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Break My Heart Again

2018 single by Finneas

"Break My Heart Again" is a song by American singer-songwriter Finneas. It was released by OYOY for digital download and streaming as a single on February 9, 2018. The song was later included on the deluxe edition of Finneas' debut EP, Blood Harmony (2019). An indie pop ballad, the song's lyrics address Finneas breaking up with his girlfriend through on and off texting. The song received mainly positive reviews from music critics, several of whom praised the music and lyrical content. An accompanying one-take music video was released on April 18, 2019, and was directed by Sam Bennett. In it, the camera moves around Finneas as he sings about losing his loved one. The video received positive reviews from critics, many of whom praised its theme. Finneas performed "Break My Heart Again" as part of a 50-minute livestream for Verizon Communications in April 2020. ## Background and composition "Break My Heart Again" was released as a standalone single for digital download and streaming through Finneas' record label OYOY on February 9, 2018. It was later featured on the deluxe edition of his debut EP Blood Harmony (2019), released on August 7, 2020. The track was written and produced by Finneas. Critical commentary described "Break My Heart Again" as an indie pop ballad. Chris Riemenschneider, writing for the Star Tribune, compared the track to the works of John Legend, calling it a "John Legend-style romantic piano ballad". At the start of the song, a stripped back piano appears that accompanies Finneas' vocals. The sound of typing and sending messages is heard for the majority of the song: "Hey you/I'm just now leaving/Can I come around/Later on this evening?/Or do/You need time?/Yes of course/That's fine." The lyrics of "Break My Heart Again" are almost entirely composed of real texts between Finneas and a former lover. Finneas explained the texting in a statement: "The lyrics in the verses are basically verbatim text conversations I had with an ex-girlfriend. I thought it'd be cool to double illustrate that point so I added text and typing sounds to the production." As the chorus begins, Finneas switches from talking about his interactions with his loved one to admitting his strong emotions and Finneas' voice starts to become layered. Finneas confesses to being constantly hurt by the one he cares about. He then admits it gets to a point where he's thinking his loved one is wrong for constantly hurting him. Finneas goes on to realize that he may be wrong for always allowing the former to hurt him, "So go ahead and break my heart again/Leave me wonderin' why the hell I ever let you in/Are you the definition of insanity?/Or am I? Oh, it must be nice/To love someone who lets you break them twice." The bridge suggests that the singer is confronting his lover about their issues. Finneas is pressured as he admits that he thought his lover was "the one", but their actions revealed that all they can do is break up and their relationship is over for good. Finneas then reveals they reunited five years later, and the song temporarily comes to a stop. The song starts over again, featuring piano and Finneas' vocals. He confesses that even though time has passed, his ex-lover is still the same. The chorus is then repeated, and stripped back heavier. ## Critical reception "Break My Heart Again" was met with mainly positive reviews from music critics. Kasey Caminiti, writing for DuJour, labeled the song as "soft" and "relatable", while further mentioning that it "highlight[s] the insanity of millennial love stories". Tanis Smither of Earmilk described the song as "raw" and "startlingly honest". Music Connection's Dan Kimpel commended the lyrical content and melody of the song, which he viewed as "gorgeous". For Atwood Magazine, Nicole Almeida cited the track as a "soothing song for the brokenhearted" and stated that it is "proof of [Finneas'] supreme supreme talent". Shaad D'Souza of Paper magazine stated that "Break My Heart Again" is a "traditional-sounding ballad", and complimented the "masterful production work" while opining that the listeners should "stay for the twists". ## Music video and promotion A music video for "Break My Heart Again" was uploaded to Finneas' YouTube channel on April 18, 2019. The video was directed by Sam Bennett and choreographed by Monika Felice Smith, while it was shot in one black and white take. In the visual, the camera revolves around Finneas as he sings, "So go ahead and break my heart again/Leave me wondering/why the hell I ever let you in/Are you the definition of insanity?/Or am I?/Oh, it must be nice/To love someone/Who lets you break them twice." The music video was positively received by critics upon its release. Smither described the visual as a "monochromatic canvas". Writing for Alternative Press, Alex Darus called the video a "heart-wrenching black and white video that really put us in our feels". In April 2020, Finneas "performed "Break My Heart Again" live during a 50-minute livestream for Verizon Communications. ## Certifications

Paper Hearts

"Paper Hearts" is the tenth episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series The X-Files. It premiered on the Fox network on December 15, 1996. It was written by Vince Gilligan, directed by Rob Bowman, and featured guest appearances by Tom Noonan, Rebecca Toolan and Vanessa Morley. The episode is a "Monster-of-the-Week" story, although it is tangentially connected to the series' wider mythology. "Paper Hearts" was viewed by 16.59 million people in its initial broadcast, and received positive reviews, with critics praising Noonan's guest role. 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. Mulder is a believer in the paranormal, and the skeptical Scully has been assigned to debunk his work. In this episode, Mulder and Scully find that a child killer (Tom Noonan) who Mulder had helped to apprehend several years earlier had claimed more victims than he had confessed to; the resulting investigation uncovers a possible link to the disappearance of Mulder's sister, Samantha. Gilligan came up with the concept for "Paper Hearts" when thinking about the series' longest running storyline, the abduction of Samantha Mulder; he came up with a story questioning whether Samantha had not been abducted by aliens, but was rather murdered by a child killer instead. "Paper Hearts" was written specifically with Tom Noonan in mind for the role of Roche, and was amongst the first television work the actor had done. ## Plot Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) dreams of a red light that leads him to the corpse of a young girl buried in a park in Manassas, Virginia. When he awakens, he heads to the park and finds the girl's skeleton. The girl was determined to have been murdered by John Lee Roche (Tom Noonan), a serial killer who murdered thirteen girls throughout the 1980s; his modus operandi included cutting a heart out of the clothes of each victim. Mulder had captured Roche by deducing that he committed the murders while traveling as a vacuum cleaner salesman. Roche's hearts were never found, although he confessed to all of the murders. Dana Scully's (Gillian Anderson) autopsy of the skeleton finds that the victim died in 1975, suggesting that Roche's killing spree started much earlier than the FBI had previously thought. The agents search Roche's old car, where they discover sixteen cut-out hearts. Mulder and Scully subsequently visit Roche in prison, hoping to learn the identities of the remaining two victims. Roche, however, tries to play mind games with Mulder. That night Mulder dreams of the night of Samantha's abduction, seemingly showing that his sister was abducted by Roche rather than aliens. The next day, Mulder asks Roche where he was the night Samantha was abducted. Roche claims he was on Martha's Vineyard and had sold a vacuum cleaner to Mulder's father. Mulder later finds the vacuum in his mother's house. After convincing Walter Skinner to grant them further access to Roche, the agents question the killer and are told the location of one of his remaining victims. He also claims exactly what happened the night of Samantha's abduction. An autopsy of the body reveals it does not belong to Samantha. Roche tells Mulder the final body is Samantha's, but says that he will only reveal where it is if Mulder takes him to the scene of her abduction. Mulder secretly releases Roche from prison and brings him to Martha's Vineyard. Upon arriving at his family's old summer house, Roche explains exactly what happened the night of Samantha's abduction. However, Mulder tells him that the house was bought by his father after Samantha's abduction, convincing him that Roche is not telling the truth. Mulder plans to bring Roche back to prison, but—following another dream about Samantha—awakens to find Roche gone, with his badge, gun, and phone stolen. Using Mulder's credentials, Roche kidnaps a girl in Swampscott, Massachusetts, whom he met on his flight with Mulder to Boston. Scully and Skinner arrive and the agents head to the site of Roche's old apartment in Revere. They find him with the girl in an abandoned bus nearby. Roche holds a gun on the girl and tells Mulder that he'll never know for sure whether the last victim is Samantha or not if he kills him. As Roche starts to pull the trigger, Mulder shoots him. In his office Mulder stares at the final cloth heart and puts it away, unsure of whether it belonged to Samantha or not. ## Production "Paper Hearts" was written specifically with Tom Noonan in mind for the role of Roche, and was amongst the first television work the actor had done. Noonan later recounted that "[the] crew really loves the show, and loves working on it... So it was really fun to do." Writer Vince Gilligan came up with the concept for the episode when thinking about the series' longest running storyline, the abduction of Samantha Mulder. Gilligan came up with a story questioning whether Samantha had not been abducted by aliens, but was rather murdered by a child killer instead. He decided to help convince Fox Mulder of this through a series of prophetic dreams. The laser lights in Mulder's dreams were influenced by Gilligan's experience with laser holograms while he was a film student. The laser was supposed to be the color blue, but was changed to red in production to reduce costs. Wanting to include some kind of fetish for the killer, Gilligan settled on having Roche cut heart-shaped fragments from his victim's clothing, thinking that having him mutilate his victims' bodies would be going too far. Guest actor Tom Noonan, who played the killer John Lee Roche, recalled filming the scene in which his character is introduced, playing basketball in prison. Noonan, a capable basketball player, was asked to "downplay" how well he could play; although he regretted not being able to play against David Duchovny, who had played basketball for Princeton University. Episode writer Vince Gilligan and director Rob Bowman assert that Duchovny's successful basketball shot in this scene was filmed in just one take, without special effects. While the episode was the eighth produced in the season, it was the tenth aired, having been delayed to free up production resources for the two part episodes "Tunguska" and "Terma". The episode's climactic scene was filmed in a "bus graveyard" in Surrey, British Columbia, a location which had been scouted months previously with the intention of eventually including it in an episode of the series; although filming at the location did not even last a full day despite the long wait to use it. ## Broadcast and reception "Paper Hearts" premiered on the Fox network on December 15, 1996, and was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on November 12, 1997. The episode's initial broadcast was viewed by approximately 16.59 million people, which represented 16% of the viewing audience during that time. Both Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny consider this among the best episodes of the fourth season. Composer Mark Snow was nominated for an Emmy Award for the music he produced for this episode. He said of the episode's music, "It was a different kind of texture for the show. Light, magic, nothing terribly threatening". Snow received many requests for a recording of the music used at the end of the episode. Website IGN named "Paper Hearts" their sixth favorite standalone episode of the show, calling it "creepy and unsettling", and claiming Noonan's character was "one of the most disturbing villains to make an appearance in the series". Noonan's acting has also been praised by Vince Gilligan, who says the "understated" manner in which Roche is portrayed "sends chills down [his] spine every time". The A.V. Club's Emily VanDerWerff reviewed the episode positively, rating it an A. She felt that Noonan's performance was "terrific", noting that the actor "makes Roche into one of the series' great human monsters"; and believed that the episode's premise was important to developing the character of Mulder further. The website later named the episode the sixth best example of a television dream sequence, noting that it "suggest[s] how this methodical man [Mulder] might puzzle over cold cases in his subconscious". The article also complimented the entry's metaphor that laser pointers were Mulder's mind that pointed "out bits of evidence his conscious brain missed all those many years ago." Starpulse named it the second best episode of the series.

Jacob Josefson

Swedish ice hockey player

Jacob Peter Josefson (born 2 March 1991) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey centre who last played for Djurgårdens IF of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). After Josefson began playing hockey at the age of five, he was acquired by Djurgården's youth organization at the age of ten, where he also began playing junior hockey in 2005. Josefson made his Elitserien debut on 28 February 2008, against Timrå IK, and became a regular member of Djurgården's senior team. His achievements in the Swedish Elitserien drew attention from NHL and he was selected in the first round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils, 20th overall. Josefson played with Djurgården for an additional season, before signing with the Devils in May 2010 and played for them until 2017 when he left for the Buffalo Sabres. Josefson has represented Sweden at four International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) sanctioned junior events, winning the silver medal at the 2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and the bronze medal at the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He also participated in the 2008 IIHF World U18 Championships, but only played three of Sweden's six games, and the 2009 IIHF World U18 Championships. ## Early life Josefson was born on 2 March 1991, in Stockholm, Sweden, to Annika and Peter Josefson. He is the youngest of three brothers. At the age of two, Josefson began skating and joined IK Göta at the age of five. His older brothers had played for the same club. He played with Hammarby IF for a year before he was acquired by Djurgårdens IF at the age of ten, playing for the 1991 team. He also played football until the age of 13, before deciding to focus entirely on hockey. Josefson attended high school at Vittra Gymnasium in Sweden while playing for Djurgården. ## Playing career ### Djurgårdens IF Josefson started to play junior hockey in 2005 for Djurgården's under-18 team. During the 2006–07 season, he helped Djurgården's under-16 team to win the Swedish championship. The 2007–08 season began with the national junior hockey tournament TV-pucken. Josefson's team Stockholm/Vit reached the final which ended with a 2–1 defeat to Småland. He made his Elitserien debut on 28 February 2008, against Timrå IK. This proved to be the only appearance Josefson would make in the Elitserien during the 2007–08 season. Josefson played for the J20-team during most of the season scoring 14 goals and 31 points. His team reached the playoffs, but were defeated by Brynäs IF in the semi-finals. After the loss, he joined the under-18 team during the playoffs where he helped the team defeat Färjestads BK to capture the Swedish championship. He signed a two-year contract with Djurgården in May 2008. The club's initial plan for Josefson was to move him up to the senior team when regular players were out of the lineup with illness or injuries, while his usual team would be the J20-team. He scored his first goal in Elitserien on 23 September in his third game, a 4–1 win against Brynäs IF. Ultimately, Josefson played almost every game of the regular season, and usually played along with Carl Gustafsson and Henrik Eriksson on the 4th line. At the end of the season, Josefson had scored 5 goals and 16 points, a record for players 18 or younger playing with the senior team. Josefson was ranked third in the midterm rankings among European skaters by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He was selected in the first round of the 2009 NHL draft by the New Jersey Devils, 20th overall. Josefson was also drafted in the third round, 61st overall, in the 2009 KHL Junior Draft by SKA Saint Petersburg. He participated at the Devils rookie camp in July 2009. He has been compared with centres Nicklas Bäckström and John Madden. At the beginning of the 2009–10 season, Djurgården participated in the Nordic Trophy pre-season tournament. In the second game, Josefson scored a hat trick and added two assists against the Malmö Redhawks. At the end of the group stage, Josefson was the scoring leader with five goals and seven points. He scored his first points for the regular season, three assists, in the Elitserien premiere away against HV71. Djurgården lost the game 7–6, but on 20 October, Josefson would get his revenge when he scored the game-winning goal in the 3–2 victory over HV71 20. This was also his first goal of the regular season. Josefson missed six Elitserien games due to the World Junior Hockey Championship, but was back in the roster against Timrå IK on 9 January. He recorded an assist against Rögle BK on 30 January, which was his 17th point of the season, putting him ahead of last season's total. At the end of the regular season, Josefson had scored 8 goals and 20 points in 43 games. The 2009–10 playoffs were Josefson's first Elitserien playoffs, and he played almost every game missing the first two semifinal games against Linköpings HC due to illness. Djurgården lost the finals 4–2 to HV71. Josefson re-signed with Djurgården for another year on 27 April. Despite this and an oral guarantee the club received from Josefson's agent Peter Wallén that Josefson would stay, Josefson signed with the New Jersey Devils on 14 May 2010. ### New Jersey Devils Josefson participated in the pre-season camp with the Devils in September, but was assigned to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Albany Devils after the camp. Josefson was called up to the Devils on 14 October 2010, and made his NHL debut the next day, in a 3–2 victory against Colorado Avalanche at the Prudential Center. Josefson was slashed on his left hand and later fell on the same hand during the game against San Jose Sharks on 27 October, this caused a ligament in his thumb to tear, and forced him to undergo surgery. At last, Josefson returned from his injury on 7 January 2011, when the Albany Devils played against the Charlotte Checkers. Josefson scored his first NHL goal against Al Montoya of the New York Islanders on 12 March 2011. The Devils failed to reach the playoffs and Josefson ended up with three goals and ten points in 28 regular season games. In the fifth game of the 2011–12 season, Josefson broke his right clavicle after crashing shoulder first into the boards. He underwent surgery the following day on 22 October 2011, and was expected to be sidelined for three or four months. On 3 April 2012 in a game against the Islanders, Josefson bumped awkwardly into Jay Pandolfo resulting in a broken left wrist. He returned to the lineup on 21 May 2012 in the fourth game of the Eastern Conference Finals against Rangers and played a total of six games in the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs, scoring one point. ### Buffalo Sabres After seven seasons within the Devils organization, Josefson left as a free agent and signed a one-year, \$700,000 contract with the Buffalo Sabres on 1 July 2017. In the 2017–18 season, Josefson was limited to just 39 games through various injuries to contribute with just 2 goals and 4 points for the bottom placed Sabres. ### Return to Djurgården Having played 8 successive seasons in the NHL amassing 315 games, Josefson as an impending free agent from the Sabres opted to return to his original club in Sweden, Djurgårdens IF, agreeing to a multi-year contract through 2022 on 27 April 2018. While struggling for the puck against Frölunda player Joel Lundqvist on 15 November, Josefson was cut by Lundqvist's skate which tore his urethra. Josefson missed 8 games due to his injury and he returned to play in a home game on 26 December against HV71. Josefson ended the 2018–19 season regular season with 12 goals and 35 points. He was awarded the Guldhjälmen as the most valuable player as decided by the players in the league. ## International play Josefson played in his first IIHF sanctioned tournament when he was part of Sweden's team at the 2008 IIHF World U18 Championships. He managed to score a hat-trick in the first game against Belarus. He left the team in the morning before the fourth game due to an accident in which his father and uncle had been exposed to carbon monoxide poisoning. He made his second appearance at the U18 Championship the following year, at the 2009 IIHF World U18 Championships, where he also took the role as alternate captain. He managed to score three goals and seven points in six games. Josefson was a part of Sweden's national junior team at the 2009 World Junior Championships. He played in all of Sweden's six games but did not score any points. A few months later he yet again played for Sweden in the U18 Championship but could not help his team go further than fifth place in the tournament. Josefson participated in the World Junior Championship for the second time when he was named for Team Sweden by head coach Pär Mårts for the 2010 World Junior Championships, along with fellow Djurgården teammates Daniel Brodin and Marcus Krüger. He scored his first goal of the tournament and the first goal of the game against Austria in the preliminary rounds. He scored two additional goals in Sweden's 7–1 victory over Finland in the last game of the preliminary rounds. Josefson, who also had three assists in the tournament, had six points in total. Josefson was named in the roster for the 2019 Karjala Tournament and played two games with no points scored. ## Career statistics ### Regular season and playoffs ### International

Aaron Rome

Canadian ice hockey player

Aaron Rome (born September 27, 1983) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He is currently serving as a skills coach with the Brandon Wheat Kings in the Western Hockey League (WHL). Rome was selected in the fourth round (104th overall) of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings. Unsigned by the Kings, he joined the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim organization in 2004, earning most of his playing time with their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliates. In 2007, he played one game with the Ducks during their Stanley Cup-winning playoff season. The following season, he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets, playing two seasons in the organization between the NHL and AHL. Becoming an unrestricted free agent in July 2009, he signed with the Vancouver Canucks and established himself as a regular in the team's lineup. He is perhaps best known during his minimal NHL experience for severely concussing Nathan Horton with a late hit in Game 3 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, sparking Boston's comeback and eventual championship. After three seasons with the Canucks he signed a three-year contract with the Dallas Stars as a free agent. After two seasons, playing in a combined 52 games, the Stars used a compliance buyout to terminate the final year of his contract. ## Playing career ### Junior Rome played junior hockey in the Western Hockey League (WHL) from 1999 to 2004. After debuting in one game for the Saskatoon Blades in 1998–99, he registered 6 assists over 47 games in the following season. During his rookie WHL season, he played alongside older brother Reagan Rome as defensive partners for a short span (Reagan played five games for Saskatoon in 1999–2000 before moving to the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League). Three games into the 2000–01 season, Rome moved from Saskatoon to the Kootenay Ice and finished the season with 2 goals and 10 points. Rome began the 2001–02 season with another new WHL team, the Swift Current Broncos. Playing in his third major junior season, he improved to 7 goals and 31 points. In the off-season, Rome was selected by the Los Angeles Kings, 104th overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. He was scouted as a stay-at-home defenceman with strong positioning and some offensive skills. Returning to Swift Current following his draft for the 2002–03 season, he recorded a junior career-high 12 goals and 56 points, ranking eighth among league defencemen in scoring. Late in the 2003–04 season, he was traded to his fourth WHL team, the Moose Jaw Warriors, where he joined his younger brother, Ashton Rome (also a defenceman). Between Swift Current and Moose Jaw, he scored a combined 10 goals and 52 points over 69 games. Ranking third among WHL defencemen in point-scoring, he was named to the WHL East Second All-Star Team. ### Anaheim Ducks Unsigned by the Kings two years after his NHL draft, he became a free agent in the 2004 off-season. On June 7, 2004, he was signed by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. He began his professional career with Anaheim's minor league affiliate, the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks of the American Hockey League (AHL) in 2004–05. During that season, he had a second opportunity to play with his brother, Reagan Rome, as the latter was called up from Cincinnati's ECHL affiliate, the Reading Royals, for two games. Playing 74 games in his rookie AHL season, he scored 2 goals and 16 points. He helped Cincinnati to the second round of the 2005 playoffs, adding 3 goals and 6 points over 12 post-season games. The following season, Anaheim's AHL affiliate was changed to the Portland Pirates and Rome began a two-and-a-half season stint with his new club. He improved to 24 points over 64 games in his second AHL season. During the 2006-07 season, Rome was called up to Anaheim and appeared in his first NHL game on January 2, 2007, a 2–1 loss against the Detroit Red Wings. Registering 14 minutes of ice time, he had a -1 plus-minus rating and took one shot on goal. Completing the season with Portland, he tallied 25 points, including an AHL career-high 8 goals. He was recalled once more for the Ducks' 2007 playoff run, appearing in one post-season game. The Ducks went on to win the Stanley Cup that year. As Rome did not play in the Stanley Cup Finals, he did not qualify to have his name engraved on the trophy. Anaheim did, however, award him a Stanley Cup ring, as well as the customary day spent with the trophy in the off-season. ### Columbus Blue Jackets After beginning the 2007–08 season with the Pirates, Rome was traded from the Ducks to the Columbus Blue Jackets, along with Clay Wilson, for Geoff Platt, on November 15, 2007. Rome was assigned to the Blue Jackets' AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, immediately following the trade. After appearing in 41 games with Syracuse, scoring 3 goals and 24 points, he was called up to Columbus on February 26, 2008. He scored his first NHL goal late in the season against goaltender Dominik Hašek, in a 3–2 loss against the Red Wings on April 3, 2008. After his first Blue Jackets training camp in September 2008, Rome was placed on waivers. After clearing, he was assigned to start the season with Syracuse. He remained with the Crunch until February 2009, when he was recalled by the Blue Jackets for the remainder of the 2008–09 season. He played eight games with the Blue Jackets, registering one assist. Over 48 games in the AHL, he notched 7 goals and 28 points. Rome remained with the Blue Jackets for the franchise's first playoff season in 2009, competing in one game. Columbus was eliminated in the first round by Detroit. ### Vancouver Canucks Rome became an unrestricted free agent in the subsequent off-season and was signed by the Vancouver Canucks on July 1, 2009, to a one-way, one-year contract worth \$550,000. He played the majority of the season with the Canucks, notching 4 assists in 49 games, while also appearing in 7 games with Vancouver's affiliate, the Manitoba Moose; he scored 6 goals and 7 points in the AHL. During a three-game stint with the Canucks that season, he played forward for the first time in his career. He appeared in one playoff game for the Canucks in 2010, missing nine games due to injury. In the off-season, Rome re-signed with Vancouver to a two-year, \$1.5 million contract. He scored for the first time as a Canuck on March 29, 2011, an empty netter in a 3–1 win against the Nashville Predators. It was his first goal in 109 games. Rome finished the 2010–11 season with an NHL career-high 56 games with a goal and four assists. In the 2011 playoffs, he scored his first NHL post-season goal against Antti Niemi of the San Jose Sharks in Game 2 of the third round – a 7–3 win. The following game, he was injured off a boarding hit from Sharks forward Jamie McGinn. Rome was sidelined from the rest of the game; McGinn received a five-minute penalty on the play, but did not receive further discipline from the league. In game three of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, Rome checked Bruin forward Nathan Horton to the ice with a late hit to the head. Horton sustained a severe concussion and was taken off the ice on a stretcher. Rome was ejected from the game after being assessed a five-minute major penalty for interference and a game misconduct. After a disciplinary hearing the next morning, Rome was assessed a four-game suspension and missed the remainder of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals. The NHL determined that Rome hit Horton over a second after Horton delivered a pass to a teammate. The NHL considered a hit to be late if it takes place more than half a second after a player loses possession. The Canucks were outscored 23–8 in the seven-game Stanley Cup Finals series loss to the Boston Bruins. Rome began the 2011–12 season sidelined after suffering a broken hand during training camp. He returned to the Canucks lineup in early-November after missing the first 14 games of the season. In his first four games back, Rome registered three goals and two assists, matching his points output from entire previous season. Later in the month, he missed three games with a thumb injury. ### Dallas Stars On July 1, 2012, Rome signed a three-year deal with an annual average salary of \$1.5 million with the Dallas Stars. He played 27 games with Dallas during the shortened 2012–13 NHL season, registering 5 assists and 18 penalty minutes. On October 14, 2013, Rome was activated from injured reserve and was assigned to the Texas Stars of the AHL for conditioning. During the 2013–14 season, Rome played 7 games in the AHL with the Texas Stars, and 25 games with the Dallas Stars, scoring no goals and just one assist with the NHL club. On June 16, 2014, Rome was placed on unconditional waivers by the Dallas Stars, and the following day (after he cleared waivers) Dallas confirmed their use of a compliance buyout, allowing the team to save salary cap space by removing the final year of his three-year, \$4.5 million contract, from the team's salary calculations. As a free agent, Rome was unable to secure an NHL contract, and instead accepted an invitation to attend the Detroit Red Wings training camp on a try-out for the 2014–15 season. At the completion of the Red Wings pre-season, Rome was released and later signed to a professional try-out contract with the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL on October 22, 2014. After two games with the Admirals, Rome was released from his try-out contract. ## Personal life Rome was born and raised in Nesbitt, Manitoba, a small community of fewer than 30 people. He was the third of four sons born to Dennis and Karen Rome. All four brothers played hockey and made it to the minor professional level; Rome is the only one to compete in the NHL. Ashton Rome is the only other brother to be drafted into the NHL, selected 143rd overall in 2006 by the San Jose Sharks, and has played in the ECHL and AHL. Eldest brother Ryan Rome competed in the United (UHL) and Central Hockey Leagues (CHL), while Reagan Rome has played in the ECHL, AHL and in Europe. Rome and his wife Adrianne have a son, Grayson and a daughter Logan.They spend their off-seasons in Brandon, Manitoba. ## Career statistics - Statistics taken from Aaron Rome's NHL profile ## Awards

Rüdiger Huzmann

German bishop

Rüdiger Huzmann (died 22 February 1090) was a German religious leader who served as the Roman Catholic Bishop of Speyer from 1075 to his death. He was born into an old Speyer family with Salian connections and before became a canon at Speyer Cathedral and head of the Speyer cathedral school. During the Investiture Controversy, he was a strong supporter of King Henry IV, who appointed Huzmann as Bishop of Speyer in 1075. After the 1076 Synod of Worms, Huzmann aided Henry in his efforts to depose Pope Gregory VII, who twice suspended and excommunicated Huzmann. Speyer thrived under the rule of Huzmann. In 1084, he welcomed a Jewish community who had left Mainz after a fire, granting them a protective charter which gave the community some business rights and some limited self-rule. The charter was confirmed by the emperor shortly before Huzmann's death. ## Life Not much is known about the early life of Huzmann, who is also known as Huozmann or Hutzmann. He came from an old Speyer family with connections to the Salians. Before , he became head of the Cathedral school in Speyer and as canon a dignitary of the cathedral chapter. The school had become renowned under Benno, who led it until 1048, and continued to be an important spiritual centre. Huzmann's predecessor as bishop of Speyer, Heinrich of Scharfenberg [de], who was called to the 1075 Synod of Lent in Rome, where he was suspended in absentia, died either on 29 December 1074 or on 26 February 1075. At the Synod, Pope Gregory VII outlawed the practice of bishops being chosen by anyone but the pope, deepening the Investiture Controversy. King Henry IV appointed Huzmann soon after, in April or May 1075. ## Role in the Investiture Controversy Huzmann strongly supported Henry IV in the Investiture Controversy. At the Synod of Worms on 24 January 1076, he was one of the signatories of Henry's letter attacking Pope Gregory VII, declaring the pope as deposed. Together with bishop Burchard of Basel, Huzmann travelled to Italy with the intent of delivering Henry's letter to the pope in Rome. In February 1076, they met with an assembly of Italian bishops in Piacenza, who also signed statements of disobedience against the pope. Instead of continuing to Rome, Burchard and Huzmann sent the letter with a messenger. On receipt of the letter, Pope Gregory excommunicated archbishop of Mainz Siegfried I and Henry IV and threatened all signatories with suspension, giving them until 1 August to justify their actions to Rome. Although this meant he would be excommunicated, Huzmann stayed loyal to the king. He stayed at Oppenheim with Henry while the supporters of Gregory, who were asking for the king to seek absolution and the revocation of his excommunication, met on the opposite side of the Rhine at Trebur. After lengthy negotiations, Henry had to dismiss the bishops and princes that had been loyal to him, including Huzmann, and the king stayed in Speyer before embarking on the Road to Canossa. Huzmann travelled to Rome, where Gregory absolved him, but he was imprisoned in a monastery for a while and remained suspended as bishop. He returned to Speyer in 1077 and was reinstated as bishop by Pope Gregory on 19 March 1078. When Gregory VII excommunicated Henry IV again at a synod at Lent 1080, Huzmann again supported the king, who decided with an assembly in Mainz to depose Gregory and to elect a new pope. Huzmann sent a letter to the bishops and princes of Lombardy, and soon after a synod in Brixen deposed Gregory. Wibert of Ravenna was nominated as Pope Clement III. Gregory reaffirmed the excommunication on Henry, which also extended to his supporters like Huzmann, in February 1081. However, this had little effect on Huzmann's standing in Speyer, as the city was loyal to him and to Henry, and he did not make any further attempts at reconciliation with Gregory. Huzmann was one of the negotiators for Henry during 1081 in the Great Saxon Revolt. In 1084, Clement III was consecrated as pope, and Henry IV was crowned Holy Roman Emperor. Gregory was forced to leave Rome and died in 1085. After Gregory's death, Henry was recognised as the legitimate king even in Saxony. Huzmann continued to be loyal to Henry, who met with him at Speyer in 1086, 1087 and 1090. ## Speyer under Huzmann Speyer flourished under Huzmann's rule. The Emperor supported Speyer Cathedral, which has several Salian dynasty tombs in its crypt, including Henry's parents and grandparents. In June 1075, Henry IV gave control of the Cyriakusstift Eschwege [de] convent to the Prince-Bishopric of Speyer and allowed the bishop to appoint the abbess. In addition to several other estates and abbeys, some of them in Saxony or Hesse, he also gifted two counties to the Prince-Bishopric, Lutramsforst and Forchheim. In 1084, a Jewish community was founded in Speyer. After a fire in Mainz, some of the Jewish inhabitants left that city, and Huzmann welcomed their arrival and issued a chartered letter of protection dated 13 September 1084. Huzmann intended to grow the economy and status of Speyer and built a wall around the new Jewish quarter in order to protect its inhabitants. He granted business rights and allowed the community to organise its own affairs, and declared the legal protections given by his charter as more generous than those found anywhere in Germany. In a Hebrew account from a 12th-century Speyer Jew, the bishop is praised and it is said, "he pitied us as a man pitied his son." The charter was affirmed by the emperor in 1090, who clarified and extended some of the privileges and added a firm protection against forced baptism. Huzmann died shortly after this, on 22 February 1090.

Hurricane Felix (1995)

Category 4 Atlantic hurricane in 1995

Hurricane Felix caused severe beach erosion along the East Coast of the United States in August 1995. The seventh tropical cyclone, sixth named storm, and third hurricane of the 1995 Atlantic hurricane season, Felix was also the strongest hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean since Category 5 Hurricane Andrew in 1992. It developed from a tropical wave in the eastern Atlantic Ocean on August 8, and slowly intensified, reaching hurricane status on August 11. Under favorable conditions, Felix began to rapidly deepen while curving northwestward. Late on August 12, Felix peaked as a low-end Category 4 hurricane. However, it soon weakened rapidly to a Category 1 hurricane. Less than three days later, Felix passed only 75 mi (120 km) southeast of Bermuda. Although it also posed a threat to the East Coast of the United States, Felix curved northward and then east-northeastward while remaining offshore, thereby avoiding landfall. Felix briefly threatened Bermuda again, but weakened to a tropical storm and turned back to the northeast on August 20. It accelerated east-northeastward, and passed a short distance offshore of Newfoundland, where Felix transitioned into an extratropical storm on August 22. Large waves in Puerto Rico caused minor coastal flooding in Cataño. Near-hurricane-force winds in Bermuda downed trees and power lines, which left 20,000 people without power. Rough surf on the island damaged a few boats and hotels. In addition, the passage of Felix postponed Bermuda's 1995 independence referendum. Large waves produced by the storm affected nearly the entire East Coast of the United States. In New York, two houses were washed away in The Hamptons, and two boats capsized in Maine. While passing southeast of Newfoundland, Felix produced moderate rainfall and large waves across the island, although damage was minimal. Overall, Felix caused nine deaths due to drowning along the coasts of Rhode Island, New Jersey, and North Carolina. The storm did approximately \$2.5 million (1995 USD) in damage on Bermuda, while rough seas produced about \$132,000 in losses along the United States coastline. ## Meteorological history A tropical wave exited the west coast of Africa on August 6, and quickly showed signs of a developing circulation. After an increase in convection, or thunderstorms, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) classified the system as Tropical Depression Seven at 0000 UTC on August 8, about 460 mi (740 km) west-southwest of the Cape Verde islands. With a strong ridge to the north, the nascent depression moved generally west-northwestward, and the combination of favorable upper-level conditions and warm sea surface temperatures allowed for gradual intensification. About 18 hours after the depression formed, the NHC upgraded it to Tropical Storm Felix. By August 9, the storm had developed a large area of convection with associated outflow. After continuing to slowly intensify, Felix became a hurricane early on August 11 about 575 mi (925 km) east of the Lesser Antilles. Soon after becoming a hurricane, Felix developed a well-defined eye as Hurricane Hunters began investigating the storm. Beginning at 1200 UTC on August 11, the hurricane began undergoing rapid deepening, and by the next day, concentric eyewalls were observed, indicative of a strong storm. On August 12, the Hurricane Hunters observed flight-level winds of 164 mph (264 km/h), suggesting peak surface winds of 140 mph (220 km/h). At that time, Felix was located north of the Lesser Antilles, moving to the north-northwest due to an approaching trough weakening the ridge. After peak winds, Felix weakened due to stronger wind shear and its eyewall replacement cycle. The eye became indistinct and opened on August 13, and it became a minimal hurricane by August 14 with a broad inner core. Late on August 14, Hurricane Felix turned more to the west-northwest, after the trough that previously brought it northward split into two pieces of energy, one moving southward and the other moving northeastward. On August 15, the hurricane passed about 75 mi (120 km) south of Bermuda, and a building ridge was anticipated to allow Felix to continue its trajectory toward North Carolina. Beginning on August 15, the NHC began forecasting that the hurricane would make landfall on the Outer Banks of North Carolina within two days. Early on August 16, the eye became better defined, although the feature diminished within a few hours, and the NHC was on the verge of downgrading Felix to tropical storm status. A break in the ridge allowed Felix to turn to the north, bringing it about 150 mi (250 km) east of the Outer Banks. An approaching trough turned the hurricane to a northeast drift, and there was initial uncertainty whether Felix would loop back to the west or recurve to the northeast. During this time, the system remained a minimal hurricane, maintaining a large eye about 60 to 80 miles (95 to 130 km) in diameter, but with weak convection due to cooler air. After the trough that turned Felix to the east-northeast bypassed it to the north, the hurricane turned to the southeast, executing a small loop while northwest of Bermuda. On August 20, Felix weakened below hurricane intensity for the first time in nine days, due to cooler waters and increased wind shear. By that time, the convection was removed from the center, and another trough brought the storm to the northeast. While passing east of Newfoundland on August 22, Felix became extratropical. The remnants continued to the northeast, eventually passing north of the United Kingdom on August 25. ## Preparations While Felix was near peak intensity on August 12, officials in Bermuda issued a hurricane watch for the island. A tropical storm warning was added the next day, which was upgraded to a hurricane warning on August 14. The warnings were downgraded to a tropical storm warning and later discontinued after the hurricane bypassed the island. A tropical storm watch was later issued for Bermuda on August 19 late in Felix's duration when it was drifting offshore the eastern United States. The threat of the storm caused flights to be canceled to and from the island. Initial forecasts predicted a landfall on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, with winds of 100 mph (160 km/h); however, these forecasts were made with great uncertainty. While Felix was still near Bermuda on August 15, the NHC issued hurricane warnings for the eastern United States from Little River, South Carolina to Chincoteague, Virginia and including the Pamlico Sound, Albemarle Sound, and southern portions of the Chesapeake Bay. Tropical storm warnings were also issued from Chincoteague to near Manasquan, New Jersey, including the Chesapeake and Delaware bays. The watches and warnings remained in place until August 18. Despite the lack of landfall, the NHC deemed the watches and warnings as appropriate due to the projected track. The threat of the storm caused officials to issue evacuation orders for the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and about 200,000 people left the island chain, including 125,000 in Dare County. Evacuation orders were dropped and shelters were closed as the storm moved away. The loss of tourism revenue was estimated at \$1.2 million in Currituck County alone, and the loss of revenue for businesses in the Outer Banks was estimated at \$4 million (1995 USD) per day during the evacuations. Some people in Virginia Beach, Virginia also evacuated voluntarily. The storm delayed a search for the remains of the Civil War steamship USS Monitor off the coast of North Carolina. The United States Navy moved ships from Norfolk Naval Base to open waters to prevent damage along the docks from the high waves. Then-Virginia governor George Allen declared a state of emergency due to the threat from the hurricane. ## Impact Though Felix did not make landfall, its large circulation created large swells across much of the western Atlantic Ocean. In Puerto Rico, 8 to 12 ft (2.4 to 3.7 m) waves caused minor coastal flooding in Cataño. While passing south of Bermuda, Felix produced sustained winds of 63 mph (102 km/h) with gusts to 80 mph (129 km/h). The winds were strong enough to knock down trees and leave 20,000 people without power, although most outages were quickly restored. Television service was also interrupted. The storm also destroyed a few fishing boats and damaged hotels along the island's southern shore, where prolonged high surf caused considerable beach erosion. The Causeway connecting St. David's Island with the mainland sustained some damage, contributing to an estimated \$2.5 million in losses on Bermuda. The hurricane's passage postponed the scheduled vote for Bermuda's independence. While offshore the eastern United States, Hurricane Felix generated strong waves and rip currents that caused widespread coastal flooding and beach erosion, reaching as far south as Georgia and as far north as Maine. In North Carolina, high waves flooded high waves covered North Carolina Highway 12 during high tides, and three people were killed. Felix passed close enough to the state to produce wind gusts of 43 mph (68 mph) in Buxton, which caused minor property damage, estimated at \$57,000 (1995 USD). In some portions of North Carolina, the storm increased beaches due to the displacement of sand, including Long Beach which grew by 5 ft (1.5 m). Beaches along the Outer Banks and Virginia were closed for several days, and about 200 people required rescue in New Hanover County, North Carolina. The Wakefield, Virginia National Weather Service likened the storm's effects to "a strong nor'easter", with little damage in southeastern Virginia. In the months after the storm, beach nourishment occurred along the Outer Banks to repair the eroded coastlines, while in Virginia Beach. The onshore flow from the hurricane disrupted a heat wave in Delaware and Maryland, while the rough surf caused beach erosion and beach closures. Several people were injured in New Jersey by the rough surf, and over 150 people required rescue in Cape May. Waves of 10 ft (3.0 m) in Atlantic City forced beaches to close for the first time since Hurricane Gloria in 1985, and beaches were closed across the region for about five days. There was minor tidal flooding in the state due to astronomically low tides, although extensive beach erosion occurred after a week of strong waves; in Ocean City, the storm eroded about 240 ft (73 m) of beaches, leaving behind 10 ft (3.0 m) cliffs. Five people drowned in the state due to rough surf. While still offshore, Felix produced wind gusts of 36 mph (57 km/h) in Atlantic City. On Fire Island in New York, the waves washed away two houses. In Rhode Island, 6 to 10 ft (1.8 to 3.0 m) waves overturned a boat along the Sakonnet River, killing one passenger. Along Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, waves reached 15 ft (4.6 m), and several beaches were closed across the state. In Maine on Bailey Island, a woman required rescue after being swept away by a wave, who became hypothermic and injured due to cuts. Two lobster boats sank in the state, with one occupant requiring rescue and the other swimming ashore. Damage to the boats totaled \$75,000 (1995 USD). As Hurricane Felix was looping offshore the eastern United States, it produced swells of 26 ft (8 m) along the Nova Scotia coast on an otherwise sunny day. Beaches were closed. Buoys near the Newfoundland coast recorded wave heights of 49 ft (15 m), while buoys farther offshore reported wave heights of 82 ft (27.5 m). The outer rainbands of the storm dropped light rainfall, peaking at around 3.43 mm (87 mm) in northern Newfoundland. Offshore Caithness in Scotland, waves from the remnants of Felix submerged an experimental wave power station, damaging it further after previous waves damaged the system. ## See also - Other storms of the same name - List of Bermuda hurricanes - List of North Carolina hurricanes (1980–1999) - List of New Jersey hurricanes - Hurricane Edouard (1996) - similar hurricane the following year that threatened the eastern United States, but remained offshore - Hurricane Jose (2017)

Shawna Robinson

American stock car racing driver

Shawna Robinson (born November 30, 1964) is an American retired professional stock car racing driver. She was a competitor in all three of NASCAR's national touring series, as well as the ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series and the Charlotte/Daytona Dash Series. Robinson is one of 16 women to participate in the NASCAR Cup Series, and one of three females to race in the sports' premier event, the Daytona 500. Robinson started competing in her childhood and, after graduating from high school in 1983, she began racing in semi-tractors. She achieved early success with 30 victories, and moved into the GATR Truck Series becoming the championship's rookie of the year for 1984. Four years later, Robinson started competing in stock car racing where she became the first woman to win a top-level NASCAR-sanctioned race that same year, finishing a career-high third place in the points standings. The following season, Robinson won two races and battled for the Charlotte/Daytona Dash Series championship in which she finished third overall. She was twice voted the Charlotte/Daytona Dash Series Most Popular Driver. She moved to the NASCAR Busch Series in 1991 where she struggled to perform well but achieved one pole position in 1994. Robinson left a year later to start a family and began an interior decorating business. In 1999, she returned to active competition in the ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series where she ran strongly, and finished sixth in the series championship standings the following year. Robinson returned to NASCAR in 2001, and made her debut in the Winston Cup Series but was unable to compete successfully. She retired from racing four years later to focus on her family and concentrate on running her interior design and furniture business. ## Biography ### Early life and career Robinson was born on November 30, 1964 in Des Moines, Iowa. Her legal name is Eileen "Shawna" Jade, but she went by Shawna on the racetrack. She is the youngest of five children of former race car driver Richard "Lefty" Robinson, an amateur diesel truck racer who worked on cars in his home garage and promoted races in the Midwestern United States, and his wife Lois who competed in auto racing before she flipped a car, and was asked by Lefty to stop racing. She grew up in a poor family. Lefty and Lois were also known for innovative ways of entertaining crowds at stock car races which garnered national recognition. Robinson was inspired by race car drivers A. J. Foyt, Sammy Swindell, and Steve Kinser in her teenage years, and found inspiration in woman driver Janet Guthrie by her early twenties, as she had more interest in NASCAR than open-wheel racing. She and her siblings were taught that they were allowed to do anything they wished and drove minibikes, motorcycles, and snowmobiles. After graduating from Saydel High School in 1983, Robinson spent the summer deciding on her career path as she worked as a department store cashier. She went with her father to help him promote local races. Robinson persuaded him to let her compete in racing, and started off at Toledo Speedway driving a 1976 International semi-tractor. She participated in a five-lap sprint race where she finished second after leading for four laps, and took third position in the feature event. After this Robinson began racing full-time, and won 30 feature races before moving to the super-speedway division in April 1984; she faced early resentment from her male competitors. In the same year, Robinson moved from Iowa to Pennsylvania. Lefty believed Robinson's presence helped to increase fans' interest. Robinson's father acted as her mentor although her mother was against her racing because she felt she would be hurt in a crash. In the same year, she became the first woman to win a Great American Truck Racing (GATR) Truck Series points-scoring race on a superspeedway when she won the Milwaukee Mile Bobtail 100 at Milwaukee Mile. Robinson was sponsored by her father for the remainder of the season after achieving her first race victory. She was voted the 1984 GATR Rookie of the Year. Robinson went to France to compete in the Paul Ricard Grand Prix Truck Race the following year, and took second in the 1986 Grand Prix of Trucks held in Mexico City. Robinson was victorious in the GATR Big Rig race at Flemington Speedway in 1987. ### NASCAR and ARCA #### 1980s Robinson began competing in the Charlotte/Daytona Dash Series in the spring of 1988. She garnered the attention of the Global Marketing Sports Group owned by Pat Patterson who found her a race seat with car owner David Watson, and drove a Pontiac Sunbird. That same year, she moved to Charlotte, North Carolina because the city is the center for stock car racing. Robinson started the season with a third-place finish in the Charlotte/Daytona Dash Series Florida 200 at Daytona International Speedway. She became the first woman to win a top-level NASCAR Touring Series race with a victory in the AC Delco 100 at Asheville-Weaverville Speedway on June 10, 1988 after starting from 13th position and taking the lead seven laps before the finish. She finished third in the Drivers' Championship, and was awarded the series' Rookie of the Year accolade as the highest-placed first season driver. Robinson was also voted by her fellow competitors the Charlotte/Daytona Dash Series Most Popular Driver at the series' awards banquet held in Charlotte. In the following year, she continued her success by clinching the first pole position by a woman driver in NASCAR at I-95 Speedway. Robinson later started first and won the Dash Series race at Myrtle Beach Speedway; earlier in the year she took the victory at the Lanier National Speedway event and clinched two more pole positions during the season. It wouldn't be another 29 years until another female driver won a major NASCAR touring race. Heading into the season's final race at Langley Speedway, Robinson stood third, 86 points behind championship leader Gary Wade Finley. She need to secure victory if Finley finished last, and her other rival Larry Caudill took seventh, to win the series championship. Robinson secured fourth position in the race, and took third in the points standings. Robinson retained the Charlotte/Daytona Dash Series Most Popular Driver award. She participated in all 30 Charlotte/Daytona Dash Series events held between 1988 and 1989, and achieved 21 top-ten finishes. That same year, Robinson was one of eight professional women athletes nominated by the Women's Sports Foundation for the Sportswoman of the Year Award. #### 1990s Robinson started competing in the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series in 1991, driving the No. 77 Huffman Racing Buick. At the time, the Busch Grand National Series was considered NASCAR's feeder circuit, a proving ground for drivers who wished to step up to the organization's premiere circuit, the Winston Cup. Early on, she ran sponsor-less because no one provided funding for her. Robinson qualified 26th fastest and finished 15th at her first Busch Series race, which took place at Orange County Speedway. Later that year, she finished 21st at Motor Mile Speedway, and 18th at the season's second race held at Orange County Speedway. The final race Robinson qualified for was at Charlotte Motor Speedway driving the No. 49 Ferree Racing car, where she finished 41st after an accident. Robinson failed to qualify for the race at Martinsville Speedway. She finished 54th in the Busch Series points standings. In the 1992 Busch Series, Robinson moved to Silver Racing, driving the No. 21 Oldsmobile. Robinson began the season with a 34th-place finish in the Goody's 300, and was involved in an accident after completing 67 laps. Before the Champion 300, Robinson moved to the Pharo Racing No. 33 car after she was released by Silver Racing, and later moved to the No. 25 vehicle owned by Laughlin Racing. Although she struggled during her rookie season, she performed well in July and August, where she finished eleventh (her best of the season) in the Firecracker 200 at Volusia County Speedway, and she equaled the result at Michigan International Speedway. Robinson finished 38th in the final Busch Series championship standings, and was second in the NASCAR Busch Series Rookie of the Year behind Ricky Craven despite her abbreviated schedule. Robinson went to the No. 35 Chevrolet for Laughlin Racing for the 1993 Busch Series, and drove in twenty-four races. At the season-opening Goody's 300, she retired after 71 laps due to a blown engine; her team also changed manufacturers during the season from Oldsmobile to Pontiac. She took her best finish of the season with an eleventh-place result in the Kroger 200 at Indianapolis Raceway Park. She did not qualify for four races in the 1993 season. Robinson finished the year 23rd in the final points standings, the highest of her Busch Series career. She made her first start in the Busch North Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway where she qualified, but finished in 34th position after her engine failed. Robinson returned to Ferree Racing to drive the No. 46 Chevrolet for the 1994 Busch Series season. At the season's second race (at Rockingham Speedway), she started second but finished 36th after being involved in a crash. Two races later, Robinson won her first career pole position (and the first for a woman in the Busch Series) in the Busch Light 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. On the race's first lap, she battled with Joe Nemechek and Mike Wallace through the track's third turn when Wallace collided with Robinson which sent her into Nemechek. Robinson continued with heavy damage to the front-end of her car, but retired after completing 63 laps with radiator damage. She attempted to qualify for the Busch North Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway but did not record a fast enough lap time to start the race. Robinson achieved her first top-ten finish in the Busch Series later in the season with a tenth-place result in the Fay's 150 at Watkins Glen. However, she was released from the team shortly afterward due to a loss of sponsorship, and ended the year 47th overall. Robinson took time off to rebuild her psyche and self-confidence, and worked on interior decorating as a hobby. She married engine builder Jeff Clark in November 1994. She went to drive the No. 99 Ford Thunderbird, owned by the poorly-funded Colburn Racing team for the 1995 season, and planned to run five races in the Winston Cup Series along with a full season in the Busch Series. Robinson attempted to enter the Daytona 500, but failed to qualify after finishing 26th in the first Gatorade Twin 125s event. Robinson secured two top-20 finishes in the Busch Series in the team's No. 36 car, but retired from racing after four events to start a family with her husband Jeff Clark. She declined an offer to test at Daytona International Speedway while in the early stages of pregnancy. She said of her decision to have children: "Racing is part of who I am, If I became a different person because I had kids, then the kids were not going to know who I was my whole life before them." Shortly before the birth of her two children, Robinson started her interior-decorating business from her home, and painted murals for homes and businesses. Robinson returned to racing in 1999 in the ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series with car owner James Finch. At her debut race in the FirstPlus Financial 200 at Daytona International Speedway, she took a second-place finish, the best for a woman driver in the championship. Afterward, Robinson moved into a car owned by Winston Cup Series driver Jeremy Mayfield, and finished fourth at Lowe's Motor Speedway. She qualified in eighth place at the final race of her year in Talladega Superspeedway but was involved in a crash after completing 66 laps and retired from the event. Robinson clinched the season's highest finishing rookie award. #### 2000s Following her results in the previous year, Kranefuss-Haas Racing owner Michael Kranefuss was interested in Robinson having seen her compete at Daytona. He consulted with other drivers and received positive feedback about her. Hence, Kranefuss and Mayfield elected to give her a full-time seat for the 2000 season. She became the first woman to compete full-time in an American national stock car racing series. During the season, Robinson took top-ten finishes in half the races she entered, and competed alongside the series' points leaders. She reclaimed the series' highest finishing rookie award. Robinson surpassed the previous track record at Michigan International Speedway where she clinched her first pole position in the series. On the race's 82nd lap, she crashed after leaving the track's second turn, and was hospitalized with two broken ribs and an injured right scapula. Robinson was later released to continue racing. Robinson became the first woman to lead at least one lap in the ARCA Series at Toledo Speedway that same year. She came close to winning her first ARCA race at the final round of the season, the Georgia Boot 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, having led a race-high 66 laps, but was overtaken by Bob Strait with three laps to go. Robinson finished sixth in the Drivers' Championship standings, making her the first woman to finish within the top-six final standings in an American national oval track motor sports series. In 2001, Robinson returned to NASCAR to drive the No. 99 Michael Waltrip Racing car for three races in the Busch Series with the objective of obtaining a season-long drive in 2002. The seat materialized when she met Tim Butler and Ken Butler of Aaron's at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the fall of 2000. She later received a phone call from team owner/driver Michael Waltrip who arranged a three-race agreement, but did not reply because she was under contract with Kranefuss. Bobby Kennedy acted as Robinson's crew chief. In her three races, she achieved one top-20 finish but did not finish the first two events having been involved in crashes. She continued a strong run in ARCA Series with two top-ten finishes in the season's first two races. She later made her debut in the Winston Cup Series in the No. 84 Michael Kranefuss Racing Ford Taurus, and planned to run six races. The events were chosen because they were at tracks where Robinson felt comfortable, located in large markets where they would receive more attention. Her schedule was devised to allow Robinson time to test. She planned to race at Talladega Superspeedway but decided against it because of the rules regarding restrictor plate racing. Robinson failed to qualify for the first race she attempted (at California Speedway) when her car's rear-end gearing detached causing her to collide with the wall. Four races later, she started from 32nd at Michigan International Speedway, and became the first woman to start a NASCAR Cup Series race since Patty Moise in 1989. Robinson finished 34th after spinning her car in the track's second turn but avoided damage. After she failed to qualify for her next two races, she was unable to complete her schedule due to sponsorship issues. Robinson stated that she used the season as motivation; she hoped to be driving consistently in five years, and wanted to be a spokesperson for women. She moved to BAM Racing in October 2001 and drove her sole race in the NASCAR Winston West Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway that same month. Robinson was sent to a driving school to familiarize herself with the track, and Kranefuss granted her permission to race. She retired due to a car failure while running in third position. Team owner Tony Morgenthau first noticed Robinson at an ARCA race at Pocono Raceway the previous year when she made contact with his driver Matty Mullins who was sent into the wall. He had been impressed with her pace at Las Vegas, and asked Robinson afterward why she had not competed in more events. He later offered her a multi-year contract which she signed in December 2001. Her crew chief was former Busch Series driver Eddie Sharp. She attempted to qualify for 24-races during the 2002 season since her team had no owner points because they were a new operation. Robinson went to Kranefuss to terminate her contract with his team. She ran for Rookie of the Year, but was seen by the Chicago Tribune as having little chance of securing the honor. At the season-opening Daytona 500, Robinson qualified in 36th place making her the second woman to start the race; she finished 24th despite spinning into the track's infield, and avoided a pit road collision with Bobby Labonte. After the event, Sharp left BAM Racing, and car chief Teddy Brown became Robinson's new crew chief. She struggled during her rookie season, and was unable to attend most races due to sponsorship issues along with her team hiring new drivers which limited her on track experience. Her rival competitors said it was due to Robinson driving an noncompetitive car rather than her driving skill. Robinson made no further appearances for BAM Racing after the Pepsi 400, and was later released by the team. She ended the season 52nd in the Drivers' Championship, and was fourth in the Rookie of the Year standings. Outside racing, Robinson spoke for Women in Sports, and attended meetings of several associations and business groups while taking the time to be with her children. She separated from Jeff Clark in early 2002, but both remained on good terms. Robinson moved to the Craftsman Truck Series in 2003, driving the No. 49 Mike Starr Racing Chevrolet Silverado for three races, with a pit crew consisting entirely of women. At her first race at Texas Motor Speedway, she finished 18th after incurring two race penalties which put her five laps behind race winner Brendan Gaughan. Robinson followed it up with consecutive 29th-place finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway but failed to finish both events, and finished the year 72nd overall. She returned to ARCA in the same year, and drove in the season's first two races. Robinson failed to finish at Daytona International Speedway due to an engine failure, and took an 11th-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Robinson competed in the annual ten-lap Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race in Long Beach, California as one of five drivers in the "Pro" category. She finished seventh overall and fourth in her class. Robinson drove in two Iowa State Fair dirt races in August 2003. Midway through 2004, she entered one race in the Busch Series (the Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway) for Stanton Barrett Motorsports in its No. 91 Pontiac after team owner Stanton Barrett made a phone call to Robinson regarding a deal which she accepted. She failed to qualify for the event. Robinson left auto racing at the end of 2005 after poor performances driving six races for the No. 23 Keith Coleman Racing team in the Busch Series, and vowed that if she returned, she would do it by herself. She refused to be labelled as either a "start and park" or a "gimmick" driver because she was a woman. She dealt with successive crew chiefs and team owners who collaborated against her to give her poor results, and was labelled as "emotionally unstable" when she attempted to stop sexism towards her. Robinson is one of 16 women to have participated in the NASCAR Cup Series, and one of three to have driven in the series' premier event, the Daytona 500. ### Post-racing career Robinson focused on her family full-time, and continued to concentrate on her interior design business. Several of her clients came from the NASCAR community. She also started a company called Happy Chairs in the Matthews area of Charlotte where she creates her own furniture and redesigns old chairs. It came after Robinson looked for furnishings in a national furniture chain store and discovered a display chair that she liked. She begins the process of renovating old chairs by searching for those that are in poor condition but are structurally intact and are architecturally appealing. Robinson dismantles the chair and starts reconstructing it. Her work has received critical acclaim from online magazines and customers. Robinson names designer Trina Turk and several clothing companies as her influences. She applied to participate in the CBS reality competition show The Amazing Race 16 with NASCAR Truck Series driver Jennifer Jo Cobb as her teammate but both were cut from the program. Robinson was invited to donate memorabilia to the NASCAR Hall of Fame but did not send anything because of her commitment to The Amazing Race 16 audition. She was involved with the planning and decorating for Kelley Earnhardt Miller's marriage in 2011. In March 2014, Robinson was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer, which she was told had also spread to her lymph nodes. She underwent treatment with chemotherapy and radiation therapy, causing the removal of 18 lymph nodes and a lump in her breast. Robinson was cared for by her mother-in-law for seven months. Her friends ran her businesses on her behalf. Earnhardt Miller along with Dale Earnhardt Jr., ran fundraising events to help Robinson pay her medical bills. She later entered remission, and completed her final radiation treatment in September 2015. ## Legacy Robinson has been described as "a competent racer" by fellow drivers. As a woman race car driver, Robinson was a pioneer in NASCAR racing, an industry that is predominantly male, and she established a precedent that allowed others like Danica Patrick to follow. She was honored for her auto racing career with a resolution adopted by the Iowa Senate in March 2002. In an interview for Sports Illustrated for Women in 2002, Robinson stated that she was an athlete who wanted to compete and win: "Whatever car I'm in, whatever series I'm running, whatever track I'm racing—I want people to know Shawna Robinson was there." Robinson felt she carried on the work of Janet Guthrie in "opening doors for a lot of women" in auto racing and other male-dominated sports. Joe Dan Bailey, who worked alongside seven-time Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt, stated Robinson had similar qualities to Earnhardt including how to improve the feel of her car and how it behaved. In an interview with USA Weekend in 2002, Robinson stated that her success was down to an intensive training regime which allowed her to maintain her focus. She noted in 1993 that individuals searched more for her weaknesses rather than strengths, and that there was more pressure placed upon her because of her gender. Robinson stated that she did not try to overpower her male rivals and her career was not "a crusade for feminism". Although Robinson holds a number of "firsts" for women in American motorsports, she said that they do not hold a large significance for her. ## Motorsports career results ### NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. \* – Most laps led. Small number denotes finishing position) #### Winston Cup Series ##### Daytona 500 results #### Busch Series #### Craftsman Truck Series #### Busch North Series #### Winston West Series ### ARCA Re/Max Series (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. \* – Most laps led.) ## See also - List of female NASCAR drivers

Canarsie, Brooklyn

Neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City

Canarsie (/kəˈnɑːrsi/ kə-NAR-see) is a mostly residential neighborhood in the southeastern portion of Brooklyn, New York City. Canarsie is bordered on the east by Fresh Creek Basin and East 108th Street; on the north by Linden Boulevard; on the west by Ralph Avenue; on the southwest by Paerdegat Basin; and on the south by Jamaica Bay. It is adjacent to the neighborhoods of East Flatbush to the west, Flatlands and Bergen Beach to the southwest, Starrett City to the east, East New York to the northeast, and Brownsville to the north. The area near Canarsie was originally settled by the Canarse Native Americans. The community's name is adapted from a Lenape word meaning "fenced area". After European settlement, Canarsie was initially a fishing community, but became a popular summer resort in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. By the late 1930s and early 1940, the resorts had been destroyed, and Canarsie was developed as a largely Italian American and Jewish suburb. In the 1970s, racial tensions developed around an argument over the zoning of the area's schools, and in the aftermath, Canarsie became a mainly black neighborhood with a high West Indian population in the late 1990s. Canarsie is part of Brooklyn Community District 18 and its primary ZIP Code is 11236. It is patrolled by the 69th Precinct of the New York City Police Department. Fire services are provided by the New York City Fire Department's Engine Co. 257/Ladder Co. 170/Battalion 58. Politically it is represented by the New York City Council's 42nd and 46th Districts. ## Etymology "Canarsie" is an adaptation to English phonology of a word in the Lenape language for "fenced land" or "fort". Europeans would often refer to the indigenous people living in an area by the local place-name, though it is unclear whether the "Canarsie" name originally referred to their entire ancestral land, or whether it merely referred to a single "fenced village". References may be found in contemporary documents to "Canarsie Indians" (alternatively "Canarsee"). Their name has also been transcribed as "Connarie See" (a name for Jamaica Bay), "Conorasset", "Canarisse", "Canaryssen", "Canause", "Canarisea", and "Kanarsingh". The village itself was referred to as "Keskachauge" or "Kestateuw", alternatively transcribed as "Castateuw". After European settlement, the area became variously known as "Flatlands Neck", "Vischers Hook", and "Great Neck". "By way of Canarsie" became a mid-twentieth century American English figure of speech meaning "to come to one's destination by a roundabout way or from a distant point." The expression has dropped from modern common parlance. Canarsie was described as "the butt of vaudeville jokes" in the 1939 WPA Guide to New York City. A New York Times article in 1955 characterized Canarsie as a former "lame vaudeville gag". By the 2010s, "The Flossy" was also being used as a local nickname for Canarsie. ## Geography Canarsie is bordered on the east by Fresh Creek Basin and either East 108 Street or Williams Avenue; on the north by either Linden Boulevard or the Bay Ridge Branch; on the west by Ralph Avenue; on the southwest by Paerdegat Basin; and on the southeast by Belt Parkway and Jamaica Bay. It is adjacent to the neighborhoods of East Flatbush on the northwest, Flatlands on the west, Bergen Beach on the southwest, Brownsville on the north, and Spring Creek on the northeast. Prior to European settlement, Canarsie featured the only large swath of uplands along the Jamaica Bay coast within the town of Flatlands. The islands in the bay, such as Bergen, Mill, and Barren islands, mostly featured marshy land with small pieces of uplands. In the 19th century, a few ports along the coast were built for limited industrial use. The coast was more significantly modified in the early 20th century, when more than 1 mile (1.6 km) of shoreline was filled in with a bulkhead. ## History ### Early history The coastal lands around Jamaica Bay, including present-day Canarsie, were originally settled by the Canarsie Indians. The present-day neighborhood of Canarsie was one of the Canarsie tribe's main villages. They probably lived near the intersection of present-day Seaview and Remsen Avenues. Cornfields grew from the shore to as far inland as Avenue J, and were centered around East 92nd Street. The Canarsie Indians grew cornfields on three flats within the area. As late as the 1930s, "immense shell heaps" could be found at the site. These shells might have served as planting fields. In 1624, the Dutch Republic incorporated much of the current New York City area into the colony of New Netherland. In 1636, as the Dutch was expanding outward from present-day Manhattan, Dutch settlers founded the town of Achtervelt (later Amersfoort, then Flatlands) and purchased 15,000 acres (6,100 ha) around Jamaica Bay. Amersfoort was centered around the present-day intersection of Flatbush Avenue and Flatlands Avenue. Canarsie Indian leaders such as Penhawitz had signed three land agreements with Dutch settlers between 1636 and 1667, handing ownership of much of their historic land to the Dutch. Many of the tribe's members started moving away, and Dutch settlers rented the cornfields that had formerly belonged to the Indians. Much of the remaining land was located in the present-day neighborhood of Canarsie. The first European settler in the area was Pieter Claesen Wyckoff, a former indentured servant who built a house in Flatlands circa 1652. Wyckoff's house still stands along Clarendon Road, and it is believed to be the oldest structure in New York State. In 1660, present-day Canarsie Point was given the name Vischers Hook ("fishers' hook"). The name referred to Hoorn, a Dutch fisherman who had built a house at that location. At the time, a group of islands extended into Jamaica Bay south of Canarsie, up to and including Barren Island. The Indians still managed the land at Canarsie until the English took over New Amsterdam. In 1665, Canarsie Indians signed a land agreement that gave total ownership of almost all their land to the Dutch. By the time the land agreement was signed, only three Native American families remained in the area. In 1670, Daniel Denton, a co-founder of the nearby town of Jamaica, wrote: "It is to be admired how strangely they have decreast by the Hand of God [...] for since my time, when there were six towns, they are reduced to two small villages." Through 1684, the Dutch and the Native Americans had signed twenty-two deeds regarding the sale of different plots of land in Flatlands. By the beginning of the 18th century, the only Canarsie Indians living in the New York City area were a few small groups in the town of Canarsie, as well as at Gerritsen Beach and Staten Island. At this time, their ancestral land in Canarsie had been fragmented and sold off to different settlers. Some plots were subsequently merged to create large plantation-style farms. An observer noted in 1832 that "the Canarsie Indians are at this time totally extinct; not a single member of that ill-fated race is in existence". However, a few members still remained, albeit via mixed lineage. Joel Skidmore, the last member of the tribe through his mother's side, was a tax collector from the town of Flatlands who lived in Canarsie until he died in 1907. The towns of Flatbush and Flatlands laid competing claims to the western shore of Fresh Creek, within present-day Canarsie. A 1685 confirmation of Flatlands' boundaries did not recognize this small patch of land; instead, this land was classified as part of New Lots, then a subdivision of Flatbush. This dispute continued into the 19th century, as seen by maps from 1797 and 1873. Through this time, Canarsie remained sparsely populated. In an 1852 map, Jeremiah Schenck and James Schenck were listed as the only two landowners at Canarsie Point. They each owned 50 acres (20 ha) of land. The only road in the area was what would later be Rockaway Parkway. The only way to Canarsie was by taking a train to Jamaica and transferring to a stagecoach, where passengers would endure a "long and uncomfortable ride" through the marshy woodlands that the road winded through. ### Seaside resort The Brooklyn and Rockaway Beach Railroad, which opened on October 21, 1865, offered train service from the Long Island Rail Road at the East New York station to a pier at Canarsie Landing, very close to the current junction of Rockaway Parkway and the Belt Parkway. The railroad built a pier extending into Jamaica Bay, which was used for lumber deliveries and was later enlarged. Less than a year later, in summer 1866, the railroad started operating a ferry to Rockaway Beach, marking the start of the area's transformation into a summer beach resort. That year, there were ten daily round trips along the Canarsie railroad, but only three on the Rockaway ferry, so vacationers traveling to the Rockaways via the railroad and ferry would often stay on Canarsie Landing for a few hours. Railroad service was increased in 1867, with trains running every hour on weekdays and every half hour on Sundays; the railroad handled 122,567 passengers that year. Five hotels soon opened on the Canarsie shore, starting with Bay View House in July 1867. In addition, restaurants and saloons began operating along Canarsie Landing. An 1867 account from a Brooklyn Daily Eagle correspondent stated that there were two railroads: the Canarsie steam dummy, which ran only to East New York, and the Nostrand Avenue Line, which connected with other streetcar lines that ran across Brooklyn. The correspondent wrote that "it has ample hotel accommodations for boarders or casual visitors, and all it needs is a good roadway along the waterside for promenade and drive." The next year, an article from the Eagle noted that although Canarsie still had a reputation for being a fisherman's village, it "will be largely patronized as soon as people get the means of going there". German, Dutch, Scottish, and Irish settlers started moving to Canarsie in large numbers during the 1870s. Ferry service remained infrequent because any increase to ferry service would require new vessels, and in order to do that, Jamaica Bay would need to be dredged at a very high cost. At the time, the bay was a few inches deep during low tide, and a narrow, 5.5-to-7-foot-deep (1.7 to 2.1 m) channel stretched across the bay. The Canarsie Line employed steamboats, which were able to make a round trip in two hours and navigate the bay at low tide. During its early history, the route used steamers with a capacity of 250 passengers; later boats had larger capacity. In 1878, there were two proposals to create a more frequent transportation service between Canarsie and the Rockaways, but neither was implemented. One proposal entailed extending a railroad trestle into Jamaica Bay to shorten the ferry trip, while the other involved constructing a narrow-gauge railway that ran to Broad Channel, Queens. By that year, a rectangular peninsula extended into the bay. In 1880, the New York, Woodhaven and Rockaway Railroad constructed a trestle across the bay and started operating service across it. White's Iron Steamboats, which sailed from Manhattan directly to the Rockaways, started operating two years later. Despite the existence of two competitors, the Canarsie railroad saw a healthy continued patronage because many passengers wanted to go to Canarsie itself. The success of the Canarsie railroad and the variety of activities available at Canarsie Point both contributed to that area's prosperity. In the late 1860s, a boat-rental company opened in Canarsie, and by 1880, there were ten such companies, with each company owning 50 boats on average. Rentals ranged from \$5 to \$7 on weekdays, and from \$7 to \$10 on weekends. An 1882 newspaper article observed that after traveling to Canarsie "through a tract of country that looked like one vast lawn of green velvet", visitors could hire yachts or rowboats, or just breathe the fresh air. In 1883, a large double-decker barge for theatrical and musical performances, called the "Floating Pavilion", was permanently anchored 0.75 miles (1.21 km) off the Canarsie shore. The depth of the bay was only 4 feet (1.2 m) deep at this point, making it suitable for bathing. A 50-foot (15 m) stage extended into the water for the performers, while bathhouses were placed on the barge's lower tier. The steamer Edith Peck regularly traveled between the shore and the barge. Summer bungalows were also built along the bay shore, especially east of Canarsie Landing in an area called Sand Bay. Since the land was submerged during low tide, many of these houses were built on stilts. Electric lighting was installed in 1892 in a bid to attract visitors at night as well. Canarsie also grew into a fishing hub by the late 19th century. In 1850, there were 75 fishermen in Flatlands, compared to 191 other individuals who worked in agriculture. By 1880, there were 200 fishermen in Flatlands, of which around 90% lived in Canarsie. In an 1865 account, The New York Times described the fishing village as a self-sufficient community that was "a place of much resort for fishing, and one of the best near to the city". Boat-building also became popular: the number of boat-builders in Canarsie grew from one in 1868 to eight in 1887. Much of the boats built in Canarsie were small rowboats, but some of them were large sloops. A 1900 magazine article described the Canarsie bay shore as "a level expanse of marshy meadowland indented with shallow inlets and dotted with boathouses, fishing huts, and boat builders' cabins perched high and dry on wooden piles." Visitors could rent a rowboat and catch fish at Ruffle Bar or other locations within Jamaica Bay. If these visitors had enough money, they could rent a large sloop and head to the open ocean to fish. ### Fishing and amusement heyday By the start of the 20th century, Canarsie was a bustling amusement district. Of the 50 buildings along the Canarsie bay shore, eighteen were hotels. Three ferry systems operated routes to Bergen Island, Barren Island, Rockaway Beach, and other destinations in Jamaica Bay. A fourth would start operations in 1915, but shuttered in 1918 after several unprofitable seasons. The Canarsie Line faced a steep drop in patronage in 1895, when frequent trolley service started operating to Coney Island. The line, which had operated a fleet of at least 10 vessels throughout its existence, stopped operating in 1905. The Canarsie Railroad, a subsidiary of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company, acquired the Brooklyn and Rockaway Beach line north of Rockaway Parkway on May 31, 1906. The BRT then announced that it would build an elevated railroad to Canarsie. This spurred speculation of rapid real estate development in Canarsie. Residents started constructing water and sewer pipes, as well as paving roads, in anticipation of this new development. The route south of Rockaway Parkway became an electric trolley shuttle route. The 25-acre (10 ha) Golden City Amusement Park opened in May 1907 at what is now Seaview Avenue, near Canarsie Pier. The owners hoped that the five-cent fare of the Canarsie Railroad would draw riders who would otherwise pay 10 cents to go to the Coney Island amusement area. Golden City cost \$1 million to build and included a miniature railroad, a dance hall, a roller skating rink, and a roller coaster. There was also a 300-foot-long (91 m) wooden shorefront promenade and a 2,500-seat theater with 7,000 electric lights. The buildings were adorned with silver and gold. Part of Golden City's appeal was that it was easily accessible from Manhattan via the elevated. In August of that year, the Golden City Construction was leased to the Canarsie Amusement Company, who planned to make the park one of the world's largest. In 1909, the park was severely damaged by a fire, which also destroyed two hotels. The park was completely rebuilt for the next season. Murphy's Carousel was created in 1912 by the Stein and Goldstein Artistic Carousell Company of Brooklyn and installed in Golden City Park. A writer for The New York Times later noted that "the horses were carved in Coney Island style, which eschewed the look of docile ponies and prancing fillies and produced much more muscular, ferocious creatures with bared teeth and heads often lifted in motion." After the end of World War I, the New York City Department of Docks started renting piers along the Canarsie shore. These piers were transformed into summer vacation houses, boardwalks, industrial buildings, railroads, and piers, among other purposes. Some piers were used by boat yards, clubs, and builders, while other piers were rented for an expansion of Golden City Park. ### Decline of fishing and amusement By the 20th century, the fishing industry started to decline, since pollution had contaminated the oysters that occupied the bay. The shellfish in the bay began showing signs of chemical contamination in 1904, when an outbreak of typhoid fever was linked to a catch of shellfish in Inwood, New York, another town on the Jamaica Bay shore. In 1912, a typhoid outbreak in upstate Goshen, New York, was attributed to a banquet where Jamaica Bay oysters were served. In 1915, Canarsie itself was affected when 27 residents contracted typhoid from that year's shellfish catch. Another 100 cases of gastroenteritis were traced to that year's shellfish catch. By 1917, an estimated 50,000,000 US gallons (190,000,000 L) of sewage per day was being discharged into the bay. The whole industry was shuttered in 1921 because too much of the shellfish population had been infected. The shoreline was further altered in 1926 through the construction of Canarsie Pier, a 250-yard-long (230 m) dock with a 300-yard-wide (270 m) base. The pier was built as part of the greater improvement project for Jamaica Bay, wherein channels were being dredged in an effort to turn the bay into a large seaport. This was tied to improvement projects at Mill and Barren islands. This brought new industrial tenants along the Jamaica Bay shore, including an asphalt company and a construction company. The first industrial export from Canarsie Pier, a 500-ton shipment of scrap metal, departed in 1933. Planners also wanted to create a spur of the Long Island Rail Road's Bay Ridge Branch south to Flatlands, with two branches to Canarsie and Mill Basin. In January 1931, the New York City Board of Estimate approved a plan to build railroads on both sides of Paerdegat Basin, connecting the LIRR to Canarsie Pier on the east and to Floyd Bennett Field on the west. Ultimately, Robert Moses, the New York City Parks Commissioner at the time, disapproved of the project. He moved to transform the bay into a city park instead. The Canarsie Railroad was converted to the Canarsie subway line in 1928, providing direct access to Manhattan. After the subway line opened, officials began calling for a new ferry service between Canarsie and Rockaway Beach. The subway line was also supposed to help improve access to the proposed seaport, although the seaport was ultimately not built. The area remained a relatively remote outpost through the 1920s. Southern Italian immigrants, along with Jews, soon settled in the area. Golden City was severely damaged by another fire in January 1934, which destroyed fifteen buildings and caused \$60,000 worth of damage. This time, the amusement park's operators decided not to rebuild, and the area spent its last days as a boat dock. In 1938, the city moved to acquire Golden City's land, as well as improve sewage facilities within Canarsie. The hope was that the new Belt Parkway would attract drivers to Golden City from all over the metropolitan area. This did not happen, mainly because Robert Moses wanted to build the parkway through the amusement park. Golden City was demolished in 1939 to make way for the Belt Parkway. In the spring of 1940, when the Belt Parkway was built through the area, the carousel was moved to Baldwin, on the border abutting Freeport, on Long Island. The Works Progress Administration, in conjunction with the city's Departments of Parks and Docks, built a recreation building on Canarsie Pier in 1941. Ferry service at Canarsie Pier also withered away after the opening of the Marine Parkway–Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge in 1937, which connected Brooklyn to the Rockaways directly. In 1939, the WPA Guide to New York City mentioned that Canarsie was a "sparsely settled community located on dispiriting flatlands". The Guide further described the burned-down amusement park, the ramshackle shacks, and Canarsie's "weedy lots and small truck farms cultivated by Italians". The book stated that riders on the Canarsie Pier trolley could see "great stenches of dump and marsh" interspersed between the "unkempt gardens of run-down houses" that the trolley's route adjoined. Until 1939, dozens of disused trolley cars from around the city were dumped into a 7-acre (2.8 ha), 35-foot-deep (11 m) lake in Canarsie. The Canarsie Pier trolley route was discontinued in 1942 and was replaced by the B42 streetcar (later bus) route, despite residents' protests. The right-of-way of the old Canarsie Pier trolley was abandoned. In 1940, plans for a 14,000-seat arena in Canarsie were filed. This arena was apparently not built for several decades, because in 1974, many Canarsie residents announced their opposition to a proposed 15,000-seat arena in Brooklyn. One of the proposed sites of the arena was in Canarsie. In 1941, the city announced that a new sewage plant would be built in Canarsie in order to reduce the amount of raw sewage going in Jamaica Bay. ### Residential development Canarsie only saw large residential development after World War II. Much of the area's residential buildings were built from this post-war era up until the 1970s. Marshland in the area was filled in. Due to the large shortage of housing in New York City after the war, the city announced the construction of more than a thousand Quonset huts for veterans along the Jamaica Bay shore. The first huts were delivered in February 1946, and they were ready for occupancy by June of that year. Starting in the 1950s, a series of suburban waterfront communities were being rapidly developed in Southeast Brooklyn, including in present-day Bergen Beach, Canarsie, and Mill Basin. Most of the new residents were whites who were moving out of neighborhoods such as East New York and Brownsville, which were gaining more black residents. In August 1951, work started on the Breukelen Houses, a 1,600-unit New York City Housing Authority development between East 103rd and East 105th Streets. The development was completed in October 1952. The Bayview Houses, another NYCHA development, started construction in 1954 and opened in 1955. The latter NYCHA development included a shopping center. Houses were also constructed by private developers, but due to zoning laws, these residences were limited to three stories high. Vacant lots remained, but they were being very quickly developed at the time. Some lots along the Paerdegat Basin shore remained undeveloped through the 1960s. One plot, in particular, was supposed to become a public housing development for lower- and middle-class families. However, the plot was privately owned, and residents of nearby houses wanted to see a private developer build two-story middle-class detached houses at that location. This plot ultimately became a middle-income housing development with units for 6,000 families, built by the city under the Mitchell-Lama Housing Program. In conjunction with this development, the federal and city governments each awarded hundreds of thousands of money toward improving parks and beaches in Canarsie. The New York Times predicted that Canarsie could become "the next Jones Beach", a seaside resort of kinds. It was expected that there would be 5,000 more school-aged children living in Canarsie, so public and parochial schools were expanded as well. From 1950 to 1955, Canarsie's population grew from 3,500 to 4,500. By 1963, a new 69th Precinct building for the New York City Police Department had to be constructed to accommodate the growing population. Many young families moved to Canarsie, and Canarsie High School was built to handle the newcomers. Canarsie High School opened in 1964. The city proposed the construction of Flatlands Industrial Park, an industrial park, in Canarsie in 1959. The city took over the project after a previous attempt by a private developer had been canceled in 1958 due to a lack of tenants. The industrial park was to be located on a 93-acre (38 ha) plot between East 99th and 108th Streets between Farragut Road and the Long Island Rail Road. Permission to clear the land was granted in 1962. East Brooklyn residents wished to see an educational complex on the site instead, on the grounds that not building an educational complex would prolong the school segregation prevalent in Eastern Brooklyn. The New York City Department of City Planning approved the plan anyway in 1965. The city added 6.5 acres (2.6 ha) of land to the proposed industrial area by deleting plans for the side streets that were supposed to run through the area. These delays held up construction for nine years: in March 1966, an aide to Mayor John Lindsay reported that "not one spadeful of dirt" had been excavated on the site. Construction on the project started in summer 1966, and when the Flatlands Industrial Park opened in 1969, it became the city's first publicly-sponsored industrial complex. Other development in Canarsie around this time included the middle-income Starrett City complex east of Fresh Creek. The complex is located east of Fresh Creek between Belt Parkway and Vandalia Avenue. In 1962, the California-based Thompson–Starrett Co. bought 130 acres (53 ha) of land, upon which they proposed to construct apartment buildings. However, this did not occur due to a lack of funds, and the land was sold to a consortium of investors. The project's new developers were a joint venture by the Starrett Corporation and the National Kinney Corporation, who renamed the project "Starrett City". In 1967, the United Housing Foundation (UHF) announced a plan to construct a housing development with similarities to Co-op City in the Bronx. The UHF left the project in 1972, by which time part of Starrett City had already been built. Starrett City was dedicated in October 1974, and the first residents started moving in by the end of the year. At the time of opening, it had 5,881 units in 46 eleven- to twenty-story buildings. ### Racial tensions and growing black population In the late 1960s and early 1970s, parents of white students protested against the New York City Department of Education's efforts to desegregate its District 18, which comprised schools in Canarsie and East Flatbush, by "busing" minority pupils into Canarsie schools. Many of the minority students were pupils from majority-black Brownsville, which bordered Canarsie to the north but was in a different school district. The racial tensions began in 1964, when the NYCDOE zoned some Brownsville students to Canarsie High School. In 1969, a fight between a white student and a black student at Canarsie High School caused the school to be closed down for three days. South Shore High School opened in 1970, albeit in a physically incomplete state: many rooms did not have furniture, plumbing, or public announcement systems until the middle of the school year. Major conflicts between white and black students occurred in September 1970 and April 1971. By the end of its first year, the principal was stepping down, and a coalition called "Friends of South Shore" had formed to protest the lack of resources or opportunities available at that school. The 1972–1973 school year was a tumultuous one for Canarsie. On September 12, 1972, the first day of the school year, District 18 officials refused to enroll approximately 90 students from Brownsville into IS 285, a school in East Flatbush. This change came after IS 285 had been enrolling Brownsville students for several years. Brownsville parents had already been hesitant to enroll their students into schools in Canarsie due to large opposition there. By the start of October, these students had still not been able to start school. On October 14, the NYCDOE came up with a solution regarding approximately 40 of these students: send eleven to IS 285, and enroll the rest within IS 211 in Canarsie. (The number of Brownsville students enrolled in IS 211 was variously given as either 29 or 31. That number later rose to 32.) In response, on October 17, hundreds of white parents from Canarsie showed up to protest outside IS 211 and IS 267. They announced their intention to keep protesting unless the black students were reassigned to another school. Because the parents' protests blocked these schools' entrances, the schools were closed for the rest of that day. These protests went on for three days until the NYCDOE threatened a writ of court action against these parents. The NYCDOE unsuccessfully attempted to broker a compromise between parents in Brownsville and Canarsie. On October 24, 1972, NYCDOE Chairman Harvey B. Scribner withdrew enrollment for the Brownsville students who were going to IS 211. The Brownsville parents brought their students to IS 211 the next day and started protesting outside the school. On October 26, the NYCDOE reversed Scribner's order, re-enrolling the black students from Brownsville. The same day, a police guard escorted 28 Brownsville students to their first day of classes at IS 211, amid a crowd of over 1,000 protesters. Of 10,000 students enrolled in Canarsie public schools, only 850 had gone to school on October 26. Due to low attendance, six Canarsie schools were closed for that day. By November 1, the fifth day of the boycott, the number of protesters had subsided, but the boycott was still ongoing. The boycott was broken on November 10, twelve days after it started. As part of the terms to end the boycott, a new zoning plan for the area was ordered. The new plan, released on December 6, was also controversial because it involved rezoning many black students. A second new plan was then ordered. Many Canarsie parents, who complained that it was taking too long to come up with a new zoning plan, initiated a second boycott on March 1, 1973. This boycott spread to a school in Mill Basin, but a similar one in Gravesend was unsuccessful. The boycott ended on April 1, after parents agreed almost unanimously to prohibit any more Brownsville students from enrolling in Canarsie schools. Students who were already enrolled were allowed to stay until they graduated. In total, white students boycotted their schools for seven weeks of the 1972–1973 school year. In 1978, a NYCDOE integration plan was tentatively approved by the state. Black students from Brownsville could enroll in Canarsie schools as long as they did not make up a majority of the student population there. Of the 80,000 Canarsie residents in 1972, about 2.5% were black. Canarsie's black residents were mostly concentrated in the NYCHA developments, which were integrated with the detached houses in the rest of the neighborhood. The conflict was compared to the Little Rock Nine controversy in 1957, where presidential intervention had been required in order to integrate nine black students into a majority-white school. One writer described the Canarsie school conflict as a time when white residents felt that "things began to go awry". The conflict marked the beginning of white Canarsie residents' shift from liberalism to conservatism. By 1978, Canarsie was characterized as "a conservative, middle-class Jewish and Italian section of Brooklyn". The elected leadership of District 18 became ethnically disproportionate to the student body: by 1983, most of the District 18 board members were white, even though 75% of the district's students were black. This disproportionate representation continued through 1994, when the mostly-white members of District 18 opposed a plan to split off several schools into a nearby district in order to increase the proportion of black votes in both districts. That plan was subsequently canceled. In 1989, construction commenced on the Seaview Estates condominiums. The project was characterized as Canarsie's first large new residential development in decades. The development opened in 2003. In the 1980s, the white residents of Canarsie started moving away, and black residents started moving in. From 1980 to 1990, the proportion of Canarsie's population who was white dropped from 90% to 75%. Much of Canarsie's white population left for the suburbs of Staten Island, Queens, Long Island, and New Jersey, part of a national phenomenon referred to as "white flight". This culminated in a spate of racial conflicts in 1991, where 14 racial-bias incidents were recorded within a month and a half. These incidents were committed by both blacks against whites, and by whites against blacks. The black population of Canarsie rose from 10% in 1990 to 60% in 2000, with most of the new residents being Caribbean and West Indian immigrants. By 2010, the neighborhood was 78% black, and between 47% and 60% of the total residents were immigrants from the Caribbean. The late-2000s subprime mortgage crisis affected the 11236 zip code, which includes Canarsie and Flatlands, more than any other neighborhood in the city. The area had 1,930 subprime mortgages, the most of any city neighborhood; of these, twelve percent were facing foreclosure proceedings. During Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, the basements of many homes in Canarsie were flooded. By June 2013, more than 10% of the residential buildings within Canarsie's zip code, 11236, were being foreclosed upon. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the Federal Emergency Management Agency started redrawing flood-risk maps in New York City to account for climate change. The original flood map in 1983 labeled 26 buildings under the FEMA "flood zone", but the new flood map proposed increasing that total to 5,000 buildings. Many area homeowners opposed the maps because they could not afford flood insurance if they were rezoned under the FEMA flood zone. ## Community Canarsie is characterized as a working- to middle-class neighborhood. Canarsie's residences consist mainly of one- and two-family homes. Most houses are detached, unlike elsewhere in Brooklyn where townhouses are more common. The houses between East 105th and East 108th Streets typically have backyards, while large houses dating to the 1910s and 1920s can be found north of Flatlands Avenue. Eastern Canarsie tends to have more dense concentrations of housing than western Canarsie, while the center of the neighborhood has very dense development. There are two large public housing developments, the Breuckelen Houses and the Bayview Houses, both operated by the New York City Housing Authority. Canarsie also contains a gated community, the Seaview Estates condominium complex, which has five buildings as well as its own tennis court and swimming pool. Brooklyn Community District 18, which encompasses Canarsie and Flatlands, has a poverty rate of 10%, lower than the city's 20% overall poverty rate, and a homeownership rate of 60%, higher than the city's 30% overall homeownership rate. ### Places of interest There are two shopping centers in Canarsie. One of them is Canarsie Plaza, located on Avenue D. Opened in 2011, the mall contains 278,000 square feet (25,800 m²) of retail space. The Brooklyn Terminal Market is located adjacent to Canarsie Plaza, and sells horticultural items such as plants, trees, and fruits. The Canarsie Cemetery is located at Remsen Avenue and Avenue K. It was owned by the Remsen family until 1888, when they sold it to the town of Flatlands. In 1898, the cemetery became part of New York City, who became the new owner of the cemetery. Over the next century, 6,400 corpses were interred at the Canarsie Cemetery, including Civil War and Spanish–American War veterans. The city announced its intention to sell Canarsie Cemetery in 1982, but for more than 25 years, its efforts to sell were unsuccessful. Cypress Hills, the operator of another cemetery straddling Brooklyn and Queens, purchased Canarsie Cemetery in 2010. By that time, there had been 8,000 interments, with space for 6,000 more corpses. ## Demographics Based on data from the 2010 United States Census, the population of Canarsie was 83,693, a decrease of 1,365 (1.6%) from the 85,058 counted in 2000. Covering an area of 1,959.94 acres (793.16 ha), the neighborhood had a population density of 42.7 inhabitants per acre (27,300/sq mi; 10,600/km²). The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 81.0% (67,816) African American, 5.9% (4,928) non-Hispanic White, 0.2% (192) Native American, 2.6% (2,198) Asian, 0.0% (8) Pacific Islander, 0.4% (332) from other races, and 1.5% (1,278) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.3% (6,941) of the population. The entirety of Community District 18, which comprises Canarsie and Flatlands, had 165,543 inhabitants as of NYC Health's 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 82.0 years. This is slightly higher than the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods. Most inhabitants are middle-aged adults and youth: 25% are between the ages of 0–17, 29% between 25 and 44, and 24% between 45 and 64. The ratio of college-aged and elderly residents was lower, at 9% and 13% respectively. As of 2019, the median household income in Community District 18 was \$80,471. In 2018, an estimated 21% of Canarsie and Flatlands residents lived in poverty, compared to 21% in all of Brooklyn and 20% in all of New York City. One in eleven residents (9%) were unemployed, compared to 9% in the rest of both Brooklyn and New York City. Rent burden, or the percentage of residents who have difficulty paying their rent, is 50% in Canarsie and Flatlands, lower than the citywide and boroughwide rates of 52% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, as of 2018, Canarsie and Flatlands are considered to be higher-income relative to the rest of the city. During the 1990s, much of Canarsie's white population left for the suburbs as part of a national phenomenon referred to as "white flight". In the early 21st century, Canarsie's population is mostly black due to significant West Indian immigration in the area. East Brooklyn Community High School now serves the transfer student population. The 2020 census data from New York City Department of City Planning shows now even much fewer remaining White residents of less than 5000, there were less than 5000 Asian residents, there were between 5,000 to 9,999 Hispanic residents, and Black residents were numbered at 40,000+ being the overwhelming vast majority of the neighborhood population. ## Police and crime Canarsie is primarily served by the NYPD's 69th Precinct, located at 9720 Foster Avenue, although the small area west of the Bay Ridge Branch tracks falls under the 67th Precinct, located at 2820 Snyder Avenue. In 2019, the 69th Precinct reported 2 murders, 25 rapes, 91 robberies, 146 felony assaults, 63 burglaries, 286 grand larcenies, and 72 grand larcenies auto. Crime in these categories fell by 84.9% in the precinct between 1990 and 2019, and by 60.9% since 2001. Of the five major violent felonies (murder, rape, felony assault, robbery, and burglary), the 69th Precinct had a rate of 456 crimes per 100,000 residents in 2019, compared to the boroughwide average of 571 crimes per 100,000 and the citywide average of 572 crimes per 100,000. , Community District 18 has a non-fatal assault hospitalization rate of 46 per 100,000 people, compared to the boroughwide and citywide rates of 49 per 100,000. Its incarceration rate is 380 per 100,000 people, compared to the boroughwide rate of 460 per 100,000 and the citywide rate of 425 per 100,000. In 2019, the highest concentrations of felony assaults in Canarsie were near the intersection of 93rd Street and Avenue L, where there were 6, and on Farragut Road between 105th and 108th streets, where there were also 6. The highest concentrations of robberies were near the intersection of 103rd Street and Glenwood Road, where there were 4, and at the nearby intersection of 105th Street and Glenwood Road, where there were also 4. ## Fire safety Canarsie is served by the New York City Fire Department (FDNY)'s Engine Co. 257/Ladder Co. 170/Battalion 58, located at 1361 Rockaway Parkway. ## Health Preterm births are more common in Canarsie and Flatlands than in other places citywide, though births to teenage mothers are less common. In Canarsie and Flatlands, there were 89 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 11.6 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide). Canarsie and Flatlands has a relatively low population of residents who are uninsured, or who receive healthcare through Medicaid. In 2018, this population of uninsured residents was estimated to be 21%, which is higher than the citywide rate of 12%. The concentration of fine particulate matter, the deadliest type of air pollutant, in Canarsie and Flatlands is 0.0071 milligrams per cubic metre (7.1×10⁻⁹ oz/cu ft), lower than the citywide and boroughwide averages. Fifteen percent of Canarsie and Flatlands residents are smokers, which is slightly higher than the city average of 14% of residents being smokers. In Canarsie and Flatlands, 30% of residents are obese, 14% are diabetic, and 37% have high blood pressure—compared to the citywide averages of 24%, 11%, and 28% respectively. In addition, 21% of children are obese, compared to the citywide average of 20%. Eighty-one percent of residents eat some fruits and vegetables every day, which is lower than the city's average of 87%. In 2018, 77% of residents described their health as "good," "very good," or "excellent," slightly less than the city's average of 78%. For every supermarket in Canarsie and Flatlands, there are 9 bodegas. ## Post offices and ZIP Codes Canarsie and Flatlands are covered by ZIP Codes 11234, 11236, and 11239. The United States Post Office's Canarsie Station is located at 10201 Flatlands Avenue. ## Recreation ### Canarsie Pier Canarsie Pier, a fishing spot and recreation area on Jamaica Bay, is located in the southern part of the neighborhood at the end of Rockaway Parkway. The pier is part of the Gateway National Recreation Area's Jamaica Bay Unit, operated by the National Park Service. The city renovated the pier in 1971, and the NPS spent \$5 million to renovate the pier again in 1992. The pier contains a restaurant and a visitor center. ### Canarsie Park Canarsie Park (aka Seaview Park), operated by New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks), is located in two pieces south of Seaview Avenue: one west of East 93rd Street, and another east of East 102nd Street. In 1895 and 1896, the city acquired the plot of land bound by East 88th and East 93rd Streets between Seaview and Skidmore Avenues. At the time, the land contained the Jans Martense Schenck house. The park was expanded in 1934 after the city purchased land from the Department of Docks, and a playground was built at Seaview Avenue and East 93rd Street in 1936. Canarsie Park grew again in 1939 and 1948 using parcels from the New York City Board of Estimate. A fourth expansion occurred in 1954 when some land next to Fresh Creek Basin was purchased. The Seaview Avenue playground was renovated in the mid-1990s. Canarsie Park was renovated in the 2000s. During the renovation, a skatepark, a cricket field, and a nature trail were added. This renovation, and the upkeep of other parks in Canarsie, was attributed to an infusion of \$13 million in funds from City Councilman Lewis A. Fidler, who represented Community Board 18 at the time. There are also facilities for baseball, soccer, basketball, and tennis, as well as a dog run. New York Road Runners hosts a weekly 3-mile (4.8 km) Open Run in the park. ### Other parks The neighborhood has several other parks operated by NYC Parks. Bayview Playground is located at Seaview Avenue and East 100th Street, within the Bayview Houses and next to PS 272. The original plot for the playground was acquired in 1955, and NYCHA gave additional land in 1962. Bayview Playground contains basketball and handball courts, as well as a play area and fitness area. Bildersee Playground is located on Flatlands Avenue between East 81st and East 82nd Streets. Its namesake, Isaac Bildersee, was an assistant public school superintendent for Brooklyn during the 1940s. The city purchased the land in 1960 so it could construct IS 68, the Isaac Bildersee School, along with an accompanying playground. Bildersee Playground opened along with the school in 1965. It contains basketball and handball courts, as well as a play area. Curtis Playground is located on Foster Avenue between East 81st and East 82nd Streets. It contains basketball courts as well as fitness and play areas. Sledge Playground is located on East 95th Street between Holmes Lane and Avenue L. The park originally opened in 1934 on land that was acquired by the city in 1924. In 1984, it was renamed after Cecil Frank Sledge, an NYPD officer for the 69th Precinct who was killed in the line of duty in 1980. Sledge Playground was renovated in 1997–1998. 100% Playground is located on Glenwood Road between East 100th and East 101st Streets. It contains handball courts, a playground, and spray showers. In 1978, the city proposed an additional park between East 102nd and East 108th Streets along Jamaica Bay, but residents opposed the new park because they wanted the funds to pay for existing parks' upkeep. ## Transportation The BMT Canarsie Line, on which the New York City Subway's runs, terminates at Canarsie–Rockaway Parkway near the northern end of the neighborhood. There is also a subway station at East 105th Street between Foster Avenue and Farragut Road. The subway system's only level crossing was located at East 105th Street until it was closed by 1973 as part of the Flatlands Industrial Park project. The MTA Regional Bus Operations' , and BM2 routes also run through Canarsie. The B42 route along Rockaway Parkway is a direct descendant of the former trolley route that ran to Canarsie Pier. There is a free direct transfer between the B42 and the subway at Rockaway Parkway. The principal roadways through Canarsie are Remsen Avenue, Rockaway Parkway, and Flatlands Avenue. The Belt Parkway, a limited-access parkway, serves Canarsie via an exit at Canarsie Pier. ## Education Canarsie and Flatlands generally has a similar ratio of college-educated residents to the rest of the city as of 2018. Though 40% of residents age 25 and older have a college education or higher, 13% have less than a high school education and 48% are high school graduates or have some college education. By contrast, 40% of Brooklynites and 38% of city residents have a college education or higher. The percentage of Canarsie and Flatlands students excelling in math rose from 40 percent in 2000 to 57 percent in 2011, though reading achievement decreased from 48% to 46% during the same time period. Canarsie and Flatlands's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is slightly lower than the rest of New York City. In Canarsie and Flatlands, 17% of elementary school students missed twenty or more days per school year, compared to the citywide average of 20% of students. Additionally, 80% of high school students in Canarsie and Flatlands graduate on time, equal to the citywide average of 75% of students. ### Schools Public elementary schools in Canarsie include PS 114, PS 115, PS 272, PS 276, IS 68, and IS 211. These schools are all operated by the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE). Canarsie also contains buildings formerly occupied by the South Shore High School and Canarsie High School, which now serve as educational campuses. In late fall 2006, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that five troubled high schools would close by 2010, including South Shore and Canarsie High Schools. According to a NYCDOE spokesperson, the closings were attributed to "dismal graduation rates, consistent low test scores, a poor history of educating, low performing students, and lackluster demand." Canarsie and Flatlands generally has a similar ratio of college-educated residents than the rest of the city as of 2018. A 2018 study found that 38% of residents age 25 and older have a college education or higher, but 14% have less than a high school education and 49% are high school graduates with some college education. By contrast, 38% of Brooklynites and 41% of city residents have a college education or higher. The percentage of Canarsie and Flatlands students excelling in math has increased from 40 percent in 2000 to 57.4 percent in 2011, but within the same time period, reading proficiency dropped from 48% to 45.6%. ### Libraries The Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) has two branches in Canarsie. The Canarsie branch is located at 1580 Rockaway Parkway near Avenue J. It opened in 1909 with a small circulating connection and became a BPL branch in 1932. Since then, it has relocated twice to accommodate high patronage. The Jamaica Bay branch is located at 9727 Seaview Avenue between Rockaway Parkway and East 98th Street, and it opened in 1973. In addition, the Paerdegat branch is located just west of Canarsie, at 850 East 59th Street near Paerdegat Avenue South. ## Media The Canarsie Courier, published every Thursday, is the oldest weekly publication in Brooklyn and is still in publication. It was founded by Walter S. Patrick on April 22, 1921. The Courier was then purchased by brothers Bob and Joe Samitz in 1959. After the death of Joe Samitz, Mary Samitz became co-publisher of the paper with her husband Bob and then became the sole publisher after Bob's death in 1998. The Samitz family then sold the paper to Donna Marra and Sandra Greco. Marra became the sole publisher in 2010. ## Notable residents Notable current and former residents of Canarsie include: - Danielle Brisebois (born 1969), former child actress (Archie Bunker's Place) and musician (New Radicals) - John Brockington (born 1948), running back who played in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs - Peter Criss (born 1945), rock musician with Kiss - Warren Cuccurullo (born 1956), rock musician, went to Canarsie High School - Patrick Clark (1955–1998), chef - Michael De Luca (born 1965), film producer - The Fat Boys, rap group - William Forsythe (born 1955), actor - World B. Free (born 1953 as Lloyd Free), former professional basketball player - Randy Graff (born 1955), Tony Award-winning actress - Alisha Itkin (born 1968), 1980s dance music singer - Pop Smoke (1999-2020), drill rapper. - Flipp Dinero (born 1995), American rapper - Steven Keats (1945–1994), actor - Dusty Locane (born 1999), drill rapper - Mark Morales, rap artist, member of the Fat Boys - Dan Morogiello (born 1955), professional baseball player - Necro (born 1976), rapper and producer - Diane Noomin (born 1947), underground cartoonist - Al Roker (born 1954), broadcaster. - Wayne Rosenthal (born 1965), former professional baseball player and coach - John Salley (born 1964), four-time NBA champion. - Lance Schulters (born 1975), professional football player - Howard Schultz (born 1953), chairman of Starbucks Coffee Company - Annabella Sciorra (born 1960), actress - Evan Seinfeld (born 1967), lead singer of Biohazard and actor - Richard Sheirer (1946–2012), former director of the New York City Office of Emergency Management - Joel Sherman, sportswriter - Curtis Sliwa (born 1954), founder of the Guardian Angels. - Stuart Sternberg (born 1959), owner of Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays. - Rah Swish (born 1997), drill rapper - Lou Vairo (born 1945), coach of 1984 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team. - Leon Williams (born 1983), professional football player who played linebacker in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Battle of Milliken's Bend

Battle of the American Civil War

The Battle of Milliken's Bend was fought on June 7, 1863, as part of the Vicksburg Campaign during the American Civil War. Major General Ulysses S. Grant of the Union Army had placed the strategic Mississippi River city of Vicksburg, Mississippi, under siege in mid-1863. Confederate leadership erroneously believed that Grant's supply line still ran through Milliken's Bend in Louisiana, and Major General Richard Taylor was tasked with disrupting it to aid the defense of Vicksburg. Taylor sent Brigadier General Henry E. McCulloch with a brigade of Texans to attack Milliken's Bend, which was held by a brigade of newly-recruited African American soldiers. McCulloch's attack struck early on the morning of June 7, and was initially successful in close-quarters fighting. Fire from the Union gunboat USS Choctaw halted the Confederate attack, and McCulloch later withdrew after the arrival of a second gunboat. The attempt to relieve Vicksburg was unsuccessful. One of the first actions in which African American soldiers fought, Milliken's Bend demonstrated the value of African American soldiers as part of the Union Army. ## Background In the spring of 1863, Major General Ulysses S. Grant of the Union Army began a campaign against the strategic Confederate-held city of Vicksburg, Mississippi. Grant's troops crossed the Mississippi River from the Louisiana side into Mississippi at a point south of Vicksburg in late April. By May 18, the Union army had fought its way to Vicksburg, surrounded it, and initiated the Siege of Vicksburg. During the campaign, Grant had kept a supply base at Milliken's Bend in Louisiana as part of his supply line. Soldiers had been housed at the site before being deployed in the campaign, and a number of hospitals had been established there. During the siege, however, Grant had a different supply line opened: the Union Navy took control of part of the Yazoo River in the Chickasaw Bayou vicinity and established a point from which supplies could be sent overland behind the Union lines. While a position at Milliken's Bend was still held, its importance was greatly reduced, since the Yazoo River position had become Grant's primary supply depot. Meanwhile, Confederate President Jefferson Davis was pressuring General E. K. Smith, commander of the Trans-Mississippi Department, to attempt to relieve Vicksburg's garrison. Smith was unaware that Grant had moved his supply line to the Yazoo River, and still believed that Milliken's Bend was a primary Union supply depot. Immediate command of the offensive fell to Major General Richard Taylor, who was given a division of Texans known as Walker's Greyhounds. Taylor moved the 5,000-man force to Richmond, Louisiana, but did not believe that the coming expedition had any real chance of disrupting Grant's siege of Vicksburg. On June 5, Taylor learned that Milliken's Bend was no longer a significant supply point, but the planned offensive continued, with hopes of retaking control of the west bank of the Mississippi River and gaining the ability to send food across the river into Vicksburg. At Richmond, on June 6, Taylor detached the 13th Louisiana Cavalry Battalion on a raid against Lake Providence, Louisiana, while Walker's Greyhounds continued to the site of Oak Grove Plantation, where there was a road junction. One Confederate brigade split off to move against a Union position at Young's Point, while Brigadier General Henry E. McCulloch's brigade advanced against Milliken's Bend. A third brigade was held in reserve at Oak Grove. The Union posts at Milliken's Bend, Young's Point, and Lake Providence had become training grounds for African American soldiers. These soldiers were primarily newly-recruited freed slaves. Union leadership's plan had been to use these soldiers as laborers and camp guards rather than front-line soldiers, so they had only received basic military training. At this time, the Colored Troop units were commanded by white officers. Mustering these soldiers into the Union Army faced some opposition, with some believing that they would not fight. The support of several officers, including Major General John A. Logan, however, helped to reduce some of the resistance. The soldiers at Milliken's Bend had no prior experience with firearms before joining the Union Army, and demonstrated very poor marksmanship during training. Colonel Hermann Lieb commanded the camp, which was manned by an infantry brigade of African American soldiers and some cavalry from Illinois. Both Lieb and Brigadier General Elias Dennis, who commanded the Union troops in the area, suspected that the Confederates were preparing to attack Milliken's Bend. Lieb's 9th Louisiana Infantry Regiment and 10th Illinois Cavalry Regiment had encountered Confederates near Tallulah on June 6 during an expedition towards Richmond. Lieb requested reinforcements, and the 23rd Iowa Infantry Regiment and the ironclad USS Choctaw were sent to Milliken's Bend. ## Battle On June 7, McCulloch's 1,500 Confederates marched to Milliken's Bend in the cooler nighttime, and by 02:30 arrived within 1.5 miles of Milliken's Bend. By 03:00, they were within 1 mile (1.6 km) of the Union position. Lieb's 1,100 Union soldiers had constructed a defensive position by forming a breastwork out of cotton bales on top of a levee. The Union pickets were quickly driven back by the Confederates. McCulloch aligned his regiments with the 19th Texas Infantry Regiment, 17th Texas Infantry Regiment, and the 16th Texas Cavalry Regiment, from right to left; the 16th Texas Infantry Regiment was held as a reserve. Lieb's defensive line was held by the 23rd Iowa Infantry Regiment and the U.S. Colored Troops of the 8th Louisiana Infantry Regiment, the 9th Louisiana Infantry Regiment, the 10th Louisiana Infantry Regiment, the 11th Louisiana Infantry Regiment, the 13th Louisiana Infantry Regiment, and the 1st Mississippi Infantry Regiment. The main Union line fired a volley that temporarily slowed the Confederate attack, but the poorly trained African American soldiers were largely unable to reload their weapons before the Confederate charge continued and became close-quarters fighting. Bayonets were used in the fighting, and the Union defenders were driven back. Lieb's men fell back to a second levee, and the Confederates charged, yelling that no mercy would be given. During this stage of the fighting, few shots were fired, as the use of rifles as blunt weapons and bayonets was more common. By 04:00, the Confederates seemed to have victory, but they then made the mistake of exposing themselves on the top of the levee. Heavy fire from the large guns of USS Choctaw drove McCulloch's men back off the levee. Confederate leadership was unable to get the Texans to attack the levee again. McCulloch requested reinforcements to continue the fighting, but another Union vessel, the timberclad USS Lexington, arrived around 09:00. McCulloch withdrew his men off the field back to Oak Grove Plantation in the face of the gunboats. ## Aftermath and preservation The fight at Milliken's Bend cost the Union 492 men: 119 killed, 241 wounded, and 132 missing. Many of the missing men were African American soldiers who had been captured and were returned to slavery. All but 65 of the Union casualties were incurred by the Colored Troops. The 9th Louisiana Infantry was particularly hard hit, losing 68 percent of its strength. This was the greatest percentage loss by any African American regiment during the entire war. Their number of dead, at 66, was the highest number of killed in action of any Union regiment (black or white) during a single day in the entire Vicksburg campaign. Furthermore, this figure of killed in action is 23 percent of their starting force - exceeding the 19 percent killed of the famous 1st Minnesota Infantry Regiment at the Battle of Gettysburg. The Confederates lost 185 men. Rumors of the execution of captured Union soldiers reached Grant, who asked Taylor about the reports. Taylor denied that any executions occurred. The other two prongs of the coordinated Confederate attacks accomplished little at the Battle of Young's Point and the Battle of Lake Providence. The column sent to Young's Point was delayed by bad guides and a washed-out bridge, and did not reach the Union camp until 10:30. After watching additional Union troops arrive at the camp, along with the gunboats, the Confederates withdrew without a fight. After Milliken's Bend, the Confederates fell back to Monroe, Louisiana, and Taylor travelled to Alexandria, Louisiana, where he focused more attention on the Union forces at New Orleans, Louisiana, than Vicksburg. Smith and the Trans-Mississippi Confederates no longer were able to influence the outcome of the Siege of Vicksburg. The city surrendered on July 4. The position at Milliken's Bend had fallen out of relevance not long after the battle when the men and supplies stored there were transferred to Young's Point. Parts of the site of the battle have been destroyed by changes in the course of the Mississippi River. A 2010 study by the American Battlefield Protection Program found that of the over 17,000 acres (6,900 ha) of the battlefield, about 2,000 acres (810 ha) were potentially eligible to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. At the time of the study, there was no public interpretation of the battle at the site. As of March 2021, a commemorative plaque for Milliken's Bend exists on a roadside near Richmond, and exhibits discussing the battle are present at Vicksburg National Military Park. Additionally, an interpretive exhibit exists at Grant's Canal in Louisiana. ## Significance and legacy Leaders on both sides noted the performance of the African American troops at Milliken's Bend. Unionist Charles Dana reported that the action convinced many in the Union Army to support the enlistment of African American soldiers. Dennis stated "it is impossible for men to show greater gallantry than the Negro troops in this fight." Grant described the battle as the first significant engagement in which the Colored Troops had seen combat, described their conduct as "most gallant" and said that "with good officers they will make good troops." He later praised them in his 1885 memoir, stating "These men were very raw, having all been enlisted since the beginning of the siege, but they behaved well." Confederate leader McCulloch later reported that while the white Union troops had been routed, the Colored Troop had fought with "considerable obstinacy." One modern historian wrote in 1960 that the fighting at Milliken's Bend brought "the acceptance of the Negro as a soldier", which was important to "his acceptance as a man." U.S. Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton also praised the performance of black U.S. soldiers in the battle. He stated that their competent performance in the battle proved wrong those who had opposed their service: > Many persons believed, or pretended to believe, and confidently asserted, that freed slaves would not make good soldiers; they would lack courage, and could not be subjected to military discipline. Facts have shown how groundless were these apprehensions. The slave has proved his manhood, and his capacity as an infantry soldier, at Milliken's Bend, at the assault upon Port Hudson, and the storming of Fort Wagner.

Entre a Mi Mundo

Entre a Mi Mundo (English: Enter My World) is the third studio album by American singer Selena, released on May 6, 1992, by EMI Latin. The label endeavored to bolster Selena's popularity within the Latin music market in the United States with this release. A. B. Quintanilla sustained his role as the singer's producer and, in collaboration with Selena y Los Dinos members Pete Astudillo and Ricky Vela, composed tracks for the album. The ensuing recording encompassed an eclectic array of songs, attributable to the members' diverse backgrounds, which facilitated the modernization of the sundry genres they explored. Entre a Mi Mundo is a Tejano cumbia album that encapsulated Selena's quintessential sound, characterized by engaging tunes harmonized with her distinctive, plaintive vocals and a relaxed, danceable cumbia beat. The album incorporates musical inspirations from power pop, R&B, disco, rock, funk, and synthesized Tejano music. The assemblage of tracks featured on the album encompassed lyrics inspired by a myriad of personal experiences and tribulations, delving into themes such as unrequited love, teen romance, women empowerment, and heartbreaks. Entre a Mi Mundo was supported by its singles, including the career-propelling "La Carcacha", the career-defining track "Como la Flor", the crowd-pleasure "¿Qué Creías?", and Selena's ode to guitarist Chris Pérez, "Ámame". Two of the most popular singles, "La Carcacha" received critical acclaim for its quintessential representation of Selena's style, while "Como la Flor" burgeoned as Selena's signature song and her "trademark", serving as both her posthumous epithet and swan song. The song's ubiquity has enshrined it among her most esteemed works, solidifying its stature within the Texas musical canon and rendering it one of the most renowned songs recorded by an artist of Mexican descent in the United States. The preponderance of contemporary reviews lauded Entre a Mi Mundo, conferring widespread critical acclamation. Music critics discerned the album as Selena's "breakthrough album". Selena promulgated Entre a Mi Mundo through an array of performances and public engagements. In July 1992, EMI Latin president José Behar organized a press tour for Selena in Monterrey, Mexico, attracting a multitude of Mexican entertainment journalists. Despite initial concerns about her limited Spanish proficiency and the perception of Tejanos in Mexico, Selena's approachable demeanor won over the press, who labeled her "an artist of the people". EMI Latin capitalized on the growing popularity of "¿Qué Creías?" and Entre a Mi Mundo, leading to several concert bookings in Mexico. Amid a concert in Monterrey, a sudden influx of attendees precipitated an exigent evacuation of the ensemble to sequester in the tour bus. Selena ultimately re-emerged on stage, entreating tranquility to enable the band to resume their performance. This occurrence was later portrayed in the 1997 biopic about Selena, starring Jennifer Lopez. Analogously, Selena's participation in Veronica Castro's Y Vero América ¡Va!, broadcast throughout Latin America, was subsequently depicted in Netflix's two-part limited drama Selena: The Series (2020–21), starring Christian Serratos. At the 1993 Lo Nuestro Awards, Selena shared the accolade for Best Regional Mexican Album for Entre a Mi Mundo with La Mafia's Estas Tocando Fuego, while the album procured Album of the Year — Orchestra at the 1993 Tejano Music Awards. Entre a Mi Mundo peaked at number one on the US Billboard Regional Mexican Albums chart, for eight consecutive months. Critics praised the achievement while Entre a Mi Mundo ended 1993 as the best-selling Regional Mexican Album in the US. The album shattered the record for the longest stay at number one by a female Tejano artist, and it became the inaugural album by a Tejano woman to exceed sales milestones of 100,000, 200,000, and 300,000 units. Entre a Mi Mundo became the second all-time best-selling regional Mexican album in the US since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991. On March 31, 1995, Selena was murdered and Entre a Mi Mundo re-entered the Top Latin Albums and Regional Mexican Albums chart at the fourth position, superseded solely by other Selena releases. It eventually peaked at number 91 on the US Billboard 200 chart. By 1997, Entre a Mi Mundo had amassed 385,000 units in Mexico, marking the highest sales figure by a female Tejano artist within the country. In 2017, Entre a Mi Mundo was certified Diamond (Latin) by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) denoting 600,000 album-equivalent units sold in the US. As of 2018, Entre a Mi Mundo has garnered a cumulative sales total of 1,000,000 copies across the US and Mexico. ## Production and development In 1988, Chris Pérez replaced Roger Garcia as the guitarist of Selena y Los Dinos. Pérez developed an admiration for the ensemble subsequent to experiencing their album Preciosa (1988), becoming particularly enamored with A. B. Quintanilla's musical production. Pérez elected to join Selena y Los Dinos, and abandoned his recently formed rock band. In 1990, Pérez temporarily departed the group, leading to Joe Ortega's recruitment. However, upon his wife's insistence, Ortega relinquished his position after their marriage, resulting in Pérez's return to the ensemble in the summer of 1991. Initially, Abraham Quintanilla—the group's manager and father of A. B., drummer Suzette Quintanilla, and Selena—dismissed Pérez, perceiving him as more of a rocker and deeming him ill-suited for a Tejano band. Writing for People magazine, Betty Cortina asserted that Pérez contradicted Abraham's "clean cut good kids" image. A. B. convinced Abraham that Pérez was proficient in performing Tejano music, maintaining that Pérez's rocker image was innocuous. In 1989, EMI Latin hesitated to let A. B. maintain his role as the group's producer. However, given the uncertainty of the genre's future, the company acquiesced, allowing A. B. to stay on as producer but cautioning that failure would result in his replacement by a company-approved candidate. After Selena's 1989 self-titled album surpassed the performance of other female Tejano artists' releases, A. B. secured his position. The group's second studio album, Ven Conmigo (1990), achieved a top-five ranking on the United States Billboard Regional Mexican Albums chart. Consequently, EMI Latin, bolstered by this and other albums from Tejano artists, became the second most successful regional label in the nation. The company's mission for Selena's next album was to expand the singer's popularity within the Latin music market in the US. Pérez was taken back at the group's work ethic throughout the entire production of Entre a Mi Mundo, which was the inaugural album on which he collaborated with the ensemble. During pre-production, keyboardist Ricky Vela would sequence the music—Pérez was taken aback by the emphasis placed on this aspect—while A. B. would collaborate with Vela to resolve any technical issues they encountered and select the compositions for Selena's recording. EMI Latin hired Argentine producer Bebu Silvetti to assist A. B. during the production of Entre a Mi Mundo. The group would convene at A. B.'s residence during pre-production to refine their musical elements, while Selena familiarized herself with the songs chosen by A. B. Pérez marveled at Selena's ability to learn songs autonomously. He observed this consistency during the production of Entre a Mi Mundo, where Selena would enter the studio and "add so much personality and liveliness to the song", which he believed facilitated listeners' connection to the recording. Vela also praised Selena's capacity to promptly comprehend the phrasing, the significance, and the essence of what the song aimed to convey, likening it to a cinematic performance. Pérez revealed that during production, Vela would be present from the onset of each recording day until its conclusion to address any issues that emerged as he was the individual to rectify them. Vela noted that during post-production, the band would frequently desire to modify a particular verse or lyric at the last minute; Selena would then arrive, incorporating her distinct musical flair to those adjustments and elevating the piece beyond its original intent. ## Writing and recording The recording of Entre a Mi Mundo transpired at the San Antonio studio owned by Tejano music producer Manny Guerra, with Brian "Red" Moore, Guerra's in-house music engineer, supervising the process as A. B. assumed the roles of producer and arranger, directing the operation. The writing process commenced in early 1991. During the selection of tracks, Vela presented A. B. with multiple songs he had penned, including an incomplete piece titled "Si La Quieres". Though the song consisted merely of fragments, A. B. appreciated its existing chorus. Vela drafted a verse that failed to captivate A. B., compelling him to spend hours crafting verses and melodies until the unrequited love theme for the song garnered approval. In 1982, within the band's first year as a group, A. B. noticed a family selling illuminated plastic flowers at a Sacramento concert and resolved to compose a song about a flower someday. A decade later, while showering at a Bryan, Texas hotel, a catchy melody struck him, prompting him to hastily exit the shower and collaborate with Pete Astudillo on the song. Assembling the music required 20 minutes, while Astudillo spent an additional hour penning the lyrics for "Como la Flor". Vela admitted to utilizing a thesaurus and dictionary to compete with Astudillo when composing "Yo Te Sigo Queriendo". Astudillo's collaborative efforts persisted with "¿Qué Creias?", a track conceived in the back seat of a car during a challenge from A. B. to create a song before the band's arrival in Las Vegas from their concert in California. Tejano artist David Lee Garza contributed his emotive accordion style to the piece. A. B. penned "La Carcacha" after he and keyboardist Joe Ojeda encountered a dilapidated vehicle at a Uvalde, Texas restaurant. When A. B. inquired about the Spanish term for a broken-down car, Ojeda supplied the word "carcacha". A. B. spent six months developing the song, inspired by an incident where, after collecting food in his newly acquired BMW, he grew irritated by a worker's incessant questions about the car and eavesdropped on a woman expressing her desire to date the car's owner. Astudillo became aware of A. B.'s concept for "La Carcacha" after a friend of Selena mocked a couple for arriving at a dance in their battered vehicle in Eagle Pass, Texas. Astudillo aspired to craft lyrics centered around a woman devoid of materialistic inclinations, whose acquaintances may deride her and engage in mockery, yet she remains unperturbed by her partner's possession of a battered car, showing that the paramount sentiment is the significance of love. The album's sole English-language track, "Missing My Baby", was composed and recorded to highlight Selena's multifaceted musical abilities and enrich the album's assortment of musical genres. Selena aspired to include an English-language song on the album, believing it would persuade EMI Records of her readiness to release a crossover album. A. B. spent a week crafting "Missing My Baby", which was recorded three weeks later in late 1991 in Sun Valley, Los Angeles. The record company sought to have R&B duo Full Force create a remixed rendition of the track. A. B. and Selena convened with the duo at Full Force's Brooklyn recording studio, whereupon the group consented to contribute backing vocals, which they recorded within two days. Pérez and Selena began dating after confessing their mutual affection, despite her father's disapproval. In response to her feelings for Pérez and their covert liaison, Selena created "Ámame", enlisting Astudillo's help with the lyrics. Abraham described Selena's commitment to recording the song as her investing "every ounce of energy" into it. ## Composition At the time of its release, Entre a Mi Mundo showcased the band's most inventive auditory landscape. The group's diverse backgrounds contributed to the album's eclectic influences; Vela devised songs with intricate arrangements, Pérez infused rock and roll, Ojeda integrated "traditional street music", Astudillo introduced sophisticated lyrics and melodies with numerous chords, A. B. further refined his production skills, and Selena imbued her music with soul and adaptability. The album featured a multifaceted musical style, a formula that evidently succeeded, according to Patoski. According to Joey Guerra of the Houston Chronicle, the band demonstrated profound reverence for the various genres they modernized on the album. Entre a Mi Mundo encapsulated Selena's quintessential sound, characterized by engaging tunes harmonized with her distinctive, plaintive vocals and a relaxed, danceable cumbia beat, as noted by Leila Cobo. Entre a Mi Mundo is primarily a Tejano cumbia album. The recording encompassed a wide range of musical influences, including power-pop, synth-driven Tejano cumbia, traditional Tejano, R&B, disco, rock, and funk music. Selena's biographer, Joe Nick Patoski, described "La Carcacha" as an exemplary piece of contemporary music, characterized by its dynamic cumbia rhythm accentuated by call-and-response chants, exuberant shouts, whistles, and Pérez's guitar fills. The song showcases Selena's "mesmerizing snake-charmer vocals"; oscillating between exhilarating and impassioned growls, as she awaits her lover's arrival in his ramshackle vehicle. The narrative encapsulates a story of love amidst adversity, a theme with which A. B. "knew well". Selena frequently recorded songs depicting experiences she had not personally encountered, as with "La Carcacha", which delves into themes of "barrio teen romance". Tejano music often suffered from simplistic and generic lyrical content; however, A. B. and Astudillo overcame this stereotype by crafting songs such as "La Carcacha" that rendered vibrant depictions of life in the barrio. Ramiro Burr asserted that Selena imbued her music with more emotion and soul in "La Carcacha". Burr, acknowledging A. B.'s significantly enhanced songwriting, noted that the band drew inspiration from sax-cumbia singer Fito Olivares when they recorded "La Carcacha", praising the song as a "marvelous [and] "danceable cumbia" track. A. B. initially requested Pérez to perform "Las Cadenas" in a rock style but later opted for a conjunto (small band) style. Pérez was nevertheless delighted to record the song, as the conjunto nature evoked childhood nostalgia. He also believed that Selena's vocals would complement the song—a conjunto track about an exuberant protagonist regaining control of her life after feeling confined in a relationship. Incorporating the squeezebox, Mario Tarradell of The Dallas Morning News deemed the song well-crafted, catchy, and skillfully executed. The ranchera track "¿Qué Creias?" portrays a woman indignantly confronting her lover, reminding female listeners of the tendency for men to take them for granted. The "spirited mariachi kiss-off anthem", chronicles an unrepentant woman who declines to reconcile with an unfaithful partner. Patoski perceived "¿Qué Creias?" as an anomaly in Selena's cumbia repertoire, noting its characteristics of traditional mariachi and bordering on "an outright theft." He further emphasized the song's demonstration of her unrestrained vocal range and forceful delivery of lyrics, reminiscent of Lucha Villa's gritty passion, characterizing it as brimming with sass and fire. Selena, in describing the song, avers that it embodies women on a collective scale. The lyrics in "Como la Flor" describe a woman witnessing her former lover with another and accepting the need to move forward, wishing them well and comparing her past relationship to a withered flower. Selena portrays a hopeless romantic who finds solace in being able to say that she had loved, even if it meant losing the relationship. According to Erika Ramirez of Billboard, Selena's performance of "Como la Flor" and "No Me Queda Más" (1994) was so passionate and devoted that it left listeners feeling either nostalgic or transported to a fantasy world. Pérez describes the lyrics as "aching", while Wallace finds them plaintive, bringing even "the toughest hombres" to tears. Scholar Deborah Parédez characterizes the lyrics as self-abnegating after an unsuccessful relationship, in stark contrast to the themes of typical cumbia, salsa, and dance songs in Latin music; its lyrics more closely resemble those of pop music. During Selena's emotional proclamations of unrequited love, "Como la Flor" exerts a "tensive pull" on the listener. Selena's "teardrop vocals" capture and convey what Roland Barthes referred to as "the grain of Selena's voice". According to Patoski, "Missing My Baby" exemplifies modern pop, while J. R. Reynolds of Billboard perceives it as an enchanting ballad that blends an R&B-infused tune with Selena's distinctive pop vocal style. Tim Baker of Newsweek found it to be avant-garde for its era. Lyrically, "Missing My Baby" delves into a poignant exploration of longing and reminiscence. The song's narrative centers around a protagonist who mourns the absence of her lover, as she nostalgically recalls the idyllic and rapturous moments once shared between them. Jerry Johnston of the Deseret News commented that Selena exhibited a "Lesley Gore baby-voice" in "Missing My Baby" and displayed remarkable vocal agility. The Virginian-Pilot noted that the song's hooks evoke Diana Ross's "Missing You", a tribute to Marvin Gaye, and the Beach Boys' "Good to My Baby". Tarradell suggested that "Missing My Baby" and other tracks were incorporated into Entre a Mi Mundo as a beneficial addition. Guerra discerned impassioned club rhythms within the music of "Ámame". In "Vuelve a Mí", characterized as a polka, expresses Selena's yearning for a former lover to return. In a recitative preamble accompanied by the auditory backdrop of a thunderstorm, Selena remarks that the precipitation evokes memories of the day her lover departed, drawing a parallel between the raindrops and her own tears. ## Release ### Marketing Entre a Mi Mundo preceded Pérez's encounters with law enforcement, his separate involvement in a vandalized hotel room, and his elopement with Selena on April 2, 1992. Upon witnessing Selena and Pérez's intimate interaction on the tour bus, Abraham stopped the vehicle and engaged in a heated dispute with them. He threatened to dissolve the group if the relationship persisted. Selena and Pérez acquiesced; Abraham dismissed Pérez from the band and barred Selena from departing with him. However, the pair secretly continued their relationship. Within hours, the media divulged their elopement, prompting Selena's family to search for her. Abraham initially reacted poorly to the news and distanced himself. He later approached Pérez, offered an apology, accepted the marriage, and reinstated Pérez in the band. In February 1992, EMI Latin enlisted Al Rendon to capture photographs for Entre a Mi Mundo after a previous photographer's images were met with disapproval. Rendon secured a studio and engaged John MacBurney for makeup, despite Abraham's frequent disagreements with MacBurney. MacBurney privately expressed to EMI Latin that Abraham was challenging to work with, yet both Rendon and MacBurney found Selena amenable. Selena selected her outfit and pose for the cover image, choices that visibly perturbed Abraham. Selena had designed the outfit she wore for the artwork. In 1998, the attire she donned for the album cover was displayed at the Selena museum in Corpus Christi, Texas. Entre a Mi Mundo was released in the United States on May 6, 1992. To commemorate Selena's 20th year in the music industry, the album was reissued and made accessible for physical and digital purchase on September 22, 2002. The limited edition featured Selena's duet with Salvadoran singer Álvaro Torres on their 1991 single "Buenos Amigos", a 1989 cover of Air Supply's Russell Hitchcock's solo single "Where Did the Feeling Go?", music videos for "La Carcacha" and "Buenos Amigos", as well as spoken liner notes containing commentary and recollections of each track provided by the singer's family, friends, and band. Entre a Mi Mundo's lead single, "La Carcacha" was released in April and ascended to the top spot on Radio & Records Tejano Singles chart on the week ending May 30, 1992. The song played a pivotal role in propelling Selena to prominence within the Tejano music industry, while it increased Selena's fanbase in Mexico. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has certified "La Carcacha" triple Platinum (Latin), denoting 180,000 units consisting of sales and on-demand streaming in the US. "Como la Flor" was released as the second single in June 1992. It peaked at number six on the US Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart for the week ending October 24, 1992. Suzette Fernandez of Billboard stated that the song was Selena's first commercially successful single in the US and that it had made a statement in her musical career. The success of "Como la Flor" boosted sales of Entre a Mi Mundo. "Como la Flor" was the most-played song on Tejano radio stations in Texas, according to a survey conducted by the Austin American-Statesman. The song was also one of the most-played tracks on radio stations in Houston, Dallas, and San Francisco. The song finished 1992 as the 31st-best-performing song on the Hot Latin Songs chart while topping indie music charts in Texas. In July 1992, EMI Latin president José Behar organized a high-profile press tour for Selena in Monterrey, Mexico, attracting a significant number of Mexican entertainment journalists. Despite initial challenges due to Selena's limited Spanish proficiency and the perception of Tejanos in Mexico, the growing popularity of "¿Qué Creías?" and Entre a Mi Mundo helped Selena connect with the Mexican press and audiences. As a result, "Como la Flor" climbed the Mexican Grupera chart, becoming one of the most-played songs on Mexican radio stations in 1992 and early 1993. "Como la Flor" became one of the most popular songs recorded by an artist of Mexican descent in the US. It is widely considered to be Selena's signature song and her "trademark", "Como la Flor" has become a posthumous epithet and swan song, as well as her most popular recording. This was a surprise, according to Red, because the group believed "La Carcacha" would have been the most successful song off of Entre a Mi Mundo. "Como la Flor" and "La Carcacha" marked Selena's career and cemented her in the public conscious. The RIAA has certified "Como la Flor" 9× Platinum (Latin), denoting 540,000 units consisting of sales and on-demand streaming in the US. "¿Qué Creías?" entered at number 38 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart on the week ending November 28, 1992. It peaked at number 14 on the issue dated February 6, 1993. The song was certified gold (Latin) by the RIAA, signifying 30,000 units consisted of sales and on-demand streaming. "Ámame" debuted at number 40 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart on the week ending April 24, 1993. "Ámame" peaked at number 27 on the Hot Latin Songs chart in the week ending May 22, 1993. The recording was the third-highest charting Tejano single on the Hot Latin Songs chart for the week, following La Mafia's chart-topper "Me Estoy Enamorado" and Mazz "¿Qué Será?" at number 17. Songs on the album became the first recording by a Tejano singer to achieve massive radio airplay. Selena, alongside Bronco, La Mafia, and Liberación, became one of the most-played artists on Mexican radio stations in 1992. ### Performances By 1992, Selena's appearances in Corpus Christi, Texas, have been sell-outs. Within the initial week of Entre a Mi Mundo's release, Selena performed at Caesar's Palace during the 1992 Premio Lo Nuestro on May 14. She also "captivated" attendees at the Los Angeles Fiesta Broadway, the largest Cinco de Mayo celebration in the US, according to biographer Himilce Novas. In June, Selena made her debut appearance on the Orale Primo music program. In October, she headlined a benefit concert in Houston for victims of Hurricane Andrew, drawing a crowd of 21,000, with proceeds directed toward aiding those affected in Florida. In December, Más, a celebrity magazine targeting the Hispanic market, featured a cover story on Selena. Photographer John Dyer recounted Selena's active involvement in the entire photoshoot, highlighting her amicable demeanor. However, he noted that Selena insisted on a specific style for her eyebrows, fearing her father's disapproval if changed, and found that she "wasn't cynical, standoffish, or haughty; not what'd expect from someone of her stature." At the 1993 Houston Astrodome, Selena performed to a crowd of 57,894 attendees, breaking the matinee record set by La Mafia and Texas Tornados in 1992, and received critical acclaim for her performance. Selena performed at the annual Cinco de Mayo celebration in Fort Worth's Marine Park, attracting an estimated 26,000 attendees. Writing in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Elizabeth Campbell lauded Selena's performance who consistently danced across the stage, acknowledging her fans, and believed the standout moment during the show was when Selena and A. B., performed a duet to "Ven Conmigo" (1990). Campbell wrote how Selena received thunderous applause when she performed "Como la Flor", while contributor Thomas Korosec, noted that people lined up that day, had stretched nearly a city block shortly before Selena went on stage. Subsequent to her July 1992 Mexico press conference, Selena "played her cards right" earning accolades from Mexican newspapers as "an artist of the people". Her refreshing presence diverged from the typical fair-skinned, blond-haired, and green-eyed Mexican telenovela actors. As a result, she secured bookings for numerous concerts throughout Mexico, including a critically acclaimed performance at Festival Acapulco in May 1993, where Patoski dubbed her "the only and absolute queen of the festival." Selena's concert at La Feria de Nuevo León on September 17, 1993, drew 70,000 attendees, and her return on October 5 solidified her status as the preeminent Tejano act in Mexico. In that same month, she appeared on Siempre en Domingo, which helped increased her popularity, as did her subsequent appearance on Veronica Castro's Y Vero América ¡Va!, which was shown throughout Latin America through Televisa. Writing for Vogue México y Latinoamérica, Esteban Villaseñor felt that Selena displayed "charisma, genuineness and talent" during her appearance on Castro's show. During a performance in Monterrey, a sudden surge of attendees prompted Abraham to order everyone to hide in the tour bus, as he tried unsuccessfully to pacify the unruly crowd. Selena eventually returned to the stage, appealing for calm so the band could continue performing. Pérez described the concert as attended by "tens of thousands", and noted "the craziest, the most zealous fans" the band had were in Mexico. This incident was dramatized by Jennifer Lopez, who played Selena, in the 1997 Warner Bros. biopic about the singer. Oscar Flores, the band's Mexican tour manager, advised Selena and Pérez to conceal their marriage to preserve Selena's image. Despite their reluctance, they complied, believing Flores and Abraham were acting in their best interest. However, Selena eventually resolved to be truthful about her marriage in October 1993. In one instance, as she introduced Pérez as her husband, the crowd jeered, to which she responded that if she were married to one of them, they wouldn't boo. The crowd subsequently erupted in laughter and applause. ## Commercial performance Entre a Mi Mundo sold 50,000 units in pre-sale copies, and made its debut at number nine on the US Billboard Regional Mexican Albums chart for the week ending June 13, 1992. Tejano music columnist, Rene Cabrera, described the album's Billboard debut as having ascended the chart with "soaring" momentum. On September 5, 1992, it peaked at number one, supplanting La Mafia's Estas Tocando Fuego. Cabrera regarded the event as a remarkable accomplishment, observing that Selena unseated La Mafia, one of the preeminent Tejano groups. He remarked on the distinctiveness of Selena within the Tejano music landscape, asserting that she is the foremost female artist in the genre. The album maintained the number one position for eight consecutive months, effectively preventing international artists Vicente Fernandez, Ana Gabriel, and Bronco from claiming the chart's apex. Writing for El Paso Times, Pifas Silva identified Selena as one of the genre's most commercially successful artists in the US. Regarding her success on the Billboard charts and in record sales, Selena expressed her astonishment, noting that the sustained presence on the charts likely indicated a continued interest in purchasing her album. Entre a Mi Mundo finished 1992 as the sixth best-selling US Regional Mexican Album. On July 10, 1993, the album made its entrance at number 10 on the newly established US Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. It ended 1993 as the best-selling US regional Mexican album. In a 1992 recap, Entre a Mi Mundo contributed to the surpassing sales of the genre's "classic days" of the 1970s. The album became the first recording by a female Tejano singer to reach sales of 100,000, 200,000 units (December 1992), and 300,000 units by December 1993. Entre a Mi Mundo outperformed any prior female Tejano singer in terms of sales. and became the second all-time best-selling regional Mexican album in the US since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991. Entre a Mi Mundo became the first album by a Tejano woman to outsell men in the genre. Entre a Mi Mundo reached sales of 385,000 units by April 1994, and sold 200,000 units in Mexico. Entre a Mi Mundo spent at number one on the Regional Mexican Albums chart for 36 consecutive weeks by May 1993, breaking the record for most weeks at number one by a female Tejano artist. On March 31, 1995, Selena was shot and killed. Media attention had helped increased sales of Entre a Mi Mundo as well as her back catalogue. Record stores were unable to meet demand, and as a result, EMI Latin increased the production of the singer's albums at their Los Angeles, California, and Greensboro, North Carolina plants. It was the fifth best-selling Latin album in southern California in the days following her death. Entre a Mi Mundo and Amor Prohibido (1994), rose 1,250% in sales in the eight weeks following her murder. Entre a Mi Mundo re-entered the Top Latin Albums chart, peaking at number four, all behind other Selena releases. It debuted at number 179 on the Billboard 200, and peaked at number 97 on May 6, 1995. In June, the album was certified Gold by the RIAA, for shipping 500,000 units in the country. It ended 1995 as the seventh best-selling US Latin album, while it was the fourth best-selling US Regional Mexican album, behind other releases by Selena. By 1997, Entre a Mi Mundo had sold 385,000 units in Mexico, the most sold by a female Tejano artist in the country. As of November 2017, Entre a Mi Mundo has been certified Diamond (Latin), denoting 600,000 album-equivalent units sold in the US. As of 2018, Entre a Mi Mundo has sold a combined 1,000,000 copies in the US and Mexico. ## Critical reception ### Reviews The preponderance of contemporary reviews lauded the album, bestowing widespread critical acclaim. Music critics identified the record as Selena's "breakthrough album", that catapulted her popularity to unprecedented heights across the United States and Mexico. Entre a Mi Mundo was Selena's "coming of age" album, along with its successor Amor Prohibido. Isabelia Herrera of Pitchfork opined that Entre a Mi Mundo helped dispel skepticism, from those who cast aspersions on Tejano music who deemed it excessively antiquated, blue-collar, or catering excessively to non-Latino audiences, by contemporizing the genre's conventions while upholding its loyalty to the working-class. Frida Garza of Texas Monthly felt that the album's release provided audiences invitation to enter the singer's world, as the title implies. Tim Baker in Newsweek believed Selena made a significant advancement from Ven Conmigo to Entre a Mi Mundo. He opined that Entre a Mi Mundo unveiled Selena's ability to adeptly encompass an extensive array of styles within a single endeavor, though retaining its foundation in Latin pop. Baker asserted that Entre a Mi Mundo mirrors its dramatic roots through emotionally evocative compositions and an emergent penchant for experimentation. Fiona Ortiz in The Oregonian said that Selena had "cranked the volume up" on Entre a Mi Mundo. Joe Galván, writing in Texas Monthly, wrote how he devoted months to repeatedly listening to the album and was captivated by the agile keyboard foundations of the songs on the album. Cabrera called it a "barn-burner" recording. Bruce Tomaso of The Dallas Morning News attributed Selena's appeal to a "sizable audience" to her distinct Tejano pop and vocal prowess. Ramiro Burr from the San Antonio Express-News opined that Entre a Mi Mundo fortified the "Selena juggernaut", and felt her vocal technique, which he believed to be a fusion of Gloria Estefan's emotive tremors and Debbie Gibson's youthful timbre, has enhanced in scope and profundity. Guerra expressed how he was instantly captivated by "Selena's brand" of Tejano music and deemed the album a "diverse collection", attributing the singer's "transformation into a Latin music icon" to the record. Guerra felt that Entre a Mi Mundo contained more pop influences as Selena demonstrated growth as a singer and adeptness in interpreting songs on the album, while it became a milestone for the singer, that has retained its innovative sound well into the 21st century. David Browne, an editor for Entertainment Weekly, characterized the album as a "tentative potpourri of both modern and traditional styles". According to Jeremy Simmonds in his book The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars (2012), songs in Entre a Mi Mundo could be perceived as rather unremarkable in nature. Domino Renee Perez, writing in the Houston Chronicle, posited that Entre a Mi Mundo "[served] as a gateway" for Selena's subsequent releases. Entre a Mi Mundo brought in pop fans unfamiliar with Tejano music. According to Tarradell, Selena successfully fulfilled her potential in the album, which was designed to present her to a global audience. Tarradell concurred that the album marked Selena's foray into the Latin pop music market and served as a "star-making turn" for the solo artist. Entre a Mi Mundo made Selena "a superstar", and is featured on The History of Texas Music's recommended listen list. ### Accolades At the 1993 Lo Nuestro Awards, Selena tied with La Mafia's Estas Tocando Fuego for Best Regional Mexican Album for Entre a Mi Mundo. At the awards ceremony, "Como la Flor" won Regional Mexican Song of the Year. At the 1993 Tejano Music Awards, "Como la Flor" was nominated for Song of the Year but was dropped during preliminaries, which was considered a surprise according to Cabrera, who expected Selena to win the category. "La Carcacha" was nominated for Single of the Year, but was too, dropped. Selena's duet with Astudillo on "Siempre Estoy Pensando En Ti" was nominated for Vocal Duo of the Year. Entre a Mi Mundo won Album of the Year — Orchestra, and Selena was awarded Female Vocalist and Female Entertainer of the Year, which she had done the previous year as well. ## Track listing Credits adapted from the liner notes of Entre a Mi Mundo, while all songs featured on the album were produced by A. B. Quintanilla unless specified. ## Credits and personnel Credits adapted from the liner notes of Entre a Mi Mundo. Vocal credits - Selena – vocals, background vocals, composer - Pete Astudillo – background vocals - A.B. Quintanilla – background vocals Visuals and imagery - Suzette Quintanilla – stylist - Al Rendon – photography - Lisette Lorenzo – art direction - Lisy – artwork and design - Ramon Hernandez – re-issue photography Instruments - Suzette Quintanilla – drums - Chris Pérez – electric guitar - A.B. Quintanilla – bass guitar - Joe Ojeda – keyboards - Ricky Vela – keyboards - David Lee Garza – accordion - Manny Guerra – accordion - Joel Guzman – trumpet - Rodney B. – guitar Technical and production credits - A. B. Quintanilla – composer, executive producer, programmer, mixer, arranger - Ricky Vela – composer, programmer - Jorge A. Pino – re-issue executive producer - Brian "Red" Moore – engineering - Nir Seroussi – editor - Guillermo J. Page – reissue producer - Manny Guerra – engineer - Suzette Quintanilla – spoken liner notes producer ## Charts ### Weekly charts ### All-time charts ### Year-end charts ## Certifications and sales ## See also - 1992 in Latin music - Selena albums discography - Latin American music in the United States - Billboard Regional Mexican Albums Year-end Chart, 1990s - List of number-one Billboard Regional Mexican Albums of 1992 - List of number-one Billboard Regional Mexican Albums of 1993 - Women in Latin music

Hurricane Emily (1987)

Category 3 Atlantic hurricane in 1987

Hurricane Emily was a powerful tropical cyclone that struck Hispaniola in September 1987. It was the first hurricane in the Caribbean Sea since Hurricane Katrina of 1981 and had the second-fastest forward speed of a 20th-century hurricane, behind only the 1938 New England hurricane. The twelfth tropical cyclone, fifth named storm, second hurricane, and only major hurricane to develop during the below-average 1987 Atlantic hurricane season, Emily formed out of a tropical disturbance that moved off the west coast of Africa on September 20, the storm quickly attained hurricane status before undergoing rapid intensification. On September 22. The storm attained its peak intensity with winds of 125 mph (201 km/h) and a barometric pressure of 958 mbar (hPa; 28.29 inHg) later that day. The storm weakened to Category 2 status before making landfall in the Dominican Republic. After weakening to a tropical storm, Emily rapidly tracked northeastward through the Atlantic Ocean, undergoing a second phase of rapid intensification before passing directly over Bermuda on September 25. The following day the final public advisory from the National Hurricane Center was issued on the storm as it transitioned into an extratropical cyclone. Hurricane Emily brought heavy rains and strong winds in the Windward Islands on September 21, leaving numerous homes damaged and severe losses in the banana industry. Losses throughout the islands amounted to \$291,000. In the Dominican Republic, despite the storm's high intensity, relatively moderate damage occurred. Three people were killed by the storm and damages amounted to \$30 million. Unexpected intensification of the storm led to severe impact in Bermuda. Overall, the storm caused over \$80 million in damages, killed 3, and injured 16 people. ## Meteorological history Hurricane Emily originated out of a tropical disturbance, associated with the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), that moved off the west coast of Africa on September 13. Tracking westward at a low latitude, the system fluctuated in organization, with the development and weakening of deep convection and weak outflow for several days. By September 18, the disturbance entered a region where there was sinking air, an inhibiting factor of tropical cyclone development. Two days later, the system separated from the ITCZ and quickly developed into a tropical depression, the twelfth of the season, while located about 605 miles (974 kilometers) southeast of Barbados. Gradual intensification took place throughout September 20, attaining the status of tropical storm by 1800 UTC and received the name Emily. The storm tracked in a general west-northwest direction around the edge of a strong subtropical ridge. By 1200 UTC on September 21, the center of Emily passed directly over St. Vincent with winds of 50 mph (80 km/h). Situated underneath an anticyclone, rapid intensification took place as the storm quickly tracked towards Hispaniola. In the 24-hour span between 1800 UTC on September 21 and 1800 UTC on September 22, the central barometric pressure of the storm dropped 44 mbar (hPa) to 958 mbar (hPa; 28.29 inHg) and winds increased to 125 mph (201 km/h), equivalent to a high-end Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale. At the time of peak intensity, the hurricane hunters recorded flight-level winds of 155 mph (249 km/h). Slight weakening took place late on September 22 and early on September 23 as the hurricane neared landfall. Around 0300 UTC, the eye of Emily tracked onshore between Barahona and Bani, Dominican Republic as a strong Category 2 hurricane with winds of 110 mph (180 km/h). Within 12 hours of landfall, the hurricane weakened to a tropical storm and had emerged into the Atlantic Ocean near Haiti with winds of 65 mph (105 km/h). The storm significantly slowed while tracking through the eastern Bahamas as a quasi-stationary frontal system influenced Emily. Moving generally towards the north, the center of circulation passed very close to Inagua and Mayaguana on September 24. By midday on September 24, the system became embedded within the mid-latitude westerlies and rapidly accelerated towards the northeast. The National Hurricane Center anticipated that Emily would undergo an extratropical transition within 24 hours at this point as they forecast it to merge with the frontal system to the northeast. However, the storm unexpectedly underwent a second phase of rapid intensification on September 25, at one point reaching the rate of explosive intensification with the central pressure decreasing at 2.5 mbar per hour. By 0600 UTC, Emily had re-attained hurricane intensity and at 1145 UTC, the center passed directly over Bermuda with winds of 85 mph (137 km/h). Soon after, the storm reached its secondary peak intensity with winds of 90 mph (140 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 974 mbar (hPa; 28.76 inHg). Hurricane Emily continued tracking northeast throughout September 25 into the following day with increasing speed. By late on September 25, the forward motion of the storm had reached 50 mph (80 km/h). The storm now began to undergo an extratropical transition with forward speed peaking at 68 mph (109 km/h), the second-highest forward motion ever recorded in a tropical cyclone. Interacting with a baroclinic zone, the hurricane completed its transition at 1800 UTC on September 26, resulting in the issuance of the final advisory on the storm. ## Preparations As Tropical Storm Emily quickly approached the Windward Islands on September 21, a tropical storm warning was issued for Grenada, Barbados, St. Vincent and St. Lucia. A tropical storm watch was also declared for Martinique. As the storm tracked through the islands, all watches and warnings were discontinued later that day. Early on September 22, a hurricane warning was issued for the southern coast of the Dominican Republic and southern Haiti, including the southwestern peninsula. Upon attaining major hurricane status, a hurricane warning was declared for northern Haiti as the storm was anticipated to maintain hurricane intensity through landfall. Later that day, a hurricane watch was issued for the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. This watch was later upgraded to a warning as the storm was expected to regain intensity over the Bahamas. Following the anticipation of a more westerly track on September 23, a hurricane watch was issued for the northwestern Bahamas, later superseded by a warning, and a hurricane warning was declared for eastern Cuba. Early on September 24, all watches and warnings for the Caribbean Islands, including the Bahamas, were discontinued as Emily moved out over the Atlantic Ocean. On September 25, a special advisory was issued for Bermuda as tropical storm-force winds were likely to impact the island. Following the unexpected intensification, another special advisory was issued stating that hurricane-force winds would impact the island during the day on September 25. This advisory was discontinued following the storms' passage later that day. Throughout the Windward Islands, schools and businesses were closed ahead of the storm. In the Dominican Republic, roughly 6,000 people were evacuated from Santo Domingo ahead of the storm. Although the storm never tracked towards Florida, state officials advised residents to prepare for the storm. Officials were in the "awareness stage" of hurricane preparation as they were discussing the possibility of impact from Emily. In the Turks and Caicos, residents were evacuated from low-lying areas to shelters throughout the islands. On September 25, the Canadian Hurricane Centre issued its first information bulletin ever related to a tropical cyclone as Emily was moving into Canadian offshore waters. The agency was created less than a month earlier, and warned for the potential of heavy rainfall and strong winds in the ocean southeast of Newfoundland. ## Impact and aftermath Tracking through the Lesser Antilles as a tropical storm, Emily brought heavy rains to several islands. In Barbados, high winds caused widespread roof damage and downed trees and power lines; losses on the island reached \$100,000. On St. Vincent, the banana industry sustained severe losses, with roughly 70% of the crop destroyed. Schools throughout the island were closed prior and during the storm. Up to 3 in (76 mm) of rain fell within six hours on the island, causing flooding that forced eight families to evacuate their homes. Damage on the island amounted to \$191,000, mainly from landslides. The outer bands of Emily produced moderate rainfall across portions of southwest Puerto Rico, peaking at 4.63 in (118 mm). In the Dominican Republic, Emily's heavy rains caused widespread mudslides, killing two people. Another person was killed after stepping on a downed power line. An estimated 5,000 people were left homeless in the aftermath of the storm. Upwards of 4.59 in (117 mm) of rain fell during the storm in the Dominican Republic. The farming industry was impacted particularly hard, with \$30 million in losses occurring. Following the storm, hundreds of volunteers in the Dominican Republic assisted evacuees in shelters and helped officials clean up the affected areas. The Red Cross was also deployed to the region to assist those left homeless by the storm. In all, Emily caused \$80.3 million in damage and killed three people. Although Emily passed over Haiti, it produced little damage and no loss of life. The lack of fatalities was linked to the amount of forest remaining over the mountains of the country, estimated at 25% of their original size, compared to the 1.4% remaining in 2004. In the Bahamas, Emily produced winds up to 60 mph (97 km/h) along with rainfall up to 1.35 in (34 mm). The storm was not expected to be strong when it passed Bermuda. Worse still, most Bermudians were unaware the storm had accelerated and covered a considerable distance overnight, and with no obvious signs of the imminence of its arrival, set off to work or school without making any preparations to protect their homes. Similarly to the 1926 Havana–Bermuda hurricane, the islanders were caught completely off guard by the 90 mph (140 km/h) winds. Cars and boats were affected the most. Wooden accommodation blocks on the United States Naval Air Station Bermuda were destroyed, but the tough building standards and the heavy masonry or concrete construction of buildings outside of the US bases meant that only a small number of houses experienced severe damage during the storm's passage. Bermudian roofs are constructed from heavy limestone slates. Bermudian houses are generally windproof, but are vulnerable to roof damage when the outside air pressure drops in the eye of a cyclonic storm and the expanding air inside a sealed house lifts the roof. The heavy limestone roofs are not easily moved, and are designed to shed slates, opening only a small breach instead of losing the entire roof. As a hurricane approaches, Bermudians close windows and storm shutters on the windward side but leave the leeward side windows open, allowing interior air pressure to rapidly equalise with the exterior without damage to the roof. As Bermudians would normally stay at home during a hurricane, once the storm centre had passed over, they would open the previously windward windows and close those on the opposite side (there is also a considerable difference in exterior air pressure between the windward and leeward sides of a house during a storm). As few were at home when the storm struck, and most had left all of their windows closed and locked, a great many homes suffered minor roof damage in the form of lost slates. This caused considerable difficulty as there were not enough roofers and not enough ready slate to quickly repair the damage, and also not enough tarpaulins either already in possession of home owners are in stock at hardware stores and supplies had to be specially flown in. Hurricane Emily, which Bermudians dubbed "The B\*\*\*\*h that came to breakfast", caused \$50 million in damage to the island, though no one was killed. About 230 buildings lost their roofs and 16 people were injured due to winds gusting in excess of 112 mph (180 km/h). The United States Naval Air Station Bermuda, where buildings were not constructed to local standards, suffered the greatest damage. An air show had to be cancelled and the Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron evacuated, though their Lockheed C-130 Hercules had to be left behind, sheltering in a hangar in which it did not quite fit. The Civil Air Terminal at the air station lost a large portion of its roof during the storm. Several cars and boats were flipped by the storm and a cruise ship carrying 700 people slipped from its moorings. Before the storm's landfall, officials in Bermuda cut power to roughly 90% of the island to protect the power grid. There were also unconfirmed reports of tornadoes associated with the storm. Emily was the strongest hurricane to hit Bermuda since the 1948 season. ## See also - Other storms of the same name - List of Bermuda hurricanes

Thomas Jefferson Park

Public park in Manhattan, New York

Thomas Jefferson Park is a 15.52-acre (6.28 ha) public park in the East Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. The park is on First Avenue between 111th and 114th Streets. It contains a playground as well as facilities for baseball, basketball, football, handball, running, skating, and soccer. The Thomas Jefferson Play Center within the park consists of a recreation center and a pool. The park and play center, named for former U.S. president Thomas Jefferson, are maintained by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation (NYC Parks). The land for the park was acquired starting in 1897. Though the park opened in 1902, the first recreational facilities did not open until 1905. The pool and bathhouse was designed by Stanley C. Brogren during a Works Progress Administration project in 1935–1936, while a playground next to the adjacent Benjamin Franklin High School opened in 1942. The pool was extensively refurbished in 1992, followed by the park in 1994. The Thomas Jefferson Play Center was designated a city landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2007. ## Description Thomas Jefferson Park is in the East Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by 111th Street to the south, First Avenue to the west, 114th Street to the north, and the FDR Drive to the east. Thomas Jefferson Park covers 15.52 acres (6.28 ha). Two paths cross the park from west to east at approximately 112th and 113th Streets, dividing the park roughly into thirds. These pathways contain benches, trees, and cast-iron lamps. The southern pathway contains a steel sculpture, Tomorrow's Wind, by sculptor Mel Edwards. The 13.5-foot-tall (4.1 m) sculpture, installed in 1995 as a site-specific artwork, consists of an oval disk adjacent to a shape resembling a crescent. The northern pathway contains a steel-and-bronze sculpture, El Arbol de Esperanza (Tree of Hope), by L. Brower Hatcher. The 18-foot-tall (5.5 m) work, dedicated in 1995, consists of a tree trunk topped by a globe with bronze figures created by local children. Despite being named for former U.S. president Thomas Jefferson, the park does not have a Jefferson sculpture. ### Recreational facilities Thomas Jefferson Park contains two playgrounds. One is on First Avenue and 111th Street. at the southwestern corner, while the other is at Pleasant Avenue and 114th Street, at the northeastern corner. There are also three baseball fields: two in the southern third of the park, and the third at the eastern boundary of the park's center third. In addition, there are four basketball courts, two each at the northeastern and southeastern corners. The northeastern corner also contains two volleyball and eight handball courts, while the northwestern corner contains a soccer field. A dog run is at the southeast corner of the park. The Thomas Jefferson Pool is in the center third of the park and is oriented west–east, with two pools (formerly three). The main pool measures 100 feet (30 m) wide and 246 feet (75 m) long, with a depth of 4 feet (1.2 m). The wading pool measures 100 feet (30 m) wide and 51 feet (16 m) long. The pool area contains fountains at its western and eastern ends. The main pool contains two water circulation fountains at its center. The diving pool had seven diving boards, of which one was a high board, but when it was converted to a wading pool in 1992, the diving boards were removed. The main and diving pools collectively held 1,080,000 U.S. gallons (4,100,000 L; 900,000 imp gal). An NYC Parks press release from 1936 indicates that, when the pool was completed, there was another wading pool measuring 100 by 60 feet (30 by 18 m). According to contemporary sources, the pools had a capacity of 1,450 swimmers when built, though the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission cites a figure of 2,600 swimmers. The pools are separated by a 10-foot-wide (3.0 m) deck with a wrought-iron fence. North and south of the pool area, there is terrace seating slightly raised above the main deck. ### Recreation center The recreation center, originally the bathhouse, is a "U" shaped brick structure, with a main entrance facing west on First Avenue between 112th and 113th Streets. The main entrance is through a central pavilion that is curved slightly outward. The entrance pavilion consists of a small stoop with ramps on either side. The entrance is 45 feet (14 m) wide and contains four concrete columns supporting the top of the pavilion, where bronze letters with the words thomas jefferson play center are mounted. The central pavilion is enclosed by a glass block wall behind the columns. but was originally open to the outdoors, with only a freestanding ticket booth. Similar glass block walls and columns face east toward the pool. The pavilion is topped by a concrete parapet and string courses. The main entrance is flanked by two "L"-shaped wings, which extend east around the pool area. The northern wing was designed with locker and restroom facilities for women, while the southern wing was designed with facilities for men. The recreation center also contains a fitness room, afterschool room, media lab, and multipurpose room. The outer facades of both wings are grouped into vertical bays. Each bay contains square hopper windows, which only illuminate the top portions of the facade, as well as raised brick swags above the windows. Each bay is separated by stone pilasters topped by stone medallions. The corners of each wing are hexagonal. The pool area has a similar design to the outer facades. Architectural critic Lewis Mumford called the recreation center's design an instance of "sound vernacular modern architecture", but criticized its classical features, which were meant to be a tribute to the park's namesake. The recreation center was also praised for using "simple materials simply disposed". ## History ### Early history The New York City Board of Aldermen first devised plans in 1894 for Thomas Jefferson Park, to be built in Italian Harlem. The city acquired the land for the park starting in 1897. Samuel Parsons was involved with the initial design. An early plan for the park called for an artificial lake and marble cottage to be built in the park. The recreational facilities also included a 200-by-60-foot (61 by 18 m) pier on the nearby Harlem River, which opened in 1899. The development of the park was intended to help Italian Harlem, which the Brooklyn Daily Eagle described as "for many years the black spot of Harlem"; the existing buildings on the park's site were demolished in mid-1899. By the end of that year, the last buildings on the site were being demolished. The last lots, acquired from the Consolidated Gas Company, had been delayed due to disputes over compensation. The park opened on July 12, 1902; at the time, the site was undeveloped, and only nine acres (3.6 ha) of the fifteen-acre (6.1 ha) site was accessible to the public. A \$150,000 contract to construct the park was awarded early the next year. Among the improvements being planned for the park was a classical pavilion. During construction, Thomas Jefferson Park hosted a ceremony in July 1904 where Archbishop John Murphy Farley, with permission from Pope Pius X, approved the Canonical coronation of an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary for the nearby Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. Work on the improvements was completed by February 1905. The recreation facilities in Thomas Jefferson Park opened on October 7, 1905, with a ceremony attended by several thousand people. The park had cost \$3 million to build, or about \$4.46 per square foot (\$48.0/m²). The high cost mostly came from the \$2.7 million cost of land acquisition and was attributed to the existing density of East Harlem. There were initially separate facilities for boys and girls; each had a gymnasium, running track, playground, and shower area. The New York Sun called Thomas Jefferson Park "the first playground in the world that has a running track for girls". There was also a classical-style pavilion. A "farm garden", with over a thousand plots for children, was added in May 1911. The farm gardens, taking up 2 acres (0.81 ha), were used to teach children horticultural skills. A grove of trees, dedicated to veterans killed in World War I, was placed at First Avenue and 113th Street in 1923. By the 1930s, neighborhood children preferred to play in the street rather than at the park. ### Works Progress Administration renovations In 1934, mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia nominated Robert Moses to become commissioner of a unified New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. At the time, the United States was experiencing the Great Depression; immediately after La Guardia won the 1933 election, Moses began to write "a plan for putting 80,000 men to work on 1,700 relief projects". By the time he was in office, several hundred such projects were underway across the city. Moses was especially interested in creating new pools and other bathing facilities, such as those in Jacob Riis Park, Jones Beach, and Orchard Beach. He devised a list of 23 pools around the city, including one at Thomas Jefferson Park. The pools would be built using funds from the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a federal agency created as part of the New Deal to combat the Depression's negative effects. Eleven of these pools were to be designed concurrently and open in 1936. Moses, along with architects Aymar Embury II and Gilmore David Clarke, created a common design for these proposed aquatic centers. Each location was to have distinct pools for diving, swimming, and wading; bleachers and viewing areas; and bathhouses with locker rooms that could be used as gymnasiums. The pools were to have several common features, such as a minimum 55-yard (50 m) length, underwater lighting, heating, filtration, and low-cost construction materials. To fit the requirement for cheap materials, each building would be built using elements of the Streamline Moderne and Classical architectural styles. The buildings would also be near "comfort stations", additional playgrounds, and spruced-up landscapes. Construction for some of the 11 pools began in October 1934. Embury filed plans for a bathhouse and swimming pool at Thomas Jefferson Park in August 1935, but the actual design of the pool and bathhouse has been attributed to Stanley C. Brogren. The next month, La Guardia presided over the opening of the northern playground, which contained athletic fields, a wading pool, and children's play equipment. The southern playground opened that November, with shuffleboard, bocce, and horseshoe courts. Many of the original park features were replaced with New Deal-era designs, and upon La Guardia's request, bocce courts were added to the design. By mid-1936, ten of the eleven WPA-funded pools were completed and were being opened at a rate of one per week. The pool was the second pool to open, with a ceremony taking place on June 27, 1936. A playground in the northeast section of the park, near the Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics (at the time known as the Benjamin Franklin High School), was completed in 1942. While there were many black and Hispanic residents near Thomas Jefferson Park, its pool was used mostly by white residents of Italian Harlem, while black and Hispanic residents mostly used Harlem's other pool at Colonial Park. According to Moses biographer Robert Caro, close associates of Moses had claimed they could keep African Americans from using the Thomas Jefferson Pool by making the water too cold. However, no other source backs the claim that the Thomas Jefferson Pool had different heating equipment from any other pool. As with all of the city's other WPA pools, diesel motors were used to pump water into the pool, and excess heat from these motors was used to keep the water warm. Caro also wrote that predominantly white lifeguards were hired at Thomas Jefferson Park, although it is unclear whether Moses did this on purpose. In any case, black and Hispanic residents often faced violence if they tried to swim at Thomas Jefferson Pool or visit the park in general. In subsequent years, the Italian population of the area decreased, while the black and Hispanic population increased. ### Decline and restoration During the late 20th century, the park grew decrepit. The bathhouse, used during the winter as a gathering place for elderly men, was rundown by 1966, with faulty heaters and rotting roof beams. Part of the bathhouse was destroyed in an electrical fire in 1973, and the original classical style pavilion was destroyed in the 1970s due to vandalism. The park had been the site of several killings, including a gang beating in 1958 and a shooting in 1974. By the 1970s, Thomas Jefferson Park and other city parks were in poor condition following the 1975 New York City fiscal crisis. NYC Parks commenced a project to restore the pools in several parks in 1977, including at Thomas Jefferson Park, for whose restoration the agency set aside an estimated \$2.9 million. These projects were not carried out due to a lack of money. By March 1981, NYC Parks had only 2,900 employees in its total staff, less than 10 percent of the 30,000 present when Moses was parks commissioner. Starting in the early 1970s, a group of "junior lifeguards" was hired to keep the pools and bathhouse clean. During this era, Thomas Jefferson Pool employed the first female lifeguard at any NYC Parks facility. According to landscape designer Lynden B. Miller, the park received a large number of plantings in the mid-1980s, but they died off due to a lack of maintenance. NYC Parks continued to face financial shortfalls in the coming years, and the pools retained a reputation for high crime. For the summer of 1991, mayor David Dinkins had planned to close all 32 outdoor pools in the city, a decision that was only reversed after a \$2 million donation from a trust created upon the death of real estate developer Sol Goldman and \$1.8 million from other sources. Additionally, in the 1990s, a practice called "whirlpooling" became common in New York City pools such as Thomas Jefferson Park, wherein women would be inappropriately fondled by teenage boys. By the turn of the century, crimes such as sexual assaults had decreased in parks citywide due to increased security. Thomas Jefferson Park received an extensive renovation in the early 1990s, funded by a \$10.5 million capital expenditure. Richard Dattner was hired to renovate the pool and bathhouse. As part of the project, the diving pool was converted into a wading pool. The pool project was completed in January 1992 for \$8.5 million. The renovation of the park grounds was estimated to cost \$2.6 million, but the winning contractor submitted a bid that was \$1 million lower. The grounds renovation was completed in 1994 and the two artworks were installed the following year, In 1999, a reporter for The New York Times wrote that the pool had a "distinctly Latin flavor", with many of its visitors being Puerto Rican or Mexican. A synthetic turf soccer field was installed in the park in 2003. In 2007, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Thomas Jefferson Pool and Play Center as a landmark. The commission had previously considered the pool for landmark status in 1990, along with the other ten WPA pools in the city. The soccer field was temporarily closed in 2008 and 2009 following the discovery of high lead concentrations. Thomas Jefferson Park's skatepark opened in 2017 on the site of a former empty field. Thomas Jefferson Playground was reconstructed starting in 2019 and reopened in March 2021. ## See also - List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan above 110th Street

The Boat Race 1888

The 45th Boat Race took place on 24 March 1888. The Boat Race is an annual side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge along the River Thames. In the race umpired by Robert Lewis-Lloyd for the final time, Cambridge won by seven lengths in a time of 20 minutes 48 seconds. ## Background The Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing competition between the University of Oxford (sometimes referred to as the "Dark Blues") and the University of Cambridge (sometimes referred to as the "Light Blues"). First held in 1829, the race takes place on the 4.2 miles (6.8 km) Championship Course on the River Thames in southwest London. The rivalry is a major point of honour between the two universities; it is followed throughout the United Kingdom and as of 2014, broadcast worldwide. Cambridge went into the race as reigning champions, having won the previous year's race by 2+1⁄2 lengths, while Oxford held the overall lead, with 23 victories to Cambridge's 20 (excluding the "dead heat" of 1877). Oxford's boat club president Hector McLean died of typhoid fever in January 1888 and while the Dark Blues recruited "good men", according to Drinkwater, they also "did not develop into a good crew and were never looked on as possible winners", while Cambridge "had a surplus of excellent material". Oxford's coaches were G. C. Bourne (who had rowed for the Dark Blues in the 1882 and 1883 races, and coached them for the 1885 race), F. P. Bully (who had coached Oxford in 1886 race), and Tom Edwards-Moss (who rowed for the Dark Blues four times between the 1875 and the 1878 races). There is no record of who coached Cambridge. According to Drinkwater, during practice, the weather conditions were "very bad ... rough and stormy, and bitterly cold". He also noted that the Light Blue crew was "undoubtedly one of the fastest that have ever appeared at Putney." The umpire for the race was Robert Lewis-Lloyd (who had rowed for Cambridge four times between 1856 and 1859) and had umpired every year since the 1881 race. ## Crews The Oxford crew weighed an average of 11 st 13.75 lb (75.9 kg), 1.75 pounds (0.8 kg) more than their opponents. Cambridge saw two former Blues return in Percy Landale and Stanley Muttlebury, the latter of whom was making his third Boat Race appearance. Oxford's crew contained three rowers with experience in the event, including bow W. F. C. Holland, H. R Parker and Guy Nickalls. All competitors in the race were British. ## Race Oxford won the toss and elected to start from the Middlesex station, handing the Surrey side of the river to Cambridge. Commencing at 10.56 a.m., Cambridge took an early lead, and led from the start, holding a six-length lead by Hammersmith Bridge. They extended their lead by a further length to win by seven lengths in a time of 20 minutes 48 seconds. It was their third consecutive victory, and their fourth in five years, and took the overall record to 23–21 in Oxford's favour. The winning time was four seconds quicker than the previous year's race. It was the last time the race was umpired by Lewis-Lloyd, who was replaced the following year by Frank Willan who had rowed for Cambridge four times between the 1866 and 1869 races.

Alien: Covenant

2017 science fiction horror film by Ridley Scott

Alien: Covenant is a 2017 science fiction horror film directed and produced by Ridley Scott and written by John Logan and Dante Harper, from a story by Michael Green and Jack Paglen. A joint American and British production, it is a sequel to Prometheus (2012), the second entry in the Alien prequel series, and the sixth installment in the Alien franchise, three of which have been directed by Scott. It features returning star Michael Fassbender, with Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, and Demián Bichir in supporting roles. It follows the crew of a colony ship that lands on an uncharted planet and makes a terrifying discovery. In 2012, before the release of Prometheus, Ridley Scott discussed the prospects of a sequel and new trilogy, and this film was confirmed that August. Principal photography began on April 4, 2016, at Milford Sound in Fiordland National Park, New Zealand, and wrapped on July 19, 2016. Effects houses Odd Studios and CreatureNFX provided the film's makeup and animatronic creature effects. Scott said the film's first cut was two hours and 23 minutes, which was edited down to the released version's 2 hours and 3 minutes. Alien: Covenant premiered in London on May 4, 2017. It was released on May 12 in the United Kingdom, and on May 19 in the United States. It received mostly positive reviews from critics but underperformed at the box office; its worldwide gross was \$240 million against a production budget of approximately \$100 million, not including marketing costs. ## Plot In a prologue, business magnate Peter Weyland speaks with his newly-activated android in a lakeside apartment. The android chooses the name "David" for himself after observing Michelangelo's statue. Weyland states that one day they will search for mankind's creator together. David comments on his unlimited lifespan as compared to Weyland's, which unsettles Weyland. In 2104 AD, 11 years after the Prometheus expedition, the colonization ship Covenant is seven years from reaching planet Origae-6 with 2,000 colonists in stasis and 1,140 human embryos in cold storage. The ship is monitored by Walter, an advanced android model that physically resembles David. When a neutrino burst damages the ship, Walter reanimates the human crewmates. The ship's captain, Jake Branson, is burned alive when his stasis pod malfunctions. While repairing the ship, the crew picks up a transmission of a human voice from a nearby planet which appears eminently more habitable than Origae-6. Despite the protests of Daniels, Branson's widow, that this new "perfect" planet is too good to be true, the new captain, Christopher Oram, decides they will investigate. With pilot Tennessee maintaining Covenant in orbit, his wife Faris flies a lander to the planet's surface, where an expedition team tracks the transmission's signal to a crashed alien ship. Crewmembers Ledward and Hallett are infected by spores from fungus-like organisms. Oram's wife, Karine, helps the rapidly deteriorating Ledward back to the lander, where Faris quarantines both inside the med-bay. A small pale alien creature (neomorph) bursts from Ledward's back, killing him, and mauls Karine to death. Faris tries to kill the creature with a shotgun but triggers an explosion that kills her and destroys the lander. Nearby in the fields, another neomorph bursts from Hallett's mouth, killing him. The creatures attack the remaining crew, killing crew member Ankor. The remaining crew kills one neomorph before David, who survived the Prometheus mission, appears and scares off the other. David leads the crew to a temple in a city full of dead humanoids. He tells them that, upon his and fellow Prometheus survivor Elizabeth Shaw's arrival at the planet, their ship accidentally released a pathogen that annihilated all fauna on the planet and that Shaw perished when the ship crashed. Attempts to radio the Covenant are prevented by ion storms. When the remaining neomorph infiltrates the temple and kills crewmember Rosenthal, David tries to communicate with it and is incensed when Oram shoots it dead. Oram questions David, who reveals the aliens are a result of his releasing and experimenting with the pathogen to produce new lifeforms, before tricking Oram into being attacked by a facehugger. A new form of creature, the protomorph, later erupts from Oram's chest, killing him. As the others search for Oram and Rosenthal, Walter finds Shaw's dissected corpse, used by David as material for his evolving creature designs. David states that humanity is a dying and unworthy species and that his designed creature is a "perfect organism" that will eradicate them. When Walter disagrees, David disables him and threatens Daniels. Walter heals himself and engages David, allowing Daniels to escape. Elsewhere, another facehugger attacks security chief Dan Lope. Crewmember Cole quickly cuts it off, leaving Lope with acid burns on his face. The now fully grown protomorph kills Cole, while Lope escapes and meets up with Daniels. Tennessee arrives in a lander to extract Daniels, Lope and Walter, who says David has "expired". They kill the attacking protomorph and return to the Covenant. The next morning, Daniels and Tennessee discover another protomorph has burst from Lope's chest, killing him, and is loose on the Covenant. It matures and kills crewmembers Ricks and Upworth while they were in the shower having sex with blaring loud music playing disabling them from hearing the alarm and warning on the PA System. Daniels and Tennessee lure the creature into Covenant's terraforming bay and eject it into space. Covenant resumes its voyage to Origae-6. As Walter puts Daniels in stasis, she realizes he is actually David but is unable to escape from her pod before falling asleep. David regurgitates two facehugger embryos, which he places in cold storage with the human embryos, and inspects the colonists. Posing as Walter, he sends a transmission in which he says all crewmembers except Daniels and Tennessee were killed by the earlier solar-flare incident. ## Cast - Michael Fassbender as David 8 and Walter One, two synthetic androids. David is an older model who was a crewmember on the destroyed Prometheus, while Walter is a newer model who monitors the Covenant. - Katherine Waterston as Daniels, the chief of terraforming for the Covenant mission and the wife/widow of the ship's captain, Jacob Branson. She is the third in command after Branson and Oram. Waterston said she was well aware of the comparisons that were going to be made between her and Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley, but that she tried not to think about it too much while filming for fear of being intimidated. - Billy Crudup as Christopher Oram, the Covenant's first officer (then captain) and Karine's husband. Oram is a self-serious man of faith who believes their role on the Covenant is an act of providence, and shares a "contentious" relationship with Daniels. - Danny McBride as Tennessee, the chief pilot of the Covenant and Maggie's husband. - Demián Bichir as Dan Lope, the head of the security unit aboard the Covenant and Sergeant Hallett's husband. - Carmen Ejogo as Karine Oram, the Covenant's biologist and Christopher's wife. - Jussie Smollett as Ricks, the Covenant's navigator and Upworth's husband. - Callie Hernandez as Upworth, the Covenant's communications officer and Ricks' wife; she also has paramedic training. - Amy Seimetz as Maggie Faris, the pilot of the lander and Tennessee's wife. - Nathaniel Dean as Tom Hallett, a member of the security unit and Lope's husband. - Alexander England as Ankor, a member of the security unit. - Benjamin Rigby as Ledward, a member of the security unit. - Uli Latukefu as Cole, a member of the security unit. - Tess Haubrich as Sarah Rosenthal, a member of the security unit. A number of actors appear in uncredited roles. Guy Pearce reprises his role as Peter Weyland, the trillionaire founder and CEO of Weyland Corporation (the Weyland-Yutani Corporation in "later" storylines) who died shortly before the destruction of the Prometheus. James Franco appears onscreen in photos and a video as Jacob Branson, the original captain of the Covenant and deceased husband of Daniels; he also appears in deleted scenes and a short promotional prologue to Covenant. Noomi Rapace, who played archaeologist Dr. Elizabeth Shaw in Prometheus, appeared in a short promotional prologue to Covenant that was set in the period between the two movies, but does not act in the final cut of the movie itself, though her voice is heard from the planet early in the film and her image and voice appear later. Other credited parts include Lorelei King as the voice of the Covenant's computer "Mother". Goran D. Kleut is credited in two roles, as both a neomorph and a protomorph, while Andrew Crawford is credited as a neomorph. ## Production ### Development Alien: Covenant is the second film in the Alien prequel series, and the sixth installment in the Alien franchise. It is the third Alien film to be directed by Ridley Scott. In 2012, prior to the release of the first prequel (the fifth Alien film overall), Prometheus, director Ridley Scott began hinting at the prospect of a sequel, as Prometheus had left many questions unanswered. He said a sequel would follow Shaw, the protagonist of Prometheus, to her next destination, "because if it is paradise, paradise cannot be what you think it is. Paradise has a connotation of being extremely sinister and ominous." Prometheus co-writer Damon Lindelof cast doubt on his own participation, saying, "if [Scott] wants me to be involved in something, that would be hard to say no to. At the same time, I do feel like the movie might benefit from a fresh voice or a fresh take or a fresh thought." In June, Scott said an additional film would be required to bridge the \>100-year gap between the Prometheus sequel and Alien. As of August 1, 2012, Fox was pursuing a sequel with Scott, Noomi Rapace, and Michael Fassbender involved, and talking to new writers in case Lindelof did not return. In December 2012, Lindelof ultimately chose not to work on the project. Early on, Scott stated the film would feature no xenomorphs as he wanted to phase the xenomorph out to focus on David 8, whose A.I. was the new alien lifeform. He later made statements confirming the xenomorph's presence in the film, mainly due to feedback to Prometheus. On September 24, 2015, Scott disclosed the film's title as Alien: Paradise Lost. In November 2015, he revealed the new title was Alien: Covenant, and that filming would begin in February 2016 in Australia. An official logo, synopsis and release date were released on November 16, 2015. In an interview about the development of the David character since Prometheus, Scott described the dark turn David would take in Covenant: "'He hates them. He has no respect for Engineers and no respect for human beings.'" ### Writing The initial screenplay was written by Transcendence screenwriter Jack Paglen in June 2013. In March 2014, Michael Green was hired to rewrite Paglen's script. Dante Harper later wrote a new script, but an extensive rewrite was performed by screenwriter John Logan. Logan had previously worked with Scott on Gladiator. For Logan, the main concept was to adopt a dual plot line for the film that would combine the horror elements of Alien with the philosophical elements of Prometheus. He said, "With Alien: Covenant, I just really wanted to write something that had the feel of the original Alien, because seeing that movie was one of the great events of my youth. It was so overpowering in terms of what it communicated to me and its implications, that when I started talking to Ridley about what became Alien: Covenant, I said, 'You know, that was a hell of a scary movie.' I wanted to write a horror movie because the Grand Guignol elements of Alien are so profound. We tried to recapture that with Alien: Covenant, while also trying to pay homage to the deeper implications of Prometheus. In terms of tone, pace, and how we chose to play this particular symphony, we wanted to create a really frightening movie." ### Pre-production In late August 2015, Scott confirmed that he had started scouting locations for the film. In October 2015, the Australian government attracted the production of this film, and of Thor: Ragnarok, to Australia by providing AU\$47.25 million in grants. Woz Productions Ltd., a subsidiary of 20th Century Fox, visited Te Anau, New Zealand, on March 28, 2016, to scout locations for filming in Fiordland. ### Casting In August 2015, it was announced that the film would star Rapace and Fassbender, while Rik Barnett was in talks to join the cast. That December, Katherine Waterston was cast in the lead role of Daniels; it was Waterston's second film alongside Fassbender, after Steve Jobs. Summer Glau, Carolyn Murphy and Alice Eve were also being considered. Dariusz Wolski, longtime collaborator with Scott, was confirmed to serve as the film's cinematographer. In 2016, Ridley Scott stated that Noomi Rapace would not reprise her role of Elizabeth Shaw. However, in June, it was announced that Rapace would shoot a week's worth of scenes (though no new footage of hers appeared in the final film). Creature designer Carlos Huantes said in a 2019 interview that he believed it was the studio's decision to remove her from the film. In February 2016, Danny McBride, Demián Bichir, Jussie Smollett, Amy Seimetz, Carmen Ejogo, Callie Hernandez, Billy Crudup, and Alexander England were reported to have joined the cast. In March 2016, newcomer Benjamin Rigby also joined the cast. In December 2016, it was announced James Franco had been cast in the role of Captain Branson, husband to Daniels and captain of the Covenant. The role of Branson in the film was limited to a cameo appearance of the deceased captain. ### Production design Adam Savage went on a tour of several of the props and stage sets used in the filming which included an alien spaceship which had first appeared in Prometheus. This set had to be recreated for Alien: Covenant as the set used in Prometheus had been destroyed. In an article for The Hollywood Reporter, Patrick Shanley interviewed the art director for the film, Damien Drew, and creature design supervisor Conor O'Sullivan regarding the involvement of the San Diego Zoo and its representative Rick Schwartz as a consultant for the design of the realistic effects of the creatures and Xenomorphs appearing throughout the film as Scott wanted a more 'organic' feeling to the creatures as opposed to the 'biomechanical' inspiration of H.R. Giger which had inspired the creature designs in the original films. Scott provided anatomical studies and references from La Specola, a natural history museum in Florence, to O'Sullivan as inspiration. The VFX supervisor Charles Henley summarized the several vendors that were used to support production of the visual special effects seen in the film when the selection process was discussed, stating, "Both history and need guided the decisions on which vendors we used. Ridley had worked with MPC on many previous projects, in particular Prometheus for which I was MPC's VFX supervisor as well as The Martian. There had a been a lot of great digital double and creature work done at MPC on recent projects so there was confidence they should be the lead facility. Framestore had recently worked with Ridley on space for The Martian, similarly Animal Logic now had the original crew who did the holograms for Prometheus. Also as we were shooting in Australia there was good reason and incentives to use Australian-based companies and so Luma and Rising Sun came on board." ### Filming Principal photography for the film began on April 4, 2016, at Milford Sound in Fiordland National Park, New Zealand, and wrapped on July 19, 2016. Some footage was also filmed at Leavesden Studios in England, which included reshoots. The complete list of countries used for filming were listed by BFI in Sight & Sound as the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, and New Zealand. Previous partial lists often listed only one of the four countries involved in the development and production of the film. Effects houses Odd Studios and CreatureNFX provided the film's makeup and animatronic creature effects, respectively, while Australian-based effects house Animal Logic provided the film's digital visual effects. Approximately 30 people from CreatureNFX worked on the project for almost six months building animatronics. Actors wearing creature suits with animatronic heads were used to portray the aliens on-set. ### Post-production Pietro Scalia, the editor of the film, spoke of the structural difficulty of integrating the two story lines in the final editing of the film and how the need to keep momentum was important. He did this by not repeatedly jumping between scenes which he said made parts of the film "belaboured and tedious", as well as combining certain scenes and eliminating others. Another issue highlighted was the reveal of David as; > "Once the Covenant Story merges with the Prometheus storyline finding the proper structural order of the scenes proofed [sic] to be difficult because of the distinctive dynamics of the two story lines in addition to the separation of the two locations of the action. In one sense the action, the tension and unfolding drama going from one group to the other had to be balanced and spaced properly as not to loose [sic] the connective tissue of the film." Scott said the first cut of the film was two hours and 23 minutes long, which was eventually edited down to 2 hours and 3 minutes for the released version. Scott used test screenings to decide what to cut. ## Music The musical score for Alien: Covenant was written by Australian musician and composer Jed Kurzel. Initially, Harry Gregson-Williams was selected as the film's composer. When the first trailer was released in late 2016, Kurzel was revealed as the replacement for Gregson-Williams. Themes from Jerry Goldsmith's original score for Alien were incorporated, as well as themes from Marc Streitenfeld's and Harry Gregson-Williams' score for Prometheus. A version of "Nature Boy" sung by Norwegian singer and songwriter Aurora was used in the first trailer, while another song, "Under the Water", was used in a short promotional film featuring the character Daniels (Katherine Waterston) battling a xenomorph. Melanie De Biasio's track "I Feel You – Eels Remix" was used as the soundtrack for the in-universe short film Meet Walter, starring Michael Fassbender, that was created to promote the film. Additional song credits include "Theme from Alien" composed by Jerry Goldsmith, "Das Rheingold, Scene 4: Entrance of the Gods into Valhalla" composed by Richard Wagner, "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver, "The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo" by Fred Gilbert, "Ancient Flute", "Life" and "We Were Right" composed by Harry Gregson-Williams, and "Let Me Down Easy" by Paolo Nutini. ## Release In the run up to release, 20th Century Fox released a number of short prologue films as part of the marketing for Alien: Covenant. The first, called Prologue: Last Supper, was directed by Ridley Scott's son Luke Scott and features the crew of the Covenant having a last meal before they enter cryosleep. The second prologue, called The Crossing and directed by Ridley Scott, reveals what happened to Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and the android David (Michael Fassbender) following the ending of Prometheus. Another was called Meet Walter, starring Michael Fassbender and directed by Luke Scott, which was a fictional advertisement for the Walter series of androids. Alien: Covenant premiered on May 4, 2017, at the Odeon Leicester Square in London. The film was released on May 19 in the United States. It was originally set to be released on October 6, 2017, before being moved up to August 4, and then again to its final date. The version of the film released in China on June 16, 2017, was six minutes shorter than the version released elsewhere due to censorship with most of the scenes involving the aliens and a scene where the two characters played by Michael Fassbender kiss having been cut. The film was released in Japan on September 15, 2017. The Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD releases of the film came out on August 15, 2017. The home release includes an audio commentary by the director and 22 minutes of deleted scenes and unused footage from the first cut of the film. ## Adaptations ### Novelization The theatrical release of the film was accompanied by the release of a novelization by Alan Dean Foster, who also authored the novelization of the original Alien film. A companion volume about the film's art and stage design was released at the same time, written by Simon Ward and titled The Art and Making of Alien: Covenant. A second Covenant novel by Foster was initially billed as a sequel to the film, before being revealed to be a direct prequel to Covenant under the title Alien: Covenant – Origins. Titan Books, as publisher of the book, released a plot summary in advance of its release on September 26, 2017: > As the colony ship Covenant prepares for launch, and the final members of the crew are chosen, a series of violent events reveals a conspiracy to sabotage the launch. Yet the perpetrators remain hidden behind a veil of secrecy. The threat reaches all the way up to Hideo Yutani—the head of the newly merged Weyland-Yutani Corporation—when his daughter is kidnapped. Is the conspiracy the product of corporate espionage, or is it something even more sinister? While Captain Jacob Branson and his wife Daniels prepare the ship, Security chief Dan Lopé signs a key member of his team, and together they seek to stop the technologically advanced saboteurs before anyone else is killed, and the ship itself is destroyed in orbit. ### Virtual reality On April 26, 2017, 20th Century Fox released Alien: Covenant In Utero, a virtual reality interactive demo teaser for Alien: Covenant for the Oculus Rift and the Samsung Gear VR. The experience was produced by RSA, FoxNext VR, MPC, Mach1, AMD Radeon, and Dell Alienware. The trailer is a first-person experience in which the viewer plays the role of a neomorph. The experience was executive produced by Scott and directed by David Karlak. ## Reception ### Box office Alien: Covenant underperformed at the box office grossing a worldwide total of \$240.9 million, including \$74.3 million in the United States and Canada and \$166.6 million in other countries, against a production budget of \$97 million, not including marketing costs. The film was a box office disappointment for the studio, especially when compared to Prometheus which had grossed a worldwide total of \$403.4 million. Fox released the film in several countries before the United States. It was released in 34 markets, where it debuted to \$40.1 million, opening at number one in 19 of them. Its overall rank for the weekend was second behind the continued run of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. The top openings were in South Korea (\$7.2 million), the UK (\$6.4 million), France (\$4.5 million), Australia (\$3.1 million), and Mexico (\$2.5 million). In China, the film was released on June 16 and grossed \$30 million, topping the box office. In North America, the film was released alongside Everything, Everything and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul, and was projected to gross around \$40 million from 3,760 theaters during its opening weekend. It made \$4.3 million from Thursday-night previews at about 3,000 theaters, and \$15.4 million overall on its first day, which was below the \$21.5 million Friday of Prometheus five years prior. It went on to open to \$36.2 million, down 30% from Prometheus's debut, but still finishing first at the box office, as the third-highest debut of the series when not counting for inflation. In its second weekend, the film grossed \$10.5 million, finishing fourth at the box office and dropping 70.9%. The film was pulled from 1,112 theaters in its third weekend and dropped another 62.3%, finishing sixth at the box office with \$4 million. ### Critical response Alien: Covenant received generally positive reviews from critics. The film has approval from reviews compiled by review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of . The website's critical consensus reads, "Alien: Covenant delivers another satisfying round of close-quarters deep-space terror, even if it doesn't take the saga in any new directions." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 65 out of 100, based on reviews from 52 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale, the same score earned by its predecessor. Writing for The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw gave the film three stars out of five, stating that Alien: Covenant is "a greatest-hits compilation of the other Alien films' freaky moments. The paradox is that though you are intended to recognise these touches, you won't really be impressed unless you happen to be seeing them for the first time. For all this, the film is very capably made, with forceful, potent performances from Waterston and Fassbender." Geoffrey McNab, writing for The Independent, stated that it "certainly delivers what you'd expect from an Aliens film—spectacle, body horror, strong Ripley-like female protagonists and some astonishing special effects—but there's also a dispiriting sense that the film isn't at all sure of its own identity." He found the screenplay "very portentous" and concluded that "the crew members pitted against the monstrous creatures are trying their darndest to blast them to kingdom come, just as they would in any run-of-the-mill sci-fi B movie." A. O. Scott of The New York Times said, "Alien: Covenant is an interesting movie ... for all its interplanetary ranging, [it] commits itself above all to the canny management of expectations." Trace Thurman, from Bloody Disgusting, gave the film a mediocre review, noting that although watching Alien: Covenant will make viewers appreciate Prometheus more, "this is a film that was made as a response to Prometheus critics but tries to appease fans of that film as well and it doesn't fully work." He also criticizes the overfamiliarity of the climax and insufficiently developed characters. Collider's review of the film stated that Scott "finds himself stuck between two constructs—the action-horror beats of an Alien film, and the weighty, ponderous themes of a Prometheus movie—and by indulging both, he never fully satisfies either. The result is a messy film that is at turns, exquisite and infuriating." In a review for The Independent Clarisse Loughrey gave the film five stars describing it as "relentless and overwhelming, but all in the very best of ways" and as a "mightily impressive piece of cinematic engineering" which has brought together the Alien franchise. Loughrey praised Katherine Waterston for her "impressive work" as Daniels and went on to single out Fassbender for playing a "deeply frightening, scene-stealing antagonist". Sinead Brennan for RTÉ, gave the film 7/10, but gave high praise to Fassbender who she says "steals the show; seriously, he's incredible". Meanwhile, Neil Soans in a three star review for The Times of India, highlighted Danny McBride's performance as the most surprising given his comedic roots. Matt Zoller Seitz of RogerEbert.com highly praised Alien: Covenant, giving it four out of four stars and stating that the film's structure, although repeatedly borrowing from other Alien films, serves a purpose not unlike the James Bond film series or Star Wars, "where part of the fun lies in seeing what variations the artists can bring while satisfying a rigid structure." He also emphasized that, like previous films of the series, real-world logic should not be applied to the film, and "[i]nstead you have to judge it by the standards of a fever dream or nightmare, a Freudian-Jungian narrative where the thing you fear most is what happens to you." Seitz later voted for it in Sight & Sound as one of the five best films of 2017. In New York magazine, David Edelstein commented on David the android as representing a new generation of monster villains in the tradition of Frankenstein, stating, "In Star Trek, that man-machine nexus was...hopeful. Here, there's some doubt about David's ultimate motives, which puts Alien: Covenant squarely in the tradition of the Terminator and Matrix movies. And, of course, the novel Frankenstein, which carried the subtitle The Modern Prometheus. No less than Stephen Hawking—who survived with the aid of machines—has predicted that we have 100 years to live before evolved machines take human imperfection as justification for destroying humanity". Kevin Lincoln, writing for Vulture, gave a strong endorsement of the depiction of David as an arch-villain in the film stating, "... one franchise is showing it's still possible for a modern blockbuster to have a great villain. In Alien: Covenant, David—the android played by Michael Fassbender, first introduced in Prometheus—comes into his own as a fleshed-out, dynamic, and genuinely striking antagonist, one who isn't just an equal match for the heroes, but even becomes the central thread of the series. He's a huge part of what makes Alien: Covenant work." Writing for Vox, Alissa Wilkinson said that "Alien: Covenant is too muddled to pull off its deeply ambitious Satan allegories". She emphasized the Miltonic demonic aspect of the android David: "But David is a better Satan than Satan himself ... It's as if in the Alien universe, the devil has evolved, thanks to humans creating him. David, fatally, has the ability to create—something Satan never had—and he will use that power only to destroy. He doesn't have any real need to rebel against his maker, since from the moment he became sentient, he knew he'd already won. He is indestructible, and determined to make creatures that imitate his drive for total domination." ### Accolades ## Future ### Possible sequel In September 2015, Ridley Scott said he was planning two sequels to Prometheus that would lead into the first Alien film, adding, "Maybe [there will] even [be] a fourth film before we get back into the Alien franchise". Scott later confirmed in November that Alien: Covenant would be the first of three additional films in the Alien prequel series before linking up with the original Alien, and stated that the Prometheus sequels would reveal who created the xenomorph aliens. The screenplay for the third prequel film was written during production of Alien: Covenant and finished in 2017, with production originally scheduled to begin in 2018. In March 2017, Scott said, "If you really want a franchise, I can keep cranking it for another six. I'm not going to close it down again. No way." Scott responded to a question about Sigourney Weaver reprising her role as Ellen Ripley in the prequels that, "Well, we're heading toward the back end of the first Alien so [using CGI] may be feasible. Ripley's going to be somebody's daughter, obviously. We're coming in from the back end. The time constraints of what's the time between this film, where we leave David going off heading for that colony, I think you're probably two films out from even considering her." In the audio commentary for Alien: Covenant, Scott confirmed that a sequel to Alien: Covenant, tentatively referred to as "Alien: Covenant 2", is being written by John Logan, with Fassbender, Waterston, and McBride reprising their roles. Scott also confirmed that the film will complete his prequel series, leading directly into the events of Alien. In September 2017, the chief executive officer of 20th Century Fox, Stacey Snider, stated that, although Alien: Covenant was a financial disappointment, the studio still intended to proceed with Scott's sequel. Just days later, screen-graphics designer Carl Braga announced that the project had been delayed. In October, Scott stated that "Alien: Covenant 2" will focus more on the androids and A.I.s, as opposed to the xenomorphs. He said, "I think the evolution of the Alien himself is nearly over, but what I was trying to do was transcend and move to another story, which would be taken over by A.I.s. The world that the A.I. might create as a leader if he finds himself on a new planet. We have actually quite a big layout for the next one." In November 2018, the film's plot details were reported to take place on LV-426 (the world visited by the Nostromo in the original Alien film), with the extraterrestrial Engineers being featured in the film and being in pursuit of David following his nefarious actions against Planet 4. At the 2019 CinemaCon, it was stated that, after its acquisition of 21st Century Fox, Disney "will continue to create new stories" in the Alien series. In May, Variety reported that another prequel was reportedly "in the script phase", with Ridley Scott attached to direct, but it was still uncertain due to the poor box office returns of Alien: Covenant. In September 2020, Scott confirmed that a new Alien film was in development but it was unclear if this would be a sequel to Alien: Covenant. In August 2021, however, a news report concluded that a sequel is currently uncertain. ### Follow-up By March 2022, Fede Álvarez was attached to write and direct a new film in the series; he pitched his own story to the studio that was said to be "unconnected" to previous films in the franchise. 20th Century Studios announced in March 2023 that a new Alien film would begin production the same month. The film is scheduled to be released in theaters on August 16, 2024. ## See also - List of films featuring extraterrestrials

The Priest's House, Muchelney

Grade II listed building in Muchelney, UK

The Priest's House is a National Trust-owned property in Muchelney, in the English county of Somerset. It has been designated as a grade II listed building. The house was built in the early 14th century by the nearby Muchelney Abbey to house the parish priest. Over the centuries the house deteriorated and was adapted for use as a school. In the late 19th century it rented as storage by a farmer. In the early 20th century the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings campaigned for its restoration and it was then taken over by the National Trust. The thatched stone building is rented to a tenant and has limited public access. ## History The Priest's House was built by the nearby Muchelney Abbey around 1308 for the parish priest. The vicarage was valued at £10 per annum in 1535. The building was said to be "ruinous" in 1608. It was used by the vicar or curate until around 1840, when the house was used as a cellar and later as a school. In the late 19th century it was rented by a farmer for storage. Because of its poor condition it was recommended for demolition in both 1896 and 1901. The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings organised a public appeal to raise money for repairs to which Jane Morris, Thomas Hardy and George Bernard Shaw contributed. As the funding for the restoration was no longer an issue the building was acquired, in 1911, by the National Trust who employed Ernest Barnsley of the Barnsley brothers, the Arts and Crafts movement master builders, to design and the work. It was carried out by Norman Jewson and William Weir. The work left in place and strengthened earlier structures where possible but added new aspects including a stone buttress and a kitchen range. In the 1990s and 2000s the building underwent further structural repairs, including the replacement of the timber structure supporting the roof and was rethatched with grant aid from English Heritage. Today the National Trust rent it to a tenant who provides limited access to the public. ## Architecture The two-storey thatched hall house is made of local stone with hamstone dressings. Externally the house measures 51 feet (16 m) by 22 feet (6.7 m) wide. It has four bays along the south front which incorporates original Gothic doorway and tracery windows. Inside is a 15th-century fireplace. The original hall went from floor to roof, however in the 16th century a ceiling was added dividing it into two floors. This also involved changes to the original windows. The hall has a cruck roof with a saddle apex typical of the 14th century. ## See also - List of National Trust properties in Somerset

Crime and Punishment

1866 Russian-language novel by Dostoyevsky

Crime and Punishment (pre-reform Russian: Преступленіе и наказаніе; post-reform Russian: Преступление и наказание, tr. Prestupléniye i nakazániye, IPA: [prjɪstʊˈpljenjɪje ɪ nəkɐˈzanjɪje]) is a novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. It was first published in the literary journal The Russian Messenger in twelve monthly installments during 1866. It was later published in a single volume. It is the second of Dostoevsky's full-length novels following his return from ten years of exile in Siberia. Crime and Punishment is considered the first great novel of his mature period of writing and is often cited as one of the greatest works of world literature. Crime and Punishment follows the mental anguish and moral dilemmas of Rodion Raskolnikov, an impoverished ex-student in Saint Petersburg who plans to kill an unscrupulous pawnbroker, an old woman who stores money and valuable objects in her flat. He theorises that with the money he could liberate himself from poverty and go on to perform great deeds, and seeks to convince himself that certain crimes are justifiable if they are committed in order to remove obstacles to the higher goals of 'extraordinary' men. Once the deed is done, however, he finds himself racked with confusion, paranoia, and disgust. His theoretical justifications lose all their power as he struggles with guilt and horror and is confronted with both internal and external consequences of his deed. ## Background At the time Dostoevsky owed large sums of money to creditors and was trying to help the family of his brother Mikhail, who had died in early 1864. After appeals elsewhere failed, Dostoevsky turned as a last resort to the publisher Mikhail Katkov and sought an advance on a proposed contribution. He offered his story or novella (at the time he was not thinking of a novel) for publication in Katkov's monthly journal The Russian Messenger—a prestigious publication of its kind, and the outlet for both Ivan Turgenev and Leo Tolstoy. Dostoevsky, having been engaged in polemical debates with Katkov in the early 1860s, had never published anything in its pages before. In a letter to Katkov written in September 1865, Dostoevsky explained to him that the work was to be about a young man who yields to "certain strange, 'unfinished' ideas, yet floating in the air". He planned to explore the moral and psychological dangers of the ideology of "radicalism", and felt that the project would appeal to the conservative Katkov. In letters written in November 1865 an important conceptual change occurred: the "story" had become a "novel". From then on, Crime and Punishment is referred to as a novel. In the complete edition of Dostoevsky's writings published in the Soviet Union, the editors reassembled the writer's notebooks for Crime and Punishment in a sequence roughly corresponding to the various stages of composition. As a result, there exists a fragmentary working draft of the novella, as initially conceived, as well as two other versions of the text. These have been distinguished as the Wiesbaden edition, the Petersburg edition, and the final plan, involving the shift from a first-person narrator to Dostoevsky's innovative use of third-person narrative to achieve first-person narrative perspectives. Dostoevsky initially considered four first-person plans: a memoir written by Raskolnikov, his confession recorded eight days after the murder, his diary begun five days after the murder, and a mixed form in which the first half was in the form of a memoir, and the second half in the form of a diary. The Wiesbaden edition concentrates entirely on the moral and psychological reactions of the narrator after the murder. It coincides roughly with the story that Dostoevsky described in his letter to Katkov and, written in the form of a diary or journal, corresponds to what eventually became part 2 of the finished work. Why Dostoevsky abandoned his initial version remains a matter of speculation. According to Joseph Frank, "one possibility is that his protagonist began to develop beyond the boundaries in which he had first been conceived". The notebooks indicate that Dostoevsky became aware of the emergence of new aspects of Raskolnikov's character as the plot developed, and he structured the novel in conformity with this "metamorphosis". The final version of Crime and Punishment came into being only when, in November 1865, Dostoevsky decided to recast his novel in the third person. This shift was the culmination of a long struggle, present through all the early stages of composition. Once having decided, Dostoevsky began to rewrite from scratch and was able to easily integrate sections of the early manuscript into the final text. Frank says that he did not, as he told Wrangel, burn everything he had written earlier. Dostoevsky was under great pressure to finish Crime and Punishment on time, as he was simultaneously contracted to finish The Gambler for the prominent Russian publisher Fyodor Stellovsky, who had imposed extremely harsh conditions. Anna Snitkina, a stenographer who later became Dostoevsky's wife, was of great help to him during this difficult task. The first part of Crime and Punishment appeared in the January 1866 issue of The Russian Messenger, and the last one was published in December 1866. ## Plot ### Part 1 Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, a former law student, lives in extreme poverty in a tiny, rented room in Saint Petersburg. Isolated and antisocial, he has abandoned all attempts to support himself, and is brooding obsessively on a scheme he has devised to murder and rob an elderly pawn-broker. On the pretext of pawning a watch, he visits her apartment, but remains unable to commit himself. Later in a tavern he makes the acquaintance of Semyon Zakharovich Marmeladov, a drunkard who recently squandered his family's little wealth. Marmeladov tells him about his teenage daughter, Sonya, who has become a prostitute in order to support the family. The next day Raskolnikov receives a letter from his mother in which she describes the problems of his sister Dunya, who has been working as a governess, with her ill-intentioned employer, Svidrigailov. To escape her vulnerable position, and with hopes of helping her brother, Dunya has chosen to marry a wealthy suitor, Luzhin, whom they are coming to meet in Petersburg. Details in the letter suggest that Luzhin is a conceited opportunist who is seeking to take advantage of Dunya's situation. Raskolnikov is enraged at his sister's sacrifice, feeling it is the same as what Sonya felt compelled to do. Painfully aware of his own poverty and impotence, his thoughts return to his idea. A further series of internal and external events seem to conspire to compel him toward the resolution to enact it. In a state of extreme nervous tension, Raskolnikov steals an axe and makes his way once more to the old woman's apartment. He gains access by pretending he has something to pawn, and then attacks her with the axe, killing her. He also kills her half-sister, Lizaveta, who happens to stumble upon the scene of the crime. Shaken by his actions, he steals only a handful of items and a small purse, leaving much of the pawn-broker's wealth untouched. Due to sheer good fortune, he manages to escape the building and return to his room undetected. ### Part 2 In a feverish and semi-delirious state Raskolnikov conceals the stolen items and falls asleep exhausted. He is greatly alarmed the next morning when he gets summoned to the police station, but it turns out to be in relation to a debt notice from his landlady. When the officers at the bureau begin talking about the murder, Raskolnikov faints. He quickly recovers, but he can see from their faces that he has aroused suspicion. Fearing a search, he hides the stolen items under a large rock in an empty yard, noticing in humiliation that he hasn't even checked how much money is in the purse. Without knowing why, he visits his old university friend Razumikhin, who observes that Raskolnikov seems to be seriously ill. Finally he returns to his room where he succumbs to his illness and falls into a prolonged delirium. When he emerges several days later he finds that Razumikhin has tracked him down and has been nursing him. Still feverish, Raskolnikov listens nervously to a conversation between Razumikhin and the doctor about the status of the police investigation into the murders: a muzhik called Mikolka, who was working in a neighbouring flat at the time, has been detained, and the old woman's clients are being interviewed. They are interrupted by the arrival of Luzhin, Dunya's fiancé, who wishes to introduce himself, but Raskolnikov deliberately insults him and kicks him out. He angrily tells the others to leave as well, and then sneaks out himself. He looks for news about the murder, and seems almost to want to draw attention to his own part in it. He encounters the police official Zamyotov, who was present when he fainted in the bureau, and openly mocks the young man's unspoken suspicions. He returns to the scene of the crime and re-lives the sensations he experienced at the time. He angers the workmen and caretakers by asking casual questions about the murder, even suggesting that they accompany him to the police station to discuss it. As he contemplates whether or not to confess, he sees Marmeladov, who has been struck mortally by a carriage. He rushes to help and succeeds in conveying the stricken man back to his family's apartment. Calling out for Sonya to forgive him, Marmeladov dies in his daughter's arms. Raskolnikov gives his last twenty five roubles (from money sent to him by his mother) to Marmeladov's consumptive widow, Katerina Ivanovna, saying it is the repayment of a debt to his friend. Feeling renewed, Raskolnikov calls on Razumikhin, and they go back together to Raskolnikov's building. Upon entering his room Raskolnikov is deeply shocked to see his mother and sister sitting on the sofa. They have just arrived in Petersburg and are ecstatic to see him, but Raskolnikov is unable to speak, and collapses in a faint. ### Part 3 Razumikhin tends to Raskolnikov, and manages to convince the distressed mother and sister to return to their apartment. He goes with them, despite being drunk and rather overwhelmed by Dunya's beauty. When they return the next morning Raskolnikov has improved physically, but it becomes apparent that he is still mentally distracted and merely forcing himself to endure the meeting. He demands that Dunya break with Luzhin, but Dunya fiercely defends her motives for the marriage. Mrs Raskolnikova has received a note from Luzhin demanding that her son not be present at any future meetings between them. He also informs her that he witnessed her son give the 25 rubles to "an unmarried woman of immoral behavior" (Sonya). Dunya has decided that a meeting, at which both Luzhin and her brother are present, must take place, and Raskolnikov agrees to attend that evening along with Razumikhin. To Raskolnikov's surprise, Sonya suddenly appears at his door. Timidly, she explains that he left his address with them last night, and that she has come to invite him to attend her father's funeral. As she leaves, Raskolnikov asks for her address and tells her that he will visit her soon. At Raskolnikov's behest, Razumikhin takes him to see the detective Porfiry Petrovich, who is investigating the murders. Raskolnikov immediately senses that Porfiry knows that he is the murderer. Porfiry, who has just been discussing the case with Zamyotov, adopts an ironic tone during the conversation. He expresses extreme curiosity about an article that Raskolnikov wrote some months ago called 'On Crime', in which he suggests that certain rare individuals—the benefactors and geniuses of mankind—have a right to 'step across' legal or moral boundaries if those boundaries are an obstruction to the success of their idea. Raskolnikov defends himself skillfully, but he is alarmed and angered by Porfiry's insinuating tone. An appointment is made for an interview the following morning at the police bureau. Leaving Razumikhin with his mother and sister, Raskolnikov returns to his own building. He is surprised to find an old artisan, whom he doesn't know, making inquiries about him. Raskolnikov tries to find out what he wants, but the artisan says only one word – "murderer", and walks off. Petrified, Raskolnikov returns to his room and falls into thought and then sleep. He wakens from an eerie nightmare about the murder of the old woman to find another complete stranger present, this time a man of aristocratic appearance. The man politely introduces himself as Arkady Ivanovich Svidrigailov. ### Part 4 Svidrigailov indulges in an amiable but disjointed monologue, punctuated by Raskolnikov's terse interjections. He claims to no longer have any romantic interest in Dunya, but wants to stop her from marrying Luzhin, and offers her ten thousand roubles. Raskolnikov refuses the money on her behalf and refuses to facilitate a meeting. Svidrigailov also mentions that his wife, who defended Dunya at the time of the unpleasantness but died shortly afterwards, has left her 3000 rubles in her will. The meeting with Luzhin that evening begins with talk of Svidrigailov—his depraved character, his presence in Petersburg, the unexpected death of his wife and the 3000 rubles left to Dunya. Luzhin takes offence when Dunya insists on resolving the issue with her brother, and when Raskolnikov draws attention to the slander in his letter, Luzhin becomes reckless, exposing his true character. Dunya tells him to leave and never come back. Now free and with significant capital, they excitedly begin to discuss plans for the future, but Raskolnikov suddenly gets up and leaves, telling them, to their great consternation, that it might be the last time he sees them. He instructs the baffled Razumikhin to remain and always care for them. Raskolnikov proceeds to Sonya's place. She is gratified that he is visiting her, but also frightened of his strange manner. He asks a series of merciless questions about her terrible situation and that of Katerina Ivanovna and the children. Raskolnikov begins to realize that Sonya is sustained only by her faith in God. She reveals that she was a friend of the murdered Lizaveta. In fact, Lizaveta gave her a cross and a copy of the Gospels. She passionately reads to him the story of the raising of Lazarus from the Gospel of John. His fascination with her, which had begun at the time when her father spoke of her, increases and he decides that they must face the future together. As he leaves he tells her that he will come back tomorrow and tell her who killed her friend Lizaveta. When Raskolnikov presents himself for his interview, Porfiry resumes and intensifies his insinuating, provocative, ironic chatter, without ever making a direct accusation. With Raskolnikov's anger reaching fever pitch, Porfiry hints that he has a "little surprise" for him behind the partition in his office, but at that moment there is a commotion outside the door and a young man (Mikolka the painter) bursts in, followed by some policemen. To both Porfiry and Raskolnikov's astonishment, Mikolka proceeds to loudly confess to the murders. Porfiry doesn't believe the confession, but he is forced to let Raskolnikov go. Back at his room Raskolnikov is horrified when the old artisan suddenly appears at his door. But the man bows and asks for forgiveness: he had been Porfiry's "little surprise", and had heard Mikolka confess. He had been one of those present when Raskolnikov returned to the scene of the murders, and had reported his behavior to Porfiry. ### Part 5 Raskolnikov attends the Marmeladovs' post-funeral banquet at Katerina Ivanovna's apartment. The atmosphere deteriorates as guests become drunk and the half-mad Katerina Ivanovna engages in a verbal attack on her German landlady. With chaos descending, everyone is surprised by the sudden and portentous appearance of Luzhin. He sternly announces that a 100-ruble banknote disappeared from his apartment at the precise time that he was being visited by Sonya, whom he had invited in order to make a small donation. Sonya fearfully denies stealing the money, but Luzhin persists in his accusation and demands that someone search her. Outraged, Katerina Ivanovna abuses Luzhin and sets about emptying Sonya's pockets to prove her innocence, but a folded 100-ruble note does indeed fly out of one of the pockets. The mood in the room turns against Sonya, Luzhin chastises her, and the landlady orders the family out. But Luzhin's roommate Lebezyatnikov angrily asserts that he saw Luzhin surreptitiously slip the money into Sonya's pocket as she left, although he had thought at the time that it was a noble act of anonymous charity. Raskolnikov backs Lebezyatnikov up by confidently identifying Luzhin's motive: a desire to avenge himself on Raskolnikov by defaming Sonya, in hopes of causing a rift with his family. Luzhin is discredited, but Sonya is traumatized, and she runs out of the apartment. Raskolnikov follows her. Back at her room, Raskolnikov draws Sonya's attention to the ease with which Luzhin could have ruined her, and consequently the children as well. But it is only a prelude to his confession that he is the murderer of the old woman and Lizaveta. Painfully, he tries to explain his abstract motives for the crime to uncomprehending Sonya. She is horrified, not just at the crime, but at his own self-torture, and tells him that he must hand himself in to the police. Lebezyatnikov appears and tells them that the landlady has kicked Katerina Ivanovna out of the apartment and that she has gone mad. They find Katerina Ivanovna surrounded by people in the street, completely insane, trying to force the terrified children to perform for money, and near death from her illness. They manage to get her back to Sonya's room, where, distraught and raving, she dies. To Raskolnikov's surprise, Svidrigailov suddenly appears and informs him that he will be using the ten thousand rubles intended for Dunya to make the funeral arrangements and to place the children in good orphanages. When Raskolnikov asks him what his motives are, he laughingly replies with direct quotations of Raskolnikov's own words, spoken when he was trying to explain his justifications for the murder to Sonya. Svidrigailov has been residing next door to Sonya, and overheard every word of the murder confession. ### Part 6 Razumikhin tells Raskolnikov that Dunya has become troubled and distant after receiving a letter from someone. He also mentions, to Raskolnikov's astonishment, that Porfiry no longer suspects him of the murders. As Raskolnikov is about to set off in search of Svidrigailov, Porfiry himself appears and politely requests a brief chat. He sincerely apologises for his previous behavior and seeks to explain the reasons behind it. Strangely, Raskolnikov begins to feel alarmed at the thought that Porfiry might think he is innocent. But Porfiry's changed attitude is motivated by genuine respect for Raskolnikov, not by any thought of his innocence, and he concludes by expressing his absolute certainty that Raskolnikov is indeed the murderer. He claims that he will be arresting him soon, but urges him to confess to make it easier on himself. Raskolnikov chooses to continue the struggle. Raskolnikov finds Svidrigailov at an inn and warns him against approaching Dunya. Svidrigailov, who has in fact arranged to meet Dunya, threatens to go to the police, but Raskolnikov is unconcerned and follows when he leaves. When Raskolnikov finally turns home, Dunya, who has been watching them, approaches Svidrigailov and demands to know what he meant in his letter about her brother's "secret". She reluctantly accompanies him to his rooms, where he reveals what he overheard and attempts to use it to make her yield to his desire. Dunya, however, has a gun and she fires at him, narrowly missing: Svidrigailov gently encourages her to reload and try again. Eventually she throws the gun aside, but Svidrigailov, crushed by her hatred for him, tells her to leave. Later that evening he goes to Sonya to discuss the arrangements for Katerina Ivanovna's children. He gives her 3000 rubles, telling her she will need it if she wishes to follow Raskolnikov to Siberia. He spends the night in a miserable hotel and the following morning commits suicide in a public place. Raskolnikov says a painful goodbye to his mother, without telling her the truth. Dunya is waiting for him at his room, and he tells her that he will be going to the police to confess to the murders. He stops at Sonya's place on the way and she gives him a crucifix. At the bureau, he learns of Svidrigailov's suicide, and almost changes his mind, even leaving the building. However, he sees Sonya (who has followed him) looking at him in despair, and he returns to make a full and frank confession to the murders. ### Epilogue Due to the fullness of his confession at a time when another man had already confessed, Raskolnikov is sentenced to only eight years of penal servitude. Dunya and Razumikhin marry and plan to move to Siberia, but Raskolnikov's mother falls ill and dies. Sonya follows Raskolnikov to Siberia, but he is initially hostile towards her as he is still struggling to acknowledge moral culpability for his crime, feeling himself to be guilty only of weakness. It is only after some time in prison that his redemption and moral regeneration begin under Sonya's loving influence. ## Characters In Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky fuses the personality of his main character, Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, with his new anti-radical ideological themes. The main plot involves a murder as the result of "ideological intoxication," and depicts all the disastrous moral and psychological consequences that result from the murder. Raskolnikov's psychology is placed at the center, and carefully interwoven with the ideas behind his transgression; every other feature of the novel illuminates the agonizing dilemma in which Raskolnikov is caught. From another point of view, the novel's plot is another variation of a conventional nineteenth-century theme: an innocent young provincial comes to seek his fortune in the capital, where he succumbs to corruption, and loses all traces of his former freshness and purity. However, as Gary Rosenshield points out, "Raskolnikov succumbs not to the temptations of high society as Honoré de Balzac's Rastignac or Stendhal's Julien Sorel, but to those of rationalistic Petersburg". ### Major characters Raskolnikov (Rodion Romanovitch) is the protagonist, and the novel focuses primarily on his perspective. A 23-year-old man and former student, now destitute, Raskolnikov is described in the novel as "exceptionally handsome, taller than average in height, slim, well built, with beautiful dark eyes and dark brown hair." On the one hand, he is cold, apathetic, and antisocial; on the other, he can be surprisingly warm and compassionate. He commits murder as well as acts of impulsive charity. His chaotic interaction with the external world and his nihilistic worldview might be seen as causes of his social alienation or consequences of it. Despite its title, the novel does not so much deal with the crime and its formal punishment as with Raskolnikov's internal struggle – the torments of his own conscience, rather than the legal consequences of committing the crime. Believing society would be better for it, Raskolnikov commits murder with the idea that he possesses enough intellectual and emotional fortitude to deal with the ramifications, but his sense of guilt soon overwhelms him to the point of psychological and somatic illness. It is only in the epilogue that he realizes his formal punishment, having decided to confess and end his alienation from society. Sonya (Sofya Semyonovna Marmeladova), is the daughter of a drunkard named Semyon Zakharovich Marmeladov, whom Raskolnikov meets in a tavern at the beginning of the novel. She is often characterized as self-sacrificial, shy, and innocent, despite being forced into prostitution to help her family. Raskolnikov discerns in her the same feelings of shame and alienation that he experiences, and she becomes the first person to whom he confesses his crime. Sensing his deep unhappiness, she supports him, even though she was friends with one of the victims (Lizaveta). Throughout the novel, Sonya is an important source of moral strength and rehabilitation for Raskolnikov. Razumíkhin (Dmitry Prokofyich) is Raskolnikov's loyal friend and also a former law student. The character is intended to represent something of a reconciliation between faith and reason (razum, "sense", "intelligence"). He jokes that his name is actually 'Vrazumíkhin' – a name suggesting "to bring someone to their senses". He is upright, strong, resourceful and intelligent, but also somewhat naïve – qualities that are of great importance to Raskolnikov in his desperate situation. He admires Raskolnikov's intelligence and character, refuses to give any credence to others' suspicions, and supports him at all times. He looks after Raskolnikov's family when they come to Petersburg, falling in love with and later marrying Dunya. Dunya (Avdotya Romanovna Raskolnikova) – Raskolnikov's beautiful and strong-willed sister who works as a governess. She initially plans to marry the wealthy but unsavory lawyer Luzhin, thinking it will enable her to ease her family's desperate financial situation and escape her former employer Svidrigailov. Her situation is a factor in Raskolnikov's decision to commit the murder. In St. Petersburg, she is eventually able to escape the clutches of both Luzhin and Svidrigailov, and later marries Razumikhin. Luzhin (Pyotr Petrovich) – A well-off lawyer who is engaged to Dunya in the beginning of the novel. His motives for the marriage are dubious, as he more or less states that he has sought a woman who will be completely beholden to him. He slanders and falsely accuses Sonya of theft in an attempt to harm Raskolnikov's relations with his family. Luzhin represents immorality, in contrast to Svidrigaïlov's amorality, and Raskolnikov's misguided morality. Svidrigaïlov (Arkady Ivanovich) – Sensual, depraved, and wealthy former employer and former pursuer of Dunya. He overhears Raskolnikov's confessions to Sonya and uses this knowledge to torment both Dunya and Raskolnikov, but does not inform the police. Despite his apparent malevolence, Svidrigaïlov seems to be capable of generosity and compassion. When Dunya tells him she could never love him (after attempting to shoot him) he lets her go. He tells Sonya that he has made financial arrangements for the Marmeladov children to enter an orphanage, and gives her three thousand rubles, enabling her to follow Raskolnikov to Siberia. Having left the rest of his money to his juvenile fiancée, he commits suicide. Porfiry Petrovich – The head of the Investigation Department in charge of solving the murders of Lizaveta and Alyona Ivanovna, who, along with Sonya, moves Raskolnikov towards confession. Unlike Sonya, however, Porfiry does this through psychological means, seeking to confuse and provoke the volatile Raskolnikov into a voluntary or involuntary confession. He later drops these methods and sincerely urges Raskolnikov to confess for his own good. ### Other characters - Pulkheria Alexandrovna Raskolnikova – Raskolnikov's naïve, hopeful and loving mother. Following Raskolnikov's sentence, she falls ill (mentally and physically) and eventually dies. She hints in her dying stages that she is slightly more aware of her son's fate, which was hidden from her by Dunya and Razumikhin. - Semyon Zakharovich Marmeladov – Hopeless drunk who Raskolnikov meets while still considering the murder scheme. Raskolnikov is deeply moved by his passionate, almost ecstatic confession of how his abject alcoholism led to the devastation of his life, the destitution of his wife and children, and ultimately to his daughter Sonya being forced into prostitution. - Katerina Ivanovna Marmeladova – Semyon Marmeladov's consumptive and ill-tempered second wife, stepmother to Sonya. She drives Sonya into prostitution in a fit of rage, but later regrets it. She beats her children, but works ferociously to improve their standard of living. She is obsessed with demonstrating that slum life is far below her station. Following Marmeladov's death, she uses the money Raskolnikov gives her to hold a funeral. She eventually succumbs to her illness. - Andrey Semyonovich Lebezyatnikov – Luzhin's utopian socialist roommate who witnesses his attempt to frame Sonya and subsequently exposes him. He is proven right by Raskolnikov, the only one knowing of Luzhin's motives. - Alyona Ivanovna – Suspicious old pawnbroker who hoards money and is merciless to her patrons. She is Raskolnikov's intended target, and he kills her in the beginning of the book. - Lizaveta Ivanovna – Alyona's handicapped, innocent and submissive sister. Raskolnikov murders her when she walks in immediately after Raskolnikov had killed Alyona. Lizaveta was a friend of Sonya. - Zosimov (Зосимов) – A friend of Razumikhin and a doctor with a particular interest in 'psychological' illnesses. He ministers to Raskolnikov during his delirium and its aftermath. - Nastasya Petrovna (Настасья Петровна) – Raskolnikov's landlady's cheerful and talkative servant who is very caring towards Raskolnikov and often brings him food and drink. - Nikodim Fomich (Никодим Фомич) – The amiable chief of police. - Ilya Petrovich (Илья Петрович) – A police official and Nikodim Fomich's assistant, nicknamed "Gunpowder" for his very bad temper. He is the first to have suspicions about Raskolnikov in relation to the murder, and Raskolnikov ultimately makes his official confession to Gunpowder. - Alexander Grigorievich Zamyotov (Александр Григорьевич Заметов) – Head clerk at the police station and friend to Razumikhin. - Praskovya Pavlovna Zarnitsyna – Raskolnikov's landlady (called Pashenka). Shy and retiring, Praskovya Pavlovna does not figure prominently in the course of events. Raskolnikov had been engaged to her daughter, a sickly girl who had died, and Praskovya Pavlovna had granted him extensive credit on the basis of this engagement and a promissory note for 115 roubles. She had then handed this note to a court councillor named Chebarov, who had claimed the note, causing Raskolnikov to be summoned to the police station the day after his crime. - Marfa Petrovna Svidrigaïlova – Svidrigaïlov's deceased wife, whom he is suspected of having murdered, and who he claims has visited him as a ghost. In Pulkheria Alexandrovna's letter to her son, Marfa Petrovna is said to have vigorously defended Dunya against Svidrigailov, and introduced her to Luzhin. She leaves Dunya 3000 rubles in her will. - Nikolai Dementiev (Николай Дементьев), also known as Mikolka – A house painter who happens to be nearby at the time of the murder and is initially suspected of the crime. Driven by memories of the teachings of his Old Believer sect, which holds it to be supremely virtuous to suffer for another person's crime, he falsely confesses to the murders. - Polina Mikhailovna Marmeladova (Полина Михайловна Мармеладова) – Ten-year-old adopted daughter of Semyon Zakharovich Marmeladov and younger stepsister to Sonya, sometimes known as Polechka and Polya. ## Themes ### Nihilism, rationalism and utilitarianism Dostoevsky's letter to Katkov reveals his immediate inspiration, to which he remained faithful even after his original plan evolved into a much more ambitious creation: a desire to counteract what he regarded as nefarious consequences arising from the doctrines of Russian nihilism. In the novel, Dostoevsky pinpointed the dangers of both utilitarianism and rationalism, the main ideas of which inspired the radicals, continuing a fierce criticism he had already started with his Notes from Underground. Dostoevsky utilized the characters, dialogue and narrative in Crime and Punishment to articulate an argument against Westernizing ideas. He thus attacked a peculiar Russian blend of French utopian socialism and Benthamite utilitarianism, which had developed under revolutionary thinkers such as Nikolai Chernyshevsky and became known as rational egoism. The radicals refused to recognize themselves in the novel's pages, since Dostoevsky pursued nihilistic ideas to their most extreme consequences. Dimitri Pisarev ridiculed the notion that Raskolnikov's ideas could be identified with those of the radicals of the time. The radicals' aims were altruistic and humanitarian, but they were to be achieved by relying on reason and suppressing the spontaneous outflow of Christian compassion. Chernyshevsky's utilitarian ethic proposed that thought and will in Man were subject to the laws of physical science. Dostoevsky believed that such ideas limited man to a product of physics, chemistry and biology, negating spontaneous emotional responses. In its latest variety, Russian nihilism encouraged the creation of an élite of superior individuals to whom the hopes of the future were to be entrusted. Raskolnikov exemplifies the potentially disastrous hazards contained in such an ideal. Contemporary scholar Joseph Frank writes that "the moral-psychological traits of his character incorporate this antinomy between instinctive kindness, sympathy, and pity on the one hand and, on the other, a proud and idealistic egoism that has become perverted into a contemptuous disdain for the submissive herd". Raskolnikov's inner conflict in the opening section of the novel results in a utilitarian-altruistic justification for the proposed crime: why not kill a wretched and "useless" old moneylender to alleviate the human misery? Dostoevsky wants to show that this utilitarian style of reasoning had become widespread and commonplace; it was by no means the solitary invention of Raskolnikov's tormented and disordered mind. Such radical and utilitarian ideas act to reinforce the innate egoism of Raskolnikov's character, and help justify his contempt for humanity's lower qualities and ideals. He even becomes fascinated with the majestic image of a Napoleonic personality who, in the interests of a higher social good, believes that he possesses a moral right to kill. Indeed, his "Napoleon-like" plan impels him toward a well-calculated murder, the ultimate conclusion of his self-deception with utilitarianism. ### The environment of Saint Petersburg Dostoevsky was among the first to recognize the symbolic possibilities of city life and imagery drawn from the city. I. F. I. Evnin regards Crime and Punishment as the first great Russian novel "in which the climactic moments of the action are played out in dirty taverns, on the street, in the sordid back rooms of the poor". Dostoevsky's Petersburg is the city of unrelieved poverty; "magnificence has no place in it, because magnificence is external, formal abstract, cold". Dostoevsky connects the city's problems to Raskolnikov's thoughts and subsequent actions. The crowded streets and squares, the shabby houses and taverns, the noise and stench, all are transformed by Dostoevsky into a rich store of metaphors for states of mind. Donald Fanger asserts that "the real city ... rendered with a striking concreteness, is also a city of the mind in the way that its atmosphere answers Raskolnikov's state and almost symbolizes it. It is crowded, stifling, and parched." In his depiction of Petersburg, Dostoevsky accentuates the squalor and human wretchedness that pass before Raskolnikov's eyes. He uses Raskolnikov's encounter with Marmeladov to contrast the heartlessness of Raskolnikov's convictions with a Christian approach to poverty and wretchedness. Dostoevsky believes that the moral "freedom" propounded by Raskolnikov is a dreadful freedom "that is contained by no values, because it is before values". In seeking to affirm this "freedom" in himself, Raskolnikov is in perpetual revolt against society, himself, and God. He thinks that he is self-sufficient and self-contained, but at the end "his boundless self-confidence must disappear in the face of what is greater than himself, and his self-fabricated justification must humble itself before the higher justice of God". Dostoevsky calls for the regeneration and renewal of "sick" Russian society through the re-discovery of its national identity, its religion, and its roots. ## Structure The novel is divided into six parts, with an epilogue. The notion of "intrinsic duality" in Crime and Punishment has been commented upon, with the suggestion that there is a degree of symmetry to the book. Edward Wasiolek, who has argued that Dostoevsky was a skilled craftsman, highly conscious of the formal pattern in his art, has likened the structure of Crime and Punishment to a "flattened X", saying: > Parts I–III [of Crime and Punishment] present the predominantly rational and proud Raskolnikov: Parts IV–VI, the emerging "irrational" and humble Raskolnikov. The first half of the novel shows the progressive death of the first ruling principle of his character; the last half, the progressive birth of the new ruling principle. The point of change comes in the very middle of the novel. This compositional balance is achieved by means of the symmetrical distribution of certain key episodes throughout the novel's six parts. The recurrence of these episodes in the two halves of the novel, as David Bethea has argued, is organized according to a mirror-like principle, whereby the "left" half of the novel reflects the "right" half. The seventh part of the novel, the Epilogue, has attracted much attention and controversy. Some of Dostoevsky's critics have criticized the novel's final pages as superfluous, anticlimactic, unworthy of the rest of the work, while others have defended it, offering various schemes that they claim prove its inevitability and necessity. Steven Cassedy argues that Crime and Punishment "is formally two distinct but closely related, things, namely a particular type of tragedy in the classical Greek mold and a Christian resurrection tale". Cassedy concludes that "the logical demands of the tragic model as such are satisfied without the Epilogue in Crime and Punishment ... At the same time, this tragedy contains a Christian component, and the logical demands of this element are met only by the resurrection promised in the Epilogue". ## Style Crime and Punishment is written from a third-person omniscient perspective. It is told primarily from the point of view of Raskolnikov, but does at times switch to the perspective of other characters such as Svidrigaïlov, Razumikhin, Luzhin, Sonya or Dunya. This narrative technique, which fuses the narrator very closely with the consciousness and point of view of the central characters, was original for its period. Frank notes that Dostoevsky's use of time shifts of memory and manipulation of temporal sequence begins to approach the later experiments of Henry James, Joseph Conrad, Virginia Woolf, and James Joyce. A late nineteenth-century reader was, however, accustomed to more orderly and linear types of expository narration. This led to the persistence of the legend that Dostoevsky was an untidy and negligent craftsman, and to observations like the following by Melchior de Vogüé: "A word ... one does not even notice, a small fact that takes up only a line, have their reverberations fifty pages later ... [so that] the continuity becomes unintelligible if one skips a couple of pages". Dostoevsky uses different speech mannerisms and sentences of different length for different characters. Those who use artificial language—Luzhin, for example—are identified as unattractive people. Mrs. Marmeladov's disintegrating mind is reflected in her language. In the original Russian text, the names of the major characters have something of a double meaning, but in translation the subtlety of the Russian language is predominantly lost due to differences in language structure and culture. For example, the original Russian title ("Преступление и наказание") is not the direct equivalent to the English "Crime and Punishment". "Преступление" (Prestupléniye) is literally translated as 'a stepping across'. The physical image of crime as crossing over a barrier or a boundary is lost in translation, as is the religious implication of transgression. ## Reception The first part of Crime and Punishment published in the January and February issues of The Russian Messenger met with public success. In his memoirs, the conservative belletrist Nikolay Strakhov recalled that in Russia Crime and Punishment was the literary sensation of 1866. Tolstoy's novel War and Peace was being serialized in The Russian Messenger at the same time as Crime and Punishment. The novel soon attracted the criticism of the liberal and radical critics. G.Z. Yeliseyev sprang to the defense of the Russian student corporations, and wondered, "Has there ever been a case of a student committing murder for the sake of robbery?" Pisarev, aware of the novel's artistic value, described Raskolnikov as a product of his environment, and argued that the main theme of the work was poverty and its results. He measured the novel's excellence by the accuracy with which Dostoevsky portrayed the contemporary social reality, and focused on what he regarded as inconsistencies in the novel's plot. Strakhov rejected Pisarev's contention that the theme of environmental determinism was essential to the novel, and pointed out that Dostoevsky's attitude towards his hero was sympathetic: "This is not mockery of the younger generation, neither a reproach nor an accusation—it is a lament over it." Solovyov felt that the meaning of the novel, despite the common failure to understand it, is clear and simple: a man who considers himself entitled to 'step across' discovers that what he thought was an intellectually and even morally justifiable transgression of an arbitrary law turns out to be, for his conscience, "a sin, a violation of inner moral justice... that inward sin of self-idolatry can only be redeemed by an inner act of self-renunciation." The early Symbolist movement that dominated Russian letters in the 1880s was concerned more with aesthetics than the visceral realism and intellectuality of Crime and Punishment, but a tendency toward mysticism among the new generation of symbolists in the 1900s led to a reevaluation of the novel as an address to the dialectic of spirit and matter. In the character of Sonya (Sofya Semyonovna) they saw an embodiment of both the Orthodox feminine principle of hagia sophia (holy wisdom) – "at once sexual and innocent, redemptive both in her suffering and her veneration of suffering", and the most important feminine deity of Russian folklore mat syra zemlya (moist mother earth). Raskolnikov is a "son of Earth" whose egoistic aspirations lead him to ideas and actions that alienate him from the very source of his strength, and he must bow down to her before she can relieve him of the terrible burden of his guilt. Philosopher and Orthodox theologian Nikolay Berdyaev shared Solovyov and the symbolists' sense of the novel's spiritual significance, seeing it as an illustration of the modern age's hubristic self-deification, or what he calls "the suicide of man by self-affirmation". Raskolnikov answers his question of whether he has the right to kill solely by reference to his own arbitrary will, but, according to Berdyaev, these are questions that can only be answered by God, and "he who does not bow before that higher will destroys his neighbor and destroys himself: that is the meaning of Crime and Punishment". Crime and Punishment was regarded as an important work in a number of 20th-century European cultural movements, notably the Bloomsbury Group, psychoanalysis, and existentialism. Of the writers associated with Bloomsbury, Virginia Woolf, John Middleton Murry and D. H. Lawrence are some of those who have discussed the work. Freud held Dostoevsky's work in high esteem, and many of his followers have attempted psychoanalytical interpretations of Raskolnikov. Among the existentialists, Sartre and Camus in particular have acknowledged Dostoevsky's influence. The affinity of Crime and Punishment with both religious mysticism and psychoanalysis led to suppression of discussion in Soviet Russia: interpretations of Raskolnikov tended to align with Pisarev's idea of reaction to unjust socio-economic conditions. An exception was the work of Mikhail Bakhtin, considered by many commentators to be the most original and insightful analyst of Dostoevsky's work. In Problems of Dostoevsky's Poetics, Bakhtin argues that attempts to understand Dostoevsky's characters from the vantage point of a pre-existing philosophy, or as individualized 'objects' to be psychologically analysed, will always fail to penetrate the unique "artistic architechtonics" of his works. In such cases, both the critical approach and the assumed object of investigation are 'monological': everything is perceived as occurring within the framework of a single overarching perspective, whether that of the critic or that of the author. Dostoevsky's art, Bakhtin argues, is inherently 'dialogical': events proceed on the basis of interaction between self-validating subjective voices, often within the consciousness of an individual character, as is the case with Raskolnikov. Raskolnikov's consciousness is depicted as a battleground for all the conflicting ideas that find expression in the novel: everyone and everything he encounters becomes reflected and refracted in a "dialogized" interior monologue. He has rejected external relationships and chosen his tormenting internal dialogue; only Sonya is capable of continuing to engage with him despite his cruelty. His openness to dialogue with Sonya is what enables him to cross back over the "threshold into real-life communication (confession and public trial)—not out of guilt, for he avoids acknowledging his guilt, but out of weariness and loneliness, for that reconciling step is the only relief possible from the cacophony of unfinalized inner dialogue." ## English translations 1. Frederick Whishaw (1885) 2. Constance Garnett (1914) 3. David Magarshack (1951) 4. Princess Alexandra Kropotkin (1953) 5. Jessie Coulson (1953) 1. Revised by George Gibian (Norton Critical Edition, 3 editions – 1964, 1975, and 1989) 6. Michael Scammell (1963) 7. Sidney Monas (1968) 8. Julius Katzer (1985) 9. David McDuff (1991) 10. Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky (1992) 11. Oliver Ready (2014) 12. Nicolas Pasternak Slater (2017) 13. Michael R. Katz (2017) 14. Roger Cockrell (2022) The Garnett translation was the dominant translation for more than 80 years after its publication in 1914. Since the 1990s, McDuff and Pevear/Volokhonsky have become its major competitors. ## Adaptations There have been over 25 film adaptations of Crime and Punishment. They include: - Raskolnikow (aka Crime and Punishment, 1923) directed by Robert Wiene - Crime and Punishment (1935 American film) starring Peter Lorre, Edward Arnold and Marian Marsh - Crime and Punishment (1970 film) Soviet film starring Georgi Taratorkin, Tatyana Bedova, Vladimir Basov, Victoria Fyodorova) dir. Lev Kulidzhanov - Crime and Punishment (1979 TV serial) is a three-part 1979 television serial produced by the BBC, starring John Hurt as Raskolnikov and Timothy West as Porfiry Petrovich. - Crime and Punishment (1983 film) (original title, Rikos ja Rangaistus), the first movie by the Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki, with Markku Toikka in the lead role. The story has been transplanted to modern-day Helsinki, Finland. - Without Compassion (1994 Peruvian film) directed by Francisco Lombardi, starring Diego Bertie and Adriana Dávila Franke - Crime and Punishment in Suburbia (2000), an adaptation set in modern America and "loosely based" on the novel - Crime and Punishment (2002 film), starring Crispin Glover and Vanessa Redgrave - Crime and Punishment (2002 TV film) is a 2002 television serial produced by the BBC, starring John Simm as Raskolnikov and Ian McDiarmid as Porfiry Petrovich. - Crime and Punishment (2007 Russian TV serial) (ru) was a 2007 television serial directed by Dmitry Svetozarov starring Vladimir Koshevoy as Raskolnikov. Aired on Channel One Russia.

Pork and Beans (song)

"Pork and Beans" is a song by the American alternative rock band Weezer, released on the group's 2008 self-titled album Weezer, also known as the Red Album. It was released to radio on April 22, 2008 and released in digital form on April 24. The track debuted at number 19 on Billboard's Modern Rock chart, and spent eleven weeks at number one. The song charted in many countries such as Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. A music video of the song, which incorporated many YouTube celebrities and memes with the band, was premiered on YouTube and was one of the most popular videos in the weeks following its release. The video won a Grammy Award for Best Music Video at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards. ## Writing and inspiration Rivers Cuomo, lead singer and guitarist for Weezer, wrote the song in reaction to a meeting with Geffen executives, who told the band members that they needed to record more commercial material. Cuomo remarked, "I came out of it pretty angry. But ironically, it inspired me to write another song." Jacknife Lee produced the track with the band in early 2008 in what was the third and final recording session for the album. The many references to popular culture in the song are said to be a "statement of defiance" according to Internet reviewer David Ritter, who later describes it to be an "anti-anthem anthem" that opens up a "broad space for critical exploration of what it means to be an aging band in the major label system". ## Composition According to the director of the video for "Pork and Beans", the song is about "the idea of being yourself, of being happy with who you are". In the album notes, Cuomo compares this to Timbaland's music, "It actually sounds like a Timbaland kind of production; he has little baby crying type of sounds." A reference is also made to Timbaland in the second verse with the line "Timbaland knows the way to reach the top of the chart". The song similarly refers to items such as Rogaine and Oakley sunglasses. ## Reception The song has been generally well received by critics. Many reviewers were pleased with what they saw as a return-to-form sound reminiscent of the Blue Album (1994) and Pinkerton (1996) albums. Pitchfork Media writer Marc Hogan gave the song a positive review and described the song as, "a catchy, self-referential rocker, with the buzzsaw guitars and big choruses of Weezer's glory days, and that familiar, self-assured lameness." Simon Vozick-Levinson of Entertainment Weekly also gave the song a positive review, "That chunka-chunka guitar hook is pure [Weezer] gold, so much so that I didn't focus on Rivers Cuomo's very clever lyrics at first." Stereogum was also impressed with the song stating it was a "sweet, savory dose of self-referential, self-deprecating Weezer rock ... This stuff sounds very familiar in a good, good way." NME described the song as having "[Cuomo's] best chorus in ages". However, Internet reviewer David Ritter suggested that the song was either "voided by the wholesale capitulation involved in going home and writing said commercial material" or "a calculated attempt to boost record sales by wrapping faux-defiance in pretty paper," going on to compliment its "Scorcho-y acoustic guitar," he then said that this, along with the "keyboard twinkles" and "squeals and squeaks", has little effect on the song and that they barely register on top of the much more noticeable lead vocals and power chords. ### Commercial performance In terms of chart performance, "Pork and Beans" is one of Weezer's most successful singles in its 25-year career. Debuting at number 19, the song reached number one on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks charts in only its third week on the charts. It became the group's ninth Top 10 hit on this chart and third number one overall and spent 11 weeks at number one, making it one of only 17 songs to ever sit at number one on that particular chart for 10 weeks or longer and one of three songs to have spent 11 weeks at number one. It also represented its fastest rising single ever, reaching number one after a mere 11 days after release. It debuted at number 39 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, where it is peaked at number 25 and debuted in the Billboard Hot 100 at number 84 with 17,000 downloads of the song on iTunes and peaked at number 64. "Pork and Beans" was voted number one on Toronto radio station 102.1 the Edge's list of Top 102 Songs of 2008. This song was number 30 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008. ## In popular culture The song was featured in the 2009 film trailers for Yes Man and Whip It!, and is a playable downloadable song for the Rock Band video game series. It is also a featured song in Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party 3 and in the Spill.com podcast "The League of Extremely Ordinary Gentlemen". ## Music video The music video for "Pork and Beans" was directed by Mathew Cullen of the video production company Motion Theory and was first released on YouTube by the band on May 23, 2008. The video features many internet phenomena. Many YouTube celebrities joined with the band to film in the video, including Mark Allen Hicks (the "Afro Ninja"), Gary Brolsma, Tay Zonday, Cara Cunningham, Caitlin Upton, Liam Kyle "Kelly" Sullivan, Kicesie, Ryan Wieber, Michael Scott, Judson Laipply, and Fritz Grobe and Stephen Voltz performing Diet Coke and Mentos eruptions. In addition, the video references other YouTube personalities such as Kevin Federline and Lim Jeong-hyun. Other internet memes mimicked in the video include the Dramatic Chipmunk and Mini Moni, parodies of G.I. Joe public service announcements, catching Raybans with one's face, "All Your Base Are Belong to Us", the Dancing Banana, "Will It Blend?", the Soulja Boy dance, "Daft Hands" and "Daft Bodies", the Sneezing Panda, Charlie the Unicorn, the Dancing Baby, DoctorLegua's dancing CGI Donald Duck and gorillas, and the hoax UFO sighting in Haiti. Dan Dzoan, former world record holder for solving a Rubik's Cube with one hand in 17.90 seconds, was present for the shooting but does not appear in the video, though there are Rubik's Cubes in the video, and Dan is present in another video posted by Weezer to YouTube. Neil Cicierega's Potter Puppet Pals were slated to be in the video but were left out due to problems with shipments of props. A mock-up of the Dumbledore puppet can be seen in the video nonetheless. The video shares some thematic similarities with the music video for the Barenaked Ladies single "Sound of Your Voice", which also featured multiple YouTube celebrities. According to Cullen, the video was to be a "celebration of that creativity", an idea that went over well with the members of the band. Cullen wanted to embrace the concept of "about being happy with who you are". Cullen hopes that the video will be "a living thing on the Internet"; as the video itself was a mash-up of Weezer's favorite stuff, Cullen hopes others will use the video to create their own mash-ups. The YouTube celebrities were flown into Los Angeles, California to work with the band for the four-day shooting of the video. The video, which quickly became popular, reached more than four million viewers in its first week and was that week's most-watched video. It was the most popular video of the month in June, reaching 7.3 million views by June 16, 2008. It was nominated for Best Editing for the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards and for Favorite Online Sensation at the 35th People's Choice Awards. The video won a Grammy for Best Short Form Music Video at the 51st Grammy Awards Show. On June 2, 2008, a video of an acoustic version of the song, with Brian Bell on guitar and Tay Zonday on vocals, was released on Weezer's official YouTube channel. On January 12, 2009, a remix version of the "Pork and Beans" video was released to YouTube, which included additional footage not previously used in the original video. The new video, in addition to including footage of Dan Dzoan and Potter Puppet Pals, adds in more internet memes and celebrities, including "Badger Badger Badger", Little Superstar, Philippine prison inmates dancing to "Thriller", Leeroy Jenkins, Ronald Jenkees, BigDog, Ask a Ninja, Back Dorm Boys, Line Rider, "I Like Turtles", Techno Viking, and Pickle Surprise, and ends with the viewer being rickrolled. ## Track list Radio only promo CD 1. "Pork and Beans" – 3:09 UK retail CD 1. "Pork and Beans" – 3:09 2. "Are 'Friends' Electric?" – 5:24 (Tubeway Army cover) UK retail 7′′ \#1 1. "Pork and Beans" – 3:09 2. "Love My Way" (The Psychedelic Furs cover) UK retail 7′′ \#2 1. "Pork and Beans" – 3:09 2. "Oddfellows Local 151" (R.E.M. cover) ## Personnel Weezer - Brian Bell – rhythm guitar, keyboards, backing vocals - Rivers Cuomo – lead guitar, lead vocals - Scott Shriner – bass guitar, backing vocals - Patrick Wilson – drums, percussion, backing vocals Additional personnel - Jacknife Lee – production ## Charts ### Weekly charts ### Year-end charts

Susan Tolsky

American actress (1943–2022)

Susan Gaye Tolsky (April 6, 1943 – October 9, 2022) was an American actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Tolsky began acting in high school and later studied nursing at the University of Texas at Austin before switching her major to theater. In 1967, she relocated to Hollywood and made her television debut on the sitcom The Second Hundred Years. Within a year, she earned a main role on the ABC comedy Western series Here Come the Brides (1968–1970) as Biddie Cloom. A self-described character actress, Tolsky made her film debut in Pretty Maids All in a Row (1971) and gained wider recognition as a regular on the variety series The New Bill Cosby Show (1972–1973) on CBS. Following several guest roles on television throughout the 1970s, Tolsky was part of the main cast on the syndicated sitcom Madame's Place (1982–1983) in the role of Bernadette Van Gilder. Her film credits include supporting roles in Charley and the Angel (1973), Record City (1977), and How to Beat the High Cost of Living (1980). Tolsky ventured into voice acting in the 1980s, beginning with Annabell on Hanna-Barbera's animated series Foofur (1986–1988). She continued her career in voice-over in the next decade with recurring roles as Aunt Ruth on Bobby's World (1990–1998), Binkie Muddlefoot on Darkwing Duck (1991–1992), and Aunt Janie on Pepper Ann (1997–2000). She also provided guest voice roles on a number of Disney Television Animation productions. Tolsky's final credit is the Disney Channel animated comedy series The Buzz on Maggie (2005–2006), where she voiced Mrs. Pesky. ## Early life and education Susan Gaye Tolsky was born on April 6, 1943, in Houston, Texas, to shop owners Sarah (née Hartstein) and Abe Tolsky. She was of Russian Jewish descent. She had one older sister, Noel. Tolsky became interested in comedy at a young age. At age eight, she performed a one-woman show at slumber parties in her neighbourhood. She attended Bellaire High School, where she grew fond of acting and stand-up comedy. She credited her high school drama teacher as her "best influence". As a child, she also had a fascination with the field of medicine and read Gray's Anatomy at age ten. She started volunteering in hospitals at age 15. When her father advised her not to pursue a career in acting, she enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin to major in nursing. While in college, Tolsky worked as a nurse's aide in the Texas Medical Center after school and on weekends. She took care of children at Houston Methodist Hospital and Texas Children's Hospital until officials believed she "could work anywhere" in the medical center. She then began working as a medical technician and was involved in obstetrics and gynecology. Despite her initial plans to acquire a degree in medicine and become a doctor, she quit during her second year of pre-medical. She said, "I quit because of the battle within me. I believe in euthanasia and could not truly shake it from my mind." As "the lure of acting proved strong", she transferred to the Department of Drama and switched her major to theater and English. She recalled: > I had two loves. I loved medicine and I loved drama. I was working in hospitals when I was fifteen. I started out in medicine for two years, then I switched to drama. It was a very difficult decision. [Particularly since] a lot of girls in those days didn't have an aim, except maybe to get married and have babies. I don't regret my choice or anything. At university, she regularly appeared in school plays, stating that she "acted [her] head off in everything from Greek tragedy to musical comedy". In her senior year, talent scout and casting director Eddie Foy III visited on behalf of the New Talent Program at Screen Gems, and Tolsky auditioned in a scene from Barefoot in the Park. Foy advised her to try acting in Hollywood, where she later moved after graduating with a degree in the fine arts in 1967. She shared an apartment in Hollywood with actress Susan Howard. Tolsky frequently visited wholesalers in Los Angeles as a buyer for her parents' shop in Houston. ## Acting career ### 1968–1970: Early roles and Here Come the Brides When Tolsky arrived in Hollywood, Foy was unable to grant her a contract with Screen Gems, and instead introduced her to people who worked in casting and helped her get an agent. Foy let her join the New Talent Program without being under contract, which allowed her to read new scripts. In 1968, Tolsky made her television debut on an episode of The Second Hundred Years, where she had one line, followed by a small role on an episode of Bewitched, both on ABC. During this time, she worked with the Columbia Pictures Workshop and the Los Angeles Repertory Company to find extra work. In 1968, Howard, a contract actress at Screen Gems, brought home a script for the pilot episode of the comedy Western series Here Come the Brides. The plot was loosely based on the Mercer Girls, women who moved from the East Coast of the United States to Seattle, Washington, in the 1860s. Howard believed Tolsky was perfect for the role of Biddie Cloom. Foy was less enthused of her chances of securing the part, believing she could not play a character from Massachusetts due to her Southern accent. In January 1968, Tolsky read for the part after convincing Foy, and she recalled that the audition was "awful", stating that she was a "nervous wreck". Two weeks later, she landed the role. Written as a minor character, Tolsky had "like three, or four lines" in the pilot episode. She initially struggled with the New England accent, which amused her colleagues. The studio tested the pilot of Here Come the Brides with a test audience and Biddie was well received. Screen Gems then wanted her to sign a contract with the studio, but because they did not offer her a contract from the beginning, she declined. She recalled, "I said, 'I want a contract just to do the show,' because I knew they could have done that when I first came out. They didn't do it, so I said, 'No.'" She then fired her agent who advised her to sign the contract with Screen Gems, and hired a manager. Tolsky chose not to sign a long-term contract with the studio as she knew that "all too often they mean seven years of forced labor in the wrong roles". A few weeks later, she was given a contract for Here Come the Brides as a series regular. The series aired from September 1968 to April 1970, running for two seasons on ABC. In the second season, the character Biddie received "more attention" and "Biddie's Theme" was composed. Tolsky recalled, "The second year they gave me a little more latitude – the dimension of my character ... When you see Biddie walking, she has her own theme, and I was enormously honored by that because I was not in the regular cast – I came in on a fluke." ### 1971–1979: Film debut and The New Bill Cosby Show Tolsky made her film debut in Roger Vadim's comedy-mystery film Pretty Maids All in a Row (1971) as Miss Craymire, the secretary of Rock Hudson's character. The film received generally negative reviews in the press, and was described as a "sex satire-murder mystery". After watching the final product at a preview, Tolsky told Vadim, "Now I know why I'm the only girl in the movie who didn't get asked to take off her clothes." Tolsky was slated to appear in Dirty Little Billy (1972) as the Texan girlfriend of Michael J. Pollard's title character, but the plans fell through. In 1972, Tolsky guest starred on the season four finale of the CBS sitcom Here's Lucy, starring Lucille Ball and her daughter Lucie Arnaz. The episode was a backdoor pilot for a proposed spin-off starring Arnaz. Tolsky was one of three finalists for the role of Arnaz's friend Sue Ann Ditbenner, and she landed the role after reading for the part at Ball's home. The spin-off was ultimately not picked up by the network. Tolsky then guest starred as another character, Miss Quigley, on a season five episode of Here's Lucy. In the early 1970s, Tolsky regularly appeared as a guest on talk shows hosted by Merv Griffin and Virginia Graham. Following an appearance on The Merv Griffin Show, producer George Schlatter took notice of her and enlisted her for the main cast of The New Bill Cosby Show (1972–73), a variety series hosted by Bill Cosby on CBS. The cast portrayed themselves and different characters in sketches. Cosby told the New York Daily News that he "fought and won a battle" with the network to not establish Tolsky's character as a "dumb dame". In an interview prior to the series premiere, he stated, "Susan will be smart but different. She won't be a nasal sounding dumb person as they wanted to make her." The variety series premiered in September 1972 and was canceled after one season. The series was met with mixed reactions from critics, although Tolsky's performance was better received. Tolsky's next film credit was Charley and the Angel (1973), a Disney comedy film directed by Vincent McEveety, in which she portrayed the character Miss Partridge. While reviewing the film, the Austin American-Statesman's Marjorie Hoffman wrote that Tolsky "has a few good scenes as a self-admiring spinster". From 1972 to 1973, Tolsky acted on two episodes of ABC's anthology television series Love, American Style. She was a contestant on the ABC game show The Dating Game in September 1973, and appeared as a celebrity guest on the game show Showoffs for a week in August 1975. In the later part of the decade, she acted in the comedy film Record City (1977) and Stan Dragoti's comedy horror film Love at First Bite (1979). Tolsky starred in the television pilot Front Page Feeney with Don Knotts, which aired in syndication in August 1977. She also made episodic appearances on the drama series Quincy, M.E. (1977) and Fantasy Island (1978), and portrayed Mammy Yokum in a Li'l Abner television special, the musical film Li'l Abner in Dogpatch Today (1978). ### 1980–2006: Madame's Place and voice acting In the 1980s, Tolsky appeared on four episodes of the CBS sitcom Alice, portraying different one-time characters, from 1980 to 1983. She appeared in the films How to Beat the High Cost of Living (1980), directed by Robert Scheerer, and The Devil and Max Devlin (1981), directed by Steven Hilliard Stern. She also guest starred on two episodes of the ABC sitcom Barney Miller in 1981 and 1982, for which the scripts were not finished at the time of filming. Tolsky said, "We went there, and they would bring down like two pages and then they'd be 'Okay, everybody have a break and we'll come down with some more pages.'" She said the cast and crew were "wonderful", and that the experience as a whole was "joyous" even if they had to wait for the scripts to be finished. She also guest starred on an episode of the crime drama series Matt Houston in 1982. Tolsky earned her third main role on television on Madame's Place (1982–83), a comedy series about a puppet, controlled by Wayland Flowers, named Madame who hosts a late-night talk show from her mansion. Tolsky portrayed Bernadette Van Gilder, Madame's shy secretary. The series was well received by television critics and viewers alike. Madame's Place had a very rushed shooting schedule and aired five days a week in first-run syndication. According to Tolsky, 75 episodes were shot in a span of fifteen weeks, and she considered it one of her "most enjoyable" experiences, after Here Come the Brides. She said, "We had a fabulous crew on that ... We did a show a day, so we did have a close crew." She felt that pleasant experiences on set became "less and less common by the 1980s"; she recalled, "The fifties and sixties and seventies – that was a wonderful era." For the remainder of the decade, Tolsky had few roles; she appeared in the comedy crime film The Longshot in 1986, and had a guest role on an episode of the sitcom Webster in 1988. After her guest appearance on Webster, Tolsky's acting credits only consisted of voice roles in animation. She first became involved in voice acting on the NBC animated children's television series Foofur (1986–88), where she voiced Annabell. In the 1990s, she lent her voice to several animated television series; she had recurring roles as Aunt Ruth on Bobby's World (1990–98), Binkie Muddlefoot on Darkwing Duck (1991–92), Scara on Aladdin (1994), and Aunt Janie, the aunt of the titular character on Pepper Ann (1997–2000). She also voiced characters in single episodes of several Disney Television Animation productions, including TaleSpin (1991), Goof Troop (1992), and Jungle Cubs (1996). Tolsky's final credit is the Disney Channel animated comedy series The Buzz on Maggie (2005–06), where she was part of the main cast. She provided the voice of Mrs. Pesky, the mother of the title character. The series premiered in June 2005 to a positive response from television critics, who praised its humor, voice acting, and writing. The Buzz on Maggie was canceled after one season, airing its final episode in May 2006. ## Personal life Tolsky dated actor Christopher Stone, whom she met through the New Talent Program at Screen Gems in the late 1960s, for five years. Tolsky's interest in medicine remained after quitting pre-medical. She continued to read medical dictionaries and her social circle consisted of people working in the field. While visiting friends in hospitals, she had "this fantasy and make believe" the speaker operator would call for "Dr. Tolsky". She also had an interest in cooking, which she described as her "special thing". Her recipe for one-layer chocolate cake appeared in the Valley News and Green Sheet in February 1970. In the 1970s, Tolsky resided in Sherman Oaks in the San Fernando Valley. Tolsky rarely watched her own work, asserting that it was "quite frightening" for her. She considered herself a character actress as she realized at a young age that she was "one of those girls who had a good personality". She said, "I really wasn't what you'd call 'beautiful' ... I realized quite young that if I made people laugh, I could go anywhere." In an interview in 2007, she said that she still received fan mail because of Here Come the Brides. She stated, "It's shocking that people still remember that show ... They come up and they go, 'You're Biddie.' I'm honored that people remember things like that." Tolsky died of natural causes at her Toluca Lake home in Los Angeles on October 9, 2022, at the age of 79. ## Filmography ### Film ### Television

Fifth Ward Wardroom

The Fifth Ward Wardroom is a historic meeting hall at 47 Mulberry Street in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. It is a single-story red brick building, with a low-pitch hipped roof. Basically rectangular, an enclosed entry pavilion projects from the main block. The building was designed by William R. Walker & Son and built in 1886. Originally used as a polling place and meeting hall, it was later used as a school and by veterans organizations before being converted into a single family residence during its National Register of Historic Places nomination. It was listed on the historic register in 1983. ## Design Designed by William R. Walker & Son and constructed by S. Mason & H. A. Smith in 1886, the one story red brick Queen Anne style building is basically rectangular with a low-pitched hipped roof. The red bricks are laid in dark red mortar and is contrasted by the granite sill course and brownstone belt course at window sill level. The building has a central closed entry pavilion which projects out and has two porches oriented to face Mulberry and Cedar Street. The building has three lunette windows on the sides of the main block, each divided into thirds, and a smaller windows on the pavilion's pedimented end. The rear ell has double hung two-over-two sash windows. At the time of the nomination, during the renovations to a single family home, the house had its Cedar Street porch closed in with plywood and the smaller lunette windows were boarded in, but the exterior wooden trim was largely extant. ## Use The Fifth Ward Wardroom was constructed and used as a polling place and meeting hall in a critical time when Pawtucket was incorporated as a city before later being used as a school and eventually a legion post. At the time it was nominated to the National Historic Register, the house was undergoing renovations to become a private single family residence. Prior to its conversion, it was the Henrietta I. Drummond Post No. 50 of the American Legion. According to public records, the house remains a private residence. ## Significance The Fifth Ward Wardroom is historically significant as a historical reminder of the pivotal time in which Pawtucket was incorporated as a city and gave up its town-meeting form of governance. The building is also architecturally significant as a rare type of building, wardrooms, and is one of three extant examples in Rhode Island. William R. Walker & Son constructed three such structures in Pawtucket with the First Ward Wardroom being extant and the third example having been demolished. Though both constructed by William R. Walker & Son, the two Pawtucket wardrooms are related, but not identical in construction and show variations by the firm. Another wardroom, with a bungalow style, is located in the Cato Hill Historic District in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. The Fifth Ward Wardroom was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. ## See also - National Register of Historic Places listings in Pawtucket, Rhode Island

Zita of Bourbon-Parma

Wife of Charles I of Austria (1892–1989)

Zita of Bourbon-Parma (Zita Maria delle Grazie Adelgonda Micaela Raffaela Gabriella Giuseppina Antonia Luisa Agnese; 9 May 1892 – 14 March 1989) was the wife of Charles I, the last monarch of Austria-Hungary. As such, she was the last Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary, in addition to other titles. She was declared Servant of God by Pope Benedict XVI. Born as the seventeenth child of the dispossessed Robert I, Duke of Parma, and his second wife, Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal, Zita married the then Archduke Charles of Austria in 1911. Charles became heir presumptive to the Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria in 1914 after the assassination of his uncle Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, and acceded to the throne in 1916 after the elderly emperor's death. After the end of World War I in 1918, the Habsburgs were deposed and the former empire became home to the states of Austria, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia, while other parts were annexed to or joined the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, Italy, Romania, and a reconstituted independent Poland. Charles and Zita left for exile in Switzerland and, after the failure of attempts to restore royal rule in Hungary, were subsequently removed from that country by the Allies to Madeira, where Charles died in 1922. After her husband's death, Zita and her son Otto served as symbols of unity for the exiled dynasty. A devout Catholic, she raised a large family after being widowed at the age of 29; she never remarried. ## Early life Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma was born at the Villa Pianore in the Italian Province of Lucca, 9 May 1892. The unusual name Zita was given to her after Zita, a popular Italian saint who had lived in Tuscany in the 13th century. She was the third daughter and fifth child of the deposed Robert I, Duke of Parma and his second wife Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal, a daughter of King Miguel of Portugal and his wife Princess Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. Zita's father had lost his throne as a result of the movement for Italian unification in 1859 when he was still a child. He fathered twelve children during his first marriage to Princess Maria Pia of the Two Sicilies (six of whom were mentally disabled, and three of whom died young). Duke Robert became a widower in 1882, and two years later he married Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal, Zita's mother. The second marriage produced a further twelve children. Zita was the 17th child among Duke Robert's 24 children. Robert moved his large family between Villa Pianore (a large property located between Pietrasanta and Viareggio) and his Schwarzau Castle in lower Austria. It was mainly in these two residences that Zita spent her formative years. The family spent most of the year in Austria, moving to Pianore in the winter and returning in the summer. To move between them, they took a special train with sixteen coaches to accommodate the family and their belongings. Zita and her siblings were raised to speak Italian, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese and English. She recalled: > We grew up internationally. My father thought of himself first and foremost as a Frenchman, and spent a few weeks every year with the elder children at Chambord, his main property on the Loire. I once asked him how we should describe ourselves. He replied, "We are French princes who reigned in Italy." In fact, of the twenty-four children only three including me, were actually born in Italy. At the age of ten, Zita was sent to a boarding school at Zanberg in Upper Bavaria, where there was a strict regime of study and religious instruction. She was summoned home in the autumn of 1907 at the death of her father. Her maternal grandmother sent Zita and her sister Francesca to a convent on the Isle of Wight to complete their education. Brought up as devout Catholics, the Parma children regularly undertook good works for the poor. In Schwarzau the family turned surplus cloth into clothes. Zita and Francesca personally distributed food, clothing, and medicines to the needy in Pianore. Three of Zita's sisters became nuns and, for a time, she considered following the same path. Zita went through a period of poor health and was sent for the traditional cure at a European spa for two years. ## Marriage In the close vicinity of Schwarzau castle was the Villa Wartholz, residence of Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria, Zita's maternal aunt. She was the stepmother of Archduke Otto, who died in 1906, and the step-grandmother of Archduke Charles of Austria-Este, at that time second-in-line to the Austrian throne. The two daughters of Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria were Zita's first cousins and Charles' half-aunts. They had met as children but did not see one another for almost ten years, as each pursued their education. In 1909, his Dragoon regiment was stationed at Brandýs nad Labem, from where he visited his aunt at Františkovy Lázně. It was during one of these visits that Charles and Zita became reacquainted. Charles was under pressure to marry (Franz Ferdinand, his uncle and first-in-line, had married morganatically, and his children were excluded from the throne) and Zita had a suitably royal genealogy. Zita later recalled: > We were of course glad to meet again and became close friends. On my side feelings developed gradually over the next two years. He seemed to have made his mind up much more quickly, however, and became even more keen when, in the autumn of 1910, rumours spread about that I had got engaged to a distant Spanish relative, Don Jaime, the Duke of Madrid. On hearing this, the Archduke came down post haste from his regiment at Brandýs and sought out his grandmother, Archduchess Maria Theresa, who was also my aunt and the natural confidante in such matters. He asked if the rumor was true and when told it was not, he replied, "Well, I had better hurry in any case or she will get engaged to someone else." Archduke Charles traveled to Villa Pianore and asked for Zita's hand and, on 13 June 1911, their engagement was announced at the Austrian court. Zita in later years recalled that after her engagement she had expressed to Charles her worries about the fate of the Austrian Empire and the challenges of the monarchy. Charles and Zita were married at the Schwarzau castle on 21 October 1911. Charles's great-uncle, the 81-year-old Emperor Franz Joseph, attended the wedding. He was relieved to see an heir make a suitable marriage, and was in good spirits, even leading the toast at the wedding breakfast. Archduchess Zita soon conceived a son, and Otto was born 20 November 1912. Seven more children followed in the next decade. ## Wife of the heir to Austrian throne At this time, Archduke Charles was in his twenties and did not expect to become emperor for some time, especially while Franz Ferdinand remained in good health. This changed on 28 June 1914 when the heir and his wife Sophie were assassinated in Sarajevo by Bosnian Serb nationalists. Charles and Zita received the news by telegram that day. She said of her husband, "Though it was a beautiful day, I saw his face go white in the sun." In the war that followed, Charles was promoted to General in the Austrian army, taking command of the 20th Corps for an offensive in Tyrol. The war was personally difficult for Zita, as several of her brothers fought on opposing sides in the conflict (Prince Felix and Prince René had joined the Austrian army, while Prince Sixtus and Prince Xavier lived in France before the war and enlisted in the Belgian army.) Also her country of birth, Italy, joined the war against Austria in 1915, and so rumours of the 'Italian' Zita began to be muttered. Even as late as 1917, the German ambassador in Vienna, Count Botho von Wedel-Jarlsberg would write to Berlin saying "The Empress is descended from an Italian princely house... People do not entirely trust the Italian and her brood of relatives." At Franz Joseph's request, Zita and her children left their residence at Hetzendorf and moved into a suite of rooms at Schönbrunn Palace. Here, Zita spent many hours with the old Emperor on both formal and informal occasions, where Franz Joseph confided in her his fears for the future. Emperor Franz Joseph died of bronchitis and pneumonia at the age of 86 on 21 November 1916. "I remember the dear plump figure of Prince Lobkowitz going up to my husband," Zita later recounted, "and, with tears in his eyes, making the sign of the cross on Charles's forehead. As he did so he said, 'May God bless Your Majesty.' It was the first time we had heard the Imperial title used to us." ## Empress and queen Charles and Zita were crowned in Budapest on 30 December 1916. Following the coronation there was a banquet, but after that the festivities ended, as the emperor and empress thought it wrong to have prolonged celebrations during a time of war. At the beginning of the reign, Charles was more often than not away from Vienna, so he had a telephone line installed from Baden (where Charles's military headquarters were located) to the Hofburg. He called Zita several times a day whenever they were separated. Zita had some influence on her husband and would discreetly attend audiences with the Prime Minister or military briefings, and she had a special interest in social policy. However, military matters were the sole domain of Charles. Energetic and strong-willed, Zita accompanied her husband to the provinces and to the front, as well as occupying herself with charitable works and hospital visits to the war-wounded. ### Sixtus affair By the spring of 1917, the War was dragging on towards its fourth year, and Zita's brother Sixtus of Bourbon-Parma, a serving officer in the Belgian Army, was a main mover behind a plan for Austria-Hungary to make a separate peace with France. Charles initiated contact with Sixtus through contacts in neutral Switzerland, and Zita wrote a letter inviting him to Vienna. Zita's mother Maria Antonia delivered the letter in person. Sixtus arrived with conditions for talks which had been agreed with the French – the restoration to France of Alsace-Lorraine (annexed by Germany after the Franco-Prussian War in 1870); restoration of the independence of Belgium; independence for the kingdom of Serbia; and the handover of Constantinople to Russia. Charles agreed, in principle, to the first three points and wrote a letter to Sixtus dated 25 March 1917 which sent "the secret and unofficial message" to the President of France that "I will use all means and all my personal influence". This attempt at dynastic diplomacy eventually foundered. Germany refused to negotiate over Alsace-Lorraine, and, seeing a Russian collapse on the horizon, was loath to give up the war. Sixtus continued his efforts, even meeting Lloyd George in London about Italy's territorial demands on Austria in the Treaty of London of 1915, but the Prime Minister could not persuade his generals that Britain should make peace with Austria. Zita managed a personal achievement during this time by stopping the German plans to send airplanes to bomb the home of the King and Queen of Belgium on their name days. In April 1918, after the German-Russian Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Austrian Foreign Minister Count Ottokar Czernin made a speech attacking incoming French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau as being the main obstacle to a peace favouring the Central Powers. Clemenceau was incensed and, after seeing the Emperor Charles's letter of 24 March 1917, had it published. For a while, the life of Sixtus appeared to be in danger, and there were even fears that Germany might occupy Austria. Czernin persuaded Charles to send a 'Word of Honour' to Austria's allies saying that Sixtus had not been authorised to show the letter to the French Government, that Belgium had not been mentioned, and that Clemenceau had lied about the mentioning of Alsace. Czernin had actually been in contact with the German Embassy throughout the whole crisis and attempted to persuade the Emperor to step down because of the Affair. After failing to do so, Czernin resigned as Foreign Minister. ### End of Empire By this time, the war was closing in on the embattled Emperor. A Union of Czech Deputies had already sworn an oath to a new Czechoslovak state independent of the Habsburg Empire on 13 April 1918, the prestige of the German Army had taken a severe blow at the Battle of Amiens, and, on 25 September 1918, her brother-in-law King Ferdinand I of Bulgaria broke away from his allies in the Central Powers and sued for peace independently. Zita was with Charles when he received the telegram announcing Bulgaria's collapse. She remembered it "made it even more urgent to start peace talks with the Western Powers while there was still something to talk about." On 16 October, the Emperor issued a "People's Manifesto" proposing the empire be restructured on federal lines with each nationality gaining its own state. Instead, each nation broke away and the empire effectively dissolved. Leaving behind their children at Gödöllő, Charles and Zita travelled to the Schönbrunn Palace. By this time ministers had been appointed by the new state of "German-Austria", and by 11 November, together with the Emperor's spokesmen, they prepared a manifesto for Charles to sign. Zita, at first glance, mistook it for an abdication and made her famous statement: > A sovereign can never abdicate. He can be deposed... All right. That is force. But abdicate – never, never, never! I would rather fall here at your side. Then there would be Otto. And even if all of us here were killed, there would still be other Habsburgs! Charles gave his permission for the document to be published, and he, his family and the remnants of his Court departed for the Royal shooting lodge at Eckartsau, close to the borders with Hungary and Slovakia. The Republic of German-Austria was proclaimed the next day. ## Exile After a difficult few months at Eckartsau, the Imperial Family received aid from an unexpected source. Prince Sixtus had met King George V and appealed to him to help the Habsburgs. George was reportedly moved by the request, it being only months since his imperial relatives in Russia had been executed by revolutionaries, and promised "We will immediately do what is necessary." Several British Army officers were sent to help Charles, most notably Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Lisle Strutt, who was a grandson of Lord Belper and a former student at the University of Innsbruck. On 19 March 1919, orders were received from the War Office to "get the Emperor out of Austria without delay". With some difficulty, Strutt managed to arrange a train to Switzerland, enabling the Emperor to leave the country with dignity without having to abdicate. Charles, Zita, their children and their household left Eckartsau on 24 March escorted by a detachment of British soldiers from the Honourable Artillery Company under the command of Strutt. ### Hungary and exile in Madeira The family's first home in exile was Wartegg Castle in Rorschach, Switzerland, a property owned by the Bourbon-Parmas. However, the Swiss authorities, worried about the implication of the Habsburgs living near the Austrian border, compelled them to move to the western part of the country. The next month, therefore, found them moving to Villa Prangins, near Lake Geneva, where they resumed a quiet family life. This abruptly ended in March 1920 when, after a period of instability in Hungary, Miklós Horthy was elected regent. Charles was still technically King (as Charles IV) but Horthy sent an emissary to Prangins advising him not to go to Hungary until the situation had calmed. After the Trianon Treaty Horthy's ambition soon grew. Charles became concerned and requested the help of Colonel Strutt to get him into Hungary. Charles twice attempted to regain control, once in March 1921 and again in October 1921. Both attempts failed, despite Zita's staunch support (she insisted on travelling with him on the final dramatic train journey to Budapest). Charles and Zita temporarily resided at Castle Tata, the home of Count Esterházy, until a suitable permanent exile could be found. Malta was mooted as a possibility, but was declined by Lord Curzon, and French territory was ruled out given the possibility of Zita's brothers intriguing on Charles's behalf. Eventually, the Portuguese island of Madeira was chosen. On 31 October 1921, the former Imperial couple were taken by rail from Tihany to Baja, where the Royal Navy monitor HMS Glowworm was waiting. They finally arrived at Funchal on 19 November. Their children were being looked after at Wartegg Castle in Switzerland by Charles's step-grandmother Maria Theresa, although Zita managed to see them in Zurich when her son Robert needed an operation for appendicitis. The children joined their parents in Madeira in February 1922. ### Death of Charles Charles had been in poor health for some time. After going shopping on a chilly day in Funchal to buy toys for Carl Ludwig, he was struck by an attack of bronchitis. This rapidly worsened into pneumonia, not helped by the inadequate medical care available. Several of the children and staff were also ill, and Zita (at the time eight months pregnant) helped nurse them all. Charles weakened and died on 1 April, his last words to his wife being "I love you so much." Charles was 34 years old. After his funeral, a witness said of Zita "This woman really is to be admired. She did not, for one second, lose her composure... she greeted the people on all sides and then spoke to those who had helped out with the funeral. They were all under her charm." Zita wore mourning black in Charles's memory throughout sixty-seven years of widowhood. ## Widowhood After Charles's death, the former Austrian imperial family were soon to move again. Alfonso XIII of Spain had approached the British Foreign Office via his ambassador in London, and they agreed to allow Zita and her seven (soon to be eight) children to relocate to Spain. Alfonso duly sent the warship Infanta Isabel to Funchal and this took them to Cadiz. They were then escorted to the Pardo Palace in Madrid, where shortly after her arrival Zita gave birth to Archduchess Elisabeth. Alfonso XIII offered his exiled Habsburg relatives the use of Palacio Uribarren at Lekeitio on the Bay of Biscay. This appealed to Zita, who did not want to be a heavy burden to the state that harboured her. For the next six years Zita settled in Lekeitio, where she got on with the job of raising and educating her children. They lived with straitened finances, mainly living on income from private property in Austria, income from a vineyard in Johannisberg in the Rhine Valley, and voluntary collections. Other members of the exiled Habsburg dynasty, however, claimed much of this money, and there were regular petitions for help from former Imperial officials. ### Move to Belgium By 1929, several of the children were approaching the age to attend university and the family moved to a castle in the Belgian village of Steenokkerzeel near Brussels, where they were closer to several members of their family. Zita continued her political lobbying on behalf of the Habsburg family, even sounding out links with Mussolini's Italy. There was even a possibility of a Habsburg restoration under the Austrian Chancellors Engelbert Dollfuss and Kurt Schuschnigg, with Crown Prince Otto visiting Austria numerous times. These overtures were abruptly ended by the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in 1938. As exiles, the Habsburg family took the lead in resisting the Nazis in Austria, but this foundered because of opposition between monarchists and socialists. ### Flight to North America With the Nazi invasion of Belgium on 10 May 1940, Zita and her family became war refugees. They narrowly missed being killed by a direct hit on the castle by German bombers and fled to Prince Xavier's castle at Bostz in France. The Habsburgs then fled to the Spanish border, reaching it on 18 May. On June 12 the Portuguese ruler António Salazar issued instructions to the Portuguese consulates in France to provide Infanta Maria Antónia of Portugal Duchess of Parma with Portuguese passports. With these Portuguese passports the family could get visas without creating problems for the neutrality of the Portuguese Government. This way the daughter of Maria Antónia, Zita of Bourbon-Parma, and her son Otto von Habsburg got their visas because they were descendants of a Portuguese citizen. They moved on to Portugal and resided in Cascais. Not long after, the archduke was informed by Salazar that Hitler had demanded his extradition. The demand would be refused, the Portuguese ruler told him but hinted that his safety was precarious. On 9 July the United States government granted the family visas. After a perilous journey they arrived in New York City on 27 July, having family in Long Island and Newark, New Jersey; at one point, Zita and several of her children lived, as long-term house-guests, in Tuxedo Park, New York. The Austrian imperial refugees eventually settled in Quebec, which had the advantage of being French-speaking (the younger children were not yet fluent in English) and continued their studies in French at Université Laval. As they were cut off from all European funds, finances were more stretched than ever. At one stage, Zita was reduced to making salad and spinach dishes from dandelion leaves. However, all her sons were active in the war effort. Otto promoted the dynasty's role in a post-war Europe and met regularly with Franklin Roosevelt; Robert was the Habsburg representative in London; Carl Ludwig and Felix joined the United States Army, serving with several American-raised relatives of the Mauerer line; Rudolf smuggled himself into Austria in the final days of the war to help organise the resistance. In 1945 Empress Zita celebrated her birthday on the first day of peace, 9 May. She was to spend the next two years touring the United States and Canada to raise funds for war-ravaged Austria and Hungary. ## Later life After a period of rest and recovery, Zita found herself regularly going back to Europe for the weddings of her children. She decided to move back to the continent full-time in 1952 to Luxembourg to look after her aging mother. Maria Antonia died at the age of 96 in 1959. The bishop of Chur proposed to Zita that she move into a residence that he administered (formerly a castle of the Counts de Salis) at Zizers, Graubünden in Switzerland. As the castle had enough space for visits from her large family and a nearby chapel (a necessity for the devoutly-Catholic Zita), she accepted with ease. Zita occupied herself in her final years with her family. Although the restrictions on the Habsburgs entering Austria had been lifted, that applied only to those born after 10 April 1919. That meant that Zita could not attend the funeral of her daughter Adelheid in 1972, which was painful for her. She also involved herself in the efforts to have her deceased husband, the "Peace Emperor" canonised. In 1982, the restrictions were eased, and she returned to Austria after being absent for six decades. Over the next few years, the Empress made several visits to her former Austrian homeland and even appeared on Austrian television. In a series of interviews with the Viennese tabloid newspaper Kronen Zeitung, Zita expressed her belief that the deaths of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria and his mistress Baroness Mary Vetsera, at Mayerling, in 1889, were not a double suicide but rather murder by French or Austrian agents. ### Death After a memorable 90th birthday, at which she was surrounded by her now vast family, Zita's habitually-robust health began to fail. She developed inoperable cataracts in both eyes. Her last major family gathering took place at Zizers, in 1987, when her children and grandchildren joined in celebrating her 95th birthday. While visiting her daughter, in summer 1988, she developed pneumonia and spent most of the autumn and winter bedridden. Finally, she called Otto in early March 1989 and told him she was dying. He and the rest of the family travelled to her bedside and took turns keeping her company until she died in the early hours of 14 March 1989. She was 96 years old, and was the last surviving child of Robert, Duke of Parma from both his marriages. Her funeral was held in Vienna on 1 April. The government allowed it to take place on Austrian soil if the cost was borne by the Habsburgs themselves. Zita's body was carried to the Imperial Crypt under Capuchin Church in the same funeral coach she had walked behind during the funeral of Emperor Franz Joseph in 1916. It was attended by over 200 members of the Habsburg and Bourbon-Parma families, and the service had 6,000 attendees including leading politicians, state officials and international representatives, including a representative of Pope John Paul II. Following an ancient custom, the Empress had asked that her heart, which was placed in an urn, stay behind at Muri Abbey, in Switzerland, where the Emperor's heart had rested for decades. In doing so, Zita assured herself that in death, she and her husband would remain by each other's side. When the procession of mourners arrived at the gates of the Imperial Crypt, the herald who knocked on the door during the traditional "admission ceremony" introduced her as Zita, Her Majesty the Empress and Queen. ## Cause of beatification and canonization On 10 December 2009, Mgr Yves Le Saux, Bishop of Le Mans, France, opened the diocesan process for the beatification of Zita. Zita was in the habit of spending several months each year in the diocese of Le Mans at St. Cecilia's Abbey, Solesmes, where three of her sisters were nuns. The actor is the French Association pour la Béatification de l'Impératrice Zita. The postulator for the cause is Alexander Leonhardt. Vice postulator for Hungary is Catholic theologian Norbert Nagy. The judge of the tribunal is Bruno Bonnet. The promoter of justice is François Scrive. With the opening of her cause, the late Empress has been named Servant of God. ## Titles, styles, honours and arms ### Titles and styles - 9 May 1892 – 21 October 1911: Her Royal Highness Princess Zita of Parma - 21 October 1911 – 28 June 1914: Her Imperial and Royal Highness Archduchess Zita, Archduchess Karl of Austria, Princess of Parma - 28 June 1914 – 21 November 1916: Her Imperial and Royal Highness The Archduchess of Austria-Este - 21 November 1916 – 3 April 1919: Her Imperial and Royal Apostolic Majesty The Empress of Austria, Apostolic Queen of Hungary and Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia ### Honours - Austria-Hungary: - Dame of the Order of the Starry Cross - Dame Grand Cross of the Imperial Austrian Order of Elizabeth, 1913 - Star of Merit of the Decoration for Services to the Red Cross, with War Decoration - Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Bailiff Dame Grand Cross, with Distinction for Jerusalem ## Children Charles and Zita had eight children and thirty three grandchildren: ## Ancestry

Chafin v. Chafin

Chafin v. Chafin, 568 U.S. 165 (2013), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held the appeal of a district court's decision to return a child to his country of residence is not precluded by the child's departure from the United States. It arose from the divorce proceedings of Mr. and Ms. Chafin; she wanted their daughter to live with her in Scotland, while he wanted her to remain in the United States with him. ## Background Sergeant First Class Jeffrey Lee Chafin, an American soldier, married Lynne Hales Chafin in Scotland in March 2006. They had a daughter together, who went to live with her mother in Scotland while her father was serving in Afghanistan. After Chafin's deployment was over, the family reunited in Alabama. There, in 2010, Jeffrey Chafin filed for divorce, as well as seeking temporary custody of his daughter after Ms. Chafin was arrested for domestic assault. After her arrest, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement learned that Ms. Chafin had overstayed her visa, and she was deported. She then sued in American court, demanding that her daughter be returned to Scotland, so that a Scottish court could decide the custody issue under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. ## Lower courts Ms. Chafin's lawsuit was heard in the District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. There, following a bench trial, the district court granted her request, ordering that the daughter be returned to Scotland. Mr. Chafin announced his intention to appeal the decision, and asked that the court's order be stayed until the appeal was heard. However, the court declined to stay the ruling pending an appeal. The daughter left for Scotland the same day. The district court separately ordered Mr. Chafin to pay Ms. Chafin \$100,000 to cover legal fees and travel expenses. Mr. Chafin appealed the district court's order to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. But the appeals court declined to hear his challenge, refusing to consider the merits of the appeal. Instead, the appeals court declared that the case was moot, given that his daughter had already returned to Scotland. As a result, it denied his appeal, instead ordering the district court to vacate the return order and dismiss the entire case. Mr. Chafin then appealed to the United States Supreme Court, which accepted the case. One of the factors in the Court's decision to accept the case was that the Eleventh Circuit's decision that the case was moot did not match the views of the Fourth Circuit, which in 2003 ruled that appeals courts did retain jurisdiction in such situations. This disagreement created a circuit split, which increases the likelihood that the Supreme Court will accept a case. ## Supreme Court decision ### Issue The case hinged on the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Specifically, the Convention seeks "to establish procedures to ensure [the] prompt return [of children] to the State of their habitual residence." The United States is a signatory to the convention. The District Court, in keeping with the United States' obligation under the convention, decided that the Chafins' daughter should be returned to Scotland, which was her habitual residence. The issue on appeal, however, was whether the case was moot as a result of her departure from the United States, rather than the underlying decision on the merits of the case. However, the Convention does not address the situation that arose in this case, where one party seeks to contest a finding of the child's "habitual residency". ### Ruling The Court concluded that despite leaving the country, U.S. courts still maintained jurisdiction over Ms. Chafin. Thus, in a decision authored by John Roberts, it held that the American judicial system could still order her to return the child. Accordingly, the Supreme Court unanimously held that "such return does not render this case moot." The Court vacated the Eleventh Circuit's decision and remanded the case back to the Eleventh Circuit to evaluate the merits of the appeal. It further noted that, even if Ms. Chafin were to ignore an adverse result, that alone did not preclude the case from being appealed, and that the Scottish courts that were simultaneously deciding the custody dispute could be influenced by the result of the case. Roberts further argued that, if such appeals were moot, parents might be inclined to immediately leave the United States after securing custody of a child, to prevent the possible loss of an appeal. Such attempts to evade American jurisdiction could prompt judges to stay their rulings as a preventative measure to retain jurisdiction, in which case "a child would lose precious months when she could have been readjusting to life in her country of habitual residence, even though the appeal has little chance of success." The Court also concluded that the legal fees Mr. Chafin had been ordered to pay meant that the case was not mooted by the daughter's departure to Scotland, since Mr. Chafin had not yet paid the \$100,000 to his ex-wife. ## Subsequent developments The Eleventh Circuit, hearing the case for a second time, then considered the underlying merits of the appeal. The court ruled against Mr. Chafin. In a per curiam decision, the appeals court affirmed the original judgment, deferring to the district court's decision that the child's "habitual residence" was Scotland. ## See also - Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction - International Child Abduction Remedies Act

WonderSwan

Handheld game console

The is a handheld game console released in Japan by Bandai. It was developed by Gunpei Yokoi's company Koto Laboratory and Bandai, and was the last piece of hardware Yokoi developed before his death in 1997. Released in 1999 in the sixth generation of video game consoles, the WonderSwan and its two later models, the WonderSwan Color and SwanCrystal were officially supported until being discontinued by Bandai in 2003. During its lifespan, no variation of the WonderSwan was released outside of Japan. Powered by a 16-bit processor, the WonderSwan took advantage of a low price point and long battery life in comparison to its competition, Nintendo's Game Boy Color and SNK's Neo Geo Pocket Color. Later improvements took advantage of quality upgrades to the handheld's screen and added color. The WonderSwan is playable both vertically and horizontally, and features a unique library of games, including numerous first-party titles based on licensed anime properties, as well as significant third-party support from developers such as Squaresoft, Namco, Capcom and Banpresto. Overall, the WonderSwan in all its variations combined to sell an estimated 3.5 million units and managed to obtain as much as 8% of the Japanese handheld video game console market before being marginalized by Nintendo's Game Boy Advance. Retrospective feedback praises the potential of the WonderSwan despite its low sales and its brief time holding its own against Nintendo in the marketplace. ## History Founded in 1950 by Naoharu Yamashina, Bandai was originally a manufacturer of toy cars and plastic models, but became a major player in the toy industry through the licensing of popular anime characters beginning with Tetsuwan Atomu in 1963. In the 1970s, Bandai manufactured both LCD games based on television programs and dedicated consoles. In 1982, the company released the Intellivision in Japan, and in 1985 it became one of the first third-party licensees on the Family Computer. However, the company's greatest success in electronic games, was the Tamagotchi virtual pet first released in 1996. Despite plans for Bandai to merge with Sega to form Sega Bandai Ltd. in 1997, the merger was called off suddenly. Bandai's board of directors decided to oppose the merger less than a week after approving it, and Sega in turn decided to accept Bandai's actions at an emergency board meeting later that day. Bandai president Makoto Yamashina took responsibility for failing to gain the support of his company for the merger. As a result, Bandai entered the market without outside support. Engineer Gunpei Yokoi is known for creating the Game Boy handheld system at Nintendo. After the failure of the Virtual Boy, however, he left the company in 1996 in order to create his own engineering firm, Koto Laboratory. It was then that Bandai approached Yokoi to create the WonderSwan to compete with the Game Boy. Yokoi was involved in development of the new handheld, but died in 1997 in a car accident before it was released. The WonderSwan was officially unveiled in Tokyo on October 8, 1998. Bandai chose the name of the system to highlight its aesthetics and technical capabilities because the swan is recognized as an elegant bird with powerful legs that aid its graceful swimming. The company promised a 30-hour battery life, a low retail price, and a launch lineup of roughly fifty games. The WonderSwan launched on March 4, 1999 and was available in nine casing colors: pearl white, skeleton green, silver metallic, skeleton pink, blue metallic, skeleton blue, skeleton black, camouflage, and gold. Three limited edition two-tone models were also released in frozen mint, sherbet melon and soda blue. These colors were chosen through an online poll at Bandai’s website, with the metallic and pearl white models being discontinued on July 22 to make room for the special two-tone editions. Despite Nintendo's release of the Game Boy Color five months before, Bandai remained confident that the WonderSwan and its monochromatic screen would perform well because the original black-and-white Game Boy had previously been more successful than its color-screen competitors, the Game Gear and Atari Lynx, on the basis of its battery life and the quality of its game library. With a retail price , the WonderSwan was also cheaper than its competition. In 2000, Bandai signed an agreement with Mattel to bring the handheld to North America, but ultimately decided against a Western release. The exact reason for this is unknown, but the crowded handheld video game console market has been suggested as a factor. Later that year, Bandai announced the which would incorporate a color screen while retaining backward compatibility with the original WonderSwan. It was released on December 9 in Japan and was available in pearl blue, pearl pink, crystal black, crystal blue, and crystal orange. The launch was a moderate success, with the system selling 270,632 units in under a month after its release. Before the WonderSwan Color could be released, however, Nintendo announced the Game Boy Advance, which featured superior hardware. The WonderSwan Color still retailed at a lower price point at compared to the Advance at , but despite peaking at 8% of the handheld market share in Japan, the WonderSwan's sales never recovered after the Game Boy Advance reached store shelves in March 2001. A redesign of the WonderSwan Color, titled , was released in Japan on July 12, 2002 for , less than the Game Boy Advance. Once again, Bandai held a poll on its website to determine casing colors and released the system in blue violet, wine red, crystal blue, and crystal black. Despite its low price and an improved LCD screen, the SwanCrystal was unable to compete, so Bandai discontinued the WonderSwan line in 2003 due to low demand and backed out of producing video game hardware altogether. In all, the handheld sold 3.5 million units, of which 1.55 million were of the original WonderSwan and at least 1.1 million were of the WonderSwan Color. ## Technical specifications The main CPU of the WonderSwan is a 16-bit NEC V30 MZ. The original model's screen is capable of displaying up to eight shades of gray, in contrast to the four displayed by the WonderSwan's main competitor, the Game Boy. Similar to the Atari Lynx, the handheld has an extra set of buttons allowing the console to be played at different angles; for the WonderSwan, these buttons were used to allow gamers to play games in both the portrait and landscape orientations. The WonderSwan series are all powered by a single AA battery, with the original monochrome version having a battery life of 40 hours. It also allows players to record their personal information, such as their name, birth date, and blood type, which then can be accessed and used by the game. Its LCD screen is 2.49 inches (6.3 cm) and displays at a resolution of 224 × 144. Its sound capabilities consist of four PCM channels, each of which can play 32-sample, 4-bit sounds at selectable volume and pitch levels. The physical measurements of the WonderSwan Color are 12.8 by 7.43 by 2.43 centimetres (5.04 in × 2.93 in × 0.96 in), slightly larger than the original WonderSwan, and it weighs 96 grams (3.4 oz). Its CPU is a 3.072 MHz NEC V30 MZ, and it includes 512 kbit of RAM, which is shared between the video RAM and the work RAM. The screen on the WonderSwan Color can display up to 241 colors out of a palette of 4096, and up to 28 sprites per line. It offers backward compatibility with all previous WonderSwan titles. Its LCD screen is also larger than that of the original WonderSwan, measuring 2.9 inches (7.4 cm). The WonderSwan Color has an approximate battery life of 20 hours. The SwanCrystal improves upon the design of the WonderSwan Color through the use of a TFT LCD monitor, which has a superior response time to the FSTN monitor used in the former system. This helped to reduce motion blur in the handheld's graphics. The unit's case was also redesigned to be more durable. Its approximate battery life is 15 hours. The original WonderSwan's cartridges were solid black in color, while the WonderSwan Color's cartridges were clear. Games for the original WonderSwan would not have color on a WonderSwan Color, and would display in its original grayscale. Several features and accessories were developed for the WonderSwan. The WonderWitch is an official software development kit aimed at amateur programmers that was released by Qute Corporation. It sold at a cost of and allows for games to be developed in the C programming language. An adapter was created to connect headphones to the handheld, as the WonderSwan lacks a headphone port. A remote-controlled robot known as the WonderBorg can be operated through the unit. In addition, the handheld can be connected to a PocketStation, a memory card peripheral for the PlayStation console, through a device known as the WonderWave. The WonderSwan and its later models were also capable of connecting to the internet via a mobile phone network. ## Game library Koto Laboratories claims that the WonderSwan sold 10 million game cartridges in all. In developing games for the WonderSwan, Bandai leveraged the assistance of several developers. Banpresto—part-owned by Bandai at the time—added support by way of anime licenses and licensed titles, while Namco and Capcom also developed titles for the handheld. Squaresoft contributed remakes of Final Fantasy, II, and IV which later also came to the Game Boy Advance. Taito contributed well-received ports such as Space Invaders and Densha de Go!. Bandai augmented these releases with games of its own, including exclusive titles in the Digimon and Gundam franchises. To compete with Tetris, Gunpei Yokoi developed a puzzle game for the system ultimately named Gunpey in his honor. A sequel known as Gunpey EX was a launch title for the WonderSwan Color. Certain games produced through the WonderWitch kit, such as Judgement Silversword, have also been noted as excellent titles. Support for the WonderSwan has been considered underwhelming. Although some well known third-party developers supported the console, most publishers continued to exclusively support Nintendo's handhelds. The departure of Squaresoft as a developer and its return to Nintendo has been cited as a factor in the WonderSwan's diminishing sales in later years. After the discontinuation of the WonderSwan in 2003, several developers ported WonderSwan games to the Game Boy Advance. ## Reception Selling 3.5 million units, the WonderSwan only picked up 8% of the marketshare in Japan and was ultimately outperformed by Nintendo's Game Boy Advance. Due to its brightly colored screen and deep game library, the Game Boy Advance ensured Nintendo would have a near-monopoly on the handheld console market in Japan until the release of the PlayStation Portable by Sony in 2004. Retrospective feedback to the handheld praises its accomplishments but defines it as a "niche" device that appeals to only certain gamers. Writing for USgamer, Jeremy Parish considers the WonderSwan the ultimate expression of Gunpei Yokoi's design philosophy and notes its modest impact on the market, but blames Bandai for its lack of success: "While WonderSwan ultimately will be remembered as a highly localized blip in the history of handheld games, as a platform it genuinely held its own... the system's obscurity resulted more from poor timing and Bandai's strangely meek strategy, not from any inherent flaws in the design of the machine itself". Parish also goes on to hypothesize on the lack of a WonderSwan release in North America, stating, "given how hard it was to find Neo Geo Pocket systems and games at U.S. retail, it's hard to imagine they were clamoring for yet another niche portable from Japan". Luke Plunkett from Kotaku praised the WonderSwan's challenge to Nintendo, saying that "it tried some pretty unique and interesting things, and put up a much sterner fight than most other handhelds ever managed". Retro Gamer's Kim Wild criticizes some aspects of the handheld, including its lack of a headphone and AC port, as well as its poor control scheme for left-handed individuals and inability to play multiplayer link games with the headphone adapter connected. Wild offers some praise for the handheld, however, stating "what [Bandai] managed with the WonderSwan was impressive given the competition. The low price even today makes it more than worthy of consideration".

U.S. Route 67 in Illinois

Section of United States Numbered Highway in Illinois, United States

U.S. Route 67 (US 67) is a component of the United States Numbered Highway System that connects Presidio, Texas, to Sabula, Iowa. In Illinois, it serves the western region of the state known as Forgottonia, named for the lack of regional transportation and infrastructure projects. The highway begins its path through the state by crossing the Clark Bridge over the Mississippi River from Missouri at Alton and heads northward through Jerseyville and Jacksonville before it crosses the Illinois River at Beardstown. The northern half of the route serves Macomb and Monmouth before it enters the Quad Cities. It leaves the state at Rock Island by crossing the Rock Island Centennial Bridge over the Mississippi River into Davenport, Iowa. The roads that would become US 67 were once a part of the Burlington Way and Alton–Jacksonville Air Line auto trails from the 1910s through the end of the 1920s. In 1918, Illinois voters approved a 48-route state highway system. Among the new routes was Route 3, which connected Morrison and Chester by way of the Quad Cities, Monmouth, Beardstown, Jacksonville, Alton, and East St. Louis. US 67 was created in 1926, but it did not extend into Illinois until 1931. That year, US 67 signs were applied to Route 3 from Alton to Rock Island. In 1952, the highway was rerouted between Medora and Murrayville; an alternate route was applied to the former routing until 1964, when the alternate was renumbered Illinois Route 267 (IL 267). Since the 1980s, a group called Corridor 67 has taken up the cause of advocating the widening of US 67 to a four-lane highway for the majority of its length. Widening the highway has been a popular project among politicians stumping in western Illinois. Although some piecemeal projects have taken place, a large percentage of the highway has not seen any upgrades despite there being other projects. ## Route description US 67 enters Illinois at Alton on the Clark Bridge over the Mississippi River. Upon landing, the highway has a T intersection with IL 143; US 67 turns to the northwest to follow the river upstream. The roadway and adjacent railway separate Alton's downtown area from its riverfront. It turns north, roughly perpendicular to the river and intersects IL 100. As the highway curves out of Alton and into Godfrey, it passes beneath IL 3 and IL 111, but there is no direct connection between the two roadways. A short while later, IL 111 joins US 67 and the two routes run together for several miles. IL 111 splits away and joins IL 267 while US 67 continues northward and takes over the four-lane roadway as IL 255 ends. It runs generally to the northwest on a divided highway until Delhi, where it reduces down to two lanes. It passes through the heart of Jerseyville and intersects both IL 109 and IL 16. It continues north-northwest through flat, rolling farmland until it reaches Carrollton. In Carrollton, US 67 meets IL 108 at the northeastern corner of the block on which the Greene County Courthouse sits. It then continues north and passes through Belltown and White Hall, in the latter of which, IL 106 splits off at a Y intersection and US 67 curves to the northeast. It then goes through Roodhouse and Manchester. A connection to Murrayville, aptly named Murrayville Road, provides a reminder of the former alignment of IL 267. The road then curves to the north and heads toward Jacksonville. There, three interchanges provide connections to differing parts of the city as US 67 does not enter the city limits. The first, with I-72 and US 36, connect South Jacksonville and eastern Jacksonville as well as Quincy and the state capital Springfield. The second, with Morton Avenue, a former alignment of US 36 and current Interstate business loop, provides access to central Jacksonville. The last, with IL 104, connects to northern and central Jacksonville. Past Jacksonville, US 67 is joined by IL 104. US 67 and IL 104 head to the west-northwest though Chapin and Bethel. Shortly thereafter, the four-lane highway reduces down to two lanes once again. The highways are then joined by IL 100 right before IL 104 splits away to the west. US 67 and IL 100 head north, roughly parallel to the Illinois River until they reach Beardstown. There, they intersect IL 125 and then turn to the northwest to cross the river. On the other side, IL 100 splits off to the northeast, IL 103 heads west, and US 67 continues to the northwest through eastern Forgottonia. It meets US 24 in Rushville and IL 101 east of Littleton. It goes through Industry and connects with US 136 east of Macomb. These two routes head west into Macomb and split in the downtown area near Macomb station. From there, US 67 heads north past the campus of Western Illinois University and then becomes a four-lane highway before crossing the La Moine River. Farther north, it meets the present end of IL 336, at which the Chicago–Kansas City Expressway, signed IL 110, joins US 67. Still heading north, US 67 and IL 110 intersect IL 9 at Good Hope. They pass the small town of Swan Creek to the west and curve around Roseville. There, a business route passes through the downtown area; both the mainline and business route intersect IL 116. As the highway approaches Monmouth, the two routes are joined by US 34 from the west. The three routes head north along the western edge of Monmouth and they meet IL 164, which also joins. Carrying four routes, the highway curves to the east to run along the northern limits. There, US 67 splits away from the other three routes. Now on its own, US 67 heads north on a two-lane road. At the Warren–Mercer county line, there is a Y intersection with IL 135. The two routes head east along the county line until US 67 curves north and IL 135 splits off to the east toward Alexis. At Viola, it meets IL 17. The highway passes Matherville to the east and through Preemption on its way toward the Quad Cities. South of Oak Grove, it meets IL 94, which is signed as a shortcut to Muscatine, Iowa, via IL 192. As it enters Milan, US 67 meets the Milan Beltway, a short expressway that connects to John Deere Road in Moline. It later passes beneath I-280, but there are no connecting ramps. Access to the Interstate is provided by Airport Road. After briefly entering downtown Milan, the road turns to the northwest and crosses the Hennepin Canal and two channels of the Rock River separated by Vandruff Island. On the other side of the river is Rock Island and the western end of IL 5. It travels north through the city on 11th Street. At 5th Avenue, US 67 becomes a one-way couplet with 4th Avenue while continuing on 11th Street provides a connection to IL 92. The one-way streets continue through downtown Rock Island, but US 67 turns north-northwest onto 15th Street. At the foot of the Rock Island Centennial Bridge, IL 92 passes beneath the highway. There is no direct access to IL 92 from northbound US 67 or from westbound IL 92 to southbound US 67. The roadway crosses the Mississippi River into Davenport, Iowa. ## History US 67 is an original U.S. Highway that was designated in 1926, though its northern end was at U.S. Route 61 at Fredericktown, Missouri. The road that would become US 67 was first improved as an auto trail called The Burlington Way, later the Mississippi Valley Highway. In 1918, Illinois voters approved a bond package that created a 48-route highway system. Most of the Mississippi Valley Highway became Route 3. US 67 replaced Route 3 north of Alton in 1926. ### Auto trails Prior to the numbered highway system in Illinois, the state was served by auto trails that were individually maintained by associations made up of people who solicited donations from people who lived along the routes. The northern half of the route that would become US 67 was served by the Burlington Way, which was renamed the Mississippi Valley Highway in 1919. The Burlington Way had two branches in Illinois — one from Springfield to Gulfport, where it crossed into Iowa at Burlington, and one from Peoria to the Quad Cities. The two branches met near Monmouth. From Virginia to Alton, it followed the Great White Way and from Alton to East St. Louis, it followed the Alton Way. In later years, the Alton–Jacksonville Air Line also connected Jacksonville and Alton, but farther to the east. ### State bond routes In 1918, Illinois voters were given the opportunity to vote on a \$60 million bond package (equivalent to \$ in ) for the creation of a 48-route state highway system. Route 3 was planned from Morrison to Chester by way of the Quad Cities, Monmouth, Beardstown, Jacksonville, Alton, and East St. Louis. Early returns saw the measure pass 3-to-1 in favor in the Chicago area and nearly 6-to-1 in favor outside of Chicago. Officials said that surveying work could begin immediately and work on 4,800 miles (7,700 km) of paved highways could be finished in five or six years. Residents of Woodson got together with members of the Mississippi Valley Highway association in late 1920 to petition the state to have Route 3 pass through their community rather than one-half mile (800 m) to the west. By 1924, work on the initial system was nearly complete. Another \$100 million bond package (equivalent to \$ in ) was floated to voters that November and passed by a large majority. The last sections of Route 3 to be paved were near Virginia in Cass County and between Ashland and Alexander in Morgan County. ### U.S. Highway origins The American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO, now AASHTO) communicated to the director of the Illinois Department of Public Works and Buildings in early 1930 that they were going to extend US 67 north from Fredericktown to Davenport by way of Alton and most of Route 3 north of East St. Louis. The extended highway was to be slightly straighter than Route 3. Between Jacksonville and Virginia, Route 78 was a shorter route. The same could be said for Route 85 from Alexis to Rock Island. However, these short cuts were not paved upon US 67's designation, so Temporary US 67 signage was erected along Route 3 in those areas. Not long after it was designated, people began to call for changes to the routing between Alton and Jerseyville. There were numerous accidents caused by the hills and curves along Route 3. It was suggested that the highway be rerouted through Godfrey and Delhi. The Jerseyville city council adopted a resolution proclaiming this in 1935 and sent a copy to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It would not be until 1940 when the Delhi road was paved and US 67 shifted onto it. The new road was immediately successful as it was drawing heavy truck traffic by the end of 1940. Flooding and ice floes on the Rock River in March 1937 wrought havoc on the two crossings at Vandruff Island between Milan and Rock Island. Men were standing at the feet of the closed bridges with poles trying to force chunks of ice underneath. Traffic was rerouted over the US 150 high bridge in Moline while the bridges were closed. The bridges were reopened after the waters receded and the ice could pass beneath them. On March 23, damage from the flood and ice became evident when the southern pier on the southern bridge began to fail. The bridge did not give way, but it did lean noticeably. The local highway supervisor noted that the pier rested on bedrock, so simply jacking up the bridge back into position would make it suitable for vehicular traffic. The bridge reopened at 7:30 pm on April 3, but closed an hour later when it began to sag once again. It reopened a few days later after the bridges beams were underpinned. A \$1.5-million project (equivalent to \$ in ) to replace the four bridges that connected Rock Island and Milan was completed in November 1949. The highway was programmed to enter Illinois at Alton, but since it was AASHO policy then that no U.S. Highways crossed toll bridges, as the Clark Bridge was at the time, another temporary route was created so it would enter Illinois via the Free Bridge with US 66 and then north via Route 3 toward Alton. In March 1939, the Illinois Division of Highways announced some changes to the routing of US 67. The U.S. Highway would finally enter Illinois at Alton. The temporary routing from downtown St. Louis was to become US 67 Alternate. A few months later, on the eleventh anniversary of the opening of the Lewis Bridge and Clark Bridge, officials from St. Louis County, Missouri, announced that \$450,000 of bonds (equivalent to \$ in ) had been paid off and only a small amount of debt remained before the bridges would become a toll-free crossing. ### Routing changes Another US 67 Alternate was created in 1952 as a result of the construction of a 32-mile-long (51 km), straighter, and modern highway being built between Medora and Murrayville. State highway officials appealed to AASHO to reroute US 67 along IL 111 between the Y intersection at Godfrey to Medora and thence on the new highway to Murrayville. They wanted to reduce through traffic in Jerseyville, Carrollton, and White Hall and the new highway only went through the downtown area of Greenfield. The U.S. Route Numbering Committee approved both the new route and the alternate route on July 17. More route straightening occurred between Beardstown and Rushville. A new high bridge was opened in 1955 that replaced a 67-year-old wagon swing bridge. A contract to pave a direct route between the two cities was let in 1959. The new routing replaced a longer meandering route through Frederick, Pleasant View, and downtown Rushville. It was approved by AASHO by the end of 1960. In downtown Jacksonville, the mayor wanted to reduce the number of heavy trucks, especially those hauling gasoline or liquid propane, driving through the central business district. In the state's application to AASHO, they wanted to completely reroute the highway between Beardstown and Jacksonville. Instead of heading north through Virginia, the highway would then travel west along West Morton Road, which carried US 36 and US 54, then to the northwest over IL 104, and then IL 100 north to Beardstown. The application was approved and the state placed the new routing in effect on December 13, 1967. The two alternate routes of US 67 in Illinois would not last through the mid-1960s. Citing improvements to US 67 and US 67 Bypass in the St. Louis area, Illinois highway officials felt the alternate route utilizing the MacArthur Bridge simply was no longer necessary. They would remumber the alternate route IL 3 upon approval. This change was approved by AASHO on June 19, 1963. The next year, officials sought to remove the other alternate route north of Godfrey because it was causing confusion among motorists. Instead, they wanted to number the western route IL 267. This change received assent from AASHO on December 6, 1964. Signage on the former alternate route was changed around April 1, 1965. ### Clark Bridge Calls to replace the Clark Bridge at Alton began in the 1960s. The mayor of Alton spoke to the state highway study commission and asked them to pursue a new bridge as the old bridge created traffic bottlenecks in his city. The mayor also showed frustration in the lack of progress with the state, especially after an Illinois River bridge in Calhoun County was approved. At the time, the population of Calhoun County was lower than the daily number of vehicles using the Clark Bridge. The bridge was closed for extensive repairs during the latter half of 1975. Approximately 1,500 feet (460 m) of the bridge's deck was replaced. IDOT announced in November 1980 that engineering work would soon begin on the new bridge. A report in 1982 listed four locations, all of which were within 6,500 feet (2,000 m) of the original bridge, for consideration by the Illinois and Missouri departments of transportation. In April 1984, two semi trucks became wedged on the narrow bridge when they tried to pass by one another. Deteriorating steel floor beams led to an embargo on heavy truck traffic and a reduction of weight limits from 40 to 20 short tons (36 to 18 long tons; 36,000 to 18,000 kg) for semi trucks and 15 short tons (13 long tons; 14,000 kg) for dump trucks in late 1990. Design work on the new bridge began in 1985. In November 1989, the federal government released \$26.4 million of discretionary funds for the construction of a \$92-million, four-lane replacement (equivalent to \$ and \$, respectively, in ). By the end of 1991, the federal government had contributed \$70 million to the project (equivalent to \$ in ). Engineers from IDOT decided on a cable-stayed bridge to replace the old truss bridge; the first of its kind in Greater St. Louis. Construction on the piers began in 1991 and progressed without incident. The last piece of framing was installed on May 7, 1993. Crews anticipated that the bridge would open around December 1, 1993. The Great Flood of 1993 did not damage the bridge and construction was only delayed for two months when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers closed the river to barge traffic. The new Clark Bridge opened on January 6, 1994. ### Corridor 67 Beginning in 1989, a group of citizens from the western Illinois counties that comprise Forgottonia organized a group to advocate expanding US 67 to become a limited-access highway from Alton to the Quad Cities. The Corridor 67 committee expected the cost of the project to be \$700 million (equivalent to \$ in ) At the time, the state secretary of transportation noted it was unlikely there would be any funds for that highway in the upcoming five-year plan as federal highway dollars were already stretched. Illinois Secretary of State, and later governor, Jim Edgar expressed support for the Corridor 67 group's aspirations and hoped the route would be selected for the Avenue of the Saints highway. In order to sweeten their proposal to attract the Avenue of the Saints, IDOT officials offered to increase their share of construction costs from 20 to 30 percent. Among politicians, the Avenue of the Saints project was popular. Both major political party candidates in the 1992 U.S. Senate election for Illinois supported funding the project. The Democratic Party candidate and eventual winner, Carol Moseley Braun, even received reassurance from Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York, who at the time was the chair of the senate committee that oversees federal highway funding. Ultimately, the Avenue of the Saints highway was not routed through Illinois, but leaders from the Corridor 67 group hoped there could be a second Saints route through the state. By 1994, Corridor 67 formed a political action committee, PAC 67, with the express intent of bringing attention to their project. The highway received some renewed interest during the 1998 election cycle. Gubernatorial candidate and eventual winner George Ryan suggested moving fuel taxes back into the transportation budget in order to fund the US 67 project. Despite, in their opinion, there never seeming to be any available funds to widen US 67 to four lanes, members of the Corridor 67 group remained optimistic. Engineers chose their preferred alignment, along IL 267 from Alton to Jacksonville, and then along the present alignment of US 67 north to the Quad Cities. Some work was completed by the end of the 1990s: widening between Monmouth and Macomb and a western bypass of Jacksonville. On July 5, 2001, IDOT announced that crews would swap route markers on US 67 and IL 267 beginning July 9. The change was made to apply the US 67 designation to the entire Corridor 67 route before major projects began rather than after. The renumbering came to the surprise of residents and business owners along both routes who felt they were not given enough notice of the change. IDOT officials disagreed and said that due diligence was done. Throughout the 2000s decade, US 67 was widened further. A bypass was built around Roseville, which completed the four-lane highway between Macomb and Monmouth. A new section from the former IL 267 highway near Murrayville connected to the western bypass of Jacksonville. While working south of Jerseyville in July 2010, remains of a 1400-year-old Native American village was discovered. Archeologists unearthed storage pits and floors made of flagstone. Artifact excavation was completed about a month later. The Corridor 67 project is ongoing and is being completed as funds are available. In 2003, the FHWA and IDOT signed off on plans to widen US 67 between Jacksonville and Macomb. Those plans included a new \$62-million crossing of the Illinois River at Beardstown (equivalent to \$ in ) as well as the construction of interchanges at IL 104 near Meredosia, 6th Street in Beardstown, IL 100/IL 103 across the river from Beardstown, and US 24 at Rushville. Construction on the new bridge is scheduled to begin in 2023 and be . ## Major intersections ## Related routes - U.S. Route 67 Business (Roseville, Illinois) - U.S. Route 67 Alternate (St. Louis, Missouri–Alton, Illinois) - U.S. Route 67 Alternate (Godfrey–Murrayville, Illinois)

Norm O'Neill

Australian cricketer

Norman Clifford Louis O'Neill OAM (19 February 1937 – 3 March 2008) was a cricketer who played for New South Wales and Australia. A right-handed batsman known for his back foot strokeplay, O'Neill made his state debut aged 18, before progressing to Test selection aged 21 in late 1958. Early in his career, O'Neill was one of the foremost batsmen in the Australian team, scoring three Test centuries and topping the run-scoring aggregates on a 1959–60 tour of the Indian subcontinent which helped Australia win its last Test and series on Pakistani soil for 39 years, as well as another series in India. His career peaked in 1960–61 when he scored 181 in the Tied Test against the West Indies, and at the end of the series, had a career average of 58.25. O'Neill's performances on the 1961 tour of England saw him named as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year. Thereafter his form was less formidable, characterised by nervousness and fidgeting at the start of his innings. Persistent knee problems, as well as a controversial media attack on the legality of West Indian bowler Charlie Griffith, saw him dropped from the Australian team after 1965. O'Neill also bowled occasional leg spin and was regarded as one of the finest fielders of his era. He later became a cricket commentator and his son Mark O'Neill also played cricket at state level. He was inducted into the Australian Hall of Fame by the CA in 2018. ## Early years The son of a builder, O'Neill was born in Carlton, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales. He had no cricketing associations on his father's side of the family, but his maternal uncle, Ron Campion, played for the Glebe club in Sydney Grade Cricket. Campion trained for cricket near the O'Neill family home, at Bexley Oval. O'Neill accompanied his uncle to cricket from the age of seven and was given batting practice at the end of each session. At Bexley Primary school, O'Neill was denied a chance to play cricket as the school did not field a team. Moving on to Kogarah Intermediate High School, O'Neill played cricket in defiance of a teacher who recommended that he take up athletics. As a teenager, O'Neill idolised Keith Miller after his uncle took him to the Sydney Cricket Ground: O'Neill saw Miller play that day and was impressed with the way he hit the ball off the back foot. Under his uncle's guidance, O'Neill joined the St George Cricket Club, in the Sydney Grade competition. He steadily moved up through the grades and broke into the first grade side at the age of 16. Sensing his potential, the club's selectors informed him that regardless of form, he would play the full season, which allowed him to be uninhibited in his batting. He made 108 in seven innings. The next season, he was out 12 times leg before wicket in 15 innings, and run out in the other three. O'Neill attributed his failures to over-aggressiveness and resolved to improve his patience. In the second match of the new season, the 17-year-old O'Neill made his first century. With all five state selectors onlooking, he made 28 in the next match and was called into the state squad. ## Shield debut O'Neill made his debut for New South Wales at the age of 18 against South Australia during the 1955–56 season. His lack of contribution was highlighted against the backdrop of his team's crushing innings victory: O'Neill failed to score a run or take a wicket. New South Wales bowled first and had South Australia at 6/49 when Miller introduced O'Neill's occasional leg spin, presumably to ease the debutant's nerves by bringing him into the game. The home team struck 18 from three overs. O'Neill was listed to bat in the lower middle order but after the top order had made a big start, Miller brought O'Neill up. He came in against the second new ball and was clean bowled. O'Neill was dropped and did not play another match for the season, but had gained invaluable experience. O'Neill steadily rose in the 1956–57 season. At the start of the season, with many players still on international duty during the closing stages of the tour to England and the subsequent stopover in the Indian subcontinent, O'Neill was recalled and made 60 and 63 not out against Queensland at the start of the season. This saw him retain his place when the Test players returned. After making a pair of single-figures scored, he made a sequence of three 60s against South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia, He was rewarded with selection in the one-off match between Ray Lindwall's XI and Neil Harvey's XI, which doubled as a national selection trial, before making his first ton (127) against South Australia. He ended the season with 567 runs at 43.61, and earned selection for a non-Test tour of New Zealand under Ian Craig, in a team composed mainly of young players. He made 102 not out in the only "Test" match that he played, helping to set up a ten-wicket win. heading the tour averages with 218 runs at 72.66. Despite this, he was overlooked for the 1957–58 Test tour of South Africa. It was regarded as one of the most controversial decisions of the decade. O'Neill responded during the 1957–58 Sheffield Shield season weakened by the absence of the Test players, aggregating 1,005 runs at 83.75 and taking 26 wickets at 20.42 with his leg spinners, thus topping the national bowling and batting averages. Prior to the season, he had never taken a first-class wicket. In the opening match of the summer, he took 3/74 against Queensland. He then took a total of 5/51 scored 33 and 48 not out in a six-wicket win over Western Australia before taking 3/52 and adding two fifties in the return match. He then broke through for his first century of the season, scoring 114 and taking 3/44 in a ten-wicket win over South Australia. However, he reached more productive levels in the second half of the season. This comprised 175 against Victoria, 74 and 48 against Queensland, 125 and 23\* against South Australia and 233 against Victoria. His 233 was made in little over four hours and featured 38 fours. It was the first time that a New South Welshman (let alone a twenty-year-old) had scored 1,000 in a Shield season. Bradman and Bill Ponsford were the only others before him. He added 12 wickets in the final four matches, including 2/50 and 4/40 in the match against Queensland. O'Neill's performances played a large part in his state's fifth consecutive title. These performances led former Test leg spinner Bill O'Reilly to compare him to Bradman and former Test opening batsman Jack Fingleton to lament his non-selection for the South African tour and its reflection on the plight of Australian cricket. At the time, his employers refused to make allowances for him to play sport, forcing him to begin work at six in the morning. As a result, he considered moving to South Australia, where a grocery magnate offered him employment and financial incentives. However, he stayed after state officials intervened, with Sir Ronald Irish, the Australian chairman of Rothmans, providing him with a job in Sydney. At the time, O'Neill had another offer. Having represented his state in baseball and been nominated in the All-Australian team in 1957, he was approached by the New York Yankees, having had experience at a pitcher and short stop. O'Neill was offered a fee more than 25 times that for a single Test match, as well as travel costs and accommodation, to trial with the Yankees. He agreed, but Irish dissuaded him less than a week before his scheduled departure. ## Test debut Identified as a future Test prospect, he was selected in a Western Australia Combined XI for a match against the touring England cricket team at the start of the 1958–59 season in Perth. Prior to the match, O'Neill was hounded by the media. The tourists decided to test him with short-pitched bowling, especially Fred Trueman. O'Neill decided to abstain from hooking, while attacking the spin of Jim Laker with a series of sweep shots. After four and a half hours of uncharacteristic restraint, he compiled 104 with an emphasis on off side play. He took a total of 2/67, removing Fred Trueman and Arthur Milton. He scored 85 against Western Australia and then made 84 not out for New South Wales against England. He was selected for an Australian XI, which played the tourists in a dress rehearsal before the Tests. He made one and two as Australia were crushed by 345 runs. Nevertheless, O'Neill was selected to make his debut in the five-Test series against England, playing in all of the matches. The First Test in Brisbane was a low scoring match described by Australian captain Richie Benaud as producing "some of the slowest and worst cricket imaginable", O'Neill made 34 in Australia's first innings of 186 to help secure a lead of 52. He then top-scored with an unbeaten 71 in the second innings, guiding Australia to an eight-wicket victory. O'Neill scored 71 of the last 89 runs scored while he was at the crease, refusing to be dried up by the England's usage of leg theory. It enlivened a match plagued by time-wasting, and best remembered for a depressingly slow innings by England's Trevor Bailey, who scored 68 from 426 balls in seven and a half hours. England captain Peter May described O'Neill's innings as "sparkling" and said that it made "everything which had gone before look even more wretched". Retired English player Ian Peebles, writing in the Sunday Times, said "Although O'Neill is in the very early stages of his career, it is already something of an occasion when he comes to the wicket, and one can sense the expectancy of the crowd and the heightened tension of the opposition". Wisden opined that O'Neill had "saved a game that had been tortuous for days". For his part, O'Neill said that the dour play was "unbelievable" and that he was "just about falling to sleep" in the field. He struck 77 in the rain-affected drawn Third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground and followed this with 56 in the Fourth Test in Adelaide. Despite making a duck in the Fifth Test, he ended the series as the second highest runscorer with 282 at 56.40 as Australia took the series 4–0. He bowled two overs without success. Outside the Tests, O'Neill scored 155 and 128 against Victoria and Western Australia respectively as New South Wales completed their sixth successive Sheffield Shield win. ## Career peak The following season O'Neill was Australia's leading batsman during the 1959–60 tour to Pakistan and India, where he was a part of the last Australian team to win a Test on Pakistani soil for 39 years. After a quiet match in the First Test eight-wicket win in Dacca in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), in which he scored two and 26 not out, O'Neill played a key role in the victory in the Second Test in Lahore that was to Australia's last in Pakistan until 1998. O'Neill made his maiden Test century of 134 in the first innings to give Australia a 245-run lead. He then took his maiden Test wicket in Pakistan's second innings, that of Shujauddin. This left Australia chasing a target of 122 in the last two hours on the final day. The chase was on schedule with O'Neill partnering Neil Harvey when the Pakistanis began wasting time to prevent an Australian victory. This was implemented by swapping fielders very slowly when the left and right-handed combination of Harvey and O'Neill took a single, and overs began taking seven minutes instead of three. To counter this, Harvey deliberately backed away when a ball was aimed at the stumps and threw away his wicket by letting himself be bowled for 37. This allowed Benaud to come in and bat with O'Neill so that the two right-handed batsmen would give no opportunity to waste time by switching the field. Benaud then threatened Pakistani captain Imtiaz Ahmed with a formal complaint over the time-wasting, and proceedings returned to their normal pace. Australia made the target with a few minutes to spare, with O'Neill on 43. O'Neill failed to make double figures in the final Test, which was drawn, but ended the series with 218 runs at 72.66. In another tour match, against the President's XI, O'Neill scored an unbeaten 52 in a low-scoring match as Australia stumbled to their target of 116 with only three wickets in hand. O'Neill's performances in Pakistan was such that the parents in one cricket-following Karachi family named their new son Anil for its resemblance to O'Neill. Anil Dalpat went on to become the first Hindu to represent Pakistan, playing nine Tests in the 1980s as a wicketkeeper. On the five-Test Indian series which followed, O'Neill started slowly, aggregating 60 runs in the first two Tests, which were shared 1–1. He returned to form with a leg-side dominated 163 in a high-scoring draw in the Third Test at Brabourne Stadium in Bombay. After scoring 40 in an innings victory in the Fourth Test in Madras, Australia needed a draw in the Fifth Test in Calcutta with four players injured or ill, while Benaud had a dislocated spinning finger. O'Neill scored 113 in the first innings to help a depleted team take a 137-run first innings lead and prevent India from squaring the series. He was Australia's leading scorer in the Tests, with 376 runs at 62.66. He also made his highest first-class score of 284, against an Indian President's XI in Ahmedabad. He was the top scorer for the whole subcontinental Test tour, with 594 runs in eight matches at 66.00. He returned to Australia and played in one match for New South Wales at the end of the 1959–60 season, scoring 175 as his state defeated Western Australia and won a seventh Shield in a row. Prior to the following Australian summer, O'Neill was part of an International Cavaliers team that toured South Africa. He scored 133 runs at 21.83. In the lead-up to the 1960–61 home Tests series against the West Indies, O'Neill scored 156 not to set up an innings win for his state over the tourists. He then struck 181 in the first innings of the opening match at Brisbane, his highest Test score. The innings prompted teammate Bob Simpson to say "if God gave me an hour to watch someone I'd seen, I'd request to see Norman O'Neill. He had the style." Australia took a first innings lead and O'Neill made 26 in the second innings as Australia collapsed towards a likely defeat before recovering; the match ended in the first Tied Test in history. This was the peak of O'Neill's career. Having played 14 Tests, he was averaging 67.68 with the bat. He then struck 114 as his state defeated the tourists by an innings, and he made 40 and a duck as the Australians took the series lead in the Second Test. He made 70 and 71 in the Third Test loss in Sydney, one of the few players able to combat Lance Gibbs effectively, top-scoring in the first innings and second top-scoring in the second innings. He then made 65 in the second innings in the Fourth Test at Adelaide, where Australia held on by one wicket for a draw. He contributed 48 in the second innings of the Fifth Test as Australia appeared headed for a series victory. However, a late collapse ensued, and Australia scraped home by two wickets to take the series 2–1. O'Neill ended the series with 522 runs at 52.20. O'Neill gained attention during the summer for frequently losing his wicket by impulsively sweeping. This was attributed to the dominance of his bottom hand, which saw his bat swinging across the line of flight of the ball. Despite the criticism, he was at the peak of his international career, having made 1398 runs at 58.35 in his first 18 Tests. ## Wisden Cricketer of the Year O'Neill was selected for the tour of England in 1961, and he warmed up by scoring centuries in consecutive matches against Tasmania for the Australian squad. During the English summer, O'Neill scored 1981 runs at 60.03, narrowly missing becoming only the fourth post-war player after Don Bradman, Neil Harvey and Bill Lawry to make 2,000 runs in an Ashes tour. In the third match against Yorkshire, which was O'Neill's second for the tour, he scored an unbeaten 100 marked by his cover driving. He followed this with a 74 against Lancashire before a 124 two matches later against Glamorgan, which was described by Wisden as the best of the season. He scored 73 against Gloucestershire and made 122 on his first appearance at Lord's, against the Marylebone Cricket Club, in what was effectively a dress rehearsal for the Tests. Australia went on to win by 63 runs. In the next match against Sussex, O'Neill was carried from the ground after suffering a knee injury, and after failing to bat in either innings, it appeared he would be sidelined for a substantial period. However, he recovered to be selected for the First Test at Edgbaston, just five days later. He made 82 as Australia scored 9/516 declared and took a 321-run first innings lead, but England could not be dismissed in the second innings and salvaged a draw. He continued his form with an unbeaten 104 against Kent between the Tests. The "Battle of the Ridge" in the Second Test at Lord's—the home of cricket—was an unhappy one for O'Neill. On an erratic pitch with a visible ridge that caused uneven bounce, O'Neill made one and a duck as an Australia scraped home by five wickets in a low-scoring match. He returned to the county matches and scored 162 against Lancashire, before scoring 27 and 19 as England squared the series in the Third Test at Headingley. O'Neill then scored 142 against Northamptonshire, but the hosts were able to tie the scores when stumps were drawn with four wickets in hand. After rectifying a technical fault, O'Neill made 67 in the second innings of the Fourth Test at Old Trafford with the series tied at 1–1, helping Australia take a narrow victory to retain the Ashes. Heading into the final Test, O'Neill had a consistent run, scoring three fifties in four innings. He made his first century against England in the Fifth Test at The Oval with 117 as Australia drew the match to take the series. He did so after being given a "lucky coin" by a spectator and being dropped at second slip when he was on 19. He scored 324 runs at 40.50 in the Tests and was subsequently named as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year for 1962. Following the Tests, O'Neill added four half-centuries in five innings in a consistent run towards the close of the tour. He left English soil with 138 against Minor Counties, in a non-first-class match. In all first-class matches, he made seven centuries, and his run aggregate was second only to Lawry, who made 2,019 runs. ## International decline After this tour, his form began to decline, as he became prone to uncertain and fidgety starts to his innings, which earned him the nickname "Nervous Norm". A persistent knee injury increasingly troubled him and was to end his career. The 1961–62 Australian team was purely domestic with no touring Test team, and New South Wales completed their ninth Sheffield Shield title in a row, O'Neill had a poor season, scoring only 377 runs at 25.13, passing fifty only twice. The 1962–63 home Ashes series was Australia's first Test matches in 18 months. After an unproductive season last year, O'Neill started the new summer with 15 and 2/30 for a Western Australia Combined XI against Ted Dexter's Englishmen. His victims with the ball were Dexter and batsman Tom Graveney. He then made his first century in over a year, scoring 131 against Western Australia for his state. O'Neill completed his preparation for the Tests by helping New South Wales to defeat Dexter's men by an innings. He scored 143 and took 2/36, removing Graveney and leading batsman Colin Cowdrey. O'Neill made 56 in the First Test drawn at Brisbane but failed to pass 20 in the next two matches, which were shared by the two teams. After his wife made him a pair of "lucky lemon socks", he scored 100 in the first innings of the drawn Fourth Test in Adelaide, which turned out to be his last Test century with fifteen Tests before the end of his career. With Alan Davidson injured during the match, O'Neill was required to bowl substantially, conceding 49 runs in what was his most expensive performance to date. He scored 73 in the Fifth Test in Sydney to finish the series with 310 runs at 34.44, substantially below his career average of 53.8 prior to the series. He also took two wickets, one in each of the Third and Fifth Tests, removing Fred Titmus and Dexter respectively. Outside the Tests, O'Neill struggled and passed 25 once in eight other non-Test innings. This was a 93 against arch-rivals Victoria, which was not enough to prevent defeat. Victoria went on to win the Sheffield Shield and end New South Wales' nine-year winning streak. At the end of the season, he embarked on a tour with the International Cavaliers, which toured Africa, mostly playing against provincial teams. He played in seven matches and had a productive series, scoring 541 runs at 41.54 including a century and four fifties. He also bowled more frequently than usual taking seven wickets at 53.29. The following season in 1963–64, O'Neill started poorly, passing 12 only once in his first six innings. However, he was retained for the team for the First Test against South Africa in Brisbane, where he scored 82 and 19 not out in a drawn match. He continued his resurgence with 36 and 61 not out the following fixture against Victoria, but was injured during the second innings and forced to retire hurt. This meant that he missed the Second Test, which Australia won by eight wickets. O'Neill returned and scored half centuries in each of the next two Tests. He also took two wickets to end the series with 285 runs at 40.71 and three wickets at 32.33. He added a further two half-centuries in the remaining Shield matches. O'Neill retained his place for the 1964 tour to England, and scored a century against Western Australia for the touring squad before departing for the northern hemisphere. After failing to pass 16 in his first two outings, he struck form against Glamorgan, scoring 65 and an unbeaten 109. He then added 151 and 17 not out, leading the way as the Australians defeated the MCC by nine wickets in a dress rehearsal for the Tests. However, O'Neill scored 98 in the first four innings of the opening two Tests and was forced out of the Third Test with a knee injury, the only non-draw of the series, which Australia won. Nevertheless, he passed 50 in each of the four tour matches during this period, including a 134 against Yorkshire and 90 against Northamptonshire. O'Neill returned for the final two Tests and ended the series with only 156 runs at 31.20 in five Tests without passing fifty and going wicketless. He added another century against Kent and two further fifties in the closing stages of the English summer. His 1964–65 tour of the subcontinent on the way back to Australia was even worse, a far cry from his leading role in the previous tour to the subcontinent. After making 40 and 0 in the First Test win in Madras, he was unable to bat either innings in the Second Test in Bombay after being hospitalised due to persistent vomiting, injury as Australia ceded their series lead. He missed the remainder of the series, the Third Test in Calcutta and a one-off Test in Pakistan. Upon his return home, he has a shortened domestic season before Australia left for the West Indies. In five domestic matches, he scored 357 runs at 59.50, including a 133 not against South Australia. O'Neill started the 1964–65 tour of the West Indies strongly, scoring a century in the first match against Jamaica. He was often injured during the tour, but was at his most productive with the bat since the last series against the Caribbean team four years earlier. He made many starts, passing 20 in six of his seven Test innings, but was unable to convert them into big scores. In the First Test, O'Neill was struck on the hand by Wes Hall and was sent to hospital for X-rays after a break was suspected. During the Second Test, it was the turn of Charlie Griffith to send O'Neill to hospital, after hitting him on the forearm and causing a large bruise. His 51 and 74\* in the Fourth Test at Bridgetown, Barbados, the last Test of his career, was the only time he passed 50 for the series. He ended with 266 runs at 44.33, missing the Fifth Test due to a broken hand. He managed a healthy return with the ball, taking nine of his 17 Test wickets in the series with an average of 25.55. This included his Test best of 4/41 with his leg-spin in the Second Test in Port of Spain, Trinidad. In this match, he cleaned up the hosts' tail in the first innings, removing Jackie Hendriks, Wes Hall, Charlie Griffith and Lance Gibbs. At the end of the tour, O'Neill garnered controversy by writing outspoken newspaper columns accusing opposition pace spearhead Charlie Griffith of chucking. He was one of several Australians who took exception to Griffith's bowling action, and he put his name to a series of feature articles in Sydney's Daily Mirror. These labelled Griffith as "an obvious chucker", saying the hosts had been "wrong to play" him. O'Neill stated that "If he is allowed to continue throwing, he could kill someone". O'Neill also expressed his desire to not have to face bowling that he deemed to be illegal. When the Daily Mirror syndicated the columns, London's Daily Mail ignored an embargo and printed the pieces while the Australians were on their homeward flight, putting O'Neill in breach of his tour contract, which forbade players from commenting in the media during tours. The West Indies lodged an official complaint with Australia, and the Australian Cricket Board replied that it deplored the published comments, although noting that as O'Neill's touring contract had expired at the end of the tour, the point was moot. Nevertheless, the ACB changed its stance on players' writing, so that they could no longer comment on a tour until three months after its conclusion. The event is often perceived to have been a factor in O'Neill's eventual departure from the national scene. Outside the Tests, O'Neill performed strongly in three matches against regional teams, scoring centuries in each of them. He scored 125, 125, and 101 in his only three innings, against Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados. ## Retirement The following season, O'Neill was overlooked for selection in all five Tests against the touring England team. Returning to New South Wales, he scored 473 runs at 39.42, including two centuries. O'Neill was omitted from the squad that toured South Africa in 1966–67, ending his Test career. He continued his Shield career while his former teammates were on the other side of the Indian Ocean, compiling 741 runs at 74.10 in a strong season. He started the season with 117 against Western Australia, before scoring a pair of 78s in the return match, helping his team to a tense 13-run win. He then scored 128 and 22 not out against Victoria and finished his season with 160 and 80 against South Australia, scoring a majority of his team's first innings score. As a result, he was selected for an Australian Second XI to tour New Zealand. He scored 69 runs at 17.25 in two international matches and made his last first-class century, scoring 101 and 58 not out against Auckland. O'Neill retired upon his return to Australia due to a knee injury. He left a reputation as a highly entertaining batsman who did not manage to fulfil his early promise. "A disappointment he was, perhaps, but his cricket will be recalled when those of lesser gifts are forgotten", opined the writer EW Swanton. In 61 matches for New South Wales, he scored 5419 runs at 52.61. He compiled 3879 runs at 61.57 for St George in grade competition before transferring to Sutherland in the 1965–66 club. He scored 168 on his new club's first day in the competition. A cigarette salesman by trade, he became a commentator in retirement. He married Gwen Wallace, a track and field athlete who won relay gold for Australia at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. They had two sons and a daughter. Their eldest child Mark O'Neill represented New South Wales and Western Australia in the 1980s. O'Neill also co-owned a racehorse with Richie Benaud, Barry Jarman and Ray Steele, named Pall Mallan, and it won a race in 1961. On 3 March 2008, O'Neill died in Erina, New South Wales, due to the effects of throat cancer. He was 71. ## Style Standing six feet tall, O'Neill was compared to Don Bradman upon his entry into Test cricket. At his best, he was a dynamic stroke maker who was a crowd favourite because of his ability to score at a high pace, in particular with his power off the back foot. He was noted for his nimble footwork, which he used to negate spin bowling; however, this slowed in his later career as he put on weight. O'Neill particularly liked to sweep the slower bowlers. He often put too much emphasis on his right hand, allowing a large space between his hands on the bat handle, and then turning his right shoulder too square towards the bowler. The renowned English batsman and captain Wally Hammond said that O'Neill was the best all-round batsman he had seen since World War II. O'Neill's tall build, strength and good looks also drew comparison to his boyhood idol Keith Miller. Despite the comparisons to Bradman, O'Neill was much taller and broader, and was often impetuous whereas Bradman was known for his patience and lack of rashness. O'Neill was also criticised for hitting across the line early in his innings. O'Neill was highly regarded for his style and entertainment values. Teammate Alan Davidson said "once set he was the most exhilarating player you'd ever want to see—he was dynamite. He'd play attacking shots off balls other people would only think of defending. He had wonderful skill and technique. His shots off the back foot down the ground off fast bowlers—you can't really describe how good they were." His captain for Australia and New South Wales, Richie Benaud said that he was "one of the greatest entertainers we've had in Australian cricket". O'Neill's style led the British writer EW Swanton to say "the art of batting, he reminded us, was not dead, merely inexplicably dormant". Wisden opined that "A high innings by O'Neill is a thing of masterful beauty. His stroking is delectable, immense in its power." Later in his career, O'Neill became a nervous and superstitious batsman, particular at the start of an innings. He wrote "batting is a lonely business" in his 1964 autobiography Ins and Outs, opining that he sometimes found first-class cricket to be "depressing and lonely". He was regarded as an excellent fieldsman at cover, with a powerful and accurate throw, described by Wisden as a "dream throw" honed from a junior career as a baseballer. He was named as utility player in the 1957 All Australian baseball team, and his ability was such that he was approached by Major League Baseball scouts. Before the retirement of Neil Harvey, he and O'Neill fielded in tandem in the covers and the pair were regarded as the finest fielding combination of the time. ## Test match performance

Bless Me Indeed (Jabez's Song)

2001 song by MercyMe

"Bless Me Indeed (Jabez's Song)" (sometimes called "Bless Me Indeed") is a song by Christian rock band MercyMe. Written by the band and produced by Pete Kipley, it was released as the lead single from the band's 2001 album Almost There. The song was written at the request of the band's record label, who wanted to produce a song based on the popular book The Prayer of Jabez (2000). Although the band did not want to write it at first, they eventually relented and recorded it. Lyrically, "Bless Me Indeed" asks God for blessing, paralleling Jabez's prayer in 1 Chronicles. It received a mixed to positive response from critics; lead singer Bart Millard has since described it as one of the band's worst songs. The song did not perform well at Christian radio, peaking at number 27 on the Radio & Records Christian AC chart, leading to initial album sales that were lower than expected. ## Background and composition The idea behind "Bless Me Indeed (Jabez's Song)" came from MercyMe's record label, INO Records, who wanted to capitalize off the success of Bruce Wilkinson's popular book The Prayer of Jabez (2000). According to lead singer Bart Millard, the label figured that the book could introduce the band and set up a successful career. Although the band did not want to write the song, they eventually relented. "Bless Me Indeed (Jabez's Song)" was written by Jim Bryson, Nathan Cochran, Bart Millard, Mike Scheuchzer, and Robby Shaffer - all five members of MercyMe at the time. Like the rest of Almost There, it was recorded at Ivy Park, The Indigo Room, Paradise Sound, and IBC Studios. Kipley produced and programmed the song, while Skye McCaskey and Julian Kindred engineered it. Salvo mixed the song. String instruments were recorded by the Paltrow Performance Group. "Bless Me Indeed (Jabez's Song)" has a length of four minutes and fourteen seconds. According to the sheet music published by Musicnotes.com, it is in set common time in the key of C major and has a tempo of 108 beats per minute. Bart Millard's vocal range in the song spans from the low note of G₄ to the high note of F₅. The song lyrically relates to the Biblical figure Jabez. In 1 Chronicles 4:10, Jabez requests that God bless him by expanding his territory and keeping him free from evil, a request God accepts. In "Bless Me Indeed (Jabez's Song)", Millard requests the same from God. ## Reception "Bless Me Indeed" received a mixed to positive response from critics. Steve Losey of AllMusic selected it as a 'track pick'. The J Man of Crosswalk.com described it as a "winner", and appreciated that it was based on The Prayer of Jabez. In Amazon.com's product description of Almost There, the reviewer stated the track "is a glimmer of brilliance where the group brings it all together". However, Russ Breimeier of Christianity Today described the song as "[not] particularly remarkable", preferring another song based on Jabez, According to John's "Song of Jabez". In an interview in 2014, Millard stated that it is one of "one of the worst songs we’ve ever done". ## Chart performance "Bless Me Indeed" was released as the first single from Almost There. Although the label anticipated the song's connection with The Prayer of Jaebz would make it a success, it performed poorly on Christian radio. The song debuted at number 29 on the Radio & Records Christian AC chart for the week of August 31, 2001. The following week, it advanced to its peak of number 27. The song spent four weeks on the chart before dropping off. The poor performance of the song at radio led to initial album sales that were lower than anticipated, although the album would later be certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) following the success of the album's second single, "I Can Only Imagine". ## Credits and personnel Credits from the album liner notes) MercyMe - Bart Millard – lead vocals - Mike Scheuchzer – guitars - Jim Bryson – keys - Nathan Cochran – bass guitar, background vocals - Robby Shaffer – drums Additional performers - Paltrow Performance Group – strings Technical/Misc. - Peter Kipley – producer, programmer - Steve McCaskey – engineer - Julian Kindred – engineer - Salvo – mixing - Shane Wilson – mixing - Elizabeth Workman – design - Shawn Sanders – band photos ## Charts

Han van Meegeren

Dutch painter and art forger (1889–1947)

Henricus Antonius "Han" van Meegeren (; 10 October 1889 – 30 December 1947) was a Dutch painter and portraitist, considered one of the most ingenious art forgers of the 20th century. Van Meegeren became a national hero after World War II when it was revealed that he had sold a forged painting to Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. Van Meegeren attempted to make a career as an artist, but art critics dismissed his work. He decided to prove his talent by forging paintings from the Dutch Golden Age. Leading experts of the time accepted his paintings as genuine 17th century works, including Dr Abraham Bredius. During World War II, Göring purchased one of Meegeren's "Vermeers", which became one of his most prized possessions. Following the war, Van Meegeren was arrested on a charge of selling cultural property to the Nazis. Facing a possible death penalty, Van Meegeren confessed the painting was a forgery. He was convicted on 12 November 1947, and sentenced to one year in prison. However; he died on 30 December 1947 after two heart attacks. A biography in 1967 estimated that Van Meegeren duped buyers out of more than US\$30 million; his victims included the government of the Netherlands. ## Early years Han (diminutive for Henri or Henricus) van Meegeren was born in 1889, the third of five children of Augusta Louisa Henrietta Camps and Hendrikus Johannes van Meegeren, a French and history teacher at the Kweekschool (training college for schoolteachers) in the provincial city of Deventer. While attending the Higher Burger School, Han met teacher and painter Bartus Korteling (1853–1930) who became his mentor. Korteling had been inspired by Johannes Vermeer and taught Van Meegeren Vermeer's techniques. Korteling had rejected the Impressionist movement and other modern trends as decadent, degenerate art, and his strong personal influence may have led van Meegeren to do likewise. Van Meegeren's father did not share his son's love of art; he often forced Han to write a hundred times, "I know nothing, I am nothing, I am capable of nothing." . Instead, Han's father compelled him to study architecture at the Technische Hogeschool (Delft Technical College) in 1907. He received drawing and painting lessons, as well. He easily passed his preliminary examinations but never took the Ingenieurs (final) examination because he did not want to become an architect. He nevertheless proved to be an apt architect and designed the clubhouse for his rowing club in Delft which still exists (see image). In 1913, Van Meegeren gave up his architecture studies and concentrated on drawing and painting at the art school in The Hague. On 8 January 1913, he received the prestigious Gold Medal from the Technical University in Delft for his Study of the Interior of the Church of Saint Lawrence (Laurenskerk) in Rotterdam. The award was given every five years to an art student who created the best work, and was accompanied by a gold medal. On 18 April 1912, Van Meegeren married fellow art student Anna de Voogt who was pregnant with their first child. The couple initially lived with Anna's grandmother in Rijswijk, and their son Jacques Henri Emil van Meegeren was born there on 26 August 1912. ## Career as a legitimate painter In 1914, Van Meegeren moved his family to Scheveningen and completed the diploma examination at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, which allowed him to teach. He took a position as the assistant to the Professor of Drawing and Art History. In March 1915, his daughter Pauline was born, later called Inez. To supplement his small salary of 75 guldens per month, Han sketched posters and painted pictures for Christmas cards, still-life, landscapes, and portraits for the commercial art trade. Many of these paintings are quite valuable today. Van Meegeren's first exhibition was held from April to May 1917 at the Kunstzaal Pictura in the Hague. In December 1919, he was accepted as a member by the Haagse Kunstkring, an exclusive society of writers and painters who met weekly on the premises of the Ridderzaal. Although he had been accepted, he was ultimately denied the position of chairman. He painted the tame roe deer belonging to Princess Juliana. The painting, Hertje (The fawn) was completed in 1921, and became popular in the Netherlands. He undertook numerous journeys to Belgium, France, Italy, and England, and acquired a name for himself as a portraitist, earning commissions from English and American socialites who spent their winter vacations on the Côte d'Azur. His clients were impressed by his understanding of the 17th-century techniques of the Dutch masters. Throughout his life, Van Meegeren signed his own paintings with his own signature. By all accounts, infidelity was responsible for the breakup of Van Meegeren's marriage to Anna de Voogt; the couple divorced on 19 July 1923. Anna moved to Paris, where Van Meegeren visited his children from time to time. He dedicated himself to portraiture and began producing forgeries to increase his income. He married actress Johanna Theresia Oerlemans in Woerden in 1928, with whom he had been living for the past three years. Johanna's stage name was Jo van Walraven, and she had previously been married to art critic and journalist Dr. C H. de Boer (Carel de Boer). She brought their daughter Viola into the Van Meegeren household. ## Rejection by the critics Van Meegeren had become a well-known painter in the Netherlands with the success of Hertje (1921) and Straatzangers (1928). His first legitimate copies were painted in 1923, his Laughing Cavalier and Happy Smoker, both in the style of Frans Hals. By 1928, the similarity of Van Meegeren's paintings to those of the Old Masters began to draw the reproach of Dutch art critics, who said that his talent was limited outside of copying other artists' work. One critic wrote that he was "a gifted technician who has made a sort of composite facsimile of the Renaissance school, he has every virtue except originality". Van Meegeren responded in a series of aggressive articles in De Kemphaan ("The Ruff"), a monthly periodical published by van Meegeren and journalist Jan Ubink from April 1928 until March 1930. Jonathan Lopez writes that Van Meegeren "denounced modern painting as 'art-Bolshevism' in the articles, described its proponents as a 'slimy bunch of woman-haters and negro-lovers,' and invoked the image of 'a Jew with a handcart' as a symbol for the international art market". Van Meegeren set out to prove to the art critics that he could more than copy the Dutch Masters; he would produce a work to rival theirs. ### The "perfect forgery" In 1932, Van Meegeren moved to the village of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin with his wife. There he rented a furnished mansion called "Primavera" and set out to define the chemical and technical procedures that would be necessary to create his perfect forgeries. He bought authentic 17th century canvases and mixed his own paints from raw materials (such as lapis lazuli, white lead, indigo, and cinnabar) using old formulas to ensure that they could pass as authentic. In addition, he created his own badger-hair paintbrushes similar to those that Vermeer was known to have used. He came up with a scheme of using phenol formaldehyde (Bakelite) to cause the paints to harden after application, making the paintings appear as if they were 300 years old. Van Meegeren would first mix his paints with lilac oil, to stop the colours from fading or yellowing in heat. (This caused his studio to smell so strongly of lilacs that he kept a vase of fresh lilacs nearby so that visitors wouldn't be suspicious.) Then, after completing a painting, he would bake it at 100 °C (212 °F) to 120 °C (248 °F) to harden the paint, and then roll it over a cylinder to increase the cracks. Later, he would wash the painting in black India ink to fill in the cracks. It took Van Meegeren six years to work out his techniques, but ultimately he was pleased with his work on both artistic and deceptive levels. Two of these trial paintings were painted as if by Vermeer: Lady Reading Music, after the genuine paintings Woman in Blue Reading a Letter at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam; and Lady Playing Music, after Vermeer's Woman With a Lute Near a Window hanging in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Van Meegeren did not sell these paintings; both are now at the Rijksmuseum. Following a journey to the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Van Meegeren painted The Supper at Emmaus. In 1934 Van Meegeren had bought a seventeenth century mediocre Dutch painting, The Awakening of Lazarus, and on this foundation he created his masterpiece à la Vermeer. The experts assumed that Vermeer had studied in Italy, so Van Meegeren used the version of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio's Supper at Emmaus located at Italy's Pinacoteca di Brera as a model. He gave the painting to his friend, attorney C. A. Boon, telling him that it was a genuine Vermeer, and asked him to show it to Dr. Abraham Bredius, the art historian, in Monaco. Bredius examined the work in September 1937 and, writing in The Burlington Magazine, he accepted it as a genuine Vermeer and praised it very highly as "the masterpiece of Johannes Vermeer of Delft". The usually required evidences, such as resilience of colours against chemical solutions, white lead analysis, x-rays images, micro-spectroscopy of the colouring substances, confirmed it to be an authentic Vermeer. The painting was purchased by The Rembrandt Society for fl.520,000 (€235,000 or about €4,640,000 today), with the aid of wealthy shipowner Willem van der Vorm, and donated to the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam. In 1938, the piece was highlighted in a special exhibition in occasion of Queen Wilhelmina's Jubilee at a Rotterdam museum, along with 450 Dutch old masters dating from 1400 to 1800. A. Feulner wrote in the "Magazine for [the] History of Art", "In the rather isolated area in which the Vermeer picture hung, it was as quiet as in a chapel. The feeling of the consecration overflows on the visitors, although the picture has no ties to ritual or church", and despite the presence of masterpieces of Rembrandt and Grünewald, it was defined as "the spiritual centre" of the whole exhibition. In 1938, Van Meegeren moved to Nice, buying a 12-bedroom estate at Les Arènes de Cimiez with the proceeds from the sale of the painting. On the walls of the estate hung several genuine Old Masters. Two of his better forgeries were made here, Interior with Card Players and Interior with Drinkers, both displaying the signature of Pieter de Hooch. During his time in Nice, he painted his Last Supper I in the style of Vermeer. He returned to the Netherlands in September 1939 as the Second World War threatened. After a short stay in Amsterdam, he moved to the village of Laren in 1940. Throughout 1941, Van Meegeren issued his designs, which he published in 1942 as a large and luxurious book entitled Han van Meegeren: Teekeningen I (Drawings nr I). He also created several forgeries during this time, including The Head of Christ, The Last Supper II, The Blessing of Jacob, The Adulteress, and The Washing of the Feet—all in the manner of Vermeer. On 18 December 1943, he divorced his wife, but this was only a formality; the couple remained together, but a large share of his capital was transferred to her accounts as a safeguard against the uncertainties of the war. In December 1943, the Van Meegerens moved to the exclusive Keizersgracht 321 in Amsterdam. His forgeries had earned him between 5.5 and 7.5 million guilders (or about US\$25–30 million today). He used this money to purchase a large amount of real estate, jewellery, and works of art, and to further his luxurious lifestyle. In a 1946 interview, he told Marie Louise Doudart de la Grée that he owned 52 houses and 15 country houses around Laren, among them grachtenhuizen, mansions along Amsterdam's canals. ### Hermann Göring In 1942, during the German occupation of the Netherlands, one of Van Meegeren's agents sold the Vermeer forgery Christ with the Adulteress to Nazi banker and art dealer Alois Miedl. Experts could probably have identified it as a forgery; as Van Meegeren's health declined, so did the quality of his work. He chain-smoked, drank heavily, and became addicted to morphine-laced sleeping pills. However, there were no genuine Vermeers available for comparison, since most museum collections were in protective storage as a prevention against war damage. Nazi Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring traded 137 looted paintings for Christ with the Adulteress,. On 25 August 1943, Göring hid his collection of looted artwork, including Christ with the Adulteress, in an Austrian salt mine, along with 6,750 other pieces of artwork looted by the Nazis. On 17 May 1945, Allied forces entered the salt mine and Captain Harry Anderson discovered the painting. In May 1945, the Allied forces questioned Miedl regarding the newly discovered Vermeer. Based on Miedl's confession, the painting was traced back to Van Meegeren. On 29 May 1945, he was arrested and charged with fraud and aiding and abetting the enemy. He was remanded to the Weteringschans prison as an alleged Nazi collaborator and plunderer of Dutch cultural property, threatened by the authorities with the death penalty. He labored over his predicament, but eventually confessed to forging paintings attributed to Vermeer and Pieter de Hooch. He exclaimed, "The painting in Göring's hands is not, as you assume, a Vermeer of Delft, but a Van Meegeren! I painted the picture!" It took some time to verify this and Van Meegeren was detained for several months in the Headquarters of the Military Command at Herengracht 458 in Amsterdam. Van Meegeren painted his last forgery between July and December 1945 in the presence of reporters and court-appointed witnesses: Jesus among the Doctors, also called Young Christ in the Temple in the style of Vermeer. After completing the painting, he was transferred to the fortress prison Blauwkapel. Van Meegeren was released from prison in January or February 1946. ### Trial and prison sentence The trial of Han van Meegeren began on 29 October 1947 in Room 4 of the Regional Court in Amsterdam. The collaboration charges had been dropped, since the expert panel had found that the supposed Vermeer sold to Hermann Göring had been a forgery and was, therefore, not the cultural property of the Netherlands. Public prosecutor H. A. Wassenbergh brought charges of forgery and fraud and demanded a sentence of two years in prison. The court commissioned an international group of experts to address the authenticity of Van Meegeren's paintings. The commission included curators, professors, and doctors from the Netherlands, Belgium, and England, and was led by the director of the chemical laboratory at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Paul B. Coremans. The commission examined the eight Vermeer and Frans Hals paintings which Van Meegeren had identified as forgeries. With the help of the commission, Dr Coremans was able to determine the chemical composition of van Meegeren's paints. He found that the paint contained the phenolformaldehyde resins Bakelite and Albertol as paint hardeners. A bottle had been found in Van Meegeren's studio. As Bakelite was not discovered until the 20th century, this proved that the paintings could not be genuine. The commission also suggested that the dust in the craquelure was too homogeneous to be of natural origin. It appeared to come from India ink, which had accumulated even in areas that natural dirt or dust would never have reached. The paint had become so hard that alcohol, strong acids, and bases did not attack the surface, a clear indication that the surface had not been formed in a natural manner. The craquelure on the surface did not always match that in the ground layer, which would certainly have been the case with a natural craquelure. Thus, the test results obtained by the commission appeared to confirm that the works were forgeries created by Van Meegeren, but their authenticity continued to be debated by some of the experts until 1967 and 1977, when new investigative techniques were used to analyze the paintings (see below). On 12 November 1947, the Fourth Chamber of the Amsterdam Regional Court found Han van Meegeren guilty of forgery and fraud, and sentenced him to one year in prison. ## Death While waiting to be moved to prison, Van Meegeren returned to his home, where his health continued to decline. During this last month of his life, he strolled freely around his neighbourhood. Van Meegeren suffered a heart attack on 26 November 1947, the last day to appeal the ruling, and was rushed to the Valeriuskliniek, a hospital in Amsterdam. While at the hospital, he suffered a second heart attack on 29 December, and was pronounced dead at 5:00 pm on 30 December 1947 at the age of 58. Soon after his death, a plaster death mask was made, which was acquired by the Rijksmuseum in 2014. His family and several hundred of his friends attended his funeral at the Driehuis Westerveld Crematorium chapel. In 1948, his urn was buried in the general cemetery in the village of Diepenveen (municipality of Deventer). ## Aftermath After his death, the court ruled that Van Meegeren's estate be auctioned and the proceeds from his property and the sale of his counterfeits be used to refund the buyers of his works and to pay income taxes on the sale of his paintings. Van Meegeren had filed for bankruptcy in December 1945. On 5 and 6 September 1950, the contents of his Amsterdam house were auctioned, along with 738 other pieces of furniture and works of art, including numerous paintings by old and new masters from his private collection. The house was auctioned separately on 4 September. The proceeds amounted to 123,000 guilders. Van Meegeren's unsigned The Last Supper I was bought for 2,300 guilders, while Jesus among the Doctors (which Van Meegeren had painted while in detention) sold for 3,000 guilders (about US\$800 or about US\$7,000 today.) Today the painting hangs in a Johannesburg church. The sale of the entire estate amounted to 242,000 guilders (US\$60,000, or about US\$500,000 today). Throughout his trial and bankruptcy, Van Meegeren maintained that his second wife Jo had nothing to do with his forgeries. A large part of his considerable wealth had been transferred to her when they divorced , and the money would have been confiscated if she had been ruled to be an accomplice. Though some biographers believe she must have known the truth, her involvement was never proven and she was able to keep her substantial capital. Jo outlived her husband by many years, in luxury, until her death at the age of 91. ### M. Jean Decoen's objection M. Jean Decoen, a Brussels art expert and restorer, stated in his 1951 book he believed The Supper at Emmaus and The Last Supper II to be genuine Vermeers, and demanding that the paintings should again be examined. He also claimed that Van Meegeren used these paintings as a model for his forgeries. Daniel George Van Beuningen was the buyer of The Last Supper II, Interior with Drinkers, and The Head of Christ, and he demanded that Dr. Paul Coremans publicly admit that he had erred in his analysis. Coremans refused and van Beuningen sued him, alleging that Coremans's wrongful branding of The Last Supper II diminished the value of his "Vermeer" and asking for compensation of £500,000 (about US\$1.3 million or about US\$10 million today). The first trial in Brussels was won by Coremans, because the court adopted the same reasoning of the court ruling at Van Meegeren's trial. A second trial was delayed owing to Van Beuningen's death on 29 May 1955. In 1958 the court heard the case on behalf of Van Beuningen's heirs. Coremans managed to give the definitive evidence of the forgeries by showing a photograph of a Hunting Scene, attributed to A. Hondius, exactly the same scene which was visible with X-ray under the surface of the alleged Vermeer's Last Supper. Moreover, Coremans brought a witness to the courtroom who confirmed that Van Meegeren bought the Hunt scene in 1940. The court found in favour of Coremans, and the findings of his commission were upheld. ### Further investigations In 1967, the Artists Material Center at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh examined several of the "Vermeers" in their collection, under the direction of Robert Feller and Bernard Keisch. The examination confirmed that several of their paintings were in fact created using materials invented in the 20th century. They concluded that they could be Van Meegeren forgeries. The test results obtained by the Carnegie Mellon team are summarized below. Han van Meegeren knew that white lead was used during Vermeer's time, but he had to obtain his stocks through the modern colour trade. In the 17th century, lead was mined from deposits located in the Low Countries; however, by the 19th century, most lead was imported from Australia and the Americas, and differed both in isotope composition and in the content of trace elements. Dutch white lead was extracted from ores containing high levels of trace elements of silver and antimony, while the modern white lead used by Van Meegeren contained neither, as those elements are separated from the lead during the modern smelting process. Forgeries in which modern lead or white lead pigment has been used can be recognized by using a technique called Pb(Lead)-210-Dating. Pb-210 is a naturally occurring radioactive isotope of lead that is part of the uranium-238 Radioactive decay series, and has a half-life of 22.3 years. To determine the amount of Pb-210, the alpha radiation emitted by another element, polonium-210 (Po-210), is measured. Thus it is possible to estimate the age of a painting, within a few years' span, by extrapolating the Pb-210 content present in the paint used to create the painting. The white lead in the painting The Supper at Emmaus had polonium-210 values of 8.5±1.4 and radium-226 (part of the uranium-238 radioactive decay series) values of 0.8±0.3. In contrast, the white lead found in Dutch paintings from 1600 to 1660 had polonium-210 values of 0.23±0.27 and radium-226 values of 0.40±0.47. In 1977, another investigation was undertaken by the States forensic labs of the Netherlands using up-to-date techniques, including gas chromatography, to formally confirm the origin of six van Meegeren forgeries that had been alleged to be genuine Vermeers, including the Emmaus and the Last Supper. The conclusions of the 1946 commission were again reaffirmed and upheld by the Dutch judicial system. In 1998, A&E ran a program called Scams, Schemes & Scoundrels highlighting Van Meegeren's life and art forgeries, many of which had been confiscated as Nazi loot. The program was hosted by skeptic James Randi. In July 2011, the BBC TV programme Fake or Fortune investigated a copy of Dirck van Baburen's The Procuress owned by the Courtauld Institute. Opinion had been divided as to whether it was a 17th-century studio work or a Van Meegeren fake. The programme used chemical analysis of the paint to show that it contained bakelite and thus confirmed that the painting was a 20th-century fake. ## Legacy In 2008, Harvard-trained art historian Jonathan Lopez published The Man Who Made Vermeers, Unvarnishing the Legend of Master Forger Han Van Meegeren. His extensive research confirmed that Van Meegeren started to make forgeries, not so much because of feeling misunderstood and undervalued by art critics as some maintain, but for the income that it generated, which he needed to support his addictions and lavish lifestyle. Van Meegeren's father was said to have once told Van Meegeren, "You are a cheat and always will be." Van Meegeren sent a signed copy of his own art book to Adolf Hitler, which turned up in the Reich Chancellery in Berlin complete with an inscription (in German): "To my beloved Führer in grateful tribute, from H. van Meegeren, Laren, North Holland, 1942". He only admitted the signature was his own, although the entire inscription was by the same hand. He bought up homes of several departed Jewish families in Amsterdam and held lavish parties while much of the country was hungry. On the other hand, his brothers and sisters perceived him as loyal, generous, and affectionate, and he was always loving and helpful to his own children. Van Meegeren continued to paint after he was released from prison, signing his works with his own name. His new-found profile ensured quick sales of his new paintings, often selling at prices that were many times higher than before he had been unmasked as a forger. Van Meegeren also told the news media that he had "an offer from a Manhattan gallery to come to the U.S. and paint portraits 'in the 17th-century manner' at US\$6,000 a throw". A Dutch opinion poll conducted in October 1947 placed Han van Meegeren's popularity second in the nation, behind only the Prime Minister's and slightly ahead of Prince Bernhard, the husband of Princess Juliana. The Dutch people viewed Van Meegeren as a cunning trickster who had successfully fooled the Dutch art experts and, more importantly, Hermann Göring himself. In fact, according to a contemporary account, Göring was informed that his "Vermeer" was actually a forgery and "[Göring] looked as if for the first time he had discovered there was evil in the world". Lopez, however, suggests Göring may never have known the painting was a fake. Lopez indicates that Han van Meegeren's defence during his trial in Amsterdam was a masterpiece of trickery, forging his own personality into a true Dutchman eager to trick his critics and also the Dutch people by pretending that he sold his fake Vermeer to Göring because he wanted to teach the Nazi a lesson. Van Meegeren remains one of the most ingenious art counterfeiters of the 20th century. After his trial, however, he declared, "My triumph as a counterfeiter was my defeat as [a] creative artist." ## List of forgeries ### Known forgeries List of known forgeries by Han van Meegeren (unless specified differently, they are after Vermeer): - A counterpart to Laughing Cavalier after Frans Hals (1923) once the subject of a scandal in The Hague in 1923, its present whereabouts is unknown. - The Happy Smoker after Frans Hals (1923) hangs in the Groninger Museum in the Netherlands - Man and Woman at a Spinet 1932 (perhaps without misleading intentions, sold to Amsterdam banker, Dr. Fritz Mannheimer) - Lady reading a letter 1935–1936 (unsold, on display at the Rijksmuseum) - Lady playing a lute and looking out the window 1935–1936 (unsold, on display at the Rijksmuseum) - Portrait of a Man 1935–1936 in the style of Gerard ter Borch (unsold, on display at the Rijksmuseum) - Woman Drinking after Frans Hals (version of Malle Babbe) 1935–1936 (unsold, on display at the Rijksmuseum.) - The Supper at Emmaus, 1936–1937 (sold to the Boymans for 520,000 – 550,000 guldens, about US\$300,000 or US\$4 Million today) - Interior with Drinkers 1937–1938 (sold to D G. van Beuningen for 219,000 – 220,000 guldens about US\$120,000 or US\$1.6 million today) - The Last Supper I, 1938–1939 - Interior with Cardplayers 1938 - 1939 (sold to W. van der Vorm for 219,000 – 220,000 guldens US\$120,000 or US\$1.6 million today) - The Head of Christ, 1940–1941 (sold to D G. van Beuningen for 400,000 – 475,000 guldens about US\$225,000 or US\$3.25 million today) - The Last Supper II, 1940–1942 (sold to D G. van Beuningen for 1,600,000 guldens about US\$600,000 or US\$7 million today) - The Blessing of Jacob 1941–1942 (sold to W. van der Vorm for 1,270,000 guldens about US\$500,000 or US\$5.75 million today) - Christ with the Adulteress 1941–1942 (sold to Hermann Göring for 1,650,000 guldens about US\$624,000 or US\$6.75 million today, now in the public collection of Museum de Fundatie) - The Washing of the Feet 1941–1943 (sold to the Netherlands state for 1,250,000 – 1,300,000 guldens about US\$500,000 or US\$5.3 million today, on display at the Rijksmuseum) - Jesus among the Doctors September 1945 (painted during trial under Court's control, and sold at auction for 3,000 guldens, about US\$800 or US\$7,000 today) - The Procuress given to the Courtauld Institute as a fake in 1960 and confirmed as such by chemical analysis in 2011. Posthumously, Van Meegeren's forgeries have been shown in exhibitions around the world, including exhibitions in Amsterdam (1952), Basel (1953), Zurich (1953), Haarlem in the Kunsthandel de Boer (1958), London (1961), Rotterdam (1971), Minneapolis (1973), Essen (1976–1977), Berlin (1977), (1985), New York (1987), Berkeley, CA (1990), Munich (1991), Rotterdam (1996), The Hague (1996) and more recently at the Haagse Kunstkring, The Hague (2004) and Stockholm (2004), and have thus been made broadly accessible to the public. ### Potential forgeries It is possible that other fakes hang in art collections all over the world. Jacques van Meegeren suggested that his father had created a number of other forgeries, during interviews with journalists regarding discussions with his father. Some of these possible forgeries include: - Boy with a Little Dog and The Rommelpotspeler after Frans Hals. The Frans Hals catalogue by Frans L. M. Dony mentions four paintings by this name attributed to Frans Hals or the "school of Frans Hals". - A counterpart to Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring. A painting called Smiling Girl hangs in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. (bequest Andrew W. Mellon) which has been recognized by the museum as a fake. It was attributed to Theo van Wijngaarden, friend and partner of Van Meegeren, but may have been painted by Van Meegeren. - Lady with a Blue Hat after Vermeer which was sold to Baron Heinrich Thyssen in 1930. Its present whereabouts are unknown. It is often referred to as the “Greta Garbo” Vermeer. ## Original artwork Van Meegeren was a prolific artist and produced thousands of original paintings in a number of diverse styles. This wide range in painting and drawing styles often irritated art critics. Some of his typical works are classical still lifes in convincing 17th century manner, Impressionistic paintings of people frolicking on lakes or beaches, jocular drawings where the subject is drawn with rather odd features, Surrealistic paintings with combined fore- and backgrounds. Van Meegeren's portraits, however, are probably his finest works. Among his original works is his famous Deer, pictured above. Other works include his prize-winning St. Laurens Cathedral; a Portrait of the actress Jo Oerlemans (his second wife); his Night Club; from the Roaring Twenties; the cheerful watercolor A Summer Day on the Beach and many others. ### The forger forged Van Meegeren's own work rose in price after he had become known as a forger, and it consequently became worthwhile to fake his paintings, as well. Existing paintings obtained a signature "H. van Meegeren", or new pictures were made in his style and falsely signed. When Van Meegeren saw a fake like that, he ironically remarked that he would have adopted them if they had been good enough, but regrettably he had not yet seen one. Later on, however, his son Jacques van Meegeren started to fake his father's work. He made paintings in his father's style – although of much lower quality – and was able to place a perfect signature on these imitations. Many fakes – both by Jacques and by others – are still on the market. They can be recognized by their low pictorial quality, but are not always regarded as such. ## In media Han Van Meegeren was played by Guy Pearce in the movie The Last Vermeer, which tells the story of the investigation into his sale of the painting "Jesus and the Adulteress" to Nazi officer Hermann Göring. The movie was based on the book The Man Who Made Vermeers, Unvarnishing the Legend of Master Forger Han Van Meegeren'', by Jonathan Lopez.

Direct grant grammar school

Former type of English secondary school

A direct grant grammar school was a type of selective secondary school in the United Kingdom that existed between 1945 and 1976. One quarter of the places in these schools were directly funded by central government, while the remainder attracted fees, some paid by a Local Education Authority and some by the pupils' parents or guardians. On average, the schools received just over half of their income from the state. The status was introduced in England and Wales by the Education Act 1944 as a modification of an existing direct grant scheme to some long standing endowed grammar schools. There were 179 direct grant grammar schools, which, together with almost 1,300 grammar schools maintained by local authorities, formed the most academic tier of the Tripartite System. They varied greatly in size and composition, but, on average, achieved higher academic results than either maintained grammar schools or private schools. State secondary education was reorganised on comprehensive lines in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The direct grant was phased out from 1975 and the schools were required to choose between becoming maintained comprehensive schools or fully independent schools. Forty-five schools, almost all Roman Catholic, joined the state system, while a few closed. The rest (including all the secular schools) became independent and mostly remain as highly selective independent schools. ## Origins In the 19th century, few boys and very few girls in England and Wales received secondary education, which was typically available only from charity, endowed or private schools. During this time, secondary provision expanded and adjusted to growing demand. At the start of that century, some boarding schools like Eton College and Winchester College thrived educating the sons of the aristocracy, but most endowed grammar schools were in decline, their classical curricula seen as irrelevant to the industrial age. These schools were reformed under the Endowed Schools Act 1869, which also led to many endowments being diverted to the creation of girls' schools. In the meantime a range of other schools had appeared. After the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 and mid-century Irish immigration, Catholic teaching orders from Ireland and mainland Europe began to establish their own grammar schools. New proprietary schools were established, initially as joint-stock companies, converting to charities if they were successful. One of the largest such companies was the Girls' Public Day School Company (later Trust), set up to provide an affordable academic education for girls, which had established 32 schools by 1894. In the latter part of the century, many of the less wealthy schools received annual grants from the Department of Science and Art and from their county councils. The grant system was restructured when the Board of Education was created in 1901 to fund early secondary schools, and the Education Act 1902 gave counties and county boroughs responsibility for schools, designating them as local education authorities (LEAs). Secondary schools controlled by voluntary bodies could receive a grant from either the Board of Education or their local authority, or both. In return they were required to meet the Board's regulations, and were subject to the same system of inspections as state-funded schools. Under the Education (Administrative Provisions) Act 1907, secondary schools in receipt of grant were required to admit a specified proportion of their intake, usually 25%, free of charge from state elementary schools. Suitable pupils were selected using a scholarship examination. Circular 1381, a directive issued by the Board of Education in 1926, required that schools choose a single source of grant: they could receive a "direct grant" from central government, or be "grant-aided" by their local authority. By 1932 there were 240 secondary schools receiving a direct grant, compared with 1138 aided by local authorities. Although this division was intended purely as an administrative convenience, local authorities gradually gained more influence over the schools they aided, in part because of the schools' weak financial position during the Great Depression. The Depression and the falling birth rate in the pre-war years had also weakened independent schools and schools receiving the direct grant. At the same time, the state-funded sector had grown to the point where universal secondary education seemed achievable, and changes in society had made the idea more popular. Proposals were made for a reorganisation of the maintained sector, including a new accommodation with the voluntary schools. In response, the Headmasters' Conference persuaded the President of the Board of Education, R.A. Butler, to establish a commission under Lord Fleming in July 1942 "to consider means whereby the association between the Public Schools ... and the general education system of the country could be developed and extended". ## Direct grant scheme The Education Act 1944 aimed to introduce a universal system of secondary education for England and Wales. Under the Tripartite System, there were to be three types of schools, with pupils sitting an eleven plus exam to determine which type of school they would be sent to. The most academic tier would be the grammar school, and the Act revised the terms of the direct grant to operate alongside LEA-maintained grammar schools, many of which were former LEA-aided schools. The latter schools, unable to cope with the costs of the reorganisation required by the 1944 Act, had been offered the status of voluntary controlled or voluntary aided schools, under which the state would pay all their running costs and all or most of their capital costs. They were thus integrated into the state system. The new direct grant scheme was a modification of proposals in the Fleming Report of 1944. A direct grant grammar school would provide 25% of its places free of charge to children who had spent at least 2 years in maintained primary schools, and would reserve at least a further 25% of places to be paid for by the LEA if required. The remaining ("residuary") places would attract fees, but no child would be admitted unless they had achieved the required standard in the eleven plus. The schools would be inspected by Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools, would have one third of their governing bodies appointed by the LEA, and would require the approval of the Secretary of State to raise fees or carry out building work. The scheme was attractive to most of the direct grant schools. Of the 231 secondary schools receiving direct grant in 1945, 196 applied to join the new scheme, with the rest becoming independent schools. In addition 31 grant-aided schools applied to join the scheme. Of these, 164 schools (including four formerly grant-aided schools) were accepted as direct grant grammar schools. The list was re-opened between 1957 and 1961, when 44 applications were received, of which 15 were accepted. There were therefore 179 direct grant grammar schools, alongside almost 1300 maintained grammar schools. Beside the Direct Grant Scheme, the Act also made provision for LEAs to fund places at independent schools in areas where there was a shortage of appropriate places in maintained schools. For example, there might be a lack of selective places, or of selective places in Roman Catholic schools. In the late 1960s, 56 independent schools had over 25% of their places funded by LEAs in this way, with seven of them over 75% LEA-funded. ## Characteristics of the schools In 1966, when direct grant schools were at their height, they educated 3.1% of secondary pupils across England and Wales, while independent schools accounted for 7.1%. For A-level students, these proportions rose to 6.2% and 14.7% respectively. Before Culford School became coeducational in 1972, all but 2 of the schools were single sex, with a slight majority of girls' schools. There were 56 Roman Catholic schools, 14 Church of England and 6 Methodist. Many of the schools were in the north of England, with 46 in the historic county of Lancashire (including Manchester) and 18 in the West Riding of Yorkshire, while there were only 7 in inner London and 4 in Wales. In 1961, an average of 59% of pupils at direct grant grammar schools were state-funded, but the proportion also varied greatly between schools. Direct grant schools had similar teacher/pupil ratios to the maintained grammar schools, as their fees were regulated to match costs at the latter schools. The proportion of teachers with first and second class degrees was slightly lower than in their maintained counterparts. The principal difference from the maintained schools was greater freedom from LEA influence. Although there was much variation, these schools as a group were middle-class institutions, with many tending to move closer to the independent schools in social composition. On average, three-quarters of pupils came from white-collar homes, including 60% with fathers in management or the professions, while only 7% were children of semi-skilled or unskilled workers. On average, the intake of the schools was also more academically selective than either maintained grammar schools or independent schools. Their results were correspondingly high, with 60% of their pupils staying on to age 18 and 38% going on to university, significantly greater proportions than either of the other groups of schools. ## Types of schools There was a great deal of variation between direct grant grammar schools. According to the Donnison Report (discussed in the next section), the schools were of four types, though the boundaries between them were not always clear-cut. Donnison called the first group "regional schools": large, highly academically selective day schools with large sixth forms, located near large cities, and mostly boys' schools belonging to the Headmaster's Conference. The archetype of the direct grant grammar school, was the largest, The Manchester Grammar School, whose High Master from 1945 to 1962, Eric James (elevated to the peerage in 1959), was an outspoken advocate of the "meritocracy". In 1968 the school sent 77% of its boys on to university, a rate surpassed only by the independent Winchester College. Close behind were such schools as Bradford Grammar School, Leeds Grammar School, Haberdashers' Aske's School and Latymer Upper School. A large girls' school of similar academic attainment was North London Collegiate School, which had been founded in 1850 by Frances Buss. These schools achieved university admission rates that rivalled the older public schools, which in turn moved to raise their academic standards for admission, and to increase their focus of academic achievement. With their high profile, such schools formed the popular image of a direct grant grammar school, but they accounted for only about a quarter of them. The second group consisted of 30 schools (23 for boys and 7 for girls) with a significant proportion (over 25%) of boarders. Boarders made up the majority of pupils at 15 schools (all but one for boys), including five of the six Methodist schools. Boarding schools tended to be smaller and less academically selective than other direct grant schools, and to take a larger proportion of fee-paying pupils. They also tended to be more socially selective, with nearly three quarters of their pupils having fathers in management or the professions. The third group, Roman Catholic schools, made up nearly a third of the direct grant schools (19 for boys and 37 for girls). They were predominantly day schools, though 10 of them took a small proportion of boarders. Their fees were about 15% lower than other direct grant grammars, and they tended to take a much higher proportion of LEA-funded pupils. In 1968, 40 of these schools took over 80% of their pupils from their LEAs; the average proportion was 86%. They also tended to be more socially mixed, with 37% of their pupils from managerial and professional homes and 16% children of semi-skilled or unskilled workers. These schools were thus similar to the LEA-maintained Roman Catholic grammar schools, which they outnumbered. Lacking endowments and having lower fee income, they were less financially secure than other direct grant grammars. The fourth group were non-denominational local grammar schools, often with an intake more able on average than in maintained grammar schools, but covering a broader range. These included the 23 schools of the Girls' Public Day School Trust (now the Girls' Day School Trust). ## Comprehensive reorganisation During the post-War period, many parts of the world moved from selective education to comprehensive schools catering for children of all abilities. Dissatisfaction with the Tripartite System grew during the 1950s, with concern over the harsh division of the school population at the age of 11, and the loss to the economy of the "submerged three-quarters" in secondary modern schools. Experiments with comprehensive schools spread from Anglesey to the Midlands and Yorkshire. In 1964, a Labour government was elected promising "to reorganise the State secondary schools on comprehensive lines". In the following year, the Department of Education and Science distributed Circular 10/65, requesting that Local Education Authorities prepare plans for such a reorganisation of their schools. The Circular also requested consultation between LEAs and direct grant schools on their participation in a comprehensive system. For this reason, direct grant schools were excluded from consideration by the Public Schools Commission set up in 1965, even though 152 of them would otherwise have fallen within its remit. There was little progress in the local negotiations proposed in the Circular. Two Catholic girls' schools, St Anne's Convent School, Southampton and St Anthony's School, Sunderland, converted to a fully comprehensive intake, expanding to over 1000 pupils each. A few others proposed minor adjustments, but the vast majority were unchanged. In view of this lack of progress, the Public Schools Commission was asked in October 1967 to add direct grant schools to its investigation. The commission, now chaired by David Donnison, issued its second report in 1970, concluding that "Grammar schools of the traditional kind cannot be combined with a comprehensive system of education: we must choose what we want. Fee-paying is not compatible with comprehensive education." They recommended that the schools choose between becoming voluntary aided comprehensives and full independence, but the Conservatives came to power before any action had been taken. Meanwhile, a trickle of schools had begun to leave the scheme, starting with Trinity School of John Whitgift, which became independent in 1968, but still had half its places funded by the LEA. It was followed in 1970 by Oakham School, which became co-educational in the following year, and Queen Victoria High School, which merged with The Cleveland School to form Teesside High School. A respite was provided in the early 1970s, when Margaret Thatcher, the Conservative Education Secretary, raised the level of grant, which had been lowered by the Labour government. ## Abolition and legacy Labour returned to power in 1974 and enacted the Direct Grant Grammar Schools (Cessation of Grant) Regulations 1975, which required schools to choose whether to become LEA-maintained comprehensive schools or independent schools without grant. Of the 174 remaining direct grant grammar schools, 51 (two Church of England and the rest Catholic) applied to join the state sector, of which 46 were accepted. These schools had become dependent on state funding, and the move to comprehensive education was also supported by the Roman Catholic hierarchy, often over the objections of those connected with the schools. One school, St. Joseph's College, Stoke-on-Trent, was approved to join the state system, but became independent instead following a campaign by parents. Elsewhere the plans proceeded over local objections, with schools closing or becoming comprehensive schools or sixth form colleges, often by merging with other schools. Dr Williams School, a small school for girls in Dolgellau, northwest Wales, also closed at this time. The remaining schools, including all of the large secular ones, became independent when their grant was phased out as the remaining state-funded pupils left. This coincided with the mid-1970s recession, a difficult time for independent schools but doubly so for the former direct grant schools, which had just lost 25–50% of their intake. Many local boys' schools became coeducational to replace the lost places. An echo of the direct grant, the Assisted Places scheme, was introduced by the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher in 1981, lasting until 1997. Approximately two-thirds of these places were held at former direct grant grammar schools. The independent sector soon recovered, and prospered without competition from state grammar schools. From 1993 a small number of Roman Catholic former direct grant schools entered the state sector as grant-maintained schools. A few secular schools have subsequently become academies. Those that remain independent are typically highly selective, and have strong academic reputations. In 2001, they included 61 of the 100 highest performing independent day schools. No longer a bridge between state and private sectors, these schools have become part of a flourishing independent sector now sharply distinguished from the state system, a situation decried by the Sutton Trust as "educational apartheid". ## See also - List of English and Welsh endowed schools (19th century) (1818 survey of endowed Grammar Schools) - Armorial of UK schools

2011 Finnish parliamentary election

Parliamentary election in Finland in 2011

Parliamentary elections were held in Finland on 17 April 2011 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term. Advance voting, which included voting by Finnish expatriates, was held between 6 and 12 April with a turnout of 31.2%. The importance of the election was magnified due to Finland's capacity to influence the European Union's decision in regard to affecting a bailout for Portugal via the European Financial Stability Facility, as part of financial support systems for debt-laden European countries, and the fall of the Portuguese government. Small differences in the opinion polls for the traditional three big parties (the National Coalition Party, the Centre Party and the Social Democratic Party) and the surprising rise in support for the True Finns also electrified the atmosphere ahead of the election. The election resulted in a breakthrough for the populist True Finns, which came head-to-head with the three big parties, while every other parliamentary party in mainland Finland, excluding Åland, lost popularity. The National Coalition Party (NCP) also ended up as the biggest party for the first time in its history. The total turnout rose to 70.5% from 67.9% in the previous election; and corruption scandals also resulted in an anti-incumbency vote. The incumbent, Centre Party-led coalition, which included the NCP, Green League and Swedish People's Party (SPP), lost its majority by two seats and their Prime Minister Mari Kiviniemi of the Centre Party signaled that her party would then sit in opposition. The incumbent Minister of Finance Jyrki Katainen, as the leader of the biggest party in the new parliament, was tasked to form a new government. During government formation talks, the True Finns said they would withdraw if the government accepted the Portuguese bailout. Katainen then continued six-party talks that included the NCP, the SDP, the Left Alliance, Green League, Christian Democrats and the SPP. However, these negotiations ran aground on 1 June as the Social Democrats and the Left Alliance walked out of the talks due to strong differences on economic policies. Negotiations were set to continue under Katainen's proposed premiership, though the composition of the new government was not certain at the time. Due to the Green League's opposition to forming a government with the NCP, the Centre Party and the Christian Democrats, Katainen—avoiding a resultant minority government—announced on 10 June that the same six parties would return to negotiations, describing it as the "only possible coalition." On 17 June, the six parties came to an agreement on forming a coalition government, led by Katainen and consisting of 19 ministers. The ministerial portfolios were divided with the NCP and the SDP both having six ministers, while the Left Alliance, the Greens and the SPP would each have two and the Christian Democrats would have one. The six parties announced their ministers designate between 17–20 June. On 22 June the new parliament elected Jyrki Katainen as prime minister. ## Background In June 2010, then-Prime Minister of Finland and leader of the Centre Party Matti Vanhanen said that he would be stepping down from both positions. At a party conference held between 11 and 13 June, then-Minister for Public Administration and Local Government Mari Kiviniemi was elected the new party leader. Vanhanen stepped down from the position of the Prime Minister a few days later and was replaced by Kiviniemi, who became the second female Prime Minister in Finland's history. The incumbent government was considering proposals for a new constitution, including a phrase in the first paragraph of the third clause that would have read "Finland is a member of the European Union." It was speculated that the incumbent government could finalise a new constitution before the election but the changes to the constitution would require the support of the next parliament in order to pass. ## Electoral system The 200 members of the parliament are elected using the proportional D'Hondt method through which voters cast their vote for a candidate of their choosing within a party list. Electoral alliances between parties were allowed but were less common for the parliamentary parties in this election as the parties were preparing for future electoral reform that would not provide for electoral alliances. In 2011 the country was divided into 15 electoral districts. (Åland is the only single member electoral district and it also has its own party system.) The electoral districts are shown below. Following the problem-ridden limited electronic voting experiment of the 2008 municipal elections, the Ministry of Justice announced in January 2010 that there would be no electronic voting at this time, but that the ministry would be monitoring the international arenas for development of online voting. ### Campaign funding This was the first election since the Act on a Candidate's Election Funding came into force in May 2009, along with the 2010 amendments to the Act on Political Parties. Both laws mandate the disclosure of the sources of campaign finance and expenses. Every candidate and party as a whole must disclose their source of funding. Campaign funding may start six months before the election day and end two weeks after the election regardless of when the costs are actually paid. The candidates must file a public report with the National Audit Office detailing their sources of all contributions of over €1,500 in value raised in support of the election campaign. The funds include expenses from the candidate's own assets, loans taken out for the campaign, and contributions received by either the individual or by a group that supports the candidate. Candidates are barred from receiving anonymous contributions of over €1,500 in value. ## Retiring incumbents Former Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen began to work as the Chief Executive of Finnish Family Firms Association and did not participate in the election. The incumbent Speaker of Parliament Sauli Niinistö of the National Coalition Party did not run for parliament, despite receiving a record number of votes in the 2007 election. It was anticipated that he would be the National Coalition Party's presidential candidate in 2012; which he won. Overall there were 38 MPs not seeking re-election. ## Competing parties At the time of the election there were 17 registered parties (a party has to collect signatures from at least 5,000 eligible voters in order to be accepted on the official party register, which is maintained by the Ministry of Justice). Eight of the parties were represented in the current parliament: the Centre Party, National Coalition Party (NCP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Left Alliance, Green League, Swedish People's Party (SPP), Christian Democrats and True Finns. The MP representing Åland sits with the Swedish People's Party in the parliament. Nine of the registered parties did not have representation in the parliament before or as a result of the elections: the Communist Party, Senior Citizens' Party, Communist Workers' Party – For Peace and Socialism, Workers Party, Independence Party, For the Poor, Pirate Party, Change 2011, and Freedom Party. ### Party conferences The Centre Party, the National Coalition Party, the Social Democratic Party and the Green League held party conferences in May or June 2010 where they elected the party leadership for the election and approved their election manifestoes. The Left Alliance held its conference in 2009, when they elected Paavo Arhinmäki chairman after the previous chairman resigned in 2009 due to the party's poor result in the European Parliament election. Mari Kiviniemi was elected the new leader of the Centre Party in its conference in Lahti on 12 June. The support for the Centre Party has been significantly higher in northern Finland than elsewhere: in the 2007 election the party received over 43% of the votes in both Oulu and Lapland electoral districts, compared with its nationwide support of 23.1%, while in 2003 the party's vote share in the two northernmost districts was even higher) As the top spots of the party leadership went to members from southern Finland, many of their supporters in the northern part of the country felt disenchanted; one local party chief even warned that many northern Centre Party supporters might switch sides to the True Finns. The National Coalition Party re-elected incumbent Minister of Finance Jyrki Katainen the party leader on 12 June, amidst protests by Greenpeace activists. The Green League held its party conference between 22 and 23 May. The Greens emphasised the importance of the environment and set same-sex marriage and increasing foreign aid as the party's objectives. ## Campaign In what was seen to have promoted anti-incumbency, a scandal regarding campaign finance followed allegation that the Centre Party's Timo Kalli's, who was also the head of the party's parliamentary group, admission in early May 2009 that he violated the law on reporting electoral campaign financing by not disclosing financial contributions he received for his election campaign during the previous election in 2007. When the media then delved further into the issue, stories started to emerge of common practice with a multitude of MPs not disclosing their financial benefactors, a practice which was not punishable under Finnish law. The media investigations focused on a group of entrepreneurs called Kehittyvien Maakuntien Suomi (Finland of Developing Provinces) who financed the electoral campaigns of numerous high-profile government and opposition candidates. Further investigations revealed that many recipients of their financial support did not register or even mention the amounts they received from the group. Then Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen was at the core of the accusations after the investigations showed he had also been among the beneficiaries of the groups' financing; this was despite one of the members of the group who had planned to build the biggest shopping mall in the country received Vanhanen's support for the plans against the grain of public opinion, thus eliciting accusations that he could have been influenced by the individual. Blame was also put on the Centre Party's secretary Jarmo Korhonen. This was said to have helped the True Finns. The European sovereign debt crisis was another important issue in the election, even more so after Portugal applied for an EU bailout on 6 April, the first day of advance voting. According to an opinion poll nearly 60% of Finns were against Finland's participation in bailing out the crisis-ridden countries. All four parties of the governing coalition (Centre Party, National Coalition Party, Green League and the Swedish People's Party) support Finland's participation in the bailout and all four opposition parties (Social Democrats, Left Alliance, Christian Democrats and the True Finns) oppose such measures. The issue helped Soini become the most visible opposition leader. Soini then also stated that his party would not join in any coalition that supports guarantees to the crisis-ridden EU countries. He said that their crises are a consequence of the EU's failure. Finance Minister Jyrki Katainen had commented that a bailout for Portugal should only happen if the Portuguese parliament passed even tougher austerity measures than the failed programme that led to an early Portuguese election: "The package must be really strict because otherwise it doesn't make any sense. The package must be harder and more comprehensive than the one the parliament voted against." Despite his comments, the National Coalition Party believed the bailout to be in Finland's interests. It, along with the Centre Party, supported the bailout under the EU's auspices, while the True Finns and the Social Democrats were opposed to it. The True Finns said that Finnish taxpayers were being unjustly burdened by "squanderers" within the eurozone and pointed out that no one aided Finland during its own financial crisis in the 1990s. Helsingin Sanomat read the affair as having added "confusion" and complexity to the electoral race. The effect of the Finnish election on a possible EU bailout caused concern amongst to international investors as "it is a very distinct possibility that the next government and parliament of Finland will not want to agree to the things that the current government has signed up for, namely supporting Portugal and agreeing to the permanent and temporary crisis mechanisms," as there was said to be an "even chance" of Finland blocking a bailout for Portugal as its support was crucial because it would need the unanimous support of all national governments to pass. Finland's participation was further thrown in doubt as it was the only eurozone country to require parliamentary approval of any such measure. Should a new Finnish administration opt out of the bailout, this could throw into doubt the eurozone's capacity to maintain financial stability. Yet another important issue during the campaign was that of the languages in the country. The status of the Swedish and Russian languages was a hot-button issue. A growing number of people believe that the Swedish language should be abolished as the country's second official language, as only a small percentage of the country use Swedish as their first language and that a large number of government officials do not use Swedish. A report by the Council of Europe stated that the Swedish language's status as Finland's second official language was in danger of being eroded in the longer term because of the officials' poor language skills and the lack of opportunities to study the language. However, the status of Russian was considered to be rising as several municipalities in eastern Finland sought to increase the role of the language at local schools. At the time, Swedish was spoken by 5.42% of the population as their mother tongue, with Russian spoken by 1.01% and the Sami languages spoken by 0.03%. Furthermore, despite changes to the campaign finance laws, there was no perceptible decrease in campaigning activity. One reason was a compensatory expansion of advertising by way of internet search engines such as Facebook and other social media which were relatively inexpensive. Helsingin Sanomat called election workers in all electoral districts, excluding the Åland Islands, to ask for their assessments of the electoral campaigns. They reported that while the NCP's campaign was the most visible, the Centre Party and the Social Democrats also had high-profile campaigns with some variations across districts. The NCP were also said to be spending more of their own money than in the past. ### Party-specific issues #### Centre Party The Centre Party has been the traditional party of rural voters, but according to polls, it had been losing support to the True Finns in its traditional stronghold regions. The party has traditionally had both a liberal and a conservative wing, however, with the leadership reshuffling in 2010, the central posts are now held by the liberal wing. The Centre Party has held the portfolio of the prime minister since 2003. According to opinion polls, Kiviniemi's personal support was higher than that of the party. She had also been campaigning as a staunch defender of Finland's participation in guarantees to the crisis-ridden EU countries. #### Christian Democrats The Christian Democrats, led by Päivi Räsänen, had announced that they would not support any governing coalition that plans on legalising same-sex marriage. Räsänen has also said that Christian refugees ought to be favoured in Finland's refugee policy on the grounds that they have better potential for successful integration to the society than refugees of other religions. #### Green League The Green League, which was part of the governing coalition, announced that it will not participate in any coalition that plans to give licences to new nuclear reactors. The Green League also hosted members from the German Green Party; however, they did not partake in campaign events but instead were only present to learn about Finland's style of street campaigning. #### Left Alliance As a defender of high taxes, the Left Alliance's leader Paavo Arhinmäki has said that the party can be described as "supportive of income redistribution." The Left Alliance is critical of nuclear energy and is also against Finland's participation in the EU-sponsored Portuguese bailout. #### National Coalition Party Traditionally a pro-market economy and pro-EU centre-right party, the NCP were the largest party in the parliament for the first time in its history, though losing seats since the 2007 election. Although leading in the opinion polls for several years, it started to see some loss of support after the rise of the True Finns. Despite being founded as a primarily conservative party, an analysis on the party's programmes made by an NCP-affiliated think tank concluded that in the 2000s the liberal wing had gained the upper hand and had started to change the party's political ideology. At the party conference in 2010, the NCP delegates voted in favour of legalising same-sex marriage. The party's supporters are also generally very supportive of market economy, nuclear power and Finland's admission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Led by incumbent Minister of Finance Jyrki Katainen, the NCP has been strongly supportive of Finland's participation in EU bailouts with Katainen underlining the importance of what he calls "European responsibility." He also invited Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt to observe the campaign, though Reinfeldt did not address a party rally. MP Ben Zyskowicz said that he could not estimate Reinfeldt's effect on voters. #### Social Democratic Party Polls concerning preference for the favourite candidate for Prime Minister indicated that SDP leader Jutta Urpilainen did not enjoy the support of everyone in her party. Urpilainen herself has denied claims of a leadership crisis. In early April, the new leader of the Swedish Social Democrats, Håkan Juholt, visited Finland in order to show support for the SDP in the election. The party also invited other foreign politicians and ministers for a campaign rally in the week before the election. Liisa Jaakonsaari, an SDP MEP, justified this by saying that it was a tradition to invite colleagues from other states. The party's main guest was the German chairman of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament Martin Schulz. In the interim, the party also invited Swedish Social Democrat Marita Ulvskog who echoed the view that "investors and banks need to take responsibility." Former Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen was also present; he praised the EU and EMU and said that Finland is in a "psychological and moral slump." Following a recent election of his own, the leader of the Estonian Social Democratic Party Sven Mikser and MEP Ivari Padar traveled to campaign rallies in Helsinki and Espoo on 11 April to show support for their "sister party's field campaign." Mikser said that the "Social Democrats recently garnered a strong vote in Estonia and are clearly on the rise. Now we need the same to happen in Finland." Padar also said that because of the rise of anti-EU parties in both Finland and other countries: "That is why I personally consider it important to explain to the Finnish people that Europe should not be feared. Since Estonia and Finland are the only Nordic countries in the Eurozone, we need to have [a] strong partnership in the region." #### Swedish People's Party The Swedish People's Party of Finland (SPP) is the dominant party amongst Swedish-speaking voters; a poll has indicated that 75% of them support the party. Led by Stefan Wallin, the party is resolute on preserving the mandatory teaching of Swedish in schools. The SPP also wants to preserve the current immigration laws, which were passed on the initiative of incumbent Minister of Migration Astrid Thors, a member of the SPP. #### True Finns True Finns have said that Finland should not financially support the European Financial Stability Facility that led to bailouts for Ireland and Greece. Timo Soini asked: "How come they (the European Union) can't see the euro doesn't work?" The party manifesto said that they would support a capital gains tax increase from 28% to 30% and an increased tax on alcohol. The party also opposed mention of Finland's EU membership in the constitution and want to cut social welfare for immigrants. Soini also suggested Finland should unilaterally withdraw from the European Union Emission Trading Scheme and some other international commitments and that giving up the euro was an option. While speculating about a possible ministerial portfolio he later backed down on commitments when journalists asked him if the issues would be True Finns' demands in any possible government formation talks, citing the proposals as his personal opinion and not necessarily incorporated into a prospective government policy programme. He continued to maintain that the EU membership issue in the constitution would be a threshold for their participation in government formation talks. Helsingin Sanomat suggested that these demands could prove detrimental to a chance for True Finns to join a governing coalition. The True Finns also support the continuation of social welfare benefits. The party's support for the benefits along with its stance on the EU bailouts was also seen as one reason for its growth in popularity at a time when the country was facing welfare cuts by the government. The True Finns' vice-chairman Vesa-Matti Saarakkala said that "the True Finns will not participate in a coalition government with any party ready to give further loan guarantees". This stance on the EU's bailout was read by The Wall Street Journal as detrimental to the euro zone's attempt to reassure bond investors that it would not face debt problems. It also said that a good showing for the True Finns could threaten Portugal's EU-sponsored bailout. Incumbent Prime Minister Kiviniemi said that she was ready to work with any party in Finland. When pressed by the media she said that she would not rule out working with the True Finns pending cooperation on negotiating a government platform. The True Finns and the Green League have both confirmed that the two parties are ideologically too far from each other to sit in the same coalition. The True Finns' main campaign issues—lowering refugee quotas and cutting foreign aid and Finland's financial contribution to the EU—were seen as a possible hindrance to coalition talks. ### Debates In February the three biggest parties partook in a debate organised by the Finnish Business and Policy Forum in front of an audience consisting of people from the field of business. The National Coalition's Katainen said that as a result of February polling there were now four prime ministerial candidates from the four largest parties. However, the True Finns' chairman and MEP Timo Soini was excluded because the various pollings presented at the time were different. All parties insisted that the retirement age must not be lowered from 63. The SDP's Urpilainen said that the party would continue with what they said was a need to cut pensions and that increasing the retirement age is a form of cutting pensions; to support this she pointed out an earlier retirement age law of 65 years and that the age had been lowered. She also added that because of a large proportion of disabled pensioners, younger people should join the workforce quickly after graduation. Katainen and the Centre Party's Kiviniemi said they would consider raising the retirement age to lengthen work careers. Kiviniemi said that "some of the directors of our large corporations are retiring at the age of 59–60" and that, at the same time, "demands are being presented that people should work longer." Urpilainen also said that lowering the value added tax on food was mistake, though she said that it should not be raised either. The first televised prime ministerial debate was organised by the state-owned broadcaster Finnish Broadcasting Company on 31 March in Tampere and included the chairpersons of the four parties leading in the opinion polls. The European sovereign debt crisis featured prominently in the debate; the leaders of the governing coalition, Katainen and Kiviniemi, defended Finland's participation in guaranteeing the loans to crisis-ridden EU countries claiming that Finland would otherwise risk plunging into a new recession as the country is dependent on exports to other European countries. As the chairpersons of the leading opposition parties, Soini and Urpilainen denied this claim and insisted that the debt-ridden countries should rather be allowed to go into their own debt restructuring. Urpilainen was not entirely against emergency measures aimed at saving these countries, but insisted that the major European banks ought to play a larger role in the guarantees. Soini continued his criticism of the euro, reiterating that no referendum was ever called on the currency union – he remained steadfast on his party's opposition to Finland guaranteeing the loans and presented the upcoming election as a referendum on the issue. On other economic issues, Kiviniemi continued to insist that spending cuts are not necessary in the following years – a claim repudiated by the other party leaders. Urpilainen and, initially, also Katainen were willing to make cuts on military spending; Soini, however, contested the cut but was instead ready to cut development aid and immigration-related expenses. On 6 April, the television station MTV3 organised a debate for all the incumbent parties represented in the parliament. On the question of Finland's participation in NATO operations in Libya during the 2011 Libyan civil war, Soini, saying "Finland should not be taken into wars," was accompanied by the Left Alliance's leader Paavo Arhinmäki on disagreeing with the other party leaders' stance on supporting Finland's participation. All the opposition parties criticised the government's tax policies which they claimed were aiming towards the establishment of a flat tax. On the question of energy policy, the chairpersons of the NCP, True Finns and SPP were in favour of building more nuclear energy on the grounds of achieving energy self-sufficiency. Jyrki Katainen said that "we need to decide to either import nuclear energy from Russia or produce it ourselves" and Soini pointed out that the steel industry does not get along with mere wind energy,— while the leaders of the other five parties were against it, with some preferring instead to build more renewable energy infrastructure. Anni Sinnemäki of the Green League said that "not all renewable energy is expensive" and Urpilainen insisted that after the summer 2010 decisions to give licences for two nuclear plants, a halt was needed for reconsideration in any decision to further nuclear projects. Stefan Wallin of the SPP was the only party leader willing to force municipalities to take in the refugees allocated to them. On 13 April, MTV3 organised another debate, which featured the same four party chairpersons as the debate by the Finnish Broadcasting Company two weeks earlier; Katainen, Kiviniemi, Urpilainen and Soini. The party leaders reiterated their stances regarding the EU-sponsored Portuguese bailout; Katainen and Kiviniemi were in favour of it, insisting that the bailout is necessary in order to assure the stability of the European economy and thus in the interest of Finland. Urpilainen and Soini were against the bailout, with Urpilainen demanding more responsibility from banks and investors and Soini repeating his stance that the eurozone cannot possibly function properly with countries like Portugal and Greece as members. Soini also criticised the governing parties for using scare tactics in the form of threatening Finns with rising unemployment if the bailout fails to pass. On other issues, Katainen, as he had stated earlier, willing to consider raising the minimum retirement age, while Urpilainen announced that the SDP would not join any coalition that does so. Katainen was the only party leader in favour of Finland's admission to NATO. However, even he said that the admission does not seem possible during the next four years as the majority of Finns are against NATO membership. The second televised debate organised by the Finnish Broadcasting Company on 14 April was the last before the election and it included all the eight parliamentary parties. The economy was a dominant theme of the debate. Jutta Urpilainen reiterated her claim that the incumbent government was furthering the establishment of a flat tax. She also accused the government for advancing the interests of the richest percentage at the expense of the poor people. Jyrki Katainen denied the claims, but the two main governing coalition parties, the NCP and the Centre Party, were the only parties opposed to increasing welfare for the unemployed. Prime Minister Mari Kiviniemi of the Centre Party had previously been quiet on spending cuts, but when pressed on the issue by the debate's moderator she was rather indiscreet on cutting funding for the public sector and the Defence Forces. However, she still insisted that cuts may not be necessary if the economic growth is sufficiently high in the following years. Cuts on defence spending were supported by most parties, but Timo Soini contested this by saying that national security can not depend on economic conjectures. The crisis concerning the breaches against the campaign funding laws during the previous electoral campaign in 2007 was also discussed. Kiviniemi admitted that mistakes had been made. Soini called the mishandling an example of corruption and was glad that it was exposed. Kiviniemi discreetly said to Soini that the press had written about events in Soini's party as well. Soini's reply to this was: "The press? Your people are on trial!" ### Controversies During the night between Sunday 10 and Monday 11 April animal rights activists opposing fur farming systematically sabotaged a large number of the Centre Party's electoral billboards in Helsinki and Turku. The billboards, featuring a portrait of incumbent Prime Minister Kiviniemi, were replaced with similar-looking posters featuring a blood-mouthed Kiviniemi and a text that read "Do you want to close the animals in small cages? – I do as well." Kiviniemi was known for having received support from fur industry. In a comment to the Finnish Broadcasting Company, Secretary of the Centre Party Timo Laaninen condemned the action as "a serious violation of the democratic order that would be met with harsh countermeasures", as volunteers hoped to restore the billboards by the morning of 13 April. In an official statement, Minister of Justice Tuija Brax of the Green League condemned the acts of vandalism as both alarming and illegal and urged citizens to report all vandalism to the authorities so as to allow the parties to replace the boards and bring the culprits to justice. Other parties also joined the Centre Party's concern that election billboards were being repeatedly vandalised, bringing unwelcome expenses especially for the smaller parties. The Centre Party lodged an official complaint against the vandalism with the police. A police investigation has been launched into the incident. Some campaigning by party workers of the True Finns caused controversy over the nature of their actions. Most complaints emanated from the Helsinki region. Jussi Saramo of the Left Alliance in the Uusimaa electoral district said of their actions that "[ever since] I have been involved in politics for 12 years and I have never seen such excesses." This followed an event in Korso in Vantaa where he parked his campaign trailer in a spot the True Finns said was reserved for party chairman Timo Soini. True Finns' candidate Mika Niikko however said those involved in the spat were no longer working for his campaign and he apologised to Saramo despite maintaining his stance that the placement of the trailer was a deliberate provocation: "I do not approve of being provoked when someone tries to provoke;" he also added that the volunteers working for the True Finns campaign come "from here and there" and it was not possible to verify everyone beforehand. He further added a claim that True Finns supporters have also been targets of aggressive behaviour. "A month ago we were not verbally abused, but now you can hear all kinds of language." The Social Democrats' foreign-born candidate Ranbir Sodhi was allegedly confronted by True Finns supporters in the Myyrmäki district of Vantaa who were said to have told him to go back "to his own country" where he could become a politician. A week after the confrontations, however, he said that "the same guys came to Tikkurila to apologise." The National Coalition Party MP Raija Vahasalo also complained that during a campaign event in Kirkkonummi the True Finns handed out leaflets at the same time that claimed she favoured Swedish-speaking residents in allocating local school funding. The action was due to two local members of the True Finns who are not running to become MPs. The chairman of Kirkkonummi True Finns and a candidate in the election Pekka Sinisalo said he confiscated the remainder of the leaflets. "I do not approve of attacking Vahasalo’s person. Election fever sometimes leads to these kinds of excesses." This was controversial as negative campaigning is unusual in Finnish elections. In response to such actions the party secretaries of the largest political parties held a meeting to discuss certain ground rules for the rest of the campaign, however the True Finns' Ossi Sandvik could not make it. ## Opinion polls Taloustutkimus carried out monthly telephone polls on party popularity for the Finnish Broadcasting Company. Since April 2007, the monthly sample size has varied between 2,900–3,900 with a margin of error of about ±1.8%. (Polling does not include Åland as it has its own party system.) However, there were also other less frequent opinion polls. Most notably the True Finns saw a significant rise since the last election, becoming one of the top four parties. According to Taloustutkimus, the True Finns polled 6.4% in January 2010 and 17.2% in March 2011, while all the traditional top-three parties, the National Coalition Party, the Centre Party and the Social Democrats, lost popularity. ## Conduct The election saw a substantial increase in international media coverage. Eighty foreign media representatives from a multitude of countries registered for an event at the Foreign Ministry held during the election weekend as it usually is. The journalists also got to ask questions to the representatives of the various political parties. As the results came in, the Foreign Ministry set up broadcast coverage with interpreters on hand. Notably, most journalists were interested in the True Finns and their background. The following day, the Foreign Ministry invited professor Jan Sundberg of the Department of Political and Economic Studies at the University of Helsinki to lead an analysis of the result. He was asked about the reasons for the True Finns' performance and the commonality with other European populist movements. There was also discussion about the possible composition of a new government and how the different parties could find common ground during talks on government formation. Sundberg said he believed an agreement could be found within the following few weeks. ### Advance voting At the end of the advance voting period, the total number of votes was 1,249,198, or 31.2% of the electorate, with more women voting. In the previous election, 29.2% voted in advance. Significantly, President Tarja Halonen voted during advance voting. However, there were some problems with expatriate voting as the embassy in Germany ran out of ballots on 9 April forcing an extension to 11 April. The expatriate vote was considerably higher than in the previous election, up from 8.6% in 2007 to 15%. The Foreign Ministry said that out of a total of 228,000 expatriates eligible to vote 35,049 cast their ballots at the Finnish diplomatic missions, which was up from 27,399. Advance voting took place in 901 polling stations in the country. Expatriate voting took place between 6 and 9 April at 241 polling stations at embassies and consulates. One national electronic voter list was used for early voting; though for the 17 April poll, voters could only vote at their designated local polling station. The expatriate voter turnout in 91 countries rose by 2.2 % to a record-high 10.7%, with 35,000 people casting their votes. In addition, 400 Finns voted on ships at sea. However, despite the large advance voting, the race was not considered to have ended because the undecided voters, whose impact was termed crucial, were still being targeted during the remaining few days. As parties and candidate issues were already known by most of the electorate, the remaining days were seen as important over "image and force of personality". Jan Sundberg said that "the more crisis [sic] out in the world, the better for the parties in opposition." ## Results Anti-incumbency led to the defeat of 47 incumbent members of parliament, including the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen of the Centre Party and the Minister for Communication Suvi Lindén of the NCP. Among other notable MPs who failed to hold on to their seats were former Minister for Agriculture Juha Korkeaoja of the Centre Party, the vice-chairman of the Centre Party Timo Kaunisto and Marja Tiura of the NCP, who had been elected with the highest number of votes for a female candidate in the 2007 election. The True Finns' Timo Soini got the most individual votes with 43,437, followed by incumbent Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb of the NCP with 41,768. The new parliament has 115 male MPs and 85 female MPs. In Åland, Elisabeth Nauclér was elected to represent the islands for Åland Coalition. In the parliament, Nauclér sits in the same group as the SPP. Result by municipality for the four largest parties: ### Reactions #### Political Domestic The National Coalition Party's leader Jyrki Katainen said of potential government formation talks that "this is a challenging time but it is the politicians' job to solve problems", adding that "we will be fine." Alexander Stubb, the biggest individual winner of the party, said that "it will be very difficult to keep a party with 39 seats out of government." If able to find compromises, he believed the NCP can have the True Finns in the government. He also played down external fears of a government with the True Finns saying that "we Finns are very pragmatic and responsible." He also claimed that "80% of Finns voted in favour of Europe and in favour of bail-outs." Despite the loss of votes the SPP retained their number of seats in parliament. Party chairman Stefan Wallin described the election result as "interesting." Supranational bodies - EU – An unnamed representative of the European Union said that the result "would not affect the bailout for Portugal." A spokesman said that: "There are no changes in plans. Negotiations are underway with Portugal. We're certainly not going to interfere with talks in Finland to form a new government. We're fully confident that member states will honour their commitments." States - Portugal – Former President Mario Soares wrote that Finland had become an "ultra-conservative" country. He also recalled his positive memories of the former Finnish Prime Minister Kalevi Sorsa and, in comparison, called those politicians that now wish to rule Finland "midgets," who he claimed are hostile toward Portugal. - Sweden – Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt congratulated Jyrki Katainen and called the National Coalition Party a sister party of the Swedish Moderate Party. However, Foreign Minister Carl Bildt was concerned that Finland might "turn its back" on both the Nordic countries and Europe, in referring to the True Finns' electoral success. - Jimmie Åkesson of the Sweden Democrats, coming off a surprising electoral result himself, called the result delightful and that his party has such common themes with the True Finns as criticism of the EU and immigration. - UK – Nigel Farage of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) congratulated Timo Soini saying that he had proven the power of the eurosceptic movement (UKIP and the True Finns were both members of the Europe of Freedom and Democracy group in the European Parliament at the moment). #### Economic The euro fell against the US dollar for the two trading days preceding the vote on speculation that a win for the True Finns would hinder the prospects for the Portuguese bailout. Questions were raised whether the fall of the US dollar to a one-year low could be stemmed. The questions were partially answered on the last trading day before the election, when the dollar rose on concern for a shake-up for European confidence as a result of the election which caused bearish traders to cover their open positions. The strong showing by the True Finns and the Social Democrats caused EU leaders to worry that they may not be able to count on Finland's future support for any such bailout measure. Concerns for the euro grew in the run-up to the election and caused worry after the result. Eurozone stock markets were also upset and could be further upset as the bailout talks, expected to be concluded in mid-May, were affected. While there was no expectation that the bailout wound be derailed, "caution" was said to be the "watchword." The London Stock Exchange also considered the result a possible obstruction to the bailout. #### Media Helsingin Sanomat called the result "shocking" and "exceptional," as well terming the result a "protest vote." In an editorial on the day after the election, the newspaper wrote that, as the biggest winner of the election, the True Finns have both the right and the responsibility to go into a coalition government. However, it was uncertain on whether the party can reach a compromise with the National Coalition Party. The international media also interpreted the result as a new government that could cause hurdles to the Portuguese bailout. The Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal wrote that the result of the election might complicate the realisation of the Portuguese bailout. The BBC described the result as "a tremor [that] hit the EU." An article in The Guardian pointed out that: > These electoral successes tap into the the [sic] complex politics of these countries. Viewed from afar, they are all open, successful, externally orientated. Seen from inside, they address a fear that things are not as they were, that a combination of immigration and membership of the European Union poses a challenge to the traditions of the Nordic way of life. In some way the fact that Finland has joined the EU demonstrates that the country is no longer just the small, poor, well-behaved neighbour of the Nordic block. It gave two reasons for the populist surge across Europe: The "movements tap into a deep discontent with the mainstream parties in Europe's political systems. Every funding scandal, every politician found to be corrupt, adds more wind to these parties' sails. The European Union, lacking decisive leadership in times of financial difficulty, is an ideal further focus for this ire;" and that populist appeals rely on having "an enemy to hand. This enemy is anyone coming from the outside – immigrants. Anti-immigrant rhetoric is the only thing in common between the politics of these parties. More mainstream politicians such as David Cameron or Angela Merkel then start to adopt this rhetoric. Add to this the hurt inflicted on Europe's populations due to the financial crisis and stagnant growth, and populists have ready material with which to work." It postulated that a solution could lie with a "traditional approach", which the UK-based paper said was most effectively implemented by the group Hope Not Hate, though it only solved a part of the problem in "exposing the extremes of the populist parties". It added that more mainstream parties on both sides of the political spectrum need to change as well by ensuring high standards of propriety and ethics and by articulating what it termed "positive and optimistic economic and political solutions" rather than what it said was populist rhetoric. ### Analysis Risto Uimonen, an election analyst for the Finnish Broadcasting Company, predicted "the toughest negotiations on government formation since the 1970s", as the three biggest parties have differing stances on many issues. Some analysts said that government formation talks could take weeks or even months due to disparities on such issues as the eurozone bail-outs, taxation, pension reform, foreign aid and immigration. Pasi Saukkonen, a political scientist at the University of Helsinki, made a comparison between similar EU referendums in Denmark and Ireland (following which a similar referendum passed the measure, though it was in turn followed by a similar proposed measure) where the smaller EU member states wielded immense influence; though he said that such controversial matters usually work out in the end. #### Centre Party The party of incumbent Prime Minister Mari Kiviniemi suffered the heaviest defeat in the election. This was also the biggest loss in the party's history and the biggest loss for any party in the country's post-World War II history. The leader of the Centre Party Kiviniemi called the result "catastrophic" for her party and said that the party's immediate future would be in the opposition. The Centre Party's support was highest in the Oulu electoral district with 33.4% of the votes and lowest in the Helsinki electoral district with 4.5%. #### Christian Democrats The Christian Democrats' leader Päivi Räsänen considered the party's loss of one seat relatively small considering what she termed the "political storm" that had swept through Finland during the electoral campaign. Support for the Christian Democrats was highest in the Tavastia electoral district with 6.8% of the votes and lowest in the Lapland electoral district with 1.6% of the votes. #### Green League As a result of the Green League's loss of one third of their MPs, party leader Anni Sinnemäki said on the election evening that "the objectives and values advocated by the party had suffered a clear defeat". She added that the party would sit in the opposition. Sinnemäki was also considering her resignation from the head of the party. In the end, she did run for re-election, but placed only third as the party's members elected Ville Niinistö as the new chairman on 11 June. The Green League's support was highest in the Helsinki electoral district with 16.7% of the votes and lowest in the electoral district of Vaasa with 1.4%. #### Left Alliance Despite the Left Alliance's loss of seats, its chairman Paavo Arhinmäki was still reasonably satisfied with the party's performance in the election, due to his claims that the media had concentrated on the four major parties during the campaign. However, Arhinmäki got the most personal votes in his electoral district of Helsinki. The Left Alliance's support was highest in Lapland with 16.7% of the votes and lowest in Southern Savonia with 2.2%. #### National Coalition Party Despite a loss in support, the NCP became the largest party in the parliament for the first time in its history. The NCP's support was highest in Uusimaa with 28.4% of the votes and lowest in North Karelia with 10.5% of the votes. #### Social Democratic Party Although the SDP's number of seats was lower than ever with the exception of the 1962 election, party leader Jutta Urpilainen was proud of her party finishing second in the election after placing third in the previous election. The SDP's support was highest in North Karelia with 26.4% of the votes and lowest in the electoral district of Oulu with 11% of the votes. #### Swedish People's Party The SPP's support was highest in the Vaasa electoral district with 19.4% of the votes and lowest in the Oulu electoral district with 0.2% of the votes. However, the party was the only one that did not field candidates in all electoral districts. #### True Finns The True Finns gained the highest support in their electoral history; and the rise of 15% was also the largest electoral victory for any party in Finland's post-war history. Their support was highest in Satakunta with 23.6% of the votes and lowest in Helsinki with 13% of the votes. Their rise was said to be because of being a "one-man party" led by Soini's "verbal acuity and political agility" that resulted in the "closest thing to a landslide victory obtainable in Finland's multiparty politics." With the exception of Helsinki, the support for True Finns was spread out evenly across the country. The party enjoyed strongest support in the municipality of Kihniö, where the party received an absolute majority of votes with 53.2%—largely due to Lea Mäkipää who gained 665 votes, nearly 50% of all the votes cast. Four members of Suomen Sisu were elected to the Eduskunta as True Finns MPs (Jussi Halla-aho, Juho Eerola, James Hirvisaari, Olli Immonen). ### By province ## Government formation As the leader of the NCP, the largest party in parliament, Jyrki Katainen was tasked with forming a new coalition government. He said that the result of the election supported a coalition consisting of the three largest parties, i.e. the National Coalition, the Social Democratic Party and the True Finns. The most problematic question was believed to be the EU bailout policy, where the True Finns most differ from the other parties. Formal negotiations on government formation started after 24 April and the Kiviniemi government submitted its resignation on 29 April, starting to serve as a caretaker government until a new one was formed. On 12 May, the True Finns announced that they would withdraw from the government formation negotiations due to the bailout issue. Soini said he would remain true to the True Finns' campaign promises and not compromise the party's core principles. After Soini's announcement, Jyrki Katainen invited the SDP, Green League, SPP and Christian Democrats to negotiate on forming a coalition led by the NCP. On 18 May, Katainen announced that he would invite the Left Alliance to negotiate as well, beginning on 20 May. The Left Alliance's participation had been demanded by the Social Democrats. On 17 June, the six parties came to an agreement on forming a coalition government. The Katainen government had 19 ministers with the portfolios divided with the NCP and the SDP both having six ministers, while the Left Alliance, the Greens and the SPP would each have two ministers and the Christian Democrats would have one. The NCP, SDP, SPP and the Christian Democrats announced their candidates for minister positions on 18 June, while the Left Alliance—with some of its notable members opposing joining the government—confirmed its participation in the government and its candidates for ministerial portfolios on its party council on 19 June. The Green League announced its ministers on 20 June. On 22 June, the parliament elected Katainen as prime minister by a vote of 118–72; two Left Alliance MPs voted against Katainen, for which they were formally reprimanded by the Left Alliance parliamentary group. President Tarja Halonen then formally inaugurated the government at the government palace in Helsinki the same afternoon.

Darla (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Fictional character from Buffy and Angel

Darla is a recurring fictional character created by Joss Whedon and played by Julie Benz in the first, second, and fifth seasons of the American supernatural television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The character later appeared in the Buffy spin-off series Angel, making at least one appearance in every season. She made her last television appearance in 2004, appearing as a special guest star in the fifth and final season of Angel. Darla is introduced in "Welcome to the Hellmouth", the first episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, in 1997. It is revealed early on that she is a vampire, initially in league with the Master, Buffy Summers' primary antagonist in the first season. Darla's backstory is disclosed in the episode "Angel", where it is revealed that she is Angel's sire (the one who turned him into a vampire) and former longtime lover. The character appears in numerous flashback episodes, until she receives a significantly expanded role in Angel. In Angel, she is resurrected by the evil law firm Wolfram & Hart in an attempt to weaken Angel. She later becomes intertwined in many of the story arcs in the second and third season. Darla becomes pregnant, a unique occurrence for a vampire. She sacrifices herself in order to give birth to her and Angel's human son Connor, ending her run on the series. However, Darla continues to appear in flashback episodes during the next two seasons. The character was well-reviewed by television critics, with Eric Goldman of IGN saying "Not even dying (twice!) could keep Darla from being an important part of the story behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the spinoff series Angel." ## Conception and casting Julie Benz originally auditioned for the role of Buffy Summers, but that later went to Sarah Michelle Gellar, who had previously won the part of Cordelia Chase. Benz was offered the small role of the vampire Darla in the pilot episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Her performance was so well-received that her character appeared in a few more episodes. In an interview with TheTVAddict.com, Benz said of her casting: "I was supposed to die in the pilot, but about halfway through the pilot Joss Whedon was like, 'We're giving you a name and we're not going to kill you.' And he did that for a while until it finally came time to kill me, and kill me, and kill me and killed [sic] me." She later went on to say: > For me, I was a new actor to Los Angeles, didn’t know the TV business very well so I was just excited to work and play a vampire. I had no clue what I was going to do or how I was going to be scary. Until that is, they put the vampire makeup on me and I went into the trailer and smiled, which I thought was creepy. Joss always said he was intrigued that someone who looked like me and talked like me was like the scariest vampire ever. That's what he wanted, my sweet voice and demeanour until all of a sudden I'm just this vicious vampire." Darla is first killed in the seventh episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In that episode, it is revealed that Darla was once romantically involved with Angel and that she turned him into a vampire. Angel stakes her through the heart. Benz was asked to return to the role three years later, but not on Buffy. Joss wanted her to appear on the spin-off Angel, which focused on Angel's adventures in Los Angeles. Benz said in an interview: > I was shocked, really. When they sent me the script [for Angel] I kept asking, 'Where's Darla?' I remember calling my agent asking, 'Are you sure they want me for this episode because I can't seem to find me?' And then I get to the last page and there I am... naked in a box. Awesome. It was exciting. When asked in an interview with Robert Canning of IGN about how she felt about being asked to come on to Angel after previously being killed off, Benz commented: > I was shocked. I just thought once you poof'd, you poof'd! I thought that was it. So when they threw it out to me that I was coming back... They didn't tell me they were bringing her back to life. They just sent me the script for the season finale for season one of Angel, when they rose me from the dead. I was reading the script, and half way through, Darla still hadn't shown up. Benz went on to add, > I was like, 'Alright...' I get three quarters of the way through and I think, 'Maybe they sent me the wrong script...?' And then I get to the last page, and I was like, 'Oh my god! I can't believe this! This is so cool!' At that time I'd been committed to another project too. We didn't even know if I was going to be available or not. But it all ended up working out. Darla appears in twenty Angel episodes, as a minor antagonist and later as a love interest of Angel. The character is known for dying the most in the Buffy The Vampire Slayer franchise. Benz later emphasized: > I just didn't know how it was going to happen. So when they sent me the script [for my last episode of Angel]—which I basically had to sign my life away to read—I was sitting in my trailer and I just started to cry. I thought it was such a beautiful ending, it was the payoff and just really brought her whole life kind of to that one moment. So I was really upset my last day of filming because I really thought it was over to me. ## Characterization Darla is presented in the series both as a human and as a vampire with, as Benz put it, generally "pure" intentions. In an interview with TheTVAddict, Benz said: > Darla's just misunderstood. Her intentions are pure, they're just kind of warped. From her perspective—first she has to eat—she just happens to eat people! Second, she was in love with Angel, and I always viewed Darla as the jilted ex-wife that could never get over being dumped. If you really look at her, you can have sympathy and empathy for her. In the beginning of her life she was a prostitute, Joss and I actually talked about that a lot, that she was probably abused growing up. She did what she needed to do to survive, she just lacked the people skills. Achieving Darla's look was a struggle for Benz. She said: "Taking that makeup off, it was like having six layers of skin ripped off your face every time. It was miserable and the contact lenses were terrible. I don’t wear contacts and I don’t know how people do it, sticking things in their eyeballs all the time." The character's sense of fashion is vital to understanding her past. Benz says Darla is "dressed to the nines" in every time period in which she lives, and "she fully goes after a certain look. If she’s going to be living during the Boxer Rebellion time, she’s got the big Gibson Girl hair style and the beautiful kimono-style clothes." Benz points out that in the Buffy pilot episode, Darla—attempting to dress like a high school student—exaggerates it with a "little twist", wearing a Catholic schoolgirl uniform instead. "I think I influenced Darla fashion-wise in the second season of Angel where she was a little more classic-looking and tailored," Benz says, explaining she collaborated with the costume designer to transition Darla into a "hipper look" when she became a vampire again. Darla shockingly becomes pregnant in the third season of Angel. In an interview with the BBC, Benz admitted: > Yeah, I really felt at that point she was pretty strung out. Her whole world was rocked. She never thought she could get pregnant and then all of a sudden she's carrying this child and she's experiencing this soul for the first time in four hundred years. [There's] the realisation that as soon as the baby's born the soul's going to go away, and it's the first time she really experienced true love, so she was going through a lot emotionally. I just didn't think that she would have time to really think about how she looked. I don't think it was a priority, and so for me as an actor it was important that I reveal that. Not get caught up in my own vanity as an actress, and portray the character as where she really was. In an interview with the BBC, Benz described Darla as strong: "I have an amazing stunt double, Lisa Hoyle who looks exactly like me. She’s just brilliant and fearless and she does about 90 per cent of the stunts. I think part of the element of Darla is how strong she is and how fierce she can be and Lisa definitely adds to that element. I would be a doing huge disservice to Darla if I didn’t allow her to do the work that she does and to help add to that element that’s so important to Darla, which is her strength." ## Storylines Darla is born in the late 16th century in the British Isles. Her birth name is never revealed in either series, and Darla herself eventually forgets it. As a young prostitute, she emigrates to the Virginia Colony in North America and becomes independently wealthy but also contracts a fatal case of syphilis. By 1609, Darla lies dying in the luxurious house she owns. She scoffs at a "priest" who comes to her deathbed before he reveals his true identity: The Master, a very old and powerful vampire and the leader of an elite cult of vampires known as the Order of Aurelius. Darla despises the clergy and religion, a trait that follows her as a vampire. The Master turns her into a vampire and renames her "Darla", meaning "dear one" in early modern English ("darling"). Darla spends four centuries killing civilians, often accompanied by Angel (until his soul is restored), before appearing in Sunnydale. Her first appearance is in "Welcome to the Hellmouth", the first episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which aired in 1997. She breaks into Sunnydale High School with a student who goes there. Darla first toys with the youth, then her face morphs into that of a vampire and she bites the boy. Darla later appears in the episode "The Harvest", where she participates in the attempted ascension of the Master. Darla's role in the series is more prominent in the episode "Angel", where it is revealed that she is Angel's sire and former lover. Darla bites an unsuspecting Joyce Summers (Buffy's mother), making it look as if Angel did it. She then attempts to shoot Buffy but Angel intervenes and stakes Darla. She later appears in numerous flashbacks, illuminating her involvement not only with Angel, but also with Spike. Darla's role in the franchise increased dramatically after her resurrection by the law firm Wolfram & Hart in the final episode of Angel's first season, titled "To Shanshu in L.A." In the second season opener, "Judgement", Wolfram & Hart lawyers Lindsey McDonald and Lilah Morgan question Darla about her past. She talks of how she can feel Angel, and slowly her memory begins to return. In the episode "First Impressions", Angel begins having romantic dreams about his maker, which sap his strength. In "Dear Boy", Angel is shocked to see Darla walking the streets. When he tells his partners, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce and Cordelia Chase, they think he is starting to lose his sanity. During the course of a stakeout by Angel Investigations of a woman suspected of having an affair, Angel confronts the woman, who looks exactly like Darla. She claims she is DeEtta Kramer. When she runs away from him, she walks outside into the sunlight, meaning Darla has not only been resurrected, but is now human. However, Darla and Lindsey's plan to convert Angel back to evil fails. In the end, Wolfram & Hart bring in Drusilla to make Darla a vampire again after her syphilis returns and she starts to die. Ironically, she is turned back into a vampire as she accepts her fate after a failed attempt by Angel to save her. Drusilla and Darla unsuccessfully attack Angel and leave Los Angeles. Knowing that Angel has been cursed so that if he ever experiences pure happiness, he will once again lose his soul, Darla later returns and sleeps with him, but her plot fails; being with her only brings Angel despair, as well as providing him with a new understanding of his role as a champion. Their one-night stand leads to an unexpected development for the both of them: Darla reappears in season three, pregnant with Angel's child, despite the fact that vampires cannot normally conceive. Her pregnancy allows Darla to experience emotions that had previously been lost to her in the presence of the human soul of her unborn child. Admitting that creating life with Angel was the only good thing they ever did together, Darla makes sure Angel will relay that to their child before she stakes herself through the heart, sacrificing her life so their son, Connor, can be born. Darla turns to dust, but the baby remains. Darla later appears as a spirit, trying to persuade her son in an effort to save him from the renegade deity Jasmine's manipulations, as the latter's actions are bringing Connor into the same path both Darla and Angel had taken. ## Reception The character of Darla was well-received by Eric Goldman of IGN. He said: "As the very first character seen on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Julie Benz instantly made an impression as the vampiress Darla. For the next 8 television seasons, she would get to show many different facets of the role, as not even dying (twice!) could keep Darla from being an important part of the story and mythos behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the spinoff series Angel, the latter of which allowed Benz to greatly expand her character." ## Appearances Darla has 31 canonical appearances in the Buffyverse. ### Television Julia Benz guest starred as Darla in 25 episodes. Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Season 1 (1997): Welcome to the Hellmouth, The Harvest, Angel - Season 2 (1998): Becoming, Part 1 - Season 5 (2000): Fool for Love Angel - Season 1 (2000): The Prodigal, Five by Five, To Shanshu in L.A. - Season 2 (2000–01): Judgment, First Impressions, Untouched, Dear Boy, Darla, The Trial, Reunion, Redefinition, Reprise, Epiphany - Season 3 (2001): Heartthrob, That Vision Thing, Offspring, Quickening, Lullaby - Season 4 (2003): Inside Out - Season 5 (2004): The Girl in Question ### Comics Darla appears in 6 canonical issues. Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Season 10 (2015): Relationship Status: Complicated, Part 1 Angel - Season 9 (2012): Daddy Issues, Part 2 - Season 11 (2017): Time and Tide, Parts 1, 3 & 4, Dark Reflections, Part 1

El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron

is a 2011 action video game developed by Ignition Tokyo and published by UTV Ignition Games for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It saw later releases on Windows, and an upcoming version for Nintendo Switch. The storyline, based on the apocryphal Book of Enoch, follows the immortal scribe Enoch as he is sent by God to find seven fallen angels and save humanity from a great flood triggered by the Council of Heaven. Gameplay has Enoch platforming through 2D and 3D levels which vary in presentation and art style, with hack and slash combat using weapons stolen from enemies. Production began in 2007, and included several former members of Capcom's Clover Studio. After being contacted about the project idea, director and character designer Sawaki Takeyasu was given extensive creative freedom, contributing to the simplified game design and focus on art and music. The storyline, based around the theme of self-sacrifice, was described by Takeyasu as being "half-finished" due to production problems. The music was co-composed by Masato Kouda and Kento Hasegawa, with members of music production company Imagine contributing to arrangements. Announced in May 2010, El Shaddai received an extensive promotional campaign. Journalists praised its art design and music, but the game saw low sales. The game was Ignition Tokyo's only product, as it was closed in 2011 shortly before its release, and planned sequels were abandoned. Takeyasu supervised further El Shaddai-related media, going on to purchase the intellectual property in 2013 and developing a follow-up called The Lost Child. ## Gameplay El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron is a single-player action video game in which players take control of the immortal scribe Enoch through eleven levels; the gameplay combines elements of platforming and hack and slash-based combat. Each of the levels uses a different artistic style and camera position, with levels alternating between 3D and 2D presentation. One level includes a driving sequence on a motorbike. During exploration and combat Enoch can jump, attack, block long and short-ranged attacks, and dodge. In combat, Enoch fights standard enemies and bosses in arenas, initially with his bare fists and then with three weapon types stolen from enemies. the weapons are the sword-like Arch, the long-range Gale, and the heavy-hitting Veil which also acts as a shield; each is strong or weak against another weapon. When in combat, Enoch's attacks are mapped to one button, with the frequency and timing of presses determining the type of attack; repeated presses launches a combination attack, which holding the button can trigger alternate strong attacks. Weapons must be periodically purified to recharge them as they lose attack power when used for a period of time. Enoch can also parry attacks or break an enemy's blocking stance with the right timing, allowing for counterattacks. During some later fights Enoch can trigger Overboost, which increases Enoch's attack power and unlocks unique skills. Levels house secret areas and collectables alongside items which aid the player. These items are Lights of Blessing which restore Enoch's armor, Flames of Power which can be used to increase the Overboost level, and Fruits of Wisdom which give access to weapons. El Shaddai does not use a traditional HUD on its initial playthrough, with information being displayed through the in-game environment; damage to Enoch and enemies are shown through their armour, graphic displays show an enemy's status, the character Lucifel appears in the environment and saves the player's progress, and Enoch's weapons display their condition through color. In most scenarios when Enoch is knocked out, the player can revive by rapidly pressing face buttons, with the window of recovery lessening as the game progresses. If Enoch falls during a platforming section, he is reset to an earlier safe location to try again. ## Synopsis Semyaza, a former member of the Council of Heaven, steals pieces of God's wisdom and descends to Earth due to his love of humans. Alongside Azazel, Ezekiel, Armaros, Sariel, Arakiel and Baraqel−referred to as the Grigori−they accelerate human evolution and produce human-Grigori hybrids called Nephilim which threaten to destroy the world. Enoch, originally brought to Heaven as a scribe, is sent to Earth by God to recover the Grigori before Council of Heaven triggers a great flood to wipe out all life. After three centuries of searching, accompanied by the guardian angel Lucifel and four Archangels, Enoch discovers the Grigori's Tower in an isolated spacial realm. As he navigates the Tower and fights its enthralled inhabitants, he learns through notes left by allied human Freemen and statements from the Grigori that an entity of Darkness called Belial tempted the Grigori with power in exchange for the souls of humans who die in the Tower. Enoch ends up meeting a human Freeman girl called Nanna and her passive Nephilim companion Neph, then defeats Sariel and learns that Nephilim die when their parent Grigori is defeated. It is revealed that Baraqel was devoured by one of his Nephilim when it went berserk, and Arakiel died during the Grigori's descent. During his fight with Armaros, Belial tricks Enoch into the Darkness by kidnapping Nanna. Armaros, who considered himself Enoch's friend before coming to Earth, sacrifices himself to the Darkness to retrieve Enoch and Nanna, the latter absorbing the spirit of legendary Freeman warrior Ishtar. While Enoch's soul recovers, the surviving Grigori massacre the Freemen, and a despairing Nanna embraces Ishtar's power and fights the Grigori as the Darkness begins corrupting her. A revived Enoch defeats Ezekiel, which kills her Nephilim children including Neph. On the top floor, Enoch defeats Azazel, who is then killed by Belial and replaced by the corrupted Armaros. Enoch defeats Armaros and purifies Nanna, the two discovering that Semyaza has already died. Lucifel then teleports Nanna away, and a final narration from the Archangels reveals Enoch's actions ended the Tower's influence and persuaded the Council of Elders to halt the flood. A post-credits scene shows Armoros's passive Nephilim swimming in the ocean, hinting that Armoros is still alive. ## Development The concept for El Shaddai emerged at UTV Ignition Games, a video game developer and publisher. Then-CEO Vijay Chadha was a fan of Sawaki Takeyasu, an artist known for his work at Capcom on Devil May Cry (2001) and Ōkami (2005). Following Ōkami, Takeyasu went into freelance development through his studio Crim. In 2006, after hearing Takeyasu had gone independent, Chadha visited him in Japan and persuaded him to create a new action game with Takeyasu's art style. This coincided with UTV Ignition's UK offices pitching a new game intellectual property (IP) which would be based on the apocryphal Book of Enoch. After accepting the project, Takeyasu was given great creative freedom. The game successfully pitched to UTV Ignition's Indian office, which provided funding, using a movie Takeyasu put together with help from CGI production company Shirogumi. Development was handled by Ignition Tokyo, a studio founded in late 2007 as part of UTV Ignition's in-house development plan; El Shaddai was the only project completed by the studio before it was closed down in March 2011 due to restructuring within UTV Ignition following poor financial performances. Initially Takeyasu was only handling character and world design, but his in-depth position caused him to be appointed director. Masato Kimura and UTV Ignition's Kashow Oda were co-producers. Several staff members were veterans of the then-defunct Clover Studio, with further additions from Square Enix and Sony Computer Entertainment. The lead designer was Yusuke Nakagawa. Katsuya Nakamura acted as lead programmer. A large number of the team members were first-time developers, prompting an early focus on studio structure to ensure easy development. Full production began in 2007 and lasted three years; initially only having four staff members including Takeyasu and Kimura, the team expanded to 100 people internally, and a total of between 120 and 130 including freelance developers. The game was completed and going through final quality assurance and submission by December 2010. At some point during the game's production, racing game developer Genki, or a former employee of the studio, famous for the tuning car racing game series Shutoko Battle, assisted Ignition in the development of the unique motorcycle action sequence in Chapter 6: Azazel's Zeal, according to Takeyasu. Full production wrapped in March 2011. Takeyasu later stated the budget was around ¥2 billion. The game was made for both PlayStation 3 (PS3) and Xbox 360 (360), with Takeyasu not wanting the game to release until the consoles were well established in the market. Development was smooth until Ignition's later financial troubles forced the team to finish the game ahead of schedule, releasing it without having additional time for balancing and bug fixes. Takeyasu wanted the game to be a balance between the traditional design of Devil May Cry and the artistic focus of Ōkami. The goal was a mythology-based action game similar to the God of War series. While this concept was established early, the gameplay design was not fully settled upon until late into development. The design aim was to create a game where story, art and music was the central element. As games at the time were moving towards more realistic graphics and complex control schemes, Takeyasu took the opposite approach for El Shaddai. The game alternated between 3D and 2D levels to add variety. Takeyaso, after noting companies other than Nintendo were not producing platformers, incorporated extensive platforming into El Shaddai. Speaking about the simplified controls, Takeyasu compared their functionality to both rhythm and fighting games due to the emphasis on timing. There was also no traditional UI or HUD, with it instead being integrated into the world to promote player immersion. The jumping was given depth through the role of weapons, but this freedom increased the bug testing load. The weapon mechanics were implemented by Takeyasu after receiving complaints from other staff members that they could not design the gameplay around the simplified controls. The need to release early meant the team could not add more level-based gimmicks such as building stairways and breaking a sequence of walls to progress. To allow for maximum trial and error within development time, it was decided to licence different middleware. Five different middlewares were used to take pressure off of the studio staff, a rarity in Japanese development at the time. After testing different game engines, the team settled on Gamebryo as they felt it would work with their design needs. While Unreal Engine was considered, there was little support for it in Japan and thus a lack of information on its use. It also lacked features which could implement the desired art style. The animation was handled by the Morpheme middleware program, with added functions created with help from its developer NaturalMotion. Using Morpheme, the team created character animations that would be stylised and flow naturally into each other without losing all realism. Additionally the team used Autodesk's Scaleform GFx for the menu and text displays, Nvidia's PhysX for the in-game physics, and CRI Middleware's CRI Movie software for video playback. To achieve the levels' real-time visual changes, multiple custom shaders were used which shifted the game's art and lighting based on camera and player position. The shaders were created by programmer Tsuyoshi Okugawa based on Hori's designs. Okugawa called the debugging "dirty and difficult" due to the interacting shaders. ### Scenario and art design The storyline drew direct inspiration from the "Book of Watchers", described as a "key part" of the Book of Enoch. As part of his research, Takeyasu read both the Book of Enoch, and writings based around Enoch and Lucifel, finding the latter to be "boring" in their approach. He also found the Book of Enoch difficult to read in some places, so instead of adapting it directly, the team used it as a base for a fantastical story, which Takeyasu was not concerned about given the story's age. During its prototyping phase in 2007, the game was titled Angelic. While Takeyasu liked the title, a trademark search revealed a similarly-titled series owned by Koei Tecmo. The final title "El Shaddai", which is commonly translated as "God Almighty", was suggested by UK Ignition staff as a reference to the religious subject matter. The subtitle, also proposed by Ignition staff, had no definite meaning. Takeyasu created the overall story, while the script was written by Yasushi Ohtake. Takeyasu described the theme as self-sacrifice, which is portrayed as a quality inherent to humans. When creating the story, Takeyasu planned out a larger nine chapter narrative of which El Shaddai was the fourth chapter, with other events being hinted at or partially shown in-game. Takeyasu further planned a second and third game based on the established game engine and scenario. The narrative was ultimately left "half-finished" due to the studio's closure. To create a suitable connection to the player, Enoch was made a silent protagonist. Lucifel was intended as an enigmatic character who would still be sympathetic, with his ability to manipulate time allowing for a saving and loading mechanic without obvious in-game displays. Takeyasu later stated some of his own personality ended up being incorporated into Lucifel. The two leads were presented as appearing in their late 20s to early 30s, consciously avoiding the Japanese stereotype of the adolescent hero character. An early scrapped idea was for El Shaddai to have a female protagonist. When deciding on the visual theme, Takeyasu based it around Lucifel's ability to travel to any era, allowing anachronistic elements to appear in both the characters and visuals. Initially aiming for a Medieval theme, the final setting ended up as "a sense of statelessness and a sense of timelessness", blending in fantasy and science fiction elements. This approach was partially inspired by the story of the Tower of Babel. He also wanted a visual design that would always be changing. Each of the zones drew inspiration from the Grigori's obsessions. Takeyasu asked the game's art director Soutarou Hori to create a "unique" art style for the environments. Starting from a base of traditional religious imagery, Hori created a piece of art combining that with a style of simple contrasting colors inspired by iPad advertisements. The final style grew from this, removing game-focused information to focus on the art, which used contrasting and frequent changes of art style. According to Takeyasu, around 70% of the visuals remained unchanged during development. Shirogumi animated both CGI and real-time cutscenes. Takeyasu created the designs for Enoch, Lucifel and the Nephilim at around the same time, basing them on the visual theme of a timeless realm. Enoch's design took the longest to finalise, with his armor taking inspiration from tokusatsu and mecha armour designs. He started from a concept of what Ōkami protagonist Amaterasu would look like as a human. His design was inspired by Enoch's presentation as a simple and honest man in the original text, with his armour meant to be otherworldly without being flashy. The armor was also a reference to Enoch's eventual form as the angel Metatron. Takeyasu included a pair of jeans in the design as he liked jeans. Lucifel was the first character Takeyasu designed, and stayed generally unchanged during development. His human appearance, which Takeyasu feared would have him mistaken for a villain, informed the non-human designs of the Grigori. Enoch and Lucifel were designed to contrast each other in appearance, representing the stylistic extremes of the West (Enoch) and Japan (Luficel). Takeyasu also avoided sexualized design stereotypes for the female characters. The Nephilim's unconventional design was directly based on their vague description within the Book of Enoch and role as the supposed origin of monsters, moving away from their traditional portrayal as humanoid giants. He also played against expectations by not making the Grigori conventionally beautiful and young. Each of the bosses was designed around the personalities of the Grigori. ### Audio During the early stages of development, Takeyasu wanted the game voiced only in English, but Japanese voice acting was included to appeal to the domestic audience; to compensate, the Japanese cast was chosen based on their voices sounding "foreign" over anything else. Enoch and Lucifel are respectively voiced by Shin-ichiro Miki and Ryōta Takeuchi, while Nana was voiced by Emiri Katō as a child and Yuka Naka as an adult. The English voice cast included actors who had been featured in films, television and video games. These included Blake Ritson as Enoch, Jason Isaacs as Lucifel, and Samantha Francis as Nanna. The English voice acting was recorded in Britain, with Ignition making an effort to move away from the poorly-received voice acting of their earlier titles including Arc Rise Fantasia. The game's audio and music were handled by studio Design Wave. The music was co-composed and arranged by Masato Kouda and Kento Hasegawa, the audio director was Atsushi Mori, while Yuuki Toujinbara was sound designer. Further arrangements were handled by Imagine Music's Akifumi Tada, Hayato Matsuo, Shirō Hamaguchi, Kazuhiko Sawaguchi, and Keiji Inai. For his instructions on the score, Takeyasu used African music as a reference. The musical inspiration as a whole was taken from the game's visual design. As with his earlier work, Kouda translated the dominant color of the game into its musical equivalent and used that as the foundation for the score. For El Shaddai, its dominant color white translated into C Major, with the music being written in that key. The religious subject matter prompted the use of an organ and choir as the dominant instruments. Kouda made a conscious effort not to emulate Gregorian chants, which were commonly associated with religious elements, with the final wide range of songs composed to match the game's many environments. Music for the Nephilim stages was made "cute" with additional elements. During the later development issues when the game content was being changed rapidly, there was friction between Takeyasu and Hasegawa that Kouda had to mediate. The main theme, composed by Kouda and incorporating both orchestra and chorus, took six months to compose and finalise. The choral work was performed by the Eminence Symphonic Choir, which recorded their sections over Skype with the music studio in Japan. An English-speaking choir was chosen to lend a specific sound to the lyric pronunciation. The in-game lyrics, while modelled roughly on Latin, were not a real language. Takeyasu wanted a fictional language to fit the game's tone, so asked Kouda and the chorus to create it. Lyrics in either English or Japanese were rejected as they would clash with the game's atmosphere. ## Release El Shaddai was announced in May 2010 through an issue of Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu. Its release in North America and Europe the following month. The pitch movie was shown as a trailer at the 2010 Tokyo Game Show. The game saw an unexpected surge in popularity due to its art style, subject matter, and characters. One line from the trailer, with Lucifel asking if Enoch has enough armour, quickly became an internet meme. Both Takeyasu and Ignition's Shane Bettenhausen was pleased with the reaction, as Ignition was a small publisher in Japan and El Shaddai was a new IP which was becoming more difficult to launch and make successful. A demo was released in Japan on April 14, 2011. The game released in Japan on April 28. UTV Ignition distributed the different versions in partnership with Sony and Microsoft respectively in the region. The 360 version was reissued on May 17, 2012 as part of the "Xbox Encore" line. In North America, the game was released on August 16, 2011. In Europe and Australia, it released respective on September 8 and 15. Konami acted as distributor in PAL territories. To promote the title, UTV Ignition launched an extensive marketing and promotional campaign for the title, with UTV Ignition locking a minimum guarantee of \$10 million revenue and seeking out collaborative rights and exploring a potential film adaptation. According to Bettenhausen, El Shaddai was being planned as a brand, with potential spin-off titles on other platforms. The promotional collaborations included clothing brand Edwin creating jeans modelled on Enoch and Luficel's own, and Bandai also produced several figurines. A soundtrack album was published by Square Enix on April 27, 2011. Virtua Fighter 5 included themed costumes and titles to promote the title. With support from former Ignition staff member Kazuhiro Takeshita, who was determined to preserve the IP following Ignition Tokyo's closure, Takeyasu and his company Crim successfully purchased the El Shaddai IP in 2013. Crim ported the game to Windows and released it worldwide through Steam on September 2, 2021. The release came packaged with a post-game novel focusing on Lucifel, and a digital artbook and soundtrack were released alongside it. A version was published by Crim for the Amazon Luna cloud platform on August 3, 2022. A Nintendo Switch port was announced in April 2022. The Switch port is being co-developed by Aqualead, and was stated to be in a playable state in August 2022. As part of the game's marketing and his later expansions upon the world and mythology, Takeyasu created and supervised multimedia projects including a manga prequel, a number of novels and short stories following related characters such as the Grigori, mobile spin-off games, and art exhibitions portraying the characters and setting. After acquiring the El Shaddai IP, Takeyasu created a concept dubbed the "Mythical Concept"; inspired by the Cthulhu Mythos, it was based around stories drawing inspiration from world mythology and tying into each other in loose ways to which people could contribute with original art and media projects. A game based on the Mythical Concept, The Lost Child, was developed by Crim and released on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita. ## Reception Both the PS3 and 360 versions saw "generally favourable" reviews, receiving scores of 78 and 75 out of 100 on review aggregator website Metacritic, based on 46 and 44 reviews respectively. The Windows release earned a score of 71 out of 100 based on 12 reviews. Reception was generally positive, with critics often focusing praise on its visuals, and the variety of its gameplay and level design. Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu praised the "mysterious" story and characters, while Keza MacDonald of Eurogamer felt having "absolutely no idea what's going on" added to the game's attraction. Tom McShae of GameSpot felt players would have trouble understanding the story, a sentiment echoed by GameTrailers. Andrew Fitch, writing for Electronic Gaming Monthly, was surprised at the game's faithfullness to the original text, and praised Ignition's localization as an improvement over earlier titles. Game Informer's Andrew Reiner was likewise positive about the English voice acting. Edge Magazine felt it would be best for players to ignore the story due to its fragmented and confusing presentation. PALGN's Jarrod Mawson was unimpressed by the story overall despite a strong prologue, while IGN's Colin Moriarty was generally negative beyond the premise. Famitsu enjoyed the combat system, though some reviewers noted difficulty with the 2D platforming sections. Fitch found the gameplay generally enjoyable and praised the variety of level presentation. MacDonald noted the wide variety of gameplay settings, finding herself disoriented at times and always enjoying the experience. Edge enjoyed both the combat, and the platforming sections as enjoyable and challenging. Reiner "wholeheartedly loved" the title, praising the combat as having hidden depth and replay value. GameTrailers positively noted the variety of gameplay scenarios keeping El Shaddai from going stale. McShae was surprised by the combat's depth, citing it as one of the game's strong points, but faulted the camera control during 3D platforming sections. JC Fletcher of Joystiq cited the gameplay as a fresh take on the genre despite some issues with platforming and the camera, while Mawson felt the combat lacked variety and evolution to sustain the entire experience. In an import review, Daniel Feit of Play Magazine noted a lack of effective communication to the player during combat, worsened in places by the camera behavior. Jose Otero of 1Up.com enjoyed the gameplay up to a point, but similarly noted a lack of explanation might leave players at a disadvantage. Moriarty disliked the gameplay, finding the combat shallow and repetitive. Other reviewers also shared this criticism. Famitsu praised the variety and design of the graphics and designs, and Edge said they added to the overall feel of the gameplay. Reiner positively compared the game's graphics to moving museum pieces, and GameTrailers found the visual variety engaging if sometimes overwhelming. MacDonald lauded the varied visual design, but noted the 3D platforming sections suffered from the in-game graphics. McShae mirrored MacDonald's praise, calling the game "an absolute pleasure to stare at". Fitch enjoyed the visual variety, but felt it sometimes intruded upon the gameplay. Fletcher felt the graphics were best shown off with the different areas within the Grigori's tower. Mawson cited the graphics as the main appeal of the game. Feit lauded the visual design, positively noting the lack of a traditional UI and feeling that the visual design made up for some of the gameplay problems. The graphics were one of the few elements given full praise by Moriarty, though he faulted the lack of a HUD. The music also met with general praise. ### Sales and awards During its first week on sale in Japan, both versions of El Shaddai were among the top fifteen best-selling games, with the PS3 version reaching third place with sales of over 58,000 copies. By the end of 2011, the PS3 version had sold over 75,200 units, while the 360 version sold over 12,000. El Shaddai failed to enter the top 40 all-platforms sales chart, which it reached \#27 and \#37 in the PS3 and 360 charts respectively. It was noted that Ignition's later layoffs were due to a number of commercial failures. During its exhibition at the 2010 Tokyo Game Show, El Shaddai was among the titles given the "Future Game" award. During its 2011 ceremony, National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers nominated the game in the "Art Direction, Fantasy", "Control Design, 3D" and "Original Dramatic Score, New IP" categories. At the 2012 Game Developers Choice Awards, the game was nominated in the "Best Visual Arts".

SM UB-7

German Type UB I-class submarine

SM UB-7 was a German Type UB I submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (German: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. She disappeared in the Black Sea in September 1916. UB-7 was ordered in October 1914 and was laid down at the AG Weser shipyard in Bremen in November. UB-7 was a little over 28 metres (92 ft) in length and displaced between 127 and 141 tonnes (125 and 139 long tons), depending on whether surfaced or submerged. She carried two torpedoes for her two bow torpedo tubes and was also armed with a deck-mounted machine gun. UB-7 was originally one of a pair of UB I boats sent to the Austro-Hungarian Navy to replace an Austrian pair to be sent to the Dardanelles, and was broken into sections and shipped by rail to Pola in March 1915 for reassembly. She was launched in April and commissioned as SM UB-7 in the German Imperial Navy in May when the Austrians opted out of the agreement. Although briefly a part of the Pola Flotilla at commissioning, UB-7 spent the majority of her career patrolling the Black Sea as part of the Constantinople Flotilla. The U-boat sank one ship of 6,011 GRT in September 1915. In October, she helped repel a Russian bombardment of Bulgaria. She was considered for transfer to the Bulgarian Navy, but disappeared in late September 1916 before a transfer could take place. Her fate is officially unknown, but sources report that may have struck a mine or been sunk by a Russian airplane. ## Design and construction After the German Army's rapid advance along the North Sea coast in the earliest stages of World War I, the German Imperial Navy found itself without suitable submarines that could be operated in the narrow and shallow seas off Flanders. Project 34, a design effort begun in mid-August 1914, produced the Type UB I design: a small submarine that could be shipped by rail to a port of operations and quickly assembled. Constrained by railroad size limitations, the UB I design called for a boat about 28 metres (92 ft) long and displacing about 125 tonnes (123 long tons) with two torpedo tubes. UB-7 was part of the initial allotment of eight submarines—numbered UB-1 to UB-8—ordered on 15 October from Germaniawerft of Kiel, just shy of two months after planning for the class began. UB-7 was laid down by Germaniawerft in Kiel on 30 November. As built, UB-7 was 28.10 metres (92 ft 2 in) long, 3.15 metres (10 ft 4 in) abeam, and had a draft of 3.03 metres (9 ft 11 in). She had a single 59-brake-horsepower (44 kW) Daimler 4-cylinder diesel engine for surface travel, and a single 119-shaft-horsepower (89 kW) Siemens-Schuckert electric motor for underwater travel, both attached to a single propeller shaft. Her top speeds were 6.47 knots (11.98 km/h; 7.45 mph), surfaced, and 5.51 knots (10.20 km/h; 6.34 mph), submerged. At more moderate speeds, she could sail up to 1,650 nautical miles (3,060 km; 1,900 mi) on the surface before refueling, and up to 45 nautical miles (83 km; 52 mi) submerged before recharging her batteries. Like all boats of the class, UB-7 was rated to a diving depth of 50 metres (160 ft), and could completely submerge in 33 seconds. UB-7 was armed with two 45-centimeter (17.7 in) torpedoes in two bow torpedo tubes. She was also outfitted for a single 8-millimeter (0.31 in) machine gun on deck. UB-7's standard complement consisted of one officer and thirteen enlisted men. While UB-7's construction neared completion in early March 1915, Enver Pasha and other Turkish leaders were pleading with their German and Austro-Hungarian allies to send submarines to the Dardanelles to help attack the British and French fleet pounding Turkish positions. The Germans induced the Austro-Hungarian Navy (German: Kaiserliche und Königliche Kriegsmarine or K.u.K. Kriegsmarine) to send two boats—its own Germaniawerft-built boats U-3 and U-4—with the promise of UB-7 and UB-8 as replacements. When work on UB-7 and UB-8 was complete at the Germaniwerft yard, they were both readied for rail shipment. The process of shipping a UB I boat involved breaking the submarine down into what was essentially a knock down kit. Each boat was broken into approximately fifteen pieces and loaded onto eight railway flatcars. The boats were ready for shipment to the main Austrian naval base at Pola on 15 March, despite the fact that the Austrian pair was still not ready. German engineers and technicians that accompanied the German boats to Pola worked under the supervision of Kapitänleutnant Hans Adam, head of the newly created U-boat special command (German: Sonderkommando). Typically, the UB I assembly process took about two to three weeks, and, accordingly, UB-7 was launched at Pola sometime in April. ## Career During her trials, UB-7 developed a leak which took some time to repair. In the meantime, she was assigned the Austrian number of U-7 and an Austrian commander. Her German crew at Pola—since it was still the intent for UB-7 to be transferred to the K.u.K. Kriegsmarine—wore either civilian clothes or Austrian uniforms. As time dragged on, the Austrian U-3 and U-4 were still not ready, and eventually Admiral Anton Haus, the head of the Austrian Navy, reneged on his commitment because of the overt hostility from neighbor and former ally Italy. With the change of heart from the Austrians, Germany resolved to retain UB-7 and send her to the aid of the Turks. So, upon completion of her leak repairs, the boat was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy as SM UB-7 on 6 May under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Wilhelm Werner, a 26-year-old native of Apolda. At commissioning, the boat temporarily joined the Pola Flotilla (German: Deutsche U-Halbflotille Pola). Because of her limited range, UB-7 would not have been able to make the entire journey to Turkey, so on the night on 15/16 May, she was towed by the Austrian destroyer SMS Triglav through the Straits of Otranto and into the Ionian Sea. By June, UB-7 had reached Smyrna—not having any success on her journey there—and joined U-21 and UB-8 in the Constantinople Flotilla (German: U-boote der Mittelmeer division in Konstantinopel). Once there, UB-7 was ineffective because she was hampered by her limited torpedo supply and her weak engines, which made negotiating the strong Dardanelles currents nearly impossible. Because of this, UB-7 was sent to patrol in the Black Sea in July, cruising without success from the 5th to the 22nd. In September 1915, UB-7 and UB-8 were sent to Varna, Bulgaria, and from there, to patrol off the Russian Black Sea coast. On 18 September, UB-7 torpedoed and sank the British steamer Patagonia about 10.5 nautical miles (19.4 km; 12.1 mi) from Odessa. The cargo ship, of 6,011 gross register tons (GRT), was the only ship credited to UB-7, and the only one sunk by any of the Constantinople Flotilla in the month. Because Bulgaria had joined the Central Powers, battleships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, and aircraft from the seaplane carriers Almaz and Imperator Nikolai I began attacks on Varna and the Bulgarian coast on 25 October. UB-7 and UB-8, both based out of Varna by this time, sortied to disrupt the bombardment. Off Varna on the 27th, UB-7 got in position to fire a torpedo at the Russian battleship Panteleimon (most well-known under her former name of Potemkin). Although UB-7's crew heard what they thought was the torpedo explode, it did not hit Panteleimon. Despite the lack of success, the attempt did cause the Russians to break off their attacks and withdraw. In early 1916, UB-7 and UB-8 were still cruising in the Black Sea out of Varna. The Germans did not have good luck in the Black Sea, which was not a priority for them. The Bulgarians, who saw the value of the submarines in repelling Russian attacks, began negotiations to purchase UB-7 and UB-8. Bulgarian sailors practiced in the pair of boats and technicians were sent to Kiel for training at the German submarine school there. The transfer of UB-8 to the Bulgarian Navy took place on 25 May 1916, but for reasons unreported in sources, UB-7 remained under the German flag. In July 1916, the Germans sent SMS Breslau to mine off Novorossisk. To attempt to neutralize any Russian response, UB-7—under the command of Hans Lütjohann, who had taken over for Werner when he returned to Germany to command the new U-55—was stationed off Sevastopol to attack any ships that sailed in response to the mission. Unfortunately, Russian seaplanes spotted UB-7 and bombed the U-boat, preventing her from accomplishing her goal. With the submarine out of the way, Rear Admiral Aleksandr Kolchak sortied with dreadnought Imperatritsa Mariya, cruiser Kagul, and five destroyers. The Russian fleet engaged Breslau, which was forced to abort her mission and retire. Sources are quiet on damage, if any, suffered by UB-7. ## Summary of raiding history ## Fate On 27 September 1916, UB-7 departed Varna for operations off Sevastopol and was never heard from again. According to some sources, UB-7 was mined somewhere in the Black Sea. In June 1917, a Russian pilot captured by the Germans reported that a Russian airplane bombed and sank UB-7 on 1 October at position , near the Chersones Lighthouse. Authors Dwight Messimer and Robert Grant are each dubious of this claim, and the fate of UB-7 is still officially unknown. Among the fifteen men lost on UB-7 were the Constantinople Flotilla's senior radio officer, and the first Bulgarian submariner lost during the war, a trainee from Vidin.

XiamenAir Flight 8667

2018 aviation incident

On 16 August 2018, a Boeing 737-800 operating as XiamenAir Flight 8667 skidded off the runway at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Metro Manila while attempting to land in poor weather conditions. The crash occurred at 11:55 p.m. Philippine Standard Time (UTC+8) after a two-and-a-half-hour flight from Xiamen. The crash resulted in the destruction of the aircraft but no serious injuries among the crew or passengers. The damaged aircraft took 36 hours to remove from the runway, leading to a major disruption at the airport, which is the primary international gateway to the Philippines. The closure caused the cancellation of more than 200 domestic and international flights, affected more than 250,000 travelers, and prompted calls for enlargement of the airport or the construction of alternative airports to serve the country in the event of future disruptions. After the accident, the flight crew stated in interviews that a torrential downpour obstructed their view of the runway. The investigation revealed that despite the first officer of the aircraft calling for a go-around several times during the landing, the captain attempted to complete the landing despite not being able to clearly identify the runway. The investigation led to changes in airline policy relating to cockpit resource management, planning, and operations in poor weather conditions. It also led to runway improvements at the airport to remove runway obstructions that had caused most of the severe damage experienced by the aircraft. ## Accident The aircraft, operating as flight number 8667, departed Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport, in Xiamen, China, at 9:23 p.m. local time, bound for Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, Philippines. MF 8667 was a regularly scheduled flight that operated daily flights between the two cities. Upon arrival in the Manila airspace, the aircraft circled the area waiting for a break in the thunderstorms in the area. At 11:40 p.m., the pilots attempted to land, but they aborted the attempt at 30 feet (9 m) above the ground because they did not have a clear view of the ground and surrounding area. After a discussion, the pilots decided to make one more landing attempt, and they planned to divert to their planned alternate airport if they had to abort during the second approach. On the second attempt, the pilots were able to establish a stabilized approach to the runway with the landing gear lowered, flaps at 30 degrees, and the speed brake in the armed position. The aircraft stayed on its targeted course along the glide slope down to 50 feet (20 m). As the plane passed over the runway threshold, it began to veer to the left of center of the runway. The high intensity centerline runway lights on the runway had been out of service since August 8 due to scheduled runway refurbishment. The first officer called out "go-around", but the captain answered, "No". At 13 feet (4.0 m) above the ground, the aircraft was rolling to the left and drifting to the left of the runway center line. The first officer made another call for a go-around, but the pilot again responded, "No" and "It's Okay". The aircraft touched down on Runway 24 almost on both main gears, to the left of the runway center line, 2,430 feet (741 m) from the threshold of the runway. After touching down, the speed brakes and the autobrakes deployed, but the autobrakes disengaged shortly after due to an unknown cause. Initial witnesses reported that the aircraft appeared to bounce during the landing, before veering off to the left. The plane left the left edge of the runway, and it collided with several concrete electric junction boxes that were located in the grassy area beside the runway, causing the left main gear and the left engine to be torn off of the aircraft. As the aircraft continued into the soft grassy ground to the side of the runway, the right main landing gear and the nose gear collapsed and were folded into the gear wheel wells. The aircraft came to a complete stop 260 feet (80 m) to the left of the center of the runway, about 4,900 feet (1,500 m) down the runway from the threshold, at about 11:55 p.m. Philippine Standard Time (UTC+08:00). The collapse of the nose wheel caused the aircraft's internal and external communication systems to fail, so the first officer left the cockpit to announce the emergency evacuation. The cabin crew conducted the evacuation of the aircraft using emergency slides on the left and right front doors. All passengers and crew were able to evacuate the aircraft with no major injuries, and only a few reporting superficial scratches. ## Aftermath When the tower controllers were unable to reach the aircraft after it landed, they called for the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) safety patrol to check the runway, where they found the disabled aircraft. MIAA dispatched its Rescue and Firefighting Division, and all available airport fire trucks were sent to the crash site. Twelve minutes after the accident, MIAA Airport Police arrived to secure the area, followed by MIAA's medical team to treat any injuries. After the passengers and crew were evacuated from the aircraft, they were taken to a holding area in the airport's Terminal 1. In the terminal, airport authorities set up a special lounge for disabled passengers, senior citizens, and passengers with infants. They provided bottled water and blankets to all passengers. The airline provided food to the passengers and crew before taking them to a hotel. At 2:10 am, the investigative team arrived, led by the Director-General of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), along with members of the Aircraft Accident Investigation and Inquiry Board. They set up a mobile command post and tents around the accident area. They gathered evidence and removed the flight data recorder from the aircraft, then unloaded the cargo and luggage from the plane. The investigative team spent four hours analyzing the scene before releasing the site to the cleanup crew. Interviews with the flight crew revealed that heavy rains obstructed the pilot's view of the runway during the landing, but the crew did not declare an emergency with air traffic control. At 6:10 a.m., officials completed their investigation of the site, and the clean-up operation was able to begin. The initial plan was to raise the aircraft out of the mud using airbags, lower the gear, and tow the plane to a safe location. However, after raising the plane, the landing gear was found to be extensively damaged and unusable, so it was necessary to use a crane to remove the aircraft. Crews were also unable to remove approximately four tons of fuel in the aircraft, because the fuel pump was damaged and an important valve was closed. MIAA was able to rent two cranes from a local company that could lift the damaged jet from the runway and place it on a flatbed truck. However, the deployment of the cranes and removal of the aircraft took another 26 hours, hindered by the muddy terrain, torrential rain, and lightning alerts. The damaged aircraft was taken to the Balagbag ramp near the airport's Terminal 3, where it was unloaded. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has safety standards that require no hazards or obstructions to either side of an active runway within 490 feet (150 m). Because the final resting place of the disabled aircraft was within that distance, Runway 06/24, the airport's main runway, remained closed for 36 hours until the cleanup and recovery was complete. The airport's other runway, Runway 13/31, is known as the Domestic Runway. At only 8,500 feet (2,600 m) long and 150 feet (45 m) wide, it is too short to handle widebody jets or many international flights. The closure of the runway caused the cancellation of more than 200 domestic and international flights, while 17 inbound flights had to be diverted to other airports including some as far away as Tokyo, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Ho Chi Minh City. Airport authorities estimated that 250,000 passengers were affected by the closure and the related delays, cancellations, and diverted flights in the aftermath. After the airport reopened, representatives from XiamenAir stated that they would send seven planes to Manila within the day to transport the nearly 2,000 XiamenAir passengers that had been stranded at the airport, and send a team to work with Philippine aviation authorities in the accident investigation. CAAP officials announced that the pilot and the first officer of the crashed plane had been barred from leaving the country pending the results of the accident investigation. A Philippine presidential spokesperson hinted at the possibility of criminal charges being filed against the pilot for reckless imprudence resulting in damages. However, a CAAP representative revealed that the pilot and first officer had been allowed to leave the country in the last week of August. Four days after the accident, XiamenAir issued a statement apologizing to all of the airport passengers affected by the incident and pledging to assist Philippine authorities. The airline agreed to pay the costs of removing the aircraft and stated that they had provided more than 55,000 meals and water to the travelers that had been impacted by the closure of the airport. On August 22, MIAA announced that XiamenAir would have to pay MIAA at least 15 million Philippine pesos (USD\$) to cover the costs of removing the damaged aircraft from the runway. The announcement added that that figure was only an initial estimate and left it up to affected passengers to file lawsuits to recover personal damages. Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines announced that they were considering lawsuits against XiamenAir for damages, revenue losses, and inconvenience from the accident. By the end of August the estimated fines had increased to ₱33 million (USD\$). In October, officials announced that the airline had already paid half the fine, with the second payment expected shortly. A 2020 study in the Philippine Transportation Journal concluded that the overall cost to the Philippine economy from the accident amounted to ₱2.27 billion (USD\$). The accident and the closure of the airport also led to calls to expand the airport or to construct or expand additional airports in the region to prevent similar economic disruptions if a similar incident were to occur in the future. Those proposals included the construction of a new terminal for Clark International Airport to increase passenger capacity, the expansion of Ninoy Aquino International Airport with new terminals and runways, and the construction of a new international airport at Bulakan, Bulacan. In addition, Senator Richard Gordon stressed the need to reopen the closed Subic Bay International Airport to relieve congestion at NAIA. ## Aircraft The aircraft involved in the accident was a Boeing 737-800, registration B-5498 with Manufacturer Serial Number 37574 and line number 3160. It was powered by two CFM International CFM56 turbofan engines and first flew on January 14, 2010. Investigators found that the maintenance records of the aircraft showed that it had been maintained in according to Boeing standards and that it had a valid and current certificate of airworthiness at the time of the accident. After the accident, the aircraft was written off and scrapped. ## Passengers and crew At the time of the incident, the aircraft contained 157 passengers, 5 cabin crew members, an air security officer, and the two pilots. There were no serious injuries resulting from the accident, but some passengers suffered superficial scratches. The pilot of the aircraft was identified as a Korean male who was 50 years old and had 16,000 hours of flight experience, with 7,000 hours on the Boeing 737-800 aircraft type. The first officer was a Chinese male, 28 years old, with a total of 950 flying hours, including 750 hours on the Boeing 737-800 aircraft type. At the time of the flight, the captain was the pilot flying the aircraft. ## Investigation CAPP officials began the investigation of the accident shortly after the accident. Investigators retrieved the aircraft's flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder and interviewed the flight crew. By August 24, the two recorders had been taken to Singapore to have them decoded to attempt to determine the cause of the accident. By August 31, investigators in Manila had received voice transcripts and data readouts from the recorders. They announced that they expected a final report on the accident to be released soon. In October, CAAP officials stated that they expected to have a final report by November. On August 19, Senator Grace Poe called for the Senate to investigate the aftermath of the accident to determine whether the airport was prepared for such an emergency and to get an explanation of why it took 36 hours to remove the disabled aircraft. She also said she was concerned about the crowded conditions in the airport terminals and how passengers were forced to endure significant delays without the airlines offering enough water and meals. During hearings on August 29, authorities identified several lapses in the airport's response, including delays in obtaining high-capacity cranes, failing to provide meals to stranded passengers, and a lack of training to prepare for this type of incident. In an undated executive summary of the accident investigation released to the public on August 8, 2019, CAAP concluded that the accident was caused by the decision of the captain to proceed with the landing of an un-stabilized approach with insufficient visual reference. It also found that the captain did not apply sound crew resource management practices when he disregarded the first officer's call for a go-around. The investigation found that factors contributing to the accident included the crew's failure to discuss strategies for dealing with inclement weather, crosswind conditions, the possibility of low-level wind shear, and NOTAM information on runway lights that were out of service. It found that the airline policy was inadequate on the procedure of go-arounds and found design and construction violations on the runway that left uneven surfaces and concrete obstacles. CAAP made recommendations for the XiamenAir to strengthen company policies of actions that must be taken by a pilot once a call out of "Go-Around" is made by the pilot monitoring, including establishing no fault "Go-Around" policies and ensuring that crews receive sufficient training on the policies. The report also recommended that the airport review and update its disabled aircraft removal plan and ensure that its equipment is sufficient for current operations at the airport. ## Legacy As a result of the accident, XiamenAir revised its flight crew policies on how to handle go-around situations. The airline added training for rainy and wet runways during nighttime operations to its initial and recurrent simular training program for Boeing 737 pilots. It also amended its policies to prohibit takeoffs and landings during heavy rains and prohibited landings in moderate rains during night flights when the runway center line light is not working or not available. In addition, it revised its safety standards and training regimens to increase daily communication and cooperation between Chinese and non-Chinese pilots. Officials at the airport performed upgrades to the runway to remove the concrete electrical junction box obstructions and to perform other rehabilitations. ## See also - List of accidents and incidents involving the Boeing 737 - List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft

Potter–Collyer House

Historic house in Rhode Island, United States

The Potter–Collyer House is a historic house at 67 Cedar Street in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The house, first constructed in 1863, is representative of vernacular architecture of the Pawtucket due to the great modifications to the home which has obscured the original structure of the home. Believed to have begun as a 1+1⁄2-story cottage with a gable roof, subsequent additions and expansions have added a two-story hip-roof addition and greatly altered the floor plan due to enlargement and remodeling. The Potter–Collyer House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. ## History The house was originally constructed in 1863 for Elisha O. Potter, but it was sold to Samuel S. Collyer four years later. Little is known of Potter's life, but Collyer was a partner in the N. S. Collyer & Company. Collyer would later become the Chief of the Pawtucket Fire Department in 1874 and died in 1884 from injuries sustained in the line of duty. Collyer would be memorialized by the town with the Collyer Monument, which is also on the National Register of Historic Places. The house was moved 400 feet (120 m) from its original location in 1962 due to the construction of Interstate 95 in Rhode Island. ## Design The house is a timber-frame house that was originally constructed on the west side of Pine Street, but its original form is not known for sure due to the extent of its expansion and remodeling. The NRHP nomination states that it could have been a 1+1⁄2-story gabled roof cottage with a cross-gable in the center, a style popular during the mid-century in Pawtucket. This original structure retains little of its form except for the Gothic hood moulds on the second floor end windows and the Gothic bargeboards. A two-story hipped roof addition was constructed in two phases, one completed before 1877 and the other between 1895 and 1902. Though the NRHP also states that the original house was enlarged in the late 1860s or 1870s without specification to the work done at the time. The additions include a bay window on the facade and openwork on the porch sides. The later alterations to the building worked to complement the distinctive bargeboards of the cottage with the work on the eaves and window heads of the addition. The house has an unconventional floor plan which has two doorways on opposite ends of the original cottage with the main entrance formerly on the east side. The NRHP nomination again notes that the doorways may have replaced an earlier vestibule on the original house. The eastern entrance leads to a library/office, that may have originally been a stairhall, and is connected to the eastern of the two front rooms. The western doorway, opposite, leads to a hallway with a three-run staircase with newels and balusters. The western room has a Renaissance Revival-style built-in bookcase and a slate fireplace mantel. The rear addition holds the dining room which has a "pseudo-exposed-beam ceiling" dated to around 1909. Though not detailed in the NRHP listing, the survey notes that the upstairs is simple in detail and appears intact, but that the "chamber floor plan in the front of the house appears to have been altered during the 1880s remodeling". ## Significance The Potter–Collyer House is architecturally significant as a unique example of vernacular architecture of Pawtucket in the 19th century. The NRHP nomination states that the alterations and remodeling of the home have produced a "most unusually composed and picturesquely detailed [building]." Despite having been moved and altered, the house is unique and significant example of vernacular architecture. The Potter–Collyer House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. ## See also - National Register of Historic Places listings in Pawtucket, Rhode Island

In Your House 1

1995 World Wrestling Federation pay-per-view event

In Your House (retroactively titled In Your House: Premiere, and sequentially known as In Your House 1) was the inaugural In Your House professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). The event took place on May 14, 1995, at the Onondaga County War Memorial in Syracuse, New York. The In Your House series was established to be held as monthly PPVs to take place between the WWF's "Big Five" PPVs at the time: WrestleMania, King of the Ring, SummerSlam, Survivor Series, and Royal Rumble. The event consisted of ten professional wrestling matches, six of which were broadcast live. In the main event, WWF Champion Diesel defeated Sid to retain his title. On the undercard, Bret Hart defeated Hakushi, but lost to Jerry Lawler, whereas Razor Ramon defeated Jeff Jarrett and The Roadie in a two-on-one handicap match. The pay-per-view received a 0.83 buyrate, equivalent to approximately 332,000 buys. ## Production ### Background By 1993, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) held a total of five pay-per-views (PPV) per year, referred to as the "Big Five", which were WrestleMania, King of the Ring, SummerSlam, Survivor Series, and the Royal Rumble. In early 1995, as a response to a move by competitor World Championship Wrestling (WCW) to increase their annual pay-per-view events, the WWF established the "In Your House" series, which would be monthly PPVs that were held between the Big Five and sold at a lower cost (the Big Five had cost US\$29.95 each, while the In Your House shows would cost \$14.95). The cheaper price was also an effort to increase the WWF's revenue from the pay-per-view market after the decline and cancelation of its network television Saturday Night's Main Event broadcasts, and its insufficient revenue from home video releases. Additionally, while the Big Five at the time ran for three hours, the In Your House shows would only run for two hours. The first In Your House took place on May 14, 1995, at the Onondaga County War Memorial in Syracuse, New York. The WWF ran a sweepstakes to promote the event, giving away a new house in Orlando, Florida. Todd Pettengill and Stephanie Wiand toured the house and conducted the drawing during the pay-per-view, which was won by an 11-year-old resident of Henderson, Nevada, and presented to his family during the May 22 episode of Raw. They sold the house for \$175,000 six months later. This initial In Your House event was initially known simply as In Your House. It was later retroactively renamed as In Your House: Premiere, due to it being the very first In Your House event. It would sequentially be known simply as In Your House 1. ### Storylines The most prominent rivalry heading into the pay-per-view was between then-WWF Champion Diesel and his storyline rival Sid. At the previous pay-per-view, WrestleMania XI, Diesel defeated Shawn Michaels to retain the WWF Championship, partly due to an interference by Michaels' bodyguard Sid backfiring. The following night, Michaels stated that for a potential rematch, he would give Sid the night off, causing the bodyguard to turn on Michaels by powerbombing him three times. Diesel eventually came out to help Michaels. Michaels was legitimately injured, and this sidelined him for six weeks, effectively shelving plans for a rematch between Diesel and Michaels. Diesel was then scheduled to defend his title against Bam Bam Bigelow, a member of the Million Dollar Corporation stable, after a staged confrontation between the two on the April 16, 1995 episode of Action Zone, a secondary television program for the WWF. On the same day, on Wrestling Challenge, another secondary television program, in a segment featuring the corporation, Bigelow was noticeably snubbed, signaling a turn. Over the weekend of April 16, a match between Sid and Diesel was scheduled for In Your House, in which Sid could potentially face Diesel for the WWF Championship, depending on whether he retained or lost his title against Bigelow. On the April 24 episode of Raw, Sid stated he was unhappy about this stipulation, as it meant that if Bigelow won, Sid would not get a shot at the title. Diesel retained the title when the Corporation turned on Bigelow, with Tatanka tripping Bigelow as he ran off the ropes. Diesel hit Bigelow with a big boot and executed a powerbomb for the win. After the contest, Bigelow was insulted by Ted DiBiase and attacked by the corporation. Diesel, who had gone back to the locker room, came to Bigelow's aid. In Sid's match with Razor Ramon on the May 1 episode of Raw, Diesel approached the ring ready to fight Sid, who, along with the corporation's manager DiBiase, left the arena abruptly. The following week on Raw, DiBiase revealed that he and Sid had been working together for a while, admitting that it was him who told Shawn Michaels to get a bodyguard. Prior to the event, the feud between Bret Hart and Jerry Lawler, which dated back to King of the Ring 1993, was revived to also include Hakushi. After Hart won the WWF Magazine "Award of the People" on the February 20, 1995 episode of Raw, Jerry Lawler suggested that Japanese votes had been excluded and that Hart was a racist. Lawler persuaded Hakushi that Hart was a racist, and on the March 25 episode of Superstars of Wrestling, Hakushi attacked Bret after he received a separate award from the Japanese media. On the April 10 episode of Raw, Bret teamed up with the 1–2–3 Kid and Bob Holly to take on Hakushi and the WWF Tag Team Champions, Owen Hart and Yokozuna. Bret's team won the match as Holly pinned Owen. On the April 23 episode of Wrestling Challenge a match between Bret and Hakushi was set for In Your House. On the same day, on Action Zone, Bret teamed with Razor Ramon to take on WWF Intercontinental Champion Jeff Jarrett (accompanied by The Roadie) and Hakushi. Bret and Ramon won the match, with Ramon pinning Jarrett. On the May 1 episode of Raw, Bret offered to face Lawler at In Your House after his scheduled match with Hakushi. Bret dedicated his match with Lawler at In Your House to his mother, as the pay-per-view was going to take place on Mother's Day. Lawler also responded that on the May 8 episode of Raw that his mother was going to be at ringside for their encounter. The most prominent rivalry on the undercard was for the WWF Intercontinental Championship. The feud took place between Razor Ramon, the 1–2–3 Kid, the Intercontinental Champion Jeff Jarrett, and his personal enforcer, The Roadie. Ramon and Jarrett faced each other at WrestleMania XI, but Jarrett was disqualified. Jarrett faced Aldo Montoya on the April 8 episode of Superstars of Wrestling in a non-title match, where Jarrett accidentally pinned himself (he never lifted his shoulder off the ground after being slammed to the mat by Montoya). Jarrett was initially announced the winner, but Montoya was later declared the winner. Jarrett and Montoya faced each other again two weeks later, on the April 22 episode of Superstars of Wrestling. During the match, Razor Ramon came to ringside and chased The Roadie backstage. Despite this, Jarrett managed to gain the victory, making Montoya submit to the figure four leglock. The next day on Wrestling Challenge, Ramon and the 1–2–3 Kid were scheduled to square off against Jarrett and The Roadie at In Your House. After a legitimate neck injury rendered the Kid unable to wrestle, the match was changed into a Handicap match, in which Ramon would face both Jarrett and The Roadie by himself. The other main rivalry on the undercard was for the WWF Tag Team Championship between the team of Owen Hart and Yokozuna and The Smoking Gunns (Billy Gunn and Bart Gunn). The Smoking Gunns dropped their WWF Tag Team Championship to Hart and Yokozuna at WrestleMania XI, the previous pay-per-view event. Their rivalry was reignited on the April 23 episode of Action Zone, when the Blu Brothers (Jacob Blu and Eli Blu) faced the New Headshrinkers (Sionne and Fatu). Hart and Yokozuna interfered in the contest, attacking the New Headshrinkers, causing a disqualification. The Smoking Gunns ran to the ring, attacking Hart and Yokozuna. The Headshrinkers posed with Hart and Yokozuna's tag team belts and celebrated with the Smoking Gunns. The following night, on Raw, the Smoking Gunns were awarded a rematch for the WWF Tag Team Championship at the In Your House pay-per-view. They made their intentions of winning the title clear by quickly defeating Barry Horowitz and the Brooklyn Brawler. In their last encounter before the event, Bart defeated Hart via pinfall on the May 8 episode of Raw. ## Event Before the event went live on pay-per-view, Jean-Pierre Lafitte defeated Bob Holly in a standard dark match. ### Preliminary matches The first match that aired was a standard match between Bret Hart and Hakushi (managed by Shinja). Bret announced before the contest that he was dedicating his performances to his mother because it was Mother's Day. Jerry Lawler, who faced Bret later in the pay-per-view, watched the match backstage on a monitor. Bret won the contest, when he rolled-up Hakushi to gain a pinfall and end Hakushi's six-month-long undefeated streak. As Hart jumped to the arena floor after the contest, he appeared to legitimately injure his knee. A two-on-one Handicap match was next as Razor Ramon faced Intercontinental Champion Jeff Jarrett and The Roadie. During the match, Jarrett went to perform the figure four leglock submission hold, but Ramon blocked the maneuver, sending Jarrett to collide with his partner. Ramon performed his "Razor's Edge" finishing move and pinned Jarrett for the victory. After the contest, Ramon tried to perform the "Razor's Edge" on The Roadie, but Jarrett attacked him and applied the figure four leglock. Aldo Montoya went to ringside and attempted to help Ramon, but Jarrett and The Roadie threw him to the arena floor. An "unknown man" ran to the ring and attacked both Jarrett and The Roadie, and several people escorted the "unknown man" backstage. Later in the pay-per-view, Ramon introduced the "unknown man" as Savio Vega during an interview in the "WWF Hotline Room", a fictitious interview room for the WWF. A qualifying match for the 1995 King of the Ring tournament took place next as Mabel faced Adam Bomb in a standard match. The contest was one-sided and ended in two minutes when Mabel pinned Bomb after he powerslamed him down to the mat. Mabel advanced to the next round of the tournament, beginning a push for the superstar. Next, Jerry Lawler went to the ring to give a promotional interview before his scheduled match with Bret Hart, declaring that he wanted his match with Bret to take place despite Bret's injury. Lawler was then sent backstage by Tony Garea and Rene Goulet, and Bret was shown icing down his knee. Next was a tag team match for the WWF Tag Team Championship, where the team of Owen Hart and Yokozuna (managed by Jim Cornette and Mr. Fuji) defended their titles against The Smoking Gunns (Bart Gunn and Billy Gunn). Owen pinned Bart for the victory after Yokozuna delivered a leg drop to Bart's chest, therefore retaining the championship. ### Main event matches Before his match with Bret Hart, Lawler introduced a woman obviously younger than himself as his mother, and wished her a happy Mother's Day. Moments before the contest, Hart revealed that his knee injury was fake. During the contest, referee Earl Hebner became tied upside down in the ropes after being distracted by Shinja. While Hebner was tied upside down, Hakushi interfered and performed a diving headbutt to Hart. Lawler won the match when he rolled-up Hart for the pinfall. The pay-per-view's main event was a standard match for the WWF Championship, where the champion Diesel defended the title against Sid (managed by Ted DiBiase). Late in the contest, Diesel performed a Jacknife Powerbomb on Sid and went for the pinfall. Tatanka came out and attacked Diesel, which resulted in Diesel retaining the championship via disqualification. Tatanka, along with DiBiase, attacked Diesel. Sid attempted to perform a powerbomb, but Bam Bam Bigelow ran to the ring, forcing the villains to go to the outside. ### Dark matches After the live pay-per-view went off the air there were 3 more dark matches. The first was between The Undertaker and Kama in a standard match, which The Undertaker won after giving Kama a "Tombstone Piledriver". While this match was not shown on pay-per-view, it was included as a bonus match on the VHS home video release. The next dark match was between Bigelow and Tatanka, which Bigelow won after diving off the top rope and hitting a sunset flip for the pin. This match was also included on the VHS home video release. The final dark match of the night was a qualifier for the King of the Ring tournament between Davey Boy Smith and Owen Hart (managed by Jim Cornette). The match went to a fifteen-minute time-limit draw. Unlike the other dark matches, this was taped for the June 5 episode of Raw. ## Aftermath The pay-per-view garnered 332,000 buys, which is equivalent to a 0.83 buyrate, a large number that generally surprised many pay-per-view providers. It had more buys than all the other In Your House pay-per-views, with In Your House: Good Friends, Better Enemies receiving the second highest buyrate of 324,000 buys. At the following pay-per-view, King of the Ring, Diesel teamed up with Bam Bam Bigelow to defeat Sid and Tatanka. Sid faced Diesel in a rematch for the WWF Championship at the In Your House 2 pay-per-view in a Lumberjack match. Diesel retained the title after hitting Sid with his boot. Mabel's push culminated with him winning the King of the Ring tournament by defeating Savio Vega in the finals. With this, Mabel went on to face Diesel at SummerSlam for the WWF Championship, where Diesel retained the title. The rivalry between Bret Hart and Jerry Lawler also continued into King of the Ring, with the two facing each other at the event in a "Kiss My Foot" match. Hart won the match despite outside interference from Hakushi, making Lawler submit to the Sharpshooter. After the match, Hart forced Lawler to kiss his feet. The In Your House shows would continue until February 1999's St. Valentine's Day Massacre: In Your House event, which was the 27th In Your House PPV. It would be the final In Your House event held as the company moved to install permanent names for each of its monthly PPVs, which began with Backlash in April 1999. Early advertising for that year's Backlash featured the "In Your House" branding until it was quietly dropped in the weeks leading to the pay-per-view. However, after 21 years in the promotion that was renamed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2002 (and "WWE" becoming an orphaned initialism in 2011), the promotion announced that In Your House would be revived for their NXT brand division as an NXT TakeOver event entitled TakeOver: In Your House on June 7, 2020, which aired exclusively on WWE's online streaming service, the WWE Network. The announcement and the event marked the 25th anniversary of the first In Your House PPV. A second TakeOver: In Your House was scheduled for June 13, 2021, thus making In Your House an annual subseries of TakeOver events held in June. This second event aired on both the WWE Network and traditional pay-per-view, thus returning In Your House to pay-per-view. ## Results

Yo Nací Para Amarte

"Yo Nací Para Amarte" (English: "I Was Born to Love You") is a song written by Kike Santander and performed by Mexican recording artist Alejandro Fernández. It was co-produced by Santander and Emilio Estefan and was released as the fourth and final single by Sony Music Mexico from Me Estoy Enamorando in 1998. The song is a bolero-pop ballad with ranchera influences and portrays the singer confessing his love which he admits "goes beyond reason". It reached the top of the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart in the United States and spent five weeks at this position. The recording led to Fernández receiving a nomination for Hot Latin Track of the Year and Pop Hot Latin Track of the Year at the 1999 Billboard Latin Music Awards while Santander received a BMI Latin Award for the track in the same year. ## Background and composition Since 1992, Alejandro Fernández established his music career as a ranchera singer like his father, iconic ranchera singer, Vicente Fernández. His previous albums, Alejandro Fernández (1992), Piel De Niña (1993), Grandes Éxitos a la Manera de Alejandro Fernández (1994), Que Seas Muy Feliz (1995), and Muy Dentro de Mi Corazón (1996), helped solidify Fernández as a ranchera singer. Although his last album, Muy Dentro de Mi Corazón, was a success, Fernández did not want to simply record another ranchera album. "If I had released another album of just rancheras, people would have just expected the same thing, and then they would have begun to judge me by that one [musical] theme", Fernández explained. He also noted bolero's popularity on radio stations and cited his waning radio airplay. After listening to Mi Tierra by Gloria Estefan, Fernández sought Estefan's husband Emilio Estefan to have him produced Fernández's next album. After hearing Fernández's proposal, Emilio Estefan agreed on the idea to produce the album. Recording took place at Estefan's Crescent Moon Studios in Miami, Florida. "Yo Nací Para Amarte", along with the other tracks in the album, is a bolero-pop ballad song with ranchera influences. The song was written by Colombian songwriter Kike Santander and co-produced by Santander and Estefan. The sound features the usage of strings, maracas, trumpets and percussion. In the lyrics, the protagonist declares his love and admits it "goes beyond reason". ## Reception "Yo Nací Para Amarte" was released as the fourth and final single from Me Estoy Enamorando. In the United States, the single debuted at number 39 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart on the week of 6 June 1998. It reached the top of the chart six weeks later succeeding "Rezo" by Carlos Ponce. The song spent five consecutive weeks in this position until it was replaced by "Una Fan Enamorada" by Servando & Florentino. The song ended 1998 as the seventh best-performing Latin song of the year in the US. The track also reached number two on the Latin Pop Songs chart. In November 1999, "Yo Nací Para Amarte" was labeled as one of the "hottest tracks" for Sony Discos in a list including the most successful songs released by the label since the launch of the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart in 1986. Eliseo Cardona of El Nuevo Herald highlighted "Yo Nací Para Amarte" as one of the boleros where Fernández performs with "intensity and passion". At the 1999 Billboard Latin Music Awards, "Yo Nací Para Amarte" was nominated for Hot Latin Track of the Year and Pop Hot Latin Track of the Year. Fernández lost the first award to "Por Mujeres Como Tu" by Pepe Aguilar and the second to "Vuelve" by Ricky Martin. The track also led to Santander receiving a BMI Latin Award in 1999 in recognition of the best-performing Latin songs in 1998. ## Charts ### Weekly charts ### Year-end charts ## Personnel Credits adapted from the Me Estoy Enamorando liner notes. - Alejandro Fernández – vocals - Kike Santander – songwriting, arranger, acoustic guitar, vihuela, keyboards - Nicky Orta – bass - René Toledo – twelve-string guitar - Luis Enrique – percussion - Archie Peña – maracas - Teddy Mulet – trumpet ## See also - Billboard Top Latin Songs Year-End Chart - List of number-one Billboard Hot Latin Tracks of 1998

South Korean nationality law

History and regulations of South Korean citizenship

South Korean nationality law details the conditions in which an individual is a national of the Republic of Korea (ROK), commonly known as South Korea. Foreign nationals may naturalize after living in the country for at least five years and showing proficiency in the Korean language. All male citizens between the ages of 18 and 35 are required to perform at least 18 months of compulsory military service. North Korean citizens are also considered South Korean nationals, due to the ROK's continuing claims over areas controlled by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). ## History The Joseon kingdom (renamed the Korean Empire in its final years) did not have codified regulations governing Korean nationality. After the kingdom was annexed by the Empire of Japan, all Koreans became Japanese subjects. Colonial authorities did not explicitly extend Japanese nationality law to the Korean Peninsula, preventing Korean subjects from automatically losing Japanese nationality by naturalizing as foreign citizens elsewhere. Korea continued to lack formal regulations until 1948, when the United States Army Military Government in Korea enacted temporary measures dealing with nationality as it prepared to establish a South Korean state. Under these measures, a Korean national was defined as any person born to a Korean father. Children born to a Korean mother only inherited her nationality if the father was stateless or had unknown nationality status. Koreans who had acquired a different nationality were considered to have lost Korean nationality, but could have it restored upon renunciation of their foreign nationality or removal from the Japanese koseki. The first native law regulating nationality was passed by the Constituent National Assembly later that year and largely carried over this framework. The 1948 law placed particular significance on the nationality of male heads of household. Foreign women who married Korean men automatically acquired ROK citizenship but the reverse was not true. When foreign men naturalized as South Koreans, their wives and children were concurrently granted citizenship. Foreign women were also unable to naturalize independently of their husbands. Additionally, all naturalized citizens were prohibited from holding high political or military office. These restrictions on public service were repealed in 1963 and major reforms in 1998 decoupled a woman's nationality from that of her husband. ## Acquisition and loss Individuals automatically receive South Korean nationality at birth if at least one parent is a South Korean national, whether they are born within the Republic of Korea or overseas. Foreign permanent residents over the age of 20 may naturalize as ROK citizens after residing in South Korea for more than five years and demonstrating proficiency in the Korean language. The residency requirement is reduced to three years for individuals with a South Korean parent who were not already ROK citizens, and two years for applicants with South Korean spouses. This is further reduced to one year for applicants who have been married to South Koreans for more than three years. Minor children cannot naturalize independently, but may apply with a foreigner parent who is also naturalizing. Successful naturalization applicants are typically required to renounce their previous nationalities within one year, unless they naturalized through marriage. Individuals who are granted nationality by the Ministry of Justice specifically for their exceptional occupational ability or contributions made to the country are also exempt from this requirement. Exempt individuals must alternatively make a declaration not to exercise their foreign nationality within South Korea. Naturalization was exceptionally rare until 2000; the average number of foreigners acquiring citizenship from 1948 until that point was 34 people per year. Since then, this rate has sharply increased. The cumulative number of naturalized citizens reached 100,000 in 2011 and 200,000 in 2019. Before 1998, ROK nationality was transferable by descent to children of South Korean fathers (but not mothers). Individuals who can only trace their South Korean ancestry through the maternal line before this year are not ROK citizens at birth. Persons born to South Korean mothers and foreign national fathers between 13 June 1978 and 13 June 1998 were able to apply for South Korean nationality without any residency requirements until 31 December 2004. South Koreans residing abroad who voluntarily acquire a foreign nationality automatically have their ROK citizenship revoked and are obligated to report this change of status to the Ministry of Justice. ROK nationals may also lose South Korean nationality when they obtain foreign national status indirectly or involuntarily through marriage, adoption, or legal recognition of parentage. These individuals have a six-month period to make a formal declaration of their intention to retain South Korean nationality. ROK nationality can also be relinquished by application to the Ministry of Justice. Female citizens who are also foreign nationals at birth must declare their intention to retain or renounce ROK nationality before age 22. Male citizens who obtained foreign nationality by birth must make this declaration before 31 March of the year they become age 18. Dual nationals who retain South Korean nationality after this point are subject to conscription orders and are not permitted to renounce ROK nationality until they have completed military service. Former South Korean nationals may subsequently apply for nationality restoration, subject to the renunciation of their previous nationalities. However, former nationals who reacquire ROK nationality after reaching age 65 with the intention of permanently residing in South Korea are exempt from this requirement. ## Rights and restrictions South Korean nationals are required to register for South Korean identity cards, eligible to hold Republic of Korea passports, and able to vote in all elections on the national and local level. Dual citizens are prohibited from holding any office that requires them to perform official duties of state. All male citizens between the ages of 18 and 35 are required to perform at least two years of military service. When travelling to foreign destinations, South Koreans may enter 192 countries and territories without a visa, as of 2022. ### North Koreans Virtually all North Korean citizens are considered South Korean citizens by birth, due to the ROK's continuing claims over areas controlled by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Upon reaching a South Korean diplomatic mission, North Korean defectors are subject to an investigatory review of their background and nationality. If they are found to be ROK citizens, they are entitled to resettlement in South Korea and would receive financial, medical, employment, and educational support as well as other targeted welfare benefits upon arrival. Male citizens from North Korea are exempt from conscription. However, the South Korean government does not acknowledge the following groups of DPRK citizens as holding ROK nationality: naturalized DPRK citizens who are not ethnically Korean, North Koreans who have voluntarily acquired a foreign nationality, and North Koreans who can only prove their lineage through maternal descent before 1998. Individuals in the first two groups are denied all forms of protection while those in the last category may be resettled in South Korea on a discretionary basis. According to a 2021 study, "North Koreans have often struggled to acquire state recognition when making claims to citizenship from abroad, and acquisition of ROK citizenship remains an incremental and contingent process, one that requires a high degree of agency from North Koreans seeking resettlement." ### Overseas Koreans The South Korean government categorizes ROK nationals and ethnic Korean non-nationals living abroad into several groups based on their emigration status and parental domicile. The term "Overseas Koreans" encompasses both South Korean nationals with permanent residence in another country and ethnic Koreans who formerly held ROK nationality and their descendants. Within the class of South Korean nationals living abroad are "second-generation South Koreans", which are defined in legislation as ROK nationals who settled abroad at a young age or were born overseas, have lived outside of South Korea until age 18, and whose parents are also permanently residing abroad. The "second-generation" term in this context is not tied to immigrant generations and may be used to describe South Korean nationals whose families have been domiciled abroad for many generations. Nationals of this class who have reported their emigration status to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs may indefinitely defer conscription orders, but would be required to fulfill their service obligations upon their permanent return to South Korea. Former ROK nationals and their descendants have favored status when resident in South Korea. These individuals have facilitated work authorization, access to the state healthcare system, and rights equivalent to citizens in property purchases and financial transactions. #### Zainichi Koreans in Japan Zainichi Koreans are ethnic Koreans living in Japan who trace their ancestry to migrants who had permanently settled there before the Second World War. When Korea was a Japanese colony, Koreans were considered to be Japanese subjects but this status was revoked by the Treaty of San Francisco in 1952. After normalization of relations between Japan and South Korea in 1965, the Japanese government granted permanent residency to Zainichi ROK nationals. Korean residents who were previously politically aligned with the DPRK switched their allegiance to the ROK so that they could acquire South Korean nationality and subsequently claim Japanese permanent residence. North Korea-aligned residents were later granted permanent residency in 1982. Both groups were reclassified in 1991 as special permanent residents (SPR), which granted the Zainichi near-total protection from deportation (except in the most severe cases of illicit activity) and expanded their employment opportunities. SPR status is specific to this class of individuals with colonial-era origins; more recent South Korean immigrants to Japan cannot apply for this type of residency. DPRK-affiliated or non-aligned Zainichi do not actively claim ROK nationality and are treated by the Japanese government as if they were stateless, holding a unique Chōsen-seki designation as an alternative. Although they are considered to already possess ROK nationality, their refusal to exercise that status hinders their ability to travel to South Korea. Chōsen-seki may request permission to enter the ROK with certificates of travel that are issued by South Korean diplomatic missions at their discretion, but these have been increasingly difficult to obtain since 2009. ## See also - Citizenship of South Korea

Covered Bridges Today

Book by Brenda Krekeler

Covered Bridges Today is a non-fiction book on the architecture of covered bridges in the United States. The book was written by Brenda Krekeler and published by Daring Books in 1989. Covered Bridges Today is a frequently cited source on the topic of covered bridges and serves as a record of numerous covered bridges that have since been dismantled or demolished since the book's publication. Krekeler's text includes 412 covered bridges in fourteen states with a complete record of all 142 covered bridges in Ohio during its writing in 1986 and 1987. The work has been utilized in numerous citations by later publications including Historic American Engineering Record surveys and New England's Covered Bridges: A Complete Guide, Indiana Covered Bridges and Covered Bridges in Virginia. ## Background Covered bridges are timber-truss bridges with a roof and siding which, in most covered bridges, create an almost complete enclosure. The purpose of the covering is to keep snow from accumulatingwinter snow accumulation could easily collapse a bridge, and the steep roof would tend to shed snow to either side. As of 2014, the United States has more than 800 extant covered bridges with more than 10,000 lost and historical bridges recorded by the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges. Krekeler became interested in studying covered bridges, their lore and their history, while in college. Krekeler obtained her master's degree in Historical Geography from the University of Cincinnati. ## Contents Covered Bridges Today provides information on 412 bridges in the states of Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia. The book is geographically focused on Krekeler's home state of Ohio and includes all 142 remaining covered bridges in the state at the time of writing. However, the book is not a complete inventory of each state's extant bridges. When it was written, 76 of an estimated 228 Pennsylvania's bridges were included, 68 of Indiana's 98 covered bridges, and 43 of Vermont's estimated 100 bridges were also featured. Krekeler's use of estimations stems from the facts that covered bridges are lost periodically and that the bridges detailed include those restored or in immediate danger of collapse. Within a year of the publication of the book, 30 bridges were lost. Known bridges in states that are not in the listing are not named or cited. For example, West Virginia had 17 remaining bridges at time of publication, but the book only covers 10 of them. The book includes detailed information on each state's historic bridges before providing an individual listing of surveyed bridges. Each entry includes a description of the bridge, its history, a black and white photograph, and a local street map with directions. Interspersed throughout the book is a collection of color photographs ranging from a full page to a quarter page in size. Krekeler states that construction dates prior to 1850 are often questionable because of an absence of records and that these early sources would often contradict one another. Krekeler's bibliography cites an extensive collection of state maps, numerous local newspaper sources and works like World Guide to Covered Bridges by Richard Donovan. The information and sources used are cited at the end of each entry listing in the book, directly following the directions to the bridge. The book does not contain a typical index and instead favors a listing of bridges after the introduction of the state. The book was published in 1989 by Daring Books. ## Impact Larry Hart's review of the work focused on Krekeler's basic explanation of the various types of covered bridges from the early 1800s to the 1920s and the historical facts and trivia contained within about the distribution and surviving covered bridges. Hart recounts the claim that it is the "only complete pictorial study of covered bridges in the United States". Though Hart's review incorporates much of the book's text, Hart shares an affinity for covered bridges and relates to the destroyed Batchellerville Bridge. Krekeler writes that she wished the Batchellerville Bridge had been preserved instead of being torched. Dr. Roger A. McCain notes that Krekeler's book "includes a number of states with pictorial coverage, including some really exquisite color photographs. It is not comprehensive in most cases[,] but is especially strong for Ohio and Indiana. Pennsylvania bridges are pretty extensively documented in[.]" Paul Grondahl refers to the book as an "encyclopedic, definitive work" in an article in the Times Union. Historic American Engineering Record surveys have cited Krekeler's work numerous times, ranging from the estimations of the surviving truss types of covered bridges to more general and unspecific references. Covered Bridges Today has been cited by later books on the subject of covered bridges including New England's Covered Bridges: A Complete Guide, Indiana Covered Bridges and Covered Bridges in Virginia.

The Sponge Who Could Fly

"The Sponge Who Could Fly", also known as "The SpongeBob SquarePants Lost Episode", is the 19th episode of the third season and the 59th overall episode of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. It was written by Paul Tibbitt, Kent Osborne, and Merriwether Williams, with Andrew Overtoom and Tom Yasumi serving as animation director and Mark O'Hare as the director of the walk cycles in the beginning of the episode. The episode was produced in 2002 and aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on March 21, 2003. The series follows the adventures and endeavors of the title character in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom. In this episode, SpongeBob wishes he could fly with the jellyfish. He makes several attempts to do so, but all of these fail. At home, SpongeBob is drying his hair and receives a phone call, he puts the hair dryer in his square pants, and the dryer inflates them, giving him the ability to fly. He goes around helping people, earning their admiration and becoming a superhero of sorts. However, other characters continue to ask increasingly unnecessary favors of him, leaving him no time to fly with the jellyfish. The episode became available on the VHS of the same name and the Lost at Sea DVD on March 4, 2003. Tie-in promotions were made with Burger King, which released a series of toys. Upon release, "The Sponge Who Could Fly" gained seven million views receiving mixed to positive reviews from television critics, especially concerning the live action segments. "The Sponge Who Could Fly" was adapted into a musical called SpongeBob SquarePants Live! The Sponge Who Could Fly!, which toured selected cities in Asia, in 2007. The musical was renamed to SpongeBob SquarePants: The Sponge Who Could Fly! A New Musical when it toured the United Kingdom in 2009. ## Plot In Encino, California, SpongeBob fan Patchy the Pirate has presumably lost the "Lost Episode" of SpongeBob prior to the episode. After a segment of previous SpongeBob clips called "Remembering SpongeBob", and Patchy lamenting that he lost the episode, he sets off to find it using a treasure map. Throughout several difficulties, he eventually finds a VHS tape which holds the episode. He then returns home in glee, and watches the episode. However, the tape only shows a clip of SpongeBob doing a series of cheap walk cycles to techno music before abruptly showing EBU color bars. Patchy gets angry, and gets rid of his SpongeBob merchandise, including his SpongeBob underwear, which results in him running away. The real episode then begins to start playing, and Patchy returns, fixes all of his stuff in reverse, then enjoys the episode. In the episode, SpongeBob wishes he could fly with the jellyfish. He makes several attempts to do so, including a biplane, bat wings, a lawn chair with balloons, and a giant kite pulled by a bicycle. All of these attempts fail, and SpongeBob faces ridicule from others. He tells those mocking him that "it is a sad day in Bikini Bottom, when a guy is ridiculed for having dreams!" They respond that they all have had unfulfilled dreams, and become an angry mob to chase him. SpongeBob runs off a cliff and falls into a truck of mud, then into a truck of feathers. Back home, having given up on his dream, SpongeBob dries himself out when he receives an insulting phone call and puts the hair dryer in his pants. While he talks, the dryer inflates his pants, giving him the ability to fly. He goes around helping people, earning their admiration and becoming a superhero of sorts. However, the other characters continue to ask increasingly unnecessary favors of him, leaving him no time to fly with the jellyfish. When he tries to escape to Jellyfish Fields, a mob forms and chases him, but is unable to catch him. Cannonball Jenkins, formerly a farmer and later on, a sailor, launches himself at SpongeBob, popping the pants as punishment for refusing to do more favors, and sending him plummeting to the ground. Everyone then holds a funeral for his now-deflated pants. Upset, SpongeBob goes home, but the jellyfish help him fly and take him back there. Patrick arrives and asks if they could "fly over" to the pizzeria, but SpongeBob decides to leave the flying to the jellyfish, only for Patrick to literally fly off himself. The episode shifts back to Patchy, who wants to replay the episode, but his difficulty with the TV remote causes him to accidentally destroy the tape by wearing it out and making the filmstrip come pouring out of his VCR. As a result, Patchy ends up getting tangled in the filmstrip in the process and cries that he ruined the episode, and now it is lost forever. As the scene changes to an exterior shot of Patchy's house, but now at nighttime, the narrator assures the audience that whether or not the lost episode will remain lost, as long as there are stars in the sky, SpongeBob will live on in fans' hearts and minds. As the story ends with the stars forming a picture of SpongeBob, the narrator tells the viewers to get lost, thus ending the episode. ## Production "The Sponge Who Could Fly" was written by Paul Tibbitt, Kent Osborne and Merriwether Williams, with Andrew Overtoom and Tom Yasumi serving as animation directors. Tibbitt and Osborne also functioned as storyboard directors, and Carson Kugler, Caleb Meurer and William Reiss served as storyboard artists. Derek Drymon served as creative director. The episode originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on March 21, 2003, with a TV-Y parental rating. "The Sponge Who Could Fly" was one of the few episodes of the third season that aired during the production of the series' 2004 feature film. In 2002, series creator Stephen Hillenburg, with his crew, halted production of the show to work on the film, resulting in few airings of new episodes. Nickelodeon announced nine "as-yet-unaired" episodes would be shown. During the break in TV production, "The Sponge Who Could Fly" first aired during a two-hour "Sponge"-a-thon, while the other eight were broadcast subsequently. Mark O'Hare directed and animated the walk cycles in the beginning of the episode. The cycle originated when supervising producer at the time Derek Drymon called O'Hare. O'Hare said "Derek would call me out of the blue for freelance, and it was tough to know the context of stuff." He remembered the crew gave him a "bad" synthesizer song, and he was told to do "some kind of weird walk to it." He said "I animated this bizarre SpongeBob walk and turned it in, and that was that." Eventually, Drymon saw the cycle and referred to it as "The Lost Episode" walk. O'Hare had no idea what Drymon was talking about until he learned it was already used in an episode. O'Hare said "so I just figured that it ended up on the cutting room floor, like a lot of stuff you end up doing in animation. I had no idea that he was referring to the actual name of the show ['The Lost Episode']." The live action scenes were directed by Mark Osborne (brother of the episode's storyboard director Kent Osborne), and were hosted by Tom Kenny in character as Patchy the Pirate, the president of the fictional SpongeBob SquarePants fan club. "The Sponge Who Could Fly" was released on a VHS tape of the same name on March 4, 2003. "The Sponge Who Could Fly" was released on the DVD compilation titled SpongeBob SquarePants: Lost at Sea also on March 4, 2003. The episode was also included in the SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete 3rd Season DVD on September 27, 2005. On September 22, 2009, "The Sponge Who Could Fly" was released on the SpongeBob SquarePants: The First 100 Episodes DVD, alongside all the episodes of seasons one through five. ## Marketing To promote the episode, Nickelodeon launched an on-air campaign called "SpongeBob's Lost Episode", which culminated with the premiere of "The Sponge Who Could Fly". Nickelodeon also partnered with Burger King to release a line of toys as a marketing tie-in to the event. The toy line consisted of eight figures, including SpongeBob Silly Squirter, Swing Time Patrick, Jellyfish Fields, Plankton Bubble Up, Squirt N' Whistle Squidward, Plush Shakin' SpongeBob, Karate Chop Sandy and Gravity Defying Gary. The promotion ran for five weeks, during which time one of the popular items on the "Big Kids" menu, Chicken Tender, came "in fun star and lightning bolt shapes." Craig Braasch, vice president of global advertising and promotions for the Burger King Corporation, said "These eight new, fun, seaworthy toys inside our Big Kids Meals provide hours of aquatic entertainment for our young customers." Each of the toys released included a "clue card" containing a SpongeBob SquarePants character riddle. By visiting Nickelodeon's website, the viewers could answer the riddle in order to win digital SpongeBob trading cards. They could also enter sweepstakes to win an at-home SpongeBob SquarePants party for 25 people where "The Sponge Who Could Fly" was viewed on the winner's new large-screen television. Pam Kaufman, senior vice president of marketing for Nickelodeon, said "We are proud of the relationship we have built with Burger King Corporation and excited that SpongeBob is returning for his second Burger King promotion. The promotion is sure to bring the young Burger King customers all the fun they have come to expect from Nickelodeon and SpongeBob SquarePants." ## Reception Upon its release, "The Sponge Who Could Fly" was viewed by over seven million people. However, the episode received mixed reviews from critics. David Kronke of the Los Angeles Daily News criticized the special as being a standard episode that has been padded out to an extra length, with the live action Patchy the Pirate segments being "not terribly funny" and "what should be lost." In his review for DVD Verdict, Bryan Pope criticized "The Sponge Who Could Fly" as "The one misstep" in an otherwise strong third season, as he felt it "veers too far away from Bikini Bottom and into unfunny live action territory." Tom Maurstad of The Dallas Morning News said "The Sponge Who Could Fly" was "not a very good episode," describing it as "another SpongeBob-and-his-love-of-jellyfish story" that does "not [have] enough laughs" and having "too much drippy sentimentality." Dana Orlando of the Philadelphia Daily News expressed the opinion that both the cartoon and the live action segments of the episode were funny, and described "The Sponge Who Could Fly" as one of the best episodes to date. In 2003, the episode received a Hors Concours Honor for Recently Telecast Programs at the Banff Rockie Awards. ## Musical adaptation "The Sponge Who Could Fly" was adapted into a musical called SpongeBob SquarePants Live! The Sponge Who Could Fly!. It was launched in Singapore at The Singapore Expo Hall on May 31, 2007, and was the first customization of SpongeBob into a live musical event, joining a list of TV-inspired live offerings from Nickelodeon that includes Blue's Clues and Dora the Explorer. The musical also marked the first time Nickelodeon premiered a live tour outside the United States. The show is a story of courage and coming of age which tells of SpongeBob's desire to fly with the jellyfish of Jellyfish Fields. It traveled to five cities across Asia, including Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Bangkok, and Manila, before it toured cities of Australia and New Zealand. A Mandarin-language version toured China and Hong Kong in the fall. The script was written by Steven Banks, who had become the head writer for the series in Season 4, with songs by Eban Schletter. Gip Hoppe served as director, with choreographer and associate director Jenn Rapp, and the set was designed by Rialto vet David Gallo. The musical was produced by Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids and Family Group, partnered with Broadway Asia Entertainment. In 2009, the show toured the United Kingdom and Ireland with the name of SpongeBob SquarePants: The Sponge Who Could Fly! A New Musical. It opened at the Hackney Empire in London, England on February 3, 2009. The musical toured the UK from March 2009 for six months with performances at the Hammersmith Apollo, Southend, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Reading, Salford, Sunderland, Nottingham, Liverpool, High Wycombe, Plymouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Oxford, Killarney and Dublin. Alison Pollard choreographed and directed the UK adaptation and said that the episode already had a few songs in it, which helped with the conversion to a musical. She said "The episode chosen for the show already had four or five really catchy tunes in it, and the idea that he wants to fly with jellyfish is nice for the stage as well." The adaptation includes twelve songs of various styles. English actor Chris Coxon played the role of SpongeBob. Coxon was a fan of the series and said "If I'd been told a year ago that I would be playing SpongeBob today I would have loved it, although I'm not sure I would have believed it." Coxon admitted it was difficult to adapt the show into a musical. He remarked "It is difficult because you are trying to recreate this character that is so fluid on screen. For example I'm just getting used to my square costume, although it does have an incredible design, so that, although I am restricted, I can do a lot of the things he does in the cartoon." ### Critical reception The musical was well received by most critics. In his review for The Sentinel, Chris Blackhurst brought along a seven-year-old child called Dylan Brayford, and Dylan's 34-year-old godfather, James Humphreys, from Nantwich to watch the musical. The two "weren't disappointed." Blackhurst said "The fast-paced tale of courage and dreams kept both entertained with plenty of hilarious moments for the children and a sprinkle of gags which flew over younger fans' heads but brought a wry smile to mums and dads' faces." Brayford summed it up, saying "It was good, but not quite as good as the TV show." Gordon Barr and Roger Domeneghetti of the Evening Chronicle described the show as "a silly riot of colour[...] as you'd have to expect from an adaptation of a cartoon TV show." They lauded the song called "Ker Ching" performed by Mr. Krabs, saying "[It] stands out above the rest." Viv Hardwick of The Northern Echo said "Younger ones are just pleased to see a colourful collection of characters, vaguely resembling the ten year-old TV show cast, cavorting around the stage." Hardwick praised the role of Charles Brunton as Squidward Tentacles while John Fricker (Patrick Star) and Martin Johnston (Mr. Krabs) were said to "win the biggest costume contest."

Conquistador (Thirty Seconds to Mars song)

2013 song by Thirty Seconds to Mars

"Conquistador" is a song by American rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars, featured on their fourth studio album Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams (2013). Written by lead vocalist Jared Leto, who also produced the song with Steve Lillywhite, "Conquistador" features combative lyrics and call-and-response verses. Described as the "wild child" of the album, it is an alternative rock song with influences and elements from electronica. Thirty Seconds to Mars premiered the song on Vevo on May 2, 2013, two weeks before the album's release. "Conquistador" received mostly positive reviews from music critics, who praised the composition and its raw energy. The song appeared on the UK Rock Chart upon the album's release at number 24 for a single week, being one of two songs from Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams to appear on the chart, the other being "City of Angels". Thirty Seconds to Mars included the song in the setlist of their Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams Tour and the subsequent Carnivores Tour. ## Background "Conquistador" was written by lead vocalist Jared Leto, who also produced the song with Steve Lillywhite. The latter had previously worked with Thirty Seconds to Mars on the production of the band's third studio album, This Is War (2009). The song was engineered by Jamie Reed Schefman and mixed by Lillywhite. Clay Blair engineered it for mixing at Boulevard Recording in Los Angeles, California. It was recorded at The International Centre for the Advancement of the Arts and Sciences of Sound and mastered by Howie Weinberg and Dan Gerbarg at Howie Weinberg Mastering in Los Angeles. Thirty Seconds to Mars unveiled six songs from their fourth studio album Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams, including "Conquistador", during a preview held at the Electric Lady Studios in New York City on March 14, 2013. "Conquistador" was officially revealed on March 18, 2013, at a press release for the announcement of the band's fourth album Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams. In the weeks preceding the album's release, the band promoted a Twitter hashtag, namely \#MARSmay21st, to which, on May 2, 2013, it successfully reached the worldwide trending topics on the social platform. As a way of saying thanks to their fans for trending the hashtag, the band released the lyric video for "Conquistador" on Vevo the same day, two weeks before the album's release. Jared Leto explained that Thirty Seconds to Mars were "very excited" to release the song and to show the "flip side of the coin" to "Up in the Air", the album's lead single which had a more electronic-influenced sound. ## Composition "Conquistador" is an alternative rock song with influences and elements from electronica, utilizing programming and synthesizers. It opens with an electronic buzz followed by the sounds of guitars and drum beats, with a heavy bassline. The song features call-and-response verses leading to an anthemic chorus as Jared Leto voices the line "Say a prayer". It includes the contribution from the band's fans, credited as the Knights of the White Shadow, who provide additional vocals recorded at the band's studio. During the song's bridge, Leto proclaims "This is a fight to the death" over a "crushing" riff by guitarist Tomo Miličević and "pounding" drums by Shannon Leto. James Montgomery, writing for MTV News, felt that the sentiment "seems oddly fitting" as the song "crashes and careens" around Leto's vocals. In an interview with Loudwire, Jared Leto named the song the "dark wild child" of Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams. He explained, "Unbridled, and full of anarchistic madness, this song is crushed full of passion and energy." He further described it as "big and bombastic and full of guitars". The track features combative lyrics and repeated chants of "We will rise again". Nadia Noir of CBS News felt that "conquistador" is an "apt title" for the "bombastic blitzkreig-rock tune, an apocalyptic summons to something greater". Michael Depland of MTV explained that the song's lyrics suggest "tumult and upheaval", while critic Emily Zemler from Billboard magazine wrote that its chanting chorus makes the song feel "almost like a war cry". In a preview of the record, Jeff Benjamin from Fuse felt that the track is "self-detonated with the band's recognizable alt-rock bombast, complete with soaring violins," and noted that it "closed with a massive, stadium-filling chorus, delivered in [Leto's] famous screamo vocal." ## Reception "Conquistador" received mostly positive reviews from music critics. Emily Zemler of Billboard called it "one of the grandest numbers" on the album and an "appropriately compelling early track". Kaitlyn Hodnicki from Stature magazine described the song as a "sleazy rock stomp" that works "perfectly" with drummer Shannon Leto's "addictive beat", with lead guitarist Tomo Miličević delivering "one of his best riffs so far". She also felt that the grit in Jared Leto's voice is "surprising" and "works well" with the tone of the track. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic praised it as one of the album's highlights. Alex Lai from Contactmusic gave the song a positive review, calling it a "thumping anthem" which is "instantly grasped" with the various chanted vocal parts. Brent Faulkner from PopMatters felt that the song "reveals" the total picture of the album, noticing the "dirty guitars that rock from the onset". He stated that "Leto never fights the production for vocal clarity, even when things grow gargantuan on the anthemic chorus." Chris Maguire, writing for AltSounds, was impressed with the song, calling it a "solid rock track", while Ian Winwood from Kerrang! found it "rousing". Adam Silverstein of Digital Spy named it a stand-out track from the album and felt that songs like "Conquistador" "power up the vibe". James Montgomery from MTV praised its "massive guitars, stabbing strings and thundering drums". Andy Baber of musicOMH noticed the song's "big guitar riff" and the "combative lyrics". PureVolume's Tom Lanham called it a "marching" that "keeps upping the sonic ante". In a mixed review, John Watt from Drowned in Sound described the track as a "weird Brit-rock stomp" which "fails to resonate". Dan Slessor of Alternative Press felt that the song sounded "just too easy" for the typical sound of the band. ## Live performances "Conquistador" was first performed at special concerts, dubbed as Church of Mars, in May 2013, shortly before the release of the album. It later became a signature part of the following Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams Tour. The song, along with "Birth", usually served as a set opener during the entirety of the tour, much like their appearances on Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams as opening tracks. However, it was later moved to the middle of the setlist. Fans and critics responded favorably to the song in a live setting. Ashley Zimmerman from the New Times Broward-Palm Beach felt that "everyone got even more amped" as the band performed songs like "Conquistador", while Ed Masley of The Arizona Republic deemed it a highlight of the show. Thirty Seconds to Mars performed "Conquistador" at multiple major festivals, including Rock Werchter, Pinkpop, Download, Rock am Ring and Rock im Park, which saw the band playing as headline act. The song was also included in the Carnivores Tour, a tour on which Thirty Seconds to Mars co-headlined with Linkin Park, and usually appeared approximately halfway through the set. ## Credits and personnel - Performed by Thirty Seconds to Mars - Written by Jared Leto - Produced by Steve Lillywhite and Jared Leto - Recorded at The International Centre for the Advancement of the Arts and Sciences of Sound, Los Angeles, California - Additional vocals by Knights of the White Shadow - Audio engineering by Jamie Reed Schefman - Mixed by Steve Lillywhite - Engineered for Mix by Clay Blair at Boulevard Recording, Los Angeles, California - Mastered by Howie Weinberg and Dan Gerbarg at Howie Weinberg Mastering, Los Angeles, California Credits adapted from Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams album liner notes. ## Charts

Thailand at the 2006 Winter Olympics

Thailand sent a delegation to compete at the 2006 Winter Olympics, in Turin, Italy from 10–26 February 2006. This was Thailand's second appearance at a Winter Olympic Games after the 2002 Winter Olympics. The Thai delegation consisted of one athlete, cross-country skier Prawat Nagvajara, who finished the 15 kilometre classical in 96th place. ## Background Thailand first joined Olympic competition at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, and excepting the boycotted 1980 Summer Olympics they have participated in every Summer Olympics since. The nation's only prior participation at the Winter Olympics had come four years prior in the Salt Lake City Olympics. The Thai delegation to Turin consisted of a single athlete, cross-county skier Prawat Nagvajara. He had previously been the country's only representative in Salt Lake City. Nagvajara was the flag bearer for the opening ceremony, while a volunteer carried the Thai flag for the closing ceremony. ## Cross-country skiing Prawat Nagvajara, Thailand's lone competitor in Turin, was 47 years old at the time of these Olympics. On 17 February, he finished the men's 15 km classical in a time of 1 hour 7 minutes and 15 seconds. This made him the last of 96 men who finished the race, and he was 29 minutes behind the gold medalist, Andrus Veerpalu of Estonia. ## See also - Thailand at the 2006 Asian Games

Washing Machine (album)

Washing Machine is the ninth studio album by the American experimental rock band Sonic Youth, released on September 26, 1995, by DGC Records. It was recorded at Easley Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, and produced by the band and John Siket, who also engineered the band's previous two albums. The album features more open-ended pieces than its predecessors and contains some of the band's longest songs, including the 20-minute ballad "The Diamond Sea", which is the lengthiest track to feature on any of Sonic Youth's studio albums. Released shortly after the band concluded their stint headlining the 1995 Lollapalooza music festival, Washing Machine reached No. 58 on the US Billboard 200 chart and No. 39 on the UK Albums Chart. Two songs from the album, "The Diamond Sea" and "Little Trouble Girl", were released as singles. The album received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised the band for exploring new challenges as well as the guitar playing of band members Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo. It was ranked No. 18 in The Village Voice's 1995 Pazz & Jop critics' poll. ## Background and recording Washing Machine is the follow-up to Sonic Youth's 1994 DGC album Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star. After Experimental Jet Set, the band decided to take a hiatus from performing live and concentrated on numerous side projects. Band member Kim Gordon played with Julia Cafritz of Pussy Galore in Free Kitten, drummer Steve Shelley performed with Jad Fair in Mosquito, guitarist Lee Ranaldo played with free jazz drummer William Hooker and singer and guitarist Thurston Moore released his first solo album, Psychic Hearts. Moore and Gordon also had their first child, Coco. According to Moore, their daughter had provided a different perspective for the band: "I'm more focused and level-headed. There's a sublime awareness factor of your spiritual place in the world. I feel more at ease with myself ... Babies are little Buddhas. They're completely great". Unlike previous Sonic Youth albums, Washing Machine was recorded at Easley Studios in Memphis, where some indie rock bands like Pavement, Guided by Voices and Grifters had previously recorded albums. Moore remarked that the atmosphere in Memphis helped them disconnect from the people who were constantly following the band. He also felt that Washing Machine was conceived and recorded like some of the band's first albums, stating that it "hearkens back to records like Sister where we'd write a bunch of songs, go into the studio for a month, put them down, then go on the road and play them for a year. By the end of the year they'd mutate into something much more excited". Gordon credited Memphis for its relaxed atmosphere and cited the album as one of her favorites. The song "The Diamond Sea" is notable for its 19:35 duration. Moore explained the length of some of the album's songs: "We all have different aesthetics as to how songs should work. I generally push for a lot of abandon while some people in the group are more interested in truncating things. If I was the leader as much as people say I am, every song would be 20 minutes long". The unlisted ninth track, officially called "Becuz Coda", was originally part of the song "Becuz", but the record label felt they needed to cut the seven-and-a-half-minute track to make the album's opening more accessible. The album was produced by Sonic Youth and John Siket, who also engineered the band's previous two albums. Audio mixing took place at Greene Street Studios in New York City in June 1995. ## Music and lyrics Unlike Experimental Jet Set, which was described as difficult and claustrophobic, Washing Machine is considerably more open-ended and contains some of the band's longest songs. Excluding Sonic Youth Recordings releases, the final track, "The Diamond Sea", is the lengthiest track on any Sonic Youth album. The song was edited down to 5:15 for release as a single, which also included an alternative 25-minute version as an additional track. Washing Machine is the band's first album on which Gordon almost exclusively played guitar instead of bass, resulting in a three-guitar and drums lineup. Trouser Press remarked that the album contains musical references to the Shangri-Las and the Byrds and described its style as "[veering] between trance-guitar experiments and more concise statements." Entertainment Weekly described it thus: "These songs unfold over even-tempered rhythms and guitars that linger rather than attack. A splatter of distortion may enter, but the effect is mostly languid and wonderfully hypnotic". Although Gordon's lyrics on Experimental Jet Set addressed gender roles and stereotypes, her contributions to Washing Machine were considered more feminine and girl-oriented. Tom Moon of Rolling Stone noted, "The title track is an odd, earnest love song; 'Panty Lies' is a playground taunt blown to absurd extremes; and '[Little] Trouble Girl', the Spector sendup, is a dramatic, earnest coming-of-age story". The latter was described by David Browne of Entertainment Weekly as "a teen-pregnancy lullaby" and features vocals by Gordon and Kim Deal (of Pixies and the Breeders) along with other musicians. Gordon felt that Deal had an ideal voice for the melodic part and explained that the song was about "wanting to be seen for who you really are, being able to express those parts of yourself that aren't 'good girl' but that are just as real and true". Ranaldo contributed to two songs, "Saucer-Like" and "Skip Tracer". The latter was co-written with Ranaldo's wife Leah Singer and inspired by a performance that the couple attended of riot grrrl duo Mecca Normal. The song alludes to the band's special relationship with the major labels. The track "Junkie's Promise", sung by Moore, was described as a "heroin vignette". Although it was originally interpreted as a tribute to Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, Moore explained that the song is only about the emotional relationship between friends, with one of them being a drug addict. According to him, "Any individual involved with drug addiction will lie to his friends for the self-serving need. It's the cruelest truth of the situation. Kurt may fit this profile and he was surely in my mind as I wrote but the song is not a specific dedication to him". Other songs such as "Becuz" and "No Queen Blues" were built upon "numb grooves with slivers of melody, power, and gorgeously crafted noise". "The Diamond Sea" was described as a "Neil Young-esque ballad billowing into an epic noise excursion". Retrospectively, Pitchfork described it as "the most Sonic Youth song you can imagine" due to its calculated yet unstructured notes, noise, and occasional and aggressive guitar whir. ## Artwork and release The album cover consists of a cropped Polaroid photograph of two unidentified fans taken at a Sonic Youth show in Amherst, Massachusetts, in April 1995, during a short tour undertaken while the album was still in production. The fans are depicted wearing T-shirts that were sold as merchandise during that tour; early in 1995, the band was toying with the idea of changing their name to Washing Machine. Visible on the shirt on the left are signatures by Thalia Zedek and Chris Brokaw of the tour's opening band Come. The photo was taken by Gordon, who believed it could be used as the album cover. The band liked the shot, but the record label did not want to use it without permission from the fans. Because the band did not have any way to contact them, their faces had to be cropped out. Washing Machine was released on vinyl, CD and cassette formats on September 26, 1995, by DGC, shortly after the group concluded their stint headlining the 1995 Lollapalooza music festival. During the festival, the band previewed some tracks from the album in addition to playing several songs from Daydream Nation, Dirty, and Experimental Jet Set. In Germany, the record was also released with a bonus disc containing four live songs that were recorded in Paris on September 12, 1995. Upon release, Washing Machine reached No. 58 on the US Billboard 200 chart and No. 39 on the UK Albums Chart. The album also charted in several other countries, including Australia, New Zealand, The Netherlands and Belgium. Two singles and music videos for "The Diamond Sea" and "Little Trouble Girl" were released in 1995 and 1996 respectively. As of 2005, the album had sold 159,000 copies in the US according to Nielsen SoundScan. ## Critical reception Washing Machine received generally positive reviews from music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic opined that the album is "easily [the band's] most adventurous, challenging and best record since Daydream Nation ... Not only are the songs more immediate than most of the material on their earlier records, the sound here is warm and open, making Washing Machine their most mature and welcoming record to date ... Washing Machine encompasses everything that made Sonic Youth innovators, and shows that they can continue to grow, finding new paths inside their signature sound". Similarly, Peter Margasak of CMJ New Music Monthly described the album as a "powerful consolidation of the band's accomplishments, but a distillation that looks forwards". He also highlighted the song "The Diamond Sea" as the album's centerpiece, stating that it was one of Moore's "most ambitious excursions into pure sonic colors, textures, and tension". Writing for Rolling Stone, Tom Moon called Washing Machine "a sardonic, wise-ass, indulgent and totally captivating album", declaring that it was "anti-hook" and "disavows (and sometimes mocks) the conventional post-Nirvana wisdom". He highlighted Ranaldo and Moore's guitar interplay on every track, commenting that "they've developed an attack that is astonishingly intricate and jazzlike in its extreme flexibility". Prominent music critic Robert Christgau also praised the album and compared some songs favorably to the Grateful Dead and the Fleetwoods. Los Angeles Times writer Lorraine Ali stated that the album "finds Sonic Youth taking no radical new steps but instead holding onto its original groundbreaking formula and watching the big pop world come to it". In contrast, Entertainment Weekly's Browne felt that the band explored new challenges and wrote that Washing Machine was their "most audacious step yet". In a mixed review, Spin editor Erik Davis criticized the album for its aimless structure, stating that each of the band's members "wanders off in a different direction", but highly praised "The Diamond Sea", calling it "a gorgeous tapestry buried in Washing Machine's uneven load". He added that the band "drifts into a beautiful ambient sea glittering with overtones. Then a metallic storm brews on the horizon, before a string of four riveting notes unleashes a festival of Hendrix necromancy ... It's easy to make guitar noise harsh and grating—but Sonic Youth can make it glow. It's easy to use noise as an orgasmic peak—but Sonic Youth can make it plateau, restraining their distortion only to intensify its monstrous serenity". He also said that the song showed that Sonic Youth "may get better the farther out they go", while NME magazine remarked that it was probably the band's best song. Washing Machine was ranked No. 18 in The Village Voice's 1995 Pazz & Jop critics' poll. Similarly, NME editors placed the album at No. 31 on their albums of the year list. ## Track listing ## Personnel Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes. Sonic Youth - Thurston Moore – vocals, guitar, production - Kim Gordon – vocals, guitar, bass (8, 10, 11), production - Lee Ranaldo – vocals, guitar, production - Steve Shelley – drums, production Additional musicians - Kim Deal – additional vocals on "Little Trouble Girl" - Lorette Velvette – additional vocals on "Little Trouble Girl" - Melissa Dunn – additional vocals on "Little Trouble Girl" Technical personnel - John Siket – production, recording, mixing - Davis McCain – engineering assistance - Doug Easley – engineering assistance - Phil Painson – engineering assistance - Greg Calbi – mastering - Mike Mills – art direction - Lance Acord – photography ## Charts Album Singles

Vitalian (consul)

Byzantine General

Vitalian (Latin: Vitalianus, Greek: Βιταλιανός; died 520) was a general of the Eastern Roman Empire. A native of Moesia in the northern Balkans, and probably of mixed Roman and Gothic or Scythian barbarian descent, he followed his father into the imperial army, and by 513 had become a senior commander in Thrace. In that year he rebelled against Emperor Anastasius I (r. 491–518), whose fiscal stringency and promotion of Miaphysitism were widely unpopular, and allowed Vitalian to quickly win over large parts of the army and the people of Thrace to his cause. After scoring a series of victories over loyalist armies, Vitalian came to threaten Constantinople itself, and forced Anastasius to officially recant his adoption of Miaphysitism in summer 515. Soon after, however, as Anastasius failed to honour some of the terms of the agreement, Vitalian marched on Constantinople, only to be decisively defeated by Anastasius' admiral, Marinus. Vitalian fled to his native Thrace and remained in hiding until Anastasius's death in 518. As a staunch promoter of Chalcedonian orthodoxy, he was pardoned by the new emperor Justin I (r. 518–527) and was engaged in the negotiations with the Pope to end the Acacian Schism. He was named consul for the year 520, but was murdered shortly after, probably on the orders of Justin's nephew and heir-apparent, Justinian (r. 527–565), who saw in him a potential rival for the throne. His sons also became generals in the East Roman army. ## Biography ### Origins and family Vitalian was born in Zaldapa in Lower Moesia (usually identified with modern Abrit in north-eastern Bulgaria). He is called a "Goth" or a "Scythian" in the Byzantine sources. Since Vitalian's mother was a sister of Macedonius II, Patriarch of Constantinople in 496–511, this points to a mixed marriage and a probable barbarian origin for his father, Patriciolus. On the other hand, the assertion that he was a "Goth" is based on a single Syriac source, and is today considered dubious. Likewise, the "Scythian" label commonly applied to him by some contemporary authors is non-conclusive, since the term "Scythian" could mean an inhabitant of Scythia Minor, or simply, in the classicizing language usual in Byzantine texts, someone from the north-eastern fringes of the Graeco-Roman world, centred on the Mediterranean; the term had a wide-encompassing meaning, devoid of clear ethnic attributes. Furthermore, since none of the "Scythian Monks", to whom Vitalian and members of his family seem to have been related, expressed any kinship, by blood or spiritually, with the Arian Goths who at that time ruled Italy, a Gothic origin for Vitalian is questionable. Whatever Patriciolus's origin, his name was Latin, while of Vitalian's own sons, the generals Bouzes and Coutzes had Thracian names and Venilus a Gothic name. His nephew, John, later also became a distinguished general in the wars against the Ostrogoths of Italy. According to the chroniclers' descriptions, Vitalian was short of stature and stammered, but his personal bravery and military skills were widely acknowledged. Vitalian seems to have been of local Latinised Dacian-Getic (Thracian) stock, born in Scythia Minor or in Moesia; his father bore a Latin name, Patriciolus, while two of his sons had Thracian names and one a Gothic name. ### Revolt against Anastasius Vitalian is first mentioned in 503, when he accompanied his father in the Anastasian War against the Persians. By 513, he had risen to the rank of comes in Thrace, possibly comes foederatorum, "count of the foederati", barbarian soldiers serving in the East Roman army. From this post, he rebelled against Emperor Anastasius I (r. 491–518), taking advantage of widespread resentment over the emperor's military, religious, and social policies. In 511, Anastasius had changed the form of the Trisagion prayer and officially adopted the Miaphysite dogma, angering the Empire's Chalcedonian population, and adding to the disaffection caused by his strict financial policies. Furthermore, Anastasius had refused to supply the annonae ("rations, provisions") due to the foederati, allowing Vitalian to quickly gain the allegiance of the regular troops stationed in the provinces of Thrace, Moesia II, and Scythia Minor from the unpopular magister militum per Thracias, Anastasius' nephew Hypatius. Hypatius's subordinate commanders were either killed or joined the rebellion. At the same time, posing as a champion of Chalcedonian orthodoxy, Vitalian was able to gain the support of the local people, who flocked to join his force. According to contemporary Byzantine historians, he quickly assembled an army of 50,000–60,000 men, "both soldiers and peasants", and marched on Constantinople, possibly hoping that the mostly Chalcedonian inhabitants would join him. Indeed, it appears that Vitalian's revolt was primarily motivated by religious reasons, something suggested by his repeatedly demonstrated willingness to reach an accommodation with Anastasius. To counter Vitalian's propaganda, Anastasius ordered bronze crosses to be set up on the city walls inscribed with his own version of events. The emperor also reduced taxes in the provinces of Bithynia and Asia to prevent them from joining the rebellion. When Vitalian's forces reached the capital, they encamped at the suburb of Hebdomon and blockaded the landward side of the city. Anastasius opted for negotiations, and sent out Vitalian's former patron, the former consul and magister militum praesentalis Patricius, as ambassador. To him, Vitalian declared his aims: the restoration of Chalcedonian orthodoxy and the settling of the Thracian army's grievances. Patricius then invited him and his officers in the city itself for negotiations. Vitalian refused for himself, but allowed his senior officers to go on the next day. The officers were well treated by Anastasius, who gave them gifts and promised that their soldiers' grievances would be settled. He also pledged to submit the religious dispute for resolution to the Patriarch of Rome. Upon their return to the rebel camp, these officers unanimously pressured Vitalian to accept this settlement. Faced with no alternative, only eight days after his arrival before the capital, Vitalian retreated and returned with his men to Lower Moesia. Anastasius then appointed as magister militum per Thracias an officer called Cyril, who proceeded to attack Vitalian's forces. After a few inconclusive skirmishes, Vitalian managed to bribe his army's entry into Odessus, Cyril's base, at night. Cyril was captured at his residence and killed. At this point, Anastasius had Vitalian declared a "public enemy" and sent out a huge new army – reportedly 80,000 men – under Hypatius, with a Hun called Alathar as the new magister militum of Thrace. After winning a minor initial victory, the imperial army was eventually pushed back towards Odessus (autumn 513). At Acris, on the Black Sea coast, Vitalian's men attacked their fortified laager in darkness and dealt them a crushing defeat: the larger part of the imperial army was killed, and both imperial commanders were taken prisoner and held for ransom. The victory consolidated Vitalian's position. With the spoils, he was able to lavishly reward his followers, and at the news of the imperial army's annihilation, the remaining cities and forts in Lower Moesia and Scythia surrendered to him. Soon after, he had another stroke of luck: at Sozopolis, his men captured an embassy sent by Anastasius to ransom Hypatius, including the ransom money of 1,100 pounds of gold. Hypatius, whom Vitalian hated because he had once insulted his wife, was not released until a year later. In 514, Vitalian marched again towards Constantinople, this time gathering, in addition to his army, a fleet of 200 vessels from the Black Sea ports, which sailed down the Bosporus menacing the city from the sea as well. Anastasius was further disquieted by riots in the city, which left many casualties, and resolved to once again negotiate with Vitalian. Vitalian accepted, on the conditions of his nomination to the post of magister militum per Thracias and the receipt of ransom money and gifts worth 5,000 pounds of gold for the release of Hypatius. Anastasius also acceded to the removal of the changes from the Trisagion, the restoration of the deposed Chalcedonian bishops, and the convocation of a general church council at Constantinople on 1 July 515. The council never materialized, since Pope Hormisdas and Anastasius continued to be at loggerheads over the Acacian Schism. Neither were the deposed bishops returned to their sees. Seeing Anastasius failing to honour his promises, in late 515 Vitalian mobilized his army and marched again towards Constantinople. Vitalian's army captured the suburb of Sycae (modern Galata) across the Golden Horn from the city and encamped there. The two magistri militum praesentalis, Patricius and John, were unwilling to engage their old friend Vitalian, thus Anastasius gave command of his forces to the former praetorian prefect of the East, Marinus, a trusted and influential aide. Despite his lack of military experience, Marinus defeated the rebel fleet in a battle at the entrance of the Golden Horn; according to the report of John Malalas, this was achieved through the use of a sulphur-based chemical substance invented by the philosopher Proclus of Athens, similar to the later Greek fire. Marinus then landed with his men on the shore of Sycae and defeated the rebels he found there. Disheartened by the losses suffered, Vitalian and his army fled north under cover of night. As a sign of his victory, Anastasius led a procession to the village of Sosthenion, where Vitalian had established his headquarters, and attended a service of thanks at the famed local church dedicated to the Archangel Michael. ### Later life Once back in northern Thrace, Vitalian went into hiding, while many of his erstwhile aides were captured and executed. Nothing is known of him for the next three years, although a short remark by a chronicler seems to indicate that he resurfaced and led another armed rebellion during the last months of Anastasius's life. When Anastasius died in July 518, he was succeeded by Justin I, the comes excubitorum (commander of the imperial bodyguard). The new emperor quickly moved to strengthen his rule, dismissing a number of potential rivals or enemies. At the same time, he called upon Vitalian to come to Constantinople. Upon his arrival, Vitalian was made magister militum in praesenti, named honorary consul, and soon after raised to the rank of patricius. As a well-known champion of Chalcedonian orthodoxy, Vitalian was to play a role in the new regime's reaffirmation of the Chalcedonian doctrines and reconciliation with Rome. He played an active role in the negotiations with the Pope, and in 519, he was one of the prominent men who escorted a papal delegation into the capital. Vitalian also took vengeance on the staunchly Monophysite Patriarch of Antioch, Severus, who had celebrated Vitalian's defeat in his panegyric On Vitalian the tyrant and on the victory of the Christ-loving Anastasius the king: Justin ordered Severus's tongue to be cut out, and Severus fled to Egypt along with Julian, Bishop of Halicarnassus. Finally in 520, Vitalian was appointed ordinary consul for the year, sharing the office with Rusticius. Nevertheless, the former rebel continued to pose a potential challenge to Justin, and more importantly to his nephew and heir-apparent, Justinian (r. 527–565). Thus, in July of the same year he was murdered inside the Great Palace along with his secretary Paulus and his domesticus (aide) Celerianus. According to John of Nikiou, he was killed because he was plotting against Justin; most chroniclers, however, put the responsibility for the crime on Justinian's desire to rid himself of a potential rival for his uncle's succession.

Wink (platform)

Home automation platform

Wink is an American brand of software and hardware products that connects with and controls smart home devices from a consolidated user interface. Wink, Labs Inc., which develops and markets Wink, was founded in 2014 as a spin-off from invention incubator Quirky. After Quirky went through bankruptcy proceedings, it sold Wink to Flex in 2015. As of 2016, the Wink software is connected to 1.3 million devices. In July 2017, Flex sold Wink to i.am+ for \$59M. ## Corporate history Wink, Labs Inc. was founded at Quirky, an incubator program for inventions that relies on crowd-sourced product ideas. Wink, Labs was originally created as part of a collaboration with General Electric to control co-branded smart home products like air-conditioners. It was founded by current CTO Nathan Smith and received about \$20 million in funding. The company spent twelve months working with fifteen electronics manufacturing companies to offer about 60 Wink-compatible products by July 2014. Wink was spun-off from Quirky in June 2014. According to Quirky, Wink products were in 300,000 homes by 2015. In April 2015 Wink experienced a security problem that made many of its smart home hubs go offline or break, forcing the company to issue a recall. The recall caused a several-month inventory backlog and subsequent shortage of the Wink hub. Due to financial difficulties, due in part to the recall, Quirky began looking for buyers to sell Wink to in 2015. That November, after Quirky went through bankruptcy proceedings, it sold Wink for \$15 million to Flextronics (now called Flex), to whom Quirky owed \$18.7 million. Flex was Wink's primary supplier of firmware and hardware. As of 2016, 1.3 million devices were connected to Wink. On 27 July 2017, in its First Quarter Report, Flex announced that it had sold its interest in Wink for \$59 million, representing a \$38.7 million gain on the balance sheet. Although the Report described the purchaser as "an unrelated third-party venture backed company", stories circulated in the technology press identifying the purchaser as i.am+, the technology firm founded by the performer Will.i.am. On May 6, 2020, Wink announced that they would be updating their platform from being free from monthly fees to charging a monthly service fee in order to continue using the Wink app, hub and devices. Users were notified that they had until May 13, 2020, after which Wink devices would be inaccessible from the app, and all voice control, API and automations would be disabled. The deadline for subscriptions was delayed, eventually taking effect in July 2020. On January 25, 2021, Wink suffered a wide spread outage. Remote control and cloud automation features were broken. Some users reported a complete and total outage including local control of their smarthubs, contrary to the company's public statements. The outage persisted for nine days. Wink resumed operation on February 3, 2021, posting on their blog that customers would receive a 25% discount on January and February's monthly dues. No cause for the incident was provided. ## Products Wink connects with third-party smart home devices associated with the Internet of Things, such as thermostats, door locks, ceiling fans, and Wi-Fi-enabled lights, to provide a single user interface on a mobile app or via a wall-mounted screen, called Relay. This allows the user to remotely control those devices. The mobile app is free, while consumers pay for a Wink Hub, or Wink Relay, which connects with smart devices in the home. The hubs integrate with competing software standards used by different manufacturers. Wink integrates with software from automated home device brands, such as Canary, which markets an app-controlled home system. In February 2016, new features were introduced to allow Wink to operate on the local network, in case a user's internet connection is down. In June 2016, compatibility with Uber, Fitbit, and IFTTT, was added to the Relay product. A second generation version of the Wink Hub was released in November 2016. Compatibility with Uber has long been abandoned as of January 2021; as has the Wink Relay and sales of its standalone Wink Hub. The second generation Wink Hub supports most smart home devices with Zigbee, ZWave, Lutron Clear Connect, and Kidde protocols. Wink 2 also added Bluetooth Low Energy, 5 GHz Wi-Fi radio, an Ethernet port, and 512MB of memory. In October 2017, the Wink Lookout home security system was announced, consisting of open/close sensors, motion sensors, a siren, and the Wink hub. The Wink Lookout, released on October 31, 2017, was the last major product released by the company as of January 2021. ## Reception In a 2014 competitive review comparing Wink to SmartThings, CNET said Wink was cheaper and supported more wireless standards, but had fewer and less reliable sensors to support automation. The article recommended SmartThings for tech-savvy users and Wink for general consumers. In an August 2014 review, CNET gave Wink a 7.7 score out of 10. It complimented the product for being close to the "ideal" whole-home security and automation service, but lamented that it wasn't "a perfect replacement for some of the more sophisticated standalone smart home device apps." A January 2015 review of Wink by Tom's Guide rated the product a 7/10, "very good". The reviewer criticized the application for not giving as much control over individual smart home electronics as their own apps, but praised Wink for providing "an easy way for people to dip their toes into smart home systems." A review in PCMAG of the Wink Hub 2 said it was easy to use and compatible with many devices, but had no battery backup or USB ports. Under "Bottom Line" the review said, "Works with virtually every wireless protocol out there and supports dual-band Wi-Fi. Installation and device pairing is quick and easy." It gave the Hub 2 4.5 out of 5 stars and named it its new Editors' Choice for home automation hubs. In contrast, CNET gave the device three stars. The reviewer said the device is easy to set up and compatible with many devices, but gave the reviewer error messages. The reviewer was never able to successfully set it up the way she wanted. Tom's Guide gave the Wink Hub 2 7 out of 10. It also said the device was easy to use and compatible with many devices, but missing some advanced features. Tom's Guide said it was good for "basic" smart homes. ## Controversy In early July 2022 customers reported their Wink hubs offline, Wink app not able to connect to their accounts, and many of their Wink connected smart devices that rely on the hub and/or app to control were no longer accessible. It was confirmed by Wink in a post to their official twitter account that they were experiencing technical difficulties that they were working on. Subsequent to the early reports the Wink website became unreachable, the phone lines advise that "calls are not being accepted," and there have been no further posts or response to customer complaints on twitter. With Wink having become a subscription-based service many customers have complained on social media that Wink charged them their monthly subscription fee for July, and then the service nearly immediately went offline. Customers can attempt to obtain a refund by disputing the charge with their credit card issuer (e.g., payment for service made but service not provided).

The Gardens Between

The Gardens Between is a puzzle video game developed by Australian studio The Voxel Agents and published in September 2018 for Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4. It was later released for Xbox One in 2018, iOS in 2019, Android in 2020, and PlayStation 5 in 2022. The game, which conveys its story through visuals and gameplay rather than dialogue or narration, follows two children, Arina and Frendt, in the treehouse in a garden between their houses. In a dreamscape, they progress through sets of island levels, each representing different shared experiences. The characters walk along a path that winds through each level, and the player solves environment-based puzzles that prevent the pair from reaching and activating a portal at the end of the path. To do so, the player controls the flow of time forwards and backwards and causes the characters to interact with nearby objects and spheres of light, rather than moving the pair directly. The game was developed by The Voxel Agents over the course of four and a half years, beginning in 2014, based on a prototype idea from 2011 about playing a memory video back and forth. The island levels are derived from Japanese dry gardens, and are inspired by the developers' own childhoods. Tim Shiel, who composed the game's music, later released an album of music inspired by his tracks from the game, Glowing Pains: Music From The Gardens Between. Critics praised the game's art style and gameplay, as well as the wordless characterization of the two protagonists, though some found the puzzle difficulty uneven or the plot shallow. The Gardens Between won the "Game of the Year" award at the 2018 Australian Game Development Awards, a 2019 Apple Design Award, and the "Best Puzzle Game" award at the 2019 Webby Awards, and was nominated for several other awards. ## Plot The plot of The Gardens Between is conveyed through visuals and gameplay, as no dialogue or narration is present in the game. It follows two children, named outside the game as Arina and Frendt, a girl and boy who live next door to each other and are close friends. On a rainy night, the two sneak out and hide in their treehouse, built on a small garden square between the houses. A light sphere forms in front of them, which causes the treehouse to fall into a vast dream ocean with sets of small islands representing their shared experiences, beginning with Arina moving into her house. They sail between the islands in the dreamscape to light a portal at the top of each one, and finally to a central island and a large portal. As they progress, the weather of the dreamscape becomes overcast and then rainy. At the end of each set of levels, a scene is shown of what memory the levels represented, and a constellation appears in the sky. Once the central island portal is lit, the islands all collapse into the ocean, leaving the pair in their treehouse. The next morning Arina and Frendt hug each other, as Frendt's family is now moving away. Arina waves goodbye as Frendt's family drives off. ## Gameplay The Gardens Between is a puzzle game which consists of twenty-one levels, grouped into sets of two or three. Each level is an island littered with objects with a pathway winding through it. The goal of each level is to reach the portal at the top and activate it. Arina carries a lantern, which can absorb light from nearby sources. When lit, the lantern can be used to activate the portal when Arina is near it, or clear away purple fog that is otherwise solid. The lantern can also be given to cube-shaped creatures that jump around the level, and retrieved from them elsewhere. Frendt can activate chimes when he is near that open or close flowers that contain either a sphere of light for the lantern or a black sphere that absorbs the light. The player does not control Arina and Frendt, but instead makes time pass forwards and backwards. As time moves forwards, the pair walk down the pathway with the viewpoint following them, sometimes taking different branches if the pathway is forked. The player cannot move time forward or backwards past a point where either Arina or Frendt cannot progress. Time does not pass uniformly for all objects; for example, Arina can collect light from a flower and then go backwards in time along the path with the light in order to give the now-lit lantern to a cube creature she had passed. Frendt can also activate devices that let the player move time forwards and backwards just for a specific object, such as a radio or garden hose. This may be needed to clear paths previously blocked, bring falling light flowers into close proximity to Arina, or similar actions. Other solutions may require lateral thinking that involve recognizing how the various time stream manipulations can interact. ## Development The Gardens Between was developed by Australian studio The Voxel Agents over the course of four and a half years. The initial concept for the game was created in 2011 as part of a series of rapid prototypes for game ideas, with most centering on manipulating time. The Gardens Between's concept was inspired by a scene from the 2002 film Minority Report in which a character plays a video memory forwards and backwards by moving his hand back and forth. Although the concept was not turned into a game then, when game director and designer Henrik Pettersson rejoined the studio in 2014 The Voxel Agents began to expand the concept into a full game. An early prototype in 2014 included the concept of walking up a path on an island, as well as puzzles such as bringing a flaming torch past a waterfall by setting a falling stick on fire and then rewinding time so that it would light a beacon further up the path. The initial version of the game was a puzzle game using the story of Little Red Riding Hood, but the team wanted to use an original story instead, which was created by narrative designer Brooke Maggs. The game's narrative retained some elements of fairy tales early in development, but soon shifted to use fantastical elements that were more surreal and less taken from existing fantasy stories, and also to use the "Voyage and Return" narrative archetype such as in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland , Pan's Labyrinth, and Coraline. The music was inspired by Icelandic composers and ambient music, and the composer, Tim Shiel, was involved early in the design process so that his music would match the tone of the game being created. The designers refer to the levels as islands or gardens, and their art style was derived from Japanese dry gardens, with the structure of each garden creating "harmonic asymmetrical silhouettes". Each garden represents a moment in Arina and Friendt's friendship, with the elements of the level used for "environmental storytelling" to show what about that moment was meaningful to the pair. The moments the gardens represent were inspired by the designers' own childhoods. The levels were designed using a combination of "logical design", where the developers would draw out the timelines of the parts of the level and how they could intersect, and "thematic design", where they would take objects that relate to the part of the story for that level, and decide how they could interact with time. Arina and Friendt were designed to have very different personalities, with Arina "fearless, headstrong and fiercely independent" and Frendt "constantly curious and wandering". Lead animator and designer Josh Alan Bradbury has said that the overall concept was to convey moments that are meaningful to the pair as children, rather than ones that would still be special when they are adults. Moving back and forth in time through the memories was intended to be a metaphor for reliving the same moments through nostalgia, remembering them in different ways and coming to a collectively remembered version of the events with friends. The Gardens Between was released for Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4 on 20 September 2018, and for Xbox One on 29 November 2018. It was later released for iOS devices on 17 May 2019, Android on 15 Jul 2020, and PlayStation 5 on 16 June 2022. Previous titles by The Voxel Agents had been released first or only for mobile devices; executive producer Simon Joslin has said that not primarily designing the game for mobile devices changed their relationship with how they were developing the game and their expectations for it. Tim Shiel released an album of music inspired by and using elements of his tracks from the game as Glowing Pains: Music From The Gardens Between on 12 October 2018. It was published as both a digital album and a vinyl record with two additional tracks. ## Reception The Gardens Between won the "Game of the Year" award at the 2018 Australian Game Development Awards, was nominated for "Excellence in Visual Art" at the 2018 Independent Games Festival, and won a 2019 Apple Design Award. It won "Best Puzzle Game" award at the 2019 Webby Awards and was additionally nominated for "Best Art Direction", and was nominated for "Gamer's Voice: Video Game" at the 2019 SXSW Gaming Awards. It was also nominated for "Best Audio/Visual Accomplishment" at the 2020 Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards. Critics were "generally favorable" towards the game, according to the review aggregator Metacritic. The gameplay was praised, with Caty McCarthy of USgamer and Jay Castello of Rock Paper Shotgun praising the variety of puzzle mechanics that were continually added throughout the game. Peter Brown of GameSpot and Daan Koopman of Nintendo World Report found the puzzles clever and Emily Sowden of Pocket Gamer called them "nicely balanced". Edwin Evans-Thirlwell of Eurogamer applauded the "moments of real delight" in some of the puzzles. Colin Campbell of Polygon concluded that the gameplay managed to be interesting without being frustrating and that the game ended before it could become boring or stretched too far. The USgamer and Rock Paper Shotgun reviews did both find, however, that the difficulty of the puzzles was uneven, with several puzzles, particularly towards the end of the game, being too easy and straightforward. The Eurogamer reviewer similarly claimed that the puzzles became less interesting towards the end of the game, while a reviewer for Jeux Video stated that the game as a whole, while interesting without being over-complicated, was too easy for a puzzle game. The presentation of the game was also praised; the Nintendo World Report review applauded the "stunning art style", while Lindsay Mayhew of TouchArcade liked that it told its short story without "pointless filler". The GameSpot, Eurogamer, and Rock Paper Shotgun reviews heavily praised the wordless characterization of Arina and Frendt, and the Jeux Video and USgamer reviewers praised the integration of the story and gameplay, though the GameSpot review disagreed. Rock Paper Shotgun and GameSpot liked the story's themes, though the Polygon reviewer felt that a story about children growing up was an overused trope in indie games. Both the USgamer and Eurogamer reviewers found the story to be too sweet and straightforward, as there was no conflict between the two characters, and the Jeux Video reviewer similarly called the story sweet but shallow; Evens-Thirlwell of Eurogamer said that "best friendships are rarely this untroubled", and that it was a missed opportunity not to use that in the gameplay. The music was not remarked upon in many reviews, but the Touch Arcade reviewer praised the soundtrack, and the Jeux Video reviewer said that it was nice though unvaried. Several reviews concluded that the game was short but sweet, with the game's length matching the type and depth of the story it told while keeping any flaws from being overwhelming.

Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymond)

"Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymond)" is a song by English musician Ringo Starr from his 1973 album Ringo. It was written by George Harrison, Starr's former bandmate in the Beatles, and was one of several contributions Harrison made to Ringo. Recording for the song took place in Los Angeles in March 1973, with Richard Perry as producer. In addition to Starr and Harrison, the musicians on the track include Levon Helm, Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko and Garth Hudson of the Band, and multi-instrumentalist David Bromberg. Harrison wrote "Sunshine Life for Me" in Ireland while staying with Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. In a contrast with the reconciliatory mood among the four ex-Beatles when the song was recorded, the visit occurred shortly after the London High Court's ruling on the dissolution of the band in March 1971. The composition reflects the influence of Irish folk music, as well as aspects of country, hootenanny and the sea shanty tradition. In his lyrics, Harrison espouses an escape from modern life for the tranquility of nature. The "Raymond" named in the song title was a lawyer hired by Allen Klein, the manager of Harrison, Starr and John Lennon, to represent the three former Beatles and Apple Corps in the High Court action initiated by Paul McCartney. On release, "Sunshine Life for Me" received a varied response from music critics, some of whom dismissed it as an inauspicious track. Among retrospective reviewers, several commentators have admired its lightheartedness and consider the song to be a worthy example of Starr's work in the country genre. Harrison biographer Simon Leng describes it as "musically an homage to the spirit of the Band's 'Rag Mama Rag'". ## Background and inspiration George Harrison wrote "Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymond)" while on holiday in Ireland with his wife, Pattie Boyd. The couple stayed with Scottish singer Donovan, a friend of the Beatles since the mid-1960s and a fellow student on the band's 1968 Transcendental Meditation course in India. The visit took place over the Easter holiday weekend in April 1971, when Donovan, a tax exile in Ireland, hosted a party for his musician friends at the Castle Martin estate in Kilcullen, County Kildare. While discussing the song in his autobiography, I, Me, Mine, Harrison recalls composing the melody on an open-tuned guitar; he says he wrote it "like an old Irish folk song, a bit like country music". The holiday provided a respite for Harrison in the aftermath of the Beatles' break-up. According to Boyd, despite the freedom he now enjoyed as a solo artist, and the acclaim afforded his 1970 triple album All Things Must Pass, Harrison was distressed at the hostility that prevailed among the four former bandmates. On 12 March 1971, the High Court in London had ruled in Paul McCartney's favour against the other three Beatles and their manager, Allen Klein, resulting in the group's company, Apple Corps, being placed into receivership. During this time, press reports from the court case had conveyed the full extent of the acrimony that existed between Klein's clients – Harrison, John Lennon and Ringo Starr – and McCartney. Having expressed his frustration with the legal proceedings in another recent composition, "Sue Me, Sue You Blues", Harrison addressed one of the Klein-appointed lawyers, named Raymond, in the parenthetical subtitle of "Sunshine Life for Me". In I, Me, Mine, Harrison says that Raymond was "in my mind at the time", hence the instruction for him to "sail away". ## Composition "Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymond)" is in 4/4 time and in the musical key of E. Rather than using formal chord changes, the melody is established through a modal riff over a constant E major chord. Harrison biographer Simon Leng considers the song to be "musically an homage to the spirit" of "Rag Mama Rag" by the Band, who epitomised the counterculture's embracing of pastoral values in the late 1960s. Having spent time with the group in Woodstock in late 1968, following the completion of the Beatles' White Album, Harrison had drawn inspiration from the Band's focus on traditional song forms during the final year of the Beatles' career. Among other authors commenting on the song's musical style, Starr biographer Alan Clayson deems it "a hootenanny hoe-down", while Beatles scholar Michael Frontani writes of its "authentic country-bluegrass" mood. In Leng's description, notwithstanding the song's lighthearted qualities, the lyrical theme of "Sunshine Life for Me" is "escape from people, pressure, and society". During the choruses, Harrison states that a "sunshine life" awaits him if he were only able to escape from "this cloud over me". In keeping with the rustic theme, Harrison says that he would prefer to associate with trees than with humans, since "most folks just bore me / Always imposing ..." In the second verse, he dismisses Raymond, telling him: > There's a good life had at sea ... > That's the life for you > Sail away Raymond, sail away. While recognising "cheerfulness" as the song's prevailing emotion, author Ian Inglis writes that Harrison's instruction to Raymond is "perfectly apt, given the song's likeness to a traditional sea shanty". The composition ends with multiple vocal parts, staggering the chorus lines. Leng compares "Sunshine Life for Me" with "The Pirate Song", a sea shanty written by Harrison and comedian Eric Idle in 1975, in which Harrison sings of wanting to be a pirate rather than a celebrity. Theologian Dale Allison views the track as an example of how its composer's work "often revels in the natural world". According to Allison, the same "easy romanticism about nature" returns in "Blow Away" and songs from Harrison's 1982 album Gone Troppo, while also contrasting with the "ecological anxiety" he expresses in tracks such as "Tears of the World", "Cockamamie Business" and the Monty Python-influenced "Save the World". ## Recording In March 1973, following the completion of his album Living in the Material World, Harrison offered "Sunshine Life for Me" to Starr for inclusion on the latter's first rock solo album, Ringo. The main sessions for Ringo took place in Los Angeles that same month and coincided with a spirit of reconciliation among all the former Beatles, after Harrison, Starr and Lennon had grown disaffected with Klein as a manager. In addition to "Sunshine Life for Me" and individual contributions from Lennon and McCartney, Starr received co-writing assistance from Harrison on "Photograph", which became Starr's first number 1 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart when released as the album's advance single. With Richard Perry as his producer, Starr recorded the basic track for "Sunshine Life for Me" at Sunset Sound Recorders in early March. He later referred to Ringo as his "accidental album", since the project was planned at the last minute, and many of his collaborators were in Los Angeles for other reasons. In the case of the musicians on "Sunshine Life for Me", Harrison was there primarily to join Starr and Lennon for business meetings at Capitol Records before producing Ravi Shankar's Shankar Family & Friends album, while the Band were in Los Angeles to record Moondog Matinee. The line-up on the track included four members of the Band – Levon Helm (on mandolin), Robbie Robertson (guitar), Rick Danko (fiddle) and Garth Hudson (accordion) – and multi-instrumentalist David Bromberg (on banjo and fiddle). A friend of the Beatles since their years in Hamburg, Klaus Voormann played upright bass. Pop culture author Robert Rodriguez describes "Sunshine Life for Me" as a song "custom-crafted" for Starr, who had previously demonstrated an affiliation for country music in his White Album composition "Don't Pass Me By" and in his 1970 country album Beaucoups of Blues, which he recorded in Nashville with producer Pete Drake. Harrison recalls in I, Me, Mine that it was "a fun session and a good track". Robertson also expressed his enjoyment, saying that after Harrison showed them the song, he and his bandmates "went into our mountain-music mode". Both avowed fans of the group since the late 1960s, Starr and Harrison recorded with the Band for the first time on "Sunshine Life for Me". In Starr's case, the association continued with his appearance at the Last Waltz in November 1976 and subsequent live performances with Helm and Danko in 1989. Overdubbing on the songs recorded for Ringo, including Starr's lead vocals, took place at Sunset Sound and other studios in Los Angeles from late March to July 1973. The other vocal parts on "Sunshine Life for Me" were sung by Harrison and Vini Poncia, Starr's regular songwriting partner during much of the 1970s. Leng highlights these multiple harmonies as both a "shared inheritance" of the Beatles and the Band, and a precursor to Harrison's later work with the Traveling Wilburys. ## Release Apple Records issued Ringo on 2 November 1973. The release coincided with Lennon, Harrison and Starr suing Klein in the High Court for payment of funds owed to the Beatles and for misrepresenting their interests. "Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymond)" was sequenced as the fourth track on the album, between "Photograph" and "You're Sixteen". In his book The Beatles Solo on Apple Records, Bruce Spizer describes the first five tracks on Ringo as "one of the strongest album sides produced by any ex-Beatle". The album cover consisted of a painting by Tim Bruckner in which Harrison, the four members of the Band and all the other musicians on the recording appear, alongside Starr. "Sunshine Life for Me" was published by the Material World Charitable Foundation, which Harrison had set up in April 1973, and administered through his company Harrisongs. Don McLean covered the song on his 1974 album Homeless Brother. In what musicologist Thomas MacFarlane views as a possible "gesture of respect" towards Harrison and his love of Indian music, McLean's arrangement includes tabla backing. London-based recording engineer David Hentschel covered "Sunshine Life for Me", along with all the other tracks from Ringo, on his 1975 album Sta\*rtling Music. An experimental work featuring Hentschel on ARP synthesizer, the album was one of the first releases on Starr's short-lived record label, Ring O' Records. ## Critical reception In his album review for Disc magazine, Michael Benton said that "Sunshine Life for Me" represented "a somewhat subdued patch" between the obvious hit singles, "Photograph" and "You're Sixteen". While the critical reception to Ringo was generally highly favourable, the NME's Charles Shaar Murray derided the album for its "dearth of good material", saying that the record's appeal was confined to the most committed Beatles nostalgics. He described "Sunshine Life for Me" as the best of the three Harrison contributions, but only due to the presence of the Band and Bromberg. Writing in Rolling Stone, Ben Gerson called "Sunshine Life for Me" a "modal banjo tune" that "never manages to transcend its idiom, much less to fulfil it", while Alan Betrock of Phonograph Record dismissed the song as "muzak without definition". By contrast, Loraine Alterman of The New York Times deemed it "a dynamite bluegrassy number with a really sharp lyric about a guy who wants to get away from it all but just can't see that the problem is inside him". Comparing "Sunshine Life for Me" with the devout lyrical content of Living in the Material World, Beatles biographer Nicholas Schaffner opined that with this song Harrison had "managed to be amusing for the first time in years". Writing in 1981, NME critic Bob Woffinden admired the track as "a sort of update of 'Mother Nature's Son'" on an album that contained "excellent compositions" from Starr's former bandmates and conveyed "a zestfulness, an unashamed joie de vivre". Among other retrospective assessments, Chip Madinger and Mark Easter, writing in their book on the former Beatles' solo careers, admire the song as "a hoedown stomper which was as country as any of the tracks on Beaucoups of Blues". Ian Inglis writes of "Sunshine Life for Me": "The result is a convincing piece of good-time folk-rock that would have been at home on Fairport Convention's groundbreaking album Liege & Lief, which was itself hugely influenced by the spirit of the Band's Music from Big Pink ... [T]he impression lingers that the track was as much fun to make as it is to hear." In the 2005 publication NME Originals: Beatles – The Solo Years 1970–1980, Paul Moody included "Sunshine Life for Me" among Starr's "ten solo gems", describing it as a "joyful hillbilly romp". Former Mojo editor Mat Snow cites it as an example of how Harrison and Lennon served their former bandmate well with their respective contributions to Ringo – in the case of "Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymond)", by "amusingly hark[ing] back to Ringo's songs of life beneath the waves while extolling his yachting lifestyle on the surface". In The Cambridge Companion to the Beatles, Michael Frontani describes it as "perhaps the most lively track" on a "remarkable" album. ## Personnel According to Bruce Spizer: - Ringo Starr – vocals, drums, percussion - George Harrison – electric guitar, backing vocals - Robbie Robertson – electric guitar - Levon Helm – mandolin - David Bromberg – banjo, fiddle - Garth Hudson – accordion - Rick Danko – fiddle - Klaus Voormann – standup bass - Vini Poncia – backing vocals

Vern Bickford

American baseball player

Vernon Edgell Bickford (August 17, 1920 – May 6, 1960) was an American professional baseball player. A right-handed starting pitcher, he played six seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston/Milwaukee Braves from 1948 to 1953 in the National League, and one game for the Baltimore Orioles of the American League in 1954. Bickford was born in Kentucky but raised in West Virginia. He began his professional career in 1939 and, after serving in World War II, made the majors in 1949. Acquired by the Braves organization due to a flip of a coin, Bickford became one of the most promising National League pitchers during his playing career, earning All-Star honors in 1949 and leading the National League in complete games in 1950. However his career was soon shorted by multiple arm injuries, and he was out of baseball by 1955. After working an assortment of jobs, he was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 1960 and died after a three-month illness. He is best known for throwing a no-hitter against the Brooklyn Dodgers on August 11, 1950. Although the slogan "Spahn and Sain, then two days of rain" is today widely mentioned when reference is made to the Braves' 1948 season, at the time it was actually, "Bickford, Spahn and Sain and then we pray for rain." His winning percentage of .688 that year, his rookie season, in which he did not really begin to pitch until well into the season, was higher than either that of Sain or Spahn. ## Early life Bickford was born in Hellier, Kentucky and raised in Berwind, West Virginia. He began playing semi-professional baseball in 1939 for a local West Virginian team, before signing with the Welch Minors of the Class-D Mountain State League the same year. He served three years in the armed forces during World War II where he later claimed "helped" improve his career, as he got pitching tips from several professional Major League ballplayers. ## Minor league career Bickford was groomed to be a relief pitcher in minor league baseball and played four seasons with the Welch Minors before going off to fight in World War II. He came back to the Braves system in 1946 where he played for the Jackson Senators of the Southeastern League, where he had a 10–12 win–loss record with a 3.33 earned run average (ERA), and one game with the Hartford Chiefs of the Eastern League. He was promoted to the Indianapolis Indians of the American Association for the 1947 campaign when Indianapolis owner Frank McKinney bought controlling interest in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. Allegedly, Bickford stayed as part of the Braves organization due to a flip of a coin at a local bar. An argument endured between McKinney, Braves president Lou Perini and Braves general manager John Quinn during spring training over the fate of the players in the organization, with McKinney wanting to move Indianapolis and all its players to the Pirates organization. Via a gentleman's agreement, they decided to split the players with a flip of a coin. They flipped a coin for the first selection, similar to a sports draft. If the coin landed heads, the player was headed to the Pirates organization and if it landed tails they stayed in Braves organization. The coin landed on tails, and the Braves picked Bickford and took over his contract. Perini later recalled on why he selected Bickford. Brooklyn's general manager Branch Rickey had interest in the young right-hander, and Perini thought that "if Bickford was good enough for Rickey, he was good enough for the Braves". Bickford played for the Milwaukee Brewers in 1947, where he had a 9–5 win–loss record with a 3.78 earned run average in 29 games, 14 of which were starts. ## Major League career Bickford was expected to start the 1948 season in the minor leagues due to lack of control. However, a friend of Boston Braves manager Billy Southworth stated that Bickford was likely better as a starting pitcher and reached the major league roster. His Major League debut was on April 24, 1948, in a 16–9 loss against the New York Giants. He entered in relief at the top of the fourth inning, after Al Lyons gave up three earned runs to start the inning. He got Sid Gordon to hit to a double play and after giving up a single to Johnny Mize, he retired Willard Marshall on a grounder to end the inning. He made his first career start against the Pirates, a 4–1 victory on May 19 in which he only gave up five hits. On June 7, he pitched a four-hitter in an 11–1 victory over the Chicago Cubs, throwing five perfect innings before giving up a hit to Dick Culler to start the sixth inning. He finished with an 11–5 mark and a 3.27 earned run average as the Braves won the National League pennant and advanced to the 1948 World Series against the Cleveland Indians. In his only World Series appearance, he started Game 3, where he gave up one run on four hits in 3.1 innings pitched and was charged with the loss. ### 1949–50 In 1949, Bickford went 16–11 with a 4.25 earned run average and made the National League All-Star team. He finished seventh in the league in complete games (15) and third in games started (36) behind teammate Warren Spahn and Ken Raffensberger of the Cincinnati Reds. He lost a no-hitter in the ninth inning in one of those games. At season's end Bickford, alongside Spahn and teammate Johnny Sain created one of the most formidable pitching trios in the league for the next several years. His best season statistical-wise came in 1950, when he went 19–14 with a 3.47 earned run average and led the National League in games started (39), complete games (27), innings pitched (311.2) and batters faced (1,325). He also finished eighth in the league with 126 strikeouts. The high point of his career was his 7–0 no-hitter against the Brooklyn Dodgers on August 11, the first no-hitter in the Major Leagues since Rex Barney threw one for Brooklyn in 1948, and the first one for the Braves since Jim Tobin in 1944. He retired the first 10 batters before walking Gene Hermanski in the fourth inning. Overall, he walked four batters, and Duke Snider hit into a double play to end the game. Afterwards, Bickford stated that "all he wanted was the game". His no-hitter helped stay the Braves in the pennant race, falling five games behind the Philadelphia Phillies. However the Braves faltered and finished fourth with an 83–79 record, eight games behind the Phillies in the standings. Bickford struggled near the end of the year, falling short in his six games in an attempt to record a 20 win season. ### Later career In 1951, he had an 11–9 win–loss record with a career low 3.12 earned run average in 25 games. His 3.12 earned run average was good for eighth in the league. However, Bickford broke a finger in 1951 after being hit by a line drive, missed most of the final three months of the season and never regained his prior form. In 1952, he was 7–12 with a 3.74 earned run average in 26 games, 22 of them starts. He played for the Braves when the team moved to Milwaukee before the 1953 season; however, he suffered from bone spurs in his pitching arm. During the 1953 season, Bickford had a 2–5 win–loss record with a 5.28 earned run average. In 1954, Bickford was sold to the Baltimore Orioles for an undisclosed amount of cash and catcher Charlie White. The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox were both interested in Bickford's services, but general manager John Quinn decided to go with Baltimore's offer. He only played one game, a start against the Chicago White Sox on April 24. He gave up five runs, four of them earned, in four innings before being credited with the 14–4 loss. A pinched nerve in his throwing arm and eventual elbow surgery shortened his career. In 1955, he unsuccessfully tried a brief comeback with the Triple-A Richmond Virginians in the International League. He pitched in nine games before retiring due to complications of his arm injuries. ## Personal life and death Following his playing career, Bickford worked an assortment of jobs, as an automobile dealer, a traveling salesman and a carpenter. He spent the last few months of his life hospitalized from cancer, dropping 65 pounds, and telling the media a few days before his death about beating the cancer in order to coach professional baseball. He died of cancer in Maguire Veterans Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, at the age of 39. He left behind a wife and three sons at the time of his death. He is buried at Mount Zion Baptist Church Cemetery in New Canton, Virginia. ## See also - List of Major League Baseball no-hitters

Typhoon Vera (1983)

Pacific typhoon in 1983

Typhoon Vera, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Bebeng, brought significant flooding to the Philippines in July 1983. The monsoon trough spawned a tropical depression on July 12 east of the Philippines. Although the depression was initially slow to organize, the system headed west-northwestward, strengthening to a tropical storm the following day and a typhoon on the July 14. Vera moved onshore early the next day as a minimal typhoon in the Philippines before weakening slightly over the islands. However, Vera managed to restrengthen over the South China Sea while accelerating, later attaining winds of 85 mph (135 km/h). After crossing Hainan while still at peak intensity and moving into the northern portion of the Gulf of Tonkin, Vera gradually weakened before moving ashore in northern Vietnam on July 18. By July 19, Vera had dissipated inland. Across the Philippines, Typhoon Vera killed 123 and left 60 missing and 45 hurt. Approximately 200,000 people were homeless. The typhoon destroyed 29,054 dwellings and "badly" damaged 5,558 others. A total of 76,346 homes were "partially" damaged. Moreover, 24,280 people sought shelter due to Vera. Around 80% of Manila's residents lost power. Many low-lying areas of Manila were underwater while strong winds damaged homes and trees. The province of Bataan sustained the worst damage from the storm and 10 nearby villages were destroyed. Throughout the province, 50 people perished, primarily due to drownings. In all, damage totaled \$42 million (1983 USD). In addition to the impact on the Philippines, Typhoon Vera claimed three lives in Vietnam and damaged 2,500 houses. Offshore China, a swimmer drowned due to rough seas caused by Vera. ## Meteorological history The origins of Typhoon Vera can be traced back to a poorly organized monsoon trough that extended westward from the Philippines to the 160th meridian east in early July 1983. On July 4, the storm developed a persistent circulation. Four days later, a pair of organized areas of convection began to form, one near the 120th meridian east and another close to Guam. A Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA) was issued at 0600 UTC on July 10 after the storm developed a well-defined upper-level circulation. However, further development was slow to occur and the TCFA was re-issued 24 hours later despite Hurricane Hunters suggesting that the storm did not have a low-level circulation. Early on July 12, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) upgraded the system into a tropical depression after Hurricane Hunters indicated that the system had developed a closed wind circulation. Twelve hours later, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) classified the system as a tropical storm, bypassing the tropical depression stage. After tropical cyclogenesis, the depression began to strengthen quite steadily. Meanwhile, the storm slowed down, and by July 13, Vera turned west-northwest and towards the Central Philippines. At 1200 UTC, the JMA estimated that Vera had deepened into a severe tropical storm. Several hours later, the JTWC upgraded the storm into a typhoon. At 0000 UTC on July 14, the JMA upgraded Vera into a typhoon while skirting Samar. Around this time, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration also monitored the storm and assigned it with the local name Bebeng. Even though meteorologists from the JTWC anticipated weakening as the storm moved through the island group, this did not occur. Convention gradually increased, until very early on July 15, when the storm started to interact with rugged terrain near Manila. Around this time, the JMA downgraded Vera into a severe tropical storm as it passed very close to Manila Bay. Within the next several hours, the JMA decreased the winds to 105 km/h (65 mph). Late on July 15, the storm began to reintensify and the JTWC upgraded Vera back to typhoon status. Early the following morning, the JMA followed suit. Accelerating, the storm continued to slowly deepen and early on July 27, the JMA reported that Vera reached its peak intensity, with winds of 135 km/h (85 mph). Around this time, the JTWC estimated peak winds of 170 km/h (105 mph), equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale. After crossing Hai-Nan at peak intensity and moving into the northern portion of the Gulf of Tonkin, Vera slowly weakened before moving ashore near Haiphong at around 0000 UTC on July 18. At the time of landfall, the JMA estimated winds of 105 km/h (65 mph). Severe Tropical Storm Vera rapidly weakened over land and by July 19, the JMA stopped monitoring Vera. ## Impact and aftermath ### Philippines Prior to the arrival of Vera, schools and government offices were shut down. Railway services were suspended; Philippine Airlines called off domestic services. Upon making landfall, Vera became the first storm to hit the nation in eight months while helping to relieve drought conditions. Typhoon Vera killed 123 and left 60 others missing across the Philippines, including 100 in Luzon alone. A total of 145 people were also injured. Around 200,000 people were homeless. The typhoon destroyed 29,054 houses and "badly" damaged 5,558 others. A total of 76,346 homes were "partially" damaged, which directly affected 628,985 people. According to authorities, 24,280 persons sought shelter. Moreover, more than 40 domestic flights were canceled due to the storm. About 80% of Manila's 7 million residents lost power due to the storm. Low-lying areas of Manila were underwater as strong winds blew away roofs of shacks and uprooted trees. Throughout the city, four deaths happened. One man was electrocuted while another man was crushed by debris. Fifty people were confirmed to have died and 2,089 dwellings were damaged in nearby Bataan after storm surge crashed into the area. Most of the casualties in Bataan were due to drownings; the city was also the hardest hit by the storm. Throughout the area near Bataan, 10 villages were destroyed. In Pantalan Luma, all but four of the town's 400 huts were destroyed. About 30 houses in San Pablo, Laguna were either demolished by strong winds or by falling coconut trees. Elsewhere, in Zambales, a woman was killed after she was struck by lightning. In Lucena City, a farmer was swept away via floods and two boys died due to fallen trees. The resort city of Legaspi suffered severe damage because hundreds of dwellings were destroyed, forcing many residents to seek shelter in schools or churches. Along the east coast of Luzon, seven people perished when hit by falling coconut trees in Quezon. Meanwhile, three casualties occurred in a fire in the province of Sorsogon. A total of 15 people drowned in the town of Sexmoan. The nearby towns of Macabebe and Masantol saw two drownings each. In the city of Manila or the provinces of Batangas, Quezon, Laguna, and Cavite, 34,000 people were displaced. Overall, damage totaled \$42 million (1983 USD). Infrastructure damage totaled \$31 million. However, damage to crops totaled to only \$9.4 million since residents were just beginning to replant fields. According to the Philippine Red Cross, 26,845 families necessitated emergency assistance. Government agencies were ordered to arrest profiteers, hoarders and looters. President Ferdinand Marcos ordered all relief agencies to submit damage reports so emergency funds can be issued. ### Vietnam and China After striking Vietnam, Typhoon Vera claimed three lives and damaged 2,500 houses. Heavy rains helped alleviate a prolonged drought in northern Vietnam that previously prevented the planting of rice. Because Typhoon Vera posed a threat to Southern China, 36 bulletins were issued by the Hong Kong Royal Observatory. A Typhoon signal No. 3 was also issued. After passing south of the area, a peak windspeed of 115 km/h (70 mph) was measured at Tate's Cairn. In addition, the storm generated showers and squally weather in the region. One swimmer drowned due to rough seas. ## See also - Other storms named Vera - Typhoon Xangsane (2006) - Typhoon Rammasun - Had a similar track - Typhoon Fengshen (2008) - Typhoon Conson (2010) - Tropical Storm Nalgae (2022)

Looking 4 Myself

Looking 4 Myself is the seventh studio album by American singer Usher. Released on June 8, 2012 by RCA Records, it is his first album for RCA after the October 2011 merger of the Jive Records group which also included his label, Arista Records, that resulted in both labels being consolidated into the RCA label group. Many producers worked on the songs, and the album features appearances from Luke Steele and ASAP Rocky. Inspired by the electronic duo Empire of the Sun and listening to music originating from several locations, Usher intended the album to contain a more experimental sound, that remained relevant to the music of its time. Defined as "revolutionary pop" by the singer, critics noted that Looking 4 Myself is a dance-pop and R&B album that incorporates the genres pop, hip hop, electronic, Europop, and dubstep. Critic Barry Walters has noted how elements of some of its R&B songs were inspired by the emerging alternative R&B genre. The album debuted atop the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 128,000 copies in its first week, becoming Usher's fourth number one album in the country. As of October 2014, Looking 4 Myself has sold 504,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Worldwide, it attained top-ten positions in over eight other countries including Australia, Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom. Looking 4 Myself was supported by five singles: "Climax", "Scream", "Lemme See" featuring Rick Ross, "Numb", and "Dive". "Climax" peaked in the top-twenty on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for eleven weeks. "Scream" peaked in the top-ten on the Hot 100 and several other countries. "Numb" obtained moderate international chart success and peaked at number 69 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Usher promoted for the Looking 4 Myself by performing in several shows; including the off-broadway show Fuerza Bruta: Look Up, Saturday Night Live and Good Morning America, among others. The tour has further be promoting the album, however, it was cancelled due to the singer's obligation as a coach on The Voice. ## Background In 2010, Usher released his sixth studio album Raymond v. Raymond, with a mixed critical response and commercial success; the project went on to earn two Grammy Awards at the 2011 ceremony. His follow-up record was originally rumored to be titled The Shanetance and due for release on March 23, 2012, though Usher later refuted the speculation. While on hiatus between the release of his first EP Versus and Looking 4 Myself, Usher told AOL Music that he mainly traveled to various locations to listen to music which he "felt was really significant in terms of energy." Some of these locations included the Coachella Music Festival, Ibiza, Germany, Las Vegas, Miami and Southern France. He described some of the music as a "little bit more electronic, some of it a little bit more dance. Some of it, a bit more world." It was Australian electronic music duo Empire of the Sun that inspired Usher to produce the album's title track, with producer Rico Love, which led to the singer collaborating with producers he normally wouldn't work with or admired, such as Diplo. Usher's intention for the album was one "that was not genre-specific but just experimental". During an episode of NBC's The Voice, Usher called the album "by far one of my most risky records ... I wanted to challenge myself". Looking 4 Myself was chosen as the album's title as it described Usher's 'musical journey'. RCA Records CEO Peter Edge spoke to Billboard on which two specific groups they want the album to appeal to, "By the time the album is available, Usher's collective audience will have had a chance to really sample a number of songs from the album [...] the end result will be an Usher album that appeals to his earliest fans, and people who may have never listened to or owned an Usher album before." Prior to the album's release, Usher was put under the management of Grace Miguel—whom he is in a relationship with—replacing Randy Phillips, who managed Usher for a short period after he split with his mother, Jonnetta Patton for a second time, in 2008. The cover art and track listing for both the standard and deluxe edition of the album were revealed on May 3, 2012. On June 4, 2012, 30-second snippets of each track were leaked on the internet. ## Production Diplo, Rico Love, Jim Jonsin, Salaam Remi and Max Martin were the first producers confirmed for Looking 4 Myself in March 2012. After Usher had attended the Coachella Music Festival, he worked with electronic music duo Empire of the Sun to produce the album's title track; he described the band's music as an "incredible sound". The collaboration and the band's music inspired Usher to produce more experimental music, and to produce records with producers he normally wouldn't work with or admired. DJ and producer Diplo was one of them, and so both collaborated on the album's lead single, "Climax". They discussed the concept throughout the song's development and how it relates to Usher's life, as Diplo "tried to help realise these lyrics and feelings." After conceiving some melody lines, they wrote the song in about an hour. Usher and Diplo worked on the song's production for two months, recording in studios in Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta. Usher wanted to work with Swedish electronic dance music trio Swedish House Mafia since their joint performance at the American Music Awards in 2011. The group later agreed to work with the singer, where they intended to travel to Atlanta to work on track production, writing, and to "move the ball forward." Steve Angello, a member of Swedish House Mafia, told MTV News that the group hung out with Usher in Ibiza after the awards ceremony; they worked with him in Atlanta for five days. They produced the final tracks "Numb", "Euphoria" and "Way to Count", with the latter not making the final cut. Usher contacted several producers and musicians who he endeavoured to, but ended up not collaborating with, including Skrillex, Calvin Harris, Afrojack, Kaskade, Little Dragon, and David Guetta. The latter had revealed to The Hollywood Reporter in May 2012 that he and Usher had worked on a "crazy" record, though it did not appear on the album due to a scheduling conflict; rapper Ludacris was involved in the song's production. English singer-songwriter Labrinth spent two studio sessions with Usher in April 2012 working on Looking 4 Myself. ## Composition ### Influence and sound Usher told Sylelist in November 2011 that he is working on a new genre of music, which he depicted as "revolutionary pop". He explained that it "combines several other music genres to form a new sound". In a later interview, Usher clarified that his latter quote was misinterpreted, in that it is not a specific type of sound, but rather what he found as inspiration behind where he was and what he was working on "was revolutionary". The album incorporates pop styles, which Usher described as being "relevant" to its time and "what [people are] listening to". Randall Roberts of Los Angeles Times summed up the production of the album, writing that it "draws on a world of styles permeating pop culture in 2012", by implementing the genres electronic dance, dubstep, pop and Hip-Hop to create a hybrid pop. AllMusic's Andy Kellman described revolutionary pop as "contemporary pop-oriented R&B, or european dance-pop, or some combination of the two", and that the album is "weighted more heavily toward dance-pop" compared to his previous efforts. ### Songs and lyrics Looking 4 Myself opens with club track "Can't Stop Won't Stop", which contains the melody of Billy Joel's 1983 "Uptown Girl"; it contains a synth heavy hook and incorporates elements of dubstep. "Scream" is another club oriented track, with heavily sexual lyrics. The song makes heavy use of bass—particularly in the chorus—and is noted to be reminiscent of Usher's "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" (2010). The third track, "Climax", is a quiet storm-style slow jam, built around a haunting riff, complemented by sparse drum machine and some musical accompaniment. Its lyrics focuses on Usher's anguish over a failed relationship, with its title referring to the turning point of a relationship. Follow-up track "I Care for U" is a mid-tempo R&B song, which fuses 90's R&B and hip-hop with dubstep, produced by American record producer Danja. "Show Me", another Danja produced record, is described by Randall Roberts of Los Angeles Times to feature "driving house synth-claps with a propellant techno rhythm bubbling beneath it." A mid-tempo track, "Lemme See" contains a synth-heavy production with contributed vocals from American rapper Rick Ross. "Twisted", which was produced by and features record producer-rapper "Pharrell", is the seventh track. It is a 60's retro-soul track, with heavy use of percussions and bass throughout. Usher described the track as "nostalgic", and explained that his intent was to also "modernize it", similar to records produced by Cee Lo, Bruno Mars and Andre 3000. "Dive" discusses a commitment to a relationship, while containing a triple-entendre, according to Matt Cibula of PopMatters, initially singing about diving or oral sex, to discussing a commitment to a relationship. The ninth track is "What Happened to U"; it is a downtempo song, sung by Usher primarily using falsetto. It samples the late The Notorious B.I.G.'s "One More Chance". The album's title track features Empire of the Sun member Luke Steele, and is both new wave and soft rock. The title refers to Usher's "musical journey", and the song was inspired by his travelling and the latter band. The first of the two Swedish House Mafia tracks is "Numb", a euro disco and electronic dance track, its lyrics message was described by Erika Ramirez of Billboard to simply be "Forget your troubles and fist-pump!". The next track is "Lessons for the Lover", a slow-tempo track with heavy production, produced by long-time collaborator Rico Love. Ramirez compared the track to songs from Usher's Confessions era. "Sins of my Father" is a soul song with prominent blues, dub, Motown and reggae influences; it is about being a "tortured soul" in a "volatile" relationship. Looking 4 Myself closes with "Euphoria", the second Swedish House Mafia produced track on the album. It is described as more "tense" and "powerful" compared to "Numb". ## Singles The album's lead single "Climax" was leaked on February 14, 2012 and digitally released on February 22. "Climax" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number eighty-one with 31,000 digital units sold on the week of March 10, 2012 and has since peaked at number 17. The song topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart marking Usher's twelfth number one single on the chart, and overtaking R. Kelly as the ninth artist with the most number one's. "Climax" sustained the number one position for eleven weeks, tying with his 1997 "You Make Me Wanna..." as his longest running number one single on the chart. The accompanying music video was released on March 9, 2012, and was directed by Sam Pilling and filmed in Atlanta. The video shows Usher sitting in his car, contemplating on how to approach his ex-girlfriend inside her home, with numerous scenarios shown being thought out by Usher. The video was nominated for Best Male Video at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards, losing to Chris Brown's "Turn Up the Music". "Scream", the album's second single, premièred on SoundCloud on April 26, 2012. The song was produced by Savan Kotecha and Max Martin, the same duo who produced "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" (2010). "Scream" was made available for purchase as a digital download on April 27, 2012. It officially impacted the Top 40/Mainstream and rhythmic radio on May 1, 2012. The song peaked in the top ten in several charts, including the Billboard Hot 100, Canadian Hot 100, Japan Hot 100, Scottish Singles Chart and UK Singles Chart. An accompanying music video uses footage from Usher's performance in Fuerza Bruta in New York City. In the video, Usher gets intimate with his love interest; his dancing and choreography was compared to Michael Jackson's. The third single, "Lemme See" features rapper Rick Ross, and was made available for purchase as a digital download on May 4, 2012. The song was released to urban radio on May 8, 2012 and reached number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Internationally, "Lemme See" peaked at number ninety in the United Kingdom, and number eighty-eight in France. The official music video for the song was released on June 14, 2012, and was directed by Philip Andelman. "Numb" is the album's fourth single, and was released to contemporary hit radio on August 28, 2012. It was produced by Swedish House Mafia, who also co-wrote the song with Usher. The song received generally positive acclaim from contemporary music critics with many of them praising its club-oriented production, labeling it as a potential success as a single. "Numb" was a moderate worldwide success, reaching the top-forty in five countries including Belgium, Germany and Australia. Usher released "Dive" as the fifth single, releasing the song to urban radio on August 28, 2012. The song was well received by critics, who lauded Usher's falsetto and overall vocals. Directed by Chris Applebaum, its music video shows Usher getting intimate with Victoria's Secret Angel model Chanel Iman, who plays as his love interest. "Dive" peaked on the South Korea Gaon International Chart at number fifty, and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at number 34. ## Promotion Usher held multiple private listening sessions for Looking 4 Myself. On April 27, 2012 he debuted the album in the off-broadway show Fuerza Bruta: Look Up, in Daryl Roth Theater in New York City. When speaking to MTV, he explained his reasoning for performing in the show "It's not often that you're able to give somewhat of a visual or an emotional kind of basis of what your songs mean [...] I felt like, yeah, it would be a physical challenge, yeah it would be a lot for me, but [I want to] at least try it, there are many times I'd seen the show and I'd only hoped that I would make it happen". Steven Horowitz of Rolling Stone commented that Usher "theatrically sequenced the entirety of the project to strobing lights and choreographed moves". Horowitz also praised the singer's performance, concluding that "the veteran entertainer reasserts himself as a master of rapturous dance fodder, capable of turning a room into a thumping rave with ease". Usher appeared on Saturday Night Live—hosted by Will Ferrell—where he performed the singles "Scream" and "Climax". He performed both singles again, in the 2012 Today summer concert, being the opening act of the series. Usher performed "Scream" in the 2012 Billboard Music Awards; during the performance he wore a black suit, bowler hat and bow tie while dancing with a masked female, who later disappeared behind a cape and was replaced by a male dancer who mirrored Usher's dance routines. On June 9, 2012 Usher performed in the UK, appearing in the Capital FM Summer Time Ball, his second appearance in his career. He entered the stage doing the moonwalk and then performed his 2010 single "OMG". Backed-up by female dancers while doing choreographed routines, he then performed several singles from his previous work and Looking 4 Myself, including "Yeah!", "Without You", "Climax" and "Scream". The singer again performed "Scream" in the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles during Microsoft's conference. He performed the dance routines presented in the video game Dance Central 3, via the Kinect to the latter song. Usher promoted the album on its release date in the UK—June 11—by performing in a one-off concert in the HMV Hammersmith Apollo in London. The performance was directed by Hamish Hamilton, and was streamed to Usher's VEVO channel on YouTube. The same week, he appeared on BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge, where he covered the song "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People, and performed "Scream". The singer appeared on Good Morning America, where he spoke about Looking 4 Myself, and discussed his legal battle with ex-wife Tameka Foster. He performed "Climax" in the 2012 BET Awards; Kelly Carter of MTV described the performance as "fairly muted", due to Usher's appearance and dancing being minimalistic. He opened the 2012 iTunes Festival, performing songs from his previous studio album efforts and tracks from Looking 4 Myself which he performed for the first time, including "Can't Stop Won't Stop", "Lemme See", "Twisted", "Dive" and "Numb". ### Tour On September 18, 2012, Usher announced that he would embark on a concert tour, the Euphoria Tour, to further promote Looking 4 Myself. Usher planned to perform in countries including France, Germany, Belgium, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. In partnership with Live Nation Global Touring, the tour was to commence on January 18, 2013 in Amsterdam, Netherlands and would conclude on March 14 in Nice, France. For the tour leg in the United Kingdom, British singer Rita Ora was scheduled to be an opening act. On September 25, 2012, Live Nation Global Touring announced that the tour will be postponed until the fall of 2013, due to Usher's participation in the reality talent show The Voice, where along with singer Shakira, he was a judge in the show's fourth season. The tour, however, was not rescheduled. ## Critical reception At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average score of 75, based on 19 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Alex Macpherson of The Guardian complimented Usher's vocals, saying that they "are in fine fettle", and found the album "most interesting" when it "goes in directions that don't cleave to obvious aesthetics". AllMusic's Andy Kellman felt that, despite Usher's shift to dance music, "he's more of a creative force when he's working with slower, soul-rooted material". Randall Roberts of the Los Angeles Times described the album as not genre defying, but instead uses the music styles of the [current] era– it's "more pop than it is revolutionary". Evan Rytlewski of The A.V. Club said that "not all of it works, but none of it is unpleasant, either", and commended Usher for branching out and taking risks. Pitchfork Media's Carrie Battan felt that his strength "lies in R&B, and he's adjusted well to shifting ground", although "not everything on Looking 4 Myself hits the mark". At USA Today, Steve Jones stated that on the release Usher has "chosen to keep growing and moving ahead" on which he "confidently steps out of his sonic comfort zone." In a mixed review, Now writer Kevin Ritchie said that "Climax" is one of the only few stand-out tracks. Slant Magazine's Eric Henderson felt that the album lacks structure and found it "unavoidably uneven". Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe criticized Usher's use of Auto-Tune: "the unnecessary deployment of Auto-tune on a singer who can actually hold his own vocally". The Observer's Killian Fox wrote that "for every hit—'Lemme See' is another—there are a couple of misses: 'Can't Stop Won't Stop', the Euro-dance opener produced by will.i.am, is horribly overblown". On October 9, 2012, Looking 4 Myself earned Usher three nominations at the 2012 American Music Awards for Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist, Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist and Favorite Soul/R&B Album. On November 18, 2012 Usher won the award for Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist for the third consecutive year. At the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, "Climax" earned Usher his eighth Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance. Billboard ranked Usher twentieth and sixty-second on their Hot 100 and Billboard 200 year-end charts, respectively. ## Commercial performance Looking 4 Myself was predicted to sell 120,000 – 130,000 units during its first-week in the United States, based upon first day sales. The figure was under-weight compared to his previous effort Raymond vs. Raymond (2010), which sold 329,000 units during the same period and to date has sold over two million copies worldwide. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart on the week ending June 17, 2012, selling 128,000 copies in its first week. The album marks Usher's fourth consecutive number one album. In its second week, the album dropped to number six on the chart, selling an additional 48,000 copies. In its third week, the album dropped to number nine on the chart, selling 36,000 more units. In its fourth week, the album dropped to number fifteen, and in its fifth week rose to number fourteen, selling 20,178 copies. As of October 2014, the album has sold 504,000 copies in the United States. In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart, selling 27,000 units, giving Usher his fifth consecutive top-three album in the country. It sold sixteen units less than Amy MacDonald's third studio album Life in a Beautiful Light which debuted one place ahead at number 2. On August 21, 2015, the album was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), for sales of 100,000 copies. In Australia, the album debuted at number three on the ARIA Albums Chart, giving Usher his fifth consecutive top-five album in the country. The album debuted at number fifteen on the Japanese Albums Chart, selling 6,727 copies, on the week ending June 17, 2012. It debuted at number four on the Dutch Albums Chart, and number five on the Swiss Albums Chart. In New Zealand, the album peaked at number eleven on the New Zealand Albums Chart, while only remaining on the chart for five weeks. In Canada, the album also debuted and peaked at number seven on the Canadian Albums Chart and Taiwan at number seven, in Germany at number eight and South Africa at number ten. ## Aftermath Looking 4 Myself debuted with the smallest first-week figures since Usher's second studio album My Way (1997), which opened with 67,000 copies. The album's debut was a significant decrease relative to his previous effort Raymond v. Raymond (2010), which opened with 329,000 units. Gail Mitchell of Billboard contemplated on whether this was due to the pop material present on the album. Derrick Corbett, operator of urban based radio stations under Clear Channel Communications, credited its underwhelming sales to the "alienation" of Usher's core audience. Neke Howse of WKYS believes it is because of the music industry evolving, saying that both Usher and label mate Chris Brown—who also experienced lower first week sales with his fifth studio album Fortune—will "be fine, and their albums will do OK". On August 2, 2012 Japanese multinational conglomerate Sony Group Corporation (which owns its American branch's music division and Usher's label, RCA Records) revealed their Q1 earnings for the year, with Looking 4 Myself largely contributing to the company's \$92 million in revenue for the music sector. In an interview with singer-songwriter Eric Bellinger by Rap-Up, the former explained that he, along with Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox, and Brian Alexander Morgan, were working on Usher's next album. Bellinger compared the album's music to Usher's Confessions (2004), saying that it is "more R&B, more urban" than Usher's Looking 4 Myself. The latter declared that his next album would show that he is "still Usher". The singer's follow-up non-album single—"Good Kisser"—was released on May 5, 2014 through digital download. ## Track listing Notes - signifies a vocal record producer. - signifies a co-record producer. - "Can't Stop Won't Stop" contains a portion of the composition "Uptown Girl" written by Billy Joel. - "What Happened to U" contains a sample from "One More Chance/Stay with Me Remix" written by Sean Combs, Reginald Ellis, Norman Glover, Carl Thompson and Christopher Wallace, as performed by The Notorious B.I.G. ## Personnel Credits for Looking 4 Myself adapted from AllMusic. Managerial - Usher Raymond IV – executive producer - Mark Pitts – executive producer, A&R - Mr. Morgan – management - Kory Aaron – assistant - Diego Avendaño – assistant - Liz Bauer – assistant - Delbert Bowers – assistant - Nathan Burgess – assistant - Thomas Cullison – assistant - Jacob Dennis – assistant - Alex Fremin – assistant - Chris Galland – assistant - Phil Joly – assistant - Jaime Martinez – assistant - Dana Richard – assistant - Ramon Rivas – assistant - Ed Sanders – assistant - Max Unruh – assistant - Jorge Velasco – assistant - Randy Warnken – assistant - Eric Weaver – assistant - Matt Huber – assistant Performance credits - Usher Raymond IV – primary artist - Rick Ross – featured artist - Luke Steele – featured artist - Rico Love – vocals - Mashanda Huskey – vocals - Max Martin – vocals (background) Visuals and imagery - Francesco Carrozzini – photography - Curtis Smith – groomer - Ron Croudy – art direction - Frank Zuber – art direction - David Royer – stylist - Nicole Patterson – make-up Instruments - Andre Bowman – bass - Jim Jonsin – keyboards - Stephen Coleman – string arrangements - Czech Film Orchestra – strings - Vincent Henry – saxophone - Pierre Medor – keyboards - Daniel Morris – keyboards - Nico Muhly – piano, string arrangements, strings - Ariel Rechtshaid – keyboards - Shellback – keyboards - Salaam Remi – bass, drums, guitar, keyboards - Frank Romano – guitar - Aaron Spears – drums, percussion Technical and production - Klas Åhlund – instrumentation, record producer - Axel Hedfors – instrumentation, producer - Steve Angello – instrumentation, producer - Keith Harris – instrumentation, producer - Sebastian Ingrosso – instrumentation, producer - Alessandro Lindblad – instrumentation, producer - will.i.am – instrumentation, producer - Marcella "Ms. Lago" Araica – mixing - Kevin Cossom – vocal producer - Shellback – producer, programming - Eric Goudy II – drum programming - Earl Hood – drum programming - Frank Romano – producer - Rico Love – producer - Max Martin – producer - Pierre Medor – producer - Nickolas Marzouca – engineer, mixing - Daniel Morris – programming - Usher Raymond IV – liner notes - Ariel Rechtshaid – synthesizer - Andrew Coleman – arranger, digital editing, engineer - Tom Coyne – mastering - Diplo – producer - Swedish House Mafia – producer - Jim Jonsin – producer, programming - Gleyder "Gee" Disla – engineer - Mark "Exit" Goodchild – engineer - John Hanes – engineer - Matt Huber – engineer - Sam Holland Såklart – engineer - Phil Seaford – assistant engineer - Dylan Dresdow – mixing - Serban Ghenea – mixing - Robert Marks – mixing - Manny Marroquin – mixing - Noel "Gadget" Campbell – mixing - Salaam Remi – arranger, producer - Noah Shebib – arranger, instrumentation, producer ## Charts ### Weekly charts ### Year-end charts ## Certifications ## Release history ## See also - List of number-one albums of 2012 (U.S.) - List of number-one R&B albums of 2012 (U.S.) - List of UK R&B Chart number-one albums of 2012 - PBR&B

Ben Nevis

Highest mountain in the British Isles

Ben Nevis (/ˈnɛvɪs/ NEV-iss; Scottish Gaelic: Beinn Nibheis, ) is the highest mountain in Scotland, the United Kingdom and the British Isles. The summit is 1,345 metres (4,413 ft) above sea level and is the highest land in any direction for 739 kilometres (459 miles). Ben Nevis stands at the western end of the Grampian Mountains in the Highland region of Lochaber, close to the town of Fort William. The mountain is a popular destination, attracting an estimated 130,000 ascents a year, around three-quarters of which use the Mountain Track from Glen Nevis. The 700-metre (2,300 ft) cliffs of the north face are among the highest in Scotland, providing classic scrambles and rock climbs of all difficulties for climbers and mountaineers. They are also the principal locations in Scotland for ice climbing. The summit, which is the collapsed dome of an ancient volcano, features the ruins of an observatory which was continuously staffed between 1883 and 1904. The meteorological data collected during this period is still important for understanding Scottish mountain weather. C. T. R. Wilson was inspired to invent the cloud chamber after a period spent working at the observatory. ## Etymology Ben Nevis is the Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic name Beinn Nibheis. Whilst Beinn is the common Scottish Gaelic word for 'mountain', the meaning of Nibheis is unclear. Nibheis may preserve an earlier Pictish form, \*Nebestis or \*Nebesta, involving the Celtic root \*neb, meaning 'clouds' (compare: Welsh nef )., thus 'Cloudy Mountain'. Nibheis may also have an origin with the words nèamh meaning 'heaven' (which is related to the modern Scottish Gaelic word neamh meaning 'bright, shining') and bathais meaning 'the top of a man's head'. Thus, Beinn Nibheis could derive from beinn nèamh-bhathais, "the mountain with its head in the clouds", or 'mountain of heaven'. Alternatively, the Scottish Gaelic word neimh can be translated as 'malice', 'poison' or 'venom' giving 'venomous mountain', possibly describing the storms that envelop the summit. Nibheis, can also be the genitive form of a male (god's?) name. This could be the god Lugh whose place of worship was often on mountain tops throughout the Celtic world, thus giving 'god's mountain'. As is common for many Scottish mountains, it is known both to locals and visitors as simply the Ben. ## Geography Ben Nevis forms a massif with its neighbours to the northeast, Càrn Mòr Dearg, to which it is linked by the Càrn Mòr Dearg Arête, Aonach Beag and Aonach Mòr. All four are Munros and among the eleven mountains in Scotland over 4,000 feet (1,200 m) (of which nine are currently listed as Munros). The western and southern flanks of Ben Nevis rise 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) in about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) above the River Nevis flowing down Glen Nevis – the longest and steepest hill slope in Britain – with the result that the mountain presents an aspect of massive bulk on this side. To the north, by contrast, cliffs drop some 600 metres (2,000 ft) to Coire Leis (). A descent of 200 metres from this corrie leads to the Charles Inglis Clark Memorial Hut (known as the CIC Hut), a private mountain hut 680 metres (2,230 ft) above sea level, owned by the Scottish Mountaineering Club and used as a base for the many climbing routes on the mountain's north face. The hut is just above the confluence of Allt a' Mhuilinn and Allt Coire na Ciste. In addition to the main 1,345-metre (4,413 ft) summit, Ben Nevis has two subsidiary "tops" listed in Munro's Tables, both of which are called Càrn Dearg ("red hill"). The higher of these, at 1,221 metres (4,006 ft), is to the northwest, and is often mistaken for Ben Nevis itself in views from the Fort William area. The other Càrn Dearg (1,020 m (3,350 ft)) juts out into Glen Nevis on the mountain's southwestern side. A lower hill, Meall an t-Suidhe (711 metres (2,333 ft)), is further west, forming a saddle with Ben Nevis which contains a small loch, Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe. The popular tourist path from Glen Nevis skirts the side of this hill before ascending Ben Nevis's broad western flank. ### Geology Ben Nevis is all that remains of a Devonian volcano that met a cataclysmic end in the Carboniferous period around 350 million years ago. Evidence near the summit shows light-coloured granite (which had cooled in subterranean chambers several kilometres beneath the surface) lies among dark basaltic lavas (that form only on the surface). The two lying side by side is evidence the huge volcano collapsed in on itself creating an explosion comparable to Thera (2nd millennium BC) or Krakatoa (1883). The mountain is now all that remains of the imploded inner dome of the volcano. Its form has been extensively shaped by glaciation. Research has shown igneous rock from the Devonian period (around 400 million years ago) intrudes into the surrounding metamorphic schists; the intrusions take the form of a series of concentric ring dikes. The innermost of these, known as the Inner Granite, constitutes the southern bulk of the mountain above Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe, and also the neighbouring ridge of Càrn Mòr Dearg; Meall an t-Suidhe forms part of the Outer Granite, which is redder in colour. The summit dome itself, together with the steep northern cliffs, is composed of andesite and basaltic lavas. ### Climate Ben Nevis has a highland tundra climate (ET in the Köppen classification). Ben Nevis's elevation, maritime location and topography frequently lead to cool and cloudy weather conditions, which can pose a danger to ill-equipped walkers. According to the observations carried out at the summit observatory from 1883 to 1904, fog was present on the summit for almost 80% of the time between November and January, and 55% of the time in May and June. The average winter temperature was around −5 °C (23 °F), and the mean monthly temperature for the year was −0.5 °C (31.1 °F). In an average year the summit sees 261 gales, and receives 4,350 millimetres (171 in) of rainfall, compared to only 2,050 millimetres (81 in) in nearby Fort William, 840 millimetres (33 in) in Inverness and 580 millimetres (23 in) in London. Rainfall on Ben Nevis is about twice as high in the winter as it is in the spring and summer. Snow can be found on the mountain almost all year round, particularly in the gullies of the north face – with the higher reaches of Observatory Gully holding snow until September most years and sometimes until the new snows of the following season. ## History The first recorded ascent of Ben Nevis was made on 17 August 1771 by James Robertson, an Edinburgh botanist, who was in the region to collect botanical specimens. Another early ascent was in 1774 by John Williams, who provided the first account of the mountain's geological structure. John Keats climbed the mountain in 1818, comparing the ascent to "mounting ten St. Pauls without the convenience of a staircase". The following year William MacGillivray, who was later to become a distinguished naturalist, reached the summit only to find "fragments of earthen and glass ware, chicken bones, corks, and bits of paper". It was not until 1847 that Ben Nevis was confirmed by the Ordnance Survey as the highest mountain in Britain and Ireland, ahead of its rival Ben Macdui. The summit observatory was built in the summer of 1883, and would remain in operation for 21 years. The first path to the summit was built at the same time as the observatory and was designed to allow ponies to carry up supplies, with a maximum gradient of one in five. The opening of the path and the observatory made the ascent of the mountain increasingly popular, all the more so after the arrival of the West Highland Railway in Fort William in 1894. Around this time the first of several proposals was made for a rack railway to the summit, none of which came to fruition. In 1911, an enterprising Ford dealer named Henry Alexander ascended the mountain in a Model T as a publicity stunt. The ascent was captured on film, and can be seen in the archives of the British Film Institute. A statue of Alexander and the car was unveiled in Fort William in 2018. In 2000, the Ben Nevis Estate, comprising all of the south side of the mountain including the summit, was bought by the Scottish conservation charity the John Muir Trust. In 2016, the height of Ben Nevis was officially remeasured to be 1344.527m by Ordnance Survey. The height of Ben Nevis will therefore be shown on new Ordnance Survey maps as 1,345 metres (4,411 ft) instead of the now obsolete value of 1,344 metres (4,409 ft). ## Ascent routes The 1883 Pony Track to the summit (also known as the Ben Path, the Mountain Path or the Tourist Route) remains the simplest and most popular route of ascent. It begins at Achintee on the east side of Glen Nevis about 2 km (1.2 mi) from Fort William town centre, at around 20 metres above sea level. Bridges from the Visitor Centre and the youth hostel now allow access from the west side of Glen Nevis. The path climbs steeply to the saddle by Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe (colloquially known as the 'Halfway Lochan') at 570 m, then ascends the remaining 700 metres up the stony west flank of Ben Nevis in a series of zig-zags. The path is regularly maintained but running water, uneven rocks and loose scree make it hazardous and slippery in places. Thanks to the zig-zags, the path is not unusually steep apart from in the initial stages, but inexperienced walkers should be aware that the descent is relatively arduous and wearing on the knees. A route popular with experienced hillwalkers starts at Torlundy, a few miles north-east of Fort William on the A82 road, and follows the path alongside the Allt a' Mhuilinn. It can also be reached from Glen Nevis by following the Pony Track as far as Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe, then descending slightly to the CIC Hut. The route then ascends Càrn Mòr Dearg and continues along the Càrn Mòr Dearg Arête ("CMD Arête") before climbing steeply to the summit of Ben Nevis. This route involves a total of 1,500 metres of ascent and requires modest scrambling ability and a head for heights. In common with other approaches on this side of the mountain, it has the advantage of giving an extensive view of the cliffs of the north face, which are hidden from the Pony Track. It is also possible to climb Ben Nevis from the Nevis Gorge car park at Steall at the head of the road up Glen Nevis, either by the south-east ridge or via the summit of Càrn Dearg (south-west). These routes require mild scrambling, are shorter and steeper than the Pony Track, and tend only to be used by experienced hill walkers. ## Summit The summit of Ben Nevis comprises a large stony plateau of about 40 hectares (100 acres). The highest point is marked with a large, solidly built cairn atop which sits an Ordnance Survey trig point. The summit is the highest ground in any direction for 459 miles (739 km) before the Scandinavian Mountains in western Norway are reached. The ruined walls of the observatory are a prominent feature on the summit. An emergency shelter has been built on top of the observatory tower for the benefit of those caught out by bad weather. Although the base of the tower is slightly lower than the true summit of the mountain, the roof of the shelter overtops the trig point by several feet, making it the highest man-made structure in the UK. A war memorial to the dead of World War II is located next to the observatory. On 17 May 2006, a piano that had been buried under one of the cairns on the peak was uncovered by the John Muir Trust, which owns much of the mountain. The piano is believed to have been carried up for charity by removal men from Dundee over 20 years earlier. The view from the UK's highest point is extensive. Under ideal conditions, it can extend to over 190 kilometres (120 mi), including such mountains as the Torridon Hills, Morven in Caithness, Lochnagar, Ben Lomond, Barra Head and to Knocklayd in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. ### Observatory A meteorological observatory on the summit was first proposed by the Scottish Meteorological Society (SMS) in the late-1870s, at a time when similar observatories were being built around the world to study the weather at high altitude. In the summer of 1881, Clement Lindley Wragge climbed the mountain daily to make observations (earning him the nickname "Inclement Rag"), leading to the opening on 17 October 1883 of a permanent observatory run by the SMS. The building was staffed full-time until 1904, when it was closed due to inadequate funding. The twenty years worth of readings still provide the most comprehensive set of data on mountain weather in Great Britain. In September 1894, C. T. R. Wilson was employed at the observatory for a couple of weeks as temporary relief for one of the permanent staff. During this period, he witnessed a Brocken spectre and glory, caused by the sun casting a shadow on a cloud below the observer. He subsequently tried to reproduce these phenomena in the laboratory, resulting in his invention of the cloud chamber, used to detect ionising radiation. ## Navigation and safety Ben Nevis's popularity, climate and complex topography contribute to a high number of mountain rescue incidents. In 1999 there were 41 rescues and four fatalities on the mountain. It has also been estimated that there are several deaths annually on Ben Nevis. Avalanches In two avalanches that occurred on Ben Nevis in 2009 and 2016 two people died on both occasions. In two avalanches that occurred in 1970 and 2019 three people died on both occasions. A climber died in an avalanche on the north face in 2022. ### Navigation Some accidents arise over difficulties in navigating to or from the summit, especially in poor visibility. The problem stems from the fact that the summit plateau is roughly kidney-shaped and surrounded by cliffs on three sides; the danger is particularly accentuated when the main path is obscured by snow. Two precise compass bearings taken in succession are necessary to navigate from the summit cairn to the west flank, from where a descent can be made on the Pony Track in relative safety. In the late 1990s, Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team erected two posts on the summit plateau to assist walkers attempting the descent in foggy conditions. These posts were subsequently cut down by climbers, sparking controversy in mountaineering circles on the ethics of such additions. Critics argued that cairns and posts are an unnecessary man-made intrusion into the natural landscape, which create a false sense of security and could lessen mountaineers' sense of responsibility for their own safety. Supporters of navigational aids pointed to the high number of accidents that occurred on the mountain. Between 1990 and 1995 alone there were 13 fatalities, although eight of these were due to falls while rock climbing rather than navigational error. Also there is a long tradition of placing such aids on the summit, and the potentially life-saving role they could play. In 2016, the John Muir Trust cleared a number of smaller informal cairns which had recently been erected by visitors, many near the top of gullies, which were seen as dangerous as they could confuse walkers using them for navigation. As of 2019, a series of solidly-constructed cairns, each several feet high, marks the upper reaches of the Pony Track and the path across the summit plateau. ## Climbing on Ben Nevis The north face of Ben Nevis is riven with buttresses, ridges, towers and pinnacles, and contains many classic scrambles and rock climbs. It is of major importance for British winter climbing, with many of its routes holding snow often until late April. It was one of the first places in Scotland to receive the attention of serious mountaineers; a partial ascent and, the following day, a complete descent of Tower Ridge in early September 1892 is the earliest documented climbing expedition on Ben Nevis. (It was not climbed from bottom to top in entirety for another two years). The Scottish Mountaineering Club's Charles Inglis Clark hut was built below the north face in Coire Leis in 1929. Because of its remote location, it is said to be the only genuine alpine hut in Britain. It remains popular with climbers, especially in winter. Tower Ridge is the longest of the north face's four main ridges, with around 600 metres of ascent. It is not technically demanding (its grade is Difficult), and most pitches can be tackled unroped by competent climbers, but it is committing and very exposed. Castle Ridge (Moderate), the northernmost of the main ridges, is an easier scramble, while Observatory Ridge (Very Difficult), the closest ridge to the summit, is "technically the hardest of the Nevis ridges in summer and winter". Between the Tower and Observatory Ridges are the Tower and Gardyloo Gullies; the latter takes its name from the cry of "garde à l'eau" (French for "watch out for the water") formerly used in Scottish cities as a warning when householders threw their waste out of a tenement window into the street. The gully's top wall was the refuse pit for the now-disused summit observatory. The North-east Buttress (Very Difficult) is the southernmost and bulkiest of the four ridges; it is as serious as Observatory Ridge but not as technically demanding, mainly because an "infamous" rock problem, the 'Man-trap', can be avoided on either side. The north face contains dozens of graded rock climbs along its entire length, with particular concentrations on the Càrn Dearg Buttress (below the Munro top of Càrn Dearg NW) and around the North-east Buttress and Observatory Ridge. Classic rock routes include Rubicon Wall on Observatory Buttress (Severe) – whose second ascent in 1937, when it was considered the hardest route on the mountain, is described by W. H. Murray in Mountaineering in Scotland – and, on Càrn Dearg, Centurion and The Bullroar (both HVS), Torro (E2), and Titan's Wall (E3), these four described in the SMC's guide as among "the best climbs of their class in Scotland". Many seminal lines were recorded before the First World War by pioneering Scottish climbers like J. N. Collie, Willie Naismith, Harold Raeburn, and William and Jane Inglis Clark. Other classic routes were put up by G. Graham Macphee, Dr James H. B. Bell and others between the Wars; these include Bell's 'Long Climb', at 1,400 ft (430 m) reputedly the longest sustained climb on the British mainland. In summer 1943 conscientious objector Brian Kellett made a phenomenal seventy-four repeat climbs and seventeen first ascents including fourteen solos, returning in 1944 to add fifteen more new lines, eleven solo, including his eponymous HVS on Gardyloo buttress. Much more recently, an extreme and as yet ungraded climb on Echo Wall was completed by Dave MacLeod in 2008 after two years of preparation. The north face is also one of Scotland's foremost venues for winter mountaineering and ice climbing, and holds snow until quite late in the year; in a good year, routes may remain in winter condition until mid-spring. Most of the possible rock routes are also suitable as winter climbs, including the four main ridges; Tower Ridge, for example, is grade IV on the Scottish winter grade, having been upgraded in 2009 by the Scottish Mountaineering Club after requests by the local Mountain Rescue Team, there being numerous benightments and incidents every winter season. Probably the most popular ice climb on Ben Nevis is The Curtain (IV,5) on the left side of the Càrn Dearg Buttress. At the top end of the scale, Centurion in winter is a grade VIII,8 face climb. In February 1960 James R. Marshall and Robin Clark Smith recorded six major new ice routes in only eight days including Orion Direct (V,5 400m); this winter version of Bell's Long Climb was "the climax of a magnificent week's climbing by Smith and Marshall, and the highpoint of the step-cutting era". ## Ben Nevis Race The history of hill running on Ben Nevis dates back to 1895. William Swan, a barber from Fort William, made the first recorded timed ascent up the mountain on or around 27 September of that year, when he ran from the old post office in Fort William to the summit and back in 2 hours 41 minutes. The following years saw several improvements on Swan's record, but the first competitive race was held on 3 June 1898 under Scottish Amateur Athletic Association rules. Ten competitors ran the course, which started at the Lochiel Arms Hotel in Banavie and was thus longer than the route from Fort William; the winner was 21-year-old Hugh Kennedy, a gamekeeper at Tor Castle, who finished (coincidentally with Swan's original run) in 2 hours 41 minutes. Regular races were organised until 1903, when two events were held; these were the last for 24 years, perhaps due to the closure of the summit observatory the following year. The first was from Achintee, at the foot of the Pony Track, and finished at the summit; It was won in just over an hour by Ewen MacKenzie, the observatory roadman. The second race ran from new Fort William post office, and MacKenzie lowered the record to 2 hours 10 minutes, a record he held for 34 years. The Ben Nevis Race has been run in its current form since 1937. It now takes place on the first Saturday in September every year, with a maximum of 500 competitors taking part. It starts and finishes at the Claggan Park football ground on the outskirts of Fort William, and is 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) long with 1,340 metres (4,400 ft) of ascent. Due to the seriousness of the mountain environment, entry is restricted to those who have completed three hill races, and runners must carry waterproofs, a hat, gloves and a whistle; anyone who has not reached the summit after two hours is turned back. As of 2018, the record for the men's race has stood unbroken since 1984, when Kenny Stuart of Keswick Athletic Club won with a time of 1:25:34. The record for the women's race of 1:43:01 was set in 2018 by Victoria Wilkinson. ## Extreme sports on Ben Nevis Ben Nevis is becoming popular with ski mountaineers and boarders. The Red Burn (Allt Coire na h-Urcaire) just to the North of the tourist path gives the easiest descent, but most if not all of the easier gullies on the North Face have been skied, as has the slope once adorned by the abseil poles into Coire Leis. No 4 gully is probably the most skied. Although Tower scoop makes it a no-fall zone, Tower Gully is becoming popular, especially in May and June when there is spring snow. In 2018 Jöttnar pro team member Tim Howell BASE jumped off Ben Nevis which was covered by BBC Scotland. On 6 May 2019, a team of highliners completed a crossing above the Gardyloo Gully, a new altitude record for the UK. Also in May 2019, a team of 12, led by Dundee artist Douglas Roulston carried a 1.5-metre (4.9-foot) tall statue of the DC Thomson character Oor Wullie to the top of the mountain. The statue, which had been painted by Roulston with a 360 degree scene of the view from the summit was later sold at the Oor Wullie Big Bucket Trail charity auction to raise money for a number of Scottish children's charities. ## Environmental issues and Nevis Landscape Partnership Ben Nevis's popularity and high-profile have led to concerns in recent decades over the impact of humans on the fragile mountain environment within the Ben Nevis and Glen Coe National Scenic Area. These concerns contributed to the creation of The Nevis Landscape Partnership, a five-year programme which aimed to protect, enhance and future-proof Ben Nevis by delivering nineteen ambitious environmental projects between 2014 and 2019. The Nevis Landscape Partnership is supported by five partner organisations (John Muir Trust, Forestry Commission Scotland, The Highland Council, Scottish Natural Heritage and The Nevis Partnership) and was made possible by Heritage Lottery Funding. With the 5-year programme now finished, there have been significant positive changes implemented by Nevis Landscape Partnership and their projects, most significantly the upgrades to the Ben Nevis Mountain Track. Work to upgrade the mountain track started in November 2015 after two contracts were awarded to McGowan Ltd. and Cairngorm Wilderness Contracts. Between 2015 and 2019, 3.5 km of path has been repaired through eight separate contracts and 3,323 hours of volunteer time. Volunteers help to maintain the mountain track. Nevis Landscape Partnership and National Trust for Scotland have run Thistle Camp Working Holidays which have focused on maintenance on the first section of the Ben Nevis footpath. ## Ben Nevis Distillery The Ben Nevis Distillery is a single malt whisky distillery at the foot of the mountain, near Victoria Bridge to the north of Fort William. Founded in 1825 by John McDonald (known as "Long John"), it is one of the oldest licensed distilleries in Scotland, and is a popular visitor attraction in Fort William. The water used to make the whisky comes from the Allt a' Mhuilinn, the stream that flows from Ben Nevis's northern corrie. "Ben Nevis" 80/‒ organic ale is, by contrast, brewed in Bridge of Allan near Stirling. ## Other uses Ben Nevis was the name of a White Star Line packet ship which in 1854 carried the group of immigrants who were to become the Wends of Texas. At least another eight vessels have carried the name since then. A mountain in Svalbard is also named Ben Nevis, after the Scottish peak. It is 922 metres high, and is south of the head of Raudfjorden, Albert I Land, in the northwestern part of the island of Spitsbergen. A comic strip character, Wee Ben Nevis, about a Scottish Highlands boarding school student with superhuman strength and his antics were featured in the British comic The Beano from 1974 to 1977, named after the mountain. Hung Fa Chai, a 489-metre hill in Northeast New Territories of Hong Kong was marked as Ben Nevis on historical colonial maps. ## See also - Mountains and hills of Scotland - National Three Peaks Challenge - Northwest Spitsbergen National Park Norway - includes a mountain called Ben Nevis. Its height is 918 metres and it is located at Northwest Spitsbergen National Park - The Remarkables, New Zealand – mountain range containing a peak also called Ben Nevis - Scottish Highlands - Scafell Pike - Snowdon

Cal Anderson

American politician (1948–1995)

Calvin Bruce Anderson (May 2, 1948 – August 4, 1995) was an American military officer and politician who served as a member of the Washington State Senate, representing the 43rd district in 1995. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a member of the Washington House of Representatives from 1987 to 1995, and was the first openly gay member of the Washington State Legislature. Anderson was born in Seattle, Washington, and educated at Foster High School. He became involved in politics at a young age working for his father's city council campaign and Warren Magnuson's Senate campaign. Following high school he joined the United States Army and worked as a court reporter for the 23rd Infantry Division. He came out as gay to his parents during his time in the military. He worked for multiple Seattle city officials and held positions in the Young Democrats and Washington State Democratic Party. In 1987, he was selected to fill Representative Janice Niemi's vacant seat in the state house and during his tenure he faced homophobic attacks from a member of the state legislature and in the Democratic primary. Anderson briefly served in the state senate, where he was Assistant Majority Whip, until his death from AIDS in 1995. His memorial was attended by thousands and a park in Seattle was later named after him. ## Early life and education Calvin Bruce Anderson was born in Seattle, Washington, on May 2, 1948, to Robert and Alice Anderson. He volunteered for Warren Magnuson's campaign for a seat in the United States Senate while in middle school. He worked for his father's successful campaign for a seat on the Tukwila, Washington, city council which he won by four votes. Anderson graduated from Foster High School in 1966. ## Career ### Army Anderson served in the United States Army and worked as a court reporter for the 23rd Infantry Division. During his time in the military he received two Bronze Stars for working as the lead court reporter during the Mỹ Lai massacre investigation. During the trial of Ernest Medina he served as a senior court reporter. He served in the Army until 1973. He came out to his parents as homosexual during his time in the military before his father's death in 1971, and his mother stated that "It doesn't bother me; I don't even think about it. I just can't see why people can't live and let live". Anderson stated that he was once caught "in the act" but was only given a short reprimand, with the commander stating "Now, I don't care what people do in their own time, but the Army doesn't feel that way, so in the future, be more discreet". ### Politics Anderson started working for Jeanette Williams, the chair of the King County Democratic Party after graduating from high school. In 1968, he was appointed to serve as secretary of the South King County Young Democrats. Anderson worked for George Benson, a member of the Seattle city council, from 1975 to 1983, as an administrative assistant. He became an appointments secretary for Mayor Charles Royer in 1983, and worked for him until 1987. During the 1980s he was a member of the Washington State Democratic Party's central committee and was the secretary of the committee. ### Washington legislature #### Elections Jim McDermott left the Washington State Senate in 1987, to work in the United States Foreign Service. McDermott's vacancy in the state senate was filled by Representative Janice Niemi, a member of the Washington House of Representatives from the 43rd district. Anderson won the most votes, fifty-one out of one hundred sixteen, at the precinct representatives meeting to recommend a person to fill Niemi's vacant seat. He was one of the three nominees, alongside Harvey Muggy and Gene Peterson, considered to replace Niemi. He was selected to fill the vacancy, becoming the first openly gay member of the Washington State Legislature. During the 1988 election Anderson faced a primary challenge from Debra Wilson Mobley, who was the Seattle city council clerk. He stated that a campaign ad by Mobley that asked "Which one of these candidates for state representative in Position 1 in the 43rd District could I honestly look my kids in the eye and say, 'this is a good role model to follow'?" were "homophobic and gay-bashing". He defeated Mobley in the primary and defeated Republican nominee Lee Carter in the general election. Ed Murray, who later served in the state legislature and as Mayor of Seattle, was Anderson's campaign manager during the 1988 election. Anderson defeated Mobley and Gary A. Jacobs in the 1990 Democratic primary and defeated Republican nominee James Alonzo in the general election. He defeated Republican nominee Mike Meenen in the 1992 election. Anderson ran for a seat in the state senate after Niemi chose to not seek reelection in 1994; he won the Democratic nomination and defeated Republican nominee Meenen in the general election. #### Tenure Anderson replaced Representative Mike Todd as chair of the State Government committee after Todd unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the state senate. Anderson was appointed to serve as vice-chair of the Ecology and Parks, and the Law and Justice committees in the state senate. He also served as the Assistant Majority Whip. Senator A. L. Rasmussen, who was an opponent of gay rights, stated that Anderson was at fault for death threats against him as he "bragged" about being gay. Anderson served as the keynote speaker of the third March for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Pride parade in 1994. ## Death and legacy Anderson was mostly absent from the state senate due to having non-Hodgkin lymphoma. As the Democratic Party only held a one-seat majority, they were reduced to a tie which allowed the Republicans to take over multiple times with parliamentary rules. Chemotherapy eradicated Anderson's non-Hodgkin lymphoma in April 1995. He served as the grand marshal of the 21st gay pride parade in Seattle, but blood clots in his legs and lungs prevented him attending the parade in June. Anderson died from AIDS on August 4, 1995, at his home in Seattle. He was discovered by his partner Eric Ishino who later discovered a large file of death threats made against Anderson. Around 2,000 people attended a memorial for Anderson at St. James Cathedral. Pat Thibaudeau was appointed to fill the vacancy created by Anderson's death and filled the remainder of his term which lasted until December 31, 1998. On April 19, 2003, Seattle named Cal Anderson Park after Anderson and the park was opened on September 24, 2005. ## Political positions ### Capital punishment Anderson proposed legislation in the state house that would prohibit the execution of intellectually disabled people which were defined as people with an IQ equal to or below seventy. In 1995, the state senate voted forty-five to three, with Anderson voting against, in favor of legislation which would make the primary method of execution in Washington lethal injection instead of hanging. ### Euthanasia Anderson proposed legislation to allow the prescription of lethal drugs by doctors to patients who were terminally ill. Following Anderson's death the legislation was brought back by Senator Kevin Quigley. ### Elections Anderson sponsored legislation in the state house which would automatically register somebody to vote whenever they applied for or renewed their driver license. Anderson sponsored legislation in 1991, which would have Washington use a preference primary for president starting in 1992. In 1991, he joined a lawsuit asking for the Washington Supreme Court to declare a ballot proposition, which proposed term limits for the governor, members of the United States Congress, and members of the state legislature, unconstitutional. ### Gay rights During Anderson's tenure in the state legislature he introduced gay rights legislation eighteen times until his death in 1995. He sponsored legislation in the state house which would allow gay people to file complaints of housing, hiring, or insurance discrimination to the Washington Human Rights Commission. He sponsored legislation in the state house which would require the collection by police of reports of hate crimes against peopled based on their race, religion, disability, or sexual orientation. Anderson stated that a ballot proposition threatened academic freedom after it was amended to prohibit public colleges from "teaching or promoting homosexuality as a healthy lifestyle". ## Electoral history ## See also - List of first openly LGBT politicians in the United States

Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany

Cosimo III de' Medici (14 August 1642 – 31 October 1723) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1670 until his death in 1723, the sixth and penultimate from the House of Medici. He reigned from 1670 to 1723, and was the elder son of Grand Duke Ferdinando II. Cosimo's 53-year-long reign, the longest in Tuscan history, was marked by a series of laws that regulated prostitution and May celebrations. His reign also witnessed Tuscany's deterioration to previously unknown economic lows. In 1723, when Cosimo III died, he was succeeded by the younger of his two surviving children, Gian Gastone. He married Marguerite Louise d'Orléans, a cousin of Louis XIV. The marriage was solemnized by proxy in the King's Chapel at the Louvre, on Sunday, 17 April 1661. It was a marriage fraught with tribulation. Marguerite Louise eventually abandoned Tuscany for the Convent of Montmartre. Together, they had three children: Ferdinando in 1663, Anna Maria Luisa, Electress Palatine, in 1667, and Gian Gastone, the last Medicean ruler of Tuscany, in 1671. In later life, he attempted to have Anna Maria Luisa recognised as the universal heiress of Tuscany, but Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, would not allow it because Tuscany was an imperial fief, and he felt he alone could alter the Tuscan laws of succession. All Cosimo's efforts to salvage the plan foundered, and in 1737, upon the death of his younger child, Gian Gastone, Tuscany passed to the House of Lorraine. ## Early life ### Heir to the throne Cosimo de' Medici was born on 14 August 1642, the eldest surviving son of Vittoria della Rovere of Urbino, and Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. Their previous two children had died shortly after birth. Grand Duke Ferdinando wished to give his son the finest scientific education available, but the pious Grand Duchess Vittoria opposed. The latter got her way. Volunnio Bandinelli, a Sienese theologian, was appointed Cosimo's tutor. His character was analogous to the Grand Duchess's. As a youth, Cosimo revelled in sports. His uncle Gian Carlo once wrote to another family member with "news that should surprise you....The young prince [Cosimo] has killed a goose in mid-air." Cosimo, at the age of 11, killed five pigs with five shots. The Luchese Ambassador praised the young Cosimo to the skies. His successor, however, noticed a somewhat different person, whom he described as "melancholy". By 1659, Cosimo had ceased smiling in public. He frequently visited places of religious worship and surrounded himself with friars and priests, concerning Grand Duke Ferdinando. Cosimo's only sibling, Francesco Maria de' Medici, the fruit of his parents' brief reconciliation, was born the next year. ### Marriage Marguerite Louise d'Orléans, a granddaughter of Henry IV of France, was married to Cosimo by proxy on 17 April 1661 at the Palais du Louvre. She arrived in Tuscany on 12 June, disembarking at Livorno, and made her formal entry to Florence on 20 June to much pageantry. As a wedding gift, Grand Duke Ferdinando presented her with a pearl the "size of a small pigeon's egg." The marriage was unhappy from the start. A few nights following the formal entry, Marguerite Louise demanded the Tuscan crown jewels for her own personal use; Cosimo refused. The jewels that she did manage to extract from Cosimo were almost smuggled out of Tuscany by her attendants but for the efforts of Ferdinando's agents. Marguerite Louise's extravagances perturbed Ferdinando because the Tuscan exchequer was nearly bankrupt; it was so empty that when the Wars of Castro mercenaries were paid for, the state could no longer afford to pay interest on government bonds. Accordingly, the interest rate was lowered by 0.75%. The economy, too, was so decrepit that barter trade became prevalent in rural marketplaces. In August 1663 Marguerite Louise delivered a boy: Ferdinando. Two more children followed: Anna Maria Luisa in 1667 and Gian Gastone in 1671. Ferdinando beseeched Louis XIV to do something about his daughter-in-law's behaviour; he sent the Comte de Saint-Mesme. Marguerite Louise wanted to return to France, and Saint-Mesme sympathised with this, as did much of the French court, so he left without finding a solution to the heir's domestic disharmony, incensing both Ferdinando and Louis XIV. She humiliated Cosimo at every chance she got: she insisted on employing French cooks, as she feared the Medici would poison her. In September 1664 Marguerite Louise abandoned her apartments in the Pitti, the grand ducal palace. Cosimo moved her into Villa Lapeggi. Here, she was watched by forty soldiers, and six courtiers, appointed by Cosimo, had to follow her everywhere. The next year she reconciled with the grand ducal family, and gave birth to Anna Maria Luisa, future Electress Palatine, in August 1667. The delicate rapprochement that existed between Marguerite Louise and the rest of the family collapsed after Anna Maria Luisa's birth, when Marguerite Louise caught smallpox and decided to blame Cosimo for all her problems. ### European travels Grand Duke Ferdinando encouraged Cosimo to go on a European tour to distract him from Marguerite Louise's renewed hostility. On 28 October 1667 he arrived in Tyrol, where he was entertained by his aunt, Anna de' Medici, Archduchess of Further Austria. He took a barge down the Rhine to Amsterdam, where he was well received by the art community, meeting painter Rembrandt van Rijn. From Amsterdam, he travelled to Hamburg, where awaiting him was the Queen of Sweden. He reached Florence in May 1668. The excursion did Cosimo good. His health was better than ever, as was his self-esteem. His wife's unrelenting enmity towards him, however, undid the aforesaid progressions. Grand Duke Ferdinando, once again, feared for his health, so he sent him on a second tour in September 1668. When he went to Spain, the disabled King, Carlos II, received him in a private interview. By January 1669, he had arrived in Portugal, and expelled due to an uncomfortable storm the ship landed in Kinsale, Ireland. From there they went to England, where he met Charles II. Samuel Pepys described him as "a very jolly and good comely man." Cosimo was amiably welcomed by the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, for his father's perceived protection of Galileo from the Inquisition. He met with scientists such as Robert Hooke, Henry Oldenburg, Isaac Newton, and Robert Boyle; Cosimo bought a machine, built by Samuel Morland. In London, he stayed at St. Albans House as a guest of the Earl of St Albans. On the return, he travelled again through the Dutch Republic; this time he bought a self-portrait which Rembrandt had finished in the meantime. He visited Jan Swammerdam and his collection of insects. Passing Aachen, Cosimo visited Louis XIV and his mother-in-law, Marguerite of Lorraine, in Paris. He arrived back in Florence on 1 November 1669. His travels were described in a detailed journal by his travelling companion Lorenzo, Conte Magalotti (1637-1712).[^1] ## Reign ### Departure of Marguerite Louise Ferdinando II died on 23 May 1670 of apoplexy and dropsy and was interred in the Basilica of San Lorenzo, the Medicean necropolis. At the time of his death, the population of the grand duchy was 720,594 souls; the streets were lined with grass and the buildings on the verge of collapse in Pisa, while Siena was virtually abandoned. Grand Duchess Marguerite Louise and Dowager Grand Duchess Vittoria vied with each other for power. The Dowager, after a protracted battle, triumphed: The Grand Duke assigned his mother the day-to-day administration of the state. Cosimo III commenced his reign with the utmost fervour, attempting to salvage the sinking exchequer and allowing his subjects to petition him for arbitration in disputes. The novelty soon wore off, however. Vittoria, Cosimo having lost his taste for administration, was further empowered by admission to the Grand Duke's Consulta (Privy Council). Marguerite Louise, deprived of any political influence, went about arranging Prince Ferdinando's education and arguing with Vittoria over precedence, which only further encamped Cosimo on his mother's side. In the midst of this, on the first anniversary of Ferdinando II's death, Gian Gastone was born to the grand ducal couple. Marguerite Louise feigned illness at the start of 1672: Louis XIV send Alliot le Vieux, Anne of Austria's personal physician, to tend to her. Dr. Alliot, unlike Saint-Mesmeê, did not comply with Marguerite Louise's plot to be sent to France, ostensibly for the thermal waters to ameliorate her "illness." In December she went on a pilgrimage to Villa di Pratolino—she never returned. Marguerite Louise, instead of going back to Florence, chose to live in semi-retirement at Poggio a Caiano. The Grand Duke eventually consented, but feared she may abscond, so she was not allowed to go to leave without his permission and when she went riding she was to be escorted by four soldiers. All the doors and windows of the villa had to be secured, too. The saga between them continued until 26 December 1674, after all attempts at conciliation failed, a beleaguered Cosimo agreed to allow his wife to depart for the Convent of Montmartre, France. The contract signed that day renounced her rights as a Princess of the Blood and with them the dignity Royal Highness. Cosimo granted her a pension of 80,000 livres in compensation. She departed the next June, after stripping bare Poggio a Caiano of any valuables. ### Persecution of Jews and the Lorrainer succession Without Marguerite Louise to occupy his attention, Cosimo turned to persecuting the Jewish population of Tuscany. Sexual intercourse between Jews and Christians was proscribed, and by a law promulgated on 1 July 1677, Christians could not work in establishments owned by Jews. If they did regardless, a fine of 50 crowns was incurred; if the person in question had insufficient funds, he was liable to be tortured on the rack; and if he was deemed unfit for torture, a four-month prison sentence was substituted. The antisemitic roster was supplemented by further declarations on 16 June 1679 and 12 December 1680 banning Jews from visiting Christian prostitutes and co-habitation, respectively. Meanwhile, in Lorraine, Charles V was without an heir and Marguerite-Louise, as the daughter of a Lorrainer princess, delegated the right to succeed to the duchy to her elder son, Ferdinando. Grand Duke Cosimo tried to get his son international recognition as heir-apparent, to no avail. Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, supported Cosimo's claim, not wanting to see Lorraine revert to France. The Treaties of Nijmegen, which concluded the Franco-Dutch War, did not rubber stamp Cosimo's ambitions, as he had wished. The Lorrainer question was concluded with the birth of a son to Charles V in 1679, ending Cosimo's dream of a Medici cadet branch, dreams which were to be revived in 1697 by Gian Gastone's marriage to an heiress. ### 1679–1685 Cosimo kept himself apprised of his wife's conduct in France through the Tuscan emissary, Gondi. Marguerite Louise frequently requested more money from the Grand Duke, while he was scandalised by her behaviour: she took up with a groom named Gentilly. In January 1680 the Abbess of Montemarte asked Cosimo to pay for the construction of a reservoir, following a scandal at the convent: The Grand Duchess had placed her pet dog's basket in close proximity to the fire, and the basket burst into flames, but instead of trying to extinguish it, she urged her fellow nuns to flee for their lives. On previous occasions, she had explicitly stated that she would burn down the convent if the Abbess disagreed with her, too, making the Abbess view the accident as intentional. Cosimo, unable to do much else for fear of upsetting Louis XIV, reproached her in a series of letters. Another scandal erupted that summer, the Grand Duchess bathed nude, as was the custom, in a local river. Cosimo exploded with anger upon hearing of this. Louis XIV, tiring of Florence's petitions, retorted: "Since Cosimo had consented to the retirement of his wife into France, he had virtually relinquished all right to interfere in her conduct." Following Louis XIV's rebuff, Cosimo fell grievously ill, only to be roused by Francesco Redi, his physician, who helped him reform his ways so illness would never strike him again. It was after this event that Cosimo finally stopped bothering with the Grand Duchess's life. In 1682 Cosimo III appointed his brother, Francesco Maria de' Medici, Governor of Siena. The Holy Roman Emperor requested Cosimo's participation in the Great Turkish War. At first, he resisted, but then sent a consignment of munitions to Trieste, and offered to join the Holy League. They defeated the Turks at the Battle of Vienna in September 1683. To Cosimo's dismay, "many scandals and disorders continued to occur in the matter of carnal intercourse between Jews and Christian women, and especially putting their children out to be suckled by Christian nurses." The Grand Duke, wishing to supplement the "foe of heretics" persona he acquired after Vienna, outlawed the practice of Jews using Christian wet nurses and declared that if a Christian father wished to have his half-Jewish child suckled by a Christian nurse he must first apply to the government for a permit in writing. In addition, public executions increased to six per day. Gilbert Burnet, Bishop of Salisbury and a famed memorialist, visited this Florence in November 1685, of which he wrote that "[Florence] is much sunk from what it was, for they do not reckon that there are fifty thousand souls in it; the other states, that were once great republic, such as Siena and Pisa, while they retained their liberty, are now shrunk almost into nothing..." ### Marriage of the Grand Prince Ferdinando Cosimo went about arranging a marriage for his elder son, Ferdinando, in 1686. He ushered him into the marriage as the other Tuscan princes, Francesco Maria de' Medici and Gian Gastone de' Medici, were sickly and unlikely to produce children. The main suitors were: Violante of Bavaria, a Bavarian princess, Isabel Luisa of Portugal (the heiress-apparent of Portugal), and the Elector Palatine's daughters. Negotiations with the Portuguese were intense, but stalled over certain clauses: Ferdinando and Isabel Luisa would live in Lisbon, Ferdinando would renounce his right to the Tuscan throne unless the Infanta's father, King Peter II, remarried and had male issue, and if Isabel Luisa became Queen of Portugal, and Cosimo III, Gian Gastone and Francesco Maria died without any male heirs, Tuscany would be annexed by Portugal. Ferdinando rejected it outright with the fullest support of Louis XIV, his great-uncle. Cosimo's eyes now fell upon Violente of Bavaria. Choosing her would strengthen ties between France—where Violente's sister was the dauphine—and Bavaria. There was only one obstacle in the way, Ferdinando II, Cosimo's father, impartially advised Violente's father, Ferdinand Maria, to invest a huge sum into a bank. Soon after the Elector deposited the sum, the bank collapsed. Ferdinand Maria still had sore feelings; Cosimo consented to the reduction of her dowry accordingly to reimburse the Elector. Ferdinando was unimpressed with his wife. Violente, however, electrified the Grand Duke. He wrote, "I have never known, nor do I think the world can produce, a disposition so perfect..." ### Royal Highness Duke Victor Amadeus II of Savoy procured the style Royal Highness from Spain and the Holy Roman Empire in June 1689, infuriating Grand Duke Cosimo, who complained to Vienna that a duke was inferior status to a grand duke, and proclaimed it "unjustly exalted...since the House of Savoy had not increased to the point of vying with kings, nor had the House of Medici diminished in splendour and possessions, so there was no reason for promoting one and degrading the other." Cosimo also played upon all the times Tuscany provided financial and military assistance to the Empire. The Emperor, anxious to avoid friction, suggested that Anna Maria Luisa should marry the Elector Palatine to compensate for the affront. The Elector Palatine, two years later, several months before his marriage to Anna Maria Luisa, went about acquiring the aforesaid style for Cosimo and his family, despite the fact that they had no claim to any kingdom. Henceforth, Cosimo was His Royal Highness The Most Serene Grand Duke of Tuscany. ### 1691–1694 Louis XIV was angered by Anna Maria Luisa's marriage to his sworn foe. Cosimo, after much coaxing, persuaded him otherwise. On 9 October 1691, France, England, Spain, and the United Provinces guaranteed the neutrality of the Tuscan port of Livorno. The Empire, meanwhile, was attempting to extract feudal dues from Cosimo, and ordering him to ally with Austria. The Grand Duke replied that if he did so France would send a naval fleet from Toulon to occupy his state; the Emperor reluctantly accepted this excuse. Tuscany was not alone in its feudal ties to the Empire: The rest of Italy was also bound to pay the Emperor, but at a much higher magnitude than Cosimo, who merely paid on his few undisputed Imperial fiefs. Cosimo, not having much else to do, instituted more moral laws. Young men were not allowed to "enter into houses to make love to girls, and let them dally at doors and windows, is a great incentive to rapes, abortions, and infanticides..." If a man did not comply, he was liable to receive enormous fines. This coincided with a new wave of taxes that stagnated Tuscany's already declining economy. Harold Acton recounts that a bale of wool "sent from Leghorn and Cortona had to pass through ten intermediate customs." The Grand Duke oversaw the establishment of the Office of Public Decency, whose goal was to regulate prostitution, also. Prostitutes were oft thrown into the Stinche, a jail for women of that profession, for years, with scant food, if they could not afford the fines levied on them by the Office of Public Decency. Evening permits and exemptions were available for those willing to pay six crowns per month. Cosimo resurrected a law from the regency of his father which banned Students from attending college outside Tuscany, thus strengthening the Jesuits' hold on education. A contemporary wrote that not a single man in Florence could read or write Greek, a stark contrast to those of the old republic. In a letter dated 10 October 1691, Cosimo's personal secretary wrote, "By the Serene Master's express command I must inform Your Excellencies that His Highness will allow no professor in his university at Pisa to read or teach, in public or in private, by writing or voice, the philosophy of Democritus, or of atoms, or any save that of Aristotle." Ferdinando and Violante, despite being married for over five years, had not produced any offspring as of 1694. The Grand Duke responded by declaring special days of devotion, and erecting a "fertility column" in the Cavour district of Florence, an act which attracted popular ridicule. Ferdinando would not attend to Violante, instead lavishing his attentions on his favourite, a castrated Venetian, Cecchino de Castris. The same year, Dowager Grand Duchess Vittoria, who had once exercised a great deal of influence over Cosimo, died. Her allodial possessions, the Duchies of Montefeltro and Rovere, inherited from her grandfather, the last Duke of Urbino, were bestowed upon her younger son, Francesco Maria de' Medici. ### Marriage of Gian Gastone Cosimo became perturbed by the question of the Tuscan Succession following the death of his mother. Ferdinando was lacking any children, as was Anna Maria Luisa. The latter, who was high in her father's estimation, put forward a German princess to marry Gian Gastone. The lady in question, Anna Maria Franziska of Saxe-Lauenburg, nominal heiress of the Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg, was extremely wealthy. Cosimo once again dreamed of a Medici cadet branch in a foreign land. They were married on 2 July 1697. Gian Gastone and herself did not get along; he eventually abandoned her in 1708. ### Dawn of the 18th century The 17th century did not end well for the Grand Duke: he still had no grandchildren, France and Spain would not acknowledge his royal status and the Duke of Lorraine declared himself King of Jerusalem without any opposition. In May 1700 Cosimo embarked on a pilgrimage to Rome. Pope Innocent XII, after much persuasion, created Cosimo a Canon of Saint John in the Lateran, in order to allow him to view the Volto Santo, a cloth thought to have been used by Christ before his crucifixion. Delighted by his warm reception from the Roman people, Cosimo left Rome with a fragment of Saint Francis Xavier's bowels. Carlos II of Spain died in November 1700. His death, without any ostensible heir, brought about the War of the Spanish Succession, which involved all of the European powers. Tuscany, however, remained neutral. Cosimo recognised Philip, duc d'Anjou, as Carlos's successor, whose administration refused to sanction the Trattamento Reale reserved for the royal family. The Grand Duke, soon after the royal altercation, accepted the investiture of the nominal Spanish fief of Siena from Philip, thereby confirming his status as a Spanish vassal. Gian Gastone was consuming money at a rapid pace in Bohemia, wracking up titanic debts. The Grand Duke, alarmed, sent the Marquis Rinnuci to scrutinise the Prince's debts. Rinnuci was abhorred to discover that Jan Josef, Count of Breuner and Archbishop of Prague, was among his creditors. In an attempt to salvage Gian Gastone from shipwreck, Rinnuci tried to coerce Anna Maria Franziska to return to Florence, where Gian Gastone longed to be. She blankly refused. Her confessor, hoping to keep her in Bohemia, regaled her with tales of the "poisoned" Eleanor of Toledo and Isabella Orsini, other Medici consorts. ### Tuscan succession and later years Cosimo's piety had not faded in the slightest since his youth. He visited the Florentine Convent of Saint Mark on a daily basis. A contemporary recounted that "The Grand Duke knows all the monks of Saint Mark at least by sight..." This, however, did not occupy all his efforts: He was still trying to coax Anna Maria Franziska to Florence, where he believed her caprices would cease. Additionally, in 1719, he claimed that God asked him to pledge the Grand Duchy to "the governance and absolute dominion of the most glorious Saint Joseph". Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, died in May 1705. His successor, Joseph I, took to government with a burst of ebullience. Following the Battle of Turin, a decisive Imperial victory, the Emperor sent an envoy to Florence to collect feudal dues, amounting to 300,000 doubloons, an exorbitant sum; and to force Cosimo to recognise the Archduke Charles as King of Spain. Fearing a Franco-Dutch invasion, Cosimo III refused to recognise Charles's title, but he did pay a fraction of the dues. The Grand Prince Ferdinando was grievously ill with syphilis; he had become prematurely senile, not recognising anybody who came to see him. Cosimo despaired. He successfully requisitioned the assistance of Pope Clement XI with Anna Maria Franziska. He sent the Archbishop of Prague to reproach her. She cited the example of Marguerite-Louise, adding that the Pope did not bother himself to machinate a reconciliation. Cosimo wrote desperate missives to the Electress Palatine: "I can tell you now, in case you are not informed, that we have no money in Florence..." He added that "two or three-quarters of my pension are fallen into arrears". Gian Gastone arrived in Tuscany, without his wife, in 1708. The Emperor, thinking it unlikely that any male heirs were to be born to the Medici, prepared to occupy Tuscany, under the pretext of Medici descent. He intimated that upon the Grand Prince's death the Tuscans would rebel against Cosimo's autocratic government. Cosimo, in an act of desperation, had Francesco Maria, the Medici family cardinal, renounce his religious vows and marry Eleanor of Gonzaga, the youngest child of the incumbent Duke of Guastalla. Two years later, Francesco Maria died, taking with him any hope of an heir. Without any ostensible heir, Cosimo contemplated restoring the Republic of Florence. However, this presented many obstacles. Florence was nominally an Imperial fief, and Siena a Spanish one. The plan was about to be approved by the powers convened at Geertruidenberg when Cosimo abruptly added that if himself and his two sons predeceased the Electress Palatine she should succeed and the republic be re-instituted following her death. The proposal sank, and was ultimately put on hold following Emperor Joseph's death. Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, agreed to an audience with the Electress Palatine in December 1711. He concluded that the Electress's succession brought no quandary, but added that he must succeed her. Cosimo and herself were abhorred by his reply. Realising how unforthcoming he had been, Charles wrote to Florence agreeing to the project, mentioning but one clause: the Tuscan state must not be bequeathed to the enemies of the House of Austria. At the culmination of the War of the Spanish Succession, at the Treaties of Utrecht and Rattstatt, Cosimo did not vie for international assurances for the Electress's succession. An inaction he would later grow to lament. The Grand Prince finally succumbed to syphilis on 30 October 1713. Cosimo deposited a succession bill in the Senate, Tuscany's nominal legislature, on 26 November. The bill promulgated that if Gian Gastone predeceased the Electress Palatine, she should ascend to all'' the states of the Grand Duchy. It was greeted with a standing ovation by the senators. Charles VI was furious. He retorted that the Grand Duchy was an Imperial fief, and that he alone had the prerogative to choose who would succeed. Elisabeth Farnese, heiress to the Duchy of Parma and the second wife of Philip V of Spain, as a great-granddaughter of Margherita de' Medici, exercised a claim to Tuscany. In May 1716, the Emperor assured the Electress and the Grand Duke that there was no insurmountable obstacle preventing her accession, but that Austria and Tuscany must soon reach an agreement regarding which royal house which was to succeed the Medici. As an incentive to accelerate Cosimo's reply, the Emperor hinted that Tuscany would reap territorial advancements. In June 1717 Cosimo declared his wish that the House of Este should succeed. Charles VI's promises never materialised. In 1718 he repudiated Cosimo's decision, declaring a union between Tuscany and Modena (the Este lands) unacceptable. On 4 April 1718 England, France and the Dutch Republic (and later Austria) selected Don Carlos of Spain, the eldest child of Elisabeth Farnese and Philip V of Spain, as the Tuscan heir. By 1722 the Electress was not even acknowledged as heiress, and Cosimo was reduced to a spectator at the conferences for Tuscany's future. Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine died in June 1717. Anna Maria Luisa returned home in October 1717, bringing with her vast treasures. Cosimo created his elder son's widow, Violante of Bavaria, Governess of Siena as to clearly define her precedence. That did not stop the two ladies from quarrelling, as was his intention. Cosimo discontinued hunting following an accident in January 1717. He accidentally shot, and killed, a man. He was so distraught, that he wished to be tried by the Knights of the Order of Saint Stephen. The state of the Grand Duchy reflected the decay of its ruler; in a 1718 military review, the army numbered less than 3000 men, some of whom were infirm, and aged 70. The navy composed of three galleys, and the crew 198. In September 1721, the Grand Duchess died; instead of willing her possessions to her children, as prescribed by the 1674 agreement; they went to the Princess of Epinoy. ### Death and legacy On 22 September 1723, the Grand Duke experienced a two-hour-long fit of trembling. His condition steadily deteriorated. Cosimo was attended by the Papal nuncio and the Archbishop of Pisa on his deathbed. The latter pronounced, "that this Prince required little assistance in order to die well, for he had studied and cared for nothing else throughout the long course of his life, but to prepare himself for death". On 25 October 1723, six days before his death, Grand Duke Cosimo disseminated a final proclamation commanding that Tuscany shall stay independent; Anna Maria Luisa shall succeed uninhibited to Tuscany after Gian Gastone; the Grand Duke reserves the right to choose his successor, but these stanzas were completely ignored. Six days later, on All Hallow's Eve, he died. He was interred in the Basilica of San Lorenzo, the Medici necropolis. Cosimo III left Tuscany one of the poorest nations in Europe; the treasury empty and the people weary of religious bigotry, the state itself was reduced to a gaming chip in European affairs. Among his enduring edicts is the establishment of the Chianti wine region. Gian Gastone repealed Cosimo's Jewish persecution laws, and eased tariffs and customs. Cosimo's inability to uphold Tuscany's independence led to the succession of the House of Lorraine upon Gian Gastone's death in 1737. ## Issue Cosimo III had three children with Marguerite Louise d'Orléans, a granddaughter of Henry IV of France: 1. Ferdinando de' Medici, Grand Prince of Tuscany (b.1663 d.1713) married Violante Beatrice of Bavaria, no issue; 2. Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici, Electress Palatine (b.1667 d.1743) married Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine, no issue; 3. Gian Gastone de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (b.1671 d.1737) married Anna Maria Franziska of Saxe-Lauenburg, no issue. Cosimo did not enjoy a harmonious relationship with his elder son, Ferdinando. They disagreed about Cosimo's bigoted ideology and his monthly allowance. Cosimo married him to a Bavarian princess, Violante Beatrice. This union was exceedingly discontent, and produced no offspring. Anna Maria Luisa was the Grand Duke's favourite child. She married Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine, and like her brother, had no issue. Gian Gastone, Cosimo's eventual successor, despised his father and his court. Anna Maria Luisa arranged for him to marry Anna Maria Franziska of Saxe-Lauenburg, a union that produced no children. ## Honours ## Ancestors [^1]: Magalotti, Lorenzo, Conte, 1637-1712, Travels of Cosmo the Third, Grand Duke of Tuscany, through England during the Reign of King Charles the Second (1669), translated from the Italian manuscript in the Laurentian library at Florence. To which is Prefixed, a Memoir of his Life\\, London, 1821, pp.128-132

Flashes Before Your Eyes

"Flashes Before Your Eyes" is the 8th episode of the third season of the American drama television series Lost, and the show's 57th episode overall. The episode was written by the series co-creator, show runner and executive producer Damon Lindelof and supervising producer Drew Goddard, and directed by Jack Bender. It first aired in the United States on February 14, 2007, on the American Broadcasting Company. The episode received mostly positive reviews from critics. Lindelof and Goddard were nominated for the Writers Guild of America (WGA) Award for Best Episodic Drama at the February 2008 ceremony for writing the episode. In this episode, Hugo "Hurley" Reyes (Jorge Garcia) and Charlie Pace (Dominic Monaghan) conclude that Desmond Hume (Henry Ian Cusick) can see into the future after he saves Claire Littleton (Emilie de Ravin) from drowning. It is revealed that after the hatch imploded, Desmond traveled back to London and relived his past before coming back to the island. Desmond also reveals to Charlie that the latter is destined to die. ## Plot While in the middle of a conversation with several other castaways, Desmond, without warning, sprints toward and dives into the ocean. No one on the beach understands why, until they see that Claire is drowning in the ocean but Desmond saves her. Noting this event, as well as events that have happened previously in the season – such as Desmond knowing about a speech Locke would make before he would make it, as well as Desmond inserting a rod on a tent just hours before that rod was struck by lightning – Hurley concludes that Desmond has precognition, but Charlie is skeptical. They hatch a plan to get Desmond to get drunk and confess. After several drinks, Charlie asks Desmond about his future-seeing abilities. Instead of answering, Desmond gets up to leave, but after Charlie calls him a "coward", a drunken Desmond tackles and chokes Charlie, shouting that Charlie does not know what he has been through. A flashback scene shows the hatch about to implode following the failure to enter the numbers in "Live Together, Die Alone". After Desmond twists the key, he suddenly wakes up in 1996 in a London apartment with his girlfriend Penelope Widmore (Sonya Walger), and he is shown to have vague memories of his time on the island. Desmond is clearly puzzled, but is relieved to finally be with Penny again. Desmond later goes to Penny's billionaire father, Charles Widmore (Alan Dale) and asks for his permission to marry his daughter. Widmore rejects Desmond, who is crushed and humiliated. Walking out of the building, Desmond sees Charlie singing and playing his guitar for money on the sidewalk. Desmond asks him if he remembers him but Charlie does not. Frustrated, Desmond rants about his time on the island and predicts it will rain, which it suddenly does. At a pub, Desmond meets with his friend, a physicist, and after retelling the events on the island asks him if time travel is possible, but the physicist denies it. Hearing familiar music, Desmond predicts for several events to happen in this pub tonight, namely the outcome of a soccer game being broadcast on TV as well as a thug about to attack the bartender, but neither event happens. Later, while shopping for a ring for Penny, Desmond runs into the shopkeeper, Eloise Hawking (Fionnula Flanagan). She tells Desmond his future. Hawking takes Desmond on a walk, and Hawking notes a particular man, with red shoes, just before he is crushed to death by a falling scaffolding. She explains that although she knew the man would die, she did not help because the universe has a way of "course correcting", and he would die anyway; if she warned him of the scaffolding, he would be hit by a taxi the next day, if she warned him of that he'd break his neck in a shower accident the next. Desmond and Penny go on a walk together and take a picture, where he breaks up with her after realizing that he does not have enough money to support her. He returns to the pub, and the predictions he made the previous night turn out to be true – this shows that Desmond does have precognition, his timing was just off. Desmond warns the bartender of the thug attacking him, and he ducks, but the thug's bat hits Desmond and he is knocked out. He wakes up back on the Island naked, as seen in "Further Instructions". The flashback ends, and Desmond is pulled off Charlie by Hurley. They help Desmond to his tent. Charlie tries to get an answer from him one last time. Desmond reveals that both times he rescued Claire, he was really saving Charlie; Charlie would have been electrocuted if Desmond hadn't inserted the rod, and Charlie would have drowned attempting to save Claire from the ocean had Desmond not done so. Desmond tells Charlie that although he has prevented his death twice, Charlie is destined to die (this is in reference to Hawking's comments on "course correction"). ## Production "Flashes Before Your Eyes" was the 15th episode of the series directed by Jack Bender. The episode was written by Damon Lindelof and Drew Goddard; the pair had never before collaborated on an episode. This episode is the first to deal with the concept of time travel, the next being "The Constant" in the fourth season. Unlike other flashback sequences to this point, this is positioned as actual time travel for Desmond. However, in this episode ground rules are established to prevent paradoxes in the story line as a result of time travel. Had these rules not been established, the writers feared that viewers would lose interest because the stakes of the characters would be lessened. In an interview, Henry Ian Cusick, who plays Desmond, said shooting the episode was both "fun" and "tiring". Cusick said that when shooting the episode "you're finishing late and starting early", but he enjoyed working with director Jack Bender because "he pushes you to, to try and go a little bit further than you think you can". The London scenes were shot in Honolulu. This led to several continuity errors, such as a British Army recruitment poster for a Scottish regiment (which would not recruit in England) featuring the word "Honour" being incorrectly spelled in the American English "Honor" and a photograph of a British soldier using an American M4 carbine and urging people to join the "military" (instead of the "army", as a British poster would say). ## Reception "Flashes Before Your Eyes" received mostly positive reviews. IGN's Chris Carabott wrote that "if last week's 'Not in Portland' didn't get you back on the Lost hype train then for goodness' sake the equally outstanding 'Flashes Before Your Eyes' hopefully grabbed your attention." Carabott went on to praise the on-screen chemistry of Henry Ian Cusick (Desmond) and Sonya Walger (Penelope), stating that "their on screen chemistry makes the love between the two characters real and makes their inevitable breakup that much harder to handle." He also complimented the scene between Desmond and Charles, saying that "it's hard not to feel Desmond's heart crushed when Widmore denies him Penelope's hand in marriage." Josh Spiegel, a writer for CinemaBlend.com, had similar praise. He said that for him "it was a nice change of pace to not see Jack, Kate or Sawyer on the show and focus more on some of the lesser-known castaways." Spiegel went on to say that the episode was "fantastic". Mania.com's Stephen Lackey wrote that "Flashes Before Your Eyes" was an "episode has everything die hard LOST fans expect, riveting plot twists, foreshadowing, and as many questions as answers" Critics did note that the episode did not provide many answers. Mac Slocum of FilmFodder.com wrote that he was "beginning to think the Lost producers have a different definition for the word 'answer'." Television Without Pity graded this episode with a "C". Henry Ian Cusick and Dominic Monaghan each submitted this episode for consideration on their own behalf for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series respectively for the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards. For their work on this episode, series co-creator, show runner, and executive producer Damon Lindelof and supervising producer Drew Goddard were nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Episodic Drama.

Yesterday's Wine

Yesterday's Wine is the 13th studio album and a concept album by country singer Willie Nelson. Nelson had been recording for RCA Victor since the early 1960s, and had released no significant hit records. By 1970, his recordings had reached mid-chart positions. Nelson lost the money he made from his song-writing royalties by financing concert tours that were generally unsuccessful and unprofitable. In addition to problems with his music career, Nelson had a troubled personal life. He had divorced his wife, Shirley Collie, and his Tennessee ranch had been destroyed by a fire. After moving to a new home in Bandera, Texas, Nelson was called by RCA Records producer Felton Jarvis about the upcoming scheduled recording sessions. At the time, Nelson had not written any new material. He returned to Nashville, where he wrote new songs to use with others from his old repertoire. These new concept songs were recorded at the RCA studios in Nashville in just two days. Considered one of the Country Music's first concept albums, Yesterday's Wine is the story of the "Imperfect Man", from the moment he is born to the day of his death. RCA originally released the singles "Yesterday's Wine" and "Me and Paul". The former peaked at number 62 in Billboard'''s Hot Country Singles. The album failed to reach the charts, and a frustrated Nelson decided to temporarily retire from music, while still under contract to RCA Records. Later with his musical style revitalized, he returned to music in 1972. ## Background and recording By the fall of 1964, Nelson had moved from Monument Records to RCA Victor, under the leadership of Chet Atkins, signing a contract for US \$10,000 per year. During his first few years at RCA Victor, Nelson had no major hits, but from November, 1966 through March, 1969 his singles reached the top 25 consistently: "One In a Row" (number 19, 1966), "The Party's Over" (number 24 during a 16-week chart run in 1967), and his cover of Morecambe & Wise's "Bring Me Sunshine" (number 13, March 1969). Up to 1970, Nelson had no major success. His record and song-writing royalties were invested in concert tours that did not produce significant profits. In addition to the problems in his career, Nelson divorced Shirley Collie in 1970. In December, his ranch in Ridgetop, Tennessee was destroyed by fire. He interpreted the incident as a signal for a change. He moved to a ranch near Bandera, Texas and married Connie Koepke. In early 1971, his single "I'm a Memory" reached the top 30. Felton Jarvis contacted Nelson for the recording of his next album. Nelson had not written any material for the sessions by the time he arrived in Nashville in April, 1971. While living in the new ranch, Nelson read the Bible, Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet, the works of Edgar Cayce and Episcopal priest A.A Taliaferro's work. Inspired by his readings, Nelson decided to work in new material. On May 1–2, he wrote nine songs, combining new ones with previous material from his repertoire, such as "Family Bible", to create the concept for the album. He recorded Yesterday's Wine in four sessions, backed by David Zettner and the studio session players, beginning with two sessions on May 3 and finishing with the last two on May 4. In his 2015 autobiography, Nelson reminisced about this turbulent time in his life: "I looked up and simply began asking questions. Rather than keep those questions to myself, I put them into songs. The songs became my own particular prayers, my own personal reflections. I strung those prayers and reflections together in a loose-fitting suite of songs. Music critics were throwing around the term "concept album"...I guess you could say that this new notion of mine came together as a concept album. Rather than try to write a bunch of hit singles, I simply followed the natural path taken by my mind". According to Nelson's biographer, Joe Nick Patoski, the new material portrayed "an idea that was so far-out that when it came time to record in early May, 1971 producer Felton Jarvis had no choice but to let the tapes roll". ## Content The album describes the life of a man, called "The Imperfect Man", from the beginning to the day of his death. The story begins with a dialog between two characters. The first asks the other "You do know why you're here?", and the second replies: "Yes, there's great confusion on earth, and the power that is has concluded the following: Perfect man has visited earth already and His voice was heard; The voice of imperfect man must now be made manifest; and I have been selected as the most likely candidate." This statement is followed by "Where's the Show" and "Let Me Be a Man". In the medley, Nelson depicts the birth of the character, who implores God to become a man. The song is followed by "In God's Eyes", depicting the character learning to act as a good Samaritan. In "Family Bible", the character describes his memories of and nostalgia for his childhood, the times with his family and the reading of the family Bible. "It's Not for Me to Understand" depicts the character praying, after watching a blind child listening to other children playing and finding himself unable to understand why God allowed that to happen. God replies to the Imperfect Man, "It's not for you to reason why, you too are blind without my eyes, so question not what I command". In the last stanza, the character now expresses his fear of the Lord and his reluctance to question the unfairness of the world again. The medley "These Are Difficult Times / Remember the Good Times", describes the character's bad times and his recovery by remembering the good times. "Summer of Roses" depicts the character falling in love and in the prime of his life. It is followed by the anticipation of the beginning of the end in "December Day", as the character announces "This looks like a December day. It looks like we've come to the end of the way". "Yesterday's Wine" finds the character drinking in a bar, talking to the regulars about his life, and reflecting on aging. In "Me and Paul", the Imperfect Man remembers the circumstances in which he lived with a friend in past times. The album ends with "Goin' Home", as the character watches his own funeral. Of the writing of "December Day" and "Summer of Roses," with Nelson remembered, "I couldn't write a suite of songs, no matter how spiritual, without reference to romance," he deemed "Summer of Roses" and "December Day" "love poems. In the first song, love was fleeting, tragically brief; in the second, love was remembered..." "December Day" had been recorded previously for Nelson's 1969 LP Good Times. "Family Bible" was another old tune that Nelson, a struggling songwriter at the time, sold to Paul Buskirk for fifty dollars; Buskirk took it to Claude Gray, whose version charted at number 7 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs in 1960. A song based on his own youth, Nelson later insisted, "There could be no Yesterday's Wine without 'Family Bible.'" In his memoir Nelson wrote that "Me and Paul" was a song "that described the road that my drummer and best friend, Paul English, and I had been riding together". The cover art was designed by Hartsel Gray and the liner notes written by Dee Moeller. ## Release and reception RCA Records marketing department was at a loss on how to promote Yesterday's Wine. In 2015, Nelson recalled the opinion of one of the label's executives, who told the singer "It's your fuckin' worst album to date". Nelson added that another member of the label felt that the record was "some far-out shit that maybe the hippies high on dope can understand, but the average music lover is gonna think you've lost your cotton-pickin' mind." RCA issued a single containing "Yesterday's Wine" and "Me and Paul" in October 1971. The single peaked at number 62 in Billboard's Country Singles. RCA initially pressed 10,000 copies of the album, which was released in August, 1971. Yesterday's Wine failed to chart, and did not satisfy RCA's expectations. Discouraged by all of his failures, Nelson decided to take a hiatus from music. He later wrote in his autobiography, "I think it's one of my best albums, but Yesterday's Wine was regarded by RCA as way too spooky and far out to waste promotion money on." In 2015, he added: "I was tempted to say something, to show how the songs fit together in one cohesive story, but I stuck to my guns and stayed silent...Nashville and I had been trying damn hard but we hadn't really seen eye to eye for most of the sixties. I felt like I had shown goodwill and patience. I'd given the Music City establishment a fair chance. After Yesterday's Wine, I cut other albums for RCA, but the story was always the same. The sales were slow and the producers lukewarm about my output. My career had stalled." The album was later considered one of the first concept albums in country music. Meanwhile, author Michael Streissguth felt that Yesterday's Wine "tried to be a concept album, but it lacked a clear thread, despite Willie's claim to the contrary." Nelson moved to Austin, Texas and returned to music in the following year. He formed a new band and performed in local venues, as his act was rejuvenated by the burgeoning hippie scene of the city. Yesterday's Wine was reissued on CD in 1997 by Justice records, and then by RCA/BMG Heritage in 2003. In 2017, RCA Victor reissued again the album on LP and digital download. ### Original reviews Music critic Robert Christgau gave the album a B+. Christgau observed: "The great Nashville songsmith has never bowled anyone over with his singing, and here he finds the concept to match." The Reviewer felt that the "religious themes" present in the songs "tends to limit their general relevance." Nathan Bush described Yesterday's Wine for The New York Times as "the last and best of [Nelson's] Nashville albums", saying that it was "Organized in the manner of an epic poem, each cut a metaphor in the journey through life ... it was Nashville's first fully conceived concept album, and nobody knew what to make of it. It soon disappeared quietly and utterly." Rolling Stone wrote: "[Yesterdays Wine] is the first of his bold, conceptual departures from country's hits-plus-filler norm. Rather than tack rock guitar riffs onto modern honky-tonk sagas, Nelson absorbed the innovations of Bob Dylan and the singer-songwriters into his own distinct style. Even if the narrative concepts don't always hold together, Willie hangs his most ambitious albums on some of his catchiest tunes." The Fort Worth Star-Telegram welcomed it as "the usual heady stuff expected from this unique song stylist." The Dayton Daily News gave it an A. The reviewer considered it "the most touching piece" that he "came across in many years". San Antonio Express-News considered that Nelson's "tearful voice" did \#an excellent job in getting the message driven across in a collection of soft ballads". The review described Nelson's songwriting as "deft of handling meaningful words" in "Family Bible", and his "mastery of the lyrics" on "Summer of Roses" and "December Day". The piece concluded that it represented "a showcase for Nelson's talents" and that it was "worthy of general listening, and listening again". ### Posterior reviews AllMusic gave Yesterday's Wine five stars out of five. Critic Nathan Bush compared it to Nelson's subsequent album Red Headed Stranger, suggesting that while the story on Yesterday's Wine "isn't as tightly constructed", it gave the album "a feeling of malleability that adds to its power". Bush concluded that "Yesterday's Wine provides further insight into the development of his art during this prolific period." In their book, The Listener's Guide to Country Music'', Robert Oermann and Douglas B. Green compared the album with Nelson's later recordings for Columbia Records: "All of those are beautiful records. They're all on Columbia and are made just the way Willie wanted them. It was not always so at his previous record label, RCA. Nevertheless, he made a few landmark recordings while he was with that company ... Few of the songs on Yesterday's Wine are well-known Nelson compositions, but all are minor masterpieces". ## Release History Upon original release, this was issued on LP only. But after Nelson began seeing major success in 1975, RCA reissued "Yesterday's Wine" as part of its "Pure Gold" reissue series. This time, RCA issued 8-track and cassette copies of the album. The album was reissued again in 1980, as part of RCA's "Best Buy" series. It was also around this time that the album was issued in Great Britain for the first time. In 2016, German reissue label Speakers Corner reissued this album for the European market. The following year, US reissue label Friday Music reissued the album on burgundy-colored vinyl. "Yesterday's Wine" has been reissued on CD numerous times; in 1997 by Justice Records, a Houston, TX based independent label, and in 2003 by BMG Heritage. In 2010, Sony reissued "Yesterday's Wine" as part of a triple disc boxed set, along with Red Headed Stranger and Stardust. ## Track listing All tracks were composed by Willie Nelson; except where indicated ## Personnel Musicians - Willie Nelson – vocals, guitar - William Paul Ackerman – drums - Jerry Carrigan – drums - Roy M. "Junior" Huskey – bass guitar - Dave Kirby – guitar - Charlie McCoy – harmonica - Weldon Myrick – steel guitar - Hargus "Pig" Robbins – organ, piano - Jerry Dean Smith – piano - Buddy Spicher – fiddle - Bobby Thompson – banjo - Herman Wade, Jr. – guitar - Chip Young – guitar - Dave Zettner – guitar Studio - Felton Jarvis – Producer - Vic Anesini – Mastering - Steven Bernstein – Design - Gretchen Brennison – Production Assistant - Jeremy Holiday – Production Assistant - John Hudson – Product Manager - Al Pachucki – Engineer - Mike Shockley – Recording Technician - Roy Shockley – Recording Technician - Hartsel Gray - cover illustration ## Chart positions

RAF West Ruislip

Former Royal Air Force's depot in London

RAF West Ruislip was a Ministry of Defence site, located in Ickenham within the London Borough of Hillingdon. The base was originally built as a depot for the Royal Air Force (RAF), split by what is now the Chiltern Main Line. North of the railway was RAF Blenheim Crescent, which housed the RAF Records Office and the depot's original personnel accommodation. The site was leased to the US Air Force in 1955, followed by the US Navy in 1975, eventually housing the Navy Exchange of the U.S. Naval Activities, United Kingdom command, and the Navy's Morale, Welfare and Recreation Department. Following a review of properties, the US Navy vacated the site in 2006 and it became surplus to the Ministry of Defence's requirements under Project MoDEL. The following year, initial plans for around 415 homes and a retirement home were approved by the London Borough of Hillingdon in July 2007. Almost all buildings were subsequently demolished to make way for the new development. Cala Homes bought the 21-acre (85,000 m²) site for £180m in November. ## History ### Establishment The land upon which the site was developed was originally owned by Edward Hilliard. It was chosen in March 1915 by Wing Commander T. O. Lyons of the Air Ministry to house the Ordnance Aircraft Stores Depot from Farnborough, although a decision was made instead to establish the depot in Didcot, beside the existing buildings there. In 1917, the Ruislip site was revisited, and on 3 July was selected to house a depot for the Royal Flying Corps, under a military acquisition order. The close proximity to the Great Western and Metropolitan Railways made it ideal for the purpose. Additional construction costs meant the final total was £736,000, up from an original estimate of £235,000. The need for heating brought with it the requirement for boiler houses, plus additional foundations which were needed for the buildings to the north of the railway. Lieutenant J.G.N. Clifts of the Royal Engineers created the design for the site and buildings, and the contractor involved was a U.S. Army civil engineering company, appearing on records as American Construction Company. A temporary railway siding was created to aid in the delivery of building supplies. By 13 December 1918, several sheds had been completed, as were the Officers' Mess, sleeping quarters and the Navy and Army Canteen Board. Between May and July 1918, military stores from White City, Wormwood Scrubs and Baker Street were moved to the site, with items kept in the completed sheds. A shortage of bricks in October meant the widening of the bridge over the railway was delayed, as was the construction of the railway line into the site. ### Inter-war years The Air Ministry wrote to the land surveyors employed by Edward Hilliard on 3 September 1919 to announce they wished to buy the land to allow for its permanent use by the RAF. Hilliard did not accept the initial offer of £5,900, but agreed to sell by the eventual deadline of 17 January 1920, receiving the sum of £6,350. A resident of the land, Mrs Saitch of Home Farm, had her tenancy cancelled on 29 September and was paid compensation by the military until 25 March 1921, although the authorities did not believe her worthy. Fairlight House, built in 1914, was included within the site and later became the residence of the Commander of US Naval Activities, United Kingdom. RAF Records were also based at the site along with the Maintenance Unit. The Great Western Railway, now the Chiltern Main Line, ran through the site, separating the regimental buildings to the north from the depot buildings to the south. A "Homice Scheme" was established at all RAF stations in 1921, to prepare for cases of civil disturbance. To prepare, the fences around the depot belonging to the nearby railway company were replaced by a non-climable variety. An RAF guard made up of a sergeant, corporal, acting corporal and twenty three airmen was formed to protect the site. During the rest of the decade, the Metropolitan Police provided a guard of eleven constables, eight of whom were housed in the sick bay. The remaining three were married, and were given their own houses in Park Road in Uxbridge. The Air Ministry placed an order in 1922 for the closure of the public footpath that ran through the site, providing £750 for the maintenance of nearby Green Lane where the path originated. The eventual order, dated 15 October 1924, replaced two previous orders from 1922 and 1923 which had required a replacement route, though no such route was established. In 1924, the Air Ministry officially separated the two sites administratively, so that the depot site and accommodation site (RAF Blenheim Crescent) were considered two separate RAF stations. Between 1920 and 1939, the original accommodation buildings in the north of the site were replaced by new married quarters. The RAF established the Apprentice Clerks Scheme at the Records Office in October 1925, after an earlier trial in 1921 had concluded successfully. Under the scheme, apprentices were trained in general administrative and accounting duties, practising shorthand typing in the depot while also acting as messengers in the Records Office. A total of 2,080 apprentices passed through the scheme between 1925 and 1942. The station commander, Wing Commander Lyons died in his quarters on 1 February 1926 and was buried in the churchyard of St Giles' Church on 4 February. His funeral was attended by all personnel from the depot, the Records Office and the Central Band of the RAF. He was succeeded by Wing Commander F. H. Kirby. ### Second World War Under the newly formed RAF Maintenance Command, the depot became part of No. 40 Group RAF (Equipment) in 1939 as No. 4 Maintenance Unit RAF, under the overall command of Air Commodore R. W. Thomas. The depot became responsible for the provision and maintenance of engines for the Advanced Air Striking Force. These were then sent to Hartlebury and Quedgeley to be despatched to units. Ammunition was also prepared and sent to squadrons in action. No. 71 Maintenance Unit RAF in Slough came under control of the Ruislip depot in January 1941. The increase in personnel lead to an extension of the station canteen in May. Additionally, a Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) canteen was built on the RAF Blenheim Crescent site on 6 May. In order to protect it from potential enemy bombing, the majority of the Records Office was moved to a temporary base in Gloucester on 10 May. Later in the war, No. 4 Maintenance Unit became involved with radio and RDF preparations for the D-Day landings. It also produced waterproof radar equipment for use by the US Air Force's 2nd Tactical Air Force in 1944 which could be used even when submerged under 6 feet (1.8 m) of water. ### Post-war years Following the end of the war, the depot was responsible for the repair of vehicles and the conversion of aircrew coaches. Aircraft engines, propellers and radar equipment also continued to be repaired on the site, as were vehicles from the US Air Force's Third Air Force base at nearby RAF South Ruislip which began to be serviced from April 1949. The American vehicles were maintained in a dedicated shed, No. 5. The remaining Records Office operation closed at Ruislip on 1 May 1951, having been run as a subsidiary of the Gloucester office since the previous year. A lack of available housing in the Gloucester area meant the closure was not completed until 16 May 1952. It was proposed in April of that year to convert the base to an Air Ministry Unit and transfer the operations of RAF West Drayton to it. On 1 August 1951, the Medical Survey Office was formed on the station as a unit of RAF Home Command. The office was responsible for all medical records, which were transferred from the RAF Records Office. It was moved to another building in November but was relocated to RAF Innsworth on 16 May 1952. The station was passed to the US Air Force Third Air Force on 1 December 1955, to enable the consolidation of facilities at several sites in the country into a single location. On 1 October 1962, the American 7500th Air Base Group was relocated to RAF West Ruislip from RAF South Ruislip. The base became a center of operations for the A&AFES and EES and was used as a warehousing facility with bldg 6 the office area for EES. There was a bowling alley on the base and a baseball ground, with after the forced closure of South Ruislip by Kodak the owners of South Ruislip, a small BX was opened. A&AFES and EES continued at West Ruislip for several years after the USAF moved to Mildenhall / Lakenheath. After the US Air Force decided to close RAF South Ruislip and move their headquarters to RAF Mildenhall in 1972, 77 civilian members of staff at West Ruislip were made redundant. Between 1958 and 1960, the station's chapel was built by Brandt O'Dell. The building incorporated a nave with seating space for 350 people, and connecting wings to the hall and narthex. In 1962, the gymnasium was built on the site. The US Navy leased the site in December 1975 and constructed additional facilities for personnel and their families, including a bar, filling station, post office, cinema, chapel, school, baseball diamond and a medical and dental centre. These came under the Morale, Welfare and Recreation Department. A large area of the site was demolished in the late 1980s for a large residential development named "Brackenbury Village". Housing was shared between personnel and British families. The Children's Welfare and Family Services Centre was built in 1988 by Kier Construction. The building incorporated separate sections for children and families. Among other recreational facilities, two squash courts were built in 1989, and a baseball diamond and field house were built in 1995. Dugouts were also built nearby the following year. ## Closure and redevelopment Following a review of facilities, the US Navy elected to vacate the West Ruislip site, beginning on 30 June 2006. The final chapel service had been held on 5 June. Many operations returned to the United States, as part of a plan to save \$1 million each year. Staff redundancies involved 7 US service personnel, 55 civilian staff from the US Department of Defence and 95 British civilian staff. The base closed during a ceremony on 28 September, in which the American flag and Royal Air Force Ensign were lowered. All personnel from the Navy Exchange had already transferred to new facilities in Naples, Italy. U.S. Naval Activities, United Kingdom was officially stood down on 14 September 2007 at a ceremony at RAF Daws Hill. In late 2007, all buildings on the site excluding the elementary school were demolished. RAF Blenheim Crescent was not included in the demolition works. The Brackenbury Village housing was retained as it was separate from the military buildings. Cala Homes purchased the 21-acre (85,000 m²) site for a £180m development in November 2007. Explore Living Thames Valley later bought a 5.5-acre (22,000 m²) plot from Cala Homes in February 2008. Outline planning permission was granted by the London Borough of Hillingdon in January 2009 despite local opposition to some buildings having flat roofs. Up to 50% of the new homes will be social housing. The plan included 415 homes, with an 80-bed care home; the largest buildings will be six storeys high. In September 2010, Cala Homes sought permission from the London Borough of Hillingdon to sell the first 30 completed homes before completing all highway work on the site in order to keep the development financially viable. By September 2011, around 50 of the first 100 homes had been sold, with an additional 30 houses under construction. The largest building under construction, Cottesmore House, was completed in October 2011. The final homes on the Ickenham Park development were completed during 2013. A McCarthy & Stone tailored care living development received planning permission in May 2014, and is due to open in early 2016. In September 2014, the Eden Academy Trust began a public consultation on reopening the former elementary school as a free special school in January 2015. Under the plans, it would be refurbished and open to 32 pupils, and would be gradually expanded to eventually have a full intake of 140 pupils by September 2016. The school, named Pentland Field School, opened to its first intake of pupils on 12 January 2015, and was officially reopened by the Permanent Secretary for the Department for Education, Chris Wormald. ## See also - West Ruislip station for adjacent tube and railway station - List of former Royal Air Force stations

Emmett Watson

American journalist (1918–2001)

Emmett Watson (November 22, 1918 – May 11, 2001) was an American newspaper columnist from Seattle, Washington, whose columns ran in a variety of Seattle newspapers over a span of more than fifty years. Initially a sportswriter, he is primarily known for authoring a social commentary column for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer (P-I) from 1956 until 1982, when he moved to The Seattle Times and continued there as a columnist until shortly before his death in 2001. Watson grew up in Seattle during the 1920s and 1930s. He was a tireless advocate, through his column as well as through a fictional organization he created called Lesser Seattle, for limiting the seemingly unbridled growth and urban renewal that dramatically altered the city's landscape during the second half of the twentieth century. ## Early life ### Childhood Born in Seattle in 1918, Watson and twin brother Clement were the sons of Garfield and Lena McWhirt. Emmett's mother and twin brother died of Spanish Influenza the following year; his father, an itinerant laborer unable to care for his 14-month-old son, arranged for Emmett's adoption by long-time friends John and Elizabeth Watson of West Seattle. ### School and baseball Watson suffered an ear infection as a child that permanently damaged his hearing. He attended West Seattle High School before transferring to Franklin. A catcher on the Quakers baseball team, he played with future major league pitcher Fred Hutchinson, and graduated in 1937. Watson enrolled at the University of Washington and played baseball for the Huskies under head coach Tubby Graves. He played very briefly with the Seattle Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League, amassing one hit in a total of two at-bats. He often blamed his lack of success in professional baseball on his inability to hit a curveball. He graduated from the university in 1942 with a bachelor's degree in communications. After leaving baseball, Watson worked in the Seattle-Tacoma Shipyard during World War II. ### Early writing career During the war, Watson and some friends produced a newsletter to send to baseball players serving in the military. The newsletter brought him to the attention of an editor at the Seattle Star (a now defunct daily newspaper) where Watson was hired to cover the Rainiers in 1944. It was while working at the Star that Watson contracted polio. In 1946, The Seattle Times lured Watson away from the Star, where he continued to cover sports until 1950, when he received an offer from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that The Seattle Times chose not to match. He initially wrote a sports column at the P-I. In 1956 the P-I was pitched the idea of an "Around the Town" column by a group of restaurant owners, who offered to partially underwrite the costs of producing the column in exchange for an occasional plug. The new column, "This, Our Town," was assigned to Watson. ## Columnist at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer Watson's new column quickly broadened its scope to cover all aspects of life in Seattle. In 1959 it was rechristened "This, Our City." By 1962, the column, primarily a "three dot" compilation of short items, was running five days a week. When a particular issue caught his attention, Watson would produce a longer, essay-style column. It was these essay-style columns that provided most of the fodder for his 1993 book, My Life in Print. In his column and life in general, Watson was an early champion of civil rights, social reform, and the anti-war movement. He denounced urban renewal plans aimed at flattening Pioneer Square and radically altering Seattle's Pike Place Public Market. He was the founder and leader of "Lesser Seattle," a parody of Greater Seattle, Inc., which advocated several schemes for Seattle's civic improvement and development that Watson considered ill-advised. Feeling that the influx of outsiders, primarily from California, was ruining the city, Watson often published tongue-in-cheek columns suggesting ways to make visitors to Seattle feel unwelcome. In the early 1980s Watson left the P-I after perceived unfair treatment by a new editor, although he still contributed to the paper as a freelancer. Watson's criticisms of then Mariners owner George Argyros eventually led to the P-I reducing the frequency of his column. Watson remembered, "I picked up the paper and saw the column wasn't in there. The managing editor called and said he was thinking of cutting me back to one column a week. I said maybe we should make it zero columns a week." On October 30, 1983, after a hiatus of more than three decades, Watson's column appeared once again in The Seattle Times. ## Columnist at The Seattle Times At The Seattle Times Watson continued to write his column in the style that had made him a well-known fixture of Seattle journalism. As was his custom, he continued to skewer the rich and powerful in his columns, always fighting against the kind of development and modernization that he felt was destroying the city he knew and loved. Over the years the tone in his columns softened somewhat and they often consisted of his reminisces of "Old Seattle." In November 2000, when his union, The Newspaper Guild, went on strike against The Seattle Times, Watson, then in his eighties, made regular, daily appearances on the picket lines. During the strike he wrote for the Seattle Union Record, the strike paper of the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild. ## Notable actions ### Reporting the suicide of Ernest Hemingway Watson received international notoriety in 1961 when he broke the story of novelist Ernest Hemingway's suicide in Idaho, which had initially been incorrectly reported by Hemingway's wife as an accidental shooting. ### Major League Baseball in Seattle Watson and long-time friend U.S. District Judge Bill Dwyer were leaders in the anti-trust suit against Major League Baseball, when the Seattle Pilots were moved to Milwaukee after a single expansion season in Seattle in 1969. It was the effectiveness of this action that proved to be instrumental in Seattle being awarded the Seattle Mariners in 1977. ### Lesser Seattle Lesser Seattle is a fictional organization invented by Watson. It is also known for its KBO agents and supporters, where KBO stands for "Keep the Bastards Out". The organization expressed Watson's frustration with that of many other Seattle residents with the influx of newcomers to the Puget Sound area from out-of-state. Watson periodically wrote about the group in his column from 1957 to 1997. It was a satirical response to the pro-growth booster group Greater Seattle Inc., which had been founded in the 1950s. The organization is somewhat similar to the satirical James G. Blaine Society and Society of Native Oregon Born (S.N.O.B.) that advocated keeping migrating Californians out of nearby Oregon. According to Lesser Seattle and the KBO, immigration of newcomers into the Puget Sound region clogged the roads, spent too much money bidding up prices, did not understand the "NorthWest way of life", and generally made trouble. Watson periodically suggested actions that KBO members could take to make "immigrants" (perhaps especially Californians) uncomfortable, and, hopefully, encourage them to leave. Readers and others occasionally observed that it was all a sort of joke; Watson sometimes responded that people could think what they liked, but that he would continue to promote the KBO as one way to deal with the decrease in the quality of life in the Pacific Northwest and especially in Western Washington. ## Oyster Bar Emmett, along with his friend Sam Bryant, opened the city's first oyster bar on February 18, 1979. Watson sold his share of the Oyster Bar to Bryant in 1987. Still in business today, Emmett Watson's Oyster Bar is located in Seattle's Pike Place Market and is currently owned by Sam Bryant's son, Thurman. ## Death In March 2001, Watson underwent surgery for an abdominal aneurysm at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle and died of complications from the surgery on May 11 at the age of 82. ## Accomplishments Watson was called "one of the greats" by contemporaries Herb Caen of the San Francisco Chronicle and Jimmy Breslin of the New York Daily News; he considered himself a protégé of Caen's. He wrote four books (including My Life in Print) and received the Distinguished Service Award from the Society of Professional Journalists' Western Washington Chapter in 1998. ## See also - Fremont Arts Council - List of oyster bars

Robbie Fowler

English football coach (born 1975)

Robert Bernard Fowler (born 9 April 1975) is an English football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Saudi First Division League side Al-Qadsiah. As a player, he was a striker, and is the eighth-highest goalscorer in the history of the Premier League. He is best known for his time at Liverpool, initially from 1993 to 2001. He scored 183 goals in total for Liverpool, earning the nickname "God" from the Anfield fans, and he is Liverpool's second-top scorer in the Premier League. He subsequently played for Leeds United and Manchester City, before returning to Liverpool in January 2006. He moved to Cardiff City eighteen months later. He played there for a year before transferring to Blackburn Rovers on a short-term deal. In December 2008, he departed Blackburn and played in Australia with North Queensland Fury and Perth Glory. In 2011, he joined Thai side Muangthong United as a player, but later was appointed player-manager, which he remained until his retirement in 2012. Fowler was capped for England 26 times, scoring 7 goals. He was included in England's squads for Euro 1996, Euro 2000 and the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Socially aware, Fowler showed support for the Liverpool dockers' strike during a goal celebration in 1997 where he unveiled a t-shirt which incorporated the Calvin Klein "CK" into the word doCKer. ## Early life Fowler was born in Toxteth, Liverpool, and brought up in the inner city area of Liverpool. At this time he was known as Robert Ryder, his mother's surname. He lived in Toxteth at the time of the 1981 Toxteth riots, when he was six years old. As a youngster he supported Everton F.C. and regularly attended home and away games. He played regularly for schoolboy team Thorvald, and once scored 16 times in a 26–0 rout. ## Club career ### Liverpool Despite growing up as an Everton fan, Fowler's career began with Liverpool. He signed as a youth team player on leaving school in the summer of 1991, signing professional terms on his 17th birthday, 9 April 1992. Fowler's first involvement with the Liverpool first team came on 13 January 1993, when he was an unused substitute in an FA Cup third round tie against Bolton Wanderers. In the following close season, Fowler helped the England under-18 team win the 1993 European Championship, before making a scoring first-team debut in Liverpool's 3–1 win in a second round League Cup tie at Fulham on 22 September 1993. Fowler scored all five goals in the second leg at Anfield two weeks later, making him the fourth player in Liverpool's history to score five in a senior fixture. He scored his first league hat-trick against Southampton on 30 October 1993 in only his fifth league game. His very first league goal for the Reds had come on 16 October 1993, when an 87th-minute equaliser at home to struggling Oldham Athletic saved the Reds from what would have been one of the biggest Premier League shocks of the season, with a last gasp own goal giving Liverpool a 2–1 win. He scored twice in a thrilling 3–3 draw at Tottenham Hotspur on 18 December 1993. His first 13 games for the club yielded 12 goals, and he was rewarded with an England Under-21 debut against San Marino in November 1993, in which he scored England's opening goal in the third minute. Fowler was unable to sustain his goal-a-game ratio throughout the season, but finished his first season as the club's second top scorer with 18 goals in all competitions, Ian Rush had scored 19. It was, however, a disappointing season for Liverpool, as they finished eighth in the Premier League without making an impact in any of the major competitions, though the departure of Graeme Souness as manager and the appointment of Roy Evans as successor built up hope for a brighter future at Anfield after the disappointment of the first two FA Premier League seasons. #### Success and fame During the 1994–95 season Fowler was a constant member of the Liverpool side, playing in all of their 57 competitive matches, including the victory in the 1995 League Cup final, and a match against Arsenal on 28 August 1994 in which he scored what was then the Premier League's fastest hat-trick ever, in four minutes and 33 seconds. His record stood for twenty years until broken by Sadio Mané on 16 May 2015 for Southampton against Aston Villa, who scored three goals in two minutes and 56 seconds. He scored braces against Aston Villa, Ipswich Town, Chelsea and Norwich City in the league that season. Fowler was voted the PFA Young Player of the Year in two consecutive years in 1995 and 1996, a feat also achieved only by Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney and Dele Alli. Throughout the mid and late 1990s, Fowler was widely considered to be the most natural finisher playing in England. Fowler sealed this reputation as he scored more than 30 goals for three consecutive seasons, up to 1997. He remains the only player to have scored 30 plus goals in his first three full seasons in England scoring 98 goals with a total of 116 in just over three years. Fowler's partnership with Steve McManaman was largely described as the reason why Liverpool had become the club known for being the most potent attacking force in England at the time, and Fowler was renowned for scoring goals of all varieties, from every angle and distance, with McManaman describing him as the "greatest goalscorer of all time". Stan Collymore, Fowler's regular strike partner for two seasons from 1995, said in his autobiography that Fowler was the best player he has ever played alongside. Fowler and Collymore were among the most prolific goal-scoring strike partnerships in England during the 1995–96 season, with £8.4million signing Collymore replacing the veteran Ian Rush as Fowler's regular partner in attack after his arrival in June 1995. In the same season, he scored twice in a 4–3 victory over Newcastle United, a match voted the best of the decade in a Premier League poll. The match helped prevent Newcastle from winning the league, but it was not enough for Liverpool to clinch the title; they finished third while Manchester United were crowned champions. Fowler also played in his first FA Cup Final that season, but was on the losing side as Manchester United won 1–0. He had scored four goals against United in the league that season, scoring twice in a 2–2 draw at Old Trafford on 1 October 1995, and twice in a 2–0 win at Anfield on 16 December. Fowler received a call-up to the full England squad and won his first cap on 27 March 1996 as a substitute in a friendly against Bulgaria. His first start at international level was against Croatia which was the England game following his substitute appearance. Fowler was part of the England squad for Euro 1996, making two appearances in the tournament. On 14 December 1996, he scored four against Middlesbrough, including his hundredth for Liverpool. This meant he reached a century of goals one game quicker than his first strike partner, Ian Rush, in just 165 games. That year, he also won a UEFA Fair Play award for denying that he had been fouled by Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman at Highbury after a penalty had been given. After unsuccessfully trying to persuade the referee to change his decision about the penalty, Fowler took it tamely and Seaman saved. However, Seaman failed to hold on to the ball and Jason McAteer scored from the rebound. Although many people believe that he deliberately took the penalty kick poorly for reasons of fair play, Fowler said at the time: "As a goalscorer it's part of my job to take it and I wanted to score it. I tried to score. I never missed on purpose. It just happened, it was a bad penalty." #### Spice Boys Fowler was part of a group of Liverpool players from the mid-1990s who were dubbed "The Spice Boys" by the press following a series of off-field controversies. The term was coined by the Daily Mail, and arose due to misplaced rumours that Fowler was dating Spice Girl Emma Bunton. The term was subsequently used in a derogatory manner, implying Fowler and colleagues such as Jamie Redknapp, Stan Collymore, David James and Steve McManaman were underachieving playboys. Still, Liverpool were top of the Premier League by Christmas 1996. By the end of January, however, they had been leapfrogged by Manchester United, who remained top for the rest of the season. Fowler's performance in the 1997–98 football season was marred by an anterior cruciate (knee) ligament injury that kept him out of action for half of the season and caused him to miss the 1998 World Cup. During this period of injury, fellow Liverpool striker, Michael Owen rose to prominence, making his debut in 1997. Owen established himself in the Liverpool team in Fowler's absence and played alongside him when Fowler regained his fitness. In 1999, Fowler was fined £60,000 by his club for bringing the game into disrepute. While celebrating his goal against Liverpool's Merseyside rivals, Everton, Fowler used the white line of the penalty area to simulate cocaine use. Liverpool manager Gérard Houllier stated that this was a Cameroonian grass-eating celebration, learnt from teammate Rigobert Song. Defending himself, Fowler later said this was a response to Everton fans who had insulted him with false accusations of drug abuse. Fowler received a four-match suspension from the FA for this incident. #### Winning the cup treble The 2000–01 season was Fowler's most successful season. He scored 17 goals, appeared in three finals, and lifted three trophies in a unique cup treble. In the absence of Jamie Redknapp, who was sidelined by injury, Fowler was named as Liverpool captain when he started. However he found himself the third-choice Liverpool striker, with Houllier favouring a forward partnership of Michael Owen and Emile Heskey. He took part in a fourth-round League Cup hammering of Stoke City, scoring a hat-trick in an 8–0 victory, which was second only to the club's biggest ever win in 1986 – a 10–0 defeat of Fulham. In the League Cup final against Birmingham City, the club's first cup final since 1996, he captained the side and scored in the 30th minute. Liverpool went on to win the trophy on penalties, with Fowler scoring Liverpool's fifth in the shootout. Fowler picked up the Alan Hardaker Man of the Match award and lifted the trophy. Fowler's season picked up from there as he scored several important goals including one against runaway champions Manchester United and a free kick in the FA Cup semi-final against Wycombe Wanderers. Fowler featured as a substitute in the 2001 FA Cup Final coming on as a 77th-minute replacement for Vladimír Šmicer. Liverpool, who were 1–0 down at that point, eventually won the game 2–1 with two goals from Owen. Fowler raised the trophy along with Sami Hyypiä and Jamie Redknapp. Four days later he was a substitute again in Liverpool's third final, the 2001 UEFA Cup Final against Deportivo Alavés. He came on in the 64th minute for Heskey with the score at 3–3. He scored seven minutes later but Alavés equalised before full-time and Liverpool eventually won with a golden goal, an own goal, in the 116th minute. Fowler and Hyypiä then raised Liverpool's third trophy of the season together. Liverpool's next and final game of the season was against Charlton Athletic and Fowler scored twice in a 4–0 victory at The Valley that assured them UEFA Champions League qualification for the next season. #### Liverpool departure Fowler began the 2001–02 season controversially, after being dropped by the then manager Gérard Houllier from the Liverpool squad for the 2001 Charity Shield match, following a training ground confrontation with assistant manager Phil Thompson. He made an appearance in Liverpool's 3–2 European Super Cup victory over Bayern Munich, but starts were intermittent. In October 2001, he scored his first league hat-trick for three years, helping Liverpool beat Leicester City 4–1, but was dropped for the following league match. Though Fowler had been on a contract extension from 1999 (unlike Steve McManaman – who exercised his Bosman entitlement the very same year), Fowler was linked to Lazio, Arsenal and Leeds United, and Liverpool's management as well as fans and the media constantly reported that what happened with McManaman (regarded as a huge financial loss) would never be repeated and thus the club never rejected those bids without consideration. This meant that coupled with Fowler's relationship with Houllier, speculation over Fowler's future persisted for most of Houllier's tenure and became an issue that divided Liverpool fans. His last appearance for Liverpool was against Sunderland, in which he was substituted at half-time. ### Leeds United Despite his popularity with Liverpool fans, who referred to Fowler as "God", Michael Owen and Emile Heskey had established themselves as Liverpool's regular strike partnership, leaving Fowler on the fringes of the first team. This, along with his difficult relationship with Houllier, made him seek regular first team football away from Anfield in the form of a £12 million move to Leeds United. Fowler maintains that Houllier forced him out of Liverpool, and accused Houllier of pressuring the Liverpool Echo newspaper to use its influence to turn opinion against him. The transfer went ahead just one month after his hat-trick at Leicester. He made his Leeds debut in an away game against Fulham in December 2001, the same ground where he had made his Liverpool debut eight years earlier. Fowler scored 12 goals in the remainder of the season, helping Leeds to a UEFA Cup qualifying place. Fowler was included in the England squad for the 2002 World Cup, but only made one appearance, coming on as a substitute in a second-round win over Denmark. Fowler suffered an aggravation of a pre-existing hip injury in the 2002–03 pre-season, and did not recover until December. Struggling to gain fitness, and seeing teammates sold off due to a financial crisis, Fowler's form and market value diminished. It was despite this decrease in form that he still, in total, scored 15 goals in 31 appearances for Leeds; achieving an impressive strike rate of just less than one goal every two games. In 2002–03, Leeds finished 15th in the Premier League and a severe financial crisis was developing. ### Manchester City In the 2002–03 season, Fowler was transferred to Manchester City following a protracted transfer saga. Fowler initially turned down the move and a dispute between Manchester City manager Kevin Keegan and chairman David Bernstein over whether the transfer should take place due to medical concerns resulted in Bernstein leaving the club. Following encouragement from Keegan, Fowler finally signed for Manchester City on 16 January 2003 for an initial fee of £3 million and a further £3 million dependent upon appearances. Bizarre transfer conditions meant Leeds United still paid a significant proportion of Fowler's wages. Fowler made his Manchester City debut against West Bromwich Albion on 1 February 2003, but made a poor start to his Manchester City career, scoring just two goals in the remainder of the season. Fowler continued to struggle with fitness problems in the 2003–04 season, completing the full 90 minutes only nine times, however, he did score against his old club, Liverpool, in a 2–2 draw at home. The arrival of close friend Steve McManaman from Real Madrid gave Fowler hope, but the pair failed to rekindle their prolific partnership from their time at Liverpool, and received criticism from the fans and tabloids for their salaries and alleged excesses; they were named and shamed in a sex scandal covered by the News of the World that year. Despite the slump, Fowler rallied for the following campaign, and showed a marked improvement in the second half of the 2004–05 season, scoring his 150th Premiership goal in the 3–2 win over Norwich City on 28 February 2005. However, his failure to convert a 90th-minute penalty kick against Middlesbrough's Mark Schwarzer in the final game of the season prevented Manchester City from gaining a place in the UEFA Cup. Despite this, Fowler ended the season as the club's joint top goal scorer and gained the approval of the fans, finishing in the top three in the fans' Player of the Year poll. Fowler later described this as "one of the proudest achievements of my career". Fowler had injury problems at the start of the 2005–06 season and rarely featured when fit, making just two substitute appearances in the first four months of the season. His first start of the season came against Scunthorpe United in the FA Cup on 7 January 2006, in which he scored a hat-trick. The following week he scored Manchester City's third goal in their 3–1 win against local rivals Manchester United after coming on as a substitute. However, Fowler made only one more appearance for Manchester City before returning to Liverpool on a free transfer. ### Return to Liverpool On 27 January 2006, Fowler rejoined Liverpool from Manchester City on a free transfer, signing a contract until the end of the season. Fowler had remained a Liverpool fan after he left the club; he was in the Istanbul crowd when Liverpool won the Champions League in 2005. Liverpool fans were delighted to learn that Fowler had returned; there were large banners in the game against Birmingham City which read 'God – number eleven, welcome back to heaven', with 'God' being Fowler's nickname while he was previously at Liverpool. Fowler's return against Birmingham City in February 2006 was labelled by the tabloid press as the stuff of fairytales, and he said he felt like "a kid waking up on Christmas morning every day". Fowler's first appearance back at Anfield was as a substitute against Birmingham, receiving a standing ovation upon his introduction. After his return, he had three goals ruled out for offside, before finally getting off the mark on 15 March 2006 in a home game against Fulham, the same opponents against which he scored his first-ever goal for Liverpool 13 years earlier. Fowler's next Liverpool goal, against West Bromwich Albion, meant he overtook Kenny Dalglish in the club's all-time top scorers. His resurgence continued as he marked his 31st birthday with a goal against Bolton Wanderers. He made it four goals in five games when he scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Blackburn Rovers on 16 April 2006. However, Fowler's fitness remained a concern. In March 2006, manager Rafael Benítez commented on Fowler's work and progress by saying, "to buy a Robbie Fowler who is fit and scoring goals would cost a lot, maybe £10m or more". Despite concerns about his fitness, Fowler finished the 2005–06 season scoring on a more consistent basis than Liverpool's other strikers. In May 2006 he was offered a new one-year contract with the club, and celebrated by scoring the first goal in Liverpool's last league game of the season in a 3–1 away win at Portsmouth. It was his final game of the season as he was unable to take part in the club's FA Cup Final success due to being cup-tied. Fowler featured rarely in his final Liverpool season, making only six league starts. Bizarrely, all three of his League goals were penalties against Sheffield United. One of these was in the away game on the opening day of the season, and the other two in the reverse fixture at Anfield. Appearances in other competitions were more common due to Rafael Benítez's squad rotation policy. On 25 October 2006 Fowler was named as Liverpool's captain for the first time since his return in a League Cup tie against Reading, scoring just before half-time in a 4–3 win. On 5 December, Fowler scored his first two goals in the UEFA Champions League competition proper against Galatasaray (he had previously scored during a qualifying tie some six years prior against FC Haka), though Liverpool lost 3–2. On 1 May 2007, he was a substitute in the Champions League semi-final against Chelsea, brought on in the last few minutes of extra-time. He set up an attack for Dirk Kuyt but the shot went straight at the Chelsea goalkeeper. The match went into a penalty shoot-out that Liverpool won. Fowler was due to take the fifth and final spot-kick, but the game had already ended when Kuyt slotted home his winning penalty. In what transpired to be his last appearance for the club, against Charlton Athletic on 13 May, Fowler was given the captain's armband one final time. He was substituted two minutes from the final whistle and given a standing ovation. He finished his second run as a Liverpool player with a UEFA Champions League runners-up medal, although he was not named in either the starting eleven or the seven substitutes. He became a free agent on 1 July having scored 183 goals in 369 appearances during his two spells at the club. ### Cardiff City On 21 July 2007 Fowler signed a two-year contract to play for Cardiff City. He missed the season's opening fixtures due to a lack of fitness, making his debut in a League Cup tie on 28 August. He scored his first two Cardiff goals on 22 September against Preston North End, scoring with two headers. Fowler scored twice in his next game, a third round League Cup tie against West Brom, which Cardiff won 4–2. This led to a fourth round tie against Fowler's former club Liverpool, at Anfield, to which even the Liverpool faithful crowd urged Fowler to score seeing that it may be the last time he would play in Anfield but Cardiff were knocked out in a 2–1 defeat. In November, Fowler travelled to Frankfurt, Germany to see Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt, a specialist sports injuries doctor, to try and resolve a recurring hip problem that had left him lacking fitness in early season fixtures for the Bluebirds. The treatment involved taking around twenty-eight injections into his hip. He returned to full training in late November and made his comeback on 15 December as a late substitute in a 1–0 defeat against Bristol City. However he went on to suffer another injury blow just days later after a mistimed tackle in training from club captain Darren Purse left him with damaged ankle ligaments. Due to the new injury blow Cardiff and Fowler made plans for him to go to Colorado, United States to undergo keyhole surgery on the hip problem, which had plagued him in recent seasons, in the hope that it would finally resolve the problem. On 17 January 2008, it was announced that Fowler could miss the rest of the 2007–08 season for Cardiff after his hip operation revealed that the injury was worse than previously thought. Surgeons were forced to perform a micro-fracture for the hip to heal properly. Despite this, he attempted to make a comeback at the end of the season to play in the FA Cup final against Portsmouth and was included in the 18-man match squad. He did not feature in the game in and thus did not receive a runners-up medal having not made an appearance in the competition. ### Blackburn Rovers Fowler was offered a new pay-as-you-play contract with Cardiff for the 2008–09 season in May 2008 and was expected to sign the contract. However, he pulled out of the deal, preferring to accept an offer of a trial at Blackburn Rovers from former Liverpool colleague Paul Ince. The move left Cardiff manager Dave Jones and chairman Peter Ridsdale furious after the club had assisted Fowler's rehabilitation throughout the summer. After training with Blackburn and appearing in a handful of friendlies he was offered a six-month deal by the club to last until January, but Fowler turned down the deal due to it being a shorter offer than the previous one he had rejected at Cardiff. After turning down the offer, Fowler made a shock enquiry about returning to Cardiff on the deal he had originally turned down, prompting anger from supporters and a swift "no thanks" from the club. Fowler concluded the trial period at Blackburn by agreeing to a three-month pay-as-you-play deal. He stated that he was eager to return to the Premier League and that his pre-existing relationship with Ince would not earn him any preferential treatment. He made his first appearance against Everton in a 1–0 win in the League Cup on 24 September. With a month left on his contract at Blackburn, Fowler received interest from League Two side Grimsby Town. Fowler, a friend of then Grimsby manager Mike Newell had held talks at Blundell Park over a possible Player/Coach role with the club. His three-month deal at Blackburn expired on 12 December 2008, and after not being offered a new contract was released by the club, he entered talks with new Australian A-League club North Queensland Fury. ### North Queensland Fury Fowler signed with the North Queensland Fury on 4 February 2009 and became their inaugural marquee player; with his family relocating to Townsville for the 2009–10 season of the Australian A-League. It was an important signing for the new franchise who struggled to sign a marquee player, while some questioned whether Fowler would be able to cope with the heat and humidity of North Queensland. Fowler made his debut in July 2009 in a 2–1 pre-season loss against Wolverhampton Wanderers in Perth after recovering from groin and hip complaints. Fowler was subsequently named North Queensland Fury's captain for the 2009–10 season and the first in the club's history. He scored his first A-League goal from a penalty kick in his club's first competitive match against Sydney FC on Saturday 8 August 2009. In rounds four, five, and six Fowler scored Solo's Hyundai A-League Goal of the Week. Shortly after his arrival in Australia, it was reported in the British media that Fowler would be making a swift return to his homeland and sign for League One side Tranmere Rovers, who had just appointed Fowler's former Liverpool teammate John Barnes as manager. However, Fowler was quick to dismiss talk of a quick return to England. When Barnes was dismissed three months later, it was reported that Tranmere had approached Fowler about becoming player-manager, but these reports too were dismissed. Controversy erupted around Fowler after he reportedly refused to play against the Brisbane Roar on 23 January after being named on the interchange bench for the clash. He, however, returned to the starting line up for two of the last three games of the season. Fowler ended the season collecting a hat-trick of awards at the club's end-of-season awards night, he was awarded the club's Player of the Year, Players' Player of the Year and the Golden Boot as top goal scorer. On 15 June 2010, Fowler confirmed that he was taking legal action over the ending of his playing contract with North Queensland Fury. He was suing the Fury and Football Federation Australia, which took over the running of the club. ### Perth Glory On 27 April 2010, it was announced that Fowler had agreed to become part of Glory's squad for the 2010–11 A-League season. Fowler reportedly ignored offers from Middle East clubs as well as Sydney FC to play in Perth. He joined the Glory for pre-season training in mid-June, following World Cup sponsorship commitments. Fowler scored his first goal for Perth on 29 August, a penalty against Melbourne Heart. He followed this up with a headed goal the following week against the Wellington Phoenix. In the following match, Fowler's hat-trick gave the Glory a 3–1 victory against Melbourne Victory at the Dairy Farmers Stadium in Townsville. Fowler ended the year as top scorer for the club. ### Later career On returning to England, Fowler briefly worked with League One side Milton Keynes Dons on an ad hoc basis to assist the club's coaching staff. On 7 April 2011, Bury confirmed that Fowler would join their coaching staff for a week to assist Richie Barker. Fowler then briefly coached Liverpool's strikers in April 2011. On 7 July 2011, Fowler agreed to play with Muangthong United, signing a one-year contract. In a press conference he stated that the weather conditions of Nonthaburi should not be a problem as he had played in Townsville and Perth. He was quickly a hit with Muangthong fans and the Thai public in general; he attended Thailand's World Cup Qualifier against Oman wearing the national team's shirt. He has since played a handful of scoreless games, both at the Yamaha Stadium and on the road in the AFC Cup, until the Twin Qilins were eliminated from the competition by Al-Kuwait. After the sacking of Henrique Calisto as head coach, Fowler was made player/coach. On 16 October 2011, after 250 minutes of play, Fowler scored his first goal for MTU against Chiangrai. He scored his 250th club career goal on 21 December 2011 against TTM Phichit. On 28 February 2012, Fowler announced he had left the club following Slavisa Jokanovic's appointment as coach. On 1 March 2012, Blackpool manager Ian Holloway confirmed that Fowler was training with the Seasiders and that he could earn a deal until the end of the season. However, they could not agree a deal and Fowler decided against signing when Karl Oyston offered the striker £100 a week with £5,000 for every first-team appearance. On 22 September 2012, Fowler announced that he is "all but retired from professional football." He said this on the television show Soccer AM. In an interview in March 2013, he said that he was "not officially retired" and would "jump at the opportunity to play again." Fowler has also stated in other interviews that he is currently completing his coaching licences. Fowler was on a six-man shortlist and interviewed for the vacant manager's job at Conference side Macclesfield Town in May 2013, but caretaker manager John Askey was eventually appointed on a full-time basis. Fowler featured in Steven Gerrard's testimonial match against Olympiacos F.C. on 3 August 2013. He came off the bench in the 73rd minute to a warm reception from Liverpool fans, but failed to score a goal. On 21 April 2014, Fowler also featured in a charity match to commemorate the lives of the 96 Liverpool fans who died in the Hillsborough Disaster. Fowler scored both goals for his team in a 2–2 draw. On 2 January 2015, Fowler tweeted "Gutted about Steven, but what an unbelievable player... I'm officially hanging my boots up as from now...A sad day for me" and so officially announced his retirement. In May 2016, it was revealed that Fowler would return to the pitch to play for England in Soccer Aid, a charity football match in aid of UNICEF, alongside Jamie Carragher. ## International career Fowler earned his first cap for England on 27 March 1996, coming on as a 76th-minute substitute in the 1–0 friendly win against Bulgaria at Wembley Stadium. On 24 April, he won his second cap and made his first start for England in the 0–0 draw with Croatia. Despite only having 3 caps to his name, England manager Terry Venables selected Fowler in his 22-man squad for Euro 1996. Fowler went on to make two substitute appearances in the tournament, featuring in the 4–1 win against the Netherlands in the final group game, and in the 0–0 draw against Spain in the quarter-finals, a game England won on penalties. Fowler did not feature during England's qualifying campaign for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, mainly due to a serious knee ligament injury late in the 1997–98 season, and thus missed out on Glenn Hoddle's 22-man squad for the tournament. He did, however, manage to score his first goal for his country on 29 March 1997, netting the second goal in a 2–0 friendly win against Mexico at Wembley Stadium. A second goal followed in his next cap on 15 November, netting just before half-time in the 2–0 friendly win against Cameroon. On 9 June 1999, Fowler played in his first competitive game for England in nearly three years, starting in the 1–1 draw with Bulgaria during Euro 2000 qualifying. Kevin Keegan named Fowler in the preliminary squad for Euro 2000, and after featuring in the three warm-up games against Brazil, Ukraine, and Malta, he was named in the final squad on 1 June 2000. Fowler did not play in the tournament as England were eliminated in the group stages. Fowler scored his fourth goal for England on 25 May 2001, netting the second goal in the 4–0 friendly win against Mexico at Pride Park, Derby. On 5 September, he scored his first competitive goal for England in the 2–0 win against Albania at St James' Park, Newcastle. This was during qualifying for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. England qualified for the World Cup, and after scoring in friendlies against Italy and Cameroon, Fowler was selected in Sven-Göran Eriksson's 23-man squad for the tournament in South Korea and Japan. He didn't appear in any of England's group matches, but on 15 June 2002, he came on as a second-half substitute in the 3–0 win against Denmark in the Round of 16. This turned out to be Fowler's last cap for his country. He won a total of 26 caps for England and scored 7 goals. ## Managerial career ### Muangthong United On 1 October 2011, Fowler was appointed as the manager of Muangthong United, where he was already an existing player. Muangthong had taken action and sacked Henrique Calisto; a statement made by the club read, "The board have appointed Robbie Fowler as the acting head coach and have terminated the contract of Portuguese boss Henrique Calisto. The contract is until the end of the season and the team must adapt to long-term goals if it is to succeed in Asia", thus making Fowler player-manager. In October 2013, it was announced that Fowler would be taking up a coaching role with Liverpool's academy. On 9 September 2014, it was reported that Fowler had applied for the vacant managerial role at his former club Leeds United. ### Brisbane Roar On 23 April 2019, it was announced by Australian Hyundai A-League club Brisbane Roar that Fowler had signed a two-year contract to act as the club's new head coach ahead of the forthcoming 2019–20 season. Upon his appointment, it was also announced that Tony Grant and Darren Davies would be joining his coaching staff, with Davies having acted as caretaker manager prior to Fowler's arrival. To mark the managerial contrast, Brisbane announced a major clear-out during the off-season, where fourteen senior players were released, notably marquee player Eric Bautheac. Fowler then made his first signing as a manager in June, when Roy O'Donovan signed from Newcastle United Jets. Fowler's first competitive match in charge came in a 2–0 thriller, which ended in Brisbane's favour against reigning A-League champions Sydney on 7 August in the FFA Cup. Independently, Fowler won the league's Coach of the Month accolade for January and February 2020. With play halted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic for the past three months, Fowler announced his decision to leave the club, stating that he was unwilling to be apart from his family; he and Grant had returned to England in March. ### East Bengal On 9 October 2020, Indian Super League side East Bengal announced the signing of Fowler as their new manager. Under him they collected seventeen points from first eighteen league fixtures and were placed ninth of eleven. All India Football Federation's (AIFF) disciplinary committee issued a four-match ban and a substantial fine of ₹5 lakh (equivalent to ₹5.9 lakh or US\$7,300 in 2023) against Fowler during the 2020–21 season, for involvement in a verbal disagreement with the match officials and league organizers after their match with FC Goa. In August 2022, having left East Bengal, Fowler was coaching at Oxford United "on a casual basis", according to manager Karl Robinson. ### Al-Qadsiah On 29 June 2023, Fowler was appointed as the manager of Saudi First Division League side Al-Qadsiah. ## Style of play A prolific goal-scorer, Fowler was a quick and opportunistic striker, with good technical ability. Although naturally left-footed, he possessed an accurate, powerful shot from both inside and outside the area with both feet; he was also effective in the air. Despite his reputation as a "goal-poacher", he was also a creative forward, capable of linking up well with other players, and laying off the ball to other strikers. Despite his talent, he was also known to be injury-prone throughout his career. ## Sponsorship In his playing career, Fowler was sponsored by the sportswear company Nike, and appeared in Nike commercials. In 1997 he starred in Nike's "Park Life" commercial (set to the tune "Parklife" by Blur) where a group of amateur pub league players playing football at Hackney Marshes in east London are suddenly joined by top Premier League footballers, including Fowler, Eric Cantona and Ian Wright. In 2000, "Park Life" ranked number 15 in Channel 4's poll of the 100 Greatest TV Ads. ## Personal life Fowler married wife Kerrie on 9 June 2001 in the town of Duns, Scottish Borders in Scotland. Together they have three daughters and one son. Their son, Jacob, signed a scholarship with Oxford United in August 2022. Fowler is a supporter of Liverpool F.C. and regularly attends matches at Anfield. He does media work for Abu Dhabi Sports Channel, Sky Sports and ITV. In association with long-term friend Steve McManaman, Fowler has invested in several racehorses through their company The Macca and Growler Partnership, most notably 2003 Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Celebration Chase runner-up Seebald. On 2 September 2005, Fowler released a book called Fowler: My Autobiography, about his time as a footballer and the issues surrounding him. Since his transfer to Liverpool, he has updated it and included a section about his return to Anfield. Excerpts published in newspapers included criticism of the England management. In June 2008, Fowler participated alongside McManaman in Steve Nash and Claudio Reyna's Showdown in Chinatown, an 8-on-8 charity football game at Sara D. Roosevelt Park in Manhattan with McManaman making five of the goals, including one for Fowler. In 2019, Fowler featured in the first season of ITV show Harry's Heroes, which featured former football manager Harry Redknapp attempting get a squad of former England international footballers back fit and healthy for a game against Germany legends. In 2021 Fowler competed in the Legends Tour Celebrity Series of golf tournaments for charity. He won the Celebrity Series event at Formby near his native Liverpool in 2021 and competed at the Celebrity Series Grand Final in Mauritius in 2022, finishing second and winning a total of £17,250 for charity over the 2021 season. He has previously held charity golf days to raise money for charities including The Ichthyosis Support Group. Fowler's godson suffers from the rare genetic skin condition ichthyosis, for which there is no cure. Fowler is a cousin of boxer and 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Anthony Fowler. ## Career statistics ### Club Sources: ### International Sources: England score listed first, score column indicates score after each Fowler's goal. ### Managerial ## Honours Liverpool - FA Cup: 2000–01 - Football League Cup: 1994–95, 2000–01 - UEFA Cup: 2000–01 - UEFA Super Cup: 2001 - UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2006–07 England U18 - UEFA European U-18 Championship: 1993 England U21 - Toulon Tournament: 1994 Individual - Premier League Player of the Month: December 1995, January 1996 - PFA Young Player of the Year: 1995, 1996 - UEFA Fair Play Award: 1997 - Alan Hardaker Trophy: 2001 - North Queensland Fury Player of the Year: 2010 - North Queensland Fury Golden Boot: 2010 - North Queensland Fury Players' Player of the Year: 2010 - Perth Glory Golden Boot: 2011

People Take Pictures of Each Other

1968 song by the Kinks

"People Take Pictures of Each Other" is a song by the English rock band the Kinks from their sixth studio album, The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society (1968). Written and sung by Ray Davies, the song was recorded in July 1968. The song features a breathless vocal from Davies as well as harpsichord and piano from Nicky Hopkins, which was likely the last contribution he ever made to a Kinks recording. Davies was inspired to write the song after attending a wedding and finding it strange that the bride and groom photographed one another. The lyrics satirise the absurdity of using photographs to prove one's existence. Retrospective commentators often describe the song the darker opposite of "Picture Book", another song on Village Green about photography. Others comment that its status as closing track serves to summarise several of the album's themes. The Kinks performed "People Take Pictures of Each Other" in concert in 1973, and it has since been covered by the Dig. ## Background and composition Ray Davies was inspired to write "People Take Pictures of Each Other" after he attended a wedding and saw the newlywed couple photograph one another. The song's lyrics satirise the absurdity of using photographs to prove one's existence, and Davies stated in his 1994 autobiography that its lyrics sum up how he feels about "the world of photographic images", which he thinks both encourage nostalgia and mislead the viewer by providing a narrow perspective. Author Johnny Rogan describes the song's sound as a cross between a Coassack dance and a Greek wedding, something he relates to its original wedding inspiration. Like several of Davies's late 1960s compositions, such as "Autumn Almanac" (1967), the song features a sing-along format during its choruses, a feature Miller relates to the influence of Davies's father, who regularly went to musicals and dances and encouraged his children to sing songs at the piano. Kitts writes the music's mix of "breathy vocals" against the fast-paced piano and "thumping" bass convey both the passage of time and the anxiety of the narrator as he looks at photos of his happier past. The song is one of several on the Kinks' 1968 album The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society which thematically relate to memory. Its lyrics return to previous imagery on the album, such as the oak tree in "Village Green" and the family photos of "Picture Book", leading author Andy Miller to hypothesise that Davies wrote the song specifically to be a closing track. Like both "Picture Book" and the unreleased song "Pictures in the Sand", the song explores how memory relates to photographs and serves as a reflection on humans' transitory existence. Several authors see "Picture Book" and "People Take Pictures of Each Other" as direct contrasts of one another, with the latter featuring a darker reflection on photographs and memory. Author Christian Matijas-Mecca writes it combines several of the album's themes, including nostalgia, "the awkward outsider" and "the lost world of one's youth", and author Rob Jovanovic suggests the song serves as a commentary on the other tracks, which often document the experience of a specific character. Author Thomas M. Kitts suggests the song's closing line, "Don't show me no more, please", ends the album with frustration, while author Ken Rayes thinks the closing lines both restate the album's themes while resolving its central tensions, "[recognising] the intangibility of the past and the impossibility of truly recapturing and preserving it". ## Recording and release The Kinks recorded "People Take Pictures of Each Other" in July 1968 in Pye Studio 2, one of two basement studios at Pye Records' London offices. Davies is credited as the song's producer, and Pye's in-house engineer Brian Humphries operated the four-track mixing console. The recording employs a quickly strummed acoustic guitar and a fast, breathless lead vocal from Davies. In what was likely his final contribution to a Kinks recording, session keyboardist Nicky Hopkins plays harpsichord, along with what author Miller terms a "silly vaudeville piano vamp". The original stereo ending of "People Take Pictures of Each Other" featured a trad jazz ragtime piece. Davies was forced to remove it due to copyright issues, likely because he used a pre-existing tape rather than working with hired session musicians. There are three extant mixes of the song: the stereo mix both with and without the coda (running 2:22 and 2:10, respectively) and a slightly longer mono mix (2:14). Davies sequenced "People Take Pictures of Each Other" as the closing track of the original twelve-track edition of Village Green, and retained that sequencing when he delayed the LP's release by two months to expand its track listing to fifteen. Pye released the fifteen-track edition of Village Green in the UK on 22 November 1968. In his preview of the album for New Musical Express magazine, critic Keith Altham wrote that "People Take Pictures of Each Other" "would go well with a line of girls kicking their legs in the air at the old Kingston Empire – if not it would go well without it". The reviewer for Disc and Music Echo counted it as among the most memorable songs on the album. Among retrospective assessors, Rolling Stone magazine's Kory Grow described the song as among the best Davies ever wrote, while Morgan Enos of Billboard magazine wrote that while the song contains "sneakily philosophical questions about permanence and memory", it "slips by so quickly you barely notice it". ## Other versions The Kinks first performed "People Take Pictures of Each Other" in concert on 14 January 1973 at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, augmented by additional singers and a brass section. The show marked the earliest iteration of Davies's attempt at a theatrical presentation of Village Green, a project he titled Preservation. The song was a regular in the band's February 1973 tour of the UK. The El Salvadorian group Los Comets recorded a 1969 cover of the song as "Hay Que Respetar", making it the only track on Village Green to have been covered contemporaneously. American rock band the Dig covered the song in 2017, saying in an accompanying press release that the original had only become more relevant over time, further adding: "[T]he line 'people take pictures of each other, just to prove that they really existed' sounds like it could have been written as a commentary on pop culture in 2017. The idea that if it isn't on social media, it didn't happen."

History of Poland during the Piast dynasty

Period of Polish history from 960 to 1370

The period of rule by the Piast dynasty between the 10th and 14th centuries is the first major stage of the history of the Polish state. The dynasty was founded by a series of dukes listed by the chronicler Gall Anonymous in the early 12th century: Siemowit, Lestek and Siemomysł. It was Mieszko I, the son of Siemomysł, who is now considered the proper founder of the Polish state at about 960 AD. The ruling house then remained in power in the Polish lands until 1370. Mieszko converted to Christianity of the Western Latin Church in an event known as the Baptism of Poland in 966, which established a major cultural boundary in Europe based on religion. He also completed a unification of the Lechitic tribal lands that was fundamental to the existence of the new country of Poland. Following the emergence of the Polish state, a series of rulers converted the population to Christianity, created a kingdom of Poland in 1025 and integrated Poland into the prevailing culture of Europe. Mieszko's son Bolesław I the Brave established a Roman Catholic Archdiocese in Gniezno, pursued territorial conquests and was officially crowned in 1025 as the first king of Poland. The first Piast monarchy collapsed with the death of Mieszko II Lambert in 1034, followed by its restoration under Casimir I in 1042. In the process, the royal dignity for Polish rulers was forfeited, and the state reverted to the status of a duchy. Duke Casimir's son Bolesław II the Bold revived the military assertiveness of Bolesław I, but became fatally involved in a conflict with Bishop Stanislaus of Szczepanów and was expelled from the country. Bolesław III, the last duke of the early period, succeeded in defending his country and recovering territories previously lost. Upon his death in 1138, Poland was divided among his sons. The resulting internal fragmentation eroded the initial Piast monarchical structure in the 12th and 13th centuries and caused fundamental and lasting changes. Konrad I of Masovia invited the Teutonic Knights to help him fight the Baltic Prussian pagans, which led to centuries of Poland's warfare with the Knights and the German Prussian state. In 1320, the kingdom was restored under Władysław I the Elbow-high, then strengthened and expanded by his son Casimir III the Great. The western provinces of Silesia and Pomerania were lost after the fragmentation, and Poland began expanding to the east. The period ended with the reigns of two members of the Capetian House of Anjou between 1370 and 1384. The consolidation in the 14th century laid the base for the new powerful kingdom of Poland that was to follow. ## 10th–12th century ### Mieszko I and the adoption of Christianity in Poland (ca. 960–992) The tribe of the Polans (Polanie, lit. "people of the fields") in what is now Greater Poland gave rise to a tribal predecessor of the Polish state in the early part of the 10th century, with the Polans settling in the flatlands around the emerging strongholds of Giecz, Poznań, Gniezno and Ostrów Lednicki. Accelerated rebuilding of old tribal fortified settlements, construction of massive new ones and territorial expansion took place during the period ca. 920–950. The Polish state developed from these tribal roots in the second half of the century. According to the 12th-century chronicler Gallus Anonymus, the Polans were ruled at this time by the Piast dynasty. In existing sources from the 10th century, Piast ruler Mieszko I was first mentioned by Widukind of Corvey in his Res gestae saxonicae, a chronicle of events in Germany. Widukind reported that Mieszko's forces were twice defeated in 963 by the Veleti tribes acting in cooperation with the Saxon exile Wichmann the Younger. Under Mieszko's rule (ca. 960 to 992), his tribal state accepted Christianity and became the Polish state. The viability of the Mieszko's emerging state was assured by the persistent territorial expansion of the early Piast rulers. Beginning with a very small area around Gniezno (before the town itself existed), the Piast expansion lasted throughout most of the 10th century and resulted in a territory approximating that of present-day Poland. The Polanie tribe conquered and merged with other Slavic tribes and first formed a tribal federation, then later a centralized state. After the addition of Lesser Poland, the country of the Vistulans, and of Silesia (both taken by Mieszko from the Czech state during the later part of the 10th century), Mieszko's state reached its mature form, including the main regions regarded as ethnically Polish. The Piast lands totaled about 250,000 km² (96,526 sq mi) in area, with an approximate population of under one million. Initially a pagan, Mieszko I was the first ruler of the Polans tribal union known from contemporary written sources. A detailed account of aspects of Mieszko's early reign was given by Ibrâhîm ibn Ya\`qûb, a Jewish traveler, according to whom Mieszko was one of four Slavic "kings" established in central and southern Europe in the 960s. In 965, Mieszko, who was allied with Boleslaus I, Duke of Bohemia at the time, married the duke's daughter Doubravka, a Christian princess. Mieszko's conversion to Latin Christianity followed on 14 April 966, an event known as the Baptism of Poland that is considered to be the founding event of the Polish state. In the aftermath of Mieszko's victory over a force of the Velunzani in 967, which was led by Wichmann, the first missionary bishop was appointed: Jordan, bishop of Poland. The action counteracted the intended eastern expansion of the Magdeburg Archdiocese, which was established at about the same time. Mieszko's state had a complex political relationship with the German Holy Roman Empire, as Mieszko was a "friend", ally and vassal of Holy Roman Emperor Otto I and paid him tribute from the western part of his lands. Mieszko fought wars with the Polabian Slavs, the Czechs, Margrave Gero of the Saxon Eastern March in 963–964 and Margrave Odo I of the Saxon Eastern March in 972 in the Battle of Cedynia. The victories over Wichmann and Odo allowed Mieszko to extend his Pomeranian possessions west to the vicinity of the Oder River and its mouth. After the death of Otto I, and then again after the death of Holy Roman Emperor Otto II, Mieszko supported Henry the Quarrelsome, a pretender to the imperial crown. After the death of Doubravka in 977, Mieszko married Oda von Haldensleben, daughter of Dietrich, Margrave of the Northern March, ca. 980. When fighting the Czechs in 990, Mieszko was helped by the Holy Roman Empire. By about the year 990, when Mieszko I officially submitted his country to the authority of the Holy See (Dagome iudex), he had transformed Poland into one of the strongest powers in central-eastern Europe. ### The reign of Bolesław I and establishment of a Kingdom of Poland (992–1025) When Mieszko I died in 992, he was succeeded by his son Bolesław contrary to his wishes. In order to ascend the throne, Bolesław had to contest it with his widowed stepmother Oda, his father's second wife, and her minor sons. Bolesław was Mieszko's oldest son, born to his first wife Doubravka of Bohemia, who died in 977. His father intended to divide the duchy of Poland between his sons, but Bolesław succeeded in displacing his stepmother and stepbrothers to become the sole ruler of Poland. Consistent with the intrigues he pursued at the start of his reign to secure his throne, Bolesław I Chrobry ("the Brave") proved himself to be a man of high ambition and strong personality. One of the most important concerns of Bolesław's early reign was building up the Polish church. Bolesław cultivated Adalbert of Prague of the Slavník family, a well-connected Czech bishop in exile and missionary who was killed in 997 while on a mission in Prussia. Bolesław skillfully took advantage of his death: his martyrdom led to his elevation as patron saint of Poland and resulted in the creation of an independent Polish province of the Church with Radim Gaudentius as Archbishop of Gniezno. In the year 1000, the young Emperor Otto III came as a pilgrim to visit St. Adalbert's grave and lent his support to Bolesław during the Congress of Gniezno; the Gniezno Archdiocese and several subordinate dioceses were established on this occasion. The Polish ecclesiastical province effectively served as an essential anchor and an institution to fall back on for the Piast state, helping it to survive in the troubled centuries ahead. Bolesław at first chose to continue his father's policy of cooperation with the Holy Roman Empire but when Emperor Otto III died in 1002, Bolesław's relationship with his successor Henry II turned out to be much more difficult, and it resulted in a series of wars (1002–1005, 1007–1013, 1015–1018). From 1003 to 1004, Bolesław intervened militarily in Czech dynastic conflicts. After his forces were removed from Bohemia in 1018, Bolesław retained Moravia. In 1013, the marriage between Bolesław's son Mieszko and Richeza of Lotharingia, the niece of Emperor Otto III and future mother of Casimir I the Restorer, took place. The conflicts with Germany ended in 1018 with the Peace of Bautzen on favorable terms for Bolesław. In the context of the 1018 Kiev expedition, Bolesław took over the western part of Red Ruthenia. In 1025, shortly before his death, Bolesław I finally succeeded in obtaining the papal permission to crown himself, and he became the first king of Poland. Bolesław's expansionist policies were costly to the Polish state and were not always successful. He lost, for example, the economically crucial Farther Pomerania in 1005 together with its new bishopric in Kołobrzeg; the region had previously been conquered with great effort by Mieszko. ### Mieszko II and the collapse of the Piast kingdom (1025–1039) King Mieszko II Lambert (r. 1025–1034) tried to continue the expansionist politics of his father. His actions reinforced old resentment and hostility on the part of Poland's neighbors, and his two dispossessed brothers took advantage of it by arranging for invasions from Germany and Kievan Rus' in 1031. Mieszko was defeated and forced to leave Poland. Mieszko's brother Bezprym was murdered in 1032, whereas his brother Otto died in unclear circumstances in 1033, events that permitted Mieszko to recover his authority partially. The first Piast monarchy then collapsed with Mieszko's death in 1034. Deprived of a government, Poland was ravaged by an anti-feudal and pagan rebellion, and in 1039, there was an invasion by the forces of Bretislaus I of Bohemia. The country suffered territorial losses, and the functioning of the Gniezno archdiocese was disrupted. ### Reunification of Poland under Casimir I (1039–1058) Poland made a recovery under Mieszko's son, Duke Casimir I (r. 1039–1058), known to history as the Restorer. After returning from exile in 1039, Casimir rebuilt the Polish monarchy and the country's territorial integrity through several military campaigns: in 1047, Masovia was taken back from Miecław, a Polish noble who tried to detach the region from the rule of the Polish monarch, and in 1054 Silesia was recovered from the Czechs. Casimir was aided by recent adversaries of Poland, the Holy Roman Empire and Kievan Rus', both of whom disliked the chaos in Poland left after the dismemberment of the country beginning in the reign of Mieszko II. Casimir introduced a more mature form of feudalism and relieved the burden of financing large army units from the duke's treasury by settling his warriors on feudal estates. Faced with the widespread destruction of Greater Poland after the Czech incursion, Casimir moved his court to Kraków and replaced the old Piast capitals of Poznań and Gniezno; Kraków would function as the capital of the realm for several centuries. ### Bolesław II and the conflict with Bishop Stanisław (1058–1079) Casimir's son Bolesław II the Bold, also known as the Generous (r. 1058–1079), developed Polish military strength and waged several foreign campaigns between 1058 and 1077. As an active supporter of the papacy in its Investiture Controversy with the German emperor, Bolesław crowned himself king in 1076 with the blessing of Pope Gregory VII. In 1079, there was an anti-Bolesław conspiracy or conflict that involved the Bishop of Kraków. Bolesław had Bishop Stanisław of Szczepanów executed; subsequently Bolesław was forced to abdicate the Polish throne due to pressure from the Catholic Church and the pro-imperial faction of the nobility. Stanisław would become the second martyr and patron saint of Poland (known in English as St. Stanislav), canonized in 1253. ### Reign of Władysław I Herman (1079–1102) After Bolesław's exile, the country found itself under the unstable rule of his younger brother Władysław I Herman (r. 1079–1102). Władysław was strongly dependent on Count Palatine Sieciech, an advisor from the ranks of the Polish nobility who acted much as the power behind the throne. When Władysław's two sons, Zbigniew and Bolesław, finally forced Władysław to remove his hated protégé, Poland was divided among the three of them from 1098, and after the father's death, from 1102 to 1106, it was divided between the two brothers. ### Reign of Bolesław III (1102–1138) After a power struggle, Bolesław III Wrymouth (r. 1102–1138) became the duke of Poland by defeating his half-brother Zbigniew in 1106–1107. Zbigniew had to leave the country, but received support from Holy Roman Emperor Henry V, who attacked Bolesław's Poland in 1109. Bolesław was able to defend his realm due to his military abilities, determination and alliances, and also because of a societal mobilisation across the social spectrum (see Battle of Głogów). Zbigniew, who later returned, died in mysterious circumstances, perhaps in the summer of 1113. Bolesław's other major achievement was the conquest of all of Mieszko I's Pomerania (of which the remaining eastern part had been lost by Poland from after the death of Mieszko II), a task begun by his father Władysław I Herman and completed by Bolesław around 1123. Szczecin was subdued in a bloody takeover and Western Pomerania up to Rügen, except for the directly incorporated southern part, became Bolesław's fief, to be ruled locally by Wartislaw I, the first duke of the Griffin dynasty. At this time, Christianization of the region was initiated in earnest, an effort crowned by the establishment of the Pomeranian Wolin Diocese after Bolesław's death in 1140. ### Fragmentation of the realm (1138–1320) Before he died, Bolesław III Wrymouth divided the country, in a limited sense, among four of his sons. He made complex arrangements intended to prevent fratricidal warfare and preserve the Polish state's formal unity, but after Bolesław's death, the implementation of the plan failed and a long period of fragmentation was ushered in. For nearly two centuries, the Piasts would spar with each other, the clergy, and the nobility for the control over the divided kingdom. The stability of the system was supposedly assured by the institution of the senior or high duke of Poland, based in Kraków and assigned to the special Seniorate Province that was not to be subdivided. Following his concept of seniorate, Bolesław divided the country into five principalities: Silesia, Greater Poland, Masovia, Sandomierz and Kraków. The first four provinces were given to his four sons, who became independent rulers. The fifth province, the Seniorate Province of Kraków, was to be added to the senior among the princes who, as the Grand Duke of Kraków, was the representative of the whole of Poland. This principle broke down already within the generation of Bolesław III's sons, when Władysław II the Exile, Bolesław IV the Curly, Mieszko III the Old and Casimir II the Just fought for power and territory in Poland, and in particular over the throne of Kraków. The external borders left by Bolesław III at his death closely resembled the borders left by Mieszko I; this original early Piast monarchy configuration had not survived the fragmentation period. ### Culture From the time of the conversion of Poland's ruling elite to Christianity in the 10th century, foreign churchmen had been arriving and the culture of early Medieval Poland was developing as a part of European Christendom. However, it would be a few generations from the time of Mieszko's conversion until significant numbers of native clergymen appeared. After the establishment of numerous monasteries in the 12th and 13th centuries, Christianization of the populace was accomplished on a larger scale. Intellectual and artistic activity was concentrated around the institutions of the Church, the courts of the kings and dukes, and emerged around the households of the rising hereditary elite. Written annals began to be generated in the late 10th century; leaders such as Mieszko II and Casimir the Restorer were considered literate and educated. Along with the Dagome iudex act, the most important written document and source of the period is the Gesta principum Polonorum, a chronicle by Gallus Anonymus, a foreign cleric from the court of Bolesław Wrymouth. Bruno of Querfurt was one of the pioneering Western clergymen spreading Church literacy; some of his prominent writings had been produced in eremitic monasteries in Poland. Among the preeminent early monastic religious orders were the Benedictines (the abbey in Tyniec founded in 1044) and the Cistercians. A number of Pre-Romanesque stone churches were built beginning in the 10th century, often accompanied by palatium ruler residencies; Romanesque buildings proper followed. The earliest coins were minted by Bolesław I around 995. The Gniezno Doors of Gniezno Cathedral in bronze low relief, dating from the 1170s, are the finest examples of Romanesque sculpture in Poland. ## 13th century ### State and society; German settlement The 13th century brought fundamental changes to the structure of Polish society and its political system. Because of constant internal conflicts, the Piast dukes were unable to stabilize Poland's external borders. Western Farther Pomerania broke its political ties with Poland in the second half of the 12th century and from 1231 became a fief of the Margraviate of Brandenburg, which in 1307 extended its Pomeranian possessions even further east, taking over the Sławno and Słupsk areas. Pomerelia or Gdańsk Pomerania became independent of the Polish dukes from 1227. In mid-13th century, Bolesław II the Bald granted Lubusz Land to the Margraviate, which made possible the creation of the Neumark and had far reaching negative consequences for the integrity of the western border. In the south-east, Leszek the White was unable to preserve Poland's supremacy over the Halych area of Rus', a territory that had changed hands on a number of occasions. The social status was becoming increasingly based on the size of feudal land possessions. Those included the lands controlled by the Piast princes, their rivals the great lay land owners and church entities, and the knightly class. The work force ranged from hired "free" people to serfs attached to the land, to slaves (either purchased, forced into slavery after capture in war or forced into slavery as prisoners). The upper layer of the feudal lords, first the Church and then others, was able to acquire economic and legal immunity, which it exempt to a significant degree from court jurisdiction and economic obligations such as taxation that had previously been imposed by the ruling dukes. Civil strife and foreign invasions, such as the Mongol invasions in 1240/1241, 1259/1260 and 1287/1288, weakened and depopulated many of the small Polish principalities, as the country was becoming progressively more subdivided. Depopulation and increasing demand for labor caused a massive immigration of West European peasants into Poland, mostly German settlers; the early waves from Germany and Flanders occurred in the 1220s. The German, Polish and other new rural settlements represented a form of feudal tenancy with legal immunity and German town laws were often utilized as its legal bases. German immigrants were also important in the rise of the cities and the establishment of the Polish burgher (city dwelling merchants) class; they brought with them West European laws (Magdeburg rights) and customs that the Poles adopted. From that time, the Germans, who created early strong establishments (led by patriciates) especially in the urban centers of Silesia and other regions of western Poland, were an increasingly influential minority in Poland. In 1228, the Acts of Cienia were passed and signed into law by Władysław III Laskonogi. The titular Duke of Poland promised to provide a "just and noble law according to the council of bishops and barons." Such legal guarantees and privileges included the lower level land owners and knights, who were evolving into the lower and middle nobility class known later as szlachta. The period of fragmentation weakened the rulers and established a permanent trend in Polish history, whereby the rights and role of the nobility were expanded at the monarch's expense. ### Relations with the Teutonic Knights In 1226, Duke Konrad I of Masovia invited the Teutonic Knights to help him fight the pagan, Baltic Old Prussians, who lived in a territory adjacent to his lands; substantial border warfare was taking place and Konrad's province was suffering from Prussian invasions. On the other hand, the Old Prussians themselves were at that time being subjected to increasingly forced, but largely ineffective Christianization efforts, including Northern Crusades sponsored by the papacy. The Teutonic Order soon overstepped their authority and moved beyond the area granted them by Konrad (Chełmno Land or Kulmerland). In the following decades, they conquered large areas along the Baltic Sea coast and established their own monastic state. As virtually all of the Western Baltic pagans became converted or exterminated (the Prussian conquests were completed by 1283), the Knights confronted Poland and Lithuania, then the last pagan state in Europe. Teutonic wars with Poland and Lithuania continued for most of the 14th and 15th centuries. The Teutonic state in Prussia, increasingly populated by German settlers beginning in the 13th century, but still retaining a majority Baltic population, had been claimed as a fief and protected by the popes and Holy Roman Emperors. ### Reunification attempts and the reigns of Przemysł II and Václav II (1232–1305) As the disadvantages of political division were becoming increasingly apparent in various segments of the society, some of the Piast dukes began to make serious efforts aimed at the reunification of the Polish state. Important among the earlier attempts were the activities of the Silesian dukes Henry I the Bearded, his son Henry II the Pious, who was killed in 1241 while fighting the Mongols at the Battle of Legnica, and Henry IV Probus. In 1295, Przemysł II of Greater Poland became the first Piast duke crowned as King of Poland since Bolesław II, but he ruled over only a part of the territory of Poland (including Gdańsk Pomerania from 1294) and was assassinated soon after his coronation. A more extensive unification of Polish lands was accomplished by a foreign ruler, Václav II of Bohemia of the Přemyslid dynasty, who married Przemysł's daughter Richeza and became King of Poland in 1300. Václav's heavy-handed policies soon caused him to lose whatever support he had earlier in his reign; he died in 1305. An important factor in the unification process was the Polish Church, which remained a single ecclesiastical province throughout the fragmentation period. Archbishop Jakub Świnka of Gniezno was an ardent proponent of Poland's reunification; he performed the crowning ceremonies for both Przemysł II and Wenceslaus II. Świnka supported Władysław I Łokietek at various stages of the duke's career. ### Culture Culturally, the social impact of the Church was considerably broader in the 13th century, as networks of parishes were established and cathedral-type schools became more common. The Dominicans and the Franciscans were the leading monastic orders at this time, and they interacted closely with the general population. A proliferation of narrative annals characterized the period, as well as other written records, laws and documents. More of the clergy were of local origin; others were expected to know the Polish language. Wincenty Kadłubek, the author of an influential chronicle, was the most recognized representative in the intellectual sphere. Perspectiva, a treatise on optics by Witelo, a Silesian monk, was one of the finest achievements of medieval science. The construction of churches and castles in the Gothic architecture style predominated in the 13th century; native elements in art forms were increasingly important, with significant advances taking place in agriculture, manufacturing and crafts. ## 14th century ### The reunited kingdom of the last Piast rulers; Jewish settlement Władysław I the Elbow-high and his son Casimir III, "the Great" were the last two rulers of the Piast dynasty, who ruled over a reunified kingdom of Poland in the 14th century. Their rule was not a return to the Polish state as it existed before the period of fragmentation, because of the loss of internal cohesion and territorial integrity. The regional Piast princes remained strong, and for economic and cultural reasons, some of them gravitated toward Poland's neighbors. The kingdom lost Pomerania and Silesia, the most highly developed and economically important regions of the original ethnically Polish lands, which left half of the Polish population outside the kingdom's borders. The western losses had to do with the failure of the unification efforts undertaken by the Silesian Piast dukes and the German expansion processes. These included the Piast principalities developing (or falling into) dependencies in respect to the German political structures, settler colonization and gradual Germanization of the Polish ruling circles. The lower Vistula was controlled by the Teutonic Order. Masovia was not to be fully incorporated into the Polish state in the near future. Casimir stabilized the western and northern borders, tried to regain some of the lost territories, and partially compensated the losses by new eastern expansion that placed within his kingdom regions that were East Slavic, thus ethnically non-Polish. Despite the territorial truncation, 14th-century Poland experienced a period of accelerated economic development and increasing prosperity. This included further expansion and modernization of agricultural settlements, the development of towns and their greater role in briskly growing trade, mining and metallurgy. A great monetary reform was implemented during the reign of Casimir III. Jewish settlement was taking place in Poland since very early times. In 1264, Duke Bolesław the Pious of Greater Poland granted the privileges of the Statute of Kalisz, which specified a broad range of freedoms of religious practices, movement, and trading for the Jews. It also created a legal precedent for the official protection of Jews from local harassment and exclusion. The act exempted the Jews from enslavement or serfdom and was the foundation of future Jewish prosperity in the Polish kingdom; it was later followed by many other comparable legal pronouncements. Following a series of expulsions of Jews from Western Europe, Jewish communities were established in Kraków, Kalisz and elsewhere in western and southern Poland in the 13th century. Another series of communities were established at Lviv, Brest-Litovsk and Grodno further east in the 14th century. King Casimir received Jewish refugees from Germany in 1349, which assisted the acceleration of a Jewish expansion in Poland that was to continue until World War II. German urban and rural settlements were another long-lasting ethnic feature. ### The reign of Władysław I the Elbow-high (1305–1333) Władysław I the Elbow-high (r. 1305–1333), who began as an obscure Piast duke from Kuyavia, pursued a lifelong, persistently challenging struggle with powerful adversaries with persistence and determination. When he died as the king of a partially reunited Poland, he left the kingdom in a precarious situation. Although the area under King Władysław's control was limited and many unresolved issues remained, he may have saved Poland's existence as a state. Supported by his ally Charles I of Hungary, Władysław returned from exile and challenged Václav II and his successor Václav III in the period 1304–1306. Václav III's murder in 1306 terminated the Bohemian Přemyslid dynasty and its involvement in Poland. Afterwards, Władysław completed the takeover of Lesser Poland, entering Kraków, and took the lands north of there, through Kuyavia all the way to Gdańsk Pomerania. In 1308, Pomerania was conquered by the Brandenburg state. In a recovery effort, Władysław agreed to ask for help from the Teutonic Knights; the Knights brutally took over Gdańsk Pomerania and kept it for themselves. In 1311–1312, a rebellion in Kraków instigated by the city's patrician leadership seeking rule by the House of Luxembourg was put down. This event may have had a limiting impact on the emerging political power of towns. In 1313–1314, Władysław conquered Greater Poland. In 1320, he became the first king of Poland crowned in Kraków's Wawel Cathedral instead of Gniezno. The coronation was hesitantly agreed to by Pope John XXII in spite of the opposition of King John of Bohemia, who had also claimed the Polish crown. John undertook an expedition aimed at Kraków in 1327, which he was compelled to abort; in 1328, he waged a crusade against Lithuania, during which he formalized an alliance with the Teutonic Order. The Order was in a state of war with Poland from 1327 to 1332 (see Battle of Płowce). As a result, the Knights captured Dobrzyń Land and Kujawy. Władysław was helped by his alliances with Hungary (his daughter Elizabeth was married to King Charles I in 1320) and Lithuania (in a pact of 1325 against the Teutonic State and the marriage of Władysław's son Casimir to Aldona, daughter of the Lithuanian ruler Gediminas). After 1329, a peace agreement with Brandenburg also assisted his efforts. A lasting achievement of King John of Bohemia (and a great loss to Poland) was his success in forcing most of the Piast Silesian principalities, often ambivalent about their loyalties, into allegiance between 1327 and 1329. ### The reign of Casimir III the Great (1333–1370) After the death of Władysław I, the old monarch's 23-year-old son became King Casimir III, later known as Casimir the Great (r. 1333–1370). Unlike his father, the new king demonstrated no attraction for the hardships of military life. Casimir's contemporaries did not give him much of a chance of overcoming the country's mounting difficulties or succeeding as a ruler. But from the beginning, Casimir acted prudently, and in 1335, he purchased the claims of King John of Bohemia to the Polish throne. In 1343, Casimir settled several high-level arbitration disputes with the Teutonic Order by a territorial compromise that culminated in the Treaty of Kalisz of 1343. Dobrzyń Land and Kuyavia were recovered by Casimir. At that time, Poland started to expand to the east and through a series of military campaigns between 1340 and 1366, Casimir annexed the Halych–Volodymyr area of Rus'. The town of Lviv there attracted newcomers of several nationalities, was granted municipal rights in 1356, and had thus begun its career as Lwów, the main Polish centre in the midst of a Rus' Orthodox population. Supported by Hungary, the Polish king in 1338 promised the Hungarian ruling house the Polish throne in the event he dies without male heirs. Casimir, who formally gave up his rights to several Silesian principalities in 1339, unsuccessfully tried to recover the region by conducting military activities against the House of Luxembourg (the rulers of Bohemia) between 1343 and 1348, but then blocked the attempted separation of Silesia from the Gniezno Archdiocese by Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV. Later, until his death, he pursued the Polish claim to Silesia legally by petitioning the pope; his successors did not continue his efforts. Allied with Denmark and Western Pomerania (Gdańsk Pomerania was granted to the Order as an "eternal charity"), Casimir was able to impose some corrections on the western border. In 1365, Drezdenko and Santok became Poland's fiefs, while the Wałcz district was taken outright in 1368. The latter action severed the land connection between Brandenburg and the Teutonic state and connected Poland with Farther Pomerania. Casimir the Great considerably solidified the country's position in both foreign and domestic affairs. Domestically, he integrated and centralized the reunited Polish state and helped develop what was considered the "Crown of the Polish Kingdom": the state within its actual boundaries, as well as past or potential boundaries. Casimir established or strengthened kingdom-wide institutions (such as the powerful state treasury) independent of the regional, class, or royal court-related interests. Internationally, the Polish king was very active diplomatically; he cultivated close contacts with other European rulers and was a staunch defender of the interests of the Polish state. In 1364, he sponsored the Congress of Kraków, in which a number of monarchs participated, which was concerned with the promotion of peaceful cooperation and political balance in Central Europe. ### The reign of Louis I and Jadwiga (1370–1399) Immediately after Casimir's death in 1370, the heirless king's nephew Louis of Hungary of the Capetian House of Anjou assumed the Polish throne. As Casimir's actual commitment to the Anjou succession seemed problematic from the beginning (in 1368 the Polish king adopted his grandson, Casimir of Słupsk), Louis engaged in succession negotiations with Polish knights and nobility starting in 1351. They supported him, exacting in return further guarantees and privileges for themselves; the formal act was negotiated in Buda in 1355. After his coronation, Louis returned to Hungary; he left his mother and Casimir's sister Elizabeth in Poland as regents. With the death of Casimir the Great, the period of hereditary (Piast) monarchy in Poland came to an end. The land owners and nobles did not want a strong monarchy; a constitutional monarchy was established between 1370 and 1493 that included the beginning of the general sejm, the dominant bicameral parliament of the future. During the reign of Louis I, Poland formed a Polish-Hungarian union. In the pact of 1374 (the Privilege of Koszyce), the Polish nobility was granted extensive concessions and agreed to extend the Anjou succession to Louis's daughters, as Louis had no sons. Louis's neglect of Polish affairs resulted in the loss of Casimir's territorial gains, including Halych Rus', which was recovered by Queen Jadwiga in 1387. In 1396, Jadwiga and her husband Jagiełło (Jogaila) forcefully annexed the central Polish lands separating Lesser Poland from Greater Poland, previously granted by King Louis to his Silesian Piast ally Duke Władysław of Opole. The Hungarian-Polish union lasted for twelve years and ended in war. After Louis's death in 1382 and a power struggle that resulted in the Greater Poland Civil War, the Polish nobility decided that Jadwiga, Louis's youngest daughter, should become the next "King of Poland"; Jadwiga arrived in 1384 and was crowned at the age of eleven. The failure of the union of Poland and Hungary paved the way for the union of Lithuania and Poland. ### Culture In the 14th century, many large scale brick building projects were undertaken during Casimir's reign, including the construction of Gothic churches, castles, urban fortifications and homes of wealthy city residents. The most notable examples of architecture from the medieval period in Poland are the many churches representing the Polish Gothic style; medieval sculpture, painting and ornamental smithery are best revealed in the furnishings of churches and liturgical items. Polish law was first codified in the Statutes of Casimir the Great (the Piotrków–Wiślica Statutes) from 1346 to 1362. Accordingly, conflict resolution relied on legal proceedings domestically, while bilateral or multilateral negotiations and treaties were increasingly important in international relations. By this time, the network of cathedral and parish schools had become well developed. In 1364, Casimir the Great established the University of Kraków, the second oldest university in Central Europe. While many still traveled to Southern and Western Europe for university studies, the Polish language, along with the predominant Latin, became increasingly more common in written documents. The Holy Cross Sermons (ca. early 14th century) constitute possibly the oldest extant Polish prose manuscript. ## See also - Poland in the Early Middle Ages - History of Poland during the Jagiellonian dynasty - Slavery in Poland

Impact World Tag Team Championship

Championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion Impact Wrestling

The Impact World Tag Team Championship (formally known as the TNA World Tag Team Championship) is a professional wrestling world tag team championship which is owned by the Impact Wrestling promotion. The current champions are The Rascalz (Trey Miguel and Zachary Wentz), who are in their first reign as a team. It was created and debuted on May 14, 2007 at the taping of then-TNA's primary television program, TNA Impact!. It was officially introduced worldwide on the May 17, 2007 edition of TNA's online podcast TNA Today. Like most professional wrestling championships, the title is won as a result of a pre-determined match. ## History The Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion formed in May 2002. Later that same year, TNA were granted control over the NWA World Heavyweight and World Tag Team Championships by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) governing body, subsequently becoming an official NWA territory as NWA–TNA. On June 19, 2002, NWA–TNA held its first show: a weekly pay-per-view (PPV) event. The main event of the telecast was a twenty–man Gauntlet for the Gold match—involving all twenty men trying to throw each other over the top rope and down to the floor in order to eliminate them, until there are two men left who wrestle a standard match—to become the first ever TNA–era NWA World Heavyweight Champion. Ken Shamrock defeated Malice to win the vacant championship with Ricky Steamboat as Special Guest Referee at the event. TNA crowned the first TNA–era NWA World Tag Team Champions at their third weekly PPV event on July 3, 2002, when the team of A.J. Styles and Jerry Lynn defeated The Rainbow Express (Bruce and Lenny Lane) in a tournament final to win the championship. ### Creation The NWA World Heavyweight and World Tag Team Championships were contested for in TNA until the morning of May 13, 2007. On that day, NWA's Executive Director Robert Trobich announced that the NWA were ending their five–year agreement with TNA, which had allowed them full control over both titles. Trobich went on to state that effective that morning, then-NWA World Heavyweight Champion Christian Cage and the Team 3D pairing of Brother Devon and Brother Ray, then-NWA World Tag Team Champions, were stripped of their respective championships. The motivation behind these actions was that Cage refused to defend the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against wrestlers from NWA territories. That same day, TNA were scheduled to produce their Sacrifice 2007 PPV event, in which both Cage and Team 3D were to defend their respective championships. On the card, Cage was scheduled to defend the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Kurt Angle and Sting in a three-way match. Team 3D were set to defend the NWA World Tag Team Championship against the team of Scott Steiner and Tomko and the team made up of Hernandez and Homicide, who were known as The Latin American Xchange (LAX), in another three-way match. That night before each contest, the on-screen graphic used to refer to the champions and their respective championships, credited both Cage and Team 3D as still being NWA Champions. Team 3D defeated Steiner and Tomko and LAX in the three-way tag team match to retain the "World Tag Team Championship", while Angle defeated Cage and Sting to win the "World Heavyweight Championship". On May 17, 2007, Jeremy Borash and TNA's primary authority figure at the time, Jim Cornette, unveiled the TNA World Tag Team Championship belt on that day's edition of TNA's online podcast TNA Today and awarded it to Team 3D as a result of them being the NWA Tag Team Champions before the NWA/TNA split; in the process making them the first official champions. ## Championship Tournaments ### TNA World Tag Team Championship Tournament (2015) Between March 14 and March 16, 2015 episodes of Impact Wrestling a tournament was held to crown new TNA World Tag Team Champions. ### Impact World Tag Team Championship \#1 Contendership Tournament (2023) On August 2, 2023 a new four man tag team tournament was announced where the winners will face Subculture (Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster) (with their female valet Dani Luna in their corner) for the Impact World Tag Team Championships at Impact Pay-per-view Emergence of year 2023. ## Championship belt design During the championship's entire history, it has had three designs. Until Destination X (2017), it had a leather strap covered with four small gold plates that has an imprint of the earth centered in the middle with TNA's official logo at the top of each. The center golden plate of the belt also has an imprint of a globe, with TNA's official logo engraved over it. The words "World Tag Team" are placed above the globe, while the words "Wrestling Champion" are placed below it. At Destination X 2017, a recoloured version of the GFW Tag Team Championships from the original promotion was revealed as the new tag team championships. The main plate had the Global Force Wrestling logo to the left and the words "Tag Team Champions" centered on the bottom of the belt. The top of the main plate had a globe, with a bird below it. The sideplates had the words "Tag Team" on the top and "Champions" on the bottom, with the GFW Impact! logo on the left sideplate and the GFW logo on the right sideplate. After Jeff Jarrett left the company and took the GFW name with him, all championships have been updated with an Impact Wrestling logo to cover the GFW logo. At Redemption on April 22, 2018, Impact revealed new championships. The main plate is oblong, similar to the WCW World Six-Man Tag Team Championship. It has the Impact logo at a diagonal angle centered between the words "Tag Team" on the top and "Champion" on the bottom. It features two designs of an owl above and below the words. ## Reigns The inaugural champions were Team 3D (Brother Devon and Brother Ray), who were awarded the championship on the May 17, 2007 edition of TNA Today. At days, The North's (Ethan Page and Josh Alexander) reign is the longest in the title's history. Eric Young/Super Eric and Kaz's only reign holds the record for shortest reign in the title's history at a half day. Individually, James Storm holds the record with seven reigns, while Beer Money and The Wolves (Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards) share the record of five reigns as a team. Although the title is a World Tag Team Championship, three wrestlers have held the championship by themselves — Samoa Joe, Kurt Angle, and Matt Morgan. Joe held the championship during his entire reign alone; however, Angle held the championship alone for 15 days until Sting won a match involving three other competitors to become Angle's partner, and Morgan held the title after turning on and (kayfabe) injuring his tag team championship partner Hernandez. Overall, there have been 65 reigns shared between 67 wrestlers and 43 teams. The current champions are The Rascalz (Trey Miguel and Zachary Wentz) who are in their first reign both as a team and individually. They defeated previous champions Subculture (Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster on August 27, 2023 at Emergence in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to win the titles. ## See also - NWA World Tag Team Championship - List of NWA World Tag Team Champions - History of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

Walter Ohmsen

Knight's Cross recipient

Walter Ohmsen (7 June 1911 – 19 February 1988) was a highly decorated Oberleutnant zur See in the Kriegsmarine during World War II. On 6 June 1944 the Western Allies launched Operation Overlord, the amphibious invasion of Normandy, France. Ohmsen was the first German defender of Fortress Europe to sight the invasion force. His battery engaged in heavy fighting and subsequently Ohmsen was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) for the defense of the Crisbecq Battery against the American 4th Infantry Division, which landed on Utah Beach. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recognised extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. ## Military service Walter Ohmsen was born on 7 June 1911, in Elmshorn and joined the military service of the Reichsmarine of the Weimar Republic on 1 April 1929 in Stralsund. He became a Matrosengefreiter (Seaman First Class) on 1 April 1933, and Bootsmannmaat (Petty Officer Third Class -Coxswain) on 1 September 1934. From 12 December 1934, until 1 January 1944, he was platoon commander, company commander then head of telemetry training at the Naval Artillery School in Sassnitz. He had been promoted to Oberbootsmannsmaat (Boatswain's Mate 2nd class) on 1 November 1935 and Bootsmann (Boatswain's Mate 1st class) on 1 September 1936. He served at sea on the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein, the training vessel Gorch Fock, the training ship Carl-Zeiss, the torpedo boat T-153 and the cruiser Königsberg. He attained the rank of Stabsoberbootsmann (Chief Boatswain's Mate) on 1 July 1940, and was awarded the War Merit Cross 2nd class with swords on 20 April 1941. During his assignment at the Coastal Artillery School he was promoted to Kriegsoffiziersanwärter (Officer Candidate) and became an officer attaining the rank of Leutnant der Marineartillerie (Ensign of Coastal Artillery) on 1 January 1942, and Oberleutnant (M.A.) (Lieutenant Junior Grade). ### Normandy invasion Ohmsen had taken command of the Crisbecq Battery , also known as Marine Küsten Batterie "Marcouf" (Naval Coastal Battery Marcouf) or Seeziel Batterie "Marcouf" (Sea Target Battery Marcouf), on 1 February 1944. His command, including himself, consisted of three officers, 24 non-commissioned officers and 287 men of the Kriegsmarine. The unit was subordinated to the Marine-Artillerie-Abteilung 260 (M.A.A. 260—260th Naval Coastal Artillery Battalion). The battery's personnel was further augmented by members of the 6./Grenadier-Regiment 919 (6th Company, 919th Grenadier Regiment) of the 709. Infanterie-Division (709th Infantry Division) for ground defense under the command of Leutnant Geissler, which brought the overall manpower of the battery close to 400 men. On 6 June 1944, at 5 a.m. Ohmsen was the first to sight the Allied invasion fleet through the battery rangefinder. He immediately reported his observation to the Kriegsmarine headquarters at Cherbourg, which triggered the German alarm throughout installations on the Atlantic coast. The notification of the award of his Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes), announced in the German newspapers on 15 June 1944, also referred to Ohmsen as the first person to report the invasion fleet off Normandy. At 5:52 a.m. he received the order to open fire on the ships, which were then 17 kilometers (11 mi) away. At 5:55 a.m., Ohmsen's battery targeted and exchanged fire with the US cruisers USS Tuscaloosa and USS Quincy and the US battleship USS Nevada. At 6:30 a.m., the battery fired upon the US destroyer USS Corry and sank her. At 8 a.m., Nevada hit the foremost casemated gun. The US battleships USS Texas and USS Arkansas, originally assigned to provide covering fire for the landing at Omaha Beach, intervened to help silence the Crisbecq Battery. At 9 a.m. the concentrated fire of the three battleships put the second casemate out of action, when a shell from Nevada pierced the embrasure, killing the entire crew. The remaining gun behind casemate No. 24, withstood the naval bombardment, but was incapable of reaching targets out at sea; the gun initiated fire at 11 a.m., directed to the beach facing WN 5 Widerstandsnest 5 (Resistance Nest 5), 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) away. It caused heavy losses among the Americans and hindered the landing of material and reinforcements at Utah Beach. The American 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division started their advance towards Saint-Marcouf and the Crisbecq Battery at 7 a.m. on 7 June. After the first assault they succeeded in entering Saint-Marcouf but were stopped in front of the battery by the 75 mm Flak guns that had been repaired and were put in firing positions against ground targets. A German counterattack on the flanks of the American forces, supported by the 105 mm K331 (f) guns from the Azeville battery forced Captain Tom Shields to withdraw. Concurrent to this ground fighting, the artillery duel between the Crisbecq Battery and the Allied fleet continued. One of the Škoda 210 mm gun K39/41 had been put back into service during the previous night. The gun was damaged once more and remained silent for the rest of the day. The Americans brought several field artillery guns in position during the afternoon and immediately started firing at the battery. Subsequently, the battery was subjected to harassing fire every night. Ohmsen was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse) in the morning of 7 June 1944 for his defense of his strong point against the American attacks. On the evening of 7 June he received a phone call from Cherbourg with the information that he had been awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class (Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse) in addition to the earlier award. Ohmsen was wounded on the left hand during a bombardment of the battery in the afternoon of 8 June. The American 1st Battalion started their second attack on the battery at 10 a.m. on 8 June and retook the village of Saint-Marcouf. At 1:30 p.m. after the naval artillery had prepared the attack with a 20-minute bombardment and rolling artillery fire the attack on the battery continued. The Americans succeeded in entering the battery perimeter. The Germans had fallen back in the shelters but the last 210 mm gun was destroyed. At 4 p.m., American forces started to blow up the shelters; seeing that his forces had been overwhelmed, Ohmsen ordered the Azeville Battery to fire on his own position with its four 105 mm guns to chase them away. The effect was immediate and the Americans fell back in disarray. Ohmsen took advantage of the situation and counterattacked with the support of Leutnant Geissler's 6th company, and pushed the Americans back to Dodainville (roughly 1.2 kilometers (0.75 miles) south southeast of the battery). American casualties reached 15% of the forces they had committed to the attack and 98 soldiers were taken prisoner. By the morning of 11 June, Ohmsen had run out of ammunition and medical equipment for the wounded and all his guns were out of service. In the afternoon, he received a phone call from Konteradmiral (Counter Admiral or Rear Admiral) Walter Hennecke, who instructed him to escape with the survivors. Leaving 21 wounded German soldiers and 126 American prisoners behind, Ohmsen and 78 men broke through the American encirclement and reached the German lines at Aumeville, roughly 8 kilometers (5 mi) away. On 12 June, the soldiers of the 9th Infantry Division, who had come ashore the previous day, readied themselves for an attack on the battery. At 8:30 a.m., the men of the 2nd Battalion of the 39th Infantry Regiment started their attack but found only an empty battery. The fighting over the battery took a heavy toll on both sides, 307 German soldiers died to defend it and about as many Americans died to take it. On 14 June, Ohmsen and his men reached the Morsalines battery, where he was decorated with the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Ohmsen and his men were subsequently assigned to an infantry company and took part in the final days of the Battle of Cherbourg. Ohmsen was taken prisoner of war in Cherbourg on 26 June by the American forces. He was released on 15 March 1946. ## Later life After World War II, Ohmsen initially worked as a government employee of the Schleswig-Holstein agricultural ministry. He ran for public office as a candidate of the Schleswig-Holstein-Block in the 1954 Landtag of Schleswig-Holstein election. During an election speech, he disparaged the Minister-President of Schleswig-Holstein Friedrich-Wilhelm Lübke [de]. Ohmsen was immediately dismissed without notice from his position in the agricultural ministry for insulting the Minister-President. He rejoined the military service of the Bundeswehr on 16 March 1956, as a Kapitänleutnant (Captain Lieutenant) of the Bundesmarine (German Federal Navy). He was promoted to Korvettenkapitän (Corvette Captain) on 15 November 1957, and Fregattenkapitän (Frigate Captain) on 13 August 1965 and retired on 30 September 1967. From 1968 to 1978, Ohmsen was one of the organizers of the sailing at the Summer Olympics events and of numerous other larger sailing regattas and events. From 1970 to 1978, he also served as a member of the consultative council of the city of Kiel and was involved in the support of war victims. For these services he received the Freiherr-von-Stein commemorative medal and Federal Cross of Merit 2nd Class (Bundesverdienstkreuz 2. Klasse). The father of three daughters, Walter Ohmsen died in Kiel on 19 February 1988. ## Awards and decorations - Iron Cross (1939) - 2nd Class (7 June 1944) - 1st Class (7 June 1944) - War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords (20 April 1941) - Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 14 June 1944 as Oberleutnant (M.A.) and chief of the Marinebatterie "Marcouf" (Marine-Artillerie-Abteilung 260) - Freiherr-von-Stein commemorative medal - Federal Cross of Merit 2nd Class ## Promotions

Pennsylvania Route 663

State highway in Pennsylvania, US

Pennsylvania Route 663 (PA 663) is a 22.13-mile-long (35.61 km) state highway in Montgomery and Bucks counties in southeast Pennsylvania. Its southern terminus is at PA 100 in the borough of Pottstown and its northern terminus is at PA 309 and PA 313 in the borough of Quakertown, where the road continues eastward as PA 313. Along the way, PA 663 also passes through the borough of Pennsburg. It is called John Fries Highway between Pennsburg and Quakertown. It has an interchange with Interstate 476 (I-476, Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension) at exit 44 west of Quakertown. The route was assigned in 1930, and it has had several realignments since its commissioning, including two major ones. ## Route description PA 663 begins at an intersection with PA 100 in the borough of Pottstown in Montgomery County, heading east on four-lane undivided West King Street. The road passes between commercial areas to the north and the Pottsgrove Manor historic house museum to the south, crossing the Colebrookdale branch operated by the Colebrookdale Railroad at-grade and Manatawny Creek. The route becomes two-lane undivided King Street and is lined with residences. PA 663 turns north onto North Charlotte Street and continues past homes, curving to the northeast. The road crosses Mervine Street and becomes the border between Upper Pottsgrove Township to the northwest and Lower Pottsgrove Township to the southeast, running through a mix of residential and commercial areas. The route turns east to fully enter Lower Pottsgrove Township before it curves back to the northeast, again following the border between Upper Pottsgrove Township and Lower Pottsgrove Township past the Keim Street intersection. PA 663 continues through wooded areas with a few homes and enters New Hanover Township. The road runs through more rural areas with some development and comes to the Swamp Pike intersection in the community of New Hanover. Farther northeast, PA 663 intersects PA 73 in the community of Layfield and turns east to form a concurrency with that route on Big Road. The road crosses Swamp Creek before PA 663 splits from PA 73 by heading northeast on Layfield Road. The route runs through farmland and woodland with some development, passing through the community of Hoffmansville. Farther northeast, the road heads into Upper Hanover Township and crosses the Green Lane Reservoir along the Perkiomen Creek. PA 663 heads into the borough of Pennsburg, where it becomes Pottstown Avenue and runs past homes and a few businesses, passing east of the terminus of an East Penn Railroad line. In the center of the borough, the route intersects PA 29. Past this intersection, the road name changes to Quakertown Avenue and it passes more development before leaving Pennsburg for Upper Hanover Township again. At this point, the route becomes John Fries Highway and heads through farm fields and woods. Past the Geryville Pike intersection, PA 663 enters Milford Township in Bucks County and continues through more rural areas. The road passes to the southeast of the community of Spinnerstown and widens into a four-lane divided highway at the Spinnerstown Road/Krammes Road intersection, where it curves to the east. The route becomes undivided and comes to the Quakertown interchange with I-476 (Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension). A park and ride lot is located south of the road at this interchange within the northbound reverse jughandle for the interchange ramp. PA 663 turns into a divided highway again and runs past businesses. The route becomes a two-lane undivided road again and continues back into rural areas, where it crosses Allentown Road and Unami Creek as it passes to the north of the community of Milford Square. The road runs near some development, heading south of St. Luke's Hospital–Upper Bucks Campus. The route enters Richland Township at the Portzer Road intersection and passes homes, becoming the border between Richland Township to the north and the borough of Quakertown to the south at the Milford Square Pike intersection, with the name changing to West Broad Street. PA 663 heads into commercial areas and fully enters Quakertown, where it widens back into a four-lane divided highway and comes to its northern terminus at an intersection with PA 309. Past this intersection, the road continues east as PA 313. ## History PA 663 was once part of the Steinsburg and Milford Square Turnpike. The turnpike was chartered in March 1858. When Pennsylvania legislated routes in 1911, what is now PA 663 was not given a number. PA 663 was designated in 1930 to run from in U.S. Route 422 (US 422, High Street) in Pottstown north to PA 73 in New Hanover Township. At this time, the entire length of the route was paved, along with the unnumbered road between PA 73 and Quakertown. In 1936, PA 663 was extended north to an intersection with US 309 (now PA 309) and PA 212 (now PA 313) in Quakertown. The route followed its current alignment between PA 73 and Pennsburg before it followed Quakertown Road and Sleepy Hollow Road to Spinnerstown, where it turned east and followed Spinnerstown Road and Milford Square Pike to Quakertown. By 1967, the southern terminus of PA 663 was rerouted to PA 100 in Pottstown, heading west on King Street. In the 1960s, PA 663 was shifted from Milford Square Pike to a new alignment to the north between the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension and Quakertown. After construction began in 1973, a new alignment of PA 663 to the south from Pennsburg to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension opened a year later, with the route moved off Quakertown Road, Sleepy Hollow Road, and Spinnerstown Road. ## Major intersections ## PA 663 Alternate Truck ### Pottstown Pennsylvania Route 663 Alternate Truck is a truck route around a weight-restricted bridge over the Manatawny Creek in Pottstown, on which trucks over 15 tons are prohibited. It follows PA 100, North State Street, and Manatawny Street and was signed in 2013. In October 2020, work began to replace the bridge, and traffic was diverted along local streets. Construction is expected to be completed in Spring 2022. ### Upper Hanover Township Pennsylvania Route 663 Alternate Truck was a truck route around a weight-restricted bridge over a branch of the Perkiomen Creek in Upper Hanover Township, on which trucks over 36 tons and combination loads over 40 tons are prohibited. It followed PA 73, PA 100, and Kutztown Road; it was signed in 2013 but decommissioned in 2018 following a bridge repair. ## See also

Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center

Jail barge in Bronx, New York City, US

The Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center (VCBC), also known as the Vernon C. Bain Maritime Facility and under the nickname "The Boat", is an 800-bed jail barge used to hold inmates for the New York City Department of Corrections. The barge is anchored off the Bronx's southern shore, across from Rikers Island, near Hunts Point. It was built for \$161 million at Avondale Shipyard in Louisiana, along the Mississippi River near New Orleans, and brought to New York in 1992 to reduce overcrowding in the island's land-bound buildings for a lower price. Nicknamed "The Boat" by prison staff and inmates, it is designed to handle inmates from medium- to maximum-security in 16 dormitories and 100 cells. Currently the only barge in use, the Vernon C. Bain Center is the third prison barge that the New York Department of Corrections has used. In its history, the prison has served traditional inmates, juvenile inmates and is currently used as a holding and temporary processing center. The added security of the prison being on water has prevented at least four attempted escapes. The barge is named in memorial for warden Vernon C. Bain, who died in an automobile accident. In 2014, the prison barge was named the world's largest (and only) prison barge in operation by Guinness World Records. ## History ### Planning In the late 1980s, the New York City Department of Correction experienced overcrowding issues in its prison complexes. The idea of temporarily alleviating the issues of a growing inmate population and dwindling space by outfitting prison ships was conceived under the administration of then Mayor Edward I. Koch. Their solution was to develop usable prison space with maritime cells and avoid complaints about building jails in densely populated neighborhoods. At the time, the prisons at nearby Rikers Island held 22,000 inmates, and with this number increasing consistently, were nearing capacity. In 1988, the Bibby Resolution and her sister ship Bibby Venture were bought by the New York City Department of Correction to serve as the first two prison ships. Both ships were previously used as British troop carriers before being re-purposed into prison ships. The Bibby Venture was docked off Manhattan's Greenwich Village, while the Bibby Resolution was located off the Lower East Side of Manhattan. They were decommissioned in 1992. In 1994 both ships were sold, leaving the Bain Correctional Center and two converted Staten Island ferries, the Harold A. Wildstein and Walter B. Keane, docked at Rikers Island to be used when overcrowding became an issue. ### Construction The construction of the Vernon C. Bain Center prison barge began in 1989 at Avondale Shipyard by Avondale Industries and was supposed to be finished in 1990 at the price of \$125.7 million. Due to unanticipated construction problems including issues with the ventilation system, the finished barge was delivered 18 months late and \$35 million over budget. The barge was originally slated to be docked at the Brooklyn Army Terminal or the mayor's mansion. The site ultimately chosen, at Hunts Point, was selected after protests arose over the other proposed sites. On January 26, 1992, the recently outfitted prison barge was brought through Long Island Sound by the tugboat, Michael Turecamo, after an 1,800 nautical mile trip. The new barge was named for well-liked and respected warden Vernon C. Bain, who had died in an automobile accident. One of the first captains of the barge under the Department of Corrections had previously been employed by the same tugboat company and had earlier captained the tugboat that hauled the barge to its current location. The new crew of the prison barge, who were placed in accordance with Coast Guard regulations, worked on the empty barge to learn the vessel operations, including the electrical and fire fighting systems. The barge officially opened for use and began accepting inmates later in 1992. ### Operation From the time the barge was constructed, there has been controversy about its cost. The final price was more than \$35 million over budget, which attracted negative attention. The assistant correction commissioner, John H. Shanahan, claimed the price difference was because the Department of Corrections "never designed this kind of passenger vessel before and unfortunately there was a mistake in the original contract." William Booth, the chairman of the Board of Corrections, said at the time that the prison barge would be the last barge the Department of Corrections would build because the process was too expensive and too uncertain. The Board of Corrections is an independent body that monitors city-owned prisons. Furthermore, by the time the Bain Center opened, the inmate population of New York City's jail system had started to decline. The prison barge was temporarily closed in August 1995 due to less crowded city jails, caused by a decline in arrests and inmate transfers. In late 1996, the prison was slated for reopening due to the rise in arrests from a campaign targeting drugs and drug dealers. The six-month campaign expected more than seven thousand additional arrests than usual, but the ship was not reopened until 1998 when it was used by the Department of Juvenile Justice. The Bain Center is currently used as a processing facility for inmates in the Department of Corrections system. There are three other processing facilities that each handle specific boroughs. In early 2016, New York City government officials began looking into ways to possibly shutter Rikers Island and transfer prisoners to other locations. One plan is to situate a 2,000-bed jail in the parking lot for the Bain Center. Another similar plan includes closing the barge jail. In 2018 the city released plans to phase out Rikers Island over ten years and replace it with borough-based jails. The Bain Center is included in the plan to close Rikers Island, which the New York City Council voted to approve in October 2019. Under the bill, both facilities would have to close by 2026. ## Facilities The 625-foot-long (191 m) by 125-foot-wide (38 m) flatbed barge has 16 dormitories and 100 cells for inmates. For recreation, there is a full-size gym with basketball court, weight lifting rooms, and an outdoor recreation facility on the roof. There are three worship chapels, a modern medical facility, and a library open to inmate use. The 47,326-ton facility is on the water, and when it opened, 3 or more maritime crews were maintained under Coast Guard regulations. According to John Klumpp, the barge's first captain, in 2002 "the Coast Guard, after years of monitoring the prison barge, finally accepted the reality that that it was, de facto, a jail and not a boat." The prison barge is located in Hunts Point in the South Bronx, about 5 miles (8.0 km) from SUNY Maritime College at Throggs Neck. The Hunts Point Cooperative Market is located nearby. At the time of the barge's opening, the area was difficult to access via public transportation. ## Operations As of 2019, the barge employed 317 workers and had an annual operating cost of \$24 million. The barge's rate of "use-of-force by corrections officers" was the third-lowest among the city's corrections facilities. ### Juvenile detention A surge in the need for juvenile detention space caused the New York City Department of Juvenile Justice to lease space at the Bain Correction Center in 1998. At the time, there were over five thousand juveniles aged thirteen to eighteen years old in secure detention in New York. The barge had been unused since August 1995 but had been maintained and was ready to house inmates again. The center was used to solve the space problem and to assist in the closure of Spofford Juvenile Center. The temporary space was used for juvenile inmate processing and temporary housing for inmates prior to transfer. The underage inmates were moved out of the Bain Center and back into the Spofford facility in 1999. In January 2000, the Department of Juvenile Justice, after completing renovations to other buildings, moved out of the center. ## Escapes The first time a prisoner tried to escape from the Bain was in 1993, when a 38-year-old prisoner was able to escape while he was supposed to be cleaning ice from the parking lot in front of the boat. The guard who was responsible for the inmate was suspended without pay due to the incident. Prior to 2002, an inmate tried to escape from the prison's recreation area by climbing the 30-foot fence equipped with razor wire. The guards' uniform boots prevented them from climbing the fence in pursuit, so they threw basketballs at the inmate to stop his escape, but he was able to successfully climb over it. He dove into the East River, where he was promptly picked up and returned by a police watercraft that was dispatched to the scene. Another escape occurred in February 2004 when the girlfriend of an inmate gave him a handcuff key. The inmate was handcuffed by one wrist to another inmate, but he was able to, without any prison employee noticing, remove the cuffs and free himself. The inmate was able to cling to the undercarriage of a prisoner transport bus to ride away from the facility. He let go of the bus in the South Bronx and walked away, but was apprehended nearly a month later. Six officers and a captain were given administrative leave due to the incident. The corrections commissioner said the escape was caused by a combination of the inmate's quick thinking and the officers' sloppy work. In early 2013, an inmate charged with petty larceny successfully slipped out of his handcuffs as he arrived at the Bain Center. In 2021 a prisoner used a rope to escape from his cell via a window. He was caught the following day. ## In popular culture The prison is featured prominently in the 1993 movie Carlito's Way.

Wilf Barber

English cricketer

Wilfred Barber (18 April 1901 – 10 September 1968) was a professional first-class cricketer who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1926 to 1947. He played two Test matches for England in 1935 against South Africa. An opening batsman with an excellent batting technique, Barber often batted in the middle order. He scored 16,402 runs in first-class cricket at an average of 34.28 with 29 centuries. Barber made his debut in 1926 and made several appearances over the next few seasons. Despite a sound defence, Barber did not secure a regular first team place until 1932. He scored a thousand runs for the first time that season, a feat he was to achieve eight times, while he scored over 2,000 runs in 1935. Until the Second World War broke out, Barber continued as a regular member of the Yorkshire side. After the war, he played one more full season before retiring in 1947. His career continued in club cricket and he went on to coach local sides before his death in 1968. ## Career Barber was born on 18 April 1901 in Cleckheaton, Yorkshire. He did not appear for the Yorkshire Second XI until he was 25, in 1926, when he scored 600 runs, including a century, and averaged 40. The same season, he made his first-class debut for Yorkshire against Worcestershire without playing a single innings. He was scheduled to bat later in the innings and was not needed to bat as Yorkshire completed an easy victory. In the next season, he was chosen to play three matches, with a top score of 18. For the next few years, he was unable to attain a regular spot in the Yorkshire side as there were many batsmen competing for places. In the 1928 season, Barber played 16 matches, mainly when other batsmen were required in representative matches, passing fifty for the first time in an innings of 98 against the West Indians, and followed this with two other fifties. Next season, he scored his maiden first-class century against the South Africans in an innings of 108, out of a team total of 335, with no other batsman reaching fifty. In total, he played on 22 occasions and scored 857 runs at an average of 30.60, including a second century, against Glamorgan. However, Barber was in and out of the side over the next two seasons. He did not play 20 matches or reach 500 runs in either season and passed fifty only four times in total. Matters changed for Barber in the 1932 season, when Yorkshire's regular, long serving opening batsman Percy Holmes began to suffer with illness. This left a batting place empty and enabled Barber to play more regularly. Wisden Cricketer's Almanack believed that he thoroughly deserved his place in the team as he scored exactly 1,000 runs at an average of 25.64, the first time he reached four figures in a season. He finished fifth in the Yorkshire batting averages, the first time he had been placed so high. His runs also played a part in Yorkshire winning the County Championship in his first full season. After this breakthrough, Barber steadily improved his total of runs and batting average, helping Yorkshire to win the County Championship twice in 1933 and 1935. In 1933, he scored 1,595 runs at an average of 33.93, and in 1934 he scored 1,927 runs at an average of 40.14. In both seasons he finished fourth in the Yorkshire averages. However, Barber's best season statistically was the following season, 1935, when he achieved his best aggregate of runs and highest average in an English season, passing 2,000 runs in a season for the only time in his career. He scored 2,147 runs at an average of 42.09 and finished third in the Yorkshire averages. These performances earned him selection for the Players against the Gentlemen at Lord's Cricket Ground for the only time in his career, where he scored 61 and 18 not out. Also in 1935, Barber was chosen to represent England in the Test series against South Africa. He played in the third and fourth Tests after England had lost the second match to be 1–0 down in the series. He was one of six Yorkshire players selected that season. He scored 83 runs in four innings with a highest score of 44 in the fourth Test but England only drew these matches and he was left out of the final game. He also took a wicket with his second (and final) ball in Test cricket, when the match was heading towards an obvious draw. Following these matches, he was chosen to go on the non-Test playing tour by the Marylebone Cricket Club of Australia and New Zealand that winter under the captaincy of Errol Holmes. He was the senior professional but was not as effective as had been expected in Australia. However, in New Zealand he scored 365 runs in the matches against a New Zealand representative team, at an average of 60.83. He scored 797 runs in all first-class matches, average 41.94, including two centuries. Although Barber did not play any more Tests, his scoring was consistent in the four seasons up until World War II. In all but 1936 (he scored 993 runs that year), he scored around 1,500 runs and in all but 1938 (he averaged just under 34), he averaged between 36 and 38. He was second in the Yorkshire batting averages in 1936, fourth in 1937 and 1939 but slipped to sixth in 1938. Following the war, Barber played one more full season, scoring 1,170 runs at an average of 30.00 in 1946 to be fourth in the Yorkshire averages. It was the eighth and final time he passed 1,000 runs in a season. During these seasons, Barber's runs contributed to Yorkshire being County Champions in four consecutive seasons from 1937 to 1939 and then again after the war in 1946. He played a further three matches in 1947 to bring his career to a close. From 1932, when Barber became a regular player, until his last full season in 1946, he was part of a Championship winning side seven times. ## Style and achievements Barber scored a total of 16,402 runs in his career with 29 hundreds and 182 catches, and was described by Gerald Howat as "the fourth pillar" of the Yorkshire batting in the mid-1930s (after Herbert Sutcliffe, Maurice Leyland and Arthur Mitchell). A generally defensive batsman, he played carefully in the tradition of Yorkshire opening batsmen. Jim Kilburn said that Barber was "small in stature but upright in style". He was a good batsman on the off side and had a very good defensive technique, while his strength on the leg side was noted on his Test debut. Although an opening batsman, he often went in lower down the batting order. He was more comfortable in normal circumstances than in a crisis and did not enjoy batting on difficult pitches. Bill Bowes called him the most correct and orthodox batsman he had seen, even more so than Len Hutton. Barber was a kind, modest man, who never believed that his contribution was good enough, even if he had scored a century. On his death, Wisden described him as having "rendered admirable service." Barber's highest score was 255 against Surrey in 1935. In this innings, he opened the batting and shared three successive century partnerships. Barber also scored 248 against Kent in 1934. He had scored 73 in the first innings but Kent had built up a lead of 148 on the second day of the match. Barber, opening the batting with Len Hutton, scored 248 and shared a stand of 267 for the first wicket. As a result, Yorkshire drew the game. Barber shared in seven other century opening partnerships Yorkshire, four of them with Arthur Mitchell, and six other 200 partnerships. This included a stand of 346 in four and a half hours with Maurice Leyland, against Middlesex in 1932 which was a record for Yorkshire's second wicket. His fielding, generally done in the deep, was described by Wisden as "first rate". Bowes said that he once went for nearly three years without dropping a catch on the leg side boundary from his bowling. ## Retirement After his retirement, Barber played club cricket into his fifties, playing for Lidget Green and King Cross until 1952. He went on to play for Mirfield in the Central Yorkshire League between 1952 and 1955. There, he was the club's first professional once it reformed in 1952. During his time at the club, Barber scored eleven half centuries and won an award for his batting. After he left Mirfield, he became coach to the North Riding Educational Authorities, later working as coach and groundsman at a school in Harrogate. He died, aged 67, in a hospital in Bradford after a short illness, on 10 September 1968.

Jerry Kindall

American baseball player (1935–2017)

Gerald Donald Kindall (May 27, 1935 – December 24, 2017) was an American professional baseball player and college baseball player and coach. He was primarily a second baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) who appeared in 742 games played over nine seasons for the Chicago Cubs (1956–58, 1960–61), Cleveland Indians (1962–64), and Minnesota Twins (1964–65). After his playing career, he became the head baseball coach of the University of Arizona Wildcats, winning 860 games and three College World Series (CWS) championships over 24 seasons (1973–1996). Kindall batted and threw right-handed and was listed as 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and 175 pounds (79 kg). Kindall was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, and graduated from Washington High School before attending the University of Minnesota. In 1956, as a student-athlete at Minnesota, his Golden Gophers won the NCAA Division I baseball championship. Twenty years later, Kindall coached the Arizona Wildcats to a CWS victory, becoming the first person to win CWS titles both as a player and as a head coach. He is also the last batter to hit for the cycle in the history of the CWS. Kindall was elected to the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. ## Early life and college Gerald Donald Kindall was born on May 27, 1935, to parents Harold “Butch” and Alfield Kindall in St. Paul, Minnesota. He attended Washington High School in St. Paul. As a senior in 1953, he was named the Most Valuable Player of the Minnesota High School Baseball Tournament. After graduating from Washington, he attended the University of Minnesota. Although he had an athletic scholarship to play college basketball, Kindall also played baseball for Minnesota, earning All-America honors in 1956. That year, he batted .381, hit 18 home runs, and recorded 48 runs batted in. He was part of a University of Minnesota team that won the 1956 College World Series, defeating the University of Arizona in the finals. In the tournament, Kindall hit for the cycle. He is the last person to do so in a College World Series. ## Chicago Cubs (1956–1958, 1960–1961) ### 1956–1957 After Kindall's 1956 College World Series triumph, he signed with the Chicago Cubs as a bonus baby, reportedly for around \$50,000. The bonus rule, in place at the time, mandated that such players be kept on the Major League Baseball (MLB) signing club's 25-man roster for two full seasons before they could be optioned to minor league baseball; this often resulted in players getting sparse playing time in their early seasons, as their ballclubs preferred to use the more experienced players. However, the risk of getting less experience was worth it for Kindall. "My dad was working two jobs, 70 hours a week. My mom was in a wheelchair, I had two younger brothers, and my grandfather was living with us,” Kindall later recalled. “It was a handsome offer so I signed, but not before I made a promise to my parents that I would complete my education." By taking classes from the University of Minnesota over his offseasons, Kindall eventually completed a bachelor's degree in English and a master's degree in physical education. Kindall reported to the Cubs on July 1 and made his major league debut the same day, pinch running for Monte Irvin in a 7–0 victory over the Milwaukee Braves. A few of the older players were not happy to have him around: besides joining the team with a lofty salary rather than first playing for low wages in the minor leagues, Kindall had replaced Ed Winceniak, a popular player who had a strong rapport with the rest of the team. Others were friendly to him, particularly third base coach Pepper Martin, who looked out for the young player when the team was travelling. Kindall's first at bat came as a surprise after several weeks of pinch running; he was asked to hit against Roy Face of the Pittsburgh Pirates because the Cubs had batted around since Kindall pinch ran. "Someone told me before I went up to watch for his forkball," Kindall later recalled, but he saw only fastballs as he struck out on three pitches. In August, Kindall received more playing time, starting at shortstop from August 11 through August 26 while Ernie Banks was unavailable due to a hand infection. Though he struggled as a hitter, he played well defensively. In 32 games his rookie year, he batted .164 with seven runs scored, nine hits, no home runs, and no RBI. During the 1957 season, Kindall received most of his playing time at second base and third base, though he also played some games at shortstop. On July 5, he hit his first major league home run, a two-run shot against Bob Buhl in a 7–4 victory over Milwaukee. He continued to struggle offensively; after July 30, he had only three hits in 53 at bats. In 72 games (181 at bats), he batted .160 with 18 runs scored, 29 hits, six home runs, and 12 RBI. ### 1958–1960 A change to the bonus rule prior to the 1958 season meant that Kindall's half-season in 1956 now counted towards one of his two full seasons, and he was eligible to be optioned to the minors. The Cubs subsequently sent him to the Fort Worth Cats of the Class AA Texas League to work on his hitting. "I was grateful for the major-league experience, but I was glad when they sent me down," Kindall said, eager for the opportunity to get more experience. His batting average increased with Fort Worth, though it was still just .229. In 143 games (512 at bats), he recorded 60 runs scored, 117 hits, 16 home runs, and 65 RBI. Kindall also played three games for the Cubs in 1958, recording a double in six at bats. In 1959, he returned to Fort Worth, now part of the Class AAA American Association. He batted .236 with 70 runs scored, 144 hits, seven home runs, and 42 RBI in 153 games (610 at bats). Kindall said that manager Lou Klein helped him greatly during his time with the Cats. Not promoted by the Cubs in 1959, Kindall had an impressive spring training for them in 1960. He began the season with the Class AAA Houston Buffaloes of the American Association but joined the Cubs in May, getting many starts at second base throughout the year. New manager Lou Boudreau worked on Kindall's hitting, getting him to shorten his stride and take more of a slap-style swing at pitches. From June 21 through July 3, he batted .439, raising his average to .303 on July 3. However, Kindall only batted. 167 thereafter. In 89 games (246 at bats) with the Cubs, he batted .240 with 17 runs scored, 59 hits, two home runs, and 23 RBI. With Houston in 27 games, he batted .232 with 14 runs scored, 26 hits, three home runs, and nine RBI. ### 1961 Kindall split time in the middle infield in 1961, playing shortstop for a few games when Banks was moved to left field, and filling in at second base for Don Zimmer. He had four RBI on June 4, including a three-run home run against Jim Brosnan in a 10–7 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Though his batting average was .273 through July 9, struggles in the latter part of the season brought it down to .242 by season's end. Kindall had another four-RBI game on August 14, contributing a three-run home run against Frank Sullivan in a 9–2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. In 96 games (310 at bats), he recorded 37 runs scored, 75 hits, a career-high 22 doubles, nine home runs, and 44 RBI. With standout youngster Ken Hubbs coming up through the organization, Kindall's roster spot was in jeopardy. Told by the team late in 1961 that he might become the everyday shortstop in 1962, when Banks moved to first base, Kindall was excited to see a November Sporting News article announcing this as the team's plan. Shortly after seeing it, however, he was traded to the Cleveland Indians on November 27, 1961, for pitcher Bobby Locke. During his time with Chicago, Kindall made a lasting contribution to baseball phraseology when he coined the expression “the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field” to describe the Cubs' stadium. ## Cleveland Indians (1962–1964) Kindall quickly felt at home in Cleveland, where he became the everyday second baseman, a position he held for all of 1962. Through May 11, he was batting .289. Sportswriter Joe Reichler called him "a defensive whiz" in May 1962, observing that he had "steadied the infield" for Cleveland. The greatest offensive moment of his career came that June, when Kindall had eight hits in a four-game series against the New York Yankees. He had four hits on June 16, including a two-run walk-off home run against Jim Coates in the bottom of the ninth inning that turned a 9–8 deficit into a 10–9 victory. The next day, his two-run home run against Bill Stafford in the first game of a doubleheader put Cleveland up 2–0 in an eventual 6–1 victory. The series victory pushed Cleveland past New York into the American League (AL) lead, though they would eventually finish the season in sixth place. As he had the last two years, Kindall did not hit as well in the latter part of the season, finishing with a .232 average. Still, 1962 saw him play in a career-high 154 games and setting personal bests in hits (123), home runs (13) and RBI (55). He led all AL second basemen in assists with 494, also placing third among all AL players with a 2.3 defensive Wins Above Replacement (behind Clete Boyer's 3.2 and Eddie Bressoud's 2.5). In 1963, Kindall began the season as a reserve player, but he ultimately started over half of the Indians' games, either at second base or at shortstop. On June 14, he played 28 innings of baseball, starting both games of a doubleheader against the Washington Senators and playing all 19 innings of the second game. Against the Red Sox on July 14, he finished a 14-inning game with a walkoff home run against Hal Kolstad to give Cleveland a 4–3 victory. In 86 games (234 at bats), Kindall fielded well but again struggled to hit, batting .205 with 27 runs scored, 48 hits, five home runs, and 20 RBI. Interim manager George Strickland made Larry Brown Cleveland's starting second baseman in 1964, resulting in limited playing time for Kindall. Through June 11, he had only 28 at bats in 23 games, though he batted .360. On June 11, Kindall was traded to the Minnesota Twins, now his "hometown" team, in a three-way deal. Minnesota traded Lenny Green and Vic Power to the Los Angeles Angels, who traded Frank Kostro to the Twins and Billy Moran to the Indians. ## Minnesota Twins (1964–1965) Kindall was one of about a half-dozen infielders that the Twins tried at second base in 1964; despite the competition, he managed to appear in 62 games for the team that year. He batted .148 with eight runs scored, 19 hits, one home run, and six RBI in 128 at bats. In 85 games combined between Cleveland and Minnesota in 1964, he batted .183 with 13 runs scored, 28 hits, three home runs, and eight RBI. Kindall's final MLB campaign saw him contribute to the pennant-winning 1965 Twins. He started 101 of the team's 162 games at second base, but he hit only .196 and suffered a hamstring injury that limited his playing time during the pennant drive. Frank Quilici, promoted from the minor leagues in July, began getting more and more of the starts at second base in the season's second half. In 125 games (342 at bats), Kindall recorded 41 runs scored, 67 hits, six home runs, and 36 RBI. He did not appear in the 1965 World Series; Quilici played every inning of the contest, won by the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games. "While I was healthy in time for the World Series, Quilici was doing such a good job there was no reason to take him out," Kindall recalled. The leg injury continued to limit Kindall's range in 1966. At the end of 1966 spring training, he was called over to owner Calvin Griffith's trailer. To his surprise, Griffith informed Kindall that he was being released, unless he wanted a minor league assignment. Kindall only wanted to play in the major leagues, however, and after realizing that all the other MLB teams had their rosters finalized, he decided to look for work elsewhere. ## Career statistics As a major leaguer, Kindall was credited with 439 hits, including 83 doubles, nine triples, 44 home runs, and 198 RBI in 742 games. No one since 1920 with at least 2,000 at bats has a lower career batting average than Kindall's .213, but he did have above-average power for a second baseman. Kindall later recalled that he was "a project every season", and that "It was always, 'if we could get Kindall to hit .260, he could be a regular.'" He speculated that his low average was due to a high number of strikeouts, as well as the constant changes to his batting stance. Kindall had some of his best success facing Robin Roberts, against whom he had four home runs. When Roberts once asked Kindall why the batter hit so well against him, Kindall suggested that Roberts "gave [him] good fastballs below the belt." Kindall recalled that after that conversation, Roberts gave him "nothing but belt-high fastballs and curves." Indians teammate Tommy John described him as "a great-field, no-hit second baseman whose glove kept him in the lineup." ## Coaching career and later life Still popular with his alma mater, Kindall was hired by the University of Minnesota in 1966. Initially, athletic director Marsh Ryman created a position as an excuse to hire him, but he soon became an assistant to head coach Dick Siebert and worked with the Golden Gophers through 1971. In 1972, the University of Arizona was looking to hire a new head baseball coach, as Frank Sancet was retiring at the end of the season. Kindall was one of three finalists, along with Steve Hamilton and Bobby Richardson. When Richardson pulled out, he spoke favorably of both of the other candidates. Kindall believed that Arizona "wound up flipping a coin" to decide between him and Hamilton, but he was ultimately the one hired. After serving as an assistant in 1972, he officially became the head coach in 1973. Ironically, the Arizona Wildcats had been the victims of Kindall's Minnesota Golden Gophers in the finals of the 1956 College World Series. Under Kindall, the Wildcats posted a win–loss record of 860–579–7; the 860 wins are the most by any coach in team history. The Wildcats reached the College World Series five times, winning NCAA championships in 1976, 1980 and 1986. With the 1976 championship, Kindall became the first person to win a College World Series as both a player and a head coach. He coached future major leaguers such as Terry Francona, Scott Erickson, Trevor Hoffman, J.T. Snow, and Craig Lefferts. Additionally, 34 of his players were named first-team All-Americans. "If I had any success as a college coach, it’s because of the many good things I saw and learned in professional baseball," Kindall said. Following his retirement as a coach in 1996, Kindall served as a broadcaster for the Wildcats up through the 2016 season. His audience observed that he was particularly talented as a storyteller and analyst. The University of Arizona's baseball field was renamed Jerry Kindall Field at Frank Sancet Stadium in 2004; it continued to serve as their home until 2012, when they moved to Hi Corbett Field. In 2007, he became a member of the College Baseball Hall of Fame, as well as the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He is the author of Baseball: Play the Winning Way and co-editor of The Baseball Coaching Bible. ## Personal life Kindall and his first wife, Georgia, had four children: Betsy, Doug, Bruce and Martha. Georgia was diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) in 1984 and succumbed to the disease three years later on June 29. Kindall stopped teaching at the University of Arizona at that time, though he continued to coach baseball. In September 1988, Kindall met a widow named Diane, whom he married on Thanksgiving weekend that year. She had one child from her previous marriage, a daughter named Elise. Tommy John became friends with Kindall when both were in the Indians organization. Kindall used to take John to church, Youth for Christ meetings, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) meetings. "He always played hard and got the most out of his abilities, the kind of worker a youngster should emulate," John recalled. Other teammates and colleagues also considered him a very faithful Christian. The FCA eventually named an award after Kindall, presented each year to the player who best represents Jesus Christ both on and off the field. Kindall was hospitalized on December 21, 2017, after suffering a major stroke in Tucson, Arizona. He died three days later at the age of 82.

M-3 (Michigan highway)

State highway in Michigan, United States

M-3 is a north–south state trunkline highway in the Detroit metropolitan area of the US state of Michigan. For most of its length, the trunkline is known as Gratiot Avenue (/ˈɡræʃɪt/, GRASH-it). The trunkline starts in Downtown Detroit and runs through the city in a northeasterly direction along one of Detroit's five major avenues. The highway passes several historic landmarks and through a historic district. It also connects residential neighborhoods on the city's east side with suburbs in Macomb County and downtown. Gratiot Avenue in Detroit was one of the original avenues laid out by Judge Augustus Woodward after the Detroit fire in 1805. It was later used as a supply road for Fort Gratiot in Port Huron under authorization from the US Congress in the 1820s. The roadway was included in the State Trunkline Highway System in 1913 and signposted with a number in 1919. Later, it was used as a segment of US Highway 25 (US 25) before that highway was functionally replaced by Interstate 94 (I-94) in the 1960s. The M-3 designation was applied to the current highway in 1973, and a southern section was reassigned to M-85 in 2001. ## Route description The southern end of M-3 is at an intersection between Broadway and Randolph streets and Gratiot Avenue in downtown Detroit; the highway runs northeasterly from this intersection along Gratiot Avenue, one of Detroit's five major thoroughfares. This street is a boulevard setup with four lanes divided with a median or center turn lane. Gratiot Avenue runs northeasterly through downtown, past Ford Field. Near the stadium, the street passes over I-375 (Chrysler Freeway) without any direct connections. On the east side of the freeway, M-3 runs past the Historic Trinity Lutheran and St. John's-St. Luke's Evangelical churches before intersecting the end of the Fisher Freeway, which at this location is an unnumbered connector to I-75 and I-375. Gratiot continues past the freeway on the city's east side, bordering residential neighborhoods along the way. Through this area, it had a continuous center turn lane, losing the grassy median it had in places downtown. The highway intersects Grand Boulevard near Dueweke Park, and at Van Dyke Avenue, it intersects the southern end of M-53. Gratiot Avenue crosses I-94 at the latter's exit 219 near the Coleman A. Young International Airport and an adjacent industrial area. Past the airport, Gratiot Avenue once again runs through residential neighborhoods while being immediately bordered by commercial properties. The southern end of M-97 is at the intersection between Gratiot and Gunston avenues just northeast of the Outer Drive junction by the airport. The trunkline passes the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church near a branch location of the Detroit Public Library at McNichols Street. Just before crossing M-102 (8 Mile Road), Gratiot Avenue widens back to a boulevard. This intersection marks the transition from Detroit and Wayne County to Eastpointe in Macomb County. In Macomb County, M-3 follows a boulevard setup complete with Michigan lefts at the major intersections in the suburbs of Detroit. There are a series of commercial properties between 10 Mile Road and I-696 (Reuther Freeway) that includes the Eastgate Shopping Center in Roseville. Near 13 Mile Road, there is a partial interchange with I-94 that allows eastbound traffic, which is physically traveling northbound to access northbound M-3 and southbound M-3 traffic to access westbound I-94. The missing connections are possible through the adjacent interchange for Little Mack Avenue on I-94 which also connects to 13 Mile Road and Gratiot Avenue. North of 14 Mile Road, M-3 crosses into Clinton Charter Township next to the Hebrew Memorial Park, a cemetery. North of the intersection with Metropolitan Parkway, Gratiot Avenue splits into a one-way pairing of Northbound and Southbound Gratiot avenues as it crosses into Mount Clemens near the Clinton River. The two separate streets are one, two, or even three blocks apart through the city's downtown area. North of the Patterson Street intersections, the two streets cross back into Clinton Township and merge back together in four-lane street with a center turn lane. North of M-59 (Hall Road). M-3 clips the southeastern corner of Macomb Township near Selfridge Air National Guard Base. The highway continues into Chesterfield Township. M-3 parts from Gratiot Avenue at the intersection with 23 Mile Road, turning eastward along that roadway to an intersection with I-94. At exit 243, M-3 terminates at this interchange and 23 Mile Road continues easterly as M-29. M-3 is maintained by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) like other state highways in Michigan. As a part of these maintenance responsibilities, the department tracks the volume of traffic that uses the roadways under its jurisdiction. These volumes are expressed using a metric called annual average daily traffic, which is a statistical calculation of the average daily number of vehicles on a segment of roadway. MDOT's surveys in 2010 showed that the highest traffic levels along M-3 were the 73,957 vehicles daily south of 14 Mile Road in Roseville; the lowest counts were the 4,609 vehicles per day north of Cadillac Square in downtown Detroit. All of M-3 has been listed on the National Highway System, a network of roads important to the country's economy, defense, and mobility. ## History ### Original designation The first trunkline to be designated M-3 was Schaefer Highway in 1937, running north–south from US 25 (Dix Avenue) in Melvindale to US 16 (Grand River Avenue) in western Detroit. Two years later, the highway became M-39. Since M-39 was moved to Southfield Road in the end of the 1950s, Schaefer Highway has been a locally maintained road. ### Current designation The chief transportation routes in 1701 were the Indian trails that crossed the future state of Michigan; the one connecting what are now Detroit and Port Huron was one of these thirteen trails at the time. Detroit created 120-foot (37 m) rights-of-way for the principal streets of the city, the modern Gratiot Avenue included, in 1805. This street plan was devised by Augustus Woodward and others following a devastating fire in Detroit. Gratiot Avenue, then also called Detroit–Port Huron Road, was authorized by the US Congress on March 2, 1827, as a supply road from Detroit to Port Huron for Fort Gratiot. Construction started in Detroit in 1829, and the roadway was completed in the same year to Mount Clemens. The rest was finished in 1833. The road was named for the fort near Port Huron, which was in turn named for Colonel Charles Gratiot, the supervising engineer in charge of construction of the structure in the aftermath of the War of 1812. On May 13, 1913, the Michigan Legislature passed the State Reward Trunk Line Highway Act, which included Gratiot Avenue as part of Division 1 of the initial highway system. When the Michigan State Highway Department signposted the first state highways in 1919, the trunkline bore the M-19 designation for its entire length from Detroit to Port Huron. In 1926, Gratiot Avenue was redesignated as part of US 25, while the M-19 designation was relocated westward, connecting Yale with US 25 (Gratiot Avenue) just north of 31 Mile Road. In 1963, the portion of US 25 north of 23 Mile Road was turned over to local control as US 25 was routed over the newly constructed I-94 freeway, with the exception of the stretch between New Haven and Muttonville, which was again designated M-19 as an extension of that route. Between Hall and 23 Mile roads, Gratiot Avenue was added to an extended M-59. M-3 returned to existence in 1973, when US 25, now concurrent with I-94 and I-75 for most of its length through Michigan and Ohio, was truncated at Cincinnati. The former US 25 section of Gratiot Avenue was redesignated M-3, along with a southwestern extension down Fort Street to Clark Avenue (I-75 exit 47A). This also provided an international connection via the Ambassador Bridge to Ontario's Highway 3. The signs were changed over in February 1974 to complete the change. In 1998, the eastern end of M-59 was rerouted to end at I-94 exit 240, eliminating the concurrency from Hall Road to the current northern terminus of M-3. At the end of 2000, MDOT proposed several highway transfers in Detroit, some of which involved transferring highways in the Campus Martius Park area to city control; another part of the proposal involved MDOT assuming control over a section of Fort Street from the then-northern terminus of M-85 to the then-southern terminus of M-3 at Clark Street. When these transfers were completed the following year, M-3 was severed into two discontinuous segments by the Campus Martius changes, and the southern segment between Clark and Griswold streets was added to an extended M-85. On April 26, 2023, MDOT and the City of Detroit approved a memorandum of understanding that transferred jurisdiction over the 0.396 miles (0.637 km) of Randolph Street to city control. This MOU also included a payment of \$7,609,203.68 to the city to reconstruct that section of street with the stipulation that the city has to complete the project within five years or return the money to the department. The transfer moved Randolph Street from the state trunkline highway system and shifted M-3's southern terminus northward to the intersection of Broadway and Randolph streets with Gratiot Avenue. ## Major intersections ## See also

Northanger Abbey (2007 film)

2007 television film directed by Jon Jones

Northanger Abbey is a 2007 British television film adaptation of Jane Austen's 1817 novel of the same name. It was directed by British television director Jon Jones and the screenplay was written by Andrew Davies. Felicity Jones stars as the protagonist Catherine Morland and JJ Feild plays her love interest Henry Tilney. The story unfolds as the teenaged Catherine is invited to Bath to accompany some family friends. There she finds herself the object of Henry Tilney's and John Thorpe's (William Beck) affections. When she is asked to stay at Northanger Abbey, Catherine's youthful and naive imagination takes hold and she begins to confuse real life with the Gothic romance of her favourite novels. Northanger Abbey was one of three novels adapted for ITV's Jane Austen season. It was shot on location in Ireland from late August 2006 on a budget of £2 million. The drama was co-produced by Granada Productions and American studio WGBH Boston. Northanger Abbey premiered on 25 March 2007 in the United Kingdom and on 16 December 2007 in Canada. It was broadcast in the United States and Australia in 2008. The drama was viewed by 5.6 million people in the UK, making it the second most watched of the 2007 adaptations. Northanger Abbey garnered mostly positive reviews from television critics, with many praising the cast's performances. ## Plot Seventeen-year-old Catherine Morland, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Morland, is a tomboy with a wild imagination and a passion for Gothic novels. Family friends Mr. and Mrs. Allen invite Catherine to spend the season in Bath and she readily accepts. At her first ball, Catherine meets and dances with Henry Tilney. The following day, Catherine makes the acquaintance of the Thorpe family. She becomes good friends with Isabella Thorpe and she meets Isabella's brother, John, when she is reunited with her own brother, James. John flirts with Catherine at a ball, but she is more interested in meeting with Henry and his sister, Eleanor. Catherine is pressured by Isabella and John into riding to Blaise Castle, despite having made plans for a walk with Henry and Eleanor. John assures her that he saw Henry driving a phaeton to Wick Rocks, but while Catherine is in John's carriage, she sees the Tilneys walking along the street. Catherine asks John to stop, knowing he lied to her, but he refuses. Catherine runs into the Tilney family at the opera and makes her apologies, before planning another walk. John tells Henry's father, General Tilney, that Catherine is the Allens' heir, and the General invites her to spend the day with the family. Catherine is delighted when she learns Henry and Eleanor love books as much as she does. On her return home, Isabella tells Catherine that she and James are engaged. James and John announce that they are to leave Bath for a few weeks and after talking about marriage with Catherine, John leaves believing she is in love with him. Isabella catches the eye of Henry's older brother, Captain Frederick Tilney, and flirts with him after she learns how low James' income will be. General Tilney invites Catherine to stay with his family at Northanger Abbey and she accepts. When Isabella tells Catherine that John is going to propose to her, Catherine tells her friend to write to him and explains that he is mistaken. Isabella continues to flirt with Frederick and Catherine asks Henry to convince his brother to leave her alone. However, he tells Catherine that Frederick will be leaving town soon to re-join his regiment. Catherine states that Northanger Abbey looks exactly as she imagined it and she becomes intrigued by Mrs. Tilney's death. Due to her overactive imagination, Catherine starts to believe that General Tilney murdered his wife. Henry catches her in his mother's chamber and becomes offended when he realises what she has been thinking. Catherine apologises and Henry tells her that perhaps it is possible to read too many novels. Catherine receives a letter from James, in which he reveals that his engagement to Isabella has been called off, because she allowed Frederick to seduce her. Eleanor explains to Catherine that her brother has no intention of marrying Isabella. Catherine gets a letter from Isabella, asking her to apologise to James for her, but Catherine states that she will do no such thing. General Tilney returns home from a trip away and orders Eleanor to send Catherine home to Fullerton that night. Catherine endures the trip alone and believes that Henry told the General about her suspicions. A few days later, Henry comes to Fullerton and explains that the General discovered that Catherine's family were not as rich as John led him to believe. He apologises for his father's actions and explains that even though he will probably be disinherited, he loves Catherine and proposes. Catherine accepts and the couple marry. ## Production ### Conception and adaptation On 10 November 2005, Julia Day from The Guardian reported ITV controller of drama, Nick Elliott, had ordered three new adaptations of Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. Elliot commented that the adaptations would be "important remakes for the new generation". He explained, "About every 10 years, all the great stories need retelling. These films will be very much 2007 films... we've asked and pushed the production team to make them young. Her stories always make great TV drama and our Jane Austen season will feature the absolute cream of British acting talent." Elliott revealed that he had deliberately shied away from ordering adaptations of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility to focus on Austen's lesser known works. Each of the productions were made by a different company, cast and directors, so they had "a distinct look". They were also made to appeal to a younger audience that might have previously switched off other Austen adaptations. Northanger Abbey was given a budget of £2 million, and it marked only the second filmed adaptation of the book; with the first being made and broadcast in 1987. Andrew Davies, the screenwriter who adapted Pride and Prejudice for the BBC, was commissioned to write the script for Northanger Abbey. He had previously written an adaptation of the novel for Weekend Television in 1998. It was optioned by Harvey Weinstein for Miramax Films and drafts from other writers were added, before the project was abandoned. Davies told The Daily Telegraph's Hugh Davies that Northanger Abbey was much more straightforward to adapt than Pride and Prejudice, which was "quite a fiendish bit of compression". The reporter explained, "A young heroine thinks she has stumbled across a Gothic conspiracy of murder and concealed corpses. In fact, the true crimes are those of psychological cruelty and selfishness. Davies said that part of the back story was having the heroine read the 1764 best-seller The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole, which he uses to fill Catherine's head with the expectation of unspeakable secrets in the Abbey." The writer admitted that he used artistic license when it came to the scene in which Catherine's friend, Isabella, goes off with Captain Frederick Tilney. Austen did not state what happened to them in the novel, but Davies believed Frederick would have seduced Isabella. During an interview with Marion McMullen from the Coventry Evening Telegraph, Davies explained that the Gothic elements to the novel gave him inspiration to add dream sequences and fantasies to the script. He told McMullen, "I've been very faithful to the book, but one of the differences has been writing the scenes showing Catherine's fantasies. Catherine is a great reader of horror fiction – the gothic novel was fairly popular in those days, like a young girl today who would read a lot of rather steamy romances. In this production, we see some of Catherine's fantasies, some of which are quite steamy for a young girl." Davies admitted that he was proud of his reputation for "sexing up" the novels he had adapted and commented that none of his scenes were gratuitous. He told McMullen that he often looked for excuses to get the characters out of their clothes, as he felt they were always being "buttoned up to the neck". Producer Keith Thompson said Davies had made Northanger Abbey a bit more erotic than the novel and thought the script had "a wonderful cheekiness to it." Davies chose to use a narrator to speak Austen's words and help set the scene at the beginning and end of the film. ### Casting Karen Price from the Western Mail reported ITV were looking for "big names" and promised the best British acting talent, while they were casting the three adaptations. In July 2006, Thompson revealed the cast had yet to be confirmed and that the casting agent, John Hubbard, was "scouring" Ireland and the United Kingdom for actors to fit the roles. On 14 August, a writer for the Irish Film and Television Network stated the casting for Northanger Abbey had finished and had been confirmed. British actress Felicity Jones was chosen to play Catherine, the protagonist and eldest daughter of the Morland family. Jones received the part upon her first audition, just two weeks after graduating from Oxford University. She revealed that she really wanted the role, explaining "sometimes when you read a script, you think 'God, I'd love to do that.'" While speaking of his fondness for the characters, Davies commented that Jones' casting as Catherine was "perfect". American-born actor JJ Feild was cast as Henry Tilney, the "highly eligible young clergyman", and William Beck received the role of John Thorpe, Henry's rival for Catherine's affections. Actress Carey Mulligan was given the role of Catherine's shallow and selfish friend Isabella Thorpe. The actress had previously worked with Davies on an adaptation of Bleak House. Speaking to Graham Fuller of The Arts Desk, Mulligan commented, "I wanted to play Isabella because I'd never played a character like that before." Irish actor Hugh O'Conor was chosen to play James Morland, Catherine's brother and Isabella's fiancé. Other Irish actors cast in the production included Liam Cunningham as the "eccentric" General Tilney and Gerry O'Brien and Julia Dearden as Mr. and Mrs. Morland respectively. Desmond Barrit and Sylvestra Le Touzel were cast as Mr. and Mrs. Allen, the wealthier older couple who invite Catherine to go to Bath with them. Le Touzel previously portrayed Fanny Price in the 1983 adaptation of Mansfield Park. Catherine Walker and Mark Dymond appeared as Henry's siblings Eleanor and Captain Tilney. Geraldine James was credited as the narrator and voice of Austen. ### Filming Northanger Abbey was shot on location in Ireland from late August 2006. The Independent's Sarah Shannon stated that ITV had filmed in the country "largely thanks to the generous tax incentives offered by the republic's government." Filming lasted for five weeks and the drama was shot on Super 16 mm film. Twenty-first century Dublin streets doubled for nineteenth century Bath, the setting for the novel. Shannon thought some viewers might be annoyed with this and Thompson commented, "But isn't that shot of the Royal Crescent in Bath a bit of a cliché? What we've done is create our own Bath." Lismore Castle in County Waterford was chosen as Northanger Abbey, home of the Tilney family. Higginsbrook House, near Trim, County Meath, served as the exterior to the Morland family's home. The house was later used in Becoming Jane, a film about Austen's early life. Other shooting locations included Dublin Castle, Ardbraccan House and Charleville Castle. Jones told Paul Byrne of the Evening Herald that she enjoyed shooting in Ireland as she got to see a lot of the country. ### Music and choreography British composer Charlie Mole wrote the score to Northanger Abbey, while the Pemberley Players provided other authentic pieces of music. Sue Mythen choreographed the ballroom scenes. Speaking to Benji Wilson of the Radio Times, Jones revealed the dance sessions were the most taxing part of the shoot. She explained that the cast had to learn all of the ballroom dances from scratch and they spent a week going over them to make sure they were right. She explained, "But what happens is as soon as you put the dialogue in, the dancing just goes to pot! So it's all about putting the movement and the dialogue together and remembering what your character is supposed to be thinking at the same time – that's quite tricky!" Jones praised Mythen and said the teacher often reminded the actors to relax into the dance and remember that their character would have been doing it for years, as they would have learnt at an early age. Jones added "the novelty for us with three weeks of dancing is not quite the same!" ## Promotion and broadcast ITV launched a nationwide campaign to promote its Jane Austen Season. The campaign included three television adverts and cinema, outdoor and press adverts. ITV Creative made the 20, 30 and 60 second promotional trailers, which began airing on ITV channels from 25 February 2007. The following day adverts began appearing in selected national press publications. The outdoor and press adverts were created by M&C Saatchi and MindShare carried out the media buying. Northanger Abbey was the second of the Austen adaptations to be shown in the UK. It was broadcast on ITV at 9:00 pm on 25 March 2007. The drama aired on the TVOntario channel in Canada on 16 December 2007. Northanger Abbey was shown on 20 January 2008 on the US channel PBS as part of their Austen Masterpiece Theatre series. On 15 June, the film was broadcast on Australia's ABC1 channel. ### Home media Northanger Abbey was released on a single disc DVD and as part of a box-set in the UK on 26 March 2007. The Region 1 DVD was released on 22 January 2008. In April of that year, ITV announced they would be making a range of classic programmes, including the adaptation of Northanger Abbey, available to purchase through the iTunes Store. ## Reception Upon its first broadcast in the United Kingdom, Northanger Abbey was viewed by 5.6 million people and had a 26.6% audience share. This made it the second most popular of the adaptations, behind Mansfield Park. 931,000 Australians watched the drama when it aired on ABC1 in June 2008. Northanger Abbey garnered mostly positive reviews from critics. Shortly before it aired in the UK, reporters for four newspaper publications selected the drama as their "Pick of the Day." Jade Wright of the Liverpool Echo thought the adaptation had showed "a good-natured and frank Catherine", with Jones managing to "combine humility and humour with perfect aplomb." Wright praised the decision to cast Mulligan and said the actress "shone" as Isabella. A The Guardian reporter included Northanger Abbey in their feature on the week's television highlights, saying "Yes, yes, more Austin [sic], but Andrew Davies' adaptation of one of her lighter novels is the perfect Sunday evening blend of eruditeness and pretty frocks." The Sydney Morning Herald's Lenny Ann Low also praised the cast and their performances, stating "Lush with straining bosoms, knowing looks and segments bringing Morland's wild dreams and fantasies to life, Northanger Abbey is well cast. Felicity Jones catches Morland's mix of youthful naivety, heart-whole feelings and mindful beliefs perfectly and J.J. Feild, as the dishy but sensible Tilney, grows in appeal as this feature-length drama builds to a climax." Low's colleague, Joyce Morgan later selected Northanger Abbey as one of the week's best television programmes. However, Ruth Ritchie, writing for the same newspaper, stated that the makers of the adaptation tried "desperately to create an air of mystery about the dastardly deeds at Northanger Abbey," but the audience knew it was about as scary as "a ninja turtle." Ritchie likened the ITV Austen adaptations to a "Posh Country Home and Away." Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times wrote "Northanger Abbey the novel was as fun as it gets for Austen, and the television film quite lives up to the same standard." Ginia Bellafante, a critic for The New York Times, proclaimed the drama gave the audience "innocent faces and heaving breasts, hyperbolizing the sex that always lurks beneath the surface of Austen's astringent presence." She went on to say Northanger Abbey was made to be a television movie and commented that it was more fun than the book. The San Francisco Chronicle's David Wiegand wrote "Persuasion is a bigger challenge to try to squeeze into 90 minutes, the real difference between that film and Northanger is the latter's consistency of high-quality performances, a careful and attentive adaptation by Andrew Davies and solid direction by Jon Jones." Writing for The Daily Telegraph, James Walton observed "Northanger Abbey was a perfectly acceptable costume drama – but not one that ever really caught fire." Simon Hoggart, writing for The Spectator, commented that Davies's adaptation of Northanger Abbey "was much bolder and more confident than Mansfield Park the week before." The Hollywood Reporter's Ray Bennett praised Northanger Abbey, calling it "a wonderfully evocative version", which was "written with flair and imagination by Andrew Davies". He proclaimed "Capturing vividly the flush and wonder of adolescence, the film mines Austen's first-written but last-published novel to find purest nuggets of wit, romance and social satire. The story's 18th-century heroine, Catherine Morland, has a fevered imagination and Davies draws on Austen's droll illustrations of it to create scenes of gothic adventure." Bennett added "the film is shot beautifully by Ciarán Tanham while composer Charlie Mole's score adds to the quickening pace of Catherine's fantasies." For his work on Northanger Abbey, cinematographer Tanham was nominated for Best Director of Photography at the 5th Irish Film and Television Awards.

Leatherhead

Leatherhead is a town in the Mole Valley district of Surrey, England, about 17 mi (27 km) south of Central London. The settlement grew up beside a ford on the River Mole, from which its name is thought to derive. During the late Anglo-Saxon period, Leatherhead was a royal vill and is first mentioned in the will of Alfred the Great in 880 AD. The first bridge across the Mole may have been constructed in around 1200 and this may have coincided with the expansion of the town and the enlargement of the parish church. For much of its history, Leatherhead was primarily an agricultural settlement, with a weekly market being held until the mid-Elizabethan era. The construction of turnpike roads in the mid-18th century and the arrival of the railways in the second half of the 19th century attracted newcomers and began to stimulate the local economy. Large-scale manufacturing industries arrived following the end of the First World War and companies with factories in the town included Ronson and Goblin Vacuum Cleaners. Several organisations working with disabled people also opened treatment and training facilities, including The Royal School for the Blind, Queen Elizabeth's Foundation and the Ex-services Welfare Society. Towards the end of the 20th century, manufacturing in Leatherhead had begun to decline and the town was instead starting to attract service sector employers. The former industrial areas were converted to business parks, which attracted multinational companies, including Esso and Unilever. A controversial redevelopment took place in the town centre in the early 1980s, which included the construction of the Swan Centre. The work, which also included the pedestrianisation of the main shopping area, was widely blamed for a decline in the local retail economy. In 2002, the BBC identified Leatherhead as having one of the worst High Streets in England, but in 2007, the local press described the town centre as "bustling". ## Toponymy The origins and meaning of the name 'Leatherhead' are uncertain. Early spellings include Leodridan (880), Leret (1086), Lereda (1156), Ledreda (1160) and Leddrede (1195). The name is usually thought to derive from the Brythonic lēod-rida, meaning 'a public ford'. Richard Coates has suggested a derivation from the Brythonic lēd-rïd (as in the modern Welsh "llwyd rhyd") meaning 'grey ford'. The Anglo-Saxon and English forms are a distortion of the original British name. ## Geography ### Location and topography Leatherhead is a town in central Surrey, around 17 mi (27 km) south of the centre of London. It lies on the southern edge of the London Basin and the highest point in the parish, at Leatherhead Downs, is 135 m (443 ft) above ordnance datum. The High Street runs roughly west to east and was part of the Guildford to Epsom road, which crossed the River Mole at the Town Bridge. The Mole, which passes to the west of the centre, has cut a steep-sided valley through the North Downs, south of the town. ### Geology Leatherhead is at the southern edge of the London Basin, where the permeable upper chalk of the North Downs dips beneath the impermeable London Clay. The difference in properties between the two formations results in a high water table and springs are found at regular intervals along the boundary between them. Several settlements were established along this spring line in Anglo-Saxon and early medieval times, including the villages of Ashtead, Fetcham and Effingham, which are linked to Leatherhead by the Guildford to Epsom road. ## History ### Early history The earliest evidence of human activity in Leatherhead comes from the Iron Age. Flints, a probable well and two pits were discovered in 2012 during building work on Garlands Road and the finds suggest that the site was also used in the early Roman period. Traces of Iron Age field systems and settlement activity have been observed at Hawks Hill, Fetcham (about 1 km (0.62 mi) southwest of the town centre) and on Mickleham Downs (about 3 km (2 mi) to the south). Also to the south, the Druid's Grove at Norbury Park may have been used for pre-Christian pagan gatherings. An Anglo-Saxon settlement at Leatherhead was most likely founded on the east side of the River Mole in the second half of the 6th century. A burial ground, dating to the same period, has been identified on the west side at Hawks Hill. A second cemetery was discovered in 1984 on the site of the former Goblin factory in Ermyn Way (now the location of the offices of Esso). Excavations uncovered the remains of at least 40 individuals and the artefacts found, including knives, buckles and necklaces, suggest that they were pagan burials. From the mid-9th century, Leatherhead was the centre of a royal vill, which encompassed Ashtead, Fetcham and Bookham. The first known reference to the settlement is in the will of Alfred the Great in 880, in which land at Leodridan was bequeathed to his son, Edward the Elder. By the 10th century, there was a minster church in Leatherhead, and the town was administered as part of the Copthorne hundred. ### Governance The medieval history of Leatherhead is complex, since the parish was divided into a number of manors. The town appears in Domesday Book of 1086 as Leret and was held by Osbern de Ow as a mesne lord to William I. Its Domesday assets were one church, belonging to Ewell, and 40 acres (160,000 m²) of land. It was valued at an annual income of £1. To the south was the manor of Thorncroft, which was held by Richard son of Gilbert as tenant-in-chief. To the north was the manor of Pachesham, subdivided into two parts, each of which was held by a mesne lord to the tenant-in-chief, Bishop Odo of Bayeux. Finally there are sporadic mentions in surviving documents of a manor called "Minchin", which may have belonged to Kilburn Priory in Middlesex. For the majority of its history, Thorncroft Manor appears to have remained as a single, intact entity, with the exception of the subinfeudation of Bocketts Farm, which took place before 1300. In 1086, the manor was held by Richard fitz Gilbert and it passed through his family (the Clares) to his granddaughter, Margaret de Clare, who married into the de Montfitchet family of Essex. Her great-grandson, Richard de Montfichet, sold the manor to John de Cheresbure in around 1190 and it was next purchased by Philip Basset and his second wife, Ela, Countess of Warwick in around 1255. In 1266, they granted Thorncroft (which provided an income of £20 per year) to Walter de Merton, who used it to endow the college in Oxford that he had founded in 1264. Merton College remained the lords of the manor until 1904 and the continuity of ownership ensured that an almost complete set of manorial rolls from 1278 onwards has been preserved. In 1497, Richard FitzJames, the Warden of the College, authorised the expenditure of £37 for a new manor house, which was used until the Georgian era. In contrast, the manor of Pachesham became fragmented as the Middle Ages progressed. By the time of Domesday book, it was already divided into two parts, the smaller of which was later referred to as "Pachenesham Parva". No written record of either part of the manor survives from the subsequent 200 years, but in 1286 land belongong to Pachesham was recorded as passing to Eustace de Hacche. De Haache rebuilt the manor house in around 1293, which he enclosed with a moat. Excavations of the manor house site (now known as The Mounts) in the mid-20th century provided evidence of several medieval buildings, including a hall, a chapel and a probable stable block. The value of the manor appears to have declined in the mid-14th century and, in 1386, it was let to William Wimbledon for an annual sum of £20. In 1393, one year after a serious fire had destroyed much of Leatherhead, Wimbledon defaulted on the rent and was accused of dismantling several of the manor buildings. From the start of the 15th century, the land was divided between twelve lessees and the manor then disappears from the historical record. Surviving records of Pachenesham Parva from around 1330 suggest that it covered an area of 46 ha (114 acres) on the east bank of the River Mole, to the north west of the town centre. The manor appears to have remained intact through the Middle Ages and land was added to the estate as the remainder of Pachesham was broken up. By the early 17th century, the area was known as Randalls Farm and, in 1805, the associated land totalled 182 ha (450 acres). Reforms during the Tudor period replaced the day-to-day administration of towns such as Leatherhead in the hands of the vestry of the parish church. The vestry was charged with appointing a parish constable, maintaining a lock-up and organising a basic fire service. Until 1834, it also administered poor relief and was responsible for building a workhouse on Kingston Road in 1808. During the 19th century, local government reforms gradually removed the duties of running of the town's infrastructure and services from the vestry. The Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 placed the workhouse in the care of a board of guardians at Epsom and the Local Government Act 1888 transferred many administrative responsibilities to the newly formed Surrey County Council. The Leatherhead Urban District Council (UDC) was formed six years later and in 1903 the county council was placed in charge of the town's National schools. The Local Government Act 1972 created Mole Valley District Council, by combining the UDCs of Leatherhead and Dorking with the majority of the Dorking and Horley Rural District. ### Transport and communications Leatherhead developed at a crossing point of the River Mole at the intersection between the north–south Kingston-Dorking and east-west Epsom-Guildford roads. The original position of the ford is unclear, but it may have been around 90 m (100 yd) upstream of the present Leatherhead Bridge at a point where a continuation of Elm Road would meet the river. The first indication of a bridge at Leatherhead is a local deed dated to 1250, which was witnessed by a "Simon of the Bridge". Later that century, in around 1286, a Peter Dryaw of Fetcham is recorded as mortgaging the annual rent of a house "at the bridge in the town of Ledderede" to Merton College, Oxford. It is possible that the construction of the first bridge coincided with an expansion of the town and the enlargement of the parish church, which took place around 1200. It is not clear to what extent the Mole was used for navigation in the past, but in the early Middle Ages, it is likely that shallow-bottomed craft were able to reach Leatherhead from the Thames for much of the year. In the late 13th century, Thorncroft Manor purchased a shout, a type of boat up to 16 metres (52 ft) in length, used to transport produce to market. Several schemes were proposed to make the Mole navigable in the 17th and 18th centuries, but none were enacted. The turnpike road between Epsom and Horsham, which ran through Leatherhead, was authorised by Parliament in 1755. Turnpikes to Guildford and Kingston were opened in 1758 and 1811 respectively and one of the tollhouses was sited near to the present Leatherhead Institute. Stagecoaches, which had begun to run through Leatherhead to London in the 1680s, increased in frequency after the building of the turnpikes. By 1838 there were daily coaches to Arundel, Bognor and Worthing, which typically stopped at the Swan Inn in the High Street. With the arrival of the railway at Epsom in 1847, the long-distance coaches were discontinued and horse-drawn omnibuses took over local journeys. The first railway to arrive in Leatherhead was built by the Epsom and Leatherhead Railway Company. The line, which terminated at a station in Kingston Road, opened on 1 February 1859. Initially all trains were operated by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) and, for the first two months, only ran as far as Epsom. The completion of the line through Worcester Park enabled these services to be extended to London Waterloo from April of the same year and, in August 1859, the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LBSCR) began to run trains from Leatherhead to London Bridge. The Mole Gap through the North Downs had been identified as a potential railway corridor as early as the 1830s, but the line south from Leatherhead to Dorking was not opened until 1867. The Kingston Road station, which had been laid out as a terminus, was closed and two new adjacent stations (either side of the present Station Approach) were opened. The LBSCR station, which was closer to the town centre, was initially the only one connected to the line to Dorking. It was designed by C. H. Driver in a fine gothic revival style and is the station that survives today. The LSWR built its station as a terminus, but its line was extended westwards to Bookham in 1885. The two railway companies were amalgamated in 1923, when the Southern Railway was formed. All railway lines through Leatherhead were electrified in 1925 and the LSWR station was closed in 1927. In the late 1930s, a southward extension of the Chessington branch line was proposed, but the creation of the Metropolitan Green Belt prevented the scheme from being enacted. The construction of the A24 bypass (between Givons Grove and Leatherhead Common) started in 1931 and the final section opened in May 1934. Young Street (the A246 between Bocketts Farm and Givons Grove) was built by the Corps of Royal Canadian Military Engineers between June 1940 and May 1941. In October 1985, the town was joined to the UK motorway system when the M25 was opened between Wisley and Reigate. ### Commerce The right to hold a weekly market and an annual fair was granted to Leatherhead in 1248 by Henry III. The market place is thought to have been at the junction of Bridge Street, North Street and High Street and the town stocks were probably in the same area. The market appears to have ended in the mid-Elizabethan era, however the annual fair continued and in the late 17th century was held on 8 September, the feast of the Nativity of Mary. The construction of the turnpikes, and later the railways, attracted wealthier residents to Leatherhead. Many of these incomers had accumulated their wealth as entrepreneurs in London and had no previous connection to the area. By the start of the Victorian era, they were beginning to influence the local economy. Small, family-based manufacturing firms began to grow, engaged in industries such as brick-making, milling of logs, tanning, shoemaking, malting and brewing. In the 1841 census, 18.5% of the town's inhabitants were employed in agriculture-related trades, but forty years later, the proportion had fallen to 5.4%. Larger-scale industries arrived in Leatherhead in the first half of the 20th century. In 1928, the Rayon manufacturing company opened a factory in Ermyn Way, close to the border with Ashtead parish and was replaced ten years later by the manufacturing plant for Goblin Vacuum Cleaners. Also in the 1930s, a silk-making farm and electrical cable factory were established in the town. Following the end of the Second World War, Ronson, the US-based manufacturer of cigarette lighters, opened a manufacturing plant at Dorincourt, to the north of the town. The factory moved to Randalls Road in 1953, but it closed in 1981 when the company went into liquidation. A business park opened in its place. The Ex-services Welfare Society purchased Long House on Ermin Way following the end of the First World War. The charity constructed a factory in the grounds to provide employment for disabled veterans, producing electrical items, such as electric blankets. In 1933, the organisation opened a treatment centre at Tyrwhitt House in Oaklawn Road, named after Reginald Tyrwhitt, its president at the time. In 1981, the factory was purchased by Remploy. It continued to manufacture electrical goods, but under the new ownership, its operations expanded to include the assembly and packaging of mechanical equipment. The Remploy factory closed in 2007, with the loss of 43 jobs. The Ex-services Welfare Society, now known as Combat Stress, continues to operate its treatment centre at Tyrwhitt House in north Leatherhead. Large-scale manufacturing in Leatherhead was short lived and, as the 20th century progressed, the town started to attract service sector industries. Among the research institutes formerly based in the town, Leatherhead Food Research was founded in 1919 and the Central Electricity Research Laboratories (CERL) opened in 1950. Both organisations left the town in the early 2000s. The Ronson and Goblin factories closed in the early 1980s and their sites were redeveloped, in the latter case for the UK headquarters of Esso. The UK head offices of Unilever (on the site of the former CERL) and Hyundai were opened in Leatherhead in 2008 and 2020 respectively. A controversial redevelopment of the road network in the town centre took place in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The project began with the demolition of the Prince of Wales pub in 1979 and the Swan Centre, a covered shopping centre with a multistorey car park, was constructed in its place. At the same time a one-way system was created and the High Street was pedestrianised. By September 1981, the scheme was already attracting criticism from local traders and residents, who blamed the traffic alterations for a steep decline in footfall. In January 1983, the County Planning Officer admitted that the "complexity of present routes undoubtedly detracts from the appeal of the town to car-borne shoppers." In 2002, BBC News named Leatherhead as having one of the worst High Streets in the country. Five years later, in 2007, the local press reported that the town was "bustling with people, and packed full with an abundance of shops, entertainment facilities and job opportunities." The revival in fortunes was attributed to a variety of community initiatives, including a new drama festival. ### Residential development Leatherhead began to expand at the start of the 20th century and the population grew from in 4,694 in 1901 to 5,491 in 1911. New housing developments were built between 1900 and 1905 in Fairfield, Highlands and Kingston Roads, and Queen Anne's Garden. Later in the decade, houses were constructed in Copthorne, Clinton, Reigate and Woodville Roads, Kingston Avenue and St Nicholas Hill. The first council housing in the town, a development of 59 houses in Poplar Road, was built by Leatherhead UDC in 1921. Preference for rehousing was given to ex-servicemen and their families. In 1925, 90 council houses were constructed in Kingston Road. Private residential developments also occurred around the same time, including the construction of the St Mary's Road estate, on the site of the former Elm Bank mansion, south of the town centre. The Givons Grove estate, to the south of the town, was developed in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Originally a constituent of Thorncroft Manor, it was an area of arable land, known as "Gibbons Farm", named after a prominent local family. In 1919, the estate was bought by the aircraft manufacturer, Humphrey Verdon Roe, whose wife, Marie Stopes, would live at Norbury Park for 20 years from 1938. It was sold to a consortium of developers in 1927, who divided the land into plots for housing. Similarly in 1935, Yarm Court was sold and the estate developed for housing. Following the end of the Second World War, new housing was constructed to the north of the town centre, along Cleeve, Kingston and Copthorne Roads, to replace properties damaged by bombing. ### Leatherhead in the world wars At the start of the First World War, members of the 20th Battalion of the University and Public Schools Brigade of the Royal Fusiliers were billeted with local residents. The recruits were primarily drawn from the Manchester area and underwent training at Randalls Farm. The Kensington Rifles of the London Regiment were also garrisoned in the town in the month before their deployment to the Western Front in April 1915. Later that year, the first of 63 Belgian refugees arrived in Leatherhead, remaining in the town until the end of the war. Concerns that the town's water supply might be poisoned by enemy spies, prompted the authorities to arrange a guard on the waterworks on Guildford Road. Many of the duties were undertaken by the local Scout troop and members of the Boy's Brigade, which was affiliated with St Mary's Church. Many local men joined the Dorking and Leatherhead Battalion of the Volunteer Training Corps, which was formed with the intention to defend the local area in the event of invasion. In October 1914, a Red Cross Hospital opened on Bull Hill. By March 1915 it had 33 beds and was fully occupied. It closed in February 1919. Elsewhere in the town, the Forty Foot recreation ground was used to grow wheat and Venthams, a local firm of coachbuilders, began to manufacture munitions. Leatherhead was again a garrison town in the Second World War. Troops from the Royal Corps of Signals were billeted in late 1939 and a year later, the first Canadian soldiers began to arrive in the local area. From September 1939, children from Streatham and Dulwich were evacuated to Leatherhead and the Royal School for the Blind was taken over by King's College Hospital. The cottage hospital on Poplar Road opened in May 1940 and by June of that year was treating 78 members of the British Expeditionary Force, who had been evacuated from Dunkirk. The Goblin factory in Ermyn Way was used to make munitions, including mine sinkers, shell fuses and camouflage netting. From the outbreak of war, the defence of Leatherhead was coordinated by the XII Corps of Eastern Command, reinforced from July 1940 by VII Corps GHQ Mobile Reserve. The 3rd Infantry Brigade of the 1st Canadian Division was posted to Dorking and Leatherhead, and was responsible for completing the construction of Young Street between Givons Grove and Fetcham. The local unit of the Home Guard, Company F of the 6th Battalion of South Eastern Command, was formed with 200 recruits in May 1940. The training centres for the company included the Drill Hall on Kingston Road and an anti-tank obstacle was installed at the east end of the High Street, close to the Leatherhead Institute. The Home Guard company was disbanded four years later, once the threat of invasion had passed. Leatherhead experienced two main periods of bombing during the war. The first wave of attacks took place from late 1940 until early 1941. During the first raid, early in the morning on 27 August 1940, 20 high-explosive bombs were dropped along the border with Ashtead. The clubhouse of the golf club suffered a direct hit, but the civilians taking cover in the shelter beneath it were fully protected and survived without injury. In October of the same year, the oil storage tanks next to the waterworks were set alight by an incendiary bomb. The resulting fires could not be extinguished until more than 24 hours later. In March 1941, St Andrew's Catholic School was almost completely destroyed by a bomb. During the second period of bombing, in the summer of 1944, 16 V-1 flying bombs landed in the Leatherhead area, including one at Thorncroft Manor. ## National and Local Government ### UK Parliament Leatherhead is in the Mole Valley parliamentary constituency, which has been represented in the House of Commons since 1997 by the Conservative, Sir Paul Beresford. Kenneth Baker served as the local MP from 1983 to 1997 and was elevated to the House of Lords as Baron Baker of Dorking in 1997. ### County Council Councillors are elected to Surrey County Council every four years. The town is part of the 'Leatherhead and Fetcham East' ward. ### District Council Five councillors represent the town on Mole Valley District Council (the headquarters of which are in Dorking): Leatherhead is represented by a swan on the crest of the Mole Valley District Council coat of arms. ### Twin town Since 2004, Leatherhead has been twinned with Triel-sur-Seine (Île-de-France, France). ## Demography and housing Region-wide, 28% of dwellings were detached houses and 22.6% were apartments. The proportion of households who owned their home outright compares to the regional average of 35.1%. The proportion who owned their home with a loan compares to the regional average of 32.5%. The remaining % is made up of rented dwellings (plus a negligible % of households living rent-free). ## Public services ### Utilities The town gasworks, close to the junction of Kingston Road and Barnett Wood Lane, were built in 1850 by the Leatherhead Gas Company. The first gas was produced in February 1851 and was primarily used for street lighting, but was also supplied to some private houses. Until the railway was opened in 1859, coal was delivered by road from Epsom. In 1911, the Leatherhead company acquired that of Cobham and, from 1929, also supplied gas to Woking via a connection at Effingham Junction. In 1936, the company was acquired by the Wandsworth Gas Company and the Leatherhead gasworks closed two years later. The first public water supply in Leatherhead was created in 1884, when a stream-driven pumping station was constructed in Waterways Road. The works, designed by John William Grover, were capable of lifting 90,000 litres (20,000 imp gal) per hour to a reservoir on Reigate Road. A second diesel-powered station was constructed alongside the first in 1935 and was later converted to electric power. The steam-powered works were demolished in 1992. An electricity generating station was opened in Bridge Street in 1902. Initially it was capable of generating 75 kW of power, but by the time of its closure in 1941, its installed capacity was 2.2 MW. Under the Electricity (Supply) Act 1926, Leatherhead was connected to the National Grid, initially to a 33 kV supply ring, which linked the town to Croydon, Epsom, Dorking and Reigate. In 1939, the ring was connected to the Wimbledon-Woking main via a 132 kV substation at Leatherhead. ### Emergency services Leatherhead Police Station was on Kingston Road, to the north of the town centre. It closed in 2011. The building was demolished and retirement apartments were built on the site. In 2021, the local police force is Surrey Police and the nearest police station to the town is at Reigate. The headquarters of the Police Federation of England and Wales is in Leatherhead. The Vestry was responsible for organising the local fire service in the 18th and early 19th centuries. The west door of the parish church was enlarged in 1759, in order to accommodate the town fire engine, which was housed in the tower. In 1821, the engine was moved to an existing building on North Street and a new fire station was built on the same road in 1859. The first motor fire engine was delivered to the town in 1926 and was housed in a new building close to the river. In 2021, the local fire authority is Surrey County Council and the statutory fire service is Surrey Fire and Rescue Service. Leatherhead Ambulance Station, in Kingston Road, is run by the South East Coast Ambulance Service. ### Healthcare The first hospital in Leatherhead was opened in Clinton Road in 1893. As a small cottage hospital, it only had seven or eight beds and was supervised by a matron. It closed in 1902, having accrued a debt of £130. A replacement facility, the Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital (QVMH), on Epsom Road, was opened in 1905. It was built on land donated by Walter Cunliffe, who lived at Tyrells Wood. Initially it had 6 beds for adults and one cot for infants, but by 1928, it had expanded to 17 beds. The QVMH closed at the end of the Second World War. Leatherhead Community Hospital, on Poplar Road, was opened in 1940 and was built on land donated by Charles Leach. Initially it had 40 beds and came under the management of Epsom Hospital, although it had its own medical committee. By 1960, the hospital had expanded to 52 beds, but in 2014, the in-patient wards were closed to allow the improvement of outpatient services. The NHS has retained ownership of the hospital, but many services are now run by CSH, a not-for-profit organisation. The X-ray radiography department is run by the Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust. The nearest hospital with an A&E is Epsom Hospital, 5.3 km (3.3 mi) away. As of 2021, the town has two GP practices, on Kingston Road and Upper Fairfield Road. ## Transport ### Rail Leatherhead railway station is to the west of the town centre and is managed by Southern. It is served by trains to London Victoria via Sutton, to London Waterloo via Wimbledon, to Horsham via Dorking and to Guildford via Bookham. ### Buses Route 21 (Epsom – Leatherhead – Crawley) is run by Metrobus and route 408 (Epsom – Cobham) is run by Falcon Buses. Route 465 from Kingston upon Thames to Dorking via Leatherhead is run by London United. Route 478 to Guildford is run by Reptons Coaches and Route 479 from Epsom to Guildford via Leatherhead is run by Arriva Kent & Sussex and Stagecoach. ### Long distance footpaths Leatherhead station is the northern terminus of the Mole Gap Trail, which rus south through Norbury Park to Dorking station. ## Education ### Early schools The earliest record of a school in Leatherhead is from 1596, when reference is made to a charity school for ten boys, which was probably held in the tower of the parish church. By 1712, the school had expanded to included eleven girls and, later that century, two bequests to fund the salary of a schoolmaster are recorded. In 1838 a boys' school was established in Highlands Road by the then Vicar, Benjamin Chapman, and a girls' school followed a year later. The two institutions were National schools and were funded by a combination of local subscriptions and grants from the National Society for Promoting Religious Education. ### Maintained schools Leatherhead Trinity School opened in 2010, having been created by a merger of three existing schools. It traces its origins to the All Saints School, which opened in 1877 in Kingston Road. Trinity School is a primary school and educates children up to the age of eleven. St Peter's Roman Catholic Primary School was founded in September 1947 and was initially located next to St Peter's Church in Garlands Road. The school's present site in Grange Road was opened in 1958. Therfield School was founded in Kingston Road in 1913 as the County Upper Mixed Senior School. It moved to Dilston Road in 1953 and was renamed in 1964 after John de Therfield, a former lord of the manor of Pachesham, who was awarded the land in 1205 by King John. St Andrew's Catholic School was founded in Grange Road in 1935 by five nuns from the Order of St Andrew. The main building was constructed in 1952 and, in 1971, the school became a co-educational comprehensive. West Hill School is a special school for children with learning needs. It was founded at West Hill, Epsom in 1960 and moved to Leatherhead three years later. Fox Grove School, a second school for pupils with special Education Needs, opened in September 2021 in Molesey. It is due to move to Leatherhead, to a site adjacent to West Hill School, in Spring 2022. ### Independent schools Downsend School was founded in Hampstead in 1898 and moved to its current site in stages between 1918 and 1940. The school underwent a period of expansion in the late 1970s and 1980s, which included the purchase of pre-preparatory departments in Leatherhead, Ashtead and Epsom. In 2002, the school was sold by the Linford family (who had owned it since its opening) to Asquith Court Schools Ltd and it was bought by Cognita in 2006. In 2017, the school announced that it would build a new study centre to accommodate students studying for GCSEs. St John's School was founded in St John's Wood in 1851 by Ashby Haslewood and moved to Leatherhead in 1872. Initially intended for the sons of poor clergymen, the school began to accept fee-paying pupils at the start of the 20th century. In 1989, girls were accepted into the sixth form and the school became fully coeducational from 2012. Several parts of the school are Grade II listed, including the library, formerly the chapel, which was built in 1876. ### Royal School for the Blind The School for the Indigent Blind was founded at St George's Fields, Southwark in 1799 and, for the first 102 years of its existence, was based in London. In 1900, it purchased 15 acres of land in Leatherhead and construction of a new building, in Highlands Road, began the following year. The new school, capable of accommodating up to 250 students, opened in 1904. The school was granted royal patronage by George V in 1911, at which point it became known as the Royal School for the Blind. By the mid-1930s, the focus of the school had changed from classroom-based learning to the teaching of practical skills in a workshop setting. During the Second World War, the building was requisitioned by King's College Hospital and, although part of the premises were returned to the school in 1946, a group of Chelsea Pensioners continued to live on the site until the 1950s. A redevelopment took place in the late 1970s and early 1980s, which included converting the dormitories into apartments. Students were increasingly encouraged to take responsibility for their everyday living, with the aim of facilitating their integration into wider society. The charity adopted the name "SeeAbility" as its operating identity in 1994 and, later in the same decade, began to transition away from offering residential education and towards providing community-based support. In the early 2000s, the main school building was sold and converted to apartments. It is now known as Lavender Court. The headquarters of the charity has since moved to Epsom. ## Places of Worship ### Anglo-Saxon minster The church mentioned in Domesday Book is thought to have been an Anglo-Saxon minster, a large church with a small team of priests who ministered to the royal vill and its dependent parishes. It is described as a belonging to Ewell and being held by Osbern of Eu, a prebend at St Paul's Cathedral. Its location in the town is unknown, but an enclave of land in the north west of the parish is recorded as belonging to Ewell in the 13th century and this may be the remnant of the glebe lands of the former minster. The church was probably a constructed from wood and, like other similar minsters, likely lost influence as Norman manors superseded the Anglo-Saxon hundreds as the principal division of local administration. ### St Mary and St Nicholas Church The Church of St Mary and St Nicholas is thought to have originally been built as the estate chapel for the manor of Thorncroft. Although it is not mentioned in Domesday book, the oldest parts date from around 1080 and it may have superseded the Anglo-Saxon minster as the parish church at the start of the 12th century. Shortly after 1100, it was granted to Colchester Abbey, which held it until 1279. The earliest parts of the building that survive are from the 1240s, when the church is thought to have undergone a major expansion that included the addition of side aisles. Much of the chancel dates from the first half of the 14th century and this work may have been commissioned by Leeds Priory in Kent, which was given the church by Edward III in 1341. The dedication to Mary and Nicholas, who were the joint patrons of the Priory, probably occurred at this time. The tower was built in around 1500 and is set at an angle to the rest of the building, so that its east wall protrudes into the nave. It originally had a tall spire, which was blown down in the Great Storm of 1703. A major rebuilding of the church took place in the second half of the 19th century, during which much of the roof was replaced. Renovation works between 2018 and 2020, uncovered several vaults beneath the floor including one belonging to the Boulton Family who had lived at Thorncroft Manor in the 18th century. The churchyard contains the Commonwealth war graves of 12 British service personnel of the First and Second World Wars. ### Catholic Church of Our Lady and St Peter The Catholic Church of Our Lady and St Peter was constructed in 1923 and was partly financed by the newspaper proprietor, Sir Edward Hulton. The Gothic Revival building was designed by Joseph Goldie and the stained glass windows were installed in the 1930s. The Stations of the Cross were designed in Caen stone by the sculptor Eric Gill. ### Methodist Church John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, visited Leatherhead only once in his lifetime. On 23 February 1791, he preached his final sermon in a house on Bull Hill, one week before his death. Despite his visit, there appears to have been no significant Methodist community in the town until the mid-19th century, when a small group of worshipers began meeting in Bridge Street. The first purpose-built place of worship, the "Iron Chapel", so-named because it was primarily constructed of metal, was erected in 1887 on Church Road. The following year, the congregation numbered around 50, but grew rapidly to over 400 by 1891. Two years later, a new brick building, the present church, was constructed. The Iron Chapel, behind the new church, remained standing and was used for the Sunday school, but was replaced in 1903 by a new hall. ### Disciples Church The Disciples Church is part of the Calvary Chapel association of evangelical churches. It was formed in 2007 and adopted its present name in 2012. It meets at the Woodlands School on Forty Foot Road. ## Culture ### Art J. M. W. Turner (1775—1851) is among the artists who have been inspired to paint scenes of the town and local area. His pencil and watercolour composition Leatherhead, Surrey, from across the River Mole, with cattle watering in the foreground was probably created in the summer of 1797, when he staying at Norbury Park. The painting was sold at Christie's in 2014 for £35,000. Other artists who have worked in the town include John Hassell (c. 1767—1825) and John Varley (1778—1842). The works of public art in the town include ornamental ironwork at the King George V Memorial Park and at the junction between the High Street, North Street and Bridge Street. ### Theatres and cinemas The first presentation of a cinematograph film in the town took place at the Leatherhead Institute in October 1898. The following year, a second screening took place at the Victoria Hall in the High Street, which had been built in 1890. By 1914, the Victoria Hall was renamed to become the Grand Theatre and was operating as a cinema with a capacity of 550. Further name changes took place before 1946, around which time the venue became known as the Ace Cinema. In 1949, the Ace Cinema was converted to a 300-seat theatre and a year later, the Leatherhead Theatre was established at the venue. The theatre operated until 1969, but as its popularity increased, its size became restrictive and there was a need for a new and better-equipped performing arts venue in the town. The Thorndike Theatre, in Church Street, was designed by Roderick Ham in the modernist style and was opened in 1969 by Princess Margaret. Named for the actor Sybil Thorndike, its construction was primarily paid for by private donations, with some additional funding from the Leatherhead UDC and the Arts Council. Although it was initially popular, the theatre regularly ran operating deficits and, following several years of cuts in public subsidy, it closed in 1997 with a total debt of almost £1.2 million. It reopened in 2001 as a part-time theatre, cinema, community space and meeting place for the evangelical group, Pioneer People. The annual Leatherhead Drama Festival, for amateur theatre groups, was launched at the theatre in 2004 and ran for 16 years. ### Literature Leatherhead features in the novel The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells, first published in 1897. On about the tenth day following the Martian invasion of Earth, the entire town (where the narrator has sent his wife for safety) is obliterated: "it had been destroyed, with every soul in it, by a Martian. He had swept it out of existence, as it seemed, without any provocation, as a boy might crush an ant-hill, in the mere wantonness of power." The Sherlock Holmes short story The Adventure of the Speckled Band is partly set near the town. During the story, Holmes and Watson travel to Leatherhead from Waterloo station by train. It was first published in 1892 and is one of 12 featured in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle. The 1984 interactive fiction video game Sherlock, developed by Beam Software, is partly set in Leatherhead. ### Music The Leatherhead Operatic Society was founded as the Leatherhead Pierrots in 1904. Two years later, the group was reformed as the Leatherhead & District Amateur Dramatics & Operatic Society and gave its first performance, H. M. S. Pinafore by Gilbert and Sullivan. The group performed at the Victoria Hall until 1922, when the venue was turned into a cinema. For the next seventeen years, the society used a number of venues in the local area, until the Crescent Cinema opened in 1939. Since 1970, the group has staged its summer performances at the Thorndike Theatre and the Leatherhead Theatre, with a brief hiatus between 1996 and 2002. The Leatherhead Choral Society (LCS) was formed in 1907, but its early history is unclear. It was refounded in 1928 to take part in the Leith Hill Musical Festival. Kathleen Riddick conducted the group in 1939 and LCS continued to perform during the Second World War. A musical work was composed by William Blezard to celebrate the society's 50th anniversary in 1978. In recent years, the LCS has typically given concerts in the summer and in early December, as well as participating in the Leith Hill Musical Festival around Easter. The Leatherhead Orchestra traces its origins to an adult education class established c. 1954, but was formally founded in around 1958 by Kathleen Riddick. Since 2015, the group has given three concerts each year. The Leatherhead Town Band was founded in 1887. Its activities ceased during the First and Second World Wars and, on its reformation in 1947, it was known as the Bookham and District Silver Band. In 1974, it changed its name again to the Mole Valley Silver Band, to reflect the formation of the new local authority area. The band performs regularly in and around the towns of Leatherhead and Dorking. The band John's Children, which included sometime frontman Marc Bolan, was formed in the town in 1963 by Andy Ellison and Chris Townson, former pupils of nearby Box Hill School. They occasionally appeared at the Chuck Wagon Club on Bridge Street. Surrey Sound recording studio was established in 1974 by producer Nigel Gray in a former village hall in the north of the town. Early demo pieces for, among others, the Wombles and Joan Armatrading were followed, by the recording of much of the early repertoire of the Police. Other groups recording there included Godley & Creme, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Rick Astley, the Lotus Eaters, Alternative TV and Bros. The studio was sold by Gray in 1987. Robyn Hitchcock refers to Leatherhead in the song "Clean Steve". ### Television and film Leatherhead has been mentioned in a number of films and television programmes. The film I Want Candy, released in March 2007, is partly set in the town. Brooklands College, Weybridge was used as the filming location for the fictional "Leatherhead University". Monty Python's Flying Circus refers to Leatherhead in the "Red Indian in Theatre" sketch. Eric Idle, in Native American costume says, "When moon high over prairie, when wolf howl over mountain, when mighty wind roar through Yellow Valley, we go Leatherhead Rep - block booking, upper circle - whole tribe get it on three and six each." The television sketch show, That Mitchell and Webb Look, took a jab at Leatherhead in series two, episode four. In one sketch, a librarian comments to a customer that she is "possibly one of the stupidest people I've ever met. And I lived in Leatherhead for six miserable years." The house that was used as the filming location for Arthur Dent's residence for the TV series The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, is in Leatherhead. ## Sport ### Leisure Centre The Leisure Centre was opened in 1975 by the Leatherhead Urban District Council and was extended in the 1980s with the addition of the Mole Barn. Plans to build a new centre on the site were drawn up by Mole Valley District Council prior to 2006, but instead the facility was given a 20-month, £12.6m refit and a further extension, which was opened by the Duke of Kent in March 2011. The upgraded centre includes a redesigned reception and entrance area, a new gym, aerobics studio, sauna and play areas. In July 2023, a report to the cabinet committee of Mole Valley District Council stated that 750,000 visits were made each year to Leatherhead Leisure Centre. ### Cricket Cricket has been played at Leatherhead since at least 1840, when a match is recorded against a team from Dorking. The Leatherhead Cricket Club was founded in 1850 and initially played its home games at the Kingston Road recreation ground. It moved to Fetcham Grove in the 1930s. ### Football Leatherhead F.C., commonly known as "The Tanners", was formed in 1946 as a result of the merger of two existing clubs, Leatherhead Rose and Leatherhead United. Leatherhead Rose, founded c. 1907, drew the majority of its players from the Leatherhead Common area and was named after the Rose Coffee Rooms on Kingston Road; Leatherhead United was formed in 1924 and the following season were Division One Champions of the Sutton and District League. Following the merger, the new club adopted Fetcham Grove as its home ground and, in the late 1940s and early 1950s, were champions of the Surrey County Senior League for four consecutive years. In 1969, the team won the Surrey County FA Senior Challenge Cup, the Senior Shield and the Intermediate Cup. They were semi-finalists in the 1971 and 1974 FA Amateur Cup competitions. The Tanners achieved national press coverage in the 1974–75 season, when they were drawn against First Division Leicester City at home in the FA Cup Fourth Round Proper. In the 2017–18 FA Cup they reached the second round proper, in which they played against Wycombe Wanderers. ### Golf The Leatherhead Club was founded as the Surrey Golf Club, but adopted its present name in 1908. The 18-hole course was designed by the Scottish golfer, Peter Paxton, and the first nine holes opened in October 1903. The Prime Minister, Arthur Balfour, was one of those who played at the course in 1907. In 1928, Alf Perry joined as Club Professional and, seven years later, he won the 1935 Open Championship at Muirfield. The clubhouse suffered bomb damage during the Second World War. The construction of the M25 motorway in the late 1970s, necessitated changes to the layout of the southern part of the course. The 18-hole Tyrells Wood Golf Course was designed by James Braid in the grounds of Tyrells Wood House in 1922. The Club opened two years later. Pachesham Golf Centre opened in 1989 as a nine-hole course, but was remodelled in 2014 to a six-hole course. The centre has a 28-bay, floodlit driving range, which is the longest in Surrey. Beaverbrook golf course, to the south of Leatherhead, was designed by David McLay-Kidd and Tom Watson. The 7,100 yard, 72-par course opened in the grounds of Cherkley Court in 2016. The construction of the course was opposed by local residents and environmental campaigners, who mounted a series of legal challenges to the development. Construction of the clubhouse was completed in 2018. ## Tourist attractions ### Bocketts Farm Bocketts Farm covers an area of 52 ha (128 acres) to the southwest of the town. Formerly part of the manor of Thorncroft, it was subinfeudated around 1170. Both the farmhouse and the timber-framed granary date from around 1800 and are Grade II listed. The farm was purchased by the Gowing family in 1990 and was opened to the public two years later. ### Leatherhead Museum Leatherhead Museum was opened in 1980 by the Leatherhead & District Local History Society. It houses a wide range of historical artefacts and permanent displays explain the history of the town from its origins to the present day. Hampton Cottage, the building in Church Street in which the museum is based, dates from before 1682. ### River Mole local nature reserve The River Mole local nature reserve is a 23.3-hectare (58-acre) protected corridor that stretches along the banks for the river from Young Street (in the south) to Waterway Road (in the north). It was designated in 2005 for its diversity of plant and animal species. ## Notable buildings and landmarks ### All Saints' community café and hub All Saints' Church on Kingston Road was consecrated in February 1889 as a daughter church to St Mary's. It was designed by the architect, Arthur Blomfield, and was built to serve a new area of housing under construction to the north of the town centre. On opening, the church could accommodate 300 people, but was later extended with the addition of a lady chapel. By 1980, the congregation had dwindled and the building was in need of repair. A decision was taken to convert the nave of the church to a community space, while retaining the chancel as a place of worship. The dual-purpose facility was rededicated by the Bishop of Dorking in March 1982. In 2005, the nave of the church was converted to a Youth Project Café, known as "B Free", to be a space for young people to meet and socialise. In 2014, the Leatherhead Youth Project, launched a new social enterprise at the church called "AllSaints". The project supports disadvantaged young people, especially those not in education, employment or training, and provides opportunities for participants to gain employment and life skills. ### Cherkley Court Cherkley Court was constructed in around 1870 for Abraham Dixon, a wealthy industrialist from the Midlands. It was substantially rebuilt after a fire in 1893 and was sold in 1910 to Max Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook, the Canadian-born owner of the Daily Express. Following the death of Beaverbrook's son in 1985, the estate was owned by the Beaverbrook Foundation until 2011, when it was bought by a consortium of private investors. Despite considerable local opposition, the house was converted to a luxury hotel, spa and golf course, which opened in 2017. ### Cradlers The building at 33 and 35 High Street, commonly known as "Cradlers", is a late-medieval open hall house, formerly owned by the Manor of Thorncroft. It most likely originated as a farmhouse and was built on the edge of one of the common fields. Although the earliest surviving records of the building date from 1527, the construction methods used suggest that it was built in the 13th or 14th century (most likely between 1320 and 1360). The western part of the building (now number 33) was constructed as a single-storey hall, but the height of the walls was later raised and an upper floor inserted. The larger eastern part (number 35) was built as two storeys from the outset. In the late medieval period, the rooms closest to the street were probably used as living quarters, but the northernmost third of the wing may have contained a workshop and hayloft. Although much of its original timber frame survives, Cradlers has been altered at several points in its history. In the 17th century, a chimney stack and internal staircase were added and the roof was rebuilt around the same time, probably reusing used timbers from other buildings. In the early modern period, Cradlers may have served as a tavern or hostelry and at different times in the 19th and 20th centuries, it housed a butchers, a fruiterers and a ladies' outfitters. As part of a renovation project carried out in the mid-1980s, the modern shopfronts were removed and the street-facing frontage was restored to its original position. ### Leatherhead Institute The Leatherhead Institute was built in 1892. It was given to the town by Abraham Dixon, who wanted the building to be used to provide educational, social and recreational opportunities to local residents. During the Second World War, it housed the local Food and Fuel Offices. A major restoration project was completed in 1987. ### Running Horse pub The Running Horse pub, at the east end of Leatherhead Bridge, is one of the oldest buildings in the town. It is a late-medieval open hall house and was part of the Manor of Thorncroft. Much of the timber frame is original and probably dates from the late 15th century, although the roof was later rebuilt. Later alterations include the insertion of the first floor in the 17th century and installation of interior panelling in the 18th century. ### Sweech House The timber-framed Sweech House, on Gravel Hill, is one of the oldest buildings in Leatherhead. Its name is thought to derive from "switch", indicating that it stood close to a road junction. The land on which it stands may have belonged to the manor of Minchin during the late-medieval period. The southernmost part of the building is the oldest and dates from the 15th century. It was probably constructed as a farmhouse and originally it had an open hall structure. In the late 16th century, it was extended to the north in two separate phases. At different points in its history, the building has been divided into up to four cottages, most likely to provide accommodation for farm labourers. Sweech House was donated to the Leatherhead Countryside Protection Society in the 1940s. ### The Mansion The Mansion, in Church Street, houses the public library, register office and council offices. A map of the town from 1600 shows a house on the site, which may formerly have been the manor house for the manor of Minchin. During the late Elizabethan period, it was the home of Edmund Tylney, Master of the Revels, in effect the official censor of the time. and Elizabeth I is thought to have dined with him in Leatherhead in August 1591. The external appearance of The Mansion largely dates from 1739, when the house was rebuilt in red brick, although a partial remodelling took place c. 1810. From 1846 until some point in the 1870s, the building was used as a boarding and day school for around 50 boys, who were taught using the Jacotot education system. In 1949, The Mansion was subject to a compulsory purchase order and was acquired by Surrey County Council and Leatherhead UDC for use as a health clinic and the public library. During a refurbishment in 2000, the library was moved from the ground floor to the south range and the space released was repurposed for the Registry Office. ### Thorncroft Manor house The current Thorncroft Manor house was designed c. 1763 by the architect, Robert Taylor, for the politician and businessman, Henry Crabb-Boulton. It is built in a Neo-Palladian style, influenced by the early Rennaissence, with light Rococo ornamentation. The building was enlarged with the addition of a rear wing in 1789, possibly designed by George Gwilt. The engineering firm, Howard Humphreys & Sons, purchased the house in 1971 and subsequently constructed additional office space, glazed with reflective glass. ### War Memorial The War Memorial in North Street was designed by Stock, Page and Stock, a London firm of architects and was dedicated in April 1921. It consists of a long, single-storey building with 11 open arches, constructed of brick and flint. The arches face a terraced garden, in which there is a free-standing cross made of Portland stone. The land on which the memorial stands was given to the town by Charles Leach, who funded much of the building work and whose son had been a second lieutenant in the Scots Guards. In total, 186 names are inscribed on stone tablets inside the cloister-like structure, of whom 117 died in the First World War. The memorial is protected by a Grade II listing. ### Wesley House The art-deco Wesley House, on Bull Hill, was built in 1935 as the offices of the Leatherhead Urban District Council (UDC). It was designed by the architects C.H. Rose and H.R. Gardner and was constructed of red brick. The original council chamber is preserved at the rear of the property. Wesley House was vacated by the UDC in 1983, when it became part of Mole Valley District Council. ## Parks and open spaces ### King George V memorial gardens The memorial gardens on Bull Hill, to the north of the town centre, were opened in 1936, following the death of George V. The 0.39 ha (0.96-acre) site is managed by Mole Valley District Council and has been protected by the Fields in Trust charity since 1938. ### Leach Grove Wood Leach Grove Wood is a 2.9 ha (7.2-acre) area of woodland, adjacent to Leatherhead Hospital, owned by the NHS. It is named after Charles Leach, who donated the land on which the hospital is built, to the town. In 2013, a group of local residents applied to register the wood as a village green, to guarantee public access to the site in perpetuity. The registration was upheld by the High Court in 2018. The NHS subsequently successfully appealed against the registration at the Supreme Court and the village green status was removed. ### Mansion Gardens The Mansion Gardens is a small formal garden between The Mansion and the River Mole. ### Park Gardens The Park Gardens form the frontage to St Mary's Parish Church at the north end of Gimcrack Hill. The 0.52 ha (1.3-acre) site has been protected by the Fields in Trust charity since 2018. In the gardens, there is a memorial stone to Harold Auten, who was awarded the Victoria Cross in September 1918. ### Recreation grounds There are two recreation grounds in Leatherhead. The Fortyfoot ground contains a children's playground and a football pitch, as well as the bowling green for Leatherhead Bowling Club. The playground was upgraded in 2017 and includes a sensory garden, a trampoline and a zip line. The Kingston Road ground has a children's playground, football pitch, pavilion and a sensory garden. A new skatepark was installed at the ground in 2017–18, part-funded by a £20,000 donation by the London Marathon Charitable Trust. The skatepark adjacent to Leatherhead Leisure Centre was refurbished in 2020. ## Notable people - Harold Auten (1891–1964), recipient of the Victoria Cross during the First World War, was born in Leatherhead. - John Drinkwater Bethune (1762–1844), army officer, lived at Thorncroft Manor just outside the town from about 1838 until his death and is buried in the churchyard of the parish church. - Sir Thomas Bloodworth (1620–1682), Lord Mayor of London during the Great Fire of 1666, lived at Thorncroft Manor. - Ted Bowley (1890–1974), English Test cricketer. - Michael Caine (born 1933), lives in Leatherhead and is patron to the Leatherhead Drama Festival. - Donald Campbell (1921–1967), Bluebird pilot and fastest man on land and water, lived in Leatherhead. - John Campbell-Jones (1930–2020), former Formula One racing driver. - Leonard Dawe (1889–1963), footballer, teacher and crossword compiler for the Daily Telegraph; while living in Leatherhead in 1944 he was wrongly suspected of espionage by inserting codewords for Operation Overlord into his puzzles. - Admiral Sir John Thomas Duckworth (1747—1817), accomplished Royal Naval officer who served under Nelson. - Andy Ellison (b. 1946) and Chris Townson (1947–2008), founding members of the band John's Children, and former pupils at Box Hill School. - Badri Patarkatsishvili (1955–2008), businessman, collapsed and died in his mansion in Leatherhead. - Richard Patterson (b. 1963) and his brother Simon Patterson (b. 1967), both artists, were born in the town. - Jean Ross (1911–1973), an English writer was educated in Leatherhead and briefly confined in a nearby sanatorium as a young woman. - Madron Seligman (1918–2002), Member of the European Parliament and friend of Edward Heath. - Marie Stopes (1880–1958), family planning pioneer, lived in the town. - Richard Wakeford (1921—1972), recipient of the Victoria Cross in the Second World War, died at Leatherhead. - Sir Mortimer Wheeler (1890–1976), archaeologist and broadcaster, lived at "The Bothy", Downs Lane from September 1973 until his death. - Edward Wilkins Waite (1854–1924), local landscape painter, was born in the town, was educated at the school at The Mansion and later lived at Long Cottage, Church Street ## See also - List of leisure and entertainment in Leatherhead

FC Bayern Munich

German association football club

Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V. (FCB, ), also known as FC Bayern (), Bayern Munich, or simply Bayern, is a German professional sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional men's football team, which plays in the Bundesliga, the top tier of the German football league system. Bayern is the most successful club in German football history, having won a record 33 national titles, including 11 consecutively since 2013, and 20 national cups, along with numerous European honours. FC Bayern Munich was founded in 1900 by 11 football players, led by Franz John. Although Bayern won its first national championship in 1932, the club was not selected for the Bundesliga at its inception in 1963. The club had its period of greatest success in the mid-1970s when, under the captaincy of Franz Beckenbauer, they won the European Cup three consecutive times (1974–1976). Overall, Bayern have won six European Cup/UEFA Champions League titles (a German record), winning their sixth title in the 2020 final as part of the Treble, after which it became only the second European club to achieve the feat twice. Bayern has also won one UEFA Cup, one European Cup Winners' Cup, two UEFA Super Cups, two FIFA Club World Cups and two Intercontinental Cups, making it one of the most successful European clubs internationally, and the only German club to have won both international titles. Bayern players have accumulated five Ballon d'Or awards, two The Best FIFA Men's Player awards, four European Golden Shoe and three UEFA Men's Player of the Year awards, including UEFA Club Footballer of the Year. By winning the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup, Bayern Munich became only the second club to win the "sextuple" (winning the League, Cup, and Champions League in one season followed by the Domestic Supercup, UEFA Supercup and Club World Cup in the next season), or all trophies that a club competes for in a given calendar year. Bayern Munich are one of five clubs to have won all three of UEFA's main club competitions, the only German club to achieve that. As of May 2023, Bayern Munich are ranked second in UEFA club rankings. The club has traditional local rivalries with 1860 Munich and 1. FC Nürnberg. Since the beginning of the 2005–06 season, Bayern has played its home games at the Allianz Arena. Previously, the team had played at Munich's Olympiastadion for 33 years. The team colours are red and white, and the crest shows the white and blue flag of Bavaria. In terms of revenue, Bayern Munich is the largest sports club in Germany and the third highest-earning football club in the world, behind Barcelona and Real Madrid, with a value of €634.1 million in 2021. In August 2023, Bayern had more than 300,000 official members and 4,557 officially registered fan clubs, with over 362,000 members. The club has other departments for chess, handball, basketball, gymnastics, bowling, table tennis and senior football, with more than 1,100 active members. ## History ### Early years (1900s–1960s) FC Bayern Munich was founded by members of a Munich gymnastics club (MTV 1879). When a congregation of members of MTV 1879 decided on 27 February 1900 that the footballers of the club would not be allowed to join the German Football Association (DFB), 11 members of the football division left the congregation and on the same evening founded Fußball-Club Bayern München. Within a few months, Bayern achieved high-scoring victories against all local rivals, including a 15–0 win against FC Nordstern, and reached the semi-finals of the 1900–01 South German championship. In the following years, the club won some local trophies and in 1910–11 Bayern joined the newly founded "Kreisliga", the first regional Bavarian league. The club won this league in its first year, but did not win it again until the beginning of the First World War in 1914, which halted all football activities in Germany. By the end of its first decade of founding, Bayern had attracted its first German national team player, Max Gaberl Gablonsky. By 1920, it had over 700 members, making it the largest football club in Munich. In the years after the war, Bayern won several regional competitions before winning its first South German championship in 1926, an achievement repeated two years later. Its first national title was gained in 1932, when coach Richard "Little Dombi" Kohn led the team to the German championship by defeating Eintracht Frankfurt 2–0 in the final. The rise of Adolf Hitler to power put an abrupt end to Bayern's development. Club president Kurt Landauer and the coach, both of whom were Jewish, left the country. Many others in the club were also purged. Bayern was taunted as the "Jew's club" while local rival 1860 Munich gained much support. Josef Sauter, who was inaugurated in 1943, was the only NSDAP member as president. After a friendly match in Switzerland, some Bayern players greeted Landauer, who was a spectator, and the club was subject to continued discrimination. Bayern was also affected by the ruling that football players had to be full amateurs again, which led to the move of the gifted young centre-forward Oskar Rohr to Switzerland. In the following years, Bayern could not sustain its role of contender for the national title, achieving mid-table results in its regional league instead. After the end of the Second World War in 1945, Bayern became a member of the Oberliga Süd, the southern conference of the German first division, which was split five ways at that time. Bayern struggled, hiring and firing 13 coaches between 1945 and 1963. Landauer returned from exile in 1947 and was once again appointed club president, the tenure lasted until 1951. He remains as the club's president with the longest accumulated tenure. Landauer has been deemed as inventor of Bayern as a professional club and his memory is being upheld by the Bayern ultras Schickeria. In 1955, the club was relegated but returned to the Oberliga in the following season and won the DFB-Pokal for the first time, beating Fortuna Düsseldorf 1–0 in the final. The club struggled financially, though, verging on bankruptcy at the end of the 1950s. Manufacturer ousted president Reitlinger, who was later convicted for financial irregularities, was ousted in the elections of 1958 by the industrialist Roland Endler. He provided financial stability for the club. Under his reign, Bayern had its best years in the Oberliga. Endler was no longer a candidate in 1962, when Wilhelm Neudecker, who became wealthy in the postwar construction boom, replaced him. In 1963, the Oberligas in Germany were consolidated into one national league, the Bundesliga. Five teams from the Oberliga South were admitted. The key to qualifying for the Bundesliga was the accumulated record of the last twelve years, where Bayern was only the sixth-ranked club. To boot, local rivals TSV 1860 Munich, ranked seventh, were champions of the last Oberliga-Süd season and were given preference on the basis of this achievement. After initial protests by Bayern for alleged mistreatment remained fruitless, president Neudecker rose to the challenge and hired Zlatko Čajkovski, who in 1962 led 1. FC Köln to the national championship. Fielding a team with young talents like Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller and Sepp Maier – who would later be collectively referred to as the axis, they achieved promotion to the Bundesliga in 1965. ### The golden years (1960s–1970s) In their first Bundesliga season, Bayern finished third and also won the DFB-Pokal. This qualified them for the following year's European Cup Winners' Cup, which they won in a dramatic final against Scottish club Rangers, when Franz Roth scored the decider in a 1–0 extra time victory. In 1967, Bayern retained the DFB-Pokal, but slow overall progress saw Branko Zebec take over as coach. He replaced Bayern's offensive style of play with a more disciplined approach, and in doing so achieved the first league and cup double in Bundesliga history in 1969. Bayern Munich are one of four German clubs to win the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal in the same season along with Borussia Dortmund, 1. FC Köln and Werder Bremen. Zebec used only 13 players throughout the season. Udo Lattek took charge in 1970. After winning the DFB-Pokal in his first season, Lattek led Bayern to their third German championship. The deciding match in the 1971–72 season against Schalke 04 was the first match in the new Olympiastadion, and was also the first live televised match in Bundesliga history. Bayern beat Schalke 5–1 and thus claimed the title, also setting several records, including points gained and goals scored. Bayern also won the next two championships, but the zenith was their triumph in the 1974 European Cup Final against Atlético Madrid, which Bayern won 4–0 after a replay. This title – after winning the Cup Winners' trophy 1967 and two semi-finals (1968 and 1972) in that competition – marked the club's breakthrough as a force on the international stage. During the following years, the team was unsuccessful domestically but defended their European title by defeating Leeds United in the 1975 European Cup Final when Roth and Müller secured victory with late goals. "We came back into the game and scored two lucky goals, so in the end, we were the winners, but we were very, very lucky", stated Franz Beckenbauer. Billy Bremner believed the French referee was "very suspicious". Leeds fans then rioted in Paris and were banned from European football for three years. A year later in Glasgow, Saint-Étienne were defeated by another Roth goal and Bayern became the third club to win the trophy in three consecutive years. The final trophy won by Bayern in this era was the Intercontinental Cup, in which they defeated Brazilian club Cruzeiro over two legs. The rest of the decade was a time of change and saw no further titles for Bayern. In 1977, Franz Beckenbauer left for New York Cosmos and, in 1979, Sepp Maier and Uli Hoeneß retired while Gerd Müller joined the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. Bayerndusel was coined during this period as an expression of either contempt or envy about the sometimes narrow and last-minute wins against other teams. ### From FC Breitnigge to FC Hollywood (1970s–1990s) The 1980s were a period of off-field turmoil for Bayern, with many changes in personnel and financial problems. On the field, Paul Breitner and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, termed FC Breitnigge, led the team to Bundesliga titles in 1980 and 1981. Apart from a DFB-Pokal win in 1982, two relatively unsuccessful seasons followed, after which Breitner retired, and former coach Udo Lattek returned. Bayern won the DFB-Pokal in 1984 and went on to win five Bundesliga championships in six seasons, including a double in 1986. European success, however, was elusive during the decade; Bayern managed to claim the runners-up spot in the European Cup in 1982 and 1987. Jupp Heynckes was hired as coach in 1987, but after two consecutive championships in 1988–89 and 1989–90, Bayern's form dipped. After finishing second in 1990–91, the club finished just five points above the relegation places in 1991–92. In 1993–94, Bayern was eliminated in the UEFA Cup second round to Premier League side Norwich City, who remain the only English club to beat Bayern at the Olympiastadion. Success returned when Franz Beckenbauer took over for the second half of the 1993–94 season, winning the championship again after a four-year gap. Beckenbauer was then appointed club president. His successors as coach, Giovanni Trapattoni and Otto Rehhagel, both finished trophyless after a season, not meeting the club's high expectations. During this time, Bayern's players frequently appeared in the gossip pages of the press rather than the sports pages, resulting in the nickname FC Hollywood. Franz Beckenbauer briefly returned at the end of the 1995–96 season as caretaker coach and led his team to victory in the UEFA Cup, beating Bordeaux in the final. For the 1996–97 season, Trapattoni returned to win the championship. In the following season, Bayern lost the title to newly promoted 1. FC Kaiserslautern and Trapattoni had to take his leave for the second time. ### Renewed international success (1990s–2000s) After his success at Borussia Dortmund, Bayern were coached by Ottmar Hitzfeld from 1998 to 2004. In Hitzfeld's first season, Bayern won the Bundesliga and came close to winning the Champions League, losing 2–1 to Manchester United into injury time after leading for most of the match. The following year, in the club's centenary season, Bayern won the third league and cup double in its history. A third consecutive Bundesliga title followed in 2001, won with a stoppage time goal on the final day of the league season. Days later, Bayern won the Champions League for the fourth time after a 25-year gap, defeating Valencia on penalties. The 2001–02 season began with a win in the Intercontinental Cup, but ended trophyless otherwise. In 2002–03, Bayern won their fourth double, leading the league by a record margin of 16 points. Hitzfeld's reign ended in 2004, with Bayern underperforming, including defeat by second division Alemannia Aachen in the DFB-Pokal. Felix Magath took over and led Bayern to two consecutive doubles. Prior to the start of the 2005–06 season, Bayern moved from the Olympiastadion to the new Allianz Arena, which the club shared with 1860 Munich. On the field, their performance in 2006–07 was erratic. Trailing in the league and having lost to Alemannia Aachen in the cup yet again, coach Magath was sacked shortly after the winter break. Hitzfeld returned as a trainer in January 2007, but Bayern finished the 2006–07 season in fourth position, thus failing to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in more than a decade. Additional losses in the DFB-Pokal and the DFB-Ligapokal left the club with no honours for the season. ### Robbery – Robben and Ribery (2000s 2010s) For the 2007–08 season, Bayern made drastic squad changes to help rebuild. They signed a total of eight new players and sold, released or loaned out nine of their players. Among new signings were 2006 World Cup stars such as Franck Ribéry, Miroslav Klose and Luca Toni. Bayern went on to win the Bundesliga in convincing fashion, leading the standings on every single week of play, and the DFB-Pokal against Borussia Dortmund. After the season, Bayern's long-term goalkeeper Oliver Kahn retired, which left the club without a top-tier goalkeeper for several seasons. The club's coach Ottmar Hitzfeld also retired and Jürgen Klinsmann was chosen as his successor. However, Klinsmann was sacked even before the end of his first season as Bayern trailed Wolfsburg in the league, had lost the quarterfinal of the DFB-Pokal to Bayer Leverkusen, and had been made look silly in the quarterfinal of the Champions League when FC Barcelona scored four times in the first half of the first leg and over the course of both legs Bayern never looked like they could keep up. Jupp Heynckes was named caretaker coach and led the club to a second-place finish in the league. For the 2009–10 season, Bayern hired Dutch manager Louis van Gaal, and Dutch forward Arjen Robben joined Bayern. Robben, alongside Ribéry, would go on to shape Bayern's playstyle of attacking over the wings for the next ten years. The press quickly dubbed the duo "Robbery". In addition, David Alaba and Thomas Müller were promoted to the first team. With Müller, van Gaal went so far as to proclaim, "With me, Müller always plays," which has become a much-referenced phrase over the years. On the pitch Bayern had its most successful season since 2001, securing the domestic double and losing only in the final of the Champions League to Inter Milan 0–2. Despite the successful 2009–10 campaign, van Gaal was fired in April 2011 as Bayern was trailing in the league and eliminated in the first knockout round of the Champions League, again by Inter. Van Gaal's second in command, Andries Jonker, took over and finished the season in third place. Jupp Heynckes returned for his second permanent spell in the 2011–12 season. Although the club had signed Manuel Neuer, ending Bayern's quest for an adequate substitute for Kahn, and Jérôme Boateng for the season, Bayern remained without a title for the second consecutive season, coming in second to Borussia Dortmund in the league and the cup. The Champions League final was held at the Allianz and Bayern indeed reached the final in their home stadium but lost the "Finale dahoam" as they had termed it to Chelsea on penalties. For the 2012–13 season, Bayern signed Javi Martínez. After Bayern had finished as runner-up to all titles in 2011–12, Bayern went on to win all titles in 2012–13, setting various Bundesliga records along the way, and becoming the first German team to win the treble. Bayern finished the Bundesliga on 91 points, only 11 points shy of a perfect season, and to date, still, the best season ever played. In what was Bayern's third Champions League final appearance within four years, they beat Borussia Dortmund 2–1. A week later, they completed the treble by winning the DFB-Pokal final over VfB Stuttgart. During the season, in January, Bayern had already announced that they would hire Pep Guardiola as coach for the 2013–14 season. Originally the club presented this as Heynckes retiring on the expiration of his contract, but Uli Hoeneß later admitted that it was not Heynckes's decision to leave Bayern at the end of the season. It was actually forced by the club's desire to appoint Guardiola. Bayern fulfilled Guardiola's wish of signing Thiago Alcântara from FC Barcelona, and Guardiola's first season started off well with Bayern extending a streak of undefeated league matches from the last season to 53 matches. The eventual loss to Augsburg came two match days after Bayern had already claimed the league title. During the season, Bayern had also claimed two other titles, the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup, the latter being the last major trophy the club had not yet won. Bayern also won the cup to complete their tenth domestic double, but lost in the semi-final of the Champions League to Real Madrid. Off the pitch, Bayern's president Uli Hoeneß was convicted of tax evasion on 13 March 2014 and sentenced to three and a half years in prison. Hoeneß resigned the next day. Vice-president Karl Hopfner was elected president on 2 May. Before the 2014–15 season, Bayern picked up Robert Lewandowski after his contract had ended at Borussia Dortmund, and loaned out Xabi Alonso from Real Madrid. Bayern also let Toni Kroos leave for Real. Club icons Bastian Schweinsteiger and Claudio Pizarro left before the 2015–16 season. In these two seasons, Bayern defended their league title, including another double in 2015–16, but failed to advance past the semi-finals in the Champions League. Although the club's leadership tried to convince Guardiola to stay, the coach decided not to extend his three-year contract. Carlo Ancelotti was hired as successor to Guardiola. The key transfer for the 2016–17 campaign was Mats Hummels from Borussia Dortmund. Off the pitch Uli Hoeneß had been released early from prison and reelected as president in November 2016. Under Ancelotti, Bayern claimed their fifth consecutive league title, but did not win the cup or the Champions League. In July 2017, Bayern announced that 1860 Munich would leave the Allianz for good as the club had been relegated to the 4th division. Before the 2017–18 season, Bayern made extensive changes to their squad, signing amongst others young prospects such as Kingsley Coman, Corentin Tolisso, Serge Gnabry and Niklas Süle, and loaning James Rodríguez from Real. Meanwhile, the club's captain, Philipp Lahm, and Xabi Alonso retired, and several other players left the club. As Bayern's performances were perceived to be increasingly lacklustre, Ancelotti was sacked after a 0–3 loss to Paris St. Germain in the Champions League, early in his second season. Willy Sagnol took over as interim manager for a week before it was announced that Jupp Heynckes would finish the season in his fourth spell at the club. During the season, the club urged Heynckes —even publicly— to extend his contract, but Heynckes, aged 73, stayed firm that he would retire for good after the season. The club began a long and extensive search to find a replacement, and eventually Niko Kovač was presented as Heynckes's successor, signing a three-year contract. Heynckes led the club to another championship. In the cup final, Heynckes's last match as coach, Heynckes met his successor on the pitch. Kovač's Eintracht Frankfurt denied Bayern the title, winning 3–1. Kovač's first season at the club started slowly, with Bayern falling behind Dortmund in the league throughout the first half of the season. In contrast to similar situations with van Gaal and Ancelotti, the club's leadership decided to protect their coach from criticisms. However, after the winter break, Bayern quickly closed the distance and put themselves first-place in the league. In the Champions League, the club was eliminated by Liverpool in the round of 16, the first time since 2011 that Bayern did not reach the quarterfinal. During the season Arjen Robben announced that it would be his last season for the club, while Uli Hoeneß announced that Franck Ribéry would be leaving at the end of the season. In March 2019, Bayern announced that they had signed Lucas Hernandez from Atlético Madrid for a club and Bundesliga record fee of €80 million. On 18 May 2019, Bayern won their seventh straight Bundesliga title as they finished two points above second-place Dortmund with 78 points. This Bundesliga title was Ribéry's ninth and Robben's eighth. A week later, Bayern defeated RB Leipzig 3–0 in the 2019 DFB-Pokal Final. With the win, Bayern won their 19th German Cup and completed their 12th domestic double. ### German coaches era (2019–present) #### Flick era (2010s–2020s) Hansi Flick joined Bayern Munich on 1 July 2019 as an assistant coach. Under Kovač, Bayern was off to a slow start in the league and after a 5–1 loss to Frankfurt, Kovač and Bayern parted ways on 3 November 2019 with Flick being promoted to interim manager. After a satisfying spell as interim coach, Bayern announced on 22 December 2019 that Flick would remain in charge until the end of season. Bayern's performances on the pitch picked up noticeably and in April 2020, the club agreed with Flick to a new permanent contract through 2023. Under Flick the club won the league, having played the most successful leg of a Bundesliga season in history, and went on to claim the cup, thus completing the club's 13th domestic double. In the Champions League, Bayern reached their first final since 2013, en route beating FC Barcelona 8–2 in the quarter-finals and Lyon 3–0 in the semi-final. In the final, which was held in Lisbon behind closed doors due to the severity of COVID-19 pandemic, they defeated Paris Saint-Germain 1–0. Former PSG player Kingsley Coman scored the only goal of the match. With the victory, they became the second European club to complete the seasonal treble in two different seasons, matching the 2014–15 FC Barcelona team. After a short break, Bayern started the new season by winning the UEFA Super Cup for the second time in their history. In a closely contested match, Bayern defeated Sevilla 2–1 after extra time, with Javi Martínez scoring the winning goal. On 30 September 2020, they won the 2020 DFL-Supercup after defeating the runners-up of the Bundesliga Dortmund 3–2. In February 2021, they won the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup (postponed from December 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic) after defeating African champions Al Ahly SC 2–0 by a brace from Robert Lewandowski, and then winning in the final against Mexican team Tigres UANL 1–0 after a goal from Benjamin Pavard and became only the second club to win the sextuple, after Barcelona won it in 2009. Later, Bayern failed to defend its Champions League title, losing to PSG in the quarter-finals on away goals following a 3–3 aggregate draw. However, it managed to win its 9th Bundesliga title in a row. During the season, Robert Lewandowski broke Gerd Müller's record for the number of goals scored in a Bundesliga season after scoring 41 times. On 27 April 2021, Bayern announced that Flick would be leaving at the end of the season, at his request, and that RB Leipzig manager Julian Nagelsmann would become the new manager, effective 1 July. According to multiple reports, Bayern paid Leipzig €25m, a world record for a manager, as compensation for Nagelsmann's services. It was later announced that Flick was leaving to take charge of the German national team of which he had previously been the assistant coach under manager Joachim Löw. #### Nagelsmann era (2020s) Under new coach Julian Nagelsmann, Bayern have completed the feat of winning 10 consecutive Bundesliga titles following a 3–1 Der Klassiker win. However, the team unexpectedly lost to Villarreal in the Champions League quarter-finals, going out at that stage for the second year in a row. On 24 March 2023, Nagelsmann was released by Bayern and replaced by Thomas Tuchel, who received a contract until 30 June 2025. #### Tuchel era (2020s–present) On 25 March 2023, Thomas Tuchel was presented at a press conference as the new Bayern manager. With Tuchel in charge, Bayern was immediately eliminated from the DFB-Pokal in the quarter-finals by SC Freiburg, and also in the quarter-finals of the Champions League by Manchester City F.C. However, he led them to a record 11th consecutive title by beating 1. FC Köln and winning a close title race with Borussia Dortmund. Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidzic were both dismissed after the club secured the Bundesliga title. Jan-Christian Dreesen replaced Kahn as CEO with a new sporting director yet to be announced. Bayern appointed Karl-Heinz Rummenigge as member of the FC Bayern München AG supervisory board at their regular meeting on 30 May 2023. Bayern Munich have appointed Christoph Freund as the club's new sporting director from 1 September. On 12 August 2023, Bayern broke the German transfer record again, this time to sign England's captain and all-time leading goalscorer Harry Kane from Tottenham Hotspur for a reported fee of €110m. ## Kits In the original club constitution, Bayern's colours were named as white and blue, but the club played in white shirts with black shorts until 1905 when Bayern joined MSC. MSC decreed that the footballers would have to play in red shorts. Also, the younger players were called red shorts, which were meant as an insult. For most of the club's early history, Bayern had primarily worn white and maroon home kits. In 1968–69 season, Bayern changed to red and blue striped shirts, with blue shorts and socks. Between 1969 and 1973, the team wore a home strip of red and white striped shirts with either red or white shorts and red socks. In the 1973–74 season, the team switched to an all-white kit featuring single vertical red and blue stripes on the shirt. From 1974 onwards, Bayern has mostly worn an all-red home kit with white trim. Bayern revived the red and blue striped colour scheme between 1995 and 1997. In 1997, blue was the dominant colour for the first time when Adidas released an all navy blue home kit with a red chest band. In 1999, Bayern returned to a predominantly red kit, which featured blue sleeves, and in 2000 the club released a traditional all red kit with white trim to be worn for Champions League matches. Bayern also wore a Rotwein coloured home kits in Bundesliga matches between 2001 and 2003, and during the 2006–07 Champions League campaign, in reference to their first-choice colours prior to the late 1960s. The club's away kit has had a wide range of colours over the years, including white, black, blue, and gold-green. Bayern also features a distinct international kit. During the 2013–14 season, Bayern used an all-red home kit with a Bavarian flag diamond watermark pattern, a Lederhosen inspired white and black Oktoberfest away kit, and an all navy blue international kit. In the 1980s and 1990s, Bayern used a special away kit when playing at 1. FC Kaiserslautern, representing the Brazilian colours blue and yellow, a superstition borne from the fact that the club found it hard to win there. ### Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors ### Kit deals ## Crest Bayern's crest has changed several times. Originally it consisted of the stylised letters F, C, B, M, which were woven into one symbol. The original crest was blue. The colours of Bavaria were included for the first time in 1954. The crest from 1919 to 1924 denotes "Bayern FA", whereby "FA" stands for Fußball-Abteilung, i.e., Football Department; Bayern then was integrated into TSV Jahn Munich and constituted its football department. The modern version of the crest has changed from the 1954 version in several steps. While the crest consisted of a single colour only for most of the time, namely blue or red, the current crest is blue, red, and white. It has the colours of Bavaria in its centre, and FC Bayern München is written in white on a red ring enclosing the Bavarian colours. ## Stadiums Bayern played its first training games at the Schyrenplatz in the centre of Munich. The first official games were held on the Theresienwiese. In 1901, Bayern moved to a field of its own, located in Schwabing at the Clemensstraße. After joining the Münchner Sport-Club (MSC) in 1906, Bayern moved in May 1907 to MSC's ground at the Leopoldstraße. As the crowds gathering for Bayern's home games increased at the beginning of the 1920s, Bayern had to switch to various other premises in Munich. From 1925, Bayern shared the Grünwalder Stadion with 1860 Munich. Until World War II, the stadium was owned by 1860 Munich, and is still colloquially known as Sechz'ger ("Sixties") Stadium. It was destroyed during the war, and efforts to rebuild it resulted in a patchwork. Bayern's record crowd at the Grünwalder Stadion is reported as more than 50,000 in the home game against 1. FC Nürnberg in the 1961–62 season. In the Bundesliga era the stadium had a maximum capacity of 44,000 which was reached on several occasions, but the capacity has since been reduced to 21,272. As was the case at most of this period's stadiums, the vast majority of the stadium was given over to terracing. Today the second teams of both clubs play in the stadium. For the 1972 Summer Olympics, the city of Munich built the Olympiastadion. The stadium, renowned for its architecture, was inaugurated in the last Bundesliga match of the 1971–72 season. The match drew a capacity crowd of 79,000, a total which was reached again on numerous occasions. In its early days, the stadium was considered one of the foremost stadiums in the world and played host to numerous major finals, such as that of 1974 FIFA World Cup. In the following years the stadium underwent several modifications, such as an increase in seating space from approximately 50 per cent to 66 per cent. Eventually, the stadium had a capacity of 63,000 for national matches and 59,000 for international occasions such as European Cup competitions. Many people, however, began to feel that the stadium was too cold in winter, with half the audience exposed to the weather due to lack of cover. A further complaint was the distance between the spectators and the pitch, betraying the stadium's track and field heritage. Renovation proved impossible, as the architect Günther Behnisch vetoed major modifications of the stadium. After much discussion, the city of Munich, the state of Bavaria, Bayern Munich and 1860 Munich jointly decided at the end of 2000 to build a new stadium. While Bayern had wanted a purpose-built football stadium for several years, the awarding of the 2006 FIFA World Cup to Germany stimulated the discussion as the Olympiastadion no longer met the FIFA criteria to host a World Cup game. Located on the northern outskirts of Munich, the Allianz Arena has been in use since the beginning of the 2005–06 season. Its initial capacity of 66,000 fully covered seats has since been increased for matches on national level to 69,901 by transforming 3,000 seats to terracing in a 2:1 ratio. Since August 2012, 2,000 more seats were added in the last row of the top tier increasing the capacity to 71,000. In January 2015, a proposal to increase the capacity was approved by the city council so now Allianz Arena has a capacity of 75,000 (70,000 in Champions League). The stadium's most prominent feature is the translucent outer layer, which can be illuminated in different colors for impressive effects. Red lighting is used for Bayern home games and white for German national team home games. In May 2012, Bayern opened a museum about its history, FC Bayern Erlebniswelt, inside the Allianz Arena. ## Supporters At the 2018 annual general meeting, the Bayern board reported that the club had 291,000 official members and there are 4,433 officially registered fan clubs with over 390,000 members. This makes the club the largest fan membership club in the world. Bayern have fan clubs and supporters all over Germany. Fan club members from all over Germany and nearby Austria and Switzerland often travel more than 200 kilometres (120 mi) to Munich to attend home games at the Allianz Arena. Bayern has an average of 75,000 attendees at the Allianz Arena which is at 100 per cent capacity level. Every Bundesliga game has been sold-out for years. Bayern's away games have been sold out for many years. According to a study by Sport+Markt Bayern is the fifth-most popular football club in Europe with 20.7 million supporters, and the most popular football club in Germany with 10 million supporters. Bayern Munich is also renowned for its well-organised ultra scene. The most prominent groups are the Schickeria München, the Inferno Bavaria, the Red Munichs '89, the Südkurve '73, the Munichmaniacs 1996, the Red Angels, and the Red Sharks. The ultras scene of Bayern Munch has been recognised for certain groups taking stance against right-wing extremism, racism and homophobia, and in 2014 the group Schickeria München received the Julius Hirsch Award by the DFB for its commitment against antisemitism and discrimination. FC Bayern Munich are the world's largest football club in terms of members. The Red Ladies are Bayern Munich's first and only international all-female supporter club with over 200 members. They are known for being super fans and creating a safe community for women to talk about the club. Stern des Südens is the song which fans sing at FCB home games. In the 1990s they also used to sing FC Bayern, Forever Number One. Another notable song is Mia San Mia (Bavarian for "we are who we are") which is a famous motto of the club as well. A renowned catchphrase for the team is "Packmas" which is a Bavarian phrase for the German "Packen wir es", which means "let's do it". The team's mascot is called "Berni" since 2004. The club also has a number of high-profile supporters, among them Pope Benedict XVI, Boris Becker, Wladimir Klitschko, Horst Seehofer and Edmund Stoiber, former Minister-President of Bavaria. ## Rivalries Bayern is one of three professional football clubs in Munich. Bayern's main local rival is 1860 Munich, who was the more successful club in the 1950s and was controversially picked for the initial Bundesliga season in 1963, winning a cup and a championship. In the 1970s and 1980s, 1860 Munich moved between the first and the third division. The Munich derby is still a much-anticipated event, getting much extra attention from supporters of both clubs. Despite the rivalry, Bayern has repeatedly supported 1860 in times of financial disarray. Since the 1920s, 1. FC Nürnberg has been Bayern's main and traditional rival in Bavaria. Philipp Lahm said that playing Nürnberg is "always special" and is a "heated atmosphere". Both clubs played in the same league in the mid-1920s, but in the 1920s and 1930s, Nürnberg was far more successful, winning five championships in the 1920s, making the club Germany's record champion. Bayern took over the title more than sixty years later, when they won their tenth championship in 1987, thereby surpassing the number of championships won by Nürnberg. The duel between Bayern and Nürnberg is often referred to as the Bavarian Derby. Bayern also enjoys a strong rivalry with the 1. FC Kaiserslautern, originating in parts from a game in 1973, when Bayern lost 7–4 after leading 4–1, but also from the two clubs competing for German championship honours at various times in the Bundesliga as well as the city of Kaiserslautern together with the surrounding Palatinate having been part of Bavaria until a plebiscite after the end of the Second World War. Since the 1970s, Bayern's main rivals have been the clubs who put up the strongest fight against its national dominance. In the 1970s this was Borussia Mönchengladbach, in the 1980s the category expanded to include Hamburger SV. In the 1990s, Borussia Dortmund, Werder Bremen and Bayer Leverkusen emerged as the most ardent opponents. Recently Borussia Dortmund, Schalke, and Werder Bremen have been the main challengers in the Bundesliga. Recently, Bayern's main Bundesliga challenger has been Borussia Dortmund. Bayern and Dortmund have competed against each other for many Bundesliga titles. They also have played against each other in the DFB-Pokal final in 2008, 2012, 2014, and 2016. The 2–5 loss against Dortmund in the 2012 final was Bayern's worst ever loss in a DFB-Pokal final. Bayern and Dortmund have also played against each other in the DFL-Supercup in 1989, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021. The height of the competition between the two clubs was when Bayern defeated Dortmund 2–1 in the final of the 2012–13 UEFA Champions League. Amongst Bayern's chief European rivals are Real Madrid, A.C. Milan, and Manchester United due to many classic wins, draws and losses. Real Madrid versus Bayern is the match that has historically been played most often in the Champions League/European Cup with 26 matches. Due to Bayern being traditionally hard to beat for Madrid, Madrid supporters often refer to Bayern as the "Bestia negra" ("Black Beast"). Despite the number of duels, Bayern and Real have never met in the final of a Champions League or European Cup. ## Organization and finance Bayern is led mostly by former club players. From 2016 to 2019, Uli Hoeneß served as the club's president, following Karl Hopfner who had been in office from 2014; Hoeneß had resigned in 2014 after being convicted of tax fraud. Oliver Kahn is the chairman of the executive board of the AG. The supervisory board of nine consists mostly of managers of big German corporations. Besides the club's president and the board's chairman, they are Herbert Hainer former CEO of (Adidas), Dr. Herbert Diess chairman of (Volkswagen), Dr. Werner Zedelius senior advisor at (Allianz), Timotheus Höttges CEO of (Deutsche Telekom), Prof. Dr. Dieter Mayer, Edmund Stoiber, Theodor Weimer CEO of (Deutsche Börse), and Dr. Michael Diederich speaker of the board at (UniCredit Bank). Professional football at Bayern is run by the spin-off organisation FC Bayern München AG. AG is short for Aktiengesellschaft, and Bayern is run like a joint stock company, a company whose stock are not listed on the public stock exchange, but is privately owned. 75 per cent of FC Bayern München AG is owned by the club, the FC Bayern München e. V. (e. V. is short for Eingetragener Verein, which translates into "Registered Club"). Three German corporations, the sports goods manufacturer Adidas, the automobile company Audi and the financial services group Allianz each hold 8.33 per cent of the shares, 25 per cent in total. Adidas acquired its shares in 2002 for €77 million. The money was designated to help finance the Allianz Arena. In 2009 Audi paid €90 million for their share. The capital was used to repay the loan on the Allianz Arena. And in early 2014, Allianz became the third shareholder of the company acquiring theirs share for €110 million. With the sale, Bayern paid off the remaining debt on the Allianz Arena 16 years ahead of schedule. Bayern's other sports departments are run by the club. Bayern's shirt sponsor is Deutsche Telekom. Deutsche Telekom has been Bayern's shirt sponsor since the start of 2002–03 season. The company extended their sponsorship deal in August 2015 until the end of the 2026–27 season. Bayern's kit sponsor is Adidas. Adidas have been Bayern's kit sponsor since 1974. Adidas extended their sponsorship with Bayern on 29 April 2015. The sponsorship deal runs until the end of the 2029–30 season. The premium partners are Audi, Allianz, HypoVereinsbank, Goodyear, Qatar Airways, Siemens, Paulaner Brewery, SAP, DHL, Hamad International Airport and Tipico. Gold sponsors are Coca-Cola, MAN, Procter & Gamble. Classic sponsors are Apple Music, Bayern 3, Beats Electronics, EA Sports, Gigaset, Hugo Boss, Courtyard by Marriott, Veuve Clicquot, and Adelholzener. In previous years the jersey rights were held by Adidas (1974–78), Magirus Deutz and Iveco (1978–84), Commodore (1984–89) and Opel (1989–2002). Bayern is an exception in professional football, having generated profits for 27 consecutive years. Other clubs often report losses, realising transfers via loans, whereas Bayern always uses current assets. In the 2019 edition of the Deloitte Football Money League, Bayern had the fourth-highest revenue in club football, generating revenue of €629.2 million. Bayern differs from other European top clubs in their income composition. The top 20 European football clubs earned 43 per cent of revenue, on average, from broadcasting rights. Bayern earned the only 28 per cent of their revenue that way. Bayern had the second-highest commercial revenue in the 2019 Deloitte Football Money League, behind only Real Madrid. Bayern's commercial revenue was €348.7 million (55 per cent of total revenue). In contrast, Bayern's Matchday revenue trails other top clubs at €103.8 million (17 per cent of their total revenue). While other European clubs have mainly marketed to international audiences, Bayern had focused on Germany. In recent years Bayern have started to focus their marketing more on Asia and the United States. Bayern made summer tours to the United States in 2014 and 2016. Bayern went to China in the summer of 2015 and returned in the summer of 2017 where they also played games in Singapore. In August 2014 Bayern opened an office in New York City as the club wants to strengthen their brand positioning against other top European clubs in the United States. In March 2017, Bayern was the first foreign football club to open an office in mainland China. Bayern hope to attract new sponsors and to increase their merchandising sales. In 2017, Forbes ranks Bayern as the world's fourth-most valuable football club in their annual list, estimating the club's value at €2.5 billion. As a result of Bayern's appearance in the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final, the club's brand value has reached US\$786 million, up 59 per cent from the previous year. Among European teams, this is ahead of Real Madrid's US\$600 million and behind first-placed Manchester United, whose brand is valued at US\$853 million. In 2013, Bayern overtook Manchester United to take first place in brand valuation. Bayern's financial report for the 2018–19 season reported revenue of €750.4 million and an operating profit of €146.1 million. Post-tax profits were €52.5 million which meant that this was Bayern's 27th consecutive year with a profit. In 2022, FC Bayern announced the opening of an international office in Bangkok; marking their third such branch office. ## Social engagement and charity Bayern has been involved with charitable ventures for a long time, helping other football clubs in financial disarray as well as ordinary people in misery. In the wake of the 2004 Tsunami the "FC Bayern – Hilfe e.V." was founded, a foundation that aims to concentrate the social engagements of the club. At its inception this venture was funded with €600,000, raised by officials and players of the club. The money was amongst other things used to build a school in Marathenkerny, Sri Lanka and to rebuild the area of Trincomalee, Sri Lanka. In April 2007 it was decided that the focus of the foundation would shift towards supporting people in need locally. The club has also assisted sport clubs in financial disarray. Repeatedly the club has supported its local rival 1860 Munich with gratuitous friendlies, transfers at favourable rates, and direct money transfers. Also when St. Pauli threatened to lose its licence for professional football due to financial problems, Bayern met the club for a friendly game free of any charge, giving all revenues to St. Pauli. More recently when Mark van Bommel's home club Fortuna Sittard was in financial distress Bayern came to a charity game at the Dutch club. Another well known example was the transfer of Alexander Zickler in 1993 from Dynamo Dresden. When Bayern picked up Zickler for 2.3 Million DM many considered the sum to be a subvention for the financially threatened Dresdeners. In 2003, Bayern provided a €2 Million loan without collateral to the nearly bankrupt Borussia Dortmund which has since been repaid. On 14 July 2013, Bayern played a charity game against financially threatened third division Hansa Rostock. The game raised about €1 million, securing Hansa's licence. On 30 August 2017, Bayern played a benefit match against financial troubled Kickers Offenbach. All the revenue from the match went to Kickers Offenbach. Bayern's chairman, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said, "Kickers Offenbach are a club with a rich tradition, they've always been an important club in Germany, so we'll gladly help them with a benefit match." On 27 May 2019, Bayern played a benefit match against 1. FC Kaiserslautern. The match was played so Kaiserslautern could secure their licence to play in the German third division. All income from the match went to Kaiserslautern. "1. FC Kaiserslautern are one of Germany's biggest traditional clubs," Bayern's chairman, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said. "For many years there were intense, and in retrospect also legendary, Bayern matches at Kaiserslautern. Football is all about emotions and sporting rivalries, but also about solidarity. That's why we're happy to help and hope 1. FC Kaiserslautern can once again gain promotion back to the Bundesliga in the foreseeable future." In mid 2013, Bayern was the first club to give financial support to the Magnus Hirschfeld National Foundation. The foundation researches the living environment LGBT people, and developed an education concept to facilitate unbiased dealing with LGBT themes in football. In 2016, FC Bayern received the Nine Values Cup, an award of the international children's social programme Football for Friendship. In March 2020, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, and Bayer Leverkusen, the four German UEFA Champions League teams for the 2019/20 season, collectively gave €20 million to Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga teams that were struggling financially during the COVID-19 pandemic. ## Training facility FC Bayern Munich headquarters and training facility is called Säbener Straße and it is located in the Untergiesing-Harlaching borough of Munich. The first team and the reserve team train at the facility. There are five grass pitches, two of which have undersoil heating, two artificial grass fields, a beach volleyball court and a multi-functional sports hall. The players' quarters opened in 1990 and were reconstructed after the 2007–08 season on suggestions by then new coach, Jürgen Klinsmann, who took inspiration from various major sports clubs. The quarters are now called the performance centre and feature weights and fitness areas, a massage unit, dressing rooms, the coaches' office, and a conference room with screening facilities for video analysis. A café, a library, an e-Learning room, and a family room are also included. Until August 2017, the Youth House was located at the headquarters at Säbener Straße. The Youth House housed up to 14 young talents aged 15 to 18 from outside of Munich. Former residents of the Youth House include Bastian Schweinsteiger, David Alaba, Owen Hargreaves, Michael Rensing, Holger Badstuber and Emre Can. In 2006, Bayern purchased land near the Allianz Arena with the purpose of building a new youth academy. In 2015 the project, estimated to cost €70 million, was started after overcoming internal resistance. The project's main reasons were that the existing facilities were too small and that the club, while very successful at the senior level, lacked competitiveness with other German and European clubs at the youth level. The new facility was scheduled to open in the 2017–18 season. On 21 August 2017 the FC Bayern Campus opened at a cost of €70 million. The campus is located north of Munich at Ingolstädter Straße. The campus is 30 hectare and has 8 football pitches for youth teams from the U-9s to the U-19s and the women's and girls' teams. The campus also has a 2,500-capacity stadium where the U-17s and the U-19s play their matches. The Allianz FC Bayern Akademie is located on the campus site, and the academy has 35 apartments for young talents who don't live in the Greater Munich area. The academy building also has offices for youth coaches and staff. ## Honours Bayern is historically the most successful team in German football, as they have won the most championships and the most cups. They are also Germany's most successful team in international competitions, having won fourteen trophies. Bayern is the only club to have won all three major European competitions, have won three consecutive European Cups and won the treble twice, one of which was part of the larger and more elusive "sextuple" (2020). ### Trebles Bayern Munich has completed all available Trebles (seasonal treble, domestic treble and European treble). - Treble - Seasonal treble (Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, UEFA Champions League) - 2012–13, 2019–20 - European treble (UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, European Cup, UEFA Cup) - 1966–67 European Cup Winners' Cup, 1973–74 European Cup, 1995–96 UEFA Cup - Domestic treble (Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, DFL-Ligapokal) - 1999–2000 The football competitions, which consist of a single match involving only two teams (for example, the UEFA Super Cup or DFL Supercup) are generally not counted as part of a treble but are included in a sextuple. ### Sextuple During each calendar year, Bayern Munich only have 6 trophies available to them. A sextuple consists of going "6 for 6" in those competitions, which Bayern accomplished in 2020. This rare feat consists of winning the Continental treble in one season followed by winning each of the three additional competitions to which the treble gives a club access in the following season. - 2020 Sextuple - 2019–20 season - 2019–20 Bundesliga - 2019–20 DFB-Pokal - 2019–20 UEFA Champions League - 2020–21 season - 2020 DFL-Supercup - 2020 UEFA Super Cup - 2020 FIFA Club World Cup ## Players ### Current squad ### Out on loan ### Retired numbers - 12 – "The twelfth man", dedication to fans ### Notable past players At his farewell game, Oliver Kahn was declared honorary captain of Bayern Munich. The players below are part of the FC Bayern Munich Hall of Fame. 1930s - Conrad Heidkamp (DF) 1970s: - Franz Beckenbauer (DF) - Gerd Müller (FW) - Uli Hoeneß (FW) - Paul Breitner (MF) - Sepp Maier (GK) - Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck (DF) - Franz Roth (MF) 1980s: - Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (FW) - Klaus Augenthaler (DF) 1990s: - Lothar Matthäus (MF/DF) - Stefan Effenberg (MF) 2000s: - Oliver Kahn (GK) - Mehmet Scholl (MF) - Bixente Lizarazu (DF) - Giovane Élber (FW) 2010s: - Philipp Lahm (DF) - Bastian Schweinsteiger (MF) ### Captains ## Coaches ### Current staff ### Coaches since 1963 Bayern has had 19 coaches since its promotion to the Bundesliga in 1965. Udo Lattek, Giovanni Trapattoni and Ottmar Hitzfeld served two terms as head coach. Franz Beckenbauer served one term as head coach and one as caretaker, while Jupp Heynckes had four separate spells as coach, including one as caretaker. Lattek was the club's most successful coach, having won six Bundesliga titles, two DFB Cups and the European Cup; following closely is Ottmar Hitzfeld, who won five Bundesliga titles, two DFB Cups and the Champions League. The club's least successful coach was Søren Lerby, who won less than a third of his matches in charge and presided over the club's near-relegation in the 1991–92 campaign. On 3 November 2019, Bayern sacked Niko Kovač after a 5–1 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt and appointed Hansi Flick as a coach. Initially, Flick was installed as caretaker coach only, however on 15 November, after Flick's team had won 4–0 against Borussia Dortmund, Bayern announced that Flick would be in charge at least until Christmas 2019. Later on, Flick signed a new contract until 2023. ## Club management ### FC Bayern München AG ### FC Bayern München e.V. ## Other departments ### Football #### Reserve team The reserve team serves mainly as the final stepping stone for promising young players before being promoted to the main team. The second team is coached by Sebastian Hoeneß. The second team play in the 3. Liga for the 2019–20 season. Since the inception of the Regionalliga in 1994, the team played in the Regionalliga Süd, after playing in the Oberliga since 1978. In the 2007–08 season, they qualified for the newly founded 3. Liga, where they lasted until 2011 when they were relegated to the Regionalliga. This ended 33 consecutive years of playing in the highest league that the German Football Association permits the second team of a professional football team to play. #### Junior teams The youth academy has produced some of Europe's top football players, including Thomas Hitzlsperger, Owen Hargreaves, Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Thomas Müller. On 1 August 2017, the FC Bayern Campus became the new home of the youth teams. It consists of ten teams, with the youngest being under 9. Jochen Sauer is the FC Bayern Campus director and Bayern legend coach Hermann Gerland is the sporting director. #### Women's team The women's football department consists of five teams, including a professional team, a reserve team, and two youth teams. The women's first team, which is led by head coach Thomas Wörle, features several members of the German national youth team. In the 2008–09 season, the team finished second in the women's Bundesliga. The division was founded in 1970 and consisted of four teams with 90 players. Their greatest successes were winning the championships in 1976, 2015, and 2016. In the 2011–12 season on 12 May 2012, FC Bayern Munich dethroned the German Cup title holders 1. FFC Frankfurt with a 2–0 in the 2011–12 final in Cologne and celebrated the biggest success of the club's history since winning the championship in 1976. In 2015 they won the Bundesliga for the first time, without any defeat. They won the 2015–16 Bundesliga for the second consecutive time. #### Senior football The senior football department was founded in 2002, making it the youngest division of the club, and consists of five teams. The division is intended to enable senior athletes to participate in the various senior citizen competitions in Munich. #### AllStars The FC Bayern AllStars were founded in summer 2006, and consists of former Bayern players, including Klaus Augenthaler, Raimond Aumann, Andreas Brehme, Paul Breitner, Hans Pflügler, Stefan Reuter, Paulo Sérgio, and Olaf Thon. The team is coached by Wolfgang Dremmler, and plays matches with other senior teams around the world. For organisational reasons, the team can only play a limited number of games annually. ### Other sports Bayern has other departments for a variety of sports. #### Basketball The basketball department was founded in 1946, and currently contains 26 teams, including four men's teams, three women's teams, sixteen youth teams, and three senior teams. The men's team are five-time German champions, having won in 1954, 1955, 2014, 2018, and 2019. The team also won the German Basketball Cup in 1968, 2018, and 2021. The team plays its home games at the Rudi-Sedlmayer-Halle, located in the Sendling-Westpark borough of Munich. #### Bowling The bowling department emerged from SKC Real-Isaria in 1983 and currently consists of five teams. Directly next to the well-known club building of the football department, the team plays at the bowling alley of the Münchner Kegler-Verein. The first team plays in the second highest division of the Münchner Spielklasse Bezirksliga. #### Chess The department was created in 1908 and consists of nine teams, including seven men's teams and two women's teams. The men's team, which currently plays in the Chess Bundesliga following promotion in 2013 from the 2. Bundesliga Ost, was nine-time German Champion from 1983 to 1995. The team also won the European Chess Club Cup in 1992. The women currently play in the 2. Bundesliga with their biggest successes being promotion to the Frauenbundesliga in 2016 and 2018. #### Handball The handball department was founded in 1945, and consists of thirteen teams, including three men's teams, two women's teams, five boys teams, two girls teams, and a mixed youth team. The first men's team plays in the Bezirksoberliga Oberbayern, while the women's first teams plays in the Bezirksliga Oberbayern. #### Referees The refereeing department was established in 1919 and is currently the largest football refereeing division in Europe, with 110 referees, with 2 of them women. The referees mainly officiate amateur games in the local Munich leagues. #### Table tennis The table tennis department was founded in 1946 and currently has 220 members. The club currently has fourteen teams, including eight men's teams, a women's team, three youth teams, and two children teams. The women's first team is currently playing in the Landesliga Süd/Ost, while the men's first team plays in the 3. Bundesliga Süd. The focus of the department is on youth support. ### Defunct #### Baseball The baseball division existed during the 1960s and 1970s, during which the team won two German championships in 1962 and 1969. #### Ice hockey From 1966 to 1969, Bayern had an ice hockey team, which completed two seasons in the Eishockey-Bundesliga. In the summer of 1965, the Münchner Eislauf Verein negotiated with Bayern Munich about joining the club. Although the talks came to nothing, the ice hockey department of Münchner Eislauf Verein decided to join Bayern –mid-season– in January 1966. The team finished the season under the name of Bayern Munich in third place of the second-tier Oberliga. The following season Bayern achieved promotion to the Bundesliga where the club stayed for two seasons. However, in 1969 the club disbanded the department and sold the hockey team to Augsburger EV, citing lack of local support and difficulty in recruiting players as reasons. #### Gymnastics The gymnastics department was founded in 1974 and was most successful in the 1980s. During this time, the team won four German championships in 1983, 1986, 1987, and 1988. In 2014, the division was dissolved. ## Literature - Hüetlin, Thomas: Gute Freunde. Die wahre Geschichte des FC Bayern München. Blessing, München 2006. . - Schulze-Marmeling, Dietrich: Der FC Bayern und seine Juden. Aufstieg und Zerschlagung einer liberalen Fußballkultur. Verlag Die Werkstatt, Göttingen 2011. . - Bausenwein, Christoph, Schulze-Marmeling, Dietrich: FC Bayern München. Unser Verein, unsere Geschichte. Verlag Die Werkstatt, Göttingen 2012. .

Stay Together for the Kids

"Stay Together for the Kids" is a song recorded by American rock band Blink-182 for their fourth studio album, Take Off Your Pants and Jacket (2001). It was released as the third and final single from the album on February 19, 2002. The track was composed primarily by guitarist Tom DeLonge, who based its lyrics on his parents' divorce and its effect on him. The song's original music video, directed by Samuel Bayer, depicts the band performing in a home being destroyed by a wrecking ball in a metaphor for divorce. The clip was re-shot following the 9/11 attacks, with both the band and label deeming its imagery too similar to the collapse of the World Trade Center. The song received positive reviews from contemporary music critics, with many praising its tone and subject matter. It was a hit on rock radio in the United States, where it peaked at number seven on the Modern Rock Tracks chart in 2001. ## Background "Stay Together for the Kids" is written about divorce from the point of view of a helpless child. Its heavier sound was inspired by bands the group's members were listening to in the two weeks they wrote their fourth album, Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, such as Fugazi and Refused. Primarily written by guitarist Tom DeLonge, the song is biographical in nature. He and bassist Mark Hoppus were growing up when their respective parents divorced. For Hoppus, he was eight years old when he was sent to live with his father. "The thing you realize as you get older is that parents don’t know what the hell they’re doing and neither will you when you get to be a parent. You’ve just got to understand that people are human and they make mistakes," he said. DeLonge remembered learning of his parents' divorce when he discovered scrape marks on the driveway of their home. "Right then, I knew my dad had dragged out his furniture single-handedly," he recalled. He spoke on the song's inspiration in 2001: > I lived, ate, and breathed skateboarding. All I did all day long was skateboard. It was all I cared about. So I didn't notice too much [else going on]. When I got home [one] day, my dad's furniture was gone, my mom was inside crying and everything just erupted at that point. I was 18, sitting in my driveway when it all went down. My whole family life was deteriorating, so, I just moved out. So I just took everything from that day and put it into a song. Due to its tone and subject matter, it is considered one of the band's darker songs, alongside "Adam's Song", their 2000 single revolving around suicide. Hoppus told an interviewer at the time of the album's release that "There's always a song or two where we really try to really push ourselves [...] On this new record I think we've done a lot of different stuff that people wouldn't ever expect from us. [...] On the new one, it's 'Stay Together for the Kids.'" DeLonge later confirmed he had received emails from fans thanking him for the song's message. "With "Stay Together", we get emails—just kid after kid after kid—saying, 'I know exactly what you're talking about! That song is about my life!'" In 2002, divorce statistics were four times higher than their average just over thirty years prior, with over 50 percent of marriages ending in divorce. "You look at statistics that 50 percent of parents get divorced, and you’re going to get a pretty large group of kids who are pissed off and who don’t agree with what their parents have done," said DeLonge. "Stay Together" was the final song completed during the recording sessions; it was created one day before the album was handed off to the mixing engineer. ## Composition "Stay Together for the Kids" is set in the time signature of common time, with a tempo of 72 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of D major with vocals spanning the tonal nodes of A₃ to B₅. Hoppus and DeLonge split vocals on the song, with the former handling verses and the latter singing the choruses. In the verses, the lyrics detail a marriage gone awry: "Rather than fix the problems/They never solve them/It makes no sense at all." The song fades out with DeLonge singing "It’s not right." ## Commercial performance "Stay Together for the Kids" was released as a single and EP with live tracks and video extras. It debuted on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart in the issue dated September 22, 2001 at number 36, before gradually rising to a peak of position seven in the issue dated November 24, 2001. The single spent 26 weeks on the chart as a whole, before appearing in the issue dated March 16, 2002. It also peaked at number 16 and spent five weeks on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, which documents top singles that have yet to chart on the main chart, the Billboard Hot 100. By June 2002, the song had accumulated over 80,000 spins on radio in the United States, and it received a BDS Certified Spin Award. Outside of the US, the song charted in Germany, where it reached a peak of 73. ## Reception "Stay Together for the Kids" received positive reviews from contemporary music critics. Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone deemed the song "bleak," describing it as a "broken-family snapshot." Eric Aiese of Billboard wrote that the song "remains compelling throughout," suggesting it could be a "MacArthur Park" or "Hey Jude" within the band’s catalogue. Slant Magazine's Aaron Scott called it "the best track on the album," writing, "The surprising content about a marriage that is resisting divorce will certainly appeal to a generation of youth subjected to a massive divorce epidemic. Blink hints at something here, but resists saying anything concrete." John J. Miller of the National Review included the song at number 17 in "Rockin' the Right: The 50 Greatest Conservative Rock Songs", describing it as "a eulogy for family values by an alt-rock band whose members were raised in a generation without enough of them". William Shaw of Blender compared the song to then-popular songs by rock bands about divorce, such as Papa Roach ("Broken Home"), Staind ("For You") and Nickelback ("Too Bad"), commenting, "The ’90s had Generation X — have we ended up with Generation Whine?" He interviewed DeLonge, who remarked in response to divorce's effect on children, "Is this a damaged generation? Yeah, I’d say so." ## Music video The first music video for "Stay Together for the Kids" was directed by Samuel Bayer, best known for his work with Metallica and Nirvana. In the clip, Blink-182 perform in a suburban home that is destroyed with a wrecking ball in a metaphor for a "crumbling marriage." The video opens with a statistic, claiming that "50 percent of American households are destroyed by divorce." The band filmed the music video on September 9–10, 2001 in Los Angeles, in days preceding the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Following those events, the band and its label MCA felt the clip’s images were "too evocative" of the footage of the collapse of the World Trade Center. The band ended up recording a second video for this song with the same production crew, with the setting changed to an empty mansion populated by shouting teens. The two videos were first released on The Urethra Chronicles II: Harder Faster Faster Harder, a 2002 home video on the band. The first video has since widely become available online on sites like YouTube. ## Cover versions The song is played on acoustic guitar by a soldier in the War in Afghanistan near the end of the film Restrepo (2010). ## Track listing ## Charts

Battle of Messines (1917)

Part of the Western Front in World War I

The Battle of Messines (7–14 June 1917) was an attack by the British Second Army (General Sir Herbert Plumer), on the Western Front, near the village of Messines (now Mesen) in West Flanders, Belgium, during the First World War. The Nivelle Offensive in April and May had failed to achieve its more grandiose aims, had led to the demoralisation of French troops and confounded the Anglo-French strategy for 1917. The attack forced the Germans to move reserves to Flanders from the Arras and Aisne fronts, relieving pressure on the French. The British tactical objective was to capture the German defences on the ridge, which ran from Ploegsteert Wood (Plugstreet to the British) in the south, through Messines and Wytschaete to Mt Sorrel, depriving the German 4th Army of the high ground. The ridge gave commanding views of the British defences and back areas of Ypres to the north, from which the British intended to conduct the Northern Operation, an advance to Passchendaele Ridge and then the capture of the Belgian coast up to the Dutch frontier. The Second Army had five corps, three for the attack and two on the northern flank not part of the operation; XIV Corps was in General Headquarters reserve. The 4th Army divisions of Group Wytschaete (Gruppe Wijtschate, the IX Reserve Corps headquarters) held the ridge and were later reinforced by a division from Group Ypres (Gruppe Ypern). The British attacked with the II Anzac Corps (3rd Australian Division, New Zealand Division and the 25th Division, with the 4th Australian Division in reserve), IX Corps (36th (Ulster), 16th (Irish) and 19th (Western) divisions and the 11th (Northern) Division in reserve), X Corps (41st, 47th (1/2nd London) and 23rd Divisions with the 24th Division in reserve). XIV Corps in reserve (Guards, 1st, 8th and 32nd divisions). The 30th, 55th (West Lancashire), 39th and 38th (Welsh) divisions in II Corps and VIII Corps, guarded the northern flank and made probing attacks on 8 June. Gruppe Wijtschate held the ridge with the 204th, 35th, 2nd, 3rd Bavarian (relieving the 40th Division when the British attack began) and 4th Bavarian divisions, with the 7th Division and 1st Guard Reserve Division as Eingreif (counter-attack) divisions. The 24th Saxon Division, relieved on 5 June, was rushed back when the attack began and the 11th Division, in Gruppe Ypern reserve, arrived on 8 June. The battle began with the detonation of nineteen mines beneath the German front position, which devastated it and left large craters. A creeping barrage, 700 yd (640 m) deep, began and protected the British troops as they secured the ridge with support from tanks, cavalry patrols and aircraft. The effect of the British mines, barrages and bombardments was improved by advances in artillery survey, flash spotting and centralised control of artillery from the Second Army headquarters. British attacks from 8 to 14 June advanced the front line beyond the former German Sehnenstellung (Chord Position, the Oosttaverne Line to the British). The battle was a prelude to the much larger Third Battle of Ypres, the preliminary bombardment for which began on 11 July 1917. ## Background ### British strategy 1916–1917 In 1916, the British planned to clear the Germans from the Belgian coast to deny them the use of the ports as naval bases. In January, Plumer recommended to Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig the capture of Messines Ridge (part of the southern arc of the Ypres Salient) before an operation to capture the Gheluvelt plateau further north. The highest ground north of the Messines–Wytschaete ridge lies on the Menin road, between Hooge and Veldhoek, 1.5 mi (2.4 km) from Gheluvelt, at the west end of the main Ypres ridge, which runs from Ypres, east to Broodseinde and then north-east to Passchendaele, Westroosebeek and Staden. The British called it the Gheluvelt Plateau or Menin Ridge. Roads and tracks converged on the Menin road at this point (Clapham Junction to the British). The east end of the Gheluvelt plateau was on the west side of Polygon Wood. A flat spur either side of the Menin road ran about 3.5 mi (5.6 km) south-eastwards towards Kruiseecke and was about 1 mi (1.6 km) wide at Veldhoek, with a depression on the west side through which the Bassevillebeek flowed southwards and another on the east side, through which the Reutelbeek also flowed south. The spur widened to almost 2 mi (3.2 km) between Veldhoek and Gheluvelt. A Flanders campaign was postponed because of the Battle of Verdun in 1916 and the demands of the Battle of the Somme. When it became apparent that the Second Battle of the Aisne (the main part of the Nivelle Offensive, 16 April to 9 May 1917) had failed to achieve its most ambitious objectives, Haig instructed the Second Army to capture the Messines–Wytschaete Ridge as soon as possible. British operations in Flanders would relieve pressure on the French Armies on the Aisne, where demoralisation amid the failure of the Nivelle Offensive had led to mutinies. The capture of Messines Ridge would give the British control of the tactically important ground on the southern flank of the Ypres Salient, shorten the front line and deprive the Germans of observation over British positions further north. The British would gain observation of the southern slope of Menin Ridge at the west end of the Gheluvelt plateau, ready for the Northern Operation. ### Ypres salient Ypres is overlooked by Kemmel Hill in the south-west and from the east by a line of low hills running south-west to north-east. Wytschaete (Wijtschate) and Hill 60 are to the east of Verbrandenmolen, Hooge, Polygon Wood and Passchendaele (Passendale). The high point of the ridge is at Wytschaete, 7,000 yd (4.0 mi; 6.4 km) from Ypres, while at Hollebeke the ridge is 4,000 yd (2.3 mi; 3.7 km) distant and recedes to 7,000 yd (4.0 mi; 6.4 km) at Polygon Wood. Wytschaete is about 150 ft (46 m) above the plain; on the Ypres–Menin road at Hooge, the elevation is about 100 ft (30 m) and 70 ft (21 m) at Passchendaele. The rises are slight, apart from the vicinity of Zonnebeke, which has a gradient of 1:33. From Hooge and further east, the slope is 1:60 and near Hollebeke, it is 1:75; the heights are subtle and resemble a saucer lip around the city. The main ridge has spurs sloping east and one is particularly noticeable at Wytschaete, which runs 2 mi (3.2 km) south-east to Messines (Mesen) with a gentle slope on the east side and a 1:10 decline westwards. Further south, is the muddy valley of the River Douve, Ploegsteert Wood (Plugstreet to the British) and Hill 63. West of Messines Ridge is the parallel Wulverghem (Spanbroekmolen) Spur and on the east side, the Oosttaverne Spur, which is also parallel to the main ridge. The general aspect south and east of Ypres, is one of low ridges and dips, gradually flattening northwards beyond Passchendaele, into a featureless plain. Possession of the higher ground to the south and east of Ypres, gives an army ample scope for ground observation, enfilade fire and converging artillery bombardments. An occupier also has the advantage that artillery deployments and the movement of reinforcements, supplies and stores can be screened from view. The ridge had woods from Wytschaete to Zonnebeke giving good cover, some being of notable size, like Polygon Wood and those later named Battle Wood, Shrewsbury Forest and Sanctuary Wood. In 1914, the woods usually had undergrowth but by 1917, artillery bombardments had reduced the woods to tree stumps, shattered tree trunks tangled with barbed wire and more wire festooning the ground, which was full of shell-holes; fields in the gaps between the woods were 800–1,000 yd (730–910 m) wide and devoid of cover. The main road to Ypres from Poperinge to Vlamertinge is in a defile, easily observed from the ridge. Roads in the area were unpaved, except for the main ones from Ypres, with occasional villages and houses dotted along them. The lowland west of the ridge was a mixture of meadows and fields, with high hedgerows dotted with trees, cut by streams and a network of drainage ditches emptying into canals. ### Topography In Flanders, sands, gravels and marls predominate, covered by silts in places. The coastal strip is sandy but a short way into the hinterland, the ground rises towards the Vale of Ypres, which before 1914 was a flourishing market garden. Ypres is 66 ft (20 m) above sea level; Bixschoote 4 mi (6.4 km) to the north is at 28 ft (8.5 m). To the east the land is at 66–82 ft (20–25 m) for several miles, with the Steenbeek river at 49 ft (15 m) near St Julien. There is a low ridge from Messines, 260 ft (80 m) at its highest point, running north-east past Clapham Junction at the west end of Gheluvelt plateau (2+1⁄2 miles from Ypres at 213 ft (65 m) and Gheluvelt, above 160 ft (50 m) to Passchendaele, (5+1⁄2 miles from Ypres at 160 ft (50 m) declining from there to a plain further north. Gradients vary from negligible, to 1:60 at Hooge and 1:33 at Zonnebeke. Underneath the soil is London clay, sand and silt; according to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission categories of sand, sandy soils and well-balanced soils, Messines ridge is well-balanced soil and the ground around Ypres is sandy soil. The ground is drained by many streams, canals and ditches, which need regular maintenance. Since the First Battle of Ypres in 1914, much of the drainage had been destroyed, though some parts were restored by land drainage companies from England. The area was considered by the British to be drier than Loos, Givenchy-lès-la-Bassée (Givenchy) and Plugstreet (Ploegsteert) Wood further south. ## Prelude ### British preparations The Second Army centralised its artillery and devised a plan of great sophistication, following the precedent set at the Battle of Arras in April. The use of field survey, gun calibration, weather data and a new and highly accurate 1:10,000 scale map, much improved artillery accuracy. Systematic target-finding was established by the use of new sound-ranging equipment, better organisation of flash-spotting and the communication of results through the Army Report Centre at Locre Château. Counter-battery artillery bombardments increased from twelve in the week ending 19 April, to 438 in the last ten days before the attack. A survey of captured ground after the battle found that 90 per cent of the German artillery positions had been plotted. The 2nd Field Survey Company also assisted mining companies by establishing the positions of objectives within the German lines, using intersection and a special series of aerial photographs. The company surveyed advanced artillery positions for guns to be moved forward to them and open fire as soon as they arrived. The British had begun a mining offensive against the Wijtschatebogen (Wytschaete position) in 1916. Sub-surface conditions were especially complex and separate ground water tables made mining difficult. Two military geologists assisted the miners from March 1916, including Edgeworth David, who planned the system of mines. Sappers dug the tunnels into a layer of blue clay 80–120 ft (24–37 m) underground, then drifted galleries for 5,964 yd (3.389 mi; 5.453 km) to points deep underneath the front position of Gruppe Wijtschate, despite German counter-mining. German tunnellers came close to several British mine chambers, found the mine at La Petite Douve Farm and wrecked the chamber with a camouflet. The British diverted the attention of German miners from their deepest galleries by making many secondary attacks in the upper levels. Co-ordinated by tunnelling companies of the Royal Engineers, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand and British miners laid 26 mines with 447 long tons (454 t) of ammonal explosive. Two mines were laid at Hill 60 on the northern flank, one at St Eloi, three at Hollandscheschuur, two at Petit Bois, one each at Maedelstede Farm, Peckham House and Spanbroekmolen, four at Kruisstraat, one at Ontario Farm and two each at trenches 127 and 122 on the southern flank. One of the largest of the mines was at Spanbroekmolen; Lone Tree Crater formed by the blast of 91,000 lb (41,277 kg) of ammonal in a chamber at the end of a gallery 1,710 ft (0.324 mi) long, 88 ft (27 m) below ground was 250 ft (76 m) in diameter and 40 ft (12 m) deep. The British knew of the importance the Germans placed on holding the Wijtschate salient, after a captured corps order from Gruppe Wijtschate stating "that the salient be held at all costs" was received by Haig on 1 June. In the week before the attack, 2,230 guns and howitzers bombarded the German trenches, cut wire, destroyed strongpoints and conducted counter-battery fire against 630 German artillery pieces, using 3,561,530 shells. The 4th Army artillery consisted of 236 field guns, 108 field howitzers, fifty-four 100–130 mm guns, twenty-four 150 mm guns, 174 medium howitzers, 40 heavy howitzers and four heavy 210 mm and 240 mm guns. In May, the 4th Australian Division, 11th (Northern) Division and the 24th Division were transferred from Arras as reserve divisions for the Second Army corps in the attack on Messines Ridge. Seventy-two of the new Mark IV tanks also arrived in May and were hidden south-west of Ypres. British aircraft began to move north from the Arras front, the total rising to about 300 operational aircraft in the II Brigade RFC (Second Army) area. The mass of artillery to be used in the attack was supported by many artillery-observation and photographic reconnaissance aircraft, in the corps squadrons which had been increased from twelve to eighteen aircraft each. Strict enforcement of wireless procedure allowed a reduction of the minimum distance between observation aircraft from 1,000 yd (910 m) at Arras in April to 400 yd (370 m) at Messines, without mutual wireless interference. Wire-cutting bombardments began on 21 May and two days were added to the bombardment for more counter-battery fire. The main bombardment began on 31 May, with only one day of poor weather before the attack. Two flights of each observation squadron concentrated on counter-battery observation and one became a bombardment flight, working with particular artillery bombardment groups for wire cutting and trench-destruction; these flights were to become contact-patrols to observe the positions of British troops once the assault began. The attack barrage was rehearsed on 3 June to allow British air observers to plot masked German batteries, which mainly remained hidden but many minor flaws in the British barrage were reported. A repeat performance on 5 June, induced a larger number of hidden German batteries to reveal themselves. The 25th Division made its preparations on a front from the Wulverghem–Messines road to the Wulverghem–Wytschaete road, facing 1,200 yd (1,100 m) of the German front line, which tapered to the final objective, 700 yd (640 m) wide, at the near crest of the ridge, 3,000 yd (1.7 mi; 2.7 km) distant, behind nine German defensive lines. The advance would begin up a short rise to the near edge of the Steenbeek Valley, then up the steep rise from the valley floor between Hell and Sloping Roof farms to Four Huns, Chest and Middle farms on the main ridge, with Lumm Farm on the left flank of the objective. Artillery emplacements for the 25th divisional artillery and 112th Army Field Brigade were built and the Guards Division field artillery was placed in concealed forward positions. Road making and the construction of dugouts and communication trenches took place first between 12 and 30 April and then between 11 May and 6 June. In three hours, an assembly trench was dug 150 yd (140 m) from the German front line on the night of 30/31 May, complete with communication trenches and barbed wire. Bridges and ladders were delivered in the two days before the attack. 13,000 yd (7.4 mi; 12 km) of telephone cable was dug in at least 7 ft (2.1 m) deep, which withstood fifty German artillery hits before the British attack. Large numbers of posts for machine-guns to fire an overhead barrage were built and protective pits were dug for mules, each of which was to carry 2,000 rounds of ammunition to advanced troops. (Machine-guns were fired like artillery, over the heads of the advancing infantry. The bullets of an overhead barrage came down ahead of the attacking troops on German-held areas, forcing the garrison under cover.) Three field companies of engineers with a pioneer battalion were kept in reserve, to follow up the attacking infantry, rebuild roads and work on defensive positions as ground was consolidated. The divisional artillery devised a creeping and standing barrage plan and time-table, tailored to the estimated rates of advance of the infantry. The standing barrage lifts were to keep all trenches within 1,500 yd (1,400 m) of the infantry under continuous fire. The 4.5-inch howitzer, 6-inch howitzer and 8-inch howitzers involved, were to change targets only when infantry got within 300 yd (270 m). The 18-pounder field gun standing barrages would then jump over the creeping barrages to the next series of objectives. The concealed guns of the Guards Division field artillery were to join the creeping barrage for the advance at 4:50 a.m. and at 7:00 a.m. the 112th Army Field Brigade was to advance to the old front line, to be ready for an anticipated German counter-attack by 11:00 a.m The 47th (1/2nd London) Division planned to attack with two brigades, each reinforced by a battalion from the reserve brigade, along either side of the Ypres–Comines Canal. Large numbers of machine-guns were organised to fire offensive and defensive barrages and signal detachments were organised to advance with the infantry. An observation balloon was reserved for messages by signal lamp from the front line, as insurance against the failure of telephone lines and message-runners. The divisional trench mortar batteries were to bombard the German front line opposite the 142nd Brigade, where it was too close for the artillery to shell without endangering British troops. Wire-cutting began in mid-May, against considerable local retaliation by German artillery. At the end of May the two attacking brigades went to Steenvoorde to train on practice courses built to resemble the German positions, using air reconnaissance photographs to mark the positions of machine-gun posts and hidden barbed wire. Divisional intelligence summaries were used to plan the capture of German company and battalion headquarters. The 140th Brigade, with four tanks attached, was to occupy White Château and the adjacent part of Damstrasse, while the 142nd Brigade attacked the spoil heaps and the canal bank to the left. On 1 June, the British artillery began the intense stage of the preparatory bombardment for trench-destruction and wire cutting; the two attacking brigades assembled for the attack from 4 to 6 June. British fighter aircraft tried to prevent German artillery-observation aircraft from operating by dominating the air from the British front line to the German balloon line, about 10,000 yd (5.7 mi; 9.1 km) beyond. Better aircraft like the Bristol Fighter, S.E.5a and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) Sopwith Triplane had entered service since Arras and matched the performance of German Albatros D.III and Halberstadt D.II fighters. For the week before the attack, the barrage line was patrolled all day by fighters at 15,000 ft (4,600 m) with more aircraft at 12,000 ft (3,700 m) in the centre of the attack front. No British corps aircraft were shot down by German aircraft until 7 June, when 29 corps aircraft were able to direct artillery fire simultaneously over the three attacking corps. Behind the barrage line lay a second line of defence, which used wireless interception to take bearings on German artillery-observation aircraft to guide British aircraft into areas where German flights were most frequent. By June 1917, each British army had a control post of two aeroplane compass stations and an aeroplane intercepting station, linked by telephone to the army wing headquarters, fighter squadrons, the anti-aircraft commander and the corps heavy artillery headquarters. The new anti-aircraft communication links allowed areas threatened by German bombardment to be warned, German artillery spotting aircraft to be attacked and German artillery batteries to be fired on when they revealed themselves. From 1 to 7 June, the II Brigade RFC had 47 calls from wireless interception, shot down one German aircraft, damaged seven and stopped 22 German artillery bombardments. Normal offensive patrols continued beyond the barrage line out to a line from Ypres to Roulers and Menin, where large formations of British and German aircraft clashed in long dogfights, once German air reinforcements began operating in the area. Longer-range bombing and reconnaissance flights concentrated on German-occupied airfields and railway stations and the night bombing specialists of 100 Squadron attacked trains around Lille, Courtrai, Roulers and Comines. Two squadrons were reserved for close air support on the battlefield and low attacks on German airfields. ### Plan The British planned to advance on a 17,000 yd (9.7 mi; 16 km) front, from St Yves to Mt Sorrel, eastwards to the Oosttaverne line, a maximum depth of 3,000 yd (1.7 mi; 2.7 km). Three intermediate objectives, originally to be reached a day at a time, became halts, where fresh infantry would leap-frog through to gain the ridge in one day. In the afternoon a further advance down the ridge was to be made. The attack was to be conducted by three corps of the Second Army (General Sir Herbert Plumer). II Anzac Corps in the south-east was to advance 800 yd (730 m), IX Corps in the centre was to attack on a 5,000 yd (2.8 mi; 4.6 km) front, which would taper to 2,000 yd (1.1 mi; 1.8 km) at the summit and X Corps in the north had an attack front 1,200 yd (1,100 m) wide. The corps planned their attacks under the supervision of the army commander, using analyses of the Somme operations of 1916 and successful features of the attack at Arras on 9 April as guides. Great care was taken in the planning of counter-battery fire, the artillery barrage time-table and machine-gun barrages. German artillery positions and the second (Höhenstellung) (Contour Position) position were not visible to British ground observers. For observation over the rear slopes of the ridge, 300 aircraft were concentrated in II Brigade RFC and eight balloons of II Kite Balloon Wing were placed 3,000–5,000 ft (910–1,520 m) behind the British front line. The Second Army artillery commander, Major-General George Franks, co-ordinated the corps artillery plans, particularly the heavy artillery arrangements to suppress German artillery, which were devised by the corps and divisional artillery commanders. The Second Army Report Centre at Locre Château was linked by buried cable to each corps report centre, corps heavy artillery headquarters, divisional artillery headquarters, RFC squadrons, balloon headquarters, survey stations and wireless stations. Responsibility for counter-battery fire was given to a counter-battery staff officer with a small staff, who concentrated exclusively on the defeat of the German artillery. A conference was held each evening by the counter-battery staffs of divisions and corps, methodically to collate the day's reports from observation aircraft and balloons, field survey companies, sound ranging sections and forward observation officers. Each corps had a counter-battery area, which was divided into zones and allotted to heavy artillery groups. Each heavy artillery group headquarters divided their zones into map squares, which were allotted to artillery batteries, to be ready swiftly to open fire on them. The attacking corps organised their heavy artillery within the army plan according to local conditions. II Anzac Corps created four counter-battery groups, each with one heavy artillery group and IX Corps arranged four similar groups and five bombardment groups, one for each of its three divisions and two (with the heaviest howitzers) in reserve, under the control of the corps heavy artillery commander. A Heavy Artillery Group Commander was attached to each divisional artillery headquarters, to command the heavy artillery once the infantry attack began. Field artillery arrangements within corps also varied, in IX Corps groups and sub-groups were formed so that infantry brigades had an artillery liaison officer and two sub-groups, one with six 18-pounder batteries and one with six 4.5-inch howitzer batteries. Surplus field artillery brigade headquarters planned forward moves for the guns and were kept ready to replace casualties. It was expected that much of the artillery would need to switch rapidly from the bombardment plan to engage counter-attacking German infantry. It was planned that the Forward Observation Officers of the divisions in the first attack onto the ridge would control the artillery which had remained in place and the reserve divisions advancing down the far slope to the Oosttaverne line would control the artillery hidden close to the front line and the artillery which advanced into no-man's-land. Franks planned to neutralise German guns within 9,000 yd (5.1 mi; 8.2 km) of the attack front. On the flanks of the British attack front of 17,000 yd (9.7 mi; 16 km), 169 German guns had been located, for which 42 British guns (25 per cent of the German total) were set aside. The 299 German guns in the path of the attack were each to be engaged by a British gun, a formula which required 341 British guns and howitzers to be reserved for counter-battery fire. Every 45 yd (41 m) of front had a medium or heavy howitzer for bombardment, which required 378 guns, with 38 super-heavy guns and howitzers (five per cent) deployed with the field artillery that was due to fire the creeping and standing barrages. Franks devised a bombardment timetable and added arrangements for a massed machine-gun barrage. The 756 medium and heavy guns and howitzers were organised in forty groups and the 1,510 field guns and howitzers in sixty-four field artillery brigades within the attacking divisions and thirty-three Army field artillery brigades, divided among the three attacking corps; 144,000 long tons (146,311 t) of ammunition was delivered, 1,000 shells for each 18-pounder, 750 shells per 4.5-inch howitzer, 500 rounds for each medium and heavy piece and another 120,000 gas and 60,000 smoke shells for the 18-pounder field guns. Two-thirds of the 18-pounders were to fire a creeping barrage of shrapnel immediately ahead of the advance, while the remainder of the field guns and 4.5-inch howitzers were to fire a standing barrage, 700 yd (640 m) further ahead on German positions, lifting to the next target when the infantry came within 400 yd (370 m) of the barrage. Each division was given four extra batteries of field artillery, which could be withdrawn from the barrage at the divisional commander's discretion to engage local targets. The field batteries of the three reserve divisions were placed in camouflaged positions close to the British front line. As each objective was taken by the infantry, the creeping barrage was to pause 150–300 yd (140–270 m) ahead and become a standing barrage while the infantry consolidated. During this time the pace of fire was to slacken to one round per-gun per-minute, allowing the gun-crews a respite, before resuming full intensity as the barrage moved on. The heavy and super-heavy artillery was to fire on German artillery positions and rear areas and 700 machine-guns were to fire a barrage over the heads of the advancing troops. At 03:00 a.m. the mines were to be detonated, followed by the attack of nine divisions onto the ridge. The blue line (first objective) was to be occupied by zero + 1:40 hours followed by a two-hour pause. At zero + 3:40 hours the advance to the black line (second objective) would begin and consolidation was to start by zero + 5 hours. Fresh troops from the unengaged brigades of the attacking divisions or from the reserve divisions would then pass through, to attack the Oosttaverne line at zero + 10 hours. As soon as the black line was captured, all guns were to bombard the Oosttaverne line, conduct counter-battery fire and place a standing barrage beyond the black line. All operational tanks were to join with the 24 held in reserve, to support the infantry advance to the Oosttaverne line. ### German preparations The Messines defences were on a forward slope and could be overlooked from Haubourdin Hill (Hill 63), the south end of the Douve Valley and Kemmel Hill, 5,000 yd (2.8 mi; 4.6 km) west of Wijtschate, an arrangement which the experience of 1916 showed to be obsolete. A new line, incorporating the revised principles of defence derived from the experience of the Battle of the Somme, known as the Flandernstellung, began in February 1917. The first section began 6 mi (9.7 km) behind Messines Ridge, running north from the Lys to Linselles then Werviq and Beselare, where the nearest areas giving good artillery observation to the west were found. In April, Field Marshal Crown Prince Rupprecht and his chief of staff, Generalleutnant (Lieutenant-General) Hermann von Kuhl, favoured withdrawal to the Warneton (third) line, before a British attack. The local divisional commanders objected, due to their belief that counter-mining had neutralised the British underground threat and the inadequacy of the Warneton line. The convex eastern slope limited artillery observation and the Ypres–Comines canal and the river Lys restricted the space below the ridge where infantry could manoeuvre for counter-attacks. British observation from the ridge would make the ground to the east untenable as far as the Flandernstellung 6 mi (9.7 km) beyond. A withdrawal to the Flandernstellung would endanger the southern slopes of Menin Ridge, the most important area of the Flandernstellung. Rupprecht re-examined the Warneton (third) line and the extra Sehnenstellung between the Warneton Line and the Höhenstellung (Contour Position) and dropped the withdrawal proposal. Gruppe Wijtschate of the 4th Army, with three divisions under the command of the headquarters of XIX Corps (General Maximilian von Laffert), held the ridge and was reinforced with the 24th Division in early May. The 35th and 3rd Bavarian divisions were brought up as Eingreif divisions and Gruppe Wijtschate was substantially reinforced with artillery, ammunition and aircraft. The vulnerability of the northern end of Messines Ridge, where it met the Menin Ridge, led to the German command limiting the frontage of the 204th (Württemberg) Division to 2,600 yd (1.5 mi; 2.4 km). The 24th Division to the south held 2,800 yd (1.6 mi; 2.6 km) and the 2nd Division at Wijtschate held 4,000 yd (2.3 mi; 3.7 km). In the south-east, 4,800 yd (2.7 mi; 4.4 km) of the front line either side of the river Douve, was defended by the 40th Division. The front-line was lightly held, with fortifications distributed up to 0.5 mi (0.80 km) behind the front line. At the end of May, British artillery fire was so damaging that the 24th and 40th divisions were relieved by the 35th and 3rd Bavarian (Eingreif) divisions, which were replaced by the 7th and 1st Guard Reserve divisions in early June; relief of the 2nd Division was promised for 7/8 June. The German front line regiments held areas 700–1,200 yd (640–1,100 m) wide with one (Kampf) battalion forward, one (Bereitschaft) battalion in support and the third in reserve 3–4 mi (4.8–6.4 km) back. The Kampf battalion usually had three companies in the front system (which had three lines of breastworks called "Ia", "Ib" and "Ic") and one in the Sonne (intermediate) line (with a company of the support battalion, available for immediate counter-attack) between the front system and the Höhenstellung on the ridge crest. The other three companies of the support battalion sheltered in the Höhenstellung. About 32 machine-gun posts per regimental sector were dispersed around the defensive zone. The German defence was intended to be mobile and Stosstruppen in "Ic" the third breastwork had to conduct immediate counter-attacks to recapture "Ia" and "Ib". If they had to fall back, the support battalions would advance to restore the front system, except at Spanbroekmolen Hill, which due to its importance was to be held at all costs (unbedingtes Halten). On 8 May, the British preliminary bombardment began and on 23 May became much heavier. The breastworks of the front defences were demolished and concrete shelters on both sides of the ridge were systematically destroyed. Air superiority allowed the British artillery observation aircraft to cruise over the German defences, despite the efforts of Jagdgeschwader 1 (the Richthofen Circus). On 26 May, the German front garrisons were ordered to move forward 50 yd (46 m) into shell-holes in no-man's-land at dawn and return to their shelters at night. When the shelters were destroyed, shell-hole positions were made permanent, as were those of the companies further back. Troops in the Höhenstellung were withdrawn behind the ridge and by the end of May, the front battalions changed every two days instead of every five, due to the effect of the British bombardment. Some German troops on the ridge were convinced of the mine danger and their morale was depressed further by the statement of a prisoner taken on 6 June, that the attack would be synchronised with mine explosions. On 1 June, the British bombardment became more intense and nearly every German defensive position on the forward slope was obliterated. The Luftstreitkräfte (German air service) effort reached its maximum on 4 and 5 June, when German aircraft observed 74 counter-battery shoots and wireless interception by the British showed 62 German aircraft, escorted by up to seven fighters each, directing artillery fire against the Second Army. British air observation on the reverse slope was less effective than in the foreground but the villages of Mesen and Wijtschate were demolished, as were much of the Höhenstellung and Sehnenstellung, although many pill boxes survived. Long-range fire on Comines, Warneton, Wervicq and villages, road junctions, railways and bridges caused much damage and a number of ammunition dumps were destroyed. ## Battle ### Second Army Fine weather was forecast for 4 June, with perhaps a morning haze (between 15 May and 9 June the weather was fair or fine except for 16, 17 and 29 May, when it was very bad). Zero Day was fixed for 7 June, with zero hour at 3:10 a.m., when it was expected that a man could be seen from the west at 100 yd (91 m). There was a thunderstorm in the evening of 6 June but by midnight the sky had cleared and at 2:00 a.m., British aircraft cruised over the German lines to camouflage the sound of tanks as they drove to their starting points. By 3:00 a.m., the attacking troops had reached their jumping-off positions unnoticed, except for some in the II Anzac Corps area. Routine British artillery night firing stopped around half an hour before dawn and birdsong could be heard. At 3:10 a.m. the mines began to detonate. After the explosions, the British artillery began to fire at maximum rate. A creeping barrage in three belts 700 yd (640 m) deep began and counter-battery groups bombarded all known German artillery positions with gas shell. The nine attacking divisions and the three in reserve began their advance as the German artillery reply came scattered and late, falling on British assembly trenches after they had been vacated. #### First objective (blue line) The II Anzac Corps objective was the southern part of the ridge and Messines village. The 3rd Australian Division on the right, had been disorganised by a German gas bombardment on Ploegsteert (Plugstreet to the British) Wood around midnight, which caused 500 casualties during the approach march but the attack between St Yves and the river Douve began on time. The 9th and 10th Brigades benefitted from four mine explosions at Trenches 122 and 127, which were seven seconds early and left craters 200 ft (61 m) wide and 20 ft (6.1 m) deep. The craters disrupted the Australian attack formation, some infantry lines merging into a wave before reforming as they advanced. The New Zealand Division approached over Hill 63 and avoided the German gas bombardment. The two attacking brigades crossed the dry riverbed of the Steenebeke and took the German front line, despite the mine at La Petite Douve Farm not being fired and then advanced towards Messines village. On the left of the corps, the 25th Division began its advance 600 yd (550 m) further back than the New Zealand Division but quickly caught up, helped by the mine at Ontario Farm. On the right of IX Corps, the 36th (Ulster) Division attack on the front of the 107th Brigade, was supported by three mines at Kruisstraat and the big mine at Spanbroekmolen, 800 yd (730 m) further north. The 109th Brigade on the left was helped by a mine at Peckham House and the devastated area was crossed without resistance, as German survivors in the area had been stunned by the mine explosions. The 16th (Irish) Division attacked between Maedelstede Farm and the Vierstraat–Wytschaete road. The mines at Maedelstede and the two at Petit Bois devastated the defence; the mines at Petit Bois on the left were about 12 seconds late and knocked over some of the advancing British infantry. On the left of IX Corps, the 19th Division, north of the Vierstraat–Wytschaete road, attacked with two brigades into the remains of Grand Bois and Bois Quarante. Three mine explosions at Hollandscheschuur allowed the infantry to take a dangerous salient at Nag's Nose, as German survivors surrendered or retreated. X Corps had a relatively short advance of 700 yd (640 m) to the crest and another 600 yd (550 m) across the summit, which would uncover the German defences further north on the southern slope of the Gheluvelt plateau and the ground back to Zandvoorde. The German defences had been strengthened and had about double the normal infantry garrison. The German artillery concentration around Zandvoorde made a British attack in the area highly vulnerable but the British counter-battery effort suppressed the German artillery, its replies being late and ragged. On the night of 6/7 June, gaps were cut in the British wire to allow the troops to assemble in no-man's-land, ready to attack at 3:10 a.m. The 41st Division attacked with two brigades past a mine under the St Eloi salient, finding the main obstacle to be wreckage caused by the explosion. The 47th and 23rd divisions formed the left defensive flank of the attack, advancing onto the ridge around the Ypres–Comines canal and railway, past the mines at Caterpillar and Hill 60. The cuttings of the canal and railway were a warren of German dug-outs but the 47th Division, advancing close up to the creeping barrage, crossed the 300 yd (270 m) of the German front position in 15 minutes, German infantry surrendering along the way. Soft ground in the valley south of Mt Sorrel, led the two infantry brigades of the 23rd Division to advance on either side up to the near crest of the ridge, arriving while the ground still shook from the mines at Hill 60. In the areas of the mine explosions, the British infantry found dead, wounded and stunned German soldiers. The attackers swept through the gaps in the German defences as Germans further back hurriedly withdrew. About 80,000 British troops advanced up the slope, the creeping bombardment throwing up lots of smoke and dust, which blocked the view of the German defenders. The barrage moved at 100 yd (91 m) in two minutes, which allowed the leading troops to rush or outflank German strong points and machine-gun nests. Where the Germans were able to resist, they were engaged with rifle-grenades, Lewis Guns and trench mortars, while riflemen and bombers worked behind them. Pillbox fighting tactics had been a great success at the Battle of Vimy Ridge in April and in training for the attack at Messines, the same methods were adopted along with emphasis on mopping-up captured ground, to ensure that bypassed German troops could not engage advancing troops from behind. In the smoke and dust, direction was kept by compass and the German forward zone was easily overrun in the 35 minutes allotted, as was the Sonne line, half way to the German Höhenstellung on the ridge. The two supporting battalions of the attacking brigades leap-frogged through, to advance to the second objective on the near crest of the ridge 500–800 yd (460–730 m) further on. The accuracy of the British barrage was maintained and local German counter-attack attempts were stifled. As the infantry approached the German second line, resistance increased. #### Second objective (black line) In the II Anzac Corps area, the 3rd Australian Division consolidated the southern defensive flank of the attack, digging-in astride the river Douve with its right in the new craters at Trench 122, defeating several hasty German counter-attacks; the left flank of the division was anchored by a captured German strongpoint. The New Zealand Division attacked Messines village, the southern bastion of the German defences on the ridge. The village had been fortified with a line of trenches around the outskirts and an inner defence zone comprising five pillboxes and all the house cellars, which had been converted into shellproof dugouts. Two machine-gun posts on the edge of the village were rushed but fire from Swayne's Farm 400 yd (370 m) north held up the advance, until a tank drove through it and caused 30 German troops to surrender. The New Zealanders penetrated the outer trenches behind the creeping barrage, which slowed to 100 yd (91 m) in 11 minutes. The German garrison defended the village with great determination, before surrendering when the garrison commander was captured. The 25th Division took the Messines–Wytschaete road on the ridge, north of the New Zealand Division with little opposition except at Hell Farm, which was eventually overrun. In the IX Corps area, the 36th (Ulster) Division captured the wreckage of two woods and Bogaert Farm in between, finding that the artillery fire had cut the masses of barbed wire and destroyed many strongpoints. Further north, the 16th (Irish) and 19th divisions advanced through the remains of Wytschaete wood and Grand Bois, which had been hit by a 2,000 oil drum Livens Projector bombardment on the night of 3/4 June and by standing barrages on all the known German positions in the woods. A German force at L'Hospice held out despite being by-passed, until 6:48 a.m. and the objective was reached just after 5:00 a.m. German positions at Dammstrasse, which ran from the St Eloi road to White Château, in the X Corps area, fell to the 41st Division after a long fight. White Château was attacked by the 47th Division as it advanced to the first objective, covered by smoke and Thermite shells fired on the German positions further to the north, along the Comines Canal. The German garrison fought hard and repulsed two attacks, before surrendering after a trench-mortar bombardment at 7:50 a.m. The northern defensive flank was maintained by the 23rd Division, with an advance of 300 yd (270 m) in twenty minutes. A German force at the head of the Zwarteleen re-entrant, south of Mt Sorrel where the two attacking brigades met, held out until forced to surrender by volleys of rifle-grenades. Just after 5:00 a.m. the British second intermediate objective, the first trench of the Höhenstellung, on the near crest of the ridge, had been taken. German documents gleaned from the battlefield showed that they expected the forward crest of the ridge to be held until the Eingreif divisions arrived to counter-attack. The next objective was the rear trench of the Höhenstellung and the rear crest of the ridge, 400–500 yd (370–460 m) away. There was a pause of two hours, for fresh battalions to move forward and the captured ground to be consolidated. About 300 yd (270 m) beyond the forward positions, a protective bombardment by 18-pounders swept back and forth, while the heavier artillery stood ready to respond with SOS barrages. Pack animals and men carrying Yukon packs, brought supplies into the captured ground and engineers supervised the digging and wiring of strongpoints. At 7:00 a.m. the protective bombardment increased in intensity and began to creep forward again, moving at 100 yd (91 m) in three minutes, as some divisions used battalions from their third brigade and other divisions those that had attacked earlier. Most of the tanks still operational were outstripped but some caught up the infantry. Fresh battalions of the New Zealand Division leap-frogged through the battalions which had attacked earlier, advancing either side of Messines, where some German posts still held out. A German artillery headquarters at Blauwen Molen (blue windmill), 500 yd (460 m) beyond Messines, was captured and a tank broke into a strong point at Fanny's Farm, causing a hundred Germans to surrender. The reserve brigade of the 25th Division continued the advance to the north except at Lumm Farm, which was eventually taken with assistance from the right flank troops of the 36th (Ulster) Division. Helped by two tanks, the rest of the 36th (Ulster) Division advanced to the right of Wytschaete village and captured a German battalion headquarters. Wytschaete had been fortified like Messines but special bombardments fired on 3 June had demolished the village. Two battalions of the 16th (Irish) Division overran the German survivors and on the left, the reserve brigade of the 19th Division took the area from Wytschaete village to Oosttaverne Wood with little resistance. X Corps had greater difficulty reaching some of its final objectives; the loss of White Château disorganised the German defenders adjacent to the south. The 41st Division easily crossed the summit and reached the rear slope of the ridge 500 yd (460 m) away, which overlooked the eastern slope and Roozebeke valley, taking many prisoners at Denys and Ravine woods. North of the canal, the 47th Division had to capture a spoil heap 400 yd (370 m) long, where several German machine-gun nests had been dug in. The British attacks established a footing on the heap at great cost, due to machine-gun fire from the spoil heap and others in Battle Wood further north. At 9:00 a.m. the infantry withdrew to allow the area to be bombarded from 2:30 to 6:55 p.m. for an attack by a reserve battalion at 7:00 p.m. The 23rd Division had many casualties caused by flanking machine-gun fire from the spoil heap while clearing Battle Wood, which took until the evening. In the centre of the attack, a company from each battalion advanced behind the barrage, to an observation line several hundred yards down the east slope of the ridge, at 8:40 a.m. assisted by eight tanks and patrols of cavalry. Most German troops encountered surrendered quickly, except at Leg Copse and Oosttaverne Wood where they offered slight resistance. British aircraft added to German difficulties, with low-level machine-gun attacks. The second objective (the observation line) from Bethlehem Farm to south of Messines, Despagne Farm and Oosttaverne Wood, was reached with few casualties. Ground markers were put out for the three divisions due to attack in the afternoon and the area consolidated. The defensive frontages of the British units on the ridge had been based on an assumption that casualties in the advance to the first intermediate objective (blue line) would be 50 per cent and in the advance to the ridge (black line) would be 60 per cent. There were far fewer British casualties than anticipated, which caused congestion on the ridge, where the attacking troops suffered considerable casualties from German long-range machine-gun and artillery fire. The British planners expected that the two German Eingreif divisions behind the ridge would begin organised counter-attacks at about 11:00 a.m., and arranged for a long pause in the advance down the eastern slope, thereby enabling an attack from consolidated defensive positions, rather than an encounter in the open while the British were still advancing. The masked batteries of the three reserve divisions were used to add to the protective barrage in front of the infantry but no Germans could be seen. #### Final objective (Oosttaverne line) A pause of five hours was considered necessary to defeat the German Eingreif divisions, before resuming the advance on the Oosttaverne (Sehnen) line. The pause was extended by two hours to 3:10 p.m., after Plumer received reports on the state of the ground. More artillery joined the masked batteries close to the front line and others moved as far into no-man's-land as the terrain allowed. On the nearside of the ridge, 146 machine-guns were prepared to fire an overhead barrage, and each division placed sixteen more guns in the observation line on the eastern slope. The 24 tanks in reserve began to advance at 10:30 a.m. to join II Anzac Corps and IX Corps on the flanks. Surviving tanks of the morning attack in X Corps, were to join in from Damm and Denys woods. The 4th Australian Division continued the attack on the II Anzac Corps front, the right hand brigade reaching the assembly areas by 11:30 a.m., before learning of the postponement. The brigade had to lie on open ground under German artillery and machine-gun fire, which caused considerable loss but the left brigade was informed in time to hold back until 1:40 p.m. The bombardment began to creep down the slope at 3:10 p.m. at a rate of 100 yd (91 m) in three minutes. The right brigade advanced on a 2,000 yd (1,800 m) front towards the Oosttaverne line, from the river Douve north to the Blauwepoortbeek (Blue Gate Brook). German machine-gunners in the pillboxes of the Oosttaverne line caused many casualties but with support from three tanks the Australians reached the pillboxes, except for those to the north of the Messines–Warneton road. As the Australians outflanked the strongpoints, the Germans tried to retreat through the British barrage, which had stopped moving 300 yd (270 m) beyond the rear trench of the Oosttaverne line. The left flank brigade was stopped on its right flank by fire from the German pillboxes north of the Messines–Warneton road up to the Blauwepoortbeek, 500 yd (460 m) short of the Oosttaverne line, with many casualties. The left battalion, unaware that the 33rd Brigade (11th Division) to the north had been delayed, veered towards the north-east to try to make contact near Lumm Farm, which took the battalion across the Wambeke Spur instead of straight down. The objective was easily reached but at the Wambeek, 1,000 yd (910 m) north of the intended position. The Australians extended their line further north to Polka Estaminet trying to meet the 33rd Brigade, which arrived at 4:30 p.m. with four tanks. The brigade took Joye and Van Hove farms beyond the objective, silencing the machine-guns being fired from them. On the IX Corps front, the 33rd Brigade (11th Division) had been ordered to advance to Vandamme Farm at 9:25 a.m. but the message was delayed and the troops did not reach the assembly area at Rommens Farm until 3:50 p.m., half an hour late. To cover the delay, the corps commander ordered the 57th Brigade (19th Division) from reserve, to take the Oosttaverne line from Van Hove Farm to Oosttaverne village then to Bug Wood, so that only the southern 1,200 yd (1,100 m) were left for the 33rd Brigade. These orders were also delayed and the 19th Division commander asked for a postponement then ordered the 57th Brigade to advance without waiting for the 33rd Brigade. The troops only knew that they were to advance downhill and keep up to the barrage but were able to occupy the objective in 20 minutes against light opposition, meeting the Australians at Polka Estaminet. Two brigades of the 24th Division in Corps reserve advanced into the X Corps sector and reached Dammstrasse on time. The brigades easily reached their objectives around Bug Wood, Rose Wood and Verhaest Farm, taking unopposed many German pillboxes. The brigades captured 289 Germans and six field guns for a loss of six casualties, advancing 800 yd (730 m) along the Roozebeek valley, then took Ravine Wood unopposed on the left flank. The left battalion was drawn back to meet the 47th Division, which was still held up by machine-gun fire from the spoil bank. The final objectives of the British offensive had been taken, except for the area of the Ypres–Comines canal near the spoil bank and 1,000 yd (910 m) of the Oosttaverne line, at the junction of the II Anzac Corps and IX Corps. Despite a heavy bombardment until 6:55 p.m., the Germans at the spoil bank repulsed another infantry attack. The reserve battalion which had been moved up for the second attack on the spoil bank, had been caught in a German artillery bombardment while assembling for the attack. The companies which attacked then met with massed machine-gun fire during the advance and only advanced half way to the spoil bank. The 207 survivors of the original 301 infantry, were withdrawn when German reinforcements were seen arriving from the canal cutting and no further attempts were made. The situation near the Blauwepoortbeek worsened, when German troops were seen assembling near Steingast Farm, close to the Warneton road. A British SOS barrage fell on the 12th Australian Brigade, which was inadvertently digging-in 250 yd (230 m) beyond its objective. The Australians stopped the German counter-attack with small-arms fire but many survivors began to withdraw spontaneously, until they stopped in relative safety on the ridge. As darkness fell and being under the impression that all the Australians had retired, New Zealand artillery observers called for the barrage to be brought closer to the observation line, when they feared a German counter-attack. The bombardment fell on the rest of the Australians, who withdrew with many casualties, leaving the southern part of the Oosttaverne line unoccupied, as well as the gap around the Blauwepoortbeek. An SOS barrage on the IX Corps front stopped a German counter-attack from the Roozebeke valley but many shells fell short, precipitating another informal withdrawal. Rumour led to the barrage being moved closer to the observation line, which added to British casualties until 10:00 p.m., when the infantry managed to get the artillery stopped and were then able to re-occupy the positions. Operations to re-take the Oosttaverne line in the II Anzac Corps area started at 3:00 a.m. on 8 June. ### Air operations As the infantry moved to the attack contact-patrol aircraft flew low overhead, two being maintained over each corps during the day. The observers were easily able to plot the positions of experienced troops, who lit flares and waved anything to attract attention. Some troops, poorly trained and inexperienced, failed to co-operate, fearing exposure to the Germans; aircraft flew dangerously low to identify them, four being shot down in consequence. Although air observation was not as vital to German operations because of their control of commanding ground, the speed by which reports from air observation could be delivered, made it a most valuable form of liaison between the front line and higher commanders. German infantry proved as reluctant to reveal themselves as the British and German flyers also had to make visual identifications. Reports and maps were dropped at divisional headquarters and corps report centres, allowing the progress of the infantry to be followed. During the pause on the ridge crest, an observer reported that the Oosttaverne line was barely occupied; at 2:00 p.m. a balloon observer reported a German barrage on the II Anzac Corps front and a counter-attack patrol aircraft reported German infantry advancing either side of Messines. The German counter-attack was "crushed" by artillery fire by 2:30 p.m. Each corps squadron kept an aircraft on counter-attack patrol all day, to call for barrage fire if German troops were seen in the open but the speed of the British advance resulted in few German counter-attacks. Artillery observers watched for German gunfire and made 398 zone calls but only 165 managed to have German guns engaged. The observers regulated the bombardment of the Oosttaverne line and the artillery of VIII Corps to the north of the attack, which was able to enfilade German artillery opposite X Corps. Fourteen fighters were sent to conduct low altitude strafes on German ground targets ahead of the British infantry and rove behind German lines, attacking infantry, transport, gun-teams and machine-gun nests; the attacks continued all day, two of the fighters being shot down. Organised attacks were made on the German airfields at Bisseghem and Marcke near Courtrai and the day bombing squadrons attacked airfields at Ramegnies Chin, Coucou, Bisseghem (again) and Rumbeke. Reports of German troops concentrating from Quesnoy to Warneton were received and aircraft set out to attack them within minutes. German fighters made a considerable effort to intercept corps observation aircraft over the battlefield but were frustrated by patrols on the barrage line and offensive patrols beyond; only one British corps aircraft was shot down by German aircraft. After dark, the night-bombing specialists of 100 Squadron bombed railway stations at Warneton, Menin and Courtrai. The situation at the north end of the II Anzac Corps front was discovered by air reconnaissance at dawn on 8 June. ### German 4th Army At 2:50 a.m. on 7 June, the British artillery bombardment ceased; expecting an immediate infantry assault, the German defenders returned to their forward positions. At 3:10 a.m. the mines were detonated, killing c. 10,000 German soldiers and destroying most of the middle breastwork Ib of the front system, paralysing the survivors of the eleven German battalions in the front line, who were swiftly overrun. The explosions occurred while some of the German front line troops were being relieved, catching both groups in the blasts and British artillery fire resumed at the same moment as the explosions. Some of the Stoßtruppen (Stormtroops) in breastwork Ic were able to counter-attack but were overwhelmed quickly as the British advanced on the Sonnestellung (Sun Position), which usually held half of the support battalions but had been reduced to about 100 men and six machine-guns, in each 800 yd (730 m) regimental zone. Smoke and dust from the British barrage limited visibility to 100 yd (91 m) and some defenders thought that figures moving towards them were retreating German soldiers, were taken by surprise and overrun. After a pause, the British continued to the Höhenstellung held by half of the support battalions, a company of each reserve battalion and 10–12 machine-guns per regimental sector. Despite daylight, German defenders only saw occasional shapes in the dust and smoke as they were deluged by artillery fire and machine-gunned by swarms of British aircraft. The German defence in the south collapsed and uncovered the left flank of each unit further north in turn, forcing them to retire to the Sehnenstellung. Some German units held out in Wijtschate and near St Eloi, waiting to be relieved by counter-attacks which never came. The garrison of the Kofferberg (Caterpillar or spoil heap to the British) held on for 36 hours until relieved. Laffert had expected that the two Eingreif divisions behind Messines Ridge would reach the Höhenstellung before the British. The divisions had reached assembly areas near Gheluvelt and Warneton by 7:00 a.m. and the 7th Division was ordered to move from Zandvoorde to Hollebeke, to attack across the Comines canal towards Wijtschate on the British northern flank. The 1st Guard Reserve Division was to move to the Warneton line east of Messines, then advance around Messines to recapture the original front system. Both Eingreif divisions were plagued by delays, being new to the area and untrained for counter-attack operations. The 7th Division was shelled by British artillery all the way to the Comines canal, then part of the division was diverted to reinforce the remnants of the front divisions holding positions around Hollebeke. The rest of the division found that the British had already taken the Sehnenstellung, by the time that they arrived at 4:00 p.m. The 1st Guard Reserve Division was also bombarded as it crossed the Warneton (third) line but reached the area east of Messines by 3:00 p.m., only to be devastated by the resumption of the British creeping barrage and forced back to the Sehnenstellung as the British began to advance to their next objective. Laffert contemplated a further withdrawal, then ordered the existing line to be held after the British advance stopped. Most of the losses inflicted on the British infantry by the German defence came from artillery fire. In the days after the main attack, German shellfire on the new British lines was extremely accurate and well-timed, inflicting 90 per cent of the casualties suffered by the 25th Division. ## Aftermath ### Analysis Historians and writers disagree on the strategic significance of the battle, although most describe it as a British tactical and operational success. In 1919, Ludendorff wrote that the British victory cost the German army dear and drained German reserves. Hindenburg wrote that the losses at Messines had been "very heavy" and that he regretted that the ground had not been evacuated; in 1922, Kuhl called it one of the worst German tragedies of the war. In his Dispatches of 1920, Haig described the success of the British plan, organisation and results but refrained from hyperbole, referring to the operation as a successful preliminary to the main offensive at Ypres. In 1930, Basil Liddell Hart thought the success at Messines inflated expectations for the Third Battle of Ypres and that because the circumstances of the operations were different, attempts to apply similar tactics resulted in failure. In 1938 Lloyd George called the battle an aperitif and in 1939, G. C. Wynne judged it to be a "brilliant success", overshadowed by the subsequent tragedy of the Battles of Passchendaele. James Edmonds, the official historian, called it a "great victory" in Military Operations France and Belgium 1917 Part II, published 1948. Prior and Wilson (1997) called the battle a "noteworthy success" but then complained about the decision to postpone exploitation of the success on the Gheluvelt plateau. Ashley Ekins referred to the battle as a great set-piece victory, which was also costly, particularly for the infantry of II Anzac Corps, as did Christopher Pugsley, referring to the experience of the New Zealand Division. Heinz Hagenlücke called it a great British success and that the loss of the ridge had a worse effect on German morale than the number of casualties. Jack Sheldon called it a "significant victory" for the British and a "disaster" for the German army, which was forced into a "lengthy period of anxious waiting". Ian Brown in his 1996 PhD thesis and Andy Simpson in 2001 concluded that extending British supply routes over the ridge, which had been devastated by the mines and millions of shells, to consolidate the Oosttaverne line was necessary. Completion of the infrastructure further north in the Fifth Army area, had to wait before the Northern Operation (Third Battle of Ypres) could begin and was the main reason for the operational pause in June and July. ### Casualties In 1941, Charles Bean, the Australian official historian, recorded II Anzac Corps casualties from 1 to 14 June as 4,978 in the New Zealand Division, 3,379 in the 3rd Australian Division and 2,677 casualties in the 4th Australian Division. In 1948, James Edmonds, the British official historian, gave casualties of 12,391 in the II Anzac Corps, 5,263 in IX Corps, 6,597 in X Corps, 108 in II Corps and 203 in VIII Corps, a total of 24,562 from 1 to 12 June. The 25th Division history gave 3,052 casualties and the 47th Division history notes 2,303 casualties. Using figures from the Reichsarchiv, Bean recorded German casualties for 21 to 31 May as 1,963, from 1 to 10 June 19,923 (including 7,548 missing), from 11 to 20 June, 5,501 and 1,773 from 21 to 30 June. In volume XII of Der Weltkrieg the German Official Historians recorded 25,000 casualties for the period 21 May – 10 June including 10,000 missing of whom 7,200 were reported as taken prisoner by the British. The Reichsarchiv count of British casualties was 25,000 and a further 3,000 missing from 18 May to 14 June. The explosion of the mines, in particular the mine that created the Lone Tree Crater, accounts for the high number of casualties and missing from 1 to 10 June. The German medical history, Sanitätsbericht über das Deutschen Heeres im Weltkrieg (Medical Services of the German Army in the World War) [1934], recorded 26,087 German casualties from 7 to 14 June. Edmonds recorded 21,886 German casualties, including 7,548 missing, from 21 May to 10 June, using strength returns from gruppen Ypern, Wijtschate and Lille in Der Weltkrieg, the German Official History, then wrote that 30 per cent should be added for wounded likely to return to duty within a reasonable time, since they were "omitted" in the German Official History, reasoning which has been disputed by other historians. In 2007 Sheldon gave 22,988 casualties for the German 4th Army from 1 to 10 June 1917. ### Subsequent operations At 3:00 a.m. on 8 June, the British attack to regain the Oosttaverne line from the river Douve to the Warneton road found few German garrisons present as it was occupied. German artillery south of the Lys bombarded the southern slopes of the ridge and caused considerable losses among Anzac troops pinned there. Ignorance of the situation north of the Warneton road continued; a reserve battalion was sent to reinforce the 49th Australian Battalion near the Blauwepoortbeek for the 3:00 a.m. attack, which did not take place. The 4th Australian Division commander, Major-General William Holmes, went forward at 4:00 a.m. and finally clarified the situation. New orders instructed the 33rd Brigade, 11th (Northern) Division, to side-step to the right and relieve the 52nd Australian Battalion, which at dusk would move to the south and join the 49th Australian Battalion to attack into the gap at the Blauwepoortbeek. All went well until observers on the ridge saw the 52nd Australian Battalion withdrawing, mistook it for a German counter-attack and called for an SOS bombardment. German observers in the valley saw troops from the 33rd Brigade moving into the area to relieve the Australians, mistook them for an attacking force and also called for an SOS bombardment. The area was deluged with artillery fire from both sides for two hours, causing many casualties and the attack was postponed until 9 June. Confusion had been caused by the original attacking divisions on the ridge having control over the artillery covering the area occupied by the reserve divisions down the eastern slope. The arrangement had been intended to protect the ridge from large German counter-attacks, which might force the reserve divisions back up the slope. The mistaken bombardments of friendly troops ended late on 9 June, when the New Zealand, 16th (Irish) and 36th (Ulster) divisions were withdrawn into reserve and the normal corps organisation was restored; the anticipated large German counter-attacks had not occurred. On 10 June, the attack down the Blauwepoortbeek began but met determined resistance from the fresh German 11th Division, brought in from Gruppe Ypern. The 3rd Australian Division advanced 600 yd (550 m) either side of the river Douve, consolidating their hold on a rise around Thatched Cottage, which secured the right flank of the new Messines position; early on 11 June, the Germans evacuated the Blauwepoortbeek sector. British observation from the Oosttaverne line proved to be poor, which led Plumer to order an advance further down the slope. On 14 June, the II Anzac Corps was to push forward on the right from Plugstreet Wood to Trois Tilleuls Farm and Hill 20 and another 1,000 yd (910 m) to the Gapaard spur and Ferme de la Croix. IX Corps was to take Joye Farm, the Wambeke hamlet and come level with the Australians at Delporte Farm; X Corps was to capture the Spoil Bank and the areas adjacent. The attack was forestalled by a German retirement on the night of 10/11 June and by 14 June, British advanced posts had been established without resistance. Meticulously planned and well executed, the attack on the Messines–Wytschaete ridge secured its objectives in less than twelve hours. The combination of tactics devised on the Somme and at Arras, the use of mines, artillery survey, creeping barrages, tanks, aircraft and small-unit fire-and-movement tactics, created a measure of surprise and allowed the attacking infantry to advance by infiltration when confronted by intact defences. Well-organised mopping-up parties prevented by-passed German troops from firing on advanced troops from behind. The British took 7,354 prisoners, 48 guns, 218 machine-guns and 60 trench mortars. The offensive secured the southern end of the Ypres salient in preparation for the British Northern Operation. Laffert, the commander of Gruppe Wijtschate, was sacked two days after the battle. Haig had discussed the possibility of rapid exploitation of a victory at Messines with Plumer before the attack, arranging for II and VIII Corps to advance either side of Bellewaarde Lake, using some of the artillery from the Messines front, which Plumer considered would take three days to transfer. On 8 June, patrols on the II and VIII Corps fronts reported strong resistance. Haig urged Plumer to attack immediately and Plumer replied that it would still take three days to arrange. Haig transferred the two corps to the Fifth Army and that evening, gave instructions to Gough to plan the preliminary operation to capture the area around Stirling Castle. On 14 June, Gough announced that the operation would put his troops into a salient and that he wanted to take the area as part of the main offensive. On 13 June, German aircraft began daylight attacks on London and the south-east of England, leading to the diversion of British aircraft from the concentration of air forces for the Northern Operation. ### Victoria Cross - Private John Carroll, 33rd Battalion, 3rd Australian Division. - Lance-Corporal Samuel Frickleton, 3rd Battalion, New Zealand Rifles, New Zealand Division. - Captain Robert Cuthbert Grieve, 37th Battalion, 3rd Australian Division. - Private William Ratcliffe, 2nd South Lancashire Regiment, 25th Division. ## See also - List of the largest artificial non-nuclear explosions - Mines in the Battle of Messines (1917) - Ronald Skirth, British pacifist artilleryman, vowed not to take another human life after the Battle of Messines

French cruiser Descartes

Protected cruiser of the French Navy

Descartes was the lead ship of the Descartes class of protected cruisers built for the French Navy in the 1890s. The Descartes-class cruisers were ordered as part of a construction program directed at strengthening the fleet's cruiser force. At the time, France was concerned with the growing naval threat of the Italian and German fleets, and the new cruisers were intended to serve with the main fleet, and overseas in the French colonial empire. Descartes was armed with a main battery of four 164.7 mm (6.5 in) guns, was protected by an armor deck that was 20 to 40 mm (0.79 to 1.57 in) thick, and was capable of steaming at a top speed of 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph). Descartes served overseas in French Indochina for much of her career, being sent there immediately after entering service in 1897. She was present in the region during the Boxer Uprising in Qing China in 1900. After returning to France in 1902, she was assigned to the North Atlantic station with several other cruisers. The ship made a second deployment to East Asia in 1905, later being briefly stationed in Madagascar in 1907, before returning for a tour with the Mediterranean Squadron that year. Descartes was then transferred to the Northern Squadron. By 1914, the ship was operating with the Division de l'Atlantique (Division of the Atlantic) and was in Central American waters when World War I started in July. She joined the unsuccessful search for the German cruiser SMS Karlsruhe in August, and spent the next three years patrolling the West Indies. She was decommissioned and disarmed in 1917, her guns being used as field artillery and to arm patrol vessels. She was struck from the naval register in 1920 and sold to ship breakers the following year. ## Design In response to a war scare with Italy in the late 1880s, the French Navy embarked on a major construction program in 1890 to counter the threat of the Italian fleet and that of Italy's ally Germany. The plan called for a total of seventy cruisers for use in home waters and overseas in the French colonial empire. The Descartes class—Descartes and Pascal—was ordered to as part of the program. The design for the Descartes class was based on the earlier cruiser Davout, but was enlarged to incorporate a more powerful gun armament. Descartes was 100.7 m (330 ft 5 in) long overall, with a beam of 12.95 m (42 ft 6 in) and an average draft of 6.01 m (19 ft 9 in). She displaced 4,005 t (3,942 long tons; 4,415 short tons) as designed. Her crew varied over the course of her career, and consisted of 383–401 officers and enlisted men. The ship's propulsion system consisted of a pair of triple-expansion steam engines driving two screw propellers. Steam was provided by sixteen coal-burning Belleville-type water-tube boilers that were ducted into two funnels. Her machinery was rated to produce 8,300 indicated horsepower (6,200 kW) for a top speed of 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph), but she exceeded these figures on trials, reaching 19.59 knots (36.28 km/h; 22.54 mph) from 8,828 ihp (6,583 kW). She had a cruising radius of 5,500 nautical miles (10,200 km; 6,300 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) and 1,000 nmi (1,900 km; 1,200 mi) at 19.5 knots. The ship was armed with a main battery of four 164.7 mm (6.48 in) guns. They were placed in individual sponsons clustered amidships, two guns per broadside. These were supported by a secondary battery of ten 100 mm (3.9 in) guns, which were carried in sponsons, casemates, and individual pivot mounts. For close-range defense against torpedo boats, she carried eight 47 mm (1.9 in) 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns and four 37 mm (1.5 in) 1-pounder guns. She was also armed with two 356 mm (14 in) torpedo tubes in her hull above the waterline. Armor protection consisted of a curved armor deck that was 20 to 40 mm (0.79 to 1.57 in) thick on its sloped sides and 25 mm (1 in) on the flat portion, along with 80 mm (3.1 in) plating on the sides of the conning tower. The main and secondary guns were fitted with 54 mm (2.1 in) gun shields. ### Modifications Descartes underwent a series of modifications over the course of her construction and career. While the ship was being built in June 1893, the originally planned 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes were replaced with 356 mm tubes. In June 1894, the military masts that had been intended to be installed were cancelled in favor of lighter pole masts. And in late 1896, while she was still undergoing her initial testing, her funnels were shortened by 1 m (3 ft 3 in). In 1908, she had her torpedo tubes removed. Her forward set of boilers were limited to 10 kg/cm² (140 psi) after a boiler explosion killed a crewman. A second accident with one of her aft boilers the following year prompted those to be modified to the lower pressure in 1909. During World War I, the ship progressively lost most of her armament as guns were removed for other purposes. Two of her 47 mm guns and two 37 mm guns were placed ashore in Fort de France to strengthen the harbor defenses in 1916. Early the next year, two of her 100 mm guns were removed to be installed aboard the cruiser Cosmao, and then in March, she was almost entirely disarmed so those guns could be used in other ships or converted into field artillery. At that time, she retained only the forward two 164.7 mm guns and two 37 mm guns. ## Service history Descartes was built by the Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire shipyard in Nantes; she was ordered on 17 August 1892 and her keel was laid down in late January 1893. She was launched on 27 September 1894, and after completing fitting out, she was moved to Brest on 3 February 1896. She was commissioned to begin sea trials there on 12 February. On 28 August, she sailed to Cherbourg to be present for the visit of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia the following day. During her initial trials, Descartes reportedly reached a top speed of 21.8 knots (40.4 km/h; 25.1 mph). The ship was found to suffer from stability problems and had to receive additional ballast to correct the problem. Her funnels were also altered. She was decommissioned at Brest for the modifications to be carried out. After this work was completed, Descartes was placed in full commission on 1 January 1897. She was immediately deployed to the colony of French Indochina in Southeast Asia, departing on 25 January. There, she joined the old ironclad Bayard, the protected cruiser Isly, and the unprotected cruiser Éclaireur. With the beginning of the unrest in 1898 that led to the Boxer Uprising in Qing China, many European colonial powers began to reinforce their naval forces in East Asia. The French squadron was accordingly strengthened by Descartes's sister ship Pascal, Jean Bart, and the unprotected cruiser Duguay-Trouin; the latter two replaced Isly and Éclaireur. Descartes remained in East Asian waters in 1899, along with Pascal and Duguay-Trouin, though Jean Bart was recalled home. On 25 October 1900, an accidental propellant fire occurred aboard Descartes, part of a series of fires that resulted from unstable Poudre B charges. Descartes and Pascal had been deployed to East Asia by January 1901 as part of the response to the Boxer Uprising; at that time, seven other cruisers were assigned to the station in addition to the two Descartes-class ships. In early 1902, she was serving with the North Atlantic station, serving with the cruisers D'Estrées, Suchet, and Tage. But in February that year, she was placed in reserve at Toulon, and she remained out of service through August 1904. After returning to service that year, Descartes returned for another tour in the Far East. On the voyage there, she escorted the destroyers Francisque and Sabre and ten torpedo boats. In May 1906, Descartes visited Nanking, laying there on the 18th in company with the Italian cruiser Calabria and the German gunboat SMS Vorwärts. She remained there through 1907, by which time the unit consisted of the large protected cruiser D'Entrecasteaux, the armored cruisers Bruix and Chanzy, and the smaller protected cruisers Alger and Catinat. During the year, Descartes was detached from the main squadron to patrol the East Indies, based in Madagascar. She returned to France later that year for service with the Mediterranean Squadron, but upon being recommissioned at Toulon on 5 December, she was assigned to the newly created 3rd Division of the Northern Squadron, along with the cruiser Chasseloup-Laubat and the armored cruiser Kléber. In 1908, Descartes was used to support the gunnery school aboard the old ironclad Couronne and later the training ship Gironde. Descartes was replaced by the coastal defense ship Requin in January 1910. Descartes then returned to the Northern Squadron in 1911 and she was assigned to patrolling the fishing grounds off Newfoundland. Beginning in 1912, Descartes was stationed in the Caribbean Sea, where she would remain for the next four years. By 1914, Descartes was assigned to the Division de l'Atlantique (Division of the Atlantic), along with the armored cruiser Condé and the protected cruiser Friant. Descartes and Condé had been at Veracruz, Mexico, on 30 July when they were recalled home as World War I broke out in Europe. The declaration of war between France and Germany on 4 August interrupted these plans, and the next day, the French ships were assigned to the British 4th Cruiser Squadron to join the unsuccessful hunt for the German light cruiser SMS Karlsruhe, which was known to be in the area. She patrolled the West Indies from 1914 to 1917; during this period she was involved in two collisions with merchant vessels. The first was with the Spanish freighter Telesfora and the second was with the British steamer SS Strathmore. After returning home in February 1917, she was placed in reserve in Lorient and was she was decommissioned on 15 June. There, she was disarmed. Her 164 mm guns were converted for use by the French Army, while the 100 mm guns were used to arm anti-submarine patrol vessels. The ship was then converted into a mooring hulk, replacing the old armored cruiser Dupuy de Lôme on 28 August 1918. Descartes was eventually stricken from the naval register on 10 May 1920 and sold to the ship breaker M. Jacquart on 10 May 1921 to be scrapped.

Swains Lock

Lock on the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal in Travilah, Maryland, United States

Swains Lock (Lock 21) and lock house are part of the 184.5-mile (296.9 km) Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (a.k.a. C&O Canal) that operated in the United States along the Potomac River from the 1830s through 1923. It is located at towpath mile-marker 16.7 near Potomac, Maryland, and within the Travilah census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland. The lock and lock house were built in the early 1830s and began operating shortly thereafter. Swains Lock is named after Jesse Swain and his family. Jesse Swain was lock keeper for Lock 21 beginning in 1907, and had been a canal boatman. His father had helped with the canal construction, and his grandson has lived in the house and operated an onsite concession stand into the 21st century. Some of the Swains from Jesse's generation were born on canal boats, and more recent Swains were born in the lock house. Family members lived in the house until 2006, when the house was turned over to the National Park Service. Today, the lock and restored lock house are part of Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. Picnic tables at the lock site are located between the Potomac River and the lock house. The lock house is one of seven lock houses on the canal that can be used for overnight stays. It is only a few miles upriver from the Potomac River's Great Falls, and is a few miles downriver from a bird sanctuary. ## Background Ground was broken for construction of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (a.k.a. C&O Canal) on July 4, 1828. One of the early plans was for the canal to be a way to connect the Chesapeake Bay with the Ohio River—hence the name Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. The canal has several types of locks, including 74 lift locks necessary to handle a 610-foot (186 m) difference in elevation between the two canal ends—an average of about 8 feet (2.4 m) per lock. Including walls, lift locks are 100 feet (30 m) long and 15 feet (4.6 m) wide—usable lockage was closer to 88 feet (27 m) long and 14.5 feet (4.4 m) wide. Some canal boats could carry over 110 tons (99.79 metric tons) of coal. Portions of the canal (close to Georgetown) began operating in the 1830s, and construction ended in 1850 without reaching the Ohio River. Upon completion, the canal ran from Georgetown to Cumberland, Maryland. The canal was necessary since portions of the Potomac River, especially at Great Falls, could not serve for reliable navigation because the river can be shallow and rocky as well as subject to low water and floods. The canal opened the region to important markets and lowered shipping costs. By 1859, about 83 canal boats per week were transporting coal, grain, flour, and farm products to Washington and Georgetown. Tonnage peaked in 1871 as coal trade increased. The canal faced competition from other modes of transportation, especially the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O Railroad). Starting in Baltimore and adding line westward, the B&O Railroad eventually reached the Ohio River and beyond, while the C&O Canal never went beyond Cumberland in Western Maryland. An economic depression during the mid-1870s, and major floods in 1877 and 1886, put a financial strain on the C&O Canal Company. In 1889, another flood severely damaged the C&O Canal and caused the company to enter bankruptcy. Operations stopped for about two years. Court-appointed trustees recommended by the B&O Railroad took over receivership of the canal and began operating it under court supervision, but canal use never recovered to the peak years of the 1870s. The C&O Canal closed for the season in November 1923. Severe flooding in 1924 prevented the canal from opening in the spring, and the resulting damage from the floods prevented it from opening during the entire year. The flood damage, combined with continued competition from railroads and trucks, caused the shutdown to be permanent. In 1938, the canal was sold to the United States government, and the canal was proclaimed a national monument in 1961. ## History Work on Lock 21 began in July 1829 and was completed in October 1830 at a cost of \$8,327.76 (). The lock was made from Seneca Creek Red Sandstone boated down the Potomac River from the Seneca Quarry. Construction of the lock house began in May 1831, and was finished in August 1832 at a cost of \$765.00 (). On August 7, 1830, an individual listed only as "Fuller" was recommended and approved as lock keeper (a.k.a. locktender). His annual compensation was \$50 () with the additional benefits of the use of the lock house and the right to use the canal company's land, which was typically used for farming. By June 1832, a 22-mile (35 km) section of the canal was operating between Georgetown and Seneca, which included Lock 21. Some C&O Canal records remain, allowing some of the lock keepers to be identified. Mrs. Susan Cross was lock keeper in 1836 until females were banned effective May 1 of that year. Exceptions were made, and most female lock keepers were widows or relatives of the previous keeper. Another early keeper for Lock 21 was Robert C. Fields, who is listed as lock keeper on July 1, 1839. Samuel M. Fisher replaced Fields on May 1, 1846, after an incident at the lock. Fisher was still listed as lock keeper at the end of 1850. Thomas Tarman is listed as Lock 21 tender for 1865. A map of Montgomery County, Maryland, confirms Tarman as the "L.K." (lock keeper) at a point on the canal southwest of Offutt's Crossroads. The name Offutt's Crossroads comes from Edward Offutt, who received a large land grant from Lord Baltimore in 1714. In 1881, the community was renamed Potomac because the Post Office said too many communities had "Crossroads" in their name. Today, Lock 21 (Swains Lock) has a Potomac address and is located in the Travilah census-designated place. The flood of 1889 caused damages to the entire canal estimated to be \$1 million (). In the case of the Lock 21 lock house, the upstream end wall was swept away. Repairs to the house included an addition that had a main floor one foot (0.30 m) lower than the original portion. The house's chimney was enlarged, and another was built on the downstream side. This addition made the house one of the largest lock houses on the canal. John Sipes is listed as the Lock 21 lock keeper in a 1903 newspaper article. He drowned later that year at a lock described as "Gibbs Lock", located "about three miles above the Great Falls". ### Swain family Lock 21, Swains Lock, is named after the Swain family, which has been associated with the C&O Canal since early in its existence. Earlier, the lock had been known as Oak Spring Lock. John T. Swain Sr. was involved in the construction of the C&O Canal and a boatman. Most of his children were born on canal boats. His four sons were all involved with the canal as boatmen or boat captains: John T. Swain Jr., Charles Henry "Hen" Swain, William F. "Bill" Swain, and Jesse A. Swain. The C&O Canal Company eventually transitioned to canal-owned boats—forcing the Swains to leave the shipping business. John Swain Sr. had 15 canal boats that he sold because the canal company would no longer allow them on the canal. A partial list of canal employees shows a dozen workers named Swain, and many of them were boat captains and a few were lock tenders. Jesse Swain, a boat captain and the youngest of the four sons of John T. Swain Sr., became a lock keeper at Great Falls before moving to Lock 21 in 1907. At Lock 21, Jesse and his family supplemented their income by farming on land near the lock house and by driving a wagon of children to school during the offseason. The wagon was pulled by mules and was the first school bus in Potomac. One of Jesse's sons, Otho Oliver Swain, was born on a boat, worked as a boatman, and is thought to be the author of a folk song about the canal. Jesse Swain was the last lock keeper at Lock 21. Before the canal closed to boat traffic, it began transitioning to a place for outdoor recreation. The Swain family continued living at the lock and carried on this transition after the closing by providing canoes for rent. They also ran a concession stand that sold refreshments and fishing supplies. Jesse Swain died in 1939, survived by six of his children. Jesse's son Robert Lee "Bob" Swain and his wife Virginia moved into the lock house after Jesse died, and ran the family business. Bob Swain died in 1967. At that time Frederick "Bubba" Swain and his mother Virginia took over the family business at the lock. Family members continued to live at the lock and run the concession stand until 2006, when it was turned over to the National Park Service. ## Today Today, the Swains Lock and restored lock house are part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. Congress authorized the establishment of the park, and acquisition of adjacent land, in 1971. The National Park Service and C&O Trust spell the name of the lock as "Swains" instead of "Swain's", and the road leading to the lock is spelled as "Swains Lock Road". In 2017, it was decided to renovate the lock house and make it available to the public for overnight stays as part of the Canal Quarters program managed by the C&O Canal Trust. The Swain lock house was restored to be like a typical lock house from 1916, and is one of seven restored lock houses on the C&O Canal. Each of the seven restored lock houses in the Canal Quarters program has been restored to a different time period, and all seven are available for overnight stays. Swains Lock was once thought to be "the most heavily trafficked area on the entire canal". Until 2006, the lock had a concession stand, boat rentals, and bike rentals. It is located between waterfall and water fowl attractions—Great Falls is about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) downstream at towpath mile marker 14.4, and the Dierssen Waterfowl Sanctuary is located about 3.3 miles (5.3 km) upstream at towpath mile marker 20.0. The 40-acre (16 ha) Dierssen Waterfowl Sanctuary is a favorite of bird watchers. Both Swains Lock (Lock 21), and the Pennyfield Lock (Lock 22) have also been described as birdwatching "hot spots". The lock has restrooms, parking, picnic tables, and limited tent camping. ## See also - Locks on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal

Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk (/ˈnɔːrfʊk/ NOR-fuk) is an independent city in Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, Norfolk had a population of 238,005, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Beach and Chesapeake, and the 94th-largest city in the nation. Norfolk holds a strategic position as the historical, urban, financial, and cultural center of the Hampton Roads region (sometimes called "Tidewater"), which has more than 1.8 million inhabitants and is the 37th-largest metropolitan area in the US, with ten cities. Norfolk was incorporated in 1705. Bordered to the west by the Elizabeth River and to the north by the Chesapeake Bay, the city shares land borders with the independent cities of Chesapeake to its south and Virginia Beach to its east. With coastline along multiple bodies of water, Norfolk has many miles of riverfront and bayfront property, including beaches on the Chesapeake Bay. The coastal zones are important for the economy. The largest naval base in the world, Naval Station Norfolk, is located in Norfolk along with one of NATO's two Strategic Command headquarters. Additionally Norfolk is an important contributor to the Port of Virginia. It is home to Maersk Line, Limited, which manages the world's largest fleet of US-flag vessels. This low-lying coastal infrastructure is very vulnerable to sea level rise, with water levels expected to rise by more than 5.5 feet (1.7 meters) by the end of the 21st century. The city has a long history as a strategic military and transportation point, where many railroad lines started. It is linked to its neighbors by an extensive network of interstate highways, bridges, tunnels, and three bridge-tunnel complexes. ## History ### Before 1607 In the late sixteenth century, the area on which Norfolk now sits was inhabited by the Chesepian people. William Strachey recorded that their settlements were destroyed by the Powhatan shortly before the establishment of Jamestown in 1607. ### Colonial Era Norfolk's lands were some of the first to draw settlers from the Virginia Colony, although Norfolk would not be incorporated as a town until the 1700s. When the establishment of the House of Burgesses introduced representative government to the colony in 1619, governor Sir George Yeardley divided the developed portion the colony into four incorporated jurisdictions, termed citties. The land on which Norfolk now sits fell under Elizabeth Cittie incorporation. In 1634 King Charles I reorganized the colony into a system of shires, and Elizabeth Cittie became Elizabeth City Shire. After persuading 105 people to settle in the colony, Adam Thoroughgood (who had immigrated to Virginia in 1622 from King's Lynn, Norfolk, England) was granted a large land holding, through the head rights system, along the Lynnhaven River in 1636. When the South Hampton Roads portion of the shire was separated, Thoroughgood suggested the name of his birthplace for the newly formed New Norfolk County. One year later, it was divided into two counties, Upper Norfolk and Lower Norfolk (the latter now incorporated into the City of Norfolk), chiefly on Thoroughgood's recommendation. This area of Virginia became known as the place of entrepreneurs, including men of the Virginia Company of London. Norfolk developed in the late-seventeenth century as a "Half Moone" fort was constructed and 50 acres (200,000 m²) were acquired from local natives of the Powhatan Confederacy in exchange for 10,000 pounds of tobacco. The House of Burgesses established the "Towne of Lower Norfolk County" in 1680. In 1691, a final county subdivision took place when Lower Norfolk County split to form Norfolk County (included in present-day cities of Norfolk, Chesapeake, and parts of Portsmouth) and Princess Anne County (present-day Virginia Beach). Norfolk was incorporated in 1705. In 1730, a tobacco inspection site was located here. According to the Tobacco Inspection Act, the inspection was "At Norfolk Town, upon the fort land, in the County of Norfolk; and Kemp's Landing, in Princess Anne, under one inspection." In 1736 George II granted it a royal charter as a borough. By 1775, Norfolk developed into what contemporary observers argued was the most prosperous city in Virginia. It was an important port for exporting goods to the British Isles and beyond. Mercantile ties with the British Empire bolstered Norfolk's base of Loyalist support during the early part of the American Revolution but were insufficient to allow the Royal Governor of Virginia John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore to make Norfolk his new capital after fleeing Williamsburg in 1775. On New Year's Day, 1776, Lord Dunmore's fleet of three ships shelled the city of Norfolk for more than eight hours. The gunfire, combined with fires started by the British and spread by the Patriots, destroyed more than 800 buildings, constituting nearly two-thirds of the city. Patriot forces destroyed the remaining buildings for strategic reasons the following month. Ultimately, Colonel Woodford drove Dunmore into exile, ending more than 168 years of British rule in Virginia. Only the walls of Saint Paul's Episcopal Church survived the bombardment and subsequent fires. A cannonball from the bombardment (fired by the Liverpool) remains within the wall of Saint Paul's. ### Nineteenth century Following recovery from the Revolutionary War's burning, Norfolk and its citizens struggled to rebuild. In 1804, another serious fire along the city's waterfront destroyed some 300 buildings and the city suffered a serious economic setback. In the War of 1812 between America and Great Britain, Norfolk saw action between American militia led by Richard Lawson and the British navy. On July 13, 1813. A British landing party of 8 marines and 16 sailors landed at the beaches of Norfolk to construct a well and gather water. Richard Lawson concealed his company of militia behind a benign looking sandhill. Richard Lawson and his militia sprang their ambush by opening fire from their concealment behind the Sandhills. The British landing party who suffered 3 marines killed surrendered. Richard Lawson who suffered none killed had his militia destroy the British boat, take all provisions, and take the brass cannon. The American militia under Lawson returned to town with their prisoners. During the 1820s, agrarian communities across the American South suffered a prolonged recession, which caused many families to migrate to other areas. Many moved west into the Piedmont, or further into Kentucky and Tennessee. This migration also followed the exhaustion of soil due to tobacco cultivation in the Tidewater, where it had been the primary commodity crop for generations. Virginia made some attempts to phase out slavery and manumissions increased in the two decades following the war. Thomas Jefferson Randolph gained passage of an 1832 resolution for gradual abolition in the state. However, by that time the increased demand from the settlement of the lower South states had created a large internal market for slavery. The invention of the cotton gin in the late-eighteenth century had made profitable the cultivation of short-staple cotton in the uplands, which was widely practiced. The American Colonization Society proposed to "repatriate" free blacks and freed slaves to Africa by establishing the new colony of Liberia and paying for transportation. But most African-Americans wanted to stay in their birthplace of the United States and achieve freedom and rights there. For a period, many emigrants to Liberia from Virginia and North Carolina embarked from the port of Norfolk. Joseph Jenkins Roberts, a free person of color native to Norfolk, emigrated via the American Colonization Society and later was elected as the first president of Liberia, establishing a powerful family. On June 7, 1855, the 183-foot vessel Benjamin Franklin put into Hampton Roads for repairs. The ship had just sailed from the West Indies, where there had been an outbreak of yellow fever. The port health officer ordered the ship quarantined. After eleven days, a second inspection found no issues, so it was allowed to dock. A few days later, the first cases of yellow fever were discovered in Norfolk, and a machinist died from the disease on July 8. By August, several people were dying per day, and a third of the city's population had fled in the hopes of escaping the epidemic. No one understood how the disease was transmitted. With both Norfolk and Portsmouth being infected, New York banned all traffic from those sites. Neighboring cities also banned residents from Norfolk. The epidemic spread through the city via mosquitoes and poor sanitation, affecting every family and causing widespread panic. The number of infected reached 5,000 in September, and by the second week, 1,500 had died in Norfolk and Portsmouth. As the weather cooled, the outbreak began to wane, leaving a final tally of about 3,200 dead. It took the city some time to recover. In early 1861, Norfolk voters instructed their delegate to vote for secession. Virginia voted to secede from the Union. In the spring of 1862, the Battle of Hampton Roads took place off the northwest shore of the city's Sewell's Point Peninsula, marking the first fight between two ironclads, the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia. The battle ended in a stalemate, but changed the course of naval warfare; from then on, warships were fortified with metal. In May 1862, Norfolk Mayor William Lamb surrendered the city to Union General John E. Wool and his forces. They held the city under martial law for the duration of the Civil War. Thousands of slaves from the region escaped to Union lines to gain freedom; they quickly set up schools in Norfolk to start learning how to read and write, years before the end of the war. ### 20th century to present 1907 brought both the Virginian Railway and the Jamestown Exposition to Sewell's Point. The large Naval Review at the Exposition demonstrated the peninsula's favorable location and laid the groundwork for the world's largest naval base. Southern Democrats in Congress gained its location here. Commemorating the tricentennial anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, the exposition featured many prominent officials, including President Theodore Roosevelt, members of Congress, and diplomats from twenty-one countries. By 1917, as the US prepared to enter World War I, the Naval Air Station Hampton Roads had been constructed on the former exposition grounds. In the first half of the twentieth century, the city of Norfolk expanded its borders through annexation. In 1906, the city annexed the incorporated town of Berkley, making the city cross the Elizabeth River. In 1923, the city expanded to include Sewell's Point, Willoughby Spit, the town of Campostella, and the Ocean View area. The city included the Navy Base and miles of beach property fronting on Hampton Roads and the Chesapeake Bay. After a smaller annexation in 1959, and a 1988 land swap with Virginia Beach, the city assumed its current boundaries. The establishment of the Interstate Highway System following World War II brought new highways to the region. A series of bridges and tunnels, constructed during fifteen years, linked Norfolk with the Peninsula, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach. In 1952, the Downtown Tunnel opened to connect Norfolk with the city of Portsmouth. The highways also stimulated the development of new housing suburbs, leading to the population spreading out. Additional bridges and tunnels included the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel in 1957, the Midtown Tunnel in 1962, and the Virginia Beach-Norfolk Expressway (Interstate 264 and State Route 44) in 1967. In 1991, the new Downtown Tunnel/Berkley Bridge complex opened a new system of multiple lanes of highway and interchanges connecting Downtown Norfolk and Interstate 464 with the Downtown Tunnel tubes. In 1954 the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that segregated public schools were unconstitutional, as the public system was supported by all taxpayers. It ordered integration, but Virginia pursued a policy of "massive resistance". (At this time, most black citizens were still disfranchised under the state's turn-of-the-century constitution and discriminatory practices related to voter registration and elections.) The Virginia General Assembly prohibited state funding for integrated public schools. In 1958, United States district courts in Virginia ordered schools to open for the first time on a racially integrated basis. In response, Governor J. Lindsay Almond ordered the schools closed. The Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals declared the state law to be in conflict with the state constitution and ordered all public schools to be funded, whether integrated or not. About ten days later, Almond capitulated and asked the General Assembly to rescind several "massive resistance" laws. In February 1959, seventeen black children entered six previously segregated Norfolk public schools. Virginian-Pilot editor Lenoir Chambers editorialized against massive resistance and earned the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing. With new suburban developments beckoning, many white middle-class residents moved out of the city along new highway routes, and Norfolk's population declined, a pattern repeated in numerous cities during the postwar era independently of segregation issues. In the late-1960s and early-1970s, the advent of newer suburban shopping destinations along with freeways spelled demise for the fortunes of downtown's Granby Street commercial corridor, located just a few blocks inland from the waterfront. The opening of malls and large shopping centers drew off retail business from Granby Street. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has been based in Norfolk since 1996. Norfolk's city leaders began a long push to revive its urban core. While Granby Street underwent decline, Norfolk city leaders focused on the waterfront and its collection of decaying piers and warehouses. Many obsolete shipping and warehousing facilities were demolished. In their place, planners created a new boulevard, Waterside Drive, along which many of the high-rise buildings in Norfolk's skyline have been erected. In 1983, the city and The Rouse Company developed the Waterside festival marketplace to attract people back to the waterfront and catalyze further downtown redevelopment. Waterside was redeveloped in 2017. Additionally the waterfront area hosts the Nauticus maritime museum and the USS Wisconsin. Other facilities opened in the ensuing years, including the Harbor Park baseball stadium, home of the Norfolk Tides Triple-A minor league baseball team. In 1995, the park was named the finest facility in minor league baseball by Baseball America. Norfolk's efforts to revitalize its downtown have attracted acclaim from economic development and urban planning circles throughout the country. Downtown's rising fortunes helped to expand the city's revenues and allowed the city to direct attention to other neighborhoods. ## Geography The city is located at the southeastern corner of Virginia at the junction of the Elizabeth River and the Chesapeake Bay. The Hampton Roads Metropolitan Statistical Area (officially known as the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA) is the 37th largest in the United States, with an estimated population of 1,716,624 in 2014. The area includes the Virginia cities of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Williamsburg, and the counties of Gloucester, Isle of Wight, James City, Mathews, and York, as well as the North Carolina counties of Currituck and Gates. The city of Norfolk is recognized as the central business district, while the Virginia Beach oceanside resort district and Williamsburg are primarily centers of tourism. Virginia Beach is the most populated city within the MSA though it functions more as a suburb. Additionally, Norfolk is part of the Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC Combined Statistical Area, which includes the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA, the Elizabeth City, North Carolina Micropolitan Statistical Area, and the Kill Devil Hills, NC Micropolitan Statistical Area. The CSA is the 32nd largest in the nation with an estimated population in 2013 of 1,810,266. In addition to extensive riverfront property, Norfolk has miles of bayfront resort property and beaches in the Willoughby Spit and Ocean View communities. ### Sea level rise and subsidence Being low-lying and largely surrounded by water, Norfolk is particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels caused by climate change. In addition, the land on which it is built is slowly subsiding. Some areas already flood regularly at high tide, and the city commissioned a study in 2012 to investigate how to address the issue in the future: it reported the cost of dealing with a sea-level rise of one foot would be around \$1,000,000,000. Since then, scientists at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in 2013 have estimated that if current trends hold, the sea in Norfolk will rise by 5 and 1/2 feet or more by the end of this century. ### Cityscape When Norfolk was first settled, homes were made of wood and frame construction, similar to most medieval English-style homes. These homes had wide chimneys and thatch roofs. Some decades after the town was first laid out in 1682, the Georgian architectural style, which was popular in the South at the time, was used. Brick was considered more substantial construction; patterns were made by brick laid and Flemish bond. This style evolved to include projecting center pavilions, Palladian windows, balustraded roof decks, and two-story porticoes. By 1740, homes, warehouses, stores, workshops, and taverns began to dot Norfolk's streets. Norfolk was burned down during the Revolutionary War. After the Revolution, Norfolk was rebuilt in the Federal style, based on Roman ideals. Federal-style homes kept Georgian symmetry, though they had more refined decorations to look like New World homes. Federal homes had features such as narrow sidelights with an embracing fanlight around the doorway, giant porticoes, gable or flat roofs, and projecting bays on exterior walls. Rooms were oval, elliptical or octagonal. Few of these federal rowhouses remain standing today. A majority of buildings were made of wood and had a simple construction. In the early nineteenth century, Neoclassical architectural elements began to appear in the federal style row homes, such as ionic columns in the porticoes and classic motifs over doorways and windows. Many Federal-style row houses were modernized by placing a Greek-style porch at the front. Greek and Roman elements were integrated into public buildings such as the old City Hall, the old Norfolk Academy, and the Customs House. Greek-style homes gave way to Gothic Revival in the 1830s, which emphasized pointed arches, steep gable roofs, towers and tracer-lead windows. The Freemason Baptist Church and St. Mary's Catholic Church are examples of Gothic Revival. Italianate elements emerged in the 1840s including cupolas, verandas, ornamental brickwork, or corner quoins. Norfolk still had simple wooden structures among its more ornate buildings. High-rise buildings were first built in the late nineteenth century when structures such as the current Commodore Maury Hotel and the Royster Building were constructed to form the initial Norfolk skyline. Past styles were revived during the early years of the twentieth century. Bungalows and apartment buildings became popular for those living in the city. As the Great Depression wore on, Art Deco emerged as a popular building style, as evidenced by the Post Office building downtown. Art Deco consisted of streamlined concrete faced appearance with smooth stone or metal, with terracotta, and trimming consisting of glass and colored tiles. ### Neighborhoods Norfolk has a variety of historic neighborhoods, notably Freemason and West Freemason. Some neighborhoods, such as Berkley, were formerly cities and towns. Others, including Willoughby Spit and Ocean View, have a long history tied to the Chesapeake Bay. The city's revitalization in recent decades has transformed neighborhoods such as Downtown, Ghent and Fairmount Park. Popular residential neighborhoods include Ghent, Colonial Place, Larchmont, North Shore, Edgewater, and Lafayette Shores. ### Climate Narrative below is based on climate data from the 1991-2020 period. Norfolk has a humid subtropical climate and its USDA Hardiness Zone is 8a. Spring arrives in March with mild days and cool nights, and by late May, the temperature has warmed up considerably to herald warm summer days. Summers are consistently warm and humid, but the nearby Atlantic Ocean often exercises a slight cooling effect on daytime high temperatures, but a slight warming effect on nighttime low temperatures (compared to areas farther inland). As such, temperatures reach 90 °F (32 °C) or higher on an average 35 days annually, and 100 °F (37.8 °C) are uncommon, occurring in fewer than one-third of all years. On average, July is the warmest month, with a normal mean temperature of 81.1 °F (27.3 °C). On average, July and August are the wettest months, due to frequent summer thunderstorm activity. In August and September, rainfall remains high, due to rising frequency of tropical activity (hurricanes and tropical storms), which can bring high winds and heavy rains. These usually brush Norfolk and only occasionally make landfalls in the area; the highest-risk period is mid-August to the end of September. Fall is marked by mild to warm days and cooler nights. Winter is usually mild in Norfolk, with average winter days featuring lows near or slightly above freezing and highs in the upper-40s to mid-50s (8 to 13 °C). On average, the coldest month of the year is January, with a normal mean temperature of 42.2 °F (5.7 °C), Snow occurs sporadically, with an average winter accumulation of 6.2 in (15.7 cm). Norfolk's record high was 105 °F (41 °C) on August 7, 1918, and July 24 and 25, 2010, and the record low was −3 °F (−19 °C) recorded on January 21, 1985. ## Demographics ### 2020 census ### 2010 Census As of the census of 2010, there were 242,803 people, 86,210 households, and 51,898 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,362.8 people per square mile (1,684.5 people/km²). There were 94,416 dwelling units at an average density of 1,757.3 per square mile (678.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 47.1% White, 43.1% African American, 0.5% Native American, 3.3% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 2.2% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 6.6% of the population. Non-Hispanic Whites were 44.3% of the population in 2010, down from 68.5% in 1970. There were 86,210 households, out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.9% were married couples living together, 18.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.07. The age distribution was 24.0% under the age of 18, 18.2% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 16.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.8 males. This large gender imbalance is due to the military presence in the city, most notably Naval Station Norfolk. The median income for a household in the city was \$31,815, and the median income for a family was \$36,891. Males had a median income of \$25,848 versus \$21,907 for females. The per capita income for the city was \$17,372. About 15.5% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.9% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those ages 65 or over. For the year of 2007, Norfolk had a total crime index of 514.7 per 100,000 residents. This was above the national average of 320.9 that year. For 2007, the city experienced 48 homicides, for a murder rate of 21.1 per 100,000 residents. Total crime had decreased when compared to the year 2000, which the city had a total crime index of 546.3. The highest murder rate Norfolk has experienced for the 21st century was in 2005 when its rate was 24.5 per 100,000 residents. For the year 2007 per 100,000, Norfolk experienced 21.1 murders, 42.6 rapes, 399.3 robberies, 381.3 assaults, 743.3 burglaries, and 450.6 automobile thefts. According to the Congressional Quarterly Press '2008 City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan America, Norfolk, Virginia, ranked as the 87th most dangerous city larger than 75,000 inhabitants. ## Economy Since Norfolk serves as the commercial and cultural center for the unusual geographical region of Hampton Roads (and in its political structure of independent cities), it can be difficult to separate the economic characteristics of Norfolk from that of the region as a whole. The waterways which almost completely surround the Hampton Roads region play an important part in the local economy. As a strategic location at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, its protected deep-water channels serve as a major trade artery for the import and export of goods from across the Mid-Atlantic, Mid-West, and internationally. In addition to commercial activities, Hampton Roads is a major military center, particularly for the United States Navy, and Norfolk serves as the home for Naval Station Norfolk, the world's largest naval installation. Located on Sewell's Point Peninsula, in the northwest corner of the city, the station is the headquarters of the United States Fleet Forces Command (formerly known as the Atlantic Fleet), which compromises over 62,000 active duty personnel, 75 ships, and 132 aircraft. The base also serves as the headquarters to NATO's Allied Command Transformation. The region also plays an important role in defense contracting, with particular emphasis in the shipbuilding and ship repair businesses for the city of Norfolk. Major private shipyards located in Norfolk or the Hampton Roads area include: Huntington Ingalls Industries (formerly Northrop Grumman Newport News) in Newport News, BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair, General Dynamics NASSCO Norfolk, and Colonna's Shipyard Inc., while the US Navy's Norfolk Naval Shipyard is just across the Downtown Tunnel in Portsmouth. Most contracts fulfilled by these shipyards are issued by the Navy, though some private commercial repair also takes place. Over 35% of Gross Regional Product (which includes the entire Norfolk-Newport News-Virginia Beach MSA), is attributable to defense spending, and that 75% of all regional growth since 2001 is attributable to increases in defense spending. After the military, the second largest and most important industry for Hampton Roads and Norfolk based on economic impact are the region's cargo ports. Headquartered in Norfolk, the Virginia Port Authority (VPA) is a Commonwealth of Virginia owned-entity that, in turn, owns and operates three major port facilities in Hampton Roads for break-bulk and container type cargo. In Norfolk, Norfolk International Terminals (NIT) represents one of those three facilities and is home to the world's largest and fastest container cranes. Together, the three terminals of the VPA handled a total of over 2 million TEUs and 475,000 tons of breakbulk cargo in 2006, making it the second busiest port on the east coast of North America by total cargo volume after the Port of New York and New Jersey. In addition to NIT, Norfolk is home to Lambert's Point Docks, the largest coal trans-shipment point in the Northern Hemisphere, with an annual throughput of approximately 48,000,000 tons. Bituminous coal is primarily sourced from the Appalachian mountains in western Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. The coal is loaded onto trains and sent to the port where it is unloaded onto large breakbulk cargo ships and destined for New England, Europe, and Asia. Between 1925 and 2007, Ford Motor Company operated Norfolk Assembly, a manufacturing plant located on the Elizabeth River that had produced the Model-T, sedans and station wagons before building F-150 pick-up trucks. Before it closed, the plant employed more than 2,600 people at the 2,800,000 sq ft (260,000 m²) facility. Most major shipping lines have a permanent presence in the region with some combination of sales, distribution, and/or logistical offices, many of which are located in Norfolk. In addition, many of the largest international shipping companies have chosen Norfolk as their North American headquarters. These companies are either located at the Norfolk World Trade Center building or have constructed buildings in the Lake Wright Executive Center office park. The French firm CMA CGM, the Israeli firm Zim Integrated Shipping Services, and Maersk Line Limited, a subsidiary of the world's largest shipping line, A. P. Moller-Maersk Group, have their North American headquarters in Norfolk. Major companies headquartered in Norfolk include Norfolk Southern, Landmark Communications, Dominion Enterprises, FHC Health Systems (parent company of ValueOptions), Portfolio Recovery Associates, and BlackHawk Products Group. Though Virginia Beach and Williamsburg have traditionally been the centers of tourism for the region, the rebirth of downtown Norfolk and the construction of a cruise ship pier at the foot of Nauticus in downtown has driven tourism to become an increasingly important part of the city's economy. The number of cruise ship passengers who visited Norfolk increased from 50,000 in 2003, to 107,000 in 2004 and 2005. Also in April 2007, the city completed construction on a \$36 million state-of-the-art cruise ship terminal alongside the pier. Partly due to this construction, passenger counts dropped to 70,000 in 2006, but is expected to rebound to 90,000 in 2007, and higher in later years. Unlike most cruise ship terminals which are located in industrial areas, the downtown location of Norfolk's terminal has received favorable reviews from both tourists and the cruise lines who enjoy its proximity to the city's hotels, restaurants, shopping, and cultural amenities. Hampton Roads is home to four Fortune 500 companies. Representing the food industry, transportation, retail and shipbuilding, these four companies are located in Smithfield, Norfolk, Chesapeake and Newport News. 2013 Fortune 500 Corporations \*213 Smithfield Foods \*247 Norfolk Southern \*346 Dollar Tree \*380 Huntington Ingalls Industries 26% of the 130,000 people working in Norfolk live in the city, while 74% commute in. 37% of those come from Virginia Beach and 20% come from Chesapeake. An additional 51,575 people commute outside for work, with 35% going to Virginia Beach and 20% going to Chesapeake. ### Top employers According to a report published by the Virginia Employment Commission, below are the top employers in Norfolk: ## Arts and culture Norfolk is the cultural heart of the Hampton Roads region. In addition to its museums, Norfolk is the principal home for several major performing arts organizations. The city hosts numerous annual festivals and parades, many in Town Point Park or elsewhere in downtown. ### Museums and Galleries The nationally acclaimed Chrysler Museum of Art, the area's most comprehensive art museum, has its campus at the intersection of the Ghent district, the Freemason neighborhood, and the NEON district. Since opening in 1933, the museum's main building has been expanded six times to allow for larger glass galleries, generous space for Impressionist and Baroque works, and more. Major improvements were completed in 2014, and today the museum features more than 50 galleries, a restaurant, and catering facilities, as well as galleries for traveling exhibits. Of particular note are the American neoclassical marble sculptures, the extensive glass collection, and the Glass Studio, which has live demonstrations daily. The Chrysler Museum of Art also administers the 1792 Moses Myers House Museum in the Freemason District, next to MacArthur Mall. This museum interprets Norfolk's history and the lives and legacy of Norfolk's first Jewish family. Seventy percent of the objects in the home are original to the Myers in the early nineteenth century. The museum offers weekend tours and special monthly programming. In October 2022, the council of City of Norfolk, which owns the property, voted to proceed with the possibility of selling it, conjecturing the entirety of the property—the main house, the attached dwelling of the Myers’ enslaved servants, and the historic garden—could be sold as part of a package to developers, perhaps to operate as a bed and breakfast. Multiple entities, including the Norfolk Historical Society, have expressed distress and outrage. The Hermitage Foundation Museum, located in an early 20th-century Tudor-style home on a 12-acre (49,000 m²) estate fronting the Lafayette River, is found in the Lochaven neighborhood near the northern terminus of the Elizabeth River Trail that connects many of the city's sites of cultural interest. The Hermitage features an eclectic collection of Asian and Western art, including Chinese bronze and ceramics, Persian rugs, and ivory carvings, as well as changing exhibitions, arts classes, and special events. The Hermitage Foundation Museum is the only Smithsonian Affiliate in the Hampton Roads region. Downtown Norfolk has several other museums of national significance.Nauticus, the National Maritime Center, opened on the downtown waterfront in 1994. It features hands-on exhibits, interactive theaters, aquaria, digital high-definition films and an extensive variety of educational programs. Since 2000, Nauticus has been home to the battleship USS Wisconsin, the last battleship to be built in the United States. It served briefly in World War II and later in the Korean and Gulf Wars. Wisconsin Square is nearby. The MacArthur Memorial, located in the nineteenth-century Norfolk courthouse and city hall in downtown, contains the tombs of General Douglas MacArthur and his wife, a museum and a vast research library, personal belongings (including his famous corncob pipe) and a short film that chronicles his life. Speciality museums include the Hunter House Victorian Museum in the Freemason neighborhood and the Norfolk Southern Museum in downtown. ### Public Art The city is known for its "," a public art program launched in 2002 to place mermaid statues all over the city. Tourists can take a walking tour of downtown and locate 17 mermaids while others can be found further afield. The NEON district has dozens of murals, many of which are supported through the City of Norfolk's Public Arts Commission. ### Performing Arts Norfolk has a variety of performing groups with regular seasons and which also make appearances in the city's annual festivals. The Virginia Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1920, has been leader in the regional arts scene. Directed by JoAnn Falletta from 1991 until 2020, the orchestra's music director is now Erik Jacobsen. Most Norfolk performances take place at Chrysler Hall in the Scope complex downtown. The orchestra provides musicians for many other performing arts organizations in the area. The Virginia Stage Company, founded in 1968, is one of the country's leading regional theaters and produces a full season of plays in the Wells Theatre downtown. The company shares facilities with the Governor's School for the Arts.' The Virginia Opera was founded in Norfolk in 1974. Its artistic director since its inception has been Peter Mark, who conducted his 100th opera production for the VOA in 2008. Though performances are staged statewide, the company's principal venue is the Harrison Opera House in the Ghent district. Large-scale concerts are held at either the Norfolk Scope arena or the Ted Constant Convocation Center at ODU, while The Norva provides a more intimate atmosphere for smaller groups. Other Norfolk cultural venues include the Attucks Theatre, the Jeanne and George Roper Performing Arts Center (formerly the Loew's State Theater) and the Naro Expanded Cinema. ### Festivals A range of arts and cultural festivals take place annually in Norfolk. The Virginia Arts Festival, founded in 1997, is based in Norfolk and has events throughout the region, drawing in arts from around the world and featuring local talent. One of the key events of the festival is the Virginia International Tattoo. The Norfolk NATO Festival, formerly the International Azela Festival, has taken place each spring since 1951 and is the longest continually running festival in the Hampton Roads Region. The Norfolk NATO Festival highlights Norfolk's role as the North American Headquarters of NATO and fosters cultural exchange and appreciation of NATO allies. The Stockley Gardens Art Festival, which takes place in parks the historic Ghent neighborhood, occurs twice yearly, in May and October. The festival draws vendors from well beyond the region and attracts upwards of 20,000 visitors. The St. Patrick's Day annual parade in the city's Ocean View neighborhood, on the northern edge of the city, celebrates Ocean View's rich Irish heritage. Harborfest, the region's largest annual festival, celebrated its thirtieth anniversary in 2006. It is held during the first weekend of June in Town Point Park and celebrates the region's proximity and attachment to the water. The Parade of Sails (numerous tall sailing ships from around the world form in line and sail past downtown before docking at the marina), music concerts, regional food, and a large fireworks display highlight this three-day festival. Bayou Boogaloo and Cajun Food Festival, a celebration of the Cajun people and culture, had small beginnings. This three-day festival during the third week of June has become one of the largest in the region and, in addition to serving up Cajun cuisine, also features Cajun music. Norfolk's Fourth of July celebration of American independence contains a spectacular fireworks display and a special Navy reenlistment ceremony. The Norfolk Jazz Festival, though smaller by comparison to some of the big city jazz festivals, still manages to attract the country's top jazz performers. It is held in August. The Town Point Virginia Wine Festival has become a showcase for Virginia-produced wines and has enjoyed increasing success over the years. Virginia's burgeoning wine industry has become noted both within the United States and on an international level. The festival has grown with the industry. Wines can be sampled and then purchased by the bottle and/or case directly from the winery kiosks. This event takes place during the third weekend of October. There is also a Spring Wine Festival held during the second weekend of May. ### Role in Revitalization The revitalization of downtown Norfolk has helped to improve the Hampton Roads cultural scene. Many of Norfolk's attractions are now connected by the 10.5-mile long Elizabeth River Trail, a pedestrian and bike trail that winds along the city's waterfront. The trail's first segment of opened in 2003 on land donated by Norfolk Southern. A large number of clubs, representing a wide range of music interests and sophistication now line the lower Granby Street area. The nearby Waterside Festival Marketplace has also continued to be successful as a nightclub and bar venue. Norfolk celebrates the rich ethnic diversity of its population with sights, sounds, attractions and special events that pay tribute to the city's long multicultural heritage. ## Parks and recreation Norfolk has a variety of parks and open spaces in its city parks system. The city maintains three beaches on its north shore in the Ocean View area. Five additional parks contain picnic facilities and playgrounds for children. The city also has some community pools open to city residents. Town Point Park in downtown plays host to a wide variety of annual events from early spring through late fall. The Norfolk Botanical Garden, opened in 1939, is a 155-acre (0.6 km²) botanical garden and arboretum located near the Norfolk International Airport. It is open year-round. The Virginia Zoo, opened in 1900, is a 65-acre (260,000 m²) zoo with hundreds of animals on display, including the critically endangered Siberian tiger and threatened white rhino. ## Sports Norfolk serves as home to the two highest level professional franchises in the state of Virginia — the Norfolk Tides play baseball in the International League, and the Norfolk Admirals play ice hockey in the ECHL. Norfolk has two universities with Division I sports teams — the Old Dominion Monarchs and the Norfolk State University Spartans — which provide many sports including football, basketball, and baseball. From 1970 to 1976, Norfolk served as the home court (along with Hampton, Richmond, and Roanoke) for the Virginia Squires regional professional basketball franchise of the now-defunct American Basketball Association (ABA). From 1970 to 1971, the Squires played their Norfolk home games at the Old Dominion University Fieldhouse. In November 1971, the Squires played their Norfolk home games at the new Norfolk Scope arena, until the team and the ABA league folded in May 1976. In 1971, Norfolk built an entertainment and sports complex, featuring Chrysler Hall and the 13,800-seat Norfolk Scope indoor arena, located in the northern section of downtown. Norfolk Scope has served as a venue for major events including the American Basketball Association All-Star Game in 1974, and the first and second NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championships (also known as the Women's Final Four) in 1982 and 1983. Norfolk is also home to the Norfolk Blues Rugby Football Club. Their home playing fields are Lafayette Park in Norfolk and the Virginia Beach Sportsplex in Virginia Beach. Virginia Beach City FC is an American professional soccer club based in Norfolk playing in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) in the Mid-Atlantic Conference of the Northeast Region. Hone matches are played at Powhatan Field National Wrestling Alliance, Jim Crockett Promotions, World Championship Wrestling, and World Wrestling Entertainment have all presented wrestling shows at Norfolk Arena and the Scope from the 1960s to today, with many of these being Pay Per View events. Six-time World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion Lou Thesz lived in Norfolk and opened a wrestling school, Virginia Wrestling Academy, downtown in 1988. ## Government Norfolk is an independent city with services that both counties and cities in Virginia provide, such as a sheriff, social services, and a court system. Norfolk operates under a council-manager form of government. Norfolk city government consists of a city council with representatives from seven districts serving in a legislative and oversight capacity, as well as a popularly elected, at-large mayor. The city manager serves as head of the executive branch and supervises all city departments and executing policies adopted by the council. Citizens in each of the five wards elect one council representative each to serve a four-year term. There are two additional council members elected from two citywide "superwards." The city council meets at City Hall weekly and, as of May 2023, consists of: Mayor Kenneth Cooper Alexander; Mamie Johnson, Ward 3; Danica Royster, Superward 7; John E. Paige, Ward 4; Courtney Doyle, Ward 2; Vice-Mayor Martin Thomas, Ward 1; Andria McClellan, Superward 6; Thomas R. Smigiel Jr. Ward 5. - Samuel Boush, 1736 (died in office) - George Newton, 1736 etc. - John Hutchings, 1737 etc. - John Taylor, 1739 etc. - Samuel Smith - Josiah Smith, 1741 etc. - John Phripp, 1744 etc. - Edward Pugh - Thomas Newton - John Tucker, 1748 etc. - Robert Tucker, 1749 etc. - Durham Hall - Wilson Newton, 1751 etc. - Christopher Perkins, 1752 etc. - George Abyvon, 1754 etc. - Richard Kelsick - John Phripp - Paul Loyall, 1762 etc. - Archibald Campbell - Lewis Hansford - Maximilian Calvert, 1765 etc. - James Taylor, 1766 etc. - Cornelius Calvert, 1768 etc. - Charles Thomas, 1770 etc. - Thomas Newton, Jr., 1780 etc. - George Kelly, 1783 and 1788 - Robert Taylor, 1784 - Cary H. Hansford - Benjamin Pollard, 1787 - Robert Taylor, 1789 and 1793 - John Boush - Cary H. Hansford - Thomas Newton, Jr., 1792 etc. - John Ramsay - Seth Foster - Samuel Moseley - George Loyall - Baylor Hill - John K. Read - Seth Foster - John Cowper - William Vaughan - Thomas H. Parker - Miles King, Sr., 1804 etc. - Luke Wheeler, 1805 - Thomas H. Parker, 1806 - Richard E. Lee, 1807 - John E. Holt, 1808–1832, various nonsequential years - William Boswell Lamb, 1810, 1812, 1814, 1816, and 1823 - John Tabb, 1818 etc. - Wright Southgate, 1819 etc. - George W. Camp - William A. Armistead - Isaac Talbot - Daniel C. Barraud - George T. Kennon - Thomas Williamson - Giles B. Cook - Miles King, Jr., 1832 - W.D. Delaney, 1843 - Simon S. Stubbs, 1851 etc. - Hunter Woodis, 1853, 1855 (died in office) - Ezra T. Summers - Finlay F. Ferguson - William Wilson Lamb, 1858-1863 - William H. Brooks, 1863 - James L. Belote, 1864 - Thomas C. Tabb - John R. Ludlow, 1866 etc. - Francis DeCordy - John B. Whitehead, 1870 etc. - John S. Tucker, 1876-1880 - William Lamb, 1880-1886 - Barton Myers, 1886-1888 - Richard G. Banks, 1888-1890 - E.M. Henry - Frank Morris - S. Marx - A.B. Cooke - Charles W. Pettit - Wyndham R. Mayo, 1896-1898 and 1912-1918 - C. Brooks Johnston, 1898-1901 - Nathaniel Beaman, 1901 - James Gregory Riddick, 1901-1912 - Albert L. Roper, 1918-1924 - S. Heth Tyler, 1924-1932 - E. Jeff Robertson, 1932 - Phillip H. Mason, 1932-1933 - S.L. Slover, 1933 - W. R. L. Taylor, 1934-1938 - John A. Gurkin, 1938-1940 - Joseph D. Wood, 1940-1944 - James W. Reed, 1944-1946 - R.D. Cooke, 1946-1949 - Pretlow Darden, 1949-1950 - W. Fred Duckworth, 1950-1962 - Roy Martin, 1962-1974 - Irvine B. Hill, 1974-1976 - Vincent J. Thomas, 1976-1984 - Joseph A. Leafe, 1984-1992 - Mason Andrews, 1992-1994 - Paul D. Fraim, 1994-2016 - Kenneth Cooper Alexander, 2016- The City government has an infrastructure to create close working relationships with its citizens. Norfolk's city government provides services for neighborhoods, including service centers and civic leagues that interact directly with members of City Council. Such services include preserving area histories, home rehabilitation centers, outreach programs, and a university that trains citizens in neighborhood clean-up, event planning, neighborhood leadership, and financial planning. Norfolk's police department also provides support for neighborhood watch programs including a citizens' training academy, security design, a police athletic program for youth, and business watch programs. Norfolk also has a federal courthouse for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The Walter E. Hoffman U.S. Courthouse in Norfolk has four judges, four magistrate judges, and two bankruptcy judges. Additionally, Norfolk has its own general district and circuit courts, which convene downtown. It is considered a Democratic stronghold. Since redistricting Norfolk is located in Virginia's 3rd congressional district, served by U.S. Representative Robert C. Scott (Democrat). ## Education Norfolk City Public Schools, the public school system, comprises five high schools, eight middle schools, 34 elementary schools, and nine special-purpose/preschools. In 2005, Norfolk Public Schools won the \$1 million Broad Prize for Urban Education for having demonstrated, "the greatest overall performance and improvement in student achievement while reducing achievement gaps for poor and minority students". The city had previously been nominated in 2003 and 2004. There are also a number of private schools located in the city, the oldest of which, Norfolk Academy, was founded in 1728. Religious schools located in the city include St. Pius X Catholic School, Alliance Christian School, Christ the King School, Norfolk Christian Schools and Trinity Lutheran School. The city also hosts the Governor's School for the Arts which holds performances and classes at the Wells Theatre. Norfolk is home to three public universities and one private. It also hosts a community college campus in downtown. Old Dominion University, founded as the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary in 1930, became an independent institution in 1962 and now offers degrees in 68 undergraduate and 95 (60 masters/35 doctoral) graduate degree programs. Eastern Virginia Medical School, founded as a community medical school by the surrounding jurisdictions in 1973, is noted for its research into reproductive medicine and is located in the region's major medical complex in the Ghent district. Norfolk State University, founded in 1935 is the second largest HBCU, in Virginia. Norfolk State offers degrees in a wide variety of liberal arts, Social Work, Nursing, and Engineering. Virginia State University being the first largest HBCU in Virginia, which was founded in 1882. Virginia Wesleyan College is a small private liberal arts college and shares its eastern border with the neighboring city of Virginia Beach. Tidewater Community College offers two-year degrees and specialized training programs and is located in downtown. Additionally, several for-profit schools operate in the city. ### Norfolk Public Library Norfolk Public Library, Virginia's first public library, consists of one main library, two anchor libraries, nine branch libraries and a bookmobile. The library also has a local history and genealogy room and contains government documents dating back to the 19th century. The libraries offer services such as computer classes, book reviews, tax forms, and online book clubs. The Slover Library, centrally located in the heart of downtown Norfolk, holds over 133,000 books and resources available for borrowing, hosts numerous classes and community events, houses the history Sargeant Memorial Collection, and offers patrons the use of cutting-edge technologies and studio spaces. Technology areas include a Sound Studio, Design Studio, Production Studio, YOUmedia lab, Maker Studio (Selden Market), and Computer Room and Training Lab. ## Media Norfolk's daily newspaper is The Virginian-Pilot. Its alternative papers include the (now defunct) Port Folio Weekly, the New Journal and Guide, and the online AltDaily.com. Inside Business serves the regional business community with local business news. Norfolk Post was published 13 January 1921 to 1 February 1924. Local universities publish their own newspapers: Old Dominion University's Mace and Crown, Norfolk State University's The Spartan Echo, and Virginia Wesleyan College's Marlin Chronicles. Coastal Virginia Magazine is a bi-monthly regional magazine for Norfolk and the Hampton Roads area. Hampton Roads Times is an online magazine for Norfolk and the Hampton Roads area. Norfolk is served by a variety of radio stations on the AM and FM dials, with towers located around the Hampton Roads area. These cater to many different interests, including news, talk radio, and sports, as well as an eclectic mix of musical interests. Norfolk is served by several television stations. The Hampton Roads designated market area (DMA) is the 42nd largest in the U.S. with 712,790 homes (0.64% of the total U.S.). Major network television affiliates include: Norfolk residents also can receive independent stations, such as WSKY broadcasting on channel 4 from the Outer Banks of North Carolina and WGBS-LD broadcasting on channel 11 from Hampton. Norfolk is served by Cox Cable which provides LNC 5, a local 24-hour cable news television network. DirecTV and Dish Network are also very popular as an alternative to cable television in Norfolk. Several major motion pictures have been filmed in and around Norfolk, including Rollercoaster (filmed at the former Ocean View Amusement Park), Navy Seals, and Mission: Impossible III (partially filmed at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel). ## Infrastructure ### Transportation The city has a long history as a strategic military and transportation point, where many railroad lines started. Norfolk was the terminus of the Atlantic and Danville Railway in 1890. It is linked to its neighbors by an extensive network of interstate highways, bridges, tunnels, and three bridge-tunnel complexes, which are the only bridge-tunnels in the United States. The city was the corporate headquarters of Norfolk Southern Railway, one of North America's principal Class I railroads, before the company relocated their headquarters to Atlanta, Georgia. Norfolk is linked with its neighbors through an extensive network of arterial and Interstate highways, bridges, tunnels, and bridge-tunnel complexes. The major east–west routes are Interstate 64, U.S. Route 58 (Virginia Beach Boulevard) and U.S. Route 60 (Ocean View Avenue). The major north–south routes are U.S. Route 13 and U.S. Route 460, also known as Granby Street. Other main roadways in Norfolk include Newtown Road, Waterside Drive, Tidewater Drive, and Military Highway. The Hampton Roads Beltway (I-64, I-264, I-464, and I-664) makes a loop around Norfolk. Norfolk is primarily served by the Norfolk International Airport , now the region's major commercial airport. The airport is located near the Chesapeake Bay, along with the city limits straddling neighboring Virginia Beach. Seven airlines provide nonstop services to twenty five destinations. ORF had 3,703,664 passengers take off or land at its facility and 68,778,934 pounds of cargo were processed through its facilities. Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport also provides commercial air service for the Hampton Roads area. NNWIA is also the only airport in the region with direct international flights, as of February 2013. The Chesapeake Regional Airport provides general aviation services and is located 5 mi (8.0 km) outside the city limits. Norfolk is served by Amtrak's Northeast Regional service through the Norfolk station, located in downtown Norfolk adjacent to Harbor Park stadium. The line runs west along Norfolk Southern trackage, paralleling the US Route 460 corridor to Petersburg, thence on to Richmond and beyond. A high-speed rail connection at Richmond to both the Northeast Corridor and the Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor are also under study. Greyhound Lines provides service from a central bus terminal in downtown Norfolk. In April 2007, construction of the new \$36 million Half Moone Cruise Terminal was completed downtown adjacent to the Nauticus Museum, providing a state-of-the-art permanent structure for various cruise lines and passengers wishing to embark from Norfolk. Previously, makeshift structures were used to embark/disembark passengers, supplies, and crew. The Intracoastal Waterway passes through Norfolk. Norfolk also has extensive frontage and port facilities on the navigable portions of the Western and Southern Branches of the Elizabeth River. Light rail, bus, ferry and paratransit services are provided by Hampton Roads Transit (HRT), the regional public transport system headquartered in Hampton. HRT buses operate throughout Norfolk and South Hampton Roads and onto the Peninsula all the way up to Williamsburg. Other routes travel to Smithfield. HRT's ferry service connects downtown Norfolk to Old Town Portsmouth. Additional services include an HOV express bus to the Norfolk Naval Base, paratransit services, park-and-ride lots, and the Norfolk Electric Trolley, which provides service in the downtown area. The Tide light rail service began operations in August 2011. The light rail is a starter route running along the southern portion of Norfolk, commencing at Newtown Road and passing through stations serving areas such as Norfolk State University and Harbor Park before going through the heart of downtown Norfolk and terminating at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. Hampton Roads Transportation, Inc. dispatches Black and White Cabs of Norfolk, Yellow Cab of Norfolk and Norfolk Checker Cab. ### Utilities Water and sewer services are provided by the city's Department of Utilities. Norfolk receives its electricity from Dominion Virginia Power which has local sources including the Chesapeake Energy Center (a gas power plant), coal-fired plants in Chesapeake and Southampton County, and the Surry Nuclear Power Plant. Norfolk-headquartered Virginia Natural Gas, a subsidiary of AGL Resources, distributes natural gas to the city from storage plants in James City County and Chesapeake. Norfolk's water quality has been recognized one of the cleanest water systems in the United States and ranked as the fourth best in the United States by Men's Health. The city of Norfolk has a tremendous capacity for clean fresh water. The city owns nine reservoirs: Lake Whitehurst, Little Creek Reservoir, Lake Lawson, Lake Smith, Lake Wright, Lake Burnt Mills, Western Branch Reservoir, Lake Prince and Lake Taylor. The Virginia tidewater area has grown faster than the local freshwater supply. The river water has always been salty, and the fresh groundwater is no longer available in most areas. Currently, water for the cities of Chesapeake and Virginia Beach is pumped from Lake Gaston (which straddles the Virginia-North Carolina border) into the City of Norfolk's reservoir system and then diverted to the City of Chesapeake for treatment by the City of Chesapeake. Virginia Beach's portion of water is treated by the City of Norfolk at Moores Bridges water treatment plant and then piped into Virginia Beach. The pipeline is 76 mi (122 km) long and 60 in (1,500 mm) in diameter. Much of its follows the former right-of-way of an abandoned portion of the Virginian Railway. It is capable of pumping 60 million gallons of water per day; Virginia Beach and Chesapeake are partners in the project. The city provides wastewater services for residents and transports wastewater to the regional Hampton Roads Sanitation District treatment plants. ### Healthcare Because of the prominence of the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth and the Hampton VA Medical Center in Hampton, Norfolk has had a strong role in medicine. Norfolk is served by Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, Sentara Leigh Hospital, and Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center. The city is also home to the Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters and Lake Taylor Transitional Care Hospital. Norfolk is home to Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS), which is known for its specialists in diabetes, dermatology, and obstetrics. It achieved international fame on March 1, 1980, when Drs. Georgianna and Howard Jones opened the first in vitro fertilization clinic in the U.S. at EVMS. The country's first in-vitro test-tube baby was born there in December 1981. The international headquarters of Operation Smile, a nonprofit organization that specializes in repairing facial deformities in underprivileged children from around the globe, is located in the city. Physicians for Peace, a non-profit that focuses on providing training and education to medical professionals in the developing world, is based in Norfolk. ## Notable people - Jimmy Archey, jazz trombonist 1920s–1960s - Ella Josephine Baker, African-American civil rights and human rights activist - Steve Bannon, former executive chair of Breitbart News and former White House Chief Strategist under U.S. President Donald Trump - Michael Basnight, NFL player - Zinn Beck, MLB infielder, managed Norfolk Tars in 1928 - David S. Bill III, U.S. Navy rear admiral - Aline Elizabeth Black, African-American educator - Gary U.S. Bonds, rhythm & blues singer - Martha Haines Butt (1833–1871), author, suffragist - Elizabeth Jordan Carr, the first baby in the United States conceived by in vitro fertilization, born at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in 1981 - William Harvey Carney, soldier, Medal of Honor recipient - Kam Chancellor, safety for NFL's Seattle Seahawks - Clarence Clemons, saxophonist with Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band - Matt Coleman III, college basketball player for Texas Longhorns, NBA player - Michael Cuddyer, professional baseball player - James Joseph Dresnok, American soldier who defected to North Korea after the Korean War - Rob Estes, actor - Samuel Face, inventor - Hap Farber, football player - Ryan Farish, musician, electronic producer - Florian-Ayala Fauna, artist, musician - Joseph T. Fitzpatrick, Virginia State Senator - Stephen Furst, actor - Grant Gustin, actor, The Flash, Glee - Blanche Hecht Consolvo Cariaggi, singer, Italian countess - Allan C. Hill, founder of the Great American Circus - A. Byron Holderby Jr., Chief of Chaplains of the U.S. Navy - Jalyn Holmes, defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings - Louis Isaac Jaffe (1888–1950), editorial page editor of the Virginian-Pilot, Pulitzer Prize winner - Knucks James, second baseman in Negro league baseball - Hester C. Jeffrey, suffragette - Chris Jones, football player - Louisa Venable Kyle, writer - Mary Lawson, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player - Elaine Luria, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 2nd district, and former United States Navy Commander. - David McCormack, played college basketball for Kansas Jayhawks, NCAA Champion, professional basketball player - Matt Maeson, musician. - William Magee, plastic surgeon, founder of Operation Smile - Alex Marshall, journalist and author - Robert E. Martinez, 8th Virginia Secretary of Transportation - Samuel Mason, Revolutionary War soldier and American outlaw - James Michael McAdoo, basketball player at University of North Carolina - John Mullan, Army officer and builder of Mullan Road - Lenda Murray, IFBB professional bodybuilder - Thurop Van Orman, Film director - Barton Myers, Architect - Steven Newsome, arts and museum administrator - Wayne Newton, singer and actor who resides in Las Vegas - Norfolk Four, four US Navy men stationed at Norfolk in 1997: Danial Williams, Joseph J. Dick, Eric Wilson, and Derek Tice, and who were wrongfully convicted in 1999 and 2000 in a rape/murder case based on false confessions and sentenced to life. They were released from prison in 2009 under a conditional pardon. The last convictions were overturned in 2016, and they were granted full pardons in 2017 by Governor Terry McAuliffe. In December 2018 they received a settlement from the city and state. - Nottz, musician, hip-hop producer - Richard G. L. Paige, one of the first African-Americans delegates in Virginia - John Parker, Abolitionist and inventor - Barbara Perry, actress - Hughie Prince, film composer and songwriter - Ray Platte, NASCAR driver - Emmy Raver-Lampman, actress and singer - Leah Ray, singer and actress - Tim Reid, actor, WKRP in Cincinnati - Joseph Jenkins Roberts, first president of Liberia - Larry Sabato, American political scientist - Ed Schultz, American television and radio personality - Rhea Seehorn, actress, Better Call Saul - Deborah Shelton, actress, Miss Virginia USA 1970, Miss USA 1970 - Lemuel C. Shepherd Jr., Marine Corps General, Commandant of the Marine Corps, 1952-1955 - John Wesley Shipp, actor, The Flash - Bruce Smith, NFL defensive end for Buffalo Bills - Keely Smith, singer and recording artist - Joe Smith, former NBA basketball player - Joseph Stika, Coast Guard vice admiral - Margaret Sullavan, Oscar-nominated actress - Timbaland, musician, hip-hop producer - Doris Eaton Travis, dancer and actress - Scott Travis, drummer for rock bands Racer X, Judas Priest, Fight and Thin Lizzy - Justin Upton, MLB outfielder for Detroit Tigers - Melvin Upton, Jr, MLB outfielder for Toronto Blue Jays - Gene Vincent, member of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Benjamin Watson, American football tight end - Joe Weatherly, former NASCAR driver - Pernell Whitaker, boxer, 1984 Olympic gold medalist, 4-division world champion - Thomas Wilkins, symphony conductor - Patrick Wilson, Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated actor - Harold G. Wren (1921-2016), dean of three law schools - David Wright, MLB third baseman for New York Mets - Amore Wiggins (2006 - c. 2011), murder victim - Mark Williams, NBA player for Charlotte Hornets played college basketball for Duke University - Jake E. Lee (1957), rock guitarist ## Sister cities Norfolk's sister cities are: - Kitakyushu, Japan (1963) - Wilhelmshaven, Germany (1976) - Norfolk, England, United Kingdom (1986) - Toulon, France (1989) - Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada (2006) - Cagayan de Oro, Philippines (2008) - Tema, Ghana (2010) - Kochi, India (2010) Former sister cities: - Kaliningrad, Russia (1992–2022) Wilhelmshaven is the Germany's largest military harbour and naval base and Toulon is France's largest military harbour. ## See also - Hunter House Victorian Museum - List of famous people from Hampton Roads (Norfolk) - List of tallest buildings in Norfolk - List of U.S. cities with large Black populations - National Register of Historic Places listings in Norfolk, Virginia - Norfolk Anti-Inoculation Riot of 1768 - Norfolk Convention and Visitors Bureau - Norfolk Police Department - Norvella Heights - USS Norfolk, 5 ships

Edward Norton

American actor (born 1969)

Edward Harrison Norton (born August 18, 1969) is an American actor. Norton was drawn to theatrical productions at local venues as a child. After graduating from Yale College in 1991, he worked for a few months in Japan before moving to Manhattan to pursue an acting career. He gained immediate recognition and critical acclaim for his debut in Primal Fear (1996), which earned him a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and an Academy Award nomination in the same category. His role as a redeemed neo-Nazi in American History X (1998) earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He also starred in the film Fight Club (1999), which garnered a cult following. Norton established the production company Class 5 Films in 2003, and was director or producer of the films Keeping the Faith (2000), Down in the Valley (2005), and The Painted Veil (2006). He continued to receive critical acclaim for his acting roles in films such as The Score (2001), 25th Hour (2002), The Illusionist (2006), Moonrise Kingdom (2012), and The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014). His biggest commercial successes have been Red Dragon (2002), Kingdom of Heaven (2005), The Incredible Hulk (2008), and The Bourne Legacy (2012). For his role in the black comedy Birdman (2014), Norton earned another Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Norton has since directed and acted in the crime film Motherless Brooklyn (2019), and starred in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022). Despite critical plaudits, Norton has gained notoriety for being difficult to work with, including incidents such as editing the final cuts and rewriting screenplays against the will of other producers. He is discreet about his personal life and has expressed no interest in being a celebrity. Besides acting and filmmaking, he is an environmental activist and social entrepreneur. He is a trustee of Enterprise Community Partners, a non-profit organization that advocates for affordable housing, and serves as president of the American branch of the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust. He is also the UN Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity. He is married to Canadian film producer Shauna Robertson, with whom he has a son. In March 2022, on the day of another sentencing of Russian opposition leader and political prisoner Alexei Navalny, Norton became the first celebrity sponsor of the international Anti-Corruption Foundation. ## Early life Edward Harrison Norton was born into a progressive Episcopalian family in Boston, Massachusetts, on August 18, 1969. He is descended from John Norton, a Bristol (UK) Victorian architect designing mainly Churches and Tyntesfield Estate (The Architect, May 1994). He was raised in Columbia, Maryland. His father, Edward Mower Norton Jr., served in Vietnam as a Marine lieutenant before becoming an environmental lawyer and conservation advocate working in Asia and a federal prosecutor in the Carter administration. His mother, Lydia Robinson "Robin" Rouse, was an English teacher who died of a brain tumor in 1997. Norton's maternal grandfather, James Rouse, was the founder of real-estate developer The Rouse Company and co-founder of the real estate corporation Enterprise Community Partners. He has two younger siblings, Molly and James. At age five, Norton and his parents saw a musical related to Cinderella at the Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts (CCTA), starring his babysitter, which ignited his interest in the theater. He enjoyed watching films with his father as a pre-teen, but later reflected that he was fascinated with the cinematography rather than the acting. Norton recalled that it was theater and not films that inspired him to act. He made his professional debut at the age of eight in the musical Annie Get Your Gun at his hometown's Toby's Dinner Theatre. At the CCTA, he acted in several theatrical productions directed by Toby Orenstein. In 1984, Norton won the acting cup at Pasquaney, an annual summer camp for boys in Hebron, New Hampshire, where he later returned as a theater director. He subsequently immersed himself in films, naming Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro as two of his early inspirations because "the ones [he] liked were also the ones who made [him] think [he] could do it because they weren't the most handsome guys". He graduated from Wilde Lake High School in 1987. He attended Yale College, where he earned a BA in History. While there, he also studied Japanese, acted in university productions, and was a competitive rower. After graduating from Yale in 1991, conversant in Japanese, Norton worked not-for-profit as a representative for his grandfather's company, Enterprise Community Partners, in Osaka, Japan. ## Career ### 1991–1994: Career beginnings After five months in Japan, Norton moved to New York City, where he supported himself working odd jobs. He took six months researching different acting techniques, focusing on method acting. He later took lessons from acting coach Terry Schreiber after discovering he was looking for a Japanese translator to help direct a play in Tokyo. Norton described him as a great teacher who encouraged students to become "multilingual actors" with different techniques for versatile roles. Norton also wrote scripts for plays at the Signature Theatre Company and starred in off-Broadway theater. His performance in Brian Friel's Lovers brought him to the attention of playwright Edward Albee, whose one-act plays Norton enjoyed. In 1994, Norton auditioned for Albee's Finding the Sun but did not get the part. Albee found a new role for him instead and had Norton read for Fragments. The playwright was impressed with Norton's rehearsal performance and cast him for its world premiere. Albee remarked that Norton was a rare actor "who really knocked me out". Norton recalled that he was inspired by Al Pacino, who also began his career in theater while struggling to establish himself in New York. ### 1995–1999: Breakthrough In 1995, casting agent Shirley Rich discovered Norton. He then rented a studio space near The Public Theater and presented his auditions of Shakespearean works to her. Impressed by his acting, she introduced Norton to the executives of the noir drama Primal Fear, an adaptation of William Diehl's 1993 novel. He was selected for the part over two thousand other prospects. Released in 1996, Primal Fear features Norton in the role of Aaron Stampler, an altar boy who is charged with the murder of a Roman Catholic archbishop and is defended by Martin Vail (Richard Gere). His performance was lauded by critics; Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times praised Norton's character as "completely convincing", while Peter Stack of the San Francisco Chronicle dubbed the actor "the one to watch" after his debut. Norton won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor and was nominated for an Academy Award in the same category for his role in the film. Norton starred in two other films released in 1996; he played Holden Spence in Woody Allen's musical film Everyone Says I Love You and Larry Flynt's lawyer Alan Isaacman in Milos Forman's biographical drama The People vs. Larry Flynt. In 1998, Norton starred alongside Matt Damon in Rounders, which follows two friends who urgently need cash and play poker to pay off a huge debt. The film and Norton's performance received a lukewarm response; Entertainment Weekly wrote that his acting "never really goes anywhere", while the Chicago Reader observed that his character was not good enough to make the film interesting. His role in the crime drama American History X, released later that year, earned him widespread acclaim. In it, Norton portrays Derek Vinyard, a reformed neo-Nazi, who abandons his preconceived ideology after three years in prison. During production, Norton was allegedly dissatisfied with director Tony Kaye's first screening. Consequently, he took over the editing (uncredited) and finished the final cut, which was 40 minutes longer than Kaye's version. The New Yorker wrote that he gave Derek an "ambiguous erotic allure" which made the film memorable, while the Chicago Tribune deemed his performance an immediate contender for an Oscar. Norton received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor, and won a Golden Satellite Award in the same category. In the 1999 David Fincher-directed film Fight Club, Norton played an unnamed unreliable narrator who feels trapped in his white-collar job. The film is based on Chuck Palahniuk's 1996 novel. To prepare for the role, Norton took lessons in boxing, taekwondo and grappling. Fight Club premiered at the 1999 Venice International Film Festival. During promotion for the film, Norton explained that Fight Club examines the value conflicts of Generation X as the first generation raised on television, by probing "the despair and paralysis that people feel in the face of having inherited this value system out of advertising". While the film divided contemporary critics, Norton's role was widely applauded. Time magazine labeled him "excellent", and Variety magazine was impressed by his embracing a range of techniques needed for his character. For his performance, Norton was nominated for Best Actor by the Online Film Critics Society. Despite under-performing at the box office, Fight Club became a cult classic after its DVD release in 2000. ### 2000–2006: Continued success and filmmaking In 2000, Norton made his directorial debut with the romantic comedy Keeping the Faith, starring as a priest named Brian Finn. The film received mixed critical reviews. The Dallas Morning News praised his acting and labeled the film "a smart directorial debut". Entertainment Weekly remarked that Norton's emergence as a director was decent, but criticized the plot because it "proposes heavy theological aims, then disavows any such thing". In 2001's heist film The Score, Norton plays Jack Teller, an ambitious young thief caught in an unlikely alliance with career criminal Nick Wells (Robert De Niro) arranged by his fence, Max (Marlon Brando). The Score and Norton's performance was well received. The San Francisco Chronicle stated that despite starring with screen legends De Niro and Brando, Norton's acting "outdoes even that of Brando". The Los Angeles Times also lauded him as an "enormously gifted young actor" who pulled off the character successfully. Norton appeared in four films released in 2002. He played kids show host Sheldon Mopes, who quickly rises to fame for his character "Smoochy the Rhino", in the black comedy Death to Smoochy. It received negative critical feedback for its plot. He also portrayed Nelson Rockefeller in the biopic film Frida, which depicts the life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (Salma Hayek). Norton rewrote the script several times without credit, focusing on the historical context and adding some humor while retaining Kahlo's real-life personality. The final screenplay, with Norton's contribution, received positive reviews from critics as well as admiration from the film's co-stars including Hayek and Alfred Molina, who portrayed Kahlo's husband and fellow artist Diego Rivera. In the horror film Red Dragon, Norton starred as retired FBI profiler Will Graham, who consults with cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) to catch Francis Dolarhyde (Ralph Fiennes), a serial killer who murders entire families. During production, Norton and director Brett Ratner argued frequently over the script. "He likes to challenge the director. It's all about intellectual debate," Ratner told The Times in 2003. "... Edward's instinct is going to be, 'I have to take over this film.' He's going to try to rescue the film. That's both a blessing and a curse." Despite mixed reviews, Red Dragon was Norton's most profitable venture in 2002, grossing over \$200 million. Norton also co-produced and starred in 25th Hour, a film about a drug dealer in post-9/11 New York City. Paramount Pictures forced Norton to star in the heist film The Italian Job (2003), threatening to sue him for violating a three-film contract he had signed; the studio had previously distributed 1996's Primal Fear and 2001's The Score. Norton, accordingly, refused to promote the film's release. His performance was well received by critics, with The New Yorker calling him "intelligent and incisive ... one of those rare actors who hold the audience's attention with everything they say". Rolling Stone praised his character as "perversely magnetic" despite giving the film a negative review. During this time, Norton co-founded a production company, Class 5 Films, with Yale classmate Stuart Blumberg and film producer Bill Migliore. Norton was cast as Baldwin IV, the leper king of Jerusalem, in Ridley Scott's 2005 epic historical film Kingdom of Heaven. Reviewers criticized the film's lack of depth, while praising the cinematography. Jack Moore described Norton's performance in Kingdom of Heaven as "phenomenal", and "so far removed from anything that he has ever done that we see the true complexities of his talent". It grossed over \$211 million worldwide. Norton's next lead role was in the neo-western film Down in the Valley (2005), playing a delusional man who claims to be a cowboy. While the film was criticized for its narrative, Norton was praised for his performance. Norton had two major film roles in 2006, starring as Eisenheim the magician in The Illusionist and bacteriologist Walter Fane in The Painted Veil. Set in 19th-century Austria-Hungary, The Illusionist was loosely based on novelist Steven Millhauser's short story "Eisenheim the Illusionist" and received generally positive critical reviews. The San Francisco Chronicle dubbed the film "rich and elegant" and wrote of Norton's character: "he doesn't just seduce the on-screen audience but the audience watching in the movie theater". The Houston Chronicle similarly lauded the film for its vibrant plot and described Norton's performance as "mysterious and understated". Norton co-produced The Painted Veil, in which he starred with Naomi Watts, who portrayed his character's unfaithful wife. Like his previous venture, The Painted Veil garnered positive feedback from reviewers. The Guardian applauded the film as "faultless" and "powerful" as well as Norton's "genuinely affecting" performance. Entertainment Weekly appreciated that Norton's production effort did not affect his acting. ### 2007–2011: The Incredible Hulk and controversies Norton appeared in two documentaries in 2007: Brando, which chronicles the life and career of screen legend Marlon Brando, with whom Norton co-starred in 2001's The Score, and Man from Plains, which depicts the post-presidency endeavors of former U.S. president Jimmy Carter. His next lead film role was Marvel Cinematic Universe's Bruce Banner, and the accompanying alter ego Hulk in the big-budget superhero film The Incredible Hulk, released in 2008. Norton initially turned down the part as he felt the 2003 version Hulk "strayed far afield from a story that was familiar to people, ... which is a fugitive story". He provided rewrites of the script every day of filming. Director Louis Leterrier welcomed his contributions, saying that, "Edward's script has given Bruce's story real gravitas". However, screenwriter Zak Penn was displeased with Norton's changes. The Writers Guild of America credited Penn as the sole writer, arguing that Norton had not contributed significantly to the screenplay. Norton did not participate in promoting the film and went to Africa for humanitarian activities instead, it led to rumors that Norton was sparking conflicts with the film's producers. He dismissed the accusations and said that the media had misrepresented the "healthy" collaborations for headlines. The Incredible Hulk received generally favorable reviews upon release. The Wall Street Journal felt that Norton's presence improved the film to "a thunderously efficient enterprise" from the 2003 version. Conversely, the Los Angeles Times, while recognizing Norton's decent performance, opined that the film lacked a solid script. It was a box office success, grossing over \$263 million. Norton was expected to reprise his role in future Marvel Cinematic Universe ventures, including the 2012 blockbuster The Avengers. However, he was replaced by Mark Ruffalo, allegedly due to Norton's "disputes" with Marvel. Norton later claimed that he chose not to play Hulk again because he "wanted more diversity" and opted against associating himself with one character throughout his career. He also starred in the crime drama Pride and Glory (2008) as Ray Tierney, an honest detective assigned to investigate the precinct run by his older brother. Reviewers criticized the film for its cliched plot. In 2009, Norton produced the documentary By the People: The Election of Barack Obama, which follows former U.S. president Barack Obama's campaigns leading to his 2008 election victory. Norton planned for this project in 2006, when Obama was a senator from Illinois, elaborating that Obama was "an interesting prism through which to examine politics". He had two lead film roles in 2010. He portrayed Brown University Professor Bill and his identical twin Brady Kincaid in the comedy Leaves of Grass, and convicted arsonist Gerald "Stone" Creeson in the crime film Stone. Both received weak reviews; Leaves of Grass was praised for Norton's performance but criticized for its conflicting tonal shifts, while Stone was panned because of a clumsy plot with excessive twists. ### 2012–present: Birdman and beyond Norton had two lead film roles in 2012. He starred as scoutmaster Randy Ward in charge of finding his missing camper in the coming-of-age film Moonrise Kingdom, directed by Wes Anderson. The film was acclaimed by critics and grossed over \$68 million. His other lead role was in the action thriller The Bourne Legacy, the fourth installment in the Bourne series. In the film, Norton portrayed retired Air Force colonel Eric Byer, who decides to terminate an illegal operation after it is exposed to the FBI and kill everyone involved. The Bourne Legacy received lukewarm reviews but has been Norton's highest-grossing venture so far, earning over \$276 million worldwide. Norton also produced the comedy-drama Thanks for Sharing (2012) under his company Class 5 Films. This production venture received a mixed response. The Guardian panned the film as "smug and humourless," while The Washington Post called it "surprisingly wise, funny and affecting". In 2014, Norton played in two Academy Award-winning films, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). He collaborated again with director Wes Anderson for The Grand Budapest Hotel, which featured an ensemble cast and won four Academy Awards. In the black comedy Birdman, Norton played Broadway method actor Mike Shiner, who is talented but hard to work with. The film, as well as Norton's performance, was well received by critics. The Los Angeles Times lauded him for successfully portraying the volatility of the character, and Newsday complimented his "truly moving" poetic delivery. The film won the Academy Award for Best Picture and earned Norton his third Academy nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Besides acting, Norton announced in February 2014 that he would direct Motherless Brooklyn, a crime drama based on the acclaimed 1999 novel by Jonathan Lethem. Norton had wanted to work on the project since 1999 but did not begin until Brett Ratner, director of 2002's Red Dragon, joined in to help production. Released in 2019, the film received mixed reviews. Toronto Star's Peter Howell praised Norton's direction, but thought the film was complex and too long. Norton had voice-acting roles in the animated features Sausage Party (2016) and The Guardian Brothers—the English-dubbed version of the Chinese animated film Little Door Gods (2017). He played Whit Yardsham, an estranged friend and business partner of Howard Inlet (Will Smith) in the 2016 drama Collateral Beauty. The film was panned by critics for its incoherent screenplay. Norton worked again with director Anderson for the 2018 stop motion film Isle of Dogs, in which he voiced Rex, a member of a pack of five dogs. In 2022, Norton portrayed New York tech billionaire Miles Bron in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. ## Personal life ### Relationships Since coming to fame in the mid-1990s, Norton has opted not to discuss his personal life in public, saying that he "believes that excessive media coverage can distract him from fulfilling his role as an actor". Following the release of The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996), tabloids spread rumors that Norton and his onscreen co-star Courtney Love were dating. Norton insisted that he was not romantically involved with Love, and the two were only friends and colleagues. Nevertheless, appearing on an episode of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Love stated they had dated for four years. It was in addition to her references in a 2006 interview to their past relationship. She said that Norton had been a "mediator" and "communicator" between her and her daughter Frances Bean Cobain, calling him a "force of good". After Norton had ended his relationship with Love in 1999, he started dating Salma Hayek, with whom he later appeared in the 2002 biopic Frida. Norton absented himself from the premiere of The Italian Job, in which he starred, to attend the premiere of The Maldonado Miracle, Hayek's directorial debut. The two broke up in 2003. Hayek still remains friends with Norton. She recalled in a 2017 piece for The New York Times that Norton "beautifully rewrote the script [of Frida] several times and appallingly never got credit" after she had rejected Harvey Weinstein's sexual demands and Weinstein, in retaliation, had given her "a list of [four] impossible tasks with a tight deadline," including "a rewrite of the script, with no additional payment, or writer's credit" before he would make the film. In 2011, Norton proposed to Canadian film producer Shauna Robertson after dating for six years. The pair married in 2012, and welcomed their son in 2013. ### Ancestry Norton appeared on the PBS genealogy series Finding Your Roots in January 2023, where it was confirmed that Pocahontas was his 12th great-grandmother. Norton, whose family had known of possible relation to Pocahontas and her husband John Rolfe for years, replied to the findings: "It makes you realize what a small piece of the human story you are". Norton expressed discomfort upon learning his ancestors owned a family of slaves: "The short answer is these things are uncomfortable, and you should be uncomfortable with them. Everybody should be uncomfortable with it. It's not a judgement on you and your own life, but it's a judgement on the history of this country. It needs to be acknowledged first and foremost, and then it needs to be contended with. When you go away from census counts and you personalise things, you're talking about, possibly, a husband and wife with five girls – and these girls are slaves. Born into slavery. ... When you read 'slave aged eight,' you just want to die." Norton also learned he is a distant cousin of fellow actress Julia Roberts. ## Off-screen work ### Environmental and humanitarian activism Norton's father is an environmental lawyer and conservationist; Norton is an environmentalist. He narrated the four-part National Geographic documentary Strange Days on Planet Earth (2005), which examines earth system science. He is an advocate for renewable energy, specifically solar energy. After rising to stardom, Norton bought a solar energy-powered home in Los Angeles and switched to a hybrid car. In 2003, he collaborated with oil company BP to develop the Solar Neighbors program, which aimed to install photovoltaic panels on rooftops of households in Los Angeles. The initiative was welcomed by many of Norton's fellow celebrities, notably Salma Hayek, Brad Pitt, Danny DeVito, Alicia Silverstone and Robin Williams. Norton is a supporter of the African Wildlife Foundation and its "Say No" campaign which raises awareness and fights against illegal poaching of elephants and rhinoceroses for ivory and horn. He is the president of the American branch of the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust. The organization aims to preserve the ecosystems and biodiversity of East Africa through conservation which directly benefits the local Maasai communities. To raise money for the trust, Norton fielded a team of thirty runners for the New York City Marathon on November 1, 2009; the team included himself, three Maasai tribesmen, and fellow celebrity musician Alanis Morissette. He raised over \$1.2 million for the Trust after completing his run. After the successful fundraising for the Maasai Conservation, Norton launched an online fundraising platform called Crowdrise in May 2010. The website uses a social-networking framework to help raise funds for charity. In July 2010, the then-Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) named Norton the Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity and a spokesperson for the Convention on Biological Diversity. At his designation ceremony, Norton said that biodiversity is an issue that "transcends national boundaries", with people "having lost sight" of the need for environmental protection. As part of his job as a UN Ambassador, Norton has embarked on trips to Africa and participated in programs organized by UN bodies including the Development and Environment Programmes. He also played soccer (football) for Soccer Aid in May 2012; the event raised over £4.9 million for UNICEF to assist children worldwide. ### Political views and social causes Norton has served as a member of the board of trustees of Enterprise Community Partners, a non-profit developer of affordable housing founded by his grandparents, in 1998. The company has invested \$9 billion in equity capital, pre-development lending, mortgage financing, and house building for low-income Americans. In 2008, Norton initiated the company's plan to embark on green affordable housing. This originated with his concerns over environmental issues and sustainable development in addition to housing problems. He attributed his involvement in community building to his upbringing in Columbia, Maryland, which is a planned city built in the 1960s and home to a diverse population. Norton believes celebrities should "participate quietly" in discussions on politics and social issues as, "Having a public forum tends to make people offer too casual a commentary". During the 2004 presidential election, Norton urged college students to vote against the Republican nominee George W. Bush, further criticizing his plans to cut college financing and his support of tax breaks for the rich. He also made speeches to encourage voters to support Democratic nominee John Kerry. Norton was a supporter of Democrat Eliot Spitzer, former New York governor. During the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections, Norton supported but did not actively campaign for the Democratic nominee Barack Obama, saying that "it's much more interesting to encourage people to engage than to suggest that people should model themselves on me and my views". He produced the 2009 documentary By the People: The Election of Barack Obama, which chronicles Obama's political activities from 2006 to his 2008 election victory. Norton spoke highly of Obama, crediting him as "a perfect framework" to explore contemporary U.S. politics. He produced a campaign video for Obama's 2012 presidential race with Bennett Miller; the video featured voters from diverse economic and racial backgrounds. He also expressed "grave concerns" over the Trump administration's position regarding climate change. In 2020 Norton donated \$8,400 to the Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign. In November 2020, Norton criticized then-US President Donald Trump for his unfounded claims of election fraud at the 2020 United States presidential election, as a "contemptible, treasonous, seditious assault on the stability of the country and its institutions." ## Public image Norton has been regarded as one of the most talented actors of his generation. The Daily Telegraph observed that "the tag 'finest actor of his generation' clings to him wherever he goes". In The Observer, Peter Preston noted that his image was unlike that of conventional screen "stars" because his most memorable characters are unlikeable, specifically a neo-Nazi in American History X. Preston likened his characters to those played by Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro, whom Norton admires. Interview magazine commented that Norton has successfully portrayed a wide range of roles and found it impossible to simply characterize him as a leading man, a villain, or a character actor. Despite critical plaudits, Norton is scornful of being seen as a Hollywood A-lister. He feels it necessary to keep his off-screen life to himself and opts for a "normal life." As soon as his career took off in the late 1990s, Norton asserted that, "If I ever have to stop taking the subway, I'm gonna have a heart attack." AllMovie remarked that Norton attained "almost instant stardom" following his 1996 film debut in Primal Fear and could have risen to even greater fame. The Daily Telegraph attributed Norton's lack of interest in celebrity status to his family of "distinguished political and social activists." Sharing the same sentiment, Forbes complimented Norton as "a far cry" from celebrities who do charity works "with a keen eye to furthering their personal brand," citing his involvements in community planning and social entrepreneurship even before his film career. Norton has a strict work ethic and a high desire for professionalism. He is selective in choosing his roles, explaining that, "You don't want to do anything just ... to work with somebody. There are many actors I would like to work with but it has to be the right role." Drew Barrymore, his co-star in the 1996 musical Everyone Says I Love You, recalled that he was "on the set every day" and "never compromised for a second." He also expects different approaches to projects with different collaborators and wishes for "happy" working situations as long as "the boundaries of the collaboration are well-established in the beginning." Due to his controversial opinions, Norton has earned a reputation for being difficult to work with. Incidents include Norton's editing the final cut of American History X (1998), which is 40 minutes longer than director Tony Kaye's version; conflicts with director Brett Ratner on the set of Red Dragon (2002); refusing to promote The Italian Job (2003); and uncredited rewriting of the screenplay for The Incredible Hulk (2008), which angered screenwriter Zak Penn. The Los Angeles Times opined that these incidents led to Norton's image as a "prickly perfectionist", which diminishes his reputation. Nevertheless, a few collaborators with whom Norton reportedly had disputes have expressed their respect for him: Kaye wanted to feature Norton in some of his other ventures, and Ratner offered to help with production of Norton's film Motherless Brooklyn and got along well with Norton. Some publications interpreted Norton's performance in Birdman (2014), in which he portrays a talented but volatile actor, as a self-referential nod to his image. ## Awards According to the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, Norton's most critically acclaimed films are Primal Fear (1996), Everyone Says I Love You (1996), The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996), American History X (1998), Fight Club (1999), The Score (2001), Frida (2002), 25th Hour (2002), The Illusionist (2006), The Painted Veil (2006), Moonrise Kingdom (2012), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), Birdman (2014), Sausage Party (2016) and Isle of Dogs (2018). His biggest commercial successes are Red Dragon (2002), Kingdom of Heaven (2005), The Incredible Hulk (2008), and The Bourne Legacy (2012), all of which grossed over \$200 million worldwide. Norton has been nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor for Primal Fear and Birdman, and Best Actor for American History X. He also has two Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor for Primal Fear and Birdman, winning for the former.

The Almost People

Episode of Doctor Who

"The Almost People" is the sixth episode of the sixth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and was first broadcast on BBC One on 28 May 2011. It is the second episode of a two-part story written by Matthew Graham and directed by Julian Simpson which began with "The Rebel Flesh". Following from "The Rebel Flesh", alien time traveller the Doctor (Matt Smith) and his companions Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) are on an acid-pumping factory on a remote island in the 22nd century where the crew of the factory create "Gangers", the Flesh duplicates they control. However, a solar storm has caused the Gangers to become sentient, and the Doctor must prevent a war breaking out between the humans and Gangers. "The Almost People" ends on a cliffhanger which brings several plot threads of the series to a head. The two-part story was filmed from November 2010 to January 2011, mainly at Caerphilly Castle. The Gangers were achieved with the aid of prosthetics, as well as computer-generated imagery for their contortions. "The Almost People" also features a Flesh double of the Doctor, which marked Smith's first time in prosthetic make-up. The episode was watched by 6.72 million viewers in the UK and received mixed reviews from critics, many noting that the cliffhanger overshadowed the actual story of the episode. ## Plot ### Synopsis The "Gangers", duplicates of several workers at an island acid factory, have turned against their human counterparts, forcing the humans to take shelter in a secured commons area. There, they discover that a Ganger of the Eleventh Doctor exists. Rory has gone off alone to find the emotionally distraught Jennifer. The Ganger Jennifer kills the real Jennifer, and then stages a fight with another Ganger Jennifer to convince Rory that she is the human version. Ganger Jennifer leads Rory to a console, claiming it will restore power when instead it disables the cooling system for the acid, making it dangerously unstable. She then convinces Rory to lead the human group into the acid storage chamber and traps them inside; crewman Jimmy is killed trying to stall the acid release. After investigating the real Jennifer's corpse, Buzzer knocks out the Ganger Doctor, but he gets killed by Ganger Jennifer afterwards. Using a video call for Jimmy's son Adam, the Ganger Doctor convinces the Ganger Jimmy and the other Gangers they are just as real as their human counterparts. Ganger Jennifer becomes furious at this display and rages off; the other Gangers agree to work with the humans to escape the facility. They free the humans trapped in the acid storage room, and race off through the crypts below the monastery, chased by a savage Ganger Jennifer who has transformed herself into a monster. Ganger Cleaves and the Ganger Doctor hold the door to allow the Doctor, Amy, Rory, human Cleaves, Ganger Jimmy and Ganger Dicken to escape to the TARDIS. The Cleaves and Doctor Gangers together face the monster, triggering a sonic screwdriver at the right moment to cause them and the monster to dissolve back into liquid. Aboard the TARDIS, the Doctor indefinitely stabilises the Gangers' forms to ensure that they remain human permanently. Ganger Jimmy goes to meet Adam, and Cleaves and Dicken go to their headquarters where they plan to reveal the truth of the Flesh to humanity. As the TARDIS crew turns to leave, Amy starts feeling contractions. Back aboard the TARDIS, the Doctor admits his trip to the factory was planned: he wanted to investigate the Flesh in its raw form, as he has known for some time that Amy is a Ganger herself. He promises her that he will find her and then disrupts her form, turning her back to raw Flesh. Amy wakes up pregnant in a pristine white tube, observed by the "Eye Patch Lady", and starts entering labour. ### Continuity While struggling with his past regenerations, the Doctor's Ganger alludes to several previous Doctors' words. He misquotes the First Doctor's line "one day I shall come back...yes, one day" from An Unearthly Child as "one day we will get back"; quotes the Third Doctor's catchphrase "reverse the polarity of the neutron flow"; and speaks with the voices of the Fourth and Tenth Doctors (Tom Baker and David Tennant, respectively), the former expressing that Doctor's fondness for jelly babies. Growing frustrated by the humans' distrust of him, the Doctor asks both Amy and Cleaves' Gangers to refer to him as "John Smith". This is an alias the Doctor has used on several occasions, beginning with The Wheel in Space (1968). ## Production ### Writing Matthew Graham was originally scheduled to write a single episode for the previous series, but withdrew because he did not have enough time to finish the script. Showrunner Steven Moffat e-mailed him asking for him to write for the next series, and Graham agreed. When the two met, Moffat said he would like the episodes to lead into the mid-series finale and that it should deal with "avatars that rebel". After Graham had finished his script Moffat had the idea of what would need to happen at the end of "The Almost People" to lead into the next episode and gave Graham the premise for the cliffhanger, which Graham "loved". With "The Almost People", Graham avoided creating similar situations that had happened in "The Rebel Flesh". He originally intended on setting "The Almost People" in a different location to "throw everybody", but decided that would be unnecessary. Graham found writing for two Doctors easy, as Matt Smith's Doctor had a constant "internal dialogue" and was always finishing his own sentences. He wanted each character to be different and did not want all of them to become evil, and the Doctor would help them discover their humanity. Graham wanted Jennifer to be the antagonist as he liked the idea of the quietest character becoming the most evil. The original script explained that she has a perfect memory, and so her Ganger was able to remember every terrible thing that had happened to the Flesh. Several other sequences were cut from the final version of "The Almost People". In the original script, the Doctor quizzes the Flesh Doctor about the events of The Mind of Evil (1971) and mentions former companions Jo Grant, Sarah Jane Smith, Romana, Rose Tyler, Martha Jones, and Donna Noble. There was also a montage of happy memories of the Doctor's life stored in the Flesh Doctor, which included flashbacks of previous episodes and serials of the show as well as events that had not transpired onscreen. Also cut was the TARDIS providing the Doctor with another sonic screwdriver after he had given it to the Flesh Doctor, in a similar fashion to "The Eleventh Hour". The cliffhanger resolves several plot threads that had been seeded throughout the previous episodes of the series. According to executive producer Beth Willis, the Amy Pond Ganger has been acting in place of the original Amy Pond since the beginning of the series. Amy claimed she was pregnant in "The Impossible Astronaut", but denied this in the following episode. Since then, the Doctor has performed several inconclusive pregnancy tests on Amy. The Eye Patch Lady, who was later revealed to be named Madame Kovarian in the episode "A Good Man Goes To War", previously made brief appearances in "Day of the Moon", "The Curse of the Black Spot", and "The Rebel Flesh". Gillan discussed the labour scene with her mother, and tried to make it "really horrific". ### Filming and effects The read-through for "The Rebel Flesh" and "The Almost People" took place on 12 November 2010. It was then filmed through November and January 2011. The cold temperatures at the time were a challenge and caused discomfort. The crew were concerned that the cast, particularly the three lead actors, would fall ill as their costumes were not designed for such weather conditions. Even so, the cast remained healthy. Scenes outside and inside the monastery were filmed at Caerphilly Castle. Other production problems included the director hurting himself and being snowed in. The crypt where the acid container was held was filmed in the same set that had been previously used as the Oval Office in "The Impossible Astronaut"/"Day of the Moon. The actors each played their respective Gangers, with prosthetics applied to their faces for when the duplicates' faces reverted to the original material of the Flesh. For the scenes in which both the character and their respective Ganger was in the same shot, a double for each of the actors was used. Most of the shots showed either the character or their Ganger speaking over their counterpart's shoulder, as only the backs of the doubles' head were made to look similar to the actors. Smith had a voice double and a body double; the former would read the other Doctor's lines on set. The episode also marked the first time Smith wore prosthetic make-up. The unique contortions of the Gangers were achieved through computer-generated imagery done by The Mill. It was originally planned that Jennifer would eat Buzzer, but The Mill decided only the shadows of the action would be shown on the wall. All of this was cut from the final episode, with the exception of Jennifer's elongated mouth as she advanced towards him. The pile of discarded Jennifer Gangers was originally intended to just be a pile of bodies, but it was decided that would be "too grim". Instead, life-sized dolls were used and computer-generated Flesh was painted on it, giving it a more melted look. The monster Jennifer transforms into at the end was created with CGI and a photo of pop singer Madonna was used as reference, as in the image "here arms were...really sinewy, white, veiny, and fleshy". Graham wanted the creature to have a real face and an alien body; he was inspired by a drawing in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland that depicted Alice with a long neck. Sarah Smart was filmed in front of a greenscreen maneuvering like the monster, which was used as reference. ## Broadcast and reception "The Almost People" was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 28 May 2011. In the United States, BBC America delayed broadcast of this episode until 4 June, one week later than it was aired in the UK, due to expected low numbers of TV viewers during the Memorial Day weekend. In the UK, overnight figures showed that "The Almost People" was watched by five million viewers on first broadcast. Final consolidated figures rose to 6.72 million, the sixth highest viewing figure of a programme on BBC One for that week. It is the lowest figure for Doctor Who's sixth series. The episode received an Appreciation Index of 86, considered "excellent". ### Critical reception Dan Martin of The Guardian thought that it "feels a bit uneven, though it's worth saying that it's one of those where everything makes more sense on second viewing". He also felt that the cliffhanger may have overshadowed the episode itself. However, he went on to describe the Gangers as "memorable" and "an exercise in moral dilemmas". He later rated it the ninth best episode of the series, though the finale was not included in the list. Gavin Fuller of The Daily Telegraph described it as a "taut, claustrophobic, sci-fi thriller", and as an "impressive episode with its neatly realised psychological and body horror". Both Martin and Fuller were less generous of Jennifer's monster transformation. Martin commented "this dark, thoughtful story is restored to camp running-for-your-life-around-some-corridors", and Fuller called it "something of a pity". Neela Debnath of The Independent particularly praised Smith, stating that he "excels in his acting, managing to be reassuring and threatening, hilarious and sinister all within the same few scenes". However, though she praised the cliffhanger, she thought it "eclipsed" the episode. Radio Times writer Patrick Mulkern thought that there were "points of logic" which might be questioned, but they were "minor points to wrestle with in a largely polished production". Keith Phipps, reviewing for The A.V. Club, gave the episode a B and called it a "pretty good follow-up". IGN's Matt Risely rated "The Almost People" 8 out of 10, noting that "As a traditional two-parter, Matthew Graham wrote a tight and coherent but not entirely scintillating script that managed to 'flesh' out the themes of morality and humanity with a couple of interesting touches". Though he called the cliffhanger a "perfectly pitched WTF moment", he too believed that it "detracts from the episode as a whole". Richard Edwards of SFX was more critical of the episode, giving it three out of five stars. He stated he did not feel any "genuine threat" and considered the Gangers to be "uninteresting" and "predictable". However, he did praise Smith's performance and the cliffhanger. Digital Spy listed the cliffhanger among five best of Doctor Who since its revival in 2005, explaining, "it changes everything you thought you knew about the latest series, and it's damn creepy".

California Sunrise

California Sunrise is the second studio album by American country music singer Jon Pardi. It was released on June 17, 2016, through Capitol Nashville. Following the success of his debut studio album, Write You a Song (2014), Pardi reteamed with co-producer Bart Butler to work on new material for his next country album, wanting to incorporate more traditional aspects of the genre while adhering to the modern country music template. The album received positive reviews from music critics, who often praised the production and lyrical content. The accompanying singles "Head Over Boots", "Dirt on My Boots", "Heartache on the Dance Floor", "She Ain't in It", and "Night Shift" were released. California Sunrise debuted at number 11 on the US Billboard 200 and number one on the Top Country Albums chart, giving Pardi his only chart-topping album to date. It was certified platinum in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). To promote the album, Pardi performed on talk shows, headlined his own concerts and opened for other country artists on their respective tours. ## Background and development Pardi released his debut studio album Write You a Song on January 14, 2014. It garnered favorable reviews from critics, who praised the twangy instrumentation and lyrical content. To promote the album, Pardi spent the rest of 2014 touring across the United States. After the release of his debut EP The B-Sides, 2011–2014 in 2015, Pardi embarked on his All Time High Tour with country music duo the Brothers Osborne, during which he started performing new material for his second country album. Each song was recorded with a full band, as Pardi wanted to create the feel of a live recording. He also wanted them to have the "traditional country soul" while following the genre's modern standards. California Sunrise was co-produced by Bart Butler, who also worked on Write You a Song. ## Music and lyrics The opening track "Out of Style" was described by Pardi as a "song within a song" about an aspiring artist moving to Nashville to write a song that evolves into an ode about the country music tropes used throughout generations, including Jesus and alcohol. Utilizing pedal steel and drums for its melody, the song was noted by Beville Dunkerley of Rolling Stone for having the underlying message of how Pardi's brand of classic country through a modern sound has remained timeless, even as various subgenres have played throughout the airwaves. "Cowboy Hat" was described as Pardi "putting a Bakersfield twist on a song George Strait might have recorded 20 years ago." "Head Over Boots" was created in late 2014, when Pardi was at a Texas dancehall seeing couples dance to Merle Haggard and Bob Wills, and a chorus melody came to his mind that stuck with him as he worked on the instrumentation and lyrics with co-writer Luke Laird in January 2015. "Night Shift" takes the employment term to describe an intimate encounter that a male worker has with his lover after an exhausting day at work. "Can't Turn You Down" revolves around a man with awareness that he is better off leaving his former lover and resisting her, but finds it practically impossible to commit to doing so. "Dirt on My Boots" is a "blue collar love song" about a man finishing work to get together with his girl. Pardi was initially put off by the track's demo being "super-hip-hop," but fell in love with the lyrics that he added fiddle and steel guitar alongside to give the song more of a country sound. "She Ain't in It" was described as a "slow, fiddle and steel powered love-lost song" about a man attempting to move on after a still hurting breakup. It was originally going to be recorded by Strait but became available for recording by Pardi afterwards. "All Time High" and "Heartache on the Dance Floor" were both written on the same day that Pardi and co-writers Bart Butler and Brice Long were staying in Wichita, Kansas. "Paycheck" is a tribute to the "piece of paper" that workers acquire to support themselves, while they have "a little bit of fun" as well. "Lucky Tonight" revolves around a man "attempting to bounce back from heartache." The closing title track on California Sunrise was created when Pardi wanted to write a West Coast shout-out for telling the story of "the beauty of California and the beauty of a relationship", aiming for it to be accompanied by a modern take on the "heavy acoustic and bouncy sound" associated with Bob Seger, Jackson Browne and Glenn Frey. ## Release and promotion On March 24, 2016, Pardi revealed the album's cover art and track listing. California Sunrise was released on June 17, 2016 by Capitol Nashville. The lead single from California Sunrise, "Head Over Boots", was released to US country radio stations on September 14, 2015, and gave Pardi his first number one hit on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. It was certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in the US on July 15, 2022. An accompanying music video was directed by Jim Wright and released to Pardi's YouTube channel in April 2016. The album's second single, "Dirt on My Boots", was released on September 19, 2016, and gave Pardi his second number one hit on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. It was certified quadruple platinum by the RIAA in the US on July 15, 2022. The single's music video premiered on February 24, 2017. The third single, "Heartache on the Dance Floor", was released to US country radio stations on May 1, 2017. It peaked at numbers three and five on the Billboard Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts, respectively. The song was certified triple platinum by the RIAA in the US on July 15, 2022. A music video for the single, directed by Carlos Ruiz, premiered in June 2017. A fourth single, "She Ain't In It", was released on October 23, 2017, and reached numbers 21 and 23 on the Billboard Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts, respectively. It was certified gold by the RIAA in the US on May 20, 2021. Its music video was directed by Wright and premiered in February 2018. The fifth and final single, "Night Shift", was released on July 3, 2018, and peaked at numbers five and eight on the Billboard Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts, respectively. It was certified double platinum by the RIAA in the US on July 15, 2022. The single's music video was directed by Wright and premiered in October 2018. On July 7, 2016, Pardi performed "Head Over Boots" on NBC's Today. On October 3 of that year, Pardi was announced as an opening act alongside Cole Swindell for Dierks Bentley on his What the Hell World Tour, starting on January 19, 2017 in Nashville's Bridgestone Arena. On January 31, 2017, Pardi was revealed as one of 26 opening acts that would play alongside Tim McGraw and Faith Hill on their Soul2Soul: The World Tour, with him performing on May 11 at Tulsa's BOK Center and finishing on May 13, 2017 in Oklahoma City's Chesapeake Energy Arena. On March 14 of that year, he performed "Dirt on My Boots" on Late Night with Seth Meyers. Nine days later, Pardi performed it on Good Morning America. On May 25, 2017, Pardi was announced as being part of Luke Bryan's Farm Tour, opening in Lincoln, Nebraska on September 28 and ending in Centralia, Missouri on October 7, 2017. On August 2 of that year, Pardi partnered with CMT on Tour to headline his Lucky Tonight Tour with country music groups Midland and Runaway June, starting on October 12 in Birmingham, Alabama and finishing on December 8, 2017 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. On September 28, 2017, he was named as one of the opening acts for Miranda Lambert's Livin' Like Hippies Tour, beginning on January 18, 2018 at Greenville's Bon Secours Wellness Arena. On January 23, 2018, Pardi opened for Bryan again on the second leg of his What Makes You Country Tour, beginning on May 5 at Austin's iHeartRadio Country Festival and ending on October 26, 2018 in Detroit's Ford Field. On March 8 of that year, Pardi performed a medley of "She Ain't in It" and "Heartache on the Dance Floor" on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. ## Reception California Sunrise was met with positive reviews from music critics. Jason Scott of One Country praised Pardi for crafting "hefty lyricism with inescapable guitar solos and robust melodies" on the album that capture the traditional stylings of Garth Brooks and Randy Travis, concluding by writing: "Pardi lets the music [and] the instruments and his voice live together, unfettered. He tells heartfelt stories, and [he] does it well. You can't get much better than that." AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted how the album has "space for softer tones and slower tempos," which allow for "experimentation with rhythms," and that Pardi's everyman image can hold him back sometimes, but concluded that "this workingman's diligence is a key element in turning California Sunrise into a frills-free, sturdily crafted collection." Jeffrey B. Remz of Country Standard Time also gave note of the traditional instrumentation and image present throughout the album, concluding that: "Maybe from Pardi's perch on the music scene, what was old may be new again. Maybe, just maybe, Pardi and his hat are indeed "something new" these days. And while being called a hat act was a pejorative once upon a time, Pardi and his ilk ought to proudly wear that moniker - as long as he remembers what the hat once stood for." Rolling Stone ranked California Sunrise number 10 on their list of the 40 Best Country Albums of 2016. The magazine's writer Jon Freeman said the album is "compelling proof that traditionalism doesn't have to sound old fashioned," noting the mixture of fiddle and steel guitar with an "electrified Bakersfield twang" through modern production, concluding that: "[W]here many of his traditionalist peers looked backward for studied versions of the past, Jon Pardi kept his eyes firmly trained on the present." Uproxx ranked it number 17 on their list of the 20 Best Country Albums of 2016. The website's writer Caitlin White said that Pardi knows how to write traditional country narratives that don't sound like retreads and feel like a "fabulous break from crossover pop influences." She concluded by calling the album "an excellent sophomore effort from a star-in-the-making, keep an eye on this one, he's about ready for the arena circuit." In 2017, Billboard contributor Chuck Dauphin placed six tracks from California Sunrise on his top 10 list of Pardi's best songs: "She Ain't in It" at number one, "Head Over Boots" at number two, "Dirt on My Boots" at number three, "Paycheck" at number five, "Can't Turn You Down" at number eight, and "Heartache on the Dance Floor" at number 10. In 2018, it was nominated for Album of the Year at the 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards, ultimately losing to From A Room: Volume 1 (2017) by Chris Stapleton. California Sunrise debuted at number 11 on the US Billboard 200 and atop the Top Country Albums chart, with first-week sales of 29,000 album-equivalent units, 24,000 of which were pure sales. It became Pardi's first number one album on the latter chart. On the Billboard 200, the album left the top 100 on the week of September 10, 2016, and has spent 185 weeks on the chart. California Sunrise was certified platinum by the RIAA in the US on November 19, 2018. It has sold 279,100 copies in the country as of November 2019, and has sold 1,076,000 album-equivalent units by March 2020. In Canada, the album debuted at number 93 on the Canadian Albums chart for the week of July 8, 2016. It later peaked at number 51 on the week of February 25, 2017, and stayed on the chart for a total of 21 weeks. California Sunrise was certified platinum by Music Canada in Canada on January 11, 2019. ## Track listing ## Personnel Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. Vocals - Bart Butler – gang vocals - Jon Pardi – lead vocals, background vocals, gang vocals - Russell Terrell – background vocals, gang vocals Production - Bart Butler – producer - Ryan Gore – recording, mixing - Andrew Mendelson – mastering - Jon Pardi – producer - Jarod Snowden – digital editing - Brad Winters – digital editing Instruments - Dave Cohen – Hammond B-3 organ, Wurlitzer electric piano - Kris Donegan – electric guitar - Jenee Fleenor – fiddle - Lee Francis – bass guitar - Ryan Gore – percussion, programming - Mike Johnson – steel guitar - Luke Laird – programming - Rob McNelley – electric guitar, baritone guitar, slide guitar - Miles McPherson – drums, percussion, programming - Jon Pardi – percussion, programming - Danny Rader – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo, bouzouki, mandolin ## Charts ### Weekly charts ### Year-end charts ### Decade-end charts ## Certifications ## Release history

1993 Independence Bowl

The 1993 Independence Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Indiana Hoosiers at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana on December 31, 1993. The 18th edition of the Independence Bowl was the final contest of the 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season for both teams, and ended in a 45–20 victory for Virginia Tech. The game was the first bowl victory for Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer, and began a streak of 27 consecutive bowl appearances for Virginia Tech. The 1993 Independence Bowl kicked off at 12:30 p.m. EST on December 31 at mid sunny skies and 62 °F (17 °C) temperatures. Indiana took an early 7–0 lead, but Virginia Tech responded, taking a 14–7 lead with two touchdowns—one late in the first quarter, and the other early in the second. Indiana closed the gap to 14–13 with two field goals in the second. In the final 23 seconds of the first half, however, Virginia Tech scored an additional 14 points. Tech's defense recovered and returned a fumble 20 yards for a touchdown, then blocked a 51-yard field goal attempt and returned the ball 80 yards for the first blocked-kick touchdown in Virginia Tech history. After a scoreless third quarter, Virginia Tech scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to secure an insurmountable lead. Indiana scored one more touchdown and brought the game's final score to 45–20. The game paid \$700,000 to each team in exchange for their participation. The official attendance for the game was 33,819. Maurice DeShazo of Virginia Tech was named the game's offensive most valuable player (MVP), while Antonio Banks, also of Virginia Tech, was named the game's defensive MVP. Several Independence Bowl records were set during the game, some of which still stand. Indiana's Thomas Lewis returned eight punts in the game and earned 177 receiving yards, including the third-longest pass in Independence Bowl History—a 75-yard reception from quarterback John Paci. Hokie Kicker Ryan Williams set the record for the most extra points in an Independence Bowl game with six, a mark that was tied during the 1995 Independence Bowl. ## Team selection ### Indiana Indiana was coached by Bill Mallory, who would go on to accumulate the winningest record in IU football history. The Indiana Hoosiers football team ended the 1992 college football season with a record of 5–6, and prior to the 1993 season was picked to finish no better than eighth in the 11-team Big Ten conference during the regular season. From the start, however, Indiana set out to upset those expectations. Indiana raced out to a 3–0 record in the first three games of the season, with the third win coming against Southeastern Conference opponent Kentucky. In the fourth week of the season, however, Indiana suffered its first loss: a 27–15 conference defeat at the hands of No. 22 Wisconsin. The Hoosiers recovered from the setback, however, and won their next four games—all of which were against Big Ten opponents. The fourth of those victories came against the Michigan State Spartans, who had replaced Wisconsin at the No. 22 spot in the country. Indiana held the Spartans scoreless in a tough defensive battle, earning a 10–0 victory. With a 7–1 record, Indiana appeared to be in position to compete for the Big Ten championship, but consecutive losses to highly ranked Penn State and Ohio State put an end to any thoughts of a championship. The Hoosiers ended the season with a 24–17 win over traditional rival Purdue and accepted a bid to the Independence Bowl. ### Virginia Tech The Virginia Tech Hokies football team ended the 1992 college football season with a record of 2–8–1. Some Tech fans called for Tech head coach Frank Beamer's firing after the worst Tech football season since 1987, but Tech athletic director Dave Braine refused to do so. After a shakeup that saw several assistant coaches replaced and new defensive and offensive formations implemented, Tech players and coaches promised a "complete turnaround" for the 1993 season. In the first two games of the season, Tech followed through on that promise, winning 33–16 and 63–21 against Bowling Green and Pittsburgh, respectively. A loss to No. 3 Miami followed, but a victory over Maryland in the game that followed gave Tech a 3–1 record, already better than its 1992 win total. After a close loss at No. 14 West Virginia that was determined by a missed last-second field goal by Tech placekicker Ryan Williams, the Hokies won five of their last six regular-season games. These wins included victories over Big East opponent Syracuse and No. 23 Virginia, Tech's traditional rival. With an 8–3 regular-season record and ranked No. 22 in the country by the Associated Press, Tech was extended an invitation to the Independence Bowl, its first bowl bid since the 1986 Peach Bowl. ## Pregame buildup The matchup of No. 21 Indiana and No. 22 Virginia Tech was the first matchup of ranked teams in Independence Bowl history. Despite that fact, the bowl had difficulty selling tickets for the game. Slightly more than 33,000 tickets were sold by the day of the game, far less than the stadium's 50,459-seat capacity. In exchange for their participation in the game, each team received \$700,000, the minimum payout required by the NCAA at that time. Spread bettors favored Virginia Tech to win by three points. The matchup was Indiana's first time playing Virginia Tech, and was the first time Virginia Tech played any team from the Big Ten. Virginia Tech's turnaround from a 2–8–1 season in 1992 was the largest single-season turnaround in school history and was the second-best in the country that year. Tech hoped to improve upon a 1–4 all-time record in bowl games, while Indiana hoped to do likewise for its 3–4 historical bowl-game record. In the week prior to the game, bad weather in Virginia caused travel delays that prevented many fans and the Virginia Tech marching band from arriving at the game early. Two days prior to the Independence Bowl, Tech was shocked by the death of Dr. Richard Bullock, who served as the team's physician from 1971 to 1988. Bullock designed a special football neck protector worn by players during the 1980s and 1990s before being phased out in favor of more advanced padding. ### Indiana offense Indiana's offense averaged 21.6 points and 320 total yards per game during the regular season, good enough for ninth in the Big Ten. As a whole, the Hoosiers accumulated 3,818 yards of offense before the Independence Bowl. 2,156 yards of this total were passing yards and came through the air, while the remaining 1,662 yards were gained by Indiana's running backs and fullbacks on the ground. Indiana quarterback John Paci was the cornerstone of Indiana's offense, and completed 133 of 258 passes for 1,796 yards and eight touchdowns during the regular season. During the team's regular-season game against Penn State, Paci completed the longest passing play in Indiana history, completing a 99-yard pass to wide receiver Thomas Lewis for a touchdown. That play in part helped make Paci's performance against Penn State the fourth-highest single-game passing total for an Indiana quarterback in school history. Paci suffered a separated shoulder during the regular season, but despite the injury, he was predicted to start at quarterback against Virginia Tech and undergo surgery following the Independence Bowl. Paci's favorite passing target was wide receiver Thomas Lewis, who completed the regular season having caught 55 passes for 1,058 yards and seven touchdowns. Lewis' 1,058 receiving yards were the second most ever accumulated by an Indiana player, and his 285 receiving yards in the Hoosiers' game against Penn State were the most in a single game by an Indiana player in school history. On the ground, Indiana's offense was led by running back Jermaine Chaney, who finished the regular season with 186 carries for 716 yards and six touchdowns. ### Virginia Tech offense Virginia Tech's offense was ranked 11th nationally in scoring, averaging 36.4 points per game, and 10th in rushing offense, averaging 242.8 yards per game. The totals were the most recorded to that point by a Virginia Tech offense. That high-ranking rushing attack was led by Dwayne Thomas, who accumulated 1,130 yards and 11 touchdowns during the regular season. Thomas' 11 touchdowns were the most for a Tech running back since 1969. Thomas was ably assisted by a capable offensive line anchored by center Jim Pyne, who earned consensus All-America honors in recognition of his performance. By being named to every All-America team in the country, Pyne became the first consensus All-American in Virginia Tech history. Tech quarterback Maurice DeShazo was also a major part of the record-breaking Tech offense. DeShazo threw 22 touchdown passes during the regular season, setting what was then a school record. He completed 129 of 230 passes for 2,080 yards and seven interceptions in addition to the touchdown record. DeShazo's favorite target passing the ball was wide receiver Antonio Freeman, who set a Tech record with nine touchdown receptions during the regular season. Freeman caught 32 passes for 644 yards in addition to the touchdown mark. ### Indiana defense The Hoosiers' defense was ranked seventh in scoring defense, allowing an average of just 13.8 points per game. In overall defense, Indiana was ranked 10th, allowing just 303.3 yards per game. In total, the Hoosiers allowed 3,654 yards; 1,997 of these were passing yards, while the remaining 1,657 were rushing yards. One of the stars of that IU defense was defensive tackle Hurvin McCormack, who led the Hoosiers in sacks with seven. Another important defensive player was linebacker Alfonzo Thurman, whose 108 tackles during the regular season were the most of any Indiana player. ### Virginia Tech defense Virginia Tech's defense allowed a Big East-worst 2,761 passing yards and permitted an average of 388 total yards per game, fifth-worst in the conference. Linebacker Ken Brown had the most tackles of any Tech defender, accumulating 113 during the course of the regular season. Two Tech players tied for the most interceptions on the team. Torrian Gray and Antonio Banks each had three interceptions during the regular season. ## Game summary The 1993 Independence Bowl kicked off at 12:30 p.m. EST on December 31, 1993, at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. Official attendance estimates indicate a crowd of 33,819, but many seats in the 50,459-seat stadium were empty, indicating a smaller-than-official crowd. The game was broadcast on ESPN in the United States, and Joel Meyers, Rick Walker, and Mike Mayock were the broadcasters. Weather at kickoff was sunny and 62 °F (17 °C). ### First quarter Indiana received the Virginia Tech kickoff in the end zone for a touchback and began the first drive of the game at their 20-yard line. On the first play of the game, Indiana rushed up the middle for a six-yard gain. After Paci threw an incomplete pass, he attempted to scramble for the first down but was tackled one yard short. Indiana punted the ball, and after a block-in-the-back penalty against Virginia Tech, the Hokies began their first possession at their 15-yard line. After a five-yard false start penalty on Tech's first play, Hokie running back Dwayne Thomas rushed the ball for a 10-yard gain, making up twice the yardage lost to the penalty. Tech's second play was another rush by Thomas, who ran to the Tech 27-yard line for the game's first first down. Once there, DeShazo completed two consecutive passes, pushing Tech to their 45-yard line. Tech was able to continue the advance across midfield and into Indiana territory, but the Hoosiers' defense stiffened and denied Tech another first down. After a Hokie punt, Indiana began its second offensive drive at its 15-yard line. Indiana's first play on the new drive was stopped for a loss, and the Hoosiers were forced to punt after a short gain was nullified by a Paci sack on third down. The kick was a short one, and Tech began its second drive from IU's 49-yard line. The first play was stopped for no gain, DeShazo threw two incomplete passes, and Virginia Tech punted after going three and out. Indiana recovered the ball at its 23-yard line, where their offense began work. A five-yard false start penalty against the Hoosiers pushed them back, and Indiana was stopped for little gain on the first two plays of its drive. On the third play, however, Paci connected on a 75-yard pass to Thomas Lewis, who ran into the end zone for a touchdown and the game's first points. Following the extra point kick, Indiana had a 7–0 lead with 5:36 remaining in the first quarter. Virginia Tech returned Indiana's post-touchdown kickoff to its 27-yard line, and Tech's offense returned to the field hoping to answer the Hoosiers' score. Two rushes by Thomas gave Tech a first down near the 40-yard line. Aided by a penalty against Indiana, Tech gained another first down in the Hoosiers' side of the field with a pass by DeShazo. A 15-yard late-hit penalty against Indiana gave Tech another first down and pushed the Hokies to the Indiana 31-yard line. Tech continued to drive with runs from DeShazo, Thomas, and fullback Joe Swarm. Inside the Indiana 10-yard line, Tech was stopped for losses on consecutive plays before DeShazo connected on a 14-yard touchdown pass to Thomas. The extra point was good, and with nine seconds remaining in the first quarter, Virginia Tech tied the game at 7–7. Indiana fielded Virginia Tech's post-touchdown kickoff and returned it to their 25-yard line. The Hoosiers attempted a long pass, but the throw fell incomplete and the quarter came to an end with the score still tied at 7–7. ### Second quarter Indiana began the second quarter in possession of the ball and facing a second down at its 25-yard line. After a rushing play was stopped for a loss and Paci was forced to throw the ball away to avoid a sack, Indiana punted for the first time in the second quarter. Tech resumed offense at its 41-yard line. DeShazo completed a pass to the Indiana 47-yard line, then a 25-yard toss to Cornelius Wright, who carried it to the Indiana 22. Swarm carried the ball for a first down inside the Indiana 10-yard line, and two plays later, he carried it across the goal line for Virginia Tech's second touchdown of the game. Following the extra point, Tech took a 14–7 lead with 11:14 remaining in the first half. Indiana's Jermaine Chaney fielded the post-score kickoff and returned it 51 yards, setting up Indiana inside Tech territory. On the Hoosiers' first play, Paci completed a 34-yard pass to tight end Ross Hales for Indiana's second first down of the game. Just outside the Tech 10-yard line, Indiana was stopped short and prevented from scoring a touchdown. Indiana's head coach sent in placekicker Bill Manolopolous, whose 26-yard kick soared through the uprights and cut Virginia Tech's lead to 14–10 with 8:47 remaining before halftime. Tech returned Indiana's post-score kickoff to the 22-yard line, where the Hokie offense returned to action. Tech picked up nine yards on a pass from DeShazo, but two plays later, DeShazo threw his first interception of the game as Indiana's Mose Richardson jumped in front of a Tech pass. Following the turnover, Indiana's offense began work from the Virginia Tech 31-yard line. The Hoosiers picked up a first down rushing the ball, but a holding call on first down pushed Indiana away from the end zone. Following the penalty, Virginia Tech's defense prevented the Hoosiers gaining another first down, and IU was forced to attempt another field goal. As before, Manopolous' kick—this one a 40-yard attempt—was good, and Indiana sliced Tech's lead to a single point, 14–13, with 5:25 remaining in the first half. The Hokies returned the post-score kickoff to their 20-yard line, and Tech's offense began work. Thomas gained a first down with three consecutive runs, then the Hokies fumbled when a backwards pass from DeShazo fell incomplete. Indiana recovered the ball, and the turnover allowed the Hoosiers' offense to start work from the Tech 25-yard line. On Indiana's first play, however, Virginia Tech cornerback Tyronne Drakeford intercepted Paci's pass. Following the turnover, Tech's offense started work at its 20-yard line. The Hokies picked up a first down through the air, then DeShazo scrambled for another. A 10-yard holding penalty pushed Tech backward, and the Hokies were forced to punt the ball away. Indiana's offense began play from the Hoosiers' 34-yard line following the kick. Paci scrambled for several yards, then completed a pass for a first down at the 50-yard line. On the next play, however, Paci fumbled the ball, which bounced into the hands of Tech defensive end Lawrence Lewis, who returned it 20 yards for a touchdown. The score and extra point gave Tech a 21–13 lead with 23 seconds remaining before halftime. Virginia Tech's post-score kickoff was returned to the Tech 42-yard line, potentially setting up an Indiana field goal try before halftime. Paci completed a pass to the 36-yard line, and the few seconds remaining in the first half apparently ran off the clock before Indiana could use its final timeout to stop the clock. Virginia Tech players and coaches attempted to leave the field, only to be informed that Indiana called a timeout with one second remaining. Despite Tech head coach Frank Beamer's protests, Indiana's Manolopoulos was able to return to the field to attempt a 51-yard goal. The kick was blocked and the ball recovered by Tech's Antonio Banks, who returned it 80 yards for a touchdown. The score, which came with no time remaining on the clock, gave Tech a 28–13 lead at halftime. ### Third quarter Because Virginia Tech kicked off to Indiana to begin the game, Indiana kicked off to Virginia Tech to begin the second half. In response to the celebration following the 80-yard touchdown prior to halftime, Virginia Tech was assessed two 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Indiana kicked off from the Tech 40-yard line, and the ball was downed at the Virginia Tech 11-yard line. A false-start penalty against the Hokies didn't prevent them from gaining a first down on a pass from DeShazo to Swarm. Swarm picked up another first down on his own, advancing the ball to the Tech 38-yard line with a rush up the middle. Tech continued to advance the ball with Thomas, Swarm and DeShazo rushing the ball and picking up first downs. Now on the Indiana side of the field, DeShazo attempted a deep pass, but the ball was intercepted by Indiana cornerback Jason Orton. Following the turnover, Indiana's offense began work at its 32-yard line. Despite the opportunity presented by the interception, the Hoosiers were unable to gain a first down and punted back to Virginia Tech. Tech's Steve Sanders returned the kick to the Tech 27-yard line, and Tech's offense returned to the field. The Hokie offense was no more successful than Indiana's had been, and Tech punted after going three and out. Following the kick and a short return, the Hoosiers began work at their 41-yard line. After being stopped for no gain on two consecutive plays, Paci completed a long pass to Tech's 40-yard line for the Hoosiers' first first down of the second half. Indiana continued advancing the ball via short passes, but came up one yard short of a first down. Instead of punting on fourth down, Indiana attempted to gain the first down via a rush up the middle. Tech's defense held fast, and Indiana turned the ball over after failing to gain the needed yard. Indiana's defense also held fast on the next possession, and Tech was unable to gain a first down following the turnover. Tech's punt was returned to the Indiana 38-yard line, where the Hoosier offense returned to the field. At first, the Hoosiers were successful moving the ball as they picked up a first down in Tech territory via a pass from Paci. The success was short-lived, however, as the Hoosiers were unable to gain a first down once on the Tech side of the field and had to punt. Sanders returned the kick to the Tech 21-yard line, where Tech began its third possession of the second half. Tech picked up a first down via two DeShazo passes, but couldn't gain another. Tech's punt was downed at the Indiana 20-yard line, and Indiana's offense began work with 3:02 remaining in the quarter. Indiana earned a first down with two rushes, but as before, Tech's defense stiffened and refused to allow a second as Tech's Bernard Basham sacked Paci for a loss. Indiana's punt was fair caught at the Tech 30-yard line as the quarter came to an end. With one quarter remaining in the game and neither team having scored in the third quarter, the score remained 28–13. ### Fourth quarter Virginia Tech began the fourth quarter in possession of the ball with a first down at its 30-yard line. The Hokie drive fizzled, as had most of the offense in the third quarter, after DeShazo was sacked for a big loss on third down. Indiana returned the Tech punt to its 43-yard line, and Indiana brought in its backup quarterback, Chris Dittoe, to lead the offense. After being sacked on his first play, Dittoe completed a pass to near midfield, making up the yardage that had been lost on the sack. Despite that gain, Indiana couldn't make up the yardage lost to the sack and appeared to be ready to punt the ball. Instead, the Hoosiers faked the punt and threw a pass to an undefended Indiana player who dropped the ball. Following the turnover, Virginia Tech's offense started work at the Indiana 49-yard line. After being stopped short on two rushes, DeShazo completed a 42-yard pass to Antonio Freeman, who raced down the field and into the end zone. The extra point was good, and with 9:37 remaining in the game, Tech took a 35–13 lead. Tech's post-touchdown kickoff was downed in the end zone for a touchback, and Indiana's offense started work at its 10-yard line after a Hoosier penalty. On the first play of Indiana's drive, Dittoe was sacked and fumbled the ball, which rolled into the arms of a Virginia Tech defender. The Hokie offense quickly returned to the field and Tech's Tommy Edwards scored on the first play after being set up at the Indiana five-yard line after the turnover. The extra point gave Tech a 42–13 lead with 9:21 remaining. Indiana's offense started at its 20-yard line after a touchback on the kickoff. Dittoe threw two incomplete passes, was sacked, and the Hoosiers punted after going three and out. The Indiana punt was a poor one, flying out of bounds at the Indiana 28-yard line and giving Tech excellent field position. With a large lead secured, Virginia Tech backup quarterback Jim Druckenmiller came into the game for the Hokies, who were unable to gain a first down. Despite failing to advance the ball 10 yards, the excellent starting field position allowed Tech kicker Ryan Williams to attempt a 42-yard field goal, his longest kick of the season. The kick sailed through the uprights, and Tech extended its lead to 45–13 with exactly six minutes remaining in the game. Following a touchback, Indiana's offense started from its 20-yard line. The Hoosiers picked up a first down with two short rushes, then Dittoe completed a first-down pass to Lewis and advanced the ball into Tech territory. On his second play in Tech territory, Dittoe completed a long pass to Lewis for Indiana's first touchdown of the second half. The score cut Virginia Tech's lead to 45–20, but with only 4:26 remaining in the game, the odds were long against Indiana challenging Tech's lead in a serious fashion. The Hoosier kickoff went out of bounds, and the Hokie offense began a drive from its 35-yard line. Virginia Tech began running out the clock, executing rushing plays and staying in bounds to maximize the amount of time run off the game clock. Tech was unable to get a first down, and the Hokie punt was returned to the Indiana 29-yard line. Indiana was stopped on three consecutive plays and appeared to be punting the ball. As they had earlier in the game, however, the Hoosiers executed a trick play, snapping the ball to linebacker Alfonzo Thurman instead of the punter. Thurman ran forward for 37 yards—the Hoosiers' longest run of the game—and a first down. Despite the gain and a 15-yard pass interference penalty against Tech, Indiana was unable to score. Time ran out in the fourth quarter, and Virginia Tech earned the 45–20 victory. ## Statistical summary In recognition of his performance during the game, Virginia Tech quarterback Maurice DeShazo was named the game's offensive most valuable player. DeShazo completed 19 of his 33 pass attempts for two touchdowns, 193 yards, and two interceptions. DeShazo's favorite passing target, wide receiver Antonio Freeman, finished the game with five catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. Running back Dwayne Thomas, Tech's second-leading receiver, had four catches for 27 yards and a touchdown. He also led Tech's offense on the ground, carrying the ball 24 times for 65 yards. Fullback Joe Swarm was the second-leading rusher for the Hokies, accumulating 40 yards on nine carries. Indiana's offense outgained the Hokies through the air and finished with 276 passing yards, its second-highest total that season. Starting quarterback John Paci completed 10 of 22 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown, while backup quarterback completed 7 of 14 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. Both players' favorite target was Thomas Lewis, who finished the game leading all receivers with six catches for 177 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, the Hoosiers were led by linebacker Alfonzo Thurman, who, although a defensive player, ran for 37 yards on a fake punt. Virginia Tech's defense performed well overall against the Hoosiers. The 20 rushing yards allowed by the Tech defense were the fewest permitted all season. In addition, the Hokie defense accumulated seven sacks and four tackles for loss. The seven sacks were the most for Tech that season, and Indiana's 11 first downs also were the fewest Tech allowed that season. The Hokie defense also performed well on an individual level. Antonio Banks and Torrian Gray each had nine tackles, tying for the most of any player in the game. Banks also had a fumble recovery for a touchdown, an interception, and a pass breakup. For these accomplishments, he was named the game's defensive MVP. Tech linebacker Ken Brown finished with eight tackles. The Hoosiers' defense had some success stopping Tech behind the line of scrimmage, accumulating seven tackles for loss during the course of the game. Indiana cornerback Mose Richardson had nine tackles and one interception, leading the Hoosiers in tackles, and teammate Chris Dyer came in second for IU with seven. The block of Bill Manolopolous' 51-yard field goal attempt by Tech defensive lineman Jeff Holland prior to halftime was the 36th blocked kick in Frank Beamer's seven years as Tech head coach. The 80-yard touchdown return of the blocked kick by Antonio Banks was the first such touchdown in Virginia Tech history. Virginia Tech set several then-records during the game. Its 21 second-quarter points were the most ever scored in that quarter, and tied the record for most points in any quarter. It set the Independence Bowl record for most points scored, and tied the record for fewest first downs allowed. Some records set during the game still stand. Indiana's Thomas Lewis returned a record eight punts in the game and earned 177 receiving yards, including the third-longest pass in Independence Bowl History—a 75-yard reception from quarterback John Paci. Hokie Kicker Ryan Williams set the record for the most extra points in an Independence Bowl game with six, a mark that was tied during the 1995 Independence Bowl. ## Postgame effects Virginia Tech's victory was just its second bowl win in school history and brought the Hokies to a final 1993 record of 9–3. Indiana's loss took it to 8–4, one win short of tying a nine-win season in 1967 that featured an appearance in the Rose Bowl. Tech's win was also its first televised victory since 1990. Despite those accolades, the victory failed to move the Hokies up in the AP poll, which kept Tech at No. 22 in the final ranking of the season. At the time, Tech officials viewed the victory as a turning point for the program. Virginia Tech president Paul Torgersen said, "Incredible. ... A very fine job. We've turned it around. No question, we've turned it around." Later observers also concurred, pointing to the game as the start of Virginia Tech's 23-season bowl appearance streak, which included a trip to the national championship game. Indiana, which had appeared in bowl games six times in the eight years prior to the Independence Bowl, suffered after the loss. Indiana went 6–5 in the 1994 season, and head coach Bill Mallory was fired after two consecutive losing seasons in 1995 and 1996. The Hoosiers would not appear in a bowl again until the 2007 season, when they played in the 2007 Insight Bowl. Several players from each team later went on to play in the National Football League. Tech center Jim Pyne played for nine years in the NFL before becoming an assistant coach in the league. He subsequently had his number retired by Virginia Tech, becoming just the fourth player in Tech history to be honored in that fashion.

Take Off Your Colours

Take Off Your Colours is the debut studio album by English rock band You Me at Six, originally released on 6 October 2008 through Slam Dunk Records. After forming in 2004, they released an EP titled We Know What It Means to Be Alone in 2006, and went on a tour with Elliot Minor in support of the release. After releasing "Save It for the Bedroom" as a single to promote their tour, the band gained attention from both independent and major record labels. Following their tour with Elliot Minor, the writing process for the new album began. Although all the music's writing was credited to the entire band, vocalist Josh Franceschi and guitarist Max Helyer were usually the biggest creative forces among the group, being responsible for songs' concepts. The album was recorded in two weeks at Outhouse Studios in Reading, Berkshire with producers Matt O'Grady and John Mitchell. The band's work resulted in Take Off Your Colours displaying a sound that most critics associated with pop punk, though this result was unintended. Specifically, the record was noted to sound similar to the work of Fall Out Boy, New Found Glory, and Panic! at the Disco. "If I Were In Your Shoes", "Gossip", and "Jealous Minds Think Alike" were released as singles to promote the album, the latter of which became the band's first charting song. During the album's recording sessions, "Save It for the Bedroom" was re-recorded, and this version became the album's fourth single. Two more singles, "Finders Keepers" and "Kiss and Tell", later appeared on re-releases of the album. The latter four singles managed to chart, and the album itself peaked at number 25 on the UK Albums Chart. Take Off Your Colours was certified gold in the UK for shipments of 100,000 copies in July 2012. ## Background Guitarists Josh Franceschi and Max Helyer previously played in a short-lived band at school, prior to You Me at Six. After Franceschi wanted to become a vocalist, him and Helyer jammed for a few months, until bassist and college friend Matt Barnes began playing with them. Franceschi knew of Barnes from the local music scene; the three of them decided to form a band. Guitarist Chris Miller, who lived on the same street as Barnes, was brought into the fold, followed by drummer Joe Philips. This marked the formation of You Me at Six in 2004, basing themselves in Weybridge, Surrey. For their early shows, the gigs would be booked solely on the amount of screaming they could coax from the audiences. As their local scene leaned on heavy-sounding music, the band had to push themselves to win over the crowds, eventually earning a notable reputation amongst their peers. Despite some of the members still attending college, the band became their main priority. They rehearsed three to four times a week, accumulating enough songs for their debut album. With the money from their shows, they self-released their debut EP, We Know What It Means to Be Alone, on New Year's Day 2007. You Me at Six had a heavy focus on performing in Surrey and parts of London. They traveled to these shows, which had been planned through the Myspace platform, by travelling via MegaBus. In April 2007, they appeared at a showcase of up-and-coming artists at the Camden Underworld in London, and by the following month, they supported Saosin in Leeds. These performances attracted attention from Kerrang! and NME. At the end of May 2007, they opened the Slam Dunk Festival, which allowed them to grow their fan base outside of their regional scene. Phillips left the band amidst creative differences on their direction. Dan Flint, another college friend, was initially asked to fill in on drums for a tour. He ended up becoming Phillips' permanent replacement after Slam Dunk. Ben Ray, who ran the festival, was interested in managing the band and putting out their music. They played another show at the Camden Underworld in June 2007; by this point, they had acquired a press agent and were starting to attract attention from people in the music industry. Over the next two months, they played support slots for one-off shows with Paramore and Furthest Drive, and joined This Is Goodbye on their national tour. Around this time, You Me at Six self-released an untitled EP. Preceded by a show supporting Fightstar, You Me at Six went on tour with Elliot Minor, during which both bands released singles. "Save It for the Bedroom" was released on 22 October 2007 through Slam Dunk Records, a label co-founded by the band with help from their manager and fans. The single featured "You've Made Your Made (So Sleep in It)" as the B-side, and both tracks would later appear on Take Off Your Colours. A music video for "Save It for the Bedroom" had been released a few days prior and was directed by Lawrence Hardy. The band's release sold more copies than Elliot Minor's single, which was released through a major label. This situation made it clear to the band that, according to Franceschi, "major labels are good but over the years they have totally lost touch of what sells." By this time, the group was in discussion with a range of independent and major labels. ## Writing and recording Following the Elliot Minor tour, You Me at Six began writing material for their debut album. In late November and early December 2007, the band went on their first headlining tour of the UK, with support from Flood of Red. During the latter month, the band wrote further material. Typically, Helyer or Franceschi would have an idea that the band would then flesh out together. Occasionally, the band would record demos and change sections of them. By this point, Franceschi dropped out of college while Helyer and Miller continued their studies. In February and March 2008, they went on a UK tour with the Audition. Prior to going into a studio, You Me at Six had finished seven-to-eight completed songs. The band recorded their debut album over the course of two weeks, between March and May 2008 at Outhouse Studios in Reading, Berkshire. Matt O'Grady and John Mitchell handled producer duties, with Mitchell also mixing the proceedings, while Tim Turan mastered the album. The band were in awe of O'Grady as they were fans of his former band Fastlane, Author Neil Daniels, in his book You Me at Six – Never Hold an Underdog Down (2015) said O'Grady's past experience made him the "perfect guy" to be their engineer. O'Grady encouraged Franceschi's vocal performance, as Flint explained: "Getting into the studio was very daunting for all of us, and Matt gave him the confidence to express how he felt, to know that he really could sing." Helyer said as they only used one amplifier, the guitar tone remained the same throughout the album. "Save It for the Bedroom" and "You've Made Your Bed (So Sleep in It)", which were initially released as a single in 2007, were re-recorded during the album's studio sessions. Franceschi's sister Elissa provided additional vocals on "Always Attract". ## Composition and lyrics The album's sound has been described by critics as pop punk and emo pop. Daniels said it displayed a "promising young band making a collection of competent, perhaps quite Americanised songs", and as such, noted influences from All Time Low, Blink-182 and Four Year Strong. He added that that You Me at Six "felt like they needed to push themselves ... to make more complicated and diverse [guitar] riffs". The group did not intentionally compose a pop punk album but "it just sort of came [out] like that," according to Barnes. The band's sound was an attempt to emulate the sound of popular pop punk groups such as Fall Out Boy and Panic! at the Disco, which was noted by a reviewer. By contrast, the We Know What It Means to Be Alone EP was compared to the sound of the Academy Is..., Paramore and other acts on the record label Fueled by Ramen, while Untitled incorporated influences from Incubus, Jimmy Eat World and Taking Back Sunday. At the time, the group was listening to bands such as Blink-182, New Found Glory, and, according to Barnes, "all that sort of Drive-Thru scene." One of the members described it as "a mixture of genres. Some songs are pop punk and some are rockier and heavier." The title, Take Off Your Colours, is a quote from a line by the orphan leader in the film The Warriors (1979). Daniels said it features gangs in New York City that would be "distinguished from one another by the colours they wear". The specific scene that informed the name is where children at an orphanage tell one gang to remove their colours, in order to "lose its identity as a collective force whilst as individuals the gang members would also lose their identity". He added that the band members acted as themselves and expected as much from their peers "so the title is not about gangs but rather the concept of personal identity". Flint said Franceschi sung about attending house parties, being young and flirting with girls. The album opens with "The Truth Is a Terrible Thing", which recalled the sound New Found Glory. Daniels said it begins with a "nifty lead riff" that the rest of the band use to "spring into action". "Call That a Comeback" is an anthemic pop punk song, and is followed by "Jealous Minds Think Alike", the chorus section of which was compared to the work of Panic! at the Disco. "Save It for the Bedroom" is about couples that find how one of them is cheating through behavioural patterns. "You've Made Your Bed (So Sleep in It)" discusses a breakup, and is followed by "If You Run", which displays Francheschi's skills as a vocalist. "Tigers and Sharks" evoked the early work of Taking Back Sunday, and features shoegaze guitar riffs. "Always Attract" is an acoustic ballad, with vocal harmonies from Franceschi and his sister Elissa, which are done in the vein of Brand New. Preceded by the emo song "Nasty Habits", the album closes with "The Rumour", which has Latin-like rhythms. One of the bonus tracks, "Kiss and Tell", discusses boys wanting to kiss a girl they find attractive. ## Release and touring A music video was released for "If I Were in Your Shoes" on 14 February 2008, while it was officially announced as single on 17 March through Slam Dunk, with "Taste" as the B-side. By June 2008, they started working with the press relations company Chuff Media and Mark Ngui from management company Primary Talent International. On 26 June, it was announced the band had signed a one-album contract with Slam Dunk. Franceschi explained that if the group wished to move to a bigger label, they "can easily move on [or] if we are happy we [will] stay [on Slam Dunk]". "Gossip" was released as the second single, with "All Your Fault" as the B-side, on 28 July 2008. A music video for the song was also released. On 11 August of the same year, the band released "If You Run" as a free download from their website. On 11 September 2008, a music video was released for "Jealous Minds Think Alike", which was directed by Shane Davey. The song was released as a single on 29 September, with "Blue Eyes Don't Lie" as the B-side. It was the band's first single to chart, peaking at number 100 on the UK Singles Chart in November. The album, Take Off Your Colours was released on 6 October 2008 through Slam Dunk. In December 2008, they signed to management company Raw Power Management, who would help gain then a deal in the United States with independent label Epitaph Records. On 19 February 2009, the band released a second music video for "Save It for the Bedroom", which was directed by Davey. It sees the band appearing as guests on the fictional Lazarus Ironside show, eventually leading into a fight similar to those seen on The Jeremy Kyle Show and Jerry Springer. The video was directly inspired by the former, while the show's host was played by actor Joerg Stadler. "Save It for the Bedroom" was released as a single on 9 March. The band's signing to Epitaph Records was made public on 10 March 2009. The band were excited about working with the label, as they knew Epitaph for helping other acts reach the main stage of Warped Tour and be able to tour internationally. Franceschi later recounted that they "never really saw any of that, they practically did nothing for us, fucking nothing whatsoever," concluding that he never even met the label's founder Brett Gurewitz. Following a premier on BBC Radio 1 on April 6, "Finders Keepers" was released as a single to precede the album on 25 May. Epitaph made Take Off Your Colours available for streaming on 16 July, ahead of its US release five days later. In addition to the studio and acoustic versions of "Finders Keepers", this version featured several bonus tracks: an acoustic version of "Save It for the Bedroom", the B-sides to "Gossip", "Jealous Minds Think Alike", and the album version of "Save It for the Bedroom". The US iTunes version of Take Off Your Colours also includes "Kiss and Tell", a song which would later be released as a single to promote a UK limited edition of the album. "Kiss and Tell" was released as a single on 7 September 2009; the song's music video features a house party. The track was issued a week before the limited edition of Take Off Your Colours was released in the UK. In addition to "Kiss and Tell", it features the original album on one disc and another disc of additional songs: "Finders Keepers", and B-sides to the "Gossip", "Jealous Minds Think Alike", and re-recorded "Save It for the Bedroom" singles. In 2021, Franceschi ranked Take Off Your Colours as his least favourite You Me at Six album, stating that it had a "lot of heart and teen angst on that album which I don’t think we could truly do again even if we tried". ### Tenth anniversary To celebrate the album's tenth anniversary, the band added three shows to their 2018 UK tour in support of their sixth album VI. The band announced they would perform Take Off Your Colours in its entirety after the initial show at a given venue for VI on select dates. They played these special performances on 24 November at Manchester's Victoria Warehouse, 28 November at Glasgow's Barrowland Ballroom, and 2 December at London's O2 Brixton Academy. While promoting these shows and celebrating the record's tenth anniversary, they were also featured on the November issue of Rock Sound; included with its special edition were poster prints that were hand-signed by the band, a 16-page photo collection from the Take Off Your Colours era, and other bonus material. Prior to these anniversary shows, "Call That a Comeback" had never been performed live. "Gossip" and "Nasty Habits" had also been among the first of the band's songs to be retired from their setlists. By November 2009, Franceschi described playing the material live as having "become suffocated almost and we've really overplayed some of them". Prior to Slam Dunk Festival 2015, there were rumours that the band was going to perform Take Off Your Colours in its entirety. Franceschi later explained the band would be "extensively paying homage to that with songs" from the album. ## Touring You Me at Six supported Angels & Airwaves for a one-off show, and then embarked on a headlining tour in smaller venues in June 2008, with support from This Is Goodbye. They performed at Reading Festival 2008, and the audience was larger than their tent's capacity. The band did a series of in-store performances to help promote the release of Take Off Your Colours in October 2008. Later in the month, the band toured in the UK, with support from Houston Calls and Farewell. In March 2009, You Me at Six embarked on a UK, named the 777 Tour, with support from the Spill Canvas and Emarosa. Later in the month, they performed at the South by Southwest music conference in the US. You Me at Six headlined the Slam Dunk Festival in May 2009, and embarked on a UK tour in June 2009, with support from Not Advised and Me Vs Hero. In between dates, You Me at Six performed at the Download and GuilFest festivals. In August 2009, You Me at Six went on the Warped Tour, playing to crowds of 600-to-700. During their stint on it, they sold 2,000 copies of their debut. They gave themselves the goal of selling \$1,000 worth of t-shirts each day of the trek, and ultimately made \$3,200 on the first day alone. Returning to the UK, they performed at the Reading and Leeds Festivals. In early September, the band did some small, intimate club shows in the UK. ## Reception ### Critical reception Reviews for the album were generally positive. Alter the Press! reviewer Sean Reid said the album showed the band had "potential to reach the level of success as bands such as Fall Out Boy and Panic At The Disco." Jen Walker of Big Cheese called the album "a refreshing English pop punk debut", which contained "clear musical influences" from New Found Glory, Panic! at the Disco, and Brand New. Strange Glue reviewer Aidan Williamson praised the album's hooks. The Observer described the band's sound to be "the UK's answer to Fall Out Boy," with reviewer Emma Johnston choosing "Jealous Minds Think Alike" as a highlight. In a lukewarm review, Alternative Addiction described the album as such: "Think Fallout Boy [sic] meets New Found Glory and you won’t be far off getting what makes You Me At Six tick. ‘Gossip’ and opener ‘The Truth Is A Terrible Thing’ all echo the aforementioned bands, however there is a rough edge that separates You Me At Six from their glossy luminaries." They praised the simple production on the record which retained their distinctly British sound, and concluded, "A happy medium has been reached with an Americanized sound that retains some of the bands gritty origins." Evan Lucy of Alternative Press also gave the album a mixed review, commenting that "some songs feel ripped from Fall Out Boy's Take This to Your Grave," but praised songs which were less adherent to pop punk, namely "Tigers and Sharks" and "Always Attract". Thrash Hits reviewer Mischa Pearlman heavily criticised the album, calling the music on the record "a series of badly phrased platitudes set to irritating tunes", and attacking the band as "most definitely a product of their times [...] You Me At Six are the perfect poster boys for their so-called scene." AllMusic reviewer Jon O'Brien also criticised the album's sound, describing it as an album which was more mature than a Busted record, but not as heavy as Fightstar's music. O'Brien stated that the band followed a "well-worn formula" of emo pop on Take Off Your Colours. However, another AllMusic reviewer, Jason Birchmeier, later regarded Take Off Your Colours as an "impressive debut album" which cemented the group "as one of England's hottest up-and-coming rock bands". ### Commercial performance and legacy The album peaked on the UK Albums Chart at number 25, and the deluxe edition re-entered the chart, peaking at number 61. While "If I Were In Your Shoes" and "Gossip" failed to chart, "Jealous Minds Think Alike" peaked at number 100 and "Save It For the Bedroom" peaked at number 146. While promoting the deluxe version of the album, "Finders Keepers" and "Kiss and Tell" reached number 33 and 42, respectively. In March 2012, the album was certified silver in the UK, and four months later, it was certified gold. Rock Sound ranked it at number 36 on their list of the year's best albums. One of the magazine's writers, Rob Sayce, said the album's "unprecedented success helped open doors for other rising bands" in the UK, such as Deaf Havana and Young Guns. Valerie Magan of The Line of Best Fit wrote that the album pushed the band to the "helm of a new wave of pop-punk that transcended continents, and solidified the band into a household name for alt-rockers everywhere". ## Track listing All songs written and arranged by You Me at Six. ## Personnel Personnel per booklet. You Me at Six - Josh Franceschi – lead vocals - Chris Miller – guitar - Max Helyer – guitar - Matt Barnes – bass guitar - Dan Flint – drums, percussion Additional musicians - Elissa Franceschi – guest vocals on "Always Attract" Production - Matt O'Grady – producer - John Mitchell – co-producer, mixing - Tim Turan – mastering - Tom Barnes – photography - John Latham – artwork, design - Ben Ray – A&R - Alistair Tant – A&R ## Chart positions and certifications ### Peak positions Original release Reissue ### Certifications

One Ring

Magical ring in "The Lord of the Rings"

The One Ring, also called the Ruling Ring and Isildur's Bane, is a central plot element in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings (1954–55). It first appeared in the earlier story The Hobbit (1937) as a magic ring that grants the wearer invisibility. Tolkien changed it into a malevolent Ring of Power and re-wrote parts of The Hobbit to fit in with the expanded narrative. The Lord of the Rings describes the hobbit Frodo Baggins's quest to destroy the Ring. Scholars have compared the story with the ring-based plot of Richard Wagner's opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen; Tolkien denied any connection, but at the least, both men drew on the same mythology. Another source is Tolkien's analysis of Nodens, an obscure pagan god with a temple at Lydney Park, where he studied the Latin inscriptions, one containing a curse on the thief of a ring. Tolkien rejected the idea that the story was an allegory, saying that applicability to situations such as the Second World War and the atomic bomb was a matter for readers. Other parallels have been drawn with the Ring of Gyges in Plato's Republic, which conferred invisibility, though there is no suggestion that Tolkien borrowed from the story. ## Fictional description ### Purpose The One Ring was forged by the Dark Lord Sauron during the Second Age to gain dominion over the free peoples of Middle-earth. In disguise as Annatar, or "Lord of Gifts", he aided the Elven smiths of Eregion and their leader Celebrimbor in the making of the Rings of Power. He then secretly forged the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom. Sauron intended it to be the most powerful of all Rings, able to rule and control those who wore the others. Since the other Rings were powerful on their own, Sauron was obliged to place much of his own power into the One to achieve his purpose. Creating the Ring simultaneously strengthened and weakened Sauron. With the Ring, he could control the power of all the other Rings, and thus he was significantly more powerful after its creation than before; but by binding his power within the Ring, Sauron became dependent on it. ### Appearance The Ring seemed to be made simply of gold, but it was completely impervious to damage, even to dragon fire (unlike other rings). It could be destroyed only by throwing it into the pit of the volcanic Mount Doom where it had been forged. Like some lesser rings, but unlike the other Rings of Power, it bore no gem. It could change size, and perhaps its weight, and could suddenly expand to escape from its wearer. Its identity could be determined by placing it in a fire, when it displayed a fiery inscription in the Black Speech that Sauron had devised. This was written in the Elvish Tengwar script, with two lines in the Black Speech from the rhyme of lore describing the Rings: When Isildur cut the Ring from Sauron's hand, it was burning hot, its inscription legible; he transcribed it before it faded. Gandalf learned of the secret inscription from Isildur's account, and heated Frodo's ring to reveal it, proving it to be the One Ring. Gandalf recited the inscription () in Black Speech at the Council of Elrond, causing everyone to tremble: > The change in the wizard's voice was astounding. Suddenly it became menacing, powerful, harsh as stone. A shadow seemed to pass over the high sun, and the porch for a moment grew dark. All trembled, and the Elves stopped their ears. ### Internal history After forging the ring, Sauron waged war on the Elves. He destroyed Eregion and killed Celebrimbor, the maker of the three Elf-rings. King Tar-Minastir of Númenor sent a great fleet to Middle-earth, and with this aid Gil-galad destroyed Sauron's army and forced Sauron to return to Mordor. Later, Ar-Pharazôn, the last and most powerful king of Númenor, landed at Umbar with an immense army, forcing Sauron's armies to flee. Sauron was taken to Númenor as a prisoner. Tolkien wrote in a 1958 letter that the surrender was both "voluntary and cunning" so he could gain access to Númenor. Sauron used the Númenóreans' fear of death to turn them against the Valar, and manipulate them into worshipping his master, Morgoth, with human sacrifice. Sauron's body was destroyed in the Fall of Númenor, but his spirit travelled back to Middle-earth and wielded the One Ring in renewed war against the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. Tolkien wrote, "I do not think one need boggle at this spirit carrying off the One Ring, upon which his power of dominating minds now largely depended." Gil-galad and Elendil destroyed Sauron's physical form at the end of the Last Alliance, at the cost of their own lives. Elendil's son, Isildur, cut the Ring from Sauron's hand on the slopes of Mount Doom. Though counselled to destroy the Ring, he was swayed by its power and kept it "as weregild for my father, and my brother". A few years later, Isildur was ambushed by Orcs by the River Anduin near the Gladden Fields; he put on the Ring to escape, but it chose to slip from his finger as he swam, and, suddenly visible, he was killed by the Orcs. Since the Ring indirectly caused Isildur's death, it was known in Gondorian lore as "Isildur's Bane". The Ring remained hidden on the river bed for almost two and a half millennia, until it was discovered on a fishing trip by a Stoor hobbit named Déagol. His friend and relative Sméagol, who had gone fishing with him, was immediately ensnared by the Ring's power and demanded that Déagol give it to him as a "birthday present"; when Déagol refused, Sméagol strangled him and took the Ring. It corrupted his body and mind, turning him into the monstrous Gollum. The Ring manipulated Gollum into hiding in a cave under the Misty Mountains near Mirkwood, where Sauron was beginning to resurface. There Gollum remained for nearly 500 years, using the Ring to hunt Orcs. The Ring eventually abandoned Gollum, knowing it would never leave the cave whilst he bore it. As told in The Hobbit, Bilbo found the Ring while lost in the tunnels near Gollum's lair. In the first edition, Gollum offers to surrender the Ring to Bilbo as a reward for winning the Riddle Game. When Tolkien was writing The Lord of the Rings, he realized that the Ring's grip on Gollum would never permit him to give it up willingly. He therefore revised The Hobbit: in the second edition, after losing the Riddle Game to Bilbo, Gollum went to get his "Precious" to help him kill and eat Bilbo, but found the Ring missing. Deducing from Bilbo's last question—"What have I got in my pocket?"—that Bilbo had found the Ring, Gollum chased him through the caves, not realizing that Bilbo had discovered the Ring's power of invisibility and was following him to the cave's mouth. Bilbo escaped Gollum and the goblins by remaining invisible, but he chose not to tell Gandalf and the dwarves that the Ring had made him invisible. Instead he told them a story that followed the first edition: that Gollum had given him the Ring and shown him the way out. Gandalf was immediately suspicious of the Ring, and later forced the real story from Bilbo. Gollum eventually left the Misty Mountains to track down the Ring. He was drawn to Mordor, where he was captured. Sauron tortured and interrogated him, learning that the Ring had been found and was held by one "Baggins" in the land of "Shire". The Ring began to strain Bilbo, leaving him feeling "stretched-out and thin", so he decided to leave the Shire, intending to pass the Ring to his adopted heir Frodo Baggins. He briefly gave in to the Ring's power, even calling it "my precious"; alarmed, Gandalf spoke harshly to his old friend to persuade him to give it up, which Bilbo did, becoming the first Ring-bearer to surrender it willingly. By this time Sauron had regained much of his power, and the Dark Tower in Mordor had been rebuilt. Gollum, released from Mordor, was captured by Aragorn. Gandalf learned from Gollum that Sauron now knew where to find the Ring. To prevent Sauron from reclaiming his Ring, Frodo and eight other companions set out from Rivendell for Mordor to destroy the Ring in the fires of Mount Doom. During the quest, Frodo gradually fell under the Ring's power. When he and his faithful servant Sam Gamgee discovered Gollum on their trail and "tamed" him into guiding them to Mordor, Frodo began to feel a bond with the wretched, treacherous creature, while Gollum warmed to Frodo's kindness and made an effort to keep his promise. Gollum however gave in to the Ring's temptation, and betrayed Frodo to the spider Shelob. Believing Frodo to be dead, Sam bore the Ring himself for a short time and experienced the temptation it induced. Sam rescued Frodo from Orcs at the Tower of Cirith Ungol. The hobbits, followed by Gollum, reached Mount Doom, where Frodo was overcome by the Ring's power and claimed it for himself. At that moment, Gollum bit off his finger, taking back the Ring, but, gloating, he and the Ring fell into the fires of Mount Doom. The Ring and Sauron's power were destroyed. ### Powers The Ring's primary power was control of the other Rings of Power and domination of the wills of their users. The Ring also conferred power to dominate the wills of other beings whether they were wearing Rings or not—but only in proportion to the user's native capacity. In the same way, it amplified any inherent power its owner possessed. A mortal wearing the Ring became effectively invisible except to those able to perceive the non-physical world, with only a thin, shaky shadow discernible in the brightest sunlight. All the same, when Sam wore the ring on the edge of Mordor, "he did not feel invisible at all, but horribly and uniquely visible; and he knew that somewhere an Eye was searching for him". Sam was able to understand the Black Speech of Orcs in Mordor during his brief possession of the One Ring. The Ring extended the life of a mortal possessor indefinitely, preventing natural aging. Gandalf explained that it did not grant new life, but that the possessor merely continued until life became unbearably wearisome. The Ring did not protect its bearer from destruction; Gollum perished in the Crack of Doom, and Sauron's body was destroyed in the downfall of Númenor. Like the Nine Rings, the One Ring physically corrupted mortals who wore it, eventually transforming them into wraiths. Hobbits were more resistant to this than Men: Gollum, who possessed the ring for 500 years, did not become wraith-like because he rarely wore the Ring. Except for Tom Bombadil, nobody seemed to be immune to the corrupting effects of the One Ring, even powerful beings like Gandalf and Galadriel, who refused to wield it out of the knowledge that they would become like Sauron himself. Within the land of Mordor where it was forged, the Ring's power increased so significantly that even without wearing it the bearer could draw upon it, and could acquire an aura of terrible power. When Sam encountered an Orc in the Tower of Cirith Ungol while holding the Ring, he appeared to the terrified Orc as a powerful warrior cloaked in shadow "[holding] some nameless menace of power and doom". Similarly at Mount Doom, when Frodo and Sam were attacked by Gollum, Frodo grabbed the Ring and appeared as "a figure robed in white... [that] held a wheel of fire". Frodo told Gollum "in a commanding voice" that "If you touch me ever again, you shall be cast yourself into the Fire of Doom", a prophecy soon fulfilled. As the Ring contained much of Sauron's power, it was endowed with a malevolent agency. While separated from Sauron, the Ring strove to return to him by manipulating its bearer to claim ownership of it, or by abandoning its bearer. To master the Ring's capabilities, a Ring bearer would need a well-trained mind, a strong will, and great native power. Those with weaker minds, such as hobbits and lesser Men, would gain little from the Ring, let alone realize its full potential. Even for one with the necessary strength, it would have taken time to master the Ring's power sufficiently to overthrow Sauron. The Ring did not render its bearer omnipotent. Three times Sauron suffered military defeat while bearing the Ring, first by Gil-galad in the War of Sauron and the Elves, then by Ar-Pharazôn when Númenórean power so overawed his armies that they deserted him, and at the end of the Second Age with his personal defeat by Gil-galad and Elendil. Tolkien indicates in a speech by Elrond that such a defeat would not have been possible in the waning years of the Third Age, when the strength of the free peoples was greatly diminished. There were no remaining heroes of the stature of Gil-galad, Elendil, or Isildur; the strength of the Elves was fading and they were departing to the Blessed Realm; and the Númenórean kingdoms had either declined or been destroyed, and had few allies. ### Fate of the Ring-bearers Of the Ring-bearers, three were alive after the Ring's destruction, the hobbits Bilbo, Frodo, and Sam. Bilbo, having borne the Ring the longest, had his life much prolonged. Frodo was scarred physically and mentally by his quest. Sam, having only briefly kept the Ring, was affected the least. In consideration of the trials Bilbo and Frodo faced, the Valar allowed them to travel to the Undying Lands, accompanying Galadriel, Elrond, and Gandalf. Sam is also said to have been taken to the Undying Lands, after living in the Shire for many years and raising a large family. Tolkien emphasized that the restorative sojourn of the Ring-bearers in the Undying Lands would not have been permanent. As mortals, they would eventually die and leave the world of Eä. ## Origins Scholars have identified numerous more or less plausible sources for, or at least parallels with, the One Ring, acknowledging that Tolkien may have made use of multiple influences, and had intentionally set about to update the myths. Among these sources are: - Rings in Norse mythology - Arthurian legend - Carolingian legend - The Bible - Medieval German romances - Wagner's Ring Cycle - Plato's Ring of Gyges - The Ring of Silvianus - The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells, 1897 - The Enchanted Castle, with a magic ring, by Edith Nesbit, 1907 - The ring (of invisibility) in Yvain ou le Chevalier au Lion by Chrétien de Troyes - Old English poems and rune-inscribed rings ### Norse mythology and Wagner Tolkien's use of the Ring was influenced by Norse mythology. While at King Edward's School in Birmingham, he read and translated from the Old Norse in his free time. One of his first Norse purchases was the Völsunga saga. While a student, he read the only available English translation, the 1870 rendering by William Morris of the Victorian Arts and Crafts movement and Icelandic scholar Eiríkur Magnússon. That saga and the Middle High German Nibelungenlied were coeval texts that used the same ancient sources. Both of them provided some of the basis for Richard Wagner's opera series, Der Ring des Nibelungen, featuring in particular a magical but cursed golden ring and a broken sword reforged. In the Völsunga saga, these items are respectively Andvaranaut and Gram, and they correspond broadly to the One Ring and the sword Narsil (reforged as Andúril). Tolkien dismissed critics' direct comparisons to Wagner, telling his publisher, "Both rings were round, and there the resemblance ceases." Some critics hold that Tolkien's work borrows so liberally from Wagner that it exists in the shadow of Wagner's. Others, such as Gloriana St. Clair, attribute the resemblances to the fact that Tolkien and Wagner had created works based on the same sources in Norse mythology. Tom Shippey and other researchers hold an intermediary position, stating that the authors indeed used the same source materials, but that Tolkien was indebted to some of the original developments, insights and artistic uses of those sources that first appeared in Wagner, and sought to improve upon them. ### Nodens In 1928, a 4th-century pagan mystery cult temple was excavated at Lydney Park, Gloucestershire. Tolkien was asked to investigate a Latin inscription there, which mentioned the theft of a ring, with a curse upon its thief: > For the god Nodens. Silvianus has lost a ring and has donated one-half [its worth] to Nodens. Among those who are called Senicianus do not allow health until he brings it to the temple of Nodens. The Anglo-Saxon name for the place was Dwarf's Hill, and in 1932 Tolkien traced Nodens to the Irish hero Nuada Airgetlám, "Nuada of the Silver-Hand". Shippey thought this "a pivotal influence" on Tolkien's Middle-earth, combining as it did a god-hero, a ring, dwarves, and a silver hand. The J. R. R. Tolkien Encyclopedia notes the "Hobbit-like appearance of [Dwarf's Hill]'s mine-shaft holes", and that Tolkien was extremely interested in the hill's folklore on his stay there; it cites Helen Armstrong's comment that the place may have inspired Tolkien's "Celebrimbor and the fallen realms of Moria and Eregion". The scholar of English literature John M. Bowers writes that the name of the Elven-smith Celebrimbor, who forged the Elf-rings, is the Sindarin for "Silver Hand". ### Parallels with Plato's Ring of Gyges in The Republic A source that Tolkien "might have borrowed" from, though there is no evidence for this, is Plato's Republic. Its second book tells the story of the Ring of Gyges that gave its owner the power of invisibility. In so doing, it created a moral dilemma, enabling people to commit injustices without fearing they would be caught. In contrast, Tolkien's Ring actively exerts an evil force that destroys the morality of the wearer. The scholar of humanities Frederick A. de Armas notes parallels between Plato's and Tolkien's rings, and suggests that both Bilbo and Gyges, going into deep dark places to find hidden treasure, may have "undergone a Catabasis", a psychological journey to the Underworld. The Tolkien scholar Eric Katz, without suggesting that Tolkien was aware of the Ring of Gyges, writes that "Plato argues that such [moral] corruption will occur, but Tolkien shows us this corruption through the thoughts and actions of his characters". In Katz's view, Plato tries to counter the "cynical conclusion" that moral life is chosen by the weak; Glaucon thinks that people are only "good" because they suppose they will be caught if they are not. Plato argues that immoral life is no good as it corrupts one's soul. So, Katz states, according to Plato a moral person has peace and happiness, and would not use a Ring of Power. In Katz's view, Tolkien's story "demonstrate[s] various responses to the question posed by Plato: would a just person be corrupted by the possibility of almost unlimited power?" The question is answered in different ways: Gollum is weak, quickly corrupted, and finally destroyed; Boromir begins virtuous but like Plato's Gyges is corrupted "by the temptation of power" from the Ring, even if he wants to use it for good, but redeems himself by defending the hobbits to his own death; the "strong and virtuous" Galadriel, who sees clearly what she would become if she accepted the ring, and rejects it; the immortal Tom Bombadil, exempt from the Ring's corrupting power and from its gift of invisibility; Sam who in a moment of need faithfully uses the ring, but is not seduced by its vision of "Samwise the Strong, Hero of the Age"; and finally Frodo who is gradually corrupted, but is saved by his earlier mercy to Gollum, and Gollum's desperation for the Ring. Katz concludes that Tolkien's answer to Plato's "Why be moral?" is "to be yourself". ## Analysis ### Applicability not allegory Tolkien stated that The Lord of the Rings was not a point-by-point allegory, particularly not of political events of his time such as the Second World War. At the same time he contrasted 'applicability' which "resides in the freedom of the reader", with 'allegory' which resides in "the purposed domination of the author". He stated that had the Second World War "inspired or directed the development of the legend" as an allegory, then the fate of the Ring, and of Middle-earth, would have been very different: Anne C. Petty, writing in The J. R. R. Tolkien Encyclopedia, notes that Tolkien was all the same quite capable of using "allegorical elements when it suited his purpose", and that he agreed that the approach of war in 1938 "had had some effect on it": The Lord of the Rings was applicable to the horror of war in general, as long as it was not taken as a point-by-point allegory of any particular war, with false equations like "Sauron=Satan or Hitler or Stalin, Gandalf=God or Churchill, Aragorn=Christ or MacArthur, the Ring=the atomic bomb, Mordor=Hell or Russia or Germany". One aspect of such applicability, which the Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey notes is rarely picked up by readers, is that Tolkien chose dates of symbolic importance in Christianity for the quest to destroy the Ring. It began in Rivendell on 25 December, the date of Christmas, and ended on Mount Doom on 25 March, a traditional Anglo-Saxon date for the crucifixion. ### Object of the quest The scholar of the humanities Brian Rosebury noted that The Lord of the Rings combines a slow, descriptive series of scenes or tableaux illustrating Middle-earth with a unifying plotline in the shape of the quest to destroy the Ring. The Ring needs to be destroyed to save Middle-earth itself from destruction or domination by Sauron. The work builds up Middle-earth as a place that readers come to love, shows that it is under dire threat, and – with the destruction of the Ring – provides the "eucatastrophe" for a happy ending. The work is thus, Rosebury asserted, very tightly constructed, the expansive descriptions and the Ring-based plot fitting together exactly. ### Addiction to power The Ring offers power to its wearer, and progressively corrupts the wearer's mind to evil. The Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey applies Lord Acton's 1887 statement that "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men" to it. He notes that the opinion is distinctively modern, and that other modern authors such as George Orwell with Animal Farm (1945), William Golding with Lord of the Flies (1954), and T. H. White with The Once and Future King (1958) similarly wrote about the corrupting effects of power. When the critic Colin Manlove described Tolkien's attitude to power as inconsistent, arguing that the supposedly overwhelming Ring was handed over easily enough by Sam and Bilbo, and had little effect on Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli, Shippey replies in "one word" that the explanation is simple: the Ring is addictive, increasing in effect with exposure. Other scholars concur about its addictive nature. ## Adaptations In the 1981 BBC Radio serial of The Lord of the Rings, the Nazgûl chant the Ring-inscription; the BBC Radiophonic Workshop's sound effects for the Nazgul and the Black Speech of Mordor have been described as "nightmarish". In Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, the wearer of the Ring is portrayed as moving through a shadowy realm where everything is distorted. The effects of the Ring on Bilbo and Frodo are obsessions that have been compared with drug addiction; the actor Andy Serkis, who played Gollum, cited drug addiction as an inspiration for his performance. The actual ring for the films was designed and created by Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith in Nelson, New Zealand, and was based on a simple wedding ring. Polygon highlighted that "the workshop produced approximately 40 different rings for the films. Most expensive were the 18 carat solid gold 'hero' rings, sized ten for Frodo’s hand and 11 for the chain. [...] To save money — though not time — the workshop used gold-plated sterling silver for most of the rings. [...] For many fans, the ring used in close-ups — like the scene where the Ring slips away from Frodo to lure Boromir in the snow at Caradhras, or when arguing participants in the Council of Elrond are shown reflected in the Ring’s surface — is the real hero ring. In order to capture the ring’s sheen in high definition, that prop was a full eight inches wide — too big even for Hansen’s tools. Instead, a local machine shop made and polished the shape that Hansen’s team then plated". A tabletop roleplaying game set in Middle-earth and called "The One Ring" was manufactured by Cubicle 7; a new edition is planned by a partnership of Sophisticated Games and Free League Publishing from 2020.

John Gregorson Campbell

Scottish minister and folklorist

John Gregorson Campbell (1836 – 22 November 1891) was a Scottish folklorist and Free Church minister at the Tiree and Coll parishes in Argyll, Scotland. An avid collector of traditional stories, he became Secretary to the Ossianic Society of Glasgow University in the mid-1850s. Ill health had prevented him taking up employment as a Minister when he was initially approved to preach by the Presbytery of Glasgow in 1858 and later after he was appointed to Tiree by the Duke of Argyll in 1861, parishioners objected to his manner of preaching. Several of the anecdotes he amassed were published in magazines and, just before his death, work began on collating the first of four compendiums of the tales; three were published a few years after his death. He was fluent in several languages, including Scottish Gaelic, and transcribed the legends precisely as dictated by the narrators. ## Early life and education John Gregorson Campbell was born near Loch Linnhe at Kingairloch, Argyll in 1836, the fourth child and second son of Helen MacGregor and Captain Campbell, an officer for the ship Cygnet. A short memoir, published in 1895 and based on information from Gregorson Campbell's sister, states a Bean Shìth, or fairy washerwoman as Gregorson Campbell defined it, had cast a spell on his father's ancestors proclaiming "they shall grow like the rush and wither like the fern". The family moved to Appin in about 1839, where the local parochial school provided Gregorson Campbell's education until he was ten years old. He then attended a higher school in Glasgow before moving on to the University of Glasgow. ## Career Law was the subject Gregorson Campbell chose to study after completing his education but his primary interest was folklore, a topic that fascinated him from his college days. In the mid-1850s he was appointed Secretary to the Glasgow University Ossianic Society. He secured a licence to preach from the Presbytery of Glasgow in 1858 but was unable to commence work as a clergyman at that time owing to ill health. His recuperation was spent beginning his collection of folklore stories. When appointed as clergyman at the Free Church united parishes of Tiree and Coll by the Duke of Argyll in early 1861, objections were initially raised by some members of the Tiree congregation who found Gregorson Campbell's sermons boring, uninspiring and "devoid of fervour". The Presbytery upheld two of the three main complaints, but an appeal was made to the Synod. Concerns had also been expressed that his health was insufficiently robust to serve the needs and challenges of the Tiree parish. The appeal was heard by the General Assembly on 31 May 1861 with Gregorson Campbell's defence arguing that the main thrust of the complaints was actually founded on the congregation's desire to have their own preferred minister appointed. The motion was not upheld and Gregorson Campbell became the minister of both parishes, a position he held for thirty years. ## Folklore collections Interest in mythology and folklore gained momentum in the last quarter of the 19th century, probably fuelled by the contentious debates surrounding the authenticity of the Ossian poems published by James Macpherson during the 1760s. Gregorson Campbell continued to build on the collection he started during his period of recuperation around 1858, preserving the traditional tales as quoted at the time. The folklorist John Francis Campbell (1822–85), also known as Campbell of Islay, had his first mythology books published in 1860 and he corresponded with Gregorson Campbell. Both men were fluent in several languages, including Scottish Gaelic, and their letters discuss the variations in the folk tales, with Campbell of Islay stating: "I have about 16 versions of one story in Gaelic, and no two have the same name." Gregorson Campbell had his own style of collating legends, meticulously transcribing the stories as dictated by the individual storytellers, and only rarely interspersing tales with his own comments. Christian ministers in Scotland differed in their attitudes towards the traditional beliefs and myths perpetuated by their parishioners, and were often dismissive of what they considered to be superstition and paganism, but Gregorson Campbell persisted in enthusiastically adding to his collection throughout the late 1800s. He was concerned that the intolerance shown by some of his fellow collectors towards the illiterate Gaelic-speaking storytellers and those who believed in the myths would result in the loss of a valuable resource, as he regarded the narrators as having "powers of mind of a highest order". ### Published work Traditional tales collected by Gregorson Campbell were first published in the inaugural edition of the quarterly periodical the Scottish Celtic Review in March 1881. Reproduced in Gaelic and translated on the following pages in English, it was entitled "How the great Tuairisgeul was put to death" and told how the son of the King of Ireland went to a hunting hill and sought the answer to the death of the Great Tuairisgeul. Further legends from his collection were included in the next three volumes of the review. The Gaelic Society of Inverness published some of the tales, also given in Gaelic with an English translation, from 1888 until 1892. The first of these in 1888, "Sir Olave O'Corn", also involved a King of Ireland and included some explanatory notes from Gregorson Campbell. Celtic Magazine and Highland Monthly were two other journals that published some of his folklore. Some of these were reprinted in the first compendium of Gregorson Campbell's collection, The Fians, a set of traditional tales and verses about combat printed as part of the Argyllshire series of books in 1891. ## Death and legacy Gregorson Campbell's health deteriorated in the last years of his life, especially after the death of his mother Helen at the Tiree manse in 1890; he died on 22 November 1891 before seeing the final printed edition of The Fians. Alfred Nutt, fellow folklorist and publisher, chronicled details of Gregorson Campbell's life as an introduction to the second compilation of Gregorson Campbell's collection of myths, Clan Traditions and Popular Tales of the Western Highlands and Islands, published in 1895. Two other books were published posthumously: Superstitions of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland in 1900, and Witchcraft and Second Sight in the West Highlands the following year. Richard Dorson, American author and director of the Folklore Institute at Indiana University, describes Gregorson Campbell as worthy of a "front rank among Celtic folklorists" and Sophia Kingshill, author and folklorist, felt his writing was "vivid and engaging". Contemporary praise was not entirely universal; an anonymous review of Superstitions of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland included in The Scottish Antiquary, Or, Northern Notes & Queries (now The Scottish Historical Review) in 1901 described the work as "a book of considerable pretension" and stated it was in need of proofreading, citing several printing errors.

Old Kent Road

Road in South East London, England

Old Kent Road is a major thoroughfare in South East London, England, passing through the London Borough of Southwark. It was originally part of an ancient trackway that was paved by the Romans and used by the Anglo-Saxons who named it Wæcelinga Stræt (Watling Street). It is now part of the A2, a major road from London to Dover. The road was important in Roman times linking London to the coast at Richborough and Dover via Canterbury. It was a route for pilgrims in the Middle Ages as portrayed in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, when Old Kent Road was known as Kent Street. The route was used by soldiers returning from the Battle of Agincourt. In the 16th century, St Thomas-a-Watering on Old Kent Road was a place where religious dissenters and those found guilty of treason were publicly hanged. The road was rural in nature and several coaching inns were built alongside it. In the 19th century, it acquired the name Old Kent Road and several industrial premises were set up to close to the Surrey Canal and a major business, the Metropolitan Gas Works was developed. In the 20th century, older property was demolished for redevelopment and Burgess Park was created. The Old Kent Road Baths opened around 1905 had Turkish and Russian bath facilities. In the 21st century, several retail parks and premises typical of out-of-town development have been built beside it while public houses have been redeveloped for other purposes. The road is celebrated in the music hall song "Knocked 'em in the Old Kent Road", describing working-class London life. It is the first property, and one of the two cheapest, on the London Monopoly board and the only one south of the River Thames. ## Geography The road begins at the Bricklayers Arms roundabout, where it meets the New Kent Road, Tower Bridge Road, and Great Dover Street. It runs southeast past Burgess Park, Christ Church, Peckham and the railway line from Peckham Rye to South Bermondsey. Just east of the railway bridge, the road crosses the boundary between the London boroughs of Southwark and Lewisham, where the road ahead becomes New Cross Road. The road appears on a map to form a boundary between Walworth, and Peckham to the south and Bermondsey to the north, although the Bermondsey boundary runs along Rolls Road. ## History Old Kent Road, one of the oldest roads in England, was part of a Celtic ancient trackway that was paved by the Romans and recorded as Inter III on the Antonine Itinerary. The Anglo-Saxons named it "Wæcelinga Stræt" (Watling Street). It joined Stane Street, another ancient and Roman road, at Southwark before crossing the Thames at London Bridge. The Inter III was one of the most important Roman roads in Britain, linking London with Canterbury and the Channel ports at Richborough (Rutupiae); Dover (Dubris) and Lympne (Lemanis). Pilgrims, as documented in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, travelled along the road from London and Southwark on their way to Canterbury. In 1415, the road was a scene of celebrations for soldiers returning from the Battle of Agincourt heading towards London. John Rocque's Map of London, published in 1746, shows hedgerows along its course. The Kentish Drovers public house opened in 1840 and was so named because the road was a thoroughfare for market traffic. The road was mainly rural in nature, surrounded by fields and windmills and the occasional tavern until the 19th century. The name Old Kent Road came into use in the early 19th century, with the section from Borough High Street to the Bricklayers Arms junction retaining the name Kent Street until it was renamed Tabard Street in 1877. ### St Thomas-a-Watering The bridge at St Thomas-a-Watering over the River Neckinger was at the junction with what is now Old Kent Road and Shorncliffe Road (previously Thomas Street), and marked the boundary of the Archbishop of Canterbury's authority over the manors of Southwark and Walworth. It was the limit of the City of London's authority in 1550, having been ratified in several charters and marked by a boundary stone set into the wall of the old fire station that marked the first resting place for pilgrims while travelling to Canterbury. A nearby public house, the Thomas a Becket, at the corner of Albany Road was named after this. Henry V met soldiers returning from Agincourt at this location in 1415. Charles II's journey along the road on his way to reclaim the throne in May 1660 was described by contemporary writer and diarist John Evelyn as "a triumph of about 20,000 horse and foote, brandishing their swords and shouting with inexpressible joy". St Thomas-a-Watering became a place of execution for criminals whose bodies were left hanging from the gibbets on the principal route from the southeast to London. On 8 July 1539, Griffith Clerke, Vicar of Wandsworth was hanged and quartered here along with his chaplain and two others, for not acknowledging the royal supremacy of Henry VIII. The Welsh Protestant martyr John Penry was also executed here on 6 April 1593; a small side street nearby is named after him. The Catholic martyrs John Jones and John Rigby were executed in 1598 and 1600 respectively. ### Rolls family In the early-18th century, the Rolls family of The Grange in nearby Bermondsey acquired a significant amount of land around Old Kent Road. It included residential development that is now Surrey Square and the Paragon, which were designed by Michael Searles in 1788. The main road route gave rise to ribbon development because of the increasing urbanisation of the expanding metropolitan area. In the early-20th century, social housing was built on land previously held by the family who gave away their interests for public benefit including the library at Wells Way in Burgess Park, the girls grammar school at Bricklayers Arms (St Saviour's and St Olave's School) and the Peabody Estate (Dover Flats and Waleran Flats). The last significant remnant of their involvement is the detached White House between the Peabody Estate buildings, built by Searles in the 1790s. The original railings and ironwork survive in the current development at No. 155. The house was later occupied by Searles and became the management office of the Rolls family trust estates. The last of the male Rolls's was the Hon Charles Stewart Rolls who was the pioneer motorist and aviator who formed the Rolls-Royce partnership with Henry Royce. ### Industrial development The opening of the Surrey Canal in 1811 changed the character of the road from rural to industrial. Tanneries were established along it and a soap processing plant was built. Older properties occupied by the upper and middle classes were converted into flats for the emerging working class population. By the time Bricklayers Arms goods station opened in 1845, the road was entirely built up and Old Kent Road had one of the highest population densities in Europe, with an average of 280 residents per acre. Sections along the road were commercial with various market stalls and sellers until the construction of the tramway in 1871. Camberwell Public Library No. 1, which later became the Livesey Museum for Children was designed by Sir George Livesey in 1890. The road's southern section remained residential throughout the 19th century. Nos. 864, 866 and 880–884 were constructed by John Lamb in 1815, and feature Ammonite capitals, ornamental features resembling fossils, a feature also used in contemporary architecture in Brighton. The Licensed Victuallers' National Asylum (now Caroline Gardens), an extensive almshouse estate off Old Kent Road at Asylum Road, opened in 1827. Its first patron was Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex who was followed by Prince Albert and Prince Edward. The Metropolitan Gas Works, identifiable by its large gasometers, was founded in 1833. It serviced an area of more than 13 square miles (34 km²), including parts of Southwark, Croydon, Newington, Lambeth and Streatham. Expansion of the gas works in 1868 required the demolition of Christ Church, Camberwell, which was built in 1838 and rebuilt on the opposite side of the road by Livesey. The gas works was managed by Livesey from 1840 until his death in 1908. A statue of him was sited in the rear courtyard of Livesey Museum, opposite the works. During the 19th and 20th century, the industrial and working class makeup of Old Kent Road made it a haven for organised crime and violence. The notorious Richardson Gang operated in the area, and boxing clubs became popular. Lennox Lewis' manager Frank Maloney grew up in the area and recalled, "If you weren't into crime, people thought you were a pansy". Henry Cooper trained in the boxing club above the Thomas a Becket pub from 1954 to 1968; he unveiled a local blue plaque there in 2007. Draining the Surrey Canal in 1971 uncovered a number of cracked and blown safes that had been thrown in the water. ### Public services Old Kent Road railway station at the southern end of the road opened in 1866 and closed in 1917. The London City Fire Brigade opened a fire station on the road around 1868. It was subsumed into the London Fire Brigade from its formation and in 1904 was replaced by a new station which was in turn replaced by another on the corner of Coopers Road. The station was demolished for redevelopment in 2014 and reopened the following year. The Old Kent Road Baths were built in 1906. According to Modern Sanitation, they were the only public baths in London with Turkish bath facilities at the time. The baths were designed to include two swimming pools, each measuring 75 feet (23 m) by 30 feet (9.1 m). In 1913–4, the baths were used by 188,336 private bathers, 14,687 of which used its Russian, Turkish, or special electric baths. The 1923 Municipal Year Book noted the "great success" of Turkish and Russian baths. ### Urban Redevelopment Unlike many places in London, the Old Kent Road area did not suffer significant bomb damage during World War II. In 1968, a flyover opened at the northern end allowing access to New Kent Road which catered for the main flow of traffic. During the 1970s, run-down Victorian properties on and around Old Kent Road were demolished to make way for new housing estates. Burgess Park was created as part of the County of London Plan in 1943, which recommended new parkland in the area. Several tower blocks were built along the road, although some earlier 19th-century buildings, such as Nos. 360–386, survived. Public houses on Old Kent Road have been closing since the 1980s. At one point, there were 39 pubs. The Dun Cow at No. 279 opened in 1856 and was well known as a gin palace, and later became a champagne bar and featured DJs such as Steve Walsh and Robbie Vincent. The premises closed in 2004 to become a surgery. The World Turned Upside Down had been on the Old Kent Road since the 17th century, and may have been named after the discovery of Australia, Van Diemen's Land, or Tierra del Fuego in South America. The pub became a music venue in the 20th century and is where Long John Baldrey gave his first live performance in 1958. It closed in 2009 and is now a branch of Domino's Pizza. The Duke of Kent was converted into a mosque in 1999; in 2021 the building was demolished for a purpose built mosque. The Livesey Museum for Children closed in 2008 owing to council budget cuts and is now used for short term accommodation. Southwark Borough Council do not consider Old Kent Road to fit the characteristics of an urban town centre, and consequently large retail parks more in character with out-of-town schemes have been developed including a large Asda superstore, B&Q store, Halfords, Magnet and PC World. Southwark Council have begun consultations on plans to redevelop much of the area, known as the Old Kent Road Area Action Plan. This master plan would mimic similar regeneration projects in other London neighbourhoods such as Elephant & Castle, Nine Elms and Canada Water. The consultations centre on a vision to open four new Bakerloo line London Underground stations along the road route, beginning at Bricklayers Arms, as well as 20,000 new homes, a further education college, a health centre and a number of primary and secondary schools. Officials have also suggested the development of a "green spine" of parks and green spaces along the mostly disused Surrey Canal. ## Cultural references Old Kent Road is the first property square on the British Monopoly board, priced at £60 and forming the brown set along with the similarly working-class Whitechapel Road. It is the only square on the board in South London and south of the Thames. The road makes several appearances in literature. In Charles Dickens' David Copperfield, the titular character runs down the road trying to escape from London to Dover, though in the narrative the street is still partly rural in nature. A public garden on the New Kent Road is named David Copperfield's Garden to mark a spot where the character stopped on his journey and a quote from his aunt is inlaid on the path through the park. In 1985, the BBC arts series Arena included a documentary about the road. The road is mentioned in the title of the music hall song "Knocked 'em in the Old Kent Road". It was written in 1891 by Albert Chevalier, who was the lyricist and original performer; the music was written by his brother Charles Ingle. The song was popularised by Shirley Temple's performance in the 1939 film A Little Princess The street is mentioned multiple times in the Madness song "Calling Cards", a song about running an illegitimate business "in a sorting office in the Old Kent Road". It is featured in the chorus of the Levellers' song "Cardboard Box City", which criticises the slow action on helping the homeless in London, specifically Old Kent Road being infrequently visited by the wealthy due to its being south of the Thames. British girl group Girls Aloud refer to running down the road in the lyrics to their 2005 single "Long Hot Summer". It is featured in the TV series The Crown (2016–...) Season 2, Episode 5 about the queen's first garden party for the public: [Queen Mother] "I believe...that is "Harry 'The Hammer' Jones. A boxer from the Old Kent Road."

Pinkan Mambo

Indonesian singer

Pinkan Ratnasari Mambo (born 11 November 1980), also known as Pinkan Mambo, is an Indonesian actress and singer-songwriter. She achieved success as the vocalist in the Indonesian music duo Ratu between 2000 and 2004, then continued her career as a soloist. Born and raised in Jakarta, Mambo began singing at an early age but only began to sing in public as a teenager. While still in senior high school, she found a job as a café singer and performed in numerous venues throughout Jakarta. In 2000 she joined songwriter and music producer Maia Estianty as part of Ratu after she met Estianty's husband Ahmad Dhani, the singer for the band Dewa 19; after six casting calls, Dhani invited her to join the band, which he had established for his wife and let her manage. The duo was successful, but because of conflict between the two members and Mambo's unintended pregnancy, she left the group. She then began a solo career with Sony BMG, releasing three solo albums as of 2012. She also acted in one film, Selimut Berdarah, in 2010. Onstage Mambo is known as an energetic performer who often includes her audience in her act. She generally collaborates with other artists, working with local bands when she performs and has other people write her songs. The mother of fourth children, as of 2013, she's married to music-video director Steve Wantania. ## Early life Mambo was born in Jakarta on 11 November 1980 to Yoke F. Mambo and his wife Deetje Syarif. She was the eldest, and only girl, of three children born to the couple. When she was five years old, her parents divorced. Not long afterwards, Mambo was sent to live with her grandmother because her mother, who received custody, could not afford to send Mambo to school. The two boys stayed with their mother. Life with her grandmother was strict and, as Mambo felt depressed without her father, she became withdrawn, sticking to a daily routine of prayers and studying. However, she performed well at school, ranking amongst the top five in her class at Yapenka Elementary School in South Jakarta. She later became more outgoing and was known among her family and friends as a very feminine child, enjoying dresses and make-up. While in elementary school she began singing along with songs by her favourite singers Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston in her bedroom. Her mother, believing that Mambo had the ability to be a professional singer, convinced Mambo to try and sing in public while the latter was still in junior high school. Mambo began her studies at Cendrawasih Senior High School in Cilandak, South Jakarta, in 1997. In 1998, while visiting a friend at Amigos Café, where she worked, Mambo was asked to sing and later booked as a singer at the café; her mother supported the decision. Mambo held the job while continuing her studies. She changed venues often, telling the entertainment magazine Tabloid Nova that within a year she had sung at almost every café in the city. ## Ratu In 1999 Maia Estianty and her husband Ahmad Dhani established a musical duo consisting of a singer and musician, based on concepts pioneered by international bands such as Roxette and Savage Garden. They began looking for a singer. Mambo convinced Dhani to hire her by calling "at all hours of the day" after meeting him while at a café in Pondok Indah Mall in South Jakarta; she had chosen to seek out Dhani because of his previous experience with new singers, including Reza Artamevi, and had heard that he frequented the mall. After her sixth audition for the band, named Ratu, meaning Queen, she was chosen to be its vocalist. Although Mambo begun studying economics at Trisakti University, owing to the pressures of her contract she dropped out. After three years of training, during which time Mambo joined Dhani's band Dewa 19 as a backing singer, Ratu released its first album, Bersama (Together), in 2003. It had a rhythm and blues (R&B) flavour and featured Mambo on vocals and Estianty on instruments. The album was a commercial success, selling 250,000 copies. With her portion of the proceeds, Mambo paid for both of her brothers to attend university and bought a car. Although Mambo and Estianty began work on another album, Mambo withdrew from the group in 2004 after widespread reports that she was pregnant and unmarried; Mambo said that she had been fired by Estianty, although she admitted that her pregnancy had been a factor. She was officially replaced on 7 April 2005 by Mulan Jameela, a café singer from Bandung who took the stage name Mulan Kwok. ## Solo career Mambo had long nurtured a desire to become a solo singer. After she left Ratu, she was signed by Sony BMG for six solo albums. Distancing herself from her former band, she found inspiration for her first album from a doll named she saw in a magazine. Considering herself as coquettish and pampered as the doll, she decided to base her album on the concept. Her debut solo album, Aku Tahu Rasanya (I Know How It Feels) and its singles "Kasmaran" ("Passion"), "Aku Tahu Rasanya", and "Dirimu Dirinya" ("You and He"), a mix of pop and R&B, were successful. That year she recorded tracks for the compilation albums Portrait of Yovie Widianto and Best Female Idol. Mambo began drifting toward a rock sound. She moved away from her on-stage overly feminine persona, her previous "girly" look and her known affection for the colour pink, and marketed herself as a sexy, sensual singer. She released her second album, Wanita Terindah (The Most Beautiful Woman), on 2 July 2008. Mambo acted in the 2010 film Selimut Berdarah (The Bloody Blanket), playing a young woman who unknowingly sends her younger sister to an organ harvesting ring. Despite the film's lack of success, Mambo received numerous acting offers, which she refused. Also in 2010 she recorded "Kau Tercipta Untukku" ("You Were Made For Me") for The Masterpiece of Rinto Harahap, a tribute album to songwriter Rinto Harahap. On 30 November 2011 she released her third solo album, Tentang Cinta (About Love). ## Music style Mambo does not write her own songs; rather she uses the works of numerous Indonesian songwriters, including Melly Goeslaw and Glenn Fredly. Since leaving Ratu, Mambo has successfully distanced herself from her coquettish, ultra-feminine look. Her on-stage performance is characterised as very "energetic"; she dances and mingles with the audience off stage, and invites them to sing with her on stage. She often performs at clubs, using local bands for the music. ## Personal life Mambo's 2004 pregnancy led to her cancelling her wedding to Meiza Reza Tobroni, as the father of her unborn child was another man. Mambo who at that time still embraced the religion of Islam, gave birth to a boy, Alfa Rezel, on 28 January 2005. That year Mambo's cousin introduced her to a classmate named Sandy Sanjaya. Mambo and Sanjaya, after three months dating, agreed to be married. On 17 April 2006 they had a daughter, named Michele Ashley Rezya. She and Sanjaya divorced on 14 October 2009, after having been separated for several months; towards the end of their relationship, Sanjaya spent more time in Bali than in the couple's home in Jakarta. Mambo was romantically involved with the association football player Febrianto Wijaya, and they considered marrying. The relationship, however, fell through, and in 2013 Mambo who has converted to Evangelist with her two children married Steve Wantania, a music-video maker in the United States. The couple have two daughters Queen Chara born on June 17, 2015, Queen Abby born on September 1, 2018 and a son King Luke born on August 17, 2017. ## Discography - Bersama (Together; 2003, with Ratu) - Aku Tahu Rasanya (I Know How It Feels; 2006) - Wanita Terindah (The Most Beautiful Woman; 2008) - Tentang Cinta (About Love; 2011) ## Filmography - Selimut Berdarah (The Bloody Blanket; 2010) - Horas Amang: Tiga Bulan untuk Selamanya (Horas Amang: Three months forever; 2019) ## Awards

Markéta Vondroušová

Czech tennis player (born 1999)

Markéta Šimková (née Vondroušová; ; born 28 June 1999) is a Czech professional tennis player. She has a career-high ranking of world No. 9 by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA). Vondroušová is the reigning Wimbledon champion, winning the tournament in 2023 to become the first unseeded woman to win the singles title. She was also the runner-up at the 2019 French Open, where she became the first teenage major finalist in nearly a decade. She has won two singles titles out of six finals on the WTA Tour and a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Vondroušová is a former junior world No. 1, having won two major doubles titles. She had a quick breakthrough on the WTA Tour, winning the 2017 Ladies Open Biel Bienne at age 17 in just her second career WTA Tour singles event. This helped her reach the top 100 of the WTA rankings before turning 18. Vondroušová struggled with injuries early in her career, most notably missing the second half of the 2019 season shortly after her French Open final. Her signature shot is the drop shot. She is one of the best returners on WTA Tour, having led the tour in percentage of return games won and percentage of return points won in 2019 among all players with at least ten matches. ## Early life and background Markéta Vondroušová was born on 28 June 1999 to David Vondrouš and Jindřiška Anderlová in Sokolov, a small town in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. Her father introduced her to tennis at the age of four, having played the sport recreationally. Her mother played volleyball for SK Slavia Prague in the top-flight Extraliga. Her parents divorced when Vondroušová was three, but they both stayed in her life and supported her growth as a tennis player. When Vondroušová was young, she tried a variety of sports, including skiing, football, table tennis, and floorball, excelling in them all. She began to focus on tennis early, entering a national mini-tennis tournament on Štvanice island in Prague in 2006, in which she finished third and qualified for an international tournament in Umag in Croatia, where she lost in the first round but won the consolation bracket as an eight-year-old competing against mostly nine-year-old players. After the tournament in Štvanice, it was arranged for Vondroušová to go back to train there. During this time, she trained for five days a week, two of which were in Štvanice, a few hours from her hometown. She had another international success at age 12, when she won the Nike Junior Tour International Masters in the United States, which was regarded as an unofficial 12-and-under world championship. At age 15, she moved to Prague to train more regularly there. Vondroušová has a strong athletic background on her mother's side. Her grandfather, František Frk, was the Czechoslovak national pentathlon champion in 1935. ## Junior career Vondroušová is a former world No. 1 junior. She made her debut on the ITF Junior Circuit at the age of 13 and won both the singles and doubles events at her first tournament, the Grade 5 San Michel International Tournament in Malta in April 2013. Later in the year, she won a higher-level Grade 4 singles event in Poland as well as a separate Grade 2 doubles event in the Czech Republic. Vondroušová made her Grade 1 debut with a singles semifinal in January 2014, which she followed with a second round loss in her debut at the highest-level Grade A tournaments in May. She entered her first junior Grand Slam events in May and had immediate success, reaching the semifinals at both the French Open and Wimbledon. In both tournaments, she lost to the eventual champions Daria Kasatkina and Jeļena Ostapenko respectively. Vondroušová fared better in doubles at the French Open, finishing runner-up to the Romanian team of Ioana Ducu and Ioana Loredana Roșca alongside American CiCi Bellis in a match tiebreak. Despite losing her opening singles matches at her last two Grade A tournaments of the year, the US Open and the Orange Bowl, Vondroušová ended 2014 by winning the Orange Bowl doubles title with Bellis. Vondroušová continued to have success in doubles in 2015, most notably winning her only two junior Grand Slam titles and three Grade-A doubles events in total. Although she lost her opening-round match at the Australian Open, she won the doubles title with compatriot Miriam Kolodziejová without dropping a set. Vondroušová did not play another junior event until late May, instead opting to play events on the professional circuit. In her return, she won both the singles and doubles events at the Grade-A Trofeo Bonfiglio, again partnering with Kolodziejová. She defeated Charlotte Robillard-Millette in the singles final for her only career Grade-A singles title. With these titles, Vondroušová became the No. 1 ranked junior in the world for the first time. While she lost in the semifinals at the French Open for the second consecutive year, she won a second Grand Slam doubles title with Kolodziejová, again without losing a set. The semifinal was her best Grand Slam singles result of the year. Vondroušová and Kolodziejová then won a fourth consecutive title at the Grade-1 Junior International Roehampton before their 28-match win streak came to an end in the Wimbledon semifinals, where they were defeated by the Hungarian team of Dalma Gálfi and Fanny Stollár. Toward the end of the 2015 season, Vondroušová represented the Czech Republic at the Junior Fed Cup with Monika Kilnarová and Anna Slováková. She won all eight of her rubbers and led the Czech team to the title with a 2–1 victory over US team of Kayla Day and Claire Liu, in the final. Vondroušová only played one junior tournament in 2016, losing in the third round in singles at the French Open. ## Professional career ### 2014–2017: WTA Tour debut and maiden title at 17, top 100 and major debut Vondroušová began playing on the ITF Women's Circuit in May 2014 at the age of 14 and qualified for her first main draw later in the year. She reached her first singles final at the lowest \$10k level in March 2015 at Sharm El Sheikh, where she won the doubles event for her first professional title. Her first and second singles title came in May and June respectively. Vondroušová made her WTA Tour main-draw doubles debut in April 2015 at the Prague Open, losing her opening match alongside Kateřina Vaňková. She made her WTA Tour singles debut at the same tournament a year later, winning her first career match against Océane Dodin before losing to eventual runner-up Samantha Stosur. Vondroušová did not enter any more events after May 2016 due to a left elbow injury. Vondroušová returned to the tour in January 2017 and won her first two ITF singles events back followed by two more runner-up finishes in her third and fifth events. This success helped her break into the top 300 for the first time by the end of February. At the Ladies Open Biel Bienne in April, Vondroušová had her first big breakthrough. She won her maiden WTA Tour title at age 17 in just her second career WTA singles event. After entering the main draw through qualifying, she upset top seed and world No. 18 Barbora Strýcová in the semifinals. She then defeated Anett Kontaveit in the final. With the title, she rose to No. 117 in the world. Having started the tournament at No. 233, she was also the lowest-ranked finalist on the WTA Tour since Justine Henin in 2010. Vondroušová then won a \$100k title at the Slovak Open back on the ITF Circuit the next month to enter the top 100 for the first time. This also made her the youngest player in the top 100 at the time. Vondroušová made her Grand Slam championship debut at the French Open. She made it through qualifying and defeated Amandine Hesse in her first main draw match before losing to Daria Kasatkina. Vondroušová was directly accepted into the main draw at Wimbledon, losing her opening match. Later that month, she won another ITF title, the \$80k Prague Open, to rise to No. 68 in the world. Nonetheless, she again lost her opening match at the US Open, despite pushing No. 8 Svetlana Kuznetsova to a third-set tiebreak. She ended her season after September. ### 2018–2019: Teenage French Open finalist, world No. 14 Vondroušová had a slow start into the 2018 season, not winning multiple main-draw matches at any of her first five tournaments of the year, including the Australian Open. Nonetheless, she continued to rise in the rankings to as high as No. 50, after reaching the fourth round at the Indian Wells Open, where she defeated No. 11 Johanna Konta in the second round. Once Vondroušová did not defend the ranking points from her first title during the clay court season, her ranking began to drop. She won just two matches on clay and lost her opening round match at the French Open, causing her to fall outside the top 100. She also lost in the opening round at Wimbledon. Two weeks later, Vondroušová reached her first semifinal of the year at the Ladies Championship Gstaad. Nonetheless, she remained outside the top 100 by late August. As the last direct acceptance into the main draw of the US Open, Vondroušová produced her best result of the season. She upset No. 13 Kiki Bertens in the third round in a third-set tiebreak before losing in her next match. This result brought her back to No. 71 in the world. For the second consecutive year, she finished at No. 67, after ending her season in September. Vondroušová had a strong start into the 2019 season. Although she lost in the second round of the Australian Open in singles, she reached semifinals in doubles with Barbora Strýcová where they lost a tight match to Samantha Stosur and Zhang Shuai. Vondroušová then reached the quarterfinals or better at each of her next six singles events. This streak included three finals appearances and began with a runner-up finish to defending champion Alison Van Uytvanck at the Hungarian Ladies Open. At the Indian Wells Open, Vondroušová upset No. 2 Simona Halep, the highest-ranked opponent she ever defeated. With quarterfinal appearances there and at the Miami Open, she returned to the top 50 for the first time in a little over a year. Vondroušová reached another final at the İstanbul Cup where she lost to No. 40, Petra Martić. She then defeated Halep again during her quarterfinal run at the Italian Open. Vondroušová's best performance of the season came at the French Open, where she made it to the final without dropping a set. As an unseeded player, she defeated four seeded players including No. 12, Anastasija Sevastova in the fourth round and No. 26, Johanna Konta in the semifinals. She also defeated No. 31 Martić in the quarterfinals for the first time, after losing all four of their previous meetings. In the final, she lost to No. 8, Ashleigh Barty, only winning four games. Nonetheless, she became the first teenager to contest the French Open final since Ana Ivanovic in 2007 and the first to play in any Grand Slam final since Caroline Wozniacki at the 2009 US Open. She also entered top 20 for the first time. Despite this success, she lost in the opening round at Wimbledon to Madison Brengle, her last match of the year. After missing the next few months due to a left wrist injury suffered during that match, Vondroušová had surgery in September and stayed out for the rest of the season. She reached a peak ranking of No. 14 in the world during the season, and finished the year at No. 16. ### 2021: WTA 1000 doubles debut & first final, Olympic silver medallist On her debut at the WTA 1000-level in doubles at the Italian Open, Vondroušová and partner Kristina Mladenovic reached the final, defeating second-seeded duo of Barbora Krejčíková and Kateřina Siniaková in the quarterfinals and wildcard pair Sara Errani and Irina-Camelia Begu in the semifinals. They lost their final to the alternate pair and WTA 1000-level first time winners, Giuliana Olmos and Sharon Fichman. At the Tokyo Olympics, Vondroušová beat 16th seed Kiki Bertens, in the latter's final ever singles match on tour, and Mihaela Buzărnescu to reach the third round. There, she upset second seed and home favourite Naomi Osaka, beating her in straight sets to advance to the quarterfinals. There, she beat Paula Badosa (by retirement) to advance to the semifinals, where she scored her second top-ten win in the tournament by beating Elina Svitolina to reach the final and guarantee a medal. She lost to Belinda Bencic in three sets and won the silver medal. ### 2022: Third Indian Wells fourth round, surgery and early end of season Seeded 21st at Indian Wells, she defeated unseeded Magdalena Frech and fourth seed Anett Kontaveit to reach the fourth round for the third time at this tournament. ### 2023: First unseeded Wimbledon champion, World No. 9 in singles Using protected ranking, she reached the third rounds of the Australian Open, defeating Alison Riske and second seed Ons Jabeur, and of the Indian Wells Open, defeating Rebecca Marino and 28th seed Marie Bouzková. In the latter, she went one step further into the round of 16 for the fourth time at this WTA 1000 tournament defeating again fourth seed Ons Jabeur. At the Miami Open, she reached back-to-back WTA 1000 fourth rounds and for the first time since 2021 at this tournament (having skipped the 2022 edition) defeating Tatjana Maria, 11th seed Veronika Kudermetova, and 17th seed compatriot Karolína Plíšková. At the 2023 Wimbledon Championships, she reached the fourth round for the first time at this major, defeating Peyton Stearns, 12th seed Veronika Kudermetova and 20th seed Donna Vekić. With this result, she has reached the fourth round at all Grand Slam tournaments. In the fourth round, she defeated 32nd seed and compatriot Marie Bouzková, reaching the quarterfinals of a major for the first time since the 2019 French Open. In the quarterfinals, she overcame a 1–4 third-set deficit to beat fourth seed Jessica Pegula and advanced to her first Wimbledon semifinal. She became only the third woman in the Open Era to defeat four seeds to reach the semifinals at the All England Club along with Zheng Jie (2008) and Barbora Strýcová (2019). She defeated Elina Svitolina, who received a wildcard into the tournament, in straight sets in the semifinals to progress to her first Wimbledon final and second Grand Slam final overall. On 15 July, she beat Ons Jabeur in the final, collapsing to the ground upon becoming the first unseeded ladies' singles Wimbledon champion in the Open Era. Her No. 42 world ranking made her the lowest ranked Wimbledon champion in the Open Era. ## National representation ### Fed Cup Having won the Junior Fed Cup in 2015, Vondroušova made her senior Fed Cup debut for the Czech Republic in 2017 in their World Group semifinal tie against the United States. She lost her first match against CoCo Vandeweghe, but recovered to defeat Lauren Davis to set up a decisive doubles rubber. The Czech team lost the doubles match and was eliminated. Vondroušova returned to play in the Fed Cup in 2019 for the Czech team's World Group Play-off tie against Canada. She won two of the first three singles matches as the Czech Republic swept the tie to keep them in the World Group for 2020. ### Olympics She also represented her country in the 2020 Olympics, where she upset (6–1, 6–4) home favorite Naomi Osaka in the third round of competition. She reached the final defeating Paula Badosa (by retirement) in the quarterfinals and fourth seed Elina Svitolina in the semifinals, booking Czech Republic's first Olympic singles final. She lost to Belinda Bencic in three sets and was awarded the silver medal. ## Playing style Vondroušová's signature shot is the drop shot. In general, she has a crafty style of play and employs a wide variety of shots. She developed this type of playing style from working with one of her early coaches Jan Fuchs, who played the same way. Her game often includes long, strategic rallies in which she makes use of her left-handed topspin forehand. Vondroušová has said, "I'm just trying to play aggressive and maybe, like, mix the points, and I just want to serve well and move well." Her favorite surface is clay, the surface she grew up playing on. She also likes hard courts because of her playing style. Vondroušová excels in her return game more than her service game. In 2019, she led the WTA Tour in first serve points won on return among players with at least ten matches, winning 43.4% of them. She was also first in percentage of return games won and percentage of return points won overall. ## Coaches As a junior, Vondroušová was coached by Jan Fuchs starting from before the age of 12. Her stepfather Tomáš Anderle, who is a hockey coach, served as her physical fitness trainer. She was later coached by Zdeněk Kubík for three years. By 2015, she replaced Kubík with Jiří Hřebec and Dušan Karol. Hřebec is a former Czech professional player who reached a career-high ranking of No. 25 in the world on the ATP Tour. Vondroušová switched coaches from Hřebec to Martin Fassati in April 2018. After a lack of success with Fassati, she switched coaches again a few months later to Jan Hernych, another Czech former ATP professional player. She also later resumed working with Hřebec. Hernych serves as her only traveling coach since Hřebec does not travel to tournaments. ## Personal life In July 2022, she married her longtime partner, visual effects artist Štěpán Šimek. They had been engaged since the 2020 Olympics, where Vondroušová won the silver medal. Vondroušová and Šimek live in Prague and have a cat named Frankie. Vondroušová is also known for her extensive tattoos. ## Career statistics ### Grand Slam tournament performance timelines #### Singles #### Doubles ### Grand Slam tournament finals #### Singles: 2 (1 title, 1 runner-up) ### Olympic finals #### Singles: 1 (silver medal)

Arbeideren (Hamar)

Newspaper

Arbeideren ("The Worker") was a Norwegian newspaper, published in Hamar, Hedmark county. It was started in 1909 as the press organ of the Labour Party in Hedemarken and its adjoining regions, and was called Demokraten ("The Democrat") until 1923. It was issued three days a week between 1909 and 1913, six days a week in 1914, three days a week again between 1914 and 1918 before again increasing to six days a week. It was renamed to Arbeideren in 1923, and in the same year it was taken over by the Norwegian Communist Party. The Communist Party incorporated the newspaper Gudbrandsdalens Arbeiderblad into Arbeideren in 1924, and until 1929 the newspaper was published under the name Arbeideren og Gudbrandsdalens Arbeiderblad. After Arbeideren had gone defunct, the name was used by the Communist Party for other newspapers elsewhere. The chief editors of the newspaper were Olav Kringen (1909–1913), Ole Holmen (1912–1913), Fredrik Monsen (1913–1916), Paul O. Løkke (1916–1919), Alfred Aakermann (1919–1920), Olav Larssen (1920–1927), and finally Trond Hegna, Ingvald B. Jacobsen, Olav Scheflo, Eivind Petershagen, and Jørgen Vogt (between 1927 and 1929). Fredrik Monsen, Evald O. Solbakken and Knut Olai Thornæs were acting editors from 1924 to 1925. ## Pre-history Demokraten was originally the name of a short-lived newspaper in Hamar started by Leopold Rasmussen in 1852, connected to the Marcus Thrane movement. Rasmussen started a second newspaper, Oplands-Posten, in Hamar later in 1852, to compete with his own Demokraten. An organ for the social liberal labour movement in the district, Arbeiderbladet existed from 1889 to 1892 and was published out of different cities, including in Hamar in the year 1890. A countywide chapter of the Labour Party was established in Hedmark in mid-November 1904. After the countywide party convention in Stange in 1906, the convention summary had to be printed in the Kristiania-based newspaper Social-Demokraten, as it lacked its own local newspaper. The county board thus decided to buy 1,500 copies of the Social-Demokraten to distribute to its members. There was a growing notion that the party needed its own newspaper. In the same year, the labour movement in Solør (south of Hedmark) bought the paper Solungen, which had existed since 1904. The takeover came into effect on 1 January 1907, and publishing began the following year. Solungen pretended to be the labour movement organ for the whole of Hedmark, and outside of Solør it was published as Hedemarkens Amts Socialdemokrat (Solungen). However, the rest of Hedmark county was not satisfied with this solution. ## Labour Party period ### 1909–1913 The Hamar-based newspaper Demokraten ("The Democrat") was started on 15 September 1909. The initiator and first editor was Olav Kringen, who had ample experience as the editor of Social-Demokraten from 1903 until 1906. Demokraten was the Labour Party organ for the Mjøsa Cities and Hedemarken, but in its first years it also covered Gudbrandsdalen and Østerdalen, two northern regions. The name Østoplandenes Socialistiske Partiblad was considered for the newspaper, but the historical name Demokraten prevailed. The name was suggested by local Labour MP Karl Amundsen. Demokraten's coverage of Gudbrandsdalen soon ended, and in southern Østerdalen a new labour newspaper, Østerdalens Arbeiderblad, was set up in 1915. In northern Østerdalen, Arbeidets Rett was popular among the labour movement. According to reports in Demokraten the newspaper again began to cover news from a part of Gudbrandsdalen, namely the city Lillehammer, in 1912. When it came to building up a new newspaper, Kringen had a certain personal drive, as he ran for parliament in 1909. When he lost the election, he also lost interest to a certain degree. He resigned in 1912 and Ole Holmen, a member of the Vang municipal council, took over as chief editor. However, he ran afoul of other people involved with the newspaper and was fired in 1913. The newspaper originally had the tagline Socialistisk blad for Oplandene ("Socialist Paper for Oplandene"), but in 1910 this was changed to Talsmand for Arbeiderbevægelsen ("Spokesman for the Labour Movement"). It was printed by the company A. Sæther. The newspaper was issued three times a week until 1 July 1913, from which point it was increased to six times a week. As part of this ambitious increase, Demokraten also had 3,000 copies in circulation, unprecedented in its history. ### 1913–1916 In 1913 the newspaper's supervisory council hired school teacher Fredrik Monsen to be the new editor. Olav Larssen started his journalist career as a subeditor in the same year. In the newspaper's supervisory council vote, Monsen edged out Waldemar Carlsen with 22 to 4 votes, and also prevailed over other applicants who were seasoned editors, such as Ingvald Førre and Eugène Olaussen. Larssen prevailed over Carlsen and Førre in the vote for the new subeditor. Only Monsen and Larssen were employed in the newspaper to work with editorial content. In 1913, Monsen managed to contract known personalities from the labour movement as "regular contributors". These were the nationally known figures Olav Kringen, Gunnar Ousland and Johan Falkberget, in addition to Lillehammer politician Petter Nilssen and the locally known politicians Arne Juland (later MP) and Andr. Juell. Danish expatriate Alfred Kruse joined in the autumn of 1913. However, according to Larssen, the prominent writers contracted to Demokraten "seldomly wrote" anything. In his memoirs, Larssen wrote that Monsen was "often aggressive" as editor-in-chief, especially when writing editorials. He got several adversaries in the city's conservative community, especially after donning a badge with the broken rifle, a well-known anti-war symbol. The newspaper competed with the old and popular conservative Hamar Stiftstidende, the liberal left Oplandenes Avis, and the liberal Oplandet. The practice of issuing the newspaper six days a week became harder after the outbreak of the First World War. The war caused a general rise in prices, and newspaper subscriptions and advertisements both declined. Demokraten had to revert to being issued three times a week starting 1 September 1914. In December 1914 it adopted a new tagline, Organ for arbeiderpartiet i Hamar og Hedemarksbygdene ("Organ for the Labour Party in Hamar and the Hamlets of Hedemarken"). ### 1916–1923 Monsen and Larssen both left Demokraten in 1916. The next editors were Paul O. Løkke, who served from 1916 to 1919, and Alfred Aakermann, from 1919 to 1920. Larssen returned in 1920 as editor-in-chief. Georg Svendsen was the subeditor from 1918 until 1921, when Evald O. Solbakken started in the newspaper as subeditor. Still, there were only two people to deliver the editorial content. As the war years went, the newspaper's finances gradually improved. The Norwegian state became more active in production and trade and contributed many advertisements. Demokraten acquired its own type-setting machine in October 1918 and a printing press in 1917, which it used from 1 January 1918. From 1 July 1918, circulation once again increased to six days a week. ## Communist Party period In 1923, the newspaper was renamed Arbeideren ("The Worker"), and the first issue with this name was released on 1 May 1923, the International Workers' Day. The change followed a letter in 1922 from the Comintern Executive, which stated that no newspaper belonging to a Comintern member organization should have "Social Democrat" or "Democrat" as a part of its title. The printing press of the party changed its name accordingly, to Arbeiderens trykkeri. In the same year, 1923, the Labour Party broke out of the Comintern. Subsequently the Communist Party broke away from the Labour Party. The local chapter of the Labour Party in Hamar decided to side with the Communist Party in November 1923, in a 123–22 vote. Arbeideren was then taken away from Labour, as the supervisory council decided by a 65 to 5 vote that it should follow the Communists. Arbeideren was one of thirteen Labour newspapers that broke away from the party and followed the Communists (one, Nordlys, later returned to Labour). Since 15 February 1924 the newspaper was published under the name Arbeideren og Gudbrandsdalens Arbeiderblad, as the Communist Party had seen fit to merge Arbeideren with Lillehammer-based Gudbrandsdalens Arbeiderblad. Editor Larssen and subeditor Solbakken both joined the Communist Party in 1923 and continued running the newspaper. As Olav Larssen was asked by the party to be the acting editor of Norges Kommunistblad in the winter of 1924–1925, Fredrik Monsen, Evald Solbakken, and Knut Olai Thornæs were acting editors between 1924 and 1925. Larssen eventually drifted away from the mainstream of the Communist Party. In late 1926 and early 1927 he voiced his opinion in columns that the Communist Party should contribute to the imminent merger of the Labour Party and the Social Democratic Labour Party. A local party convention strongly rebuked this opinion. Larssen was thus replaced in January 1927 and left the Communist Party, and Solbakken soon followed suit. Fredrik Monsen left the party at the same time. Information differs as to who replaced Larssen. According to Evald Solbakken, and also to the reference bibliography Norske aviser 1763–1969, the replacement was Olav Scheflo, who needed a stand-in, Ingvald B. Jacobsen, for the first period. According to the encyclopaedia Arbeidernes Leksikon and historian Einhart Lorenz, Trond Hegna was the editor in 1927, before he took over Norges Kommunistblad in the summer of 1927. Hegna's main job was to edit the periodical Mot Dag, but in this period the people of Mot Dag had an informal influence on the Communist Party and several of their newspapers. Scheflo formally edited the newspaper from 1927 to 1928, with Eivind Petershagen as acting editor from late 1927. In 1928 Petershagen formally took over, only to have Jørgen Vogt become acting editor later that year. Vogt took over in 1929. As many newspapers belonging to the dwindling Communist Party, Arbeideren would cease to exist before the end of the 1920s. It was still published six times a week, but had to give up its printing press in 1929, switching to Samtrykk in Oslo. The last ever issue of Arbeideren og Gudbrandsdalens Arbeiderblad was published on 4 October 1929. ## Aftermath A month after Arbeideren went defunct, the Communist Party gave its name to a new newspaper, which was set up as the new main newspaper of the Communist Party in 1930. This new paper was based in Oslo as the replacement of Norges Kommunistblad, which had been liquidated as well. Olav Larssen and Evald Solbakken found a new outlet in Hamar Arbeiderblad, which had been set up as the new Hamar organ of the Labour Party in 1925. The Communist Party later tried to create a weekly newspaper in Hamar, Rød Front, but it was short-lived and existed only between 1932 and 1933. The Oslo version of Arbeideren went defunct in 1940, and many years after that, the name was used from 1951 to 1953 for a third newspaper, published in Brumunddal, not far from Hamar city.

Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues

2009 action-adventure video game

Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues is a 2009 action-adventure video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by LucasArts. Based on the Indiana Jones franchise, it is the sequel to the 2008 video game Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures. It was released for the Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Microsoft Windows; Feral Interactive published a version for Mac OS X in 2011. TT Fusion developed a handheld version for the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable that, although released under the same name, is different in gameplay and amount of content. The game allows players to play through the first four Indiana Jones films (albeit with different scenes chosen for adaptation than the original) including Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which was not included in the previous game. Lego Indiana Jones 2 gameplay differs in many different areas from the original. It has multiple open world hub worlds where levels are placed, changes character abilities, and implements an offline level creator and "adventure creator", both of which can be used to create new experiences using previously seen content. Although the game was a commercial success, it received mixed reviews from critics, who commended the level design and level creator features, but panned it for its "confusing" hub worlds and lack of online play at launch, generally believing it to be inferior to its predecessor. ## Gameplay Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues uses a third-person view and lets the player control a Lego figure in areas related to Indiana Jones movie scenes. Each movie in the franchise is contained in a "playset", with the exception of the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which is divided into three playsets. Each playset contains five story levels and a unique hub. These hubs are large maps based on locations from the films that function as directories to levels, contain puzzles, purchasable characters, and are traversable by purchasable vehicles. This differs from the original, which had a single hub (Barnett College) where levels could be accessed immediately. Playsets have four types of story levels: one with a boss battle against the movie's main antagonist, vehicular levels (in which the player needs to destroy vehicles using the player's own vehicle), levels where many waves of enemies need to be defeated, and general puzzle levels. Along with the main story levels in each playset, there are additional levels to be found in the hub world. The player can play the additional levels using vehicles and characters also found in the hub world. Vehicles available for purchase include: boats, planes, animals, and automobiles. The character roster contains more than 80 characters. To purchase these, the player can destroy Lego props or complete puzzles at hubs for a currency called Studs.Lego Indiana Jones 2 features special abilities for characters to solve puzzles and defeat enemies. For example, Indiana Jones can use his whip to attack or tie up enemies, manipulate objects, or swing from the ceiling. There are also high-jumping characters, wrench-using characters, shovel-carrying characters, and gun-wielding characters. Two-player co-op was changed from the original with split-screen; rather than forcing both characters to always be close enough to fit on the same screen, the game seamlessly splits when characters wander apart from one another and merge into one screen when both players are near each other. On 23 November 2009, LucasArts revealed that it was working on a patch for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game which enabled online co-op gameplay, including for custom levels. Lego Indiana Jones 2 includes a level creator, the first Lego game to do so, where players can create their own levels using assets unlocked through progression in-game followed by purchase. These items include blocks, traps, animals, and programmable enemies. In this process, props and bricks are manually put down. This system can also be used in co-op. Similarly, there is an "adventure creator" where players can change certain things about a pre-existing level to quickly create a custom level. A character creator is also included, although Lego Indiana Jones 2 is not the first Lego game to include the feature. ## Synopsis The game is a humorous retelling of the first four Indiana Jones films: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, The Last Crusade, and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The game's retellings also differ from the original films. For instance, they feature boss battles which are either not present or dissimilar to that which is present in the films. Entrance to the story levels also prompts cutscenes, which explain prior events and lend context to the scene unfolding. Because the first game already adapted the first three films, they are not as prominently featured in the sequel, and their stories were heavily modified to include new scenes and omit others. As a result, the length to complete the missions for the first three films is much shorter than in the previous game. The fourth film, however, is divided into 3 playsets, adding up to a completion length, with regards to the story levels, closer to the real film's. ## Marketing and release Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues was developed by Traveller's Tales and TT Fusion. The game's development happened primarily in August and September 2009, and 35,000 man-hours were spent play testing the game. Its existence was leaked by accident in March when it was discovered that an animator's publicly visible résumé stated that she had worked "as a Cutscene Animator on LEGO Harry Potter & LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull which are both in the early stages of production." The portfolio also alluded to Lego The Hobbit. Although removed shortly after discovery, the leak was not acknowledged by Traveller's Tales, who only announced the game on 29 May, when it was said by LucasArts that the game would offer "a tongue-in-cheek take on all four cinematic adventures of pop culture's most iconic archaeologist." The announcement also made reference to the feature of building custom levels. Game footage was shown off at E3, then the game demoed at Legoland Windsor for the LEGO Indiana Jones Fireworks Extravaganza in October 2009. It was then released to North American markets on 17 November 2009, European markets on 20 November, and Australian markets on 25 November. Feral Interactive distributed the game for Mac worldwide on 2 April 2011. ## Reception The game's announcement was subject of skepticism regarding similarity to the original. It was believed that adding another film, the critically disliked Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, would not justify making another game after such a short break, as the previous game released only the previous year. On release, Lego Indiana Jones 2 generally received mixed reviews. Chris Roper of IGN praised the game's lasting appeal and soundtrack, but he also lamented the lack of secrets in the main levels as well as the disorganized hub worlds. Brian Crescente of Kotaku, however, said the game delivered on many levels and recommended it over the first game. Reviewers commended it for not staying onto the details of the movies and instead focusing on humor, a feature that was present in its predecessor. Tom McShea of GameSpot suggested that the "roll-your-eyes nature of the film found a much better fit in the Lego game adaptation." Some reviewers observed that the final bosses were especially unlike the contents of the films, but that Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls adaptation was more faithful. The share that Kingdom of the Crystal Skull received of the game's runtime was a source of irritation among reviewers. The game's level design was lambasted by critics, who took umbrage with the clarity of hazards, implementation of combat, and finding and proceeding with a level's objective. Matt Miller of Game Informer proclaimed that the graphics are the best out of any preceding Lego game due to their colors and increased focus on animations, though its cutscenes were criticized by Robert VerBruggen of Cheat Code Central because of how radically different they are to gameplay in terms of visuals, as well as how stark the realistic backgrounds are relative to Lego elements. The inclusion of a level creator was praised by critics, but they took issue with the lack of online sharing. Dan Whitehead of Eurogamer described the tool as "powerful" and that the menus, although a bit "fiddly", were easy to use. However, Miller and The Guardian*'s Neil Davey commented that the creation of a level is a tedious process on the basis that the user is required to place down elements piece by piece. Lego Indiana Jones 2s inclusion of a level editor despite not having the functionality to share the levels was also a source of criticism. Regarding this perceived redundancy, Roper said "most everyone who buys LEGO Indy 2* will never play content created by another user, despite it including a built-in level creator, and that's a major problem."

Crawl (2019 film)

American film by Alexandre Aja

Crawl is a 2019 American natural horror film directed by Alexandre Aja, written by brothers Michael and Shawn Rasmussen, and produced by Sam Raimi. It stars Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper as a daughter and father who, along with their dog, find themselves trapped in the crawl space of their home and preyed upon by alligators during a Category 5 hurricane in Florida. Aja rewrote the original spec script from the Rasmussen brothers to expand the length of the story and its characters. The film was officially announced by the media in May 2018, and production started in Serbia in August with cinematographer Maxime Alexandre. The film was primarily shot within a warehouse facility located in the Port of Belgrade and wrapped shooting after 41 days in September. During post-production, the film score was composed by Max Aruj and Steffen Thum, and visual effects such as the alligators were produced by Rodeo FX. It took three months to complete the visual effects. Distributed by Paramount Pictures, Crawl opted out of conventional film screenings for critics and premiered in the United States on July 12, 2019. With an "R" rating from the Motion Picture Association, the film grossed \$91.5 million against a \$13–15 million production budget. It was met with generally positive reviews for its direction, pacing, and visual effects, and earned a nomination for Best Wide Release at the 2020 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards. In April 2021, after growing speculation, Aja confirmed a sequel was in development. ## Plot University of Florida swimmer Haley Keller receives a call from her sister Beth, who informs her that Category 5 Hurricane Wendy is on its way to Florida and advises her to get out of the state. Concerned for the safety of her estranged father Dave, Haley goes to check on him at his condo but finds it empty. She goes against the instructions of Beth's ex-boyfriend Wayne, a member of the Florida Police Department, by deciding to check out their old family home in Coral Lake, a location at risk of flooding. Haley finds the house empty, so she descends into the house's crawl space with the help of the family dog, Sugar, and finds her father unconscious. Suddenly, her main exit is cut off by several large American alligators. As the house begins to flood, Haley attempts to navigate around them to retrieve her phone but is ambushed by two alligators that destroy the phone and injure her leg. She notices three people looting a nearby gas station, but her efforts to draw their attention do not work, and she watches in despair as they are devoured by alligators. Wayne and his partner Pete arrive at the old house in search of Haley and her father. While Wayne heads into the house to look for them, Pete is ambushed and ripped apart by a swarm of alligators. Wayne locates them as they warn him of the dangers in the crawl space before being pulled into the crawl space and devoured underwater by an alligator. In a last-ditch effort to escape, Haley swims to a storm drain, where she discovers the alligators have made their nest and laid eggs. Haley successfully kills an alligator using a gun she retrieves from Wayne's body, shooting down the alligator's throat while her arm is inside of it. She then swims out into the flooded street through the storm drain and enters the house to crowbar the living room floor open, saving Dave from drowning. Haley, Dave, and Sugar carefully make their way onto a boat outside as the eye of the hurricane moves over the neighborhood. The floodwaters break the nearby levees, crashing them back into the house. As Dave and Sugar make their way up the stairs, Dave loses his right arm when he is attacked by an alligator. Haley navigates around the kitchen and uses a discarded police radio to broadcast a distress signal to authorities. She also manages to trap an alligator in the house bathroom and attempts to flag down a rescue helicopter from an upstairs bedroom. However, Haley is attacked by another alligator that tries to perform a death roll. While Dave and Sugar escape to the attic, Haley stabs the alligator in the eye with a flare and all three reunite on the roof. After narrowly avoiding another alligator, Haley lights a flare and flags down the rescue helicopter as Dave proudly watches. ## Cast - Kaya Scodelario as Haley Keller - Barry Pepper as Dave Keller - Morfydd Clark as Beth Keller - Ross Anderson as Wayne Taylor - Jose Palma as Pete Flores - George Somner as Marv - Anson Boon as Stan - Ami Metcalf as Lee - Colin McFarlane as the Governor - Cso-Cso as Sugar, Dave's dog ## Production ### Development Brothers Michael and Shawn Rasmussen wrote the spec script for the film, and producer Craig Flores gave it to French filmmaker Alexandre Aja in 2017. Aja was initially intrigued by the logline itself, and departed from a James Wan–directed project to read the screenplay. However, he became disappointed with the story's actual length, which took place in one location, the crawl space, and followed the characters as they were antagonized by a single alligator, with a second alligator appearing in the third act. Aja rewrote the script over the course of a year to introduce new locations and expand the characters. He worked with Flores and Dana Stevens to improve the screenplay and ultimately decided to make Haley Keller a skilled swimmer and her father Dave her former coach to make their journey in the film realistic. The scene where Haley goes against the instructions of several people to retrieve her father was influenced by a scene in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (1963). It was added in to highlight her determination and give audiences the "[feeling] that something is coming and building up" in an "old school" fashion. Aja wanted to put each character in the worst-case scenario possible so he rewrote the screenplay as a "home invasion movie" where the hurricane was an antagonist. He did extensive research on hurricanes and alligators, and looked through "hundreds of hours" of real-world footage to find examples of both topics in their "ferocious" and "powerful" nature. The design of the alligators were based on a stuffed Mississippi alligator located at the American Museum of Natural History and a sheltered alligator in Miami nicknamed "Godzilla". On May 1, 2018, Paramount Pictures announced it had acquired the rights to the film, and described the antagonists as the "most savage and feared predators" in Florida. Aja, whose previous credits at the time included the horror films Piranha 3D (2010) and Horns (2013), came on board to direct the thriller produced by Flores and Sam Raimi. The project had previously been in development through Lakeshore Entertainment and Annapurna Pictures before moving to Paramount to benefit from the success of A Quiet Place (2018), another low-budget horror film from the studio. Aja listed the one-location styles of Alien (1979) and Cujo (1983), and the setting in Raimi's The Evil Dead (1981) as inspirations for the film. With Jaws (1975) serving as "the blueprint", Aja wanted the film to feel similar to riding a rollercoaster: suspenseful. Paramount agreed to keep the runtime short, and ultimately decided on a mere 87 minutes. Aja went against the advice of multiple executives to introduce the alligators early on in the film, as he believed this would be unexpected to the general audience. One idea considered for the ending would have seen the main characters get eaten by an alligator. Aja also said there were several discussions on "whether the dog would live or not"; alternate scenarios involved an alligator biting the dog's tail off, the main characters feeding the dog to the alligators to escape their home, and the dog sacrificing itself to save its owners. The happy ending was picked to evoke a positive response from audiences. ### Casting Kaya Scodelario entered negotiations to star in May 2018. Paramount executive Wyck Godfrey gave her the chance to join the film in a leading role without having to audition. Accepting the part, she said she picked the film based on "the material and the character, and if it's going to empower me or teach me or test me." To physically prepare for the role, Scodelario was trained to swim by coaches from England and Serbia, including a former Olympian, who helped her for six to seven weeks at the London Aquatics Centre. Her training progressed from her having to swim in a kiddie pool with floaties to swimming at a "good speed and quite good stamina". Barry Pepper, having previously worked with Scodelario in 2015 on Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, was added to the cast in June 2018. He also underwent months of training to improve his swimming, and said he enjoyed the idea of working on a film about a father-and-daughter relationship living in Florida. ### Design and filming Crawl is the first Paramount film to be shot in the country of Serbia. Principal photography began in August 2018 and concluded in September after 41 days. Maxime Alexandre was the cinematographer. The majority of filming took place in the city of Belgrade, particularly on a set located in a warehouse facility for shipping containers in the Port of Belgrade. On July 30, 2018, days before production officially began, the set was visited by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and United States Ambassador to Serbia Kyle Randolph Scott. Vučić said he was "extremely glad" of the studio's decision to film in the country. Using Arri Alexa cameras, including an Alexa SXT and an Alexa Mini, the film was shot with Leica Summilux-C lenses and Alura lightweight zooms on a Steadicam and a Technocrane. Within the facility, three soundstages were equipped, "the largest one for the exterior house and neighborhood, another for the house exterior and interiors, first and second floor—also used for underwater filming—and a third stage for the basement and roof scenes". In an interview, Pepper mentioned that the warehouses used were the size of football fields and that the houses, gas stations, and trees were built on set. Alan Gilmore was the film's production designer. To make the usage of water realistic, he watched several photo documentaries from New Orleans to research natural disasters and the effects a hurricane could have on houses without sustainable protection to make sure "it looks exactly right and causes the right damage and the right effects". For the main location, a house was constructed inside one of the warehouses and the production crew added a water tank they were able to fill to flood the house as filming progressed. Overall, seven water tanks were built, of which two were filled simply to carry water, four were used for each section of the house, and a larger three-meter tall 60-meter by 80-meter tank was used for the neighborhood. According to the Serbia Film Commission, most of the film was shot after the house was flooded with the main water tanks, with 5 million liters of water being used on a daily basis. Scodelario found the shoot "the most physically demanding" of her career: "I was broken at the end of every day. We were shooting 16- to 18-hour days. I was on set all day, every day. I lost about 12 pounds shooting the movie, but I gained some of it in muscle, which I was quite impressed with. I broke a finger; I came home every day bruised, bloodied and cut open." She has spoken of how she "beefed up" her character as much as she could, eschewing makeup and playing most of the film in her bare feet, explaining: "I fought to have her barefoot [...] I didn't want protection on my feet. As a girl who's a swimmer, she's going to wear flip-flops and once she has to crawl around, she's going to kick them off." Additional filming took place in the United States, specifically around Tampa Bay in Tierra Verde, Lake Maggiore in St. Petersburg, and Thonotosassa, where exterior scenes and B-roll footage was shot. Scenes involving characters driving were shot in front of green screens, with some footage being filmed with stuntmen while actors were still in Belgrade. Practical alligators, including the baby alligators, were created for a mere four to five takes in the film. To simulate the CGI alligators, scenes varied between Serbian stuntmen wearing green spandex suits, divers recreating alligator movements underwater, the director holding a pole attached to a pillow wrapped in green fabric, and actors reacting to fake alligator heads on sticks. Most of the weather elements seen in the film, including the wind and the rain, were provided on-set during filming, while the setting, trees, and hurricane itself were computer-generated. After filming concluded, the visual effects were handled during post-production for three months by Rodeo FX, supervised by Thomas Montminy Brodeur and Keith Kolder, who created a total 244 shots for the film. ### Music The film score was produced by Lorne Balfe and composed by Max Aruj and Steffen Thum. Aja said the initial composer left due to creative differences, so Aruj and Thum had less than a month to compose the score; Paramount reassured them the film would not be delayed after Aja expressed his concerns. Aruj and Thum had collaborated on multiple projects while working under Remote Control Productions, including on the Netflix film iBoy (2017). The score was recorded at Synchron Stage Vienna. It was released on July 12, 2019, by Paramount Music, and on Vinyl LP by Rusted Wave on March 6, 2020. ## Marketing The marketing campaign from Paramount Pictures for Crawl began on April 4, 2019, when initial footage was shown at CinemaCon. While /Film said the footage made the premise of the film feel similar to a "wacky sounding horror movie", Bloody Disgusting compared it to Burning Bright (2010), and Screen Rant wrote that they believed the film would have a "claustrophobic effect" on moviegoers. Early reactions compared the film to 47 Meters Down (2017) and Jaws. On May 2, 2019, an official trailer for the feature film was released alongside the first theatrical release poster; the second poster was released two weeks later. With Chris Evangelista from /Film writing that it was "something I very much want to see", the footage from the trailer was compared to Deep Blue Sea (1999), Open Water (2003), Rogue (2007), Bait 3D (2012), and The Shallows (2016). From Syfy Wire, Josh Weiss compared the premise to the Florida Man internet meme and said that based on the trailer, Crawl would be able to compete with the Lake Placid film series, a franchise centered on crocodile horror films. Screen Rant journalist Cooper Hood wrote that the trailer "effectively conveys the thrills and sense of dread that it wants", and compared it to Don't Breathe (2016). Within a few hours of release, the trailer was watched by over a million viewers, which Entertainment Weekly credited to the "viral marketing" from Paramount, who had models, influencers, and celebrities, including several from Jersey Shore, Floribama Shore, and Siesta Key, share content from the film. In July 2019, Comic Book Resources went on to say the trailer "gave away the best scenes" without "kill[ing] any of the suspense". That same month, several clips and film stills were released; Brad Miska from Bloody Disgusting recommended viewers to avoid watching them before seeing the film. In a marketing summary from Deadline Hollywood, Anthony D'Alessandro analyzed the reason Crawl, alongside Stuber, failed to generate the same buzz created by The Meg in 2018 and that year's Spider-Man: Far From Home and Toy Story 4. In his report, the reasoning was credited to the release of a single trailer, the appearance of digital advertisements only weeks before the film's release, and the social media campaign gaining 57 million views, below the average 82 million for horror films. Additionally, it was revealed that Paramount had used \$25 million for television commercials aired on at least twenty-seven networks. ## Release ### Theatrical Weeks prior to its release, the Crawl marketing crew opted out of conventional film screenings for critics and only had one during its campaign for promotional purposes. Its release to positive reviews named it "one of [the] most pleasant (and most terrifying) surprises" of 2019, and the "best 'not screened for film critics' movie in years". In January 2019, Crawl was given a theatrical release date for later that year on August 23, to compete against the premieres of Angel Has Fallen and Overcomer. In March, the premiere date for the film was brought forward to July 12, 2019, this time to compete against The Farewell and Stuber. After the Motion Picture Association gave Crawl an "R" rating for "Bloody creature violence, and brief language," it was announced that the film would also be released in 4DX auditoriums. ### Home media Paramount Home Entertainment released Crawl via digital download on September 24, 2019, with a Blu-ray, DVD, and video on demand physical release on October 15. Special features, lasting 45 minutes, include a motion comic of an alternate opening scene involving a family being eaten by alligators, deleted and extended scenes, a compilation of scenes titled "Alligator Attacks", behind-the-scenes footage and featurettes, and interviews with the cast and crew. ## Reception ### Box office Crawl grossed \$39 million in the United States and Canada, and \$52.7 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of \$91.7 million against a production budget of \$13–15 million. Marketed as a counterprogramming option for moviegoers, the film's box office performance was seen as a commercial success. The film premiered in the United States and Canada on July 12, in 3,170 theaters, where initial estimates predicted the feature would open with \$10–14 million. In its four-day opening weekend, Crawl placed third at the box office and earned \$12 million, following its earnings of \$4.4 million on Friday, including \$1 million from Thursday night previews, \$4.3 million on Saturday, and \$3.4 million on Sunday. Audiences were 64% above the age of 25, 60% between the ages of 18 and 34, and 51% male. Outside of the two countries, the film opened in theaters in 20 foreign markets, making \$4.8 million in its first week, for a \$16.8 million opening weekend worldwide. In its second weekend in the United States and Canada, Crawl placed fourth at the box office, having fallen behind due to the release of The Lion King, and grossed \$6 million for a \$24 million total domestically after 10 days in release. That same week, the film made \$2.7 million in 21 foreign markets. In its third weekend, Crawl moved to fifth place, due to the release of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and made \$4 million. Outside of the two countries, the film grossed \$3.4 million, for a \$45 million total worldwide. In its fourth weekend, the film reached \$53 million worldwide as eighth at the box office, before falling below the top ten list for the rest of its theatrical release. ### Critical response On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 84% based on 211 reviews, with an average rating of 6.5/10. "An action-packed creature feature that's fast, terrifying, and benefits greatly from a completely game Kaya Scodelario, Crawl is a fun throw-back with just enough self-awareness to work." Audiences polled by CinemaScore during its opening weekend gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported audience members gave it an average rating of 2.5 out of 5 stars, with 46% saying they would definitely recommend it. Contemporary reviews of the film praised its suspense, brisk pacing, and visual presentation of its main antagonists. In a comparison with 2019's Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Daniel Menegaz from Entertainment Weekly shared positive feedback to Crawl's self-awareness, low runtime, and overall execution of its "simple" premise. Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino called it one of his favorite films of 2019. Giving it a "B−", A.A. Dowd from The A.V. Club lauded the film for extensively using its "R" rating to increase its usage of gore. In his three-star and a half review for Rolling Stone, David Fear applauded the performances of the leads and Aja's directing. While Slate's Keith Phipps praised the action sequences and found its summer release to be adequate, Tomris Laffly from RogerEbert.com wrote that the film was engaging enough to please an audience. From the Chicago Tribune, Michael Phillips said that he "liked it pretty well" as a "pleasantly unpleasant" film. Furthermore, Vulture's Angelica Jade Bastién gave an entirely positive review, lending remarks to Scodelario's acting, Alexandre's cinematography, and premise that "more than delivers" as a "great example of a simple story exceedingly well-told". Despite the generally positive reviews, several critics gave Crawl a mixed review. Writing for The New York Times, Jeannette Catsoulis criticized the film's screenplay while calling it an efficient popcorn movie. From The New Yorker, Richard Brody gave positive remarks to the jumpscares but found the visual effects to be unintentionally humorous. With Variety's Owen Gleiberman pillorying the realism of Haley's survival, IndieWire referred to the feature as an entertaining and suspenseful B movie, giving it a "C+". Meanwhile, The Guardian's Simran Hans and Clarisse Loughrey from The Independent both gave the film two stars out of five; the latter summarized it by writing that the film had "its bloody moments, with plenty of lingering shots of gaping wounds and protruding bones [but] just doesn't seem as gleeful in its carnage as the situation calls for". Various journalists analyzed the presence of climate change in the film. From GQ, Noah Berlatsky wrote that the hurricane was the actual antagonist, opining that Crawl was set in an apocalyptic world where climate change was not resolved. Furthermore, Bustle magazine criticized the feature for having the hurricane "act as backdrop and excuse for something ludicrous as a giant alligator". Miles Howard, from Vice, found that Crawl was marketed to create "climate anxiety" in audiences with experiences with natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, writing that the film presented the hurricane as the representation of an "impending ecological collapse". Writing for Thrillist, Emma Stefansky said the film was thrilling enough to scare viewers but stated that "it's the looming menace of climate change and its consequences that ought to scare us the most". In November 2019, The Hill ranked Crawl as one of the top ten films of the year tackling climate change in an effective manner. ### Accolades At the 2020 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards, Crawl received a nomination for Best Wide Release. The film also earned a pair of nominations for Best Horror Film from the Hollywood Critics Association and IGN Awards, losing both to Us. At the 13th Houston Film Critics Society Awards, the feature received a nomination for Best Stunt Coordination Team, but lost to John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. The National Film & TV Awards nominated the film for Best Actress (Kaya Scodelario) and Best Producer (Alexandre Aja, Craig Flores, and Sam Raimi), losing both to Jennifer Lopez from Hustlers and Will Ferrell from Booksmart, respectively. ## Possible sequel In July 2019, Aja said a sequel to the film would focus on different characters in a different story. In October, he mentioned that the production crew had been developing "a few stories" for a future installment. Following its positive reception, Aja said he was "sure the question of a sequel [was] going to come up". In April 2021, Aja revealed that a screenplay was being written for a potential sequel, but that he could not disclose any more information. ## See also - Burning Bright (2010), film about two siblings trapped at home with a tiger during a hurricane

Piece of Me

2007 single by Britney Spears

"Piece of Me" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her fifth studio album, Blackout (2007). It was released on November 27, 2007, by Jive Records as the second single from the album, but was actually the last song recorded. It was written and produced by Swedish producers Bloodshy & Avant and Klas Åhlund as a response to the media scrutiny and sensationalism of the singer's private life, which they had witnessed firsthand after working with her over the years. The song, acting as the singer's manifesto, has biographical lyrics retelling Spears's mishaps. It can be classified as an electropop, dance-pop and EDM-pop song that features an "electro instrumental track" and runs through a down-tempo dance beat. Spears's voice is heavily synthesized and her pitch constantly shifts; backing vocals are provided by Bloodshy & Avant and Robyn. "Piece of Me" garnered widespread acclaim from the music critics with many deeming it as one of the highlights of Blackout. Rolling Stone ranked the song at number 15 on their list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007. It peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Spears's second single from the album to top the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. "Piece of Me" was a global success, topping the charts in the Republic of Ireland and peaking within the top ten in fourteen countries. The music video to "Piece of Me", directed by Wayne Isham, portrays the state of Spears' life in 2007; it shows her and her friends disguising themselves in order to confuse the paparazzi, which ties directly to the lyrics. Director Isham's concept was to have Spears confidently parodying her situation. It received mixed reviews from critics, most arguing her body was digitally altered. The video, however, was nominated and won in three separate categories at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, including Video of the Year. "Piece of Me" was performed on tour at the Circus Starring Britney Spears (2009) and the Femme Fatale Tour (2011). The song shares its title with Spears's first Las Vegas residency show, Britney: Piece of Me (2013–2017), where it was also performed. The show went on to become a world tour, retaining the name, known as the Piece of Me Tour (2018). ## Background "Piece of Me" was co-written and produced by the Swedish duo Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg, professionally known as Bloodshy & Avant, along with Klas Åhlund. While recording with Spears over the years, Karlsson and Winnberg often saw first-hand how her regular activities were interrupted by the paparazzi, including one experience in Hamburg which Winnberg deemed "really scary". For Blackout, Spears worked with them on "Radar", "Freakshow" and "Toy Soldier". When the album was considered to be finished, Bloodshy & Avant were persuaded by her A&R Teresa LaBarbera Whites to work on a new track. Winnberg commented that it had always been an unwritten rule not to write songs about Spears's personal life since the label rejected "Sweet Dreams My LA Ex", a response track to Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me a River". However, the duo wrote "Piece of Me" with Åhlund and sent it to Spears, who loved it. Bloodshy & Avant worked on the track at Bloodshy & Avant Studios in Stockholm, Sweden, and Spears recorded her vocals at Chalice Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California. Winnberg stated that Spears was extremely psyched when she came to the studio, where she recorded the song in about half an hour as she had learned the lyrics by heart in her car. "Piece of Me" was later mixed by Niklas Flyckt at Mandarine Studios in Stockholm. On October 31, 2007, during a radio interview with Ryan Seacrest, Spears talked about the song, saying, > "Wherever you go, there's a lot of people who ask questions, and sometimes you don't know their intentions and stuff like that. So, it is kind of a cute way of putting it out there. You know, like, 'You want a piece of me?', you know, in a cool, cute and clever way. It is a cute song [...] I like it". ## Composition "Piece of Me" is an electropop, dance-pop and EDM-pop song backed by an "electro instrumental track" and performed in an insistent pop groove. The song is composed in the key of D major with a time signature in common time. The melody runs through a down-tempo dance beat. Spears's vocals span over two octaves from D₃ to D₅. They are heavily synthesized and are constantly pitch-shifted. The track consists of over-the-top vocal distortions, causing a split sound effect, making it difficult to discern which voice is Spears's. Background vocals were also provided by Swedish pop singer Robyn. Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg sing the line "Extra! Extra!" during the chorus and writer Klas Åhlund, along with Robyn, alternates the repeated "piece of me" line in robotized voices. Dave De Sylvia of Sputnikmusic drew comparisons to the songs in Robyn's Robyn (2005), specifically to her single "Handle Me". The lyrics of "Piece of Me" are written as a reaction to the scrutiny of Spears's private life in the media. They deal with fame and living under the spotlight. During the first verse, Spears sings the hookline "You want a piece of me?", that is repeated throughout the song. According to Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times, the line "could be an accusation or an invitation or a threat". "Piece of Me" is constructed in the common verse-chorus pattern. "Piece of Me" is written like a biography retelling Spears's mishaps, sung in a nearly spoken manner. Alex Fletcher of Digital Spy compared the lyrics to Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" (2006). Bill Lamb of About.com said that "Piece of Me" makes Michael Jackson's "Scream" (1995) "sound like a whimper." ## Critical reception "Piece of Me" received widespread acclaim from music critics, most of whom considered it the standout track from Blackout. Alex Fletcher of Digital Spy gave "Piece of Me" four stars, calling it "a two fingered-salute to the media hounds and an electro-thudding cry of defiance, warning us that this popstrel is not for turning. [The opening line] poops from a great height on anything Lily Allen has ever penned and reveals that it's been Spears who's been laughing hardest during her year of zany media antics". Peter Robinson of The Observer and Margeaux Watson of Entertainment Weekly named "Piece of Me" one of the standout tracks of the album. Dennis Lim of Blender called it one of the best tracks of Blackout along with "Gimme More". Laura Herbert of BBC News said that the song is "without doubt the best track on the whole album. [...] It's a masterpiece." Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times said "[Bloodshy & Avant] evoke the horror, the exhilaration and (finally) the boredom of [Spears's] overexamined life. It’s brilliant". Tom Ewing of Pitchfork Media suggested that "the hypertreatment of the voice, the way it edges into the music, suggests that the price of fame is identity erasure. We understand her through a filter, and that's how we have to hear her too. The multiple backing vox fragment identity further, turn the song more universal". Dave De Sylvia of Sputnikmusic also picked it as one of the album's highlights. Melissa Maerz of Rolling Stone named it the best track of the album along with "Freakshow", deeming it as a "tabloid-bashing banger". Jim Abbott of the Orlando Sentinel said that "Musically, songs such as 'Piece of Me,' 'Radar' and 'Break the Ice' are one-dimensional, robotic exercises." Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic commented that "Bloodshy & Avant try desperately to craft a defiant anthem for this tabloid fixture, as she couldn't be bothered to write one on her own". Chris Wasser from the Irish Independent said the song "drowns slowly under cloggy production and a lyrical theme that for all of its close connection with the trials and tribulations Spears has had to deal with, weren't even penned by the singer who could have very easily recorded her fairly unchallenging input on Blackout in less than a week." The song was later included in Rolling Stones 100 Best Songs of 2007 at number fifteen. ## Chart performance On November 17, 2007, "Piece of Me" debuted at number sixty-five on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. On February 9, 2008, the song peaked at number 18. It was the second consecutive single from Blackout to reach number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart. The song shipped over 1,000,000 copies in the United States, earning a platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). As of March 2015, "Piece of Me" has sold 1.9 million digital downloads in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan. It is her sixth best-selling digital single in the country. In Canada, the song debuted at number 37 on the Canadian Hot 100 for the week of November 17, 2007. For the week of April 26, 2008, it reached its peak position of number five. "Piece of Me" was certified platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) for paid digital downloads of 40,000. In Australia, "Piece of Me" debuted at the ARIA Singles Chart at number two on February 4, 2008 – for the week ending date February 10, 2008. The song has shipped over 70,000 copies in Australia, earning a platinum certification by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). In New Zealand, the song debuted at number 34 on the New Zealand Singles Chart on December 31, 2007 – for the week ending date January 6, 2008. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) for sales over 7,500 copies. In the United Kingdom, "Piece of Me" debuted at number 69 on the UK Singles Chart on December 23, 2007 – for the week ending December 29, 2007. After its physical CD release, the song peaked at number two on the chart on January 13, 2008 – for the week ending date January 19, 2008. According to the Official Charts Company, the song has sold 276,000 copies in Britain. In the Republic of Ireland, the song debuted at number 27 on the Irish Singles Chart on December 14, 2007 – for the week ending date December 20, 2007. It peaked at the top of the chart on January 4, 2008 – for the week ending date January 10, 2008 – where it remained for two consecutive weeks. "Piece of Me" achieved similar success across continental Europe, peaking inside the top ten in the European Hot 100 Singles chart, Austria, Denmark, Finland and Sweden and reaching the top forty in Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia), Czech Republic, Italy and the Netherlands. ## Music video ### Development The music video for "Piece of Me" was filmed on November 27 and 28, 2007, at the nightclub and restaurant Social Hollywood in Los Angeles, California. It was directed by Wayne Isham, who had previously worked with Spears on the music video of "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman". In some scenes of the music video, Spears wore a purple satin dress from American designer Marina Toybina. Spears reportedly arrived twelve hours late to the set, after spending the day with her sons Sean Preston and Jayden James. Isham talked about the situation, saying, "She was late. People made a big thing about it, [but] how could she not be late, when you have 50, 65, 75 people running down the street chasing her car? That was a long day for the crew. It was literally a 20-hour day for the crew. She was there for the last six hours of it. She got there late, showed up and just kicked ass". He also explained the concept of the music video: > "On [the music video], I really just wanted to put the mirror back onto the whole experience. You can see that she had that kind of confidence. And, literally, every take became a more and more confident take, so that she could have fun with what was going on. Not being over-the-top sarcastic, but ... having a laugh at everything that was going on around her, with confidence. [...] The very last dance of the piece, she had her hair up, and I go, 'Can you just do one for me with your hair down?' She dropped her hair down. You'll see we intercut with her hair up and her hair down. That was the last piece. She just rocked it from her heart. She choreographed that last dance at the very end. She did that on her own and said, 'Let's go for it'". ### Synopsis The video begins with four blonde women changing their clothes, putting make up on and dancing in a bedroom. Outside, several paparazzi are taking pictures of the situation through the window. Spears appears in front of a multi-colored, illuminated background wearing a short brown fur vest, a sequined black bra and ripped low-rise jeans. There are also intercut scenes of Spears wearing a white fur coat tearing down tabloid covers such as In Touch Weekly and creating positive ones, such as "It's Britney, Bitch" and "Exceptional Earner". One tabloid in particular is labeled Rats Weakly, likely a pun of Star when written backwards. During the first chorus, Spears joins the four women, all wearing matching blond bob wigs, dark sunglasses and black trench coats being hounded by paparazzi. Then they enter a nightclub, with Spears wearing a purple satin dress. Spears starts flirting with a man and guides him into the women's bathroom, where she discovers he has a hidden camera in his chest. She writes "Sucker" in his forehead. There is a dance sequence until the song ends, in which Spears and the four women dance in the bathroom. At the end, the women are seen back at the bedroom watching an entertainment news program, in which the "Britney invasion" from earlier is reported. The final scene shows a close-up of Spears smirking. ### Reception The music video received mixed reviews from critics. The Daily Telegraph commented "Britney – presumably with the help of some serious digital remastering – has turned back the clock, looking every part the young starlet that gave us 'Oops'". Dose said "shockingly, it's not that bad. Well, not that bad for everyone's favourite panty protesting, deposition skipping, weave wearing pop-tard". On August 17, 2008, it was announced that the video was nominated for Best Female Video, Best Pop Video and Video of the Year at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards. The ceremony was held on September 7, 2008, and Spears won all three categories. On October 18, 2008, during a live interview with New York's Z100, she explained that she was shocked when she won, saying, "It's a cool video, but I think by far I've done videos that are way better, so I was really shocked that it got [Video of the Year]. It was just inspiring, though, because now, going forward with the videos that I'm doing now, I can really go there and do something crazy and see what happens". ### International version An international version of the video was also officially released. This version is almost exactly the same as the original, with the only difference being that some of the early shots where Spears dances in front of the multicolored background are replaced by shots of Spears with a short blonde bob wig wearing a purple dress and in front of a black background with flashing lights. ### MTV alternate video On November 27, 2007, MTV launched the contest "Britney Spears Wants a Piece of You", in which fans could direct a separate video for the song, using footage of interviews and performances from Spears. Using the MTV Video Remixer, fans could mix and create a mash up of the footage. The winning video premiered on TRL on December 20, 2007, and MTV. Jive Records and Spears herself picked the winner. The winner also received a Haier Ibiza Rhapsody device along with a one-year subscription to Rhapsody, as well as Spears' entire discography released in the United States. ## Live performances "Piece of Me" was performed at 2009's the Circus Starring Britney Spears as the second song of the show. At the end of the performance of "Circus", Spears took off her red jacket that represented a ringmaster, to reveal a black corset encrusted with Swarovski crystals, fishnet stockings and high-heeled laced up boots, designed by Dean and Dan Caten. While smoke surrounded her, she entered a cage in the middle of the stage while "Piece of Me" began. During the performance, Spears represented a slave, that attempted to escape from her dancers. "Piece of Me" was also performed at 2011's Femme Fatale Tour. Following "3", Spears climbed into a small platform and started performing the song while floating over the stage. The male dancers below her were dressed as policemen, and took off their shirts to reveal S&M bondage harnesses. Shirley Halperin of The Hollywood Reporter named it one of the best performances of the show along with "3" and "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know", stating that "ironically enough, [they] were the ones with fewest frills." The song is currently performed live at Spears's Las Vegas residency show, Britney: Piece of Me. ## Track listings - CD single 1. "Piece of Me" (Album Version) – 3:32 2. "Piece of Me" (Böz o Lö Remix) – 4:53 - German limited edition CD single – CD1 1. "Piece of Me" (Album Version) – 3:32 2. "Piece of Me" (Tiësto Radio Edit) – 3:23 - German limited edition CD single – CD2 1. "Piece of Me" (Album Version) – 3:32 2. "Piece of Me" (Junior Vasquez and Johnny Vicious Radio Edit) – 3:38 - CD maxi single 1. "Piece of Me" (Album Version) – 3:32 2. "Piece of Me" (Böz o Lö Remix) – 4:53 3. "Piece of Me" (Bimbo Jones Remix) – 6:26 4. "Piece of Me" (Vito Benito Remix) – 6:46 5. "Gimme More" ("Kimme More" Remix featuring Lil' Kim) – 4:14 - Digital download – Remixes 1. "Piece of Me" — 3:32 2. "Piece of Me" (Böz o Lö Remix) – 4:53 3. "Piece of Me" (Tiësto Radio Edit) – 3:23 4. "Piece of Me" (Junior Vasquez and Johnny Vicious Radio Edit) – 3:38 5. "Piece of Me" (Friscia & Lamboy Radio Edit) – 3:27 6. "Piece of Me" (Sly & Robbie Reggae Remix featuring Cherine Anderson) – 4:16 - Digital download – Digital 45''' 1. "Piece of Me" – 3:31 2. "Piece of Me" (Bloodshy & Avant's Böz o Lö Remix) – 4:53 ## Credits and personnel Credits and personnel are adapted from the Blackout'' album liner notes. - Christian Karlsson – writer, producer, recording, keyboards, programming, bass, guitar - Pontus Winnberg – writer, producer, recording, keyboards, programming, bass, guitar - Klas Åhlund – writer, additional bass - Niklas Flyckt – mixing - Henrik Jonback – additional guitar - Robyn Carlsson – background vocals - Tom Coyne – mastering ## Charts ### Weekly charts ### Year-end charts ## Certifications and sales ## Release history ## See also - List of most expensive music videos

2016 Fort McMurray wildfire

Natural disaster in Alberta, Canada

On May 1, 2016, a wildfire began southwest of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. On May 3, it swept through the community, forcing the largest wildfire evacuation in Alberta's history, with upwards of 88,000 people forced from their homes. Firefighters were assisted by personnel from both the Canadian Armed Forces and Royal Canadian Mounted Police, as well as other Canadian provincial agencies, to fight the wildfire. Aid for evacuees was provided by various governments and via donations through the Canadian Red Cross and other local and national charitable organizations. Sweeping through Fort McMurray, the wildfire destroyed approximately 2,400 homes and buildings. Another 2,000 residents in three communities were displaced after their homes were declared unsafe for reoccupation due to contamination. The fire continued to spread across northern Alberta and into Saskatchewan, consuming forested areas and impacting Athabasca oil sands operations. With an estimated damage cost of C\$9.9 billion, it was the costliest disaster in Canadian history. The fire spread across approximately 590,000 ha (1,500,000 acres) before it was declared to be under control on July 5, 2016. It continued to smoulder, and was fully extinguished on August 2, 2017. It is suspected to have been caused by humans in a remote area 15 km (9.3 mi) from Fort McMurray, but no official cause has been determined to date. ## Fire progression ### Cause and contributing factors The fire was first spotted by a helicopter forestry crew in a remote area 15 km (9.3 mi) from Fort McMurray on May 1, 2016, and they reported it. First responders arrived 45 minutes later. An official cause of the fire has not been determined to date, but it was suspected to be human caused. During the start of the fire, an unusually hot, dry air mass was in place over Northern Alberta, which brought record-setting temperatures to Fort McMurray. On May 3, the temperature climbed to 32.8 °C (91 °F), accompanied by relative humidity as low as 12%. The situation intensified on May 4 when temperatures reached 31.9 °C (89 °F) and winds gusted to 72 km/h (45 mph). A natural El Niño cycle also led to a dry fall and winter season along with a warm spring, leaving a paltry snowpack, which melted quickly. Combined with the high temperatures, this created a "perfect storm" of conditions for an explosive wildfire, and significantly contributed to the fire's rapid growth. Climate change was also cited as a potential contributor to the start and spread of the fire. Debate occurred as to whether it was "insensitive" to discuss it during the crisis, or whether the crisis made it "more important" to talk about a correlation between human-influenced climate change and wildfires. Canada's politicians and scientists both cautioned that individual fires cannot specifically be linked to climate change, but agree that it is part of a general trend of more intense wildfires. ### Spread to Fort McMurray As the fire spread towards settlements in Fort McMurray, a local state of emergency was declared on May 1 at 9:57 p.m. MDT (03:57 UTC May 2) with the Centennial Trailer Park and the neighborhoods of Prairie Creek and Gregoire under a mandatory evacuation. The evacuation orders for the two neighborhoods were reduced to a voluntary stay-in-place order by the night of May 2 as the fire moved southwest and away from the area. The mandatory evacuation order was reinstated and expanded to 12 neighbourhoods on May 3 at 5:00 p.m. (23:00 UTC), and to the entirety of Fort McMurray by 6:49 p.m. (00:49 UTC May 4). A further order covering the nearby communities of Anzac, Gregoire Lake Estates, and Fort McMurray First Nation was issued at 9:50 p.m. on May 4 (03:50 UTC May 5). It has been reported that 88,000 people were successfully evacuated, with no reported fatalities or injuries, but two people, Aaron Hodgson and Emily Ryan, were killed in a vehicular collision during the evacuation, one of whom was the daughter of a firefighter. Despite the mandatory evacuation order, staff at the water treatment plant remained in Fort McMurray to provide firefighters with water. On May 4, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo reported the communities of Beacon Hill, Abasand and Waterways had suffered "serious loss". The Government of Alberta declared a provincial state of emergency, and said 1,600 buildings had been destroyed by the fires. It was estimated that 10,000 ha (25,000 acres) of land had been burned. Evacuees who travelled north of Fort McMurray were advised to stay where they were, and not to come south on Highway 63 as the fire was still burning out of control. A boil-water advisory was issued for the entire area just after 11 a.m. (17:00 UTC). At 4:05 p.m., (22:05 UTC) the fire crossed Highway 63 at Airport Road (formerly Highway 69), south of Fort McMurray, and threatened the international airport, which had suspended commercial operations earlier in the day. The fire also forced the re-location of the Regional Emergency Operations Centre, which was originally in the vicinity of the airport. On May 4, the fire was found to be producing lightning and pyrocumulus clouds due to its heat and large size, which added to the risk of more fires. The fires became large enough to create a firestorm, creating its own weather in the form of wind influxes and lightning. The fire continued to spread south on May 5 across 85,000 ha (210,000 acres) and forcing additional evacuations in the communities of Anzac, Gregoire Lake Estates and the Fort McMurray First Nation. These communities had accepted over 8,000 people during the initial evacuations. The Government of Alberta announced a plan to airlift approximately 8,000 of 25,000 people who had evacuated to oil sands work camps north of Fort McMurray, with assistance from a Royal Canadian Air Force Hercules aircraft, and other planes owned by energy companies operating in the oil sands. 1,110 personnel, 145 helicopters, 138 pieces of heavy equipment and 22 air tankers were employed to fight the fire. On May 6, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police began leading convoys to move 1,500 vehicles from oil sand work camps north of Fort McMurray, south along Highway 63 to Edmonton. The fire continued to grow out of control, spreading to 100,000 ha (250,000 acres) by May 6, and 200,000 ha (490,000 acres) by May 7. As the fire grew to the northeast, the community of Fort McKay, which hosted 5,000 evacuees from Fort McMurray, was itself put under an evacuation notice. Albertan officials anticipated that the fire would double in size, and reach the Saskatchewan border to the east. ### Remote growth, control and extinguishment The wildfire continued to spread through remote forested areas in the following week, reaching oilsand work camps south of Fort MacKay, forcing the evacuation of 19 oil sites and camps with approximately 8,000 workers. One lodge with 665 units was destroyed. The fire continued to grow, from 285,000 ha (700,000 acres) on May 16 to 504,443 ha (1,246,510 acres) on May 21 and even spread across 741 ha (1,830 acres) in Saskatchewan. While the fire moved away from Fort McMurray, two explosions and poor air quality continued to prevent residents and rebuilding crews from returning to the town. By May 18, the fire had grown to 423,000 ha (1,050,000 acres) and expanded into Saskatchewan. By mid-June, rain and cooler temperatures helped firefighters contain the fire, and on July 4, 2016, the fire was declared under control. The wildfire was still considered to be active over the following year, having smouldered in deeper layers of moss and dirt throughout the winter. On August 2, 2017, with no further or detection of hot spots by thermal surveys conducted over the summer, provincial officials declared the wildfire extinguished. ## Response ### Aid response The Government of Alberta declared a provincial state of emergency for Fort McMurray on May 4, 2016, and issued a formal request for assistance from the Canadian Armed Forces. The government and the Department of National Defence signed a memorandum of understanding on May 4, detailing required assistance and use of helicopters for rescue operations. Shortly after, a CC-130 Hercules departed CFB Trenton and helicopters were dispatched to the affected area. Alberta also requested assistance from the Government of Ontario, and Ontario committed to sending 100 firefighters and 19 supervisory staff, coordinated through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Other provinces across the country offered support. On May 5, four CL-415 water bombers from Quebec's Service aérien gouvernemental (fr) took off from the province to aid in the firefighting effort. Approximately 300 Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers provided security in the wildfire area. South Africa sent 301 firefighters at the request of the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre at the end of May. The firefighters were trained during the month of April at a boot camp, in order how to learn to use special hoses instead of the leather-padded wooden sticks known as "firebeaters" they typically use in their home country due to a lack of water. Less than a week after being deployed, the South Africans went on strike over a wage dispute and were demobilized. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley vowed to address the issue and ensure that the firefighters were paid a minimum of 11.20 per hour as required by the province's labour laws, rather than the 15 per day allowance specified in their contract with their South African employer. The Alberta government provided an initial \$1,250 per adult and \$500 per dependent to cover living expenses for those who had evacuated. On May 4, the provincial government committed to match donations made to the Canadian Red Cross, as well as to donate an additional \$2 million as seed money; the federal government pledged to match all donations to the Canadian Red Cross the next day, with a deadline set to May 31. As of May 9, \$54 million has been donated to the Red Cross, not including matching government contributions. On May 4, Public Safety Canada activated the International Charter Space and Major Disasters, thus providing for the charitable and humanitarian re-tasking of the diverse satellite assets of 15 space agencies. Later, Edmonton's Capital Region Housing Corporation (CRHC), along with the City of Edmonton, the Alberta Residential Landlord Association, and Yardi Canada Ltd., announced a partnership to create a registry of rental properties for Fort McMurray evacuees. The non-profit initiative would offer this service free of charge to landlords for the next six months. Some landlords had offered incentives to wildfire evacuees, including reduced security deposits, reduced rent, or free rent for a month or more. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Fort McMurray on May 13 to survey the damage and promised ongoing aid from the federal government in the coming months. The Governor General, David Johnston, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, met with first responders and visited the ruins of the Beacon Hill neighbourhood of Fort McMurray on June 24, 2016. ### Political controversy The Alberta government was criticized for cutting \$15 million from the province's wildfire suppression budget in April 2016, just prior to the outbreak of the wildfire. While Premier Rachel Notley contended that wildfires were paid by emergency funds that would not be limited to combat a wildfire, local air tanker companies argued that the cuts created a personnel issue, and would make it more difficult to keep staff on duty during the wildfire season. Cuts were also made to fire preparation budgets, which funded activities such as creating fire breaks, but it is not certain that those activities would have been beneficial against a wildfire powerful enough to traverse the Athabasca River. The federal government was criticized after international assistance from Australia, Israel, Mexico, the Palestinian Authority, Russia, Taiwan, and the United States was offered in battling the fire, and turned down by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Russia specifically offered Ilyushin Il-76 firefighting aircraft that could handle up to 42 tons of fire suppression at one time. Trudeau said that while the offers were appreciated, they were unnecessary as firefighters from other Canadian provinces were gaining control of the situation. Trudeau was also criticized on May 6, 2016, for not visiting Fort McMurray and showing support, less than a week after the fire started. Trudeau responded that "showing up in Fort McMurray, when firefighters are busy trying to contain a massive raging wildfire, is not a particularly helpful thing," and comparisons were drawn to former Prime Minister Stephen Harper's visit to Kelowna, British Columbia the previous year. Trudeau visited Fort McMurray a week later on May 13, 2016. ## Impacts ### Communities and infrastructure Initial estimates from May 4 indicated that 1,600 structures in Fort McMurray were destroyed. Firefighters worked through May 6 and 7 to hold the line and protect the downtown and remaining homes in Fort McMurray. On May 9, this figure was revised to 2,400 structures, and about 85 to 90% of the community was reported undamaged. Overnight on May 16–17, two explosions occurred in the Thickwood and Dickensfield neighbourhoods, damaging 10 buildings and destroying three. The town's power grid sustained damage. Almost the entire Fort McMurray area was placed under a boil-water advisory during the fire, since untreated water was placed into the municipal water system to supply firefighters. The boil water advisory was lifted in all areas of Fort McMurray on August 17, 2016. Statistics Canada suspended enumeration activities for the 2016 Census in the Fort McMurray area on May 5. Alternative means to collect data from its residents were to be determined at a later date. Some census data was received early, and some residents sent their census data online after the evacuation. Statistics Canada was able to create an accurate 2016 census profile for Fort McMurray using this information, as well as Canada Revenue Agency income tax records, local birth and death records, and long-form census information collected by surveyors going door to door. The neighbourhoods of Waterways, Abasand, and Beacon Hill saw the heaviest damage from the wildfire. Until debris could be cleared, they were declared unsafe for re-occupation because of contamination from arsenic and heavy metals. Residents did not return to these neighbourhoods until the end of October 2016. ### Oil sands operations The wildfire halted oil sands production at facilities north of Fort McMurray. Shell Canada shut down output at its Albian Sands mining operation, located approximately 70 km (43 mi) north of Fort McMurray. The company said its priority was to get employees and their families out of the region, and provide capacity at its work camp for some of the evacuees. Shell also provided its landing strip to fly employees and their families to Calgary or Edmonton and provided two teams to support firefighting efforts in the area. Suncor Energy and Syncrude Canada also scaled back operations. Suncor's Millennium and North Steepbank mines were two of the largest and oldest oilsands mining operations in the Fort McMurray area, and Syncrude's Mildred Lake oilsands mine is located 35 km (22 mi) north of Fort McMurray. The companies accommodated another 2,000 evacuees each at their work camps. On May 7, Syncrude shut down all site and processing operations, removing 4,800 employees from the area. On May 16, all 665 rooms at Blacksands Executive Lodge, a work camp, burned in the wildfire. Earlier that day, about 8,000 people were ordered out of 19 camps; about 6,000 remained. By May 17, the fire appeared to reach the Noralta Lodge, a few kilometres east of Blacksands. Approximately one million barrels of oil a day, equal to a quarter of Canada's oil production, was halted as a result of the fire in May 2016. This continued into June at a rate of 700,000 barrels per day. The lost output was estimated to cost the Albertan economy \$70 million per day, and was a contributing factor to rises in global oil prices. The scaled back operations, along with a refinery outage in Edmonton, caused many gas stations to run out of gas throughout Western Canada. Oil companies restored production and anticipated all financial impacts would wear off by the end of the third fiscal quarter. ### Costs Initial insurance payouts were estimated to total as much as C\$9 billion if the entire community had to be rebuilt. By July 7, 2016, the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) and Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ) reported that insured damage was estimated to have reached \$3.58 billion, making the wildfire the most expensive disaster in Canadian history, surpassing the 1998 ice storms in Quebec (\$1.9 billion) and the 2013 Alberta floods (\$1.8 billion). The 2011 Slave Lake Wildfire, which destroyed one-third of the town of Slave Lake, cost approximately \$750 million and was the most expensive fire-related disaster in Canadian history. The larger damage estimates were a result of Fort McMurray being 10 times the size of Slave Lake. A further estimate based on current damage estimated insurance payouts reaching as high as \$4.7 billion. ## Re-entry and recovery On May 18, the Alberta government provisionally announced a phased re-entry of residents into Fort McMurray between June 1 and 15, 2016, given that a set of key conditions were met: - The wildfire no longer poses a threat and that hazardous areas can be secured; - Local government can be re-established; and, - Essential services such as emergency services, transportation, utilities and essential businesses can be re-established, as well as the infrastructure that supports these services. Residents were allowed to re-enter Fort McMurray and surrounding communities according to a schedule broken down into residential zones. The neighbourhoods of Waterways, Abasand, and Beacon Hill were severely burned, and were declared unsafe for reoccupation due to contamination from arsenic and heavy metals from leftover ash. 2,000 residents in these neighbourhoods were only allowed supervised visits to their homes, and relied on workers from the not-for-profit organization Team Rubicon to sift through leftover items. Between, August 31 and October 24, 2016, residents of 470 homes within the three neighbourhoods were able to move home. In the wake of the wildfire impact on Fort McMurray, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo created a wildfire recovery plan, establishing a framework and governance structure for recovery efforts. Recovery funding was estimated to be above \$4.5 billion: \$615 million from federal, provincial and municipal governments; \$319 million from the Canadian Red Cross; and \$3.58 billion from the insurance industry. As of January 2018, 90% of wildfire claims have been processed according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada. Reconstruction of impacted communities is ongoing, and as of May 2018, 20% of the homes destroyed have been rebuilt. The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo updated their Wildfire Mitigation Strategy in January 2018, which conducted a risk assessment for wildfire behaviour. It also proposed clearing 867 hectares of vegetation, various access and safety standards for planned infrastructure and land development, educating members of the public on wildfire threats, cooperation and joint training between the municipal and provincial departments, and updates to emergency plans. The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo also raised awareness about rebuilding homes to ensure they are more resilient to fire. However, insurance companies only provide funds to restore pre-fire conditions, and an independent review by KPMG found that it was unlikely that this would occur. ## See also - List of disasters in Canada - List of fires in Canada - Boreal forest of Canada

Mississippi Public Service Commission

Government regulatory agency in the U.S. state of Mississippi

The Mississippi Public Service Commission (MPSC or PSC) is a government agency which regulates telecommunications, electric, gas, water and sewer utilities in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The commission was created in 1884 and in its early history was tasked with regulating various transport and telecommunications industries in the state. It assumed its current name in 1938 and was given jurisdiction over electric, gas, and water utilities in 1956. The agency is led by three commissioners, with one commissioner elected by voters in each of the state's three Supreme Court districts. Commissioners are elected to four year terms in the general election of the same year that other state and county officials are chosen. The current commissioners are Brandon Presley (Northern District), Brent Bailey (Central District) and Dane Maxwell (Southern District). ## History On March 11, 1884, legislation was signed into law creating the Mississippi Railroad Commission. During its early years the commission was tasked with regulating various enterprises, including railroads, telephone and telegraph companies, express companies, and some motor carriers. The newly-adopted state constitution in 1890 explicitly authorized the Mississippi State Legislature to empower a commission to regulate such industries. The first commissioners were appointed by the governor of Mississippi and then selected thereafter by the legislature to serve two-year terms until 1892. From 1886 to 1906 the body served as the Board of Control of the Mississippi State Penitentiary. During the legislature's 1938 session, the Motor Carrier Regulatory Act was passed. The law changed the name of the Railroad Commission to the Public Service Commission and gave it full responsibility for regulating motor carriers. In 1956, the Utility Act was adopted, expanding the commission's jurisdiction to electric, gas, and water utilities. Sewer services were integrated into its purview in 1968. The Public Utilities Reform Act of 1983 provided for the hiring of additional staff and tasked the commission with monitoring large contracts and construction projects undertaken by utility companies. In January 1988, Public Service Commissioner Lynn Havens resigned from office before pleading guilty in June 1989 to conspiracy charges related to an attempt to coerce a power company to settle a lawsuit. Commissioner D.W. Snyder was also convicted for his involvement in the scheme and resigned. In response, the legislature floated several proposals in 1990 to reform the commission. They rejected a plan to have the commissioners chosen by appointment and instead opted to move the Public Utilities Staff—responsible for supplying the commissioners technical advice—to a new Public Utilities Staff agency under the control of an executive director appointed by the governor. The legislation also barred commissioners from having private meetings with or accepting gifts and campaign contributions from utility representatives. In 2003, the legislature passed the Mississippi Telephone Solicitation Act, creating an official state do not call list and giving the PSC the power to fine telemarketers who called persons who registered their phone numbers on the list. On July 1, 2004, the responsibility for regulating motor carriers was transferred from the PSC to the Mississippi Department of Transportation. ## Powers and responsibilities The Public Service Commission is responsible for regulating telecommunications, electric, gas, water, and sewer utilities in Mississippi. It monitors and approves rates charged to consumers, monitors the delivery of services, and determines whether the construction of utility facilities are for the benefit of the public. Per state law, it can fix "reasonable standards, regulations and practices of service" for utility companies and impose safety standards on gas utilities. When a new executive director of the Public Utilities Staff is sought, the commissioners are required to suggest at least three candidates for the post to the governor, who then nominates one of the candidates to be confirmed in the post by the State Senate. The PSC fields utility consumer complaints, holds hearings, and makes investigations into utility complaints and instances of telemarketing fraud. The commission has the power to issue subpoenas. It can prescribe mandates to utility companies and fine them up to \$5,000 per day for outstanding violations and can issue fines no greater than \$10,000 to telemarketing firms which violate state laws. ## Structure The Public Service Commission is led by three commissioners. One commissioner is elected by voters in each of the state's three Supreme Court districts. Commissioners are elected in the general election of the same year that other state and county officials are chosen. Candidates for seats on the body are required by the state constitution and state statute to have resided in Mississippi for at least five years before the date of the election to be eligible. The commissioners serve four-year terms beginning on January 1 of the year following the election. Vacancies are filled by gubernatorial appointment. The commissioners' individual salaries are \$78,000 per year, but are set to increase to \$95,000 annually in 2024. They are required to meet by law the first Tuesday of every month in their office, though they may skip up to two such meetings per annum. They may also convene additional meetings elsewhere as they deem necessary. The meetings are subject to the state open meeting law and the presence of two commissioners constitutes a quorum. The commission's activities are funded by appropriations from the State Legislature. The agency is headquartered in the Woolfolk State Office Building in Jackson, Mississippi. The commission retains an executive secretary, whose office is responsible for keeping the minutes of commission meetings, maintaining a record of its official actions, and delivering its subpoenas. The Finance and Personnel Department oversees the commission's finances and staff. The Legal Department, led by a general counsel, offers the PSC legal advice and coordinates its litigation-related activities. The Information Systems Department maintains the PSC's internal online network, supplies information technology support to staff, and runs the agency's website. The Utility Investigation Department fields consumer complaints and monitors service delivery. The Gas Pipeline Safety Division performs safety inspections of intrastate natural gas pipelines. The Public Utilities Staff is not controlled by the commission but is tasked with advising it on the suitability of rates charged and services delivered to consumers and making recommendations for courses of action it should pursue. ## Current commissioners The current commissioners are: - Brandon Presley (Democratic), Northern District Commissioner - Brent Bailey (Republican), Central District Commissioner - Dane Maxwell (Republican), Southern District Commissioner

The Boxmasters

American rock band

The Boxmasters is an American rock band founded in Bellflower, California, in 2007 by Academy Award-winning actor Billy Bob Thornton and Grammy Award-winning recording engineer J.D. Andrew. The group has released thirteen albums, with another one being released on May 5, 2023 Before he formed the Boxmasters, frontman Thornton had played in bands since middle school, worked as a roadie, recorded in 1974 in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and in the 2000s released four solo albums. After listening to "Yesterday's Gone" by Chad & Jeremy and thinking about covering it in a hillbilly music style, he had the idea of making Americanized version of British Invasion pop songs. From mid-2008 to late 2008, the group embarked on a tour across the United States, ending in Los Angeles. It also played for the March 2009 South by Southwest conference. After opening several tours for Willie Nelson in 2009 & 2010, The Boxmasters ceased touring for five years, which they used to write multiple albums and emerged with a more natural sound, as opposed to their early hillbilly leanings. ## History ### Beginnings Billy Bob Thornton—credited on the band's material as W. R. Thornton—has said that "[he] never intended to become a movie star, it happened accidentally. [...] Music is what I love." Before his acting career started, he played in cover bands of Creedence Clearwater Revival, ZZ Top, and also worked as a roadie with Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Johnny Paycheck, Blood, Sweat & Tears, the Statler Brothers, and other bands during high school. He also released a record with a band called 'Hot Lanta' in 1974. During his acting career, Thornton released four solo albums from 2001 to 2007. Thornton brought in sound engineer J. D. Andrew to help with his 2007 album Beautiful Door. After jamming together, they started to record some of their material. Andrew had known Mike Butler "for six or seven years" and called on him to play guitar for them. According to Andrew, after the trio played together, they said "Shoot, this sounds like a band." The three came up with the name "Boxmasters" after a piece of Southern slang, which they later described by saying "remember the bad boy in high school who got all the girls and left a trail of broken hearts ... and more?" Thornton had also briefly played in country star Porter Wagoner's similarly titled band 'The Wagonmasters', which he later said had brought chills down his spine. ### Early career The band started in Bellflower, California, in 2007. During its early days, the band played several live shows in the California area, as well as in Tecate, Mexico. Their first album, The Boxmasters, was released on June 10, 2008, by Vanguard Records. It received a mostly poor review from Allmusic, which stated that "The Boxmasters might work live because there will be visuals; but merely as a listening exercise, it's best taken in small doses so the novelty doesn't wear off." The review also alleged that "Thornton can't drum to save his life, and he can't sing". The Washington Post praised the album, and the paper remarked that listeners will get their money's worth if they enjoy the music even half as much as the band did during the recordings. The group resumed touring in July 2008, adding musicians Bradley Davis on mandolin, guitar, and vocals, Teddy Andreadis on harmonica and organ, and Mike Bruce on drums. Their tour across the United States ended on September 7, 2008, when they played at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. The band released their second album, Christmas Cheer, on November 11, 2008, also through Vanguard Records. Allmusic gave another critical review, calling the music "an acquired taste". USA Today music critic Brian Mansfield named it one of his favorite holiday albums. The Boxmasters went on a post-album 12-city tour with Willie Nelson, playing from November 22 in Enid, Oklahoma, to December 6 in Champaign, Illinois. They then embarked on a six-city tour of Texas in March 2009, which included a March 18 appearance at the South by Southwest music conference. The band released Modbilly on Vanguard on April 21, 2009. Houston Press praised the album, saying that it "confirms that Billy Bob Thornton's writing talents aren't confined to his Oscar-winning screenplays." Allmusic stated that it "goes on far too long, never changing, never peaking". Prefix gave a mostly positive review, calling it "for real" and stating that "Thornton’s distinct voice continues to be a nice fit with the material". Entertainment Weekly criticized it as "unmemorable". The group has covered The Beatles, The Who, The Rolling Stones, The Turtles, and Mott the Hoople in its unique style. It also plays original songs, mostly written or co-written by Thornton based on the "white trash" figures he had seen in his Arkansas childhood. The Montreal Gazette has called his original material "at turns dark and funny, with world-class hooks". The members play while wearing well-dressed 'Mod' outfits such as tailored black suits, white shirts, and narrow black neckties. Aside from playing, Thornton has said that he plans on creating comic books based on him and other band members. Plots would involve the band coming to the aid of townspeople as they tour. He said, "We're not sure what our superpowers are going to be yet". ### Canadian touring and controversy In April 2009, the band was scheduled to tour across Canada, opening for country music veterans Willie Nelson and Ray Price. On April 8, the band appeared on the national CBC Radio One program Q, hosted by Jian Ghomeshi. During the first half of the interview, Thornton was "surly and uncooperative", and responded with "I don't know" when asked how long the band had been together. When asked about his musical tastes and influences as a child, he gave his longest answer, but it was about his favorite magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland. He also stated that he had "instructed" the show's producers to not ask any questions about his career as a screenwriter and actor. The interview is satirized in the Detective Crashmore sketch in Season 2, Episode 3 of I Think You Should Leave. Ghomeshi, in introducing the band, mentioned the acting credentials of Thornton, but never based his questions to Thornton about his show business career. Thornton went on to say that Canadian audiences were generally reserved and that the band was used to playing in places where people move around and throw things at each other. He then added, "it's like mashed potatoes with no gravy." This caused an outpouring of criticism from across Canada and around the world for the star's behavior. The following night, the band opened for Willie Nelson at Toronto's prestigious Massey Hall. A series of boos and catcalls erupted mid-set, with people in the audience yelling "here comes the gravy!" when Thornton tried to explain he liked Canadians but not the CBC radio host. Before the show, when asked about his "gravy" comment, Thornton claimed he was talking about the radio host. Local reviews of Thornton's Toronto performance were not positive. Toronto Star called Thornton's voice a "high, tinny whine" and The Globe and Mail commented that "Nelson could teach Billy Bob Thornton more than a few things". On April 10, The Boxmasters dropped out of the tour early, announcing that they would not be playing with Nelson during subsequent concerts scheduled in London, Ontario, and Montreal. Thornton said that band members had come down with the flu. Willie Nelson's publicist had no comment. The band resumed touring in Stamford, Connecticut, on April 14. In the aftermath of the controversy, Thornton appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and he said, "The fact that was news was astounding to me... But it gave humpbacked geeks all over the world something to do for a couple of days." He added that he only wants to be perceived as a musician in the context of the band, remarking that "I'm just in their band, I'm just one of those guys". ### Touring hiatus In 2010, The Boxmasters ceased touring for almost five years. During that time Billy Bob Thornton wrote & directed the feature film Jayne Mansfield's Car. ### Return to album releases and touring In 2015 the Boxmasters returned with the album Somewhere Down The Road released by 101 Ranch Records. Rolling Stone said "This sprawling double album, which amazingly doesn't feel Use Your Illusion bloated, finds him and the ace 'Masters — who play the Grand Ole Opry on August 18th — mixing country noir with bright jangle pop. One disc is all Americana gothic, while the other is Nuggets by way of Liverpool. "Always Lie," from the twangy half of the project, is Thornton devilishly sharing his trick for dealing with the press and ranks with some of country's most honest songwriting. (Or does it?)" Also in 2015 The Boxmasters released Providence on their website as a download only album. In 2016 The Boxmasters also released two albums, Boys and Girls...& The World and Tea Surfing, on NDR Records. ## Members Current members - J. D. Andrew – guitar, vocals - Kirk McKim– guitar - Raymond Hardy - bass - Nick Davidson - drums - Billy Bob Thornton (credited as "W.R. Thornton") – drums, vocals Former members - Micheal Wayne Butler – guitar, lap steel - Brad Davis – guitar, vocals - Daniel Baker – guitar, vocals - Eric Rhoades – drums - Dave Fowler- bass - Teddy Andreadis – organ, piano ## Discography - The Boxmasters (Vanguard, 2008) - Christmas Cheer (Vanguard, 2008) - Modbilly (Vanguard, 2009) - Somewhere Down the Road (101 Ranch Records, 2015) - Providence (self-released, exclusively available via theboxmasters.com, 2015) - Boys and Girls... And the World (NDR Records, 2016) - Tea Surfing (NDR Records, 2016) - In Stereo! (NDR Records, 2018) - Speck (KeenTone Records, 2019) - Light Rays (KeenTone Records, 2020) - Christmas On The Road (KeenTone Records, 2021) - Help...I'm Alive (KeenTone Records, Apr 15, 2022) - Boxmasters '66 (KeenTone Records, Dec 24, 2022) - '69 (KeenTone Records, May 5, 2023)

New York State Route 360

Highway in New York

New York State Route 360 (NY 360) was an east–west state highway located in northwestern Monroe County, New York, in the United States. It extended for 4.87 miles (7.84 km) through the town of Hamlin from an intersection with NY 272 at the Monroe–Orleans county line to a junction with NY 19 north of the hamlet of Hamlin. NY 360 intersected the former southern terminus of NY 215 1.50 miles (2.41 km) east of the county line at its northern junction with Redman Road. Most of NY 360 passed through rural areas; however, the easternmost portion of the route was located in a residential neighborhood that comprises the northernmost portion of the hamlet of Hamlin. The highways that NY 360 followed were originally improved to state highway standards in the 1900s and 1910s and first designated as part of NY 18 as part of the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York. By the following year, the NY 360 designation was assigned to what is now NY 18 between NY 272 and NY 19. The alignments of NY 18 and NY 360 between those two routes were flipped c. 1933. Ownership and maintenance of NY 360 was transferred from the state of New York to Monroe County on November 26, 2007, as part of a highway maintenance swap between the two levels of government. NY 360 overlapped with four different county routes at various points along its routing until the route was officially deleted as a touring route in February 2012. ## Route description NY 360 began at an intersection with NY 272 at the Monroe–Orleans county line in the town of Hamlin. The route proceeded east on Morton Road, passing through a lightly populated area and crossing a pair of tributaries that feed into Yanty Creek. After 1.50 miles (2.41 km), Morton Road ended at an intersection with Redman Road. This junction was once the southern terminus of NY 215; however, it is now merely a junction between two county-maintained routes. NY 360 turned south here to follow Redman Road for 0.5 miles (0.8 km) before resuming its eastward progression on Church Road. Like on Morton Road before it, the portion of Church Road that is part of NY 360 was sparsely populated, save for a portion of the road near its junction with Lake Road West Fork. Roughly halfway between Redman Road and Lake Road West Fork, NY 360 passed over Sandy Creek. At Lake Road West Fork, NY 360 veered southeast. As NY 360 continued along the roadway, the amount of development increased as the route approached of the hamlet of Hamlin. North of the hamlet's center, NY 360 met NY 19 (Lake Road East Fork) at a Y-shaped intersection. NY 360 ended here, and NY 19 continued southward into Hamlin as Lake Road. ## History ### Origins and designation On September 20, 1907, the state of New York let a contract for a project to improve Church Road, the section of Redman Road north of Church Road, and the portion of Lake Road West Fork between Church Road and Lake Road to state highway standards. The project was completed by mid-1909, and the highways, collectively inventoried as State Highway 286 (SH 286), were added to the state highway system on July 20, 1909. On June 8, 1915, the state awarded another contract to bring Morton Road up to state highway standards. Work on the road, internally designated as SH 1282, was completed that year, allowing for the highway to be added to the state highway system on December 8, 1915. The first set of posted state routes in New York were assigned in 1924; however, no designations were assigned to either of the aforementioned highways at this time. In the 1930 renumbering of state highways in New York, several of the routes assigned during the 1920s were renumbered or modified. At the same time, hundreds of state-maintained highways that did not yet have a route number were assigned one. This included both SH 1282 and the section of SH 286 south of Morton Road as both became part of NY 18, a highway that was extended eastward from Buffalo to Rochester as part of the renumbering. At the time, NY 18 entered the hamlet of Morton on Kenmore Road and followed Morton, Redman, and Church Roads and Lake Road West Fork into Hamlin, where it overlapped with NY 63 (modern NY 19) south along Lake Road to rejoin its modern alignment at Hamlin Center Road. By the following year, NY 360 was assigned to what is now NY 18 between NY 272 and Lake Road (then-NY 63) in Hamlin. The alignments of NY 18 and NY 360 between Morton and Hamlin were flipped c. 1933, placing both highways on their modern routings. ### Transfer of maintenance In 2007, ownership and maintenance of NY 360 was transferred from the state of New York to Monroe County as part of a highway maintenance swap between the two levels of government. A bill (S4856, 2007) to enact the swap was introduced in the New York State Senate on April 23 and passed by both the Senate and the New York State Assembly on June 20. The act was signed into law by Governor Eliot Spitzer on August 28. Under the terms of the act, it took effect 90 days after it was signed into law; thus, the maintenance swap officially took place on November 26, 2007. As a result of the change in maintenance, NY 360 became part of four unsigned county routes. On Morton Road, NY 360 was co-designated as County Route 279 (CR 279). The portion on Redman Road was part of CR 236, which extends from NY 31 west of Brockport to Cook Road near the Lake Ontario State Parkway. The section of NY 360 on Church Road overlapped with CR 277. Finally, the part of NY 360 on Lake Road West Fork was concurrent with CR 234, which extends north past NY 360 to Moscow Road (CR 211). All four overlaps were eliminated when the NY 360 designation was officially removed in February 2012, and the NY 360 shields were removed by June of that year. ## Major intersections ## See also - List of county routes in Monroe County, New York

Wallace Wilkinson

American politician

Wallace Glenn Wilkinson (December 12, 1941 – July 5, 2002) was an American businessman and politician from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. From 1987 to 1991, he served as the state's 57th governor. Wilkinson dropped out of college at the University of Kentucky in 1962 to attend to a book retail business he started. The business rapidly became a national success, and Wilkinson re-invested his profits in real estate, farming, transportation, banking, coal, and construction ventures, becoming extremely wealthy. In 1987, he joined a crowded field in the Democratic gubernatorial primary. After running behind two former governors and the sitting lieutenant governor for most of the race, Wilkinson began to climb in the polls after hiring then-unknown campaign consultant James Carville. Wilkinson campaigned on a promise of no new taxes and advocated a state lottery as an alternative means of raising money for the state. Wilkinson surprised most political observers by winning the primary and going on to defeat his Republican challenger in the general election. Wilkinson was able to secure passage of a constitutional amendment allowing a state lottery. He also helped craft a significant education reform bill in response to a ruling by the Kentucky Supreme Court that declared the state's entire public school system unconstitutional. Wilkinson's term was plagued by political scandal and an uneasy relationship with the state legislature. He advocated an amendment to the state constitution that would allow him to seek a second consecutive term as governor, but the amendment was defeated in the General Assembly. His wife Martha attempted to succeed him, but withdrew from the campaign amid weak support for her candidacy. Following his term as governor, Wilkinson encountered difficult financial times. In 2001, he was sued by a group of creditors, and during the proceedings, it was revealed that he was operating a Ponzi scheme to keep his businesses afloat. Both he and his wife Martha filed for bankruptcy later that year. In 2002, Wilkinson was hospitalized with arterial blockages. His condition was complicated by a recurrence of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He suffered a stroke on July 4, 2002, and his family withdrew his life support the following day in accordance with his previously-expressed wishes. ## Early life Wallace Wilkinson was born on a farm in Casey County, Kentucky, about 5 miles (8.0 km) southwest of the city of Liberty, on December 12, 1941. The son of Hershel and Cleo (Lay) Wilkinson, he had two older brothers and a younger sister. His parents were farmers and also operated a small general store. When Wilkinson was four years old, the family moved to Liberty, and the family opened Wilkinson's Grocery. During his childhood, he delivered newspapers, sold popcorn from a street stand, and co-owned a shoe shine parlor with a boyhood friend. He also accompanied his father to sell produce from the back of a truck. It was during one such trip that he met Martha Carol Stafford, whose parents owned a grocery store about 10 miles (16 km) away. The two dated throughout high school and were married in 1960. They had two children: Wallace Glenn Wilkinson Jr. (b. 1970) and Andrew Stafford Wilkinson (b. 1972). Wilkinson was a member of the freshman basketball team at Liberty High School. Using profits from his early business ventures, he purchased a business wardrobe that earned him the title of best dressed member of his senior class. He graduated from high school in 1959, but the poor curriculum there left him without the credits he needed to gain admission to the University of Kentucky's engineering program. He began selling livestock feed in Scottsville, Kentucky, and also worked at a venetian blind factory while taking classes at Campbellsville College to earn the credits he needed. In 1962, he moved to Lexington, Kentucky, and enrolled at the University of Kentucky. While in college, he worked at Kennedy Book Store in Lexington. Later, he and two friends borrowed money to open the Kentucky Paperback Gallery in Lexington; Wilkinson left school later that year to attend to the business full-time. At the time, Kentucky high school students were required to purchase their own textbooks, but there was no marketplace for buying and selling used books; Wilkinson's business catered to this market and was highly successful. ## Business ventures Wilkinson opened Wallace's Book Store in June 1965 after a local stockbroker helped him raise the initial capital needed through a public stock offering. By this time, Kentucky had adopted free textbook legislation at the behest of Governor Julian Carroll, so Wilkinson transitioned to selling college textbooks to students at the University of Kentucky. Throughout the 1960s, Wilkinson refused to pay the state sales tax on his transactions; he and Joe Kennedy, the owner of Kennedy Book Store, both claimed that paying the tax put them at a competitive disadvantage with the university's book store, which did not pay state taxes because it was operated by the university, a tax exempt entity. In 1977, the state Board of Tax Appeals ruled that all three bookstores should have been paying the tax, but by this time, the statute of limitations had expired, and none of the three were required to pay any back taxes. Wallace's Book Store continued to expand rapidly, opening retail stores in twenty-eight states and becoming one of the country's largest book firms. In January 1971, he considered issuing more stock to raise capital to buy Providence, Rhode Island-based Barnes & Noble, but the executive committee of Wallace's was averse to purchasing a company so far away and blocked the move. In April 1977, Wilkinson was cited for false and misleading advertisement in conjunction with claims made in radio ads for Wallace's Book Store claiming they were offering the first discounts in history on new college textbooks. In a court filing, Wilkinson admitted the claims were untrue, promised to stop airing the ads, and agreed to refund any money overpaid by customers. With the success of his chain of bookstores, Wilkinson pursued other business ventures in the fields of real estate development, farming, transportation, banking, coal interests, and construction. He purchased several private aircraft to help him tend to his diverse interests throughout the state, and in 1973, created Wilkinson Flying Service to keep the planes busy when he wasn't using them. After investing in the unfinished Bluegrass Commerce Center in Lexington in early 1977, he purchased one-third interest in the Purcell building on Lexington's Vine Street later that year. The building was only partially occupied, but had become more valuable because of the opening of nearby Rupp Arena in October 1976 and a new Hyatt hotel in May 1977. Developers Donald and Dudley Webb developed plans to construct the Vine Center on the block; by May 1979, they had options to buy every property on the block except Wilkinson's interest in the Purcell building. Unwilling to meet Wilkinson's asking price, they instead formed a partnership with him to co-develop the Vine Center. When Wilkinson eventually sold his interest in the venture at the end of 1981, he turned a profit of at least \$1.3 million on his investment. Next, he formed a public-private partnership with the city of Lexington to construct the Capital Plaza Hotel in 1983. The city provided \$3 million in capital and another \$8.5 million in guaranteed loans to supplement Wilkinson's \$1.15 million investment. Wallace's Book Stores was given 95% ownership in the hotel, allowing the company to shield \$2 million in assets from federal income taxes and claim over \$400,000 in tax credits. Despite playing a major role in the Lexington real estate market, Wilkinson was fiercely protective of his privacy; for a time, he even refused to allow newspapers to publish pictures of him. His public profile began to rise when he announced plans to construct the 50-story World Coal Center on the corner of Main and Limestone streets in Lexington. When completed, it would be the largest office complex between Atlanta and Chicago. Wilkinson hoped that all the major coal companies in the state would relocate their offices to the center, making it a hub for the international coal market. Shortly after Wilkinson demolished the historic Phoenix Hotel to make way for the building, the coal market experienced a pronounced lull, and the empty lot where the proposed coal center would have stood was derided as "Wally's Folly" and "Lake Wilkinson". In 1984, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government secured a lease from Wilkinson to develop a temporary municipal park on the site. Wilkinson conceded that he would not be able to develop the proposed World Coal Center in the near-term, and Lexington mayor Scotty Baesler wanted to improve the property before the city hosted the finals of the 1985 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Rupp Arena. In early 1985, Wilkinson struck a deal with the state and urban county governments to retain the park and build a public library and parking garage while allowing Wilkinson to construct and operate a 21-story apartment complex above the garage. Critics claimed that the city-county government bailed Wilkinson out of a bad investment by purchasing the property from him and by giving him a government-subsidized, low interest rate on his \$12 million mortgage for the apartment building. ## Alleged kidnapping by Jerome Jernigan On April 10, 1984, Wilkinson was allegedly kidnapped by a man named Jerome Jernigan. In 1977, Wilkinson had provided Jernigan with start-up money for Jernigan Export Timber, Inc., a company that manufactured and exported wood veneers internationally. The company went defunct around the time of Jernigan's divorce from his wife, the secretary-treasurer of the company, in December 1980. Jernigan's son, Victor, continued to work for Wilkinson in another capacity until 1982. According to Wilkinson, in the months leading up to the alleged kidnapping, Jernigan had come to Wilkinson's office several times demanding money he claimed he was owed from his prior business dealings with Wilkinson. Wilkinson said he had been making the requested payments, but that when he refused Jernigan's request on April 10, Jernigan presented him with a four-page suicide note, then produced a pistol and told Wilkinson, "I'm going to kill you first." Wilkinson further alleged that Jernigan forced him to drive to the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Frankfort, a hotel Wilkinson owned, at gunpoint. The two spent the night at the hotel, and sometime during the night, Wilkinson contacted James Aldridge, president of New Farmers National Bank in Glasgow, Kentucky. Wilkinson, who owned an interest in New Farmers National Bank, told Aldridge he needed \$500,000 as soon as possible. The next day, Wilkinson and Jernigan flew to Glasgow aboard a plane operated by Wilkinson Flying Service, another company owned by Wilkinson. Wilkinson said Jernigan threatened to kill employees at the company if Wilkinson attempted to alert them. Aldridge met Wilkinson and Jernigan with the money Wilkinson had requested at the Glasgow Municipal Airport. Upon their arrival, Wilkinson paid Jernigan \$500,000 and was released unharmed. After his release, Wilkinson alerted the FBI, and Jernigan was arrested the same day in Lexington. Upon his arrest, he was in possession of two pistols, six sets of handcuffs, and \$400,000 in cash. Jernigan told authorities that he and Wilkinson had spent the previous night at the Crowne Plaza negotiating a settlement to their differences stemming from their earlier business relationship. The terms of the settlement, Jernigan maintained, included a \$500,000 cash payment from Wilkinson, part of which would finance a new business venture similar to Jernigan's previous veneer export business. Wilkinson would also furnish Jernigan with a car, a furnished apartment in Lexington, and a salary of \$5,000 a month. Jernigan stated that after the \$500,000 was paid, Wilkinson decided to back out of the settlement and portray the encounter as a crime. Wilkinson denied Jernigan's allegations and maintained that the money – which was later recovered – was demanded by Jernigan as a ransom for his release. Weeks later, Jernigan filed a counter-suit against Wilkinson in Fayette County circuit court. He asked the court to award him \$50 million in punitive damages and to determine the profits made by his and Wilkinson's veneer company, of which he would receive half. A judge ordered the case moved to Louisville because the alleged crime was committed in Glasgow, in the state's western district. State charges against Jernigan, which included kidnapping and carrying a concealed deadly weapon, were dropped so that the federal extortion charges could take precedence. Over the objection of his legal counsel, the court ordered Jernigan to undergo a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether he was insane or mentally incompetent for his own defense. The court-appointed psychiatrist found Jernigan competent to stand trial, and he was released in late May on a \$25,000 bond. After his release on bond, Jernigan returned to the room at the Continental Inn in Lexington where he had been living prior to his arrest. On July 18, 1984, Jernigan's son Randy found him dead in the room. An autopsy showed that Jernigan suffered from coronary atherosclerosis, and heart disease was officially listed as the cause of death. Lexington police determined that there was no evidence to suggest foul play. Jernigan's ex-wife continued to pursue Jernigan's case against Wilkinson, but a Fayette County Circuit Court Judge awarded Wilkinson a summary judgment to dismiss the case in 1986. ## Political life After announcing his plans for the World Coal Center, Wilkinson began attending meetings of the Lexington Urban City Council, where he advocated his fiscally conservative political views. He was an admirer of Ronald Reagan, although he said he wished Reagan was a Democrat like himself. In 1979, Wilkinson became involved with Terry McBrayer's campaign against John Y. Brown Jr. in the Democratic gubernatorial primary. He held a critical fundraiser for Scotty Baesler's 1981 Lexington mayoral campaign, although most of the businessmen in Lexington favored Baesler's opponent. In the 1983 Democratic gubernatorial primary, he served as finance chairman for Harvey Sloane's campaign. When Sloane lost a close race to Lieutenant Governor Martha Layne Collins, Republican nominee Jim Bunning tried to enlist the support of Sloane and his supporters, including Wilkinson. After a month of consideration, however, Wilkinson endorsed the entire Democratic ticket. The following year, he managed former governor Brown's brief senatorial campaign. Already considering running for governor in 1987, Wilkinson had hoped to remove Brown as a potential competitor for that office by helping him get elected to the Senate, but Brown ended his campaign early for health reasons. Through his work in various the campaigns, Wilkinson found that he enjoyed the challenges of competing in the political arena. He lobbied the General Assembly to pass a multi-bank holding company bill allowing banking companies to own more than one Kentucky bank. The bill passed in 1984. ### Democratic primary of 1987 In April 1985, Wilkinson formed a campaign committee in advance of the 1987 gubernatorial election. Relatively unknown statewide, Wilkinson was the first candidate to enter the race. The Democratic primary field eventually grew to include two previous Kentucky governors, John Y. Brown Jr. and Julian Carroll; sitting Lieutenant Governor Steve Beshear, who would later win two terms as governor in 2007 and 2011; and Grady Stumbo, cabinet secretary for Governor Martha Layne Collins. Early in the race, Brown was the clear-cut favorite, while Wilkinson was picked to finish fifth. Wilkinson financed his own campaign and campaign manager Danny Briscoe suggested that he hire a campaign consultant to reach out to the state's large concentration of undecided voters. After a few interviews, Wilkinson hired a then-unknown political consultant named James Carville; Carville later went on to chair Bill Clinton's successful presidential campaign in 1992. Beshear, considered the second strongest candidate in the primary race, spent much of the campaign attacking Brown, and Brown spent time and resources responding to Beshear's attacks. Meanwhile, Wilkinson attacked all of his opponents in the race as political insiders while touting his own rise from poverty to financial success. He called the incentive package that sitting governor Martha Layne Collins had offered to lure a Toyota manufacturing plant to the state "a massive mistake and terrible deal" that had made Kentucky "an international laughingstock". He also claimed that both Brown and Beshear would raise taxes and proposed a state lottery, which he claimed would generate \$70 million annually for the state's coffers, as an alternative to higher taxes. The proposal proved particularly popular in Northern Kentucky, where residents routinely traveled to neighboring Ohio to play that state's lottery. Wilkinson also advocated for wholesale education reform, stating that Kentucky's children "don't have a learning problem; they've got a schooling problem." Two-time former governor A. B. "Happy" Chandler gave Wilkinson's campaign further credibility with his endorsement. In late April, Brown still held a 20 percentage point lead in public opinion polling. However, as Beshear began to slip in the polls, Wilkinson moved up. By Memorial Day weekend, he was polling second among the candidates. Brown largely ignored Wilkinson until a week before the election, when he began running ads questioning the amount of money Wilkinson claimed would be generated by a state lottery. Wilkinson won the primary, garnering 36 percent of the vote to 26 percent for Brown, 18 percent for Beshear, 12 percent for Stumbo, and 6 percent for Carroll. In total, Wilkinson spent a record \$4 million during the primary campaign. Kentucky historian Thomas D. Clark opined that Wilkinson's lavish spending during the campaign prompted the legislature to adopt campaign finance reform measures. ### Gubernatorial campaign of 1987 Democrats enjoyed a 3-to-1 voter registration advantage in Kentucky, and while he had been the underdog in the primary campaign, Wilkinson became the heavy favorite against the Republican nominee, State Representative John Harper of Shepherdsville. Larry Forgy, who had been groomed for the Republican nomination, unexpectedly dropped out of the race before the primary, leaving the party at a significant disadvantage with a largely unknown and underfunded candidate. While Harper began his general election campaign immediately, Wilkinson made few public appearances – except for fundraisers – until the second week in September. He also refused to endorse the \$125 million education reform measure that sitting governor Martha Layne Collins had guided through the legislature in 1985, which cost him the endorsement of the Kentucky Education Association. The association endorsed Harper, marking the first time in its history it had endorsed a Republican gubernatorial candidate, but endorsed Brereton Jones, the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor. Harper attacked Wilkinson's lottery proposal as "Alice in Wonderland" economics. In addition, Harper's campaign raised a number of ethical issues with regard to Wilkinson's business dealings. Gary Stafford, Wilkinson's brother-in-law who was serving as president of Wallace's Book Store, pleaded guilty to illegal wiretapping and rolling back the odometers on company vehicles. The company was also forced to pay \$44,641 in back taxes. Further, Republican state chairman Bob Gable questioned whether Wilkinson had helped Italian businessmen circumvent laws that made it difficult to export Italian currency by disguising real estate ventures as legitimate business transactions with Jernigan Export Timber. Gable also hired a private investigator who determined that there was "substantial reason" to suspect that foul play was involved in the death of Wilkinson's business partner, Jerome Jernigan. Despite Gable's allegations and the investigator's findings, Lexington police officials said they saw no reason to re-open the investigation. Harper was at a substantial fundraising disadvantage, raising only \$225,000 for the entire campaign compared to Wilkinson's \$8 million. This left him unable to purchase enough media time to solidify any of the ethical questions about Wilkinson in the voters' minds. Wilkinson's campaign also delved into Harper's personal life, admitting that it tipped off the media about Harper's son, who had been shot to death in an attempted burglary. In the general election, Wilkinson defeated Harper by a vote of 504,674 to 273,141. By capturing 65% of the vote, he broke Julian Carroll's record of 62.8%. Low voter turnout prohibited him from setting the record for most votes received by a candidate in a Kentucky gubernatorial election, and he received several thousand fewer votes than Brereton Jones, the victorious Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor. He carried 115 of Kentucky's 120 counties – besting Carroll's old record of 99 – but lost in Fayette, his county of residence. A poll conducted by a Louisville television station after the election showed that 76% of voters wished they had another candidate to vote for. ### Legislative session of 1988 Even before he officially took office, some of Wilkinson's public comments set up an adversarial relationship with the General Assembly. Just two days after his election, he told reporters that he would exert the "full power" of his office toward getting his agenda approved by the legislature and that he "conceive of a situation" where he would use his political action committee (PAC), Kentuckians for a Better Future, to help defeat legislators who opposed him. Under governors Brown and Collins, the legislature had become increasingly independent of the governor, and Lexington Herald-Leader reporters opined that House Speaker Don Blandford and Senate President Pro Tem John "Eck" Rose would be reluctant to cede power back to the chief executive. During the 1988 legislative session, Rose introduced a bill setting a limit of \$4,000 on the amount PACs could contribute to an individual's campaigns during a single election and a limit of \$2,000 on the amount any individual could contribute to a single PAC in a given election. A month later, Wilkinson recanted, saying he "misspoke" and only intended to use his PAC to promote passage of the lottery amendment. Despite the governor's promise, the legislature passed Rose's bill. Tensions also developed between Wilkinson and Lieutenant Governor-Elect Jones soon after the election. During the campaign, Jones was quoted as saying that he had talked with Wilkinson about being more open with the press and said that, if elected, he would not be a "yes man" for Wilkinson. At a press conference shortly after the election, Wilkinson said he did not know what role Jones would play in his administration and that much of it would depend on what Jones had meant when he said he did not agree with all of Wilkinson's positions. In late November 1987, Wilkinson announced that Jones would spearhead the promotion of the administration's agricultural agenda. The Lexington Herald-Leader reported that this would not be Jones' primary role in the administration but that no other specifics had been provided. Although amendments removing Kentucky's constitutional prohibition on a state lottery had been introduced in every legislative session since the mid-1970s, Wilkinson's election provided the issue with fresh momentum, and the General Assembly passed the amendment by the required majorities in the 1988 session. Another amendment passed during Wilkinson's term required landowner approval before strip mining could occur on a piece of property. This amendment essentially overturned a 1956 court ruling and negated the practice of issuing broad form deeds which allowed property owners to sell their mineral rights while retaining ownership of structures and other improvements above-ground. A third amendment for which Wilkinson advocated would have allowed elected state officials to succeed themselves in office. During his gubernatorial campaign, he insisted that he would not seek to have such an amendment apply to himself, but shortly after his election, he reversed course and insisted on an amendment that did not exclude present incumbents. The amendment became one of Wilkinson's top priorities in the 1988 legislative session, and he threatened to work against legislators who opposed it. Legislators proposed that a succession amendment include provisions to lengthen the terms of state legislators to maintain a balance of power between the executive and legislative branches; Wilkinson insisted that the General Assembly pass a "clean" succession amendment, free from any other provisions that might diminish the amendment's chances of being approved by the state's voters. The Kentucky House of Representatives passed such an amendment, but the state Senate continued to press for legislative concessions, proposing annual legislative sessions and mandatory runoffs in gubernatorial primaries when one candidate did not receive a majority of the votes cast. When Wilkinson rejected both proposals, Senate leaders refused to bring the amendment to the floor for a vote. Wilkinson's reversal on his campaign promise not to seek succession for present incumbents damaged his reputation. Wilkinson's advocacy for the amendment further damaged his relationship with Lieutenant Governor Jones because Jones had already announced his intention to run for governor in 1991. After the session, Jones told a crowd in Owensboro that if Wilkinson called a special session to insist that legislators pass his educational agenda, that the General Assembly would probably "throw it back in his face". In response, Wilkinson said that Jones should "be involved in improving the process, not be so negative about everything" and "pay attention to his own business". A Lexington Herald-Leader story noted that a promised news conference to elaborate on Jones' role in the administration had not yet happened and that "[m]ost observers expect it never will". The two men's relationship continued to be strained throughout their terms; Jones later described it as "terrible". ### Creation of the Kentucky Lottery Leaders of the Southern Baptists and United Methodists led opposition to the amendment during Wilkinson's administration, activating the Coalition Against a State Lottery. Despite the opposition, Kentucky voters approved the lottery amendment by a vote of 694,577 to 446,937 in the November 1988 elections. Days after the election, Wilkinson signed a proclamation calling a special legislative session to begin November 28 to pass legislation to implement the lottery. The call instructed the legislature to consider a bill based on the recommendations of Wilkinson's lottery commission. The recommendations included the establishment of a lottery board whose president and members would be appointed by the governor and could only be removed by the governor, and earmarked the first year's proceeds to be split evenly between early childhood education programs, programs for the elderly, and a one-time bonus to veterans of the Vietnam War. Legislators insisted on more legislative control of the lottery and did not favor explicit earmarks for the proceeds, preferring to allocate them in the 1990 legislative session. They also objected to the lottery board's exemption from open records and open meetings laws. Immediately after the session convened, Democratic leadership in both houses of the General Assembly announced they would not support earmarking lottery funds, but would let them accumulate in escrow until the 1990 legislative session. On December 14, legislators adjourned the session after passing a bill that created an eight-member lottery board, headed by a president appointed by the governor and confirmed by the other seven members. The other seven members of the board would serve staggered terms, would be appointed by the governor, and be confirmed by the Senate. The legislation also escrowed proceeds until the 1990 General Assembly and specified that the first expenditures from those proceeds would fund a one-time bonus to veterans of the Vietnam War. The vote on the legislation was 32–5 in the Senate and 92–6 in the House. Several Republican amendments, including one by Senator David L. Williams to implement a local option for counties to decide whether or not to sell lottery tickets, were defeated on party-line votes. While the legislation did not implement all of Wilkinson's proposals for the lottery, he nonetheless praised it as a "very good" bill. ### Education reform On May 31, 1988, Franklin County circuit court judge Ray Corns issued a ruling in the case of Council for Better Education v. Collins, et al. stating that Kentucky's system of school financing was unconstitutional. The suit was brought against Wilkinson's predecessor, Martha Layne Collins, and several members of the state government by a group of poor school districts as a means to equalize funding for all the state's school districts. An advocate for education, Wilkinson dropped the governor's office's defense in the suit and joined the plaintiffs when Corns' decision was appealed to the Kentucky Supreme Court. On appeal, the Supreme Court declared Kentucky's entire public school system unconstitutional and mandated that the legislature reform it. Although state legislators maintained that reforming the public school system was too large an issue to tackle during the 60-day legislative session of 1990 and requested that Wilkinson call a special legislative session in June 1990 to consider the issue, the governor insisted that the issue be resolved during the regular session and said that he would not allow consideration of tax increases to fund improvements in the system if he had to call a special session. Wilkinson presented a budget proposal to the General Assembly that contained measures increasing taxes on cigarettes and corporations and eliminating sales tax exemptions on legal, engineering, and advertising services. Legislators favored raising the sales tax to six percent instead. For much of the legislative session, Wilkinson remained steadfastly opposed to an increased sales tax, repeatedly calling it a "dead issue" and threatening to veto it. Then on March 9, 1990, Wilkinson announced that he would drop his opposition to the tax in exchange for the Assembly's approval of a \$600 million bond issue to finance road improvements he had promised during the campaign. The Lexington Herald-Leader called the move "a stunning reversal" and noted that Wilkinson would not comment on why he changed his mind. With the impasse between the legislature and Wilkinson resolved, House Speaker Don Blandford announced that the remainder of the session would focus only on approving the state budget and passing the court-mandated education reforms; any bills still in committees would not be brought to a vote, he said. On April 11, 1990, the Assembly passed the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) to comply with the Supreme Court's decision. Besides increasing funding for schools, it mandated high performance measures and held schools accountable for meeting them. Educators hailed the legislation as being among the nation's best education reform plans. Even after KERA was passed, disagreements between Wilkinson and the legislature continued. The \$600 million bond issue for road construction that had been the price for Wilkinson's support of the sales tax was modified to include language that allowed the legislature to determine where the roads were constructed. Wilkinson threatened to veto the measure, claiming he did not need the General Assembly's approval to issue the bonds, but ultimately, he chose to allow it to become law without his signature. Wilkinson vetoed 21 bills passed by the legislature, but 13 of those vetoes were overridden; it was the most gubernatorial vetoes overridden in a single session in modern times. Most of the overridden vetoes were on bills strengthening the legislative branch relative to the executive branch. The General Assembly also voted to send two proposed constitutional amendments that strengthened the legislative branch relative to the executive to voters for ratification. One allowed the legislature to call itself into session – a power constitutionally reserved for the governor – if two-thirds of its members signed a petition to do so. The other allowed a committee of legislators to suspend regulations enacted by the executive branch between legislative sessions until the full legislature re-convened. Through his political action committee, Wilkinson opposed both measures, and both were rejected by the state's voters in the November 1990 elections. The political debates and posturing leading up to the passing of KERA also permanently breached the relationship between Wilkinson and Lieutenant Governor Jones. During a teachers' rally in Frankfort, Jones was sympathetic to their demands for more money for education than Wilkinson was supporting. Jones wanted to speak to the crowd that had gathered outside the Capitol. While in the governor's office, Wilkinson told Jones that if he spoke to the crowd, he should never "step foot [sic] in this office again." Jones defied Wilkinson by speaking to the teachers and, according to Penny Miller, editor of Jones' public papers, never again entered Wilkinson's office. ### Other matters of Wilkinson's term Wilkinson also helped to advance economic development in the state. During his tenure, Delta Air Lines nearly doubled the number of people it employed at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport; Wilkinson secured Delta's expansion by agreeing to limit the company's sales tax liability on jet fuel to \$4 million annually. Additionally, Scott Paper Company opened a plant near Owensboro and North American Stainless, a Spanish-owned steel company, located a plant near Carrollton. During his term in office, Wilkinson served on the Education Commission of the States, the Southern Growth Policies Board, and the Council of the State Governments and the Southern States Energy Board. He was elected chair of the Southern Governors' Association in 1990 and served on the Education Commission of the States' Policy and Priorities Committee. The Wilkinson administration was dogged by ethical questions that eventually resulted in prosecution of some members. Before being elected governor, Wilkinson asked the Kentucky attorney general to rule on his ownership of the Holiday Inn Capital Plaza Hotel in Frankfort. The ruling stated that he should sell the hotel, and in November 1987, Kentucky Central Life Insurance, a state-regulated company, purchased the property for \$12 million, which included \$8.2 million of debt. Kentucky Central became insolvent in 1994 and was ordered into liquidation. The following year, Kentucky Insurance Commissioner George Nichols III assumed the liquidation and brought suit against Wilkinson stating that the property was only worth \$6 million. Franklin County Circuit Judge Earl O'Bannon dismissed the lawsuit on the grounds that Wilkinson had not knowingly participated in Kentucky Central's breach of financial responsibility, even though it had, in his words, an "odor of politics." Further, an FBI (Operation Boptrot) investigation of the Kentucky General Assembly led to Wilkinson's nephew, Bruce N. Wilkinson, who served as his appointment secretary. Bruce Wilkinson was convicted of extortion, fined \$20,000, and sentenced to three years in prison. Wallace Wilkinson was investigated by a grand jury but never indicted. He vehemently denied any wrongdoing. In 1990, Wilkinson's wife, Martha, announced that she would seek the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in 1991. The move was widely seen as a surrogate candidacy so that her husband could continue his administration for a second consecutive term. Her challengers included Lieutenant Governor Jones, Lexington mayor Scotty Baesler, and Dr. Floyd G. Poore, the former Kentucky highway director. With polls consistently showing little support for her candidacy, Mrs. Wilkinson dropped out of the race in May 1991. Earlier in the year, Wallace Wilkinson was diagnosed with limited-stage Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This diagnosis was also a factor in Ms. Wilkinson's withdrawal from the race. Wallace underwent surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, then received radiation therapy at the University of Kentucky. These treatments eliminated all signs of the disease by 1993, and doctors gave Wilkinson an excellent chance of recovery. As Wilkinson's term ended, he appointed himself to a six-year term on the University of Kentucky's board of regents. The move was unprecedented, and was particularly controversial because of Wilkinson's open feuds with Charles T. Wethington Jr., the university president. An incensed legislature passed a law shortly thereafter that dissolved the existing boards of trustees at all Kentucky public colleges and universities and mandated that they be reconstituted by allowing the governor to select each member from a list of three candidates recommended by an independent review board. Jones, who succeeded Wilkinson as governor, used the provisions of the law to remove Wilkinson and several of his appointees from the university boards. ## Later life and death After his service as governor, Wilkinson returned to his business pursuits. In the early 1990s, he began borrowing money to keep his bookstore business solvent and to support his lavish lifestyle. His interest in running for another non-consecutive term as governor appeared to be dampened by the system of public financing that Kentucky had in place at that time for gubernatorial elections. In 1995, he published his memoir entitled You Can't Do That, Governor!; a major theme of the book was his disdain for conventional wisdom and political norms. In 1999, he launched ECampus.com, an Internet book retailer. Among the investors in the company were Wendy's founder Dave Thomas, Long John Silver's founder James Patterson, and Ohio State University president William English Kirwan. On February 5, 2001, a group of Wilkinson's creditors filed suit to have his companies seized. During the ensuing bankruptcy proceedings, Wilkinson admitted that his liabilities exceeded his assets by \$300 million. During the proceedings, it was revealed that Wilkinson had been financially insolvent since 1992 and was operating a Ponzi scheme, paying his creditors with money borrowed from others rather than his own profits. He had paid no federal income taxes since 1991. At his deposition in June 2001, Wilkinson invoked his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination over 140 times. Wallace's Bookstore was liquidated for just over \$31 million, and ecampus.com was sold for \$2.5 million. Wilkinson's wife, Martha, also filed for bankruptcy; his sons were forced to sell their homes to repay loans made to them by their father. During the bankruptcy proceedings, the Wilkinsons moved from Lexington to Naples, Florida. While in Lexington for a deposition on May 26, 2002, Wilkinson began to experience chest pains and was admitted to St. Joseph Hospital. Doctors diagnosed him with arterial blockages and scheduled him for arterial bypass surgery. Before the surgery could be performed, however, doctors discovered another lymphatic mass. Wilkinson began taking chemotherapy, and doctors removed the mass on June 4, 2002. Wilkinson was placed on life support on June 26, 2002. He suffered a stroke on July 4, 2002. Wilkinson had previously instructed his family not to continue life support after all hope of recovery was gone; accordingly, they decided to withdraw life support, and Wilkinson died on July 5, 2002. He was originally buried at Blue Grass Memorial Gardens in Nicholasville, Kentucky. In August 2002, his coffin was moved to a locked mausoleum at Sarasota Memorial Park in Sarasota, Florida; the family chose July 4, 2002 as the date of death for his marker. The city of Liberty dubbed the stretch of the U.S. 127 bypass that runs through the city Wallace Wilkinson Boulevard in 1987. ## See also - Central Virginia Community College v. Katz, an important U.S. Supreme Court case that arose from the bankruptcy of Wilkinson's bookstore company.

Sapo National Park

National park in Liberia

Sapo National Park is a national park in Sinoe County, Liberia. It is the country's largest protected area of rainforest, was the first national park established in the country, and contains the second-largest area of primary tropical rainforest in West Africa after Taï National Park in neighbouring Côte d'Ivoire. Agriculture, construction, fishing, hunting, human settlement, and logging are prohibited in the park. Sapo National Park is located in the Upper Guinean forest ecosystem, a biodiversity hotspot that has "the highest mammal species diversity of any region in the world", according to Conservation International, and in the Western Guinean lowland forests ecoregion, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature's ecoregions classification scheme. ## History ### Designation and early history In 1976, the Liberian Forestry Development Authority was created to manage and preserve the country's forest resources. A year later, in 1977, the Division of Wildlife and National Parks was formed under the leadership of Alexander Peal, who served as its head until 1990. By 1982, seven protected areas has been proposed in Liberia, including three national parks. Of these, only Sapo National Park — named after the local Sapo (or Sao) tribe — was formally designated, in 1983, by the People's Redemption Council. At the time, and for twenty years, it covered an area of 1,308 km² (505 sq mi) east of the Sinoe River and south of the Putu Mountains. The park's original boundaries were set and its management plan drafted by the Division of Wildlife and National Parks, in cooperation with the World Wildlife Fund, the World Conservation Union, and the Peace Corps. Throughout its history, Sapo National Park has been threatened by illegal farming, hunting, logging, and mining, "all exacerbated by the country's grinding poverty" and social and political instability. However, in the early 1990s, the World Conservation Monitoring Centre reported that "[rural development projects around the park and general acceptance of its existence have helped to minimise potential conflicts." Until the 1990s, poaching was limited due to various initiatives, funded by the United States Agency for International Development, that made local villagers stakeholders to the park's preservation. ### Civil war in Liberia During the First Liberian Civil War, Sapo National Park fell into the hands of rebel forces, and much of the park's infrastructure and equipment was damaged or destroyed, including a wildlife rehabilitation and orphanage facility constructed in 1989 and supported by Friends of Animals. Of 33 park employees, at least three were killed and seven became refugees. The extent of illegal resource extraction from inside the park during the period of rebel control is disputed. John Terborgh, a professor of environmental science and biology at Duke University, writes that "[l]ogging was rampant during the war". However, Peal reported that logging was limited, and that farming and hunting pressures were minimised, by population displacement — including the exodus of people out of over two dozen villages surrounding the park — and the prevailing climate of insecurity, to the extent that species populations actually increased during the war years. William Powers, a Catholic Relief Services official posted to Liberia from 1999 to 2001, noted that the Park was a war-time haven for small groups of people, who scavenged for food and hunted bushmeat to survive. Logging and poaching became more common after the war's end in 1996. In 2002, allegations surfaced that President Charles Taylor had sold concessions worth several millions of United States dollars to a Hong Kong-based timber company — the Oriental Timber Company — to conduct logging within the boundaries of the park. The funds were reportedly pocketed by Taylor or used to secure the loyalty of various senior commanders, to arm loyalist forces embroiled in the Second Liberian Civil War (1999–2003), and to acquire mercenary fighters from South Africa. Liberia's Minister of Information, Reginald Goodridge, denied the allegations, noting that no evidence of logging was found during a National Geographic Society team's two-week visit to the park. ### Post-war developments Fauna and Flora International and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) worked with Liberia's Forestry Development Authority and the Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia (SCNL) to prepare a two-year initiative to restart management of the park. Mainly funded by the Darwin Initiative of the United Kingdom's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the World Wildlife fund from 2000 to 2002, the objectives of the initiative were to re-establish the park's management, build support for the park among the local community, and to build Liberia's capacity in conservation management and planning. The SCNL also received a grant from the Whitley Foundation to begin a programme to monitor the park's large mammals. There has been very slow progress in the establishment of protected areas in Liberia. Sapo National Park, proclaimed in 1983, was the country's first protected area. The approval of the Sapo National Park Act (An Act for the extension of the Sapo National Park) on October 10, 2003 expanded the size of the park to 1,804 km² (697 sq mi), constituting an increase of more than 37%. The act recognised the park as being "at the core of an immense forests block of the Upper Guinea Forest Ecosystem that is important to the conservation of the biodiversity of Liberia and of West Africa as a whole". The 135 km² (33,359 acres) East Nimba Nature Reserve (ENNR), on the border with Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire, was created at the same time to become Liberia's second protected area. The peace that followed the conclusion of the Second Liberian Civil War gave rise to new threats to the park. Groups of fighters and civilians moved into the park during the final months of the conflict — some to escape the conflict and others to harvest timber or prospect for gold. The influx of people into the park continued after the war's end, eventually growing into a full-scale gold rush. Accompanying or following the prospectors were hunters, many of them former combatants, who poached the park's animals to sell as meat to the settlers. By March 2005, an estimated 5,000 people lived in the park, according to the United Nations Mission in Liberia. Although efforts were undertaken to remove the illegal squatters, the park was not completely emptied until late August-early September 2005, and then only through the participation of conservationists, the Liberian government, and United Nations peacekeeping forces. Due to its remote location and the near-complete absence of tangible amenities, such as visitor housing or recreational facilities, there are few visitors to Sapo National Park. Entry into the park is prohibited without approval from the Forestry Development Authority. No roads lead into the park, so it can be reached only on foot. The park also has no trails. ## Geography and climate Located in Sinoe County in southwestern Liberia, Sapo National Park covers an area of 1,804 km² (697 sq mi). The park is bounded to the north by the Putu Mountains and to the west by the Sinoe River. The park's quite homogeneous, flat and marshy topography supports a large area of uninhabited forest. Its southeastern area has lower elevations of approximately 100 m (328 ft) and gentle hills, while there are elevations of about 400 m (1,312 ft) and steep ridges in the north. There are many small streams and rivers between these ridges. Sinoe River is the largest river in the park. Mount Putu's 640 m (2,100 ft) summit is the highest elevation in the park. The park has a tropical climate, with temperatures ranging between 22–28 °C (72–82 °F). The forest's average relative humidity is 91%. Annual precipitation at Basintown, 4 km (2 mi) south of the park's headquarters, averaged 2,596 mm (100 in) in the 1980s. The park's dry season occurs from November to April and the wet season lasts from May to October. January and December are the driest months in the park, and May and August are the wettest months. There is a mid-dry period of decreased rainfall in July, which occasionally extends into August. During the dry season, many of the smaller streams dry up and their sandy and rocky stream beds are exposed. The dry season also causes the larger rivers shrink in size, exposing waterfalls and sandbars. In the rainy season, river levels can rise by more than 4 m (13 ft) in one night, inundating forests near the rivers. ## Biodiversity > From the airplane I stare down upon this forest for the first time. ... Below me is a block of peacock, kelly, and olive green stretching out to the horizon. I search for breaks in the canopy but find none. As far as my eyes can see, the earth is solid rainforest. ### Flora Liberia has the largest remaining part of the Upper Guinean forest ecosystem, with an estimated 42% of the remaining forest. The rest of the Upper Guinean forest is located in Côte d'Ivoire (28% of the remaining forest), Ghana (16%), Guinea (8%), Sierra Leone (5%), and Togo (1%). Just an estimated 40-45% of Liberia's original forest cover remains, and less than 30% of its area is covered by natural forest. Its tracts of forest were once continuous, but are now fragmented into blocks that are isolated from each other as a result of logging, road-building, cultivation, and human settlements. Before the civil war, the Forestry Development Authority calculated that about 35% of Liberia's original forest was "undisturbed", 45% was "disturbed but productive", and 20% was "disturbed and unproductive". Sapo National Park's forest is one of the country's last remaining blocks of tropical lowland rain forest, and one of West Africa's least disturbed lowland rainforests. It is the second-largest area of primary tropical rainforest in West Africa after Taï National Park in Côte d'Ivoire. The park has one of the richest amounts of floral species in the country, with many endemic species. A 1983 survey of the park determined it to be composed of 63% primary and mature secondary forest, 13% swamp forest, 13% seasonally inundated forest, and 11% young secondary forest. The forest is luxuriant, with trees that can grow to a height of 70 m (230 ft). The forest canopy's height ranges from 12–32 m (39–105 ft), with an average height of 25 m (82 ft). Plant species found in the park include the legumes Tetraberlinia tubmaniana and Gilbertiodendron splendidum, and the tree Brachystegia leonensis. ### Fauna Sapo National Park is a "regional centre of endemism" and biodiversity, at one time hosting around 125 mammal species and 590 types of bird, including a number of threatened species, such as the African golden cat, Gola malimbe, Liberian mongoose, white-breasted guineafowl, and white-necked rockfowl. The park is also home to the African civet, African fish eagle, grey parrot, giant forest hog, great blue turaco, speckle-throated otter, water chevrotain, three species of pangolin, seven species of monkey (including the endangered Diana monkey), crocodiles, leopards, bee-eaters, egrets, hornbills, kingfishers, rollers, and sunbirds. Prior to the formal designation of Sapo National Park in 1983 there had been "no systematic study of chimpanzee populations in Liberia". Since then, various surveys have confirmed the existence of the common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) in Sapo National Park, located primarily in the park's center and western areas, with estimates of the population ranging from 500 to 1,640. The culture of the local Sapo people includes a reverence for the chimpanzee and, therefore, a taboo against their hunting. Seven species of duiker antelopes are found in Sapo National Park, including the vulnerable Jentink's duiker (Cephalophus jentinki) and zebra duiker (Cephalophus zebra). bay duikers (Cephalophus dorsalis) and Maxwell's duikers (Cephalophus maxwellii) are reported to be locally abundant. Sapo National Park contains populations of the pygmy hippopotamus (Hexaprotodon liberiensis), an endangered species which has legal protection in Liberia under the Wildlife and National Park Act of 1988. Unique to West Africa, the wild population of pygmy hippopotamuses is thought to number less than 3,000 individuals. According to the World Conservation Union (IUCN), conservation efforts targeted at the species have "historically been most effective in the Sapo National Park ... where protection is good". According to an action plan published by the IUCN Species Survival Commission, Sapo National Park is "the only realistic choice" of a "of suitable conservation area" for the Pygmy Hippopotamus. In February 2008, automatic heat- and motion-sensing cameras set up in Sapo National Park captured the first photographs of the pygmy hippopotamus ever taken in Liberia. The photographs confirmed the continued presence of the species inside the boundaries of the park; previously, scientists did not know whether the pygmy hippopotamus population in the park had survived the civil wars and subsequent poaching and logging. The endangered African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) is also present in Sapo National park, with population estimates ranging from "as many as 500" for the early 1980s to between 313 and 430 for the end of the decade; however, the IUCN considers the most recent surveys — both of which relied on dung counts — to be of low quality and reliability. ## See also - List of national parks in Africa - Wildlife of Liberia

Dave Shannon

Australian bomber pilot

David John Shannon, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar (27 May 1922 – 8 April 1993) was an Australian bomber pilot of World War II, known for his part in the "Dambusters" raid on the night of 16/17 May 1943. Born in South Australia, Shannon joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in 1941 and learned to fly under the Empire Air Training Scheme. After further training in the United Kingdom he was posted to No. 106 Squadron RAF, operating Avro Lancaster heavy bombers, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in January 1943. In March 1943, Shannon was selected by No. 106 Squadron's commanding officer, Wing Commander Guy Gibson, to join the newly formed No. 617 Squadron for Operation Chastise, the attack on the dams of the Ruhr valley. Awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) following the raid, Shannon continued to fly with No. 617 Squadron until October 1944, during which time he earned bars to his DSO and DFC. He was then assigned to transport duties, first with No. 511 Squadron and then, in March 1945, with No. 246 Squadron. Ranked squadron leader, Shannon was demobilised after the war and remained in England, becoming an executive with Shell. He died in South London in 1993, aged seventy. ## Early life David John Shannon was born on 27 May 1922 at Unley Park, South Australia. His father, Howard Huntley Shannon, served as a South Australian state parliamentarian from 1933 to 1968. Shannon gained his Leaving Certificate at Unley High School. He was working for an insurance company when he joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Reserve in Adelaide on 5 July 1940, aged eighteen. On 4 January 1941 he transferred to the RAAF as an air cadet under the Empire Air Training Scheme. He received his instruction in Western Australia at No. 5 Initial Training School in Pearce, No. 9 Elementary Flying Training School in Cunderdin, and No. 4 Service Flying Training School in Geraldton. Following graduation as a pilot officer in September 1941, he was posted to the United Kingdom. ## Active service Promoted to flying officer in March 1942, Shannon underwent conversion to Armstrong Whitworth Whitley bombers at No. 19 Operational Training Unit in Kinloss, Scotland. He was then posted to No. 106 Squadron RAF, operating Avro Lancasters, and flew the first of his thirty-six sorties over Occupied Europe with the unit in June. On at least four occasions his aircraft was struck by flak. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on 12 January 1943 for "attacks on industrial targets in enemy territory". In March he was selected by No. 106 Squadron's former commanding officer, Wing Commander Guy Gibson, to join the newly formed No. 617 Squadron for Operation Chastise, the "Dambusters" raid on the dams of the Ruhr valley. Shannon was one of four Australian pilots in the squadron—the others being "Micky" Martin, Robert Barlow, and Les Knight—and, at twenty, the youngest captain from among all the crews. He cultivated a moustache in an attempt to add maturity to his baby face. On the night of Operation Chastise, 16/17 May 1943, Shannon was among a group of Lancasters led by Gibson in assaults on the Möhne and Eder Dams. After five of the aircraft had dropped their bouncing bombs on the Möhne, Shannon was preparing to make his attack on the dam when it gave way, so he carried on to the Eder with Gibson and three other Lancasters, captained by "Dinghy" Young, Henry Maudsley, and Les Knight. Detailed for the first bombing run at the Eder, Shannon took several attempts to familiarise himself with the area and line up his aircraft, so in the meantime Gibson ordered Maudsley to make his attack. Shannon went in next, delivering his bomb on target. Knight then dropped his bomb, and the dam broke. Shannon landed back at RAF Scampton feeling "terribly elated". His bomb was believed to have caused a crack in the dam's wall, while Knight's completed the breach. Speaking later of the severe losses suffered by the squadron—eight out of nineteen planes—Shannon contended, "I suppose we had become hardened to loss – we could shrug it off. We had to, otherwise we could never have flown again." He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his part in the mission, one of several decorations awarded to the aircrew of No. 617 Squadron for the dams raid and promulgated in The London Gazette with the citation: > On the night of 16th May, 1943, a force of Lancaster bombers was detailed to attack the Moehne, Eder and Sorpe dams in Germany. The operation was one of great difficulty and hazard, demanding a high degree of skill and courage and close co-operation between the crews of the aircraft engaged. Nevertheless, a telling blow was struck at the enemy by the successful breaching of the Mohne and Eder dams. This outstanding success reflects the greatest credit on the efforts of the following personnel who participated in the operation in various capacities as members of aircraft crew. No. 617 Squadron remained active as a special-duties unit operating against high-value targets, and Shannon took part in attacks on the Dortmund-Ems Canal and V-weapon sites with 12,000 lb (5,400 kg) bombs in the second half of 1943. The squadron made two attempts to destroy Dortmund-Ems, the first on the night of 14/15 September, aborting the mission with the loss of a Lancaster piloted by David Maltby. On the second operation the following night, in which five out of eight aircraft were shot down, Shannon hit the target in spite of poor weather, causing some damage. He married Section Officer Ann Fowler of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force at St Mark's parish church in London on 21 September. The couple had met at Scampton before the dams raid; Shannon proposed after returning from the mission and Ann accepted on the condition that he first shave his moustache. He was promoted to flight lieutenant two days later, and awarded a bar to his DFC on 12 November for a "low level attack in adverse weather against heavy opposition". Shannon again participated in raids against V-weapon sites in January 1944. The following month, No. 617 Squadron undertook its first sortie under the leadership of Wing Commander Leonard Cheshire. The unit began flying low-level target-marking missions using de Havilland Mosquito light bombers as well as Lancasters. Shannon converted to the Mosquito and started flying it operationally in April. He returned to the Lancaster on 5 June to drop "Window" as a part of the Allies' diversions ahead of the D-Day landings the following day, before again flying Mosquitos against V-weapon sites and in support of the Normandy invasion forces. Though "outwardly nerveless", according to military historian Patrick Bishop, Shannon was not immune to dread feelings. As they prepared to depart on one of their night missions, Cheshire commented on the beautiful sunset, to which Shannon replied, "I don't give a fuck about that, I want to see the sunrise". Having been raised to acting squadron leader, he was awarded a bar to his DSO on 26 September 1944 for "courage of high order on numerous sorties". The full citation in The London Gazette read: > Since the award of a bar to the Distinguished Flying Cross, Squadron Leader Shannon has completed many sorties which he has executed with outstanding resolution and success. He has at all times displayed courage and fortitude of a high order and his appreciation of the responsibilities entrusted to him have set a fine example to all. In October 1944, after a total of sixty-nine sorties, Shannon was taken off bomber operations and transferred to transport duties, initially with No. 511 Squadron, which flew long-range missions with Avro Yorks. His promotion to squadron leader became substantive on 1 January 1945. Three months later he was assigned to No. 246 Squadron, which operated Yorks and Consolidated Liberators. ## Later life Shannon was discharged from the RAAF as a squadron leader on 15 December 1945. He stayed in England and joined Shell, taking part in its drilling operations in Asia, Africa and South America. Having been employed as a trainee, he had gained promotion to refining coordinator with the company's East African subsidiary by the time he resigned in September 1961 to farm in Suffolk. Seven years later he joined Offshore Marine, a Trafalgar House company, taking over as managing director in November 1973. He became managing director of Geoprosco Overseas in 1978, and retired in September 1984. Shannon no longer flew after the war, but did like to drive fast cars. He also served as chairman of the No. 617 Squadron Association, helping to raise funds for the Dambusters memorial at Woodhall Spa. His wife Ann died in 1990, and he married artist Eyke Taylor in a civil ceremony at Camberwell, London, on 19 July 1991. On 8 April 1993, shortly before a planned fiftieth anniversary reunion of surviving Dambusters, Shannon died at Denmark Hill, London, following a stroke, and was buried beside Ann at Clifton Hampden, Oxfordshire. The last of the nine pilots who took part in the first wave of the dams raid, he was survived by his second wife and his daughter by Ann. On 17 May 2008, the sixty-fifth anniversary of the Dambusters raid, a memorial to Shannon and two other South Australians who took part in the mission, bomb aimers Fred Spafford and Bob Hay, was unveiled in Adelaide in the presence of the airmen's families. In July 2009 Shannon's daughter Nikki made his medals, uniform, and logbook available to the Australian War Memorial (AWM) in Canberra, for long-term display. The AWM also holds Shannon's portrait by Sir William Dargie. Shannon is further commemorated by a street in Glenelg North, South Australia.

Daniel Faraday

Fictional character of the TV series Lost

Dr. Daniel Faraday is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost played by Jeremy Davies. Faraday is introduced in the Season 4 premiere as a physicist from the Queen's College, University of Oxford. He suffers from short-term memory loss, possibly due to his experiments with radioactivity. He is part of the team aboard the freighter Kahana that is offshore the island. Throughout his time on the series, Faraday plays an important role by sharing his knowledge of time travel. After time traveling to 1977, Faraday is shot and killed by Eloise Hawking (Alice Evans) who is unaware that he is her son. Jeremy Davies was cast in the role because of the "tremendous intelligence that seems to emanate from him" and was one of the writer-producers' favorite character actors. Davies was critically praised for his performance and critics were generally disappointed by the character's death in season five. UGO.com named him one of the best TV nerds. ## Arc ### Background Daniel was born to Eloise Hawking (Fionnula Flanagan) and Charles Widmore (Alan Dale), both of whom were Others. Eloise raised Daniel on her own, hiding the identity of his father from him and pushing him to develop a scientific mind, much to the detriment of his social life and casual pursuits. After graduating from the University of Oxford with his girlfriend Theresa Spencer, Daniel was offered a £1.5 million grant by industrialist Charles Widmore. In the 1990s, Daniel started working as a physicist at The Queen's College, Oxford, with controversial experiments including sending a subject's consciousness through time. His initial tests on lab rats resulted in their deaths, which led to the abandonment of his studies. During his tenure, Daniel encountered Desmond Hume (Henry Ian Cusick), who was suffering from temporal displacement trapping him between 1996 and 2004. Daniel helped to ground Desmond's consciousness by telling him to find a constant in both time frames, which Desmond decided was to be Penny (Sonya Walger). This encounter had a profound effect on Daniel, reaffirming the legitimacy of his time-displacement theories and prompted him to resume his abandoned experiments. Daniel eventually performed similar experiments on Theresa, but she ended up suffering from temporal displacement as Desmond had and eventually fell into a coma, with temporary periods of lucidity. The funds for her continuing care were provided by Charles Widmore. As a result of Theresa's fate, Oxford fired Daniel and quietly removed all references to him ever having been at the university. At some point, Daniel also performed an experiment upon himself, resulting in long-term memory damage. While in Essex, Massachusetts, Daniel saw a news report covering the discovery of the apparent wreckage of Oceanic Flight 815 in the depths of the Sunda Trench. Widmore approached Daniel and after informing him that the Sunda Trench wreckage was a hoax, urged him to go to the island, which he said would heal him of his plight. At first, Daniel was reluctant, but Eloise convinced him to go. Daniel is then recruited into a covert team alongside Charlotte Lewis (Rebecca Mader), Miles Straume (Ken Leung) and Frank Lapidus (Jeff Fahey), which is organized by Matthew Abaddon (Lance Reddick) and led by Naomi Dorrit (Marsha Thomason). Their mission was to travel to the island, find Ben Linus (Michael Emerson), the then current leader of the Others, and disable the Dharma Initiative station called the Tempest, which contained poisonous gases. ### Season 4 Faraday first arrives on the island by parachuting out of a helicopter on December 23, 2004. After setting foot on the island, Faraday's memory problem slowly diminishes. He then encounters the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815, who are believed to be dead by the world at large. On the island, Faraday starts conducting an experiment regarding the island's unique passage of time. After reuniting with Charlotte, Faraday sneaks off with her to the Tempest Dharma Initiative station, where they neutralize a potential source of poison gas. Later, the corpse of the freighter's doctor washes ashore. Jack Shephard (Matthew Fox) confronts Faraday and he is forced to confess that the freighter upon which they arrived was not sent to the island to rescue the survivors. Around this time, Daniel realizes the Secondary Protocol, detailing the whereabouts of Ben Linus, has been activated by Widmore, necessitating their immediate departure from the island. Faraday begins to ferry survivors to the freighter, but Charlotte and Miles choose to remain on the island. Daniel and five survivors are caught midway between the Kahana and the island when the Kahana blows up and the island is "moved" by Ben Linus. ### Season 5 When Ben causes the island to vanish, Charlotte, Faraday and the remaining survivors begin to travel through time. After the survivors are sent to the past, Faraday lures Desmond out of the Swan Dharma Initiative station, telling him to find Daniel's mother once Desmond is off the island. Upon jumping further to the past, Faraday and the group are captured by the Others in 1954. The Others mistake them for military personnel and Faraday is forced to disable a hydrogen bomb labelled "Jughead". During this time period, he confesses his love for Charlotte. After telling the Others that they must bury the bomb, the survivors experience another time jump. The time jumps cause Charlotte to experience nosebleeds, headaches, and double vision, and she eventually collapses. As she dies, Charlotte tells Faraday she remembers living on the island as a child, and recognizes him as the man who told her not to return once she left the island. After John Locke (Terry O'Quinn) stops the time jumps, the remaining survivors are stranded in 1974. Faraday and his group move into the Barracks and under false pretenses, join the DHARMA Initiative. Despite the option to board the DHARMA submarine and "go back to the real world", the survivors from 2004 stay on the island together in the hope that they can somehow return to the time that they knew and Faraday becomes a scientist for DHARMA. Faraday then leaves the island and joins the DHARMA headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In 1977, Daniel arrives back on the island and sets out to stop the construction of the Swan Station before drilling hits the electromagnetic "energy pocket", which ultimately results in the crash of Flight 815. Faraday plans to detonate the hydrogen bomb "Jughead" and destroy the unstable electromagnetic energy so no one would have to be pushing a button to save the world and Flight 815 would not crash. Before putting his plan into action, Daniel visits a young Charlotte, telling her never to return to the island once she leaves. Daniel then travels to the Others' camp with Jack and Kate Austen (Evangeline Lilly) to obtain the bomb. He breaks into their camp and threatens to shoot Richard Alpert (Nestor Carbonell). However, he is shot by his mother, Eloise Hawking. Before Daniel dies, he tells Eloise he is her son and she sent him to the island despite knowing he would die. ### Afterlife In the afterlife, in which Oceanic Flight 815 does not crash on the Island, Faraday has a different background. Daniel was allowed to pursue his passion for music, and never trained in physics. After overhearing Eloise trying to persuade Desmond to stop pursuing Penelope (Sonya Walger), Faraday approaches Desmond and shares his theory of the timeline being altered. He tells Desmond that he recently saw a red-haired woman he strongly felt he already knew and loved. Daniel states after the encounter, he made a series of notes in his journal which a mathematician has identified as advanced quantum mechanics, a topic he knows nothing about. Daniel shows his notes, and hypothesises that the world as he and Desmond are experiencing is not their correct path. Faraday then tells him Penelope is his half-sister and where Desmond can find her. Later, Faraday meets Charlotte at his benefit concert, but they do not yet realize they are in the afterlife. Daniel then takes the stage with DriveShaft to play as Charlotte watches from the crowd. It is later implied that both Eloise and Desmond are both aware that they are living in the afterlife. Eloise convinces Desmond to let Faraday live out the rest of his afterlife, since Faraday was never allowed to live the life he wanted in his past, and Eloise was never allowed to spend time with her son. ## Development After Naomi Dorrit (Marsha Thomason) landed on the island in season three, the producers began to plan who else would be on the boat she came from. They wanted these new characters to be interested in finding the island for their own personal reasons. During the casting of the "freighter folk"—the nickname that Lost's producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse use to refer to Daniel, Charlotte, Miles and Frank—fake names, occupations and scenes were temporarily assigned, to limit the leak of spoilers. In the initial casting call, Daniel was referred as "brilliant mathematician" "Russell". Jeremy Davies was cast as Daniel because he was one of the writer-producers' favorite character actors, and they think that his "transformative quality [and] the tremendous intelligence that seems to emanate from him ... seemed perfect for [the part]." The producers constructed the role around Davies based on his performances in Rescue Dawn and Solaris. When Davies met costume designer Roland Sanchez, he was wearing a thin black tie. Sanchez merged this "cool, edgy look" with his idea for the character's clothes: a "nerdy" loosely woven dress shirt from J.Crew. Davies reportedly took a "crash course" on physics to understand the character better. Showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse called Daniel Faraday "an obvious shout-out to Michael Faraday, scientist and physicist". Faraday was originally planned to be a recurring role. ## Reception Producers Lindelof and Cuse were worried about how the new characters would be received by fans, after the unhappy reaction to new characters Nikki (Kiele Sanchez) and Paulo (Rodrigo Santoro), introduced in season three. However, following their introduction in "Confirmed Dead", the four characters were well received, with Paige Albiniak of the New York Post citing them as a reason behind the show's improved ratings. IGN's Chris Carabott described Daniel, as well as the other new characters from the freighter, as "great" and "exciting". James Poniewozik of Time liked the introduction of the new characters from the freighter because "Each got just one flashback and a little time on the island, and yet by the end of the episode, [he] felt [he] had a true handle on what they were like as individuals". Oscar Dahl of BuddyTV called it the "perfect introduction". Michael Ausiello of TV Guide also liked their introduction, and praised the actors' performances. Jeff Jensen from Entertainment Weekly liked that the "fascinating" new characters brought "mind-blowing new possibilities, and exciting new theory fodder". Many critics praised Davies' performance and appearance. Tom Iacuzio of The Daytona Beach News-Journal deemed Jeremy Davies's performance deserving of a Primetime Emmy Award. Alan Sepinwall of The Star-Ledger claimed Davies's performance to be "outstanding" . Jay Glatfelter of The Huffington Post said that Daniel "more and more becoming one of [his] favorite characters". Chris Carabott wrote that Davies presents Faraday's awkward mannerisms well. In a later review, Carabott commented, "I've become a huge fan of Davies over the course of the last couple of years thanks to his performance on this show." Rachel Dovey of Paste said "The Variable" revealed "a whole different" side of Daniel: "We've oscillated before about the true nature of the physicist, whether it's good or evil [...] We decided he's mostly a decent guy, barring the whole experimenting-on-his-girlfriend-then-running-away-when-her-brain-turned-to-mush thing. In the past, he's just seemed lost and confused, and, since he has those big, earnest puppy eyes, we decided to forgive him. But the episode showed us the dynamic at the heart of Daniel's stuttering vulnerability. Like all broken superheroes and Freudian beings, the man has mommy issues. This week we dove inside the dynamic between Daniel and his mother growing up." Also, Adam Sweeney believed Davies's acting was the "high point" of the episode. A reviewer for TVoholic claimed he would have "loved any sort of explanation as to why [Daniel] changed his mind about changing the past or how he thought this could work. There must have been something that made Daniel think this was possible, but he was in such a rush that he never took care to explain." Critics expressed shock regarding Daniel's death. David Oliver of CHUD.com felt "bummed" to see Daniel go. Dan Compora of Airlock Alpha also said the shooting of Daniel at the end was “stunning.” Jon Lachonis of TVOvermind claimed that as an internal character piece, "The Variable" was "not so much a great ending for Daniel. Jeremy Davies submitted the episode "The Constant" on his behalf for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

Sir John Brunner, 1st Baronet

British industrialist and politician

Sir John Tomlinson Brunner, 1st Baronet, (8 February 1842 – 1 July 1919) was a British chemical industrialist and Liberal Party politician. At Hutchinson's alkali works in Widnes he rose to the position of general manager. There he met Ludwig Mond, with whom he later formed a partnership to create the chemical company Brunner Mond & Co., initially making alkali by the Solvay process. As a Member of Parliament he represented Northwich, Cheshire, in 1885–1886 and then from 1887 to 1910. He was a paternalistic employer and as a politician supported Irish Home Rule, trade unions, free trade, welfare reforms and, leading up to the First World War, a more sympathetic stance towards Germany. Brunner was a prominent Freemason, and a generous benefactor to the towns in his constituency and to the University of Liverpool. He is the great grandfather of the Duchess of Kent. ## Early life and career John Tomlinson Brunner was born in Everton, Liverpool, the fourth child and second son of John Brunner (b. 20 June 1800), a Swiss Unitarian and schoolmaster, and Margaret Catherine Curphey (d. 8 September 1847), who originated from the Isle of Man, daughter of Thomas Curphey and wife Margaret Leece. His father established a school in Netherfield Road, Everton, known as St George's House, to teach children along the lines advocated by Pestalozzi. Brunner's mother died in 1847, when he was aged five; his father married Nancy Inman in 1851. She had a shrewd business sense and Brunner gave credit to her for teaching him skills in practical matters. Brunner was educated at his father's school and then, at the age of 15, he decided to follow a career in commerce. He spent four years in a shipping house in Liverpool, but found it neither exciting nor lucrative, and so decided on a change of career. In 1861, Brunner took a clerical post at Hutchinson's alkali works in Widnes, where his older brother Henry was already working as technical manager. There, he rose to the position of general manager. Shortly after starting work at Hutchinson's, Brunner met the German-born chemist Ludwig Mond. ## Brunner Mond and Company In 1873 Brunner formed a partnership with Mond and together they founded Brunner Mond & Company. Their initial capital was less than £20,000 (£ in ), most of which was borrowed. In April 1872 Mond had been to Belgium to meet Ernest Solvay to negotiate terms to manufacture alkali by the process Solvay had developed. The Solvay process produced soda ash more cheaply than the established Leblanc process, from raw materials which were more easily obtainable, and produced fewer waste products. Mond made a gentlemen's agreement with Solvay to apportion the global markets, with Mond's company having exclusive rights to the United States and to the British Isles. Brunner and Mond decided to build their factory at Winnington, near Northwich, Cheshire on land owned by Lord Stanley of Alderley. This was sited on the River Weaver which allowed for the transport of the raw materials and finished products to and from the works. Lord Stanley insisted on selling the house, Winnington Hall, as well as the surrounding land, as part of the deal. The purchase was completed in 1873, and for a time both Mond and Brunner lived separately in the wings of the hall. The early years were extremely difficult, initially in getting the plant to work efficiently and then in selling the soda ash. It was not until 1878 that success was achieved when they outsold their competitors and were producing their products more cheaply. In 1881, the partnership was converted into a limited company with capital assets listed at £600,000 (£ in ) and the founders became managing directors for life. In 1891, Brunner became the chairman and retained that position until April 1918, 14 months before his death. However, by then his duties were being increasingly performed by his son, Roscoe. After its slow start, Brunner Mond & Company became the wealthiest British chemical company of the late 19th century. On its merger with three other British chemical companies to form Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) in 1926, it had a market capitalization of over £18 million (£ in ). Brunner's sobriquet, "Chemical Croesus", was given to him by The Times. He was a paternalistic employer and went to great lengths to improve the situation of his employees. Measures introduced by Brunner and Mond were shorter working hours, sickness and injury insurance, and holidays with pay. ## Politics During the years he was working at Hutchinson's in Widnes, Brunner was developing his political interests. He joined the Widnes chapter of the National Education League and became its secretary in 1872. This gave him the opportunity to come into contact with Liberals from Liverpool and other parts of the country. Soon after moving to Northwich Brunner became more practically involved with education locally, in particular with the British School in the town. He later served on its board of governors and also on the local sanitary authority. As a result of the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 the parliamentary constituency of Northwich was created and Brunner offered himself as a candidate for the Liberal Party. In his speech for the position he expressed support for the disestablishment of the Church of England, for reform of property laws, for Irish Home Rule and for compensation for those whose properties had been damaged by the pumping of brine from the salt mines in the area. During the campaign he was heckled because he had a foreign-sounding name. He responded "My father was a Swiss, my mother was a Manx woman, I was born in Liverpool, my nurse was Welsh: is that Cheshire enough for you?" At the general election on 1 December 1885 Brunner beat William Henry Verdin, his Conservative rival, with a majority of 1,028. The Liberal Party won more seats than any other party in the election, but insufficient to form a majority government, leaving the Irish Parliamentary Party holding the balance of power. It proved impossible to form a stable government, and so another general election was called in June 1886. In the meantime, the Liberal Party had split, and the Liberal Unionist Party had been formed. Brunner's opponent at the 1886 election was William Henry Verdin's brother, Robert, standing as a Liberal Unionist. The election was held on 13 July 1886, and Brunner was defeated by 458 votes. In November 1886, Brunner embarked on a world tour, accompanied by his wife and his son Stephen. His return to Northwich on 2 July 1887 was greeted with great celebration, as he was extremely popular in the town, regarded as a kind and sympathetic employer and a generous benefactor. Within three weeks of Brunner's return, Robert Verdin died and a by-election was called. Brunner's opponent was Lord Henry Grosvenor, who was standing as a Liberal Unionist. This time, at the by-election on 13 August, Brunner won with a majority of 1,129. After the 1889 Armagh rail disaster, Brunner opposed moves to regulate safety on railways, saying during a debate on 2 August that safety should be left in the hands of "those who understand these matters best", i.e. the railway companies. But the government moved rapidly to have railway operations and safety supervised by the Board of Trade. At the 1892 general election, Brunner's opponent was not a Liberal Unionist, but a Conservative, George Whiteley, who was a cotton manufacturer from Blackburn. Brunner was returned with an increased majority of 1,255. In the 1895 election he beat Thomas Ward, another Conservative, by 1,638 votes. The 1900 general election was held during the Boer War, to which Brunner was opposed. He retained his seat, but with a reduced majority of 699. In the 1906 general election, Brunner's opponent was the Conservative Colonel B. N. North who had fought in the Boer War. Brunner increased his majority to 1,792. He continued to be the Member of Parliament for Northwich until the general election in January 1910, when he decided not to stand again, partly because of his own health and also because of concern for his wife's health. Subsequently, he moved to Surrey, but continued to play a part in politics when he was elected to the Chertsey division of Surrey County Council. As a Liberal MP he supported Irish Home Rule, trade unions, free trade and welfare reforms. Leading up to the First World War he argued that Britain should adopt a more sympathetic approach towards Germany, including naval disarmament. When war did break out, Brunner was resolute in the opinion that it should be fought and won. In addition to the production of alkali, his factories were making other chemicals for use as explosives. He also built a new factory to purify trinitrotoluene. ## Benefactions Brunner was a generous benefactor whose gifts included the provision of schools, guildhalls and social clubs. In Northwich he provided a free library and re-endowed Sir John Deane's Grammar School. In Runcorn he purchased a disused chapel and presented it to the town to be used by the trades unions and the Friendly Societies, and in nearby Weston village he bought a disused school and gave it to the local community to serve as its village hall. He also endowed the chairs of economics, physical chemistry and Egyptology (the Brunner Professorships) at the University of Liverpool. Abroad he gave gifts to the Landesmuseum in Zürich and provided a hospital, also in Switzerland. In 1885 he became a Freemason and in 1900 founded the John Brunner Lodge at Over Winsford. The following year he was honoured with the brevet rank of Past Grand Deacon of England. In 1899 Brunner (who had by then been created a baronet) became chairman of the Runcorn and Widnes Transporter Bridge Company. He subscribed £25,000 (£ in ) towards its construction plus a loan of £12,000 (£ in ) together with a personal guarantee on a bank loan of £31,000 (£ in ). When the building of the bridge was complete in 1905 it was due to be opened by Edward VII, but the king was unable to attend, and so Brunner performed the ceremony himself. By 1911 it had become apparent that the bridge would always operate at a loss, and Brunner assigned his interest in it to Widnes Corporation. The Times stated that this action amounted to a "virtual gift of £68,000" (£ in ). ## Personal life Brunner believed that his success owed much to the "courage and independence of thought" that he derived from his Unitarian faith and recalled the influence of visits to Renshaw Street Unitarian Chapel with his father as a child. On 14 June 1864 Brunner married Salome Davies, the daughter of a Liverpool merchant with whom he had six children. Salome died on 29 January 1874 and the following year he married Jane Wyman, the daughter of a Kettering physician and the governess to his children. From this marriage three more children, all daughters, were born. On 8 September 1890 his oldest son, John, got into difficulties whilst swimming in Lake Como, Italy. He was rescued by his younger sibling, Sidney Herbert Brunner, who lost his life in the process. Sidney's body was found on 10 September and buried in Bellagio, beside the lake, the next day. In 1891 the Brunners moved from Winnington Hall to Wavertree, a suburb of Liverpool. Amongst other offices held, he was Vice-President of the British Science Guild, Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Lancashire (from 1904) and Pro-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool. In 1909 the University of Liverpool awarded him the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws. In 1895 he was made the Baronet of Druids Cross in the County of Lancashire and in 1906 he became a member of the privy council, but he declined offers of a peerage. He died in 1919 at his home in Chertsey, Surrey. His estate amounted to over £906,000 (£ in ). In addition, he had given generously to his five married daughters, and had transferred investments to his sons. The baronetcy passed to his eldest son, John Fowler Leece Brunner. His descendants include, through his elder son's daughter (Joyce Worsley, Lady Worsley, née Brunner), Katharine, Duchess of Kent (born 1933), married since 1961 to a grandson of Britain's King George V, and Shelagh Brunner (1902-1983), daughter of his younger son (Harold Roscoe Brunner), who morganatically married Prince Ferdinand of Liechtenstein (1901-1981) in 1925, a member of that principality's still reigning dynasty.

Rock & Chips

British television miniseries

Rock & Chips is a British television comedy-drama miniseries and a prequel to the sitcom Only Fools and Horses. The show is set in Peckham, southeast London, during the early 1960s, focusing primarily on the lives of Del Trotter, Freddie Robdal and Joan and Reg Trotter. Nicholas Lyndhurst, who played Rodney in Only Fools and Horses, plays Robdal alongside James Buckley (Del Boy), Kellie Bright (Joan), Shaun Dingwall (Reg) and Phil Daniels (Grandad). The Shazam Productions and BBC co-production was written by Only Fools and Horses creator John Sullivan, directed by Dewi Humphreys and produced by Gareth Gwenlan. The 90-minute pilot was conceived in 1996 and commissioned in 2003, with the premise established in the final episode of Only Fools and Horses in 2003. It was shelved and Only Fools and Horses spin-off The Green Green Grass was developed; its success led to the prequel being recommissioned in July 2009. Filming began in October in London and the production was first broadcast on BBC One and BBC HD on 24 January 2010. It was the second most watched programme of the day but gained mixed reviews from critics. ## Plot The story starts in February 1960, by setting up the characters. Joan Trotter (Kellie Bright) is in an unhappy marriage with the lazy Reg (Shaun Dingwall), whose father Ted (Phil Daniels) has just moved in. Her 15-year-old son Derek (James Buckley), often shortened to Del Boy, and his friends Boycie, Trigger, Jumbo Mills and Denzil (Stephen Lloyd, Lewis Osborne, Lee Long and Ashley Gerlach) are still in school, following an increase in the school-leaving age. Joan works at the local cinema with Trigger's aunt Reenie Turpin (Emma Cooke) and Raymond (Billy Seymour) for cinema manager Ernie Rayner (Robert Daws), and at the Town Hall as "a part-time filing clerk who sometimes makes the tea". Convicted thief Freddie Robdal (Nicholas Lyndhurst) has just been released from Dartmoor Prison and returned to Peckham with explosives expert Gerald "Jelly" Kelly (Paul Putner). At the Town Hall, Joan asks Mr Johnson (Colin Prockter) about applying for a flat in the new high-rise estate; she is told she is unlikely to get a tenancy, as preference will be given to those with young children. At the Nag's Head, Freddie and Reg meet, and Reg invites him to his house to continue drinking. After meeting Joan and buying her a drink, Freddie realises that she is a Trotter, a family he has a dislike for. After they return to the Trotters' house, Freddie shows his affection for Joan. At the cinema, Joan is promoted to part-time assistant manager and Rayner tells her that the safe sometimes contains over £2,000 at weekends. She later tells Freddie, after he goes round to her house to offer Reg some work (Reg was not at home as Freddie told him to meet him at the pub). They talk about art, and he invites her (and Reg) to his house-warming party. In March, Joan has a Marilyn Monroe hairstyle and the safe at the cinema is broken into. Ahead of the party, Freddie gives Reg the use of his car, to return unused decorating materials to Guildford and he takes his father, Reenie and her boyfriend Clayton Cooper (Roger Griffiths) with him. They run out of petrol on the way, leaving Freddie and Joan the only ones at the party. They dance, and Freddie admits that he wanted to be alone with Joan so they could talk about art. They end the night by sleeping together. In June, Reenie accompanies Joan to a pregnancy testing clinic, while the boys are on the Jolly Boys' Outing to Margate (providing Freddie and Jelly the opportunity to burgle a jewellers). On their journey home, Reenie tells Joan about Freddie's time in prison and she realises he burgled the cinema. After Freddie tells Kelly he thinks he's in love with Joan, Reg announces her pregnancy in the pub. While Joan is completing a housing request form, Freddie goes to see her and she fails to acknowledge the baby is his. The Trotters' housing application is successful in August, and September sees them view a flat in the new Sir Walter Raleigh House, which they have moved into in October. In November, Joan has her baby, which she calls Rodney (after the "handsome actor" Rod Taylor, and to the surprise of everyone else). The closing scene sees Joan enter the balcony of her flat with Rodney in her arms. After telling him that Del will be very rich one day, Joan sees Freddie on a balcony in a tower opposite; she shows him Rodney and nods her head, to his delight. Throughout, the story tells of Del's strained relationship with his father and his affection for his mother; Reg's affair with the barmaid at the Nag's Head; Del and Jumbo selling goods from the docks out of the back of a van; Del and Boycie's attempt at dating Pam and Glenda (Jodie Mooney and Katie Griffiths); Joan fending off advances from her perverted boss; and introducing Roy Slater (Calum MacNab) and Albie Littlewood (Jonathan Readwin). ## Cast ## Production Writer John Sullivan had the idea for a prequel to the sitcom Only Fools and Horses in 1996; its commission was announced in 2003 and the premise for the series was established in the final Only Fools and Horses episode "Sleepless in Peckham" in 2003, where Rodney discovers a photograph of Freddie Robdal from 1960. His uncanny resemblance to Rodney confirmed that he, and not Reg, was Rodney's biological father. A lot of the groundwork for this had been both laid and explored in the episode "The Frog's Legacy", the 1987 Christmas Day hour-long special. In the episode Rodney goes to ask about his father to which Albert diplomatically replies 'They're rumours Rodney. That's all. Rumours.' The proposed prequel, was to be titled Once Upon a Time in Peckham, it would see young versions of Del, Boycie, Denzil and Trigger, and Sullivan said "Joanie will be a key character, and during the film will give birth to Rodney." However, the prequel was shelved, and spin-off The Green Green Grass was developed to follow secondary characters, Boycie, Marlene and their son Tyler, as they escape the London Mafia and attempt to live in the Shropshire countryside. It was reported in January 2009 that the prequel was being considered again, following the success of The Green Green Grass. On 3 July 2009, the BBC announced that the prequel had been commissioned as a 90-minute comedy drama, titled Sex, Drugs & Rock 'n' Chips, to be co-produced by the BBC and Sullivan's production company, Shazam Productions. Originally scheduled for August, filming began in October 2009 in London, lasting 19 days. Nicholas Lyndhurst, who played Rodney in Only Fools and Horses, would play villain and art connoisseur Freddie Robdal in a reprise of his role in the "Sleepless in Peckham" photograph, Kellie Bright (Bad Girls, The Archers) would play the "glamorous" Joan Trotter, her husband Reg would be portrayed by Shaun Dingwall (Soldier Soldier, Doctor Who), and his father by Phil Daniels (Quadrophenia, EastEnders). James Buckley (The Inbetweeners), would play the teenage Derek, Joan and Reg's son, portrayed by David Jason in Only Fools and Horses. Dewi Humphreys (The Green Green Grass) would direct. It was announced in January 2010 that the production would be shown on 24 January on BBC One with the title Rock & Chips. The drama was produced by Gareth Gwenlan, who worked on Only Fools and Horses between 1988 and 2003. Speaking to the Western Mail, he described it as "essentially a love story" between Joan and Freddie, and he said that Lyndhurst "told me he thinks it's the best thing he's ever done". Speaking about the casting of Lyndhurst, he said he "would make a marvellous villain, which is something people will never have seen him do on TV before". Speaking about continuing the story, Gwenlan said that the production was "run on the idea it'll be turned into a series. This one lays the groundwork and John [Sullivan] has enough for about two more series." On 13 September 2010, while promoting the third series of The Inbetweeners on BBC Radio 5 Live, James Buckley confirmed that Rock & Chips would return for two more specials, one for Christmas 2010, and the other for Easter 2011. John Sullivan died on 23 April 2011, five days before the final episode was broadcast. ### Locations The 'Nags Head' pub used in the pilot episode is a de-furbished version of the existing 'Pelton Arms' pub in Greenwich, which maintains the 'Only Fools And Horses' look, style and 'feel'. The prefabricated Excalibur Estate in Catford was used as a location in the opening episode. ### John Sullivan's comments Sullivan said when the production was announced that it would "give us a bit of an insight into why Del and Rodney turned out the way they did" in a period "before The Beatles and Mary Quant made London the coolest place on the planet" when "the staple diet was rock salmon and chips and the flicks offer the only hint of glamour". Expanding further on the basis for the prequel, he said: > ... the most important person in the flat [in Only Fools and Horses] was never, ever seen; it was the spirit of Del's (and Rodney's) beloved mother Joan who had passed away 17 years before, and throughout the run of the series Del constantly referred to her and past events within the Trotter Family. ... But much of his historical information was at best contradictory, and at worse [sic] outright lies. We were left with a situation where the only person who really knew what had happened was an unreliable witness, so I decided to return to those misty days of 1960 to meet all those characters we'd only ever heard about ... ### Nicholas Lyndhurst's comments In an interview in the press pack for the production, Lyndhurst described Freddie Robdal as "a villain – charming, but nasty", and comparing him to Rodney, said that: "They're from two entirely different suitcases as far as I'm concerned. I didn't want to bring into it anything that I'd already done with Rodney and fortunately there wasn't any opportunity to do so. They're like chalk and cheese." Speaking about the 19-day filming schedule and the "not great" budget, he also told Michael Deacon of The Daily Telegraph that: > I was very pleased it was made at all. ... There were people who said, 'I don't think we're going to do this', and we had to wait months to get the green light. We thought, 'Well, we haven't got the budget we want, we haven't got the schedule we want, so we're going to have to make it as brilliant as we can.' It was a costume drama and it needed a costume drama budget, and it didn't get that. ## Episodes ## Reception Overnight figures estimated Rock & Chips was seen by 7.4 million viewers with a 28% audience share, winning the slot against ITV's Wild at Heart and the Dancing on Ice results show. It was the second most-watched programme of the day, behind the first Dancing on Ice programme of the evening. Final figures showed it was seen by 8.42 million viewers on BBC One and 279,000 on BBC HD. Sam Wollaston for The Guardian said he was missing the interplay between Rodney and Del Boy from the original, and that the only fun in the drama was "recognising the nods, working out who's who and how it all fits into place. Otherwise, it's pretty lame." The Daily Mirror's Jim Shelley didn't find the storyline "interesting or convincing", finding Lyndhurst's performance as Freddie "laughable" and saying it was "bizarre" that the storyline "virtually abandoned its main character (the young Del Boy) and its best actor (the engaging James Buckley from The Inbetweeners) who played him". In The Independent, Tom Sutcliffe said that "the narrative's focus was blurred and the pacing weirdly off – quite a lot of the time you were well ahead of the drama and hanging around for it to catch up with you". Benji Wilson from The Daily Telegraph also wasn't impressed saying the viewer would have been disappointed if they "tuned in wanting to be entertained, enthused, or anything in between", and that it was an "ocean-going stinker". However, The Scotsman's Paul Whitelaw said that, despite a "disjointed" plot and it being "overstretched at 90 minutes": "It was actually pretty good. Not great, not perfect, but a watchable production from which everyone emerged with their dignity intact." He said that Buckley "delivered a charming performance in what was effectively a supporting role. Wisely choosing to suggest Del's familiar mannerisms without opting for outright impersonation, he carried off a difficult task with modest élan." Writing for The Stage, Harry Venning found the performances "top notch" and praised the script as "first class", saying "the comic moments were of the highest quality and beautifully crafted into the narrative". Andrew Billen from The Times described Bright's portrayal of Joan as "winsome", said Lyndhurst "produced a detailed performance" and that "Rock & Chips was better than the sequel that preceded it." Keith Watson in the Metro also praised the performances of Buckley and Bright, saying "They deserved a show all to themselves." Although he found the period detail "squeaky clean" and "unconvincing", he closed his review by saying: "Somehow it made me care about the Trotters in a way decades of Only Fools and Horses never came close to." ## Home media The pilot of Rock & Chips was released on Region 2 DVD on 5 April 2010. The Christmas special "Five Gold Rings" was released on DVD on 28 March 2011. On 2 May 2011, the third special "The Frog and the Pussycat", was released as well as a three-disc DVD set titled "Rock & Chips – The Complete Collection", comprising all three of the episodes.

In a Mirror, Darkly

"In a Mirror, Darkly" is the eighteenth and nineteenth episodes of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise, and originally aired on April 22 and 29, 2005. This installment was developed to be a sequel to The Original Series episode "The Tholian Web" and a prequel to "Mirror, Mirror". The decision to set an Enterprise episode in the mirror universe originated with a pitch to enable William Shatner to appear in the series. The teleplays for both parts of the episode were written by Mike Sussman, with Manny Coto contributing the story for the second part. Set in the 22nd century, the series normally follows the adventures of the first Starfleet starship Enterprise, registration NX-01. However, these installments feature a mirror universe Jonathan Archer and evil counterparts of the normal characters, who serve the cruel and militaristic Terran Empire. In the first part, the ISS Enterprise learns of a Starfleet ship from the future of the main universe which is being stripped for parts by the Tholians, and seeks to take the ship from the aliens. The second part sees the surviving crew operating the USS Defiant and seeking to overthrow the Empire using its advanced weaponry. The episode saw the reuse of footage from Star Trek: First Contact and the creation of an alternative opening credits sequence which included footage from other Paramount properties such as the film The Hunt for Red October. A three-quarters-around bridge from The Original Series era was constructed, as well as other sets from a Constitution-class starship. A Gorn and a Tholian were both created using CGI, with the Gorn using motion capture techniques. This installment also saw the return of Vaughn Armstrong as Admiral Maxwell Forrest after his main universe character was killed on screen earlier in the season in the episode "The Forge". This episode subsequently appeared in several lists of the best episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise. It was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Hairstyling for a Series in 2005. ## Plot ### Part I In 2063, a Vulcan ship lands on Earth, making first contact with humans (as seen in Star Trek: First Contact). Instead of peacefully greeting them, Zefram Cochrane shoots the lead Vulcan and the humans storm and loot the ship. In 2155, Doctor Phlox and Major Reed demonstrate a new torture device to Captain Forrest and Commander Archer on the ISS Enterprise. Archer suggests to Forrest they travel into Tholian space, as he has heard rumors of technology they might wish to steal. The two argue, and Forrest returns to his quarters where he is comforted by Lieutenant Sato. When he leaves, he is ambushed by Archer and several MACOs (a military team) and sent to the brig. Archer travels to the bridge and announces that he has taken command. After torturing a Tholian pilot for coordinates, he orders a change of course to the shipyard, and tells Commander T'Pol, whom he promotes to first officer, to install a Suliban cloaking device with Commander Tucker. Archer also appoints Sergeant Mayweather as his personal guard, and Sato proposes that she keep her job as Captain's woman. Archer has Sato send a message to Starfleet about their mission to raid the Tholian technology. Tucker is injured when the cloaking device is sabotaged. Archer questions Forrest, who denies all knowledge, and Reed tortures Tucker expecting him to be the saboteur. T'Pol leads a team to free Forrest and reclaim the ship, but Archer encrypts navigation control to prevent a course change. Forrest tortures Archer, but orders his release after he receives word that Starfleet agrees with Archer's plans. Archer shows images of an alternate universe vessel from the future named USS Defiant (a Constitution-class starship, last seen in "The Tholian Web"), that has technology and power that is a century more advanced than ISS Enterprise. On arriving at the shipyard, Archer, T'Pol, and Tucker transport across, and Tucker begins powering up the vessel. Tholian vessels then attack, creating an energy web around Enterprise. Forrest orders the crew to abandon ship but remains behind as the ship is destroyed. ### Part II Several Tholian ships then create a web over the opening of the dock to prevent Defiant from leaving. T'Pol and Tucker restore power to the weapon systems, allowing Defiant to destroy enough enemy vessels to escape the trap. They recover 47 survivors from Enterprise, and Tucker is ordered to restore power to the warp drive. Sato goes to the captain's quarters and finds Archer perusing the ship's historical records, which includes parallel universe information about Starfleet, the United Federation of Planets, and their service records. Archer is surprised to learn his counterpart is an acclaimed and distinguished explorer, diplomat and politician. Ensign Kelby is killed trying to repair the warp drive, and the crew discover, from Tholian slaves left on board, that a Gorn named Slar has sabotaged the ship. Archer, after hearing voices telling him to achieve more fame and honor, decides to lead an assault team and kills the Gorn. Tucker is able to repair the warp drive and the ship then leaves to rendezvous with the ISS Avenger, arriving in time to save it from four rebel spacecraft. Avenger's commanding officer Admiral Black comes aboard for an inspection accompanied by his first officer, Soval. After Black refuses Archer's request for captaincy of the new ship, Archer disintegrates him with a phaser pistol. Archer gives a speech to the officers of both ships, saying that they should move against Starfleet and the Empire. Soval and T'Pol meet, contemplating a future where alien species are respected and treated as equals; they convince Phlox to join their movement and sabotage Defiant. As the sole alien allowed to remain on board, he succeeds in disabling the ship's systems. Soval, on Avenger, then attacks, but Tucker disables Phlox and restores power. Defiant destroys its attacker. When Sato and Archer celebrate in the captain's quarters, Archer dies after being poisoned by Sato and we see that Mayweather is now in league with Sato. Reaching Earth on the advanced and powerful Defiant, Sato contacts Admiral Gardner, demanding his surrender and declaring herself "Empress Sato". ## Production ### Writing and filming The idea of returning to the mirror universe in Enterprise was first suggested by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens. In "Mirror, Mirror", the tantalus field was used on several occasions and was thought to be a disintegrator. The Reeves-Stevenses proposed that it could be explained that instead of killing its victims, the field instead transported them back through time to a penal colony in the main universe. The Enterprise would then come across the penal colony, meeting Tiberius, portrayed by William Shatner. Tiberius would seek to use the transporter aboard the Enterprise to return to his own universe, but discovers that it has not yet diverged from the main universe and does not exist. The episode would then have explored the creation of the mirror universe through actions by Tiberius and Captain Archer. The storyline was pitched by Shatner, who had worked with the Reeves-Stevenses on the Shatnerverse series of Star Trek novels, to Manny Coto, Brannon Braga and Rick Berman. Berman had already received a pitch by Mike Sussman that would have Shatner portray an ancestor of Captain Kirk, who happened to be the chef on the Enterprise (NX-01). The three pitched the idea to Shatner, but negotiations fell through and terms were not agreed on for him to appear on the show. Sussman began development on a script that saw the USS Defiant from "The Tholian Web" being brought back in time, instead of Tiberius. It was intended to be a sequel to that episode, as well as a prequel to "Mirror, Mirror". Sussman developed the teleplays for both parts of the episode, with Coto contributing the story for the second half. It was decided to have the entire installment in the mirror universe in order to maintain the events of "Mirror, Mirror" as being first contact between the two universes. The mirror universe features evil duplicates of the characters from the normal universe. Sussman had previously sought to use the Defiant in the second-season episode "Future Tense", but both costs and issues with the plot resulted in it being replaced with a previously unseen timeship. Part 1 was directed by James L. Conway, who previously directed the Deep Space Nine episode "Shattered Mirror" which also made use of the Mirror Universe. Part 2 was directed by Marvin V. Rush who normally served as Director of Photography on the show, and had worked with Conway dozens of times before and was familiar with his directing style. Rush looked at what was being done in Part 1 while he was preparing the second episode, and aimed to make his episodes fit with the that and not look like obviously like it was directed by someone else. On the sixth day of filming the second part of the episode, news was received that Star Trek: Enterprise had been cancelled by UPN as of the end of the season, which meant that "In a Mirror, Darkly" would be installments 94 and 95 of Enterprise's 98-episode run. "In a Mirror, Darkly" was Sussman's final contribution to the show; he had previously been a staff writer on Star Trek: Voyager and worked in the Star Trek franchise for ten years. He later described it as his favorites of the Star Trek installments that he wrote, saying that "I knew when I was writing them that they would almost certainly be the last episodes I would be writing for this particular incarnation of Star Trek, so I really treasured the experience." Part of Manny Coto's plans for season five of Enterprise would have included a return to the mirror universe crew first seen in "In a Mirror, Darkly". It would have been across four or five installments, which Coto described as a "mini-series within a series". ### Visual effects and costuming The opening sequence featured the reuse of footage from Star Trek: First Contact, where Zefram Cochrane makes first contact with the Vulcans, for which both James Cromwell and Cully Fredricksen agreed to accept Screen Actors Guild minimum salaries. Herman Zimmerman had kept the lower portion of the Vulcan vessel from that scene, and made it available to use for reshoots. While Enterprise was normally shot in digital, the mirror-First Contact scenes were shot on film so that they would match the appearance of the original footage. An alternative opening credits sequence was created, which Sussman credited Coto for. It featured footage used in other Paramount Pictures productions, including the Soviet nuclear submarine Konovalov firing a torpedo from The Hunt for Red October. Other elements include an atomic explosion, battleships, tanks and fighter jets. Zimmerman led the construction of a full three-quarters around set to represent the bridge of the USS Defiant, which was used from the final day of filming the first part of this episode. It was the first time that a bridge set of that scale from a Constitution-class starship from The Original Series had been used since the final episode "Turnabout Intruder" was aired in 1969. Senior illustrator Doug Drexler was involved in the design; he had previously worked on the research that went into re-creating parts of The Original Series era USS Enterprise for the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Trials and Tribble-ations", as well as a set which was exhibited in Hyde Park in London. Other designers included in the creation of the set were Anna Packard, Michael Okuda and James Van Over. The actual construction of the set was in the hands of Tom Arp and his team. Sussman said of the set, "I think the bridge set is remarkable. I hope fans will be thrilled to see that set again in all of its glory. I feel that it probably looks better than the original in many respects, if you compare them side by side." The bridge of the Enterprise had previously been recreated twice in Star Trek series since the end of The Original Series. In the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Relics", only the engineering console was reconstructed, with the Captain's chair and the navigation consoles rented from a fan and the remaining consoles were edited in digitally using blue screens. Incomplete sets were also recreated for the Deep Space Nine episode "Trials and Tribble-ations", but these involved digitally inserting the actors into previous footage of The Original Series and so a full bridge set was not recreated. Further sets for the Defiant were created for the second part of the episode, which included designs previously used in "Trials and Tribble-ations" for the Jefferies tube. The other sets included the Rec Room, Captain's quarters and the briefing room. Classic Original Series style uniforms were worn by some the main cast in the second installment; however, the production crew mistakenly gave the USS Defiant a unique uniform insignia different from the iconic delta (arrowhead) badge. This mistake likely stemmed from the erroneous fan theory that every starship in TOS had its own unique insignia. In the TOS episode "The Tholian Web" we clearly see the dead crew of the Defiant wearing the delta badge. Bakula wore the wrap-around green uniform previously worn by Shatner in several episodes including "The Trouble with Tribbles", while Trinneer, Keating and Montgomery donned red shirts. Bakula joked: "Did we run out of material for Jolene's skirt?" as Blalock wore the science-blue miniskirt in the style of that worn by Christine Chapel. The normal Enterprise costumes also underwent changes, with those worn by female members of the crew having a portion removed to reveal their midriffs. Original Series props such as phasers and PADDs were also created for the episode. Despite the mirror-Enterprise being destroyed in the first installment, during the second episode the standing sets were reused to represent the ISS Avenger. Both a Tholian and a Gorn were created in post production using CGI. The Gorn in particular required an actor in a tracking suit to allow the actors to interact with the character and give the animators something to overlay the CGI on. Stunt coordinator Vince Deadrick, Jr. wore the suit for scenes that required movement, while David Anderson wore it for static shots. Sussman also wrote biographies for Archer and Hoshi that would briefly appear on screen. Included in these were references to Archer becoming President of the Federation and that a planet called Archer IV that had previously appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation was in fact named after him. ### Casting The episode saw the return of Vaughn Armstrong as Captain Maximilian Forest. His main universe character, Rear Admiral Maxwell Forest, had been killed earlier in the season in the episode "The Forge". Both Bakula and Armstrong joked about the character suffering two deaths during the same season, although Armstrong also said of the relationship between mirror-Forrest and mirror-Hoshi that "in 25 years [of acting], I haven't gotten the girl, but I come back here and I get the girl! This is great." Gary Graham returned as the Vulcan Soval, who was a science officer aboard the Avenger in the mirror universe rather than his normal position of the Vulcan Ambassador. Graham was given a goatee beard in reference to the mirror universe Spock from "Mirror, Mirror". Other guest stars in "In a Mirror, Darkly" included Gregory Itzin, who had previously appeared as a Vulcan commando in "Shadows of P'Jem" as well as episodes of Star Trek: Voyager and Deep Space Nine. Derek Magyar returned for his third appearance as Kelby after previously appearing in "Affliction" and "Bound". Writer Mike Sussman also appeared on screen, as one of the dead Defiant crew-members. With this episode, actress Majel Barrett, widow of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, became the only actor to participate in every Star Trek series, including the animated series, as well as both the Original Series-based and Next Generation-based film series. In this episode, she provided the voice of the starship Defiant's computer. Her voice continued to be used as that of Starfleet computers after the cancellation of Enterprise in the J. J. Abrams led Star Trek films. These installments saw significant changes to the characters of the main cast. Linda Park, who plays Hoshi Sato in the series, later said that they were her favorite episodes of the show. She later explained: "Mirror Hoshi was strong in the way that Medea is strong, in the way that Clytemnestra is strong, in this very archetypal, warrior-woman way." She credited the role she played in this episode as demonstrating that she could play a tougher character, something which allowed her to gain other roles once the series ended. ## Connections The Gorn featured in this episode, was previously introduced to the Star Trek science fiction universe in The Original Series episode "Arena", which aired January 19, 1967. In that case a Gorn costume was used, while a computer generated graphic was used for this Star Trek: Enterprise episode. ## Reception ### Ratings The first part of "In a Mirror, Darkly" aired on April 22, 2005, on UPN in the United States. It was the 700th live-action Star Trek episode broadcast. It received a 2.0/3 percent share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49. This means that it was seen by two percent of all households, and three percent of all of those watching television at the time of the broadcast. This placed UPN fifth out of the major networks during the installment's hour of broadcast, ahead of The WB. This was the only time during the primetime hours that UPN placed ahead of The WB. The second part aired the following week on April 29. Ratings were similar to the first episode, with another 2.0/3 percent score, and again placing fifth during the timeslot ahead of The WB. ### Cast commentary In a 2015 SyFy article, Scott Bakula said the episode was a favorite of his. Actress Linda Park, who had a substantial role in the two-parter, has said, "I think it’s well known that those are my favorite episodes." However, Connor Trinneer and John Billingsley were more critical; Trinneer described them as "pandering," while Billingsley said they were "all effect and no point" and "a little too meta." Their fellow cast member Dominic Keating disagreed, calling the two-parter "good fun." ### Critical response The two-part episode was generally acclaimed by critics and fans as one of the best installments of the series. David Bianculli of the New York Daily News called the episodes "the best hours of Enterprise yet." He wrote, "The biggest treat of this episode, though, is its ability to surprise - and to do so with not only a sense of Trek history, but with a sense of humor." Bianculli added that "by taking a walk on the wild side, Enterprise is being very good by letting its characters be very bad." He rated the episode three-and-a-half out of four stars, and said that it was so much fun that "had they adopted this attitude from the start, Enterprise probably would still be flying missions next season." "In a Mirror, Darkly" has been featured on several "Best of" lists. In August 2016, fans at the 50th anniversary convention in Las Vegas chose the two-parter as one of the "Ten Best Star Trek Episodes" of all time, out of more than seven hundred live-action installments produced as of that date. The editors of Newsweek's Star Trek 50th Anniversary issue wrote that the episodes "often earns Trekker adulation," and listed them first among Enterprise's "Top 10" episodes; Wired also picked "In a Mirror, Darkly" as the best of Enterprise's entire run. Empire ranked the episodes as the second best installment after "Terra Prime", and rated them 46th out of the "50 Best Star Trek episodes ever." In 2009, Den of Geek ranked it the number one episode of the series, writing that the installment "manages to include some of Enterprise's most inventive moments, not least the revised opening credits." Jay Garmon at TechRepublic ranked it as the fifth best episode, saying that the writers managed to include a "gleefully malicious and fatal series of unexpected double-crosses, but also work in some of the most satisfying and coherent mythology gags that Enterprise ever displayed". In a list of the top 100 episodes of the Star Trek franchise, "In a Mirror, Darkly" was placed in 40th place by Charlie Jane Anders at io9. In 2017, SyFy ranked the two-parter fifth out of the seven Star Trek Mirror Universe episodes produced as of that date. That same year, Vulture wrote: "The series took a long time to find its feet, only hitting its stride in its final season with episodes like the two-parter “In a Mirror, Darkly.” IGN gave the combined double episode a rating of five out of five, and said it "may be a gimmick episode, but it's a gimmick that works nearly flawlessly and shouldn't be missed." Reviewing the first part for TrekNation, Michelle Erica Green said that her favorite part was the modified opening sequence, and described it as "fun and lighthearted in a twisted sort of way" but thought that the closing episodes of the series would have been better if they had concentrated on the real crew and ship. She thought that the second installment saw the series "stretching a clever idea too thin", and that a "one-hour 'Mirror' would have made more sense in terms of the pacing and for Enterprise as a whole." Jamahl Epsicokhan at his website Jammer's Reviews gave the first episode a score of three out of four, and the second part a score of two and a half. He described it as an "evil comic book", and regarding the first part, "To call this episode over-the-top would be an understatement. This is a go-for-broke hour of lunatic madness." His view on the second part was that the re-created sets were impressive, but "it goes so far over the top that it comes back around and kicks itself in its own ass. It's overplayed, overacted, and over-goofy." ### Awards and nominations Laura Connolly, Roma Goddard and Michael Moore were nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Hairstyling For A Series for their work on this episode. ## Home media release "In a Mirror, Darkly" was first released for home viewing as part of the Star Trek: Enterprise series four box set. It was released on region one DVD in the United States on November 1, 2005. The set included a fifteen-minute-long documentary on the origins of the episode and background to the mirror universe in general as well as audio commentary from Mike Sussman and Tim Gaskill on both parts of the episode. The commentary had previously been released on the official Star Trek website, where Gaskill is the editorial director. It subsequently became one of three Enterprise episodes to be included in the Star Trek: Alternative Realities Collective DVD set which was released in 2009. The other episodes were "E2" and "Twilight", and also featured were other mirror universe installments including "Mirror, Mirror" and three of those from Deep Space Nine. The Blu-ray edition was released on April 1, 2014.

6th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam

None

The 6th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (Vietnamese: Đại hội Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam VI) (CPV) was held in Ba Đình Hall, Hanoi, between 15 and 18 December 1986. 1,129 delegates represented the party's estimated 1,900,000 members. The congress occurs once every five years. Preparations for the 6th National Congress began with 8th plenum of the 5th Central Committee and ended with the 10th plenum, which lasted 19 days. After the 10th plenum, local and provincial party organizations began electing delegates to the congress as well as updating party documents. The congress is noteworthy because of the introduction of economic reforms, labelled Đổi Mới (Renovation), and the election of a new party leadership. The sitting General Secretary, Trường Chinh was not reelected, and Nguyễn Văn Linh took his place. The 6th Politburo, 6th Secretariat and the Control Commission were elected. The Advisory Council to the Central Committee was established, and contained high-ranking officials who had retired at the 6th National Congress. The 6th National Congress emphasized the need to strengthen the socialist mode of production. ## Background ### The 8th plenum and reforms The 8th plenum of the 5th Central Committee (10–17 June 1985)—and its antecedents the 6th (3–10 July 1984) and the 7th (11–17 December 1984) plenums—instructed the party to direct a performance review of its organization, personnel and efficiency. Lê Đức Thọ, head of the Central Organizing Commission, said the party had become "a cumbersome and ponderous mechanism, only marginally efficient, marked by ill-defined responsibilities and poorly divided functions." He further stated that confusion within the party over operational responsibilities between the central party leadership, mass organizations and the state, and between higher and lower party echelons had developed into a serious problem, and that a cynical collective mindset within the party had taken hold and manifested itself through corruption, inflexibility and dishonesty. The plenum put forward three points to solve the problems alleged by Tho; (1) to get party cadres to focus on technical economic and management responsibilities, (2) cadres were to be organized and get specialized training in economic and administrative fields to reequip them with information on how to run an increasingly complex economy, and (3) engineer a shift in the internal balance of power. In a Nhân Dân (The People) editorial, Lê Đức Thọ stressed the need to go beyond political slogans and remonstration to enhance the level of management skills of party cadres in party-level organizations. Lê Đức Thọ wanted to change the party's role in the economy from that of implementer to one of supervisor. The central leadership faced an obstacle; most party cadres had what the party leadership considered an outdated education from 20 to 30 years ago, while the party lacked young cadres. To solve this problem, the central party leadership began talking about the need to introduce personnel planning, a retirement age, rotation of officials and tenure length for cadres and sensitive posts. Early in the reform process, the CPV devolved some powers of the party secretaries to the district-level committees. The party planned to decentralize some duties and responsibilities at departmental and sectoral levels while empowering ward-level party organs by strengthening their role in economic planning, market management and public security, and trying to improve the performance of the Control Commission and its lower-level bodies. The party leadership tried to make the cumbersome bureaucracy efficient. Economic reforms in 1985 led to rampant inflation, and the 9th plenum (mid-December 1985) forced the central leadership to reintroduce rationing in order to reduce the hardships for the poor, while in March 1985 the Council of Ministers legalized limited, small-scale, private enterprise in the handicraft and small industry sectors. The CPV tried to introduce market rules into the planned economy, while stressing the need to control the markets. At this early stage, the party started a discussion on how much state control and economic planning were necessary. On 8 April, the 5th Politburo issued the "Draft Resolution on guaranteeing autonomy to basic economic units", which decreed the implementation of the reform program agreed upon by the 8th plenum. The resolution tried to solve several problems by streamlining the bureaucracy to make it more efficient. However, while the party supported making state-owned enterprises more autonomous, they still sought the abolition of individual trade—that is trade not sanctioned by the state. At this stage, the authorities did not seek to alter the duties and responsibilities of central state and party organs. ### Preparations Planning for the 6th National Congress began at the 19-day-long 10th plenum of the 5th Central Committee (19 May – 9 June 1986). Lê Duẩn, the General Secretary, gave the opening speech, where he reaffirmed the central party leadership's commitment to reform. The 10th plenum unanimously approved the draft Political Report for the 6th National Congress. Preparations for the Congress began with party congresses at the grass-root and provincial-levels, during which delegates were elected. Preparation for the Congress began slowly. According to a Central Organizing Commission conference, the lack of preparations were due to an unidentified number of party grassroots organs failing to prepare their personnel for the Congress, and superior echelons failing to inform lower-level echelons on the status of the Congress. The 5th Secretariat announced the organizing of a Criticism/Self-criticism campaign on 11 March on all party levels to prepare for the Congress. The campaign's main goals were to discipline party committees at the upcoming local party congresses; to assess the party's performance with an emphasis on economics since the 5th National Congress; to contribute to the future reorganization of the party and reassignment of personnel; and to ensure that the drafting of the Congress' resolutions were finished on time and to appoint new local executive committees in light of the requirements to implement reform. The 5th Secretariat published a list of requirements for possible candidates for membership in local executive committees in mid-March 1986, these were; - \(1\) the ability of candidates to understand the economic and managerial skills articulated by the 8th plenum of the 5th Central Committee; - \(2\) the need for young members within the party organization, with an emphasis on appointing officials to provincial-level executive committees in the age group 40–49, while officials aged 30–39 were to be appointed to district and grassroots executive committees; - \(3\) to ensure geographical mobility and flexibility regarding personnel assignments. ### District and provincial congresses and conferences The local congresses preceding the 6th National Congress were far more organized than those held before the 5th National Congress. Unlike the previous Congress, the central party leadership issued instructions and training programs for party cadres on how to organize party congresses and conferences. Certain party cadres were made responsible for tutoring the executive committee directly subordinate to them on the Central Committee's draft Political Report. Local executive committees started convening conferences in early August to study the draft report. These conferences acted as precursors to the village-, municipal-, ward- and enterprise-level Party committee congresses, which started convening in mid-August. By early August, some grassroots-level party organs had begun the election of delegates to the 6th National Congress. At least five provinces had completed preparations for the basic-level party congresses by September, in four of these the basic-level congresses ran until late September. District-level congresses convened in some provinces in late August, while other provinces started convening them in late September. According to the Vietnamese media, the district-level congresses mostly agreed on basic economic goals and several proposed amendments to the draft Political Report. At the Binh Tri Thien Provincial Party Organization, 250 cadres reportedly made 3,000 suggestions, "including amendments to and revision of the Draft Political Report" and concrete policies which featured prominently in it. The same occurred in the Standing Committee of the Hồ Chí Minh City Party Committee, where leading cadres unanimously approved a program for action and proposed changes to the draft Political Report. The Nha Trang Municipal Party Organization held a day-long conference discussing the Draft Political Report, which ended tepidly; the discussions were extended so that the delegates reached an unenthusiastic "identity of views" (what was discussed is unknown as the media did not state them). While other party conferences criticized the draft Political Report, several others expressed enthusiasm or unanimously supported it. Because the National Assembly failed to issue a draft of the 4th Five-Year Plan, the district-level conferences were forced to discuss mostly local economic aims because they lacked national economic data. The Cuu Long conference held between 6 and 10 October was the first provincial-level conference to be held. By 22 October, 21 provinces had held provincial-level party conferences. The central party leadership faced less criticism on the draft Political Report and socio-economic policies from the provincial-level conferences than by district-level conferences. The provincial-level conferences criticized central policies less and were evasive about critical issues. However, the provincial-level conferences were not completely dormant and scored some minor victories, such as reducing the average age needed to join an executive committee and they adopted a more flexible and efficient mode of planning and organization. As during the district-level conferences, there were certain convocations which attracted attention; the An Giang Party Committee criticized past economic performance, while the Ha Son Binh Congress criticized the irrational management of provincial economic affairs. While these committees criticized past policies or well-known deficiencies, none of them criticized the policies of the central party leadership. General Secretary Trường Chinh in a speech to the Hồ Chí Minh City Party Organization admitted to "serious shortcomings and mistakes" by the central party leaders in economic leadership, and criticized the imposition of a superstructure on Vietnam's current conditions. Trường Chinh endorsed the program of the 8th plenum of the 5th Central Committee and "new economic concepts", but told the attendees that the 5th Politburo had undertaken a systematic assessment of economic policies, which included the continuation of a mixed economy, the acceptance of private ownership for the foreseeable future, the need to end bureaucratic centralism, and the need for decentralization in economic decision-making. In his speech to the 4th Congress of the Hồ Chí Minh City Party Organization, Nguyễn Văn Linh, a member of the 5th Politburo and 5th Secretariat, endorsed the platforms of 6th, 7th and 8th plenums of the 5th Central Committee while supporting the conclusion reached at the 10th plenum of the 5th Central Committee. He emphasized several Politburo directives. Phạm Hùng, the Minister of Interior, in his speech to the Cuu Long Provincial Congress said that the reintroduction of the market economy and the renewed acceptance of private ownership would not hurt Vietnam's socialist transformation. To secure Vietnam's socialist credentials, the state would remain dominant to protect Vietnam from the uncontrolled free market. The 11th plenum (17–25 November 1986), the last plenum before the 6th Congress, endorsed the platform for the congress. ## The Congress The 6th National Congress was convened on 15 December 1986 and lasted until 18 December. The Congress reaffirmed its commitment to the reform program of the 8th plenum of the 5th Central Committee, and issued five points; - "concerted efforts to increase the production of food, consumer goods and exportable items"; - "continue the efforts to control small merchants and capitalists, while at the same time acknowledging the reality of supporting a mixed economy"; - "to regenerate the planning bureaucracy while making the economic management system more efficient by decentralizing authority and making room for more independent decision-making"; - "to clarify the powers and jurisdiction of the Council of Ministers, and the reorganization of state management apparatus to make it more efficient; - "to improve party organizational capabilities, leadership and cadre training." In the Political Report delivered to the 6th National Congress on 15 December, Trường Chinh said that the Central Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat and the Council of Ministers were responsible for their own inadequacies and Vietnam's economic failures. The report functioned as a severe self-criticism of the central party leadership. The leadership's failures were reiterated by a host of speakers, including Nguyễn Văn Linh, who spoke about the problems of "sluggish production, confusion in distribution systems, enduring socio-economic difficulties, and flagging confidence of the population". Nguyễn Thanh Bình, the Central Committee Secretary responsible for agriculture, echoed previous sentiments during the preparations for the Congress and spoke of the need for decentralization, household and family economics, and the introduction of an independent market. Võ Trần Chí, a member of the Standing Committee of the Hồ Chí Minh City Party Committee, affirmed the Congress' commitment to reform to strengthen productivity and managerial performance. While supporting change, Trường Chinh in his Political Report talked about the validity of the party's organizational principles, which had governed Vietnam's economy. Democratic centralism was to remain unchanged, and centralized management of certain sectors were to be retained. In a closed session, the Presidium of the 6th National Congress on 18 December acknowledged the importance of the continued transformation of private industry and commerce and the validity of economic contracts between production and business units. He endorsed the state's role as a supplier of goods produced by state-owned enterprises and supported the long-time policy of labour distribution. These policies were passed, and underwrote the economic policies initiated at the 4th and 5th National Congresses. The party leadership's immediate goals set forth in the Political Report were: To restructure the production system; readjust the investment outlay within the system; continue the building and strengthening of the socialist relations of production; to utilize and develop the economic sectors in the correct way; to renovate the way economy was managed; to emphasize the role of science and technology in the economy; and to expand and to increase the effectiveness of Vietnam's foreign economic relations. Neither the Political Report nor any of the speakers at the 6th National Congress signalled a shift in Vietnam's foreign policy. The Congress reaffirmed Vietnam's strong ties with the Soviet Union and its "special relationships" with the socialist states of Laos and Kampuchea (Cambodia). However, the Congress highlighted the need to strengthen its relationship with countries belonging to Comecon, the international communist trade organization. Yegor Ligachev, the head of the Soviet delegation to the Congress, surprised the Vietnamese and many foreign observers by announcing an economic aid package 8–9 billion rubles (11–13 billion US dollars) at the time, and was about equal per capita of aid given to South Vietnam by the United States before 1975. The Political Report mentioned the importance of Vietnam's relations with India and its continued membership in the Non-Aligned Movement. The Congress announced Vietnam's wishes to improve its relations with the capitalist world, specifically mentioning Sweden, Finland, France, Australia and Japan. Võ Văn Kiệt, a deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers, delivered the Economic Report to the 6th National Congress. The political and economic reports stressed Đổi Mới (Renovation), and Vietnam specialist Carlyle Thayer wrote that Võ Văn Kiệt may have been the foremost advocate of this concept. In his speech to the Congress, Võ Văn Kiệt said, "in the economic field, there will be renovation in economic policies and the management system."Võ Văn Kiệt said that agriculture and not heavy industry would be most important during the 4th Five-Year Plan. During the 4th Five-Year Plan, Võ Văn Kiệt said, "[t]he ... main orientation for heavy industry in this stage is to support agriculture and light industry on a proper scale and at an appropriate technical level." Võ Văn Kiệt stressed the role of exports and the production of grain, food, and consumer goods to revitalize the Vietnamese economy. The main objective of the 4th Five-Year Plan was the production of grain and food products; "a target of 22–23 million metric tons of grain in paddy" was set for 1990. While several methods were to be used to reach this goal, material incentives and end-product contracts would play a prominent role. The increases in grain and food production would in turn, according to the Economic Report, increase the production of consumer goods. The report stated that these policies were "aimed at ensuring the daily needs of the people, and the regeneration of the labour force, as well as attracting a million of labourers to solve the problem of employment for the people, and, on that basis, create the source of accumulation and an important source of export." According to the Economic Report, during the 4th Five-Year Plan, "the level of exports must be elevated by approximately 70 per cent over that of the previous five-year period". The export of agricultural products, "farm processing products, light industrial, small industrial, handicraft goods and aquatic and maritime products" were emphasized in the Economic Report. To achieve these goals the Economic Report stated economic reforms to improve efficiency coupled with the importance of foreign investment and possible tourism revenues. The 6th National Congress elected the 6th Central Committee. At the 4th, 5th and 6th National Congresses approximately 45 percent of full Central Committee members were retained, 18 percent of alternate members were promoted to full membership and 37 percent were newly elected to the Central Committee as either full or alternate members. The 6th Congress continued the trend of increasing the size of the Central Committee; membership was 124 full and 49 alternate members. Most of the new officials in the Central Committee were from the second generation of Vietnamese revolutionaries who gained prominence during Vietnam's struggle against French colonial rule in the 1940s and 1950s. The composition of the Central Committee changed at the 6th National Congress, with a notable increase of economic specialists, technocrats and provincial secretaries as members, but military representation in the Central Committee decreased. Only 8 percent of members of the 6th Central Committee were from the Vietnam People's Army. The number of central-level officials also decreased; 74 percent of the members of the 2nd Central Committee were central-level officials, while only 46 percent in the 6th Central Committee were from the centre. These changes reflected the party's overriding concern about basic problems. ### 1st plenum of the 6th Central Committee On 18 December at the end of the 6th National Congress, the delegates elected the 6th Central Committee, which contained eight more members than the 5th Central Committee, while alternate membership was increased by 13; the total membership of the new Central Committee was 173. Immediately after the 8th National Congress on 18 December, the 6th Central Committee convened its 1st plenum to elect the composition of the 6th Politburo, the 6th Secretariat, the Control Commission and other central-level party organs. The 1st plenum of the 6th Central Committee brought an end to the protracted generational succession which had begun at the 4th National Congress in 1976. On 17 December, the Congress' third day, the three top leaders—Trường Chinh, Lê Đức Thọ—and head of government Phạm Văn Đồng, announced that they would not seek membership of the 6th Politburo or the 6th Central Committee. However, these three were appointed to the Advisory Council to the Central Committee. This was not new; at the 5th National Congress six senior members of the 5th Politburo retired. When asked by foreign journalists if the same pattern would continue, a party spokesman stated that it would continue at the 6th National Congress. Văn Tiến Dũng, the Minister of National Defense, retired from the politburo but retained his seat in the 6th Central Committee. The 1st plenum elected Nguyễn Văn Linh to succeed Trường Chinh as party General Secretary.

Allard J2X-C

Racing car

The Allard J2X-C, or the Allard J2X as it is sometimes referred to, was a Group C sports racing car built by Allard in 1992 for use in international sports car racing events. It featured a 3.5-litre Cosworth DFR V8 engine, capable of producing around 580 hp (432.5 kW; 588.0 PS). The J2X-C had bodywork that is more reminiscent of modern Le Mans Prototypes than a conventional Group C car, but the engine proved too weak for the level of downforce, and this, coupled with the fact that Allard Holdings were liquidated during the car's development, severely restricted the J2X and prevented it ever reaching its potential. One car was built. ## Development In the 1980s, Chris Humberstone, licensed the rights to the Allard name from Alan Allard, the son of the company's founder, Sidney. After a few years of wrangling, the company hired Hayden Burvill from Brun Technics to begin developing the J2X-C. He was joined in 1991 by John Iley, who was hired as the aerodynamicist, and the car was designed to have as little frontal area as possible, giving it a unique look. Although it was originally planned to use a Chevrolet small block-derived V8 engine, the car was instead fitted with a 3.5-litre Cosworth DFR V8 engine, derived from a Formula One engine, which produced about 580 hp (432.5 kW; 588.0 PS) of power and 400 lb⋅ft (542.3 N⋅m; 55.3 kg⋅m) of torque. The gearbox was also from an F1 car: a Leyton House-March Engineering 6-speed sequential manual transmission modified for endurance racing. This transmission would prove to be problematic throughout the car's lifetime. The J2X-C used double wishbone suspension, with push-rod actuated coil springs over dampers at both ends of the car; the front suspension was mounted on the carbon-fibre monocoque, whilst the rear suspension was mounted to a carbon-fibre sub-structure that had been designed to allow quick transmission replacement. The car's radical bodywork generated a high amount of downforce; it was calculated to give approximately 5,500 lb (2,495 kg) of downforce at 150 mph (241 km/h), and 9,778 lb (4,435 kg) at 200 mph (322 km/h). However, some of the more conventional cars were able to match this level of downforce; the works Toyota TS-010s had a claimed maximum downforce of over 9,500 lb (4,309 kg), for example. It was, however, higher than the works Nissan R91CP, which had a claimed maximum of 6,438 lb (2,920 kg) at 200 mph (322 km/h), whilst the 1993 Joest-Porsche 962C had a claimed maximum of 5,584 lb (2,533 kg) at 200 mph (322 km/h). ## Racing history Terai Engineering attempted to enter the J2X-C at the 500 km of Suzuka in April 1992, but the car was far from ready, and did not attend. The J2X-C was first tested on 9 July 1992, with Costas Los selected to drive it at Pembrey Circuit. He said of the car; "the J2X felt very different to a regular Group C car... Contrary to most Group C cars I had driven, it was a lot more tuneable than I was accustomed to." However, he did state that the car's lack of power-assisted steering was a problem. The team struggled to find a buyer for the car, as the Group C era was drawing to a close by 1992 and 1993; the IMSA GTP Championship was on its last legs, and the World Sportscar Championship was beginning to shift away from the category. With the J2X-C far from being completely developed, Allard Holdings were liquidated in the first quarter of 1993, and the car was sold to Robs Lamplough for £76,000. The car's lack of straightline speed, due to a combination of undeveloped aerodynamics, the high level of downforce, and the low power of the engine, would restrict the car's racing career even further. After Lamplough had bought the car, he ran the car in the test session for the 1993 24 Hours of Le Mans; however, he was only able to finish 19th overall, and last in the car's category, even lapping slower than four of the GT cars. The car was clocked at just 172 mph (277 km/h) down the Mulsanne Straight, and this led to Lamplough opting to not run in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Instead, Lamplough debuted the car, with assistance from Bob Pond Racing, at the ninth round of the IMSA GTP Championship, held at Laguna Seca Raceway; ninth place overall, and last in the GTP category, was the best Lamplough could do with the car. The car never raced again. ## Later history and legacy Lamplough held onto the J2X-C for a while, but eventually sold the car, which then passed through the hands of several owners before ending up in Canada. Although even conventional rivals such as the Toyota TS-010 were able to develop more downforce, the J2X-C was far from the end of its development, and various other companies had considered developing a similar style of car. Most manufacturers considered the radical bodywork just too great a risk, as Spice Engineering's lead designer, Graham Humphries, stated; "With limited resources, it was decided instead to follow the more conventional route of further developing what we knew." However, Le Mans Prototypes of the early 2000s and beyond, such as the Audi R8, the Lola B01/60 and the Lola B05/40 have all been said to use some of the lessons learned in the J2X-C. The J2X-C was, as of 2008, in running order having been fully restored, and ran in the 2007 Goodwood Festival of Speed, as part of the Group C 25th Anniversary celebration.