title: First day on the Somme

text: British Photographic reconnaissance began in October 1915 and in March 1916 intensive British preparations commenced. The IV Brigade of the RFC was formed on 1 April 1916, with six squadrons of aeroplanes and a Kite Balloon squadron; the IV Brigade squadrons were the first to be increased from twelve to eighteen aircraft. On 25 April photographs were taken which revealed the German construction of a third position from Flers to Le Sars, Pys, Irles, Achiet-le-Petit and Ablainzevelle. In mid-May and late June, the German defences opposite the Fourth Army were photographed again. (Imperial German Flying Corps) had six reconnaissance flights () with , four artillery flights () with , a bomber-fighter squadron () with a bomber-fighter flight () with and a single-seater fighter detachment () with a strength of


title: First day on the Somme

text: The IV Brigade corps aircraft were to be protected with line patrols, by pairs of aircraft from the army squadrons and offensive sweeps by formations of DH 2s. The concentration of aircraft for the offensive was completed by the arrival on 19 June of the Ninth (headquarters) Wing with three squadrons and one flight, which brought the number of aircraft on the Fourth Army front to eighteen at Gommecourt. The bombing offensive by the RFC was intended to cut railway links behind the Somme front, south of the Valenciennes–Arras railway and west of the lines around Douai, Busigny and Tergnier. Trains were to be attacked in cuttings, railway bridges were to be bombed and the stations at Cambrai, Busigny, St Quentin and Tergnier were to be raided along with the German ammunition depots at Mons, Namur and the station at Lille were also to be attacked. British aircraft and kite balloons were to be used to observe the intermittent bombardment, which began in mid-June and the preliminary bombardment, which commenced on 24 June. Low cloud and rain obstructed air observation of the bombardment, which soon fell behind schedule and on 25 June, aircraft of the four British Armies on the Western Front attacked the German kite balloons opposite; fifteen were attacked, four were shot down by rockets and one bombed, three of the balloons being in the Fourth Army area. Next day three more balloons were shot down opposite the Fourth Army and during German artillery retaliation to the Anglo-French bombardment, artillery positions were plotted and a Fokker was shot down near Courcelette.


title: First day on the Somme

text: Accurate observation was not possible at dawn on 1 July due to patches of mist but by the general effect of the Anglo-French bombardment could be seen. Observers in contact-patrol aircraft could see lines of British infantry crawling into no man's land, ready to attack the German front trench at Each corps and division had a wireless receiving-station for messages from airborne artillery-observers and observers on the ground were stationed at various points, to receive messages and maps dropped from aircraft. As contact observers reported the progress of the infantry attack, artillery-observers sent many messages to the British artillery and reported the effect of counter-battery fire on German guns. Balloon observers used their telephones to report changes in the German counter-barrage and to direct British artillery on fleeting targets, continuing to report during the night by observing German gun-flashes. Air reconnaissance during the day found little movement on the roads and railways behind the German front and the railways at Bapaume were bombed from Flights to Cambrai, Busigny and Etreux later in the day saw no unusual movement, although German aircraft attacked the observation aircraft all the way to the targets and back, two Rolands being shot down by the escorts. Bombing began the evening before with a raid on the station at St Saveur by six R.E. 7s of 21 Squadron, whose pilots claimed hits on sheds and a second raid around on 1 July hit the station and railway lines; both attacks were escorted and two Fokkers were shot down on the second raid.


title: First day on the Somme

text: Railway bombing was conducted by each with two bombs, at intervals after midday and Cambrai station was hit with seven bombs, for the loss of one aircraft. In the early evening an ammunition train was hit on the line between Aubigny-au-Bac and Cambrai and set on fire, the cargo burning and exploding for several hours. Raids on St Quentin and Busigny were reported to be failures by the crews and three aircraft were lost. All corps aircraft carried bombs, to attack billets, transport, trenches and artillery-batteries. Offensive sweeps were flown by 27 and 60 squadrons from but found few German aircraft and only an LVG was forced down. Two sets of line patrols were flown, one by 24 Squadron DH.2s from Péronne to Pys and Gommecourt from nightfall, which met six German aircraft during the day and forced two down. The second set of patrols by pairs of F.E.2bs were made by 22 Squadron between and dusk, from Longueval to Cléry and Douchy to Miraumont. 22 Squadron lost two aircraft and had one damaged but prevented German aircraft attacks on the corps aircraft.


title: First day on the Somme

text: XIII Corps was watched by most of 9 Squadron, which saw the 30th Division troops take the line Dublin Trench–Glatz Redoubt by and the 18th (Eastern) Division take Pommiers Trench and Pommiers Redoubt. At an observer saw a line of flashes on the ground, from mirrors carried by 30th Division soldiers on their packs. The British troops moved along Train Alley towards Montauban. A German artillery battery began to fire from Bernafay Wood and the pilot machine-gunned the crews from and put the battery out of action. On return towards the British lines, the crew saw Montauban being occupied and 18th (Eastern) Division troops advancing up the ridge to the west of the village and the pilot flew low along the ridge and gave the troops a wave. By mirrors were seen flashing along the north edge of Montauban.


title: First day on the Somme

text: The XV Corps attack either side of Fricourt was observed by parts of 3 and 9 squadrons, which were able to report by evening that the 21st Division and the 34th Division to the north, had advanced deeply into the German defensive positions above Fricourt. The 7th Division had advanced beyond Mametz, forming a defensive flank on the left and linking on the right with XIII Corps. Troops from III Corps and XV Corps lit red flares, which were quickly reported by observers in contact-patrol aircraft. A balloon observer from 3 Kite Balloon Section was able to get the artillery to re-bombard Alley, after British troops were forced out by a German counter-attack and second British attack in the afternoon took the trench easily. Most of 3 Squadron watched over the disastrous III Corps attack at La Boisselle and Ovillers and saw some 34th Division troops reach Peake Wood north of Fricourt.


title: First day on the Somme

text: The attacks by X Corps and VIII Corps, from Thiepval to Serre were observed by crews from 4 and 15 squadrons. Ground observers could see much of the battle and communications were not as badly cut as on other parts of the front. Some of the deeper British infantry advances could only be seen from the air, particularly those at Redoubt and Pendant Copse. 4 Squadron reported the hurried withdrawal of German artillery between Courcelette and Grandcourt during the afternoon and spotted the massing of German troops at A special flight was sent to Thiepval and the pilot flew by at to examine the ground and report that the British attacks had failed. With 15 Squadron observing the disaster occurring to VIII Corps around Beaumont Hamel, the defeat of the British attacks and the repulse of the troops from the few areas where break-ins had occurred were reported by the aircraft observers.


title: First day on the Somme

text: The VII Corps attack was observed by 8 Squadron, which had taken reconnaissance photographs during a period of clear weather the day before. The attack of the 46th (North Midland) and 56th (1/1st London) divisions, had a standing patrol of one aircraft each from and then one aircraft for both divisions. No red infantry flares were seen during the day; aircraft flew through the barrage to make visual identifications at low level and by the end of the day German ground fire had made three aircraft unserviceable. One aeroplane flew into a balloon cable near St Amand, damaging the aircraft although the crew escaped unhurt. Reports from the observation crews related the fate of the leading troops of the 46th (North Midland) Division, who were cut off after over-running the German first line, by German troops emerging from underground shelters. Following waves intended to mop-up the German front line, were seen to be pinned down in no man's land by artillery and machine-gun barrages. On the 56th (1/1st London) Division front, observers watched the leading British troops capture the first, second and third lines before being cut off by another German barrage in no man's land. German infantry were seen to mass and then counter-attack, regaining the third line by midday, the second line by afternoon and the first line late in the evening.


title: First day on the Somme

text: By May 1916, eight German divisions held the front from Roye to Arras with three in reserve. The German defence of the south bank of the Somme was the responsibility of XVII Corps with three divisions. On the north bank the XIV Reserve Corps ( Hermann von Stein) with two divisions held the line from the Somme to the Ancre and the Guard Corps (General Karl von Plettenberg) with three divisions held the ground north of the Ancre opposite Serre and Gommecourt. On 20 June, British heavy artillery bombarded German communications behind the front line as far back as Bapaume and then continued intermittently until the evening of 22 June. At dawn on 24 June, a shrapnel barrage began on the German front position and villages nearby. At noon, more accurate fire began before increasing in intensity around Thiepval as heavy batteries commenced firing and in the evening, a light rain turned the German positions to mud. On 25 June, heavy artillery-fire predominated, smashing trenches and blocking dugouts. Variations in the intensity of fire indicated likely areas to be attacked; the greatest weight of fire occurring at Mametz, Fricourt and Ovillers; during the night the German commanders prepared their defences around the villages and ordered the second line to be manned. After an overnight lull, the bombardment increased again on 26 June, gas being discharged at towards Beaumont Hamel and Serre, before the bombardment increased in intensity near Thiepval, then suddenly stopped. The German garrison took post and fired red rockets to call for artillery support, which placed a barrage in no man's land. Later in the afternoon huge mortar bombs began to fall, destroying shallower dug-outs, a super-heavy gun began to bombard the main German strong-points, as smaller guns pulverised the villages close to the front line, from which civilians were hurriedly removed.


title: First day on the Somme

text: German troops billeted in the villages moved into the open to avoid the shelling and on heavy rain added to the devastation, as the bombardment varied from steady accurate shelling to shell-storms and periods of quiet. At night British patrols moved into no man's land and prisoners captured by the Germans said that they were checking on the damage and searching for German survivors. German interrogators gleaned information suggesting that an offensive would come either side of the Somme and Ancre rivers at on 29 June. All of the German infantry stood to with reinforcements but the bombardment resumed in the afternoon, rising to drumfire several times. Artillery-fire concentrated on small parts of the front, then lines of shells moved forward into the depth of the German defences. Periodic gas discharges and infantry probes continued but German sentries watching through periscopes were often able to warn the garrisons in time to react. The bombardment on 30 June repeated the pattern of the earlier days, by when much of the German surface defences had been swept away, look-out shelters and observation posts were in ruins and many communication trenches had disappeared.


title: First day on the Somme

text: On the night of the bombardment fell on rear defences and communication trenches, then at dawn British aircraft "filled the sky", captive balloons rose into the air at and an unprecedented barrage began all along the German front, until when the bombardment abruptly stopped. The remaining German trench garrisons began to leave their shelters and set up machine-guns in the remains of trenches and shell-holes, which proved difficult to spot and allowed the occupants to change direction, easily to face threats from all directions. Where the British infantry advanced close behind the barrage the German defenders were often overrun and at Montauban, Mametz and around Fricourt, the Germans were rushed, while most were still underground. Further north, the Germans had time to emerge and stopped most attacks in no man's land. In the 26th Reserve Division area, a front of from Ovillers to Serre, four regiments occupied the first line with two battalions each, one in the support line and one in reserve. The Germans emerged to see lines of British infantry in no man's land and opened rapid fire on them, lines and waves falling down, reforming and moving forward. Some German infantry stood on trench parapets to aim better and red rockets were fired to call for artillery barrages on no man's land, which shattered the British infantry formations. The survivors kept going and began a bombing fight close to the German line which, was defeated except at the Redoubt, which was quickly sealed off by German flanking parties and between Thiepval and the Ancre, where the Iriish advanced towards Grandcourt away. Several counter-attacks were mounted, which forced the British back to the German front trench after dark.


title: First day on the Somme

text: Prior and Wilson wrote that the conventional account of the day has soldiers burdened by of equipment, obeying "doltish" orders to walk shoulder-to-shoulder towards the German lines and being mown down by German machine-gunners, who had time to climb out of shelters and man the parapet. Prior and Wilson ascribed the origin of this narrative to John Buchan in "The Battle of the Somme" (1917) in which the bravery of soldiers is extolled, rather than faulty infantry tactics being criticised. Prior and Wilson traced the narrative through the writing of B. H. Liddell Hart, J. E. Edmonds the official historian, C. R. M. F. Cruttwell, Martin Middlebrook, Correlli Barnett and Paul Kennedy. In 1970, Anthony Farrar-Hockley questioned the narrative but reverted to the orthodox view soon after. Prior and Wilson did not dispute the facts of and but wrote that the Tactical Notes issued by Rawlinson did not dictate the way that advances were to be made but were "ambiguous", referring to "celerity of movement", "a steady pace" and "a rapid advance of some lightly-equipped men" and did not prescribe a formation to be adopted for the advance.


title: First day on the Somme

text: At the northern end of the British front, the leading brigade of the 31st Division advanced into no man's land before zero hour, ready to rush the German front trench when the barrage lifted. Some units of the 4th Division advanced from the British front line in formations led by snipers and skirmishers; in the 29th Division some battalions "marched" to the German wire and others rushed forward from assembly-trenches dug in no man's land. In the 36th (Ulster), 32nd and 8th division areas, some battalions assembled in front of the German wire, ready to rush forward at zero hour and many of the battalions of XV Corps and XIII Corps walked slowly forward in lines behind a creeping barrage. Of in the initial attack, into no man's land, ten rushed from the British front trench and twelve advanced at a steady pace behind a creeping barrage. Prior and Wilson found that the behaviour of the British infantry had less effect than the behaviour of the German infantry, which in turn was determined by the fire of the British guns. Where the German defences and garrisons had been destroyed, the British infantry succeeded. When significant numbers of German machine-gunners survived, especially when supported by artillery, the British attack failed. On the French front, the artillery preparation was almost wholly effective in destroying German defences and killing German infantry in their underground shelters. The prevalence and effectiveness of killing-machines determined the result and in such an environment, a soldier with a bayonet was obsolete and infantry formations irrelevant.


title: First day on the Somme

text: In 2009, J. P. Harris described the success of the French and of XIII Corps and XV Corps, the extent of British casualties for ground gained and Haig's responsibility for the British casualties. Harris wrote of the inferior German defences on the French front, surprise, superior French artillery and better infantry tactics than those used by the British. The French attacked in the south as did the two most successful British corps and in this area, only the first line was expected to be captured. Harris wrote that the German 2nd Army was often ignored in analyses of the First Day and that the main defensive effort was made in the north, the area of greatest German success. Terrain in the south, Anglo-French air superiority and closer objectives, tended to concentrate Allied artillery-fire, which was better-observed and more accurate than on the hillier ground to the north.


title: First day on the Somme

text: In the south, barbed wire was cut, the German fortifications were "exceptionally" damaged and a crude form of creeping barrage preceded the infantry to their objectives. Harris held Haig responsible for the extension of the objectives in the north to the German second position, which diluted the density of British artillery-fire, although no study had been made of the details of the preliminary bombardment and caution must accompany a conclusion that bombardment of the closer objectives was unduly dissipated. Harris concluded that the attack front was too broad and that Rawlinson should be held responsible with Haig for attempting to advance on a front. Despite being under no diplomatic pressure from the French or political pressure from London to obtain swift success, the British tried to do too much too quickly, unlike the French Sixth Army which made short advances with the support of massive amounts of artillery-fire.


title: First day on the Somme

text: In 2009, William Philpott wrote that after the war the French Official History gave five pages to 1 July, with one paragraph on the British attack and that the German official history covered the day in The British Official History described the day in with one page on the French success. In Joffre's memoirs the French victory was ascribed to "the excellent work of the artillery" and German underestimation of French offensive potential remaining from the battle at Verdun, leading them to make their principal defensive effort in the north. Many British infantry had been attacked from behind, after failing to mop up captured German positions. This military explanation was insufficient for many British commentators, who blamed "anachronistic" "sword wavers" for leading volunteers to an unnecessary slaughter. The French success, based on the experience of 1915 was overlooked, as was the French expectation of more quick victories being disappointed, as the battle became a counterpart to the long attrition campaign at Verdun. Philpott also described the Germans being written out of the British narrative of useless sacrifice. The Anglo-French armies had gained an advantage on 1 July by forcing the German defences for either side of the Somme to collapse. In the early afternoon a broad breach existed north of the river but the "break in" was in an unexpected place and exploitation had to be improvised.


title: First day on the Somme

text: Philpott wrote that the "gory scene" behind the British front showed that something had gone wrong. In the evening of 1 July, Haig wrote in his diary,


title: First day on the Somme

text: VIII Corps "had" left their trenches and over became casualties. Edmonds wrote that for the loss of Britain and Ireland's "finest manhood" there was only a small gain of ground, although an advance of on a front and minor advances elsewhere, was the furthest achieved by the British since trench warfare began. Only prisoners had been taken and none of the captured ground north of the Albert–Bapaume road except at the Leipzig Redoubt had been held. Before the battle, Rawlinson had requested 18 ambulance trains but only three were provided and these departed part-filled, before many of the wounded had been brought to casualty clearing stations, which had capacity for only Casualties were left untended in the open and it was not until 4 July that the Fourth Army medical services had treated all the wounded (some casualties reached hospitals in England still wearing field dressings). As night fell, survivors began to make their way back to the British trenches and stretcher-bearers went into no man's land. Major-General Ingouville-Williams, commander of the 34th Division, participated in the search and some medical orderlies continued after dawn broke. At Beaumont-Hamel, two British medical officers arranged a truce and in other places movement in no man's land was fired on. Victoria Crosses were awarded to Robert Quigg and Geoffrey Cather (posthumous) for rescuing wounded.


title: First day on the Somme

text: Some casualties survived for up to a week in no man's land, living on rations from dead soldiers' packs before being rescued. At the Fourth Army headquarters believed that there had been by 3 July the staff thought that there had been and by 6 July the count had risen to The Third Army diversion at Gommecourt cost VII Corps 6,758 casualties against 1,212 German. The final total of casualties, whom had been killed, was not calculated for some time; the French Sixth Army suffered and the German 2nd Army suffered In 1971 Martin Middlebrook wrote that whereas German units normally submitted a casualty return every ten days, many submitted a special daily return for 1 July. It is possible to estimate that German forces on the British sector (including Gommecourt) suffered 6,000 killed or wounded and 2,200 taken prisoner. Middlebrook offered no figure for German casualties on the French sector. In 2013, Ralph Whitehead wrote, that from 1 to 10 July, the 2nd Army commanded 21 divisions, the original divisions present on 1 July and reinforcements, with a ration strength of 469,585 men. In the ten-day reporting period (10 ) from 1 to 10 July 7,539 men reported sick, 22,095 were recorded as wounded and 24,244 men were listed as killed or missing, leaving 5,786 men recorded as killed; during the same period 5,273 men returned to duty. For 1 July 1916,


title: First day on the Somme

text: Haig visited the Fourth Army headquarters and discussed the continuation of the attack on 2 July, although in the confused situation the original plan was not changed. Pressure was to be maintained on the Germans to inflict losses and reach ground from which to attack the German second position, with particular emphasis on the capture of Fricourt. Gough with the cavalry and infantry standing by to exploit a gap was not called on and at Rawlinson requested that he take over X Corps and VIII Corps to reorganise the front astride the Ancre. The 12th (Eastern) Division was sent to relieve the 8th Division and the 25th Division was moved closer to X Corps. Haig ordered the 23rd and 38th (Welsh) divisions to move towards the Somme front and at the Fourth Army headquarters ordered all corps to continue the attack. Local conditions south of the Albert–Bapaume road led many officers to urge that the German defeat in the area to be exploited with fresh divisions but XIII Corps was ordered to consolidate and prepare to attack Mametz Wood with XV Corps, which was to capture Fricourt and advance towards Contalmaison, still thought to have been captured. III Corps was ordered to attack La Boisselle and Ovillers again and reach Contalmaison and X Corps and VIII Corps were ordered to capture all of the German first position and reach the intermediate line.


title: First day on the Somme

text: In the afternoon of 1 July, the German survivors of the 28th Reserve Division and 12th Division and part of the 10th Bavarian Division at Montauban Ridge, had been driven back to the (second position) from Ginchy to Longueval and Bazentin le Grand. The 12th Division arrived in the evening from Bapaume, was sent towards Combles and Ginchy and at a counter-attack was ordered to regain Montauban Ridge between Favières Wood and Montauban. One regiment was to advance past the north end of Combles to Guillemont and re-capture the north end of Montauban, a regiment in the centre was to retake Favières Wood and the left regiment was to advance along the north bank of the Somme between Curlu and Maurepas, as existing troops joined in from the second position. Dawn broke at on 2 July, well before the advance reached Bernafay Wood and a British barrage quickly forced back the Germans into Caterpillar Valley. At La Briqueterie the German infantry were quickly repulsed, as was their attack along the river by French infantry south of Favières Wood. The 12th Division suffered many casualties and was withdrawn to the (Green Position) around Maltz Horn Farm, an intermediate position in front of the second line.


title: First day on the Somme

text: For Newfoundland, the first day of battle changed the course of the island's history, ending any hope of independence. After the war the Newfoundland government bought at the site of the battalion's attack and created the Newfoundland Memorial Park to commemorate the dead, which was opened by Haig on 7 June 1925. Although the rest of Canada celebrates Canada Day on 1 July, it remains Memorial Day in Newfoundland and Labrador.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: Wipeout (stylised as wipE′out″ or WipEout) is a series of futuristic anti-gravity racing video games developed by Studio Liverpool (formerly known as Psygnosis).


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: The series is defined by its fast-paced gameplay, 3D visual design running on the full resolution of the game's console, and its association with electronic dance music (mainly techno and trance) as well as its continuous collaboration with electronic artists (The Chemical Brothers, Leftfield, CoLD SToRAGE, Kraftwerk, Orbital, DJ Fresh, Noisia and others). The series’s distinctive graphic design identity was provided by The Designers Republic for the first three games.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: The concept of "Wipeout" was first discussed during a pub conversation, when a Psygnosis staff member, Jim Bowers, envisioned creating a futuristic racing game which featured anti-gravity ships. Some elements of the game were inspired by "Matrix Marauders", an Amiga game released by the Liverpudlian studio in 1990. A beta version of "Wipeout" appeared in the cult film "Hackers", in which the game is played by the protagonists in a nightclub. The game's appearance in the film led to Sony purchasing the studio in the months after its release.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: The "Wipeout" franchise has been well received by critics, with "Wipeout 2097" in particular being listed among the PlayStation's best games. "Wipeout 2048" was the last game to be developed by Studio Liverpool prior to their closure in August 2012. The series was later revived, with "Wipeout Omega Collection" released in 2017.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: The "Wipeout" games are a series of futuristic racers that involve players piloting anti-gravity ships through various forms of races. The series is known for its extreme speed, range of electronic dance music soundtracks, and consequential difficulty.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: Power-ups come in the form of offensive or defensive weaponry, ranging from machine guns, missiles, mines and rockets to energy shields, autopilots, and turbo boosts. These power-ups are usually collected by flying over coloured X-shaped pads on race tracks. Chevron-shaped speed pads also feature prominently on race tracks: once flown over, the player's ship receives a momentary boost.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: Every ship featured in a game is owned by a different racing team, although the number of teams and ships will vary throughout the games. Each ship has different characteristics: for example, ships will vary in handling, thrust, top speed, shield strength, and occasionally firepower. Every ship is equipped with a compulsory shield that absorbs damage sustained during a race; energy is lost whenever the player's ship collides or is hit by weapon fire. If damage is sustained after the shield's depletion, the ship in question will explode and the pilot is consequently eliminated from the race.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: "Wipeout" (stylised as "wipEout"") is a futuristic racing video game developed and published by Psygnosis. It is the first game in the series and was originally released for the PlayStation and PCs running MS-DOS in 1995, and for the Sega Saturn the following year. It was also a launch title for the PlayStation in Europe and North America. Set in the year 2052, players compete in the F3600 anti-gravity racing league, piloting one of a selection of craft in races on several different tracks around the world.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: Unique at the time for its futuristic setting, "Wipeout" featured music from well-known techno artists such as CoLD SToRAGE, Leftfield, The Chemical Brothers and Orbital. A prototype version of the game appeared in the teen cult film "Hackers" (1995), in which both protagonists were playing the game in a nightclub. A marketing campaign created and launched by Keith Hopwood and graphic design studio The Designers Republic included an infamous promotional poster featuring a bloodstained Radio 1 DJ Sara Cox, which was speculated by some of representing a drug overdose.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: "Wipeout 2097" (stylised "wipE'out""297; released as "Wipeout XL" in North America) is the second game of the franchise and is a direct sequel to the original game. It was first released worldwide in 1996 for the PlayStation, and for the Sega Saturn in the following year. Set in the year 2097, the game revolves around players racing in the F5000 anti-gravity racing league. The game was first unveiled to the public in the form of a pre-alpha demo at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in May 1996. Music was mostly recorded from Psygnosis's in-house music team, CoLD SToRAGE, for versions released outside the PlayStation.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: "Wipeout 64" is the third instalment of the series and is the only "Wipeout" title not to be released on a Sony console. It was released exclusively for the Nintendo 64 in November 1998 for North America, and later in 1999 for Europe. The game is set one year after the events of "Wipeout 2097" and shares the same anti-gravity racing league.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: "Wipeout 64" reuses most of the race tracks featured in the previous games, albeit with mirrored layouts and different locations.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: "Wipeout 3" (stylised as "wip3out" in Europe and Japan) is the fourth title in the franchise and was first released in September 1999 for the PlayStation, where players race in the F7200 league. An enhanced edition entitled "Wipeout 3 Special Edition" was released exclusively in Europe on 14 July 2000; featuring minor changes to gameplay, such as different craft physics, auto-loading of saves and artificial intelligence bug fixes. As with the first two games, Psygnosis once again hired The Designers Republic to assist in development. The Sheffield-based company, known for its underground techno album covers, provided "visual candy" to "Wipeout 3"s graphics, designing the game's icons, billboards, and colour schemes.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: The game also featured music from Propellerheads, and with The Chemical Brothers and Orbital, returning from the first "Wipeout". Psygnosis selected DJ Sasha to serve as the game's music director.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: "Wipeout Fusion" (stylised as "wipEout fusion") is the fifth instalment of the series and was first released on the PlayStation 2 in 2002. The game was the first to be developed by the newly renamed Studio Liverpool. It is set in the year 2160 and revolves around players competing in the corrupt F9000 anti-gravity racing league. After the success of the previous games, the development team wanted to target "Wipeout Fusion" at an "older, savvier crowd" by making it stand out from the "F-Zero" series, which some critics had often compared it to.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: "Wipeout Pure" (stylised as "wipE'out pṳre") is the sixth game in the series and was released simultaneously with the launch of the PlayStation Portable in 2005. The game takes place in the year 2197, exactly 100 years after "Wipeout 2097", and centres around players competing in the FX300 anti-gravity racing league.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: Development of the game started in August 2003 and lasted until early 2005. Throughout production, the Liverpudlian studio created new user interfaces and other algorithms that helped speed up the development process in time for the PlayStation Portable's launch. The game was notable for showcasing the PlayStation Portable's graphical capabilities, and marked the first time a "Wipeout" game featured downloadable content—an aspect which had the potential to draw in more revenue for Studio Liverpool.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: "Wipeout Pulse" (stylised as "wipEout pulse") is the seventh instalment and was first released for the PlayStation Portable in 2007. A port for the PlayStation 2 was released exclusively in Europe in June 2009, featuring enhanced graphics and all of the game's downloadable content. The game takes place one year after the events of "Wipeout Pure" and has players compete in the FX400 anti-gravity racing league. Development of the game was centred around focusing on the feedback left by fans on the previous game, with many fans complaining of "Wipeout Pure"s difficulty, thus prompting Studio Liverpool to improve on aspects where they had thought they failed. The game features sixteen licensed music tracks from techno artists, including Kraftwerk, DJ Fresh, and Skream.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: "Wipeout HD" (stylised as "WipEout HD") is the eighth title in the franchise and is the first to be released on the PS3 via PlayStation Network worldwide in 2008, although a retail version was later released exclusively in Europe the next year. A major expansion pack titled "Wipeout HD Fury" was released worldwide via the PlayStation Network in July 2009. This time, players compete in the FX350 anti-gravity racing league, set a year prior to the FX400 league, featuring a handful of race tracks from "Wipeout Pure" and "Wipeout Pulse" (although all content has been upgraded to render 1080p visuals in 60 frames per second).


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: According to the game's director, the team made the decision to release the game as a PlayStation Store exclusive title before development in order to stress that downloadable content did not have to be focused on "small games".<ref name="Tech Interview: WipEout HD/Fury"></ref> "Wipeout HD"s expansion pack, "Fury", received controversy over its in-game advertising, with many players complaining of extended loading times, as well as consternation about advertising being retroactively added into a game that had already been paid for. The advertisements were removed soon after several complaints were made by players. The game was also chosen as a free PlayStation Store offering as part of Sony's "Welcome Back" program due to the 2011 PlayStation Network outage.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: "Wipeout 2048" is the ninth and final game in the series to be developed by Studio Liverpool prior to their closure in August 2012. The game was released as a launch title for the PlayStation Vita in early 2012 and centres around players competing in the first Anti-Gravity Racing Championships. It is set in the year 2048 and acts as a prequel to the first "Wipeout" game. "Wipeout 2048" was developed alongside the PlayStation Vita console itself, and acted as a "testbed" for the device. When the staff of the Liverpudlian studio were given development kits for what was then dubbed a "Next Generation Portable", a group was set up within the team to brainstorm ideas. Among these included the proposal of a touchscreen device, which was not yet conceived by Sony at the time, and two analogue sticks—both features eventually made it onto the console.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: "Wipeout Omega Collection (stylised as WipE<nowiki>'out"</nowiki> OMEGA COLLECTION)" is a remaster of the previous two titles in the "Wipeout" series: "Wipeout HD" (with its "Wipeout HD Fury" expansion) and "Wipeout 2048". "Wipeout HD" itself contained content from "Wipeout Pure" and "Wipeout Pulse". The game was developed by Clever Beans, EPOS Game Studios, and XDev. "Wipeout Omega Collection" was released in June 2017. It was designed to be run at 1080p on the PlayStation 4 and 4K on the PlayStation 4 Pro, both at 60 frames per second.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: "Wipeout Merge" (previously known as "Wipeout Rush") was announced by publisher Rogue Games on September 16, 2021 for iOS and Android devices. The game initially soft-launched in several regions throughout late 2021, and launched in the United States in early 2022. The game features over 60 ships from the series as well as a full single-player campaign. Unlike previous entries in the series, the gameplay consists of being a racing "manager," and timing the deployment of weapons during races.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: All games in the "Wipeout" franchise were developed by Studio Liverpool. The conceptualisation of "Wipeout" revolved around Psygnosis designer Nick Burcombe's idea of creating a racing game using the same types of anti-gravity vehicles from his experience with "Powerdrome", a title first released on the Atari ST in 1988. The game's futuristic vehicle designs were based on "Matrix Marauders", a 1994 Amiga 3D grid-based strategy game whose concept was developed by fellow Psygnosis employee Jim Bowers. The name "Wipeout" was decided upon during a pub conversation, and was inspired by the instrumental song "Wipe Out" by The Surfaris.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: After the beta version of "Wipeout" appeared in the cult film "Hackers", Sony expressed interest in Psygnosis on the basis of the "impressive work" they had produced with 3D graphics. In September 1995, Sony purchased the Liverpool-based company outright. Subsequent development of "Wipeout 2097" spanned seven months, and a nightclub tour in conjunction with Red Bull was set up in order to help advertise the game. The game's art, in-game branding, and packaging were made by Sheffield-based The Designers Republic.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: For the development of "Wipeout 3", Psygnosis once again hired The Designers Republic to assist in development. Lead artist Nicky Westcott wanted to make the game to look like a "believable future" in order to retain a believable sensibility. "Wipeout 3" was also the first game to benefit from the PlayStation's analogue sticks, which were used to offer smoother control of the player's craft.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: Pre-production of "Wipeout Pure" began in August 2003 and full production commenced in October of that year. The team received development kits of the then-upcoming PlayStation Portable the following year, and was made aware that "Wipeout Pure" was going to be a launch title for that console. During development, Studio Liverpool created user interfaces and custom plugins for 3D computer graphics software entirely from scratch in order to help speed up the process.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: "Wipeout HD" was first announced during E3 2007, and was revealed to be a downloadable-only title. The game's director, Tony Buckley, said in a retrospective interview that the studio made the decision to release the game as a PlayStation Store exclusive title before development. There was a significant delay when reports emerged that the game's Zone Mode had failed epilepsy testing, and that it would have to be redesigned before it could be released.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: "Wipeout 2048" was developed in parallel with the PlayStation Vita itself, and had acted as a "testbed" for the console. The development of the game influenced the design of the console itself; staff from the Liverpudlian studio were sent to brainstorm ideas to senior management at Sony. Among these ideas included the proposal of a touchscreen device—which was not yet conceived at the time—as well as the inclusion of two sticks.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: On 8 August 2012, Sony officially shut down Studio Liverpool as part of an effort to focus on alternative investment plans. At the time of their closure, the studio was working on a future "Wipeout" title for the PlayStation 4, which was reported to have been in development for 12 to 18 months.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: The "Wipeout" series has been well received by critics. Its fast-paced gameplay, high-quality visuals, and prominent techno soundtracks have been cited as hallmarks of the series. Upon release, the first "Wipeout" game was widely praised for its electronica soundtrack, originality, and outstanding visuals; however, a critic at the time questioned its longevity and potential to hold a long lifespan in comparison to "Super Mario Kart". In retrospect, "Wipeout" was described as being synonymous with Sony's debut gaming hardware and as an early showcase for 3D graphics in console gaming. The game also increased awareness of the underground techno community in England, as it was one of the first games to include licensed music.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: The second instalment of the series, "Wipeout 2097", was released to critical acclaim. Reviewers unanimously commended its innovation, graphics, and unique blend of techno music. IGN ranked it as the 13th best PlayStation game of all time in 2002, and "" named it as the fifth best in 1997. In addition, "Wipeout 2097" also ranks as the fourth best PlayStation game of all time at GameRankings. "Wipeout 64" received generally positive reviews, with some critics asserting that it was a superior game to "F-Zero X" in regards to graphics, atmosphere, and track design, though others noted that it did not reach the standards of its predecessor, "Wipeout 2097".


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: The fourth instalment of the series, "Wipeout 3", was positively received upon release; critics lauded the graphics, fast-paced gameplay, and music, although many reviews felt that the game's steep learning curve was a major fault. "Wipeout Fusion" was more negatively received by critics; the graphics received mixed responses, with one reviewer saying that it looked like an "early first generation PS2 game", despite another opining that the visuals had improved over all of its predecessors. At the time of "Wipeout Fusion"s release in 2001, critics recognised the fact that techno music was an integral part of the series.


title: Wipeout (video game series)

text: "Wipeout Pure" and "Wipeout Pulse" both received very positive reviews upon release, with critics praising their visual effects, attention to detail, and track design. "Wipeout HD", along with its "Fury" expansion pack, also received very positive reviews, with many critics agreeing that it offered the best visual representation of any "Wipeout" game due to it being upscaled in full 1080p and rendered in 60 frames per second. It was nominated for the "Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design" category in the 12th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards and was also nominated under the racing category for the 28th Golden Joystick Awards. The final instalment in the franchise to be developed by Studio Liverpool, "Wipeout 2048", received generally positive reviews despite it being the lowest ranked game overall. Critics cohesively commended the graphics and visuals, and also regarded it as a showcase for the PlayStation Vita's power.


title: Silas

text: Silas or Silvanus (; Greek: Σίλας/Σιλουανός; fl. 1st century AD) was a leading member of the Early Christian community, who according to the New Testament accompanied Paul the Apostle on his second missionary journey.


title: Silas

text: "Silas" is traditionally assumed to be the same as the "Silvanus" mentioned in four epistles. Some translations, including the New International Version, call him "Silas" in the epistles. Paul, Silas, and Timothy are listed as co-authors of the two New Testament letters to the Thessalonians, though the authorship is disputed. The "Second Epistle to the Corinthians" mentions Silas as having preached with Paul and Timothy to the church in Corinth (), and the First Epistle of Peter describes Silas as a "faithful brother" ().


title: Silas

text: There is some disagreement over the original or "proper" form of his name: "Silas", "Silvanus", "Seila", and "Saul" seem to be treated at the time as equivalent versions of the same name in different languages, and it is not clear which is the original name of "Silas", and which is a translation or equivalent nickname, or whether some references are to different persons with equivalent names. He is consistently called "Silas" in the Acts of the Apostles, but the Roman name "Silvanus" (which means "of the forest") is always used by Paul and in the First Epistle of Peter (); it may be that "Silvanus" is the Romanized version of the original "Silas", or that "Silas" is the Greek nickname for "Silvanus". Silas is thus often identified with Silvanus of the Seventy. Catholic theologian Joseph Fitzmyer further points out that "Silas" is the Greek rendition of the Aramaic "Seila" (), a version of the Hebrew "Saul" (), which is attested in Palmyrene inscriptions. Anne Catherine Emmerich says that the original form of his name was "Sela."


title: Silas

text: Silas is first mentioned in , where he and Judas Barsabbas (known often as 'Judas') were selected by the church elders to return with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch following the Jerusalem Council. Silas and Judas are mentioned as being leaders among the brothers, prophets and encouraging speakers. Silas was selected by Paul to accompany him on his second mission after Paul and Barnabas split over an argument involving Mark's participation. It was during the second mission that he and Paul were imprisoned briefly in Philippi, where an earthquake broke their chains and opened the prison door. Silas is thus sometimes depicted in art carrying broken chains. Acts 16:25-37.


title: Silas

text: According to , Silas and Timothy travelled with Paul from Philippi to Thessalonica, where they were treated with hostility in the synagogues by some traditional Jews. The harassers followed the trio to Berea, threatening Paul's safety, and causing Paul to separate from Silas and Timothy. Paul travelled to Athens, and Silas and Timothy later joined him in Corinth.


title: Silas

text: These events can be dated to around AD 50: the reference in to Proconsul Gallio helps ascertain this date (cf. Gallio inscription). According to , Paul ceased to attend the synagogue in Corinth as a result of Jewish hostility, Silas is not mentioned thereafter in the Acts narrative.


title: Silas

text: He appears in the salutation of 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and is referred to in 2 Corinthians 1:19. This is as expected, as we read of his involvement in Paul's mission when these cities were visited. He also appears in the conclusion of 1 Peter at 5:12, and is perhaps the amanuensis. Peter says he regards Silas as "a faithful brother".


title: Silas

text: Anne Catherine Emmerich recounts in her visions that Silas' original name was Sela, and that he was one of the three "secret disciples," along with Hermas, who had later accompanied Jesus on his trip to the Three Kings' homeland near Ur, and thence to Heliopolis, and whose parents had come with the caravan of the Three Kings.


title: Silas

text: Saint Silas is celebrated in the Calendar of Saints of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and that of the Episcopal Church (United States) with a Lesser Feast on January 26 with Timothy and Titus, and separately on July 13 by the Roman Catholic Church and February 10 by the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. Saint Silas is also venerated by the Eastern Orthodox Church on July 30 along with the Apostles Silvanus, Crescens, Epenetus, and Andronicus and on January 4 where he is venerated with all the apostles.


title: Gabardine

text: Gabardine is a durable twill worsted wool, a tightly woven fabric originally waterproof and used to make suits, overcoats, trousers, uniforms, windbreakers, outerwear and other garments.


title: Gabardine

text: The word gaberdine or gabardine has been used to refer to a particular item of clothing, a sort of long cassock but often open at the front, since at least the 15th century, in the 16th becoming used for outer garments of the poor, and later signifying a rain cloak or protective smock-frock.


title: Gabardine

text: The modern use of the term for a fabric rather than a garment dates to Thomas Burberry, founder of the Burberry fashion house in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England, who invented the fabric and revived the name in 1879, and patented it in 1888. Gabardine made its public appearance in 1879 when it was introduced by Burberry Clothing.


title: Gabardine

text: Gabardine was an innovative fabric that changed the course of outerwear as well as protective wear design and production. It was a new kind of fabric which was not only lightweight but high in durability and consequently came from its most notable attributes, its breathability and its weatherproofing which revolutionized rainwear.


title: Gabardine

text: The original fabric was worsted wool, sometimes in combination with cotton, and was waterproofed using lanolin before weaving. The fiber may also be pure cotton, texturized polyester, or a blend.


title: Gabardine

text: Gabardine is woven as a warp-faced steep or regular twill, with a prominent diagonal rib on the face and smooth surface on the back. Gabardine always has many more warp than weft yarns.


title: Gabardine

text: Gabardine is tightly woven and water-repellent but more comfortable and breathable than rubberised fabrics.


title: Gabardine

text: Burberry clothing of gabardine was worn by polar explorers, including Roald Amundsen, the first man to reach the South Pole, in 1911 and Ernest Shackleton, who led a 1914 expedition to cross Antarctica. A jacket made of this material was worn by George Mallory on his ill-fated attempt on Mount Everest in 1924.


title: Gabardine

text: Gabardine was also used widely in the 1950s to produce colorful patterned casual jackets, trousers and suits. Companies like J. C. Penney, Sport Chief, Campus, Four Star, Curlee, Towncraft, Oxford Clothes, and various California Trends coming from Hollywood Ca. were being produced such as short-waisted gabardine jackets, sometimes reversible, commonly known as "Ricky" jackets or " Gab Jackets" along with the famous Hollywood Leisure Jackets that had been made since the 1930s.


title: Gabardine

text: Cotton gabardine is often used by bespoke tailors to make pocket linings for suits, where the pockets' contents would quickly wear holes in flimsy pocket lining material.


title: Gabardine

text: Clothing made from gabardine is generally labelled as being suitable for dry cleaning only, as is typical for wool textiles.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Tanaka was the Eagles' first-round pick in the NPB amateur player draft. From 2012 to 2013, he won 26 consecutive decisions, which set a new NPB record. In the MLB, Tanaka has earned selections to two Major League Baseball All-Star Games.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Tanaka was born in Itami, a city in Hyōgo, Japan. He began playing baseball in the first grade as a catcher for the Koyanosato Tigers (a Little League team) alongside current Yomiuri Giants shortstop Hayato Sakamoto, who was then the team's ace pitcher and Tanaka's batterymate. Tanaka and Sakamoto hit third and fourth in the lineup, respectively. He went on to play for the Takarazuka Boys while attending Itami Municipal Matsuzaki Junior High School, being used at both pitcher and catcher because of his strong throwing arm. He was chosen to the Junior All-South Kansai team in his third year of junior high—the equivalent of ninth grade in the United States.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Tanaka moved on to Komazawa University Tomakomai High School in Hokkaidō, now playing solely as a pitcher for the team. Armed with a fastball that sat in high-80s and a hard slider, he led his team all the way to a championship in the 87th National High School Baseball tournament held at Koshien Stadium in the summer of his second year (eleventh grade). His very last pitch of the tournament was clocked at , the first time a pitcher had ever clocked that speed as a junior in the history of the tournament. Tanaka, already a highly coveted talent by NPB scouts, was chosen to the Japanese team that would play in the IBAF AAA World Junior Championships following the tournament and contributed to the team's title.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Now given the uniform number 1 and officially appointed the team's ace pitcher, Tanaka led Tomakomai High to a regional title as well as a championship in the Meiji Jingu Tournament that fall, hitting home runs in four straight games in the latter himself. While his team was viewed as the favorite going into the 78th National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament to be held the following spring, Tomakomai High was forced to withdraw from the tournament because of allegations of misconduct of some of the players.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Tomakomai High earned a berth in the 88th National High School Baseball Championship that summer. Tanaka managed to lead them to their third consecutive appearance in the tournament finals despite being ill prior to the tournament. The team's coach did not start Tanaka in the finals against Waseda Jitsugyo High School (an affiliate school of Waseda University), opting to rest him due to the number of innings he had thrown in the last few games, but he ended up sending Tanaka to the mound in relief midway through the third inning. Tanaka held Waseda Jitsugyo to just one run and struck out 10, but the opponent's ace, Yuki Saito, held Tomakomai High to one run himself on seven hits. The game remained tied 1–1 after 15 innings, forcing a rematch as per tournament regulations. It was the first time in 37 years (since Matsuyama Commercial High School and Misawa High School met in the finals in 1969) that the tournament finals had resulted in a rematch.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: In the rematch that ensued the next day, Tanaka again came on in relief in the bottom of the first, but Tomakomai High lost to Waseda Jitsugyo despite his pitching the remaining 7 innings of the game. (Tanaka was the last batter, striking out to end the game.) The pitchers' duel between Tanaka and Saito in the finals and the rematch that followed became on the most defining moments in all of sports in Japan that year. Tanaka, dealing with intestinal inflammation, threw 742 pitches in 52 innings (six appearances) in the tournament, striking out 54 and walking 20 with a 2.22 earned run average (ERA).


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Both pitchers were chosen to play for Japan in the United States-Japan High School Baseball Tournament (organized by the Japanese Educational Resource Center in conjunction with the Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy). Tomakomai High and Waseda Jitsugyo High met one last time in the finals of the Nojigiku Hyōgo National Sports Festival, the last tournament of Tanaka's high school career, but Tomakomai High was shut out by Saito and lost (1–0) to Waseda Jitsugyo, finishing second yet again.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Tanaka struck out 458 batters over the course of his high school career (2004–2006), surpassing Daisuke Matsuzaka's previous national high school record of 423 with Yokohama Senior High School. He also hit 13 home runs during those three years.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: After rival Yuki Saito announced that he would not be declaring for the upcoming draft, opting to go on to Waseda University instead, Tanaka became the single most highly touted high school player eligible to be picked. On September 25, in the 2006 NPB high school draft, the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters, Orix Buffaloes, Yokohama BayStars and Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles all selected Tanaka with their first-round picks. The Golden Eagles drew the winning straw, signing him to a base salary of 15 million yen, a signing bonus of 100 million yen and additional performance-based incentives, the equivalent of what a first-round college or industrial league-player would normally receive, on November 2. He was also given the uniform number 18, which typically denotes a team's staff ace in Japanese professional baseball.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Tanaka was named to the Eagles' "ichigun" (Japanese equivalent of "major league") roster during Spring training of his rookie year, and made his professional debut on March 29, , against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks as the starting pitcher, but gave up six runs on six hits and a walk in 1 innings. Though he was not charged with a loss, as the Eagles made a furious comeback to tie the game up in the fourth, he was seen sitting in the dugout in tears after being taken out of the game.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: On April 18, in a home game against the Hawks, he held the team to two runs and struck out 13 in a complete game win, the first win of his professional career. He became the first pitcher since Yu Darvish to throw a complete game shutout as a rookie out of high school on June 13 in an interleague game against the Chunichi Dragons. He also became the first pitcher since Daisuke Matsuzaka in 1999 to be voted the starter of the NPB All-Star Game (representing the Pacific League) as a rookie out of high school, starting in Game 2 on July 22 and clocking a personal-high (though he gave up six runs in two innings in that start).


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: On July 10, Tanaka recorded his 100th strikeout of the season in just 96 innings, tying the record for the fastest to reach 100 career strikeouts (in innings) held by former Hanshin Tigers pitcher Yutaka Enatsu. He became the first pitcher to record double-digit wins in Eagles "franchise history" (and the first to do so as a rookie out of high school in Japanese professional baseball since Matsuzaka) in a win against the Saitama Seibu Lions on August 31.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Tanaka finished the year with an 11–7 record and a 3.82 ERA, faring particularly well against the Hawks (5–0 in six starts). His 196 strikeouts were the second-most by any pitcher in either league (Pacific or Central) and the fourth-most as a rookie out of high school in Japanese professional baseball history. He was named the Pacific League Most Valuable Rookie, the first player out of high school to win the award since Matsuzaka.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: In , Tanaka was penciled into the front end of the Eagles' starting rotation for the second straight season. He earned his first career win at Sapporo Dome, located in his former home of Hokkaido, in a win against the Fighters on May 4, drawing cheers from the crowd despite pitching for the away team. He came on in relief for the first time in his career in an interleague game against the Hiroshima Carp on June 22, recording his first career save.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Tanaka was able to make only 24 starts (as opposed to 28 in his rookie season), missing playing time because of both a brief rehab stint in the minors due to inflammation in his shoulder and his participation in the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a member of the Japanese national team. He entered the last game of the regular season against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks with nine wins, looking to both earn his tenth win of the season and prevent the Eagles from finishing in last place. While he held the Hawks to no runs over nine innings, Hawks starter Toshiya Sugiuchi equaled his performance and Tanaka fell short of his goal of reaching double-digit wins. The Eagles eventually won in walk-off fashion in the twelfth inning, finishing one game ahead of the Hawks for fifth place in the regular season standings.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Tanaka got off to an utterly dominant start to the season, pitching a four-hit complete game shutout against the Hawks in his first start on April 7, a one-run complete game win against the Chiba Lotte Marines on April 14 (his first career win against the Marines, the only other Pacific League team he had yet to record a win against), a three-hit complete game shutout against the Marines on April 22, and an 11-strikeout, one-run complete game win against the Fighters on April 29. The fourth win marked the 1500th of Eagles manager Katsuya Nomura's career and made Tanaka the first pitcher to start the season with four consecutive complete game wins since Satoru Komiyama (then with the Marines) and Shigetoshi Hasegawa (Orix BlueWave) both accomplished the feat in 1993. However, though he went 4–0 with a 0.50 ERA for the month of April, striking out 37 and allowing just 24 baserunners in 36 innings and winning Pacific League monthly Most Valuable Player honors for the first time in his career, he was removed from the active roster on April 30 with a minor shoulder strain as a result of fatigue. He returned to the team on May 13, pitching seven innings of three run-ball against the Fighters for his fifth straight win to start the season.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: On September 13, 2013, Tanaka set a new NPB record with his 21st consecutive win in the 2013 season in a 6–2 complete game victory over the Orix Buffaloes at home in Sendai at Kleenex Stadium. This victory was Tanaka's 25th consecutive win, including his final four starts in 2012. It also eclipsed the longest consecutive winning streak for MLB pitchers, set at 24 by Carl Hubbell in the 1936 and 1937 seasons. On September 26, 2013, Tanaka relieved to close the last inning. With a one run lead, he sealed the victory and the Eagles' first Pacific League title. It was his first appearance as a closer in the 2013 season.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: He ended the regular season with a 24–0 record and 1.27 ERA, tops in both leagues. He also became the second post-war starting pitcher with an undefeated season with minimum innings required for an ERA title since Shigekuni Mashiba.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Tanaka went on to win his second Sawamura Award as the Golden Eagles competed for their first Japan Series title. Taking postseason games into account, his 2013 record was 30–1. The lone loss came in Game 6 of the 2013 Japan Series, a 160-pitch complete game, and he avenged that loss as he picked up the save in the decisive Game 7.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Tanaka was repeatedly scouted by MLB representatives during the 2013 season. Through the revised posting system, Rakuten posted Tanaka to MLB during the 2013–14 offseason at a fee of $20 million. On December 26, 2013, all 30 MLB teams were notified that the 30-day period to sign the 25-year-old right-hander began at 8 a.m. EST. Clubs had until 5 p.m. EST on January 24, 2014, to reach an agreement with Tanaka, who was represented by agent Casey Close.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: During the month-long period following Tanaka's posting, teams reported to be serious suitors included the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Houston Astros. On January 22, 2014, Tanaka signed a seven-year contract worth $155 million with the Yankees. The contract contained an opt-out clause after the fourth year and a full no-trade clause.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Tanaka made his Major League debut on April 4, 2014, against the Toronto Blue Jays and gave up a home run to the first batter he faced, ex-Yankee Melky Cabrera. Tanaka would receive his first MLB win in the game, pitching seven innings with eight strikeouts in the Yankees 7–3 win against the Blue Jays. Tanaka made his first Yankees home start on April 9, against the Baltimore Orioles where he struck out ten batters in seven innings but received a no-decision as the Yankees lost the game 5–4. During an interleague game against the New York Mets on May 14, Tanaka recorded his first major league hit off of José Valverde and pitched his first complete game in the majors as the Yankees shut out the Mets 4–0. Tanaka began his American career with a 6–0 record before he received his first loss in the MLB on May 20, as the Yankees lost to the Chicago Cubs 6–1; it was his first loss in any professional baseball league since August 19, 2012.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: In June, Tanaka recorded his 100th strikeout of the season in a complete game against the Seattle Mariners; his bid for a shutout was ended when former Yankee Robinson Canó hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning. Tanaka began the year with an 11–1 record and a 1.99 ERA in his first 14 starts while striking out 113 batters in 99 innings. He became the first Yankees rookie to win 12 games by the All-Star break and was selected to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game as a reserve for the American League. He and teammate Dellin Betances were the first Yankees rookie pitchers to earn an All-Star Game nod since Spec Shea in 1947.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Following a loss to the Cleveland Indians on July 8, 2014, in which he gave up five runs in innings, Tanaka began to experience discomfort in his right arm. The next day, Tanaka was placed on the disabled list due to right elbow inflammation. He had compiled a 12–4 record with a 2.51 ERA in 18 starts and was forced to withdraw from the All-Star Game as a result of the injury. An MRI revealed that his elbow had a partially torn UCL. At the behest of several doctors, Tanaka received a PRP shot from Yankees' head team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad and rested his elbow for 6 weeks instead of having Tommy John surgery to repair his UCL. Tanaka returned on September 21 against the Blue Jays, receiving his 13th win of the season in the Yankees' 5–2 victory over the Blue Jays. He would only pitch one more time during the 2014 season, a loss to the Boston Red Sox in which he gave up seven runs (five earned) in innings. In the 20 starts of his first major league season in 2014, Tanaka posted a 2.77 ERA with 141 strikeouts in innings and a 13–5 record.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: After his 2014 season, there was much speculation by sports media and fans that Tanaka should have undergone surgery rather than follow his doctors' suggestions and rehab the injury. This was mostly due to the belief that he would need to get the surgery despite the rehab program.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Tanaka was chosen by Joe Girardi to be the Opening Day starter for the Yankees. He made the Opening Day start on April 6, 2015, against the Blue Jays, surrendering five runs in the third inning, including a home run by Edwin Encarnación, as the Yankees lost. On April 28, Tanaka was placed on the disabled list with forearm and wrist soreness; he had gone 2–1 with a 3.22 ERA in four starts. The injury combined with his poor first outing led many in the sports media to speculate that Tanaka should undergo Tommy John surgery against the wishes of his doctors. After missing a month, he returned on June 3 against the Seattle Mariners, where he pitched seven innings with nine strikeouts as the Yankees won 3–1. In a June 27 start against the Houston Astros, Tanaka gave up a career-high six earned runs.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Tanaka was diagnosed with a Grade 1 hamstring strain on September 20, sustaining the injury during an interleague game against the New York Mets when running to first base after a bunt attempt. He would miss his next start.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Tanaka's season ended with a 3–0 loss to the Houston Astros in the American League Wild Card game, in which he pitched five innings and allowed two earned runs. In 24 starts, Tanaka went 12–7 with a 3.51 ERA in 154 innings, posting a WHIP of only 0.994, the lowest amongst all American League starters with at least 150 innings pitched. One area of struggle for Tanaka in 2015 was the home run: he gave up 25 of them.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Tanaka was named the Yankees' Opening Day starter in 2016 for the second consecutive season. He received a no-decision against the Houston Astros, giving up two runs in innings. On April 17, Tanaka faced his former Rakuten teammate Hisashi Iwakuma of the Seattle Mariners for the first time in the United States, the first time in MLB history that two former Japanese teammates pitched against each other. Tanaka earned the win, allowing two earned runs in seven innings and striking out six, while Iwakuma took the loss. In his first eight starts, Tanaka compiled a 1–0 record, receiving seven no-decisions, including eight shutout innings against the Baltimore Orioles on May 5. Tanaka tied his career high by giving up six earned runs in six innings in a June 29 start against the Texas Rangers. On July 10, Tanaka pitched his shortest start of the season, lasting only 4⅔ innings in a no-decision against the Cleveland Indians. Prior to the All-Star Break, Tanaka went 6–2 with a 3.23 ERA in 18 starts, pitching 117 innings and striking out 93.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Tanaka started in the Subway Series for the third straight season, losing to the Mets on August 2 by giving up seven runs (six earned) in innings. It would be his final loss of 2016, as Tanaka would finish the season strong and end the year by winning seven consecutive decisions in his last ten starts. Tanaka faced Iwakuma again on August 24, throwing seven shutout innings as Tanaka received the win and Iwakuma received the loss again in their second meeting. On September 10, Tanaka struck out a season-high 10 batters in innings against the Tampa Bay Rays. In his next start, Tanaka pitched seven innings of one-run baseball against the Boston Red Sox, lowering his ERA to 2.97, the best in the American League. After a win against the Rays on September 21 in which he allowed four home runs, Tanaka was diagnosed with a flexor mass strain and was shut down for five days. After the strain healed, it was announced that Tanaka would not pitch in his final scheduled start of the season as the Yankees were already eliminated from postseason contention and the team felt it was not necessary to risk Tanaka's health in a meaningless game. In the second half of 2016, Tanaka pitched to an 8–2 record and a 2.83 ERA in 13 games, throwing innings and striking out 72.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: In 2016, Tanaka made a career-high 31 starts and avoided a disabled list stint for the first time in his MLB career. He finished the year pitching innings with a 14–4 record, 165 strikeouts and a 3.07 ERA, the third-best in the American League. Tanaka set career-highs in innings pitched, wins, strikeouts and WAR (Wins Above Replacement) (he finished the year with 5.4 WAR, the third most of any pitcher in the league). He finished tied for seventh in the voting for the American League Cy Young with Aaron Sanchez.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: On February 14, 2017, Girardi named Tanaka the Opening Day starter for the third season in a row. Tanaka was dominant in Spring Training, allowing only one earned run in innings for a 0.38 ERA. Making the Opening Day start against the Tampa Bay Rays on April 2, Tanaka lasted only innings, allowing a career-high seven earned runs as the Yankees lost by a score of 7–3. Tanaka's season started slowly until pitching a complete game shutout against the Red Sox on April 27, the second of his career. Tanaka's shutout was notable in that he only threw 97 pitches, pitching what is colloquially referred to as a "Maddux" (a complete-game shutout with fewer than 100 pitches), the first by any pitcher in the 2017 season. Tanaka allowed more than three earned runs only once in the six starts after his Opening Day debacle, lowering his ERA to 4.36 by May 8.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Tanaka was scheduled to start in Game 2 of the May 14 doubleheader against the Houston Astros, notable for being the same game in which Derek Jeter would have his number retired in a pregame ceremony. Tanaka would give up a career-high eight earned runs in innings, allowing four home runs. Critics blasted Tanaka for "ruining" what was supposed to be a special night for Jeter and the Yankees. In his next start, he allowed six runs in three innings against the Tampa Bay Rays, giving up three home runs in the process. Tanaka appeared to improve in a May 25 start against the Oakland Athletics, as he struck out a career-high 13 batters. However, he would allow seven runs to the Baltimore Orioles and five runs to the Boston Red Sox in his next two starts, both losses, leaving his record at 5–7 and his ERA at 6.55 by June 6. Tanaka rebounded against the Los Angeles Angels in a no-decision but then faltered again versus the Oakland Athletics, as he gave up three more home runs en route to his sixth consecutive loss.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Baseball analysts attempted to uncover the root cause of Tanaka's sudden struggles, which were surprising given his excellent 2016 and his reputation as the Yankees' ace since 2014. Critics pointed to a "flat" slider, missing badly on several pitches and getting buried in favorable hitters' counts. Some raised concerns that he was playing injured and needed Tommy John surgery; however, the Yankees (and Tanaka himself) insisted that Tanaka was at full health. Key to Tanaka's struggles was the home run ball, as he allowed 21 home runs in the first innings of the season, compared to allowing only 22 home runs in the entire 2016 season. On June 23, Tanaka started against fellow Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish for the first time in the United States, outdueling him by throwing eight shutout innings and striking out nine in a no-decision.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Against the Rays on July 28, Tanaka set a new career-high by striking out 14 batters. Tanaka took a perfect game into the sixth inning and allowed only one run on two hits in eight innings pitched. On August 12, Tanaka was placed on the 10-day disabled list due to right shoulder inflammation. He missed only one start. On August 27, Tanaka earned his tenth win of the season against the Seattle Mariners, making him the first Japanese pitcher in MLB history to have double-digit wins in all of his first four seasons. On September 29 against the Blue Jays, his final start of the regular season, Tanaka again set a new career-high by striking out 15 batters, tied with Stephen Strasburg for the most single-game strikeouts in 2017. In 30 starts of 2017, he finished the year with a 13–12 record, a 4.74 ERA, 194 strikeouts, and 35 home runs allowed in innings pitched.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: In the postseason, Tanaka earned the win in Game 3 of the 2017 American League Division Series against the Indians after throwing seven shutout innings. He started Game 1 of the 2017 American League Championship Series against Dallas Keuchel and the Astros in a rematch of the 2015 AL Wild Card Game, taking the loss after allowing two runs in six innings. However, he faced Keuchel again in Game 5, this time earning the win as he pitched seven shutout innings, striking out eight to help the Yankees take a 3–2 series lead.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: On November 3, Tanaka announced that he would not exercise the opt-out clause in his contract, instead staying with the Yankees for the remaining three years and $67 million left on his original deal.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Tanaka's first start of 2018 went smoothly as he retired 13 batters in a row, struck out eight, and allowed one run, which was a solo homer by Randal Grichuk in 6+ innings as the Yankees won 4–2. While playing at Citi Field against the Mets on June 8, Tanaka scored his first career run after a sacrifice fly from Aaron Judge, but shortly after, he left the game after his hamstrings grew stiff. The next day, on June 9, Tanaka wound up on the 10-day disabled list due to mild strains in both hamstrings. In a short time after his return from the DL, he pitched a complete game shutout in a 4–0 win over the Rays.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Due to Luis Severino's rotator cuff injury, the Yankees tapped Tanaka for his fourth Opening Day start on March 9, 2019. The start gave him the record for most Opening Day starts by a Japanese pitcher with four, passing Hideo Nomo. Tanaka would pitch innings, allowing 6 hits and 2 runs while striking out 5 in the Yankees 7–2 win vs the Orioles. This was Tanaka's first opening day victory. On 17 June Tanaka threw a complete game two-hit shutout and made 10 strikeouts in the Yankees’ 3-0 victory against Rays on Monday evening at Yankee Stadium. On June 29, against the Red Sox at London Stadium, Tanaka allowed 6 runs in the first inning, and was lifted after 2 outs. It was the first time in his career that he could not complete an inning while starting, but nevertheless, the Yankees won 17-13. On July 6, Tanaka was named to the 2019 Major League Baseball All-Star Game as an injury replacement for Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: July 25 against the Red Sox turned out to be Tanaka's worst outing in professional baseball, as he allowed 7 runs in the first inning and 5 more in the third inning, bringing his total to 12 runs, the most he allowed in a single start, while only retiring 10 hitters (4 strikeouts). It was also the most earned runs allowed by a Yankees pitcher since 1923.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Tanaka allowed one run over five innings in the 2019 ALDS. In Game 1 of the 2019 ALCS, Tanaka allowed one hit over six innings against the Astros. On October 24, Tanaka underwent right elbow surgery to remove bone spurs.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: On July 4, 2020, in a Yankees simulated game, Tanaka was struck in the head by a line drive off of the bat of Giancarlo Stanton and suffered a mild concussion. Despite this, Tanaka was able to make his first start on August 1 against the Red Sox, where he went innings, giving up two runs, and striking out 3. The Yankees won 5-2. Tanaka finished the year with a 3-3 record and 3.56 ERA in 10 appearances.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: On January 28, 2021, Tanaka agreed to a two-year contract to return to the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball. The deal was worth 900 million yen ($8.6 million) a year with additional incentives, making him the highest-paid player in NPB history. His uniform number is 18.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Tanaka was the only player to be chosen to the national team to play in the 2008 Beijing Olympics from the Eagles, becoming the youngest Japanese baseball player to play in the Olympics as a pro in the history of the event. He pitched in relief in Japan's first game against Cuba in the group stage, throwing one scoreless inning and striking out three. While Tanaka saw limited playing time as a middle reliever for the team, he recorded a 0.00 ERA and the highest strikeout rate of any pitcher on the team.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: He also played for Japan in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, coming on in relief for Satoshi Komatsu midway through the sixth inning of the seeding match against South Korea in the second round but surrendering a home run to Lee Bum-Ho (Japan won 6–2). He pitched in the semi-finals against the United States, giving up a triple to Jimmy Rollins but striking out David Wright to end the inning, contributing to Japan's second consecutive championship in the tournament.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Tanaka was highly expected to be the staff ace of Team Japan in the 2013 WBC, but poor form in the build-up to the tournament led to concern over his performance. He started the pool opener against Brazil and conceded an unearned run. He came on as a reliever against Cuba and again conceded a run, before appearing to return to his usual form by striking out 6 batters in 2 innings. Tanaka again came on as a reliever against Chinese Taipei and had 2 good innings, shutting out the side with 4 strike outs, before conceding the equalizer in his third inning at the bottom of the 8th. Up to that point, Tanaka's inconsistency produced an ERA of 3.00, allowing 10 hits and 3 runs (2 earned) in 6 innings while striking out 10.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Tanaka is a right-handed pitcher who throws from a high three-quarter arm slot in a drop-and-drive motion. He throws two fastballs (four-seam, two-seam) usually in the low-90s that top out at 97 mph. He also has a plus 84–88 mph splitter with late downward action, a solid slider in the low to mid-80s, and an occasional curveball. Tanaka has added a high-80s cutter to repertoire in his MLB career. Post-UCL (elbow) injury, Tanaka has taken time to recover his fastball velocity, and he currently favors a two-seamer over the four-seam fastball he used to favor. He also has excellent command, posting a BB/9 (walks per nine innings rate) of 1.8 and a K/BB (strikeout to walk ratio) of 4.76 in his MLB career.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Tanaka is often affectionately referred to as by both fans and the media. The nickname stuck after Tanaka and Saito told the media that that was what Tanaka was called on the team during the U.S.-Japan High School Baseball Tournament that followed the national tournament in 2006. Eagles manager Katsuya Nomura also often refers to Tanaka as "Mā-kun" in interviews. While older players on the team generally call Tanaka by his surname, some call him by the abbreviated nickname "Mā". While on the Yankees, Tanaka wore the nickname "Masa" on his jersey during Players Weekend in 2017.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Tanaka has stated that he is an avid fan of Momoiro Clover Z, a popular female idol group in Japan. He has attended the group's concerts multiple times. When practicing he wears custom-made multicolored gloves in the five Momoiro Clover Z member colors (pictured) and he plays official games in gloves embroidered with a clover leaf. When his baseball team presented its fan club members with "cheering goods", the towel saying "Tanaka" used the same five colors. During the game in which he set a new Japanese professional baseball record of 16 consecutive victories in one season, cheer banners of the same color scheme were distributed among the spectators.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: He has used the group's songs as his "warm-up song" (music that is played at a baseball game when a pitcher appears on the field and does his warm-up routine). After he joined Yankees, his warm-up song at home games is "My Dear Fellow" by Momoiro Clover Z. This song was specially made for Tanaka and unveiled when he debuted at Yankee Stadium, before it was released in Japan. New York Post said that "for when the rookie threw his warmup pitches, he did so to the accompaniment of a Japanese pop song — a tune unlike any other ever played here … Who else arrives in town with customized musical accompaniment?" NJ.com, said "Like Tanaka, the act is a Japanese sensation. And like Momoiro Clover Z, Tanaka made his presence vociferously known in the Bronx."


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: Tanaka is married to Mai Satoda, former member and former supervisor of the idol group Country Musume and television personality. The wedding ceremony was held in Hawaii in December 2012. Tanaka's wife gave birth to a boy on February 15, 2016. Satoda is also a fan of Momoiro Clover Z.


title: Masahiro Tanaka

text: On 29 January 2020, Tanaka announced on his Twitter feed that he had created a YouTube channel. In his video, Tanaka stated he would be uploading videos featuring him and his daily life.


title: Tunak Tunak Tun

text: "Tunak Tunak Tun" or simply "Tunak", is a Bhangra/Indi-pop song by Indian Punjabi artist Daler Mehndi, released in 1998. It was the first Indian music video made using chroma key technology.


title: Tunak Tunak Tun

text: The song and the video were a success in India, cementing Mehndi's status as India's biggest and most popular popstar at the time. It later gained international success and garnered a cult following, especially after it became an internet meme in the 2000s.


title: Tunak Tunak Tun

text: Mehndi claims his music was often criticized for only being popular due to the abundance of beautiful, dancing women in his videos. The singer responded by creating a video that featured nobody but himself. The music video was the first made in India using Bluescreen technology, which allowed the singer to superimpose his image over various computer-generated backgrounds including desert and mountain landscapes as well as St. Basil's Cathedral.


title: Tunak Tunak Tun

text: The music video follows a simple plot about four men, all played by Mehndi, who represent the four classical elements and dress in lavish Indian clothing. The earth Mehndi wears red/maroon, the fire Mehndi wears orange, the wind Mehndi wears brown, and the water Mehndi wears green. The men start off as comets made of water, earth, air, and fire before transforming into clothed Mehndis. Each of the Mehndis take turns singing, dancing and pointing at each other as though they are discussing something. The Mehndis later fuse by first reverting to their comet states and then merging to form one big Mehndi, who is predominantly clad in garb of gold and emerald.


title: Tunak Tunak Tun

text: The "Tunak Tunak Tun" lyrics are a reference to the sounds made by a tumbi (also called tumba), a traditional musical instrument from the Punjab region in the northern Indian subcontinent. The lyrics also refer to the ektara or "tuntuna".


title: Tunak Tunak Tun

text: As of 1 October 2022, the music video has received over views on the Sony Music India channel at YouTube.


title: Tunak Tunak Tun

text: The song and the music video received a negative review from "Rashtriya Sahara" magazine in 1998. Despite this, the song became an incredible commercial success in 1998, becoming the biggest Indi-pop hit at the time.


title: Tunak Tunak Tun

text: By 1999, the song found an international cult following, particularly among the South Asian diaspora in countries such as the United Kingdom and United States, as well as in Far-Eastern markets such as Japan. In China, it attained popularity for its lyrics, which sound like nonsensical words, gaining the song the Chinese name, "我在東北玩泥巴" ("I'm playing clay in Northeastern China").


title: Tunak Tunak Tun

text: In the 2000s, "Tunak Tunak Tun" found greater international popularity on the internet as a viral video. In response, the video game company Blizzard Entertainment incorporated the "Tunak Tunak Tun" dance as a character animation in their multiplayer role-playing game "" in 2007. This dance is also included as an easter egg in the video game "".


title: Gurpreet Ghuggi

text: Gurpreet Singh Waraich (born 19 July 1971), commonly known as Gurpreet Ghuggi, is an Indian actor, comedian and politician. He is known for his works in Punjabi and Hindi films. Ghuggi began his career by acting in theatre in the early 1990s, after which he had recurring roles in television series such as "Ronak Mela" and the soap opera "Parchhaven". He gained international public recognition with comedic leading roles through his videos "Ghuggi Junction" (2003) and "Ghuggi Shoo Mantar" (2004), before beginning his film career by starring as Patwari Jhilmil Singh in "Asa Nu Maan Watna Da" (2004). He starred in the film "Carry On Jatta" (2012), and was praised for his meaningful leading role in Ardaas (2015).


title: Gurpreet Ghuggi

text: Gurpreet Singh Waraich was born on 19 July 1971 in Gurdaspur in Punjab. He is married to Kuljeet Kaur with whom he has a son and a daughter.


title: Gurpreet Ghuggi

text: Ghuggi's career began with his appearance in several theatrical plays. In the 1990s, he got his break on television when he was cast in the comedic series, "Ronak Mela". After "Ronak Mela", Ghuggi had lead roles on the soap opera "Parchhaven", playing a serious character, as well as on several shows, including "Ghuggi Express" and "Ghuggi On Line".


title: Gurpreet Ghuggi

text: Ghuggi's debut film role was in the romantic drama "Jee Aayan Nu", in which he played a travel agency role. Released in 2002, the movie went direct-to-video. Soon after, he became a cast member of several films, including a breakthrough in 2015, when he was given the opportunity to play the lead role in "Ardaas". His involvement in the film earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Actor (critics).


title: Gurpreet Ghuggi

text: Alongside working in Punjabi cinema movies, Ghuggi has appeared in a few Bollywood and Canadian cinema films such as "Singh Is Kinng" and "Breakaway". He received public recognition in India through his participation in "The Great Indian Laughter Challenge", a reality show on STAR One. Later Ghuggi appeared with his wife, Kuljeet Kaur, on Star One's "Hans Baliye" and won the contest.


title: Gurpreet Ghuggi

text: Ghuggi has appeared in live concerts such as "Shounki Mela 2003" (along with Kamal Heer, Manmohan Waris and Sangtar), "Vaisakhi Mela 2009" (along with Jazzy B and Sukhshinder Shinda) and "Vaisakhi Mela 2010" (along with Nachatter Gill, Master Saleem and others).


title: Gurpreet Ghuggi

text: In 2020, Ghuggi started a new talk show called "Hasdeyaan De Ghar Vasde" on Zee Punjabi and Zee5. Ghuggi hosts the show with Khushboo Grewal.


title: Gurpreet Ghuggi

text: In 2014, Waraich joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), a political party in India. From 4 September 2016 to 10 May 2017, he had led AAP Punjab as the party's state convener but was replaced by Bhagwant Maan. After his replacement, he quit the party. He had contested from the Batala Assembly Constituency during the 2017 Punjab Legislative Assembly election but lost, placing third behind Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal and Ashwani Sekhri.


title: You Want It Darker

text: You Want It Darker is the fourteenth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, released on October 21, 2016, by Columbia Records, 17 days before Cohen's death. The album was created towards the end of his life and focuses on death, God, and humor. It was released to critical acclaim. The title track was awarded a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance in January 2018. It was Cohen's last album released during his lifetime and was followed by the posthumous album "Thanks for the Dance" in November 2019.


title: You Want It Darker

text: After touring extensively between 2008 and 2013, Leonard Cohen began to suffer "multiple fractures of the spine" among other physical problems, according to his son Adam Cohen. Due to Leonard Cohen's mobility issues, "You Want It Darker" was recorded in the living room of his home in Mid-Wilshire, Los Angeles and then sent by e-mail to his musical collaborators.


title: You Want It Darker

text: Cohen has said his condition helped him eliminate any distractions during the recording of the album: "In a certain sense, this particular predicament is filled with many fewer distractions than other times in my life and actually enables me to work with a little more concentration and continuity than when I had duties of making a living, being a husband, being a father". Despite his medical condition, Adam Cohen said that "occasionally, in bouts of joy, he would even, through his pain, stand up in front of the speakers, and we'd repeat a song over and over like teenagers".


title: You Want It Darker

text: Musically, the album is "a little bit more sparse and acoustic" compared to his recent albums, according to Adam Cohen. Blues dominates the album.


title: You Want It Darker

text: "You Want It Darker" received widespread acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 92, which indicates "universal acclaim", based on 28 reviews.


title: You Want It Darker

text: In Canada, "You Want It Darker" debuted atop the album charts, with 19,400 in traditional sales and a total of 20,000 units. The album occupied the top position for three consecutive weeks and sold 106,000 units by the end of the year in Canada.


title: You Want It Darker

text: In the United States, "You Want It Darker" debuted at number 10 on the "Billboard" 200 with 25,000 units, 24,000 of which were pure album sales. It is Cohen's second American top 10 album. In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number four on the UK Albums Chart, selling 20,330 copies in its first week and becoming Leonard Cohen's fifth top 10 album in the UK.


title: Fort Lee, New Jersey

text: Fort Lee is a borough at the eastern border of Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, situated along the Hudson River atop the Palisades.


title: Fort Lee, New Jersey

text: As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 40,191. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the borough's population was 35,345, reflecting a decline of 116 (−0.3%) from the 35,461 counted in the 2000 census. Along with other communities in Bergen County, it is one of the largest and fastest-growing ethnic Korean enclaves outside of Korea.


title: Fort Lee, New Jersey

text: Fort Lee is named for the site of an American Revolutionary War military encampment. At the turn of the 20th century it became the birthplace of the American film industry. In 1931 the borough became the western terminus of the George Washington Bridge, which crosses the Hudson River and connects to the borough of Manhattan in New York City. Fort Lee's population and housing density increased considerably during the 1960s and 1970s with the construction of highrise apartment buildings.


title: Fort Lee, New Jersey

text: According to the United States Census Bureau, Fort Lee borough had a total area of 2.87 square miles (7.44 km), including 2.52 square miles (6.52 km) of land and 0.35 square miles (0.92 km) of water (12.33%).


title: Fort Lee, New Jersey

text: The borough is situated atop the escarpment of the Hudson Palisades on the peninsula between the Hackensack and Hudson rivers. The borough is bisected by the confluence of roads at GWB Plaza leading to the George Washington Bridge.


title: Fort Lee, New Jersey

text: Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Coytesville, Linwood, Palisade and Taylorville.


title: Fort Lee, New Jersey

text: The borough borders Cliffside Park, Edgewater, Englewood, Englewood Cliffs, Leonia, Palisades Park, Ridgefield in Bergen County; and the Washington Heights neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City. Given its evolving cosmopolitan ambiance and adjacent proximity to Manhattan, Fort Lee is one of Northern New Jersey's Hudson Waterfront communities that has been called New York City's Sixth Borough,


title: Fort Lee, New Jersey

text: Fort Lee was named for General Charles Lee after George Washington and his troops had camped at Mount Constitution overlooking Burdett's Landing, in defense of New York City. It was during Washington's retreat in November 1776 (beginning along a road which is now Main Street) that Thomas Paine composed his pamphlet, "The American Crisis", which began with the recognized phrase, "These are the times that try men's souls." These events are recalled at Monument Park and Fort Lee Historic Park.


title: Fort Lee, New Jersey

text: Fort Lee was formed by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 29, 1904, from the remaining portions of Ridgefield Township. With the creation of Fort Lee, Ridgefield Township became defunct and was dissolved as of March 29, 1904. The Fort Lee Police Department was formed under borough ordinance on August 9, 1904, and originally consisted of six marshals.


title: Fort Lee, New Jersey

text: The history of cinema in the United States can trace its roots to the East Coast where, at one time, Fort Lee was the motion picture capital of America. The industry got its start at the end of the 19th century with the construction of Thomas Edison's "Black Maria", the first motion picture studio, in West Orange, New Jersey. New Jersey offered land at costs considerably less than New York City, and the cities and towns along the Hudson River and the Palisades benefited greatly as a result of the phenomenal growth of the film industry at the turn of the 20th century.


title: Fort Lee, New Jersey

text: Film-making began attracting both capital and an innovative workforce, and when the Kalem Company began using Fort Lee in 1907 as a location for filming in the area, other filmmakers quickly followed. In 1909, a forerunner of Universal Studios, the Champion Film Company, built the first studio. They were quickly followed by others who either built new studios or who leased facilities in Fort Lee. In the 1910s and 1920s, film companies such as the Independent Moving Pictures Company, Peerless Studios, The Solax Company, Éclair Studios, Goldwyn Picture Corporation, American Méliès (Star Films), World Film Company, Biograph Studios, Fox Film Corporation, Pathé Frères, Metro Pictures Corporation, Victor Film Company, and Selznick Pictures Corporation were all making pictures in Fort Lee. Such notables as Mary Pickford got their start at Biograph Studios.