title: Impossible object

text: Although possible to represent in two dimensions, it is not geometrically possible for such an object to exist in the physical world. However some models of impossible objects have been constructed, such that when they are viewed from a very specific point, the illusion is maintained. Rotating the object or changing the viewpoint breaks the illusion, and therefore many of these models rely on forced perspective or having parts of the model appearing to be further or closer than they actually are.


title: Impossible object

text: The notion of an "interactive impossible object" is an impossible object that can be viewed from any angle without breaking the illusion.


title: Backlash (2020)

text: The 2020 Backlash was the 15th Backlash professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event aired on June 14, 2020, with all the matches taking place at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. While the majority of the event aired live, the main event match between Edge and Randy Orton was pre-recorded on June 7. It was the first Backlash event held since 2018 and the final to be titled "Backlash"; the 2021 event renamed the event series to "WrestleMania Backlash".


title: Backlash (2020)

text: The event was originally scheduled to take place in Kansas City, Missouri; however, the event had to be relocated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Like WWE's other shows since mid-March, Backlash was moved to the WWE Performance Center, though unlike the previous shows, Backlash was not announced until after the start of the pandemic, which made it WWE's first PPV event to be announced during the pandemic.


title: Backlash (2020)

text: Seven matches were contested at the event, including one on the Kickoff pre-show. In the main event, Randy Orton defeated Edge in what WWE billed as "The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever." In the penultimate match, Drew McIntyre defeated Bobby Lashley to retain Raw's WWE Championship. Other prominent matches included Braun Strowman defeating The Miz and John Morrison in a Handicap match to retain SmackDown's Universal Championship and Sheamus defeated Jeff Hardy.


title: Backlash (2020)

text: Backlash is a pay-per-view (PPV) and WWE Network event that was established by WWE in 1999. It was held annually from 1999 to 2009. It was then discontinued but reinstated in 2016. In 2019, Backlash was originally scheduled to be held in June, however, it was canceled and replaced by a one-off PPV called Stomping Grounds. Backlash was then reinstated for 2020. It was the 15th event in the Backlash chronology and featured wrestlers from the Raw and SmackDown brands.


title: Backlash (2020)

text: Backlash was originally booked to take place in Kansas City, Missouri on June 14, 2020. However, the event was not announced or promoted until May 10 during WWE's Money in the Bank PPV; the advertisement had no reference to a city or venue, but confirmed the event for June 14. It was WWE's first event to be announced after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which began affecting WWE's programming in mid-March. The pandemic forced the promotion to move the majority of its shows for Raw and SmackDown to a behind closed doors set at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, though in late May, WWE began using Performance Center trainees to serve as the live audience.


title: Backlash (2020)

text: "Fightful Select" originally reported that most of the matches were filmed in advance on June 7, hours before the Performance Center recruits were moved to Full Sail University to act as spectators for that aired live that night. However, it was revealed by wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer the day after that only the Edge vs. Randy Orton match was pre-recorded. The recruits had a call-sheet at 8:30am that had them working both events until midnight on June 8. The rest of the Backlash card aired live on June 14.


title: Backlash (2020)

text: The pre-recorded nature of the Edge vs. Randy Orton match allowed WWE to create a cinematic match, utilizing "unique production techniques and camera angles ... to add to the experience." One production technique was amplified crowd noise. Some spots in the match were also refilmed to get different angles, or to perfect certain moves. WWE also used the classic Madison Square Garden microphone that was used during WrestleMania I, with previous recordings of the late Howard Finkel (1950–2020) doing introductions for both wrestlers. Referee Charles Robinson also wore a classic light blue ref shirt with black bowtie.


title: Backlash (2020)

text: The show comprised seven matches, including one on the Kickoff pre-show. The matches resulted from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portrayed heroes, villains or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. Results were predetermined by WWE's writers on the Raw and SmackDown brands, while storylines were produced on WWE's weekly television shows, "Monday Night Raw" and "Friday Night SmackDown."


title: Backlash (2020)

text: At the Royal Rumble, WWE Hall of Famer Edge, who was forced to retire in April 2011 due to a neck injury, returned during the eponymous match and eliminated his old Rated-RKO tag team partner Randy Orton; Edge was soon after eliminated. The feud became very personal over the next several weeks and culminated in a Last Man Standing match at WrestleMania 36, where Edge defeated Orton. On the May 11 episode of "Raw", both men made their first post-WrestleMania appearances. Orton said that the better man won at WrestleMania, but questioned Edge if the better wrestler had actually won. Noting that both the Royal Rumble and Last Man Standing matches were non-traditional, Orton challenged Edge to a traditional singles match at Backlash; Edge accepted the following week. WWE then billed the match as "The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever."


title: Backlash (2020)

text: On the May 11 episode of "Raw", Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP) approached Bobby Lashley backstage and praised him on his victory from earlier that night. However, he questioned why Lashley was facing a mid-carder while King Corbin was being invited over from SmackDown to face WWE Champion Drew McIntyre in a non-title match. MVP noted that Lashley had not had a WWE Championship opportunity since 2007's The Great American Bash and questioned when Lashley would show his true self. Lashley then aligned himself with MVP, which also enraged Lashley's storyline wife Lana. The following week, Lashley and MVP observed McIntyre's match against Corbin from the stage. After McIntyre defeated Corbin, McIntyre stated he wanted to face Lashley, who was held back by MVP. On the May 25 episode, it was confirmed that McIntyre would defend the WWE Championship against Lashley at Backlash.


title: Backlash (2020)

text: At Money in the Bank, Braun Strowman defeated Bray Wyatt to retain the Universal Championship. On the May 15 episode of "SmackDown", Strowman teamed with Mr. Money in the Bank Otis to defeat The Miz and John Morrison. The following week, Miz and Morrison lambasted Strowman for teaming with Otis (whom they made fun of the week prior) and then stated their loss the previous week was unfair. Miz taunted Strowman about his match with Wyatt and questioned if Wyatt was actually finished with Strowman. Morrison then seemingly issued a challenge for Miz to face Strowman, who accepted and defeated Miz. Following the match, Morrison challenged Strowman to defend the Universal Championship against himself and Miz in a handicap match at Backlash, which was made official.


title: Backlash (2020)

text: At Money in the Bank, Asuka won the women's Money in the Bank ladder match. The following night on "Raw", Raw Women's Champion Becky Lynch revealed that she was pregnant and announced a hiatus for maternity leave and that the ladder match was actually for the title instead of a contract that granted a championship match, thus Asuka became the new Raw Women's Champion. On the May 25 episode of "Raw", Nia Jax, who was also in the ladder match, defeated NXT Women's Champion Charlotte Flair and Natalya in a triple threat match to become the number one contender against Asuka for the title at Backlash.


title: Backlash (2020)

text: During the Backlash Kickoff pre-show, Apollo Crews defended the United States Championship against Andrade (accompanied by Angel Garza and Zelina Vega). During the match, Kevin Owens, who was the guest commentator, prevented Garza from interfering in the match. In the end, Crews performed a Spin-Out Powerbomb on Andrade to retain the title.


title: Backlash (2020)

text: The actual pay-per-view opened with Bayley and Sasha Banks defending the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship in a Triple threat tag team match against The IIconics (Billie Kay and Peyton Royce) and Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross. In the climax, as Bliss performed Twisted Bliss on Royce, Banks, who was outside the ring, re-entered and performed a roll-up on Bliss to retain the title.


title: Backlash (2020)

text: Next, Jeff Hardy faced Sheamus. Sheamus began to target Hardy's knee. Sheamus performed a White Noise on Hardy for a nearfall. Hardy performed a Twist of Fate and Swanton Bomb on Sheamus, who placed his foot on the rope to void the pin. In the closing moments, as Hardy performed a drive-by off the barricade on Sheamus, Sheamus performed a Brogue Kick in mid-air on Hardy. Sheamus then performed a second Brogue Kick on Hardy in the ring to win the match.


title: Backlash (2020)

text: After that, Asuka defended the Raw Women's Championship against Nia Jax. In the closing moments, Asuka and Jax applied submission maneuvers and attacked each other while outside the ring. Both were counted out, thus Asuka retained the title.


title: Backlash (2020)

text: In the next match, Braun Strowman defended the Universal Championship against The Miz and John Morrison in a 2-on-1 handicap match. In the closing moments, Morrison attempted to pin Strowman, but Miz broke up the pin as it would have resulted in Morrison winning the title and not Miz. Miz then started to regret his decision and apologized to Morrison. Strowman then took advantage of the situation and performed a Chokeslam on Miz and a Running Powerslam on Morrison to retain the title.


title: Backlash (2020)

text: In what became the penultimate match, Drew McIntyre defended the WWE Championship against Bobby Lashley (accompanied by MVP). Before the match began, MVP distracted McIntyre which allowed Lashley to apply the Full Nelson on McIntyre. After the match officially began, Lashley dominated McIntyre. During numerous pin attempts, McIntyre constantly kicked out at one, which frustrated Lashley. Outside the ring, Lashley threw McIntyre into the ringpost. As Lashley attempted a Spear, McIntyre countered and threw Lashley into the barricade. Lashley performed a Spinebuster on McIntyre, who kicked out at one during a pin attempt, which frustrated Lashley and MVP once more. McIntyre countered a Full Nelson attempt and performed an Alabama Slam on Lashley for a nearfall. As Lashley attempted a Spear on McIntyre, McIntyre countered into a Kimura Lock on Lashley, however, Lashley was able to overcome the submission maneuver. As McIntyre attempted a Claymore Kick, Lashley countered into a Spear for a nearfall. In the end, Lashley's (storyline) wife Lana came out and stood on the ring apron and argued with the referee over the last pin attempt. McIntyre performed a Glasgow Kiss on Lashley, who bumped into Lana, causing her to fall onto MVP at ringside. McIntyre then performed a Claymore Kick on Lashley to retain the title. Following, an irate MVP stared at Lana before departing backstage with Lashley.


title: Backlash (2020)

text: Next, The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) were originally set to defend the Raw Tag Team Championship against The Viking Raiders (Erik and Ivar), however, both teams ended up brawling outside in the Performance Center parking lot, where Ford threw Ivar onto Braun Strowman's car. The two teams fought in a walkway where Ivar threw a bowling ball into Ford. Both teams were interrupted by a group of ninja bikers led by Akira Tozawa. The Street Profits and The Viking Raiders then teamed up as "The Viking Profits" and proceeded to fight off the ninjas. After fighting off all the ninjas, Tozawa feigned defeat, however, he summoned a 7-foot tall ninja, who wielded a sword. The Street Profits and Viking Raiders then retreated and fought each other atop a production truck where they threw each other into a dumpster. WWE referee Jessika Carr then appeared and told them that their match was next and stated to Ivar that he was "cute," while Erik was "not so much" (a running gag throughout the rivalry). The segment ended after both teams were spooked by a tentacle creature. The announce team then confirmed that the Raw Tag Team Championship match would not be happening.


title: Backlash (2020)

text: In the main event, Edge faced Randy Orton in a match WWE billed as "The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever." Referee Charles Robinson laid out the rules of the match, including no hair pulling and no low blows. This was a back-and-forth match. During the match, Orton and Edge used their own finishing moves on each other (RKO and Spear, respectively) and paid homage to other WWE Hall of Famers and legends by using their finishing moves, such as Kurt Angle's Angle Slam (by Orton), Batista's Batista Bomb (by Edge as a surprise counter), Triple H's Pedigree (by Orton, who had twice aligned with Triple H in the past), Eddie Guerrero's Three Amigos (both attempted, with Edge succeeding after stopping Orton's attempt at 2), The Rock's Rock Bottom (by Edge in another surprise counter), and Christian's Killswitch (by Edge, who had grown up with Christian in real life). In a desperate moment while the referee was not looking, Orton performed a low blow on Edge and then performed a Punt on him to win the match that lasted nearly 45 minutes. Following the match, medical personnel tended to Edge, who refused.


title: Backlash (2020)

text: In August 2020, WWE relocated Raw and SmackDown's events to a bio-secure bubble called the WWE ThunderDome, which was first hosted at Orlando's Amway Center. In December, the ThunderDome was relocated to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, and then in April 2021, it was relocated to the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida. The 2021 Backlash was in turn WWE's first PPV held in the ThunderDome at the Yuengling Center. The event was originally scheduled to be held in June, but was moved up to May. This in turn positioned the 2021 event as the first PPV held after WrestleMania 37, thus the event returned to its original concept and was titled "WrestleMania Backlash".


title: Backlash (2020)

text: On the following "Raw", Randy Orton declared that he was now "the greatest wrestler ever" after winning "The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever." Christian then came out and asked him what kind of friend Orton was. Orton taunted him by stating Christian's desire to have one more match and, since Christian was not medically cleared, challenged him to an unsanctioned match later on the show. Christian was convinced by Big Show and Ric Flair to accept the fight for Edge, who legitimately tore his triceps at Backlash. At the start of the match, Flair, who was in Christian's corner, performed a low blow on Christian and Orton performed a Punt on him to quickly win the match. Following the match, paramedics tended to Christian and stretchered him out of the Performance Center. After recovering from his triceps tear, Edge returned at the 2021 Royal Rumble, where he and Orton entered at number one and two, respectively. The two brawled at ringside, and Edge injured Orton's leg, taking Orton out for the majority of the match. Orton returned in the closing moments of the match where he attempted to eliminate Edge, however, Edge countered and eliminated Orton to win the men's Royal Rumble match. Unsatisfied, Orton challenged Edge to a rubber match on the following night's "Raw", where thanks to a distraction by Alexa Bliss (as part of a storyline between Orton, Bliss, and "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt), Edge defeated Orton, putting an end to their rivalry.


title: Backlash (2020)

text: Also on "Raw", Asuka defended the Raw Women's Championship in a rematch against Nia Jax. During the match, Jax shoved referee John Cone for refusing to count the pin despite Asuka's foot clearly under the bottom rope. As Cone was about to disqualify her, Asuka rolled up Jax and Cone made a fast count for Asuka to retain once again.


title: Backlash (2020)

text: After a month of competing in the "anything you can do, we can do better" tournament with both teams at a tiebreaker, Raw Tag Team Champions The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) agreed to defend the title against The Viking Raiders (Ivar and Erik) the following week, at the behest of Big Show, where The Street Profits retained, after which Andrade and Angel Garza attacked The Street Profits.


title: Backlash (2020)

text: On the following episode of "SmackDown," Nikki Cross attacked WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Bayley and Sasha Banks, which led to a match between Cross and Banks that Cross lost. The following week, Cross won a fatal four-way match to earn a SmackDown Women's Championship match against Bayley at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: The "Renown" class consisted of two battlecruisers built during the First World War for the Royal Navy. They were originally laid down as improved versions of the s, but their construction was suspended on the outbreak of war on the grounds they would not be ready in a timely manner. Admiral Lord Fisher, upon becoming First Sea Lord, gained approval to restart their construction as battlecruisers that could be built and enter service quickly. The Director of Naval Construction (DNC), Eustace Tennyson-D'Eyncourt, quickly produced an entirely new design to meet Admiral Lord Fisher's requirements and the builders agreed to deliver the ships in 15 months. They did not quite meet that ambitious goal, but they were delivered a few months after the Battle of Jutland in 1916. They were the world's fastest capital ships upon their commissioning.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: Both ships served during the Second World War; they searched for the in 1939, participated in the Norwegian Campaign of April–June 1940 and searched for the in 1941. "Repulse" was sunk on 10 December 1941 in the South China Sea off Kuantan, Pahang by Japanese aircraft. "Renown" spent much of 1940 and 1941 assigned to Force H at Gibraltar, escorting convoys and she fought in the inconclusive Battle of Cape Spartivento. She was briefly assigned to the Home Fleet and provided cover to several Arctic convoys in early 1942. The ship was transferred back to Force H for Operation Torch and spent much of 1943 refitting or transporting Winston Churchill and his staff to and from various conferences with various Allied leaders. In early 1944 "Renown" was transferred to the Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean where she supported numerous attacks on Japanese-occupied facilities in Indonesia and various island groups in the Indian Ocean. The ship returned to the Home Fleet in early 1945 and was refitted before being placed in after the end of the war. "Renown" was sold for scrap in 1948.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: The battleships of the 1914 Naval Programme consisted of three improved "Revenge"-class ships, named "Renown", "Repulse" and "Resistance", and one further member of the , called "Agincourt". "Resistance" and "Agincourt" were to be built in Royal dockyards while "Renown" was awarded to Fairfield and "Repulse" to Palmers. The design was approved on 13 May 1914 and the improvements over the "Revenge" class consisted of:


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: These changes would have done little to change the size of the ships in comparison to their predecessors other than a decrease in draught to , less than the older ships. They would, however, have been slower than the "Revenge"-class ships as they were to be provided with only rather than the of their predecessors.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: Work on all four ships was suspended at the beginning of the First World War and the two ships to be built in the Royal dockyards were cancelled on 26 August 1914, as it was believed that they could not be completed before the end of the war. Admiral Lord Fisher, once he returned to office as First Sea Lord in October, began pressuring Winston Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty, to allow him to convert the suspended contracts for "Renown" and "Repulse" into a new class of battlecruisers capable of the very high speed of . Churchill argued that their construction would interfere with other construction programmes, absorb too many resources, and still could not be finished in time. Fisher countered by arguing he could keep the building time to a minimum, as he had done with , by using as much material ordered for the battleships as possible, including their gun turrets. Churchill was unmoved, however, until the experiences of Battle of Heligoland Bight in August and the Battle of the Falkland Islands in December, seemed to demonstrate that high speed and heavy gun power was a potent combination and vindicated Fisher's long-held belief on the viability of the battlecruiser. These actions, plus pressure from Admiral Jellicoe, commander of the Grand Fleet, and Vice Admiral Beatty, commander of the Battlecruiser Force, caused Churchill to gain approval from the Cabinet to build two ships on 28 December.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: Admiral Lord Fisher first presented his requirements for the new ships to the DNC on 18 December, before they had even been approved. He wanted a long, high, flared bow, like that on the pre-dreadnought , but higher, four 15-inch guns in two twin turrets, an anti-torpedo boat armament of twenty guns mounted high up and protected by gun shields only, speed of 32 knots using oil fuel, and armour on the scale of the battlecruiser . Within a few days, however, Fisher increased the number of guns to six and added two torpedo tubes. Minor revisions in the initial estimate were made until 26 December, and a preliminary design was completed on 30 December.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: During the following week the DNC's department examined the material delivered for the two battleships and decided what could be used in the new design and the contract for "Repulse" was transferred from Palmers to John Brown & Company because the former lacked a slipway long enough to use for the new ship. The usable material was transferred to John Brown and both builders had received enough information from the DNC's department to lay the keels of both ships on 25 January 1915, well before the altered contracts were completed on the 10th of March


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: The "Renown"-class ships had an overall length of , a beam of , and a draught of at deep load. They displaced at standard load and at deep load. While longer than their predecessor, , they displaced less than the older ship at deep load.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: The ships proved to be good sea boats, but had to be reinforced while under construction with additional stiffening and pillars under the forecastle deck to cure some minor structural problems forward. They had a metacentric height of at deep load as built as well as a complete double bottom.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: The original plan for these ships was to use lightweight machinery producing a total of , but that would have required a considerable amount of time to complete its design. Rather than risk delaying the completion of the ships the machinery from HMS "Tiger" was duplicated with the addition of three extra boilers to provide the required power needed for the additional speed. Each ship had two paired sets of Brown-Curtis direct-drive steam turbines, housed in separate engine-rooms. Each set comprised high-pressure ahead and astern turbines driving an outboard shaft and low-pressure ahead and astern turbines, housed in the same casing, driving an inner shaft. Their three-bladed propellers were in diameter. The turbines were powered by 42 Babcock & Wilcox water-tube boilers in six boiler rooms at a working pressure of . They were designed to produce a total of , but achieved more than during "Renown"s trials, when she reached a speed of . They were the fastest capital ships in existence until the arrival of in 1920.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: They were designed to normally carry of fuel oil, but had a maximum capacity of . At full capacity, the "Renown"-class ships could steam at a speed of for . The ships had two reciprocating steam-driven dynamos, one oil-driven dynamo, and one turbine-driven dynamo that supplied the common ring main at 220 volts.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: The "Renown"-class ships mounted six 42-calibre BL 15-inch Mk I guns in three twin hydraulically powered gun turrets, designated "A", "B", and "Y" from front to rear. The guns could be depressed to −3° and elevated to 20°; they could be loaded at any angle up to 20°, although loading at high angles tended to slow the gun's return to battery (firing position). The ships carried 120 shells per gun. They fired projectiles at a muzzle velocity of ; this provided a maximum range of with armour-piercing shells.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: The ships were designed with seventeen 45-calibre BL 4-inch Mark IX guns, fitted in five triple and two single mounts. These were manually powered and quite cumbersome in use as they required a crew of thirty-two men to load and train the triple gun mounts. The gun's rate of fire was only 10 to 12 rounds per minute as the loaders kept getting in each other's way. They had a maximum depression of −10° and a maximum elevation of 30°. They fired a high-explosive shell at a muzzle velocity of . At maximum elevation the guns had a maximum range of . The ships carried 200 rounds for each gun.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: Each ship mounted a pair of QF 3 inch 20 cwt anti-aircraft guns on single high-angle mountings. These were mounted on the shelter deck abreast the rear funnel. The gun had a maximum depression of 10° and a maximum elevation of 90°. It fired a shell at a muzzle velocity of at a rate of fire of 12–14 rounds per minute. They had a maximum effective ceiling of . Both ships carried ten torpedoes and mounted two submerged torpedo tubes fitted just forward of "A" barbette.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: The main guns of the "Renown"-class ships could be controlled from either of the two fire-control directors. The primary director was mounted above the conning tower in an armoured hood and the other was in the fore-top on the foremast. Data from a rangefinder in the armoured hood was input into a Mk IV* Dreyer Fire Control Table located in the Transmitting Station (TS) where it was converted into range and deflection data for use by the guns. The target's data was also graphically recorded on a plotting table to assist the gunnery officer in predicting the movement of the target. The secondary armament was controlled by directors mounted on platforms on each mast. Each turret was provided with a rangefinder in an armoured housing on the turret roof.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: During the war the number and size of rangefinders increased. By 1918 "Renown" carried two rangefinders, one on "Y" turret and the other in the armoured hood above the conning tower. Fifteen-foot rangefinders were mounted on "A" and "B" turrets, the torpedo control tower abaft the mainmast, and the armoured hood. The fore-top was equipped with a rangefinder and the anti-aircraft guns were controlled by a simple rangefinder mounted on the aft superstructure. Two rangefinders were mounted on the bridge.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: The armour protection of the "Renown"-class ships was similar to that of "Indefatigable"; her waterline belt of Krupp cemented armour measured thick amidships. It ran from the midpoint of "A" barbette to the midpoint of "Y" barbette, a length of , and was high. Strakes of three-inch armour aft and four-inch armour forward continued the belt towards the ends of the ship, although neither reached the bow or the stern. The strakes were enclosed by transverse bulkheads of the same thickness. For much of the length of the main belt there was an upper belt of high-tensile steel, thick, intended as splinter protection.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: The gun turrets were thick on the face and front sides, thick on the rear side plates while their roofs were thick. The barbettes were protected by of armour above the upper deck, but it thinned to below the deck. The conning tower sides were thick and it had a three-inch roof. The walls of the communication tube were three inches thick. The torpedo control tower had 3-inch walls and a 1.5-inch cast steel roof.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: As designed the high-tensile-steel decks ranged from in thickness. After the Battle of Jutland in 1916, while the ships were still completing, an extra inch of high-tensile steel was added on the main deck over the magazines. Despite these additions, the ships were still felt to be too vulnerable to plunging fire and each ship was refitted in Rosyth in 1916–1917 with additional horizontal armour, weighing approximately , added to the decks over the magazines and over the steering mechanism.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: The "Renown"-class ships were fitted with a shallow anti-torpedo bulge integral to the hull which was intended to explode the torpedo before it hit the hull proper and vent the underwater explosion to the surface rather than into the ship. However, later testing proved that it was not deep enough to accomplish its task as it lacked the layers of empty and full compartments that were necessary to absorb the force of the explosion.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: Both ships spent much of the remainder of 1916 and early 1917 in the hands of dockyards having their armour upgraded and conducting routine patrols of the North Sea. They were assigned to the 1st Battlecruiser Squadron (BCS) for the duration of the war. "Repulse" relieved as flagship of the 1st BCS.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: Over the course of 1917 the Admiralty became more concerned about German efforts in the North Sea to sweep paths through the British-laid minefields intended to restrict the actions of the High Seas Fleet and German submarines. A preliminary raid on German minesweeping forces on 31 October by light forces destroyed ten small ships and the Admiralty decided on a larger operation to destroy the minesweepers and their escorting light cruisers. Based on intelligence reports the Admiralty decided on 17 November 1917 to allocate two light cruiser squadrons, the 1st Cruiser Squadron covered by the reinforced 1st BCS (less "Renown") and, more distantly, the battleships of the 1st Battle Squadron to the operation.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: The German ships, four light cruisers of II Scouting Force, eight destroyers, three divisions of minesweepers, eight "sperrbrecher"s (cork-filled trawlers, used to detonate mines without sinking) and two trawlers to mark the swept route, were spotted at 7:30 a.m., silhouetted by the rising sun. The light battlecruiser and the light cruiser opened fire with their forward guns seven minutes later. The Germans responded by laying an effective smoke screen. The British continued in pursuit, but lost track of most of the smaller ships in the smoke and concentrated fire on the light cruisers as opportunity permitted. "Repulse" was detached not long after and raced forward at full speed to engage the enemy ships. She opened fire at about 9:00, scoring a single hit on the light cruiser during the battle. When the German battleships and were spotted about 9:50 the British broke off their pursuit and "Repulse" covered their retreat, aided by a heavy fog that came down around 10:40.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: In September 1917 "Repulse" became the first capital ship to be fitted with aircraft flying-off platforms on her turrets. A Sopwith Pup successfully took off from the platform mounted on "B" turret on 1 October and repeated his achievement on 9 October from "Y" turret. "Renown" received her platforms in early 1918.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: On 12 December 1917 "Renown" put to sea with other elements of the fleet in an unsuccessful attempt to intercept the German 3rd Half-Flotilla of destroyers that had destroyed the Scandinavian convoy and most of its escorts. For the rest of the war the two ships patrolled the North Sea uneventfully. Both ships were present at the surrender of the High Seas Fleet at Scapa Flow on 21 November 1918.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: "Repulse" began a major refit at Portsmouth on 17 December 1918 intended to drastically improve her armour protection. Her existing 6-inch armour belt was replaced by armour plates made surplus by the conversion of the battleship (originally ordered by Chile and purchased after the war began) to the aircraft carrier . The old armour was fitted between the main and upper decks, above the new armour belt. Additional high-tensile plating was added to the decks over the magazines. The ship's anti-torpedo bulge was deepened and reworked along the lines of that installed on the battleship . The bulge covered her hull from the submerged torpedo room to "Y" magazine and the inner compartments of which were filled with crushing tubes. The bulges added to her beam and to her draught. The refit added about to her displacement and raised her metacentric height to at deep load. Three 30-foot rangefinders were also added as well as eight torpedo tubes in twin mounts on the upper deck. Both flying-off platforms were removed.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: When the Grand Fleet was disbanded in April 1919 "Renown" was assigned to the Battlecruiser Squadron of the Atlantic Fleet. In June she was refitted in preparation for a tour of Canada, Newfoundland and the United States by Edward, the Prince of Wales, and both flying-off platforms were removed. From January to March 1920 "Renown" was refitted more extensively as a "royal yacht". Her aft 4-inch mounting and both 3-inch AA guns were removed so that extra accommodation and a promenade deck could be built. A large deckhouse was built on the shelter deck between the funnels. The port side housed a squash court while the starboard side was a cinema. The ship sailed in March for Australia and New Zealand with the Prince of Wales and his entourage aboard and made many stops en route. She returned to Portsmouth in October and was placed in reserve in November.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: "Renown" was recommissioned in September 1921 for a tour of India and Japan by the Prince of Wales and sailed from Portsmouth in October. The ship arrived back in Portsmouth in June 1922 and she was placed in reserve the following month. The ship began a reconstruction that same month along the lines of her sister, although changes were made based on the experiences with "Repulse". "Renown"s main armour belt was removed and a new 9-inch belt was installed, using up the remaining plates left over from "Almirante Cochrane" as well as new armour, but installed about higher than on "Repulse" to offset any increase in draught. A strake of tapered armour was fitted underneath the main belt to deflect any shell that dived beneath the water's surface; it was 9-inches thick at top and thinned to at the bottom. The ship's deck armour was heavily reinforced adjacent to its machinery spaces and magazines. Two longitudinal bulkheads were added between the upper and main decks that ran from the base of the conning tower to the end of the boiler rooms. The bulges were reworked and based on those used in the "Queen Elizabeth"-class battleships, although crushing tubes were only used abreast the magazines. The rear triple 4-inch gun mount was replaced. The flying-off platform on "B" turret was reinstated and a high-angle control position (HACP) was added to the fore-top. The pair of 3-inch AA guns and her two single four-inch gun mounts were removed and replaced with four QF four-inch Mark V anti-aircraft guns. They had a maximum depression of -5° and a maximum elevation of 80°. They fired a high explosive shell at a muzzle velocity of at a rate of ten to fifteen rounds per minute. The guns had a maximum ceiling of , but an effective range of much less. The reconstruction only added to the ship's displacement and three inches to her draught.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: "Repulse" was recommissioned on 1 January 1921 and joined the Battlecruiser Squadron. In November 1923, "Hood", accompanied by "Repulse" and a number of s of the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron, set out on a world cruise from west to east via the Panama Canal. They returned home ten months later in September 1924.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: "Renown" finished her reconstruction in September 1926 and she was assigned to the Battlecruiser Squadron until the ship was detached to convey Prince Albert of York to Australia between January and July 1927. Upon her return she rejoined the Atlantic Fleet. "Renown" became the flagship of the BCS when "Hood" was refitting between 1929 and 1931. "Hood" reassumed the role as flagship after she was recommissioned and "Renown" was paid off for a refit of her own. A High-Angle Control System Mark I was fitted with a director on the roof of the fore-top that replaced the high-angle rangefinder and the conning tower platform was enlarged to accommodate a pair of Mk V octuple mountings for the QF 2-pounder Mk VIII gun The Mk V mounts could depress to −10° and elevate to a maximum of 80°. The Mark VIII 2-pounder gun fired a shell at a muzzle velocity of to a distance of . The gun's rate of fire was approximately 96–98 rounds per minute. Only one mount was initially available, however, and it, along with its director, was fitted on the starboard side. "Renown" had her midships triple 4-inch mount removed to make room for an aircraft catapult that was not fitted until 1933. The port Mark V 2-pounder mount was finally fitted, albeit without its director, that same year. The ship now carried a Fairey III floatplane for reconnaissance purposes. The flying-off platform was also removed.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: After "Repulse" completed her 1926 refit she remained in commission, aside from a brief refit in July–September 1927, with the BCS of the Atlantic Fleet until she was paid off in June 1932 prior to beginning her reconstruction in April 1933. Most of the existing layers of high-tensile steel that constituted the ship's horizontal armour were replaced by non-cemented armour plates in thickness and the torpedo control tower was removed from the aft superstructure. A fixed catapult replaced the midships 4-inch triple mount and a hangar was built on each side of the rear funnel to house two of the ship's Fairey III aircraft. One additional aircraft could be carried on the deck and another on the catapult itself. Electric cranes were mounted above each hangar to handle the aircraft. The four 4-inch AA guns were moved, one pair abreast the rear funnel at the level of the hangar roof and the other pair abreast the fore funnel on the forecastle deck. Four prototype QF 4-inch Mark XV dual-purpose guns were added in twin-gun Mark XVIII mounts abreast the mainmast. Two octuple Mark VI 2-pounder mounts were fitted on extensions of the conning-tower platform abreast the fore funnel. Above these a pair of quadruple Mark II* mountings for the 0.5-inch Vickers Mark III machine gun were added. These mounts could depress to −10° and elevate to a maximum of 70°. The machine guns fired a bullet at a muzzle velocity of . This gave the gun a maximum range of about , although its effective range was only "Repulse" received two HACS directors, one Mark II on the fore-top and a Mark I* mounted on a pedestal above the rear superstructure. The two submerged torpedo tubes were removed and the vacant spaces sub-divided and turned into store-rooms.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: "Renown" began her own even more thorough reconstruction in September 1936, based on that of the battleship . Her superstructure and funnels were razed to the level of the upper deck, her masts taken out and the ship's main and secondary armament was removed. A large splinter-proof tower superstructure was built, topped with a director-control tower for the main armament and two HACS Mark IV directors. The armoured hood formerly mounted above the conning tower was reinstalled on the rear superstructure. The ship's engines and boilers were replaced by Parsons geared turbine sets and eight Admiralty three-drum boilers. This saved some of weight and allowed the two forward boiler rooms to be converted to magazines and other uses. "Renown"s deck protection was somewhat upgraded by adding non-cemented armour where it had not been added earlier and protecting the new 4.5-inch magazines. As in "Repulse" hangars were built abreast her rear funnel and a catapult was fitted between the rear funnel and the aft superstructure.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: The ship's 15-inch gun turrets were modified to the Mark I (N) standard with their elevation increased to 30°. Twenty dual-purpose QF 4.5-inch Mark III guns in twin BD Mark II mountings replaced all of the 4-inch guns. Six of the gun turrets, three on each side, were abreast the forward funnel while the remaining four were mounted on abreast the main mast. The BD Mark II mounts had elevation limits of −5° to +80°. The Mark III gun fired a high explosive shell at a muzzle velocity of about . Its rate of fire was 12 rounds per minute. They had a maximum effective ceiling of . The guns were controlled by four dual-purpose Mark IV directors, two mounted on the rear of the bridge structure and the remaining two on the aft superstructure. They fed tracking data to a HACS Mark IV analog computer for high-angle targets and an Admiralty Fire Control Clock Mark VII for low-angle targets. Each gun was provided with 400 round of ammunition. Three octuple Mark VI 2-pounder mounts were fitted, two on a platform between the funnels and the third at the rear of the aft superstructure. Each was provided with a Mark III* director. Four quadruple Vickers .50-calibre Mark III mounts were also added, two each on the forward and rear superstructures. The submerged torpedo tubes were removed and eight above-water torpedo tubes added.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: "Repulse" was assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet when she recommissioned in April 1936. She transported 500 refugees from Palma, Majorca, to Marseilles, France, in late 1936 after the start of the Spanish Civil War. The ship was present at the Coronation Fleet Review at Spithead on 20 May 1937 for George VI. "Repulse" was sent to Haifa in July 1938 to maintain order during the Arab Revolt. She was selected to convey the King and Queen during their May 1939 Canadian Tour and she was refitted between October 1938 and March 1939 for this role. The twin 4-inch AA guns were replaced by two more Mark V guns and two additional quadruple .50-calibre mounts were added. The King and Queen ultimately traveled aboard the liner RMS "Empress of Australia" while "Repulse" escorted them on the first half of the journey.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: The beginning of the Second World War found "Repulse" assigned to the Battlecruiser Squadron of the Home Fleet. She patrolled off the Norwegian coast and in the North Sea in search of German ships and to enforce the blockade. Early in the war "Repulse" had her aft triple 4-inch mount replaced by an 8-barrel 2-pounder mount. In late October she was transferred to Halifax with the aircraft carrier to protect convoys and search for German raiders. She escorted the convoy bringing most of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division to Britain in mid-December 1939 and was reassigned to the Home Fleet. The ship supported Allied operations during the Norwegian Campaign in April–June 1940. Accompanied by "Renown" and the 1st Cruiser Squadron, "Repulse" attempted to intercept the as it sailed from Trondheim to Germany in July. Until May 1941 the ship escorted convoys and unsuccessfully searched for German ships. On 22 May "Repulse" was diverted from escorting Convoy WS8B to assist in the search for the , but she had to break off the search early on 25 May as she was running low on fuel. The ship was refitted from June to August and received eight Oerlikon autocannon as well as a Type 284 surface gunnery radar. "Repulse" escorted a troop convoy around the Cape of Good Hope from August to October and was transferred to East Indies Command.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: To deter Japanese aggression in the Far East in late 1941, Winston Churchill was determined to send a small group of fast capital ships, along with one modern aircraft carrier, to Singapore. "Repulse" was already in the Indian Ocean and was ordered to Colombo in November to rendezvous with the battleship where they would form Force Z. The carrier was supposed to join them, but she was delayed when she ran aground while working up in the Caribbean. The two ships, and their escorting destroyers, arrived in Singapore on 2 December. Force Z departed on the evening of 8 December in an attempt to destroy Japanese troop convoys and protect the army's seaward flanks from any Japanese landings in their rear. They were spotted by a Japanese reconnaissance aircraft during the following afternoon and shadowed for the rest of the day. Admiral Sir Tom Phillips decided to cancel the operation as the Japanese were now alerted. Force Z turned back during the evening, but was spotted again early on the morning of 10 December. About four hours later Japanese bombers arrived and attacked "Repulse" from high altitude; she was slightly damaged by one bomb hit in her port hangar. The second wave consisted of torpedo bombers which missed "Repulse", but scored at least one hit on "Prince of Wales". The third wave again consisted of high-altitude level bombers that missed "Repulse" entirely. The fourth wave of torpedo bombers managed to hit "Repulse" once amidships on her port side. The final wave of torpedo bombers hit "Repulse" with three more torpedoes and the ship capsized with the loss of 508 officers and men. The sinking of "Prince of Wales" and "Repulse" contributed to the rapid fall of Singapore and Malaya to the Japanese, and demonstrated the dominance of air power over the capital ships that had been the backbone of naval power since the 1600s.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: "Renown" was recommissioned on 28 August 1939 as part of the Home Fleet. Much like her sister, she spent September patrolling in the North Sea, but was transferred to Force K in the South Atlantic to help search for the "pocket battleship" . The ship joined Force H at the Cape of Good Hope in November to prevent "Admiral Graf Spee" from breaking into the South Atlantic. She was unsuccessful in this, but sank the blockade runner SS "Watussi" on 2 December. She remained in the South Atlantic even after "Admiral Graf Spee" was scuttled on 13 December and did not return to the Home Fleet until March 1940. The ship became flagship of the Battlecruiser Squadron when "Hood" was paid off to refit that month. "Renown" also supported British forces during the Norwegian Campaign and briefly engaged the German battleships and "Gneisenau" on 9 April. "Renown" opened fire first, but she was hit first by two shells that only slightly damaged her. A few minutes later she hit "Gneisenau" with one 15-inch and two 4.5-inch shells that knocked out the main fire-control director and damaged the rangefinder on "A" turret. The German ships were faster than "Renown" in the heavy weather and were able to successfully disengage. The ship was repaired from 20 April to 18 May and provided cover during the evacuation from Norway in early June. "Renown" was transferred to Force H at Gibraltar in August and relieved "Hood" as flagship.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: In November 1940 Force H covered the small aircraft carrier as she flew off Hurricane fighters bound for Malta from a position south of Sardinia. Later that month Force H participated in the inconclusive Battle of Cape Spartivento. "Renown" bombarded Genoa on 9 February 1941 with little effect. "Renown" and Force H escorted convoys both inside and outside the Mediterranean in March–May 1941 before being summoned into the Atlantic to search for the "Bismarck". Force H escorted another convoy to Malta in July and "Renown" returned home for repairs the next month. The ship was transferred to the Home Fleet in November when her repairs were complete. She provided cover for the inbound and outbound convoys to the Soviet Union in early March 1942. She became flagship of Force W which was formed to escort carriers carrying fighters to be flown-off for Malta in April–May.


title: Renown-class battlecruiser

text: "Renown" rejoined Home Fleet once those missions were completed, but was transferred to Force H in October 1942 to participate in Operation Torch. She returned to Britain to refit from February to June 1943. The ship brought Winston Churchill and his staff back from the Quebec Conference in September and conveyed them to the Cairo Conference in November. She rejoined the Home Fleet in December, just in time to be transferred to the Eastern Fleet a few weeks later. "Renown" arrived in Colombo at the end of January 1944 where she was flagship of the 1st Battle Squadron. In April she participated in Operation Cockpit, an airstrike against port and oil facilities on Sabang, off the island of Sumatra. The ship bombarded Japanese-occupied facilities on Car Nicobar in the Nicobar Islands and Port Blair in the Andaman Islands on 30 April – 1 May. "Renown" supported the airstrike against Surabaya, Java (Operation Transom) on 17 May as well as follow-on attack against Port Blair on 21 June. After another airstrike on 25 July on Sabang the ship bombarded the city. She bombarded facilities in the Nicobar Islands from 17–19 October. On 22 November "Renown" was replaced as flagship by and the ship began a refit at Durban from December to February 1945. She was recalled to home waters in March, lest the remaining German heavy ships make a final sortie, and reached Rosyth on 15 April. She was given a brief refit when this concern proved illusory and was placed in reserve in May 1945. "Renown" was partially disarmed in July when six of her 4.5-inch turrets were removed, as well as all of her light guns. The ship hosted a meeting between King George VI and President Truman on 3 August when the latter was en route home aboard the heavy cruiser . The decision to dispose of the ship was announced on 21 January 1948 and she was towed to Faslane for scrapping on 3 August.


title: Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool

text: Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool is a 2017 biographical romantic drama film directed by Paul McGuigan and starring Annette Bening and Jamie Bell, with a cast that includes Vanessa Redgrave and Julie Walters. It is based on the memoir of the same name by Peter Turner, which tells of his relationship with Academy Award-winning American actress Gloria Grahame in 1970s Liverpool and, some years later, her death from stomach cancer.


title: Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool

text: The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on 1 September 2017. It was released in the United Kingdom on 16 November by Lionsgate and in the United States on 29 December by Sony Pictures Classics. At the 71st British Academy Film Awards, it received three nominations: Best Actress (Bening), Best Actor (Bell) and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film was a box office flop, grossing $4 million against a production budget of $10 million, but received generally positive reviews.


title: Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool

text: "In media res", in October 1981, Gloria Grahame is playing the role of Amanda in "The Glass Menagerie" in Lancaster and takes ill. She calls upon a former lover, Peter Turner, who reluctantly takes her to his parents' home in Liverpool to recuperate.


title: Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool

text: Back in 1979, in the twilight of her once-prolific and Academy Award-winning career, Gloria is playing a role of Sadie in W. Somerset Maugham's "Rain" in London and asks another tenant at her boarding house—Peter—to practice dancing disco with her. Gloria is flirtatious with Peter, who is also an actor. They see "Alien" together, have a drink together afterward, and strike up a friendship. After an argument, their relationship becomes intimate, despite their noticeable age difference.


title: Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool

text: In October 1981, Peter's parents are still expressing support for Peter and Gloria's friendship. Peter and his parents acknowledge that Gloria needs more attentive medical attention for whatever is ailing her. However, Gloria insists that her illness isn't serious.


title: Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool

text: In 1979, Peter visits Gloria in Los Angeles and their romance continues at Gloria's modest Malibu trailer park home. Gloria's mother, Jeanne, demonstrates support for Peter and Gloria's romance, but Gloria's older sister, Joy, is hostile. Both encourage Peter not to marry Gloria, given Gloria's earlier and scandalous marriage to her former stepson Anthony Ray who was also significantly her junior. Peter and Gloria reveal to each other that they've both experimented with same-sex attraction.


title: Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool

text: In October 1981, once contacting Gloria's doctor in Lancaster, Peter learns that Gloria's breast cancer has returned after initial remission in 1975. Gloria has refused any further treatment. Peter eventually confronts Gloria with what he knows, but Gloria insists she'll get better. Peter reluctantly shares the prognosis with his family, Gloria's hosts. Peter tells his friend Eileen that he still loves Gloria.


title: Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool

text: From 1979, Gloria and Peter's romance continues until the spring of 1981, and Peter spends time with Gloria in New York City, including a visit from Eileen. Gloria invites Peter to live with her in America full-time. However, shortly thereafter, Gloria suddenly cools to the relationship without explanation, distancing herself from Peter. Gloria kicks him out of her New York City apartment, and he returns to Liverpool for an acting job in an Alan Bleasdale play.


title: Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool

text: It is revealed that Gloria's sudden change of heart in New York City was driven by her learning that her cancer had returned. Her earlier refusal of chemotherapy in 1975 has contributed to the cancer's return. Her distance from Peter and keeping of secrets was because of ongoing tests and doctor appointments. She doesn't share this with Peter and instead hopes to drive him away as the cancer is diagnosed as terminal.


title: Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool

text: In October 1981, Peter struggles with his family on how to approach care of Gloria. As she becomes increasingly weak, Gloria decides to allow Peter to inform her family of her illness. Peter surprises Gloria by taking her to a theatre to read from "Romeo and Juliet" (A scene in which the real actor Peter Turner makes a cameo appearance as stage hand Jack). They reconcile. Gloria's oldest son Timothy arrives from the US to assist Gloria in returning home. Peter gently packs her belongings as Gloria sleeps. Gloria says goodbye to Peter and his family and departs for the U.S. They share a final kiss.


title: Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool

text: The film concludes with footage of Gloria winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Rosemary Barlow in "The Bad and the Beautiful" at the 25th Academy Awards.


title: Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool

text: On 6 May 2016, it was reported that Annette Bening, Jamie Bell, and Julie Walters would star in an adaptation of "Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool" by Peter Turner, a memoir about Turner's relationship with actress Gloria Grahame in the last years of her life. Paul McGuigan would direct from a script written by Matt Greenhalgh, and Barbara Broccoli and Colin Vaines would produce. On 27 June 2016, Vanessa Redgrave joined the cast.


title: Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool

text: On 27 June 2016, the film began filming in Liverpool and London. It then moved to Pinewood Studios, where it wrapped on 8 August 2016. To fill in for scenes set in New York City and Malibu, California, the crew used rear-screen projections. On 11 November 2017, Elvis Costello released an original song entitled "You Shouldn't Look at Me That Way", composed specifically for the film.


title: Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool

text: Production company Eon Productions is best known for producing the James Bond film franchise; "Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool" was the second non-Bond film to be released under the Eon banner since the farcical comedy "Call Me Bwana" in 1963.


title: Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool

text: In August 2017, Sony Pictures Classics acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film. The film had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on 1 September 2017. It also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on 9 September 2017.


title: Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool

text: The film was released in the United Kingdom on 16 November 2017 by Lionsgate and in the United States on 29 December 2017.


title: Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool

text: "Film Stars Dont Die in Liverpool" grossed $1 million in North America and $2.9 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $4 million, against a budget of $10 million.


title: Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool

text: On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 80% based on 169 reviews, with an average rating of 6.7/10. The website's critical consensus reads, ""Film Stars Dont Die in Liverpool" showcases brilliant work from Annette Bening, whose performance is more than enough to outweigh this biopic's basic narrative." On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating to reviews, the film has a normalised score of 65 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".


title: Upper Silesia

text: Upper Silesia (; ; ; ; Silesian German: ; ) is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia, located today mostly in Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic.


title: Upper Silesia

text: Since the 9th century, Upper Silesia has been part of (chronologically) Greater Moravia, the Duchy of Bohemia, the Piast Kingdom of Poland, again of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown and the Holy Roman Empire, as well as of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526. In 1742 the greater part of Upper Silesia was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia, and in 1871 it became part of the German Empire. After the First World War the region was divided between Poland (East Upper Silesia) and Germany (West Upper Silesia). After the Second World War, West Upper Silesia also became Polish as the result of the Potsdam Conference.


title: Upper Silesia

text: Upper Silesia is situated on the upper Oder River, north of the Eastern Sudetes mountain range and the Moravian Gate, which form the southern border with the historic Moravia region. Within the adjacent Silesian Beskids to the east, the Vistula River rises and turns eastwards, the Biała and Przemsza tributaries mark the eastern border with Lesser Poland. In the north, Upper Silesia borders on Greater Poland, and in the west on the Lower Silesian lands (the adjacent region around Wrocław also referred to as Middle Silesia).


title: Upper Silesia

text: It is currently split into a larger Polish and the smaller Czech Silesian part, which is located within the Czech regions of Moravia-Silesia and Olomouc. The Polish Upper Silesian territory covers most of the Opole Voivodeship, except for the Lower Silesian counties of Brzeg and Namysłów, and the western half of the Silesian Voivodeship (except for the Lesser Polish counties of Będzin, Bielsko-Biała, Częstochowa with the city of Częstochowa, Kłobuck, Myszków, Zawiercie and Żywiec, as well as the cities of Dąbrowa Górnicza, Jaworzno and Sosnowiec).


title: Upper Silesia

text: According to the 9th century Bavarian Geographer, the West Slavic Opolanie tribe had settled on the upper Oder River since the days of the Migration Period, centered on the gord of Opole. At the time of Prince Svatopluk I (871–894), all Silesia was a part of his Great Moravian realm. Upon its dissolution after 906, the region fell under the influence of the Přemyslid rulers of Bohemia, Duke Spytihněv I (894–915) and his brother Vratislaus I (915–921), possibly the founder and name giver of the Silesian capital Wrocław ().


title: Upper Silesia

text: By 990 the newly installed Piast duke Mieszko I of the Polans had conquered large parts of Silesia. From the Middle Silesia fortress of Niemcza, his son and successor Bolesław I the Brave (992–1025), having established the Diocese of Wrocław, subdued the Upper Silesian lands of the pagan Opolanie, which for several hundred years were part of Poland, though contested by Bohemian dukes like Bretislaus I, who from 1025 invaded Silesia several times. Finally, in 1137, the Polish prince Bolesław III Wrymouth (1107–1138) came to terms with Duke Soběslav I of Bohemia, when a peace was made confirming the border along the Sudetes.


title: Upper Silesia

text: However, this arrangement fell apart when upon the death of Bolesław III and his testament the fragmentation of Poland began, which decisively enfeebled its central authority. The newly established Duchy of Silesia became the ancestral homeland of the Silesian Piasts, descendants of Bolesław's eldest son Władysław II the Exile, who nevertheless saw themselves barred from the succession to the Polish throne and only were able to regain their Silesian home territory with the aid of the Holy Roman Emperor.


title: Upper Silesia

text: The failure of the Agnatic seniority principle of inheritance also led to the split-up of the Silesian province itself: in 1172 Władysław's second son Mieszko IV Tanglefoot claimed his rights and received the Upper Silesian Duchy of Racibórz as an allodium from the hands of his elder brother Duke Bolesław I the Tall of Silesia. In the struggle around the Polish throne, Mieszko additionally received the former Lesser Polish lands of Bytom, Oświęcim, Zator, Siewierz and Pszczyna from the new Polish High Duke Casimir II the Just in 1177. When in 1202 Mieszko Tanglefoot had annexed the Duchy of Opole of his deceased nephew Jarosław, he ruled over all Upper Silesia as Duke of Opole and Racibórz.


title: Upper Silesia

text: In the early 13th century the ties of the Silesian Piasts with the neighbouring Holy Roman Empire grew stronger as several dukes married scions of German nobility. Promoted by the Lower Silesian Duke Henry I the Bearded, from 1230 also regent over Upper Silesia for the minor sons of his late cousin Duke Casimir I of Opole, large parts of the Silesian lands were settled with German immigrants in the course of the "Ostsiedlung", establishing numerous cities according to German town law. The plans to re-unify Silesia shattered upon the Mongol invasion of Poland and the death of Duke Henry II the Pious at the 1241 Battle of Legnica. Upper Silesia further fragmented upon the death of Duke Władysław Opolski in 1281 into the duchies of Bytom, Opole, Racibórz and Cieszyn. About 1269 the Duchy of Opava was established on adjacent Moravian territory, ruled by the Přemyslid duke Nicholas I, whose descendants inherited the Duchy of Racibórz in 1336. As they ruled both duchies in personal union, Opava grew into the Upper Silesian territory.


title: Upper Silesia

text: In 1327 the Upper Silesian dukes, like most of their Lower Silesian cousins, had sworn allegiance to King John of Bohemia, thereby becoming vassals of the Bohemian kingdom. During the re-establishment of Poland under King Casimir III the Great, all Silesia was specifically excluded as non-Polish land by the 1335 Treaty of Trentschin becoming a land of the Bohemian Crown and — indirectly — of the Holy Roman Empire. By the mid-14th century, the influx of German settlers into Upper Silesia was stopped by the Black Death pandemic. Unlike in Lower Silesia, the Germanization process was halted; still a majority of the population spoke Polish and Silesian as their native language, often together with German (Silesian German) as a second language. In the southernmost areas, also Lach dialects were spoken. While Latin, Czech and German language were used as official languages in towns and cities, only in the 1550s (during the Protestant Reformation) did records with Polish names start to appear.


title: Upper Silesia

text: Upper Silesia was hit by the Hussite Wars and in 1469 was conquered by King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary, while the Duchies of Oświęcim and Zator fell back to the Polish Crown. Upon the death of the Jagiellonian king Louis II in 1526, the Bohemian crown lands were inherited by the Austrian House of Habsburg. In the 16th century, large parts of Silesia had turned Protestant, promoted by reformers like Caspar Schwenckfeld. After the 1620 Battle of White Mountain, the Catholic Emperors of the Habsburg dynasty forcibly re-introduced Catholicism, led by the Jesuits.


title: Upper Silesia

text: Lower Silesia and most of Upper Silesia were occupied by the Kingdom of Prussia in 1742 during the First Silesian War and annexed by the terms of the Treaty of Breslau. A small part south of the Opava River remained within the Habsburg-ruled Bohemian Crown as the "Duchy of Upper and Lower Silesia", colloquially called Austrian Silesia. Incorporated into the Prussian Silesia Province from 1815, Upper Silesia became an industrial area taking advantage of its plentiful coal and iron ore. Prussian Upper Silesia became a part of the German Empire in 1871.


title: Upper Silesia

text: The earliest exact census figures on ethnolinguistic or national structure (Nationalverschiedenheit) of the Prussian part of Upper Silesia, come from year 1819. The last pre-WW1 general census figures available, are from 1910 (if not including the 1911 census of school children - Sprachzählung unter den Schulkindern - which revealed a higher percent of Polish-speakers among school children than the 1910 census among the general populace). Figures (Table 1.) show that large demographic changes took place between 1819 and 1910, with the region's total population quadrupling, the percent of German-speakers increasing significantly, and that of Polish-speakers declining considerably. Also, the total land area in which Polish language was spoken, as well as the land area in which it was spoken by the majority, declined between 1790 and 1890. Polish authors before 1918 estimated the number of Poles in Prussian Upper Silesia as slightly higher than according to official German censuses.


title: Upper Silesia

text: In 1919, after World War I, the eastern part of Prussian Upper Silesia (with a majority of ethnic Poles) came under Polish rule as the Silesian Voivodeship, while the mostly German-speaking western part remained part of the Weimar Republic as the newly established Upper Silesia Province. In early 1919, the Polish–Czechoslovak War broke out around Cieszyn Silesia, whereafter Czechoslovakia gained the Zaolzie strip in addition to the Hlučín Region.


title: Upper Silesia

text: From 1919-1921 three Silesian Uprisings occurred among the Polish-speaking populace of Upper Silesia; the Battle of Annaberg was fought in the region in 1921. In the Upper Silesia plebiscite of March 1921, a majority of 59.4% voted against merging with Poland and a minority of 40.6% voted for, with clear lines dividing Polish and German communities. The plan to divide the region was suggested by the Inter-Allied Commission on Upper Silesia, headed by the French general Henri Le Rond. The plan was decided by an ambassadors conference in Paris on 20 October 1921. The exact border, the maintenance of cross-border railway traffic and other necessary co-operations, as well as equal rights for all inhabitants in both parts of Upper Silesia, were all fixed by the German-Polish Accord on East Silesia, signed in Geneva on May 15, 1922. On June 20, 1922, the Weimar Republic ceded the East Upper Silesia region to Poland. The area became part of Silesian Voivodeship of the Second Polish Republic.


title: Upper Silesia

text: After the 1939 German invasion of Poland, Polish Silesia was annexed to the Nazi German Reich as part of the "Gau" of Silesia. In 1941 Upper and Lower Silesia were split into separate "Gauer".


title: Upper Silesia

text: After 1945, almost all of Upper Silesia that was not ceded to Poland in 1922 was placed under the administration of the Republic of Poland. German civilians, as well as Nazi criminals, were interned in labor camps such as the Zgoda labour camp. The majority of the German-speaking population that had not fled was expelled, an activity that was euphemized as "transfers [to] be effected in an orderly and humane manner" in accordance with the decision of the victorious Allied powers at their 1945 meeting at Potsdam. This expulsion program also included German-speaking inhabitants of Lower Silesia, eastern Brandenburg, eastern Pomerania, Gdańsk (Danzig), and East Prussia. The German expellees were transported to the present-day Germany (including the former East Germany), and Polish migrants, a sizeable part of whom were themselves expelleés from former Polish provinces taken over by the USSR in the east, settled in Upper Silesia. A good many German-speaking Upper Silesians were relocated in Bavaria. A small part of Upper Silesia stayed as part of Czechoslovakia as Czech Silesia.


title: Upper Silesia

text: The expulsions of German-speakers did not totally eliminate the presence of a population that considered itself German. In contrast to the situation in Lower Silesia, where almost the totality of the pre-war population that was expelled was exclusively German-speaking, the pre-war population of Upper Silesia was in considerable number Roman Catholic mixed bilingual that spoke both German and Polish dialects, and their Polish linguistic skills were considered solid enough for them to be kept in the area.


title: Upper Silesia

text: The area formally became part of the Republic of Poland by virtue of the German-Polish border treaty of November 14, 1990. With the fall of communism and Poland's joining the European Union, there were enough of these remaining in Upper Silesia to allow for the recognition of the German minority in Poland by the Polish government.


title: Upper Silesia

text: The historical capital of Upper Silesia is Opole, nevertheless the largest towns of the region, including Katowice, are located in the Upper Silesian Industrial Region, the total population of which is about 3,000,000.


title: Upper Silesia

text: Upper Silesian cuisine belongs to Central European cuisines and is therefore characterized by high calorific value of dishes. For centuries, Polish, Czech and German cuisine was mixed here. Typical Upper Silesian dishes are consumed here, as well as dishes that are also present in Lesser Poland and Greater Poland at the same time. In the second half of the twentieth century, dishes from the Polish borderland cuisine (potato pancakes, dumplings with cheese, red borscht, bigos) gained popularity in Upper Silesia.


title: Upper Silesia

text: Silesian women's clothes vary depending on the region and even the individual towns and villages they come from. The ways of dressing intertwined with the movement of people in the 19th and 20th century. The inhabitants of Silesia also started to adapt their outfits to the urban fashion, which changed the appearance of the outfit even more.


title: Upper Silesia

text: The men's outfit consists of a shacket, a shirt (vest), a white shirt, a silk shirt (silk scarf) or a dressing gown (ribbons), galot (trousers) or bizoków (trousers ironed to the edge) and szczewików (shoes). The man's costume is now called an "ancug", this name is mainly associated with a suit.


title: Upper Silesia

text: On the territory of Upper Silesia, TVP Info broadcasts the regional channels TVP Opole and TVP Katowice of the public Polish Television. In addition, the private television station TVS is aimed at viewers in the Silesian Voivodeship. Another channel is TVT.


title: Upper Silesia

text: Regionally oriented radio stations are Polskie Radio Opole and Polskie Radio Katowice of the state radio station. A private Upper Silesian station is Radio Piekary.


title: Upper Silesia

text: The autonomy movement is relatively young and was only founded in 1990 by Rudolf Kolodziejczyk in Rybnik. It is supposed to continue the traditions of the German period, but also of Silesia under the Second Polish Republic. The current head of the movement is Jerzy Gorzelik. Its main aim is to improve the self-government of the Upper Silesian provinces of Opolskie and Slaskie.


title: Upper Silesia

text: In 2010, RAS (Ruch Autonomii Śląska) had 8.49% of the votes in the Silesian Regional Assembly, i.e. 122,781 votes and three mandates. In 2018 they failed to get any mandates with 3.10%.


title: Battle of Tirad Pass

text: The Battle of Tirad Pass (; ; ), sometimes referred to as the "Philippine Thermopylae", was a battle in the Philippine–American War fought on December 2, 1899, in northern Luzon in the Philippines, in which a 60-man Filipino rear guard commanded by Brigadier General Gregorio del Pilar succumbed to more than 500 Americans, mostly of the 33rd Volunteer Infantry Regiment under Major Peyton C. March, while delaying the American advance to ensure that President Emilio Aguinaldo and his troops escaped.


title: Battle of Tirad Pass

text: The retreat of Aguinaldo from Bayambang, through the mountainous terrain began on November 13, 1899, after he had disbanded the regular Filipino army into guerrilla units. On November 23, Aguinaldo's party reached the pass, which provided a strategic bottleneck. It was to be protected by a rear guard under General Gregorio del Pilar, who noticed the advantageous terrain of Tirad Pass ("Pasong Tirad" as it was locally called), and hunkered down to defend it while Aguinaldo escaped through the mountains. The hand-picked force of Filipinos, which was the remaining contingent of the late Antonio Luna's army, constructed several sets of trenches and stone barricades on both shoulders of the pass, as well as on top of its height. Meanwhile, during early November, Major March had been given the task of pursuing Aguinaldo. By November 30, March and his men, in haste to catch the Philippine president, marched through Candon, Santo Tomas, La Union and Salcedo, Ilocos Sur. He and his men found out that Aguinaldo had passed through Salcedo five days previously, and that fueled the Americans' march to Concepcion (now named Gregorio del Pilar), a town overlooked by the steep pass, which they reached by December 1. March had no clear idea of the size of Aguinaldo's rear guard, but he had calculated it to be no more than 150 men.


title: Battle of Tirad Pass

text: On the morning of December 2, the Americans advanced up the trail but were met with a steady volley of fire, enabling them to climb to only around 300 feet. The Americans abandoned the idea of a frontal assault and took cover in the zigzag trail. Texan sharpshooters positioned themselves on a hill overlooking the trenches, whittling down the Philippine rear guard with measured volleys. Nevertheless, the Filipinos continued to hold their ground, utilizing focused volley fire that repelled other advances by the Americans. Therefore, March sent elements of their force with an Igorot villager named Januario Galut to determine the Filipino positions and outflank the defenders. While the flanking movement was still in progress, three American soldiers rushed to the battlefield but found themselves receiving Filipino fire. Two died, being the only Americans killed in the encounter, while the third was badly wounded.


title: Battle of Tirad Pass

text: More than five hours after the battle began, the Americans began to feel the scorching heat of the midday sun and decided to rest for a while amidst the rocks. Later that day, the search party had succeeded in their task, and the Americans fell upon the rear of the outnumbered defenders, defeating them. Over the course of the battle, 52 of the 60 Filipinos were killed. Among the dead was General del Pilar, shot through the neck at the height or end of the struggle (depending upon which eye-witness account is to be believed).


title: Battle of Tirad Pass

text: The Americans lost three dead and nine wounded, most of which resulted from the repelled frontal assault. Despite nearly total annihilation, however, the Filipinos under Del Pilar held off the Americans long enough for Aguinaldo to escape. Upon receiving word of the battle outcome in nearby Cervantes, Ilocos Sur, Aguinaldo and his party resumed their retreat into the mountains of what was then Bontoc province, pursued by March and his men. March broke off the pursuit on March 7. On September 6, 1900, Aguinaldo reached Palanan, Isabela, where he would continue to lead the guerrilla campaign he had begun on November 13, 1899. He was captured there on March 23, 1901 by men of General Frederick Funston.


title: Battle of Tirad Pass

text: According to Filipino writer and historian Nick Joaquin however, the main objective of the Americans was not to pursue Aguinaldo but to keep him away from linking up with the elite Tinio Brigade, which was under the command of Manuel Tinio. In his critical book of essays "A Question of Heroes" he notes that Tirad Pass was an "exercise in futility" in that it only allowed Aguinaldo to "run to nowhere".


title: Battle of Tirad Pass

text: Del Pilar's diary was recovered among the possessions looted by the victorious Americans, who had stripped him bare of his military decorations, his uniform and his personal belongings, leaving him, as the eyewitness, correspondent Richard Henry Little wrote, "We carved not a line and we raised not a stone, But we left him alone with his glory". The exact wording of its poignant final entry, written on the night of December 1, differs somewhat between sources quoting it. Two versions are:


title: Battle of Tirad Pass

text: Del Pilar's corpse lay unburied for three days. American officer Dennis Quinlan, with a group of Igorots, later buried his body and left a plaque, "Gen. Gregorio del Pilar, Died December 2, 1899, Commanding Aguinaldo's Rear Guard, An Officer and a Gentleman."


title: Battle of Tirad Pass

text: In honor of Del Pilar's heroism, the Philippine Military Academy was named Fort Del Pilar and a historical marker placed at the site of the battle.


title: Battle of Tirad Pass

text: The Battle of Tirad Pass and the death of Del Pilar was also commemorated during World War II when the Japanese-backed government of President José P. Laurel sought to re-kindle anti-American sentiment by reviving memories of the Philippine–American War with the creation of the Tirad Pass Medal. The design of the obverse (front) of the medal included a bust of Del Pilar and a view of Tirad Pass. The design of the reverse (back) includes the date 1944. The Tirad Pass Medal was the only military medal or decoration issued by the Laurel government during the Japanese occupation.


title: Bill Johnson (pastor)

text: Bill Johnson (born July 18, 1951) is an American Christian minister and evangelist. He is the senior leader of Bethel Church, a charismatic megachurch in Redding, California. The church has grown in membership from 2,000 when he joined in 1996, to over 11,000 in 2019. Johnson has taken public conservative positions on same-sex marriage, abortion, open borders, and many other topics. He is an author, functions as an itinerant speaker and has been featured in various media.


title: Bill Johnson (pastor)

text: Johnson is a fifth-generation pastor and has held the position of senior leader at Bethel Church since 1996. He is known for leading a church and Christian movement with a large focus on miracles and the Holy Spirit. According to "Christianity Today", Johnson has "considerable influence among charismatic Christians all over the world". Johnson joined Bethel with a stipulation that the message would always be about revival, with an emphasis on God's supernatural presence. The church lost a thousand members over his vision. However, under his leadership, the church has since grown from 2,000 members in 1996 to over 11,000 in 2019. His father, M. Earl Johnson, previously held the Senior Pastor position from 1968 to 1982, when Bethel Church was part of the Assemblies of God. Prior to this position, Johnson, along with his wife, served as the Senior Pastors of Mountain Chapel in Weaverville, California from 1978 to 1996.


title: Bill Johnson (pastor)

text: Johnson attended a John Wimber signs and wonders conference in 1987 with the specific goal of seeking a revival of healing. He left discouraged because he had been teaching the same concepts John Wimber had been teaching, but the outcome was drastically different. Johnson states that this discouragement brought about a realization that faith required risk, and after this realization, the healing miracles began to happen. He traveled to Toronto, Canada in 1995 to attend some of the Toronto Blessing revival meetings. Johnson recounts receiving a fresh touch from God at these meetings that focused his life's work on pursuing the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit.


title: Bill Johnson (pastor)

text: In 1998, Johnson, along with Bethel Senior Associate Leader Kris Vallotton, started the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry to train students to become revivalists. The school has over 2,000 students from 57 countries. Johnson is also part of the Core Residential Faculty at Wagner University in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.


title: Bill Johnson (pastor)

text: Bill and Brenda Johnson have three children including: Brian Johnson, Eric Johnson and Leah Valenzuela.


title: Bill Johnson (pastor)

text: Johnson has appeared in multiple documentaries, including "Father of Lights" and "Holy Ghost Reborn", produced by Darren Wilson. He has also been interviewed and highlighted in several CBN news stories. He was featured on the cover of "Charisma" magazine in August 2016 with a story titled "Born for Revival." Johnson was also a guest on "Sid Roth's It's Supernatural" in October 2016. Johnson was featured in the 2018 documentary "" as a prominent figure in the prosperity gospel movement, emphasizing supernatural miracles as evidence of salvation. Johnson has also been the subject of criticism.


title: Bill Johnson (pastor)

text: In 2016, Bill Johnson outlined why he voted for Donald Trump in a Facebook post, where he criticized abortion, open borders, the welfare system, same-sex marriage, socialism, political correctness and globalization, all as contrary to God's will. His wife and senior pastor, Beni Johnson, has also supported Donald Trump. Johnson again endorsed Trump in 2020.


title: Bill Johnson (pastor)

text: Bill Johnson opposes homosexuality calling it a sin and "violation of design". In a Facebook video blog he elaborated on the issue stating that "God did not make those human bodies to come together, to fit, in that way".


title: Bill Johnson (pastor)

text: In 2018, his church publicly opposed three bills in the California state legislature that would have restricted conversion therapy as they felt the bills might have restricted their ministry. Their opposition included a released statement, letters to legislators and encouragement of congregants to contact legislators through a sermon titled "What Would Jesus Do in a PC World?" by senior associate leader of the church Kris Vallotton and tweets, also by Vallotton, that specifically addressed those that had "come out of homosexuality".


title: Pauline Ducruet

text: Pauline Grace Maguy Ducruet (born 4 May 1994) is a Monegasque diver, designer and niece of Prince Albert II of Monaco, through her mother, Princess Stéphanie of Monaco.


title: Pauline Ducruet

text: Ducruet was born on 4 May 1994 at Princess Grace Hospital Centre in La Colle, Monaco. She is the second child of Princess Stéphanie of Monaco and Daniel Ducruet. Her parents subsequently married in a civil ceremony on 1 July 1995. She has an older brother (Louis) and three half-siblings. Her half-brother Michael is the son of Daniel Ducruet and Martine Malbouvier. Her half-sister, Camille Gottlieb, is the daughter of Princess Stéphanie and Jean-Raymond Gottlieb. Her other half-sister, Linoué Ducruet, is the daughter of Daniel Ducruet and Kelly Marie Carla Lancien.


title: Pauline Ducruet

text: Ducruet received a baccalaureate, literary section, from Lycée Prince Albert I de Monaco. Ducruet is said to have skipped a year in school, making her a year behind her brother, rather than two years behind. She received her French Baccalauréat degree in July 2011. In 2012, she studied at Monaco's language school.


title: Pauline Ducruet

text: For three years, Ducruet was a stylist apprentice at the Instituto Marangoni in Paris. In 2015, Ducruet went to study fashion design in New York; part of her studies were a five-month internship at Vogue and a six-month internship at Louis Vuitton. She received an associate degree in Fashion Design from Parsons The New School for Design 2015–2017.


title: Pauline Ducruet

text: In June 2017, Ducruet partnered with Maria Zarco in the launch of Altered Designs, a fashion company the two women publicize via Instagram.


title: Pauline Ducruet

text: Ducruet is a competitive diver. In 2010, she represented Monaco at the World Junior Diving Championships in Aachen, Germany, and in July 2010, she competed in the European Junior Swimming and Diving Championships in Helsinki, Finland. In August 2010, she was part of the Monaco delegation at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics in Singapore.


title: Pauline Ducruet

text: Ducruet's earliest activities include the training of elephants in the circus of Franco Knie. In 2004, she was involved in gymnastics; her mother is president of Monaco's gymnastics federation.


title: Pauline Ducruet

text: As of December 2011, according to Princess Stephanie, Pauline was assisting her with all aspects of the 2012 International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo. She also founded and presides over the jury of the "New Generation" circus festival in Monaco, specifically for people under 20 years of age.


title: Pauline Ducruet

text: Ducruet is a niece of Prince Albert II of Monaco, and is currently 16th in the line of succession to the Monegasque throne.


title: Studio Colorido

text: The company was established by producer Hideo Uda in 2011. The studio follows a principle of "making a place where people involved in anime can continue to work peacefully and to contribute to the further development of Japanese animation culture". The "Colorido" in the studio's name translates to "rich in color" or "colorful" in Portuguese and Spanish.


title: Studio Colorido

text: Years later, the company entered a business partnership with company Twin Engine and became a subsidiary in the network, with Twin Engine CEO Kōji Yamamoto becoming co-CEO.


title: Flaccid paralysis

text: Flaccid paralysis is a neurological condition characterized by weakness or paralysis and reduced muscle tone without other obvious cause (e.g., trauma). This abnormal condition may be caused by disease or by trauma affecting the nerves associated with the involved muscles. For example, if the somatic nerves to a skeletal muscle are severed, then the muscle will exhibit flaccid paralysis. When muscles enter this state, they become limp and cannot contract. This condition can become fatal if it affects the respiratory muscles, posing the threat of suffocation. It also occurs in spinal shock stage in complete transection of spinal cord occurred in injuries like gunshots injuries.


title: Flaccid paralysis

text: The term "acute flaccid paralysis" (AFP) is often used to describe an instance with a sudden onset, as might be found with polio.


title: Flaccid paralysis

text: AFP is the most common sign of acute polio, and used for surveillance during polio outbreaks. AFP is also associated with a number of other pathogenic agents including enteroviruses other than polio, echoviruses, West Nile virus, and adenoviruses, among others.


title: Flaccid paralysis

text: The "Clostridium botulinum" bacteria are the cause of botulism. Vegetative cells of "C. botulinum" may be ingested. Introduction of the bacteria may also occur via endospores in a wound. When the bacteria are in vivo, they induce flaccid paralysis. This happens because "C. botulinum" produces a toxin that blocks the release of acetylcholine. Botulism toxin blocks the exocytosis of presynaptic vesicles containing acetylcholine (ACh). When this occurs, the muscles are unable to contract. Other symptoms associated with infection from this neurotoxin include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, and muscle weakness. Botulism prevents muscle contraction by blocking the release of acetylcholine, thereby halting postsynaptic activity of the neuromuscular junction. If its effects reach the respiratory muscles, then it can lead to respiratory failure, leading to death.


title: Flaccid paralysis

text: Curare is a plant poison derived from – among other species – "Chondrodendron tomentosum" and various species belonging to the genus "Strychnos", which are native to the rainforests of South America. Certain peoples indigenous to the region – notably the Macushi – crush and cook the roots and stems of these and certain other plants and then mix the resulting decoction with various other plant poisons and animal venoms to create a syrupy liquid in which to dip their arrow heads and the tips of their blowgun darts. Curare has also been used medicinally by South Americans to treat madness, dropsy, edema, fever, kidney stones, and bruises.


title: Flaccid paralysis

text: Curare acts as a neuromuscular blocking agent that induces flaccid paralysis. This poison binds to the acetylcholine (ACh) receptors on the muscle, blocking them from binding to ACh. As a result, ACh accumulates within the neuromuscular junction, but since ACh cannot bind to the receptors on the muscle, the muscle cannot be stimulated. This poison must enter the bloodstream for it to work. If curare affects the respiratory muscles, then its effects can become life-threatening, placing the victim at risk for suffocation.


title: Flaccid paralysis

text: Flaccid paralysis can be associated with a lower motor neuron lesion. This is in contrast to an upper motor neuron lesion, which often presents with spasticity, although early on this may present with flaccid paralysis.


title: Flaccid paralysis

text: Included in AFP's list are poliomyelitis (polio), transverse myelitis, Guillain–Barré syndrome, enteroviral encephalopathy, traumatic neuritis, Reye's syndrome, etc.


title: Flaccid paralysis

text: An AFP surveillance programme is conducted to increase case yield of poliomyelitis. This includes collection of two stool samples within fourteen days of onset of paralysis and identification of virus, and control of the outbreak and strengthening immunization in that area.


title: Flaccid paralysis

text: Historical records from the 1950s, modern CDC reports, and recent analysis of patterns in India suggest that flaccid paralysis may be caused in some cases by oral polio vaccinations.


title: Flaccid paralysis

text: Venomous snakes that contain neurotoxic venom such as kraits, mambas, and cobras can also cause complete flaccid paralysis. Some chemical warfare nerve agents such as VX can also cause complete flaccid paralysis.


title: Flaccid paralysis

text: In some situations, prominently in those of oriental descent hyperthyroidism can affect the consumption and restoration equilibrium of potassium ions in neurons resulting in hypokalaemic paralysis.


title: Napier, New Zealand

text: Napier ( ; ) is a city on the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Hawke's Bay region. It is a beachside city with a seaport, known for its sunny climate, esplanade lined with Norfolk Pines and extensive Art Deco architecture. Napier is sometimes referred to as the "Nice of the Pacific".


title: Napier, New Zealand

text: The population of Napier is about About south of Napier is the inland city of Hastings. These two neighbouring cities are often called "The Bay Cities" or "The Twin Cities" of New Zealand, with the two cities and the surrounding towns of Havelock North and Clive having a combined population of . The City of Napier has a land area of and a population density of 540.0 per square kilometre.


title: Napier, New Zealand

text: Napier is the nexus of the largest wool centre in the Southern Hemisphere, and it has the primary export seaport for northeastern New Zealand – which is the largest producer of apples, pears, and stone fruit in New Zealand. The Hawke's Bay wine region is now the second largest in New Zealand after Marlborough, and grapes grown around Hastings and Napier are sent through the Port of Napier for export. Large amounts of sheep's wool, frozen meat, wood pulp, and timber also pass through Napier annually for export. Smaller amounts of these materials are shipped via road and railway to the large metropolitan areas of New Zealand itself, such as Auckland, Wellington and Hamilton.


title: Napier, New Zealand

text: Napier is a popular tourist city, with a unique concentration of 1930s Art Deco, and to a lesser extent Spanish Mission, architecture, built after much of the city was razed in the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake. It also has one of the most photographed tourist attractions in the country, a statue of the figure in local Ngāti Kahungunu mythology, Pania, on Marine Parade, "Pania of the Reef". Thousands of people flock to Napier every February for the Tremains Art Deco Weekend event, a celebration of its Art Deco heritage and history. Other notable tourist events attracting many outsiders to the region annually include F.A.W.C! Food and Wine Classic events, and the Mission Estate Concert at Mission Estate Winery in the suburb of Taradale.


title: Napier, New Zealand

text: Napier has well-documented Māori history. When the Ngāti Kahungunu party of Taraia reached the district many centuries ago, the Whatumamoa, Rangitane and the Ngāti Awa and elements of the Ngāti Tara iwi existed in the nearby areas of Petane, Te Whanganui-a-Orotu and Waiohiki. Later, the Ngāti Kahungunu became the dominant force from Poverty Bay to Wellington. They were one of the first Māori tribes to come in contact with European settlers.


title: Napier, New Zealand

text: Chief Te Ahuriri cut a channel into the lagoon space at Ahuriri because the Westshore entrance had become blocked, threatening cultivations surrounding the lagoon and the fishing villages on the islands in the lagoon. The rivers were continually feeding freshwater into the area.


title: Napier, New Zealand

text: Captain James Cook was one of the first Europeans to see the future site of Napier when he sailed down the east coast in October 1769. He commented: "On each side of this bluff head is a low, narrow sand or stone beach, between these beaches and the mainland is a pretty large lake of salt water I suppose." He said the harbour entrance was at the Westshore end of the shingle beach. The site was subsequently visited and later settled by European traders, whalers and missionaries. By the 1850s, farmers and hotel-keepers arrived.


title: Napier, New Zealand

text: The Crown purchased the Ahuriri block (including the site of Napier) in 1851. In 1854 Alfred Domett, a future Prime Minister of New Zealand, was appointed as the Commissioner of Crown Lands and the resident magistrate at the village of Ahuriri. It was decided to place a planned town here, its streets and avenues were laid out, and the new town named for Sir Charles Napier, a military leader during the "Battle of Meeanee" fought in the country of Sindh, in the Indian subcontinent. Domett named many streets in Napier to commemorate the colonial era of the British Indian Empire.


title: Napier, New Zealand

text: Napier was designated as a borough in 1874, but the development of the surrounding marshlands and reclamation proceeded slowly. Between 1858 and 1876 Napier was the administrative centre for the Hawke's Bay Province, but in 1876 the "Abolition of Provinces Act", an act of the New Zealand Parliament, dissolved all provincial governments in New Zealand.


title: Napier, New Zealand

text: In the beginning of 20th century, New Zealand development was generally confined to the hill and to the port area of Ahuriri. In the early years, Napier covered almost exclusively an oblong group of hills (the Scinde Island) which was nearly entirely surrounded by the ocean, but from which ran out two single spits, one to the north and one to the south. There was a swamp between the now Hastings Street and Wellesley Road and the sea extended to "Clive Square".


title: Napier, New Zealand

text: On 3 February 1931, most of Napier and nearby Hastings was levelled by an earthquake. The collapses of buildings and the ensuing fires killed 256 people. The centre of the town was destroyed by the earthquake, and later rebuilt in the Art Deco style popular at that time. Some 4000 hectares of today's Napier were undersea before the earthquake raised it above sea level. The earthquake uplifted an area of 1500 km with a maximum of 2.7 m of uplift. In Hastings about 1 m of ground subsidence occurred.


title: Napier, New Zealand

text: Although a few Art Deco buildings were replaced with contemporary structures during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, most of the centre remained intact for long enough to become recognised as architecturally important, and beginning in the 1990s it had been protected and restored. Napier and the area of South Beach, Miami, Florida, are considered to be the two best-preserved Art Deco towns (with the town of Miami Beach, Florida, being mostly decorated in the somewhat later Streamline Moderne style of Art Deco).