OpenLLM-France/wikimedia huggingface dataset:
# BLKBOK

Charles Wilson III, known professionally as BLKBOK, is an American pianist and composer. His stage name is a stylization of "Black Bach".

## Early years

Born in Detroit, BLKBOK grew up on the city's west side and attended Ann Arbor Trail Middle School. He attended Cass Tech High School for two years and then attended the Detroit School of Arts. He displayed musical talent at an early age and began studying piano at age six. He studied for several years with piano instructor Toma Schwartz of Lathrup Village, Michigan. By age eight, he was an acclaimed prodigy and won college-level competitions. He trained for over 10 years in classical piano and has been described as a "genre-bending pianist".

## Career

After high school, BLKBOK moved to Florida where he attended Full Sail University. He gained acclaim for his talent as a pianist and toured with Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, John Mayer, Demi Lovato, and the Backstreet Boys. He also worked as a studio musician with Timbaland and played in the Cirque du Soleil production of Michael Jackson: One.
BLKBOK began his individual recording career with an EP titled CVRART, which contained "classically infused renditions" of popular music by Drake, Cardi B, and others.
BLKBOK adopted his stage name during the COVID-19 pandemic while working on his first album. The album, Black Book, was released in June 2021. The album was well reviewed and was featured at the first Juneteenth Foundation Freedom Concert in Washington, D.C.
In 2022, BLKBOK collaborated with astronaut Michael López Alegría to perform his song “Stars (Ad Astra)" in the first ever piano duet between an astronaut in space and a musician on earth. The performance, which was, in their words, intended to "encourage a dialogue about music and education in general, and to highlight the importance of STEAM as an educational discipline,” was followed by BLKBOK’s performance of a rendition of Elton John’s “Rocket Man” in dedication to López Alegría.
BLKBOK's second album, 9, was released in 2023. Its title is a reference to the Little Rock Nine. The album includes spoken-word contributions from Felicia Thomas. The work has been described as "a fresh spin on classical music" that "offers some lessons of hope and love for our troubled world".
He has composed and performed classical piano music about Michelle Obama, the murder of George Floyd, the Little Rock Nine, The Negro Motorist Green Book, and other aspects of black American history. He cites as his influences artists as varied as Mozart and Mos Def.
# Stanley Ohajuruka

Stanley U. Ohajuruka is a Nigerian politician. He served as a two-term member and Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly.

## Political career

Ohajuruka represented the Ikwuano, Umuahia North, and Umuahia South federal constituencies of Abia State in the 6th National Assembly as a member of the House of Representatives. He was succeeded in this position by Samuel Ifeanyi Onuigbo. He was also appointed Acting Governor of Abia State at one point during his political career.
In December 2024, Ohajuruka was appointed by President Bola Tinubu as Executive Director for Finance on the Board of the South-East Development Commission (SEDC).
# Daniel Florentin Popescu

Daniel Florentin Popescu (born 25 August 1993) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper.
# WLXO

WLXO (105.5 FM, "105.5 Hank FM") is a radio station with a classic country format. Licensed to Mount Sterling, Kentucky, United States, the station serves the Lexington-Fayette metro area. The station is currently owned by Clarity Communications, Inc.

## History

The station was assigned the call letters WMST-FM and signed on May 28, 1968, as an adjunct to WMST (1150 AM). On October 19, 2000, the station changed its call sign to WMKJ with an oldies format known as "Magic 105.5", playing music of the 1960s and 70s.
On May 7, 2010, 105.5 rebranded as "Rewind 105.5" with 1970s and 1980s classic hits. This was not a major musical change for the station, but resulted in the station dropping most of the music of the 1960s, although some remains. The call letters were changed to WWRW, which used to be the call letters of a radio station licensed to Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin from 1968 to 1994 (now WGLX).
On March 9, 2020, iHeart sold WWRW to Clarity Communications for $340,000. The sale was consummated on September 3, 2020.
On October 1, 2020, Clarity Communications dropped the classic hits format from WWRW and began broadcasting Christmas music as “Christmas 105.5“. WWRW had been redirecting listeners to WGKS, which had changed to broadcase classic hits on September 22. On December 25 at Noon, WWRW flipped to classic country, assuming the format of WLXO, as "105.5 Hank FM", the two stations simulcasting until WLXO introduces its own format at a later date. The WLXO call sign moved to 105.5 on June 14, 2021.
# List of Dewans of Mysore

The following lists the dalvoys and dewans of Mysore from the 18th century to the 20th.
Prime Ministers of Mysore :
| No. | Name | Tenure | Term |
| Dalvoys of Mysore Kingdom (1732–1782) ||||||
| Under Chamaraja Wodeyar VII (1732–1734) ||||||
| | Devarajaiya Urs | 1732 - 1734 | |
| Under Krishnaraja Wodeyar II (1734–1766) ||||||
| | Devarajaiya Urs | 1734 - 1761 | |
| | Hyder Ali | 1761 - 1766 | |
| Under Nanjaraja Wodeyar (1766–1770) ||||||
| | Hyder Ali | 1766 - 1770 | |
| Under Chamaraja Wodeyar VIII (1770–1776) ||||||
| | Hyder Ali | 1770 - 1776 | |
| Under Chamaraja Wodeyar IX (1776–1782) ||||||
| | Hyder Ali | 1776 - 1782 | |
| Dewans of Mysore Kingdom (1782–1949) ||||||
| Under Chamaraja Wodeyar IX ||||||
| 1 | Purnaiah | Dec 1782 - May 1799 | 1 |
| Under Krishnaraja Wadiyar III (1799–1881) ||||||
| (1) | Purnaiah | May 1799 - Apr 1811 | 2 |
| 2 | Bargir Bakshi Balaji Rao | Apr 1811 - Jan 1812 | 1 |
| 3 | Savar Bakshi Rama Rao | Feb 1812 - Oct 1817 | 1 |
| 4 | Babu Rao | Nov 1817 - Apr 1818 | 1 |
| 5 | Siddharaj Urs | May 1818 - Feb 1820 | 1 |
| (4) | Babu Rao | Mar 1820 - Aug 1821 | 2 |
| 6 | Lingaraj Urs | Nov 1821 - Nov 1822 | 1 |
| (4) | Babu Rao | Dec 1822 - Nov 1825 | 3 |
| - | (None) | Nov 1825 - May 1827 | - |
| 7 | Venkata Urs | May 1827 - Oct 1831 | 1 |
| 8 | Venkataramanaiya | Oct 1831 - May 1832 | 1 |
| (4) | Babu Rao | May 1832 - Aug 1834 | 4 |
| 9 | Kollam Venkata Rao | Apr 1834 - 1838 | 1 |
| 10 | Surappaya | 1838 - 1840 | 1 |
| (9) | Kollam Venkata Rao | 1840 - 1844 | 2 |
| 11 | Kola Krishnama Naidu | 1844 - 1858 | 1 |
| 12 | Kola Vijayarangam Naidu | 1858 - 1864 | 1 |
| 13 | Arunachala Mudaliar | 1864 - 1866 | 1 |
| | (None) | 1866 - 1868 | - |
| Under British Crown (1881–1894) ||||||
| | (None) | 1868 - 20 Mar 1881 | - |
| Under Chamarajendra Wadiyar X (1881–1894) ||||||
| 14 | C. V. Rungacharlu | Mar 1881 - Jan 1883 | 1 |
| 15 | K. Seshadri Iyer | Jan 1883 - Dec 1894 | 1 |
| Under Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV (1894–1940) ||||||
| (15) | K. Seshadri Iyer | Dec 1894 - Aug 1900 | (1) |
| [15] | T. R. A. Thumboo Chetty(acting for Iyer) | Aug 1900 - Mar 1901 | 1 |
| 16 | P. N. Krishnamurti | Mar 1901 - Jun 1906 | 1 |
| 17 | V. P. Madhava Rao | Jun 1906 - Mar 1909 | 1 |
| 18 | T. Ananda Rao | Apr 1909 - Sep 1912 | 1 |
| 19 | M. Visvesvaraya | Nov 1912 - Dec 1918 | 1 |
| 20 | M. Kantaraj Urs | Dec 1918 - Feb 1922 | 1 |
| 21 | A. R. Banerjee | Mar 1922 - Apr 1926 | 1 |
| 22 | Mirza Ismail | May 1926 - Aug 1940 | 1 |
| Under Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar (1940-1950) ||||||
| (22) | Mirza Ismail | Aug 1940 - 1941 | (1) |
| 23 | M. N. Krishna Rao | 1941 - 1941 | 1 |
| 24 | N. Madhava Rao | 1941 - 1946 | 1 |
| 25 | A. R. Mudaliar | 1946 - 1949 | 1 |
| Chief Ministers of Karnataka ||||||
| List of chief ministers of Karnataka ||||||
# Robbie McDaid (footballer, born 1996)

Robbie McDaid (born 23 October 1996) is a Northern Irish footballer who plays as a striker for Linfield.

## Early life

McDaid was born in 1996 in Northern Ireland. He is a native of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.

## Career

In 2017, McDaid signed for Northern Irish side Glentoran. In 2022, he signed for Northern Irish side Linfield.
McDaid mainly operates as a striker. He operated as a winger while playing for Northern Irish side Glentoran.

## Personal life

McDaid is the son of a Northern Irish footballer. He has worked as a teacher for disabled children.

## Career Statistics
### Club

    As of 9 August 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National Cup | National Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Continental | Continental | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Glenavon | 2012-13 | NIFL Premiership | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 0 |
| Glenavon | 2013-14 | NIFL Premiership | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 2 |
| Glenavon | Total | Total | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | 2 |
| Lincoln City (loan) | 2015-16 | National League | 16 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 16 | 4 |
| York City | 2016-17 | National League | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Chorley | 2016-17 | National League North | 10 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 1 |
| Glentoran | 2017-18 | NIFL Premiership | 34 | 10 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 36 | 10 |
| Glentoran | 2018-19 | NIFL Premiership | 32 | 13 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 34 | 14 |
| Glentoran | 2019-20 | NIFL Premiership | 29 | 15 | 4 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 33 | 21 |
| Glentoran | 2020-21 | NIFL Premiership | 30 | 12 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | 32 | 14 |
| Glentoran | 2021-22 | NIFL Premiership | 29 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 10 |
| Glentoran | Total | Total | 154 | 55 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 171 | 69 |
| Linfield | 2022-23 | NIFL Premiership | 24 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 8 |
| Linfield | 2023-24 | NIFL Premiership | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| Linfield | 2024-25 | NIFL Premiership | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| Linfield | Total | Total | 24 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 8 |
| Career Total | Career Total | Career Total | 220 | 68 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 250 | 84 |
* ↑ Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
* ↑ Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa Conference League
* ↑ Four appearances in UEFA Champions League, One appearance in UEFA Europa League, Two appearances in UEFA Europa League
* ↑ Appearance(s) in Scottish Challenge Cup
# Puerto Rico Highway 32

Puerto Rico Highway 32 (PR-32) is an urban road in Caguas, Puerto Rico. This road goes from PR-1 in Bairoa to PR-172 in Turabo, east of downtown, and it is known as Avenida Luis Muñoz Marín.

## Major intersections

The entire route is located in Caguas.
| Location | km | mi | Destinations | Notes |
| Cañaboncito–Turabo line | 0.0 | 0.0 | PR-172 (Avenida Pino) to PR-52 (Autopista Luis A. Ferré) – Cidra, San Juan, Ponce | Southern terminus of PR-32 |
| Turabo | 0.3 | 0.19 | PR-1 (Avenida José Gautier Benítez) – Caguas, Cayey | |
| Turabo | 1.5 | 0.93 | PR-Calle San Carlos – Caguas | |
| Turabo | 2.1 | 1.3 | PR-34 (Avenida Extensión Federico Degetau) – Caguas | |
| Caguas barrio-pueblo | 2.6 | 1.6 | PR-Bulevar Cristóbal Colón – Caguas | |
| Caguas barrio-pueblo | 2.9 | 1.8 | PR-183 – Caguas, San Lorenzo | |
| Caguas barrio-pueblo | 3.3 | 2.1 | PR-Calle San Andrés – Caguas | |
| Tomás de Castro | 4.0 | 2.5 | PR-Calle Doctor Pedro Gerónimo Goyco – Caguas | |
| Caguas barrio-pueblo | 4.9 | 3.0 | PR-189 – Caguas, Gurabo, Humacao | |
| Bairoa | 5.5 | 3.4 | To PR-30 (Expreso Cruz Ortiz Stella) / PR-Avenida Rafael Cordero – Caguas, Gurabo, Humacao | |
| Bairoa | 6.4 | 4.0 | PR-Avenida José Garrido – Caguas | |
| Caguas barrio-pueblo | 7.2 | 4.5 | PR-1 to PR-30 (Expreso Cruz Ortiz Stella) / PR-52 (Autopista Luis A. Ferré) – Caguas, San Juan, Humacao | Northern terminus of PR-32 |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi |||||
# Dominik Brunnhübner

Dominik Brunnhübner (born 29 August 1990) is a German former football goalkeeper.

## Career

On 30 May 2016, Brunnhübner extended his contract with Würzburger Kickers until 2018.
# Ionuț Rada (footballer, born 1990)

Ionuț Constantin Rada (born 16 March 1990 in Târgu Jiu) is a Romanian footballer who plays as a defender.

## Honours
### Club
#### Pandurii

* Liga I: runner-up 2013
# WMBG

WMBG (740 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed in Williamsburg, Virginia, serving the Virginia Peninsula. WMBG is owned and operated by Gregory H. Granger. It airs local news and talk, as well as a mix of adult standards, oldies, and classic hits formats.
The station operates with 500 watts omnidirectional by day. But because 740 is a clear-channel frequency reserved for Class A CFZM Toronto, WMBG must reduce power to 7 watts at night to avoid interference.
WMBG programming is simulcast full time on an FM translator station, W228DX, 93.5 MHz.

## History

On November 14, 1959, the station first signed on as WBCI. The station was owned by the Williamsburg Broadcasting Company.
# Ashanti–Fante War

The Ashanti–Fante War (1806–1807) was a war fought between the Ashanti Empire and the Fante Confederacy in the region of what is currently the Republic of Ghana.

## Background and the course of the war

In 1806, the Asantehene, Osei Bonsu, brought charges of grave robbing on some of his subjects who ran from Kumasi to Assin. Fleeing Ashanti lands, these suspected grave robbers were granted refuge by the Fante. Osei Bonsu sent out envoys to the Fante state of Abura for harboring fugitives. The last envoys were murdered by the Fante. Osei Bonsu declared war in response. The Ashanti sacked Abura in May 1806. The Ashanti later attacked the British fort at Anomabu on 15 June 1807 for protecting the Ashanti fugitives who had fled there. 8000 of the 1500 Fante at Anomabu were slain by 16 June. The Ashanti tried to capture the British fort with significant losses. British governor Torrane surrendered the fort to the Ashanti siege and diplomatic reconciliation took place between Torrane and Osei Bonsu on 25 June. The surviving Fante chiefs swore allegiance to the Asantehene.

## Aftermath of war

Ashanti–Fante War breaks out
This war, also known as the Ghana War, begins between the Ashanti associate degree Fante Confederacies of present–day Ghana. The Ashanti had resisted any attempt by Europeans, chiefly the British, to colonize them, and aligned themselves with the Dutch to limit British influence within the region. However, the British still annexed neighboring areas, together with the Fante, and also the subsequent conflicts eventually increased into the war of 1806, during which the Ashanti were victorious. In 1811, the Ga–Fante War sees the defeat of the Ashanti, though they still capture a British fort. In 1814 the Ashanti launch an invasion of the Gold Coast, totally routing the tribes allied with the Europeans.
First Anglo-Ashanti War begins in West Africa War begins between the United Kingdom and the Ashanti. With the occurrence of the Ashanti–Fante War in 1806, the groups that had been allied with the Fante people against the Ashanti like the Ga people, leading a series of wars, and the Ashanti, allied with the Dutch, tried to limit European, particularly British power within the region of the Gold Coast. A series of forts were designed by the British Government in the region from 1821 and the Ashanti planned to invade and capture. In 1824 their forces surrounded a smaller army of around 1,000 British troops under the governor of West Africa, General Sir Charles McCarthy (?–1824) at Accra, defeating them and forcing the suicide of a humiliated McCarthy. The series of correct wars between the Fante people and Ashanti begins in 1826, ending with a pact in 1831, however breaking out once more in 1873.
# 2016 Independence Cup (Bangladesh)

The 2016 Independence Cup also known as KFC Independence Cup due to the sponsorship from KFC is the 7th edition of the tournament. A total of 12 teams completing in this tournament. Dhaka Mohammedan was the winner of previous edition of the tournament.

## Venues

* Dhaka
* Bangabandhu National Stadium
* Capacity: 36,000

## Group stage

The twelve participants were divided into two groups. The top two teams for each group qualified for the semifinals.

### Group A

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 2 | +10 | 13 |
| Chittagong Abahani | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 7 | +2 | 10 |
| Muktijoddha Sangsad KC | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 9 |
| Dhaka Mohammedan | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 8 | +2 | 6 |
| Brothers Union | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 11 | −6 | 6 |
| Uttar Baridhara SC | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 10 | −9 | 0 |

### Group B

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Sheikh Russel KC | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 10 |
| Dhaka Abahani | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 3 | +6 | 9 |
| Team BJMC | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 8 | +1 | 7 |
| Rahmatganj MFS | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 5 |
| Sheikh Moni Arambagh KS | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 4 |
| Feni Soccer Club | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 11 | −7 | 3 |

## Knockout stage

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| 3 May | 3 May |
| Sheikh Jamal DC | 0 |
| Sheikh Jamal DC | 0 | 7 May | 7 May |
| Dhaka Abahani | 6 | 7 May | 7 May |
| Dhaka Abahani | 6 | Dhaka Abahani | 0 |
| 4 May | 4 May | | Dhaka Abahani | 0 |
| 4 May | 4 May | Chittagong Abahani | 2 |
| Chittagong Abahani | 1(4) | Chittagong Abahani | 2 |
| Sheikh Russel KC | 1(2) | | |

### Final
## Top scorers

| No. | Name | Club | Goals |
| 1. | Sunday Chizoba | Dhaka Abahani | 6 |
| 2. | Fikru Teferra | Sheikh Russel KC | 6 |
| 3. | Eleta Kingsley | Team BJMC | 6 |
| 4. | Wedson Anselme | Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club | 5 |
| 5. | Kolo Musa | Muktijoddha Sangsad KC | 5 |
# List of post-nominal letters (Mauritius)

Post-nominal letters in Mauritius include the following. Mauritians received British honours until the 1992 New Year Honours, which also included knighthoods. Mauritius became a republic on 12 March 1992.
| Office | Post-nominal |
| Grand Commander of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean | GCSK |
| Grand Officer of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean | GOSK |
| Commander of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean | CSK |
| Officer of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean | OSK |
| Member of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean | MSK |
| Companions of the President's Distinguished Service Medal | PDSM |
| Companions of the President's Meritorious Service Medal | PMSM |
| Companions of the President's Badge of Honour | PBH |
| Companions of the President's Certificate of Honour | PCH |
| President's Long Service and Good Conduct Medal | PLSG |
| Mauritius Police Medal for Meritorious Service (1968–1992) (Dominion of Mauritius | MPM |
| Senior Counsel | SC (since 1992) - replaces Queen's (or King's Counsel). |
| School Certificate holder | SC |
| Higher School Certificate | HSC |
| British honours ||
| Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George | GCMG |
| Knight/Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George | KCMG |
| Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George | CMG |
| Knight Bachelor | Kt |
# George Tudoran

George Tudoran is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a centre midfielder for Cetatea Turnu Măgurele.

## Club career

Tudoran made his professional debut playing for Rapid București on 29 August 2015 in a match against CS Balotești. He scored a goal in his debut.

## Honours

Rapid București
* Liga II: 2015–16
# WMBJ

WMBJ (88.3 FM, "HIS Radio") is a radio station licensed to serve Murrells Inlet, South Carolina. The station is owned by Radio Training Network, Inc. It airs a Christian radio format. In addition to simulcast and syndicated programming, WMBJ airs programming from local churches.
The station was assigned the WMBJ call letters by the Federal Communications Commission on November 18, 1999.

## Translators

| Call sign | Frequency | City of license | FID | ERP (W) | Class | FCC info |
| W203BQ | 88.5 FM FM | Walterboro, SC | 154665 | 30 | D | LMS |
| W227BK | 93.3 FM FM | Surfside Beach, SC | 156477 | 27 | D | LMS |
| W238BI | 95.5 FM FM | Georgetown, SC | 156519 | 10 | D | LMS |
# Radhi, Bhutan

Radhi (also Radi) is a village in eastern Bhutan, in the district of Trashigang.
27°22′01″N 91°41′35″E﻿ / ﻿27.367°N 91.693°E﻿ / 27.367; 91.693

## Famous people from Radhi

* Olympic archery athlete Tshering Chhoden.
* This Bhutan location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
* v
* t
* e
# Sigfrid Roos

Alf Sigfrid Emanuel Roos (9 September 1908 – 8 August 1988) was a Swedish footballer who played for Västerås. He featured twice for the Sweden men's national football team in 1928 and 1931, scoring two goals.

## Career statistics
### International

Appearances and goals by national team and year :
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Sweden | 1928 | 1 | 0 |
| Sweden | 1931 | 1 | 2 |
| Total | Total | 2 | 2 |

### International goals

    Scores and results list Sweden's goal tally first.
| No | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1. | 26 July 1931 | Arosvallen, Västerås, Sweden | Latvia | 2–0 | 6–0 | Friendly |
| 2. | 26 July 1931 | Arosvallen, Västerås, Sweden | Latvia | 3–0 | 6–0 | Friendly |
# Loo-Chi Hu

Loo-Chi Hu QSM (28 December 1924 – 8 September 2013) was a Chinese-born New Zealand marine equipment designer, fisheries consultant and tai chi teacher. As well as being awarded the Queen's Service Medal, Huloo, as he was known, is notable for having sailed a 65 year old junk from Taiwan to America, despite never having crewed a sail ship before, as well as rescuing adventurous Norwegian sailor Thor Heyerdahl.

## Biography

Huloo was born in China in 1924. As a teenager Huloo learnt tai chi in Shanghai from Chen Weiming.
In 1949 Mao Zedong came to power while Huloo was working as a fisherman in Taiwan. At his father's advice he stayed in Taiwan. In 1955 he and five others sailed a junk renamed Free China from Taiwan to San Francisco, escaping the oppressive government in control at the time while also persuading that government to sponsor the trip as the Taiwanese entry in a boat race that was to run between USA's east coast and Sweden. None of the men had ever worked on a sail ship before. One of the five men was the USA Vice-consul to Taiwan who was placed on board to document the trip and a documentary movie was released. The journey was initially abandoned due to poor weather. When resumed it took 112 days including a delay in Japan for repairs after having hit Typhoon Annie so they were unable to enter the proposed race. While acclaimed as a sensation upon arrival Free China eventually fell into disrepair over the next several decades. It was privately repaired in the late 80s and as at 2007, after having been lost for several years, there was talk of it returning it to Taiwan. In 2006 the surviving crew were invited to belatedly celebrate the 50th anniversary of the sailing. The effort to save the junk from being scrapped were documented in The Free China Junk (2010) including its eventual return to Taiwan and a reunion of the crew.
Huloo settled with his family in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1967. He worked in the marine industry where amongst other things he developed navigational aids. In 1970 he was asked by the UN to assist in searching and rescuing Thor Heyerdahl and the crew of Ra II who were attempting to sail from Morocco to Barbados in a papyrus boat. The search was successful and Heyerdahl was guided to port for four days.
In Christchurch, Huloo offered tai chi instruction for free, saying that inability to pay was not a reason to deprive someone of the benefits of tai chi. Huloo led daily 6 am classes, variously over the years at Phillipstown School or Hagley Park or in a shed next to his house. Some of Huloo's students went on to found the New Zealand National Tai Chi Association in 1988. For his charitable efforts at promoting tai chi Huloo was awarded the Queen's Service Medal for community service in the 2002 New Year Honours. In 2003 he released an instructional DVD of his 84-form Yang-style tai chi.
In 2008 a documentary of Huloo was made called simply Huloo.

## Personal life

Hu died in Christchurch in 2013.