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Mississippi Highway 311

Highway in Mississippi

Mississippi Highway 311 (MS 311) is a state highway located in Marshall County, Mississippi, United States. The route runs 12.960 mi (20.857 km) from MS 7 in Holly Springs north to U.S. Route 72 (US 72) in Mount Pleasant. The route is a two-lane undivided road its entire length and passes through rural areas. MS 311 was designated onto its current alignment in 1957, and was fully paved from a gravel road by the 1960s. ## Route description MS 311 begins at an intersection with MS 7 in the northern part of Holly Springs, heading northwest on two-lane undivided Mount Pleasant Road. The route passes through wooded areas with some homes and businesses as it comes to an intersection with the Holly Springs Bypass and makes a left turn to continue to the northwest and leaves the city. Upon leaving Holly Springs, the road continues through forested areas with some farm fields and residences. Farther north, the highway reaches the community of Mount Pleasant. MS 311 passes a few homes and businesses within Mount Pleasant before reaching its northern terminus at the US 72 intersection. At this point, the road continues north as Rossville Road. MS 311 is legally defined in Mississippi Code § 65-3-3. ## History MS 311 was designated in 1957 for a gravel road connecting Holly Springs to Mt. Pleasant. By 1960, the route was paved except for a small portion halfway between Holly Springs and Mt. Pleasant. In 1965, the remaining portion of MS 311 was paved. ## Major intersections |} ## See also - List of state highways in Mississippi

HMS Moresby

British M-Class destroyer, WW1

HMS Moresby was a Admiralty M-class destroyer which served with the Royal Navy during the First World War. The M class were an improvement on the previous L-class, capable of higher speed. Originally laid down as HMS Marlion by J. Samuel White at East Cowes on the Isle of Wight, the vessel was renamed before being launched on 20 November 1915. At the Battle of Jutland, the destroyer was initially cover for the seaplane tender Engadine but soon joined the action as part of a flotilla led by the light cruiser Champion. Moresby attacked the German fleet with torpedoes, initially unsuccessfully targeting the dreadnought battleship Markgraf and, near the end of the battle, unleashing another which narrowly missed the battlecruiser Von der Tann. In March 1918, the destroyer sank U-110 with the destroyer Michael. After the war, the destroyer was placed in reserve and eventually sold to be broken up on 9 May 1921. ## Design and development Moresby was one of sixteen Admiralty M-class destroyers ordered by the British Admiralty in September 1914 as part of the First War Construction Programme. The M-class was an improved version of the earlier L-class destroyers, required to reach a higher speed in order to counter rumoured German fast destroyers. The remit was to have a maximum speed of 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph) and, although the eventual design did not achieve this, the greater performance was appreciated by the navy. It transpired that the German ships did not exist. Moresby was 265 feet (80.8 m) long overall, with a beam of 26 feet 7 inches (8.1 m) and a draught of 8 feet 7 inches (2.6 m). Displacement was 1,004 long tons (1,020 t) normal and 1,028 long tons (1,044 t) full load. Power was provided by three White-Forster boilers feeding Parsons steam turbines rated at 25,000 shaft horsepower (19,000 kW) and driving three shafts, which gave a design speed of 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph). Three funnels were fitted. The destroyer carried 296 long tons (301 t) of oil, giving a design range of 3,450 nautical miles (6,390 km; 3,970 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). Armament consisted of three single QF 4-inch (102 mm) Mk IV guns on the ship's centreline, with one on the forecastle, one aft on a raised platform and one between the middle and aft funnels. Torpedo armament consisted of two twin mounts for 21 in (533 mm) torpedoes. A single QF 2-pounder 40 mm (1.6 in) "pom-pom" anti-aircraft gun was mounted between the torpedo tubes. After February 1916, for anti-submarine warfare, Moresby was equipped with two chutes for two depth charges. The number of depth charges carried increased as the war progressed. The ship had a complement of 80 officers and ratings. ## Construction and career Marlion was laid down by J. Samuel White at East Cowes on the Isle of Wight on 1 January 1915 with the yard number 1456, and launched on 20 November. The ship was completed on 7 April 1916 and joined the Grand Fleet. By this time, the ship's name had already been changed to Moresby. to honour Admiral Fairfax Moresby. The vessel was deployed as part of the Grand Fleet, joining the Thirteenth Destroyer Flotilla. On 30 May 1916, the destroyer sailed with the Grand Fleet to confront the German High Seas Fleet in the Battle of Jutland. Moresby was one of fourteen M-class destroyers that were allocated to form part of the screen to protect the battlecruisers of the fleet. However, along with sistership Onslow, the destroyer was detached to cover the seaplane tender Engadine. The tender had launched a Short Type 184 to observe the German fleet movements and was stationary waiting for it to return. After the reconnaissance seaplane had been recovered, Lieutenant commander Jack Tovey, who commanded Onslow, led the two destroyers back into the action. Moresby rejoined the flotilla and, led by the light cruiser Champion, steamed towards the German High Seas Fleet. The two fleets met and Moresby was soon in the centre of the action. The destroyer attacked the German battlecruisers, and shortly after 17:10 on 31 May, launched a torpedo at the dreadnought battleship Markgraf. The destroyer also narrowly escaped an attack from the light cruiser Wiesbaden, two torpedoes streaking past, one ahead and the other astern. As the battlesfleets broke apart, Champion sped away in pursuit of the German fleet, leaving the majority of the destroyers behind, with only Moresby and Obdurate able to keep up. The small flotilla sought for the main German fleet, and at 02:15 the following day turned westwards towards gunfire. They saw four German cruisers with their attendant destroyers. However, through the mist, Moresby saw what were initially taken to be four pre-dreadnought battleships. The destroyer sped off and launched a torpedo at a range of 3,700 yards (3,400 m) at the third ship in the line. The destroyer reported a hit and then withdrew. In fact, two of the vessels were German battlecruisers, and the torpedo narrowly missed Von der Tann. Instead, the torpedo hit the torpedo boat V4. Returning to the British lines, the three ships were spotted by the German torpedo boats G40 and V45, which launched torpedoes, but both sides escaped without recording a hit. The destroyer was transferred to Buncrana, Ireland, with the Second Destroyer Flotilla during the latter part of 1917. The vessel served as a convoy escort, and on 2 October 1917, was also involved in the ultimately unsuccessful efforts to save the armoured cruiser Drake. On 15 March the following year, the destroyer was patrolling with sistership Michael when they surprised U-110 shortly after the submarine had sunk the ocean liner . The submarine dived but was brought back to the surface when the destroyers attacked with depth charges and was finished by gunfire. Six of the crew were rescued. AAfter the Armistice of 11 November 1918 that ended the war, the Royal Navy returned to a peacetime level of strength and both the number of ships and personnel needed to be reduced to save money. Moresby was taken out of active service and initially placed alongside fifty-two other destroyers in reserve at Nore. On 9 May 1921, the vessel was sold to Thos. W. Ward of Grays and was broken up in 1923. ## Pennant numbers

1999 Baltimore Orioles–Cuba national baseball team exhibition series

Baseball games in Havana and Baltimore

The 1999 Baltimore Orioles – Cuba national baseball team exhibition series consisted of two exhibition games played between the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Cuba national baseball team on March 28 and May 3, 1999. The first game took place in Havana, while the second was held in Baltimore. This series marked the first time that the Cuba national team had faced a squad composed solely of major league players and the close of the hiatus since 1959 that an MLB team played in Cuba. In the 1990s, Orioles' owner Peter Angelos lobbied the United States federal government to gain permission to hold this series for three years. Various politicians, including members of the United States House of Representatives, opposed the idea and attempted to block the series. Eventually, Angelos secured the approval in 1999, after a change in United States foreign policy to Cuba under President Bill Clinton, which eased travel restrictions and increased cultural exchange. The Orioles won the first game, which was held in Havana, by a score of 3–2 in extra innings. The Cuba national team defeated the Orioles 12–6 in the second game, which was held in Baltimore. The series introduced José Contreras to the American baseball audience; Contreras defected from Cuba in 2002 to pitch in MLB. The United States and Cuba now compete with each other and other nations in the World Baseball Classic. ## Background The Cuban Revolution led to the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista, an ally of the United States, in 1959. Fidel Castro severed Cuba's formerly strong ties with the United States. The United States soon instituted an embargo against Cuba, which has made it illegal for United States corporations to enter into business with Cuba. The Baltimore Orioles, who were slated to hold a 1960 exhibition series against the Cincinnati Reds in Havana, moved the games to Miami, Florida. No Major League Baseball (MLB) team had played in Cuba since March 21, 1959. Castro made attempts to lure American baseball teams back to Cuba to no avail. In the 1970s, George McGovern, a United States senator, pushed the idea of an exchange of MLB and college basketball teams as a way to bridge the impasse between the two governments, similar to the ping-pong diplomacy that aided US-China relations; however, this was blocked by the United States Department of State. In the 1980s, Scott Armstrong approached Edward Bennett Williams, then the owner of the Baltimore Orioles, to play a game between the Orioles and Cuba's All-Stars. Williams declined, as he had a position on an advisory board in the Reagan Administration, which opposed having any business with Cuba. Armstrong discussed the idea with MLB Commissioner Bart Giamatti and MLB Players Association (MLBPA) chair Donald Fehr. Giamatti was interested, but he died before he could pursue the idea. Fehr visited Cuba during the 1994-95 MLB strike, but could not secure an antitrust exemption. In 1996, Peter Angelos, the new owner of the Orioles, met with Armstrong and Saul Landau, who convinced him to pursue an exhibition series between his Orioles and the Cuba national baseball team. Angelos petitioned the United States Government to permit a series. United States Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen wrote to the State Department, asking that the series be prevented. The United States Department of the Treasury denied Angelos' request on the grounds that American money may not be spent in Cuba under the Trading with the Enemy Act of 1917. In January 1999, President Bill Clinton eased travel restrictions and increased cultural exchange between the United States and Cuba, leading Angelos to again seek permission to play an exhibition game in Cuba. Angelos met with Sandy Berger, Clinton's National Security Advisor, to discuss a potential exhibition. Bud Selig, the MLB Commissioner, allowed for the exploration of the series, though it still required the approval of MLB owners and the MLBPA. The MLBPA insisted on a second game to be held in the United States. A contingent of United States Representatives, including Ros-Lehtinen, Robert Menendez, Dan Burton, Lincoln Díaz-Balart, and Rick Lazio, lobbied Fehr to try to block the series. Ongoing negotiations through March yielded an agreement on March 7, 1999, over the objections of the State Department. The proceeds of the series were a major sticking point in negotiations, as it violated the United States embargo against Cuba. Instead of going to the Cuban Government, it was agreed that proceeds would fund baseball programs in Cuba. The series created a good deal of criticism, especially among the Cuban American community. MLB umpire Rich Garcia, who is of Cuban descent, opposed the series. MLB umpires filed a grievance against MLB attempting to block them from being sent to umpire the game in Cuba, and refused to officiate the game in Baltimore. The Cuban American National Foundation protested the series. Former US diplomat Otto Reich likened the baseball match in Havana to the notion of playing soccer at Auschwitz and also the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, dismissing it as a propaganda ploy by the Cuban government. ## Games ### Game one Game one took place at Estadio Latinoamericano in Havana, Cuba, on March 28, 1999. Tickets were distributed by invitation only. Angelos, Selig, and Castro sat together in box seats. One hundred schoolchildren from the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. area also traveled to Cuba on a plane chartered by Angelos. Before the game, players and coaches on both teams engaged in a flag ceremony. Castro greeted the Orioles on the field, and gave the Cuba team a pep talk. Cuba baseball legend Conrado Marrero threw out the first pitch. The game was televised in the U.S. by ESPN with Jon Miller and Joe Morgan announcing. Orioles' starting pitcher Scott Erickson allowed one run on five hits in seven innings pitched. Cuba starter José Ibar allowed a home run to Charles Johnson and was relieved in the third inning by José Contreras. Contreras pitched eight innings without allowing a run. Orioles' manager Ray Miller brought in his closer, Mike Timlin, in the eighth inning. This backfired, as Omar Linares tied the game for Cuba with a run batted in single. Tied after nine innings, the game went into extra innings. Cuba had two runners on base in the 10th inning, but Mike Fetters retired Cuba without allowing a run. The Orioles won the game when Harold Baines hit a single off of Pedro Luis Lazo that scored Will Clark with the go-ahead run in the top of the 11th inning. Jesse Orosco recorded the final three outs in the bottom of the 11th, as the Orioles won by a score of 3–2. - Line score - Box score ### Game two The second game was held at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore on May 3, 1999, in front of 47,940 fans. By May 3, the Orioles had a 7–17 win–loss record in the 1999 MLB season. The Cuba national team, meanwhile, was stronger than during the first game; the 1998–99 Cuban National Series was finished so players not available for the first game joined the team for the second exhibition game. A 300-person delegation accompanied the Cuba team, including members of the Cuban media, students, and retired players. MLB requested the Federal Aviation Administration clear the airspace above Camden Yards for the game, in response to an attempt by a Miami-based pilot and veteran of the Bay of Pigs Invasion, to drop anti-Castro leaflets over Estadio Latinoamericano during the first game. The start of the game was delayed by rain for 56 minutes. The game was further interrupted by protesters, one of whom ran onto the field during the fifth inning and was thrown to the ground by César Valdez, a Cuban umpire. Contreras started the game for Cuba, and he allowed a two-run double by Baines in the first inning. Orioles' starting pitcher Scott Kamieniecki, who was on the MLB disabled list at the time, allowed four runs in the second inning to give Cuba the lead. Norge Luis Vera entered the game for Cuba in the third inning and pitched 6+2⁄3 innings in relief without allowing a hit, retiring 20 of the first 22 batters he faced. His hitless streak ended when he allowed a home run to Delino DeShields in the ninth inning. Gabe Molina, who had made his MLB debut on May 1, allowed Cuba to score five runs in the ninth inning, including a three-run home run hit by Andy Morales. The Cuba national team defeated the Orioles 12–6. Danel Castro batted 4-for-5 for Cuba, including a two run batted in (RBI) triple, and scored four runs. Calvin Pickering, a rookie first baseman for the Orioles who had been promoted from the minor leagues the day prior, committed three errors. - Linescore - Box score ## Aftermath Rigoberto Herrera, a retired Cuba national team member who accompanied the Cuba delegation, defected to the United States during the visit. Six retired players overslept the day after the game in Baltimore and missed their flight back to Cuba, but no other members of the delegation defected. To discourage defections during the exhibition in Baltimore, Cuba maintained strict security around their young players, not allowing sports agents to speak with them. Though no active Cuba players defected during the trip to Baltimore, members of the Cuba national team did defect in the years following the series. Andy Morales defected in 2000. Contreras, who was considered Cuba's best pitcher, gained international fame after the series and defected from Cuba in 2002. Nelson Díaz, a Cuban umpire who officiated the game in Baltimore, defected from Cuba to the United States in 2009. MLB and the Major League Umpires Association engaged in a dispute regarding the amount of pay owed to umpires for officiating the game that took place in Baltimore. This was one factor that led to the mass resignation of MLB umpires that took place on September 2, 1999. In 2000, Syd Thrift, the Orioles' general manager, told The Washington Times that the team had a practice of not signing players who had defected from Cuba, which he attributed to Angelos' desire to avoid doing "anything that could be interpreted as being disrespectful or ... encouraging players to defect". Investigations by Major League Baseball and the United States Department of Justice did not find evidence that the absence of Cuban players on the Orioles' roster or in its minor league system was due to discrimination. The Cuba national team next played in the United States during the 2006 World Baseball Classic (WBC). President George W. Bush attempted to prevent the Cuba team from participating in the tournament, but other nations promised to withdraw if Cuba was barred. The next American team to travel to Cuba was the Tampa Bay Rays, which played an exhibition against the Cuba national team in March 2016. ## See also - 1999 in baseball - American Series - Cuba–United States relations - Ping-pong diplomacy - Cuban thaw

Matthias Blübaum

German chess grandmaster (born 1997)

Matthias Blübaum (born 18 April 1997) is a German chess grandmaster. He won the European Individual Chess Championship in 2022. Blübaum began playing chess at the age of six and emerged as part of the Prinzengruppe at age twelve. He earned his international master title in 2012 and was awarded the grandmaster title in 2015. A member of the German team that won the 2015 European Youth Team Chess Championship, he has since represented his nation at the European Team Chess Championship and Chess Olympiad. ## Personal life Matthias Blübaum was born in Lemgo, North Rhine-Westphalia on 18 April 1997, and comes from a chess family. His father, Karl-Ernst, won the Ostwestfalen Chess Championship several times. He has three sisters, two of whom competed in the top group of the German Girls' Chess Championship. Blübaum skipped ahead a year in elementary school and received his Abitur at the age of 17. As of 2016, he was studying physics and mathematics at Bielefeld University. In a 2020 interview, he stated that he was still unsure whether he would become a professional chess player. As of 2021, he was studying for his master's degree in mathematics. ## Chess career ### Prinzengruppe Blübaum learned to play chess when he was six years old, and began a systematic training schedule at the age of eight. He received wide attention at the age of 12 as part of the Prinzengruppe, a group of four young, talented German players ("princes") who were projected to become grandmasters ("kings") by German national junior coach Bernd Vökler. The group, consisting of Blübaum, Rasmus Svane, Dennis Wagner, and Alexander Donchenko, completed the objective set for them in 2016, when Svane earned his final grandmaster (GM) norm and thus became the fourth and final member of the group to achieve the title of GM. The German Chess Federation named Blübaum the U14 Player of the Year of 2011. Notable achievements in the year were his attainment of the FIDE master title and his third-place finish at the German U18 Chess Championship. Also in 2011, he placed sixth at the World U14 Chess Championship, scoring 61⁄2/9 (+5–1=3). Blübaum earned his first international master (IM) norm at the Neckar-Open [de] in April 2011, scoring 61⁄2/9, and his second at the Helmut Kohls Tournament in July 2011, scoring 6/9. He achieved his final IM norm at the German Chess Championship in March 2012, scoring 51⁄2/9. He was awarded the title by FIDE in April 2012, at the age of 14. He participated in the World Junior Chess Championship in August, placing twenty-fifth with a score of 8/13 (+6–3=4), and in the World U18 Chess Championship in November, scoring 7/11 (+5–2=4) for a fourteenth-place finish. He placed twelfth in the 2013 German Chess Championship, scoring 51⁄2/9 (+3–1=5). Blübaum earned his first two GM norms in the 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 Chess Bundesliga seasons, with scores of 61⁄2/9 and 8/12, respectively. In September 2014, he competed in the 2nd Grenke Chess Classic, scoring 31⁄2/7 (+2–2=3) for a fifth-place finish. He scored his first victory over a 2700+ opponent in this event, defeating the German No. 1 Arkadij Naiditsch in the second round. Later in September, Blübaum competed again in the World U18 Chess Championship, placing fourth with a score of 71⁄2/11 (+5–1=5). At the 2014 Bavarian Chess Championship, held from 25 October to 2 November, he achieved his third GM norm, scoring 7/9. He earned an additional GM norm at the German Chess Championship in November 2014, scoring 6/9. He was officially awarded the GM title by FIDE in April 2015, at the age of 18. In July 2015, he competed for Germany on board 1 at the European Youth Team Chess Championship. He scored 51⁄2/7 (+4–0=3), helping Germany win the tournament. In September, he placed third at the World Junior Chess Championship with 9/13 (+6–1=6), one point behind Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Mikhail Antipov. Antipov won the tournament due to a better tiebreak score than Duda. ### 2016 Blübaum recorded several tournament victories in 2016. He won the Grenke Chess Open held in March, scoring 71⁄2/9 (+6–0=3). Vladimir Fedoseev, Nikita Vitiugov, Miloš Perunović, Ni Hua and Francisco Vallejo Pons also scored 71⁄2/9; Blübaum won due to performing best on the tiebreak system. In April, he finished clear first in the Accentus Young Masters tournament with 7/9 (+6–1=2), half a point ahead of Benjámin Gledura and Noël Studer. He won the Xtracon Chess Open in July, scoring 8/10 (+6–0=4). Alexei Shirov, Bassem Amin, Jonathan Carlstedt, Mihail Marin, Jon Ludvig Hammer and Jean-Marc Degraeve also finished on 8/10; Blübaum won on tiebreak. In September, he competed for Germany on board 3 at the 42nd Chess Olympiad. He was his nation's best performer, scoring 71⁄2/10 (+6–1=3) for a of 2744. In the final round of the tournament, he defeated Tarvo Seeman of Estonia from a drawn position, which gave the gold medal to the United States. If Blübaum had drawn with Seeman, Ukraine would have won gold by way of the Sonneborn–Berger tiebreak system. ### 2017 Blübaum competed in the Aeroflot Open, held from 21 February to 1 March. He tied for 21st with Abhijeet Gupta on a score of 51⁄2/9. Later in March, he participated in the first edition of the Sharjah Masters tournament, scoring 61⁄2/9 for an 18th-place finish. In April, he competed in the 4th Grenke Chess Classic, having received an invitation to the event after winning the 2016 Grenke Chess Open. It was his first elite round-robin tournament. He tied for last with a score of 2/7 (+0–3=4), recording draws with Fabiano Caruana, Magnus Carlsen, Hou Yifan and Georg Meier, and losing to Levon Aronian, Arkadij Naiditsch and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. From 30 May to 10 June, Blübaum took part in the 2017 European Individual Chess Championship. He scored 8/11 (+6–1=4), half a point behind Maxim Matlakov, Baadur Jobava and Vladimir Fedoseev who all tied for first–third. Matlakov won the tournament on tiebreak. Blübaum placed 12th, and so qualified for the Chess World Cup. Also in June, he won the German Chess Federation's 2016 U20 Player of the Year award, in recognition of his three tournament victories and strong performance at the 42nd Chess Olympiad. He competed in the 45th Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting, held from 15 to 22 July. He finished fifth, scoring 3/7 (+1–2=4). Earlier in July, he transferred from SV Werder Bremen to Schachfreunde Deizisau e.V. in a switch-up of his Chess Bundesliga team. He had played for SV Werden Bremen from 2012 up until this move. In September, he participated in the Chess World Cup 2017. He defeated Sandro Mareco 11⁄2–1⁄2 in the first round to advance to the second round, where he was paired with Wesley So. He drew with So in the classical portion of the match, then was defeated in the rapid tiebreaks and eliminated from the tournament. From 28 October to 6 November, he competed for Germany on board 3 at the 2017 European Team Chess Championship. He scored 41⁄2/8 (+3–2=3) as Germany placed eighth. ### 2018 In January, Blübaum competed in the Tata Steel Challengers. He finished seventh, scoring 61⁄2/13 (+3–3=7). In February, he participated in the Aeroflot Open. He placed 63rd out of 92, scoring 4/9 (+0–1=8). From 31 March to 9 April, Blübaum participated in the 5th Grenke Chess Classic. He finished sixth with a score of 41⁄2/9 (+1–1=7), recording a victory over Viswanathan Anand in the process. In May, he was named the 2017 U20 Player of the Year by the German Chess Federation, receiving 24.6% of the vote. He competed in the Riga Technical University Open in August. He performed poorly; as the second seed, he finished 36th with 6/9 (+4–1=4). Blübaum represented Germany on board 3 at the 43rd Chess Olympiad, from 24 September to 5 October. He went undefeated, scoring 6/10 (+2–0=8), as Germany finished 13th with 16/22 (+5–0=6) match points. In December, he competed in the Zürich Christmas Open. As the second seed, he placed 14th with a score of 41⁄2/7 (+3–1=3). ### 2019 In March, Blübaum participated in the European Individual Chess Championship. He placed 46th with 7/11 (+4–1=6). From 18 to 22 April, he competed in the Grenke Chess Open. He tied for 1st–8th on 71⁄2/9 (+6–0=3), finishing sixth on tiebreak. Daniel Fridman won the event. Blübaum placed fifth out of eight at the German Masters, held in Magdeburg from 25 May to 1 June. He scored 4/7 (+1–0=6). At the FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament 2019 held on the Isle of Man from 10 to 21 October, Blübaum placed 81st with 51⁄2/11 (+2–2=7). He represented Germany again at the European Team Chess Championship in Batumi, from 24 October to 2 November. He scored 31⁄2/6 (+1–0=5) as Germany placed eighth. ### 2020 In January, Blübaum won the 9th Volksbank-Cup with a perfect score of 9/9, the first in the tournament's history. In August, Blübaum won the German Blitz Championship, with a score of 251⁄2/29 (+24–2=3), half-a-point ahead of Svane. Later in August, he competed in the German Masters, held in Magdeburg. He scored 5/7 (+3–0=4) to finish clear-first, with a performance rating of 2781. Blübaum became the highest-rated German player for the first time in the October 2020 FIDE rating list, with a rating of 2672. From 31 October to 8 November, he participated in the Tegernsse Masters, placing second with 5/8 (+4–2=2), one-and-a-half points behind winner Alexander Donchenko. ### 2021 Blübaum competed in the Chess World Cup 2021 in July. Seeded 46th, he received a bye in the first round, then defeated Hungarian GM Viktor Erdős in the second round. He was defeated by Serbian GM Velimir Ivić in the third round. In August, he defended his German Blitz Championship title, scoring 24/29 to win on tiebreak ahead of Daniel Fridman. ### 2022 From 27 March to 6 April 2022, Blübaum competed in the 2022 European Individual Chess Championship. He drew his first game, then won six in a row to lead the tournament. He drew his remaining four games to finish with a score of 81⁄2/11, which tied him with Gabriel Sargissian. Blübaum won the tournament on tiebreak to become European champion. Blübaum represented Germany on board 2 at the 44th Chess Olympiad, held in Chennai from 29 July to 9 August. He scored 5/10 (+3–3=4). Later in August, he won the German Blitz Championship for the third straight year. He scored 241⁄2/29, four-and-a-half points ahead of runner-up Gerald Hertneck.

Haley Cavinder

American social media personality (born 2001)

Haley Cavinder (born January 13, 2001) is an American social media influencer and college basketball player for the Miami Hurricanes of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Prior to Miami, she played for the Fresno State Bulldogs. Cavinder was an All-Mountain West Conference (MW) selection in each of her three seasons at Fresno State, and was named MW Player of the Year in her sophomore season. As a junior, she set the NCAA Division I single-season free throw percentage record before transferring to Miami. Cavinder and her fraternal twin and teammate, Hanna, have a large social media following and share a TikTok account with millions of followers. In the last two seasons of their basketball careers, they were leading figures in college sports endorsements, signing name, image and likeness (NIL) deals with several companies, including Boost Mobile and WWE, and co-founding the clothing company Baseline Team. ## Early life Cavinder was born in South Bend, Indiana, on January 13, 2001, one minute before and one pound (454 g) heavier than her twin sister, Hanna, to parents, Katie and Tom Cavinder. The family moved to the Phoenix area in the twins' early childhood. She started playing basketball before preschool and watched drills on YouTube to improve her skills. Cavinder competed in boys leagues until sixth grade before playing against girls who were two to three years older than her. She also played soccer and volleyball before focusing on basketball in middle school. She emulated her game after Skylar Diggins-Smith. ## High school career Cavinder played for Gilbert High School in Gilbert, Arizona, alongside Hanna, and another sister, Brandi, who was two years ahead of them in school. The Cavinder twins were drawn there by coach Kyle Pedersen, who had trained them since they were in sixth grade and was their coach with Arizona Elite Basketball Club. As a freshman at Gilbert, Cavinder assumed a leading role along with Hanna, and helped the team reach the state quarterfinals. In her junior season, Cavinder averaged 23 points, 9.2 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 3.9 steals per game, leading Gilbert to the Class 6A state semifinals. She earned most valuable player honors at the Nike Tournament of Champions, an annual high school competition. As a senior, she averaged 21.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game, helping her team reach the Class 5A state title game. She was named Arizona 5A Player of the Year and finished with 2,282 career points. ## College career ### Fresno State On February 1, 2020, Cavinder scored 31 points, a Fresno State single-game freshman record, along with six assists and five steals, in an 84–78 win against New Mexico. As a freshman, she averaged 15.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Cavinder recorded the most points (512) and rebounds (233) by a freshman in program history. She was named Mountain West Freshman of the Year and to the All-Mountain West and All-Freshman Teams. Cavinder scored a sophomore season-high 30 points in a 78–70 win over Nevada on January 14, 2021. As a sophomore, she averaged a conference-high 19.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.7 steals per game, leading Fresno State to the second round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament. Cavinder became the fastest Fresno State player to reach 1,000 career points. She was named Mountain West Player of the Year, becoming the third sophomore to win the award. She earned All-Mountain West honors for a second straight season. As a junior in 2021–22, Cavinder led the Bulldogs in scoring (19.8 per game), rebounding (9.4), and assists (5.8) on her way to her third straight All-Mountain West selection. She also had three triple-doubles, second in NCAA Division I to Iowa's Caitlin Clark and the most all-time by a Fresno State player. Cavinder set a new Division I single-season record for free throw percentage, with 97.3%. ### Miami (Florida) Following the season, the Cavinder twins entered the NCAA transfer portal and eventually announced on April 21, 2022, that they would transfer to the University of Miami. Both twins had two years of remaining athletic eligibility at the time of their transfer, because the NCAA did not count the 2020–21 season, extensively disrupted by COVID-19, against the eligibility of any basketball player. On February 9, 2023, Cavinder scored a career-high 33 points, shooting 7-of-10 from three-point range, in an 86–82 win over 19th-ranked Florida State. She was named second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference. Cavinder helped Miami reach its first Elite Eight at the 2023 NCAA tournament. As a senior, she averaged 12.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Shortly after the end of the 2022–23 season, the twins announced that they would end their college basketball careers, choosing not to take advantage of their extra year of eligibility. Their agent later told TheStreet that they would begin professional wrestling training at the WWE Performance Center later that spring. ### TCU On October 13, 2023, Cavinder came out of retirement and entered the transfer portal, intending to play her fifth and final season in 2024–25 without Hanna. One month later, she committed to TCU. ### Return to Miami (Florida) On April 24, 2024, Cavinder de-committed from TCU and opted to instead return to the University of Miami alongside her sister Hanna for the 2024–25 season. ## Career statistics ### College |- | style="text-align:left;" | 2019–20 | style="text-align:left;" | Fresno State |32||31||34.3||38.5||34.3||68.1||7.3||3.7||1.5||0.2||2.4||16.0 |- | style="text-align:left;" | 2020–21 | style="text-align:left;" | Fresno State |28||27||36.6||42.6||32.8||84.6||7.5||3.8||1.7||0.5||2.5||19.8 |- | style="text-align:left;" | 2021–22 | style="text-align:left;" | Fresno State |29||29||38.1||44.6||37.3||bgcolor=\#cfecec|97.3\*||9.4||5.7||1.5||0.1||2.9||19.8 |- | style="text-align:left;" | 2022–23 | style="text-align:left;" | Miami |35||35||30.9||40.7||40.4||87.8||4.9||2.5||0.7||0.1||1.6||12.2 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan=2 | Career |124||122||34.8||41.6||35.9||85.9||7.2||3.8||1.3||0.2||2.3||16.7 ## Social media and endorsements Cavinder has established a large social media following with Hanna. In April 2020, while bored at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, she was persuaded by Hanna, who used TikTok, to make videos together on a shared account on the platform. The videos feature Cavinder and her sister performing synchronized dances, dribbling and lip syncing side-by-side. By April 2022, the twins had four million followers on TikTok. The Cavinder twins have made national headlines for their success with college sports endorsements and are among the most prominent college athletes in the field. On July 1, 2021, after the NCAA began allowing student-athletes to be compensated for the use of their name, image and likeness (NIL), the twins signed deals with Boost Mobile within minutes of it being permitted. On December 8, 2021, they signed with professional wrestling promotion WWE as part of its new Next In Line program to develop college athletes into potential WWE wrestlers. On January 18, 2022, the twins announced that they had co-founded the streetwear clothing startup Baseline Team. They were given 25 percent equity stake in the company and one of three seats on the board of directors. The twins have also signed NIL deals with Champs Sports, Eastbay, Gopuff and SoFi, among other companies. In July 2022, Forbes estimated that they had earned $1.7 million in endorsement deals. By November 2022, they had over 40 deals, more than any other women's basketball players at any level. The twins also started a podcast, Twin Talk, in December 2022 on iHeartRadio that initially focuses on student-athletes' perspectives on NIL; the twins' first official guest was LSU gymnast and leading NIL figure Olivia Dunne. In early 2023, the twins were involved in the first known NCAA sanctions case related to NIL opportunities. On February 24, the Miami women's basketball program was placed on a year of probation and received other minor penalties; the twins received no direct sanctions. The NCAA found that the program and its head coach Katie Meier had violated NCAA rules by facilitating a meeting between the Cavinders and Miami-based businessman John Ruiz, a Miami alumnus and booster who has signed over 100 Hurricanes athletes in various sports to NIL deals, before they officially committed to transferring to the school.

Love (Destiny)

"Love (Destiny)" (stylized as "LOVE \~Destiny\~") is a song recorded by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki, serving as the second single for her second studio album, Loveppears (1999). It was released by Avex Trax in Japan and Taiwan on April 14, 1999, and through Avex Entertainment Inc. worldwide in September 2008. The track was written by Hamasaki herself, while production was handled by long-time collaborator Max Matsuura. Three versions of the recording have been made available—a ballad version arranged by Tsunku, an edited version with vocals by Tsunku, and a dance-influenced version included on Loveppears. Upon its release, "Love (Destiny)" received near universal acclaim from music critics, praising her vocal performance, with some highlighting the single as one of Hamasaki's best work. Commercially, the recording experienced success in Japan, reaching number one on the Oricon Singles Chart and TBS' Count Down TV chart, her first song to do so on either charts. It also became Hamasaki's first single to sell over 500,000 units, and was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for shipments of 400,000 copies. Due to the single's success, it was re-released as a CD single and re-entered both charts. An accompanying music video was directed by Wataru Takeishi, and featured Hamasaki in a large skyscraper while singing to the song in different areas. In order to promote the single, it appeared on several remix and greatest hits compilation albums, and live concert torus conducted by Hamasaki. It was also used as the theme song for Japanese television show SemiDouble (1999). To date, the recording remains one of her highest-selling singles according to Oricon Style. ## Background ### Versions and composition Three versions of the recording have been made available for purchase. "Love (Destiny)" initially served as Hamasaki's second single for her album Loveppears but did not appear on the album for unknown reasons. Written by the singer, the production process was handled by Max Matsuura whilst it was composed by Japanese musician and businessman Tsunku, who worked as the producer for Japanese group Morning Musume and vocalist of Sharan Q at that time. The composition was then arranged by Shingo Kobayashi and Yasuaki Maejima, and mixed by Atsushi Hattori. The second version, "Love (Since 1999)", portrayed a duet with Tsunku and featured songwriting credits by him during the English chorus. Being arranged by Takao Konishi and mixed by Koji Uchikado, the track appeared as an A-side single in Japan and Taiwan during its April 1999 release. The final counterpart of the recording was titled "Love (Refrain)", and was similarly composed by Tsunku, but arranged by Naoto Suzuki and programmed by Takahiro Iida. "Love (Refrain)" was added to the track list of Loveppears, and is musically a dance song, a genre that heavily influences the album. According to the demo sheet music published at Ultimate Guitar Archive, the recording is set in time signature of common time with a tempo of 89 beats per minute. Lyrically, each song was written in third person perspective, a trait that is shared with the rest of the tracks on Loveppears. The lyrical content of the songs delves on a lonely woman who wants to find love. ### Release and formats "Love (Destiny)" was released by Avex Trax in Japan and Taiwan on April 14, 1999, and through Avex Entertainment Inc. worldwide in September 2008. The mini CD format featured a total of four tracks, with the first two being original recordings accompanied instrumentals. Subsequently, on February 28, 2001, Avex Trax distributed a CD single including the four tracks from the mini CD, plus two remixes of Hamasaki's single "Kanariya" (1999) and one remix of a previous album track, "From Your Letter". The artwork of the CD and digital format was shot by Toru Kumazawa, and featured an image of Hamasaki hugging an unidentified male. ## Reception Upon its release, "Love (Destiny)" received widespread acclaim from music critics. A reviewer at Amazon was positive towards the songwriting, and praised Hamasaki's "painful" and "love[ly]" performance. In 2015, Japanese website Goo.ne.jp hosted a 24-hour only poll for audiences in Japan to vote for their favorite single released by Hamasaki; as a result, "Love (Destiny)" ranked at number six, with a rating of 43.9 average percent. Commercially, "Love (Destiny)" experienced success in Japan. It debuted inside the top ten on the Oricon Singles Chart, selling 70,540 in its first week of availability. The recording then went to number one, becoming Hamasaki's first number one single on that chart. It lasted 26 weeks, marking the singer's longest-charting release. Charting together as "Love (Destiny)"/"Love (Since 1999)", both tracks debuted at number one on the Count Down TV chart hosted by Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS), having become her first number one there as well, and similarly spent 26 weeks within the top 100. By the end of 1999, "Love (Destiny)" sold over 650,790 units in Japan, thus being ranked at number 30 on Oricon's Annual 1999 chart behind two fellow releases of the singer, "Boys & Girls" (1999) and her extended play A (1999). Likewise, it charted at number 28 on TBS' Annual Chart. In July 1999, the single was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for shipments of 400,000 units. As of July 2016, "Love (Destiny)" marks the singer's 12th highest-selling song based on Oricon Style's database. Following the CD single release, "Love (Destiny)" charted at number 20 on the Oricon Singles Chart, the highest result from her re-released maxi CDs. It lasted four weeks within the top 100, and sold 39,080 units. Additionally, the song reached number 100 on TBS Count Down TV chart on May 14, 2001, her lowest entry to date. ## Music video and promotion An accompanying music video for the single was directed by Wataru Takeishi. It opens with Hamasaki watching her previous music videos on several television screens. Sitting in a small room, she exits it and finds a large number of fans and paparazzi bombarding her; scenes interspersed through the main plot feature her looking towards a mirror. Following the first chorus, Hamasaki is shown riding through Tokyo city, including her appearance at a recording studio singing the song, and on top of a skyscraper at night. The frames subsequently re-appear throughout the visual, with it ending with a blurry shot of Hamasaki looking away from the mirror, and the TV screens from the first shot displaying the logo of Avex Trax. The music video was included on several DVD compilations released by Hamasaki: A Clips (2000), A Complete Box Set (2004), the digital release of A Clips Complete (2014), and the DVD and Blu-Ray re-release edition of her 2001 compilation album A Best (2016). It was additionally used as the theme for Japanese television show Semi Double (1999). "Love (Destiny)" has been heavily promoted on compilation albums conducted by Hamasaki. It has been included on one of the singer's remix compilation album, Ayu-mi-x 7 Version Acoustic Orchestra (2012). A remix produced by Todd Okawa appeared on the maxi CD for her single "Boys & Girls", and it was re-recorded for her 10th anniversary in 2008 on her single release "Days/Green". The single has also been featured on two of Hamasaki's greatest hits albums, A Best (2001), and A Complete: All Singles (2007). "Love (Destiny)" has further been included on one of the singer's major concert tours, part one and part two of her 2000 concert tour. ## Track listings - Mini CD 1. "Love (Destiny)" – 4:55 2. "Love (Since 1999)" – 4:39 3. "Love (Destiny)" (instrumental) – 4:55 4. "Love (Since 1999)" (instrumental) – 4:39 - CD single 1. "Love (Destiny)" – 4:55 2. "Love (Since 1999)" – 4:39 3. "Kanariya" (Big Room mix) – 7:34 4. "Kanariya" (H∧L's mix) – 4:22 5. "From Your Letter" (Pandart Sasanooha mix) – 5:41 6. "Love (Destiny)" (instrumental) – 4:55 7. "Love (Since 1999)" (instrumental) – 4:39 - Digital download EP \#1 1. "Love (Destiny)" – 4:55 2. "Love (Since 1999)" – 4:39 3. "Love (Destiny)" (instrumental) – 4:55 4. "Love (Since 1999)" (instrumental) – 4:39 - Digital download EP \#2 1. "Love (Destiny)" – 4:55 2. "Love (Since 1999)" – 4:39 3. "Kanariya" (Big Room Mix) – 7:34 4. "Kanariya" (H∧L's Mix) – 4:22 5. "From Your Letter" (Pandart Sasanooha Mix) – 5:41 6. "Love (Destiny)" (instrumental) – 4:55 7. "Love (Since 1999)" (instrumental) – 4:39 - US and Canada digital download 1. "Love (Destiny)" – 4:55 2. "Love (Since 1999)" – 4:39 ## Charts ### Weekly charts ### Yearly charts ## Certification and sales ## Release history ## See also - List of Oricon number-one singles of 1999

Phallus ravenelii

Stinkhorn fungus from North America

Phallus ravenelii, commonly known as Ravenel's stinkhorn, is a fungus in the Phallaceae (stinkhorn) family. It is found in eastern North America. Its mushrooms commonly grow in large clusters and are noted for their foul odor and phallic shape when mature. It is saprobic, and as such it is encountered in a wide variety of habitats rich in wood debris, from forests to mulched gardens or sawdust piles in urban areas. It appears from August to October. The fruit body emerges from a pink or lavender-colored egg to form a tall, cylindrical, hollow and spongy white stalk with a bell-shaped cap. The remains of the egg persist as a white to pink or lilac volva at the base of the stalk. The cap is covered in a foul-smelling olive-green spore slime, which attracts insects that help to spread the spores. Sometimes, the cap has a "veil" attached—a thin membrane that hangs underneath. The lack of a roughly ridged and pitted cap differentiates it from the closely related Phallus impudicus. The fungus is named after Henry William Ravenel, a botanist who first discovered it in 1846, though it remained undescribed until 1873. It is considered to be an edible mushroom while in its egg form. ## Taxonomy The species was first described officially in the scientific literature by English mycologist Miles Berkeley in an 1873 publication. Berkeley obtained the specimens from Moses Ashley Curtis, which had in turn been sent to him by Ravenel from collections he made at the Santee River in South Carolina in 1846. Although the specimen had been sent with Ravenel's extensive collection notes, Berkeley's description was brief, and he neglected to mention the veil. American Curtis Gates Lloyd later disparaged the quality of Berkeley's description, and noted "he was so busy that he could not take the time to consider the details, and his "description" tells nothing of the leading characters of the species." Charles Horton Peck, upon encountering the fungus in North America, could not identify it using Berkeley's description, and instead had to contact Ravenel to obtain his original collection notes before he could confirm its identity. Peck later wrote a full description of the species. In 1898, Edward Angus Burt placed the taxon in the genus Dictyophora, based on the presence of the veil. Otto Kuntze transferred the taxon to the genus Aedycia (now equivalent with Mutinus), resulting in the synonym Aedycia ravenelii. The mushroom is commonly known as the eastern stinkhorn or Ravenel's stinkhorn. ## Description The mushroom begins its development in the form of pink-, lilac-, or purple-tinged "eggs" that resemble a puffball. The egg expands rapidly to form a phallus-shaped structure with a yellowish-white stalk and thimble-like cap. The cap ranges from 1.5 to 4 cm (0.6 to 1.6 in) in width and 3 to 4.5 cm (1.2 to 1.8 in) in height; the entire fruit body can reach heights of 20 cm (7.9 in). The cap texture is finely granular and it is attached to a white open circlet at the top where it meets the stalk. In some specimens, this opening is relatively large with a broad margin, and gives the mushroom a truncated appearance. Microscopically, the cap surfaces comprises minute cells and cavities, with a spongy structure similar to that of the stem, but with smaller perforations than the stem. The lower margin of the cap is free from attachment to the stalk, and there is sometimes a membranous veil suspended like a collar around the stem under the cap; the veil can be of varying lengths. This veil can be seen in dissected eggs where it is present as a distinct, thin membranous tissue between the stalk and the cap before expansion. In this form, the veil is continuous from its attachment with the "primordial tissue" at the base of the stalk and volva below to the tip of the stem at the point where it joins the cap. The veil produced in P. ravenelli is distinct from the flaring, net-like indusium produced by Phallus species like P. indusiatus. Gleba covers the head and is olive-green to dark brown in color, slimy in texture, and foul smelling. The spores measure 3 to 4.5 μm by 1 to 2 μm, are colorless, elliptical in shape, and smooth in texture. They are thin-walled and covered with a thin, hyaline (transparent), sticky coating. The stalk is hollow and measures 10 to 15 cm (3.9 to 5.9 in) tall and 1.5 to 3 cm (0.6 to 1.2 in) thick. It can range in color from slightly yellowish to white. At the stalk's base there is usually a white to pink volva (a sac-like cup). When immature, the fruit body is encapsulated within the volva present as a peridium (skin-like tissue layer), which ruptures as the mushroom emerges. The volva attaches to the substrate with whitish or pinkish rhizomorphs (thick, cord-like strands of mycelia). Rhizomorphs and mycelia that are exposed to air eventually turn whitish in color; those freshly exposed from their substrate usually quickly turn bluish purple. The fungus produces watery and fleshy sclerotia that range in thickness from 1 to 10 mm with a length of up to 30 mm. The sclerotia are irregularly convoluted and lobed, and become hard and horny upon drying. Sclerotia have a color reaction similar to that noted for rhizomorphs, and, after long exposure to air, will gradually turn a uniform dark reddish brown. Phallus ravenelli is considered edible if in the egg form, and has a "mild" taste. The foul odor of mature mushrooms would dissuade most from collecting for the table. ## Similar species Phallus ravenelli is often confused with P. impudicus and P. hadriani. P. impudicus has a highly reticulate (a net-like pattern of grooves and ridges) cap under the gleba. P. hadriani also has a pitted cap, and occurs less frequently than P. ravenelii. The widespread species Itajahya galericulata has a roughly spherical cap of several overlapping spongy tissue layers with gleba sandwiched in-between. Phallus rugulosus is tall, thin, pale orange, and tapers towards the smooth cap. The cap is blackish olive in color, while the volva is oval and white. It is found in the eastern and southern United States and China. P. granulosodenticulatus is a rare Brazilian species with a superficial resemblance to P. ravenelii. Apart from its distribution, it is distinguished from P. ravenelii by its smaller fruit bodies up to 9 cm (3.5 in) tall, a cogged cap margin, and somewhat larger spores that measure 3.8–5 by 2–3 μm. ## Distribution and habitat Ravenel's stinkhorn is widespread in eastern North America, from Quebec in the north, south to Florida and west to Iowa and Ohio. West of the Mississippi, the common stinkhorn (Phallus impudicus) becomes more dominant. In the early 1900s, Lloyd called it the most common phalloid in the United States. The fungus is also found in Costa Rica. As a saprobic mushroom, or decomposer of organic material, Ravenel's stinkhorn can be found in almost any habitat that includes decaying wood. They are most often found growing in groups, though occasionally singly, on wood chips, rotten tree stumps or sawdust. They are common in urban flowerbeds, parks and lawns, as well as in meadows, cultivated areas and woods. The foul odor of the gleba attracts insects that walk and feed on the spore-bearing surface, and later disseminate the sticky spores to other locales.

Within (The X-Files)

"Within" is the eighth season premiere of the science fiction television series The X-Files. The episode first aired in the United States on November 5, 2000, on the Fox Network. It was written by executive producer and series creator Chris Carter, and directed by Kim Manners. The episode earned a Nielsen rating of 9.5 and was watched by 15.87 million viewers, marking a slight increase from the previous season's finale "Requiem". "Within" was largely well-received by critics, although some fans felt alienated by the addition of Robert Patrick to the cast. The show centers on FBI special agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. In this episode—continuing from the seventh season finale "Requiem" when Mulder was abducted by aliens who are planning to colonize Earth—an FBI taskforce is organized to hunt for Mulder but Scully suspects the taskforce leader, Special Agent John Doggett (Patrick), and instead chooses to search for her lost partner with Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi). Scully and Skinner travel to Arizona, only to be followed by Doggett's task force. There, they find Gibson Praise (Jeff Gulka) and someone who they believe may very well be Mulder. "Within" was a story milestone for the series. It introduced several new character changes for the season, including the departure of Mulder and the inclusion of Doggett as a main character to the cast. The episode was written as a way to both explain Mulder's absence as well as appease fans who would otherwise lament the loss of Duchovny. "Within" also marked the first major change to the opening credits since the show first started, with new images and updated photos for David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, and the addition of Robert Patrick. "Within" has been analyzed due to its themes of death and resurrection. In addition, the experiments performed on Mulder after his abduction have been thematically compared to the Crucifixion of Jesus. ## Plot Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) has been deeply distraught since Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) was abducted by aliens. One morning, she arrives in her partner's office to find it being searched by FBI agents. Scully subsequently learns that the Bureau's newly promoted deputy director, Alvin Kersh (James Pickens, Jr.), has launched a manhunt in search for Mulder. The investigation is being led by an FBI special agent named John Doggett. Scully and Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi) are taken to the task force's field office to be questioned, despite protests that they would be the most qualified to lead the manhunt themselves. As Skinner is being interrogated, Scully is accosted by an unnamed person who starts asking her about Mulder. When Scully finds out that he is actually Doggett (Robert Patrick), she angrily throws water in his face and leaves. Back at her apartment, Scully runs a background check of Doggett on her computer, learning about his background as a former NYPD detective. She feels sick and leaves the computer, and later on calls her mom, Margaret (Sheila Larken). When she realizes her phone is tapped, she looks outside the window to see if anyone is out there. She angrily calls Doggett to protest him monitoring her phone conversations, which he seems genuinely surprised about. She notices a mysterious man and runs into the hall to pursue him, but meets her landlord Mr. Coeben, who claims he had seen Mulder. Meanwhile, Skinner visits the Lone Gunmen, who are monitoring UFO activity in the U.S. in the hopes of tracking down Mulder. Skinner later finds out that someone has used Mulder's FBI pass to gain access to the X-Files, and that the Bureau task force considers him the main suspect. Meanwhile, Doggett has gathered enough evidence to track Mulder's whereabouts before his so-called abduction, discovering that Mulder was dying and had his name engraved in his family's gravestone to mark his death in 2000. Later on, more evidence of high UFO activity in Clifton, Arizona, is found by the Lone Gunmen. Concurrently, Doggett receives information about Gibson Praise (Jeff Gulka) when someone slips his file under his door. Scully and Skinner leave for Arizona without giving any of their information to Doggett. At the same time, Doggett believes that to find Mulder they must first find the whereabouts of Praise. They locate him at a remote school for the deaf in the town of Flemingtown. By the time Doggett's task force arrives, Gibson has already escaped via a window and is leaving for a desert hill top with another person: Mulder. ## Production ### Casting and development The seventh season was a time of closure for The X-Files. Characters within the show were written out, including The Smoking Man (William B. Davis) and Mulder's mother (Rebecca Toolan), and several plot threads were resolved, including the fate of Fox Mulder's sister Samantha. After settling his contract dispute, Duchovny quit full-time participation in the show after the seventh season, contributing to uncertainties over the likelihood of an eighth season. Carter and most fans felt the show was at its natural endpoint with Duchovny's departure, and so Carter wrote "Requiem", the final episode of season seven, as a possible series finale. But seeing as how there was still interest from the Fox network in making an eighth season, Carter also sought to construct the finale in such a way that it could segue into another season. However, the producers found it difficult to convincingly write Duchovny's character out of the script, and explain Mulder's absence in the episodes of the upcoming season. Eventually, it was decided that Mulder's character would be abducted by aliens in "Requiem", thereby leaving it open for the actor's return in 11 episodes the following year. When an eighth season was green-lit, Carter introduced a new central character to replace Mulder: Doggett. More than 100 actors auditioned for the role, including Lou Diamond Phillips, Hart Bochner, and Bruce Campbell. In particular, Campbell, following his involvement with the sixth season episode "Terms of Endearment", was considered, but, due to a contractual obligation, could not take any work during the filming of his series Jack of All Trades. On potentially being cast as the series regular, Campbell mused, "I had worked on an X-Files episode before, and I think they sort of remembered me from that. It was nice to be involved in that – even if you don't get it, it's nice to hang out at that party." Later in Campbell's satirical autobiography Make Love\! The Bruce Campbell Way (2005), he joked that Patrick "stiffed him out of the role". In the end, the producers eventually chose Robert Patrick. Reportedly, Patrick was cast due to his role in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), as Fox believed he would attract 18- to 35-year-old males to the show. In fact, Fox executives reported a 10 percent overall increase in this demographic, solely due to Patrick's casting. ### Writing and filming Carter was inspired to write the scene in which Scully splashes water into Doggett's face, since he was aware that Patrick would be facing opposition from some members of the fan community. The scene was even the first filmed, in order to truly introduce Patrick to the series. After the conclusion of The X-Files in 2002, Patrick commented that this part of the episode had been his favorite scene in the series, and admitted that he could not think of a better way to introduce his character. Tom Braidwood, who appears in this episode as long-running recurring character Frohike, similarly remarked that the first meeting of Doggett and Scully was one of his favorite scenes from the entire series. Both Robert Patrick and the director of this episode, Kim Manners, felt that it was the perfect way to introduce John Doggett, and that Patrick injected a new "sense of energy" into the show, since it had basically used the same characters for the first seven years. Because the script of the episode does not specify the identity of the person who slides a file about Gibson Praise under Doggett's door, Kim Manners later had to ask the writers who the mysterious visitor was; the director was eventually told by Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz that the unseen person was actually Kersh. Robert Patrick asked the same question of Manners, but the director—not yet sure of the answer himself and hoping to avoid looking foolish—never gave the actor an answer. Patrick thought the reason that Manners was being purposefully secretive was that the director wanted Patrick to still "be in wonderment" as to the mysterious visitor's identity, thereby aiding his performance. On the audio commentary for "Within", Manners teased Patrick that the reason he had not answered the question was that he had not liked Patrick at the time. Kersh's actions are later revealed and explained in the ninth season premiere "Nothing Important Happened Today". On the episode's commentary, Patrick revealed that he was "nervous" for the shooting of the episode, since he was a big fan of The X-Files before becoming a part of its cast. Before shooting the episode, Carter reminded Patrick various times that he had to be in "good shape". The majority of the episode—like the rest of seasons six, seven, eight and nine—was filmed in and around the Los Angeles, California, area. The ending of the episode, as well as a majority of its follow-up "Without" were filmed at Split Mountain in Anza-Borrego State Park. According to producer Paul Rabwin, an "incredible heat wave" hit the area during the shooting, resulting in terrible filming conditions. In the desert, the cast and crew were informed that there was a "one in twenty-five" chance that someone would be bit by a rattlesnake. Pileggi later joked that during the filming of his scenes all he could think about was stumbling upon a snake. Jim Engh, a member of the production crew of The X-Files, died during the filming of this episode via electrocution, an accident that injured six other crew members. This episode was dedicated to his memory. The original opening visual sequence for the show had been made in 1993 for the first season and remained unchanged until "Within". The opening sequence then was modified to include new images, updated FBI badge photos for Duchovny and Anderson, as well as the addition of Patrick to the main cast. (Duchovny would only be featured in the opening credits when he appeared in an episode.) The opening also contains images that allude to Scully's pregnancy and, according to Frank Spotnitz, show an "abstract" explanation for Mulder's absence, with him falling into an eye. Most of the shots of Mulder being tortured were created using special and practical effects, as well as creative camera techniques. For the scene in which Mulder's face is restrained by hooks, make-up artist Matthew W. Mungle, who created special cheek prosthetics that were then attached to Duchovny (whom series makeup supervisor Cheri Montasanto-Medcalf later noted "sat pretty good through all that"). Likewise, for the scene in which the Colonists use a small laser-guided drill to bore into the roof of Mulder's mouth, visual effects supervisor John Wash placed "weird lens effects" over shots of the laser to give the scene "an alien, other-world-like quality." This scene also called for a shot of the device approaching the camera, which posed a challenge to the series' cinematographers because the device was so small. In a behind-the-scenes interview, supervising producer Paul Rabwin explained that he had the camera operators use "a very, very highly magnified lens" to capture the shot: "[The scene] was very, very scary, Rabwin stated. "We ended up putting some really cool sound effects in there, little servos and motors." ## Themes As The X-Files entered into its eighth season, "human resurrection and salvation" as well as "disease, suffering, and healing" became an increasingly central focus of the show. "Within", along with various other episodes during the eighth season of the show, would be the first to explore themes of birth, death and resurrection. The sub-theme of birth first emerged in this episode during Scully's opening dream of an abducted Mulder, which "invok[es] strong birth imagery of the amniotic sack [sic] and fluid." Then later in the episode, the themes of death and resurrection are touched upon when Scully is shown Mulder's tombstone. This arc would continue in "The Gift", where Mulder's inoperable brain tumor and the resurrection of John Doggett is explored. In "Deadalive", the theme reappears in full-force: Billy Miles is found dead but resurrects, Mulder is buried for three months, and later, is brought back to life. This sub-theme would continue well into the ninth season, in entries such as "Audrey Pauley". The episode is one of many to feature Mulder as a Christ-like figure. These comparisons were first purposely inserted during the seventh season episode "The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati", in which Mulder is placed on a cross-like table, symbolic of the wooden cross that Jesus was nailed to. Michelle Bush, in her book Myth-X notes that Mulder's torture scenes in "Within" bear a resemblance to the Crucifixion of Jesus. She argues that the metal bars piercing his wrists and ankles are similar to the nails that held Jesus, the metal straps imbedded in his head are similar to the Crown of Thorns, and that his vivisection is reminiscent of the wound made by the Holy Lance. Furthermore, Bush parallels Jesus' "horrific death in order to rise again" to Mulder's abduction, death, and resurrection later on in "Deadalive", which would further make allusions to the Christ-like nature of Mulder. ## Reception ### Ratings "Within" first aired on Fox on November 5, 2000. The episode earned a Nielsen household rating of 9.5, meaning that it was seen by 9.5% of the nation's estimated households. The episode was viewed by 9.58 million households and 15.87 million viewers. The episode marked an 11% decrease from the seventh season opener, "The Sixth Extinction", but a slight increase over the seventh season finale "Requiem", which was viewed by 15.26 million viewers. As soon as both "Within" and Without" were completed, Carter screened them at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The two were played back-to-back "like a feature film", according to Patrick. The episode was later included on The X-Files Mythology, Volume 3 – Colonization, a DVD collection that contains episodes involved with the alien Colonist's plans to take over the earth. ### Reviews Overall, the episode received positive reviews from critics. Jessica Morgan from Television Without Pity gave the episode a rare "A+". The entry's follow-up, "Without", would also receive a second "A+", making them the only two episodes of The X-Files to receive the prestigious rating from the site. Entertainment Weekly reviewer Ken Tucker gave the episode a largely positive review and awarded it an A−. He said that Patrick's portrayal of Doggett was "hardboiled alertness," giving mostly positive reviews about his inclusion. Furthermore, he noted that Anderson enacted all "her queasiness" in this episode and its follow-up, "Without". Tom Janulewicz from Space.com also reacted positively toward the episode, enjoying the idea of making the character of Skinner into a "true" believer. Paula Vitaris from Cinefantastique gave the episode a more mixed review and awarded it two stars out of four. Vitaris criticized both the unnatural elongation of Scully's pregnancy and the glimpses of Mulder that are shown, calling both "little more than lip-service." Robert Shearman, in his book Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium & The Lone Gunmen, rated the episode four stars out of five and wrote that it "sings when it reinvents the old and introduces the new." However, Shearman criticized the decision to bring back of Gibson Praise, noting that "the return of Gibson Praise almost derails the episode altogether [...] he only manages to make an episode that seemed as if it was giving The X-Files a bold new beginning feel like it's about to offer more of the same old stooge." Tom Kessenich, in his book Examinations wrote a moderately positive review of the episode. He noted, "In many ways, 'Within' reminded us why we tune into The X-Files every week. However, it also reminded us why the road ahead will be difficult. Fox Mulder may be gone, but he will never be forgotten. Or replaced." Writing on The Companion, A.J. Black praised the manner in which Doggett was introduced in the episode, saying: "Doggett is faced with a difficult challenge from the get-go, both within and without the context of the show (one could argue the case that Carter named the first two episodes of Season 8 ‘Within’ and ‘Without’ as a meta-reference for this very reason). He not only is required to establish himself as an agent working with the brittle and defensive Scully [...] but he is also in need of gaining the trust and support of the X-Files fanbase, many of whom could only ever imagine The X-Files as Mulder/Scully, Duchovny/Anderson." Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club wrote that both "Within" and "Without" form "a great way to pick up after the cliffhanger ending of the previous season" and that "the pair of episodes [...] work well as an introduction to the new narrative status quo." He awarded both entries a "B+" and praised the characterization of Doggett, writing that "Robert Patrick brings a distinct, charismatic energy to the part." However, he was slightly critical of some of the episode's features, such as the "trope" of Scully being sad or "melodramatic gloom and overheated monologues". Some fans, however, criticized the introduction of Doggett; claiming that the character had been intentionally created to replace Mulder. Carter responded to this in an interview with National Public Radio (NPR) by stating, "What he brings is a different approach to The X-Files. First of all, he’s a knee jerk skeptic so he couldn’t be more different than the character of Mulder. He’s an insider at the FBI, well liked, has buddies. Mulder, of course, he’s been banished to the basement along with all of his X-files. So when he’s put together with Agent Scully, who has become something of a reluctant believer, the dynamic on the show changes completely". ## Explanatory notes

Grand Avenue–Newtown station

New York City Subway station in Queens

The Grand Avenue–Newtown station is a local station on the IND Queens Boulevard Line of the New York City Subway. Located under private property at the northeast corner of the intersection of Grand Avenue, Broadway, and Queens Boulevard in the neighborhood of Elmhurst, Queens, it is served by the M train on weekdays, the R train at all times except nights, and the E and F trains at night. The station opened on December 31, 1936 as part of the Independent Subway System's Queens Boulevard Line. The opening of the station brought significant growth to Elmhurst. ## History The Queens Boulevard Line was one of the first built by the city-owned Independent Subway System (IND), and was planned to stretch between the IND Eighth Avenue Line in Manhattan and 178th Street and Hillside Avenue in Jamaica, Queens, with a stop at Grand Avenue. The line was first proposed in 1925. Construction of the line was approved by the New York City Board of Estimate on October 4, 1928. The line was constructed using the cut-and-cover tunneling method, and to allow pedestrians to cross, temporary bridges were built over the trenches. The first section of the line opened on August 19, 1933 from the connection to the Eighth Avenue Line at 50th Street to Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights. Later that year, a $23 million loan was approved to finance the remainder of the line, along with other IND lines. The remainder of the line was built by the Public Works Administration. In 1934 and 1935, construction of the extension to Jamaica was suspended for 15 months and was halted by strikes. Construction was further delayed due to a strike in 1935, instigated by electricians opposing wages paid by the General Railway Signal Company. In August 1936, tracks were installed all the way to 178th Street, and the stations to Union Turnpike were completed. On December 31, 1936, the IND Queens Boulevard Line was extended by eight stops, and 3.5 miles (5.6 km), from its previous terminus at Roosevelt Avenue to Union Turnpike. The E train, which initially served all stops on the new extension, began making express stops in April 1937, and local GG trains began serving the extension at the time. In Elmhurst, almost all of the century-old buildings in the heart of the village were destroyed for the construction of the subway. Land was taken on the west side of the Broadway to avoid the demolition of St. James Episcopal Church and the Reformed Church of Newtown. An easement was granted so the line could pass under the old St. James Church building at the southwest corner of Broadway and 51st Avenue. Many nineteenth century residences and the Wandowenock Fire Company buildings had to be torn down. To allow the subway line to curve into Queens Boulevard from Broadway, the northeast corner of the two streets was removed, in addition to some stores. New buildings were built behind a new curb line once the subway was completed, bringing a new face to Elmhurst. The introduction of the subway stimulated local growth in Elmhurst. Commercial buildings and apartment houses replaced existing structures. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced in April 2024 that it would make esthetic improvements to the station during mid-2024 as part of its Re-New-Vation program. ## Station layout There are four tracks and two side platforms; the two center express tracks are used by the E and F trains at all times except late nights. The E and F trains serve the station at night, the M train serves the station on weekdays during the day, and the R train serves the station at all times except late nights. The station is between Elmhurst Avenue to the west and Woodhaven Boulevard to the east. In between the local tracks and the express tracks, there are trackway walls. The station has a full length mezzanine, but as the fare control and booth area are at the center of the mezzanine, crossover is available only at the easternmost staircase. Both platforms have a medium Cerulean blue tile band with a black border and mosaic name tablets reading "GRAND AVE. – NEWTOWN" broken onto two lines in white sans serif lettering on a black background and Cerulean blue border. The tile band was part of a color-coded tile system used throughout the IND. The tile colors were designed to facilitate navigation for travelers going away from Lower Manhattan. As such, the blue tiles used at the Grand Avenue station are also used at Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue, the next express station to the west, while a different tile color is used at Forest Hills–71st Avenue, the next express station to the east. Blue tiles are similarly used at the other local stations between Roosevelt Avenue and 71st Avenue. Small tile captions reading "GRAND" in white lettering on black run below the trim line, and directional signs in the same style are present below some of the name tablets. Concrete-clad columns, painted blue, run along both platforms at regular intervals with alternating ones having the standard black name plates in white lettering. These piers are located every 15 feet (4.6 m) and support girders above the platforms. The roof girders are also connected to columns in the walls adjoining each platform. The tunnel is covered by a U-shaped trough that contains utility pipes and wires. The outer walls of this trough are composed of columns, spaced approximately every 5 feet (1.5 m) with concrete infill between them. There is a 1-inch (25 mm) gap between the tunnel wall and the platform wall, which is made of 4-inch (100 mm)-thick brick covered over by a tiled finish. The columns between the tracks are also spaced every 5 feet (1.5 m), with no infill. ### Exits Each side has two sets of street stairs. There is a full-time entrance at Justice Avenue and Broadway on the west end, with staircases to either side of Broadway. There are also exits to either southern corner of Queens Boulevard at 54th Avenue (the southeast-corner staircase being outside the First Presbyterian Church of Newtown complex), and another staircase to the northern side of Queens Boulevard at 54th Avenue. High entry/exit turnstiles at both ends of the mezzanine allow people to exit fare control without having to walk down to the middle of the mezzanine. A free crossover between two platforms exists at this location. Originally, there were two fare control areas at each end, which is clear from the presence of two closed staircases at the Manhattan-bound side. The mezzanine narrows to about two-thirds of its width on the southern side of the mezzanine directly to the opposite of the closed staircases. The narrowing of the mezzanine did not allow for staircases on the Queens-bound side in this location like on the Manhattan-bound side. Chain-link fence is used to separate the areas inside and outside fare control. The Manhattan- and Queens-bound paid areas are separated by at this location by the unpaid area, which runs down the center of the mezzanine. In total, this side of the station has four staircases in addition to the two closed ones mentioned, while the other side has five staircases.

Tourbillon Castle

Castle in Sion, Switzerland

Tourbillon Castle (French: Château de Tourbillon) is a castle in Sion in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It is situated on a hill and faces the Basilique de Valère, located on the opposite hill. It was built at the end of the 13th century under the direction of Bishop Boniface de Challant. Of a defensive nature and perched on the top of a steep, rocky hill, it served as the residence of the bishops of Sion. The Tourbillon Castle was badly damaged by the conflicts between the bishops and the people of Valais. It was burnt down in 1417 during the Raron affair, a war between the people of Sion and the Raron family. It was rebuilt by Bishop William III of Raron some thirty years later. In 1788 it was completely destroyed by another fire. The stones of the castle were used for some time for construction in the region before the ruins were reinforced in the 19th century to make it a historical monument. The castle is a Swiss heritage site of national significance. The castle is protected by nature; very steep terrain surrounds the structure. Accessible only from the east or west, it consists of a courtyard protected by surrounding walls. The castle has a keep, its own chapel and a garrison building. ## Location The Tourbillon Castle is located in Switzerland, in the canton of Valais, on the territory of the municipality of Sion. It is located on the Tourbillon hill and rises 182 meters (597 ft) above the city of Sion. The hill consists of biogenic and clastic sedimentary rocks based on marly phyllites and calcareous shales. The top of the hill forms a natural plateau with an average length of 200 m (660 ft) and a maximum width of 50 m (160 ft). The castle rests on the western part of the plateau, and its keep, in the center of the plateau, is located on a small rocky mound. ## History ### Before the castle The first known mention of the name "Tourbillon" dates back to 1268 in the form of "Turbillon". Its origin is not known, but there are two hypotheses proposed by the archaeologist François-Olivier Dubuis in 1960. The name could come from the terms "turbiculum" or "turbil," meaning "spinning top" or "small cone," or from a combination of the terms "turris," "tour," and the proper name "Billion" or "Billon," which appears in several documents from the thirteenth century. In 1994, excavations on the plateau east of the Tourbillon Castle revealed a Neolithic dwelling dated to the fifth millennium BC. Other discoveries, such as dry stone walls, prove that the castle site was used during the prehistoric period. In the nineteenth century, historians claimed that a Roman tower occupied the top of Tourbillon Hill before the construction of the castle. However, historians have never been able to prove the existence of this tower; the ruins that are supposed to be the foundations of the tower actually date back to the construction of the castle chapel in the Middle Ages. The Diocese of Sion was founded in Octodurum, now called Martigny in the early 4th century. In 589 the bishop, St. Heliodorus, transferred the see to Sion, as Octodurum was frequently endangered by the inundations of the Rhône and the Drance. Very little is known about the early Bishops and the early churches in Sion. However, in the late 10th century the last King of Upper Burgundy Rudolph III, granted the County of Valais to Bishop Hugo (998–1017). The combination of spiritual and secular power made the Prince-Bishops the most powerful nobles in the Upper Rhone valley. Sion became the political and religious center of the region. By the 12th century they began building impressive churches and castles in Sion to represent their power and administer their estates. Valère, as the residence of the cathedral chapter in Sion, was one-third of the administrative center of the powerful Diocese of Sion. In the 12th century the Cathedral Notre Dame de Sion (du Glarier) was built in the town below Valère hill. The Cathedral became the seat of the Diocese of Sion, while the Prince-Bishop of Sion lived in the castle. ### Construction The construction of Tourbillon castle is most probably linked to a major project to improve the fortifications of the town of Sion between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The beginning of the works is estimated at 1297 or 1298. They were supervised by Boniface de Challant, bishop of Sion at that time and descendant of the Viscounts of Aosta [fr] Challant family [fr]. He imitated other members of his family, who had castles built in the Aosta Valley to strengthen their power on several occasions. Several deeds signed in Tourbillon as early as May 1307 show that the habitable parts of the castle were completed when Boniface died on 13 June 1308. However, according to the dating of some of the joists, it would appear that the castle was not completely finished at that time. It was therefore Boniface's successor and cousin, Aymon de Châtillon, who completed the work. ### Constant conflict The Tourbillon Castle became the main residence of the Bishops of Sion from the time of its construction until Guichard Tavelli, who preferred the Soie Castle. After Tavelli bought Majorie Castle in 1373, Tourbillon became a temporary residence for the bishop but retained its military importance. On several occasions, Tourbillon was taken by force by Tavelli's enemies. On two occasions, the inhabitants of Sion laid siege to the castle and the bishop was forced to call for help from Amadeus VI of Savoy, who sent negotiators who managed to reach agreements with the people of Sion. A third conflict, this time with a nobleman from the Upper Valais named Pierre de la Tour, broke out in 1352 when he wanted to emancipate the bishop. Pierre de la Tour's men set fire to a castle in Sierre and were arrested while trying to inflict the same fate on the castle of Tourbillon. In exchange for the help of Amadeus VI, Tavelli offered the office of bailiff to the Count of Savoy. The latter appointed a vice-bailiff to administer the region and installed him in Tourbillon. This did not prevent new revolts, which were violently punished by Amédée VI; he ordered the town of Sion to be pillaged and partially burnt down. Although the castle was not affected by the revolts, the Count of Savoy asked the vice-bailiff to improve the defences of Tourbillon. The modifications included building new trebuchets, glacis at the bases of the castle walls and digging ditches on the plateau east of the castle. More than 5,000 crossbow bolts and several thousand trebuchet stones were stored in the castle, hoardings were built at the top of the castle walls and tower and the castle cistern was filled in the event of a siege. In March 1361, after nine years as bailiff, Amédée VI signed the Treaty of Evian and gave up interfering in the affairs of the bishop of Sion. In 1375, Guichard Tavelli was assassinated by supporters of Antoine de la Tour, son of Pierre, which led the Valaisans to ally themselves with Peter of Raron, a member of a powerful family from the Upper Valais who was a rival of the de la Tour family. After having beaten Antoine de la Tour, the Valaisans, pushed by Peter of Raron, rose several times against the successor of Tavelli, Édouard de Savoie-Achaïe. In 1384, the Valaisans took over the Tourbillon, Majorie and Soie castles. Amedeus VII, a relative of Édouard de Savoie, laid siege to Sion and partially destroyed the town. Once the revolt had been brought under control, he imposed a severe peace treaty on the rebels allowing the bishop to recover his castles. This did not prevent the bishop from leaving his post two years later, and it was not until 1392 that a unanimous candidate was found by the diocese of Sion. Between the resignation of Édouard de Savoie-Achaïe and the election of the new bishop, the Count of Savoy made men available to guard the castle. As conflicts between the diocese and the people were still going on, the members of the diocese did not dare to show themselves in public, and they had to pay a chaplain to say mass in the Tourbillon chapel. ### Victim of the Raron affair A final conflict took place at the beginning of the 15th century. Witschard of Raron, son of Peter, succeeded his father as Grand Bailiff, and the Raron family held the episcopal office, as two members of the family – William I in 1392, then William II, Witschard's uncle, in 1402 – succeeded each other at the head of the bishopric of Sion. The population then organised such a huge uprising that William II fled to the Soie Castle and Witschard went to Bern to seek help. Tourbillon and Montorge Castles were taken by force and then burnt down by the population in 1417. Shortly afterwards, the Soie Castle was also besieged and destroyed and the bishop fled to Bern as well. The Bernese agreed to help the Raron, and their troops set fire to Sion in 1418. Peace was finally signed in 1420, and the Raron family regained all its rights. The castle of Tourbillon was in a pitiful state; its interiors and roofs were totally destroyed by fire and its walls were cracked in many places. It was therefore unusable. ### Return to peace and reconstruction In 1418, André dei Benzi de Gualdo was appointed administrator of the diocese of Sion before becoming bishop in 1431 on the death of William II, who remained in Bern. He managed to restore peace, so that his successor, William III of Raron, nephew of William II, was accepted by the clergy and the people in 1437 despite belonging to the family of Raron. In the years 1440 to 1450, de Gualdo organised the total reconstruction of Tourbillon Castle. From that point the castle would no longer be subject to major modifications for several centuries, but was regularly maintained; it even withstood several armed conflicts in the 15th and 16th centuries. In the 17th century, it seems to have been used as a summer residence and, at the end of the century, it still seems to have been used for military purposes, mainly as a watchtower to warn the surrounding castles in the event of invasion. In the 18th century, the castle was used less and less, as its difficult access had led the bishops to look for houses elsewhere. Developments in siege warfare also meant that the castle was no longer of great strategic use. The Tourbillon castle was then emptied and was no longer guarded. ### The fire of 1788 On 24 May 1788, a fire broke out near the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Sion before being spread by a violent wind towards the north-east of the town. Although Valère Castle was spared, a large part of the town, including the Majorie Castle and Tourbillon, were seriously affected. In Tourbillon, all the woodwork – roofs, floors and furniture – disappeared entirely. The dungeon chambers were furnished with portraits of all the bishops of Sion, all of whom were lost in the fire. However, the lack of testimonies from the period makes it impossible to know the exact extent of the losses caused by the fire. With the destruction of the Majorie and de Tourbillon castles, the bishop of Sion was deprived of his residence in Sion. He quickly ordered the reconstruction of La Majorie, but left the renovation of Tourbillon for later, while ensuring that its walls did not collapse. The various conflicts affecting the Valais finally left the bishopric of Sion without the resources needed to finance the work, and Tourbillon remained in ruins. In the 19th century, when the Bishop of Sion Maurice-Fabien Roten had an episcopal palace built in Sion and abandoned the Majorie Castle, the materials remaining in Tourbillon – iron, stone slabs, etc. – were reused for other constructions, and the castle fell into oblivion. ### Conservation In the second half of the 19th century, the people and authorities of the Valais began to worry about the conservation of the Tourbillon Castle. With financial assistance from the State, restoration projects were launched; the idea of restoring Tourbillon to its medieval appearance was soon abandoned as it was considered too costly. The castle walls were consolidated, the tower to the south of the enclosure was rebuilt and the wall in the north-west corner was partially destroyed and then rebuilt identically. The work was completed in 1887, and Tourbillon became a favourite destination for tourists and the people of Sion. The castle underwent several small arrangements over time: a small lodge was built in 1893 in the dovecote tower; in 1917 the watertightness of the chapel roof was reassured; in the 1930s, the north-east corner of the keep was rebuilt to support its eastern face. Tourbillon Castle was recognised as a historical monument by the canton of Valais at the beginning of the 20th century. In the 1960s, the condition of some of the masonry made tourist visits risky. In 1963, a Pro Tourbillon association was created and, two years later, the Swiss League for National Heritage organised the sale of a gold shield which enabled consolidation work to begin. In 1970, Tourbillon was recognised as a monument of national importance. The last major consolidation work took place between 1993 and 1999. In 1999, the Bishopric of Sion ceded the site to the Tourbillon Castle Foundation, and 400,000 francs were set aside by the Canton of Valais, the municipality of Sion and its bourgeoisie to maintain the castle. Since 2009, the chapel has been undergoing restoration. The castle is open to the public with free admission from 15 March to 16 November. An on-site guide is available to visit the chapel as well as for a guided tour of the castle ruins. The castle is a Swiss heritage site of national significance. In 2023, a 3D model of the castle was created by the Valais-Wallis Time Machine association. At a cost of 20,000 Swiss francs, this model enabled to visualise Tourbillon before the fire of 1788. The project is based on period sources as well as laser scanning and aerial and terrestrial photogrammetry. The model is available for free online, and has also been used to create a scale model. ## Description ### Access and fortifications Access to the Château de Tourbillon is either from the east or the west; the other sides of the hill are too steep. The western access is cut off by a fortification wall, equipped with a gate, which was most certainly overhung by a bypass, as the remaining machicolations and merlons suggest. To the north of the gate – thus higher up the hill – there is a semi-circular watchtower built into the wall. The wall once had a narrow sentry walk. The access to the east was also fortified, but the only remaining elements are ruins of walls pierced with narrow openings for archers. ### Court The main gate of the castle can be reached from the west access. Crossing this gate leads to a large courtyard bounded by a high crenellated wall. All of the castle buildings date from the construction of the castle in the 13th century and all of them, with the exception of the large tower to the north-east, are attached to the wall of the enclosure. The large main tower is similar to a dungeon and is divided into two parts: the bishop's flats to the east and a reception room to the west. To the west of the courtyard are the garrison quarters, to the south a corner tower, to the south-east a chapel, its sacristy and another corner tower, and to the north a cistern for use in case of siege. To the east, a gate gives access to the rest of the plateau of the Tourbillon hill and to the ancient fortifications of the eastern access. ### Keep In the Middle Ages, the tower of the keep was covered with a pyramidal roof, and the reception room had a low-pitched gable roof. The tower included the bishop's room, which can be located thanks to a large window on the south side, and traces of a chimney remain, although it seems to have disappeared during the reconstruction of the 15th century. At the same period, a floor was added to the keep, and a new staircase was built. The original entrance to the building was on the north side, but was later moved to the south side. The reception room was lit by large low arched windows reminiscent of those in Chillon Castle. The large window on the west side of this room did not exist originally; it replaced two small openings during the reconstruction. ### Chapel #### Architecture The chapel of Tourbillon Castle, dedicated to Saint George, is located to the south-east of the enclosure and consists of two bays; the one accessible from the north-west serves as the nave. Originally, the ceiling of the west bay was made of wood, but during one of the reconstructions it was reworked into a vaulted ceiling. The only opening on the south side dating from the construction of the building was an oculus, but subsequent renovation work has led to three other openings which make the oculus badly centred. The choir of the chapel is adorned by two tori resting on columns and has had a vaulted ceiling since its construction. This ceiling rests on a crossing of ogives. The north wall of the choir overlooks the sacristy. The sacristy is illuminated by three openings on the east wall – two lancets topped by an oculus – and by a group of lancets on the south wall; one of them, at man's height, was probably used for the defence of the castle. On the south wall are the remains of a liturgical pool. #### Mural paintings The Tourbillon Chapel has undergone two different cycles of mural paintings: one during its construction in the 14th century and the other in the 15th century. While the construction of the latter slightly damaged the former, it helped above all to preserve it. For both cycles, the paintings were located in the same place: on the chevet wall, around the north and south windows of the chevet, on the south wall and around its windows, on the vault, on the north wall and finally on the triumphal arch. The paintings in the first cycle depict various scenes, such as the Annunciation, the Crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth or Saint George slaying a dragon. The wall paintings of the second cycle also represent the Annunciation and Saint George, but also other saints that are more difficult to identify.

M-55 (Michigan highway)

State highway in Michigan, United States

M-55 is a state trunkline highway in the northern part of the US state of Michigan. M-55 is one of only three state highways that extend across the Lower Peninsula from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan; the others are M-46 and M-72. The highway crosses through rural forest and farmlands to connect Manistee with Tawas City. M-55 crosses two of the major rivers in the state. Two sections of the highway follow along freeways near Cadillac and West Branch. Running for 150.944 miles (242.921 km) through the state, M-55 is maintained by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). The highway was first designated by July 1, 1919 along a portion of the current roadway. In a series of extensions, M-55 was lengthened to connect its current endpoints by the early 1930s. The trunkline has been rerouted in sections since that time resulting in the modern roadway alignment. One set of changes produced a business loop in the Houghton Lake area. ## Route description M-55 starts at a three-way intersection with US Highway 31 (US 31) north of Manistee. The trunkline runs southeast on Caberfae Highway over the Manistee River and through the Peters and Highpoint bayous. The highway passes near the community of Eastlake before turning eastward through forest land. In eastern Manistee County, the roadway crosses the Pine River south of the Tippy Dam Pond in Wellston. M-55 intersects M-37 in western Wexford County southwest of the Caberfae Peaks Ski & Golf Resort. The roadway turns northeasterly along the south shore of Lake Mitchell where it then curves southeasterly to run concurrently along M-115 along the south shore of Lake Cadillac and through the south side of Cadillac. At the interchange with the US 131 freeway, M-55 merges north along the freeway, bypassing downtown Cadillac. On the east side of town, M-55 leaves the freeway and turns east again running through the Pere Marquette State Forest along Watergate Road. When the highway meets M-66, M-55 joins M-66 and runs north through farmland. As the two highways approach Lake City, they run along the shore of Lake Missaukee and through downtown. M-55 turns east again along Houghton Lake Road, separating from M-66 north of the central business district. This section of trunkline passes through mixed farm and wood lands that transitions to mostly forests near Merritt. The road crosses the Muskegon River and follows Lake City Road into the outskirts of Houghton Lake. M-55 passes over the US 127 freeway and enters Houghton Lake Heights. There the highway runs southeasterly along the shores of Houghton Lake into downtown Houghton Lake. M-18 briefly joins M-55 through Prudenville on the east side of the lake, and M-55 follows West Branch Road as it continues east toward Interstate 75 (I-75). M-55 follows I-75 between exits 227 and 215, a distance of about 12 miles (19 km). This section is the only part of M-55 that has been listed on the National Highway System, a system of roads important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility. From the end of the freeway concurrency, M-55 follows Business Loop I-75 (BL I-75) into downtown West Branch. After leaving town, the highway runs through farm lands in rural Ogemaw and Iosco counties. The highway curves southeast into Tawas City. The eastern end of M-55 is at an intersection with US 23 along the shores of the Tawas Bay of Lake Huron. ## History M-55 had its beginning by July 1, 1919 when it was designated from Cadillac to Merritt. In 1926, M-55 was extended eastward to Houghton Lake over a section of the former M-14 that was not used for the then-new US 27. At the same time, another segment of the highway was designated between M-76 at West Branch and US 23 at Whittemore. The next year, M-55 was routed along sections of US 27 and M-76 between the two communities. A western extension was added from Cadillac to US 31 near Manistee in 1932 while the eastern end was shifted from Whittemore to Tawas City when US 23 was rerouted through the area. Segments of M-55 have been relocated in the years since the basic routing was completed in the early 1930s. A more direct route from West Branch eastward was created in 1938. Prior to the construction of present-day Hemlock Road through Tawas City, M-55 entered Tawas City via present-day Plank Road, Second Street, Fifth Avenue, and Mathews Street, ending at the present-day intersection of US 23 and Mathews Street. In 1949, US 27 was moved to run to the west of Houghton and Higgins lakes. M-55 was shifted to run concurrently southward along the former M-169 which was replaced by US 27. At the intersection with the former US 27, M-55 was routed east, and the former route of M-55 was designated as a new M-169. In 1950, this M-169 was redesignated Business M-55 (Bus. M-55). M-55 was rerouted off US 27 when the US 27 freeway was completed in the area. In rerouting M-55, it was shifted back to its former routing through Houghton Lake Heights, replacing Bus. M-55 in late 1961. The last gravel segments were paved in Iosco County between late 1958 and early 1960. Another segment east of Cadillac to M-66 south of Lake City was realigned in 1973. At the same time, M-55 was co-signed with a portion of the newly opened stretch of I-75 between M-157 and West Branch. The last routing change was made in November 2000 when the southern segment of the Cadillac bypass was opened. M-55 was moved out of downtown Cadillac and along the freeway and M-115. US 131 joined M-55 on the bypass the next October when the northern half of the bypass was completed in 2001. ## Major intersections |} ## Business loop Business M-55 (Bus. M-55) was a business loop designated for just over a decade in Houghton Lake Heights. Bus. M-55 ran for 2.898 miles (4.664 km) along Houghton Lake Drive between US 27 and Federal Drive next to the Houghton Lake. M-55 was shifted off the road when several highways in the Houghton Lake area were rerouted. US 27 was moved to the west side of the lakes in the area, and M-55 was moved follow US 27, replace the original M-169 in the area and replace a section of the former routing of US 27 in Houghton Lake in 1949. By early 1950, the former route of M-55 through Houghton Lake Heights was designated Bus. M-55. This business loop existed until the US 27 freeway was built in the area in late 1961. At that time, M-55 was moved back to its pre-1949 routing, replacing Bus. M-55. ## See also -

Dave McNally

American baseball player (1942–2002)

David Arthur McNally (October 31, 1942 – December 1, 2002) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher from 1962 through 1975, most notably as a member of the Baltimore Orioles dynasty that won four American League pennants and two World Series championships between 1966 and 1971. A three-time All-Star, McNally won 20 or more games for four consecutive seasons from 1968 through 1971. He was one of four 20-game winners for the 1971 Orioles (Pat Dobson, Jim Palmer, and Mike Cuellar were the other three), currently the last team as of 2023 to have four 20-win pitchers on the same roster. Born in Billings, Montana, McNally was raised by his mother after his father died in the Battle of Okinawa. He was signed by the Orioles out of high school in 1960 and made his major league debut two years later, throwing a shutout in his first game in the major leagues. From 1963 through 1965, he continued to refine his pitches while securing his grip on a starting spot in the Orioles' rotation. In 1966, he made two starts in the World Series, the second of which was a shutout that gave the Orioles a 4–0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. McNally was bothered by a calcium deposit in his elbow in 1967; the injury limited his playing time in the second half of the season. He was named the Comeback Player of the Year in 1968 as he finished second in the American League with 22 wins. McNally was selected to the All-Star Game for the first time in 1969, finishing the season with 20 wins. He threw 11 shutout innings to beat the Minnesota Twins in Game 2 of the first AL Championship Series, then faced the New York Mets twice in the World Series. He hit a home run against Jerry Koosman in one of the games, but the Orioles were defeated in five games. In 1970, McNally tied for the AL lead with 24 wins. He hit a grand slam in Game 3 of the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds, becoming a World Series victor for the second time as the Orioles won the World Series in five games. He missed six weeks with an injury in 1971 but still pitched enough to be one of four Orioles to win 20 games that season. McNally beat the Pittsburgh Pirates in Game 1 of the World Series, lost Game 5, and won Game 6 in relief, but the Orioles were defeated in seven games. In 1972, McNally was named to the All-Star Game for the third time. He finished the year with his first losing record since 1964, though this was partly due to the Orioles scoring fewer runs than they had the previous year. In 1973 and 1974, he faced the Oakland Athletics in the playoffs but lost both games he pitched. Thinking he needed a change of scenery, McNally requested a trade after the 1974 season; the Orioles obliged, sending him to the Montreal Expos, with whom he played one final year before retiring halfway through 1975, citing an inability to throw the fastball. After the 1975 season, he added his name to a grievance filed against the reserve clause, which resulted in the historic Seitz decision that created free agency in baseball. McNally returned to his hometown Billings and worked as a car dealer until his death from cancer in 2002. A member of the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame, he is among the franchise's leaders in many statistical categories. ## Early life McNally was born on October 31, 1942, in Billings, Montana. Before his third birthday, his father, James, died in the Battle of Okinawa. Betsy, his widow, worked in a welfare office to support the family; Dave was the youngest of four children. He attended Billings Central Catholic High School, but since the school did not field a baseball team, his baseball experience in his young adult years came with the Billings Royals, an American Legion team. The Royals were in the midst of winning 14 straight state championships when McNally played with them, and the team reached the Legion World Series in two of his years with them. In 1960, McNally had an 18–1 record as a pitcher. Both the Baltimore Orioles and the Los Angeles Dodgers recruited him; McNally signed with the Orioles a month before his 18th birthday, in September 1960. He later quipped that, had he known how many young pitching prospects the Orioles had, he would have signed with the Dodgers instead. Jim Russo, the scout who signed him, also signed Jim Palmer and Boog Powell for the Orioles. ## Minor league career The Orioles had McNally pitch in an instructional league in fall of 1960, then assigned him to the Victoria Rosebuds of the Class AA Texas League in 1961. McNally struggled against the competition, losing three of his four starts and posting a 6.16 earned run average (ERA) before the Orioles reassigned him to the Fox Cities Foxes of the Class B Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League. At Fox Cities, McNally still had a losing record (8–10) but his ERA dropped to 4.18 in 25 games. With the Class A Elmira Pioneers of the Eastern League in 1962, McNally was the team's best player. He tied with Wilbur Wood and Sonny Siebert for second in the league with 15 wins (behind Paul Seitz, who had 16), ranked second with 195 strikeouts (behind Bob Heffner with 234), tied John Pregenzer for eighth with 196 innings pitched, tied Bill Hands and Pregenzer for third with four shutouts (behind Steve Dalkowski with six and Richard Slomkowski with five), and had a 3.08 ERA. ## Major league career ### Baltimore Orioles (1962–74) #### Cementing a spot in the Major Leagues (1962–65) Following his season with Elmira, McNally was a September callup by the Orioles in 1962; he got one start with the team. On September 26, he pitched the first game of a doubleheader against the Kansas City Athletics. "I was scared to death," McNally later recalled, but he threw a shutout, limiting the Athletics to two hits in nine innings. In an interview prior to the start of the 1963 season, Baltimore manager Billy Hitchcock listed McNally among a group of prospects that could provide "whatever else is needed" for Baltimore's pitching staff. An injury to Dalkowski helped McNally make the team as a left-handed reliever. After one game out of the bullpen, he made an emergency start for an injured Chuck Estrada on April 20, limiting the Cleveland Indians to one run in a complete game, 7–1 victory. He won his first two starts, but after giving up seven runs and five runs in his next two, respectively, he was moved back to the bullpen, where he was used as a reliever through the beginning of June. Then, Estrada was placed on the disabled list on June 8 due to a bone spur and calcium deposits in his elbow. McNally replaced him in the rotation on June 12 and was used as a starter the rest of the year. He took a no decision on June 12 but held the New York Yankees to two runs (one earned) over 7+1⁄3 innings in a 3–2 loss. On August 22, he threw a complete game against the California Angels, striking out eight while giving up one run in a 5–1 victory. In 29 games (20 starts) his rookie year, McNally had a 7–8 record, a 4.58 ERA, 78 strikeouts, 55 walks, and 133 hits allowed in 125+2⁄3 innings pitched. Following the 1963 season, McNally furthered his development by pitching winter ball in Puerto Rico. McNally was used as a starter through most of 1964. On May 12, he threw a shutout and allowed just two hits in a 5–0 victory over the Washington Senators. He also threw a shutout against Kansas City on June 2 in a 4–0 victory. Through August 15, he had a 7–10 record and a 3.89 ERA in 22 games, all but one of which were starts. Thereafter, he was mostly used out of the bullpen, starting just two more games the rest of the year. One of them, the second game of a September 7 doubleheader against Kansas City, was one of the shortest starts of his career; he faced four batters, all of whom scored in the Orioles' 6–1 defeat. In the other, on October 1, he threw a shutout against the Senators, throwing a no-hitter until Don Lock hit a double in the seventh inning. In 30 games (23 starts), he had a 9–11 record, a 3.67 ERA, 88 strikeouts, 51 walks, and 157 hits allowed in 159+1⁄3 innings. His three shutouts tied with five other pitchers for ninth in the American League (AL). During 1965 spring training, the Orioles figured out that McNally's body language was giving away to the hitters which pitch he was going to throw. He worked on the problem and had it corrected before the season started. Though he made a few relief appearances throughout the year, he was mainly used as the team's fifth starter. Through the end of May, he had a 4.19 ERA, but he pitched better in the succeeding months. He quit smoking midseason and gained about twenty pounds, which he credited to his improvement, though after the season he would resume smoking again. In the second game of a doubleheader on August 4, he threw a shutout as the Orioles defeated the Angels 8–0. For the second year in a row, he threw a shutout on October 1, limiting Cleveland to two hits in a 2–0 victory in the first game of a doubleheader. McNally topped the 10-win mark for the first time in his career, finishing the season with an 11–6 record. In 35 games (29 starts), he had a 2.85 ERA, 116 strikeouts, 73 walks, and 163 hits allowed in 198+2⁄3 innings. #### World Series victor, struggles, comeback (1966–68) McNally held the Yankees to two runs over 7+1⁄3 innings on April 16, 1966, in a 7–2 victory over the Yankees. On July 21, he was one out away from a complete game against the Detroit Tigers, but with the Orioles leading 6–2, Davey Johnson made an error, allowing a third run to score. When Don Wert followed with a run-scoring double, manager Hank Bauer replaced McNally with Eddie Fisher. McNally was credited with allowing four runs (two earned), but he still got the win as the Orioles held on and won 6–4. McNally had a 10–3 record through the end of July, but had an equal number of wins and losses (three) in the final two months of the season. One of those three wins was a shutout of the Senators on August 6, in a 4–0 victory. Mark Armour of the Society for American Baseball Research called him "the team's most consistent starter" for 1966. In 34 games (33 starts), he had a 13–6 record, a 3.17 ERA, 158 strikeouts, 64 walks, and 212 hits allowed in 213 innings. As a hitter, he kept his average close to .250 by midseason (uncharacteristically high for a pitcher) and finished the year hitting .195. When asked about his hitting midseason, he said, "I don't have to explain my hitting. I mean, did Ted Williams have to explain?" The Orioles won the AL pennant in 1966, earning them a meeting with the defending-champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1966 World Series. In the fourth game, McNally and Don Drysdale matched four-hitters; one of Baltimore's hits was Frank Robinson's fourth-inning home run for a 1–0 Oriole victory. "I had a lot of things going for me that day," McNally later said. "The movement on my fastball was sufficient, and I had a pretty good curveball and changeup." His shutout capped a World Series in which Baltimore pitchers set a Fall Classic record by pitching 33+1⁄3 consecutive shutout innings, beginning with Moe Drabowsky's 6+2⁄3 scoreless innings in relief of McNally (Drabowsky entered the game in the third inning and issued a bases-loaded walk that scored Lou Johnson—the Dodgers' second and last run of this Series) in Game One, followed by shutouts from Jim Palmer and Wally Bunker. The trio of McNally, Bunker, and Palmer had pitched one shutout total during the regular season—that by McNally on August 6 against the Senators. It was the Orioles' first ever World Series championship, and a picture of third baseman Brooks Robinson leaping into the air as he ran to the pitcher's mound to congratulate McNally after the game remains one of the most iconic Oriole photos. In 1967, McNally was the Opening Day starter for Baltimore. He was throwing a shutout against the Angels in the first game of a doubleheader on April 16, 1967, but he allowed two runs in the eighth inning. In the ninth, with the Orioles up 4–2, McNally retired the first two Angel hitters he faced but surrendered the lead when he gave up back-to-back home runs to José Cardenal and Don Mincher. He was removed from the game, and the Orioles lost 5–4 in 10 innings. After losing just six games in 1965 and 1966, McNally had five losses through June 18 of 1967, with a 5.71 ERA to go along with them. In June, doctors discovered a calcium deposit in his left elbow. They treated the injury through draining fluid and injecting cortisone. Following his first cortisone shot, McNally limited the Chicago White Sox to one run and five hits on July 6 in a complete-game, 5–1 victory. One week later, in the second game of a doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox, he threw a shutout as the Orioles won 10–0. However, the injury restricted him to four games after July 21. In 24 games (22 starts), he had a 7–7 record, a 4.54 ERA, 70 strikeouts, 39 walks, and 134 hits allowed in 119 innings. McNally's first 1968 start did not come until the season's fifth game, but he held the Oakland Athletics to one run in a complete game, 4–1 victory on April 17. Despite a 2.23 ERA, he had an 8–8 record through his first two starts of July when Earl Weaver became the manager of the Orioles; starting Weaver's first game on July 11, he threw a two-hit shutout against the Senators, taking only two hours and 12 minutes to do so. That shutout was the first of 12 straight wins for McNally. He held Detroit to one run over 6+1⁄3 innings on July 20 and hit his first major league home run against Denny McLain (who would win 31 games that year) in the Orioles' 5–3 victory. In the last game of the streak, on September 28, he became a 20-game winner for the first time as the Orioles defeated the White Sox 4–2; McNally pitched the whole game, and the two runs he allowed were unearned. McNally finished the season among the AL leaders with 22 wins (second to McLain's 31), a 1.95 ERA (third behind Luis Tiant's 1.60 and Sam McDowell's 1.81), 202 strikeouts (fifth), five shutouts (tied with George Brunet for seventh), and 273 innings pitched (fourth). He broke Barney Pelty's franchise season record of walks plus hits per innings pitched that had been set in 1906, establishing the new franchise record of 0.852 and leading the AL. At the plate, McNally hit three home runs during the 1968 season; he would hit at least one each of the following seasons until the AL adopted the designated hitter rule in 1973. For his successful return from injury, McNally won the Major League Baseball Comeback Player of the Year Award. He finished fifth in AL Most Valuable Player (MVP) voting and was named Baltimore's MVP. #### In the World Series every year (1969–71) After winning the last two decisions of the 1968 season, McNally opened 1969 with a 15–0 record; his first loss of the season came when he allowed a grand slam to Rich Reese in a loss to the Minnesota Twins on August 3, and he ended the regular season with a 20–7 record. His 17 straight wins were an AL record at the time, and his 15 consecutive wins to open the season tied an AL record. He threw a four-hit shutout in a 9–0 victory over the Senators on April 12. On May 5, he had a no-hitter going until one out in the ninth inning, when Cesar Tovar singled; McNally got Rod Carew to hit into a double play to preserve the shutout. He threw back-to-back shutouts against the White Sox on June 15 and the Senators on June 19. He was named to the All-Star Game for the first time in his career. Though his record was only 5–7 in the season's final two months, he returned to the playoffs as the Orioles won the AL East. McNally's 20 wins tied Mel Stottlemyre and Dave Boswell for third in the league behind McLain's 24 and teammate Mike Cuellar's 23, his four shutouts tied with five other pitchers for fourth in the league, his 166 strikeouts ranked ninth, and he was second to McLain with 40 starts. He finished 13th in AL MVP voting and ranked fourth in AL Cy Young Award voting. In the postseason, the Orioles faced the Twins in the newly created best-of-five AL Championship Series, the winner of which would play in the World Series. McNally threw nine shutout innings in Game 2, limiting the Twins to three hits, but the Orioles were unable to score, and the game continued. Still on the mound, McNally threw a hitless 10th inning. With two outs in the top of the eleventh, he walked Harmon Killebrew and Tony Oliva to put a runner in scoring position before getting Bob Allison to line out to Don Buford in left field. Curt Motton finally drove in a run in the bottom of the inning, and the Orioles prevailed 1–0. McNally's shutout is the longest by a pitcher in the postseason, and Will Leitch of MLB.com called the game the Orioles' most exciting playoff victory in 2018. The Orioles faced the New York Mets in the 1969 World Series. In Game 2, the Orioles and Mets were tied at one in the ninth when McNally, with two outs, gave up three singles in a row to give the Mets a 2–1 lead. The two runs were all he allowed in the ballgame, but the Mets prevailed 2–1. He hit a two-run home run against Jerry Koosman in Game 5 and left the game after seven innings with the score tied at three. However, the Orioles lost the game 5–3, and the Mets won the World Series in five games. McNally hit a home run against Tom Murphy on June 9, 1970, and held the Angels to three runs over seven innings, but the bullpen gave up some additional runs as the Orioles lost 7–5. On June 21, McNally pitched into the ninth inning before being replaced by Pete Richert, limited Washington to two runs, and won his 100th career game as the Orioles defeated the Senators 4–2. He made the All-Star team for the second year in a row, picked by Weaver, who was managing the team. McNally had a 12–7 record and a 4.38 ERA on July 18, but he posted a 1.96 ERA for the remainder of the season and went 12–2, with the Orioles winning 14 of the 17 games he appeared in thereafter. From July 26 through August 29, he won nine consecutive games. On August 21, 1970, McNally threw a shutout in a 5–0 victory over the Angels. Four days later, he allowed 10 hits in a complete game against the Athletics, but only one run, and he picked up his 20th win of the season as Baltimore defeated Oakland by a score of 5–1. On August 29, he gave up only one run in a complete game, 6–1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers; the run was unearned. During the 1970 season, the Orioles never lost more than two straight games in which Palmer, Cuellar, and McNally started. The two times they lost two games in a row, it was McNally who ended the streak. McNally's 24 wins at the end of the year tied with teammate Cuellar and Jim Perry for the AL lead. McNally ranked seventh with 185 strikeouts, tied with four others for the lead with 40 starts, and ranked fourth with 296 innings pitched. After the season, he finished second to Jim Perry in AL Cy Young Award voting and ranked 16th in AL MVP voting. For the second year in a row in 1970, the Orioles faced the Twins in the ALCS. Starting Game 2 for the Orioles, McNally held the Twins hitless for the first three innings as the Orioles scored three runs. In the fourth inning, McNally made the score 4–0 with an RBI single against Tom Hall. After walking Leo Cárdenas to lead off the bottom of the inning, he allowed back-to-back home runs to Killebrew and Oliva to make it 4–3. McNally never let the Twins score again, and the Orioles cruised to an 11–3 victory before ultimately sweeping the ALCS. This year in the World Series, the Orioles faced the Cincinnati Reds. Starting Game 3 of the series, McNally gave up a run in the second inning but held the Reds to just that through the first six innings of the game; meanwhile, Baltimore gave him for runs of support. After Tony Cloninger of the Reds walked Paul Blair with one out in the sixth, Cloninger was replaced with Wayne Granger, who allowed a double to Brooks Robinson and intentionally walked Davey Johnson before striking out Andy Etchebarren, bringing McNally to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs. McNally helped his own cause, depositing a pitch from Granger in the left field seats and becoming the only pitcher in major league history to hit a grand slam in a World Series. He went on to allow two more runs, but the Orioles led by more than enough in their 9–3 victory. After losing Game 4, the Orioles defeated the Reds in Game 5, making McNally a World Series champion for the second time in his career. The bat McNally hit the grand slam with (lent to him by Motton) is at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Entering the 1971 season, the Orioles raised McNally's salary to $85,000. He held the Senators to two runs on Opening Day (April 7) in a complete-game, 3–2 victory. On April 23, he and Clyde Wright of the California Angels held each other's teams to two runs until the ninth, when the Orioles scored six times to give McNally an 8–2 victory. On September 7, he limited Cleveland to one run over nine innings and hit a two-run home run against McDowell in a 3–1 victory. A sore arm kept McNally from pitching for six weeks in July and August, but he was still the first Oriole to win 20 games when he threw a shutout against the Yankees on September 21. McNally was one of four 20-game winners for the 1971 Orioles (Pat Dobson, Palmer, and Mike Cuellar were the other three). They were the first quartet of pitchers to each win 20 games for the same team since four members of the 1920 Chicago White Sox each won 20. McNally led the Orioles with 21 wins, tying with Catfish Hunter for fourth in the AL; his 2.89 ERA ranked seventh; and he led the AL with a .808 winning percentage. In 30 starts, his record was 21–5, and he struck out 91 batters in 224+1⁄3 innings. He finished 4th in AL Cy Young Award voting and 11th in AL MVP balloting. His streak of four 20-win seasons in a row was the first in the AL since Red Ruffing did so from 1936 through 1939. The Orioles won the AL East for the third straight year in 1971 and faced the Oakland Athletics in the ALCS. Used as the Game 1 starter, McNally gave up three runs over seven innings, saying after the game he did not have his best stuff. However, Baltimore scored four runs in the seventh inning to rally from a 3–1 deficit, giving McNally the win in a 5–3 victory. After sweeping Oakland, the Orioles faced the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1971 World Series. McNally again started Game 1, prompting Pirates' manager Danny Murtaugh to bench Richie Hebner and Al Oliver (left-handed batters) in favor of Jose Pagan and Gene Clines (less productive right-handed batters). In the second inning, errors by Mark Belanger and Elrod Hendricks led to three unearned runs scoring for Pittsburgh. However, McNally would not allow any other runs, limiting Pittsburgh to three hits and retiring 19 straight hitters at one point in a complete game, 5–3 victory for Baltimore. He was less effective in Game 5, allowing four runs (three earned) in four innings as the Orioles lost 4–0. In Game 6, with the score tied 2–2 and two outs in the 10th inning, he entered the game, walked Willie Stargell to load the bases, then retired Oliver on a fly ball to keep the game tied. Brooks Robinson hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning; McNally earned the win as the Orioles prevailed 3–2. He was brought in to face Stargell with two runners on base in Game 7, but McNally got Stargell to ground out to end the inning; however, the Orioles lost that game 2–1, as the Pirates won the series in seven games. #### Salary increase, fewer runs (1972–74) In 1972, the Orioles raised McNally's salary once again, this time to $105,000. In the Orioles' second game of the year on April 17, he threw a shutout in a 4–0 victory over the Yankees. In fact, four of his first five starts were shutouts. The Orioles only scored one run for him on July 5, but that was enough for a win as McNally shut out the White Sox. McNally was selected to his third All-Star team in 1972, though he lost the game for the AL in the 10th inning when Joe Morgan drove in a run with a single. Through July 22, McNally had a 10–7 record, but he would win only three of his remaining 13 decisions. This was due in part to struggles by the Oriole offense. McNally's 2.95 ERA was lower than it had been in 1971, but the Orioles only scored 3.3 runs per game after scoring 4.7 the year before. Consequently, McNally finished with a losing record (13–17) for the first time since 1964, and his 17 losses tied with four other pitchers for third in the AL (behind Stottlemyre's and teammate Dobson's 18). He did manage to tie Tiant and Roger Nelson for fourth in the AL with six shutouts. McNally started the 1973 season with a shutout of the Brewers on April 6. Six days later, he pitched shutout ball for 9+2⁄3 innings, limiting Detroit to three hits in the Orioles' 1–0 win in 10 innings. On May 10, he threw 10 innings against Oakland, but Joe Rudi's RBI double in the 10th provided the winning margin in Oakland's 4–3 victory. He gave up 10 hits to the Yankees on June 27 but no runs in the Orioles' 4–0 victory. On September 1, he shut out the Yankees again as the Orioles prevailed 1–0. McNally's record was 9–12 after his start on August 3. He brought it to 17–16, moving his winning percentage over .500 with a victory over the Brewers on September 23, but he lost his last game of the year six days later to finish the season at 17–17. In 38 starts, he had a 3.21 ERA, 87 strikeouts, 81 walks, and 247 hits allowed in 266 innings. His 17 losses tied with Bert Blyleven and Rudy May for fifth in the AL, but his 3.21 ERA ranked ninth in the league. The Orioles won the AL East again in 1973 and faced Oakland in the ALCS. McNally started Game 2, allowing four home runs and five runs total in 7+2⁄3 innings as the Orioles lost 6–3. It was his only appearance of the series, which Oakland won in five games. On June 15, 1974, McNally pitched 11 innings, holding the White Sox to three runs and getting the win when Boog Powell hit a game-winning home run in the bottom of the 11th. Exactly two weeks later, he held the Yankees to two hits in a shutout as the Orioles won 2–0. Baltimore faced the Red Sox for a doubleheader on July 3. Starting the first game, McNally was called for two balks in the first inning. He and Weaver spent 10 minutes arguing the calls, and McNally was ejected from the game. The Orioles won the game 9–2, and in the ninth inning of Game 2, McNally came in and recorded the save in the Orioles' 6–4 win. His record was 8–8 on July 28, but McNally won eight of his last 10 decisions to up it to 16–10 by season's end. He held the Kansas City Royals scoreless on August 18, enabling the Orioles to win 1–0. On September 24, McNally gave up Al Kaline's 3,000th career hit in Baltimore; he got a no-decision in the game, but the Orioles won 5–4. In 39 games (37 starts) with the Orioles in 1974, McNally had a 16–10 record, 111 strikeouts, 81 walks, and 260 hits allowed in 259 innings. He had four shutouts, tying with five other pitchers for sixth in the league. His 3.58 ERA was 0.04 under the league average, but it was his highest since his injury-riddled 1967 season. Following the season, he requested a trade, thinking he might be helped by going to a new team. ### Montreal Expos (1975) McNally's 13-year tenure with the Orioles ended when he was traded along with Rich Coggins and minor-league right-handed pitcher Bill Kirkpatrick to the Expos for Ken Singleton and Mike Torrez at the Winter Meetings on December 4, 1974. Along with Woodie Fryman from the Detroit Tigers, he was one of two left-handed pitchers acquired that day by the Expos which was devoid of southpaws for all but three weeks of the 1974 campaign. He was the Opening Day starter for the Expos in 1975, limiting the St. Louis Cardinals to four runs (two earned) over seven innings in an 8–4 victory on April 7. He posted a 3.19 ERA in his first four starts, winning three of them. He limited the Pirates to three runs while pitching into the ninth inning on April 22, earning his third win of the year. Thereafter, he lost six straight decisions in his last eight games, posting a 6.60 ERA. In the first game of a doubleheader on June 8 against the San Diego Padres, he gave up five runs (four earned) over six innings in what would be his last major league appearance. The next day, he retired. "I'm not throwing the [fastball]. I have no oomph on it, and there's no ray of hope that it'll get better. There's no chance I can do a decent job, and I'm not paid to do that." In 12 starts with the Expos, he had a 3–6 record, a 5.24 ERA, 36 strikeouts, 36 walks, and 88 hits allowed in 77+1⁄3 innings. Expos sportscaster Jacques Doucet called the trade for McNally the Expos' most "lopsided," noting that Kirkpatrick never reached the major leagues and Coggins appeared in only 13 games for the ballclub. ## 1975 free agent labor grievance McNally is known for his role in the historic 1975 Seitz decision which led to the downfall of Major League Baseball's (MLB) reserve clause, ushering in the current era of free agency. McNally and Andy Messersmith were the only two players in 1975 playing on the one-year reserve clause in effect at the time. Neither had signed a contract, but both were held with their teams under the rule. The two challenged the rule and won free agency. McNally retired in June 1975, and he had no intention of actually claiming free agency. According to John Helyar's book The Lords of the Realm, players' union executive director Marvin Miller asked McNally to add his name to the grievance filed in opposition to the reserve clause, and he agreed. Miller thought of McNally, Helyar wrote, as "insurance" in the event that Messersmith decided to sign a new contract. The MLB wanted McNally's name off the grievance, so the Expos offered him a $25,000 ($ today) signing bonus and a $125,000 ($ today) contract if he made the team. McNally declined. The MLB hoped that Messersmith would also sign a contract, eliminating the challenge. Miller corroborated Helyar's account in his 1991 memoir, A Whole Different Ballgame. Miller explained that while Messersmith was the primary test case, as he was still in the prime of his career in 1975, he wanted McNally to add his name to the grievance because he was under the assumption that Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley would end up signing Messersmith to a contract before the grievance could be decided under binding arbitration. McNally, who had been a Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) player rep during his time with the Orioles, was working as a Ford dealer in Billings, when Miller contacted him about joining the Messersmith grievance. McNally agreed, which meant that even if the Dodgers signed Messersmith to a contract, the grievance would go forward. As Miller wrote ironically, "McNally had been a starter for fourteen years, but the last act of his career was to serve in arbitration as a reliever." ## Career Statistics ## Pitching style McNally threw the three basic pitches: a fastball, a curveball, and a slider. He was very good at controlling the fastball. Palmer praised his other two pitches, calling them "a great curve and a killer of a slider." The slider did not come along until later; McNally had used it in the minor leagues but relied on his two other pitches until after his injury-plagued 1967 campaign. He tried throwing it in a bullpen session in 1968, impressed catcher Etchebarren with it, and added it to his repertoire for the rest of his career. Weaver said it was his ability to mix his pitches that made him successful: "[McNally] did it with cunning and intelligence. He loved to set you up with a change, fool you with that tremendous curve and then throw that fastball by you." Pitching coach Bamberger concurred: "There are pitchers who are faster and maybe have better curveballs, but the difference is McNally knows exactly how to use what he has." Powell remembered how little time McNally took between pitches during a game: "It was 'Let's go boys; let's get it over with and get out of here; we've got better things to do.' He didn't have overpowering anything, but he was a magician with the stuff he had." Ken McMullen, a hitter for the Angels who faced McNally, called his curveball "great" and said he could throw it "anytime" during an at bat. Washington star Frank Howard was one of the hitters who gave McNally the most trouble throughout his career. He and Willie Horton were the only hitters with more than six home runs against McNally in their careers; Howard hit 13 and batted .336 against him. However, McNally enjoyed a great deal of success against Howard's Senators, whom he defeated 13 times in a row before they moved to Texas after the 1971 season. ## Personal life Jean Hoffer, McNally's high school sweetheart, married him in 1961. The couple had two sons (Jeff and Mike) and three daughters (Pam, Susan, and Anne). They purchased a home in Lutherville, Maryland in 1966. Jerry Hoffberger, who owned the Orioles, employed McNally at his brewery during offseasons. In his last active season with the Expos and shortly after he retired, McNally kept his family in Lutherville so his children could finish the school year. Just before the family moved, in late June 1975, McNally checked in to Sinai Hospital in Baltimore with a case of chronic hiccups that had irritated him for nine days. After three more days, they went away. After retiring from baseball, McNally moved back to Billings, where he joined his brother, Jim, in the automotive industry. Dave had purchased a car dealership in 1973 which Jim was running. Upon his return to Billings, Dave purchased a second dealership which he ran, later opening a third dealership as well. "I follow baseball casually, but I follow the automobile business more carefully," he told writer Maury Allen. Golf was a hobby of his; he had a handicap of eight in the sport. His son Jeff was drafted by the Brewers out of high school in 1980, but he never played professionally, opting instead to earn a degree at Stanford University. Diagnosed with lung and prostate cancer in 1997, McNally lived for another five years until his death in 2002. ## Legacy McNally, along with Palmer and Cuellar, gave the Orioles one of the best starting rotations in history during the 1960s and early 1970s. "Dave was an unbelievable competitor," Weaver said of him, also praising McNally's personality in general. "He was 100 percent gentleman. He was the kind of guy you wanted your son to be." In fact, McNally and his wife, Jean, served as the godparents for Palmer's youngest daughter. His 13 seasons with the Orioles left McNally's name among the team leaders in many statistics. His 181 wins were the team record when he departed in 1974 and are still second in franchise history to Palmer's 268. His 33 shutouts rank second to Palmer's 53, and his 2652+2⁄3 innings pitched rank second to Palmer's 3948. In strikeouts, he ranks third with 1476, behind Palmer's 2212 and Mike Mussina's 1535. He is fourth in games pitched with 412 and second to Palmer in games started, with 384. He is among the Orioles' single-season records in many other categories, as well. His 24 wins in 1970 are tied for third, and his 22 wins in 1968 are tied for ninth. His 202 strikeouts in 1968 are the seventh-most in a season by an Oriole. The six shutouts he had in 1972 are tied for the fourth-most in a season by an Oriole, and his 1.95 ERA in 1968 is the ninth-lowest in a season in franchise history (tied with Bob Reynolds's 1.95 mark in 1973). Excluding players who were with the organization before 1954 (when the Orioles were still the St. Louis Browns), Stu Miller (1.89 ERA in 1965) is the only Oriole to have a lower ERA than McNally and Reynolds in a season. In 1978, McNally was inducted into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame. Sports Illustrated named him Montana's Athlete of the Century in 1999, and he was named to the Orioles' All-Century team that same year. In a 2004 Sports Illustrated poll asking Montanans to name the "greatest athlete who ever lived in or played for a team in your state," McNally finished third with 9% of the vote, behind Dave Dickenson (19%) and Jan Stenerud (18%).

Welsh Springer Spaniel

The Welsh Springer Spaniel (Welsh: Llamgi Cymru) is a breed of dog and a member of the spaniel family. Thought to be comparable to the old Land Spaniel, they are similar to the English Springer Spaniel and historically have been referred to as both the Welsh Spaniel and the Welsh Cocker Spaniel. They were relatively unknown until a succession of victories in dog trials by the breed increased its popularity. Following recognition by The Kennel Club in 1902, the breed gained the modern name of Welsh Springer Spaniel. The breed's coat only comes in a single colour combination of white with red markings, usually in a piebald pattern. Loyal and affectionate, they can become very attached to family members and are wary of strangers. Health conditions are limited to those common among many breeds of dog, although they are affected more than average by hip dysplasia and some eye conditions. They are a working dog, bred for hunting, and while not as rare as some varieties of spaniel, they are rarer than the more widely known English Springer Spaniel with which they are sometimes confused. ## History The origin of the Welsh Springer Spaniel is unknown, but dogs resembling the breed with its distinctive red and white coat are frequently depicted in old pictures and prints. This type of dog was known as the Land Spaniel, and is considered to be similar to the modern Welsh Springer. John Caius, writing in 1570, said "Spaniels whose skynnes are white and if marked with any spottes they are commonly red". It is thought that these Spaniels may have made their way into the Welsh valleys where local sportsman and hunters managed to conserve them in a pure state. At one time called the Welsh Starter, it was used to spring game, originally for hunters using falcons. The traditional red and white colour of the Welsh Springer was once also found in English dogs, but by the early 20th century any such dogs were considered to have "died out long ago". The Welsh Springer Spaniel was also at one time called the Welsh Spaniel, and also at one point was included in the Kennel Club (UK) studbook as Cocker Spaniels, and was known as the Welsh Cocker. During the 19th century were several different varieties of Cocker Spaniel, including the English, the Welsh and the Devonshire as the term was used to describe the size of the dog rather than the breed. Unusually, in John George Wood's 1865 book The Illustrated Natural History, an image is described showing a Welsh Cocker Spaniel as a solid coloured dark spaniel. The same inscription is used in the 1867 work The Dog in Health and Disease by Stonehenge and he further describes the Welsh Cocker and the Devonshire Cocker as "both being of a deep-liver colour". The Welsh Springer was relatively unknown during the 19th Century, but this changed in 1900 when Mr. A. T. Williams of Ynis-y-Gerwn won the team stake at the Sporting Spaniel Club Trials. The trials were held on Mr. Williams' own estate, and it was thought that when his team defeated eight well known teams it was because of the home advantage. This was disproved when dogs from the same kennel went on to win in successive years around the UK. His conformation show champion dog Corrin was the first Welsh Springer Spaniel to be photographed. Welsh Springers were recognised by The Kennel Club, after the breed had gained popularity, in 1902 under the new name of Welsh Springer Spaniel. Until then the breed was shown alongside the English Springer Spaniel. The Welsh Springer Spaniel was transported to America in the late 19th century and gained recognition by the American Kennel Club in 1906. World War I caused problems for the breed in the United Kingdom, and when the war was over there were no dogs whose parents had registered pedigrees. The breed restarted with the remaining unregistered dogs, and it is these dogs that formed the modern day breed. The breeders in the 1920s and 1930s developed these dogs into the type of Welsh Springer Spaniel which remains today. The Welsh Springer Spaniel Club (UK) was formed in 1923, registrations slowly increased between the wars but all records held by the breed club were destroyed in an air raid during World War II. Following the two World Wars, it was thought that no Welsh Springers remained in the United States. The breed was reintroduced, and the descendants of those dogs make up the breed today in the United States and Canada. The breed was officially imported into Australia in 1973. In 2000, The Kennel Club registered 424 Welsh Springer Spaniels, compared with 12,599 English Springer Spaniels and 13,445 English Cocker Spaniels. Numbers remained steady, with 420 Welsh Springer Spaniels being registered in 2004, however numbers of English Springer Spaniels increased to 14,765 and English Cocker Spaniels to 16,608. Numbers remain closer to the American Cocker Spaniel which registered 610 in 2000, and 599 in 2004. The breed remains more popular than some other breeds of Spaniel, including the Clumber Spaniel, Field Spaniel, Sussex Spaniel and Irish Water Spaniel. Total registrations in the UK during 2016 fell to 299 qualifying it to be included on The Kennel Club's list of Vulnerable Native Breeds. ## Description ### Appearance The Welsh Springer Spaniel is a compact, solidly built dog, bred for hard work and endurance. Their body can give the impression of length due to its obliquely angled forequarters and developed hindquarters. The build of the Welsh Springer Spaniel should be slightly off square, meaning that the length of the dog should be slightly greater than the height at the withers. However, some dogs may be square, and this is not penalised in the show ring as long as the height is never greater than the length. Traditionally a docked breed, dependent on legislation in the country of origin, and where allowed the dew claws can be removed. In conformation showing, eyes should be brown in colour; yellow eyes do sometimes occur but are penalised in the show ring. Ears are small, pendulous (suspended and hanging), vine-shaped and with a light setter-like feathering. Nostrils are well developed and are black or any shade of brown; a pink nose is penalised in the AKC standard for the show ring, in Britain the colour is not specified in The Kennel Club's breed standard. In showing, a scissors bite is preferred with an undershot jaw severely penalised. Unlike the English Springer Spaniel and English Cocker Spaniel, there is no divergence into show and field styles of the breed. Male dogs are 46 to 48 centimetres (18 to 19 in) high at the withers, with females a little smaller at 43 to 46 centimetres (17 to 18 in). On average, members of the breed weigh between 16 and 20 kg (35 and 45 lb). The back of the legs, chest, and underside of the body are feathered, and the ears and tail are lightly feathered. The only colour is a rich red-and-white. Any pattern is acceptable and any white area may be flecked with red ticking. Welsh Springers are often confused with the English Springer Spaniel, but there are marked differences. The Welsh Springer is slightly smaller, and its reddish markings on a white background as opposed to the English Springers black or liver-coloured markings. Both breeds are admired for their hunting abilities and their trademark trait of "springing" at game. This can be seen during play also, as a dog may "spring" on his toy. Some experts believe that the Welsh Springer Spaniel and the Brittany share the same ancestry as there is a great deal of resemblance between the two breeds. The colours of the Welsh Springer, while exclusive from the English Springer, appear in the Brittany and the Brittany and Welsh Springers are both of similar sizes. The Welsh Springer is larger than the English Cocker Spaniel. ### Temperament The Welsh Springer Spaniel is active, loyal, and affectionate. They may meet strangers barking when in their territory, or act aloof, cautious or wary. The breed is well known for being friendly and demonstrative to all members of the family, especially children, and accepting other pets of the household with a friendly, playful attitude. The breed is quick to learn but can be headstrong, though with correct training can become very obedient. The Welsh Springer was bred for work and endurance, and as with many breeds of hunting dogs requires a regular exercise routine to keep them healthy and content. Without adequate exercise, a Welsh Springer Spaniel may appear hyperactive. Some Welsh Springers can become clingy towards their owners and suffer separation anxiety when alone. ## Health The Welsh Springer is generally a healthy breed, but some can suffer conditions common to many breeds such as hip dysplasia, Canine glaucoma and like other dogs with pendulous ears, they are prone to ear infections such as otitis externa. Some Welsh Springer Spaniels are predisposed to become overweight. In a survey of over a hundred breeds of dog conducted in 1997, the Welsh Springer Spaniel was ranked 14th for worst hip score, with the average score of the breed being 18.45. A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 14 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for crossbreeds. ### Eye disorders Welsh Springers can be prone to entropion, which is a disorder that affects the eyelids. The condition causes them to curl inwards, pressing the eyelashes against the surface of the eye itself and causing them to scratch it. This can lead to irritation and damage to the cornea. In most cases it only affects the lower eyelid on one or both eyes, but in some cases the upper eyelid can be affected as well. Symptoms can include tearing, squinting, the rubbing of the eyes, thick discharge from the eyes and rolling of the eyelid along with wetness on the hairs next to the eyelids. There is no medical treatment for entropion, and surgical correction may be necessary depending on the severity of the case. This condition may be present soon after birth, or later in life as a secondary condition to other eye related diseases or infections. Other breeds also affected by the condition include the Chow Chow, Great Dane, Golden Retriever and the English Springer Spaniel. Narrow/closed angle glaucoma is an autosomal dominant inheritable trait in the breed. It is a leading cause of blindness in dogs, and is where there is increased fluid pressure within the eye. If the fluid is not reduced, the pressure causes permanent damage to the retina and optic nerve. Loss of eyesight can happen as quickly as within 24 hours if the pressure if elevated enough, or slowly over time if it is only a mild elevation. The sudden, rapid elevation of pressure is more common with narrow/closed angle glaucoma which is more common to the breed than the slower open angle glaucoma. Symptoms can include redness in the eye, the eye itself looking cloudy, sensitivity to light and the dog may rub at their eye, or even rub it along other objects and carpet as the condition is moderate to extremely painful. Treatment can vary depending on the severity of the condition but if inherited glaucoma appears in one eye then it usually occurs in the other eye eventually. ## See also - Hunting dog - Sporting Group

Dorchester, Dorset

County town of Dorset, England

Dorchester (/ˈdɔːrtʃɛstər/ DOR-ches-tər) is the county town of Dorset, England. It is situated between Poole and Bridport on the A35 trunk route. A historic market town, Dorchester is on the banks of the River Frome to the south of the Dorset Downs and north of the South Dorset Ridgeway that separates the area from Weymouth, 7 miles (11 km) to the south. The civil parish includes the experimental community of Poundbury and the suburb of Fordington. The area around the town was first settled in prehistoric times. The Romans established a garrison there after defeating the Durotriges tribe, calling the settlement that grew up nearby Durnovaria; they built an aqueduct to supply water and an amphitheatre on an ancient British earthwork. During the medieval period Dorchester became an important commercial and political centre. It was the site of the "Bloody Assizes" presided over by Judge Jeffreys after the Monmouth Rebellion, and later the trial of the Tolpuddle Martyrs. As well as having many listed buildings, a number of notable people have been associated with the town. It was for many years the home and inspiration of the author Thomas Hardy, whose novel The Mayor of Casterbridge uses a fictionalised Dorchester as its setting. In the 2011 census, the population of Dorchester was 19,060. It is a centre for employment, education, retail, leisure and healthcare for the surrounding area, with six industrial estates, the Dorset County Hospital, a weekly market, and a high school and further education college. The town has a football club and a rugby union club, several museums and the biannual Dorchester Festival. ## History ### Prehistory and Romano-British Dorchester's roots stem back to prehistoric times. The earliest settlements were about 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of the modern town centre in the vicinity of Maiden Castle, a large Iron Age hill fort that was one of the most powerful settlements in pre-Roman Britain. Different tribes lived there from 4000 BC. The Durotriges were likely to have been there when the Romans arrived in Britain in 43 AD. The Romans defeated the local tribes by 70 AD and established a garrison that became the town the Romans named Durnovaria, a Brythonic name incorporating durn, "fist", loosely interpreted as 'place with fist-sized pebbles'. It appears to have taken part of its name from the local Durotriges tribe who inhabited the area. Durnovaria was recorded in the 4th-century Antonine Itinerary and became a market centre for the surrounding countryside, an important road junction and staging post, and subsequently one of the twin capitals of the Celtic Durotriges tribe. The remains of the Roman walls that surrounded the town can still be seen. The majority have been replaced by pathways that form a square inside modern Dorchester known as 'The Walks'. A small segment of the original wall remains near the Top 'o Town roundabout. Other Roman remains include part of the town walls and the foundations of a town house near the county hall. Modern building works within the walls have unearthed Roman finds; in 1936 a cache of 22,000 3rd-century Roman coins was discovered in South Street. Other Roman finds include silver and copper coins known as Dorn pennies, a gold ring, a bronze figure of the Roman god Mercury and large areas of tessellated pavement. The Dorset Museum contains many Roman artefacts. The Romans built an aqueduct to supply the town with water. It was rediscovered in 1900 as the remains of a channel cut into the chalk and contouring round the hills. The source is believed to be the River Frome at Notton, about 12 miles (19 km) upstream from Dorchester. Near the town centre is Maumbury Rings, an ancient British henge earthwork converted by the Romans for use as an amphitheatre, and to the north west is Poundbury Hill, another pre-Roman fortification. Little evidence exists to suggest continued occupation after the withdrawal of the Roman administration from Britain. The name Durnovaria survived into Old Welsh as Durngueir, recorded by Asser in the 9th century. The area remained in British hands until the mid-7th century and there was continuity of use of the Roman cemetery at nearby Poundbury. Dorchester has been suggested as the centre of a sub-kingdom of Dumnonia or other regional power base. ### Medieval One of the first raids of the Viking era may have taken place near Dorchester around 790. According to a chronicler, the King's reeve assembled a few men and sped to meet them thinking that they were merchants from another country. When he arrived at their location, he admonished them and instructed that they should be brought to the royal town. The Vikings then slaughtered him and his men. By 864, the area around Durnovaria was dominated by the Saxons who referred to themselves as Dorsaetas, 'People of the Dor' – Durnovaria. The original local name would have been Dorn-gweir giving the Old English Dornwary. The town became known as Dornwaraceaster or Dornwaracester, combining the original name Dor/Dorn from the Latin and Celtic languages with cester, an Old English word for a Roman station. This name evolved over time to Dorncester/Dornceaster and Dorchester. At the time of the Norman conquest, Dorchester was not a place of great significance; the Normans did build a castle but it has not survived. A priory was also founded, in 1364, though this also has since disappeared. In the later medieval period the town prospered; it became a thriving commercial and political centre for south Dorset, with a textile trading and manufacturing industry which continued until the 17th century. In the time of Edward III (1312–1377), the town was governed by bailiffs and burgesses, with the number of burgesses increasing to fifteen by the reign of James I (1566–1625). ### Early modern - "The town is populous, tho' not large, the streets broad, but the buildings old, and low; however, there is good company and a good deal of it; and a man that coveted a retreat in this world might as agreeably spend his time, and as well in Dorchester, as in any town I know in England". – Daniel Defoe, in his A tour thro' the whole island of Great Britain (1724–26). In the 17th and 18th centuries Dorchester suffered several serious fires: in 1613, caused by a tallow chandler's cauldron getting too hot and setting alight; in 1622, started by a maltster; in 1725, begun in a brewhouse; and in 1775, caused by a soap boiler. The 1613 fire was the most devastating, resulting in the destruction of 300 houses and two churches (All Saints and Holy Trinity). Only a few of the town's early buildings have survived to the present day, including Judge Jeffreys' lodgings and a Tudor almshouse. Among the replacement Georgian buildings are many, such as the Shire Hall, which are built in Portland stone. The municipal buildings, which incorporate the former corn exchange and the former town hall, were erected in 1848 on the site of an earlier town hall, which was built in 1791 and had a marketplace underneath. In the 17th century the town was at the centre of Puritan emigration to America, and the local rector, John White, organised the settlement of Dorchester, Massachusetts. The first colonisation attempted was at Cape Ann, where fishermen who would rejoin the fishing fleet when the vessels returned the next year, tried to be self-sufficient. The land was unsuitable, the colony failed and was moved to what is now Salem. In 1628, the enterprise received a Royal Charter and the Massachusetts Bay Company was formed with three hundred colonists arriving in America that year and more the following year. For his efforts on behalf of Puritan dissenters, White has been called the unheralded founder of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. (Some observers have attributed the oversight to the fact that White, unlike John Winthrop, never went to America.) In 1642, just before the English Civil War, Hugh Green, a Catholic chaplain was executed here. After his execution, Puritans played football with his head. The town was heavily defended against the Royalists in the civil war and Dorset was known as "the southern capital of coat-turning", as the county gentry found it expedient to change allegiance and to swap the sides they supported on several occasions. In 1643, the town was attacked by 2,000 troops under Robert Dormer, 1st Earl of Carnarvon. Its defences proved inadequate and it quickly surrendered but was spared the plunder and punishment it might otherwise have received. It remained under Royalist control for some time, but was eventually recaptured by the Puritans. In 1685 the Duke of Monmouth failed in his invasion attempt, the Monmouth Rebellion, and almost 300 of his men were condemned to death or transportation in the "Bloody Assizes" presided over by Judge Jeffreys in the Oak Room of the Antelope Hotel in Dorchester. ### Modern In 1833, the Tolpuddle Martyrs founded the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers. Trade unions were legal but because the members swore an oath of allegiance, they were arrested and tried in the Shire Hall. Beneath the courtroom are cells where the prisoners were held while awaiting trial. Dorchester Prison was constructed in the town during the 19th century and was used for holding convicted and remanded inmates from the local courts until it closed in December 2013. Plans have since been made to erect 189 dwellings and a museum on the site. Dorchester remained a compact town within the boundaries of the old town walls until the latter part of the 19th century because all land immediately adjacent to the west, south and east was owned by the Duchy of Cornwall. The land composed the Manor of Fordington. The developments that had encroached onto it were Marabout Barracks, to the north of Bridport Road, in 1794, Dorchester Union Workhouse, to the north of Damer's Road, in 1835, the Southampton and Dorchester Railway and its station east of Weymouth Avenue, in 1847, the Great Western Railway and its station to the south of Damer's Road, in 1857, the waterworks, to the north of Bridport Road, in 1854, a cemetery, to the west of the new railway and east of Weymouth Avenue, in 1856, and a Dorset County Constabulary police station in 1860, west of the Southampton railway, east of Weymouth Avenue and north of Maumbury Rings. The Duchy land was farmed under the open field system until 1874 when it was enclosed – or consolidated – into three large farms by the landowners and residents. The enclosures were followed by a series of key developments for the town: the enclosing of Poundbury hillfort for public enjoyment in 1876, the 'Fair Field' (new site for the market, off Weymouth Avenue) in 1877, the Recreation Ground (also off Weymouth Avenue) opening in 1880, and the Eldridge Pope Brewery of 1881, adjacent to the railway line to Southampton. Salisbury Field was retained for public use in 1892 and land was purchased in 1895 for the formal Borough Gardens, between West Walks and Cornwall Road. The clock and bandstand were added in 1898. A permanent military presence was established in the town with the completion of the Depot Barracks in 1881. The High West Street drill hall was created, by converting a private house, around the same time. Land was developed for housing outside the walls including the Cornwall Estate, between the Borough Gardens and the Great Western Railway from 1876 and the Prince of Wales Estate from 1880. Land for the Victoria Park Estate was bought in 1896 and building began in 1897, Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year. The lime trees in Queen's Avenue were planted in February 1897. Poundbury is the western extension of the town, constructed since 1993 according to urban village principles on Duchy of Cornwall land owned by Charles III. Being developed over 25 years in four phases, it will eventually have 2,500 dwellings and a population of about 6,000. Charles was involved with the development's design. Dorchester became Dorset's first Official Transition Initiative in 2008 as part of the Transition Towns concept. Transition Town Dorchester is a community response to the challenges and opportunities of peak oil and climate change. ## Government Dorchester is represented by two tiers of government, Dorchester Town Council and Dorset Council, both of which are based within the town. Dorchester elects five councillors to Dorset Council from three wards (Dorchester East, Dorchester Poundbury and Dorchester West) There are four electoral wards for Dorchester Town Council (North, South, East and West). Historically, Dorchester was a municipal borough from 1836 to 1974, and then part of West Dorset district from its creation in 1974 to its abolition in 2019. For elections to parliament, Dorchester is in the West Dorset constituency. Historically it was in Dorchester constituency from 1295 to 1868, and then South Dorset constituency until 1918. The town's coat of arms depicts the old castle that used to stand on the site of the former prison. The royal purple background represents Dorchester's status as part of the monarch's private estate, a position held since before the Domesday Book was published. The shield is divided into quarters, two depicting lions and two fleur-de-lis, copied from the shields of the troops from Dorset who took part in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. The fleur-de-lis have a scattered arrangement which shows that permission for the armorial bearings was given before 1405, after which date the rights were varied by King Henry VI. The inscription 'Sigillum Bailivorum Dorcestre' translates as 'Seal of the Bailiffs of Dorchester'. The mayor has a similar seal of office, but this has the inscription Dorcestriensis Sig: Maioris. In 2011, Dorchester was one of more than 20 towns across the country to apply for city status to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II, although in March 2012 it was revealed that Dorchester's bid had been unsuccessful. ## Geography Dorchester town centre is sited about 55 to 80 metres (180 to 262 ft) above sea-level on gently sloping ground beside the south bank of the River Frome. Measured directly, it is about 7 miles (11 km) north of Weymouth, 18 miles (29 km) SSE of Yeovil in Somerset, and 20 miles (32 km) west of Poole. The town's built-up area extends south, west and southeast of the town centre; to the north and northeast growth is restricted by the floodplain and watermeadows of the river. The land immediately south and west of the town is part of the Dorset National Landscape area. It is traversed by the South Dorset Ridgeway, part of the South West Coast Path. There are over five hundred ancient monuments along the chalk hills that form the ridgeway, including barrows, stone circles and hillforts; many archaeological finds from the area are on view at the Dorset Museum in Dorchester. The geology of the town comprises bedrock formed in the Coniacian, Santonian and Campanian ages of the Late Cretaceous epoch, overlain in places by more recent Quaternary drift deposits. The bedrock is chalk of various formations. The drift deposits comprise a cap of clay-with-flints on the western edge of the town around Poundbury, alluvium in the river's floodplain, and several narrow ribbons of poorly stratified head deposits, found particularly around the town's northeastern and southwestern boundaries but also elsewhere. ## Economy In 2012 there were 17,500 people working in Dorchester, 51% of whom were working full-time. 57% of jobs were in public administration, education and health, 18% were in professional and market services (including finance and ICT), 17% were in distribution, accommodation and food, 4% were in production and 2% in construction. The unemployment rate in July 2014 was 0.9% of residents aged 16–64. Dorchester has six industrial estates: The Grove Trading Estate (7.1 ha or 18 acres), Poundbury Trading Estate (5 ha or 12 acres), Marabout Barracks (2 ha or 4.9 acres), Great Western Centre (1.4 ha or 3.5 acres), Railway Triangle (1.4 ha or 3.5 acres) and Casterbridge Industrial Estate (1.1 ha or 2.7 acres). The estates mostly house light industrial units, wholesalers and the service sector. Significant employers for residents in the town include AEA Technology, BAeSEMA Ltd, Dorset County Council, Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Goulds Ltd, Henry Ling Ltd, Kingston Maurward College, Tesco, and Winterbourne Hospital. In 2008 the Dorchester BID, a business improvement district, was set up to promote the town and improve the trading environment for town centre businesses. Local traders were overwhelmingly in favour of the decision, with 84% voting in favour at the February 2008 ballot. The BID is funded by a levy on the businesses in the town. The BID lasts initially for five years, and between 2013 and 2018 the projects being undertaken include business support, security projects, town promotion, the provision of green spaces and making the town more visually attractive. In June 2018 the Dorchester BID was successful in being voted in for a second term. The catchment population for major food retail outlets in Dorchester is 38,500 (2001 estimate) and extends eight miles west, north and east of the town, and two miles south. The Brewery Square redevelopment project now includes retail outlets, residential units, bars, restaurants, hotel and cultural facilities. The regeneration of Dorchester South railway station will make it the UK's first solar powered railway station. The Charles Street development has had a first phase completed that includes a library, adult education centre and offices for Dorset Council. Proposals for the development have included 23 shops, an underground car park, hotel and affordable housing. ## Demography In the 2011 census Dorchester civil parish had 8,996 dwellings, 8,449 households and a population of 19,060, with 48.35% of residents being male and 51.65% being female. 17% of residents were under the age of 16 (compared to 18.9% for England as a whole), and 22.4% of residents were age 65 or older (compared to 16.4% for England as a whole). ## Culture ### Writers Novelist and poet Thomas Hardy based the fictional town of Casterbridge on Dorchester, and his novel The Mayor of Casterbridge is set there. Hardy's childhood home is to the east of the town, and his town house, Max Gate, is owned by the National Trust and open to the public. Hardy is buried in Westminster Abbey, but his heart was removed and buried in Stinsford. William Barnes, the West Country dialect poet, was Rector of Winterborne Came, a hamlet near Dorchester, for 24 years until his death in 1886, and ran a school in the town. There is a statue of Hardy and one of Barnes in the town centre; Barnes outside St. Peter's Church, and Hardy's beside the Top o' Town crossroads. John Cowper Powys's novel Maiden Castle (1936) is set in Dorchester and Powys intended it to be "a Rival of the Mayor of Casterbridge. Powys had lived in Dorchester as a child, between May 1880 and Christmas 1885, when his father was a curate there. Then, after returning from America in June 1934, he had lived at 38 High East Street, Dorchester, from October 1934 until July 1935, when he moved to Wales. The building is commemorated with a plaque erected by the Dorchester Heritage Committee, but giving the date of his residence as 1936. ### Performing arts and museums Dorchester Arts, based in a former school building, runs a seasonal programme of music, dance and theatre events, participatory arts projects for socially excluded groups and the biannual Dorchester Festival. Dorchester Arts is an Arts Council 'National Portfolio organisation'. Dorchester Arts has been resident at the corn exchange since 2015. Dorchester museums include the Roman Town House, the Dinosaur Museum, the Terracotta Warriors Museum, the Dorset Teddy Bear Museum, the Keep Military Museum, Dorset Museum. and the Tutankhamun Exhibition. All of these museums took part in the "Museums at Night" event in May 2011 in which museums across the UK opened after hours. The Shire Hall which contains the court where the Tolpuddle Martyrs were held and tried opened as a museum in 2018. The Durnovaria Silver Band is based in Fordington Methodist Church Hall. ## Notable buildings Within Dorchester parish there are 293 structures that are listed by Historic England for their historic or architectural interest, including five that are listed Grade I and sixteen that are Grade II\*. The Grade I structures are the Church of St George on Fordington High Street, the Church of St Peter on High West Street, Max Gate on Syward Road, the Roman town house on Northernhay, and Shire Hall on High West Street. The Church of St George has a late-11th-century south door that has a Caen stone tympanum with a realistic carved representation of St George surrounded by soldiers, said to depict the miracle of his appearance at the Battle of Antioch. The south aisle and the north part of the porch date from the 12th century. The Church of St Peter mostly dates from 1420 to 1421, with a 12th-century south doorway reset into it. There are many notable monuments, including two 14th-century effigies and a 14th-century tomb chest. Thomas Hardy contributed to the addition of the vestry and chancel in 1856–7. Max Gate was designed by Thomas Hardy in the Queen Anne style, and was his home until his death in 1928. It was built in 1885. The remains of the Roman house north of county hall date from the early 4th century, with later 4th-century enlargements. It has a hypocaust heating system and mosaic pavements. It is the only visible Roman town house in Britain. The current Shire Hall building was designed by Thomas Hardwick and built in Portland stone ashlar in 1797. It replaced a previous structure that had fallen into disrepair. A tablet commemorates the sentencing of the Tolpuddle Martyrs here in 1834. The building housed the Crown Court until 1955; Thomas Hardy was a magistrate here and his experience provided inspiration for his writing. The building has changed little since the 19th century, and in 2014 planning permission was granted to transform it into a heritage centre and tourist attraction, to open in 2017. ## Education and healthcare Dorchester has thirteen first schools, three middle schools: St Osmund's Church of England Middle School, St Mary's Church of England Middle School, Puddletown and Dorchester Middle School and an upper school; The Thomas Hardye School which was founded in 1569 and endowed by Thomas Hardye, a merchant in 1579. A free school "one of the most striking achievements of puritan Dorchester" operated here in the 1600s. The Thomas Hardye School was expanded and reopened in 1888 and in February 2023 it had 2,103 pupils enrolled. The author Thomas Hardy, a distant relative, was a school governor here from 1909 until shortly before his death. The nineteen schools in the Dorchester area form the Dorchester Area Schools Partnership (DASP). There is also a private school, Sunninghill Prep School. Kingston Maurward College is a land-based studies college on the outskirts of the town. It offers full-time and part-time courses, apprenticeships and university-level courses in a wide range of subjects including agriculture, horticulture, conservation, construction, countryside and wildlife management. The town's hospital is Dorset County Hospital on Williams Avenue. It offers a twenty-four-hour accident and emergency treatment with services being provided by Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. ## Sport and leisure Dorchester Town F.C., the town's football team currently play in the Southern League Premier Division. Harry Redknapp and former England players Graham Roberts and Martin Chivers represented 'The Magpies' in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The club is based on Weymouth Avenue in the south of the town after moving from its old ground also on Weymouth Avenue. The club moved to the purpose-built 5,000 capacity Avenue Stadium on Duchy of Cornwall land in the early 1990s. Dorchester RFC is an amateur rugby union team who currently play in the Dorset & Wilts South 1 League. Dorchester Cricket Club play in the Dorset Premier League, being last crowned champions in 2009. A leisure centre and swimming pool on Coburg Road replaced the Thomas Hardye School Leisure Centre in 2012, at a cost of more than £8 million. In May 2009, a skatepark opened at the junction of Maumbury Road and Weymouth Avenue in Dorchester after 12 years of planning and construction. ## Transport The town has two railway stations: - Dorchester South is on the South West Main Line between London Waterloo, Bournemouth, Southampton Central and Weymouth. Services are operated by South Western Railway. As part of the regeneration at the Brewery Site in the town centre, it will become the first solar-powered railway station in the UK. - Dorchester West, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, is on the Heart of Wessex Line, operated by Great Western Railway. It connects the town with Yeovil, Bath, Bristol and Gloucester. The town is on the A35, a trunk road connecting to Poole in the east and Honiton in the west; the A37 road north to Yeovil; the A352 road north to Sherborne; and the A354 road south to Weymouth. Mowlem completed a bypass road to the south and west of the town in 1988, diverting through traffic away from the town centre. The A35 is often subject to severe traffic congestion due to it being one of the main routes towards the south-west. Buses are operated by First Hampshire & Dorset. Notable services include route 10, a frequent service to Weymouth via Upwey and route X51 to Bridport. Damory Coaches and South West Coaches also operate local and regional services. National Express and Megabus operate long-distance coach journeys stopping at Dorchester with destinations including London Victoria and Weymouth. ## Media Local radio stations serving Dorchester include Greatest Hits Radio Dorset, BBC Radio Solent, and community radio station Keep 106, which grew from the County Hospital's hospital radio station. Local television news coverage is by BBC South Today in Southampton, ITV Meridian in Whiteley, BBC Spotlight in Plymouth and ITV West Country in Bristol. Dorchester's regular print media comprises the Dorset Echo. Many homes in Dorchester have access to fibre broadband services provided by private companies. The town is part of the second phase of Superfast Dorset, a project to increase fibre broadband availability within the county, which has been completed. ## Notable people - Frances Bagenal, (born 1954), Professor of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, at the University of Colorado Boulder - Orlando Bailey, Rugby Union Fly Half for Bath Rugby, was born in the town and attended Thomas Hardye School. - Paul Blake (born 1990), paralympian athlete - James Campbell (born 1988), cricketer, was born in the town. - Aaron Cook (born 1991), a taekwondo athlete who competed in the 2008 Olympic Games finishing in fifth place, was born and educated in Dorchester. - Julian Fellowes (born 1949), House of Lords, novelist, screenwriter, actor and producer. Producer of TV shows Downton Abbey and Gilded Age. - Thomas Hardy (1840–1928), novelist and poet, architecturally trained and settled in the town where he died at his home, Max Gate. - Paul Hillier (born 1949), classical singer and composer, was born in Dorchester. He attended the Thomas Hardye School. - Henry Moule (1801–1880), vicar of Fordington from 1829 and inventor of the dry earth closet. - Llewelyn Powys (1884–1939), novelist and essayist, was born in Dorchester. - Henry Pyrgos (born 1989), Scottish International rugby player, was born in the town. - Tom Roberts (1856–1931), Australian painter, was born in Dorchester. - Sir Frederick Treves (1853–1923), surgeon to King Edward VII, born in the town and buried at St Peter's Church. - Lettice D'Oyly Walters (1880–1940), poet and editor - Kirsty Way (born 1998), trampoline gymnast, was born in Dorchester - Norrie Woodhall (1905–2011), actress, was born in Dorchester - Sam Hoskins (born 1993), English professional footballer, was born in the town. He currently plays as an attacking midfielder for Northampton Town. ## Twin towns Dorchester is twinned with three European towns: - Bayeux in France since 1959, because the Dorset Regiment were the first soldiers to enter the town in 1944 as the Second World War came to an end. - Lübbecke in Germany since 1973, initiated when the Durnovaria Silver Band met the Lübbecker Schützenmusik Corps in Bayeux in 1968, when that town was in the process of twinning with Lübbecke. - Holbæk in Denmark since 1992, resulting from a shared interest in community drama. Actors from each town have appeared in plays in the other community. The town's schools are twinned with schools in Europe, Africa and Asia. The Thomas Hardye School has partnerships with schools in Tanzania, Dehradun and Bayeux. ## Freedom of the Town Sir Frederick Treves received the Freedom of the Town of Dorchester in July 1902, and Thomas Hardy on 15 November 1910.

Hurricane Gracie

Category 4 Atlantic hurricane in 1959

Hurricane Gracie was a major hurricane that formed in September 1959, the strongest during the 1959 Atlantic hurricane season and the most intense to strike the United States since Hurricane Hazel in 1954. The system was first noted as an area of thunderstorms east of the Lesser Antilles which moved just north of the Greater Antilles, quickly intensifying into a hurricane on September 22. Gracie was a storm that was very difficult to forecast, with its movement unpredictable. After five days of erratic motion, Gracie became a major hurricane which struck South Carolina, and weakened as it moved up the Appalachians, bringing much needed rain to a drought-plagued region. Much of the destruction related with Gracie was centered on Beaufort, South Carolina. Gracie became an extratropical cyclone on September 30 while moving through the Eastern United States. ## Meteorological history An area of squally weather was first noted a few hundred miles east of the Lesser Antilles on September 18. The convective area organized into a tropical depression near the north coast of Hispaniola on September 20. After moving west-northwestward for a day, it turned northeastward, where upper-level winds were very favorable and steering currents were very weak. On September 22 Gracie was named as a tropical depression before it developed into Tropical Storm Gracie, followed by reaching hurricane strength later that night. It turned to the east on September 25, and turned back west to west-northwest on September 27 as a stable anticyclone built in to its north. Gracie quickly strengthened and reached its peak of 140 mph (230 km/h) winds on September 29, but cooler air and land interaction weakened it slightly to a 130 mph (215 km/h) Category 4 major hurricane at the time of its landfall at 1625 UTC over St. Helena Sound near the south end of Edisto Island in South Carolina. After landfall, Gracie moved inland and north and became extratropical on September 30. Gracie's remnants persisted for several days as they slowly turned northeastward and then eastward. Gracie's remnants emerged into the Atlantic on October 2, before dissipating later that day. ## Preparations A hurricane watch was issued for the coast of the United States from Savannah, Georgia to Wilmington, North Carolina at 1600 UTC on September 28, which were quickly updated to hurricane warnings by 1900 UTC the same day. By 1900 UTC, gale warnings were in effect from Daytona Beach, Florida to Savannah, Georgia as well as from Wilmington to Morehead City, North Carolina. At 1200 UTC on September 29, gale warnings were dropped south of Brunswick, Georgia. At 2200 UTC, gale warnings were extended northward to Cape May, New Jersey, including Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay. At 0400 UTC on September 30, all warnings south of Cape Hatteras were dropped, leaving gale warnings in effect from Cape Hatteras northward. At 1000 UTC, small craft were advised to remain in port from Cape May northward to Block Island, Rhode Island. By 1600 UTC, due to Gracie's continued weakening, all remaining gale warnings were downgraded to small craft warnings. ## Impact ### Georgia and South Carolina Storm surge flooding was minimal due to the storm's landfall near the time of low tide. However, Charleston still recorded their highest tide since 1940. Along the coast of southern South Carolina, the storm tide was measured up to 11.9 feet (3.6 m) above mean lower low water (the average level of the lowest low tide each day). The United States Coast Guard vessel Bramble evacuated people stranded in Savannah and Charleston on September 30. Gracie killed 10 people in South Carolina and Georgia, mainly due to wind and rain-induced automobile accidents, falling trees and electrocution by live wires. The Garden Club of South Carolina replaced numerous trees after the storm. Wind damage was quite significant across South Carolina, particularly the city of Beaufort, South Carolina, with many downed trees, telephone poles, and streetlights. Also, numerous windows were shattered and shingles were torn off of roofs. A number of creeks overflowed causing floodwaters that, in areas, were several feet deep. The opening of the Beaufort Center of the University of South Carolina was delayed due to Gracie. It would be 30 years before another major hurricane struck South Carolina: Hurricane Hugo in September 1989. ### Elsewhere in the United States Heavy rains fell well ahead of the storm along an inverted trough extending north of the storm, causing 6.79 inches (172 mm) between the mornings of September 28 and September 29 at Norfolk, Virginia. The highest rainfall amount measured during the storm was 13.20 inches (335 mm) at Big Meadows. The storm spawned six tornadoes in all. This included three F3 tornadoes which accompanied the dissipating storm through Virginia, killing 12 people and injuring 13 near Charlottesville, Virginia. Three F1 tornadoes had touched down in the Carolinas prior to those touching down. For the most part, rainfall from Gracie was beneficial as it moved up the Appalachians since the area had been in a drought preceding the cyclone. ## Long-term impact Edisto Beach, South Carolina was changed forever by Gracie, due to human efforts to renourish the beach after its passage. Most of the shell hash beach currently at Edisto was placed there after Gracie. In order to expand the beach, an inland marsh was excavated and moved to the shoreline. This created highly desirable beach front property which led to new development along the coast seaward of Palmetto Boulevard, but also created an environmental catastrophe along the nearby ocean floor. A species of isopod which grows in coastal estuaries, the Cyathura Polita, disappeared after the passage of this hurricane from the Ashepoo River in South Carolina. The Kermadec petrel, a bird, was swept to Lookout Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania during Gracie, marking the first time it appeared in North America. ## See also - List of Category 4 Atlantic hurricanes - List of United States hurricanes

World War II

1939–1945 global conflict

World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all the world's countries—including all the great powers—participated, with many investing all available economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities in pursuit of total war, blurring the distinction between military and civilian resources. Tanks and aircraft played major roles, with the latter enabling the strategic bombing of population centres and delivery of the only two nuclear weapons ever used in war. World War II was the deadliest conflict in history, resulting in 70 to 85 million deaths, more than half being civilians. Millions died in genocides, including the Holocaust of European Jews, as well as from massacres, starvation, and disease. Following the Allied powers' victory, Germany, Austria, Japan, and Korea were occupied, and war crimes tribunals were conducted against German and Japanese leaders. The causes of World War II included unresolved tensions in the aftermath of World War I and the rise of fascism in Europe and militarism in Japan. Key events leading up to the war included Japan's invasion of Manchuria, the Spanish Civil War, the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War, and Germany's annexations of Austria and the Sudetenland. World War II is generally considered to have begun on 1 September 1939, when Nazi Germany, under Adolf Hitler, invaded Poland, prompting the United Kingdom and France to declare war on Germany. Poland was divided between Germany and the Soviet Union under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, in which they had agreed on "spheres of influence" in Eastern Europe. In 1940, the Soviets annexed the Baltic states and parts of Finland and Romania. After the fall of France in June 1940, the war continued mainly between Germany and the British Empire, with fighting in the Balkans, Mediterranean, and Middle East, the aerial Battle of Britain and the Blitz, and naval Battle of the Atlantic. Through a series of campaigns and treaties, Germany took control of much of continental Europe and formed the Axis alliance with Italy, Japan, and other countries. In June 1941, Germany led the European Axis in an invasion of the Soviet Union, opening the Eastern Front and initially making large territorial gains. Japan aimed to dominate East Asia and the Asia-Pacific, and by 1937 was at war with the Republic of China. In December 1941, Japan attacked American and British territories in Southeast Asia and the Central Pacific, including Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, which resulted in the US and the UK declaring war against Japan, and the European Axis declaring war on the US. Japan conquered much of coastal China and Southeast Asia, but its advances in the Pacific were halted in mid-1942 after its defeat in the naval Battle of Midway; Germany and Italy were defeated in North Africa and at Stalingrad in the Soviet Union. Key setbacks in 1943—including German defeats on the Eastern Front, the Allied invasions of Sicily and the Italian mainland, and Allied offensives in the Pacific—cost the Axis powers their initiative and forced them into strategic retreat on all fronts. In 1944, the Western Allies invaded German-occupied France at Normandy, while the Soviet Union regained its territorial losses and pushed Germany and its allies westward. At the same time, Japan suffered reversals in mainland Asia, while the Allies crippled the Japanese Navy and captured key islands. The war in Europe concluded with the liberation of German-occupied territories; the invasion of Germany by the Western Allies and the Soviet Union, culminating in the fall of Berlin to Soviet troops; Hitler's suicide; and the German unconditional surrender on 8 May 1945. Following the refusal of Japan to surrender on the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, the US dropped the first atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August. Faced with an imminent invasion of the Japanese archipelago, the possibility of further atomic bombings, and the Soviet declaration of war against Japan and its invasion of Manchuria, Japan announced its unconditional surrender on 15 August and signed a surrender document on 2 September 1945, marking the end of the war. World War II changed the political alignment and social structure of the world, and it set the foundation of international relations for the rest of the 20th century and into the 21st century. The United Nations was established to foster international cooperation and prevent conflicts, with the victorious great powers—China, France, the Soviet Union, the UK, and the US—becoming the permanent members of its security council. The Soviet Union and the United States emerged as rival superpowers, setting the stage for the Cold War. In the wake of European devastation, the influence of its great powers waned, triggering the decolonisation of Africa and Asia. Most countries whose industries had been damaged moved towards economic recovery and expansion. ## Start and end dates World War II began in Europe on 1 September 1939 with the German invasion of Poland and the United Kingdom and France's declaration of war on Germany two days later on 3 September 1939. Dates for the beginning of the Pacific War include the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War on 7 July 1937, or the earlier Japanese invasion of Manchuria, on 19 September 1931. Others follow the British historian A. J. P. Taylor, who stated that the Sino-Japanese War and war in Europe and its colonies occurred simultaneously, and the two wars became World War II in 1941. Other proposed starting dates for World War II include the Italian invasion of Abyssinia on 3 October 1935. The British historian Antony Beevor views the beginning of World War II as the Battles of Khalkhin Gol fought between Japan and the forces of Mongolia and the Soviet Union from May to September 1939. Others view the Spanish Civil War as the start or prelude to World War II. The exact date of the war's end also is not universally agreed upon. It was generally accepted at the time that the war ended with the armistice of 15 August 1945 (V-J Day), rather than with the formal surrender of Japan on 2 September 1945, which officially ended the war in Asia. A peace treaty between Japan and the Allies was signed in 1951. A 1990 treaty regarding Germany's future allowed the reunification of East and West Germany to take place and resolved most post–World War II issues. No formal peace treaty between Japan and the Soviet Union was ever signed, although the state of war between the two countries was terminated by the Soviet–Japanese Joint Declaration of 1956, which also restored full diplomatic relations between them. ## History ### Background #### Aftermath of World War I World War I had radically altered the political European map with the defeat of the Central Powers—including Austria-Hungary, Germany, Bulgaria, and the Ottoman Empire—and the 1917 Bolshevik seizure of power in Russia, which led to the founding of the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, the victorious Allies of World War I, such as France, Belgium, Italy, Romania, and Greece, gained territory, and new nation-states were created out of the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and Russian Empires. To prevent a future world war, the League of Nations was established in 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference. The organisation's primary goals were to prevent armed conflict through collective security, military, and naval disarmament, as well as settling international disputes through peaceful negotiations and arbitration. Despite strong pacifist sentiment after World War I, irredentist and revanchist nationalism had emerged in several European states. These sentiments were especially marked in Germany because of the significant territorial, colonial, and financial losses imposed by the Treaty of Versailles. Under the treaty, Germany lost around 13 percent of its home territory and all its overseas possessions, while German annexation of other states was prohibited, reparations were imposed, and limits were placed on the size and capability of the country's armed forces. #### Germany and Italy The German Empire was dissolved in the German Revolution of 1918–1919, and a democratic government, later known as the Weimar Republic, was created. The interwar period saw strife between supporters of the new republic and hardline opponents on both the political right and left. Italy, as an Entente ally, had made some post-war territorial gains; however, Italian nationalists were angered that the promises made by the United Kingdom and France to secure Italian entrance into the war were not fulfilled in the peace settlement. From 1922 to 1925, the Fascist movement led by Benito Mussolini seized power in Italy with a nationalist, totalitarian, and class collaborationist agenda that abolished representative democracy, repressed socialist, left-wing, and liberal forces, and pursued an aggressive expansionist foreign policy aimed at making Italy a world power, promising the creation of a "New Roman Empire". Adolf Hitler, after an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the German government in 1923, eventually became the Chancellor of Germany in 1933 when Paul von Hindenburg and the Reichstag appointed him. Following Hindenburg's death in 1934, Hitler proclaimed himself Führer of Germany and abolished democracy, espousing a radical, racially motivated revision of the world order, and soon began a massive rearmament campaign. France, seeking to secure its alliance with Italy, allowed Italy a free hand in Ethiopia, which Italy desired as a colonial possession. The situation was aggravated in early 1935 when the Territory of the Saar Basin was legally reunited with Germany, and Hitler repudiated the Treaty of Versailles, accelerated his rearmament programme, and introduced conscription. #### European treaties The United Kingdom, France and Italy formed the Stresa Front in April 1935 in order to contain Germany, a key step towards military globalisation; however, that June, the United Kingdom made an independent naval agreement with Germany, easing prior restrictions. The Soviet Union, concerned by Germany's goals of capturing vast areas of Eastern Europe, drafted a treaty of mutual assistance with France. Before taking effect, though, the Franco-Soviet pact was required to go through the bureaucracy of the League of Nations, which rendered it essentially toothless. The United States, concerned with events in Europe and Asia, passed the Neutrality Act in August of the same year. Hitler defied the Versailles and Locarno Treaties by remilitarising the Rhineland in March 1936, encountering little opposition due to the policy of appeasement. In October 1936, Germany and Italy formed the Rome–Berlin Axis. A month later, Germany and Japan signed the Anti-Comintern Pact, which Italy joined the following year. #### Asia The Kuomintang (KMT) party in China launched a unification campaign against regional warlords and nominally unified China in the mid-1920s, but was soon embroiled in a civil war against its former Chinese Communist Party (CCP) allies and new regional warlords. In 1931, an increasingly militaristic Empire of Japan, which had long sought influence in China as the first step of what its government saw as the country's right to rule Asia, staged the Mukden incident as a pretext to invade Manchuria and establish the puppet state of Manchukuo. China appealed to the League of Nations to stop the Japanese invasion of Manchuria. Japan withdrew from the League of Nations after being condemned for its incursion into Manchuria. The two nations then fought several battles, in Shanghai, Rehe and Hebei, until the Tanggu Truce was signed in 1933. Thereafter, Chinese volunteer forces continued the resistance to Japanese aggression in Manchuria, and Chahar and Suiyuan. After the 1936 Xi'an Incident, the Kuomintang and CCP forces agreed on a ceasefire to present a united front to oppose Japan. ### Pre-war events #### Italian invasion of Ethiopia (1935) The Second Italo-Ethiopian War was a brief colonial war that began in October 1935 and ended in May 1936. The war began with the invasion of the Ethiopian Empire (also known as Abyssinia) by the armed forces of the Kingdom of Italy (Regno d'Italia), which was launched from Italian Somaliland and Eritrea. The war resulted in the military occupation of Ethiopia and its annexation into the newly created colony of Italian East Africa (Africa Orientale Italiana, or AOI); in addition it exposed the weakness of the League of Nations as a force to preserve peace. Both Italy and Ethiopia were member nations, but the League did little when the former clearly violated Article X of the League's Covenant. The United Kingdom and France supported imposing sanctions on Italy for the invasion, but the sanctions were not fully enforced and failed to end the Italian invasion. Italy subsequently dropped its objections to Germany's goal of absorbing Austria. #### Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) When civil war broke out in Spain, Hitler and Mussolini lent military support to the Nationalist rebels, led by General Francisco Franco. Italy supported the Nationalists to a greater extent than the Nazis: Mussolini sent more than 70,000 ground troops, 6,000 aviation personnel, and 720 aircraft to Spain. The Soviet Union supported the existing government of the Spanish Republic. More than 30,000 foreign volunteers, known as the International Brigades, also fought against the Nationalists. Both Germany and the Soviet Union used this proxy war as an opportunity to test in combat their most advanced weapons and tactics. The Nationalists won the civil war in April 1939; Franco, now dictator, remained officially neutral during World War II but generally favoured the Axis. His greatest collaboration with Germany was the sending of volunteers to fight on the Eastern Front. #### Japanese invasion of China (1937) In July 1937, Japan captured the former Chinese imperial capital of Peking after instigating the Marco Polo Bridge incident, which culminated in the Japanese campaign to invade all of China. The Soviets quickly signed a non-aggression pact with China to lend materiel support, effectively ending China's prior cooperation with Germany. From September to November, the Japanese attacked Taiyuan, engaged the Kuomintang Army around Xinkou, and fought Communist forces in Pingxingguan. Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek deployed his best army to defend Shanghai, but after three months of fighting, Shanghai fell. The Japanese continued to push Chinese forces back, capturing the capital Nanking in December 1937. After the fall of Nanking, tens or hundreds of thousands of Chinese civilians and disarmed combatants were murdered by the Japanese. In March 1938, Nationalist Chinese forces won their first major victory at Taierzhuang, but then the city of Xuzhou was taken by the Japanese in May. In June 1938, Chinese forces stalled the Japanese advance by flooding the Yellow River; this manoeuvre bought time for the Chinese to prepare their defences at Wuhan, but the city was taken by October. Japanese military victories did not bring about the collapse of Chinese resistance that Japan had hoped to achieve; instead, the Chinese government relocated inland to Chongqing and continued the war. #### Soviet–Japanese border conflicts In the mid-to-late 1930s, Japanese forces in Manchukuo had sporadic border clashes with the Soviet Union and Mongolia. The Japanese doctrine of Hokushin-ron, which emphasised Japan's expansion northward, was favoured by the Imperial Army during this time. This policy would prove difficult to maintain in light of the Japanese defeat at Khalkin Gol in 1939, the ongoing Second Sino-Japanese War and ally Nazi Germany pursuing neutrality with the Soviets. Japan and the Soviet Union eventually signed a Neutrality Pact in April 1941, and Japan adopted the doctrine of Nanshin-ron, promoted by the Navy, which took its focus southward and eventually led to war with the United States and the Western Allies. #### European occupations and agreements In Europe, Germany and Italy were becoming more aggressive. In March 1938, Germany annexed Austria, again provoking little response from other European powers. Encouraged, Hitler began pressing German claims on the Sudetenland, an area of Czechoslovakia with a predominantly ethnic German population. Soon the United Kingdom and France followed the appeasement policy of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and conceded this territory to Germany in the Munich Agreement, which was made against the wishes of the Czechoslovak government, in exchange for a promise of no further territorial demands. Soon afterwards, Germany and Italy forced Czechoslovakia to cede additional territory to Hungary, and Poland annexed the Trans-Olza region of Czechoslovakia. Although all of Germany's stated demands had been satisfied by the agreement, privately Hitler was furious that British interference had prevented him from seizing all of Czechoslovakia in one operation. In subsequent speeches Hitler attacked British and Jewish "war-mongers" and in January 1939 secretly ordered a major build-up of the German navy to challenge British naval supremacy. In March 1939, Germany invaded the remainder of Czechoslovakia and subsequently split it into the German Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and a pro-German client state, the Slovak Republic. Hitler also delivered an ultimatum to Lithuania on 20 March 1939, forcing the concession of the Klaipėda Region, formerly the German Memelland. Greatly alarmed and with Hitler making further demands on the Free City of Danzig, the United Kingdom and France guaranteed their support for Polish independence; when Italy conquered Albania in April 1939, the same guarantee was extended to the Kingdoms of Romania and Greece. Shortly after the Franco-British pledge to Poland, Germany and Italy formalised their own alliance with the Pact of Steel. Hitler accused the United Kingdom and Poland of trying to "encircle" Germany and renounced the Anglo-German Naval Agreement and the German–Polish declaration of non-aggression. The situation became a crisis in late August as German troops continued to mobilise against the Polish border. On 23 August the Soviet Union signed a non-aggression pact with Germany, after tripartite negotiations for a military alliance between France, the United Kingdom, and Soviet Union had stalled. This pact had a secret protocol that defined German and Soviet "spheres of influence" (western Poland and Lithuania for Germany; eastern Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Bessarabia for the Soviet Union), and raised the question of continuing Polish independence. The pact neutralised the possibility of Soviet opposition to a campaign against Poland and assured that Germany would not have to face the prospect of a two-front war, as it had in World War I. Immediately afterwards, Hitler ordered the attack to proceed on 26 August, but upon hearing that the United Kingdom had concluded a formal mutual assistance pact with Poland and that Italy would maintain neutrality, he decided to delay it. In response to British requests for direct negotiations to avoid war, Germany made demands on Poland, which served as a pretext to worsen relations. On 29 August, Hitler demanded that a Polish plenipotentiary immediately travel to Berlin to negotiate the handover of Danzig, and to allow a plebiscite in the Polish Corridor in which the German minority would vote on secession. The Poles refused to comply with the German demands, and on the night of 30–31 August in a confrontational meeting with the British ambassador Nevile Henderson, Ribbentrop declared that Germany considered its claims rejected. ### Course of the war #### War breaks out in Europe (1939–1940) On 1 September 1939, Germany invaded Poland after having staged several false flag border incidents as a pretext to initiate the invasion. The first German attack of the war came against the Polish defences at Westerplatte. The United Kingdom responded with an ultimatum for Germany to cease military operations, and on 3 September, after the ultimatum was ignored, Britain and France declared war on Germany. During the Phoney War period, the alliance provided no direct military support to Poland, outside of a cautious French probe into the Saarland. The Western Allies also began a naval blockade of Germany, which aimed to damage the country's economy and war effort. Germany responded by ordering U-boat warfare against Allied merchant and warships, which would later escalate into the Battle of the Atlantic. On 8 September, German troops reached the suburbs of Warsaw. The Polish counter-offensive to the west halted the German advance for several days, but it was outflanked and encircled by the Wehrmacht. Remnants of the Polish army broke through to besieged Warsaw. On 17 September 1939, two days after signing a cease-fire with Japan, the Soviet Union invaded Poland under the supposed pretext that the Polish state had ceased to exist. On 27 September, the Warsaw garrison surrendered to the Germans, and the last large operational unit of the Polish Army surrendered on 6 October. Despite the military defeat, Poland never surrendered; instead, it formed the Polish government-in-exile and a clandestine state apparatus remained in occupied Poland. A significant part of Polish military personnel evacuated to Romania and Latvia; many of them later fought against the Axis in other theatres of the war. Germany annexed western Poland and occupied central Poland; the Soviet Union annexed eastern Poland; small shares of Polish territory were transferred to Lithuania and Slovakia. On 6 October, Hitler made a public peace overture to the United Kingdom and France but said that the future of Poland was to be determined exclusively by Germany and the Soviet Union. The proposal was rejected and Hitler ordered an immediate offensive against France, which was postponed until the spring of 1940 due to bad weather. After the outbreak of war in Poland, Stalin threatened Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania with military invasion, forcing the three Baltic countries to sign pacts allowing the creation of Soviet military bases in these countries; in October 1939, significant Soviet military contingents were moved there. Finland refused to sign a similar pact and rejected ceding part of its territory to the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union invaded Finland in November 1939, and was subsequently expelled from the League of Nations for this crime of aggression. Despite overwhelming numerical superiority, Soviet military success during the Winter War was modest, and the Finno-Soviet war ended in March 1940 with some Finnish concessions of territory. In June 1940, the Soviet Union occupied the entire territories of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as the Romanian regions of Bessarabia, Northern Bukovina, and the Hertsa region. In August 1940, Hitler imposed the Second Vienna Award on Romania which led to the transfer of Northern Transylvania to Hungary. In September 1940, Bulgaria demanded Southern Dobruja from Romania with German and Italian support, leading to the Treaty of Craiova. The loss of one-third of Romania's 1939 territory caused a coup against King Carol II, turning Romania into a fascist dictatorship under Marshal Ion Antonescu, with a course set towards the Axis in the hopes of a German guarantee. Meanwhile, German-Soviet political relations and economic co-operation gradually stalled, and both states began preparations for war. #### Western Europe (1940–1941) In April 1940, Germany invaded Denmark and Norway to protect shipments of iron ore from Sweden, which the Allies were attempting to cut off. Denmark capitulated after six hours, and despite Allied support, Norway was conquered within two months. British discontent over the Norwegian campaign led to the resignation of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, who was replaced by Winston Churchill on 10May 1940. On the same day, Germany launched an offensive against France. To circumvent the strong Maginot Line fortifications on the Franco-German border, Germany directed its attack at the neutral nations of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The Germans carried out a flanking manoeuvre through the Ardennes region, which was mistakenly perceived by the Allies as an impenetrable natural barrier against armoured vehicles. By successfully implementing new Blitzkrieg tactics, the Wehrmacht rapidly advanced to the Channel and cut off the Allied forces in Belgium, trapping the bulk of the Allied armies in a cauldron on the Franco-Belgian border near Lille. The United Kingdom was able to evacuate a significant number of Allied troops from the continent by early June, although they had to abandon almost all their equipment. On 10 June, Italy invaded France, declaring war on both France and the United Kingdom. The Germans turned south against the weakened French army, and Paris fell to them on 14June. Eight days later France signed an armistice with Germany; it was divided into German and Italian occupation zones, and an unoccupied rump state under the Vichy Regime, which, though officially neutral, was generally aligned with Germany. France kept its fleet, which the United Kingdom attacked on 3July in an attempt to prevent its seizure by Germany. The air Battle of Britain began in early July with Luftwaffe attacks on shipping and harbours. The German campaign for air superiority started in August but its failure to defeat RAF Fighter Command forced the indefinite postponement of the proposed German invasion of Britain. The German strategic bombing offensive intensified with night attacks on London and other cities in the Blitz, but largely ended in May 1941 after failing to significantly disrupt the British war effort. Using newly captured French ports, the German Navy enjoyed success against an over-extended Royal Navy, using U-boats against British shipping in the Atlantic. The British Home Fleet scored a significant victory on 27May 1941 by sinking the German battleship Bismarck. In November 1939, the United States was assisting China and the Western Allies, and had amended the Neutrality Act to allow "cash and carry" purchases by the Allies. In 1940, following the German capture of Paris, the size of the United States Navy was significantly increased. In September the United States further agreed to a trade of American destroyers for British bases. Still, a large majority of the American public continued to oppose any direct military intervention in the conflict well into 1941. In December 1940, Roosevelt accused Hitler of planning world conquest and ruled out any negotiations as useless, calling for the United States to become an "arsenal of democracy" and promoting Lend-Lease programmes of military and humanitarian aid to support the British war effort; Lend-Lease was later extended to the other Allies, including the Soviet Union after it was invaded by Germany. The United States started strategic planning to prepare for a full-scale offensive against Germany. At the end of September 1940, the Tripartite Pact formally united Japan, Italy, and Germany as the Axis powers. The Tripartite Pact stipulated that any country—with the exception of the Soviet Union—that attacked any Axis Power would be forced to go to war against all three. The Axis expanded in November 1940 when Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania joined. Romania and Hungary later made major contributions to the Axis war against the Soviet Union, in Romania's case partially to recapture territory ceded to the Soviet Union. #### Mediterranean (1940–1941) In early June 1940, the Italian Regia Aeronautica attacked and besieged Malta, a British possession. From late summer to early autumn, Italy conquered British Somaliland and made an incursion into British-held Egypt. In October, Italy attacked Greece, but the attack was repulsed with heavy Italian casualties; the campaign ended within months with minor territorial changes. To assist Italy and prevent Britain from gaining a foothold, Germany prepared to invade the Balkans, which would threaten Romanian oil fields and strike against British dominance of the Mediterranean. In December 1940, British Empire forces began counter-offensives against Italian forces in Egypt and Italian East Africa. The offensives were successful; by early February 1941, Italy had lost control of eastern Libya, and large numbers of Italian troops had been taken prisoner. The Italian Navy also suffered significant defeats, with the Royal Navy putting three Italian battleships out of commission after a carrier attack at Taranto, and neutralising several more warships at the Battle of Cape Matapan. Italian defeats prompted Germany to deploy an expeditionary force to North Africa; at the end of March 1941, Rommel's Afrika Korps launched an offensive which drove back Commonwealth forces. In less than a month, Axis forces advanced to western Egypt and besieged the port of Tobruk. By late March 1941, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia signed the Tripartite Pact; however, the Yugoslav government was overthrown two days later by pro-British nationalists. Germany and Italy responded with simultaneous invasions of both Yugoslavia and Greece, commencing on 6 April 1941; both nations were forced to surrender within the month. The airborne invasion of the Greek island of Crete at the end of May completed the German conquest of the Balkans. Partisan warfare subsequently broke out against the Axis occupation of Yugoslavia, which continued until the end of the war. In the Middle East in May, Commonwealth forces quashed an uprising in Iraq which had been supported by German aircraft from bases within Vichy-controlled Syria. Between June and July, British-led forces invaded and occupied the French possessions of Syria and Lebanon, assisted by the Free French. #### Axis attack on the Soviet Union (1941) With the situation in Europe and Asia relatively stable, Germany, Japan, and the Soviet Union made preparations for war. With the Soviets wary of mounting tensions with Germany, and the Japanese planning to take advantage of the European War by seizing resource-rich European possessions in Southeast Asia, the two powers signed the Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact in April 1941. By contrast, the Germans were steadily making preparations for an attack on the Soviet Union, massing forces on the Soviet border. Hitler believed that the United Kingdom's refusal to end the war was based on the hope that the United States and the Soviet Union would enter the war against Germany sooner or later. On 31 July 1940, Hitler decided that the Soviet Union should be eliminated and aimed for the conquest of Ukraine, the Baltic states and Byelorussia. However, other senior German officials like Ribbentrop saw an opportunity to create a Euro-Asian bloc against the British Empire by inviting the Soviet Union into the Tripartite Pact. In November 1940, negotiations took place to determine if the Soviet Union would join the pact. The Soviets showed some interest but asked for concessions from Finland, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Japan that Germany considered unacceptable. On 18 December 1940, Hitler issued the directive to prepare for an invasion of the Soviet Union. On 22 June 1941, Germany, supported by Italy and Romania, invaded the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa, with Germany accusing the Soviets of plotting against them; they were joined shortly by Finland and Hungary. The primary targets of this surprise offensive were the Baltic region, Moscow and Ukraine, with the ultimate goal of ending the 1941 campaign near the Arkhangelsk-Astrakhan line—from the Caspian to the White Seas. Hitler's objectives were to eliminate the Soviet Union as a military power, exterminate Communism, generate Lebensraum ("living space") by dispossessing the native population, and guarantee access to the strategic resources needed to defeat Germany's remaining rivals. Although the Red Army was preparing for strategic counter-offensives before the war, Operation Barbarossa forced the Soviet supreme command to adopt strategic defence. During the summer, the Axis made significant gains into Soviet territory, inflicting immense losses in both personnel and materiel. By mid-August, however, the German Army High Command decided to suspend the offensive of a considerably depleted Army Group Centre, and to divert the 2nd Panzer Group to reinforce troops advancing towards central Ukraine and Leningrad. The Kiev offensive was overwhelmingly successful, resulting in encirclement and elimination of four Soviet armies, and made possible further advance into Crimea and industrially-developed Eastern Ukraine (the First Battle of Kharkov). The diversion of three-quarters of the Axis troops and the majority of their air forces from France and the central Mediterranean to the Eastern Front prompted the United Kingdom to reconsider its grand strategy. In July, the UK and the Soviet Union formed a military alliance against Germany and in August, the United Kingdom and the United States jointly issued the Atlantic Charter, which outlined British and American goals for the post-war world. In late August the British and Soviets invaded neutral Iran to secure the Persian Corridor, Iran's oil fields, and preempt any Axis advances through Iran toward the Baku oil fields or India. By October, Axis powers had achieved operational objectives in Ukraine and the Baltic region, with only the sieges of Leningrad and Sevastopol continuing. A major offensive against Moscow was renewed; after two months of fierce battles in increasingly harsh weather, the German army almost reached the outer suburbs of Moscow, where the exhausted troops were forced to suspend the offensive. Large territorial gains were made by Axis forces, but their campaign had failed to achieve its main objectives: two key cities remained in Soviet hands, the Soviet capability to resist was not broken, and the Soviet Union retained a considerable part of its military potential. The blitzkrieg phase of the war in Europe had ended. By early December, freshly mobilised reserves allowed the Soviets to achieve numerical parity with Axis troops. This, as well as intelligence data which established that a minimal number of Soviet troops in the East would be sufficient to deter any attack by the Japanese Kwantung Army, allowed the Soviets to begin a massive counter-offensive that started on 5 December all along the front and pushed German troops 100–250 kilometres (62–155 mi) west. #### War breaks out in the Pacific (1941) Following the Japanese false flag Mukden incident in 1931, the Japanese shelling of the American gunboat USS Panay in 1937, and the 1937–1938 Nanjing Massacre, Japanese-American relations deteriorated. In 1939, the United States notified Japan that it would not be extending its trade treaty and American public opinion opposing Japanese expansionism led to a series of economic sanctions—the Export Control Acts—which banned U.S. exports of chemicals, minerals and military parts to Japan, and increased economic pressure on the Japanese regime. During 1939 Japan launched its first attack against Changsha, but was repulsed by late September. Despite several offensives by both sides, by 1940 the war between China and Japan was at a stalemate. To increase pressure on China by blocking supply routes, and to better position Japanese forces in the event of a war with the Western powers, Japan invaded and occupied northern Indochina in September 1940. Chinese nationalist forces launched a large-scale counter-offensive in early 1940. In August, Chinese communists launched an offensive in Central China; in retaliation, Japan instituted harsh measures in occupied areas to reduce human and material resources for the communists. Continued antipathy between Chinese communist and nationalist forces culminated in armed clashes in January 1941, effectively ending their co-operation. In March, the Japanese 11th army attacked the headquarters of the Chinese 19th army but was repulsed during Battle of Shanggao. In September, Japan attempted to take the city of Changsha again and clashed with Chinese nationalist forces. German successes in Europe prompted Japan to increase pressure on European governments in Southeast Asia. The Dutch government agreed to provide Japan with oil supplies from the Dutch East Indies, but negotiations for additional access to their resources ended in failure in June 1941. In July 1941 Japan sent troops to southern Indochina, thus threatening British and Dutch possessions in the Far East. The United States, the United Kingdom, and other Western governments reacted to this move with a freeze on Japanese assets and a total oil embargo. At the same time, Japan was planning an invasion of the Soviet Far East, intending to take advantage of the German invasion in the west, but abandoned the operation after the sanctions. Since early 1941, the United States and Japan had been engaged in negotiations in an attempt to improve their strained relations and end the war in China. During these negotiations, Japan advanced a number of proposals which were dismissed by the Americans as inadequate. At the same time the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands engaged in secret discussions for the joint defence of their territories, in the event of a Japanese attack against any of them. Roosevelt reinforced the Philippines (an American protectorate scheduled for independence in 1946) and warned Japan that the United States would react to Japanese attacks against any "neighboring countries". Frustrated at the lack of progress and feeling the pinch of the American–British–Dutch sanctions, Japan prepared for war. Emperor Hirohito, after initial hesitation about Japan's chances of victory, began to favour Japan's entry into the war. As a result, Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe resigned. Hirohito refused the recommendation to appoint Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni in his place, choosing War Minister Hideki Tojo instead. On 3 November, Nagano explained in detail the plan of the attack on Pearl Harbor to the Emperor. On 5 November, Hirohito approved in imperial conference the operations plan for the war. On 20 November, the new government presented an interim proposal as its final offer. It called for the end of American aid to China and for lifting the embargo on the supply of oil and other resources to Japan. In exchange, Japan promised not to launch any attacks in Southeast Asia and to withdraw its forces from southern Indochina. The American counter-proposal of 26 November required that Japan evacuate all of China without conditions and conclude non-aggression pacts with all Pacific powers. That meant Japan was essentially forced to choose between abandoning its ambitions in China, or seizing the natural resources it needed in the Dutch East Indies by force; the Japanese military did not consider the former an option, and many officers considered the oil embargo an unspoken declaration of war. Japan planned to seize European colonies in Asia to create a large defensive perimeter stretching into the Central Pacific. The Japanese would then be free to exploit the resources of Southeast Asia while exhausting the over-stretched Allies by fighting a defensive war. To prevent American intervention while securing the perimeter, it was further planned to neutralise the United States Pacific Fleet and the American military presence in the Philippines from the outset. On 7 December 1941 (8 December in Asian time zones), Japan attacked British and American holdings with near-simultaneous offensives against Southeast Asia and the Central Pacific. These included an attack on the American fleets at Pearl Harbor and the Philippines, as well as invasions of Guam, Wake Island, Malaya, Thailand, and Hong Kong. These attacks led the United States, United Kingdom, China, Australia, and several other states to formally declare war on Japan, whereas the Soviet Union, being heavily involved in large-scale hostilities with European Axis countries, maintained its neutrality agreement with Japan. Germany, followed by the other Axis states, declared war on the United States in solidarity with Japan, citing as justification the American attacks on German war vessels that had been ordered by Roosevelt. #### Axis advance stalls (1942–1943) On 1 January 1942, the Allied Big Four—the Soviet Union, China, the United Kingdom, and the United States—and 22 smaller or exiled governments issued the Declaration by United Nations, thereby affirming the Atlantic Charter and agreeing not to sign a separate peace with the Axis powers. During 1942, Allied officials debated on the appropriate grand strategy to pursue. All agreed that defeating Germany was the primary objective. The Americans favoured a straightforward, large-scale attack on Germany through France. The Soviets demanded a second front. The British argued that military operations should target peripheral areas to wear out German strength, leading to increasing demoralisation, and bolstering resistance forces; Germany itself would be subject to a heavy bombing campaign. An offensive against Germany would then be launched primarily by Allied armour, without using large-scale armies. Eventually, the British persuaded the Americans that a landing in France was infeasible in 1942 and they should instead focus on driving the Axis out of North Africa. At the Casablanca Conference in early 1943, the Allies reiterated the statements issued in the 1942 Declaration and demanded the unconditional surrender of their enemies. The British and Americans agreed to continue to press the initiative in the Mediterranean by invading Sicily to fully secure the Mediterranean supply routes. Although the British argued for further operations in the Balkans to bring Turkey into the war, in May 1943, the Americans extracted a British commitment to limit Allied operations in the Mediterranean to an invasion of the Italian mainland, and to invade France in 1944. ##### Pacific (1942–1943) By the end of April 1942, Japan and its ally Thailand had almost conquered Burma, Malaya, the Dutch East Indies, Singapore, and Rabaul, inflicting severe losses on Allied troops and taking a large number of prisoners. Despite stubborn resistance by Filipino and U.S. forces, the Philippine Commonwealth was eventually captured in May 1942, forcing its government into exile. On 16 April, in Burma, 7,000 British soldiers were encircled by the Japanese 33rd Division during the Battle of Yenangyaung and rescued by the Chinese 38th Division. Japanese forces also achieved naval victories in the South China Sea, Java Sea, and Indian Ocean, and bombed the Allied naval base at Darwin, Australia. In January 1942, the only Allied success against Japan was a Chinese victory at Changsha. These easy victories over the unprepared U.S. and European opponents left Japan overconfident, and overextended. In early May 1942, Japan initiated operations to capture Port Moresby by amphibious assault and thus sever communications and supply lines between the United States and Australia. The planned invasion was thwarted when an Allied task force, centred on two American fleet carriers, fought Japanese naval forces to a draw in the Battle of the Coral Sea. Japan's next plan, motivated by the earlier Doolittle Raid, was to seize Midway Atoll and lure American carriers into battle to be eliminated; as a diversion, Japan would also send forces to occupy the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. In mid-May, Japan started the Zhejiang-Jiangxi campaign in China, with the goal of inflicting retribution on the Chinese who aided the surviving American airmen in the Doolittle Raid by destroying Chinese air bases and fighting against the Chinese 23rd and 32nd Army Groups. In early June, Japan put its operations into action, but the Americans had broken Japanese naval codes in late May and were fully aware of the plans and order of battle, and used this knowledge to achieve a decisive victory at Midway over the Imperial Japanese Navy. With its capacity for aggressive action greatly diminished as a result of the Midway battle, Japan attempted to capture Port Moresby by an overland campaign in the Territory of Papua. The Americans planned a counterattack against Japanese positions in the southern Solomon Islands, primarily Guadalcanal, as a first step towards capturing Rabaul, the main Japanese base in Southeast Asia. Both plans started in July, but by mid-September, the Battle for Guadalcanal took priority for the Japanese, and troops in New Guinea were ordered to withdraw from the Port Moresby area to the northern part of the island, where they faced Australian and United States troops in the Battle of Buna–Gona. Guadalcanal soon became a focal point for both sides with heavy commitments of troops and ships in the battle for Guadalcanal. By the start of 1943, the Japanese were defeated on the island and withdrew their troops. In Burma, Commonwealth forces mounted two operations. The first was a disastrous offensive into the Arakan region in late 1942 that forced a retreat back to India by May 1943. The second was the insertion of irregular forces behind Japanese frontlines in February which, by the end of April, had achieved mixed results. ##### Eastern Front (1942–1943) Despite considerable losses, in early 1942 Germany and its allies stopped a major Soviet offensive in central and southern Russia, keeping most territorial gains they had achieved during the previous year. In May, the Germans defeated Soviet offensives in the Kerch Peninsula and at Kharkov, and then in June 1942 launched their main summer offensive against southern Russia, to seize the oil fields of the Caucasus and occupy the Kuban steppe, while maintaining positions on the northern and central areas of the front. The Germans split Army Group South into two groups: Army Group A advanced to the lower Don River and struck south-east to the Caucasus, while Army Group B headed towards the Volga River. The Soviets decided to make their stand at Stalingrad on the Volga. By mid-November, the Germans had nearly taken Stalingrad in bitter street fighting. The Soviets began their second winter counter-offensive, starting with an encirclement of German forces at Stalingrad, and an assault on the Rzhev salient near Moscow, though the latter failed disastrously. By early February 1943, the German Army had taken tremendous losses; German troops at Stalingrad had been defeated, and the front-line had been pushed back beyond its position before the summer offensive. In mid-February, after the Soviet push had tapered off, the Germans launched another attack on Kharkov, creating a salient in their front line around the Soviet city of Kursk. ##### Western Europe/Atlantic and Mediterranean (1942–1943) Exploiting poor American naval command decisions, the German navy ravaged Allied shipping off the American Atlantic coast. By November 1941, Commonwealth forces had launched a counter-offensive in North Africa, Operation Crusader, and reclaimed all the gains the Germans and Italians had made. The Germans also launched a North African offensive in January, pushing the British back to positions at the Gazala line by early February, followed by a temporary lull in combat which Germany used to prepare for their upcoming offensives. Concerns that the Japanese might use bases in Vichy-held Madagascar caused the British to invade the island in early May 1942. An Axis offensive in Libya forced an Allied retreat deep inside Egypt until Axis forces were stopped at El Alamein. On the Continent, raids of Allied commandos on strategic targets, culminating in the failed Dieppe Raid, demonstrated the Western Allies' inability to launch an invasion of continental Europe without much better preparation, equipment, and operational security. In August 1942, the Allies succeeded in repelling a second attack against El Alamein and, at a high cost, managed to deliver desperately needed supplies to the besieged Malta. A few months later, the Allies commenced an attack of their own in Egypt, dislodging the Axis forces and beginning a drive west across Libya. This attack was followed up shortly after by Anglo-American landings in French North Africa, which resulted in the region joining the Allies. Hitler responded to the French colony's defection by ordering the occupation of Vichy France; although Vichy forces did not resist this violation of the armistice, they managed to scuttle their fleet to prevent its capture by German forces. Axis forces in Africa withdrew into Tunisia, which was conquered by the Allies in May 1943. In June 1943, the British and Americans began a strategic bombing campaign against Germany with a goal to disrupt the war economy, reduce morale, and "de-house" the civilian population. The firebombing of Hamburg was among the first attacks in this campaign, inflicting significant casualties and considerable losses on infrastructure of this important industrial centre. #### Allies gain momentum (1943–1944) After the Guadalcanal campaign, the Allies initiated several operations against Japan in the Pacific. In May 1943, Canadian and U.S. forces were sent to eliminate Japanese forces from the Aleutians. Soon after, the United States, with support from Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islander forces, began major ground, sea and air operations to isolate Rabaul by capturing surrounding islands, and breach the Japanese Central Pacific perimeter at the Gilbert and Marshall Islands. By the end of March 1944, the Allies had completed both of these objectives and had also neutralised the major Japanese base at Truk in the Caroline Islands. In April, the Allies launched an operation to retake Western New Guinea. In the Soviet Union, both the Germans and the Soviets spent the spring and early summer of 1943 preparing for large offensives in central Russia. On 5 July 1943, Germany attacked Soviet forces around the Kursk Bulge. Within a week, German forces had exhausted themselves against the Soviets' well-constructed defences, and for the first time in the war, Hitler cancelled an operation before it had achieved tactical or operational success. This decision was partially affected by the Western Allies' invasion of Sicily launched on 9 July, which, combined with previous Italian failures, resulted in the ousting and arrest of Mussolini later that month. On 12 July 1943, the Soviets launched their own counter-offensives, thereby dispelling any chance of German victory or even stalemate in the east. The Soviet victory at Kursk marked the end of German superiority, giving the Soviet Union the initiative on the Eastern Front. The Germans tried to stabilise their eastern front along the hastily fortified Panther–Wotan line, but the Soviets broke through it at Smolensk and the Lower Dnieper Offensive. On 3 September 1943, the Western Allies invaded the Italian mainland, following Italy's armistice with the Allies and the ensuing German occupation of Italy. Germany, with the help of fascists, responded to the armistice by disarming Italian forces that were in many places without superior orders, seizing military control of Italian areas, and creating a series of defensive lines. German special forces then rescued Mussolini, who then soon established a new client state in German-occupied Italy named the Italian Social Republic, causing an Italian civil war. The Western Allies fought through several lines until reaching the main German defensive line in mid-November. German operations in the Atlantic also suffered. By May 1943, as Allied counter-measures became increasingly effective, the resulting sizeable German submarine losses forced a temporary halt of the German Atlantic naval campaign. In November 1943, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill met with Chiang Kai-shek in Cairo and then with Joseph Stalin in Tehran. The former conference determined the post-war return of Japanese territory and the military planning for the Burma campaign, while the latter included agreement that the Western Allies would invade Europe in 1944 and that the Soviet Union would declare war on Japan within three months of Germany's defeat. From November 1943, during the seven-week Battle of Changde, the Chinese awaited allied relief as they forced Japan to fight a costly war of attrition. In January 1944, the Allies launched a series of attacks in Italy against the line at Monte Cassino and tried to outflank it with landings at Anzio. On 27 January 1944, Soviet troops launched a major offensive that expelled German forces from the Leningrad region, thereby ending the most lethal siege in history. The following Soviet offensive was halted on the pre-war Estonian border by the German Army Group North aided by Estonians hoping to re-establish national independence. This delay slowed subsequent Soviet operations in the Baltic Sea region. By late May 1944, the Soviets had liberated Crimea, largely expelled Axis forces from Ukraine, and made incursions into Romania, which were repulsed by the Axis troops. The Allied offensives in Italy had succeeded and, at the expense of allowing several German divisions to retreat, Rome was captured on 4 June. The Allies had mixed success in mainland Asia. In March 1944, the Japanese launched the first of two invasions, an operation against Allied positions in Assam, India, and soon besieged Commonwealth positions at Imphal and Kohima. In May 1944, British and Indian forces mounted a counter-offensive that drove Japanese troops back to Burma by July, and Chinese forces that had invaded northern Burma in late 1943 besieged Japanese troops in Myitkyina. The second Japanese invasion of China aimed to destroy China's main fighting forces, secure railways between Japanese-held territory and capture Allied airfields. By June, the Japanese had conquered the province of Henan and begun a new attack on Changsha. #### Allies close in (1944) On 6 June 1944 (commonly known as D-Day), after three years of Soviet pressure, the Western Allies invaded northern France. After reassigning several Allied divisions from Italy, they also attacked southern France. These landings were successful and led to the defeat of the German Army units in France. Paris was liberated on 25 August by the local resistance assisted by the Free French Forces, both led by General Charles de Gaulle, and the Western Allies continued to push back German forces in western Europe during the latter part of the year. An attempt to advance into northern Germany spearheaded by a major airborne operation in the Netherlands failed. After that, the Western Allies slowly pushed into Germany, but failed to cross the Ruhr river. In Italy, the Allied advance slowed due to the last major German defensive line. On 22 June, the Soviets launched a strategic offensive in Belarus ("Operation Bagration") that nearly destroyed the German Army Group Centre. Soon after that, another Soviet strategic offensive forced German troops from Western Ukraine and Eastern Poland. The Soviets formed the Polish Committee of National Liberation to control territory in Poland and combat the Polish Armia Krajowa; the Soviet Red Army remained in the Praga district on the other side of the Vistula and watched passively as the Germans quelled the Warsaw Uprising initiated by the Armia Krajowa. The national uprising in Slovakia was also quelled by the Germans. The Soviet Red Army's strategic offensive in eastern Romania cut off and destroyed the considerable German troops there and triggered a successful coup d'état in Romania and in Bulgaria, followed by those countries' shift to the Allied side. In September 1944, Soviet troops advanced into Yugoslavia and forced the rapid withdrawal of German Army Groups E and F in Greece, Albania and Yugoslavia to rescue them from being cut off. By this point, the communist-led Partisans under Marshal Josip Broz Tito, who had led an increasingly successful guerrilla campaign against the occupation since 1941, controlled much of the territory of Yugoslavia and engaged in delaying efforts against German forces further south. In northern Serbia, the Soviet Red Army, with limited support from Bulgarian forces, assisted the Partisans in a joint liberation of the capital city of Belgrade on 20 October. A few days later, the Soviets launched a massive assault against German-occupied Hungary that lasted until the fall of Budapest in February 1945. Unlike impressive Soviet victories in the Balkans, bitter Finnish resistance to the Soviet offensive in the Karelian Isthmus denied the Soviets occupation of Finland and led to a Soviet-Finnish armistice on relatively mild conditions, although Finland was forced to fight their former German allies. By the start of July 1944, Commonwealth forces in Southeast Asia had repelled the Japanese sieges in Assam, pushing the Japanese back to the Chindwin River while the Chinese captured Myitkyina. In September 1944, Chinese forces captured Mount Song and reopened the Burma Road. In China, the Japanese had more successes, having finally captured Changsha in mid-June and the city of Hengyang by early August. Soon after, they invaded the province of Guangxi, winning major engagements against Chinese forces at Guilin and Liuzhou by the end of November and successfully linking up their forces in China and Indochina by mid-December. In the Pacific, U.S. forces continued to push back the Japanese perimeter. In mid-June 1944, they began their offensive against the Mariana and Palau islands and decisively defeated Japanese forces in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. These defeats led to the resignation of the Japanese Prime Minister, Hideki Tojo, and provided the United States with air bases to launch intensive heavy bomber attacks on the Japanese home islands. In late October, American forces invaded the Filipino island of Leyte; soon after, Allied naval forces scored another large victory in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the largest naval battles in history. #### Axis collapse and Allied victory (1944–1945) On 16 December 1944, Germany made a last attempt to split the Allies on the Western Front by using most of its remaining reserves to launch a massive counter-offensive in the Ardennes and along the French-German border, hoping to encircle large portions of Western Allied troops and prompt a political settlement after capturing their primary supply port at Antwerp. By 16 January 1945, this offensive had been repulsed with no strategic objectives fulfilled. In Italy, the Western Allies remained stalemated at the German defensive line. In mid-January 1945, the Red Army attacked in Poland, pushing from the Vistula to the Oder river in Germany, and overran East Prussia. On 4 February Soviet, British, and U.S. leaders met for the Yalta Conference. They agreed on the occupation of post-war Germany, and on when the Soviet Union would join the war against Japan. In February, the Soviets entered Silesia and Pomerania, while the Western Allies entered western Germany and closed to the Rhine river. By March, the Western Allies crossed the Rhine north and south of the Ruhr, encircling the German Army Group B. In early March, in an attempt to protect its last oil reserves in Hungary and retake Budapest, Germany launched its last major offensive against Soviet troops near Lake Balaton. Within two weeks, the offensive had been repulsed, the Soviets advanced to Vienna, and captured the city. In early April, Soviet troops captured Königsberg, while the Western Allies finally pushed forward in Italy and swept across western Germany capturing Hamburg and Nuremberg. American and Soviet forces met at the Elbe river on 25 April, leaving unoccupied pockets in southern Germany and around Berlin. Soviet troops stormed and captured Berlin in late April. In Italy, German forces surrendered on 29 April, while the Italian Social Republic capitulated two days later. On 30 April, the Reichstag was captured, signalling the military defeat of Nazi Germany. Major changes in leadership occurred on both sides during this period. On 12 April, President Roosevelt died and was succeeded by his vice president, Harry S. Truman. Benito Mussolini was killed by Italian partisans on 28 April. On 30 April, Hitler committed suicide in his headquarters, and was succeeded by Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz (as President of the Reich) and Joseph Goebbels (as Chancellor of the Reich); Goebbels also committed suicide on the following day and was replaced by Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk, in what would later be known as the Flensburg Government. Total and unconditional surrender in Europe was signed on 7 and 8 May, to be effective by the end of 8 May. German Army Group Centre resisted in Prague until 11 May. On 23 May all remaining members of the German government were arrested by the Allied Forces in Flensburg, while on 5 June all German political and military institutions were transferred under the control of the Allies through the Berlin Declaration. In the Pacific theatre, American forces accompanied by the forces of the Philippine Commonwealth advanced in the Philippines, clearing Leyte by the end of April 1945. They landed on Luzon in January 1945 and recaptured Manila in March. Fighting continued on Luzon, Mindanao, and other islands of the Philippines until the end of the war. Meanwhile, the United States Army Air Forces launched a massive firebombing campaign of strategic cities in Japan in an effort to destroy Japanese war industry and civilian morale. A devastating bombing raid on Tokyo of 9–10 March was the deadliest conventional bombing raid in history. In May 1945, Australian troops landed in Borneo, overrunning the oilfields there. British, American, and Chinese forces defeated the Japanese in northern Burma in March, and the British pushed on to reach Rangoon by 3 May. Chinese forces started a counterattack in the Battle of West Hunan that occurred between 6 April and 7 June 1945. American naval and amphibious forces also moved towards Japan, taking Iwo Jima by March, and Okinawa by the end of June. At the same time, a naval blockade by submarines was strangling Japan's economy and drastically reducing its ability to supply overseas forces. On 11 July, Allied leaders met in Potsdam, Germany. They confirmed earlier agreements about Germany, and the American, British and Chinese governments reiterated the demand for unconditional surrender of Japan, specifically stating that "the alternative for Japan is prompt and utter destruction". During this conference, the United Kingdom held its general election, and Clement Attlee replaced Churchill as Prime Minister. The call for unconditional surrender was rejected by the Japanese government, which believed it would be capable of negotiating for more favourable surrender terms. In early August, the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Between the two bombings, the Soviets, pursuant to the Yalta agreement, declared war on Japan, invaded Japanese-held Manchuria and quickly defeated the Kwantung Army, which was the largest Japanese fighting force. These two events persuaded previously adamant Imperial Army leaders to accept surrender terms. The Red Army also captured the southern part of Sakhalin Island and the Kuril Islands. On the night of 9–10 August 1945, Emperor Hirohito announced his decision to accept the terms demanded by the Allies in the Potsdam Declaration. On 15 August, the Emperor communicated this decision to the Japanese people through a speech broadcast on the radio (Gyokuon-hōsō, literally "broadcast in the Emperor's voice"). On 15 August 1945, Japan surrendered, with the surrender documents finally signed at Tokyo Bay on the deck of the American battleship USS Missouri on 2 September 1945, ending the war. ## Aftermath The Allies established occupation administrations in Austria and Germany, both initially divided between western and eastern occupation zones controlled by the Western Allies and the Soviet Union, respectively. However, their paths soon diverged. In Germany, the western and eastern occupation zones controlled by the Western Allies and the Soviet Union officially ended in 1949, with the respective zones becoming separate countries, West Germany and East Germany. In Austria, however, occupation continued until 1955, when a joint settlement between the Western Allies and the Soviet Union permitted the reunification of Austria as a democratic state officially non-aligned with any political bloc (although in practice having better relations with the Western Allies). A denazification program in Germany led to the prosecution of Nazi war criminals in the Nuremberg trials and the removal of ex-Nazis from power, although this policy moved towards amnesty and re-integration of ex-Nazis into West German society. Germany lost a quarter of its pre-war (1937) territory. Among the eastern territories, Silesia, Neumark and most of Pomerania were taken over by Poland, and East Prussia was divided between Poland and the Soviet Union, followed by the expulsion to Germany of the nine million Germans from these provinces, as well as three million Germans from the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia. By the 1950s, one-fifth of West Germans were refugees from the east. The Soviet Union also took over the Polish provinces east of the Curzon Line, from which 2 million Poles were expelled; north-east Romania, parts of eastern Finland, and the Baltic states were annexed into the Soviet Union. Italy lost its monarchy, colonial empire and some European territories. In an effort to maintain world peace, the Allies formed the United Nations, which officially came into existence on 24 October 1945, and adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 as a common standard for all member nations. The great powers that were the victors of the war—France, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and the United States—became the permanent members of the UN's Security Council. The five permanent members remain so to the present, although there have been two seat changes, between the Republic of China and the People's Republic of China in 1971, and between the Soviet Union and its successor state, the Russian Federation, following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. The alliance between the Western Allies and the Soviet Union had begun to deteriorate even before the war was over. Besides Germany, the rest of Europe was also divided into Western and Soviet spheres of influence. Most eastern and central European countries fell into the Soviet sphere, which led to establishment of Communist-led regimes, with full or partial support of the Soviet occupation authorities. As a result, East Germany, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, and Albania became Soviet satellite states. Communist Yugoslavia conducted a fully independent policy, causing tension with the Soviet Union. A Communist uprising in Greece was put down with Anglo-American support and the country remained aligned with the West. Post-war division of the world was formalised by two international military alliances, the United States-led NATO and the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. The long period of political tensions and military competition between them—the Cold War—would be accompanied by an unprecedented arms race and number of proxy wars throughout the world. In Asia, the United States led the occupation of Japan and administered Japan's former islands in the Western Pacific, while the Soviets annexed South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. Korea, formerly under Japanese colonial rule, was divided and occupied by the Soviet Union in the North and the United States in the South between 1945 and 1948. Separate republics emerged on both sides of the 38th parallel in 1948, each claiming to be the legitimate government for all of Korea, which led ultimately to the Korean War. In China, nationalist and communist forces resumed the civil war in June 1946. Communist forces were victorious and established the People's Republic of China on the mainland, while nationalist forces retreated to Taiwan in 1949. In the Middle East, the Arab rejection of the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine and the creation of Israel marked the escalation of the Arab–Israeli conflict. While European powers attempted to retain some or all of their colonial empires, their losses of prestige and resources during the war rendered this unsuccessful, leading to decolonisation. The global economy suffered heavily from the war, although participating nations were affected differently. The United States emerged much richer than any other nation, leading to a baby boom, and by 1950 its gross domestic product per person was much higher than that of any of the other powers, and it dominated the world economy. The Allied occupational authorities pursued a policy of industrial disarmament in Western Germany from 1945 to 1948. Due to international trade interdependencies, this policy led to an economic stagnation in Europe and delayed European recovery from the war for several years. At the Bretton Woods Conference in July 1944, the Allied nations drew up an economic framework for the post-war world. The agreement created the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), which later became part of the World Bank Group. The Bretton Woods system lasted until 1973. Recovery began with the mid-1948 currency reform in Western Germany, and was sped up by the liberalisation of European economic policy that the U.S. Marshall Plan economic aid (1948–1951) both directly and indirectly caused. The post-1948 West German recovery has been called the German economic miracle. Italy also experienced an economic boom and the French economy rebounded. By contrast, the United Kingdom was in a state of economic ruin, and although receiving a quarter of the total Marshall Plan assistance, more than any other European country, it continued in relative economic decline for decades. The Soviet Union, despite enormous human and material losses, also experienced rapid increase in production in the immediate post-war era, having seized and transferred most of Germany's industrial plants and exacted war reparations from its satellite states. Japan recovered much later. China returned to its pre-war industrial production by 1952. ## Impact ### Casualties and war crimes Estimates for the total number of casualties in the war vary, because many deaths went unrecorded. Most suggest that some 60 million people died in the war, including about 20 million military personnel and 40 million civilians. The Soviet Union alone lost around 27 million people during the war, including 8.7 million military and 19 million civilian deaths. A quarter of the total people in the Soviet Union were wounded or killed. Germany sustained 5.3 million military losses, mostly on the Eastern Front and during the final battles in Germany. An estimated 11 to 17 million civilians died as a direct or as an indirect result of Hitler's racist policies, including mass killing of around 6 million Jews, along with Roma, homosexuals, at least 1.9 million ethnic Poles and millions of other Slavs (including Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians), and other ethnic and minority groups. Between 1941 and 1945, more than 200,000 ethnic Serbs, along with Roma and Jews, were persecuted and murdered by the Axis-aligned Croatian Ustaše in Yugoslavia. Concurrently, Muslims and Croats were persecuted and killed by Serb nationalist Chetniks, with an estimated 50,000–68,000 victims (of which 41,000 were civilians). Also, more than 100,000 Poles were massacred by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army in the Volhynia massacres, between 1943 and 1945. At the same time, about 10,000–15,000 Ukrainians were killed by the Polish Home Army and other Polish units, in reprisal attacks. In Asia and the Pacific, the number of people killed by Japanese troops remains contested. According to R.J. Rummel, the Japanese killed between 3 million and more than 10 million people, with the most probable case of almost 6,000,000 people. According to the British historian M. R. D. Foot, civilian deaths are between 10 million and 20 million, whereas Chinese military casualties (killed and wounded) are estimated to be over five million. Other estimates say that up to 30 million people, most of them civilians, were killed. The most infamous Japanese atrocity was the Nanjing Massacre, in which fifty to three hundred thousand Chinese civilians were raped and murdered. Mitsuyoshi Himeta reported that 2.7 million casualties occurred during the Three Alls policy. General Yasuji Okamura implemented the policy in Hebei and Shandong. Axis forces employed biological and chemical weapons. The Imperial Japanese Army used a variety of such weapons during its invasion and occupation of China (see Unit 731) and in early conflicts against the Soviets. Both the Germans and the Japanese tested such weapons against civilians, and sometimes on prisoners of war. The Soviet Union was responsible for the Katyn massacre of 22,000 Polish officers, and the imprisonment or execution of hundreds of thousands of political prisoners by the NKVD secret police, along with mass civilian deportations to Siberia, in the Baltic states and eastern Poland annexed by the Red Army. Soviet soldiers committed mass rapes in occupied territories, especially in Germany. The exact number of German women and girls raped by Soviet troops during the war and occupation is uncertain, but historians estimate their numbers are likely in the hundreds of thousands, and possibly as many as two million, while figures for women raped by German soldiers in the Soviet Union go as far as ten million. The mass bombing of cities in Europe and Asia has often been called a war crime, although no positive or specific customary international humanitarian law with respect to aerial warfare existed before or during World War II. The USAAF bombed a total of 67 Japanese cities, killing 393,000 civilians, including the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and destroying 65% of built-up areas. ### Genocide, concentration camps, and slave labour Nazi Germany, under the dictatorship of Adolf Hitler, was responsible for murdering about 6 million Jews in what is now known as the Holocaust. They also murdered an additional 4 million others who were deemed "unworthy of life" (including the disabled and mentally ill, Soviet prisoners of war, Romani, homosexuals, Freemasons, and Jehovah's Witnesses) as part of a program of deliberate extermination, in effect becoming a "genocidal state". Soviet POWs were kept in especially unbearable conditions, and 3.6 million Soviet POWs out of 5.7 million died in Nazi camps during the war. In addition to concentration camps, death camps were created in Nazi Germany to exterminate people on an industrial scale. Nazi Germany extensively used forced labourers; about 12 million Europeans from German-occupied countries were abducted and used as a slave work force in German industry, agriculture and war economy. The Soviet Gulag became a de facto system of deadly camps during 1942–43, when wartime privation and hunger caused numerous deaths of inmates, including foreign citizens of Poland and other countries occupied in 1939–40 by the Soviet Union, as well as Axis POWs. By the end of the war, most Soviet POWs liberated from Nazi camps and many repatriated civilians were detained in special filtration camps where they were subjected to NKVD evaluation, and 226,127 were sent to the Gulag as real or perceived Nazi collaborators. Japanese prisoner-of-war camps, many of which were used as labour camps, also had high death rates. The International Military Tribunal for the Far East found the death rate of Western prisoners was 27 percent (for American POWs, 37 percent), seven times that of POWs under the Germans and Italians. While 37,583 prisoners from the UK, 28,500 from the Netherlands, and 14,473 from the United States were released after the surrender of Japan, the number of Chinese released was only 56. At least five million Chinese civilians from northern China and Manchukuo were enslaved between 1935 and 1941 by the East Asia Development Board, or Kōain, for work in mines and war industries. After 1942, the number reached 10 million. In Java, between 4 and 10 million rōmusha (Japanese: "manual labourers"), were forced to work by the Japanese military. About 270,000 of these Javanese labourers were sent to other Japanese-held areas in Southeast Asia, and only 52,000 were repatriated to Java. ### Occupation In Europe, occupation came under two forms. In Western, Northern, and Central Europe (France, Norway, Denmark, the Low Countries, and the annexed portions of Czechoslovakia) Germany established economic policies through which it collected roughly 69.5 billion reichsmarks (27.8 billion U.S. dollars) by the end of the war; this figure does not include the plunder of industrial products, military equipment, raw materials and other goods. Thus, the income from occupied nations was over 40 percent of the income Germany collected from taxation, a figure which increased to nearly 40 percent of total German income as the war went on. In the East, the intended gains of Lebensraum were never attained as fluctuating front-lines and Soviet scorched earth policies denied resources to the German invaders. Unlike in the West, the Nazi racial policy encouraged extreme brutality against what it considered to be the "inferior people" of Slavic descent; most German advances were thus followed by mass atrocities and war crimes. The Nazis killed an estimated 2.77 million ethnic Poles during the war in addition to Polish-Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Although resistance groups formed in most occupied territories, they did not significantly hamper German operations in either the East or the West until late 1943. In Asia, Japan termed nations under its occupation as being part of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, essentially a Japanese hegemony which it claimed was for purposes of liberating colonised peoples. Although Japanese forces were sometimes welcomed as liberators from European domination, Japanese war crimes frequently turned local public opinion against them. During Japan's initial conquest, it captured 4,000,000 barrels (640,000 m³) of oil (\~550,000 tonnes) left behind by retreating Allied forces; and by 1943, was able to get production in the Dutch East Indies up to 50 million barrels (7,900,000 m³) of oil (\~6.8 million tonnes), 76 percent of its 1940 output rate. ### Home fronts and production In the 1930s Britain and the United States of America together controlled almost 75% of world mineral output—essential for projecting military power. In Europe, before the outbreak of the war, the Allies had significant advantages in both population and economics. In 1938, the Western Allies (United Kingdom, France, Poland and the British Dominions) had a 30 percent larger population and a 30 percent higher gross domestic product than the European Axis powers (Germany and Italy); including colonies, the Allies had more than a 5:1 advantage in population and a nearly 2:1 advantage in GDP. In Asia at the same time, China had roughly six times the population of Japan but only an 89 percent higher GDP; this reduces to three times the population and only a 38 percent higher GDP if Japanese colonies are included. The United States produced about two-thirds of all munitions used by the Allies in World War II, including warships, transports, warplanes, artillery, tanks, trucks, and ammunition. Although the Allies' economic and population advantages were largely mitigated during the initial rapid blitzkrieg attacks of Germany and Japan, they became the decisive factor by 1942, after the United States and Soviet Union joined the Allies and the war evolved into one of attrition. While the Allies' ability to out-produce the Axis was partly due to more access to natural resources, other factors, such as Germany and Japan's reluctance to employ women in the labour force, Allied strategic bombing, and Germany's late shift to a war economy contributed significantly. Additionally, neither Germany nor Japan planned to fight a protracted war, and had not equipped themselves to do so. To improve their production, Germany and Japan used millions of slave labourers; Germany enslaved about 12 million people, mostly from Eastern Europe, while Japan used more than 18 million people in Far East Asia. ### Advances in technology and its application Aircraft were used for reconnaissance, as fighters, bombers, and ground-support, and each role developed considerably. Innovations included airlift (the capability to quickly move limited high-priority supplies, equipment, and personnel); and strategic bombing (the bombing of enemy industrial and population centres to destroy the enemy's ability to wage war). Anti-aircraft weaponry also advanced, including defences such as radar and surface-to-air artillery, in particular the introduction of the proximity fuze. The use of the jet aircraft was pioneered and led to jets becoming standard in air forces worldwide. Advances were made in nearly every aspect of naval warfare, most notably with aircraft carriers and submarines. Although aeronautical warfare had relatively little success at the start of the war, actions at Taranto, Pearl Harbor, and the Coral Sea established the carrier as the dominant capital ship (in place of the battleship). In the Atlantic, escort carriers became a vital part of Allied convoys, increasing the effective protection radius and helping to close the Mid-Atlantic gap. Carriers were also more economical than battleships due to the relatively low cost of aircraft and because they are not required to be as heavily armoured. Submarines, which had proved to be an effective weapon during the First World War, were expected by all combatants to be important in the second. The British focused development on anti-submarine weaponry and tactics, such as sonar and convoys, while Germany focused on improving its offensive capability, with designs such as the Type VII submarine and wolfpack tactics. Gradually, improving Allied technologies such as the Leigh Light, Hedgehog, Squid, and homing torpedoes proved effective against German submarines. Land warfare changed from the static frontlines of trench warfare of World War I, which had relied on improved artillery that outmatched the speed of both infantry and cavalry, to increased mobility and combined arms. The tank, which had been used predominantly for infantry support in the First World War, had evolved into the primary weapon. In the late 1930s, tank design was considerably more advanced than it had been during World War I, and advances continued throughout the war with increases in speed, armour and firepower. At the start of the war, most commanders thought enemy tanks should be met by tanks with superior specifications. This idea was challenged by the poor performance of the relatively light early tank guns against armour, and German doctrine of avoiding tank-versus-tank combat. This, along with Germany's use of combined arms, were among the key elements of their highly successful blitzkrieg tactics across Poland and France. Many means of destroying tanks, including indirect artillery, anti-tank guns (both towed and self-propelled), mines, short-ranged infantry antitank weapons, and other tanks were used. Even with large-scale mechanisation, infantry remained the backbone of all forces, and throughout the war, most infantry were equipped similarly to World War I. The portable machine gun spread, a notable example being the German MG 34, and various submachine guns which were suited to close combat in urban and jungle settings. The assault rifle, a late war development incorporating many features of the rifle and submachine gun, became the standard post-war infantry weapon for most armed forces. Most major belligerents attempted to solve the problems of complexity and security involved in using large codebooks for cryptography by designing ciphering machines, the most well-known being the German Enigma machine. Development of SIGINT (signals intelligence) and cryptanalysis enabled the countering process of decryption. Notable examples were the Allied decryption of Japanese naval codes and British Ultra, a pioneering method for decoding Enigma that benefited from information given to the United Kingdom by the Polish Cipher Bureau, which had been decoding early versions of Enigma before the war. Another component of military intelligence was deception, which the Allies used to great effect in operations such as Mincemeat and Bodyguard. Other technological and engineering feats achieved during, or as a result of, the war include the world's first programmable computers (Z3, Colossus, and ENIAC), guided missiles and modern rockets, the Manhattan Project's development of nuclear weapons, operations research, the development of artificial harbours, and oil pipelines under the English Channel. Penicillin was first developed, mass-produced, and used during the war. ## See also - Opposition to World War II - World War III

PlayStation 4

Sony's fourth home video game console

The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013, in Europe, South America, and Australia, and on February 22, 2014, in Japan. A console of the eighth generation, it competes with Microsoft's Xbox One and Nintendo's Wii U and Switch. Moving away from the more complex Cell microarchitecture of its predecessor, the console features an APU from AMD built upon the x86-64 architecture, which can theoretically peak at 1.84 teraflops; AMD stated that it was the "most powerful" APU it had developed to date. The PlayStation 4 places an increased emphasis on social interaction and integration with other devices and services, including the ability to play games off-console on PlayStation Vita and other supported devices ("Remote Play"), the ability to stream gameplay online or to friends, with them controlling gameplay remotely ("Share Play"). The console's controller was also redesigned and improved over the PlayStation 3, with improved buttons and analog sticks, and an integrated touchpad among other changes. The console also supports HDR10 High-dynamic-range video and playback of 4K resolution multimedia. The PlayStation 4 was released to critical acclaim, with critics praising Sony for acknowledging its consumers' needs, embracing independent game development, and for not imposing the restrictive digital rights management schemes like those originally announced by Microsoft for the Xbox One. Critics and third-party studios, before its launch, also praised the capabilities of the PlayStation 4 in comparison to its competitors. Heightened demand also helped Sony top global console sales. In September 2016, the console was refreshed with a new, smaller revision, popularly referred to as the "Slim" model, as well as a high-end version called the PlayStation 4 Pro, which features an upgraded GPU and a higher CPU clock rate to support enhanced performance and 4K resolution in supported games. By October 2019, PS4 became the second-best-selling home game console of all time, behind the PlayStation 2. Its successor, the PlayStation 5, was released in November 2020; the PS4 continues to be produced as of 2024. ## History According to lead architect Mark Cerny, the development of Sony's fourth video game console began as early as 2008. Less than two years earlier, the PlayStation 3 had been launched after months of delays due to issues with production. The delay placed Sony almost a year behind Microsoft's Xbox 360, which was already approaching unit sales of 10 million by the time the PS3 launched. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe CEO Jim Ryan said Sony wanted to avoid repeating the same mistake with PS3's successor. In designing the system, Sony worked with software developer Bungie, who offered their input on the controller and how to make it better for shooting games. In 2012, Sony began shipping development kits to game developers, consisting of a modified PC running the AMD Accelerated Processing Unit chipset. These development kits were known as "Orbis". In early 2013, Sony announced that an event known as PlayStation Meeting 2013 would be held in New York City, U.S., on February 20, 2013, to cover the "future of PlayStation". Sony officially announced the PlayStation 4 at the event. It revealed details about the console's hardware and discussed some of the new features it would introduce. Sony also showed off real-time footage of games in development, as well as some technical demonstrations. The design of the console was unveiled in June at E3 2013, and the initial recommended retail prices of $399 (NA), €399 (Europe), and £349 (UK) given. Sony took advantage of problems that Microsoft had been having with their positioning of their newly announced Xbox One, which included its higher price point ($499 in North America), as well as strict regulations on how users could share game media. Besides its lower price point, Sony focused on the ease one would have in sharing media with the PS4. The company revealed release dates for North America, Central America, South America, Europe, and Australia, as well as final pieces of information, at a Gamescom press event in Cologne, Germany, on August 20, 2013. The console was released on November 15, 2013, in the United States and Canada, followed by further releases on November 29, 2013. By the end of 2013, the PS4 was launched in more European, Asian and South American countries. The PS4 was released in Japan at ¥39,980 on February 22, 2014. Sony finalized a deal with the Chinese government in May 2014 to sell its products in mainland China, and the PS4 was the first product to be released. Kazuo Hirai, chief executive officer of Sony, said in May: "The Chinese market, just given the size of it, is obviously potentially a very large market for video game products ... I think that we will be able to replicate the kind of success we have had with PS4 in other parts of the world in China." In September 2015, Sony reduced the price of the PS4 in Japan to ¥34,980, with similar price drops in other Southeast Asian markets. The first official sub-£300 PS4 bundle was the £299.99 "Uncharted Nathan Drake Collection 500GB", and was released in the UK on October 9, 2015; a 1 TB £329.99 version was offered at the same time. On October 9, 2015, the first official price cut of the PS4 in North America was announced: a reduction of $50 to $349.99 (US) and by $20 to $429.99 (Canada). An official price cut in Europe followed in late October 2015, reduced to €349.99/£299.99. On June 10, 2016, Sony confirmed that a hardware revision of the PlayStation 4, rumored to be codenamed "Neo", was under development. The new revision was revealed to be a higher-end model meant to support gameplay in 4K. This new model was sold alongside the existing model, and all existing software was compatible between the two models. Layden stated that Sony has no plans to "bifurcate the market", only that gamers playing on the Neo will "have the same experience, but one will be delivered at a higher resolution, with an enhanced graphical experience, but everything else is going to be exactly as you'd expect". The high-end console was publicly revealed on September 7, 2016, as PlayStation 4 Pro. At the same time, Sony unveiled an updated version of the original PS4 model with a smaller form factor. In May 2018, during a presentation to investors, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO John Kodera stated that the PlayStation 4 was heading into the end of its lifecycle and that the company was anticipating decreasing year-over-year hardware sales. He explained that Sony would be countering the expected decline by focusing on "strengthen[ing] user engagement" including continued investments into new first-party games and other online services for PS4. "We will use the next three years to prepare the next step, to crouch down so that we can jump higher in the future," Kodera added in an interview with the press the following day. Following the launch of the PlayStation 5 in November 2020, Sony discontinued production in Japan of all but the 500 GB Slim model of the PlayStation 4 on January 5, 2021, with the standard PS4 and PS4 Pro still being produced for western markets. According to a report from Bloomberg News in January 2022, Sony had been poised to discontinue the PlayStation 4 at the end of 2021 in favor of the PlayStation 5, but due to a global chip shortage that lasted from 2020 to 2023, this made it difficult for Sony to keep up with PlayStation 5 demand. Instead, the company planned to continue PlayStation 4 production; besides helping to offset the PlayStation 5 shortage, this production method would help assure deals with its component providers for the PlayStation 5. ## Hardware The technology in the PlayStation 4 is similar to the hardware found in modern personal computers. This familiarity is designed to make it easier and less expensive for game studios to develop games for the PS4. ### Technical specifications The PlayStation 4 uses an Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) developed by AMD in cooperation with Sony. It combines a central processing unit (CPU) and graphics processing unit (GPU), as well as other components such as a memory controller and video decoder. The CPU consists of two 28 nm quad-core Jaguar modules totaling 8 64-bit x86-64 cores, 7 of which are available for game developers to use. The GPU consists of 18 compute units to produce a theoretical peak performance of 1.84 TFLOPS. The system's GDDR5 memory is capable of running at a maximum clock frequency of 2.75 GHz (5500 MT/s) and has a maximum memory bandwidth of 176 GB/s. The console contains 8 GB of GDDR5 memory, 16 times the amount of RAM found in the PS3 and is expected to give the console considerable longevity. It also includes secondary custom chips that handle tasks associated with downloading, uploading, and social gameplay. These tasks can be handled seamlessly in the background during gameplay or while the system is in sleep mode. The console also contains an audio module, which can support in-game chat as well as "a very large number" of audio streams for use in-game. All PlayStation 4 models support high dynamic range (HDR) color profiles. Its read-only optical drive is capable of reading Blu-ray Discs at speeds of up to three times that of its predecessor. The console features a hardware on-the-fly zlib decompression module. The original PS4 model supports up to 1080p and 1080i video standards, while the Pro model supports 4K resolution. The console includes a 500 gigabyte hard drive for additional storage, which can be upgraded by the user. System Software 4.50, which was released on March 9, 2017, enabled the use of external USB hard drives up to 8 TB for additional storage. The PlayStation 4 features Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity, Bluetooth, and two USB 3.0 ports. An auxiliary port is also included for connection to the PlayStation Camera, a motion detection digital camera device first introduced on the PS3. A mono headset, which can be plugged into the DualShock 4, is bundled with the system. Audio/video output options include HDMI TV and optical S/PDIF audio. The console does not have an analog audio/video output. The PS4 features a "Rest mode" feature. This places the console in a low-power state while allowing users to immediately resume their game or app once the console is awoken. The console also is able to download content such as game and OS updates while it is in this state. ### Controllers The DualShock 4 is PlayStation 4's primary controller; it maintains a similar design to previous iterations of the DualShock series, but with additional features and design refinements. Among other tweaks, the caps of the analog sticks were given a concave design (similar to the Xbox 360 controller), the shape of the triggers and shoulder buttons was refined, the D-pad buttons were given a steeper downward angle to provide a resting space in the center for the user's thumb, and the hand grips were made thicker and given microtexturing to improve their feel. A major addition to the DualShock 4 is a touchpad; it is capable of detecting up to two simultaneous touch presses, and can also be pressed down as a button. The "Start" and "Select" buttons were replaced by "Options" and "Share" buttons; the latter is designed to allow access to the PlayStation 4's social features (including streaming, video recording, and screenshot tools). The DualShock 4 is powered by a non-removable, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which can be charged using its micro USB connector. The controller also features an internal speaker, and a headphone jack for headsets or headphones; the console is bundled with a pair of headset earbuds. The controller's motion tracking system is more sensitive than those of the PlayStation 3's controllers. An LED "light bar" was additionally added to the front of the controller; it is designed to allow the PlayStation Camera accessory to further track its motion, but can also be used to provide visual effects and feedback within games (such as, for instance, reflecting a player's low health by turning red). Although the PS4 and DualShock 4 continue to use Bluetooth for wireless connectivity, the console is incompatible with PlayStation 3 controllers. An exception are the PlayStation Move motion controllers originally released for PS3, which are officially supported for use with the PlayStation Camera. In October 2013, Shuhei Yoshida stated on Twitter that the DualShock 4 would support "basic functions" when attached to a PC. In August 2016, Sony unveiled an official USB wireless adapter for the DualShock 4, enabling use of all of the controller's functionality on PC. In December 2016, Valve's Steam platform was updated to provide support and controller customization functionality for DualShock 4, through existing APIs for the Steam Controller. A revision of the DualShock 4 was released alongside the "Slim" and Pro models in 2016, and is bundled with these systems. It is largely identical to the original model, except that the touchpad now contains a "stripe" along the top which the light bar's LED can shine through, and the controller can communicate non-wirelessly when connected to the console over USB. ### Camera The PlayStation Camera is an optional motion sensor and camera for the PlayStation 4, similar to Kinect on Xbox. It includes two 1280×800 pixel lenses operating with an aperture of 2.0, with 30 cm focusing distance, and an 85° field of view. The dual camera setup allows for different modes of operation, depending on the initiated and running application. The two cameras can be used together for depth-sensing of its surrounding objects in its field of vision. Alternatively, one of the cameras can be used for generating the video image, with the other used for motion tracking. PlayStation Camera also features a four-channel microphone array, which helps reduce unwanted background noise and can be used for voice commands. With the PlayStation Camera connected, different users can automatically log-on to the system via face detection. ### PlayStation VR PlayStation VR is a virtual reality system for PlayStation 4; it consists of a headset, which features a 1080p display panel, LED lights on the headset that are used by PlayStation Camera to track its motion, and a control box that processes 3D audio effects, as well as video output to the external display (either simulcasting the player's VR perspective, or providing an asymmetrical secondary perspective). PlayStation VR can also be used with PlayStation Move motion controllers. ## Software and services ### PlayStation 4 system software The PlayStation 4's operating system is called "Orbis OS", based upon a customized FreeBSD 9. The console does not require an Internet connection for usage, although more functionality is available when connected. The console introduces a customizable menu interface, the "PlayStation Dynamic Menu", featuring a variety of color schemes. The interface displays the player's profile, recent activity, notifications, and other details in addition to unlocked trophies. It allows multiple user accounts, all with their own pass-codes. Each player account has the option to share their real name with friends, or use a nickname in other situations when anonymity is important. Facebook profiles can be connected to PlayStation Network accounts, making it easier to recognize friends. The default home screen features real time content from friends. The "What's New" activity feed includes shared media, recently played games, and other notifications. Services from third-party vendors, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, can be accessed within the interface. Multitasking is available during gameplay, such as opening the browser or managing party chat, and switching between applications is done by double-tapping the "PS" button. The PlayStation Camera or a microphone enables the user to control the system using voice input. Players can command the interface to start a game, take screenshots, and save videos. Saying "PlayStation" initiates voice control, and "All Commands" displays a list of possible commands. ### Multimedia features The PlayStation 4 supports Blu-ray and DVD playback, including 3D Blu-ray. The playing of CD is no longer supported, as the console no longer has an infrared 780 nm laser. Custom music and video files can still be played from USB drives and DLNA servers using the Media Player app. ### PlayStation Network The PlayStation 4 allows users to access a variety of free and premium PlayStation Network (PSN) services, including the PlayStation Store, PlayStation Plus subscription service, PlayStation Music powered by Spotify, and the PlayStation Video subscription service, which allows owners to rent or buy TV shows and films à la carte. A United States-exclusive cloud-based television-on-demand service known as PlayStation Vue began beta testing in late November 2014. Sony intends to expand and evolve the services it offers over the console's lifespan. Unlike PS3, a PlayStation Plus membership is required to access multiplayer in most games; this requirement does not apply to free-to-play or subscription-based games. ### Second screen and remote play Smartphones and tablets can interact with the PlayStation 4 as second screen devices, and can also wake the console from sleep mode. A Sony Xperia smartphone, tablet or the PlayStation Vita can be used for streaming gameplay from the console to handheld, allowing supported games to be played remotely from around a household or away from home. Sony has ambitions to make all PS4 games playable on PlayStation Vita. Developers can add Vita-specific controls for use via Remote Play. This feature was later expanded to enable PS4 Remote Play functionality on Microsoft Windows PCs and on Apple OS X Macs. The update, released in April 2016, allows for Remote Play functionality on computers running Windows 8.1, Windows 10, OS X Yosemite, and OS X El Capitan. Remote Play supports resolution options of 360p, 540p, and 720p (1080p is available on PS4 Pro), frame rate options of 30–60 FPS, and the DualShock 4 can be connected via USB. The PlayStation App allows iOS and Android mobile devices to interact with the PlayStation 4 from their device. The user can use this application to purchase PS4 games from the console and have them remotely downloaded, watch live streams of other gamers and view in-game maps while playing games. ## Social features Sony focused on "social" aspects as a major feature of the console. Although the PS4 has improved social functionality, the features are optional and can be disabled. ### Community creation Users have the option to create or join community groups based on personal interest. Communities include a discussion board, accomplishments and game clips shared by other members, plus the ability to join group chat and launch cooperative games. Sony stated that "communities are a good way to socialize with like-minded players", particularly when "you want to tackle a big multiplayer raid, but don't have enough friends available." Sony has officially stated that starting April 2021, the community system of the PlayStation Network will be discontinued. This, however, will not prevent users from communicating with their friends in private messaging or in group chats on the PlayStation Network. ### Media sharing The DualShock 4 controller includes a "SHARE" button, allowing the player to cycle through the last 60 minutes of recorded gameplay to select a screenshot or video clip appropriate for sharing. Media is uploaded seamlessly from the console to other PSN users or social networking sites such as Dailymotion, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, or else users can copy media to a USB flash drive and upload to a social network or website of their preference. Players can also use a free video editing application named ShareFactory to cut and assemble their favorite video clips and add custom music or voice commentary with green screen effects. Subsequent updates have added options for picture-in-picture layouts, the ability to create photo collages and animated GIFs. ### Live streaming Gamers can either watch live gameplay of games which their friends are playing through the PS4 interface with cross-game camera and microphone input, spectate silently, or broadcast their own gameplay live via DailyMotion, Twitch, Ustream, Niconico, or YouTube Gaming, allowing for friends and members of the public to view and comment upon them from other web browsers and devices. If a user is not screen-casting, a friend can send them a "Request to Watch" notification. ### Share Play Share Play allows users to invite an online friend to join their play session via streaming, even if they do not own a copy of the game. Users can pass control of the game entirely to the remote user or partake in cooperative multiplayer as if they were physically present. Mark Cerny says that remote assistance is particularly useful when confronted by a potentially game-defeating obstacle. "You can even see that your friend is in trouble and reach out through the network to take over the controller and assist them through some difficult portion of the game," he said. Share Play requires a PlayStation Plus subscription and can only be used for one hour at a time. ## Games PlayStation 4 games are distributed at retail on Blu-ray Disc, and digitally as downloads through the PlayStation Store. Games are not region-locked, so games purchased in one region can be played on consoles in all regions, and players can sign-on to any PS4 console to access their entire digital game library. All PlayStation 4 games must be installed to the console's storage. Additionally a system called "PlayGo" allows users to begin to play portions of a game (such as opening levels) once the installation or download reaches a specific point, while the remainder of the game is downloaded or installed in the background. Updates to games and system software are also downloaded in the background and while in standby. PS4 users will, in the future, be able to browse games and stream games via Gaikai to demo them almost instantaneously. Sony says it is committed to releasing an ever-increasing number of free-to-play games, including PlanetSide 2 and War Thunder. Sony also took steps to make it easier for independent game developers to release games for the PS4 by giving them the option to self-publish their own games rather than rely upon others to distribute their games. ### Backward compatibility PlayStation 4 is not compatible with any disc of older PlayStation consoles. Emulated versions of selected PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable games are available for purchase via PlayStation Store, which are upscaled to high definition and have support for PS4 social features. ### PlayStation Now In December 2013, Andrew House indicated that Sony was planning to launch a cloud gaming service for the PS4 in North America within the third quarter of 2014, with a European launch to follow in 2015. At Consumer Electronics Show on January 7, 2014, Sony unveiled PlayStation Now, a digital distribution service which will initially allow users to access PlayStation 3 games on the PS4 via a cloud-based streaming system, purchasing games individually or via a subscription, as a solution of no backward compatibility on the hardware of the console. The United States Open Beta went live on July 31, 2014. The official United States release of the service was on January 13, 2015. PlayStation Now was in closed beta in the United Kingdom. ### PlayLink At E3 2017, Sony revealed the "PlayLink" line of games, which let players control the game with their mobile devices and PlayLink companion apps. The apps would release on November 21 that same year and would include games such as Knowledge is Power, That's You, Hidden Agenda, SingStar Celebration, and Planet of the Apes: Last Frontier. On November 14, 2018, more games would be released, including Just Deal With It, Chimparty, WordHunters, UNO, Melbits World, Ticket To Ride, and Knowledge is Power: Decades. In 2019, the delayed release of Erica made no mention of the PlayLink initiative, when it was planned with PlayLink functionality at the 2017 Paris Games Week event. It would be confirmed by Sony in 2020 that PS4 PlayLink titles would be backwards-compatible with the PlayStation 5. Since 2021, many of the PlayLink companion apps have been delisted from the Apple App Store and Google Play, such as Uno. On December 14, 2023, companion apps for Chimparty, Frantics, Hidden Agenda, Knowledge is Power, Knowledge is Power: Decades, and That's You were no longer downloadable for new Google Play users with devices above Android 9 or 11 due to compatibility issues, with iOS users being unaffected. ## Release ### Critical reception #### Pre-release Pre-release reception to the console from developers and journalists was positive. Mark Rein of Epic Games praised the "enhanced" architecture of Sony's system, describing it as "a phenomenal piece of hardware". John Carmack, programmer and co-founder of id Software, also commended the design by saying "Sony made wise engineering choices", while Randy Pitchford of Gearbox Software expressed satisfaction with the amount of high-speed memory in the console. Eurogamer also called the graphics technology in the PS4 "impressive" and an improvement from the difficulties developers experienced on the PlayStation 3. Numerous industry professionals have acknowledged the PlayStation 4's performance advantage over the Xbox One. Speaking to Edge magazine, multiple game developers have described the difference as "significant" and "obvious". ExtremeTech says the PS4's graphics processing unit offers a "serious advantage" over the competition, but due to the nature of cross-platform development, games that share the same assets will appear "very similar". In other scenarios, designers may tap some of PS4's additional power in a straightforward manner, to boost frame rate or output at a higher resolution, whereas games from Sony's own first-party studios that take full advantage of the hardware "will probably look significantly better than anything on the Xbox One." In response to concerns surrounding the possibility of DRM measures to hinder the resale of used games (and in particular, the initial DRM policies of Xbox One, which did contain such restrictions), Jack Tretton explicitly stated during Sony's E3 press conference that there would be "no restrictions" on the resale and trading of PS4 games on physical media, while software product development head Scott Rohde specified that Sony was planning to disallow online passes as well, going on to say that the policies were designed to be "consumer-friendly, extremely retailer-friendly, and extremely publisher-friendly". After Sony's E3 2013 press conference, IGN responded positively to Sony's attitude towards indie developers and trading games, stating they thought "most gamers would agree" that "if you care about games like [Sony] do, you'll buy a PlayStation 4". PlayStation 4's removable and upgradable hard drive also drew praise from IGN, with Scott Lowe commenting that the decision gave the console "another advantage" over the Xbox One, whose hard drive cannot be accessed. GameSpot called the PlayStation 4 "the gamer's choice for next-generation", citing its price, lack of restrictive digital rights management, and most importantly, Sony's efforts to "acknowledge its consumers" and "respect its audience" as major factors. #### Post-release The PlayStation 4 has received very positive reviews by critics. Scott Lowe of IGN gave it an 8.2 rating out of 10 praising the console's DualShock 4 design and social integration features. He criticized the console's lack of software features and for underutilizing the DualShock 4's touch pad. The Gadget Show gave a similar review complimenting the DualShock 4's new triggers and control sticks, in addition to the new Remote Play feature, yet criticized the system's lack of media support at launch. IGN compared the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 over various categories, allowing their readers to vote for their preferred system. The PS4 won every category offered, and IGN awarded the PS4 with their People's Choice Award. Shortly following the launch, it became apparent that some games released on multiple platforms were available in higher resolutions on the PS4 as opposed to other video game consoles. Kirk Hamilton of Kotaku reported on the differences in early games such as Call of Duty: Ghosts and Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag which ran at 1080p on the PS4, but in 720p and 900p, respectively, on the Xbox One. ### Sales Demand for PlayStation 4 was strong. In August 2013, Sony announced the placement of over a million preorders for the console, while on the North American launch alone, one million PlayStation 4 consoles were sold. In the UK, the PlayStation 4 became the best-selling console at launch, with the sale of 250,000 consoles within a 48-hour period and 530,000 in the first five weeks. On January 7, 2014, Andrew House announced in his Consumer Electronics Show keynote speech that 4.2 million PS4 units had been sold-through by the end of 2013, with more than 9.7 million software units sold. On February 18, 2014, Sony announced that, as of February 8, it had sold over 5.3 million console units following the release of the PS4 onto the North American and Western/Central European markets. Within the first two days of release in Japan during the weekend of February 22, 2014, 322,083 consoles were sold. PS4 software unit sales surpassed 20.5 million on April 13, 2014. During Japan's 2013 fiscal year, heightened demand for the PS4 helped Sony top global console sales, beating Nintendo for the first time in eight years. According to data released by Nielsen in August 2014, nine months after the PS4 was released, thirty-one percent of its sales were to existing Wii and Xbox 360 owners, none of whom had by then owned a PS3. At Gamescom 2014, it was announced that 10 million PS4 units had been sold-through to consumers worldwide, and on November 13, it was announced that the PlayStation 4 was the top-selling console in the U.S. for the tenth consecutive month. In its first sales announcement of 2015, Sony confirmed on January 4 that it had sold-through 18.5 million PlayStation 4 units. Sony updated the sell-through figures for the system throughout 2015: over 20 million consoles as of March 3, 2015, over 30 million as of November 22, 2015, and over 35 million by the end of 2015. As of May 22, 2016, total worldwide sell-through reached 40 million. As of December 2018, over 91 million consoles and more than 876 million PlayStation 4 games have been sold worldwide. By October 2019, the PS4 had sold 102.8 million times, making it the second best-selling home video game console of all time, behind the PlayStation 2. The PlayStation 4 holds a market share of at least 70% within all European countries, as of June 2015. ## Hardware revisions The PlayStation 4 has been produced in various models: the original, the Slim, and the Pro. Successive models have added or removed various features, and each model has variations of Limited Edition consoles. ### PlayStation 4 Slim On September 7, 2016, Sony announced a hardware revision of the PlayStation 4, model number CUH-2000, known colloquially as the PlayStation 4 Slim, which phased out the original model. It is a revision of the original PS4 hardware with a smaller form factor; it has a rounded body with a matte finish on the top of the console rather than a two-tone finish, and is 40% smaller in size than the original model. The two USB ports on the front have been updated to the newer USB 3.1 standard and have a larger gap between them, and the optical audio port was removed. This model also features support for USB 3.1, Bluetooth 4.0 and 5.0 GHz Wi-Fi. It was released on September 15, 2016, with a 500 GB model at the same price as the original version of the PlayStation 4. On April 18, 2017, Sony announced that it had replaced this base model with a 1 TB version at the same MSRP. ### PlayStation 4 Pro The PlayStation 4 Pro (codenamed Neo, model number CUH-7000) was announced on September 7, 2016, and launched worldwide on November 10, 2016. It is an upgraded version of the PlayStation 4 with improved hardware to enable 4K rendering and improved PlayStation VR performance, including an upgraded GPU with 4.2 teraflops of processing power and hardware support for checkerboard rendering, and a higher CPU clock. As with PS4 "Slim", this model also features support for USB 3.1, Bluetooth 4.0 and 5.0 GHz Wi-Fi. The PS4 Pro also includes 1 GB of DDR3 memory that is used to swap out non-gaming applications that run in the background, allowing games to utilize an additional 512 MB of the console's GDDR5 memory. Although capable of streaming 4K video, the PS4 Pro does not support Ultra HD Blu-ray. The Pro model has a release price of $399 (NA), €399 (Europe), and £349 (UK). Games marketed by Sony as PS4 Pro Enhanced have specific optimizations when played on this model, such as 4K resolution graphics or higher performance. For games not specifically optimized, an option known as "Boost Mode" was added on system software 4.5, which can be enabled to force higher CPU and GPU clock rates on existing games to possibly improve performance. Rendering games at 4K resolution is achieved through various rendering techniques and hardware features; PlayStation technical chief Mark Cerny explained that Sony could not "brute force" 4K without compromising form factor and cost, so the console was designed to support "streamlined rendering techniques" using custom hardware, "best-in-breed temporal and spatial anti-aliasing algorithms", and "many new features from the AMD Polaris architecture as well as several even beyond it". The most prominent technique used is checkerboard rendering, wherein the console only renders portions of a scene using a checkerboard pattern, and then uses algorithms to fill in the non-rendered segments. The checkerboarded screen can then be smoothed using an anti-aliasing filter. Hermen Hulst of Guerrilla Games explained that PS4 Pro could render something "perceptively so close [to 4K] that you wouldn't be able to see the difference". PS4 Pro supports Remote Play, Share Play, and streaming at up to 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second, as well as capturing screenshots at 2160p, and 1080p video at 30 frames per second. In late 2017, Sony issued a new PS4 Pro revision (model number CUH-7100) that featured updated internal components. The actual hardware specifications and performance remained the same as the original model, although it was found that the revised console has a slightly quieter fan profile than the original and as a result was operating at a slightly higher temperature under load than the CUH-7000. In October 2018, Sony quietly issued another revision (model number CUH-7200), initially as part of Red Dead Redemption 2 hardware bundles. The revision has a different power supply which uses the same type of cord as the "Slim" model, and was shown to have further improvements to acoustics.

Dejarik

Fictional board game

Dejarik, also known as holographic chess or holochess, is a primarily-fictional board game appearing in the Star Wars space opera franchise that uses holographic figures as pieces. The game has been roughly described as that universe's equivalent of terrestrial chess since it is played on a board with a chequered pattern, each piece has a specific way of moving and attacking, and if it lands on a spot occupied by an opponent, it destroys the other piece. Over the years, several official and fan-made replicas have been made. As of 2021, no single, official rule set for the game has been released, and instead, a number of different rule sets (mostly designed by fans) for the game co-exist. Even the number of figures to be used in the game is unclear, although the best known variant uses eight. The game debuted in the 1977 film Star Wars, in a scene on board the Millennium Falcon. It is notable as one of the classic, early examples of holograms, 3D and AR in fiction. ## Origins and history Dejarik first appeared on screen in the 1977 space opera film Star Wars. In a scene lasting about 15 seconds, while traveling from Tatooine to Alderaan aboard Han Solo's light Corellian space freighter the Millennium Falcon, the Wookiee Chewbacca plays the game against the droid R2-D2. When R2 seems to be winning, Chewbacca rages, to which C-3PO comments on his useless anger. Han Solo then chimes in on how it is better not to displease Chewbacca, since Wookiees are famous for ripping their opponents' arms, at which point a scared 3PO changes his mind and suggests that R2 "let the Wookiee win". The dejarik board later appears when the starship is flying from the Death Star to Yavin IV, as Luke Skywalker sits in front of it, mourning Obi-Wan Kenobi's death at the hands of Darth Vader. The movie prop representing the game used in the scene was designed and created by Phil Tippett and Jon Berg. The game later made appearances in a number of Star Wars media, including the television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. In the 2015 film Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Finn briefly activates the Falcon's dejarik board, and in 2018's Solo: A Star Wars Story, Chewbacca and Tobias Beckett play the game aboard the Millennium Falcon. ## In the Star Wars Universe Dejarik is a popular holographic game in the world of Star Wars, installed, for example, on the decks of starships in order to provide entertainment during long flights through hyperspace. A typical game station consists of a hologram generator, usually placed in the cylindrical base of the set, on which there is a board made of three circles filled with alternating white and black fields. When launched, colorful, three-dimensional characters are generated. These characters are controlled by the player using a keyboard built into the table. Each piece has its own specific abilities that can be used during the game. When two characters take the same place on the board, they fight each other. The 1977 scene was originally designed to include ten figures, but the version shown in the film in 1977 has eight. This was because ten figures were originally designed in 1977, but George Lucas preferred the visually "less cluttered" version with eight. In Solo, a prequel to the 1977 Star Wars, Chewbacca damages the dejarik projector on the Millennium Falcon, providing an in-universe explanation as to why there are only eight figures on the screen. This implies that the full version of the game should have ten, not eight, figures. ## Rules The detailed rules of the game were not described in the film or other official media, and due to a lack of an official, licensed release of the game, a number of fans have created their own ruleset variants over the years. More official rules were created in 2017, when the first licensed computer game implementing dejarik (Star Wars: Jedi Challenges) was created; in 2019, a licensed board game version known as Galaxy's Edge: Dejarik Board Game with Checkers was also released, but with different rules than the computer version from 2017. In 2020, it was announced that at some point, Lucasfilm developed gameplay rules for dejarik, but as of 2021, they were still not publicly released. All known rules so far (as of 2021) are for the version with eight figures. ## Significance In addition to a number of licensed merchandise products, several Star Wars fans have created their own dejarik game replicas over the years. A theme-park replica of the game has been created in 2017 in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge theme park. Dejarik has been the subject of scientific research in the field of human–computer interaction and has been identified as one of the classic, early examples of holograms and AR (augmented reality) in fiction. Dejarik has also inspired a number of inventors to create physical devices that would imitate the holographic effects seen in the film, from older products such as the 1983 Archon computer game to more recent ones such as those designed by Voxiebox. ## See also - 3D chess - Sabacc - Star Wars Chess

His Name Is Legs (Ladies and Gentlemen)

"His Name Is Legs (Ladies and Gentlemen)" is a song by English rock musician George Harrison, released in 1975 as the closing track of his album Extra Texture (Read All About It). The song is a tribute to "Legs" Larry Smith, the drummer with the 1960s satirical-comedy group the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and one of many comedians with whom Harrison began associating during the 1970s. Smith appears on the recording, delivering a spoken monologue, while Harrison's lyrics similarly reflect the comedian's penchant for zany wordplay. The song serves as a precursor to Harrison's work with Monty Python members Eric Idle and Michael Palin, including his production of the troupe's 1975 single "The Lumberjack Song" and films such as Life of Brian (1979) that he produced under the aegis of his company HandMade Films. Harrison recorded "His Name Is Legs" at his Friar Park home studio during sessions for his 1974 album Dark Horse. The song remained unfinished until he returned to it the following year while working in Los Angeles on Extra Texture. Aside from Harrison and Smith, the musicians on the recording include Tom Scott, Billy Preston, Willie Weeks and Andy Newmark, all of whom were part of Harrison's 1974 tour band. The song's arrangement reflects Harrison's adoption of the funk genre. As with the album's humorous artwork, the inclusion of "His Name Is Legs" on Extra Texture marked a rare example of light-heartedness among a collection of mostly downbeat songs. Several commentators view the track as an indulgence by Harrison. These detractors cite the in-joke nature of the composition, together with the largely unintelligible vocals on the recording. Harrison acknowledged that the song's appeal might be limited to "maybe two people". ## Background Although often noted for the serious, religious nature of his song lyrics, George Harrison was an avowed fan of British comedy, beginning with Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan's work in The Goon Show during the 1950s. In his autobiography, I, Me, Mine, Harrison writes of comedy – specifically, Monty Python's first TV series and the satirical Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band – as having "filled that empty space for me" in the late 1960s, when relationships with his Beatles bandmates had fractured. The Bonzo Dog Band (as they became known in 1969) were a favourite of the Beatles, who cast the group in their 1967 TV film Magical Mystery Tour. Harrison subsequently performed with the Bonzos' drummer, "Legs" Larry Smith, along with Eric Clapton and other members of Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, at John Lennon's "Peace for Christmas" charity concert, held at London's Lyceum Ballroom in December 1969. In I, Me, Mine, Harrison suggests an alternative scenario to the Beatles' 1970 break-up: "What should have happened is that the Bonzos and the Beatles ... turned into one great Rutle band with all the Pythons and had a laugh." By 1973, Sellers and Milligan were among the comedians who formed part of Harrison's social circle at his Friar Park estate in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. This period coincided with the end of his marriage to Pattie Boyd, who has described their home as "a madhouse" during their final year together. Harrison became reacquainted with Smith through longtime Beatles aide Terry Doran. Harrison admired Smith as "a wonderfully eccentric person", a quality that had similarly inspired him about Sir Frank Crisp, the original owner of Friar Park. Author Dale Allison suggests that Smith became a court jester figure for Harrison, who wrote the song "His Name Is Legs (Ladies and Gentlemen)" as a tribute to Smith. In his autobiography, Harrison terms the composition "a piece of personal indulgence, like some other of my songs about things nobody else knows or cares about, except maybe two people". ## Composition Harrison wrote "His Name Is Legs" around Christmastime in 1973, on a piano at Friar Park. Author Ian Inglis describes it as a song "peppered with oblique references and in-jokes about [Smith's] idiosyncratic mannerisms and behavior". Harrison's lyrics incorporate some of Smith's favourite sayings, the first verse beginning: > Everything is dinky doo > Everything that you do > You the King of Lah di da > Pretty very out far ... Examples of Smith's penchant for zany wordplay include the lines "Never over-sits he under-stands" and "Get lined up come Sikh come Czar" – the latter being partly a misappropriation of the French phrase "comme ci comme ça". In the second verse, the line "People think he's loopy loo when they look at his shoes" refers to the comedian's unusual dress sense, which included "toy cows grazing on his shoes", according to Harrison biographer Alan Clayson, while "rocking sausage roll" was Smith's phrase for rock 'n' roll. The song title appears in the two bridge sections, the first of which states: > Everyone from Oxford town > Way down to the Rio Grande > Knows his harbour quays, his skintight hands > Are without seggs, his name is Legs. Musically, the composition is in the funk rock style, while the device of introducing Smith to listeners recalls the show tune aspect of Harrison's collaboration with Mal Evans, "You and Me (Babe)", which closed former Beatle Ringo Starr's 1973 album Ringo. In the lyrics to "His Name Is Legs", Harrison biographer Simon Leng recognises the same "nonsense word games" favoured by Monty Python. Leng comments that the latter's composition "The Lumberjack Song" particularly resonated with Harrison during this period, as he sought to challenge the public's perception of him as a Beatle, in the same way that Michael Palin's character in the Python song challenged the stereotypes associated with an "all-action" lumberjack. ## Recording ### 1974 basic track Harrison taped "His Name Is Legs (Ladies and Gentlemen)" during sessions for his 1974 album Dark Horse, but it was one of a number of tracks he left unfinished. The sessions took place at his Friar Park studio, FPSHOT, in August–September that year, with Phil McDonald as recording engineer. Harrison played piano and electric guitar on the recording; the other musicians were Billy Preston (electric piano), Tom Scott (saxophones), Willie Weeks (bass) and Andy Newmark (drums). These four musicians then joined Harrison for tour rehearsals in Los Angeles, where he rushed to complete Dark Horse before undertaking a much-anticipated North American tour with Ravi Shankar. With Peter Sellers among his entourage, Harrison alternatively adopted comedy and his Hindu-aligned spiritual goals as a defence against expectations related to his Beatle past during the tour. When discussing "His Name Is Legs" with BBC Radio 1 DJ Paul Gambaccini in September 1975, Harrison said that after recording the basic track, he invited Smith to sing the first two lines of each of the bridges. Smith did these vocal parts in two takes, and improvised dialogue through the rest of the song each time. In Clayson's description, Smith sang the bridge sections in English "officer-and-gentleman tones" and adopted an American accent for the monologues. ### 1975 overdubs Harrison returned to the track in April 1975 when recording his album Extra Texture (Read All About It) at A\&M Studios in Los Angeles. The sessions coincided with a period that author Gary Tillery describes as a "spiritual funk" for Harrison, in reaction to scathing reviews for his 1974 tour and the Dark Horse album. Harrison's despondency was alleviated by his new relationship with Olivia Arias, and a friendship begun with Monty Python star Eric Idle immediately after the Los Angeles premiere of the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Idle has spoken of them sharing "a dialogue that went on for about 48 hours" following the premiere, which led to Harrison producing a re-recording of "The Lumberjack Song" in London, in October 1975, for release as a UK single. The pair then wrote a comical sea shanty called "The Pirate Song" for a sketch in Rutland Weekend Television, Idle's TV show with Neil Innes, Smith's former bandmate. Overdubs on the 1974 basic track for "His Name Is Legs" included tack piano, played by Canadian musician David Foster, and a new horn arrangement, played by Scott and Chuck Findley, another member of Harrison's tour band the previous year. Scott and Findley recorded their contributions at A\&M Studios over 2–3 June, with each musician overdubbing two horn parts. The released recording begins with an introductory bass riff from Weeks, which is then joined by Foster's tack piano. Commentators note the lack of clarity in the mix, which author Elliot Huntley attributes to the "three-pronged piano attack" and the low level of Harrison and Smith's vocals. At times during the sections featuring Smith's improvised dialogue, Harrison let both recorded takes run simultaneously, and he admitted to Gambaccini that he chose to mix the track in this way "so people have to strain with headphones to hear what it is". ## Release and reception "His Name Is Legs" was released on 22 September 1975 as the final track on Extra Texture (Read All About It). Together with Roy Kohara's album artwork, which "tried to incorporate a 'wacky' theme", according to authors Chip Madinger and Mark Easter, the song's inclusion contrasted with the melancholic musical content of Extra Texture. The artwork included an inner-sleeve photo of Harrison "grin[ning] like a Monty Python choirboy", in the words of Village Voice critic Robert Christgau, while the face labels credited production to "Ohnothimagen" (Oh, not him again) and showed the Apple Records logo reduced to an apple core. With the "Ohnothimagen" moniker, which also appeared below the LP's inner-sleeve photo and in advertising for the album, Harrison acknowledged his recent unpopularity with music critics. While this gesture was intended as self-deprecation on Harrison's part, Smith has cited it as an example of Harrison's lack of confidence at the time and his need for "a cuddle now and then". Smith was listed in the performer credits as appearing "courtesy of the Oxfordshire County Council". Author Robert Rodriguez describes "His Name Is Legs" as a "comedy number" and "a self-indulgent in-joke" that appeared to show Harrison "doubling down on efforts to alienate his audience", after the bad press he had received over the winter of 1974–75. On release, Dave Marsh of Rolling Stone said that the song "might be Harrison's way of countering charges of humorlessness" but that "since neither Smith nor Harrison is very funny, it does more to confirm the charges." In the NME, Neil Spencer referred to the image of Harrison with "a chirpy smirk plastered across his dial" as "misleading", given the album's overall mood, and added: "'His Names Is Legs (Ladies and Gentlemen)' is the odd track out because it's (ulp) not serious. It seems like an attempt to recapture some of the innocent light-heartedness of Beatle days." Ray Coleman of Melody Maker predicted that Extra Texture would "re-establish [Harrison] as a powerful artist with an ear for unusual but attractive tunes allied to some quirky lyrics", and he described the closing song as an "up-tempo splash of fun, and it jumps, too". In the 1978 edition of their book The Beatles: An Illustrated Record, Roy Carr and Tony Tyler said that Harrison had "desperately" employed "last-minute devices" to save Extra Texture, by featuring "'zany' ex-Bonzo Dog Band drummer 'Legs' Larry Smith on a track, and by instructing his graphic designers to 'get a little humour into the packaging'. They do; and 'Legs' duly sings; but it is all too little, too late." Writing in 1981, NME critic Bob Woffinden identified the song and the album art, as well as the single "You", as evidence that Harrison was attempting to re-engage with his listeners. Woffinden welcomed this approach but, noting the lack of a lyric sheet with the album, he added: "['His Name Is Legs'] is not a success, since most of the vocals are lost in the raucous mix; Larry might have had pearls of wisdom to impart, but who could tell?" More recently, Richard Ginell of AllMusic has described the song as a "baffling salute" to Smith, while former Mojo editor Mat Snow dismisses it as "a throwaway among throwaways". Also writing for AllMusic, Lindsay Planer views "His Name Is Legs" as "somewhat silly but nonetheless thoroughly entertaining", a song that "[allows] Harrison the opportunity to close the disc on a lighter note and unleash his admittedly askew and undeniably rich sense of humor". In his review for Rough Guides, Chris Ingham calls the track a "manically intricate tribute" and considers it to be a redeeming feature of Extra Texture, along with "Tired of Midnight Blue". Writing for Goldmine magazine in January 2002, Dave Thompson described it as "whacked" and "a six-minute semi-jam" that should not be "overlook[ed]". ## Legacy Snow, Huntley and Inglis each discuss "His Name Is Legs" as a precedent for Harrison's well-received work with Idle. Snow writes that, as unlikely as it seemed during Harrison's fallow period of 1975, "surreal English comedy would provide him with a new career." Aside from Harrison's production of "The Lumberjack Song", for which he again used the Ohnothimagen moniker, their collaborations began with his guest appearance on Rutland Weekend Television, which aired on BBC2 on 26 December 1975. In 1978, Harrison participated in The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash, a TV film starring Idle, Innes and Palin that satirised the Beatles' history, and he formed HandMade Films that year in order to fund the production of Monty Python's third movie, Life of Brian (1979), in which he also appeared. HandMade became Britain's most successful independent film company and went on to make other films involving one or more members of Monty Python, including Time Bandits (1981), The Missionary (1982), A Private Function (1984) and Nuns on the Run (1990). Leng recognises an increasing Python-based comedy influence in Harrison's songwriting and musical arrangements, beginning with his 1979 track "Soft-Hearted Hana" and subsequently including "Save the World", with that song's "groove ... horn charts and moog riffs" reminiscent of "His Name Is Legs", and "Greece". Following his guest appearance on "His Name Is Legs", Smith became part of a coterie of local musicians known as the Henley Music Mafia, which also included Harrison, Alvin Lee, Jon Lord and Joe Brown. Smith appeared in the HandMade comedy Bullshot (1983) and also designed the cover for Harrison's 1982 album Gone Troppo. ## Personnel - George Harrison – vocals, piano, electric guitar, backing vocals - Legs Larry Smith – vocals - Billy Preston – electric piano - Tom Scott – saxophones, horn arrangement - Chuck Findley – trumpet, trombone - Willie Weeks – bass - Andy Newmark – drums, shaker - David Foster – tack piano

Lisa the Simpson

"Lisa the Simpson" is the seventeenth episode of the ninth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on March 8, 1998. In the episode, Lisa fears that she may be genetically predisposed to lose her intelligence after Grampa tells her of a family gene that can permanently take away intelligence. "Lisa the Simpson" was written by Ned Goldreyer and directed by Susie Dietter. This was the final episode with Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein as show runners. It received generally positive reviews from critics, and is considered one of the best episodes of the ninth season. ## Plot At Springfield Elementary, Lisa is presented with a brain teaser featuring strange hieroglyphs, which she is unable to solve. Following this incident, Lisa finds herself unable to perform simple tasks. Later, Lisa tells Grampa about her recent cognitive problems. He seems to recognize this, and tells Lisa about the "Simpson Gene", which apparently causes all members of the Simpson family to gradually lose their intelligence as they get older. Lisa tries to accept the inevitable by watching lowbrow television with Homer and Bart, and reluctantly tries to join in the two messily eating candy bars from a hidden stash minutes before dinner. She has a sudden vision of a bleak future in which she is grossly obese and unintelligent, speaks in a Southern white trash accent, and is married to Ralph Wiggum who works as a hotdog vendor, and the two live in a trailer with their numerous children, while Lisa spends her days lazing in a hammock and watching soap operas. After running away, Lisa appears on the TV news program Smartline to tell the citizens of Springfield to treasure their brains. As she does this, Homer decides to prove her wrong, and contacts the entire extended Simpson family to visit. However, when they arrive, Homer realizes they are also unsuccessful, unintelligent people, which only depresses Lisa further and causes Homer to send them home. However, before they leave, Marge urges Homer to talk to the Simpson women. Reluctantly, he talks to one of them at her request and he discovers that the women are all successful. Lisa asks why the women in her family were not affected by the "Simpson Gene". Dr. Simpson reveals that the defective gene is only found in the Y-chromosome and only the males are affected. As a female, Dr. Simpson tells Lisa that she will be successful like they are. She is relieved that she is fine and she will not suffer the "Simpson Gene". When Bart realizes he will be a failure in life due to his gender, he is wary and bemoaning his future. However, Homer reassures him that he will be a spectacular failure. Lisa is soon finally able to solve the brain teaser she was unable to finish earlier in the episode; the answer was "6", with the hieroglyphs being 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 but mirror-imaged. Meanwhile in the subplot, Jasper visits the Kwik-E-Mart and empties the freezer containing ice cream in order to freeze himself, with the intention of being defrosted sometime in the distant future. Apu decides to take advantage of this unusual situation for financial gain, exhibiting Jasper as "Frostillicus". The convenience store, now renamed the "Freak-E-Mart", becomes more profitable as a tourist trap, until the freezer's cooling system fails (after Apu had turned it up to its highest setting when he noticed Jasper's fingers twitching), causing Jasper to defrost and walk away. Apu then decides to turn the Kwik-E-Mart into a nude nightclub called the "Nude-E-Mart". ## Production This episode was the final episode for a number of crew members on the show. It was the last episode run by Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein, as it was a carry-over episode from season eight. Susie Dietter, one of the directors of the show, and Brad Bird, the show's executive consultant, also left the show after this episode. Dietter returned for one episode in season 18, "Yokel Chords" while Bird left to write and direct The Iron Giant. The episode was written by Ned Goldreyer, and is one of the two episodes he has written on The Simpsons. As it was the final episode they ran, Oakley and Weinstein wanted to end on a good note, with Weinstein stating that the episode "was meant to embody the humor, depth, and emotions of The Simpsons". They also wished to have an episode they ran that was based on the background of every character they could do, and believed that this episode came out well. The name of the episode was the center of an argument that Oakley and Goldreyer had, as Oakley had originally wanted to have the episode named "Lisa the Simpson", although Goldreyer wanted to name it "Suddenly Stupid", a pun on a show that had been airing at the time called Suddenly Susan. The Simpsons' family members that showed up took some time to be made, but the staff enjoyed the results. All of the male Simpson family members that showed up were voiced by Dan Castellaneta, the voice of Homer. He had asked for the recording tape to be run for about 20 minutes, so he could do many different voice variations that would fit the different men, but still be close to Homer's voice. ## Reception In its original broadcast, "Lisa the Simpson" finished 19th in ratings for the week of March 2–8, 1998, with a Nielsen rating of 10.7, equivalent to approximately 10.4 million viewing households. It was the second highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following The X-Files. IGN's Todd Gilchrist named the episode as one of his favorites of the ninth season in his review of the DVD boxset. The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, thought well of the episode, saying, "A terrific episode, with a good mix of pathos (Lisa's farewell to the Springsonian and her favourite jazz club are inspired) and fun (her Homeresque 'woo-hoo') which comes together to make a refreshing and exciting look at Lisa's life." Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein greatly enjoyed the episode and thought of it as a great final episode that they ran. On the DVD audio commentary, writer Ned Goldreyer stated, "I think this might have been the best episode ever produced."

Gateshead Millennium Bridge

English tilt bridge across the River Tyne

The Gateshead Millennium Bridge is a pedestrian and cyclist tilt bridge spanning the River Tyne between Gateshead arts quarter on the south bank and Newcastle upon Tyne's Quayside area on the north bank. It was the first tilting bridge ever to be constructed. Opened for public use in 2001, the award-winning structure was conceived and designed by architectural practice WilkinsonEyre and structural engineering firm Gifford. The bridge is sometimes called the 'Blinking Eye Bridge' or the 'Winking Eye Bridge' due to its shape and its tilting method. The Millennium Bridge stands as the twentieth tallest structure in the city, and is shorter in stature than the neighbouring Tyne Bridge. ## History ### Historical context Gateshead Millennium Bridge is part of a long history of bridges built across the River Tyne, the earliest of which was constructed in the Middle Ages. As quay-based industries grew during the Industrial Revolution and Victorian era due to its accessible port, the area became more prosperous. However, industry declined along the River Tyne following World War II and the quay deteriorated into the 1980s. This prompted regeneration activities in both Newcastle and Gateshead, beginning with the construction of Newcastle Law Courts on the riverbank. In 1995, Gateshead Council devised plans to develop a new contemporary arts centre, the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, and the need for a footbridge to link the two cities became more apparent. ### Conception A competition was held by Gateshead Council in 1996 to design a new bridge to link Gateshead to Newcastle, the first opening bridge to be built on the River Tyne in over 100 years. The bridge would form part of the regeneration on both sides of the River Tyne, providing a crossing between new commercial buildings and housing built in Newcastle and cultural and leisure developments in Gateshead. It would also facilitate a 1-mile (1.6 km) circular promenade around the Quayside. Although river-based traffic had decreased by the 21st century, the cities of Gateshead and Newcastle still intended to retain the image of the River Tyne as a working river. The advert for the competition was published in the New Civil Engineer magazine with the brief "We are looking for design teams who can create a stunning, but practical, river level crossing which fits this historic setting, opens for shipping and is good enough to win Millennium Commission funding." There were over 150 entries and Gateshead residents voted for their favourite out of a shortlist of six architectural teams. WilkinsonEyre and Gifford and Partners claimed the prize in February 1997 with Gateshead Councillor Mick Henry remarking that the design was "something very special." By July 1997, a final design was under preparation for submission to the Millennium Commission in order to secure funding. The bridge, which is the world's first tilting bridge, ultimately cost £22 million, with funding from the Millennium Commission, the European Regional Development Fund, English Partnerships, East Gateshead Single Regeneration Budget, and Gateshead Council. By this point, the name of the bridge was still undecided. The original proposed name of 'Baltic Millennium Bridge' (in reference to the adjacent Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art on the Gateshead side) was objected to by Newcastle City Council. In response, Gateshead Council decided upon the final name of 'Gateshead Millennium Bridge' in 1998, which caused an ongoing feud between the two councils. ### Opening Gateshead Council originally announced that the bridge would be open in September 2000, but it was not completed until September the following year. The first tilt took place on 28 June 2001 to 36,000 onlookers. It was opened to the public on 17 September 2001 to a crowd of thousands. The barrier lifted at 2 pm to allow the first public crossing, and the first people to cross received a commemorative medal gift from the Council. The bridge was dedicated by Queen Elizabeth II on 7 May 2002, during her Golden Jubilee tour. A commemorative plaque unveiled by the Queen reads: "Gateshead Millennium Bridge. Opened by Her Majesty The Queen on 7th May 2002." Before a formal dinner at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, the Queen said "Today I see the tangible signs of the determination of all those within this region to create a new future. There have been so many personal acts of kindness, especially over the last two months, now I have the chance to express my gratitude to the people of the North East." ## Structure ### Design Gateshead Millennium Bridge was constructed to fulfil the following main design constraints: the bridge must be 4.5 metres (15 ft) above river-level during high spring tides when closed; nothing must be built on the Gateshead Quayside; the deck must have no more than a 1:20 slope to allow disabled access. The bridge consists of two steel arches – a deck which acts as the pedestrian and cycle path, and a supporting arch. The bridge was designed to be as light as possible to allow for easy opening and closing, so the two arches are lighter towards the centre span than at the hinges. The pedestrian and cycle deck is a parabolic shape with a 2.7 metres (8.9 ft) vertical camber. It is divided into two separate paths on different levels for the different modes of transport, separated by a stainless steel "hedge" with seating areas and steps interspersed throughout. The supporting arch is also a parabola, designed in such a way as to match the shape of the Tyne Bridge upstream. The two arches are joined together by 18 suspension cables which provide stability for people crossing the bridge. Six hydraulic rams (three on each side) tilt the entire 850,000 kg bridge as a single structure, meaning that when the supporting arch lowers, the pedestrian deck rises to create 25 metres (82 ft) of clearance for river traffic to pass underneath. The bridge takes around four minutes to rotate through the full 40° from closed to open, moving as fast as 18 mm (0.71 inches) per second. The design is so energy-efficient that, in April 2017, it cost just £3.96 per opening. The appearance of the bridge during this manoeuvre has led to it being nicknamed the "Blinking Eye Bridge", and has solidified its reputation as being not only a functional piece of infrastructure but a spectacle in and of itself. The rotation of the bridge is also used as a self-cleaning mechanism, as rubbish collected on the deck rolls towards traps built at each end. A lighting system designed by Jonathan Spiers and Associates is used at night to attractively illuminate the bridge without causing light pollution, as the cables are too thin to be visible or reflect light at night. The lights shine white during the week and a variety of colours over the weekend. Green and red LEDs are used during the day to alert cyclists and pedestrians to the bridge's opening and closing. ### Construction and installation Gateshead Council selected Gateshead-based Harbour & General as the main contractor for the construction of the bridge. Harbour and General then selected over 12 sub-contractors to cover elements of construction including control systems, metalwork, lighting, and piling and river work. Consulting engineering group Ramboll provided further engineering, construction, and contract management services. The bridge's structure was modelled in LUSAS using 3D elements. LUSAS modelling allowed a model of the bridge to be built and allowed analysis of buckling forces, wind, and temperature. Another software – Pertmaster Professional – was used for risk and project management and cost analysis. Watson Steel was appointed as the specialist contractor to prefabricate the bridge, and they subcontracted the design of the hydraulic system to Kvaerner Markham. The pre-fabricated sections of the bridge were shot-blasted and painted in Hadrian's Yard, 6.5 km (4.0 miles) from the bridge's final position. The entire structure was assembled by first welding together the nine arch sections and deck sections, and then attaching the cables to the arch and deck. Protective paintwork (Interzone 505 and Interthane 990 from International Protective Coatings) was applied to the arch before it was erected. The bridge was lifted into place in one piece by the Asian Hercules II, one of the world's largest floating cranes, on 20 November 2000. Whilst being transported by the crane, the bridge was rotated 90° in order to navigate narrow bends along the river. It was successfully slotted into threaded bolts in the piers with only 3 mm (0.1 inches) of tolerance. Handrails, seating, and the hydraulic systems were installed after the bridge was in place. The transportation of the bridge took only one day and was a spectacle, attracting crowds of onlookers. The Port of Tyne Authority required the design of the bridge to incorporate a vessel collision protection system. As a result, two rows of parallel fixed piles, splaying out diagonally on each side of the bridge, were installed. However, it became clear to members of the construction project team and WilkinsonEyre that they were unsightly and undermined "the finesse of the bridge". Between February and June 2000, the unsightly nature of the piles also caught the attention of the public, with multiple news articles and letters expressing discontent. Complaints pointed out that the Millennium Bridge in London did not have similar piles, and that a Newcastle University boat race had to be moved specifically to avoid potential collision with the piles. Over time, Gateshead Council and the Harbourmaster noted that the piles were not required and they were removed in 2012. This decision was ultimately less expensive than maintaining them. ## Regional and cultural significance Gateshead Millennium Bridge has retained its status as a significant local landmark and tourist attraction, not only built to develop the local area but also to establish local pride. It is one of several cultural landmarks on Gateshead Quays, including Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and Sage Gateshead. It opens periodically for sightseers and for major events such as The Boat Race of the North and the Cutty Sark Tall Ships' Race. The bridge also lights up to mark celebrations or dedications. For example, it was lit blue on 4 July 2020 as part of the 'Light it Blue' campaign celebrating the 72nd anniversary of the NHS and its contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was also lit green in April 2020 in recognition of social care workers. The bridge has been featured in film and on TV including the BBC TV drama 55 Degrees North and the British 2005 film Goal\!. On 17 July 2005, Spencer Tunick used the bridge in an art installation: 1,700 people gathered together nude and were photographed around the Millennium and Tyne Bridges and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art. The bridge was pictured on a first-class stamp in 2000, and a pound coin depicting the bridge was produced by the Royal Mint in 2007. ### Awards Gateshead Millennium Bridge has won a total of 25 awards for design and lighting. For the construction of the bridge, the architect WilkinsonEyre won the 2002 Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Stirling Prize. This was a somewhat controversial decision; although the RIBA judges described the bridge as a "truly heroic piece of engineering and construction", there was debate among the attendees of the awards ceremony as to whether it also counted as architecture, with some claiming that it was not a building. However, Jim Eyre of WilkinsonEyre argued that the feat did cross over into the boundary of architecture. WilkinsonEyre and Gifford also won the 2003 IStructE Supreme Award. The bridge was awarded the British Constructional Steelwork Association's Structural Steel Design Award in 2002. In 2005, the bridge received the Outstanding Structure Award from the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering.

Gregory's Chronicle

Fifteenth-century manuscript describing political events affecting London, England

Gregory's Chronicle, the Chronicle of London, or MS Egerton 1995, is the name given to a fifteenth-century English chronicle. It takes its name from its supposed author, William Gregory, who started as a skinner in London and went on to become a London Alderman, Sheriff from 1436 to 1437, and eventually Mayor from 1450 to 1451. The name 'Gregory' for the manuscript is, however, merely a convenience, as its actual authorship is unknown. Indeed, since the chronicle spans the period 1189 to 1470, and William Gregory died in 1467, it is impossible for him to have composed it in its entirety. Other fifteenth-century authors have been proposed, ranging from a contemporary poet to an Ecclesiast, but since even the exact dates of its composition are also debated it has been impossible for historians to definitively attribute the authorship to any known individual. ## William Gregory The supposed author of the chronicle, William Gregory, was born in Mildenhall, Suffolk. He married three times, and had two daughters. In London, he trained as a skinner, and sold luxury furs to the household of King Henry VI. He lived in the parish of St Mary Aldermary, and was alderman of Cordwainer ward from 1435 for twenty-six years. He became Sheriff and Mayor in this period. He left bequests to the Skinner's Company in his will. ## Contents The manuscript is a quarto volume written on paper in 223 leaves; since it also contains random items not connected to the Chronicle itself (for example, poems and health advice), it was clearly a commonplace book. Still, the majority of the content makes up what has become known as the Chronicle of London, and ranges from the accession of Richard I to the deposition of Edward IV. It is predominantly London-centric, particularly pertaining to major political events such as the rebellion of Jack Cade in 1450 and the resultant 'harvest of heads' on London Bridge Gate, as the chronicle calls it. It has been suggested, in fact, that the level of detail with which it describes the revolt indicates that the author witnessed it first-hand. The chronicler likewise discusses the "trayturly" murder of James I of Scotland in 1437 amidst a discussion of London business, and on occasion demonstrates humour, if a politically-motivated form of it. Occasionally the author reveals a mildly sardonic view of the then king, Henry VI, although generally, "the chronicler does not seem to care at all" about the king (unlike, say, the author of Bale's Chronicle). The Chronicle tends towards a broader view of affairs in the next decade, where, for example, it discusses King Edward IV's debasement of the currency in 1464. On matters of smaller, more localised concern, some differences in the various surviving manuscripts exist (for instance in the members of Civic Lists). ## Question of authorship Gregory's Chronicle is an example of the contemporary trend for such works to be produced by individuals as well as institutions. Its authorship was originally attributed to William Gregory by James Gairdner in 1876, in the introduction to Gairdner's edition of the Edgerton manuscript. Gairdner reports thusly: > In a modern note written on a fly-leaf at the end of the book it is said that the author of the Chronicle was one Gregory Skinner (meaning William Gregory of the Skinners' Company) who was Mayor of London in 1451, the thirtieth year of Henry VI. And when we turn to the Chronicle itself the fact seems to be pretty well borne out by what the author himself says in the record of that year. Gairdner based his conclusion on a 1452/3 entry in the chronicle, in which the author namechecks Gregory as mayor, and the colophon at the end of the paragraph saying that "Gregory Skinner, Mayor of London Anno xxx." Thus, it has been suggested, he drew attention to himself. On the other hand, it has been pointed out that the very mention of Gregory's mayoralty, which gave this chronicle its name, has also been of specific interest to other contemporary writers. Only part of Gregory's Chronicle could actually have been written by Gregory, as it continues to 1470, three years after Gregory's own death. Kingsford recognised this dilemma himself, in 1876, but a balance of probabilities "tended to confirm" him in his original diognosis. It has also been surmised that he wrote the portion covering the 1440s, with the remainder being the work of an anonymous author writing in the 1470s. Even so, out of the numerous medieval chronicles of this period, it is the one which has caused most debate among historians about its authorship. This is generally because, although it continues after Gregory's death, it also appears to have been written in the same neat hand throughout, albeit with the last three years being stylistically different from the preceding ones. Indeed, a late Victorian antiquarian, Kriehn, posited that William Gregory was in fact never the chronicle's original composer. Kriehn's suggestion was rejected by C.S.L. Kingsford, and Gregory's authorship of the first part of the Chronicle has been generally accepted ever since. Kingsford suggested a continuator, and identified a break in compositional style at the 1454-point, and that therefore it was there that another author took over. Kingsford's contemporary, James Gairdner, believed Gregory could have stopped writing at points in his career as distant as the year of his mayoralty in 1451, to his death in 1467. More recently it has been proposed that the true author was Henry Lovelich, a poet, whom Gregory would have known well, since they are both mentioned in the will of a prominent London merchant in July 1434. J.A.F. Thomson has suggested that, actually, the chronicler was a churchman, due among other things to the quantity of Latin aphorisms the later text contains, compared with the pre-1467 section; either way, Thomson agrees that whoever it was, must have been a man with "London connections and a pride in the city." One of the most recent biographers Gregory has noted how, in fact, "a single reference, to a papal indulgence issued in 1455, associates Gregory personally with [this] chronicle... but the extent of his authorship is uncertain." For instance Michael Hicks goes no further than to suggest tentatively that, of all the London chroniclers, “at least one was a mayor,” whilst Jeremy Catto believes that "we can identify no particular individual writer.“ Mary-Rose McLaren summed up the problem facing historians wishing to establish the authorship of the Edgerton MS when she pointed out that, comparing Gregory's chronicle with others of the period, there is more than one mayor named in it, and that in any case, it is not the only one to name Gregory as the mayor of London during that time.

New York State Route 431

Highway in New York

New York State Route 431 (NY 431) is a state highway in Essex County, New York, United States. The highway, also known as the Whiteface Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway, begins at an intersection with NY 86 in Wilmington and climbs Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondacks. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation maintains the highway, which is 7.96 miles (12.81 km) long. Marcellus Leonard, a merchant from nearby Saranac Lake, originally proposed the highway in the late 19th century. However, serious plans for the highway did not develop until the 1920s. Construction of the route began in 1929 and was completed in 1935; Leonard died six months before the opening. The 25-mile-per-hour (40 km/h) highway varies in elevation from over 2,000 feet (610 m) to over 4,500 feet (1,372 m) and increases in elevation by about 450 feet (137 m) per mile as it heads away from NY 86. The Whiteface Highway was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. ## Route description The Whiteface Highway, also known as NY 431, begins at an intersection with NY 86 in Wilmington. The highway heads to the west, ascending in elevation as it approaches Whiteface Mountain. It heads through a pass between Morgan and Esther Mountains, two smaller mountains adjacent to Whiteface Mountain, on its way to an intersection with County Route 72 (CR 72), the last highway that NY 431 intersects. Just west of CR 72, NY 431 passes through a toll booth and becomes a toll road. The NY 431 designation continues along the highway to the Union Falls Overlook, a scenic view 2,700 feet (820 m) in elevation about one mile (1.6 km) into the scenic drive. At this point, NY 431 curves to the south, climbing up the western side of both Esther Mountain and Whiteface Mountain. Upon reaching 3,300 feet (1,000 m) in elevation, a large building at the top of Whiteface Mountain called the Castle becomes visible, and Union Falls Pond can be seen more clearly below. The scenic drive continues up Whiteface Mountain to its summit, which NY 431 ascends toward by way of a pair of hairpin turns just north of the peak. At the first of the turns, the highway reaches an overlook 3,700 feet (1,100 m) in elevation that provides views of parts of Lake Placid and the Olympic Village. The road and the NY 431 designation both terminate at a parking lot about 300 feet (91 m) below the summit of Whiteface Mountain, where the Castle is located. ## History The idea of constructing a road up Whiteface Mountain was first conceived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Marcellus Leonard, an entrepreneur from Saranac Lake. The plans for the highway began to take shape in the 1920s when the land for the road was given by its owner to the state of New York on the condition that it would be named after America's Great War veterans. The road was later renamed to honor veterans from all wars. Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the dedication for the highway in 1929. Just after construction was announced for the new roadway, plans were developed in 1929 for a World War I monument at the top of Whiteface Mountain. The American Legion supported the new tower, which was to be 130 feet (40 m) high and feature a light visible for over 75 miles (121 km). The height of the tower was later reduced to 80 feet (24 m), but the project still faced opposition from the Association for Protection of the Adirondacks and the New York Fish Game and Forest League. Lithgow Osborne, who ran the New York State Conservation Department, stated the tower would destroy the landscape of Whiteface. Despite the controversy, the bill for the memorial was passed by both houses of the New York State Legislature in April 1934, with the State Senate approving it by a vote of 45–2. Governor Herbert Lehman received the bill on April 19, vowing to veto it. He followed through on his promise on May 16, 1934, commenting that the tower would deface the summit of Whiteface Mountain. Lehman added that while he generally supported memorials for veterans, it would be inappropriate to deface a summit for the memorial. Plans for the Whiteface Mountain Highway surfaced in 1929, and a bid of $687,572.50 (1931 USD) was submitted to construct the new roadway two years later. The final plans called for an 8-mile (13 km), 20-foot (6.1 m) wide highway climbing 3,500 feet (1,100 m) in elevation with grade changes of 8–10%. A toll of $1 for each car and its driver and $1 for each additional passenger would be charged to drive up the new highway ($15 in 2018, $8 each additional passenger). Construction started in 1931, with crews working until near Christmas when snowfall impeded their progress. Work on the parkway resumed on March 15, 1932. The new stone walls guarding the new highway cost about $100,000 (1931 USD) to construct. The highway opened to traffic on July 20, 1935. On September 14, 1935, it was formally dedicated by Roosevelt, now President of the United States, at a ribbon-cutting ceremony. In all, the road cost $1.2 million to construct. President Roosevelt also requested that an elevator be constructed to help visitors from the parking lot to the summit of Whiteface Mountain. Unfortunately, Marcellus Leonard, the person considered to be the "father" of the highway, did not live to see the highway open as he died at 90 years old on February 23, 1935, a few months before the road opened. The completed highway was assigned NY 431, a designation which had been reserved for the road as early as 1932. The road was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in October 2008 as the "Whiteface Veterans Memorial Highway Complex". The National Park Service, which keeps the Register, announced the listing nine months later. ## Major intersections ## See also - Prospect Mountain Veterans Memorial Highway, a highway of the same type in the Adirondacks

Maldives at the 2012 Summer Olympics

The Asian island nation of the Maldives competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London from 27 July to 12 August 2012. This was the nation's seventh consecutive appearance at the Olympics, the delegation consisted of two athletes each in track and field (Azneem Ahmed and Afa Ismail) and swimming (Ahmed Husam and Aminath Shajan). For the first time since their debut at the Summer Olympics, the Maldives entered one badminton player into the Olympics. Mohamed Ajfan Rasheed, the inaugural Maldivian badminton player to compete at the Olympics, was the nation's flag bearer at the opening ceremony with Azneem Ahmed carrying the Maldivian flag in the closing ceremony. All the athletes qualified for the games through wild cards from International Association of Athletic Federations FINA and Badminton World Federation. The Maldives however, has yet to win its first ever Olympic medal. ## Background The Maldives is an archipelagic country located in Southern Asia, situated in the Indian Ocean. Formerly a protectorate of the United Kingdom, it gained independence in 1965. The Maldives Olympic Committee was formed in 1985, and was recognized by the International Olympic Committee the same year. The Maldives have participated in every Summer Olympics since its debut in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. The highest number of Maldivians participating at any single Summer Games was seven at the 1988 Games and the 1992 Games in Barcelona, Spain. No Maldivian has ever won a medal at the Olympics. The 2012 Summer Olympics were held from 27 July to 12 August 2012. For the 2012 Summer Olympics, the Maldives sent a delegation of five athletes. The Maldivian team at the 2012 Games featured two track and field athletes, a badminton player and two swimmers. The track and field delegation included sprinters Azneem Ahmed and Afa Ismail participating in the men's and women's 100 meters respectively. Mohamed Ajfan Rasheed, participating in the men's singles was the first badminton player that the Maldives had sent to the Olympics. Two swimmers, Ahmed Husam and Aminath Shajan participated in the men's 100 metre freestyle and women's 50 metre freestyle respectively. Ajfaan was chosen to be the flagbearers for the Maldives during the parade of nations of the opening ceremony with Azneem being the flagbearer for the closing ceremony. ## Athletics Azneem Ahmed was the sole male athletic competitor and the oldest athlete to compete for the Maldives at the London Games at the age of 23. He had not taken part in any previous Olympic Games. Azneem qualified for the Games via a wildcard because his fastest time of 10.6 seconds was 0.36 seconds slower than the "B" qualifying standard for the men's 100 metres. He competed in the men's 100 metres race on 4 August in the third heat of the preliminaries. Azneem achieved a Maldivian national record finishing third out of eight athletes with a time of 10.79 seconds and advanced to the quarter-finals. Azneem was placed in heat six along with seven other athletes. He posted a time of 10.84 seconds, finishing eighth. He finished 52nd out of 54 athletes overall and did not qualify for the later rounds. Competing at her first Summer Olympics, Afa Ismail qualified for the London Games as a wildcard, as her best time for the 100 metres event, 12.98 seconds, set in the 2011 Asian Athletics Championships in Kobe, was 1.6 seconds slower than the "B" qualifying standard. She competed in the preliminary round on 3 August and was drawn in the first heat. Afa finished fifth with a time of 12.52 seconds, attaining a personal best but failing to qualify for round 1. Overall she finished 61st out of 78 competitors, and did not advance into the first round because her fastest time was 0.28 seconds slower than the slowest athlete who progressed. - Track events ## Badminton For the first time since its debut in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, the Maldives entered a badminton player into the Olympic tournament. Taking part in his first Olympic Games, Mohamed Ajfan Rasheed carried the Maldivian flag at the opening ceremony. He accepted the invitation from the Tripartite Commission and the Badminton World Federation to compete in the men's singles. The Tripartite Commission is made in collaboration of the individual countries' committees, the International Olympic Committee, as well as the Badminton World Federation. Ajfan was drawn in Group K of the men's singles tournament. On 28 July, he played against world fifteenth-ranked Marc Zwiebler of Germany in the group stage, whom he lost against in the first round 9–21 and was defeated by his opponent 6–21 in the second round. Ajfan's next game was against Ukraine's Dmytro Zavadsky two days later whom he lost against in two sets, scoring eight points while his opponent reached 21 points in the first set. He was also defeated in his second set match with a 13-point deficit to Zavadsky and, therefore, he was eliminated from the competition. ## Swimming Competing in the men's 100 metre freestyle at the age of 16, Ahmed Husam was the youngest male athlete to compete on behalf of the Maldives at the London Games. He qualified for the games by using a universality place from the sport's governing body FINA because his fastest time of 59.98 seconds was 3.44 seconds slower than the "B" (FINA/Olympic Invitation Times) qualifying standard for his event. Husam was drawn in the first heat on 31 July, finishing second out of four swimmers, with a time of 57.53 seconds. Overall he finished 53rd out of 56 swimmers, and was unable to advance to the semi-finals after being 8.54 seconds slower than the slowest competitor who progressed to the later stages. Maldivian swimmer Aminath Shajan made her Olympic debut at the London Games in the women's 50 metre freestyle. Like Husam she qualified for the Games after FINA awarded her a universality place because her fastest time of 33.43 seconds was not within the "A" or "B" qualifying standard times for the women's 50 metre freestyle. Shajan took part in the event's third heat on 3 August, finishing seventh out of eight swimmers, with a time of 32.23 seconds. She finished 64th out of 73 swimmers, and did not qualify for the semi-finals because her time was 7.1 seconds slower than the slowest competitor who progressed to the later stages. ## See also - List of Maldivian records in athletics - Maldives at the Olympics

Gates of Heaven Synagogue

Historic synagogue in Madison, Wisconsin

The Gates of Heaven Synagogue, also known as the Old Synagogue, is a historic synagogue in Madison, Wisconsin, United States, designed by German immigrant architect August Kutzbock and constructed in 1863 for the Gates of Heaven congregation. The congregation that commissioned the synagogue was a group of 17 German-speaking Jewish families that met within the building until financial difficulties obliged them to rent it to numerous tenants from 1879, until finally selling the building in 1916. The synagogue was then sold to a succession of owners, and was at various times a dentist's office, a funeral home, and the office of US Congressman Robert Kastenmeier. In 1970, the synagogue was set to be demolished, but was spared for concerned members of the community to raise money to move the synagogue to a new site. The synagogue was moved to James Madison Park in July 1971 after a fundraising effort supported by the citizens of Madison, the Taychopera Foundation historical preservation fund, and the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Gates of Heaven Synagogue is one of the oldest synagogues in the United States. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 29, 1970. It now serves as an event venue, although it continues to host Jewish ceremonies and High Holy Days services. ## History The first Jewish residents of Madison were German-speaking immigrants from Bohemia who began arriving in the area in the 1850s. In March 1856, the seventeen Jewish families then present in Madison established a synagogue, becoming the second Jewish community in Wisconsin. The congregation was originally named Ahavath Achim (translated from Hebrew as "Brother Love") and later changed to Shaare Shomaim (translated from Hebrew as "Gates of Heaven"). The synagogue adhered to the Reform movement. In 1859, the congregation bought a plot of land in the newly established Forest Hill Cemetery for use as a Jewish burial ground. Until 1861, the synagogue met in the home of Samuel Klauber, its treasurer and the first Jewish resident of Madison. A commission for the construction of a religious edifice to house the congregation was organized in 1862. The architect the commission selected to design the synagogue building was August Kutzbock, a German immigrant who designed several buildings in Madison through the 1850s, including the original city hall and the home of Governor Leonard Farwell. In October 1862, the congregation purchased a lot at 214 West Washington Avenue, next to a congregational church. The foundation of the Gates of Heaven Synagogue was finished by April 10, 1863, and was fully finished and consecrated on September 5 by a rabbi from Milwaukee. Attendees at the consecration included the Governor of Wisconsin, Mayor of Madison, members of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and Kutzbock. Construction of the synagogue cost $3000 . Following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in 1865, the Wisconsin Legislature met for a memorial service at the Gates of Heaven synagogue. The Gates of Heaven congregation never exceeded twenty families, nor was it served by an ordained rabbi. The brother of one of its members, Joseph M. Thuringer, came from Germany to serve as the congregation's rabbi at its invitation. The fortunes of the congregation declined through the 1870s and they began leaving Madison throughout the decade. By 1878, the congregation had shrunk to six members. In 1879, the congregation rented the building to the First Unitarian Society of Madison until it moved out in 1885, then to the Women's Christian Temperance Union in 1890, the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in 1898, and then the English Lutheran Church in 1908. The Jewish congregation sold the synagogue in 1916, providing $1,500 to the city for the perpetual care of the Jewish graves in Forest Hill Cemetery. The remaining money from the synagogue's sale was distributed to various charitable causes, including the Madison General Hospital, relief for Jews in Europe, the Chinese Famine Fund, and the Palestine Foundation Fund. The congregation's Torah scroll was donated to the Orthodox synagogue in Madison, Agudas Achim. The congregation held its last meeting in 1922, after meeting in members' homes for decades. Throughout its existence from 1856 to 1922, the Gates of Heaven congregation kept detailed records of its meetings, which are now held by the American Jewish Historical Society in New York City. The synagogue was purchased in 1916 by Arthur and George Gil, who used the building for their funeral home until they sold the building in 1930. Subsequently it was a hotel, a warehouse for government documents during World War II, a church, a dentist's office, a veterinary clinic, and finally the office of United States House of Representatives member Robert Kastenmeier. ### Threat of demolition and preservation By 1970, the Gates of Heaven synagogue—by then known as the Old Synagogue—was owned by the Fiore Coal and Oil Company. On July 20, 1970, a permit for the synagogue's demolition was obtained to make way for development. Manfred Swarsensky, rabbi of the nearby Temple Beth El and historian of the Jews in Madison, despaired of the possibility of preserving the synagogue. Norton Stoler, a local who had unsuccessfully attempted to raise funds to move and preserve a historic farmhouse, approached Fiore the following day about the possibility of moving the synagogue. On July 23, Fiore granted a six-month grace period for the possibility of fundraising and the moving of the synagogue to a new site, which was estimated to cost between $20,000 and $100,000 . To raise money for the synagogue's preservation, Norton and Lois Stoler established the Gates of Heaven Synagogue Preservation Fund in September and led its fundraising efforts. Supported by Fiore via the donation of Kastenmeier's rent and the Taychopera Foundation, a local historical preservationist organization, and the city government, the Fund raised $15,715 in cash donations and at least $13,500 in services and materials, which was bolstered by a $29,500 matched grant from the Department of Housing And Urban Development in May 1971. Other donors included the Madison Fire Department and Oscar Mayer. On December 17, 1970, Donald N. Anderson of the Wisconsin Historical Society nominated the Gates of Heaven Synagague for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) as the Old Synagogue. The nomination was received on December 22 and was approved, and thus the synagogue included on the Register, on December 29. At the time, the city's Department of Housing and Development was headed by Sol Levin, who took an interest in the project and was granted the opportunity to supervise the project from then on. On January 6, 1971, the Madison City Park Commission approved a request to relocate the Gates of Heaven Synagogue to a site in James Madison Park. Fiore set May 1 as the deadline for removing the Gates of Heaven synagogue, and sold the plot under the synagogue to the David Murdock Development Company, which was to construct a ten-story office building for the Madison Bank and Trust Company. In response to public pressure, Murdock extended the grace period to July 10. Despite broad local support for the preservation efforts, the project faced some opposition. A city council meeting in June was adjourned early, preventing the alders from voting on a contract to move the synagogue. One alderman who voted for the adjournment and opposed the moving project described the synagogue as a "junk pile" and "a waste of taxpayers' money". Ultimately, the City Council approved the move, overruling an objection by a landlord near James Madison Park who complained that the synagogue would be an "eyesore". Although the synagogue was mounted on 96 wheels by July 13, the move was delayed by a member of the Park Commission on July 8, and again on July 10 because of concerns about the synagogue's structural stability. On July 16, 1971, the synagogue was finally rolled through downtown Madison with the aid of two World War II tank retrievers, a hoist truck, the Belding Moving Company of Chicago, and city workers. The moving process lasted over 9 hours; it began at 10am and concluded at 7:20pm. ### Restoration work After the 1971 move to James Madison Park, local firm Historic Mineral Point Inc. took over responsibility for restoration of Gates of Heaven. The firm reconstructed the choir loft, which had been removed years earlier. B'nai Jeshurun Synagogue in Milwaukee donated a hand-carved Torah ark from 1858, which was then refinished and reconfigured to fit into Gates of Heaven. Polychrome wall painting and floral designs on the ceiling were discovered, but the budget was not sufficient to restore them. The facade was weather-proofed and repaired, preserving the original sandstone. The restoration of the lower level was funded by the local American Bicentennial Committee, and the Gates of Heaven Preservation Committee worked on the upper level. After the building was moved, its lower floor was named the Klauber Hall. The first wedding in the synagogue in over 100 years took place on August 5, 1972, while restoration work was still ongoing. On August 11, 1996, locals held a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the synagogue's move and subsequent restoration work; over $150,000 had been spent on restoring the building at that point. Another restoration project was undertaken in 2021, in which windows were replaced, the floor was refinished, and the masonry was repaired and cleaned. ### Modern use Gates of Heaven is owned and maintained by the Madison Parks Department, and has become a popular space for weddings and other events. It has also hosted High Holy Day celebrations and other Jewish ceremonies. Diplomat Hannah Rosenthal has led the High Holy Day services since the early 1980s, accompanied by musician Ben Sidran. The synagogue has been the site of neo-pagan winter solstice celebrations, and serves as a polling location. On September 20, 2017, the day before Rosh Hashanah, swastikas and the words "TRUMP RULES" and "Antifa sucks" were found spray painted on a stone memorializing the Abraham Lincoln brigade near the synagogue. On November 18, 2023, members of the neo-Nazi group Blood Tribe marched through the downtown, stopping at the State Capitol and Gates of Heaven. They shouted racial slurs and threats at bystanders. ## Site and architecture The Gates of Heaven Synagogue is located in the James Madison Park in Madison, Wisconsin, at 302 E. Gorham St. The Society of Architectural Historians describes the synagogue as belonging to the Romanesque Revival style of architecture. In its nomination form for the NRHP, it was described as "reflecting a degree of Victorian eclecticism, with Gothic influences and facade ornamentation reminiscent of old Spanish mission architecture of the southwestern US." Ada Louise Huxtable, an architecture critic writing in The New York Times, identified the synagogue with the Rundbogenstil style, a German variant of Romanesque Revival architecture. In a 1986 study of historic Jewish structures in the United States, historian Mark W. Gordon identified the Gates of Heaven Synagogue as being among the oldest surviving synagogues in the nation. The building measures 28 by 51 feet (8.5 m × 15.5 m) and is constructed from sandstone and brick. The primary facade and basement walls comprise the sandstone portions of the building while the other walls are made of brick. The primary facade is castellated and features an end gable raised above the roof and a circular window. A vestibule attached at its center forms the synagogue's entryway and repeats the general shape of the greater facade with the addition of a flat cap at the top of the gable and pilasters at the corners. Pilasters divide the sides of the synagogue into three bays, which each house a window. A frieze of Greek crosses runs along the top of the side walls, which are topped by a series of chimneys—four on the right side of the building and three on the left. It is not known for certain what the interior looked originally like, but investigation in January 1971 revealed that the ceiling was painted blue with silver stars. The Torah ark, dating to 1858, is made of black walnut. ## See also - National Register of Historic Places listings in Madison, Wisconsin

Booby Island (Saint Kitts and Nevis)

Saint Kitts and Nevis island

Booby Island is an uninhabited islet in Saint Kitts and Nevis. It is found in The Narrows, the channel between the islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, about midway between the two. Booby Island is cone-shaped, consisting of a steep hill and a rocky shoreline. The island is designated as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International to protect its bird population. The Booby Island Sailing Regatta has been held annually in the waters around the island since 2008. ## Geography Booby Island lies in The Narrows, the channel between the islands of Nevis and St. Kitts, where it is an approximate midpoint between the two islands. It is one of two islands in The Narrows, alongside Cow Island, which measures about 1.8 metres (6 ft) high and 2 metres (6.6 ft) across. Booby Island is a cone-shaped islet, measuring approximately 1 hectare (2.5 acres) in area. The island predominantly consists of a steep hill with rocky outcroppings, while its shoreline is made up of large rocks. The length across the island and the height of its peak are both approximately 38 metres (125 ft). The interior of the island contains dense populations of brushy plants; no mammals were found on the island in a 2004 survey. A sample of basaltic andesite from Booby Island's southeast coast was predominantly composed of silicon dioxide by weight (56.41%). ## Bird population Booby Island is a major seabird nesting site in St. Kitts and Nevis. BirdLife International designated Booby Island as an Important Bird Area, which includes the entire island and seas up to one kilometre away. Eight species of seabird are found on Booby Island, where nesting season begins in April or May and ends between August and October. Booby Island is not subject to any special environmental protections. A 1997 survey of the island's seabird population found that it hosted 400 to 600 nesting pairs, and in 2008, it was estimated that there were approximately 425. The most common in the 1997 survey were sooty terns, followed by bridled terns, laughing gulls, roseate terns, and brown noddies. Red-billed tropicbirds can also be found on Booby Island. All of these species are rare to St. Kitts and Nevis and are not found in any part of the country besides Booby Island. The island also has a population of brown pelicans, which are colloquially referred to as "boobies" despite not being members of the Sula genus. The seabird population is fragile, as eggs are easily accessible and chasing birds from their nests causes the eggs to quickly overheat. Fifteen pairs of roseate terns were identified in 1997, but only two were found the following year. ## Human interaction Booby Island is uninhabited. It is controlled by the government of Saint Kitts and Nevis and is not privately owned. The island's geography makes human access challenging, as boats cannot dock and visitors must swim over the rocky shoreline. Fishermen sometimes collect the eggs of laughing gulls and other species of bird, which may have a negative effect on the bird population. Over time, the fishing community of Newcastle has shifted its fishing grounds from the coasts of Nevis and St. Kitts to the coast of Booby Island, to save on fuel use and to avoid overfished areas. Since 2008, the Booby Island Sailing Regatta has been held annually to promote tourism outside of the usual tourist season. It historically lasted one day, but it deviated from this in 2015 with a three-day event. The main event is the Booby Island Cup, in which sailors race around Booby Island in an informal, open-entry boat race. Three boats participated in the first Booby Island Sailing Regatta, with that number growing to 16 by 2014. An American student was bitten by a tiger shark while swimming off the island's coast in 2021, resulting in amputation above the knee.

June 2009 Washington Metro train collision

2009 public transit accident in the Washington, D.C. neighborhood of Northeast

During the afternoon rush hour of June 22, 2009, a subway train wreck occurred between two southbound Red Line Washington Metro trains in Northeast, Washington, D.C., United States. A moving train collided with a train stopped ahead of it; the train operator along with eight passengers died, and 80 people were injured, making it the deadliest crash in the history of the Washington Metro. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation found that after a June 17 replacement of a track circuit component at what became the crash site, the track circuit had been suffering from parasitic oscillations that left it unable to reliably report when that stretch of track was occupied by a train. The struck train came to a stop because of traffic ahead. Because the entire train was within the faulty circuit, it became invisible to the Automatic Train Control (ATC) system. The train behind it was therefore commanded to proceed at 55 mph (89 km/h). The operator of the striking train applied the emergency brake after the stopped train came into full view, but there was not enough time to prevent the collision, which occurred at approximately 49 mph (79 km/h). ## Collision At approximately 4:57 pm EDT (20:57 UTC) on Monday, June 22, 2009, Washington Metro Train 112, bound from Glenmont to Shady Grove, left the Takoma station. Minutes later at 5:02 pm, Train 112 rear-ended Train 214, which was stopped between the Takoma and Fort Totten stations while waiting for another train to leave the Fort Totten station. Nine people died, including the operator in the lead car of the moving train, Jeanice McMillan, 42, of Springfield, Virginia; at least 80 people were injured. The death toll makes the crash the deadliest in Metro history. The NTSB found that Train 214 had come to a stop entirely within the faulty circuit B2-304, making it effectively invisible to the automatic train control (ATC) system. Other trains had received speed commands of 0 when traveling through this circuit, but had enough forward momentum to make it to the next circuit and resume detection and receipt of speed commands from the ATC system. Train 214 was going slower than normal because it was being driven in manual mode by its operator, and it came to a stop while remaining on circuit B2-304 and was therefore invisible. Train 112 behind it was given full speed (55 mph [89 km/h]) commands by the ATC to proceed on the track. The investigation found that the emergency brakes had been applied by the operator of train 112 when train 214 came into view but it was too late to avert the collision, which occurred with a speed of about 49 mph (79 km/h). A series of near-collisions in 2005 in similar circumstances in the tunnel between Foggy Bottom and Rosslyn stations led to a new test procedure that would have identified the faulty circuit after installation. By 2009, however, Metro engineers were unaware of this incident or the tests developed to detect the failure condition. ### Rolling stock involved Train 112 (the moving train) was made up of cars 1079, 1078, 1071, 1070, 1130 and 1131—all from the 1000-series. Train 214 (the stationary train) was made up of cars 3036, 3037, 3257, 3256, 5067 and 5066, from the Breda 3000-series and the CAF 5000-series. The cars are equipped with on-board systems called Automatic Train Operation and Automatic Train Control, which allow autonomous operation with little human intervention. After the collision, WMATA announced a policy of no longer placing the 1000-series at the end of trainsets to prevent telescoping in a collision, as they were the weakest cars structurally. All 1000-series cars were then put in the middle of trainsets and served for another eight years until their retirement in June 2017. Cars 5066 and 5067 were not repaired and were instead used as parts sources to keep the 5000-series cars running until they were retired in 2018. The remains of car 1079 were brought to the Brentwood Shops where it was evaluated and was eventually scrapped there. Car 1078 was also not repaired and then was used as a parts source for to keep the other 1000-series cars running until they were retired in 2016. ## Response At 5:20 pm, rescuers first entered car 1079, the lead car of train 112. This car had telescoped over the rear car of the stationary train, trapping many passengers who required rescue by emergency workers using ladders for access. Survivors described the crash as "like... hit[ting] a concrete wall," with air clouded by smoke and debris, and panic among passengers when car doors did not immediately open. Dennis Oglesby, a United States Army soldier, and Martin Griffith, an Army contractor and former Army soldier, who were in the lead train and were uninjured in the collision, helped passengers evacuate from their train, most of whom appeared to have minor injuries. Oglesby and Griffith then noticed that six to eight people from the other train had been ejected by the force of the collision and were more seriously injured. One person from the overtaking train had been thrown onto the roof of the stationary train and had suffered a severe head wound. Oglesby and Martin gave first aid to the more seriously injured victims until help arrived, and informed responding emergency personnel that the rails were still powered and needed to be shut down. Immediately following the collision, firefighters and paramedics from District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services were dispatched to the Takoma Metro station, and arrived at the location of the collision soon after. D.C. Fire Chief Dennis Rubin stated that the initial 9-1-1 emergency calls made the incident seem small, but after firefighters arrived on scene, they dispatched mass casualty incident teams. Within two hours, more than 200 firefighters were on-scene in response to the three-alarm incident. Rescuers worked through the night of June 22, using cranes and heavy rescue equipment to free trapped passengers and search for bodies. Fire Chief Dennis Rubin initially confirmed four fatalities (including the train operator) and 74 injuries, 14 of which were considered moderate and 6 critical. Five of the dead were discovered in the wreckage and removed from the site of the collision on the morning of June 23, as cranes dismantling the wrecked trains revealed the bodies. Nine fatalities were eventually confirmed. Jeanice McMillan, the train operator, died while attempting to stop the train and was later commended for her efforts. Major General (ret.) David F. Wherley Jr. of the District of Columbia Air National Guard – known for deploying fighter jets to defend Washington, D.C. during the September 11 attacks – died in the collision along with his wife, Ann; the other passengers who died in the crash were Lavonda King, Veronica DuBose, Cameron Williams, Dennis Hawkins, Mary Doolittle, and Ana Fernandez. According to Daniel Kaniewski, a former George W. Bush administration Homeland Security official now with the Homeland Security Policy Institute at George Washington University, the overall emergency response was "calm and ordered," indicating that U.S. emergency response "during extraordinary incidents [has] significantly improved" since the September 11 attacks. ### Service disruption Immediately following the incident, Red Line services were suspended between the Fort Totten and Takoma stations, and New Hampshire Avenue was closed. Service between the Silver Spring and Rhode Island Ave–Brentwood stations was suspended pending the completion of the initial investigation and the clearing of debris. This section was expected to remain shut down at least through June 23. Service was temporarily increased on the 79 and S9 in response to the crash. Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty said that transportation "all along the East Coast will be significantly impacted," as Amtrak and MARC Trains run on tracks adjacent to the crash site. Bus services were deployed to route Metrorail passengers around the closed track, but area commuting was severely affected. The federal government urged its employees in the Washington Metropolitan Area to remote work on June 23 if possible. The Red Line was projected to be very crowded after resumption of service and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) advised people to take alternate bus routes. The replacement bus shuttle between the affected stations was expected to be subjected to long delays. Services were restored in both directions on Saturday, June 27, but with a reduced maximum speed of 35 mph (56 km/h) on the entire Red Line, and slower speeds in the area of the collision. ## Aftermath ### Initial inquiry Shortly after the incident, WMATA General Manager John Catoe stated that the cause was not known but that "the system is safe." The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) began an investigation. WMATA and NTSB investigators considered several possible causes, which might include operator error, brake failure, fault in the computerized signal and operation system, or a combination of the three. During rush hour operation, train movement is typically controlled by a centralized computer system, and a separate decentralized system can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. These systems had failed at least once in the past, and the NTSB subsequently identified incompatible specifications, from the maximum deceleration capability of the trains to the deceleration rates used in the wayside system design. The train has a manual emergency brake, which can be applied by the driver in the event of an imminent collision, if the driver can see and identify the hazard with sufficient time to stop. Officials indicated that the manual brake was indeed engaged. It is possible that the brake system failed to perform as designed, or that the operator applied the brake too late. The lead car of the moving train was two months overdue for scheduled brake maintenance. In a press conference the evening of June 22, Catoe stated that the last car on the stopped train was a CAF 5000-Series car (car 5066), which entered service in 2001, and that the lead car on the moving train was a Rohr Industries 1000-Series car. WMATA later confirmed that all of the cars on the moving train were 1000-Series. The 1000-Series entered service in 1976 when the Metro system opened, and were refurbished and had their motors converted from DC to AC propulsion by Breda Costruzioni Ferroviarie in the mid-1990s. In 2006, the NTSB cited the 1000-Series cars as "vulnerable to catastrophic telescoping damage and complete loss of occupant survival space in a longitudinal end-structure collision". It recommended refurbishment of the entire series after a 2004 collision at the Woodley Park station in which a 1000-Series Rohr car telescoped into another train. In this case, NTSB's Hersman confirmed that, "the first car [of the striking train] overrode the rear car [of the struck train], and much of the survivable space on that first car of the striking train was compromised". The NTSB called for the accelerated retirement of the 1000-Series cars, or urged that they be "retrofitted with crashworthiness collision protection that is comparable to 6000-Series car railcars." Additionally, the 1000-Series cars lack data recorders that could be used in determining the cause of a crash. During the press conference, Catoe stated that he had "no basis to suspend the use of 1000-Series cars at this time", but WMATA later announced a decision to stop using the 1000-Series cars as the lead or trailing units of any trains. On June 24, WMATA issued a press release stating that the agency is "not likely to know the cause for several weeks or months as the investigation unfolds." Twenty-four hours after the incident, the NTSB confirmed that evidence indicated that the emergency brake had been engaged by the operator. Additionally, the striking train was in automatic mode and so the on-board software should have stopped the train. On June 25, NTSB tests of the 740-foot (230 m) long track circuit below the stopped train showed that it did not work correctly, failing to detect the presence of a test train that investigators had placed on it. Hersman said, "These circuits are vital. It's a signal system. It's providing information, authorization and speed commands to the following train," but stopped short of blaming them in this case. WMATA had replaced all 20,000 track circuit relays system-wide in 1999, after a component designed to last 70 years began failing after only 25 years in service, but the agency claims that none of the newer relays had failed prior to this event. WMATA ordered the inspection of all track circuits on its 106 miles (171 km) of track after the NTSB test. On July 23, the NTSB announced that the track circuit at the crash site had been malfunctioning since 2007, 18 months prior to the collision, and WMATA has since found six other circuits within the system that have been behaving unusually. WMATA disabled each circuit that could not be immediately fixed and created an online circuit tracking system, similar to its elevator outage tracker. ### NTSB report The NTSB report on the crash was released on July 27, 2010, and blamed a faulty track circuit, part of the automatic train control system, for causing the crash. WMATA made a press release detailing changes on July 26 in anticipation of the release of the report. ## Memorials A plaque is located in Fort Totten's mezzanine that commemorates the victims of the crash. On June 22, 2015, the sixth anniversary of the crash, the Legacy Memorial Park in honor of the victims was opened; ground was broken exactly one year previously by Mayor Vincent C. Gray. The park features a memorial wall and nine inscribed sculptures, one in honor of each person who died in the crash. The sculptures were created by sculptor Barbara Liotta, and the memorial was designed by the firm of Hunt Laudi; the design is titled A Sacred Grove. Representatives of victims' families and city government officials attended the dedication, but Metro officials did not. The park is located at the entrance to Blair Memorial Gardens, which is close to the site of the collision. The same week as the memorial dedication, the National Transportation Safety Board held hearings related to another fatal incident in the Metro system that happened earlier in 2015; the juxtaposition of the two events was noted by some commentators. On the third anniversary of the crash, NTSB chairwoman Deborah Hersman and Mayor Gray attended the unveiling of a plaque on the Charles A. Langley Bridge. The bridge crosses the rail tracks at the site of the crash, and a makeshift memorial had been maintained there by victims' families. Another memorial plaque was installed by Metro officials at Fort Totten station. ## See also - Incidents on the Washington Metro - November 29, 2009 Washington Metro train collision - Wrong-side failure

Robert J. Cenker

American astronaut and engineer (born 1948)

Robert Joseph "Bob" Cenker (born November 5, 1948) is an American aerospace and electrical engineer, aerospace systems consultant, and former astronaut. Cenker worked for 18 years at RCA Astro-Electronics, and its successor company GE Astro Space, on a variety of spacecraft projects. He spent most of his career working on commercial communications satellites, including the Satcom, Spacenet and GStar programs. In January 1986, Cenker was a crew member on the twenty-fourth mission of NASA's Space Shuttle program, the seventh flight of Space Shuttle Columbia, designated as mission STS-61-C. Cenker served as a Payload Specialist, representing RCA Astro-Electronics. This mission was the final flight before the Challenger disaster, which caused the Space Shuttle program to be suspended until 1988, and impacted NASA's Payload Specialist program for even longer. As a result, Cenker's mission was called "The End of Innocence" for the Shuttle program. Following the completion of his Shuttle mission, Cenker returned to work in the commercial aerospace field. Since his flight, he has made numerous public appearances representing NASA and the Shuttle program, in the United States, as well as internationally. ## Early life and education Cenker was born on November 5, 1948, and raised in Menallen Township, Pennsylvania. He started his education at St. Fidelis College Seminary in Herman, Pennsylvania, leaving in 1962. In 1970 Cenker enrolled at Penn State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering. He continued his studies at Penn State and earned a Master of Science degree in 1973, also in aerospace engineering. Cenker earned a second Master of Science degree in electrical engineering from Rutgers University in 1977. ## Pre-spaceflight career Cenker worked for 18 years at RCA Astro-Electronics and its successor company GE Astro Space. Cenker worked on hardware design and systems design concerning satellite attitude control. He also worked on in-orbit operations, as well as spacecraft assembly, test, and pre-launch operations. He spent two years on the Navy navigation satellite program, but spent most of his career working on commercial communications satellites. Cenker's positions included integration and test manager for the Satcom D and E spacecraft, where he was responsible for all launch site activities. He also served as spacecraft bus manager on the Spacenet/GStar programs. He was responsible for ensuring the spacecraft could interface with multiple rockets, including the Delta, Space Shuttle, and Ariane launch vehicles. ## Spaceflight experience As an incentive for a spacecraft owner to contract with NASA to use a Shuttle launch instead of an unmanned, commercial launch system, NASA permitted contracting companies to apply for a payload specialist seat on the same mission. When RCA contracted with NASA to launch Satcom Ku-1, RCA Astro-Electronics' manager of systems engineering for the Satcom-K program Bob Cenker, and his co-worker Gerard Magilton, were selected to train as payload specialists so that one of the pair could accompany Satcom Ku-1 into space. Cenker and Magilton trained with career astronauts as well as other payload and mission specialists, including those scheduled for the next scheduled flight, that of the Challenger mission, STS-51-L. This flight of Columbia was originally scheduled to occur in August 1985, but the timeline slipped. In July 1985 the payload was finalized to include the RCA satellite, and Cenker was assigned to the mission, now designated as STS-61-C. Magilton was assigned as the back-up. Prior to its successful launch, Columbia had several aborted launch attempts, including one on January 6 which was "one of the most hazardous in the Shuttle’s operational history" to that point. As documented in Crewmember Bill Nelson's book "Mission: An American Congressman's Voyage to Space", and as reported in Spaceflight Insider, "The launch attempt on Jan. 6, 1986 was halted at T-31 seconds. The weather was perfect for the scheduled launch at dawn, but a failure of a liquid oxygen drain valve prevented it to close properly. The valve was then closed manually, but not quickly enough to prevent a low temperature in one fuel line." However, Nelson says that what really happened was that "the valve did not close because it was not commanded to close", and that it was later determined that the Rogers Commission, investigating the series of mistakes that forced this second scrub, recognized that the problems were personnel-related, caused by fatigue from overwork: One potentially catastrophic human error occurred 4 minutes 55 seconds before the scheduled launch of mission 61-C on January 6, 1986. According to a Lockheed Space Operations Company incident report, 18,000 pounds of liquid oxygen were inadvertently drained from the Shuttle external fuel tank due to operator error. Fortunately, the liquid oxygen flow dropped the main engine inlet temperature below the acceptable limit causing a launch hold, but only 31 seconds before lift-off. As the report states, "Had the mission not been scrubbed, the ability of the orbiter to reach a defined orbit may have been significantly impacted. There was another near-catastrophic launch abort three days later. Referring to the January 9 abort, pilot Charlie Bolden later stated that it "...would have been catastrophic, because the engine would have exploded had we launched. In all, it took a record eight attempts to get Columbia off the ground. Columbia finally launched and achieved orbit on January 12, 1986, with a full crew of seven. Along with Cenker, the crew included Robert L. "Hoot" Gibson, future NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden, George D. Nelson, Steven A. Hawley, Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, and US Representative Bill Nelson. Cenker and his crewmates traveled over 2.5 million miles in 98 orbits aboard Columbia and logged over 146 hours in space. During the six-day mission, January 12–18, Cenker performed a variety of physiological tests, operated a primary experiment – an infrared imaging camera – and assisted with the deployment of RCA Americom's Satcom Ku-1 satellite, the primary mission objective. Satcom Ku-1 was deployed nearly 10 hours into the mission, and Satcom later reached its designated geostationary orbital position at 85 degrees West longitude where it remained operational until April 1997, the last major commercial satellite deployed by the Space Shuttle program. In a 2014 video of the "Tell Me a Story" series titled "Close My Eyes & Drift Away", posted to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex YouTube channel, Cenker tells a humorous story regarding a zero-g sleeping problem he faced on his mission. The next Shuttle launch, ten days after the return of Columbia, resulted in the destruction of the Challenger with the loss of all aboard, including Cenker's counterpart from Hughes Aircraft, civilian crew member and Payload Specialist Greg Jarvis. Accordingly, commander Gibson later called the STS-61-C mission "The End of Innocence" for the Shuttle program. Following the Challenger disaster, the Shuttle fleet was grounded until 1988. Even after Shuttle missions resumed, civilian payload specialists like Cenker were excluded until the payload specialist program was reinstated on December 2, 1990, when Samuel T. Durrance, an Applied Physics Laboratory astrophysicist and Ronald A. Parise, a Computer Sciences Corporation astronomer, flew aboard STS-35. By that time, RCA had been purchased by General Electric, and RCA Astro-Electronics became part of GE. Following two additional ownership transitions, the facility was closed in 1998. As a result, Cenker was the only RCA Astro-Electronics employee, and only employee in the history of the facility under all of its subsequent names, to ever fly in space. NASA's Payload Specialist program has been criticized for giving limited Shuttle flight positions to civilian aerospace engineers such as Cenker and Greg Jarvis (killed aboard Challenger), politicians such as Bill Nelson, and other civilians such as Teacher in Space Christa McAuliffe (also killed aboard Challenger). Even the flight of former Mercury astronaut and US Senator John Glenn was questioned. The concern was that these people had replaced career astronauts in very limited flight opportunities, and some may have flown without fully understanding the level of danger involved in a Shuttle mission. ## Post-spaceflight Following the completion of his Shuttle mission, Cenker returned to work in the civilian aerospace field. Cenker's last two years with RCA Astro-Electronics and its successor GE Astro Space were spent as Manager of Payload Accommodations on an EOS spacecraft program. After leaving GE, Cenker served as a consultant for various aerospace companies regarding micro-gravity research, and spacecraft design, assembly and flight operations. Cenker supported systems engineering and systems architecture studies for various spacecraft projects, including smallsats, military communications satellites, and large, assembled-in-orbit platforms. His contributions included launch vehicle evaluation and systems engineering support for Motorola on Iridium, and launch readiness for the Globalstar constellation. Other efforts include systems engineering and operations support for Intelsat on Intelsat K and Intelsat VIII, for AT\&T on Telstar 401 and 402, for Fairchild-Matra on SPAS III, for Martin Marietta on Astra 1B, BS-3N, ACTS, and for the Lockheed Martin Series 7000 communications satellites. In 2017, Cenker's STS-61C crewmate former US Senator Bill Nelson spoke at a session of the US House of Representatives. In an address, titled "Mission to Mars and Space Shuttle Flight 30th Anniversary", he read into the Congressional Record the details of the mission of STS-61C, as well as the names and function of each crew member including Cenker. In June 2017, Cenker traveled to Scotland where he and astronaut Doug Wheelock gave a series of talks to children in Fife schools as part of the Scottish Space School. Cenker continues to make periodic public appearances representing NASA and the astronaut program, including at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in March 2017, January 2023, and April 2024. ### Apollo 11 commemoration activities Leading up to the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, Cenker participated in several public events with other former NASA astronauts. During an interview to discuss his scheduled appearance at The New Jersey Governor's School of Engineering & Technology at Rutgers University in July 2019, Cenker talked about his education at Rutgers, his work at RCA, his shuttle mission, his connection to the Challenger crew, his thoughts on the importance of the Apollo 11 mission, and of space travel in general. He concluded: > I want students interested in a space career to find something that they love to study, and there may come a time when NASA needs that expertise. I love engineering and even if I didn’t make it into space, I would still be doing what I loved. You can’t push yourself to study something you don’t love and do it as well as someone who does. What I want students to ask themselves is “how can I do what I love and how can that benefit spaceflight?” The Cradle of Aviation in Garden City, New York invited Cenker to participate in its "Moon Fest" planned for July 20, 2019, exactly fifty years after the Apollo 11 landing. It was announced that Cenker would join two fellow shuttle astronauts from New York, Bill Shepherd and Charlie Camarda, at the celebration. ## Personal life and beliefs Bob Cenker is married to Barbara Ann Cenker; they have two sons and a daughter. In a July 2019 interview discussing the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, Cenker commented that he believes that humans have an innate desire to explore, saying "It’s not learned... It’s in your genes". Discussing his religious beliefs, Cenker said "I'm a good, practicing Catholic. One of the guys I flew with was an agnostic. I think going into space reinforces what you believe when you went... [The agnostic astronaut] couldn’t grasp how one being could create all this. I came back thinking ‘God, you have to be there’". ## Professional societies - Associate Fellow in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) - Life Member of the Penn State Alumni Association - Life Member of the Association of Space Explorers - Registered Professional Engineer in the state of New Jersey - Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) - Sigma Gamma Tau - Tau Beta Pi ## See also - 1986 in spaceflight - List of human spaceflights - List of Space Shuttle missions - List of Space Shuttle crews - List of Shuttle payload specialists ## Photo gallery

Dutch brick

Yellow brick

Dutch brick (Dutch: IJsselsteen) is a small type of red brick made in the Netherlands, or similar brick, and an architectural style of building with brick developed by the Dutch. The brick, made from clay dug from river banks or dredged from river beds of the river IJssel and fired over a long period of time, was known for its durability and appearance. Traditional Dutch brick architecture is characterized by rounded or stepped gables. The bricks were imported as ballast into Great Britain and the colonies in the east of America. Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, founded in 1591, was originally built of red Dutch brick. Dutch brickmakers emigrated to New Netherland in America, where they built kilns for firing bricks locally. Bricks were being burned in New Amsterdam (New York) by 1628, but the imported bricks were of better quality. At first the bricks were used only for chimneys, but they were later used to face the lower story of the house, and then the entire house. Most of the surviving "Dutch Colonial" houses in New York do not in fact follow Dutch architectural practices, but there are several examples in Albany County which do. Bricks were also exported by the Dutch for major buildings in their colonies in the east and around the world. The Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town, South Africa, was built in 1666, and its entrance was made of the small yellow bricks called ijselstene (IJssel stones). Christ Church in Malacca, Malaysia, the oldest Dutch church building outside the Netherlands, was made of Dutch bricks that had been brought as ballast in ships from the Netherlands, coated with Chinese plaster. ## Background and manufacture The word "brick" may be of Dutch origin. A 1901 dictionary of architecture defines "brick" as "a regularly shaped piece of clay hardened in the sun or by the heat of a kiln and intended for building; commonly one of very many pieces of uniform size". The "Dutch Brick" is described as "a hard, light-coloured brick originally made in Holland [sic] and used in England for pavements; hence a similar brick made in England". Until well into the twentieth century the manufacture of brick in the Netherlands (and elsewhere) used manual labour mostly, and the low-paid workers involved in the industry were as marginal socially as the manufacturing industry geographically—the raw materials were gathered on river banks, and the firing of the bricks took place well away from towns and farms to lessen any nuisance caused by fire and smoke. Workers, as was noted in municipal reports, often already belonged to the lower levels of society and were frequently simply let go at the end of the season, adding to the municipal burdens: "As the number of brick kilns increases, so does poverty", according to the 1873 report of the Ubbergen municipality, near Nijmegen, on the Waal river. The clay for the bricks was dug from river banks (of the Waal, Rhine, and IJssel rivers) and other open-air locations, and was left outside (in a mound called the kleibult) through the winter so that any organic material could decay; the weather (rain, frost, drought) helped make the clay more manageable. At the end of this period the clay was mixed with sand and other materials, a process done by foot, by workers stomping on the clay. It was then molded into the proper shape by an artisan, the tichelaar ("brickmaker"). Children handed the brickmaker the raw material and removed the shaped bricks. Child labour was common in the industry: until well into the nineteenth century children eight years old and younger worked 16 hours per day, and children four years old stacked and carried bricks for hours at a stretch. Molds were moistened with water and strewn with sand to enable the shaped brick to be more easily removed. The "raw" or "green" stones were laid out in long rows to dry and when they were dry enough they were stood up on their side so the bottom could dry; this work was often done by women and children. Often it was the women who did the much heavier labour of moving the dried bricks to the ovens, hauling wheelbarrows with loads of up to 80 kilogrammes, and stacking and preparing the ovens and tending to the fire (which burned peat or coal). Ovens came in two types—a single-use construction of the kind used in the production of charcoal, and a more permanent type, basically consisting of two walls one metre and a half thick. Ovens could hold up to a million bricks. Masonry bricks were fired between 900 °C (1,650 °F) and 1,125 °C (2,057 °F), klinkers between 1,150 °C (2,100 °F) and 1,250 °C (2,280 °F). Typically, bricks were baked at low heat for two weeks to remove all remaining moisture from the clay, and then for four weeks at a higher temperature, followed by two weeks of cooling down. Since the klinker was partially vitrified by being fired at a higher temperature it was harder than the standard. Klinkers were imported into England for use as paving. Small, yellow Dutch bricks used to be imported into the United States, and as of 1840 there were still old buildings in New York faced in these bricks. They were considered superior in appearance and in durability. An 1888 report noted that "in New York and other Atlantic cities we find houses built of brick brought from Holland [sic] fully two hundred years ago, without a flaw or sign of decay, and apparently as firm and sound as when first laid in the wall". ## Europe Houses found today in Zeeland are closer in appearance to the fine Dutch brick houses of New York than are houses from other parts of the Netherlands. Brick farm houses built separately from barns are found in Zeeland, but none have survived in other locations. Unlike the common practice in New York, the farm houses in Zeeland do not have separate outside doors for each room. The Dutch also used bricks to pave the roads, or chaussees, in the Netherlands. By the 1640s the Dutch were considered to be the leaders in Europe both in making bricks and in bricklaying. The Summer Garden in Saint Petersburg, Russia, exhibits the work of Dutch brickmakers and bricklayers. Saint Michael's Castle, built in Saint Petersburg between 1797 and 1801 for the Emperor Paul I, is "an enormous quadrangular pile, of red Dutch brisk, rising from a massy basement of hewn granite". Sans Souci, the palace built for Frederick the Great in Potsdam, was built with a facade of rich red Dutch brick. In recent years the Dutch brick industry has attracted unwelcome attention from the European Union (EU) competition authorities. In the early 1990s the industry had excess capacity due to technological advances, competition from other materials and an economic slowdown. Producers with combined market share of 90% agreed to reduce capacity, shutting down the older and inefficient plants. The producers compensated those who closed plants. However, the agreement also included fixing production quotas and fining members who produced more than their quota. The members of what was in effect a cartel were forced to drop the quota agreement by the EU. ### Great Britain and Ireland Imported Dutch brick was often used in buildings in England in the 17th and 18th centuries. In Dartmouth, a house built in 1664 for mariner Robert Plumleigh had traditional timber-framed architecture but included elaborate star-shaped chimney stacks made from imported Dutch brick. Houses in Topsham, Devon, also used Dutch brick for chimneys, window heads and dressing. One house from the late 17th century in Dutch Court in Topsham is built entirely of Dutch brick. The ports of Exeter and Topsham both shipped wool to the Netherlands, and the returning ships brought bricks as ballast from Amsterdam or Rotterdam. Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, founded in 1591, was originally built of red Dutch brick. Jigginstown House in Naas, County Kildare, Ireland, was built by John Allen for Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford (1593–1641) using Dutch brick "of the most superior manufacture". The Red House in Youghal, Ireland, was built of red Dutch brick in 1710 by the Dutch architect Leuventhal for the Uniacke family. ## United States In general, bricks were not imported to the American colonies. Probably none were imported to Virginia and Maryland, but in New England there was one possible example in New Haven, and there are records documenting the shipment of 10,000 bricks to Massachusetts Bay in 1628 and several thousand bricks being shipped to New Sweden. It is possible that the terms "Dutch brick" and "English brick" referred to the size of the locally-made bricks, with the Dutch bricks being the smaller. However, in New Netherland there are records of brick being imported from the Netherlands as ballast in 1633, and of continued shipments until the American Revolution (1765–1783). Bricks were being fired in New Amsterdam (New York) by 1628, but the imported bricks were of better quality. At first, the bricks were used only for chimneys, but they were later used to face the lower story of the house, and then the entire house. Dutch brickmakers emigrated to New Netherland, where they built kilns for firing bricks locally. In New Amsterdam, brick was used for the director general's house, the counting house, the city tavern and other important buildings. Houses were gable-ended, often with stepped designs, and the bricks ranged in colour from yellow or red to blue or black. An account of New York published in 1685 said, "The town is broad, built with Dutch brick, consisting of above five hundred houses, the meanest not valued under an hundred pounds". A New Englander who visited New York in 1704, forty years after the Dutch had yielded the town to the British, admired the appearance of the glazed brickwork of the houses of "diverse coullers and laid in Checkers". In 1845 there was still a one-story Dutch brick house built in 1696 in Flatbush, Brooklyn. The date and the owner's initials were formed by blue and red glazed bricks. A view of part of Albany, New York, as it was in 1814 shows a mixture of Dutch, English and Federal styles, although Dutch brick was reportedly used for one of the English-style houses. One house in the Dutch style was said to date from the American Revolution. If so, it would have been one of the last genuine Dutch-style houses to be built in the United States, reflecting the conservative Dutch culture of Albany at that time. Most of the surviving "Dutch Colonial" houses in New York do not in fact follow Dutch architectural practices, but there are seven in Albany County that do. The houses have a wood frame with brick walls as a decorative shell. They each have two parapet gables edged with "mouse toothing" ornamental brickwork. All the Dutch brick buildings used iron wall anchors spread across several bricks to tie the brick shell to the wooden frame of the house. Sometimes the anchor gives the date of construction. The brickwork of the houses incorporated various designs including spear shapes and a form like a fleur-de-lis. ## Other Dutch colonies Dutch bricks and brickwork were also imported and utilized in other colonies throughout the Dutch Empire in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. Fort Zeelandia was built on a small island off Tainan in Formosa (Taiwan) between 1624 and 1634 after the Dutch acquired Formosa from China as a trading colony. It was built using bricks from Batavia (Jakarta), where the Dutch East India Company had its headquarters. After a siege in 1662, the Dutch surrendered the fort to Koxinga, a Ming dynasty general. The fort was destroyed by an explosion in 1873 when a shell from a British warship blew up the ammunition storehouse. The masonry was later used for other purposes. All that remains is part of the southern wall. The Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town, South Africa, was built in 1666. The gateway was built in 1682, with a pediment and two pilasters of grey-blue stone, and an entrance made of the small yellow bricks called ijseltene (IJssel stones). Christ Church, Malacca, Malaysia, is the oldest Dutch church building outside the Netherlands. It was built by the local Dutch burghers after the town had been taken from the Portuguese, and was completed in 1753. The church covers 25 by 12 metres (82 by 41 ft), with a ceiling 12 metres (40 ft) high. The foundations were local laterite blocks. The walls, which are massive, were made of Dutch bricks that had been brought as ballast in ships from the Netherlands, and they were coated with Chinese plaster. On the island of Sint Eustatius in the Netherlands Antilles, the houses were built from local volcanic stone, from imported wood, or from red or yellow Dutch brick imported from the Netherlands. The traditional masonry houses were both large and solid. The country house of Johannes de Graaff, who commanded Sint Eustatius from 1776 to 1781, features a 10.2-by-3.0-metre (33.6 by 9.7 ft) duck pond made of brick. ## Gallery ## See also - Brick Gothic

2024 European Athletics Championships – Women's 400 metres hurdles

None

The women's 400 metres hurdles at the 2024 European Athletics Championships took place in three rounds at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy, from 9 to 11 June 2024. This was the sixteenth time that the women's 400 metres hurdles was contested at the European Athletics Championships. A total of 37 athletes qualified for the event by entry standard, ranking, or wild card. The startlists contained 35 athletes from 21 nations. The three heats of the first round were held on 9 June, where the thirteen fastest athletes qualified for the semifinals in addition to the eleven athletes with the highest ranking who had a bye in the first round and automatically qualified for the semifinals. The three heats of the semifinals were held on 10 June, where the two fastest athletes of each heat and the two fastest of the rest qualified for the final. Fatoumata Binta Diallo set a Portuguese record of 54.65 seconds in the semifinals. The final was held on 11 June. Femke Bol from the Netherlands finished in first place in 52.49 seconds, breaking her previous championship record and successfully defending her European title from 2022. Louise Maraval from France finished second in 54.23 seconds, followed by Cathelijn Peeters from the Netherlands in third place in 54.37 seconds. ## Background At the European Athletics Championships, the women's 400 metres hurdles was introduced at the 1978 edition in Prague, Czechoslovakia and had been contested fifteen times before 2024: every four years until 2010 and every two years after, with the exception of the 2020 edition that was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. At the previous edition in 2022, Femke Bol won in a championship record of 52.67 seconds. At the start of the 2024 edition, Bol also held the European record of 51.45 seconds and had a European leading time of 53.07 seconds. The world record and the world leading time were set by Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone from the United States. ## Qualification For the women's 400 metres hurdles event, the qualification period was from 27 May 2023 to 26 May 2024. Athletes could qualify by running the entry standard of 55.70 seconds or faster, by ranking in the top 100 of the World Athletics Ranking for this event, or by receiving a wild card. The only wild card was given to Femke Bol, but she would also have qualified with her European record of 51.45 seconds from 23 July 2023 or with her No. 1 event ranking. A total of 37 athletes qualified: 21 by entry standard, 15 by ranking, and 1 by wild card. A maximum of three athletes per nation could compete, or four when a wild card was given, which led to one athlete from Italy being cut. The remaining places were filled with the next best ranking athletes. A final entry list containing 38 athletes from 22 nations was published on 3 June 2024. The eventual startlists contained 35 athletes from 21 nations. ## Results ### Round 1 On 9 June 2024, the first round was held in three heats, starting at 12:40 (UTC+2) in the afternoon. There were 24 athletes on the startlist, of whom 22 finished their races. The thirteen fastest athletes advanced to the semifinals (); the eleven highest-ranked athletes received a bye in the first round and automatically qualified for the semifinals (). Five athletes set personal bests (), and another two athletes equalled their personal best times (=). ### Semifinals On 10 June 2024, 24 athletes competed in the semifinals, divided over three heats, starting at 13:15 (UTC+2) in the afternoon. The first two athletes in each heat () and the two fastest athletes of the rest () advanced to the final. In the first heat, Fatoumata Binta Diallo set a Portuguese record () of 54.65 seconds; and another eight athletes set personal bests () in various heats of the semifinals. - \*Athletes who received a bye into the semifinal ### Final On 11 June 2024, the final race with eight athletes was held at 21:18 (UTC+2) in the evening. Femke Bol of the Netherlands was leading the race from the second hurdle, gradually increasing her lead over the next eight hurdles and finishing first in 52.49 seconds. With this time, she set a world leading mark () and broke her own championship record () of 52.67 seconds by 0.18 seconds. In addition to a gold medal, Bol also received a golden crown for the highest scoring performance in the category of women's sprints and hurdles at this tournament. Louise Maraval of France finished in second place 1.74 seconds after Bol, setting a new personal best () of 54.23 seconds, and another 0.14 seconds later, Cathelijn Peeters of the Netherlands finished third in 54.37 seconds. The medal ceremony was later that evening.

Illinois Route 120

State highway in northeastern Illinois, US

Illinois Route 120 (IL 120) is a major east–west state highway in northeastern Illinois. It runs from U.S. Route 14 near Woodstock to Illinois Route 131 in Waukegan. It travels a distance of 34.62 miles (55.72 km) and is one of the few roads that provides direct access from McHenry County to Interstate 94 (Tri-State Tollway) in Lake County. Throughout its length, it shifts between two and four lanes as it passes through a setting that consists of open rural areas, as well as larger developments and heavy congestion. Although small capacity expansions have been made over time, a lengthy two lane section of road in the Grayslake vicinity has yet to see any major expansion. This key segment has been the subject of much debate regarding the greater traffic flow across north-central Lake County. In October 2009, a special council approved a unified vision for a plan for most of the Lake County portion of Illinois 120, which includes a long discussed bypass around downtown Grayslake. ## Route description ### McHenry County Beginning at its western terminus at a rural unsignalized intersection with U.S. Route 14 (Northwest Highway), IL 120 starts out as a two lane road just west of the city of Woodstock. This section is known as Washington Street as it heads in a southeast direction and enters the outer residential neighborhoods of Woodstock. In this area, the road curves due east, crosses the Metra Union Pacific/Northwest Line tracks near the station, then briefly heads north before turning once more to the northwest. Immediately after doing so, it passes a signalized intersection with IL 47 (Seminary Avenue/Eastwood Drive) before traveling north of the McHenry County Fairgrounds and then heading out of the Woodstock area and back into a prairie setting. The road then curves back to the north and then takes a right turn at an unsignalized intersection where it continues generally east for the remainder of its length. Before reaching the McHenry area a little more than four miles east, the road passes through two signalized intersections, some light forests, and some sparse residential developments. Now entering the busier city of McHenry, it takes on the name Elm Street and widens to four lanes west of Ringwood Road. Light commercial buildings with neighborhoods behind them line the roadway until the crossing of the McHenry Branch of the Union Pacific/Northwest Line near the McHenry Metra station. At the next intersection, IL 120 meets with IL 31 (Front Street/Richmond Road) where they briefly run concurrently for less than a half mile. It next travels over the Fox River, passes by another section of commercial business, and then returns to a quieter setting that features a mix of open areas, neighborhoods, small business, and Lily Lake. ### Lake County Continuing its somewhat rural journey to the east, Illinois 120 becomes known as Belvidere Road as it enters Lake County and the town of Lakemoor which is soon followed by the busy intersection of U.S. Route 12/Illinois Route 59 (Rand Road). The road then heads into the town of Volo which features land developed with businesses and homes on the south and undeveloped land on the north. This is also where it passes the intersection of the western terminus of IL 60 and then narrows down to two lanes. The road then runs past the Baxter Healthcare facility and proceeds into the Round Lake area where it goes by the Nippersink Forest Preserve on the north and then between two residential developments. For just a slight instance, it travels through Round Lake Park before entering the town of Hainesville where it passes the Metra Milwaukee District/North Line tracks, the eastern terminus of IL 134, and a few businesses before going into the more populated city of Grayslake. Neighborhoods and occasional small businesses lie north and south of the road until it crosses Canadian National Railway (CN) tracks (used by the Metra North Central Service) immediately before an intersection with IL 83 (Barron Boulevard). After passing a shopping plaza on the south, the next stretch of roadway contains a mix of other businesses and residential developments, as well as a branch of the Lake Forest Hospital, while also widening to four lanes on its approach to a major junction with U.S. Route 45. Past the intersection, the road passes a commercial plaza and again narrows back to two lanes before going by more neighborhoods on the north, and some open areas that contain the Almond Marsh Forest Preserve on the south. At this point it widens to become a four-lane divided highway west of Almond Road and it enters the southern part of Gurnee where travels near the Merit Club golf course which lies to the south of a "T" intersection with Hunt Club Road. The eastbound approach to this intersection features the only dual-left turn lanes on the entire length of Illinois 120. The remaining section of highway, although only briefly limited-access, does have limited signalized intersections which keeps traffic flowing at a more constant rate. It first passes under a grade separation at Illinois Route 21 (Milwaukee Avenue) and goes over the Des Plaines River before forming an interchange with Interstate 94 (Tri-State Tollway). Only southbound access is permitted to I-94; northbound access is available via IL 21. It next enters part of the Waukegan area and shortly encounters an at-grade intersection with O'Plaine Road and then continues with more grade separation at the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) tracks and Greenleaf Avenue. Interchanges with IL 43 (Waukegan Road) and U.S. Route 41 (Skokie Highway) closely follow one another with a brief transition into Park City located between these two junctions. It can be confusing in this area as there is no direct access to northbound US-41 or southbound IL-43, which terminates immediately north at US-41. Illinois 120 loses its divided highway status after traveling over the Union Pacific (UP) tracks and passing by its last stretch of businesses as it reenters Waukegan. It soon reaches the commercially developed, signalized intersection of Illinois Route 131 (Green Bay Road) where it terminates as a state route; Belvidere Road continues east as a local road. ## History State Bond Issue (SBI) Route 120 originally ran from Havana to Mason City in west-central Illinois. In 1939 this became IL 119, and in 1951, U.S. Route 136. In the meantime, in 1941 Illinois 120 replaced Illinois Route 20 to avoid confusion with nearby U.S. Route 20. In 1972, the designation was removed east of IL 131. During the early 1990s, plans came about to widen 5.7 miles of roadway in McHenry and Lake counties. The project extended from River Road in McHenry to east of Illinois 60. These plans also included the construction of a short southern bypass around the town of Volo. By 1994, the work had concluded which resulted in four concrete travel lanes. In 2000, a $4.6 million construction project was completed at the intersection of US-45. The changes that took place to Illinois 120 were: expanding to two lanes in each direction and adding a right turn lane to the eastbound approach. The most recent major construction that has taken place was between August 2007 and July 2008 at the interchange with I-94. The work consisted of demolishing the two bridge structures that travel over the tollway and replacing them with new ones. ## Future In recent years there has been much discussion on how to improve the east–west traffic flow throughout north-central Lake County. IL 120 enters Lake County from the west as a four-lane highway and then becomes a two-lane highway less than three miles east, just past IL 60 and later becomes a four lane divided highway west of Hunt Club Road. Since there is heavy traffic from nearby Interstate 94 to the east as well as traffic traveling to and from McHenry County in the west, some believe this gap should become four lanes. As part of this expansion plan, a 7-mile southern bypass in Grayslake would be constructed. This has since become known as the "120 bypass". This project is closely related to another long delayed Lake county transportation project; the IL 53 extension. The currently stalled project has been planned to extend the limited-access expressway, which carries IL 53 and terminates at Lake-Cook Road, north to connect to the 120 bypass, and then branch off toward U.S. Route 12 to the west and Interstate 94 to the east. If the project were ever built, the east–west 120 bypass would likely be built as a limited-access expressway to connect with the proposed north–south Illinois 53 extension which is also limited-access. The entire scope of this project; starting on Illinois 120 at Interstate 94, continuing west on the 120 bypass, and connecting with the Illinois 53 extension would provide a direct route for commuters in northern Lake County to gain access to the western and southwestern Chicago suburbs. Since there have been many delays over the decades on how to proceed with this extension, the 120 bypass project moved forward on its own as an independent project. In 2006, a feasibility study got underway by a special corridor planning council which was composed of groups from nearby communities and local government officials and took public input. Initially, the main focus for the public was to provide feedback for the road character or type of road. The alternatives considered were: a four lane roundabout boulevard, four lane signalized boulevard, six lane signalized arterial, and six lane expressway. In December 2008, it was revealed that the four lane boulevard option was selected in an 11–2 vote over an expressway, however it still remained open whether or not roundabouts would be used in place of traffic signals at intersections. The cost of the project was estimated at $521 million. In May 2009, the preferred roadway alignment was selected. On October 14, 2009, the Route 120 Corridor Planning Council Governance Board came to a consensus and approved a vision for the project which recommends that the bypass be built as a four lane arterial highway with limited-access. The next step is for the Illinois Department of Transportation to begin a Phase I Preliminary Engineering Study. In 2012, the Blue Ribbon Advisory Council revived the 120 expressway alternative as a tollway, rather than a roundabout or signalized boulevard, and proposed the Route 53/120 expressway plan to IDOT as a four-lane, completely below grade tollway with a speed limit of 45 mph. The proposed roadway would include such features as a multi-use path, bioswale grassy median, landscaped raised berms, in-pavement lighting, all electronic tolling, and innovative interchange designs. In 2016, Lake County Board Chairman Aaron Lawlor withdrew his support for the project, issuing a statement indicating his belief that "financial and political realities have become insurmountable" and would prevent the extension from happening in the environmental way envisioned in the 2012 report. Despite the withdrawn support, the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority made no changes to the plan to conduct an environmental impact study, with Chairman Bob Schillerstrom stating "many of the questions that Chairman Lawlor raised would be answered" by such a study. On May 25, 2017, the Illinois Tollway board unanimously approved a $25 million expenditure for an environmental impact study of the proposed northward extension of Illinois Route 53 into Lake County. Opponents continued to criticize the project as expensive and harmful to the environment, while supporters believe it will provide congestion relief and a boon to the economies of Lake and McHenry counties. The U.S. Public Interest Research Group, a consumer advocacy organization, included the Route 53 extension in a list of "nine wasteful highway boondoggles," pegging the cost at $2.3 billion and saying it "would jeopardize the environment and lacks a viable funding plan." ## Major intersections |}

Kapsan faction incident

1967 failed resistance in North Korea

The Kapsan faction incident () was an unsuccessful attempt to undermine the power of Kim Il Sung, the leader of North Korea, around the year 1967. The "Kapsan faction" was a group of veterans of the anti-Japanese struggle of the 1930s and 1940s that was initially close to Kim Il Sung. In the wake of the 2nd Conference of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) in 1966, the faction sought to introduce economic reforms, challenge Kim Il-sung's cult of personality, and appoint its ringleader Pak Kum-chol as his successor. Kim Il Sung cracked down on the faction in a series of speeches made at party meetings. He called for a "monolithic ideological system" that centered on his personality and rallied party members against the Kapsan faction. By April 1967, the factionalists had disappeared from the public. They were expelled from the party and sent to the countryside or prison. Pak Kum-chol either committed suicide or was executed and other key members of the faction died as well. Kim Il Sung had his brother and heir apparent at that time, Kim Yong-ju, pen the Ten Principles for the Establishment of a Monolithic Ideological System. This new set of policies made Kim Il Sung's rule unchallengeable and expanded his cult of personality to cover other members of the Kim family. His son, Kim Jong Il, took part in the purges and took over the party's Propaganda and Agitation Department (PAD) in what was the first political task delegated to him by his father, paving the way to his increasingly influential role in the politics of the country, eventually culminating in his succeeding his father upon his death in 1994. ## Background The Kapsan faction incident takes its name from the region of Kapsan in the old South Hamgyong Province (present day Ryanggang Province), home to an underground liberation organization during the anti-Japanese struggle called the Kapsan Operation Committee (). Members of this group provided logistical support for Kim Il Sung's fight against the Japanese. Following the liberation of Korea, they were counted among the ranks of Kim's Guerrilla faction of the Workers' Party of North Korea. The origins of the group are so tied up with Kim Il Sung's activities that sometimes the entire guerrilla faction is called the Kapsan faction. Gradually, the faction became seen as distinct from the rest of the guerrilla faction due to political differences. Kim had ousted other factions of the party in a series of purges in the 1950s, most notably the August faction incident in 1956, but the Kapsan faction remained. In the aftermath of the 2nd Conference of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) in 1966, the Kapsan faction started setting forth its grievances. The faction put forward economic policies that disagreed with Kim Il Sung's economic model. They were particularly opposed to Kim's Byungjin (dual-track) line of simultaneously developing the economy and the army, favoring the national economy over the needs of the military. In particular, they favored light over heavy industry in order to funnel funds away from the military and improve people's standard of living. They wanted the ruling WPK to relegate its role in economic planning to experts in economics, science, and engineering. They also favored an economic theory of value and advocated the adoption of a semi-currency to give material incentives to workers. The main issue, however, was the question of who could succeed Kim Il Sung as the leader of North Korea. Kim had promoted his younger brother Kim Yong-ju as a likely successor, but the man lacked credentials. In particular, he had not taken part in the fight against the Japanese like the guerrilla and Kapsan faction members had. He was criticized for this by the leader of the Kapsan faction, Pak Kum-chol, who had risen in rank to become the vice premier of the state and the fourth-highest-ranking member of the party. Pak was annoyed by the ballooning cult of personality of Kim Il-sung and how it neglected the experiences of people like him who had sacrificed a lot to the country during the liberation. Pak gathered many influential supporters, including Yi Hyo-sun [ko], Kim To-man, Pak Yong-guk [zh], Ho Sok-son [zh], Ko Hyok, Ha Ang-chon, and Rim Chun-chu. The Kapsan faction sought to name Pak the successor of Kim Il Sung. As an initial move, they helped Kim Il Sung purge Kim Chang-nam, a prominent political theorist, but only to make room for Pak. The faction members started exalting Pak's words as "teachings" equal to those of Kim Il Sung. Memoirs of members of the original Kapsan faction had been published since the early 1960s, starting with Pak Tal [ko] in 1963 and followed by Yi Je-sun, brother of Yi Hyo-sun, in 1964. An album from 1964 had Pak Tal and Pak Kum-chol's photos printed next to that of Kim Il Sung. When Pak Kum-chol's wife Choe Chae-ryon died, Kim To-man, who was the Director of the Propaganda and Agitation Department (PAD) of the party, produced a work called An Act of Sincerity – described variously as either a film or a stage play – that portrayed her devotion to her husband. Kim Il Sung disapproved of it and implied that it exhibited misplaced loyalty. Kim To-man also had Pak's birthplace rebuilt. An unauthorized biography on Pak was apparently made while dissemination of propaganda materials on Kim Il Sung was neglected. These actions were perceived as ultimate acts of disloyalty toward Kim Il Sung. Pak was soon condemned by Choe Yong-gon, chairman of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA), of proliferating "feudal, Confucian ideas". Pak was accused of not supporting the party's military line; he openly ridiculed Kim Il Sung's slogan "one against a hundred" by concluding that a literal interpretation of it could not be true. Production plans that were his responsibility, it was said, were not met. Pak was accused of promoting the old Kapsan Operation Committee members into important posts. The faction, it was claimed, was familialist and regionalist. Pak's ally Yi Hyo-sun, director of the General Bureau of South Korean Affairs, was blamed for failures of covert operations in South Korea. Furthermore, his subordinate Rim Chun-chu was said to have neglected South Korean operations in order to concentrate on publishing a novel. The factionalists were also said to be "revisionists" and having forced people to read "feudalist" literature from the time of the Joseon dynasty. These actions, without the approval of Kim Il Sung, were seen as serious acts of undermining his cult of personality and authority. The faction was also seen as pro-Chinese, contrary to the pro-Moscow line of Kim. ## Incident Kim Il Sung perceived the Kapsan faction's ideas and actions as existential threats to his rule and the state. In March 1967, Kim warned the Kapsan faction members in a speech entitled "On Improving Party Work and Implementing the Decisions of the Party Conference" () and accused them of practicing "individual heroism". Kim's solution to the problem was a "monolithic ideological system" that rallied the party around him. Kim warned other party officials not to side with the factionalists. The faction members ignored his warnings and held their course. Kim acquired permission from his loyal party members in a secret meeting to remove the Kapsan faction. A wide purge of both real and presumed members ensued. At the fifteenth plenum of the fourth Central Committee of the WPK, on 4–8 April, Kim had more than 100 faction members formally expelled from the party. Pak Kum-chol was sent to work in a factory in the countryside. He was either executed or committed suicide in May 1967. Others were charged with crimes and disappeared from public or were sent to prison camps. Yi Hyo-sun, Kim To-man, Pak Yong-guk, and Ho Sok-son were sentenced to death. On 25 May, Kim held a speech to party ideological apparatchiks entitled "On the Immediate Tasks in the Direction of the Party's Propaganda Work" (). The speech, possibly the most important one he ever gave, became known as the "May 25 Teaching" and would become a political tool for Kim's supporters to expose factional elements in the party. So profound was its impact that Song Hye-rang, Kim Jong Il's sister-in-law, characterized 25 May as "the day everything changed" in North Korea. Researcher Fyodor Tertitskiy compares it to the importance of 18 December 1865 to American history, 24 March 1933 to German history, or 20 February 1956 to Soviet history. Despite the importance of the speech, it has never been made public, access being limited to WPK members. A laconic mention of the speech is given in the 1968 Korean Central Yearbook [ko]: "1967, May 25–Respected Comrade Kim Il-sung gave a speech to a group of the Party ideological workers named 'On the Immediate Tasks in the Directions of the Party's Propaganda Work.'" Thereafter, for decades – until the Kim Jong-il era – the speech was neither mentioned by name or quoted. It is sometimes confused with another speech that has the same date and is widely available called "On the Problem of Transition from Capitalism to Socialism and of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat". As for the unavailable May 25 Teaching speech, its contents can be accurately inferred from the following extract of a 2008 official biography of Kim, according to Tertitskiy: > In the speech given on May 25th of the 56th year of Juche era (1967), the Great Leader said that the ideological poison of the bourgeois and revisionist elements are bourgeois ideology, revisionist ideology, ideology of flunkeyism, and the feudal Confucian ideas of Confucius and Mencius and showed that these ideas are the root of their core ideology. This ideological venom was left unattended for several years and thus the struggle to cleanse it off will also take a long time and must be conducted steadily and vigorously. The Leader taught that in this struggle we should be cautious about administrative methods and thoroughly accomplish the merging of the ideological education and of the ideological struggle. > > The Great Leader divided the followers of the bourgeois and revisionist elements into several categories and set up the guideline that that since we had failed to properly establish monolithic ideological system of the Party and the revolutionary worldview, those who had thought that everything had commanded by the leadership was right and had been blindly following [the factionalists] must be thoroughly educated and those who were wavering ideologically and had been dancing to their fiddle should be reformed through ideological struggle. > > The Great Leader instructed all the cadres and the Party members to learn well about the nature and the harmful consequences of the bourgeois and revisionist elements' criminal activity and their cunning tricks, and to fully understand the necessity, nature, assignments and methods of implementation of the monolithic ideological system of the Party. Tertitskiy dates the selection of Kim Jong Il as the successor on the date of the speech. Indeed, Kim Jong Il took part in investigating the faction. The task was delegated to him by Kim Il Sung. Kim Jong Il was only 26 at the time and it was the first official duty given to him by his father. When Kim Jong Il gave a speech at the plenum, it was his first as a figure of authority. He possibly gave another one on 25 May – entitled "Let Us Firmly Establish the Monolithic Ideological System of the Party among the Officials Dealing with Foreign Affairs" () – that closely echoed his father's 25 May Teaching. Kim Jong Il's name was mentioned in public documents, possibly for the first time, indicating that he was already on his way to being the heir-apparent to Kim Il Sung. Six months after the purge, at an unscheduled meeting of the party, Kim Il Sung called for loyalty in the film industry that had betrayed him with An Act of Sincerity. Kim Jong Il himself announced that he was up to the task and thus begun his influential career in film-making. Kim left the party's Organization and Guidance Department to take over PAD which had been tarnished in the incident. He gave his support for establishing a monolithic ideology centered around his father alone. Kim called a month-long conference of filmmakers to re-orient the country's film industry by cleansing it from the "poison" of the Kapsan faction. By 1969, the purges were over. ## Aftermath and legacy The Kapsan faction incident was, in the words of scholar Lim Jae-cheon, "a watershed in North Korean politics". It marked the last credible challenge to Kim Il Sung's position. Once the faction had been removed, Kim's grip on power hardened and his cult of personality intensified. What followed was an upsurge in propaganda similar to that in China during the Cultural Revolution. Kim Il-sung badges were introduced and it became mandatory to quote Kim in public meetings. All hitherto published books were inspected for correctness and many volumes were burnt. Soon after the incident, Kim Yong-ju, Kim Il Sung's brother, codified his rule in the influential Ten Principles for the Establishment of a Monolithic Ideological System. Kim Il Sung announced the principles to the public in a speech held at the SPA on 16 December 1967 entitled "Let Us Embody the Revolutionary Spirit of Independence, Self-Sustenance, and Self-Defense More Thoroughly in all Branches of State Activity" (). After the incident, the Korean word for leader, suryong, which had been used for the leader of any group, or for Lenin or Stalin, came to exclusively mean Kim Il Sung. Kim's 25 May speech had the effect of establishing his own theoretical position distinct from that of China or the Soviet Union, granting him political independence from the two socialist great powers. His political ideology of Juche began to gradually gain momentum. His Byungjin economic line took hold, although in reality it meant privileging the army over the economy. Following personnel replacements, North Korea's policy towards South Korea became more hard-line, too. With the downfall of the Kapsan faction, Kim Il Sung became the singular focus of North Korean historiography. His role during the liberation was exaggerated to mythical proportions. Experiences of other guerrilla fighters, on the other hand, were no longer publicly remembered. For instance, Kim Jong Il had the conspirators' war memoirs removed from a popular collection called Reminiscences of the Anti-Japanese Guerillas. Kim Jong Il himself was thrust into the center of political life alongside his father. The cult of personality began to focus on other members of the Kim family as well. The first figure the cult was extended to was his mother, Kang Pan-sok. In July 1967, a song entitled "Mother of Korea" praising her was published. In July and September Rodong Sinmun published articles praising Kang. September also saw a campaign to emulate Kang in the Korean Democratic Women's Union. By 1968, the North Korean cult of personality was complete. As another family matter, Kim Il Sung was reluctant to allow his daughter Kim Kyong-hui to marry Jang Song-thaek, the son of a family with revolutionary traditions, whose credentials were now no longer seen as an advantage. The two married in 1972, but Jang's past could not be discussed publicly. It was through Jang that the legacy of the Kapsan faction incident carried over to the Kim Jong Un era. In 2013, he had Jang purged and executed. Kim, like his grandfather Kim Il Sung, called his military-economic policy Byungjin, and the Ten Principles for the Establishment of a Monolithic Ideological System were updated to refer to Kim Jong Un. Stephan Haggard concludes that while "Kim Jong Un's byungjin line is not exactly Kim Il Sung's and Jang Song Thaek is not the Kapsan faction ... the underlying dynamics do look somewhat similar: challenges to the leaderist system are met not only with purges but with important ideological justifications for unity and obedience." ## See also - 1967 in North Korea - Cultural Revolution - History of the Workers' Party of Korea - Kim Il Sung bibliography - Workers' Party of North Korea\#Factionalism - On Eliminating Dogmatism and Formalism and Establishing Juche in Ideological Work

D21 road (Croatia)

Road in Croatia

D21 was an 80.1-kilometre-long (49.8 mi), north–south state road in Istria County, Croatia. A short section of D21 was part of the European route E751. The northern terminus of the route was located at the Croatia–Slovenia border at the Dragonja River. There it connected to Koper, Slovenia, and Trieste, Italy, via the Slovene route G11 further north. The route was generally parallel to A9 motorway, with which it formed several junctions, either directly or via short connectors, at Buje, Bale and Vodnjan – towns served directly by D21. The southern terminus of the route was found in the city of Pula, at the southern tip of the Istrian Peninsula. The road, as well as all other state roads in Croatia, was managed and maintained by Hrvatske ceste, a state-owned company. The road carried an annual average daily traffic of about 2,000 vehicles, and the traffic volume increased by up to 1,000 vehicles in summer as the road was used by tourists in the region. The southernmost portion of the road was significantly more congested as it carries Pula suburban traffic. In classical antiquity, the western Istria route was first used by Via Flavia in the classical antiquity, but the roads in the area declined in the Middle Ages and subsequent division of the Istrian Peninsula by the Republic of Venice and the Habsburg Empire was not conductive to development of a road system. In the 19th century, the First French Empire started road construction, including the Trieste–Pula route now largely followed by D21. The route was a part of M2 Adriatic Highway route after the Second World War. It was made a separate state road and assigned the D21 route number in 1997. In 2013, the road was abolished because of the creation of parallel D75 road, located west of the A9 motorway. ## Route description D21 was an 80.1-kilometre (49.8 mi) state road situated in Istria County following a general north–south alignment. Most of the route ran through predominantly agricultural land and small settlements, except the route segment between Bale and Baderna, where the road was predominantly surrounded by forests. The southernmost 2.2 kilometres (1.4 miles) of the route ran through suburbs of Pula – the largest city in the region. D21 extended south from the Kaštel border crossing between Croatia and Slovenia situated at the Dragonja River. To the north of the D21 terminus, the route – a part of the European route E751 – connected the cities of Koper, Slovenia, and Trieste, Italy, via G11 in Slovenia. The first section of the D21 route followed an overall eastern orientation. About 400 metres (1,300 feet) away from the borderline, it reaches the Kaštel border crossing, and after 800 metres (2,600 feet), there is an at-grade intersection where the traffic defaults to D510, which serves as a connector to the A9 motorway. D21 itself turns southwest towards the village of Kaštel, approximately two kilometres (1.2 mi) away. Just to the north of Kaštel, D21 turned south before proceeding to the town of Buje located about 3.5 kilometres (2.2 miles) down the road from Kaštel. In Buje, D21 forms at-grade intersections with D200 and D300. D200 provides a route to the Plovanija border crossing with Slovenia and D300 to the town of Umag and Umag interchange of A9 motorway. There are also at-grade intersections with the Ž5007 and Ž5008 county roads in the town. South of Buje, the route turns southeast across hilly terrain until it reaches Ponte Portone in the Mirna River valley approximately 11 kilometres (6.8 miles) away from Buje. There D21 formed a roundabout junction at the north bank of the river. The roundabout connected D21 to D44, which links the town of Buzet to the east, and to D301 which links the town of Novigrad and another A9 interchange to the west. After the route crossed the Mirna River, it continued about six kilometres (3.7 mi) southeast to Vižinada, where D21 forms an intersection with Ž5041 county road to Kaštelir and Poreč. After Vižinada, the route continued another five kilometres (3.1 mi) south, where it reached the Ž5042 intersection connecting Višnjan. Approximately nine kilometres (5.6 mi) south, at Baderna, D21 connects with D302 extending to Poreč and the A9 motorway, located west of the road junction, as well as D48 leading to Pazin east of D21. The intersection is built as a partial cloverleaf interchange. Approximately four kilometres (2.5 mi) south of Baderna, the route reached the village of Sveti Lovreč and continued south to the Medaki interchange of the A9 – another partial cloverleaf interchange – about three kilometres (1.9 mi) south of Sveti Lovreč. D21 turned southwest at the Lim embayment of the Adriatic Sea after another two kilometres (1.2 mi). At that point, D21 formed an at-grade intersection with Ž5002 road to Vrsar situated further west. Following the Ž5002 junction, D21 turns southeast to follow the contours of the Lim embayment valley. After approximately five kilometres (3.1 mi), the route reached a grade separated intersection, a two-ramp partial cloverleaf, with D303. D303, in turn, links to the Kanfanar interchange of the A9 motorway and the coastal city of Rovinj. South of the D303 intersection, D21 ran south along a generally flat terrain and consisted of relatively straight sections compared to the northern parts of the route. About six kilometres (3.7 mi) south of the D303 junction, D21 formed an at-grade intersection with Ž5098 to Svetvinčenat. Three kilometres (1.9 mi) from there, D21 entered Bale and intersected the Ž5096 road connecting Rovinj to the northwest. South of Bale, D21 turns southeast and approaches Vodnjan. It reaches a short connector to the Vodnjan-sjever (north) interchange of the A9 motorway eight kilometres (5.0 mi) down the road. After another two kilometres (1.2 mi), D21 reached Vodnjan and the Ž5192 road junction connecting to Fažana. There are two further significant junctions of D21 in the next 1.5 kilometres (0.93 miles) – one with Ž5190 to Svetvinčenat and the other with the Vodnjan-jug (south) interchange of A9. South of Vodnjan, D21 route continued another 5.5 kilometres (3.4 miles) south to reach Ž5117 connecting the village of Galižana, and reached outskirts of Pula after another three kilometres (1.9 mi). Within Pula, D21 route formed an at-grade junction with the Ž5115 road to Fažana about 1.5 kilometres (0.93 miles) further along. The junction also serves the Brijuni National Park. The southern terminus of the route is found at a roundabout 500 metres (1,600 feet) further south, where D21 connected to D400. ## History In classical antiquity, the Via Flavia road built by the emperor Vespasian in 78 AD ran through the same area spanned by modern D21. The Via Flavia followed a north–south route in the western part of the Istrian Peninsula, connecting Tergeste, present-day Trieste, to Pula via Poreč. In Pula, the Roman road extended further to the northeast to Nesactium and Tarsatica – modern-day Trsat area of the city of Rijeka. Following the decline of the Roman Empire, roads in the region deteriorated. Only the Via Sclavonica is known to have existed in the region by year 1030. It was an east–west route spanning from Pazin to Poreč. Road transport in the region lost significance after the peninsula was divided between the Habsburg monarchy and the Republic of Venice. From 1809 to 1813, the Trieste–Pula route was rebuilt by the First French Empire, after the French captured the entire region from Venice and the Habsburgs. Upgrades to the regional road network continued after the Austrian Empire acquired Istria at the 1814–1815 Congress of Vienna. By 1830, the road network in Istria had expanded to a degree that would not change for a century and a half. The only significant improvement of region's roads was paving of the Trieste–Pula road in 1930s. During the Second World War all the roads in Istria sustained significant damage. After the war the road became a part of the Adriatic Highway – a trunk road tracing the Adriatic Sea coast within the SFR Yugoslavia, signposted as M2 route. The next major addition to the road network on the peninsula was completion of the first section of the Istrian Y expressway in 1981. The system was designed to replace M2 route as the main road route in Istria. The Yugoslav M2 designation was retained after the independence of Croatia, until 1997, when the part of the Adriatic Highway spanning the Slovene border and Pula was designated as state road D21. Since October 1991, Hrvatske ceste, a company owned by the Government of Croatia, has been tasked with maintenance of the road. In 2013, following a new classification, the coastal county roads were classified as D75 state road and thus, D21 lost on its importance and was declassified. The present-day route of the D21 consist of short, one kilometre (0.62 mi) section of D510, 45.8-kilometre (28.5 mi) section of Ž5209 county road, forming its northern half and 32.7-kilometre (20.3 mi) section of D75, forming its southern half. ## Traffic volume Volume of traffic flowing along D21 road was measured by Hrvatske ceste at six traffic counting stations distributed along the route. Three of the traffic counting stations work continuously, while the rest of them are operated intermittently. By 2002, the road lost a significant portion of its north–south traffic as A9 motorway was gradually extended since 1991, running parallel to the route. At the Kaštel traffic counting site, the average summer traffic volume declined from 12,564 vehicles per day recorded in 2002, to just 2,989 vehicles in 2011. ## Major intersections The entire route is in Istria County. |} Sources: Public roads classification and Regulation on motorway markings in Croatia

No. 4 Elementary Flying Training School RAAF

No. 4 Elementary Flying Training School (No. 4 EFTS) was a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) pilot training unit that operated during World War II. It was one of twelve elementary flying training schools employed by the RAAF to provide introductory flight instruction to new pilots as part of Australia's contribution to the Empire Air Training Scheme. No. 4 EFTS was established in January 1940 at Mascot, New South Wales, and initially operated in conjunction with civilian flying organisations based at Mascot and Newcastle. The school was disbanded in April 1942, and its operations transferred to No. 6 Elementary Flying School at Tamworth. ## History Flying instruction in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) underwent major changes following the outbreak of World War II, in response to a vast increase in the number of aircrew volunteers and the commencement of Australia's participation in the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS). The Air Force's pre-war pilot training facility, No. 1 Flying Training School at RAAF Station Point Cook, Victoria, was supplanted in 1940–41 by twelve elementary flying training schools (EFTS) and eight service flying training schools (SFTS). The EFTS provided a twelve-week introductory flying course to personnel who had graduated from one of the RAAF's initial training schools. Flying training was undertaken in two stages: the first involved four weeks of instruction (including ten hours of flying) to determine trainees' suitability to become pilots. Those that passed this grading process then received a further eight weeks of training (including sixty-five hours of flying) at the EFTS. Pilots who successfully completed this course were posted to an SFTS in either Australia or Canada for the next stage of their instruction as military aviators. No. 4 Elementary Flying Training School (No. 4 EFTS) was formed at Kingsford Smith Aerodrome, Mascot, New South Wales, on 2 January 1940, and came under the control of No. 2 Group. Its inaugural commanding officer was Squadron Leader A.W.L. Ellis. Mascot had been Sydney's civil airport since 1920, and was home to several private aviation organisations. It was the airfield's position as the hub of civilian flight instruction in New South Wales that led to it becoming the base for the fourth flying school the RAAF raised during World War II. The same principle was followed in basing No. 1 EFTS at Parafield, South Australia, No. 2 EFTS at Archerfield, Queensland, and No. 3 EFTS at Essendon, Victoria. The first training courses at No. 4 EFTS were not conducted under the auspices of EATS but by civil organisations under government contract. The instructors from these organisations were commissioned as officers in the RAAF. The flying school was divided into four flights: "A" (training conducted by the Royal Aero Club of New South Wales), "B" (conducted by Kingsford Smith Air Services Pty Ltd), "C" (conducted by Airflite Pty Ltd), and "D" (conducted at Newcastle by the Newcastle Aero Club). The training aircraft were de Havilland Tiger Moths and Gipsy Moths. All air cadets were subject to RAAF discipline, and the school's training program was directed by the commanding officer. The initial intake of twenty-four students arrived on 8 January 1940. Accommodation was severely limited at the new flying school: No. 4 EFTS headquarters was housed in the clubhouse of the Royal Aero Club, the base sick quarters utilised the Department of Civil Aviation's casualty room, and cadets had to pay for their own rooms at the nearby Brighton-Le-Sands Hotel. No. 4 EFTS's strength as at 1 February 1940 was four officers, twenty-one airmen, one civilian, and twenty-four cadets. The second intake of twenty-four cadets arrived four days later. The school's inaugural EATS course commenced on 29 April. The government's contracts with the civilian organisations for flying instruction at Mascot and Newcastle were terminated during August 1940, and their aircraft—fifteen Tiger Moths and eight Gipsy Moths—were impressed by the RAAF. Airflite was engaged to provide maintenance. On 18 November, an instructor was killed when he fell into a Randwick street from a Tiger Moth performing a slow roll after his safety harness broke; neither he nor his student, who though badly shaken was able to land the plane, were wearing parachutes. One Tiger Moth landed on top of another on 27 December; both planes were badly damaged but no-one was killed. No. 4 EFTS's strength as at 1 February 1941 was twenty officers, 101 airmen, and sixty-two aircrew trainees. Two Tiger Moths collided over the Lakes Golf Club on 6 April, killing the instructor and his pupil in one of the aircraft; the pilots of the other plane survived after crash-landing on the golf course. Owing to urgent requirements to house elements of the United States Army Forces in Australia (USAFIA), No. 4 EFTS was disbanded on 24 April 1942, and its operations transferred to No. 6 Elementary Flying School at Tamworth, New South Wales. No. 4 EFTS's graduates included Clive Caldwell, who became Australia's top-scoring fighter ace of World War II. ## Commanding officers No. 4 EFTS was commanded by the following officers:

South Tacoma station

Commuter train station in Tacoma, Washington

South Tacoma station is a commuter rail station in Tacoma, Washington, United States, served by the S Line of the Sounder commuter rail network. It is located near the Tacoma Mall along South Tacoma Way at South 56th Street and consists of a single platform and a 220-stall park-and-ride lot. Construction on the station began in early 2008 and the park-and-ride lot opened in February 2009, with service from a temporary express bus that operated until Sounder service began in October 2012. ## Description South Tacoma station is located southwest of South Tacoma Way at its intersection with South 56th Street in southern Tacoma. The station's platform runs along a 1,200-foot-long (370 m) section of Washington Street between 56th and 60th streets and includes five passenger shelters, bicycle racks, and four bicycle lockers. The southern portion of the platform is also a one-way drop-off zone for vehicles and buses and is adjacent to a 220-stall parking lot for commuters on the west side of the track, at South 60th Street and South Adams Street. South Tacoma station is located southwest of the Tacoma Mall and is in a major heavy industrial area, with some mixed commercial and residential land uses. The station has two sculptures by New York artist Ilan Averbuch, who was commissioned by Sound Transit through their public art program. At the north end of the platform is Landmark, a pair of upturned, 18-foot-tall (5.5 m) cor-ten steel and granite arches that were inspired by the shape of train wheels and the dome of Union Station in downtown Tacoma. The End of the Line runs along most of the platform as a granite ribbon that emerges from the pavement in the shape of a railroad spike near the south end. ## History A commuter rail station in southern Tacoma was proposed in 1994 by the regional transit authority (later Sound Transit) as part of a line between Lakewood and Seattle. It was included in the unsuccessful 1995 ballot measure to fund regional transit and returned in the Sound Move referendum that was passed by voters in November 1996. Sound Move allocated $7 million in funding for the South Tacoma station, tentatively located at South 56th Street. The scheduled opening of the Lakewood extension, including South Tacoma's station, was originally set for 2001, but was delayed eleven years due to planning and funding issues in the early 2000s. Sound Transit named three potential sites for South Tacoma's commuter rail station and parking lot in 2000: South 58th and Adams street, South 50th Street and Burlington Way at the site of an old Northern Pacific depot, and the intersection of South 56th and Adams streets, preferred by Sound Transit and attendees of public hearings for its proximity to the street. The South 56th and Adam site, which extended south towards 60th Street, remained the agency's preferred location and was adopted by the transit board in December 2002. The site of the station was shifted to the southern alternative at South 58th Street to avoid longer delays for vehicles traveling across 56th Street. Sound Transit began acquiring properties at the station in late 2003, but ran into resistance from the owners of a century-old home at the proposed site for the park-and-ride lot. After an initial offer from the transit agency was rejected, the eminent domain case was heard by the Pierce County Superior Court and state Supreme Court, who both ruled in Sound Transit's favor by early 2006. The ruling sparked public outcry over the use of online-only meeting notices and inspired the state legislature to pass a bill requiring a certified letter to affected property owners and a newspaper notice. The landowners were eventually paid $500,000 for the property after a separate court case settled by a county jury. Construction of the $16.5 million South Tacoma station began in January 2008, with plans to prepare for commuter rail service in 2012. A temporary express bus from the station to Tacoma Dome Station and Downtown Seattle began on February 9, 2009, after the completion of station's park-and-ride lot. Sounder service to Lakewood and South Tacoma began on October 8, 2012, following a weekend celebration that drew hundreds of people to the new South Tacoma station for free rides and festivities. By 2030, Sound Transit plans to construct new bicycle lanes to South Tacoma station and improve sidewalks in the area as part of a $56 million project. It was funded by allocations in the Sound Transit 2 program that were originally meant for expanding parking at the station. ## Services South Tacoma station is served by eight daily round-trips on the Sounder S Line, which travel north to King Street Station in Downtown Seattle and south to Lakewood station on weekdays. Sounder trains travel from South Tacoma to Seattle in approximately 71 minutes. The station is indirectly served by Pierce Transit route 3, which travels primarily on South Tacoma Way between Lakewood Towne Center, Tacoma Mall, and Downtown Tacoma. Pierce Transit formerly served South Tacoma station with several routes, including a local bus on South 56th Street that was removed in a 2017 restructure. The agency also experimented with a custom express bus from the station to University Place and Olympia that debuted in late 2013, but the program was eliminated in 2014 after a spell of low ridership.

Illinois v. Hemi Group LLC

2010 personal jurisdiction case

Illinois v. Hemi Group, LLC, 622 F.3d 754 (7th Cir. 2010), was a personal jurisdiction case in which the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit affirmed the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois' ruling finding personal jurisdiction based on Internet transactions. In the initial filing, the state of Illinois sued Hemi Group LLC (Hemi) for selling cigarettes to Illinois residents over the Internet in violation of state law and for failing to report those sales in violation of federal law. Hemi moved to dismiss the suit for lack of personal jurisdiction, but the district court found that the Internet transactions provided a basis for Hemi to be sued in Illinois. ## Facts Hemi, based out of New Mexico and without any ties to Illinois, sold discount cigarettes through several websites. Customers could place orders online or through fax, mail, or telephone. Illinois alleged that Hemi sold cigarettes to Illinois residents via its websites, though the only sale Illinois identified in its complaint was instigated by a special agent of the Illinois Department of Revenue. On several of its websites, Hemi stated that it would not sell cigarettes to New York residents due to ongoing litigation there, but no exception was made to Illinois residents. Hemi's website directed customers to check with their respective states to determine the amount, if any, of state taxes associated with their order. Specifically, Illinois sued Hemi in Illinois state court for: - Failing to comply with the Jenkins Act by not providing monthly reports of sales to Illinois residents; - Violating the Prevention Act by shipping cigarettes to Illinois residents that were not licensed distributors or export warehouse operators; and - Violating the Enforcement Act and the Consumer Fraud Act by selling brands of cigarettes to Illinois residents that were not in the Illinois Directory. ## Procedural history Hemi removed the suit from Illinois state court to federal district court and moved to dismiss the case for lack of personal jurisdiction. The district court found that Illinois could not exercise general jurisdiction over Hemi because Hemi lacked the "continuous and systematic general business contacts" to satisfy general jurisdiction. However, the district court held that Hemi could be amenable to specific jurisdiction, finding that Hemi purposefully availed itself of the opportunity of doing business with Illinois residents and that exercising personal jurisdiction over Hemi would not offend due process. For a more in-depth discussion of the concept of personal jurisdiction and its sub-concepts of general and specific jurisdiction, see personal jurisdiction and International Shoe doctrine ### Issue on appeal The question on appeal before the Seventh Circuit was whether the Illinois district court could properly exercise personal jurisdiction over Hemi. ## Holding The Seventh Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of Hemi's motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction, finding that Internet transactions of cigarettes sufficed to establish personal jurisdiction over Hemi in Illinois. ## Analysis ### Federal vs. Illinois due process standards Hemi argued that a line of Illinois appellate opinions demonstrated that Illinois law required more than federal law with regard to satisfying due process standards for personal jurisdiction. The Seventh Circuit rejected this argument, finding that none of the cases cited by Hemi even suggested a meaningful difference between the federal and Illinois due process standards, and that at least one of the cases cited by Hemi only discussed the distinction in the theoretical context. Though the Seventh Circuit noted that the district court may only exercise jurisdiction only if both federal and state constitutional elements are satisfied, it also stated that it was unaware of cases where personal jurisdiction could be satisfied under the U.S. Constitution, but not under the Illinois Constitution. Hence, the Seventh Circuit limited its analysis as to whether exercising personal jurisdiction over Hemi would comport with the federal guarantee of due process. ### Minimum contacts and traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice Drawing from International Shoe Co. v. Washington, the Seventh Circuit began by noting that personal jurisdiction may be proper where a defendant has certain minimum contacts that do not violate "traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice." Relevant to this analysis are the following factors: - Contacts with the forum state should not be "fortuitous"; the defendant must have purposefully established minimum contacts; and - The defendant should "reasonably anticipate" being brought to court in the forum state because the defendant purposefully availed itself of the privilege of conducting activities there. ### Application #### Minimum contacts Here, the Seventh Circuit found that Hemi's contacts with Illinois were sufficient to satisfy due process. The court noted that Hemi maintained "commercial websites" that customers could use to create accounts, purchase cigarettes, and calculate shipping charges based on their ZIP codes. The Seventh Circuit rejected Hemi's argument that it did not purposefully avail itself of doing business in Illinois. Hemi stated on its website that it would ship to any state except New York. The court observed that Hemi's reluctance to ship to New York was important for two reasons: 1. It indicated that Hemi was "ready and willing" to do business with Illinois residents; and 2. It demonstrated that Hemi knew that conducting business with residents of a particular state could subject it to jurisdiction there, and that Hemi therefore knew how to protect itself from being subject to personal jurisdiction to specific states. Hence, the court reasoned that Hemi's decision not to do business with New York indicated that it should have foreseen being brought to court in Illinois for selling cigarettes to Illinois residents. The Seventh Circuit also rejected Hemi's argument that its sales to Illinois customers were due to the unilateral actions by customers. The court found that Hemi, via its several commercial and interactive websites, reached out to Illinois residents to sell cigarettes, and therefore minimum contacts was satisfied. ("It is Hemi reaching out to residents of Illinois, and not the residents reaching back, that creates the sufficient minimum contacts with Illinois that justify exercising personal jurisdiction over Hemi in Illinois.") ### Zippo sliding scale test rejected In Zippo Manufacturing Co. v. Zippo Dot Com, Inc., 952 F. Supp. 1119 (W.D. Pa. 1997), the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania laid out a "sliding scale" test for determining specific personal jurisdiction based on the level of Internet interactivity. The Zippo court noted that websites can fall under three general categories: 1. Passive. Defendants maintaining passive websites would generally not be subject to personal jurisdiction because such websites only provide information; 2. Interactive. In this so-called "middle ground," exercise of jurisdiction in the "interactive" context is determined by examining the level of interactivity and the commercial nature of the site; or 3. Integral. At this end of spectrum, defendants maintaining websites "integral" to their business (i.e., processing orders to sell goods) would subject them to personal jurisdiction. The Seventh Circuit noted that, though sister circuits have adopted the Zippo sliding scale test, the Seventh Circuit had expressly declined to do so. Citing Tamburo v. Dworkin, 601 F.3d 693, 703 (7th. Cir. 2010), the court stated that it was reluctant "to fashion a special jurisdictional test for Internet-based cases." The Hemi Court reasoned that "the traditional due process inquiry . . . is not so difficult to apply to cases involving Internet contacts that courts need some sort of easier-to-apply categorical test." ### Relatedness The Seventh Circuit further found that specific jurisdiction over Hemi was proper because Illinoi's claims arose out of Hemi's contacts with Illinois. The Court explained that Hemi sold and shipped cigarettes to Illinois residents, thus "trigger[ing] Illinois's claims against it." Though the cigarette sales technically occurred in New Mexico, the Court reasoned that Illinois's suit was based on allegations that Hemi violated Illinois state law and federal law by failing to report its sales, not whether there was a contract between Hemi and its Illinois customers. ### Fairness The Seventh Circuit further observed that jurisdiction over Hemi would be proper only if, as noted in International Shoe Co. v. Washington, exercising jurisdiction "does not offend traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice." Factors relevant to the fair play and substantial justice analysis include: 1. The burden on the defendant; 2. The forum state's interest in adjudicating the dispute; 3. The plaintiff's interest in obtaining convenient and effective relief; 4. The interstate judicial system's interest in obtaining the most efficient resolution of the underlying dispute; and 5. The shared interest of the several states in furthering fundamental substantive social policies. In evaluating the above factors, the Seventh Circuit explained that it applies a sliding scale test: "the weaker the defendant's contacts with the forum state are, the less likely it is that exercising jurisdiction over that defendant is appropriate." Applying those factors to this case, the Seventh Circuit found that exercising jurisdiction over Hemi in Illinois would be fair because: - Hemi maintained a "sophisticated" and "expansive" online venture; - Hemi "held itself out to conduct business nationwide"; - Hemi was "apparently successful in reaching customers across the country"; - Hemi limited its exposure to lawsuits by refusing to make sales to certain states (namely, New York). Though defending the suit in Illinois might be burdensome on Hemi, the Seventh Circuit reasoned that Illinois courts had a strong interest in resolving a dispute that involved the state as a party. Moreover, because Illinois law would be applied, the Court also observed that it would be most convenient for Illinois to have the suit adjudicated in an Illinois court. The Court also noted that "Hemi wants to have its cake and eat it, too: it wants the benefit of a nationwide business model with none of the exposure. There is nothing constitutionally unfair about allowing Illinois, a state with which Hemi has had sufficient minimum contacts, to exercise personal jurisdiction over Hemi." ## Reaction After Hemi, several law firms warned businesses that selling products on the Internet could potentially make them liable for suit anywhere in the United States. For instance, several law firms cautioned clients that, although Hemi "involved a cigarettes retailer, its rationale could be applied to all Internet retailers." Other commentators observed that the Seventh Circuit's decision in Hemi reflected a "trend away from relying on interactivity of a website as a sole determinant of personal jurisdiction, looking instead toward the more relevant concept of targeting." Moreover, following the Hemi decision, several lawyers began advising clients to include a forum selection clause in their websites' user agreements to at least have the possibility of transferring a lawsuit to their home state. ## See also ### General information - Personal jurisdiction in internet cases in the United States - Minimum contacts - Legal aspects of computing - Cyberlaw - Personal jurisdiction - Civil procedure ### Cases - Zippo Manufacturing Co. v. Zippo Dot Com, Inc. - International Shoe Co. v. Washington - Hemi Group LLC v. City of New York \*Note: This is the litigation Hemi referenced as the reasoning behind explicitly denying business with New York residents. In this case, on January 25, 2010 the US Supreme Court held that New York City cannot use the RICO Act to collect damages from non-New York internet vendors who fail to pay New York City cigarette taxes. ### Law journal articles - Piercing Pennoyer with the Sword of a Thousand Truths: Jurisdictional Issues in the Virtual World by Andrew Cabasso, Intellectual Property, Media & Entertainment Law Journal, Fordham University School of Law - The Future of Cybertravel: Legal Implications of the Evasion of Geolocation by Marketa Trimble, Intellectual Property, Media & Entertainment Law Journal, Fordham University School of Law - How Technologically Savvy Do You Have to Be to Apply Zippo ?: An Approach to Internet Personal Jurisdiction After Fancaster and Edvisors by Joshua Beldner, Boston University Journal of Science & Technology Law - Personal Jurisdiction and Choice of Law by Stewart E. Sterk, Iowa Law Review

Álvaro Domínguez (footballer, born 1989)

Spanish footballer

Álvaro Domínguez Soto (; born 16 May 1989) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a centre back and left back during the course of his career. He began playing professional football in 2008 when he made his debut with Atlético Madrid. Domínguez went on to play in 120 competitive games and won three major titles with the club, including two Europa League trophies. In 2012, he signed for Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach, where he made just over 100 appearances. His time in Germany was hampered by injuries, however, which ultimately forced him to retire in 2016, at the age of 27. Prior to his retirement, Domínguez had represented Spain at various youth levels and was part of the team which was triumphant at the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. The following year he was included in the squad which took part in the 2012 Olympics in the United Kingdom and also made his debut for the senior national team. ## Club career ### Atlético Madrid Having been released from the academy of Real Madrid as a youngster, Domínguez was signed by local rivals Atlético Madrid when he was 12 years old. In the coming years he progressed through the various youth levels at Atlético before being handed his senior debut by manager Javier Aguirre on 22 October 2008, starting in place of the injured Tomáš Ujfaluši in a 1–1 Champions League draw with Premier League team Liverpool. Four days later, he made his La Liga debut in a 4–4 draw with Villarreal at the Estadio de la Cerámica. Domínguez managed five senior appearances for the campaign but spent the majority of his first professional season with the Atlético Madrid B team in Segunda División B. The following year, following the appointment of Quique Sánchez Flores as new club manager, Domínguez became a mainstay in the Atlético Madrid team at left back where he displaced captain Antonio López from the starting XI. López later returned to the starting line-up when Sánchez Flores opted to convert Domínguez to the centre-back position. It was also the season in which Domínguez signed his first professional contract with los Colchoneros, penning a four-year deal until June 2013. He ultimately made 46 appearances for the season across all competitions and was part of the squads which ended as runners-up in the Copa del Rey and as champions in the UEFA Europa League, where he started in a 2–1 win over Fulham. Domínguez continued to be a fixture in the Atlético Madrid first-team the following season and in August 2010 he started and played the full 90 minutes in the team's UEFA Super Cup win over Inter Milan. He then scored his first senior goal for the club on 19 December, netting the team's second in a 3–0 La Liga win over Málaga. He scored once more for Atlético Madrid as he ended the season with 28 appearances to his name across all competitions. In the 2011–12 campaign, Domínguez was named as the third-captain for the season, behind López and vice-captain Luis Perea. On 10 September, he made his 50th league appearance for Atlético Madrid when he started in a 1–0 loss against Valencia at the Mestalla. Domínguez ultimately featured in 41 matches as the club ended the season in fifth in the league, thereby missing out on a Champions League spot. He enjoyed success in the Europa League, however, coming on as a late substitute for Arda Turan as Atlético Madrid beat fellow Spaniards Athletic Bilbao 3–0 in the final to reclaim their title. It would be his final match for the Red and Whites, though, as at the end of the season he agreed to sign for Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach. He made 120 appearances for Atlético Madrid over the course of a four-year span, scoring six goals and earning three winners' medals. Domínguez later revealed that the club's lack of trust in academy players had contributed to his decision to sign for Gladbach. ### Borussia Mönchengladbach On 27 June 2012, Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach completed the signing of Domínguez on a five-year contract for a fee of €8 million, bringing him in to replace the outgoing Dante. He made his league debut for the club on 1 September, starting in a 0–0 draw with Fortuna Düsseldorf. Three games later, Domínguez scored his first goal for the club, netting an extra-time equalizer in 2–2 draw against Hamburg. He ultimately made 40 appearances and scored two goals across all competitions for the season as Gladbach finished eighth in the Bundesliga. During Gladbach's opening match of the 2013–14 season against Bayern Munich, Domínguez conceded a penalty when he handled the ball in the box. Thomas Müller's resultant penalty was saved by goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen but Domínguez handled again from the rebound, giving away a second penalty which was duly converted by David Alaba. Gladbach ultimately lost the match 3–1. It was an injury-disrupted season for Domínguez, though, as early in October he suffered a broken collarbone and dislocated shoulder. He managed just 22 appearances for the campaign, and 34 in the next before a spate of back injuries severely curtailed his playing time in the seasons that followed. Having struggled throughout 2015 with back problems, playing through the pain and medicating before matches, Dominguez sought the advice Dr. Miiller-Wohlfahrt in Munich in August. The doctor was astounded that Dominguez was still playing football as X-rays and MRI scans revealed that he had three herniated disks and further complications in his spinal canal. The full extent of Domínguez's back problems, which saw him undergo two operations, was such that during his time with Gladbach he missed 88 of the 194 games the team played while he was at the club. On 6 December 2016, after having not played a match in more than a year, Domínguez announced his retirement from all football at the age of 27 as a result of the chronic back problems he suffered from. He revealed that he had been living with a back condition for the past few years and that, despite having twice undergone surgery in an attempt to rectify the problem, had been obliged to play by Gladbach. Domínguez later admitted to Spanish news publication Marca that he was considering taking legal action against Gladbach for medical negligence, claiming that the club had failed to treat his condition appropriately. He later revealed that he would not be taking legal steps, stating that he "wants peace, not war." ## International career ### Youth Domínguez represented Spain at various youth levels and in 2009 was called up to the Spain under-20 team for the FIFA U-20 World Cup. He was then named in Luis Milla's under-21 squad for the 2011 UEFA European Championship. He started in all of Spain's matches, partnering Sporting de Gijón's Alberto Botía in central defense, as the national team won the tournament in Denmark. The following year, Domínguez was included in the Spain squad for the 2012 Olympics alongside Atlético Madrid teammates Adrián López and Koke. Spain were eliminated early on however, after defeats to Japan and Honduras saw them knocked out of the tournament. ### Senior On 25 August 2011, following the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, Domínguez was called up to the senior national team by coach Vicente del Bosque for matches against Chile and Liechtenstein. Domínguez failed to feature in either match but made his debut on 26 May the following year, playing 45 minutes in a 2–0 friendly win over Serbia ahead of the 2012 European Championship. He featured again four days later in Spain's 4–1 win over South Korea but ultimately missed out on a place in the final tournament squad. ## Post-playing career In 2018, Domínguez worked in collaboration with the Spanish footballers' Association to publish a manual which aimed to help footballers better deal with their finances. In an interview with Marca, he revealed that he had once spent €15,000 in one night and that young players were not educated on how to manage their money. ## Personal life Domínguez attended King's College in his native Madrid until he was 18-years old. As a result of the school's British curriculum, Domínguez learned to speak English fluently. Though an Atlético Madrid supporter from birth, Domínguez revealed in a 2010 interview with The Guardian that he is fan of Premier League team Chelsea, and that the club's captain John Terry was his idol. ## Career statistics ### Club ### International ## Honours Atlético Madrid - UEFA Europa League: 2009–10, 2011–12 - UEFA Super Cup: 2010 Spain U21 - UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2011

Italian cruiser Campania

Protected cruiser of the Italian Royal Navy

Campania was a small protected cruiser built for the Italian Regia Marina (Royal Navy) in the 1910s. She was the lead ship of the Campania class, which included one other ship, Basilicata. Designed for colonial service, the ship was armed with a comparatively heavy armament on a small hull, with a long cruising radius emphasized over high speed. Commissioned into service in early 1917, Campania spent the first few years of her career in Italy's colonies, before being classified as a gunboat in 1921 and a training ship in 1932. This service lasted until 1937 when she was sold for scrapping. ## Design Campania was 83 meters (272 ft) long overall and had a beam of 12.7 m (42 ft) and a draft of 5 m (16 ft). She displaced 2,483 long tons (2,523 t) normally and up to 3,187 long tons (3,238 t) at full load. Her propulsion system consisted of a pair of vertical triple-expansion steam engines each driving a single screw propeller. Steam was supplied by four coal-fired, cylindrical fire-tube boilers that were vented into a single funnel. Her engines were rated at 5,001 indicated horsepower (3,729 kW) and produced a top speed of 15.7 knots (29.1 km/h; 18.1 mph). The ship had a cruising radius of about 1,850 nautical miles (3,430 km; 2,130 mi) at a speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). She had a crew of 11 officers and 193 enlisted men. Campania was armed with a main battery of six 152 mm (6 in) L/40 guns mounted singly; one was placed on the forecastle, one at the stern, and two on each broadside in sponsons on the main deck. She was also equipped with two 76 mm (3 in) L40 guns, three 76 mm L/40 guns in anti-aircraft mountings, two 47 mm (1.9 in) guns, and a pair of machine guns. The ship was only lightly armored, with a 25 mm (0.98 in) thick deck, and 50 mm (2 in) thick plating on her conning tower. ## Service history Campania was built by the Castellammare shipyard, where her keel was laid on 9 August 1913, the same day as Basilicata. The ships were small enough that they could be built on the same slipway. They were launched less than a year later on 23 July 1914. After fitting-out work was completed, Campannia was commissioned on 18 May 1917, four months before her sister ship. Designed as a colonial cruiser in the mold of the cruiser Calabria, Campania spent the first several years of her career in Italy's African colonies, including Italian Libya. On 1 July 1921, the ship was reclassified as a gunboat and two of her 152 mm guns were removed during reconstruction work that lasted until 1922. Starting in 1932 she served as a school ship for naval cadets. She was capable of carrying 100 cadets, along with their officers, petty officers, and support staff. She remained in this role until she was stricken from the naval register on 11 March 1937 and sold for scrapping.

Now That We Don't Talk

2023 song by Taylor Swift

"Now That We Don't Talk" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was written by Swift for her 2014 studio album, 1989, but did not make the final track-list. She re-recorded the song and produced it with Jack Antonoff for her 2023 re-recorded album, 1989 (Taylor's Version). A synth-pop and disco song, "Now That We Don't Talk" features disco grooves, falsetto vocals, and thrumming synths. The lyrics are about contempt for an estranged ex-lover. Music critics generally praised the production as catchy and the lyrics as witty. "Now That We Don't Talk" peaked at number two on song charts in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, where it became Swift's record-extending ninth number-two song on the Billboard Hot 100. It also peaked at number two on the Billboard Global 200 and received certifications from Australia and the United Kingdom. Swift performed "Now That We Don't Talk" two times on her Eras Tour (2023–2024). ## Background and release After signing a new contract with Republic Records, the singer-songwriter Taylor Swift began re-recording her first six studio albums in November 2020. The decision followed a public 2019 dispute between Swift and the talent manager Scooter Braun, who acquired Big Machine Records, including the masters of Swift's albums which the label had released. By re-recording the albums, Swift had full ownership of the new masters, which enabled her to control the licensing of her songs for commercial use and therefore substituted the Big Machine–owned masters. From July 2021 to July 2023, Swift released three re-recorded albums of her earlier releases: Fearless (Taylor's Version), Red (Taylor's Version), and Speak Now (Taylor's Version); each album also featured several unreleased "From the Vault" tracks that she had written but left out of the original albums' track listings. Republic Records released Swift's fourth re-recorded album, 1989 (Taylor's Version), on October 27, 2023, on the ninth anniversary of her fifth original studio album, 1989 (2014). The original album was Swift's first "official pop" album after she had marketed her first four albums to country radio, and it transformed her artistry and image from country to pop. As with her other re-recorded projects, 1989 (Taylor's Version) features five newly recorded "From the Vault" tracks that Swift had written but left out of the original track listing. Jack Antonoff co-wrote four and co-produced five vault tracks with Swift. According to Swift, "Now That We Don't Talk" was late into the production of 1989 and was left out because the personnel "couldn't get [it] right at the time". Officially titled "Now That We Don't Talk (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault)", it is track 19 out of 21 on the track-list of 1989 (Taylor's Version). Swift performed the song live on acoustic guitar on the November 24, 2023, São Paulo show of her Eras Tour. She sang it again as part of a guitar mashup with her song "The Tortured Poets Department" (2024) on the May 25, 2024, Lisbon show of the tour. ## Music and lyrics Swift and Antonoff wrote and produced "Now That We Don't Talk". Antonoff and the engineers Laura Sisk and David Hart, assisted by Jack Manning, Megan Searl, and Jon Sher, recorded the track at four studios: Conway Recording Studios, Sharp Sonics (Los Angeles), Electric Lady Studios, and Rough Customer (New York). Antonoff also programmed the song, played synthesizers and guitar, and provided background vocals. Zem Audu played additional synthesizers and recorded his part at Audu Studio (Brooklyn). Sean Hutchinson and Michael Riddleberger played and recorded drums at Hutchinson Sound Studio (Brooklyn). Mikey Freedom Hart played bass, synthesizer, electric guitar, and Rhodes piano, which he recorded at Big Mercy Studio (Brooklyn). Evan Smith also played additional synthesizer and saxophone and recorded the instruments at Pleasure Hill (Portland). The track was mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios (Virginia Beach, Virginia) and mastered by Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound (Edgewater, New Jersey). "Now That We Don't Talk" is a synth-pop and disco song. At 2 minutes and 26 seconds long, it is the shortest track from 1989 (Taylor's Version). The production features disco grooves, falsetto vocals in the chorus, and thrumming synths that drive the beats. Music critics compared the song's production to the sound of Swift's previous releases. Time critic Rachel Sonis deemed it the "most 1989-sounding" among the vault tracks. Variety critic Chris Willman said the track has a "light pop-suspense feel" that recalled the song "Mastermind" from Swift's 2022 album Midnights. In a review for NJ.com, Bobby Olivier said the vocals resembled Bleachers' 2014 song "Shadow" and the production's "high-gloss shimmer" evoked Swift's "Bejeweled" from Midnights. "Now That We Don't Talk" has lyrics that ostracize an ex-lover. In the song, Swift sings, "from the outside, it looks like you're trying lives on." As Swift moves on from the ex-lover, she accepts that she and the ex-lover cannot remain friends ("I cannot be your friend so I pay the price of what I lost, and what it cost") and seeks advice from her mother. She further mocks the ex-lover's lifestyle and taste, "I don't have to pretend I like acid rock / Or that I like to be on a mega-yacht / With important men who think important thoughts." In the Los Angeles Times, Mikael Wood wrote that the lyrics criticizing the ex-boyfriend were reminiscent of Swift's 2010 song "Dear John". ## Critical reception Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone said the song showcased Swift's "acerbic wit". Paste critic Elizabeth Braaten described the song as "an inevitable instant classic in Swiftian lore", and The Line of Best Fit critic Kelsey Barnes praised Swift's falsetto on the track as being "deliciously infectious". NME's Hollie Geraghty deemed "Now That We Don't Talk" the best "Vault" track from 1989 (Taylor's Version), praising Swift's vocals and the lyrics for showcasing a dry and youthful humor. Uproxx writer Josh Kurp complimented the track's 1980s musical sensation and said it has a radio hit potential. Olivier ranked it fourth among the five vault tracks from 1989 (Taylor's Version), deeming it a "windows-down ... banger". Wood ranked it second and complimented it as a "hilarious take-down of a dude [Swift's] elated to have kicked to the curb". On a less positive side, BBC Entertainment reporters deemed it and the other vault tracks inferior to the original 1989 album. Alex Berry of Clash regarded "Now That We Don't Talk" as the weakest track on the re-recorded album because it is not as outstanding as the other tracks. ## Commercial performance After 1989 (Taylor's Version) was released, "Now That We Don't Talk" debuted at number two on the singles charts of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. It opened at number four in Ireland and number nine in the Philippines. The track also charted in the top 100 of singles charts in several European territories including Norway (number 33), the Netherlands (number 35), Lithuania (number 44), and Sweden (number 51). In the United States, "Now That We Don't Talk" debuted at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart dated November 11, 2023, trailing behind the week's chart topper "Is It Over Now?", another track from 1989 (Taylor's Version). This chart achievement extended Swift's record for the most top-10 songs (49) and most top-five songs (31) on the Billboard Hot 100 among women. On the Billboard Global 200, it also debuted at number two behind "Is It Over Now?". The song received a gold certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and a silver certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). ## Personnel Credits are adapted from the liner notes of 1989 (Taylor's Version). - Taylor Swift – vocals, songwriter, producer - Jack Antonoff – producer, songwriter, recording, synthesizer, programming, background vocals, guitar - Zem Audu – synthesizer, synthesizer recording - Bryce Bordone – engineer for mix - Serban Ghenea – mixing - Mikey Freedom Hart – bass, synthesizer, electric guitar, Rhodes - David Hart – recording - Sean Hutchinson – drums, percussion - Jack Manning – assistant recording - Randy Merrill – mastering - Michael Riddleberger – drums, percussion - Megan Searl – assistant recording - Laura Sisk – recording - Jon Sher – assistant recording - Evan Smith – saxophone, synthesizer, programming ## Charts ## Certifications

EastEnders: E20

British internet soap opera (2010–2011)

EastEnders: E20 (sometimes just E20) is a British Internet soap opera, which began airing on 8 January 2010. A spin-off from the established BBC soap EastEnders, it is set in EastEnders' regular setting of Albert Square, a Victorian square in the fictional borough of Walford, in the East End of London. Each series follows a group of teenage characters: Zsa Zsa Carter (Emer Kenny), Leon Small (Sam Attwater), Fatboy (Ricky Norwood) and Mercy Olubunmi (Bunmi Mojekwu) in series 1; Asher Levi (Heshima Thompson) and his brother Sol (Tosin Cole), Naz Mehmet (Emaa Hussen), and Stevie Dickinson (Amanda Fairbank-Hynes) in series 2; and Ava Bourne (Sophie Colquhoun), Donnie Lester (Samuell Benta) and Faith Olubunmi (Modupe Adeyeye) in series 3. The show's title comes from Walford's fictional London postcode district, E20. The four characters from series 1 also appear in EastEnders, as well as Faith from series 3. EastEnders: E20 originally aired as part of the main show's 25th anniversary celebrations. It was devised in a bid to develop and nurture new talent, including writers, actors, composers and remixers, and target a younger audience, as well as to attempt to drive more people onto the Internet. The series was the idea of executive producers Diederick Santer, who wanted a show where regular EastEnders characters would be in the background, and John Yorke, who wanted to improve the portrayal of teenagers in EastEnders and to get younger people writing for it. The show's writers, all newcomers aged between 17 and 22, were selected through a writing competition, and created the series at a BBC summer school. The theme tune was also selected through a competition, promoted on BBC Radio 1. The show primarily operates as a standalone series but also cross-references storylines of the main soap, and features cameo appearances from several of the regular characters from EastEnders. The episodes are between three and 16 minutes each in length and are available via EastEnders' official website. Omnibus editions were also available on BBC iPlayer, BBC Red Button and, from April 2010, BBC Three. ## Conception and development EastEnders: E20 was conceived by executive producer Diederick Santer as part of EastEnders' 25th anniversary celebrations. Described as the "naughty little brother or sister to the main show", it was devised in a bid to target younger viewers and to develop and nurture new talent. Executive producer John Yorke, who oversaw the show, and is also controller of BBC drama production and new talent, said "Fundamentally the whole idea of the show is it's a training ground for new talent, be that acting, writing, composing, remixing, everything. The fact is because it's online, we can take risks." Nevertheless, the makers said they knew they had to get it right because "the eyes of the World Wide Web would be watching." Santer conceived the idea of a "parallel universe show" with new characters, where the regular characters are in the background. Yorke sought to improve the portrayal of teenagers in EastEnders and to get younger people writing for it. The ideas came together and EastEnders: E20 was created in what Yorke described as "one of the quickest periods from idea to screen I've ever known." Regarding the decision to create an online drama, Yorke said, "People don't watch television at fixed times anymore, they use iPlayer [to] get it at their convenience and so it made sense to make a programme that [viewers] can specifically get at their convenience." The show's producer, Deborah Sathe, added, "Technology is changing and it's changing really quickly and I think it's really appropriate that the BBC is leading the way in offering online content." The first series was commissioned by multi-platform commissioning executive Rosie Allimonos. Another incentive for the show was to get more people to use the Internet. Sathe stated that it was an opportunity for younger people to bring the older members of their families onto the internet, and Yorke hoped that it would bring people onto the internet who had not used it before. Simon Nelson, BBC Vision controller of multiplatform and portfolio, said that this was an opportunity for the BBC to develop its expertise in drama production by exploiting the creative potential of the Internet to create a new online drama where few have succeeded. EastEnders: E20 primarily operates as a standalone series but also cross-references storylines of the main soap. According to Santer, the series also explores the stories of the soap's anonymous bystanders. He said, "There are always other people [in EastEnders] milling round the market and houses that we never go into. There are four or five parallels you could do. It will be nice to see well-known characters through strangers' eyes. Ian Beale may show up and he is just a strange, irritating man. Or they might ask: 'Who is that moody girl in the market?' And it will be Stacey Slater." ### Series 2 The second series was announced on 8 April 2010, brought back by Santer's successor, Bryan Kirkwood and commissioned by Sarah Clay. Nelson explained "We had no hesitation in commissioning another series, something which will delight the 17,000 fans who've been calling for more episodes on the E20 Facebook page." Script producer Peter Mattessi promised that the second series would take the characters to darker, scarier and more unattractive parts of their personalities, writer Muge Ahmet said it would be sexier, and Sathe stated there would be big secrets, while writer Alex Oates said that the show and the writers had grown up a lot since the first series. The Daily Star newspaper reported that the second series would be more controversial than the first, including scenes of drug dealing and violence. With the return of the series, Sathe explained that some of the show's writers had already worked with the EastEnders team on storylines for the characters they had created, and hoped this would continue as the E20 brand develops, and that the show would become a "junior version" of the BBC Writers Academy. Series 2 sees the introduction of street dance to the series to give it an "authentic East End flavour of youth". The episodes were made all the same length following complaints about the length of episodes in the first series and the decision to show the series on BBC Three. Social networking site Twitter was also used to introduce teasers, with four of the characters having their own profiles. ### Series 3 A third series was announced on 27 September 2010, commissioned by BBC Learning, as part of a new BBC strategy to provide learning opportunities for all audiences. Saul Nassé, Controller of Learning, said, "I want to use BBC programmes that are known and loved by audiences that can serve as springboards for learning. [...] We'll be enlisting the help of the BBC's best talent to maximise the reach of our output," and Sathe commented, "We are thrilled with the success of the first two series and have already started to storyline the third. Be prepared for a few familiar faces, a couple of new ones and a lot of fireworks." It was confirmed that Learning would fund the third series and work with young people to develop storylines "that bring to life subjects in the Personal, Social, Health Education (PSHE) curriculum such as bullying or peer pressure." A regional schools tour was organised to tie in with the launch of the series, with pupils writing short scenes based on scenarios tying in with the PSHE curriculum, which were performed, filmed and edited. Sarah Miller, BBC Learning commissioner and executive producer of series 3, explained: "The schools tour was a terrific opportunity to deliver powerful face-to-face workshops, giving students and teachers the opportunity to develop key media production skills and to get behind the scenes of a top BBC drama." ## Production The show was produced by television newcomer Deborah Sathe. The production process for series 1 took about six months, from commissioning to the final cut. Yorke stated that, "Television takes a notoriously long time to make and one of the joys of doing this online is that it's been incredibly quick, about a quarter of the time it would take a normal show to get off the ground. It's smaller, it's easier to do and also there's a collective will for it to succeed." ### Writing The first series was written by a team of 13 writers from London aged between 17 and 22 who responded to a writing competition and attended a summer school in August 2009 as part of the BBC's new talent initiative, where they created the entire series. The summer school took place over four weeks, with the first two weeks in Theatre Royal Stratford East and the last two at the BBC Elstree Centre. The writers did not know they would be writing a spin-off to EastEnders until they arrived. The writers, including Florence Vincent, Alex Oates, Kashman Harris and Emer Kenny, also wrote the ten episodes of series 2. They are from various parts of London, which Sathe said was "brilliant" as they represent different parts of life in London, and they have grown up with the Internet as a native medium. Santer stated that the writers created a new Walford, calling it a "fresh perspective on a British classic." The writers were given a day to travel around East London to listen to people talking to get ideas. Sathe commented: "We created some brilliant scenes from the eavesdropping stuff." After the summer school, the writers were commissioned to write the 12 episodes of series 1. Some of the scripts were allowed by be changed by the actors if they thought lines were not authentic, such as the use of London street slang. Sathe considered the use of slang to be a highlight of the series, calling it her proudest moment. Storylining and character creation for series 2 started in January 2010. The third series used mostly different writers to the first two. Each potential writer had to send in a monologue for a character they would like to see on television and the production team chose their favourites. The writers were then asked to write a scene between their character and one of the established EastEnders characters. Following this, the writers were interviewed and the most promising fifteen were selected. Kenny returned as a writer for series 3 and was joined by several of the young EastEnders cast members: Arinze Kene (Connor Stanley), Himesh Patel (Tamwar Masood) and Charlie G Hawkins (Darren Miller). ### Filming EastEnders: E20 was filmed on the same set as EastEnders, using three handheld cameras to give it a more "edgy" feel compared to EastEnders, which is filmed with cameras on tripods. Director Michael Keillor stated that although using handheld cameras is normally easier, the fact it was shot with a multiple-camera setup made it more challenging and created problems for the lighting and props teams as nobody knew exactly where the camera would be. Keillor said it was a "particularly tough day" when filming a party scene in a flat, as normally walls of the set would be removed but all the walls were left in to make it look more realistic, meaning the crew overheated. Series 1 was filmed over ten days with approximately 120 minutes of television being shot. Each of the first series' 12 episodes are between three and 16 minutes in length. The second series features 10 episodes averaging 14 minutes each, which was a response to complaints from viewers about the length of some of the episodes in series 1. Series 3 began production in May 2011, and took about four weeks to film. ### Music Unlike EastEnders, E20 uses incidental music, which Scott Matthewman of The Stage said makes it feel like an episode of Hollyoaks, a Channel 4 soap opera targeted at a teen audience. A remix of the EastEnders theme tune was created for the series, with members of the public submitting remixes in a competition held on the BBC website. The competition opened on 11 November 2009 and was officially launched on 13 November by Annie Mac on her BBC Radio 1 show. More than 250 entries were submitted. They were reduced to four and judged by Sathe, Santer, Keillor, original theme tune composer Simon May, and BBC Radio 1Xtra's DJ Ace. The winner, 21-year-old Carl Darling, was announced on 4 December 2009. He said "I was very excited to hear that my track was chosen by such an eclectic judging panel. And to spend time in the BBC studios and walking around the Square was phenomenal. I have grown up hearing Simon May's original theme tune and watching Albert Square and the iconic Queen Vic, so I feel very privileged to be a part of EastEnders: E20 history\!" Darling explained that he wanted to keep all the "essential features" of the original theme, but to make a grimy drum and bass version. Additionally producers worked with BBC Introducing to give unsigned bands and musicians the chance to have their music used on the series 2 soundtrack, and grime music producer Aiden "S.K.I.T.Z Beatz" Hogarth was appointed music director and composer, having been unable to take the role for series 1. He said "For E20 I will be providing all the best and what's current from the underground and mainstream music scene and instead of having the music playing out of stereos and stalls, we've taken the step to compose and source music as a soundtrack. Something seasoned EastEnders fans may not be familiar with. I honestly think that the viewers are ready for a refreshing and brand new take on how music direction for this show and others like it should be done." ## Casting Casting of the new characters for series 1 was announced on 25 November 2009. Open auditions were held at Theatre Royal Stratford East, followed by recalls until the possible actors were reduced to eight and then four. Yorke described it as a "painful process" and they had difficulty finding someone to play Zsa Zsa Carter. Emer Kenny was cast in the role whilst writing the second episode. Yorke said "She was so good that we suddenly went, 'It's her\!'" Kenny said, "I'm really thrilled to have been given the opportunity to both write for and act in a show connected with such an iconic drama as EastEnders. Kids these days use their laptops more than their televisions, so it's really exciting to be a part of a project that's taking drama online and connecting with these viewers." To prepare for the role, Kenny had to disguise her "posh" accent, saying that when the director asked her what she would do about her voice, she travelled around the East End to listen to the way people spoke. On his casting in the role of Fatboy, television newcomer Ricky Norwood said, "It's an honour to now be a part of [the] show. I am born and bred in the East End [so] it feels like a homecoming." Norwood adapted his own use of slang into the character to "try and bring it and from a true place." Bunmi Mojekwu, who plays Mercy Olubunmi, commented "I feel so blessed to be part of EastEnders: E20. My first day on set was just crazy. I was on Albert Square – a dream come true – I'm enjoying every second." Sam Attwater, who previously appeared in five episodes of Hollyoaks, was cast as boxer Leon Small. On his casting, he commented, "It's a great privilege to be working with such great actors and on such an established show. It's an amazing opportunity and I'm really enjoying tackling a character like Leon who has so much going on," He prepared for the role by attending a gym, as the character has a lot of topless scenes. He said: "As soon as I heard that I was straight down the gym. Lots of crunches. Everyone said don't worry about it, but every time I did one of those scenes I had to watch it back and see how it looked because there will be 10 million people watching it. I want to be on the best form." The cast for series 2 were announced on 29 July 2010. Heshima Thompson and Tosin Cole were cast as brothers Asher and Sol Levi. Cole, who has previously starred in a modern adaptation of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, said, "It's a privilege to work on something so big but so different. Everyone is fantastic to work with. I'm really excited." Thompson, who has appeared in The Bill and Spooks, stated "It's a great project to be a part of and I get to dance so this is going to be fun." Emaa Hussen was cast as Naz Mehmet, her first professional acting role, on which she commented: "it's a really exciting place to start my career. I'm from East London and a big fan of EastEnders, which is one of the reasons I wanted to do the show." Finally, Amanda Fairbank-Hynes, who appeared in An Education, said of her casting as Stevie Dickinson, "It all happened so quickly but I'm really excited to be working on EastEnders. It's an amazing group of people and they are great to work with." Additionally, Hollyoaks actress Roxanne McKee, and dance acts Flawless and Avant Garde also make appearances. Flawless were asked to appear in the show by Sathe, who has previously worked with Marlon Wallen from the troupe. ## Broadcasting Each of the first series' episodes were made available on varying days of the week at 8.30pm via EastEnders' official website, starting on 8 January 2010 and ending on 25 January 2010. The series was also available in three omnibus shows on BBC iPlayer and via BBC Red Button after the EastEnders omnibus aired on BBC One. The first omnibus, comprising episodes 1–4, was available for one week from 17 January. The second omnibus was available for one week from 24 January, containing episodes 5–8. Episodes 9–12 were available as an omnibus from 31 January 2010. Additionally, the series was re-edited into three 30-minute editions and shown weekly on BBC Three from 23 April 2010. The second series began on 7 September 2010, with two episodes being made available weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays, excluding episode 2, which was available on a Wednesday. The series comprises 10 episodes in total of around 14 minutes each, and was also screened in five omnibus editions on BBC Three on Monday nights. Series 3 comprises 15 episodes of around 10 minutes each. Extra footage, such as video blogs and behind-the-scenes clips, is also available online. All episodes from all three series remain available to view on the BBC website. ## Characters Each series features new teenage characters who move to Walford, as well as cameos from existing characters from the main show. The characters are described as sixth form students trying to escape from "family problems and crises of their own making". Series 1 follows Zsa Zsa, Fatboy, Mercy and Leon, who move into 89b George Street in Walford. Leon, Fatboy and Zsa Zsa also appeared briefly in EastEnders in January 2010 before EastEnders: E20 started, and returned as regular characters when EastEnders: E20 ended. It was later announced that due to positive reaction to the character, Mercy would also join EastEnders later in 2010. Series 2 follows brothers Sol and Asher, plus Naz and Stevie. Sathe said there was a "good chance" that they would also appear in EastEnders at some point. Zsa Zsa, Mercy and Leon also have cameo appearances in series 2, and Fatboy has a recurring role. Series 3 follows newcomers Ava, Donnie and Faith, Mercy's sister. Donnie's younger sister, Riley, also appears along with Richard, a care worker. Naz and Sol also make a cameo appearance. Fatboy continues his recurring role, along with Mercy and Faith's grandmother Grace Olubunmi, and regular EastEnders character Zainab Masood. ## Reception ### Viewership and critical reception Between 8 and 21 January 2010, EastEnders: E20 material available via the EastEnders website and BBC iPlayer, including episodes, behind the scenes videos and extra content, received 1.7 million views. By 19 February 2010, the episodes had 2.8 million views with additional content pushing the total to 3.3 million. Santer was reported to be "knocked out" by the figures, saying: "For our little side project, something that started life as an experiment, to go so big is very exciting. I'm delighted in particular that the 13 young London writers who wrote the series have reached such an audience with their first professional work." EastEnders: E20's official Facebook fan page grew in membership from 100 to 5000 in a matter of hours after the spin-off started, and as of 19 February 2010, had over 16,000 fans. Yorke said that due to the popularity of the first series, they hoped to make further spin-offs. The first BBC Three omnibus edition on 23 April 2010 received 302,000 viewers and a 1.4% audience share according to overnight figures. by 13 October 2011, series 3 had gained viewing figures across both BBC Online and BBC Three of 1.2 million viewers, and a 50% increase in its online audience since it launched on 20 September 2011. Sathe commented: "I am thrilled to see E20 has sustained its position as a front-runner in online drama." Grace Dent of The Guardian described the series as "rather brilliant", while Patrick Smith of The Daily Telegraph called it "vibrant" and Tony Stewart of the Daily Mirror called Zsa Zsa an "impressive" character. However, website Watch With Mothers gave a negative review of the show, saying "there’s no need for it." After the first episode of series 2 was available, Scott Matthewman from The Stage said "while it's good to have more black and minority ethnic characters in the Square, by concentrating on a very narrow age range of characters it'll make it all the harder for any new blood to effectively mesh into the full show." ### Awards and nominations In 2010, EastEnders: E20 was shortlisted for a Banff World Television Festival award in the Original Online Programs category. In April 2011, the show was nominated for a Webby Award in the Drama category. Sathe commented on this: "I am so proud of what we have achieved with EastEnders: E20, and to be nominated for a Webby proves how far the series has come." The show went on to win the award, on which Yorke stated, "To win such a prestigious award is a huge honour for all the team—and proof that the EastEnders brand is as brave and innovatory as it was when it first started, a quarter of a century ago." In December 2011, Sathe won the Creative Innovation Award at the Women in TV & Film Awards for her work on E20. In 2012, Benta received a Screen Nation Awards nomination in the Emerging Talent category for his role as Donnie, while Adeyeye received a special mention for her role as Faith. The same year, the series was nominated in the Best Soap category at the Virgin Media TV Awards. ## See also - List of EastEnders television spin-offs - List of teen dramas - List of television programmes broadcast by the BBC - List of television spin-offs

Dunkery Hill

Hill in Somerset, England

Dunkery Beacon at the summit of Dunkery Hill is the highest point on Exmoor and in Somerset, England. It is also the highest point in southern England outside of Dartmoor. The sandstone hill rises to 519 metres (1,703 ft) and provides views over the surrounding moorland, the Bristol Channel and hills up to 86 miles (138 km) away. The site has been visited by humans since the Bronze Age, and contains several burial mounds in the form of cairns and bowl barrows. Sweetworthy on the lower slopes is the site of two Iron Age hill forts or enclosures and a deserted medieval settlement. The hill is part of a Site of Special Scientific Interest and National nature reserve. It was in private ownership until the 20th century, when it was donated to the National Trust by Sir Thomas Acland, Colonel Wiggin and Allan Hughes; a stone cairn was erected at the summit to commemorate the event. ## Location Dunkery is composed of Middle Devonian sedimentary rock, () known as the Hangman Sandstone Formation. This supports acidic soils. The ridge along the top of the hill is 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) long. At 519 metres (1,703 ft) ordnance datum (OD), the mean height above sea level, Dunkery Beacon is the highest natural point in Somerset, although the tip of the Mendip TV Mast is higher at 589 metres (1,932 ft) OD. Dunkery is ranked 23rd in the UK in terms of dominance and is a Marilyn, meaning that it is a peak with 150 metres (490 ft) or more of relative height. The nearest higher hill is Yes Tor, 37 miles (60 km) away. John Fry, a character in R. D. Blackmore's 1869 novel Lorna Doone, calls it the "haighest place of Hexmoor". Dunkery lies just four miles (6.4 km) from the Bristol Channel at Porlock. The shortest route of ascent goes from the car park at Dunkery Gate, and is just 0.75 miles (1.2 km) long. There are extensive views from the summit, from where the Bristol and English Channel coasts, the Brecon Beacons including Pen Y Fan, Bodmin Moor, Dartmoor, the Severn Bridges and Cleeve Hill 86 miles (138 km) away in Gloucestershire are visible. ## History Dunkery Hill was part of the "Royal Forest of Exmoor", established by Henry II according to the late 13th-century Hundred Rolls. There has been some debate about the origin of the name "Dunkery" and its predecessors "Duncrey" and "Dunnecray". Eilert Ekwall suggests that it comes from the Welsh din meaning hillfort and creic or creag meaning rock. There are several Bronze Age burial mounds at or near the summit. Two of the largest are Joaney How and Robin How, which have been damaged over many years, although plans have been made to restore and protect them. "How" comes from the Norse for burial mound. Joaney How on the northern slope, is more than 22 metres (72 ft) in diameter. On the southeastern slopes are four more cairns, and there are a further two round cairns 390 metres (1,280 ft) and 420 metres (1,380 ft) southeast of Rex Stile Head. In addition to the cairns are barrows, which also date from the Bronze Age. One bowl barrow on the southeastern spur of the Chains is 12.3 metres (40 ft) in diameter. A circular funerary stone mound 850 metres (2,790 ft) north of Dunkery Bridge, which is a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) walk from the summit, dates from the Neolithic or Bronze Age. It is approximately 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) high and 14 metres (46 ft) in diameter. Sweetworthy, on Dunkery Hill's north-facing slope, is the site of two Iron Age hillforts or enclosures; one has a single rampart and external ditch, enclosing 0.25 hectares (0.62 acres). The rampart is still visible, and the ditch on the east side is used as a trackway. There was a defended settlement above the main site. It is also the site of a deserted medieval settlement, which has been designated a scheduled monument. It has been added to the Heritage at Risk Register because of the vulnerability to plant growth. In 1918 Sir Thomas Acland granted to the National Trust a 500-year lease of a large part of the Holnicote Estate, including Dunkery Hill. Dunkery Hill was put up for sale in 1928. Labour Party activist and Member of Parliament Margaret Bondfield asked in the House of Commons if the government was willing to have it designated an ancient monument, to preserve it for future generations. She received the reply that although the government was agreeable to having the hill listed there were no funds available for its purchase; the beacon and surrounding mounds were subsequently designated an ancient monument. The beacon itself, and 960 acres (390 ha) of surrounding land, was donated in 1932 by Colonel W.W. Wiggin. A further 945 acres (382 ha) of nearby land was donated in 1934 by Mrs Hughes in memory of her husband Alan Hughes of Lynch Allerford, Minehead. The donations were commemorated in 1935 with an event when a plaque was attached to the summit memorial cairn. Further parts of the Holnicote Estate, which includes other land donated by the Acland family and others, was given in subsequent years. ## Ecology The site is part of the North Exmoor Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), part of the Dunkery & Horner Woods National Nature Reserve and part of the Exmoor Coastal Heaths Special Area of Conservation. The hill is blanketed in heather, which gives it a deep purple colour during the summer. Ling and bell heather, gorse, sessile oak, ash, rowan, hazel, bracken, mosses, liverworts, lichens and ferns all grow on the hill or in surrounding woodland, as well as some unique whitebeam species. Exmoor ponies, red deer, pied flycatchers, wood warblers, lesser spotted woodpeckers, redstarts, dippers, snipe, skylarks and kestrels are some of the fauna to be found on or around the hill and in nearby Horner Woods, home to 14 of the 16 UK bat species and including barbastelle and Bechstein's bats.

The City of Her Dreams

The City of Her Dreams is a 1910 American silent short drama produced by the Thanhouser Company. The film focuses on Ella Brown, who is sent to live with her aunt who living in a boarding house when her father heads to Alaska to prospect for gold. Ella's life at her aunt's home is miserable and she dreams of going to New York City. She dreams that she is in the city and has all money to buy anything which she fancies. Then she receives word that her father has returned from Alaska with a fortune and wants to give her everything she wants. The cast and staff credits are unknown, but the film includes scenes of New York City. The film was released on November 18, 1910 and saw a wide national release. The film is presumed lost. ## Plot Though the film is presumed lost, a synopsis survives in The Moving Picture World from November 19, 1910. It states: "Ella Brown is the only child of a poor widower. Their home is in a small town in the Middle West, and Ella has never seen New York (City), although she has always wanted to go there. Her father, finding times hard, decides to take a chance in the gold fields of Alaska, and when the play opens, is about to start there. He leaves Ella in the care of an aunt, a sour old person who runs a boarding house, who promptly makes a drudge out of the girl. As she has no other relatives, there is nothing for her to do except submit. Sitting in her room one evening, tired after a day's hard work, she looks at her two treasured magazines, one showing views of her pet city and the other giving the latest fashion. The girl is filled with a longing to travel and wear pretty clothes, and falls asleep. In her dream she is transported to New York, where she finds enough money to enable her to buy all the pretty things she admires. Ella greatly enjoys her visit, and is extremely unhappy when she wakes up. But she finds that her dream will become reality before long, for her father has returned from the gold fields with a fortune and a desire to fulfill all the wishes of his pretty daughter." ## Production The writer of the scenario is unknown, but it was most likely Lloyd Lonergan. He was an experienced newspaperman employed by The New York Evening World while writing scripts for the Thanhouser productions. The film director is unknown, but it may have been Barry O'Neil or Lucius J. Henderson. Cameramen employed by the company during this era included Blair Smith, Carl Louis Gregory, and Alfred H. Moses, Jr. though none are specifically credited. The role of the cameraman was uncredited in 1910 productions. The cast credits are unknown, but many 1910 Thanhouser productions are fragmentary. In late 1910, the Thanhouser company released a list of the important personalities in their films. The list includes G.W. Abbe, Justus D. Barnes, Frank H. Crane, Irene Crane, Marie Eline, Violet Heming, Martin J. Faust, Thomas Fortune, George Middleton, Grace Moore, John W. Noble, Anna Rosemond, Mrs. George Walters. The plot of the film focuses on the father who leaves during the Alaska gold rush, possibly referring to the Klondike Gold Rush or the Nome Gold Rush, both of which had concluded by the time the film was produced. The dreams of Ella were shot in New York City. Bowers states, "It is evident that Edwin Thanhouser loved New York City, for over the years he used it as a background for numerous films in scenarios which often played upon its faults, but which on balance depicted the city as the ultimate destination for those seeking culture and entertainment. Indeed, Edwin himself was to spend the final years of his life there - in an apartment on Fifth Avenue. By using a scenic background such as New York City - or Coney Island, or Niagara Falls - Thanhouser created films which had two appeals, that of a travelogue in addition to whatever merits the plot might have had." ## Release and reception The single reel drama, approximately 1,000 feet long, was released on November 18, 1910. The film had a wide national release, with advertising theaters known in Kansas, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Arizona, Missouri, Texas, and Pennsylvania. The only known trade publication review is by The Moving Picture World and it is a positive one. The reviewer states, "A clear presentation of the visions of a child who wanted to go to the city. The vision is, perhaps, a bit more beatific than the actual city, but it unquestionably represents the imagined city of those who have never seen it. The awakening was rude, but happily the vision becomes real when the father appears with sufficient money to take the dreamer to the city for which she has longed. The acting and mechanical work on this picture are both of excellent quality." Another minor review of theater productions in the Arkansas City Daily Traveler said it was a good production. ## See also - List of American films of 1910

Tonga at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Tonga participated in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom, which were held from 27 July to 12 August 2012. The country's participation in London marked its eighth appearance in the Summer Olympics since its debut at the 1984 Summer Olympics. The delegation included three competitors: two in athletics, Joseph Andy Lui and ʻAna Poʻuhila, along with one short distance swimmer Amini Fonua. The latter entry was Tonga's first appearance in Olympic swimming competition. Lui and Fonua qualified through wildcard places while Po'uhila made the games by meeting qualification standards. Fonua was selected as the flag bearer for the opening ceremony while Lui held it at the closing ceremony. Lui and Fonua failed to progress farther than the preliminary round of their respective events while Po'uhila finished 29th in the heat stage of the women's shot put contest. ## Background Tonga participated in eight Summer Olympic Games between its debut at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, United States and the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England. The country sent its largest delegation to an Olympic Games with seven to the 1984 Summer Olympics. No Tongan athlete has ever won a medal at the Olympic Games. Tonga participated in the London Summer Games between 27 July to 12 August 2012. The Tongan National Olympic Committee (NOC) selected two athletes through wildcard places. Usually, an NOC would be able to enter up to three qualified athletes in each individual event as long as each athlete met the "A" standard, or one athlete per event if they met the "B" standard. However, since Tonga had no athletes that met either standard, they were allowed to select two athletes, one of each gender, as wildcards. The three athletes that were selected by Tonga to compete at the London Games were Joseph Andy Lui in the men's 100 metres, ʻAna Poʻuhila in the women's shot put contest and Amini Fonua in the men's 100 metre breaststroke. The country's male Olympic football team failed to qualify after being defeated by New Zealand 10-0 in their last group stage match in the OFC Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Along with the three athletes, the country's delegation was led by its chef de mission Ahongalu Fusimalohi. Fonwa was selected as the flag bearer for the opening ceremony while Lui held it at the closing ceremony. Fusimalochi said in June 2012 that the team hoped ten athletes would be qualified, but after that did not occur, he expected that the competitor's performance in London will inspire participants who wanted to compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. ## Athletics At the age of 20, Joseph Andy Lui was the youngest person to represent Tonga at the London Games. He had not taken part in any previous Olympic Games, Lui qualified for the Games by using a wildcard because his fastest time of 10.82 seconds, set at the 2011 Oceania Athletics Championships, was 0.58 seconds slower than the "B" qualifying standard for his event, the men's 100 metres. In preparation for the games he trained in his native Tonga and spent one month in Gold Coast, Queensland. Lui was drawn in the first heat of the preliminary round on 4 August, finishing fourth out of seven athletes, with a time of 11.17 seconds. He finished in front of Mohan Khan of Bangladesh (11.25 seconds) but behind Guinea-Bissau's Holder da Silva (10.69 seconds) in a heat led by Bruno Rojas from Bolivia (10.62 seconds). Overall Liu placed 65th out of 75 runners and did not advance into the first round because his time was 0.48 seconds slower than Da' Silva's time who progressed him into the later stages. After the Games he said to ABC Radio Australia that while he did not expect to run quickly, he expressed his desire to represent Tonga at the Rio Games. ʻAna Poʻuhila was the oldest person (and the sole female athlete) to take part for Tonga at the London Olympic Games at the age of 32. She had participated in the previous two Olympic Games in Athens and Beijing. Po'uhila gained entry into the Games by meeting qualification standards because her best throw of 16.40 metres, set at the 2011 Pacific Games, was 0.90 metres better than the "B" qualifying standard for the women's shot put competition. She spent time in Auckland preparing for the Games. During the qualifying heat of her event, which took place on 7 August, the Tongan field athlete was placed in the sixteen-person second heat. Po'uhila was given three attempts to put the shot as far as she could. During the first attempt, she lobbed the shot 15.80 metres, ranking 14th in her heat. Po'uhila was unable to best the ranking on her ranking when she lobbed it 15.75 metres, placing 11th amongst those who threw during the second try. Her third and final attempt, 15.11 metres, did not beat her first attempt. Using her best mark, 15.80 metres, Po'uhila placed 29th out of 30 athletes who completed the event. She finished ahead of Elena Smolyanova of Uzbekistan (14.42 metres) but behind Taiwan's Lin Chia-ying (17.43 metres) in a heat led by Yevgeniya Kolodko of Russia (19.31 metres). Of the 30 athletes who finished the event Po'uhila finished in 29th, and did not progress into the final. - Key - Men - Women ## Swimming Competing at his first Olympics, Amini Fonua was the sole representative to compete in Swimming on Tonga's behalf. He qualified for the games by gaining a universality place from FINA because his time of one minute and 4.02 seconds did not reach the "A" (Olympic Qualifying Time) or "B" (FINA/Olympic Invititional Time) standard entry times for his event, the men's 100 metre breaststroke. Fonua's qualification meant Tonga made their first appearance in Olympic swimming competition. He spent time training in the United States in preparation for the Olympics. In an interview before the Games Fonua stated it was an honour to be his country's first Olympic swimmer and hoped he would not be the only such competitor. He was drawn in the contest's first heat on 28 July, finishing first out of four swimmers, with a time of one minute and 3.65 seconds. Fonua was ahead of the nearest-placed finisher Mubarak Al-Besher of the United Arab Emirates (one minute and 5.26 seconds). Overall he placed 41st out of 44 competitors and was unable to advance into the semi-final after finishing 3.07 seconds slower than the slowest athlete who made the next stage. - Men ## See also - Tonga at the 2012 Summer Paralympics

Border Down

2003 video game

Border Down is a horizontally scrolling shooter video game developed and published by G.rev. It was released in Japanese arcades in April 2003 on Sega NAOMI hardware, and was ported to the Dreamcast later that year. The story takes place in the future where humans are defending their Mars colony from an invading alien attack. The game employs a "border system" where each stage has three variations of different difficulty. The player starts on the easiest variation, and is lowered to a more difficult variation with each subsequent loss of a life. Producer Hiroyuki Maruyama was heavily inspired by Taito's shooter Metal Black (1991) and founded G.rev with ex-Taito employees specifically to develop a shooter of his own. The team of five did subcontract work to gather funding and build their skills programming NAOMI arcade hardware. Among the projects they worked on were Treasure's Ikaruga (2001) and Gradius V (2004). Due to lack of funds, they were not able to realize all the ideas they conceptualized for the game. Border Down was released to mixed reception, but was commercially successful and continues to maintain a steady interest from shooter fans. G.rev went on to make other shoot 'em ups including Senko no Ronde and Under Defeat. ## Gameplay Border Down is a side-scrolling shoot 'em up set in a futuristic setting. Centuries after humans have colonized Mars, hostile aliens begin attacking the planet. The Mars defense force mobilizes and launch a new type of unmanned aircraft. The player takes on the role of a pilot, controlling the aircraft through a remote control interface. The game's name is derived from its "border system". Each stage has three parallel variations, or "borders" of varying difficulty. The player starts on the easiest border ("green"), and if they lose a life, drop to "yellow", and then finally the difficult "red" border. If the player loses a life in the red border, it is game over, though a continue option can be unlocked through repeated play. Each border is slightly different from the others, usually featuring other enemies and modified stage layouts and backgrounds. The final stage and ending are determined by the amount of time spent in each border during a playthrough. The Dreamcast version also features a "Remix mode" with new enemy attack patterns. The ship's main weapon can either be fired as a continuous barrage of bullets by holding down the fire button, or as a set of homing missiles by tapping it. A power meter slowly fills up over time which determines the strength of the ship's weaponry. It can also be boosted by destroying enemies. This meter can also power a secondary laser attack, which has an additional function of canceling out any boss attack, reflecting it back at them. Using the laser comes at a cost, as it drains the meter and therefore weakens the main weapon. ## Development Border Down was developed and published by G.rev, a team founded by producer Hiroyuki Maruyama with the explicit purpose to develop a shoot 'em up. The team consisted of five ex-Taito employees: three programmers, one designer, and Maruyama himself. After founding the company in July 2000, he first needed to build capital and give his team an opportunity to learn the skills and techniques to develop a shooter. They were able to gather most of the funds through producing their first game, Doki Doki Idol Star Seeker (2001), a puzzle game for the Sega's NAOMI arcade board. The remaining amount was accumulated through freelance work, including subcontract work with Treasure on two shooters, Ikaruga (2001) and Gradius V (2004). Ikaruga gave G.rev the key experience of programming for NAOMI hardware. The initial concept for Border Down took root with Maruyama before he founded G.rev. He was heavily inspired by Taito's shooter Metal Black (1991), specifically the game's "Beam Level" system. He also borrowed ideas from his experiences with producing G-Darius (1997) with Taito, particularly the game's branching level system which inspired the border system in Border Down. With a parallel world system like this, the team would not need to develop as many distinct levels. This was one of the few parts of his original concept that was kept in the final game. For visual inspiration, Maruyama pulled from Kim Stanley Robinson's science fiction novel Red Mars. The music was composed by Yasuhisa Watanabe, who also composed the music to Metal Black and was the only member of the staff who had worked on the 1991 shooter. The team had to cut a significant amount of material due to lack of funds. In particular Maruyama wanted to flesh out the ending and opening cinematics. They also had plans for more visual flair, including background details and explosion effects, but had to cut about a third of these ideas because of the NAOMI's graphical limitations. They commissioned help for extra sound and design work. In Game One's 2006 French TV documentary Japon: Histoire du Shooting Game, Maruyama said that all he wanted was to make Border Down and would have been happy if G.rev collapsed afterwards. ## Release Border Down was released in Japanese arcades on 25 April 2003. It was common for NAOMI shooters to be ported to Sega's home console, the Dreamcast, making a significant portion of the aging console's extended output. Sega had effectively ceased support for the system in the west by this time, but some support remained in Japan. Although a Dreamcast conversion would seem like an obvious choice with it being a NAOMI game, G.rev spent time considering which console was most suitable for a home port. They decided against the PlayStation 2 because the game would have needed a complete rebuild from the ground up. As for the GameCube, they believed Border Down was not suited for the system's audience. With these factors, along with the ease of porting NAOMI games to the Dreamcast, they chose Sega's home console. According to Edge and Jeuxvideo.com, a fan petition for a Dreamcast port was another factor. The simplicity of the porting process left G.rev with more time to add the Remix mode. The Dreamcast port was released a few months after the arcade version, on 25 September 2003. If bought through Sega Direct, the game came with a Border Down branded mouse pad. In addition to the standard version, 3000 limited edition copies were produced that came bundled with the soundtrack. The soundtrack contains tracks not included in the original game, and was also sold separately. Maruyama was prepared to fold G.rev if Border Down was not successful, but the number of customer orders at launch exceeded G.rev and Sega's expectations, so they continued producing new copies until they felt demand was met. Border Down has seen continued interest post-release. A second volume to the soundtrack was released on 13 May 2004 through Sega Direct, containing tracks from the Remix mode and an original track by Watanabe. By 2007, Japanese retailer Messe Sanoh was still seeing demand for the game, and so requested Sega and G.rev for another production run. Their request was granted; a second run was produced and sold exclusively through Messe Sanoh retailers beginning on 17 January 2008. Both production runs included, less than 20,000 copies were sold. It has since become one of the most coveted Japanese exclusives for Dreamcast collectors. In 2011, Maruyama said that he would consider rereleasing Border Down or his 2005 game Under Defeat on modern platforms. Under Defeat was rereleased in 2012 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. A resin kit for the player ship from Border Down was released in February 2013. ## Reception Initial reactions to the arcade release were mixed. Maruyama recalled: "It's a really individualistic type of game, so when we first released it [in the arcades] it received both positive and negative reactions". Edge gave the Dreamcast version a 6 out of 10, feeling that the game had all the ingredients to be an outstanding shooter, but lacked the energy to push it to that next level. They explained that Border Down lacked the intensity to frighten players, and felt that good shooters need that type of panic inducing gameplay. In retrospect, Eurogamer called Border Down "arguably [G.rev's] best game", among the likes of Senko no Ronde and Under Defeat. Retro Gamer called it one of the highest regarded late-era releases for the Dreamcast. Kurt Kalata of Hardcore Gaming 101 wrote that the game remains popular with hardcore shoot 'em up fans, but found it hard to recommend given its high price tag within secondary markets. Jeuxvideo.com believed it to be the best horizontal shooter for the Dreamcast. Kalata and Jeuxvideo.com agreed that the game had excellent replayability due to the border and scoring systems. Retro Gamer thought the graphics were good for the game's limited budget, and Jeuxvideo.com agreed, but Kalata believed they were bland outside of some interesting backgrounds. Regarding the music, Retro Gamer wrote that it was "strong enough to stand on its own", while Kalata and Jeuxvideo.com felt it was strange synth and techno jazz. Kalata felt gameplay similarities to the Darius series, while Jeuxvideo.com called it a great mix of classic style shooters like R-Type and more modern manic shooters.

Harriet Frank Jr.

American screenwriter and producer (1923–2020)

Harriet Frank Jr. (born Harriet Goldstein; March 2, 1923 – January 28, 2020) was an American screenwriter and producer. Working with her husband Irving Ravetch, Frank received many awards during her career, including the New York Film Critics Circle Awards and the Writers Guild of America Award, and several nominations. Frank began her writing career after World War II, under Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's young writer's training program, where she first met her future husband. She married Ravetch in 1946 but worked independently for ten years, finally collaborating with him in 1957, a relationship that continued for the remainder of her career. During 33 years of collaboration, Frank and Ravetch created the screenplays for a variety of films, mainly adaptations of the works of American authors. Frank and Ravetch maintained a close working relationship with director Martin Ritt, collaborating with him on eight film projects. After initially being suggested by Ravetch to direct The Long, Hot Summer (1958), Ritt eventually drew the couple out of inactivity on three occasions, hiring them to write the screenplays for Norma Rae (1979), Murphy's Romance (1985) and Stanley & Iris (1990). The last was both the last film directed by Ritt (who died later that year) and the last screenplay by Frank and Ravetch. Frank is a primary focus of The Mighty Franks: A Memoir (2017), written by her nephew Michael Frank, a writer of fiction and non-fiction. She has a prominent, fictionalized role in the stage play Writer's Cramp, written by her other nephew, the playwright Joshua Ravetch and performed at The Geffen Playhouse with Holland Taylor and Robert Forster in the A.S.K. in 2009. ## Life and career ### Early life Harriet Frank Jr. was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, the daughter of Edith Frances (Bergman) and Sam Goldstein, a shoe store owner. Her mother changed the family name to Frank, and her own name to Harriet, making herself Harriet Sr. and her daughter Harriet Jr. In 1939, she relocated with her family to Los Angeles, where her mother worked as a Hollywood story editor; her father attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) at the same time as Irving Ravetch, her future husband. Having graduated at different times from UCLA, the two met in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer young writers' training program after World War II. The couple married in 1946, but worked independently for over 10 years, with Frank writing for projects such as A Really Important Person (short, 1947), Whiplash (1948) and Run for Cover (1955). In 1953, Frank also wrote the novella The Man From Saturn, a humorous science fiction tale that first appeared in Amazing Stories magazine, and was later published as a chapbook. The couple first collaborated on the script of an adaptation of William Faulkner's novel The Hamlet, released as The Long, Hot Summer (1958), but Frank later said "in the end, we created mostly new material, so it wasn't really a true adaptation". ### Collaborations Martin Ritt, having directed The Long, Hot Summer on suggestion by Ravetch, then directed the couple's next collaboration The Sound and the Fury (1959), again an adaptation of a William Faulkner novel. Frank and Ravetch collaborated on two films released in 1960, Home from the Hill, an adaptation of the novel of the same name, and The Dark at the Top of the Stairs, an adaptation of a Tony award-winning play. Frank and Ravetch reunited with Martin Ritt to write the screenplay for Hud (1963), adapted from the novel Horseman, Pass By (1961) by Larry McMurtry. The film received positive reviews by the critics, with the couple sharing a New York Film Critics Circle Award for "Best Screenplay" and a Writers Guild of America Award (WGA Award) for Best Written American Drama. They were nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. Frank worked alongside her husband and Ritt on Hombre (1967), a Revisionist Western based on the novel of the same name. The next year, Frank and Ravetch wrote the screenplay for House of Cards (1968, released in the U.S. the following year and directed by John Guillermin. For House of Cards, Frank was credited, together with her husband, under the pen name of James P. Bonner. Frank and Ravetch returned to the works of William Faulkner, writing the screenplay for a film adaptation of his last novel The Reivers (1969). Frank and Ravetch wrote the screenplay for The Cowboys (1972), based on the novel of the same name, and The Carey Treatment (also 1972), based on the novel A Case of Need by Michael Crichton. For the latter, the couple were credited under James P. Bonner, the last time they adopted the pen name. The couple reunited with Martin Ritt to write the screenplay for Conrack (1974), based on the autobiographical book The Water Is Wide, with Frank also working as producer. The film was commercially and critically well-received, winning a BAFTA award. The couple wrote for an adaptation of the novel The Bank Robber, released as The Spikes Gang (also 1974). Around this time, Frank also wrote the novels Single: a novel (1977), and Special Effects (1979). ### Later screenplays Frank and Ravetch next project, Norma Rae (1979), was another collaboration with director Martin Ritt. The film tells the story of a factory worker from the Southern United States who becomes involved in labour union activities. Unusually, for the couple, the film was based on a true story, that of Crystal Lee Jordan. It was arguably their best received film, winning numerous awards, including two Academy Awards. Another six years passed before the couple's next filmed screenplay, this time for the romantic comedy Murphy's Romance (1985), based on a novel by Max Schott. They worked again with director Martin Ritt, their seventh project together, and with Sally Field, who played the titular lead role in Norma Rae. Despite Murphy's Romance being well-received (it was nominated for two Academy Awards), it was five years before another Frank and Ravetch screenplay was shot; hired by Martin Ritt, the couple wrote the screenplay for Stanley & Iris (1990), loosely based on the novel Union Street by British writer Pat Barker. ### Death Frank Jr. died at her home in Los Angeles on January 28, 2020, at age 96. ### Legacy Ten months after the release of Stanley & Iris, on December 8, 1990, Martin Ritt died. Together, the trio of Frank, Ravetch and Ritt had collaborated on eight films and achieved considerable successes. As well as being the last film for Ritt, Stanley & Iris marked the end of Frank and Ravetch's writing careers. In a career spanning 43 years and 21 film productions, Harriet Frank Jr. won four awards and received many nominations, sharing them all with her husband. As well as with her husband and Martin Ritt, Frank collaborated extensively with actors such as Paul Newman, writing for three of his film appearances (The Long, Hot Summer, Hud, and Hombre). ## Filmography ## Awards and nominations

United Opposition of Serbia (1990)

Political coalition in Serbia

The United Opposition of Serbia (, abbr. UOS) was a coalition of opposition political parties in Serbia formed in June 1990. The coalition was ideologically heterogeneous, and its membership fluctuated throughout its existence. The main members were the Democratic Party (DS) and the Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO). UOS organised protests in June and September 1990, calling for multi-party elections in the first protest, and a ninety-day election campaign, more television airtime for the opposition, and representation in bodies that would oversee the 1990 Serbian parliamentary elections in the second protest. While each of the political parties campaigned independently in the first round of the parliamentary elections, they urged their supporters to vote for opposition candidates "regardless of their political affiliation" in the second round run-offs. Members of UOS parties won 28 out of the total 250 seats, with SPO getting 19 and DS getting 7. Following the 1990 elections, UOS organised the March 1991 protests in Belgrade as well as anti-war protests after the Yugoslav Wars broke out. The coalition was dissolved on 22 May 1991, in favour of the more nationalist-orientated United Serbian Democratic Opposition. ## History ### Background and pre-election activities With the dissolution of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia (SKJ) after the 14th Congress, constituent republics of Yugoslavia such as Slovenia and Croatia held their first multi-party elections, paving the way for a transition to liberal democracy. In Serbia, Slobodan Milošević, the president of the presidency of the Socialist Republic of Serbia, was initially opposed to the introduction of a multi-party system and free elections. Despite this, opposition parties began to form in late 1989 and early 1990; this included the Democratic Party (DS) and the Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO). DS and SPO supported the adoption of a multi-party system, and on 30 May 1990 they demanded a roundtable meeting between the opposition and the government to discuss the adoption of a multi-party system and new election laws. On the same day, DS, SPO, Liberal Party (LS), People's Radical Party (NRS), and Social Democratic Party of Yugoslavia (SDPJ) jointly declared that they would organise a protest on 13 June. These parties, further joined by Democratic Forum (DF) and Serbian Saint Sava Party (SSS), formed a coordination body for the planned protest, effectively creating the United Opposition of Serbia (UOS). The government responded to the demand for talks, and a roundtable was held on 8 June. At the roundtable, the opposition and the government could not agree on whether to first adopt a new constitution or organise multi-party elections; the government wanted to adopt a new constitution first. The Constitutional Commission of the Assembly of SR Serbia said a day later that multi-party elections could not be held in accordance with the then-constitution of Serbia, and announced that a draft of a new constitution that would address the issue would be published in July and proclaimed in December 1990, following which multi-party elections would be held. The 13 June protest began at the Republic Square in Belgrade, and was attended by between 8,000 and 70,000 people. This was the first anti-government protest in Serbia since World War II. At the protest, UOS ordered that the government organise free multi-party elections and adopt a new media law. The Radio Television of Belgrade (RTB) covered the protest negatively, and the government labelled the protest as "anti-Serbian". The demonstrators criticised RTB's negative reporting on the opposition, and demanded the resignation of director Dušan Mitević. Once the demonstrators arrived in front of the RTB building, police intervened, and demonstrators, including DS president Dragoljub Mićunović and member Borislav Pekić, were physically beaten. Milošević refused to work with the opposition after the protest and unexpectedly announced on 25 June that a constitutional referendum would be held on 1 and 2 July. The opposition wanted the referendum to be postponed until after the first multi-party elections, urging a boycott if their demands were not met. Despite these calls, the referendum saw a turnout of 78% and a 97% approval for the new constitution. Shortly after the referendum, Serbia introduced a multi-party system, and the Serbian branch of SKJ was transformed into the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), with Milošević as its president. The new constitution was proclaimed on 28 September and parliamentary elections were then called for 9 December. ### Election activities On 12 September, UOS parties staged another protest, calling for a ninety-day campaign period, more television airtime, and representation on the bodies that would oversee the upcoming election. Members of UOS threatened to boycott the elections if these changes were not made. Milošević rejected the demands. Following the introduction of the new constitution, UOS parties gathered on 1 October, this time together with the People's Party (NS), to restate their call for changes. However, following the meeting, UOS parties began to disagree on the question of a boycott; SPO supported it, while DS and NRS opposed it. Mićunović said that, in case of a boycott, opposition parties would "leave a clear space for the existing government, and we would deprive our own sympathisers of the opportunity to choose" (ostavljamo čist prostor postojećoj vlasti, a sopstvene simpatizere lišavamo mogućnosti da biraju). UOS came together on the issue of an election boycott in mid-November, when most opposition parties declared one at a joint press conference after the government refused to meet their demands. By 25 November, the number of parties declaring an election boycott had increased to approximately 40. The government believed that a boycott would undermine international acceptance of the election results. On 26 November, the government accepted the UOS's demands and the boycott was cancelled. The parliamentary elections for the National Assembly of Serbia were conducted under a first-past-the-post, two-round voting system with single-member constituencies. For a candidate to be elected in the first round, they had to win at least 50% of the popular vote in their constituency. The first round results on 9 December showed that Milošević's SPS won 87 out of the 250 seats outright, while UOS member parties did not win any. UOS was formalised as an ad hoc alliance for the second round of the parliamentary elections on 12 December. A document under which signatories promised to run a coordinated campaign in the second round was signed by DS, SPO, NRS, NS, Union of Reform Forces of Yugoslavia in Serbia (SRSJS), People's Peasant Party (NSS), Association for the Yugoslav Democratic Initiative (UJDI), and New Democracy – Movement for Serbia. Signatory parties campaigned under the slogan "We won\!" (Pobedili smo\!). In the second round, the candidate with the most votes in each constituency would win the seat. While the UOS parties campaigned together, each of their candidates was still listed under the name of their respective party. In the end, Milošević's SPS won 194 out of the 250 seats in the National Assembly, while UOS members won just 28 seats: 19 for SPO, 7 for DS, and 1 each for NSS and UJDI. ### Post-election activities Following the elections, UOS organised mass protests in March 1991. This was primarily led by SPO. Protesters called for the resignation of senior officials of RTB. The government sought to have the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) intervene and break up the protest. Borisav Jović, the president of the collective presidency of Yugoslavia, was tasked with persuading other constituent republics to permit such an intervention. Jović claimed that demonstrators were trying to take over the Yugoslav General Staff building, and that the police were unable to manage the protest. Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina were opposed to JNA intervention, while Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, and Vojvodina were in favour. Yugoslav Minister of Defence Veljko Kadijević eventually allowed JNA to intervene in the protests, and tanks were brought to the streets of Belgrade for the first time since 20 October 1944. Amidst the protests, Vuk Drašković, the president of SPO, was detained. Drašković was set free on 12 March, part of a series of prisoner releases that helped lead to an end to the protests on 14 March. By 20 March 1991, DS, SPO, DF, NSS, SRSJS, and UDJI were participating in UOS. UOS organised another protest on 27 March, demanding snap elections and a change of government. In an opinion poll conducted by the Institute for Political Studies after the protests, UOS had 49% of support in Belgrade, while SPS only had 29% of support; the protests contributed to their rise in popularity. This was a shift from the 1990 parliamentary elections, where UOS parties received 31% of the popular vote in Belgrade while SPS received 34%. The increase in UOS support was primarily driven by the 9–14 March protests. In late May, talks among UOS members, in addition to the newly-formed Serbian Liberal Party, began regarding the formation of a "new, stronger alliance" (novog, čvršćeg saveza) that would be more Serbian nationalist-oriented, which would be called the United Serbian Democratic Opposition (USDO). This resulted in the exclusion of the Yugoslav UJDI and leftist NSS from the coalition. UOS was succeeded by USDO on 22 May. ## Organisation ### Ideology and platform UOS was an ideologically heterogeneous grouping, united by the goal of bringing about multi-party politics, and opposition to ruling SPS. Their programme during the 1990 election advocated the implementation of a parliamentary system of governance and a proportional representation electoral system. All UOS parties called for their voters to vote for opposition candidates in the second round "regardless of their political affiliation" (nezavisno od njegove stranačke pripadnosti). Following the beginning of the Yugoslav Wars in 1991, UOS organised anti-war protests. In a March 1991 opinion poll, a majority of students, the educated, the unemployed, and private and public sector workers preferred UOS over SPS. ### Members The parties participating in the UOS fluctuated throughout its existence. The following table lists political parties that were affiliated with UOS at some point between June 1990 and May 1991. ## Electoral performance ### Parliamentary elections

Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid, BWV 58

Church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach

Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid (Ah God, how much heartbreak), BWV 58, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach. He composed the dialogue cantata in Leipzig for the Sunday after New Year's Day. The text has been attributed to Christoph Birkmann by Christine Blanken of the Bach-Archiv Leipzig. He combined the topics of the readings, the gospel of the Flight into Egypt and teaching about the suffering of Christians from the First Epistle of Peter, in a structure of unusual symmetry with a duet as the first and last of the five movements. Both duets are dialogues of the Soul, represented by a soprano, and Jesus, sung by a bass as the vox Christi (voice of Christ). Both duets are set as a chorale fantasia, combining a stanza from a hymn, sung by the soprano as the cantus firmus, with original poetry set in counterpoint. Both stanzas are sung to the same melody, but come from different hymns, Martin Moller's "Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid", and Martin Behm's "Herr Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht". While the poet wrote the duets to fit the same music, Bach composed them in contrast, even changing the meter of the tune, to fit the different mood: lamenting heartbreak in the beginning, comfort in the end. Bach scored the work for a small Baroque instrumental ensemble of originally just strings and continuo, probably intended to ease the workload of musicians for the Christmas season. In a later version, he added a trio of oboes to the outer movements. Bach counted the work as part of his cycle of chorale cantatas, which he had begun in 1724. It was presumably first performed on 5 January 1727. ## History and text Bach composed the dialogue cantata the Sunday after New Year's Day, probably of 1727. This occasion happens only in years with a Sunday between New Year's Day and Epiphany on 6 January. The prescribed readings for the day are from the First Epistle of Peter, the suffering of Christians (), and from the Gospel of Matthew, the Flight into Egypt (). In his first year as Thomaskantor (director of church music) in Leipzig, Bach had composed Schau, lieber Gott, wie meine Feind, BWV 153, for this occasion. The text has been attributed in 2015 to Christoph Birkmann, a theologian and student of Bach, by Christine Blanken of the Bach-Archiv Leipzig. He retells the topic of the gospel in the first recitative, and expands it to the journey, suffering and perils of the contemporary Christian, with a focus on the contrast between suffering on Earth and joy in Heaven. The two outer movements are unusually similar, both duets of the Soul and Jesus, using a hymn stanza and free text. The first movements includes the first stanza of "Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid", published by Martin Moller in 1587; the last movement includes the second stanza of Martin Behm's "Herr Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht", published in 1610 in the second volume of the collection Centuria precationum rhythmicarum. The melody is the same for both hymns and first appeared in Wolflein Lochamer's Lochamer-Liederbuch (around 1455). The poet's own verse for the two movements is also similar, as if the author expected the composer to repeat the music, but Bach set them differently, even contrasting. Bach performed the cantata presumably first on 5 January 1727. He performed it again on 4 January 1733 or 3 January 1734. Only this later version survived, for which Bach had added oboes to the orchestra and wrote a new third movement. The surviving continuo part of the original aria suggests a significantly different character. As only the continuo part of the first version of the central aria movement survived, it is unknown if the text was also changed. Bach counted the work as part of his cycle of chorale cantatas, which he had begun in 1724/25. In that year's Christmas season, the Sunday fell between Christmas and New Year, a different occasion with different prescribed readings. Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid is not similar to the early works of that cycle which focus on one Lutheran hymn, such as a cantata on Moller's hymn, Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid, BWV 3, composed for the second Sunday after Epiphany of 1725. According to the Bach scholar Alfred Dürr, the cantata is "to be numbered among the successors of the seventeenth-century dialogue compositions as a 'Dialogue of the Faithful Soul with God'". ## Scoring and structure Bach structured the cantata in five movements in a symmetrical arrangement of two framing duets surrounding recitatives and a central aria. Bach scored the work for two vocal soloists (soprano (S) and bass (B)), and a Baroque instrumental ensemble of originally two violins (Vl), viola (Va), and basso continuo. John Eliot Gardiner, who conducted the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage in 2000, notes that the scoring for just two voices and strings was probably intended to ease the workload of musicians who had a busy time during the Christmas season. In the later version, Bach added a trio of two oboes (Ob) and taille (Ot). The duration is given as 17 minutes. In the following table of the movements, the scoring follows the Neue Bach-Ausgabe of the later version. The keys and time signatures are taken from the book on all cantatas by the Bach scholar Alfred Dürr, using the symbols for common time (4/4). The continuo, playing throughout, is not shown. |} ## Music The structure of the piece is unusually symmetric. It opens and closes with a duet including a chorale text. Harmonically, the piece begins and ends in C major, and the central movement is in D minor. The second movement modulates from A minor to F major, while the fourth movement mirrors this motion. ### 1 The first movement, "Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid" (Ah, God, how much heartache), is a chorale fantasia, with the soprano, representing the Soul, singing the cantus firmus, reinforced by the taille, while the bass as the vox Christi (voice of Christ) delivers original verse in counterpoint to the melody. The melody is tonal but with a "very chromatic subtext". The movement, marked Adagio, begins with a ritornello of strings doubled by oboes. A dotted-rhythm figure, characteristic of a French overture, dominates the music. A figure of lament appears first in the continuo, then also in the upper voices. The ritornello recurs midway through the movement. ### 2 The secco bass recitative, "Verfolgt dich gleich die arge Welt" (Though the angry world might persecute you), is chromatic and in two sections: the first describes a history of persecution related to the Flight into Egypt with "striding angular phrases", while the second section emphasizes the presence of God using a gentler and smoother melodic line. ### 3 The third movement, "Ich bin vergnügt in meinem Leiden" (I am cheerful in my sorrow), is a soprano aria with an obbligato solo violin. The da capo movement describes the spirit's confidence in God. The first section includes a "motto theme" transitioning into a "hectic" violin melody. The middle section is characterized by a "muscular" soprano line and "oddly bizarre" solo violin. The first section returns modified and unheralded. ### 4 The soprano recitative, "Kann es die Welt nicht lassen" (If the world cannot cease), begins by recounting persecution, but quickly becomes an arioso with a walking continuo. ### 5 The final movement, "Ich hab für mir ein schwere Reis" (I have a difficult journey before me), opens with a triad fanfare, which the bass voice sings on the words "Nur getrost" (Be comforted). It is similar to a motif in Bach's Violin Concerto in E Major, BWV 1042. The soprano reprises the chorale melody in duple rather than the original triple time, with a responding line in the bass voice. After two phrases, the ritornello plays alone for eight measures before both voices re-enter in counterpoint to complete the chorale. ## Recordings - Karl Ristenpart, RIAS Kammerchor, RIAS-Kammerorchester, The RIAS Bach Cantatas Project (1949–1952), Recorded 1952, Published 2012. - Frank Brieff, Bach Aria Group, Bach Aria Group, Decca, 1960. - Karl Richter, Münchener Bach-Chor, Münchener Bach-Orchester, Bach Cantatas Vol. 1 – Advent and Christmas. Archiv Produktion, 1970. - Helmuth Rilling, Gächinger Kantorei, Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, Die Bach Kantate Vol. 20, Hänssler, 1971. - Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Tölzer Knabenchor, Concentus Musicus Wien, J. S. Bach: Das Kantatenwerk – Sacred Cantatas Vol. 3. Teldec, 1976. - Michel Corboz, Ensemble vocal de Lausanne [fr], Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne. Bach Cantatas. Erato, 1976. - Pieter Jan Leusink, Holland Boys Choir, Netherlands Bach Collegium. Bach Edition Vol. 18 – Cantatas Vol. 9. Brilliant Classics, 2000. - John Eliot Gardiner, Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists. Bach Cantatas Vol. 17: Berlin. Soli Deo Gloria, 2000. - Ton Koopman, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra & Choir. J. S. Bach: Complete Cantatas Vol. 17. Antoine Marchand, 2003. - Masaaki Suzuki, Bach Collegium Japan. J. S. Bach: Cantatas Vol. 38 (Solo Cantatas). BIS, 2006. - Alfredo Bernardini, Kirchheimer BachConsort, Hana Blažíková, Dominik Wörner J. S. Bach Dialogkantaten BWV 32, 57, 58. cpo

Rebel Heart Tour

2015–16 concert tour by Madonna

The Rebel Heart Tour was the tenth concert tour by American singer Madonna, staged in support of her thirteenth studio album, Rebel Heart (2015). Comprising 82 shows, the tour visited North America, Asia, Europe and Oceania. It began on September 9, 2015, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada, and concluded on March 20, 2016, at the Allphones Arena in Sydney, Australia. The tour was officially announced on March 1, 2015, through Madonna's website and was led by Live Nation Entertainment's Global Touring Division, helmed by Arthur Fogel; this was the fifth collaboration between Madonna and Live Nation as well as her third tour to be promoted by the company. Additionally, the tour marked the singer's first visits to Taiwan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Macau, Philippines, Singapore, and New Zealand, and was her first to visit Australia and Puerto Rico since the Girlie Show (1993). Rehearsals for the tour commenced following its announcement and lasted 10–12 hours per day, with involvement from Madonna's team of creative directors, producers, designers and choreographers. It was inspired by shows like Cirque du Soleil and Chinese New Year, as well as the films 300 (2006) and Grease (1978). Madonna enlisted Jamie King as the creative director, and Megan Lawson and Jason Yong as choreographers. The tour featured costumes from Moschino, Prada, Miu Miu, Gucci and Swarovski jewelry, and an elevated stage with a cross-shaped runway ending in a heart-shaped B-stage. Multimedia was created by Moment Factory, while sound and light were produced by Clay Paky and DiGiCo, respectively. The central theme of the concert was love and romance and, like past tours by the singer, was divided into different thematic segments: Joan of Arc/Samurai, Rockabilly Meets Tokyo, Latin/Gypsy, and Party/Flapper. The set list had more than 20 songs picked from Madonna's career along with material from Rebel Heart. Despite a number of controversies, critics gave the tour generally positive reviews, with praise going to Madonna's stage presence, vocals and the imagery presented; it was also commercially successful, with all shows sold out, and an audience of over 1.05 million. Rebel Heart grossed $169.8 million, extending Madonna's record as the highest-grossing solo touring artist with total gross of $1.31 billion, beginning with 1990's Blond Ambition World Tour. This ranked her in third place on the all-time top-grossing Billboard Boxscore list, only behind the Rolling Stones and U2. The shows of March 19–20, 2016, performed at the Allphones Arena, were filmed by Danny Tull and Nathan Rissman for the film Madonna: Rebel Heart Tour. It premiered on December 9, 2016, on American cable channel Showtime while a live CD/DVD and Blu-ray was released on September 15, 2017. ## Background In March 2015, Madonna released her 13th studio album, Rebel Heart; the release was plagued by internet hackers leaking its content previously. Numerous news outlets started reporting about the supporting concert tour for the album, which was formally announced on March 1, 2015, on Madonna's official website. Titled Rebel Heart Tour, it was initially scheduled to begin on August 29, 2015, from Miami and continue throughout Europe, and end on December 20, 2015, in Glasgow, Scotland. Rebel Heart was led by Live Nation Entertainment's Global Touring Division, helmed by Arthur Fogel. It was Madonna's fifth collaboration with Live Nation. Fogel commented that the leak had helped in bring more attention to Madonna's music and it was a positive scenario for the world tour. "It's kind of strange how it all came about, but it certainly hasn't been a negative in terms of getting people engaged with the new music. Anything that helps put it out there is good, even if it happens in a weird way", he concluded. On May 21, 2015, Madonna rescheduled the first five dates of the tour and moved them to January 2016. The singer confirmed that arrangement logistics was the cause of the postponement and announced that the first date was changed to September 9, 2015, at Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada. Billboard reported Rebel Heart as an all-arena tour, and would visit cities where Madonna had not performed before. The tour visited Australia and New Zealand in early 2016, and was the singer's first visit to Australia in more than 20 years, having last toured there with the Girlie Show in 1993, and her first time in New Zealand. Philippines was added to the tour itinerary, for two performances at SM Mall of Asia in February 2016. After the tour started, Madonna revealed another 16 dates in Asia and North America. They included first ever concerts in Taipei, Bangkok, Louisville, San Antonio, Tulsa and Nashville as well as her first concerts in Tokyo in a decade and additional dates in Mexico City and Houston. Singapore was added to the itinerary for February 28, 2016; the concert was rated as "adults only" by the Media Development Authority (MDA) of the country. Before arriving in Australia, Madonna announced an extra show on March 10, 2016, at Melbourne's Forum Theatre. The show was billed as an intimate gig, and was described by the singer as a fusion of music, art and comedy. Titled Madonna: Tears of a Clown, it was created specifically for Australian fans. ## Development ### Conception and rehearsals While composing material for Rebel Heart, Madonna would get "fleeting moments of ideas" of what she would like to perform on the tour. After the promotional performances supporting the album, she had a concrete imagery about the themes she would like to incorporate. In March 2015 she clarified: "I like to create personas and then the persona changes and grows into other things... I'm at the beginning of that process right now, in terms of thinking of my tour and stuff". Rehearsals for the tour occurred for 10–12 hours per day. Madonna admitted liking the tour's rehearsals and creative process, noting her complete involvement in its development. Unlike the MDNA Tour (2012), Madonna confirmed that her son Rocco would not perform onstage, but would instead work behind the scenes of the tour. By July 2015, Madonna was working on the set list with her team of creative directors, producers, designers and choreographers. She described the tour as "characteristically theatrical spectacle" included songs from her whole career. Madonna saw a challenge in alternating between material from Rebel Heart and her previous works, since "thematically the songs—the old and the new—they have to go together; sonically they have to go together". The concert was divided into four thematic segments, a custom for the singer: Joan of Arc/Samurai, Rockabilly Meets Tokyo, Latin/Gypsy and Party/Flapper. Its main theme was derived from the title Rebel Heart, and showcased the singer's personal statements and opinions, represented in the form of a journey. Love and romance were listed as the central themes of the show, with Madonna wanting the audience to feel inspired watching it. She juxtaposed opposite ideas of sexuality and religion, saying that "I'm very immersed in [how they are] not supposed to go together, but in my world it goes together". Inspirations for the Rebel Heart Tour came from shows like Cirque du Soleil and the Chinese New Year, as well as from films like 300 (2006) and Grease (1978). Jamie King was signed as the creative director for the show, while Megan Lawson and Jason Young choreographed the 20 dancers through intricate acrobatic dance steps. Since Madonna had started out as a dancer, she tried to find "unique and original dancers to work with" and create content and dance routines that would appeal to the audience. French choreographer Sébastian Ramirez was hired from the auditions to select backup dancers for the show, which saw over 5,000 applicants in Paris, New York and Los Angeles. Madonna admired Ramirez's work and enlisted him to choreograph two songs for the show. Ramirez was surprised by the fast pace in which Madonna and her team generated and swapped ideas for the tour. Taking charge of the whole show, Madonna would explain an emotion behind a song and then entrust Ramirez and the other choreographers to come up with a routine. Two short videos were released on the singer's Instagram account, showing the rehearsals taking place. As "Devil Pray" and "Iconic" from the album played, the videos showed flamenco-inspired choreography, nuns dancing on poles, and an elaborate set adorned with dancers carrying giant props. The singer continued releasing images and videos related to the tour, including dance rehearsal workshops. Madonna chose comedian Amy Schumer as the opening act for the New York shows, deviating from her usual hiring of a band or a disc jockey to open the shows. The singer thought of the idea since she believed Schumer was a role model for young women. Diplo, one of the producers of Rebel Heart, was hired as the opening act for the Montreal shows. ### Stage and venue setup For the stage setup, creative and logistical design group Stufish were hired. They started brainstorming with Madonna and King in January 2015, after a 25-song set list has been created. The central theme of Rebel Heart was reproduced in the runway resembling an arrow or a cross, with the heart at its tip. Stufish, who had previously developed the structures for The MDNA Tour, were enlisted for Rebel Heart. The perpendicular structures emanating from the middle of the runway allowed Madonna and her dancers to reach more audience. Joking that the stage looked like a penis, Stufish architect Ric Lipson recalled Madonna saying: "hearts and penises are clearly very linked and this is God's way of setting [my] life in motion". The large main stage was elevated and set up at the end of the arenas, with a long catwalk extending from its middle. The middle of the catwalk had a circular stage, while the pathway ended into a heart-shaped B-stage. In order to facilitate the entrance and exit of Madonna and her dancers, openings were created throughout the length of the stage, as well as causeways underneath it. Behind the main stage, three large video screens were placed, with the band and Madonna's two background vocalists in front of it. A number of barriers and encasing were supplied by Mojo Barriers to separate the stage from the audience and the production areas upfront. All barriers were supplied in black aluminium. A complex machine structure enabled the whole stage to become mobile and assume numerous shapes and sizes throughout the show. The structure had a 28 ft × 16 ft (8.5 m × 4.9 m) video screen that could change into the main stage floor. The same screen converted into an elevated 8 feet (2.4 m) platform of varying degrees within half-a-minute, or an angular wall for Madonna's dancers to sway from. Specially crafted bungee points were attached to the top edge of the machine, allowing performers to "flip, tumble, run and roll up and down the ramp". The screens showed the visuals created by Moment Factory and Veneno Inc. Another prop was a 16 ft × 8 ft (4.9 m × 2.4 m) steel spiral staircase which was hidden from the audience initially. Lipson explained that it was created out of a single block of steel. Although it was not recommended to use the steel because of its heavy weight and enormity, Madonna wanted it since she had found the sturdiness useful during rehearsals. Simpler props designed by Stufish included a table used during the performance of "Vogue", which was 23 feet (7.0 m) long and had flickering 4.4 feet (1.3 m) tall candelabras at each end. A set of crosses for the dancing nuns were designed to support both Madonna and a dancer on it. They were finalized from 17 different prototypes, and were fastened with links, allowing the dancers to know which way they would swivel. Tom Banks from Design Week magazine visited the area underneath the stage which was about 6 feet (1.8 m) tall. There the dancers changed, props were handed out and performers reached the main stage often through numerous hydraulic lifts. Banks further described the space as a "subterranean area, which is the footprint beneath the stage rather than back-stage. It's a maze of tunnels, wires and props interrupted only by platforms poised to send performers up into the light". Madonna sat on a trolley which transported her from one end to the other end of the stage. She had a temporary make-up room in the underneath area, for touch-ups in between performances. In total, the stage and the equipment required 27 semitrailers and 187 staff member to transport across Europe and North America. For the Oceania shows, three Boeing 747 airliners were hired. The singer flew to each location in her private jet, turning up at the venue in mid-afternoon for rehearsals, sound and safety checks. A leisure area was also enclosed backstage, with hospitality and catering areas. Madonna's dressing room consisted of furniture, pictures and gym equipment, along with several flowers. The singer explained to Nolan Feeney from Entertainment Weekly that every show felt like a battle to her since there was a lot of hustling backstage. > Everyone has to be super organized and vigilant. There’s no room for error. There are 30 seconds to change. You’re passing people under the stage, there are lifts going up and down. There’s a lot of dangerous stuff happening, and you have to fight through all of that and fight your fatigue or whatever personal issues you might be having that evening and get out there. It’s showtime\! No matter what’s going on, you have to push through it and be a warrior. ### Costume design Madonna had enlisted a Spanish tailoring company from Zaragoza for creating two bullfighter traje de luces costumes, along with a cape and matador-related costumes for her backing dancers. The tailoring company had to sign a confidentiality agreement about the costumes. They also made several adjustments to the traditional designs, such as replacing the imagery of Jesus or Mary with that of a capital 'M'. According to the company's manager Alfredo Roqueta, the suits were created in 12 days. Madonna and her dancers did not go for trials and sent their measurements through e-mail. PETA representatives condemned the outfits, criticizing the singer for "glorifying gore". In August 2015, Madonna revealed the name of the designers working on the costumes for the tour to Women's Wear Daily; these include Jeremy Scott for Moschino, Alessandro Michele for Gucci and Alexander Wang, along with Fausto Puglisi, Prada, Miu Miu, Swarovski, and Lebanese designer Nicolas Jebran. Together with her longtime costume designer Arianne Phillips, Madonna showed snippets of the costumes on her Instagram. Additional designers included Geoffrey Mac, Lynn Ban, and Majesty Black. During a show, Madonna changed into eight different looks. She was accompanied by 28 performers, and had ten costume changes for 20 dancers, six for the background singers and four for the band. Phillips had been working "on-and-off" on the tour since December 2014. She had first heard of Michele in February 2015 through British fashion critic Suzy Menkes. Phillips contacted Gucci for designing costumes for the tour but it was not until April 2015 that the set list and the show's structure was finalized, which set off the creation of the costumes. Michele's designs consisted of a mix of chinoiserie style skirts with Spanish and Latin influences, portraying the singer as a "diva of the 1920s". Other costumes were described by Menkes as "an exotic, dancing Frida Kahlo with ruffles, color, and a different kind of aesthetic". Michele met Madonna while she was rehearsing in Manhattan and tried on the initial designs. Michele incorporated the singer's review comments and worked in his office for crafting the final costumes. For the first section, inspired by the album cover art and Joan of Arc, Phillips created a series of costumes with liturgical fabrics. She further took inspiration from a contemporary exhibition of samurai armor at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Miuccia Prada created the costumes for the second section, based on rock-n-roll and taking influences from Japanese street fashion. During the Latin influenced third section, Puglisi and Jebran crafted the matador-inspired costumes portrayed in the music video of the album's first single, "Living for Love". They used black tulle netting on the pants and paired the dress with a transparent side-paneling, coupling it with a black and fuchsia-colored jacket embellished with the letter 'M' in Swarovski crystals. Another design by Michele had Madonna wearing a shawl, flamenco hat, lace, skirts and a jacquard bodysuit. Phillips was impressed with the dress, saying that she was "completely blown away. I love [Michele's] hand. His clothes are lyrical and feminine and they tell stories." For the final section, Madonna worked with Scott and came up with a "Harlem-flapper-meets-Paris-in-the-Twenties" look. Scott created the final dress adorned with thousands of Swarovski crystals and long fringed gloves, for songs like "Material Girl". Two weeks prior to the opening night, the designing team moved to the rehearsal location at Nassau Coliseum in Long Island. Wang had to make alterations to the dresses due to last minute changes in production, adding that for Madonna "the performance comes first. She has to be able to dance and move and feel comfortable in it". A week later Michele had the final fittings for the Gucci costumes. Phillips explained that until the song performances and the choreography was fully finalized, Madonna did not give a final sign off on the costumes or the designs. ### Multimedia and videos Montreal-based multimedia company Moment Factory were enlisted, this being their third collaboration with Madonna, following the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show and the MDNA Tour. They worked closely with King and Madonna to develop new backdrops, designing and producing the videos for the show. The three large video screens were used for achieving the theatrical effect of the visuals on a large scale. The opening video was filmed with boxer Mike Tyson, who appears as a guest vocalist on album track "Iconic". He felt that the video might be received negatively since the visuals showed him as a savage character, naked and held hostage in a cage. A clip of the video was previewed by the singer before the tour started, showing her pushing against the cage, embracing a shirtless man and a troupe of soldiers walking with insignia. British director Danny Tull was signed for the tour backdrops. Tull, who had collaborated with Madonna since 2006's Confessions Tour, explained that the singer was a "detail-oriented person" and every scene in the backdrops had a creative meaning behind it. The first video showed themes including confinement, love, sex and violence among others, which changed in the backdrop for "Bitch I'm Madonna", where Tull wanted to create abstract imagery, superfluous color and dancing elements. The visual for "Devil Pray" showed drug intake, snakes, churches and crosses, interspersed with scenes of baptism and religious proceedings. In order to create the videos, Tull and his team discussed with Madonna at night since she was busy with rehearsals throughout the day. They aligned on the source of the images, any permission if required, usage of stock footage or creation of new graphics. The idea of using fan artwork during the performance of "Rebel Heart" emerged from this thought. Madonna's official website unveiled a contest where fans submitted their artwork related to the singer, with them displayed as a live digital gallery during the performance of "Rebel Heart". Several layering and rendering was done for most of the videos. Different multimedia software were used to create the clips, including Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, Avid, as well as Final Cut Pro. For Tull, the challenge was to adapt each software based on the different videos they would create, including last minute changes and tweaks. ### Light and sound Lighting designer Al Gurdon worked with Stufish and Tait Towers for the light setup, which was handled by PRG Group. The three main video screens were placed in an angular way, to facilitate a better vision for audiences sitting on the side areas. A Hippotizer V3 media server was used for content playback and was operated by PRG Nocturne's Will Stinson. They used their newly invented GroundControl followspot devices which were attached as a truss to the top of the screens, using Clay Paky Stormy Strobes. Fitted with high-definition cameras, they were operated from backstage, and the relevant personnel could simply use the cameras and direct the lights to illuminate specific areas. Console director Joshua Hutchings controlled their color, beams and shutters. Advantage of the followspot was to allow the lighting personnel to operate from a comfortable environment, rather than climb on heightened areas atop the stage. Hutchings explained the whole show was time-coded and inline with the choreography. For the audio engineering on the tour, DiGiCo SD7 consoles were used by sound mixing specialist Andy Meyer, and monitor engineers Matt Napier and Sean Spuehler. Since Madonna wanted her vocals to sound live, Spuehler mixed her singing with effects and then added it to the house consoles for transmitting to the loudspeakers. During the show, the singer ventured into the middle of the audience at the end of the catwalk, resulting in the spill of her microphone constantly changing. The sound crew employed time-codes like the lighting and the choreography, thus the sound feed also changed depending on where the singer was onstage. All the musicians accompanying Madonna wore in-ear monitors. Additional monitors were used for musical director and keyboardist Kevin Antunes, a thumper for drummer Brian Frasier-Moore and sidefills for the dancers. All the inputs from the different personnel, including Madonna, were fed into the SD7 console. A Multichannel Audio Digital Interface (MADI) was used to record all the shows to a digital audio workstation in RAID drives. They were archived into 4TB hard disks. ## Concert synopsis The first segment, Joan of Arc/Samurai, began with a video showing Madonna in a gown, cavorting with bare-bodied males, and juxtaposed with Mike Tyson talking inside of a cage. Ten dancers dressed in samurai outfit of gold and black came out onto the catwalk carrying large gold pikes, as Madonna descended to the stage encased in a steel cage to sing "Iconic". The show continued with "Bitch I'm Madonna", which included four female dancers dressed as geishas and male dancers engaged in mock martial arts. Rapper Nicki Minaj appeared on the video screens. The singer then played "Burning Up" on a Gibson Flying V electric guitar, while moving to the center stage. During "Holy Water", the female dancers were dressed as nuns and danced on 20-feet cross-like poles; halfway through the performance, Madonna climbed onto one of the poles and sang a fragment of "Vogue". She then performed the rest of "Holy Water" with pictures of the Apostles on the video screens, followed by a reenactment of the Last Supper. "Devil Pray" saw Madonna appearing to subdue the male dancers before disappearing backstage. During the first video interlude, dancers appeared onstage waving large white cloths in front of fans. The album track "Messiah" played as scenes from the "Ghosttown" music video were shown on the screens. The next segment, Rockabilly Meets Tokyo, started with "Body Shop", where Madonna sang the song, alongside dancers dressed as mechanics, in front of a 1965 Ford Falcon. She then played the ukulele for an acoustic version of "True Blue" followed by a disco version of "Deeper and Deeper", which was sung at end of the catwalk. A spiral staircase descended from the ceiling for a mashup of "HeartBreakCity" and "Love Don't Live Here Anymore", where a male dancer followed Madonna up and down the stairs before she pushed him off from the top. She closed the section with a remix of "Like a Virgin", performed in front of fans placed around the catwalk. The second video interlude began with a mashup of "S.E.X." and "Justify My Love", where eight dancers enacted sexual positions on four beds as an edited version of the "Erotica" music video played on the backdrops. The third section, Latin/Gypsy, began with "Living for Love", with Madonna dressed as a bullfighter, before moving into a flamenco version of "La Isla Bonita". After a quick costume change, Madonna returned to the stage accompanied by dancers in colorful Mexican outfits. A slow, cumbia and salsa-fueled medley of "Dress You Up", "Into the Groove" and "Lucky Star" was performed, with the pace slowing down for an acoustic version of "Who's That Girl". The album's title track closed the segment with Madonna playing the guitar and fan art submitted to the singer shown on the video screens. During the final interlude, "Illuminati", seven dancers climbed 20-feet poles and began swaying back and forth over the audience. The fourth segment, Party/Flapper, saw the singer and her dancers returning to the stage in 1920s-inspired costumes and performed a mashup of "Music", "Give It 2 Me", and "Candy Shop". The performance of "Material Girl" found Madonna pushing her tuxedo clad dancers down an incline; the number ended with the singer walking down the catwalk in a bridal veil and carrying a white bouquet, which she eventually threw to the audience. She played the ukulele once again for "La Vie en rose" and ended the main set with "Unapologetic Bitch", where she invited someone from the audience, terming the person with the titular name, and gifting them with a banana. The show ended with "Holiday", where Madonna came out wrapped in the flag of the country she performed in, while dancing around the stage as confetti dropped from the ceiling. At the end of the performance, she was strapped into a harness and flew above the stage, before disappearing behind the video screens. ## Commercial reception ### Ticket sales Rebel Heart was Madonna's third and final tour under the ten year multi-rights deal with Live Nation, signed in 2007 for $120 million. General sales for the tour started from March 9, 2015, and the North American tickets purchased online were bundled with an exclusive digital download of Rebel Heart. Special access was granted to members of Madonna's fan club known as Icon, including first access to tickets and VIP passes. Citi was listed as the official bank for the tour, with cardholders having the ability to buy tickets early. Prices were almost identical as Madonna's last few tours, with the top price in the $300–$350 range, and the cheapest being at $35. However, tickets for her Manila performances were above the average price and ranged from $70 () to $1,300 (). According to Jesse Lawrence from Forbes, initial prices in the secondary markets indicated that the tour would become the most expensive concert tour of 2015. The average ticket for was valued at $452.33 in Madonna's secondary markets, a much higher total than Taylor Swift's 1989 World Tour, whose tickets were average priced at $305.21. Madonna surpassed Fleetwood Mac as the artist with the most expensive tour (51.5% more) in 2015. The show of October 24 in Las Vegas became the most expensive date with an average price of $949.21, while the cheapest tickets were available for $164.30 at the Edmonton date, according to Viagogo. Lawrence also noted that the secondary market prices were much higher than those of The MDNA Tour, indicating a competitive scenario favorable towards Madonna. Tickets for the shows started selling out rapidly; cities like Edmonton, Paris and Turin sold out within minutes of being available, resulting in the addition of second shows there. Live Nation partnered with gay geosocial networking app Grindr, and posted advertisements there promoting the tour, which resulted in further ticket sales. For the Australian dates, the Telstra pre-sale resulted in all the cheaper tickets getting sold early, with only the VIP packages and the costlier ones left. Madonna's fan club members were given the first priority to buy the Australian tickets. It was followed by Citibank card holders, Telstra presale, Live Nation members, and ultimately general public tickets from July 6, 2015. Tickets for the singer's first ever concert in Taiwan sold out in 15 minutes, prompting a second date to be added. In Hong Kong, tickets sold out within ten minutes of being available, setting up a record for the fastest-selling concert there; second dates were added on February 18 at the same venue. ### Boxscore A news report in the New York Post claimed that the tour's sales would be inferior to those of the MDNA Tour, with venues including New York still having tickets available after the first day. Fogel dismissed the report, explaining that "[a] tour with a budget like [Madonna's] counts on adding on second and third nights in markets... That's why it's scheduled with lots of empty dates in major markets." Writing for Forbes, Lawrence criticized such news, saying that "Madonna is posting some of the most expensive ticket prices on the secondary market this year... And though media will continue to speculate that Madonna is nearing the end of her renowned career, her box office numbers have shown that she is still among the upper echelon of pop music's elite." In October 2015, Billboard announced the first boxscores for the tour, reporting the first ten dates. Total gross was $20 million with 132,769 tickets sold. The opening shows in Montreal were considered a highlight with a total gross of $3.4 million. The highest gross came from shows in New York, earning $5.2 million from a total audience of 28,371. The second set of boxscores were published in November 2015, and the tour grossed another $25.4 million. The first leg of the tour had an attendance of over 300,000 with $46 million in gross. Among the arenas where Madonna performed for a single date, the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas had the maximum gross of $3.5 million, earned on October 24. Brooklyn's Barclays Center had the highest audience of 14,258 among the single-show dates. With the European leg starting, Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet reported that the concert at Stockholm's Tele 2 Arena drew a total of 40,557 in audience, making it a new record for the venue. In December 2015, the fourth boxscore figures were reported with a total gross of $22.6 million from eight markets and a total of 194,827 tickets sold. Billboard also clarified the actual tickets sold in Sweden to be at 39,338. Another $7.5 million was reported from the shows in Zurich, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow. At the end of 2015, the tour was placed at number 11 on Pollstar's "2015 Year-End Top 100 Worldwide Tours" list, grossing $88.4 million from 49 shows with a total attendance of 693,061. The North American boxscores for the 2016 shows were published in March 2016, with total tickets sold increasing to 819,792 and a gross of $107.3 million. After the tour ended, Billboard announced the final gross at $169.8 million with a total of 1,045,479 tickets sold. In Pollstar's 2016 Mid Year Special Features, the tour was ranked at number four, grossing $85.5 million from 33 shows with a total attendance of 395,815. Upon Rebel Heart's completion, Madonna extended her record as the highest-grossing solo touring artist, with over $1.31 billion in concert gross, starting from the Blond Ambition World Tour in 1990. Overall, Madonna is ranked third on the all-time top-grossing Billboard Boxscore list, behind the Rolling Stones ($1.84 billion) and U2 ($1.67 billion). ## Critical response ### North America Writing for the New York Daily News, Jim Farber noted that the most shocking aspect of the tour was not the provocative imagery and performances, but that Madonna appeared in a light mood and was smiling all throughout. This thought was echoed by Jordan Zivitz of Montreal Gazette who observed that after the first section, the tour's tone became more carefree since Madonna seemed to be "enjoying herself". She complimented the performance of "La Vie en rose" and ended the review saying that "the show shared a sense of self-confidence and a sense of play". Chris Kelly from The Washington Post reviewed the show at Verizon Center, saying that Madonna remained "as provocative as ever... The moment [her] show started... [questions like 'After three decades in the spotlight, does Madonna still have it?'] went out the window". Alex Needham from The Guardian rated the Madison Square Garden concert as five out of five stars, complimenting the performance of the old songs and describing the concert as "an affirmation that there is simply no other performer like her. Tonight, Madonna kills it". In a positive review written in The Village Voice, Hillary Hughes called Madonna "the pop's patron saint of revolution in action". Rob Sheffield from Rolling Stone complimented Madonna's camaraderie during the show saying, "She hasn't reached so far onstage, musically or emotionally, since her 2001 Drowned World extravaganza." Joe Gottlieb from The Boston Herald theorized that "Madonna's visions have a smart, thought-out feel her imitators can't replicate". Billboard's Joe Lynch rated the concert four stars out of five, observing that "Madonna's restless creative spirit is on full display on the Rebel Heart Tour". He praised Schumer's opening act and the performances of "Music", the "Dress You Up" medley and "Body Shop". Jon Pareles wrote in The New York Times that "[t]hrough the decades, Madonna's tours have delivered spectacles that push hot buttons galore". However, with Rebel Heart, Pareles observed Madonna doing what she felt like, rather than being controversial. The reviewer also complimented the remix of her past hits. Ashley Lee from The Hollywood Reporter gave a similar feedback, saying that the singer "[showcased] her years of creative vision and onstage expertise to deliver an arena show packed with visual variety, thematic theatrics and inventive instrumentation to refresh even her earliest hits". Giving the concert a rating of B+, Melissa Maerz from Entertainment Weekly was surprised by Madonna's "playful" mood during the show, since she felt that the opening sequence was reminiscent of the darker intones during the MDNA Tour. In a review for New York magazine, Lindsay Zolatz commended the show, the dancers during "Illuminati", but criticized the excessive inclusion of Rebel Heart songs in the set list. ### Europe, Asia and Oceania German newspaper Volksstimme reviewed the show in Cologne and described it as a "Madonna-show in miniature", noting that the "classic" hits got the greatest acclaim from the audience. Anders Nunstedt from Swedish newspaper Expressen attended the show in Stockholm and called it as superior to the MDNA Tour. Nunstedt complimented the show's interactive nature, and commended the singer's speech regarding the November 2015 Paris attacks and singing "Like a Prayer" as a tribute to the victims and survivors. Andrea Annaratone from Italian Vanity Fair reviewed the shows in Turin and gave a similar feedback like Nunstedt, but he criticized Madonna for starting the concert late. Peter Vantyghem from Belgium's De Standaard reviewed the show at Antwerp. He criticized the music assimilation during the Latin section, but was complimentary about the ending of the show and the messages of love and positivism. Hester Carvalho from the NRC Handelsblad rated the Amsterdam show four stars out of five, noting that the concert gradually became more streamlined but had less synchronized dance moves unlike the MDNA Tour. Carvalho was also impressed by the stage setting and the long catwalk. Will Hodgkinson from The Times reviewed the shows at London's The O₂, and gave it a five star rating. He commented that "Madonna goes in and out of fashion but one constant remains: her tenacity... [She] returned to the O₂ for a concert that proved that there's nothing like a near-death experience to re-invigorate the Queen of Pop." Another five star rating came from Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph who noticed that the loudest cheer from the audience came when Madonna successfully unraveled herself from her cape during "Living for Love", referencing her falling down at the Brit Awards 2015. McCormick described the concert as "a dazzling hi-tech, multimedia melange of light and sound, with eye and mind boggling set pieces featuring fantasy medieval executioners, martial art fighting geishas, pole dancing nuns, simulated sex shows." Peter Robinson from The Guardian rated it four out of five stars complimenting "Iconic" as the "perfect opening number". He observed that most "signature hits appear in an updated style... but when Madonna delivers a refreshingly faithful version of 'Deeper and Deeper', it's the night's highlight". Nick Levine from NME believed that "too much" of the songs from Rebel Heart "could have felt try-hard from [Madonna]", but "on stage she still works harder and delivers more thrills than her younger [peers]". Reviewing the show for BBC, Mark Savage noted that its strongest moments came when Madonna performed alone onstage. Lauren James from the South China Morning Post found the show as "tightly choreographed", adding that "Hong Kong finally got to bask in Madonna's glow, but it was far too much fun to be a one-night stand". Reviewing the concert in Bangkok, Manta Klangboonkrong from AsiaOne commented: "Madonna gave us what was clearly one of the most sensational concerts that's ever graced Bangkok. She did a great job as a dancer, singer and all-round entertainer." Jojo Panaligan from the Manila Bulletin noted that Madonna's unapologetic attitude was on display at the show in Mall of Asia Arena, and observed that the crowd reacted positively. Reviewing the show at Sydney's Rod Laver Arena, Michael Lallo from The Sydney Morning Herald awarded the concert four-and-a-half out of five stars. He felt that from Blond Ambition to Rebel Heart, Madonna had "re-asserted herself... Everything was polished to within an inch of its life – which is what made it so magnificent". ## Controversies Controversies surrounding the tour revolved around late show starts, unlawful uses of a country's flag and errors concerning tickets. Her appearance in Manchester attracted large criticism from fans, who booed at her for late arrival. Madonna responded to the audience during the show, stating that it was due to technical difficulties. During her first concert in Hong Kong and Taipei, Madonna was two-and-a-half hours late; the former delay caused a small protest outside the show. Another late incident happened for the shows in Brisbane. Madonna's Instagram post about her arrival in Taiwan caused controversy, when it was noted that the singer had used an old badge of the Taiwanese political party, the Kuomintang (associated with the White Terror incidents), instead of the actual national emblem. During the performance, Madonna wore the current flag of Taiwan before confessing her love for both Taiwan and China. In Philippines, Madonna wore the country's flag as part of the encore segment. As the use of the country's flag as a "costume or uniform" was banned in 1998 by federal law, Madonna faced threats from the government of the Philippines for "disrespecting" the flag, as well as a possible ban from the region. During Madonna's performances on March 5–6, 2016 in New Zealand, several attendees were refused entry to the shows because their tickets were rendered invalid. Approximately 20 people, who purchased their tickets through the Queen of Tickets website, were turned away from entering the venue, while others were required to generate a separate printed ticket at customer service booths. According to Stuff.co.nz, Ticketmaster had changed the seating plan of the venues without contacting Queen of Tickets website; as a result they had to refund the people who had brought a ticket from them. At the end of Madonna's second show in Brisbane, the singer accidentally exposed the breast of a 17-year-old girl named Josephine Georgiou on stage by pulling down her top. The singer had jokingly reacted: "Oh sorry, sexual harassment". It caused controversy when the general public took to social media to label the incident as a sexual assault. Georgiou defended the singer by stating it was "the best time of my life". ## Concert film In March 2016, Madonna announced that the Sydney, Australia shows of March 19–20, 2016 would be filmed for a tour DVD. Danny Tull and Nathan Rissman, who had both worked on Madonna's previous tour videos, were enlisted to direct the concert film. In September 2016, Madonna announced on her Instagram that she had finished watching a "rough assembly" of the tour's film, and it would be out in the next two months. The concert premiered on December 9, 2016, on American cable channel Showtime. Titled Madonna: Rebel Heart Tour, it featured the main concert as well as behind-the-scenes footage from the show. The international rights for the film was acquired by Alfred Haber Distribution Inc. (AHDI). A live album of the tour was released on September 15, 2017, in DVD, Blu-ray, CD and digital download formats. It contained bonus content like the Madonna: Tears of a Clown show, as well as a 22-song live double CD. ## Set list The following set list was obtained from the concert held on December 1, 2015, at the O₂ Arena in London, England. It does not represent all concerts for the duration of the tour. Samples taken from the notes and track listing of Rebel Heart Tour, and additional notes. Act 1: Joan of Arc/Samurai 1. "Revolution" (Video introduction; contains elements of "Iconic") 2. "Iconic" 3. "Bitch I'm Madonna" 4. "Burning Up" 5. "Holy Water" / "Vogue" 6. "Devil Pray" 7. "Messiah" (Video interlude) Act 2: Rockabilly Meets Tokyo 1. <li value="8"> "Body Shop" 2. "True Blue" 3. "Deeper and Deeper" 4. "HeartBreakCity" / "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" 5. "Like a Virgin" (Contains elements of "Heartbeat" and "Erotica") 6. "S.E.X." (Video interlude; contains elements of "Justify My Love") Act 3: Latin/Gypsy 1. <li value="14"> "Living for Love" 2. "La Isla Bonita" 3. Medley: "Dress You Up" / "Into the Groove" / "Lucky Star" 4. "Who's That Girl" 5. "Rebel Heart" Act 4: Party/Flapper 1. <li value="19"> "Illuminati" (Video interlude) 2. "Music" (Contains elements of "Give It 2 Me") 3. "Candy Shop" 4. "Material Girl" 5. "La Vie en rose" (Edith Piaf cover) 6. "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" (A cappella snippet) 7. "Unapologetic Bitch" - Encore 1. <li value="26"> "Holiday" (Contains elements of "Take Me to the Mardi Gras") </li> Notes - On select dates, Madonna sang acoustic versions of "Like a Prayer" and "Ghosttown". - During the concerts in Montreal and Washington, the "Dress You Up" medley also included "Everybody". - During the concerts in Detroit, San Jose, San Diego, and San Antonio; Madonna sang an acoustic version of "Frozen". - During the concert in St. Paul, Madonna sang an a cappella version of "Fever". It was performed again during the first show in Macau and the second shows in Cologne and Melbourne. - During the concert in Vancouver, Madonna performed an acoustic version of "Secret". It was performed again during the shows in Portland, Las Vegas, Inglewood, and Atlanta; the first show in Prague, Berlin, and Amsterdam; and the second show in Cologne and Turin. - "Don't Tell Me" was sung during the concerts in Tulsa, Nashville, and Antwerp; and the first shows in Turin, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Saitama and Auckland. - During the second concert in London, Madonna performed "Drowned World/Substitute For Love" as a tribute to her late friend David Collins. - During the first concert in Paris, Madonna performed "Redemption Song" with her son David. - During the concert in Manchester, Madonna performed the intro to "Secret", on guitar, but then forgot the rest of the chords. On a fan's request, she sang "Open Your Heart" instead. Prior to the concert, the video files for the show had become corrupted, resulting in a reboot of the whole system, which caused the show to begin late, resulting in several songs being cut from the set list. The concert ended after "Material Girl". - During the first concert in Mexico City, Madonna dedicated "Who's That Girl" to Frida Kahlo. In the second night, the audience sang "Cielito Lindo" to Madonna. - During the concert in Houston, Madonna performed David Bowie's "Rebel Rebel" as a tribute to him after his death. - During the concert in Nashville, Madonna sang "Beautiful Stranger" and "Ring of Fire" a capella. - During both concerts in Miami, Madonna performed "Don't Cry for Me Argentina". - "Take a Bow" was added to the set list during the first concert in Taipei. - During the second concert in Manila, Madonna performed "Crazy for You", as tribute to the 30th anniversary of the 1986 People Power Revolution. - During the concert in Singapore, "Iconic", "Holy Water" and "Devil Pray" were removed from the set list. Additionally, Madonna performed "Crazy for You". - During the first concert in Brisbane, Madonna performed "Can't Get You Out of My Head" and "Crazy for You". - On the tour's final concerts in Sydney, Madonna sang "Like a Prayer", "Take a Bow", and a snippet of "Hanky Panky". ## Shows ## Personnel Adapted from the Rebel Heart Tour program. ### Show - Madonna – creator - Jamie King – show director - Tiffany Olson – assistant show director - Stufish Entertainment Architects – stage design - Megan Lawson – lead choreographer and creative consultant - Al Gordon – lighting designer ### Band - Madonna – vocals, guitar, ukulele - Kevin Antunes – musical director, keyboards - Monte Pittman – guitar, ukulele - Brian Frasier-Moore – drums - Ric'key Pageot – keyboards - Nicki Richards – backing vocals - Kiley Dean – backing vocals - Sean Spuehler – vocal mix engineer ### Choreographers and performers - Jason Young – co-supervising choreographer - Valeree Young – co-supervising choreographer - Matt Cady – additional choreographer - Kevin Maher – additional choreographer - Aya Sato – additional choreographer - Mona Marie – additional choreographer - Jillian Meyers – additional choreographer - Chaz Buzan – additional choreographer - Sebastian Ramirez – additional choreographer - Mary Cebrian – additional choreographer - Marvin Gofin – additional choreographer - Emilie Chapel – additional choreographer - Yaman Okur – additional choreographer - Sonia Olla – additional choreographer - Ismael Fernandez – additional choreographer - Scott Maldment – additional choreographer - the Strut n Fret Team – additional choreographer - Rich and Tone Talauega – additional choreographer - Kupono Aweau – dancer - Allaune Blegbo – dancer - Deurell Bullock – dancer - Grichka Caruge – dancer - Justin De Vera – dancer - Coral Dolphin – dancer - Marvin Gofin – dancer - Malik Le Nost – dancer - Loic Mabanza – dancer - Sasha Mallory – dancer - Sheik Mondesia – dancer - Bambi Nakayama – dancer - Jo'Artis Ratti – dancer - Lil' Buck Riley – dancer - Aya Sato – dancer - Ai Shimatsu – dancer - Sohey Sugihara – dancer - Maria Wada – dancer - Ahlamalik Williams – dancer ### Costume department - Arianne Phillips – tour stylist - Laura Morgan – stylist assistant - Taryn Shumway – stylist assistant - Jessica Dell – stylist assistant - Miu Miu – costume design - Prada – costume design - Gucci – costume design - Fausto Puglisi – costume design - Moschino – costume design - Nicolas Jebran – costume design - Aura Tout Vu – costume design - Swarovski – costume design - Alexander Wang – costume design - Lilly e Violetta – costume design ### Road and touring crew - Tony Villanueva – Madonna's dresser - Mel Dykes – wardrobe supervisor - Lisa Nishimura – wardrobe assistant to Madonna - Janelle Corey – wardrobe dresser - Noriko Kakihara – wardrobe dresser - Danielle Martinez – wardrobe dresser - Laura Spratt – wardrobe dresser - Michael Velasquez – wardrobe tailor ### Tour staff - Tres Thomas – tour director - Rick Sobkówiak – tour accountant and operations manager - Sherine Sherman – production accountant - Stacey Saari – tour ticketing - Brea Thomas – executive assistant - Natasha Veinberg – VIP program coordinator - Colleen Cozart – VIP program coordinator ### Madonna's staff - Andy Lecompte – hair and make-up - Aaron Henrikson – hair and make-up - Aaron Henrikson – make-up artist for Madonna - Gina Brooke – rehearsals make-up consultant - Martin Conton – security - Craig Evans – security - Gingi Levin – security - Erez Netzer – security - Shir Sheleg – security - Travis Dorsey – artist chef - Jean-Michel Ete – nutritionist and esthetician - Michelle Peck – nutritionist and esthetician - Craig Smith – Madonna's trainers - Marlyn Ortiz – Madonna's trainers - Gigi Fouquet – assistant to Madonna - Mae Heidenreich – assistant to Madonna - Megan Duffy – production assistant - Richard Coble – artist tour manager - Abby Roberts – assistant tour manager - Maria Guitterez – rehearsals assistant - Janine Edwards – hotel advance ### Entourage party - Jill McCutchan – entourage tour manager - Jeremy Childs – assistant tour manager - Mark Parkhouse – physical therapist ### Management - Guy Oseary – manager - Sara Zambreno – additional management - Danielle Doll – additional management - Rachel Gordh – assistant to Guy Oseary - Liz Rosenberg – publicity - Brian Bumbery – publicity - Barbara Charone – UK publicity - Johann Delebarre - Abe Burns – webster & digital media - Karine Prot – archives - Richard Feldstein – business management – webster & digital media - Rosy Simon – business management ### Video and production - Moment Factory – design - Veneno Inc. – design - Sakchin Bessette – creative directors - Caroline Oliveira – creative directors - The Good Company – video production - Vfx by MPC – video production - Johanna Marsal – video production - Anotherproduction AB – video production - Steven Klein – video directors - Tarik Mikou – video directors - Danny Tull – video directors - Jonas Åkerlund – video directors - Fabien Baron – video directors - Tom Munro – video directors - Team J.A.C.K. – video directors - Johan Soderberg – video directors - Danny Tull – video editing - Alex Hammer – video editing - Russ Senzatimore – video editing - Tom Watson – video editing - Hamish Lyons – video editing ### Worldwide promoter and producer - Live Nation Global Touring – tour promoter - Arthur Fogel – president and chief executive officer - Gerry Barad – chief operating officer - Tres Thomas – senior VP, global operations - Craig Evans – senior VP, global operations

Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd

World Heritage Site in the United Kingdom

The Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd is a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site located in Gwynedd, Wales. It includes the castles of Beaumaris and Harlech and the castles and town walls of Caernarfon and Conwy. UNESCO considers the sites to be the "finest examples of late 13th century and early 14th century military architecture in Europe". The fortifications form part of the Ring of Iron built by Edward I after his invasion of North Wales in 1282. Edward defeated the local Welsh princes in a major campaign and set about permanently colonising the area. He created new fortified towns, protected by castles, in which English immigrants could settle and administer the territories. The project was hugely expensive and stretched royal resources to the limit. Fresh Welsh revolts followed in 1294 under the leadership of Madog ap Llywelyn. Conwy and Harlech were kept supplied by sea and held out against the attack, but Caernarfon, still only partially completed, was stormed. In the aftermath, Edward reinvigorated the building programme and ordered the commencement of work at Beaumaris. Edward's wars in Scotland began to consume royal funding, however, and work soon slowed once again. Building work on all the fortifications had ceased by 1330, without Caernarfon and Beaumaris having been fully completed. The fortifications played an important part in the conflicts in North Wales over the coming centuries. They were involved in the Welsh Revolt of the early 15th century and the Wars of the Roses in the late 15th century. Despite declining in military significance following the succession of the Tudor dynasty to the throne in 1485, they were pressed back into service during the English Civil War in the 17th century. In the aftermath of the conflict, Parliament ordered the slighting, or deliberate destruction, of parts of Conwy and Harlech, but the threat of a pro-Royalist invasion from Scotland ensured that Caernarfon and Beaumaris remained intact. By the end of the 17th century, however, the castles were ruinous. They became popular with visiting artists during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and visitor numbers increased as access to the region improved during the Victorian era. The British state invested heavily in the castles and town walls during the 20th century, restoring many of their medieval features. In 1986, the sites were collectively declared to be a World Heritage Site, as outstanding examples of fortifications and military architecture built in the 13th century, and are now operated as tourist attractions by the Welsh heritage agency Cadw. For much of the 20th century, the castles and walls were considered primarily from a military perspective. Their use of concentric defences, barbicans, and substantial gatehouses led D. J. Cathcart King to describe them as the "zenith of English castle-building", and Sidney Toy to assess them as "some of the most powerful castles of any age or country". In the late 20th and 21st centuries, historians such as Michael Prestwich and Abigail Wheatley also highlighted the sites' roles as palaces and symbols of royal power. The location of castles such as Caernarfon and Conwy were chosen for their political significance as well as military functions, being built on top of sites belonging to the Welsh princes. The castles incorporated luxury apartments and gardens, with the intention of supporting large royal courts in splendour. Caernarfon's castle and town walls incorporated expensive stonework, probably intended to evoke images of Arthurian or Roman imperial power in order to bolster Edward's personal prestige. The precise role of the royal architect James of Saint George in the construction projects, and the influence of his native County of Savoy on the designs, also continues to be debated by academics. However, the primary sources do indicate he played a key role, describing him as "Magistro Jacobo de sancto Georgio, Magistro operacionum Regis in Wallia" or "Master James of Saint George, Master of the King’s Works in Wales." ## History ### 13th–14th centuries #### Background The Edwardian castles and town walls in Gwynedd were built as a consequence of the wars fought for the control of Wales in the late 13th century. The kings of England and the Welsh princes had vied for control of the region since the 1070s, with Norman and English nobles and settlers slowly expanding their territories over several centuries. In the 1260s, however, the Welsh leader Llywelyn ap Gruffudd exploited a civil war between Henry III and rebel barons in England to become the dominant power, and was formally recognised as the prince of Wales under the Treaty of Montgomery. Edward I became the king of England in 1272. Edward had extensive experience of warfare and sieges, having fought in Wales in 1257, led the six-month siege of Kenilworth Castle in 1266 and joined the crusade to North Africa in 1270. He had seen numerous European fortifications, including the planned walled town and castle design at Aigues-Mortes. On assuming the throne, one of Edward's first actions was to renovate and extend the royal fortress of the Tower of London. Edward was also responsible for building a sequence of planned, usually walled, towns called bastides across Gascony as part of his attempt to strengthen his authority in the region. Edward also authorised new planned towns to be built across England. Meanwhile, relations between Edward and Llywelyn rapidly collapsed, leading to Edward invading North Wales in 1276 in an attempt to break Llywelyn's hold on power. During the war Edward built several major castles in order to better control the region and act as bases for campaigning. Edward was successful, and the Treaty of Aberconwy in 1277 reaffirmed English dominance, dividing up most of Llwelyn's lands amongst his brothers and Edward. #### War of 1282–83 Edward and his allies amongst the Welsh princes soon began to quarrel, and in early 1282 rebellion broke out, led by Llywelyn's brother, Dafydd ap Gruffydd. Edward responded to the revolt by mobilising a royal army of 8,000 foot soldiers and 750 cavalry, which he marched north to Rhuddlan, while in South and mid-Wales Marcher Lord forces advanced from Carmarthen and Montgomery. Edward then mounted a naval invasion of the Isle of Anglesey and formed a temporary bridge to cross over onto the mainland, taking the war into the Welsh heartlands of Snowdonia. Llywelyn was killed that December, and in early 1283 Dafydd was captured and executed. Rather than repeating the devolved arrangements of previous treaties, Edward chose to permanently colonise North Wales instead. The remaining royal family of Llywelyn and Dafydd was crushed and their lands divided amongst major English nobles. The governance of Wales was reformed, and the arrangements set out in the Statute of Rhuddlan, enacted on 3 March 1284. Wales was divided into counties and shires, emulating how England was governed, with three new shires created in the north-west: Caernarfon, Merioneth and Anglesey. As part of this scheme, in 1283 Edward ordered the construction of new castles and walled towns across the occupied territories, in part to encourage substantial migration to the region from England. Amongst these were the future World Heritage sites of Caernarfon Castle and its walled town, overlooking the River Seiont; Conwy Castle and its walled town, controlling a crossing point over the River Conwy; and Harlech Castle, protecting a sea port and newly established English town. Plans were probably made to establish a castle and walled settlement near the strategically important town of Llanfaes on Anglesey—the future Beaumaris—but were postponed due to the costs of the other projects. The new towns were important administrative centres for the new English governmental structures: Caernarfon and Harlech were the centres of new shires, and Conwy responsible for a new county. The castles were key military centres, but were also designed to function as royal palaces, capable of supporting the king and queen's households in secure comfort. Several of the projects also carried special symbolic importance. Conwy was deliberately sited on the top of Aberconwy Abbey, the traditional burial place of the Welsh princes; the abbey was relocated eight miles inland. The native Welsh rulers had prized the former Roman site at Caernarfon for its imperial symbolism, and parts of the fortifications of the Welsh princes were seized and symbolically reused to build Edward's new castle there. The site of Harlech Castle was associated with the legend of Branwen, a Welsh princess. Edward employed trusted architects and engineers to run the projects, most prominently the Savoyard Master James of St George, but also Edward's close friend Otto de Grandson, the soldier Sir John de Bonvillars and the master mason John Francis. The English had built castles in the wake of the 1272 conflict, usually larger and more expensive than those of the local Welsh rulers, but the new fortifications were on a still grander scale. Carpenters, ditch diggers and stonemasons were gathered by local sheriffs from across England and mustered at Chester and Bristol, before being sent on to North Wales in the spring, returning home each winter. The number of workers involved was so great that it placed a significant strain on England's national labour force. The costs were huge: Caernarfon's castle and walls cost £15,500, Conwy's castle and walls came to around £15,000 and Harlech Castle cost £8,190 to construct. The walled towns were planned out in a regular fashion, drawing both on the experience of equivalent bastides in France and on various English planned settlements. Their new residents were English migrants, with the local Welsh banned from living inside the walls. The towns had varying levels of success. Measured in terms of burgages, town properties rented from the Crown by citizens, Conwy had 99 around 1295, and Caernarfon had 57 in 1298. Harlech lagged badly behind in terms of growth, and the town had only 24 and a half burgages in 1305. The castles were entrusted by Edward to constables, charged to defend them and, in some cases, also empowered to defend the town walls as well. Permanent garrisons of soldiers were established, 40 at Caernarfon, 30 at Conwy and 36 at Harlech, equipped with crossbows and armour. The castles and towns were all ports and could be supplied by sea if necessary, an important strategic advantage as Edward's navy had near total dominance around the Welsh coastline. The castles were each equipped with a rear or postern gate that would allow them to resupplied directly by sea even if the town had fallen. #### Rebellion of 1294–95 Edwards's fortifications were tested in 1294 when Madog ap Llywelyn rebelled against English rule, the first major insurrection since the conquest. The Welsh appear to have risen up over the introduction of taxation, and Madog had considerable popular support. By the end of the year, Edward had returned to Wales with a large army and marched west from Chester, reaching his castle at Conwy by Christmas. Here he was trapped and besieged until January 1295, supplied only by sea, before forces arrived to relieve him in February. Harlech was also besieged but was saved from defeat by the arrival of supplies by sea from Ireland. Caernarfon, however, was still only partially completed and was stormed by Welsh forces and the castle and town set alight. In Anglesey, Welsh forces killed the royal sheriff. In the spring Edward pressed home his counterattack with a force of 35,000 soldiers, putting down the uprising and killing Madog. In the aftermath of the rebellion, Edward ordered work to recommence on repairing and completing Caernarfon. Once Anglesey was reoccupied he also began to progress the delayed plans to fortify the area. The chosen site was called Beaumaris and was about 1 mile (1.6 km) from the Welsh town of Llanfaes. The decision was therefore taken to move the Welsh population some 12 miles (19 km) south-west, where a settlement by the name of Newborough was created for them. The deportation of the local Welsh opened the way for the construction of an English town, protected by a substantial castle. A furious programme of building work commenced on the site under the direction of James of St George, the workforce sheltering in temporary huts in the centre of the half-built fortification. The project was very expensive, frequently falling into arrears, and by 1300 had cost around £11,000. Despite the absence of town walls, the surrounding settlement grew quickly and by 1305 it had 132 and a quarter burgages paying rent to the Crown. By 1300 only Harlech and Conwy had been properly completed: Caernarfon's town walls were finished, but much of the castle was still incomplete and at Beaumaris Castle the inner walls was only half their intended height, with gaps in the outer walls. By 1304 the total building programme in Wales had come to at least £80,000, almost six times Edward's annual income. Edward had meanwhile become embroiled in a long-running sequence of wars in Scotland which began to consume his attention and financial resources, and as a result further work on the Welsh castles slowed to a crawl. In 1306 Edward became concerned about a possible Scottish invasion of North Wales, spurring fresh construction work, but money remained much more limited than before. By 1330 all new work had finally ceased, and Caernarfon and Beaumaris were never fully completed. #### Decline Maintaining the castles proved challenging, and they rapidly fell into disrepair. The money given to the castle constables to enable them to maintain and garrison the castles had not been generous to start with, but the sums provided declined considerably during the 14th century. The constable of Conwy Castle had been provided with £190 a year in 1284, but this fell away to £40 a year by the 1390s; Harlech's funding fell similarly from £100 a year to only £20 by 1391. By 1321 a survey reported that Conwy was poorly equipped, with limited stores and suffering from leaking roofs and rotten timbers, and in the 1330s, Edward III was advised that none of the castles were in fit state to host the royal court should he visit the region. A 1343 survey showed that Beaumaris needed extensive work, with several of the towers in a ruinous conditions. Repairs and renovations were sometimes carried out. When Edward II was threatened in South Gwynedd by the Mortimer Marcher Lord family, he ordered his sheriff, Sir Gruffudd Llywd, to extend the defences leading up to the gatehouse with additional towers. Edward, the Black Prince carried out extensive work at Caernarfon after he took over control of the fortification in 1343. At the end of the 14th century, Conwy Castle was involved in the downfall of Richard II. Richard returned from Ireland in August 1399 and took shelter in the castle from the forces of his rival, Henry Bolingbroke. Henry Percy, Bolingbroke's emissary, went into the castle to conduct negotiations with the king. Henry Percy took an oath in the castle chapel to protect the king if he agreed to leave the castle, but when Richard left he was promptly taken prisoner, and was taken away to die later in captivity at Pontefract Castle. ### 15th–17th centuries #### Glyndŵr Rising and Wars of the Roses Tensions between the Welsh and the English persisted and spilled over in 1400 with the outbreak of the Glyndŵr Rising. At the start of the conflict, Harlech's garrison was badly equipped, and Conwy had fallen into disrepair. Conwy Castle was taken at the start of the conflict by two Welsh brothers, who took control of the fortress in a sneak attack, enabling Welsh rebels to attack and capture the rest of the walled town. Caernarfon was besieged in 1401, and that November the Battle of Tuthill took place nearby between Caernarfon's defenders and the besieging force. In 1403 and 1404, Caernarfon was besieged again by Welsh troops with support from French forces, but withstood the attacks. Beaumaris fared less well. It was placed under siege and captured by the rebels in 1403, only being retaken by royal forces in 1405. Harlech was attacked and taken at the end of 1404, becoming Glyndŵr's military headquarters until English forces under the command of the future Henry V retook the castle in a siege over the winter of 1408–09. By 1415 the uprising had been completely crushed, but the performance of the great castles and town walls is assessed by historian Michael Prestwich to have been "no more than partially successful". Later in the century, a series of civil wars known as the Wars of the Roses broke out between the rival factions of the House of Lancaster and York. After the Battle of Northampton in 1460, Harlech formed a refuge for Queen Margaret of Anjou, and between 1461 and 1468 it was held by her Lancastrian supporters, under the command of Dafydd ap Ieuan, against the Yorkist Edward IV. Thanks to its natural defences and the supply route by sea, Harlech held out and eventually became the last major stronghold still under Lancasterian control. It finally fell after a month's siege, the events credited with inspiring the song Men of Harlech. The ascension of the Tudor dynasty to the English throne in 1485 marked the end of the Wars of the Roses and heralded a change in the way Wales was administered. The Tudors were Welsh in origin, and their rule eased hostilities between the Welsh and English. As a result, the Edwardian castles became less important. They were neglected, and in 1538 it was reported that many castles in Wales were "moche ruynous and ferre in decaye for lakke of tymely reparations". Harlech appears not to have been repaired following the 1468 siege, and became completely dilapidated. Conwy was restored by Henry VIII in the 1520s and 1530s, but soon fell into disrepair once again, and was sold off by the Crown in 1627. Complaints about the poor state of Beaumaris mounted, and by 1609 the castle was classed as "utterlie decayed". Caernarfon Castle's walls were intact, but buildings inside were rotten and falling down. In 1610 the cartographer John Speed produced a famous sequence of pictorial maps of the towns of North Wales, including their castles and town defences, which have become iconic images of the sites at the turn of the 17th century. #### English Civil War and aftermath The English Civil War broke out in 1642 between the Royalist supporters of Charles I and the supporters of Parliament. The fortifications in North Wales were held by supporters of the king and in some cases became strategically important as part of the communications route between royal forces operating in England and supplies and reinforcements in Ireland. The castles and towns' defences were repaired at considerable expense and brought back into service, garrisoned by local Royalists. Parliament gained the upper hand in England, however, and by 1646 its armies were able to intervene in North Wales. Caernarfon, Beaumaris and Conwy were taken that year. Harlech – the last fortress to hold out for the king – surrendered in March 1647, marking the end of the first phase of the civil war. In the aftermath of the war, Parliament ordered the slighting of castles across the country, deliberately destroying or damaging the structures to prevent them being used in any subsequent Royalist uprisings. North Wales proved to be a special case, as there were concerns that Charles II might lead a Presbyterian uprising in Scotland and mount a sea-borne attack on the region. Conwy, Caernarfon and Beaumaris were initially garrisoned by Parliament to defend against such an attack. Conwy was later partially slighted in 1655, but Caernarfon and Beaumaris escaped entirely. Harlech, less of a potential Scottish target, was rendered unusable by Parliament, but was not totally demolished. In 1660 Charles II was restored to the throne and ownership of the castles changed once again. Beaumaris was restored to the control of the Bulkeley family, traditionally the constables of the castle, who promptly stripped the castle of any remaining materials, including the roofs, and Conwy was returned to the Conway family, who stripped down the castle for lead and timber, reducing it to a ruin as well. Charles' new government regarded Caernarfon's castle and town walls as a security risk and ordered them to be destroyed, but this order was never carried out, possibly because of the costs involved in doing so. ### 18th–21st centuries #### Picturesque attractions The sites began to pass into varied private ownership. Lord Thomas Bulkeley bought Beaumaris from the Crown in 1807, incorporating it into the park that surrounded his local residence. Conwy Castle was leased by the descendants of the Conways to the Holland family. In the late 18th and 19th centuries, the ruined castles started to be considered picturesque and sublime, attracting visitors and artists from across a wide area. The fashion was encouraged by the events of the Napoleonic Wars at the turn of the 19th century, which made it difficult for British artists to visit the continent, leading many to travel to North Wales instead. These artists included John Cotman, Henry Gastineau, Thomas Girtin, Moses Griffith, Julius Ibbetson, Paul Sandby, J. M. W. Turner and John Varley. The sites became heavily overgrown with ivy and other vegetation. In the 1830s the stonework of Caenarfon Castle began to collapse, and the Crown employed Anthony Salvin to conduct emergency repairs. Transport infrastructure to the region began to improve throughout the 19th century, adding to the flow of visitors to the sites, including the future Queen Victoria in 1832. Academic research into the sites, particularly Caernarfon and Conwy, began to occur in the middle of the 19th century. Local and central government interest began to increase. In 1865 Conwy Castle passed to the civic leadership of Conwy town who began restoration work on the ruins, including the reconstruction of the slighted Bakehouse tower. From the 1870s onwards, the government funded repairs to Caernarfon Castle. The deputy-constable, Llewellyn Turner, oversaw the work, controversially restoring and rebuilding the castle, rather than simply conserving the existing stonework. Despite the protests of local residents, the moat to the north of the castle was cleared of post-medieval buildings that were considered to spoil the view. #### State restoration In the early 20th century the central British state began to reacquire control of the sites. Caernarfon had never left the direct control of the Crown, but Harlech was transferred to the control of the Office of Works in 1914, Beaumaris followed in 1925 and Conwy was finally leased to the Ministry of Works in 1953. The state invested heavily in conservation of the sites. The 1920s saw large-scale conservation programmes at both Beaumaris and Harlech, stripping back the vegetation, digging out the moat and repairing the stonework, but otherwise leaving the sites intact and avoiding outright restoration. Major work was undertaken at Conwy in the 1950s and 1960s, including the clearing away of newer buildings encroaching on the 13th-century walls. Academic research increased at the turn of the 20th century, and as the Ministry of Works took control of the sites, government spending on these investigations began. Historians such as Sidney Toy and Charles Peers published work on the sites, and research continued under Arnold Taylor, who joined the Office of Works as an assistant inspector in 1935. Major academic reports were published in the 1950s, adding to the sites' reputation. Taylor was also instrumental in the successful opposition to road projects proposed in the 1970s which would have had a substantial impact on the appearance of the Conwy site. In the late 20th century, detailed reconstructions of the castles were painted by historical artists including Terry Ball, John Banbury and Ivan Lapper. In 1984 Cadw was formed as the historic environment service of the Welsh Government and took over the management of the four sites, operating them as tourist attractions. In 2007, over 530,000 visits were made to the sites. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the castles and town walls played a more prominent part in debates surrounding Welsh identity. The use of Caernarfon in the investiture of the Prince of Wales in 1911 and 1969, for example, was challenged by Welsh nationalists such as Alun Ffred Jones. Cadw expanded the interpretation provided at the sites to give more emphasis to the impact of the creation of the castles on the native Welsh, and the role of the Welsh princes in the events leading up to the 1282 invasion itself. #### Creation of the World Heritage site In 1986 sites were collectively declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, titled the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd. UNESCO considered the castles and town walls to be the "finest examples of late 13th century and early 14th century military architecture in Europe". UNESCO also cited the importance of their links to Edward I and James of St George, their scale and advanced military architecture, and their unusually good condition and historical documentation. The sites require ongoing maintenance, and as an example of this it cost £239,500 between 2002–03 to maintain the historical parts of the properties. "Buffer zones" have been established around the sites, aimed to protect the views and setting from inappropriate development or harm. The sites are protected by a mixture of UK Scheduled Monument, Listed Building and conservation area legislation. ## Architecture ### Interpretation #### Military architecture The Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd incorporated a range of military features developed during the late 13th century. As a consequence, for much of the 20th century, historians regarded these sites as the evolutionary pinnacle of scientific military architecture. D. J. Cathcart King described them as the "zenith of English castle-building", and Sidney Toy considered them to be "some of the most powerful castles of any age or country". The sites included concentric defences, in which inner castle walls were completely enclosed within outer defences, with the height and angles calculated to allow both rings of walls to fire on external attackers, as seen at Harlech and Beaumaris. Narrow sites such as Conwy were instead built on tall rock formations, making any attack difficult. Arrowslits and barbicans were incorporated into the defences, with multiple firing platforms built into the walls to allow the massed use of archers. These were further defended in some cases by gatehouses with characteristic twin towers, which replaced the older keeps as a stronghold for defence. Despite these strengths, the castles and town walls are now recognised to have also had military flaws. The castles were much larger than they needed to be in order to protect against Welsh attack, but the sheer scale of them meant that the Crown could not afford to maintain or garrison them properly. The fortifications were in some regards simply too big, and as historian Michael Prestwich notes, smaller projects might actually have been more effective. Rather than the sites being scientifically designed, historian Richard Morris suggested that "the impression is firmly given of an elite group of men-of-war, long-standing comrades in arms of the king, indulging in an orgy of military architectural expression on an almost unlimited budget". #### Palatial architecture and symbolism Architectural research in the late 20th and early 21st centuries focused less on the military aspects of the fortifications, however, and more on their roles as luxurious palaces and symbols of royal power. Each of the castles was designed to be suitable to support the royal court, should it visit. In the late 13th century, this meant having several sets of private chambers, discreet service facilities and security arrangements, producing, in effect, a royal palace in miniature. Some of these survive largely intact; Conwy, for example, has what historian Jeremy Ashbee considers to be the "best preserved suite of medieval private royal chambers in England and Wales", including a private garden for the use of the queen. When built, the castles would have been more colourful than today, in keeping with the fashions of the 13th century. At Conwy, for example, the walls were white-washed with a lime render, and the putlog holes in the walls may have been used to display painted shields called targes from the walls. The castles made a clear, imperial statement about Edward's intentions to rule North Wales on a permanent basis. As already noted, they were typically located on sites that had been associated with the former Welsh princes. Caernarfon, in particular, stands out for its use of banded, coloured stone in the walls, statues of eagles and its polygonal, rather than round, towers. There has been extensive academic debate over the interpretation of these features. Historian Arnold Taylor argued that the design of the castle was a representation of the Walls of Constantinople. The conscious use of imagery from the Byzantine Roman Empire was therefore an assertion of authority by Edward I. Recent work by historian Abigail Wheatley suggests that the design of Caernarfon was indeed an assertion of Edward's authority, but that it drew on imagery from Roman sites in Britain with the intent of creating an allusion of Arthurian legitimacy for the king. #### Savoy influence The Edwardian sites have strong architectural links to castles and town walls built in the County of Savoy in North Italy during the same period. The resemblance between the two sets of buildings was first noted by historian Arnold Taylor in the 1950s. Similarities include the semi-circular door arches, window styles, corbelled towers, the positioning of putlog holes, tall circular towers and crenellations with pinnacles found in Edward's works in North Wales; in Savoy these can be seen in constructions such as the defences of Saillon, La Bâtiaz and Chillon Castles. Many of these similarities have been considered to be the result of the influence of the Savoy architect Master James of St George, employed by Edward I, and who brought other Savoyard architects with him to North Wales. Early 21st-century research, however, suggested that Master James' role, and Savoyard influence more generally, may have been overstated. The stonework of the sites in North Wales is of much higher quality than that in North Italy, and key features – such as the gatehouses – are not seen in Savoyard. Research indicates that Master James also appears to have had a stronger project management function, rather than an architectural design role, in the development of the sites. Furthermore, in some cases the relevant Savoy structures were built only after James had left the region, and would never have been seen by the architect. The similarity in architectural details may, therefore, be the result of the wider role played by Savoy craftsmen and engineers on the projects, rather than that of a single individual. ### The sites #### Beaumaris Castle Beaumaris Castle was built at around sea-level and was constructed from local Anglesey stone. The castle design formed an inner and an outer ward, surrounded in turn by a moat, now partially filled. The main entrance to the castle was the "Gate next the Sea", next to the castle's tidal dock that allowed it to be supplied directly by sea. The dock was protected by a wall later named the Gunners Walk and a firing platform that may have housed a trebuchet siege engine during the medieval period. The outer ward consisted of an eight-sided curtain wall with twelve turrets; one gateway led out to the Gate next the Sea, and the other, the Llanfaes Gate, led out to the north side of the castle. The walls of the inner ward were more substantial than those of the outer ward, with huge towers and two large gatehouses. The inner ward was intended to hold the accommodation and other domestic buildings of the castle, with ranges of buildings stretching along the west and east sides of the ward; some of the remains of the fireplaces for these buildings can still be seen in the stonework. Historian Arnold Taylor described Beaumaris as Britain's "most perfect example of symmetrical concentric planning", and for many years the castle was regarded as the pinnacle of military engineering during Edward I's reign. The castle is considered by UNESCO to be a "unique artistic achievement" for the way in which is combines "characteristic 13th century double-wall structures with a central plan" and for the beauty of its "proportions and masonry". #### Harlech Castle Harlech Castle rests upon the spur of rock called the Harlech Dome; the land falls away sharply on the north and west, and a ditch cut into the rock protects the remaining approaches to the castle. The castle has a concentric design, with one line of defences enclosed by another, forming an inner and outer ward; the outer wall was originally somewhat taller than today. Harlech is built from local grey-green sandstone, with large, regular blocks used for the towers and irregular material, possibly taken from the ditch, used for the walls. The main entrance to the castle would have involved crossing a stone bridge between the two easterly ditch bridge towers and the main gatehouse; little remains of the bridge towers today and a timber entrance way to the gatehouse replaces the bridge. A water gate overlooks a protected stairway of 127 steps that runs down to the foot of the cliffs. The gatehouse has two massive "D-shaped" defensive towers flanking the entrance. The passage into the castle was guarded by three portcullises and at least two heavy doors. The gatehouse has two upper floors, broken up into various rooms. Each floor has three large windows overlooking the inner ward; the second floor has two additional grand windows on the sides of the gatehouse. The gatehouse was fitted with fireplaces and would originally have had prominent chimneys. The inner ward is guarded by four large circular towers which at various times housed a dungeon and an artillery workshop. Several ranges of buildings were built around the inner ward, including a chapel, kitchen, service buildings, a granary and a great hall. The battlements may originally have been built with triple finials in a similar fashion to Conwy, although little remains of these in the modern era. #### Caernarfon Castle and town walls Caernarfon Castle is divided into an upper and lower ward. The lower ward contained royal accommodation, while the upper consisted of service facilities and the accommodation for the garrison. These are surrounded by a curtain wall, defended by polygonal towers. Defensive firing galleries were built along the southern side of the castle. There are two main entrances, the King's Gate, leading from the town, and the Queen's Gate, allowing more direct access to the castle. All that remains of the buildings contained within the castle are the foundations. If Caernarfon been completed as intended, it would have been able to contain a royal household of several hundred people. In the opinion of military historian Allen Brown, Caernarfon was "one of the most formidable concentrations of fire-power to be found in the Middle Ages". Caernarfon's town walls present an unbroken, 734 m (2,408 ft) long circuit around the town, enclosing 4.18 hectares (10.3 acres). They are mostly built from the same carboniferous limestone used at the castle. The eight towers along the wall are mostly "gap-backed", lacking walls on the inside of the towers, and originally included removable wooden bridges to allow sections of the walls to be sealed off from attackers. The two original entrances to the town were through the West and East Gates. The West Gate faced onto the harbour, and was also known as the Golden Gate, named after the principal gateway in the city of Constantinople. #### Conwy Castle and town walls Conwy Castle hugs a rocky coastal ridge of grey sandstone and limestone, and much of the stone from the castle is largely taken from the ridge itself, probably when the site was first cleared. The castle has a rectangular plan and is divided into an inner and outer ward, with four large towers on each side. The main entrance to the castle is through the western barbican, an exterior defence in front of the main gate. The barbican features the earliest surviving stone machicolations in Britain. A postern gate originally led down to the river where a small dock was built, allowing key visitors to enter the castle in private and for the fortress to be resupplied by boat. Conwy's outer ward was originally crowded with administrative and service buildings. The inner ward was separated from the outer by a wall, a drawbridge and a gate, protected by a ditch cut into the rock. Inside, it contained the chambers for the royal household, their immediate staff and service facilities. On the east side of the inner ward is another barbican, enclosing the castle garden. The Conwy town walls form a largely unbroken, 1.3 km (0.81 mi) long triangular circuit around the town, enclosing 10 hectares (25 acres). They are mostly built from the same local sand- and limestone used at the castle, but with additional rhyolite stone used along the upper parts of the eastern walls. When first built, the walls were possibly whitewashed. The 21 surviving towers are mostly "gap-backed", lacking walls on the inside of the towers, and originally included removable wooden bridges to allow sections of the walls to be sealed off from attackers. The tops of the walls feature an unusual design that uses a sequence of corbels to provide a flat, relatively wide wall-walk. A unique set of twelve medieval latrines is built into the southern town walls, first constructed for the use of royal staff working in adjacent buildings in the 13th century. ## See also - Ring of Iron a ring of castles built across Wales by King Edward I - Castles in Great Britain and Ireland - List of castles in Wales - List of town walls in England and Wales - Beaumaris town walls - Archaeology of Wales

Steve Wariner

American country musician

Steven Noel Wariner (born December 25, 1954) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Initially a backing musician for Dottie West, he also worked with Bob Luman and Chet Atkins before beginning a solo career in the late 1970s. He has released eighteen studio albums and over fifty singles for several different record labels. Wariner experienced his greatest chart successes in the 1980s, recording first for RCA Records Nashville and then MCA Nashville. While on these labels he sent a number of singles into the top ten of the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts and received favorable critical reception for the amount of creative control he held over his body of work. Upon moving to Arista Nashville in 1991 he had his most commercially successful album I Am Ready, his first to be certified gold, but followups were less successful. After a period of commercial downfall, he experienced a second wave of success in the late 1990s which was spurred by co-writing the number-one singles "Longneck Bottle" by Garth Brooks and "Nothin' but the Taillights" by Clint Black. These songs led to him signing with Capitol Records Nashville and achieving two more gold albums with Burnin' the Roadhouse Down and Two Teardrops by decade's end. While his commercial success once again dwindled after these albums, he has continued to record independently on his own SelecTone label. Ten of Wariner's singles have reached the number-one position on the Hot Country Songs charts: "All Roads Lead to You", "Some Fools Never Learn", "You Can Dream of Me", "Life's Highway", "Small Town Girl", "The Weekend", "Lynda", "Where Did I Go Wrong", "I Got Dreams", and "What If I Said" (a duet with Anita Cochran). Wariner holds several writing credits for both himself and other artists, and has collaborated with Nicolette Larson, Glen Campbell, Diamond Rio, Brad Paisley, Asleep at the Wheel, and Mark O'Connor among others. He has also won four Grammy Awards: one for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals, and three for Best Country Instrumental. In addition to these he has won three Country Music Association awards and one Academy of Country Music award, and is a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Wariner's musical style is defined by his lead guitar work, lyrical content, and stylistic diversity. ## Early life Steven Noel Wariner was born on December 25, 1954, in Noblesville, Indiana, but grew up in Russell Springs, Kentucky. As a teenager, Wariner taught himself how to play several instruments, including acoustic guitar, bass guitar, drums, banjo, and steel guitar. Wariner performed locally in his father Roy Wariner's band, drawing influence from musical acts his father listened to such as George Jones and Chet Atkins. When Wariner was 17, country singer Dottie West heard him performing at the Nashville Country Club in Indianapolis and recruited him to play bass guitar in her road band. Wariner completed his education through a correspondence course with his local high school, and went on to play in West's band for three years; he also played on her 1973 single "Country Sunshine". Wariner also began writing songs at this point, and West attempted to secure him a record label contract by submitting demos of his work, but was unsuccessful. He then left West's road band to put a greater focus on songwriting, and began touring with Bob Luman after he cut some of Wariner's songs. While in recording sessions with Luman, Wariner encountered guitarist Paul Yandell, who was also working for Atkins at the time. Yandell submitted some of Wariner's demos to Atkins, who was also vice-president of RCA Records Nashville at the time and was thus able to sign Wariner to a contract in 1976. ## Musical career ### 1978–1984: RCA Records His first single release for RCA was "I'm Already Taken", a song that Wariner co-wrote. It peaked at number 63 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts in 1978. This was followed by five more chart singles, none of which appeared on an album at the time due to their limited success. These singles were primarily covers of songs by other artists, including Charley Pride's "The Easy Part's Over". Record World magazine published a positive review of this cover, which stated that it was a "slow, sad ballad" in which "Wariner continues to show a whole lotta vocal talent." Atkins also hired Wariner to be a bassist in his road band, which led to a nomination by the Academy of Country Music for Bassist of the Year in 1979. Also, Atkins served as his record producer on his first single releases, but later encouraged him to find a different one. As a result, "The Easy Part's Over" was instead produced by Tom Collins, known for also producing Ronnie Milsap and Sylvia. His first major chart hit came in 1980 when "Your Memory" ascended to the number seven position on the country charts. Due to the song's success, Atkins fired Wariner from his band. "Your Memory" was the first of six singles from his self-titled debut album, which was also produced by Collins. After it came his first number-one single, 1981's "All Roads Lead to You", followed by the top 15 hit "Kansas City Lights". Both of these songs were written by Kye Fleming and Dennis Morgan. The album's last two singles, "Don't It Break Your Heart" and "Don't Plan on Sleeping Tonight", fared less successfully on the charts. Al Campbell of AllMusic stated that Wariner's "sophisticated country-pop sound was already perfected, and it showed by the quality of the material." In 1980, the Academy of Country Music nominated Wariner for Top New Male Vocalist. RCA released his second studio album Midnight Fire in 1983. Tony Brown and Norro Wilson co-produced the album except for the last two tracks, for which Collins stayed on as producer. Contributing songwriters included Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, Jerry Fuller, and Richard Leigh. The closing track was a duet with Barbara Mandrell titled "Overnight Sensation", which also appeared on Mandrell's 1983 album Spun Gold. Wariner said that he chose to switch producers as a means of introducing more uptempo material, and both Wilson and Brown were working for RCA at the time. The lead single "Don't Your Memory Ever Sleep at Night" faltered on the country charts, but the title track was more successful, reaching a peak of number five. Following this was a cover of Luman's 1972 hit "Lonely Women Make Good Lovers", which in early 1984 matched the original version's Hot Country Songs peak of number four. The album's next two singles, "Why Goodbye" and "Don't You Give Up on Love", were less successful. Joy Lynn Stewart of the Red Deer Advocate praised Wariner's "fine, textured vocals" along with the combination of upbeat songs and ballads. ### 1984–1990: MCA Nashville When Wariner's contract ended in 1984, he chose to follow Brown to MCA Nashville. His first album for the label was 1985's One Good Night Deserves Another, which Brown co-produced with Jimmy Bowen. The album included three singles: the top-ten hits "What I Didn't Do" and "Heart Trouble", and his second number-one hit "Some Fools Never Learn". The Academy of Country Music nominated "Some Fools Never Learn" for Song of the Year in 1985, and Wariner later remarked that he considered it his favorite single. In the process of making the album, Wariner said that Brown and Bowen allowed him more control in the creative process than previous producers, by asking him to find his own material and then explain to them why he liked each song that he had chosen. The song selection process also allowed for a number of songwriters not typically found on albums of the era. These writers included Dave Gibson, Ronnie Rogers, Wood Newton, Paul Overstreet, and Steve Earle. Stewart wrote that "Wariner takes a fresh approach to traditional country and melds a unique, winning style", highlighting the ballad "You Can't Cut Me Any Deeper" and the "grand pace" of "Your Love Has Got a Hold on Me" in particular. His next album, Life's Highway (1986), produced two consecutive number-one Hot Country Songs peaks: "You Can Dream of Me" and the title track. This was followed by the number four "Starting Over Again". Wariner co-wrote five songs on the album including "You Can Dream of Me", which he wrote with John Hall, then of the band Orleans. As with the previous album, Bowen and Brown requested that he have input on song selection and production processes; one such decision made by Wariner was not to have a string section on the album because he would not be able to include one in a live setting. Al Campbell of AllMusic reviewed the album favorably, stating that it "showed him moving into a more mature musical direction. The best moments here outshine anything Wariner had recorded up to that point". In between the releases of "Life's Highway" and "Starting Over Again", he was also a duet vocalist on Nicolette Larson's "That's How You Know When Love's Right", which was nominated for that year's Vocal Event of the Year from the Country Music Association. Wariner gained further exposure in this timespan for singing the theme to the television sitcom Who's the Boss?, which used his rendition from 1986 to 1990. Overlapping with his first two MCA albums, RCA promoted two compilations of material. The first of these was a Greatest Hits album, issued in 1985. The following year, RCA compiled eight previously-unreleased songs into an album titled Down in Tennessee. RCA also issued promotional singles from each compilation: "When We're Together" from Greatest Hits, and "You Make It Feel So Right", a duet with Carol Chase, from Down in Tennessee. Also featured on Down in Tennessee was an instrumental track called "Sano Scat". Ron Chalmers of the Edmonton Journal gave Down in Tennessee a mixed review, finding Wariner's vocals stronger on the ballads than on the uptempo material. His next MCA release was 1987's It's a Crazy World, which was his first to be issued on compact disc. The title track was written by Mac McAnally, who originally had a pop hit with it in 1977. All three of its singles topped the Hot Country Songs charts: "Small Town Girl", "The Weekend", and "Lynda". In between "The Weekend" and "Lynda", Wariner was also a guest vocalist on Glen Campbell's top-ten hit "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle". This song accounted for Wariner's first Grammy Award nomination in 1987, in the then-new category of Best Country Collaboration with Vocals. Also in 1987 he was nominated by the Academy of Country Music for Top Male Vocalist. Tom Roland of AllMusic reviewed It's a Crazy World positively, stating that "Wariner's in charge vocally, and seems to glide through the album effortlessly. He's received more responsibility for his own direction, and—with one or two exceptions— has upgraded every aspect of his record, particularly in song selection and musicianship." Wariner supported It's a Crazy World through a headlining tour that also featured Hank Williams Jr. ### 1988–1990: End of MCA years In 1988, Wariner issued I Should Be with You, his fourth release for MCA. It accounted for the top-ten singles "Baby I'm Yours", "I Should Be with You", and "Hold On (A Little Longer)". Wariner noted that the album contained a more country rock influence than its predecessors, particularly in the selection of session musicians such as Leland Sklar and Russ Kunkel, as well as Little Feat cofounder Bill Payne. The album continued Wariner's trend of writing his own material, as he wrote or co-wrote all three singles and three other songs on the album; he also co-produced for the first time, doing so with Bowen. I Should Be with You received a positive review from Cash Box magazine which stated that it was "a tightly crafted package, showcasing both contemporary and traditional country tunes." Wariner supported the album in 1988 by touring with Reba McEntire. I Got Dreams, also co-produced by Wariner and Bowen, followed in 1989. Wariner wrote nine out of ten songs on the album, with collaborators such as McAnally, Roger Murrah, Mike Reid, and husband-and-wife duo Bill LaBounty and Beckie Foster. McAnally and LaBounty both sang backing vocals on the album, with the former also contributing on acoustic guitar and percussion. At the time of the album's release, Wariner noted that the chart success and positive fan reception of "I Should Be with You" inspired a continual growth in his songwriting. He also observed that, while he had not received strong record sales or industry awards, radio performance of his singles inspired him to "make the best records". I Got Dreams charted three singles on Hot Country Songs in 1989: "Where Did I Go Wrong" and the title track both went to number one, followed by "When I Could Come Home to You" at number five. The Ottawa Citizen writer Susan Beyer reviewed the album with favor, stating that "the more control Wariner gets over his recordings, the better they get...the sounds run the gamut, but elegantly, from acoustic country to rock-edged to adult contemporary." Wariner released two albums in 1990, the first of which was Laredo. It accounted for three charted singles: "The Domino Theory", "Precious Thing", and "There for Awhile". LaBounty and Foster wrote "The Domino Theory", while Wariner co-wrote "Precious Thing" with McAnally. Production duties on the album were split, with Garth Fundis and Randy Scruggs producing three tracks each, and Tony Brown returning to produce the other four. Marc Rice of the Associated Press called Laredo a "safe, likeable album", praising the clarity of the production along with the "clever" lyrics of "The Domino Theory". Kay Knight of Cash Box magazine stated that "Wariner shows us a very basic and intimate look at his music and his life...this project should definitely bring Wariner into the spotlight of country radio." His second release in 1990, and final for MCA, was the Christmas album Christmas Memories. In the process of recording the album, Wariner said that he wanted it to have a "timeless" feel. It included traditional Christmas songs such as "Let It Snow\! Let It Snow\! Let It Snow\!", "Do You Hear What I Hear?", three original songs written by Wariner, and collaborations with The Chieftains on renditions of "Past Three O'Clock" and "I Saw Three Ships". Wariner promoted the album through a radio special titled Steve Wariner's Acoustic Christmas, which also featured Emmylou Harris and Mike Reid. A year later, he performed in a television special on The Nashville Network also titled Christmas Memories which featured selections from the album. While his tenure with MCA was ending, Wariner contributed to two cuts on Mark O'Connor's 1991 album The New Nashville Cats. The first was a cover of Carl Perkins' "Restless". It featured O'Connor on fiddle, with Wariner, Vince Gill, and Ricky Skaggs alternating on lead vocals and guitar. A number 25 entry on Hot Country Songs, it won all four artists that year's Vocal Event of the Year award from the Country Music Association, along with Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals. Wariner also co-wrote, sang, and played guitar on "Now It Belongs to You", another cut from the album which also made the country charts. ### 1991–1996: Arista Nashville Wariner left MCA amicably in 1991 and signed with Arista Nashville later that same year. His debut for the label was 1991's I Am Ready, which was produced by Tim DuBois and Scott Hendricks. The album's title came from a song that he had selected but ultimately chose not to include on the album, calling it "left field". The lead-off single, "Leave Him Out of This", achieved a top-ten peak on Hot Country Songs list in early 1992. It was followed by a cover of "The Tips of My Fingers", which was written and originally recorded by Bill Anderson in 1960 and was also a hit for Roy Clark in 1963. Wariner's version, featuring a backing vocal from Vince Gill, was the album's most successful single. It achieved a Hot Country Songs peak of number three in 1992, and the number-one position of the country music charts published by Radio & Records. The next single "A Woman Loves" also went into the top ten, but followups "Crash Course in the Blues" (featuring O'Connor on fiddle) and "Like a River to the Sea" were less successful. I Am Ready was met with largely positive critical reception. Brian Mansfield reviewed the album favorably on AllMusic, stating that "Wariner, a master of the subtle touch, builds this album's impact quietly and methodically", highlighting the vocal and instrumental performances on the singles in particular. Alanna Nash of Entertainment Weekly rated the album "B−", concluding her review with "if Wariner lacks a zippy repertoire, he nearly makes up for it with believable readings and deft vocal shadings". Jay Brakfield of the Dallas Morning News thought that the album had "contemporary lyrics" and "shows a more aggressive Wariner. He's doing the same thing, but now he's doing it better and doing more of it." I Am Ready became Wariner's first album to receive a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of 500,000 copies in the United States. The corresponding tours for I Am Ready were the most commercially successful of his career to this point. In late 1991, the Takamine guitar corporation issued a limited-edition acoustic guitar model named after Wariner. His second album for Arista Nashville was 1993's Drive. Its lead single was the top-ten "If I Didn't Love You". After it came the Top 30 hits "Drivin' and Cryin'" and "It Won't Be Over You", while the album's title track stopped at No. 63. Wariner told Cash Box magazine that he intended for the album to be representative of the energy present in his live shows. He also wanted it to be more upbeat than I Am Ready, which he felt contained too many ballads. Once again, Jarvis, Gill, and McAnally were among the musicians contributing; bluegrass singer Carl Jackson co-wrote and sang harmony on "The Same Mistake Again", while electric guitarist Brent Mason and steel guitarist Paul Franklin played on "It Won't Be Over You". He promoted the album throughout 1993 with a tour comprising the United States and Canada, sponsored by General Motors Canada. Also featured on the tour were Toby Keith, Larry Stewart, and Canadian country singer Cassandra Vasik. Despite the success of the lead single, DuBois (who was then the president of Arista Nashville) observed that the album sold poorly due to negative reception of the following singles by radio programmers. Patrick Davitt of The Leader-Post rated the album 3 out of 5 stars, praising the lyrics and arrangements of "It Won't Be Over You" and "Drivin' and Cryin'" as well as the "simpler country tunes" "(You Could Always) Come Back" and "The Same Mistake Again", but criticizing "If I Didn't Love You" as "repetitive" and several other album cuts for their "unbearably thick and heavy" sound. Although he did not release any albums in 1994 and 1995, he appeared on collaborative works in the timespan. The first was Mama's Hungry Eyes: A Tribute to Merle Haggard, on which he joined then-labelmates Diamond Rio and Lee Roy Parnell on a cover of Merle Haggard's "Workin' Man Blues". Credited to "Jed Zeppelin", this rendition was also made into a music video, and charted at number 48 on Hot Country Songs. A year later, he contributed a cover of The Beatles' "Get Back" to the compilation Come Together: America Salutes the Beatles. An instrumental album, No More Mr. Nice Guy, followed in 1996. Wariner told Guitar Player magazine that he had wanted to record an instrumental album for much of his career, but had considerable difficulty in getting permission from his labels: MCA executives would only allow him to do one instrumental song on an album, while he had to "beg and plead" Arista to allow him a full album. No More Mr. Nice Guy included various country and bluegrass musicians such as Atkins, O'Connor, McAnally, Gill, Sam Bush, Béla Fleck, and Diamond Rio lead guitarist Jimmy Olander; it also included folk guitarist Leo Kottke and Bon Jovi lead guitarist Richie Sambora, and a spoken-word intro by Major League Baseball player Nolan Ryan. While the project produced no singles, the track "Brickyard Boogie" (featuring Jeffrey Steele, Bryan White, Bryan Austin, and Derek George) was nominated for Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance in 1997. Chuck Hamilton of Country Standard Time noted the variety of musical styles present on the album, concluding that "if you appreciate good guitar playing by some of the best in the business, this one's a good pick." Also in 1996, Wariner was made a member of the Grand Ole Opry. ### 1997–2001: Capitol Records Wariner began writing songs for other artists in the late 1990s per the suggestion of his wife, Caryn, who also ran his publishing company and fan club. She had suggested doing so following the diminishing success of his previous albums. He wrote two songs that topped the Hot Country Songs charts between late 1997 and early 1998: "Longneck Bottle" by Garth Brooks (which also featured Wariner on background vocals and lead guitar at Brooks's request) and "Nothin' but the Taillights" by Clint Black; Bryan White also had a top-20 hit in this timespan with "One Small Miracle", which Wariner wrote with Bill Anderson. In addition to these, Wariner sang duet vocals on Anita Cochran's single "What If I Said". In early 1998, this song became not only Wariner's tenth number-one single on Hot Country Songs chart, but also his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 59. According to Wariner, some radio stations played these four songs consecutively, a move which he felt helped draw greater attention to his body of work. Based on the success of these songs, Wariner expressed interest in issuing another album, but said that Arista Nashville executives were reluctant to do so after the commercial failure of Drive and No More Mr. Nice Guy. In response, Brooks suggested that Wariner terminate his contract and sign with another label. In January 1998, Wariner underwent negotiations with multiple labels including Giant Records and Asylum Records before choosing Capitol Records Nashville, to which Brooks was also signed at the time. His first Capitol album, Burnin' the Roadhouse Down, came out in April 1998. Leading off the album was the single "Holes in the Floor of Heaven", which spent two weeks at the number two position on Hot Country Songs. The album's other singles were its title track (a duet with Brooks), "Road Trippin'", and "Every Little Whisper". Wariner wrote or co-wrote and produced every song on the album except for "What If I Said", which was included as a bonus track due to its earlier success. Country Standard Time published a mixed review of the album, praising most of Wariner's lyrics while criticizing the title track as "predictably sappy". Thom Owens of AllMusic wrote of the album that "His music may not be as fresh as it was in the early '80s, when he was at the beginning of his career, but he's become a masterful craftsman, and that's why the album shines." By year's end, Burnin' the Roadhouse Down had become Wariner's second gold album. "Holes in the Floor of Heaven" won the 1998 Song of the Year award from the Academy of Country Music (where he also received Song of the Year and Video of the Year nominations for the same song), and Vocal Event of the Year nominations for both "What If I Said" and "Burnin' the Roadhouse Down". In addition, "Holes in the Floor of Heaven" received the 1998 Country Music Association awards for both Single of the Year and Song of the Year, and was nominated in the 1998 Grammy Awards for both Best Male Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song. Wariner's second album for Capitol was Two Teardrops. Released in 1999, it was certified gold as well. It produced only two singles: its title track, which Wariner co-wrote with Bill Anderson, and a re-recording of his debut single "I'm Already Taken". Respectively, these reached numbers two and three on the Hot Country Songs charts that year; they were also successful on the Hot 100, where they respectively reached numbers 30 and 42. Once again, Wariner produced the album himself. His brother Terry provided background vocals on "I'm Already Taken", and son Ryan played guitar on "So Much". The album also included a duet with Bryan White on "Talk to Her Heart" and an instrumental called "The Harry Shuffle". Nash rated the album "B", stating that "he continues to shape his persona as the hopeful but dashed romantic, and veers from country lopers to affecting philosophical ruminations. But in serving as his own producer, he fails to get his stronger emotions off the page." Owens said of the album that "It may not be the stunner Burnin' the Roadhouse Down was, but Two Teardrops proves that Wariner can continue to make winners." In addition to this, Wariner was one of several musicians contributing to "Bob's Breakdown", a song from Asleep at the Wheel's 1999 album Ride with Bob. The same year, he received a second Grammy Award out of three nominations: both "The Harry Shuffle" and "Bob's Breakdown" were nominated for Best Country Instrumental Performance, with the latter winning that award, while "Two Teardrops" was nominated for Best Country Song. By the end of the 1990s, Wariner had also played lead guitar on albums by Bryan White, Lila McCann, and Collin Raye. His last Capitol Nashville album was 2000's Faith in You, which charted its title track (also co-written by Anderson) and "Katie Wants a Fast One", another duet with Brooks. Faith in You once again featured Ryan, this time as a lead guitarist on the closing instrumental "Bloodlines", and his other son Ross on "High Time". In addition to his usual guitar work, Wariner also contributed on lap steel guitar, mandolin, and the papoose (a higher-strung guitar manufactured by Tacoma Guitars). "Bloodlines" accounted for another Best Country Instrumental Performance nomination at the 2000 Grammy Awards. William Ruhlmann reviewed the album favorably in AllMusic, stating that it was "another consistent, craftsman-like effort from an artist who has made the most of his second chance in country music." Also in 2000, Wariner co-wrote, played lead guitar, and sang duet vocals on Clint Black's 2000 single "Been There" from his album D'lectrified; one year later, Keith Urban had a top-five hit with "Where the Blacktop Ends", which Wariner wrote with Allen Shamblin. Wariner's contract with Capitol ended when the label's president Pat Quigley exited. ### 2003–present: SelecTone In 2003, Wariner founded his own record label called SelecTone Records. His first album for the label was Steal Another Day. It accounted for the charting singles in "I'm Your Man" and "Snowfall on the Sand". Wariner recorded the album at a studio he had built behind his own house. In addition to its two singles, the album featured re-recordings of "Some Fools Never Learn", "You Can Dream of Me", "The Weekend", "Where Did I Go Wrong", and "Small Town Girl", along with "There Will Come a Day", a song that he wrote about his stepdaughter, Holly. Wariner promoted the album with a concert at the 2003 Indiana State Fair; he also made appearances at Walmart stores around Indianapolis to promote the chain's childhood literacy program Words Are Your Wheels. Wariner made an appearance at an 80th-anniversary celebration of the Grand Ole Opry in 2005, which included him and various other Opry members as part of a two-day concert. He also performed with The Grascals at the 2006 International Bluegrass Music Association awards. In 2008, Wariner played guitar on two tracks from Brad Paisley's instrumental album Play: The Guitar Album: the multi-artist collaboration "Cluster Pluck", which won that year's Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental, and "More Than Just This Song", which Wariner and Paisley co-wrote. One year later, Wariner released the instrumental album My Tribute to Chet Atkins. The album's track "Producer's Medley" won him another Grammy Award for Best Country Instrumental Performance. Jeff Tamarkin of AllMusic reviewed the album positively, stating that "Throughout the album, Wariner's guitar work is crisp, sharp and smart–he never attempts to imitate Atkins but he manages to embody him nonetheless." For this album, Wariner referred to himself as "Steve Wariner, c.g.p.", indicating the title "certified guitar player" which Atkins had bestowed to guitarists whom he respected. Other guitarists to receive this title from Atkins include Tommy Emmanuel, John Knowles, Marcel Dadi, and Jerry Reed. Wariner promoted the album through special concerts in Nashville, whose proceeds were donated to the Chet Atkins Music Education Fund. Another instrumental album, Guitar Laboratory, followed in 2011. Contributors on the album included David Hungate, Aubrey Haynie, and Paul Yandell, along with Wariner's touring drummer Ron Gannaway and son Ross. JP Tausig of Country Standard Time noted the variety of musical styles on the album, particularly a jazz influence on some tracks. 2013's It Ain't All Bad returned Wariner to a vocal album after several instrumental ones. Chuck Yarborough of The Plain Dealer rated the album "A", noting rockabilly and bluegrass music influences on the album's sound, also highlighting the lyrics of "Arrows at Airplanes" and "Bluebonnet Memories". Following in 2016 was All Over the Map, on which Wariner played guitar, drums, upright bass, and steel guitar. The album included a mix of instrumental and vocal tracks, among which was "When I Still Mattered to You", a track that he wrote with Merle Haggard in 1996. It also included a collaboration with Ricky Skaggs on "Down Sawmill Road". In 2019, Wariner was one of many artists inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum. ## Musical styles William Ruhlmann of AllMusic wrote that "in the beginning, the low-tuned guitars and wide range of his singles brought frequent comparisons to the early Glen Campbell hits." Richard Carlin of Country Music: A Biographical Dictionary similarly compared the RCA catalog to that of Glen Campbell, calling such songs "a pop-country backup that really wasn't suited to him". Carlin found the MCA albums more "progressive" and comparable to pop rock. Thomas Goldsmith of The Tennessean noted that many of Wariner's mid-1980s hit singles were "personal, down-to-earth songs of daily life." He also wrote that by the release of Life's Highway, Wariner had developed a "leaner country style" compared to the "pop-oriented tunes" of his earlier days. In a review of Faith in You also for AllMusic, Ruhlmann described Wariner's style by saying, "his abilities as a guitarist, understated but always apparent in the style of his mentor, Chet Atkins, provide a basic level of enjoyment no matter what else is going on." Brian Wahlert of Country Standard Time stated that "most of the time he releases pleasant music that is neither offensive nor exciting." Writing for the Dallas Morning News, Jay Brakefield contrasted Wariner's style with that of Vince Gill, saying that "like Gill, Wariner has a reputation as a superb guitar player and a terrific vocalist." Wariner noted that Atkins was influential in his early days as a recording artist, as Atkins encouraged Wariner to play his own lead guitar parts, and to emphasize the quality of a song over who wrote it. Despite this, Wariner also said that he only chose to include his own guitar solos on songs where he felt that they were necessary. Some of Wariner's songs employ scat singing over his solos, most notably "I Got Dreams". Wariner's guitar playing style includes fingerstyle guitar and classical guitar, both of which he claims were inspirations from the work of Jerry Reed. In his early days when performing with Atkins, he recalls that Atkins would lend him a Gretsch guitar on which he was allowed to play solos. Nash wrote of Wariner's vocal and lyrical style that "the majority of Wariner’s sweet-sad songs about lost opportunity forego front-page passion for little nuggets of long-term longing" and "his creamy tenor audibly caresses a lyric." An article in The Los Angeles Times noted of Wariner's musical image in the 1990s that, unlike his peers, he did not wear a cowboy hat; the same article described him as "just plain good...Wariner has an angelic voice, some solid songs and a staggering facility on the guitar." Many of his projects have been recorded in only one take, including Burnin' the Roadhouse Down, the track "I Just Do" from Faith in You, and the Atkins tribute album. ## Personal life Wariner fathered his first son, Ryan, with Caryn Severs in 1984. After marrying in 1987, they had a second son, Ross. He also has one stepdaughter, Holly, who was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. He has one sister, Barbara, and three brothers: Kenny, Dave, and Terry, the last of whom was a longtime member of his road band. His mother Geneva Ilene Wariner died on June 19, 2012, followed by his father, Roy Monroe Wariner, on July 7, 2017. For much of the 1980s, Wariner developed an interest in stage magic, and would often include magic acts as part of his concerts. He also took up watercolor painting, and named his song "Like a River to the Sea" after one such painting. ## Discography - Studio albums - Steve Wariner (1982) - Midnight Fire (1983) - One Good Night Deserves Another (1985) - Life's Highway (1985) - It's a Crazy World (1987) - I Should Be with You (1988) - I Got Dreams (1989) - Laredo (1990) - I Am Ready (1991) - Drive (1993) - No More Mr. Nice Guy (1996) - Burnin' the Roadhouse Down (1998) - Two Teardrops (1999) - Faith in You (2000) - Steal Another Day (2003) - This Real Life (2005) - My Tribute to Chet Atkins (2009) - Guitar Laboratory (2011) - It Ain't All Bad (2013) - All Over the Map (2016) - Feels Like Christmas Time (2021) ## Awards and nominations

Episode 523

"Episode 523" is the 523rd episode of the Australian soap opera Neighbours. It premiered on Network Ten on 1 July 1987. The episode was written by Ray Harding, directed by Rod Hardy, and executively produced by the serial's creator Reg Watson. Episode 523 focuses on the wedding of popular couple Scott Robinson and Charlene Mitchell (portrayed by Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue). The storyline was devised by the producers after some viewers became outraged by the idea of an unwed couple moving in together. They also believed that the wedding would be "the perfect climax" to the character's long-running relationship and an instant ratings hit. The episode was filmed in secrecy and with a limited budget three months before it was broadcast. The wedding ceremony was filmed in the nave of The Holy Trinity Church in Doncaster. Episode 523 is one of only a few Neighbours episodes to include the entire cast. A new romantic style wedding dress made from ivory silk, organza and chantilly lace was made for Minogue's character. The ballad "Suddenly", which was written and sung by Angry Anderson, was chosen as the theme to the episode. Prior to its broadcast, Minogue and Donovan promoted the episode by making several appearances at shopping centres around Australia. Episode 523 became one of the most watched soap opera episodes upon its broadcast in Australia. When it aired in the United Kingdom in November 1988, it attracted an audience of 19.6 million, making it the third most watched programme in the country that year. The episode was well received by critics and viewers. TV Week's Kelly Bourne stated that the wedding would be the most exciting television soap opera event of 1987, while Network Ten's head of drama thought it was "a major turning point for Neighbours". The wedding has been voted one of the most memorable soap moments and is often included in lists featuring the greatest television weddings of all time. ## Plot The episode opens with Hilary Robinson (Anne Scott-Pendlebury) bringing breakfast to newlyweds Paul (Stefan Dennis) and Gail Robinson (Fiona Corke). She is surprised to find that they have spent the night in separate bedrooms. To hide the fact that they only married for business purposes, Gail tells Hilary that she and Paul had an argument the night before. Hilary tells them to sort things out and she tends to the bouquets. At the Robinson house, Scott (Jason Donovan) begins to panic about getting married, while his father, Jim (Alan Dale), and best friend, Mike Young (Guy Pearce), set up tables for the reception. Meanwhile, Lucy Robinson (Sasha Close) tries to find her pet mice. Over at the Ramsay house, Scott's fiancée, Charlene (Kylie Minogue), is getting ready. Her mother, Madge (Anne Charleston), asks her brother Henry (Craig McLachlan) not to race up the altar. Hilary brings in the wedding bouquet, while Charlene's friend and bridesmaid, Jane (Annie Jones) arrives. After receiving a blue garter from her grandmother, Charlene becomes excited about the wedding. Scott arrives at the church with Mike, Paul and Jim. He is greeted by his old school friends and Mike explains that he and Jane arranged for them to attend to make up for the absence of Charlene's extended family. After the guests take their seats, Scott starts to worry that Charlene will not show up, but Paul and Mike assure him that she will be there. Reverend Sampson (Howard Bell) then invites everyone to stand as Charlene and Henry begin their walk up the aisle. Scott and Charlene exchange vows and Reverend Sampson pronounces them man and wife. At the reception, Jim tells Scott that he is proud of him and welcomes Charlene to the family. Harold Bishop (Ian Smith) finds Madge crying in the kitchen and he comforts her. They are interrupted by Mrs. Mangel (Vivean Gray) who informs them that the telegrams from Max and Maria, Clive and Rosemary, who all are unable to attend, are being read out. Dan Ramsay (Syd Conabere) spots a mouse and tries to pick it up, but hits Mrs. Mangel's foot. She accuses Dan of groping her and as he protests his innocence, an argument breaks out among the guests. Scott and Charlene go to his bedroom and Gail brings them a gift from her father. Jane comes to tell Charlene that it is time to get changed for the honeymoon, while Paul takes their bags out to the car. Lucy tells Scott that she will miss him and he gives her his skateboard. Everyone gathers in the street to wave the couple off. Mrs. Mangel catches Charlene's bouquet, as the couple drive out of Ramsay Street. ## Production ### Conception By 1987, Scott Robinson (Jason Donovan) and Charlene Mitchell (Kylie Minogue) had become a popular couple with Neighbours viewers, who dubbed them "TV's Romeo and Juliet" because they were from feuding families. Following months of dating, Scott asked Charlene to move in with him. After "stuffier viewers" became outraged at the idea of the unwed couple moving in together, the producers decided that they should get married instead. Donovan recalled that the producers thought a wedding would be "the perfect climax" to Scott and Charlene's long-running relationship, as well as an instant ratings winner. Speaking to James Oram, author of Neighbours: Behind the Scenes, Minogue thought the marriage would bring controversial subjects, such as pre-marital sex and HIV/AIDS, into focus. Donovan agreed, saying there was "a valid moral point behind it." Executive producer Reg Watson noted how each character in the show expressed a different point of view about the wedding. Some, like Scott's father Jim (Alan Dale), thought it was "stupid" for a couple just out of school to get married, while others, like Charlene's mother Madge (Anne Charleston), believed it was romantic. Watson believed the storyline would have repercussions for everyone. Ray Harding wrote the script for Episode 523. Bruce Andrews from Charles Sturt University noted that it is one of only a few Neighbours episodes to include the entire cast. ### Filming The serial's producers asked Rod Hardy to direct the episode, due to his experience of directing other television weddings. The episode was shot "in great secrecy" three months before it was broadcast on Australian television. The shoot was initially delayed due to bad weather. Due to a limited budget, there were very few extras on set and crew were asked to stand in at the church instead. Minogue found the shoot "very tiring", as she had to walk up and down the aisle twenty times and she felt constricted by the wedding gown as filming went on. Minogue said there was "little chance" of her treating the wedding as anything but work, but added that it was "a good day." Recalling his experience of the shoot, Donovan told Nui Te Koha of the Herald Sun, "I don't remember that particular day well, but when you do set ups like weddings it takes a long, long time to put things together." The Holy Trinity Church in Doncaster was used as the location for the wedding ceremony. The scenes were shot in the old nave of the church. Liz Guiver, the former vicar's secretary and administrator, revealed that many of the church's parishioners were excited at the prospect of seeing the actors on set. Speaking to Guy Blackman from The Age, Guiver recalled "The person who played the vicar, and wore the vicar's robe, he smoked cigarettes, so we had to be careful that they were dry-cleaned before services on Sunday. Then we waited for months until the episode was aired, and most parishioners were glued to the set." Scenes featuring the character's family homes and Ramsay Street were shot at the show's studio in Forest Hill and at Pin Oak Court in Vermont South respectively. The wedding scenes were shot in soft focus, creating "a halo effect" around Charlene as she walked up the aisle. Hardy believed that "the magic of the episode" is captured best in two close-up shots of Scott and Charlene. The director recalled "The image that stays with me is the close-up of Kylie as she arrives and then the close-up on Jason's face, and those two looks epitomised what the whole scene was about." ### Costumes and music Charlene's new romantic style wedding dress was designed and made by Isis of Melbourne, a local bridal salon. The dress was made from ivory silk, organza and chantilly lace. The silk, satin dress has a "slightly" dropped waist with a cream silk overlay on the skirt. The bodice and skirt are both bordered in lace. The waist is "highlighted" with apricot chiffon, and apricot and pink rosettes. The dress has a high collar that is decorated with rhinestones, which also feature on the organza puffed sleeves. The look is completed by a half-length veil. A writer for the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery's website observed that it was "in keeping with Charlene's character as the suburban girl-next-door." While the show's costume designer, Nicholas Wakerley, called it "perfect for the time". Wakerley described the dress as being "young and cool" for the time, just like Charlene. He also revealed that the dress fitted Watson's desire for a fairy-tale wedding. When asked what made the dress memorable, fashion designer Alex Perry, stated "There are so many things going on that it's hard not to remember it\! The see-through sleeves with a hint of lace, the romantic era-style shoulders, the high neckline and hem." Knowing how popular Minogue and Charlene were at the time, Perry was sure that the dress would have been copied by viewers. Charlene's bridesmaids wore peach taffeta dresses, while the groom and his ushers wore charcoal grey tails. Minogue was asked by the producers to choose a romantic song to be played in the episode and she chose "Suddenly" by Angry Anderson. Anderson had written the song a long time before it was used in Episode 523. He explained that it is about a man coming to a certain point in his life when he realises that he does not mind being vulnerable. Minogue told Anderson that she loved the song and how the lyrics resonated with her. She later revealed that she wanted the song played at her own wedding. After Episode 523 was broadcast in the UK, "Suddenly" reached number 3 on the Singles Chart. ## Promotion and broadcast Network Ten's national publicity director, Brian Walsh, believed the wedding episode would be an ideal marketing opportunity. He arranged for Minogue and Donovan to attend a wedding breakfast at the Park Royal Hotel in Parramatta and invited four hundred competition winners to join them. Minogue and Donovan later made an appearance with the wedding cake at Westfield Parramatta. Walsh recalled "I'd never seen anything like it; there would have been 6000 people. Security had to prevent any more going inside. It was as simple as Jason and Kylie and a wedding cake on stage. There was a speech and the cutting of the cake. Then there was this near riot. We had to stop the appearance at this point to prevent people getting crushed." The actors made several more appearances with replica cakes in shopping centres throughout Sydney and Melbourne. They would cut the cakes and then hand out slices to thousands of fans. The episode later become the main focus on covers of TV Week and the Australian edition of Time magazine. Episode 523 was first broadcast in Australia on 1 July 1987. Just over a year later, the episode aired in the United Kingdom on 8 November 1988. In 1989, Scott and Charlene's wedding was included on a VHS titled The Neighbours Wedding Collection. In 2002, Fremantle included the episode on the Neighbours: Defining Moments DVD box set. The episode was also featured on the Neighbours: The Iconic Episodes Volume 2 DVD box set released in 2009. ## Reception ### Ratings Episode 523 was seen by two million viewers upon its broadcast in Australia, making it one of the highest rating soap opera episodes. When it aired in the United Kingdom, the episode attracted an audience of 19.6 million, making it the third most watched programme in the country that year. ### Critical response Kelly Bourne from TV Week described the episode as "the television wedding of the year" and "a fairytale ceremony." Bourne observed that the wedding would be the most exciting soap opera event of 1987. The head of drama at Network Ten, Rick Maier, stated "Scott and Charlene's wedding was the biggest television event of 1987. ... Not only a major turning point for Neighbours, but a wedding that stopped a nation." The Sydney Morning Herald's Michael Idato observed that "Australians packed the aisles for the nuptials of star-crossed teenagers Scott and Charlene" and added that "the nation wept" while "Suddenly" played. Sarah Megginson from SheKnows quipped "Scott and Charlene's wedding episode is practically the defining episode of what Neighbours was all about in the 80s. This episode featured the entire cast, and audiences loved watching the romance of off-screen couple Jason Donovan (Scott) and Kylie Minogue (Charlene) spill over on to the small screen." Andrew Mercado, author of Super Aussie Soaps, called the episode "The biggest event ever in Aussie soap history." Elizabeth Day, writing for The Guardian, commented "For many, the quintessential on-screen wedding remains the 1987 marriage of Scott and Charlene in Australian daytime soap Neighbours. It was the apotheosis of a romantic teenage love story which brought together two feuding families – the Robinsons and the Ramsays – in much the same way as the Montagues and the Capulets, albeit with fewer deaths and more shoulder pads." The Birmingham Post's Gemma Quade named the wedding one of her five most memorable Neighbours storylines, calling it a "tearjerker episode". Josephine Monroe, author of The Neighbours Programme Guide, wrote that the episode showed the "soap wedding of the century\!", adding "Teenagers Scott and Charlene tied the knot in a traditional and emotional church service". During a feature on how to celebrate a wedding ceremony in the style of a soap opera, Tom Cole from the Radio Times said "Who needs Mendelssohn and Bach when you can process down the aisle to power ballad 'Suddenly' by Australian rocker Angry Anderson? Sounds unorthodox, but it put pep in the step of Scott and Charlene in Neighbours. Note to groom: we can't all swan around like we're Jason Donovan, so give the feathered mullet a miss." ### Impact and legacy The Holy Trinity Church experienced an increase in interest after the episode aired, with some viewers holding their own weddings there. Backpackers also visit the church during their holidays to see the nave where Scott and Charlene were married. The church has since been used again by Neighbours to film the weddings of Harold and Madge, Libby Kennedy (Kym Valentine) and Drew Kirk (Dan Paris) and Vanessa Villante (Alin Sumarwata) and Lucas Fitzgerald (Scott Major). Charlene's wedding dress was donated to the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery by Grundy television in 1989. It has since gone on display in the Powerhouse Museum and travelled to Victoria and the UK. A copy of the episode's script, autographed by Harding, fetched £2,000 when it came up for auction in London. In October 1997, the serial's longest serving character, Helen Daniels (Anne Haddy), was seen watching a video of Scott and Charlene's wedding, before she died. Kathleen Morgan from the Daily Record commented "The wedding video brought back memories of the soap's golden years". Footage of the wedding was later shown during the soap's 20th anniversary episode, "Friends for Twenty Years". Charlene became an iconic bridal image, and when Jane Turner and Gina Riley were writing the 2004 season finale of Kath & Kim, they asked Minogue to play the character of Epponnee Rae who was due to get married. Executive producer, Rick McKenna, thought that it would be funny for Minogue to dress up as Charlene and the singer agreed. She appeared as a futuristic version of the character, complete with a lacy dress and 80's style hair. In October 2006, Australia Post brought out five stamps celebrating fifty years of television. Network Ten's stamp featured Charlene and Scott in their wedding attire. In 2007, Herald Sun readers voted Scott and Charlene's wedding as their top Neighbours moment. A Herald Sun reporter said "No other wedding in soap history in Australia has captured the attention like Scott and Charlene's nuptials late in 1987." The episode became FremantleMedia's seventh most requested television clip in 2008. To celebrate the soap's 25th anniversary and its 6000th episode, producers decided to "recreate the magic" of Scott and Charlene's wedding through the marriage of Ringo Brown (Sam Clark) and Donna Freedman (Margot Robbie). Robbie said "People are saying that my wedding is this generation's Kylie (Minogue) and Jason (Donovan) wedding – that's big shoes to fill." Scott and Charlene's wedding ceremony has often been included in lists about the best television weddings or soap opera moments. It was voted the "Most Romantic TV Nuptials of all Time" and the "Top TV Wedding of all Time" in a Radio Times poll. The following year saw the wedding place ninth in a list of the most memorable soap moments. In 2011, the wedding placed third in Channel 5's Greatest TV Weddings programme. It also came third in Virgin Media's "10 Best On-screen Nuptials" list. Sky Living included the ceremony in their 2012 feature on the best TV weddings, with a reporter noting that it is probably Neighbours*' most iconic moment. After including the ceremony in their list of best TV weddings, a writer for MSN New Zealand stated that "it set the standard up to which TV weddings (and terrible mullets) are held." In 2019, a writer from Soap World included Scott and Charlene's ceremony in their feature profiling soap weddings. They wrote "aww... doesn't it just make you wanna start singing along to 'Suddenly'? This was a Ramsay Street classic – and we hear they're still together\! Bless\!" In 2015, a Herald Sun* reporter included Scott and Charlene's wedding in their "Neighbours' 30 most memorable moments" feature.

Seeteufel

Prototype German amphibious midget submarine

Seeteufel (Sea Devil, also known as the Elefant (Elephant)) was a two-man amphibious midget submarine, developed by Nazi Germany during World War II. Only one prototype was built in 1944, although its testing was relatively successful and negotiations began for another series of three to test the necessary changes before beginning series production in 1945. These plans were cancelled at the beginning of that year when the decision was made to concentrate production on designs already being built. ## Background and description The Neger and Marder human torpedoes and the Biber midget submarines were difficult to launch from anywhere other than a harbor. The special preparations required to do so limited their operational flexibility and required additional time and resources. Alois Lödige and several of his colleagues of the Kiel-Eckernförde torpedo testing center developed the concept of putting tracks on a midget submarine to allow it to move on and off a beach under its own power. They designed and built a proof-of-concept vehicle in early 1944 that was tested in March. The one-man Sonderfahrzeug (special vessel) was 9.825 meters (32 ft 2.8 in) long and displaced 16 metric tons (16 long tons) without armament. It mounted a pair of torpedoes low on the hull by the tracks. The prototype Seeteufel was developed in four months and was ready for testing in July. A two-man crew controlled the 14.2-meter-long (46 ft 7 in) submarine. It had a beam of 2 meters (6 ft 7 in) and displaced 35 metric tons (34 long tons). The submarine was equipped with an 80-brake-horsepower (60 kW) gasoline-fueled Otto engine provided propulsion on both water (at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) on the surface using a single propeller) and land (at 10 kilometers per hour (6.2 mph)). When submerged, the same 25-brake-horsepower (19 kW) electric motor as used in the Seehund (Seal) midget submarine, gave the vessel a cruising speed of 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph). The prototype demonstrated a diving depth of 21 meters (69 ft) The Seeteufel's engine was in the bow, directly underneath the fixed snorkel mast that also contained the periscope, a radio antenna and the magnetic compass. The control room was aft of this with a low-profile conning tower fitted with the entry hatch. The batteries and the fuel tank were in the middle with the AEG electric motor in the stern. The forward diving planes were fixed, but the rudder and aft diving planes were governed by the driver with his aircraft-like control stick. The boat was equipped with a special ballast tank that compensated for the weight of its armament of a pair of standard G7e torpedoes and prevented it from breaking the surface when the torpedoes were fired. It could carry four naval mines in lieu of the torpedoes. On land it could be equipped with flamethrowers or machine guns. Testing showed that the submarine performed well underwater, but it was considered underpowered on land and the tracks were too narrow. More powerful 250 bhp (190 kW) diesel engines were planned for later models, in addition to wider tracks to spread the load and decrease ground pressure. The prototype was demonstrated to the management of the Borgward factory in Bremen and negotiations began for the production of three preproduction vessels to test the planned changes. The decision by the Oberkommando der Marine (Naval High Command) to focus production on models already being manufactured at the beginning of 1945 caused these plans to be canceled. The prototype was transferred to Lübeck and destroyed at the end of the war. ## Assessment Vizeadmiral (Vice Admiral) Hellmuth Heye, commander of the German Naval Special Forces (), stated in 1944: > "I consider the Sea Devil a promising weapon for use in commando raids. It is independent of mother craft and base personnel, can land on foreign shores, commit acts of sabotage, and evade pursuit ashore or afloat. It can be taken to site by a mother ship equipped with a large crane. With an engine of higher output than that of the experimental boat, a speed of 8 to 10 knots can be obtained. Speed and radius of action could be further increased by installation of a closed-cycle engine. Intended for use in coastal waters if weather is not too rough, and on rivers, lakes and artificial lakes..."

Kepler-10c

Exoplanet in the constellation Draco

Kepler-10c is an exoplanet orbiting the G-type star Kepler-10, located around 608 light-years away in Draco. Its discovery was announced by the Kepler space telescope team in May 2011, although it had been seen as a planetary candidate since January 2011, when Kepler-10b was discovered. The team confirmed the observation using data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope and a technique called BLENDER that ruled out most false positives. Kepler-10c was the third transiting planet to be confirmed statistically (based on probability rather than actual observation), after Kepler-9d and Kepler-11g. The Kepler team considers the statistical method that led to the discovery of Kepler-10c as what will be necessary to confirm many planets in Kepler's field of view. Kepler-10c orbits its host star every forty-five days at a quarter of the average distance between the Sun and Earth. Initial observations showed that it has a radius more than double that of Earth, and suggested a higher density, suggesting a mainly rocky composition with around 5–20% ices by mass. For comparison, the Earth's oceans represent only 0.02% of our planet's mass, with an additional amount potentially a few times this stored in the mantle. However, in 2017, more careful analysis using both HARPS and HIRES data revealed that Kepler-10c is not a large terrestrial planet, but instead a typical volatile-rich planet of about seven Earth masses. ## Discovery and confirmation In January 2011, the closely orbiting planet Kepler-10b was confirmed in the orbit of the star Kepler-10 after measurements of its transiting behavior (where it crosses in front of Kepler-10, periodically dimming it) and a radial velocity effect detected in Kepler-10's spectrum provided the information needed to prove that it was indeed a planet. An additional, longer-period dimming was detected in Kepler-10's spectrum, suggesting that a second planet existed in the system; however, there remained the possibility that this signal could have some other cause, and that the transit event was a false positive. Attempts to measure the radial velocity effects of this object, then named KOI 072.02, were fruitless; therefore, to rule out false positive scenarios, the Kepler team used a technique called BLENDER. The application of BLENDER was supplemented by use of the IRAC instrument on the Spitzer Space Telescope, which was used on August 30 and November 15, 2010, to further define Kepler-10's light curve at the point where KOI 072.02 appeared to transit it. It was found that the transiting object did not produce a color, an aspect that is characteristic of stars. This suggested even further that KOI 072.02 was a planet. In addition, the IRAC instrument found no difference in the transit signal when comparing the star's light curve in the infrared and in visible light; stars that are aligned with Kepler-10 might appear visibly similar, but would appear different in the infrared. The WIYN Observatory's 3.5m telescope was used for speckle imaging on June 18, 2010; in addition, the PHARO camera on the Palomar Observatory's 5m telescope was used for its adaptive optics capabilities. These observations, combined with observations of Kepler-10's spectrum taken from the W.M. Keck Observatory, ruled out the possibility that a nearby star's light was corrupting the observed spectrum of Kepler-10 and creating the results that had led astronomers to believe that a second planet existed in Kepler-10's orbit. All of these possibilities, with the exception of if such a star existed exactly behind or in front of Kepler-10, were effectively ruled out; even with this, the Kepler team found that if a star was indeed aligned with Kepler-10 as seen from Earth, such a star would probably not be a giant star. With a greater degree of certainty established, the Kepler team compared the models formed using BLENDER to the photometric observations collected by the Kepler satellite. The BLENDER technique allowed the Kepler team to rule out the majority of the alternatives including, notably, that of triple star systems. BLENDER then allowed the Kepler team to determine that although all models representing hierarchical triple stars (a binary system between a single star and a double star) can resemble the light curve of Kepler-10, the aforementioned follow-up observations would have detected them all. The only possible blends remaining after ruling out hierarchical triple stars was that of determining if the curve is caused by interference from a background star, or if it is indeed caused by the orbit of a transiting planet. Comparisons of KOI 072.02 to the 1235 other Kepler Objects of Interest in Kepler's field of vision allowed astronomers to use models that led to the confirmation of KOI 072.02 as a planet with a high degree of certainty. KOI 072.02 was then renamed Kepler-10c. The planet's confirmation was announced at the Boston meeting of the American Astronomical Society on May 23, 2011. Kepler-10c was the first Kepler target to be observed using Spitzer with the hope of detecting a shallow transit dip in a light curve. At the time of Kepler-10c's discovery, Spitzer was the only facility capable of detecting shallow transits in the Kepler data to an extent at which the data could be meaningfully analyzed. The planet was also the third transiting planet that was validated through an analysis of statistical data (rather than actual observation), after the planets Kepler-9d and Kepler-11g. In Kepler-10c's confirmation paper, the Kepler team discussed how a large fraction of planets in Kepler's field of view would be confirmed in this statistical manner. ## Host star Kepler-10 is a G-type star located 187 parsecs (608 light years) from Earth. It is 0.895 solar masses and 1.056 solar radii, making it slightly less massive than the Sun, but approximately the same size. With an effective temperature of 5627 K, Kepler-10 is cooler than the Sun. The star is also metal-poor and far older: its metallicity is measured at [Fe/H] = −0.15 (29% less iron than in the Earth's Sun). Kepler-10 has a measured age of approximately 10.6 billion years. Kepler-10 has an apparent magnitude of 11.2, which means that the star is invisible to the naked eye on Earth. ## Characteristics Kepler-10c is the outermost of the two known planets of Kepler-10, completing one orbit of the star every 45.29485 days at a distance of 0.2407 AU. The inner planet, Kepler-10b, is a rocky planet that orbits every \~0.8 days at a distance of 0.01684 AU. Kepler-10c's equilibrium temperature is estimated at 584 K, almost four times hotter than Jupiter's. The planet's orbital inclination is 89.65o, or almost edge-on with respect to Earth and to Kepler-10. Transits have been observed at points where Kepler-10c has crossed in front of its host star. Kepler-10c was originally thought to have a mass of 15–19 Earth masses. With a radius only 2.35 (2.31 to 2.44) times that of Earth (and so a volume 12–15 times that of Earth), it was believed to be unlikely to contain significant amounts of hydrogen or helium gas, since an outgassed or accreted hydrogen-rich atmosphere would have been lost over the 10.6-billion-year lifetime of the Kepler-10 system. Instead, the composition was believed to be mainly rocky, with a water fraction of 5–20% by mass. The bulk of this water was thought to be likely in the form of high-pressure "hot-ice" phases. However, in July 2017, more careful analysis of HARPS-N and HIRES data showed that Kepler-10c was much less massive than originally thought, instead around 7.37 (6.18 to 8.69) with a mean density of 3.14 g/cm³. Instead of a primarily rocky composition, the more accurately determined mass of Kepler-10c suggests a world made almost entirely of volatiles, mainly water. ## See also - 55 Cancri e - Kepler-10b - Kepler-20b

3rd Missouri Light Battery

Artillery battery of the Confederate States Army

The 3rd Missouri Light Battery (also known as MacDonald's Missouri Battery and Dawson's Missouri Battery) was an artillery battery of the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. The battery originated as a Missouri State Guard unit active in late 1861, and was officially transferred to the Confederate States Army on January 28, 1862. The battery provided artillery support at the Battle of Pea Ridge in March 1862, and was lightly engaged at the Battle of Iuka in September. In October 1862, the battery was lightly engaged at the Second Battle of Corinth and saw action at the Battle of Davis Bridge, where it lost at least one cannon. The 3rd Light Battery saw action at the Battle of Champion Hill on May 16, 1863, and had its cannons captured at the Battle of Big Black River Bridge the next day. After participating in the Siege of Vicksburg, the battery was captured on July 4, 1863 and was paroled and exchanged. The battery was then consolidated with the Jackson Missouri Battery; the 3rd Light Battery designation was continued. In early 1864, the battery received replacement cannons and was assigned to the defense of Mobile Bay. The 3rd Light Battery saw action at the Battle of Spanish Fort in March and April 1865. When the Confederate Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana surrendered on May 4, 1865, the battery was again captured; the men of the battery were paroled on May 10, ending their military service. ## Organization Beginning on October 6, 1861, men of the Missouri State Guard were recruited to join an artillery battery that was being formed near Osceola, Missouri. Many of the men who joined the battery originated from the St. Louis, Missouri area, leading to the battery's informal name of the St. Louis Artillery. The battery was equipped with three 6-pounder smoothbore cannons and joined the 7th Division of the Missouri State Guard on November 1, at Cassville, Missouri. The battery, commanded by Captain Emmett MacDonald, officially transferred from the Missouri State Guard to the Confederate States Army on January 28, 1862, while stationed in Springfield, Missouri. ## Service history ### 1862 #### Pea Ridge and First Corinth At the Battle of Pea Ridge on March 7 and 8, 1862, the battery was assigned to the command of Brigadier General Daniel M. Frost, along with Guibor's Missouri Battery and several units of the Missouri State Guard as part of the Confederate Army of the West. On the first day at Pea Ridge, the battery, along with Wade's Missouri Battery, Guibor's Battery, Clark's Missouri Battery, and a battery commanded by Lieutenant Charles W. Higgins, participated in an artillery duel with the 1st Iowa Battery. Later that day, the battery, as well as Clark's Battery and Higgin's Battery, provided artillery support for a charge made by elements of the Missouri State Guard. The fire from the batteries was described by a Union soldier as a "most terrific cannonading", but the infantry charge failed. When a Union counterattack broke the Confederate line on March 8, the 3rd Light Battery provided covering fire for the Confederate retreat before falling back as well. The battery's flag was almost left on the field, but MacDonald retrieved it before Union soldiers could capture it. After barely avoiding pursuing Union troops, the battery escaped with the rest of the Army of the West. At Pea Ridge, the battery suffered at least two casualties and fired around seven hundred rounds of ammunition. After Pea Ridge, the battery was assigned another cannon, a 6-pounder captured from Union forces during the battle. After Pea Ridge, the battery was transferred across the Mississippi River to Memphis, Tennessee, and later moved to Corinth, Mississippi. A muster was conducted at the latter location on May 5; the battery's strength at that time was 100 men. As part of Colonel Louis Hébert's brigade, the battery was engaged during early stages of the Siege of Corinth, and saw action at the Battle of Farmington on May 9. After the evacuation of Corinth, the battery was assigned to various points in northern Mississippi. MacDonald was assigned to the Trans-Mississippi Department to lead cavalry; an election held by the battery elevated William Dawson to battery command on September 10. #### Iuka and Second Corinth At the Battle of Iuka on September 19, the battery was assigned to Hébert's brigade of Brigadier General Lewis Henry Little's division, which was part of Major General Sterling Price's Army of the West. The battery came under enemy fire at Iuka, suffering one casualty, although it did not have the opportunity to fire its cannons. At the Second Battle of Corinth on October 3 and 4, the battery was in the brigade of Colonel W. Bruce Colbert; Hébert had been elevated to division command to replace Little, who had been killed at Iuka. A portion of the battery saw light duty at Corinth. On October 5, the battery was engaged at the Battle of Davis Bridge, fending off a Union pursuit as the Confederates retreated from Corinth. The 3rd Missouri Light Battery was positioned in the middle of the Confederate line and attracted heavy Union artillery fire. The battery fired in response, but eventually ran out of ammunition. When a Union infantry charge broke the Confederate line, the battery was unable to withdraw some of their pieces, losing either three or one cannon to capture. After Davis Bridge, the battery was transferred to Holly Springs, Mississippi and then Grenada, Mississippi. ### 1863 At the Battle of Grand Gulf on April 29, 1863, the battery was stationed at a point 4 miles (6.4 km) away from Fort Wade on the Big Black River. At the Battle of Champion Hill on May 16, the battery was in the brigade of Brigadier General Martin E. Green. After fighting at Champion Hill, the battery lost its cannons at the Battle of Big Black River Bridge on May 17; after which it entered the defenses of Vicksburg, Mississippi. The battery was present during the Siege of Vicksburg and was captured when the Confederate garrison surrendered on July 4. The 64 surviving men of the battery were paroled and exchanged and reported to Demopolis, Alabama. On October 3, the 3rd Missouri Light Battery was consolidated with the Jackson Missouri Battery and assigned to Brigadier General John C. Moore's brigade. The combined battery was generally treated as a continuation of the 3rd Light Battery. At the Battle of Missionary Ridge on November 25, the battery was available, but did not see action; replacement cannons for those lost at Big Black River Bridge had not yet arrived. After Missionary Ridge, the battery was stationed at Meridian, Mississippi and then Mobile, Alabama. ### 1864–1865 In February 1864, the battery received replacement cannons in the form of four 20-pounder Parrott rifles. For much of the rest of 1864, the battery guarded a portion of Mobile Bay, at one point firing at a Union Navy gunboat. Captain Dawson died of illness on March 26; Captain Schuyler Lowe, former commander of the Jackson Missouri Battery, replaced Dawson. In March and April 1865, the battery fought at the Battle of Spanish Fort. During the Mobile Campaign, the 3rd Light Battery fired an estimated 700 shots. After the Confederate forces left Mobile, the battery was sent to Meridian, Mississippi, where it remained until Lieutenant General Richard Taylor surrendered the Confederate Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana on May 4, 1865. The men of the battery were paroled on May 10. ## See also - List of Missouri Confederate Civil War units

Kirkandrews, Dumfries and Galloway

Hamlet in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland

Kirkandrews, sometimes written as Kirkanders in older documents, is a coastal hamlet about 9 kilometres (6 mi) west-southwest of Kirkcudbright in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It sits in farmland at the head of Kirkandrews Bay, an inlet of Wigtown Bay. The history of Kirkandrews' name is not altogether clear. Some authors have suggested that it was named for a Northumbrian or Irish saint who established a church here in the first millennium; certainly there was an ancient church at the site, but most recent scholarship suggests that both the original church and its name have been lost, and that a new church was built and dedicated to St Andrew, the apostle and patron saint of Scotland, at some point before 1174. Evidence of human habitation at the site dates to the Iron Age, and a Christian church has been there since the early medieval period. Originally an independent parish, it was amalgamated into the parish of Borgue in the 1790s. There was a barony of Kirkandrews, which changed hands many times during its history. By the nineteenth century it had declined to the status of a small hamlet within the grounds of the Knockbrex estate, which was purchased in 1894 by James Brown of Affleck & Brown, who embarked on a series of building works that would put his distinctive, flamboyant architectural stamp on Kirkandrews and its immediate vicinity. There are no shops or commercial businesses in the hamlet, but there are a number of historical sites. These include the ancient churchyard with some surviving stonework from its medieval church, a listed village hall that is used for religious services and private events, and a short distance along the coast there is a dun, built in the Iron Age and reused by Scandinavians, which was renovated in the early 20th century and has since been designated a scheduled monument. ## Name Kirkandrews takes its name, sometimes written as Kirkanders in historical records, from that of its ruined medieval church, but the history of the church's dedication is not clear. Local author Andrew McCulloch writes that it is named for a Northumbrian saint called Andrew, and the nineteenth-century writers William Daniell and Richard Ayton, in an account of their travels in the region, report that St Andrew is said to have arrived there by sea from Ireland. A similar account is given by W. J. Pennell in The Story of Knockbrex, which reports that the church was built on the site by monks from Iona Abbey, and was named for a 9th-century Irish saint called Andrew. Other authors take a different view. George Chalmers, in his account of Scottish history Caledonia, indicates that it was named for the St Andrew, the apostle and patron saint of Scotland. R. C. Reid, a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, argues that the original name of the church must have been lost because the prefix 'Kirk' is not one that would have been used at the time when Ionian monks were active in the area. He suggests that the church was probably rebuilt at some point prior to 1174 and rededicated to St Andrew at that time. A 1970 assessment by the Ordnance Survey's Archaeology Division also noted that it was probably rededicated to St Andrew in the 12th century, and that its earlier dedication is unknown. Local historian Daphne Brooke agrees with this assessment, and suggests that the choice of St Andrew, a fisherman, would have been in keeping with Kirkandrew's status as a port town. ## Geography Kirkandrews sits amidst fields of arable farmland at the head of Kirkandrews Bay, an inlet of Wigtown Bay. It is approximately 9 kilometres (6 mi) west-southwest from Kirkcudbright, and 3 kilometres (2 mi) west of Borgue in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The closest weather observation site is at Dundrennan, 11 kilometres (7 mi) away from Kirkandrews. The observations are taken at an elevation of 113 metres (371 ft), considerably higher than Kirkandrews which is around 10 metres (33 ft) above sea level. ## History The area around Kirkandrews Bay retains evidence of very early human activity. At Tongue Croft, in a field just to the east of the village, is a rock bearing a set of four prehistoric cup and ring marks with up to six rings. There are signs of Iron Age habitation at Castle Haven, 700 metres (0.4 mi) along the coastline to the north west, in the form of a 1st-century BCE dun. This structure shows signs of reuse in the late first millennium, and was largely rebuilt and heightened in 1905. It is known locally as the Borg or Borgue, probably from the Old Norwegian word for a fort, indicating probable Scandinavian use. Angles from Northumbria conquered much of south west Scotland in the 7th century, and there is evidence of an Anglian coastal settlement at Kirkandrews. Older histories record that a church was established at the site by monks from Iona very early in Scotland's Christian history, and that it was transferred to the ownership of Holyrood Abbey in the 12th century by William the Lion. More recent work has called some of these details into question. Brooke argues that there were in fact two early Christian settlements in the vicinity called Kirkandrews: this one, Kirkandrews Purton (port village), and another some miles away known as Kirkandrews Balmaghie (village in the woods). She believes that it was Kirkandrews Balmaghie that was founded by Iona and later transferred to Holyrood, but agrees that there was certainly an Anglian religious settlement at Kirkandrews Porton, and that the old churchyard that survives today is at least pre-conquest in age. In the 13th century, the barony of Kirkandrews was granted to Robert de Champaign, brother to the constable of Roxburgh Castle Ralph de Champaign. Robert ruled the area from a substantial nearby stronghold, the earthworks of which survive and are known as Roberton Motte. It passed to his son, also named Robert, and then to his daughter Margaret and her husband, the Northumbrian nobleman Bernard de Rippelay. There are records of the lands being leased by William Lennox of Cally in the 15th century, and in 1472 James III granted the barony to William, Lord Moneypenny, who had served as a Scottish diplomat at the court of Louis XI of France. In the late 16th century the barony was purchased by John Gordon of Lochinvar, and in the 17th century the village hosted thriving annual markets. The minister Andrew Symson, in his Large Description of Galloway published in 1684, records that "in the kirk-yard of Kirkanders, upon the ninth day of August, there is a fair kept, called St. Lawrence Fair, where all sorts of merchant-wares are to be sold; but the fair only lasts for three or four hours, and then the people, who flock hither in great companies, drink and debauch, and commonly great lewdness is committed here at this fair." In the late 1790s, the Statistical Accounts of Scotland record that the parish of Kirkandrews was merged with those of Borgue and Senwick; the new amalgamated parish was known simply as Borgue. The Accounts also record that a planned village was to be built at Kirkandrews by Lord Daer, but this plan was never realised. The settlement around that time appears to have been in a very run-down condition: Daniel and Ayton, recounting their visit in the summer of 1813, described it as "the ne plus ultra of lowness and obscurity". They explain that it had previously been a centre of smuggling but that customs officers had seized all the village's boats and broken up the racket, leaving the inhabitants with no means of making an income. The Ordnance Survey map of 1854 shows a corn mill at Kirkandrews, and four buildings labelled Guttieside, Meggerland, Craighouse and Knockkennock. By the late 19th century, Kirkandrews seems to have become a quiet and romantic backwater. A guidebook to the area, published in 1876, describes a pleasant walk into the village, where "the murmur of the little stream, as it glides over the stones and brushwood in its course, is wafted to the ear, and nought of din, or sign of life, is heard or seen, save one of the aged liferenters drawing water from a pool of the running stream, or the grating sound of the mill wheel revolving on its rusty axle." The author comments on the "quaint and picturesque" nature of the houses, but also on the fact that some of them were derelict, and "only fit models for the painter." The 1885 Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland notes Kirkandrews' decline, from "a place of some note, long the scene of an annual fair, with horse and foot races, to the condition of a small, picturesque hamlet." By 1894, Kirkandrews was a part of the nearby estate of Knockbrex, which was acquired by James Brown, a successful draper from Manchester who had been made rich by the department store he helped establish, Affleck & Brown. He set about a programme of building on the estate, renovating existing structures and constructing new ones, all in a distinctive and individual style influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement, and described by Historic Environment Scotland as having "a stylistic individuality bordering on the idiosyncratic". These buildings, mostly castellated and ornately decorated, include a folly known as the Toy Fort; Corseyard Farm, a dairy built to resemble a large castle tower; and within Kirkandrews itself a village hall known as Kirkandrews Kirk. Brown was also responsible for the reconstruction and heightening of the dun at Castle Haven, an act described by one local writer as "well-meant vandalism"; what remains of it today has been described as "an important example of Edwardian restoration of a specialised Iron Age stone fort". ## Kirkandrews today Modern Kirkandrews consists of a handful of domestic buildings, but there are no shops or other businesses. It is approached by a single-lane road which follows the Pulwhirrin Burn south from the main road. The first building the road passes is Kirkandrews Kirk, the village hall built by James Brown and completed in 1906, and a Category B listed building. Designed by the Arts and Crafts architect George Harry Higginbottom, it is accessed through an elaborate timber lychgate, and made to resemble a small castle. It is buttressed and crenellated, with mock portcullises built into the round arches above the doorway and windows. The interior walls are lined with a carved wooden dado with Celtic designs, and there is a rubble fireplace surmounted by a heraldic panel depicting St Andrew; the chimney above the fireplace is disguised externally to look like a turret. Built into the walls of the enclosure around the kirk are memorials for members of the Brown family, including James Brown himself, who died in 1920. The building is maintained by a charity, the Kirkandrews Kirk Trust, and used for ecumenical religious services, weddings and private functions. The road passes a number of houses, then comes to the old medieval churchyard. The church no longer remains as a complete building, but two burial enclosures in the middle of the yard appear to incorporate some of the fabric of its original walls. There are gravestones and memorials in the churchyard dating back to the 18th century, and because Lance Corporal Francis James Elms, who died in October 1918 during the First World War, is buried there, the churchyard is registered as a Commonwealth War Grave. A carved stone cross, dated to the 11th or 12th century and now standing in the forecourt of the Stewartry Museum in Kirkcudbright, is thought to have been taken from the churchyard. The poet William Nicholson, who was born in Borgue, is buried in the graveyard, and there is a memorial to Robert McWhae, a Covenanter martyr killed in 1685. The Castle Haven dun, which was designated a scheduled monument in 1928, is approached from Kirkandrews by a path which crosses the burn over a wooden bridge and follows the coast to the north-west. It is built on a rocky promontory, with inner and outer walls, and is the only known example in Galloway of this type of structure, which is more common in Argyll and the Outer Hebrides. The outer wall, roughly 2.7 metres (8.9 ft) thick, encloses an area of 39 metres (128 ft) by 20 metres (66 ft), with entrances to the north east and south east. The inner enclosure is approximately 18 metres (59 ft) by 11 metres (36 ft), and there are steps up to the top of the walls in the north east corner. Although the walls were substantially heightened by Brown in 1905, the original outline of the walls was faithfully maintained. During the excavations that preceded the modifications, artefacts including bronze spiral finger-rings and a blue glass paste bead, dated to the Iron Age, were discovered, alongside a brooch and fragments of mail that are suggestive of later reuse. ## General sources

Tiger Fire

Wildfire in Yavapai County, Arizona

The Tiger Fire was a wildfire that burned 16,278 acres (6,587 ha) in the U.S. state of Arizona from June to July 2021. The fire was caused by a dry lightning strike in the Prescott National Forest. Although Horsethief Basin Lake was evacuated and both the community of Crown King and the census-designated place of Black Canyon City were threatened, no injuries or deaths were reported, and no buildings were destroyed. Over 300 fire personnel were assigned to contain the blaze. ## Events ### Cause The fire began at around 2 pm (MDT) on June 30, 2021, in the Castle Creek Wilderness in the Prescott National Forest. The fire was caused by dry lightning from passing thunderstorms. ### Wildfire One day after the fire ignited, on July 1, the fire had burned 1,700 acres (690 ha) of land and was burning in steep, rugged terrain 11 miles (18 km) east of Crown King. Heavy smoke from the fire was visible along Interstate 17 near Sunset Point, Arizona. By the end of the following day, the fire had already burned 5,567 acres (2,253 ha) and was burning 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of Black Canyon City, where a 2015 wildfire had scorched 4,900 acres (2,000 ha). At this point, approximately 63 fire personnel were working to control the blaze, using equipment including two helicopters. By 8:30 am on July 4, the completely-uncontained blaze had burned 9,800 acres (4,000 ha). A total of 159 personnel were working on easing the fire to keep it under control. Throughout the day, aerial firefighting was effective on the southern and eastern perimeters. An evacuation order was issued for Horsethief Basin Lake due to winds pushing the fire towards the reservoir, while Crown King was put on high alert. On the same day, scattered rain showers slowed the expansion of the fire and reduced its activity. The greatest concentration—approximately 2.65 in (67 mm) of rain—landed towards the south of the fire. By July 7, the fire had burned 12,133 acres (4,910 ha) due to high temperatures and low humidity caused by a high-pressure system hovering over Arizona on July 6. A total of 323 personnel were working on containing the fire. On July 15, with a burned area of more than 16,000 acres (6,500 ha), the fire reached 59% containment; all evacuation orders were lifted, and although there was no threat of the fire spreading any further, firefighters continued to monitor containment lines throughout the day. The Tiger Fire was fully contained on July 30 after burning a total area of 16,278 acres (6,587 ha). ### Aftermath The Tiger Fire burned 16,278 acres (6,587 ha) of dry grass and brush, with over 300 fire personnel responding to the blaze. The fire cost $5,644,000 (2021 USD) to suppress. A shelter was opened at New River Elementary School near Black Canyon Highway for evacuees affected by the blaze. No buildings were destroyed, and no injuries or deaths were reported for the duration of the fire. ## Gallery

Little brown bat

Species of mammal found in North America

The little brown bat or little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus) is an endangered species of mouse-eared microbat found in North America. It has a small body size and glossy brown fur. It is similar in appearance to several other mouse-eared bats, including the Indiana bat, northern long-eared bat, and Arizona myotis, to which it is closely related. Despite its name, the little brown bat is not closely related to the big brown bat, which belongs to a different genus. Its mating system is polygynandrous, or promiscuous, and females give birth to one offspring annually. The offspring, called pups, are quickly weaned and reach adult size in some dimensions by three weeks old. The little brown bat has a mean lifespan of 6.5 years, though one individual in the wild reached 34 years old. It is nocturnal, foraging for its insect prey at night and roosting in hollow trees or buildings during the day, among less common roost types. It navigates and locates prey with echolocation. It has few natural predators, but may be killed by raptors such as owls, as well as terrestrial predators such as raccoons. Other sources of mortality include diseases such as rabies and white-nose syndrome. White-nose syndrome has been a significant cause of mortality since 2006, killing over one million little brown bats by 2011. In the Northeastern United States, population loss has been extreme, with surveyed hibernacula (caves used for hibernation) averaging a population loss of 90%. Humans frequently encounter the little brown bat due to its habit of roosting in buildings. Colonies in buildings are often considered pests because of the production of waste or the concern of rabies transmission. Little brown bats rarely test positive for rabies, however. Some people attempt to attract little brown bats to their property, but not their houses, by installing bat houses. ## Taxonomy The little brown bat was described as a new species in 1831 by American naturalist John Eatton Le Conte. It was initially in the genus Vespertilio, with a binomial of Vespertilio lucifugus, before it was re-categorized as belonging to the Myotis genus. "Myotis" is a Neo-Latin construction, from the Greek "muós (meaning "mouse") and "oûs" (meaning ear), literally translating to "mouse-eared". "Lucifugus" is from Latin "lux" (meaning "light") and "fugere" (meaning "to shun"), literally translating to "light-shunning". The holotype had possibly been collected in Georgia near the Le Conte Plantation near Riceboro, but this has been disputed because the initial record lacked detail on where the specimen was collected. Within its family, the Vespertilionidae (vesper bats), the little brown bat is a member of the subfamily Myotinae, which contains only the mouse-eared bats of genus Myotis. Based on a 2007 study using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, it is part of a Nearctic clade of mouse-eared bats. Its sister taxon is the Arizona myotis, M. occultus. As of 2005, five subspecies of the little brown bat are recognized: M. l. lucifugus, M. l. alascensis, M. l. carissima, M. l. pernox, and M. l. relictus. Formerly, the Arizona myotis and southeastern myotis (M. austroriparius) were also considered subspecies (M. l. occultus and M. l. austroriparius), but both are now recognized as full species. In a 2018 study by Morales and Carstens, they concluded that the five subspecies are independent, paraphyletic lineages, meaning that grouping them together excludes other lineages with the same common ancestor, and therefore each warrant specific status. Results of one study suggested that the little brown bat can hybridize with Yuma myotis, M. yumanensis. The two species occur in the same area in much of the Western United States, as well as southern British Columbia. The two species are morphologically different throughout most of the range, but in some regions, individuals have been documented that are intermediate in appearance between the two. However, a 1983 study by Herd and Fenton found no morphological, genetic, or ecological evidence to support the notion that the two species hybridize. ## Anatomy and physiology ### External characteristics The little brown bat is a small species, with individuals weighing 5.5–12.5 g (0.19–0.44 oz) with a total body length of 8.0–9.5 cm (3.1–3.7 in). Individuals have the lowest weight in the spring as they emerge from hibernation. It has a forearm length of 36–40 mm (1.4–1.6 in) and a wingspan of 22.2–26.9 cm (8.7–10.6 in). It is a sexually dimorphic species, with females larger than males on average. A variety of fur colors is possible, with pelage ranging from pale tan or reddish to dark brown. Its belly fur is a lighter color than its back fur. Its fur is glossy in appearance, though less so on its belly. A variety of pigmentation disorders have been documented in this species, including albinism (total lack of pigment), leucism (partial lack of pigment), and melanism (over-pigmentation). ### Head and teeth It is a diphyodont mammal, meaning that it has two sets of teeth during its lifetime—milk teeth and adult teeth. The dental formula of the milk teeth is for a total of 22 teeth, while that of the adult teeth is for a total of 38 teeth. Newborns ("pups") are born with 20 milk teeth which becomes 22 when the final upper premolars emerge. Pups begin losing milk teeth once they have reached a body length of 55–60 mm (2.2–2.4 in); total loss of milk teeth and emergence of adult teeth is usually complete by the time a juvenile is 80 mm (3.1 in) long. It has a relatively short snout and a gently sloped forehead. It lacks a sagittal crest, which can be used to distinguish it from the Arizona myotis. Its skull length is 14–16 mm (0.55–0.63 in). The braincase appears nearly circular though somewhat flattened when viewed from the back. Its ears are 11.0–15.5 mm (0.43–0.61 in) long, while the tragi, or cartilaginous flaps that project in front of the ear openings, are 7.0–9.0 mm (0.28–0.35 in) long. The tragi are blunt at the tips and considered of medium length for a mouse-eared bat. ### Senses The little brown bat is dichromatic and its eyesight is likely sensitive to ultraviolet and red light, based on a genetic analysis that discovered that the genes SWS1 and M/LWS were present and functional. Its ability to see ultraviolet light may be useful in capturing insects, as 80% of nocturnal moths' wings reflect UV light. It is unclear if or how seeing red light is advantageous for this species. It is adapted to see best in low-light conditions. It lacks eyeshine. The little brown bat lacks a vomeronasal organ. Relative to frugivorous bat species such as the Jamaican fruit bat, it has small eyes and a reduced olfactory epithelium. Instead, it has a more sophisticated system of echolocation, suggesting that reliance on echolocation decreases the need for orientation via sight or smell. ### Physiology In fall through spring, the little brown bat enters torpor, a state of decreased physiological activity, daily. Torpor saves energy for the bat when ambient temperatures are below 39 °F (4 °C) throughout the year and 32 °F (0 °C) in the winter; instead of expending energy to maintain a constant body temperature, it allows its body to cool and physiological activity to slow. While in torpor, its heart rate drops from up to 210 beats per minute to as few as 8 beats per minute. The exception to this rule is females at the end of pregnancy, which no longer have the ability to thermoregulate, and therefore must roost in warm places. During daily roosting, it can cope with high levels of water loss of up to 25%. In the winter time, it enters a prolonged state of torpor known as hibernation. To conserve energy, it limits how frequently it arouses from torpor, with individuals existing in uninterrupted torpor for up to 90 days. Arousal is the most energetically costly phase of torpor, which is why individuals do so infrequently. Despite the energy-saving mechanism of hibernation, individuals lose a quarter of their pre-hibernation body mass during the winter. ### Similar species The little brown bat can be confused with the Indiana bat (M. sodalis) in appearance. The two can be differentiated by the little brown bat's lack of a keeled calcar—the cartilaginous spur on its uropatagium (the flight membrane between its hind legs). While it does have a calcar, that of the little brown bat is not nearly as pronounced. Additionally, the little brown bat can be distinguished by the presence of hairs on its toes and feet that extend beyond the length of the digits. The northern long-eared bat (M. septentrionalis), another similar species, can be distinguished by its much longer ears, and tragi that are long and sharply pointed. ## Biology and ecology ### Reproduction and life cycle The little brown bat has a promiscuous mating structure, meaning that individual bats of both sexes mate with multiple partners. It is a seasonal breeder, with mating taking place in the fall before the annual hibernation. As a seasonal breeder, males do not produce sperm year-round; instead, spermatogenesis occurs May through August each year. Throughout the spring and summer, males and females roost separately. In the fall, however, individuals of both sexes will congregate in the same roost in a behavior known as "swarming". Like several other bat species, males of this species exhibit homosexual behaviors, with male bats mating indiscriminately with torpid, roosting bats, regardless of sex. Although copulation occurs in the fall, fertilization does not occur until the spring due to sperm storage. Gestation proceeds for 50–60 days following fertilization. The litter size is one individual. At birth, pups weigh approximately 2.2 g (0.078 oz) and have a forearm length less than 17.2 mm (0.68 in). While they have a small absolute mass, they are enormous relative to their mothers, weighing up to 30% of her postpartum body weight at birth. Pups' eyes and ears are closed at first, but open within a few hours of birth. They exhibit rapid growth; at around three weeks old, the young start flying, begin the weaning process, and are of a similar size to adults in forearm length but not weight. The young are totally weaned by 26 days old. Females may become sexually mature in the first year of life. Males become sexually mature in their second year. It is a very long-lived species relative to its body size. In the wild, individuals have been documented living up to 34 years. The average lifespan, however, is around 6.5 years. Males and females have high annual survival rates (probability of surviving another year), though survival rates vary by sex and region. One colony documented in Ontario had a male survival rate of 81.6% and a female survival rate of 70.8%; a colony in southern Indiana had survival rates of 77.1% and 85.7% for males and females, respectively. ### Social behavior The little brown bat is a colonial species, with hibernating colonies consisting of up to 183,500 individuals, though the average colony size is little more than 9,000. Historically, individuals within these colonies were highly aggregated and densely clustered together, though the disease white-nose syndrome is making solitary hibernation more common. During the spring and summer, maternity colonies of almost all female individuals form. These colonies usually consist of several hundred bats. Outside of these maternity colonies, adult males and non-reproductive females will roost by themselves or in small aggregations. Maternity colonies begin to break apart in late summer. ### Diet and foraging The little brown bat is nocturnal, resting during the day and foraging at night. Individuals typically emerge from their roosts at dusk, foraging for 1.5–3 hours before stopping to roost. A second foraging bout usually occurs later in the night, ending at dawn. Based on documenting one individual flying in a wind tunnel, it flies at approximately 5.5 km/h (3.4 mph); this increased to 8.9 km/h (5.5 mph) when flying over the surface of water. Home range size is variable; in one study of 22 females in Canada, pregnant females had an average home range of 30.1 hectares (74 acres) and lactating females had an average of 17.6 hectares (43 acres). It produces calls that are high intensity frequency modulated (FM) and that last from less than one millisecond (ms) to about 5 ms and have a sweep rate of 80–40 kHz, with most of their energy at 45 kHz. Individuals emit approximately 20 calls per second when in flight. It consumes a variety of arthropod species, including insects and spiders. Prey species include beetles, flies, mayflies, true bugs, ants, moths, lacewings, stoneflies, and caddisflies. It also consumes mosquitoes, with one study documenting that, across twelve colonies in Wisconsin, 71.9% of all little brown bat guano (feces) samples contained mosquito DNA. During late pregnancy, when energetic demands are high, females consume around 5.5 g (0.19 oz) of insects nightly, or 1.3 g (0.046 oz) of insects per hour of foraging. With an average body mass of 9.0 g (0.32 oz), that means that pregnant females consume 61% of their body weight nightly. Energetic demands during lactation are even higher, though, with females consuming 6.7 g (0.24 oz) of insects nightly, or 1.7 g (0.060 oz) of insects per hour of foraging. Because lactating females have an average mass of 7.9 g (0.28 oz), this means that they consume nearly 85% of their body weight nightly. As the pup grows, lactation requires more and more energy; at the predicted lactation peak of 18 days old, a female would have to consume 9.9 g (0.35 oz) of insects per night, or 125% of her own weight. An often-mentioned statement is that "bats can eat 1000 mosquitoes per hour." While the little brown bat does consume mosquitoes and has high energetic needs, the study that is the basis for this claim was an experiment in which individuals were put into rooms full of either mosquitoes or fruit flies. For a duration up to 31 minutes, they captured an average of 1.5–5.7 mosquitoes per minute. The individual most efficient at catching fruit flies caught an average of 14.8 per minute for 15 minutes. Extrapolating these numbers results in conclusions that it can eat approximately 340 mosquitoes per hour, or 890 fruit flies. However, there is no assurance that individuals forage with such high efficiencies for long periods of time, or that prey is dense enough in natural settings to allow capture rates observed in enclosed areas. ### Predation and disease The little brown bat likely has few predators. Known predators include owls such as the eastern screech owl, northern saw-whet owl, and the great horned owl. Raccoons are also opportunistic predators of the little brown bat, picking individuals off the cave walls of their hibernacula (caves used for hibernation) or eating individuals that have fallen to the cave floor. The presence of helminth parasites in the gastrointestinal tract of the little brown bat is most common in the spring and fall and least common in the summer. Digenetic trematodes are the most common of these parasites, with the more common of these species including Ototrema schildti and Plagiorchis vespertilionis. The little brown bat is also affected by ectoparasites (external parasites), including bat fleas such as Myodopsylla insignis, chiggers like Leptotrombidium myotis, and the bat mites Spinturnix americanus. When parasitizing a female bat, bat mites synchronize their reproductive cycle with that of their host, with their own reproduction tied to the host's pregnancy hormones. Lactating females have a higher intensity of parasitization by mites, which may promote vertical transmission—the transfer of mites to the bat's offspring. The little brown bat is affected by the rabies virus—specifically, the strain associated with this species is known as MlV1. However, it is susceptible to other strains of the virus, including those of the big brown bat and the silver-haired bat, which is most lethal to humans. The rabies virus can be present in an individual's saliva, meaning that it can be spread through bites, 12–18 days before the individual begins showing symptoms. Individuals do not always develop rabies after exposure, though. In one study, no little brown bats developed rabies after subcutaneous exposure to the MlV1 strain. Some individuals in the wild have antibodies for the rabies virus. The little brown bat is also susceptible to the disease white-nose syndrome, which is caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans. The disease affects individuals when they are hibernating, which is when their body temperatures are within the ideal growth range of P. destructans, 1–15 °C (34–59 °F). Pseudogymnoascus destructans is the first known pathogen that kills a mammal host during its torpor. Mortality from white-nose syndrome begins to manifest 120 days after hibernation begins, and mortality peaks 180 days after bats enter hibernacula. The growth of P. destructans on bats erodes the skin of their wing and tail membranes, muzzles, and ears. White-nose syndrome causes affected bats to burn through their energy reserves twice as fast as uninfected individuals. In addition to visible fungus growth on the nose, ears, and wings, white-nose syndrome results in higher carbon dioxide levels in the blood, causing acidosis, and hyperkalemia (elevated blood potassium). Arousal from torpor becomes more frequent, and water loss increases due increased respiration rate in an attempt to remove excess carbon dioxide from the blood. The premature loss of fat reserves during hibernation results in starvation. Survivors of white-nose syndrome have longer bouts of torpor and lower body temperatures during torpor than individuals that die. Some individuals are more likely to survive based on their genetics, which predisposes them to remain in torpor longer and have larger fat reserves. Little brown bats are most affected by white-nose syndrome when they exhibit social, grouping behavior when hibernating, as P. destructans is transmitted by direct contact. In hibernacula where bats exhibit more solitary behavior, colonies are more prone to avoid infections of white-nose syndrome. In some colonies where grouping behavior was common before exposure to white-nose syndrome, bats now hibernate in a more solitary fashion. Before white-nose syndrome, only 1.16% of little brown bats hibernated singly; after white-nose syndrome, the percentage grew to 44.5%. ## Range and habitat The little brown bat lives throughout much of North America. In the north, its range extends as far west as Alaska and across much of Canada to Labrador. In the south, its range extends to Southern California and across the northern parts of Arizona and New Mexico. Historically, the largest known aggregations of this species occurred in the karstic regions of the Eastern United States. ### Roosting habitat The little brown bat roosts in sheltered places during the day. These roosts can include human structures or natural structures such as tree hollows, wood piles, rocky outcrops, or, occasionally, caves. Species of trees used for roosting include quaking aspen, balsam poplar, oak, and maple. It prefers roosts that are warm and dark. For maternity colonies, females prefer roosts that are 23.3–34.4 °C (73.9–93.9 °F). ### Hibernation habitat The little brown bat hibernates in caves or old mines. Females migrate up to hundreds of kilometers from their summer ranges to reach these hibernacula. It prefers hibernacula in which the relative humidity is greater than 90% and ambient temperatures are above the freezing point. Preferred hibernacula also maintain a constant temperature throughout the winter. ### Foraging habitat The little brown bat forages along the edges of vegetated habitat. It also forages along the edges of bodies of water or streams. In one study in the Canadian province of Alberta, its foraging activity was significantly higher in old-growth forest than would be expected based on its relative availability. ## Conservation As of 2021, the little brown bat is evaluated as an endangered species by the IUCN, a dramatic change from 2008 when it was designated as the lowest conservation priority, least concern. Until recently, the species was regarded as one of the most common bats in North America. However, a serious threat to the species has emerged in the form of a fungus-caused disease known as white-nose syndrome. It was one of the first bat species documented with the disease, which now affects at least seven hibernating bat species in the United States and Canada. From 2006 to 2011, over one million little brown bats died from the disease in the Northeastern United States, with winter hibernacula populations declining up to 99%. As of 2017, hibernacula counts for little brown bats in the Northeast had declined by an average of 90%. White-nose syndrome first appeared in New York in 2006; it has steadily diffused from eastern New York, though, until recently, remaining east of the Rocky Mountains. In March 2016, white-nose syndrome was detected on a little brown bat in King County, Washington, representing a 1,300 mi (2,100 km) jump from the previous westernmost extent of the disease in any bat species. In 2010, Frick et al. predicted a 99% chance of local extinction of little brown bats by the year 2026. They also predicted that the pre-white-nose syndrome population of 6.5 million individuals could be reduced to as few as 65,000 (1%) via the disease outbreak. Despite heavy declines, the species has avoided extinction in the Northeast through the persistence of small, localized populations. While the mortality rate of the disease is very high, some individuals that are exposed do survive. In 2010, Kunz and Reichard published a report arguing that the precipitous decline of the little brown bat justified its emergency listing as a federally endangered species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. However, it is not federally listed as threatened or endangered as of 2018, though several U.S. states list it as endangered (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia), threatened (Tennessee, Wisconsin), or of Special Concern (Michigan, Ohio). The little brown bat was listed as an endangered species by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada in February 2012 after an emergency assessment. The emergency designation as endangered was confirmed in November 2013. ## Relationship to people Little brown bats commonly occupy human structures. Females will situate maternity colonies within buildings. This small body size of this species can make it challenging to prevent individuals from entering a structure, as they can take advantage of gaps or holes as small as 3.8 cm (1.5 in) × 0.64 cm (0.25 in). Once inside a building, a colony of little brown bats can disturb human inhabitants with their vocalizations and production of guano and urine. Large accumulations of guano can provide a growth medium for fungi, including the species that causes histoplasmosis. Concerns about humans becoming affected by bat ectoparasites such as ticks, fleas, or bat bugs are generally unfounded, as parasites that feed on bats are often specific to bats and die without them. Because they are often found in proximity to humans, the little brown bat and the not-closely related big brown bat are the two bat species most frequently submitted for rabies testing in the United States. Little brown bats infrequently test positive for the rabies virus; of the 586 individuals submitted for testing across the United States in 2015, the most recent data available as of 2018, 16 (2.7%) tested positive for the virus. Little brown bats are a species that will use bat houses for their roosts. Landowners will purchase or construct bat houses and install them, hoping to attract bats for various reasons. Some install bat houses in an attempt to negate the effects of removing a colony from a human structure ("rehoming" them into a more acceptable space). While this can be effective for other species, there is not evidence to suggest that this is effective for little brown bats, though it has been shown that little brown bats will choose to occupy artificial bat boxes installed at the sites of destroyed buildings that once housed colonies. Others are attempting to help bats out of concern for them due to the effects of white-nose syndrome. Bat houses are also installed in an attempt to control the bats' insect prey such as mosquitoes or taxa that harm crops. Little brown bats are vulnerable near moving vehicles on roads, either foraging or crossing. Bats can easily be pulled into the slipstreams of faster moving vehicles. When little brown bats cross roads, they approach the road using canopy tree cover and avoid crossing where there is no cover. When the cover is lower, bats cross roads lower.

Westlake station (Sound Transit)

Light rail station in Seattle, Washington

Westlake station is a light rail station that is part of the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel in Seattle, Washington, United States. The station is located under Pine Street between 3rd and 6th avenues in Downtown Seattle, near Westlake Center and Westlake Park. It is served by the 1 Line, part of Sound Transit's Link light rail system, and also connected above ground by buses at several stops, the South Lake Union Streetcar, and the Seattle Center Monorail. Westlake station consists of two underground side platforms, connected to the surface by entrances and a mezzanine level served by nearby department stores. It is situated between Symphony station to the south, and the former Convention Place station to the north; Convention Place was only served by buses, however, and Capitol Hill station is the next northbound light rail station. The transit tunnel was built in the 1980s by King County Metro and opened for bus-only service on September 15, 1990. The tunnel was closed from 2005 to 2007 for a major renovation to prepare for light rail service, which began on July 18, 2009. Link light rail trains terminated at Westlake until the opening of the University Link Extension on March 19, 2016; the tunnel became train-only in March 2019. Trains serve the station twenty hours a day on most days; the headway between light rail trains is six minutes during peak periods, with less frequent service at other times. A second downtown tunnel is planned to be built in 2030, with a transfer at Westlake station for traffic continuing towards South Lake Union and Ballard. ## Location Westlake station is located on Pine Street between 3rd and 6th avenues in Downtown Seattle's retail and office district. The station is at the north end of Downtown Seattle, near the Denny Triangle area, and is within walking distance of the Pike Place Market Historic District. According to the Puget Sound Regional Council, the area within 1⁄2 mile (0.8 km) of the station has an estimated population of 15,171 people (in 12,995 total housing units, mostly in multifamily buildings) and approximately 91,055 jobs. The station and its entrances are adjacent to the Westlake Center shopping mall, Westlake Park, Pacific Place, the Nordstrom flagship store, and the former regional flagship of Macy's (formerly The Bon Marché). Pike Place Market is located to the west of the station, while the Seattle Convention Center is four blocks to the east. Amazon is headquartered several blocks north of the station in the Denny Triangle area. ## History ### Background and earlier proposals The Pine Street area of Downtown Seattle was regraded for development from 1903 to 1906, as part of the citywide regrading program. The newly regraded area was part of urban planner Virgil Bogue's 1911 comprehensive plan for Seattle, envisioning a civic center to the north and several subway lines converging at the intersection of Pine Street and 3rd Avenue. The subway lines would continue outwards to serve the civic center, Capitol Hill, Downtown (modern-day Pioneer Square), and the waterfront; the stations would also include additional entrances from within department stores and other large buildings. The plan was rejected by voters on March 5, 1912, and a 3rd Avenue subway passing through the area was unsuccessfully proposed twice in the 1920s. The regraded area was developed into the city's retailing neighborhood in the 1920s, with the construction of large department stores for The Bon Marché, Frederick & Nelson, and Nordstrom on Pine Street between 3rd and 6th avenues. A second major rapid transit plan was proposed by the Forward Thrust Committee in the 1960s, to be built by 1985, and was put before voters. It called for a subway station on 3rd Avenue between Pine and Pike streets, designed with underground connections to major stores, would be served by two routes continuing north to Ballard (via Lower Queen Anne) and Lake City (via Capitol Hill and the University District). The ballot measure required a supermajority to support bonding to augment $385 million in local funding with $765 million from the Urban Mass Transportation Administration, but failed to reach the 60 percent threshold in 1968; a second attempt in 1970 yielded the same result, ending the planned system. The failure of the Forward Thrust ballot measures led to the creation of Metro Transit in 1972, who were tasked with operating bus service across King County and planning for a regional rapid transit system. ### Bus tunnel Metro Transit began planning a bus-based transit system through downtown Seattle in the 1970s, including a transit mall, tunnel, or bus terminal in the Westlake area. Metro approved construction of a downtown bus tunnel in 1983, selecting Pine Street and 4th Avenue as the site of one of the stations. The station would be integrated with a planned shopping mall on Pine Street, with underground walkways connecting to nearby department stores. The Pine Street segment of the tunnel would be dug cut-and-cover and require a long-term closure of the street between 4th Avenue and 9th Avenue. SCI Contractors of Calgary was awarded the $74.5 million contract for the Pine Street segment, including the construction of Westlake and Convention Place stations, in February 1987. On April 27, 1987, Pine Street was closed to non-bus traffic, and construction of Westlake station's 400 pilings and outer walls began. Excavation of the tunnel on Pine Street was completed in late August, allowing for concrete pouring to begin. Pine Street was briefly re-opened for the Christmas shopping season, from November 2 to January 4, at the request of downtown merchants; the excavated tunnel was backfilled and given a temporary surface for automobile traffic. A pair of tunnel boring machines arrived at Westlake station in the spring of 1988 after completing the 3rd Avenue segment of the bus tunnel; the machines were partially salvaged, leaving the outer shells in place to form part of the tunnel walls. Pine Street was re-opened to traffic on November 1, 1988, coinciding with the opening of Westlake Center and Westlake Park. Excavation and concrete pouring in Westlake station were completed in December 1988, leaving major work on the mezzanine level left to finish. Westlake station, along with Pioneer Square station, was at the center of a controversy during its construction due to the use of granite from South Africa, then under a Metro boycott against Apartheid rule. After the granite's origins were discovered, the materials were returned and Metro's executive director resigned as a result of the incident. Metro also had to return shipments of terra cotta tiles that were delivered warped, in the wrong size, and in the wrong color; the planned terra cotta ceiling for the station was instead replaced with a travertine limestone. During construction in early 1989, approximately 20 workers were sickened by fumes and foul air inside the station. Air quality tests conducted in the tunnel could not identify the cause of the bad air, leading Metro to install scrubbers to help control diesel exhaust from equipment. The Westlake station mezzanine was opened on August 11, 1989, as part of a public preview of the tunnel. The station's design was praised by local politicians and visitors, with Seattle City Councilman George Benson noting that it had "an element of class that is new to Seattle". The mezzanine remained open for several weeks, allowing for access between the basement levels of downtown retailers, but closed until November for additional construction. Additional fire sprinklers were installed in Westlake station to accommodate parties and receptions, as the station's mezzanine became sought as an events venue. Tunnel construction was completed in June 1990, and bus service began on September 15, 1990. Between 1990 and 2004, all service in the tunnel was operated by custom-built dual-mode buses, which operated on diesel fuel outside the tunnel and electrically as trolleybuses (via overhead wires) inside the tunnel. ### Light rail In the early 1990s, a regional transit authority (RTA) was formed to plan and construct a light rail system for the Seattle area. After an unsuccessful attempt in 1995, regional voters passed a $3.9 billion plan to build light rail under the RTA in 1996. The downtown transit tunnel had already been planned for eventual light rail use and was built with tracks that would be incorporated into the initial system. The RTA, later renamed Sound Transit, approved the tunnel as part of the route of its initial light rail line in 1999, with plans to eventually add new surface entrances to serve the Washington State Convention Center in lieu of a Convention Place light rail station. Ownership of the tunnel, including its stations, was transferred to Sound Transit in 2000 but returned two years later to King County Metro under a joint-operations agreement. The downtown transit tunnel was closed on September 23, 2005, for an $82.7 million renovation to accommodate light rail vehicles. The two-year renovation included the installation of new rails, a lowered roadbed at stations for level boarding, new signalling systems and emergency ventilation. As part of the renovation, a short cut-and-cover "stub tunnel" was built under Pine Street between Westlake station and Interstate 5, forming a turnback area for trains and part of the light rail system's planned northern extension. The tunnel reopened on September 24, 2007, with new signage, lighting, and street improvements; Westlake station was host to a public open house for the planned light rail system, featuring a light rail vehicle on display at the station prior to the re-opening of the tunnel. Link light rail service began on July 18, 2009, running from Westlake station to Tukwila International Boulevard station. A tunneled extension of the light rail system, from Westlake to stations at Capitol Hill and University of Washington, was excavated from 2011 to 2012. The northern extension opened on March 19, 2016, moving the line's northern terminus to University of Washington station. Bus service within the downtown transit tunnel ceased on March 23, 2019, due to the expansion of the Washington State Convention Center at the former site of Convention Place station. Westlake station became exclusively served by light rail trains, which were planned to increase in frequency when the Northgate extension opens in 2021. The Metro Customer Shop at Westlake station was also closed on March 6, 2019, ahead of the planned handover of tunnel operations to Sound Transit, and is planned to be replaced by another kiosk. Sound Transit assumed full ownership of the tunnel in 2022. On April 27, 2023, the station ceiling was punctured by a construction crew working on the relocation of a historic street clock on Pine Street and forced the northbound platform to close. Contractors working on an existing clock foundation drilled 48 inches (120 cm) through the station roof and broke part of a structural girder over the northbound tracks. Sound Transit announced that an investigation into the damage would take two weeks and cause major disruptions to 1 Line service. The section between Capitol Hill and Stadium stations was initially reduced to a single shuttle train that will run every 32 minutes while the rest of the line runs every 15 minutes. Sound Transit later adjusted the temporary schedule to use alternating trains every 15 to 20 minutes that required a single transfer at Pioneer Square station due to a lack of shuttle buses. Regular service resumed on May 7 with the reopened northbound platform while repairs were conducted. ### Future As part of the Sound Transit 3 program, approved by voters in 2016, Westlake station is planned to become a transfer station for a new light rail line serving South Lake Union, Lower Queen Anne, and Ballard, to open in 2036. The new line would continue south through a new downtown light rail tunnel to International District/Chinatown station, merging with the current line. ## Station layout Westlake station is situated below Pine Street between 4th and 6th avenues in Downtown Seattle. The station consists of two side platforms, a mezzanine level, and entrances from the surface; all three levels are connected by a series of seven elevators, sixteen escalators, and stairs. The 500-foot-long (150 m) mezzanine spans the length of the station, unlike other downtown tunnel stations, and includes separate entrances to the basement level of nearby department stores, including Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, and the Westlake Center. Two additional entrance from the mezzanine led to the now-closed Macy's and Coldwater Creek. The mezzanine also has ticket vending machines that issue ORCA cards, and was formerly home to the King County Metro Customer Shop, which was located at the west end of the station. The non-retail entrances to Westlake station are located on both sides of Pine Street between 3rd and 4th avenues, and on the north side of Pine Street between 5th and 6th avenues. There is also a direct elevator from the mezzanine level to the Seattle Center Monorail terminus at Westlake Center. The platform level at Westlake station is 50 to 60 feet (15 to 18 m) below street level, while the mezzanine is 20 feet (6 m) below street level. ### Art and architecture Westlake station was designed by Brent Carlson of TRA Architects to "give the impression" of a retail center's liveliness, and features heavy use of granite materials and Art Deco design elements. The station is also adorned with public artwork as part of the tunnel's $1.5 million art program, under the direction of lead artist Jack Mackie and program director Vicki Scuri. The south station wall has a collection of 1,264 handmade terra cotta tiles carved in the shapes of leaves, vines, and flowers; the tiles, designed by Mackie, are arranged from the mezzanine level downwards, as if forming the roots of Westlake Park above. Between the mezzanine and platform, Scuri's 40 ceramic tiles feature geometric patterns found in clothing and other garments. The station's stairways and surface entrances are inscribed with quotes from University of Washington professor Caroline Ober, artist Mark Tobey, and retailer Silas Munro. On the corner of Pine Street and 5th Avenue was a 17-foot-high (5.2 m) granite street clock shaped like a question mark, designed by artist Bill Whipple; it is planned to be relocated in 2023 to Pike Street and 4th Avenue as part of a swap with a historic Ben Bridge Jeweler clock. The platform level houses three 35-foot-long (11 m), 10-foot-tall (3 m) porcelain enamel murals by Seattle artists Fay Jones, Gene Gentry McMahon, and Roger Shimomura. Jones's mural is an interpretation of Seattle's place as a port city, using bright colors to "bring sunshine underground"; McMahon's mural depicts the "glamour" of shopping, with "larger than life" figures against the Seattle skyline and a beach; and Shimomura's mural is a collage of American pop culture figures, including the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Alice in Wonderland, and Donald Duck, intermixed with imagery from East Asian cultures, including a samurai and geisha, in a celebration of the city's cultural diversity. The station's pictogram, a tiara, represents the neighborhood's playful nature. It was created in 2009 by Christian French as part of the Stellar Connections series and its points represent nearby destinations, including Pike Place Market, Victor Steinbrueck Park, the Paramount Theatre, and the Washington State Convention Center. ## Services Westlake is one of four stations in the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel, which is served by the 1 Line. Light rail trains run from Lynnwood to Northgate, the University of Washington campus, Downtown Seattle, the Rainier Valley, and Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, using the downtown transit tunnel between Westlake and International District/Chinatown stations. Westlake is the ninth southbound station from Lynnwood City Center, the line's northern terminus, and thirteenth northbound station from Angle Lake, the southern terminus. The station is located between Capitol Hill and Symphony stations. The 1 Line operates for twenty hours a day on weekdays and Saturdays, from 5:00 am to 1:00 am, and eighteen hours on Sundays, from 6:00 am to 12:00 am. During regular weekday service, trains operate roughly every eight to ten minutes during and between peak periods, respectively, with longer headways of twelve to fifteen minutes in the early morning and at night. During weekends, trains on the 1 Line arrive every ten minutes during midday hours and every twelve to fifteen minutes during mornings and evenings. The station is approximately 32 minutes from Lynnwood City Center station and 38 minutes from SeaTac/Airport station. In 2023, an average of 9,354 passengers boarded Link trains at Westlake station on weekdays; it is the busiest station in the Link light rail system with over 3.3 million total boardings. In addition to light rail, Westlake station is in close proximity to several other regional and local transit services. The Seattle Center Monorail, serving the Seattle Center and Space Needle, terminates at a station located on the third floor of the Westlake Center shopping mall, connected directly to the tunnel station via an elevator and stairway. The South Lake Union Streetcar terminates one block north of the station at McGraw Square, continuing to the South Lake Union neighborhood. Westlake station is also adjacent to several surface bus stops, served by King County Metro, Sound Transit Express, and Community Transit routes. Bus stops on Pine and Pike streets serve local routes headed east to Capitol Hill, Montlake, and Madison Park. Bus stops on 3rd Avenue serve RapidRide routes and local routes heading north to Ballard, Fremont, and South Lake Union, and south towards West Seattle, the Rainier Valley, and SoDo. Bus stops on 2nd Avenue, 4th Avenue, 5th Avenue, Olive Way, and Stewart Street serve regional express routes to Snohomish County, the Eastside, southern King County, and Pierce County. From 2009 to 2019, several bus routes also ran in the tunnel alongside Link light rail. The final set of bus routes in the tunnel were divided into three bays by their outbound direction: Bay A was served by three routes (routes 41, 74, and 255) heading north toward Northgate and the University District and east towards Kirkland; Bay C was served by three routes (routes 101, 102, and 150) heading south through the SODO Busway toward Kent and Renton; and Bay D was served by one route (Sound Transit Express route 550) heading east via Interstate 90 to Bellevue. Bay A was located on the northbound platform, while Bays C and D shared the southbound platform. The bus routes were relocated in March 2019 to new stops around the Westlake station area on various streets. King County Metro runs a special route, the Route 97 Link Shuttle, between all Link light rail stations during service disruptions, stopping at Pine Street and 5th Avenue to serve Westlake station.

Localization of Square Enix video games

Regional adaptation of video games

The Japanese video game developer and publisher Square Enix (formerly two companies called Square and Enix prior to 2003) has been translating its games for North America since the late 1980s, and the PAL region and Asia since the late 1990s. It has not always released all of its games in all major regions, and continues to selectively release games even today depending on multiple factors such as the viability of platforms or the condition of the game itself. The process of localization has changed during that time from having a one-person team with a short time and tight memory capacities to having a team of translators preparing simultaneous launches in multiple languages. The companies' first major projects were Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy, which each proved successful enough to launch video game franchises. Since then, the majority of the games produced by the companies have been localized for Western audiences, although the process was not given a high priority at Square until the international success of Final Fantasy VII. A dedicated localization department was consequently created at the company's Tokyo headquarters around 1998. Enix remained without a translation department until its merger with Square in 2003. In recent years, the process of localization has undergone changes, mainly due to difficult experiences with various titles. Most major titles are now developed with localization running in parallel to development, with more simultaneous releases and even occasional titles developed in localized form first in order to appeal to the Western market. ## Staff The localization staff at Square Enix works mainly from Japanese to English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, as well as Russian, Korean and Mandarin for a number of titles. In 2016, Final Fantasy XV became the first major title from the company to release in Latin American Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese. Minor titles are occasionally localized from English to European languages. Prior to the merger of Square and Enix in 2003, Enix did not initially have a localization department and outsourced its Western releases to translators who had no close contact with the original development teams, as was the case for Dragon Quest VII. Square also did not initially have a localization department, though a number of localizers such as Kaoru Moriyama and Ted Woolsey worked with them regularly on a contractual basis in the early 1990s. Moriyama described the work at the time as leaving very little leeway for polishing text due to the limitations of the ROM sizes. She also commented Hironobu Sakaguchi was not willing to put extra work for the English version at that time. Following the massive international success of Final Fantasy VII, however, the company looked into improving the quality of its translated products, since the game was widely criticized for its rushed English translation, which had been handled entirely by Michael Baskett, the company's only in-house translator at the time. To that end, Square tasked Richard Honeywood, originally a programmer, with creating a dedicated localization team in the Tokyo headquarters. His first major project was Xenogears. While there were only two members at first, including Honeywood, the staff grew to include more than 40 employees by 2007, and over 70 in 2015. ## Approach Before a translation is greenlit and translators are allocated for each language, the localization, quality assurance (QA) and marketing staff play through a build of the game and sometimes do a focus group study. The localization team's playthrough can sometimes take over 100 hours of gameplay. Once the company greenlights a localization project, a period of brainstorming starts in which glossary, style, naming schemes and fonts are chosen. During the translation phase, voiced sections are translated first. Text files are cross-checked by multiple translators and editors. The text is then integrated along with any graphic and sound changes, and the game goes to quality assurance. During a period of several weeks to up to three months, Japanese QA teams look for bugs while Western QA teams check linguistic issues. The localization team often re-plays the game during this phase, translates the manuals and help out on the guidebooks if these are made. Finally, the game is sent to the hardware manufacturers to be approved. Challenges for the localization teams include space limitation (due to data storage and/or on-screen space), achieving a natural dialogue flow despite multiple plot branches and script lines being stored out of order, and, when voiced footage is not re-recorded for lip movement, dealing with file length and lip-synch limitations. When the same team works on different games in a series such as Final Fantasy, they often need to adopt different writing styles depending on the setting of their games. Another point to consider is humorous elements that do not translate properly into English, and different cultural expectations about character interactions. The localization process depends on factors such as the development teams' wishes, as well as budget and schedule. Traditionally, translation usually started late in development or after the original Japanese release, but recent titles have been translated during initial development, making the translators appear more like additional planners or consultants and not just translators—this was the case for Final Fantasy XI, XIII, XIV and XV. A few titles, like The Bouncer, have actually been recorded in English first and then adapted to Japanese. The Last Remnant also adopted this approach, featuring motion-capture and dialogue synched to English rather than Japanese actors. This was done due to the company's wish to create a title for the international market. Many early localizations, like other RPGs both then and in more recent years, made heavy use of antiquated speech patterns and archaic nouns such as "thee" and "thou". Square was not greatly focused on their localizations before the worldwide commercial success of Final Fantasy VII. In later years, the original translators were joined by editors to catch grammar and spelling errors. Prior to the development of Final Fantasy XIII-2, the standard localization process for a title involved dual development between the company's sound and localization departments, which meant that difficulties could arise because of constant changes to dialogue. Starting from XIII-2, in-house development tools, such as Moomle and Rosetta, have been developed to ensure all parts of the process were properly synchronized and centralized. In recent years, English language localization teams have tended to adopt two different approaches to translation and localization: either they remain quite faithful to the original Japanese, or they can make large changes as long as the story outline remains the same. The former method was adopted for Final Fantasy XIII and its sequels, although some alterations were made in order to make the English dialogue sound natural. In choosing voice actors, the company prefers to avoid well-known film and television actors, citing Elliot Page's casting in Beyond: Two Souls as a counterexample. Vagrant Story, generally recognized as a high-quality localization, made some significant changes in style: whereas the original Japanese text was rather straightforward, the English version made use of archaic Medieval and Old English words and dialogue. ### Experiences Honeywood described Xenogears, his first translation project at Square and the first to be handled internally by the company, as "pure hell". He said that he started to change the company's approach to localization after that game, moving booths to always work very closely with the original development teams, improving communication with them, and introducing full-time editors. Woolsey, an English translator in the SNES era, also had a troublesome time while localizing Secret of Mana, which he said "nearly killed [him]". The translation was completed within a month of the Japanese release as Square wanted to catch the 1993 holiday season. Final Fantasy XIII's localization, handled by Phil Bright and Tom Slattery, was also quite chaotic. According to Slattery, the lack of deadlines, poor communication and synchronization between the various departments, and continuing changes to the script and to cutscenes led to a turbulent development. Due to the script changes, large sections of dialogue needed to be re-translated and re-recorded by the English actors due to lack of necessary emotional drive for the scenes. In contrast, Alexander O. Smith, who is often associated with the Ivalice games, had a good working relationship with Yasumi Matsuno during the localization of titles like Vagrant Story, Final Fantasy XII and the 2010 remake of Tactics Ogre. The two worked closely to ensure that the English versions were faithful to Matsuno's vision. A challenging localization was Final Fantasy X, the first Final Fantasy title to feature voice acting. There, the team faced problems in both making the dialogue more compatible with an English-speaking audience and lip-synching it roughly with in-game characters, whose lip-movement was still for the original Japanese dialogue. ## Changes When translating its game titles, Square Enix tries to take into account the cultural differences between Japan and the target territories. This sometimes involves rewriting dialogue or altering graphics, animations, and sounds. For instance, in Chocobo Racing, visual references to the Japanese folk heroes Momotarō and Kiji were changed to depict Hansel and Gretel, since the game was designed mainly for children, and Hansel and Gretel are better known in the West than Momotarō and Kiji. According to Honeywood, trying to explain to the original development teams why some changes are needed can range from "frustrating to downright hilarious". Generally, older development teams trust the translators with making changes while newer teams can be more reluctant, though they usually build up trust gradually. The localization team for The World Ends with You chose to preserve the Japanese elements to ensure the game's cultural aspect remained intact. While localizing Final Fantasy XII, translators Smith and Reeder worked to preserve the original script's meaning while using English dialects to reproduce the Japanese dialects found in the original version to identify factions within the game. Final Fantasy VII's script was done by a small team, resulting in a rough script and inconsistencies. One of the more famous of these was the name of Aerith Gainsborough: the name was originally meant to be a merging of "Air" and "Earth", but her name in the original English release was spelled "Aeris". Similar space issues frequently motivated character renames in older games, such as Chrono Trigger's Crono and Final Fantasy IX's Amarant, originally named Salamander. During his localization of Secret of Mana in 1993, Woolsey was forced to trim down vast amounts of character dialogue due to an awkward fixed text font, later stating that he was satisfied with the final result. With ports and remakes of older games, dialogue can be changed or added by the team, as in the case of Final Fantasy VI. The title can also be altered for various reasons. Final Fantasy IV and VI were released in North America as Final Fantasy II and III. This was due to the fact that the original II and III on NES had not received a Western release. The Final Fantasy Legend was originally to be called The Great Warrior Saga, but changed it to its current title to tie in with the Final Fantasy series, which was well-known and popular in North America. A prequel to Secret of Mana, Seiken Densetsu, was similarly renamed Final Fantasy Adventure in its North American release, only to be later renamed again to Mystic Quest in Europe, in an attempt to tie it with the unrelated Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. Dragon Quest, one of the earliest successful Japanese role-playing games, had its title changed to Dragon Warrior so as not to confuse it with the similarly-titled tabletop role-playing game DragonQuest. The DragonQuest title was discontinued in 1987, and Square Enix registered the Dragon Quest trademark for their use in 2003. Also due to copyright issues, The World Ends with You could not be released under its original Japanese title It's a Wonderful World. Gameplay may be altered when it is felt that a game might be too easy or difficult for the Western audience. Some of the older Final Fantasy titles, such as Final Fantasy IV, were altered to be more easy to play in the West than in Japan, though their remakes and ports have generally restored the difficulty. Einhänder's gameplay also received notable cuts for its North American release. On the other hand, Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings was made more difficult in localized versions because the Western market was judged "more familiar" with the real-time strategy genre than the Japanese market. For the Western release of Dissidia Final Fantasy, the game was changed to suit Western players, including removing several RPG elements to make it more akin to an action game. Censorship can also affect the localized versions of the games and require obscuring mature themes, rewriting risqué remarks or phrases, altering graphics or removing parts of some scenes. This was common in the NES and SNES eras but less drastic later on once video game content rating systems were established. Original Western releases of early games in the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest featured multiple occurrences of this form of censorship. Final Fantasy VIII also received some censorship for its European release, including the removal of a Nazi-like uniform. Less commonly, this also goes the other way, for instance with Final Fantasy XII, in which a sequence involving violence against a female character was censored in the Japanese version but restored in the American and European releases. References to religion can also be removed, as in Final Fantasy IV and VI. Such references in Xenogears caused Square to consider not releasing it in North America. ## Releases In 2008, Square Enix expressed willingness to make worldwide "simultaneous releases the norm". Concerning Final Fantasy XI, at the time of the original English-only European release in 2004, producer Hiromichi Tanaka had stated that while Japanese/North American/Australian simultaneous releases are possible due to translating only Japanese to English, it was not possible for European countries due to the difficulty of finding good Japanese-to-European-languages translators, and the fact that second-hand translations from the English would be akin to "Chinese whispers". However, the team later integrated full-fledged French and German localization teams, achieving simultaneous release from the Japanese for three different languages from 2007 on. Another example of synchronized localization is Final Fantasy XIII: the company started the localization process in several languages alongside the game's development to lessen the delay between the local and international releases. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn was localized in-house by Square Enix under supervision by Naoki Yoshida. Dedicated teams were formed for each language, with Koji Fox leading the English version. Compared to its predecessor, which featured English-only voice-overs even in the Japanese release, A Realm Reborn featured English, Japanese, German and French voice-overs, with all languages released in simultaneous fashion similar to Final Fantasy XI. The game featured voice work in a low number of cutscenes: this was explained by the fact that the team did not want new voice recording to dominate the creation of new content after the initial release. The team later added Korean and Chinese languages to the game, albeit released in a different schedule as service is separate. The Western release of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII was delayed by over two months because of the large amount of dialogue, which changes due to the game's time mechanic, that needed to be translated and recorded. The viability of a game's platform can also affect both the localization and the release, as in the case of the PlayStation Portable-exclusive Final Fantasy Type-0, which would eventually come West as a high definition port for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and Seiken Densetsu 3, which was not localized due to undefined technical problems. The company has also recently started releasing Japanese voice tracks as downloadable content, as in the case of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII and one of the titles it has published, the Access Games-developed Drakengard 3. Another aspect of Square Enix's policy concerning the Western release of games was to make games that appealed to both Western and Japanese audiences, but the worldwide success of the Japan-aimed Bravely Default caused them to rethink their strategy. Although English was originally the main language of Square Enix's foreign releases, including in non-English speaking countries, it seems some titles may debut without an English release in the future, such as the Chinese version of Dragon Quest X before a North American or European release has been confirmed. ### Additional content The localized versions sometimes expand on the original games. For example, when Honeywood found contradictions in the story of Chrono Cross in 2000, he worked with Masato Kato, the director and scenario writer of the game, to rewrite sections and add explanatory dialogue which was not in the original version. For Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, voice-overs and orchestral music were recorded for the Western releases in 2005, while the original Japanese version did not have them. Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions also featured voice acting that was not included in the original Japanese release in 2007. Generally, gameplay content left out of the original game due to time constraints may be completed and added in the localized versions. Sometimes, the expanded localized versions of games from series like Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy are re-released in Japan. The re-releases are usually based on a direct port of the North American releases, with English dialogue replacing the original Japanese audio, the Japanese text acting as subtitles. They can also include features and tweaks previously only available in the Western version alongside other additions, such as adding Japanese voice acting to the 3DS version of Dragon Quest VIII. ## Reception 1UP.com's Wesley Fenlon praised Square Enix for the high quality of its translations, especially as space allocated for text and dialogue had been expanded with new and re-released versions of games. Jeremy Parish, writing for the same site, said that the quality of Square Enix's English localizations had "gone from laughable [...] to some of the best around". Both praise and criticism has been given to individual games for the quality of their localizations. Xenogears, the company's first game to feature voice acting, drew criticism in regard to its audio presentation, while The Bouncer received a fairly positive response. Final Fantasy X received praise, although poor lip-synching and some aspects of the actors' performances were criticized. The choice of changing a major line from "Thank you" to "I love you" also received mixed reactions. The English release of X-2 ended up receiving the Seventh Annual Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences award in 2004 for Outstanding Achievement in Character Performance. Final Fantasy XII and Vagrant Story were both highly praised for the qualities of their localizations. During the development of Final Fantasy XV, director Hajime Tabata directly responded to feedback on the English localization of the game. ## See also - Ted Woolsey - Richard Honeywood - Alexander O. Smith [Square Enix](Category:Square_Enix "wikilink") [Video game localization](Category:Video_game_localization "wikilink") [Video game development](Category:Video_game_development "wikilink")

Isolichenan

An α-glucan occurring in certain species of lichens

Isolichenan, also known as isolichenin, is a cold-water-soluble α-glucan occurring in certain species of lichens. This lichen product was first isolated as a component of an extract of Iceland moss in 1813, along with lichenin. After further analysis and characterization of the individual components of the extract, isolichenan was named in 1881. It is the first α-glucan to be described from lichens. The presence of isolichenan in the cell walls is a defining characteristic in several genera of the lichen family Parmeliaceae. Although most prevalent in that family, it has also been isolated from members of the families Ramalinaceae, Stereocaulaceae, Roccellaceae, and Cladoniaceae. Experimental studies have shown that isolichenan is produced only when the two lichen components – fungus and alga – are growing together, not when grown separately. The biological function of isolichenan in the lichen thallus is unknown. ## Early studies Isolichenan was first isolated from Cetraria islandica in 1813 by Swedish chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius, who also at the same time isolated the cellulose-like hot-water-soluble glucan lichenan. Because in these experiments the isolichenan component of the lichen extract had a positive reaction with iodine staining (i.e. production of a blue colour), Berzelius thought it to be similar in nature to starch, and he called it "lichen starch". It was thought to function as a reserve food source for the organism. Later studies showed it to be a mixture of polysaccharides. In 1838, Gerardus Johannes Mulder isolated the blue-staining component of the C. islandica extract, believing it to be starch. Friedrich Konrad Beilstein gave the name "isolichenan" to this substance in 1881. Isolichenan was the first α-glucan described from lichens. In 1947, Kurt Heinrich Meyer and P. Gürtler, discussing the preparation of lichenan, reported that the mother liquor contained a water-soluble glucan that could be purified by repeated freezing and thawing. In this process, which completely removed lichenan, they obtained isolichenan in a 0.55% yield. ## Structure Isolichenan is a polymer of glucose units joined by a mixture of α-(1→3) and α-(1→4) linkages. Using the technique of partial acid hydrolysis, Stanley Peat and colleagues determined that the linkages are of the α-configuration. The ratio of these linkages has been reported differently by various authors in the scientific literature: 11:9, 3:2, 2:1, 3:1, and 4:1. Fleming and Manners found the ratio to be 56.5:43.5 and 57:43 in two separate experiments using the Smith degradation procedure. This technique uses the successive steps of periodate oxidation, borohydride reduction, and mild acid hydrolysis; in this way, acetal linkages become hydrolysed, but glucosidic linkages are not. The distribution of linkages in isolichenan was found to be somewhat irregular, with both types occurring in groups of two or more in at least some areas. Another study suggests that isolichenan has mostly groups of one or two α-(1→3) bonds surrounded by α-(1→4) bonds. Compared with, for example, amylose (a linear α-(1→4)-linked glucan and the major component of starch), isolichenan has a relatively weak iodine-staining reaction. This weak staining intensity is thought to be a result of its preponderance of (1→3) linkages, a property that reduces the formation of the polyiodide-complex that gives the positive reaction its blue colour. The chain length of isolichenan was estimated at 42–44 glucose units. The reported molecular weight of isolichenan also varies, from 26 kD to 2000 kD. The relatively short chain length of isolichenan may explain why it is soluble in cold water after it has been extracted from the lichen thallus. Purified isolichenan has a high positive specific rotation in water. It has been reported as high as +272, although different sources give differing values. The term "isolichenan-type" has been used as a general term for α-D-glucans having (1→3)-(1→4) linkages in their main chain. Similar to isolichenan, the α-D-glucan known as Ci-3 consists of 1→3 and 1→4 linked α-D-glucose residues in ratio of 2:1, but with a much higher degree of polymerization and a molecular weight of about 2000 kD. It is also found in Cetraria islandica. As the discrepancies in reported values demonstrate, lichens produce isolichenan-type polysaccharides with considerable variation in linkage ratios as well as molecular weight, even within the same species. The carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum of isolichenan was reported by Yokota and colleagues in 1979 and also by Gorin and Iacomini in 1984. ## Occurrence Since its discovery in Cetraria islandica, isolichenan has been isolated from many other lichen species. It is predominant in the Parmeliaceae, a large and diverse family of the class Lecanoromycetes. Parmeliaceae genera and species containing isolichenan include: Alectoria (A. sulcata, A. sarmentosa); Cetraria (Cetraria cucullata, C. islandica, C. nivaris, C. richardsonii; Evernia (E. prunastri); Letharia (L. vulpina); Neuropogon (N. aurantiaco-ater); Parmelia (P. caperata, P. cetrarioides, P. conspersa, P. hypotrypella, P. laevior, P. nikkoensis, P. saxatilis, P. tinctorum); Parmotrema (P. cetrarum, P. araucaria, P. sulcata); and Usnea (U. barbata, U. baylei, U. faciata, U. longissima, U. meridionalis, U. rubescens). A few members of the family Ramalinaceae have been shown to contain isolichenan, including Ramalina celastri, R. ecklonii, R. scopulorum, and R. usnea. In the family Stereocaulaceae, isolichenan has been isolated from S. excutum, S. japonicum, and S. sorediiferum. It is also known to occur in single species in the Roccellaceae (Roccella montagnei) and the Cladoniaceae (Pilophorus acicularis). ## Uses Although isolichenan is not nearly as constant at the genus level as lichenan, the presence of isolichenan in the cell walls is a defining character in several genera of the lichen family Parmeliaceae, including Asahinea, Cetrelia, Flavoparmelia, and Psiloparmelia. In contrast, the absence of isolichenan is a character of genus Xanthoparmelia. Isolichenan is used as an active ingredient in cough lozenges as a component of Cetraria islandica extract. ## Research Isolichenan was shown to enhance hippocampal plasticity and behavioural performance in rats. When administered orally, isolichenan was also shown to improve memory acquisition in mice impaired by ethanol, as well as in rats in which memory impairment had been induced by beta-amyloid peptide. In more recent research, isolichenan was shown to improve cognitive function in healthy adults. The main α-glucan synthesized by lichens of the genus Ramalina in the symbiotic state is isolichenan. A series of experiments have shown, however, that it is not produced by either individual symbiont when cultivated apart from each other. Its absence in this circumstance suggests that it may not have an importance as a structural part of the fungal cell wall; this contrasts with lichenan, where the (1→3)(1→4)-β-glucan has been shown to be involved in cell wall structure. Isolichenan is synthesized by the mycobiont only in the presence of its symbiotic partner (the green alga Trebouxia) in a special microenvironment – the lichen thallus. The triggering of this phenomenon and the biological function of isolichenan in the symbiotic relationship between fungi and algae is still unknown. In a study on the immunomodulatory effects of an aqueous Cetraria islandica extract, it was shown that the extract was able to upregulate the secretion of the cytokine interleukin 10. However, when the individual components of this extract (including lichenan, isolichenan, protolichesterinic and fumarprotocetraric acids) were tested with the same assay, isolichenan had no anti-inflammatory effects (only lichenan did).

Thomas Edward Knowles Stansfield

British Pathologist and Medical Officer (1862–1939)

Thomas Edward Knowles Stansfield, CBE (1862 – 19 February 1939) was a British pathologist of mental illnesses and medical officer. The son of a leather merchant from Todmorden, Stansfield trained in Medicine at the University of Edinburgh and graduated (MB) in 1889 with an interest in pathology. Shortly afterwards he took up a junior position at London County Council's Banstead Asylum, where he set about improving working practices and establishing a laboratory. He rose quickly through the ranks, and was appointed Senior Assistant Medical Officer at the new Claybury Asylum in 1893. Five years later, he was transferred to Bexley Mental Hospital as Superintendent, serving there until he retired in 1921. Inspired by German and American examples, he successfully asked the council to construct a system of villas at Bexley, advocated the separate treatment of acute and chronic cases, and introduced parole-style rewards for 'industrious' patients. Like some of his earlier administrative innovations, villas became popular and inspired similar designs elsewhere. Stansfield also served in the Royal Army Medical Corps during World War I, and as a consultant on nervous diseases to the Eastern Command. Although he was appointed a CBE in the 1919 Birthday Honours for his war work, historians have drawn attention to his scepticism about shell shock, his attitudes towards eugenics and heredity, and his potentially misogynistic views about medical officers marrying. He nonetheless married twice, settling with his first wife at a house in Wimbledon where he enjoyed tending to the gardens; after her death, he married a second time in 1929 and moved to a villa in Sanremo, Italy, where he lived out his retirement. ## Early life and education Thomas Edward Knowles Stansfield was born in 1862, the son of Thomas Stansfield (1831–1908), of Langfield, Todmorden, Yorkshire, a leather merchant who operated out of Roomfield Buildings, Todmorden, and his wife Hannah, daughter of William Knowles. The younger Thomas had a brother, William Walker Stansfield (1856–1943), also of Roomfield, Todmorden, whose daughter Hannah Mary (1899–1989) married Vladeta Popović (1894–1951), the first head of Belgrade University's English Department; Marija Stansfield-Popovic (as she was known in Serbia) was also a respected English scholar at the university. The family was well-established in the Todmorden area, which straddled the Lancashire and Yorkshire borders, and were reputedly connected with Stansfield Hall, Todmorden. Stansfield's entry into the medical profession came late. After one year of study at Owen's College, Manchester (1884–85), he transferred to the University of Edinburgh, graduating with a Bachelor of Medicine (MB) degree in 1889, aged 27. ## Career ### London County Council #### Banstead Asylum With an interest in pathology, Stansfield spent the last few months of his time in Edinburgh working at the Royal Infirmary. In 1889, the London County Council (LCC) was established and took over the running of several London mental asylums; in the process, it advertised for a Fourth Assistant Medical Officer and Pathologist at Banstead Asylum, essentially a junior assistant with pathological duties which often related to postmortems. Stansfield successfully applied for the position. While at Banstead, he became interested in the pathology of mental illness and asylum administration. Accustomed to the laboratories at Edinburgh and drilled in rigorous note-taking skills, he set about instilling similar facilities and ethos at Banstead under the auspices of its superintendent, Dr T. Claye Shaw. Each ward would also have its own fixed notebook for medical officers, a practice which over time spread to all other asylums in the country. Thanks to this and his enjoying good relations with its steward, F. Alderton, Stansfield was made Banstead's Second Assistant Medical Officer in 1890 and, when Claybury Asylum opened in 1892–93, he was transferred there as First Assistant Medical Officer, helped by Claye Shaw's influence at the LCC. Over the course of the 1890s, he visited numerous domestic and foreign institutions, travelling to Germany and the United States. #### Bexley Mental Hospital In 1898, Stansfield was appointed Superintendent at Bexley Mental Hospital and advocated the cottage or villa system of dispersed accommodation unconnected by corridors; this was, in his opinion, more economical and made the classification and separation of recent and chronic cases easier. He also recommended a significant increase in the number of medical staff, and the use of parole and rewards for "practicable or industrious" patients. He was able to influence the LCC enough that they added villas to Bexley and used them at the Hellingly Hospital (opened in 1903). Stansfield remained superintendent at Bexley until 1921 and his tenure witnessed the institution of his parole system and the construction of a hospital wing for men. Some of his views have proven controversial. He pointed to the "mass of degeneracy in the lower ranks of the population which is increasing out of all proportion to the remainder of the population" and asked "how are we as a nation to overcome the evil and stem the flow of this rising tide?" This was a view, and a question, which played into wider debates about eugenics at the turn of the 20th century. The years after the First World War and their changes frustrated him, spurring his retirement in 1921, although he served as President of the Kent Branch of the British Medical Association for the 1921–22 year. ### War service During the First World War, Stansfield served with the Royal Army Medical Corps, eventually as a Lieutenant-Colonel, and was appointed Consultant for Nervous and Mental Diseases to the Eastern Command (1915–22); it was thanks to these services that he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1919 Birthday Honours. Like many other superintendents, his attitude towards war patients was less than sympathetic and he was skeptical about 'shell shock', claiming that, of the 61 soldier patients admitted to Bexley, only 5 had served abroad; he thought many others were suffering from preexisting or general psychiatric problems (something he reiterated in a 1919 letter to The Times). In his words, the Board of Control Service Patient scheme to deal with war-related psychological trauma employed "extravagant and unjust [means to] make such a distinction between soldier patients and the hundreds of patients who are far more genuinely the victims of the battle of everyday life". ## Later life and family Stansfield had long felt uncomfortable with the idea of medical officers marrying. Louise Hide, in Gender and Class in English Asylums, 1890–1914, hints that this might have been the result of misogynist tendencies, although Hubert Bond, his obituary-writer and former colleague, preemptively defended him against these claims. Stansfield nevertheless married twice; firstly, in 1908 to Mary Caroline (died 1926), a daughter of the Hon. James Dever, a Canadian senator from St John's, Newfoundland. After her death, he married (in 1929) Marie, second daughter of Alexander Effremoff, of Moscow; he had met her in Paris, where she had been living in exile after the Russian Revolution. There were no children from either marriage, but he worked with the Scouting movement, and served as President of the North Central Kent Boys' Scouts Association. He was a fond rose-grower and it was the gardens at Southmead, Wimbledon, which attracted him and his first wife to the house; they lived there for many years. He retired to Castello Devachan in Sanremo, Italy, with his second wife, before going to Paris to seek treatment for an illness; he died there on 19 February 1939. His widow remained at the Castello in Sanremo until her death in 1973, spending her last 21 years as starosta of the Russian Orthodox parish community there. ## Archives One file of Stansfield's personal papers dated 1884–94 is held with a collection of material relating to his family at the West Yorkshire Archive Service, Calderdale (reference number WYC:1069/53).

Music of the Spheres World Tour

2022–2025 concert tour by Coldplay

The Music of the Spheres World Tour is the ongoing eighth concert tour undertaken by British rock band Coldplay. It is being staged to promote their ninth and tenth studio albums, Music of the Spheres (2021) and Moon Music (2024), respectively. The tour began at Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica on 18 March 2022 and is scheduled to end at London's Wembley Stadium on 8 September 2025. It is the band's first live performances since the COVID-19 pandemic, as they had not toured their previous record, Everyday Life (2019), because of environmental concerns. Prior to the tour, the band spent two years developing strategies that aimed to reduce their CO₂ emissions by 50% compared to the Head Full of Dreams Tour (2016–17). Coldplay announced the tour on 14 October 2021, the day before the release of Music of the Spheres. Similar to the Mylo Xyloto Tour (2011–12), the concerts make extensive use of pyrotechnics and confetti. However, they were adapted to minimise the group's carbon footprint. Other ideas included crafting the first mobile rechargeable show battery in the world with BMW and planting a tree for every ticket sold. The tour received widespread acclaim from music critics, who praised Coldplay's stage presence, musicianship, versatility, joyfulness and production value. With a global cultural impact, the Music of the Spheres World Tour has grossed $1.059 billion in revenue from 9.6 million tickets across 164 dates, making it the most attended tour of all time and the second-highest-grossing. The band also set a variety of records at the venues they visited. A concert film, Music of the Spheres: Live at River Plate, was released to cinemas worldwide in 2023. Emissions from the concert run were cut by 59% based on the first two years of activity, leading Time to include Coldplay among the world's most influential climate action leaders. Pollstar declared that they ushered in "a new era of sustainable touring". ## Development ### Background After the release of Coldplay's eighth album, Everyday Life (2019), lead singer and pianist Chris Martin said they would not tour until their sets were environmentally friendly, which led the record to be promoted with small charity concerts and a performance at the Amman Citadel in Jordan, broadcast by YouTube. On 14 October 2021, a day before Music of the Spheres was made available, the group posted on social media they would be returning to live shows following the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement was accompanied by a detailed 12 steps plan, which was developed in two years with environmental experts and set out how Coldplay would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 50% compared to A Head Full of Dreams Tour (2016–17). To celebrate the album's release, they inaugurated Climate Pledge Arena on 22 October 2021. The event was broadcast by Amazon Prime Video and later followed by a performance at Expo 2020, while the concert run began in Costa Rica due to the country's renewable-energy-sourced power grid. ### Ecological plan A team of sustainability experts was commissioned to investigate Coldplay's carbon footprint and study how to reduce it. Alongside BMW, the band also developed the first ever mobile rechargeable show battery, which was made from recyclable BMW i3 batteries and powered concerts by using renewable resources such as hydrotreated vegetable oil, solar power and kinetic energy. Unavoidable emissions were offset according to Oxford's principles. They claimed a tree would be planted for every ticket sold through a global reforestation agreement with One Tree Planted as well. For transportation, the tour was routed to reduce air travel, ground freight used electric vehicles or biofuel and the band embarked on commercial flights whenever possible. In all of them, commercial and charter, an additional charge was paid to provide airplanes with Neste's sustainable aviation fuel, made from waste and residues such as used cooking oil. The stages were built "from a combination of lightweight, low-carbon and re-usable materials including recycled steel", being also customized to incorporate low-energy displays, lasers, lighting set-ups and a PA system that consumed 50% less power, helping to reduce environmental noise outside. Similarly, delay towers had wind-turbines and unused seats had solar blankets. For special effects, Coldplay used biodegradable confetti adapted to require less compressed gas for ignition, while pyrotechnics had new formulas to reduce or eliminate harmful chemicals and mitigate the explosive charge. Xylobands were substituted by PixMob wristbands made from 100% compostable materials and the band pledged to decrease their production by collecting, sterilising and recharging them after every show. To minimise food waste, they had crew catering menus that offered plant-based and meat-free options as the standard, sourced products from suppliers adept to regenerative agriculture techniques, supported the development of synthetic, lab-grown cultured meals, donated surplus to local food banks and composted organic waste such as vegetable peelings and scraps. The band also worked with venues to establish recycling programs, replace single-use water bottles with alternatives such as the Ball aluminium cups, include refill stations, introduce aerated taps, lower flushing toilets and reduce water pressure. ### Fan accessibility Coldplay partnered with SAP to develop a free mobile application for the tour which calculated the total carbon footprint generated by concert goers and encouraged them to take environmentally friendly travel options. Fans who committed to the effort were given a discount code on their merchandise store. Partners and vendors were carefully selected to provide high quality products made from natural fibres and re-usable materials, which were then packaged in recycled paper, card or compostable bags. Additionally, the band incorporated kinetic floors and stationary bicycles to venues to power the C-stage and further interact with attendees. They provided bass-delivering vests from SubPac and two sign language interpreters for concert goers with hearing loss as well, while guests who are blind or have low vision were offered a designated platform and touch tours before each show. In May 2022, the band announced Infinity Tickets, a limited set of $20 admissions for fans who could not afford standard prices. ### Partnerships In May 2022, The Times revealed Coldplay donated over £2.1 million to environmental causes through J Van Mars Foundation during the previous year. Aside from teaming up with One Tree Planted, the band continued their cooperation with ClientEarth, to which they have been patrons since 2010. Support to the Ocean Cleanup was declared as well, as they sponsored two watercrafts to collect plastic from polluted rivers before it reaches the sea in Malaysia. Other organizations endorsed by Coldplay include Global Citizen, The Food Forest Project, Sea Shepherd UK, Project Seagrass, Seafields, My Trees Trust, Farm Under the Radar, Project Quercus, Sustainable Food Trust, Global Tech Advocates, Knowledge Pele, Climeworks, Cleaner Seas Group, Conservation Collective and the Devon Environment Foundation, which have all assisted them to reach the tour's goal. Additionally, Imperial College London's Grantham Institute helped the band to study and publish their progress. In 2022, DHL announced they were partnering with Coldplay to provide expertise in sustainable logistics and transport solutions, while the following year saw an alliance with AIA Vitality in Indonesia. ## Opening acts American singer H.E.R. was the band's most frequent supporting act, opening for them in San José (with Mish Catt), Santo Domingo (with La Marimba), and Buenos Aires (with Zoe Gotusso) in 2022. During the first run across the United States, she was paired with a new act in each stop, those included Leila Pari (Dallas), Alaina Castillo (Houston), Kacy Hill (Glendale), Bobby Gonz (Santa Clara), Drama (Chicago), Shaed (Landover), Bea Miller (East Rutherford), Lizzy McAlpine (Philadelphia), Mariah the Scientist (Atlanta), and Gigi (Tampa). However, for the second leg in the continent, she was accompanied by 070 Shake and Gonz in all performances. H.E.R. also took part in many dates from the first European batch, although occasionally replaced by London Grammar. They collaborated with Alli Neumann in Frankfurt and Berlin; Mery Spolsky in Warsaw; Gaumar and Lous and the Yakuza in Saint-Denis; and Nina Nesbitt in Glasgow. The former was additionally invited to the Brussels concerts, while the secondary openers at Wembley Stadium were Griff, Ibibio Sound Machine and Laura Mvula. Mexico had exclusively national supporters in the initial shows (Carla Morrison and DannyLux). Still in 2022, Camila Cabello played in Lima (with Andrea Martinez), Bogotá (with Mabiland), and Santiago (with Princesa Alba). Chvrches then followed Elana Dara (São Paulo) and Clara x Sofia (Curitiba, Rio de Janeiro) in 2023. For the second European run, they held shows after Hinds (Barcelona), Ona Mafalda (Barcelona), Porij (Manchester), Hana Lili (Cardiff), Laila al Habash (Naples) and Mara Sattei (Milan), while Griff joined Bárbara Bandeira in Coimbra; Caroline Alves in Zürich; Oh Land in Copenhagen; Luciia in Gothenburg; and Zoë Tauran in Amsterdam. A few months later, Coldplay announced the openers for Tokyo (Yoasobi), Kaohsiung (Accusefive), Jakarta (Rahmania Astrini), Kuala Lumpur (Bunga), Bocaue (Jikamarie), Singapore (Jasmine Sokko, Rriley, Jinan Laetitia) and Bangkok (Valentina Ploy). Oceania had eight guests: Thelma Plum, Amy Shark, Tash Sultana, Adrian Dzvuke, King Ibis, Ayra Starr, Emmanuel Kelly and Shone. Meanwhile, the third European round saw Maisie Peters, Janelle Monáe and Maggie Rogers teaming up with Antonia Kaouri (Athens), Emaa (Bucharest), Solére (Budapest), Alma (Helsinki), Ronisia (Décines-Charpieu), Rose Villain (Rome), Wees (Düsseldorf), Wilhelmine (Munich), Oska (Vienna) and Aby Coulibaly (Dublin). ## Concert synopsis ### Main structure Martin mentioned that the concert was divided into four acts because it is "a journey traveling outwards into the unknown to then come home having learned something new. This is represented both visually and with what songs fit into what act". Following the support performances, two guest speakers (usually from the visited country) greet the attendees and introduce a video with Coldplay's sustainability efforts. It runs for about three minutes and features "Light Through the Veins" by Jon Hopkins as its soundtrack. Once the short film ends, the band are welcomed and "Flying", a score written by John Williams for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), is played. This marks the beginning of Act I – Planets, which is about "knowing there's a bigger magic out there somewhere and choosing to go and look for it". The screens exhibit a live feed of each group member emerging from under or near the stage. After they wave to the audience, "Flying" is transitioned into "Music of the Spheres" and Martin stays on the B-stage, while bassist Guy Berryman, lead guitarist Jonny Buckland and drummer Will Champion head to the main one. The wristbands emit red lights, leading to "Higher Power". Following the song, Martin makes his way to the main stage for "Adventure of a Lifetime" and giant colourful balls are thrown to the public. Coldplay then transition into "Paradise", which features an extended introduction and outro based on a call-and-repeat exchange with the crowd. An excerpt of "Oceans" can be heard and "The Scientist" begins; Martin thanks the audience for their time in the local language and incorporates covers into the performance on select occasions. This is followed by a sped-up, backwards version of the song, played as the band head to the B-stage again. "Viva la Vida" marks the transition to Act II – Moons, a segment about struggle, since life can be a difficult experience at times. After the night is continued with either "Hymn for the Weekend" or "Something Just Like This", they reach a section which often changes: "Let Somebody Go" might have a guest appearance, be followed by "بنی آدم" ("Bani Adam"), or accompanied by "Politik". His bandmates rest on the main stage and only return for "In My Place", which is occasionally exchanged with "Orphans", "A Head Full of Dreams" or "Charlie Brown". To finish "Yellow", the public are asked to dedicate the last chorus to those who are seated on the back of the venue. Giant red hearts are created across the venue with the wristbands to mark the beginning of Act III – Stars. This section was inspired by meeting free aliens and represents "loving oneself and therefore being able to love others of all creeds and colours". Martin is joined by Angel Moon for "Human Heart" and the puppet makes the vocals from We Are King. Conversely, flashing white lights and green lasers are used in "People of the Pride" and "Clocks", respectively. Following the two songs, a secondary act known as the Lightclub kicks off with "Infinity Sign" being played while Martin, Berryman, Buckland and Champion are wearing custom alien helmets. Depending on which song was performed earlier, the transition leads to either "Something Just Like This" or "Hymn for the Weekend" (Seeb Remix). Both of them are carried out in American Sign Language. After the first option, the concert is continued by "Midnight", but if the second is chosen, "Aeterna" is reproduced instead. Once this segment ends, Coldplay head back to the main stage for "My Universe" (featuring holographic images of BTS members on the screens) and "A Sky Full of Stars" (stopped before the chorus and restarted after Martin tells the audience to put their phones away). "Sunrise", which includes Louis Armstrong's speech from "What a Wonderful World", is responsible for starting Act IV – Home, when you wrap up a journey "knowing/loving yourself a bit more" and capable to see all beings as beautiful. During this interlude, the band walk to the C-stage, where they usually perform tracks from Parachutes (2000), covers or invite a local guest. This section then sees Martin thanking the tour's crew, introducing his bandmates by name and asking the public to raise their arms to send love out into the world, triggering multiple fireworks. After two or three songs, Coldplay return to the main stage for "Humankind", "Fix You" and "Biutyful". The latter features the Weirdos, a puppet group led by Angel Moon. When the final blast of confetti gets launched, the phrase "Believe in Love" appears on the central screen, end credits are exhibited on the remaining ones, and the band bid farewell as "A Wave" is played in the background. ### Changes The show went through several modifications as the tour continued. Prior to the Bogotá dates, "Paradise" did not include an extended introduction and outro, "Charlie Brown" was a permanent track on the set list, and "Sunrise" was used to close Act II rather than open Act IV. Starting from São Paulo, "Let Somebody Go" was replaced by the Songbook, where Martin invites a fan to the stage for a piano session. Singapore later marked the beginning of the Jumbotron Song at the C-stage, which consists of improvising lyrics about attendees on the screens. To accommodate Moon Music (2024), "Biutyful" gave way to "Feels Like I'm Falling in Love" in Budapest, "Humankind" was cut in order to fit "Good Feelings" next to "Fix You" in Rome, and "We Pray" was permanently added after "Clocks" in Dublin. ## Commercial performance Coldplay broke numerous attendance, gross and demand records around the world. Sales for the first European leg opened on 22 October 2021 and the band moved over a million tickets in a single day. Extra dates were announced in various cities, including Paris and Brussels, where they became the first act to perform four times at Stade de France and King Baudouin Stadium in one tour. They also achieved the feat at Santiago's Estadio Nacional de Chile, while the record for Estadio River Plate in Buenos Aires was broken with 10 shows. By making $49.7 million from 626,841 admissions, their Argentine run became the highest-grossing boxscore in Latin American history and scored the highest attendance for a concert engagement worldwide. In December 2022, Billboard informed that Coldplay had the most successful tour of the year by a band, despite only reporting data from 40 out of 64 performances. Once missing numbers were added, they ranked at number one overall, earning $342.1 million from 3.8 million entries. Over the course of March 2023, their visit to Brazil set the record for most dates in a single tour at the Couto Pereira (2), Nilton Santos (3), and Morumbi (6) stadiums. The latter secured the country's highest-grossing boxscore, with $40.1 million. Within a day, over 1.4 million tickets were bought for the second European leg, making it the fastest sales by a group at the time and the general quickest since Robbie Williams' Close Encounters Tour (2006). In the United Kingdom, more than 812,000 people tried to get admissions for the performances in Manchester and Cardiff, leading the British Ticketmaster website to crash. Extensive online queues were registered by media outlets from Portugal (450,000), Spain (350,000), Italy (700,000), and the Netherlands (700,000) as well. As a result, Coldplay became the first act to host four shows in a row at the Cidade de Coimbra and Lluís Companys stadiums. They also broke foreign musician records at San Siro and Ullevi. Following sales continued to be met with unprecedented demand, like 1.7 million users in Indonesia, 365,000 in Australia, 400,000 in Malaysia, and 1 million in Singapore, where the band sold out six concerts in a morning. Due to a server crash, SM Tickets paused online trading in the Philippines. Their visit to Kuala Lumpur saw the highest single-day attendance in Asian history for a Western act (81,812). In December 2023, Billboard ranked the Music of the Spheres World Tour as the most successful run of the year by a group once again, collecting $342.5 million in revenue from 3.2 million entries. Coldplay set records for most consecutive dates at Arena Națională (2), Merkur Spiel-Arena (3), Eden Park (3), Helsinki Olympic Stadium (4), and Ernst-Happel-Stadion (4) in the subsequent year. Over 200,000 people attempted to get Auckland tickets, while Vienna saw 600,000 customers. In September 2024, the band reached 16 scheduled performances at Wembley Stadium, the most for any concert run. A month later, their shows at DY Patil Stadium attracted 13 million possible buyers in India. The third North American leg sold 700,000 admissions in a morning. Pollstar estimated that Coldplay made $1.059 billion from 9.6 million tickets, achieving the most attended tour of all time and the second highest-grossing. Regionally, they have the most successful runs for both the European and Latin American continents. ## Critical reception ### North America The tour received widespread acclaim from music critics worldwide. Andrew Chamings from San Francisco Chronicle said that despite his "cynicism, Coldplay's show was a joyous, bright, cathartic post-pandemic triumph". Writing for Houston Press, Marco Torres called it "a beautiful dream, with balloons flying around, confetti bursting from air cannons and lasers shooting from the stage through the smoke" as the group performed. Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Mac Engel claimed that Martin showed all of the skills that make him one of the top performers of his generation and made Cotton Bowl feel intimate with a powerful set. In her review for Chicago Sun-Times, Selena Fragassi credited the concerts with setting the bar for what tours could be like in the future. Similarly, Christopher A. Daniel from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution praised the production values as "reminiscent of the art rock foundation paved by bands like Genesis, Kraftwerk and Pink Floyd", adding that Coldplay are set to become a "must-see legendary act". Furthermore, Philip Cosores of Uproxx mentioned "there is no wasted energy, with every bit of the set time used to create memories and impact the audience". He then concluded that if environmental concerns become the norm for touring, the band's status as an essential contemporary artist "will take on greater meaning than just the legacy of their music". In a more mixed review, Ed Masley told The Arizona Republic that their use of the Weirdos during segments of the performance felt awkward, while "Biutyful" did not worked well as a closer. ### Europe Regioactive's Torsten Reitz declared that they were "full of energy and much more powerful than on record", mastering both upbeat and quiet moments. Marine Pineau wrote that Coldplay lived up to their reputation as a live act and lauded the band for their showmanship in her review for Virgin Radio. Alexis Petridis from The Guardian praised the tour for being a "genuinely immersive" experience which gave depth to its namesake album through an inventive approach, rating the residency at Wembley Stadium with five stars. Kate Solomon of The Times considered it a "triumphant homecoming", awarded Coldplay four stars and commended their musicianship. The Telegraph's Neil McCormick hailed them as "modern masters" of stadium entertainment and granted the same score. Writing a five-star piece for NME, Hannah Mylrea stated that the band offered a masterclass in how a massive pop show can be done. Wilson Ledo from CNN Portugal noted the concert had a lasting euphoria and praised how Martin interacted with the public. In his Muzikalia evaluation, Pau Clot upheld that Coldplay "cannot be matched by anyone on this planet today". Göteborgs-Posten's Johan Lindqvista highlighted the stage presence of the group and concluded they are "more than special effects". Mark Beaumont of The Independent called their Glastonbury Festival set "the spectacle of a lifetime". On the other hand, Rolling Stone UK's Will Richards said the middle section was "drawn-out" and had more potential. Vicky Jessop from The Standard described it as "wildly uneven". ### South America Felipe Branco Cruz from Veja affirmed that Coldplay "reinvented the concept of arena rock" with their performance set Rock in Rio, turning the public into protagonists of the show rather than mere spectators and consequently carrying on the legacy of spectacles "which transcend music" that was established by groups such as Pink Floyd, Queen and U2. Writing for UOL, Yolanda Reis said it is "undeniable" they are "true showmen" and defined the concert as "unforgettable". Ana Raquel Lelles praised them for keeping the audience excited despite the rainstorm in her review for Estado de Minas. Roberto Medina, the founder and president of the festival, commented that "there has only been one moment like tonight, Freddie Mercury in 1985. It was incredible, it was memorable". El Comercio's Juan Carlos Fangacio Arakaki stated the band were "impeccable" in Lima, delivering a complete, diverse and well distributed set list which they "learned to master to perfection". Pablo Figueroa from CNN Chile mentioned that their Santiago performance was one of the best music events in the country since its transition to democracy. Marcelo Fernández Bitar theorised on Clarín that Martin's charisma and his bandmates' consistency might be the reason behind their touring success, with the shows in Buenos Aires confirming the passion evoked by their songs. An editorial by Infobae praised Coldplay for being versatile and "perfectly synchronised" in a concert ranging "from the most subtle to the most grandiloquent". In his review for La Nación, Mauro Apicella opined that the group are at the forefront of technological use for stadiums and have works which "became classics", despite the criticism they faced throughout their career. Omelete's Caio Coletti described Berryman's bass as "irresistibly propulsive" and noted Martin's uncoordinated dancing was already his trademark at that point, while Champion proved to be a good backing vocalist by guiding the "Viva la Vida" chants. He also commended them for giving a highly sensorial performance and understanding that the night of the show "is all about entertaining the fans and finding new ways to elevate their experience". ### Asia–Pacific Barks' Saori Yoshiba considered the tour a "captivating mixture of depth and intensity" which allowed her to "fully feel the power of music and the energy of a live performance". Writing for CNN Indonesia, Muhammad Feraldi Hifzurahman revealed that while the statement feels exaggerated at first, Coldplay "really deserve to be called a musical experience that must be tried at least once in your life". Conversely, his review included only four stars out of five because the organisers of the venue failed to manage the crowd. Sam Mead from The Music stated that "over two decades in, this is the band at their best – hard-hitting, punchy grooves". As per Caleb Runciman of The West Australian, they have delivered the greatest event of Optus Stadium history and a set that "felt like a concert, theatre production, and light show all in one". He commended the musical prowess of the group as well, rating them with five stars. Rolling Stone Australia's Poppy Reid defended that Coldplay solidified their status among the most visionary live acts in rock music and seamlessly "blended their hits with visual wonders" on their performances. However, Rosamund Brennan of The Guardian Australia questioned the engagement of the audience with some of the new works from the band. In a review for the Manila Bulletin, Gregorio Larrazabal lauded the inclusion of national guests as "a cultural confluence". ## Accolades Folha de São Paulo, G1, O Globo, and UOL ranked Coldplay's appearance among the best of Rock in Rio 2022. Billboard mentioned the stage's inflatable spheres while discussing the best special effects of the year. Panorama, Sky TG24 and The West Australian called the tour one of the greatest events of 2023. ## Releases In October 2022, the band transmitted one of their performances at Estadio River Plate in cinemas across the world. Presented as Live Broadcast from Buenos Aires, the project was directed by Paul Dugdale and distributed by Trafalgar Releasing, the same company that made Coldplay: A Head Full of Dreams (2018) available. Screenings were carried out in 81 countries, setting a record for live theatrical events. In April 2023, a director's cut with revised sound and visuals was premiered under the name Coldplay – Music of the Spheres: Live at River Plate. It was later followed by the short film Tutto Passa – A Tribute to Napoli, published exclusively on YouTube. Shots combined Neapolitan life with the concerts from Stadio Diego Armando Maradona; director Stillz was responsible for sorting them. In June 2024, Coldplay announced their tenth studio album, Moon Music, for launch on 4 October. Lead single "Feels Like I'm Falling in Love" then had its live debut at Puskás Aréna in Budapest. ## Legacy According to Pollstar's Eric Renner Brown, Coldplay have ushered into "a new era of sustainable touring" with the Music of the Spheres World Tour. Their efforts were considered unprecedented for a stadium concert run, since the band reduced CO₂ emissions by 59% in their first two years of activity, planted 9 million trees in forest reserves, and had their methods adopted by Live Nation to provide green options to more artists. Furthermore, they were listed among the most influential climate action leaders in the world by Time. As the tour became a leading topic of news coverage in visited regions, it was also considered a media phenomenon. Mark Beaumont from The Times stated that the band regained public respect and credibility, which prompted a shift in attitude towards them. Due to its high demand, the tour caused ticket speculation to rise in numerous regions, including Portugal, Italy, and Malaysia. In the latter country, investigation of those cases inspired new legislation for future shows. Similarly, the government of Indonesia decided to make their event permit process more flexible after Coldplay could not schedule enough dates to meet demand. Media outlets commented that ticketless fans gathered outside venues to hear the group perform in cities such as Rio de Janeiro, Barcelona and Kaohsiung. Concerts were noted for boosting local economies as well, drawing comparisons to winning a lottery prize. Additionally, the band experienced a resurgence on the music charts, as their discography saw major gains in sales. To endorse local non-profits, they partnered with Global Citizen and the Love Button Global Movement. ## Set list This set list was taken from the 3 July 2022 concert in Frankfurt, Germany. It does not represent all shows throughout the tour. Act I – Planets 1. "Flying" (from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial) 2. "Music of the Spheres" (intro) 3. "Higher Power" 4. "Adventure of a Lifetime" 5. "Paradise" 6. "Charlie Brown" 7. "The Scientist" (with elements of "Oceans") Act II – Moons 1. <li value="8"> "Viva la Vida" 2. "Hymn for the Weekend" 3. "Let Somebody Go" 4. "Politik" 5. "In My Place" 6. "Yellow" 7. "Sunrise" (with Louis Armstrong's speech from "What a Wonderful World") Act III – Stars 1. <li value="15"> "Human Heart" 2. "People of the Pride" 3. "Clocks" 4. "Infinity Sign" (with elements of "Music of the Spheres II" and "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall") 5. "Something Just Like This" (performed in American Sign Language) 6. "Midnight" (with elements of Lone's "Blue Moon Tree") 7. "My Universe" 8. "A Sky Full of Stars" Act IV – Home 1. <li value="23"> "Sparks" 2. "Magic" 3. "Humankind" 4. "Fix You" 5. "Biutyful" 6. "A Wave" (outro) ### Details - A video showcasing Coldplay's sustainability efforts was shown before every performance, with "Light Through the Veins" by Jon Hopkins serving as its soundtrack. - "Infinity Sign", "Something Just Like This", "Midnight", "My Universe" and "A Sky Full of Stars" were collectively referred to as The Lightclub. - "God Put a Smile upon Your Face", "In My Place", and "The Scientist" featured Will Champion's lead vocals on select dates. - "Don't Panic" was performed during Act IV on select dates, sometimes featuring Buckland and Champion on lead vocals. - "Let Somebody Go" featured Coldplay's opening acts on select dates. - "Sparks" and "Magic" were performed in each country's respective language on select dates. The latter sometimes featured Coldplay's opening acts. - "Something Just Like This" was performed a second time featuring a choir during Act IV on select dates. - "Sunrise", "Napule È", "Oh Mia Bèla Madunina", and "Eppure Sentire (Un Senso di Te)" featured Davide Rossi on the violin on select dates. - "Fix You" and "Biutyful" featured percussionists or choirs on select dates. - "Cry Cry Cry" was performed during Act IV on select dates, featuring Lauren Mayberry. - "All My Love" was performed as the show closer in Athens on 9 June 2024 and in Dublin on 2 September 2024. - "We Pray" featured local guests performing new versions of the song on select dates. ### Highlights The band performed covers, received guests, invited fans and improvised songs specifically for the occasion on numerous dates, skipping to the rest of the show otherwise: Covers - San José, 2022 – "Patriótica Costarricense". - Santo Domingo, 2022 – "Bachata Rosa". - Guadalupe, 2022 – "El Corrido de Monterrey". - Mexico City, 2022 – "Amor Eterno". - Warsaw, 2022 – "Sen o Warszawie". - Buenos Aires, 2022 – "De Música Ligera". - Coimbra, 2023 – "Balada da Despedida". - Manchester, 2023 – "Sit Down". - Naples, 2023 – "Napule È". - Milan, 2023 – "Oh Mia Bèla Madunina". - Zürich, 2023 – "Your Song". - Copenhagen, 2023 – "Der er et Yndigt Land". - Gothenburg, 2023 – "Rocket Man" and "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)". - Tokyo, 2023 – "The Astronaut". - Helsinki, 2024 – "Happy Birthday to You". - Dublin, 2024 – "Ride On". Guests - Zapopan, 2022 – Fher Olvera. - Mexico City, 2022 – Huillo. - Chicago, 2022 – Lupe Fiasco. - East Rutherford, 2022 – Kylie Minogue and Bruce Springsteen. - Atlanta, 2022 – Kelly Rowland. - Warsaw, 2022 – Romario Punch. - Brussels, 2022 – Sviatoslav Vakarchuk. - London, 2022 – Craig David, Max Martin, Natalie Imbruglia, Jacob Collier, Benjamin Teacher, Shaznay Lewis, Simon Pegg, Steve Coogan, Stormzy. - Glasgow, 2022 – Edwyn Collins. - Bogotá, 2022 – Manuel Turizo. - Buenos Aires, 2022 – Golshifteh Farahani, Jin, Tini, Charly Alberti, Zeta Bosio and Turizo. - São Paulo, 2023 – Seu Jorge, Sandy and Rael. - Rio de Janeiro, 2023 – The Velosos (Moreno, Zeca and Tom), Seu Jorge, Milton Nascimento and Hamilton de Holanda. - Coimbra, 2023 – Bárbara Bandeira, Ivandro, Carminho and 5a Punkada. - Barcelona, 2023 – Gipsy Kings. - Manchester, 2023 – Aitch, Teacher and Tim Booth. - Cardiff, 2023 – Kris Williams, Kelly Jones and the Bridgend Male Choir. - Milan, 2023 – Zucchero and Elisa. - Zürich, 2023 – Roger Federer. - Vancouver, 2023 – Bryan Adams. - San Diego, 2023 – Mzansi Youth Choir. - Pasadena, 2023 – Collier, Stevie Mackey, We Are King, the Mzansi Youth Choir and Selena Gomez. - Jakarta, 2023 – Maliq & D'essentials. - Bocaue, 2024 – Lola Amour and Dilaw. - Bangkok, 2024 – Zweed N' Roll. - Athens, 2024 – ZAF. - Bucharest, 2024 – Babasha. - Décines-Charpieu, 2024 – This Is Our Home. - Pilton, 2024 – Victoria Canal, Baltic String Orchestra, Little Simz, Elyanna, Femi Kuti, Laura Mvula, Michael J. Fox and Vula Malinga. - Rome, 2024 – Ayra Starr. - Helsinki, 2024 – Kiurut. - Munich, 2024 – Shawn Mendes. - Dublin, 2024 – Simz, Burna Boy, Elyanna, Tini and Aslan. - Melbourne, 2024 – Ralph Macchio. Songbook debuts - Guadalupe, 2022 – "Gravity". - Mexico City, 2022 – "Fly On" and "Green Eyes". - Houston, 2022 – "Let Somebody Go". - Lima, 2022 – "Til Kingdom Come". - Santiago, 2022 – "Everglow". - São Paulo, 2023 – "Charlie Brown", "Daddy" and "Everything's Not Lost". - Rio de Janeiro, 2023 – "Strawberry Swing" and "Champion of the World". - Coimbra, 2023 – "The Hardest Part" and "Magic". - Barcelona, 2023 – "What's Love Got to Do with It". - Manchester, 2023 – "Everyday Life", "A Rush of Blood to the Head" and "Up\&Up". - Naples, 2023 – "Trouble". - Milan, 2023 – "Politik" and "Swallowed in the Sea". - Amsterdam, 2023 – "Barbie Girl". - Vancouver, 2023 – "In My Place". - Singapore, 2024 – "Us Against the World". - Bangkok, 2024 – "Warning Sign". - Bucharest, 2024 – "Lost\!". - Budapest, 2024 – "Don't Look Back in Anger" and "Shiver". - Decinés-Charpieu, 2024 – "Don't Panic". - Vienna, 2024 – "Love Story", "Shake It Off" and "The 1". - Dublin, 2024 – "Don't Forget Me". Improvisations - Dallas, 2022 – "Dallas Every Day". - Houston, 2022 – "Houston \#2". - Glendale, 2022 – "Phoenix, AZ". - Chicago, 2022 – "Chicago Song". - Landover, 2022 – "Washington, D.C. the Day We Got Set Free". - Philadelphia, 2022 – "Philadelphia Song". - Tampa, 2022 – "Tampa Bay on a Tuesday". - Gothenburg, 2023 – "Jennifer's Birthday Song". - Vancouver, 2023 – "Leo's Birthday Song". - Perth, 2023 – "Song for Australia" and "Song for Shane". - Kuala Lumpur, 2023 – "Malaysian Rain". - Bocaue, 2024 – "Local Traffic Song". ## Tour dates ## Cancelled shows ## Personnel Credits adapted from the band's official tour book, which was released "In loving memory of Ben Farrey and Steve Strange". Performing members - Chris Martin – lead vocals, piano, rhythm guitar - Jonny Buckland – lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards - Guy Berryman – bass, backing vocals, keyboards, percussion - Will Champion – drums, backing vocals, percussion Management - Phil Harvey – CEO, manager - Arlene Moon – manager - Mandi Frost – manager - Jonathan Kessler – tour advisor - Alex Pollock – tour advisor - Marguerite Nguyen – tour manager - Orla Clarke – assistant tour manager - Andy Frost – road manager, head of security - Kim-Maree Penn – band security - Dan Green – audio producer - Rik Simpson – broadcast producer - Bill Rahko – Pro Tools director - Chris Salmon – director of communications - Sam Seager – head of visual content - Lauren Rauch – management coordinator - Lauren Evans – physiotherapist - Valeska Voiges – band chef - Emma Jane Randall – band assistant - Jessie Collins – band assistant - Claire Finbow – band assistant - Ria Sioux Byers – band tour assistant - Jen Milkis – assistant to Phil Harvey, creative coordinator - Luke Howell – sustainability officer - Bertie Knutzen – head of philanthropy - Debs Wild – web ambassador Audio - Tony Smith – audio director - Chris Wood – monitor engineer - Nick Davis – monitor tech - Ali Viles – RF tech - James Smallwood – audio tech, RF tech assistant - Matt Latham – studio tech - Nick Mooney – audio crew chief Audio crew - Suzy Mucciarone - Alex Hadjigeorgiou - Dom Thorne - Don Parks - Simon Hall - Joe Simmons - Tim Grant - Georgios Mavreas - Alex Martinez Wristbands - Samantha Torres – lead pixel manager, crew chief - Garrett Fleming – pixel manager - Stuart Earnshaw – technician - Alex Huggins – technician Video - Ant Barrett – multi camera director - Josh Koffman – screens director - Phil "Lippy" Johnston – video crew chief - Pieter Laleman – head of LED - Piotr Klimczyk – engineer, vision - Chris Farrants – engineer, vision - Owen Evans – engineer, media servers Video crew - Drew Welker – camera supervisor - Gordon Davies – camera - Micah Williams – camera - Manan Patel – camera, AV tech - Tina Clay – camera, AV tech - Lisa Baker – camera, LED - James Cronly – camera, LED - Michael Cordier – camera, LED - Jens Couckuijt – camera, LED - Ritchie Cummins – camera, LED - Maarten Deschacht – LED - Percy Vermeulen – LED - Tommy Kerckaert – LED Video content - Studio Flint - Fray Studio - North House - Luke Halls Studio - Victor Scorrano - Impossible Brief - Hello Charlie - Pilar Zeta - Conner Griffith - Mixed Emotions London Merch - Paul Nolan – merchandise manager - Martine Wilson – merchandise manager Communications - Turner Pollari – crew chief - Dalton McGuire – radios, IT, communications Production - Chris Kansy – production manager - Jake Berry – production consultant - Eme Boucher – production coordinator - Kim Van Loon – production coordinator - Paul Traynor – stage manager - Russell Glenn – technical stage manager - Courtney Eusebio – tour accountant - Nichole Garcia – ticketing - Julia Whittle – show caller Security - David White – FoH security - Adrian Murphy – BoH security Backline - Laurie Jenkins – crew chief, drum tech - Craig Hope – guitar tech - Matt McGinn – guitar tech - Matt Tagliaferro – guitar tech - Paul Newman – bass tech - Eric Harris – keys and digital tech - Dan Roe – Pro Tools tech - Neil Cole – piano tech - Nicolette Santino – Angel Moon Wardrobe and backstage - Beth Fenton – band clothing director, stylist - Tiffany Henry – dressing rooms, grooming, wardrobe - Fabio Borreani – dressing rooms assistant - Kylie Morris – dressing rooms hospitality - Tracy On – sous chef - Minh Nguyen – utilities - Michael Raven – laundry - Poppy Ogilvy – band tour assistant - Samara Henderson – BoH apprentice Carpentry - Flory Turner – head carpenter - Michael Viehmeyer – inflatables, assistant stage manager Carpenter crew - Bryan Humphries - Andrew Pearson - Andy Turner - Jan Legowski - Steve Carlsen - Pat Boyd - Corey Settle Power - Mick McGillion – crew chief - Neil Whybrow – electrician - James Hardy – electrician - John Hardy – electrician - Mark Rennocks – generators operator Lighting - Shaheem Litchmore – lighting director - Emilio Aguilar – FoH tech, operator - Daric Bassan – lighting crew chief - Dio Kollia – lighting apprentice Lighting crew - Luke Dobson - Charlie Collins - Kyle Rutkowski - Kevin Royan - Rob Corman-Savage - Andrew Mueller - Calvin Mosier - Michelle Radogna - Emma Hart - Zach Boebel Special effects - Michael Barrett-Bourmier – crew chief - Ashley Neal – effects operations, laser programming Special effects crew - Michael Hartle - David Castillo - Alan Grant - Brien Carpenter - Victor Negron - Steffi Müller - Thornsten Stein - Bill Petrina Design and art direction - Coldplay - Pilar Zeta - Victor Scorrano Photography and videography - Marcus Haney - Stevie Rae Gibbs - Anna Lee - P the Chemist Creative - Misty Buckley – creative director, production designer - Richard Olivieri – art director - Holly Molcher – assistant art director, design draughter - Gloria Lamb – scenic art director, props - Grant Draper – creative project manager - Sooner Routhier – lighting designer - David Kennedy – SFX effects designer - Malcolm Birkett – technical set designer - Leo Flint – video designer - Dan Trenchard – video programmer - Matthew Kemp – lighting programmer PixMob - Luke Davies – assistant video designer Charity representatives - Rebecca White – Global Citizen - Garrick Dawson – Love Button Global Movement - Océane Bayard – KultureCity Rigging crew - Bjorn Melchert (lead rigger) - Mark Kohorn - George Werner - Jonny Ackles Energy zone - Michelle Ochoa – automation - Courtney Dodd – tech - Shariff Lovett – tech - Edwin Van Eekhout – energy floors - Tim Jansen – energy floors - Tim Benson – batteries Barricades and cable ramps - Bjorn Steegen – crew chief - Koen Daems – tech Live Nation promoters - Jared Braverman - Phil Bowdery - Casey Green - Sophia Burn - Redd Barua-Norton SJM promoters - Simon Moran - Andy Redhead - Rob Ballantine - Matt Woolliscroft Live Nation touring - Andrew Craig – in tour representative - Ariel Bojeun – sustainability - Lau Johannsen – VIP Nation Booking agents - Marty Diamond, Larry Webman – Wasserman - Josh Javor, Hannah Edds – X-Ray Touring Legal - Gavin Maude - Ryan Vince Accounting - Lester Dales - Paul Makin - Donna Nixon - Shelley Goldin Business management - David Weise - Rob Salzman - Glenn Frank - Dina Demas - Diana Clark Steel and advance - Bart Durbin – site coordinator - Robert Hale – site coordinator - Erik Ehn – backstage advance coordinator - Ross Brown – catering advance - Samantha Smith – catering advance - Chris Salmon – tour book words - RabbitHole – tour book design ## Gear Credits taken from Projection, Lights & Staging News, with product quantities being represented between parenthesis whenever possible. Lighting - MA Lighting grandMA3 Full Size Console (2) - MA Lighting grandMA3 Light Console (1) - MA Lighting Network Processing Units (10) - ACME Pixel Line IP Strobe (38) - ACME Thunderbolt (48) - Astera AX3 with Domes (80) - Ayrton Domino Profile S (66) - Ayrton Perseo Profile S (74) - Chauvet Professional Strike M (192) - Chauvet Professional Well Panel (12) - Claypaky Xtylos Aqua (74) - Robe BMFL FollowSpot (2) - Robe BMFL FollowSpot LT (12) - Robe RoboSpot Base Stations (7) Video - Moonrise Arch: ROE Visual CB8 LED Panels - I-Mag Circles: ROE Visual CB8 LED Panels - Spheres: PRG 25mm LED Inflatable Spheres - Media Servers: Disguise GX 2C Special Effects - FireOne Firing System (1) - X-Laser 36W Triton Unit (8) - X-Laser 10W Triton Audience Scanning Unit (8) - Arctos 120W Trident (1) - Arctos 15W Coral Series Unit (12) - Explo X2 Wave Flamer (8) - MagicFX Stadiumblaster Confetti Cannon (16) - MagicFX Stadiumshot Confetti Cannon (31) - Master FX Mystic Haze Machine (12) - HazeBase Base Tour Haze Machine (6) - TubeHaze Setup (6) Truss - Tyler Truss 10' Custom HUD Truss Arch (14) - Tyler Truss 10' HUD Truss (8) - Tyler Truss 5' HUD Truss (26) - Tyler Truss HUD Truss Corners (32) - Custom Lighting Ladders (16) ## See also - List of Coldplay live performances - List of highest-grossing live music artists

Rated-RKO

Professional wrestling tag team

Rated-RKO was a villainous professional wrestling tag team in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) consisting of Edge and Randy Orton, with Lita as their manager for a short while. The team's name was created by combining Edge's nickname, "The Rated-R Superstar", with Orton's initials, RKO, which is also the name of his finishing move. Edge and Orton formed an alliance in October 2006 to challenge the team of Triple H and Shawn Michaels, collectively known as D-Generation X (DX), whom Rated-RKO felt were preventing them from becoming world champions. Rated-RKO would succeed in defeating DX, giving the latter their first loss since their reunion in June 2006. The following month, Rated-RKO won the World Tag Team Championship. Soon after, Lita left the group due to her real-life retirement. In January 2007, Rated-RKO lost the World Tag Team Championship, which caused tension between the two. The group officially disbanded in May 2007, after Edge moved to the SmackDown\! brand. Edge and Orton had occasional reunions until Edge's first retirement in 2011. Edge returned from a nine-year retirement at the 2020 Royal Rumble, and seemingly was set to reunite Rated-RKO as he and Orton formed an alliance in the Royal Rumble match. Orton further hinted a revival the next night on Raw, only to attack Edge afterwards. ## History ### World Tag Team Champions (2006–2007) On the October 2, 2006, episode of Raw, interference from the newly reformed D-Generation X (DX) (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) tag team cost Edge his shot at the WWE Championship held by John Cena in a Steel Cage match. This led to Edge approaching Randy Orton and asking him to join forces with him to "get rid of DX". In his stand, Edge explained to Orton why he should join him as a tag team partner, as he cited Orton's lack of success after being kicked out of Evolution (Orton's former group), as well as the antics of DX taking up television time that he felt should rightfully go to the younger stars. Edge and Orton, calling themselves "Rated-RKO", immediately became very outspoken against DX and began mocking them at every opportunity, including a sketch reminiscent of the ones DX did about their opponents on a usual basis. This led to a tag team match on November 5, 2006, at Cyber Sunday with the fans choosing the special guest referee. At Cyber Sunday, the duo defeated DX, handing them their first team loss since they reunited when Eric Bischoff (the fan selected referee) allowed the use of a steel chair without calling for a disqualification. Later in the night, Lita won the Women's Championship in the finals of a seven-woman tournament. The following night on Raw, Edge and Orton faced Ric Flair and Roddy Piper for the World Tag Team Championship with Eric Bischoff as the guest referee. Rated-RKO lost the match, following help from DX. The following week on Raw however, they won the World Tag Team Championship from Flair and Piper in a rematch when they attacked Piper upon making his entrance, with Edge delivering a one man con-chair-to to Piper. As he was taken to the locker room by paramedics, Flair was forced to defend the titles by himself, and Rated-RKO won the match after Edge performed a spear on Flair. The real reason for the sudden switch was later revealed to be Piper's diagnosis of lymphoma forcing him out of action. On the November 20 episode of Raw, Rated-RKO, Big Show and Kenny lost to Triple H, Shawn Michaels, John Cena and Ric Flair. At Survivor Series, Lita legitimately retired after losing the Women's Championship to Mickie James and left the group in the process. Later that night, Team Rated-RKO, consisting of Rated-RKO along with Johnny Nitro, Mike Knox, and Gregory Helms, were swept by Team DX (DX, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, and CM Punk) with Orton being the last member eliminated in a ten-man elimination match. The night after Survivor Series, Edge and Orton beat Ric Flair until he was bloody and continued to beat him after dragging him to the ring, knowing that DX had already left the building. In doing so, D-X claimed they had made their rivalry "personal". On the December 4 episode of Raw, Rated-RKO and MNM defeated DX and The Hardys. On the December 18 episode of Raw, Rated-RKO and Umaga battled to a no contest against John Cena and DX after Cena and Umaga battled to the back. After the match, Edge and Orton attacked DX giving Michaels a double RKO on a steel chair and two con-chair-tos to Triple H on the announce table. At New Year's Revolution in January 2007, Rated-RKO retained the World Tag Team Championship after fighting with DX to a no-contest in a match that saw Triple H suffer a legitimate torn right quadriceps muscle. The next night on Raw, Rated-RKO held a victory celebration and Shawn Michaels came out to the stage to confront Edge and Orton setting up a 2-on-1 handicap match the following week. With Triple H out of action, Rated-RKO continued their on-screen rivalry with remaining DX member Shawn Michaels. They were able to schedule a two-on-one handicap match against Michaels, during which he was able to beat the odds and defeat both men, leaving Orton lying in the ring after a one-man con-chair-to as Edge stood and watched at ringside. On the January 22 episode of Raw, Edge defeated Michaels in a street fight with help from Orton. At the Royal Rumble, both members of Rated-RKO made it to the final four in the Royal Rumble match (they both were eliminated by Michaels) where The Undertaker won the match. The next night on Raw, the duo lost the World Tag Team Championship to the impromptu team of John Cena and Shawn Michaels. On the February 15 episode of Raw, Rated-RKO, Mr. Kennedy and MVP lost to John Cena, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker and Batista. Internal dissension continued as both men laid claim to being the number one contender to the WWE Championship, and Edge walked out on Orton on the February 26 episode of Raw during a rematch for the World Tag Team Championship due to miscommunication. The relationship strained further after both men qualified for the WrestleMania 23 Money in the Bank ladder match, which would grant the winner a championship match. For weeks Edge influenced various authority figures into putting Orton in matches that would cause Orton not to succeed. ### Breakup and subsequent reunions (2007–2011) On the April 16, 2007 episode of Raw, they reunited to take on John Cena in a handicap match but lost the match due to interference from Michaels. At Backlash, the two were involved in a Fatal Four-Way match for the WWE Championship along with Michaels and Cena. Cena ended up retaining the title after pinning Orton. On the April 30 episode of Raw, Edge and Orton met in a one-on-one match. Edge won the match by pinning Orton following a spear. Edge then moved to the SmackDown\! brand on the May 11 episode of SmackDown\!, after cashing in the Money in the Bank briefcase (which he had won from Mr. Kennedy on the May 7 episode of Raw) to win the World Heavyweight Championship from The Undertaker. With this move, Rated-RKO was officially disbanded. During Raw's 15th Anniversary episode on December 10, Rated-RKO reunited for "one night only" to partake in a six-man tag team match, teaming up with Umaga to face the members of Orton's former group Evolution (Triple H, Batista, and Ric Flair). They lost the match after being disqualified. The team had a reunion on the April 21, 2008 episode of Raw, when Orton and Edge teamed with John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) and Chavo Guerrero Jr. to take on John Cena, Triple H, The Undertaker, and Kane in a winning effort. On the April 26, 2010, episode of Raw, Edge cost Orton (who had turned face after feuding with his former group The Legacy) a number-one contender's match by spearing him during a triple threat match against Batista and Sheamus. Orton and Edge faced off at Over the Limit in May, though Orton dislocated his right shoulder and the match concluded with a double countout. On the January 28, 2011 episode of SmackDown, Edge and Orton reunited as fan favourites in a winning effort against Dolph Ziggler and The Miz. On the February 18 episode of SmackDown, they reunited once again and teamed up with John Morrison, R-Truth, Rey Mysterio Jr., and John Cena to defeat Kane, Ziggler, Sheamus, CM Punk, Drew McIntyre, and Wade Barrett in a 12-man tag team match. On the April 11 episode of Raw, Edge announced his retirement due to a neck injury preventing him from being medically cleared. ### Feud (2020–2021) On January 26, 2020, at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view, Edge returned from injury, wrestling for the first time since 2011, then reuniting with Randy Orton to eliminate The O.C. (Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson). The following night on Raw, Orton would interrupt Edge, attacking him with the RKO and then deliver a Con-Chair-To, a move Rated-RKO used in their run as a tag team, thus turning Orton heel in the process. They would face each other in a Last Man Standing match at WrestleMania 36, which was won by Edge and a singles one–on–one match at Backlash, which was won by Orton. Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that the match was pre-recorded on June 8, while the rest of the Backlash card aired live on June 14. The pre-recorded nature of the Edge vs. Randy Orton match allowed WWE to utilize "unique production techniques and camera angles." One production technique was amplified crowd noise. WWE also used the classic Madison Square Garden microphone that was used during WrestleMania I, with previous recordings of the late Howard Finkel doing introductions for both wrestlers. Referee Charles Robinson also wore a classic light blue ref shirt with black bowtie. WWE then billed the match as "The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever." The next year, at Royal Rumble, they participated in the Royal Rumble match as the first two entrants, with Edge entering at \#1 and Orton entering at \#2. Both would last until the final two where Edge eliminated Orton to win the match. Edge defeated Orton on the February 1 episode of Raw to end their year-long feud. ## Championships and accomplishments - World Wrestling Entertainment - World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – Edge and Randy Orton - WWE Women's Championship (2 times) – Lita

Balaur bondoc

Extinct species of dinosaurs

Balaur is a genus of theropod dinosaur from the late Cretaceous period, in what is now Romania. It is the type species of the monotypic genus Balaur, after the balaur (), a dragon of Romanian folklore. The specific name bondoc () means "stocky", so Balaur bondoc means "stocky dragon" in Romanian. This name refers to the greater musculature that Balaur had compared to its relatives. The genus, which was first described by scientists in August 2010, is known from two partial skeletons (including the type specimen). Some researchers suggest that the taxon might represent a junior synonym of Elopteryx. Fossils of Balaur were found in the Densuș-Ciula and Sebeș Formations of Cretaceous Romania which correspond to Hațeg Island, a subtropical island in the European archipelago of the Tethys sea approximately 70 million years ago. Hațeg Island is commonly referred to as the "Island of the Dwarf Dinosaurs" on account of the extensive fossil evidence that its native dinosaurs exhibited island syndrome, a collection of morphological, ecological, physiological and behavioural differences compared with their continental counterparts. Examples included island gigantism of Hatzegopteryx, island dwarfism of the titanosaur Magyarosaurus dacus, and a reduction in flight capacity in Balaur. Balaur is currently believed to be a basal avialan, a group that includes modern birds, based on phylogenetic analysis, despite being previously grouped within the dromaeosaurid dinosaurs, a group which includes Velociraptor. This reduction in flight capacity is also seen in extant island birds including the ratites and insular barn owls as well as the extinct moa of New Zealand and the extinct dodo of Mauritius. ## Discovery and naming The first small bones belonging to Balaur bondoc consisted of six elements of the front limbs. Named specimens FGGUB R. 1580–1585, these were discovered in 1997 in Romania by Dan Grigorescu, but the morphology of the arm was so unusual that scientists could not correctly combine them, mistaking them for the remains of an oviraptorosaur. The first partial skeleton was discovered in September 2009 in Romania, approximately 2.5 kilometers north of Sebeș, along the Sebeș river in the Sebeș Formation dating from the early Maastrichtian, and was given the preliminary field number SbG/A-Sk1. Later it received the holotype inventory number EME VP.313. The discovery was made by the geologist and paleontologist Mátyás Vremir of the Transylvanian Museum Society of Cluj Napoca who sent them for analysis to Zoltán Csiki of the University of Bucharest. The findings were described on August 31, 2010, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The 1997 specimens indicate an individual about 45% longer than the holotype; they were also found in a younger stratum. The generic name Balaur (three syllables, stressed on the second /a/) is from the Romanian word for a dragon of Romanian folklore, while the specific epithet bondoc (meaning "a squat, chubby individual") refers to the small, robust shape of the animal. As the mythological creature Balaur is a winged dragon, the name additionally hints at the close relation of the genus Balaur to the birds within Panaves. The species name bondoc was chosen by the discoverers also because it is derived from the Turkish bunduk, "small ball", thus alluding to the probable Asian origin of the ancestors of Balaur. ## Description Balaur is a genus of theropod dinosaurs estimated to have lived about 70 million years ago in the late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian), and contains the single species B. bondoc. The bones of this species were shorter and heavier than those of basal paravians. While the feet of most early paravians bore a single, large "sickle claw" on the second toe which was held retracted off the ground, Balaur had large retractable sickle claws on both the first and second toes of each foot. In addition to its strange feet, the type specimen of Balaur is unique for its status of being the most complete theropod fossil from the late Cretaceous of Europe. It also possesses a great number of additional autapomorphies, including a reduced and presumably nonfunctional third finger, consisting of only one rudimentary phalanx. The partial skeleton was collected from the red floodplain mudstone of the Sebeș Formation of Romania. It consists of a variety of vertebrae, as well as much of pectoral and pelvic girdles, and a large part of the limbs. It is the first reasonably complete and well-preserved theropod from the Late Cretaceous of Europe. It is similar in size to Velociraptor, with Balaur'''s recovered skeletal elements suggesting an overall length of around 1.8–2.5 m (5.9–8.2 ft) and a body mass of 15 kg (33 lb). Balaur had re-evolved a functional first toe used to support its weight, which bore a large claw that could be hyperextended. It had short and stocky feet and legs, and large muscle attachment areas on the pelvis which indicate that it was adapted for strength rather than speed. Csiki et al. describe this "novel body plan" as "a dramatic example of aberrant morphology developed in island-dwelling taxa." The stocky feet are exemplified by the length of the metatarsus being only two times its width. It is 1.5 times wider than the lower leg. Both traits are unique in the Theropoda. The skeleton of Balaur also shows extensive fusion of limb bones. Wrist bones and the metacarpals are fused into a carpometacarpus. The pelvic bones are fused. The shinbone, calf bone and the upper ankle bones have been fused into a tibiotarsus and the lower ankle bones and the metatarsals into a tarsometatarsus. The degree of fusion is typical for the Avialae, the evolutionary branch of the birds and their direct relatives. ## Classification The position of Balaur relative to other bird-like dinosaurs and early birds has been difficult to determine. The initial phylogenetic analysis placed Balaur bondoc closest to the Asiatic mainland dromaeosaurid species Velociraptor mongoliensis. A 2013 study by Brusatte and colleagues, using a modified version of the same data, found it in an unresolved close relationship with the dromaeosaurids Deinonychus and Adasaurus, with some possible alternative trees suggesting it branched off before the common ancestor of Deinonychus and Velociraptor, while others maintained it as the closest relative of Velociraptor, with Adasaurus as their next closest relative. More recent analyses using different sets of anatomical data have since cast doubt on a dromaeosaurid classification for Balaur. In 2013, a larger analysis containing a wide variety of coelurosaurs found that Balaur was not a dromaeosaurid at all, but a basal avialan, more closely related to modern birds than to Jeholornithiformes but more basal than Omnivoropterygiformes. A study published in 2014 found Balaur to be sister to Pygostylia. An independent analysis using an expanded version of the original data set (the one that found Balaur to be a dromaeosaurid) drew a similar conclusion in 2014. In 2015, researchers Andrea Cau, Tom Brougham, and Darren Naish published a study which specifically attempted to clarify which theropods were close relatives of Balaur. While their analysis could not completely rule out the possibility that B. bondoc was a dromaeosaurid, they concluded that this result was less likely than the classification of Balaur as a non-pygostylian avialan based on several important bird-like features. Many of the presumed unique traits would in fact have been normal for a member of the Avialae. Typical bird features included the degree of fusion of the limb bones, the functional first toe, the first toe claw not being smaller than the second claw, a long penultimate phalanx of the third toe, a small fourth toe claw and a long fifth metatarsal. On the other hand, some recent studies continue to place Balaur within the Velociraptorinae. Some researchers claim that Balaur may represent a junior synonym of Elopteryx. Brusatte and colleagues first mentioned the possibility in 2013, though they did not consider it the most likely case. In 2019, Mayr and colleagues claimed that the synonymy remains possible and more work is needed for confirmation. They also noted similarities with Gargantuavis and Elopteryx, indicating that the three taxa form a clade native to the Late Cretaceous European archipelago. In 2024, Stoicescu and colleagues suggested that Elopteryx is a member of the Avialae based on the new specimen from Romania, and that Balaur bondoc is probably a junior synonym of Elopteryx. ## Paleobiology ### Diet and lifestyle Little is known about the behavior of Balaur. Because of the lack of skull material, it is impossible to determine by the shape of the teeth whether Balaur was a carnivore or a herbivore. The original description assumed it was carnivorous because it had been found that it was closely related to Velociraptor. Csiki speculated in 2010 that it may have been one of the apex predators in its limited island ecosystem, as neither the skeletons nor teeth of larger theropods have been discovered in Romania. He also believed that it likely used its double sickle claws for slashing prey, and that the atrophied state of its hands indicates that it probably did not use them to hunt. One of the original discoverers indicated that it "was probably more of a kickboxer than a sprinter" compared to Velociraptor, and was probably able to hunt larger animals than itself. However, more recent studies by Denver Fowler and others have shown that the foot anatomy of paravians like Balaur indicate that they used their large claws to grip and pin prey to the ground while flapping with their proto-wings to stay on top of their victim. Once it was worn out, they might have proceeded to feast while it was still alive as some modern birds of prey still do. Due to the shape of the claws, they would not have been effective in slashing attacks. The very short, fused metatarsus of Balaur and enlarged first claw, strange even by true dromaeosaur standards, are thought to be consistent with these newer studies, lending further support to the idea that Balaur was a predator. Italian paleontologist Andrea Cau has speculated that the aberrant features present in Balaur may have been a result of this theropod being omnivorous or herbivorous rather than carnivorous like most non-avian theropods. The lack of the third finger may be a sign of reduced predatory behavior, and the robust first toe could be interpreted as a weight-supporting adaptation rather than a weapon. These characteristics are consistent with the relatively short, stocky limbs and wide, swept-back pubis, which may indicate enlarged intestines for digesting vegetation as well as reduced speed. Cau referred to this as the "Dodoraptor" model. However, in light of the research done by Fowler et al., Cau has remarked that the anatomy of Balaur may be more congruent with the hypothesis that Balaur was predatory after all. In 2015, Cau et al. reconsidered the ecology of Balaur again in their reevaluation of its phylogenetic position, arguing that if Balaur was an avialan, it would be phylogenetically bracketed by taxa known to have been herbivorous, such as Sapeornis and Jeholornis. This suggests a non-hypercarnivorous lifestyle to be a more parsimonious conclusion and supports Cau's initial interpretations of its specializations. This is also indicated by the reduced third finger, the lack of a ginglymoid lower articulation of the second metatarsal and the rather small and moderately recurved second toe claw. Balaur had a broad pelvis, a broad foot, a large first toe, and broad lower ends of the metatarsals relative to the articulation surfaces; such a combination can in the remainder of the Theropoda only be found with the herbivorous Therizinosauridae. ### Island syndrome During the Maastrichtian age, much of Europe was fragmented into islands, and a number of the bizarre morphologies of Balaur are thought to be a result of Island syndrome. This describes the differences in the morphology, ecology, physiology and behaviour of island species like Balaur compared to their continental counterparts as a result of the different selection pressures that act on island species. One common effect is Foster's rule which describes how small mainland species become larger and large mainland species become smaller. This is seen in other taxa from Hațeg Island including the pterosaur Hatzegopteryx which exhibited island gigantism and the titanosaur Magyarosaurus dacus which exhibited island dwarfism. However, Balaur appears to have had comparable body size to other basal avialans and closely related dromaeosaurid dinosaurs. Balaur appears to have exhibited other features of island syndrome, most notably a reduced capacity for flight compared to other basal avialans. This reduction in flight capacity is also seen in extant island birds including the ratites and insular barn owls as well as the extinct moa of New Zealand and the extinct dodo of Mauritius. In addition to island syndrome, species isolated on islands are also affected by genetic drift and the founder effect to a greater degree due to the small effective population size. This can magnify the effects of mutations which may otherwise be diluted in a larger population and may have given rise to some of the neomorphisms seen in Balaur like the retractable claw on its first toe. In 2010, the increased robustness of Balaur was compared to parallel changes seen in isolated herbivorous mammals. In 2013, it was claimed that Balaur was the only predatory vertebrate known to have become more robust after invading an island niche and it was suggested that its broad feet had evolved to improve postural stability. The 2015 interpretation of Balaur'' as an omnivorous member of the Avialae, suggested it was the descendant of a flying species that had developed a larger size similar to the development in several other island herbivores. This would then be a rare instance of secondary flightlessness in a paravian to resemble a dromaeosaurid, as predicted by Gregory S. Paul.

Battle of Caulk's Field

Battle of the War of 1812

The Battle of Caulk's Field was fought during the War of 1812 in Kent County, Maryland, United States, between a small British Army force commanded by Captain Sir Peter Parker and American militia forces commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Philip Reed. Parker, who was operating in the Chesapeake Bay region as part of the British campaign against Baltimore, Maryland, landed on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay to move against Reed's militia encampment. The British attacking force encountered American skirmishers, who conducting a fighting retreat, drawing the British towards the main American line. Parker was mortally wounded during the fight, and the British force withdrew after Parker fell. Later British setbacks at the Battle of North Point and the Battle of Fort McHenry led the British to abandon their campaign against Baltimore. In 2012, the battlefield was the site of an archaeological survey. ## Background In 1814, as part of the War of 1812, Major General Robert Ross of the British Army moved a force into the Chesapeake Bay. Ross' subordinates, Vice Admirals Sir Alexander Cochrane and Sir George Cockburn of the Royal Navy, were in charge of naval actions in the Chesapeake Bay. In late August, Captain Sir Peter Parker of the frigate HMS Menelaus was sent in the direction of Baltimore, Maryland as a diversion with the intent of drawing American troops away from the Washington, D.C. area. Parker's orders also included raiding the rural areas along the coast of the bay. On August 24, British troops defeated an American force at the Battle of Bladensburg, which opened the path to Washington. The British then burned the American capital. After the destruction of Washington, the British then focused on attacking Baltimore. Parker, who was still operating in the northern portion of the Chesapeake Bay, learned that American militia were encamped near Georgetown, Maryland on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay. ## Battle Parker's force landed late on the night of August 30. Sailors from the Royal Navy and men of the Royal Marines were represented in the British column. The militiamen, of the 21st Regiment of Maryland Militia, were commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Philip Reed, who had fought in the American Revolution. During the advance inland, guides, who may have been victims of impressment, misled the British column, allowing the Americans, who numbered about 200, to be better prepared for the British assault. Parker's force encountered American skirmishers, who quickly retreated to the main American line. The retreating skirmishers led the British towards American line, which included multiple cannons. The battle took place at night, and the light of a full moon exposed the British soldiers during their advance, allowing the Americans to inflict several casualties. The Americans held the high ground, giving the defenders an advantage. British Lieutenant Henry Crease reported that one portion of the British attacking force was briefly able to gain a foothold in the main American position on the high ground, at one point taking one of the American cannons. However, American pressure forced the British to abandon the toehold. The Americans eventually began to run out of ammunition, but Parker was then wounded in the thigh and bled to death. The British fell back after Parker's death. American casualties totaled three wounded. British casualties are reported at 41. ## Aftermath While the outcome of the fight increased American morale, it did not discourage the British from pressing their assault on Baltimore. On September 12, Ross' infantry force won a tactical victory over an American force at the Battle of North Point. Ross was mortally wounded during the fighting, and the British advance was slowed. The naval prong of the British assault on Baltimore was blunted when the naval bombardment of Fort McHenry, which occurred on September 13 and 14, failed to accomplish substantial results. The British infantry force, now commanded by Colonel Arthur Brooke, withdrew early on the morning of the 14th, and the naval force withdrew after the failure of the bombardment of Fort McHenry and the failure of an attempted amphibious assault, ending the assault on Baltimore. A historic marker, erected in 1902, marks the location of the battle. ## Archaeological survey In March 2012, an archaeological team from the Maryland State Highway Administration and the University of Maryland began an archaeological survey of the battlefield, which is considered to be one of the best-preserved War of 1812 sites in Maryland. The survey used metal detectors to locate artifacts, and discovered 721 items in the area of the battle site. However, many of the items postdated the fight. Some of the items related to the battle that were discovered included musket balls, cannon ammunition, and firearm parts. The caliber of the standard small arms used by the two sides was different, which allowed the musket balls to be identified as having been fired by either the British or the Americans. The finds were interpreted as corroborating the historic accounts of the fighting in some aspects: the artifact patterning placed the American line on the high ground and was consistent with the accounts of American skirmishers conducting a fighting retreat towards the main American line. An unfired British musket ball was found near where the American artillery position is believed to have been, which may support Crease's statement about the temporary capture of an American cannon. Additionally, the archaeological finds suggest that the battle was fought over a larger area than was previously thought.

Hilaria Baldwin

American yoga instructor, author and businesswoman (born 1984)

Hilaria Baldwin (born Hillary Lynn Hayward-Thomas; January 6, 1984) is an American yoga instructor, entrepreneur, podcaster, and author. She was the co-founder of a chain of New York-based yoga studios called Yoga Vida, and has released an exercise DVD and a wellness-focused book. Baldwin has been married to actor Alec Baldwin since 2012. ## Early life Hillary Lynn Hayward-Thomas was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 6, 1984, to Kathryn Hayward and David Thomas Jr. Baldwin is of English, French-Canadian, German, Irish, and Slovak descent. Hayward-Thomas has said that she was raised in a Spanish-speaking household and traveled to Spain annually. Hayward-Thomas has stated that she has been a vegetarian since age five. She has also stated that she began to use the name Hilaria "as she got older." Hayward-Thomas's mother grew up in Massachusetts and spent her career practicing medicine there; she was an associate physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School before retiring from both positions in 2012. Her father was an attorney with an undergraduate degree in Spanish literature from Haverford College and a law degree from Georgetown University. The couple founded International Integrators, an integrative health organization, after moving to Spain and settling in Mallorca in 2011, not long before their daughter married Alec Baldwin. She has a brother named Jeremy Hayward-Thomas. Hayward-Thomas's paternal grandfather was David Lloyd Thomas Sr. (1927/1928–2020), an "American with roots in the country that pre-dated the American Revolution", and her paternal grandmother, Mary Lou (Artman) Thomas, was from Nebraska. Thomas Sr. was a native of Ames, Iowa and traveled extensively to Argentina as an auditor for General Electric and at one point lived there. He exposed his children to world cultures and raised them to be proficient in Spanish. Hayward-Thomas attended the Cambridge School of Weston, a private co-educational high school in Weston, Massachusetts. She started college at age 19 at New York University, where she was on the ballroom dance team. ## Career Hayward-Thomas started practicing yoga at around age 20. While attending New York University, She opened the yoga studio Yoga Vida in 2009 along with Michael "Mike" Patton in the West Village of New York City, which eventually opened three other locations in the Noho, Dumbo, and Tribeca neighborhoods. The Tribeca Citizen wrote in 2016 that their location had a range of classes, including "pre- and post-natal, restorative, and heated by infrared light". In 2013, Spencer Wolff, a former student in one of her classes, sued her in Manhattan Supreme Court for an injury he allegedly sustained in the class. The lawsuit was settled a year later, with Wolff signing a non-disclosure agreement. In 2012, after marrying Alec Baldwin, Hilaria Baldwin became a lifestyle correspondent for the entertainment show Extra. The New York Times wrote that Baldwin obtained that position because Alec was a friend of Steve Sunshine, a producer for the show. In 2014, she shared a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Entertainment News Program with her Extra colleagues. She periodically worked with Extra in that role through 2014. In October 2013, Baldwin released an exercise DVD titled @ Home with Hilaria Baldwin: Fit Mommy-to-Be Prenatal Yoga. Alec appears during a five-minute "bonus section". In June 2014, El País described Baldwin as the "Gwyneth Paltrow" of New York City in reference to being a working wealthy mother. Baldwin wrote the book The Living Clearly Method, which was released December 2016. When the book released, Baldwin started an associated website under the same name to promote it. In 2017, Baldwin was awarded the Wellness Foundation's Illumination Award at that organization's summer benefit in the Hamptons. In 2018, Baldwin partnered with podcaster Daphne Oz to create Mom Brain, a motherhood-focused podcast. Refinery29 described it as "a deep-dive into every single corner of motherhood, ranging from the serious moments to the hilarious ones, and everything in between". The two hosts went on The Rachael Ray Show in November 2018 to talk about the project, followed by the Today show in December of that year. As of May 2021, Baldwin had not recorded any more episodes since the start of the allegations of cultural appropriation in December 2020. Baldwin later launched two other podcasts, What’s One More? with husband Alec Baldwin and Witches Anonymous with jewelry designer Michelle Campbell. In February 2019, Baldwin and her husband spoke to a United Nations panel about food choices and a sustainable planet at the launch of the EAT-Lancet Commission on Food, Health and Planet initiative. Baldwin was identified as a "wellness expert" on the panel. Baldwin has been on the cover of multiple magazines, the most notable of which include Hello\!, Fit Pregnancy, ¡Hola\!, Parents; and Belgium's Télépro. ## Personal life In February 2011, Hilaria Thomas met Alec Baldwin at Sarma Melngailis' New York restaurant Pure Food and Wine. Around August that year, the two began dating. They moved from the Upper West Side to Greenwich Village that August. The couple became engaged in April 2012 and married on June 30, 2012, in a Catholic ceremony at St. Patrick's Old Cathedral in New York City. The Spanish phrase Somos un buen equipo () is engraved on the inside of their wedding bands. The couple have seven children together. Baldwin is also stepmother to Ireland Baldwin, Alec's daughter from his previous marriage to American actress Kim Basinger. Baldwin has said that she suffered from anorexia nervosa and bulimia in her high school years and early twenties. In her book Baldwin recounted she suffered health issues and was miserable; feeling that way motivated her future career as a healthy lifestyle advocate. Baldwin stated she started getting better when she started "thinking of weight and health separately". Baldwin is a pescetarian. After her husband accidentally fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins with a prop gun in October 2021, Baldwin posted on her Instagram, "My heart is with Halyna. Her husband. Her son. Their family and loved ones. And my Alec." She would also show support for her husband when his criminal trial for the Hutchins shooting got underway in July 2024, appearing in person at the Santa Fe, New Mexico courthouse where Alec was being tried. ### Ancestry and background Baldwin is of English, French-Canadian, German, Irish, and Slovak descent. In December 2020, a Twitter user accused Baldwin of "impersonat[ing] a Spanish person" and posted video clips of Baldwin speaking with a Spanish accent, including a clip from the Today Show in which Baldwin seemingly forgot the English word for "cucumber". The tweets prompted accusations of cultural appropriation, since at other times she was heard speaking American-accented English. Her agency's website listed her birthplace as Mallorca rather than Boston. Commentators noted that Baldwin was often misidentified as either Mallorcan, Spanish, or Latina, encouraging positive press by Hispanic media such as the celebrity gossip magazine ¡Hola\! In March 2021, The Atlantic listed Baldwin as an "identity hoaxer" along with Rachel Dolezal and Jessica Krug. Baldwin responded that she identifies as white, and her ethnic background includes "many, many, many things". Baldwin states that she was raised in a Spanish-speaking household. She said she spent "some" of her childhood in Spain and "some" in Massachusetts, but had never been enrolled in school in Spain, only spending time there during family holidays. She has stated that she began to use the name Hilaria "as she got older". Baldwin also asserted her inability to remember the word "cucumber" was stage fright during one of her first television appearances. She added that she is bilingual and her accent comes and goes depending on stress and other factors; she described herself as "multi" and culturally "fluid".

Du Hirte Israel, höre, BWV 104

Church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach

Du Hirte Israel, höre (You Shepherd of Israel, hear), BWV 104, is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach for the second Sunday after Easter. Bach composed the work as part of his first cantata cycle for Leipzig and first performed it on 23 April 1724. The topic of the cantata, based on the prescribed reading from the Gospel of John, is Jesus as the Good Shepherd. The unknown librettist quoted and referred to related Biblical passages including the psalms. Bach structured the work in six movements and used pastoral music to illustrate the topic. The outer choral movements are an extended chorus, setting a verse from Psalm 80, and a four-part closing chorale of a hymn paraphrasing Psalm 23. Bach set the inner movements as alternating recitatives and arias. He scored the cantata for two vocal soloists, a four-part choir and a Baroque instrumental ensemble of a variety of oboes, strings and continuo. ## History and words Bach had assumed his position as Thomaskantor in Leipzig in May 1723. He composed Du Hirte Israel, höre as part of his first cantata cycle there for the second Sunday after Easter, called , or "The Lord's mercy". The prescribed readings for that Sunday were from the First Epistle of Peter, Christ as a model (), and from the Gospel of John, the Good Shepherd (). The unknown librettist found Biblical passages to quote and refer to even in the Old Testament, beginning with the first verse from Psalm 80 which reads in the King James Version: "Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel". In his poetry the writer referred to more Biblical context, such as and used for the first recitative, reflecting that God as the Good Shepherd will take care. In the second recitative, he deduced: "Only gather, o good Shepherd, us poor and erring ones; ah, let our journey soon reach an end and lead us into your sheepfold\!" The last aria expresses, based on (, hope "for faith's reward after a gentle sleep of death" ("des Glaubens Lohn nach einem sanften Todesschlafe"), combining the Baroque ideas of pastoral peace and longing for death. He chose for the conclusion the first stanza of Cornelius Becker's 1598 hymn "", a paraphrase of Psalm 23. Bach led the first performance of the cantata at the Nikolaikirche on 23 April 1724. ## Music ### Scoring and structure Bach structured the cantata in six movements, scored for tenor (T) and bass (B) soloists, a four-part choir SATB, and a Baroque instrumental ensemble of two oboes (Ob, Nos 1 & 6), two oboes d'amore (Oa, Nos 3 & 5), taille (tenor oboe, Ot), two violins (Vl), viola (Va) and basso continuo. In the following table of the movements, the scoring follows the Neue Bach-Ausgabe. The keys and time signatures are taken from Alfred Dürrs's standard book The Cantatas of J. S. Bach, using the symbol for common time (4/4). He gives the duration as 23 minutes. |} ### Movements Bach referred in his music in various ways to the pastoral aspect of the text. Dürr noted that the Baroque period was fond of pastoral scenes, be it in painting, music or poetry, focused on a tranquil and peaceful mood to be associated to ideals such as innocence, love, faith and friendship. John Eliot Gardiner, who conducted the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage in 2000, reminds of the "predominantly agrarian society" of 18th-century Saxony, with an easy "transfer of rural imagery to contemplative religious texts". He notes an aspiring upward tonal progression from G major via B minor (tenor) and D major (bass) to A major. #### 1 In the instrumental introduction of the opening chorus, three oboes create pastoral sounds, which are frequently associated with shepherds, on the firm ground of extended pedal point in triplets. Bach used similar means in his Christmas Oratorio in the Sinfonia opening Part II. The choir often sings in homophony, in its first entrance "" (You Shepherd of Israel, give ear), and in short repeated calls such as "höre\!" (give ear\!) and "erscheine\!" (appear\!). The movements features two fugues, representing Joseph leading his flocks, which is illustrated in soft long runs in triplets. The fugue subject is the same in both fugues, but the second time the voices enter from the lowest to the highest, culminating in an ultimate third section of the calls that get more and more urgent. Different from similar settings, the instrumental introduction is not repeated after this climax. Gardiner described the movement as a "gentle choral dance", in a benign mood. He noted that the sonority of three oboes, often associated with shepherd music, was added to the strings later. The chorus was possibly a parody of a lost graduation cantata, Siehe der Hüter Israel, BWV Anh. 15. #### 2 The first short recitative, "" (The Highest Shepherd watches over me), is based on , saying that the compassion of the Lord is new every morning. It leads to an arioso part ending with a quotation from , "" (God is faithful). #### 3 The tenor aria, "" (Though my Shepherd might remain hidden), is accompanied by two oboes d'amore. The text reflects that the singer sometimes feels "too anxious" in the wilderness and cries "a believing 'Abba'". The phrase is derived from ("ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father") and ("And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."). Bach emphasized "too anxious" with chromatic harmonies and motifs, and illustrated the cries of the middle section by both octave leaps and rising scales. #### 4 The second recitative is sung by the bass, "" (Yes, this word is the nourishment of my soul). The singer says that calling the Good Shepherd is a foretaste of heaven and prays to be included in the flock. #### 5 In the bass aria, "" (Happy flock, sheep of Jesus), the singer reflects on looking forward to happiness after a "sweet sleep of death". The music is reminiscent of the opening chorus in instrumentation, triplets and extended pedal points. The passage of the sleep of death is marked by expressive harmonies while the musical themes continue. Gardiner writes that the opening section introduces phrases in 12/8 metre with "rich writing for the inner voices", creating "its own potent alchemy" in a pastoral dance seemingly secure. In the middle section, when "death's gentle slumber" is mentioned, the voice "sinks" and then gently rises and alights. A soothing mood is created by an undulating melody, a rhythmic pulse and a "rich harmonic weave" of the music. Gardiner quoted Laurence Dreyfus who commented: "it is precisely those ... momentary incursions of suffering into the innocence and tenderness that characterise what is so very remarkable about Bach", and continued that Bach's belief "is the motor for this music, his exegetical purpose to demonstrate that, with Christ's help, the 'meadow of heaven' is not a lost Arcadia but a realistically attainable destination. #### 6 The closing choral, "" (The Lord is my faithful shepherd), is a four-part setting on the familiar tune of the German Gloria, "". ### Manuscripts and publication While the autograph score of Du Hirte Israel, höre is lost, 12 manuscript parts survived. The cantata was published by the Bach-Gesellschaft in the Bach-Gesellschaft Ausgabe (BGA), the first attempt at a complete edition of Bach's works a century after the composer's death, in vol. 23 in 1876. It was edited by Wilhelm Rust. The New Bach Edition (Neue Bach-Ausgabe, NBA) published the work in 1988, edited by Reinmar Emans, with critical commentary added the following year. Carus published a critical edition in German and English as part of its Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben in 2017, edited by Reinhold Kubik. ## Recordings The Bach Cantatas Website lists 38 recordings of the cantata as of 2024, including:

Roy McGrath

American politician (1969–2023)

Roy C. McGrath (August 9, 1969 – April 3, 2023) was an American political operative who served as the director of the Maryland Environmental Service (MES) from 2016 to 2020, and as the chief of staff to Governor Larry Hogan from June to August 2020. McGrath resigned as chief of staff after The Baltimore Sun reported that he had received a $233,647 severance payment after leaving the MES, which led federal and state prosecutors to open an investigation into McGrath's severance payments. In October 2021, he was indicted on charges including wire fraud, theft in programs receiving federal funds, and falsification of records. A three week long manhunt ensued after he did not appear for court, which led to a police chase in Tennessee in which McGrath was shot and killed by both himself and law enforcement at the same time. ## Background McGrath was born on August 9, 1969, in Greece, to father Howard McGrath, an attorney, and his wife Polyxene. There is some ambiguity about McGrath's legal name. He is identified as "Roy Carlos McGrath" in his marriage license. In the federal and state indictments against him, he is simply referred to as "Roy C. McGrath". According to the FBI's wanted poster for McGrath, he may have used seven different names: Roy Carlos McGrath, Roy Charles McGrath, Roy Baisliadou, RC Baisliadou, Roy Mak-Grath, and RC McGrath. McGrath grew up in Maryland, attending the Leonard Hall Junior Naval Academy and graduating from St. Mary's Ryken High School in 1987. He later attended the University of Maryland, College Park, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in government and politics, and economics in 1993. After graduating, McGrath spent 18 years at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, a trade group based in northern Virginia, where he worked in various capacities including vice president of business development. McGrath first got involved with politics at 18, becoming a member of the Republican Party and later forming a Young Republicans club in Southern Maryland. In 1991, he served as a congressional intern and assistant to U.S. Representative Wayne Gilchrest. In 1992, as the chair of the Charles County Republican Central Committee, he chaired campaign activities for George H. W. Bush in the county and later served as an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention, pledged to Bush, and worked on Larry Hogan's unsuccessful congressional campaign in Maryland's 5th congressional district. McGrath later worked on Hogan's gubernatorial campaign in 2014, serving as the director of the group "Lawyers for Hogan" and overseeing early voting and Election Day operations. ## Hogan administration McGrath served as a member of Governor-elect Larry Hogan's transition team. He later joined the Hogan administration as a senior advisor and liaison to the Maryland Board of Public Works on January 21, 2015. He left this position on July 1, 2015, to become one of Hogan's deputy chiefs of staff. In December 2016, Governor Hogan appointed McGrath as the Executive Director of the Maryland Environmental Service, (MES) where he described himself as the CEO. While director of the MES, McGrath used state funds on personal expenses, including a $50,935 Chevrolet Suburban, $63,000 on remodeling and furniture, and $50,000 on trips to Naples, Miami, Israel, and Las Vegas. He also received employee incentive payments of $117,932 between September 2017 and September 2019. According to legislative investigators, McGrath also personally hired "loyal colleagues" to key positions in the agency who were persuaded to donate to Hogan's campaign, even though they did not live in Maryland. During the COVID-19 pandemic, McGrath was named by Hogan to the state's Coronavirus Response Team. In this capacity, he spearheaded efforts with Operation Enduring Friendship, a confidential project that saw the state purchase 500,000 COVID-19 tests from South Korea for $10 million. According to prosecutors, McGrath began secretly recording meetings with other government officials on his iPhone around this time, which violated Maryland's wiretapping laws. It was McGrath's efforts related to the COVID-19 tests that led Governor Hogan to appoint McGrath as his new chief of staff following the resignation of Matthew A. Clark on May 26, 2020. ### Severance payment scandal In August 2020, the Baltimore Sun reported that McGrath received a $233,647 severance package that included a year's salary after voluntarily leaving the Maryland Environmental Service, which was approved by the agency's board of directors in a private online meeting on May 28. According to federal prosecutors and investigators, McGrath attempted to delete any mention of the compensation from public minutes following the vote. McGrath defended his severance package, writing in an op-ed for The Sun that he was entitled to a corporate-style golden parachute because MES operates "not much different from a private-sector entity." He resigned as chief of staff on August 17, 2020, four days after the story's publication. According to an affidavit obtained by the media, Hogan was first made aware of the payout on August 2, 2020, after MES board member Joseph F. Snee Jr. told Hogan's chief counsel, Michael Pedone, about the payout. After Hogan learned about the payout, McGrath was called to Hogan's office to discuss the matter the following day. Still, it is unclear as to whether Hogan took any further action before the Baltimore Sun article was released 10 days later. Following McGrath's resignation, Hogan ordered an audit of the Maryland Environmental Service. Democratic Party leaders of the Maryland General Assembly quickly questioned the payout, with House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones and Senate President Bill Ferguson releasing a joint statement calling its disclosure "truly shocking" and asked the Joint Committee on Fair Practices and State Personnel Oversight to hold immediate hearings to look into why the payment was made; the co-chairs of the committee, state senator Clarence Lam and delegate Erek Barron, promised to investigate the payment. Before the committee's first meeting on August 25, McGrath sought Hogan's help, asking him via text message to intervene on his behalf. Hogan did not respond to his texts, instead immediately releasing the texts to the committee. During this first meeting, MES board members testified that they were misled by McGrath into believing that Hogan wanted them to approve the payment. In September 2020, former MES deputy Beth Wojton testified that McGrath routinely prevented her and other employees from seeing expenses related to the Environmental Business Leadership Conference, a series of MES events held each year. Later that month, the committee took the unusual step of authorizing a subpoena for McGrath, who testified before legislators in December 2020. During his testimony, McGrath repeatedly declined to answer questions, invoking the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution at least 130 times. In September 2020, Democratic leaders of the Maryland General Assembly announced plans to reform the Maryland Environmental Service following McGrath's tenure. In December 2020, legislators introduced the Maryland Environmental Service Reform Act of 2021, which changed the management structure and oversight of the agency. The bill passed and was signed into law by Governor Hogan on April 13, 2021. In May 2021, the Joint Committee on Fair Practices and State Personnel Oversight released a report on its investigation into McGrath, which suggested that McGrath flouted state personnel rules, received questionable reimbursements, and mischaracterized the details of his severance payment. The committee's final 82-page report was released in May 2022, which highlighted a pattern of questionable expenses and self-dealing under McGrath's tenure and called on the Maryland Environmental Service to take civil legal action against him. ## Criminal indictments ### Federal charges In October 2020, Maryland Matters reported that both state and federal prosecutors were investigating the severance payments made to McGrath at the end of his tenure as MES director. On October 5, 2021, McGrath was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges for wire fraud, misconduct in office, and improper use of state funds. He lashed out against state prosecutors in a Facebook post later that week, saying that "politically-motivated bullies" were after him and that he was confident "the exculpatory facts will come to light and speak for themselves". Later that month, U.S. District Court Magistrate Thomas M. DiGirolamo approved pretrial release for McGrath, requiring him to surrender his passport and firearms. In November 2021, McGrath pleaded not guilty to criminal charges in federal court. If convicted, he could have faced up to 140 years in prison. In November 2021, McGrath claimed that Governor Hogan had expressed support of his severance package, releasing screenshots of text message conversations between him and Hogan in August 2020, including one where Hogan wrote: "I know you did nothing wrong. I know it is unfair. I will stand with you". According to Michael Ricci, Hogan's Director of Communications, the governor sent the message before he learned more details about how McGrath obtained the severance package. Ricci also disputed other emails released by McGrath, calling them a "complete fabrication". In June 2022, a superseding indictment was issued against McGrath, alleging that McGrath had forged a memorandum from Hogan approving the severance payment. In August 2023, the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland sought to seize $119,000 in assets from an TD Ameritrade account belonging to McGrath, alleging that the account was entirely funded by his MES severance payment. In October 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Deborah Boardman ordered the money to be forfeited to the U.S. government. ### State charges On October 5, 2021, the same day McGrath was indicted on federal charges, he was indicted on state charges in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court for multiple counts of wiretapping and misconduct for allegedly recording conversations with the governor, cabinet secretaries and other officials without their consent. He was due to stand trial for the state charges in July 2023. ### Manhunt and death McGrath's federal trial was originally scheduled for October 24, 2022, but was delayed until March 13, 2023. However, he failed to appear in court for the beginning of his trial, prompting U.S. District Court Judge Deborah Boardman to issue a warrant for McGrath's arrest. The United States Marshals Service launched a manhunt for McGrath, whom they now considered a fugitive. According to a search warrant affidavit and body camera footage obtained by the media, McGrath did not make reservations to travel to Maryland ahead of his scheduled trial, despite having told his attorney and wife otherwise. During the manhunt, McGrath purchased a used white Cadillac Escalade, had a gun, and used multiple cellphones, which the Federal Bureau of Investigation used to track him as he went into hiding. During the manhunt, McGrath self-published two books, Betrayed: The True Story of Roy McGrath and Betrayed: The True Story of Maryland Environmental Service, under the pseudonym "Ryan C. Cooper". "Cooper" declined to give out further biographical details about himself, including his birthday or middle name, only describing himself as a semi-retired man who moved from Hagerstown to Florida who sympathized with McGrath. In the books, McGrath defended his tenure at the Maryland Environmental Service and provided a tell-all against Governor Larry Hogan, who he claimed had acted out of "delusional, ego-driven aspirations for the White House". A third book was planned to release once more was known about McGrath's location, but never published. Federal officials were able to connect Cooper to McGrath through his own credit card and cellphone signals associated with Cooper's email address that showed McGrath traveling to a "variety of hotels in different states" on the East Coast during the manhunt. On April 3, 2023, FBI agents sought to arrest McGrath at a Costco Wholesale store near the 10700 block of Kingston Pike in Farragut, Tennessee. He ignored police trying to arrest him, resulting in a police chase that ended when McGrath was boxed in near a local fast-food restaurant and auto parts store. McGrath ignored demands to put his hands out the driver's side window and told agents that he had a loaded gun, which he fired at his right temple. At the same time, FBI agents fired at McGrath, striking his left cheek. He was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center, where he died 30 minutes later. The Washington Post reported that in a document, law enforcement said they believed McGrath shot himself during the traffic stop, but that it was unclear whether the self-inflicted wound or shots from law enforcement killed him. The FBI concluded its investigation into McGrath's death on July 20, 2023, but were unable to determine whether McGrath or the FBI agent fired the fatal shot. Prosecutors declined to bring criminal charges against the FBI agent who opened fire, saying that he had acted in self defense. ## Personal life McGrath married his first wife, Yuliya (anglicized to Julia, née Kryvenko), in 1997, and was divorced in 2010. In September 2021, less than two weeks before McGrath was federally indicted, he married Laura Bruner, who was his girlfriend at the time he served as MES director. They lived together in Edgewater, Maryland, before selling their home and moving to Naples, Florida, in December 2020. McGrath and Bruner purchased a home in Naples for $610,000.

Reuleaux triangle

Curved triangle with constant width

A Reuleaux triangle is a curved triangle with constant width, the simplest and best known curve of constant width other than the circle. It is formed from the intersection of three circular disks, each having its center on the boundary of the other two. Constant width means that the separation of every two parallel supporting lines is the same, independent of their orientation. Because its width is constant, the Reuleaux triangle is one answer to the question "Other than a circle, what shape can a manhole cover be made so that it cannot fall down through the hole?" They are named after Franz Reuleaux, a 19th-century German engineer who pioneered the study of machines for translating one type of motion into another, and who used Reuleaux triangles in his designs. However, these shapes were known before his time, for instance by the designers of Gothic church windows, by Leonardo da Vinci, who used it for a map projection, and by Leonhard Euler in his study of constant-width shapes. Other applications of the Reuleaux triangle include giving the shape to guitar picks, fire hydrant nuts, pencils, and drill bits for drilling filleted square holes, as well as in graphic design in the shapes of some signs and corporate logos. Among constant-width shapes with a given width, the Reuleaux triangle has the minimum area and the sharpest (smallest) possible angle (120°) at its corners. By several numerical measures it is the farthest from being centrally symmetric. It provides the largest constant-width shape avoiding the points of an integer lattice, and is closely related to the shape of the quadrilateral maximizing the ratio of perimeter to diameter. It can perform a complete rotation within a square while at all times touching all four sides of the square, and has the smallest possible area of shapes with this property. However, although it covers most of the square in this rotation process, it fails to cover a small fraction of the square's area, near its corners. Because of this property of rotating within a square, the Reuleaux triangle is also sometimes known as the Reuleaux rotor. The Reuleaux triangle is the first of a sequence of Reuleaux polygons whose boundaries are curves of constant width formed from regular polygons with an odd number of sides. Some of these curves have been used as the shapes of coins. The Reuleaux triangle can also be generalized into three dimensions in multiple ways: the Reuleaux tetrahedron (the intersection of four balls whose centers lie on a regular tetrahedron) does not have constant width, but can be modified by rounding its edges to form the Meissner tetrahedron, which does. Alternatively, the surface of revolution of the Reuleaux triangle also has constant width. ## Construction The Reuleaux triangle may be constructed either directly from three circles, or by rounding the sides of an equilateral triangle. The three-circle construction may be performed with a compass alone, not even needing a straightedge. By the Mohr–Mascheroni theorem the same is true more generally of any compass-and-straightedge construction, but the construction for the Reuleaux triangle is particularly simple. The first step is to mark two arbitrary points of the plane (which will eventually become vertices of the triangle), and use the compass to draw a circle centered at one of the marked points, through the other marked point. Next, one draws a second circle, of the same radius, centered at the other marked point and passing through the first marked point. Finally, one draws a third circle, again of the same radius, with its center at one of the two crossing points of the two previous circles, passing through both marked points. The central region in the resulting arrangement of three circles will be a Reuleaux triangle. Alternatively, a Reuleaux triangle may be constructed from an equilateral triangle T by drawing three arcs of circles, each centered at one vertex of T and connecting the other two vertices. Or, equivalently, it may be constructed as the intersection of three disks centered at the vertices of T, with radius equal to the side length of T. ## Mathematical properties The most basic property of the Reuleaux triangle is that it has constant width, meaning that for every pair of parallel supporting lines (two lines of the same slope that both touch the shape without crossing through it) the two lines have the same Euclidean distance from each other, regardless of the orientation of these lines. In any pair of parallel supporting lines, one of the two lines will necessarily touch the triangle at one of its vertices. The other supporting line may touch the triangle at any point on the opposite arc, and their distance (the width of the Reuleaux triangle) equals the radius of this arc. The first mathematician to discover the existence of curves of constant width, and to observe that the Reuleaux triangle has constant width, may have been Leonhard Euler. In a paper that he presented in 1771 and published in 1781 entitled De curvis triangularibus, Euler studied curvilinear triangles as well as the curves of constant width, which he called orbiforms. ### Extremal measures By many different measures, the Reuleaux triangle is one of the most extreme curves of constant width. By the Blaschke–Lebesgue theorem, the Reuleaux triangle has the smallest possible area of any curve of given constant width. This area is - \(\frac{1}{2}(\pi - \sqrt3)s^2 \approx 0.705s^2,\) where s is the constant width. One method for deriving this area formula is to partition the Reuleaux triangle into an inner equilateral triangle and three curvilinear regions between this inner triangle and the arcs forming the Reuleaux triangle, and then add the areas of these four sets. At the other extreme, the curve of constant width that has the maximum possible area is a circular disk, which has area \(\pi s^2 / 4\approx 0.785s^2\). The angles made by each pair of arcs at the corners of a Reuleaux triangle are all equal to 120°. This is the sharpest possible angle at any vertex of any curve of constant width. Additionally, among the curves of constant width, the Reuleaux triangle is the one with both the largest and the smallest inscribed equilateral triangles. The largest equilateral triangle inscribed in a Reuleaux triangle is the one connecting its three corners, and the smallest one is the one connecting the three midpoints of its sides. The subset of the Reuleaux triangle consisting of points belonging to three or more diameters is the interior of the larger of these two triangles; it has a larger area than the set of three-diameter points of any other curve of constant width. Although the Reuleaux triangle has sixfold dihedral symmetry, the same as an equilateral triangle, it does not have central symmetry. The Reuleaux triangle is the least symmetric curve of constant width according to two different measures of central asymmetry, the Kovner–Besicovitch measure (ratio of area to the largest centrally symmetric shape enclosed by the curve) and the Estermann measure (ratio of area to the smallest centrally symmetric shape enclosing the curve). For the Reuleaux triangle, the two centrally symmetric shapes that determine the measures of asymmetry are both hexagonal, although the inner one has curved sides. The Reuleaux triangle has diameters that split its area more unevenly than any other curve of constant width. That is, the maximum ratio of areas on either side of a diameter, another measure of asymmetry, is bigger for the Reuleaux triangle than for other curves of constant width. Among all shapes of constant width that avoid all points of an integer lattice, the one with the largest width is a Reuleaux triangle. It has one of its axes of symmetry parallel to the coordinate axes on a half-integer line. Its width, approximately 1.54, is the root of a degree-6 polynomial with integer coefficients. Just as it is possible for a circle to be surrounded by six congruent circles that touch it, it is also possible to arrange seven congruent Reuleaux triangles so that they all make contact with a central Reuleaux triangle of the same size. This is the maximum number possible for any curve of constant width. Among all quadrilaterals, the shape that has the greatest ratio of its perimeter to its diameter is an equidiagonal kite that can be inscribed into a Reuleaux triangle. ### Other measures By Barbier's theorem all curves of the same constant width including the Reuleaux triangle have equal perimeters. In particular this perimeter equals the perimeter of the circle with the same width, which is \(\pi s\). The radii of the largest inscribed circle of a Reuleaux triangle with width s, and of the circumscribed circle of the same triangle, are - \(\displaystyle\left(1-\frac{1}{\sqrt 3}\right)s\approx 0.423s \quad \text{and} \quad \displaystyle\frac{s}{\sqrt 3}\approx 0.577s\) respectively; the sum of these radii equals the width of the Reuleaux triangle. More generally, for every curve of constant width, the largest inscribed circle and the smallest circumscribed circle are concentric, and their radii sum to the constant width of the curve. The optimal packing density of the Reuleaux triangle in the plane remains unproven, but is conjectured to be - \(\frac{2(\pi-\sqrt 3)}{\sqrt{15}+\sqrt{7}-\sqrt{12}} \approx 0.923,\) which is the density of one possible double lattice packing for these shapes. The best proven upper bound on the packing density is approximately 0.947. It has also been conjectured, but not proven, that the Reuleaux triangles have the highest packing density of any curve of constant width. ### Rotation within a square Any curve of constant width can form a rotor within a square, a shape that can perform a complete rotation while staying within the square and at all times touching all four sides of the square. However, the Reuleaux triangle is the rotor with the minimum possible area. As it rotates, its axis does not stay fixed at a single point, but instead follows a curve formed by the pieces of four ellipses. Because of its 120° angles, the rotating Reuleaux triangle cannot reach some points near the sharper angles at the square's vertices, but rather covers a shape with slightly rounded corners, also formed by elliptical arcs. At any point during this rotation, two of the corners of the Reuleaux triangle touch two adjacent sides of the square, while the third corner of the triangle traces out a curve near the opposite vertex of the square. The shape traced out by the rotating Reuleaux triangle covers approximately 98.8% of the area of the square. ### As a counterexample Reuleaux's original motivation for studying the Reuleaux triangle was as a counterexample, showing that three single-point contacts may not be enough to fix a planar object into a single position. The existence of Reuleaux triangles and other curves of constant width shows that diameter measurements alone cannot verify that an object has a circular cross-section. In connection with the inscribed square problem, observed that the Reuleaux triangle provides an example of a constant-width shape in which no regular polygon with more than four sides can be inscribed, except the regular hexagon, and he described a small modification to this shape that preserves its constant width but also prevents regular hexagons from being inscribed in it. He generalized this result to three dimensions using a cylinder with the same shape as its cross section. ## Applications ### Reaching into corners Several types of machinery take the shape of the Reuleaux triangle, based on its property of being able to rotate within a square. The Watts Brothers Tool Works square drill bit has the shape of a Reuleaux triangle, modified with concavities to form cutting surfaces. When mounted in a special chuck which allows for the bit not having a fixed centre of rotation, it can drill a hole that is nearly square. Although patented by Henry Watts in 1914, similar drills invented by others were used earlier. Other Reuleaux polygons are used to drill pentagonal, hexagonal, and octagonal holes. Panasonic's RULO robotic vacuum cleaner has its shape based on the Reuleaux triangle in order to ease cleaning up dust in the corners of rooms. ### Rolling cylinders Another class of applications of the Reuleaux triangle involves cylindrical objects with a Reuleaux triangle cross section. Several pencils are manufactured in this shape, rather than the more traditional round or hexagonal barrels. They are usually promoted as being more comfortable or encouraging proper grip, as well as being less likely to roll off tables (since the center of gravity moves up and down more than a rolling hexagon). A Reuleaux triangle (along with all other curves of constant width) can roll but makes a poor wheel because it does not roll about a fixed center of rotation. An object on top of rollers that have Reuleaux triangle cross-sections would roll smoothly and flatly, but an axle attached to Reuleaux triangle wheels would bounce up and down three times per revolution. This concept was used in a science fiction short story by Poul Anderson titled "The Three-Cornered Wheel". A bicycle with floating axles and a frame supported by the rim of its Reuleaux triangle shaped wheel was built and demonstrated in 2009 by Chinese inventor Guan Baihua, who was inspired by pencils with the same shape. ### Mechanism design Another class of applications of the Reuleaux triangle involves using it as a part of a mechanical linkage that can convert rotation around a fixed axis into reciprocating motion. These mechanisms were studied by Franz Reuleaux. With the assistance of the Gustav Voigt company, Reuleaux built approximately 800 models of mechanisms, several of which involved the Reuleaux triangle. Reuleaux used these models in his pioneering scientific investigations of their motion. Although most of the Reuleaux–Voigt models have been lost, 219 of them have been collected at Cornell University, including nine based on the Reuleaux triangle. However, the use of Reuleaux triangles in mechanism design predates the work of Reuleaux; for instance, some steam engines from as early as 1830 had a cam in the shape of a Reuleaux triangle. One application of this principle arises in a film projector. In this application, it is necessary to advance the film in a jerky, stepwise motion, in which each frame of film stops for a fraction of a second in front of the projector lens, and then much more quickly the film is moved to the next frame. This can be done using a mechanism in which the rotation of a Reuleaux triangle within a square is used to create a motion pattern for an actuator that pulls the film quickly to each new frame and then pauses the film's motion while the frame is projected. The rotor of the Wankel engine is shaped as a curvilinear triangle that is often cited as an example of a Reuleaux triangle. However, its curved sides are somewhat flatter than those of a Reuleaux triangle and so it does not have constant width. ### Architecture In Gothic architecture, beginning in the late 13th century or early 14th century, the Reuleaux triangle became one of several curvilinear forms frequently used for windows, window tracery, and other architectural decorations. For instance, in English Gothic architecture, this shape was associated with the decorated period, both in its geometric style of 1250–1290 and continuing into its curvilinear style of 1290–1350. It also appears in some of the windows of the Milan Cathedral. In this context, the shape is sometimes called a spherical triangle, which should not be confused with spherical triangle meaning a triangle on the surface of a sphere. In its use in Gothic church architecture, the three-cornered shape of the Reuleaux triangle may be seen both as a symbol of the Trinity, and as "an act of opposition to the form of the circle". The Reuleaux triangle has also been used in other styles of architecture. For instance, Leonardo da Vinci sketched this shape as the plan for a fortification. Modern buildings that have been claimed to use a Reuleaux triangle shaped floorplan include the MIT Kresge Auditorium, the Kölntriangle, the Donauturm, the Torre de Collserola, and the Mercedes-Benz Museum. However in many cases these are merely rounded triangles, with different geometry than the Reuleaux triangle. ### Mapmaking Another early application of the Reuleaux triangle, da Vinci's world map from circa 1514, was a world map in which the spherical surface of the earth was divided into eight octants, each flattened into the shape of a Reuleaux triangle. Similar maps also based on the Reuleaux triangle were published by Oronce Finé in 1551 and by John Dee in 1580. ### Other objects Many guitar picks employ the Reuleaux triangle, as its shape combines a sharp point to provide strong articulation, with a wide tip to produce a warm timbre. Because all three points of the shape are usable, it is easier to orient and wears less quickly compared to a pick with a single tip. The Reuleaux triangle has been used as the shape for the cross section of a fire hydrant valve nut. The constant width of this shape makes it difficult to open the fire hydrant using standard parallel-jawed wrenches; instead, a wrench with a special shape is needed. This property allows the fire hydrants to be opened only by firefighters (who have the special wrench) and not by other people trying to use the hydrant as a source of water for other activities. Following a suggestion of , the antennae of the Submillimeter Array, a radio-wave astronomical observatory on Mauna Kea in Hawaii, are arranged on four nested Reuleaux triangles. Placing the antennae on a curve of constant width causes the observatory to have the same spatial resolution in all directions, and provides a circular observation beam. As the most asymmetric curve of constant width, the Reuleaux triangle leads to the most uniform coverage of the plane for the Fourier transform of the signal from the array. The antennae may be moved from one Reuleaux triangle to another for different observations, according to the desired angular resolution of each observation. The precise placement of the antennae on these Reuleaux triangles was optimized using a neural network. In some places the constructed observatory departs from the preferred Reuleaux triangle shape because that shape was not possible within the given site. ### Signs and logos The shield shapes used for many signs and corporate logos feature rounded triangles. However, only some of these are Reuleaux triangles. The corporate logo of Petrofina (Fina), a Belgian oil company with major operations in Europe, North America and Africa, used a Reuleaux triangle with the Fina name from 1950 until Petrofina's merger with Total S.A. (today TotalEnergies) in 2000. Another corporate logo framed in the Reuleaux triangle, the south-pointing compass of Bavaria Brewery, was part of a makeover by design company Total Identity that won the SAN 2010 Advertiser of the Year award. The Reuleaux triangle is also used in the logo of Colorado School of Mines. In the United States, the National Trails System and United States Bicycle Route System both mark routes with Reuleaux triangles on signage. ### In nature According to Plateau's laws, the circular arcs in two-dimensional soap bubble clusters meet at 120° angles, the same angle found at the corners of a Reuleaux triangle. Based on this fact, it is possible to construct clusters in which some of the bubbles take the form of a Reuleaux triangle. The shape was first isolated in crystal form in 2014 as Reuleaux triangle disks. Basic bismuth nitrate disks with the Reuleaux triangle shape were formed from the hydrolysis and precipitation of bismuth nitrate in an ethanol–water system in the presence of 2,3-bis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine. ## Generalizations Triangular curves of constant width with smooth rather than sharp corners may be obtained as the locus of points at a fixed distance from the Reuleaux triangle. Other generalizations of the Reuleaux triangle include surfaces in three dimensions, curves of constant width with more than three sides, and the Yanmouti sets which provide extreme examples of an inequality between width, diameter, and inradius. ### Three-dimensional version The intersection of four balls of radius s centered at the vertices of a regular tetrahedron with side length s is called the Reuleaux tetrahedron, but its surface is not a surface of constant width. It can, however, be made into a surface of constant width, called Meissner's tetrahedron, by replacing three of its edge arcs by curved surfaces, the surfaces of rotation of a circular arc. Alternatively, the surface of revolution of a Reuleaux triangle through one of its symmetry axes forms a surface of constant width, with minimum volume among all known surfaces of revolution of given constant width. ### Reuleaux polygons The Reuleaux triangle can be generalized to regular or irregular polygons with an odd number of sides, yielding a Reuleaux polygon, a curve of constant width formed from circular arcs of constant radius. The constant width of these shapes allows their use as coins that can be used in coin-operated machines. Although coins of this type in general circulation usually have more than three sides, a Reuleaux triangle has been used for a commemorative coin from Bermuda. Similar methods can be used to enclose an arbitrary simple polygon within a curve of constant width, whose width equals the diameter of the given polygon. The resulting shape consists of circular arcs (at most as many as sides of the polygon), can be constructed algorithmically in linear time, and can be drawn with compass and straightedge. Although the Reuleaux polygons all have an odd number of circular-arc sides, it is possible to construct constant-width shapes with an even number of circular-arc sides of varying radii. ### Yanmouti sets The Yanmouti sets are defined as the convex hulls of an equilateral triangle together with three circular arcs, centered at the triangle vertices and spanning the same angle as the triangle, with equal radii that are at most equal to the side length of the triangle. Thus, when the radius is small enough, these sets degenerate to the equilateral triangle itself, but when the radius is as large as possible they equal the corresponding Reuleaux triangle. Every shape with width w, diameter d, and inradius r (the radius of the largest possible circle contained in the shape) obeys the inequality - \(w - r \le \frac{d}{\sqrt 3},\) and this inequality becomes an equality for the Yanmouti sets, showing that it cannot be improved. ## Related figures In the classical presentation of a three-set Venn diagram as three overlapping circles, the central region (representing elements belonging to all three sets) takes the shape of a Reuleaux triangle. The same three circles form one of the standard drawings of the Borromean rings, three mutually linked rings that cannot, however, be realized as geometric circles. Parts of these same circles are used to form the triquetra, a figure of three overlapping semicircles (each two of which form a vesica piscis symbol) that again has a Reuleaux triangle at its center; just as the three circles of the Venn diagram may be interlaced to form the Borromean rings, the three circular arcs of the triquetra may be interlaced to form a trefoil knot. Relatives of the Reuleaux triangle arise in the problem of finding the minimum perimeter shape that encloses a fixed amount of area and includes three specified points in the plane. For a wide range of choices of the area parameter, the optimal solution to this problem will be a curved triangle whose three sides are circular arcs with equal radii. In particular, when the three points are equidistant from each other and the area is that of the Reuleaux triangle, the Reuleaux triangle is the optimal enclosure. Circular triangles are triangles with circular-arc edges, including the Reuleaux triangle as well as other shapes. The deltoid curve is another type of curvilinear triangle, but one in which the curves replacing each side of an equilateral triangle are concave rather than convex. It is not composed of circular arcs, but may be formed by rolling one circle within another of three times the radius. Other planar shapes with three curved sides include the arbelos, which is formed from three semicircles with collinear endpoints, and the Bézier triangle. The Reuleaux triangle may also be interpreted as the stereographic projection of one triangular face of a spherical tetrahedron, the Schwarz triangle of parameters \(\tfrac32, \tfrac32, \tfrac32\) with spherical angles of measure \(120^\circ\) and sides of spherical length \({\arccos}\bigl({-\tfrac13}\bigr).\)

Bruton Smith

American business magnate and race promoter (1927–2022)

Ollen Bruton Smith (March 3, 1927 – June 22, 2022) was an American motorsports executive and businessman. He was best known as the owner of two public companies, Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (SMI) and Sonic Automotive. Smith held the positions of vice president and general manager of the Charlotte Motor Speedway and later was the chief executive officer (CEO) of both Speedway Motorsports and Sonic Automotive. He was an entrepreneur, race promoter, and businessman during the rise of stock car racing that began in the 1950s. Smith was born and raised near Oakboro, North Carolina. In 1959, he and stock car racing driver Curtis Turner partnered to construct the Charlotte Motor Speedway, a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) banked racetrack in Concord, North Carolina. After the initial failure of the speedway, Smith went bankrupt, leading him to work in the car dealership business. After the success of his car dealership business, Smith bought back an interest in the speedway, eventually becoming its general manager in 1975. After a period of investing in businesses outside the auto-racing industry in the 1980s, Smith bought numerous tracks in the 1990s and 2000s, using the funds he had made after taking SMI public on the New York Stock Exchange in 1995. Two years later, he incorporated Sonic Automotive, a chain of car dealerships, becoming CEO of both SMI and Sonic Automotive. Smith is widely regarded as one of the most influential businessmen in auto racing and a polarizing figure in the industry. Throughout his time as a businessman, he was known as an extravagant spender and someone who cared about details. He used his wealth and power to turn racetracks owned by Speedway Motorsports into world-class facilities and to turn Sonic Automotive into one of the biggest car dealership businesses in the United States. Businessmen who worked under Smith, including Humpy Wheeler and Eddie Gossage, viewed Smith highly for his actions. He was embroiled in numerous legal battles and controversies, including his divorce with his only wife and his reaction to opposition of construction of a drag strip at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Smith is also regarded as one of the key people in a rivalry between Smith's SMI and the NASCAR-owned International Speedway Corporation (ISC), a rivalry that has existed since Smith's start as a race promoter in the late 1940s. The two companies, created by Smith and NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., respectively, have engaged in a series of tense exchanges and lawsuits that have affected NASCAR's legacy and popularity to this day. ## Early life Smith was born in Oakboro, North Carolina, on March 3, 1927, to James Lemuel Smith (1875–1958) and Mollie C. Smith (1887–1982). He was the youngest of nine children. The family lived a mile outside Oakboro, on a farming community. Growing up on a farm meant Smith's family had a home and enough to eat, but despite working from "sunup to sundown", they had little money. Smith "never did like that", and by the age of nine had decided he would leave the farm. When he was 11, Smith began practicing with a home-made punching bag, and dreamed of becoming the middleweight champion of the world. Smith practiced boxing for five years before quitting. He also recalled that he had numerous "crazy ideas" as a child: he saw a movie in which a tycoon owned a train and saw another featuring James Cagney owning a trucking company, and for a while decided that he wanted to own a train and a trucking company. Smith watched his first auto-racing event at the age of eight at the Charlotte Speedway. In 1946, Smith began selling used cars from his front yard, operating the business for about five years, according to The Charlotte News. After graduating from Oakboro High School (now West Stanly High School) in 1944, he gained his first job in a hosiery mill. He bought his first race car at 17 for $700 ($ when adjusted for inflation). He claimed that on one occasion during his brief racing career, he managed to beat Buck Baker and Joe Weatherly, both of whom are considered early NASCAR pioneers. However, Smith's mother opposed the idea of his racing, praying that Smith would stop. Smith, stating that he could not "fight [his] mom and God", ceased racing. ## Business career ### Early business ventures #### NSCRA and the beginnings of a rivalry with the France family Smith began promoting stock-car events as a 17-year-old in Midland, North Carolina, in the middle of a cornfield he nicknamed the "Dust Bowl". In 1949, Smith took over the National Stock Car Racing Association (NSCRA), a league that had formed a year earlier in 1948 and was one of several fledgling stock-car sanctioning bodies that were direct competitors to NASCAR, which had been founded in the same year. Early in the year, Smith announced the creation of a new division called the "Strictly Stock" division, which utilized newer models of stock cars instead of older, modified cars. As a response, NASCAR president Bill France Sr. created his own "Strictly Stock" division, holding its first Strictly Stock event on the same day that the NSCRA was planning to hold their Strictly Stock race, on June 19, 1949. This event is considered by some NASCAR reporters and media members as the starting point of a rivalry between the Smith family and the France family, a rivalry that has grown since the creation of Speedway Motorsports and the International Speedway Corporation, founded by Bruton Smith and Bill France Sr., respectively. In 1951, Smith took over the lease of the Charlotte Speedway from Buck Baker, Roby Combs, and Ike Kiser to promote races at the speedway. In the same year, France and Smith discussed merging their sanctioning bodies and came to a tentative agreement on the issue; however, Smith was drafted into the United States Army to fight in the Korean War in January 1951, becoming a paratrooper. When Smith returned to civilian life two years later, he found that poor leadership in his absence had caused the NSCRA to disband. #### Promotional career after Korean War After his honorable discharge in 1953, Smith returned to his parents' home in Concord, North Carolina, living with his mother. For most of the 1950s, he sold cars and promoted local short-track races throughout the Carolinas, including races in Concord, Shelby, and Piedmont. In a 1982 interview with The Charlotte Observer, the retired president of the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Humpy Wheeler, stated that he believed Smith had managed to turn stock-car racing into a more professional environment, forcing drivers to take publicity pictures wearing a suit and tie. Smith was also known to get into disagreements and, on occasion, fights with drivers over issues. According to Wheeler, Smith knew "he couldn't back down, because if [he] ever did, [he'd] might as well give them the keys to the place". By 1955, he had managed to earn $128,050 (adjusted for inflation$, ) in one year from promoting races throughout the Carolinas. ### Charlotte Motor Speedway, bankruptcy By the late 1950s, stock-car racing's popularity had increased dramatically in the American Southeast. With newer, more modern facilities being built, such as Darlington Raceway, Smith partnered with Charlotte businessman John William Propst Jr. to plan construction of a $2 million racetrack. At the same time, Virginia stock-car racing driver and successful timber businessman Curtis Turner had begun collaborating with track officials across the Carolinas to build a speedway in northern Mecklenburg County. However, in 1958, Smith's deal with Propst fell through when Propst backed out of the partnership after suffering a heart attack, leading Smith to call Turner in hopes of his replacing Propst. After a few weeks of initial success, in a meeting at the Barringer Hotel, Turner refused to partner with Smith. Feeling betrayed and predicting that the city of Charlotte could support only one speedway, Smith proceeded to announce his intention to build a new speedway to rival Turner's. Knowing that Turner did not have enough funds to build his own speedway, compounded with the fact that Turner had struggled to sell the 300,000 shares needed for the racetrack, Smith pledged to sell 100,000 of the shares by himself and become the vice president of the speedway. Construction eventually started on the speedway in the summer of 1959 and was eventually completed in mid-June 1960, in time for the 1960 World 600 on June 19. The track was plagued with numerous issues during its first race, including incomplete facilities and a poor track surface. Internal problems, including a lack of funds and not enough collateral supplied by both Smith and Turner, led to many creditors not being paid. Smith later called it "a miracle that the place got built", later admitting that he had lost over $150,000 constructing the track. In 1961, grading contractor and creditor Owen Flowe forced the speedway into bankruptcy court, as he was owed $90,000 (adjusted for inflation$, ). In a last-ditch effort to save the track, Smith and Turner cut a deal with the Teamsters Union (despite their mob connections) to form a union in NASCAR in exchange for the money they needed. Due to NASCAR founder Big Bill France's hard-and-fast stance against the union - famously stating "No Teamsters member will ever compete in a NASCAR race, and I'll use a pistol to enforce it" - every driver except for Turner and Tim Flock backed down; both were subsequently banned from NASCAR for life, though Turner would be reinstated in 1965. Out of both money and options, the track was placed under Chapter 10 bankruptcy, ceasing all officers' and directors' positions. Robert Nelson Robinson, a Charlotte lawyer who was appointed to run the speedway under bankruptcy, found that the track had amassed over $500,000 in debt and was facing a federal investigation into the initial stock sale to fund the track. In that same year, facing threats of foreclosure and subsequent auction of the speedway, both Smith and Turner were ousted from the speedway's board of directors. Smith was later assigned to serve as the promotional director. In 1962, Smith was indicted over failing to properly file tax returns in 1955 and 1956. He was found guilty, incurring a $4,000 fine and receiving a suspended one-year prison term in 1963. As a result of his being ousted from the board of directors and his prison sentence, he left the speedway. Two years later, his name was submitted as a nomination to once again rejoin the board of directors; the nomination was met with a chorus of "boos and chants". ### Car dealer magnate, gradual return to Charlotte After his failed attempt to rejoin the Charlotte Motor Speedway's board of directors, Smith decided to pursue his other dream of owning a new-car dealership. Initially joining a Ford dealership owned by Charlotte businessman Bill Beck as a salesman in 1966, he briefly moved to Colorado to run another Ford dealership owned by another Charlotte businessman, Jeff Davis. In 1968, Ford sold Smith a dealership in Rockford, Illinois. Smith was known as an extravagant spender and wealthy dealer during his time in Rockford; his business became highly successful, and he later became president of the Rockford New Car Dealers Association. With the increasing success of his Rockford dealership, Ford offered Smith an opportunity to open a new dealership in Houston, Texas. By March 1980, after he had expanded his business to ten dealerships, he decided to either sell or close down all but two locations in Houston and Charlotte. According to Smith, the reason he decided to take this action was because of severe thunderstorms and turbulence that he experienced during a flight he had taken in 1979. Smith realized during the turbulence that he was "really working for my employees", which he no longer wanted to do. He later stated that he did not want to be tied down to a strict schedule or to be "surrounded by bureaucracy". In the mid-1970s, with the increased success and profits of his car dealerships, Smith increased his stake in the Charlotte Motor Speedway from about 40,000 in 1973 to almost 500,000 shares out of 1,884,723 total shares. He initially stated that he had no intention of owning the track again, stating that he did not know why he had bought so many shares. However, he was keeping his true thoughts away from the public at the time; he had thought that owning the track would become immensely profitable after the announcement that the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company would sponsor the NASCAR Grand National Series in 1970. By February 1974, he had managed to buy enough stock to be elected chairman of the board of directors, replacing Richard Howard, who became the president of the speedway. In February 1975, Howard was threatening to resign from the board of directors, with both Howard and Smith both accusing each other of double-crossing the other, and Smith stating that he believed Howard had too much control over the speedway and had been responsible for financial irregularities. By July, he bought around 80,000 shares from Howard's family and relatives. Three months later, Smith had managed to buy nearly 800,000 shares, planning to become the majority stockholder. Around this same time, rumors of Howard stepping down as president were speculated amongst the media, with Howard feeling that his position was threatened by the hiring of H. A. "Humpy" Wheeler. Tension between the two grew, with Howard being regarded as a "good ol' country boy" who wanted to spend conservatively on the track, a stark contrast to Smith, who was regarded as an affluent, extravagant businessman who had ambitions to grow the track into a world-class facility. On October 5, The Atlanta Constitution reported that the 1975 National 500 was scheduled to be the final race for which Howard would be involved in the speedway, with a final decision expected to come on January 30, 1976, the day of the annual stockholders' meeting. Later that same month, although Howard said that he was considering a consultant job working for Smith, he stated that he was "99% certain" that he would depart. On the day of the annual stockholders' meeting, Howard made his final confirmation that he was stepping down as the president of the speedway, with Humpy Wheeler taking his position, essentially completing a takeover of control on the speedway. ### New investments, purchasing racetracks, and creation of Speedway Motorsports Throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, Smith acquired stock in numerous companies, including PCA International and Republic Bank and Trust. In 1977, Smith bought a private jet from Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, who was facing severe financial and political turmoil. In June 1979, Smith founded Sonic Aviation, a charter jet service company. In September 1980, Smith and his previously owned companies acquired 9.99% of North Carolina Federal Savings and Loan Association, making him the largest shareholder of the company. In March 1982, he sold all of his stock in Republic Bank and Trust. In June of that same year, Smith sold all of his stock in PCA International to the Luxembourg-based company Minit International S.A. In the summer of 1982, he accepted a position on the board of directors at North Carolina Federal Savings and Loan Association; at that time, he owned more than 10% of the company's stock. The next year, on July 27, Smith stated his intent to file claims against every director at the company; the company had filed a lawsuit the day before, accusing Smith and his companies of illegally accumulating 54% of the company's stock. After a nine-month dispute over control of the company, Smith managed to take control in the wake of the resignations of two top officials, chairman Clark Goodwin and president Kemp Causey; this took place after a Florida-based real estate development company, Roland International Corporation, proposed to acquire the savings and loan. As part of the proposed acquisition, the lawsuits were dropped. However, in early May, Roland International Corporation abandoned the acquisition, essentially giving full control of the company to Smith. In 1985, Smith managed to buy all remaining stock in the Charlotte Motor Speedway, making Smith the sole owner of the track. Smith began buying more racetracks in the 1990s, including the Atlanta International Raceway in 1990 for $19.8 million, saying that he would expand seating and improve other facilities. After the purchase, he continued to make improvements to Charlotte Motor Speedway, adding lights in April 1992; 38,000 spectators attended the first night of practice sessions under the new lights. He was later treated as an outpatient for burns on his head during a media event that promoted a "grand opening" for the new lighting system. Smith also created a new division of short-track racing, named Legends Car, after feeling that the Charlotte Motor Speedway needed to cut costs for local, entry-level racing. Smith later incorporated Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (SMI) in 1994, offering 4.5 million shares during the first business quarter in 1995 at a price of $18 per share. The stock price of SMI saw immediate growth, almost tripling in price from 1995 to 1999, approximately matching the performance of the US stock market during that period. Using stock profits from the company, he began construction of a new track in northern Fort Worth, Texas, promoting the Vice President of Personal Relations at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Eddie Gossage, to head the track. Smith and businessman Bob Bahre bought the North Wilkesboro Speedway in the winter of 1995, with each having half of the speedway's control. Later in the decade, Smith bought the Bristol International Raceway and the Sears Point Raceway in 1996, and the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 1998. ### Sonic Automotive In February 1997, Smith incorporated Sonic Automotive, a car dealership business. In August of that same year, Smith decided to take the company public at the New York Stock Exchange, hoping to raise $104 million (adjusted for inflation$, ). At the time, Sonic Automotive had 20 dealerships, including the two that Smith had kept during his early days as a car dealership owner. The decision to go public was seen as "puzzling" by industry experts, as industry trends had shown a downward trend for public car dealership companies at the time. By the end of the year, Smith had bought new dealerships in Atlanta, Georgia, and Fort Mill and Rock Hill, South Carolina. Smith's stated goal was to create an "auto mall", where numerous car dealerships would offer cars from multiple manufacturers near a flagship site. The decision was seen by members of the industry as a decision that followed recent trends toward consolidation, with big companies buying out individual car dealerships. Throughout the late 1990s and the entirety of the 2000s, the company saw continuous growth, eventually becoming a Fortune 500 company in 2000. In 2002, Smith was rumored to be retiring from the company after an announcement of a successorship plan made by his son Scott. The older Smith told The Charlotte Observer, "I'm not going to retire, period. We have no successorship plan." William Belk, a member of the company's board of directors, later clarified the statement made by Scott, stating that "he was probably forecasting 20 years down the road, not the next year or two." ### Later business ventures Smith continued buying speedways throughout the 2000s, including both the New Hampshire International Speedway and the Kentucky Speedway in 2008. He also acquired full control of the North Wilkesboro Speedway from Bob Bahre in 2007. In an attempt to coerce NASCAR into building the newly announced NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, he pledged $50 million toward a Lynx Rapid Transit Services light-rail line that would have connected the Charlotte Motor Speedway to uptown Charlotte, while also passing near the original Charlotte Speedway. However, the city of Charlotte ultimately found the monorail infeasible due to high costs and the plan being dependent on the monorail's extension towards the Charlotte Motor Speedway. In 2019, Smith took Speedway Motorsports private and took the company off the NYSE; the Sonic Financial Corporation, another company Smith owned, acquired all outstanding shares of SMI. According to Hendrick Motorsports' founder and owner Rick Hendrick, Smith was still active as a businessman up until his death. Smith, according to Hendrick, had tried to advocate the usage of zMax, a micro-lubricant which had sponsorship rights on the Charlotte Motor Speedway dragstrip, on all of Hendrick's cars, despite the fact that Smith was immobile. ## Legal issues and controversies Smith was involved in numerous business and legal battles since his start as a businessman. ### Legal battles Since the construction of Charlotte Motor Speedway, Smith faced financial difficulties and lawsuits filed against him. In 1962, Smith was indicted for failing to properly file tax returns in 1955 and 1956, later being found guilty in 1964. He later blamed a neighbor he had hired to do his taxes, stating that "I'd paid my tax. I didn't owe the government a damn dime." In December 1985, Smith was sued by 21 former stockholders of the Charlotte Motor Speedway, accusing Smith of both unfairly removing 640 minority stockholders from the speedway and paying the stockholders an unfairly low price for the stock after Charlotte Motor Speedway, Inc., merged with Lone Star Ford earlier that year. After a U.S. District judge ruled that any of the 640 former stockholders could join the lawsuit in June 1986, he settled the lawsuit in December, paying $1.9 million to the former stockholders. In 1997, Smith entered a bidding war with Roger Penske over the purchase of the North Carolina Motor Speedway (now known as Rockingham Speedway). In early April, Penske and his company, Penske Motorsports, who had owned 4.5% of the speedway at the time, offered to buy the speedway for $29.4 million. In response, Smith, who owned about 25% of the speedway, offered $48.3 million. By April 16, Smith raised his offer to almost $72 million. Carrie DeWitt, the track's majority shareholder who owned about 65%, rejected Smith's offer, on the basis that she feared the track would undergo the same fate as of a neighboring track, North Wilkesboro Speedway, which was left abandoned and desolate after both Smith and businessman Bob Bahre bought the track in 1995. The track was eventually bought by Penske Motorsports. In response, Smith, along with 15 other shareholders, filed a lawsuit against Penske in the North Carolina Supreme Court, asking Penske to pay him $50 per share for his stock, or $17.7 million total. The lawsuit was heard and decided in April 2000. The court determined the stock to be worth $23.47 per share and awarded Smith more than $3.6 million, a decision that was viewed positively by Penske. In 2005, Richard Duchossios, one of the former owners of the Kentucky Speedway, sued NASCAR in an antitrust lawsuit, claiming that both NASCAR and the International Speedway Corporation had an unfair monopoly over the sport. When Speedway Motorsports bought the speedway in 2008, according to Duchossios, he offered to sell the lawsuit to Smith. The case was dismissed in 2008. In December 2009, an appeal was rejected. In 2010, Smith sued Las Vegas entertainer Wayne Newton, claiming that Newton was delinquent on a loan he had personally guaranteed, then bought from Bank of America. Along with the loan, Smith sought foreclosure on Casa de Shenandoah, Newton's ranch. According to Smith, Newton had promised to cover the loan from Bank of America and to secure the loan using his house and a $2 million jet. In July of that year, the case was voluntarily dismissed. #### North Carolina Federal Savings and Loan Association In June 1983, one year after he was elected to the board of directors of the North Carolina Federal Savings and Loan Association, the company sued Smith, claiming that Smith and his companies had illegally accumulated 54% of the company's stock in an attempted takeover. The next day, Smith stated his intent to file claims against every director at the company, calling the lawsuit "ridiculous". After a company meeting on August 1 that approved a proposed merger with four smaller S\&Ls, Smith's close associate Humpy Wheeler called the top management of the company "absolute liars". Smith, who opposed the merger, stopped further negotiations with the company's management. The merger voting results were later invalidated, with a new vote scheduled to take place on August 19. The company's board of directors later published a letter in The Charlotte Observer, stating that Smith had agreed to the merger and that the company did not feel that it was appropriate to hand over control of the company to Smith. The letter also stated that the lawsuit was to ensure Smith complied with the merger. Three days later, Smith sold 9.08% of the company's stock to Fort Worth real estate developer Herman Smith. One of the four S\&Ls that was proposed to be acquired by North Carolina Federal, Perpetual Savings and Loan, backed out of being acquired by North Carolina Federal and instead opted to be acquired by Providence, Rhode Island–based Old Stone Corporation in September, a decision that was seen as a surprise by both sides. On September 7, a minority shareholder of the company, Bill Smith, sued the company's board of directors, seeking a reimbursement of $10.4 million for losses that Bill Smith alleged the company caused. While Bruton Smith had not been apprised of the lawsuit, he stated that he was willing to testify in its support. A decision on the July 26 lawsuit from the Federal Home Loan Bank Board was expected in early September. However, the decision was stalled for months. On December 21, Smith announced an agreement with the bank board. In January 1984, the Federal Home Loan Bank Board bowed out of the dispute, issuing orders for Smith to cease and desist violations of several federal securities acts and regulations. As a result, both sides nominated opposing slates for the seven-person board of directors. On January 10, another S\&L that was to be acquired by North Carolina Federal, North Wilkesboro Federal, sued both Smith and the company for $13.6 million, claiming that North Wilkesboro Federal was the victim of breach of contract. Nine days later, Florida-based real estate company Roland International announced its intention to buy out North Carolina Federal, expecting a deal within three weeks. In early March, a compromise slate of seven directors was proposed to be elected on March 30. On the day of the board of directors election, the board's top two directors, former chairman Clark Goodwin and president Kemp Causey, resigned, with the company electing Graham Harwood as president. In early May, the acquisition by Roland International was abandoned, essentially giving full control of the company to Smith. Smith continued to be the company's majority shareholder, with Harwood as president, presiding over a quick rebound of annual losses by 1986. In that same year, the company returned to compliance with federal capital rules for the first time since 1982. In 1985, North Carolina Federal financed Piper Glen, a golf-oriented community, for $17 million. After four years, Piper Glen did not earn a return, leading to the stock price of the company plummeting from over $10 to "about $2" within the span of a week, making the company lose $1.7 million annually. The failure of Piper Glen, along with numerous other problems with real estate ventures and bad loans to apartment developers, caused North Carolina Federal to lose $29.4 million in 15 months. As a result, the Resolution Trust Corporation seized North Carolina Federal on March 2, 1990, effectively wiping out the company and replacing it with the North Carolina Savings and Loans Association. Resolution Trust bailed out the company for $11 million. As a result of the seizure, Smith lost around $4 million, which he said he could absorb. ### Reaction to Lowe's Motor Speedway dragstrip opposition On August 31, 2007, The Observer reported that Smith had confirmed his interest in building a dragstrip at Lowe's Motor Speedway (now called Charlotte Motor Speedway) to host National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) events. By late September of that year, however, the Concord City Council had called for a special session to potentially block Smith's plans, with concerns including the noise level, pollution, and fumes affecting local residents and businesses in the Concord area. Smith vehemently disagreed with the session, stating that he wished that the speedway had never been annexed into Concord, and deciding to start preliminary grading on the dragstrip location regardless of the session's decision. The Concord City Council unanimously ruled on October 2 that construction on the drag strip must halt, with the city changing the zoning around the track. The next day, Smith demanded that the speedway and its surrounding land be unannexed from the city of Concord or he would shut down the speedway and either demolish the speedway or relegate the speedway to a testing facility, taking hundreds of millions of dollars away from the Concord economy. On October 9, the Concord City Council reversed its stance on the dragstrip with a 5–1 vote, with only councilman Randy Grimes retaining his original vote. In response, Smith called Grimes an "enemy of the speedway" and maintained that he had not made a final decision on whether to move the speedway. In an attempt to convince Smith to let the speedway stay in Concord, both the Concord City Council and the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners offered a tax break, a street near the speedway to be named after Smith, and an incentive package worth approximately $80 million. On November 26, Smith stated his final decision to let the speedway stay in Concord, stating, "We're here forever." Along with the statement, Smith announced scheduled NHRA events. Smith's actions regarding the speedway were widely viewed as negative by citizens of Concord and its county, Cabarrus County. Many within the area felt that Smith had used his wealth and power to massively exploit the city of Concord for tens of millions of dollars. With the city having experienced numerous major industries either being outsourced or shut down, citizens felt Smith had used the tenuous economic situation of Concord to gain the $80 million incentive package and essentially crush the citizens' concerns. The Observer editorial board wrote, "We predicted a couple of months ago that the Concord residents would find their victory against Mr. Smith short-lived. It was indeed." The dispute was reopened in September 2009, when Smith sued Cabarrus County and the city of Concord for $4 million, demanding quicker payment of funds for roadwork. Smith claimed that the $4 million was part of the $80 million incentive package. In addition, no formal timetable for payment of the incentive package was ever set. Smith claimed that he believed that the payment was to be reimbursed within nine years, while the city of Concord said that the payment would be made within 40 years. The lawsuit was dropped on June 1, 2010, without prejudice, in hopes that Smith and the city of Concord could settle the case out of court. On May 27, 2011, Smith refiled the lawsuit. The lawsuit was partly settled on June 29, with the city of Concord agreeing to pay $2.8 million for roadwork. In March 2012, the lawsuit was dismissed by the Cabarrus County Superior Court. Smith made attempts to resurrect the lawsuit in 2013, claiming that the city of Concord had backed out of the incentive package. The lawsuit was again dismissed, with the North Carolina Court of Appeals stating that Smith and the city of Concord did not have a formal contract. After taking the case to the North Carolina Supreme Court, Smith lost the case on December 19, ending over seven years of conflict between Smith and the city of Concord. ## Personal life ### Marriage and divorce Smith married Bonnie Jean Harris on June 6, 1972, in North Las Vegas, Nevada. Smith had met Harris in 1969 while selling her a Ford Thunderbird in Illinois. Bruton and Bonnie had five children together: Anna Lisa, Bruton Jr., David, Marcus, and Scott. Four were still living when their father died; Bruton Smith Jr. died when he was seven months old in a crib accident in 1980. After Bruton Smith Jr.'s death, the marriage deteriorated, with one of their children, Scott, stating that the death "really wiped [Bonnie] out pretty badly, and somewhere in there is when their marriage really began to go south". Bonnie filed for divorce in July 1988 after a June 24 argument in which Bruton was stated to have gone into "a rage", grabbing a fire poker and proceeding to tear down a portrait of her, according to court records. Bonnie also claimed that later that day, Bruton threatened her with a butcher knife, repeatedly threatening her with physical harm if she began legal proceedings against him. In response to the allegations made by Bonnie, Bruton filed a court document in August 1988, in which while he admitted to destroying the portrait but denied all other allegations. In addition, he accused his wife of adultery, stating that he believed that Bonnie was not fit to have custody of his four living children. In November of that year, Bruton agreed to pay $6,000 a month in child support along with paying up to $300,000 (adjusted for inflation$, ) for a new home for Bonnie, and up to $50,000 to furnish the home. In 1990, a trial was ordered to determine the value of the marital property of the Smiths under the orders of Mecklenburg County District Judge L. Stanley Brown. The case would also determine how the marital property would be divided between the two. On April 6, 1991, The Charlotte Observer reported that the marital property was worth $51.3 million (adjusted for inflation$, ); Bruton was ordered to pay $21 million to Bonnie, the largest divorce judgment in North Carolina history. Bruton later appealed that same year to lower the divorce award, after his requests to lower the award were declined by Brown. The case was heard in numerous courts, including the North Carolina Supreme Court and the North Carolina Court of Appeals. In fall 1994, Bruton agreed to pay a settlement of $19.4 million, which included a provision to pay Bonnie's attorney's fees of around $2 million. As part of the settlement, Bruton agreed to pay about $445,000 to Bonnie's law firm, Robinson Bradshaw & Henson. As a response, Robinson Bradshaw & Henson sued Bruton for not fully paying the fee, with Bruton proceeding to countersue, stating that Bonnie's lawyer, Martin Brackett, had an extramarital affair with Bonnie. Bruton lost the case, with Bruton being ordered to pay over $1.5 million in attorney's fees, a fee that he would not pay in full until 2001. ### Religious views Smith was an evangelical Christian, reportedly having found religion late in life. Smith was on the board of directors of the PTL Satellite Network, an evangelical Christian television network that was based in the Carolinas. ### Philanthropy Smith created Speedway Children's Charities in 1982 after one of his children, Bruton Smith Jr., died at seven months old in 1980. As of June 2022, the charity had donated more than $61 million to child-related causes. ### Wealth Smith had been placed into the Forbes 400 list starting in 2005, listed as the 207th richest American with a net worth of approximately $1.5 billion (adjusted for inflation$, ). He fell off the list in 2009, with his last estimated net worth being $1.2 billion in 2008. ### Illness and death In June 2015, Smith was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. In the summer of that year, he received surgery to treat the disease; the surgery was successful. Smith died on June 22, 2022, in Charlotte, North Carolina, at the age of 95 due to natural causes. A public funeral service was held on June 30 at the Central Church of God in Charlotte, with a private burial service following the funeral service. ## Legacy and honors Smith was considered to be one of the most influential businessmen in both the auto racing and automotive sales industries by industry leaders and the media. Humpy Wheeler, the former president of Charlotte Motor Speedway, described Smith as "a force to be reckoned with ... when he wanted something, he got it, just from pure perseverance, despite a lot of animosity from NASCAR". Former Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage stated that Smith was "the greatest boss ever", stating that he had managed to turn several racetracks across the United States into world-class facilities comparable to Charlotte Motor Speedway, the first track Smith owned. Chris Powell, current president of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, praised Smith's work ethic, calling him a "visionary .... He yearned every day to work. His idea of going on vacation was going out of town to work". Smith was also known to possess a mysterious persona. The Charlotte Observer writer Dick Stilley called Smith "a mystery even to his friends" in a 1982 article that referenced many industry leaders' thoughts about Smith. ### Speedway Motorsports – International Speedway Corporation rivalry Smith's rivalry with the France family led to increasing tensions between their respective companies, Speedway Motorsports and the International Speedway Corporation (ISC). Before NASCAR's acquisition of ISC, the two companies competed for race weekends. Stockholders of both companies sued each other, culminating in the Ferko lawsuit, which resulted in numerous schedule changes that have had a lasting effect on NASCAR's legacy and popularity. Before the settlement of the Ferko lawsuit was announced, Smith's desire for a second NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway led to longstanding rumors that Smith would split off from NASCAR to form his own racing series. By 2016, however, the NASCAR Hall of Fame had elected Smith and his partner in creating Charlotte Motor Speedway, Curtis Turner, with then-CEO of NASCAR Brian France stating that he liked Smith "very much." The election was seen as a move toward a period of détente between the two families, as in past years, Smith had not been elected into the Hall of Fame despite leading polls. ### Recognition - Smith was inducted in the North Carolina Business Hall of Fame in 2006. - He was inducted by the National Motorsports Press Association to the Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame in 2006. - In 2008, the city of Concord renamed Speedway Boulevard off Interstate 85 to "Bruton Smith Boulevard". - He was inducted in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2007. - Smith was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on January 23, 2016. ## See also - Speedway Motorsports - Speedway Children's Charities - Sonic Automotive

Brazilian monitor Pará

Imperial Brazilian Navy's Pará-class river monitors

The Brazilian monitor Pará was the lead ship of the Pará-class river monitors built for the Brazilian Navy during the Paraguayan War in the late 1860s. Pará participated in the Passagem de Humaitá in February 1868 and provided fire support for the army for the rest of the war. The ship was assigned to the Mato Grosso Flotilla after the war. Pará was disarmed and discarded in 1884. ## Design and description The Pará-class monitors were designed to meet the need of the Brazilian Navy for small, shallow-draft armored ships capable of withstanding heavy fire. The monitor configuration was chosen as a turreted design did not have the same problems engaging enemy ships and fortifications as did the casemate ironclads already in Brazilian service. The oblong gun turret sat on a circular platform that had a central pivot. It was rotated by four men via a system of gears; 2.25 minutes were required for a full 360° rotation. A bronze ram was fitted to these ships as well. The hull was sheathed with Muntz metal to reduce biofouling. The ships measured 39 meters (127 ft 11 in) long overall, with a beam of 8.54 meters (28 ft 0 in). They had a draft between of 1.51–1.54 meters (4 ft 11 in – 5 ft 1 in) and displaced 500 metric tons (490 long tons). With only 0.3 meters (1 ft 0 in) of freeboard they had to be towed between Rio de Janeiro and their area of operations. Their crew numbered 43 officers and men. ### Propulsion The Pará-class ships had two direct-acting steam engines, each driving a single 1.3-meter (4 ft 3 in) propeller. Their engines were powered by two tubular boilers at a working pressure of 59 psi (407 kPa; 4 kgf/cm²). The engines produced a total of 180 indicated horsepower (130 kW) which gave the monitors a maximum speed of 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) in calm waters. The ships carried enough coal for one day's steaming. ### Armament Pará carried a single 70-pounder Whitworth rifled muzzle loader (RML) in her gun turret. The 70-pounder gun had a maximum elevation of 15°. It had a maximum range of 5,540 meters (6,060 yd). The 70-pounder gun weighed 8,582 pounds (3,892.7 kg) and fired a 5.5-inch (140 mm) shell that weighed 81 pounds (36.7 kg). Most unusually the gun's Brazilian-designed iron carriage was designed to pivot vertically at the muzzle; this was done to minimize the size of the gunport through which splinters and shells could enter. ### Armor The hull of the Pará-class ships was made from three layers of wood that alternated in orientation. It was 457 millimeters (18.0 in) thick and was capped with a 102-millimeter (4 in) layer of peroba hardwood. The ships had a complete wrought iron waterline belt, 0.91 meters (3.0 ft) high. It had a maximum thickness of 102 millimeters amidships, decreasing to 76 millimeters (3 in) and 51 millimeters (2 in) at the ship's ends. The curved deck was armored with 12.7 millimeters (0.5 in) of wrought iron. The gun turret was shaped like a rectangle with rounded corners. It was built much like the hull, but the front of the turret was protected by 152 millimeters (6 in) of armor, the sides by 102 millimeters and the rear by 76 millimeters. Its roof and the exposed portions of the platform it rested upon were protected by 12.7 millimeters of armor. The armored pilothouse was positioned ahead of the turret. ## Service Pará was laid down at the Arsenal de Marinha da Côrte in Rio de Janeiro on 8 December 1866, during the Paraguayan War, which saw Argentina and Brazil allied against Paraguay. She was launched on 21 May 1867 and commissioned on 15 June 1867. She was towed to the Río de la Plata on 20 June 1867 and steamed up the Paraná River, although her passage further north was barred by the Paraguayan fortifications at Humaitá. On 19 February 1868 six Brazilian ironclads, including Pará, sailed past Humaitá at night. Pará and her two sister ships, Alagoas and Rio Grande, were lashed to the larger ironclads in case any engines were disabled by the Paraguayan guns. Barroso led with Rio Grande, followed by Bahia with Alagoas and Tamandaré with Pará. The monitor had to be beached after passing the fortress to prevent her from sinking. Pará was repaired by 27 February when she joined a squadron dispatched to capture the town of Laureles. On 15 October she bombarded Angostura Fort in company with Brasil, Silvado, Rio Grande and her sister Ceará. On 17 May 1869 she joined a blockading squadron on the Jejuy and Araguaya Rivers. After the war Pará was assigned to the newly formed Mato Grosso Flotilla. She was disarmed and discarded on 10 December 1884 at Ladário.

Lalji Singh

Indian scientist

Lalji Singh FNA, FASc (5 July 1947 – 10 December 2017) was an Indian scientist who worked in the field of DNA fingerprinting technology in India and pioneer of Assisted reproductive technology, where he was popularly known as the "Father of Indian DNA fingerprinting". Singh also worked in the areas of molecular basis of sex determination, wildlife conservation forensics and evolution and migration of humans. In 2004, he received the Padma Shri in recognition of his contribution to Indian science and technology. Singh founded various institutes and laboratories in India, including the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics in 1995, Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES) in 1998, and Genome Foundation in 2004, aiming to diagnose and treat genetic disorders affecting the Indian population, in particular the under-privileged people residing in rural India. Singh served as the 25th Vice Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and Chairman of Board of Governors of Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi from August 2011 to August 2014. Before his term as Vice Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University, he also served as director of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) from May 1998 to July 2009 and Officer on Special Duty (OSD) of Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), Hyderabad, India in 1995–1999. ## Early life and education Lalji Singh was born and raised in a small village Kalwari in Jaunpur District of Uttar Pradesh, India. His father, Suryanarayan Singh, was a farmer and used to serve as head of the village. Singh underwent his primary education up to eighth standard at a government school in Kalwari. However, as there were no further education facilities in the village for senior classes, he was admitted at another school in the nearby village of Pratapganj 6–7 km (3.7–4.3 mi) from his village. After completing his 12th standard in the science group at school, he attended Banaras Hindu University to pursue his graduation in Zoology and cytogenetics. ## University education Singh obtained a B.Sc. degree in 1964 from the Banaras Hindu University (BHU). Singh scored the highest marks in his Master's degree class at BHU in 1966, and won the Banaras Hindu Gold Medal for standing first in order of merit. He was awarded a Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) by the University Grants Commission (India) in 1966. Singh then worked on his doctoral research at the Banaras Hindu University receiving a degree in 1971, for his work on "Evolution of karyotypes in snakes" in the area of cytogenetics under the guidance of professor S.P. Ray Chaudhuri. A summary of the findings from his doctoral research was published in Chromosoma. Singh received the INSA Medal for Young Scientists in 1974, for his research work in the field of cytogenetics. ## Research career In 1971–72, Singh worked as a research associate at the Department of Zoology, University of Calcutta and in April 1974, he was appointed as pool officer of CSIR. In 1974, Singh received the Commonwealth Fellowship to carry out research at the University of Edinburgh, UK, where he worked until 1987. During that time, Singh also worked as a guest scientist at the University of Calcutta, India, for a short period of time and visited the Australian National University in Canberra as a visiting fellow. In June 1987, Singh returned to India and joined the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad, as a senior scientist. Singh developed and established the DNA fingerprinting technology for forensic investigation of crime and civil disputes. In July 1998, Singh became the fourth director of the CCMB, where he served until July 2009. During April 2006 to July 2015, Singh was awarded the J.C. Bose National Research Fellowship of India. He was also awarded the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Fellowship of CSIR in January 2010 to December 2014. On 22 August 2009, Singh was appointed as the 25th Vice Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, India. During his three-year tenure as vice chancellor at BHU, Singh took a ₹ 1 token salary from the university. From 2014 Singh was associated with several academic and research organisations in various capacities. These included being a member of the Governing Board of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi; chairman of the Research Advisory Council (RAC) of National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR), Karnal; chairman of the RAC of Project Directorate on Poultry (PDP), Hyderabad; member of the advisory committee of Pharmacopeia Commission of India; chairman of the RAC of National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR), Lucknow; member of the Board of Management of Sri Ramachandra University, Chennai and member of the Board of Governors of Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali. Singh also served as director of the Genome Foundation, a non-profit organization aiming to develop cheap molecular diagnostics for genetic disorders prevalent in rural India. Singh published more than 230 research papers during his 45 years of research, and as of April 2013 he had an h-index of 30. ## Innovations and contributions to science and technology ### DNA fingerprinting technology During his early science career as a Masters student in 1968, Singh became interested in studying the cytogenetics of Indian snakes. During the 1970s, while studying the evolution of sex chromosome in a species of an Indian snake, the banded krait, Singh and his colleagues identified a highly conserved repeated DNA sequences in the banded krait and other vertebrates, which they named the "Banded Krait Minor" (Bkm) sequences in 1980. These Bkm sequences were conserved across various species and were found to be polymorphic in humans. In 1987 through 1988, while working in the CCMB, Singh established that this Bkm-derived probe could be used to generate individual specific DNA Fingerprints of humans for forensic investigations; and in 1988, he used that probe for the first time to solve a case of parentage dispute in India. In 1991, Singh produced the first DNA fingerprinting based evidence in an Indian Court to settle a disputed paternity. This was followed by DNA fingerprinting based resolution of hundreds of civil and criminal cases, including cases such as the assassination case(s) of Beant Singh and Rajiv Gandhi, Naina Sahni Tandoor murder case, Swami Premananda case, Swami Shraddhananda case, and Priyadarshini Mattoo murder case. This established the DNA fingerprinting to be used as evidence in the legal system of India. Singh's work in this arena prompted the government of India's Department of Biotechnology to form an autonomous institution, the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD) in 1995, with the aim to provide DNA fingerprinting services to the country, especially for human identification purposes. Singh's lifetime contributions for the development and establishment of indigenous DNA Fingerprinting Technology in India were recognized and he has been called the "Father of DNA fingerprinting" in India. ### Wildlife conservation and forensics While serving as director of CCMB, Singh realized an urgent need for assessment and conservation of the wildlife resources of India. To address that need, he conceptualized the Laboratory for conservation of endangered species (LaCONES) in 1998. The foundation stone of this laboratory was laid by the Minister of Environment and Forests, Government of India on 16 September 2001. On 2 February 2007, the laboratory was inaugurated and dedicated to the nation by then President of India A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. LaCONES serves as a research laboratory for the conservation and preservation of wildlife resources using advanced technological interventions; and also the "National Wildlife Forensic Cell" to provide wildlife identification services for the nation, based on the fundamental discovery of universal primer technology made by Sunil Kumar Verma and Singh (2001). The first DNA-based test for establishing the species identity of an unknown biological sample pertaining to a case of wildlife crime, was conducted in that laboratory in 2000. Since then, the laboratory has undertaken thousands of such cases on a routine basis for the entire country and has revitalized the field of wildlife forensics. The laboratory recorded a major success in the Assisted reproductive technology (ART) of wild animals, when the world's first successful artificial insemination of an in estrus induced spotted deer, by non-surgical intra-vaginal insemination done in the laboratory, led to the birth of a live fawn on 14 March 2006. This achievement was further followed by an artificial insemination (AI) assisted birth of an Indian blackbuck fawn in August 2007. These were the first reports in the world of such successful AI of wild animals. On the World Heritage Day in 2013, the LaCONES campus was recognized as a "Heritage Monument" by the Indian National Trust for Art and Culture (Intach) for its notable architecture and design. ### Molecular basis of sex determination In 1982, Singh and his colleagues discovered that a tiny portion of the short arm of sex-determining Y chromosome was necessary and sufficient to convert a female mouse to male. This fundamental discovery provided a new concept of Chromosomal translocation of sex-determining region from Y chromosome to X chromosomes causing sex reversal in mice. These findings later became the foundation for the discovery of a similar phenomenon of sex reversal in humans. ### DNA-based molecular diagnostics Until 1998, India did not have an adequate facility for diagnosis of genetic disorders, prevalent in the country. The fundamental research carried out by Singh and his colleagues in that area, led to conceptualization and establishment of the first DNA based diagnostic laboratory in the country. The lab later evolved into a separate institute, the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics in Hyderabad, India to provide advanced DNA based molecular diagnostics services for the nation. ### Novel insights into evolution and migration of humans The fundamental DNA-based research carried out by Singh and his colleagues on primitive tribes including the tribal population of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, provided critical insights into the evolution and migration of humans, suggesting the out of Africa route of modern humans about 60,000 years ago to the Andaman Islands. These findings have furthered the scientific community's understanding of the origin of man in terms of evolution and migration from place to place. ### Genome Foundation In 2004, Singh founded a non-profit research and service organization, the Genome Foundation, with the aim of diagnosing and treating genetic disorder affecting the Indian population, in particular the under-privileged people residing in rural India, with the participation and voluntary services of scientists and professionals. ## Death Lalji Singh died in Varanasi, India following a heart attack on 10 December 2017 at the age of 70. He complained of chest pain when he reached the Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport to board a flight for Delhi. He was taken to the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) Trauma Centre from there but he could not be saved. ## Books by Singh - You Deserve, We Conserve () (2007) - Scientoonic tell-tale of Genome and DNA ( (2007) - DNA Fingerprinting: the Witness within (), (2012) - My travails in the Witness Box (), (2012) ## Awards and honors as of October 2014, Singh holds fellowships from several Indian and Foreign academies. These include: - Fellow of Indian Academy of Sciences (FASc), (elected in 1989) - Fellow of The National Academy of Sciences, India (FNASc), (elected in 1991) - Fellow of Indian National Science Academy (FNA) (elected in 1993) - Fellow of Andhra Pradesh Akademi of Sciences (elected in 2000) - Fellow of National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (FAAS) (elected in 2001) - Fellow of National Academy of Medical Sciences (FAMS) (elected in 2002) - Fellow of Third World Academy of Sciences (FTWAS) (elected in 2002) Some of the notable awards conferred to Singh are as follows: - Indian National Science Academy Medal for Young Scientists, (1974) - Commonwealth Fellowship, (1974–1976) - CSIR Technology Award (Twice: 1992 and 2008; The 2008 Award was jointly conferred to Verma and Singh), - Ranbaxy research Award (1994) - Goyal Prize in Life Sciences (2000) - Vigyan Gaurav Award (2003) - FICCI Award (2002–03) - The New Millennium Plaques of Honour, (2002), for services in the field of biological sciences from the Prime Minister of India at the 89th Session of the Indian Science Congress. - JC Bos National Fellowship (2006) - CSIR Bhatnagar Fellowship (2009) - NRDC Meritorious Invention Award (2009), jointly conferred to Verma and Singh), - Biospectrum Life Time Achievement Award (2011). - The Padma Shri, (2004), in recognition of his contributions to Indian science and technology. Singh has also been awarded "Honorary D.Sc. degree" by six Universities including the Banaras Hindu University. ## Selected publications - Chromosomes and classification of the snakes of the family Boidae - Sex Chromosome associated satellite DNA: Evolution and conservation - Sex reversal in the mouse (Mus musculus) is caused by a recurrent nonreciprocal crossover involving the X and an aberrant Y chromosome - The conserved nucleotide sequences of Bkm, including those, which define Sxr in the mouse, are transcribed - Bkm sequences are polymorphic in humans and are clustered in pericentric regions of various acrocentric chromosomes including the Y - DNA profiling and its applications - Novel universal primers establish identity of an enormous number of animal species for forensic application - Reconstructing the origin of Andaman Islanders - A common MYBPC3 (cardiac myosin binding protein C) variant associated with cardiomyopathies in South Asia - Ancient human genomes suggest three ancestral populations for present day Europeans

St Edwen's Church, Llanedwen

St Edwen's Church, Llanedwen, is a 19th-century parish church near the Menai Strait, in Anglesey, north Wales. The first church was founded here by St. Edwen (daughter of Edwin of Northumbria, king and saint) in 640, but the present structure dates from 1856 and was designed by Henry Kennedy, the architect of the Diocese of Bangor. It contains some memorials from the 17th and 18th centuries and a reading desk that reuses panel work from the 14th and 17th centuries. The 18th-century historian Henry Rowlands was vicar here, and is buried in the churchyard. The church is on land that forms part of the Plas Newydd estate, home of the family of the Marquess of Anglesey since 1812 and owned by the National Trust. Some of the Marquesses of Anglesey, and some of their employees, are also buried in the churchyard. The church is used for worship by the Church in Wales, one of seven in a combined parish. A service is held using the Book of Common Prayer each Sunday morning. St Edwen's is one of the few churches in regular use in Wales to be lit entirely by candles. It is a Grade II listed building, a national designation given to "buildings of special interest, which warrant every effort being made to preserve them", in particular because it is regarded as "a good example of H Kennedy's designs for a small-scale rural church." ## History and location St Edwen's Church is in the south of Anglesey, north Wales, in a rural area known as Llanedwen. It is about 5 miles (8 km) from the county town of Llangefni, about 1 mile (1.6 km) from the A4080 road between Llanfairpwllgwyngyll and Brynsiencyn and about 250 metres (270 yds) from the Menai Strait that separates Anglesey from the rest of Wales. The church is on land that forms part of the Plas Newydd estate, which has been the home of the family of the Marquess of Anglesey since 1812; some of the former marquesses and their employees are buried in the churchyard. Plas Newydd and its grounds are now owned by the National Trust. The area of Llanedwen takes its name from the church: the Welsh word llan originally meant "enclosure" and then "church". According to the 19th-century Anglesey historian Angharad Llwyd, the first church in the area was established by St Edwen in 640. Nothing is known of Edwen's life, but according to the manuscript sources, she was the daughter – perhaps the illegitimate daughter – or the niece of Edwin of Northumbria, a king who converted to Christianity in 627 and who was venerated as a saint after his death in 633. The 12th-century writer Geoffrey of Monmouth said that Edwin was born whilst his mother was taking refuge in north Wales with Cadfan ap Iago. Llwyd described the church in 1833 as "a small but neat edifice, of great antiquity". In 1840, the church was rebuilt by John Welch. Writing in 1847, the clergyman and antiquarian Harry Longueville Jones said that St Edwen's was in the Early Perpendicular style, although its windows had been replaced, and measured 52 by 16 feet (16 by 5 m). The Welsh politician and church historian Sir Stephen Glynne visited in May 1850. He said that it was "a very small church in a lovely situation", which had "a beautiful view over the Menai". In 1856, the church seen by Llwyd, Jones and Glynne was demolished and the present structure was erected, designed by Henry Kennedy, architect of the Diocese of Bangor. The only part of the old church to survive was some of the stonework at the base of the west wall. Some repair work was carried out in 1956. St Edwen's, which is used for worship by the Church in Wales, is one of seven churches in the combined benefice (churches grouped together under an incumbent priest) of Bro Dwynwen. A service is held every Sunday morning using the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, either Holy Communion or Morning Prayer; there are no midweek services. The parish is within the deanery of Synod Ynys Mon, the archdeaconry of Bangor and the Diocese of Bangor. As of 2016, the priest in charge is the Reverend E Roberts and the associate priest is Canon Professor Leslie Francis. People associated with the church include Henry Rowlands, vicar of St Nidan's, Llanidan, and its associated churches (including St Edwen's) in the first part of the 18th century. He wrote a history of Anglesey entitled Mona Antiqua Restaurata, published in 1723. He is buried in the churchyard to the west of the door. His tombstone is inscribed in Latin with the words: "All things are nought save what he gave to needy ones. These have force when arts perish and writings fall to pieces." William Bulkeley Hughes, who lived in the parish and died in 1882, is also buried in the churchyard. He was a Member of Parliament for 40 years. The churchyard contains one Commonwealth war grave, of a First World War officer of the Westmorland and Cumberland Yeomanry. ## Architecture and fittings St Edwen's is built from local red gritstone, formed into square blocks and dressed with sandstone. The roof is made from slate with stone edging. The church, which is in the Late Decorated style, has a tower topped with a broach spire at the north-west corner of the nave, supported by buttresses. The church is entered through a porch with an arched doorway in the lowest of the three stages of the tower. Inside, the woodwork of the roof is exposed; some of the nave timbers might be medieval beams reused in the 1856 rebuilding. The nave and chancel are divided by an arch and by three steps leading up from the nave. The chancel and sanctuary are separated by an altar rail set on top of some wooden panels. There is a pair of windows in the west wall decorated with tracery (stonework within the window frame forming a pattern). Scenes from the Bible and geometric patterns are shown in the stained glass, and birds (phoenix and peacock) are depicted at the top of the windows. The glass is dedicated to Rice Robert Hughes, a clergyman who died in 1801. There are three arched windows in the south wall of the nave; the stained glass of the easternmost (dedicated to William Bulkeley Hughes) shows biblical scenes. The easternmost window of the three in the north wall of the nave is dedicated to Thomas Bulkeley Hughes (who died in 1836), his wife and children. The chancel has one window in the east wall, which has three lights (sections of window separated by stone mullions). The pulpit has some 19th-century oak panelling and reuses some ornate 17th-century panel work that is decorated with pictures of cherubs, dragons, dogs and lions' heads. The pews are made of pine; the choir stalls also have some carved oak panels that may date from the 17th century. A reading desk from the 19th century reuses material from the 14th and 17th centuries, depicting a lion, a griffin and angels. The church also has an eight-sided sandstone font decorated with a carved cross. A survey in 1937 by the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales and Monmouthshire recorded seven 17th and 18th century memorials within the church, the oldest in memory of a Thomas Owen who died in 1646. The tombs in the churchyard include one of a Sidney Griffith (died 1618) and more than 20 others from the 17th and 18th centuries. The survey also noted some oak dog tongs, likely to be from the 19th century, and three 17th-century chairs. A survey of church plate within the Bangor diocese in 1906 recorded an engraved chalice dated 1842 and a paten dated 1776–77; both are made from silver and are decorated with foliage. A silver flagon bears an inscription to denote that it was given by William Bulkeley Hughes when the new church was consecrated in 1856. The survey also noted a flagon from about 1700 and a dish, both made of pewter, but said that an 18th-century silver chalice had been lost some time after 1811. St Edwen's is one of the few churches in regular use in Wales to be lit only by candles. ## Assessment St Edwen's has national recognition and statutory protection from alteration as it has been designated as a Grade II listed building – the lowest of the three grades of listing, designating "buildings of special interest, which warrant every effort being made to preserve them". It was given this status on 23 April 1998, and has been listed because it is seen as "a good example of H Kennedy's designs for a small-scale rural church". Cadw (the Welsh Government body responsible for the built heritage of Wales and the inclusion of Welsh buildings on the statutory lists) also notes the fittings that incorporate "some fine carved work of the 14th and 17th centuries." Sabine Baring-Gould, writing in 1908, said that the rebuilt church was "wholly devoid of interest". A 2009 guide to the buildings of the region notes that the Incorporated Church Building Society (active in the 19th century) considered Kennedy's design was "inconsistent with the gravity of feeling which pervades the ancient churches of Wales." Harry Longueville Jones wrote in 1847 that the churchyard was "one of the most interesting in Anglesey, from its picturesque appearance and situation." A 2006 guide to the churches of Anglesey describes St Edwen's as "a good example of an unspoilt 19th century country church", adding that is "little changed since it was built." It says that it is in a "tranquil spot", and notes that it is a landmark "visible from a considerable distance".

2013 Critérium du Dauphiné

The 2013 Critérium du Dauphiné was the 65th running of the Critérium du Dauphiné cycling stage race; a race, organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation, rated as a World Tour event on the UCI calendar, the highest classification such an event can have. The race consisted of eight stages, beginning in Champéry on 2 June – the first such start for the race in Switzerland – and concluding in Risoul on 9 June, and was the sixteenth race of the 2013 UCI World Tour season. The Dauphiné was viewed as a great preparation for July's Tour de France and a number of the contenders for the general classification of the Tour participated in the Dauphiné. It featured mountainous stages as well as an individual time trial similar in length to the Tour. The race was won by Great Britain's Chris Froome of – the third successive year that the squad had won the race, after Bradley Wiggins' victories in 2011 and 2012. Froome took the overall lead of the race after winning the fifth stage, and maintained his advantage to the end of the race to win his fourth stage race of the 2013 season. Ultimately, Froome won the general classification by 58 seconds over runner-up and team-mate Richie Porte, a domestique for Froome in the mountainous stages on the route. The podium was completed by Daniel Moreno of , who finished 74 seconds in arrears of Porte, and two minutes 12 seconds behind Froome. In the race's other classifications, 's Rohan Dennis was the winner of the white jersey for the young rider classification as he was the highest placed rider born in 1988 or later, finishing in eighth place overall. Despite not winning any stages during the race, Gianni Meersman of won the green jersey, for the winner of the points classification – gained at intermediate sprints and stage finishes – while the red and white polka-dotted jersey for the King of the Mountains classification went to rider Thomas Damuseau. The teams classification was comfortably won by for the second year in a row; they were over twelve minutes clear of the next best team, . ## Teams As the Critérium du Dauphiné was a UCI World Tour event, all UCI ProTeams were invited automatically and obligated to send a squad. Originally, eighteen ProTeams were invited to the race, with four other squads given wildcard places. were not originally invited to the race, but when they later regained their ProTour status after an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the race organisers announced their inclusion, bringing the total number of teams competing to twenty-three. During May's Giro d'Italia, Sylvain Georges tested positive for the vasodilator heptaminol, after the seventh stage; his positive test was the second by a rider from the squad in the space of a year, after Steve Houanard tested positive for the glycoprotein hormone erythropoietin (EPO) in an out-of-competition test in September 2012. Since the team was a member of the Mouvement pour un cyclisme crédible union, a second positive test meant that, according to the union's regulations, they had to stop racing for eight days. The team voluntarily withdrew from the Dauphiné, avoiding a financial penalty which could have been incurred by the team for failing to compete in a World Tour event, against UCI regulations. As a result, the peloton was reduced to the following twenty-two teams. Among the 176-rider starting peloton was only one previous winner of the race: Alejandro Valverde, the winner of the race in 2008 and 2009, led the . ## Schedule The route for the race was announced on 15 April 2013. ## Stages ### Stage 1 - 2 June 2013 — Champéry (Switzerland) to Champéry (Switzerland), 121 km (75.2 mi) Despite starting and finishing in the village of Champéry – the first occasion that the race had started in Switzerland in its history – most of the opening stage of the 2013 Critérium du Dauphiné was just over the Franco-Swiss border in the Haute-Savoie department, where the previous year's race had finished. After a slight descent from the start, the race's first climb commenced after just 3.3 km (2.1 mi) of racing, with the first-category Côte de Morgins, a 9.2 km (5.7 mi)-long, 6% climb. After a long and steady descent, another first-category climb of the Col du Corbier – which featured in the 2012 Dauphiné-ending stage – was ascented, a 7.6 km (4.7 mi) test at an average of 7.5%. On the return loop to Champéry, after passing through the intermediate sprint at La Chapelle-d'Abondance, the Côte de Morgins was climbed from the other side (this time as a second-category climb), before a third-category climb – the Côte de Champéry – just a kilometre from the finish. This 121 km (75.2 mi) parcours, especially the closing kilometres, was expected to see sprinters being dropped from the peloton, resulting in a select group of riders at the finish. The day's breakaway was initiated at the front of the day's opening climb, the Côte de Morgins, with the initial move being made by rider David Veilleux. Veilleux was later joined by 's Ricardo García, rider Thomas Damuseau and Jean-Marc Bideau of , and the quartet built up a maximum lead on the road of around ten minutes. Behind them, Tony Martin () set off in pursuit of the four leaders, but was not able to reach the lead group at any point. Veilleux attacked on the Col du Corbier, and managed to break away by 40 seconds from García and Damuseau – Bideau had been dropped earlier on the climb – in 2 km (1.2 mi) to the top of the climb. Veilleux remained well clear into the closing stages, and eventually came across the line to take the biggest win of his career – his first win at World Tour level – by almost two minutes. In doing so, Veilleux claimed the race lead in the general, points and mountains classifications. The remaining members of the breakaway were caught, and this allowed Martin's team-mate Gianni Meersman to take second, ahead of 's Tom-Jelte Slagter, who was the best-placed young rider. ### Stage 2 - 3 June 2013 — Châtel to Oyonnax, 191 km (118.7 mi) Although categorised as a flat stage by the race organisers, the second half of the 191 km (118.7 mi) parcours was set to test whether the sprinters could with remain with the peloton all the way to the finish in Oyonnax. Five of the day's six categorised climbs came in a 60 km (37.3 mi) portion of the route, with the last of these – the second-category Col du Sentier – coming with just 11.5 km (7.1 mi) remaining of the stage. The Col du Sentier was the day's steepest climb, with an average gradient of 7.6%, and was one of two second-category ascents, along with the 5.6 km (3.5 mi)-long Côte de Communal (6.3%) around 30 km (18.6 mi) prior. The descent into Oyonnax was fast, before a gradual rise to the finish. Four separate riders attempted to make solo breakaways early in the stage, but it was not until the 22 km (13.7 mi) point that a group was able to separate from the peloton. For the second day running, rider Thomas Damuseau was in the breakaway, with the main aim of taking the mountains classification lead away from overall leader David Veilleux of . Joining Damuseau in the group initially were 's Arnaud Gérard and rider Rudy Molard, while a fourth rider, José Mendes (), was able to bridge up to the group from the peloton. With three-quarters of the group being within two minutes of Veilleux after the opening stage, the peloton were unwilling to give the group too much distance on the road, and the gap peaked at no more than five minutes, just after halfway. Veilleux's team maintained the pace in the peloton, pulling the group back as Damuseau led the leaders over the top of the first four climbs, but the quartet held a lead of less than a minute at the foot of the Côte du Bugnon. Molard attacked his companions, and pulled the advantage out to just over a minute, while the others were brought back by the peloton, now being led by . Molard's resistance lasted until the bottom of the final climb, the Col du Sentier, when the peloton sped by. His team-mate Rein Taaramäe attacked on the climb itself, remaining clear to around 2.5 km (1.6 mi) from the finish of the stage. had led the chase, and also led the field into the final kilometre for their sprinter Elia Viviani, and after navigating the hairpin bend with 600 metres (2,000 ft) left, Viviani was the strongest in the sprint and took his first win of 2013 ahead of 's Gianni Meersman, who finished second for the second day running. Veilleux finished within the peloton to maintain his race lead by 1' 56" over Meersman. ### Stage 3 - 4 June 2013 — Ambérieu-en-Bugey to Tarare, 167 km (103.8 mi) The third stage of the race was split into two distinctive sections; the first portion of the 167 km (103.8 mi)-long stage from the start town of Ambérieu-en-Bugey was predominantly flat as the race headed towards the feeding zone in the commune of Lancié. From there, the route moved uphill towards the first of the day's two categorised climbs. The Col des Echarmeaux was a long, but rolling climb of 3% over 10.5 km (6.5 mi), with a steady descent towards the intermediate sprint point, coming 25 km (15.5 mi) before the finish, in the commune of Cublize. The route descended a little further, before the Col des Sauvages, a third-category climb at an average gradient over 4 km (2.5 mi) of 5.5%. The summit of the climb came 10 km (6.2 mi) before the finish into Tarare; the finish was technical, with two tight left-hand turns in the final kilometre. Four riders broke clear of the main field almost immediately after the race rolled out of Ambérieu-en-Bugey, with Fumiyuki Beppu () being joined in the breakaway by rider Jacob Rathe, Sander Cordeel of and 's Juan Antonio Flecha. The quartet pulled clear to a maximum advantage of around seven minutes early in the stage. This was steadily brought down by the team-mates of the race leader David Veilleux () and the team for their sprinter Gianni Meersman. also aided with the chase for Nacer Bouhanni, and the peloton was within a minute of the leaders at the intermediate sprint in Cublize. Cordeel was the last member of the group to be caught, just as he commenced the Col des Sauvages. After several solo attacks were pulled back by , it set up the final sprint in Tarare. With a lead-out from team-mate Geraint Thomas, Edvald Boasson Hagen finished strongest to take the stage win – the third Dauphiné win of his career – ahead of 's Michael Matthews and Meersman. ### Stage 4 - 5 June 2013 — Villars-les-Dombes to Parc des Oiseaux, 32.5 km (20.2 mi), individual time trial (ITT) The race's only individual time trial of an extensive length was held as an out-and-back loop around Villars-les-Dombes in the Ain department. The parcours of the 32.5 km (20.2 mi)-long stage was almost entirely flat. The stage finished at the Parc des Oiseaux, one of the largest ornithological parks in Europe. Race organisers had expected the quickest times for the course to be around forty minutes. Several of the general classification leaders regarded the time trial as a test for an individual time trial of similar length due to be held in July, at the Tour de France. As is customary in time trial stages, cyclists set off in reverse order from where they were ranked in the general classification at the end of the previous stage. Thus, Larry Warbasse of the , who was in 172nd place of the 176 starters, trailing overall leader David Veilleux by thirty-five minutes and fourteen seconds, was the first rider to set off on the stage. Warbasse recorded a time of 42' 43" for the course, but his stay at the top was almost immediately beaten by 's Mitchell Docker. Docker had started two minutes behind Warbasse – riders had started the stage at one-minute intervals – and nearly caught him towards the end, having already passed his team-mate Yannick Eijssen on the course. rider Alexander Wetterhall was the next rider to record the fastest time, setting a benchmark of 40' 19"; Jack Bauer was the first rider to break the expected fastest time, recording a sub-40 minute time for the parcours, as the rider went top with 39' 33". Eloy Teruel went five seconds quicker than Bauer for the to assume top spot for a short time, before Czech national champion Jan Bárta, a team-mate of Wetterhall at , completed the course over a minute quicker in a time of 38' 30". Teruel's team-mate Jonathan Castroviejo almost recorded the first time below 38 minutes, falling a couple of seconds shy with a time of 38' 02", but was still almost half a minute clear of the best time to that point, set by Bárta. His time was to be beaten by only three riders, the first of which was the eventual stage-winning time recorded by the world champion Tony Martin, riding for the team. Martin was comfortably quickest at each of the two intermediate time-checks along the route, and crossed the line over a minute clear of Castroviejo; he had recorded a time of 36' 54". Martin's winning time allowed him to claim his sixth individual time trial victory of 2013. rider Rohan Dennis recorded the second-fastest time for the course at 37' 41", and by doing so, became the new leader of the Dauphiné by five seconds, from 's Chris Froome – the best of the general classification contenders, and one of four riders in the top six – as Veilleux lost more than three minutes on the course. ### Stage 5 - 6 June 2013 — Grésy-sur-Aix to Valmorel, 139 km (86.4 mi) The fifth stage was the first to be categorised as a mountain stage, with a summit finish at the ski resort of Valmorel, just outside Les Avanchers. After an opening loop around the start town of Grésy-sur-Aix, the Côte de Trévignin was the first of four categorised climbs on the day's route. The climb of 4.4 km (2.7 mi) averaged 6.6% over the ascent, and from there the race progressed to the Massif des Bauges. After a period of undulating terrain, the short, sharp fourth-category Col du Frêne was next on the route, at 6% over just under 2 km (1.2 mi) of climbing. After the descent down to Saint-Pierre-d'Albigny, the 139 km (86.4 mi) parcours headed towards Valmorel via Albertville, the intermediate sprint point at La Bâthie and the fourth-category Côte de la Croix. The final climb, an hors catégorie ascent, averaged 7% over 12.7 km (7.9 mi), which was somewhat ameliorated by several hairpin bends towards the finish, which provided any attacking rider with a perfect kick towards the finish. An attack-laden opening to the stage allowed a breakaway of fifteen riders to be formed after around 20 km (12.4 mi) of racing, with mountains classification leader Thomas Damuseau being among the group, to maintain his lead in those standings; the best-placed general classification rider among the group was Francesco Gavazzi (), who trailed overnight leader Rohan Dennis of by just under three-and-a-half minutes. The lead gap went over five minutes at one point during the stage, but was around half that as the leaders approached the final climb of the day. Tim Wellens () and 's Daniel Teklehaymanot set the pace at the foot of the climb, before Wellens attacked on his own. 's Matthew Busche was able to bridge back up to Wellens, before dropping him. Behind, were leading the main group up the Montée de Valmorel, with the pace dislodging numerous riders. Alejandro Valverde () attempted to chase down Busche, but was brought back with less than 3 km (1.9 mi) remaining. After losing time in the previous day's time trial, Alberto Contador of attacked the group, but was chased down by 's Chris Froome; Froome and Contador were able to catch Busche in the closing stages, with Froome kicking on to take the stage victory and the race leader's yellow and blue jersey, as Dennis had been dropped in the final 2 km (1.2 mi) of the stage. Dennis ultimately fell to third in the general classification, as Froome's team-mate Richie Porte was also able to move ahead by two seconds, but he maintained his lead in the young rider classification. ### Stage 6 - 7 June 2013 — La Léchère to Grenoble, 143 km (88.9 mi) The sixth stage was relatively short at 143 km (88.9 mi) long. After a near-flat opening 50 km (31.1 mi), which included the day's intermediate sprint at Albertville, the race moved towards the hills, with four categorised climbs within a 40 km (24.9 mi) period. The first was the shallowest of the quartet, with the fourth-category Côte d'Arvillard averaging 5.3% over 2.2 km (1.4 mi), before the first-category Col du Barioz − a narrow climb averaging 7.3% over 7.1 km (4.4 mi). After a speedy descent, the riders climbed once again, with the second-category Col des Ayes averaging over 8%. Another short, sharp climb of the Col des Mouilles finished the categorised climbing for the day. After points classification leader Gianni Meersman extended his lead at the intermediate sprint for , the stage's breakaway took over an hour to form on the road. A three-rider move built up an advantage of over two minutes, after which took up station on the front of the peloton to get a rider clear. The rider in question was Thomas Voeckler, who managed to catch the original breakaway, and passed them on the road. Voeckler was later joined by seven other riders as they were ascending the Col du Barioz. The best placed rider of the octet was rider Alexandre Geniez, who trailed the overnight leader of the general classification, Chris Froome (), by 3' 41"; despite this, Froome's squad kept the gap in check, with the difference not going over three minutes. `also helped with the chase of the leaders, and managed to halve the gap by the time the race reached the 30 km (18.6 mi) to go point. The lead group then splintered, as the 's José Herrada attacked on his own. The pairing of Egor Silin and Kevin Seeldraeyers were next to follow Herrada, with Voeckler and Geniez eventually rejoining, and Tim Wellens (), Mikel Nieve of and 's Thomas De Gendt losing contact. Geniez later dropped back, which allowed for a slight lull in the chase, allowing the leaders to increase the gap from just over a minute to a minute-and-a-half. The gap remained at around a minute as the race entered Grenoble, which enabled the breakaway to battle it out for the honours. After several half-hearted moves, Voeckler was the only rider to launch a sizable move; he ultimately won the stage, ahead of Herrada, Seeldraeyers and Silin. sprinter Edvald Boasson Hagen won the bunch sprint, 46 seconds later, as team-mate Froome kept the race lead.` ### Stage 7 - 8 June 2013 — Le Pont-de-Claix to SuperDévoluy, 187.5 km (116.5 mi) The queen stage of the 2013 Critérium du Dauphiné, the penultimate stage steadily rose out of the start town in Le Pont-de-Claix towards the first of the day's five categorised climbs. The first test, a climb to Alpe d'Huez, was seen as a dress rehearsal for the Tour de France, to be held in July, with the 12 km (7.5 mi), 8.6% average hors catégorie climb featuring twice on that race's eighteenth stage. From there, it was a short descent to the second climb, the second-category Col de Sarenne, which averaged almost 7% over 3 km (1.9 mi) of climbing. An immediate long descent followed, before the first-category Col d'Ornon, which averaged 6.1% over its 10.5 km (6.5 mi) duration. The riders enjoyed a respite from the climbs for around an hour across the Valbonnais, passing through the intermediate sprint at Corps. The final portion of the 187.5 km (116.5 mi) parcours saw the riders climb the Col du Noyer, with portions at 11%, before a descent and a 4 km (2.5 mi), 5.7% kick up to the finish at SuperDévoluy. A group of twenty-two riders (from seventeen teams) formed the day's breakaway, and were around three minutes clear by the time they reached the foot of the climb to Alpe d'Huez. The gap rose to around four minutes by the summit of the climb – led over the top by 's Thomas De Gendt – which allowed Kevin Seeldraeyers () to become the virtual leader of the general classification. The breakaway began to splinter on the Col d'Ornon, as the advantage over the main field continued to rise, to over five minutes. Alexey Lutsenko led over the climb for , ahead of the mountains classification leader Thomas Damuseau of and Seeldraeyers. 's Sylvain Chavanel and rider Alessandro De Marchi moved clear ahead of the Col du Noyer, and managed to pull around a minute-and-a-half clear of the rest of the breakaway by the foot of the climb. De Marchi dropped Chavanel on the climb, but by this time, the lead group had moved within a minute of catching him; they eventually did so with around 14 km (8.7 mi) left to cover on the stage. and were prominent at the front of the leading group, setting the pace high enough to reduce the group to around a dozen riders. rider Samuel Sánchez attacked near the top of the climb, with another rider, Jakob Fuglsang. The two riders worked well together and managed to build a gap of about twenty seconds prior to the final climb, remaining clear until the finish. Sánchez out-sprinted Fuglsang at the end for his first win of the year; a win he later dedicated to his former team-mate Víctor Cabedo, who had died in a training accident in September 2012. Richie Porte finished third for , having been aided by his team-mate and overall leader, Chris Froome. ### Stage 8 - 9 June 2013 — Sisteron to Risoul, 155.5 km (96.6 mi) The final stage of the 2013 Critérium du Dauphiné was a categorised medium-mountain stage 155.5 km (96.6 mi) in length. Having rolled out of the start town of Sisteron, the parcours headed towards Gigors via some rolling terrain, and after a descent, set up for the first of three categorised climbs: the Côte de la Bréole, averaging around 5% for its 5.4 km (3.4 mi) length. Having passed through the feed zone at Le Lauzet-Ubaye, the road steadily rose towards the foot of the second climb, the first-category Col de Vars. A climb of irregular gradient, it averaged 6.9% for 10.4 km (6.5 mi) of climbing, albeit with a short downhill section in the middle. From the summit, the route descended towards Guillestre and ultimately, the start of the final climb to Risoul, a steady almost-14 km (8.7 mi) climb, maxing at around 9%, but averaging 6.7% for its duration. The climb had previously featured in the 2010 edition of the race, where Nicolas Vogondy soloed to victory. For the second day running, a large breakaway group formed for the primary break of the day. A total of 24 riders, including members of 17 of the race's 22 teams, were part of the group at its largest. The group included mountains classification leader Thomas Damuseau (), who set about securing an unassailable advantage in the standings. He led over the top of the Côte de la Bréole, as the peloton allowed them an advantage of around three-and-a-half minutes. Points classification leader Gianni Meersman of was also among the group, and he took maximum points at the intermediate sprint at Jausiers to extend his advantage, but not enough to mathematically secure the jersey. On the Col de Vars, rider Tim Wellens and 's Alessandro De Marchi attacked, and were later joined by Travis Meyer of ; Meyer was able to distance his companions for a period, before De Marchi, Wellens, rider Manuel Quinziato and 's Alberto Losada were able to rejoin him. This quintet held an advantage of approaching three minutes, as they headed towards the final climb in the treacherous conditions that had been prominent throughout the stage. Wellens attacked at the foot of the climb, and managed to acquire a gap over around 30 seconds halfway up, but had been tiring quickly. This fatigue allowed De Marchi to rejoin him, and ultimately pass him on the road. , leading the peloton in protection of the overall leader Chris Froome, were setting a fast pace in the group, and the pace forced Michael Rogers () to be distanced, putting his third place overall under threat. Froome and team-mate Richie Porte soon gained ground off the front of the peloton, further securing the duo's one-two finish in the overall standings. They set off in chase of De Marchi, but he ultimately prevailed for his first professional victory, finishing 24 seconds clear of the nearest rider. Froome finished second, ahead of 's Andrew Talansky, who caught Froome and passed Porte in the closing metres; Froome thus secured the overall lead, missed out on the points title by two points to Meersman Rogers faded to sixth overall, which handed Daniel Moreno () the final place on the podium. ## Classification leadership In the 2013 Critérium du Dauphiné, four different jerseys were awarded. For the general classification, calculated by adding each cyclist's finishing times on each stage, the leader received a yellow jersey with a blue bar. This classification was considered the most important of the 2013 Critérium du Dauphiné, and the winner of the classification was considered the winner of the race. Additionally, there was a points classification, which awarded a green jersey. In the points classification, cyclists got points for finishing in the top 10 in a stage. For all stages, the win earned 15 points, second place earned 12 points, third 10, fourth 8, fifth 6, and one point fewer per place down to a single point for 10th. Points towards the classification could also be achieved at each of the intermediate sprints; these points were given to the top three riders through the line with 5 points for first, 3 for second, and 1 point for third. There was also a mountains classification, the leadership of which was marked by a red and white polka-dot jersey. In the mountains classification, points were won by reaching the top of a climb before other cyclists. Each climb was categorised as either hors, first, second, third, or fourth-category, with more points available for the higher-categorised climbs. Hors catégorie climbs awarded the most points, with 20 points on offer for the first rider across the summit; the first ten riders were able to accrue points towards the mountains classification, compared with the first eight on first-category passes and the first six riders on second-category climbs. Fewer points were on offer for the smaller hills, marked as third-category or fourth-category. The fourth jersey represented the young rider classification, marked by a white jersey. This was decided the same way as the general classification, but only riders born after 1 January 1988 were eligible to be ranked in the classification. There was also a classification for teams, in which the times of the best three cyclists per team on each stage were added together; the leading team at the end of the race was the team with the lowest total time.

Bryce Dallas Howard

American actress and director (born 1981)

Bryce Dallas Howard (born March 2, 1981) is an American actress and director. Howard is the eldest child of filmmaker Ron Howard. She studied acting at the New York University Tisch School of the Arts. While portraying Rosalind in a 2003 production of As You Like It, Howard caught the attention of director M. Night Shyamalan, who cast her as a blind girl in the thriller film The Village (2004) and a naiad in the fantasy film Lady in the Water (2006). Howard's performance in Kenneth Branagh's romance film As You Like It (2006) earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination and she subsequently appeared as Gwen Stacy in Sam Raimi's superhero film Spider-Man 3 (2007). She went on to appear as Kate Connor in the action film Terminator Salvation (2009) and as Victoria in the fantasy film The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010). She also appeared in the drama film The Help (2011), the comedy-drama film 50/50 (2011), the fantasy film Pete's Dragon (2016), and the musical film Rocketman (2019). Howard gained further recognition with her role as Claire Dearing in the top-grossing Jurassic World trilogy (2015–2022). Additionally, Howard directed the documentary film Dads (2019), and episodes of the Disney+ space western series The Mandalorian (2019–present) and The Book of Boba Fett (2022). ## Early life and education Bryce Dallas Howard was born March 2, 1981, in Los Angeles, California, to writer Cheryl Howard (née Alley) and actor-director Ron Howard. She has two younger sisters; twins Jocelyn and Paige, and a younger brother named Reed. Through her father, Bryce is a granddaughter of actors Rance Howard and Jean Speegle Howard, as well as a niece of actor Clint Howard. Her godfather is actor Henry Winkler, who co-starred with her father in the 1970s–1980s American comedy television series Happy Days. Howard was raised in Westchester County, New York, and on a farm in Greenwich, Connecticut. Howard and her siblings were raised away from the world of show business; their parents did not allow them access to television, and instead encouraged outdoor activities and hobbies. At the age of seven, she was permitted to be an extra in her father's films. In a 2017 appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, she said she and her siblings were babysat by family friend Tom Cruise on several occasions. Howard began training as an actor at Stagedoor Manor, a performing arts camp in upstate New York, alongside Natalie Portman. She attended Greenwich Country Day School until 1996, and graduated from Byram Hills High School in 1999, after which she studied for three years at New York University's (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts, taking classes at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, the Experimental Theatre Wing, and the International Theatre Workshop in Amsterdam. During her schooling, Howard took part in the concept recording of the Broadway-bound musical A Tale of Two Cities. She took a leave of absence from NYU to pursue roles without completing her degree. Almost 20 years later, she returned to NYU and completed her degree in 2020. Howard is also an alumna of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company's School in Chicago, and of The Actors Center in New York City. During her time in New York, Howard was also a member of Theater Mitu, a company that was in residence at New York Theatre Workshop, which is known for its exploration of theatrical forms. ## Career ### 2002–2006: Early roles and film success For several years, Howard appeared in New York City theatrical productions; her repertoire included House & Garden–a 2002 Alan Ayckbourn production held at the Manhattan Theatre Club– and Tartuffe, a theatrical comedy staged at the American Airlines Theatre. In 2003, Howard performed as Rosalind in the William Shakespeare comedy As You Like It at The Public Theater, where she caught the attention of film director M. Night Shyamalan, who two weeks later and without an audition, cast her in his fantasy thriller The Village (2004). Howard portrayed the female lead Ivy, the chief's blind daughter, opposite Ivy's love interest Joaquin Phoenix. The film was a commercial success but met mixed reviews. Her performance was lauded by critics and Howard was nominated for several awards. Lars von Trier then cast Howard to replace Nicole Kidman in Manderlay (2005), the sequel to Dogville (2003); she reprised Kidman's role as Grace Mulligan, an idealistic woman who stays at a plantation in rural Alabama and later attempts to assist a revolt against slave owners. The film garnered mixed reviews. Howard reunited with Shyamalan for Lady in the Water (2006), a fantasy drama in which she plays Story, a naiad-like being from a bedtime story, opposite Paul Giamatti, a Philadelphia building superintendent who discovers Story in a pool. The film under-performed at the box office, failed to recoup its budget, and was largely panned by critics. Howard again portrayed Rosalind in Kenneth Branagh's 2006 film adaptation of Shakespeare's As You Like It, which was released theatrically in Europe before premiering on HBO in the United States. The film was negatively received by British media but American press coverage was positive. Howard was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film at the 65th Golden Globe Awards for her role. That year, she wrote and directed a short film called Orchids as part of Glamour magazine's "Reel Moments" series, which was funded by Cartier and FilmAid International. ### 2007–2014: Rise to prominence and critical acclaim In 2007, Howard starred in her first blockbuster film, portraying Gwen Stacy in the superhero film Spider-Man 3. Howard described herself as a "huge fan" of the franchise and did extensive research to prepare for the role, including reading comic books and dyeing her hair blonde for the part. Howard performed many of her own stunts while filming, unaware she was a few months into a pregnancy. The film was the highest-grossing installment of the trilogy and received a mixed reception. Howard then starred in the science fiction film Terminator Salvation (2009); she replaced Claire Danes in the role of Kate Connor. Howard described her role as "an emotional sounding board" for other characters. The film was a financial success but was not critically well received. The Guardian described Howard's role as "winsomely" while The New York Times wrote she "upholds the maternal side of the original Sarah Connor legacy". Howard starred as a reluctant debutante opposite Chris Evans in The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond (2009), an independent film that is based on a 1957 screenplay by Tennessee Williams and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter praised Howard's "eye-catching performance", describing her as a "must-see", while Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times called her performance "affecting" but not "electrifying, because the material doesn't have it". She joined the Twilight series' third installment The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, replacing Rachelle Lefevre as Victoria Sutherland, a revenge-seeking vampire. Howard was a fan of the book series and expressed admiration for her character. The film was a box office hit and drew mixed reviews, though Howard's performance received critical acclaim; Honeycutt lauded her as "the epitome of sensual, feline cunning". Howard appeared in Clint Eastwood's Hereafter (2010) as a love interest of Matt Damon's character. Empire referred to her character as "twinkly", and stated Howard's and Damon's "fine work" uplift the film. Hereafter was a commercial hit but critics gave it a mixed reception. In January 2011, Howard became the first celebrity ambassador for designer Kate Spade. She appeared in Tate Taylor's 2011 film adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's novel The Help, in which she played Hilly Holbrook, a racist socialite who leads a Junior League chapter in 1963 Jackson, Mississippi. The film was a critical and commercial success. The Miami Herald described her role as a "broadly comic villain" while The New York Times praised Howard for being "energetic in a thankless role". Howard was nominated for numerous accolades, including an MTV Movie Award and an NAACP Image Award, winning a Critics' Choice Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award alongside the rest of the cast. Howard, alongside her father, produced Gus Van Sant's Restless (2011), a dark coming-of-age film about a teenage boy and girl who are engrossed with death. Howard offered considerable input on the film's screenwriting and directorial choices. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to mixed reviews. She portrayed Joseph Gordon-Levitt's on-and-off girlfriend in the cancer dramedy 50/50 (2011). The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to critical acclaim and was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. The New York Times stated Howard "makes a real character" out of the "shrewish" role while Los Angeles Times wrote she was "rapidly becoming today's preeminent Queen of Mean". Howard directed the short film When You Find Me, a social film that was developed in collaboration with Canon under the premise of gathering inspiration through images selected from a photography contest. 96,362 entries were accepted while only eight were selected for use in the film. ### 2015–present: Mainstream recognition and professional expansion In 2015, Howard starred opposite Chris Pratt, in the science fiction action film Jurassic World, the fourth installment in the Jurassic Park franchise. She portrayed Claire Dearing, the ambitious, accomplished operations manager at the titular theme park who undergoes development during the film. Howard performed extensive ankle exercises to complete the scenes in which her character runs in high heels through almost three feet (0.91 m) of mud, which she described as "one of the hardest things [she's] ever had to do". Jurassic World was a commercial and critical success, with Howard's performance and on-screen chemistry with Pratt receiving praise. Rolling Stone described her portrayal as "dynamo" and "nobody's patsy" while the Associated Press wrote; "it is Howard who makes the biggest impact ... her transformation is the most convincing one in a film full of dubious evolutions". The Los Angeles Times and The Atlantic considered Dearing and her use of heels "sexist", while Bustle and Inquisitr labeled Howard's character as a "feminist hero". Howard disagreed with the former view, citing the character's detachment from reality and extensive familiarity with heels in everyday life. In 2016, Howard starred in the fantasy adventure film Pete's Dragon, a remake of the 1977 film of the same name. Pete's Dragon was released to critical and commercial success. The same year, Howard appeared in the crime drama Gold (2016) as Kay, the protagonist's girlfriend. Gold opened to a limited release with mixed reviews. The Hollywood Reporter dubbed her portrayal a "sturdy, salt-of-the-earth" type who "makes [a substantial] impression". That same year, she also appeared in "Nosedive", an episode of the Netflix science fiction anthology series Black Mirror. Howard gained 30 pounds for the role because body shaming is a "huge part of the subtext of the story". She chose a laugh for Lacie, her character, that she meant to connote artificiality, anxiety, and dejection. Both Howard and the episode received critical praise; The Guardian lauded her portrayal as "brilliantly played" and The Atlantic wrote "Howard's performance is terrific–she conveys Lacie's inner frustration while grinning cheerfully through it". Howard received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for her performance. Howard reprised her role as Claire Dearing in the second film of the Jurassic World trilogy, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018), in which her character appears as a dinosaur-rights activist. The film was a commercial hit, although it received mixed critical reception. For accuracy, Howard trained with a veterinary surgeon who had experience with African wildlife. Variety stated Howard "projects a luminous concern for God's ancient revived creatures" while Empire praised both Pratt and Howard for "develop[ing] their characters beyond the archetypes they inhabited". In 2019, Howard voiced the character Bella in the family drama film A Dog's Way Home, which opened to critical and commercial success. Howard appeared as Elton John's mother Sheila Dwight in the musical biopic Rocketman (2019), which was directed by Dexter Fletcher. Howard described her character as humorous and sharp-witted, and as someone who struggled with her mental health. Howard worked extensively with make-up artists to design the character's look as she aged, and used Elizabeth Taylor as inspiration for her portrayal. Rocketman was a box-office hit and garnered critical acclaim, receiving a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. The Chicago Sun-Times praised Howard for her "finely nuanced work" and CinemaBlend called her performance a "wicked portrayal ... that really ties a film together". Howard made her feature film directorial debut with the documentary Dads, which premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, where it was named second runner-up for the People's Choice Award for Documentaries. Dads received critical acclaim; Variety wrote; "Howard favors observation over lecture, anecdotes over numbers, showing instead of telling what equally split primary-caregiving looks like in contemporary households" and The Guardian said the film "mixes the platitudinous with the genuinely moving". She directed three episodes of the Disney+ space Western series The Mandalorian (2019–2023). Howard referred to the larger Star Wars universe as an asset to storytelling, and sought to maintain character depth and appeal to viewers. Howard's direction received positive responses; Den of Geek said she "[made] the episode pop" and "knows what makes Star Wars tick". Howard also directed an episode of the miniseries The Book of Boba Fett, which premiered on Disney+ in January 2022. Howard reprised her role as Claire Dearing once more in Jurassic World Dominion (2022), the concluding instalment in the Jurassic World trilogy. In 2024, she starred in the lead role of the action comedy film Argylle, directed by Matthew Vaughn. Howard is set to star in the Amazon Prime Video comedy film Deep Cover. She will also direct an episode of the Disney+ science fiction series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. ## Personal life During her senior year of high school, Howard learned of existentialism. She said: "I was like, 'This is it\! This is my religion.' I had never felt a connection to any sort of spirituality before that. It was very basic–you're responsible for the choices that you make–but it was mind-blowing at the time." Howard met actor Seth Gabel at New York University; they dated for five years before marrying on June 17, 2006. Howard and Gabel had planned to start a family together in their thirties but a week after their wedding, when they were both around 25 years old, Howard learned she was pregnant with their first child. Howard gave birth to their son in 2007. Howard has talked about experiencing postpartum depression 18 months after her son's birth, and credited her recovery to the help of a physician and a therapist. The couple had a second child, a daughter, in 2012. The family lives in upstate New York. Howard does not drink alcohol. ## Filmography ### Film ### Television ### Video games ### Theater ### Music videos ### Audiobooks ## Awards and nominations

2009–10 Arsenal F.C. season

124th season in existence of Arsenal F.C.

The 2009–10 season was Arsenal Football Club's 18th season in the Premier League and their 84th consecutive season in the top flight of English football. It began on 1 July 2009 and concluded on 30 June 2010, with competitive matches played between August and May. The club ended the Premier League campaign in third position, 11 points behind champions Chelsea. In the domestic cup competitions, Arsenal were knocked out in the fourth round of the FA Cup to Stoke City and the fifth round of the League Cup against Manchester City. They failed to progress past the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League, losing to reigning champions Barcelona in a two-legged tie. Arsenal did little business in the transfer market; their only outfield signing of the summer was defender Thomas Vermaelen from Ajax. Several players however left the club before the campaign got under way, including Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Touré in separate deals to Manchester City. To reinvigorate the side and benefit from Cesc Fàbregas's creativity, manager Arsène Wenger instituted a fluid 4–3–3 formation. The team made an impressive start; by November they had scored 36 goals in 11 league games and qualified for the Champions League knockout stage with a game to spare. Arsenal's defensive fragility was a recurring theme throughout the season and meant the team struggled to sustain a title challenge; they suffered back-to-back Premier League losses on four occasions. 41 different players represented Arsenal in four competitions and there were 14 different goalscorers. Arsenal's top goalscorer was Fàbregas, who scored 19 goals in 36 appearances. ## Background ### Transfers Arsenal made one outfield signing during the summer, defender Thomas Vermaelen from Ajax in a deal estimated at £10 million. Several players were let go, including Amaury Bischoff who joined in 2008 and played the majority of his football in the reserves and Rui Fonte. Striker Emmanuel Adebayor was sold to Manchester City for a fee of £25 million and Kolo Touré soon joined him, ending a seven-year association with Arsenal. His former teammate Sol Campbell rejoined the club during the winter transfer window, having been a free agent. Wenger, who signed him to bolster the squad's defensive options, said: "He has a fantastic attitude and good fitness. Of course he is not the youngest but he is in a very good shape. He can still play in the Premier League. He is important in the dressing room as well. He's positive with the young players." A number of players were loaned out during the season for game time and career development. Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny joined Brentford in November 2009 and stayed their for the remainder of the season, while in the January window Jack Wilshere and Philippe Senderos moved to Bolton Wanderers and Everton respectively. #### In #### Out #### Loan out ## Pre-season ## Premier League A total of 20 teams competed in the Premier League in the 2009–10 season. Each team played 38 matches; two against every other team and one match at each club's stadium. Three points were awarded for each win, one point per draw, and none for defeats. At the end of the season the top three teams qualified for the group stages of the UEFA Champions League; the team in fourth needed to play a qualifier. The provisional fixture list was released on 17 June 2009, but was subject to change in the event of clashes with other competitions, inclement weather, or matches being selected for television coverage. ### August–October The league campaign began for Arsenal with a trip to Goodison Park to face Everton on 15 August 2009. Denílson scored the opening goal four minutes before the half-hour and Vermaelen doubled Arsenal's lead, heading the ball in from a Robin van Persie cross. Everton's failure to mark Gallas brought about the visitors' third just before the break. Fàbregas scored two goals in the second half and substitute Eduardo added Arsenal's sixth, before Saha scored for Everton in stoppage time. The game marked Vermaelen's league debut and the player was described by The Guardians match correspondent Andy Hunter as "comfortably the finest defender on display," having limited his counterpart Marouane Fellaini to so few chances while "anticipating danger expertly". The following week Abou Diaby scored two goals as Arsenal beat Portsmouth 4–1. Arsenal then travelled to play the incumbent champions Manchester United at Old Trafford. Arshavin's goal in the 40th minute gave Arsenal the lead, but Manuel Almunia conceded a penalty in the second half, as he adjusted to have fouled striker Wayne Rooney in the penalty box. Rooney converted the spot kick to level the scoreline, before Diaby headed the ball into his own net from a United free-kick. Late on, Wenger was sent to the stands for kicking a water bottle after Van Persie's equaliser was correctly disallowed. He felt the defeat was an "undeserved" one, going further to criticise his opponents' tactics: "I have seen a player make 20 fouls without getting a yellow card. If you have seen the game, you don't need me to tell you who but their player gets away without a yellow card. It's quite amazing." Arsenal did not play another game for a fortnight because of the international football break. On the resumption of club football, they faced Manchester City. At the City of Manchester Stadium, Arsenal lost for the second league match in succession, this time by a two-goal margin. Adebayor scored against his former club and caused controversy by running towards the Arsenal section and celebrating in front of them. Television replays also caught the striker attempting to stamp Van Persie's face. At home, Arsenal responded with a 4–0 win against Wigan Athletic and a single Van Persie's goal was enough to beat Fulham away in the team's final match of September. Vito Mannone's performance at Craven Cottage was praised; he stood in for the injured Almunia. After six games, Arsenal garnered 12 points and stood in fifth position, having played a game less than each of the teams occupying the top four. The visit of Blackburn Rovers to the Emirates Stadium in early October coincided with the start of Wenger's 13th year at the club. Six different players (Vermaelen, Van Persie, Arshavin, Fàbregas, Theo Walcott and Nicklas Bendtner) scored in the team's 6–2 win. Arsenal defeated Birmingham City 3–1 at home before conceding twice away to West Ham United on 25 October 2009 to draw. Arsenal's final game of October was a North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur. Van Persie scored the opening goal in the 42nd minute, before Fàbregas added a second immediately – he won the ball straight from the kick-off and went past Tottenham's static defence, before shooting past Heurelho Gomes. Van Persie scored Arsenal's third in the second half and the 3–0 win moved Arsenal into third position, five points behind Chelsea in first who played a game more. ### November–January Arsenal's first fixture of November was against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Molineux Stadium. The team moved into second place as a result of a 4–1 win. Wenger was sceptical of whether his team could reach a century of goals in the league, but was overjoyed at Arsenal's goal tally of 36 in 11 league matches: "[It] shows that the way we play football, the way we are organised and the way we go forward suits our players." Following the international football break, Arsenal played Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Eduardo deputised for Van Persie, who injured himself whilst playing for the Netherlands. Darren Bent's goal in the 71st minute won the match for Sunderland, who became the first team to prevent Arsenal from scoring in a league match. Manchester United's defeat of Everton moved Arsenal down into third position in the league table, three points ahead. At home to league leaders Chelsea on 29 November 2009, Arsenal lost 3–0; striker Didier Drogba scored two goals in either interval of the game. When asked if Arsenal's title chances were over, Wenger replied, "It is not over and I believe, on what I have seen of Chelsea, that the team can drop points." December saw Arsenal win five out of six league matches. Arshavin and Aaron Ramsey each scored against Stoke City at home, and the team came from behind to beat Liverpool at Anfield – a ground where they were winless in five years. The victory was attributed to Wenger's half-time team talk where he uncharacteristically shouted at his players and told them they were "not fit to wear the shirt" after a poor first-half performance. "Of course it can always go the other way and you can lose 6–1. Then it's a crisis; it is like that." he told reporters. Arsenal were then held to a 1–1 draw at Burnley which meant they remained in third spot, with the gap between themselves and Chelsea ever increasing. The team returned to winning ways at home to Hull City as Denílson, Eduardo and Diaby got on the scoresheet in a 3–0 victory. A day after Boxing Day, Arsenal beat Aston Villa by the same scoreline; Fàbregas came off the substitutes' bench and scored twice. The Arsenal captain however injured himself in the closing stages of the match and was ruled out for their next game, away to Portsmouth. Nevertheless, the team recorded a 4–1 victory to move four points behind leaders Chelsea with a game in hand. Tomáš Rosický scored in stoppage time to deny Everton their first win at Arsenal in 14 years. The match, which saw the visitors lead twice, was played in cold conditions as a result of the "Big Freeze". Arsenal then faced Bolton Wanderers back-to-back; the home fixture was originally called off on 6 January 2010 due to heavy snow. At the Reebok Stadium, goals from Fàbregas and Fran Mérida saw the visitors to victory in what was Owen Coyle's first game in charge of Bolton. In the reverse fixture three days later Arsenal won again to go back in first spot, this time coming back from two goals down to win 4–2. Their stay at the top of the table was brief and moved back down to third, after they were held to a goalless stalemate against Aston Villa in the midweek round, while Chelsea beat Birmingham. Arsenal's best chances in the match came in the first half; Fàbregas and Rosicky both had efforts hit the post and crossbar respectively. The end of January brought the visit of Manchester United to the Emirates Stadium. Wenger described the game as an opportunity for Arsenal to prove they were "mentally prepared" to compete in the title race, but his team were outclassed by the visitors which prompted boos from the home support at the final whistle. Nani opened the scoring just after the half-hour mark and was involved in the counter-attack that led to the second goal four minutes later, finished off by Rooney. Park Ji-sung added a third for United in the second half, before Vermaelen scored late on to make the scoreline 3–1. The defeat left Arsenal still in third with 14 games remaining, five points behind leaders Chelsea. ### February–May Arsenal's poor form against the title challengers continued: at Stamford Bridge they were unable to get the better of a Chelsea side that powered into a 2–0 lead in the first half-hour. Drogba opened the scoring in the eighth minute when John Terry headed the ball across the face of goal and he tapped in at the far post. The striker scored his second of the game from a counter-attack. In his match report for The Guardian, Kevin McCarra opined that Arsenal were "strangled by stereotype" and a second successive defeat put end to their title bid. Wenger downplayed the defeat, and told reporters "we didn't get a demonstration of football but they were efficient;” his comments on possession irked Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack. Arsenal returned to winning ways in midweek with a narrow victory against Liverpool and then scored twice to beat Sunderland. At the Britannia Stadium, Arsenal forged a comeback against Stoke City but their win was overshadowed by the injury to Ramsey. The midfielder broke his right leg following a challenge by Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross, who was immediately sent off. Wenger described the tackle as "horrendous" and added "People say we don’t fancy the physical side of it, but this is the result. If you see a player getting injured like that, it’s not acceptable." A win against Burnley in March put Arsenal level on points with second-place Chelsea having played a game more. The team needed a late goal against Hull City, courtesy of Bendtner in the third minute of stoppage time to get three points and move above Manchester United into second place. Wenger was defiant his team could win the title after Arsenal beat West Ham to move top; it was their sixth consecutive league win and victory was ensured when Fàbregas converted a penalty late on. They were without Vermaelen for the trip to St Andrew's as the defender was sent off against West Ham. Arsenal were unable to hold on to their lead against Birmingham as Almunia's error gifted a stoppage-time equaliser, scored by Kevin Phillips. With six games remaining, Arsenal stood in third place, three points behind Chelsea and four on leaders Manchester United. At home against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Bendtner scored the winning goal in stoppage time, rising highest inside the six-yard box and heading in Sagna's cross. In the North London derby, Tottenham beat Arsenal at White Hart Lane to record their first league win against Wenger's side since November 1999. Danny Rose on his debut opened the scoring with a 30-yard volley and Gareth Bale doubled the host's lead minutes into the second half. Bendtner scored with five minutes remaining of normal time but the game ended 2–1 to Tottenham, leaving Arsenal six points adrift of Chelsea at the top. Wenger was so incensed by Arsenal's response against Wigan – conceding three in the final 10 minutes to throw away a 2–0 lead – that he ordered the team bus to drop his players at Wigan railway station and told them to make their way back home. With Arsenal's title bid over, the team played out a goalless draw against Manchester City and then lost to Blackburn Rovers in early May. Arsenal secured third place on the final day, beating Fulham at home by four goals. ### Matches ### Classification #### Results summary #### Results by round ## FA Cup Arsenal entered the FA Cup in the third round (last 64), in which they were drawn to face fellow Premier League club West Ham United away from home. They came from a goal down to beat their London rivals and progress, but made an exit the following round against Stoke where an understrength side were undone in the final 20 minutes. Wenger defended his team selection, pointing out to the media: "We had 10 injuries and a very difficult programme coming up." ## Football League Cup Arsenal entered the Football League Cup in the third round, where they were drawn at home against West Bromwich Albion. Helped by the dismissal of Jerome Thomas, Arsenal's young team – averaging at 20 years – were able to beat the visitors by two goals to progress. A strong performance against Liverpool followed in the competition, but Arsenal were knocked out in the quarter-final stage when Manchester City defeated them by three goals. ## UEFA Champions League Given Arsenal finished fourth in the league the previous season, the club played a qualifying round against Celtic to ensure progression into the group stages. In the first leg at Celtic Park, Arsenal broke the deadlock when Fábregas' free-kick deflected in off defender William Gallas and past the goal net. Gary Caldwell's own goal deep into the second half strengthened Arsenal's advantage on a night when their midfielder Alex Song was described by journalist David Hytner as being "...outstanding, his strength, smart positioning and interceptions helping to stem Celtic raids and launch those of his own team." Arsenal beat Celtic 3–1 in the return leg a week later; it was not without controversy as the Celtic players accused Eduardo of diving to win his team a penalty that led to the first goal. UEFA charged the striker and banned him for two matches as he was found guilty of deceiving referee Manuel Gonzalez. Arsenal lodged an appeal and the ban was overturned at a later date. ### Play-off round ### Group stage Arsenal were drawn in Group H, along with Greek club Olympiacos, Belgian side Standard Liège and Dutch champions AZ Alkmaar. The team mounted a comeback against Standard Liège on the first night of the competition, having conceded twice in the space of the first five minutes. Eduardo's deciding goal, which came nine minutes before the end marked the fifth season in the previous six that Arsenal opened their campaign with a win. Late goals from Van Persie and Arshavin secured a 2–0 win at home to Olympiacos, but the team were unable to make it three wins after conceding a stoppage-time goal to draw 1–1 against AZ. In the reverse match, staged on matchday four, Fábregas scored twice in Arsenal's 4–1 win which put the club on 10 points in the group. Victory against Standard Liège ensured qualification into the knockout stages with a match to spare. That game was against Olympiacos, which Wenger made changes to his first XI. Arsenal lost 1–0 at the Karaiskakis Stadium. ### Knockout phase #### Round of 16 Arsenal faced Porto in the knockout stages. In the first leg at the Estádio do Dragão, an own goal by goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański gave Porto the lead, but Campbell scored Arsenal a crucial away goal seven minutes later when he headed in a corner. Radamel Falcao restored Porto's lead in the second half and the tie finished 2–1 in their favour. At the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal overturned Porto's slender advantage as Bendtner scored twice inside the first 25 minutes. Nasri and Emmanuel Eboué added further goals before Bendtner converted a penalty to round off a hat-trick. #### Quarter-finals In the quarter-finals, Arsenal played Barcelona which marked the return of former club captain Thierry Henry. Barcelona dominated proceedings but did not find a way through the Arsenal defence until the early stages of the second half; Zlatan Ibrahimovic took advantage of Almunia leaving his box and rushing towards him by lofting the ball over the goalkeeper. Ibrahimovic doubled Barcelona's lead, to which Wenger responded by bringing Walcott on. The forward made an instant impact with his pace and acceleration, scoring past Victor Valdes. Barcelona defender Carles Puyol was sent off for a second bookable offence when he fouled Fábregas in the box, and the Arsenal captain converted the penalty awarded by the referee to equalise. Walcott, who Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola described as Arsenal's biggest threat, was named in the first XI for the return leg and set Bendtner up to score. The joy was short lived as Messi equalised within minutes and he added a further three goals to give Barcelona a 6–3 aggregate win – 4–1 on the night. Wenger was full of praise for Messi afterwards, telling reporters: "...We lost against a team that is better than us and that has the best player in the world. Once he's on the run, Messi is unstoppable. He's the only player who can change direction at such a pace." ## Squad statistics Arsenal used a total of 41 players during the 2009–10 season and there were 20 different goalscorers. There were also four squad members who did not make a first-team appearance in the campaign. This was the first season the team played in a 4–3–3 formation, utilised for the benefit of Fàbregas. Sagna featured in 44 matches – the most of any Arsenal player in the campaign. Vermaelen started in 33 league matches. The team scored a total of 115 goals in all competitions. The highest scorer was Fàbregas, with 19 goals, 15 of which scored in the league. Vermaelen was the only Arsenal player to be sent off in the entire season. The side's continuing sportsmanship was acknowledged at the end of the season with the Barclays Fair Play Award. - Key No. = Squad number Pos = Playing position Nat. = Nationality Apps = Appearances GK = Goalkeeper DF = Defender MF = Midfielder FW''' = Forward `= Yellow cards` `= Red cards` Numbers in parentheses denote appearances as substitute. Players with number struck through and marked left the club during the playing season.'' Source: ## See also - 2009–10 in English football - List of Arsenal F.C. seasons

(Drawing) Rings Around the World

Single by Super Furry Animals

"(Drawing) Rings Around the World" is a song by Super Furry Animals and was the second single taken from the band's fifth album, Rings Around the World. The track reached number 28 on the UK Singles Chart on release in October 2001. Singer Gruff Rhys has described the song as being about "rings of communication around the world. All the rings of pollution". Critical reaction to the track was generally positive with many reviewers comparing the song to the work of other groups such as Status Quo, ELO and The Beach Boys. A promotional music video was produced to accompany "(Drawing) Rings Around the World"'s release as a single. Directed by Pedro Romhanyi the video features images of fictional television stations including "SFA TV", which shows the band playing along with the track. An alternative video, directed by Sean Hillen, was included on the DVD version of Rings Around the World on its release in July 2001. This video features the lyrics to the track scrolling slowly from the bottom of the screen upwards in front of an image of a globe. The DVD version of Rings Around the World also includes a Llwybr Llaethog remix of "(Drawing) Rings Around the World". ## Themes and recording According to lead vocalist Gruff Rhys, "(Drawing) Rings Around the World" is about "all the rings of communication around the world. All the rings of pollution, and all the radioactivity that goes around. If you could visualize all the things we don't see, Earth could look like some kind of fucked-up Saturn. And that's the idea I have in my head – surrounded by communication lines and traffic and debris thrown out of spaceships." Rhys has claimed that the theory was initially his girlfriend's father's. The track was recorded in 2000 at Monnow Valley Studio, Rockfield, Monmouthshire and was produced by the Super Furry Animals and Chris Shaw. ## Musical structure "(Drawing) Rings Around the World" is 3 minutes 29 seconds long and is in the key of B major. The track begins with feedback which plays while drums and a guitar, playing a riff based around a B chord, fade in. The first verse begins on 25 seconds with Gruff Rhys singing the lines "You expose the film in me, we're drawing rings around the world" backed by harmony vocals on the title phrase. A short bridge plays, during which the guitar chords change from B, E and F♯ to just E, F♯, E, F♯. Another verse, bridge and verse play before the last bridge which begins at 1 minute 23 seconds. The outro starts at 1 minute 32 seconds with Rhys singing "Ring ring, ring ring, rings around the world" over the chords B, D and F♯ backed by harmony vocals. A guitar counter-melody begins at 2 minutes 2 seconds and excerpts from phone calls the band made to random people around the world, including calls to the United States embassies in Madagascar and Moscow, a record shop in Osaka and a record company in Australia, play as the track fades out. ### Alternative version A Llwybr Llaethog remix of "(Drawing) Rings Around the World" is included on the DVD version of Rings Around The World. The track is 3 minutes 33 seconds in length and begins with a reed organ playing a riff in the key of B major. The remix largely follows the arrangement of the original but, for the majority of its duration, dispenses with the instrumental backing, featuring just Gruff Rhys's main vocals, the band's backing vocals and excerpts from the random phonecalls the group made alongside occasional organ and cymbals. Towards the end of the track the original version's guitar, drums and bass appear briefly before the song ends with the same reed organ riff that appeared at the start. ## Critical response Critical reaction to "(Drawing) Rings Around the World" was generally positive with many journalists comparing the song to the work of other groups. Writing for the NME, Ted Kessler described the track as "Status Quo for Generation X-ers with a Manhattan Portage full of millennial tension" and went on to ask "who said there was anything wrong with that?" in his review of the song on its release as a single, despite his earlier review of Rings Around the World claiming that the album would benefit from the removal of the "Status Quo-ish title track". Q described the track as "excellent" while PopMatters claimed the song "sounds so much like ELO that it blows away everything on last year's ELO reunion album" and the Dallas Observer stated that "(Drawing) Rings Around the World" is a "Beach Boys/Beatles/ELO homage as fine as the '70s heyday of Roy Wood's Wizzard or very early Cheap Trick". Pitchfork Media stated that the song "takes the upbeat Britpop of their debut album and layers on spectral details" while Uncut described the track as "tooled up rock 'n' roll modelled on "Surfin' USA". The Guardian claimed the song's lyrics tackle environmental issues with a "sharp wit" while Drowned in Sound saw them as evidence that chief songwriter Gruff Rhys was "taking his lyrics a little bit more seriously". The song was placed at number 21 in the 2001 Festive Fifty on John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show. "(Drawing) Rings Around the World" appeared on the soundtrack to the 2001 film Me Without You. ### Accolades ## Music videos ### Sean Hillen video A Sean Hillen-directed music video was included on the DVD version of Rings Around the World released July 2001. The video begins with a static shot of the 1994 collage The Great Pyramids of Carlingford Lough, Irelantis by Hillen, which shows a man in a red jumper sat in a wooded area overlooking a river and three pyramids (this image was used for the front cover of all three formats of the single). The camera moves up to reveal a rotating globe in a stary sky. As "(Drawing) Rings Around the World" begins to play, the text "In the beginning... No\! Long before that..." scrolls slowly from the bottom of the screen upwards. The song's lyrics are displayed in the same manner throughout the remainder of the video as several objects circle the globe including a flying saucer, metal cube and fireworks. Occasionally the camera switches to a close up view of the globe showing models of huge missile firing electricity pylons. As the song comes to an end the text "Every building has been built" appears in the middle of the screen and the camera pans down to show a black-and-white version of the Hillen collage used in the opening shot. Keyboard player Cian Ciaran has stated that the band deliberately tried to avoid making videos that looked like just "another pop promo ... like MTV" for the DVD version of Rings Around the World and asked the directors to make the visuals as "extreme as possible". Ciaran claims the directors had to "work even harder at creating something interesting" due to the limited budget available. ### Pedro Romhanyi video A promotional music video, directed by Pedro Romhanyi, was produced to accompany the release of "(Drawing) Rings Around the World" as a single. According to Gruff Rhys the band made separate videos for Rings Around the World'''s three singles as they saw the videos included on the DVD release of the album as "pure art" whereas they needed promotional music videos that were more like adverts for the songs. The video begins with a shot of the band in an all white room playing along to the track. A station identification logo for "SFA television" is seen in the top left and a green graphic appears, showing the volume level being turned up. The camera pans back to reveal a TV which switches channel from "SFA" to a station showing golf. The rest of the video continues this pattern, continually flicking between the band and a variety of other stations, which generally feature similar logos to real life channels but with slightly different names e.g. "Cartoon Animals" (Cartoon Network), "CVQ" (QVC), "Animal Channel" (Discovery Channel) Actors, news presenters, puppets, a golfer, an astronaut and weatherman sing along with the track as the television stops on the channel each appears on. At one point, the band are shown in silhouette in homage to the cover of Hot Rocks 1964-1971 by The Rolling Stones. As the video ends, the camera pans back to show a television in a room with a man having a telephone conversation. The camera continues to pan back showing this image on a television on a shelf in a small room. The camera pans back through three more televisions, each showing an image of the last shot, ending with a TV in a wallpapered room next to an electric fire. A few seconds before the video ends the screen turns to static. The Pedro Romhanyi video appears on the DVD release of the band's greatest hits album Songbook: The Singles, Vol. 1'' and the Enhanced CD version of the "(Drawing) Rings Around the World" single. ## Track listing All songs by Super Furry Animals. - Digipak Enhanced CD (6719082) 1. "(Drawing) Rings Around the World" – 3:30 2. "Edam Anchorman" – 3:22 3. "All the Shit U Do" – 2:30 "(Drawing) Rings Around the World (Video)" – 3:30 - 12" (6719086), MC (6719084) 1. "(Drawing) Rings Around the World" – 3:30 2. "Edam Anchorman" – 3:22 3. "All the Shit U Do" – 2:30 ## Personnel - Gruff Rhys – vocals - Huw Bunford – guitar - Guto Pryce – bass guitar - Cian Ciaran – keyboards - Dafydd Ieuan – drums ## Singles chart positions

Buellia frigida

Species of lichen

Buellia frigida is a species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling), crustose lichen in the family Caliciaceae. It was first described from samples collected from the British National Antarctic Expedition of 1901–1904. It is endemic to maritime and continental Antarctica, where it is common and widespread, at altitudes up to about 2,000 m (6,600 ft). The characteristic appearance of this lichen features shades of grey and black divided into small polygonal patterns. The crusts can generally grow up to 7 cm (2+3⁄4 in) in diameter (smaller sizes are more common), although neighbouring individuals may coalesce to form larger crusts. One of the defining characteristics of the lichen is a textured surface with deep cracks, creating the appearance of radiating . These lobes, bordered by shallower fissures, give the lichen a distinctive appearance and textured surface. In addition to its striking appearance, Buellia frigida shows adaptability to the harsh Antarctic climate conditions. The lichen has an extremely slow growth rate, estimated to be less than 1 mm (1⁄16 in) per century. Because of its ability to not only endure but to thrive in one of the Earth's coldest, harshest environments, Buellia frigida has been used as a model organism in astrobiology research. This lichen has been exposed to conditions simulating those encountered in space and on celestial bodies like Mars, including vacuum, ultraviolet radiation, and extreme dryness. B. frigida has demonstrated resilience to these space-related stressors, making it a candidate for studying how life can adapt to and potentially survive in the extreme environments found beyond Earth. ## Taxonomy The lichen was described in 1910 by the British botanist Otto Darbishire. The type specimen was collected by Reginald Koettlitz in 1902 from Granite Harbour in McMurdo Sound growing on tuff. The samples were obtained as part of the British National Antarctic Expedition of 1901–1904. The of the lichen was as follows (translated from Latin): > Thick crust, brownish-gray, continuous or more often discontinuous, forming small spots, fissured and broken, often somewhat -granulous, with a darker and distinct margin, and a separate ; black, initially immersed in the thallus, , later emerging, unmarginate, flat or convex, 0.5–1.0 mm wide; black or occasionally (in the same specimen) decolourised; hypothecium darkening to brownish or occasionally decolourised or carbonaceous; apothecia occasionally containing in an (similar to Rinodina species), but when mature, always without an amphithecium; spores eight, brown, bicellular, 0.009–0.015 mm. Darbishire observed that the newly described species appeared to belong to the genus Buellia. However, he noted that in its early stages of development, the apothecium sometimes had characteristics, sharing features with genus Rinodina. He noted that the , a specific layer of tissue in the lichen's apothecium, was often (blackened), particularly near the edges of the apothecium. Darbishire acknowledged the close relationship between the genera Buellia and Rinodina. In 1948, Carroll William Dodge proposed to transfer the taxon to genus Rinodina; however, the name Rinodina frigida was not validly published by Dodge. Later, in 1973, Dodge placed the taxon in genus Beltraminia as Beltraminia frigida in his work Lichen Flora of the Antarctic Continent and Adjacent Islands. The genus Beltraminia has since been synonymised with Dimelaena. In her 1968 monograph on Antarctic lichens, Elke Mackenzie supported Darbishire's placement in Buellia, largely because of the structure of the mature apothecia, wherein the disc lacks a . Darbishire also simultaneously described Buellia quercina, collected at the same type locality as B. frigidia, but with a more margin and lighter colour. MacKenzie rejected taxonomic value for variations in the black, grey, and whitish colours of the thallus due to anatomical variations of the lichen, and reduced B. quercina to synonymy. A 2016 molecular phylogenetics study of the Caliciaceae included B. frigida in its analysis. In the constructed phylogenetic tree, this species appeared as sister (closest evolutionary relative) to Amandinea coniops; the clade containing these two species was itself sister to Amandinea punctata; a similar result was obtained in a molecular analysis published in 2023. It is known that the genus Buellia itself is not monophyletic (derived from a single common ancestor). ## Description Buellia frigida is a crustose lichen (sometimes ) with a variable thallus size, more or less circular in outline. It has a diameter of up to 7 cm (2+3⁄4 in), although it is often much smaller. The thallus is characterised by a black that extends approximately 5–7.5 millimetres (3⁄16–5⁄16 in) beyond the older central region of thallus; this black area represents the growth zone. In some instances, neighbouring thalli coalesce to form larger aggregations of up to 50 cm (20 in). Its margin is somewhat , sometimes barely visible, and its older, central thallus has a deeply appearance, giving rise to the impression of radiating marginal . These lobes are further defined by shallower cracks, creating a surface divided into polygonal . The areoles have a somewhat cerebriform (brainlike) texture and can vary in colour from grey to black, with the tips of the marginal lobes typically appearing black. An amorphous layer, approximately 35–40 μm thick, covers the thallus. This layer, mucilaginous in nature, may appear white when it is dry. The upper of B. frigida is about 6–7 μm thick. It has a rounded or swollen top () and grows in a dense, upright, and parallel arrangement (). However, it appears as a single layer of dark, thick-walled cells that are equal in diameter in all dimensions (). The within the thallus varies in thickness, containing cells of Trebouxia measuring between 4–7 μm in diameter. The medulla, composed of loosely woven, thin-walled hyphae that are somewhat vertically arranged, also has variability in thickness. The medulla stabilises the thallus structure and helps regulate water retention and gas exchange in the lichen. Beneath the medulla, there is a basal layer, approximately 15 μm thick, of compact dark brown cells that elongate upward and merge with the medullary hyphae. Medullary hyphae also help the thallus adhere tightly to the . Buellia frigida forms black, slightly shiny apothecia, which are often more or less sessile on the older areoles. The apothecia start as flat but become convex as they mature. When young, they have a appearance; when mature they are in form, and up to about 1 mm in diameter. The amphithecial cortex is about 15–17 μm thick, formed by a of isodiametric cells. Algae that initially exist between the medullary hyphae disappear as the apothecia age. The medulla of the apothecia consists of vertical brown hyphae that are loosely woven and connected to the thalline medulla. The is not differentiated in older apothecia; instead, the amphithecial cortex darkens, and the medullary hyphae shrink together after the algae disappear, creating the impression of a dimidiate proper margin (i.e. divided into two equal or nearly equal halves). The hypothecium is brownish, with a thickness ranging from 30 to 80 μm in the centre and thinning towards the margin, where it merges with the amphithecial cortex. The ascus, which contains the ascospores, stands approximately 90–110 μm tall. Paraphyses, measuring 2 μm in diameter, darken above the asci and have an internal partition, or septum. The asci are , with dimensions of 36–46 by 14.5–17 μm, and contain dark brown, bilocular ascospores (divided into two segments by a septum). These ascospores are occasionally only slightly constricted at the septum, and some may remain unilocular. They are typically ellipsoid, with dimensions of 9–13 by 5–8 μm. Asexual propagules, such as isidia or soredia, are not made by Buellia frigida. The lichen, however, does create pycnidia that originate from under the algal layer, appearing (with a rounded or bulbous form with a narrower portion or neck) to irregular and reaching sizes of up to 300 μm in diameter. A thin , consisting of very small-celled , surrounds the pycnidia. have a few septa and are branched at the base, measuring approximately 10 by 1 μm. The terminal are ellipsoid, measuring about 4 by 1 μm in size. ### Similar species Buellia subfrigida, described in 1993 and found in the Lützow-Holm Bay area and the Prince Olav Coast of East Antarctica, is closely related to Buellia frigida. Both species are part of a ((a closely related duo differing in key traits)), with B. subfrigida likely evolving from the sexually reproducing B. frigida through the acquisition of soredia. The species share morphological and chemical traits, forming circular thalli with distinct effigurate lobes at their margins, and have similar chemical profiles. However, B. subfrigida differs by its sorediate thallus. This adaptation allows B. subfrigida to grow in habitats that are seasonally inundated with water, a niche where B. frigida, despite its wide ecological amplitude (the limits of environmental conditions within which an organism can live and function), is rarely observed. ## Habitat, distribution, and ecology Buellia frigida is endemic to the maritime and continental Antarctic, growing in ice-free areas on exposed rock surfaces. On these surfaces, it prefers sheltered areas like crevasses or drainage channels. In crevasses, thalli chains grow larger near the ground. In its habitat, Buellia frigida is often the only species that colonises smooth, ice-polished rock. Once its thallus is about 2 cm (1 in) or more in diameter, Pseudephebe minuscula or Usnea sphacelata often begin growing near its centre. This secondary lichen growth degrades underlying B. frigida, leaving outer rings of healthy crustose lichen. The umbilicate lichen Umbilicaria decussata is another species that grows on Buellia frigida. Buellia frigida associates with different species across habitats. Near Syowa Station, a small community of Buellia frigida and Rhizocarpon flavum grows on slopes without nesting colonies of petrels and other birds. The nitrogen-enriched areas beneath bird nests have a more diverse lichen community, which, in addition to B. frigida, includes species from the genera Caloplaca, Umbilicaria, and Xanthoria. Phaeosporobolus usneae is a lichenicolous (lichen-dwelling) fungus that parasitises the thalli of B. frigida in Bunger Hills (Wilkes Land). Despite genetic evidence suggesting limited dispersal capabilities, B. frigida shows remarkable symbiotic flexibility, being able to associate with up to 13 different – one of the highest numbers recorded among Antarctic lichens. Buellia frigida is among the most common lichens in Antarctica, particularly in eastern regions. The distribution of B. frigida extends throughout Antarctica, from the Peninsula to rocky coastal areas and exposed rock formations in the interior. It is one of about 25 lichen species that occur circumpolar in coastal areas and extend inland to nunataks and mountains near the South Pole. It is the most widespread lichen in east Antarctica, including the Larsemann Hills, but it is somewhat rare in Marie Byrd Land and the King Edward VII Land, increasing in Victoria Land and most common on Antarctica's eastern coast. It is most abundant in Victoria Land's dry valley region and higher elevations above 600 m (2,000 ft), known for cloud cover and summer snow. The lichen has been found at altitudes of up to 2,015 m (6,611 ft). About 2,500 m (8,200 ft) marks the altitudinal limit at which lichens can survive in the Antarctic. Above this height, the long periods of exposure to −60 to −70 °C (−76 to −94 °F) winter temperatures and the lack of insulating snow cover on windblown rock faces is too harsh to support lichen life. The species typically forms communities in wind-protected areas, particularly in rock cracks and on the leeward side of rocks. These communities can consist of B. frigida alone or occur with other saxicolous lichens such as Lecidea cancriformis, Acarospora gwynnii, Carbonea vorticosa, Pseudephebe minuscula, Physcia caesia, and Lecidella siplei. On the less lichen-populated Antarctic Peninsula, it is confined to the western part, south of 67°S latitude. Collections of Buellia frigida are typically made in coastal areas, and its inland range in the continent's interior remains unknown. It is one of 20 species of Buellia that occur in Antarctica. ## Physiological adaptations and growth This lichen experiences high fluxes of photosynthetically active radiation, desiccation, and cold temperatures. The Net Assimilation Rate (NAR) measures how organisms convert light and carbon dioxide into organic substances through photosynthesis, minus respiration. Buellia frigida's maximum NAR occurs at 10 °C (50 °F) with full thallus hydratation, showing its photosynthetic efficiency in polar ecosystems. Buellia frigida tolerates the harsh conditions of Antarctica. Its dark colouration is the result of pigmentation that protects it from harmful ultraviolet radiation, which is even greater at high latitudes and altitudes. Hydration swells the lichen thallus, which reduces the density of its black pigmentation in the cortex. This exposes the algal layer to light, enabling photosynthesis. When dry, the thallus shrinks, increasing the density of its pigmentation and shielding itself from light; this effect is most prevalent in the marginal areas, which contain the most algae. In situ measurements of this lichen's photosynthetic activity were conducted in continental Antarctica, showing it thrives in its habitat. Its high photosynthetic rate indicates adaptation to Antarctica's extreme conditions like low temperatures and intense light. This adaptability enables its survival in this region, where it is exposed to fluctuating moisture levels due to drying cycles of meltwater-soaked thalli. The photobiont partner of Buellia frigida has a higher cold resistance potential and a longer retention of photosynthetic capacity during exposure to freezing temperatures than the counterpart photobiont of several other Antarctic and European lichens. Moisture availability determines Buellia frigida's distribution. At Cape Geology, southern Victoria Land, it primarily relies on meltwater from snowpack and occasional snowfalls for moisture in early summer. Despite the strong sunlight, the lichen survives in the combination of hydration, low temperatures, and intense light exposure. The distribution of lichen thalli on rock surfaces is influenced by the frequency and duration of meltwater moistening, reflecting its need for moisture. Studies in continental Antarctica show the extremely slow radial growth rates of Buellia frigida. A monitoring study conducted in Yukidori Valley, no measurable increase in size was noted for any of the measured thalli after a five-year period. In the McMurdo Dry Valleys, the lichen growth rates varied across different sites, indicating responses to regional climate changes, including alterations in snowfall patterns. This adaptation over time demonstrates the lichen's resilience to changing environmental conditions in Antarctica, suggesting its use as an indicator of climate change in the region. Geographic information system technology has been used to detect subtle changes in the growth of Buellia frigida over a 42-year period. At radial growth rates of 0.0036 mm per year—about the thickness of an individual fungal hypha—some thalli are estimated to be at least 6,500 years old, dating back to the end of the Stone Age. Studies on the population genetics of Buellia frigida indicate limited dispersal among regions in Antarctica, likely influenced by prevailing wind patterns and physical barriers such as glaciers. While the spores of B. frigida have the potential for wind-assisted dispersal, the lichen predominantly colonises specific areas conducive to its growth, particularly those with sufficient moisture during the short Antarctic summer, showing how environmental factors affect its dispersal. Samples of B. frigida collected from eastern Antarctica's Vestfold Hills and Mawson Station revealed minimal genetic variation: only three genotypes in the Vestfold Hills, differing by a single nucleotide. The most common genotype of B. frigida there matched specimens from Mawson Station, showing low genetic diversity across this large Antarctic region. ## In astrobiology research Buellia frigida is a model organism in astrobiology that provides insight into life's adaptability beyond Earth and the potential for survival in space. Research examines this extremotolerant species' endurance under harsh conditions akin to those in space and Mars. B. frigida resists non-terrestrial abiotic factors, including space exposure, hypervelocity impacts, and Mars-simulated conditions, which helps explain the biological responses to extreme environments. Tests expose B. frigida to stressors like vacuum, UV radiation, and desiccation to measure its viability and photosynthetic activity. These tests reveal that B. frigida maintains high post-exposure viability and sustains minimal damage to its photosynthetic capacity under these conditions. This resilience stems from protective mechanisms including morphological traits, secondary compounds, and anhydrobiosis during desiccation, features that also enable other extremotolerant lichens to survive. Space experiments on the International Space Station (ISS) and in simulated Mars conditions tested the lichen's survival. One study showed that exposure to low Earth orbit conditions resulted in reduced viability of its fungal and algal components, but the fungal partner was less affected than the algal partner. Despite this, the lichen maintained its structure, showing resilience to an extraterrestrial environment. This indicated potential adaptation of this terrestrial organism to space conditions. Different results came from the European Space Agency's Biology and Mars Experiment (BIOMEX) project, also conducted on the ISS. These experiments showed high mortality rates for both algal and fungal symbionts of B. frigida under similar low Earth orbit conditions, suggesting reduced survival potential in extreme extraterrestrial environments, questioning whether Mars could support this lichen. In additional BIOMEX studies, researchers examined the DNA integrity of B. frigida over 1.5 years. They used the Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA technique and observed DNA alterations in space-exposed lichen compared to Earth-based controls, indicating limited resistance of Buellia frigida to the conditions of space and Mars-like environments. ## See also - List of Buellia species

Gimli (Middle-earth)

Fictional Dwarf in The Lord of the Rings

Gimli is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, appearing in The Lord of the Rings. A dwarf warrior, he is the son of Glóin, a member of Thorin's company in Tolkien's earlier book The Hobbit. He represents the race of Dwarves as a member of the Fellowship of the Ring. As such, he is one of the primary characters in the story. In the course of the adventure, Gimli aids the Ring-bearer Frodo Baggins, participates in the War of the Ring, and becomes close friends with Legolas, overcoming an ancient enmity of Dwarves and Elves. Scholars have commented that Gimli is unlike other dwarves in being free from their characteristic greed for gold. They note, too, that he is unique in being granted the gift of Galadriel's hair, something that she had refused to Fëanor. The events recall the Norse legend Njáls saga, where a gift of hair is refused, with fateful consequences. Gimli was voiced by David Buck in Ralph Bakshi's 1978 animated version of The Lord of the Rings. Gimli does not appear in Rankin/Bass's 1980 animated version of The Return of the King. In Peter Jackson's film trilogy, Gimli is played by the Welsh actor John Rhys-Davies, using a Scottish accent. ## Fictional biography Gimli was born in the Ered Luin in the Third Age, son of Glóin. Gimli had wanted to accompany his father on the quest to reclaim Erebor, but at age 62 he was deemed too young. He was a remote descendant of Durin the Deathless, chief of the Seven Fathers of the Dwarves and ancestor of the Longbeards. Gimli was of the royal line, but not close to the succession; he was the third cousin once removed of Dáin II Ironfoot. Gimli is first seen with Glóin at the Council of Elrond; they tell the Council that the Dark Lord Sauron is searching for Bilbo, and ask Elrond's advice. They learn that Frodo Baggins is now the bearer of the One Ring. The Council decides to destroy it by casting it into Mount Doom. Frodo volunteers for the task; Gimli is among those chosen to help him. There is friction between Gimli and the elf Legolas as their races bear an old grudge against each other. When the company is forced to enter the ancient underground Dwarf-realm, the Mines of Moria, Gimli is at first enthusiastic, hoping to find Balin there. However, Moria is still inhabited by Orcs, Cave Trolls, and a Balrog: Balin and his folk have all been killed. The Fellowship finds his tomb in the Chamber of Mazarbul; Orcs attack, and they have to fight their way out. Aragorn leads the company to Lothlórien, populated by Elves hostile to Dwarves. Gimli refuses to be blindfolded, risking a conflict, so Aragorn has the entire Fellowship blindfolded. Gimli's opinion of Elves changes when he meets Galadriel, co-ruler of Lothlórien: her beauty, kindness, and understanding impress him so much that, when given the opportunity to ask for whatever he wishes, he responds that being able to see her and hear her gentle words is gift enough. When pressed, he admits that he desires a single strand of her golden hair, to be an heirloom of his house, but that he could not ask for such a gift. Galadriel is so moved by his bold yet courteous request that she gives him not one, but three of her hairs. Gimli's gesture of respect and humility towards Galadriel changes Legolas' opinion of him, and they become firm friends. At Amon Hen, the company is divided, and Gimli joins Legolas and Aragorn in pursuing Merry and Pippin who have been captured by Orcs. After running many miles in a few days to the land of Rohan, they meet Éomer, nephew of Rohan's King Théoden, with a troop of cavalry, which has killed all the Orcs. When Éomer speaks badly of the name Galadriel, Gimli responds harshly, but Aragorn prevents a fight. Gandalf leads them to Rohan's capital, Edoras, where he rouses Théoden to war against Saruman. Gimli proves his valour in combat in the Battle of Helm's Deep. He and Legolas engage in an Orc-slaying contest (Gimli wins by one; he kills 42 to Legolas's 41). Gimli saves Éomer's life by killing two orcs and driving off two others. Later, Gimli's vivid description of the Glittering Caves of Aglarond moves Legolas to promise to visit the caves when the War is over; and eventually they make the visit together. After the battle, Gimli witnesses Gandalf casting Saruman out of the Order of Wizards; he sees through Saruman's lies with the words "This wizard's words stand on their heads". Gimli accompanies Aragorn on the Paths of the Dead, and the battles at Pelargir and the Pelennor Fields. He takes part in the final battle against Sauron, the Battle of the Morannon in front of the Black Gate. There he recognizes Pippin Took's feet underneath a fallen troll, saving his life. After the destruction of the Ring, Gimli leads many Dwarves south to Aglarond, becoming the first Lord of the Glittering Caves. They build "great works" in Rohan and Gondor, and replace the ruined gate of Minas Tirith with one made of mithril and steel. After Aragorn's death, Gimli (then 262 years old) sails with Legolas into the West, becoming the first Dwarf in the Undying Lands. ## Family tree ## Concept and creation The name Gimli first appeared in Tolkien's works in "The Tale of Tinúviel", the earliest version of the story of Beren and Lúthien Tinúviel, found in the second volume of The Book of Lost Tales. Here, the name belongs to an aged elf, a prisoner along with Beren in the kitchens of Tevildo, Prince of Cats (forerunner of Sauron). During the writing of The Lord of the Rings, as told in The Return of the Shadow, Gimli's character was first named Frar, then Burin, and he was the son of Balin. The Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey writes that Tolkien has Gimli "swap grim proverbs" with Elrond. Shippey comments that dwarvish heroism is expressed in their veiled speech, as seen also with King Dáin's stubborn replies to the messenger of Mordor. He sees these examples as unified by "delight in the contrast between passionate interior and polite or rational expression; the weakness of the latter is an index of the strength of the former". Writing in Mallorn, the journal of the Tolkien Society, Lilian Darvell states that Gimli's request for a gift of Galadriel's hair is to be contrasted with Fëanor's earlier request of the same gift, described in "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn", in Unfinished Tales. Galadriel rejected Fëanor's request, though he made it three times. Darvell comments that given Galadriel's ability to see into people's hearts, and the darkness she saw in Fëanor, she must have seen something better in Gimli than in "one of the greatest of the Noldor". Darvell notes that the gift of hair has echoes in both English literature, as in Bernice and the Lock and The Rape of the Lock, and in Norse legend. In Njáls saga, Gunnarr's bowstring breaks in a desperate battle; he asks his wife Hallgerðr for two hairs to use as a replacement, but she refuses because he had once struck her, and he is killed. Darvell comments that Galadriel's refusal does not kill Fëanor, but it does result in a distancing, which might have led him to refuse to send ships to rescue her from Númenor. The scholars of international relations Abigail Ruane and Patrick James view Gimli as an exemplar of "neoliberal institutionalists" within the economy of Middle-earth, since his "people avidly pursue gold and treasure". In their view, he and his Dwarves also illustrate the interdependence of nations through their networks of trade and allies; the varied "relationships among Dwarves, Elves, and Men provide a foundation upon which to build and [to] ally against Sauron and illustrate how complex interdependence can reduce perceptions of insecurity and create opportunities for cooperation rather than conflict." The Tolkien scholar John Miller writes that like the Elves, the Dwarves have withdrawn from history and become subject to "an increased aesthetic sensibility", exemplified by Gimli's lyrical description of the Glittering Caves of Aglarond. Miller argues that as well as praising the beauty of the caves, Gimli's account "emphasizes their stillness, their abstraction from the history marching along outside". He suggests that the dwarvish love of hand-crafted workmanship could be a pre-modern aesthetic, an immature or adolescent appreciation compared to that of Elves or Men. The philologist Susan Robbins writes in Žmogus ir žodis that with the words "I say to you, Gimli son of Glóin, that your hands shall flow with gold, yet over you gold shall have no dominion", Galadriel gives Gimli, alone of all the Dwarves, immunity to the dragon-sickness. Robbins defines this as "bewilderment or confusion that makes one so greedy for ... gold that one would rather starve to death [for] rather than give any of it up", the fate that overwhelmed the Dwarf Thorin Oakenshield and the human Master of Laketown in The Hobbit. She notes that Tolkien stated that the dragon-sickness, the effect of the magic spells placed on Smaug's golden hoard, had been derived from line 3052 of the Old English poem Beowulf: iúmonna gold galdre bewunden, "the gold of men of long ago enmeshed in enchantment". ## Adaptations Gimli was voiced by David Buck in Ralph Bakshi's 1978 animated version of The Lord of the Rings. Here he is drawn as being almost as tall as the rest of the non-hobbit members of the Fellowship. Gimli does not appear in Rankin/Bass's 1980 animated version of The Return of the King. In Peter Jackson's film trilogy, Gimli is played by the Welsh actor John Rhys-Davies. Brian Sibley has asserted that Rhys-Davies used "his distinctive Welsh-derived accent" for the character. Several other sources state, however, that Rhys-Davies uses a Scottish accent; the Scottish The Press and Journal praises him for the "convincing" Scottish accent, calling his performance "raspy, croaky, bearded and brilliant". Rhys-Davies himself states on The Fellowship of the Ring extended version DVD that the accent was by intention Scottish, and that it had been his decision to use it. The New Zealand Herald quotes Rhys-Davies as saying of Gimli that "There is a gritty sort of fierce belligerence, and in the end I thought an almost Glasgow Scottish accent would serve the character." In Peter Jackson's films, Gimli's prosaic and blunt style, contrasting with the refined Aragorn and Legolas, provides defusing comic relief, with much of the humour based on his height, along with his competitive, if friendly, feud with Legolas, where Gimli consistently finds himself out-achieved. Gimli was portrayed by Ross Williams in the 3-hour Toronto stage production of The Lord of the Rings, which opened in 2006. In The Lord of the Rings: The Musical, he was played by Sévan Stephan throughout its London run. The classical composer Craig H. Russell's 1995 Middle Earth has as its second movement "Gimli, the Dwarf"; Russell describes it as sounding "like a rugged Irish tune". The piece was originally written for string ensemble, and re-orchestrated for symphonic orchestra.

The Computer Wore Menace Shoes

“The Computer Wore Menace Shoes" is the sixth episode of the twelfth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 3, 2000. In the episode, Homer buys a computer and creates his own website to spread gossip and fake news. However, when Homer starts writing conspiracy theories about flu shots, he is sent to an island where people who know too much are imprisoned. "The Computer Wore Menace Shoes" was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Mark Kirkland. The title of the episode is a reference to the 1969 Disney comedy film The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, but the episode isn't related to the film in any other way. The episode's third act features many references to the 1967 science fiction series The Prisoner. The episode features Patrick McGoohan as Number Six, the main character from The Prisoner. In its original broadcast, the episode was seen by approximately 9.1 million viewers, finishing in 28th place in the ratings the week it aired. Following its broadcast, the episode received mixed reviews from critics; commentators were divided over the episode's third act. ## Plot After finding out that all of the nuclear power plant's staff members had been informed of the plant's closure for maintenance via e-mail, Homer decides to buy a computer. After Lisa sets up the computer for him, Homer starts his own webpage, which contains copyrighted material from other pages. To avoid getting sued, Homer calls himself "Mr. X". Late at night, unable to sleep until someone visits his page, Homer hears a rumor from Bart started by either Nelson Muntz or Jimbo Jones that Mayor Quimby spent the street repair fund on a secret swimming pool. He posts this rumor on his page, which is seen by several of Springfield's citizens, and reporters find a luxurious pool along with many scantily dressed women in Quimby's office building. Homer keeps anonymously investigating and posting more scandals, including Mr. Burns selling uranium to terrorists (resulting in Burns getting arrested by the FBI), Apu selling expired doughnuts as bagels, and various unprofessional acts by the Springfield Police Department (although he overlooks Krusty's admission to vehicular manslaughter). Eventually, Mr. X wins the Pulitzer Prize for his journalistic achievements, despite no-one knowing who he is. When he hears that the prize money will be given to starving children, Homer reveals himself as Mr. X. However, this ends up alienating Homer from the rest of the town, as no-one feels comfortable confessing their secrets now that they know he is Mr. X, and his fame soon plummets. To boost his popularity, Homer begins posting outrageous fake stories on his webpage. Regaining his fame, Homer celebrates by going to a Kwik-E-Mart which turns out to be fake, and he ends up being kidnapped. Homer wakes up on the "Island", a place where the inhabitants are people who have been exiled from society for harboring dangerous secrets. Homer learns from the organization's leader, Number Two, that a story he wrote about flu vaccinations containing a mind-control serum is true; the mind control drug is calibrated to drive people into a frenzy of shopping, which is why flu shots are administered shortly before Christmas. While Homer is trapped on the Island, he is replaced by a doppelgänger who looks identical to him but speaks with a thick German accent and wears a dark tie. Number Six, who is trapped on the Island for inventing the bottomless peanut bag, tells Homer about a makeshift boat he spent thirty-three years making, which Homer steals and escapes the Island with. When he gets home, Homer tries to contact the police through his computer, only for the computer to be hacked remotely by Number Two. Homer is attacked by his doppelgänger but then defeats him by kicking him in the crotch. Marge and the kids are happy that the real Homer has returned, but then a fake Santa's Little Helper spouts a gas that drugs the entire family. The episode ends with everyone in the family enjoying their strange, new life on the Island. A fake koala shoots gas towards the viewer while Homer and Lisa invite them to the Island. ## Production "The Computer Wore Menace Shoes" was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Mark Kirkland. It was first broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on December 3, 2000. Originally, the episode was about Homer becoming Matt Drudge, the creator and an editor of the news aggregation website the Drudge Report, of which Swartzwelder is a fan. At that point, the episode was called "Homer the Drudge". The chalkboard gag was written by staff writer Don Payne, and the couch gag was conceived by producer Laurie Biernackie. The third act of "The Computer Wore Menace Shoes" is a pastiche of the 1967 science fiction television series The Prisoner. In order to "get the feel" of The Prisoner, the writers watched its opening sequence, which summarizes the story of the series. Kirkland, who had seen a couple of episodes as a child, watched several episodes of the series with The Simpsons' animators in order to make "The Computer Wore Menace Shoes" resemble it. They were also influenced by 1960s modernism and furniture designs from the 1971 science fiction film A Clockwork Orange. The episode features American-born actor Patrick McGoohan as Number Six, the central character in The Prisoner, which McGoohan played. "The Computer Wore Menace Shoes" was the only time McGoohan reprised his role as Number Six. In the DVD commentary for the episode, Payne said that McGoohan was "very funny", and that all the writers wanted to meet him when he came to record his dialogue for the episode. McGoohan was reportedly very pleased with his role in the episode; when his wife Joan McGoohan, who is a real estate broker, helped staff writer Max Pross buy a house, she told him that Patrick McGoohan was as proud of the episode as anything in his career. ## Cultural references "The Computer Wore Menace Shoes" makes fun of use of the Internet, which was rapidly growing in popularity at the time. "[...] The Internet was just starting to turn into a serious waste of time around this point in history", staff writer Matt Selman said in the episode's DVD commentary. The news website that Homer creates is based on the Drudge Report, a news aggregator created by journalist Matt Drudge. The episode was also written at a time when several The Simpsons producers invested in an animated web series' company called icebox.com, which was co-created by two former The Simpsons writers. Although the title of the episode is a reference to the 1969 Disney film The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, the episode itself has "essentially nothing" to do with the film, according to M. Keith Booker in his book Drawn to Television: Prime-Time Animation from The Flintstones to Family Guy. In the episode, the slogan of Homer's webpage is "All the muck that's fit to rake". This is a reference to the American newspaper The New York Times, whose slogan is "All the News That's Fit to Print". The word "muck" refers to muckrakers, a term closely associated with reform-oriented journalists who wrote largely for popular magazines after 1900. The episode's third act, which serves as a parody of The Prisoner, features several references to the series. When the secret organization finds out about Homer's discovery, he is taken to a secret location called the "Island". The "Island" is modeled after the "Village", where Number Six is taken in The Prisoner. While he is in the "Island", Homer is repeatedly gassed by unexpected objects, a reference to the way Number Six would often be gassed in The Prisoner. "George [Meyer] and I used to laugh a lot about how often [Number Six] would be gassed by unexpected devices in the show", Scully said in the episode's DVD commentary. "And we wanted to cram as many in as we could." While escaping the "Island", Homer is chased by a "big balloon". The balloon is a reference to Rover, a floating white ball in The Prisoner that was created to keep inhabitants in the "Village", which was also featured in the season 9 episode "The Joy of Sect". The music heard in the scene is based on The Prisoner's theme music. ## Release and reception In its original American broadcast on December 3, 2000, "The Computer Wore Menace Shoes" received a 9.0 rating, according to Nielsen Media Research, translating to approximately 9.1 million viewers. The episode finished in 28th place in the ratings for the week of November 27-December 3, 2000, tying with an episode of the news magazine Dateline NBC and the CBS sitcom The King of Queens. After the episode was released, The Simpsons' writers created a website called mrxswebpage.com, which was made to resemble Homer's website in the episode. This was at a time when many television shows created websites to promote episodes; earlier that year, Fox created a website called whatbadgerseat.com in conjunction with the season premiere, in which badgers played an important role. On August 18, 2009, the episode was released as part of a DVD set called The Simpsons: The Complete Twelfth Season. Mike Scully, Ian Maxtone-Graham, Don Payne, John Frink, Matt Selman, Tom Gammill, Max Pross, Mark Kirkland and Joel H. Cohen participated in the audio commentary for the episode. Following its broadcast, "The Computer Wore Menace Shoes" received mixed reviews from critics. Giving it a positive review, DVD Talk's Jason Bailey described the episode as a "smart piece of social satire". He especially enjoyed Homer's part in the episode, and found that his incompetence at handling computers is "comedic gold". Casey Burchby, another reviewer for DVD Talk, also enjoyed the social satire in the episode, and although he found the parody of The Prisoner "bizarre", he maintained that it was "bold". Writing for DVD Verdict, Mac MacEntire argued that the episode is "hilarious", provided one has seen The Prisoner. DNA Smith described the episode as "memorable". The episode is also often considered to be a fan favorite, according to Matt Haigh of Den of Geek. On the other hand, DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson was less impressed with the episode. In his review of The Simpsons: The Complete Twelfth Season, Jacobson wrote that he enjoyed the episode's take on "Internet idiocy". He wrote, "Some parts of it feel dated, but the web features even more ill-informed opinions today than it did nine years ago, so much of it remains timeless and on target." However, he was critical of the episode's third act. "The side of the show feels like it was intended to amuse a few fans and it doesn’t show a lot of real cleverness or wit", he wrote. He summarized the episode as being decent, but inconsistent.

1987 Gulf Coast tropical storm

Atlantic tropical storm in 1987

The 1987 Gulf Coast tropical storm caused flooding along the Gulf Coast of the United States. The second tropical cyclone and first tropical storm of the 1987 Atlantic hurricane season, it originated from a tropical wave in the Gulf of Mexico, southeast of Texas, on August 9. Initially a tropical depression, the cyclone moved north-northwestward and slightly intensified into a tropical storm later that day. By August 10, it made landfall between Galveston and Beaumont. The system weakened after moving inland and turned towards the east and later southeast. Briefly reemerging over the Gulf on August 15, the depression moved onshore a second time in Florida, before dissipating over eastern Georgia on August 17. Due to the relatively weak nature of the system, it caused relatively little damage. However, the system dropped heavy rainfall, peaking at 21.05 inches (535 mm) in southern Mississippi. This resulted in flooding, which forced more than 400 people to evacuate their homes, some of which had 2 to 4 feet (0.61 to 1.22 m) of water. Flash flooding was reported in a few others states, including Alabama, Florida, and Louisiana. In all, losses from the unnamed storm reached $7.4 million (1987 USD) and one person was reported missing after being thrown overboard a boat in rough seas. ## Meteorological history On July 29, 1987, a tropical wave emerged off the west coast of Africa into the Atlantic Ocean. Tracking westward along the southern edge of the Saharan Air Layer, a feature associated with large masses of dry air, little convective development took place over the following several days. Once near the Lesser Antilles in early August, atmospheric conditions became more favorable for development. Traveling across the Caribbean, the system became increasingly organized and a mid-level circulation formed shortly before the wave moved inland over Central America on August 7. The following day, the northern portion of the wave interacted with a cold-core low over the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in the formation of a low-level circulation, exhibiting tropical characteristics, on August 9. Over the following two days, the system tracked in a general north-northwest direction towards the Texas coastline. Aided by an anticyclone aloft, outflow became pronounced and convection increased in coverage and intensity. Around 1200 UTC, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) estimated that the system developed into a tropical depression while located about 145 miles (235 km) south-southeast of Galveston, Texas. Hours after being classified a tropical depression, the convective structure of the system deteriorated, a sign of a weakening storm; however, nearby oil rigs indicated a gradual increase in winds. Later on August 9, several rigs reported tropical storm-force winds – winds greater than 39 mph (63 km/h) – and the NHC estimated that the depression strengthened into a tropical storm. Operationally, however, these winds were considered to be related to local convective activity rather than the storm itself and it was not considered to be a tropical storm until post-storm analysis. As such, it was not named and is officially classified as "Unnamed Tropical Storm." Additionally, the strongest winds were located well away from the center of circulation, a signature of subtropical cyclones. Remaining relatively weak, the unnamed system attained peak winds of 45 mph (75 km/h) before making landfall along the Texas coastline between Galveston and Beaumont at 0600 UTC on August 10. Once over land, the storm weakened to a tropical depression as it neared the Texas-Louisiana border and began a gradual turn towards the east-southeast. On August 12, while over central Mississippi, the cyclone attained its lowest barometric pressure of 1,007 mbar (29.7 inHg). On August 15, the low emerged back over the Gulf of Mexico after crossing the Florida Panhandle. No redevelopment took place during its brief time back over water before making its final landfall near St. Marks, Florida the following day. The depression gradually diminished before losing its identity over eastern Georgia on August 17. ## Preparations and impact Due to the system's proximity to land upon being declared a tropical depression and subsequent intensity uncertainties, the unnamed storm posed several challenges to forecasters that "vividly illustrated limitations that are of major concern at the National Hurricane Center." With operational forecasters noting the possibility of intensification, the first-ever tropical storm warning was issued along the northern Gulf Coast between Matagorda, Texas and Morgan City, Louisiana on August 9. Prior to 1987, gale warnings were issued in areas where winds above 39 mph (63 km/h) were anticipated. This warning was later discontinued on August 10 once the system moved inland and weakened. The United States Coast Guard advised ships to seek harbor to avoid large swells associated with the cyclone. Additionally, some non-essential workers were evacuated from offshore rigs. By August 13, several flash flood watches were in place over portions of Mississippi, Alabama and Florida as remnants of the unnamed system slowly moved through the region. Throughout the United States, damage from the tropical storm amounted to $7.4 million, the majority of which resulted from flooding. Offshore, a woman was reported missing after she was thrown off her boat amidst rough seas produced by the storm. The system produced rainfall across a large swath of the southern states, with many areas recording more than 5 in (130 mm). Though it made landfall in Texas, the system's asymmetric structure led to relatively little rain falling in the state, peaking at 4.25 in (108 mm) in Umbarger. In parts of Louisiana, many streets were left impassable by high waters, creating widespread traffic delays. The most significant impact took place in southern Mississippi where rainfall in excess of 12 in (300 mm), peaking at 21.06 in (535 mm) in Vancleave, caused significant flash flooding, especially along the Biloxi and Tchoutacabouffa Rivers. The former of these experienced a record crest of 16.8 ft (5.1 m). More than 400 people were forced to evacuate due to rising water across the region as several homes were inundated with 2 to 4 ft (0.61 to 1.22 m) of water. In Columbia, 12.2 in (310 mm) of rain fell in just eight hours, triggering flash floods that washed away a portion of a small dam. Further east in Baldwin County, Alabama and Pensacola, Florida, many roads ere closed or left impassable due to high water. Additionally, the system spawned a brief tornado in Mobile County but no damage resulted from it. ## See also - List of North Carolina hurricanes (1980–present)

Boeing Chinook (UK variants)

Series of military transport helicopters

The Boeing Chinook is a large, tandem rotor helicopter operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF). A series of variants based on the United States Army's Boeing CH-47 Chinook, the RAF Chinook fleet is the largest outside the United States. RAF Chinooks have seen extensive service in the Falklands War, the Balkans, Northern Ireland, Iraq, and Afghanistan. The Chinook, normally based at RAF Odiham in England, provides heavy-lift support and transport across all branches of the British armed forces since the early 1980s. The RAF has a total of sixty Chinooks in active inventory as of 2015. In 2018, the UK issued a request to the United States to purchase sixteen additional rotorcraft. The Chinook is expected to remain in RAF service until the 2040s. ## Design and development ### Chinook HC1 In March 1967, the United Kingdom placed an order for fifteen Boeing Vertol CH-47B Chinook to replace the Royal Air Force's Bristol Belvedere HC.1 fleet. In British service the new aircraft was to be designated as the Chinook HC Mk 1 (also formatted as HC.1 or HC1) standing for Helicopter, Cargo Mark 1. However in November of that year, the order was cancelled in a review of defence spending. UK Chinook procurement ambitions were revived in 1978 with an announced requirement for a new heavy-lift helicopter to replace the Westland Wessex. Thirty Chinooks were ordered at a price of US$200 million. These helicopters, comparable to the CH-47C with Lycoming T55-L-11E engines, were again designated Chinook HC1, and entered service in December 1980. Eight more HC1 were delivered from 1984 to 1986, with the CH-47D's Lycoming T55-L-712 turbo-shaft engines. The replacement of the HC1s metal rotor blades with aluminium and glass fibre composite rotor blades saw these aircraft designated Chinook HC1B. All surviving aircraft were later returned to Boeing and updated to the Chinook HC2 standard for further service within the RAF. ### Chinook HC2 The US Army's next generation Chinook, the CH-47D, entered service in 1982. Improvements from the CH-47C included upgraded engines, composite rotor blades, a redesigned cockpit to reduce pilot workload, redundant and improved electrical systems, an advanced flight control system (FCS) and improved avionics. The RAF returned their original HC1 fleet to Boeing for upgrading to CH-47D standard, the first of which returned to the UK in 1993. Three additional HC2 Chinooks were ordered with delivery beginning in 1995. Another six were ordered in 1995 under the Chinook HC2A designation; the main difference between these and the standard HC2 was the strengthening of the front fuselage to allow the fitting of an aerial refuelling probe in future. One Argentine CH-47C was captured during the Falklands War, and used by the RAF as a training aid. The rear fuselage was later used to repair a crashed RAF Chinook in 2003. In 2006, the retirement dates for the HC2 and HC2A fleets were scheduled for 2015 and 2025 respectively, but if planned upgrades are made both types could expect to be flying until 2040. ### Chinook HC3 Eight Chinook HC3 were ordered in 1995 as dedicated special forces helicopters, which were intended to be low-cost variants of the US Army's MH-47E. The HC3s include improved range, night vision sensors and navigation capability. The eight aircraft were to cost £259 million and the forecast in-service date was November 1998. Although delivered in 2001, the HC3 could not receive airworthiness certificates as it was not possible to certify the avionics software. The programme was widely judged to be "a profoundly inept piece of procurement": Sir Peter Spencer, who as head of the Defence Procurement Agency inherited the project, said that the "original requirement was ... actually impossible. I mean, there were 100 essential requirements. I read all of them. One of them said to give protection against any missile coming from any direction." Spencer later commented: "it is always hard to imagine why people think you would be able cost effectively to buy a bespoke requirement for a very small production run." The avionics were unsuitable due to poor risk analysis and necessary requirements omitted from the procurement contract. The Times claimed that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) planned to perform software integration itself, without Boeing's involvement, in order to reduce costs. While lacking certification, the helicopters were only permitted to fly in visual meteorological conditions and subsequently stored in climate controlled hangars. In 2004, Edward Leigh, then Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee described it as "One of the most incompetent procurements of all time." Air Forces Monthly reported in November 2006 that after protracted negotiations to allow them to enter service, the Defence Aviation Repair Agency would likely receive a contract to install the Thales "TopDeck" avionics system on the Chinook HC3s. However, the MOD announced in March 2007 that this so-called "Fix to Field" programme would be cancelled, and instead it would revert the helicopters' avionics to Chinook HC2/2A specification. The programme was estimated to cost £50–60 million. In June 2008, the National Audit Office issued a scathing report on the MOD's handling of the affair, stating that the whole programme was likely to cost £500 million by the time the helicopters enter service. On 6 July 2009, the first of the eight modified Chinook HC3s made its first test flight at MOD Boscombe Down as part of the flight testing and evaluation phase of the HC3 "reversion" programme. ### Chinook HC4 A programme to upgrade forty-six Chinook HC2/2A and HC3 helicopters was initiated in December 2008. Known as Project Julius, it included new digital flight deck avionics based on the Thales TopDeck avionics suite, comprising new multifunction displays, a digital moving map display and an electronic flight bag, installation of a nose-mounted forward-looking infrared (FLIR) detector, and upgrading the engines to the more powerful T55-714 standard. Upgraded HC2/2A and HC3 aircraft were redesignated HC4 and HC5 respectively. Deliveries were expected to commence in 2011. The first conversion, a Chinook HC4, first flew on 9 December 2010. Initial operating capability status was reached in June 2012 with seven aircraft delivered. In July 2017, it was announced that the thirty-eight Chinook HC4s were to be upgraded to a HC6A standard including the replacement of the analogue flight control systems with the Boeing Digital Automatic Flight Control System (DAFCS). By February 2022, no HC4 variants remained, with the fleet comprising HC5, HC6 and HC6A variants. ### Chinook HC5, HC6 and HC6A The Chinook HC6 designation has been assigned to the twenty-four (later reduced to fourteen) CH-47F-derived Chinooks ordered in 2009. In December 2015, the fourteenth and final HC6 was delivered to the RAF. By February 2022 the fleet consisted of HC5, HC6 and HC6A variants. ### Chinook ER In March 2024, the MoD announced its intention to purchase 14 Chinook Extended Range (ER) models which have twice the range of the 14 oldest RAF Chinooks they will replace. ## Operational history RAF Chinooks have been widely deployed in support of British military engagements, serving their first wartime role in Operation Corporate, the Falklands War, in 1982. Chinooks were used in Operation Granby in the 1991 Gulf War. The Chinook became a vital transit tool during the war. They were used for moving troops into the region at the start of the conflict; a Chinook was used on 22 January 1991 to transport a Special Air Service (SAS) patrol on the famous Bravo Two Zero mission. In the aftermath of the conflict as many as nine British Chinooks delivered food and supplies to thousands of Kurdish refugees from Iraq. On 10 August 1999, hundreds of Chinooks around the world, including those used by the British armed forces, were grounded due to cracking discovered in the landing gear of a British helicopter during routine inspection. One Chinook in particular, known by its original squadron code Bravo November, is a well recognised and decorated aircraft due to its service record; it has seen action in every major operation involving the RAF in the helicopter's almost 40-year service life, including the Falkland Islands, Lebanon, Germany, Northern Ireland, Iraq, and Afghanistan. ### Falklands War During the Falklands War, Chinooks were deployed by both the British and Argentinian forces. In April 1982, four Chinooks were loaded aboard the container ship MV Atlantic Conveyor bound for the Falkland Islands, to support the British operations. On 25 May 1982, the Chinook Bravo November was sent to pick up freight from HMS Glasgow. While the helicopter was airborne, Atlantic Conveyor was attacked by an Argentine Navy Dassault Super Étendard with an Exocet sea-skimming missile. Bravo November avoided the ship's destruction, assisted in the evacuation of the ship, and later landed on the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes, gaining the nickname "The Survivor". Owing to the rapid spread of fire and smoke aboard Atlantic Conveyor after the Exocet strike, it was not possible to fly any of the helicopters that remained on the ship's deck. One Argentine Army Chinook was captured intact by British Army after the surrender. RAF Chinooks were part of an estimated force of forty helicopters in the British task force, alongside Westland Sea King and Westland Wessex helicopters. Post-war, four Chinooks were operated by "ChinDet" (Chinook Detachment) which became No.1310 Flight in 1983. Subsequently, No. 78 Squadron was re-formed in 1986 from the merger of No. 1310 Flight and No.1564 Flight (Sea Kings) and operated two Chinooks as part of the Falklands Garrison. This was reduced to a single helicopter in the mid-1990s and the type was eventually withdrawn from the Falklands in 2006, in order to free up resources and aircraft for operations in Afghanistan. ### Afghanistan Chinook helicopters were relied upon heavily to support the British forces in Afghanistan continuously from the start of the war in Afghanistan in 2001; Operation Snipe saw the helicopters used to assist the 1,000 British Commandos sweeping a region of southeastern Afghanistan. Due to the threat of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) scattered throughout the terrain by insurgents, transport helicopters have become highly valued and demanded units in this style of warfare. By April 2006, six Chinooks had been deployed by C-17A Globemaster III transport aircraft to Kandahar in Southern Afghanistan, in support of Operation Herrick. Two RAF Chinooks were lost in August 2009 during combat operations with the Taliban, one of which was brought down by enemy fire, in spite of warnings months before of Taliban plans to attack the helicopters. The continued operation of the fleet was made more cost effective when maintenance and support regimes were altered in 2006 and 2007. On 15 December 2009, the British government announced its Future Helicopter Strategy including the purchase of twenty-four new build Chinooks, twenty-two to expand the force and two to replace losses in Afghanistan, to be delivered to the RAF from 2012. The number of additional Chinooks was cut by twelve in the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010. This brought the total fleet size to sixty aircraft; as of 2009, the RAF had forty-eight Chinooks in inventory. ### Other deployments On 6 June 1999, two Chinooks of No. 7 Squadron left RAF Odiham in Hampshire, carrying paratroopers to join NATO forces serving in the Balkans; six more arrived the following week in Kosovo to support operations such as casualty evacuations and transporting vital supplies. On 12 June 1999, waves of Chinooks, escorted by Westland Lynx and American AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, were used to rapidly deploy British infantry forces into Kosovo as a part of NATO's first phase of deployment. In May 2000, several Chinook helicopters airlifted British and European Union citizens out of Freetown in Sierra Leone in an evacuation due to regional instability. In September 2000, Chinooks were being used to evacuate casualties from fighting in Freetown to RFA Sir Percivale, a support ship docked there. In July 2006, three Chinook helicopters of No. 27 Squadron deployed to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus to evacuate British citizens from Lebanon; the squadron also flew the EU foreign affairs representative Javier Solana to Beirut at the start of the crisis. In July 2018, three RAF Chinook helicopters were deployed under Operation Newcombe to assist French forces in the Northern Mali conflict with logistics and troop movement. ## Variants - Chinook HC1 New-build aircraft for the RAF based on the CH-47C, forty-one built. - Chinook HC1B Modification of the forty-one HC1s with metal rotor blades, survivors converted to HC2. - Chinook HC2 Conversion by Boeing of thirty-two surviving HC1Bs to CH-47D standard, and three new build-aircraft - Chinook HC2A Similar to the HC2 with strengthened fuselage using milled structure manufacturing techniques, six built. - Chinook HC3 Special forces variant based on the CH-47SD, eight built. - Chinook HC4 HC2/2A aircraft with upgraded engines and avionics under Project Julius. Forty-six conversions planned. - Chinook HC5 HC3 aircraft with upgraded avionics under Project Julius and the replacement of the analogue flight control systems with the Boeing Digital Automatic Flight Control System (DAFCS). - Chinook HC6 New-build Chinooks announced in 2009, originally twenty-four aircraft, later reduced to fourteen (twelve new helicopters plus two attrition replacements). The final aircraft were delivered in December 2015. - Chinook HC6A Upgrade of the HC4 Chinooks, with the replacement of the analogue flight control systems with the Boeing Digital Automatic Flight Control System (DAFCS). ## Operators RAF Odiham - No. 7 Squadron – Part of the Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing - No. 18(B) Squadron - No. 27 Squadron - No. 240 Operational Conversion Unit RAF – Joint Chinook and Puma HC1 Operational Conversion Unit, 1980 to 1993 RAF Benson - No. 28 Squadron – Joint Chinook and Puma HC2 Operational Conversion Unit, 2015 onwards ## Notable incidents and accidents 13 May 1986: Chinook HC1 ZA715 crashed in bad weather in the Falkland Islands. The helicopter, with four crew and twelve troops, crashed into a hill four miles from its destination. With rescuers hampered by blizzards, the personnel were recovered but one crew member had died shortly after the crash, and the co-pilot and a soldier died on the way to hospital. The board of inquiry concluded that the crew had become disorientated due to "white-out" conditions. - 27 February 1987: Chinook HC1 ZA721 crashed in the Falkland Islands on a test flight following servicing. After leaving RAF Mount Pleasant, the helicopter was at a normal cruising speed and an altitude of between 300 and 700 feet when it nosed down and crashed into the ground about six kilometres south-east of the airfield; it was destroyed by a subsequent fire. The board of inquiry was unable to determine the exact cause but it may have been the forward-swivelling upper boost actuator jamming. All seven on board, three crew and four technicians, were killed. 6 May 1988: Chinook HC1 ZA672 hit a pier at Hannover Airport while taxiing into position in a confined space. Its front rotor struck the underside of Pier 10, causing the helicopter to rear up vertically and then fall on its side. A fire started at the rear of the fuselage and soon spread. Three crew members were killed and one had major injuries; the Chinook was destroyed. 2 June 1994: - Chinook HC2 ZD576 crashed on the Mull of Kintyre, Scotland, killing all 25 passengers and all four crew members; the cause is disputed. It is widely regarded as the RAF's fourth-worst peacetime disaster. - 19 August 2009: Chinook HC2 ZA709 made an emergency landing following a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) strike and subsequent engine fire after a cargo drop-off just north of Sangin in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The Chinook flew two kilometres to a safe area before landing. None of the crew sustained any injuries and all evacuated the aircraft before they were rescued by a second Chinook on the same sortie. The damaged aircraft was then destroyed by coalition air strikes to prevent it falling into the hands of the Taliban. 30 August 2009: Chinook HC2 ZA673 made a hard landing while on operations near Sangin, Helmand province. It suffered damage to the undercarriage, nose and front rotor, but the crew and fifteen soldiers on board were unharmed. According to the Ministry of Defence it was not possible to safely recover the aircraft due to the location of the crash and it was destroyed with explosives deliberately. The cause of the hard landing was investigated, although it was not thought to have been shot down. ## Aircraft on display - 83-24104 - Former US Army CH-47D forward section on display at Royal Air Force Museum London, modified to represent "Bravo November". - ZA717 - Chinook HC.1 preserved at Newark Air Museum in Winthorpe, England. - ZA718 - Chinook HC6A "Bravo November" on display at Royal Air Force Museum Cosford. ## Specifications (Chinook HC2) ## See also

Brandon Medders

American baseball player (born 1980)

Brandon Edward Medders (born January 26, 1980) is a former professional relief pitcher. He played for the Arizona Diamondbacks (2005–2008) and San Francisco Giants (2009–2010) of Major League Baseball (MLB). Medders threw a four-seam fastball, a curveball, a slider, a changeup, and a cutter. A Tuscaloosa, Alabama, native, Medders won the Southeastern Conference (SEC) championship with Mississippi State University as a junior in 2001, then signed with the Diamondbacks, the third MLB team in the last four years to draft him. He spent four seasons in the minor leagues, pitched with Arizona on three separate stints in 2005, then posted a 3.64 earned run average (ERA) in 60 games for them in 2006. After pitching inconsistently in 2007, he was outrighted off of Arizona's 40-man roster in 2008, becoming a free agent following the season. A non-roster invitee to the Giants' spring training in 2009, Medders made the team's roster. In 61 games, he had a 3.01 ERA. After posting a 7.20 ERA in 2010, Medders was outrighted off the 40-man roster in June, once again becoming a free agent after the season. ## Early life Brandon Edward Medders was born on January 26, 1980, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He attended Tuscaloosa's Hillcrest High School, graduating in 1998. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays selected him in the 37th round of the 1998 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft, but he chose to attend Tuscaloosa's Shelton State Community College. He was then selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 18th round of the 1999 MLB draft, but he decided to transfer to Mississippi State University. As a junior in 2001, he won six games and recorded six saves. Mississippi State won its first Southeastern Conference (SEC) championship since 1987, and Medders was named to the SEC All-Tournament Team. In his two years at Mississippi State, he had a 7–4 record and a 3.21 earned run average (ERA). He was then drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the eighth round of the 2001 MLB draft, this time choosing to sign. ## Arizona Diamondbacks ### 2001–2004 (minors) Medders made his professional debut in 2001 with the Class A advanced Lancaster JetHawks of the California League. In 31 games, he had a 1–2 record, a 1.32 ERA, 53 strikeouts, 15 walks, and 26 hits allowed in 41 innings pitched. He also registered three saves. Medders remained with Lancaster in 2002, serving as a starting pitcher for part of the year and also as the team's closer. In 43 games (12 starts), he had a 4–8 record, a 5.38 ERA, 104 strikeouts, 36 walks, and 111 hits allowed in 98+2⁄3 innings. His 15 saves ranked fourth in the California League, behind Jared Hoerman's 29, Mike Frick's 23, and Frank Bludau's 22. This was the only year in which Medders made any starts. In 2003, Medders pitched for the Class AA El Paso Diablos of the Texas League. Appearing in 56 games, he had a 5–3 record, seven saves, a 4.41 ERA, 72 strikeouts, 26 walks, and 65 hits allowed in 69+1⁄3 innings pitched. He pitched for the Class AAA Tucson Sidewinders of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) in 2004. In 11 games, he had no record, a 4.26 ERA, 17 strikeouts, four walks, and 15 hits allowed in 12+2⁄3 innings pitched. He tore a labrum in his right shoulder during the year, requiring surgery to repair the injury. ### 2005–2006 Medders began 2005 with Tucson. On June 19, the Diamondbacks purchased his contract after Russ Ortiz was injured and Matt Herges was designated for assignment. He made his MLB debut the next day, pitching a scoreless eighth inning in an 8–3 loss to the San Francisco Giants. He was scored upon in one of six outings, posting a 3.38 ERA before being demoted to Tucson on July 2. Five days later, he was recalled by Arizona after Shawn Estes was injured. On July 18, he pitched a scoreless top of the 11th inning and earned his first MLB win when Arizona scored in the bottom of the inning to defeat the Florida Marlins 8–7. He pitched scoreless ball in four appearances on his second stint before getting sent to Tucson on August 2 so the Diamondbacks could add left-hander Buddy Groom to the roster. Recalled a third time on August 19 after Brian Bruney was sent down, Medders remained with Arizona for the rest of the season. In 36 games for Tucson, he had a 3–2 record, eight saves, a 2.48 ERA, 44 strikeouts, 18 walks, and 31 hits allowed in 36+1⁄3 innings. With Arizona in 27 games, he went 4–1 with a 1.78 ERA, 31 strikeouts, 11 walks, and 21 hits allowed in 30+1⁄3 innings. In 2006, Medders suffered a muscle group strain that caused him to miss spring training. He started the year rehabbing at Tucson before getting called up by the Diamondbacks on April 19. On August 15, he had his longest outing of the year in the longest game in Colorado Rockies history, pitching a scoreless 16th-through-18th innings, striking out a season-high four batters, and earning the win in Arizona's 18-inning, 2–1 victory. He had his lowest ERA for the team in the month of May, posting a figure of 0.61 in 11 games. From June 3 through 6, he gave up nine runs in three games, but only one was earned; the rest were the result of three Diamondback errors. In 60 games, he had a 5–3 record, a 3.64 ERA, 47 strikeouts, 28 walks, and 76 hits in 71+2⁄3 innings. ### 2007–2008 Medders started 2007 inconsistently. He was optioned to Tucson on June 8 after allowing eight home runs in 22+1⁄3 innings. In 35 games with Tucson, he had a 5–3 record, five saves, a 4.69 ERA, 38 strikeouts, 24 walks, and 55 hits allowed in 48 innings. Recalled when rosters expanded, Medders pitched seven more innings for the Diamondbacks, allowing just one more home run. In 30 games for Arizona, he had a 1–2 record, a 4.30 ERA, 23 strikeouts, 16 walks, and 30 hits allowed in 29+1⁄3 innings. He did not pitch in the playoffs for the Diamondbacks, who won the National League (NL) West and swept the Chicago Cubs in the 2007 National League Division Series before getting swept by the Rockies in the 2007 National League Championship Series. After beginning 2008 with the Diamondbacks, Medders was surprised to be designated for assignment on May 22 and outrighted to Tucson on May 30. However, the Diamondbacks needed his roster spot for Doug Davis, who was returning from the disabled list. In 18 games with Arizona, he had a 1–0 record, a 4.58 ERA, eight strikeouts, 11 walks, and 17 hits allowed in 19+2⁄3 innings. With Tucson in 26 games, Medders had a 1–2 record, a 7.45 ERA, 33 strikeouts, 24 walks, and 45 hits allowed in 38+2⁄3 innings. No longer on Arizona's 40-man roster, he was not recalled in September and became a free agent at the end of the season. ## San Francisco Giants ### 2009 On January 9, 2009, Medders signed a minor league contract with the Giants with an invitation to spring training. Making the Opening Day roster, he spent the whole season with the ballclub. From May 10 through June 9, he allowed just two runs (neither earned) in 13 innings over a 14-game span. In the first game of a doubleheader against the Washington Nationals on June 4, Medders relieved Randy Johnson and pitched a scoreless seventh, preserving the lead in the 300th win of Johnson's career. Against Arizona on August 26, Medders picked up the only save of his MLB career, pitching a flawless ninth inning to preserve a 4–3 victory. He described what it was like to pitch in that game: > I got up with two outs in the eighth inning. That's plenty of time to get ready. It was like a roller coaster if I was going in or not. I saw [Sergio] Romo run down to the pen but I guess he couldn't get ready in time. It was a good opportunity for me. Saves don't mean much to me. It was just a matter of getting three outs. In 61 games, he had a 5–1 record, a 3.01 ERA, 58 strikeouts, 32 walks, and 63 hits allowed in 68+2⁄3 innings. Among Giants relievers, only Brian Wilson threw more innings (72+1⁄3) than Medders. ### 2010 Medders avoided arbitration and agreed to a one-year $820,000 contract with the Giants on January 16, 2010. On May 21, he was placed on the disabled list. While on a rehab assignment with the PCL's Fresno Grizzlies, he was outrighted to Fresno on June 4 to make room on the Giants' 40-man roster for Pat Burrell. In 14 games for San Francisco, he had no record, a 7.20 ERA, eight strikeouts, six walks, and 26 hits allowed in 15 innings. He pitched in 22 games for Fresno, earning a 2–1 record, one save, a 5.46 ERA, 26 strikeouts, 10 walks, and 28 hits allowed in 28 innings. No longer on San Francisco's 40-man roster, he was not recalled in September, and he was not on the postseason roster when the Giants defeated the Texas Rangers in the 2010 World Series. After the season, he became a free agent. ## Career statistics and pitching style In 210 games, Medders had a 16–7 record, a 3.61 ERA, 175 strikeouts, 104 walks, and 233 hits allowed in 234+2⁄3 innings. He threw a four-seam fastball, cut fastball (cutter), a curveball, a slider, and a changeup. The four-seam fastball averaged 90 miles per hour (140 km/h), while the cutter averaged 89 miles per hour (143 km/h). After not throwing the cutter more than 10% of the time with the Diamondbacks, Medders threw it over 30% of the time with the Giants. His curveball was his slowest pitch, averaging 72.5 miles per hour (116.7 km/h); he threw it 25% of the time. The slider, which averaged 83.9 miles per hour (135.0 km/h), was his choice 12.6% of the time. He rarely threw the changeup, which was his choice 3.3% of the time; it averaged 80.9 miles per hour (130.2 km/h). ## Personal life Medders married fellow Tuscaloosa native Meredith Sims McGraw on September 12, 2002, in Tuscaloosa. The couple has one child, daughter Berkley. Former Diamondback teammate Bruney is one of his best friends.

Stanley Matthews

English footballer (1915–2000)

Sir Stanley Matthews CBE (1 February 1915 – 23 February 2000) was an English footballer who played as an outside right. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of the British game and one of the greatest players of all time, he is the only player to have been knighted while still playing football, as well as being the first winner of both the European Footballer of the Year and the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year awards. His nicknames included "The Wizard of Dribble" and "The Magician". Matthews kept fit enough to play at the top level until he was 50. He was also the oldest player to play in England's top football division (50 years and 5 days) and the oldest to represent the country (42 years and 104 days). He was an inaugural inductee to the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002 to honour his contribution to the English game. Matthews spent 19 years with Stoke City, playing for the Potters from 1932 to 1947 and again from 1961 to 1965. He helped Stoke to the Second Division title in 1932–33 and 1962–63. Between his two spells at Stoke, he spent 14 years with Blackpool, where, after being on the losing side in the 1948 and 1951 FA Cup finals, he helped Blackpool to win the cup with a formidable personal performance in the "Matthews final" of 1953. In 1956, he was named the winner of the inaugural Ballon d'Or, a prize given to the best European footballer each year. Between 1934 and 1957, he won 54 caps for England, playing in the FIFA World Cup in 1950 and 1954, and winning nine British Home Championship titles. Following an unsuccessful stint as Port Vale's general manager between 1965 and 1968, he travelled around the world, coaching enthusiastic amateurs. His experiences included coaching in South Africa, where despite the harsh apartheid laws of the time he established an all-black team in 1975 in Soweto known as "Stan's Men". ## Family and early life Stanley Matthews was born on 1 February 1915 in a terraced house in Seymour Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. He was the third of four sons born to Jack Matthews, a local boxer known as the "Fighting Barber of Hanley". In the summer of 1921, Jack Matthews took six-year-old Stanley to the Victoria Ground, home of the local club Stoke City, for an open race for boys under the age of 14, with a staggered start according to age. His father placed a bet on his son winning, and he did. Matthews attended Hanley's Wellington Road School and later described himself as "in many respects a model pupil". He also said the kickabout games the children played helped to improve his dribbling and prepared the children for future life by giving them "a focus, a purpose, discipline, and in many respects an escape". At home he also spent "countless hours" practising dribbling around kitchen chairs he placed in his backyard. Though he would later become indelibly associated with Stoke City, Matthews grew up supporting that club's local rivals Port Vale. His father wanted him to follow in his footsteps and become a boxer, but Stanley decided at the age of 13 that he wanted to be a footballer. After a rigorous training session that made Matthews vomit, his mother, Elizabeth, stood firm and made Jack realise that his son, who had one more year at school, should follow his passion for football. His father conceded that should he be picked for England Schoolboys then he could continue his footballing career; around this time his school football master picked Matthews as an outside-right, rather than as his then-preferred position of centre-half. Matthews played for England Schoolboys against Wales in 1929, in front of around 20,000 spectators at Dean Court, Bournemouth. ## Playing career ### Stoke City Wolverhampton Wanderers, Birmingham City, Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion were all rumoured to be interested in Matthews in the wake of his appearance for England Schoolboys. The Stoke City manager Tom Mather persuaded Matthews' father to allow Stanley to join his club's staff as an office boy on his 15th birthday for pay of £1-a-week. Matthews played for Stoke's reserve team during the 1930–31 season, coming up first against Burnley. After the game, his father gave his usual realist assessment: "I've seen you play better and I've seen you play worse". Matthews played 22 reserve games in 1931–32, shunning the social scene to focus on improving his game. In one of these games, against Manchester City, he attempted to run at the left-back and take him on with a deft swerve as the defender committed himself to a challenge, rather than follow the accepted wisdom of the day which was first to wait for the defender to run at the attacker – his new technique "worked a treat". The national press were already predicting a bright future for the teenager, and though he could have then joined any club in the country, he signed as a professional with Stoke on his 17th birthday. Paid the maximum wage of £5-a-week (£3 in the summer break), he was on the same wage as seasoned professionals before he even kicked a ball. Despite this, his father insisted that Matthews save this money and only spend any winning bonus money he earned. He made his first-team debut against Bury at Gigg Lane on 19 March 1932; the "Potters" won the game 1–0 and Matthews learned how physical and dirty opponents could be – and get away with it. After spending the 1932–33 pre-season training intensely by himself (as opposed to playing golf with his teammates), Mather selected Matthews in 15 games, enough to earn him in a winners medal after Stoke were crowned Second Division champions, one point ahead of Tottenham Hotspur. On 4 March 1933 he scored his first senior goal in a 3–1 win over local rivals Port Vale at The Old Recreation Ground. He played 29 First Division games in 1933–34, as Stoke secured their top-flight status with a 12th-place finish. Matthews added a Staffordshire Senior Cup winners' medal in 1934. He continued to progress in the 1934–35 campaign and was selected by The Football League for an Inter-League game with the Irish League at The Oval, which finished 6–1 to the English. His England debut followed, and so did a further game for the Football League against the Scottish League. Stoke finished the season in 10th place. In 1935–36 Matthews continued to improve, adding the double body swerve technique to his increasing arsenal of tricks. Largely out of the international picture, he put in 45 games for the "Potters" as Stoke finished fourth under Bob McGrory – the club's best finish. He played 42 games in 1936–37, including the club's record 10–3 win over West Brom at the Victoria Ground. At the end of the season, he was paid a loyalty bonus of £650, though the Stoke board initially insisted he was only due £500 as he had spent his first two years at the club as an amateur – this attitude left a sour taste in Matthews' mouth. Stoke slipped down the league in an extremely tight 1937–38 season, and, annoyed by rumours circulating the city of resentment in the dressing room against him for his England success, Matthews requested a transfer in February; his request was denied. His request became public knowledge, and, disturbed by the attention and harassment he was receiving from Stoke supporters urging him to stay, Matthews decided to take a few days off from the club to relax in Blackpool. Finding no peace there either, Stoke chairman Albert Booth told Matthews he would not be allowed to leave the club, and 3,000 City supporters organised a meeting to make their feelings known – they too demanded that he stay. Touched by their strength of feeling and worn out by the attention he was receiving, Matthews agreed to stay. Despite playing regularly for the national side, Matthews put in 38 games for Stoke in 1938–39, helping them to a seventh-place finish – there would not be another full season of Football League action until 1946. ### Wartime career The war cost Matthews his professional career from the age of 24 to the age of 30. He instead joined the Royal Air Force and was based just outside Blackpool, with Ivor Powell his NCO. He rose to the rank of corporal, though he admitted to being one of the most lenient and easy-going NCOs in the forces. He played 69 Wartime League and Cup games for Stoke and also made 87 guest appearances for Blackpool. In addition to these, he also played a handful of games for Scottish sides Airdrieonians, Morton and Rangers, where he collected a Charity Cup winners' medal, and also played for an unofficial Scotland XI and Arsenal against FC Dynamo Moscow in extremely thick fog. He also played 29 times for England, though no caps were awarded as these were unofficial games. One of the last games of the period was an FA Cup Sixth Round second-leg tie clash between Stoke and Bolton Wanderers; the match ended in tragedy in what would be known as the Burnden Park disaster – 33 people died and 500 were injured. Matthews sent £30 to the disaster fund and could not bring himself to train for several days afterwards. Matthews' father died in 1945. From his deathbed, he made his son promise him two things: to look after his mother and to win an FA Cup final. ### Post-war resumption with Stoke The regular Football League returned in time for the 1946–47 season, during which Matthews played 23 league games and contributed to 30 of the club's 41 league goals. Stoke matched their record finish of fourth in the league, finishing just two points shy of champions Liverpool after losing to Sheffield United on the final day of the season. However, in February, Matthews was returning from a knee injury when manager McGrory told him he was not in the first XI for the game against Arsenal; the press reported this as a bust-up. Relations between McGrory, the Stoke City board, and Matthews had indeed always been sour – though once again a story that the players sided against Matthews were untrue. Recalled against Brentford, only after the game did he find out that this was only because he was a last-minute replacement for an injured Bert Mitchell. Matthews put in a second transfer request, which the Stoke board eventually accepted. He selected Blackpool as his next club as he still lived in the area following his service in the RAF; the Stoke board sanctioned the move on the condition that the deal was to remain a secret until the end of the season, not to disrupt the club's title bid. The secret was revealed in a matter of hours, as an unknown person informed the press. ### Blackpool On 10 May 1947, immediately after a Great Britain versus Rest of Europe match in Glasgow (Britain won 6–1), he made the move for £11,500, at the age of 32. The match raised £30,000 for the four Home Nations Football Associations, and since the eleven British players received £14 each, Matthews questioned where exactly this money ended up – he doubted that much of it ended up as funding for grass-roots football. - "You're 32, do you think you can make it for another couple of years?" – Blackpool manager Joe Smith in 1947. Smith told Matthews, "There are no shackles here ... express yourself ... play your own game and whatever you do on the pitch, do it in the knowledge that you have my full support." He assembled a talented frontline in Matthews, Stan Mortensen, Jimmy McIntosh, and Alex Munro; with an emphasis on entertaining football. The Seasiders finished in ninth place and reached the 1948 FA Cup final. On 23 April 1948, the eve of the final, Matthews won the inaugural Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year award. Despite taking the lead twice in the match, Blackpool lost out 4–2 to Matt Busby's Manchester United in the final, with Matthews assisting Mortensen for Blackpool's second. Injury limited him to only 28 appearances in 1948–49, as Blackpool struggled to a 16th-place finish. He spent the summer touring theatres in a variety act with his brother Ronnie, though he was troubled by an ankle injury he picked up in a charity game. Blackpool finished seventh in 1949–50, and though they were never title contenders, vast crowds still turned out home and away to witness the entertaining football they displayed. At this time he received the maximum wage allowed for a professional player – £12 a week. In 1950–51 Blackpool stormed to a third-place finish, and Matthews played 44 games in league and cup. He cited his highlights of the season as a 2–0 win at Sunderland, a 4–4 draw at Arsenal, and a 4–2 defeat at Newcastle United. They also reached the 1951 FA Cup final, where they were favourites to beat opponents Newcastle; However, Matthews ended up with a second runners-up medal thanks to a brace from Jackie Milburn. After picking up an ankle injury in November, he missed most of the 1951–52 campaign and was forced to spend most of his time instead working at the hotel he and his wife ran. It was during this time that he cut red meat from his diet to begin his new near-vegetarian diet. At this point new Stoke manager Frank Taylor enquired as to whether he might bring Matthews back to the club; all parties agreed to the idea in principle until Joe Smith put his foot down to ensure he stayed, with an inspirational speech he promised Matthews that an FA Cup winners medal was still possible, telling him that "a lot of people think I'm mad, but even though you're 37, I believe your best football is still to come." Despite spending some three months of the season out with a muscle injury, the 1952–53 campaign proved Smith's words to be accurate, as a 38-year-old Matthews won an FA Cup winners medal in a match which was, despite Mortensen's hat-trick, subsequently dubbed the "Matthews final". Bolton were leading 3–1 with 35 minutes to go, but Matthews had "the game of his life" in "the greatest ever FA Cup final" and spurred his team on to a last gasp 4–3 victory. He always credited the team and especially Mortensen for the victory and never accepted the nickname of the "Matthews final". He helped the Tangerines to record a sixth-place finish in 1953–54, though hopes of retaining their FA Cup title were ended with a defeat to Port Vale at Vale Park in the Fifth Round. Matthews missed just eight league games in 1954–55, though journalists were keen to write him off with every occasional off-performance and missed game – "it was all balderdash", he replied. Despite his age, and more pertinently the media's constant references to his age, Arsenal manager Tom Whittaker tried, unsuccessfully, to lure Matthews to Highbury with a lucrative, if somewhat illegal approach. As Smith began to establish a new side with talents such as Jackie Mudie and Jimmy Armfield, Blackpool posted a second-place finish in 1955–56. However, they ended up some 11 points behind champions Manchester United. Matthews believed that the performance he gave in a 3–1 win over Arsenal on the season's opening day was the finest he ever gave. At the end of the campaign, Matthews was named the winner of the inaugural European Footballer of the Year award, having narrowly defeated Alfredo Di Stéfano 47 to 44 in the poll. Remaining a key first-team member in 1956–57, injury restricted him to 25 league appearances, though Blackpool claimed a creditable fourth-place finish. Matthews scored his 18th and final goal for Blackpool in a 4–1 league victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Bloomfield Road on 3 September 1956. Blackpool finished seventh in 1957–58, after which Joe Smith left the club. In 1957, at the age of 42, Matthews travelled to Ghana to play some exhibition games for Ghanaian club Hearts of Oak. On 26 May 1957, Matthews made his 'debut' for Hearts of Oak at Accra Sports Stadium against Asante Kotoko in front of 20,000 spectators. Similar attendances were recorded for Matthews' next two games against Sekondi Hasaacas and Kumasi Cornerstone. As a result of Matthews' visit to the country, he was installed as a "soccerhene" (soccer chief). Matthews' visit to Ghana also convinced Ghana's first prime minister Kwame Nkrumah that sport could help the development of Ghanaian football, as well as push the ideals of Pan-Africanism. Ghana won their first Africa Cup of Nations six years later in 1963 under the management of Charles Gyamfi. Back in England, Smith's replacement was Ron Suart, who wanted Matthews to stay out wide and did not value his contribution as Smith did. Suart limited Matthews to 19 league appearances in 1958–59. Matthews was then used just 15 times in 1959–60, as Suart signed Arthur Kaye to take his place. Local lad Steve Hill also vied for the outside-right position. He enjoyed more games in 1960–61, playing 27 league games as the club narrowly avoided relegation by the odd point. In 1961, during the English off-season, he played abroad in the Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League with Toronto City, appearing in 14 matches. He returned for the 1965 season, playing in another five matches for Toronto City. He started the 1961–62 season behind Hill in the pecking order, only getting his place back in time for a 4–0 win over Chelsea after Hill picked up an injury. He made his 440th and final appearance in a Blackpool shirt in a 3–0 defeat at Arsenal on 7 October 1961. It was a fitting final bow as he always enjoyed playing against Arsenal. He had "so many wonderful memories" at Highbury. With former teammate and close friend Jackie Mudie at Stoke City, and with Tony Waddington keen to welcome Matthews back to the Victoria Ground, his return to his home-town club was sealed. However, Matthews was not impressed when the Blackpool board demanded a £3,500 transfer fee, with one director being so bold as to tell him "You forget. As a player, we made you." Having kept secret from Stoke a niggling knee injury Matthews had been carrying, Blackpool got their £3,500 for the player. ### Return to Stoke At Stoke, Matthews played Second Division football for the first time in 28 years. Despite Stoke being strapped for cash, Tony Waddington gave him a two-year contract at £50-a-week – this was double the wages he received at Blackpool. The signing was broadcast live on Sportsview, as Waddington whispered in his ear "Welcome home, Stan. For years this club has been going nowhere. Now we're on our way". Waddington delayed his return debut until 24 October 1961, when Stoke played Huddersfield Town at the Victoria Ground, the attendance was 35,974 – more than treble the previous home game – and Matthews set up one of City's goals in a 3–0 win. He went on to score three goals in 21 games in the rest of the 1961–62 campaign. Waddington signed hardman Eddie Clamp to protect Matthews in the 1962–63 season, and the two would also become close friends off the pitch. Along with veteran teammates Jackie Mudie, Jimmy O'Neill, Eddie Stuart, Don Ratcliffe, Dennis Viollet, and Jimmy McIlroy, Stoke had the oldest team in the Football League. Matthews scored his only goal of the season in the final home game of the campaign, as Luton Town were beaten 2–0, the result ensured Stoke gained promotion to the top flight. Stoke went up as Second Division champions. Matthews was voted FWA Footballer of the Year for the second time in his career, 15 years after he was made the award's inaugural winner. When he was 48, he picked up this award, and he became the oldest award winner by a wide margin, which remains so more than half a century later. After picking up an injury, he missed January onwards of the 1963–64 campaign and thereby missed the 1964 Football League Cup final defeat to Leicester City, playing in just nine of Stoke's 42 First Division matches that season. Discovering that niggling injuries, which would have cost him one day out of action, now required more than two weeks' worth of rest to recover from, Matthews decided to retire after one more season, taking his playing career into his 50th year. He spent the 1964–65 season playing for the reserve side. On 1 January 1965, he became the only footballer to ever be knighted (for services to football) whilst still an active professional player. However, he never thought himself worthy of such an honour. His only first-team appearance of the season was also the last Football League game of his career; it came on 6 February 1965, just after his 50th birthday, and was necessitated by injuries to both Peter Dobing and Gerry Bridgwood. The opponents that day were Fulham, and Stoke won the game 3–1. Though he felt he had retired too early and could have carried on playing for another two years, this brought an end to his 35-year professional career. Stoke City arranged a testimonial match in honour of Matthews; it was much needed as he had spent most of his career constricted to the tight maximum wage that had been enforced upon the English game and only abolished a few years before his retirement. The game was played at the Victoria Ground on 28 April 1965. By that time, Matthews had decided to retire as a player, and the pre-match entertainment consisted of another match of two veteran teams featuring many legends of the game. Harry Johnston led out a team consisting of Bert Trautmann, Tim Ward, George Hardwick, Jimmy Hill, Neil Franklin, Don Revie, Stan Mortensen, Nat Lofthouse, Jimmy Hagan, Tom Finney and Frank Bowyer (reserve). Walley Barnes led out an opposing team consisting of Jimmy O'Neill, Jimmy Scoular, Danny Blanchflower, Jimmy Dickinson, Hughie Kelly, Bill McGarry, Jackie Mudie, Jackie Milburn, Jock Dodds, Ken Barnes, and Arthur Rowley (reserve). In the main game itself, two teams of legends were formed, a Stan's XI (consisting of Football League players) and an International XI (including Ferenc Puskás, Alfredo Di Stefano, Josef Masopust and Lev Yashin). The International side won 6–4, and Matthews was carried shoulder-high from the field at full time by Puskás and Yashin. ### England international career After playing for England Schoolboys, playing in a trial at Roker Park in front of the England selectors, and representing The Football League, Matthews was given his England debut at Ninian Park in 1934. Matthews scored the third goal as England beat the Welsh 4–0. His second game would be the infamous Battle of Highbury, where he set up Eric Brook for the first goal of a 3–2 win over world champions Italy. The Italians turned the match into a "bloodbath", and it ended up as the most violent match that Matthews would ever be involved in. His third cap came in a 3–0 over Germany at White Hart Lane on 4 December 1935, after Ralph Birkett was unable to play due to injury; Matthews was outplayed by his opposite number Reinhold Münzenberg in both attack and defence. Matthews was jeered by England supporters and condemned by the press. He would have to wait until 17 April 1937 for another chance in an England shirt, when he was selected to play in front of 149,000 spectators against the auld enemy at Scotland's Hampden Park. He was physically sick before the match, as he would be before any big game. The "Hampden Roar" a big factor; the Scots won 3–1 despite a good English performance. After another game against Wales, Matthews scored a hat-trick in a 5–4 win against Czechoslovakia. In 1938 he played eight games for England, starting with defeat to a Scotland team containing a young Bill Shankly. He then travelled to Berlin for another encounter with Münzenberg, where pre-match he witnessed first hand the foreboding devotion the people showed the Führer when his motorcade drove past a café the England team were dining in. The game became infamous as The FA, themselves under instruction from the British government, informed the England team that they had to perform the Nazi salute as part of the strategy of appeasement. England won 6–3 with Matthews himself getting on the scoreboard having got the better of Münzenberg this time. The next game was a shock 2–1 defeat to Switzerland, which in turn was followed by a 4–2 win over France in Paris. Following the conclusion of this summer tour of the continent, Matthews scored in a 4–2 defeat to Wales in Cardiff, and then played in England's 3–0 win over a Europe XI at Highbury, their 4–0 win over Norway in Newcastle, and their 7–0 win over Ireland at Old Trafford. On 15 April 1939, he returned to a muddy Hampden Park with England to claim a 2–1 victory in front of 142,000 rain-soaked supporters; he set up Tommy Lawton for the winner with seconds to spare. That summer was the last time England would tour Europe before Hitler's Nazis were defeated. The first game was against Italy, who gave the English a warm reception despite Benito Mussolini's breast-beating and the bad blood of five years previous. Again the World Champions, the Italians managed to salvage a 2–2 draw at the San Siro after scoring with a clear handball; this time Matthews left the field with a chipped hip bone for his efforts. The next game was a 2–1 loss to Yugoslavia, with Matthews and captain Eddie Hapgood passengers in the game after picking up early injuries; this injury forced him to sit out the following encounter with Romania. Following the war, his return for England came against Scotland on 12 April 1947 at Wembley, in a match which finished as a 1–1 draw. In the summer he took part in England's tour of Switzerland and Portugal. Following a surprise defeat to the Swiss, England cantered to a 10–0 win over the Portuguese, with Matthews scoring the 10th. In September, he put in one of his finest performances in an England shirt as he set up all of England's five goals in a 5–2 victory over Belgium. In April 1948, he once again travelled with England to Hampden Park, helping his country to a 2–0 victory. However, after the match, he was the subject of an FA inquiry after he claimed tea and scones on his expenses (at the cost of sixpence). Regardless of this treatment by the FA, the next month he helped England record a 4–0 victory over Italy in Turin. Folklore said that he beat Alberto Eliani only to have the audacity to then pull a comb from his shorts pocket and comb his hair; the reality was that he used his hand to wipe his sweating brow in the beating Italian sun. However, the legend would follow him around the world in later life, and spectators in the crowd were convinced that they had witnessed it. Later in the year, he played in a goalless draw with Denmark, a 6–2 win over Northern Ireland, a 1–0 win over Wales, and a 6–0 triumph over Switzerland. Manager Walter Winterbottom began to look for a more defensive winger, and so used Matthews just once in 1949 – a 3–1 defeat to Scotland in the British Home Championship. Only after impressing in an FA tour of Canada was he named as a last-minute inclusion in the England squad for the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He did not play in the win over Chile or in the infamous defeat to the United States, but played just once, in the 1–0 defeat to Spain at the Maracanã Stadium. The preparation was not ideal as the FA did not take the competition seriously, and the hotel had "unpalatable" food and no training facilities. After playing only in two further games, a 4–4 draw with a Europe XI and a 3–1 win over Northern Ireland, he found himself back on the international scene following his heroics in the 1953 FA Cup final. He was selected to play Hungary's Golden Team on 25 November 1953, in a 6–3 defeat that became known as the "Match of the Century". He blamed the FA and the selectors for the heavy loss, though he had great admiration for the Hungarians, particularly Ferenc Puskás. He did not play in England's 7–1 defeat to Hungary in Budapest in May 1954. However, he was in the squad for the 1954 FIFA World Cup in Switzerland. Matthews helped England to a 4–4 draw with Belgium, though was left out of a win over Switzerland before he returned to the first XI as England crashed out of the competition with a 4–2 defeat to Uruguay at the St. Jakob Stadium after mistakes from goalkeeper Gil Merrick. His third match of the year was a 2–0 win over Northern Ireland at Windsor Park in the 1954–55 British Home Championship, though on the pitch he did not gel well with Don Revie. Matthews then put in a superb performance in a 2–0 win over the Welsh before he helped England to record a 3–1 victory over World Champions West Germany, though only three of the Germans used at Wembley had been in the first XI in the World Cup final. England beat Scotland 7–2 in April 1955, and this time, Matthews linked up much better with Revie and 40-year-old Matthews was largely credited for the outstanding margin of victory. In this game, Duncan Edwards was making his England debut; when Matthews made his, Edwards had not even been born. Matthews went on England's unsuccessful tour of the continent in 1955, as the selectors erratic choices helped to ensure a 1–0 defeat to France, a 1–1 draw with Spain, and a 3–1 defeat to Portugal. Left out against Denmark, he was back in the team in October for a 1–1 draw with Wales. Having been awarded the inaugural Ballon d'Or in 1956, that May he was recalled to the England front line for an encounter against Brazil in a crowded Wembley in what was the first friendly match played by both teams. England won the match 4–2, though the Brazilians would later become world champions in 1958. He then refused to take part in that summer's European tour, having already committed himself to his second summer of coaching in South Africa. In his next international game, against Northern Ireland on 6 October 1956, aged 41 years and 248 days, he became the oldest England player ever to score an international goal. He played three of England's four qualification games for the 1958 FIFA World Cup: a 5–1 victory over the Republic of Ireland, and the 5–2 and 4–1 wins over Denmark. On 15 May 1957, Matthews became the oldest player ever to represent England, when at 42 years and 104 days old he turned out for the victory over the Danes in Copenhagen. Despite calls by the press for him to be included in the 1958 World Cup squad, this time the selectors did not bow to the pressure. Yet after 23 years, nobody would ever enjoy a longer career with the England team. He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1956 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the BBC Television Theatre. He was one of many signatories in a letter to The Times on 17 July 1958 opposing "the policy of apartheid" in international sport and defending "the principle of racial equality which is embodied in the Declaration of the Olympic Games". ## Style of play Franz Beckenbauer said that the speed and skill Matthews possessed meant that "almost no one in the game could stop him". John Charles noted that "he was the best crosser I've ever seen – and he had to contend with the old heavy ball". Johnny Giles said that "he had everything – good close control, great dribbling ability. He was lightning quick. He was also an intelligent player, who knew how to pass the ball". Despite his great talents, he rarely tackled opponents and was not adept at heading the ball or using his left foot. An outside right, before 1937–38 he had scored 43 goals in four seasons, and full-backs began to mark him more tightly; because of this, he decided to drop deeper to collect the ball and aim to play pinpoint crosses as opposed to going for glory himself. Though he would never again score more than six goals in a season, this made him a more effective team player and a greater threat to the opposition. His daughter Jean Gough told how Matthews would wear lead in his shoes walking to the ground so that "when he put his football boots on, they felt like ballerina shoes." Having trained to a level of fitness few other players would reach, by the mid-1950s he was able to cut back on his intense training as his level of fitness was by then ingrained in his body. He never smoked; instead, he was very conscious of every item of food and drink he consumed, and he maintained a rigid daily training regime from childhood up until his old age. In an interview with the FA he said, "I had some very good advice and started to eat more salads and fruit, and every Monday I had no food. Just one day, on a Monday, but I felt better." The only time he knowingly consumed alcohol was when drinking champagne out of the FA Cup in 1953. In addition to his attention to detail in diet and fitness, he also afforded scrutiny to his kit. 1950–51 he struck a boot sponsorship deal with the Co-op, though he instead began wearing a more lightweight pair of boots he had discovered on show at the World Cup – at the time they were not available to buy in England. He would wear the customised boots until his retirement, though they were so delicate that he got through countless pairs every season. An avid student of the game, in the 1950 FIFA World Cup Matthews stayed on to watch teams such as Brazil and Uruguay compete in the tournament after England's elimination – the English FA, manager and media all returned home to, as Matthews said, "bury their heads in the sand." Matthews regularly condemned the "blazer brigade" at the FA in his autobiography, slating them as "conservative" and stressing that many of them were Old Etonians; in his view they treated players and supporters poorly, demonstrated arrogance by ignoring competitions they did not control (the World Cup and European domestic competitions), and viewed innovations with excessive suspicion (for example the FA sanctioned only the use of floodlights in 1952 despite artificial lighting having been experimented with as far back as 1878, and for years insisted on using outdated kit such as heavy "reinforced" boots). Writing about the fact that the FA allocated only 12,000 of the 100,000 available tickets for the 1953 FA Cup final to Blackpool supporters, Matthews wrote: "I couldn't make my mind up whether they were dunderheads or simply didn't care about the genuine supporters who were the lifeblood of the game". He was never booked or sent off throughout his entire career, and teammate Jimmy Armfield noted that Matthews would never retaliate to the many extremely physical challenges opponents would often make to try and take him out of the game. Indeed, he ran the full gauntlet of emotions that all footballers run, but always retained a level head on the pitch, never losing his temper or allowing his emotions to affect his game. ## Coaching and management career Matthews was appointed general manager at Stoke's rivals Port Vale in July 1965, alongside good friend Jackie Mudie; Matthews was unpaid, though was given expenses. The pair had a plan of bringing through talented schoolboys and selling one or two off every so often to improve the club's bleak financial picture whilst at the same time advancing through the leagues; in his autobiography he said that what Dario Gradi later achieved at Crewe Alexandra is what he had in mind for the Vale. Matthews concentrated his search in North East England and Central Scotland, where he discovered talented striker Mick Cullerton, though overlooked a teenage Ray Kennedy. Following Mudie's resignation in May 1967, Handed complete managerial control, Matthews could not guide the club to success. Instead, Port Vale were fined £4,000 in February/March 1968 and expelled from the Football League for financial irregularities. He was forced to use his name to plead with the other Football League clubs to re-elect the Vale, which they duly did. He stood down as manager in May 1968 and, despite being owed £9,000 in salary and expenses, agreed to stay at Vale Park to continue his work with the youth team. A "final settlement" was reached in December 1970, and Matthews was given £3,300, with the other £7,000 he was owed to be written off. Player Roy Sproson later said that "he [Matthews] trusted people who should never have been trusted and people took advantage of him. I am convinced a lot of people sponged off him and, all the while, the club were sliding." The experience "left a sour taste" in his mouth, and was enough to convince him never to try his hand as management in English football again. Matthews gave up his summers every year between 1953 and 1978 to coach poor children in South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda and Tanzania. In South Africa in 1975, he ignored apartheid to form a team of black schoolboys in Soweto called "Stan's Men". The members of his team told him that it was their dream to play in Brazil, so Matthews organised a trip there; they were the first black team ever to tour outside of South Africa. He did not have the money to fund the trip himself, though used his connections (for the only time other than when he used them to save Port Vale in 1968) to arrange sponsorship from Coca-Cola and the Johannesburg Sunday Times newspaper. The South African authorities did not want to cause an international incident, so did not prevent Stan's Men from getting on the plane to Rio de Janeiro, where they would meet legendary player Zico. On the way back from the trip, the Stan's Men captain Gilbert Moiloa called Matthews "black man with the white face". In a 2017 documentary film on his life, Matthews, the film crew traveled to Soweto to interview Stan's Men about their memories with Matthews. He played his final game of football for an England Veterans XI against a Brazil Veterans XI in Brazil in 1985 at the age of 70; the English lost 6–1 to the likes of Amarildo, Tostão, and Jairzinho. He damaged his cartilage during the match: "a promising career cut tragically short", he wrote in his autobiography. ## Retirement and death Having toured the world coaching in Australia, the United States, Canada and especially in Africa, Matthews returned to Stoke-on-Trent with wife Mila in 1989. The couple moved to The Views in Penkhull, a listed building which was the birthplace of Sir Oliver Lodge. He later served as president of Stoke City and honorary vice-president of Blackpool Matthews remained physically fit into his seventies and eighties. He undertook early-morning runs, had never smoked and was a vegetarian for years, fasting for one day a week. He suffered a heart attack in May 1997. He died in North Staffordshire Nuffield Hospital in Newcastle-under-Lyme on 23 February 2000, aged 85, after suffering a fall at his holiday home in Tenerife. Mila had died the previous year. His death was announced on the radio just before starting an England v Argentina friendly match. He was cremated following a funeral service in Stoke on 3 March 2000. His funeral was attended by many of his fellow footballers, such as Bobby Charlton and Jack Charlton, Gordon Banks, Nat Lofthouse and Tom Finney. His ashes were buried beneath the centre circle of Stoke City's Britannia Stadium, which he had officially opened in August 1997. After his death, more than 100,000 people lined the streets of Stoke-on-Trent to pay tribute. After his death, dozens of footballing legends paid tribute to him, and his autobiography's epilogue contains several quotations. Pelé said he was "the man who taught us the way football should be played", and Brian Clough added that "he was a true gentleman and we shall never see his like again". Former England goalkeeper Gordon Banks said: "I don't think anyone since had a name so synonymous with football in England", whilst World Cup winning German defender Berti Vogts commented that "It is not just in England where his name is famous. All over the world he is regarded as a true football genius". ### Legacy Stanley Matthews was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1995. Matthews was made an inaugural inductee of the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002 in recognition of his talents. The International Federation of Football History & Statistics voted him the 11th greatest footballer of the 20th century. Matthews was placed 17th in World Soccer magazine's "100 Greatest Players of the 20th Century" list, published in 1999. He was inducted into the Blackpool F.C. Hall of Fame at Bloomfield Road when it was officially opened by Jimmy Armfield in April 2006. Organised by the Blackpool Supporters Association, Blackpool fans around the world voted on their all-time heroes. Five players from each decade are inducted; Matthews is in the 1950s. The West Stand at Blackpool's Bloomfield Road is named in his honour. He was also inducted into the Stoke-on-Trent Hall of Fame when it was opened in January 2011. There is a statue of Matthews outside Stoke City's Britannia Stadium and another in the centre of Hanley. The dedication on the former reads: "His name is symbolic of the beauty of the game, his fame timeless and international, his sportsmanship and modesty universally acclaimed. A magical player, of the people, for the people." The Stanley Matthews Collection is held by the National Football Museum. In February 2010, the boots worn by Matthews in the 1953 FA Cup final were auctioned at Bonhams in Chester for £38,400 to an undisclosed buyer. Sierra Leonean football club Mighty Blackpool F.C., based in the capital city of Freetown, changed their name from Socro United in 1954 because of their admiration for Matthews. Ormiston Sir Stanley Matthews Academy is a secondary school in Blurton, Stoke-on-Trent, named after him. In 2017 a documentary film was made about Matthews' life entitled Matthews with son Stanley Jr. as Executive Producer. In November 1985 a British Rail Mark 3 carriage was named Sir Stanley Matthews by British Rail. ## Personal life On 19 August 1935 in Eaglesham, Scotland, Matthews married Betty Vallance, daughter of Stoke City trainer Jimmy, whom he first met on his 15th birthday in 1930 on his first day as office boy at the Victoria Ground. The couple had two children together: Jean (born 1 January 1939) and Stanley Jr (born 20 November 1945). Stanley Jr went on to become a tennis player under the tutelage of John Barrett. He became Wimbledon Boys' Champion in 1962 making him the last English player to do so until Henry Searle in 2023. He never translated his success into the senior game, though, and instead moved to the United States to run the Four Seasons Racquet Club in Wilton, Connecticut. Jean married Robert Gough, whom she had met at their tennis club. In 1965, Matthews became a grandfather after Jean gave birth to a son, Matthew Gough. She would have two other children — daughters Samantha and Amanda. Gough made Matthews a great-grandfather in 1999 when he and his wife had a son, Cameron. Matthews had six other great-grandchildren. In 1967, while on a tour of Czechoslovakia with Port Vale, Matthews met 44-year-old Mila, the group's interpreter. Matthews was still married to Betty, but as he was convinced he had found the true love of his life in Mila, he and Betty divorced. He and Mila spent the ensuing years living at various times in Malta (specifically Marsaxlokk), South Africa and Burlington, Ontario. They also travelled extensively as Matthews's coaching jobs and guest appearances dictated. After Mila died on 5 May 1999 at the age of 76, according to Les Scott (who helped Matthews write his autobiography), Matthews "was never the same person". > "Self-willed, strong-minded, humorous, generous of spirit and, for all his fame, as down to earth as the folk who once adorned the terraces in the hope of seeing him sparkle gold dust onto their harsh working lives." ## Career statistics ### Club ### International - Scores and results list England's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Matthews goal. ### Managerial statistics ## Honours ### Player Stoke City - Football League Second Division: 1932–33, 1962–63 - Staffordshire Senior Cup: 1933–34 Rangers - Glasgow Charity Cup: 1940–41 Blackpool - FA Cup: 1952–53; runner-up: 1947–48, 1950–51 - Football League War Cup: 1942–43 England - British Home Championship: 1935, 1938, 1939, 1947, 1948, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957 - : a. The Championship was shared with Scotland in 1935, with Wales and Scotland in 1939, and with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in 1956. ### Manager Hibernians - Maltese FA Trophy: 1970–71 - Independence Cup: 1970–71 - Sons of Malta Cup: 1970–71 ### Individual - FWA Footballer of the Year: 1948, 1963 - Ballon d'Or: 1956 - Pierre de Coubertin World Trophy: 1986 - PFA Merit Award: 1987 - FIFA Gold Order of Merit: 1992 - FWA Tribute Award: 1995 - Ontario Sports Hall of Fame: 1995 (Honorary member) - Football League 100 Legends: 1998 - English Football Hall of Fame: 2002 - PFA Team of the Century (1907–1976): 2007 - IFFHS Legends - IFFHS men's All Time England dream team - IFFHS England Player of the Century: \#2 - IFFHS European Player of the Century: \#8 - IFFHS World Player of the Century: \#11 ### Orders - CBE: 1957 - Knight Bachelor: 1965 ## Autobiography Matthews' autobiography, The Way It Was, was released by Headline in 2000. The book is dedicated to his wife Mila, who died the year before its publication. Matthews, then 84, collaborated with Les Scott, his friend of 10 years, in the writing of the book over an 18-month period on an almost daily basis. "Stan, as he had been all his life, was an early riser", wrote Scott in the epilogue. "Our collaborations were over by eleven in the morning and, without fail, took place in his den. He loved working on his book and, after I had left him, he would give the morning's session more applied thought — more often than not ringing me at home to provide additional thoughts or anecdotes." Matthews also wrote an earlier autobiography entitled Feet First. This was published by Ewen And Dale in 1948. ## See also - Matthews (film) – a 2017 documentary film about Stanley Matthews - List of men's footballers with the most official appearances

HMS Andromeda (1897)

British Diadem-class protected cruiser

HMS Andromeda was one of eight Diadem-class protected cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the 1890s. Upon completion in 1899, the ship was assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet where she helped to escort a royal yacht during its cruise through the Mediterranean Sea. After a refit, she was assigned to the China Station in 1904 and returned home three years later to be reduced to reserve. Andromeda was converted into a training ship in 1913 and remained in that role under various names until 1956. That year she was sold for scrap and broken up in Belgium, the last Pembroke-built ship still afloat. ## Design and description The Diadem class was designed to protect British merchant shipping from fast cruisers like the Russian Rurik and were smaller versions of the Powerful class. The ships had a length between perpendiculars of 435 feet (132.6 m), a beam of 69 feet (21.0 m) and a draught of 25 feet 6 inches (7.8 m). They displaced 11,000 long tons (11,000 t). The first batch of Diadems were powered by a pair of four-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one shaft, which were designed to produce a total of 16,500 indicated horsepower (12,300 kW) and a maximum speed of 20.5 knots (38.0 km/h; 23.6 mph) using steam provided by 30 Belleville boilers. They carried a maximum of 1,900 long tons (1,930 t) of coal and their hulls were sheathed with copper to reduce biofouling. Their complement numbered 677 officers and ratings. The main armament of the Diadem-class ships consisted of 16 quick-firing (QF) QF 6-inch (152 mm) guns. Four of these were on the forecastle and in the stern, all protected by gun shields. The remaining dozen guns were in armoured casemates on each broadside. The ships carried 200 rounds per gun. Protection against torpedo boats was provided by a dozen QF 12-pounder 3 in (76 mm), 12-cwt guns, for which 300 rounds per gun was provided, and 3 QF 3-pounder 1.9 in (47 mm) Hotchkiss guns. In addition, the ships carried a pair of Ordnance QF 12-pounder 8-cwt landing guns for use ashore. The ships were also armed with a pair of submerged 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes. The sloped armoured deck ranged in thickness from 2.5 to 4 inches (64 to 102 mm) on the flat and slopes, respectively. The casemates were protected by 6 inches of Harvey armour while the gun shields had 2 to 4.5 inches (51 to 114 mm) of armour. The conning towers were protected by 12-inch (305 mm) walls and their roofs were 2 inches thick. The tubes protecting the ammunition hoists were also 2 inches thick. ## Construction and career Andromeda was the fifth ship of her name to serve in the Royal Navy and was laid down on 2 December 1895 by Pembroke Dockyard. The ship was launched on 30 April 1897 by Lady Scourfield, wife of Sir Owen Scourfield Bt. She was fitted out at Pembroke Dock until 5 September 1898 and sailed later that month to Portsmouth Dockyard for completion. Upon completion on 5 September 1899, she was assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet. In March 1900 she did a month's cruise of Italian and Spanish ports. In March 1901 the ship was one of two cruisers tasked to escort the ocean liner HMS , commissioned as a royal yacht for the World tour of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York (later King George V and Queen Mary), from Gibraltar to Malta, and then to Port Said. Captain Christopher Cradock was appointed in command on 24 March 1902, and from 11 June that year Andromeda served as flagship of the Cruiser Division of the Mediterranean Fleet. In May 1902 she visited Palermo to attend festivities in connection with the opening of an Agricultural Exhibition by King Victor Emmanuel, and the following month the ship was in Gibraltar for a coronation fête. Andromeda and other ships of the division visited Argostoli in early October 1902. She returned home later that year and paid off at Portsmouth on 10 February 1903, then transferred to the dockyard for a lengthy refit. Andromeda was assigned to the China Station in 1904 and returned home three years later. The ship was reduced to reserve at Chatham Dockyard upon her return, but transferred to Devonport Dockyard shortly afterwards. In 1907 Lieutenant Quentin Crauford was authorised by the Admiralty to create an experimental radio station to broadcast to the fleet in Chatham – and this was the first wireless broadcast of music and speech for the purpose of entertainment in Britain.Andromeda was assigned to the 9th Cruiser Squadron of the new reserve Third Fleet in 1912. The following year the ship was converted to a boys' training ship and renamed Powerful II on 23 September 1913. She was later renamed Impregnable II in November 1919 and finally, HMS Defiance on 20 January 1931, when she became part of the torpedo school. The ship was sold for scrap in 1956 and arrived at Burgt, Belgium, on 14 August to begin demolition.

Soak Up the Sun

2002 song by Sheryl Crow

"Soak Up the Sun" is a song by American singer Sheryl Crow. She and her longtime co-writer Jeff Trott wrote the song following a conversation they had during a plane flight, when they discussed the changing weather as they flew to New York City from Portland, Oregon. Crow was recovering from surgery at the time, inspiring her and Trott to write a happy song that would cheer her up. In the song, Crow has no money to afford any luxuries or necessities, but she decides that wallowing in her sadness is not a productive activity, so she reflects on what she currently has and "puts on a happy face" that she plans to spread to others. Crow chose to release the song as the lead single from her fourth studio album, C'mon, C'mon (2002), as she wanted to enliven people living in a post-9/11 society. Crow first performed the song at the 2002 AFC Championship Game in January 2002, and A\&M Records released "Soak Up the Sun" as a single in the United States on February 11, 2002. The song became Crow's sixth top-40 hit in the US, reaching number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping two other Billboard rankings. The Victor Calderone and Mac Quayle remixes also topped the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart, making it Crow's only record to peak atop the listing. "Soak Up the Sun" was America's 35th-best-performing single of 2002, and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) awarded the song a gold disc in 2005. Worldwide, the song reached the top 10 in Croatia and the top 20 in Austria, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. A music video directed by Wayne Isham was made for the song, featuring Crow performing the track with many beachgoers on Oahu, Hawaii. The video shows her performing the song at several locations on the beach and surfing. These scenes are interspersed with other surfers riding the waves as well. Various cosmetics and lotions were used to achieve Crow's tanned look in the music video, with makeup artist Scott Barnes wanting a "St. Tropez" look. On her birthday, which occurred during filming, Crow received a surfboard from the crew that she uses in the video. ## Background, release, and promotion "Soak Up the Sun" originated from a conversation that Sheryl Crow had with co-worker Jeff Trott during a plane trip. The two were flying from Portland, Oregon, to New York City, and Trott commented how "ironic" it was that they were departing a rainy city for a sunny city. This thought stuck with Trott after the trip, and he and Crow wrote a song based on what he felt during the trip. Around the same time, Crow was recovering from non-invasive surgery, leaving her debilitated. She and Trott decided to write the song to take her mind off her discomfort, and the lyrics came to them rapidly. Crow claims that the reason they came to her so quickly was because of the medication she was on, which also influenced her to write another track for C'mon, C'mon, "Weather Channel". In a 2002 interview with Radio & Records, Crow recalled that she wrote the song and most of the album before the September 11 attacks, and she wanted to release the song as the lead single from C'mon, C'mon since northern summer was only a few months away and because she wanted everyone to feel better after the stressful winter. Along with Trina Shoemaker and Eric Tew, Crow recorded the song and album at various studios in the United States and United Kingdom. Crow first performed "Soak Up the Sun" on January 27, 2002, at the 2002 AFC Championship Game, and it was released to adult album alternative, hot adult contemporary, and top 40 radio stations on February 11, 2002. Two days later, Radio & Records' Music Meeting website made the song available for download, becoming the first retailer to do so. In Europe and Australia, A\&M Records issued the song as a CD single on March 25, 2002, backed with two non-album B-sides: "Chances Are" and "You're Not the One". The same month, Crow traveled around Europe to promote the song and its parent album. Two days after its European release, a CD single was issued in Japan, and on April 1, 2002, A\&M released "Soak Up the Sun" in the United Kingdom as two CD singles and a cassette single. During a live performance at the Glastonbury Festival in June 2019, Crow dedicated the song to Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg. ## Composition and lyrics "Soak Up the Sun" is a bubblegum pop song written in common time with a key of E major, following a moderately fast tempo of 120 beats per minute. American singer Liz Phair appears as a guest vocalist, with Tim Smith providing additional background vocals. Keith Philips of The A.V. Club described "Soak Up the Sun" as a "tribute to good living", and Billboard magazine editor Chuck Taylor noted that the song resembles Crow's earlier works, particularly "All I Wanna Do" (1994), with simplistic instrumentation and lyrics about living with what one already has. Crow has also acknowledged the similarity, explaining that the difference between the two songs is that "All I Wanna Do" is more "sardonic" in its meaning. For "Soak Up the Sun", Crow plays acoustic guitar and an F/X keyboard while Trott plays electric guitar, acoustic guitar, lap steel guitar, and bass. Jeff Anthony plays drums, and he, along with Trott, handled drum programming. At the start of the song, Crow laments her economical issues, revealing that she does not have enough money to pay for her basic needs. However, she decides that the temptation of wanting things is not what matters; rather, it is what she already has that is important. The chorus states that she is going to "soak up the sun", which is a metaphor for "putting on a happy face", and that she will implore others to do the same. She chooses not to blame anyone for her misery and instead looks to the future with a cheerful attitude. The song's overall lyrical meaning is diverse depending on which lines are examined. Crow stated that she believes "Soak Up the Sun" is about trying to live life with a constant smile despite the hardships that people encounter on a daily basis. Abigail Martin of college newspaper The Maine Campus wrote that the song illustrates this theme while also cautioning that nothing lasts forever, as indicated by the post-chorus line "before [the Sun] goes out on me". Music critics have noted that the song is reproachful of consumerism—as hinted by the lyric "while it's still free" as well as the communist mentioned at the beginning of the song—and how it relates to the declining popularities of certain celebrities, including Crow herself. Conversely, other critics believe that the line is literal, stating that the sun does not cost anything and therefore should always be available as a source for optimism. Entertainment Weekly's David Browne wrote that the song is a critique on "information-saturated culture". ## Critical reception Reviewing the song for Billboard, Chuck Taylor called "Soak Up the Sun" "reassuring" when compared with the changing chart trends of early 2002, commenting that the track is "top-notch, honest-to-goodness musicianship". Steve Wonsiewicz of Radio & Records described the song as "breezy" and "feel-good". UK radio station The Revolution head of music Chris Gregg said the song is more "mature" than Crow's previous material and could catch the attention of adult audiences. On April 27, 2002, Music & Media magazine named it their "Pick of the Week", with music editor Thorsten Weber noting that it does not take long for listeners to sing along, labeling the song as "melodic" and "catchy". Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine noted that Crow's lyrics were a return to form and compared the song to the works of the Beach Boys. Retrospectively, Raymond Cummings of popular culture website Splice Today gave the song a negative review, referring to is as one of the most "loathsome" songs of the 2000s decade and criticizing its lyrics, comparing them to a superficial message one would find on a Hallmark card. ## Chart performance In the United States, "Soak Up the Sun" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 73 on April 13, 2002, becoming that week's "Hot Shot Debut". Fourteen issues later, on July 20, 2002, the song rose to its peak of number 17. It was Crow's sixth single to enter the top 40 and spent a total of 29 weeks on the Hot 100, last appearing at number 42 on October 26, 2002. In December 2002, Billboard ranked the song at number 35 on its year-end Hot 100 edition. The song became a number-one hit on two other Billboard charts: the Adult Alternative Songs chart and the Adult Top 40. On the former chart, it spent seven weeks at number one, while on the latter, it remained at the top spot for nine weeks. It additionally reached number five on the magazine's Adult Contemporary chart and number 15 on the Mainstream Top 40 listing. On the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart, the Victor Calderone and Mac Quayle remixes topped the ranking on the week of June 1, 2002, becoming Crow's only song to top this chart. The RIAA awarded the song a gold certification in June 2005 for digital sales exceeding 500,000 in the US alone. In Canada, the song charted for one week on the Canadian Singles Chart, at number 24 on April 27, 2002. It was the second-most played song on Canadian radio in 2002. In the United Kingdom, "Soak Up the Sun" became Crow's 15th and penultimate top-40 hit, debuting at peaking at number 16 on the UK Singles Chart in April 2002. It spent 10 weeks within the top 100, her longest-charting single since "All I Wanna Do" logged 17 weeks in the top 100 in 1995. In neighboring Ireland, the song peaked at number 36 and spent five weeks on the Irish Singles Chart; it was her only single besides "All I Wanna Do" that spent at least five weeks on the listing. On continental Europe, the song reached the top 10 in Croatia, peaking at number seven. It was also a top-40 hit in Romania, where it rose to number 39 in June 2002 and stayed on the Romanian Top 100 for 17 weeks. In German-speaking Europe, although the track stalled at number 96 in Germany, it reached number 15 in both Austria and Switzerland. In Switzerland, it logged 30 weeks on the Swiss Hitparade, becoming the country's 94th-most-successful single of 2002. Elsewhere in Europe, "Soak Up the Sun" reached number 51 on the French Singles Chart, number 76 on the Dutch Single Top 100, and number 17 on Wallonia's Ultratip Bubbling Under chart, attaining a peak of number 70 on the Eurochart Hot 100. In Oceania, the single rose into the top 20 in New Zealand, attaining a peak of number 19 on June 9, 2002, and remaining in the top 50 for 16 weeks, but in Australia, it failed to enter the top 75, reaching number 88 on April 1, 2002. ## Music video Wayne Isham directed the video to "Soak Up the Sun", which was filmed on Oahu, Hawaii. The first day was rainy, but by the next day, the weather had cleared up. That same day, for Crow's 40th birthday, the music video's crew gave Crow a custom-made surfboard. Speaking of the experience, Crow said, "I couldn't have asked for a sweeter birthday [...] And I couldn't wait to go surfing." During the filming, she rode waves alongside professional surfers such as Malia Jones and Pākē Salmon. To prepare Crow's hair for the video, hairstylist Peter Butler lathered it with Fudge Oomf Booster, then blow-dried it straight. Afterwards, he curled her hair with Velcro rollers, sprayed it with Phytolaque Soie hair spray, and used a curling iron to texture several areas. For Crow's skin, makeup artist Scott Barnes decided to replicate a St. Tropez tan, which he accomplished by applying Body Bling cream. He also used his then-upcoming brand of mascara on Crow's eyelashes. The clothes Crow wore during filming were courtesy of Linda Medvene, who explained, "The concept was to make her look like a rock star and yet fit in with the surfers." The video features numerous clips of surfers riding waves and includes several freeze frames with yellow coloration. During the introduction, Crow retrieves her surfboard from her car and puts on lotion. As she performs the song with her guitar, she is mostly seen on the beach. During the first verse, she is seen in a recreational vehicle (RV). As the first chorus begins, she leaves the RV and prances with her guitar close to the ocean. The second verse features Crow singing by a waterfall, where various people, including herself, jump into the water below. Shortly before the second chorus begins, Crow is seen riding in a car. The sun sets during the final section, where many beachgoers dances around Crow and sing the song with her. The video ends by fading to yellow during a scene where Crow is next to a beach fire. ## Track listings Mexican, European, Australian, and Japanese CD single 1. "Soak Up the Sun" (radio edit) – 3:25 2. "Chances Are" – 5:14 3. "You're Not the One" – 4:06 4. "Soak Up the Sun" (album version) – 4:54 Mexican, European, and South African maxi-CD single 1. "Soak Up the Sun" (album version) – 4:54 2. "Soak Up the Sun" (Sunsweep radio mix) – 4:24 3. "Soak Up the Sun" (Sunsweep club mix) – 10:08 4. "Soak Up the Sun" (Sunsweep dub) – 6:12 UK cassette single 1. "Soak Up the Sun" (radio edit) – 3:25 2. "Everyday Is a Winding Road" – 4:16 3. "If It Makes You Happy" – 5:23 UK CD1 1. "Soak Up the Sun" (radio edit) – 3:25 2. "Chances Are" – 5:14 3. "You're Not the One" – 4:06 4. "Soak Up the Sun" (video) UK CD2 1. "Soak Up the Sun" (album version) – 4:52 2. "My Favorite Mistake" (live version from Central Park) – 4:14 3. "A Change Would Do You Good" (live version) – 5:18 4. CD-ROM, including preview of new album ## Credits and personnel Credits are lifted from the C'mon, C'mon album booklet and the international CD single liner notes. Studios - Recorded at various studios in the US and UK - Mixed at Soundtrack Studios (New York City) - Mastered at Masterdisk (New York City) Personnel - Sheryl Crow – writing, vocals, acoustic guitar, F/X keyboard, production - Jeff Trott – writing, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, lap steel guitar, bass, drum programming, production - Liz Phair – guest vocals - Tim Smith – backing vocals - Jeff Anthony – drums, drum programming - Trina Shoemaker – recording - Eric Tew – recording - Andy Wallace – mixing - Steve Sisco – mixing assistant - Howie Weinberg – mastering - Mark Seliger – artwork photography - SMOG – artwork design ## Charts ### Weekly charts ### Year-end charts ## Certifications ## Release history

John Tzelepes Komnenos

Byzantine leader

John Komnenos (), later surnamed Tzelepes (Τζελέπης, Tzelepēs), was the son of the sebastokrator Isaac Komnenos and grandson of the Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos. As a young man he followed his father during his exile and wanderings across Asia Minor and the Levant, when for a short time he was married to a daughter of Leo I, ruler of Armenian Cilicia. After the reconciliation between his father and his uncle, Emperor John II Komnenos, in 1138, he returned to the Byzantine court, but defected in the next year to the Danishmendid Turks during a siege of Neocaesarea. From there he moved to the court of the Sultan of Rum, one of whose daughters he married. According to later, and likely invented, tradition, the Ottoman dynasty hailed from one of his offspring. ## Life John was born in c. 1112 to the sebastokrator Isaac Komnenos, a younger son of Byzantine emperor Alexios I Komnenos (r. 1081–1118), and his wife Irene. Little is known about his mother, who was probably of Russian descent. ### Exile and wanderings Relations between Isaac and his brother, John II Komnenos (r. 1118–1143) were cordial at first, but began to deteriorate, so that by 1130 they had become estranged. The reasons for this are left unexplained by the sources; Niketas Choniates and John Kinnamos simply report that Isaac had set his sights on the throne. In 1130, Isaac became involved in a conspiracy against John at a time when the latter was away from Constantinople, campaigning against the Seljuk Turks of the Sultanate of Rum. The conspiracy was uncovered, but Isaac and his two sons managed to flee Constantinople and find refuge at the court of the Danishmendid emir Gümüshtigin Ghazi (r. 1104–1134) at Melitene. John accompanied his father during his subsequent six-year exile, during which time they traversed most of Asia Minor and the Levant, as Isaac tried to rally the region's rulers to his cause against his brother. From Melitene, they went to Trebizond, whose governor, Constantine Gabras, had broken away from Byzantium in 1126 and was ruling the area of Chaldia as an independent prince, and then to Armenian Cilicia, where its lord, Leo I, received them well: John even married one of Leo's daughters, and received the cities of Mopsuestia and Adana as her dowry. After a short while, however, they fell out with Leo, and were forced to seek shelter with the Sultan of Rum, Mesud I (r. 1116–1156), abandoning their possessions in Cilicia. Isaac persisted in his efforts to form a coalition against his brother, but they proved fruitless, while John II's position continued to improve. The emperor's military successes, particularly following his Syrian campaign in 1137–1138 that led to the submission of the Principality of Antioch to the empire, enhanced his standing with the Byzantine aristocracy, officialdom, and the common people. As a result, Isaac's supporters in the empire began to desert his cause. Thus Isaac was forced to seek reconciliation with his brother: along with John, Isaac met his brother during the imperial army's return from Antioch in spring 1138. The emperor readily forgave them and brought them to Constantinople. ### Defection and aftermath In 1139, John accompanied the emperor on his campaign against Gümüshtigin's son and successor Melik Mehmed. The Byzantine army advanced to Mehmed's residence at Neocaesarea and laid siege to it. During a confrontation between the two armies, an incident led to the defection of John: seeing a distinguished Latin knight on foot, the emperor ordered John to give him his own, pure-blood Arab stallion. This demand enraged the prideful John, who refused to do so and challenged the Latin knight to a duel for the horse. Seeing his uncle frowning at his reaction, he gave up the horse, but immediately seized another horse and galloped to the Turkish camp. He was well received by Mehmed, who knew him from his previous exile. John readily divulged what information he was privy to about the weaknesses of the Byzantine army, chiefly a lack of supplies and horses; this act probably saved Neocaesarea from falling, and the emperor was left with no choice but to withdraw. From Neocaesarea, John moved to the court of the Sultan Mesud I. There he converted to Islam and married one of the Sultan's daughters, whose name according to the 16th-century historian Pseudo-Sphrantzes was Kamero (Καμερώ). His subsequent life is obscure: neither the date of his death or any activities at the court of Iconium are known. He received many lands and much wealth, and was highly respected by the Turks for his erudition and his command of Arabic. His wife may have been the woman who led the defence of the Seljuq capital Iconium against the attacks of John's cousin, Emperor Manuel I Komnenos (r. 1143–1180). John was likely dead by that time. ### Ottoman ancestry tradition According to Pseudo-Sphrantzes, later tradition held that John assumed the name Tzelepes—a Greek rendering of the Turkish honorific Çelebi, a term indicating noble birth, a "lord" or "gentleman"—but Pseudo-Sphrantzes himself casts doubt on this information, and suggests that Tzelepes was another person entirely. According to this later tradition, John and his Seljuq wife had a son, Suleyman Shah, who proved a very capable leader and was active at about the time of the Fourth Crusade. This Suleyman Shah was supposedly the father of Ertuğrul, the forefather of the Ottoman dynasty. As Konstantinos Varzos points out, this descent is unlikely, purely due to the chronological distance of the persons involved, and has generally been dismissed as fictitious by modern scholars. The historian Konstantinos Moustakas has traced the descent of Pseudo-Sphrantzes' report, via Francesco Sansovino's Annali Turcheschi, to a similar story recorded by Theodore Spandounes about the descent of the Seljuk sultan Kayqubad I (r. 1220–1237), who fits the timeframe in question. However, Spandounes himself considered this story as false, even though he also stresses that the Ottoman sultan Mehmed II, the conqueror of Constantinople, reportedly knew of it and disseminated it. Moustakas therefore suggests that the story arose in Mehmed II's court, not by the sultan himself, who rarely made use of the Byzantine imperial inheritance as a legitimizing device, but possibly among the convert recruits of aristocratic Christian origin who rose to high office and sought similar models in the past, such as Hersekzade Ahmed Pasha or Mesih Pasha.

Ivatan people

Austronesian ethnolinguistic group

The Ivatan people are an Austronesian ethnolinguistic group native to the Batanes and Babuyan Islands of the northernmost Philippines. They are genetically closely related to other ethnic groups in Northern Luzon, but also share close linguistic and cultural affinities to the Tao people of Orchid Island in Taiwan. The culture of the Ivatans is partly influenced by the environmental condition of Batanes. Unlike the old-type nipa huts common in the Philippines, Ivatans have adopted their now-famous stone houses made of coral and limestone, designed to protect against the hostile climate. ## Origins A 2011 genetic study has concluded that it is likely that the Batanes Islands were initially only used as "stepping stones" during the early stages of the maritime Austronesian expansion from Taiwan into the Philippine Islands (c. 3000 BCE). It was later re-colonized by Austronesians from northern Luzon at around 1200 BCE, which became the ancestors of the Ivatan people. Archaeological excavations also reveal that the islands were part of the extensive trade in jade artifacts (lingling-o), a network that extended to Taiwan, Vietnam, Palawan, Luzon, and northern Borneo. The Ivatan also maintained close trade relationships and intermarried with the neighboring Tao people of Orchid Island in Taiwan. The archaeological assemblages of Batanes can be divided into four distinct phases, with minor variation between islands. Phase 1 (2500 to 1000 BCE), is characterized by red-slipped and fine cord-marked pottery similar to the pottery assemblages of prehistoric Taiwan. Phase 2 (1300 BCE to 1 CE), is characterized by circle-stamped and red-slipped pottery that later also developed rectangular and "fishnet" designs. Phase 2 also features Fengtian nephrite sourced from Taiwan. Phase 3 (500 BC/1 CE to 1200 CE), is characterized by plain red-slipped pottery. Phase 4 (c. 1200 CE onwards), is characterized by imported pottery, indicating trade contacts with the Song and Yuan dynasties of China. ## History On June 26, 1783, Batanes was incorporated into the Spanish East Indies. In 1786, Ivatans were forced to resettle in the lowlands of Batanes. The Ivatans lived under Spanish rule for 115 years and gained their independence on September 18, 1898. However, June 6 is celebrated in Batanes as its founding day. ## Demographics In 1990, the population of the Ivatans was 15,026, an increase of 24% over the 1980 population of 12,091. These were distributed to the six municipalities, with 38% residing in Basco, 23% in Itbayat, 12% in Sabtang, 11% in Mahatao and 8% for Uyugan, and Ivana. In the 2000 census, 15,834 Ivatans were among the 16,421 population in Batanes. Ivatans can be found in almost every part of the country as a minority, especially in Metro Manila, nearby Cagayan Valley (most specifically Cagayan), Cordillera Administrative Region, Central Luzon, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Palawan and Mindanao particularly in Bukidnon, Lanao del Sur and Cotabato. The mother tongue of the Ivatans is the Chirin nu Ibatan but is commonly known as Ivatan. A distinct Austronesian language, the Ivatan has two dialects including Basco, the Itbayáten, and possibly Yami. The Ivatans widely speak and understand the Ilocano (lingua franca of northern Luzon), Tagalog, and English languages. Ivatan residents of Mindanao and their descendants are also fluent speakers of Cebuano (majority language of large parts of Mindanao), Hiligaynon (main lingua franca of Soccsksargen) and various indigenous Mindanaoan languages in addition to their native language. However, Ivatan language has been endangered especially among newer generation of Ivatans born in Mindanao due to assimilation to the Cebuano-speaking majority, with Cebuano is their main language with varying fluency in their ancestors' native language or none at all. Today, most Ivatans are Catholics, like the rest of the country, although some have not converted and practice ancestral worship to their anitos. However, there are growing Protestant denominations especially in Basco, the capital town of Batanes. ## Culture The Ivatan's culture has been largely influenced by the climate of Batanes. Due to severe climatic disruptions to their agriculture, Ivatans have developed numerous successful strategies to protect their food supply and way of life. Traditionally, because of frequent typhoons and drought, they plant root crops able to cope with the environment. These crops include yam, sweet potato, taro, garlic, ginger, and onion, as they ensure higher chances of survival during awry climate conditions. The Ivatan study the behavior of animals, sky color, wind, and clouds to predict the weather. Ivatans usually gather their animals and stay in their houses when they see that the cows take shelter from the payaman (communal pasture) and birds taking refuge in houses or in the ground. A pink sky with an orange hue also heralds a storm. The sea is vital to the Ivatan's way of life. They depend on the flying fish (dibang) and dolphinfish (arayu) present on the shores of Batanes in the months of March through May. They have a native delicacy called uvod (the pith of the banana stalk) which is served with the wine palek, on festive occasions such as weddings.Before Spaniards arrived in the Philippines, Ivatans built their houses from cogon grass. These homes were small, well-situated, and designed to protect against strong winds. The Spaniards introduced large-scale production of lime to the Ivatan for the construction of their now-famous stone houses. Meter-thick limestone walls, are designed to protect against the harsh Batanes environment, which is known as a terminal passage of typhoons in the Philippines. The basic cogon grass is still preserved as roofs of their houses, thickly constructed to withstand strong winds. These houses are comparable to the white houses in New Zealand, Ireland, and the Scottish Highlands. Pre-colonial Ivatans also constructed fortified hills protected by sheer embankments known as ijang (or idjang). One of the endemic clothing of the Ivatans is the vakul. A vakul is a headgear designed to protect the wearer from sun and rain. It is made from vuyavuy palm fiber. The Ivatans have three folk song styles: the laji, the kanta, and the kalusan. The laji are ancient lyrical songs that are supposed to be sung when they are merry or just finished work. The kalusan is sung during work. The Ivatan have legends that are called kabbata. They have the rawod, chants that chronicle the adventures of the Ivatan's forefathers as they escape a disaster. ## Indigenous Ivatan religion ### Immortals - Supreme Being: referred to as Mayo, in one account; probably regarded as remote as fear and meticulous ritual care are often related instead towards the Añitu - Mayo: a fisherfolk hero who introduced the yuyus used to catch flying fishes called dibang, which are in turn used to catch the summertime fish arayu - The Giver: the entity who provides all things; the souls of the upper-class travel to the beings' abode in heaven and become stars - Añitu: refers to the souls of the dead, place spirits, and wandering invisibles not identified nor tied down to any particular locale or thing - Añitu between Chavidug and Chavayan: place spirit Añitus who were reported to create sounds when the gorge between Chavidug and Chavayan were being created through dynamite explosions; believed to have shifted their residences after the construction of the passage - Rirryaw Añitu: place spirit Añitus who played music and sang inside a cave in Sabtang, while lighting up the fire; believed to have change residences after they were disturbed by a man - ji Rahet Añitu: a grinning place spirit Añitu who lived in an old tree; a man later cut the tree and found an earthen pot believed to have been owned by the Añitu - Nuvwan Añitu: good place spirit Añitus who saved a woman from a falling tree; they are offered rituals through the vivyayin - ji P'Supwan Añitu: good place spirit Añitus who became friends and allies of a mortal woman named Carmen Acido; sometimes taking in the form of dogs, they aided her and guided her in many of her tasks until her death from old age; despite their kindness towards Carmen, most people avoided the farm where they live - Mayavusay Añitu: place spirit Añitus living in a parcel of land in Mayavusay; sometimes take in the form of piglets, and can return cut vegetation parts into the mother vegetation - Cairn-dwelling Añitu: place spirit Añitus who lived in cairns and put a curse towards a man who destroyed their home; appearing as humans, the shaman Balaw conversed with them to right the wrong made by the man against their home - Mayuray Añitu: a wandering Añitu who expanded and was filled with darkness; encountered by a young boy who the spirit did not harm; referred to as a kapri, Añitus who walk around and grow as tall as the height for their surroundings - Dayanak Añitu: a type of very small Añitu with red eyes and gold ornaments; accepting their gold ornaments will cause misfortune ## See also - Ivatan language - Batanes - Tao people - Gaddang people - Ibanag people - Tagalog people - Kapampangan people - Ilocano people - Igorot people - Pangasinan people - Bicolano people - Negrito - Visayan people - Cebuano people - Boholano people - Hiligaynon people - Waray people - Lumad - Moro people

Taliesin (studio)

Studio and home in Spring Green, Wisconsin

Taliesin (/ˌtæliːˈɛsɪn/ tal-ee-ess-in; sometimes known as Taliesin East, Taliesin Spring Green, or Taliesin North after 1937) is a house-studio complex located 2.5 miles (4.0 km) south of the village of Spring Green, Wisconsin, United States. Developed and occupied by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the 600-acre (240 ha) estate is an exemplar of the Prairie School of architecture. Wright began developing the estate in 1911 on land that previously belonged to his maternal family. Wright designed the main Taliesin home and studio with his mistress, Mamah Borthwick, after leaving his first wife and home in Oak Park, Illinois. The design of the original building was consistent with the design principles of the Prairie School, emulating the flatness of the plains and the natural limestone outcroppings of Wisconsin's Driftless Area. The structure (which included agricultural and studio wings) was completed in 1911. The name Taliesin, meaning "shining brow" in Welsh, was initially used for the first building, which was built on and into the brow of a hill; it was later extended to the entire estate. Over the course of Wright's occupancy, two major fires led to significant alterations; these three stages are referred to as Taliesin I, II, and III. In 1914, after a disgruntled employee set fire to the living quarters and murdered Borthwick and six others, Wright rebuilt the Taliesin residential wing, but he used the second estate only sparingly, returning there in 1922 following the completion of the Imperial Hotel, Tokyo. An electrical fire gutted Taliesin II's living quarters in April 1925, and he rebuilt it later that year. Wright lost the house to foreclosure in 1927 but was able to reacquire it the next year, with financial help from friends. In 1932, he established a fellowship for architectural students at the estate. Taliesin III was Wright's home for the rest of his life, although he began to spend the winters at Taliesin West in Scottsdale, Arizona, upon its completion in 1937. Many of Wright's acclaimed buildings were designed at Taliesin, including Fallingwater, the Jacobs I house, the Johnson Wax Headquarters, and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Wright, who was also an avid collector of Asian art, used Taliesin as a storehouse and private museum. Wright left Taliesin and the 600-acre Taliesin Estate to the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation (founded by him and his third wife in 1940) upon his death in 1959. This organization oversaw renovations to the estate until 1990, when a nonprofit organization known as Taliesin Preservation Inc. (TPI) took over responsibility. TPI began renovating the estate to repair deterioration that took place over the years. The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and Taliesin Preservation operate numerous public programs on the campus, and the farm is still in use today by tenant farmers. The Taliesin estate was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976, and it was listed as a World Heritage Site in 2019 as part of a group of eight listings known as "The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright". ## Site Jones Valley, the Wisconsin River valley in which Taliesin sits, was formed during Pre-Illinoian glaciation. This region of North America, known as the Driftless Area, was totally surrounded by ice during Wisconsin glaciation, but the area itself was not glaciated. The result is an unusually hilly landscape with deeply carved river valleys. The valley, approximately 2.5 miles (4.0 km) south of the village of Spring Green, Wisconsin, was originally settled by Frank Lloyd Wright's maternal grandfather, Richard Lloyd Jones. Jones had emigrated with his family from Wales, moving to the town of Ixonia in Jefferson County, Wisconsin. In 1858, Jones and the family moved from Ixonia to this part of Wisconsin to start a farm. By the 1870s, Jones' sons had taken over operation of the farm, and they invited Wright to work during summers as a farmhand. Wright's aunts Jane and Ellen C. Lloyd Jones (known as Jennie and Nell) began a co-educational school, the Hillside Home School, on the farm in 1887 and let Wright design the building; this was Wright's first independent commission. In 1896, Wright's aunts again commissioned Wright, this time to build a windmill. The resulting Romeo and Juliet Windmill was unorthodox but stable. By 1901 the school role was such that the original building was inadequate, and Wright was commissioned to design a replacement. This became Hillside Home School II, and Wright later sent several of his children to the school. Wright's final commission on the farm was Tan-y-Deri, a house for his sister Jane Porter, completed in 1907. Tan-y-Deri, Welsh for "under the oaks", was a design based on his recent Ladies Home Journal article "A Fireproof House for $5000." The family, their ideas, religion, and ideals, greatly influenced the young Wright, who later changed his middle name from Lincoln (in honor of Abraham Lincoln) to Lloyd in deference to his mother's family. ## Etymology When Wright decided to construct a home in this valley, he chose the name of the Welsh bard Taliesin, whose name means "shining brow" or "radiant brow". Wright learned of the poet through Richard Hovey's Taliesin: A Masque, a story about an artist's struggle for identity. The Welsh name also suited Wright's roots, as the Lloyd Joneses gave Welsh names to their properties. The hill upon which Taliesin was built was a favorite from Wright's youth; he saw the house as a "shining brow" on the hill, in hope of a place of refuge "but I had forgotten grandfather Isiah's punishments and beatings". Although the name was originally only applied to the house, Wright later used the term to refer to the entire property. Wright and others used roman numerals to distinguish the three versions of the house. ## Early history From 1898 to 1909, architect Frank Lloyd Wright lived and worked out of his home and studio in Oak Park, Illinois. In Oak Park, Wright had developed his concept of Prairie School architecture, designing houses primarily for local clients. In 1903, Wright began designing a home for Edwin Cheney, but quickly took a liking for Cheney's wife. Wright and Mamah Borthwick Cheney began an affair and separated from their spouses in 1909. In October, Borthwick, having left her husband in the summer, met up with Wright in New York City. From there, they sailed to Berlin, so Wright could negotiate a portfolio of his work. After that, Wright and Borthwick parted temporarily. She had settled in Leipzig, Germany, teaching English, and Wright settled in Italy to continue work on the portfolio. Borthwick joined Wright in Italy in February. He moved his studio to Fiesole, a town within view of Florence. While in Fiesole, Wright was particularly inspired by Michelozzo's Villa Medici because it was built into a hill, had commanding views of its surroundings, and featured gardens on two levels. In 1910, the pair sought to return to the United States, but knew they could not escape scandal if they returned together to Oak Park. Wright saw an alternative—his family's ancestral land near Spring Green, Wisconsin. Wright returned alone to the United States in October 1910, publicly reconciling with his wife, Catherine, while working to secure money to buy land on which to build a house for himself and Borthwick Cheney. On April 3, 1911, Wright wrote to client, Darwin D. Martin, requesting money so that he could "see about building a small house" for his mother. On the 10th, Wright's mother Anna signed the deed for the property. By using Anna's name, Wright was able to secure the 31.5-acre (12.7 ha) property without attracting any attention to the affair. Late in the summer, Mamah Borthwick (having divorced Cheney and legally reverting to her maiden name) quietly moved into the property, staying with Wright's sister, Jane Porter, at her home, Tan-y-Deri. However, Wright and Borthwick's new property was discovered by a Chicago Examiner reporter that fall, and the affair made headlines in the Chicago Tribune on Christmas Eve. ## Taliesin I At Taliesin, Wright wanted to live in unison with Mamah, his ancestry, and with nature. He chose only local building materials. The house was designed to nestle against the hill, in an example of Wright's "organic architecture". The bands of windows, one of his trademarks, allow nature to enter the house, and the fluid transitions from interior to exterior were radical for the time. This was in keeping with Wright's belief that the architecture should be "of" the hill, not "on" it. "I attend the greatest of churches. I spell nature with a capital N. That is my church", he said in a TV interview in 1957. ### Architecture and layout Taliesin I was composed of several partially detached structures in an "L"-shaped arrangement, which were connected by pergolas. There were three sections: a long section on the east, which held the residential wing (where Wright and Borthwick lived); a long section on the west, which held the agricultural wing; and an office wing connecting the two other sections. To the southwest of the main complex was a courtyard; there were stables, service functions, servants' quarters, and a garage across the courtyard. The one-story complex was accessed by a road leading up the hill to the rear of the building. The estate gateway was on County Road C, just west of Wisconsin Road 23. Iron entry gates were flanked by limestone piers capped with planter urns. A porte-cochère or loggia, above the main entrance of the living quarters, provided shelter for visiting automobiles. The residential wing included a bedroom and a combined living–dining room, which protruded from the corner of the hill on two sides. The office wing held the drafting studio and workroom, and an apartment for the head draftsman. This apartment may have originally been intended for Wright's mother. Typical of a Prairie School design, the house was, as Wright described, "low, wide, and snug." As with most of his houses, Wright designed the furniture. Wright chose yellow limestone for the house from a quarry of outcropping ledges on a nearby hill. Local farmers helped Wright move the stone up the Taliesin hill. Stones were laid in long, thin ledges, evoking the natural way that they were found in the quarry and across the Driftless Area. Plaster for the interior walls was mixed with sienna, giving the finished product a golden hue. This caused the plaster to resemble the sand on the banks of the nearby Wisconsin River. The outside plaster walls were similar, but mixed with cement, resulting in a grayer color. Windows were placed so that sun could come through openings in every room at every point of the day. Wright chose not to install gutters so that icicles would form in winter. The hip roof had a wood frame with shingles made of cedar; the shingles were intended to weather to a silver-grey color, matching the branches of nearby trees. The finished house measured approximately 12,000 square feet (1,100 m²) of enclosed space. ### Life at Taliesin Upon moving in with Borthwick in the winter of 1911, Wright resumed work on his architectural projects, but he struggled to secure commissions because of the ongoing negative publicity over his affair with Borthwick (whose ex-husband, Edwin Cheney, maintained primary custody of their son and daughter). However, Wright did produce some of his most acclaimed works during this time period, including the Midway Gardens in Chicago and the Avery Coonley Playhouse in Riverside. He also indulged his hobby for collecting Japanese art, and quickly became a renowned authority. Borthwick translated four works from Swedish difference feminist Ellen Key. Wright designed the gardens with the assistance of landscape architect, Jens Jensen. This included over a thousand fruit trees and bushes ordered in 1912. Wright requested two hundred and eighty-five apple trees planted, including one hundred McIntosh, fifty Wealthy, fifty Golden Russet, and fifty Fameuse. Among the bushes were three hundred gooseberry, two hundred blackberry, and two hundred raspberry. The property also grew pears, asparagus, rhubarb, and plums. It is unknown exactly how many were planted, because part of the orchard was destroyed during a railroad strike. The fruit and vegetable plants were placed along the contour of the estate, which may have been done to mimic the farms he saw while in Italy. Wright also dammed a creek on the property to create an artificial lake, which was stocked with fish and aquatic fowl. This water garden, probably inspired by the ones he saw in Japan, created a natural gateway to the property. In 1912, Wright designed what he called a "tea circle" in the middle of the courtyard, adjacent to the crown of the hill. This circle was heavily inspired by Jens Jensen's council circles, but also took influence from Japanese wabi-sabi landscape architecture. Unlike Jensen's circles, the rough-cut limestone tea circle was much larger and featured a pool in the center. The circle featured a curved stone bench flanked with Chinese jars built during the Ming Dynasty. The tea circle had two oak trees: one on the inner edge of the seating areas, and one just outside of the stone seat. The remaining oak tree (outside of the stone seat) blew down in a storm in 1998. The tea garden also included a large plaster replica of Flower in the Crannied Wall, a statue originally designed by Richard Bock for the Susan Lawrence Dana House, by Wright. The statue's namesake poem is inscribed on its rear. ### 1914 attack and fire Julian Carlton was a 31-year-old man who came to work as a chef and servant at Taliesin for the summer. Carlton was an Afro-Caribbean of West Indian descent, ostensibly from Barbados. He was recommended to Wright by John Vogelsong Jr., the caterer for the Midway Gardens project. Carlton and his wife Gertrude had previously served in the house of Vogelsong's parents in Chicago. Originally a genial presence on the estate, Carlton grew increasingly paranoid. He stayed up late at night with a butcher knife, looking out the window. This behavior had been noticed by Wright and Borthwick, who issued an ad in a local paper for a replacement cook. Carlton was given notice that August 15, 1914, would be his last day in their employ. Before he left, Carlton plotted to kill Taliesin's workers and residents. His primary target was draftsman Emil Brodelle, who had racially abused Carlton on August 12 for not following an order. Brodelle and Carlton also engaged in a minor physical confrontation two days later. He planned the assault, targeting the noon hour, when Borthwick, her visiting children, and the studio personnel would be on opposite sides of Taliesin's living quarters awaiting lunch. Wright was away in Chicago completing Midway Gardens while Borthwick stayed at home with her two children, 11-year-old John and 8-year-old Martha. As only two survived that day and there was no criminal trial, the sequence of events have been posited based on details from the two survivors (William Weston and Herbert Fritz), and evidence found at the scene. On August 15, Carlton grabbed a shingling hatchet and began an attack. It is believed that he started with Borthwick and two of her children, John and Martha—who were waiting on the porch off the living room—as they were the most vulnerable of his targets. Apparently, Mamah Borthwick was killed by a single blow to the head, and her son John was killed as he sat in his chair. Martha managed to flee, but was hunted down and killed in the courtyard. Carlton then coated the bodies in gasoline and set them on fire, setting the house ablaze. He then attacked the living quarters where the staff were situated, pouring gasoline underneath the door of the far end of the quarters and setting them on fire. Draftsman Herbert Fritz managed to break open a window and escape, though he broke his arm in the process. Carlton mortally wounded Brodelle, and then attacked the other occupants. With the house empty and people wounded, Carlton ran to the basement and into a fireproof furnace chamber. He had brought a small vial of hydrochloric acid with him and attempted suicide by swallowing it, but it failed to kill him. Together, Lindblom and Weston ran to a neighboring farm to send the alert of the attack. Weston then returned to Taliesin and used a garden hose to help extinguish the flames. His efforts saved the studio (with many of Wright's drawings and manuscripts), as well as the agricultural part of the building. Eventually, neighbors arrived to assist in putting out the fire, to tend to survivors, and search for the murderer. Gertrude was found in a nearby field, apparently unaware of her husband's intentions. She was dressed in travel clothes, expecting to catch a train to Chicago with Julian to seek a new job. Later in the afternoon, Sheriff John Williams located Carlton and arrested him. Carlton was transferred to the county jail in Dodgeville. Gertrude was released from police custody shortly after the incident. She was sent to Chicago with $7 and was never heard from again. The hydrochloric acid that Carlton ingested had badly burnt his esophagus, which made it difficult for him to ingest food. Carlton was indicted on August 16 and was charged with the murder of Emil Brodelle, the only death that was directly witnessed by a survivor. Carlton pleaded not guilty. Forty-seven days after the fire, before the case could be heard, Carlton died of starvation in his cell. Wright's biographers in the 20th century tended not to discuss the Taliesin massacre; one biography dedicated only one paragraph to the attacks, while another said obliquely that the "incident marked a rupture in Wright's career". The Taliesin murders remained relatively obscure until the 2000s, when two books about the attacks were published. ### Aftermath The fire destroyed the living areas, but the agriculture wing and the drafting studio survived largely intact. The bodies of the dead and injured were brought to Tan-y-Deri, the nearby home of Wright's sister, Jane Porter. The dead were Mamah and Brodelle, with John missing (his remains were later found incinerated). Martha Cheney, foreman Thomas Brunker, and Ernest Weston (13-year-old son of William Weston) would die later that day or that night. Gardener David Lindblom survived until August 18 (Tuesday morning). Wright returned to Taliesin that night with his son John and Edwin Cheney. Cheney brought the remains of his children back to Chicago while Wright buried Mamah Borthwick on the grounds of nearby Unity Chapel (the chapel of the mother's side of his family). Heartbroken over the loss of his lover, Wright did not mark the grave because he could not bear to be reminded of the tragedy. He also did not hold a funeral service for Borthwick, although he did fund and attend his employees' services. Wright struggled with the loss of Borthwick, experiencing symptoms of conversion disorder, insomnia, weight loss, and temporary blindness. After a few months of recovery, aided by his sister Jane Porter, Wright moved to an apartment he rented in Chicago at 25 East Cedar Street. The attack also had a profound effect on Wright's design principles; biographer Robert Twombly writes that his Prairie School period ended after the loss of Borthwick. ## Taliesin II Shortly after the Taliesin massacre, Wright declared his intention to rebuild the complex. Within a few months of his recovery, Wright began rebuilding Taliesin, naming the rebuilt structure "Taliesin II": > There is release from anguish in action. Anguish would not leave Taliesin until action for renewal began. Again, and at once, all that had been in motion before at the will of the architect was set in motion. Steadily, again, stone by stone, board by board, Taliesin the II began to rise from Taliesin the first. The new complex was mostly identical to the original building and was constructed on the ruins of Taliesin I. Similarly to the original complex, Taliesin II was arranged around a set of terraces and courtyards. The dam (which burst less than a week after the murders) was rebuilt. Wright added an observation platform, perhaps inspired by the one he designed in Baraboo. Later, he built a hydroelectric generator in an unsuccessful effort to make Taliesin completely self-sufficient. The generator was built in the style of a Japanese temple. Within only a few years, parts of the structure eroded away. It was demolished in the 1940s. Around Christmas time of 1914, while designing the residence after the first devastating fire, Wright received a sympathetic letter from "Maude" Miriam Noel, who contacted him after reading about the Taliesin fire and murders. Wright exchanged correspondence with the wealthy divorcee and met with her at his Chicago office. Wright was quickly infatuated, and the two began a relationship. By spring 1915, Taliesin II was completed and Noel moved there with Wright. Wright's first wife Catherine finally granted him a divorce in 1922, meaning that Wright could marry Noel a year later. Although Wright admired Noel's erratic personality at first, her behavior (later identified as schizophrenia) led to a miserable life together at Taliesin. Noel left Wright by the spring of 1924. In the new Taliesin, Wright worked to repair his tarnished reputation. Already in 1916, he had secured a commission to design the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Japan; when the building was undamaged following the Great Kantō earthquake of 1923, Wright's reputation was restored. Although he later expanded the agricultural wing, Wright spent little time at the second Taliesin house, often living near his construction sites abroad. Instead of serving as a full-time residence, Wright treated Taliesin like an art museum for his collection of Asian works. Wright only truly lived at Taliesin II starting in 1922, after his work at the Imperial Hotel was completed. On April 20, 1925, Wright returned from eating dinner in the detached dining room when he noticed smoke billowing from his bedroom. By that time of night, most of the employees had returned home; only a driver and one apprentice were left in the complex. Unlike the first Taliesin fire, Wright was able to get help immediately. However, the fire quickly spread due to high winds. Despite the efforts of Wright and his neighbors to extinguish the flame, the living quarters of the second Taliesin were quickly destroyed. However, the workrooms where Wright kept his architectural drafts were spared. According to Wright's autobiography, the fire appeared to have begun near a telephone in his bedroom. Wright also mentioned a lightning storm approaching immediately before noticing the fire. Wright scholars speculate that the storm may have caused an electrical surge through the telephone system, sparking the fire. ## Taliesin III Once again, the architect began rebuilding the living quarters of Taliesin. He also wrote about this in his 1932 autobiography, naming the house "Taliesin III": > Well—counselled [sic] by the living—there was I alive in their midst, key to a Taliesin nobler than the first if I could make it. And I had faith that I could build another Taliesin\! > > A few days later clearing away the debris to reconstruct I picked up partly calcined marble heads of the Tang-dynasty, fragments of the black basalt of the splendid Wei-stone, Sung soft-clay sculpture and gorgeous Ming pottery turned to the color of bronze by the intensity of the blaze. The sacrificial offerings to—whatever Gods may be. > > And I put these fragments aside to weave them into the masonry—the fabric of Taliesin III that now—already in mind—was to stand in place of Taliesin II. And I went to work. Wright was deeply in debt following the destruction of Taliesin II. Aside from debts owed on the property, his divorce from Noel forced Wright to sell much of his farm machinery and livestock. Wright was also forced to sell his prized Japanese prints at half value to pay his debts. The Bank of Wisconsin foreclosed on Taliesin in 1927 and Wright was forced to move to La Jolla, California. Shortly before the bank was to begin an auction on the property, Wright's former client Darwin Martin conceived a scheme to save the property. He formed a company called Frank Lloyd Wright Incorporated to issue stock on Wright's future earnings. Many of Wright's former clients and students purchased stock in Wright to raise $70,000. The company successfully bid on Taliesin for $40,000, returning it to Wright. Wright returned to Taliesin by October 1928. Wright's interaction with Taliesin lasted for the rest of his life, and eventually, he purchased the surrounding land, creating an estate of 593 acres (2.4 km2). Some of Wright's best-known buildings and most ambitious designs were created at his studio in the Taliesin III period. Works completed at Taliesin through the 1930s include Fallingwater (the house for Edgar Sr. and Liliane Kaufmann), the world headquarters for S.C. Johnson, and the first Usonian house for Herbert and Katherine Jacobs. After World War II, Wright moved his studio work in Wisconsin to the drafting studio at the Hillside Home School. After that, Wright used the studio at Taliesin for meeting with prospective apprentices and clients. ### Architecture and layout The modern-day Taliesin property is at 5481 County Road C in Wyoming, Iowa County, Wisconsin. All Wright buildings on the property have a combined 75,000 square feet (7,000 m²), just short of 2 acres (0.81 ha), on 600 acres (240 ha) of land. Through Wright's lifetime, he and his apprentices continued to make changes to Taliesin III. but these modifications were never reflected in blueprints. Construction was handled mostly by Wright's apprentices, who tended to be inexperienced, leaving cracks and gaps throughout the structure. Wright added several dams across the estate to create lakes. The presence of Taliesin also influenced the architecture of public buildings in the nearby town of Spring Green, which contain details influenced by Wright's designs. #### Main home In its final form, the Taliesin III building measures 37,000 square feet (3,400 m²). The current structure is the northernmost building in the complex and is arranged in the shape of the letter "U", facing south-southwest. In contrast to Wright's later work—which tended to incorporate curved forms—Taliesin III largely incorporates rectangular shapes in its design. Surrounding the main house are fountains, gardens, and courtyards, in a similar manner to the first two complexes. The house is accessed from a driveway that wraps around the hill, leading to the main courtyard. Water from one of the estate's lakes is pumped upward into the courtyard, supplying the pools there; the courtyard also contains oak trees and a perimeter wall made of rock. One magazine wrote that the house "emerges from the hillside like a natural outcropping, rooted in the earth". Wright's apprentices were responsible for much of the construction; they used recycled materials, as well as then-uncommon materials such as plywood, to construct much of the building. The facade is clad with limestone from the surrounding area. Wright mixed stucco with Wisconsin River sand to turn the walls into a yellowish color. The house is topped by intersecting hipped roofs with masonry chimneys. The house's service wing, which wraps around one side of the hill, is the only part of the house that rise above the hill. The interior is asymmetrical, and the rooms are not as formally organized as those of Wright's later Prairie Houses; rather, the interior layout accommodated the site's topography. Some of the spaces inside the house have ceilings measuring about 6 feet (1.8 m) high, slightly taller than Wright himself, who measured 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 m) tall. Among the spaces with low ceilings is the vestibule, where Wright wanted to discourage people from loitering. The vestibule leads directly to the living room, which overlooks the Wisconsin River; the living room has large glass windows and a sloped ceiling. To the right of the living room is a "birdwalk", which is cantilevered from the house. Wright's own bedroom has a low ceiling with clerestory windows, as well as a sliding glass wall that opens onto a terrace. There is also a studio with a hipped ceiling and a stone fireplace. The other interior spaces include an office and a sitting room. #### Other structures The Hillside Home School, the southernmost building in the complex, is designed in the Prairie Style. It has a 5,000-square-foot (460 m²) apprentices' drafting room. In addition, the Hillside Home School contains a theater with 100 seats. The modern Taliesin complex also includes the Midway Farm, constructed between 1938 and 1947. Though the site is no longer used as a farm, several of the Midway Farm buildings still exist, including a stone milk house, the Midway Barn, and several wooden structures. Wright's sister's house, Tan-y-Deri, is located up the hill from Midway Farm. Next to Tan-y-Deri is the octagonal Romeo and Juliet Windmill, a wooden structure measuring 60 feet (18 m) high. In addition, the Taliesin Dam is located near the complex's entrance driveway, and there are various other houses across the grounds. Nearby is the Unity Chapel, where Wright would later be buried. ### Taliesin Fellowship Wright inherited the nearby Hillside Home School when it became insolvent in 1915 (the school had been run by his aunts, and the building was designed by him). In 1928, Wright conceived the idea of hosting a school there and issued a proposal to the University of Wisconsin that would have created the Hillside Home School for the Allied Arts; however, the plan was later abandoned. In 1932, the Wrights instead established the private Taliesin Fellowship, where fifty to sixty apprentices could come to Taliesin to study under the architect's mentorship. Apprentices helped him develop the estate at a time when Wright received few commissions for his work, including the Hillside Home School building, renovating the original school gymnasium into a theater. Apprentices under Wright's direction also constructed a drafting studio and dormitories.Notable fellows include Arthur Dyson, "Fay" Jones, Shao Fang Sheng, Paolo Soleri, Edgar Tafel, and Paul Tuttle. In 1937, Wright designed and the apprentices began construction on a winter home in Scottsdale, Arizona, which became known as Taliesin West. After Taliesin West was completed, Wright and the fellowship "migrated" between the two homes each year, spending summers in Arizona and winters in Wisconsin. Wright did not consider the fellowship a formal school, instead viewing it as a benevolent educational institution. He also worked to ensure G.I. Bill eligibility for returning World War II veterans. The town of Wyoming, Wisconsin, and Wright became embroiled in a legal dispute over his claim of tax exemption. A trial judge agreed with the town, stating that, since apprentices did much of Wright's work, it was not solely a benevolent institution. Wright fought the case to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. When Wright lost the case there in 1954, he threatened to abandon the estate. However, he was persuaded to stay after some friends raised $800,000 to cover the back taxes at a benefit dinner. The Taliesin Fellowship evolved into The School of Architecture. ## Preservation In 1940, Frank Lloyd Wright, his third wife Olgivanna, and his son-in-law William Wesley Peters formed the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Wright added a third story above the second-story bedrooms and first-story living spaces in 1943, though this ended up weakening the original house's frame. The Hillside School building caught fire in April 1952, and the theater and dining room in that building were subsequently rebuilt. Upon Wright's death on April 9, 1959, he was buried next to the Unity Chapel in the Lloyd-Jones cemetery near Taliesin; his body remained there until 1985, when it was moved to Taliesin West. Ownership of the Taliesin estate in Spring Green, as well as Taliesin West, was conveyed to the foundation. The Taliesin Fellowship continued to use the Hillside School as The School of Architecture at Taliesin. The fellowship allowed tours of the school, but initially did not permit visitation of the house or other grounds. When the group spent two summers in Switzerland, rumors started that they were planning on selling the house to S. C. Johnson, a former Wright client. Instead, the fellowship sold a surrounding piece of land to a developer associated with the company, intending to develop a tourist complex. The 3,000-acre (1,200 ha) resort included an eighteen-hole golf course, restaurant, and a visitor center. ### Landmark designations In 1973, the Taliesin estate was listed in the National Register of Historic Places and in 1976, it was recognized as a National Historic Landmark (NHL) District by the National Park Service. A National Historic Landmark is a site deemed to have "exceptional value to the nation." The properties contributing to the district are the landscape, Taliesin III, the pool and gardens in the courtyard, Hillside Home School (which includes the Hillside drafting studio and the theater), the dam, Romeo and Juliet Windmill, Midway Barn, and Tan-y-Deri. In the late 1980s, Taliesin and Taliesin West were jointly nominated as a World Heritage Site, a UNESCO designation for properties with special worldwide significance. The federal government endorsed the nomination, but UNESCO rejected it because the organization wanted to see a larger nomination with more Wright properties. In 2008, the National Park Service submitted the Taliesin estate along with nine other Frank Lloyd Wright properties to a tentative list for World Heritage Status, which the National Park Service says is "a necessary first step in the process of nominating a site to the World Heritage List." The United States Department of the Interior again nominated the Taliesin estate to UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2015, alongside nine other buildings. UNESCO ultimately added eight properties, including Taliesin, to the World Heritage List in July 2019 under the title "The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright". Wisconsin Public Radio wrote that the World Heritage designation was "a triumph for Wisconsin", as two of the eight properties were located in the state. ### Rehabilitation #### 1970s and 1980s By the late 20th century, Taliesin had become dilapidated in spite of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation's efforts to maintain it. With the NHL designation, the organization had received $300,000 in federal funds to help maintain the property. However, the organization needed another $2.5 million to rehabilitate the estate by the early 1980s. At the time, the organization barely had enough money for regular maintenance of Taliesin and Taliesin West, let alone long-term repairs. Furthermore, the house had been damaged during an electrical fire in 1975. Some parts of the property, such as the Romeo and Juliet Windmill, were in even worse condition than the main house. The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation conducted some repairs to the building in the 1980s. These included injecting concrete into the soil to prevent the house's foundation from settling, re-plastering the walls, adding a foam covering to the roof, and insulating the ceilings. Though the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation still occupied the estate seasonally, Taliesin was closed to the public. In 1983, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation began selling off the contents of Wright's archives to raise money for a $20 million endowment fund to restore the estate. These sales were controversial, with opponents objecting to the dispersal of Wright's documents. During that time, all the buildings except for the Hillside Home School were typically closed to the public. In 1987, the National Park Service evaluated the 1,811 NHLs nationwide for historical integrity and threat of damage. Taliesin was declared a "Priority 1" NHL, a site that is "seriously damaged or imminently with such damage". The main building was in poor shape, with cracking plaster, sinking foundations, and rotting wood. Some of the wooden floors had warped, and the birdwalk had developed a large crack. The other buildings at Taliesin were in similarly poor condition, having weathered over the years. There was no heating system, and many parts of the complex were exposed to moisture and extreme heat. The National Trust for Historic Preservation also listed the site as one of America's Most Endangered Places due to "water damage, erosion, foundation settlement and wood decay". Many of these structural issues were attributed to the haphazard, experimental nature of Taliesin's construction, which had been described as resembling a "stage set". Richard Carney, who led the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, estimated that Taliesin needed $10–20 million in repairs. #### 1990s: Initial work Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson appointed a commission in 1988 to prepare plans for preserving and operating Taliesin; the commission estimated that it would cost $14.7 million to repair the complex. Thompson established Taliesin Preservation, Inc. (TPI), a non-profit organization, in 1990 to restore Taliesin. The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation retained ownership of the complex, working with TPI to preserve the property. TPI received $150,000 from the state government, a $50,000 matching grant from the J. Paul Getty Trust, and a $100,000 grant from the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation. The Taliesin complex began hosting tours in mid-1992. Thompson suggested in late 1992 that the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) fund the house's restoration with an $8 million bond issue. Thompson estimated that the complex could attract up to 150,000 visitors annually, generating more than $10 million in tourist spending in Wisconsin. WHEDA approved a loan for the complex later the same year. In addition, TPI suggested spending $3.8 million on a visitor center. TPI's executive director Robert Burley drew up plans for Taliesin's restoration. By the mid-1990s, the renovation was expected to cost an estimated $24 million. Early restoration work included repairs to the foundation, remediation of fire hazards, and emergency repairs to other parts of the house. U.S. senator Herb Kohl introduced a bill in July 1993 to provide another $8 million for Taliesin's restoration. Kohl and U.S. representative Scott Klug also cosponsored legislation to convert Taliesin into a National Park Service site, though the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation would have continued to own the complex. TPI also sought to raise the final $8 million for the restoration from donations. The first part of Taliesin to be restored, the terrace outside Wright's bedroom and study, was finished that October. Workers also shored up parts of the complex that were in danger of collapsing. The same year, due to the deterioration of the Taliesin Dam, Wisconsin officials asked the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation to either repair or abandon it. TPI also bought the Wright–designed Riverview Terrace Restaurant nearby and converted it into a visitor center. The commission held an architectural design competition for the visitor center, and it selected Tony Puttnam to redesign the structure, which opened in June 1994. By then, TPI had raised $1 million from donations. Work continued on Taliesin's restoration during the 1990s, even while it was open to visitors. Following a severe storm on June 18, 1998, a large oak tree in the courtyard fell down on top of the house. The tree had been the last survivor of three that Wright had planted there in 1911, and its collapse caused $1 million in damage. Ten days afterward, heavy rains caused a mudslide near the main building, exposing a structural support underneath a balcony. Following these incidents, workers made emergency repairs to the house and repaired damaged interiors and windows. By the late 1990s, the complex had about 50,000 visitors per year, far fewer than the 200,000 annual visitors TPI had anticipated. Additionally, TPI earned only about $1 million a year from tourism, which was not enough to repay the WHEDA loan, and TPI missed a $6.5 million payment on the loan in January 1999. The Wisconsin government ended up forgiving most of the loan. That May, the federal government agreed to give Taliesin a $1.15 million matching grant from Save America's Treasures on the condition that TPI raise an equal amount. This funding would be used for interior restoration and drainage repairs. The same year, TPI began soliciting donations to restore the grounds as part of the Trees for Taliesin program, and publishing executive Frank Anton announced plans to raise $25 million for the renovation through the Taliesin Restoration Project. At the time, there were plans to repair the studio wing and Tan-y-Deri. Another storm in late 1999 collapsed a tunnel underneath the studio wing. #### 21st century According to the Wisconsin State Journal, Taliesin's preservation was "fraught with epic difficulties", because Wright never thought of it as a series of buildings with a long-term future. The studio wing's restoration was completed in August 2000 at a cost of $400,000, three-fourths of which was covered from insurance payouts; private donors paid the rest of the cost. By 2002, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation estimated that it might cost up to $60 million to refurbish the Taliesin complex. At the time, workers were about to stabilize the hill under the house, as the hillside was causing Taliesin's walls to slant and its walkways to crack. To prevent further water damage, tarpaulins had been placed on the ground as an emergency measure. TPI had issues raising money due to a weakening of the local economy, and many of the complex's structural issues were not readily visible to the public, posing further fundraising difficulties. Preservationists predicted that the estate would be irreversibly damaged if it were not repaired within five to ten years. A $900,000 project to improve Taliesin's drainage system was completed in 2004. The cost of the restoration had increased to $67 million by 2005, of which the main house alone was estimated to cost $26 million. The same year, businessman T. Denny Sanford donated $425,000 for Taliesin's restoration. These funds, which were matched by part of the Save America's Treasures grant, were used to pay for further repairs to the roof, as well as planning for future repairs. There were also plans to replace a bridge carrying Taliesin's driveway across a creek. In 2006, the Jeffris Family Foundation agreed to fund 25% of Tan-y-Deri's restoration, which at the time was estimated to cost $828,000. Over $11 million was spent on the rehabilitation of Taliesin between 1988 and 2008. Financing renovations was stull challenging because of lower-than expected attendance. The Wisconsin State Journal reported in 2009 that, despite increased attendance over the preceding two years, TPI still needed to raise $50 million to restore the rest of the complex. TPI also began reinforcing the house's structure, which had been undermined by the weight of the third-story guestrooms. The World Monuments Fund (WMF) added Taliesin to its 2010 World Monuments Watch to bring attention to the complex's remaining structural issues. By the early 2010s, workers had begun repairing the house's foundation and lower level. The house was still open to the public, albeit only for guided tours; there were eight separate kinds of tours because of Taliesin's wide-ranging history and scope. To celebrate Taliesin's centennial, TPI hosted a series of events in 2011. The complex remained in danger of deterioration, prompting the WMF to add Taliesin to its 2014 World Monuments Watch. In the mid-2010s, preservationists also began restoring Taliesin's gardens to their 1959 appearance. This project included adding hollyhocks and rearranging orchards to Wright's original specifications. Additionally, to attract visitors to Taliesin and other Wright–designed sites in Wisconsin, state legislators proposed giving money to the Wisconsin Department of Tourism for the installation of road signs promoting these sites. Taliesin was subsequently included on the Frank Lloyd Wright Trail, which was established in 2017. In 2018, Taliesin received a $320,000 grant for the Hillside theater's restoration through the Save America's Treasures program; the project included improving drainage, upgrading mechanical systems, and adding rooms to the basement. This project was initially planned to cost $867,000 and take two years. The theater did not reopen until 2024, and its renovation ultimately cost $1.1 million. Workers also restored Taliesin's Midway Barn in the 2020s. ### Visitation TPI provides tours from May 1 through October 31 of each year, though weekend tours of the grounds are also available in April and November. Other visitation opportunities are available sporadically through the rest of the year. Tours of the house's interior are usually not given from November to April because Taliesin has no heating system; Wright had removed Taliesin's furnaces after his Taliesin West complex was completed. In addition, visitors are not ordinarily allowed to stay at the complex overnight. As of 2023, more than 25,000 people visit Taliesin each year. The Wisconsin Historical Society's collections include rare old photographs of Taliesin. ## Reception Architectural historian James F. O'Gorman compares Taliesin to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, calling it "not a mere building but an entire environment in which man, architecture and nature form a harmonious whole." He continues that the building is an expression of Romanticism influence in architecture. William Barillas, in an essay of the Prairie School movement, agrees with O'Gorman's assessment and calls Taliesin "the ultimate prairie house." The Wall Street Journal wrote in 1985 that, even though the Taliesin complex was not Wright's most elaborate or expensive design, they are still compelling statements about shelter and about nature". Robert Cross wrote for the Chicago Tribune in 2001 that "Everywhere—parlor, bedrooms, garden terraces—the eye falls on beauty. The outside comes in through the windows with gorgeous effect." In a 2009 publication for the Thoreau Society, Naomi Uechi notes thematic similarities between the architecture of Taliesin and the concept of simplicity advocated by philosopher Henry David Thoreau. Architectural historian Neil Levine highlighted the abstract nature of the complex, comparing it to the works of Pablo Picasso. In "House Proud", an article in Boston Globe Magazine by the Pulitzer Prize–winning architecture critic Robert Campbell, Taliesin was described as "my candidate for the title of the greatest single building in America." Another writer, in The New York Times, said of Taliesin that "the key idea is horizontality", contrasting with the vertical design elements of skyscrapers that were being built at the same time. Several sources have described Taliesin as an embodiment of Wright and his architectural philosophy. In Taliesin 1911–1914, a collection of essays about the first house, the authors and editor conclude that Taliesin was "Wright's architectural self-portrait." Paul Goldberger, the architectural critic for The New York Times, similarly wrote in 1994 that "there is no better way into the soul of Frank Lloyd Wright than to tour this house". The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wrote the next year that the complex's design provided insight into "the career of a man who reinvented the language of architecture". TPI's president Carol McChesney Johnson said in 2011 that Taliesin "was a part of who he was", in contrast to other buildings that he designed but did not occupy. The following year, a writer for the Wisconsin Magazine of History described Taliesin as "a quintessential example of how architectural history and biography can blend into a single entity". ## See also - List of Frank Lloyd Wright works - List of National Historic Landmarks in Wisconsin - National Register of Historic Places listings in Iowa County, Wisconsin - Taliesin West

Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.

1998 non-fiction book by Ron Chernow

Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. is a 1998 non-fiction book by American author Ron Chernow. The book covers the life of the American business magnate John D. Rockefeller from his early days as the son of an itinerant snake-oil salesman, into his founding of Standard Oil and its massive success and eventual dissolution, and through the large-scale philanthropy that consumed much of his later life. At the time of its writing, the book was unique in its attempt at a balanced view of Rockefeller's career, bucking the trend of his biographers portraying him and his business practices as either good or evil. The book's release came while the federal government was considering pursuing an antitrust lawsuit against the Microsoft Corporation, and parallels were drawn by critics between that ongoing investigation and the one into Standard Oil's business practices. The book was generally well-received by critics, who mostly praised Chernow's meticulous research and neutral approach to describing the life of a polarizing figure, though some reviewers considered the account less neutral than others. It was called "a triumph of the art of biography" by The New York Times Book Review and became a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography. ## Background John D. Rockefeller, former head of Standard Oil, passed away in 1937 at the age of 97. Shortly thereafter, in 1940, Allan Nevins released a two-volume study on the man's life and career that would be revised and published in 1953 as the single-volume Study in Power: John D. Rockefeller, Industrialist and Philanthropist. Nevins, who sought to burnish Rockefeller's reputation after its battering by Progressive and New Deal-era critics, painted the magnate's business ethics in a favorable light. Despite the Rockefeller family's release in the 1970s of his personal papers, by the beginning of the 1990s no significant biography of John Sr. had been attempted since Nevins. After Chernow published his second book, The Warburgs, his publisher Random House suggested he pursue an in-depth profile of Rockefeller. Chernow was initially resistant, saying that Rockefeller's notorious secrecy around his private life would make it difficult for a biographer to learn about the man's inner thoughts and feelings. Chernow said this inability to "hear the music of his mind" made the prospect of multiple years of research unpalatable. On a suggestion by his editor at Random House, Chernow visited the Rockefeller Archive Center in New York, home of the papers and records of Rockefeller University and the Rockefeller family. He discovered a 1,700-page transcript of private interviews conducted over three years late in the tycoon's life. The interviews, which showed an articulate, funny, and analytic side of Rockefeller, had yet to be used in a biography of the man, and Chernow decided to pursue the project. The book ultimately took five years to complete and according to Chernow took "the psychology and stamina of a marathon runner". ## Synopsis Titan begins during Rockefeller's childhood and describes his formative years living with two very different parents: a devout Baptist mother and a traveling salesman father. William Avery Rockefeller was a grifter and peddler of snake oil health cures. A neighbor of the family once remarked, "They had a big jug full of medicine, and they treated all diseases from the same jug." William practiced bigamy as well. He abandoned the family for long stretches of time, much of it spent with an entirely separate family in Philadelphia. He also moved a mistress into the Rockefeller household and fathered children with both her and John's mother. Chernow traces John's longstanding Christian faith as well as his frugal nature to the influence, both positive and negative, of his parents. Chernow continues tracking Rockefeller through the formation of what became Standard Oil, and describes how a Cleveland merchant with no great education or contacts came to control nearly all of the nation's oil refining industry. Chernow argues that Rockefeller recognized the "anarchy of production" that plagued unfettered capitalism, and that, "At times, when he railed against cutthroat competition and the vagaries of the business cycle, Rockefeller sounded more like Karl Marx than our classical image of the capitalist." His fellow oil refiners waged vicious price wars and refused to taper production even when new oil discoveries glutted the market with product. Chernow reveals that Rockefeller profited by buying out other refiners and thus curtailing competition, as well as by convincing railroads to give his company secret discounts on the shipment of his product. These business practices incurred scrutiny, Chernow writes. Muckrakers in the press—notably, Ida Tarbell—published scathing, multi-part exposés about the oil trust's underhanded tactics. These pieces vilified Rockefeller, who by that time had largely, though not publicly, retired from his company's operations. He opted not to respond to Tarbell's widely popular series, which ultimately harmed his reputation even further. Tarbell's series and subsequent book raised public awareness of the oil trust; less than a decade later, it was broken up by the U.S. government. After he retired, Rockefeller's public image shifted from that of the money-hungry tycoon to one of a charming old man who became equally obsessed with both golf and philanthropy. He became fixated on charity, and his innovation and ingenuity in distributing his rapidly accumulating wealth rivaled his ability to earn it. Chernow argues that while this charity was not entirely altruistic—a public relations firm was hired; gifts were made primarily to uncontroversial recipients—the donations were still made with Rockefeller's unwavering belief that he had received the money from God and God expected him to give it back. By the early 1920s, Rockefeller – who even in his youth had earmarked a portion of his earnings for charity – had donated $475 million (equivalent to $ in ) to various causes, including towards the founding of the University of Chicago and the establishment of the Rockefeller Foundation. The latter institution became the standard by which other philanthropic enterprises sought to conduct their efforts, similar to how Standard Oil had shaped future practice in the business world. ## Analysis Maury Klein of The Wall Street Journal was impressed with Chernow's well-rounded approach to a complex figure, saying, "Rockefeller's career is a minefield of controversies and complexities through which Mr. Chernow makes his way with admirable balance and judgment." In the Columbia Journalism Review, Lance Morrow approached the text with a critical eye towards Rockefeller's relationship with the press. He noted that Tarbell, whose father had been driven out of business by Standard Oil's tactics, was hardly a neutral party in her journalism, and that her hatred of Rockefeller both honed and skewed her reporting on the man and his company. The economist Richard Parker wrote in the Los Angeles Times of Chernow's talent for providing "an immense, almost baroque detailing of a complex human life", but believed Chernow did not devote enough scrutiny to why Rockefeller was considered such a villain in his time, and that Chernow wrote "passingly" about the many corrupt and illegal acts practiced by Standard Oil while Rockefeller was at the helm. In The New Republic, critic Jackson Lears praised Chernow's ability to blend the book's biographical aspects with an overarching history of the eras spanned by the successive generations of Rockefellers. However, he believed that in striving for a neutral approach to his subject he ended up overly lenient, with a tendency even to "slide into sycophancy". Steve Weinberg of the Chicago Tribune called the book a "flawed gem", citing Chernow's "unforgettable portraits" of various members of Rockefeller's family and inner circle, while conceding that the author occasionally "cannot refrain from telling readers what to think." The writing and publication of Titan, a book largely about the creation of one of the largest and most powerful monopolies in America's history, coincided with the Justice Department's investigation of Microsoft and its competition-swallowing business practices. A month before Titan's release, Chernow wrote a column in The New York Times comparing and contrasting the two business giants and their respective situations. He also stated in an interview that he wished for the book to result in a nationwide conversation about both the high rate of corporate consolidation in America and the obligations of the wealthy to dispense their fortunes charitably. Brent Staples of Slate acknowledged the many reviews of the book that drew connections between Rockefeller and Microsoft's Bill Gates; however, he felt that aside from a shared failing to accurately judge the public's attitude, the men's relative situations were not overly similar. ## Reception Titan was met with mostly positive reviews. Jack Beatty of The New York Times called it "unflaggingly interesting" and praised Chernow's depiction of Rockefeller's familial connections. Time Magazine's Lance Morrow said the book was "one of the great American biographies". A syndicated review from the Knight Ridder News Service named it "one of the outstanding books of the year". In discussing the book's supplementary features, the Business History Review's Kenneth Warren was impressed with the wealth of accompanying photographs and Chernow's considerable amount of notes, but would have liked a map depicting the operations of Standard Oil's distribution. Writing for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, David Walton especially praised the title's abridged audiobook edition and called the use of George Plimpton as narrator "an inspired choice". Titan was listed on The New York Times Best Seller list for 16 weeks, and its paperback version was a Publishers Weekly'' best seller in 1999 with over 75,000 copies sold. It was a finalist for the 1998 National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography.

Ezio Auditore da Firenze

Assassin's Creed character

Ezio Auditore da Firenze () is a fictional character in the video game series Assassin's Creed, serving as the principal protagonist of the series' games set during the Italian Renaissance. An Italian Master Assassin, his life and career as an Assassin are chronicled in Assassin's Creed II, II: Discovery (both 2009), Brotherhood (2010), and Revelations (2011), as well as the short films Assassin's Creed: Lineage (2009), Ascendance (2010), and Embers (2011) and various spin-off media of the franchise. In 2016, all three major games featuring Ezio, as well as Lineage and Embers, were re-released as an enhanced bundle titled Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection. Throughout most of his appearances, the character has been voiced by American actor Roger Craig Smith, while Canadian actor Devon Bostick portrayed him in live-action in Lineage. Within the series' alternate historical setting, Ezio was born into Italian nobility from Florence in 1459. His family had long been loyal to the Assassin Brotherhood, a secret organization inspired by the real-life Order of Assassins dedicated to safeguarding peace and freedom, though Ezio did not learn about his Assassin heritage until his late teens, after most of his immediate kin was executed during the Pazzi conspiracy. His quest to track down those responsible sets him up against the Templar Order, the Assassins' mortal enemies, led locally by the House of Borgia. Spending decades to fight Rodrigo and Cesare Borgia and their henchmen, Ezio is eventually successful in restoring the Assassins to prominence in Italy, and becomes their Mentor in 1503. His further adventures lead him to Spain and the Ottoman Empire, where he again proves to be essential in helping the local Assassins overcome Templar threats. Following his retirement from the Brotherhood, Ezio settles down in Tuscany with his family, eventually dying from a heart attack in Florence in 1524. The character has received critical acclaim and is often named among the greatest video game characters of all time. While most of the praise focuses on his portrayal and growth throughout the series, as well as the unique chronicling of his entire life, he has also been noted as one of the most attractive video game characters of all time. Due to his reception and the fact that he is the only character who is the protagonist of multiple major installments of the franchise, he is usually considered the face and most popular character of Assassin's Creed. Ezio's popularity has led to several crossover appearances outside of the series, notably in Soulcalibur V, Fortnite, and Brawlhalla, where he appears as a guest character. ## Development When creating Ezio's character, the developers were keen on establishing similarities between the series' previous protagonist Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad in style and general appearance, while at the same time differentiating Ezio from the former characterwise. His name, meaning eagle in Italian, was chosen to keep up the tradition of Altaïr, whose name meant "flying one" in Arabic. While Altaïr was described as a warrior monk bred for combat and the life of an assassin, Ezio's backstory was consciously designed in sharp contrast to make playing him feel like an "empowering experience". Unlike Altaïr, Ezio is not born into the Assassin Order and discovers his heritage only in his teens, while his main goal for most of the first game is to seek revenge on those who murdered his family. Even though this was made to be his main motivation for the early part of the game, his personal growth was to enable him to seek justice as the game progressed. Additionally, Ezio does not start out as a Master Assassin but has to hone his craft throughout, which was intended to make him more relatable to players. He learns new moves and abilities by being taught by friends and allies, unlike a progression tree, to make the players' immersion into the character feel more natural. In general, Ezio was designed to be a Renaissance man, who was to be open-minded and truth-seeking, but also fun-loving. The creative director of Assassin's Creed III, Alex Hutchinson, compared Ezio to actor Errol Flynn, as he was designed to be an over-the-top womanizer and braggart. ## Fictional character biography ### Assassin's Creed II and II: Discovery Ezio is an ancestor of Desmond Miles, the protagonist of most of the early series' modern-day sequences, who experiences Ezio's life through the Animus, a device unlocking hidden memories inside his DNA. As shown in the beginning of Assassin's Creed II, Ezio was born into the House of Auditore, a dynasty from the Italian city of Florence, in 1459. Tutored by the banker Giovanni Tornabuoni until the age of 17, Ezio led an affluent, care-free lifestyle until his father Giovanni discovered a plot to assassinate the leaders of Florence. Giovanni accused Francesco de' Pazzi as a conspirator, but when he presented the evidence to the gonfaloniere of Florence, Uberto Alberti, the latter is revealed to also be a conspirator and orders for the Auditore family's arrest. Out running errands for his father, Ezio is not home when his father and two brothers are arrested and later publicly hanged. Ezio, following his father's final advice, finds his Assassin tools and flees the city with his mother and sister to his uncle Mario's estate in Monteriggioni. Mario assists Ezio in discovering the people behind the conspiracy and trains him to become an Assassin. While exacting revenge on the Pazzi dynasty, Ezio discovers that more people from outside Florence are involved in the conspiracy that got his father and brothers killed. The search for those responsible spans over a decade and leads Ezio from Florence to San Gimignano, Forlì, and eventually Venice. As he identifies and assassinates the Templar conspirators, Ezio gains several allies, including Niccolò Machiavelli, Caterina Sforza, and Leonardo da Vinci. These allies partly set Ezio on a path of redemption, helping him overcome his desire for revenge, and guide him on his quest. Eventually, Ezio confronts the mastermind behind the conspiracy, Rodrigo Borgia, who sought to unify Italy under the Templar banner and acquire a powerful artifact known as the Apple of Eden, which would lead the Templars to fabled "Vault." Ezio recovers the Apple from Rodrigo, who manages to escape, and is formally inducted into the Assassin Brotherhood. During the events of Assassin's Creed II: Discovery, which takes place from 1491 to 1492, Ezio travels to Spain to free his fellow Assassins, who have been imprisoned under the guise of the Spanish Inquisition. In the process, he discovers that the Templars are planning to sail west to discover the New World. Ezio has to save Christopher Columbus and confront Tomás de Torquemada to end the Templar threat. During his quest, he also befriends a number of Spanish Assassins who offer him aid, including Luis de Santángel and Raphael Sanchez. In the end, Granada is taken under siege by the Templars, and Ezio has to save the Nasrid King Muhammad XII. By 1499, the Italian Assassins have discovered that the Vault sought by Rodrigo lies in Rome, prompting Ezio to infiltrate the Vatican to assassinate the Templar Grand Master, who has become Pope Alexander VI and wields the Staff of Eden. Ezio battles Rodrigo using the Apple, and despite being initially overpowered, he manages to defeat his opponent after challenging him to a fist-fight. Declaring an end to his personal vendetta, Ezio spares Rodrigo's life and opens the Vault after combining the Apple and the Staff. Inside, he is greeted by a hologram of Minerva, a member of the extinct First Civilization that created humanity and the Pieces of Eden. Minerva delivers a message intended for Desmond, warning him about a cataclysmic solar flare only he can prevent, which leaves Ezio confused as he questions who Desmond is. ### Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood At the start of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Monteriggioni is besieged by the Papal Armies led by Cesare Borgia, Rodrigo's son and co-leader of the Templar Order. During the siege, the Apple of Eden is lost, Monteriggioni is destroyed, and Ezio's uncle Mario is killed. Escaping the city with his mother and sister, an injured Ezio sets off for Rome to destroy the Borgia once and for all; however, he collapses shortly thereafter. Days later, Ezio awakens in Rome and receives a new set of gear from Niccolò Machiavelli, who also saved him days earlier. After his wounds heal, Ezio and Machiavelli set their plan into motion – to liberate Rome and remove the Borgias from power permanently, as well as retrieve the Apple. Slowly, over the next three and a half years, Ezio and his allies win a series of victories over the Borgias, reclaiming and restoring the city by destroying the Borgia's allies and ressources. Ezio restores the ranks of the Assassins and in time succeeds Machiavelli as Mentor, the leader of the Brotherhood. By 1503, Ezio has assassinated the clan's banker, Juan Borgia, and their French general ally, the Baron de Valois, and incapacitated Lucrezia Borgia, leaving the Templars' power base in disarray. Cesare, in a fit of rage, kills his father and begins losing control over the city. After retrieving the Apple, Ezio uses its power to destroy what is left of Cesare's army. By the end of the year, Borgia control over the city is completely broken and Cesare is arrested by the new Pope, Julius II. After Cesare manages to escape, Ezio uses the Apple to track him down before hiding the artifact in a secret vault below the Colosseum. In 1507, Ezio travels to Spain and catches up with Cesare at the siege of Viana Castle. Ultimately defeating Cesare, Ezio throws him off the castle walls to his death. ### Assassin's Creed: Revelations After the events of Brotherhood, Ezio discovers a letter left behind by his father that talks about a hidden library full of vast knowledge underneath Masyaf Castle, left there by the legendary Assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, setting the events of Assassin's Creed: Revelations into motion. Arriving at Masyaf in early 1511, Ezio is ambushed by Templars who occupy the fortress, also searching for Altaïr's library. After escaping capture and assassinating the Templar captain, Ezio recovers the journal of Niccolò Polo, which tells of five seals hidden in Constantinople that will open the door to Altaïr's library. Arriving in Constantinople, Ezio begins his search for the seals, while helping the local Assassins Guild, led by Yusuf Tazim, overthrow Byzantine Templar control. Over time, Ezio succeeds in eradicating Templar influence and resubjugating the city to the rule of the family of Prince Suleiman. Ezio recovers four of the five seals with the help of book collector Sofia Sartor, for whom he soon develops romantic feelings. He then travels to an underground city in Cappadocia, the Templars' base of operations, and assassinates their leader, Manuel Palaiologos, from whom he recovers the final seal. However, Ezio is confronted by Suleiman's uncle, Prince Ahmet, who reveals himself as the true Templar Grand Master and threatens to harm Sofia if Ezio does not surrender the seals. Upon returning to Constantinople, Ezio finds that Ahmet has killed Yusuf and kidnapped Sofia, and rallies the Ottoman Assassins to fight Ahmet. After giving up the seals to save Sofia, Ezio chases after Ahmet and eventually recovers the seals from him. A returning Sultan Selim I then kills Ahmet and thanks Ezio for saving his son and country, but at the same time orders him to leave the Ottoman Empire. Ezio and Sofia travel to Masyaf and open Altaïr's library, where the former finds Altaïr's remains and learns that the library's purpose was to convey a message to Altaïr and Ezio's common descendant, Desmond Miles, through another Apple of Eden. An aged Ezio then decides he has seen enough violence and mystery for one life and leaves the Apple behind. He also retires from the Assassins, putting his faith in Desmond that he will succeed where Ezio and Altaïr could not. ### Assassin's Creed: Embers In the animated short Assassin's Creed: Embers, the last years of Ezio's life are chronicled. After his retirement from the Assassins, he has settled down in a Tuscan villa near Monteriggioni with Sofia, with whom he has two children: Flavia and Marcello. In 1524, a mysterious Chinese woman appears at his door requesting his help. The woman, Shao Jun, is a member of the vanquished Chinese Assassin Brotherhood and sought Ezio's advice in how to help her people and rebuild her order. After helping Jun fight off soldiers sent by the Ming Emperor Jiajing, Ezio sees Shao on her way back to China, armed with the wisdom she came seeking, as well as a mysterious box, which he tells her to open only if she loses her way. Shortly thereafter, while on a trip to the market square in Florence with Sofia and Flavia, Ezio suffers a heart attack and passes away at the age of 65. ## Other appearances ### Assassin's Creed series Ezio appears as a supporting character in the live-action short film Assassin's Creed: Lineage, which serves as a prequel to Assassin's Creed II and focuses on his father, Giovanni Auditore; he is portrayed by Devon Bostick. Ezio is also featured in Assassin's Creed: Ascendance, an animated short film set during the events of Brotherhood, which sees him meeting with a cloaked Leonardo da Vinci in Rome to gather information about Cesare Borgia. In the modern-day section of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, a market analysis for Abstergo Entertainment, the fictional video games subsidiary of Abstergo Industries, can be found via hacking computers. The market analysis reveals Abstergo was looking into the possibility of using Ezio as the protagonist of a future project, but ultimately decided against it due to his violent and womanizing nature and him "corrupting" people into following the Assassins' flawed ideology. Despite this, in Assassin's Creed Unity, Abstergo has produced a fictional video game starring Ezio, titled Fear and Loathing in Florence, which can be seen at the start. In the spin-off game Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China, which follows Shao Jun after the events of Embers, Jun applies Ezio's teachings in her quest to restore the Chinese Assassins and considers him her mentor. In 2018, Ezio became a playable character in the free-to-play role-playing mobile game Assassin's Creed Rebellion. Like II: Discovery, the game is set during the Spanish Inquisition and features multiple characters from different installments of the series, as they build a Brotherhood to overthrow the Spanish Templar Order. Ezio is also featured as one of the three playable characters of the 2023 virtual reality game, Assassin's Creed Nexus VR. His story arc is set in 1509, in-between the events of Brotherhood and Revelations, and follows Ezio as he travels to Venice to recover some of his family's artifacts which have been stolen from Monteriggioni. Ezio's Brotherhood outfit has been featured as an unlockable cosmetic option in most subsequent releases of the series. In 2020, it was added to Assassin's Creed Odyssey after being initially exlcluded at release. His Assassin's Creed II outfit has also been featured in several games, including Assassin's Creed Valhalla, added as part of the final content update for the game in December 2022. Aside from the video games, Ezio has also been featured in a number of Assassin's Creed extended media. In literature, he appears as the protagonist of the novels Assassin's Creed: Renaissance, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, and Assassin's Creed: Revelations by Oliver Bowden, which adapt each of the major games featuring him. In 2017, Ezio appeared in the first issue of the Assassin's Creed: Reflections comic book miniseries, which sees him comforting a dying Leonardo da Vinci in 1519 while recounting his encounter with Lisa del Giocondo, the noblewoman who served as the inspiration for Leonardo's Mona Lisa. In 2021, Ezio was included as a playable character in the board game Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice by Triton Noir. The game features an original storyline set between the events of Brotherhood and Revelations. ### Others Due to his popularity, Ezio has made numerous crossover appearances outside of the Assassin's Creed franchise. All three of his prominent outfits from throughout the series have also been featured as unlockable cosmetic options in several games. In 2012, Ezio was included as a guest character in the fighting game Soulcalibur V. He also appeared in the 2014 and 2020 free to play role-playing mobile games Soul Hunters and AFK Arena, through a collaboration between developer Lilith Games and Ubisoft. Ezio later appeared as a boss in another one of Ubisoft's titles, For Honor. In the fighting game, players are encouraged to duel with and kill Ezio in a time-limited special event, active from December 2018 to January 2019. Later In April 25th 2024, Ezio was added to For Honor as a “Hero Skin” cosmetic for the Peacekeeper hero, featuring the game’s first ever gender swap for a gender locked hero, complete with new voice overs & reworked animations. In March 2022, Ezio was added as a playable character in Fortnite Battle Royale. He could be unlocked from the in-game store or by purchasing Assassin's Creed Valhalla or its Dawn of Ragnarök DLC on the Epic Games Store before March 2023. In July 2022, Ezio was added as a playable character to the fighting game Brawlhalla. Ezio's robes from Assassin's Creed II are unlockable to wear in the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, LittleBigPlanet for the PlayStation 3, and PowerUp Heroes for Kinect on the Xbox 360. His Revelations outfit, under the name the "Dashin' Hashashin", was presented as promotional headgear to Team Fortress 2 players who had pre-ordered Revelations, along with a special knife modeled after his hidden blade (called "The Sharp Dresser") for the Spy class in the game. The robes are also featured as an unlockable skin in Final Fantasy XIII-2 and XV, as part of special events. In a time-limited special event in Monster Hunter World, players were able to unlock Ezio's Assassin's Creed II robes as a special armor. His Assassin's Creed II outfit was also added to Fall Guys in June 2022, while his Brotherhood outfit is included in the mobile battle royale game Free Fire. ## Reception and legacy The character was critically acclaimed by the media and general public alike, with his depiction and transformation, as well as the chronicling of his entire life drawing significant praise. He is the only character in the series to receive several main games. Ezio is widely regarded as the series' best character and the face of the franchise, often finishing first in rankings of the series' characters. With the exception of II: Discovery (a Nintendo DS release), all games and films he appears in were re-released as an enhanced bundle, The Ezio Collection, for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, in 2016. Like other protagonists in the series, Ezio has been also subject to merchandise. Ezio's likeness, along with five other series protagonists, was used for a line of character-themed wine labels as part of a joint collaboration between Ubisoft and winemaker Lot18; the full name of his label is "2015 Ezio Auditore Super Tuscan Red Blend", a reference to his birthplace of Florence, Tuscany. Initial reception for Ezio as a character was positive. GamesRadar characterized him as an "ass-kicking, morally ambiguous superhero" and noted that he had a livelier and more charming personality than his predecessor Altaïr, with his personal growth being a central aspect of the narrative. Will Tutle of GameSpy also noted Ezio's growth and contrast to Altaïr as his strongest features, stating that while he was an unlikeable womanizer at first, he was later hoping he would "get his revenge and uncover the truth". In contrast, GameSpot's Kevin VanOrd called Ezio "terrific" and "instantly likeable", while praising him as a more realized character than Altaïr. In his review of Revelations, VanOrd lauded the developers for reflecting Ezio's age and weariness throughout the game, as well as highlighting his role as a mentor. Matt Miller of GameInformer stated that by Revelations, Ezio has grown from a boy seeking revenge to a man seeking wisdom, as well as a "venerable mentor", which was made a central aspect of his character. John Davison of GamePro named Ezio the epicenter of the game and drew a comparison between him and Nathan Drake. Like Drake, the "charming, witty, and comically self-deprecating" Ezio was "designed to draw the player into the narrative." Ezio Auditore received an award from GameSpot for the "Best New Character" in 2009. GameZone authors Natalie Romano and Angelina Sandoval listed him third for "Gaming God of 2009", which ranks the most attractive video game men of the year. He was also nominated at the Spike Video Game Awards 2010 for "Best Character". The 2011 Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition lists Ezio as the 35th most popular video game character. The praise for his portrayal has also placed him high in multiple all-decade or all-time rankings. Ezio was voted as the third top character of the 2000s decade by Game Informer's readers. In 2012, GamesRadar+ ranked him as the eighth "most memorable, influential, and badass" protagonist in games due to his entire life being portrayed. They also placed him second on the list of most badass game characters of the generation, saying "Ezio has become synonymous with the image of the video game assassin." The character's physical attractiveness and clothing style have also been noted. At the 2010 Spike Video Game Awards, he won the award for "Best Dressed Assassin", while Paste named him as one of the "best costumed characters in videogames." GamesRadar named Ezio "Mister 2009" in their article on the sexiest new characters of the decade of 2000. Furthermore, PlayStation Official Magazine ranked Ezio fifth on their list of "finest facial hair gaming has to offer".

K-17 (Kansas highway)

Former highway in Kansas

K-17 was a 21.138-mile-long (34.018 km) state highway in Kansas that served Kingman and Reno counties. The route originated at an intersection with U.S. Route 54 (US-54) and US-400 south of the unincorporated community of Waterloo and ended at K-96 south of South Hutchinson. The road was maintained by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), and was a two-lane road for its entire length. The entirety of this portion of the route is now designated as a part of K-14. The route was designated in 1932. When originally designated, K-17 ran north to an intersection with US-81 near McPherson. Between 1957 and 1962, a series of changes to the route shortened it and brought its northern terminus to an intersection with K-96 near South Hutchinson. The route was decommissioned in 2012. ## Route description K-17 began at a diamond interchange with US-54 and US-400 near Waterloo in Kingman County and ran north on a two-lane road. The route passed a cemetery just north of its southern terminus and continued north through level farmland, entering Reno County and passing a few miles east of the community of Pretty Prairie, which was accessible by a county road. North of here, K-17 crossed the north fork of the Ninnescah River and curved slightly to the northwest. The route bent back to the north and continued in that direction for approximately eight miles (13 km) before twisting to the east and reaching its northern terminus at an intersection with K-96. K-17 was maintained by KDOT. In 2012, KDOT calculated the route's average annual daily traffic to be about 1000 vehicles near its southern terminus, and approximately 1600 vehicles near the northern terminus. K-17 was not included in the National Highway System, a system of highways important to the nation's defense, economy, and mobility. ## History K-17 was commissioned by 1932. Originally, the route went through Hutchinson and ended at US-81 south of McPherson. Only the portion from just south of Hutchinson to the city of Medora was paved. The remainder of the route was gravel. Within a year, the segment from Medora to the route's northern terminus had been paved with a bituminous surface. Between 1933 and 1936, a stretch of the route in Reno County was also given a bituminous surface. In 1940, the route was extended north from its northern terminus along the route of US-81 to an intersection with K-4 in Saline County. By this time, all segments of the route had been paved. The majority of the route had a bituminous surface, but some segments had a hard surface. Between 1941 and 1945, the whole route was paved with a hard surface. In 1957, the portion of K-17 from its intersection with K-61 to its northern terminus was redesignated as an extension of K-61. This realignment removed K-17 from McPherson and Saline counties. In 1962, K-96 was realigned through Hutchinson and replaced a portion of K-17 south of the city. This shortened K-17 yet again to its final northern terminus at an intersection with K-96. In 1977, the southern terminus was upgraded to an interchange as US-54 was upgraded to a freeway in much of eastern Kingman County. In 2012, K-17 was decommissioned when KDOT realigned a number of state highways in Reno and Kingman counties. The former alignment of K-17 was re-designated as a segment of K-14. ## Major intersections |}

Corallivore

Animal that feeds on coral

A corallivore is an animal that feeds on coral. Corallivores are an important group of reef organism because they can influence coral abundance, distribution, and community structure. Corallivores feed on coral using a variety of unique adaptations and strategies. Known corallivores include certain mollusks, annelids, fish, crustaceans, flatworms and echinoderms. The first recorded evidence of corallivory was presented by Charles Darwin in 1842 during his voyage on HMS Beagle in which he found coral in the stomach of two Scarus parrotfish. ## History While visiting the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in 1842, Charles Darwin was told by an Englishman living on the islands that there were large shoals of parrotfish that subsisted entirely on coral. Darwin dissected several parrotfish and found pieces of coral and finely ground calcareous material in their stomach. This led Darwin to correctly theorize that some species of parrotfish consume coral and contribute sediment to the environment by passing finely ground particles from coral skeletons. In 1952, the first descriptions of organisms actively consuming coral were written by Jacques Cousteau and published in National Geographic. During his trip to the Red Sea aboard RV Calypso, Cousteau swam with a pair of green humphead parrotfish and watched them take regular bites and leaving white scars on the coral around them. Like Darwin, Cousteau also noticed the sediment particles that were produced in the parrotfishs' waste and settled to the seafloor. Cousteau noted the leisurely speed with which the parrotfish consumed the coral and remarked that they appeared "unhurried" and like "sea cows, browsing on stone pastures." The term "corallivore" comes from the Latin word corallum for coral and -vora for to eat or devour. ## Types Approximately one-third of known corallivores are obligate corallivores, while the remaining three-fourths are facultative corallivores. Obligate corallivory is defined as having a diet which is at least 80% coral. Obligate corallivores are present in all tropical oceans, except the Caribbean. Facultative corallivores are defined as organisms that regularly consume coral without it comprising a large percentage of their diet. It is thought that some facultative corallivores, such as some damselfish, eat coral to promote algal growth. Many facultative corallivores also graze on algae, which competes with coral for space and resources. By grazing coral, it may provide better conditions for algal growth. Aggressive grazing may keep the algal community in a state of accelerated growth, effectively preventing the transition to a slower growing community. ## Feeding strategies Organisms display different strategies for consuming coral. The majority of corallivores feed on stony coral, however, a few species feed on soft coral. There are no known obligate soft coral feeder; soft coral is estimated to be a small percentage of the diet of soft coral feeders. The most common genera of coral consumed are Acropora, Pocillopora, Montipora, and Porites. Only 18 out of the 111 described coral genera are known to be consumed by corallivores. ### Mucus feeders Mucus feeders feed exclusively on coral mucus. Coral regularly slough off mucus into the surrounding water, so it is thought that mucus feeding causes no harm to the coral. However, it has been shown to disrupt microbial communities living on the coral. Many mucus feeders have shown a preference towards damaged corals, which typically produce more mucus than undamaged corals. ### Browsers Browsers eat coral tissue without damaging the coral's calcium carbonate skeleton. The majority of corallivore species are browsers. ### Scrapers Scrapers consume live coral tissue and small portions of the coral's calcium carbonate skeleton. ### Excavators Excavators consume live coral tissue and large portions of the coral's calcium carbonate skeleton. Excavators can be further broken down to "spot biters" and "focused biters". Spot biters take bites that are scattered over a colony's surface, while focused biters bite repeatedly in the same area. At one time, focused biting was thought to be a display of territoriality in parrotfish, but was later determined to be for food. Out of all of the kinds of corallivores, excavators are thought to have the biggest impact on coral reef communities due to the large amount of coral and skeleton consumed. Additionally, studies suggest that the damage from excavating takes significantly longer to heal than other types of corallivory. ### Bioeroders Bioeroders consume dead coral substrate. Bioeroders are thought to help reshape coral reef landscapes by eroding dead corals. ## In nature Corallivory is relatively rare in nature; less than 3% of known fish species, four families of crustaceans, four families of gastropods, and a few echinoderm genera have been identified as corallivores. Corallivores are present in all tropical reef regions. The region with the highest proportion of corallivorous organisms is the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean. ### Fish Butterflyfish constitute a large percentage of the known corallivores; of the 128 known corallivorous fish species, 69 are butterflyfish species. Additionally, 50% of butterflyfish species are corallivores, making corallivory their most common feeding method. Corallivorous fish come from 11 different families. 39 species are obligate corallivores. Butterflyfish have a wide range of adaptations that facilitate coral consumption. Some butterflyfish have long mouth that they use like forceps to pluck off individual coral polyps and some use their teeth to scrape off coral tissue. Butterflyfish that consume coral have longer intestines than fish that do not consume coral, suggesting that corallivores need more time to process the complex molecules of the coral. The golden pufferfish is distributed widely across the tropical oceans, however, is considered a particularly significant corallivore, specifically in the tropical Eastern Pacific. The golden pufferfish uses its beak-like dental plate to feed on the tips of branching corals at an estimated pace of 16 to 20 grams (0.56 to 0.71 oz) of calcium carbonate per 1 square meter (11 sq ft) of live coral per day. Despite the large amount of coral consumed, studies suggest that the golden pufferfish has little influence on coral abundance in the region. Parrotfish are a family of fish that contain several corallivorous species. Reef-dwelling parrotfish have teeth on their lower and upper jaw that have evolved into an edge for cutting. This cutting edge allows parrotfish to scrape and feed on coral tissue and skeleton. The cutting edge on the teeth of parrotfish resembles a beak, which is the basis for the organism's common name. In addition to the cutting edge adaptation, parrotfish also have well-developed crossed joints that connect the dentary and articular bones of the lower jaw, which presents a mechanical advantage that makes the bite much stronger. ### Invertebrates There are 48 known corallivorous invertebrate species, 14 of which are obligate corallivores. The facultative corallivore crown-of-thorns star is an important coral browser that feeds by everting its stomach and using its tube feet to spread the stomach over the coral and into the crevices between polyps. Occurrences of high crown-of-thorns star population densities has resulted in documented decimation of large coral reef tracts, with reports of 100% coral mortality in localized areas. It is estimated that one crown-of-thorns star may eat up to 6 square meters (65 sq ft) of live coral per year. The genus Drupella are obligate corallivorous sea snails that specialize on fast growing Acropora and Montipora species. Like crown-of-thorns star, Drupella aggregations have been known to destroy large areas of coral, and have been cited as the cause for instances of significant coral reduction in Toga Bay, Japan, and Ningaloo Reef, Australia. Most corallivores display a preference for one or a few types of coral. However, the obligate corallivore snail, Coralliophila abbreviata, is known to feed on 26 different species of coral and shows no distinct preference for one species. C. abbreviata lacks a radula that would allow it to scrape off coral tissue, so coral is broken down by digestive enzymes. Not all corallivores are detrimental to coral health. Corals with populations of the mucus feeding Tetralia and Trapezia crabs were shown to have a greater chance of survival during an crown-of-thorns star outbreak. Trapezia crabs are known to symbiotically benefit their host coral by cleaning sediment and debris off their surface. Some organisms receive more than nutrition. The nudibranch, Phestilla sibogae, has been known to incorporate zooxanthellae, a phytoplankton symbiont, harvested through corallivory into its cerata. After they are incorporated, the zooxanthellae continue to photosynthesize and provide energy for the nudibranch. ## Impacts on ecosystem `Corallivory often results in damage to coral or loss of coral biomass, and sometime directly causes coral death. Corals divert energy and resources towards repairing damage, which has shown to suppress additional growth. The ability for a coral to repair itself is partially based on the size of the lesion; since not all damage can be healed, superfluous damage can result in permanent change to the reef. Corals have shown to energetically prioritize repairing damage over reproducing, so corallivory can have a negative effect on coral reproduction. Additionally, studies have shown that grazing by corallivores can be associated with reduced zooxanthellae densities.` Scientists believe that excessive fishing of predators to corallivores, like large piscivorous fish, may result in an increase in corallivore abundance. This increase in corallivory may have a future negative effect on coral health and density. Corallivory can indirectly cause an increase in growth of competitive organisms, such as algae and sponges. Additionally, some corallivores have been implicated in the spread of coral diseases. Some studies have shown that corallivores can have an influence on the competitive abilities of coral colonies. Corallivory is not always detrimental to coral reefs. If the species of coral being consumed is spatially dominant, grazing can help control growth and promote greater reef diversity. Corallivores are often sensitive to declines in coral health and population size, and are negatively affected during periods of high coral loss. In particular, obligate corallivores have been reported to experience high population declines following instances of coral loss. Studies have shown that corallivores suffer during bleaching events, suggesting that bleached coral is not as nutritional as healthy coral. Scientific investigation into the nutritional value of healthy and bleached coral is lacking. However, it has been determined that the disparity in nutritional value is not related to the concentration of zooxanthellae. ## Known corallivores This list contains the majority of known corallivores, as research is actively ongoing. ## See also - Parrotfish - Pufferfish - Butterflyfish - Triggerfish - Wrasse - Damselfish - Acanthaster planci - Arothron meleagris - Architectonicidae - Epitoniidae - Pediculariidae - Muricidae - Drupella - Coralliophila

Delaware Route 82

State highway in New Castle County, Delaware, United States

Delaware Route 82 (DE 82) is a state highway in the northwest suburbs of Wilmington in New Castle County, Delaware. The route, which is signed north-south, runs 5.49 miles (8.84 km) from DE 52 near Greenville northwest to the Pennsylvania state line near Yorklyn, where the road continues into that state as Pennsylvania Route 82 (PA 82). The route runs through areas of woods and fields in northern New Castle County, with much of the route paralleling the Red Clay Creek. The entire route is a part of the Red Clay Scenic Byway, created in 2005. DE 82 was first numbered by 1952 on its current alignment. In 2010, the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) proposed eliminating the route number, but the plan fell through due to public opposition. ## Route description DE 82 heads to the west of DE 52 near Greenville as two-lane undivided Campbell Road. East of DE 52, the road continues to DE 100 as Kirk Road. The road passes through wooded areas with some fields and homes before crossing over the Hoopes Reservoir. A short distance after the reservoir, DE 82 reaches an intersection with Owls Nest Road and Walnut Green Road, where it makes a turn south onto New London Road. The route passes through woodland, curving to the west as it follows a winding alignment. The route intersects Pyles Ford Road and turns southwest onto that road, curving to the west. DE 82 splits from Pyles Ford Road by turning northwest onto Creek Road. The road reaches an intersection with Mt. Cuba Road in the community of Mount Cuba. Here, the route continues northwest along Creek Road and parallels the Red Clay Creek and the Wilmington and Western Railroad, which are both to the west of the road. The roadway continues on a winding alignment, crossing Burrows Run, and passes over the creek twice before crossing the railroad at-grade two times. Along this stretch, the road passes through the community of Ashland, where Barley Mill Road heads south and crosses the Red Clay Creek on the Ashland Covered Bridge to provide access to the Ashland Nature Center. The route reaches the community of Yorklyn, where it turns southwest briefly. In Yorklyn, the Wilmington and Western Railroad splits from following the road and the creek by heading to the southwest. After making a turn to the northwest at the Yorklyn Road intersection to continue on Creek Road, DE 82 heads alongside the Red Clay Creek through Auburn Valley State Park, curving to the north. A short distance past Yorklyn, the route reaches the Pennsylvania state line, where the road becomes PA 82 and continues north toward the borough of Kennett Square. The entire length of DE 82 is a part of the Red Clay Scenic Byway, a designation given to several roads in the Red Clay Creek valley. The Red Clay Scenic Byway is a part of the Delaware Byways system. DE 82 has an annual average daily traffic count ranging from a high of 2,724 vehicles at the southern terminus at DE 52 to a low of 256 vehicles at Mt. Cuba Road. ## History When Delaware started numbering state highways in the 1930s, what is now DE 82 was originally an unnumbered road. By 1952, DE 82 was created on its current alignment to connect PA 82 at the Pennsylvania state line to DE 52 near Greenville. DE 82 was incorporated into the Red Clay Scenic Byway, the second scenic byway to be designated in Delaware, in 2005. In 2010, DelDOT considered removing the DE 82 designation in order to preserve the route as a scenic byway. After a virtual public workshop on the proposed designation removal was held, DelDOT decided in April 2010 to keep the DE 82 designation due to strong opposition from area residents on the plan. ## Major intersections Mileposts run from north to south. |} ## See also -

Grace Beside Me

Australian television series

Grace Beside Me is an Australian fantasy drama television series for children which premiered on NITV on 16 February 2018 and later aired on ABC Me. The series is based on the novel Grace Beside Me, by Sue McPherson, and was filmed in the Scenic Rim Region in South East Queensland. The television adaptation was produced by a team composed entirely of women, including Aboriginal screenwriters. Set in the fictional country town of Laurel Dale, the series follows an Indigenous Australian teenager named Fuzzy Mac, who navigates her way through the social and personal issues of adolescence, while also being faced with the power of being able to communicate with spirits. Overriding themes include the focus on identity and belonging, while family and kinship is also explored. Australian Aboriginal culture is prominently featured, with the series produced in association with Screen Australia's Indigenous Department and the Australian Children's Television Foundation. Grace Beside Me has received a positive reception for its Australian Aboriginal representation. It was nominated for an AACTA Award for Best Children's Program in 2018, and nominated twice at the Logie Awards for Most Outstanding Children's Program. The program won the First Nations Media Award for Best Drama or Comedy in 2018, and an Australian Directors' Guild Award for the episode "Sorry" in 2019. ## Premise Fuzzy Mac is a 13-year-old Indigenous Australian girl who discovers that she can communicate with spirits. She lives in the small regional community of Laurel Dale with her eccentric grandparents, Nan and Pop, who strive to teach her about tradition and their ancestors. Her family represents a mix of Aboriginal, Irish, and South Sea Islander traditions. Fuzzy's father, Sonny (Lasarus Ratuere), is a FIFO worker in the mines and her mother, died at the age of 19, when Fuzzy was a baby. The pair moved in with Sonny's parents when Fuzzy was born. Episodes depict Fuzzy's transition into adolescence as she begins high school along with her best friends Tui and Yar. On her 13th birthday, Fuzzy discovers that she can see ghosts and communicate with spirits. Her grandmother guides her as she begins her journey as a seer, and encourages her to fulfill her role of looking after Lola's Forest, a sacred site in Laurel Dale, and all of the spirits living within. Fuzzy comes to terms with her gift and learns how to use it responsibly, as she assists the spirits she encounters in carrying out their incomplete business. Other stories detail the friends' rivalry with their classmates, Cat and Emmy. ## Cast and characters ### Main - Kyliric Masella as Fuzzy Mac, a curious and confident thirteen year old with Aboriginal and Australian South Sea Islander heritage, who has a passion for art. She discovers that she can communicate with spirits. - Tjiirdm McGuire as Yar, a flamboyant and theatrical friend of Fuzzy's. - Mairehau Grace as Tui, Fuzzy's best friend, of Māori heritage, who has a love of language and technology. - Charles Passi as Pop McCardell, Fuzzy's open-minded and witty grandfather, who is Australian South Sea Islander, and plays the bagpipes. - Tessa Rose as Nan McCardell, Fuzzy's grandmother and a member of the Stolen Generations, with a gift for sensing the dead. ### Recurring - Simone Landers as Lola, the spirit of Fuzzy's great-grandmother who appears to her as an eleven-year-old girl. She died of natural causes while living in the forest, after escaping the Christian mission. Her spirit is the custodian of Lola's Forest. Pauline Whyman plays the spirit of Lola when she appears to Fuzzy as an older woman. - Andrew Buchanan as Mayor Ridgeway, Cat's father and the mayor of Laurel Dale, formerly a local sports player. - Elaine Crombie as Miss Long, Fuzzy's seventh grade teacher. - Emma Cobb as Cat Ridgeway, a self-absorbed schoolgirl who is the daughter of the mayor. - Lucy Adair as Emmy Chu, a popular schoolgirl who is not comfortable with sharing her Chinese heritage. - Roxanne McDonald as Aunty Min, Nan's younger sister, a local historian, who was also removed from her family as a child. - Ginger Dickens as Esther, Fuzzy's eleven year old cousin living with Aunty Min, who speaks her mind and is known by family as "Special Girl Esther". - Jack Henry as Mr. Steiner, Fuzzy's grumpy German neighbour with a passion for gardening, who teaches Esther violin. - Dylan Drabowicz as Jesse, a fourteen year old skater who develops a crush on Tui. - Peter Sandy as Johnno Buchanan, Fuzzy's boisterous next door neighbour, often getting into trouble with his younger siblings, George and Billy. - Jada Page as Georgia "George" Buchanan, sister of Johnno and Billy and next door neighbour of Fuzzy. - Braden Lewis as Billy Buchanan, the youngest of the three Buchanan children who live next door to Fuzzy. - Michael Fryer as Teddy, a thirteen year old schoolboy who moves to Laurel Dale after his parents' divorce. ### Guest stars - Lasarus Ratuer as Sonny McCardell, Fuzzy's father, and the son of Nan and Pop, who works in the mines as a FIFO worker. - Umema Curtis as Grace McCardell, the spirit of Fuzzy's mother who has passed away, and appears to Fuzzy. Like Fuzzy, she has a talent for drawing, and her totem is the magpie. ## Production ### Background and conception Writer of the 2012 novel Grace Beside Me, Sue McPherson, and producers Lois Randall and Dena Curtis previously adapted the book into a short film, Nan and a Whole Lot of Trouble (2014), supported by the First Nations departments of Screen Australia and the ABC, after Randall's company Magpie Pictures had optioned the book. During post-production, they discussed the idea of expanding it into a series with head of First Nations at Screen Australia Penny Smallacombe. They spoke to Mary-Ellen Mullane at NITV, who were just looking into commissioning children's content for the first time. NITV did not have a big enough funding budget, but Head of Children's and Education at the ABC, Michael Carrington, initiated the possibility of NITV and the ABC co-commissioning titles. This financing structure later served to fund productions such as Little J & Big Cuz and Thalu. Funding support came from Screen Australia, Screen Queensland, and pre-sale to Disney. In January 2017, Australian television network NITV commissioned Grace Beside Me, its first scripted local drama series. The series, aimed at 8–12 year olds, was described as a combination of 21st-century issues and the inclusion of Aboriginal culture, as the protagonist, Fuzzy Mac, learns to find her place in the two different worlds. The series takes the form of a fantasy drama. The initial series order was for 13 episodes, to be produced by Magpie Pictures, and to premiere on NITV. The series was announced in association with Screen Australias Indigenous Department, who stated their focus in creating Indigenous and culturally diverse content for young Australians. Production was revealed to be led by an all-female team of producers, including Aboriginal producers and screenwriters. The episodes were co-commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to playout on ABC Me, with an additional presale license by pay-TV network Disney Channel for broadcast in Australia and New Zealand. Production of the series was led by producers Lois Randall and Dena Curtis, but it was a highly collaborative project. Shari Sebbens participated in the first workshop for Grace Beside Me, and there was collaboration with traditional owners of Mununjali country, after the decision was taken to move the location of the story to Queensland. Writers representing Aboriginal, South Sea Islander, and Māori peoples were engaged. Mary-Ellen Mullane served as the executive for NITV, and Libbie Doherty was appointed executive for the ABC. ### Writing Scripts for Grace Beside Me are written in the genre of magic realism, with the goal of depicting contemporary teenage life. Curtis and Randall appreciated McPherson's depiction of small regional communities, having both come from regional backgrounds themselves. The original novel was written for a teenager audience, but the story was reworked to target a younger 8–12 year old demographic for the television series. The writers and producers consulted with Aboriginal Healers, Australian South Sea Islanders and the Mununjali Aboriginal Elders Group from Beaudesert, Queensland throughout the writing process. The Mununjali language is used in the series, with episodes inspired by stories told by Mununjali Elders. Māori writer Briar Grace-Smith also contributed to the scripts, to add an authentic voice to Māori character Tui. Grace-Smith described the writing process as "snappy and fast-paced". Other writers for the series included Gina Roncoli, Danielle MacLean, Sue McPherson and Tristan Savage. ### Filming Production for Grace Beside Me began in July 2017, being filmed over eleven weeks in the Scenic Rim Region in South East Queensland. The series was filmed on the Traditional Lands of the Mununjali and Ugarapul People. The fictional town of Laurel Dale was created through the use of buildings and landmarks from Boonah and Beaudesert. Local townspeople were used as extras during filming, and the cast were invited to a welcoming ceremony held by Beaudesert Elders. The series was directed by Lynn-Maree Danzey, Nicholas Verso and Beck Cole. Kyliric Masella was announced to be playing Fuzzy Mac, with Mairehau Grac and Tjiirdm McGuire as supporting characters Tui and Yar respectively. Masella became close with her co-stars, who she shared a house with while filming. The cast were also required to complete school work during production. The theme song, "Grace Beside Me", was composed by Amanda Brown and Emily Wurramara and performed by Wurramara. The series premiered on NITV on 16 February 2018. It later premiered on ABC Me on 8 July 2018 and on Disney Channel on 5 March 2019. ## Episodes ## Release and distribution The series premiered on NITV on 16 February 2018 and later aired on ABC Me. The series is distributed internationally by 9 Story Media Group. ## Reception Grace Beside Me has received positive reviews based on its representation of Australian Aboriginal culture. Mandy Nolan of website Mamamia praised the Indigenous Australian cast, stating "I want my white child to hear black stories". She noted that the program's point of difference was that it didn't tell the stories of "white kids", like many other series. She also expressed her interest in viewing the program as a parent, along with her children. Reviewing the sixth episode "Hangi Sleepover", Melinda Houston commended the "deft" writing, and described the episode as "fresh, honest and funny". ## Awards and nominations

Bombardment of Papeete

First World War battle in French Polynesia

The Bombardment of Papeete occurred in French Polynesia when German warships attacked on 22 September 1914, during World War I. The German armoured cruisers SMS Scharnhorst and Gneisenau entered the port of Papeete on the island of Tahiti and sank the French gunboat Zélée and freighter Walküre before bombarding the town's fortifications. French shore batteries and a gunboat resisted the German intrusion but were greatly outgunned. The main German objective was to seize the coal piles stored on the island, but these were destroyed by the French at the start of the action. The German vessels were largely undamaged but the French lost their gunboat. Several of Papeete's buildings were destroyed and the town's economy was severely disrupted. The main strategic consequence of the engagement was the disclosure of the cruisers' positions to the British Admiralty, which led to the Battle of Coronel where the entire German East Asia Squadron defeated a Royal Navy squadron. The depletion of Scharnhorst's and Gneisenau's ammunition at Papeete also contributed to their subsequent destruction at the Battle of the Falklands. ## Background Word of war reached Admiral Maximilian von Spee—of the German East Asia Squadron—while at Ponape (17 July – 6 August). He concentrated the majority of his squadron at Pagan Island in the nearby Mariana Islands, and then steamed off into the Pacific with the Scharnhorst-class armored cruisers SMS Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, the Königsberg-class light cruiser SMS Nürnberg, the auxiliary cruiser SMS Titania, and several colliers at his disposal. Nürnberg and Titania were sent to gather intelligence at Hawaii and raid the cable station at Fanning Island. Spee then learned that Australian and New Zealand forces had captured German Samoa, and he sailed off in his flagship Scharnhorst—along with her sister ship Gneisenau—to engage what Allied forces they could find there. Failing to catch the Samoa Expeditionary Force at Apia and having seen no action at all since leaving Pagan Island, the men of Spee's armored cruisers were eager to meet the enemy in battle. Spee decided to raid Papeete in Tahiti on his way to rendezvous with the rest of his squadron at Easter Island. The French held over 5,000 t (5,500 short tons) of high-quality Cardiff coal at the port, and Spee hoped to seize the coal piles to replenish his squadron's supply. Additionally, Spee aimed at destroying what allied shipping he could find in the harbour, and thought the raid might help raise his men's morale. Spee intended to coal at Suwarrow Atoll before sailing to Papeete, but was prevented by foul weather. Instead, Spee decided to take Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and attempt to resupply at Bora Bora while Nürnberg and Titania were dispatched to Nuku Hiva to guard the fleet's colliers. The German admiral intended to keep his vessels' identities secret by disguising them as French ships, flying French flags, and only allowing French- and English-speaking members of his crew contact with the Frenchmen present there. Spee managed to replenish his food stores using gold seized by Titania and Nürnberg during their raid of Fanning, and was able to discover the strength of the French military in the region as well as the exact size and positions of the coal piles at Papeete. The French had no heavy defenses at Papeete but had been warned that Spee's squadron might raid Tahiti and that a German squadron had been sighted off Samoa. Although Papeete was the capital of the French Settlements in Oceania, by 1914 it had become a colonial backwater, lacking a wireless station and having a garrison of only 25 colonial infantry and 20 gendarmes. In order to bolster the town's defenses, Lieutenant Maxime Destremau—commander of the old wooden gunboat Zélée and the ranking officer at Papeete—had his ship's 100 mm (3.9 in) stern gun and all of her 65 mm (2.6 in) and 37 mm (1.5 in) guns removed from his vessel and placed ashore to be used in place of Papeete's antiquated land batteries. Several Ford trucks were turned into impromptu armored cars by mounting them with Zélée's 37-mm guns and 160 sailors and marines drilled in preparation to repel any German attempt at landing. Zélée retained only her 100-mm bow gun and 10 men under the ship's second in command. In addition to the gunboat and harbor fortifications, the French also had at Papeete the unarmed German freighter Walküre, which had been captured by Zélée at the start of the war. Despite the French preparations, the two German cruisers were more than a match for the forces Destremau commanded at Papeete. Both Scharnhorst and Gneisenau heavily outgunned Zélée, each being armed with eight 210 mm (8.3 in) guns, six 150 mm (5.9 in) guns, eighteen 88 mm (3.5 in) guns, and four torpedo tubes. Spee's forces also outnumbered the French with over 1,500 sailors aboard their vessels, more than enough to form a landing party and overwhelm the forces Destremau had to oppose them. ## Battle At 07:00 on 22 September 1914, the French sighted two unidentified cruisers approaching the harbor of Papeete. The alarm was raised, the harbor's signal beacons destroyed, and three warning shots were fired by the French batteries to signal the approaching cruisers that they must identify themselves. The cruisers replied with a shot of their own and raised the German colors, signaling the town to surrender. The French refused the German demands, and Spee's vessels began to shell the shore batteries and town from a distance of 6,000 m (6,600 yd). The land batteries and the gunboat in the harbor returned fire but scored no hits on the armored cruisers. Having difficulty in discovering the exact position of the French batteries, the German cruisers soon turned their attention to the French shipping in the harbor. The French commander—Destremau—had ordered the coal piles burned at the start of the action and now smoke began billowing over the town. Zélée and Walküre were sighted and fired upon by the Germans. The French had begun to scuttle their vessels when the action had begun, but both were still afloat when Scharnhorst and Gneisenau began firing upon them and finished the two ships off. By now, most of the Papeete's inhabitants had fled and the town had caught fire from the German shelling, with two blocks of Papeete set alight. With the coal piles destroyed and the threat of mines in the harbor, Spee saw no meaningful purpose in making a landing. Accordingly, the German admiral withdrew his ships from Papeete's harbor by 11:00. After leaving Papeete, the ships steamed out towards Nuku Hiva to meet Nürnberg, Titania, and colliers waiting there. ## Aftermath By the time Spee withdrew his ships, large portions of the town had been destroyed. Two entire blocks of Papeete had burnt to the ground before the fires were finally put out. A copra store, a market, and several other buildings and residences were among those destroyed by the shellfire and resulting inferno. While the majority of Papeete's civilians fled to the interior of the island as soon as the fighting began, a Japanese civilian and a Polynesian boy were both killed by German shellfire. Although the two French vessels in the harbor had been sunk, there were no military casualties on either side and the German vessels took no damage. Overall, the bombardment was estimated in 1915 to have caused over 2 million francs' worth of property damage, some of which was recouped through the seizure of a German store on the island. In addition to the seizure of their property, several local Germans were interned and forced to repair the damage Spee's squadron had caused. Perhaps the most lasting effect of the bombardment on the French was the dramatic fall of copra prices in the region, as local suppliers had previously sold a majority of their produce to German merchants in the area who were now interned. Further havoc and distress spread throughout the island 18 days after Spee's squadron had left when rumors started to spread that a second German bombardment was about to begin. After withdrawing, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau rendezvoused with Nürnberg and Titania at Nuku Hiva, where they resupplied and their crews took shore leave before moving on to meet the rest of the squadron at Easter Island. Although the Germans had destroyed the shipping at Papeete and wreaked havoc in the town, they had been denied their primary objective of seizing the French coal piles and replenishing their own stocks. Spee's raid allowed the British Admiralty to receive word on his position and heading, allowing them to inform Rear Admiral Christopher Cradock of the German intentions thus leading to the Battle of Coronel. Another effect was the reduction of ammunition available to the two German cruisers. The hundreds of shells fired by Spee's ships at Papeete were irreplaceable. The depletion of ammunition as a result of the action at Papeete contributed to the German East Asia Squadron's failure to adequately defend itself at the Battle of the Falkland Islands against British battlecruisers. Lieutenant Destremau was chastised by his misinformed superior officer for his actions during the defense of Papeete and for the loss of the gunboat Zélée. He was summoned back to Toulon under arrest to be court-martialled but died of illness in 1915 before the trial. In 1918, Destremau was finally recognized for his actions at Papeete and was posthumously awarded the Légion d'honneur.

Michael Dawson (Lost)

Fictional character of the TV series Lost

Michael Dawson is a fictional character played by Harold Perrineau on the ABC television series Lost. Michael is one of the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 who crashes on the show's mysterious island. After losing a custody battle with Susan Lloyd (Tamara Taylor), Michael does not see his son Walt (Malcolm David Kelley) for almost ten years. They reunite when she dies, but on their journey home, their plane crashes on a mysterious island in the South Pacific. Here Walt is kidnapped by the Island's previous inhabitants, the Others, and Michael spends his time trying to retrieve him. He is eventually successful, and they leave the Island together, but the guilt over the murders he had to commit to achieve this leads him to an estrangement with his son and a suicide attempt. He returns to the Island on a freighter, but is killed when a bomb on it explodes. Michael reappears as a ghost, and apologizes to Hurley for killing Libby (Cynthia Watros). Although initially skeptical about the role, Perrineau took it after Lost creator J. J. Abrams told him more about it. Much of the first season arc for Michael was rewritten; he was originally going to be part of a love triangle with Korean couple Sun (Yunjin Kim) and Jin (Daniel Dae Kim), but positive fan reaction to the couple meant this storyline was dropped. After Michael leaves the Island in season two, Perrineau knew he would return to Lost at some point; he felt there was more to tell of Michael's story. Reception for the character has been mixed, but Perrineau's acting was largely praised. While credited for the entire season, Perrineau's character does not return until his cameo in the fourth season episode "Ji Yeon". While Perrineau signed a multi-season return deal, the character was killed off after five further appearances in the season. Perrineau described the storyline as a "weird stereotype" of a Black father abandoning his son that he deemed uninteresting and admitted to being hesitant about signing on had he known the storyline would have panned out the way it did. In retrospect, Lindelof later expressed regret about the direction of the character's arc in a 2020 podcast interview, defining Michael solely as Walt's father, and how a lack of diversity in the writer's room affected the direction of the character. ## Arc Much of Michael's life before the plane crash is shown in flashbacks during "Special". Susan Lloyd leaves Michael after their son Walt is born, and travels to Amsterdam with Walt. Later, Susan tells him that she intends to get married. Michael becomes enraged, and is hit by a car, leaving him hospitalized for months. Susan tracks him down at the hospital and tries to convince him to give up his parental rights, so that her new husband can adopt Walt. Michael refuses, but in the resulting custody battle Susan convinces him that it is the best decision for Walt. Several years later, Susan dies, and her husband asks Michael to take custody of Walt, who is now living in Australia. Michael agrees, but just before the return flight, calls his mother and asks if she can take Walt instead. Their plane crashes on an island in the South Pacific; Michael, Walt and Walt's Labrador Vincent are among the survivors. After Vincent runs into the jungle, Michael searches for him, but to no avail; it is later that Locke (Terry O'Quinn) returns Vincent to Michael. Despite this gesture, Michael is skeptical about Locke, and does not want Walt spending time with him. After Michael is attacked by a Korean survivor, Jin, over a gold watch Michael has started wearing, Jin's wife Sun approaches him to explain that it is her father's watch, and in doing so reveals that she speaks English. Michael begins constructing a raft, in hope that he and Walt can escape the Island. After witnessing his completed raft burned down, Michael blames Jin, but later Walt confesses that it was him. Although Walt did not want to leave the Island, he has now changed his mind. Michael and Jin bond after Sun reveals her ability to speak English, and the two men begin work on a second raft. They offer the final space on board to Sawyer (Josh Holloway). In the season finale "Exodus", Michael sets sail with Jin, Sawyer and Walt, and not far from the Island, they encounter a small fishing boat. The occupants of the fishing boat are the Others, who have long inhabited the Island. They kidnap Walt and destroy the raft. At the beginning of season two, Michael and Sawyer are stranded in the middle of the ocean, with Jin missing. They wash ashore and discover Jin, then are knocked unconscious by one of the survivors from the tail section of the plane. After convincing the tail section survivors that they were on the same plane, they all return to the beach camp of the fuselage survivors. Later, Michael offers to take a shift in the hatch that the survivors have found. Here, he begins receiving computer messages from someone who he thinks is Walt, who gives him directions to where he is being held. Michael ventures off in search of him, but moments after leaving the camp, two of the Others kidnap him and hold him hostage. Michael is told to retrieve their leader, who is held captive in the hatch, then bring Sawyer, Kate (Evangeline Lilly), Jack (Matthew Fox) and Hurley (Jorge Garcia) to them, and they will return Walt and let them leave the Island. In order to free their leader, Ben (Michael Emerson), Michael convinces Ana Lucia (Michelle Rodriguez), who is guarding Ben, that he will kill Ben on her behalf, but instead kills her when she hands over the gun and the combination to the armory. When Libby (Cynthia Watros) walks in on them, a startled Michael shoots her twice. He succeeds in bringing the four requested survivors to the Others, so Ben reunites him with Walt. Michael and Walt are given a boat and coordinates to freedom, and they sail away from the Island. A flashback during "Meet Kevin Johnson" reveals that they manage to return to New York City, where Michael hands Walt over to Walt's grandmother. Michael then attempts suicide, unable to cope with the guilt of his murders. Tom (M. C. Gainey), one of the Others, arrives, and tells Michael he can redeem himself by saving the other survivors from an imminent threat. Tom gives Michael a passport with the new name of "Kevin Johnson" in order to infiltrate a freighter that is trying to find the Island. On the freighter he receives a call from Ben, who instructs him to send him information on all the crew, then to sabotage the radio room and the boat engines. In his first season four appearance, Michael meets Sayid (Naveen Andrews) and Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick), who have managed to get from the Island to the freighter. They tell the freighter's captain of Michael's true identity, who orders him to repair the engines. During the season finale, Michael and Jin attempt to disarm a bomb planted on the freighter. Michael slows the bomb's detonation with liquid nitrogen, then tells Jin to leave, when he is almost out of nitrogen. When the supply of nitrogen runs out, Christian Shephard (John Terry) appears to Michael and tells him he can go now. The bomb detonates, and Michael is killed in the explosion, having achieved the redemption he had been seeking. Michael reappears halfway through the sixth season as a ghost that only Hurley can see. He explains that the whispers on the island are the voices of those who have died on the island. As Hurley turns to depart, Michael stops him and apologizes for the pain he caused for both him and Libby. ## Characteristics During season two, Perrineau stated "[Michael]'s nicer than I expected him to be. Or, he is nicer so far than I expected him to be ... I try to take characters that I think are challenging and a little complicated and hopefully really smart and thoughtful and compassionate. I think Michael is all those things. He seems to have a lot of bad luck." He defends Michael's behavior in season two, saying "[Michael] keeps stepping into more trouble than he actually asked for". Cynthia Littleton of Variety described Michael as "one of the most interesting of the Oceanic 815-ers: flawed, tortured, hard to read, volatile, fighting his innate talents, his own worst enemy, at times, and at others, a totally stand-up guy." IGN's Chris Carabott calls Michael a "natural" father. Michael is known for frequently shouting "Walt\!", "Where's my son\!" and "Have you seen my boy?". ## Development When the producers were auditioning actors for roles in Lost, Harold Perrineau was in the area. The producers called it a "natural move" to have him audition. Although initially skeptical about the show, he took the role when Lost creator J. J. Abrams explained more about it. Perrineau was attracted to the role because "[Michael]'s a guy that's in a lot of conflict and we're not exactly sure why". In season one, Michael was going to be part of a love triangle with Sun and Jin, however this was dropped after positive fan reaction to Sun and Jin's relationship. The storyline is revisited in the Missing Pieces mobisode "Buried Secrets", which shows Michael and Sun almost kissing. Michael and Jin were going to be enemies throughout all of the season, but the producers felt Perrineau and Daniel Dae Kim had good chemistry, so the storyline was changed to them becoming friends. Perrineau called filming the first season "one of [his] best years as a working actor". Lost writer Elizabeth Sarnoff explained that Michael's storyline in season two is about "what a father will do to save his son"; she noted "there's nothing worse than what he does". The second episode of season two was originally going to be Sawyer centric, however this was rewritten "at the proverbial last minute" and changed to a Michael centric episode. Perrineau received swimming lessons in preparation for this episode. Perrineau was unaware that his character had been captured by the Others until he was told Michael was going to kill Ana Lucia and Libby. Perrineau described shooting the scenes in "Two for the Road" where Michael murders Ana Lucia and Libby as a "tough day". The last scene shot of season two was Michael and Walt sailing away from the Island. As it was a long camera shot, Perrineau had to sail the boat so far from the pier, that by the time he returned, all the equipment had already been packed away. He said, "It felt fitting, actually. Like; that's it". Perrineau knew he would be back one day, but as the producers did not reveal any details to him, he did not know when. He was the first actor that left the show as "part of a grander design to come back", and the only one until Emilie de Ravin. After leaving the Island in the second-season finale "Live Together, Die Alone", Michael was supposed to return in the season three finale, but Perrineau was filming the pilot of Demons, so was unable to return. Instead he returned in the seventh episode of season four, "Ji Yeon". His return was meant to be announced during Lost's slot at the 2007 Comic-Con International, however there were complaints at the Television Critics Association Press Tour when ABC's President of Entertainment Stephen McPherson commented that "some big announcements" would be made at the Lost panel. Some journalists felt that any announcements should be made to them at the press meeting, rather than at a fan convention. After numerous reporters asked about what would be announced, Lost producer Damon Lindelof was contacted, and he gave permission for McPherson to say Harold Perrineau would be returning to Lost. At Comic-Con, Lindelof confirmed Perrineau would be back as a cast member, not just for a flashback. Lost producer Carlton Cuse said "Michael's story is for us one of the most becoming storylines on the show because here's a character who ... undertook some very extreme actions in order to basically get his son off the Island, and then when he sailed off in that boat I think everyone was very curious about what happened to him, what is his fate ... we really feel that Michael's story will be a really compelling part of the season." Perrineau was disappointed that he was brought back to the show only to be killed, and that Michael does not get a chance to reunite with his son, Walt, saying, "there are all these questions about how [the writers] respond to black people on the show ... Walt just winds up being another fatherless child. It plays into a really big, weird stereotype and, being a black person myself, that wasn't so interesting." Cuse responded "We pride ourselves on having a very racially diverse cast. It's painful when any actor's storyline ends on the show. Harold is a fantastic actor whose presence added enormously to Lost". Perrineau later said he should have thought before making a racial comment, and although he felt like that, he never discussed the matter with the producers. Perrineau said that although he would be happy to return to Lost, he would have to know what the storyline would be. ## Reception Michael's first centric episode, "Special", was well received by critics. Chris Carabott of IGN said "Michael's flashback is a heart wrenching look at the relationship, or lack-there-of, between him and his son Walt." He added "As Michael's life crumble around him, it's Harold Perrineau's brilliant performance that really shines through." Kirthana Ramisetti from Entertainment Weekly called it the best episode since "Walkabout" because of Michael's character development. She said "One of my favorite scenes of the entire season ... was Michael and Walt bonding over the letters and the drawing of the sunburned penguin. It was moving to see these two finally relating to each other as father and son after everything they've been through." Michael's first centric episode in season two was less well received. Mac Slocum of Filmfodder.com said "it wasn't all that interesting". Entertainment Weekly's Jeff Jensen called the flashbacks "among the poorest and most clumsily integrated flashbacks we've seen so far", as he felt nothing new was learned. He did not like Michael's on-Island storyline either, noting he "got the sense that the actors and directors weren't quite sure what to make of these scenes". Three episodes later, Jensen thought Michael's "whiny dad act" became "increasingly tedious". When Michael murdered Ana Lucia and Libby in "Two for the Road", Slocum called it the "single biggest shocker in Lost history". C. K. Sample of AOL's TV Squad wrote that although he suspected that Ana Lucia and Libby were going to die, he thought what "was amazing was who shot them". Zap2it's Amy Amatangelo described the double murder as "a brilliant move", because "one of their own [became] one of them". She added it was "one of [the second] season's most jaw-dropping moments". According to Perrineau, it made fans "pissed off" with Michael. Jensen praised Perrineau's acting, saying "Michael's bloody betrayal is hard to swallow, but Harold Perrineau sells it". Many reviewers joked about how frequently Michael shouts "Walt\!", such as Alan Sepinwall of The Star-Ledger, Erin Martell of AOL's TV Squad, and Joshua Rich of Entertainment Weekly. Perrineau co-won the 2005 Screen Actors Guild Award for "Best Ensemble – Drama Series. Joshua Rich from Entertainment Weekly had mixed views on the prospect of Michael returning in season four, because although Perrineau was one of his "favorite" actors, he liked how peaceful the series had become without Michael constantly screaming "Walt\!". IGN's Chris Carabott called Michael's return "the worst kept secret in Lost history", but still found his reveal "exciting". Alan Sepinwall of The Star-Ledger found "a fine performance from Mr. Perrineau" in "Meet Kevin Johnson". Sepinwall wrote that Michael's "struggle to deal with the guilt from his Faustian bargain to save Walt was another moving example of how the writers this season are really trying to build on the emotional impact of everything that's happened before." Cynthia Littleton of Variety was "really happy" to see Michael again, and wrote "Perrineau plays it just right most of the time—no hysterics or scenery-chewing, just a man trying to do the right thing, most of the time." Digital Spy's Ben Rawson-Jones commented that "[Michael's] suicidal plight was well conveyed and there were plenty of shocks and thrills along the way". Before the fourth season finale aired, Entertainment Weekly's Jeff Jensen ranked Michael being unable to commit suicide as the thirteenth best moment of the season, but did add "This story line didn't match the hype". Oscar Dahl from BuddyTV called Michael's death "the culmination of a fairly lackluster story arc".

2002 FA Cup final

Association football championship match between Arsenal and Chelsea, held in 2002

The 2002 FA Cup final was a football match between Arsenal and Chelsea on 4 May 2002 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. It was the final match of the 2001–02 FA Cup, the 120th season of the world's oldest football knockout competition, the FA Cup. Arsenal were appearing in their fifteenth final to Chelsea's seventh. As both teams were in the highest tier of English football, the Premier League, they entered the competition in the third round. Matches up to the semi-final were contested on a one-off basis, with a replay taking place if the match ended in a draw. Arsenal's progress was relatively comfortable; they knocked out the holders Liverpool in the fourth round, but needed a replay to beat Newcastle United. After overcoming replays in the first two rounds and a difficult tie against Preston North End, Chelsea recorded an impressive win against Tottenham Hotspur. Both teams won their semi-final match by a single goal. Graeme Le Saux and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink were passed fit for Chelsea, but John Terry was omitted from the starting lineup, having woken up ill on the morning of the final. For Arsenal, goalkeeper David Seaman came in place of Richard Wright, who deputised for him in the earlier rounds of the competition. Chelsea were led onto the field by Roberto Di Matteo, who had been forced to retire from football earlier in the season due to a serious injury. After an uneventful first half, Chelsea settled much the quicker of the two and created several chances to score. Arsenal withstood the pressure and took the lead in the 70th minute, when Ray Parlour scored from 25 yards. Freddie Ljungberg scored from a similar distance ten minutes later to double Arsenal's lead. The final score was 2-0 and Arsenal won their eighth FA Cup. The final took place with one week remaining in the Premier League calendar. Arsenal beat Manchester United a few days later to regain the league title and complete their second and final league and cup double under manager Arsène Wenger. ## Route to the final The FA Cup is English football's primary cup competition. Clubs in the Premier League enter the FA Cup in the third round and are drawn randomly out of a hat with the remaining clubs. If a match is drawn, a replay comes into force, ordinarily at the ground of the team who were away for the first game. As with league fixtures, FA Cup matches are subject to change in the event of games being selected for television coverage and this often can be influenced by clashes with other competitions. ### Arsenal Arsenal entered the competition in the third round and was drawn to play Watford of the First Division. They took the lead in the eighth minute, where good play by Nwankwo Kanu allowed Thierry Henry to round goalkeeper Alec Chamberlain and tap the ball into the empty goal. The lead was doubled two minutes later: Kanu again found Henry, who "unselfishly squared the ball to midfielder Freddie Ljungberg for another tap-in." Gifton Noel-Williams moments later halved the scoreline, heading the ball in from a Gary Fisken cross. After squandering numerous chances to increase their lead, Arsenal added a late third and fourth goal from Kanu and Dennis Bergkamp, before Marcus Gayle scored what was a mere consolation for Watford in stoppage time. In the following round, Arsenal faced cup holders Liverpool, who had defeated them in the previous season's final, at home. A solitary goal scored by Bergkamp in the 27th minute saw the home side progress and avenge their final defeat in a match layered with controversy: Martin Keown, Bergkamp and Liverpool's Jamie Carragher were all sent off in the space of ten minutes, the latter for hurling back a coin at the crowd. Against Gillingham in the fifth round, Arsenal twice had their lead cancelled out, before Tony Adams scored the winning goal of the match. Arsenal played Newcastle United in the sixth round on 9 March 2002. It was the second meeting between both teams in a week, and in spite of Arsenal winning the first fixture and scoring the opener in the cup tie, Newcastle held them to a 1–1 draw. A replay was scheduled two weeks later at noon. Arsenal won by three goals to nil, but during the match lost Robert Pires to injury; he was ruled out for the remainder of the season with medial knee ligament damage. An own goal by Middlesbrough's Gianluca Festa, from an Henry free-kick, was enough for Arsenal to win the semi-final. ### Chelsea Chelsea's route to the final began in the third round, with a trip to Carrow Road to face Norwich City. An uneventful tie, with Carlo Cudicini making a series of saves to deny Norwich finished goalless and was replayed at Stamford Bridge. Goals from Mario Stanić and Frank Lampard put Chelsea in a commanding lead and Gianfranco Zola scored the team's third with a unique piece of skill. From a corner, the Italian made a near-post run and flicked the ball airborne. Chelsea finished the match 4–0 winners and were drawn to face West Ham United in the next round. Frédéric Kanouté's late goal cancelled out Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's opener for Chelsea and the tie was replayed at Upton Park the following Wednesday night. West Ham went a goal up when Jermain Defoe scored for West Ham, but their lead was short-lived as Hasselbaink directly from a free-kick. Defoe restored the home side's advantage in the 50th minute, though substitute Mikael Forssell came on to equalise for Chelsea and in stoppage time John Terry headed-in goalwards from a corner to complete the visitors comeback. In the fifth round Chelsea played Preston North End at home. The visitors started well and took the lead in the sixth minute through Richard Cresswell. Cudicini's timely save denied Jon Macken from extending Preston's lead soon after and Chelsea responded to the setback with an equaliser, scored by Eiður Guðjohnsen. Chelsea led after 26 minutes, but came close to conceding late on when Macken was denied once again by Cudicini. Forssell then scored Chelsea's third to settle the home side's nerves. Chelsea travelled to White Hart Lane to face Tottenham Hotspur in the sixth round. The team finished the tie as comfortable 4–0 winners, never looking as though they would crumble once William Gallas scored inside 12 minutes. The one negative from their performance was the dismissal of Graeme Le Saux for a second bookable offence in the second half. Local rivals Fulham were Chelsea's semi-final opponents. A scrappy match, which saw Fulham dominate much of the play but creating little, was settled in Chelsea's favour. Terry scored just before half time, heading the ball through the legs of Louis Saha standing in Fulham's goal. ## Pre-match Arsenal were appearing in the final of the FA Cup for the fifteenth time, and for the second consecutive year. They had won the cup seven times previously (in 1930, 1936, 1950, 1971, 1979, 1993 and 1998) and were beaten in the final seven times, the most recent in last season's showpiece event. By comparison, Chelsea were making their seventh appearance in a FA Cup final. The club won the cup three times (1970, 1997 and 2000) and lost the same number of finals (1915, 1967 and 1994). Arsenal and Chelsea had previously met fourteen times in the FA Cup, including four replays. Arsenal had a slender advantage in those meetings, winning five times to Chelsea's four, and defeated their London rivals a season ago in the fifth round of the competition. The most recent meeting between the two teams was in the Premier League on Boxing Day, when Arsenal came from behind to beat Chelsea. Arsenal were unbeaten domestically since December 2001 and on course to complete their first league and cup double in four years. Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger was buoyant his team would complete the task on hand: "We have been facing cup games in the league every week for a long time and this is just another. Chelsea will be a difficult team to beat if they are at their best on Saturday, but such is the confidence in this squad, we just feel we can win every game." When asked what he made of Sir Alex Ferguson's comments that Manchester United played the best football in England, Wenger retorted: "What do you want me to say? Everybody thinks he has the prettiest wife." The Arsenal manager was undecided whether to drop Richard Wright who started in every round of the FA Cup for David Seaman and to recall Sol Campbell who recovered from a hamstring injury. Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri felt his team's participation in the cup final showed "... we are building something. It gives the young players confidence." He noted their defence conceded fewer goals than the previous season, and targeted an improvement to their away record for the next campaign. Ranieri described the match against Arsenal as evenly balanced, adding: "Winning the FA Cup would make up for missing out on the Champions League. If the team can win, they will believe in themselves, but if they don't, it won't be the worst setback to the building process." Le Saux resumed training having been absent with a calf injury, but Hasselbaink was a doubt for the final with a similar problem. The semi-finals at Villa Park and Old Trafford presented traffic problems and lengthy delays for supporters going to and from the grounds. The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone had written to the FA, expressing his concern about the possible travel chaos and urging to be kept briefed on the arrangements. Train tickets were sold out since the semi-final round, despite the addition of services to accommodate 7,000 extra passengers. Both clubs laid on six planes to take its supporters directly to Cardiff at £135 each. Although the M4 was busy on the day of the final, there was little traffic with no major delays. A spokesman for South Wales Police reported: "The motorways are clear, despite the predictions. People seem to have taken our advice and left early." As with last season's event, the final was scheduled before the end of the domestic season. This was partly because the Premier League chose to end its campaign a week later, but with the World Cup starting on 31 May, the FA wanted to give players considerable time to prepare for the finals. This season's staging of the competition offered a greater financial incentive to clubs, given the BBC and Sky Sports signed a joint-deal with the FA, worth £400 million to broadcast matches. Finalists stood to receive £1 million in prize money; the winners would pocket an extra million with additional TV revenues. The BBC spent a million promoting the FA Cup, and as part of their pre-match coverage included a sketch featuring Ricky Gervais. Seat prices for the final exceeded £70, with some ticket touts charging as much as £600 outside the stadium. For their pre-match walkabout, the Arsenal players wore Hugo Boss suits, whereas the Chelsea players were suited in Armani. Chelsea were allocated the south dressing room after a coin-toss; it was considered a "jinx" given the last nine football teams to use it had failed to win. The teams emerged from the tunnel once the traditional pre-match anthem "Abide with Me" was performed and Chelsea were led by midfielder Roberto Di Matteo, who retired earlier in the season through injury. As the national anthem was sung by sextet Tenors and Divas, the Arsenal players and Wenger shuffled together and linked arms in a show of unity. ## Match ### Team selection On the day of the final Terry woke up with a virus which affected his balance. Although he passed a fitness test in the morning, Ranieri decided to start him on the bench, to which the defender later reflected: "It was a tough decision but he did what he felt was right. It seems like somebody up there doesn't like me." The teamsheets showed Gallas partnering Marcel Desailly in central defence, and Hasselbaink starting up front for Chelsea. Wright was named on the bench for Arsenal and Ray Parlour was positioned alongside Vieira in central midfield. Both teams lined up in a 4–4–2 formation: a four-man defence (comprising two centre-backs and left and right full-backs), four midfielders (two in the centre, and one on each wing) and two centre-forwards. ### Summary Within a minute of Chelsea kicking off the match, Le Saux was booked for a challenge on Lauren. Arsenal were awarded the first corner of the game in the eight minutes later, but nothing came out of it as Adams fouled Mario Melchiot in the penalty box. The opening half-hour was mostly event-free, with neither side dominating and few goalscoring opportunities fashioned. Chelsea adopted a tactic of narrowing the pitch and using little width, which sedated Arsenal's typically fluent football. Guðjohnsen tested the Arsenal defence by making dangerous runs, but one in the 12th minute was ruled as a foul. Arsenal's first chance came a minute later when Henry used his pace to run towards the Chelsea goal. He set up Sylvain Wiltord, whose shot was blocked by Desailly. Vieira struggled to match the energetic performance of his opponent Frank Lampard and in the 17th minute Vieira's careless pass was intercepted by the England midfielder. Lampard decided to take a shot, forcing a save from Seaman. Four minutes later Vieira started a move which almost gave Arsenal the lead. A ball over the top found Bergkamp in the Chelsea area, but he guided his header just wide. In the 26th minute Vieira was awarded the final's first yellow card for a foul on Guðjohnsen. A confrontation between Melchiot and Freddie Ljungberg occurred in the 33rd minute, but referee Mike Riley decided not to brandish a card, instead choosing to have a few words with the players. Campbell's failed clearance a minute later presented Guðjohnsen with goal-scoring opportunity, but he hit his shot directly at Seaman. As the match drew nearer to half-time, Arsenal started to find their rhythm and played their usual passing game. They created the best chance of the first half, when a cross from Wiltord found Lauren, who headed the ball just over the crossbar. Hasselbaink, largely ineffective as he was blighted with injury, combined with Guðjohnsen to split open the Arsenal defence, but the move was halted as Riley called offside. Celestine Babayaro, who had been struggling with an injury, played no further part in the final and was substituted before the second half commenced. Terry came on in his place to partner Desailly, which meant Gallas moved to left-back. Arsenal resumed play and a shot by Henry was kept out by Cudicini. The scare brought Chelsea to life and resulted in the team enjoying their best spell of the match. Guðjohnsen's effort in the 57th minute forced a save from Seaman, who tipped the ball over the bar. Jesper Grønkjær then roamed forward and played the ball to Le Saux, but the defender's shot went well over. Chelsea continued to pile pressure on Arsenal; Grønkjær's pass intended for Hasselbaink in the 61st minute was intercepted just in time by Adams and Melchiot's header unsettled Seaman in goal. Wiltord then collected the ball from midfield and played a one-two with Henry, but directed his shot wide from the left flank. Chelsea made their second change in the 67th minute, bringing on Zola for Hasselbaink. The substitution did not have the desired effect as Arsenal went a goal ahead. Adams cleared the Chelsea danger and Wiltord's reverse pass found Parlour with acres of space to manoeuvre. The midfielder advanced as the Chelsea defence backed off and looked up before curling the ball from 25 yards. His effort went over a diving Cudicini, into the top right-hand corner of the Chelsea goal. Wenger made a defensive-minded change almost immediately, taking Bergkamp off for Edu. A clash between Henry and Terry in the 75th minute resulted in both players receiving a yellow card for unsporting behaviour. Winger Boudewijn Zenden replaced Melchiot a minute later; the attacking change altered Chelsea's positioning. With 10 minutes of normal time remaining Arsenal extended their lead, when Ljungberg scored. A similarly executed goal to Parlour's, the Swede ran forward, evaded the challenge of Terry before curling the ball past Cudicini from the edge of the penalty area. Ljungberg was serenaded by the Arsenal crowd, who chanted "We love you Freddie, 'cos you've got red hair." Chelsea struggled to find a response; Guðjohnsen's foul on Parlour late on highlighted the team's frustrations. Riley blew for full-time after normal and stoppage time and the on-pitch interviews commenced. Once Arsenal received their medals, Adams was given the cup and he shared the honour of lifting it with Vieira, his stand-in captain. ### Details ### Statistics ## Post-match Wenger praised his team's character and told reporters: "We were very frustrated last year. We have shown a lot of strength to come back here – beating Liverpool and Newcastle on the way." He was adamant Arsenal would win the league the following Wednesday: "This team knows how to win. I said three or four months ago that we will win the championship and the FA Cup. They really want to do it. And we will do it." The goalscorers Parlour and Ljungberg both agreed winning at any cost was most important on the day, after the misery of the 2001 final. Ranieri described the first half as tactical, but admitted once Arsenal had scored, Chelsea struggled to make a comeback. He justified his decision to include Hasselbaink, saying "He is a great striker and a danger to the opposition." Lampard credited Arsenal's mental strength: "They can win when they are not playing particularly well. We need to find that consistency and if we can do that, I believe we will be up there with them soon." He was pleased with his own performance against Vieira and hoped he did enough to be included in England's World Cup squad. Journalists and pundits reviewing the final unanimously agreed with the outcome of the match. Matt Dickinson wrote in The Times of 6 May 2002: "The force is with Arsenal, but it is not some ethereal presence, rather a brutish will to win derived from both triumphs and disappointments." The Daily Telegraph football correspondent Henry Winter was strongly critical of Ranieri's selection-making and suggested Chelsea's failure was partly down to Hasselbaink's lack of fitness, as there was no attacking threat. In contrast he commended Wenger's tactics – "The decision by Arsenal's intelligent manager to deploy Parlour through the middle was a spectacular success", and praised their players' mental strength and resilience. The Guardian'''s David Lacey also lauded Parlour's show in midfield, ranking his goal as one of the best in Cup final history. Although he agreed with the media consensus that the final was a drab affair and Arsenal's performance was not to their standard, he picked out several high-quality moments that the losing finalists failed to match, one in particular a timed-ball from Vieira. Glenn Moore of The Independent observed how Wenger turned his team of also-rans into winners, noting the manager's decision to play Adams "bore fruit" as the defence dealt with Chelsea's increasing second-half pressure. Football pundit Alan Hansen called Arsenal his team of the season and believed their win was built on the experience of Adams and Seaman; of the former he wrote: "Adams was also able to operate with the confidence that his goalkeeper was never going to make any mistakes." The match was broadcast live in the United Kingdom by both the BBC and Sky Sports, with BBC One providing the free-to-air coverage and Sky Sports 2 being the pay-TV alternative. BBC One held the majority of the viewership, with an overnight peak audience of 7.4 million viewers – it received a final rating of 8.3 million. The match itself was watched by 6.3 million viewers (52% viewing share) and coverage of the final averaged at 4.1 million (44.4%). By comparison ITV's coverage of the 2002 UEFA Champions League Final averaged 6.8 million viewers, though with a lower viewing share (33.3%). The cup final ratings, a record low, were defended by the FA spokesman Paul Newman: "We are very pleased because the final peaked at 7.4m which is pretty good for a hot Saturday in the middle of a bank holiday weekend." A list compiled by the London Evening Standard'' showed the 2002 final came bottom in the season's top 10 viewed football matches. Four days later Arsenal defeated Manchester United to complete their third double in the club's history. Arsenal paraded both trophies on an open-top bus once the season drew to a close; Dixon at Islington Town Hall addressed the crowd and personally thanked his staff, teammates and the club supporters. Chelsea's season ended with defeat to Aston Villa in the league. They moved down a place to sixth as a result of Leeds United's win against Middlesbrough. ## See also - 2002 Football League Cup Final - 2002 FA Trophy Final - Arsenal F.C.–Chelsea F.C. rivalry

North Korean Embassy in Madrid incident

2019 violent clash in Spain

On 22 February 2019 at the Embassy of North Korea in Madrid, the political group Free Joseon, which is opposed to the incumbent Kim Jong Un regime of North Korea, is alleged by Spanish and American authorities to have attacked and raided the embassy, while the group maintains that they were invited in to facilitate a high-level defection. A group of individuals stole mobile telephones, two USB flash drives and a hard drive from the embassy and handed them to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States. The event took place after the Singapore summit between North Korea (DPRK) and the United States and prior to the approach of the Hanoi summit. As of early April 2019, one person had been arrested in connection with the incident and two international arrest warrants had been issued by the Spanish Audiencia Nacional. The suspected perpetrators are citizens of Mexico, the US and South Korea, although the latter two governments denied any connection with the incident. The incident is alleged to have been violent; the suspected perpetrators purportedly possessed knives and replica guns, and a number of embassy staff were treated for injuries. Another member of the embassy staff injured herself by leaping from an upper window before alerting police. The Spanish authorities' investigations were kept secret for the first month; when they released their findings—including the names of the suspected perpetrators—they were criticised for possibly endangering the named peoples' lives. The Spanish privately briefed the media that they suspected but could not prove Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) involvement because the attack was professional in its precision. One former CIA agent, however, said the timing of the attack and its high-profile nature would have made it impossible for the CIA to have condoned it or taken part. The Government of North Korea described the incident as an act of terrorism and demanded an international investigation; the embassy and its attaché, however, did not report the attack or any injuries sustained by the staff to the Spanish police. Free Joseon has denied allegations that this incident was a break-in raid of the compound, and accusations of being directed by foreign intelligence services. Rather, the group asserts that it was invited in by some undisclosed number of embassy staffers who wished to defect. In order to protect their family members in North Korea, who would ostensibly be punished for a relative's defection, these embassy staffers reportedly requested a staged kidnapping and physical injuries to absolve themselves of suspicion from the North Korean government. It is alleged that a staffer's panic around the plot being discovered precipitated the botched defection effort. ## Background Free Joseon — also known as Cheollima Civil Defense — the group alleged to have carried out the attack, has been described by The Washington Post as a "secretive dissident organization" and a "shadowy group trying to overthrow Kim Jong Un", whose government they claim to be an "immoral and illegitimate regime". Free Joseon is alleged to be composed primarily of North Korean defectors, and claims to have "hundreds of members across ten countries", says Chestnut Greitens. Two days before the attack the group's website was recruiting field agents, guards and field intelligence agents; the advertisements were tailored towards young people who had previously lived in China and were "willing to devote to the liberation of the North". According to the website, these roles required "insight, intelligence and physical strength". Sung-Yoon Lee of Tufts University said the group "is the first known resistance movement against North Korea, which makes its activities very newsworthy". Greg Scarlatoiu, the executive director of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, said "this is the first time we see organized, apparently militant resistance outside of North Korea". The group had previously made a name for itself by attempting to provide protection for Kim Jong Un’s nephew, Kim Han-sol, whose father had recently been assassinated two years earlier. The incident took place just before the US President Donald Trump was due to meet Kim Jong Un for further talks on the DPRK's proposed denuclearisation program; a previous summit held in January 2019 in Hanoi, Vietnam, had failed and relations between North Korea and the US had deteriorated further. The DPRK's embassy in Madrid, located at 43 Darío Aparicio in the quiet, affluent northern suburb of Aravaca, consists of a two-story "luxurious villa" with a swimming pool and is surrounded by pine trees. The compound is in the middle of a patch of open land that has remained undeveloped because it assists natural drainage for the area. According to El País, since the previous ambassador Kim Hyok-chol was expelled in 2017, only one diplomat and two assistants with their immediate families living a relatively "spartan" existence were resident at the time of the attack. Neighbours, however, reported that a few days prior to the incident, a grand party that had attracted local attention had been held at the embassy. ### Perpetrators An alumnus of Yale University, Adrian Hong Chang was instrumental in the foundation of the US-based human-rights group Liberty in North Korea and also the Joseon Institute. BBC journalist Laura Bicker wrote that Hong Chang was "a well-known North Korean human rights activist [who] has helped defectors flee North Korea in the past"; his "associates", reported the Financial Times, "say he has links to US intelligence agencies". Hong appears to have been arrested in China in 2006 for reportedly helping North Korean defectors there. Another North Korean defector, Kang Cheol-hwan, has stated that, whereas Hong Chang previously worked in "mainstream" NGOs, he had recently moved into increasingly "secretive, underground activities" preparing for "imminent, dramatic change". In 2011 he suggested that the Arab Spring uprisings were "a dress rehearsal for North Korea", and had travelled to Libya to research the events more closely. The gang's leader, Christopher Ahn was an ex-US Marine and human rights activist. ## 22 February 2019 On Friday, 22 February 2019, Hong Chang asked to see commercial attaché Yun Suk So, who was the embassy's highest-ranking diplomat in residence and with whom Chang claimed to have previous acquaintance. This had occurred two weeks earlier when Hong Chang, using the alias Matthew Chao and posing as managing partner of a fictional investment firm called "Baron Stone Capital", had a brief meeting with Yuk So regarding the possibility of the company investing in the DPRK. Once Hong had been admitted inside the building, the remaining members of the group allegedly burst in after him; it is possible Hong let them in himself as he waited on an interior patio for the attaché to appear. Ten masked individuals, all but one of whom were below the age of 30, were subsequently described as being Asian in appearance and speaking Korean. They may have congregated on the open land outside the embassy, which would have attracted less attention than loitering near the front entrance, on a main road. The group carried what appeared to be replica firearms, metal bars, machetes and knives. They also brought balaclavas, a 3.8-metre (12 ft) telescopic ladder and 33 rolls of double-sided tape with them. In contrast to earlier reports, Free Joseon later stated the group was invited in by members of the embassy staff to facilitate a high-level defection that would superficially appear as if it were a kidnapping to delude the North Korean government. There were eight embassy staff members and guests present including a group of North Korean architecture students; all of whom were allegedly tied up with ropes, handcuffs and cable ties and hooded with bags. The group allegedly interrogated and assaulted the embassy staff. Two staff members later required medical attention, mainly as a result of bruising from multiple, heavy blows. The group appears to have focused primarily on the attaché, whom they tried to persuade to defect and then assaulted when he refused. They also questioned him intensively about Hyok Chol's affairs while he had been resident; eventually they left him tied up in the basement. It is possible that the attache may have been among those who requested a staged assault to facilitate his own defection. A Korean female member of staff, Cho Sun Hi—who lived in the embassy with her husband—hid in a second-floor room and locked the door. Around an hour into the alleged raid, at about 5 pm, she escaped from the compound by jumping from the window, injuring herself. Sun Hi screamed for help, alerting neighbours who called the police. When the police arrived, they had difficulty in understanding Sun Hi, who spoke no Spanish. They took her to a police station and tried to find an interpreter; eventually they used a translation app on her phone. The police's difficulty in understanding Sun Hi was compounded by a head injury she had sustained. The woman told police "a group of men have entered the embassy and gagged the staff". She described the alleged raiders as commandos. It was later established that in "police chat groups", Sun Hi's mental stability had been questioned. The police returned to the embassy and attempted entry. Hong Chang, whom they assumed to be a member of staff because he was wearing a Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il badge, answered the door and assured them there was nothing untoward occurring. Diplomatic law forbids police from entering the premises without authorisation from the head of the mission, which was not to be gained, so they kept watch outside and set up a security perimeter. The police saw other men, whom they identified as they waited to enter, arrive. Meanwhile, the group ransacked the building, filming themselves as they did so. They collected most of the embassy's electronic equipment, including computers, mobile telephones, hard drives and pen drives. Soon after the police were called, the embassy gates suddenly opened and two or three "luxury" cars containing eight of the intruders exited at speed; the police did not follow. These cars were later established to be embassy vehicles with diplomatic numberplates; they were found abandoned a few streets away hours later and were removed for forensic examination. Another car with Hong Chang in it apparently left from the rear of the building soon after; it later transpired this was an Uber taxi he had ordered in the name of Oswaldo Trump. The group took all of the stolen electronic equipment with them. The incident lasted for about five hours; it began at 16:34 CET and had ended by 21:40. During this time, Free Joseon "remained in full control" of the embassy and its occupants, even after the escape. An incident is alleged to have taken place at the door, although early suggestions a death had occurred were unfounded. When the SAMUR paramedics arrived, they treated three injured. ### Investigation Despite the incident not being reported by the embassy or its staff, it was investigated by Spanish authorities. Although officially they only acknowledged "something happened", political espionage was recognised early in the investigation as a possible motive. Common criminality was excluded as a motive for the incident, which was described by investigators as having the hallmarks of a cell in the attack's "perfectly coordinated" military precision. It was, said investigators, probably carried out by professionals who knew precisely what they were looking for before they attacked. Investigators said the gang must have been responsible for lowering the power and dimming the street lights in the road at the front of the embassy; other security systems around the building were also found to have been neutralised. The investigation, which was described as "highly secret", was carried out by officers of the Provincial Information Brigade of the Spanish National Police, answering to Court 5 of the Audiencia Nacional (National Court), which had the authority to order the arrest of those who had then been named. The Guardia Civil and the CNI carried out parallel investigations, each focusing on different theories. It was uncertain the Free Joseon members were aware of the embassy's business that day and may have been surprised by the guests' presence. Witnesses suggested the members were South Korean. Police visited the South Korean embassy to see if any of the staff could be identified. A few days later, the South Korean Ambassador Chun Hong-jo wrote to El Mundo denying his government's involvement in the affair. A spokeswoman for the South Korean embassy stated that "we do not know anything, we can not say anything else, we heard about the assault by the press, the police did not come here". ### Kim Hyok-chol The previous DPRK Ambassador to Spain Kim Hyok-chol had been expelled by the Spanish Government in September 2017 in response to North Korea's continued testing of nuclear missiles in defiance of the international community. Although persona non-grata in Spain, Kim returned to the DPRK to become one of the architects of Kim Jong Un's diplomacy with the US, including the failed Vietnam summit. Analyst Andrei Lankov describes Kim Hyok-chol as Stephen Biegun's North Korean counterpart. Little is known in the West of Kim Hyok-chol's personality or career. It was noted that the computers and telephones that were seized by the attackers would be a "treasure trove" to intelligence services around the world for the information and communications they probably contained, and would be "eagerly sought after". Obtaining private information on Kim Hyok-chol,who has been described as "a natural target" for those interested in the DPRK's nuclear program, and information on North Korea's re-armament program may have been the purpose of the attack. Tufts University professor Sung-Yoon Lee believed it likely the seized materials could contain valuable information about any recent plans by the DPRK to evade the sanctions against its government, claims that were repeated on Fox News by Gordon G. Chang. Noting that Kim Hyok-chol had been recalled from Spain to lead North Korea's negotiations, Lee suggested any information held on those computers, including information on his activities in Spain, would have helped the US and its allies "to gain an edge in the negotiations" in Hanoi. For the Free Jeoson group, securing such top-secret information would "enhance their own status". ## Reactions Pyongyang stated that the raid was a breach of their sovereignty and a terrorist attack. News outlets said neither the embassy nor any of the affected staff made an official report or complaint to the Spanish police, although one woman, who is thought to be the one who had escaped, said she had been assaulted. In a statement, the embassy said the attack had caused "severe mental, physical and material damage on the members of the diplomatic staff and their families". There was little reaction to the incident, even in South Korea, until mid-March 2019 when Free Joseon's involvement was first alleged. The respective governments made no public comment on the incident until Spanish daily newspaper El País reported that at least two of the perpetrators had links to the CIA. BBC News reported that because of "the US and North Korea striving to improve relations after nearly 70 years of hostility, such allegations could be explosive". El Confidencial said if the CIA's involvement was proven, it would have been working with other western intelligence agencies. The CIA is known to work closely with defector organisations, according to the Financial Times, with the caveat that such work "does not, in itself, prove CIA involvement in the Madrid episode". Other commentators, such as Bruce Bennett of the RAND Corporation, said sponsoring an embassy invasion—in light of the number of US embassies—would set a dangerous precedent. Spanish government sources acknowledged that even if their suspicions about CIA involvement were accurate it would be difficult to prove the allegations in court. At a news briefing, Robert Palladino of the US State Department denied any involvement in the alleged raid by any part of the government. Citing unnamed Spanish police investigators and officials from the National Intelligence Center and the General Information Office, El Mundo speculated information could also have emanated from within the embassy to the group. The police said this would explain the precision of the attackers; the paper pointed to other occasions in which North Korea had attacked its own diplomatic staff, such as the former North Korean ambassador to Rome who had disappeared in January 2018. Sources whom The Washington Post described as "familiar with the incident" denied the involvement of intelligence agencies, however, saying they would have been unwilling to involve themselves in such a high-profile incident at a critical juncture in US–DPRK relations. Anonymous Spanish government officials, however, reported in El País, stated that they were not convinced by the CIA's claim. According to Spanish news sources, if the CIA was subsequently discovered to have been involved in the attack, this would damage US relations with the DPRK and Spain, and would be considered an unprovoked and unrequested incursion against Spanish sovereignty and the accepted norms of international diplomacy. Evidence of CIA involvement would cause an "uproar" in North Korea. The identities and nationalities of the Free Joseon members were called "particularly sensitive" in light of the delicate relations between the US and North Korea at the time, appearing to be US involvement with an invasion of extraterritorial immunity. Judge de la Mata issued international arrest warrants for Hong Chang and Ryu in March 2019, and stated that he would be formally requesting their extradition when they were served. NBC News said it was unclear whether the Spanish authority's own investigation had revealed the identities of those involved or whether the US had passed them the information. According to DPRK defector Thae Yong-ho, the computer equipment taken by the group could have included decryption software essential for secure communications between Pyongyang and its embassies and missions. Known as the "transformation computer", Yong-ho said to the DPRK leadership it was "considered more important than human lives" due to the perception that its code was unbreakable. In contrast to early speculation, according to investigative journalist Suki Kim who had been investigating Free Joseon for over a year, the group has been at odds with intelligence agencies such as the CIA, which intervened against Cheollima Civil Defense's efforts to protect Kim Han Sol and escort him to safety following the assassination of his father in 2017. Likewise, the South Korean intelligence services would likely oppose a group such as Free Joseon given the South Korean government's non-recognition of North Korean sovereignty in its constitution. ## Later events Following their escape, the group split into four groups and made their ways to Portugal and then to the US. Hong Chang flew from Lisbon Airport to Newark Liberty the day after the attack. On 14 March, El Mundo reported that at about midnight on 22 February, Spanish police had surrounded the embassy compound and blocked all of the approaches. They entered the building and performed a visual search, in the course of which they found a substantial cache of automatic weaponry consisting mainly of rifles and shotguns, but also short arms. The paper's source speculated these were the weapons the intruders had used and had dumped before leaving. On 26 March, Judge José de la Mata lifted the injunction suppressing public knowledge of the case because the group had by then publicly "identified themselves as members of a human rights movement seeking to liberate North Korea". The court statement also stated that Hong Chang had acted without state assistance, and the group's statement later reiterated the point. Lee Wolosky, the lawyer representing Free Joseon, disputed the legitimacy of the judge's conclusions, saying he had reached them without any evidence from the accused themselves. He also accused de la Mata of irresponsibility in releasing the names of individuals engaged in "opposition to a brutal regime that routinely and summarily executes its enemies". The group also denied weapons or violence had been used in the incident. Free Joseon subsequently stated on their website they had "received a request for help from comrades in a certain Western country" that involved "a highly dangerous situation". On 27 March 2019, they accepted responsibility for the incident in question, claimed responsibility for a graffiti attack on the DPRK embassy in Kuala Lumpur early the following month and warned of a "spectacular" in the near future, saying, "the Kim Jong-un regime will continue to feel humiliated if it rejects the order of freedom". The North Korean government did not make a public comment until 37 days later, when the foreign ministry called the assault a "grave terrorist attack" and suggested FBI involvement. The government demanded an investigation into an "act of extortion" by a "small-fry organisation" that Korean Central News Agency said "should never be tolerated". They said they would wait patiently and acknowledge the Spanish investigation in line with international law, although former North Korean diplomat Thae Yong-ho said the DPRK government would be "putting pressure" on Spain over the incident. They also said their embassy staff had been tortured, and the DPRK summoned their ambassadors to Russia, the United States and the United Nations back to Pyongyang. According to Thae Yong-ho, this reflects the importance the regime places on its decryption software. A further two members of the group were subsequently named; Sam Ryu, a US citizen and Woo Ran Lee from South Korea. Hong Chang, a resident of the US but a citizen of Mexico, apparently telephoned the FBI on 27 February—the opening day of the US/DPRK summit—to make a statement giving the assailants' view of events. The group subsequently announced they had "shared information of enormous potential value under mutually agreed terms of confidentiality" with the FBI, handing over everything they had taken from the embassy, including audiovisual material. The statement also denied anyone had been beaten or gagged. The FBI refused to deny or confirm the existence of the material or whether it was part of an investigation, although they emphasised the "good, working relationship" the Bureau enjoys with its Spanish counterpart. US news sources reported that the information received by the FBI from an anonymous ex-intelligence officer was "pretty significant". A video claimed to have been filmed during the incident was uploaded to the group's website and to YouTube; it shows individuals smashing portraits of leading members of the North Korean regime. Despite the group's claims of confidential agreements with the FBI, soon after they handed over the stolen materials, details of the event appeared in the American press, publicly linking the group with the embassy incident. Free Joseon said the media coverage amounted to a "betrayal of trust" and a "breach of confidentiality" by the FBI, which they said had requested their intelligence and had been given it voluntarily. The group said "speculative" press reporting would endanger its members from North Korean retaliation. Free Joseon failed to gain immunity from prosecution for its members who had been involved in the incident; journalist Laura Bicker notes that Hong Chang is "undoubtedly a wanted man" by the Spanish High Court and probably by Pyongyang. Ahn, also wanted by Spain, was arrested in April 2019 in Los Angeles, but freed on a bail of $1.3 million in July. In a subsequent statement, the Cheollima Civil Defense website stated, "parties seeking to 'out' those in Madrid have painted a target on the backs of those seeking only to protect others ... they have chosen to side with Pyongyang's criminal, totalitarian rulers over their victims". The FBI later returned the items seized in the embassy to the Spanish authorities who in turn returned them to the embassy. The US authorities issued an arrest warrant for Adrian Hong on 9 April 2019, while Christopher Ahn, one of the perpetrators, was arrested on 18 April that year. In April 2023, on the raid's fourth anniversary, the embassy accused the US of protecting Ahn, which it called "openly protecting and encouraging acts of terrorism against our citizens abroad based on groundless claims". That November, a Hungarian court ordered an unnamed South Korean citizen to be extradited to Spain under a simplified extradition procedure, to which the South Korean government consented. Hong Chang was still a fugitive as of the same date. The embassy raid led to speculation that it suggested a new, more militant form of North Korean nationalism could be emerging. However, argues political analyst Sheena Chestnut Greitens, this did not come to pass. Indeed, Free Jonseon's activity declined substantially in the years following the raid. Greitens argues, as a result, that notwithstanding the embassy attack, "there appears to be little potential for sustained armed diasporic resistance".

Agriculture

Cultivation of plants and animals

Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to live in the cities. While humans started gathering grains at least 105,000 years ago, nascent farmers only began planting them around 11,500 years ago. Sheep, goats, pigs, and cattle were domesticated around 10,000 years ago. Plants were independently cultivated in at least 11 regions of the world. In the 20th century, industrial agriculture based on large-scale monocultures came to dominate agricultural output. As of 2021, small farms produce about one-third of the world's food, but large farms are prevalent. The largest 1% of farms in the world are greater than 50 hectares (120 acres) and operate more than 70% of the world's farmland. Nearly 40% of agricultural land is found on farms larger than 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres). However, five of every six farms in the world consist of fewer than 2 hectares (4.9 acres), and take up only around 12% of all agricultural land. Farms and farming greatly influence rural economics and greatly shape rural society, affecting both the direct agricultural workforce and broader businesses that support the farms and farming populations. The major agricultural products can be broadly grouped into foods, fibers, fuels, and raw materials (such as rubber). Food classes include cereals (grains), vegetables, fruits, cooking oils, meat, milk, eggs, and fungi. Global agricultural production amounts to approximately 11 billion tonnes of food, 32 million tonnes of natural fibers and 4 billion m³ of wood. However, around 14% of the world's food is lost from production before reaching the retail level. Modern agronomy, plant breeding, agrochemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers, and technological developments have sharply increased crop yields, but also contributed to ecological and environmental damage. Selective breeding and modern practices in animal husbandry have similarly increased the output of meat, but have raised concerns about animal welfare and environmental damage. Environmental issues include contributions to climate change, depletion of aquifers, deforestation, antibiotic resistance, and other agricultural pollution. Agriculture is both a cause of and sensitive to environmental degradation, such as biodiversity loss, desertification, soil degradation, and climate change, all of which can cause decreases in crop yield. Genetically modified organisms are widely used, although some countries ban them. ## Etymology and scope The word agriculture is a late Middle English adaptation of Latin agricultūra, from ager 'field' and cultūra 'cultivation' or 'growing'. While agriculture usually refers to human activities, certain species of ant, termite and beetle have been cultivating crops for up to 60 million years. Agriculture is defined with varying scopes, in its broadest sense using natural resources to "produce commodities which maintain life, including food, fiber, forest products, horticultural crops, and their related services". Thus defined, it includes arable farming, horticulture, animal husbandry and forestry, but horticulture and forestry are in practice often excluded. It may also be broadly decomposed into plant agriculture, which concerns the cultivation of useful plants, and animal agriculture, the production of agricultural animals. ## History ### Origins The development of agriculture enabled the human population to grow many times larger than could be sustained by hunting and gathering. Agriculture began independently in different parts of the globe, and included a diverse range of taxa, in at least 11 separate centers of origin. Wild grains were collected and eaten from at least 105,000 years ago. In the Paleolithic Levant, 23,000 years ago, cereals cultivation of emmer, barley, and oats has been observed near the sea of Galilee. Rice was domesticated in China between 11,500 and 6,200 BC with the earliest known cultivation from 5,700 BC, followed by mung, soy and azuki beans. Sheep were domesticated in Mesopotamia between 13,000 and 11,000 years ago. Cattle were domesticated from the wild aurochs in the areas of modern Turkey and Pakistan some 10,500 years ago. Pig production emerged in Eurasia, including Europe, East Asia and Southwest Asia, where wild boar were first domesticated about 10,500 years ago. In the Andes of South America, the potato was domesticated between 10,000 and 7,000 years ago, along with beans, coca, llamas, alpacas, and guinea pigs. Sugarcane and some root vegetables were domesticated in New Guinea around 9,000 years ago. Sorghum was domesticated in the Sahel region of Africa by 7,000 years ago. Cotton was domesticated in Peru by 5,600 years ago, and was independently domesticated in Eurasia. In Mesoamerica, wild teosinte was bred into maize (corn) from 10,000 to 6,000 years ago. The horse was domesticated in the Eurasian Steppes around 3500 BC. Scholars have offered multiple hypotheses to explain the historical origins of agriculture. Studies of the transition from hunter-gatherer to agricultural societies indicate an initial period of intensification and increasing sedentism; examples are the Natufian culture in the Levant, and the Early Chinese Neolithic in China. Then, wild stands that had previously been harvested started to be planted, and gradually came to be domesticated. ### Civilizations In Eurasia, the Sumerians started to live in villages from about 8,000 BC, relying on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and a canal system for irrigation. Ploughs appear in pictographs around 3,000 BC; seed-ploughs around 2,300 BC. Farmers grew wheat, barley, vegetables such as lentils and onions, and fruits including dates, grapes, and figs. Ancient Egyptian agriculture relied on the Nile River and its seasonal flooding. Farming started in the predynastic period at the end of the Paleolithic, after 10,000 BC. Staple food crops were grains such as wheat and barley, alongside industrial crops such as flax and papyrus. In India, wheat, barley and jujube were domesticated by 9,000 BC, soon followed by sheep and goats. Cattle, sheep and goats were domesticated in Mehrgarh culture by 8,000–6,000 BC. Cotton was cultivated by the 5th–4th millennium BC. Archeological evidence indicates an animal-drawn plough from 2,500 BC in the Indus Valley civilization. In China, from the 5th century BC, there was a nationwide granary system and widespread silk farming. Water-powered grain mills were in use by the 1st century BC, followed by irrigation. By the late 2nd century, heavy ploughs had been developed with iron ploughshares and mouldboards. These spread westwards across Eurasia. Asian rice was domesticated 8,200–13,500 years ago – depending on the molecular clock estimate that is used– on the Pearl River in southern China with a single genetic origin from the wild rice Oryza rufipogon. In Greece and Rome, the major cereals were wheat, emmer, and barley, alongside vegetables including peas, beans, and olives. Sheep and goats were kept mainly for dairy products. In the Americas, crops domesticated in Mesoamerica (apart from teosinte) include squash, beans, and cacao. Cocoa was domesticated by the Mayo Chinchipe of the upper Amazon around 3,000 BC. The turkey was probably domesticated in Mexico or the American Southwest. The Aztecs developed irrigation systems, formed terraced hillsides, fertilized their soil, and developed chinampas or artificial islands. The Mayas used extensive canal and raised field systems to farm swampland from 400 BC. In South America agriculture may have begun about 9000 BC with the domestication of squash (Cucurbita) and other plants. Coca was domesticated in the Andes, as were the peanut, tomato, tobacco, and pineapple. Cotton was domesticated in Peru by 3,600 BC. Animals including llamas, alpacas, and guinea pigs were domesticated there. In North America, the indigenous people of the East domesticated crops such as sunflower, tobacco, squash and Chenopodium. Wild foods including wild rice and maple sugar were harvested. The domesticated strawberry is a hybrid of a Chilean and a North American species, developed by breeding in Europe and North America. The indigenous people of the Southwest and the Pacific Northwest practiced forest gardening and fire-stick farming. The natives controlled fire on a regional scale to create a low-intensity fire ecology that sustained a low-density agriculture in loose rotation; a sort of "wild" permaculture. A system of companion planting called the Three Sisters was developed in North America. The three crops were winter squash, maize, and climbing beans. Indigenous Australians, long supposed to have been nomadic hunter-gatherers, practiced systematic burning, possibly to enhance natural productivity in fire-stick farming. Scholars have pointed out that hunter-gatherers need a productive environment to support gathering without cultivation. Because the forests of New Guinea have few food plants, early humans may have used "selective burning" to increase the productivity of the wild karuka fruit trees to support the hunter-gatherer way of life. The Gunditjmara and other groups developed eel farming and fish trapping systems from some 5,000 years ago. There is evidence of 'intensification' across the whole continent over that period. In two regions of Australia, the central west coast and eastern central, early farmers cultivated yams, native millet, and bush onions, possibly in permanent settlements. ### Revolution In the Middle Ages, compared to the Roman period, agriculture in Western Europe became more focused on self-sufficiency. The agricultural population under feudalism was typically organized into manors consisting of several hundred or more acres of land presided over by a lord of the manor with a Roman Catholic church and priest. Thanks to the exchange with the Al-Andalus where the Arab Agricultural Revolution was underway, European agriculture transformed, with improved techniques and the diffusion of crop plants, including the introduction of sugar, rice, cotton and fruit trees (such as the orange). After 1492, the Columbian exchange brought New World crops such as maize, potatoes, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and manioc to Europe, and Old World crops such as wheat, barley, rice, and turnips, and livestock (including horses, cattle, sheep and goats) to the Americas. Irrigation, crop rotation, and fertilizers advanced from the 17th century with the British Agricultural Revolution, allowing global population to rise significantly. Since 1900, agriculture in developed nations, and to a lesser extent in the developing world, has seen large rises in productivity as mechanization replaces human labor, and assisted by synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and selective breeding. The Haber-Bosch method allowed the synthesis of ammonium nitrate fertilizer on an industrial scale, greatly increasing crop yields and sustaining a further increase in global population. Modern agriculture has raised or encountered ecological, political, and economic issues including water pollution, biofuels, genetically modified organisms, tariffs and farm subsidies, leading to alternative approaches such as the organic movement. Unsustainable farming practices in North America led to the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. ## Types Pastoralism involves managing domesticated animals. In nomadic pastoralism, herds of livestock are moved from place to place in search of pasture, fodder, and water. This type of farming is practiced in arid and semi-arid regions of Sahara, Central Asia and some parts of India. In shifting cultivation, a small area of forest is cleared by cutting and burning the trees. The cleared land is used for growing crops for a few years until the soil becomes too infertile, and the area is abandoned. Another patch of land is selected and the process is repeated. This type of farming is practiced mainly in areas with abundant rainfall where the forest regenerates quickly. This practice is used in Northeast India, Southeast Asia, and the Amazon Basin. Subsistence farming is practiced to satisfy family or local needs alone, with little left over for transport elsewhere. It is intensively practiced in Monsoon Asia and South-East Asia. An estimated 2.5 billion subsistence farmers worked in 2018, cultivating about 60% of the earth's arable land. Intensive farming is cultivation to maximize productivity, with a low fallow ratio and a high use of inputs (water, fertilizer, pesticide and automation). It is practiced mainly in developed countries. ## Contemporary agriculture ### Status From the twentieth century onwards, intensive agriculture increased crop productivity. It substituted synthetic fertilizers and pesticides for labor, but caused increased water pollution, and often involved farm subsidies. Soil degradation and diseases such as stem rust are major concerns globally; approximately 40% of the world's agricultural land is seriously degraded. In recent years there has been a backlash against the environmental effects of conventional agriculture, resulting in the organic, regenerative, and sustainable agriculture movements. One of the major forces behind this movement has been the European Union, which first certified organic food in 1991 and began reform of its Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in 2005 to phase out commodity-linked farm subsidies, also known as decoupling. The growth of organic farming has renewed research in alternative technologies such as integrated pest management, selective breeding, and controlled-environment agriculture. There are concerns about the lower yield associated with organic farming and its impact on global food security. Recent mainstream technological developments include genetically modified food. By 2015, the agricultural output of China was the largest in the world, followed by the European Union, India and the United States. Economists measure the total factor productivity of agriculture, according to which agriculture in the United States is roughly 1.7 times more productive than it was in 1948. Agriculture employed 873 million people in 2021, or 27% of the global workforce, compared with 1 027 million (or 40%) in 2000. The share of agriculture in global GDP was stable at around 4% since 2000–2023. Despite increases in agricultural production and productivity, between 702 and 828 million people were affected by hunger in 2021. Food insecurity and malnutrition can be the result of conflict, climate extremes and variability and economic swings. It can also be caused by a country's structural characteristics such as income status and natural resource endowments as well as its political economy. Pesticide use in agriculture went up 62% between 2000 and 2021, with the Americas accounting for half the use in 2021. The International Fund for Agricultural Development posits that an increase in smallholder agriculture may be part of the solution to concerns about food prices and overall food security, given the favorable experience of Vietnam. ### Workforce Agriculture provides about one-quarter of all global employment, more than half in sub-Saharan Africa and almost 60 percent in low-income countries. As countries develop, other jobs have historically pulled workers away from agriculture, and labor-saving innovations increase agricultural productivity by reducing labor requirements per unit of output. Over time, a combination of labor supply and labor demand trends have driven down the share of population employed in agriculture. During the 16th century in Europe, between 55 and 75% of the population was engaged in agriculture; by the 19th century, this had dropped to between 35 and 65%. In the same countries today, the figure is less than 10%. At the start of the 21st century, some one billion people, or over 1/3 of the available work force, were employed in agriculture. This constitutes approximately 70% of the global employment of children, and in many countries constitutes the largest percentage of women of any industry. The service sector overtook the agricultural sector as the largest global employer in 2007. In many developed countries, immigrants help fill labor shortages in high-value agriculture activities that are difficult to mechanize. Foreign farm workers from mostly Eastern Europe, North Africa and South Asia constituted around one-third of the salaried agricultural workforce in Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal in 2013. In the United States of America, more than half of all hired farmworkers (roughly 450,000 workers) were immigrants in 2019, although the number of new immigrants arriving in the country to work in agriculture has fallen by 75 percent in recent years and rising wages indicate this has led to a major labor shortage on U.S. farms. #### Women in agriculture Around the world, women make up a large share of the population employed in agriculture. This share is growing in all developing regions except East and Southeast Asia where women already make up about 50 percent of the agricultural workforce. Women make up 47 percent of the agricultural workforce in sub-Saharan Africa, a rate that has not changed significantly in the past few decades. However, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) posits that the roles and responsibilities of women in agriculture may be changing – for example, from subsistence farming to wage employment, and from contributing household members to primary producers in the context of male-out-migration. In general, women account for a greater share of agricultural employment at lower levels of economic development, as inadequate education, limited access to basic infrastructure and markets, high unpaid work burden and poor rural employment opportunities outside agriculture severely limit women's opportunities for off-farm work. Women who work in agricultural production tend to do so under highly unfavorable conditions. They tend to be concentrated in the poorest countries, where alternative livelihoods are not available, and they maintain the intensity of their work in conditions of climate-induced weather shocks and in situations of conflict. Women are less likely to participate as entrepreneurs and independent farmers and are engaged in the production of less lucrative crops. The gender gap in land productivity between female- and male managed farms of the same size is 24 percent. On average, women earn 18.4 percent less than men in wage employment in agriculture; this means that women receive 82 cents for every dollar earned by men. Progress has been slow in closing gaps in women's access to irrigation and in ownership of livestock, too. Women in agriculture still have significantly less access than men to inputs, including improved seeds, fertilizers and mechanized equipment. On a positive note, the gender gap in access to mobile internet in low- and middle-income countries fell from 25 percent to 16 percent between 2017 and 2021, and the gender gap in access to bank accounts narrowed from 9 to 6 percentage points. Women are as likely as men to adopt new technologies when the necessary enabling factors are put in place and they have equal access to complementary resources. ### Safety Agriculture, specifically farming, remains a hazardous industry, and farmers worldwide remain at high risk of work-related injuries, lung disease, noise-induced hearing loss, skin diseases, as well as certain cancers related to chemical use and prolonged sun exposure. On industrialized farms, injuries frequently involve the use of agricultural machinery, and a common cause of fatal agricultural injuries in developed countries is tractor rollovers. Pesticides and other chemicals used in farming can be hazardous to worker health, and workers exposed to pesticides may experience illness or have children with birth defects. As an industry in which families commonly share in work and live on the farm itself, entire families can be at risk for injuries, illness, and death. Ages 0–6 may be an especially vulnerable population in agriculture; common causes of fatal injuries among young farm workers include drowning, machinery and motor accidents, including with all-terrain vehicles. The International Labor Organization considers agriculture "one of the most hazardous of all economic sectors". It estimates that the annual work-related death toll among agricultural employees is at least 170,000, twice the average rate of other jobs. In addition, incidences of death, injury and illness related to agricultural activities often go unreported. The organization has developed the Safety and Health in Agriculture Convention, 2001, which covers the range of risks in the agriculture occupation, the prevention of these risks and the role that individuals and organizations engaged in agriculture should play. In the United States, agriculture has been identified by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health as a priority industry sector in the National Occupational Research Agenda to identify and provide intervention strategies for occupational health and safety issues. In the European Union, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work has issued guidelines on implementing health and safety directives in agriculture, livestock farming, horticulture, and forestry. The Agricultural Safety and Health Council of America (ASHCA) also holds a yearly summit to discuss safety. ## Production Overall production varies by country as listed. ### Crop cultivation systems Cropping systems vary among farms depending on the available resources and constraints; geography and climate of the farm; government policy; economic, social and political pressures; and the philosophy and culture of the farmer. Shifting cultivation (or slash and burn) is a system in which forests are burnt, releasing nutrients to support cultivation of annual and then perennial crops for a period of several years. Then the plot is left fallow to regrow forest, and the farmer moves to a new plot, returning after many more years (10–20). This fallow period is shortened if population density grows, requiring the input of nutrients (fertilizer or manure) and some manual pest control. Annual cultivation is the next phase of intensity in which there is no fallow period. This requires even greater nutrient and pest control inputs. Further industrialization led to the use of monocultures, when one cultivar is planted on a large acreage. Because of the low biodiversity, nutrient use is uniform and pests tend to build up, necessitating the greater use of pesticides and fertilizers. Multiple cropping, in which several crops are grown sequentially in one year, and intercropping, when several crops are grown at the same time, are other kinds of annual cropping systems known as polycultures. In subtropical and arid environments, the timing and extent of agriculture may be limited by rainfall, either not allowing multiple annual crops in a year, or requiring irrigation. In all of these environments perennial crops are grown (coffee, chocolate) and systems are practiced such as agroforestry. In temperate environments, where ecosystems were predominantly grassland or prairie, highly productive annual farming is the dominant agricultural system. Important categories of food crops include cereals, legumes, forage, fruits and vegetables. Natural fibers include cotton, wool, hemp, silk and flax. Specific crops are cultivated in distinct growing regions throughout the world. Production is listed in millions of metric tons, based on FAO estimates. ### Livestock production systems Animal husbandry is the breeding and raising of animals for meat, milk, eggs, or wool, and for work and transport. Working animals, including horses, mules, oxen, water buffalo, camels, llamas, alpacas, donkeys, and dogs, have for centuries been used to help cultivate fields, harvest crops, wrangle other animals, and transport farm products to buyers. Livestock production systems can be defined based on feed source, as grassland-based, mixed, and landless. As of 2010, 30% of Earth's ice- and water-free area was used for producing livestock, with the sector employing approximately 1.3 billion people. Between the 1960s and the 2000s, there was a significant increase in livestock production, both by numbers and by carcass weight, especially among beef, pigs and chickens, the latter of which had production increased by almost a factor of 10. Non-meat animals, such as milk cows and egg-producing chickens, also showed significant production increases. Global cattle, sheep and goat populations are expected to continue to increase sharply through 2050. Aquaculture or fish farming, the production of fish for human consumption in confined operations, is one of the fastest growing sectors of food production, growing at an average of 9% a year between 1975 and 2007. During the second half of the 20th century, producers using selective breeding focused on creating livestock breeds and crossbreeds that increased production, while mostly disregarding the need to preserve genetic diversity. This trend has led to a significant decrease in genetic diversity and resources among livestock breeds, leading to a corresponding decrease in disease resistance and local adaptations previously found among traditional breeds. Grassland based livestock production relies upon plant material such as shrubland, rangeland, and pastures for feeding ruminant animals. Outside nutrient inputs may be used, however manure is returned directly to the grassland as a major nutrient source. This system is particularly important in areas where crop production is not feasible because of climate or soil, representing 30–40 million pastoralists. Mixed production systems use grassland, fodder crops and grain feed crops as feed for ruminant and monogastric (one stomach; mainly chickens and pigs) livestock. Manure is typically recycled in mixed systems as a fertilizer for crops. Landless systems rely upon feed from outside the farm, representing the de-linking of crop and livestock production found more prevalently in Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development member countries. Synthetic fertilizers are more heavily relied upon for crop production and manure use becomes a challenge as well as a source for pollution. Industrialized countries use these operations to produce much of the global supplies of poultry and pork. Scientists estimate that 75% of the growth in livestock production between 2003 and 2030 will be in confined animal feeding operations, sometimes called factory farming. Much of this growth is happening in developing countries in Asia, with much smaller amounts of growth in Africa. Some of the practices used in commercial livestock production, including the usage of growth hormones, are controversial. ### Production practices Tillage is the practice of breaking up the soil with tools such as the plow or harrow to prepare for planting, for nutrient incorporation, or for pest control. Tillage varies in intensity from conventional to no-till. It can improve productivity by warming the soil, incorporating fertilizer and controlling weeds, but also renders soil more prone to erosion, triggers the decomposition of organic matter releasing CO₂, and reduces the abundance and diversity of soil organisms. Pest control includes the management of weeds, insects, mites, and diseases. Chemical (pesticides), biological (biocontrol), mechanical (tillage), and cultural practices are used. Cultural practices include crop rotation, culling, cover crops, intercropping, composting, avoidance, and resistance. Integrated pest management attempts to use all of these methods to keep pest populations below the number which would cause economic loss, and recommends pesticides as a last resort. Nutrient management includes both the source of nutrient inputs for crop and livestock production, and the method of use of manure produced by livestock. Nutrient inputs can be chemical inorganic fertilizers, manure, green manure, compost and minerals. Crop nutrient use may also be managed using cultural techniques such as crop rotation or a fallow period. Manure is used either by holding livestock where the feed crop is growing, such as in managed intensive rotational grazing, or by spreading either dry or liquid formulations of manure on cropland or pastures. Water management is needed where rainfall is insufficient or variable, which occurs to some degree in most regions of the world. Some farmers use irrigation to supplement rainfall. In other areas such as the Great Plains in the U.S. and Canada, farmers use a fallow year to conserve soil moisture for the following year. Recent technological innovations in precision agriculture allow for water status monitoring and automate water usage, leading to more efficient management. Agriculture represents 70% of freshwater use worldwide. However, water withdrawal ratios for agriculture vary significantly by income level. In least developed countries and landlocked developing countries, water withdrawal ratios for agriculture are as high as 90 percent of total water withdrawals and about 60 percent in Small Island Developing States. According to 2014 report by the International Food Policy Research Institute, agricultural technologies will have the greatest impact on food production if adopted in combination with each other. Using a model that assessed how eleven technologies could impact agricultural productivity, food security and trade by 2050, the International Food Policy Research Institute found that the number of people at risk from hunger could be reduced by as much as 40% and food prices could be reduced by almost half. Payment for ecosystem services is a method of providing additional incentives to encourage farmers to conserve some aspects of the environment. Measures might include paying for reforestation upstream of a city, to improve the supply of fresh water. ### Agricultural automation Different definitions exist for agricultural automation and for the variety of tools and technologies that are used to automate production. One view is that agricultural automation refers to autonomous navigation by robots without human intervention. Alternatively, it is defined as the accomplishment of production tasks through mobile, autonomous, decision-making, mechatronic devices. However, FAO finds that these definitions do not capture all the aspects and forms of automation, such as robotic milking machines that are static, most motorized machinery that automates the performing of agricultural operations, and digital tools (e.g., sensors) that automate only diagnosis. FAO defines agricultural automation as the use of machinery and equipment in agricultural operations to improve their diagnosis, decision-making or performing, reducing the drudgery of agricultural work or improving the timeliness, and potentially the precision, of agricultural operations. The technological evolution in agriculture has involved a progressive move from manual tools to animal traction, to motorized mechanization, to digital equipment and finally, to robotics with artificial intelligence (AI). Motorized mechanization using engine power automates the performance of agricultural operations such as ploughing and milking. With digital automation technologies, it also becomes possible to automate diagnosis and decision-making of agricultural operations. For example, autonomous crop robots can harvest and seed crops, while drones can gather information to help automate input application. Precision agriculture often employs such automation technologies. Motorized machines are increasingly complemented, or even superseded, by new digital equipment that automates diagnosis and decision-making. A conventional tractor, for example, can be converted into an automated vehicle allowing it to sow a field autonomously. Motorized mechanization has increased significantly across the world in recent years, although reliable global data with broad country coverage exist only for tractors and only up to 2009. Sub-Saharan Africa is the only region where the adoption of motorized mechanization has stalled over the past decades. Automation technologies are increasingly used for managing livestock, though evidence on adoption is lacking. Global automatic milking system sales have increased over recent years, but adoption is likely mostly in Northern Europe, and likely almost absent in low- and middle-income countries. Automated feeding machines for both cows and poultry also exist, but data and evidence regarding their adoption trends and drivers is likewise scarce. Measuring the overall employment impacts of agricultural automation is difficult because it requires large amounts of data tracking all the transformations and the associated reallocation of workers both upstream and downstream. While automation technologies reduce labor needs for the newly automated tasks, they also generate new labor demand for other tasks, such as equipment maintenance and operation. Agricultural automation can also stimulate employment by allowing producers to expand production and by creating other agrifood systems jobs. This is especially true when it happens in context of rising scarcity of rural labor, as is the case in high-income countries and many middle-income countries. On the other hand, if forcedly promoted, for example through government subsidies in contexts of abundant rural labor, it can lead to labor displacement and falling or stagnant wages, particularly affecting poor and low-skilled workers. ### Effects of climate change on yields Climate change and agriculture are interrelated on a global scale. Climate change affects agriculture through changes in average temperatures, rainfall, and weather extremes (like storms and heat waves); changes in pests and diseases; changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide and ground-level ozone concentrations; changes in the nutritional quality of some foods; and changes in sea level. Global warming is already affecting agriculture, with effects unevenly distributed across the world. In a 2022 report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change describes how human-induced warming has slowed growth of agricultural productivity over the past 50 years in mid and low latitudes. Methane emissions have negatively impacted crop yields by increasing temperatures and surface ozone concentrations. Warming is also negatively affecting crop and grassland quality and harvest stability. Ocean warming has decreased sustainable yields of some wild fish populations while ocean acidification and warming have already affected farmed aquatic species. Climate change will probably increase the risk of food insecurity for some vulnerable groups, such as the poor. ## Crop alteration and biotechnology ### Plant breeding Crop alteration has been practiced by humankind for thousands of years, since the beginning of civilization. Altering crops through breeding practices changes the genetic make-up of a plant to develop crops with more beneficial characteristics for humans, for example, larger fruits or seeds, drought-tolerance, or resistance to pests. Significant advances in plant breeding ensued after the work of geneticist Gregor Mendel. His work on dominant and recessive alleles, although initially largely ignored for almost 50 years, gave plant breeders a better understanding of genetics and breeding techniques. Crop breeding includes techniques such as plant selection with desirable traits, self-pollination and cross-pollination, and molecular techniques that genetically modify the organism. Domestication of plants has, over the centuries increased yield, improved disease resistance and drought tolerance, eased harvest and improved the taste and nutritional value of crop plants. Careful selection and breeding have had enormous effects on the characteristics of crop plants. Plant selection and breeding in the 1920s and 1930s improved pasture (grasses and clover) in New Zealand. Extensive X-ray and ultraviolet induced mutagenesis efforts (i.e. primitive genetic engineering) during the 1950s produced the modern commercial varieties of grains such as wheat, corn (maize) and barley. The Green Revolution popularized the use of conventional hybridization to sharply increase yield by creating "high-yielding varieties". For example, average yields of corn (maize) in the US have increased from around 2.5 tons per hectare (t/ha) (40 bushels per acre) in 1900 to about 9.4 t/ha (150 bushels per acre) in 2001. Similarly, worldwide average wheat yields have increased from less than 1 t/ha in 1900 to more than 2.5 t/ha in 1990. South American average wheat yields are around 2 t/ha, African under 1 t/ha, and Egypt and Arabia up to 3.5 to 4 t/ha with irrigation. In contrast, the average wheat yield in countries such as France is over 8 t/ha. Variations in yields are due mainly to variation in climate, genetics, and the level of intensive farming techniques (use of fertilizers, chemical pest control, and growth control to avoid lodging). Investments into innovation for agriculture are long term. This is because it takes time for research to become commercialized and for technology to be adapted to meet multiple regions’ needs, as well as meet national guidelines before being adopted and planted in a farmer’s fields. For instance, it took at least 60 years from the introduction of hybrid corn technology before its adoption became widespread. Agricultural innovation developed for the specific agroecological conditions of one region is not easily transferred and used in another region with different agroecological conditions. Instead, the innovation would have to be adapted to the specific conditions of that other region and respect its biodiversity and environmental requirements and guidelines. Some such adaptations can be seen through the steadily increasing number of plant varieties protected under the plant variety protection instrument administered by the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV). ### Genetic engineering Genetically modified organisms (GMO) are organisms whose genetic material has been altered by genetic engineering techniques generally known as recombinant DNA technology. Genetic engineering has expanded the genes available to breeders to use in creating desired germlines for new crops. Increased durability, nutritional content, insect and virus resistance and herbicide tolerance are a few of the attributes bred into crops through genetic engineering. For some, GMO crops cause food safety and food labeling concerns. Numerous countries have placed restrictions on the production, import or use of GMO foods and crops. The Biosafety Protocol, an international treaty, regulates the trade of GMOs. There is ongoing discussion regarding the labeling of foods made from GMOs, and while the EU currently requires all GMO foods to be labeled, the US does not. Herbicide-resistant seeds have a gene implanted into their genome that allows the plants to tolerate exposure to herbicides, including glyphosate. These seeds allow the farmer to grow a crop that can be sprayed with herbicides to control weeds without harming the resistant crop. Herbicide-tolerant crops are used by farmers worldwide. With the increasing use of herbicide-tolerant crops, comes an increase in the use of glyphosate-based herbicide sprays. In some areas glyphosate resistant weeds have developed, causing farmers to switch to other herbicides. Some studies also link widespread glyphosate usage to iron deficiencies in some crops, which is both a crop production and a nutritional quality concern, with potential economic and health implications. Other GMO crops used by growers include insect-resistant crops, which have a gene from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which produces a toxin specific to insects. These crops resist damage by insects. Some believe that similar or better pest-resistance traits can be acquired through traditional breeding practices, and resistance to various pests can be gained through hybridization or cross-pollination with wild species. In some cases, wild species are the primary source of resistance traits; some tomato cultivars that have gained resistance to at least 19 diseases did so through crossing with wild populations of tomatoes. ## Environmental impact ### Effects and costs Agriculture is both a cause of and sensitive to environmental degradation, such as biodiversity loss, desertification, soil degradation and climate change, which cause decreases in crop yield. Agriculture is one of the most important drivers of environmental pressures, particularly habitat change, climate change, water use and toxic emissions. Agriculture is the main source of toxins released into the environment, including insecticides, especially those used on cotton. The 2011 UNEP Green Economy report stated that agricultural operations produced some 13 percent of anthropogenic global greenhouse gas emissions. This includes gases from the use of inorganic fertilizers, agro-chemical pesticides, and herbicides, as well as fossil fuel-energy inputs. Agriculture imposes multiple external costs upon society through effects such as pesticide damage to nature (especially herbicides and insecticides), nutrient runoff, excessive water usage, and loss of natural environment. A 2000 assessment of agriculture in the UK determined total external costs for 1996 of £2,343 million, or £208 per hectare. A 2005 analysis of these costs in the US concluded that cropland imposes approximately $5 to $16 billion ($30 to $96 per hectare), while livestock production imposes $714 million. Both studies, which focused solely on the fiscal impacts, concluded that more should be done to internalize external costs. Neither included subsidies in their analysis, but they noted that subsidies also influence the cost of agriculture to society. Agriculture seeks to increase yield and to reduce costs, often employing measures that cut biodiversity to very low levels. Yield increases with inputs such as fertilizers and removal of pathogens, predators, and competitors (such as weeds). Costs decrease with increasing scale of farm units, such as making fields larger; this means removing hedges, ditches and other areas of habitat. Pesticides kill insects, plants and fungi. Effective yields fall with on-farm losses, which may be caused by poor production practices during harvesting, handling, and storage. The environmental effects of climate change show that research on pests and diseases that do not generally afflict areas is essential. In 2021, farmers discovered stem rust on wheat in the Champagne area of France, a disease that had previously only occurred in Morocco for 20 to 30 years. Because of climate change, insects that used to die off over the winter are now alive and multiplying. ### Livestock issues A senior UN official, Henning Steinfeld, said that "Livestock are one of the most significant contributors to today's most serious environmental problems". Livestock production occupies 70% of all land used for agriculture, or 30% of the land surface of the planet. It is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gases, responsible for 18% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions as measured in CO₂ equivalents. By comparison, all transportation emits 13.5% of the CO₂. It produces 65% of human-related nitrous oxide (which has 296 times the global warming potential of CO₂) and 37% of all human-induced methane (which is 23 times as warming as CO₂.) It also generates 64% of the ammonia emission. Livestock expansion is cited as a key factor driving deforestation; in the Amazon basin 70% of previously forested area is now occupied by pastures and the remainder used for feed crops. Through deforestation and land degradation, livestock is also driving reductions in biodiversity. A well documented phenomenon is woody plant encroachment, caused by overgrazing in rangelands. Furthermore, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) states that "methane emissions from global livestock are projected to increase by 60 per cent by 2030 under current practices and consumption patterns." ### Land and water issues Land transformation, the use of land to yield goods and services, is the most substantial way humans alter the Earth's ecosystems, and is the driving force causing biodiversity loss. Estimates of the amount of land transformed by humans vary from 39 to 50%. It is estimated that 24% of land globally experiences land degradation, a long-term decline in ecosystem function and productivity, with cropland being disproportionately affected. Land management is the driving factor behind degradation; 1.5 billion people rely upon the degrading land. Degradation can be through deforestation, desertification, soil erosion, mineral depletion, acidification, or salinization. In 2021, the global agricultural land area was 4.79 billion hectares (ha), down 2 percent, or 0.09 billion ha compared with 2000. Between 2000 and 2021, roughly two-thirds of agricultural land were used for permanent meadows and pastures (3.21 billion ha in 2021), which declined by 5 percent (0.17 billion ha). One-third of the total agricultural land was cropland (1.58 billion ha in 2021), which increased by 6 percent (0.09 billion ha). Eutrophication, excessive nutrient enrichment in aquatic ecosystems resulting in algal blooms and anoxia, leads to fish kills, loss of biodiversity, and renders water unfit for drinking and other industrial uses. Excessive fertilization and manure application to cropland, as well as high livestock stocking densities cause nutrient (mainly nitrogen and phosphorus) runoff and leaching from agricultural land. These nutrients are major nonpoint pollutants contributing to eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems and pollution of groundwater, with harmful effects on human populations. Fertilizers also reduce terrestrial biodiversity by increasing competition for light, favoring those species that are able to benefit from the added nutrients. Agriculture simultaneously is facing growing freshwater demand and precipitation anomalies (droughts, floods, and extreme rainfall and weather events) on rainfed areas fields and grazing lands. Agriculture accounts for 70 percent of withdrawals of freshwater resources, and an estimated 41 percent of current global irrigation water use occurs at the expense of environmental flow requirements. It is long known that aquifers in areas as diverse as northern China, the Upper Ganges and the western US are being depleted, and new research extends these problems to aquifers in Iran, Mexico and Saudi Arabia. Increasing pressure is being placed on water resources by industry and urban areas, meaning that water scarcity is increasing and agriculture is facing the challenge of producing more food for the world's growing population with reduced water resources. While industrial withdrawals have declined in the past few decades and municipal withdrawals have increased only marginally since 2010, agricultural withdrawals have continued to grow at an ever faster pace. Agricultural water usage can also cause major environmental problems, including the destruction of natural wetlands, the spread of water-borne diseases, and land degradation through salinization and waterlogging, when irrigation is performed incorrectly. ### Pesticides Pesticide use has increased since 1950 to 2.5 million short tons annually worldwide, yet crop loss from pests has remained relatively constant. The World Health Organization estimated in 1992 that three million pesticide poisonings occur annually, causing 220,000 deaths. Pesticides select for pesticide resistance in the pest population, leading to a condition termed the "pesticide treadmill" in which pest resistance warrants the development of a new pesticide. An alternative argument is that the way to "save the environment" and prevent famine is by using pesticides and intensive high yield farming, a view exemplified by a quote heading the Center for Global Food Issues website: 'Growing more per acre leaves more land for nature'. However, critics argue that a trade-off between the environment and a need for food is not inevitable, and that pesticides can replace good agronomic practices such as crop rotation. The Push–pull agricultural pest management technique involves intercropping, using plant aromas to repel pests from crops (push) and to lure them to a place from which they can then be removed (pull). ### Contribution to climate change Agriculture contributes towards climate change through greenhouse gas emissions and by the conversion of non-agricultural land such as forests into agricultural land. The agriculture, forestry and land use sector contribute between 13% and 21% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Emissions of nitrous oxide, methane make up over half of total greenhouse gas emission from agriculture. Animal husbandry is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. Approximately 57% of global GHG emissions from the production of food are from the production of animal-based food while plant-based foods contribute 29% and the remaining 14% is for other utilizations. Farmland management and land-use change represented major shares of total emissions (38% and 29%, respectively), whereas rice and beef were the largest contributing plant- and animal-based commodities (12% and 25%, respectively). South and Southeast Asia and South America were the largest emitters of production-based GHGs. ### Sustainability Current farming methods have resulted in over-stretched water resources, high levels of erosion and reduced soil fertility. There is not enough water to continue farming using current practices; therefore how water, land, and ecosystem resources are used to boost crop yields must be reconsidered. A solution would be to give value to ecosystems, recognizing environmental and livelihood tradeoffs, and balancing the rights of a variety of users and interests. Inequities that result when such measures are adopted would need to be addressed, such as the reallocation of water from poor to rich, the clearing of land to make way for more productive farmland, or the preservation of a wetland system that limits fishing rights. Technological advancements help provide farmers with tools and resources to make farming more sustainable. Technology permits innovations like conservation tillage, a farming process which helps prevent land loss to erosion, reduces water pollution, and enhances carbon sequestration. Agricultural automation can help address some of the challenges associated with climate change and thus facilitate adaptation efforts. For example, the application of digital automation technologies (e.g. in precision agriculture) can improve resource-use efficiency in conditions which are increasingly constrained for agricultural producers. Moreover, when applied to sensing and early warning, they can help address the uncertainty and unpredictability of weather conditions associated with accelerating climate change. Other potential sustainable practices include conservation agriculture, agroforestry, improved grazing, avoided grassland conversion, and biochar. Current mono-crop farming practices in the United States preclude widespread adoption of sustainable practices, such as 2–3 crop rotations that incorporate grass or hay with annual crops, unless negative emission goals such as soil carbon sequestration become policy. The food demand of Earth's projected population, with current climate change predictions, could be satisfied by improvement of agricultural methods, expansion of agricultural areas, and a sustainability-oriented consumer mindset. ### Energy dependence Since the 1940s, agricultural productivity has increased dramatically, due largely to the increased use of energy-intensive mechanization, fertilizers and pesticides. The vast majority of this energy input comes from fossil fuel sources. Between the 1960s and the 1980s, the Green Revolution transformed agriculture around the globe, with world grain production increasing significantly (between 70% and 390% for wheat and 60% to 150% for rice, depending on geographic area) as world population doubled. Heavy reliance on petrochemicals has raised concerns that oil shortages could increase costs and reduce agricultural output. Industrialized agriculture depends on fossil fuels in two fundamental ways: direct consumption on the farm and manufacture of inputs used on the farm. Direct consumption includes the use of lubricants and fuels to operate farm vehicles and machinery. Indirect consumption includes the manufacture of fertilizers, pesticides, and farm machinery. In particular, the production of nitrogen fertilizer can account for over half of agricultural energy usage. Together, direct and indirect consumption by US farms accounts for about 2% of the nation's energy use. Direct and indirect energy consumption by U.S. farms peaked in 1979, and has since gradually declined. Food systems encompass not just agriculture but off-farm processing, packaging, transporting, marketing, consumption, and disposal of food and food-related items. Agriculture accounts for less than one-fifth of food system energy use in the US. ### Plastic pollution Plastic products are used extensively in agriculture, including to increase crop yields and improve the efficiency of water and agrichemical use. "Agriplastic" products include films to cover greenhouses and tunnels, mulch to cover soil (e.g. to suppress weeds, conserve water, increase soil temperature and aid fertilizer application), shade cloth, pesticide containers, seedling trays, protective mesh and irrigation tubing. The polymers most commonly used in these products are low- density polyethylene (LPDE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), polypropylene (PP) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The total amount of plastics used in agriculture is difficult to quantify. A 2012 study reported that almost 6.5 million tonnes per year were consumed globally while a later study estimated that global demand in 2015 was between 7.3 million and 9 million tonnes. Widespread use of plastic mulch and lack of systematic collection and management have led to the generation of large amounts of mulch residue. Weathering and degradation eventually cause the mulch to fragment. These fragments and larger pieces of plastic accumulate in soil. Mulch residue has been measured at levels of 50 to 260 kg per hectare in topsoil in areas where mulch use dates back more than 10 years, which confirms that mulching is a major source of both microplastic and macroplastic soil contamination. Agricultural plastics, especially plastic films, are not easy to recycle because of high contamination levels (up to 40–50% by weight contamination by pesticides, fertilizers, soil and debris, moist vegetation, silage juice water, and UV stabilizers) and collection difficulties . Therefore, they are often buried or abandoned in fields and watercourses or burned. These disposal practices lead to soil degradation and can result in contamination of soils and leakage of microplastics into the marine environment as a result of precipitation run-off and tidal washing. In addition, additives in residual plastic film (such as UV and thermal stabilizers) may have deleterious effects on crop growth, soil structure, nutrient transport and salt levels. There is a risk that plastic mulch will deteriorate soil quality, deplete soil organic matter stocks, increase soil water repellence and emit greenhouse gases. Microplastics released through fragmentation of agricultural plastics can absorb and concentrate contaminants capable of being passed up the trophic chain. ## Disciplines ### Agricultural economics Agricultural economics is economics as it relates to the "production, distribution and consumption of [agricultural] goods and services". Combining agricultural production with general theories of marketing and business as a discipline of study began in the late 1800s, and grew significantly through the 20th century. Although the study of agricultural economics is relatively recent, major trends in agriculture have significantly affected national and international economies throughout history, ranging from tenant farmers and sharecropping in the post-American Civil War Southern United States to the European feudal system of manorialism. In the United States, and elsewhere, food costs attributed to food processing, distribution, and agricultural marketing, sometimes referred to as the value chain, have risen while the costs attributed to farming have declined. This is related to the greater efficiency of farming, combined with the increased level of value addition (e.g. more highly processed products) provided by the supply chain. Market concentration has increased in the sector as well, and although the total effect of the increased market concentration is likely increased efficiency, the changes redistribute economic surplus from producers (farmers) and consumers, and may have negative implications for rural communities. National government policies, such as taxation, subsidies, tariffs and others, can significantly change the economic marketplace for agricultural products. Since at least the 1960s, a combination of trade restrictions, exchange rate policies and subsidies have affected farmers in both the developing and the developed world. In the 1980s, non-subsidized farmers in developing countries experienced adverse effects from national policies that created artificially low global prices for farm products. Between the mid-1980s and the early 2000s, several international agreements limited agricultural tariffs, subsidies and other trade restrictions. However, as of 2009, there was still a significant amount of policy-driven distortion in global agricultural product prices. The three agricultural products with the most trade distortion were sugar, milk and rice, mainly due to taxation. Among the oilseeds, sesame had the most taxation, but overall, feed grains and oilseeds had much lower levels of taxation than livestock products. Since the 1980s, policy-driven distortions have decreases more among livestock products than crops during the worldwide reforms in agricultural policy. Despite this progress, certain crops, such as cotton, still see subsidies in developed countries artificially deflating global prices, causing hardship in developing countries with non-subsidized farmers. Unprocessed commodities such as corn, soybeans, and cattle are generally graded to indicate quality, affecting the price the producer receives. Commodities are generally reported by production quantities, such as volume, number or weight. ### Agricultural science Agricultural science is a broad multidisciplinary field of biology that encompasses the parts of exact, natural, economic and social sciences used in the practice and understanding of agriculture. It covers topics such as agronomy, plant breeding and genetics, plant pathology, crop modeling, soil science, entomology, production techniques and improvement, study of pests and their management, and study of adverse environmental effects such as soil degradation, waste management, and bioremediation. The scientific study of agriculture began in the 18th century, when Johann Friedrich Mayer conducted experiments on the use of gypsum (hydrated calcium sulphate) as a fertilizer. Research became more systematic when in 1843, John Lawes and Henry Gilbert began a set of long-term agronomy field experiments at Rothamsted Research Station in England; some of them, such as the Park Grass Experiment, are still running. In America, the Hatch Act of 1887 provided funding for what it was the first to call "agricultural science", driven by farmers' interest in fertilizers. In agricultural entomology, the USDA began to research biological control in 1881; it instituted its first large program in 1905, searching Europe and Japan for natural enemies of the spongy moth and brown-tail moth, establishing parasitoids (such as solitary wasps) and predators of both pests in the US. ## Policy Agricultural policy is the set of government decisions and actions relating to domestic agriculture and imports of foreign agricultural products. Governments usually implement agricultural policies with the goal of achieving a specific outcome in the domestic agricultural product markets. Some overarching themes include risk management and adjustment (including policies related to climate change, food safety and natural disasters), economic stability (including policies related to taxes), natural resources and environmental sustainability (especially water policy), research and development, and market access for domestic commodities (including relations with global organizations and agreements with other countries). Agricultural policy can also touch on food quality, ensuring that the food supply is of a consistent and known quality, food security, ensuring that the food supply meets the population's needs, and conservation. Policy programs can range from financial programs, such as subsidies, to encouraging producers to enroll in voluntary quality assurance programs. A 2021 report finds that globally, support to agricultural producers accounts for almost US$540 billion a year. This amounts to 15 percent of total agricultural production value, and is heavily biased towards measures that are leading to inefficiency, as well as are unequally distributed and harmful for the environment and human health. There are many influences on the creation of agricultural policy, including consumers, agribusiness, trade lobbies and other groups. Agribusiness interests hold a large amount of influence over policy making, in the form of lobbying and campaign contributions. Political action groups, including those interested in environmental issues and labor unions, also provide influence, as do lobbying organizations representing individual agricultural commodities. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) leads international efforts to defeat hunger and provides a forum for the negotiation of global agricultural regulations and agreements. Samuel Jutzi, director of FAO's animal production and health division, states that lobbying by large corporations has stopped reforms that would improve human health and the environment. For example, proposals in 2010 for a voluntary code of conduct for the livestock industry that would have provided incentives for improving standards for health, and environmental regulations, such as the number of animals an area of land can support without long-term damage, were successfully defeated due to large food company pressure. ## See also - Aeroponics - Agricultural aircraft - Agricultural engineering - Agricultural finance - Agricultural machinery - Agricultural robot - Agroecology - Agribusiness - Agrominerals - Building-integrated agriculture - Contract farming - Corporate farming - Crofting - Ecoagriculture - Farmworker - Food loss and waste - Food security - Hill farming - List of documentary films about agriculture - Pharming (genetics) - Remote sensing - Rural Development - Soil biodiversity - Subsistence economy - Sustainable agriculture - Urban agriculture - Vertical farming - Vegetable farming ## Cited sources - - -