Splinter, often referred to as Master Splinter or Sensei by his students/sons, is a fictional character from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and all related media. A mutant rat, he is the grave and stoic sage of the Turtles, their ninjutsu and martial arts instructor, and their adoptive father. Originally depicted as the pet rat of martial artist Hamato Yoshi (Japanese: 濱戸義), in later works he is sometimes portrayed as Yoshi himself, mutated or reincarnated. The character was originally a parody of the Marvel Comics character Stick.

Mirage Comics, original films, 2003 cartoon, 2023 film
In both the original comics and the live-action movies, Splinter is the pet rat of a ninja named Hamato Yoshi in Japan. Intelligent for his species, Splinter is able to learn ninjutsu art by mimicking his master's movements while he practices. Yoshi becomes embroiled in a dispute with a fellow ninja by the name of Oroku Nagi and is eventually murdered by Nagi's brother, Oroku Saki, who is seeking revenge for his brother's death. However, in the 1990 film and 2003 TV series Nagi is removed entirely. Additionally, in the 1990 film, Splinter escapes from his cage during the murder, and attacks Saki, clawing at his face. Saki, in turn, slices his ear off. It is suggested that this mutilation is the reason Saki took the Shredder disguise to hide the scars. In contrast, in the 2003 TMNT cartoon series, it was Hun's face which Splinter clawed.

Without a home, Splinter is forced to run away and live in New York City's sewers. Due to a traffic accident, four baby turtles and a canister of mutagenic ooze are sent down into the sewer. The canister mutates both Splinter and the turtles; it also enhances the former's already sophisticated intellect. Splinter names the four turtles Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo (after a book on Renaissance artists that he found in a storm drain) and trains them in the arts of ninjutsu so that they can avenge his dead master while raising them as his own sons, as well as educating them.

In the 2003 TMNT cartoon, he possesses a significant reputation as a ninja master; in a multi-part episode, he is revealed to be a champion of the Battle Nexus, a multi-dimension-spanning contest where the greatest combatants of various dimensions come together to fight each other for the title of Battle Nexus Champion. When the Turtles learn of the Battle Nexus, they participate as well, resulting in Splinter forfeiting when called upon to fight Michelangelo, as he wishes to allow his sons the opportunity to fight where he succeeded in the past.

In the episode "Tempus Fugit", Splinter and the Turtles, who time-traveled into the future, are sent back to the present time, but the villain, Viral, blasts Splinter with a decompiler ray that scatters his bits all over the internet. While Splinter was not seen much in the "Back to the Sewers" season, the focus of those episodes is the Turtles' efforts to find Splinter's data bits by traveling all over cyberspace. Splinter is restored in the final episode and helps defeat the Cyber Shredder.

In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, much like the 2014 film, he is not Hamato Yoshi, nor is he connected to him in any way. But like the Mirage comics, he is exposed to mutagen in the sewer and not experimented on. He was a street rat that hated humans and went into the sewers to scavenge for food. But instead of food, Splinter found four baby turtles that were covered in green ooze. Splinter rescued the Turtles and got some of the ooze on him, transforming him and the Turtles. After a bad encounter with humans, Splinter decided to learn ninjutsu from online videos and Jackie Chan movies and teach it to his sons.

1987 animated series
In the 1987 TMNT cartoon, Splinter and Yoshi are the same person. He is a martial art instructor for the Foot Clan in Japan, and also has a passion for Renaissance art. Yoshi is framed by his rival, Oroku Saki, for trying to murder their common dojo master. Unable to prove his innocence and expelled from the Foot Clan, Splinter moves to New York City, where he lives as a hermit in its sewers and befriends the rats. One day, he comes across four baby turtles which were accidentally dropped by a boy through a sewer grate. Splinter keeps them as pets and treats them like his children. When he finds the turtles near some broken barrels that are oozing glowing pink, later retconned to green, chemical liquid, he tries to clean them with his bare hands. As a result, they are all affected by the leaking chemical, which is a mutagen. The mutagen combines the DNA of living beings who have been in contact. Thus, the turtles, being in a pet store with people touching them, turn into young humanoid turtles. Yoshi, having been in contact with sewer rats, becomes a humanoid rat. Although, Master Splinter did get the chance to be human again in the episode "Splinter No More", but realizes he prefers being with the turtles and had no place as a human anymore.

Yoshi raises the turtles by himself and gives them the names of his favorite Renaissance artists: Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo. Yoshi is given the nickname "Splinter", due to his proficiency at breaking wooden boards, and he teaches them the art of ninjutsu in order to protect themselves. Like many real-life ninja masters, he has a strong sense of honor and follows very strict rules which all four of his students adopt. Master Splinter always has a wise quote or speech for the turtles and often steps in with his ninja skills when the turtles are caught in a, seemingly inescapable, predicament.

Master Splinter does not have a father/son relationship with the turtles, as suggested in other versions, but more of a teacher/student bond. Despite not having that father/son relationship with the turtles, Splinter, in the episode "The Old Switcheroo", shows a glimpse of fatherly concern for Leonardo when he is injured by one of Donatello's contraptions. In addition, in Turtles Forever the old 1987 series turtles are surprised when the 2003 series turtles call Splinter "father". However, in the movie, the 2003 series Leonardo comments that it feels right to be with the 1987 Splinter regardless of the differences between the two worlds. Splinter's assurances that he feels the same, coupled with his comment that Leonardo and his brothers will always be welcome there, helps Leonardo see the common similarities between the teams, regardless of their different styles and methods.

In the final episode, "Divide and Conquer", Splinter explains to the turtles after they defeated Dregg that they are no longer his students but his equals and they have finally become ninja masters.

Coming Out of Their Shells tour
The 1990 live action concert tour entitled "Coming Out of Their Shells", saw Splinter described as the rat owned by Hamato Yoshi mutated to a humanoid form, rather than Yoshi himself mutated into a ratlike body, bringing him more in line with the original Mirage Comics incarnation as well as that of the then recently released feature film, which also followed the Mirage origin. In the concert events, he is still the Turtles' mentor in the martial arts, as well as encouraging their musical pursuits, and sings the track Skipping Stones as a solo ballad. He encourages the Turtles as they deal with the Shredder's plot to steal all music in the world, though he does not physically join the battles against Shredder or his foot soldiers. Peter Renaday reprises his role as Splinter's voice in non-musical portions of the event, though the VHS tape of the inaugural show held at Radio City Music Hall leaves him uncredited.

Archie TMNT Adventures comics
Archie Comics published the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures which began as an adaptation of the 1987 TV series in comic form, though the series eventually deviated from this and began telling its own stories with little to no connection to the original cartoon, effectively becoming a separate continuity. In the comic, they maintained Splinter's human background even when they started publishing original storylines.

2012 animated series
In the 2012 series, Splinter is again introduced as Hamato Yoshi, voiced by Hoon Lee. His relationship with Oroku Saki is mostly intact, with the Hamato and Foot Clans later revealed to have had a long-term conflict with each other. Despite being raised as brothers, both Yoshi and Saki become rivals due to their affection for Tang Shen, and Saki wishes to discredit Yoshi in front of her. Yoshi loses his temper by mistake and the altercation forever destroyed their relationship, culminating with Saki learning of his true heritage and starting a battle that burns down the Hamato Clan monastery, indirectly killing Shen and, seemingly, Shen and Yoshi's daughter, Miwa.

After moving to New York City, Yoshi has just purchased four pet turtles when he stumbles upon an exchange in an alley between two Kraang droids. Seeking to silence Yoshi before he can share what he has seen, a fight ensues and the canister the droids have been carrying smashes open, splashing both Yoshi and his turtles with a mutagen. As the result of stepping on the tail of a black rat upon entering an alley, Yoshi mutates while the Turtles take on human characteristics. Realizing he can no longer live a normal life, he retreats to the New York sewers where he raises his pets as sons and teaches them ninjutsu.

Splinter's sons, along with their new friend April O'Neil, soon become involved in the conflict with both of Splinter's old enemies, the Shredder and the Kraang. Reluctantly allowing the group to get involved, Splinter appoints Leonardo as their leader and continues to offer counsel and lessons as they engage various foes. Recognizing great sensitivity in April, he begins training her as a kunoichi and comes to regard her with a fatherly fondness. Splinter ventures from his lair on only two occasions. The first is when he falls under the control of the Rat King, who attempts to persuade him to forsake his humanity and embrace the life of a rat. Splinter eventually breaks free with the Turtles' help and defeats the Rat King. The second is when Shredder kidnaps April and lures Splinter to his stronghold for a final confrontation. Splinter overpowers Shredder's men and engages his old foe. Shredder reveals that Splinter's daughter, Miwa, had not died and that Shredder had taken her and raised her as his own. Splinter nearly defeats Shredder, only to be attacked by Miwa; Miwa, whose name is now Karai, has been taught, by Shredder, that Splinter is responsible for her mother's death.

As the second season progresses, Splinter tells the turtles about his true relationship with Karai. He is eventually able to convince Karai of the truth about their past, but she subsequently mutates into a snake-like being when Shredder's plan for revenge backfires. Later, Earth is invaded by the Kraang and, in the ensuing battle, much of Splinter's lair is destroyed before Splinter is able to defeat Kraang Sub-Prime. Splinter then leaves the lair to find his missing sons. Splinter again engages Shredder in battle and, seemingly victorious, Splinter prepares to reunite with his sons, April, and Casey Jones, only to be attacked from behind by Shredder and thrown into a sewer drain. He is rescued from drowning by Karai and left in an area of the sewer to recover.

At the end of the 3rd season, Splinter asks Shredder for a truce to stop the alien Triceratons. Shredder agrees but at the end of the battle, Shredder kills Splinter. The turtles hold him one last time before they, Casey and April flee with Fugitoid, as he arrives at the very last moment in a spaceship as Earth is sucked into a black hole.

When the turtles go through the time and fail to claim all the Black-Hole Generator pieces to help in the battle against the Triceratons and warn Splinter in time to stop Shredder from killing him. Splinter defeats Shredder, somewhat paralyzing him as Tiger Claw takes him away. When Shredder has himself infused with mutagen, he kidnaps Karai and demands her to come. Splinter fights Shredder along with the turtles, and the fight, leading up to rocky crevices and chasms below, Splinter and Shredder fall into a gaping chasm. Shredder's fall stops short as he lands on a rock outcrop as Splinter falls way down. He is still alive but his leg is broken. He sees the Rat King come toward him, seemingly surviving his fall down as well. Meanwhile, the turtles try to find him but Shredder goes after them. Splinter fights the Rat King but soon tumbles down and realizes that his fight with the Rat King was all a hallucination because of his fever he had developed in the chasm. He finds the skeletal remains of the Rat King and Donatello and Michelangelo find him, alive and well.

He later attempts to use his healing mantras to help April recover from the influence of the crystal fragment of the mystical Sol Star, and receives a vision of the ancient Aeons themselves but is overpowered by the form of a demonic Aeon. As April becomes possessed by the cosmic entity from within the Sol Star fragment, he attempts to reach her but is contained by April's exceptionally strong telekinesis. Regaining consciousness in the ransacked lair, he warns Donatello to be very careful as that being was not April. When April awakens from her ordeal, he expresses how impressed he is at how April was able to literally destroy her demons. He is once again killed by Shredder during a battle when Super Shredder impales him with his mutated claws and throws him off a rooftop. Splinter is buried at the O'Neil farmhouse. His spirit still gives his sons advice.

In season 5, Splinter's spirit briefly returns to the physical plane in order to help his family and friends after Shredder's henchmen accidentally open a portal to the nether world in an attempt to revive the Shredder and bring him back to life. After the crisis is stopped, Splinter has a final  goodbye with his family and friends, and his spirit peacefully floats into the sky and returns to the afterlife once more.

IDW comics and 2014 film
The IDW Comics series, which began in 2011, presents a new origin for both Splinter and the Turtles. All five were originally test subjects at Baxter Stockman's bioengineering firm, Stockgen Corporation. When agents of the Foot Clan break into Stockgen and attempt to steal an alien mutagen, Splinter and the Turtles escape but are exposed to the mutagen in the process. While the element of Splinter being Hamato Yoshi is still present, Oroku Saki is now the Foot Clan's medieval leader, with Splinter and the Turtles being the reincarnations of Yoshi and his sons.

In the back-story, Hamato Yoshi was a member of the Foot Clan in feudal Japan. He is initially known for his unruly temper and lack of discipline. But with the help of his master, Masato, and his love, Tang Shen, he learned to control his temper and becomes a skilled warrior. His contemporary, Oroku Saki, seeks to make the Foot a clan to be feared. When Yoshi openly objects to the needless slaughter of a village connected to an assassination target, he and his family are declared traitors. Yoshi cannot save Tang Shen from being murdered but does save his sons. Yoshi raises and trains his sons for three years until Saki and the Foot find them. When his sons are executed before his eyes, Yoshi swears that he will destroy Oroku Saki before he, himself, falls under the blade.

The live-action 2014 reboot uses the test subject origin story, but Splinter is neither a reincarnation of Hamato Yoshi nor is he associated with him in any way. In fact, Yoshi is written out of the script entirely and Splinter simply learns ninjutsu from a discarded book after being mutated. In the movie, Splinter tells April that he does not remember his life before being in a laboratory, implying that there may be more to Splinter's character.

2018 animated series
In Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, voiced by Eric Bauza and Sander Argabrite (as a younger version of the character),  Splinter is once again Hamato Yoshi, a descendant of the Hamato clan; however, as a young child, he escapes the responsibility of his clan in order to pursue a career as a martial arts film star (taking inspiration from Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee) under the stage name "Lou Jitsu". He lives with his sons in their sewer lair and can be seen spending his time reliving his glory days by rewatching his movies as an action hero before he had been unexpectedly mutated into a rat. As the Turtles were intentionally mutated using Yoshi's DNA (revealed in 'Evil League of Mutants', and later shown in 'Goyles, Goyles, Goyles'), they are his biological sons in this iteration rather than adopted.

Splinter shows a great aptitude in using anything as a potential weapon, as shown in his films' he fights with Fish and Ladders in the episode 'Evil League of Mutants'.

Afraid that his sons would be put in harm's way he is less diligent in training them in ninjutsu, until he learns that the Foot Clan have been assembling the Shredder's armour, and he takes a more active role in preparing them for the danger his irresponsibility has placed them in. When they discover that their idol Lou Jitsu that they have been playfully emulating for years is in fact their sensei, they learn to appreciate their father more.

It is revealed that Splinter escaped his responsibility as a Hamato due to his mother being forced to leave him because of it when he was young, causing him to dislike his clan and their duty.

Appearance

Splinter's physical appearance remains fairly consistent in all incarnations of the character; he is portrayed as an elderly rat dressed in robes. The coloration of his fur varies depending on the incarnation. While brown fur is the most common depiction, he is sometimes depicted as having gray fur. In the original live-action movies, he is missing part of his right ear, which was cut off by Saki. In the 2012 series, Splinter is physically taller and younger than he was in past incarnations. He also has a more rat-like design along with distinctive body marks on his fur.

Personality
Splinter is portrayed as wise, intelligent, and a skilled "elderly martial arts master". He is nearly always calm. Even when angry, he refrains from raising his voice. He is the quintessential calm, all-knowing, and wise master of all martial arts. Also, Splinter has strong willpower as he doesn't give up without a fight. Also, in the 1987 series, Splinter can control his brain waves through his willpower.

Splinter cares for his adopted sons with fierce devotion, rescuing them in very critical moments in the series, such as when Shredder attempted to execute the four on a building, or when Bishop tried to literally tear them apart for science. He is furious when the Foot attempts to slay the Turtles with a robot Splinter and goes all the way to Japan after the four are kidnapped by the Tribunal. Splinter does go to the Turtles for help whenever he was in a tough spot, especially shown in the 1987 series episode "The Old Switcheroo" when an accident caused himself and Shredder to switch bodies as he went to them for help in getting back to his real body but had a hard time convincing them at first but they believed him when they heard his wise wisdom and that he didn't want to fight them as they worked together to set things right.

Despite his love for his sons, Splinter is fairly militant with them, especially when they are young and inexperienced. Splinter's main fear is that he and his family will one day be exposed to the outside world, as he is understandably protective. He disciplines the turtles when they become disobedient or unruly. His punishments include making them do back-flips repeatedly in the second live-action movie, or being sent to the Hashi, a form of punishment in the 2014 film by using chopsticks for balance. At times, Splinter does get physical with the Turtles whenever he gets mad with them or breaks up their siblings arguments, which led him to ground them, especially in 2012 series.

Splinter is not completely cut off from the pleasures of modern culture. Splinter is often depicted to be a fan of soap operas. This is stated in a few different incarnations but is most displayed in the 2003 series sixth season, where that hobby is mentioned several times. It is also mentioned in both the 2007 animated film and the 2012 series that he very much enjoys dessert, particularly Ice pops.

In the 2018 series, Splinter is displayed as somewhat irresponsible, spending most of his time eating and watching TV, although he occasionally shows the traits mentioned above.

In the 2023 film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, he is shown to have an extreme hatred for the human race due to a perception that they were all out to hurt mutants, and as a result, he is overly protective of the Turtles. He is depicted as less of a traditional martial arts master and more of a worrisome single father figure, though he is still skilled in martial arts.

Portrayal
In the 1987 series, he was voiced by Peter Renaday in the American version and by Hideyuki Umezu (TV), Yuzuru Fujimoto (NHK-BS2) and Kiyoshi Kobayashi (VHS) in the Japanese versions. The film Turtles Forever features this incarnation, voiced by David Wills. Renaday would reprise the role of Splinter during spoken portions of the inaugural 'Coming out of their Shells' live action concert tour which was taped from Radio City Music Hall, though he went uncredited in the VHS tape.
In Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation, Splinter is voiced by Stephen Mendel.
In the 2003 animated series and Turtles Forever American version, Splinter is voiced by Darren Dunstan. In the Japanese version, he is voiced by Shōto Kashii.
In the first two movies, he is voiced by Kevin Clash, and in the third, he was voiced by James Murray. In the 2007 animated film, he was voiced by Mako Iwamatsu; Iwamatsu died during production, and his new fill-in Greg Baldwin stepped in to provide a large share of Splinter's dialogue in the finished film (receiving a credit only for "additional voices"). Splinter was Mako's final role before his death. In the Japanese versions, he was voiced by Kiyoshi Kobayashi and Joji Yanami in the first film, Michio Hazama in the second, Hideyuki Umezu in the third and Shoto Kashii in the fourth.
In the 2007 TMNT game, he is voiced by Terrence Scammell.
In the 2012 animated series, Splinter is voiced by Hoon Lee.
In the 2013 video game TMNT: Out of the Shadows, Splinter is voiced by Feodor Chin.
In the 2014 reboot, Splinter was portrayed by actor Danny Woodburn and his voice was provided by Tony Shalhoub. In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, the film's sequel, Shalhoub again voices Splinter and the motion-capture for the character is done by Peter D. Badalamenti.
In the 2018 animated series, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Splinter is voiced by Eric Bauza.
In the 2023 animated feature, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Splinter is voiced by Jackie Chan. This version is portrayed as less of a sensei and more like a typical middle-aged father, though he still retains his knowledge of ninjutsu and martial arts, which he learns from watching videos about it.

Video games
Splinter appears as a supporting character in most video games based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the Nintendo Entertainment System, he transforms back into a human if the player reaches the ending. Splinter is a playable character in the 2003 video game, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Battle Nexus, TMNT: Mutant Melee, TMNT: Smash Up and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge.

References

Anthropomorphic mice and rats
Comics characters introduced in 1984
Comic martial artists
Fictional Buddhist monks
Fictional characters from Kansai
Fictional characters from Tokyo
Fictional characters with precognition
Fictional human–animal hybrids
Fictional immigrants to the United States
Fictional Japanese people in television
Fictional martial arts trainers
Fictional mutants
Fictional ninja
Fictional schoolteachers
Japanese comics characters
Male characters in comics
Superhero film characters
Superhero television characters
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters

Splinter (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)


Buchanan's Birthplace State Park is an  Pennsylvania state park near Cove Gap in Peters Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania. The park is on Pennsylvania Route 16 along Tuscarora Mountain. Buchanan's Birthplace State Park was created from land donated to the state by Harriet Lane in honor of her uncle, the 15th President of the United States, James Buchanan.

Recreation
Recreation facilities are limited. There are two pavilions and a number of picnic tables. Drinking water and two restrooms are located near the picnic area. A pyramid built with native stone stands at the site of the cabin where President Buchanan was born. Buck Run runs through the park and has a population of native trout for fishing. Tuscarora Trail, a bypass trail for the Appalachian Trail, passes just to the west of the park.

Buchanan's Birthplace
President James Buchanan was born into an Ulster Scots family on April 23, 1791, near the village of Cove Gap. He was born in a log cabin on property owned by his father. The complex was known as Stony Batter, named for the family home near Ramelton in County Donegal in Ulster, Ireland. At the time of Buchanan's birth, the Cove Gap area was on the edge of the American frontier. Today it is a quite isolated area, but when President Buchanan was born it was a center of frontier commerce. Stony Batter was a complex of cabins, barns, stables, storehouses, a general store, and an orchard. Pioneers travelling from the East Coast through Cove Gap stopped at Stony Batter to rest and replenish their supplies. Buchanan lived at Stony Batter until he was six years old, when his father moved his business to Mercersburg.

Monument
Harriet Lane Johnston was President Buchanan's niece and since he never married she served as his First Lady. She led the effort to create a memorial to her uncle. She made several efforts to purchase his birthplace, Stony Batter, but was ultimately unsuccessful. When she wrote her will in 1895, she created a trust whose task it was to pursue the construction of monuments to her uncle. Upon Harriet Lane's death, in 1903, the responsibility for building the monument devolved upon a banker from Washington, D.C., E. Francis Riggs and a lawyer from Baltimore, Lawrason Riggs (not to be confused with E. Francis' brother of the same name). As the area was no longer a center of commerce, and had become a remote place, it is uncertain why it took years to purchase Stony Batter, but the Riggs' were finally successful in doing so in 1907. The monument in the shape of a pyramid was built of native stone. Wyatt and Nolting, an architectural firm from Baltimore, designed the memorial. The pyramid is  square and  high. It is made of  of American Gray Granite and 250 tons of mortar and native stones. Construction of the pyramid began in October 1907 with a work force of 20 men. They built a small railroad to haul the heavy materials from the mountainside to the construction site. The work force grew to 35 men and the monument was completed by late winter with a surrounding iron railing. The Pennsylvania General Assembly of 1911 accepted the monument from the trust of Harriet Lane Johnston and Buchanan's Birthplace State Park was formally established.

Nearby state parks
The following state parks are within  of Buchanan's Birthplace State Park:
Berkeley Springs State Park (West Virginia)
Cacapon State Park (West Virginia)
Cowans Gap State Park (Fulton County)
Caledonia State Park (Adams and Franklin Counties)
Fort Frederick State Park (Maryland)
Greenbrier State Park (Maryland)
Mont Alto State Park (Franklin County)
South Mountain State Park (Maryland)
Trough Creek State Park (Huntingdon County)
Warriors Path State Park (Bedford County)

See also

 Wheatland (James Buchanan House)

References

External links

Buildings and monuments honoring American presidents in the United States
James Buchanan
Monuments and memorials in Pennsylvania
Parks in Franklin County, Pennsylvania
State parks of Pennsylvania
Protected areas established in 1911
1911 establishments in Pennsylvania
Buchanan, James
Protected areas of Franklin County, Pennsylvania

Buchanan's Birthplace State Park


Saint Primianus or Primianus of Larino ( or Primiano Martire) (d. 15 May 303 or 304) is the patron saint of Lesina, Apulia, in Italy. He is also joint patron saint, with Saint Pardus, of Larino in the province of Campobasso. His feast day is celebrated in both places on 15 May with fireworks and music, but 28 April is the date elsewhere.

Life
The tradition is that three Christian brothers, Primianus, Firmianus and Castus, were persecuted and put to death during the Persecution of Diocletian on 15 May 303 in the amphitheatre of Larino. Firmianus and Castus were devoured by lions, but Primianus tamed them and was spared. He was later decapitated near the Temple of Mars in Larino.

There is a further legend that in 842 Larino was invaded by Saracens and mostly destroyed. Its citizens were dispersed across the surrounding countryside, and the inhabitants of the city of Lesina were able to take from the ruined church the relics of Primianus, Firmianus and Castus. The citizens of Larino, once it was restored, declared war on Lesina and stormed it to regain the relics. In the confusion they broke into the tomb of Saint Pardus, patron saint of Lesina, and took his relics instead, removing them in a farm cart decorated with flowers.

The former Lesina Cathedral was dedicated to Primianus, and is now a church, containing the Sanctuary of Primianus.

A notable reliquary of some of Primianus's relics is preserved in Acquaviva Collecroce.

References and notes

Sources and external links
 Santebeati.it: San Primiano

Saints from Roman Italy
303 deaths
4th-century Christian martyrs
Year of birth unknown
Christians martyred during the reign of Diocletian

Primianus of Larino


Hutchings' Illustrated California Magazine was a magazine published between 1856 and 1861, in San Francisco, which played an important role in popularizing California in general, and to a large extent Yosemite National Park in particular.

Publisher and promoter James Hutchings was born in Towcester, England, and in 1848 came to the United States along with a vast wave of Europeans that were escaping a maelstrom of economic, political and religious oppression in the late 1840s. Shortly after he arrived gold was found in the Sierra Nevada, and Hutchings decided to seek his fortune. His was a common story insofar as he did not make a good living mining gold, but what little he did make he invested. In addition to attracting settlers to the west coast, the gold rush also brought technology, in particular printing presses, and Hutchings learned to make a moderately lucrative living publishing and selling letter sheets, which were printed broad sheets purposely left blank on the back so they could be used to write letters, something akin to large-format postcards. They became very popular among miners, who used them when they wrote home to friends and relatives in the east. Aside from making a living selling the letter sheets, as Hutchings traveled around California he gained a sense of what was important in the popular mind and came up with the idea of an illustrated magazine.

The news of the Mariposa Battalion's incursion into a valley (that the battalion members named Yosemite) for the purpose of tracking down alleged renegade Indians was fairly widely published, but the news focused on the confrontation. Hutchings was one of the few people to note the mention of a 1000-foot waterfall, and in 1854 when he was first formulating the idea of his illustrated magazine, he decided that a trip into that valley might make for interesting stories in the inaugural issue of the magazine. In the late spring of 1855 he hired artists to join him, and when the party arrived in the foothills he hired two Mi-Wuk men as guides. As the party came around Inspiration Point, they stopped long enough for Thomas Ayres to get a detailed sketch, which was published as a lithographic poster that fall, the first published image of Yosemite Valley. In June 1856, the entire account was published in Volume I of the magazine, and included five of Ayres' drawings.

The magazine was published monthly from July 1856 to June 1861, five volumes total. Although Yosemite was prominent, it was a magazine of general interest that focused on California's nascent tourist attractions. Each issue contained travel narratives, ranging from simple day trips out of San Francisco to arduous trans-Sierra treks. Longer articles were interspersed with shorter and lighter pieces, such as poetry and tables of interesting facts. The magazine popularized a number of well-known legendary stories of the West including the Pony Express, Grizzly Adams and Snowshoe Thompson. The story of the naming of Yosemite was first published in the magazine in an article by Lafayette Bunnell.

References

External links

Hutchings' Illustrated California Magazine at the Internet Archive
Hutchings' Illustrated California Magazine archive at HathiTrust

1856 establishments in California
1861 disestablishments in California
Monthly magazines published in the United States
City guides
Defunct magazines published in the United States
English-language magazines
Local interest magazines published in the United States
Magazines established in 1856
Magazines disestablished in 1861
Magazines published in San Francisco
Tourism magazines
Yosemite National Park


Tiktaalik (; Inuktitut  ) is a monospecific genus of extinct sarcopterygian (lobe-finned fish) from the Late Devonian Period, about 375 Mya (million years ago), having many features akin to those of tetrapods (four-legged animals). Tiktaalik is estimated to have had a total length of  based on various specimens.

Unearthed in Arctic Canada, Tiktaalik is a non-tetrapod member of Osteichthyes (bony fish), complete with scales and gills – but it has a triangular, flattened head and unusual, cleaver-shaped fins. Its fins have thin ray bones for paddling like most fish, but they also have sturdy interior bones that would have allowed Tiktaalik to prop itself up in shallow water and use its limbs for support as most four-legged animals do. Those fins and other mixed characteristics mark Tiktaalik as a crucial transition fossil, a link in evolution from swimming fish to four-legged vertebrates. This and similar animals might be the common ancestors of all vertebrate terrestrial fauna: amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

The first well-preserved Tiktaalik fossils were found in 2004 on Ellesmere Island in Nunavut, Canada. The discovery, made by Edward B. Daeschler of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Neil H. Shubin from the University of Chicago, and Harvard University Professor Farish A. Jenkins Jr, was published in the April 6, 2006, issue of Nature and quickly recognized as a transitional form.

Description
Tiktaalik provides insights on the features of the extinct closest relatives of the tetrapods. Tiktaalik was a large fish: the largest known fossils have an estimated length of 2.75 m (9.02 feet), with the longest lower jaws reaching a length of 31 cm (1.0 feet).

Skull and neck
 The skull of Tiktaalik was low and flat, more similar in shape to that of a crocodile than most fish. The rear edge of the skull was excavated by a pair of indentations known as otic notches. These notches may have housed spiracles on the top of the head, which suggest the creature had primitive lungs as well as gills. Tiktaalik also lacked a characteristic that most fishes have—bony plates in the gill area that restrict lateral head movement. This makes Tiktaalik the earliest known fish to have a neck, with the pectoral (shoulder) girdle separate from the skull. This would give the creature more freedom in hunting prey on land or in the shallows.

Forelimbs
The "fins" of Tiktaalik have helped to contextualize the origin of weight-bearing limbs and digits. The fin has both a robust internal skeleton, like tetrapods, surrounded by a web of simple bony fin rays (lepidotrichia), like fish. The lepidotrichia are thickest and most extensive on the front edge and upper side of the fin, leaving more room for muscle and skin on the underside of the fin. The pectoral fin was clearly weight bearing, being attached to a massive shoulder girdle with expanded scapular and coracoid elements attached to the body armor. Moreover, there are large muscle scars on the underside of the forefin bones, and the distal joints of the wrist are highly mobile. Together, these suggest that the fin was both muscular and had the ability to flex like a wrist joint. These wrist-like features would have helped anchor the creature to the bottom in a fast current.

One of the persistent questions facing paleontologists is the evolution of the tetrapod limb: specifically, how the internal bones of lobed fins evolved into the feet and toes of tetrapods. In many lobe-finned fish, including living coelacanths and the Australian lungfish, the fin skeleton is based around a straight string of midline bones, making up the metapterygial axis. The component bones of the axis are known as axials or mesomeres. The axis is flanked by one or two series of rod-like bones known as radials. Radials can be characterized as preaxial (in front of the axials) or postaxial (behind the axials). This semi-symmetrical structure is difficult to homologize with the more splayed lower limbs of tetrapods.

Tiktaalik retains a metapterygial axis with distinctly enlarged axial bones, a very fish-like condition. Even Panderichthys, which is otherwise more fish-like, seems to be more advanced towards a tetrapod-like limb. Nevertheless, the internal skeleton of the pectoral fin can still be equated to the forelimb bones of tetrapods. The first axial, at the base of the fin, has developed into the humerus, the single large bone making up the stylopodium (upper arm). This is followed by the two bones of the zeugopodium (forearm): the radius (i.e., the first preaxial radial) and ulna (i.e., the second axial). The radius is much larger than the ulna, and its front edge thins into a sharp blade like that of Panderichthys.

Further down, the internal skeleton transitions into the mesopodium, which in tetrapods contains the bones of the wrist. Tiktaalik has two large wrist bones: the narrow intermedium (i.e., the second preaxial radial) and the blocky ulnare (i.e., the third axial). In tetrapods, the wrist is followed by the hand and finger bones. The origin of these bones has long been a topic of contention. In the early 20th century, most paleontologists considered the digits to develop symmetrically from the distal fin radials. Another school of thought, popularized in the 1940s, is that the hand was neomorphic. This means that it was an entirely new structure that spontaneously evolved once the distal axials and radials were reduced. A third hypothesis, emphasized by Shubin and Alberch (1986), is that digits are homologous to postaxial radials in particular. This interpretation, better known as the digital arch model, is supported by numerous developmental studies. A consistent set of Hox genes are responsible for moderating both the rear edge of the fin (in several modern fish) and the digits of modern tetrapods as their embryos develop. The digital arch model posits that the metapterygial axis was bent forwards at a sharp angle near the origin of tetrapods. This allowed the axials to transform into wrist bones, while the narrower postaxial radials splay out and evolve into fingers.

Tiktaalik presents a contradictory set of traits. As predicted by the digital arch model, there are at multiple (at least eight) rectangular distal radials arranged in a dispersed pattern, similar to fingers. Some of the radials are even arranged sequentially, akin to finger joints. However, the metapterygial axis is straight and runs down the middle of the fin. Only three of the finger-like radials are postaxial, while the model predicts that most or all of the radials should be postaxial. It remains to be seen whether any of the distal radials of Tiktaalik are homologous to fingers. Finger-like distal radials are also known in other elpistostegalians: Panderichthys (which has at least four) and Elpistostege (which has 19).

Hip and hindlimbs
As with other regions of the body, the pelvis (hip) was intermediate in form between earlier lobe-finned fish (like Gooloogongia and Eusthenopteron) and tetrapods (like Acanthostega). The pelvis was much larger than in other fish, nearly the same size as the shoulder girdle, like tetrapods. In terms of shape, the pelvis is a single bone, much more similar to fish. There is a broad upper iliac blade continuous with a low semi-cartilaginous pubic process in front of the acetabulum (hip socket). This contrasts with the more complex pelvis of tetrapods, which have three separate bones (the ilium, pubis, and ischium) making up the hip. In addition, in tetrapods the left and right pelvises often connect to each other or the spinal column, while in Tiktaalik each side of the pelvis is fully separate. The orientation of the hip socket is halfway between the rear-facing socket of other fish and the sideways-facing socket of tetrapods.

The hindlimbs, also known as pelvic fins, appear to be almost as long as the forelimbs. This is yet another trait more similar to tetrapods than to other fish. Though not all bones are preserved in the fossil, it is clear that the hindlimbs of Tiktaalik had lepidotrichia and at least three large rod-like ankle bones. If fully preserved, the pelvic fins would probably have been internally and externally very similar to the pectoral fins.

Torso
The torso of Tiktaalik is elongated by the standards of most Devonian tetrapodomorphs. Although the vertebrae are not ossified, there are about 45 pairs of ribs between the skull and the hip region. The ribs are larger than in earlier fish, imbricating (overlapping) via blade-like flanges. Imbricating ribs are also known in Ichthyostega, though in that taxon the ribs are more diverse in shape.

Tiktaalik most likely lacked dorsal fins, like other elpistostegalians as well as tetrapods. The shape of the tail and caudal fin are unknown, since that portion of the skeleton has not been preserved. Many lobe-finned fish have a single anal fin on the underside of the tail, behind the pelvic fins. While not reported in Tiktaalik, an anal fin can be observed in Elpistostege, a close relative.

Tiktaalik was covered by rhombic (diamond-shaped) bony scales, most similar to Panderichthys among lobe-finned fish. The scales are roughly-textured, slightly broader than long, and overlap from front-to-back.

Strong lungs (as supported by the plausible presence of a spiracle) may have led to the evolution of a more robust ribcage, a key evolutionary trait of land-living creatures. The more robust ribcage of Tiktaalik would have helped support the animal's body any time it ventured outside a fully aquatic habitat.

Tiktaalik is sometimes compared to gars (especially Atractosteus spatula, the alligator gar) of the family Lepisosteidae, with whom it shares a number of characteristics:
 Diamond-shaped scale patterns common to the Crossopterygii class (in both species scales are rhombic, overlapping and tuberculated);
 Teeth structured in two rows;
 Both internal and external nostrils;
 Tubular and streamlined body;
 Absence of anterior dorsal fin;
 Broad, dorsoventrally compressed skull;
 Paired frontal bones;
 Marginal nares;
 Subterminal mouth;
 Lung-like organ.

Paleobiology
Tiktaalik generally had the characteristics of a lobe-finned fish, but with front fins featuring arm-like skeletal structures more akin to those of a crocodile, including a shoulder, elbow, and wrist. The fossil discovered in 2004 did not include the rear fins and tail, which were found in other specimens. It had rows of sharp teeth indicative of a predator fish, and its neck could move independently of its body, which is not common in other fish (Tarrasius, Mandageria, placoderms, and extant seahorses being some exceptions; see also Lepidogalaxias and Channallabes apus). The animal had a flat skull resembling a crocodile's; eyes on top of its head; a neck and ribs similar to those of tetrapods, with the ribs being used to support its body and aid in breathing via lungs; well developed jaws suitable for catching prey; and a small gill slit called a spiracle that, in more derived animals, became an ear. Spiracles would have been useful in shallow water, where higher water temperature would lower oxygen content.

The discoverers said that in all likelihood, Tiktaalik flexed its proto-limbs primarily on the floor of streams and may have pulled itself onto the shore for brief periods. In 2014, the discovery of the animal's pelvic girdle was announced; it was strongly built, indicating the animal could have used them for moving in shallow water and across mudflats. Neil Shubin and Daeschler, the leaders of the team, have been searching Ellesmere Island for fossils since 2000:

Paleoecology
The fossils of Tiktaalik were found in the Fram Formation, deposits of meandering stream systems near the Devonian equator, suggesting a benthic animal that lived on the bottom of shallow waters and perhaps even out of the water for short periods, with a skeleton indicating that it could support its body under the force of gravity whether in very shallow water or on land. At that period, for the first time, deciduous plants were flourishing and annually shedding leaves into the water, attracting small prey into warm oxygen-poor shallows that were difficult for larger fish to swim in.

Classification and evolution

Tiktaalik roseae is the only species classified under the genus. Tiktaalik lived approximately 375 million years ago. It is representative of the transition between non-tetrapod vertebrates (fish) such as Panderichthys, known from fossils 380 million years old, and early tetrapods such as Acanthostega and Ichthyostega, known from fossils about 365 million years old. Its mixture of primitive fish and derived tetrapod characteristics led one of its discoverers, Neil Shubin, to characterize Tiktaalik as a "fishapod".

Tiktaalik is a transitional fossil; it is to tetrapods what Archaeopteryx is to birds, troodonts and dromaeosaurids. While it may be that neither is ancestor to any living animal, they serve as evidence that intermediates between very different types of vertebrates did once exist. The mixture of both fish and tetrapod characteristics found in Tiktaalik include these traits:

Fish
Fish gills
Fish scales
Fish fins
"Fishapod"
Half-fish, half-tetrapod limb bones and joints, including a functional wrist joint and radiating, fish-like fins instead of toes
Half-fish, half-tetrapod ear region
Tetrapod
Tetrapod rib bones
Tetrapod mobile neck with separate pectoral girdle
Tetrapod lungs

Classification history

2006–2010: Elpistostegids as tetrapod ancestors

The phylogenetic analysis of Daeschler et al. (2006) placed Tiktaalik as a sister taxon to Elpistostege and directly above Panderichthys, which was preceded by Eusthenopteron. Tiktaalik was thus inserted below Acanthostega and Ichthyostega, acting as a transitional form between limbless fish and limbed vertebrates ("tetrapods"). Some press coverage also used the term "missing link", implying that Tiktaalik filled an evolutionary gap between fish and tetrapods. Nevertheless, Tiktaalik has never been claimed to be a direct ancestor to tetrapods. Rather, its fossils help to illuminate evolutionary trends and approximate the hypothetical true ancestor to the tetrapod lineage, which would have been similar in form and ecology.

In its original description, Tiktaalik was described as a member of Elpistostegalia, a name previously used to refer to particularly tetrapod-like fish such as Elpistostege and Panderichthys. Daeschler et al. (2006) recognized that this term referred to a paraphyletic grade of fish incrementally closer to tetrapods. Elpistostegalian fish have few unique traits which are not retained from earlier fish or inherited by later tetrapods.

In response, Daescler et al. (2006) redefined Elpisostegalia as a clade, including all vertebrates descended from the common ancestor of Panderichthys, Elpistostege, and tetrapods. Nevertheless, they still retained the phrase "elpistostegalian fish" to refer to the grade of early elpisostegalians which had not acquired limbs, digits, or other specializations which define tetrapods. In this sense, Tiktaalik is an elpistostegalian fish. Later papers also use the term "elpisostegid" for the same category of Devonian fish.

This order of the phylogenetic tree was initially adopted by other experts, most notably by Per Ahlberg and Jennifer Clack. However, it was questioned in a 2008 paper by Boisvert et al., who noted that Panderichthys, due to its more derived distal forelimb structure, might be closer to tetrapods than Tiktaalik or even that it was convergent with tetrapods. Ahlberg, co-author of the study, considered the possibility of Tiktaalik's fin having been "an evolutionary return to a more primitive form."

2010–present: Doubts over tetrapod ancestry

The proposed origin of tetrapods among elpistostegalian fish was called into question by a discovery made in the Holy Cross Mountains of Poland. In January 2010, a group of paleontologists (including Ahlberg) published on a series of trackways from the Eifelian stage of the Middle Devonian, about 12 million years older than Tiktaalik. These trackways, discovered at the Zachełmie quarry, appear to have been created by fully terrestrial tetrapods with a quadrupedal gait.

Tiktaalik's discoverers were skeptical about the Zachelmie trackways. Daeschler said that trace evidence was not enough for him to modify the theory of tetrapod evolution, while Shubin argued that Tiktaalik could have produced very similar footprints. In a later study Shubin expressed a significantly modified opinion that some of the Zachelmie footprints, those which lacked digits, may have been made by walking fish. However, Ahlberg insisted that those tracks could not have possibly been formed either by natural processes or by transitional species such as Tiktaalik or Panderichthys. Instead, the authors of the publication suggested that "ichthyostegalian"-grade tetrapods were the responsible trackmakers, based on available pes morphology of those animals.

Narkiewicz, co-author of the article on the Zachelmie trackways, claimed that the Polish "discovery has disproved the theory that elpistostegids were the ancestors of tetrapods", a notion partially shared by Philippe Janvier. To resolve the questions posed by the Zachelmie trackways, several hypotheses have been suggested. One approach maintains that the first pulse of elpistostegalian and tetrapod evolution occurring in the Middle Devonian, a time when body fossils showing this trend are too rare to be preserved. This maintains the elpistostegalian-tetrapod ancestor-descendant relationship apparent in fossils, but also introduces long ghost lineages required to explain the apparent delay in fossil appearances. Another approach is that elpistostegalian and tetrapod similarities are a case of convergent evolution. In this interpretation, tetrapods would originate in the Middle Devonian while elpisostegalians originate independently in the Late Devonian, before going extinct near the end of the period.

Estimates published after the discovery of Zachelmie tracks suggested that digited tetrapods may have appeared as early as 427.4 Ma ago and questioned attempts to read absolute timing of evolutionary events in early tetrapod evolution from stratigraphy.

However, a reanalysis in 2015 of the Zachelmie trackways find that it fails the criteria for it being identified as Devonian tetrapod trackways and were instead reinterpreted as fish nests or feeding traces, with the trackways at Easter Ross, Valentia Island, and Genoa River being interpreted to have been produced by tetrapods.

Until more data become available, the phylogenetic position of Tiktaalik and other elpistostegids remains contested.

Discovery

In 2004, three fossilized Tiktaalik skeletons were discovered in the Late Devonian fluvial Fram Formation on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, in northern Canada. Estimated ages were reported at 375 Ma, 379 Ma, and 383 Ma. At the time of the species' existence, Ellesmere Island was part of the continent Laurentia (modern eastern North America and Greenland), which was centered on the equator and had a warm climate. When discovered, one of the skulls was found sticking out of a cliff. Upon further inspection, the fossil was found to be in excellent condition for a 375-million-year-old specimen.

The discovery by Daeschler, Shubin, and Jenkins was published in the April 6, 2006, issue of Nature and quickly recognized as a transitional form. Jennifer A. Clack, a Cambridge University expert on tetrapod evolution, said of Tiktaalik, "It's one of those things you can point to and say, 'I told you this would exist,' and there it is."

The name Tiktaalik is an Inuktitut word meaning "large freshwater fish". The "fishapod" genus received this name after a suggestion by Inuit elders of Canada's Nunavut Territory, where the fossil was discovered. The specific name roseae cryptically honours an anonymous donor. Taking a detailed look at the internal head skeleton of Tiktaalik roseae, in the October 16, 2008, issue of Nature, researchers show how Tiktaalik was gaining structures that could allow it to support itself on solid ground and breathe air, a key intermediate step in the transformation of the skull that accompanied the shift to life on land by our distant ancestors. More than 60 specimens of Tiktaalik have been discovered, though the holotype remains the most complete and well-described fossil.

Cultural significance

Tiktaalik has been used as the subject of various Internet memes. The images generally humorously criticize Tiktaalik for its evolutionary adaptations, construing them as playing a critical role in the chain of events that would eventually lead to all human suffering.

See also

 Walking fish
 Alligator gar
 Amphibious fish
 Spotted handfish

Other lobe-finned fish found in fossils from the Devonian Period:

 Coelacanth
 Eusthenopteron
 Gogonasus
 Ichthyostega
 Panderichthys

References

External links

University of Chicago website dedicated to the discovery

Finding Tiktaalik: Interview with Neil Shubin, Royal Institution video, February 2013
A today's fish with tetrapod anatomy, able to move like an early tetrapod – Cryptotora thamicola

Elpistostegalians
Monotypic fish genera
Prehistoric lobe-finned fish genera
Devonian fish of North America
Paleozoic life of Nunavut
Evolution of tetrapods
Transitional fossils
Fossil taxa described in 2006
Taxa named by Ted Daeschler
Taxa named by Neil Shubin

Tiktaalik


The Bengal Fan, also known as the Ganges Fan, is the largest submarine fan on Earth. The fan is about 3,000 km (1,900 mi) long, 1,430 km (890 mi) wide. It has a maximum thickness of 16.5 km (10.3 mi). The fan was formed by the erosion of the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau. This happened because of the collision between the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate. Most of the sediment in the fan comes from the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers which supply the Lower Meghna delta in Bangladesh and the Hoogly delta in India. The oldest sediments gotten from the Bengal fan are from Early Miocene age.

The fan was first discovered by bathymetric survey in the sixties by Bruce C. Heezen and Marie Tharp which identified the abyssal cone and canyon structures. It was named by Joseph Curray and David Moore in 1968.

References

Geography of Bangladesh
Landforms of India

Bengal Fan


Elbow Peak is a peak in Antarctica,  high, located at the southernmost bend of the Berquist Ridge in the Neptune Range of the Pensacola Mountains, Antarctica. It was mapped by the United States Geological Survey from surveys and U.S. Navy air photos, 1956–66. The name given by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names describes the peak's position along the ridge.

References

Mountains of Queen Elizabeth Land
Pensacola Mountains

Elbow Peak


The 2007 BYU Cougars football team represented Brigham Young University (BYU) in the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season.  BYU clinched its second consecutive Mountain West Conference (MWC) championship title outright after defeating Utah on November 24. It was BYU's second consecutive, undefeated season in the MWC, its fourth MWC championship since the league began in 1999, and its 23rd conference title.  At the beginning of the season the Cougars had won an MWC record 16 straight league games dating back to 2005 and were on a ten-game overall winning streak, the longest winning streak in the country at the time.  The Cougars began the season with the second longest winning streak in the country at 11 wins until their loss to UCLA in the second regular season game.  The Cougars ended this season ranked 14th in the nation, highest of all schools from non-AQ conferences. This finish was the highest back-to-back rankings in the AP Poll since the Cougars won the national championship in 1984.

The Cougars improved their bowl record for the second year in a row.  They defeated UCLA 17-16 in 2007 and blew out the Oregon Ducks 38–8 in 2006 in the Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Cougars played their home games at LaVell Edwards Stadium, named after its legendary coach, LaVell Edwards.

Pre-season

Spring Practice started March 19 and ended April 14 at the annual Blue/White Spring game.  The key question was who will fill the empty quarterback position left behind by John Beck: Max Hall, a redshirt sophomore, or Cade Cooper, a junior college transfer from Snow College.  On the third snap during the April 14 scrimmage, Cooper suffered a season-ending injury (Lisfranc fracture).  Hall was named the starting quarterback the following Monday, and Brendan Gaskins as the back-up.  Jacob Bower transferred out in late January.  Cooper then decided to transfer in July.

Among the 7 returning starters on offense and the 5 returning starters on defense are: Sete Aulai (center), Travis Bright and Ray Feinga (offensive guards), Dallas Reynolds (offensive tackle), Manase Tonga (fullback), Matt Allen and Michael Reed (wide receivers), Jan Jorgensen (defensive end), Bryan Kehl and David Nixon (linebackers), Ben Criddle (cornerback), and Quinn Gooch (free safety).  Dustin Gabriel had a foot injury during Fall camp to end his 2007 season, and make him unable to start as KAT.  Russell Tialavea, nose tackle, went out in Fall camp with a torn ACL and MCL.

Fall camp started August 4.  In the preseason, several players suffered foot and leg injuries (Gabriel, Tafuna, Cooper), like Lisfranc fractures, that may be related to the Nike shoes the players were wearing.

MountainWest Sports Network

Fans, coaches, players, and officials of the Mountain West Conference (MWC) eagerly hoped for progress on national distribution of the MountainWest Sports Network (the mtn.), particularly on satellite.  DirecTV continued to negotiate with Comcast for distribution in the MWC "footprint", but Dish Network discontinued negotiations until the FCC resolved a legal question regarding the Big Ten Network (BTN) that could potentially affect the mtn.  While satellite distribution seems closer, national distribution appears unlikely for the 2007 season.  Currently Dallas-Fort Worth is the only remaining MWC market that has no provider for the mtn.

During the season
The Cougars were ranked #25 in Sporting News pre-season ranking.  They started the season unranked in the Coaches Poll (with 47 votes) and unranked in the AP Poll (with 14 votes).

Injuries
Garret Reden suffered a season-ending injury.  Starting free safety, Quinn Gooch ended his season when he tore his ACL in the second half of the TCU game.

Postseason awards and citations
Freshman Harvey Unga was named to the Rivals Freshman All-America Second Team.  Unga, has 1,211 rushing yards and 629 receiving yards for the season, is the Cougars' all-time leading freshman running back and the first BYU freshman to pass the 1,000-yard mark in a single season. He has rushed for over 100 yards in seven games this season, the most for a freshman at BYU.  He is five yards short of the MWC all-time leading freshman running back.

Senior wide receiver Matt Allen was named one of 11 finalists for the Wuerffel Trophy.

All-Mountain West Conference Football Teams

Harvey Unga was named as the MWC Freshman of the Year, BYU's third recipient of that award following Luke Staley in 1999 and Austin Collie in 2004.

First Team Offense: Max Hall, Dennis Pitta, Ray Feinga, Dallas Reynolds, Harvey Unga* and Austin Collie*.
First Team Defense: Jan Jorgensen and Bryan Kehl.
Second Team Offense: Austin Collie and Harvey Unga.
Second Team Defense: Kelly Poppinga.
Honorable Mention: Austin Collie (KR) and Quinn Gooch

*CFN only

Schedule

Game summaries

Arizona

This was the 21st game between Arizona and BYU.  BYU was favored to win in this defensive contest.  BYU quarterback Max Hall took his first snap in Division I football after a 4-year hiatus of not playing a real game since high school, and the Wildcats began their first year using a version of BYU's spread offense.  BYU's experienced defense held the Wildcats scoreless until the last minute of the game.  Bronco took blame for calling a blitz that allowed an Arizona touchdown.  The offensive line was solid allowing Hall to show his competence with 66% completion, 288 passing yards and some decent scrambles. Unga impressed with 196 all-purpose yards. But special teams revealed room for improvement. Starting BYU fullback Manase Tonga was suspended only for this game due to an arrest related to a traffic stop.  BYU Backup inside linebacker Terrance Hooks was also suspended for this game.  At half time, BYU retired the number 14 at halftime in honor of Gifford Nielsen and Ty Detmer.  Hodgkiss will continue to use the number until the end of the season.  Redshirt Freshman, Harvey Unga was named the MWC Offensive Player of the Week with 67 yards rushing, 127 yards receiving, and two touchdowns.

Arizona Leads Series 11-9-1

UCLA

This was the 8th game between UCLA and BYU with UCLA favored to win by 8 points or so.  This game was widely considered to be the Cougars' toughest regular season game.  Emotions were high as Ben Olson, who originally committed to BYU, transferred to UCLA after his mission and was the starting quarterback for the Bruins.  The Bruins jumped out to a commanding lead at the end of the first half scoring their first touchdown on a 56-yard interception.  The Cougars drew within 3 points in the third quarter, and were poised to pull ahead reaching the "blue zone" with less than 6 minutes in the game.  However a forced fumble, as Hall intended to pass, stopped the Cougars final, successful drive.  Max Hall outplayed Olson; he impressed completing 30 of 52 passes for 391 yards compared to Olson's 126 yards.  Despite the score, the Cougars outplayed the Bruins, even in the first half;  the Cougars got 431 total yards to the Bruins' 236, but 11 penalties and 3 turnovers cost the Cougars the game.  This game ended the Cougars 11-game winning streak and their best chance at a run for a BCS bowl game this year.

UCLA Leads Series 7-1

Tulsa

This was the 7th game between Tulsa and BYU.  The Cougars defeated the Golden Hurricane 49-24 in Provo last season, but were handed a loss in this game.  Coach Mendenhall took responsibility for the loss; he stated that he did not prepare the team for the superior offensive prowess Tulsa possessed.  Tulsa's offense was led by its senior quarterback, Paul Smith, who drew BYU's secondary out of their zones and then threw over the top for large gains several times.  BYU's defense adjusted well in the second half, nevertheless, the team was also plagued with 14 penalties for 138 yards, 4 turnovers including a pick six for 49 yards early in the third quarter, and some poor kicking (including 2 missed PATs and a 29-yard field goal attempt).  Statistically BYU gained more yards than Tulsa in this shootout at 694 yards versus 595 yards of total offense.  Collie impressed with 8 kick returns for 237 yards, and Hall passed for 537 yards, but not enough for the offense to seize the win.

BYU Leads Series 6-1

Air Force

This was the 28th game between Air Force and BYU for BYU's Homecoming game.  Air Force hired new head coach Troy Calhoun this year after Fisher DeBerry retired.

BYU Leads Series 22-6

New Mexico

This win was the 57th game between New Mexico and BYU.  BYU beat the Lobos 42-17 on Senior Day last year.  This game featured the MWC's leading passer, UNM's Porterie, and was expected to test BYU's secondary particularly after the Cougar's shootout with Tulsa.  The game was tied at the end of the third quarter with a 71-yard touchdown reception by the Lobo's running back, Ferguson, and a 2-point conversion after BYU jumped out to lead with a pick six by Kehl in the first 2 minutes of the game and took advantage of five turnovers and a blocked PAT by Criddle.  Overall, the Cougars showed balance and performed well in all aspects of the game on both sides of the ball.  Bryan Kehl was named the MWC Defensive Player of the Week with 10 tackles including a sack, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and an interception for a 36-yard touchdown.

BYU Leads Series 42-14-1

UNLV

This was the 14th game between UNLV and BYU. BYU won the last meeting, 52-7, in 2006 and was favored to win this game by 10 points.  The game was at Sam Boyd Stadium, and will be Family Weekend for UNLV.  It was estimated that 15,000 BYU fans attended the game.

BYU Leads Series 11-3

Eastern Washington

This was the first matchup between Eastern Washington and BYU.  Corby Hodgkiss took a 39-yard touchdown interception on Eastern Washington's first drive.  Bryan Kehl and Quinn Gooch also came away with an interception each. Due to weather and an early defensive touchdown, BYU went away from the pass fairly early. The final quarter was one of the shortest in recent memory as the refs were very liberal with the clock. This was mostly due to the fact the score was 42-7 and there was a blizzard. The last 10 minutes in the game it was hard to see the field yet the cougar faithful cheered loudly until the end.

BYU Leads Series 1-0

Colorado State

This was the 65th game between Colorado State and BYU.  BYU beat the Rams 24-3 on the road in 2006.  BYU extended its conference record to 4-0 (including a conference win-streak of 12-0), its home-win-streak to 10-0, and became bowl eligible. The Rams reached the redzone 3 times in the first half, but only came away with one field goal. Hall completed 22 of 30 passes for 355 yards and three touchdowns, and his first game with no interceptions. Unga rushed 11 times for 51 yards making him BYU's all-time leading freshman running back with a season total of 735 yards. Unga also grabbed three receptions for 110 yards including a 53-yard catch and scramble.  Collie caught 8 balls for 111 yards including a 45-yard touchdown reception. Pitta added a 45-yard reception in the final quarter.  Gooch took his second interception of the season, and Jorgensen added 2.5 sacks to lead the team with 6.5 sacks.  Gaskins came in for Hall in the last minutes of the game to throw his first pass in a Division I FBS game which resulted in an interception and a 31-yard return for a CSU touchdown.

BYU Leads Series 35-27-3

TCU

This was the 9th game between TCU and BYU.  BYU went on the road to win 31-17 in this meeting last year, sparking their 8-0 run through the MWC.  Kelly Poppinga was named the MWC Defensive Player of the Week with a career-high 17 tackles including a tackle for a loss and an interception in this game.

BYU Leads Series 7-2

Wyoming

This was the 72nd game between Wyoming and BYU.  BYU dominated the Cowboys from the opening kickoff last season, 55-7.  This year BYU controlled the game from the beginning taking a 21-3 lead at half time.  Sophomore Max Hall was named MWC Offensive Player of the Week with 331 passing yards, over 70% completion and three touchdowns.  Hall broke the MWC's all-time sophomore passing leader by reaching 3,121 passing yards.  In BYU quarterback-factory history, Hall ranks third behind Ty Detmer and Robbie Bosco for passing yards in their first 10 games as a starter.  Hall went out in the third quarter after suffering a shoulder separation.

BYU Leads Series 39-30-3

Utah

Source:

This rivalry game, unofficially dubbed "The Holy War," is typically the most anticipated conference game for each of these two teams.  In 2006, the rivalry was ranked in the Wall Street Journal as the 4th best college football rivalry game in the country.  (See also Utah–BYU rivalry.)  This was the 83rd game between Utah and BYU with the series going 49-30-4 for Utah since 1922.  Utah dominated the series 34-2-4 through 1964.  Since that time BYU has led the series 28-15.  Utah's 4-game-winning-streak against BYU ended last year with a game-winning, last-second play. In 2007, BYU achieved its first back-to-back wins over Utah since 2000–2001.

The game was largely a defensive struggle until the last few minutes of the fourth quarter. The Utes took the lead 10-9 when Darrell Mack scored the first touchdown of the game with just 1:34 left. On the ensuing possession, however, BYU converted on fourth and eighteen from their own 12 with a 49-yard pass from Max Hall to Austin Collie.  Harvey Unga made the game-winning touchdown run with 38 seconds remaining, and Austin Collie caught a pass in the back of the end zone for a two-point conversion, putting the Cougars up 17-10.  Unga became BYU's first freshman running back to gain 1,000 rushing yards in a season.  This was also Collie's 6th game for over 97 yards receiving.  BYU racked up 424 offensive yards to Utah's 244.  Unga was named the MWC Offensive Player of the Week, and freshman kicker, Mitch Payne, was named MWC Special Teams Player of the Week making 3 of 4 field goals.

Utah Leads Series 49-30-4

San Diego State

This game was originally scheduled to be played on October 27, but was rescheduled due to wildfires in southern California. This was the 32nd game between San Diego State and BYU.  The Aztecs fell 47-17 in Provo last October.  This game marked the Cougars' MWC record 16th straight conference victory.  Freshman running-back Harvey Unga scored a career-high four touchdowns with 161 rushing yards and 29 receiving yards.  Sophomore quarterback Max Hall completed 19 of 26 throws for 227 yards and three touchdowns. BYU was slow to put the game away, but had a 14-point lead by the end of the third quarter.  Harvey Unga and Jan Jorgensen were named MWC Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week.

BYU leads the series 24-7-1

Las Vegas Bowl

Eathyn Manumaleuna blocked a last second field goal by UCLA and BYU hung on to beat the Bruins 17-16. BYU quarterback Max Hall went 21-35 for 231 yards and two touchdowns. Manase Tonga led the rushing with 3 carries for 21 yards. The MVP of the game, Austin Collie had 6 catches for 107 yards and 1 touchdown. For UCLA, quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson went 11-27 for 154 yards and 1 touchdown and interception. The rushing game was led by Chris Markey who ran 27 times for 117 yards. This was the first time the Cougars gave up 100 yards rushing to a single player. Bethel-Thompson's favorite target was Brandon Breazell who caught 4 passes for 44 yards and 1 touchdown. The Bruins struck first with a 22-yard Kai Forbath field goal. A 29-yard field goal by BYU kicker Mitch Payne made it 3-3 after the 1st quarter. In the 2nd, Hall hooked up with Austin Collie for 14 yards and a touchdown to make it 10-3. Forbath then hit a 52-yard field goal to cut the lead to 10-6. With 1:03 left in the 1st half, Hall found Michael Reed for 13 yards and a touchdown. As time expired, Bethel-Thompson hit Breazell to make it 17-13 in favor of BYU at the end of the 2nd quarter. There was no scoring in the 3rd. In the 4th, Forbath made it 17-16 with a 50-yard field goal. BYU punted to UCLA with around 2 minutes left to set up a final drive for the Bruins. Bethel-Thompson, a fourth-string walk-on quarterback, along with Chris Markey drove to the BYU 49. On 3rd and 8 Bethel-Thompson hit Logan Paulsen to get to the BYU 13. That set up a chip-shot 28-yard field goal for Forbath, who already hit 2 50+ yarders. The kick was too low and Manumaleuna blocked it and sealed the game for the Cougars.

Rankings

Statistical leaders

Coaching staff

Players

Roster

Depth chart

References

BYU
BYU Cougars football seasons
Mountain West Conference football champion seasons
Las Vegas Bowl champion seasons
BYU Cougars football

2007 BYU Cougars football team


Walter Cowley (c.1500 – 1548) was an Irish lawyer and politician who was the first holder of the office of Principal Solicitor for Ireland, which was created for him. He was a client of Thomas Cromwell, and later of John Alan, the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, and this connection ultimately led to his downfall. He is best remembered as an ancestor of the 1st Duke of Wellington.

Background
The Colley/Cowley family originated in Rutland, where they were long associated with the village of Glaston. Records show that Walter Cowley (born about 1489 & died 1548) moved to Ireland with his father Robert about 1505-06 as Judges & merchants from Rutlandshire. 1407 his 4 greats grandfather Walter was the Portreeve(Sheriff)of Kilkenny Ire. on 22 September 1511, the Mayor of Drogheda granted a case for Walter to find a Chaplin. In 1537 he was appointed Solicitor General of Ireland. Imprisoned in the Tower of London with his brother Robert Cowley an (Irish Judge). 1541-several letters were written to King Henry III pleading for clemency for him & his brother Robert which still exists. When released he was restored to Royal Favour, Surrendered his office to John Bathe in 1546, and later was Surveyor General in Ireland. He left a considerable fortune to his son Sir Henry who acquired & was the first to live in the Carbery Castle in 1554. Walter was Surveyor General in Kildare in 1550 & died possibly in Kildare Ireland. Walters's great-uncle was John Colley the 1st. Lord of Glaston, Rutlandshire, Eng. & brother to his great-grandfather Walter Cowley born 1440 in Glaston. When great-uncle John Colley the first Lord of Glaston died his oldest son Sir Anthony Colley who became a member of Parliament had 2 daughters & a son Anthony. Robert Cowley (judge), the son of Walter of Glaston later moved to Ireland about 1505–06, with his sons Walter & Robert (Jr) during King Henry VII's reign, and had a highly successful career as merchants etc. becoming Master of the Rolls in Ireland in 1536, but ultimately fell from power about 1540.

Early career
By the mid-1530s Walter had developed political ambitions of his own; he and his father both became clients of Thomas Cromwell. This led to a clash with Patrick Barnewall, another client of Cromwell; Walter clearly hoped to replace Barnewall as Solicitor General for Ireland, and did replace him as Receiver of Customs for Drogheda. Both the  Cowleys sought to blacken Barnewall's name, accusing him in particular of questioning the King's authority, a very serious matter given the ruthless fashion in which Henry VIII dealt with dissent. Barnewall was so alarmed that he offered to resign in Walter's favour; but Cromwell wished to retain the services of both men, and a separate office of Principal Solicitor for Ireland was created for Walter. Odd though this arrangement may seem, it probably helped to alleviate the burden of work for the two senior Law Officers, and continued for many years after Walter's removal.

Walter also clashed with James Bathe, Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer 1540–1570; Walter's father had attacked Bathe as a "presumptuous upstart"  as early as 1525. The Rebellion of Silken Thomas must have seemed an excellent opportunity to block Bathe's advancement, since his father-in-law John Burnell was one of the principal rebels.  However, Bathe possessed both influential friends and the ability to avoid becoming tied to any political faction: his rise to power was a clear sign that the Cowleys' political influence was in decline.

Later career
After Cromwell's downfall, Walter sought the patronage of the Lord Chancellor, John Alan, who belonged to a faction opposed to the Lord Deputy of Ireland, Sir Anthony St Leger. Since St Leger was notoriously hot-tempered his ensuing quarrel with St Leger was probably not of Walter's making, but he showed a serious lack of judgment, which led to his removal from office. His father was already out of favour and had been imprisoned in the Fleet Prison.

In an effort to conciliate James Butler, 9th Earl of Ormond, who had regained much of his family's former influence, St Leger gave him command of the Irish forces in the war against Scotland in 1544. Ormond received an anonymous letter at Gowran, accusing St Leger of deliberately exposing him to danger. It emerged that Walter had written the letter, although he insisted that an associate of his called Cantwell had been responsible.

In a further blunder, Walter and Lord Chancellor Alan drew up a book of articles, accusing St Leger of widespread maladministration. St Leger demanded an inquiry by the Privy Council of England, which exonerated him entirely. Walter was deprived of office and imprisoned in the Tower of London; the State papers preserve an abject letter he wrote to the King pleading for clemency and saying that he had acted out of genuine fear for Ormond's life. He was eventually released, and apparently regained a degree of favour, being appointed Surveyor-General shortly before he died in 1548. Since his family were able to purchase Carbury Castle, County Kildare, within a few years of his death, it is likely that he left a considerable fortune. A Memorial of Walter exists in Glaston, Rutlandshire Eng.

Descendants
His wife's name is unknown: he had two sons of whom the elder, Sir Henry Colley of Carbury Castle (died 1584), was a distinguished soldier and a direct ancestor of Richard Wesley, 1st Baron Mornington. Richard changed the family name to Wesley, and was the grandfather of the 1st Duke of Wellington.

Character
Historians have little good to say of Walter Cowley: he and his father have been described as "ambitious mischief-makers". He should not perhaps be blamed for the abject tone of his letter to Henry VIII from the Tower of London pleading for mercy, since he may well have feared for his life at the time he wrote it. On the other hand, his intrigues against Barnewall and Bathe show him in an extremely unattractive light.

References

16th-century Irish lawyers
Principal Solicitors for Ireland
1500s births
1548 deaths
16th-century Irish politicians
Irish people of English descent
Year of birth uncertain
Lawyers from County Kildare

Walter Cowley


Yuval Rotem (; born March 21, 1959) is an Israeli diplomat who is currently the Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Biography

Yuval Rotem was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, to Rachel and Israel Frenkel, and grew up in Givatayim. Rotem attended his first years of school in a local school. He moved on to a regional high school, "Yironi Tet" in Tel Aviv. Rotem is fluent in Hebrew and English, and understands Italian.

Following his service in the Israel Defense Forces, he studied Political Science and International Relations at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem where he received his B.A. Degree with distinction. Rotem then participated in a special workshop for outstanding students at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a special semester for outstanding students in Georgetown University, Washington D.C., where he also worked as an Aide to Congressman Richard Gephardt of Missouri. Completing his M.A. degree at the Hebrew University in 1988, he received High Honors for his graduate thesis.

Yuval Rotem is married to Miri with three children.

Career

Early career
From 1978 through to 1985, Yuval Rotem served as a paramedical assistant and an ECG technician, in the emergency room in Ichilov Hospital, in Tel Aviv, Israel.
From 1984 until 1985, he also served as a Parliamentary Assistant in the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) in Jerusalem.
Prior to joining the Diplomatic Corps, he also served as a Parliamentary Assistant to Congressman Richard Gephardt (D-MO) in Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.

Diplomatic career
Yuval Rotem joined the diplomatic corps in 1985. In his first two years, he was part of a cadet course in the training Division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In his next two years, he served as a senior assistant to the Policy Advisor to the Foreign Minister. Rotem was first selected for an overseas posting in 1989, where he served as Chief Spokesman for Israel's Permanent Mission to the United Nations and also for the Consulate General of Israel in New York. Upon his return in 1993, he became a Senior Assistant in the office of the Deputy Foreign Minister, and later, a Director of the office of the Senior Deputy Director. In 1995, Mr. Rotem was chosen by then Foreign Minister Ehud Barak to be his Senior Policy Advisor for the Peace Process.

Following Israel's national elections in 1996, Rotem was appointed to the position of Chief of Staff to the Foreign Minister, serving in that capacity under Foreign Minister David Levy and then under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In 1999, Mr. Rotem was reappointed for a second term as Chief of Staff to the Foreign Minister.
In 1999, Rotem was selected for his second overseas posting, this time as Consul General of Israel in Los Angeles, California. This posting included most of the Western region of the USA- Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Hawaii, Wyoming and Southern California. Rotem had a strong connection with the Jewish Community in Los Angeles and frequently visited and spoke to the community.
In 2003, Rotem received the rank of an Ambassador by Benjamin Netanyahu, then the Foreign Minister. This made Rotem the youngest career Diplomat with a rank of an Ambassador in the Foreign Ministry (Until 2014).

Upon his return from Los Angeles, Rotem took his time for further education. Rotem took on two courses: "Board of Governance for High-Ranking Officials, for Government Owned Companies" and "Concepts of Investments for Private & Public Clients". These were offered by HAMIL, a special school for Directors. It took place in Ramat Gan, Israel.

After three years, Rotem was assigned to be Ambassador of Israel to Australia and non-resident Ambassador to New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Fiji.

After his arrival in Australia, Rotem further promoted the relationship between Israel, and its Oceanian allies. Rotem initiated a special motion in the Parliament of Australia celebrating Israel's 60th year of Independence in 2008. Rotem was part of Governor General Michael Jeffery's first state visit to Israel and participated in the opening of the Park of the Australian Soldier in Beersheba. The event was hosted by Israel President Shimon Peres.

In 2014, Rotem was appointed Senior Deputy Director General, heading the Israeli Foreign Ministry's Public Diplomacy Directorate. In this position, Rotem oversaw the activity of the Directorate's three main parts: The Media and Public Affairs Division, the Division for Cultural and Scientific Affairs and the Bureau for World Jewish Affairs and World Religions.

In October 2016, Yuval Rotem was appointed  by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the Israeli Foreign Ministry's acting Director General. Later in 2016 Rotem was permanently appointed as Foreign Affairs Ministry's Director General.

In 2020 Rotem ended his term, being replaced by Alon Ushpiz.

See also
 Ambassadors of Israel
 Israel-New Zealand relations

External links
 Embassy of Israel, Canberra, Australia
 Australian Jewish News

 Try wearing Israeli shoes by Yuval Rotem, New Zealand Herald, February 3, 2008. (Yuval Rotem's Reply to Matt McCarten calling Israel 'a terrorist state that is able to wage crimes on an innocent people')
 PM Netanyahu Appoints Yuval Rotem as Acting Director General of the Foreign Ministry

References

1959 births
Living people
Israeli Jews
Israeli civil servants
Ambassadors of Israel to Australia
Ambassadors of Israel to New Zealand
Ambassadors of Israel to Papua New Guinea
Ambassadors of Israel to Fiji
People from Tel Aviv
Israeli consuls

Yuval Rotem


Carlos Lund (or Carles Suriñach) i Wrokona (; March 6, 1915 – November 12, 1997) was a Spanish-born composer and conductor.

Early life

Carlos Suriñach was born in Barcelona, Spain on March 6 of 1915. His Austrian-Polish mother was a house pianist, introducing him to music at a young age. He began playing the piano between ages 5–6 and started the formal study of music at around age 10. His father was involved in business as a stockbroker. He did not approve of Suriñach pursuing music and confided in their other son, who followed in his footsteps of business. He said that he was never serious about music but always loved it. Taught by his mother through age 14, he studied piano and music theory at the Caminals Academy of Music. He held conducting posts at the Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona and the Gran Teatre del Liceu. He studied composition and orchestration under Enrique Morera, who was the director of Barcelona Conservatory. He then went to Madrid before moving to Germany, where he studied in Berlin with Max Trapp and Richard Strauss, taking five of Strauss' seminars. In 1944, he returned to Barcelona as the new conductor of the Barcelona Philharmonic Orchestra, where his opera El mozo que casó con mujer brava and "Passacaglia-Sinfonia" was premiered. By his mid 20s, he transformed from an inside composer to an outside composer, with the help of the opera house and conductor position.

Career

In late 1950, Carlos Suriñach emigrated to the United States in hopes of becoming a successful published composer. World War II had just recently ended and European publishers were frantically republishing previous music of the greats: Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Chopin, etc. Full of ambition, he first stopped in New York to conduct an orchestra. In May 1951, a concert featuring the New York's most elite artists was held at the Museum of Modern Art. Works of his, Martha Graham, Israel's Batsheva, Jose Lemon, Balanchine, Doris Humphrey, and many others were all featured in the concert. His first lively premiere of Ritmo Jondo, repeated itself as requested by the audience. The composition was 6 minutes in duration, written for the clarinet, trumpet, xylophone, timpani, and 3 hand clappers. Carlos Suriñach's work was unknown until this point. The performance pivoted his career to an upward hill. Only a week after the concert, Doris Humphrey and Jose Limon came to his apartment to request and discuss using his compositions in a ballet. The successful collaboration was showcased in April 1953 at the Alvin Theatre. He wrote the 20 minute-long work for a broadway orchestra made of 23 musicians. Near after, he worked more closely with Doris Humphrey to create a second version of the ballet. He conducted numerous recordings with MGM Records. Years following the premiere of "Ritmo Jondo," choreographer, Martha Graham, approached Suriñach. She had purchased a recording including one of his tracks, and had proceeded to choreograph an 8-minute piece without Suriñach's knowledge. Although this was illegal, he turned a blind eye after watching the piece. He was full of passion while watching the piece and admired Graham for her brilliance. In addition to using the single track, Graham requested to work with him, lengthening the piece and supplementing the  orchestration. He composed three ballet scores Martha Graham: Embattled Garden (1958), Acrobats of God (1960), and The Owl and the Pussycat (1978). Martha Graham was awarded a Capezio Prize for "Acrobats of God" and gave him a massive commission for his compositional work. It is also noteworthy that the production of "The Owl and the Pussycat" came together in a short six months. Another collaboration, Agathe's Tale, choreographed by Paul Taylor, was premiered in 1967. Surinach also composed Feast of Ashes for the Joffrey Ballet. Showcased on numerous occasions by the Louisville Symphony and Orchestra, under Rockefeller, the conductor's commissions were $1 million each. Reworking original electronic music, Suriñach composed "Chronic" the ballet, performed at the Mark Hellinger Theatre in 1973. His Harp Concerto was commissioned by Charles Royce for his daughter Maria. The premiere was in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1978, with Nicanor Zabaleta playing the solo part. The concerto was then performed by Maria Royce at Interlochen. The Surinach Harp Concerto has not been played since. Traditional elements of flamenco, Spanish culture, and American-born music makes Suriñach a unique composer.

Carlos Suriñach became a U.S. citizen in 1959.

Surinach also orchestrated part of Isaac Albéniz's piano suite Iberia.

His notable students include Louis W. Ballard.

He worked with many choreographers including Doris Humphrey, Jose Limon, Martha Graham, Paul Taylor, Robert Coin, Antonio at the Ballets of Madrid, and more.

Surinach died in New Haven, Connecticut, United States, on November 12, 1997.

The BMI Foundation sponsors The Carlos Surinach Awards and Commissioning Programs, which recognizes talented emerging young musicians for their service to American music and funds the creation of new works by former winners of the BMI Student Composer Awards. The program was established by a bequest from Surinach.

The final "ch" in Surinach's surname is pronounced "k", following ancient Catalan orthography (in modern orthography this phoneme is rendered with a "c").  The "ch" ending is commonly found in Catalan surnames, many of which retain this spelling. Also, before Surinach left Spain, his surname was spelled "Suriñach", with a tilde over the "n". He eventually dropped this tilde, but saw the original spelling used on concert posters whenever he visited he Spain. The standard Catalan spelling of his name would be Surinyach, or Surinyac .

Works
 Symphony No. 1, Sinfonía Passacaglia (1945)
 El mozo que casó con mujer brava (1948), opera
 Symphony No. 2 (1949–50)
 Sinfonietta Flamenca (1953)
 Ritmo Jondo (1953), ballet
 Hollywood Carnival (1954)
 Fandango (1954)
 Feria Magica (1956), overture
 Concertino for Piano, Strings and Cymbals (1956)
 Symphony No. 3, Sinfonía Chica (1957)
 Embattled Garden (1958), ballet
 Paeans and Dances of Heathen Iberia (1959)
 Sonatina (1959), for solo guitar
 Acrobats of God (1960), ballet
 Symphonic Variations for Orchestra (1962)
 Feast of Ashes (1962), ballet
 Cantata of St. John (1962)
 Songs of the Soul (1964), for chorus
 Drama Jondo (1965)
 Melorhythmic Dramas (1966)
 Flamenco Cyclothymia (1967)
 Via Crucis: a cycle of fifteen saetas (1970), for chorus and guitar
 Concerto for piano and orchestra (1973)
 Prayers (1973), for solo voice
 Chronique (1974), ballet
 Celebraciones Medievales (1977), for chorus
 Concerto for String Orchestra (1978)
 The Owl and the Pussycat (1978), ballet
 Harp Concerto (1978)
 Violin Concerto (1980)
 Melismas sinfónicos (1985)
 Quimera (1989), ballet
 Double concerto for flute, double bass and chamber orchestra (1990)

References

External links
 https://www.britannica.com/biography/Carlos-Surinach
 Carlos Surinach page from Schirmer site
 Carlos Surinach Commissions page from BMI site
 BMI Surinach collection, 1900s-1996 Music Division, The New York Public Library.

Interviews
Carlos Surinach interview, February 15, 1987

1915 births
1997 deaths
20th-century classical composers
Spanish classical composers
Composers from Catalonia
American male classical composers
American classical composers
American opera composers
Ballet composers
Spanish emigrants to the United States
Musicians from Barcelona
20th-century Spanish musicians
20th-century American composers
20th-century American male musicians
Spanish male musicians

Carlos Surinach