title: Andreas Weimann

text: Weimann has represented Austria at under-17, under-19 and under-21 levels. Weimann scored on his under-21 debut against Scotland Under-21 in a 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification match on 5 September 2009. Weimann scored in the 57th minute, just 2 minutes after replacing team-mate Marc Sand as a substitute. Weimann's other two goals in the qualifying process came against Azerbaijan and Albania.


title: Andreas Weimann

text: In July 2010, Weimann was called up to the Austria U-19 squad for the 2010 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. Weimann featured in all three of Austria's games and came up against his Aston Villa team-mate Nathan Delfouneso in a 3–2 loss against England.


title: Andreas Weimann

text: On 12 October 2012, Weimann made his debut for the Austria senior team against Kazakhstan in a 0–0 draw.


title: Andreas Weimann

text: In March 2022, Weimann was recalled to the Austria senior team for their 2022 FIFA World Cup play-off match against Wales, his first call-up in seven years.


title: Andreas Weimann

text: On 10 June 2022, Weimann scored his first international goal against France, which gave Austria the lead in a UEFA Nations League game.


title: Bosco Wong

text: Bosco Wong Chung-chak (; born 13 December 1980) is a Hong Kong actor, singer, and entrepreneur who gained popularity in the modern drama "Triumph in the Skies" (2003). Since then, he has played a diverse spectrum of roles in television series such as "Wars of In-laws" (2005), "Dicey Business" (2006) "Lives of Omission" (2011), and the "Flying Tiger" franchise. In 2014, Wong won Best Actor at the China Image Film Festival for his performance in "Golden Brother."


title: Bosco Wong

text: In 1998, Wong was spotted on the street by a talent scout and filmed a lemon tea commercial. Recruiters offered him further opportunities but Wong insisted on finishing his high school first. After graduating from secondary school, Wong joined broadcasting network TVB in 1999 at age 19. Wong hosted various variety programs and played an extra in various drama series.


title: Bosco Wong

text: Wong made his official acting debut in "Burning Flame II" (2002). He was subsequently cast in historical series "Find The Light", and coming-of-age drama "Aqua Heroes". He gained popularity as the pilot trainee Chris in the 2003 blockbuster "Triumph in the Skies". He then starred as the titular character in the period action drama "Wong Fei Hung - Master of Kung Fu" in 2004. In 2005, he starred alongside Liza Wang and Myolie Wu in the costume comedy "Wars of In-Laws", He won the TVB Award for Most Improved Actor that year.


title: Bosco Wong

text: Wong's performance as a socially inept youth in "Dicey Business" (2006) earned him more popularity and recognition as a rising actor. He made his film debut in the 2008 film "The Luckiest Man". In 2011, he starred as the triad leader "Bai Co" or "Cripple Co" in "Lives of Omission" (2011). He expressed that his older age allows him to play more mature characters such as triad leader "Crippled Co" and righteous police Inspector Hui in "Witness Insecurity" (2012) and "Crippled Co" is a role that he had fun playing.


title: Bosco Wong

text: Wong was cast as Chiu Bing in director Fire Lee's debut movie (2012) and gained positive applause for his sincere and realistic performance. He received positive reviews for his performance as the central character Sit Ho Ching in "Golden Brother". which subsequently won him Best Leading Actor award at the 2014 China Image Film Festival.


title: Bosco Wong

text: Wong starred in the 2016 drama series "Two Steps From Heaven", alongside Priscilla Wong, Edwin Siu, and Louis Cheng. He portrays Sheldon Chun, a public relations director who, in hopes of climbing the social ladder, becomes ruthless.


title: Bosco Wong

text: In December 2016, Wong announced he will not be renewing his management contract with TVB, ending his 17-year career at the station. His last TVB drama was "Heart of Greed 3."


title: Bosco Wong

text: Wong joined Shaw Brothers Studio in 2017. He starred in the action crime drama series "Flying Tiger" and "Guardian Angel." In December 2018, During the filming of "Flying Tiger 2", Wong was injured during an action scene, suffering a fracture in his left foot. He underwent surgery and was hospitalized for five days. He resumed filming in January and used a stunt double for the rest of his action scenes. Wong began filming the web drama series "White War" in April 2019, in which he portrays an undercover cop. Wong began filming for the third installment of the "Flying Tiger" franchise in July 2020.


title: Bosco Wong

text: In October 2008, Bosco signed a record deal with East Asia Music and released his debut EP in December of the same year.


title: Bosco Wong

text: Wong began dating "War of In-laws" co-star Myolie Wu in 2005. On July 25, 2012, Wong announced that the two had split. In 2014, Wong began dating model Vanessa Yeung. The two were seen together on a date on February 3. The couple broke up later that year.


title: History of games

text: The history of games dates to the ancient human past. Games are an integral part of all cultures and are one of the oldest forms of human social interaction. Games are formalized expressions of play which allow people to go beyond immediate imagination and direct physical activity. Common features of games include uncertainty of outcome, agreed upon rules, competition, separate place and time, elements of fiction, elements of chance, prescribed goals and personal enjoyment.


title: History of games

text: Games capture the ideas and worldviews of their cultures and pass them on to the future generation. Games were important as cultural and social bonding events, as teaching tools and as markers of social status. As pastimes of royalty and the elite, some games became common features of court culture and were also given as gifts. Games such as Senet and the Mesoamerican ball game were often imbued with mythic and ritual religious significance. Games like Gyan chauper and The Mansion of Happiness were used to teach spiritual and ethical lessons while Shatranj and Wéiqí (Go) were seen as a way to develop strategic thinking and mental skill by the political and military elite.


title: History of games

text: In his 1938 book, "Homo Ludens", Dutch cultural historian Johan Huizinga argued that games were a primary condition of the generation of human cultures. Huizinga saw the playing of games as something that "is older than culture, for culture, however inadequately defined, always presupposes human society, and animals have not waited for man to teach them their playing". Huizinga saw games as a starting point for complex human activities such as language, law, war, philosophy and art.


title: History of games

text: Some of the most common pre-historic and ancient gaming tools were made of bone, especially from the Talus bone, these have been found worldwide and are the ancestors of knucklebones as well as dice games. Dice were invented at least 5 000 years ago and early dice probably did not have six sides. These bones were also sometimes used for oracular and divinatory functions. Other implements could have included shells, stones and sticks.


title: History of games

text: In ancient civilizations there was no clear distinction between the sacred and the profane. According to Durkheim, games were founded in a religious setting and were a cornerstone of social bonding.


title: History of games

text: Board games likely originate from the ancient Near East, based on archeological findings. A series of 49 small carved painted figures found at the 5,000-year-old Başur Höyük burial mound in southeast Turkey could represent the earliest gaming pieces ever found. Similar pieces have been found in Tell Brak and Jemdet Nasr, but they were isolated. Researches have called the find Dogs and Pigs. The earliest board games were a pastime for the elite and were sometimes given as diplomatic gifts according to a study published in "Antiquity". Another possibility is that boards were reserved for the elite, but lower classes played on boards scratched into stone or on the ground. Some archeologists think that stones carved with long rows, dated between 7000 BCE and 9000 BCE, were used for a mancala-like game.


title: History of games

text: The earliest known board games all used dice and were for two players. Among the earliest examples of a board game is "senet", a game found in Predynastic and First Dynasty burial sites in Egypt (circa 3500 BCE and 3100 BCE, respectively) and in hieroglyphs dating to around 3100 BCE. The game was played by moving draughtsmen on a board of 30 squares arranged into three parallel rows of ten squares each. The players strategically moved their pieces based on the throw of sticks or bones. The goal was to reach the edge of the board first. Senet slowly evolved to reflect the religious beliefs of the Egyptians. The pieces represented human souls and their movement was based on the journey of the soul in the afterlife. Each square had a distinct religious significance, with the final square being associated with the union of the soul with the sun god Re-Horakhty. Senet may have also been used in a ritual religious context.


title: History of games

text: The Royal Game of Ur, or "Game of Twenty Squares" was played with a set of pawns on a richly decorated board and dates from 2600-2400 BCE. It was a race game which employed a set of knucklebone dice. This game was also known and played in Egypt. A Babylonian treatise on the game written on a clay tablet shows that the game had astronomical significance and that it could also be used to tell one's fortune. The game of Ur was also popular with the lower classes, as attested by a 2,700-year-old graffiti version of the game, scratched onto a gateway to a palace in Khorsabad. Similar games have been found in Iran, Crete, Cyprus, Sri Lanka, and Syria. Excavations at Shahr-e Sukhteh ("The Burnt City") in Iran have shown that the game also existed there around 3000 BCE. The artifacts include two dice and 60 checkers. Games such as Nard and the Roman game Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum (game of 12 points, also known as simply "dice", lat. "alea") may have developed from this Iranian game. The Byzantine game Tabula is a descendant of the game of twelve points.


title: History of games

text: The other example of a board game in ancient Egypt is "Hounds and Jackals", also known as 58 holes. Hounds and Jackals appeared in Egypt, around 2000 BC and was mainly popular in the Middle Kingdom. The game was spread to Mesopotamia in the late 3rd millennium BC and was popular until the 1st millennium BC. More than 68 gameboards of Hounds and Jackals have been discovered in the archaeological excavations in various territories, including Syria (Tell Ajlun, Ras el-Ain, Khafaje), Israel (Tel Beth Shean, Gezer), Iraq (Uruk, Nippur, Ur, Nineveh, Ashur, Babylon), Iran (Tappeh Sialk, Susa, Luristan), Turkey (Karalhuyuk, Kultepe, Acemhuyuk), Azerbaijan (Gobustan) and Egypt (Buhen, El-Lahun, Sedment). It was a race game for two players. The gaming board consisted of two sets of 29 holes. Ten small pegs with either jackal or dog heads were used for playing. It's believed that the aim of the game was to begin at one point on the board and to reach with all figures at the other point on the board.


title: History of games

text: In Ancient Greece and in the Roman Empire, popular games included ball games (Episkyros, Harpastum, Expulsim Ludere - a kind of handball), dice games (Tesserae), knucklebones, Bear games, Tic-tac-toe (Terni Lapilli), Nine men's morris (mola) and various types of board games similar to checkers. Both Plato and Homer mention board games called 'petteia' (games played with pessoi', i.e. 'pieces' or 'men'). According to Plato, they are all Egyptian in origin. The name 'petteia' seems to be a generic term for board game and refers to various games. One such game was called 'poleis' (city states) and was a game of battle on a checkered board.


title: History of games

text: The Romans played a derivation of 'petteia' called 'latrunculin' or Ludus latrunculorum (the soldiers' game or the bandits' game). It is first mentioned by Varro (116–27 BCE) and alluded to by Martial and Ovid. This game was extremely popular and was spread throughout Europe by the Romans. Boards have been found as far as Roman Britain. It was a war game for two players and included moving around counters representing soldiers, with 'custodian' captures made by getting one of the adversary's pieces between two of one's own.


title: History of games

text: After the Muslim conquest of Persia (638-651) Shatranj spread to the Arab world. While pre-Islamic chess sets represented Elephants, Horses, Kings and Soldiers; the Islamic prohibition against image worship led to increasing abstraction in chess set design. Islamic chess pieces were therefore simple cylindrical and rectangular shapes. The game became immensely popular during Abbasid Caliphate of the 9th century. The Abbasid Caliphs Harun al-Rashid and Al-Ma'mun were avid Shatranj players. During this period Muslim chess players published several treatises on chess problems ("mansubat") and chess openings ("ta'biyat"). Elite players such as Al-Adli, al-Suli and Ar-Razi were called "aliyat" or "grandees" and played at the courts of the Caliphs and wrote about the game. Al-Adli (800-870) is known for writing Kitab ash-shatranj (book of chess), a comprehensive work on the game, including history, openings, endgames and chess problems. Al-Adli also developed a system for ranking players. During the reign of the Turko-Mongol conqueror Timur (1336–1405), a variant of chess known as Tamerlane chess was developed which some sources attribute to Timur himself who was known to be a fan of the game.


title: History of games

text: Various games in the Tables family were also quite popular and are known as "ifranjiah" in Arabic (meaning "Frankish") and as Nard in Iran. Many of the early Arabic texts which refer to these games often debate the legality and morality of playing them. This debate was settled by the eighth century when all four Muslim schools of jurisprudence declared them to be Haraam (forbidden), however they are still played today in many Arab countries. Other popular games included Mancala and Tâb.


title: History of games

text: Polo (Persian: "chawgan", Arabic: "sawlajan") was first played in Sassanid Persia. It passed from Sassanid Persia to the neighboring Byzantine Empire at an early date, and a Tzykanisterion (stadium for playing polo) was built by emperor Theodosius II (r. 408–450) inside the Great Palace of Constantinople. After the Muslim conquests, it passed to the Ayyubid and Mameluke dynasties, whose elites favored it above all other sports. Notable sultans such as Saladin and Baybars were known to play it and encourage it in their court.


title: History of games

text: Playing cards were imported from Asia and India and were popular during Mamluk Dynasty Egypt, featuring polo sticks, coins, swords, and cups as suits.


title: History of games

text: India saw a number of games in ancient period ranging from the various dice games to other board games. The use of cubical and oblong dice was common in the "Indus Valley" Harappan civilization (c. 2300 BC). Archaeological excavations have found gambling dice in monasteries and other Buddhist sites. The earliest textual mention of games in India is the Rig-Veda's mention of the use of dice (c. 1000 BC). Texts such as the Mahabharata indicate that dice games were popular with Kings and royalty, and also had ceremonial purposes. Cowry shells were also widely used.


title: History of games

text: Another early reference is the list of Buddha games (circa 500 BC) which is a list from the Pali Canon that Buddhist monks were forbidden to play. This list mentions games on boards with 8 or 10 rows (Ashtapada and Daśapada), games which use floor diagrams (one game called Parihâra-patham is similar to hop-scotch), dice games and ball games. "Ashtapada and Daśapada" were race games.


title: History of games

text: Chaturanga (which means 'quadripartite' and also 'army'), the predecessor of Chess, possibly developed in the Indian subcontinent or Central Asia during the Kushan (30–375 CE) or Gupta (320–550 CE) periods from an amalgamation of other game features and was transmitted to Sassanid Persia (where it was known as Shatranj) and China through the Silk Road. It was divided into four parts called angas, which were symbolic of the four branches of an army. Just like the real ancient Indian army, it had pieces called elephants, chariots, horses and soldiers, and was played to devise war strategies.


title: History of games

text: Checkmate comes from the Persian term in the game, ‘Shah-Mat’, meaning 'the king is dead'. Another game named Chaturaji was similar but played with four sides of differing colors instead of two, however the earliest source for this four sided board game is Al-Biruni's 'India', circa 1030 AD. Historians of Chess such as Yuri Averbakh have surmised that the Greek board game "petteia" may have had an influence on the development of early Chaturanga. "Petteia" games could have combined with other elements in the Greco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek Kingdoms.


title: History of games

text: The game of Carrom is said to have originated in the Indian subcontinent. Though there isn't any particular proof, it is said that Indian Maharajas invented the game centuries ago. There was a finding of an ancient glass carrom board in "Patiala, Punjab". Carrom gained popularity after World War I, and is still a widely popular board game in India.


title: History of games

text: Adding on, the game of Snakes and Ladders was previously known as Vaikuntapaali. ""Vaikuntapaali"" - which was originally a Hindu game. It has been speculated that this game was already being played in India as early as the 2 nd century AD. Others have credited the invention of the game to Dnyaneshwar (known also as Dnyandev), a Marathi saint who lived during the 13 th century AD. This game is also known by names like "Gyan Chaupar" (meaning 'Game of Knowledge), "Mokshapat", and "Moksha Patamu."


title: History of games

text: The game now known as Ludo - was then called Pachisi (/pəˈtʃiːzi/). The board was made out of cloth or jute. A depiction of Pachisi is found in the caves of Ajanta Cavesin Maharashtra, showing that the game was quite popular in the Medieval Era. Cross and circle games such as Chaupar and Pachisi may be very old games, but so far their history has not been established prior to the 16th century. Chaupar was a popular gambling game at the court of Mughal emperor Akbar the Great (1556-1605). The emperor himself was a fan of the game and was known to play on a courtyard of his palace using slaves as playing pieces. "Karuna Sharma of Georgia State University", in her research paper –""A visit to the mughal harem: Lives of Royal Women"" noted the political side of these board games played at the court.


title: History of games

text: The game of seven stones is mentioned in the Bhāgvata Purāna, a text written in 1000 AD at the latest. Several variations of tag, such as kho kho, kabaddi, atya patya, and langdi, are believed to be hundreds or thousands of years old, with certain aspects of kho-kho and kabaddi possibly being mentioned in the Mahabharata (at or before 300 AD), and atya-patya being mentioned in the Naṟṟiṇai (at or before 300 AD).


title: History of games

text: The extinct Chinese board game "liubo" was invented no later than the middle of the 1st millennium BCE, and was popular during the Warring States period (476 BCE – 221 BCE) and the Han Dynasty (202 BCE – 220 CE). Although the game's rules have been lost, it was apparently a race game not unlike Senet in that playing pieces were moved about a board using sticks thrown to determine movement.


title: History of games

text: Go, also known as "Weiqi", "Igo", or "Baduk" (in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, respectively), is first mentioned in the historical annal "Zuo Zhuan" (c. 4th century BC). It is also mentioned in Book XVII of the "Analects of Confucius" and in two of the books of Mencius (c. 3rd century BC). In ancient China, Go was one of the four cultivated arts of the Chinese scholar gentleman, along with calligraphy, painting and playing the musical instrument guqin, and examinations of skill in those arts was used to qualify candidates for service in the bureaucracy. Go was brought to Korea in the second century BC when the Han Dynasty expanded into the Korean peninsula and it arrived in Japan in the 5th or 6th century AD and it quickly became a favorite aristocratic pastime.


title: History of games

text: Chinese Chess or Xiangqi seems to have been played during the Tang Dynasty, any earlier attestation is problematic. Several Xiangqi pieces are known from the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1126). It is unknown exactly how Xiangqi developed. Other traditional East Asian Chess variants include Shogi (Japan) and Janggi (Korea).


title: History of games

text: Playing cards or tiles were invented in China as early as the 9th century during the Tang Dynasty (618–907). The earliest unambiguous attestation of paper playing cards date back to 1294.


title: History of games

text: The modern game of Dominoes developed from early Chinese tile based games. What appears to have been the earliest references to gaming tiles are mentions of "kwat pai", or "bone tiles", used in gambling, in Chinese writings no later than 900 AD. The earliest definite references to Chinese dominoes are found in the literature of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), while Western-style dominoes are a more recent variation, with the earliest examples being of early-18th century Italian design. The modern tile game Mahjong is based on older Chinese card games like Khanhoo, peng hu, and shi hu.


title: History of games

text: The pre-modern Chinese also played ball games such as Cuju which was a ball and net game similar to football, and Chuiwan, which is similar to modern golf.


title: History of games

text: The most widespread of the native African games is Mancala. Mancala is a family of board games played around the world, sometimes called "sowing" games, or "count-and-capture" games, which describes the gameplay. The word "mancala:منقلة" comes from the Arabic word "naqala:نقلة" meaning literally "to move". The earliest evidence of Mancala consists of fragments of pottery boards and several rock cuts found in Aksumite in Ethiopia, Matara (now in Eritrea), and Yeha (also in Ethiopia), which have been dated by archaeologists to between the 6th and 7th century CE. More than 800 names of traditional mancala games are known, and almost 200 invented games have been described. However, some names denote the same game, while some names are used for more than one game. Today, the game is played worldwide, with many distinct variants representing different regions of the world. Some historians believe that mancala is the oldest game in the world based on the archaeological evidence found in Jordan that dates around 6000 BCE. The game might have been played by ancient Nabataeans and could have been an ancient version of the modern mancala game.


title: History of games

text: Archaeologist Barbara Voorhies has theorized that a series of holes on clay floors arranged in c shapes at the Tlacuachero archaeological site in Mexico's Chiapas state may be 5000-year-old dice-game scoreboards. If so this would be the oldest archaeological evidence for a game in the Americas.


title: History of games

text: Dice games were popular throughout the Americas. Patolli was one of the most popular board games played by mesoamerican peoples such as the Mayans, Toltecs and Aztecs, it was a race game played with beans or dice on square and oval-shaped boards and gambling was a key aspect of it. The Andean peoples also played a dice game which is called by the Quechua word or .


title: History of games

text: One of the oldest known ball games in history is the Mesoamerican ballgame ("Ōllamaliztli" in Nahuatl). "Ōllamaliztli" was played as far back as 1,400 BC and had important religious significance for the mesoamerican peoples such as the Maya and Aztec. The game evolved over time but the main goal was to keep a solid rubber ball in play by striking it with various parts of the body or with tools such as rackets. The game may have served as a proxy for warfare and also had a major religious function. Formal ballgames were held as ritual events, often featuring human sacrifice, though it was also played for leisure by children and even women.


title: History of games

text: The indigenous North American peoples played various kinds of stickball games, which are the ancestors of modern lacrosse. Traditional stickball games were sometimes major events that could last several days. As many as 100 to 1,000 men from opposing villages or tribes would participate. The games were played in open plains located between villages, and the goals could range from to apart.


title: History of games

text: The Tafl games were a family of ancient Germanic and Celtic board games played across much of Northern Europe from earlier than 400 CE until the 12th century. Although the rules of the games were never explicitly recorded, it seems to have been a game with uneven forces (2:1 ratio) and the goal of one side was to escape to the side of the board with a King while the other side's goal was to capture him. Tafl was spread by the Vikings throughout northern Europe, including Iceland, Britain, Ireland, and Lapland.


title: History of games

text: Chess was introduced to the Iberian emirate of Cordoba in 822 during the reign of Abd ar-Rahman II. By the middle of the 10th century it was being played in Christian Spain, Italy and Southern Germany. By 1200, it had reached Britain and Scandinavia. Initially there were many differing local Chess games with varying rules or "assizes" such as Short assize chess, Courier chess and Dice Chess.


title: History of games

text: An important source of medieval games is the Libro de los juegos, ("Book of games"), or "Libro de acedrex, dados e tablas", ("Book of chess, dice and tables", in Old Spanish) which was commissioned by Alfonso X of Castile, Galicia and León in 1283. The manuscript contains descriptions and color illustrations of Dice games, Chess and tabula, a predecessor of Backgammon. The book portrays these games within an astrological context, and some game variants are astronomically designed, such as a game titled "astronomical chess", played on a board of seven concentric circles, divided radially into twelve areas, each associated with a constellation of the Zodiac. The symbolism of the text indicates that some of these games were given metaphysical significance. Chess was also used to teach social and moral lessons by the Dominican friar Jacobus de Cessolis in his "Liber de moribus hominum et officiis nobilium super ludo scacchorum" ('Book of the customs of men and the duties of nobles or the Book of Chess'). Published circa 1300, the book was immensely popular.


title: History of games

text: Other pre-modern European board games include Rithmomachy or "the philosophers game", Alquerque, Fox & Geese, Nine men's morris, Draughts, Nim, Catch the Hare and the Game of the Goose. Dice games were widely played throughout Europe and included Hazard, Chuck-a-luck, Glückshaus, Shut the Box and knucklebones.


title: History of games

text: Card games first arrived in Italy from Mamluk Egypt in the 14th century, with suits very similar to the Swords, Clubs, Cups and Coins and those still used in traditional Italian and Spanish decks. The four suits most commonly encountered today (spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs) appear to have originated in France circa 1480. 1440s Italy saw the rise of tarot cards and this led to the development of Tarot card games such as Tarocchini, Königrufen and French tarot. The decks were also sometimes used for cartomancy.


title: History of games

text: Outdoor games were very popular during holidays and fairs and were played by all classes. Many of these games are the predecessors of modern sports and lawn games. Boules, Lawn Billiards (later brought indoors as Billiards), Skittles (an ancestor of modern ten pin Bowling), medieval football, Kolven, Stoolball (an ancestor of Cricket), Jeu de paume (early racket-less tennis), Horseshoes and Quoits all predate the early modern era.


title: History of games

text: Modern chess rules began taking shape in Spain and Italy during the 15th century with the adoption of the standard Queen and Bishop movements (initially called "Mad Queen chess"). Writings on chess theory also began to appear in the 15th century with the first text being the "Repetición de Amores y Arte de Ajedrez" (Repetition of Love and the Art of Playing Chess, 1497) by Spanish churchman Luis Ramirez de Lucena. Chess books by authors such as Ruy López de Segura and Gioachino Greco became widely studied. Chess was the favored game of Voltaire, Rousseau, Benjamin Franklin and Napoleon.


title: History of games

text: In 1851, the first international chess tournament was held in London and won by Adolf Anderssen. Soon after modern time control rules were adopted for competitive play. The first Official World Chess Championship was held in 1886 in the United States and won by Wilhelm Steinitz. By the 20th century, the game of Chess had developed into a professional sport with chess clubs, publications, player ratings and chess tournaments. The World Chess Federation (FIDE) was founded in 1924 in Paris.


title: History of games

text: A large number of Chess variants were also developed, with varying pieces, rules, boards and scoring. Among them are Kriegspiel, Capablanca Chess, Alice Chess, Circular chess, Three-dimensional chess, Hexagonal Chess, Chess with different armies, and Bobby Fischer's Chess960.


title: History of games

text: In Japan, Go and Shogi became the major board games played at a professional level. Both games were promoted in Japan by the Tokugawa shogunate in the 17th century, and top players (Meijin) received government endowments. During the 20th century the Japan Shogi Association and the Japan Go Association were founded and began organizing professional tournaments. During the Qing dynasty, many Xiangqi clubs were formed and books published. The Chinese Xiangqi Association was formed in 1962, and Xiangqi tournaments are held worldwide by national Xiangqi associations.


title: History of games

text: In 1997 the first Mind Sports Olympiad was held in London and included traditional as well as modern board games. Other board games such as Backgammon, Scrabble and Risk are also played professionally with dedicated world championships.


title: History of games

text: The Ancient Indian game of Pachisi was brought to the west by the British in the 1863 and an adaptation of the oldest game named Parcheesi was first copyrighted in the United States by EG Selchow & Co in 1869. A version of the game called Ludo was patented in 1896. A similar German race game, Mensch ärgere dich nicht ("Man, don't get annoyed"), became immensely popular with German troops during World War I. Another Indian game which was adopted by the West was Gyan chauper (a.k.a. Moksha Patam), popularly known as snakes and ladders. This was a game which was intended to teach lessons about karma and good and bad actions, the ladders represented virtues and the snakes vices. The moral lesson of the game was that spiritual liberation, or Moksha could only be achieved through virtuous action, while vice led to endless reincarnation. The game dates to medieval India where it was played by Jains and Hindus. A Buddhist version, known as "ascending the [spiritual] levels" (Tibetan: ) is played in Nepal and Tibet while a Muslim version of the game played during the mughal period from the late 17th or early 18th centuries featured the 101 names of God. The game was first brought to Victorian England and it was published in the United States as "Chutes and Ladders" (an "improved new version of England's famous indoor sport") by game pioneer Milton Bradley in 1943.


title: History of games

text: The first board game for which the name of its designer is known is 'A Journey Through Europe or the Play of Geography', a map-based game published in 1759 by John Jefferys, a Geography and writing teacher. Designed in England by George Fox in 1800, The Mansion of Happiness became the prototype for commercial board games for at least two centuries to follow. The first board game published in the United States was 'Traveller's Tour Through the United States', published by New York City bookseller F. Lockwood in 1822. The earliest board games published in the United States were based upon Christian morality and included The Mansion of Happiness (1843) and The Game of Pope or Pagan, or The Siege of the Stronghold of Satan by the Christian Army (1844). While demonstrating the commercial viability of the ancient race game format, its moralistic overtones were countered by Milton Bradley in 1860 with the introduction of a radically different concept of success in The Checkered Game of Life, in which material successes came as a result of accomplishments such as attending college, marrying, and getting rich. Likewise the Game of the District Messenger Boy (1886) also focused on secular capitalist virtues rather than the religious.


title: History of games

text: First patented in 1904, "The Landlord's Game", designed by Elizabeth Magie, was originally intended to illustrate the economic consequences of Ricardo's Law of Economic rent and the Georgist concept of a single tax on land value. A series of board games were developed from 1906 through the 1930s that involved the buying and selling of land and the development of that land. By 1933, a board game had been created much like the version of modern Monopoly by the Parker Brothers.


title: History of games

text: Though the first commercial version of the game of Battleship was "Salvo", published in 1931 in the United States by the Starex company, the game itself dates to before World War I when it was played on paper by Russian officers. The French board game "L'Attaque" was first commercially released in 1910, having been designed two years prior as a military-themed imperfect knowledge game based upon the earlier Chinese children's board game Dou Shou Qi. "L'Attaque" was subsequently adapted by the Chinese into Luzhanqi (or "Lu Zhan Jun Qi"), and by Milton Bradley into Stratego, the latter having been trademarked in 1960 while the former remains in the public domain. Jury Box, published in 1935, was the first murder mystery game which served as the basis for games like Cluedo.


title: History of games

text: Initially designed in 1938, Scrabble received its first mass-market exposure in 1952, two years prior to the release of Diplomacy, in 1954. Diplomacy was a game favored by John F. Kennedy, and Henry Kissinger. Originally released in 1957 as "La Conquête du Monde" ("The Conquest of the World") in France, Risk was first published under its English title in 1959.


title: History of games

text: Starting with Gettysburg in 1958, the company Avalon Hill developed particular board wargames covering specific historical themes such as Midway, D-Day and PanzerBlitz. Board wargames such as Squad Leader, Tactics and Europa developed extremely complex and realistic rules. Avalon Hill's Civilization introduced the use of the technology tree (or "tech tree"), variants of which have been implemented in numerous later board and video games such as Sid Meier's Civilization. Recent wargames such as 'A distant plain', 'Labyrinth' and the satirical War on Terror have focused on counterinsurgency and contemporary terrorism.


title: History of games

text: A concentrated design movement towards the German-style board game, or "Eurogame", began in the late 1970s and early 1980s in Germany, and led to the development of board games such as Carcassonne, The Settlers of Catan, Agricola, Ticket to ride and Puerto Rico.


title: History of games

text: During the 15th century card suits began to approach the contemporary regional styles and the court cards evolved to represent European royalty. Early European card games included Noddy, Triomphe, All Fours, Piquet, Basset, Hofamterspiel, Karnöffel, and Primero. In 1674 Charles Cotton published his "Compleat Gamester", one of the first books which set out to outline rules for many card and dice games. During the mid 16th century, Portuguese traders introduced playing cards to Japan. The first reference to "twenty-one", the precursor of Blackjack is found in a book by the Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes. Cervantes was a gambler, and the main characters of his tale "Rinconete y Cortadillo" are cheats proficient at playing "ventiuna" (twenty-one).


title: History of games

text: The game of Cribbage appears to have developed in the early 17th century, as an adaptation of the earlier card game Noddy. Pinochle was likely derived from the earlier Bezique, a game popular in France during the 17th century. 1742 saw the publication of Edmund Hoyle's 'Short Treatise on the Game of Whist' which became one of the bestselling publications of the 18th century. Whist was widely played during the 18th and 19th centuries, having evolved from the 16th century game of "Trump" (or "Ruff") by way of Ruff and Honours.


title: History of games

text: Baccarat first came to the attention of the public at large and grew to be widely played as a direct result of the Royal Baccarat Scandal of 1891, and bears resemblances to the card games Faro and Basset, both of which were very popular during the 19th century. The rules of Contract bridge were originally published in 1925, the game having been derived from Bridge games with rules published as early as 1886, Bridge games, in turn, having evolved from the earlier game of Whist.


title: History of games

text: The first documented game of poker dates from an 1833 Mississippi river steamer. During the American Civil War the game was popular with soldiers and additions were made including stud poker, and the straight. Modern tournament play became popular in American casinos after the World Series of Poker (WSOP) began, in 1970. Poker's popularity experienced an unprecedented spike at the beginning of the 21st century, largely because of the introduction of online poker and hole-card cameras, which turned the game into a spectator sport. In 2009 the International Federation of Poker was founded in Lausanne, Switzerland, becoming the official governing body for poker.


title: History of games

text: Collectible card games or trading card games while bearing similarities to earlier games in concept, first achieved wide popularity in the 1990s. The first trading card game was 'The Base Ball Card Game' produced by The Allegheny Card Co. and registered on 4 April 1904. It featured 104 unique baseball cards with individual player attributes printed on the cards enabling each collector to build a team and play the game against another person. The 1990s saw the rise of games such as and the Pokémon Trading Card Game.


title: History of games

text: Miniature figure games have their origin in a German chess variant called 'The King's Game', created in 1780 by Helwig, Master of Pages to the Duke of Brunswick. It had a board with 1,666 squares of varying types of terrain, with pieces representing modern military units. In the early 19th century, the Prussian army developed war games or 'kriegspieler', with staff officers moving pieces around on a game table, using dice rolls to indicate chance or "friction" and with an umpire scoring the results. After the stunning Prussian victories against Austria and France in the 19th century, the Austrians, French, British, Italians, Japanese and Russians all began to make use of wargaming as a training tool. By 1889 wargaming was firmly embedded in the culture of the U.S. Navy.


title: History of games

text: The first non-military wargame rules were developed by Naval enthusiast and analyst Fred T. Jane in 1898. H. G. Wells published rules in his "Floor Games" (1911) and "Little Wars" (1913) designed for wargaming with toy soldiers. In 1956, Jack Scruby, known as the "Father of Modern Miniature Wargaming" organized the first miniatures convention and he was also a manufacturer of military miniatures and editor of a wargaming newsletter. Miniature war games became affordable and mainstream in the late 1950s with the rise of cheaper miniature production methods by miniature figure manufacturers such as Scruby Miniatures, Miniature Figurines and Hinchliffe. During the 1980s there was a boom in miniature wargaming with the development of games such as Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000. Today miniature wargaming includes most historical eras, fantasy and science fiction settings as well as Naval wargaming (Don't Give Up the Ship!, General Quarters), Air wargaming and Space combat wargames (Full Thrust, ).


title: History of games

text: Early role-playing games such as those made by M. A. R. Barker and Greg Stafford developed from miniature figure wargames. Gary Gygax of the University of Minnesota's wargaming society developed a set of rules for a late medieval milieu. This game was called Chainmail and was a historical game, but later editions included an appendix for adding fantasy elements such as spells, wizards and dragons. By 1971, Dave Arneson had developed a miniatures game called "Blackmoor" which contained elements that would become widespread in fantasy gaming: hit points, experience points, character levels, armor class, and dungeon crawls. Arneson and Gygax then met and collaborated on the first "Dungeons & Dragons" game which was released in 1974 by Gygax's TSR. The game was very successful and several other games such as the Science fiction RPG Traveller and the generic GURPS system followed in imitation. In the late 1970s TSR launched Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) which saw an expansion of rulebooks and additions. The 80s saw several Dungeons & Dragons controversies such as the claims that the game promoted Satanism and witchcraft. Traditional Roleplaying games were the basis for the modern Role-playing video game.


title: History of games

text: In colonial America, the game of hazard was called "crapaud" by the French in New Orleans (a French word meaning "toad" in reference to the original style of play by people crouched over a floor or sidewalk). This was later shortened to craps and after several adaptations became the most popular gambling dice game in the United States. Sic bo was introduced into the United States by Chinese immigrants in the 20th century and is now a popular casino game. Another casino game, roulette, has been played since the late 18th century, and was probably adapted from English wheel games such as Roly-Poly and E.O.


title: History of games

text: With the possible exception of carrom (a game whose origins are uncertain), the earliest table games appear to have been the cue sports, which include carom billiards, pool, or "pocket billiards", and snooker. The cue sports are generally regarded as having developed into indoor games from outdoor stick-and-ball lawn games (retroactively termed ground billiards), and as such to be related to trucco, croquet and golf, and more distantly to the stickless bocce and bowls.


title: History of games

text: Dominoes, which originate in China and date as far back as the Song Dynasty (A.D. 1120), first appeared in Europe during the 18th century. The Chinese tile game mahjong developed from a Chinese card game known as "mǎdiào" sometime during the 17th century and was imported into the United States in the 1920s.


title: History of games

text: Modern sports developed from different European games, many of them played by European royalty. Tennis developed in France, French kings like Francis I of France (1515–47) and Henry II (1547–59) were well known players. Golf originated in Scotland, where the first written record of golf is James II's banning of the game in 1457. The ban was lifted by James IV in 1502 who also played golf. Cricket can be traced back to Tudor times in early 16th-century England and the modern rules of association football and rugby football are based on mid-19th century rules made to standardise the football games played by English public schools. These team sports were spread worldwide by the influence of the British empire.


title: History of games

text: The earliest reference to a purely electronic game appears to be a United States patent registration in 1947 for what was described by its inventors as a "cathode ray tube amusement device". Through the 1950s and 1960s the majority of early computer games ran on university mainframe computers in the United States. Beginning in 1971, video arcade games began to be offered to the public for play. The first home video game console, the Magnavox Odyssey, was released in 1972.


title: History of games

text: The golden age of arcade video games began in 1978 and continued through to the mid-1980s. A second generation of video game consoles, released between 1977 and 1983, saw increased popularity as a result of this, though this eventually came to an abrupt end with the video game crash of 1983. The home video game industry was eventually revitalized with the third generation of game consoles over the next few years, which saw a shift in the dominance of the video game industry from the United States to Japan. This same time period saw the advent of the personal computer game, specialized gaming home computers, early online gaming, and the introduction of LED handheld electronic games and eventually handheld video games.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The Renault Mégane Renault Sport (alternatively Renault Mégane RS) is a series of high-performance hatchback models based on the Renault Mégane, produced since 2004 by the high-performance subsidiary company Renault Sport for its parent company Alpine, a subsidiary of Renault. The Mégane RS won awards such as "Best hot hatch" from "What car?" (2010–2014), "Highest placed non-supercar" in Evo's annual Car of the Year test 2011 and "Best hot hatch" from Top Gear.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The first generation Mégane RS was introduced in September 2004 and is based on the Renault Mégane II small family car. The Mégane II RS was available in three-door and five-door hatchback versions, both with the same engine and was built at Renault's Dieppe factory by using body shells made in Palencia, Spain. The Mégane Renault Sport 225 uses double-axis strut suspension with independent steering axis at the front and an electric power steering.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The RS uses a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine that produces , allowing the car to achieve 0–100 km/h in 6.5 seconds (0–60 mph in 6.5  seconds), with a top speed of about . Ninety percent of the engine's torque is available from 2,000 rpm until redline. A twin-scroll turbocharger minimizes turbo lag, especially when throttle is applied at over 2,000 rpm. The turbocharge functions at 1,800 rpm. The transmission is a six-speed manual. Renault's claimed combined economy is .


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: In a 2004 road test by Mexican car magazine "Automóvil Panamericano", the engine developed a peak output of .


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The Mégane Renault Sport has a speed-limiter, which prevents the car from passing a user-determined speed. It can be disabled or recalled with a button-press, and is set in the same way as the cruise control.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The Mégane RS is equipped with leather/cloth seats, seat belts with red stitching, 18-inch alloy wheels, dual sunroof, eight airbags and xenon headlights with headlight washers and Brembo brake discs.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: Other features include automatic double optic headlights, 18-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, ABS with EBD and electronic stability control.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The Lux models feature metallic paint, hands free Renault card, electronic folding mirrors, tyre pressure monitor, electronic front and rear windows, climate control, leather upholstery, 4x15W RDS radio with CD-MP3 player and 6 speakers, front carpet mats, electronic rear view mirror, rear spoiler (petrol engine models only) and 18-inch alloy wheels over the base model.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: Introduced in 2005, the Megane Renault Sport 225 Cup includes the Cup Chassis option, which adds drilled brake discs, red front and rear brake calipers and increased brake master cylinder diameter, different 18-inch wheels plus revised stiffened steering. Other features include carbon grey interior upholstery with silver stitching.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The handling improvements featured on the Cup were made to the standard Mégane, beginning in late 2005.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The Mégane RS received a facelift in July 2006. The facelifted model introduced new safety features and minor exterior changes such as new tapered headlights, a revised front grille and bumpers along with translucent taillights.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The Megane Renault Sport 230 Renault F1 Team R26 is a version that commemorates the success of Renault in the Formula 1 World Championship with the 2005 and 2006 Constructors' and Drivers' Championship titles and is named after the 2006 F1 car (R26). It is based on the facelifted Mégane RS.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The engine is rated at at 5,500 rpm and at 3,000 rpm. It incorporates the improved version of the Cup Chassis package now with a limited slip differential fitted for the first time in addition to 18-inch Anthracite spoked alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 2 235/40 R18 tires, Brembo front and rear red brake calipers and an increased brake master cylinder diameter, plus revised stiffened steering. Other features include a sport exhaust, Recaro seats, climate control, 4x15-watt RDS radio single CD/MP3 player with 6 speakers, Renault F1 decals, numbered plaque, limited slip differential and a rear spoiler. The car weights kerb, gross.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The Megane Renault Sport dCi 175 is a version with a 2.0-litre (1,997 cc) diesel engine. Engine is rated at at 3,750 rpm and at 2,000 rpm.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The Cup Chassis option (available for dCi 175 Lux) includes tyre pressure monitor deletion, 18-inch anthracite alloy wheels with 225/45R18 Continental SportContact 2 tires, retuned dampers and spring rates, disconnectable ESP and anthracite coloured door mirror housings.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The Sport Hatch version includes Recaro front seats, and the vehicle is lighter (1470 kg kerb, gross).


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The R26.R is based on the Mégane Renault Sport 230 F1 Team R26, but it is lighter. Weight reduction is achieved via the removal of the rear seats and seat belts, passenger airbag and curtain airbags (the driver's airbag remains), climate control (air conditioning remains as standard), rear wash/wipe and heated rear window, front fog lamps, headlamp washers, radio/CD player and most of the soundproofing.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: Other features include a carbon fibre bonnet, polycarbonate tailgate and rear side windows, Sabelt seats with carbon fibre shell and aluminium base, 6-point harnesses, a rear spoiler, optional roll cage and an optional titanium exhaust.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: recalibrated shock absorber settings, grooved brake discs, new alloy wheels are fitted with a different offset increasing the track by , optional Toyo Proxes R888 225/40R18 tyres (Michelin Pilot Sport 2 235/40R18 standard) and stiffer lower arm bushes.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: 450 vehicles were made with 230 destined for the UK market. The car went on sale in October 2008 for £22,990. The car was unveiled at The 2008 British International Motor Show.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: It received the first five-star Euro NCAP safety rating in the segment. The Renault Sport models include: six airbags, electronic stability control, traction control and a key-card in the centre console to reduce knee injury. The seatbelts feature pre-tensioners that will tighten the belts immediately after impact.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The Renault Sport Mégane Trophy is a racing version of the Mégane RS, which includes a tube frame chassis with glass fibre body keeping just visual resemblance to the road legal Mégane. The RS Trophy uses the considerably modified Renault Vel Satis V4Y 3.5-litre V6 engine (which is a rebadged VQ35DE of the Nissan VQ engine family) featuring a dry sump lubrication system rated at at 7,000 rpm and at 4,500 rpm. The engine together with Sadev 6-speed sequential gearbox is placed longitudinally behind the cockpit.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The Renault Sport Mégane Trophy is not road legal and was intended to be used for competition only in the Renault Eurocup, but cars also race in events like the Belgian Touring Car Series and the Dubai 24 Hour.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The second generation was shown at the 2008 Paris Motor Show and was used in the Renault Eurocup starting from the 2009 season.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The Megane Renault Sport 250 features a 2.0-litre twin-scroll turbo 4-cylinder F4Rt engine rated at at 5,500 rpm and of torque at 3,000 rpm with a 6-speed manual gearbox, Brembo front brakes, front splitter, extended sills and wheel arches, rear diffuser with central exhaust pipe, and 18-inch alloy wheels wearing 225/40R18 tyres. Aluminum pedals, a Renault Sport steering wheel with thumb grips, analog rev counter and sport seats with extra lateral complete the interior. Other features include front LED daytime running lights and bi-xenon headlights.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The 250 Cup variant contains a number of sharpened performance features including a stiffer chassis, track focused suspension, a limited slip differential and a slightly lighter gross weight. The Cup is differentiated visually with painted red brake calipers, instead of the silver calipers for the normal Sport. 18x8.25" "Ax-l" alloy wheels are fitted with wider 235/40R18 tyres, while 19x8.25" "Steev" wheels were available as an option with 235/35R19 tyres.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: In Australia, the Megane R.S. was only sold in Cup form, though the features resemble that of the luxury model sold in Europe with the only options being front parking sensors and bi-xenon directional headlights. A Cup Trophée model was offered above that, which included a number of extra inclusions like fabric Recaro Sportster CS seats, proximity key replacing remote key, tyre pressure monitoring, upgraded stereo, grey body highlights instead of black (except for Lunar Grey), electrically folding mirrors, and the 19-inch Steev wheels. 18-inch Ax-l wheels and black body highlights were available as no-cost options. Leather Recaro seats, xenons headlamps and front parking sensors were available at additional cost.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: In June 2011, Renault Sport unveiled a limited edition variant of the Mégane III R.S. called the Mégane R.S. 265 Trophy. The Megane R.S. 265 Trophy uses the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine as the standard R.S. but due to modifications such as a new air intake and higher turbo pressure (from ) it gains an extra 15 hp, increasing the power output to and of torque. The car can accelerate from 0–100 km/h in six seconds and goes on to a top speed of 254 km/h (157 mph). It is recognizable from a model-specific decoration such as Trophy stickers on the doors, a new spoiler and specific 19″ rims with R.S. center caps. It comes in a model-specific metallic yellow (Jaune Sirius) but is also available in more low-key colors such as white (Blanc Glacier), black (Noir Étoilé) and gray (Gris Cassiopée).


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The Mégane R.S. 265 Trophy set a Nurburgring laptime of 8 minutes and 8 seconds, beating the record previously held by the Mégane R26.R by 9 seconds.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: Renault introduced the updates on the Trophy model to the standard Megane R.S. in 2011 replacing the Mégane R.S. 250. The car was a result of Renault winning a tender from the Gendarmerie National for a new high speed pursuit vehicle with a power output requirement of 261 bhp. In addition to supplying the updated car to the police, Renault introduced it for the general public as well.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The car retained the updated engine from the Trophy version rated at and offers the same "Cup" and "Sport" versions like the Mégane R.S. model. Changes include Piano Black interior highlights and wider LED daytime running lights with 6 LEDs per side rather than the 3 LEDs found in the RS250. The 18" wheels were changed to a new design called "Tibor", while the 19" wheels carried over from the 250. Extreme Blue and Sport Yellow were dropped as colour options.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The new exterior package introduced on the 265 was the 'Red Design Pack' which includes red striping on front blade, rear diffuser and side protection mouldings, rear parking camera with front parking sensors, Visio System lane departure warning and auto high/low beam headlights.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The Cup Chassis Pack available on the 265 consists of 18-inch matt black alloys with 235/40 R18 95Y Michelin Sport 2 tyres, slotted brake discs, limited slip differential, red brake calipers, stiffer springs/dampers and anti-roll bars.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: In Australia, the Cup and Cup Trophée models were replaced with the Cup, Cup+ and Trophy+ with slightly more flexible specification levels.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The Red Bull RB7 and RB8 Editions were based on the Mégane R.S. 265 Cup trim and was unveiled in 2012 and 2013 respectively to celebrate the wins of the Renault Red Bull F1 team. The models featured various optional equipment as standard along with unique Etoilé Black body colour (for the RB7) with yellow trim pieces and Twilight Blue exterior colour with silver trim pieces (for the RB8). Other features include Red Bull decals (with additional chequiered flag decal for the RB7 Edition), 19-inch Steeve wheels, red Brembo brake calipers, limited slip differential, Bridgestone Potenza tyres, leather Recaro bucket seats and a Renault Sport monitor which displays vital track day information G-Force and laptime data. Production of the RB7 was limited to 522 units of which 51 were destined for the Australian market while production of the RB8 was limited to 120 units of which 30 were destined for the UK market.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The Mégane R.S. received a facelift in 2014 featuring design cues from the rest of the Renault lineup at the time. Exterior changes include a new front grille with a pronounced Renault badge, revised front and rear bumpers, revised headlights and a new hood. The car was only available in a single trim with an optional cup chassis package which included limited slip differential and a firmer suspension setup. Interior updates included Renault's R-Link infotainment system which was criticised for its joystick control. No mechanical changes were made in the facelift.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: In response to SEAT setting a new record for a Front-wheel drive production car at the Nürburgring race track with the Leon Cupra 280 at 7:58.4, Renault developed the 275 Trophy-R to retake the title a few weeks after. With Laurent Hurgon driving, the record was reclaimed with a Nürburgring lap time of 7:54.36. The Mégane R.S. 275 Trophy-R features an Akrapovič titanium exhaust system increasing the power output to 271 bhp (201 kW; 273 PS) at 5,500 rpm while the torque is unchanged at at 3,000 rpm. Other changes include Öhlins dampers with Allevard composite coil springs and 19-inch Speedline Turini wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres. A lithium battery results in additional weight saving of 16 kg. The front brakes are changed to a 350mm 2 piece floating rotor (up 10mm) while using the same calipers and rear brakes. On the interior, the sound deadening is removed, as well as the air conditioning, stereo, sat nav and back seats in place of which a rear brace is fitted in place. The front seats are Recaro "pole position" fixed polycarbonate bucket seats trimmed with leather and Alcantara with Sabelt race harness belts fitted. The total weight saving of all the changes amounts to a loss, bringing kerb weight down to , and 174 g/km of CO/km. The Mégane R.S. 275 Trophy-R also set new track records of several others circuits such as the Suzuka circuit, Fuji International Speedway and the Tsukuba circuit.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: 2011 Monaco Grand Prix Limited Edition – This model was limited to 50 units and came in a Pearlescent White exterior colour with Piano Black accents on the side mirrors, rear diffuser and fog-lamp surrounds. Other exterior features include a panoramic roof, 19-inch wheels, red Brembo brake calipers, and bixenon directional headlamps. On the interior, it featured a black and white leather upholstery with white trim on the centre console, dashboard and door handles. The seat and the floor mats feature special Monaco GP stitching.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: 2012 Australian GP Edition – This model featured a gloss black exterior colour with matching 19-inch Steev alloy wheels along with contrasting red Brembo brake calipers. Other exterior features include a fixed glass roof and bixenon headlights. On the interior, the car features black leather Recaro bucket seats, satellite navigation system with 3D audio player, climate control and a special plaque signifying the build number of the car. Production was limited to 50 units and the car went on sale in March 2012.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: 2012 Trophy 8:08 – Based on the Mégane R.S. 265, this model was limited to 100 units. It was built to cebrate Renault's lap record at the Nurburgring and only came in Liquid Yellow and Pearl White exterior colours. Other changes included 19-inch gloss black alloy wheels with red rim, leather trimmed Recaro front bucket seats and Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tyres also used by record setting car.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: 2014 R.S. Sport Limited Edition – The R.S. Sport Limited Edition was launched in March 2014 and was limited to 50 units. It is based on the Mégane R.S. Sport package which does not have limited slip differential. The engine is the same 2.0-litre four cylinder unit as present in other variants of the Mégane R.S. but was equipped with a start/stop system for increased fuel efficiency. The interior was equipped with basic features such as cloth seats, manual air conditioning, parking sensors and Bluetooth phone connectivity along with six airbags. The variant also features Renault Sport Monitor System which lets the driver choose between various driving modes with additional settings for throttle response. The R.S. Sport Limited Edition was available in an exclusive Pacific Blue exterior colour along with silver 18-inch alloy wheels.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The Mégane Trophy based on the second generation Mégane R.S. Trophy was unveiled in 2009, sharing only visual appearance with its road legal counterpart. The car was destined to compete in the European Mégane Trophy race series for privateer race teams.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The Trophy features a composite body with a space frame chassis and a mid-mounted 3.5-litre Nissan-Renault V6 engine rated at and mated to a 6-speed sequential transmission driving the rear wheels. The suspension system has full adjustable dampers. The only resemblance to the road car are the headlights and taillights along with the windscreens. The composite body and other weight saving measures result in a dry weight of .


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The third generation of the Renault Megane R.S. is based on the 4th generation of the Mégane and was introduced at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. It is available in 3 trims: 280-Sport, 280-Cup and 300-Trophy. The Mégane R.S. is only available in 5-door hatchback bodystyle and was developed with the assistance of Renault F1 team driver Nico Hulkenberg.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: All feature a similar turbocharged 1.8-litre inline-4 engine (to a varying rate of tune) shared with the Alpine A110, and as standard a four-wheel steering system to improve handling. Five selectable drive-modes are available, namely Comfort, Neutral, Sport, Race and Personal (which is a customisable driving mode).


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The gearbox choices are either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed Efficient Dual Clutch (EDC) gearbox with paddle shifters and launch control (which can be activated by holding both of the shifter paddles).


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The interior features a portrait style infotainment system and red graphical display on the digital tachometer flanked by analogue fuel and water temperature gauges. The infotainment system supports AppleCarPlay and Android Auto. An engine revving sound is played through the speakers when the driver opens the door of the car. Red stitching with RS badges are standard on the interior and the Trophy model adds an Alcantara-suede trim on the steering wheel. Recaro sports seats are optional equipment. Buyers have the choice to have a carbon fibre weave or an Alcantara trim.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The suspension system has struts up front and a torsion beam at the rear, but its front configuration has new geometry and retains Renault Sport's PerfoHub technology, which reduces kingpin angle offset and resists torque and bump steer. The system uses fluid-filled shock absorbers commonly found on rally cars on the lower end of the suspension struts and is called a damper within a damper system by the manufacturer. A sport suspension setup is optional which features electronic brake-actuated torque vectoring system.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The entry-level 280-Sport, features a torque-vectoring system of braking the inner wheels during a turn, to further improve turn-in; and a passive double damping suspension system.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The 280-Cup trim is similar to the 280 Sport trim, but adds a mechanical Torsen limited-slip-differential to the front wheels along with a 10% stiffer suspension setup. 19-inch wheels with Bridgestone tyres and lightweight brakes with aluminium hubs and red calipers are optional.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The 300-Trophy is similar to the 280cup, but has even firmer suspension, a lightweight DESS battery, a different cylinder head and turbocharger with a higher-performance engine tune for more power (221 kw). Torque figure is increased to 420 NM (400 NM for cars with a manual gearbox).


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: A four-wheel steering system called the "4Control" is standard on the Mégane RS which uses electronic actuators to turn the rear wheels synchronised with the front wheels.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: Depending on the speed, the system may turn the rear wheels up to 2.7 degrees in the opposite direction to the front wheels or can turn the rear wheels up to 1 degree in the same direction as the front wheels.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: Changeover happens at 60 km/h (37 mph) in Normal driving (all modes other than Race). The rear wheels are turned in the opposite direction to the front at up to 60 km/h (37 mph) and makes a tighter turning circle. When the speedo swings past 60, they turn in the same direction as the fronts to virtually extend the wheelbase for better motorway driving stability.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: In Race mode, changeover happens at a much higher 100 km/h (62 mph) allowing tighter cornering at higher speeds.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: The trim levels were revised and the 280-Sport model was removed, bringing the engine power output to 221 kw for all facelifted Megane RS models.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: Buyers could choose between 300-Sport and 300-Trophy (equipped similarly to the pre-facelift models).


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: On the outside, the facelifted Megane RS came with new LED headlights and different-looking taillights.


title: Renault Mégane RS

text: Inside, the instrument panel was now fully digital and the infotainment system used a new software. The climate controls were also changed and now featured separate temperature displays on the temperature control dials.


title: Baymax!

text: Baymax! is an American superhero science fiction comedy streaming television series of short films created by Don Hall that premiered on Disney+ on June 29, 2022, featuring the Marvel Comics character of the same name. The series is a spinoff of the animated feature film "Big Hero 6" (2014), and the second television series set in the film's continuity following "" (2017–2021). The series is the first television series produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios.


title: Baymax!

text: On December 10, 2020, Walt Disney Animation Studios chief creative officer Jennifer Lee announced during an Investor's Day livestream that a new show entitled "Baymax!", based on the 2014 film "Big Hero 6" is in development for Disney+. "Big Hero 6" co-director Don Hall will serve as creator and co-executive producer, the latter alongside Lee, for the series. The idea for a Baymax series was pitched by Hall, who "thought it would be fun to do a Disney+ series with Baymax interacting with normal folks". He also wanted the series to center on Baymax due to feeling that its predecessor, "", "had explored so many great roads" and characters within the franchise's universe. "Big Hero 6" producer Roy Conli returns to produce.


title: Baymax!

text: It is the first television series to ever be produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios; and is also the first spinoff series to actually be produced by the studio itself, as most television series based on films in the Disney animated features canon - including "Big Hero 6: The Series" - are mainly done by Disney Television Animation. As such, the production team had to adapt to working in an episodic storytelling format, which Conli described as "a great exercise in storytelling" that gave the studio "the opportunity to tell stories in different ways". The producers also used the episodic format as a way to allow employees within the studio to make their directorial debuts. Several story artists from the film pitched approximately 20 ideas for stories, of which they picked 6 that followed a "thematic arc". Some of the artists who did pitches were hired to direct episodes based on their ideas.


title: Baymax!

text: The series centers on Baymax's main programming as a nurse robot, exploring the city of San Fransokyo and finding patients that "don't want to be helped", with series writer Cirocco Dunlap adding that their refusal comes from denial, stating that "[they're] scared, [they] don't want to face reality, [they] can't afford the consequences — the denial runs deep". Hall said that, through the series, Baymax attempts to help people with their physical ailments "and in the process, gets to a deeper, more emotional place" that allows his patients to grow as people. Associate producer Bradford Simonsen said they wanted Baymax to be good-intentioned but näive, and that the stories for every episode developed in unexpected yet heartfelt ways, and Hall described the series as centering on the relationship between Baymax and his patients. Hall's pitch for the series was more comedic in tone, with the more emotional aspects being added by Dunlap after he asked her to write the series. Both Hall and Conli felt Dunlap's contributions made the series closer in tone to the original film.


title: Baymax!

text: The producers wanted to depict the topics featured in each episode in a careful manner. For the third episode, they wanted to avoid depicting menstrual periods as shameful, with Dunlap describing its depiction as important to her. Similarly, for the fourth episode, they aimed to depict fish allergy as something alarming while audiences were still able to enjoy the episode. Unlike the film, the series does not feature superhero elements, with Hall instead wanting it to be more reminiscent of the medical procedurals he watched in his childhood.


title: Baymax!

text: On May 20, 2022, it was confirmed that Scott Adsit, Ryan Potter, and Maya Rudolph would reprise their roles as Baymax, Hiro, and Cass, respectively, while it was also announced that Zeno Robinson, Lilimar, Jaboukie Young-White, and Emily Kuroda joined the cast. Lilimar was cast after the producers heard her audition tape, after which they felt she was able to accurately portray the character's intelligence and age.


title: Baymax!

text: According to visual effects supervisor Mohit Kallianpur, the animators reused assets from "Big Hero 6", but the data had to be updated due to changes in technology since the film's release. After converting the data, the animators tested it and treated any errors found. Conli further explained that the animators reused models from the first film when possible, and created new models when required.


title: Baymax!

text: For the designs for the new characters, the animators reused models featured in crowds within the original film. According to Simonsen, the process required coordination with the directors; while the directors were developing the story for each episode, the


title: Baymax!

text: producers would give them a series of background characters they felt would fit the story, after which the directors would pick the model.


title: Baymax!

text: Dominic Lewis, who previously provided additional music for the original film, composed the score for the series by May 2022. The soundtrack for the series was released on June 29, 2022.


title: Baymax!

text: "Baymax!" was released on June 29, 2022, on Disney+, and consists of six episodes. The first episode premiered on June 17, 2022, during the Annecy Film Festival.


title: Baymax!

text: The teaser trailer was released by Walt Disney Animation Studios' YouTube channel on November 12, 2021, which was Disney+ Day. An official trailer was released on May 20, 2022, during the National Streaming Day.


title: Baymax!

text: According to Whip Media's viewership tracking app TV Time, "Baymax!" was the 5th most anticipated new television series of June 2022.


title: Baymax!

text: On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a rating of 100% fresh based on 6 critics, with an average rating of 8.3/10.


title: Baymax!

text: Sam Stone of "CBR.com" felt creator and "Big Hero 6" co-director Don Hall brought "the same attention to detail, effortless charm, and genuine heart" to the series as the original film, praising its emotional depth and short runtime, which Stone felt prevented the series from becoming formulaic. Jeff Ewing of "Forbes" described the series as "an unsurprisingly gorgeous season", calling the episodes "cute" and able to capture the titular character's charm, highlighting "Sofia" and "Mbita" as the series' "most touching episodes", and praising its animation and voice acting, though he felt the series was not able to properly expand the franchise's universe. Raven Brunner of "Game Rant" said that the series "embraces the naivety and wholeheartedness of adolescence while further developing the Big Hero 6 world" and that "is a delightful reintroduction" to the "Big Hero 6" franchise. She also praised the final episode for allowing the stories from the previous episodes to "eventually [come] together in a way that is deeply reflective of the show's values", as well as the series' racial and LGBTQ+ diversity.


title: Baymax!

text: Polly Conway of "Common Sense Media" rated the series 4 out of 5 stars, praised the depiction of positive messages and role models, citing persistence and empathy, and complimented the diverse representations across the characters. Matt Fowler of "IGN" rated the first season of the series 8 out of 10, found agreeable the interactions between the characters, and praised the show for its humor and animation, writing, ""Baymax!" is light, fluffy short-form warmth that humorously fulfills our need to feel taken care of, watched after, and held accountable."


title: Baymax!

text: The third episode "Sofia" aroused controversy and criticism due to its depiction of a transgender man wearing a trans pride shirt and discussing his preferred type of tampon. Others praised the depiction.


title: Baymax!

text: "Baymax!" was nominated for Best Animation/Family for a TV/Streaming Series at the 2022 Golden Trailer Awards.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: Shawnee () is a city in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 29,857 in 2010, a 4.9 percent increase from the figure of 28,692 in 2000. The city is part of the Oklahoma City-Shawnee Combined Statistical Area; it is also the county seat of Pottawatomie County and the principal city of the Shawnee Micropolitan Statistical Area.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: With access to Interstate 40, Shawnee is approximately 45 minutes east of downtown Oklahoma City. To the east and northeast, Shawnee is 112 miles from the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, which provides shipping barge access to the Gulf of Mexico.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: The area surrounding Shawnee was settled after the American Civil War by a number of tribes that the federal government had removed to Indian Territory. The Sac and Fox originally were deeded land in the immediate area but were soon followed by the Kickapoo, Shawnee, and Pottawatomi Indians. These federally recognized tribes continue to reside today in and around Shawnee.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: Over the course of the 1870s, Texas cattle drovers pushed their herds across Indian Territory; there were four major trails, with the West Shawnee trail crossing near present-day Kickapoo and Main streets. With the cattle drives, railroads were constructed through the territory, with the government forcing tribes to cede rights of way.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: In addition, white settlers pressed for more land; they were encroaching on territories previously reserved by treaty to Native Americans. In 1871 a Quaker mission was established here. (The current Mission Hill Hospital is located near that site, now occupied by an historic building.) That first missionary, Joseph Newsom, opened a school in 1872. By 1876 a post office and trading post had been established a quarter mile west of the mission at what became known as Shawnee Town.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: Beginning in April 1889, the United States government succumbed to the pressure that had built to open the tribal lands to white settlement. It was also making policy to encourage Native Americans to assimilate into white society. By allocating communal lands to individual households and extinguishing tribal land claims, Congress was preparing the territory for eventual statehood. The end of communal holdings was also intended to be the end of traditional tribal government, to be replaced with leaders appointed by the federal government.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: The Dawes Act allocated the tribes' communal lands into 160-acre plots to individual tribal members believing it would support a family farm. Tribal members were registered with records known as the Dawes Rolls established for each tribe. The government declared that tribal land in excess of what was allocated to member households was "surplus" and available for settlement by non-Native Americans. It allocated that surplus land through land runs, essentially races by which people staked claims on land. Some tribes lost parts of their communal lands, disrupting traditional governments and practices.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: The first land run took place in the central area of Oklahoma Territory in 1889 known as the Unassigned Land. In the Land Run of 1891 onto surplus land of the Sac and Fox, Citizen Pottawatomie and Shawnee, just east of the original run, was opened for settlement. Prospective land owners lined up along the Kickapoo Tribe's border and Etta B. Ray was the first to dash across the line into the area designated County B.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: Her claim and those of John Beard, James T. Farrall, and Elijah A. Alley were to become the city of Shawnee. Etta Ray married Henry Beard, an Oklahoma City business owner, a month after the run and they came to her claim to live in the cabin that she and her family had built for them.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: Several names were proposed for the new city, including Brockway, Forest City and Shawneetown, after the store that was south of the townsite. Following a long discussion among early settlers who had their own ideas for the town's name, a compromise was reached. They named the town Shawnee after the tribe that had been living there. A second run, onto the Kickapoo Land to the west of the original, was held in 1895, adding more acreage added to Pottawatomie County


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: In the early spring of 1895, Mr. Beard entered into an agreement with the promoters of the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf Railroad Company, then extending its line from Memphis, Tennessee, to Amarillo, Texas, to build through the land his wife had claimed. In consideration he gave the railway company one-half of the claim of one hundred and sixty acres. The road was built through his farm, and the City of Shawnee was founded on July 4, 1895.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: For the first few years of the new century, Shawnee was undergoing a boom that came close to keeping pace with that of Oklahoma City. Located in the heart of cotton, potato, and peach country, Shawnee quickly became an agricultural center. By 1902, there were seven cotton gins in the immediate area and two cotton compresses. Between March 1901 and March 1902, 375 railroad cars of cotton product were shipped out of Shawnee, along with 150,000 bales of cotton. Feed stores, wagon yards, an overall factory, and an assortment of other businesses designed to serve the farmers as they brought their crops to market arose in Shawnee.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: The population grew from 250 to 2,500 from 1892 to 1896. In 1903-1904 the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway extended service to town, after being given land inducements from Henry Beard and James Farrall. Shawnee was an intended destination from Webbers Falls, Oklahoma of the Webbers Falls, Shawnee and Western Railroad from 1911, but that line never got further west than Warner, Oklahoma.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: Oklahoma Baptist University opened in 1910. Its first building, Shawnee Hall, was a gift from the citizens. St. Gregory's College (later St. Gregory's University) relocated to Shawnee from Sacred Heart in 1915, where it had been associated with a Catholic mission and school.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: Downtown Shawnee is an excellent example of many Main Street communities that emerged in the late 19th century as part of the westward movement. Choosing not to organize its activity around a central square, as did many towns in New England, the South, and upper-Midwest, Shawnee represents a distinctly western model of urban development. Depending on railroad lines for its economic health, Shawnee's Main Street became the focal point for commercial, manufacturing, and entertainment activity beginning in 1895, four years after the region was opened for European-American settlement when authorities staged a land run.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: Competing with Oklahoma City as the hub of central Oklahoma, Shawnee developed a broad base of economic activity. As late as 1910, city leaders hoped that one more rail line, a meat packing plant, and the state capital might be just enough to surge ahead of its rival 30 miles to the west. However, Shawnee came in third in the statewide election to determine the capital. It lost both the railway and the meatpacking plant to Oklahoma City. The setbacks resulted in Shawnee being a small city built with services and retail developed around the activity of Main Street.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: The railroad industry led the early strength of the economy. The Santa Fe Train Depot (still extant), with its unique architecture, serves as a visible reminder of the city's dependence on the train. During the early 20th century, the Rock Island Railroad and the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad both had depots in the city. Shawnee's major employer was the Rock Island Railroad, which had located its main southwestern repair shops in the city in 1896. After nearly 40 years, the railroad moved its shops to El Reno in 1937, but two major buildings remain. The Santa Fe Railroad also had repair shops just south of the city. By 2000 only a large concrete tower remained, and it was demolished that year. Some of the roundhouse buildings are now used by the city for storage and technical repair.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: Serving as the region's agricultural hub during much of the first quarter of the 20th century, Shawnee provided the market for farmers to sell their crops. Cotton was a major crop and Main Street was often lined with bales; mule sellers, peanut vendors, and peach growers. The building reputed to be the largest cottonseed oil mill in the Southwest is still extant; this same building later was adapted as a peanut factory to process another commodity crop. The Shawnee Flouring Mill, long integral to the city, still dominates the skyline of downtown.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: The buildup of industry and the armed forces for the Second World War, and in particular the construction of Tinker Air Force Base east of Oklahoma City, benefited Shawnee's economy. At various times, Tinker has employed as many as 3,000 Shawnee residents. After the war, three major manufacturing concerns were important to Shawnee's economy. Jonco, Inc., manufactured aviation products and employed nearly 1,000 in 1958. The Sylvania Corporation produced vacuum tubes and electrical parts in its Shawnee plant and employed another 1,000. The Shawnee Milling Company, which had rebuilt after fires in 1934 and 1954, employs nearly 300 workers.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: Also continuing as a nationally known company which began in 1909 is Round House Overalls. Recognized as the oldest operating manufacturing company in the state turns out more than 300,000 denim products shipped all over the world. Alvin S. Nucholls established the factory to meet the needs of the overwhelming population working for the railroads in the early days of Shawnee. The Antosh family has owned the company since 1964.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: Sonic, a well-known drive-in fast food chain, originated in Shawnee. The 3000th Sonic Drive-In is also in Shawnee. Troy N. Smith, Sr. and Joe McKimmey owned the Log House Restaurant and a drive-up root beer stand called the Top Hat. In 1959 Smith and McKimmey went their separate ways and Smith opened a hamburger drive-in down Harrison Street installing a "call-in" system rather than the carhops. He dubbed his drive-in the Sonic. Both places were in existence until a fire in the Top Hat in the mid-1960s forced closure. McKimmey built the Log House Restaurant into a popular steak house and Smith sold franchises to the Sonic and has since expanded into a national drive-in food chain with now over 3,500 establishments.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: Beginning in the 1970s, Shawnee's economy improved with the addition of a number of industrial plants, including Eaton Corp. and TDK north of the city; they added approximately 1,000 jobs to the community base.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: In 1980 Main Street was dominated by small retail establishments in which 80 percent are housed in buildings built prior to statehood in 1907. The majority of these buildings have had their façades altered to adjust to the changing tastes in the 20th century although one block (between Philadelphia and Union streets) remains substantially unaltered reminding of how life on Main Street functioned prior to statehood.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: One block west at Broadway and Main the building originally constructed as The Mammoth Department Store, has been altered very little. The building once housed Montgomery Ward and is now Neal's Home Furnishings. Before World War II, Main Street also had numerous drugstores and soda fountains serving as gathering places for young people. Today, Owl Drug, in a building operated as a drugstore since 1895, retains many old fixtures and appears much as it did during the 20th century.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: Shawnee's first sky scraper, the Hilton Phillips Hotel, later known as the Aldridge, was built in 1928 at the peak of the wealth and growth generated by the oil boom of the 1920s. This stimulated development of the four-story Masonic Temple Office Building, constructed in 1929 across the 9th street from the Aldridge.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: Main Street had a number of entertainment facilities. A convention hall attracted well-known celebrities of the 1910s and 1920s, such as Sarah Bernhardt but was razed by 1930 for a bus company barn. An opera house on Market and Main was the site of many memorable events. The early movies theaters are now gone except the Ritz Theater, which was the oldest continuously operating theater in Oklahoma until the theater's closure in 1989. It continues to be used for "live shows." The Bison Theater building remains but after being used as an antique shop it's now empty.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: Downtown Shawnee has lost many buildings of historical value, but still retains a significant number of resources. These provide a living reminder of the retail and human scale of Main Street in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: Located at 614 E. Main in Shawnee is a unique railroad depot made of limestone blocks two to three-feet deep. With a 60 ft. turret, it takes on the slight appearance of a castle, contrasting with the surrounding architecture. It was built in 1902 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. After operations of the Santa Fe Railroad ceased in 1971 the City of Shawnee took over the depot property. It was assigned to the Pottawatomie County Historical Society which began restoration of this depot in 1979, after it had stood vacant for two decades. The building was remodeled into a railroad and historical museum, which opened on May 30, 1982. It contains numerous local artifacts from the settlement of Shawnee, as well as railroad memorabilia and a gift shop. The Board of Directors is currently erecting a new building directly north of the old depot. The 100+ year old depot will then house railroad artifacts while other items will be displayed in the new area.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: Located midway between Shawnee and Tecumseh, Benson Park served the recreational needs of Shawnee residents for about 20 years. It had a stop on the interurban streetcar that ran between the two towns to the park. Built by the railroad to encourage citizens to travel by rail it opened in 1907. The park had a lake for boating, an opera house, skating rink, roller coaster, large picnic areas and later a swimming pool known as The Plunge. The arrival of automobiles which most families could then afford plus the financial distress in the late '20s forced closure soon after 1930 although the pool and the picnic areas were still briefly in use. , the space that was once the park is on private property and occupied by a large pecan orchard.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: In 1907 Oklahoma was admitted as a state and 8,024 people voted that the county seat be moved to Shawnee while 5,027 wanted it to remain in Tecumseh. The case was appealed and the higher courts decided bribery might have figured into the election since Shawnee had offered use of property in Woodland Park as a site for the county court house. In 1911, the people of Pottawatomie County again voted to keep the county seat at Tecumseh, by a vote of 7,749 to 5,927.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: In October 1930 some 6,700 signatures were collected on a petition to ask Governor William J. Holloway for a referendum on the site of the county seat. A special election was held December 18, and 12,800 voters, a record number, went to the polls. Shawnee won the necessary two-thirds majority by a 90-vote margin. A recount cut this to 11. Tecumseh filed suit, alleging election fraud relating to a $35,000 slush fund, Shawnee supporters providing liquor at the polls, college boys being allowed to vote, etc. The Supreme Court favored Shawnee.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: Until the mid-1930s, county officers contracted business in downtown Shawnee buildings. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal helped fund construction of a new county courthouse in Shawnee which was built in Woodland Park. On July 6, 1935, Governor E.W. Marland dedicated the new building.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (5.37%) is water.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: As of the census of 2000, there were 28,692 people, 11,311 households, and 7,306 families residing in the city. The population density was 678.9 people per square mile (262.1/km). There were 12,651 housing units at an average density of 299.3 per square mile (115.6/km). The racial makeup of the city was 77.03% White, 4.06% African American, 12.82% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.72% from other races, and 4.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.72% of the population.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: There were 11,311 households, out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. About 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average family size was 2.96.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: The median income for a household in the city was $27,659, and the median income for a family was $35,690. Males had a median income of $29,792 versus $20,768 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,676. About 13.8% of families and 17.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.1% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: In 2016 the citizens of Shawnee passed a bond issue to build a new elementary school on the north side of town, which continues to grow.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: The Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center, opened in 1981, now boasts of exhibit space, a indoor arena that seats 1,000, an outdoor arena seating 7,500, and an RV park, all on . Since 1993, the O.E. Center has been the host of the International Finals Youth Rodeo (IFYR), the "richest youth rodeo in the world," with a total prize payout of over $250,000; over 1,100 young riders register for the event each year.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: The Citizen Potawatomi Nation, the ninth largest Native American tribe in the United States with 26,000 members, is headquartered between Shawnee and Tecumseh. Their Firelake Casino features over of gaming space and employs 1,800 people.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: The Shawnee Regional Airport has a asphalt lighted runway with self-services available seven days a week.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: Shawnee has had an airport, private pilot training and air service since the 1920s. May 7, 1919 the city commission discussed constructing an air field, with several locations offered but settled on the old city farm where the fire horses were kept. Business and civic leaders cooperated with aviation companies in the construction of a modern airport. Graham Flying service operated the facility in the beginning then sold it to Curtiss Flying Service. An Aviation Committee of the Chamber of Commerce brought in several air shows including parachute jumps. In 1930 L.E. Regan purchased the Shawnee Municipal Airport and provided flying lessons, passenger trips and an aviation club. Shawnee was one of the hot spots in the state for aviation and was host to a visit from Amelia Earhart in 1931. The city was part of the Oklahoma Short Line Airways Company with air passenger service in and out daily. With the coming of World War II, civilian fliers were automatically grounded in December 1941 until they took an oath of allegiance, were fingerprinted and presented a birth certificate. City officials went to Washington to offer Shawnee as a site for one of the many military training bases which would be needed as the country headed into the war. Meanwhile, the citizens of Shawnee overwhelmingly passed a bond issue for $200,000 to match the $285,000 allocated by the federal government to build a local base. The Shawnee Municipal Airport was moved to a site north of town. April 1943 the erection of the Shawnee Navy base was begun and by August the first sailors began arriving. First plans for the base was to be an auxiliary extension for the base at Norman but later was named as Shawnee Naval Air Station, a school for navigators. Then abruptly in March 1945 all Navy personnel and equipment were moved to the Clinton OK base because of the limited land available to expand. Shawnee's NAS was put in caretaker status and the equipment was sold off as surplus, much of it going to the City of Shawnee and its citizens. The Shawnee Municipal Airport was returned to its original site in 1946 where it remains today.


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: On August 29, 2011, the City of Shawnee opened a new terminal building replacing the terminal built in the 1950s. The modern, two-story design, is approximately 4,000 square feet. Governor of Oklahoma Mary Fallin was the featured speaker during the official opening praising Shawnee officials for their determination in getting the project started, funded and completed led by former Shawnee Mayor Chuck Mills. Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission Director Victor Bird also addressed the crowd saying "It's a far cry from what was here just one year ago."


title: Shawnee, Oklahoma

text: The new terminal includes offices, lounges, a large conference room space upstairs that doubles as an observation deck. A $325,000 grant from the U.S. Economic Development Authority paid for a large sum of the more than $965,000 it took to build the new terminal building.