.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: The Ferrari Mondial (Type F108) is a mid-engined, V8, grand tourer manufactured and marketed by Ferrari between 1980 and 1993 – with styling by Pininfarina and bodywork by Carrozzeria Scaglietti.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: Offered as either a 2+2 coupé or cabriolet, the Mondial has the slightly higher roofline, greater dimensions and increased weight to accommodate occasional rear seating for children or small adults.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: The Mondial replaced the Ferrari 308/208 GT4 coupé and remains the last V8, rear mid-engined, 2+2 Ferrari.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: The name "Mondial", French for "global", reflected its worldwide conformance with 1980 safety and emission standards — as well as the company's prominent motor racing victories. Ferrari had used the nameplate in the 1950s to celebrate Formula 1 World Championships and again in the 1970s to mark its Formula 1 World Constructors Championships.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: The Mondial uses a rear mid-engine, in 2+2 2-door coupé or 2+2 convertible bodystyles. It was marketed concurrently with Ferrari's 2-seater 308 GTB/GTS, 328, and 348 sports cars, sharing the major mechanical systems with the 2-seater model Ferrari marketed concurrently.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: Unlike its GT4 predecessor which was styled by the Italian Gruppo Bertone, the original Mondial 8 was designed by Pierangelo Andreani who just started working at Pininfarina with subsequent iterations redesigned by Leonardo Fioravanti, the designer with whom Ferrari had worked closely since 1951.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: Pininfarina's bodywork was manufactured by coachbuilder Carrozzeria Scaglietti. Its used outer body panels fitted to a separate space-frame chassis of tubular box or oval-shaped steel sections. While most body panels are steel, the front lid and rear engine cover of the Mondial 8 and QV models are aluminium. Full-width aluminium louvre panels across the front lid and engine cover provide airflow through the front-mounted radiators and engine bay.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: Louvre grilles are located on each side of the vehicle just ahead of the rear wheels providing intake air to the engine on the right and on the left, providing air to an external oil cooler located ahead of the rear wheel arch. Louvres in the front polished aluminium grille provide airflow to the main radiator, supplied with coolant via alloy tubing running through the central chassis spine. A full-width black louvre panel is located below the rear bumper, accommodating an exhaust outlet to each side. Front and rear bumpers are black plastic on the Mondial 8 and QV, while the 3.2 and "t" models use integrated wrap-around glass-fibre panels finished in body colour.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: The Mondial chassis features detachable sub-frames holding major mechanical assemblies, including one at the rear supporting the engine/transmission/rear suspension assembly, to simplify engine service compared to previous V8 Ferraris.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: A forward-hinged lid covers a front compartment accommodating the spare tyre, radiators and cooling fans, battery (ahead of a wheel arch), heating and cooling systems electric control systems. At the rear, a full-width, insulated and trimmed luggage boot with a gas-strut-supported lid sits behind the engine bay. Electrically actuated pop-up headlights contain twin round lamps in each for all 8, QV and 3.2 models, and a single homofocal rectangular unit each side of the Mondial t.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: All Mondials are fitted with a V8 engine deriving from Ferrari's original V8 powerplant released in the 1974 Ferrari (Dino) 308 GT4, which in-turn was a two-cylinder extension of the V6 engine originally deployed in the Dino 206 GT of 1968.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: Mondial engines comprise a lightweight alloy V8 block with 90° bank-angle; shrink-fit cylinder liners; a five-bearing, flat-plane crankshaft with paired connecting rods on each journal; belt-driven, quad overhead camshafts (two per cylinder bank) acting directly on the valves; alloy crossflow cylinder heads; and a wet-sump lubrication system (excepting the Mondial t, which used a dry-sump system). Engine displacement started at for the Mondial 8 and QV models, increasing to for the Mondial 3.2, and culminating in for the Mondial t model. The orientation of the 3.4 V8 engine block is unique in "Mondial t" models. Mirroring the two-seater Ferrari V8 vehicles, all 3.0 and 3.2 L engines sit across the car with their crankshaft and cylinder planes transverse to the main vehicle axis. The 3.4 L engine in the "Mondial t" (and 348 GTB cousin) is rotated ninety degrees to a longitudinal orientation with respect to the car.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: In the Mondial 8 the V8 employs two valves-per-cylinder, and this increases to four valves-per-cylinder for the "Quattrovalvole" QV and all later models. All models feature a cast-alloy intake housing nestled centrally above the engine "vee" with manifold tubing running directly to each cylinder. Marelli electronic ignition is used on all vehicles with the exception of the Mondial t, and comprises twin coils, a separate distributor run off each bank of cylinders, and a common electronic control module. Again excepting the "Mondial t", fuel metering is via Bosch K Jetronic continuous fuel injection with "lambda" exhaust sensing. For the Mondial t, a Bosch Motronic 2.5 or 2.7 engine management system controls both the ignition and fuel metering functions. Exhaust gases on all models are collected via 4-2-1 systems fitted to the outside of each cylinder bank, flowing through a one or two catalytic converters to twin outlets each side of the rear panel.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: In the Mondial 8, QV, and 3.2 models, the transmission housing is integral with the engine sump casting, albeit with its own oil supply, sitting below and slightly to one side of the main block. Drive to the gearbox is via a single-plate, diaphragm-spring clutch and a set of drop-gears located outboard of the left-hand end of the crankshaft, with output torque feeding into a friction-plate limited-slip final drive unit offset to the rear of the gearbox.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: A five-speed, all-indirect manual transmission using a "dog-leg" selector pattern was the only transmission offered. Instead of the conventional "H" shift pattern, this arrangement (also known as a "reverse h-gate") has 1st gear situated to the far left and back, behind reverse. This pattern has been popular with racing gearboxes, as it allows quicker, more direct shifts between 2nd and 3rd, and 4th and 5th, gears. The output from the final drive to the rear wheels is via a pair of short, solid drive shafts fitted with constant-velocity joints at each end to allow for suspension articulation.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: For these models, clutch actuation is hydraulic, unlike their two-seater cousins' cable systems, and transmission selection is via a rod which extends through the centre chassis tunnel and passes through the engine sump into the transmission housing.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: For the Mondial t, the engine and transmission were substantially reconfigured and their orientations rotated by ninety degrees to place the axes of both the engine crankshaft and the transmission input shafts parallel to the vehicle's longitudinal axis. The transmission and final-drive units form a combined transaxle arrangement fitted to the rear of the engine block, using a design originally derived from Ferrari's 312T Formula 1 car. Drive from the single-plate clutch enters the gearbox and is turned ninety degrees by bevel gears to the main transmission shafts which are aligned transverse to the vehicle. A parallel crownwheel with integral limited-slip action directs output torque to driveshafts with CV joints at each end. The clutch is hydraulically-actuated, and gear selection is via cable operation.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: in 1991, an "auto-clutch" option became available on the Mondial t, developed by French supplier Valeo. Essentially, this turned the transmission from a conventional manual into a clutchless manual. This system retained the conventional manual transmission mechanicals but replaced the normal clutch linkage mechanism with an electro-mechanical actuator, without a foot-operated clutch pedal. Clutch engagement and disengagement on the Valeo unit is triggered by the movement of the gear-lever, although the electronic control unit combines data from sources including engine, road-speed, and gear selection to warn against, or over-ride, attempted selections outside the specified operating limits.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: Although based on the two-seater vehicle designs, Mondials are slightly larger overall including having appreciably wider front and rear track dimensions. Suspension systems are fully independent all-round, comprising unequal-length upper and lower wishbones, coil-over damper units and anti-roll bars at each end of the vehicle. Mondial t vehicles include a driver-adjustable selector to set the electronically controlled damper units, providing three choices of ride-stiffness adjustment.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: Steering is a rack-and-pinion mechanism sitting ahead of the front wheels, unpowered on all 8, QV and 3.2 models. Hydraulic power-assistance was standard on the subsequent Mondial t model. Braking is via four-wheel ventilated disks with split-circuit vacuum assistance on all vehicles. Anti-lock braking (ABS) was available as an option in 1987, and it was fitted as standard from 1988.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: Wheels on all vehicles are of a five-spoke alloy design in a clear-lacquered finish. Two distinct patterns were used: the Mondial 8 and QV models have wheels with a flat centre and pronounced edges to the five spokes, whereas the 3.2 and t models' wheels have a convex centre and smoother, angled spokes. All wheels feature a yellow circular centre cap bearing Ferrari's black "Cavallino Rampante" rearing-horse logo.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: Mondials until the late 1980s, including all 8 and QV models and many 3.2s, were originally fitted with Michelin TRX tyres of size 220/55 VR 390 front and 240/55 VR390 rear. TRX tyres require wheels with the proprietary TRX rim profile, meaning all vehicles fitted with such wheels could only utilise TRX-style tyres. Later 3.2 vehicles and the Mondial t reverted to industry-standard wheel designs of size 7x16 front and 8x16 rear, enabling a far wider range of tyre choices to suit the 205/55 VR16 front and 225/55 VR16 rear tyre specifications.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: The seats and interior of all Mondial variants are fully trimmed in Connolly hide with the exception of the use of black vinyl for the dashboard top and upper door linings. Paint, upholstery and carpet colours generally match those available on Ferrari's concurrent two-seater models, with the commonest choices being Rosso Corsa or Rosso Dino (reds), Azzurro (blue) and Nero (black), in combination with beige, tan or black leather. All seats including those in the rear are strongly bucket-shaped, and fitted with inertia-reel seatbelts.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: A central tunnel for the chassis structure is prominent in both front and rear footwells, and is straddled by a large front centre console with a polished open-gated gear selector and electronic warning-light panel. Electric windows (the front panes only are opening) and air-conditioning are standard fitments, with their controls on the central console. The handbrake is located outside the driver's seat beside the inner sill, and is a "drop-down" design to assist ingress and egress. A three-spoked leather steering wheel is mounted to a steering column adjustable for reach and rake, behind which is a "pod-style" instrument binnacle holding six gauges: speedometer, tachometer, fuel level, water temperature, oil pressure and oil temperature. The Mondial instrumentation is completed with a comprehensive set of warning lights and electronic check panels.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: The Mondial was, at the time, one of Ferrari's most commercially successful models, with over 6,000 examples produced over its thirteen-year run. The Mondial underwent many updates throughout its production with four distinct variants produced: the Mondial 8, Mondial QV, Mondial 3.2, and Mondial t. All but the Mondial 8 were released in both coupé and cabriolet (convertible) body form.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: Starting with the Mondial 8 coupé launched in 1980, the vehicle which served as sole V8-engined Grand Touring or "GT" vehicle within the Ferrari range proved to be a disappointment to some Ferrari enthusiasts. With a body that was larger, heavier and less aerodynamically efficient than the equivalent two-seater models, combined with the introduction of tougher emission standards which significantly dropped power outputs, overall vehicle performance inevitably decreased. In addition, Ferrari responded to new safety requirements, especially in the U.S., with large, black, over-dominant bumpers which were considered to have negatively affected the external design. The fact that the Mondial 8 was a significantly more expensive vehicle than its better-performing two-seater 308 GTBi sister somewhat compounded the situation.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: Ferrari acted quickly just two years later in 1982 to address the straight-line performance issues, by upgrading the engine with a new four-valve head. This model, the Mondial Quattrovalvole or QV, shared its engine with the contemporary two-seaters 308 GTB/GTS QV. A new cabriolet version was also introduced at this time, a body style which would be carried forward through all subsequent Mondial models.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: The next evolution was the Mondial 3.2 produced from 1985, which saw the engine grow in displacement and power, and both the internal and external styling significantly refreshed. This car has enjoyed strong popularity within the Mondial range due to it being a good all-round performer and one of the last Ferraris to have the relatively straightforward maintenance provided by the Ferrari 328 engine and transmission configuration.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: The final Mondial variant was the Mondial t, released in 1989. This contained some of the biggest changes in the Mondial history, with an even-larger engine, a substantial update to the exterior styling and interior ergonomics, and with an entirely new, albeit more complex to service, powertrain. Overall the Mondial t is considered the best vehicle in the range regarding overall performance and refinement, although it is often noted that this comes at the cost of greater maintenance.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: Production of the Mondial ceased in 1993, with a total of 6,149 vehicles from all variants having been manufactured.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: The first Mondial iteration introduced as the Mondial 8 at the 1980 Geneva Auto Salon. It was the first Ferrari to depart from the company's simple 3-digit naming scheme, and some reviews found it relatively mild, compared to other Ferraris, regarding performance, drawing criticism from some in the motoring press. It used a mid/rear-mounted Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection V8, shared with the 308 GTBi/GTSi, mounted transversely. The engine used in the 1973 "Dino" 308 GT4. The K-Jetronic system is mechanical, with a high-pressure pump which streams fuel continuously to the injectors; it does not have a computer, just a few relays to handle the cold start sequence etc.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: The chassis was also based on the 308 GT4, but with a wheelbase at . The suspension was the classic layout of unequal-length double wishbones and Koni dampers all around.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: The first Mondial engine, although a DOHC design, used just two valves per cylinder. The 1982 Quattrovalvole or QV introduced a new four-valve head; the combustion chamber design purportedly based on the early eighties Formula 1 engine. Again, the engine was shared with the contemporary 308 GTB/GTS QV, and produced . Appearance was largely as per the Mondial 8, although with red engine heads and prominent "Quattrovalvole" script at the rear. 1,145 coupés built between 1982 and 1985.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: A new Cabriolet convertible model was added for 1983. The body styling remained the same as the coupé variant, with the roof maintaining the 'buttress' design, though the Cabriolet required the rear seats to be mounted closer together laterally. The introduction of the Cabriolet saw the popularity of the Mondial rise, particularly in the American market, where a convertible option was highly desirable. The Cabriolet has the added distinction of being the only four-seat, mid-rear engine, convertible automobile ever manufactured in regular production. 629 units were produced between 1983 and 1985, making this the rarest version of the Mondial.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: Like the new Ferrari 328, the Mondial's engine grew in both bore and stroke to 3.2 L (3,185 cc) in 1985. Output was now . The Mondial 3.2 was first presented at the 1985 Frankfurt Auto Show in September that year.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: Available in both Coupé and Cabriolet forms, styling refreshed with restyled and body-coloured bumpers, similar to the 328 with more integrated indicators and driving lamps, and new alloy wheels with a more rounded face. The 3.2 also boasted a major interior update, with a more ergonomic layout and a more rounded instrument binnacle. Later cars, from 1987 onwards, also sported ABS brakes. Fuel injection remained the primarily mechanical Bosch K-Jetronic (CIS) with an O sensor in the exhaust providing feedback to a simple computer for mixture trimming via a pulse modulated frequency valve that regulated control fuel pressure. The ignition system was Marelli Microplex, with electronic advance control and one distributor per bank of the V8. The 1988 Mondial 3.2 would be the final model year that retained the relatively low maintenance costs of the 308/328 drivetrain, allowing major service items like timing belt and clutch replacement performed with the engine/transmission package still in the car.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: The final Mondial evolution was 1989's Mondial t (Coupé and Cabriolet). It was a substantially changed model, "spearhead of a new generation of V8 Ferraris", according to "Road & Track" magazine. It was visually different from preceding Mondial models, the most recognizable being the redesign of the air intakes to a smaller rectangular shape. Additionally, the door handles were of a visually different design, as were the front and rear bumpers which became body-colored. New front and rear wings cover wider tracks and are re-profiled to a fuller shape compared to previous models, which feature a rolled lip.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: The 't' called attention to the car's new engine/transmission layout: the previously transverse engine mounted longitudinally while the gearbox remained transverse, thus forming a 't'. The 't' suffix was also homage to the first use of a transverse transmission by Ferrari in the highly successful Ferrari 312T, driven by F1 World Champion Niki Lauda. By adopting this layout, a longer engine could be mounted lower in the chassis, improving handling dramatically. The 't' configuration was used by Ferrari's Formula One cars of the 1980s, and would be the standard for the marque's future mid-engine V8 cars, beginning with the 348, introduced later in the year. The transverse manual gearbox fitted with a Limited Slip Differential with a twin-plate clutch design with bevel gears driving the wheels. Later in production, an electromechanical-actuated clutchless manual transmission, termed "Valeo", was available as an option; where the driver would change gear using a traditional H-pattern gearshift, but the clutch was automatically actuated through electronic equipment, eliminating the need for a manually-operated clutch pedal.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: The new layout saw the engine and transmission mounted on a removable subframe; the assembly removed from the underside of the vehicle for maintenance. This process is necessary for timing belt replacement, making this a costly procedure for the owner who does not have a lift. On the other hand, the clutch was now located at the very rear of the drive train. This arrangement makes clutch replacement and service a simple, inexpensive, and readily owner-doable proposition.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: The engine was up to 3.4 L (3405 cc) and . The engine was controlled by Bosch Motronic DME 2.5 (later DME 2.7) electronic engine management that integrated EFI and ignition control into a single computer unit. Two of these were used in the car: one for each bank of the engine. Engine lubrication upgraded to a dry-sump system.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: The "t" was home to other Ferrari firsts: It used power-assisted steering for the first time and had a 3-position electronically controlled suspension for a variable tradeoff between ride quality and road holding. It also had a standard anti-lock braking system.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: The Mondial t represented the most substantial upgrade to the Mondial model line in performance and handling since its introduction in 1980. The "t" offered greater performance while retaining a mid-engine layout and a practical packaging layout, and was once again, favorably received.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: The Mondial's chassis would underpin a new generation of two-seater Ferraris, right up to the Ferrari 360, but the 2+2 Mondial would end production just four and a half years later in 1993. However, the "t" layout of the engine and transaxle, adapted from Ferrari's Formula One cars, continues to be used in mid-engine V8 model Ferraris to date, albeit with a more sophisticated chassis.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: The company has not produced a mid-engine 2+2 car since then, leaving the 2+2 configuration to the more classic front-engine design starting with the 456 in 1992. Since then, the GTC4Lusso, Portofino, Roma have been additional four-seat vehicle offerings – but all of these are front-engined, leaving the Mondial t as the most recent four-seat, mid-engine, Ferrari produced.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: A Mondial t was manufactured exclusively by Ferrari for PPG Industries to use as a pace car for the PPG Indy Car World Series. Built under the design of Ercole Spada at I.DE.A Institute at a cost of approximately $1 million, it was introduced at the 1989 Champion Spark Plugs 300 in Laguna Seca.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: With its one-of-a-kind Pininfarina derived design; everyday versatility, the Mondial has amassed a cult following of enthusiasts. It historically has not received widespread admiration however and is sometimes the target of derision due to what many consider the compromises (4 seats and heavier weight) Ferrari undertook creating the car in both form and function. Some early negative reviews for the first model, the Mondial 8, have often been repeated by derivative articles that further tarnished the Mondial image across the subsequent six iterations.


title: Ferrari Mondial

text: Many current enthusiasts have welcomed the contrary views, as it has allowed the price of the model to remain relatively stable and Ferrari ownership and parts manageable, many speculate (and some lament) that it will inevitably rise significantly in value.<ref name="http://www.cheatsheet.com/"></ref>


title: Joanne World Tour

text: The Joanne World Tour was the fifth headlining concert tour by American singer Lady Gaga, in support of her fifth studio album, "Joanne" (2016). It began on August 1, 2017, in Vancouver, Canada and ended on February 1, 2018, in Birmingham, England. After tickets went on sale, various shows in Europe and North America quickly sold out, prompting additional dates in both continents. The concert series was deemed "more minimalist" in comparison to the singer's previous tours, but received praise for the visuals, Gaga's singing abilities and her connection with the audience.


title: Joanne World Tour

text: Due to chronic pain caused by fibromyalgia, Gaga was forced to cancel the last 10 shows of the concert series. The tour ultimately grossed $95 million from 842,000 tickets sold.


title: Joanne World Tour

text: Two weeks before Lady Gaga's fifth studio album, "Joanne", was released in October 2016, she began a small promotional tour called the Dive Bar Tour, which visited bars across the US. On October 24, 2016, the singer confirmed to Howard Stern that she would also embark on a worldwide concert tour to continue promoting the record. She clarified that it would begin after her performance at the Super Bowl LI halftime show, that took place on February 5, 2017. Following the halftime show, Gaga announced the Joanne World Tour which began on August 1, 2017, at Vancouver's Rogers Arena and would continue till December 18, 2017, ending at Inglewood, California's The Forum venue, for a total of 60 shows across North and South America and Europe.


title: Joanne World Tour

text: On March 2, 2017, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival announced Gaga as a main headliner of the festival in Indio after Beyoncé had to cancel her appearance due to pregnancy. "Billboard" reported that the tour would start with the Coachella performances, four months earlier than originally expected. However, in an interview with "Entertainment Weekly", Gaga's choreographer Richard Jackson confirmed that the performances at Coachella was exclusively for the festival and the Joanne World Tour would be completely different. Nevertheless, elements from the festival performance as well as from the Super Bowl halftime show were kept and used for the tour.


title: Joanne World Tour

text: Gaga's participation in the Rock in Rio festival in Brazil was supposed to be the only date in South America. However, due to being hospitalized for body pain, she had to cancel the date. On September 18, 2017, Gaga postponed the European leg of the tour as a result of further chronic pain she endured. The postponed dates were announced a few weeks later to reconvene from January 14, 2018 in Barcelona and end on February 23, 2018 in Germany. However, due to severe pain caused by fibromyalgia, Gaga was forced to cancel the remaining 10 shows of her tour, which consequently ended in Birmingham on February 1, 2018.


title: Joanne World Tour

text: The Joanne World Tour plans had to be put on hold temporarily for the Coachella rehearsals. However, its concept was in development since the Super Bowl and rehearsals started after Gaga finished filming for "A Star Is Born", her first lead role as an actress. By July 2017, Gaga told "Billboard" magazine that she and her team were discussing the song selection process as well as where all they would want choreography in the show. She confirmed her plans of releasing more music on tour, like standalone single "The Cure", which was released following the first Coachella performance. Gaga had also planned to play another Dive Bar stop at Las Vegas in July 2017 before kicking off the tour. The singer explained that she wanted to have a slowed-down section during the Joanne World Tour, so that she was able to "really connect with each person in the most intimate way that I can, like it would be in a dive bar". She also wanted to honor the victims of the Manchester Arena bombing, which had happened in May 2017, on every show of the tour.


title: Joanne World Tour

text: In February 2017, Gaga unveiled a look-book for the tour, which would be available as part of the merchandise on the tour. The book was a collaboration between London-based creative studio Lobster Eye and merchandising company Bravado. They hired photographer Synchrodogs, and stylist Daria Lagenberg to create the photographs. Models like Stacy Koren and Daria Svertilova posed for the pictures, which showed them in a wood-inspired set. Tania Shcheglova and Roman Noven of Synchrodogs explained in an interview with "Women's Wear Daily" that envisioned a colorful aesthetic for the pictures, being given total freedom as to how they would create it. Wanting to mix both "artificial and natural elements", Synchrodogs used Ukrainian landscape as the backdrops for the photo shoot. The merchandise consisted of necklaces, scarves and T-shirts, with Alexa Tietjen from the "Los Angeles Times" commenting that "If the lookbook is any indication, the Joanne World Tour just might be Gaga's most fashionable yet." They were made available for purchase at clothing shop Urban Outfitters from May 19, 2017. Consisting of long and short-sleeved T-shirts and bomber jackets, the collection had 10 different items for men and women, with "Joanne" inspired artwork on them.


title: Joanne World Tour

text: Gaga confirmed in July 2017 that the stage design was completed and building was in progress. The stage was deemed by her as different than all the previous builds done for her tours. The singer also added that "lighting is a big thing this year" on the tour. The main stage was built in collaboration with Tait Inc. with production manager Robert 'Hydro' Mullin, and creative designer, LeRoy Bennett. It is in width and is accompanied by two satellite stages and a b-stage. It consists of three moving platforms for staging equipment and five performer wave lifts that can move in unison with one another or independently in various different configurations. Carly Mallenbaum from "USA Today" called them "tetris stages", because of their changing alignments. The main three lifts are wide and aligned parallel to them are two other lifts. Altogether they render the different configurations and shapes to the stage: elevated, flat, criss-cross, diagonal or staircase.


title: Joanne World Tour

text: Additionally, above the audience there are three inflatable lightning pods with video projection displays, that also act as bridges. When not being used for videos, they descend to connect the main stage with the circular satellite stages and the b-stage, allowing access to the performers to move between them. Through these moving platforms and stage, Gaga was able to traverse the entirety of an arena and perform close to the audience. The satellite stages also consisted of two hydraulic lifts, which raised the singer to join a platform on the b-stage. Tait also designed a laser lit, heart-shaped piano. It was adorned with 44 laser beams, that lit up the arena and sequenced with the keypads on the piano. The 1.25-inch acrylic shell piano was enhanced by adding a mix of dichroic filmed polycarbonate fascia, thereby reflecting the beams more.


title: Joanne World Tour

text: Before the tour had started, Gaga talked about the option of playing new songs during the concert series, saying it is "absolutely" her intention to do so. However, she later added, that because of the stage set, the possibility is less likely. She said that "this show's actually extremely complex and complicated, and the stage is coded with a computer. It's intense and the cues all have to be met at a particular time. It's high stress and tense backstage to make sure everything happens at the exact moment it's supposed to. So, the setlist might change a little bit, but mostly you're coming to see a piece that we've created for you."


title: Joanne World Tour

text: Like on the singer's previous tours, the show was divided into separate segments, each preceded by a costume change of the singer. While Gaga had not shared any sketches or details concerning the costumes before the tour began, it was reported that nearly 50,000 Swarovski crystals had been used while designing the costumes and props for Gaga and the dancers. Sarah Tanno, who worked as makeup artist for the tour, has revealed that the crystals were even used on Gaga's eyes "in order to create a multi-dimensional effect that shines on stage". Gaga shared a photo on Instagram prior to the first show, giving a preview of her two-toned, orange and green wig that she later wore for the shows.


title: Joanne World Tour

text: The first outfit worn by her was a black bejewelled fringe leotard with heavy embroidery, completed with a crystallized sequin hat. The ensemble was custom-made for her by Alexander Wang, who was inspired by "Gaga's incredible energy" and "the Western spirit", "as well as her transformation into Joanne". Discussing his creation with "Vogue", Wang further added that the outfit was influenced by "a cowboy boot's heavy stitching and embellishments". Gaga later appeared on stage in other "Western-inspired" looks. For one of them, Gaga donned a black jacket with much leather fringe, along with black thigh-high-boots, fishnets, and a black hat. Stripping off the jacket, she was seen in a mesh leather cut-out bodysuit. A different "cowgirl" ensemble consisted of a wide-brim hat and a white, hand-painted fringe blazer, which featured song and album titles from her past discography and lyrics from the track, "Perfect Illusion".


title: Joanne World Tour

text: For a performance that involved a new version of Gaga's characteristic "disco-stick" prop from the Super Bowl LI halftime show, she also changed into a long sleeve light blue leather bodysuit with dramatic shoulder pads, scattered pearls, and matching, knee-high boots. Another outfit was a black velvet bodysuit with rose embellished sleeves and custom black velvet block-heel booties designed by Giuseppe Zanotti, which were later completed with a white ball gown skirt. Gaga later dressed up in a bold red Norma Kamali "sleeping bag" puffer coat with a 10-foot-long train and an eye mask. Lauren Alexis Fisher from "Harper's Bazaar" remarked that Gaga brought back "the avant garde looks she's always embraced" with the outfit. After taking off the coat, Gaga started performing in a red leather bodysuit and tassel leather boots. She also wore a geometric white jacket with multiple bows on both arms, completed with a feathered masquerade mask and a second set of Giuseppe Zanotti heels with a crystal ankle strap. The ensemble has been compared to Gaga's look during "The Fame Monster" era. She later removed the jacket, revealing a glittering long-sleeve, mock neck leotard underneath. For the encore, Gaga donned a sparkling, crystal-embellished robe coat and the same pink hat as seen on the cover of "Joanne".


title: Joanne World Tour

text: The show begins with a countdown displayed on a large screen, with the line "Don't call me Gaga" repeatedly played from the speakers. After Gaga shouts out that she instead wants to be called Joanne, she starts performing "Diamond Heart", standing solely on a raised platform with a microphone stand. She then moves on to sing "A-Yo", while playing on a guitar, and her dancers and guitarists also appear on stage. The show then continues with a choreographed performance of "Poker Face" with her dancers clad in black cowboy-style leather costumes. The first act of the show is concluded by "Perfect Illusion", followed by a video interlude that shows Gaga driving a vintage convertible letting out pink smoke. "John Wayne" is performed with pyrotechnic effects alongside her dancers. This is followed by "Scheiße", performed on the raised platforms. After a solo performance of "Alejandro", Gaga leaves the stage for a costume change.


title: Joanne World Tour

text: Following another video interlude, depicting the singer with rhino horns, Gaga appears on stage playing her keytar to "Just Dance". "LoveGame" and "Telephone" follows the performance, the former using her characteristic disco-stick. During "Applause", the three lightning pods that were used for video projection are lowered, forming bridges for Gaga and her dancers to cross between the b-stages, allowing them to get to the piano by the end of the song. Here Gaga gives a speech to the crowd and then starts singing "Come to Mama" and "The Edge of Glory" on the piano. Changing into a ball gown Gaga performs "Born This Way" accompanied by colorful lighting effects.


title: Joanne World Tour

text: After another video interlude, Gaga returns to sing "Bloody Mary" in a puffer coat red dress, which is changed into a red bodysuit for "Dancin' in Circles". Gaga then performs "Paparazzi" portraying a choreographed battle onstage, showing someone stalked and murdered. Ambulance sirens are heard and a cross with a red and blue background is displayed as one of the pods are lifted, containing her. The show then shifts into "Angel Down" as the pod that contained Gaga, now in a white fringe blazer and a brownish hat with a feather, is lowered halfway. Gaga then goes down to the platform to tell the audience a story about her late aunt, Joanne Germanotta, before sitting down on a stool, guitar in-hand to perform the album title track.


title: Joanne World Tour

text: The final segment begins with "Bad Romance", with Gaga and her dancers all decked in white, followed by "The Cure" with full choreography. She takes a bow and leaves the stage, only to return a few minutes later for the encore, wearing a long silver sparkling jacket paired with the signature pink hat. "Million Reasons" is sung on piano, with the singer standing atop it, and the show ends with Gaga disappearing under the stage, while leaving the pink hat behind on the piano stool.


title: Joanne World Tour

text: According to Live Nation, all the arena dates of the tour had general admission as well as reserved seat tickets listed. Special privileges were provided to Citi bank card holders, who had the opportunity to utilize the pre-sale in cities like Los Angeles and Philadelphia, although there was a limit of 8 tickets per transaction for any buyer. For every ticket sold for the United States shows, Live Nation also announced that US$1 would be given to Gaga's Born This Way Foundation.


title: Joanne World Tour

text: The company announced that there were high demands for tickets across North America and Europe, when tickets went on for sale on February 13, 2017. All the dates for the North American leg were instantly sold out leading to secondary dates being added in cities like Las Vegas, Inglewood, Toronto and Philadelphia as well as at New York City's Citi Field and Boston's Fenway Park. There were further sold-out shows reported for the tour dates in Tacoma, Omaha, Vancouver, Edmonton, San Francisco, Chicago and Montreal among others. Similar demand was observed in Europe where tickets had gone on sale three days earlier, leading to sell-outs. Barcelona, Birmingham, London and Paris were sold out immediately with Live Nation promptly announcing secondary dates. A press release from the company alerted that minimum tickets were available for the dates with the high demand.


title: Joanne World Tour

text: "Billboard" revealed the first North American boxscores for the tour in August 2017. Total gross was at $8.7 million, with 78,530 tickets sold from four sold-out shows. The shows at Inglewood's The Forum provided both the highest gross and ticket sales of the shows reported, grossing $3.6 million with an attendance of 28,567. The first American show, at Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, produced the top sales and attendance among the arenas that hosted only one show, grossing $2.1 million and an attendance of 19,296 — a 36% increase both in gross and ticket sales compared to her previous Born This Way Ball tour show at the arena. Bob Allen from the magazine noted a 72% increase for the most expensive tickets at the venue in comparison to Born This Way Ball — from $175 to $251. She added another $11.9 million to the gross, and was the top boxscore artist in the next published totals in "Billboard", with 103,162 tickets sold.


title: Joanne World Tour

text: As the first leg came to end, "Billboard" reported the totals as $52 million, with over 440,000 tickets sold and a total of 20 sold-out concerts. The stadium shows averaged at 36,500 per concert, while in the arenas the average was 15,800. The latter was more than the average of her previous tours: (2014) had an average of 12,300 attendance while Born This Way Ball (2012–2013) raked in at 12,400 during its 10-month run. "Pollstar" revealed that the North American leg grossed $85.7 million in total, with 737,155 tickets sold. It was ranked at number 14 on "Pollstar"s year end tabulation of the Top 100 Worldwide Tours of 2017, with $2.45 million average gross from over 35 reported dates. At the 2018 Ticketmaster Awards, it won the inaugural Touring Milestone Award for having sold more than 500,000 tickets. The tour ultimately grossed $95 million from 842,000 tickets sold.


title: Joanne World Tour

text: Tom Murray from the "Edmonton Journal" was very positive in his review, saying that "a big, over-the-top assault on the senses, Gaga's Joanne World Tour is as impressive as an arena show gets, with a dramatic arc that hinges as much on the singer's charisma and vocal skills as it does any of the special effects." Alex Stedman for "Variety" stated: "Lady Gaga can do more than your average pop star. ... Though there's much to be said about Gaga's unfaltering vocals and high-energy showmanship, it's also worth noting one of the most impressive parts of the show: the set." In another positive review, "Las Vegas Weekly"s Josh Bell wrote: "Even as Lady Gaga's studio albums have become more scattered and uneven, she remains a fantastic live act, distilling the best of her music, her fashion sense, her vocal skills and her charismatic personality into a two-hour stage spectacle. ... Gaga herself remained the most mesmerizing part of an impressively crafted show." Reviewing the first show at Fenway Park, Brett Milano from "Boston Herald" praised Gaga's voice: "She's a remarkable singer, equally at home with blue-eyed soul, hard-edged dance tunes and torchy cabaret numbers. ... There wasn't a bit of evident lip-synching during last night's show and for mainstream pop artists at superstar level, that's a pretty big exception to the rule. The show suggested that her career may be moving into a less flashy, more intimate phase — but last night she brought it all, the cheap thrills and the underlying heart."


title: Joanne World Tour

text: Jon Caramanica from "The New York Times" felt that the first part of the show was "disjointed, shifting styles and attitudes seemingly at random", but Gaga later "struck a rhythm". He further complimented the piano sessions, writing that "Gaga was at home" with the instrument. Selena Fragassi from the "Chicago Sun-Times" complimented the set design, the costumes, and Gaga's "nearly pitch-perfect" vocals, saying that the show is "just another testament to Gaga's star power". However, she was critical of Gaga's dancing abilities, saying that "the singer, though, was a shadow of her former dancing self, relying on years-old choreography and struggling to keep her balance on 'Bad Romance'." Similarly, Mikael Wood from the "Los Angeles Times" believed that the ballads were the concert's highlight, adding that "she's begun to tire of carefully synchronizing all those moving parts. In busy old hits like 'LoveGame' and 'Telephone', Lady Gaga put across little visible excitement". Richard Burnett wrote a positive review for the "Montreal Gazette", saying that "what Gaga lacked in overall musical momentum was more than made up for by her eye-popping multiplatform main stage" with its special effects. Writing for "The Detroit News", Adam Graham called Gaga "dynamite throughout the night" and praised her connection with the audience, while criticizing the overlong costume changes "as her band was forced to fill in the gaps with extended vamping".


title: Joanne World Tour

text: Alexis Petridis from "The Guardian" rated the show 5 stars out of five, and singled out Gaga's performance during the acoustic sections and her connection with the audience as highlights. He further added that although the show cannot be called "understated", compared to Gaga's older concert tours, "the weirdness that was once her calling card has been considerably scaled back". Alice Vincent from "The Telegraph" also noted that the Joanne Tour is "a more minimalist affair", but in her opinion "Gaga's appeal" is "not gimmicks or dramatic reinventions, but that she stays the same beneath them all".


title: Joanne World Tour

text: On November 19, 2017, Gaga performed "The Cure" live for the American Music Awards, from the tour stop at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. This was the first televised performance of the song, and Gaga's second consecutive year performing at the American Music Awards. The same day prior to performing "LoveGame", the show was put on hold to broadcast a live screening of the American Music Awards presentation for Best Pop/Rock Female Artist which Gaga won. The award was presented by three fans and her acceptance speech was broadcast live from the tour.


title: Joanne World Tour

text: This set list is from the August 1, 2017, concert in Vancouver. It is not intended to represent all concerts for the tour.


title: Oradea

text: Oradea (, , ; ; ) is a city in Romania, located in Crișana, a sub-region of Transylvania. The seat of Bihor County, Oradea is one of the most important economic, social and cultural centers in the western part of Romania. The city is located in the north-west of the country, nestled between hills on the Crișana plain, on the banks of the river Crișul Repede, that divides the city into almost equal halves.


title: Oradea

text: Located about from Borș, one of the most important crossing points on Romania's border with Hungary, Oradea ranks tenth in size among Romanian cities. It covers an area of , in an area of contact between the extensions of the Apuseni Mountains and the Crișana-Banat extended plain.


title: Oradea

text: Oradea enjoys a high standard of living and ranks among the most livable cities in the country. The city is also a strong industrial center in the region, hosting some of Romania's largest companies. Besides its status as an economic hub, Oradea boasts a rich Art Nouveau architectural heritage and is a member of the Réseau Art Nouveau Network and the Art Nouveau European Route.


title: Oradea

text: The Romanian name "Oradea" originates from the city's Hungarian name. In Hungarian, it is called "Nagyvárad", or colloquially "Várad", the latter being the origin of the Romanian name.


title: Oradea

text: "Nagy" means "great" or "large" in Hungarian, and it helped to differentiate the town from Kisvárda, a town in Hungary, with "kis" meaning "little". "Vár" means "castle" or "citadel", and "-ad" is a suffix used for settlement names.


title: Oradea

text: The city also has a German name, "Großwardein", as well as a Yiddish one derived from it, גרויסווארדיין "Groysvardeyn". In Turkish, the city was historically known as "Varat" or "Varad".


title: Oradea

text: Some archaic Romanian names of the city are "Oradia", "Oradea Mare" ("Great Oradea"), "Varadia Mare" ("Great Varadia") and "Urbea Mare" ("the Grand City").


title: Oradea

text: The city lies at the meeting point of the Crișana plain and the Crișul Repede's basin. It is situated above sea level, surrounded on the north-eastern part by the hills of Oradea, part of the Șes hills. The main part of the settlement is situated on the floodplain and on the terraces situated down the river Crișul Repede. Oradea is famous for its thermal springs. The river Crișul Repede crosses the city right through the center, providing it with a picturesque beauty. Its flow depends on the season; the dykes near Tileagd have partly controlled it since they were built in the early 1980s.


title: Oradea

text: Oradea has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification "Dfb") with oceanic influences. The city's topo-climatic action is determined by the prevailing Western winds. Summers are long and hot with cool nights. Winters are short and moderately cold.


title: Oradea

text: Annual average temperature is . In July the average is about , while in January the average is . Rainfall is enough to support the woods and vegetation of the zone, registering an annual average of about . Rainfall is variably distributed throughout the year, with a maximum in June and a minimum in the late Autumn and Winter months of the year.


title: Oradea

text: While modern Oradea is first mentioned in 1113, under the Latin name "Varadinum" in a diploma belonging to Benedictine Zobor Abbey – Bishop Sixtus Varadiensis and Saul de Bychar are mentioned in the document – recent archaeological findings, in and around the city, provide evidence of a more or less continuous habitation since the Neolithic. The Dacians and Celts also inhabited the region. After the conquest of Dacia the Romans established a presence in the area, most notably in the Salca district of the city and modern day Băile Felix. According to the "Gesta Hungarorum", a Hungarian chronicle written after 1150 by an unidentified author, referred to as Anonymus, the region was ruled by Menumorut at the end of the 9th and beginning of the 10th centuries, until the Hungarian land-taking. Its citadel was centred at Biharea. Historians debate whether Menumorut was a historical ruler or a legendary character. According to Anonymus, Menumorut's duchy was populated primarily with Khazars and Székelys, and he acknowledged the suzerainty of the (unnamed) ruling Byzantine Emperor at the time.


title: Oradea

text: In the 11th century when St. King Ladislaus I of Hungary founded a bishopric settlement near the city of Oradea, the present Roman Catholic Diocese of Oradea. The city flourished both economically and culturally during the 13th century as part of the Kingdom of Hungary. It was at this time that the Citadel of Oradea, first mentioned in 1241 during the Mongol invasion, was first built. The fortress would be destroyed and rebuilt several times over the course of following centuries. The 14th and 15th centuries would prove to be of the most prosperous periods in the city's history up to that point. Many works of art would be added to the city, including: statues of Saints Stephen, Emeric, and Ladislaus (before 1372) and the equestrian sculpture of St. King Ladislaus I (1390) were erected in Oradea. The fabled statue of St. Ladislaus was the first proto-renaissance public square equestrian monument in Europe. Bishop Andreas Báthori (1329–1345) rebuilt the Cathedral in Gothic style. From that epoch dates also the Hermes, now preserved at Győr, which contains the skull of St. Ladislaus, and which is a masterpiece of the Hungarian goldsmith's art.


title: Oradea

text: It was at this time that astronomer Georg von Peuerbach wrote his "Tabula Varadiensis", published posthumously in 1464, at (?) the Observatory of Varadinum, establishing the city's observatory as the Earth's point of reference and prime meridian.


title: Oradea

text: In 1474, the city was captured by the Turks after a protracted siege. Their mostly tolerant policies towards others peoples ensured that the city would become an ethnic mosaic of Romanians, Hungarians, Austrians, Slovaks, Ruthenians, and Turks, causing Oradea to grow as an urban area starting with the 16th century.


title: Oradea

text: The Peace of Várad was concluded between Emperor Ferdinand I and John Zápolya here on 4 February 1538, in which they mutually recognized each other as legitimate monarchs. After the Ottoman invasion of Hungary, in the 16th century, the city became a constant point of contention between the Principality of Transylvania, the Ottoman Empire, and the Habsburg monarchy. After the 1570 Treaty of Speyer, parts of Crișana, including Oradea, became part of the newly formed Principality of Transylvania, a successor state of the Eastern Hungarian Kingdom.


title: Oradea

text: The Ottomans laid siege to the city in 1598, however the siege failed. After the Treaty of Vienna (1606), the city was permanently incorporated in the Principality of Transylvania by imperial decree.


title: Oradea

text: As a result of Gyorgy Rakoczi II's, at the time the Prince of Transylvania, failed attempt to gain the throne of Poland the Ottomans sent yet another punitive expedition against him and his Wallachian and Moldavian allies, Gheorghe Ștefan and Constantin Șerban. In 1660 the Ottomans, with a force of 45,000 men, besieged the city for the last time. The 850 defenders managed to hold out for 46 days, but eventually the city fell on 27 August due to internal treachery. The Ottomans designated the city as the capital of the newly formed Eyalet of Varat. The eyalet included the sanjaks of "Varat" (Oradea), Salanta, Debreçin, Halmaş, Sengevi, and Yapışmaz. The siege is described in detail by János Szalárdi in his contemporary chronicle. Ottoman dominance of the city ended in 1692, when, the Habsburg imperial forces conquered the city after a 14-month siege.


title: Oradea

text: The city had been severely damaged by war, with only 114 houses left, of which only 21 had not been damaged. However, under the Habsburgs' reconstruction, in the 18th century, Oradea entered its golden age. The Viennese engineer Franz Anton Hillebrandt was given the task of planning the city in the Baroque style and, starting with the year 1752, many of the city's current landmarks were constructed such as the Roman Catholic Cathedral, the Moon Church, the State Theatre, and the Baroque Palace.


title: Oradea

text: The city played a major role in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, being the home of the largest Hungarian arms factory.


title: Oradea

text: After World War I, Oradea passed under Romanian administration during the Hungarian–Romanian War of 1919, and became a part of the Kingdom of Romania under the Treaty of Trianon of 1920. In 1925, the status of municipality was given to Oradea, dissolving its former civic autonomy. Under the same ordinance, its name was changed from "Oradea Mare" ("Great" Oradea) to simply Oradea.


title: Oradea

text: The Second Vienna Award brokered by Hitler and Mussolini in 1940 allowed Hungary to recover Northern Transylvania, including Oradea, and mass of celebrations welcomed the Hungarian administration. On 12 October 1944, Oradea was captured by Soviet troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front in the course of the Battle of Debrecen, and reverted to Romanian administration in March 1945. After World War II, Hungary had to relinquish claims to it under the Treaty of Paris concluded on 10 February 1947.


title: Oradea

text: After the Romanian Revolution of December 1989, Oradea aimed to achieve greater prosperity along with other towns in Romania. Both culturally and economically, Oradea's prospects are inevitably tied to the general aspirations of Romanian society to achieve freedom, democracy, and a free market economy. Due to its specific character, Oradea is one of the most important economic and cultural centers of Western Romania and of the country in general, and it is one of the great academic centers, with a unique bilingual dynamic.


title: Oradea

text: At the 2011 census Oradea had a population of 196,367, a decrease from the figure recorded at the 2002 census.


title: Oradea

text: The religious makeup is as follows: 59.8% Romanian Orthodox, 14.3% Reformed, 9.4% Roman Catholic, 5% Pentecostal, 3.7% Baptist, 3.4% Greek-Catholic and 4.4% other, undeclared or none.


title: Oradea

text: The "chevra kadisha" ("holy society") was founded in 1735, the first synagogue in 1803, and the first communal school in 1839. Not until the beginning of the 19th century were Jews permitted to do business in any other part of the city, and even then they were required to return at nightfall to their own quarter. In 1835, permission was granted to live in any part of the city.


title: Oradea

text: The Jewish community of Oradea became divided into Orthodox and Neolog . While the members of the Neolog congregation still retained their membership in the "chevra kadisha", they started to use a cemetery of their own in 1899. In the early 20th century, the Jews of Oradea had won prominence in the public life of the city. There were Jewish manufacturers, merchants, lawyers, physicians, and farmers; the chief of police (1902) was a Jew; and in the municipal council, the Jewish element was proportionately represented. The community possessed, in addition to the hospital and "chevra kadisha", a Jewish women's association, a grammar school, a trade school for boys and girls, a yeshiva, a soup kitchen, etc.


title: Oradea

text: The Oradea Jewish community was once the most active both commercially and culturally in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In 1944, twenty-five thousand Oradean Jews were deported to concentration camps by the Nazis, thus decimating this vital community. Only three hundred Jews reside in Oradea today. In the center of the city, on the river bank and towering over other buildings in the area, is the large Neolog Temple Synagogue built in 1878. The unusual cube-shaped synagogue with its large cupola is one of the largest in Romania. Inside there is a large organ and stucco decorations. In 1891, the Orthodox community also built a complex of buildings including two synagogues and a community center.


title: Oradea

text: In 1944, during the occupation of Hungary by Nazi Germany, Hungarian authorities forced the Jewish inhabitants into the Oradea ghetto before sending them to the Auschwitz concentration camp. Descendants of the pre-Holocaust hasidic rabbinate in Oradea established a synagogue in the Willowbrook area of Staten Island, New York City. The synagogue maintains both a traditional hasidic Nusach Sefard and a Nusach Ashkenaz service, the latter of which operates under the name "Bais Medrash Igud Avreichim of Groisverdain" (the Yiddish pronunciation of Grosswardein).


title: Oradea

text: Before 1848, Oradea was made up of four separate towns: Várad-Újváros (Villa Nova, former Vicus Szombathely), Várad-Olaszi (Villa Latinorum Varadiensium, "olasz" meaning Italian), Várad-Velence (Vicus Venetia), Várad-Váralja (Civitas Waradiensis). The names Vicus Venetia, Villa Latinorum, Vicus Bolognia, Vicus Padua and others refer to the French, Walloons and Italian inhabitants who settled in the 13th century.


title: Oradea

text: Today the city is made up of the following districts called quarters ("cartiere" in Romanian, "negyedek" in Hungarian):


title: Oradea

text: Oradea has long been one of the more prosperous cities in Romania. The per capita GDP of Oradea is approximately 150% of the Romanian average. After 1989, due to its important base of consumers, Oradea enjoyed an economic renewal, not so much in industry, but rather, in the services sector such as trade and tourism.


title: Oradea

text: Oradea has an unemployment rate of 6.0%, slightly lower than the Romanian average but much higher than Bihor County's average of around 2%. Oradea currently produces around 63% of the industrial production of Bihor County, while accounting for 34.5% of the population of the county. Its main industries are furniture, textiles and clothing, footwear, and food processing. Oradea's economy is sustained largely by small and medium business and the property taxes paid by citizens.


title: Oradea

text: In the fiscal year 2012, Oradea had the largest budget in the Transylvania region, overcoming its neighbour cities, Arad and Cluj-Napoca. Some large Romanian companies, such as Adeplast, RCS-RDS, European Drinks, and FrigoExpress are located in Oradea.


title: Oradea

text: Oradea is using geothermal electricity from water two kilometers below ground, which provides 7% of the energy for its district heating system. That system serves 70% of the city's population with heat and hot water.


title: Oradea

text: The public transport network is run by OTL (Oradea Transport Local), a municipal agency. It is made up of five tram lines (1R, 1N, 2, 3R, 3N, 4N, 4R and the new 8) and 17 local bus lines (numbered from 10 to 26), and an international suburban one to Biharkeresztes, Hungary. The city has four train stations: , West, East, and Episcopia Bihor (Bihor Abbey). The West Station is located in the quarter of Ioșia, the Central station (called simply Oradea) is located closer to the city center, near the quarter of Vie, while the East station is located in Velența.


title: Oradea

text: Oradea is served by Oradea International Airport, which has reopened at the end of 2015, after repairs to the runway.


title: Oradea

text: Oradea is one of the main education centers of Romania. The city is home to the University of Oradea, one of the largest universities in the country. There are also several private universities, one being Agora University, a modern academic institution founded in 2000. Emanuel University, an accredited private Baptist university, also exists in the city since 2002.


title: Oradea

text: As of 2012, there had been 232 years since the inauguration of higher education in Oradea and 48 years of continuous higher education. A higher institution for philosophic teaching was founded in Oradea in 1780, which was to become in 1788 the Faculty of Law and was the oldest faculty within a vast region of Eastern Europe.


title: Oradea

text: After 1921, all the courses at the Law Faculty were taught in Romanian. In 1923, the foundation of two theological academies gave new dimensions to the academic life in Oradea. The Law Academy of Oradea, together with the two theological academies, was to make another step forward by integrating a faculty of letters, thus achieving the old desideratum of creating a University of Crișana in Oradea.


title: Oradea

text: After a thirty-year break in the activity of the Law Academy of Oradea, on 1 October 1963, an order of the Ministry of Education established in Oradea a 3-year Pedagogic Institute meant to do away with the scarcity of teachers in secondary education. The new institution of higher education began its activity with two faculties: Philology and Mathematics-Physics, and a year later other two faculties, History-Geography and Physical Education, were added.


title: Oradea

text: In May 1990, a decree of the Romanian Government established the Technical University of Oradea, later called the University of Oradea, and based on impressive traditions of academic life in the town. It was an act of scientific and cultural restoration long expected in the life of the Romanian society, a major gain of the people's Revolution of December 1989, one of the greatest Romanian achievements in Crișana after the Great Union on 1 December 1918. This is how the dream of several generations of scholars came true, clearly expressed by a historian of Oradea: "As regarding the future, the desire of all well-meant Romanians is to establish in Oradea a complete university, the lights of which will shine across the entire western border of Romania". Today, the University of Oradea is an integrated institution of higher education of this kind, comprising 18 faculties.


title: Oradea

text: The mission of the University of Oradea is to train and educate on a large scale both the students and also the high education graduates, as well as to approach certain domains of science and technology at high level.


title: Oradea

text: The structure of the university contains academic education, postgraduate education, and scientific research.


title: Oradea

text: Research inside the University of Oradea is developing in the areas of natural and physical sciences, as well as in the area of social and human sciences, covering the following: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Sciences of Life, Agricultural Sciences, Medical Sciences, Technological Sciences, Economical Sciences, Geography, History, Juridical Sciences and Law, Linguistics, Pedagogy, Political Sciences, Psychology, Letters and Arts, Sociology, Philosophy. The educational process is based on the curricula for long undergraduate and postgraduate studies.


title: Oradea

text: One of the oldest private universities in Romania is also situated in Oradea. The Sulyok István Reform College was founded in the spring of 1990 by the Királyhágómelléki Reform Church. In 1999 the school became entirely independent from the Protestant Theology College of Cluj-Napoca and changed its name to Partium Christian University. It presently operates with 12 faculties and a student body of 1400; the language of instruction is Hungarian.