In 1087, the Conqueror died of wounds suffered from a riding accident during a siege of Mantes. At his death he reportedly wanted to disinherit his eldest son but was persuaded to divide the Norman dominions between his two eldest sons. To Robert he granted the Duchy of Normandy and to William Rufus he granted the Kingdom of England. The youngest son Henry was given money to buy land. Of the two elder sons Robert was considered to be much the weaker and was generally preferred by the nobles who held lands on both sides of the English Channel since they could more easily circumvent his authority. At the time of their father's death the two brothers made an agreement to be each other's heir. However this peace lasted less than a year when barons joined with Robert to displace Rufus in the Rebellion of 1088. It was not a success, in part because Robert never showed up to support the English rebels.
Robert took as his close adviser Ranulf Flambard, who had been previously a close adviser to his father. Flambard later became an astute but much-disliked financial adviser to William Rufus until the latter's death in 1100.
In 1096, Robert left for the Holy Land on the First Crusade. At the time of his departure he was reportedly so poor that he often had to stay in bed for lack of clothes. In order to raise money for the crusade he mortgaged his duchy to his brother William for the sum of 10,000 marks.
When William II died on 2 August 1100, Robert was on his return journey from the Crusade and was about to marry a wealthy young bride to raise funds to buy back his duchy. As a result, his brother Henry was able to seize the crown of England for himself. Upon his return, Robert – urged by Flambard and several Anglo-Norman barons – claimed the English crown on the basis of the short-lived agreement of 1087. In 1101, he led an invasion to oust his brother Henry; he landed at Portsmouth with his army but his lack of popular support among the English as well as Robert's own mishandling of the invasion tactics enabled Henry to resist the invasion. Robert was forced by diplomacy to renounce his claim to the English throne in the Treaty of Alton. It is said that Robert was a brilliant field commander but a terrible general in the First Crusade. His government (or misgovernment) of Normandy as well as his failed invasion of England suggests that his military skills were little better than his political skills.
In 1105, however, Robert's continual stirring of discord with his brother in England as well as civil disorder in Normandy itself prompted Henry to invade Normandy. Orderic reports on an incident at Easter 1105 when Robert was supposed to hear a sermon by the venerable Serlo, Bishop of Sées. Robert spent the night before sporting with harlots and jesters and while he lay in bed sleeping off his drunkenness his unworthy friends stole his clothes. He awoke to find himself naked and had to remain in bed and missed the sermon.
In 1106, Henry defeated Robert's army decisively at the Battle of Tinchebray and claimed Normandy as a possession of the English crown, a situation that endured for almost a century. Captured after the battle, Robert was imprisoned in Devizes Castle for twenty years before being moved to Cardiff.
In 1134, Robert died in Cardiff Castle in his early eighties. Robert Curthose, sometime Duke of Normandy, eldest son of the Conqueror, was buried in the abbey church of St. Peter in Gloucester. The exact place of his burial is difficult to establish – legend states that he requested to be buried before the High Altar. His effigy carved in bog oak, however, lies on a mortuary chest decorated with the attributed arms of the Nine Worthies (missing one – Joshua, and replaced with the arms of Edward the Confessor). The effigy dates from about 100 years after his death and the mortuary chest much later. The church subsequently has become Gloucester Cathedral.
Robert married Sybilla of Conversano, daughter of Geoffrey of Brindisi, Count of Conversano (and a grandniece of Robert Guiscard, another Norman duke) on the way back from Crusade, one child:
Robert also had at least three illegitimate children:
Push-pull aircraft
A push-pull aircraft is a type of aircraft whose principle is a twin engine. The first engine is propulsion. The second is tractive. The first push and the second pull. On the outside, these aircraft are noticeable by their two propellers: one in front and one in back.
October (album)
October is the second album by Irish rock band U2, from the year 1981. The album is about spirituality. It got mixed reviews and it was not played much by radio stations.
After touring for Boy, U2 began to write new songs. The band started recording in the studio in July 1981. Then Bono lost his notebook with the lyrics after a show in Portland, Oregon. He had to make up the words to songs as he was singing on the microphone. His lost notebook was returned many years later, in 2004. Bono said its return was "an act of grace".
When it was released, "October" got more mixed reviews than their first album, "Boy".
Dave McCullough of "Sounds" magazine praised the album. He said: "A kind of zenith pop then, no half measures. It all breathes fire... 'Gloria' being possibly Their Finest Moment and 'Tomorrow', low and muted, gently oozing emotion". McCullough also said, "This "October" will last forever".
Adam Sweeting of "Melody Maker" also gave a good review. He said: "Their whole musical sensibility is shaped by a strong emotional bond to their homeland and its traditions. It gives them a completely different frame of reference from most groups...
But, "NME" gave a negative review. Barney Hoskyns talked about the "excessive plaintiveness of Bono's voice and the forced power of U2's sound". He also said: "Obviously rock doesn't expire just because groups run out of ways to change it... U2, I guess, will continue to 'move' in live performance, but they will only move on the lightest surface. Their music does 'soar'... But then 'God' knows, there are other religions".
All of the songs were written by U2, and all of the lyrics were written by Bono.
Pornainen
Pornainen is a municipality in southern Finland. About 5,162 people lived there in 2013. Nearby municipalities are Askola, Mäntsälä, Porvoo and Sipoo.
Alavus
Alavus is a city in Finland. As of 31 May 2013, 12,349 people lived there. Nearby municipalities are Alajärvi, Kuortane, Seinäjoki, Virrat and Ähtäri.
Virrat
Virrat is a city in Finland. As of 31 May 2013, 7,344 people lived there. Nearby municipalities are Alavus, Keuruu, Kihniö, Mänttä-Vilppula, Ruovesi, Seinäjoki, Ylöjärvi and Ähtäri.
Southeast Division (NBA)
The Southeast Division is one of three divisions in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association, along with the Atlantic Division and the Central Division. The five teams in this division are the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, and the Washington Wizards.
Piaggio P.180 Avanti
The Piaggio P.180 Avanti is a Italian twin-turboprop civilian aircraft. It can carry between seven and nine passengers. It is used for executive transport.
Battle of Shiloh
The Battle of Shiloh was a battle in the American Civil War. It was fought on April 6 and April 7, 1862, in Tennessee. It was one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War.
The Union Army of the Tennessee was commanded by Ulysses S. Grant. Grant had captured Fort Henry and Fort Donelson in western Tennessee during the early months of 1862. This forced the Confederate Army to leave Kentucky, western Tennessee, and central Tennessee.
Grant wanted to capture the city of Corinth, Mississippi, next. But his superior, Henry W. Halleck, didn't want Grant to go any further south until other Union soldiers joined him. So Grant moved his army to a place called Pittsburg Landing, which was on the Tennessee River. There was a church near the landing called Shiloh Church. His army stayed there for several weeks.