title: Battle of Fontenoy

text: The closest male heir was Charles of Bavaria, who challenged the legality of Maria Theresa's succession. A family inheritance dispute became a European issue because the Monarchy dominated the Holy Roman Empire, a federation of mostly German states, headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. Technically an elected position, in January 1742 Charles became the first non-Habsburg Emperor in 300 years, supported by France, Prussia and Saxony. Maria Theresa was backed by the so-called Pragmatic Allies; Austria, Britain, Hanover, and the Dutch Republic.


title: Battle of Fontenoy

text: After four years of conflict, the main beneficiary was Prussia, which captured the Austrian province of Silesia during the First Silesian War (1740-1742). The richest province in the Empire, Silesian taxes provided 10% of total Imperial income and contained large mining, weaving and dyeing industries. Regaining it was a priority for Maria Theresa and led to the 1744–1745 Second Silesian War. Shortly after Charles died in January 1745, the Austrians over-ran Bavaria and on 15 April, defeated a Franco-Bavarian force at Pfaffenhofen. Charles' son, Maximilian III Joseph, now sued for peace and supported the election of Maria Theresa's husband, Francis Stephen, as the new Emperor. With Bavaria out of the war, Austria could focus on Silesia, while France was released from its involvement in Germany, and could concentrate on Italy and the Low Countries.


title: Battle of Fontenoy

text: In the first half of 1744 France made significant advances in the Austrian Netherlands, before being forced to divert resources to meet threats elsewhere. For the 1745 campaign, Maurice de Saxe persuaded Louis XV it was the best place to inflict a decisive defeat on Britain, whose military and financial resources were central to the Allied war effort. His plan was to bring the Pragmatic Allies to battle on a ground of his choosing, before British financial strength could be used to fund extra troops and establish local superiority. France also held several advantages over its opponents, including a highly competent commander in Saxe, larger numbers of available troops and a unified command, unlike the Allies who were often deeply divided over strategy and objectives.


title: Battle of Fontenoy

text: Most of the fighting took place in what is often referred to as Flanders, a compact area 160 kilometres wide, its highest point only 100 metres above sea level and dominated by rivers running southwest to northeast. Until the advent of railways in the 19th century, bulk goods and supplies were transported by water, and wars in this region were fought for control of major waterways, including the rivers Lys, Sambre and Meuse. The most important was the Scheldt (see map), which began in Northern France and ran for before entering the North Sea at Antwerp. Saxe planned to attack Tournai, a town close to the French border which controlled access to the upper Scheldt basin, making it a vital link in the trading network for Northern Europe. With a garrison of over 8,000, it was also the strongest of the Dutch Barrier Forts in the Austrian Netherlands, factors which Saxe anticipated would force the Allies to fight for it.


title: Battle of Fontenoy

text: In March 1745, George Wade was replaced as Allied commander in Flanders by the 24-year-old Duke of Cumberland, advised by the experienced Earl Ligonier. In addition to British and Hanoverian troops, the Pragmatic Army included a large Dutch contingent, commanded by Prince Waldeck, with a small number of Austrians, led by Count Königsegg. However, the Allies were impacted by internal disputes and divergent objectives; the British and Hanoverians resented and mistrusted each other, Austria did not consider Flanders a military priority and Waldeck was unpopular with his subordinates, who often disputed his orders. These divisions were exacerbated by Cumberland's inexperience, lack of diplomatic skill and tendency to ignore advice.


title: Battle of Fontenoy

text: On 21 April, a French cavalry detachment under d'Estrées feinted towards Mons and Cumberland prepared to march to its relief. Although it soon became clear this was a diversion, French intentions remained unclear until the siege of Tournai began on 28 April. This uncertainty, combined with intelligence estimates that Saxe had only 30,000 men, meant the Allies advanced on Tournai with only their field army of 50,000, leaving large garrisons unused at nearby Namur and Charleroi. Having confirmed the Allies were approaching from the south-east, on 7 May Saxe left 22,000 men to continue the siege and placed his main force of 50,000 around the villages of Fontenoy and Antoing, 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from Tournai.


title: Battle of Fontenoy

text: As Saxe considered his infantry inferior in training and discipline to their opponents, where possible he placed them behind defensive works or redoubts and fortified the villages. The French positions ran along the crest of a plateau, with the right resting on the Scheldt, the left stationed behind the "Bois de Barry", with the "Redoubt d'Eu" and "Redoubt de Chambonas" covering the gap between the wood and his centre, which was based in Fontenoy. The "Chemin de Mons" sloped down from Fontenoy to the small hamlets of Vezon and Bourgeon below (see Battle Map), exposing any direct attack on the village to prolonged fire from in front and the flanks.


title: Battle of Fontenoy

text: The Allies came into contact with the French outposts on the evening of 9 May, but a hasty reconnaissance by Cumberland and his staff failed to spot the "Redoubt d'Eu". On 10 May, British and Hanoverian cavalry under James Campbell pushed the French out of Vezon and Bourgeon. Campbell's deputy, the Earl of Crawford, then recommended that infantry be sent to clear the "Bois de Barry", while the cavalry swung around it to outflank the French left. Unfortunately, this plan was abandoned when Dutch hussars reconnoitring the route were fired on by French troops in the wood and withdrew.


title: Battle of Fontenoy

text: The attack was postponed until the following day, both armies camping overnight on their positions. At 4:00 am on 11 May, the Allies formed up, British and Hanoverians on the right and centre, Dutch on the left, with the Austrians in reserve. The Dutch were ordered to take Fontenoy and Antoing, while a brigade under Richard Ingoldsby captured the "Redoubt de Chambonas", and cleared the "Bois de Barry". Once both flanks were engaged, massed Allied infantry in the centre under Ligonier would advance up the slope, and dislodge the main French army.


title: Battle of Fontenoy

text: As soon as it was light, the Allied artillery opened fire on the defences around Fontenoy, but the bombardment had little effect on the dug-in French infantry. Because Cumberland had badly under-estimated French numbers, he assumed their main force was in the centre and failed to appreciate the strength of the flanking positions. Almost immediately Ingoldsby ran into the "Redoubt d'Eu" and only then did the real strength of the French left become apparent. He requested artillery support, and the advance halted while his men skirmished in the woods with light troops known as "Harquebusiers de Grassins". These numbered no more than 900 but uncertain of their strength, Ingoldsby hesitated; given the earlier failure to detect the redoubt, his caution was understandable but delayed the main attack.


title: Battle of Fontenoy

text: Growing impatient, at 7:00 am Cumberland ordered Ingoldsby to abandon his assault on the "Redoubt d'Eu" and join the main column, although he failed to inform Ligonier. As the Dutch infantry advanced on Fontenoy supported by their cavalry, they were fired on by French troops in the nearby walled cemetery and fell back with heavy losses. At 9:00 am, Ligonier sent an aide instructing Ingoldsby to attack the "Redoubt d'Eu" immediately and was apparently horrified when Ingoldsby shared his change of orders. At 10:30, the Dutch assaulted Fontenoy again, supported by the 42nd Foot; after some initial success, they were forced to retreat, and at 12:30 pm Cumberland ordered the central column forward.


title: Battle of Fontenoy

text: Generally thought to comprise some 15,000 infantry, the column advanced up the slope led by Cumberland and Ligonier, and despite heavy casualties reached the crest still in formation. They halted in front of the French position to dress their lines and having done so, the Guards in the first rank allegedly invited the "Gardes Françaises" to open fire. First reported by Voltaire in 1768, there is some doubt as to the reliability of this anecdote, but the opening volley was considered so important that commanders often preferred their opponents to go first, particularly if their own troops were well disciplined and thus able to absorb it without losing cohesion.


title: Battle of Fontenoy

text: Thus goaded, the "Gardes" fired prematurely, greatly reducing the impact of their first volley, while that of the British killed or wounded 700 to 800 men. The French front line broke up in confusion; many of their reserves had been transferred to meet the Dutch attack on Fontenoy, and the Allies now advanced into this gap. Seeing this, Noailles, who was observing the fighting from a position near "Notre Dame de Bois" along with Louis XV and his son, implored the king to seek safety. However, Saxe assured Louis the battle was not lost, while Löwendal ordered a series of cavalry attacks, which succeeded in forcing the Allies back. Isolated in the middle of the column, Cumberland had lost control of the main battle and made no attempt to relieve pressure on the Allied centre by ordering fresh attacks on Fontenoy or the "Redoubt d'Eu". Under fire from both flanks and in front, the column formed itself into a hollow, three sided square, reducing their firepower advantage.


title: Battle of Fontenoy

text: Although poorly co-ordinated, their cavalry charges had allowed the French infantry to reform and at 14:00 Saxe brought up his remaining artillery, which began firing into the Allied square at close range. This was followed by a general assault, with the regiments "d'Aubeterre, du Roi, Royal" and "de la Couronne" attacking from the right, the Irish Brigade, regiments "des Vaisseaux, Normandie, d'Eu" and two battalions of the "Gardes françaises" the left. The assault cost the "Aubeterre" regiment 328 wounded or killed, while the four battalions of the "Régiment Royal" lost a total of 675, including 30 officers, and the Irish Brigade 656, including 25% of their officers.


title: Battle of Fontenoy

text: Led by Saxe and Löwendal, the "Gardes Françaises" attacked once more, while D'Estrées and Richelieu brought up the elite "Maison du roi" cavalry, forcing the column back with heavy losses. The Hanoverian "Böselager" regiment suffered 377 casualties, the largest of any single Allied unit, the 23rd Foot 322 and the three Guards regiments over 700 in total. Despite this, discipline and training allowed the Allied infantry to make an orderly withdrawal, with the rearguard halting at intervals to fire on their pursuers. Once they reached Vezon, the cavalry provided cover as they moved into columns of march, before retreating to Ath, largely undisturbed by the French. This decision was opposed by Waldeck and other Dutch officers, who were reluctant to abandon their garrison in Tournai; one of them later wrote that "We were repulsed without being [defeated but...] our hasty retreat makes us look beaten...[while] we have left a lot of the baggage and many wounded".


title: Battle of Fontenoy

text: Fontenoy was the bloodiest battle in Western Europe since Malplaquet in 1709, with French losses around 7,000 or 8,000 killed and wounded, those of the Allies somewhere between 8,000 to 12,000, including prisoners. Victory restored French battlefield pre-eminence in Europe, although the best of the Allied infantry remained superior to their opponents. Since his presence technically made him senior commander, Louis became the first French king able to claim a battlefield victory over the English since Louis IX. His leadership role was emphasised in a propaganda campaign to bolster his personal prestige, which included a laudatory poem by Voltaire, titled "La Bataille De Fontenoy."


title: Battle of Fontenoy

text: It also cemented Saxe's reputation as one of the leading generals of the period, although his domestic opponents attacked him for not pursuing with more vigour. In response, he pointed out his troops were exhausted while the Allied cavalry and large parts of their infantry remained intact and fresh. These critics did not include either Louis XV or Frederick the Great, who viewed Fontenoy as a tactical masterpiece and invited Saxe to Sanssouci to discuss it. His victory was also achieved despite being in great pain from edema or 'dropsy', and forced to exercise command from a wicker chair carried round the battlefield.


title: Battle of Fontenoy

text: On the other hand, Cumberland performed poorly as a commander, ignoring advice from his more experienced subordinates, failing to ensure the "Bois de Barry" was properly cleared and issuing Ingoldsby with conflicting orders. Although praised for his courage, the inactivity of the Allied cavalry was partly due to his participation in the infantry attack, and loss of strategic oversight. Ligonier and others viewed Fontenoy as a 'defeat snatched from the jaws of victory' and although understandable for a 24 year old in his first major engagement, the same faults were apparent at the Battle of Lauffeld in 1747.


title: Battle of Fontenoy

text: In the recriminations that followed, Ingoldsby was Court martialled for the delay in attacking the "Redoubt d'Eu", although his claim to have received inconsistent orders was clearly supported by the evidence. He himself was wounded, while the largest casualties of any units involved were incurred by two regiments from his brigade, the 12th Foot and "Böselager's". The court concluded his actions arose 'from an error of judgement, not want of courage', but he was forced out of the army, a decision many considered unjust. Cumberland and some of his staff also blamed the Dutch for not relieving pressure on the centre by continuing their attack on Fontenoy. This view was supported by Dutch cavalry commander Casimir van Schlippenbach, who criticised his infantry for refusing to advance. However, most accounts suggest this failure was due to the confusion caused by Cumberland himself, while the Dutch infantry maintained formation and retreated in good order.


title: Battle of Fontenoy

text: Regardless, Waldeck was critical of the lack of initiative displayed by his troops, as was Isaac Cronström, head of the Dutch infantry. Born in 1661, the latter fought at Malplaquet, where the Dutch had continued to attack French entrenchments despite incurring very heavy casualties. In a letter to Grand Pensionary Anthonie van der Heim, he noted "these troops are [not] like those in the previous war", while in his official report to the States General, Waldeck claimed "the famous old Dutch courage" had gone. These conclusions led the two men to implement an intensive programme of retraining, and the Dutch performed significantly better at Rocoux in 1746. However, in general the war confirmed the decline of the Dutch military and the loss of their Great Power status; the Duke of Newcastle, who as Secretary of State oversaw British foreign policy, later berated himself for his "ignorance, obstinacy, and credulity", in believing otherwise.


title: Battle of Fontenoy

text: With no hope of relief, Tournai surrendered on 20 June, followed by the loss of Ostend and Nieuport; in October, the British were forced to divert resources to deal with the Jacobite rising of 1745, allowing Saxe to continue his advance in 1746. Despite the presence of Dutch troops in the Pragmatic Army, France did not declare war on the Dutch Republic itself until 1747, a decision which made their immediate financial situation even worse, since carrying their goods in "neutral" Dutch ships had been the main way for French merchants to evade the British naval blockade. By the end of 1747, France had occupied most of the Austrian Netherlands and was on the verge of advancing into Dutch territory, but their economy was being strangled by the blockade, which was also causing widespread food shortages. Peace was a matter of extreme urgency and despite the huge military and financial costs involved, under the 1748 Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle Louis XV agreed to evacuate the Austrian Netherlands for minimal return, leading to a popular French phrase "as stupid as the Peace".


title: Battle of Fontenoy

text: The participation of the Irish Brigade and the casualties incurred led 19th and early 20th century Irish nationalists to portray Fontenoy as the "pinnacle of Irish military valour", with the battle giving its name to a variety of streets, buildings and athletic clubs. In 1905, Nationalist author Richard Barry O'Brien founded a committee to fund an Irish Brigade memorial in the village of Fontenoy, where it still features in annual commemorations of the battle.


title: Battle of Fontenoy

text: When surveying the battlefield, Louis XV reportedly said: ‘See how much blood a triumph costs. The blood of our enemies is still the blood of men. The true glory is to save it.’ In 1968, the French army installed a memorial in the neighbouring town of Vezon which bears this quotation.


title: Moo goo gai pan

text: Moo goo gai pan (; Cantonese: ) is the Americanized version of a Cantonese dish – chicken with mushroom in oyster sauce (), which can be a stir-fry dish or a dish made in a claypot. The Chinese-American version is a simple stir-fried dish with thin sliced chicken, white button mushrooms, and other vegetables. The chicken is thinly sliced as the word ; means thin slices. Popular vegetable additions include bok choy, snow peas, bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, water chestnuts, carrots, and/or Chinese cabbage (Napa cabbage).


title: Moo goo gai pan

text: The name comes from the Cantonese names of the ingredients (note that tone marks here do not match Mandarin tones):


title: Anne of Kiev

text: Anne of Kiev or Anna Yaroslavna (c. 1030 – 1075) was a Rus' princess who became Queen of France in 1051 upon marrying King Henry I. She ruled the kingdom as regent during the minority of their son Philip I from Henry's death in 1060 until her controversial marriage to Count Ralph IV of Valois. Anne founded the Abbey of St. Vincent at Senlis.


title: Anne of Kiev

text: Anne was a daughter of Yaroslav the Wise, Grand Prince of Kiev and Prince of Novgorod, and his second wife Ingegerd Olofsdotter of Sweden. Her exact birthdate is unknown; Philippe Delorme has suggested 1027, while Andrew Gregorovich has proposed 1032, citing a mention in a Kievan chronicle of the birth of a daughter to Yaroslav in that year.


title: Anne of Kiev

text: Anne's exact place in the birth order of her siblings is unknown, although she was almost certainly the youngest daughter. Little is known about Anne's childhood or education. It is assumed that she was literate, at least enough to write her name, because her signature in Cyrillic exists on a document from 1061. Delorme has pointed out that Yaroslav founded a number of schools in his kingdom and suggests that education was highly valued in his family, leading him to propose a significant level of education for Anne. Gregorovich has suggested that Anne learned French in preparation for her marriage to King Henry I of France.


title: Anne of Kiev

text: The negotiations for Anne's marriage to the 18-years-older King Henry took place in the late 1040s, after the death of Henry's first wife, Matilda of Frisia, and their only child. Due to the pressing need for an heir, and the Church's growing disapproval of consanguineous marriages, it became necessary for Henry to seek an unrelated bride. The Kievan Rus' was not unknown to the French. Yaroslav had married several of his children to Western rulers in an attempt to avoid the influence of the Byzantine Empire.


title: Anne of Kiev

text: In the autumn of 1049 or the spring of 1050, Henry sent Bishop Gauthier of Meaux, Goscelin of Chauny, and other unnamed advisors to Yaroslav's court. It is possible that there were two diplomatic missions to the Rus at this time, with Roger of Chalons also present. No record of the marriage negotiations or the dowry arrangements survives, although Anne reportedly left Kiev with "rich presents". Gregorovich claims that part of the wealth she brought to France included the jacinth jewel that Abbot Suger later mounted on a reliquary of St. Denis. Anne left Kiev in the summer or fall of 1050 and traveled to Reims.


title: Anne of Kiev

text: Anne married Henry on 19 May 1051, during the feast of Pentecost. Henry was nearly twenty years older than Anne. Her wedding on 19 May 1051 followed the installation of Lietbert as bishop of Cambrai, and Anne was crowned immediately following the marriage ceremony, making her the first French queen to celebrate her coronation in Reims Cathedral.


title: Anne of Kiev

text: Anne and Henry were married for nine years and had three sons: Philip, Robert (who died young), and Hugh. Anne is often credited with introducing the Greek name "Philip" to royal families of Western Europe, as she bestowed it on her first son; she might have imported this Greek name from her Eastern Orthodox culture. There may also have been a daughter, Emma, perhaps born in 1055; it is unknown if she married or when she died. Henry and Anne of Kiev are additionally said to have been the parents of the beatified figure Edigna.


title: Anne of Kiev

text: As queen, Anne would have had the privilege of participating in the royal council, but there are almost no records of her doing so. In one 1058 charter, Henry granted a privilege to a couple of villages associated with the monastery of Saint-Maur-des-Fossés doing so "with the approval of my wife Anne and our children Philip, Robert, and Hugh." Anne seems to have possessed territories in the same region under the terms of her dower.


title: Anne of Kiev

text: In 1059, King Henry began feuding with the Church over issues related to Gregorian Reform. During this time, Pope Nicholas II sent Queen Anne a letter counselling her to follow her conscience to right wrongs and intervene against oppressive violence, while also encouraging her to advocate with her husband so that he might govern with moderation. According to Delorme, some historians have interpreted this letter from the Pope as being indicative of Anne's conversion to Roman Catholicism from Eastern Orthodoxy.


title: Anne of Kiev

text: Upon Henry's death on 4 August 1060, Philip succeeded to the throne. Count Baldwin V of Flanders, the husband of Henry's sister Adela, was assigned as Philip's guardian. Anne may still have played an active role in government at that point; an act from 1060 shows her name following Philip's, and her name appears in four times as many charters as Baldwin's. She also hired Philip's tutor, who was known at court by a Greek title.


title: Anne of Kiev

text: Queen Anne's only existing signature dates from this period; it appears inscribed on a document issued at Soissons for the abbot of , now held in the National Library of France. The signature was most likely placed by a Rus' assistant of the Queen. Under the king's rubric, there is a cross and eight letters in Cyrillic, probably meaning "Ana Reina", the contemporaneous French for "Queen Anne". Evidence for Anne's role in government, however, disappears in 1061, around the time she remarried. Her second husband was Count Ralph IV of Valois. This marriage was controversial because of the couple's affinity (as Ralph was Henry's cousin), and it constituted bigamy, since Ralph was still technically married to his second wife, Haquenez. Ralph was excommunicated for these transgressions. King Philip's advisers may have encouraged him to turn away from his mother, perhaps mistrusting Ralph's influence. Ralph began referring to himself as the king's stepfather in the late 1060s. He died in 1074, leaving Anne a widow once again.


title: Anne of Kiev

text: In 1062, Anne gave a significant amount of money to restore a dilapidated chapel at Senlis, originally dedicated to Saint Vincent of Saragossa. She bequeathed lands and income to the new establishment so that the organization could sustain itself. She also wrote a letter explaining her reasons for dedicating the monastery. The letter betrays adherence to Greek Orthodox theology. For instance, the term "Mary, mother of God" is used rather than the more common "Our Lady", perhaps referring to the Eastern concept of the Theotokos. Some scholars believe that Anne did not write this letter herself.


title: Anne of Kiev

text: The exact date of Anne's death is unknown. Delorme believes that she died on 5 September—the day commemorated at Senlis—in 1075 (the year of her last signed document), while others have proposed 1080. A "terminus ante quem" is provided by a 1089 document of Philip I, which indicates that Anne had died by then.


title: Anne of Kiev

text: In 1682, the Jesuit antiquary Claude-Francois Menestrier announced that he had discovered Anne's tomb at the Cistercian Abbey of Villiers. The discovery was subsequently disputed, as Villiers was not built until the thirteenth century, although it's possible Anne's remains had been moved there at some point following her death. Whatever monument may have been there was destroyed in the French Revolution.


title: Anne of Kiev

text: In the 18th and 19th centuries, increased diplomatic contact between France and Russia led to a revived antiquarian interest in Anne, and a number of short biographies were published. In the 20th century, Anne became a symbol of Ukrainian nationalism. On the other hand, a film was produced in the Soviet Union, "Yaroslavna, the Queen of France" (1978), which was not related with "Ukrainian nationalism" in any way. An opera called "Anna Yaroslavna", written by Antin Rudnytsky, was first performed at Carnegie Hall in 1969. In 1998, the Ukrainian government issued a postage stamp in her honour. In 2005, the Government of Ukraine sponsored the construction of a bronze statue of Queen Anne at Senlis, which was unveiled by President Viktor Yushchenko on 22 June.


title: Hook (music)

text: A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener". The term generally applies to popular music, especially rock, R&B, hip hop, dance, and pop. In these genres, the hook is often found in, or consists of, the chorus. A hook can be either melodic or rhythmic, and often incorporates the main motif for a piece of music.


title: Hook (music)

text: One definition of a hook is "a musical or lyrical phrase that stands out and is easily remembered." Definitions typically include some of the following: that a hook is repetitive, attention-grabbing, memorable, easy to dance to, and has commercial potential and lyrics. A hook has been defined as a "part of a song, sometimes the title or key lyric line, that keeps recurring." Alternatively, the term has been defined as


title: Hook (music)

text: and can be something as insubstantial as a 'sound' (such as "da doo ron ron" or "toora-loora-loo") but


title: Hook (music)

text: While some melodic hooks include skips of an octave or more to make the line more interesting, a hook can be equally catchy by employing rhythmic syncopation or other devices. A hook may also garner attention from listeners from other factors, such as the vocal timbre or instrumentation, as in the case of the Beach Boys' use of an Electro-Theremin in "Good Vibrations". Some hooks become popular without using any unusual elements. For example, in the song "Be My Baby", performed by The Ronettes, the hook consists of the words "be my baby" over the conventional I–vi–IV–V chord progression of the chorus. Hooks in hip hop almost always refer to the chorus between verses; as in the lyrics to "Ice Ice Baby", "check out the hook, while my DJ revolves it", that leads into the chorus itself.


title: Hook (music)

text: The hooks of a song may be used in market research to assist in gauging the popularity of a song based on the listener's ability to recognize the song's hook. Often radio stations conduct "call out" either on the Internet, via telephone, or a music test (either online or in an in-person setting) to conduct surveys. Stations may use the services of a professional "hook service" or prepare the materials themselves. In some studies, radio stations play the hook, typically 8–12 bars long, for audiences of up to 150 participants. The participants are then asked to rate the song on a scale from "dislike very much" to "like very much". Top 40 stations typically can't wait that long for results and have participants "call out" directly, by listening and rating different hooks. Studies such as these inform the radio station how popular current songs are or if the audience is "burned out" of a certain song. Market research based on hooks gives radio stations of all genres awareness of what their audience demographic wants to listen to, and is even used to test the musical boundaries of the audience. Some groups even release these research hooks on a single's CD release.


title: Hook (music)

text: A European consortium (including Utrecht University and the University of Amsterdam) studies the hook by using online games and the wisdom of the crowd to understand and quantify the effect of catchiness on musical memory.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: Secaucus ( ) is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 16,264, reflecting an increase of 333 (+2.1%) from the 15,931 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 1,870 (+13.3%) from the 14,061 counted in the 1990 Census.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: Located within the New Jersey Meadowlands, it is the most suburban of the county's municipalities, though large parts of the town are dedicated to light manufacturing, retail, and transportation uses, as well as protected areas.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: Secaucus is a derivation of the Algonquian words for "black" ("seke" or "sukit") and "snake" ("achgook"), or "place of snakes", or "sekakes", referring to snakes.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: "Sikakes", once an island, was part of the territory purchased by Director-General of New Netherland, Peter Stuyvesant in 1658. The territory was part of what is considered to be the oldest municipality in the state of New Jersey which was first chartered in 1660 as Bergen in the province of New Netherland and, in 1683, became Bergen Township.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: Settlement had begun by at least 1733 by the Smith family, whose namesake Abel I. Smith Burial Ground is part of the lore of Secaucus.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: Secaucus was originally formed as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 12, 1900, from portions of North Bergen. On June 7, 1917, Secaucus was incorporated as a town, replacing Secaucus borough, based on the results of a referendum held on June 5, 1917.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: Secaucus was originally an agricultural community specializing in flowers. It later became known for its pig farms in the first half of the 20th century. In the early 1900s the town was home to approximately 55 pig farms, which reached a peak of nearly 250,000 pigs in World War II, outnumbering humans 16 to 1. These farms served the meat demands of Newark and New York, and made the farmers wealthy. Many of them were local politicians, most notably pork peddler Henry B. Krajewski, who ran for New Jersey senator, three times for governor and twice for U.S. President. The town's pig farms, rendering plants, and junk yards gave the town a reputation for being one of the most odorous in the New York metropolitan area. An ordinance passed in 1947 prohibited new farms, and in the 1950s the pig farms began to dwindle, partially after 11 of the farms were acquired for construction of the New Jersey Turnpike, which would carry tourists who would not appreciate the odor; the last farms were shut down by court order in the late 1950s.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: In 1963, debris from the demolition of Pennsylvania Station was dumped in the Secaucus Meadowlands. In later decades Secaucus became more of a commuter town. In a non-binding referendum in 1969, 90% of voters in Secaucus chose to leave Hudson County and join Bergen County, as that county was more similar in character and had lower taxes. However, only the state has the authority to change county lines, so it never came to fruition. Today it remains the most suburban town in Hudson County. Despite being geographically located within Hudson County, Secaucus Public Library is a member of the Bergen County Cooperative Library System.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: On February 9, 1996, two NJ Transit commuter trains collided at Bergen Junction in Secaucus when a train operating on the Bergen Line ran a signal and sideswiped a train running on the Main Line. The accident occurred during the morning rush hour just south of the current Secaucus Junction station. With three fatalities, the incident is NJ Transit's deadliest accident and was the first to involve fatalities of the passenger and crew on NJ Transit.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: "New Jersey Monthly" magazine ranked Secaucus as its 182nd best place to live in its 2010 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey, after ranking the borough 11th in its 2008 rankings.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: Secaucus is an island in the New Jersey Meadowlands. The Hackensack River runs along western side of town. Penhorn Creek and Cromakill Creek are its eastern borders.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: According to the United States Census Bureau, the town had a total area of 6.54 square miles (16.95 km), including 5.83 square miles (15.09 km) of land and 0.72 square miles (1.86 km) of water (10.96%).


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: At the southern end of Secaucus is Snake Hill (officially known as Laurel Hill), an igneous rock diabase intrusion jutting up some from the Meadowlands below, near the New Jersey Turnpike.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: Being partly surrounded by the meadowlands, Secaucus provides opportunities to observe the recovery of natural marshes in the town's post-industrial, post-agricultural age. Some marsh areas in the northeast part of town have been filled to provide a new commercial area, and some to build footpaths for nature walks with signs illustrating birds and other wildlife to be seen there. At 27.4%, it has the most open "green" space in of any town in Hudson County.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: Secaucus borders the municipalities of Jersey City, Kearny and North Bergen in Hudson County; and Carlstadt, East Rutherford, Lyndhurst, Rutherford in Bergen County.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the town include:


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: As its name suggests, the North End in Secaucus, New Jersey, is the section of town north of New Jersey Route 3 and the Secaucus Plaza Central Business District, to which it is connected by Paterson Plank Road. The Hackensack River and its tributary Mill Creek create the other borders for the district.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: The North End is one of the older, traditional residential neighborhoods of Secaucus, which itself has been transformed to a commuter town and retail and outlet shopping area in the late 20th century. It is home to Secaucus High School, whose athletic fields are used by the Bergen County Scholastic League. Nearby Schmiddt's Wood is one of the last original hardwood forests in urban North Jersey. As part of the , the areas along the river are characterized by wetlands preservation and restoration areas. Mill Creek Marsh is park administered by the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission and will eventually connect to the Secaucus Greenway. It southern counterpart is known as Riverbend. The Mill Creek Mall, also north of Route 3, but on the other side of Mill Creek close to New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur is part of Harmon Meadow


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: Harmon Cove is the western section of Secaucus, New Jersey along the Hackensack River, south of New Jersey Route 3. The name is portmanteau taken from Hartz Mountain, a corporation that owns much land in the New Jersey Meadowlands, which originally developed the area as a gated community in the 1970s with townhouses and highrise residential buildings. Part of the Hackensack RiverWalk Secaucus Greenway passes through the neighborhood, which is north of Anderson Marsh and Snake Hill, home to Hudson County's Laurel Hill Park.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: NJ Transit maintained a Harmon Cove station from 1978 until the re-routing of the Bergen County Line and the opening of Secaucus Junction in August 2003. The HX Draw is used by the line to cross the river. NJ Transit bus 329 serves the area. The Hudson Regional Hospital and several hotels are located in Harmon Cove, whose main thoroughfare is Meadowlands Parkway, along which office and manufacturing buildings are found. The Harmon Cove Outlet Center is an outlet shopping district further inland from the Hackensack riverfront. Hartz Mountain Industries operates many facilities and properties in Harmon Cove.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $82,289 (with a margin of error of +/− $6,523) and the median family income was $96,475 (+/− $10,189). Males had a median income of $58,902 (+/− $7,548) versus $54,665 (+/− $4,626) for females. The per capita income for the town was $38,375. About 4.7% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.9% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: According to the 2000 United States Census there were 15,931 people, 6,214 households, and 3,945 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,706.7 people per square mile (1,044.3/km). There were 6,385 housing units at an average density of 1,084.8 per square mile (418.6/km). The racial makeup of the town was 78.54% White, 4.45% African American, 0.11% Native American, 11.80% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.79% from other races, and 2.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.26% of the population.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: There were 6,214 households, out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.08.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.2% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: The median income for a household in the town was $59,800, and the median income for a family was $72,568. Males had a median income of $49,937 versus $39,370 for females. The per capita income for the town was $31,684. About 3.9% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: There are several large retail areas in Secaucus. Secaucus Plaza is the "downtown" area of Secaucus, just off of Route 3. The Outlets are a collection of outlet shops selling discounted name-brand merchandise in southwest Secaucus. Many factory retail outlets are scattered throughout the Harmon Cove industrial section, often located in warehouses or converted factories. Harmon Cove Outlet Center is the largest outlet mall, on Enterprise Avenue. The Mill Creek Mall is a mall on Route 3 on the west side of the Turnpike. Harmon Meadow Plaza is a large hotel, restaurant and shopping complex that features gyms, a pool hall, the Meadowlands Convention Center, a 14-screen Showplace Theatres and a Wal-Mart and Sam's Club located east of the New Jersey Turnpike, near Route 3 and Interchange 16E. Best Buy, Raymour & Flanigan, Ashley Furniture, Home Depot and Daffy's are located on Paterson Plank Road off Interchange 16E. National Retail Systems is another large employer. Secaucus is home to several corporate headquarters, including The Children's Place, FiberMedia, Hartz Mountain Industries and Quest Diagnostics.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: In 2011, two companies announced that they would be leaving Secaucus. The Manischewitz Company announced that it would relocate its administrative offices to Newark after being located in Secaucus for seven years. Panasonic's North American headquarters, with of offices and of warehouse space, had been located in Secaucus since 1973. After considering new locations in New York, California and Georgia, the company announced it would relocate to Newark and would receive an Urban Transit Hub Tax Credit of $102 million from the State of New Jersey for the relocation from its Secaucus location. The company also cited the environmental benefits possible by reducing the need of 1,000 employees to drive to work.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: Secaucus is home to 11 data centers due to its proximity to New York City and its more favorable costs and storm resiliency.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: The indie rock band, The Wrens, named their 1996 album "Secaucus" for the town where they resided together and worked for a decade.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: As of the 2014–15 NBA season, Secaucus became the official review headquarters of the NBA. All reviews of controversial calls and plays take place in the replay center. Referees consult the headquarters for guidance on the correct call. The high-tech center features over 94 HD televisions, with multiple feeds of every live NBA game.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: Sports companies headquartered in Secaucus include Red Bull New York, Major League Baseball's MLB Network, National Hockey League's NHL Network, and NBA Entertainment/NBA TV (whose studios are also the site of the NBA Draft Lottery). It is also home to men's soccer team Secaucus FC, which is part of the Garden State Soccer League.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: Secaucus was the headquarters of Major League Lacrosse for the first four seasons of the league. The headquarters have since moved to Boston.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: Secaucus held a pre-Super Bowl "Winter Blast" party during the first weekend of February 2014 to celebrate Super Bowl XLVIII being played in New Jersey. The party featured a number of activities, including an ice skating rink. The town had planned for large crowds, even planning special court sessions in advance to handle the projected surge of potentially disruptive visitors. The turnout was much lower than expected, with Mayor Gonnelli citing the NFL's focus on activities in Manhattan aimed at visitors.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: Secaucus is governed under the Town form of New Jersey municipal government. The town is one of nine municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and a Town Council made up of six council members elected from three wards. The Mayor is elected at-large directly by the voters. The Town Council is comprised of six members elected to serve four-year terms on a staggered basis, with three seats up at the same time as the mayor and three seats the following year, followed by two years with no elections.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: , the Mayor of Secaucus is Independent Michael Gonnelli, whose term of office ends December 31, 2025. Members of the Town Council are James J. Clancy Sr. (I, 2022; Ward 2), Robert V. Constantino (I, 2025; Ward 1), Mark Dehnert (I, 2025; Ward 2), John Gerbasio (I, 2022; Ward 1), William McKeever (I, 2025; Ward 3) and Orietta Turci-Tringali (I, 2022; Ward 3).


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: Orietta Tringali was chosen in January 2018 to fill the Ward 3 seat expiring in December 2018 that had been held by Susan Pirro until she resigned from office. On June 9, 2018, the Office of Emergency Management Building was dedicated to Pirro, who died on March 18, 2018.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: In October 2016, Gary Jeffas resigned from office to fill the position as Town Administrator; his Ward 1 seat expiring in December 2018 was filled by John Gerbasio, who served on an interim basis until the November 2017 election, when he was chosen to serve the balance of the term of office.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: Richard Steffens was chosen unanimously by the council in August 2009 to step in as mayor to finish the term of Dennis Elwell who resigned amid corruption charges on July 28, 2009, and was later convicted. Michael Gonnelli then won a full four-year term in November 2009 and was re-elected for another four years in 2013.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: In 2018, the town had an average property tax bill of $6,258, the lowest in the county, compared to an average bill of $7,762 in Hudson County and $8,767 statewide.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: Secaucus is served around the clock by five volunteer fire companies that make up the Secaucus Fire Department, with a combined fire apparatus fleet of four Engines, two Ladders, one Rescue, one squad/brush unit, and one fireboat, operating out of five fire stations located throughout the town.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: Secaucus is located in the 9th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 32nd state legislative district.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: According to "The Hudson Reporter", Secaucus is "arguably Hudson County's most conservative town". As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 10,298 registered voters in Secaucus, of which 5,886 (57.2%) were registered as Democrats, 876 (8.5%) were registered as Republicans and 3,531 (34.3%) were registered as unaffiliated. There were 5 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 61.1% of the vote (4,188 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 38.1% (2,609 votes), and other candidates with 0.8% (56 votes), among the 6,893 ballots cast by the town's 10,819 registered voters (40 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 63.7%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 53.0% of the vote here (3,889 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 45.6% (3,348 votes) and other candidates with 0.9% (63 votes), among the 7,344 ballots cast by the town's 10,650 registered voters, for a turnout of 69.0%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 50.6% of the vote here (3,460 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush with 48.6% (3,320 votes) and other candidates with 0.3% (33 votes), among the 6,838 ballots cast by the town's 9,767 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 70.0.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 54.5% of the vote (2,214 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 42.8% (1,738 votes), and other candidates with 2.7% (108 votes), among the 4,376 ballots cast by the town's 10,966 registered voters (316 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 39.9%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 50.7% of the vote here (2,959 ballots cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 35.9% (2,096 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 5.4% (315 votes) and other candidates with 2.3% (132 votes), among the 5,833 ballots cast by the town's 10,158 registered voters, yielding a 57.4% turnout.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: Students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade are educated by the Secaucus Public Schools. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 2,229 students and 187.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.9:1. Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: Secaucus High School with 594 students in grades 9–12 The athletic teams of Secaucus High School are nicknamed the "Patriots".


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: For the 2018–2019 school year, the Hudson County Schools of Technology moved High Tech High School from its previous location in North Bergen to a newly built school building in Secaucus constructed at a cost of $160 million on a site. The former building was sold to the North Bergen School District to become the new home of North Bergen High School.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: Immaculate Conception School, the town's only Catholic private day school, serving grades Pre-K through eighth grade, closed in 2008.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: The Nicholas G. Hayek Watchmaking School, established in 2005, offers a two-year training program that prepares students to service watches.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: Secaucus contains a wide variety of road and rail transportation. Because of its central location, many shipping warehouses and truck freight transfer stations are located in Secaucus, both for shipping companies such as UPS and for numerous retailers. For example, Barnes & Noble's "same day delivery" service to Manhattan operates from a warehouse in Secaucus. The town also has a large rail yard and multimode terminal run by CSX and Norfolk Southern where loads are switched between trains or transferred to or from trucks.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: , the town had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Hudson County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: The town is roughly divided into four parts by the intersecting roads of Route 3, which runs east and west, and the Eastern Spur of the New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95), which runs north–south. The Route 3 bridges cross the Hackensack River, connecting to East Rutherford; the eastbound bridge, constructed in 1934, was described by state transportation commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti in 2022 as being "in the worst condition of any in the state", and is part of $143 million replacement project. Two turnpike interchanges are located within the town: Exit 16E/17 for Route 3 and Route 495 (which leads to the Lincoln Tunnel), and Exit 15X for the Secaucus Junction station (which opened in late 2005).


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: Secaucus is the site of NJ Transit's Frank R. Lautenberg Secaucus Junction rail station, which connects NJ Transit's two commuter rail networks in northern New Jersey. As the station is in the south end of the town, access from the rest of Secaucus is limited via County Avenue, Meadowlands Parkway or NJ Turnpike Interchange 15X. The station opened in December 2003, with a 1,100-spot parking lot that allows commuters to park and ride. Discount curbside intercity bus service is also provided outside the station by Megabus, with direct service to Boston and Philadelphia, among other locations.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: Numerous NJ Transit buses serve Secaucus, including the 124, 129, 190 and 320 buses to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, the 78 bus to Newark, the 2 route to Jersey City, the 85 route to Hoboken and local service provided on the 772 route. There is a bus park-and-ride at the northeast corner of Secaucus.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: In the first half of the 20th century the Jersey City, Hoboken and Rutherford Electric Railway operated a trolley line through the then main business district of Secaucus, on Paterson Plank Road from Jersey City and across the Hackensack River to East Rutherford.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: The closest airport with scheduled passenger service is Newark Liberty International Airport, which straddles Newark and Elizabeth. The nearest intercity rail station is Newark Penn Station, a one-seat ride from Secaucus Junction.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: Secaucus is located within the New York media market, with most of its daily papers available for sale or delivery. Local, county and regional news is covered by "The Jersey Journal", the daily newspaper that relocated its offices to Secaucus in 2014 from Jersey City's Journal Square, an area of the city that was named for the newspaper that operated there for 90 years. The "Secaucus Reporter" is part of "The Hudson Reporter" group of local weeklies.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: Locally, Secaucus is covered by weeklies the "River View Observer" and "El Especialito". The town had been served by the "Secaucus Home News", a weekly newspaper that published for 107 years before abruptly shutting down in 2017.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: WWOR-TV, channel 9, is a television station licensed to Secaucus, serving the New York metro area television market as the flagship station of the MyNetworkTV programming service. Its studios and main offices are located in Secaucus. The 1987–1989 talk show "The Morton Downey Jr. Show" was among the WWOR-TV programs filmed in Secaucus.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: The warehouse at 10 Enterprise Avenue was used as the primary filming location for the hospital drama "Mercy", which aired on NBC from 2009 to 2010.


title: Secaucus, New Jersey

text: People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Secaucus include the following: (B) denotes that the person was born there.


title: Emperor Taizu of Song

text: Emperor Taizu of Song (21 March 927 – 14 November 976), personal name Zhao Kuangyin, courtesy name Yuanlang, was the founder and first emperor of the Song dynasty of China. He reigned from 960 until his death in 976. Formerly a distinguished military general of the Later Zhou dynasty, Emperor Taizu came to power after staging a coup d'état and forcing Emperor Gong, the last Later Zhou ruler, to abdicate the throne in his favour.


title: Emperor Taizu of Song

text: During his reign, Emperor Taizu conquered the states of Southern Tang, Later Shu, Southern Han and Jingnan, thus reunifying most of China proper and effectively ending the tumultuous Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. To strengthen his control, he lessened the power of military generals and relied on civilian officials in administration. He was succeeded by his younger brother, Zhao Kuangyi (Emperor Taizong).


title: Emperor Taizu of Song

text: Born in Luoyang to military commander Zhao Hongyin, Zhao Kuangyin grew up excelling in mounted archery. Once, riding an untamed horse without a bridle, he knocked his forehead on the wall above the city gate and fell off, but got right back up and chased the horse, eventually subduing it while going unharmed. In the mid-940s, he married Lady He on his father's arrangement. After wandering around for a few years, in 949 he joined the army of Guo Wei, a "jiedushi" (military governor) of the Later Han dynasty, and helped Guo quell Li Shouzhen's rebellion.


title: Emperor Taizu of Song

text: In 951, Guo Wei rebelled and created the Later Zhou dynasty. Because of his brilliant combat skills, Zhao Kuangyin was promoted to a palace guard commander. Chai Rong (Emperor Shizong of Later Zhou) frequently met Guo Wei and noticed Zhao Kuangyin's potential. Under his command, Zhao Kuangyin was made into a commander of the cavalry units. Under Chai Rong, Zhao Kuangyin's rise to power had begun.


title: Emperor Taizu of Song

text: Zhao Kuangyin's career started at the Battle of Gaoping, against the alliance of the Northern Han and Liao dynasties.


title: Emperor Taizu of Song

text: This rivalry started when Chai Rong ascended the throne and Liu Chong decided to work with the Liao dynasty. In the initial confrontation, the army's right flank, led by Fan Aineng () and He Hui (), was defeated. Looking at the situation, Zhao Kuangyin and Zhang Yongde () led 4000 elite Palace troops to counter the Liao army. Zhao Kuangyin's exhortation for the loyalty to the emperor quickly strengthened morale. The small force held off the larger Liao army until reinforcements arrived. In the end, the successful counter repelled the Northern Han back to Taiyuan.


title: Emperor Taizu of Song

text: The victory raised Zhao Kuangyin up to the post of the grand commander of the palace guards, as well as reorganising and training them. More importantly, he developed the relations with other generals and officials related to the Chief of Palace, including Shi Shouxin, Wang Shenqi (), Yang Guangyi (), Wang Zhengzhong (), Liu Qingyi (), Liu Shouzhong (), Liu Yanrang (), Mi Xin (), Tian Chongjin (), Pan Mei, his brother Zhao Kuangyi, Shen Yilun (), Lu Xuqing, Zhao Pu (), Chu Zhaofu (). Within a few years, Zhao Kuangyin completely controlled the palace guards and even developed a set of officials under him with the people mentioned above.


title: Emperor Taizu of Song

text: Soon, he was promoted to a "jiedushi" (military governor), controlling most of the military power under Chai Rong. Nevertheless, he still had two rivals – Zhang Yongde (Guo Wei's son-in-law) and Li Chongjin (Guo Wei's nephew). In 959, after a trap set by Zhao Kuangyin, Zhang Yongde was demoted. After the death of Chai Rong, the Later Zhou throne was left to his seven-year-old son Guo Zongxun, and the second rival, Li Chongjin, soon found himself lacking the political backing. As a result, Zhao Kuangyin was able to use his influence to transfer Li Chongjin to Yang Prefecture as a "jiedushi".


title: Emperor Taizu of Song

text: In 960, word reached the chancellor Fan Zhi that Northern Han and Liao dynasties were once again allied to invade them again. Without verifying the reliability of the hearsay, Fan Zhi sent Zhao Kuangyin to combat the alliance. After traveling 40 "li", there was a clamour that a "prophet" saw two suns fighting, and that this meant the transfer of the Mandate of Heaven to Zhao Kuangyin. The story effectively spread around the army: there came discontent of the "command" of the young emperor and a shift of loyalty to Zhao Kuangyin. A few days later, when Zhao Kuangyin was drunk in his tent, all the troops had not slept the whole night; they got their weapons and started yelling. Zhao Pu and Zhang Kuangyi, who were guarding the tent, saw the situation and went into the tent to wake up Zhao Kuangyin. When Zhao Kuangyin came out, all the troops yelled, "The army is without a master, we are willing to make the general the new emperor." Allegedly, Zhao Kuangyin took the power reluctantly, only under the urging of his soldiers. The midnight mutiny of officers forcibly urged Zhao Kuangyin to the throne; but, when the officers presented him to the troops as their new commander-in-chief he refused the imperial nomination until they swore unconditional obedience to him as leader. News of the rebellion soon reached the court and chaos erupted. The only person who thought about a resistance was Han Tong, but he was killed by one of Zhao Kuangyin's generals when he reached home.


title: Emperor Taizu of Song

text: Upon entering the capital to take his seat on the throne, Zhao Kuangyin made an executive order prohibiting the troops from looting the city or otherwise violating the rights of the population.


title: Emperor Taizu of Song

text: This coup would allow Zhao Kuangyin to become emperor in 960. With the gates opened for him, he became emperor with no resistance. Before the chancellor Fan Zhi could say anything, one of Zhao Kuangyin's generals pointed a sword at him and said, "We are without masters. Today, we must have an emperor." After the officials looked at each other and knew it was hopeless to resist; they all bowed down. With the court under control, Zhao Kuangyin was officially proclaimed emperor. The new dynasty's name, Song, was inspired by the army Zhao Kuangyin commanded in Song Prefecture.


title: Emperor Taizu of Song

text: After the declaration, Zhao Kuangyin sent the dethroned young emperor Guo Zongxun with his mother to the Western Capital (). He personally ordered the Zhao family to receive the Chai family into their family's care for generations.


title: Emperor Taizu of Song

text: In 960, Zhao Kuangyin helped reunite most of China proper after the fragmentation and rebellion between the fall of the Tang dynasty in 907 and the establishment of the Song dynasty. The plan set during Chai Rong's reign was to first conquer the north, then the south. During Emperor Taizu's reign, there was a change in strategy. He would conquer all the smaller states such as Later Shu, Southern Han and Southern Tang. The exception was the strong Northern Han in the north at Taiyuan supported by the Khitans of the Liao dynasty. Emperor Taizu's strategy was to win over the independent southern states as the south was weaker than the north as the Liao dynasty supported Northern Han.


title: Emperor Taizu of Song

text: In 968, Emperor Taizu personally led the army against the Northern Han. At first, his forces tore through the defences and placed Taiyuan under siege, but was ultimately forced to retreat after he struck against the defences of the Northern Han with the Liao cavalry coming in to support.Emperor Taizu established the core Song Ancestor Rules and Policy for the later Song emperors. He was remembered for his expansion of the imperial examination system such that most of the civil service were recruited through the exams (in contrast to the Tang where less than 10% of the civil servants came through exams). He also created academies that allowed a great deal of freedom of discussion and thought, which facilitated the growth of scientific advance, economic reforms as well as achievements in arts and literature.


title: Emperor Taizu of Song

text: Emperor Taizu is well known for bringing the power of the military under control, ending the era of the warlords, centralizing the state over regional commanders and so preventing anyone else rising to power as he did. Upon becoming emperor, he invited the general officers to a lavish banquet, where he convinced them all to retire as military leaders or accept minor posts, in favour of enjoying extensive estates and generous retirement funds and benefits which he then offered them. At a certain point during the feast, the new emperor made a speech to the military officers assembled there, which he began by expressing his deep gratitude to each and all of them for placing him on the throne, and that now that he had the power to do so, he wished to reward them to the utmost of his ability; then he went on to say that he thought the present company would all understand that he could not feel at ease on his new throne, with them continuing in command of their various armies of troops: and, he said, that if they duly considered the ramifications of the matter, neither would they. He then sincerely promised that they and their families would live in happiness and harmony, if they accepted his offer to retire with the stated benefits: eventually, none of the generals refused his terms, and thus began a period of relative internal peace within the realm for the duration of the Song dynasty which he thus founded, also better securing the military forces for involvement with the rival surrounding empires.


title: Emperor Taizu of Song

text: Many Song and later sources record the story of the "Taizu's Oath", which forbade his successors from killing scholar-officials. However, this story might be a later construct.


title: Emperor Taizu of Song

text: Emperor Taizu reigned for seventeen years and died in 976 at the age of 49. Curiously, he was succeeded by his younger brother, Zhao Kuangyi (Emperor Taizong), even though he had two grown sons – Zhao Dezhao, the Prince of Yan (951–979), and Zhao Defang, the Prince of Qin (959–981). The traditional historical accounts place emphasis on the role Zhao Kuangyin's mother played in the decision which was made shortly after the Song dynasty was proclaimed (around 961). So for nearly his entire reign, it was known and accepted that Zhao Kuangyi would succeed him.


title: Emperor Taizu of Song

text: In folklore, the story known as "shadows by the candle and sounds from an axe" is very popular and suggests that Emperor Taizu was murdered by his brother, who was after the throne. After his death, Taizu was interred at the Yongchang Mausoleum, near Gongyi.


title: Emperor Taizu of Song

text: After Emperor Taizong, the line of succession passed on to his son and descendants rather than those of Emperor Taizu. However, when Emperor Gaozong (1127–1161) failed to produce an heir, he selected a descendant of Emperor Taizu to be his adopted heir to succeed him in 1161. After 1161, all the subsequent Song emperors were descended from Emperor Taizu through his two sons, Zhao Dezhao and Zhao Defang.


title: Emperor Taizu of Song

text: Zhao Kuangyin's family was of fairly modest origins and cannot be traced back with any certainty further than the Later Tang. His great great grandfather Zhao Tiao was an official who served in Zhuozhou in Hebei Province near where the family lived. His descendants Zhao Ting and Zhao Jing also served as local officials in Hebei Province. Zhao Jing's son Zhao Hongyin decided against a civil career and became a military officer instead under Zhuangzong of Later Tang: he knew that in times of disunity it would be a military career that would lead to success.


title: Emperor Taizu of Song

text: The Great Ancestor of the Song sometimes appears as a door god in Chinese and Taoist temples in partnership with Yang Gun.


title: Emperor Taizu of Song

text: The late 16th century novel by Xiong Damu () called "Records of the Two Songs, South and North" () is a historical novel about imperial China from roughly 926 to 1022. The first 50 chapters detail the fall of Later Tang and the rise and fall of Later Jin, Later Han and Later Zhou, with a focus on the legends of Zhao Kuangyin. The last 50 chapters focus on the "Generals of the Yang Family" legends. As a result, the book is in later publications usually split in two separate parts under various different names.


title: Emperor Taizu of Song

text: A 1797 novel written by Wu Xuan () called "Legends of the Flying Dragon" () proved to be very popular in his time. He expanded the stories on Zhao Kuangyin in Xiong Damu's book and added a "wuxia" twist to it. Another novel "Emperor Taizu of Song Thrice Sets off for Southern Tang, Trapped in Shouzhou City" () was written by an "Antiquarian Master" () in 1858.


title: Emperor Taizu of Song

text: While these stories mostly use historical figures as supporting characters, a number of fictional characters became famously associated with Zhao Kuangyin:


title: Emperor Taizu of Song

text: According to martial arts traditional lore, Emperor Taizu created a Shaolin-based fighting style known as "Taizu Changquan" (太祖長拳; literally "Taizu Long Fist"). It is the core style of the present-day Long Fist style. Whether he really did invent this style or if it even dates from this time is not actually known.


title: Emperor Taizu of Song

text: A Chinese 4D film tentatively titled "Unifying the Country" () is planned to be directed by Academy Award–winning Danish director Bille August. The film is said to center on Zhao Kuangyin as well as Li Yu (last ruler of Southern Tang) and Qian Chu (last ruler of Wuyue).


title: Emperor Taizu of Song

text: Three independent television series focused on the complex relationships between Zhao Kuangyin, Li Houzhu (Li Congjia) and the many women in their lives. They are:


title: Narcotics Control Bureau

text: The Narcotics Control Bureau ( NCB) is an Indian central law enforcement and intelligence agency under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. The agency is tasked with combating drug trafficking and the use of illegal substances under the provisions of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.


title: Narcotics Control Bureau

text: Established in 1986, it is responsible for coordination with the Indian state governments and other central departments, implementation of India's international obligations with regard to drug trafficking, and assisting international and foreign drug law enforcement agencies.


title: Narcotics Control Bureau

text: The Narcotics Control Bureau was created on 17 March 1986 to enable the full implementation of The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 and fight its violation through the Prevention of Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988. The law was established to fulfill India's treaty obligations under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. Officers in this organisation are drawn from Indian Revenue Service, Indian Police Service and Paramilitary forces in addition to directly recruited members.


title: Narcotics Control Bureau

text: The Narcotics Control Bureau's national headquarters is located in Delhi, the national capital. Its field units and offices are organised by zones and are located in Mumbai, Indore, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, Lucknow, Jodhpur, Chandigarh, Jammu, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Guwahati and Patna.


title: Narcotics Control Bureau

text: The Director General of NCB is mostly an officer from the Indian Police Service (IPS) or the Indian Revenue Service (IRS). Apart from the direct feeder grade, officers in this organisation are also drawn from Indian Revenue Service, Indian Police Service and other Paramilitary forces.


title: Narcotics Control Bureau

text: The Narcotics Control Bureau is also represented on the Economic Intelligence Council. NCB is affiliated to Home Ministry, which was made responsible for administering The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. The NCB is outside the ambit of the Right to information Act under Section 24(1) of the RTI act 2005.


title: Narcotics Control Bureau

text: The chief purpose of the Narcotics Control Bureau is to fight drug trafficking on an all-India level. It works in close cooperation with the Customs and Central Excise/GST, State Police Department, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB) and other Indian intelligence and law enforcement agencies both at the national and states level. The NCB also provides resources and training to the personnel of India's Drug Law Enforcement Agencies in fighting drug trafficking. The NCB also monitors India's frontiers to track down points where smuggling activities take place with foreign traffickers.


title: Tomodachi Life

text: Tomodachi Life is a social simulation video game developed by Nintendo SPD and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. The game follows the day-to-day interactions of Mii characters (referred to as "islanders") as they build friendships, solve problems, and converse with the player. "Tomodachi Life" is the sequel to the Japan-exclusive Nintendo DS title "Tomodachi Collection".


title: Tomodachi Life

text: It was released in Japan in April 2013, June 2014 in North America, Europe, and Australia, and July 2014 in South Korea. With over 6.71 million copies sold worldwide, it was the eleventh best-selling 3DS game of all time.


title: Tomodachi Life

text: The game received mixed reviews as users praised its gameplay and overall charm, but criticized its simplistic minigames and lack of general user control. With over 400 thousand units sold in Japan in its debut week, the game is widely considered to be a success. "Tomodachi Life" introduced a level of Mii customizability that was expanded upon in future Nintendo games, such as "Miitopia" and the social networking app "Miitomo".


title: Tomodachi Life

text: The game begins with the player naming their island and creating or importing their personal Mii. The Miis are assigned unique personalities based on selections the player makes for the Mii's stats, such as walking speed, speech, and quirkiness. The player will be prompted to give their look-alike with food to eat and a friend to interact with. Afterward, the Town Hall will open, giving access to create more Miis. Miis can perform various actions and many interactions can occur between them, such as friendship, romance, conflicts, and other social events. As the game goes by, the player unlocks more locations, clothes, food, and other things for the Miis to interact with.


title: Tomodachi Life

text: By interacting with the islanders, resolving their problems, and giving gifts, the player will be awarded with in-game currency.


title: Tomodachi Life

text: "Tomodachi Life" is set in real time, and encourages players to interact at different times of the day in order to observe different interactions with islanders. Over time, the islanders will interact and develop friendships with each other at random intervals. If 2 Islanders of the opposite gender and similar age interact, one may confess their love to the other, which upon success, sets them as their "Sweetheart", which can allow for marriage with them after more interaction. Eventually, if a married couple is on the island, the player will receive a phone call from either the mother or the father, informing the player that they had a baby, and allowing the player to name it and edit its face. After this, the married couple may ask the player to babysit the child, which would start a minigame, changing depending on the age of the child. Eventually, the child will grow up, and the player is presented with 2 options. The player can either move the child to the apartments, or send the child off via Streetpass, to appear in other islands.


title: Tomodachi Life

text: Using Streetpass and Spotpass, the player can unlock special items and transport islanders. Nintendo would release free Spotpass items monthly to all players that had Spotpass enabled, which would be purchasable in "Import Wear". On May 16, 2016, the last "Import Item" was released, discontinuing the service. Using Streetpass, the player can choose a specific item to give to players nearby their Nintendo 3DS System, which is also used to transport a married couples child to other islands as a traveler. Using the Nintendo 3DS Image Share service, players can share screenshots taken in game to social networks such as Twitter or Facebook.


title: Tomodachi Life

text: "Tomodachi Life" was originally released as "Tomodachi Collection: New Life" in Japan as the sequel to "Tomodachi Collection". On March 13, 2013, Nintendo announced in their latest Nintendo Direct that along two new special edition 3DS LL colors, a sequel to Tomodachi Collection was soon going to be released to the public. The first color showcased in the direct was a mint white edition 3DS LL, and the second was included as a part of a hardware bundle with Tomodachi Collection: New Life included, designed with the game in mind. In another Nintendo Direct broadcast on April 3, 2013, Nintendo revealed more details related to the 3DS sequel and introduced software used to transfer Mii data from the original game to the sequel called ""Tomodachi Collection: New Life Mii Moving Software"", which could be downloaded from the Nintendo eShop. On April 18, 2013, the game was released in Japan.


title: Tomodachi Life

text: A western release for "Tomodachi Collection: New Life" was heavily considered during and after the game's release in Japan. Satoru Iwata told the Wall Street Journal on January 29, 2014 that "the company is now working on the right balance of localizing Japan-oriented games just enough so that foreign audiences can enjoy them", hinting directly at an overseas launch for the game. Although Nintendo still hadn't announced the release of "Tomodachi Collection: New Life" for regions outside Japan at the time, in late March 2014, Nintendo of Europe launched a survey containing multiple screenshots of what appeared to be localized versions of the game in English, French, and Spanish. Screenshots provided in the survey included localized versions of some gameplay, like player and Mii interactions.


title: Tomodachi Life

text: On April 10, 2014, Nintendo announced in a Nintendo Direct that "Tomodachi Collection: New Life"s localization would be releasing as ""Tomodachi Life"" in North America and Europe. In May 2014, a playable demo of the game was distributed to Platinum members of Club Nintendo in North America, the data of which could be transferred to the final version to unlock a bonus in-game item. The game was bundled with two Nintendo eShop download codes for a 'Welcome version' demo, which could be given to friends. A slightly different demo version was later publicly released for download via the Nintendo eShop, which did not unlock any features in the full game. The next month on June 6, the game was released in both regions.


title: Tomodachi Life

text: Former "Super Metroid" director Yoshio Sakamoto stated "development began when we started thinking about if it was possible to make a DS game which players could not only enjoy inside of the game, but one which could also trigger communication outside of it". Bill Trinen, Senior Director of Product Marketing for Nintendo described the idea of Tomodachi Life's interaction system in an interview with Polygon by using the following scenario: "What if everybody you say in those funny videos on YouTube were actually people that you knew, and those crazy things that were happening were happening to people that you knew?" Trinen also said that Nintendo is "always looking for ways to create gameplay that appeals to the entire world". One of the most difficult challenges for the game was localization, with minigames such as Sumo Wrestling being replaced with "Football" in the US. According to Ryutaro Takahashi, director of the project, "the dialogue of the characters for example is not just simple translation from Japanese; we have reviewed it so that it feels more natural." Trinen remarked that the idea behind developing Tomodachi Life was similar to "Animal Crossing"s development, in which the question "How do you bring those key moments to live in a way that's relevant to the American consumer?'" led the development process.


title: Tomodachi Life

text: On April 10, 2014, Nintendo released a ""Tomodachi Life" Direct" to the official YouTube Channel, featuring the Mii characters of Nintendo's staff, such as Bill Trinen, Reggie Fils-Aimé, and Satoru Iwata, in the style of the game's "Mii News". The "Direct" goes into detail about Tomodachi Life and the idea of creating Mii characters of anyone.


title: Tomodachi Life

text: On the American "Tomodachi Life" website, certain Miis of famous celebrities were shown that could be added into the game with the QR Code's attached to them, such as Taylor Swift and Shaquille O'Neal, each including their own custom clothing.


title: Tomodachi Life

text: "Tomodachi Life" holds a rating of 71/100 on review aggregate site Metacritic, (72.36% on GameRankings) indicating "mixed or average reviews". IGN gave the game a score of 8.4, calling it "a surprisingly funny and rewarding experience", and The New York Times called "Tomodachi Life" "comedic". Polygon gave "Tomodachi Life" a 7.5 out of 10, praising its likeability despite certain aspects being repetitive. GamesRadar gave the game 4 out of 5 stars, praising its weird humor and relaxing gameplay, whilst criticising the minigames for being too simple. GameTrailers gave the game a score of 6.0, stating "the pervasive sense of quirkiness in "Tomodachi Life" works, but can’t sustain the entire game.". Similarly, Martin Robinson with Eurogamer noted ""Tomodachi Life" is a simple, throwaway toy, then - one with plenty of cute tricks, but not quite enough of them to stop you from tossing it aside after a handful of hours."


title: Tomodachi Life

text: The game introduced unique mechanics that were noted for its charm and humor, such as a "dream" state that players could enter when an islander was asleep. According to Takahashi, this would have been difficult to implement in the west without the westernization.


title: Tomodachi Life

text: "Tomodachi Life" was a best seller in the Japanese video game market during the week of its release, selling about 404,858 units. By September 2014, its global sales reached 3.12 million units. , Nintendo has sold 6.71 million units of the game worldwide, which made it one of the top 10 best selling games on the 3DS.


title: Tomodachi Life

text: Following the announcement of a worldwide release, controversy arose concerning the impossibility of same-sex relationships. In May 2013, a rumor emerged that a bug in the original Japanese version of the game that enabled such relationships was patched by Nintendo. This was refuted by Nintendo in a statement made April 2014, explaining that same-sex relationships were never possible, and in fact a different issue was fixed. In reality, fans had been making their Miis appear to be a different gender, which, while a workaround, did not change the Miis' pronouns. Fans were angered by the lack of such relationships, starting campaigns to add in the option.


title: Tomodachi Life

text: Despite this, Nintendo stated that it would not be possible to add same-sex relationships to the game, as they "never intended to make any form of social commentary with the launch of the game", and because it would require significant development alterations which would not be able to be released as a post-game patch. The company later apologized and stated that if they were to create a third game in the series they would "strive to design a gameplay experience from the ground up that is more inclusive, and better represents all players."


title: Tomodachi Life

text: A stage based on "Tomodachi Life" appears in "Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS" and "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate".


title: Tomodachi Life

text: "Miitomo", a social networking mobile app for iOS and Android devices, was released in March 2016. The app was created by the same core team who developed "Tomodachi Life", and features very similar ideas. "Miitomo" was discontinued on May 9, 2018.


title: Tomodachi Life

text: "Miitopia", a role-playing game which similarly uses Miis as in-game characters, was released for the 3DS in Japan in 2016, followed by a worldwide release the next year. In a Nintendo Direct on February 17, 2021, it was announced that an enhanced port of "Miitopia" was being made for on the Nintendo Switch. This port was later released on May 21, 2021.


title: Pilatus Aircraft

text: Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. is an aerospace manufacturer located in Stans, Switzerland. In June 2016, the company employed 1,905 people.


title: Pilatus Aircraft

text: The company has mostly produced aircraft for niche markets, in particular short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft as well as military training aircraft. During the 1950s and 1960s, Pilatus developed a short takeoff and landing (STOL) light civil transport aircraft, the PC-6 Porter. During 1973, it was decided to restart work on the PC-7 programme and it entered production as the PC-7 Turbo Trainer. In 1979, Pilatus acquired Britten-Norman, manufacturer of the Britten-Norman Islander and Britten-Norman Defender aircraft. During the 1980s, it developed the PC-9, an improved derivative of the PC-7.


title: Pilatus Aircraft

text: During the 1990s, Pilatus opened up a broader civilian market with the introduction of the PC-12, a single-engine turboprop aircraft and has delivered 1,800 as of April 2021. In the 2000s, it also introduced a new member family of its military training aircraft, the turboprop-powered PC-21. During the 2010s, the company developed the PC-24, a twin-engined STOL jet aircraft capable of operating from unpaved runways.


title: Pilatus Aircraft

text: The company was established on 10 December 1939 by the armament company Oerlikon-Bührle, and construction of a new production building started in March 1940. The company was formed to do maintenance and repairs for the Swiss Air Force. The first venture of the new company was the assembly of EKW C-35 reconnaissance biplanes from spare parts, along with overhaul work on other types.


title: Pilatus Aircraft

text: The first design project was a single-seat trainer, designated the P-1, although it was abandoned before being built. The next project was the construction of the SB-2 Pelican which had been designed by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology. The SB-2 first flew on 30 May 1944 only one of the five-seat light transports were built.


title: Pilatus Aircraft

text: In 1942, the company won a contract from the Swiss military to modify 33 EKW C-3603. Following on from the abandoned P-1 design, the company started again on the development of a two-seat trainer, designated the P-2. The P-2 first flew on 27 April 1945, and the company won an order for the Swiss Air Force.


title: Pilatus Aircraft

text: During 1945, the company produced a prototype single-engined light transport, designated the P-4. It made its first flight on 22 March 1948, but only one P-4 was ultimately completed. During the late 1940s, the company produced a number of wooden glider designs, and also handled the production of fuselages and tail-booms for the licence-produced De Havilland Vampire and Venom.


title: Pilatus Aircraft

text: During 1951, the company worked on the P-5, a design project for an artillery observation aircraft, but it was not built. The P-3 was put into quantity production for the Swiss Air Force, and the company also achieved its first export success with the type: an order for six P-3s by the Brazilian Navy.


title: Pilatus Aircraft

text: During 1958, Pilatus began design work on a short takeoff and landing (STOL) light civil transport aircraft which emerged as the PC-6 Porter; this aircraft first flew on 4 May 1959. The Porter was also manufactured under license by Fairchild Hiller in the United States. Roughly 100 of these licence-produced aircraft would be completed, being mainly purchased by civil operators within the US.


title: Pilatus Aircraft

text: The initial turbine-powered models of the PC-6 were equipped with the Astazou II powerplant, however complaints of the reliability of this engine were made. Another early turboprop powerplant that became available for the PC-6 was the Garrett Air Research TPE 331. Some operators such as Air America chose to retrofit their Astazou II-powered PC-6s with the TPE 331 engine in its place. Both the piston and turbine-engine versions of the PC-6 became quickly known for their Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) capabilities, requiring only a very short takeoff run before being ready for rotation prior to taking off.


title: Pilatus Aircraft

text: Furthermore, during 1965, a twin-engined variant of the PC-6 was built as the PC-8 Twin Porter, although it first flew on 15 November 1967, the aircraft remained an experimental and one-off type, and development was stopped in 1972. Another project, the PC-10, a 16-passenger twin-engined transport, was also kicked off by the company; however, it was not ultimately put into production.


title: Pilatus Aircraft

text: In 1966, a turboprop-powered variant of the P-3 was flown, and was designated the PC-7. This aircraft was lost in a crash, leading to development of the type being put on hold until the 1970s. The termination of work was reportedly driven by a lack of market interest at that time.


title: Pilatus Aircraft

text: In a departure from the production of trainers and Porters, the company bought the rights to the all-metal B-4 glider; Pilatus re-designed the B-4 for easier production and redesignated at the B-4/PC-11. The PC-11 first flew on 5 May 1972 and the company went on to build 322.


title: Pilatus Aircraft

text: During 1973, it was decided to restart work on the PC-7 programme; factors for its revival had included the 1973 oil crisis, the launch of the rival Beechcraft T-34C Turbo-Mentor, and the increasing age of existing trainer aircraft. In 1975, a further PC-7 prototype was flown; following further development, it entered production as the PC-7 Turbo Trainer. On 12 August 1978, the first production standard aircraft made its first flight; on 5 December of that year, Switzerland's Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) issued civil certification for the PC-7. Over time, sales of the PC-7 generated considerable profits, allowing the company to finance the development of further types of aircraft.


title: Pilatus Aircraft

text: In 1979, Pilatus acquired Britten-Norman, constructor of the Britten-Norman Islander and Britten-Norman Defender aircraft; this move led to the business being restructured as the "Pilatus Britten-Norman company". Shortly thereafter, production activity on the Islander/Defender family was transferred to its Bembridge. Under the new company's direction, new features were installed upon the Islander over the years, such as the fitting of silencers upon both the aircraft's engine and propellers to better facilitate operations in noise-sensitive environments.


title: Pilatus Aircraft

text: During 1982, development of an improved variant of the PC-7 was started, it emerged as the Pilatus PC-9 in 1984. It retained the overall layout of its predecessor, but the aircraft had very little structural commonality with it. Amongst other improvements, the PC-9 features a larger cockpit with stepped ejection seats and also has a ventral airbrake. Certification was achieved in September 1985.


title: Pilatus Aircraft

text: Development of what was to become the company's best selling type, the Pilatus PC-12, was started in 1987, a single-engined turboprop transport that could carry up to twelve passengers or freight. In October 1989, Pilatus announced the development of the PC-12 at the annual convention of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA).


title: Pilatus Aircraft

text: The prototype PC-12 was flown on 31 May 1991. On 30 March 1994, the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation issued the type certificate for the PC-12; The first "PC-12 Eagle" surveillance aircraft was built in 1995, further developments led to the "PC-12 Spectre"; amongst other customers, it was adopted by the United States Air Force as the "U-28A". Since entering service, Pilatus developed a large number of improvements and options upon the original PC-12 model; changes include increases in the maximum takeoff weight, the use of increasingly powerful engines, the adoption of new avionics, noise-reduction measures, new propellers, speed and range increases, additional interiors and new inflight entertainment systems.


title: Pilatus Aircraft

text: During 1997, "TSA Transairco SA" of Geneva was acquired by Pilatus. In 1998, "Pilatus Australia Pty Ltd" was established, while Britten-Norman was sold.


title: Pilatus Aircraft

text: To further its family of military training aircraft, the turboprop PC-21 was developed and first flown in 2002. A key aim for the PC-21 was to allow jet aircraft pilots to perform the majority of their training using the type before converting to jet-powered types, allowing operators to make substantial savings. In order to achieve this aim, the new trainer was required to have an expanded performance envelope in terms of aerodynamics, cockpit equipment, flexibility, and ease of maintenance. In May 2002, Pilatus announced that it aimed for the PC-21 to capture 50% of the global trainer aircraft market between 2005 and 2030.


title: Pilatus Aircraft

text: In December 2000, the owners Unaxis (previously called Oerlikon-Bührle) sold Pilatus to a consortium of Swiss investors. During July 2010, the company delivered its 1,000 PC-12.


title: Pilatus Aircraft

text: In 2013, Pilatus created a new overseas entity, "Pilatus Aircraft Industry (China) Co., Ltd", to manufacture both the PC-6 and PC-12 aircraft in Chongqing, China; this company was run as a joint partnership between Pilatus and Beijing Tian Xing Jian Yu Science Co., Ltd. In 2014, the majority of PC-6s delivered that year were to Chinese customers. By April 2016, around 20 PC-6s were in operation in the Chinese market; the type has often been used to replace the Antonov An-2, being reportedly cheaper to operate.


title: Pilatus Aircraft

text: The PC-24 was designed based on feedback from PC-12 customers, who desired increased range and speed, but wanted to retain the PC-12's ability to use very short runways. The design program was first mentioned by Pilatus in its May 2011 annual report. On 21 May 2013, the PC-24 was introduced to the public at the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva. At the event, Pilatus chairman Oscar Schwenk claimed the PC-24 did not fit into any existing business jet categories, and stated that the aircraft was the only one that combined "...the versatility of a turboprop with the cabin size of a medium light jet, and the performance of a light jet". The rollout of the first PC-24, "HB-VXA", was on 1 August 2014, Switzerland's national day; the aircraft's first flight was on 11 May 2015.


title: Pilatus Aircraft

text: During 2018, Pilatus' general aviation division delivered 128 aircraft: 80 PC-12s, 27 PC-21s, 3 PC-6s and 18 PC-24s and its revenue was 1.1 billion Swiss francs (SFr.) ($1.0 billion) while order intake for the year was $980 million, boosting the company’s backlog to $2.07 billion. That same year, the company announced the closure of the orderbook for the PC-6 during summer 2018; the last example of the type was completed during early 2019 while parts production is set to continue for at least 20 years.


title: Pilatus Aircraft

text: At the end of 2019, Pilatus recorded revenues of Swfr1.2 billion, which was principally generated via the delivery of 134 aircraft: 40 PC-24s, 83 PC-12NGs, and 11 PC-21s. This compared with revenues of SFr1.1 billion in 2018 on deliveries of 128 aircraft: 18 PC-24s, 80 PC-12NGs, 27 PC-21s and three PC-6s. As of May 2020,the company's backlog stood at $2.1 billion.


title: Pilatus Aircraft

text: Pilatus Aircraft has its headquarters, along with a production plant, on the Buochs Airport in the Swiss canton of Nidwalden. The headquarters and plant are in the municipality of Stans.


title: Pilatus Aircraft

text: The company's wartime founding called for a location far from Switzerland's borders and right up against a ridge of Mount Pilatus. Original plans actually called for the factory to be built inside the mountain.


title: Pilatus Aircraft

text: Besides its day-to-day role as an aircraft factory, the Stans plant is perhaps best known for its use as a location for the film "Goldfinger", particularly the exterior shots in which James Bond crashes his DB5 and is captured.


title: Pilatus Aircraft

text: Besides its Stans plant, the Pilatus Group has operations in Adelaide, South Australia and in Broomfield, Colorado.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: The Amsterdam Metro () is a rapid transit system serving Amsterdam, Netherlands, and extending to the surrounding municipalities of Diemen and Ouder-Amstel. Until 2019 it also served the municipality of Amstelveen but this route was closed and converted into a tram line. The network is owned by the City of Amsterdam and operated by municipal public transport company Gemeente Vervoerbedrijf (GVB) which also operates trams, free ferries and local buses.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: The metro system consists of five routes and serves 39 stations, with a total length of . Three routes start at Amsterdam Centraal: Route 53 and Route 54 connect the city centre with the suburban residential towns of Diemen, Duivendrecht and Amsterdam-Zuidoost (the city's southeastern borough), while Route 51 first runs south and then follows a circular route connecting the southern and western boroughs. Route 50 connects Zuidoost to the Amsterdam-West borough using a circular line, which it shares with Route 51. It is the only route that does not cross the city centre. A fifth route, Route 52, running from the Amsterdam-Noord ("north") borough to Amsterdam-Zuid ("south") via Amsterdam Centraal, came into operation on 21 July 2018. As opposed to the other routes, it runs mostly through bored tunnels and does not share tracks with any other route.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: The first plans for an underground railway in Amsterdam date from the 1920s: in November 1922, members of the municipal council of Amsterdam Zeeger Gulden and Emanuel Boekman asked the responsible alderman Ter Haar to study the possibility of constructing an underground railway in the city, in response to which the municipal department of Public Works drafted reports with proposals for underground railways in both 1923 and 1929. These plans stalled in the planning phase, however, and it took until the 1950s for the discussion about underground rail to resurface again in Amsterdam.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: The post-war population boom and increase in motorized traffic shifted the perception of underground rail transport in Amsterdam considerably: whereas in the 1920s, underground rail had been considered too expensive, halfway through the 1950s it was presented as a realistic solution to the problems caused by increased traffic. In 1955, a report published by the municipal government concerning the inner city of Amsterdam—known by the Dutch title "Nota Binnenstad"—suggested to install a commission to explore solutions to the traffic problems Amsterdam faced. This commission, which was headed by former director of the department of Public Works J.W. Clerx, was subsequently installed in March 1956, and published its report "Openbaar vervoer in de agglomeratie Amsterdam" in 1960.


title: Amsterdam Metro

text: The aldermen and mayor of Amsterdam agreed with the conclusion of the report of the Clerx commission that an underground railway network ought to be built in Amsterdam in the near future. In April 1963 they installed the "Bureau Stadsspoorweg" which had the task to study the technical feasibility of a metropolitan railway, to propose a route network, to suggest the preferred order of construction of the various lines, and to study the adverse effects of constructing a metro line, such as traffic disruption and the demolition of buildings.