The United States men's national soccer team (USMNT) represents the United States in men's international soccer competitions. The team is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and is a member of FIFA and CONCACAF.

The U.S. team has appeared in eleven FIFA World Cups, including the first in 1930, where they reached the semi-finals; their third-place finish, which was later awarded through overall tournament records, the best result ever by a team from outside UEFA and CONMEBOL. They returned in 1934 and 1950, defeating England 1–0 in the latter, but did not qualify again until 1990. As host in 1994, the U.S. received an automatic berth and lost to Brazil in the round of sixteen. They qualified for the next five World Cups (seven consecutive appearances (1990–2014), a feat shared with only seven other nations), becoming one of the tournament's regular competitors and often advancing to the knockout stage. The U.S. reached the quarter-finals in 2002, and controversially lost to Germany. In the 2009 Confederations Cup, the Americans eliminated top-ranked Spain in the semi-finals before losing to Brazil in the final, the team's only appearance in the final of a major intercontinental tournament.

The U.S. also competes in continental tournaments, including the CONCACAF Gold Cup, CONCACAF Nations League and Copa América. The U.S. has won seven Gold Cups, two Nations League titles, and finished fourth in two Copas América in 1995 and 2016. The team's head coach is Gregg Berhalter, who was re-appointed in June 2023.

History

Early years
The first U.S. national soccer team was constituted in 1885, when it played Canada in the first international match held outside the United Kingdom. Canada defeated the U.S. 1–0 in Newark, New Jersey. The U.S. had its revenge the following year when it beat Canada 1–0, also in Newark, although neither match was officially recognized. The U.S. earned both silver and bronze medals in men's soccer at the 1904 St. Louis Summer Olympics through Christian Brothers College and St. Rose Parish, though the tournament is declared official only by the IOC (FIFA doesn't endorse tournaments held before 1908). The U.S. played its first official international match under the auspices of U.S. Soccer on August 20, 1916, against Sweden in Stockholm, where the U.S. won 3–2.

The U.S. fielded a team in the 1930 World Cup in Uruguay, the first ever World Cup to be played. The U.S. began group play by beating Belgium 3–0. The U.S. then earned a 3–0 victory over Paraguay, with FIFA crediting Bert Patenaude with two of the goals. In November 2006, FIFA announced that it had accepted evidence that Patenaude scored all three goals against Paraguay, and was thus the first person to score a hat trick in a World Cup. In the semifinals, the U.S. lost to Argentina 6–1. There was no third place game. However, using the overall tournament records in 1986, FIFA credited the U.S. with a third-place finish ahead of fellow semifinalist Yugoslavia. This remains the U.S. team's best World Cup result, and is the highest finish of any team from outside of South America and Europe.

The U.S. qualified for the 1934 World Cup by defeating Mexico 4–2 in Italy a few days before the finals started. In a straight knock-out format, the team first played host Italy and lost 7–1, eliminating the U.S. from the tournament. At the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, the U.S. again lost to Italy in the first round and were eliminated, although this time with a score of 1–0. Italy went on to win both tournaments, being a dominant team of that era.

The 1950 World Cup in Brazil was the next World Cup appearance for the U.S., as it withdrew in 1938 and the tournament wasn't held again until 1950. The U.S. lost its first match 3–1 against Spain, but then won 1–0 against England at Independência Stadium in Belo Horizonte. Striker Joe Gaetjens was the goal scorer. Called "The Miracle on Grass", the result is considered one of the greatest upsets in the history of the World Cup. In their third game of the tournament, a 5–2 defeat by Chile saw the U.S. eliminated from the tournament. The U.S. would not make another appearance in the World Cup finals for four decades.

1960s–1980s
The national team spent the mid-to-late 20th century in near complete irrelevance in both the international game and the domestic sporting scene. There was only one World Cup berth for CONCACAF during this period until 1982. The emergence of the North American Soccer League in the 1960s and 1970s raised hopes that the U.S. national team would soon improve and become a global force. However such hopes were not realized and by the 1980s the U.S. Soccer Federation found itself in serious financial struggles, with the national team playing only two matches from 1981 to 1983. U.S. Soccer targeted the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and the 1986 World Cup as means of rebuilding the national team and its fan base. The International Olympic Committee declared that teams from outside Europe and South America could field full senior teams, including professionals (until then, the amateur-only rule had heavily favored socialist countries from Eastern Europe whose players were professionals in all but name). The U.S. had a very strong showing at the tournament, beating Costa Rica, tying Egypt, losing only to favorite Italy and finishing 1–1–1 but didn't make the second round, losing to Egypt on a tiebreaker (both had three points).

To provide a more stable national team program and renew interest in the NASL, U.S. Soccer entered the national team into the NASL league schedule for the 1983 season as Team America. This team lacked the continuity and regularity of training that conventional clubs enjoy, and many players were unwilling to play for the national team instead of their own clubs when conflicts arose. Team America finished the season at the bottom of the league, with U.S. Soccer canceling the experiment and withdrawing the national team from the NASL after one season. By the end of 1984, the NASL had folded, leaving the U.S. without a single professional-level outdoor soccer league.

The U.S. bid to host the 1986 FIFA World Cup after Colombia withdrew from contention due to economic concerns, but FIFA selected Mexico to host the tournament. In the last game of CONCACAF qualifying for the 1986 World Cup, the U.S. needed only a tie against Costa Rica to reach the final qualification group against Honduras and Canada. U.S. Soccer scheduled the game to be played in Torrance, California, an area with many Costa Rican expatriates, and marketed the game almost exclusively to the Costa Rican community. Costa Rica won the match 1–0, and kept the U.S. from reaching its fourth World Cup finals.

In 1988, U.S. Soccer attempted to re-implement its national-team-as-club concept, offering contracts to players to train with the national program full-time while occasionally loaning them to club teams as a revenue source for the federation. This brought many key veterans back into the program and allowed the team to begin playing more matches which, combined with an influx of talent from new youth clubs and leagues established across the nation in the wake of the NASL's popularity, allowed the national team to end the 1980s with optimism and higher hopes of qualifying for the 1990 World Cup than had existed for previous tournaments.

1990s
On July 4, 1988, FIFA named the U.S. as the host of the 1994 World Cup under significant international criticism given the perceived weakness of the national team and the lack of a professional outdoor league. The success of the 1984 Summer Olympics played a major role in FIFA's decision. Criticism diminished somewhat when a 1–0 win against Trinidad and Tobago, the first road win for the U.S. in nearly two years, in the last match of the 1989 CONCACAF Championship, earned the U.S. its first World Cup appearance in 40 years, although their journey was significantly eased by the disqualification of CONCACAF powerhouse Mexico.

The team was coached by Bob Gansler, Wisconsin-Milwaukee and U20 national team coach, in preparation for the 1990 World Cup in Italy, with two of the team's more experienced players, Rick Davis and Hugo Perez, recovering from serious injuries and unavailable for selection. Rather than fill out his team with veteran professionals from U.S. indoor soccer leagues, Gansler and his assistant Stejem Mark chose to select many younger players with better conditioning for the outdoor game, including several collegiate players such as Virginia goalkeeper Tony Meola. The U.S. entered the tournament as massive underdogs and suffered defeats in all three of its group games to Czechoslovakia, Italy, and Austria. Defenders Jimmy Banks and Desmond Armstrong became the first African Americans to appear in a World Cup match for the United States.

In a noteworthy match, in the 1993 U.S. Cup, the U.S. beat England 2–0.

After qualifying automatically as the host of the 1994 World Cup under Bora Milutinović, the U.S. opened its tournament schedule with a 1–1 tie against Switzerland in the Pontiac Silverdome in the suburbs of Detroit, the first World Cup game played indoors. In its second game, the U.S. faced Colombia, then ranked fourth in the world, at the Rose Bowl. Aided by an own goal from Andrés Escobar, the U.S. won 2–1. Escobar was later murdered in his home country, possibly in retaliation for this mistake. Despite a 1–0 loss to Romania in its final group game, the U.S. made it past the initial round for the first time since 1930. In the round of 16, the U.S. lost 1–0 to the eventual champion Brazil. Despite this success, the team fired Bora in 1995, reportedly because he was not interested in administrative duties.

In a 1995 friendly, the U.S. came back from 3–0 to win 4–3 against Saudi Arabia, the biggest comeback in the team's history. That same year, the team participated as guests in the 1995 Copa América, where they finished first in their group after beating Chile and Argentina, advancing to the quarter-finals. In that stage, the U.S. defeated Mexico on penalties but lost to Brazil 1–0 in the semi-finals. The United States finished fourth after losing to Colombia 4–1.

In the 1998 World Cup in France, the team lost all three group matches, 2–0 to Germany, 2–1 to Iran, and 1–0 to Yugoslavia, finishing dead last in the field of 32. Head coach Steve Sampson received much of the blame for the performance as a result of abruptly cutting team captain John Harkes, whom Sampson had named "Captain for Life" shortly before, as well as several other players who were instrumental to the qualifying effort, from the squad. Thomas Dooley became the Captain at that point. It emerged in February 2010 that Sampson removed Harkes from the team due to Harkes allegedly having an affair with teammate Eric Wynalda's wife.

2000–2019

The U.S. qualified for the 2002 World Cup; under Bruce Arena, the U.S. reached the quarterfinals, its best finish in a World Cup since 1930. The team advanced in the group stage with a 1W–1L–1D record, beginning with a 3–2 upset win over Portugal, followed by a 1–1 tie with co-host and eventual semifinalist, South Korea. The third and final match was a 3–1 loss to Poland; the team still got to the round of 16 when South Korea defeated Portugal. This set the stage for a face-off with continental rivals Mexico, the first time they met in a World Cup. The U.S. won the game 2–0. Brian McBride opened the scoring early, and Landon Donovan doubled the lead in the 65th minute. In the quarterfinals, where it met Germany, the U.S. lost 1–0 after being denied a penalty when Torsten Frings handled the ball to prevent a Gregg Berhalter goal. All of the U.S. games in the 2002 World Cup were played in South Korea and all their victories came wearing the white uniform, while their only defeats came while wearing the blue uniform. Donovan won the Best Young Player for the tournament.

In the 2006 World Cup, after finishing top of the CONCACAF qualification tournament, the U.S. was drawn into Group E along with the Czech Republic, Italy, and Ghana. The United States opened its tournament with a 3–0 loss to the Czech Republic. The team then tied 1–1 against Italy, who went on to win the World Cup. The U.S. was then knocked out of the tournament when beaten 2–1 by Ghana in its final group match, with Clint Dempsey scoring the U.S.'s only goal in the tournament – the goal against Italy had been an own goal by Italian defender Cristian Zaccardo. Following the tournament, Arena's contract was not renewed. After the national team remained dormant for the rest of 2006 while negotiating with various coaches, the federation hired former Chicago Fire, MetroStars and Chivas USA head coach Bob Bradley in early 2007.

Bradley began his competitive career with the national team with the 2007 Gold Cup. In the final, the United States beat Mexico 2–1, which qualified it for the 2009 Confederations Cup.

The U.S. had a notable performance at the 2009 Confederations Cup. In the semifinals, the U.S. defeated Spain 2–0. At the time, Spain was atop the FIFA World Rankings and was on a run of 35 games undefeated. With the win, the United States advanced to its first-ever final in a men's FIFA tournament. The team lost 3–2 to Brazil after leading 2–0 at half time.

The United States then hosted the 2009 Gold Cup. In the final, the United States was beaten by Mexico 5–0. This defeat broke the U.S. team's 58-match home unbeaten streak against CONCACAF opponents, and was the first home loss to Mexico since 1999.

In the fourth round of the 2010 World Cup qualification, the U.S. began by beating Mexico 2–0. The February 2009 loss extended Mexico's losing streak against America on U.S. soil to 11 matches. Jozy Altidore became the youngest U.S. player to score a hat-trick, in a 3–0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago. Near the end of the summer of 2009, the United States lost 2–1 to Mexico at Estadio Azteca. On October 10, the U.S. secured qualification to the 2010 World Cup with a 3–2 win over Honduras. Four days later, the U.S. finished in first place in the group with a 2–2 tie against Costa Rica.

In the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the U.S. team was drawn in Group C against England, Slovenia and Algeria. After drawing against England (1–1) and Slovenia (2–2), the U.S. defeated Algeria 1–0 with a stoppage-time goal from Landon Donovan, taking first place in a World Cup Finals group for the first time since 1930. In the round of 16, the U.S. was eliminated by Ghana, 2–1. On FIFA's ranking of World Cup teams the U.S. finished in 12th place out of the 32-team field.

The U.S. again hosted the Gold Cup in 2011. The U.S. advanced past the group stage, then defeated Jamaica 2–0 in the quarterfinals and Panama 1–0 in the semifinals before losing to Mexico 4–2 in the final. Later in the summer, Bob Bradley was relieved of his duties and former German national team manager Jürgen Klinsmann was hired as head coach.

The U.S. had some success in friendlies in 2012 and 2013. The U.S. team won 1–0 in Italy on February 29, 2012, the team's first-ever win over Italy. On June 2, 2013, the U.S. played a friendly against Germany at a sold-out RFK Stadium in Washington D.C., with the U.S. winning 4–3. In July 2013, the U.S. hosted the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup where it went undefeated in the group stage and won with a 1–0 victory over Panama in the final, with Landon Donovan winning the tournament's golden ball award.

A 4–3 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in an international friendly match in Sarajevo represented the 12th straight win for the USMNT, the longest winning streak for any team in the world at that time. The 12 game winning streak ended September 6, 2013, when the U.S. lost to Costa Rica 3–1 in San José. In 2013 the national team played the final round of qualification, and by defeating Mexico in September, the U.S. clinched a spot in the 2014 World Cup.

The U.S. absorbed many German elements leading up to the 2014 World Cup. U.S.'s German head coach Jürgen Klinsmann surprised the U.S. soccer world by calling up five "Jürgen Americans"—half-blooded Germans born and professionally trained in Germany—to the 23-men squad in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The U.S. was drawn into Group G, along with Ghana, Germany, and Portugal. The U.S. took revenge on the Ghanaians, winning 2–1. They tied their second group game against Portugal 2–2. In the final game of the group stage, the U.S. fell to Germany 1–0, but moved on to the knockout stage on goal difference. This was the first time that the team made two consecutive trips to the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup. In the round of 16, the U.S. lost 2–1 to Belgium in extra time, despite goalkeeper Tim Howard making a World Cup record 15 saves during the match.

The national team's next tournament under Klinsmann was the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The U.S. were eliminated by Jamaica 2–1 in the semifinals, before losing to Panama on penalties in the third place match. The fourth-place finish was the worst Gold Cup performance by the national team since 2000, and the first time the team failed to make the tournament final since 2003. In the 2015 CONCACAF Cup playoff to determine the region's entry to the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, the U.S. were defeated 3–2 by Mexico at the Rose Bowl. In June 2016, the U.S. played as hosts of Copa América Centenario. The U.S. topped Group A on goal difference against Colombia. The U.S. beat Ecuador 2–1 in the quarterfinals, but then fell to Argentina 4–0 and lost to Colombia again 1–0 in the third place match. They finished fourth at the Copa América, tying their best finish ever in 1995.

Following consecutive losses to Mexico and Costa Rica in the opening games of the final round of qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Klinsmann was removed as national team coach and technical director and replaced by previous U.S. head coach Bruce Arena. World Cup qualification resumed on March 24, 2017, where Arena and his team had a record 6–0 win over Honduras. Four days later, the team traveled to Panama City, drawing Panama 1–1. After beating Trinidad and Tobago 2–0, the U.S. got their third ever result in World Cup Qualification at the Estadio Azteca when they drew 1–1 against Mexico. In July 2017, the U.S. won their sixth CONCACAF Gold Cup with a 2–1 win over Jamaica in the final. Following a 2–1 defeat to Trinidad and Tobago on October 10, 2017, the U.S. failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, missing the tournament for the first time since 1986. Many pundits and analysts called this the worst result and worst performance in the history of the national team.

Following Arena's resignation on October 13, 2017, assistant coach Dave Sarachan was named interim head coach during the search for a permanent replacement. The search for a permanent head coach was delayed by the USSF presidential election in February 2018 and the hiring of Earnie Stewart as general manager in June 2018. Gregg Berhalter, coach of the Columbus Crew and a former USMNT defender, was announced as the team's new head coach on December 2, 2018.

2019–present

Under Berhalter the team lost in the 2019 Gold Cup Final 1–0 against Mexico, denying them a chance at becoming back-to-back champions. Throughout the late 2010s and early 2020s, an influx of new young talent began to grow into a host of players playing for top European clubs, with Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Yunus Musah, Timothy Weah, Sergiño Dest, and Gio Reyna being some of the more notable names. This new group won the inaugural CONCACAF Nations League in 2021 with a classic 3–2 victory against Mexico in the final. An entirely different team also won the Gold Cup against Mexico later that summer. With a 1–0 friendly victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina on December 18, 2021, the team set a program record for wins in a calendar year, with 17 wins, 2 losses, and 3 draws. The young group has been widely described as America's golden generation.

The United States qualified for the 2022 World Cup by finishing third in the final qualifying round. The qualifying campaign included an unbeaten record at home and a draw away to Mexico at Estadio Azteca. Grouped with England, Iran, and Wales in Group B, the team advanced to the knockout stage as runners-up with five points and without losing a game. There, they faced the Netherlands, suffering a 3–1 defeat. Midfielder Kellyn Acosta became the first Asian American to appear for the U.S. at a World Cup.

After Berhalter's contract expired in December 2022, the U.S. searched for an interim head coach. Under B.J. Callaghan, in June 2023, the United States successfully defended their Nations League trophy by winning the 2022–23 CONCACAF Nations League. The team conceded no goals in the finals, winning 3–0 against Mexico and 2–0 against Canada in the final. In July 2023, the U.S. with a different squad lost to Panama in a penalty shootout in the 2023 Gold Cup.

Gregg Berhalter was reappointed as coach of the United States on June 16, 2023, and he will lead the team until the end of the 2026 World Cup.

Team image

Uniform and crest

Since their first unofficial game against Canada, the most common U.S. uniform has been white tops with blue shorts. In 1950, the U.S. adopted a Peru-styled diagonal stripe or "sash" across the shirt. The stripe has been on third uniforms for 2003, 2004, and 2006, as well as the 2010 home, road and third uniforms. An additional color scheme based on the U.S. flag has been occasionally used (most prominently in the 1994 World Cup and 2012–13 qualifiers as well the 1983 Team America franchise of the North American Soccer League) comprising a shirt with red and white stripes with blue shorts.

German brand Adidas provided the uniform for the United States from 1984 until 1994. Since 1995, American company Nike has been the uniform supplier.

Uniform suppliers

Rivalries

Mexico

The teams of Mexico and the United States are widely considered as the two major powers of CONCACAF. Matches between the two nations often attract much media attention, public interest and comment in both countries. Although the first match was played in 1934, their rivalry was not considered major until the 1980s, when the teams began to frequently compete in CONCACAF cups. On August 15, 2012, the United States defeated Mexico at Estadio Azteca in the first victory for the U.S. against Mexico on Mexican soil in 75 years.
Ever since their first meeting in 1934, the two teams have met 74 times, with Mexico leading the overall series 36W–16D–22L, outscoring the U.S. 144–86. However, since the 1990s, the tide began to change due to a rapid growth of soccer in the United States. During the 21st century, the series has favored the U.S. 17W–7D–9L. Either the United States or Mexico has won every edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup except one (the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup was won by Canada).

Canada
The U.S. has a second, less bitter rival in Canada. This stems from a generally friendly rivalry between the two nations. The two teams frequently face each other in the Gold Cup, however the United States has historically been the stronger side. The United States currently leads the series 18W–11D–11L. The United States has qualified for 11 World Cups while Canada has qualified for two. Until recently, Canada was not seen as a competitive rival by a number of American fans as they had not beaten the United States in a 34-year stretch. That streak was snapped on October 15, 2019, when Canada defeated the United States 2–0 at BMO Field in Toronto. The following month, on November 15, the United States beat Canada 4–1 in Orlando, Florida. Since then, matches between the two have been very competitive. The U.S. defeated Canada 1–0 in a 2021 Gold Cup matchup in Kansas City, Kansas. In 2022 World Cup qualifying, Canada earned a 1–1 draw in Nashville, Tennessee and defeated the U.S. 2–0 in Hamilton, Ontario. On June 18, 2023, the United States defeated Canada 2–0 in the 2022–23 CONCACAF Nations League final, the first time the two nations faced each other in the finals of a major CONCACAF tournament. Three weeks later, the U.S. eliminated Canada 3–2 on penalties in a 2023 Gold Cup quarter-final matchup.

Costa Rica
In recent years the United States has also begun to develop a rivalry with Costa Rica. The most notable match, and the impetus of the rivalry itself, occurred on March 22, 2013, in a 2014 World Cup qualifying match played at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado under blizzard conditions. Costa Rica filed a protest with FIFA due to field conditions when the United States won the game 1–0, but the protest was denied.  The game has already been dubbed in soccer lore as "Snow Clasico" for the conditions. The United States have never defeated Costa Rica in Costa Rica, losing 10 meetings and drawing twice.

Ghana
The United States has an intercontinental rivalry with Ghana which stems from competitive FIFA World Cup matches where the two nations faced each other 3 times within the tournament. The first matchup between the two was the final group stage game at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, where both teams needed to win to progress to the round of 16, which Ghana defeated the U.S. 2-1. At the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the two faced each other in the round of 16 knockout stages, which Ghana knocked out the U.S.  2-1 in extra time. At the following 2014 FIFA World Cup, the U.S. would finally get revenge on Ghana in a 2-1 victory after a late header from John Brooks in the first game of the group stage.

Supporters

There have been two main supporter groups backing the United States men's national soccer team, Sam's Army and The American Outlaws. Sam's Army started shortly after the 1994 World Cup in the United States and were active through 2014. Sam's Army members wore red to matches and sung or chanted throughout the match. They often brought huge U.S. flags and other banners to the game.

The American Outlaws was started in Lincoln, Nebraska in 2007 as a local supporters' group. The group's membership attempted to address a lack of consistency from game to game in supporter organization and social events on match days. To achieve this goal, the American Outlaws became a nationwide, non-profit supporters' group. Some American Outlaws members wear U.S. flag bandanas over their faces and commonly wear soccer supporter scarves. Some branches of the American Outlaws have their own scarves specific to their branch.

The U.S. men's national team has had a tremendous following on social media, especially Twitter and Instagram in recent years. Interest in young American players and the attention they bring has led to an increase in foreign investment in U.S. players.

Home stadium

The United States does not have a dedicated national stadium like most other national teams; instead, the team has played their home matches at 116 venues in 29 states and the District of Columbia. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, located in the national capital of Washington, D.C., has hosted 24 matches, the most of any stadium. The state of California has hosted 114 matches, the most of any state, and the Los Angeles metropolitan area has hosted 77 matches at several venues in and around the city of Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum hosted 20 matches from 1965 to 2000, but fell out of use due to its age. The Rose Bowl, a 92,000-seat venue in Pasadena, has hosted 17 national team matches, as well as the 1994 FIFA World Cup Final, the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup Final, and the 1984 Olympics Gold Medal Match.

Media coverage
Warner Bros. Discovery Sports has the English language rights for U.S. Soccer broadcasts from 2022 to 2030. All matches are streaming live on HBO Max with matches also on TNT and TBS. In  June 2021, CBS Sports acquired partial rights to select U.S. Soccer matches, including FIFA World Cup qualifiers and the Nations League Finals, to be broadcast on CBS Sports Network and the Paramount+ streaming service. Telemundo has the Spanish language rights to all U.S. Soccer broadcasts from 2023 to 2030. These agreements do not apply to FIFA World Cup away qualifiers, whose rights are distributed by the host country. Therefore, these matches can often be found on other networks such as Univision and Paramount+.

Results and fixtures

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

2022

2023

Staff

Coaching staff

Technical staff

Players

Current squad
The following 23 players were named to the squad for the Friendly matches against Germany and Ghana October 14 and 17, 2023.

Caps and goals are updated as of October 17, 2023, after the match against Ghana.

Recent call-ups
The following players have been called up for the team within the last twelve months.

PRE = Preliminary squad

Individual records

.
Players in bold are still active with the national team.

Most appearances

Top goalscorers

Competitive record

The U.S. regularly competes at the FIFA World Cup, the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the CONCACAF Nations League, and the Summer Olympics. The U.S. has also played in the FIFA Confederations Cup, the Copa América by invitation, as well as several minor tournaments.

The best result for the United States in a World Cup tournament came in 1930 when the team reached the semi-finals. The team included six naturalized internationals, five of them from Scotland and one from England. The best result in the modern era is the 2002 World Cup, when the U.S. reached the quarter-finals. The worst World Cup tournament results in the modern era were group stage eliminations in 1990, 1998, and 2006, although the country failed to even qualify for the final tournament in 2018.

In the Confederations Cup, the United States finished in third place in both 1992 and 1999, and were runner-up in 2009. The United States appeared in their first intercontinental tournament final at the 2009 Confederations Cup. In the semifinals, the United States upset top ranked Spain 2–0, to advance to the final. In the final, the United States lost 3–2 to Brazil after leading 2–0 at halftime.

The U.S. men's soccer team have played in the Summer Olympics since 1924. From that tournament to 1980, only amateur and state-sponsored Eastern European players were allowed on Olympic teams. The Olympics became a full international tournament in 1984 after the IOC allowed full national teams from outside FIFA CONMEBOL & UEFA confederations. Ever since 1992 the men's Olympic event has been age-restricted, under 23 plus three overage players, and participation has been by the United States men's national under-23 soccer team.

In regional competitions, the United States has won the CONCACAF Gold Cup seven times, with their most recent title in 2021. They won the inaugural CONCACAF Nations League in 2021. Their best ever finish at the Copa América was fourth-place at the 1995 and 2016 editions.

FIFA World Cup

CONCACAF Gold Cup

CONCACAF Championship 1963–1989, CONCACAF Gold Cup 1991–present

CONCACAF Nations League

Copa América
South American Championship 1916–1967, Copa América 1975–present

Summer Olympics

FIFA Confederations Cup

Head-to-head record

Honors
Major competitions

 FIFA World Cup
Third place (1):  1930

 FIFA Confederations Cup
Runners-up (1):  2009
Third place (2):  1992, 1999

 CONCACAF Championship / Gold Cup
Champions (7):  1991, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2017, 2021
Runners-up (6):  1989, 1993, 1998, 2009, 2011, 2019
Third place (2):  1996, 2003
Fair Play Award (6): 2003, 2009, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023

 CONCACAF Nations League
Champions (2):  2019–20, 2022–23

 Summer Olympics
Silver medal (1):  1904
Bronze medal (1):  1904

Other competitions

 CONCACAF Cup
Runners-up (1):  2015

 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament
Runners-up (2):  1972, 1980
Third Place (1):  1964

 U.S. Cup
Champions (3):  1992, 1995, 2000
Runners-up (1):  1999
Third place (2):  1993, 1996

 Marlboro Cup
Champions (2):  1989, 1989
Runners-up (3):  1987, 1988, 1989
Third place (1):  1990

 North American Nations Cup
Runners-up (2):  1949, 1991
Third place (2):  1947, 1990

See also
 Fútbol de Primera Player of the Year
 United States men's national under-17 soccer team
 United States men's national under-20 soccer team
 United States men's national under-23 soccer team
 U.S. National Soccer Team Players Association
 U.S. Soccer Player of the Year
 United States women's national soccer team
 List of United States men's international soccer players born outside the United States

Notes

References

External links

 US Soccer Schedule at USSF
 US Soccer Results at USSF
 USA Matches at FIFA
 US National Soccer Team Players Association
 US soccer team at Association of Football Statisticians
 United States at FootballDatabase.eu
 USA Men's National Team: All-time Results, 1885–1989
 USA Men's National Team: All-time Results, 1990–present
 USA Men's National Team: Current Value of Players on Team

North American national association football teams
United States Soccer Federation


Taare Zameen Par (titled Like Stars on Earth internationally) is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language family drama movie.  Amir Khan produced and directed it. The film stars Darsheel Safary and Aamir Khan.  It is about a child with dyslexia.

Story

The film is about a 8-year-old dyslexic child named Ishaan Awasthi. He does well in art class but not in his other classes. His teachers and principal gives him a report card showing his low grades, so his parents send him to boarding school.  The teachers there are unkind to him.  He becomes very sad. However, Ishaan's new art teacher is not abusive at all. He is nice and expresses concern about Ishaan. The new art teacher figures out that he is dyslexic and helps him to overcome his disability.

Production

The film stars Darsheel Safary as 8-year-old Ishaan, Vipin Sharma and Tisca Chopra as Ishaan's parents, Sachet Engineer as Ishaan's brother, and Aamir Khan plays his art teacher.

Creative director and writer Amole Gupte developed the idea with his wife Deepa Bhatia, who served as the film's editor. Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy composed the film's score, and Prasoon Joshi wrote the lyrics for many of the songs. Principal photography took place in Mumbai and in Panchgani's New Era High School. Some of the school's students make appearances.

The film was released on December 21, 2007 and won awards, including the Filmfare Award for Best Film for 2008 and the 2008 National Film Award for Best Film on Family Welfare. It was India's official entry for the 2009 Academy Awards Best Foreign Film but did not go further to the short-list.

Cast

 Darsheel Safary as Ishaan 'Inu' Awasthi: Maya & Nandkishore's son
 Aamir Khan as Ram Shankar Nikumbh: An art teacher & Ishaan's tutor
 Tanay Chheda as Rajan Damodran, Ishaan's best friend and classmate at boarding school
 Sachet Engineer as Yohaan 'Dada' Awasthi: Ishaan's brother
 Tisca Chopra as Maya Awasthi: Ishaan and Yohaan's mother
 Vipin Sharma as Nandkishore Awasthi, Ishaan and Yohaan's father
 Girija Oak as Jabeen: Ram Shankar's co-worker
 Bugs Bhargava as SeN SiR & Shankar Sachdev as Tiwari SiR, Two teachers at New Era High School
 M. K. Raina as the principal of New Era High School
 Sonali Sachdev as Irene Teacher: An English teacher at Ishaan's former school.
 Meghna Malik as Victoria Teacher: A Math teacher of Ishaan's former school.
 Lalita Lajmi as herself (Cameo)

References

2000s Hindi-language movies
2007 movies
2000s Indian movies

Taare Zameen Par


Judge Thomas Mercer (March 11, 1813 – May 25, 1898) was a pioneer associated with the early history of Seattle. Seattle's Mercer Street and Mercer Island in Lake Washington bear his name.

Biography

Early life
Mercer was born in Harrison County, Ohio on March 11, 1813, and was the eldest son of Aaron and Jane (Dickerson) Mercer, themselves born in Virginia and Pennsylvania, respectively. Aaron Mercer moved to Ohio in boyhood, being among the pioneers of that country. He learned the process of manufacturing woolen cloths and blankets and then operated his own factory very successfully for a number of years.

Illinois
In 1834 he was among the pioneer settlers at Princeton, Bureau County, Illinois. The eldest of fourteen, Thomas's education was chiefly in the school of necessity. As labor was the chief occupation of the pioneer, and in the noble army of workers Judge Mercer has been arrayed throughout his life, he was a bright, active boy, quick in mathematics and mechanical work.

His boyhood was passed in the factory of his father, and with his systematic methods and recognized ability he became foreman at the age of fourteen and operated the factory up to 1834, when the family removed to Illinois and engaged in farming. In 1830 young Mercer started a store in a little, old log cabin in Princeton, pursuing this enterprise for a year, before abandoning it because of the close confinement it entailed.

He then returned to farming. In 1837 he took part in the division of Putnam County and the organization of Bureau County. Elected clerk of the new county, he soon relinquished the job, which paid only 25 cents a day, to someone else.

Marriage
Mercer was married in Princeton in 1838 to Nancy Brigham, who was from New Hampshire. He then continued farming up to 1851, when he sold out, settled up his affairs, and in April 1852, with his wife and four children, left his Illinois home, and with horse teams crossed the plains to Oregon. In the same train were Dexter Horton and William H. Shoudy, both of Seattle. On this trip, Mrs. Mercer fell ill in The Dalles and died in the Cascade Range, leaving a bereaved husband and four small children, the eldest being not quite 14.

Further pioneer work
The following winter was passed in Salem, where Mercer purchased one-half interest in a blacksmith shop and worked from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Flour was $40 per barrel and all other provisions in proportion. In the summer of 1853 he removed his little ones to Puget Sound, traveling by boat to the Cowlitz River and then driving to Olympia, the trail being almost impassable. From Olympia he drove to Steilacoom, and there by boat to Seattle, arriving here August 25, 1853. He took up a claim of , adjoining that of D.T. Denny, all of which is now within the city limits.

He brought to the primitive town the same team of horses which had transported him safely across the plains, and his was the first wagon brought to the town. His claim being situated back from the water, the young men turned out and assisted in cutting a trail wide enough for his wagon to pass through to his ranch, and for a number of years he did the teaming for the town. In 1854 he built a box house, securing lumber from Yesler's mill. This house was somewhat open to the light of day, but it afforded protection and was soon improved.

Part of his claim, being bottom land, was soon cleared, and the second year he raised in hay, oats and vegetables, sufficient to provide for his family and stock. Mercer was a hard worker and was progressive in his ideas, and soon became the leading farmer of the community. For seven years he was mother, father and protector to his family of little ones, all of whom grew to maturity.

In 1859, Mercer was married, in Salem, Oregon, to Loretta H. Ward, of Kentucky, daughter of Jesse Ward, a pioneer of 1853; and returning to Seattle he continued his agricultural life. With the organization of King County in 1854, Mercer was appointed one of the first commissioners, and in 1858 he was elected probate judge and held the position for ten consecutive years. With the increased settlement of the town and demand for residence property, Mercer platted the town of Eden and later that of West Seattle, from the sales of which he has realized a considerable fortune. In 1994 what was left of Thomas's estate was spread among his descendants.

Naming the lakes
Mercer gave English names to two large Seattle lakes known for thousands of years by their Lushootseed names. In an address delivered at Seattle's first Fourth of July picnic in 1854, he suggested that the greater lake,  ("lake"), be called Lake Washington after George Washington in recognition of the occasion.  Mercer renamed the smaller lake,  ("little lake"), to Lake Union. This was the first vague proposal for the union of Lake Washington with Puget Sound via ship canals, eventually realized decades later in the form of the Lake Washington Ship Canal. In 1883, he built a large Seattle house overlooking a smaller cottage built in 1854.

Death
Mercer died May 25, 1898. He had four daughters.

References

Archives
Thomas Mercer papers. 1862-1887. 26 items. At the University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.
Bagley, Jenner, and Mercer families papers. 1821-2005. .58 cubic feet (1 box). At the University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.
Clarence Bagley papers. 1864-1931. approximately 10.33 cubic feet. At the University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.

Further reading
An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. Harvey K. Hines, D.D., The Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. 1893. A portrait of Mercer appears between pages 588 and 589.

1813 births
1898 deaths
King County Councillors
People from Hamilton County, Ohio
Oregon pioneers

Thomas Mercer


Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions are an independent alternative/dream pop band composed of Hope Sandoval from the band Mazzy Star and Colm Ó Cíosóig of My Bloody Valentine. Their first studio album, Bavarian Fruit Bread, was released on October 23, 2001. Alan Browne, from Irish band Dirt Blue Gene, played bass and co-wrote several songs on the album. Through the Devil Softly was released on September 29, 2009, and was recorded with Dirt Blue Gene. Their third album, Until the Hunter, was released on November 4, 2016. Its first single, "Isn't It True", was released on 7" vinyl as part of Record Store Day 2016. A second single, "Let Me Get There" featuring Kurt Vile, was released on September 23.

In a 2016 interview with Consequence of Sound, Ó Cíosóig explained how the musical composition differed from his and Hope's other bands, "It's not that our other bands have restrictions, but there's a certain sound in those bands. Hope and I have a sound, but it's always changing and morphing into different things while still carrying a similar thread."

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

Singles

References

External links
Official website
Official record label website

Irish rock music groups
Irish dream pop musical groups
Musical groups established in 2001

Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions


Somerton ( ) is a town and civil parish in the English county of Somerset. It gave its name to the county and was briefly, around the start of the 14th century, the county town, and around 900 was possibly the capital of Wessex. It has held a weekly market since the Middle Ages, and the main square with its market cross is today popular with visitors. Situated on the River Cary, approximately  north-west of Yeovil, Somerton has its own town council serving a population of 4,697 as of 2011.

Residents are often referred to locally as Somertonians. The civil parish includes the hamlets of Etsome, Hurcot, Catsgore, and Catcombe.

Archaeological remains at Somerton are evidence of a Celtic settlement. The discovery of a high status cemetery in 2019, suggests that these local people adopted a more Roman lifestyle. During the Anglo-Saxon era, Somerton was an important political and commercial centre. After the Norman conquest of England the importance of the town declined, despite being the county town of Somerset in the late thirteenth century and early fourteenth century. Having lost county town status, Somerton then became a market town in the Middle Ages, whose economy was supported by transport systems using the River Parrett, and later rail transport via the Great Western Railway, and by light industries including glove making and gypsum mining.

In the centre of Somerton the wide market square, with its octagonal roofed market cross, is surrounded by old houses, while close by is the 13th century Church of St Michael and All Angels. Somerton also had links with Muchelney Abbey in the Middle Ages. The BBC drama The Monocled Mutineer was filmed in Somerton from 1985 to 1986.

History

Archaeological evidence uncovered in 2019 indicates the existence of a Celtic settlement which pre-dates any written records of the area. The grave goods found suggest the local population were of a high status and adopted a Roman lifestyle, with the older and newer graves showing marked differences in burial customs.

The earliest written reference to the town is in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which records that in 733 the King of Wessex, Æthelheard lost control of Somerton to Æthelbald, King of Mercia. Somerton was the site of the 949 meeting of the witan, a form of Anglo-Saxon parliament. The town returned to West Saxon royal control in the ninth century, and it was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Sumertone". The name may come from Old English for "sea-lake enclosure", "summer town" or "summer farmstead". The Somerton name was extended to the people in the area it controlled, and this area became known as Somerset, although Somerton soon ceased to be the most important settlement and never grew into a large town. The parish was the largest in the Hundred of Somerton. It was, briefly, the county town of Somerset from the late thirteenth century into the early fourteenth century. A building referred to as "Somerset castle" is believed to have been built around 1280 as a county gaol, with a visitor in 1579 describing the remaining portion as "an old tower embattled about castle-like". It was owned by Sir Ralph Cromwell between 1423 and 1433. Details are vague and visible remains have vanished, so its status as a castle and its very existence is in doubt, with one writer, D.J.C. King, feeling that people were confusing it with Somerton Castle in Lincolnshire.

The Abbots of Muchelney Abbey held the Rectorship of the parish church of Somerton during the Middle Ages. They built a tithe barn, to house the tithes of crops and produce paid by the parish to the town's Rector. The Abbey was dissolved in 1539 during the English Reformation, and the tithes and the tithe barn passed into the ownership of Bristol Cathedral. In the 20th century the barn was converted into private housing.

Glove making was a major industry in the town in the early nineteenth century, along with the production of rope and twine. The Somerton Brewery, owned by a local landowner named Thomas Templeman, was first recorded under the Tithe Apportionment Act of 1841. The brewery became a large producer in Somerset until its final closure around 1935. Before the National Insurance and the Health Service was introduced, Somerton Men's Club acted as a local provident society within the area. Gypsum was extracted by hand at the Hurcott open-cast mine from the Victorian era up until it closed down in 1953. In 1906, a railway station opened on the Castle Cary Cut-Off which was built by the Great Western Railway. Whilst the line still remains in use, the station was closed in 1962. When the Marconi Company built the radio stations known as the Imperial Wireless Chain for the Post Office during 1925–26, they also established their own transmitting station at Dorchester with a receiving station  away at Somerton.

Somerton was hit by four Luftwaffe bombs on the morning of 29 September 1942 during the Second World War. The bombs were aimed at the Cow and Gate milk factory and it was largely destroyed. Ten nearby houses were badly damaged. Nine people were killed and thirty seven injured. A memorial at the dairy site commemorates those killed.

Somerton also is home to large properties, like The Lynch Country House, a Grade II listed building, built in 1812 and St Michael's and All Angels Church.

Governance
The town council has responsibility for local issues, including setting an annual precept (local rate) to cover the council's operating costs and producing annual accounts for public scrutiny. The town council evaluates local planning applications and works with the local police, district council officers, and neighbourhood watch groups on matters of crime, security, and traffic. The town council's role also includes initiating projects for the maintenance and repair of parish facilities, as well as consulting with the district council on the maintenance, repair, and improvement of highways, drainage, footpaths, public transport, and street cleaning. Conservation matters (including trees and listed buildings) and environmental issues are also the responsibility of the council.

In October 2009, eleven of the local councillors resigned en masse, citing excessive criticism from local residents and in particular criticism from a hostile local weblog. In February 2012 the External Auditor appointed by the Audit Commission published a critical Report in the Public Interest regarding the activities of Somerton Town Council in the fiscal year 2008 to 2009.

From 1 April 2023, the town became part of the new unitary authority of Somerset. Prior to this, the town came under the non-metropolitan district of South Somerset, which was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, having previously been part of Langport Rural District. Somerset Council is responsible both for major services such as the Local Education Authority, social services, libraries, main roads, public transport, policing and fire services, trading standards, waste disposal and strategic planning, and also the services that the former district council was responsible for: planning permission and building control, local roads, council housing, environmental health, markets and fairs, refuse collection and recycling, cemeteries and crematoria, leisure services, parks, and tourism.

Somerton is in the electoral ward of Wessex and whilst it is by far the most populous area, the ward stretches north to Compton Dundon. The total population of the ward taken from the 2011 census was 5,402.

Somerton elects one Member of Parliament (MP) for Somerton and Frome county constituency, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and was part of the South West England constituency of the European Parliament prior to Britain leaving the European Union in January 2020, which elected six MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.

Geography
Somerton is situated on a plateau, above and to the south of the deep valley of the River Cary. The river flows west and then north through the Somerton Moor and then into King's Sedgemoor Drain on the Somerset Levels eventually joining the River Parrett near Bridgwater. The town is  from London,  south from Bristol and  north-west from Yeovil, just off the Dorset border. Somerton's hamlets include Etsome, Hurcot, Lower Somerton, Littleton and Midney. Great Breach Wood is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and is situated just  north-east from Somerton, near the hamlet of Littleton.

Somerton's climate is typical of the climate of south-west England which is usually cool winters with warmer summers and precipitation all year round, with more rain experienced in winter.

Demography
The Somerton parish had a population of 4,706 as of 2002. In the 1801 census the population of the town was 1,145 and the first half of the 19th century saw strong growth (reflecting that seen elsewhere in England during this period), with the population rising to 2,140 in 1851. It however then began to drop, starting with a significant drop to 1,917 by the 1861 census. The population steadily fell until 1921, before steadily rising thereafter. It was not until 1961 that the population of Somerton had risen above its former population of 1851. The population has since continued to steadily increase.

Economy
A weekly market has been held in Somerton for much of its history. The cloth industry dominated the town's market from the 17th century until the 20th century, when agriculture took over as the leading industry. Some light industries and services, such as garage repair, physiotherapy, water treatment, and builders and decorators, are located in the business park on Bancombe Road.

Landmarks

The main square, Market Place, with its market cross is today an attractive location for visitors. Market crosses have stood in the square since before 1390; the present Butter Cross, a roofed market cross, was rebuilt in 1673, and is Somerton's most noted feature. The structure was the property of the Earls of Ilchester who sold it to the town in 1916. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Next to the Butter Cross stands the Old Town Hall. Bordering the square are the church, and the Lady Smith Memorial Hall, also known as the "Parish Rooms", which was built in 1902, and the 17th century Market House, now a restaurant. The Red Lion was opened by the Earl of Ilchester in 1768 as a model coaching inn. It closed in 1995; after a period of neglect it has been redeveloped as town houses.

From the early 1980s onwards projects aiming to improve Somerton for film industry purposes have been undertaken. The market square was heavily revamped, creating a central parking area with easy access to the local amenities. The BBC drama The Monocled Mutineer was filmed in Somerton from 1985 to 1986.

Somerton Court
Somerton Court was originally known as "Somerton Erleigh". The house has had various owners including Edward IV's brother, the Duke of Clarence, and Henry Percy, 6th Earl of Northumberland, who sold the estate in 1530. It passed through a number of hands until 1597 when it was purchased by James Fisher, whose son later rebuilt it in 1641. The court remained in the Fisher family's possession until 1808 when it was sold. Its new owner renamed the house "Somerton Court", and replaced the gabled dormers with Gothic battlements and turrets. The house was later enlarged by the Hall-Stephenson family. During World War II it was occupied by Royal Navy WRENS.  In the 1970s it was purchased by a local businessman Stuart Pattemore.  In 1987 Somerton Court and the estate of  and 4 cottages including The Dower House was purchased by Roger Byron-Collins when it was subject to extensive upgrading and extensions.  It was resold in 2005. The Dower House was built in the early 19th century. The house now stands in  grounds.

Transport
The town's former, and only, railway station was on the Castle Cary Cut-Off, once part of the Great Western Railway. Although the line still remains in use the station closed to passengers in 1962, and goods in 1964. The nearest station is now at Castle Cary. On the outskirts of the town stands the impressive Somerton Viaduct.

The closest main road from Somerton is the A303 road that runs near the town and stretches all the way into northern Hampshire and finally joins the M3 motorway near Basingstoke. The minor B3165 road runs through the town although the road is less commonly used and does not join to the A303 for another . Two B roads, the B3153 and B3165, run through Somerton; the B3165, mentioned earlier, starts in the town and runs southwards to the A372 Langport road. The A372 itself runs south-east to the junction of the A303 and A37 roads at Podimore services. The B3151 is also nearby, connecting Somerton with Street and Glastonbury to the north, and Ilchester to the south, and thus the A303 and A37 as well. The M5 motorway is around  away at junction 23 (Bridgwater).

Religious sites

The Church of England parish church, St Michael and All Angels, has origins which date from the 13th century, with a major reshaping in the mid 15th century, and further restoration in 1889. It is built of local lias stone cut and squared, with Hamstone dressing. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building.

The church is notable for a carved roof, with lions and a small cider barrel purportedly carved by the monks of Muchelney Abbey. Sir John Betjeman was also inspired by an inscription on the candelabra. The church is quite plain on the outside but inside is one of the finest wooden carved roofs in the county. It is shallow pitched with massive, richly decorated tie beams and short king posts. The whole area of the roof is divided into square carved panels set in the framework of the structural timbers which are decorated with carved bosses where they intersect. There are 640 panels each carved with the same quatrefoil design. In the triangular spaces above each beam are dragon-like beasts. It is said there are bullet holes in the timbers, caused by soldiers who camped in the church in 1646 before the Battle of Langport. The 17th century pulpit and altar table are Jacobean woodwork.

There are five other churches in the town, including Methodist and Catholic groups.

Education
Somerton Infants School and Monteclefe CEVA Junior school merged in September 2014 to form King Ina Academy, with Somerton Roundabout Preschool also amalgamating with the school, with the ultimate aim of having one building for the whole academy. Currently the institution is still based on two sites, however applications have been submitted to the Department of Education to be granted permission to build a new, one-building free school for King Ina Academy on one of three possible sites, all of which are situated in the western outskirts of the town.

References

 Victoria History of the County of Somerset: Vol 3: Somerton, R.W. Dunning (1974)

External links

 Somerton Town Council

Further reading
 Somerton Extensive Urban Study (English Heritage/Somerset County Council)

Towns in South Somerset
Market towns in Somerset
Somerset Levels
Civil parishes in Somerset
Transatlantic telecommunications

Somerton, Somerset


For the Olympic horseman, see Hiram Tuttle (equestrian)

Hiram Americus Tuttle (October 16, 1837 – February 10, 1911) was an American merchant and Republican politician from Pittsfield, New Hampshire, who served as the 43rd governor of New Hampshire from 1891 to 1893.

Biography
Hiram A. Tuttle was born in Barnstead, New Hampshire, on October 16, 1837.  His was raised in Pittsfield, New Hampshire, and educated in the local schools and at Pittsfield Academy.  He then began a business career, starting as a clerk in a clothing store and becoming successful in lumber, banking, mercantile enterprises, and railroads.

A Republican, he entered politics in 1860 when he won the election for town clerk, giving the local Democratic Party its first loss in over 30 years.

Tuttle served in the House of Representatives (1873-1874).  From 1875 to 1877 he served on the military staff of Governor Person Colby Cheney with the rank of Colonel.  Tuttle was a member of the Governor's Council from 1878 to 1881.  In 1888 he was a Delegate to the Republican National Convention.  In 1888 he was also a candidate for Governor, but lost the Republican nomination to David H. Goodell.

In 1890 he was the Republican nominee for Governor.  In a three-way race that included a candidate of the Prohibition Party, Tuttle finished first.  The Democratic nominee, Charles H. Amsden finished second, but Tuttle did not have a majority, which meant the election had to be decided by the New Hampshire General Court.  The legislature chose Tuttle, and he served a two-year term, 1891 to 1893.  During his term the state library in Concord was established,  he laid the cornerstone of the main building at the New Hampshire College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts, and he represented the state at the dedication of the Bennington Battle Monument.

After leaving the governorship Tuttle returned to his business interests.  He died in Pittsfield on February 10, 1911, and was buried at Floral Park Cemetery in Pittsfield.

References

External links
Tuttle at New Hampshire's Division of Historic Resources

Hiram A. Tuttle at National Governors Association

1837 births
1911 deaths
Republican Party governors of New Hampshire
19th-century American politicians
People from Barnstead, New Hampshire
People from Pittsfield, New Hampshire

Hiram A. Tuttle


Metallurgy in pre-Columbian America is the extraction, purification and alloying of metals and metal crafting by Indigenous peoples of the Americas prior to European contact in the late 15th century. Indigenous Americans had been using native metals from ancient times, with recent finds of gold artifacts in the Andean region dated to 2155–1936 BCE,
and North American copper finds being dated to approximately 5000 BCE.
The metal would have been found in nature without the need for smelting, and shaped into the desired form using hot and cold hammering without chemical alteration or alloying. To date "no one has found evidence that points to the use of melting, smelting and casting in prehistoric eastern North America."

In South America the case is quite different. Indigenous South Americans had full metallurgy with smelting and various metals being purposely alloyed. Metallurgy in Mesoamerica and western Mexico may have developed following contact with South America through Ecuadorian marine traders.

South America
South American metal working seems to have developed in the Andean region of modern Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, and Argentina with gold and native copper being hammered and shaped into intricate objects, particularly ornaments.
Recent finds date the earliest gold work to 2155–1936 BCE. and the earliest copper work to 1432–1132 BCE.
Ice core studies in Bolivia however suggest copper smelting may have begun as early as 700 BCE, over 2700 years ago. By 1410–1090 BCE, gilding was practiced in coastal Peru.
Further evidence for this type of metal work comes from the sites at Waywaka (near Andahuaylas in southern Peru), Chavín and Kotosh,
and it seems to have been spread throughout Andean societies by the Early horizon (1000–200 BCE).

Unlike other metallurgy traditions where metals gained importance through practical use in weaponry and everyday utensils, metals in South America (and later Central America) were mainly valued as adornments and status objects. Though also functional objects were produced, even in the metallurgically advanced Andean cultures of the Inca era stone tools were never completely replaced by bronze items in everyday life.
During the Early horizon, advances in metal working produced spectacular and characteristic Andean gold objects made by the joining of smaller metal sheets, and also gold-silver alloy appeared.

Two traditions seem to have developed alongside each other – one in northern Peru and Ecuador, and another in the Altiplano region of southern Peru, Bolivia and Chile. There is evidence for smelting of copper sulphide in the Altiplano region around the Early horizon. Evidence for this comes from copper slag recovered at several sites,
with the ore itself possibly coming from the south Chilean-Bolivian border. Near Puma Punku, Bolivia, and at three additional sites in Peru and Bolivia, portable smelting kilns were used to cast I-shaped "cramps" (fasteners) in place, to join large stone blocks during construction. Their chemical analysis shows

The estimated date of these pours lies between 800 and 500 BCE.

Evidence for fully developed smelting, however, only appears with the Moche culture (northern coast, 200 BCE – 600 CE).
The ores were extracted from shallow deposits in the Andean foothills. They were probably smelted nearby, as pictorially depicted on the metal artifacts themselves and on ceramic vessels. Smelting was done in adobe brick furnaces with at least three blow pipes to provide the air flow needed to reach the high temperatures. The resulting ingots would then have been moved to coastal centers for shaping in specialised workshops.
Two workshops found and studied near the administrative sections of their towns, again showing the prestige of metal. Analysis of a Moche statue composed of numerous thin metal layers revealed complex plating and gilding involving a combination of immersion in acidic solutions and the application of extreme heat.

The objects themselves were still mainly adornments, now often being attached to beads. In fact, in the Lambayeque and Chimu cultures (750–1400 CE), a wide range of functional metal items were produced such as bowls, plates, drinking vessels, boxes, plates, models, scales and especially beakers (acquillas), but mostly for ceremonial or elite use.
Some functional objects were fashioned, but they were elaborately decorated and often found in high-status burials, seemingly still used more for symbolic than for practical purposes. The appearance of gold or silver seems to have been important, with a high number of gilded or silvered objects as well as the appearance of Tumbaga, a alloy of copper and gold, and sometimes also silver. Arsenic bronze
was also smelted from sulphidic ores, a practice either independently developed or learned from the southern tradition. The earliest known powder metallurgy, and earliest working of platinum in the world, was apparently developed by the cultures of Esmeraldas (northwest Ecuador) before the Spanish conquest
Beginning with the La Tolita culture (600 BCE – 200 CE), Ecuadorian cultures mastered the soldering of platinum grains through alloying with copper, gold and silver, producing platinum-surfaced rings, handles, ornaments and utensils. This technology was eventually noticed and adopted by the Spanish .

Coastal communities of Atacama Desert, as exemplified by those near Tocopilla, produced their own metal objects for practical use in the 900–1400 CE period.

Metallurgy gradually spread north into Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica, reaching Guatemala and Belize by 800 CE. By , depletion gilding was developed by the Nahuange culture of Colombia to produce ornamental variations such as rose gold.
Muisca goldworking, from modern Colombia, made a wide variety of small ornamental and religious objects from about 600 CE onwards. The gold Muisca raft is probably the best-known single object. This is in the Gold Museum, Bogotá, the largest of the six "gold museums" owned by the Central Bank of Colombia displaying gold from the Muisca and other pre-Columbian cultures in the country.

Inca Empire
Only with the Incas would metals really come into practical use. At Machu Picchu and other sites, metal was used for bolas, plum bobs, chisels, gravers, pry bars, tweezers, needles, plates, fish hooks, spatulas, ladles, knives (tumi), bells, breast plates, lime spoons, mace heads, ear spools, bowls, cloak pins (tupus), axes, and foot plow adzes.
Nonetheless, they remained materials through which to display wealth and status. The characteristic importance placed on colour, which had led to some of the earlier developments, was still present (sun/moon association with gold/silver). Metals other than gold also had an intrinsic value, with axe pieces being of particular note in this regard. With the spread of metal tools by the Incas, it is thought possible that a more Old World use of metals would have become more common. In any case, as Bruhns notes, "Bronze can be seen as an expensive substitute for the equally efficient stone." However, sediment research in Bolivia has revealed that metals such as silver were smelted on a very large scale, thousands of tons, from late Tiwanaku to Inca times (1000–1530 CE), which suggests that the paucity of metal (particularly precious metal) at Inca sites is more likely caused by Spanish acquisition and export than by limited pre-colonial use.

It has been claimed that the Inca Empire expanded into Diaguita lands in what is now north-central Chile because of its mineral wealth, but that view is rejected by some scholars.
Further, an additional possibility is that the Incas invaded the relatively well-populated Eastern Diaguita valleys (present-day Argentina) to obtain labor to send to Chilean mining districts. The Incas influenced Diaguitas, who adopted Incan metalworking techniques.

Farther south in Chile, Mapuche tribes within or near the Incan Empire paid tributes in gold. Incan yanakuna are believed by archaeologists Tom Dillehay and Américo Gordon to have extracted gold south of the Incan frontier in free Mapuche territory. Following that thought, the main motive for Incan expansion into Mapuche territory would have been to access gold mines.
Among the Mapuche people of central and south-central Chile, gold had an important cultural significance that predates Inca contact.
At the time of the Spanish conquest of Chile, Mapuches are reported by various chroniclers to use gold ornaments. According to historian Osvaldo Silva gold ornaments of the Mapuche of the Concepción area evidence some kind of interaction between the Mapuche and the Inca that may have been trade, gifts, or spoils of war taken from a defeated Inca army.
Pre-Hispanic Mapuche tools are known to have been relatively simple and made of wood and stone, but a few of them were actually made of copper and bronze.

Iron
Iron was never smelted by Native Americans, thus the New World never entered a proper "Iron Age" before European discovery, and the term is not used of the Americas. But there was limited use of native (unsmelted) iron ore, from magnetite, iron pyrite and ilmenite (iron–titanium), especially in the Andes (Chavin and Moche cultures) and Mesoamerica, after 900 BCE and until . Various forms of iron ore were mined,
drilled and highly polished. There is considerable evidence that this technology, its raw materials and end products were widely traded in Mesoamerica throughout the Formative era (2000–200BCE).

Lumps of iron pyrite, magnetite, and other materials were mostly shaped into mirrors, pendants, medallions, and headdress ornaments for decorative and ceremonial effect.
However, concave iron ore mirrors were apparently used for firing and optical purposes by the Olmec (1500–400BCE) and Chavin (900–300BCE) cultures,
and ilmenite "beads" may have served as hammers for fine work.
The Olmec and Izapa (300BCE – 100CE) also seem to have used iron magnetism to align and position monuments.
They may have developed a zeroth-order compass using a magnetite bar.

Some Mesoamerican uses of native iron seem to have been military. Steven Jones proposed that the Olmec sewed ilmenite "beads" into protective mail armour or helmets. Iron pyrite mosaics and plates formed protective tezcacuitlapalli (mirrored back flap shields) and breastplate ornaments in the military attire of the Teotihuacan (100 BCE – 600 CE), Toltec (800–1150 CE) and Chichen Itza (800–1200 CE) cultures.

Central America and Caribbean

Gold, copper and tumbaga objects started being produced in Panama and Costa Rica between 300–500 CE. Open-molded casting with oxidation gilding and cast filigrees were in use. By 700–800 CE, small metal sculptures were common and an extensive range of gold and tumbaga ornaments constituted the usual regalia of persons of high status in Panama and Costa Rica.

The earliest specimen of metalwork from the Caribbean is a gold-alloy sheet carbon dated to 70–374 CE. Most Caribbean metallurgy has been dated to between 1200 and 1500 CE and consists of simple, small pieces such as sheets, pendants, beads and bells. These are mostly gold or a gold alloy (with copper or silver) and have been found to be largely cold hammered and sand-polished alluvial nuggets, although a few items seem to have been produced by lost wax casting. It is presumed that at least some of these items were acquired by trade from Colombia.

Mesoamerica

Metallurgy only appears in Mesoamerica in 800 CE with the best evidence from West Mexico. Much like in South America, fine metals were seen as a material for the elite. Metal's special qualities of colour and resonance seemed to have appealed most and then led to the particular technological developments seen in the region.

Exchange of ideas and goods with peoples from the Ecuador and Colombia region (likely via a maritime route) seems to have fueled early interest and development. Similar metal artifact types are found in West Mexico and the two regions: copper rings, needles, and tweezers being fabricated in the same ways as in Ecuador and also found in similar archaeological contexts. A multitude of bells were also found, but in this case they were cast using the same lost-wax casting method as seen in Colombia. During this period, copper was being used almost exclusively.

Continual contact kept the flow of ideas from that same region and later, coinciding with the development of Andean long distance maritime trade, influence from further south seems to have reached the region and led to a second period (1200–1300 CE to the Spanish arrival). By this time, copper alloys were being explored by West Mexican metallurgists, partly because the different mechanical properties were needed to fashion specific artifacts, particularly axe-monies – further evidence for contact with the Andean region. However, in general the new properties such alloys introduced were developed to meet regional needs, especially wirework bells, which at times had such high tin content in the bronze that it was irrelevant for its mechanical properties but gave the bells a golden colour.

The actual artifacts and then techniques were imported from the south, but west Mexican metallurgists worked ores from the abundant local deposits; the metal was not being imported. Even when the technology spread from West into north-eastern, central and southern Mexico, artifacts that can be traced back to West Mexican ores are abundant, if not exclusive. It is not always clear if the metal reached its final destination as an ingot, an ore or a finished artifact. Provenance studies on metal artifacts from southern Mesoamerica cast with the lost wax technique and dissimilar to west Mexican artifacts have shown that there might have been a second point of emergence of metallurgy into Mesoamerica there since no known source could be identified.
In the Tarascan Empire, copper and bronze was used for chisels, punches, awls, tweezers, needles, axes, discs, and breastplates.

The Aztecs did not initially adopt metal working, even though they had acquired metal objects from other peoples. However, as conquest gained them metal working regions, the technology started to spread. By the time of the Spanish conquest, a  bronze-smelting technology had already been developed. Spanish conquistadors used indigenous smelting technology to produce weapons and tools.

Northern America
Archaeological evidence has not revealed metal smelting or alloying of metals by pre-Columbian native peoples north of the Rio Grande; however, they did use native copper extensively.

Old Copper Culture
As widely accepted as this statement might be, it should not be considered synonymous with a lack of metal objects, as it points out native copper was relatively abundant, particularly in the Great Lakes region. The latest glacial period had resulted in the scouring of copper bearing rocks. Once the ice retreated, these were readily available for use in a variety of sizes. Copper was shaped via cold hammering into objects from very early dates (Archaic period in the Great Lakes region: 8000–1000 BCE). There is also evidence of actual mining of copper veins (Old Copper Complex), but disagreement exists as to the dates.

Extraction would have been extremely difficult. Hammerstones may have been used to break off pieces small enough to be worked. This labor-intensive process might have been eased by building a fire on top of the deposit, then quickly dousing the hot rock with water, creating small cracks. This process could be repeated to create more small cracks.

The copper could then be cold-hammered into shape, which would make it brittle, or hammered and heated in an annealing process to avoid this. The final object would then have to be ground and sharpened using local sandstone. Numerous bars have also been found, possibly indicative of trade for which their shaping into a bar would also serve as proof of quality.

Great Lake artifacts found in the Eastern Woodlands of North America seem to indicate there were widespread trading networks by 1000 BCE. Progressively the usage of copper for tools decreases with more jewelry and adornments being found. This is believed to be indicative of social changes to a more hierarchical society. Thousands of copper mining pits have been found along the lake shore of Lake Superior, and on Isle Royale. These pits may have been in use as far back as 8,000 years ago. This copper was mined and then made into objects such as heavy spear points and tools of all kinds. It was also made into mysterious crescent objects that some archaeologists believe were religious or ceremonial items. The crescents were too fragile for utilitarian use, and many have 28 or 29 notches along the inner edge, the approximate number of days in a lunar month.The Old Copper Culture mainly flourished in Ontario and Minnesota. However at least 50 Old Copper items, including spear points and ceremonial crescents have been discovered in Manitoba. A few more in Saskatchewan, and at least one, a crescent, has turned up in Alberta, 2,000 kilometres from its homeland in Ontario. It is most likely that these copper items arrived in the plains as trade goods rather than people of the Old Copper Culture moving into these new places. However from one excavated site in eastern Manitoba we can see that at least some people were moving northwest. At a site near Bissett archaeologists have found copper tools, weapons, and waste material of manufacture, along with a large nugget of raw copper. This site however was dated to around 4,000 years ago, a time of cooler climate when the boreal forest's treeline moved much further south. Though if these migrants moved with their metallurgy up the Winnipeg River at this time they may have continued onward, into Lake Winnipeg, and the Saskatchewan River system.

This Old Copper Culture never became particularity advanced, and never discovered the principle of creating alloys. This means that many, though they could make metal objects and weapons, continued to use their flint tools, which could maintain a sharper edge for much longer. The unalloyed copper could simply not compete, and in the later days of the Old Copper Culture the metal was almost exclusively used for ceremonial items.

However this Great Lake model as a unique source of copper and of copper technologies remaining somewhat static for over 6,000 years has recently come into some level of criticism, particularly since other deposits seem to have been available to ancient North Americans, even if much smaller.

Copper in the Mississippian culture
During the Mississippian period (800–1600 CE, varying locally), elites at major political and religious centers throughout the midwestern and southeastern United States used copper ornamentation as a sign of their status by crafting the sacred material into representations connected with the Chiefly Warrior cult of the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex (S.E.C.C.).
This ornamentation includes Mississippian copper plates, repousséd plates of beaten copper now found as far afield as Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. Some of the more famous of the plates are of raptorial birds and avian-themed dancing warriors. These plates, such as the Rogan plates from Etowah, the Spiro plates from the Spiro in Oklahoma, and the Wulfing cache from southeast Missouri, were instrumental in the development of the archaeological concept known as the S.E.C.C.

The only Mississippian culture site where a copper workshop has been located by archaeologists is Cahokia in western Illinois, where a copper workshop dating to the Moorehead Phase () was identified at Mound 34. Gregory Perino identified the site in 1956 and archaeologists subsequently excavated it.
Numerous copper fragments were found at the site; metallographic analysis indicated that Mississippian copper workers worked copper into thin sheet through repeated hammering and annealing, a process that could be successful over open-pit wood fires.

After the collapse of the Mississippian way of life in the 1500s with the advent of European colonization, copper still retained a place in Native American religious life as a special material. Copper was traditionally regarded as sacred by many historic period Eastern tribes. Copper nuggets are included in medicine bundles among Great Lakes tribes. Among 19th century Muscogee Creeks, a group of copper plates carried along the Trail of Tears are regarded as some of the tribe's most sacred items.

Iron in the Pacific Northwest

Native ironwork in the Northwest Coast has been found in places like the Ozette Indian Village Archeological Site, where iron chisels and knives were discovered. These artifacts seem to have been crafted around 1613, based on the dendrochronological analysis of associated pieces of wood in the site, and were made out of drift iron from Asian (specifically Japanese) shipwrecks, which were swept by the Kuroshio Current towards the coast of North America.

The tradition of working with Asian drift iron was well-developed in the Northwest before European contact, and was present among several native peoples from the region, including the Chinookan peoples and the Tlingit, who seem to have had their own specific word for the metallic material, which was transcribed by Frederica De Laguna as gayES. The wrecking of Japanese and Chinese vessels in the North Pacific basin was fairly common, and the iron tools and weaponry they carried provided the necessary materials for the development of the local ironwork traditions among the Northwestern Pacific Coast peoples,
although there were also other sources of iron, like that from  meteorites, which was occasionally worked using stone anvils.

See also
 Copper Inuit
 Mapuche silverwork

References

Further reading

Pre-Columbian era
History of metallurgy
Archaeology in the Americas
History of indigenous peoples of the Americas

Metallurgy in pre-Columbian America


Stooky Bill wis the gien name for the heid o a ventriloquist dummy that Scots telly pioneer John Logie Baird uised in his 1924 experiments tae transmit a televised eemage aatween rooms in his laboratory at 22 Frith Street, Lunnon.

Baird inventit some o the first experimental telly seestems.  In 1924 he developed a mechanical telly seestem tae transmit muivin eemages bi means o electrical seegnals, whit he demonstratit on the 25t Mairch 1925 at a Lunnon depairtment store, Selfridges. Hit consistit o a spinning disk set wi a spiral pattern o 30 lenses. While ilka lens span past the illuminatit subject, hit focused the licht fae a spat on the subject on a selenium photoelectric cell.  This convertit the brichtness o the eemage at ilka spat intae a proportional electric seegnal, that coud be sent tae a reciever bi radio waves. While ilka lens swept past the subject, hit scanned a successive line o the eemage. At the reciever, a licht sheenin throu the holes o a seemlar spinnin disk crecreautit the eemage o the subject.

Acause o law sensitivitie o the photoelevtric cells, Baird's first seestem coudla transmit human coupons, acause thay didna hiv the richt contrast. Sae Baird uised a ventriloquist's dummy, whase brichtly pentit coupon haed better contrast, an made hit muive an taak afore the scanner. Stookie Bill an anither Baird dummy, "James" hiv been cawed "the first telly actors" for a lauch.

The incandescent lichts illuminatin the subject tae be televised generatit sae much heat that Baird coudna uise a mannie for testin, sae Stooky Bill wis uised. Eventually the hair became singed and the painted face became cracked by the heat.

See an aa

 Mechanical television
 History o television
 Phonovision

References

Ootside airtins

David Hall's video art piece Stooky Bill TV, for Channel 4 TV 1990
John Logie Baird's test subject 'Stookie Bill' in the collection o the National Media Museum, UK

History o televeesion

Stookie Bill


Grand Central Airport  is a small privately owned airfield which is open to public air traffic. It is located in Midrand, halfway between Johannesburg and Pretoria in South Africa. Prior permission to land at Grand Central is not required for light aircraft pilots; a radio call is sufficient.

The airfield was started in the 1930s by a group of motor racing enthusiasts who were also interested in flying. Their old race track, although no longer in use, can be seen from the air on the north west side of the airfield.

Grand Central is a fully equipped airfield and is open 24 hours a day. The complex incorporates a modern terminal building (although it lacks Customs facilities). It is also the base of numerous flying schools for both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. There are 2 or 3 fixed-base operators on the airfield which provides maintenance and repair facilities for light aircraft.

This is a small airfield that is restricted to light aircraft only.

Aviation
 Non-directional beacon - GC372.5

Notes
Radio mast in area

References

External links
 Grand Central Airport, official website

Airports in Johannesburg
Privately owned airports

Grand Central Airport


An erotic dance is a dance that provides erotic entertainment with the objective to erotically stimulate or sexually arouse viewers. Erotic dance is one of several major dance categories based on purpose, such as ceremonial, competitive, performance and social dance.

The erotic dancer's clothing is often minimal and may be gradually removed to be partially or completely naked. In some areas of the United States where exposure of nipples or genitals is illegal, a dancer may respectively wear pasties or a g-string to stay within the law.

Nudity, though a common feature, is not a requirement of erotic dance. The culture and the ability of the human body is a significant aesthetic component in many dance styles.

Genres

 Can-can
 Cage dance
 Go-go dance
 Hoochie coochie
 Mujra
 Sexercise
 Striptease (Exotic dancer)
 Pole dance
 Bubble dance
 Fan dance
 Gown-and-glove striptease
 Lap dance
 Couch dance
 Contact dance
 Limo lap dance
 Dance of the seven veils
 Table dance
Grinding
 Neo-Burlesque
Twerking

Difference between erotic and exotic dances
Erotic dances are sometimes mistakenly referred to (or euphemised) as exotic dances. While there can be overlap they are not the same, and although exotic dances can incorporate nudity or even take place fully naked not all exotic dances are erotic, and not all erotic dances occur wholly or partially naked. Erotic dancing refers to the purpose of the dancing while exotic dancing refers mainly to the style of dancing.

See also
 Fetish fashion
 List of dance style categories
 List of dances
 Nudes-A-Poppin'
 Strip club

References and notes

 McMahon, Tiberius. Uniting Exotic And Erotic Dancers Worldwide, GlobalSecurityReport.com, 2006.

External links

Erotic dance