Vishal Veeru Devgan (born 2 April 1969), known professionally as Ajay Devgn, is an Indian actor, film director, and producer who works primarily in Hindi cinema. A leading actor of Hindi cinema, Devgn has appeared in over 100 films and has won numerous accolades, including four National Film Awards and four Filmfare Awards. In 2016, he was honoured by the Government of India with the Padma Shri, the country's fourth-highest civilian honour.

Devgn emerged a star with his first film, the 1991 action romance Phool Aur Kaante, which earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. He played further action roles in the films Jigar (1992), Vijaypath (1994), Dilwale (1994), Jaan (1996) and Diljale (1996), and romantic roles in Ishq (1997), Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha (1998) and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999). For playing a riot victim in Zakhm (1998) and Bhagat Singh in The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002), he twice won the National Film Award for Best Actor. He also gained praise for the crime dramas Company (2002) and Omkara (2006).

After expanding to comedies with Golmaal: Fun Unlimited (2006), Devgn collaborated with Rohit Shetty on a number of action and comedy films, including Golmaal Returns (2008), Golmaal 3 (2010), Singham (2011), Singham Returns (2014), and Golmaal Again (2017). His highest-grossing releases came with Total Dhamaal (2019), Tanhaji (2020) and Drishyam 2 (2022). For portraying the title role in Tanhaji, he won this third National Film Award for Best Actor.

Devgn owns a production company Ajay Devgn FFilms, which was established in 2000. He has also starred in and directed the films U Me Aur Hum (2008), Runway 34 (2022), and Bholaa (2023).

Family background and marriage

Devgn was born to a Punjabi Hindu family originally from Amritsar, Punjab. The family has connections to the Hindi film industry in Mumbai. Devgn's father, Veeru Devgan, was a stunt choreographer and action-film director and his mother, Veena, is a film producer. His cousin, Anil Devgan, is a filmmaker and screenwriter. Devgn graduated from the Silver Beach High School in Juhu and then studied at Mithibai College.

Devgn began a relationship with the actress Karisma Kapoor while filming Jigar (1992), however, the couple ended their relationship in 1995. That same year, Devgn's relationship with the actress, Kajol, began whilst they were co-starring in Gundaraj (1995). The media called them "an unlikely pair" due to their contrasting personalities. On 24 February 1999, the couple married in a traditional Maharashtrian Hindu ceremony at the Devgan home. The couple has two children. Their daughter, Nysa, was born in 2003 and their son, Yug, was born in 2010. Devgn and Kajol stored their newborn son's umbilical cord blood and tissues to act as a source of stem cells in case of serious ailment. In August 2009, Devgn changed the spelling of his surname Devgan to Devgn, at the request of his family. He is a practicing Shaiva Hindu who prominently wears a Rudraksha which, along with other religious themes, features in his films. Devgn was the first Bollywood personality to own a private jet for transport to shooting locations, to promotions and for personal trips.

Career

Film debut, breakthrough and rise to prominence (1991–99)
As Devgn entered the film industry in 1991, he changed his stage name from his birth name, Vishal, to "Ajay" due to several other actors named Vishal being launched at the same time, including Manoj Kumar's son. He began his professional career alongside Madhoo in the action romance Phool Aur Kaante, which earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. In his opening scene, Devgn performed a split while balancing between two motorcycles. His next film was Jigar (1992), a Bollywood martial arts film co-starring Karisma Kapoor. It was released on Diwali weekend and became the seventh-highest-grossing film of that year, taking  at the box office.

In 1993, Devgn starred in Dil Hai Betaab, a film about a revengeful love triangle. He next featured in Divya Shakti and then Sangram, a story of enmity between two fathers. Devgn then worked with Deepak Bahry, who directed the action film Ek Hi Raasta, and with Deepak Pawar, who directed Platform. Other releases that year were Shaktiman, Dhanwan and Bedardi.

In 1994, Devgn starred in Harry Baweja's romantic action film Dilwale. He played the part of Arun Saxena, a man with intellectual impairment. The movie was the tenth-highest-grossing movie of the year. His next release was Kanoon and then Kuku Kohli's Suhaag with Akshay Kumar. The film was about two friends. Devgn played Ajay Sharma/Malhotra. Suhaag was the seventh-highest-grossing movie of the year. His next film was Vijaypath. Shooting dates for Vijaypath clashed with those of Karan Arjun which Devgn declined. Vijaypath was the eighth-highest-grossing film of the year.

In 1995, Devgn appeared alongside Juhi Chawla in Mahesh Bhatt's Naajayaz, which earned him his first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor, followed by Hulchul directed by Milan Luthria, alongside Kajol. Devgn and Kajol then appeared in Gundaraj which did not perform well at the box office. His next release was Haqeeqat co-starring with Tabu. This film was the eleventh-highest-grossing film of the year.

In 1996, Devgn starred in the action movie Jung with Mithun Chakraborty, Rambha and Aditya Pancholi. His next release was an action movie called Jaan, with Twinkle Khanna. He then starred in Harry Baweja's film Diljale, where he played a terrorist character called Shaka.

In 1997, Devgn starred in a poorly -eceived movie, Itihaas, with Twinkle Khanna. His next release was Indra Kumar's romantic comedy Ishq with Aamir Khan, Juhi Chawla and Kajol. In this successful film, Devgn played Ajay, a rich boy in love with a poor girl, played by Kajol. The film grossed  and emerged as the fourth-highest-grossing film of the year.

In 1998, Devgn starred in Major Saab with Amitabh Bachchan and Sonali Bendre where he played the character of an army officer. The movie was successful and was the tenth-highest-grossing film of the year. He next starred with Kajol in Anees Bazmee's second film, the romantic comedy Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha, a remake of the 1995 American film French Kiss. It grossed . Devgn's next release was Mahesh Bhatt's drama Zakhm, which examines communal tension in Mumbai during riots. Devgn played a man who is fed up with religious conflict. Devgn won several awards for his critically acclaimed performance, including the National Film Award for Best Actor and the Screen Award for Best Actor, in addition to his second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor.

In 1999, Devgn starred in the musical romance Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, in which he played Vanraj, a man who tries to help his wife (Aishwarya Rai) reunite with her lover (Salman Khan). Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam marked a significant turning point in Devgn's career. The film, an adaptation of Maitreyi Devi's Bengali novel Na Hanyate, was directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and co-starred Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai. Devgn's performance received positive reviews from critics. Rediff said: "Ajay's role reminds you of one he did in another film, Pyaar Toh Hona Hi Tha. There he is searching for the boyfriend of the girl he secretly loves. But intense scenes are his forte and he does well here. He's particularly good in the scene where he gets exasperated with his wife's stubbornness and strives to keep his cool." The film proved to be a commercial success and earned Devgn his third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. After that, he appeared in Hindustan Ki Kasam with Amitabh Bachchan and Sonali Bendre. He then worked with the director Milan Luthria in Kachche Dhaage, with Saif Ali Khan and Manisha Koirala. The movie was a box-office hit. He then performed in the successful movie Hogi Pyaar Ki Jeet, a romantic comedy, and then in his home production movie with Kajol, and director, Prakash Jha. The film was titled Dil Kya Kare. His other movies in 1999 were Gair and Thakshak in which he played a strong, silent man.

Critical acclaim and awards success (2000–09)
In 2000, Devgn performed in Harry Baweja's Deewane. The film did not do well at the box office. In the same year, Devgn starred in his first home production; Raju Chacha, with Kajol. The film was moderately successful.

In 2001, Devgn starred in another moderately successful film; Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke with Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta. His next release was Lajja, with Manisha Koirala, Madhuri Dixit, Jackie Shroff and Anil Kapoor. His performance was positively received and earned him his first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. However, the film was commercially unsuccessful. Mahesh Manjrekar's Tera Mera Saath Rahen followed.

2002 proved to be a key year for Devgn as he starred in three films of contrasting genres. He first starred in Ram Gopal Varma's Company which was a fictional examination of the Mumbai underworld. Devgn played a gangster named Malik. Both the film and Devgn's performance received critical acclaim. As Taran Adarsh reviewed: "Devgn enacts his role to perfection. A controlled performance, the actor takes to this complex character like a fish takes to water. He underplays his part with admirable ease." Devgn's next release was David Dhawan's comedy Hum Kisise Kum Nahin, with Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt and Aishwarya Rai. The same year, he played the role of Bhagat Singh, in Rajkumar Santoshi's biopic The Legend of Bhagat Singh. His performance was well received by critics. Taran Adarsh said, "Devgn has lived the role. To state that he is excellent would be an understatement. His performance is bound to win admiration from cinegoers, besides fetching awards." The film was released on 7 June 2002 and went on to win two National Film Awards, including the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi, and three Filmfare Awards, including the Filmfare Award for Best Film (Critics). Despite these awards, and Devgn winning his second National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance, the film was not popular with the public. Devgn went on to perform in Anees Bazmee's Deewangee. The film was partially inspired by William Diehl's novel, Primal Fear. The film was a success at the box office. He jointly won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor (Critics) for his performance in Company and The Legend of Bhagat Singh, in addition to receiving his fourth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor for the former. For his performance in Deewangee, he received several awards including the Filmfare Award for Best Villain, the Screen Award for Best Villain and the Zee Cine Award for Best Villain.

In 2003, Devgn starred in Ram Gopal Verma's horror film Bhoot, opposite Urmila Matondkar. The film was appreciated critically and performed well at the box office. He then starred in the action thriller Qayamat: City Under Threat with the actress debutante, Neha Dhupia. The film was a commercial success. Devgn next performed in Milan Luthria's romantic film Chori Chori, opposite Rani Mukherji and Sonali Bendre. This film did not succeed at the box office. Devgn's next release of the year was Prakash Jha's Gangaajal. The film was set in the time of the blinding incident in Bhagalpur, Bihar. Rediff.com said, "Ajay Devgan pulls up an ace with a part tailormade to reinforce his seething-under-the-surface angry hero image. To his credit (and the director's), he brings style and grace to a largely stereotypical, righteous protagonist. To a great extent, his presence covers up the film's patchiness in the second half." Devgn received his fifth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film. He then worked in Rohit Shetty's directional debut Zameen and J. P. Dutta's war film LOC Kargil.

In 2004, Devgn was cast with Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and Akshay Kumar in Rajkumar Santoshi's action thriller Khakee. The film was released on 23 January 2004. It received positive reviews and became one of the highest-grossing films of 2004. In Khakee, Devgn once again played a villain. His performance as a police officer turned murderer was well received by critics. Taran Adarsh said: "Ajay Devgan adds yet another feather in his cap with a performance that could've been played only by a master performer. His confrontations with Amitabh Bachchan are exemplary." He received his second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Villain for his performance in the film. Later in 2004, Devgn appeared in Indra Kumar's Masti and Mani Ratnam's Yuva.

Devgn next collaborated with Rituparno Ghosh in the relationship drama Raincoat, with Aishwaraya Rai. The film is an adaptation of O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi. Raincoat met with wide critical acclaim and won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi. Devgn was praised for his performance. Rediff said: "Hesitation, desperation, humiliation – Ajay Devgn conveys them eloquently. His Manoj is no cool dude, but just another lower middle-class guy in misery, with whom none would like to switch place. He particularly stands out in the scenes where he cries in the bathroom, or begs Neeru not to marry someone else." In 2004, Devgn was also seen in a cameo appearance in Taarzan: The Wonder Car.

2005 was a less successful year for Devgn, with all of his films not proving to be successful at the box office. His movies were not financially successful. They included Insan, Blackmail, Main Aisa Hi Hoon, Tango Charlie and Shikhar. However, the films Kaal and Apaharan did well. His performance as a villain in Kaal also earned him his third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Villain.

In 2006, Devgn played Othello in Omkara, a Hindi adaptation of William Shakespeare's Othello. It was directed by Vishal Bhardwaj. The film is a tragedy of sexual jealousy set against the backdrop of the political system in Uttar Pradesh. It premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and was screened at the Cairo International Film Festival. Omkara was well received by critics. Rediff said: "Othello is a tricky role, a leading man eclipsed by the villain. Yet the Moor is a brooding and compelling character, and Ajay Devgn does valiantly with his material. Omkara strips Othello of the racism, exchanging his black skin for surprisingly inconsequential half-Brahminism. Ajay's best bits are when restrained, and while there is a bit of a seen-that feel to his character, by the time the film is over, you realise just how unflinchingly solid he's been." Taran Adarsh said: "Ajay makes a stirring and powerful interpretation of a man haunted by uncertainty about his lover's faithfulness. The serious look that Ajay carries suits him to the T. Of course, Ajay is exceptional in the film and looks every inch the character he portrays."

In 2006, Devgn also starred in Rohit Shetty's Golmaal. It had two sequels Golmaal Returns and Golmaal 3. In the same year, Devgn was featured in a short documentary about the Mumbai floods of 2005 titled The Awakening.

In 2007, Devgn starred in two films, director Anubhav Sinha's action thriller Cash and Aag. Both films proved to be critically and commercially unsuccessful.

In 2008, Devgn starred in the social film Halla Bol, directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, alongside Pankaj Kapoor and Vidya Balan. The film is based on the life of activist Safdar Hashmi, who was killed in 1989 by political rivals while performing in the street play Halla Bol. The film received negative reviews and was a flop at the box office.

In 2008, Devgn also starred in Rohit Shetty's third film Sunday. He then took the lead role with Kajol in his own directorial debut film U Me Aur Hum. The film performed moderately well at the box office and earned positive critical reviews for his performance as well as for his direction. Rediff said: "His character grows, discovers both shirt-buttons and subtlety, delivering an intense acting job. Speaking almost entirely in platitudes – pithy at first, profound as he goes on – this grows into an extraordinarily well-written character, replete with flaws and relatability. The way he treats his remorse, drunkenly pointing every finger at himself around a dinner table, is superbly handled, as is his guilty struggle to delineate his life experience from his professional opinion." Devgn also made a cameo appearance in his brother Anil Devgan's film Haal-e-Dil. He then starred in Afzal Khan's Mehbooba.

Again in 2008, Devgn starred in Rohit Shetty's comedy Golmaal Returns, a sequel to the 2006 film Golmaal: Fun Unlimited about a mistrustful wife who believed her husband was unfaithful. The Indian Express said the screenplay was derivative, concluding: "There is nothing particularly new about a suspicious wife keeping tabs on her husband, and there is nothing particularly new in the way Ajay-Kareena play it." Golmaal Returns was a financial success with global revenues of .

In 2009, Devgn produced his third film, All the Best, directed by Rohit Shetty. It was a moderate commercial success. Next, Devgn starred in Vipul Shah's London Dreams, with Salman Khan and the Tamil film star Asin. The film was not popular with the public.

Commercial success (2010–present)

In the following decade, Devgn starred in Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai (2010), Golmaal 3 (2010), Raajneeti (2010), Singham (2011), Bol Bachchan (2012), Son of Sardaar (2012), Singham Returns (2014) and Drishyam (2015). In 2010, Devgn featured in the financially successful comedy Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge? with Paresh Rawal and Konkona Sen Sharma. He then featured in Prakash Jha's political thriller Raajneeti. Raajneeti was released internationally on 4 June 2010, after some controversies regarding similarities between actual people and the characters in the film. There were also issues about the use of the national anthem in the film. The film was made with a budget of  When the film was released, it had positive reviews and was financially successful. Again, in 2010, Devgn starred in Milan Luthria's Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, which was among the top-grossing films of that year. Both the film and Devgn's performance were well received by the critics. Taran Adarsh said: "Ajay Devgn is splendid as Sultan. The actor had enacted a similar role in Company, but it must be said that his interpretation is so different in Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai. He adds so much depth to the character, which only goes to prove his range and versatility. This is, without a trace of doubt, Ajay's finest work so far." Komal Nahta said: "Ajay Devgn is simply fantastic in the role of Sultan Mirza. So real is his performance that it looks like he was born to play this role. Right from his look to his acting including dialogue-delivery, everything is fabulous. Indeed, an award-winning performance!" The film earned him his sixth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor.

Devgn then starred in Priyadarshan's action-thriller film Aakrosh. The movie explores the subject of honour killings. Aakrosh received some positive reviews, but was financially unsuccessful. At the end of 2010, Devgn worked again with Rohit Shetty in Golmaal 3, a sequel to Golmaal Returns (2008). Although, like its predecessor, the film received mixed reviews, it was the most successful of the Golmaal series, earning more than . Devgn also worked as a voice artist in Toonpur Ka Superrhero, an animated film.

In 2011, Devgn performed with Emraan Hashmi in Madhur Bhandarkar's comedy Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji. He was a narrator in Yamla Pagla Deewana and also made a cameo appearance in Ready. Devgn starred in Rohit Shetty's Singham. Taran Adarsh said: "The title means 'Lion' and Ajay is in the centre of the battle between good and evil. Ajay is well known for the lines, "aataa maajhi satakli". The embodiment of screen masculinity, Ajay enacts the central character of a righteous, hardhearted cop with flourish. He brings alive on screen a larger-than-life hero character with determined conviction, which renders you thunderstruck. One of the few actors who underplays his part admirably, he returns to the over-the-top-action genre of films with this one. In a nutshell, his performance plays a pivotal role in carrying the film to the winning post." Singham earned him his seventh nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. He then starred David Dhawan's action comedy film Rascals.

The following year, Devgn starred in Tezz, directed by Priyadarshan. His co-stars were Anil Kapoor, Boman Irani, Kangana Ranaut, Sameera Reddy and Zayed Khan. Devgn then starred in Rohit Shetty's film Bol Bachchan. He then starred in Son of Sardaar. In 2013, Devgn featured in the critically and commercially unsuccessful remake of Himmatwala. Devgn next featured in Prakash Jha's political drama Satyagraha.

In 2014, Devgn featured in Rohit Shetty's Singham Returns, a sequel to Singham. Singham Returns received mixed reviews from Indian critics. Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave it 4 stars and said: "The film is a complete mass entertainer with power-packed drama, hi-intensity dialogue and towering performances as its aces. The brand value attached to it coupled with a long weekend will help the film reap a harvest and rule the box office in days to come.". Collection of over  on the first day of its release in India. Domestic net of Singham Returns are . Devgn next featured in Prabhu Deva's Action Jackson which did not perform well at box office.

In 2015, Devgn starred in Drishyam, directed by Nishikant Kamat. The film received positive reviews, Meena Iyer of The Times of India gave the film four out of five stars, describing it as "A suspense drama with a nail-biting finish." She praised Devgn's performances: "Ajay, who is the prey here, shines in his role of the protective father.". The film was successful at the box office, by the end of its sixth week, the film had grossed about  at the domestic box office.

In 2016, Devgn was seen in his own production, Shivaay, which released around Diwali 2016. Shivaay is an action drama movie. Shivaay opened to mixed reviews and grossed more than . In 2017, Devgn featured in director Milan Luthria's Baadshaho and Rohit Shetty's Golmaal Again. Both films were mild commercial successes. While Baadshaho was a hit, Golmaal Again became the highest-grossing film of 2017 collecting 100 crores in 4 days of its release and a lifetime collection of 205 crores at the Indian box office while making a hefty 300 crores at worldwide box office.

In 2018, Devgn starred in Raj Kumar Gupta's Raid where he plays the role of an honest Indian Revenue Service officer, which released to positive critical feedback on 16 March, and was a commercial success. Devgn has long been working on producing Sons of Sardaar: The Battle of Saragarhi, a sequel to Son of Sardaar. In August 2017, Devgn stated: "We are working on the script but it won't happen for another two years because of the scale of the project." He starred in De De Pyaar De alongside Tabu and Rakul Preet Singh. In early 2020, Devgn portrayed the role of 17th-century military leader Tanaji Malusare in an eponymously titled film, Tanhaji; directed by Om Raut. The film was released on 10 January 2020 and went on to win three National Film Awards, including the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment and Best Actor, both for Devgn, in addition to his eighth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor  Tanhaji earned Rs 3.67 billion ($49 million) worldwide, making it the highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2020. Moreover, it marks Ajay Devgn's 100th film as an actor.

In 2021, he starred alongside Sanjay Dutt, Sharad Kelkar, Nora Fatehi and Sonakshi Sinha in the historical film, Bhuj: The Pride of India and had a cameo in Sooryavanshi, reprising as DCP Bajirao Singham.

In 2022, Devgn made his OTT debut with the web series, Rudra: The Edge of Darkness, on Disney+ Hotstar. The same year, he released his third directorial, Runway 34. It received positive reviews from both the critics and audience. He was also seen in extended cameo appearances in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Gangubai Kathiawadi and S. S. Rajamouli's RRR, for which he received high praise. Later that year, Devgn was seen as Chitragupt in Indra Kumar's Thank God, which also starred Sidharth Malhotra, which turned out to be a commercial failure. Later he starred in the sequel to Drishyam, Drishyam 2, directed by Abhishek Pathak. It became a major critical and commercial success, along with becoming his second highest-grossing film of his career, after Tanhaji.

In 2023, Devgn starred and directed the remake of Kaithi (2019), Bholaa, his third directorial. His upcoming releases of the year include the sports-drama, Maidaan, and Neeraj Pandey's romcom, Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha, which is currently filiming.

He has also announced the fifth entry of the Cop Universe and the much awaited sequel to Singham Returns (2014), Singham Again, which is set to release in 2024.

Filmography

Other works

Production

Ajay Devgn FFilms (ADF) is an Indian film production and distribution company established by actor Ajay Devgn in 2000. Based in Mumbai, it mainly produces and distributes Hindi films. In 2000, ADF released its first film, Raju Chacha. The film starred Devgn himself as the lead actor and his wife Kajol as the lead actress. Raju Chacha received mixed reviews but grossed Rs 209.2 millions at the box office.

In 2008, Devgn co-produced the drama U Me Aur Hum, which marked his directorial debut. Devgn also played the lead role in the film, sharing the screen again with Kajol. The film was written by Devgn himself and three other writers. Critical reception was generally positive, with Taran Adarsh giving the film 4 out of 5 stars and describing it as "A well-made, absorbing love story that's high on emotional quotient".

In 2009, Devgn released and acted in his home production All the Best: Fun Begins, which was directed by Rohit Shetty and also starring, Sanjay Dutt, Fardeen Khan, Bipasha Basu and Mugdha Godse. The film was released on 16 October 2009 and received positive response from critics. It was rated a hit in India, and is the twelfth highest grossing Bollywood film of 2009.

In 2014, ADF produced Singham Returns starring Devgn and Kareena Kapoor. In 2016 Devgn produced and starred in Shivaay which is to be the most expensive film of his production.

In late December 2017, ADF collaborated with Fox Star Studios to produce Total Dhamaal starring Devgn, Riteish Deshmukh, Arshad Warsi, Javed Jaffrey, Madhuri Dixit, and Anil Kapoor.

In 2018, Ajay Devgn released his first Marathi production Aapla Manus. The movie was in Marathi language. It was directed by Satish Rajwade and starred Nana Patekar, Iravati Harshe, and Sumeet Raghavan. The film was produced by Ajay Devgn, Nana Patekar, Abhinav Shuklaa, Manish Mishra, & Rohit Choudhary and released on 9 February 2018. The story was a dramatic thriller and written by Vivek Bele. The film was distributed by Viacom 18 Motion Pictures.

NY VFXWAALA
In October 2015, Devgn established a visual effects company, NY VFXWAALA, after his children. It has been involved with many major films, such as Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, Tamasha, Bajirao Mastani, Mersal, Dilwale, Force 2, and Simmba. The company won the Best Special Effects award at the 64th National Film Awards for the film Shivaay (2016).

In the media

Ashwini Deshmukh of Filmfare termed Devgn a "private person" who is self-confessedly uncomfortable around people and said, "Three decades in the industry and Ajay Devgn continues to enjoy the trust of filmmakers and the loyalty of his fans." Ankur Pathak of GQ noted, "Devgn has shown remarkable resilience as a bankable star who has never had to rely on a "comeback" film since he never really goes off-screen." Sandeep Unnithan of India Today termed him a "versatile actor" and said, "Devgn is a darling of his directors." Rediff.com noted the actor's change from "lanky star son" to "back-to-back hits churner". It further credited him for popularising the "intense, brooding hero" looks.

Devgn is among the most popular and highest paid celebrities in India. He has frequently featured in the Forbes Indias Celebrity 100 list since 2012. He peaked at the 10th position in 2018 with an estimated annual income of . In 2019, he was placed 12th, with an estimated annual income of . Devgn was placed 7th in Rediff.coms list of Top 10 Actors of 2000–2010. In Rediff.com "Top Bollywood Actors" list, Devgn ranked 1st in 2002. He subsequently ranked 4th in 2004, 10th in 2006 and 2nd in 2019. In Eastern Eye's Sexiest Asian Men list of 2011, Devgn was placed 29th.

Awards and honours

See also
 List of Indian actors

References

Bibliography

External links

 Official Site

Ajay Devgn
Indian male film actors
Indian Hindus
Punjabi Hindus
1969 births
Living people
Best Actor National Film Award winners
Filmfare Awards winners
Screen Awards winners
Zee Cine Awards winners
Male actors from Delhi
Film producers from Mumbai
Film directors from Mumbai
Hindi-language film directors
Male actors in Hindi cinema
Punjabi people
Mithibai College alumni
21st-century Indian male actors
20th-century Indian male actors
Male actors from Mumbai
Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts
Male actors from New Delhi
Hindi film producers

Ajay Devgn


Du Jingjian () was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, twice serving as chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign.

It is not known when Du was born, but it is known that his family was from Ji Prefecture (冀州, roughly modern Hengshui, Hebei). He passed the imperial examination when he was young and eventually became an assistant imperial censor.  At a later point, he was made a secretary in charge of military matters at Yi Prefecture (益州, roughly modern Chengdu).  At that time, Fang Siye (), the military advisor to the prefect of nearby Long Prefecture (隆州, roughly modern Nanchong, Sichuan) had just received an order of promotion to be the military advisor to the prefect of Yi Prefecture (considered a promotion since Yi Prefecture was larger and more important) and had arrived at Yi Prefecture.  However, paperwork of Fang's commission had not yet arrived at Yi Prefecture, yet he wanted to take his post immediately.  He was also beginning to subject the military staff, whom he commanded, to physical punishments.  Du, who was under his command, responded, "Although you, Lord, have been ordered to be this prefecture's military advisor, the prefectural government has not yet received orders of your commission.  Why do you care about your salary for a few days and not want to wait for the imperial edict.  Is it not that you are in too much of a hurry to be in command?"  Fang became angry, but Du then continued:

Du then dismissed the staff from Fang's presence, and Fang, humiliated, stopped giving orders.  Several days later, the imperial edict arrived, but instead of making Fang the military advisor for Yi Prefecture, made him the military advisor of Jing Prefecture (荊州, roughly modern Jingzhou, Hubei).  The officials at Yi Prefecture made up a rhyme, "The secretary's argument had a connection to heaven; the military advisor of Yi Prefecture lost his thunder."  (錄事意, 與天通, 益州司馬折威風, Lushi yi, yu tian tong, Yizhou sima zhe weifeng.)

Du became famed for this incident.  He was eventually made the secretary general at the ministry of vassal affairs (司賓主簿, Sibin Zhubu), and then the secretary general at the supreme court (司刑丞, Sixing Cheng).  During Wu Zetian's Tianshou era (690-691), he was serving with such individuals as Xu Yougong (), Lai Junchen, and Hou Sizhi.  He and Xu were known for lenience, while Lai and Hou were known for torturing prisoners and getting them to confess to nonexistent crimes.  There was a saying at the time, "Meet Xu or Du and live; meet Lai or Hou and die."  Eventually, he was made the military advisor to the prefect of the capital prefecture Luo Prefecture (洛州, roughly modern Luoyang, Henan).

In 694, Wu Zetian made Du Fengge Shilang (), the deputy head of the legislative bureau of government (鳳閣, Fengge), and gave him the designation Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi (), making him a chancellor de facto.  On an occasion, Wu Zetian, who favored signs of fortune, showed a pear flower in the winter.  All of the other chancellors thought it was a sign of fortune that the pear was flowering in the winter, but Du did not, instead pointing out that this showed that the seasons were not in order, and begged for forgiveness—stating that this must be a sign that the officials were not doing their jobs properly.  Wu Zetian, in approval, responded, "Only you are a true chancellor."  However, later in 694, Wu Zetian, displeased with the powerful chancellor Li Zhaode, exiled Li, and fellow chancellor Zhou Yunyuan and the assistant chief judge of the supreme court, Huangfu Wenbei (), then submitted articles of impeachment against Du and several fellow chancellors -- Doulu Qinwang, Wei Juyuan, Su Weidao, and Lu Yuanfang—for not being able to curb Li Zhaode's power.  The five chancellors so accused were all demoted to be prefectural prefect—in Du's case, to be the prefect of Zhen Prefecture (榛州, in modern Chongqing).

Eventually, Du was recalled to the capital to serve as the chief judge of the supreme court (司刑卿, Sixing Qing).  In 697, when, in the aftermath of a Khitan invasion led by Sun Wanrong, Wu Yizong () the Prince of Henan (the grandson of Wu Zetian's uncle Wu Shiyi () had proposed that the people who had previously surrendered to Khitan all be considered traitors and be executed.  This was opposed by the official Wang Qiuli () and Du, who pointed out that these people were forced into surrendering to save their lives.  Wu Zetian agreed and spared them.  Later that year, Du was again made Fengge Shilang and chancellor with the designation Tong Fengge Luantai PIngzhangshi.  In 698, however, he was removed from his chancellor position and made the minister of justice (秋官尚書, Qiuguan Shangshu).  While serving at that post, he was accused of revealing palace secrets and first made the deputy chief judge of the supreme court (司刑少卿, Sixing Shaoqing) and then the secretary general at Bing Prefecture (并州, roughly modern Taiyuan, Shanxi).  He died on the way to Bing Prefecture.

Notes and references

 Old Book of Tang, vol. 90.
 New Book of Tang, vol. 116.
 Zizhi Tongjian, vols. 204, 205, 206.

Chancellors under Wu Zetian
Chinese judges
Year of birth unknown
Year of death unknown
Politicians from Hengshui
Du clan of Jingzhao

Du Jingjian


Byron Keith Traylor (born September 3, 1969) is a former American football nose tackle who played 17 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was originally drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1991 NFL Draft. He played college football at Central Oklahoma. Traylor has won a total of three Super Bowl rings; he won two with the Denver Broncos and one with the New England Patriots.

Early life
Keith Traylor was born September 3, 1969, into an athletic family.  His mother, Vernestine, was a standout high school basketball player before giving birth to him at age seventeen, and his two younger brothers played college football and basketball, respectively. Traylor was a two-time all-state and all-conference linebacker at Malvern High School in Malvern, Arkansas. He also excelled in basketball and baseball, earning all-state and all-conference honors in both sports. Traylor was named Player of the Decade for the 1980s by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and is second in state history for tackles in a season, amassing 231 tackles in 1985. Traylor, who was considered one of the top ten players in the country as a senior, was one of several highly rated high school football players in Arkansas during the mid-1980s, including Little Rock Parkview's Keith Jackson and Pine Bluff High School's Eric Mitchell.

College career
After finishing high school as a two-time All-American, Traylor originally signed with the Oklahoma Sooners. A 6-3, 250 pound linebacker who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.57 seconds, assistant coach Merv Johnson called Traylor a "tremendous physical specimen," and an "exciting, high-profile recruit." Academic problems forced Traylor to leave Oklahoma after only four months, going first to Southeastern Oklahoma State University, in Durant, Oklahoma under head coach Morris Sloan, before eventually settling at the University of Central Oklahoma.

Traylor began his collegiate career at Coffeyville Community College in Coffeyville, Kansas where he played two seasons (1987–88) under head coach Dick Foster. He was named Honorable Mention All-American as a freshman, and was a 1st Team All-American as a sophomore. In two seasons at Coffeyville he totalled 229 tackles, 14 sacks, and 9 interceptions. Traylor transferred and played two seasons at the University of Central Oklahoma. He amassed 146 tackles, five sacks, two interceptions, three forced fumbles and a pair of fumble recoveries at Central Oklahoma. He was a first-team All-Lone Star Conference selection as a senior when he posted 79 tackles, five sacks, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. On October 18, 2006, Traylor was named one of the top 75 players and coaches in the history of the Lone Star Conference to commemorate the conference's 75th anniversary.

Professional career

Denver Broncos
Traylor was projected to be one of the top thirty prospects leading up to the 1991 NFL Draft, but was not selected until the Denver Broncos picked him in the third-round (61st pick overall).  He played in all 16 regular season games for the Broncos as a rookie, making two starts and recording 27 tackles. His first start of NFL career came against the Seattle Seahawks on September 15, 1991, when he opened at an inside linebacker spot in place of the injured Michael Brooks. Traylor responded with nine tackles in the game. He also started the following week against the San Diego Chargers and recorded ten tackles. He saw action in both playoff games following the season in a reserve role. During the playoffs, he saw some time at fullback in goal line situations. Following the season, he was an named to the All-Rookie Team by Pro Football Weekly and Football Digest.

Traylor started three of the 16 games in which he played with the Broncos in 1992. He collected 39 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. The first sack of his professional career occurred against the Seahawks on December 20, when he tackled quarterback Stan Gelbaugh for a 14-yard loss. Traylor was waived by the Broncos in June 1993.

Los Angeles Raiders
Traylor signed with the Los Angeles Raiders on July 19, 1993 but was released just over a month later.

Green Bay Packers
He signed with the Green Bay Packers on September 14 and played in five games with the team, all in a reserve role. He was also inactive for one game with the Packers. Traylor was released on November 9.

Kansas City Chiefs
Traylor remained a free agent until being signed by the Kansas City Chiefs on January 5, 1994. He was inactive for the team's first-round playoff game and was waived the following week. He was re-signed by the Chiefs in May 1994, but was released by the team on August 28 during final cutdowns and spent the entire season out of football.

Traylor was once again re-signed by the Chiefs on February 28, 1995. Playing in the World League of American Football (now NFL Europa) Traylor began to add mass to his linebacker's body for a move to the defensive line. He started three of the eight games that he played with the Barcelona Dragons, recording 18 tackles and a pair of fumble recoveries.

Traylor made the Chiefs' roster out of training camp and appeared in all 16 games in a reserve role. He was credited with 19 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a fumble recovery, a forced fumble and four passes defensed. His best game of the year came against the San Diego Chargers, when he recorded three tackles and a sack.

Traylor played in 15 games with the Chiefs in 1996, including one start. He notched 42 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a pass defensed. He also blocked a Cole Ford 43-yard field goal attempt against the Oakland Raiders. He had a season-high six tackles against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football, while his lone sack of the season occurred against the Detroit Lions.

Return to Denver
In 1997, Traylor returned to the team that drafted him six years prior, playing now as a defensive tackle. He started all 16 regular season games after re-joining the Broncos, posting 51 tackles, two sacks, an interception and two passes defensed for a unit that ranked fifth in the NFL in overall defense (291.9 ypg). His sack total marked a career-high, a figure he would equal three times in his career. His tackle total led all Broncos linemen. His first career interception came against the Buffalo Bills when he picked off a Todd Collins pass and returned it 62 yards for a touchdown, as the Broncos went on for a 23–20 overtime victory after not arriving in Buffalo until well after midnight the night before because of a snowstorm.

Traylor also started all four playoff games following the season, registering 11 tackles, a sack and two passes defensed. He was awarded a game ball in the Broncos' Divisional playoff victory at Kansas City when he recorded three tackles, including two tackles for loss, just two days after his mother died. He registered two tackles, including a sack and a pass breakup in AFC Championship game at Pittsburgh. He posted two tackles against the Green Bay Packers on January 25, 1998 as his team won Super Bowl XXXII.

Starting 14 of the 15 games in which he played with the Broncos in 1998, Traylor registered 49 tackles, two sacks, a fumble recovery and two passes defensed. He was part of a unit that ranked third in the NFL in rush defense (80.4 ypg). He was inactive for one game in September with a sprained ankle. Traylor started each of Denver's three playoff games, including the team's Super Bowl XXXIII victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Miami, Florida. He totaled six tackles and a pass defensed in the playoffs.

In 1999, Traylor started all 15 games that he played with Denver. He collected 42 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a career-high six passes defensed. His lone full sack of the season came against the Detroit Lions, while he forced fumbles against the Jacksonville Jaguars and San Diego Chargers.

In what would be his final season as a Bronco, Traylor started all 16 regular season games and recorded a career-high 53 total tackles. He also added one sack, a fumble recovery, two forced fumbles and four passes defensed. His tackle total led all Denver linemen. Over a five-game span during the year, he registered 23 tackles, including six against the New England Patriots, one of which was a sack. He had a fumble recovery and forced fumble against the San Diego Chargers on November 19.

Chicago Bears
Traylor joined the Chicago Bears as an unrestricted free agent in 2001 and went on to start 15 of the 16 games in which he appeared. He had 45 tackles, two sacks, an interception, two forced fumbles and four passes defensed. He was part of a defensive unit that ranked second in the NFL, allowing an average of only 82.1 yards rushing per game. Traylor and Ted Washington controlled the middle of the field, allowing young linebacker Brian Urlacher to roam the field and make plays. Traylor's second career interception came in the season finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars, when he picked off a Mark Brunell pass and returned it 67 yards to the Jaguars' 9 yard line, setting up a Bears touchdown two plays afterward in a 33–13 victory. He started the team's Divisional Playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles and was credited with four tackles and a pass defended.

In 2002, Traylor started all 15 games that he played with the Bears. He registered 41 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and two passes defensed. He posted a season-high five tackles and registered his only sack against the St. Louis Rams in a Monday night game. The Bears finished with a 4–12 record.

Traylor entered the 2003 season in a battle with Bryan Robinson for a starting position on the Bear's defensive line. Both Robinson and Traylor earned starting positions. Robinson started all sixteen games, and Traylor started all ten games in which he played with Chicago in 2003, recording 18 tackles, a forced fumble and three passes defensed. He was inactive for six contests (Weeks 4–8, 15).

New England Patriots
Traylor joined the New England Patriots in 2004 and went on to start 10 of the 16 regular season games at nose tackle. He posted 33 tackles on the year and was part of a unit that ranked sixth in the NFL in rush defense, allowing an average of only 98.3 yards per game. He started each of the final ten regular season games and opened two of three postseason contests. He recorded two tackles in the playoffs, including one in Super Bowl XXXIX as the Patriots beat the Eagles and Traylor earned his third Super Bowl ring. He ended up wearing number 98 because his Patriots teammate Ty Warren was wearing his traditional number 94.

Miami Dolphins
Traylor joined the Miami Dolphins in 2005, as the team needed a nose tackle after then-head coach Nick Saban began to implement a hybrid defense that used the 3–4 on occasion. He started all 13 games in which he played and was inactive for three contests with a knee injury. He tallied 40 tackles, a pair of sacks and two passes defensed on the year. His sack total tied a personal single-season high that he achieved on three previous occasions (1997, 1998, 2001). He was part of a defensive line that allowed a 3.7-yard average per rush attempt, a figure that ranked fourth in the AFC and seventh in the NFL. He underwent surgery on December 6 to remove debris in his right knee, and was inactive for two games before returning to starting lineup for final two games. The season finale marked his 200th career regular season game.

For the 2006 season, Traylor had 36 tackles and has four sacks for 18 yards in losses. He was placed on Injured Reserve on December 30 with a knee injury, missing the last game of the season. Before going on IR he started 14 games during the year and was inactive once due to knee problems.

Traylor's four sacks on the season represented a single season career high, surpassing his previous single season high of two sacks, which he accomplished four times (1997, 1998, 2001, and 2005). With six sacks in his last 21 regular season games (all with Miami), Traylor has accounted for almost half the number of sacks in those 21 games as he recorded in the first 193 games of his career.

An unrestricted free agent in the 2007 offseason, Traylor was re-signed by the Dolphins to a two-year deal on March 8. It was previously believed that Fred Evans was the favorite to replace Traylor at nose tackle in 2007 before the veteran re-signed. After a confrontation with teammate Vernon Carey before the final game of the 2007 season, Traylor was kicked off the Dolphins by then-coach Cam Cameron.

On February 11, 2008, Traylor was one of nine players released by the Dolphins.

Personal life
Traylor has one son, Brandon. He currently resides in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Traylor had two brothers that played sports collegiately: Eric Traylor, who played basketball at New Mexico State from 1991-1993, and Mark Traylor, who played football at Louisiana-Lafayette in the early 1990s. Mark Traylor died after suffering several years from Behçet's disease, a rare immune disorder.

References

External links
Arkansas high school record book

1969 births
Living people
People from Malvern, Arkansas
Players of American football from Little Rock, Arkansas
African-American players of American football
American football defensive tackles
American football linebackers
Malvern High School (Arkansas) alumni
Coffeyville Red Ravens football players
Central Oklahoma Bronchos football players
Denver Broncos players
Los Angeles Raiders players
Green Bay Packers players
Kansas City Chiefs players
Barcelona Dragons (NFL Europe) players
Chicago Bears players
New England Patriots players
Miami Dolphins players
21st-century African-American people
20th-century African-American sportspeople

Keith Traylor


Bambuser AB (publ) is a Swedish Company founded in 2007. Bambuser provides a video commerce platform for brands looking to provide engaging and personalized shopping experiences. Bambusee is a global brand headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. In May 2017, Bambuser was listed on Nasdaq First North stock exchange.

History
Bambuser started out as an online community that was an interactive mobile video streaming platform which enabled users to effortlessly stream and share live video using a smartphone or a computer equipped with a webcam. In addition to being accessible on the Bambuser website, broadcasts were also able to be shared on various social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Blogger. The Bambuser community was a free-to-use service for private individuals and representatives of charities.

Bambuser Community in the Media
In 2010, Finnish broadcasting channel YLE adopted Bambuser as an alternative platform for their online and news broadcasts. This allowed YLE to get more live-coverage on their webpage, and allowed the viewers to interact with the reporters on the scene.

In November 2010, Bambuser was one of the finalists in The Europas, the European Startup Awards. 33,126 votes were cast across 23 categories, and eight judges deliberated over the results.

On January 1, 2011, the Swedish Pirate party celebrated its five-year anniversary with a Bambuser live broadcast with party leader Rick Falkvinge and vice party leader Anna Troberg. Live in the video, Falkvinge sent a tweet saying he stepped down as party leader, and he announced that his successor would be Troberg.

Bambuser Community use in the Middle East

During the demonstrations in Egypt, Bambuser (along with microblogging site Twitter) was blocked by the government. Shortly thereafter most of the country's internet traffic was restricted. During this blackout, Bambuser set up a special Egypt page on their website, collecting all the streams originating from Egypt and the protests on Tahrir Square. This page later evolved into the North Africa/Middle East page.

During the protests in Bahrain, a similar situation emerged, as government officials blocked access to the Bambuser homepage. In the Syrian civil war, Bambuser was used to a great extent by citizen journalists in an effort to document and raise awareness of the events taking place inside the country.  On 17 February 2012, Syria was reported to have blocked access to the Bambuser website.

During the Gezi protests in Turkey, citizens started broadcasting the police violence and oppression of the AKP regime with the Bambuser app. As a response, the Prime Ministry banned Bambuser in Turkey illegally, without a court decision. The ban was still ongoing as 4 April 2014.

Associated Press
The Associated Press are stakeholders in Bambuser, and are active users. Thousands of AP reporters worldwide are equipped with the Bambuser app for capturing and broadcasting live video and photo content. AP entered into a partnership deal connected to the Bambuser Community in April 2012. Since then, users of the Bambuser service have had the option to share their broadcasts with the AP. The partnership enables AP to use Bambuser as a source for user-generated content coming from citizen journalists. In addition to sharing the actual content, users were required to disclose some form of contact information which enables AP to verify the authenticity of the broadcast material and properly credit the author.

On June 20, 2013 the partnership between the two companies was extended when the AP announced their purchase of a minority stake in Bambuser.

References

Streaming software
Companies based in Stockholm
Swedish companies established in 2007

Bambuser


Roderick M. Bryden (born March 13, 1941) is a prominent Ottawa business executive. He is best known as the former owner of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League from 1992 until 2003.

Biography
Bryden was born in Port Elgin, New Brunswick. He obtained a B.A. Hon. Ec., from Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick; an LLB, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton; and an LLM, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

He taught law at the University of Saskatchewan as assistant law professor, from 1966 to 1969 before moving to Ontario, where he held a succession of positions in the Canadian federal government.

In 1974, Bryden founded Systemhouse Ltd., a computer integration firm where he served as president or chairman until 1991. In 1979, he founded Paperboard Industries Corporation (PIC) by purchasing Trent Valley Paperboard Mills. He served as chairman of PIC until 1991. Both companies were enjoying annual revenues of over $700 million when he stepped down that year.

In 1992, Bryden became CEO of Terrace Corporation, the principal owner of the new Ottawa Senators NHL franchise. In 1993, he became the franchise's Chairman and Governor. In 1994, construction on the Palladium arena (later the Corel Centre and Scotiabank Place, Now the Canadian Tire Centre) was begun by the Palladium Corporation, of which Bryden was the owner and chairman. The arena opened in 1996.

In 1996, Bryden formed the WorldHeart Corporation in coalition with the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Dr. Tofy Mussivand and  Dr. Michael Cowpland. Bryden served as president and CEO of the company before resigning in 2004.

Late in 2004, Bryden avoided personal bankruptcy, brought on by $100 million of debt personally owed to creditors and investors of the Ottawa Senators franchise. Bryden agreed to pay creditors a total of $600,000 on the debt, which was induced by high player salaries and an unfavourable exchange rate against the US dollar.

In 2005, Bryden was appointed as the new chairman of cancer drug developer PharmaGap, Inc.

Until 2014, he was President and CEO of Plasco Energy Group, an Ottawa firm developing energy production using plasma gasification, from household waste.  A year later, Plasco filed for protection under CCAA.  Seven months later, Mr. Bryden purchased the company from its secured lenders and led its rebuilding.

He also is the chairman of the board of SC Stormont Inc., and Chairman of the board of PharmaGap Inc. Bryden is also on the Board of Directors of Clearford Industries and Gallium Software Inc.

Awards
 2012 - Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame

References

External links
  University of Saskatchewan alumni profile

1941 births
Living people
Canadian chief executives
Mount Allison University alumni
National Hockey League executives
National Hockey League owners
Ottawa Senators executives
People from Westmorland County, New Brunswick
University of Michigan Law School alumni
University of New Brunswick alumni
Academic staff of the University of Saskatchewan

Rod Bryden


The First National Bank was located in the Kabutocho area, the business centre of Tokyo. Kabuto-cho was crowded with the core institutions of Japan's modern economy, including banks, the commodity exchange, and the stock exchange.

History
The First National Bank building was initially constructed in 1872 as the main bank of the Mitsui group. In the following year, it became the headquarters of the First National Bank (Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank), which was founded by Shibusawa Eiichi (1840-1931) and other businessmen. The building featured a traditional Edo-style structure, but its exterior was in a pseudo-western style. Shimizu Kisuke II, who designed and constructed the building, had practiced western-style architecture in the foreign concession in Yokohama and was Japan's leading house builder. He also worked on structures such as the "Tsukiji Hotel" and the "Mitsui House" at Suruga-cho.

During the Meiji period, western architectural style and designs by foreign architects were adopted for many government facilities. Pseudo western-style buildings, mixing western and Japanese styles, were often constructed for the private sector.

Buildings of the Meiji period
Buildings and structures in Chūō, Tokyo
Commercial buildings completed in 1872
1872 establishments in Japan

First National Bank Building (Tokyo)


Hélène Boschi ( ; 11 August 19179 July 1990) was a Franco-Swiss pianist, born in Lausanne. She studied with Yvonne Lefébure and Alfred Cortot at the Ecole normale de musique in Paris. Throughout her life she led a dual career as a teacher and as a performer.

She played the music of the 20th Century, Bartok, Dukas, Maurice Emmanuel, Janáček or Martinu. Luigi Dallapiccola dedicated his Quaderno Musicale di Annalibera (created in 1952), Fernando Lopes-Graça his 3rd Sonata (created in 1954) and Claude Ballif his 4th Sonata (created in 1963). She also gave the first performance of Karel Husa's Piano Concertino in Brussels (1954) which was dedicated to her. In 1955 Hélène Boschi premiered Jean-Louis Martinet's Prelude for Piano and Orchestra and in 1964 Louis Durey's Six pièces de l'automne 53 for piano.

Hélène Boschi performed Johann Sebastian Bach, François Couperin, Gabriel Fauré, Franck, Joseph Haydn, W-A Mozart, Robert Schumann. Rameau, K-M von Weber. Among her chamber music partners were Armand Angster, Gerard Caussé, Michel Debost, Irène Joachim, Annie Jodry, Jean-Jacques Kantorow, Étienne Péclard, Peter Rybar, Milos Sadlo. Hélène Boschi also formed with pianist Germaine Mounier, a piano duet with a vast repertoire, recording works by Mozart, Clementi, Debussy and Busoni.

From 1955 to 1965, as Soloist of the Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (RTF) she performed many broadcast concerts. She played also with major orchestras in Europe (Czech Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Berlin, Orchestre national de France, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, etc.) and renowned conductors as Georges Enesco, Kiryl Kondrashin, Jean Martinon, Kurt Masur, Vaclav Neumann, Manuel Rosenthal, Kurt Sanderling, Karel Sejna, etc.

From 1960 to 1965, Hélène Boschi taught at the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris. She led thereafter for twenty years (1965–1985) one of the top classes in piano at the Conservatory of Strasbourg. She also gave during 15 years masterclasses in Weimar. Among her students were Piotr Anderszewski, Dana Borsan, Claire Chevallier, Allain Gaussin, Alain Jomy, Thierry Mechler, Jean-Marie Sénia, Emmanuel Strosser and François Verry.

In 1975, Hélène Boschi received the Robert Schumann Prize for her interpretations of the composer born in the town of Zwickau.

Discography
Boschi recorded throughout her career for several record companies: Le Chant du Monde, Supraphon, VEB Eterna. She was the first pianist to record the Sonatas of Padre Antonio Soler (1952, Grand Prix du disque) and the complete works for piano and chamber music of Clara Schumann (with Annie Jodry and Roland Pidoux).

See also
List of classical piano duos (performers)

External links
 Hélène Boschi – Notre Histoire
 Gramophone – The world's best classical music reviews: "Helene Boschi plays with unmistakable love and care."
 MusicWeb International, "Forgotten Artists: Hélène Boschi" by Christopher Howell

Notes & References

20th-century French women classical pianists
Swiss classical pianists
1917 births
1990 deaths
Piano pedagogues
Swiss women pianists
Classical piano duos
Academic staff of the École Normale de Musique de Paris
École Normale de Musique de Paris alumni
Musicians from Lausanne
Musicians from Strasbourg
Swiss emigrants to France

Hélène Boschi


An Emergency Operations Center (EOC) also known as the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is a central command and control facility which is responsible for carrying out the principles of emergency response, emergency preparedness, emergency management, and disaster management functions at a strategic level during an emergency, and ensuring the continuation of operation of a municipality, company, or other organization. Sometimes, the EOC may also be responsible for emergency dispatching.

An EOC is responsible for strategic direction and operational decisions and does not normally directly control field assets, instead leaving tactical decisions to lower commands. The common functions of EOCs is to collect, gather and analyze data; make decisions that protect life and property, maintain continuity of the organization, within the scope of applicable laws; and disseminate those decisions to all concerned agencies and individuals.

When an EOC is operated in a vehicle such as a truck or trailer, or is otherwise capable of moving quickly (or being operated while moving), it is usually called a mobile command center (MCC) or mobile command unit (MCU).

Location
EOCs, originally created as part of United States civil defense, can be found in many nations, at all government levels, as well as in larger corporations that deal with large equipment or numbers of employees. In corporations and smaller jurisdictions, the EOC may be co-located in the same room as an emergency communications center.

Organization
The first most critical component of an EOC is the individuals who staff it.  They must be properly trained, and have the proper authority to carry out actions that are necessary to respond to the disaster.  They also must be capable of thinking outside the box, and creating a lot of "what if" scenarios. The local EOC's function during an emergency is to support the incident commander.

The second most critical component of an EOC is its communications system.  This can be from simple word of mouth, to sophisticated encrypted communications networks, but it must provide for a redundant path to ensure that both situational awareness information and strategic orders can pass into and out of the facility without interruption.  For continuity of operations considerations, backbone components of the communications system are not normally located at the EOC. A number of EOC facilities are incorporating radio over IP technology to provide a coherent assembly of various radios, interoperability with various radio technologies, and integration with telephone systems.

See also
Emergency management
Tactical operations center

References

External links
CDC Emergency Operations Center

Emergency services
Disaster preparedness
Continuity of government

Emergency operations center


SWOG (formerly the Southwest Oncology Group) is a National Cancer Institute (NCI) supported organization that conducts clinical trials in adult cancers.

Comprising more than 4,000 cancer researchers at more than 650 institutions across the United States and Canada, it is one of the largest of the NCI's clinical trial cooperative groups.  Member institutions include 24 of the NCI-designated cancer centers, many university medical centers, private institutions, and Community Clinical Oncology Programs.

SWOG is headquartered at the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, with an operations office in San Antonio, Texas and a statistical center in Seattle, Washington.

SWOG was created by the NCI in 1956 as the Southwest Cancer Chemotherapy Study Group (SWCCSG) and was headquartered in Houston, Texas.  Its primary purpose was to study leukemia, a cancer of the blood which primarily affects children. Then in 1958, the NCI directed the SWCCSG to include the study of adult cancers, and separate administrative divisions were created for pediatric and adult cancers.  The group's name was eventually changed to Southwest Oncology Group to reflect its new mission.  Although in its early decades most SWOG member institutions were located in the Southwestern United States, the group spread to include members all over the United States and Canada.  In 2010, in recognition of this national scope, the group dropped the regional qualifier from its name and adopted the acronym, SWOG, as its official name.

Quality Assurance
SWOG has all of its protocol-driven cases reviewed at the Quality Assurance Review Center (QARC). As mandated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), every radiotherapy (RT) department participating in a SWOG study submits their data to QARC for review. QARC is located in Lincoln, Rhode Island and reviews thousands of RT cases per year. The center was founded in 1977 as a not-for-profit health care organization designed to provide quality assurance for CALGB studies. Radiotherapy data from around one-thousand hospitals in both the United States and abroad is reviewed and archived at QARC.

Another center for quality assurance is the Radiological Physics Center (RPC) in Houston, Texas. The primary responsibility of the RPC is to assure the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and its cooperative groups like SWOG that all participating institutions are following the basic guidelines regarding the physics-related aspects of radiotherapy. Established in 1968, the RPC has consistently received funding from the NCI in order to perform the aforementioned mission.

External links
 SWOG website
 National Cancer Institute
 National Institutes of Health
 NCI Clinical Trials Cooperative Groups program
 Quality Assurance Review Center
 Radiological Physics Center

Cancer organizations based in the United States
Medical research institutes in the United States
Clinical trial organizations
Medical and health organizations based in Oregon
Children's Oncology Group
Research institutes in Oregon

SWOG


The Squid and the Whale is a 2005 American independent comedy-drama film written and directed by Noah Baumbach and produced by Wes Anderson. It tells the semi-autobiographical story of two boys in Brooklyn dealing with their parents' divorce in 1986. The film is named after the giant squid and sperm whale diorama housed at the American Museum of Natural History, which is seen in the film. The film was shot on Super 16 mm, mostly using a handheld camera.

At the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, the film won awards for best dramatic direction and screenwriting, and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize. Baumbach later received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. The film received six Independent Spirit Award nominations and three Golden Globe nominations. Baumbach became one of the few screenwriters to ever sweep "The Big Four" critics awards (Los Angeles Film Critics' Association, National Board of Review, National Society of Film Critics, and New York Film Critics' Circle).

Plot
It is 1986. Bernard Berkman is an arrogant, once-promising novelist whose career has gone into a slow decline; he cannot find an agent. His unfaithful wife, Joan, has recently begun publishing her own work to widespread acclaim, which only increases the growing tension between them.

One day, Bernard and Joan tell their two sons, 16-year-old Walt and 12-year-old Frank, that they are separating, with Bernard renting a house on the other side of Prospect Park from their home in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The parents agree to joint custody, and to spending equal time with their children, but, after separation, the parental relationship becomes more combative than before.

Joan begins dating Ivan, Frank's tennis instructor, and Bernard starts sharing his new house with Lili, one of his students. The two boys begin taking sides in the battle between their parents, with Frank siding with their mother and Walt with their father. Walt idolizes their father and tries to emulate him: he blames their mother.

Along with the trouble both boys exhibit verbally with their parents, they also show internal struggles and very different ways of handling the stress of their parents' divorce. Frank repeatedly masturbates at school; he begins to drink beer and imitates Ivan's mannerisms. Over-influenced by his father, Walt spoils his relationship with Sophie, his girlfriend, and she breaks up with him. He performs and claims to have written "Hey You" by Pink Floyd at his school's talent show. After he wins first place and receives praise from his family and friends, his school realizes that he did not write the song. At this point, the school calls Bernard and Joan in to discuss Walt. They all agree that he should see a therapist.

At the meeting with the therapist, Walt starts to see things without the taint of his father's opinions. The therapist asks Walt for a happy memory. After some reluctance, he tells how his mother would take him, when he was very young, to see the giant squid and whale exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History; the exhibit scared him, so he would look at it through his fingers. Then, at home, they would discuss what they saw. As they talked, the exhibit would become less scary. It becomes clear to Walt that his father was never really present, and that his mother was the one who cared for him.

After a heated argument between Bernard and Joan over custody and whether Joan would take him back, Bernard collapses on the street outside their home and is taken to the hospital. Bernard asks Walt to stay by his side, but Walt instead runs to the Natural History Museum. The film ends with him standing in front of the exhibit, now able to look at it.

Cast
 Jeff Daniels as Bernard Berkman; a selfish and arrogant writer.
 Laura Linney as Joan Berkman; a writer and unfaithful former wife.
 Jesse Eisenberg as Walt Berkman
 Owen Kline as Frank Berkman
 Anna Paquin as Lili
 William Baldwin as Ivan
 Halley Feiffer as Sophie Greenberg
 Ken Leung as School Therapist
 David Benger as Carl
 Adam Rose as Otto
 Peter Newman as Mr. Greenberg
 Peggy Gormley as Mrs. Greenberg
 Greta Kline as Greta Greenberg
 Maryann Plunkett as Ms. Lemon
 Alexandra Daddario as Pretty Girl

Production
Bill Murray, a frequent collaborator to producer Wes Anderson, was considered for the role of Bernard Berkman. John Turturro was also considered for the role.

Noah Baumbach looked to documentaries, French New Wave films, and John Cassavetes and early Martin Scorsese films when envisioning the style of the film. He shot the film in Super 16 rather than digital video "to give the film an authentic 1980's feel", commenting "Super 16 also feels lived-in, instantly looks like an older film. I wanted to handhold the movie, but steadily, so you detect only a hint of movement. It added to the immediacy of the whole thing."

The screenplay was intentionally pared down. Baumbach explained, "I really wanted this [film] to be an experience that people live through. Which is how people talk about action films. In some ways, maybe the cinematic equivalent of that would be not to give people moments of reflection. So that you're taken through each scene, and then you're right into another. A lot of scenes start on the dialogue, and the dialogue prelapses the next scene — So you never have time. There's no sun rises over Brooklyn shot, no establishing shot." Baumbach has said the film is semi-autobiographical.

Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 92% approval rating, based on 154 reviews, with an average rating of 7.90/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "This is a piercingly honest, acidly witty look at divorce and its impact on a family." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 82 out of 100, based on 37 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".

On an episode of Ebert & Roeper, both critics praised the film and gave it a "two thumbs up" rating. Premiere critic Glenn Kenny praised the film, writing, "It's a rare film that can be convincingly tender, bitterly funny, and ruthlessly cutting over the course of fewer than 90 minutes. The Squid and the Whale not only manages this, it also contains moments that sock you with all three qualities at the same time." Time critic Richard Corliss wrote, "The Squid and the Whale is domestic tragedy recollected as comedy: a film whose catalog of deceits and embarrassments, and of love pratfalling over itself, makes it as (excruciatingly) painful as it is (exhilaratingly) funny."

The English Indie folk band Noah and the Whale takes its name from a combination of the director's name (Noah Baumbach) and the film's title.

Accolades

Home media
The film was released on DVD on March 21, 2006 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The DVD includes a 45-minute commentary with director Noah Baumbach, another 40-minute commentary with Baumbach and Phillip Lopate, cast interviews, and trailers. In 2013 Mill Creek Entertainment released the film for the first time on Blu-ray in a 2 pack set with Running with Scissors. All extras were dropped for the Blu-ray release.

The Criterion Collection re-released the film on DVD and Blu-ray on November 22, 2016 which included new interviews with Baumbach and actors Jeff Daniels, Jesse Eisenberg, Owen Kline and Laura Linney; a new conversation about the score and other music in the film between Baumbach and composers Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips; a 2005 documentary titled Behind The Squid and the Whale; audition footage; and the original trailers.

Music
The soundtrack features two songs by Loudon Wainwright III and one by Kate & Anna McGarrigle. It reuses Tangerine Dream's "Love on a Real Train", from Risky Business, for the scenes of Frank's sexual awakenings. Other contemporary popular music is played in the background of scenes, such as The Cars' "Drive" and Bryan Adams' "Run to You". "Figure Eight", from Schoolhouse Rock, is used as both an instrumental and a vocal. Pink Floyd's "Hey You" is heard several times in the movie, since it plays a role in the plot and is cited by Walt as capturing his emotional state. Both the original version, and diegetic performances by Jesse Eisenberg and Owen Kline, are used. Baumbach originally wanted to use The Who's "Behind Blue Eyes" instead but he could not secure the rights.

 Soundtrack

 "Park Slope" – Britta Phillips & Dean Wareham
 "Courting Blues" – Bert Jansch
 "Holland Tunnel" – John Phillips
 "Lullaby" – Loudon Wainwright III
 "Heart Like a Wheel" – Kate & Anna McGarrigle
 "The Bright New Year" – Bert Jansch
 "Drive" – The Cars
 "Let's Go" – The Feelies
 "Figure Eight" – Blossom Dearie
 "Come Sing Me a Happy Song to Prove We All Can Get Along the Lumpy, Bumpy, Long & Dusty Road" – Bert Jansch
 "Hey You " – Pink Floyd (Performed by Dean Wareham)
 "Family Conference" – Britta Phillips & Dean Wareham
 "Street Hassle" – Lou Reed
 "The Swimming Song" – Loudon Wainwright III
 "Love on a Real Train" – Tangerine Dream

References

External links

 The Squid and the Whale: 4 Way Street an essay by Kent Jones at the Criterion Collection

2005 films
2000s coming-of-age comedy-drama films
American coming-of-age comedy-drama films
Films about writers
Films about dysfunctional families
Films directed by Noah Baumbach
Films set in 1986
Films set in the 1980s
Films set in Brooklyn
Films about educators
Films produced by Wes Anderson
Sundance Film Festival award-winning films
2005 independent films
Films about divorce
Films about brothers
Films about mother–son relationships
Films about father–son relationships
Films shot in 16 mm film
2000s English-language films
2000s American films

The Squid and the Whale


Video synopsis is a method for automatically synthesizing a short, informative summary of a video. Unlike traditional video summarization, the synopsis is not just composed of frames from the original video. The algorithm detects, tracks and analyzes moving objects (also called events) in a database of objects and activities. The final output is a new, short video clip in which objects and activities that originally occurred at different times are displayed simultaneously, so as to convey information in the shortest possible time. Video synopsis has specific applications in the field of video analytics and video surveillance where, despite technological advancements and increased growth in the deployment of CCTV (closed circuit television) cameras, viewing and analysis of recorded footage is still a costly labor-intensive and time-intensive task.

Technology overview
Video synopsis combines a visual summary of stored video together with an indexing mechanism.

When a summary is required, all objects from the target period are collected and shifted in time to create a much shorter synopsis video showing maximum activity. A synopsis video clip is generated, in real time, in which objects and activities that originally occurred in different times are displayed simultaneously.

The process begins by detecting and tracking objects of interest. Each object is represented as a tube in space-time of all video frames. Objects are detected and stored in a database in approximately real time.

Following a request to summarize a time period, all objects from the desired time are extracted from the database, and indexed to create a much shorter summary video containing maximum activity.

Real time rendering is used to generate the summary video after object re-timing. This allows end-user control over object/event density.

Video synopsis technology was invented by Prof. Shmuel Peleg of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, and is being developed under commercial license by BriefCam, Ltd.
BriefCam received a license to use the technology from Yissum which is the owner of the patents registered for the technology. In May 2018, BriefCam was acquired by Japanese digital imaging giant, Canon Inc., for an estimated $90 million. Investors in the company include Motorola Solutions Venture Capital, Aviv Venture Capital, and OurCrowd.

Recent advances
Recent advances in the field of video synopsis have resulted in methods that focus in collecting key-points(or frames) from the long uncut video and presenting them as a chain of key events that summarize the video. This is only one of the many methods employed in modern literature to perform this task. Recently, these event-driven methods have focused on correlating objects in frames, but in a more semantically related way that has been called a story-driven method of summarizing video. These methods have been shown to work well for egocentric
settings where the video is basically a point-of-view perspective of a single person or a group of people.

Classification
Video synopsis techniques have a number of standardized properties in common, which can be quantified as follows: (a) the video synopsis should contain the maximum activity with the least redundancy; (b) the chronological order and spatial consistency of objects in space and time must be preserved; (c) in the resultant synopsis video, there must be minimal collision; and (d) the synopsis video must be smooth and able to permit viewing without losing the region of interest.

Keyframe-Based Synopsis
Object-Based Synopsis
Action-Based Synopsis
Collision Graph-Based Synopsis
Abnormal Content-Based Synopsis

See also
ActionShot
Video content analysis

References

Patents
 US Patent 8,311,277 - Method and System for Video Indexing and Video Synopsis. Also Australian Patent AU2007345938. Filed in 9 additional countries
 US Patent 8,102,406 - Method and System for Producing a Video Synopsis. Also European Patent EP1955205 and Japanese Patent JP4972095. Filed in 7 additional countries
 US Patent 7,852,370 - Method and System for Spatio-Temporal Video Warping. Also Israeli Patent IL182006. Filed in Europe: PCT/IL2005/001150
 The owner of the patents are Yissum which gave a License to BriefCam to use the technology.

External links
 Video Synopsis and Indexing project Further information, published papers and video clips from the School of Computer Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
 BriefCam company website Includes demonstration video on using video synopsis technology.
Yissum's Website
 Video Synopsis paper in Hebrew  - 2008
  Demo video for paper: Story-Driven Summarization for Egocentric Video - Zheng Lu and Kristen Grauman - CVPR 2013

Image processing
Israeli inventions
Video surveillance

Video synopsis


Żarnów  is a historical village in Opoczno County, Łódź Voivodeship, in central Poland. It is the seat of the administrative district called Gmina Żarnów. It lies approximately  south-west of Opoczno and  south-east of the regional capital Łódź. Between 1415 and 1876 the village had a status of a town.

The village belongs to historic province of Lesser Poland. Its name most probably comes from the phrase miejsce żarne - burned-out area, and refers to burning of forests in ancient times, to make fields. Żarnów has a long history, in the early years of Polish state it was a major urban center of the country. The first written mention of the village dates from 1065. It was the site of a major battle during the Swedish invasion of Poland in 1655.

History
Żarnów was founded before 1065, as the first written mention of the village comes from that year, and it had already existed. It was home to one of the oldest Polish castellanies, with a church founded in 1111 by prince Bolesław III Wrymouth as a votum for his victories in a war with Pomeranian tribes. In 1136, a papal bull of Innocent II mentioned Sarnov as one of major grods of Central Poland, together with other administrative centers of the area - Skrzynno and Małogoszcz (the three towns made the so-called Pilica castellanies). In 1191 Żarnów's parish church (most likely founded by Prince Casimir II the Just) was mentioned among seven major churches of the Sandomierz collegiate church. In the 12th century Żarnów was an important urban center of northern Lesser Poland, with its own gord and church. In 1415 Żarnów received a town charter, and despite losing its importance to the nearby town of Opoczno, the title of Castellan of Żarnów remained in use until the Partitions of Poland.

In 1795 Żarnów was annexed by the Austrian Empire. In 1815, it became part of Russian-controlled Congress Poland. Like many other towns of northern Lesser Poland, Żarnów lost its town privileges in 1876. The Russians reduced it to the status of a village for residents' participation in the January Uprising.

Points of interest
 St. Nicholas parish church (12th century). Its western wall, with a Romanesque structure, has preserved the original shape. Also, Romanesque are the church round tower and the matroneum. In the Middle Ages, Żarnów's church was located by a busy merchant road from Sandomierz to Greater Poland. The town itself was at that time located to the south and west of the church. In 1510, a Gothic presbytery was added,
 remains of the 11th century Slavic gord, located in central part of the village. Żarnów at that time was a fortified settlement, with the castle of the castellan, and a moat surrounding the gord. Currently, the locals call the gord the Swedish Mountain, as here King John II Casimir observed the September 16, 1655 battle between the Poles and the Swedes. On the top of the Swedish Mountain there is a monument with a Polish eagle, erected on May 3, 1923.
 central part of the ancient town of Żarnów. The village originally was a defensive gord, located on a hill, with round shape and a diameter of some 50 meters. Most probably, it was the capital of early Western Slavic princes, out of whom the noble family of Odrowaz (see Odrowąż coat of arms) emerged.
 wooden bell-tower (early 19th century). Its bells were famous for the sound. The oldest bell was made in 1533, and together with other bells, was stolen by the German occupiers during World War II.

References

External links
 Żarnów website

Villages in Opoczno County
Sandomierz Voivodeship
Radom Governorate
Kielce Voivodeship (1919–1939)
Łódź Voivodeship (1919–1939)

Żarnów


Halberstadt station is a station on the Magdeburg–Thale railway in Halberstadt in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. A terminal station was opened in the town in 1843. A new through station was opened in another part of the town in 1868. The first service from Halberstadt ran to Magdeburg. Two more lines were added during the next few decades. In the Second World War, the station suffered heavy damage. Extensive modernisation work took place between 2008 and 2010. The entrance building and the locomotive depot are listed buildings.

Location
The through station, which has existed since 1868, is located in the northeast of the town. It is located on the streets of Hinter dem Personenbahnhof ("behind the passenger station") and Bahnhofstraße ("station street"). The line to Magdeburg branches off about 500 metres to the west, while the line to Thale run directly to the east. The line to Vienenburg runs to the west. A line branches off to the south via Langenstein to Blankenburg.

History
Halberstadt station was opened by the Magdeburg–Halberstadt Railway Company (Magdeburg-Halberstädter Eisenbahngesellschaft) on 21 March 1842. The original station was located on Schützenstraße and had eight tracks. The first freight train ran to the station on 1 July 1843 at about 10 am. It was finally opened for passenger traffic on 15 August. It was designed as a terminal station. Two train pairs ran daily in the first years. Freight operations between Magdeburg, Oschersleben and Halberstadt commenced on 2 January 1844. The section to Thale was built from 1860 and the first train ran on it on 2 June 1864. The regional administration in Magdeburg granted a concession to the Magdeburg–Halberstadt Railway Company to extend the line on 26 November 1860. It started building the extension from Halberstadt via Quedlinburg to Thale on 18 April 1861. The locomotive "Falkenstein" hauled the first train from Halberstadt to Thale on 2 June 1864. A concession was granted for a line via Aschersleben towards Bernburg on 13 April 1864. The line was opened on 10 October 1866. There were now plans to build a through station outside the town. Many Halberstadt citizens did not welcome this idea, but the railway company was able to carry it out.

The station went into operation at its present location as a through station on 1 August 1868 and the line to Vienenburg was opened on 1 March 1869. The old station facilities were used as a freight yard from then on. The first station building was not preserved. After the Prussian state railways took over the Magdeburg–Halberstadt Railway Company, the marshalling yard was extended to 14 tracks. Similarly, a new signal box was built to handle the increasing traffic as a result of line extensions to Halle (Saale) and between Wernigerode and Bad Harzburg. Further extensions occurred between 1904 and 1908, when two new humps, a water tower and the Wehrstedt bridge were built.

Halberstadt became more and more an important railway junction and was at its height in the 1920s. The station precincts extended for 4.8 km in 1939. It had two depots for locomotives, a repair shop, an express freight office and several sidings connecting to local companies.

Halberstadt was bombed by American troops during the Second World War on 7 and 8 April 1945. The commander of a special train operated by the Wehrmacht that was standing in the station forced its locomotive crew to depart from the station, contrary to the general instructions, which indicated that an ammunition train standing at the siding could not be hauled onto the open field of tracks during an air raid. When one of the ammunition train's anti-aircraft guns opened fire, the station was hit by US Air Force fighter-bombers. After the gasometer exploded, the ammunition train was also hit, destroying the station, the offices and adjoining residential and industrial buildings. The resulting crater made the station unusable until the end of the war. During a second raid on 8 April, the western station area, including the repair shop, and the eastern exit was severely hit. A total of 45 locomotives and hundreds of passenger carriages and freight wagons were destroyed and 80% of the track infrastructure was no longer usable. After the beginning of the reconstruction of the railway tracks, the first train ran west again on 19 May 1945. Eastbound operations resumed on 16 June. Until signal boxes Hr1 and HR2 had been restored in 1952, the points had to be set manually using hand switches or keys. Halberstadt came under Soviet administration on 1 July 1945. Trains from Halberstadt ran to the west only to Wernigerode and Stapelburg as the connection over the inner-German border to Vienenburg had been dismantled. Trains from Halberstadt ran to the west only as far as Wernigerode and Stapelburg as the connection over the inner-German border to Vienenburg had been dismantled. Various facilities were repaired up to 1952. Signal box Hr1 operated until 1974.

After the war, only a few essential repairs were made. The increasing freight volume (up to 18,000 tonnes) in the 1950s and 1960s forced a new expansion of facilities. In the area of the old terminal station a new general freight facility was built and a goods shed what added in the Schützenstraße area in 1974. From 1968 to 1970, the entrance building received a curtain wall made of corrugated iron on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the GDR. Wall tiles were installed in the station building. Due to the corrugated iron wall, the station was often called the Sardinendose (sardine can) in Halberstadt. Parts of this screen could still be seen in 2006.

There were already plans in 2005 for a refurbishment of the entrance building, which would preserve elements of the old building. Rehabilitation and monument protection were mainly funded by private investors. The state of Saxony-Anhalt contributed €10.2 million for the construction project. The first work began in August 2008. The building was acquired in 2008 by NOSA GmbH, a holding company owned by the town of Halberstadt. The station forecourt was redesigned, the bus station was relocated and the tram stop was rebuilt. The sheet metal facade was removed and the buildings were almost completely gutted. The entrance building was completed in August 2010 and the formal opening took place on 15 August. The cost of the actual conversion was around €8.2 million. Several shops are located there.

On 29 August 2011, the station was awarded the title of station of the year in the small town station category. Since 2014, the station has been designated as a Kulturbahnhof (cultural station).

About 3,350 passengers per day were counted at the station in 2011.

Infrastructure

Platforms and tracks

Halberstadt station had two platforms in 1950. The second platform was an island platform, which was 312 metres long. The first platform, lying directly next to the entrance building, was much longer than the second one. There was still a third transit track between the two platforms.
There were also two platforms in 1981. The station had 157 sets of points and three humps for marshalling.
The station now has a total of five platform tracks. They are numbered from 1 to 5. Platform 1 is 320 metres long. The other platforms have a length of 120 metres.

Locomotive depot
The locomotive depot existed in Halberstadt until 2003. Very large stocks of DR class 50.35 locomotives were based there. It was one of the last steam locomotive depots of Deutsche Reichsbahn.

Rail services

Regional services

Only Abellio Rail Mitteldeutschland trains stop in Halberstadt. Only Alstom Coradia LINT diesel multiple units (class 1648) have been used since 9 December 2018. Previously class 612, 640 and Siemens Desiro Classic (class 642) DMUs were used. For many years, there has been a direct connection to Potsdam and Berlin on the weekend.

In the timetable for 2019, Halberstadt station was served by the following services:

Local services

Two tram lines, two bus routes and a night bus route, which runs to the main districts from 20:00 to about 22:30, are operated by Halberstädter Verkehrs-GmbH (the municipal transport company), stopping in the station forecourt. In addition, southeast of the station is the bus station, from which nine regional bus lines and four demand-responsive services are operated by Harzer Verkehrsbetriebe, the transport company of the Harz district. Bus route 203 of the state of Saxony-Anhalt runs hourly to Osterwieck via Dardesheim and continues every two hours to Vienenburg. This service was established after the cancellation of the trains on the Heudeber-Danstedt–Osterwieck line.

Private transport

The station provides 157 car parking spaces and 20 bicycle parking spaces. A charging station has been installed for electric cars.

References

External links

Railway stations in Saxony-Anhalt
Railway stations in Germany opened in 1868
Buildings and structures in Harz (district)

Halberstadt station


Waste oil is defined as any petroleum-based or synthetic oil that, through contamination, has become unsuitable for its original purpose due to the presence of impurities or loss of original properties.

Differentiating between "waste oil" and "used oil"
The U.S. EPA defines the term "used oil" as any petroleum or synthetic oil that has been used, and as a result of such use is contaminated by physical or chemical properties. "Used oil" is a precise regulatory term.  "Waste oil" is a more  generic term for oil that has been contaminated with substances that may or may not be hazardous.  Any oil contaminated with hazardous waste may itself be a hazardous waste, and if so, must be managed subject to hazardous waste management standards. Both used oil and waste oil require proper recycling or disposal to avoid creating an environmental problem.

Products used as waste oil
Some examples of types of products that after use, can be labeled as used oil are: hydraulic oil, transmission oil, brake fluids, motor oil, crankcase oil, gear box oil, synthetic oil, and grades 1, 2, 3 and 4 fuel oil.

Disposal of waste oil
Waste oil can be disposed of in different ways, including sending the used oil off-site (some facilities are permitted to handle the used oil such as your local garages and local waste disposal facilities), burning used oil as a fuel (some used oil is not regulated by burner standards, but others that are off-specification used oil can only be burned in either industrial furnaces, certain boilers, and permitted hazardous waste incinerators), and marketing the used oil (claims are made that the used oil is to be burned for energy recovery, and then it is shipped to a used oil burner who burns the used oil in an approved industrial furnace or boiler).
Oils that are off-specification typically contain: Arsenic 5 ppm, Cadmium 2 ppm, Chromium 10 ppm, Lead 100 ppm, Flash point 100°F, minimum (i.e., FP must be greater than 100°F), Total Halogens >4,000 ppm

Storage and handling of waste oil
For on-site burning of used oil, the oil must be stored in tanks or containers, above or underground. The containers must be in good condition with no leaks, the tanks/containers must be labeled with the words "used oil", and there must be a spill prevention plan (or a control and countermeasures plan).

Used Oil Management
In 1984 the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) implemented a used oil management program under Sections 403.75 through 403.769, Florida Statutes. Florida's Used Oil Recycling Program has grown to become one of the most successful in the United States and has received national recognition.

Waste oil furnaces and boilers
Waste oil furnace is a type of furnace used for heating purposes and is fueled by used oil that is free of hazardous contaminants, as described by the EPA. Waste-oil-fueled boilers can be used for various industrial purposes as well as heating.

See also
 Vegetable oil used as fuel
 Dangerous goods
 Oil depletion
 Motor oil
 Hydraulic oil

References

External links
 The Regulation of Used Oil: Used Oil Burners. 2005. State of Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
 Used Oil. 2006. Environmental Virtual Campus.
 Used Oil and Used Oil Filter Management. 2000. Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality.
 Used Oil Regulations. 2003. Government of Nova Scotia.
 DMOZ Open Directory Project - Heat Generating Equipment
 NORA, An Association of Responsible Recyclers, formerly the National Oil Recyclers Association
 {http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/used_oil/}

Oils
Waste
Tribology
Environmental impact of the petroleum industry

Waste oil