Beauty and the Beast is a 2017 American musical romantic fantasy film directed by Bill Condon and produced by David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman, from the screenplay by Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Mandeville Films, this film is a live-action/CGI remake of Disney's 1991 animated feature film of the same name, itself an adaptation of Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont's 1756 version of the fairy tale. Starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens as the eponymous Belle and the Beast, this film features the supporting ensemble and choir cast including Luke Evans, Kevin Kline, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Audra McDonald, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Ian McKellen, and Emma Thompson.

The live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast was first announced in April 2014, with Condon hired to direct it; Watson, Stevens, Evans and the rest of the cast signed on between January and April 2015. Filming took place primarily at Shepperton Studios in England from May to August 2015. With an estimated budget of around $255million, it is one of the most expensive films ever made.

Beauty and the Beast premiered at Spencer House in London on February 23, 2017, and was theatrically released in the United States in standard, Disney Digital 3-D, RealD 3D, IMAX, and IMAX 3D formats, as well as Dolby Cinema, on March 17. This film received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its cast, songs, and visual detail. It grossed over $1.2billion worldwide, becoming the second-highest-grossing film of 2017 and the tenth-highest-grossing film of all time. Amongst Disney's live-action remakes, the film is the second-highest-grossing readaptation to date. This film received several accolades, including two nominations at the 90th Academy Awards, four nominations at the 23rd Critics' Choice Awards, and two nominations at the 71st British Academy Film Awards. The spin-off television series, Little Town, was in development for Disney+, but has been put on hold.

Plot

A selfish and unkind prince hosting a ball is visited in a castle by an enchantress disguised as an old beggar woman, who offers him an enchanted rose if he shelters her from the storm. When he scornfully declines, she reveals her true form and transforms him into a beast and his servants into household objects before erasing them from the memories of their loved ones. Unless he learns to love someone and earn that person's love before the last petal falls, he will remain a beast forever and the servants will become inanimate objects.

Several years later in the nearby village of Villeneuve, Belle, the bookworm daughter of widowed artist Maurice, dreams of adventure while constantly rejecting advances from Gaston, an arrogant hunter and war veteran. One day, Maurice becomes lost in the forest and seeks refuge in the Beast's castle. The Beast imprisons him after he steals a rose from the garden for Belle. Belle offers to take her father's place as prisoner; the Beast agrees.

Belle befriends the castle's servants, including candelabra/footman Lumiere, mantel clock/majordomo Cogsworth, feather-duster/maid Plumette, teapot/housekeeper Mrs. Potts, and her son Chip, a teacup. When she finds the enchanted rose, the Beast angrily forces her to flee outside. Belle is ambushed by wolves and the Beast rescues her, injuring himself. As she nurses his wounds, they bond. He shows her a gift from the enchantress, a book that transports readers to their desired location. She visits her childhood home in Paris, where she discovers a plague doctor's mask and realizes that when she was an infant, she forcibly departed with her father after her mother's death from the bubonic plague, which Maurice was hesitant to reveal.

In Villeneuve, Maurice fails to convince the other villagers of the Beast. Gaston, believing that rescuing Belle could win her hand in marriage, agrees to help him. When Maurice discovers his ulterior motive, Gaston abandons him to be devoured by wolves. Maurice is rescued by the town hermit Agathe but Gaston convinces the village to send Maurice to an insane asylum.

Belle discovers Maurice's predicament via a magic mirror. The Beast releases her to save him. Arriving back in town, she reveals the Beast via the mirror, shocking the townsfolk and proving her father's sanity. Realizing she has fallen for the Beast, Gaston jealously has her thrown into the asylum carriage with Maurice, then rallies the villagers to slay the Beast. Belle tells Maurice about her mother's death, and the two escape.

Gaston attacks the depressed Beast, who regains his spirit upon seeing Belle return. He spares Gaston's life, but Gaston shoots the Beast from an unstable bridge; its collapse sends Gaston falling to his death. The Beast dies just as the last petal falls, and the servants become inanimate objects. As Belle tearfully professes her love to him, Agathe reveals herself as the enchantress and undoes the curse, restoring the Beast and his servants to their human forms along with the villagers' memories. The film ends with Belle and the prince hosting a ball for the kingdom.

Cast
 Emma Watson as Belle, a young benevolent bibliophile who seeks for life beyond the confines of her village. She develops feelings for the Beast and begins to see the humanity within him. Watson was announced to have been cast on January 26, 2015. She was the first and only choice of Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan F. Horn, who had previously run Warner Bros. which released the eight Harry Potter films that starred Watson as Hermione Granger. Watson had previously been attached to star in Guillermo del Toro's film adaptation of the original fairy tale for Warner Bros., but the project never materialized. Susan Egan, who originated the role of Belle in the 1994 Broadway musical, commented on the casting of Watson as "perfect", while Paige O'Hara, who voiced Belle in the original 1991 animated film, said, "I think that if I were producing that movie, Emma Watson would've been my first choice for Belle. I was just really happy they went with Emma. She's got the intelligence, she's got the humor. I think she's going to be really, really special." Watson was paid $3 million upfront, with an agreement that her final take-home pay could rise as high as $15 million if the film generated gross box office income similar to the $758 million worldwide gross of Maleficent.
 Daisy Duczmal as infant Belle
 Dan Stevens as the Beast, a cold-hearted, selfish, unkind prince who has been transformed into a talking beast and forced to earn back his humanity by learning to truly love and be loved in return, as well as to give rather than take. Stevens portrays the character through motion-capture.
 Adam Mitchell as the younger version of the prince
 Luke Evans as Gaston, a narcissistic and arrogant hunter and veteran of the French Royal Army who seeks to have Belle as his trophy wife. Evans was announced to have been cast on March 4, 2015. Idris Elba also auditioned for the role.
 Kevin Kline as Maurice, Belle's protective widowed father who works as a music box maker and an artist.
 Jolyon Coy as young Maurice
 Josh Gad as LeFou, Gaston's flamboyant, illiterate, animal-loving and long-suffering sidekick who bolsters his friend's ego but often disagrees with his decisions.
 Ewan McGregor as Lumière, the Beast's charismatic maître d' who has been transformed into a candelabra.
 Stanley Tucci as Cadenza, a neurotic composer (who is described as "a neurotic maestro") and Madame de Garderobe's husband who has been transformed into a harpsichord.
 Audra McDonald as Madame de Garderobe, a world-renowned opera singer and Cadenza's wife who has been transformed into a wardrobe.
 Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Plumette, a castle maid and Lumière's lover who has been transformed into a feather duster.
 Hattie Morahan as Agathe, an enchantress responsible for cursing the Prince, and who lives incognito in Belle's village as a "hag". Morahan also narrates the prologue.
 Rita Davies portrays the enchantress in her beggar woman form. The film was released posthumously after Davies' death.
 Nathan Mack as Chip, Mrs. Potts' plucky son who has been transformed into a teacup.
 Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, the Beast's strict but loyal butler and the head of the household staff who has been transformed into a mantel clock.
 Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts, the castle's motherly head housekeeper who has been transformed into a teapot.

The film also features Thomas Padden as Chapeau, the prince's valet who has been transformed into a coat rack, and Clive Rowe as Cuisinier, the castle's head chef who has been transformed into a stove. Additionally, Sophie Reid, Rafaëlle Cohen, and Carla Nella appear as the Village Lasses, a trio of women who fawn over Gaston and are jealous of Belle. Jimmy Johnston, Dean Street, and Alexis Loizon appear as Tom, Dick, and Stanley, a trio of men who are friends with Gaston and LeFou and serve as the former's henchmen. Adrian Schiller appears as Monsieur D'Arque, the sly warden of the local asylum who is bribed by Gaston to have Maurice institutionalized. Gerard Horan appears as Monsieur Jean Potts, Mrs. Potts' husband and Chip's father. Haydn Gwynne appears as Clothilde, a fishmonger and Cogsworth's wife. Michael Jibson appears as the Tavern Keeper, the owner and keeper of Villeneuve's local tavern. Ray Fearon appears as Père Robert, Villeneuve's local chaplain who encourages Belle to borrow the books in the chapel's meager library. Zoe Rainey appears as Belle's mother, Maurice's late wife who contracted the plague and died when Belle was an infant. Gizmo appears as Frou-Frou, Maestro Cadenza's and Madame de Garderobe's pet Yorkshire Terrier who has been transformed into a footstool. Tom Turner appears as the King, the prince's father who, following his wife's death, raised his son to be just as arrogant and selfish as he was. Harriet Jones appears as the Queen, the Prince's mother who died of an illness when he was a child. Dale Branston appears as Villeneuve's resident baker. Chris Andrew Mellon appears as Nasty Headmaster, the unnamed headmaster of an all-boys school in Villeneuve that disapproves of Belle teaching a young girl how to read. Vivian Parry appears as the Village Lasses' mother, an unnamed seamstress. Stephen Merchant was set to appear as Monsieur Toilette, a servant who was turned into a toilet, but his scenes were cut from the theatrical release of the film.

Production

Development
Previously, Disney had begun work on a film adaptation of the 1994 Broadway musical. However, in a 2011 interview, composer Alan Menken stated the planned film version of the Beauty and the Beast stage musical "was canned".

By April 2014, Walt Disney Pictures had already begun developing a new live-action version of Beauty and the Beast after making other live-action fantasy films such as Alice in Wonderland, Maleficent, Cinderella, and The Jungle Book. Two months later, Bill Condon signed on to direct the film from a script by Evan Spiliotopoulos. Later in September of that same year, Stephen Chbosky (who directed Emma Watson in The Perks of Being a Wallflower) was hired to re-write the script.

Before Condon was hired to direct the film, Disney approached him with a proposal to remake the film in a more radical way as Universal Studios had remade Snow White and the Huntsman (2012). Condon later explained that "after Frozen opened, the studio saw that there was this big international audience for an old-school-musical approach. But initially, they said, 'We're interested in a musical to a degree, but only half full of songs.' My interest was taking that film and doing it in this new medium—live-action—as a full-on musical movie. So I backed out for a minute, and they came back and said, 'No, no, no, we get it, let's pursue it that way. Walt Disney Pictures President of Production Sean Bailey credited Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan F. Horn with the decision to make the film as a musical: "We worked on this for five or six years, and for 18 months to two years, Beauty was a serious dramatic project, and the scripts were written to reflect that. It wasn't a musical at that time. But we just couldn't get it to click and it was Alan Horn who championed the idea of owning the Disney of it all. We realized there was a competitive advantage in the songs. What is wrong with making adults feel like kids again?" The film's ending originally featured Gaston being cursed by the Enchantress, though the idea was scrapped.

Casting
In January 2015, it was announced that Emma Watson had been cast as Belle, the female lead. Two months later, Luke Evans and Dan Stevens were reported to be in talks to play Gaston and the Beast respectively, and Watson confirmed their casting the next day on Twitter. The rest of the principal cast, including Josh Gad, Emma Thompson, Kevin Kline, Audra McDonald, Ian McKellen, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Ewan McGregor, and Stanley Tucci were announced between March and April to play LeFou, Mrs. Potts, Maurice, Madame de Garderobe, Cogsworth, Plumette, Lumière, and Cadenza, respectively.

Filming
Principal photography began on May 18, 2015, taking place at Shepperton Studios in Surrey, England, nearby in the village of Cranleigh, and in Lacock, Wiltshire. The massive movie set of the fictional provincial town of Villeneuve (named after the author of the original fairy tale, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve) was inspired by the town of Conques in southern France and measured .

Filming with the principal actors concluded on August 21. Six days later, co-producer Jack Morrissey confirmed that production had officially wrapped. The castle in the film was inspired by the Château de Chambord in France.

The Beast was portrayed with a "more traditional motion capture puppeteering for the body and the physical orientation", where actor Dan Stevens was "in a forty-pound gray suit on stilts for much of the film". The facial capture for the Beast was done separately in order to "communicate the subtleties of the human face" and "[capture the] thought that occurs to him" which gets "through [to] the eyes, which are the last human element in the Beast." The castle servants who are transformed into household objects were created with CGI animation.

One concern was that one wrong step could lead to one of Stevens's steel stilts crushing one of Watson's feet, which could have severely disrupted production.  To minimize that risk, the actors spent three months in pre-production and rigorously rehearsed their scenes.  For the film's iconic dance scene, they initially practiced waltz steps on the ground, then Stevens learned how to walk on stilts, and then he learned how to waltz on stilts.

Prior to the film's release, Bill Condon refilmed one certain sequence in the "Days in the Sun" number, due to confusion among test audiences caused by actress Harriet Jones, who looked similar to Hattie Morahan, who portrayed Agathe. In the original version of the scene, it was Jones' character, the Prince's mother, who sings the first verse of the song, with Rudi Goodman playing the young Prince and Henry Garrett playing his father; but in the reshot version of the scene, the singing part is given to the Prince (now played by Adam Mitchell). The King was also recast to Tom Turner, although Harriet Jones was still the Queen, albeit with dark hair. Both Goodman and Garrett's names were mistakenly featured in the original theatrical release's credits, but was later corrected in home releases.

Music

When released in 1991, Beauty and the Beast marked a turning point for Walt Disney Pictures by appealing to millions of fans with its Academy Award-winning musical score by lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken. In Bill Condon's opinion, that original score was the key reason he agreed to direct a live-action version of the film. "That score had more to reveal", he says, "You look at the songs and there's not a clunker in the group. In fact, Frank Rich described it as the best Broadway musical of 1991. The animated version was already darker and more modern than the previous Disney fairy-tales. Take that vision, put it into a new medium, make it a radical reinvention, something not just for the stage because it's not just being literal, now other elements come into play. It's not just having real actors do it".

Condon initially prepared on only drawing inspiration from the original film, but he also planned to include most of the songs composed by Menken, Ashman and Tim Rice from the Broadway musical, with the intention of making the film as a "straight-forward, live-action, large-budget movie musical". Menken returned to score the film's music, which features songs from the original film by him and Ashman, plus new material written by him and Rice. Menken said the film would not include songs that were written for the Broadway musical and, instead, created four new songs. However, an instrumental version of the song "Home", which was written for the musical, is used during the scene where Belle first enters her room in the castle.

On January 19, 2017, both Disney and Celine Dion — singer of the original 1991 "Beauty and the Beast" duet song, with singer Peabo Bryson — confirmed that Dion would be performing one of the new original songs "How Does a Moment Last Forever" to play over the end titles. She originally had doubts about whether or not to record the song due to the recent death of her husband and manager René Angélil, who had previously helped her secure the 1991 pop duet. While ultimately accepting the opportunity, she said: "[The] first Beauty and the Beast decision was made with my husband. Now I'm making decisions on my own. It's a little bit harder. I couldn't say yes right away, because I felt like I was kind of cheating in a way". She eventually felt compelled to record the song because of the impact Beauty and the Beast has had on her career. According to Dion, "I was at the beginning of my career, it put me on the map, it put me where I am today". Also, Josh Groban was announced to be performing the new original song "Evermore" six days later.

The 2017 film features a remake of the 1991 original song recorded as a duet by Ariana Grande and John Legend. Grande and Legend's updated version of the title song is faithful to the original, Grammy-winning duet, performed by Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson for the 1991 Disney film.
Disney debuted the music video for Ariana Grande and John Legend's interpretation of the title song on Freeform television network on March 5, 2017, and it has since been viewed over 250 million times on the Vevo video-hosting service.

Emma Thompson also performed the title song, which was performed by Angela Lansbury in the original 1991 animated film.

Marketing
Disney spent around $140 million to market the film worldwide. Disney premiered the first official teaser trailer on Good Morning America in June 2016. In its first 24 hours, the teaser trailer reached 91.8 million views, which was the largest number ever seen for a trailer in that amount of time. This record has since been broken by Thor: Ragnarok, It, and Avengers: Infinity War. The first official teaser poster was released on July 7, 2016. On November 2, 2016, Entertainment Weekly debuted the first official image on the cover of their magazine, along with nine new photos. One week later, Emma Watson and Disney debuted a new poster. On November 14, 2016, the first theatrical trailer was released, again on Good Morning America. This reached 127.6 million views in its first 24 hours, setting a new record for the most views in one day, beating Fifty Shades Darker; this record has since been broken by The Fate of the Furious. A TV spot with Watson singing was shown during the 74th Golden Globe Awards. Disney released the final trailer on January 30, 2017.

Novelization
A tie-in novelization of the film was published by Disney Publishing Worldwide on January 31, 2017.

Release

Theatrical
The world premiere of Beauty and the Beast took place as a Spencer House Royal World Charity Event in London on February 23, 2017. The US premiere was held at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on March 2, 2017. The stream was broadcast on YouTube.

A sing along version of the film released in over 1,200 US theaters nationwide on April 7, 2017. The United Kingdom received the same version on April 21, 2017.

The film was re-released in New York City and Los Angeles for a one-week engagement starting December 1, 2017. The movie was an awards push as the 2017–18 awards season heated up.

On March 16, 2015, Disney announced the film would be released in 3D on March 17, 2017. The first official presentation of the film took place at Disney's three-day D23 Expo in August 2015.

On February 10, 2017, IMAX announced that the film would have an expanded aspect ratio of 1.90:1, revealing 26% more picture, only in IMAX theatres.

Home media
Beauty and the Beast was released on Blu-ray, DVD, Blu-ray 3D and Digital HD on June 6, 2017. The film debuted at No. 1 on the NPD VideoScan overall disc sales chart, with all other titles in the top 20, collectively, selling only 40% as many units as Beauty and the Beast. The film regained the top spot on the national home video sales charts during its third week of release. Overall, the film made a revenue of $85.1 million from home video sales with 4.3 million units sold, making it the second best-selling film of 2017 behind Moana. Beauty and the Beast was released on 4K Blu-ray on March 10, 2020, along with the original animated film.

Reception

Box office

Beauty and the Beast grossed $504 million in the United States and Canada and $759.5 million in other countries for a worldwide gross of $1.263 billion. With a production budget of $254 million, it is the most expensive musical ever made. In just ten days, it became the highest-grossing live-action musical of all time, beating the nine-year-old record held by Mamma Mia!. It also became the second-biggest musical ever overall at the time, behind Disney's Frozen (2013). Worldwide, the film proved to be a global phenomenon, earning a total of $357 million over its four-day opening weekend from 56 markets. Critics said the film was playing like superhero movies amongst women. It was the second-biggest March global opening, behind only Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the thirteenth-biggest worldwide opening ever and the seventh-biggest for Disney. This includes $21 million from IMAX plays on 1,026 screens, a new record for an IMAX PG title. It surpassed the entire lifetime total of the original film in just six days.

Beauty and the Beast was the 300th digitally remastered release in IMAX company's history, which began with the re-release of Apollo 13 in 2002. Its robust global debut helped push the company past $6 billion for the first time, and led to analysts believing that the film had a shot of passing $1 billion worldwide from theatrical earnings. On April 12, it passed the $1 billion threshold, becoming the first film of 2017, the fourteenth Disney film, and the twenty-ninth film overall to pass the mark. It became the first film since Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (also a Disney property) in December 2016 to make over a billion dollars, and did so on its 29th day of release. It is currently the second-highest-grossing film of 2017 (behind Star Wars: The Last Jedi), the highest-grossing March release, the highest-grossing remake of all time, and the sixth-biggest Disney film. Even after inflation adjusted, it is still ahead of the $425 million gross ($760 million in 2017 dollars) of the original film. Deadline Hollywood calculated the film's net profit as $414.7 million, accounting for production budgets, marketing, talent participations, and other costs; box office grosses and home media revenues placed it second on their list of 2017's "Most Valuable Blockbusters".

United States and Canada
In the United States and Canada, Beauty and the Beast topped Fandango's pre-sales and became the fastest-selling family film in the company's history, topping the studio's own animated film Finding Dory released the previous year. Early tracking had the film grossing around $100 million in its opening weekend, with some publications predicting it could reach $130 million. By the time the film's release was 10 days away, analysts raised projections to as high as $150 million. It earned $16.3 million from Thursday previews night, marking the biggest of 2017 (breaking Logans record), the biggest ever for a Disney live-action film (breaking Maleficents record), the second-biggest ever for both a G- or PG-rated film (behind the sixth Harry Potter film Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and the third-biggest ever in the month of March (behind Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and The Hunger Games). An estimated 41% of the gross came from IMAX, 3D and premium large format screenings which began at 6 pm, while the rest—59%—came from regular 2D shows which began at 7 pm. The numbers were considered more impressive given that the film played during a school week.

On its opening day, the film made $63.8 million from 4,210 theaters across 9,200 screens, marking the third biggest in the month of March, trailing behind Batman v Superman ($81.5 million) and The Hunger Games ($67 million). It was also the biggest opening day ever for a film that wasn't PG-13, displacing the $58 million opening Wednesday of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Its opening day alone (which includes Thursday's previews) almost matched the entire opening weekend of previous Disney live-action films, Maleficent ($69.4 million) and Cinderella ($67.9 million). Unlike all previous four Disney live-action films witnessing a hike on their second day, Saturday, Beauty and the Beast actually fell 2%, nevertheless, the dip was paltry, and the grosses are so much greater in comparison to the other titles. Earning a total of $174.8 million on its opening weekend, it defied all expectations and went on to set numerous notable records. This includes the biggest opening of the year as well as the biggest for the month of March and pre-summer/spring opening, beating Batman v Superman, the biggest start ever for a PG title (also for a family film), surpassing Finding Dory until it was later surpassed by Incredibles 2, the biggest debut of all time for a female-led film, ahead of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, the biggest for a Disney live-action adaptation, ahead of Alice in Wonderland and the biggest live-action musical and musical debuts ever, supplanting Pitch Perfect 2 and The Lorax, respectively. Furthermore, it is also Watson's highest-opening, beating Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 same with Emma Thompson, director Bill Condon's biggest debut ever ahead of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 and the biggest outside of summer, save for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, not accounting for inflation.

It became the forty-third film to debut with over $100 million and the fifteenth film to open above $150 million. Its three-day opening alone surpassed the entire original North American run of the first film ($146 million; before the 3D re-release), instantly becoming the second-biggest film of the year, behind Logan ($184 million), and the second-highest-grossing musical, behind Greases $188 million cumulative gross in 1978. Out of the total ticket sales, 70% came from 2D showings thus signifying that people who don't go to theaters frequently came out in bulk to watch the film. About 26% of the remaining tickets were for 3D. IMAX accounted for 7% ($12.5 million) of the total weekend's gross, setting a new record for a PG title, ahead of Alice in Wonderland ($12.1 million) while PLF repped 11% of the box office. The film's opening day demographic, around 70% were female, dropping to 60% through the weekend. According polling service PostTrak, about 84% of American parents who saw the film on its opening day said they would "definitely" recommend it for families. The film's opening was credited to positive word of mouth from audiences, good reviews from critics, effective marketing which sold the title not just as a family film but also as a romantic drama, the cast's star power (namely Emma Watson), lack of competition, being the first family film since The Lego Batman Movie a month earlier, nostalgia, and the success and ubiquity of the first film and Disney's brand.

On Monday, its fourth day of release, the film fell precipitously by 72% earning $13.5 million. The steep fall was due to a limited marketplace where only 11% K-12 and 15% colleges were off per ComScore. Nevertheless, it is the second-biggest March Monday, behind Batman v Superman ($15 million). This was followed by the biggest March and pre-summer Tuesday with $17.8 million, a 32% increase from its previous day. The same day, the film passed $200 million in ticket sales. It earned $228.6 million in the first week of release, the sixth-biggest seven-day gross of all time. In its second weekend, the film continued to maintain the top positioning and fell gradually by 48% earning another $90.4 million to register the fourth-biggest second weekend of all time, and the third-biggest for Disney. In terms of percentage drop, its 48% decline is the third-smallest drop for any film opening above $125 million (behind Finding Dory and The Force Awakens). The hold was notable considering how the film was able to fend off three new wide releases: Power Rangers, Life, CHiPs, and Wilson. As a result, it passed the $300 million threshold becoming the first film of 2017 the pass said mark. The film grossed $45.4 million in its third weekend, finally being overtaken for the top spot by newcomer The Boss Baby ($50.2 million). On April 4, 2017, its nineteenth day of release, it passed the $400 million threshold becoming the first film of 2017 to do so. By its fourth weekend, the film began was playing in 3,969 cinemas, a fall of 241 theaters from its previous weekend. Of those, approximately 1,200 cinemas were sing-along versions. It earned $26.3 million (−48%) and retained second place. By comparison, previous Disney films Moana (−8%) and Frozen (−2%) both witnessed mild percentage declines the weekend their sing-alone versions were released. Its seventh weekend of release was in contemporaneous with another Emma Watson-starring new film The Circle. That weekend, The Circle was number four, while Beauty and the Beast was at number six. By May 28, the film had earned over $500 million in ticket sales becoming the first film of 2017 (until it was later surpassed by The Last Jedi), the third female-led film (after The Force Awakens and Rogue One followed by Wonder Woman and The Last Jedi) and the eighth overall film in cinematic history to pass the mark.

It has already become the biggest March release, dethroning The Hunger Games (2012), the biggest musical film (both animated and live-action), as well as the second biggest film of 2017 after The Last Jedi. In July 2020, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic closing most theaters and limiting new releases, Beauty and the Beast returned to 527 theaters (mostly drive-ins) and grossed $467,000.

Other territories
Outside the US and Canada, the film began playing on Thursday, March 16, 2017. Through Sunday, March 19, it had a total international opening of $182.3 million from 55 markets, 44 of which were major territories, far exceeding initial estimations of $100 million and opened at No. 1 in virtually all markets except Vietnam, Turkey, and India. Its launch is the second-biggest for the month of March, behind Batman v Superman ($256.5 million). In IMAX, it recorded the biggest debut for a PG-rated title (although it carried varying certificate amongst different markets) with $8.5 million from 649 screens, the second-biggest for a PG title behind The Jungle Book. In its second weekend, it fell just by 35% earning another $120.6 million and maintaining its first position hold. It added major markets like France and Australia. It topped the international box office for three consecutive weekends before finally being dethroned by Ghost in the Shell and The Boss Baby in its fourth weekend. Despite the fall, the film helped Disney push past the $1 billion threshold internationally for the first time in 2017.

It scored the biggest opening day of the year in Hong Kong and the Philippines, the biggest March Thursday in Italy ($1 million, also the biggest Disney Thursday debut), the biggest March opening day in Austria, and the second-biggest in Germany ($1.1 million), Disney's biggest March in Denmark, the biggest Disney live-action debut in China ($12.6 million), the UK ($6.2 million), Mexico ($2.4 million) and Brazil ($1.8 million) and the third-biggest in South Korea with $1.2 million, behind only Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. In terms of opening weekend, the largest debut came from China ($44.8 million), followed by the UK ($24.3 million), Korea ($11.8 million), Mexico ($11.8 million), Australia ($11.1 million), Brazil ($11 million), Germany ($10.7 million), France ($8.4 million), Italy ($7.6 million), Philippines ($6.3 million), Russia ($6 million), and Spain ($5.8 million).

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the film recorded the biggest opening ever for a PG-rated film, the biggest Disney live-action opening of all time, the biggest March opening weekend, the biggest opening for a musical (ahead of 2012's Les Misérables), the number one opening of 2017 to date and the fifth-biggest-ever overall with £19.7 million ($24.5 million) from 639 theatres and almost twice that of The Jungle Book (£9.9 million). This included the second-biggest Saturday ever (£7.9 million), only behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens. It witnessed a decline in its second weekend, earning £12.33 million ($15.4 million). Though the film was falling at a faster rate than The Jungle Book, it had already surpassed the said film and its second weekend is the third-biggest ever (behind the two James Bond films Skyfall (2012) and Spectre).

In India, the film managed to take an occupancy of 15% on its opening day.  It earned around  nett on its opening day from an estimated 600 screens which is more than the three Indian releases—Machine, Trapped, and Aa Gaya Hero—combined. Disney reported a total of  gross for its opening weekend there. It was ahead of all new releases and second overall behind Badrinath Ki Dulhania and its Indian gross was around .

In Russia, despite receiving a restrictive 16 rating, the film managed to deliver a very successful opening with $6 million.

In China, expectations were high for the film. The release date was announced on January 24, giving Disney and local distributor China Film Group Corporation ample time—around two months—to market the film nationwide. The release date was strategically chosen to coincide with White Day. Preliminary reports suggested that it could open to $40–60 million in its opening weekend. Largely driven by young women, its opening day pre-sales outpaced that of The Jungle Book. The original film was, however, never widely popular in the country. Although China has occasionally blocked gay-themed content from streaming video services, in this case, Chinese censors decided to leave the gay scene intact. According to local box office tracker Ent Group, the film grossed an estimated $12.1 million on its opening day (Friday), representing 70% of the total receipts. Including previews, it made a total of $14.5 million from 100,000 screenings, which is 43% of all screenings in the country. It climbed to $18.5 million on Saturday (102,700 showings) for a three-day total of $42.6 million, securing 60% of the total marketplace. Disney on the other hand reported a different figure of $44.8 million. Either-way, it recorded the second-biggest opening for a Disney live-action film, with $3.4 million coming from 386 IMAX screens. Japan—a huge Disney market—served as the film's final market and opened there on April 21. It debuted with a better-than-expected $12.5 million on its opening weekend helping the film push past the $1.1 billion threshold. An estimated $1.1 million came from IMAX screenings, the fourth-biggest ever in the country. The two-day gross was $9.7 million, outstripping Frozens previous record of $9.5 million. Due to positive reviews, good word-of-mouth and benefitting from the Golden Week, the film saw a 9% increase on its second weekend. The hold was strong enough to fend off newcomer The Fate of the Furious from securing the top spot. The total there is now over $98 million after seven weekends and is the biggest film release of the year and, overall, the eleventh-biggest of all time. It topped the box office there for eight consecutive weekends.

The only markets where the film did not top the weekend charts were Vietnam (behind Kong: Skull Island), Turkey (with two local films and Logan ahead) and India (where Badrinath Ki Dulhania retained No. 1). It topped the box office for four straight weekends in Germany, Korea, Austria, Finland, Poland, Portugal, Brazil, Venezuela, Bolivia, Switzerland and the UK (exclusive of previews). In the Philippines, it emerged as the most successful commercial film of all time—both local and foreign—with over $13.5 million. In just five weeks, the film became one of the top 10 highest-grossing film of all time in the United Kingdom and Ireland, ahead of all but one Harry Potter film (Deathly Hallows – Part 2) and all three The Lord of the Rings films (which also starred Ian McKellen). It is currently the eighth-biggest grosser with £70.1 million ($90 million), overtaking Mamma Mia! to become the biggest musical production ever there. The biggest international earning markets following the UK are Japan ($108 million), China ($85.8 million), Brazil ($41.5 million), Korea ($37.5 million), and Australia ($35 million). In Europe alone, the cumulative total is $267 million, which led it to become the second-highest-grossing film in the past year (behind Rogue One: A Star Wars Story).

Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, the film has an approval rating of 71% based on 384 reviews and an average rating of 6.7/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "With an enchanting cast, beautifully crafted songs, and a painterly eye for detail, Beauty and the Beast offers a faithful yet fresh retelling that honors its beloved source material." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 65 out of 100 based on 47 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". In CinemaScore polls, audiences gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.

Leslie Felperin of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "It's a Michelin-triple-starred master class in patisserie skills that transforms the cinematic equivalent of a sugar rush into a kind of crystal-meth-like narcotic high that lasts about two hours." Felperin also praised the performances of Watson and Kline as well the special effects, costume designs and the sets, while commending the inclusion of Gad's character of LeFou as the first LGBT character in Disney. Owen Gleiberman of Variety, in his positive review of the film, wrote: "It's a lovingly crafted movie, and in many ways a good one, but before that it's an enraptured piece of old-is-new nostalgia." Gleiberman compared Stevens' portrayal of the Beast to a royal version of the titular character in The Elephant Man and the 1946 version of the Beast in Jean Cocteau's original adaptation. A. O. Scott of The New York Times praised the performance of Stevens, and wrote: "It looks good, moves gracefully and leaves a clean and invigorating aftertaste. I almost didn't recognize the flavor: I think the name for it is joy."

However, The Washington Posts Ann Hornaday gave Watson's performance a mixed review, describing it as "alert and solemn" while deeming her singing abilities "serviceable enough to get the job done". Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film three and a half out of five and lauded the performances of Watson and Thompson which he drew a comparison to Paige O'Hara's and Angela Lansbury's performances in the 1991 animated version while appreciating the performances of the other cast.  He also commented on the advantage of its using both motion capture and CGI technology, writing: "Almost overwhelmingly lavish, beautifully staged and performed with exquisite timing and grace by the outstanding cast". Mike Ryan of Uproxx praised the cast, production design and the new songs while noting the film doesn't try anything different, saying: "There's certainly nothing that new about this version of Beauty and the Beast (well, except it isn't a cartoon anymore), but it's a good recreation of a classic animated film that should leave most die-hards satisfied." In her A− review, Nancy Churnin of The Dallas Morning News praised the film's emotional and thematic depth, remarking: "There's an emotional authenticity in director Bill Condon's live-action Beauty and the Beast film that helps you rediscover Disney's beloved 1991 animated film and 1994 stage show in fresh, stirring ways." James Berardinelli of ReelViews described the 2017 version as "enthralling".

Brian Truitt of USA Today commended the performances of Evans, Gad, McGregor and Thompson alongside Condon's affinity with musicals, the production design, visual effects featured in some of the song numbers including new songs made by the composers Alan Menken and Tim Rice, particularly Evermore which he described the new song with a potential for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone rated the film three out of four, deeming it an "exhilarating gift" while he remarked that "Beauty and the Beast does justice to Disney's animated classic, even if some of the magic is M.I.A (Missing in Action)". Stephanie Zacharek of Time magazine gave a positive review with a description as "Wild, Vivid and Crazy-Beautiful" as she wrote "Nearly everything about Beauty and the Beast is larger than life, to the point that watching it can be a little overwhelming." and added that "it's loaded with feeling, almost like a brash interpretive dance expressing the passion and elation little girls (and some boys, too) must have felt upon seeing the earlier version." The San Francisco Chronicles Mick LaSalle struck an affirmative tone, calling it one of the joys of 2017, stating that "Beauty and the Beast creates an air of enchantment from its first moments, one that lingers and builds and takes on qualities of warmth and generosity as it goes along" while referring the film as "beautiful" and also praised the film for its emotional and psychological tone as well Steven's motion capture performance.

Tim Robey of The Daily Telegraph gave the film four out of five and wrote that "It dazzles on this chocolate box of a picture that feels almost greedy yet to make this film work, down to a sugar-rush finale to grasp the nettle and make an out-an-out, bells-and-whistles musical" while he praised the performances of Watson, McKellen, Thompson, McGregor, Evans and Gad. Mark Hughes of Forbes also praised the film, which he wrote "could revive the story in a faithful but entirely new and unique way elevating the material beyond expectations, establishing itself as a cinematic equal to the original".  He also complimented the importance of undertaking a renowned yet problematic masterpiece as well addressing changes in the elements of the story while acknowledging the film's effectiveness in resonating to the audiences.

Several critics regarded the film as inferior to its 1991 animated predecessor. David Sims of The Atlantic wrote that the 2017 film "feels particularly egregious, in part, because it's so slavishly devoted to the original; every time it falls short of its predecessor (which is quite often), it's hard not to notice". Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune said that the 2017 film "takes our knowledge and our interest in the material for granted. It zips from one number to another, throwing a ton of frenetically edited eye candy at the screen, charmlessly." Phillips wrote that the film featured some "less conspicuously talented" performers ("Watson, primarily") who are "stuck doing karaoke, or motion-capture work of middling quality", though he praised Kline's performance as the "best, sweetest thing in the movie; he brings a sense of calm, droll authority". Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian wrote that the film was "lit in that fascinatingly artificial honey-glow light, and it runs smoothly on rails—the kind of rails that bring in and out the stage sets for the lucrative Broadway touring version." In the same newspaper, Wendy Ide criticized the film as "ornate to the point of desperation" in its attempt to emulate the animated film.

Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a B−, writing that the new songs were "not transporting". He felt the film needed more life and depth  Dana Schwartz of The New York Observer felt that some of the characters, such as Gaston and the Beast, had been watered down from the 1991 film, and that the additional backstory elements failed to "advance the plot or theme in any meaningful way" while adding considerable bloat. Schwartz considered the singing of the cast to be adequate but felt that their voices should have been dubbed over, especially for the complex songs.

Robert W. Butler of The Charlotte Observer called it "big, well-designed, tuneful and — finally — romantic" but said it was not as good as the original.  Chris Hunneysett of the Daily Mirror called the film "irresistible" and said, "There is excellence everywhere, from the superb cast, to sumptuous costumes and detailed design."

In a 2018 interview with The Hollywood Reporters historical podcast, It Happened in Hollywood, Linda Woolverton, who wrote the 1991 animated film, revealed that she was not "totally thrilled" with the remake. She said "I didn't think it was exactly true to the mythology of the storytelling, and I'm not happy that I don't get to participate. Who would be?" Woolverton also questioned the change that saw The Beast come and go from his castle via a magic mirror. She said "The castle is supposed to be impenetrable. After that, the mythology didn't work for me."

Accolades

Controversies

Gay character
Controversy arose after director Bill Condon said there was a "gay moment" in the film, when LeFou briefly waltzes with Stanley, one of Gaston's friends. In a later interview with Vulture, Condon stated, "Can I just say, I'm sort of sick of this. Because you've seen the movie—it's such a tiny thing, and it's been overblown." Condon also added that Beauty and the Beast features much more diversity than just the highly talked-about LeFou: "That was so important. We have interracial couples—this is a celebration of everybody's individuality, and that's what's exciting about it." GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis praised the move, stating, "It is a small moment in the film, but it is a huge leap forward for the film industry."

In Russia, Vitaly Milonov agitated the culture minister for banning the film, but instead it was given a 16+ rating (children under the age of 16 can only be admitted to see it in theaters with accompanying adults). Additionally, a theater in Henagar, Alabama did not screen the film because of the subplot. In Malaysia, the Film Censorship Board insisted the "gay moment" scene be cut, prompting an indefinite postponement of its release by Disney, followed by their decision to withdraw it completely if it could not be released uncensored. The studio moved the release date to March 30, to allow more time for Malaysia's censor board to make a decision on whether or not to release the film without changes. The distributors and producers then submitted an appeal to the Film Appeal Committee of Malaysia, which allowed the film to be released without any cuts and a P13 rating on the grounds that "the gay element was minor and did not affect the positive elements featured in the film". In Kuwait, the film was withdrawn from cinemas by National Cinema Company, which owns most of the cinemas in the country. A board member of the company stated that the Ministry of Information's censorship department had requested it to stop its screening and edit it for things the Ministry deemed offensive.

The film also received criticism over its portrayal of LeFou, as some felt that it was used as a way of teasing LGBTQ+ audiences without providing adequate representation, with his "exclusively gay moment" being his three seconds' dancing with another man at the end of the film.

In response to the decision of making LeFou gay, Linda Woolverton, the screenwriter behind the 1991 animated film, told The Hollywood Reporter in 2018 that "Was he in love with Gaston? No. He was just a toady and besotted with a person he could never be."

Belle and the Beast's relationship
Disney has sought to portray Belle as an empowered young woman, but a debate over whether it is possible for a captor to fall in love with their prisoner, and whether this is a problematic theme, has resulted. As was the case with the original animated film, one argument is that Belle has Stockholm syndrome (a condition that causes hostages to develop a psychological alliance with their captors as a survival strategy during captivity). Before signing on to the film, Emma Watson did study whether Belle is trapped in an abusive relationship with the Beast and concluded that she does not think the criticism fits this version of the fairy tale. Watson described Stockholm syndrome as "where a prisoner will take on the characteristics of and fall in love with the captor." She went on to assert that "Belle actively argues and disagrees with the Beast constantly. She has none of the characteristics of someone with Stockholm syndrome because she keeps her independence, she keeps that freedom of thought", further adding that Belle defiantly "gives as good as she gets" before forming a friendship and eventual romance with the Beast.

Psychiatrist Frank Ochberg, who was responsible for defining the term "Stockholm syndrome", said he does not think Belle exhibits the trauma symptoms of prisoners with the syndrome because she does not experience a period of feeling that she is going to die. Some therapists, while acknowledging that the pairing's relationship does not meet the clinical definition of Stockholm syndrome, argue that the relationship depicted is dysfunctional and abusive and does not model healthy romantic relationships for young viewers. Following this viewpoint, Constance Grady of Vox stated that Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont's Beauty and the Beast was a fairy tale originally written to prepare young girls in eighteenth-century France for arranged marriages, and that the power disparity is amplified in the Disney version. Additionally, Anna Menta of Elite Daily remarked that the Beast does not apologize to Belle for imprisoning, hurting nor manipulating her, and that his treatment of her is not painted as wrong.

Future

Shortly after the release of the film, Sean Bailey said that Walt Disney Pictures would "explore possible [live-action] spin-off and prequel scenarios" for animated and live-action Disney films, including Beauty and the Beast. Emma Watson and Dan Stevens have both expressed interest in reprising their roles in a potential sequel or prequel to the film.

On March 6, 2020, ABC Signature Studios announced that it was developing a limited series focused on Gaston and LeFou, for Disney+. Luke Evans and Josh Gad were set to reprise their roles from the film and executive produce the series alongside Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, with Gad, Kitsis and Horowitz serving as showrunners and writers for the series. Alan Menken was reported to be in talks to return as composer for the series, which he confirmed in April. The series was titled Little Town, which is a nod to the lyrics of the song "Belle" from the 1991 Beauty and the Beast film. In June 2021, Brianna Middleton joined the cast as the female lead named Tilly. In January 2022, Jelani Alladin and Fra Fee joined the cast to play Jean-Michel and Prince Benoit Berlioz, respectively. In February 2022, Rita Ora and Sharon D. Clarke joined the cast, with the latter set to play Claire Lafayette. Days later, it was announced the series was postponed indefinitely due to creative and scheduling issues.

Notes

References

External links

2017 films
2017 3D films
2010s musical fantasy films
2010s romantic fantasy films
American 3D films
American musical fantasy films
American romantic fantasy films
American romantic musical films
Beauty and the Beast (franchise)
Live-action films based on Disney's animated films
Censored films
2010s English-language films
Films about curses
Films about princes
Films about princesses
Films about shapeshifting
Films about witchcraft
Films based on adaptations
Films based on Beauty and the Beast
Films based on multiple works
Films based on works by Linda Woolverton
Films scored by Alan Menken
Films directed by Bill Condon
Films set in the 18th century
Films set in castles
Films shot at Shepperton Studios
IMAX films
Mandeville Films films
Resurrection in film
LGBT-related controversies in film
Disney and LGBT
Films using motion capture
Remakes of American films
Films with screenplays by Evan Spiliotopoulos
Films with screenplays by Stephen Chbosky
Walt Disney Pictures films
Musical film remakes
Romance film remakes
Fantasy film remakes
Films produced by David Hoberman
Films produced by Todd Lieberman
2010s American films

Beauty and the Beast (2017 film)


George Frank Regas (October 1, 1930 – January 3, 2021) was an Episcopal priest. He served as rector of All Saints Episcopal Church, Pasadena, California, from 1967 until his retirement in 1995.

Early life and career
Regas was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, the son of Greek immigrants, and was baptized into the Greek Orthodox church. There was no Orthodox priest in Louisville. His mother died when he was about five years old, leaving him to be raised by his father. When he was about ten, he became friends with an Episcopal priest in Knoxville and began attending services at the Episcopal church. By the time he was of college age, he had apparently embraced the Episcopal church.

He attended and graduated from the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was ordained a priest in 1956. His first church was a mission of fifty members in Pulaski, Tennessee. He was then sent to an 800-member church in Nyack, New York, where he served as rector.

After his ordination, Regas went to England, where he spent two years at Cambridge University, and pursued graduate studies under Anglican Bishop John A.T. Robinson, who he later referred to as his friend and mentor. Robinson was a theologian and author of the book, Honest to God, which questioned many traditional concepts. In 1972, Regas graduated from the Theology School at Claremont with the doctor of religion degree.

Tenure at All Saints
Regas succeeded John Burt as rector of All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, California in 1966, when he was only 36 years old.  During his tenure, Regas did much to establish All Saints as an influential parish within the liberal wing of the Episcopal Church, and as an important voice for mainline liberal Protestant Christianity nationally. Under Regas's leadership, All Saints, Pasadena, became the largest Episcopal Church in the western United States, and established the largest service center for serving HIV and AIDS victims in the San Gabriel Valley.  It also started Union Station in Pasadena for assisting the homeless.

He led All Saints in the foundation of the Young & Healthy program, which helps uninsured and under-insured children. He was the president of the Coalition for a Non-Violent City and co-founder of the Interfaith Center to Reverse the Arms Race. As a long-time national leader of the Episcopal Church, he was nominated as a candidate for bishop of New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, but consistently declined in order to continue to build the All Saints Pasadena parish. As a founder of the Interfaith Center to Reverse the Arms Race, he was a leader in efforts to unite Christians, Muslims, Jews and other faiths to promote peace in the Middle East and worldwide.

Controversies

Supporting United Farm Workers Union
Regas' first controversy as rector arose a few months after he arrived. A representative from the United Farm Workers Union, saying that the union would like to set up an information table on the church lawn and pass out information about the struggles of Cesar Chavez, who had organized the union. The representative told Regas that his predecessor had been very supportive of the union. Regas thought the request was reasonable and agreed. He then learned that a member of the congregation was one of the largest corporate farmers in the nation, and was incensed by Regas' action. Regas said he tried for six months to heal the rift, but failed. The farmer angrily left the church.

Opposition to Vietnam War
Regas was a critic of certain American foreign and domestic policies, reaching national attention in a 1971 sermon, "Mr. President, the Jury Is In", against the Vietnamese War, responding to a press conference by United States President Richard Nixon in which he appealed to the American public to stand behind him about the Vietnam War.

IRS investigation of All Saints
On the Sunday before the 2004 Presidential election, Regas preached a sermon opposing the Iraq War. The premise of the sermon was a debate between George W. Bush and John Kerry moderated by Jesus Christ. In the sermon Regas supposed that, "Jesus [would say], 'Mr. President, your doctrine of preemptive war is a failed doctrine. Forcibly changing the regime of an enemy that posed no imminent threat has led to disaster.'"

Complaints about the sermon led to an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) into whether the sermon voided the church's tax-exempt status as a prohibited political endorsement. The church responded by claiming that the IRS is selectively enforcing the rule by not pursuing actions against conservative churches. In response to the investigation, Rector Ed Bacon gave a sermon called, "Neighbor Love is Never Neutral."

Notes

References

1930 births
2021 deaths
People from Knoxville, Tennessee
American Episcopal clergy
American religious leaders
Nonviolence advocates
American activists
Clergy from Pasadena, California
American people of Greek descent
20th-century American Episcopalians
21st-century American Episcopalians

George F. Regas


Jopie van Oudtshoorn (born 5 February 1976) is a South African sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres.

His personal best time is 44.75 seconds, achieved in April 1999 in Germiston. Together with Hendrick Mokganyetsi, Adriaan Botha and Arnaud Malherbe he holds the South African record in 4 x 400 metres relay with 3:00.20 minutes, achieved at the 1999 World Championships in Seville where South Africa finished fourth. The team was subsequently awarded bronze medals for a third place in the same race, following a positive drugs test in the US team. van Oudtshoorn also ran for the South African team that finished fourth at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

On the individual level, van Oudtshoorn won a bronze medal at the 1999 Summer Universiade in the 400 metres.

External links

1976 births
Afrikaner people
Athletes (track and field) at the 2002 Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games competitors for South Africa
Living people
South African people of Dutch descent
South African male sprinters
World Athletics Championships medalists
Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field)
Universiade bronze medalists for South Africa
Medalists at the 1999 Summer Universiade

Jopie van Oudtshoorn


The Mammoth Trilogy is a series of books by hard science fiction author Stephen Baxter. The books in it were published between 1999 and 2001. It contains the novels Silverhair, Longtusk and Icebones.

An omnibus volume containing all three novels was released in 2004, with the title Behemoth.

Silverhair
Silverhair, the first book, was published in 1999. This story is about Silverhair, a female mammoth. On an isolated Russian island near the Arctic Circle, a clan of intelligent mammoths have survived the ice age and into the modern day, though their numbers are dwindling as the climate warms. A group of humans come ashore and start hunting the mammoths. The herd tries to escape and then it fights back. The mammoths are depicted as having near-human intelligence and an oral culture that goes back millions of years.

Longtusk
Longtusk is the second book, published in 1999. Set in the far past, when the glaciers are retreating, Longtusk tells the story of the mammoths' early encounters with humanity.

Icebones

Icebones is the third book, published in 2001. The novel is set in 3000 AD. After colonizing Mars some time ago and planning to populate the terraformed planet with ancient animals from Earth, humans had disappeared. One of the animals now left to fend for themselves is Icebones, daughter of Silverhair, who as the only adult mammoth taken to Mars also has responsibility for the herd.

Reception
Kirkus Reviews said in their review that it is "impossible not to cheer for Baxter's plucky pachyderms: a saga that, even at its most improbable, engages the reader's heart and mind." Jackie Cassada, in her review for Library Journal, wrote, "Baxter brings the great creatures of Earth's prehistory to life."

References

External links
 Stephen Baxter official website

Stephen Baxter series
Novels by Stephen Baxter
Novels about elephants
Novels set in the Arctic
Novels set on islands
Novels set in prehistory
1999 British novels
2001 British novels
Novels set on Mars
Victor Gollancz Ltd books
Terraforming in fiction
Science fiction novel trilogies

Fictional mammoths

The Mammoth Trilogy


was an employee of the town of Minamisanriku's Crisis Management Department, tasked with broadcasting disaster advisories and warnings.

During the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami she remained at her post on the second floor of the three-storey Crisis Management Center continuing to broadcast warnings and alerts over the community loudspeaker system as the tsunami swept over the building silencing the loudspeakers, killing her and overwhelming the town. Of the approximately 40 people who fled to the roof of the building, only 11 survived, by clinging to the rooftop antenna.

She was hailed in the Japanese news media as a heroine for sacrificing her life and was credited with saving many lives. Miki's body was discovered by authorities on 23 April 2011.

The three-storey headquarters of the department remained standing but was completely gutted, with only a red-colored steel skeleton remaining. Photos show the roof of the building completely submerged at the height of the inundation, with some people clinging to the rooftop antenna. The remnants of the building have been preserved during the city's recovery.

References

External links

1986 births
2011 deaths
Victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
Natural disaster deaths in Japan

Miki Endo


The Electric Aircraft Corporation ElectraFlyer-X is an American kit and light-sport electric aircraft, designed by Randall Fishman and at one time under development by his company Electric Aircraft Corporation of Cliffside Park, New Jersey. The ElectraFlyer-X was introduced at AirVenture in 2009. The aircraft is intended to be supplied as a kit for amateur construction or as a complete ready-to-fly aircraft.

By February 2017 the design was no longer featured on the company website.

Design and development
The ElectraFlyer-X was designed to comply with the US light-sport aircraft (LSA) rules. The current LSA rules do not allow any powerplants except reciprocating engines for Special-LSAs (S-LSAs), but Fishman hopes that the rules will be amended in time. In the meantime the aircraft can be constructed in the Experimental - Amateur Built or Experimental-LSA (E-LSA) categories.

The aircraft features a cantilever low wing, a two-seats-in-side-by-side configuration enclosed cockpit under a bubble canopy, fixed tricycle landing gear and a single electric engine in tractor configuration.

The ElectraFlyer-X is made from composites. Its long  span wing features a high aspect ratio for aerodynamic efficiency. The engine is an Electric Aircraft Corporation  brushless, liquid-cooled powerplant designed specifically for the aircraft. The engine is driven by air-cooled battery packs that are fitted in stainless steel boxes and can be installed in either the engine compartment or the cabin. The batteries will permit flights of up to three hours duration.

In 2015 the projected price for a kit, less batteries, was to be US$65,000. The batteries were estimated to add US$15,000 to the cost.

In April 2010 the aircraft's first flight was predicted for May or June 2010. Series production was originally intended for 2010 and then delayed to 2011. By June 2012 there was no indication that the design had actually flown or that it would be produced in the near future. In June 2012 the company website listed it only as "coming soon", however the aircraft's description page had been removed. The US Federal Aviation Administration indicates that the prototype aircraft, N600EL, was registered on 15 July 2009 and had its registration cancelled on 31 May 2012.

Fishman has indicated that the late 2000s recession caused development of company products to be delayed. In 2011 Fishman said, "The recession has made this not a great business right now".

Specifications (ElectraFlyer-X)

References

External links

Photos of the ElectraFlyer-X under construction in 2009

Homebuilt aircraft
Light-sport aircraft
Single-engined tractor aircraft
Electric aircraft
X
Aircraft first flown in 2009


Alexander Bliss (29 December 1827 – 30 April 1896) was assistant quartermaster general of the Union forces and a colonel in the United States Army during the American Civil War. His father, also named Alexander, died before he was born; and his mother, Elizabeth Davis Bliss, later married George Bancroft, the eminent American historian.

On Colonel Bliss's behalf, Bancroft asked President Abraham Lincoln for a copy of the Gettysburg Address, as Bliss was a member of a committee gathering manuscripts to be collected in the work Autographed Leaves of Our Country's Authors, which was intended for sale to raise money for charitable assistance to Civil War veterans.  The resulting copy of Lincoln's speech, known as the Bliss Copy, is one of only five known manuscript versions of the Gettysburg Address; it is preserved and on display in the Lincoln Bedroom of the White House in Washington, D.C.

References

External links

 Gravesite at Arlington National Cemetery

United States Army colonels
Burials at Arlington National Cemetery
1827 births
1896 deaths

Alexander Bliss


San Luis Fútbol Club was a Mexican professional football club from the city of San Luis Potosí, Mexico. The club was founded in 1957, when they were known as Santos (saints). The team's nickname of Tuneros, a reference to the tuna fruit, was later changed to Gladiadores. The nickname for the team was then changed to Reales. The nickname Tribu Real is a reference to the fact that the team was once named Real San Luis. Another nickname recently given to the team is El Equipo del Milagro (The Miracle team) because of the last-minute "miracle" to stay in the highest division.  San Luis play their home games at Alfonso Lastras Ramirez Stadium. On May 28, 2013 it was confirmed the team would move to Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Mexico and be renamed Chiapas Fútbol Club.

History
The team began playing the Tercera Division de Mexico where they were able to win the 1969–70 season gaining promotion to Segunda Division.

In the 1970–71 season San Luis was able to win Segunda Division. This automatically gave them the promotion to go to Primera Division for the 1971–72 season.

Their stint in Primera Division  was cut short after losing the relegation playoff against Laguna in the 1973–74 season.

It did not take long for San Luis to once again win Segunda Division and in 1975–76 they achieved the title and the right for promotion for the 1976–77 season. This would lead to the Potosino classic in the top flight since Atlético Potosino had achieved promotion in the 1973–74 season as semi finalist.

Once again their stay in Primera Division did not last long. In the end of a great season in 1976–77 where they reached the championship playoff, the franchise was sold to Tampico Madero who took over their spot in Primera Division.

The team returned to Primera Division in the 2002–03 season, ending in the mid-table position. This stint was short-lived, since in the tournaments after that they did not do well, and they ended up being relegated after the 2003–04 season.

Their last stint in Primera Division was in the 2005–06 season, when they gain promotion after winning the 2004–05 Primera 'A'.

After the 2012–13 season Querétaro was relegated to the Ascenso MX after accumulating the lowest coefficient over the past three seasons. Querétaro would have been replaced by the 2012 Apertura Ascenso MX champion La Piedad, who won promotion after defeating the Clausura 2013 winner Neza in a promotional play-off. However, on May 28, 2013, Querétaro's ownership announced that it bought out Jaguares de Chiapas and relocated the team to Querétaro, dissolving the old Querétaro team and ensuring that Querétaro would still have a team in the first division. It was also announced that San Luis would move to Tuxtla Gutiérrez and be renamed Chiapas F.C., replacing the new outgoing Querétaro. Finally, La Piedad confirmed that they would also relocate to Veracruz and be renamed as Veracruz. These changes have sparked controversy in the Mexican press as Querétaro effectively bought its place back in the first division and newly promoted La Piedad completely lost its team. With this San Luis was left without a team in top flight now having only Atlético San Luis, was formed in 2013, in Ascenso MX.

Honours

National
  Primera División A: (2)
Verano 2002, Apertura 2004
  Campeón de Ascenso: (2)
2002, 2005
 Segunda División de México: (2)
1970-71, 1975–76
 Tercera División de México:
1969-70

Club records
 Seasons in 1st: 26
 Seasons in 2nd: 4
 Most Goals in Favor: 6–3 vs UNAM (27-Oct-2002)
 Most Goals Against: 1–6 vs América (31-Oct-1971)
 Best Position in Table: 1º (Apertura 2008)
 Worst Position in Table: 19º
 Best Scorer:   Oscar Ariel González Mezzenasco (51 Goals)
 GK with less goals against:  Adrián Martínez
 Most Games Played:  Adrián Martínez  (160 Games)

Top goalscorers

 Players in bold are currently active with San luis.
 Players in italic are still active but are not currently with  San Luis.

Managers
  Juan Antonio Luna (July 2002 – March 3)
  Abel Alves (July 2003 – Oct 03)
  Wilson Graniolatti (Oct 2003 – March 4)
  Carlos Reinoso (2004)
  Cristóbal Ortega (2005)
  Raúl Arias (Nov 2005 – Dec 08)
  Luis Scatolaro (Jan 2009 – June 9)
  Juan Antonio Luna (July 2009 – Oct 09)
  Miguel Ángel López (Oct 2009 – Dec 09)
  Ignacio Ambriz (Jan 2010 – Dec 11)
  Isidoro García (Jan 2012 – Feb 12)
  Sergio Bueno (Feb 2012 – May 12)
  José Luis Trejo (July 2012 – Aug 12)
  Álex Aguinaga (Aug 2012 – Nov 12)
  Eduardo Fentanes (Jan 2013 – Feb 13)
  Carlos María Morales (Feb 2013 – March 13)
  Gerardo Silva (March 2013 – May 13)

References

External links

Official site
Hinchas Web

San Luis
Association football clubs established in 2001
Association football clubs disestablished in 2013
Liga MX teams
Ascenso MX teams
2001 establishments in Mexico
2013 disestablishments in Mexico

San Luis F.C.


Mt. Torry Furnace, also known as Virginia Furnace, is a historic iron furnace located at Sherando, Augusta County, Virginia. It was built in 1804, and is a stone square trapezoid measuring 30 feet at the base and 40 feet tall. The original cold-blast charcoal stack was converted for hot blast in 1853. It shut down in 1855, then was reactivated in 1863 to support the Confederate States Army. The furnace was destroyed in June 1864 during the American Civil War by Brigadier General Alfred N. Duffié, then rebuilt in January 1865.  It operated until 1884.

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

References

Industrial buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia
Industrial buildings completed in 1804
Buildings and structures in Augusta County, Virginia
National Register of Historic Places in Augusta County, Virginia
Industrial furnaces
George Washington and Jefferson National Forests

Mt. Torry Furnace


Ilorin is the capital city of Kwara State located in the North Central region of  Nigeria. As of the 2006 census, it had a population of 777,667, making it the 7th largest city by population in Nigeria. Surrounding the historic central district with its traditional single-story red-mud houses with thatched straw roofs and numerous mosques, all protected by a mud wall, the modern city is an industrial, commercial, and educational centre.

History

Ilorin was founded by the Yoruba, one of the three largest ethnic groups in Nigeria, in 1450. It became a provincial military headquarters of the ancient Oyo Empire, and later became a Northern Nigeria protectorate when Shehu Alimi, an itinerant Islamic preacher and teacher, took control of the city through the spread of Islam. The capital was occupied by the Royal Niger Company in 1897 and its lands were incorporated into the British colony of Northern Nigeria in 1900, although the emirate continued to perform ceremonial functions. The city retains a strong Islamic influence, although Christianity is now widely practised in the cosmopolitan part of the city due to the significant immigration of people from other parts of Kwara State and the rest of Nigeria. Ilorin, city, traditional emirate, and capital of Kwara state, western Nigeria. It is located on the Awun River, a minor tributary of the Niger. Founded in the late 18th century by Yoruba people, it became the capital of a kingdom that was a vassal state of the Oyo empire. Oyo's commander at Ilorin, Kakanfo (Field Marshal) Afonja, led a rebellion in 1817 that destroyed the unity of the empire. He was aided by Mallam Alimi (a Fulani from Sokoto), by Fulani warriors and slaves, and by Hausa slaves. Afonja was increasingly dominated by the Muslim Fulani, and, upon his assassination, Alimi's son, Abd al-Salam (Abdul Salami), became emir of Ilorin and pledged allegiance (c. 1829) to the Sokoto caliphate. As a Muslim emirate, Ilorin subjugated several towns in Yorubaland and destroyed the Oyo capital, Oyo Ile (Old Oyo, or Katunga), 40 miles (64 km) northwest, in 1837. Abd al-Salam conducted a jihad toward the sea and was only stopped by the Ibadan victory over his cavalrymen at Oshogbo in 1840.

Throughout the 19th century, Ilorin served as a major trade centre between the Hausa of the north and the Yoruba of the south. It strongly resisted British rule, and not until 1897, when the army of the Royal Niger Company arrived after conquering Bida (106 miles east-northeast), did Ilorin recognize British supremacy. In 1900 Ilorin emirate was the only part of Yorubaland to be included in the Northern Nigeria Protectorate, which, later in the colonial period, developed into the Northern Province and then the Northern Region. With the subdivision of the country's administrative regions in 1967, Ilorin became part of West Central (later Kwara) state.

Demographics
Modern Ilorin is mainly inhabited by Muslim Yoruba people, although its traditional ruler is a Yoruba-speaking Fulani emir.

Sports
Ilorin has an 18,000-capacity stadium and two professional football teams; Kwara United F.C. playing in the top-tier league of Nigeria Professional Football League (N.P.F.L) which is run by the League Management Company; and ABS FC in the second division which is Bet9ja Nigeria National league.

The city has the only standard baseball field in West Africa. It has also hosted several national handball competitions.

Commerce

The political economy of Kwara State can be traced to 1967 when it was created. Since then the state has undergone various developmental efforts, mostly initiated by the federal government given the nature of the Nigerian state, a centralized federal system where development policies and programmes originate from the centre.

The state has a large area of rich agricultural land. The limestone and dolomite of Oreke, kaolin and clay at Idofian near Ilorin and other parts of the state, pure gold in Kaiama and the Patigi area, and the highly exportable rich tantalite deposit of Iporin make Kwara State rich in primary resources.

Initially, Kwara State had only a few major industrial companies, Global Soap (not more in operation), Detergent Industries Nigeria Limited and the International Tobacco Company. Successive administrations have attempted to attract industrialists to the state.

With such efforts, Ilorin has become the hub for cashew processing in Nigeria and Olam International has set up Africa's biggest cashew processing plant. The plant processes 100 MT of cashews every day and provides employment to over 2000 workers.

Recently established industries include Dangote Flour Mills, Tuyil Pharmaceutical company, KAMWIL, Golden Confectionate Food Industries, Chellaram Motor-Cycle Assembly plants, and Rajrab Pharmaceuticals.

It is a major market for locally raised crops (yams, cassava [manioc], corn [maize], sorghum, millet, rice, peppers, peanuts [groundnuts], shea nuts, kola nuts, cotton) and for cattle, hides, and poultry. Local handicrafts include pottery making, wood carving, leather working, cloth weaving, and mat and basket weaving. The growing industrial sector now includes sugar refining, food processing, soft-drink bottling, match and soap manufacturing, and ironworking. There are several banks and insurance companies that serve the city and state.

Climate
Ilorin has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw). It has an annual rainfall which can range between . The city has maximum temperatures varying between , with the third month of the year, March, being the hottest. The minimum and maximum temperature, and also the relative humidity have increased between 1978 and 2017. The wind that blows is typically from points between southeast and northeast.

Transport

Ilorin operates a relatively well-developed intra-city public transport system, and the major roads within the metropolis are well constructed.

There are three different modes of available transit from one place to another in the city – the most popular being the conventional taxis. Car-hire services are also available in major hotels. Furthermore, there are commercial motorbikes, commonly called "Okada". A more recent arrival on Ilorin's roads are commercial tricycles, popularly called "Keke NAPEP" or "Keke" or "Keke Maruwa", some of which are given on loan to beneficiaries of the National Poverty Eradication Programme. Ilorin taxis are painted yellow and green.

Ilorin's central location makes it easily accessible to all parts of the country by air, road and rail. The state has a good network of roads, rail and air transportation facilities linking it with Nigeria's other industrial and commercial centres. Transportation is quite affordable in Ilorin for movement from one place to another for as low as one hundred naira.

There are scheduled daily commercial flights to and from Ilorin International Airport by Arik Air and Overland Airways. The now defunct Capital Airlines also operated from Ilorin. Current destinations include all of the major cities in Nigeria. The airport has also been re-designed and equipped as an international cargo airport.

Ilorin offers reliable road transport services to Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Oyo, Ekiti, Kogi, Niger, Kaduna and Plateau States. Similar services are available to and from Onitsha, Port Harcourt, Abuja, Aba and others.

A major expressway to Ibadan, numbered E1, is currently under construction by P.W. International. Ilorin is served by the railway and highway from Lagos (160 miles south-southwest), via Ibadan, which intersect in the city, and it has an international airport.

Culture

Religion
The city is a confluence of cultures, populated by the Yoruba, Fulani, Nupe, Bariba, Kanuri, Igbo and Hausa ethnicities across Nigeria, as well as foreign and nationals. There are large Christian and Islamic populations, and many ceremonial activities, mostly with religious aspects, take place in the city throughout the year.

Ilorin has a friendly environment (generally called the "Home of Peace"), and hence host different religious practices and training institute, such as the degree-awarding United Missionary Theological College (affiliated with the University of Ibadan and University of Ilorin) produces many church ministers, teachers and theologians of all denominations. The College of Arabic and Islamic Legal Studies in the Adeta area trains Muslims in various Islamic, Arabic and social science disciplines.

Christianity in Ilorin

The city has a host of ancient and modern churches with moderate to large congregations, such as the holy order of Cherubim and Seraphim churches, Anglican, Methodist, Celestial Church of Christ, The Holy Trinity Gospel Church International, Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), United Missionary Church of Africa (UMCA), Catholic Church, Emmanuel Baptist Church, First Baptist Church, Zion Baptist church. Notable Pentecostal churches which include Redeemed Christian Church of God, The Gospel Faith Mission International (Gofamint), Deeper Life Church, Living Faith Church(winners chapel), Common Wealth of Zion Assembly, Seventh-day Adventist and Protestant populations of the Christian faith. Most Christian churches in the state started schools and introduced innovative ideas that were readily adopted by the Muslim schools.

There has been a Latter-day Saint congregation in Ilorin since 1992. In that year an LDS mission was organized in the city that year, but shortly later merged with the one in Enugu. Starting in 2016 additional LDS congregations were organized in Ilorin, which in 2018 was transferred to the new Nigerian Ibadan Mission, and had a district organized.

Ilorin Central Mosque

History
The first Ilorin central mosque was founded in 1820 in the Agbarere Area, popularly known as "Ile-Elewa", under the leadership of Sheik Imam Muhammad Munab'bau. This was followed in 1835 when another central mosque was built at Idi-Ape during the reign of the first Emir of Ilorin, Abdus-salam. However, more than a century later, this central mosque could no longer cope with the growth in the Muslim population of the city. For this reason, in 1974, the ninth Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Zulkarnaini Gambari, invited Grand Mufti Alhaji Mohammed Kamal-u-deen and the then present Wazirin Ngeri of Ilorin, Abubakar Sola Saraki, to co-ordinate the fundraising and construction of a new central mosque.

The present Ilorin Central Mosque

On 30 April 1977, the foundation was laid for the new mosque by the Emir of Gwandu on behalf of the Sarki Musulmi, Sultan Abubakar III. The new Ilorin Central Mosque was completed and officially opened in 1981 by the former president Alhaji Shehu Shagari. The Mosque was renovated, rehabilitated and expanded in 2012 with a majestic view. The newly redecorated mosque was recommissioned on 14 December 2012.

The "New" Ilorin Central Mosque
Planning for the rehabilitation, refurbishment and redecoration of the Central Mosque started in 2007 when Alhaji Ibrahim Zulu Gambari, CFR, the eleventh Emir of Ilorin, with assistance from Abubakar Bukola Saraki, the Turaki of Ilorin, and the former Governor of Kwara State, set up a technical committee headed by Alhaji Shehu Abdul-gafar on the rehabilitation and enhancement of the central mosque. The committee has invited expertise from specialists in mosque construction from around the world, especially from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Nigeria.

In addition to the general restoration and enhancement of the mosque, it now has a total of 99 domes of different diameters, 75 feet above the floor. The large dome is made of gold finish while the four big domes around are coated in green with reflective illumination. The mosque form is enveloped within a pyramid shape with a square base and 45 inclinations for the faces. It has four accessible minarets, each standing at a height of 150 feet. Moreover, all the dilapidated domes and minarets with mosaic finishing were restored and finished with cut-to-size marble. The exterior and interior are covered by special marble while the expanded courtyard was constructed with heat-absorbing granite (marble) finish. The doors and windows were replaced with specially designed ones befitting the new mosque concept.

Arts and Tourism

The city also has a range of tourist attractions such as the Sobi Hill which is said to have offered protection to natives during intertribal wars in ancient times.

The Okuta Ilorin is located in Asaju's compound, Idi-Ape Quarters. It is the stone on which Ojo Isekuse, one of the founders of the city, used to sharpen his metal tools.

It was actually called "Okuta ilo irin" (meaning stone for sharpening metals). It is from this tool, the town Ilorin derived its name.
The stone was a deified object of worship and sacrifice offerings in the past.

Pottery is a big business in Ilorin.

The city has the biggest traditional pottery workshops in Nigeria. They are located in the Dada area of Okelele, Eletu in Oju-Ekun, Okekura, Oloje, Abe Emi and Ita Merin.

The traditional textile industry also thrives in Ilorin. In various parts of the city, aso-oke, textiles hand-woven on simple looms, are made in large quantities.

Aso-oke is purchased by traders and fashion designers from Kwara State, other parts of Nigeria and abroad.

The cultural center houses the Kwara State Council for Arts and Culture, its performing troupe, and a gallery with artworks and antiquities. Souvenirs of cultural and historical values are also available.

Metropolitan Park, a recreational park, is located on Unity Road. The Kwara State Stadium Complex has an Olympic-sized swimming pool with facilities for diving.

A purpose-built baseball park is located in the Adewole area of the city.

The Esie Museum is of major importance to the Nigeria's many cultures.

Flood Crisis

In Ilorin city, on Wednesday night, a flood caused by a heavy downpour ruined valuables worth millions of naira.

According to information obtained by The Nigerian Tribune, inhabitants of the state capital experienced great difficulty and losses as a result of the deluge, which began at 5:00pm and lasted until about 9:00pm.

Additionally, it was learned that many residents of the impacted buildings along Obbo and Unity roads in Ilorin remained inside until Thursday afternoon because they were unable to leave the water that had engulfed their structures.

Pollution
Ilorin, a capital city in Kwara State is taken over by heaps of refuse in major streets. This is as a result of Kwara State Waste Management inability to evacuate garbage bins.
A News Agency of Nigeria correspondent reports that the bins, stationed at designated points across the city, were full to the brim, thereby forcing residents to dump refuse by the roadside and walkways.

The health implication as failure to evacuate the refuse could provoke an outbreak of diseases as a result of abandoned refuse containers by the roadside until they emitted stinking odour into the atmosphere, causing serious discomfort to the residents.

Education

Ilorin is home to more than two universities, the University of Ilorin popularly known as Unilorin and Al-Hikmah University ilorin , it also has Kwara State University popularly known as Kwasu within its metropolitan area. The Federal Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute, which operates a research farm, it is located near the city. Teacher-training colleges and a vocational trade school also serve Ilorin. Health services include a number of government, private, and religious hospitals and a nursing home for the elderly.

It is also home to the following educational institutions:
International Aviation College, Ilorin.
Emmanuel Baptist College
Kwara State College of Arabic and Islamic Legal Studies, Ilorin
Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin
Kwara State Polytechnic
Unilorin Secondary School

Agriculture and Rural Management Training Institute
Muhyideen College of Education
Ansarul Islam Secondary School, Ilorin
Army Day Secondary School, Sobi Barrack, Ilorin
Baboko Community Secondary School, Ilorin
Bishop Smith Memorial College
Cherubim and Seraphim College, Ilorin
Federal Government College, Ilorin
Federal Training Center, Ilorin
Government Day Secondary School, Karuma, Ilorin
Government Girls Day Secondary School, Ilorin
Government Secondary School, Adeta, Ilorin
Government Secondary School, Ilorin Founded in 1914
Ilorin Grammar School, Ilorin
IQRA College, Ilorin
Michael Imoudu Institute for Labour Studies
Mount Carmel College, Ilorin
National Centre for Agricultural Mechanization
Saint Anthony's Secondary School, Ilorin
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Ilorin
Socrates College, Ilorin
U.M.C.A High school, Ilorin
United Missionary Theological Seminary

See also

 Ilorin Emirate

References

State capitals in Nigeria
Cities in Yorubaland
Cities in Nigeria
Populated places in Kwara State
1450 establishments

Ilorin


Key lime pie is an American dessert made of key lime juice, egg yolks, and sweetened condensed milk in a pie crust. One version uses the egg whites and has a meringue topping. The dish is named after key limes (Citrus aurantifolia 'Swingle'), but it is sometimes made with other types of lime.

The filling in key lime pie is yellow, mostly because of the egg yolks. When it is being mixed, the condensed milk and the acidic lime juice react and make the filling become thick. Many early recipes for key lime pie did not tell the cook to bake the pie because they used this reaction to make the filling thick. Today, because of food safety, the pies are often baked for a short time. The baking thickens the filling even more.

This delectable dessert derives it's decidedly delicious domicile down in the depths of Key West, Florida.

References

Desserts

Key lime pie


Ernesto Garrido is a paralympic swimmer from Cuba competing mainly in category S10 events.

Ernesto competed in three paralympics, in his first games in 1992 though he was entered in the athletics shot put and discus he didn't compete in them and instead competed in the pool. He competed in the 100m freestyle, winning his heat but only managing fourth in the final, the 50m freestyle where he again won his heat but was beaten in the final by Italian Gianluca Saini who set a new world record, the 200m medley finishing last in the final and the 400m freestyle where despite setting a world record in the heat and swimming faster in the final still ended up fourth.

References

External links

Paralympic swimmers for Cuba
Swimmers at the 1992 Summer Paralympics
Swimmers at the 1996 Summer Paralympics
Swimmers at the 2000 Summer Paralympics
Paralympic silver medalists for Cuba
Cuban male freestyle swimmers
Living people
Medalists at the 1992 Summer Paralympics
Year of birth missing (living people)
Paralympic medalists in swimming
S10-classified para swimmers

Ernesto Garrido


Gustav Bartholin Hagen (12 February 1873 – 10 May 1941) was a Danish architect. He was the father of the architect Ole Hagen (1913-1984).

Early life and education
Gustav Bartholin Hagen was born in Copenhagen, the son of Sophus Hagen, a composer and music editor, and Serine Johanne Frederikke Klingsey. He completed a mason's apprenticeship in 1894 before attending a technical school to prepare for the Art Academy. In 1897 he was admitted to the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts where he studied under Hack Kampmann among others.  After graduating in 1906, he received a travel scholarship and went to northern Italy the following year.

Career
After his return to Denmark, Hagen established a successful practice, specializing in private villas and country houses, including  B. Hertz' villa in Vedbæk (1904–08), Lystrupgård at Slangerup (1907) and Broksø at Næstved (1915–16). Another early work is the new headquarters of  the Copenhagen Lighting Service (Københavns Belysningsvæsen) on Gothersgade in Copenhagen. He won the competition in 1909 and subsequently made the final design in collaboration with Rolf Schroeder who had taken 3rd prize.

Later in his career, he designed a number of schools, most notably Øregaard Gymnasium  (1922–24, with Edvard Thomsen).

Selected buildings
 Villa BH (for goldsmith Bernhard Hertz), Vedbæk Strandvej 322, Vedbæk (1904–08)
 Lystrupgård main building (1907)
 Villa, Østergade 18, Store Heddinge (1910)
 Københavns Belysningsvæsen, now VUC, 53 Gothersgade/8 Vognmagergade (1912–13, with Rolf Schroeder)
 Store Heddinge watertower, Store Heddinge (1912)
 Sparekassen for Køge og omegn, Køge (1913–14 and 1918–19)
 Sauntegård (1914)
 Broksø (1915–16)
 Olfert Fischer Monument, Reformed Church, Gothersgade, Copenhagen (1920)
 Halskovskolen, Korsør (competition in 1921)
 Øregård Gymnasium, Gersonsvej, Hellerup (1922–24, with Edvard Thomsen, listed)
 Sparekasse, Store Heddinge (1925, extended by the sculptor Mathilius Schack Elo, listed 2003)
 Gentofte Central Library, Øregårds Allé, Hellerup (1929–30, nedrevet)
 Skovshoved Skole extension, Skovshoved (1929–30, with Alfred Brandt)
 Dyssegårdsskolen, Dyssegårdsvej, Dyssegård (1929–33, with Alfred Brandt og Carl Schiøtz)
 Næsbyholm (1932–33)
 Søndermarksskolen, Frederiksberg (1932–33)
 Sønderjyllandsskolen, Frederiksberg (1939–43, with Ole Hagen)
 Damsøbadet, Frederiksberg (1941–43, with Ole Hagen)

References

Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts alumni
Architects from Copenhagen
1873 births
1941 deaths
Burials at Holmen Cemetery

Gustav Bartholin Hagen


James W. Cockburn,  (February 13, 1819 – August 14, 1883) was a Canadian Conservative politician, and a father of Canadian Confederation.

Early life
He was born in Berwick-Upon-Tweed on the English–Scottish border and immigrated to Canada with his father, James Cockburn Snr. (1787–1832), mother, Sarah Turnbull (1797–1866) and brother, Adam (1820–1860), at the age of 13. After attending Upper Canada College and Osgoode Hall, he established a law practice in Cobourg, Ontario.

Career
In the 1850s, Cockburn was elected to the town council. In 1861, he was elected to the Province of Canada's legislative assembly as a Reformer representing Northumberland West. Despite  elected as an opponent of the Macdonald - Cartier administration, Cockburn switched allegiances and became a supporter of Macdonald's Liberal-Conservative Party.

Cockburn attended the Quebec Conference of 1864 as a supporter of Confederation. After Confederation, he was elected to the new House of Commons of Canada in the country's first election. He was nominated by Sir John A. Macdonald to be Canada's first Speaker of the House of Commons, a position in which he served from 1867 to 1874.

His performance as Speaker was hindered by the fact that he spoke no French in a chamber in which both English and French were official languages. He did however understand French. In 1872, Cockburn was nominated for a second term as Speaker despite reservations by the Opposition that he had been too favourable to the government in his rulings. Cockburn lost his seat in the 1874 election that had been precipitated by the Pacific Scandal and that brought down the Macdonald government.

Cockburn won back his former seat in the 1878 election but did not take an active role in Parliament. He resigned in 1881 when he was appointed to collect and classify Canadian statutes but this assignment was cut short by his death.

|-

|Independent Liberal
|Darius Crouter
|align="right"| acclaimed
|}

Death

Cockburn died on August 14, 1883, from sickness. He is buried in St. James Cemetery, in Toronto.

Personal life
He married Isabella Susan Patterson in 1854 and they had three children: Sarah Isabella Cockburn, Francis Cockburn and May Cockburn.

References

1819 births
1883 deaths
People from Berwick-upon-Tweed
People from Cobourg
Canadian lawyers
Canadian King's Counsel
James
Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942) MPs
English emigrants to pre-Confederation Ontario
Fathers of Confederation
Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario
Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada)
Speakers of the House of Commons of Canada
Upper Canada College alumni
Immigrants to Upper Canada
Burials at St. James Cemetery, Toronto
Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada from Canada West

James Cockburn (Ontario politician)


Central India is an Indian region.

Central India consists of two Indian states: Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. It shares a border with  Rajasthan, Gujarat, Odisha, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Telangana.One of the states i.e.Chattisgarh is ruled by the Congress with Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.

Raipur: capital city and largest city of Chhattisgarh.
Indore: the largest city of Madhya Pradesh
Bhopal: the capital city of Madhya Pradesh.

This map of India (press to open) shows all central Indian states in the color pink. The larger one is Madhya Pradesh while the smaller one is Chhattisgarh.
Regions of India

Central India