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Salthill_and_Monkstown_railway_station	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salthill_and_Monkstown_railway_station	[ 637 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salthill_and_Monkstown_railway_station" ]	Salthill and Monkstown railway station (Irish: Stáisiún Chnoc an tSalainn agus Baile na Manach) serves the areas of Salthill (on the coast) and Monkstown (just inland) in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland. It is situated between Seapoint and Dún Laoghaire DART stations. The station has a car park, information office, automated ticket and vending machines. The information office is open between 05:45-00:15 AM, Monday to Sunday. History The original Salthill station opened in May 1837. It was built by the Dublin and Kingstown Railway. It closed in 1960 and was electrified and reopened in 1984 with the arrival of DART services. Transport services With the exception of the DART, there is no direct public transport to or from the station. The nearest bus stops are in Monkstown village, located less than 300 m from the station, which are served by the following: Dublin Bus Routes: 7 / 7A from Mountjoy Square to Bride's Glen / Loughlinstown. Route 7 provides a connection to the Luas Green Line terminus at Bride's Glen 7N Nitelink from Dublin city centre to Shankill, via Blackrock (Fri & Sat only) Go-Ahead Ireland Routes: S8 from Citywest to Dún Laoghaire, via The Square and Sandyford Business District Private Operators Aircoach route 703 from Killiney to Dublin Airport, via Monkstown There is also a taxi rank in Monkstown village and a large car park adjacent to the station. See also List of railway stations in Ireland References External links Irish Rail Salthill and Monkstown Station Website
Dublin_Area_Rapid_Transit	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dublin_Area_Rapid_Transit	[ 637 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dublin_Area_Rapid_Transit" ]	The Dublin Area Rapid Transit system (stylised as DART) is an electrified commuter rail railway network serving the coastline and city of Dublin, Ireland. The service makes up the core of Dublin's suburban railway network, stretching from Greystones, County Wicklow, in the south to Howth and Malahide in north County Dublin. The DART serves 31 stations and consists of 53 route kilometres of electrified railway (46 km (29 mi) double track, 7 km (4.3 mi) single), and carries in the region of 20 million passengers per year. In a similar manner to the Berlin S-Bahn, the DART blends elements of a commuter rail service and a rapid transit system. The DART system was established by Córas Iompair Éireann in 1984 to replace an ageing fleet of diesel-powered locomotives. It was, and still is, the only electric mainline railway in Ireland, and one of two currently operating electric railways, the other being the Luas tram which opened in 2004. Since 1987, the service is operated by Iarnród Éireann, Ireland's national rail operator. Contemporary rolling stock on the DART network is powered by 1,500 V DC overhead lines and uses the 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) Irish gauge. History Initial development The section of trackbed between Dún Laoghaire and Dublin City was originally laid out as part of the Dublin and Kingstown Railway, Ireland's first railway. This line was later connected with the Belfast mainline to the north and Wexford mainline to the south and joined the Harcourt Street line at Shanganagh Junction. The scenic views from the railway over Dublin Bay at this point have been compared to those on the Gulf of Naples and have resulted in trips to Killiney Hill and Greystones along the line becoming tourist attractions. Prior to electrification in 1984, the line was operated using 1950s-era CIÉ 2600 Class rail cars which had been converted in the early 1970s to push-pull operation. These diesel-powered trains were powered by a CIE 201 Class locomotive, with a driving trailer carriage on the other end. This service was notoriously uncomfortable, unreliable, and overcrowded. By the late 1970s, the need for an urgent upgrade to the system had become apparent, as the 2600 Class railcars were in poor condition. Replacement parts had become difficult to obtain due to the age of the rolling stock and its conversion to push-pull operation, which had been intended as a temporary measure until a more permanent solution could be established, had come to the end of its serviceable life. In conjunction with electrification, three disused stations at Sandymount, Booterstown and Salthill and Monkstown were reopened for the DART in 1984. Sandymount and Booterstown were each built at the sites of a previous station while Salthill and Monkstown was built near the site of the original Kingstown railway terminus, between Seapoint and Dún Laoghaire. As electrification work was undertaken from 1981–1982, a spur which had served the ferry port at Dún Laoghaire was disconnected from the mainline as the installation of overhead power lines to service the harbour would have necessitated the lowering of the track which travelled through a portal south of Dún Laoghaire station. Early DART services ran from the north-eastern suburb of Howth, through Connolly, Tara Street, and Pearse stations in the city centre and on to Bray, which lies on the border between Dublin and Wicklow. This route remained unchanged for almost sixteen years until the line between Bray and Greystones was electrified. Further electrification of the line took place between Howth Junction & Donaghmede and Malahide, the northernmost DART station, on the Belfast mainline. The service to Portmarnock and Malahide began in October 2000. Operation The DART service is operated by a mixed fleet of electric multiple unit trains. As of 2019, the trains run every ten minutes on weekdays with a reduced service on weekends. Trains north of Howth Junction are split between Howth and Malahide while the Malahide service is supplemented by Northern Commuter trains. Trains are typically run as four-car, six-car or eight-car sets during the 07.00–09.30 and 17.00–19.00 weekday peak periods. Capacity is reduced during off-peak periods and at weekends, with up to four eight-car sets running. Four-car sets typically consist of a single 8500 Class unit while six-car sets are made up of three 8100 Class units. Eight-car sets can be made up of either two 8500 Class or four 8100 Class units. Both classes had worked in tandem prior to the refurbishment of the ageing 8100 Class in 2007, after which both have been run separately. Forty two-car 8100 Class units were purchased to run the initial network. Two of these were damaged beyond repair in a depot fire in 2001. Expanding passenger numbers and the need to refurbish the ageing 8100 Class units saw the purchase of four 8500 Class train sets in 2000. These were complemented with three 8510 Class sets in 2001 and ten 8520 Class sets in 2003 and 2004. The now-withdrawn 8200 Class sets which were first run in 2000 operated until 2008 at which point they were retired from revenue service and decommissioned due to longstanding technical issues. A redevelopment of the network's stations was undertaken between 2003 and 2005 to lengthen platforms to accommodate eight-car sets, upgrade the power grid, and improve accessibility for disabled passengers. Service All trains in the Dublin suburban area, including DART services, are monitored and regulated by a Central Traffic Control (CTC) facility located in Connolly Station, known as Suburban CTC. This facility has been extensively automated and requires a staff of five; two signallers, one with responsibility for level crossings, an electrical control officer, who supervises the electrical power supply equipment and an overall supervisor. The main CTC is staffed at all times however, there are also backup local control rooms which allow services to continue in the event of serious technical problems. A single driver is responsible for the management of each train from the cab in the leading carriage. Automatic doors are controlled by the driver and are armed upon arrival at stations. Real-time passenger information displays on station platforms offer passengers updates on the next train arrival times, service updates and outages. Automatic PA announcements are made in case of service disruptions and are tailored to each station. The majority of stations on the network have been renovated to include automatic barriers which require passengers to submit their tickets for verification before they can set foot on the platform. A ticket is required in advance of boarding DART services and can be purchased at stations from staffed kiosks and automated machines. Passengers can also avail of the option of using a Leap Card, Dublin's integrated ticketing scheme. Leap cards are offered as contactless cards onto which passengers can load set ticket options or a cash balance. Leap fares are typically cheaper than paying in cash for a journey. On the DART network, users tag on at their point of entry and tag off at their exit point. Irish Rail, along with Dublin's other public transport operators operated its own smart card system which was phased out to coincide with the Leap Card's introduction. Revenue protection officers check passengers' tickets to ensure validity both onboard trains and on station platforms at random intervals. DART stations South of Howth Junction Howth Junction & Donaghmede Kilbarrack Raheny Harmonstown Killester Clontarf Road Connolly South of the River Liffey Tara Street Pearse Grand Canal Dock Lansdowne Road Sandymount Sydney Parade Booterstown Blackrock Seapoint Salthill and Monkstown South of Dún Laoghaire Dún Laoghaire Sandycove and Glasthule Glenageary Dalkey Killiney Shankill Bray Greystones Future DART+ In February 2018, the Irish government and National Transport Authority announced a 10-year plan to electrify the lines to Drogheda, Maynooth, Hazelhatch, M3 Parkway and Docklands. The proposed project, which had previously been referred to as "DART Expansion", was renamed "DART+" in 2020. The project was split into five sub-projects: DART+ Coastal North: Drogheda to Connolly Station. DART+ Coastal South: Greystones to Connolly Station. DART+ West: Maynooth and the M3 Parkway (merging together at Clonsilla Station) to Connolly Station and Spencer Dock Station. DART+ South West: Hazelhatch & Celbridge to Heuston Station and the proposed station at Glasnevin. DART+ Fleet : The purchasing of a new fleet to serve these routes. In 2019, a tender for up to 600 hybrid battery/electric units was issued (to provide fleet capacity for the proposed expansion), and a tender was also issued for initial design work on the additional electrification requirements. A new DART station, Woodbrook, was also proposed to be built between Shankill and Bray on the southern section of the DART line, near a former halt of the same name. The initial phase of the DART+ plan, the "DART+ West" project, proposes to provide 40 km (25 mi) of electrification to Maynooth, M3 Parkway and Docklands; with a new EMU maintenance depot at Maynooth and additional works in relation to signalling and level crossing closures. The DART+ West project progressed to the design stage as of April 2019, and the planning stage in December 2021. The public consultation phase for DART+ West closed in October 2022, and, as of November 2022, an oral hearing with An Bord Pleanála was due to be scheduled. Former/suspended proposals Several proposals have been made to expand the DART network beyond the coastal mainline and provide service to the north and west of the city. These expansion plans included a proposed tunnel linking the Docklands Station at Spencer Dock in the city's quays and Heuston Station. This proposed DART Underground project, first posited in 1972, included plans for services from Celbridge/Hazelhatch to the Docklands via St. Stephen's Green. The DART Underground project was put on hold in September 2015. While included in the Greater Dublin Transport Strategy 2016-2035 (published in 2016), the DART Underground proposal was not included in the Greater Dublin Area Strategy 2022-2042 (published in 2021). DART Line 1 The "DART Line 1" project proposed that the southern portion of the existing DART line would branch west after Connolly Station to run onto the Western Commuter line. This proposal included electrification as far as Maynooth. The branch to Navan (currently constructed and operational to M3 Parkway) was also due to be electrified as far as Dunboyne. DART Line 2 The northern portion of the DART line (north of Connolly Station) was proposed to be linked using the DART Underground to the Heuston main line via Docklands station at Spencer Dock and Heuston Station. This tunnel would link the DART directly with existing Luas light rail lines, bus routes, and proposed Metro lines and extend the high-frequency DART service to the Kildare commuter line. In April 2009, it was proposed that an electrification project would extend the DART as far as Drogheda. Rolling stock Current fleet Former fleet Proposed fleet changes Dart+ Fleet In 2017, IÉ announced plans to procure a new fleet of trains with the intention of extending DART services from 2023 onwards. An initial purchase of 100 vehicles was proposed to allow replacement of the existing fleet; this proposed purchase would include bi-mode units to allow services to run beyond the existing electrified network. In December 2021, IÉ announced that Alstom had been selected as the provider of up to 750 new vehicles, with 325 planned as part of the DART+ plan. Part of Alstom's X'Trapolis family, an initial purchase of 95 vehicles is to be undertaken, formed into 19 5-car units. A total of 13 of these are due to be fitted both with pantographs to operate using the 1,500 V DC OHLE on the main DART network, and batteries to allow operation on non-electrified routes. The battery operation is planned to allow the extension of DART services as far as Drogheda. The remaining units in the initial batch are expected to also be 5-car, fitted with pantograph only. In 2023, Alstom revealed prototypes of the new DART trains. The prototype plans include 4 bike spaces per car, space to charge e-bikes and scooters, dedicated wheelchair areas, and automatic ramps for passenger accessibility. In April 2023, TD Fergus O'Dowd suggested that the first set of trains were due to be delivered by 2025, enabling expansion of DART services to Drogheda along the DART+ Coastal North route. Competitors Iarnród Éireann, the operator of DART services, operates a rail monopoly. They also operate faster Commuter and InterCity services, which also serve Greystones, Bray, Dún Laoghaire, Blackrock, Sydney Parade, Lansdowne Road, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin Pearse, Tara Street, Dublin Connolly, Howth Junction & Donaghmede, Clongriffin, Portmarnock and Malahide. The only other company to operate on lines in the Republic of Ireland is Northern Ireland Railways, which jointly operates the cross-border Enterprise service between Dublin and Belfast. A number of other public transport modes are available in Dublin. The CIÉ-owned Dublin Bus and the private Go-Ahead Ireland (owned by Go-Ahead Group) operate throughout the city and have many routes that run parallel to DART for stretches. However, they do not have any scheduled routes that traverse the entire length of the DART line. As in the rest of Ireland, integration of bus and rail services is limited, though there are some "feeder bus" routes for which it is possible to buy a through ticket valid for both the rail and bus section of the journey. Travel passes and integrated ticketing (Leap Cards) for DART, Luas and Dublin Bus services were introduced in 2011. Gallery See also Rail transport in Ireland Multiple units of Ireland == References ==
Seapoint_railway_station	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seapoint_railway_station	[ 637 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seapoint_railway_station" ]	Seapoint railway station (Irish: Stáisiún Rinn na Mara) serves the locality of Seapoint, between Blackrock and Salthill in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland. History The station opened on 1 July 1862 and was originally called Monkstown & Seapoint, though the following year this was changed to just Seapoint. It was upgraded and electrified in 1984 with the arrival of DART services. Transport services There is no direct public transport to or from the station. The nearest bus stops are on Monkstown Road, located 450 m from the station, which are served by the following: Dublin Bus Routes: 7 / 7A from Mountjoy Square to Bride's Glen / Loughlinstown. Route 7 provides a connection to the Luas Green Line terminus at Bride's Glen 7N Nitelink from Dublin city centre to Shankill, via Blackrock (Friday & Saturday only) See also List of railway stations in Ireland References External links Irish Rail Seapoint Station Website
Member_states_of_the_Commonwealth_of_Nations	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Member_states_of_the_Commonwealth_of_Nations	[ 638 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Member_states_of_the_Commonwealth_of_Nations#:~:text=The%20Republic%20of%20Ireland%20(as,former%20members%20of%20the%20Commonwealth." ]	The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of 56 sovereign states, referred to as Commonwealth countries. Most of them were British colonies or dependencies of those colonies. No government in the Commonwealth exercises power over the others, as is the case in a political union. Rather, the Commonwealth is an international organization in which countries with diverse social, political, and economic backgrounds are regarded as equal in status, and cooperate within a framework of common values and goals, as outlined in the Singapore Declaration issued in 1971. Such common values and goals include the promotion of democracy, human rights, good governance, the rule of law, civil liberties, equality before the law, free trade, multilateralism, and world peace, which are promoted through multilateral projects and meetings, such as the Commonwealth Games, held once every four years. The symbol of this free association is King Charles III, who serves as the Head of the Commonwealth. This position, however, does not imbue him with any political or executive power over any Commonwealth member states; the position is purely symbolic, and it is the Commonwealth Secretary-General who is the chief executive of the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth was first officially formed in 1926 when the Balfour Declaration of the Imperial Conference recognised the full sovereignty of dominions. Known as the "British Commonwealth", the original and therefore earliest members were Australia, Canada, the Irish Free State, Newfoundland, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. It was re-stated by the 1930 conference and incorporated in the Statute of Westminster the following year (although Australia and New Zealand did not adopt the statute until 1942 and 1947, respectively). In 1949, the London Declaration marked the birth of the modern Commonwealth and the adoption of its present name. The members have a combined population of 2.6 billion, almost a third of the world's population, of whom 1.21 billion live in India, and 95% live in Africa and Asia combined. The most recent members to join were the Francophone African nations of Gabon and Togo on 29 June 2022, who along with Mozambique and Rwanda are unique in not having a historical constitutional relationship with the United Kingdom or other Commonwealth states. Currently, fifteen of the member states are Commonwealth realms, with the Head of the Commonwealth as their heads of state, five others are monarchies with their own individual monarchs (Brunei, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malaysia, and Tonga), and the rest are republics. The Republic of Ireland (as of 1949 according to the Commonwealth; 1936 according to the Irish government) and Zimbabwe (2003) are former members of the Commonwealth. Current member states All dates below are provided by the Commonwealth of Nations Secretariat members list, and population figures are as of 1 February 2020. ^ A. Unless otherwise noted, independence was gained from the United Kingdom on the date (shown in column 2) of joining the Commonwealth. ^ B. Not a member of the Commonwealth Foundation. ^ C. Though Pakistan celebrates 14 August 1947 as its independence day, independence was officially granted at midnight, 15 August 1947. Therefore, its date of joining the Commonwealth would be 15 August 1947. ^ D. Geographically a part of Asia, considered a European country in political geography. ^ E. Constitutional monarchy that operates under a Westminster system. The monarch is not the same individual as the British monarch, hence making it not a Commonwealth realm. ^ F. In geology, the Maltese Islands are located on the African Plate. The island group lies approx. 200 km (120 mi) south of the boundary between the African Plate and the Eurasian Plate. In political geography, Malta is considered a European country. Former member states Dissolved member states Prospective member states ^ G. The population figure is based on 2014 estimates. Other candidates Other states which have expressed an interest in joining the Commonwealth over the years include: Howard Henry, former Director of External Relations of the Cook Islands, stated that the Cook Islands could apply for Commonwealth membership as soon as the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa, following the United States recognition of the Cook Islands and Niue as sovereign states. The 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting agreed on the core criteria for Membership. An applicant country should have historic constitutional association with an existing Commonwealth member, aside from exceptional circumstances which are only considered on a case-by-case basis. Most Commonwealth member have constitutional links with the United Kingdom and the former British Empire. Former British dependencies are eligible to join the Commonwealth providing they agree and commit to the Commonwealth principles, these were laid out in the Singapore Declaration and reaffirmed in the Lusaka Declaration, the Langkawi Declaration and the Harare Declaration. See also Commonwealth of Nations membership criteria List of countries and territories where English is an official language List of countries by English-speaking population List of current viceregal representatives of the Crown References External links Commonwealth timeline "Members". Commonwealth Secretariat. Retrieved 15 February 2008. "Commonwealth of Nations". Commonwealth of Nations. Retrieved 15 February 2008. "The Commonwealth". Directgov. Retrieved 15 February 2008.
Softball	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Softball	[ 639 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Softball" ]	Softball is a popular variation of baseball, the difference being that it is played with a larger ball, on a smaller field, and with only underhand pitches (where the ball is released while the hand is primarily below the ball) permitted. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hancock. There are two rule sets for softball generally: slow-pitch softball and fastpitch. Slow-pitch softball is commonly played recreationally, while women's fastpitch softball was a Summer Olympic sport and can be played professionally. Softball was not included in the 2024 Summer Olympics but will return for the 2028 Summer Olympics. Depending on the variety being played and the age and gender of the players, the particulars of the field and equipment will also vary. While distances between bases of 60 feet are standard across varieties, the pitcher's plate ranges from 35 to 43 feet away from home plate, and the home run fence can be 220 to 300 feet away from home plate. The ball itself is typically 11 or 12 inches (28 or 30 centimetres) in circumference, though this also depends on specifics of the competition. Softball rules vary in certain aspects from those of baseball. The game moves at a faster pace than traditional baseball due to the field being smaller and the bases and the fielders being closer to home plate. Softball is pitched underhand from flat ground, whereas baseball is pitched overhand on what they call a 'mound'. A baseball mound is typically a pile of dirt with a rectangular pitching rubber on top, where the pitcher will then throw overhand and downward to the batter. History The earliest known softball game was played in Chicago, Illinois, on Thanksgiving Day, 1887. It took place at the Farragut Boat Club at a gathering to hear the outcome of the Yale University and Harvard University football game. When the score was announced and bets were settled, a Yale alumnus threw a boxing glove at a Harvard supporter. The Harvard fan grabbed a stick and swung at the rolled-up glove. George Hancock, a reporter there, called out "Play ball!" and the game began, with the boxing glove tightened into a ball, a broom handle serving as a bat. This first contest ended with a score of 41–40. The ball, being soft, was fielded barehanded. Hancock is credited as the game's inventor for his development of a 17-inch ball and an undersized bat in the next week. The Farragut Club soon set rules for the game, which spread quickly to outsiders. Envisioned as a way for baseball players to maintain their skills during the winter, the sport was called "Indoor Baseball". Under the name of "Indoor-Outdoor," the game moved outside in the next year, and the first rules were published in 1889. In 1895 Lewis Rober Sr. of Minneapolis organized outdoor games as exercise for firefighters; this game was known as kitten ball (after the first team to play it), lemon ball, or diamond ball. Rober's version of the game used a ball 12 inches (30 cm) in circumference, rather than the 16-inch (41 cm) ball used by the Farragut club, and eventually the Minneapolis ball prevailed, although the dimensions of the Minneapolis diamond were passed over in favor of the dimensions of the Chicago one. Rober may not have been familiar with the Farragut Club rules. Fire Station No. 19 in Minneapolis, Rober's post from 1896 to 1906, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in part for its association with the sport's development. The first softball league outside the United States was organized in Toronto, Ontario, in 1897. The name "softball" dates back to 1926. The name was coined by Walter Hakanson of the YMCA at a meeting of the National Recreation Congress. (In addition to "indoor baseball", "kitten ball", and "diamond ball", names for the game included "mush ball", and "pumpkin ball".) The name softball had spread across the United States by 1930. By the 1930s, similar sports with different rules and names were being played all over the United States and Canada. A tournament held in 1933 at the Chicago World's Fair spurred interest in the game. By 1936, the Joint Rules Committee on Softball had standardized the rules and naming throughout the United States. Sixteen-inch softball, also sometimes referred to as "mush ball" or "super-slow pitch" and is a direct descendant of Hancock's original game. Defensive players are not allowed to wear fielding gloves. Sixteen-inch softball is played extensively in Chicago, where devotees such as newspaper columnist Mike Royko consider it the "real" game, and New Orleans. In New Orleans, sixteen-inch softball is called "Cabbage Ball" or "batter ball" and is a popular team sport in area elementary and high schools. The first cork-centered softball was created in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, by Emil "Pops" Kenesky. By the 1940s, fast pitch began to dominate the game. Although slow pitch was present at the 1933 World's Fair, the main course of action taken was to lengthen the pitching distance. Slow pitch achieved formal recognition in 1953 when it was added to the program of the Amateur Softball Association, and within a decade had surpassed fast pitch in popularity. The first British women's softball league was established in 1953. The National Softball Hall of Fame and Museum was opened in Oklahoma City, United States, in 1957. In 1991, women's fast pitch softball was selected to debut at the 1996 Summer Olympics. The 1996 Olympics also marked a key era in the introduction of technology in softball. The IOC funded a landmark bio-mechanical study on pitching during the games. In 2002, sixteen-inch slow pitch was written out of the International Softball Federation (ISF) official rules, although it is still played extensively in the United States under The Amateur Softball Association of America, or ASA rules. The 117th meeting of the International Olympic Committee, held in Singapore in July 2005, voted to drop softball and baseball as Olympic sports for the 2012 Summer Olympics. They were reinstated for the 2020 Summer Olympics held in 2021. Other sanctioning bodies of softball are AAU, NSA, PONY, Babe Ruth League, ASA, ISC, USSSA and Triple Crown. Overview Fastpitch softball is played between two teams on a large field, with nine players (in 10u and above; 8u and below is usually played with ten players on a field at once) from one team on the field at a time. Slow-pitch softball is played with ten fielders but can be played with nine if needed. The softball field is usually composed of a dirt or brick dust infield that contains the shape and running areas of a diamond and a grass outfield. However, the field can consist of other solid and dry surfaces such as artificial turf or asphalt. There are four bases on the infield: First base, second base, third base, and home plate. The bases are arranged in a square and are typically 60 feet (18 m) apart. Near the center of this square is the pitcher's circle, and within the circle is the "rubber", a small flat rectangular plate a foot and a half in length. The rubber distance from the plate in fastpitch can be as short as 35 feet for 10u players up to 43 feet for ages 14 and older. In slow pitch softball, the rubber distance can be 43, 46 or 50 feet depending on age level and the league one is playing in. The object of the game is to score more runs (points) than the other team by batting (hitting) a ball into play and running around the bases, touching each one in succession. The ball is a sphere of light material, covered with leather or synthetic material. It is 11 to 12 inches (28–30 cm) (or, rarely, 16 in or 41 cm) in circumference. The game is officiated by one or more neutral umpires. Players and umpires are generally free to ask for a brief stoppage at any time when the ball is not in play (called a time out), or immediately following a play once its outcome is clear. The game is played in usually seven innings. Each inning is divided into a top half, in which the away team bats and tries to score runs, while the home team occupies the field and tries to record three outs; then a bottom half, when the teams' roles are reversed. Some leagues play with a reduced number of innings or with a time limit, rather than the traditional seven innings. To start play, the offense sends a batter to home plate. The batting order must be fixed at the start of the game, and players may not bat out of turn. The defense's pitcher stands atop the rubber and pitches the ball towards home plate using an underhand motion. In fast pitch, the pitcher is allowed to take one step back prior to releasing the ball during the forward movement. The batter attempts to hit the pitched ball with a bat, a long, round, smooth stick made of wood, metal or composite. If the pitcher throws three strikes against a batter, then the batter is out and the next batter in the order comes up to bat. A strike is recorded any time a batter swings at and misses a pitch or when a batter hits a ball foul (out of play). A strike is also recorded any time the batter does not swing at a pitch that crosses home plate within an area known as the strike zone. In fast pitch, to be within the strike zone, the pitch must cross over home plate, and as it crosses it must be above the knees and slightly below the shoulders (roughly the armpit or the shirt logo). The strike zone therefore varies from batter to batter. In slow pitch, the ball must land on a carpet or marked area behind the plate, therefore standardizing the strike zone. A pitch outside the strike zone is a ball. If the batter reaches four balls, the batter is awarded the first base in what is known as a "walk". The umpire behind home plate is the sole arbiter of balls and strikes. A foul ball may or may not result in a strikeout dependent upon what association and local league rules. However, bunting a foul ball does result in a strikeout. In some associations and leagues, bunting is not allowed and results in an out. Also, if a player has two strikes, swinging and partially hitting the ball can result in an out if the catcher manages to catch the tipped ball. The batter attempts to swing the bat and hit the ball fair (into the field of play). After a successful hit the batter becomes a base runner (or runner) and must run to first base. The defense attempts to field the ball and may throw the ball freely between players, so one player can field the ball while another moves to a position to put out the runner. The defense can tag the runner, by touching the runner with the ball while the runner is not on a base. The defense can also touch first base while in possession of the ball; in this case it is sufficient to beat the batter to first base and an actual tag of the batter is unnecessary. A runner is said to be "thrown out" when the play involves two or more defensive players. Runners generally cannot be put out when touching a base, but only one runner may occupy a base at any time and runners may not pass each other. When a ball is batted into play, runners generally must attempt to advance if there are no open bases behind them; for example, a runner on first base must run to second base if the batter puts the ball in play. In such a situation, the defense can throw to the base that the lead runner is attempting to take (a force out), and the defense can then also throw to the previous base. This can result in a multiple-out play: a double play is two outs, while a triple play, a very rare occurrence, is three outs. Runners with an open base behind them are not forced to advance and do so at their own risk; the defense must tag such runners directly to put them out rather than tagging the base. A ball hit in the air and caught before hitting the ground, in fair or foul territory, puts the batter out. A fly ball is a ball hit high and deep, a pop fly is a ball hit high but short, and a line drive is a ball hit close to the horizontal. After the catch, runners must return to their original bases; if the defense throws the ball to that base before the runner returns, the runner is out as well, resulting in a double play. A runner who remains on the base until the ball is touched, or returns to the base (tags up) after the catch, may try to advance to the next base, at the risk of being tagged out between bases. As in baseball, the infield fly rule applies in some game situations to prevent the defense from recording multiple force outs by deliberately dropping an easy catch. Offensive strategy is mostly just to hit the ball skillfully to let the batter reach base and advance other runners around the bases to score runs. The count of balls and strikes indicates how aggressive the batter should be. The offense may try to sacrifice, with the batter deliberately making an out in order to advance runners. Defensive strategy is more complex, as particular situations (number of outs and positions of base-runners) and particular batters call for different positioning of fielders and different tactical decisions. The defense may decide to allow a run if it can achieve one or multiple outs. Playing field The playing field is divided into fair territory and foul territory. Fair territory is further divided into the infield, and the outfield. The field is defined by foul lines that meet at a right angle at home plate. The minimum length of the baselines varies classification of play (see below for official measurements). A fence running between the baselines defines the limits of the field; distance from home plate to the fence varies by field. The widest part of the field is the distance between the foul poles, which are erected where the foul lines meet the fence and are about 310 to 420 feet (94 to 128 m) apart depending on the length of the foul lines. Home plate is one corner of a diamond with bases at each corner. The bases are cushions 15 inches (38 cm) square, of canvas or a similar material, and not more than 5 inches (13 cm) thick. The bases are usually securely fastened to the ground. The bases are numbered counterclockwise as first base, second base, and third base. Often, but not always, outside first base (that is, in foul territory) and adjacent and connected to it, there is a contrast-colored "double base" or "safety base" intended to prevent collisions between the first baseman and the runner. The runner runs for the foul portion of the double base after hitting the ball while the fielding team tries to throw the ball to the fair portion before the runner reaches the safety base. However, not all softball diamonds have these safety bases and they are much more common in women's softball than in men's. The double base is required in the U-18 Women's Softball World Cup. The infield consists of the diamond and the adjacent space in which the infielders (see below) normally play. The outfield is the remaining space between the baselines and between the outfield fence and the infield. The infield is usually "skinned" (dirt), while the outfield has grass in regulation competitions. Near the center of the diamond is the pitching plate, or colloquially "rubber". In fastpitch, a circle 16 feet (4.9 meters) in diameter known as the pitching circle is marked around the pitching plate. A field is officially required to have a warning track between 15 and 12 feet (4.6 and 3.7 meters) from the outfield fence. However, if the game is being played on a field larger than required, no warning track is required before the temporary outfield fencing. Located in foul territory outside both baselines are two coach's boxes. Each box is behind a line 15 feet (4.6 meters) long located 12 feet (3.7 meters) from each baseline. Official baseline dimensions Pitching distances Equipment Equipment required in softball includes a ball, a bat (composite, metal or wooden), gloves, uniforms and protective gear. For example, helmets for the offensive team and a helmet, shin guards, and chest protector for the defensive catcher. Also cleats, sliding shorts, face masks and knee sliders may be worn for softball. Ball Despite the sport's name, the ball is not actually soft, though it does have a lower density and greater coefficient of restitution than a baseball. The size of the ball varies according to the variety played and age of the participants. The circumference for fastpitch for adults is 12±0.125 in (30.5±0.3 cm), with a mass between 6.25 and 7.0 oz (177 and 198 g), while children under 12 use a ball with a circumference of 11±0.125 in (27.9±0.3 cm) with a mass between 5.875 and 6.125 oz (166.6 and 173.6 g). A 12-inch circumference ball is generally used in slow pitch. (For comparison, a baseball is 9 to 9+1⁄4 inches (229–235 mm) in circumference and has a mass between 5 and 5+1⁄4 ounces (142–149 g).) The ball is covered in two pieces of leather or similar synthetic covering that are roughly the shape of a figure-8 and sewn together along a continuous seam. The core of the ball may be made of long fiber kapok, a mixture of cork and rubber, a polyurethane mixture, or another approved material. Before 1993, white balls were standard at all levels of play. In that year, a new, fluorescent optic yellow colored ball was first used in college softball. Yellow softballs have become the standard for all levels of play; white balls are also still allowed but are very uncommon today. In Chicago, where softball was invented, it remains traditional to play a variant of slow-pitch with a ball 16 inches (41 centimeters) in circumference. The fielders do not wear gloves or mitts. A 16-inch softball when new is rough and hard, with hand and finger injuries to fielders frequent if they do not "give" when receiving a ball, but the ball "breaks in" slightly during a game and continues to soften over time with continued play. A well-broken-in ball is called a mush ball and is favored for informal "pick-up" games and when playing in limited space, such as a city street (because the ball does not go as far). A 16-inch ball is also used for wheelchair softball. Bat The bat used by the batter can be made of wood, aluminum, or composite materials such as carbon fiber. Sizes may vary but they may be no more than 34 inches (86 cm) long, 2.4 inches (6 cm) in diameter, or 38 ounces (1.1 kg) in mass. The standard barrel diameter for both slow pitch and fast pitch softball bats is 2+1⁄4 inches. Many players prefer a smaller barrel, which reduces mass and allows higher swing speed. Although there are a variety of bats used, there are several that are banned due to performance enhancement. For example, with a thinner wall, the ball recoils faster off the bat, allowing it to travel further. Many bats may be "doctored" or "juiced" by being end loaded, shaved, or painted. End loading of a cap refers to the addition of weight manually placed at the end of the barrel to distribute more weight at the tip. Shaving bats require machine use in order to remove the inner walls of the bat to improve elasticity. Lastly, illegal bats may be painted to resemble legal ones. Gloves All defensive players wear fielding gloves, made of leather or similar material. Gloves have webbing between the thumb and forefinger, known as the "pocket". Gloves used in softball are typically larger than the ones used in baseball to account for the larger ball. No glove larger than 14 in (36 cm) can be used in ASA (American Softball Association) sanctioned play. While extremely rare in recreational play, there are sometimes different size gloves for different positions on the field. Catchers and first baseman have what is called a mitt, whose pockets are larger than other gloves. These are more padded. An outfielder's glove is smaller than the catcher's, typically 12 inches to 13 inches for fast pitch softball or 12 to 15 inches for slow pitch. An infielder's glove is the smallest, typically from 11.5 inches to 13 inches. A pitcher's glove is typically 11.5 to 12.5 inches for fast pitch or 11.5 to 13 inches for slow pitch. No part of the glove is allowed to be the same color as that of the ball, including that of its seams. Pitchers are also not allowed to have any white on their gloves including the seams. The umpire has discretion to determine whether any coloring on the glove interferes with or hinders the batter from seeing the ball clearly. Uniform Each team wears a distinctive uniform. The uniform may include a cap, a shirt displaying team colors and the players' number, sliding undershorts/compression shorts (optional), socks, and pants/athletic shorts. The team is required to have all of its members wear the same uniform. Caps, visors, and headbands are optional for female players, and have to be the same color. Caps are mandatory for male players. A fielder who chooses to wear a helmet or face mask is not required to wear a cap. Many players use "sliding shorts", otherwise known as compression shorts in other sports. These can be outfitted with a pouch for fitting a protective cup for male players. These shorts also help to protect the upper thigh when sliding into a base. "Sliders" may also be worn for similar protection. These are somewhat padded shin guards that extend usually from the ankle to the knee of the wearer and wrap all the way around the leg(s). They protect the shin, calf, etc. from getting bruised or damaged while sliding into home plate and make it much more comfortable to slide into the plate. Some male players use long, baseball-style pants. However, some female players now wear a shorter version of baseball pants. At the back of the uniform, an Arabic numeral from numbers 0 through 99 must be visible. Numbers such as 02 and 2 are considered identical. Also, on the back of the uniform's players' names are optional. All players are required to wear shoes. They may have cleats or spikes. The spikes must extend less than 0.75 in (19 mm) away from the sole. Rounded metal spikes are illegal, as are ones made from hard plastic or other synthetic materials. High school athletes are sometimes permitted to wear metal cleats, such as in Ohio. Many recreational leagues prohibit the use of metal cleats or spikes to reduce the possible severity of injuries when a runner slides feet-first into a fielder. At all youth (under 15) levels, in co-ed (the official terminology for mixed teams) slow pitch, and in modified pitch, metal spikes are usually not allowed. Protective equipment Helmets must be worn by batters and runners. A helmet must have two ear flaps, one on each side. Helmets and cages that are damaged or altered are forbidden. In NCAA fastpitch softball, players have the option to wear a helmet with or without a face mask. Most female travel ball teams for fastpitch softball require the batter to wear a helmet with a face mask. In male fastpitch masks are generally only used for medical reasons. In fastpitch, the catcher must wear a protective helmet with a facemask and throat protector, shin guards and body protector. Shin guards also protect the kneecap. In slow pitch, the catcher must wear a helmet, chest protector and mask at youth levels. At adult levels, there is no formal requirement for the catcher to wear a mask, although the official rules recommend it. A catcher may optionally wear a body protector in adult slow pitch. While mandatory for the pitcher in some slow pitch leagues, there is an option to wear a face mask on the field. It is recommended in lower age groups. It must be in proper condition and not damaged, altered, or the like. This is intended to prevent facial injuries. Umpires Decisions about plays are made by umpires. The number of umpires on a given game can range from a minimum of one to a maximum of seven. There is never more than one "plate umpire"; there can be up to three "base umpires", and up to a further three umpires positioned in the outfield. Most fastpitch games use a crew of two umpires (one plate umpire, one base umpire). Official umpires are often nicknamed "blue", because of their uniforms – in many jurisdictions, most significantly ISF, NCAA and USA Softball games, umpires wear navy blue slacks, a light powder blue shirt, and a navy baseball cap. Some umpires wear a variant of the uniform: some umpires in USA Softball wear heather gray slacks and may also wear a navy blue or powder blue shirt; umpires from the USSSA wear red shirts with grey slacks; National Softball Association (NSA) umpires wear an official NSA white-colored umpire shirt with black pants or black shorts; NSA fastpitch umpires wear the white NSA umpires shirt and heather gray slacks. Decisions are usually indicated by both the use of hand signals, and by vocalizing the call. Safe calls are made by signaling with flat hands facing down moving away from each other, and a verbal call of "safe". Out calls are made by raising the right hand in a clenched fist, with a verbal call of "out". Strikes are called by the plate umpire, who uses the same motion as the out call with a verbal call of "strike". Balls are only called verbally, with no hand gesture. The umpire also has the option of not saying anything on a ball. It is understood that when he stands up, the pitch was not a strike. Foul balls are called by extending both arms up in the air with a verbal call of "foul ball", while fair balls are indicated only by pointing towards fair territory with no verbal call. No signal is given for balls that are obviously foul; for closer calls that are not borderline a signal is given. All decisions made by the umpire(s) are considered to be final. Only decisions where a rule might have been misinterpreted are considered to be protest able. At some tournaments there might be a rules interpreter or Tournament Chief Umpire (TCU) (also known as the Umpire In Chief, or UIC) available to pass judgment on such protests, but it is usually up to the league or association involved to decide if the protest would be upheld. Protests are never allowed on what are considered "judgment calls" – balls, strikes, and fouls. As of the 2021–22 academic year, a coach of an NCAA team is allowed to protest a call made by the umpire through what is called “video review” during the game. The opposing team only has until the next pitch to initiate the protest, and they are only allowed two a game. Gameplay A softball game can last anywhere from 3 to 7 innings, or 1–2 hours depending on the league, rules, and type of softball. The teams take turns batting. Officially, which team bats first is decided by a coin toss, although a league may decide otherwise at its discretion. The most common rule is that the home team bats second. Batting second is also called "last at-bat". Many softball players prefer to bat second because they feel they have more control in the last inning, since they have the last at-bat. In the event of a tie, extra innings are usually played until the tie is broken except in certain tournaments and championships. If the home team is leading and the road team has just finished its half of the seventh inning, the game ends because it is not necessary for the home team to bat again. In all forms of softball, the defensive team is the fielding team; the offensive team is at bat or batting and is trying to score runs. Pitching Play often, but not always, begins with the umpire saying, "play ball". After the batter is ready and all fielders (except the catcher) are in fair territory at their respective positions, the pitcher stands at the pitching plate and attempts to throw the ball past the batter to the catcher behind home plate. The throw, or pitch, must be made with an underhand motion. The pitcher throws the ball in or around the "strike zone". However, in advanced play pitcher and catcher play a psychological game trying to get the batter to guess where the next pitch is going and if it will be a strike. In other instances, such as when an extremely powerful hitter comes up to bat and they are followed by a weaker hitter, a pitcher may deliberately walk the first batter based on the calculation that the next batter will be an easy out. The strike zone is slightly different in different forms of softball. A pitch that passes through that zone is a "strike". A pitch at which the batter swings is also a strike, as is any hit ball that lands in foul territory that is not caught out. A pitch that is not a strike and at which the batter does not swing is known as a "ball". The number of balls and strikes is called the "count". The number of balls is always given first, as 2 and 1, 2 and 2, and so on. A count of 3 and 2 is a "full count" since the next ball or strike will end the batter's turn at the plate unless the ball goes foul. Slow pitch In most versions of slow pitch (including 16-inch) the pitch is lobbed so that the ball rises above the batter's head and lands on a small rectangular area on the ground behind the plate called "the well". Umpires will make calls based on where the ball lands behind the plate; a pitch landing in the well is a strike. These restrictions make it much easier to put the ball into play and extremely difficult to use pitching as a defensive strategy, as the physics of projectile motion limit how fast a ball can be thrown under such conditions and still be called a strike. In other varieties of slow pitch (sometimes known as "modified"), the only restriction is that the windmill cannot be used; thus the pitching arm cannot be raised above the shoulder and both the wind-up and the release must be underhand, still allowing for moderate speed and control in pitching. Fastpitch For fastpitch softball, the traditional pitching style is a "windmill" motion, extending the arm above the body and releasing the ball at about hip level at maximum speeds. Strength acquired in the underhand windmill motion is based on the open-to-close hip motion. Pitches may reach high speeds. In women's fastpitch, depending on the age group, pitchers can throw from 30 to 65 mph (48 to 105 km/h) or more. The fastest pitch ever recorded was at 77 mph (124 km/h) by Monica Abbott on June 16, 2012. At the 1996 Summer Olympics one pitch reached 73.3 mph (118.0 km/h). Male pitching can reach speeds around 85 mph (137 km/h). To compare, MLB players average around 90 mph (140 km/h) but can reach speeds up to 100 mph (160 km/h). Although slower than baseball pitches, the shorter pitching distance in fastpitch results in batters having a comparable time to react to a pitch as in baseball. Throwing fastballs for speed is not always the most important factor in fastpitch softball. Pitchers can throw breaking balls that move late in their flight, fooling batters into swinging at pitches outside the strike zone or, conversely, not swinging at pitches that pass through the strike zone. These include balls that break inwards (screwball) and outwards (curveball) on right-handed batters, starting off the plate and moving into the strike zone or starting towards the strike zone and moving off the plate. There are also rise balls that break upwards, frequently starting in the strike zone and ending above it, and drop balls that break downward. Another common pitch is the change-up, an intentionally slow pitch that initially appears to be a fastball, causing the batter to swing too early and miss or foul off the pitch. Rarer is the knuckleball, which moves slowly and erratically. Pitchers use deception as a primary tactic for getting batters out as the reaction times are approximately half a second or less. At higher levels of play, pitchers aim for the inner and outer corners of the plate when throwing fastballs and breaking pitches. Pitchers also vary the location of the pitch by height to make hitting the ball even harder for the batter. Pitchers also throw knuckleballs which are generally slower and move erratically. A "crow hop" is an illegal pitch that occurs when the pitcher pushes with the pivot foot from somewhere other than the pitching plate. This often involves jumping from the pitching plate and replanting somewhere in front of the pitching plate. For an illegal pitch, the umpire extends his left arm straight out to the side and clenches his fist. This results in a ball being awarded to the batter, and any runners on base advancing to the next base. If the batter swings at the pitch that is deemed illegal and puts the ball in play, the offense is given the option to accept the results of the play or accept the penalty listed previously (exception: if the play results in the batter and any runners all advancing at least one base, the play stands and no option is given). The image to the right demonstrates a legal pitch as the push-off foot has not left the ground. The ball must be released simultaneously with the lead leg step. Batters The offensive team sends one "batter" at a time to home plate to use the bat to try to hit the pitch forward into fair territory. The order the players bat in, known as the "batting order", must stay the same throughout the game. Substitutes and replacements must bat in the same position as the player they are replacing. In co-ed, male and female batters must alternate. The batter stands facing the pitcher inside a "batter's box" (there is one on each side of the plate to compensate for either right- or left-handed batters). The bat is held with both hands, over the shoulder, and away from the pitcher (90-degree angle). The ball is usually hit with a full swinging motion in which the bat may move through more than 360 degrees. The batter usually steps forward with the front foot, the body weight shifts forward, as the batter simultaneously swings the bat. A bunt is another form of batting. There are different types, including a sacrifice bunt, or slap bunt. There is also regular slapping in which a batter takes position on the left side of the plate and usually stands in the back of the box, but it is possible form anywhere. The batter takes a step back with their leading foot as the pitcher is in the middle of the windup, crosses over with their back foot and runs toward first base while they swing. There are many different types of slapping and they all vary depending on the batter and their strengths. There are half swing slaps, fake slaps, and full swing slaps. Each type of slap has a different purpose or goal. No matter what way the batter hits the ball, they must be inside the batter's box when the bat makes contact with the ball. If the batter steps out of the box while swinging, the batter is out. Once the ball is hit into fair territory, the runner must try to advance to first base or beyond. While running to first base, the batter is a "batter-runner". When she safely reaches first (see below) she becomes a "base-runner" or "runner". A batted ball hit high in the air is a "fly ball". A fly ball hit upward at an angle greater than 45 degrees is a "pop fly". A batted ball driven in the air through the infield at a height at which an infielder could play it if in the right position is a "line drive". A batted ball which hits the ground within the diamond is a "ground ball". If a batted ball hits a player or a base, it is considered to have hit the ground. A batter can also advance to first if hit by the pitch. If a batter is hit by the pitch it is a dead ball and she is rewarded first base. She must make an attempt to get out of the way and it is the umpire's judgmental call whether the batter attempted to move. If he feels the batter could have moved and avoided getting hit he or she will not reward the batter first base and the pitch will be recorded as a ball. Getting the batter out The batter is out if: the batter accrues three strikes (a "strikeout"); a ball hit by the batter is caught before touching the ground (a "flyout"); the batter goes to a base that is already tagged ("tagged" or "tag play"); a fielder holding the ball touches a base which is the only base towards which the batter may run before the batter arrives there (a "force out" or "force play"); or in certain special circumstances. There is also a not so common occurrence when the batter has two strikes and swings at strike three. If the catcher does not catch the ball, the batter has the chance to run to first base and the catcher can throw the batter out at first base. Advancing around the bases If the player hits the ball and advances to a base without a fielding error or an out being recorded, then that is called a "base hit". The bases must be reached in order counterclockwise, starting with first base. After hitting the ball the batter may advance as many bases as possible. An advance to first base on the one hit is a "single", to second base is a "double", to third base is a "triple", and to home plate is a "home run". Home runs are usually scored by hitting the ball over the outfield fence, but may be scored on a hit which does not go over the fence. A home run includes any ball that bounces off a fielder and goes over the fence in fair-territory (depending upon association and local league rules) or that hits the foul pole. If a batted ball bounces off a fielder (in fair territory) and goes over the fence in foul territory, or if it goes over the fence at a location that is closer than the official distance, the batter is awarded a double instead. If a runner becomes entitled to the base where another runner is standing, the latter runner must advance to the next base. For example, if a player hits the ball and there is a runner on first, the runner on first must try to advance to second because the batter-runner is entitled to first base. If the batter reaches first base without being put out, then that player can then be forced to run towards second base the next time a ball is driven into fair territory. That is because the player must vacate first base to allow the next batter to reach it, and consequently can only go to second base, where a force out may be recorded. Runners may advance at risk to be put out: on a hit by another player; after a fly ball has been caught, provided the player was touching a base at the time the ball was first touched or after; or (in fastpitch) automatically, when a pitch is delivered illegally. Runners advance without liability to be put out: when a walk advances another player to the runner's current base; or automatically in certain special circumstances described below. In the recent years, the NCAA rules changed when concerning the batters feet while in the box. The rule now states that as long as any part of the batter's foot is in the box the ball will stay live. It is not until the batter's entire foot is out of the box, that the play will be declared dead and the batter called out. The SEC (college ball), however, claims that if any part of the batter's foot is out of the box when she makes contact, she is out and the play is dead. Special circumstances If there is a "wild throw" (or "overthrow") in which the ball goes out of the designated play area, each runner is awarded two bases from the last base touched at the time of the throw. Retreating past a made base, negates the advance to that base. If a fielder intentionally carries a ball out of play, two bases are awarded from the time the ball leaves the field of play. If this is unintentional (fielder's momentum), the award is one base. If on a tag play, the fielder loses control (after establishing control) of the ball and it leaves the field of play, one base is awarded. If there is a "wild pitch" in which the ball goes out of the designated play area, each runner is awarded one base from the base occupied at the time of the pitch. In fastpitch, runners may try to steal bases by running to the next base on the pitch and reaching it before being tagged with the ball. The point at which a runner can steal a base varies. In fastpitch, the runner is allowed to begin stealing a base when the ball is released from the "windmill" pitching motion, but until recently, stealing was forbidden in slow pitch because a runner has the opportunity to get a larger head start while the slow pitch is making its way to the batter. As a result of rule changes initiated by the Independent Softball Association which later made its way to the Amateur Softball Association and the International Softball Federation in the 21st century, most levels of slow pitch permit stealing bases, provided the runner starts when the ball either touches the ground or crosses the plate. This rule encourages pitchers to be more responsible with the pitch and catchers to play defense, as balls which miss the catcher are now grounds to have stolen bases. No matter what level of play, all baserunners must keep one foot on a base until the pitcher throws the ball or until the ball crosses the front edge of home plate (depends on association). In fastpitch, if the catcher drops strike three (a "passed ball") with no less than two outs, the batter can attempt to run to first base if first base is unoccupied. The catcher must then attempt to throw the ball to first base ahead of the runner. If he or she cannot, the runner is safe. With two outs, the batter can attempt to run to first whether or not it is already occupied. Depending on the league in slow pitch only a foul ball with two strikes on the batter means the batter is out. Stealing in 16-inch softball is severely restricted, as a runner may only steal the base in front of them if it is open, and if they are thrown at, à la pickoff move or snap throw. This results in many inexperienced players being thrown or doubled off when they attempt to advance on a wild pickoff at another baserunner. Scoring runs A "run" is scored when a player has touched all four bases in order, proceeding counterclockwise around them. They need not be touched on the same play; a batter may remain safely on a base while play proceeds and attempt to advance on a later play. A run is not scored if the last out is a force out or occurs during the same play that the runner crosses home plate. For instance, if a runner is on third base prior to a hit, and he or she crosses home plate after an out is made, either on the batter or another runner, the run is not counted. Ending the game The team with the most runs after seven innings wins the game. The last (bottom) half of the seventh inning or any remaining part of the seventh inning is not played if the team batting second is leading. If the game is tied, play usually continues until a decision is reached, by using the international tie-breaker rules. Starting in the top of first extra inning, the batting team starts with a baserunner on second base, which is the player who is the last available to bat (in other words, the batter who last took their position in the batter's box; regardless whether they were the last out or another runner was put out). In games where one team leads by a large margin, the run ahead rule may come into play in order to reduce any potential embarrassment of weaker teams. In fastpitch and modified pitch, a margin of 15 runs after 3 innings, 10 after 4, or 7 after 5 is sufficient for the leading team to be declared the winner. In slow pitch, the margin is 20 runs after 4 innings or 15 after 5 innings. In the NCAA, the required margin after 5 innings is 8 runs. The mercy rule takes effect at the end of an inning. Thus, if the team batting first is ahead by enough runs for the rule to come into effect, the team batting second has their half of the inning to narrow the margin. A game may be lost due to a "forfeit". A score of 7–0 for the team not at fault is recorded (generally one run is awarded for each inning that would have been played). A forfeit may be called due to any of these circumstances: if a team does not show up to play; if one side refuses to continue play; if a team fails to resume play after a suspension of play ends; if a team uses tactics intended to unfairly delay or hasten the game; if a player removed from the game does not leave within one minute of being instructed to do so; if a player that cannot play enters the game and one pitch has been thrown; if a team does not have, for whatever reason, enough players to continue; or if after warning by the umpire, a player continues to intentionally break the rules of the game. This last rule is rarely enforced as players who break rules after being warned are usually removed. The plate umpire may suspend play because of darkness or anything that puts players or spectators in danger. If four innings have been played and a team is in the lead, the game is recorded as it stands. If fewer than four innings have been played, the game is not considered a "regulation" game. Games that are not regulation or are tied when suspended are resumed from the point of suspension. If it is a championship game, it is replayed from the beginning. Team rosters may be changed. Positions There are nine players out on the field at one time in fastpitch softball and ten players in slow-pitch softball. Although the pitcher and catcher have the ball the most, each person has a specific job. In the infield there is the pitcher, catcher, first baseman, second baseman, shortstop, and third baseman. In the outfield there is a left fielder, center fielder, and right fielder. In slow-pitch softball there is an extra outfielder in the outfield, who is specified as a roamer or rover. Normally, the defensive team will play with four outfielders, meaning there is a left fielder, left-center fielder, right-center fielder, and right fielder. The recent trend with tournament and league slow pitch softball play is to field five infielders instead of four outfielders. The extra infielder is commonly placed behind the pitcher on either side of second base. Pitcher The pitcher is the individual who throws the ball from the middle of the diamond. As in baseball, fastpitch softball has a rubber used to control the pitcher's delivery. A pitcher must have both feet on the rubber at the start of their delivery but neither foot is on the rubber when the ball is released. In baseball, the rubber is on a mound of dirt as gravity is used to generate speed. In softball, the pitchers throw from within a circle and the rubber in the circle is not elevated. The circle is also used to control base runners. When the pitcher is in possession of the ball in the circle, a runner who has passed a base must either advance or return to the base. They cannot "bait" the pitcher to throw or they will be called out. The pitcher tries to throw the ball in the strike zone. In order to do that, they start while having the ball in their glove, they throw their arms behind their hips, they shoot forwards with their leg, which is on the same side as their glove, and leave their glove hand there and the other arm goes around the shoulder, bends the elbow, and turns their wrist toward the third baseman, and brings their arm through at the end, flicks their wrist, (which affects the ball's speed, spin and subsequent motion), and brings the arm up, with the hand by their shoulder. They follow through with their legs turning their pitching stance into a fielding stance. They try to release the ball when they go past their hips. In softball, the pitcher uses an underarm motion to pitch the ball towards the strike zone. As soon as the pitcher makes a throw, the fielders are ready to field balls that are hit in the middle of the diamond. Pitchers usually tend to be tall, very flexible and have good upper body strength. Pitchers can be righthanded or lefthanded. The softball pitcher makes a windmill motion while throwing underhand, unlike baseball pitchers who throw overhand. Catcher The catcher is normally behind home plate in a squatted position (some plays may require the catcher to stand at an angle for intentional walks). At the plate the catcher is responsible for catching pitches, keeping mis pitched balls in front of the plate, calling pitches that are normally done through hand signals, picking off runners, and they are considered the leaders of the field. Catchers must know how many outs there are, the number of strikes and balls on the batter so they can relay that to their teammates. They must also know how many runners are on base and where the ball should be thrown next in the following play. Catchers are strong, need to be smart and quick on their feet, and have accurate throws so they can pick runners off at each base. Catchers should be able to have strong and muscular legs to squat for a long period of time. The gear worn by a catcher protects them from balls thrown in the dirt or wild pitches. The catcher is allowed to take off his/her mask to catch a pop fly or to watch the play. First baseman The first baseman is the position to the left side of the diamond when facing home plate. The major role of the first baseman is to receive throws from other defensive players in order to get a force play at first base. Another role they play is to make fielding plays on all balls hit towards first base. The first baseman is usually involved in every play that occurs on the field. Individuals at first base have quick hands and good reach and are always on the lookout to catch the player off base. They are also generally taller and left-handed throwing, which gives them an extended reach. First basemen, however, can be both left- and right-handed. Just like the catcher, first basemen may wear specific first base mitts, usually having a longer web allowing them to reach the taller throws over their head. Second baseman The second baseman plays in between the first baseman and second base itself, usually closer to second base. If the ball is hit to the left side of the field, the second baseman covers second base. If the ball is hit to right field or center field, they become the cut-off for the center fielder or the right fielder depending on who the ball was hit to. If the ball is hit to the first baseman, the second baseman then is responsible for covering first. If the ball is hit to the second baseman, they either throw the ball to second if there was already a player on first, or they throw to first if there was nobody on. If there is a runner on first and the person up to bat hits the ball to the shortstop or the third baseman, the second baseman is in charge of covering second to receive the throw from the shortstop or third baseman. Then, depending on where the runner is between home and first, the second baseman makes the decision to throw the ball to first or to hold the ball. Also, in the case of a bunt, the second baseman must cover first as the first baseman runs to get the ball from the bunt, then it is often thrown back to first base. Shortstop The shortstop fields all balls hit to the infield between the second and third bases. This individual also helps cover second and third bases, is frequently involved in force plays and double plays, and often throws the ball to the catcher to throw out runners at home plate. On steals to second base (when the runner from first is advancing to second on the pitch) the shortstop usually covers. The shortstop does not cover second base only when a right-handed batter is up. In this case, the second baseman covers the steal. Most shortstops are very quick, agile and think fast. Shortstops may play in a restricted zone but are faced with many types of hits and interact closely with the second base, third base and home plate. Often double plays are due to quick thinking/reaction by the shortstop. When a ball is hit up the middle and the shortstop catches it, they will flip the ball to the second baseman for the best result. Shortstop also takes the cut off for the left field when the play is at second base. When the ball is hit to the right side of the outfield, the shortstop then covers second base. If there is a runner on first base and there is a hit down the line or in the gap to right field, the shortstop will then go for the cut to third. Meaning the runner that is going from first to second will most likely be advancing to third, and in that case, the shortstop will be the cut off for the throw from right field to third base. Shortstop can be one of the most difficult positions to play due to the number of balls being hit in that direction. Third baseman The third baseman is the position on the right side of the diamond when you are facing home plate. They are responsible for fielding all balls hit their way including bunts. In fact, the third baseman fields more bunts than a pitcher and first baseman do. Third base is also called the "Hot Corner" because the ball can pop off the bat at the fielder very fast. Third baseman must have great reflexes and be very quick on their feet because not only to they need to be quick to field a bunt but also if they are unable to predict whether the batter will bunt or hit, a ball that is hit may be a line drive to the face. It also helps if they can run fast but it is not a requirement. A third baseman must have a very strong arm so that they can throw a runner out from across the diamond. Any ball that the third baseman can get, they should. They will have more momentum towards first base when fielding the ball than a shortstop. They are also closer to first base when they cut off a slower ground ball towards shortstop. Third baseman are responsible for covering third base at all times unless the ball is hit to them. In that instance, the shortstop is responsible for third base. Third baseman must be smart, have great reflexes, have a strong accurate arm, and be quick with their hands. Outfielders The outfielders are players that cover the grassy area behind the infield. Outfielders are named for their positions in the field relative to home plate. Traditional outfield positions include a left fielder, a center fielder, and a right fielder. Each player has a specific job as being an outfielder. Right fielder The right fielder's position is on the right side of the field, in the opening between the first and second basemen, when looking at the field from behind home plate. The right fielder is part of a group of two other fielders that make up the outfield. The right fielder has a multitude of jobs over the course of a softball game. Generally, outfielders act as a back-up to the infielders when they make plays or if the ball is hit past the infield. Right field has a particular job of covering the area behind first base if the ball is to be thrown in that area. Right field is meant to cover this area if the ball gets past the first baseman. This will prevent base-runners from advancing to unwanted bases. Traditionally in the game of softball, the right fielder will have the strongest arm out of the two other outfielders. The right fielder must have the strongest arm because they have the furthest possibility to throw the ball. A right fielder will throw the ball to each base more than the other outfielders will because of their position in respect to the bases. Center fielder The center fielder's position is in the middle of the outfield directly behind second base when looking at the field from behind home plate. The center fielder is part of a group of two other fielders that make up the outfield. Center fielders technically serve as the "captains" of the outfield. They are and should be the most vocal in effectively communicating with their outfielders. Since the outfielders are further apart from each other, it can be hard to hear each other. The center fielder covers the area behind second base if the ball is going to be thrown in that direction. By covering this area, if the ball does get past the infielder, the center fielder can prevent baserunners from advancing to unwanted bases. Within the game of softball, the center fielder is traditionally the fastest of the three outfielders. The center fielder needs to be the quickest because of the large area of field they must cover. Besides being a quick player, the center fielder must have a strong throwing arm because of the distance between the player and home plate. Left fielder The left fielder's position is on the left side of the outfield behind the third baseman when looking at the field from behind home plate. The left fielder is part of a group of two other fielders that make up the outfield. Generally, outfielders act as a back-up to the infielders when they make plays or if the ball is hit past the infield. The left fielder must field their position, but also cover the area behind third base if a ball is thrown or hit in that direction. The left fielder covers this area in the case that the ball will pass the infielders. The left fielder can then prevent the base runner from advancing to unwanted bases. Besides covering certain areas of the field, the left fielder must be the smartest of the outfielders. In the left field position, the player has full view of the field, the players, the baserunners, and the batter. The left fielder must constantly be aware of the situation on the field and know what must be done in different circumstances. More advanced levels require the left fielder to be able to field the ball during "slap hit" situations by playing shallow. Left fielders must also play a role in any run-down situation between third base and home plate or back up any plays that happen at third base in case of an overthrow. Designated player In fastpitch softball, it is common for teams to use a designated player in the lineup; this player, which functions like the designated hitter in baseball, hits in place of one of the position players but does not play defense. Unlike a designated hitter, a designated player can also become a temporary defensive substitute, and the player substituted by the designated player can return to their original position at a later point in the game. However, the only player that can be substituted as an offensive replacement (pinch runner or pinch hitter) is the defensive player the designated player originally replaced, known as the "flex". At any time, the designated player can be substituted back into the lineup in the place of the flex player, but once taken out, the designated player cannot take the place of any other player in the lineup. Short fielder In some leagues and organizations, four outfield players are utilized by each team. The extra outfielder is sometimes called the short fielder and plays somewhere behind second base, adjusting position based on the handedness or other characteristics of the batter, while the regular center fielder plays a considerably deeper position. The short fielder used as such can take away a batting strategy in softball, which is to hit soft liners over the pitcher. However, some teams prefer to use the fourth outfielder like the others, with the center field position being shared between two players known as the left-center fielder and the right-center fielder. In this case the four outfielders are spaced equidistantly and play at roughly the same depth. Pitch In softball, a pitch is the act of throwing a softball toward home plate to start a play. All pitches are thrown from below the waist in an underhand motion. The phases of throwing include the grip, stance, windup, stride, release and follow through. Pitchers throw a variety of pitches, each of which has a slightly different velocity, trajectory, movement, hand position, wrist position and/or arm angle. These variations are introduced to confuse the batter in various ways, and ultimately aid the defensive team in getting the batter or baserunners out. To obtain variety, and therefore enhance defensive baseball strategy, the pitcher manipulates the grip on the ball at the point of release. Variations in the grip cause the seams to "catch" the air differently, thereby changing the trajectory of the ball, making it harder for the batter to hit. The selection of which pitch to use can depend on a wide variety of factors including the type of hitter who is being faced; whether there are any base runners; how many outs have been made in the inning; and the current score. Signaling The responsibility for selecting the type of pitch is traditionally made by the catcher by relaying hand signals to the pitcher with the fingers. In more advanced play, coaches may give signs to batters and/or runners to initiate special plays in certain situations. A catcher may signal to a position player that they will be trying to throw the runner out. A runner on base may see the pitch sign given by the catcher and hint it to the batter using hand or body motions. Pitching styles The International Softball Federation (ISF) recognizes three pitching styles: fastpitch "modified" fastpitch slow-pitch Fastpitch style The pitching distance can range between 35 feet for younger players and 43 feet for older players. Collegiate and international level pitchers pitch from 43 feet. Pitches can travel at speeds of more than 65 mph (105 km/h). Windmill or "Full-windmill" - The pitcher begins with her arm at the hip. Then she brings the ball in a circular motion over the head, completes the circle back down at the hip, and snaps the hand. Figure 8 - The ball is not brought over the head at all but down and behind the body and back in one smooth motion tracing out a figure eight. Illegal forms of pitching "crow-hopping" "leaping" "Modified" fastpitch style "Modified" windmill - A "modified" fastpitch is identical to a "windmill" pitch except the arm is not brought over the head in a full windmill motion, but instead is brought behind the body (restricted back swing) and is then thrust directly forward for the release. Slow-pitch style The pitching distance is 50 feet. The pitch must be lofted in such a way that it falls onto the plate in order for it to be a called strike (the ball falls into the strike-zone instead of flying through). Strikeouts are rare in slow-pitch. Pitchers strategize to pitch the ball with a high enough arc that the batter cannot hit a line-drive. The speed of the pitches ranges from 25 to 35 mph (40 to 56 km/h), resulting in plenty of reaction time. half windmill - High-arc pitching technique - The pitch must be thrown with an arc between 6-12 feet high. If the arc is not high enough, the umpire will call the pitch illegal. Types of pitches Fastballs The fastball is typically the first type of pitch a player will learn. Two-seam fastball Four-seam fastball Breaking balls Drop ball Riseball Curveball Screwball Drop-curve Rise-curve Backdoor curve (the pitch starts out of the strike zone and curves back over the plate. Often, this pitch is thrown at a batters hip or hands with the intention of either moving them off the plate or inducing a foul ball) Drop screw Backdoor screw (the same as a backdoor curve except the ball spins in the opposite direction of a curveball) Drop curve Changeups The changeup is the staple off-speed pitch, usually thrown to look like a fastball but arriving much slower to the plate. Its reduced speed coupled with its deceptive delivery is meant to confuse the batter's timing. There are a variety of grips and techniques a pitcher may use to deliver a change up such as: Flip (or "Back-hand flip") release Stiff wrist release Circle grip changeup Knuckle grip changeup Other off-speed pitches Knuckle curveball Floater - This is a pitch used by pitchers in the slow-pitch game. To throw the floater accurately, pitcher holds the ball with just his or her fingertips and does not let them touch the laces. Then comes straight up with her hand and lets the ball go up to the 12-foot mark and come down. Knuckleball Recreational play Types of leagues It is estimated that 14.62 million Americans played at least one game of softball during the spring of 2015. It is played by men and women both recreationally and competitively. Softball is especially popular as a recreational activity for adults. Leagues for such play are often characterized as either "fun leagues", in which the outdoor exercise and player camaraderie is more important than the final result, or "serious leagues". The distinction is not absolute and there can be gradations within each. Softball teams are often organized around groups of employees who play in the early evening after work in the summer. In many US cities, adult softball teams are organized by bars and clubs, hence the popular term "beer league" softball. The teams can be men's, women's or co-ed, and skill levels can range from novice to elite, with league composition reflecting that. These leagues are typically either slow-pitch or modified. Co-ed recreational leagues, where men and women play on the same team, generally have provisions to keep men from dominating the game. League rules may stipulate that there must be an equal number of men and women on the team, or that batting order alternate male and female batters. Some leagues only require three women to play but they must be present on the field at all times. Others will allow a game to proceed when a team does not have the requisite number of women available but charge the batting team with an automatic out whenever the missing woman's place in the batting order comes up. Modification of rules One reason for the popularity of softball is the ease of modification of its rules, thereby allowing the game to be adapted to a variety of skill levels. For example, in some slow pitch softball leagues a batter starts at bat with a count of one ball one strike. In some leagues, the number of home runs that can be hit by a team are limited. In other leagues, stealing of bases is prohibited. Some groups allow for a more defensive game by making home plate a force out for first base. This reduces scoring evenly on both sides, and allows for some margin of error. Co-ed leagues sometimes adopt live-play rules intended to reduce gender inequality, under the assumption that men will be generally more powerful. In most co-ed or mixed gender leagues there is something called an encroachment line. This requires the outfielders to stay behind a line till the ball is hit. If an outfielder passes in front of this line before the female batter hits a fair ball, the batter will receive a single base or the result of the play, and the base runners will advance accordingly. The line will be 180 feet from home plate. One possible rule requires male batters to "switch hit". Some leagues even use different balls for male and female batters. While these modified rules are common, there are questions as to their place in modern adult sports. Some leagues require teams to use limited flight softballs. These softballs, when hit, will not go as far as regular softballs. Other leagues limit the number of runs which can be scored in an inning. Five is a common limit. By allowing these and other modifications, softball can be enjoyed by children, teenagers, and adults. Senior leagues with players over the age of 60 are not uncommon. An example of a rule modification is the "offensive pitcher" (or "self pitch") often found in informal games where the emphasis is on the social rather than the competitive aspects of the game. The pitcher aids the batter by attempting to give the easiest pitch to hit. There are no walks, and a batter is normally given a fixed number of pitches to attempt to hit (usually 3 or 4). The batter is considered to strike out if the batter fails to hit the ball into fair territory after the given number of pitches. The pitcher does not act as a fielder, and a rule is often made that if a batted ball touches the pitcher, the batter is out. In some leagues the number of pitches to walk or strikeout can be reduced. For instance, one strike is an out, and two balls is a walk. This is common in leagues where doubleheaders are played, or in late season leagues when reduced daylight is an issue. It results in shorter games, as players are more apt to swing, even at marginal pitches, rather than risk striking out on one pitch. Many leagues also include a second first base immediately adjacent to the main one. This is usually orange and the batter running through first base is supposed to run straight through it. This minimizes the chances of a collision. By the same token some leagues have an alternate home plate and rule that plays at home are always force plays. In these cases there is typically a white line drawn approximately 1/3 of the way down the baseline that is considered a point of no return. This is designed to reduce the "Pickle" which can put a great strain on the ankles and knees of older baserunners. Indoor play Despite the fact that it was originally intended to be played indoors, softball is usually played outdoors. The indoor form is sometimes called Arena Softball. Indoor softball has generally the same rules as outdoor softball. Only the wall behind the batter is considered foul territory. The other walls are considered fair. Usually, there is a small area on one of the walls in the outfield that results in a home run being awarded if the batted ball hits it. Pitching is generally a little slower because of the indoor turf, or pitched through a pitching machine at younger levels. There is no limit to the number of batters a team may have available, although only so many can bat in one inning. Some indoor facilities do not allow the use of metal cleats on the field, which are what players at the age of 14 and up generally use. Also, some tournaments may require a time limit for games. Professional leagues Women's Professional Fastpitch (WPF) is a professional women's softball league in the United States and was formerly the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) and then the Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL). The WPF league launched in June 2022. In 2024, a new professional league called the Association of Fastpitch Professionals launched with 4 teams. The late 1970s to early 1980s marked a brief era for men's professional softball in the United States. International competition Softball is played in over a hundred countries around the world. The highest governing body for the sport, the International Softball Federation (ISF), has 113 member countries (excluding dependent territories). The ISF holds world championships in several categories. The Amateur Softball Association is the National Governing Body of Softball for the United States pursuant to the 1976 Amateur Sports Act. Due to the popularity of the sport, there are a multitude of governing bodies such as the United States Specialty Sports Association, International Softball Congress and the National Softball Association. The ISF holds the ISF Women's World Championship tournaments in several categories. The tournament in each category is held every four years—two years from 2010. The most recent tournament was XII Women's World Championship in June, 2010. All World Championships use a Page playoff system and are in fastpitch. There are also several World Cups held at 4-year intervals in different categories. New Zealand became the Men's World Champions winning the world title in 2013. Prior to that, Australia won the World Championship in 2009 and New Zealand had won the previous three tournaments before that. In the Junior Men's World Champions in 2012, Team Argentina won the world title. Summer Olympics In the Women's Softball World Championships the United States is the most dominant team, having won three of the past four Olympic tournaments and the past seven World Championships. The current Junior Women's World Champion is the United States. Women's softball debuted at the 1996 Summer Olympics and was removed from the program following the 2008 Summer Olympics. Softball and Baseball were unable to have their sport included in the program at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. In 2012 the heads of the International Softball and Baseball Federations announced their united effort to be included in the program in 2020. "The proposal calls for men's baseball and women's softball to be played at a single venue during 7 to 10 days. Each tournament would feature eight teams. Baseball and softball would be two disciplines under a single sports banner. The proposal awaits formal endorsement from the congress of both federations. Other sports which sought to be included in the 2020 program, when only one spot is up for filling, were: karate, roller sports, squash, sports climbing, wakeboard and wushu. The IOC executive board were to decide at their May meeting which sport to recommend for inclusion. The final decision was made in a vote of the full IOC in Buenos Aires in September 2013. Softball and Baseball were re-included in the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020, which was held in 2021. The American team had entered the gold medal match with an undefeated record, facing Japan. United States was defeated 2–0 by Japan, naming Japan the Tokyo 2020 Softball Olympic Gold Medalists. Softball was not included in the 2024 Summer Olympics but will return for the 2028 Summer Olympics. Even though the 2028 Summer Olympics will be held in LA, the softball and baseball events will be held in Oklahoma. Participating countries and areas New Zealand New Zealand is the most successful nation at men's world championship softball, having won their eighth title in 2019. The New Zealand women's team have also won a number of World Championship titles in the past. The game is widely played in New Zealand and is the second most popular summer sport behind cricket. Australia Softball is played in all states and territories in Australia and at all levels of academic education. The game is widely promoted to maintain fitness, health, personal achievements and pleasure. Australia has produced several of the world's great men's softball players, including Adam Folkard and Andrew Kirkpatrick, widely considered all-time greats in men's softball. Australia has excellent softball teams which are a reflection of its coaching, education and training system. Japan Japan has had a long tradition of softball which is played at all levels in the country. Many high schools and colleges have sports programs which include softball. Like baseball, softball in Japan is intensely competitive. Japan's win over the United States at the 2008 Olympics reflects the advanced level of play in this East Asian country. China Since the silver medal at the Atlanta Olympics, the Chinese have now made softball a priority at all levels. Europe Softball is played in almost every country in Europe, mainly fastpitch. Every two years an open women's European fastpitch championship is held with over twenty nationals teams. Italy and Netherlands are the best nations, and both have an almost professional championship where athletes from the US, Australia and China play. In the men's division eight to ten national teams compete for the European championship, with the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Denmark leading the way. United States In America, there are more than 1,500 college softball teams spanning five different levels: NCAA Division 1, Division 2, Division 3, NAIA, and NJCAA. There are 5 professional softball teams: the Aussie Peppers, the Chicago Bandits, the Cleveland Comets, the California Commotion, and the Canadian Wild. Competitive fastpitch softball for girls is growing increasingly popular. All over the US, there are thousands of teams that compete year-round at tournaments. During most of these tournaments the biggest goal is not winning the tournament, but attempting to get as many college coaches as possible to observe (a) particular player or players. Competitive teams are now beginning around eight years old, if not younger. Depending on the team they can travel all over the United States or even out of the country such as to Canada, the summer and fall for many weeks and days at a time. There are many different sanctioning bodies of softball: USSSA, ASA, ISA, NSA, WSL, USFA, Triple Crown and SASL just to name a few. One of the biggest is the Amateur Softball Association (ASA). It is known as the national governing body of softball, was established in 1933 and has over 240,000 teams. The USSSA, founded in 1968 as the United States Slo-Pitch Softball Association, but renamed in 1997 to the United States Specialty Sports Association, is the only association that still has a men's major slow-pitch program alive. Currently, the USSSA program is run out of Viera, FL. The United States also has a competitive women's softball team that competes in international tournaments. They represented the US each time at the Olympics until softball was removed from the Olympics. The Amateur Softball Association of America (founded 1933) is one of the largest governing bodies for the game in the United States and sponsors annual sectional and World Series championships. Other national and regional governing bodies also exist, including the USSSA. The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) regulates rules of play in more than 110 countries, including the United States and Canada; before the WBSC was formed in 2013, the International Softball Federation (ISF) filled this role. The USA Softball Men's Fast Pitch National Team has won five World Championships (1966, 1968, 1976, 1980 and 1988) and three other medals. In the Pan-American Games, Team USA has made the finals in all seven appearances at the Games when Men's Fast Pitch was played. See also Women's Professional Fastpitch, the main professional women's softball league in the United States Softball Australia, the governing body of softball in Australia Comparison of baseball and softball 16-inch softball Rounders – a similar game from which baseball and softball are thought to have evolved Stoolball – a similar game from which baseball and softball are thought to have evolved Tee-ball – a reformed version of baseball Baseball5 – an international variant of softball involving only a rubber ball Dartball – a game of darts that uses rules similar to softball and is played on a large dartboard that resembles a softball field Safe haven games Men's Professional Softball Leagues Eddie Feigner Pekin Lettes, the oldest member-sanctioned ASA softball team in the United States Softball in Ireland European Softball Federation NCAA Division I softball championship References External links ASA Softball NCAA Softball Softball History USA
Baseball_field	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball_field	[ 639 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball_field" ]	A baseball field, also called a ball field or baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The term can also be used as a metonym for a baseball park. The term sandlot is sometimes used, although this usually refers to less organized venues for activities like sandlot ball. Specifications Unless otherwise noted, the specifications discussed in this section refer to those described within the Official Baseball Rules, under which Major League Baseball is played. The starting point for much of the action on the field is home plate (officially "home base"), a five-sided slab of white rubber. One side is 17 inches (43 cm) long, the two adjacent sides are 8.5 inches (22 cm). The remaining two sides are approximately 11 inches (30 cm) and set at a right angle. The plate is set into the ground so that its surface is level with the field. The corner of home plate where the two 11-inch sides meet at a right angle is at one corner of a 90-foot (27.43 m) square. The dimensional specifications are technically inconsistent because the angle constraints require that the front be √2 times the length of the back, which is not equal to a 17:12 ratio, but a physically built home plate will have side lengths accurate to a few hundredths of an inch. The other three corners of the square, in counterclockwise order from home plate, are called first, second, and third base. These bases are marked by canvas or rubber cushions, 18 inches (46 cm) square and 3–5 inches (7.6–12.7 cm) thick. Adjacent to each of the two parallel 8.5-inch sides is a batter's box. All the bases, including home plate, lie entirely within fair territory. Thus, any batted ball that touches those bases must necessarily be ruled a fair ball. While the first and third base bags are placed so that they lie inside the 90-foot square formed by the bases, the second base bag is placed so that its center (unlike first, third and home) coincides exactly with the "point" of the ninety-foot square. Thus, although the "points" of the bases are 90 feet apart, the physical distance between each successive pair of base markers is closer to 88 feet (26.8 m). Near the center of the square is an artificial hill known as the pitcher's mound, atop which is a white rubber slab known as the pitcher's plate, colloquially the "rubber". The specifications for the pitcher's mound are described below. The lines from home plate to first and third bases extend to the nearest fence, stand or other obstruction and are called the foul lines. The portion of the playing field between (and including) the foul lines is fair territory; the rest is "foul territory". The area within the square formed by the bases is officially called the infield, though colloquially this term also includes fair territory in the vicinity of the square; fair territory outside the infield is known as the outfield. Most baseball fields are enclosed with a fence that marks the outer edge of the outfield. The fence is usually set at a distance ranging from 300 to 420 feet (90 to 130 m) from home plate. Most professional and college baseball fields have a right and left foul pole which are about 440 to 500 feet (130 to 150 m) apart. These poles are at the intersection of the foul lines and the respective ends of the outfield fence and, unless otherwise specified within the ground rules, lie in fair territory. Thus, a batted ball that passes over the outfield wall in flight and touches the foul pole is a fair ball and the batter is awarded a home run. Infield A baseball infield is the square area within the four 90-foot baselines (60-foot baselines in Little League Baseball for youths 12 years old and under). The four bases are integral parts of the infield; a ball that touches any part of a base is considered a fair ball. Bases First base First base is the first of the four bases that must be touched by a runner in order to score a run for the batting team. The runner may continue running past first base in a straight line without being in jeopardy of being put out, so long as they make contact with first base and make no move or attempt to advance to second base. The first baseman is the defensive player mainly responsible for the area near first base. A first baseman is often tall. A tall first baseman has a larger range for reaching and catching errant throws. In some youth leagues and adult recreational leagues, a "double first base" or "safety first base" is used. A double first base is rectangular (rather than square), measuring 30 by 15 inches. It is normally colored white and orange (two 15 by 15 inches squares). It is placed with the white half in fair territory and the orange half in foul territory. The white half is used by the first baseman to make plays while the orange half is used by the runner. This creates a separation between the first baseman and runner, reducing the chance of injury on plays at first base. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the first baseman is assigned the number 3. Second base Second base is the second of the four bases a runner must touch in order to score a run. Second base is mainly defended by the second baseman and the shortstop. The second baseman and shortstop ideally possess quick feet and the ability to release the ball rapidly and accurately. One player will usually cover second base while the other attempts to field the ball. Both players must communicate well to be able to make a double play. Particular agility is required of the second baseman in double play situations, which usually force the player to throw towards first base while their momentum carries them in the opposite direction. A runner on second base is said to be in "scoring position", since there is a higher likelihood of scoring a run from second base on a single. Since second base is the farthest from home plate, it is the most commonly stolen base in baseball. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the second baseman is assigned the number 4, and the shortstop 6. Third base Third base is the third of the four bases a runner must touch in order to score a run. The third baseman is the defensive player mainly responsible for the area nearest third base. A third baseman ideally possesses quick reaction to batted balls and a strong arm to make the long throw to first base. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the third baseman is assigned the number 5. Like a runner on second base, a runner on third base is said to be in "scoring position", since there is a higher likelihood of scoring a run on a single or sacrifice fly provided that the third and final out is not recorded before they can reach home plate. Home base Home base, usually called "home plate", is the final base that a player must touch to score a run. Unlike the other bases, home plate is a five-sided slab of white rubber that is set at ground level. Backstop In most MLB stadiums, the backstop is at least 60 feet behind home plate and is composed of a lower solid wall and upper netting that protects spectators behind home plate from wild pitches, passed balls, and foul balls. In recreational fields, there is usually a tall chain-link fence that surrounds the infield and the players' bench for player safety. Baselines Baselines are straight lines between two adjacent bases. Physical baselines are not drawn between first and second or second and third bases; the foul lines serve to mark the baseline between home plate and first base, and between third base and home. Running baseline Generally, baserunners are not required to follow the baseline. A baserunner seeking to advance more than one base typically "rounds" the base, following a more circular path. However, a runner's left-right motion is constrained when the defense tries to tag him. At the moment the defense begins the attempt, the baserunner's running baseline is established as a direct line from his current position to the base he is trying for. A runner straying more than three feet (1 m) away from this baseline to avoid a tag may be called out. Running lane Beginning halfway between home and first base, and ending at first base, there is a second chalk line to the right of the foul line. This second line and the part of the foul line it runs parallel to, form the running lane that defines the path in which a batter-runner must run as he is advancing to first base. Rule 6.05(k) of the Official Baseball Rules states that if a batter-runner running to first base runs outside the running lane, and "in doing so" interferes with the fielder taking the throw at first, then the batter-runner is automatically out. First base itself is not located in the running lane, but Rule 6.05 lets the batter-runner leave the running lane "by means of a step, stride or slide in the immediate vicinity of first base" to step on first base. Playing areas near home plate Batter's box The batter's box is the place where the batter stands when ready to receive a pitch from the pitcher. It is usually drawn in chalk on the dirt surrounding home plate, and the insides of the boxes are watered down before each game. The chalk lines delineating the two foul lines are rarely extended through the batter's boxes. However, those lines exist conceptually for the purpose of judging a batted ball fair or foul. In addition, inside edges of the batter's boxes are often not laid-in with chalk. Similarly, though not marked, those lines continue to exist for the purpose of the rules pertaining to the batter's box and the batter's position relative thereto. There are two batter's boxes, one on each side of home plate. The batter's boxes are 4 feet (1.22 m) wide and 6 feet (1.83 m) long. The batter's boxes are centered lengthwise at the center of home plate with the inside line of each batter's box 6 inches (15 cm) from the near edge of home plate. A right-handed batter would stand in the batter's box on the right side of home plate from the perspective of the pitcher. A left-handed batter would stand in the batter's box to their left. A batter may only occupy one batter's box at a time and may not legally leave the batter's box after the pitcher has come set or has started their windup. Should the batter wish to leave the batter's box once the pitcher has engaged the rubber, they must first ask the umpire for time-out. Time will not be granted if the pitcher has already started their pitching motion. For playing rules relating to the batter's box, see Rules 6.05 and 6.06 of the Official Baseball Rules. Catcher's box The catcher's box is an area of the field behind home plate which the catcher occupies to avoid committing a balk when a pitch is thrown. Pitcher's mound In roughly the middle of the square, equidistant between first and third base, and a few feet closer to home plate than to second base, is a low artificial hill called the pitcher's mound. This is where the pitcher stands when throwing the pitch. Atop the mound is a white rubber slab, called the pitcher's plate or pitcher's rubber. It measures 6 inches (15 cm) front-to-back and 2 feet (61 cm) across, the front of which is exactly 60 feet 6 inches (18.44 m) from the rear point of home plate. This peculiar distance was set by the rule makers in 1893, not due to a clerical or surveying error as popular myth has it, but intentionally (further details under History). In Major League Baseball, a regulation mound is 18 feet (5.5 m) in diameter, with the center 59 feet (18 m) from the rear point of home plate, on the line between home plate and second base. The front edge of the pitcher's plate or rubber is 18 inches (46 cm) behind the center of the mound, making the front edge's midpoint 60 feet 6 inches from the rear point of home plate. Six inches (15 cm) in front of the pitcher's rubber the mound begins to slope downward. The top of the rubber is to be no higher than ten inches (25 cm) above home plate. From 1903 through 1968, this height limit was set at 15 inches (38 cm), but in reality differed from ballpark to ballpark as the height was considered too difficult to enforce. A higher mound generally favors the pitcher and teams which emphasized pitching, such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, would have a slightly higher mound. With the height advantage, the pitcher gains more leverage and can put more downward velocity on the ball, making it more difficult for the batter to strike the ball squarely with the bat. After 1968, known among baseball historians as "the year of the pitcher", the official height of the mound was lowered from 15 inches (38 cm) to 10 inches (25 cm) in an attempt to "increase the batting" once again. A pitcher's mound is difficult for groundskeepers to maintain. Usually before every game it is watered down to keep the dust from spreading. On youth and amateur baseball fields, the mound may be much different from the rule book definition due to erosion and repair attempts. Even in the major leagues, each mound gains its own character, as pitchers are allowed to kick away pieces of dirt in their way, thereby sculpting the mound a bit to their preference. The pitcher may keep a rosin bag on the rear of the mound to dry off their hands. Major League Baseball teams are also permitted cleat cleaners on the back of the mound. This may be a flat grate-style plate, or simply a hand tool such as a piece of wood used to remove mud and dirt from cleats. These items are allowed to remain on the backside of the mound at the discretion of the umpire, thus reducing the probability that they will affect a live play. Grass line The grass line, where the dirt of the infield ends and the grass of the outfield begins, has no special significance to the rules of the game (except in Double-A Minor League Baseball where all infielders must be on the infield dirt when the pitch is thrown as part of an experimental rule for the 2021 season), but it can influence the outcome of a game. Dirt running paths between the bases (and, at one time and still in some parks, between the pitcher and the catcher) have existed since the beginning of the game, although they were not mentioned in the rule books until around 1950, and their specifications are flexible. In addition to providing a running path, the grass lines act as a visual aid so that players, umpires and fans may better judge distance from the center of the diamond. Occasionally the ball may take a tricky bounce off the dirt area or the edge between the dirt and the grass. Multiple World Series championships (including 1924, 1960 and 1986) have been decided or heavily influenced by erratic hops of ground balls. In artificial turf stadiums, infield dirt was originally only placed in three five-sided areas around the bases and in two circles around the pitcher's and batting areas, which are referred to as "cut outs". In this configuration, the "grass line" is usually designated with a white arc. This setup first appeared at Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium upon its opening in 1970. Among Major League Baseball fields, Rogers Centre was the last stadium to maintain this type of configuration and was reconfigured with a full dirt infield starting in the 2016 MLB season. In some college baseball parks with artificial turf fields, the entire field (along with possibly the pitcher's mound) is made up of turf, with parts of the field mainly containing dirt instead merely being clay-colored turf. Outfield The outfield is made from thick grass or artificial turf. It is where the outfielders play. The positions to play in the outfield are left, center, and right field (named in relation to the batter's position; thus left field is beyond third base and right field is beyond first base). Outfields vary in size and shape depending on the overall size and shape of the playing field. The outfield stretches from the infield to the outfield wall and it contains the warning track. Outfields especially vary from Little League to major league fields. Little League outfields vary more in size than Major League outfields. Outfields often differ from infields in the specific type of grass used, but most major league outfields are grass. Warning track The warning track is the strip of dirt at the edges of the baseball field (especially in front of the home run fence and along the left and right sides of a field). Because the warning track's color and feel differ from the grass field, a fielder can remain focused on a fly ball near the fence and measure their proximity to the fence while attempting to catch the ball safely. A warning track's width is not specified in the rules. It is generally designed to give about three steps of warning to the highest-level players using the field. Typical widths run from about six feet for Little League fields to about 10–15 feet (3.0–4.6 meters) for college- or professional-level play. A warning track this wide also lets groundskeepers avoid driving maintenance vehicles on the grass. The track can be composed of finely ground rock particles such as cinders, which is why announcer Bob Wolff called it the "cinder path" rather than the "warning track". The idea of a warning track originated in Yankee Stadium, where an actual running track was built for use in track and field events. When ballpark designers saw how the track helped fielders, it soon became a feature of every ballpark. Single-minded fielders often crash into a wall trying to make a catch despite the warning track. For this reason, outfield walls are typically padded for extra safety. Wrigley Field's brick wall is covered only by ivy, which is not especially soft. However, there are pads on the walls of the tight left and right field corners in foul ground. Warning-track power is a derogatory term for a batter who seems to have just enough power to hit the ball to the warning track for an out, but not enough to hit a home run. The term more generally refers to someone or something that is almost but not quite good enough for something. Outfield wall The outfield wall or fence is the outer boundary of the outfield. A ball passing over the wall is dead. If it passes over the wall in fair territory, without touching the ground, it is a home run. The official rules do not specify the shape, height, or composition of the wall, or a specific mandatory distance from home plate (though Major League Baseball mandates a minimum distance of 250 feet (76 m) and recommends a minimum distance of 320 feet (98 m) at the foul poles and 400 feet (120 m) at center field). As a result, baseball fields can vary greatly along those lines. The wall has numbers affixed or painted on it that denote the distance from that point on the wall to home plate. In most modern major league ballparks, the wall is made of some hard material (e.g., concrete, plywood, sheet metal) with padding on the field side to protect players who may collide with the wall at high speed while trying to make a play. Chain link fencing may also be incorporated into the wall in areas where the wall needs to be transparent, e.g., an outfield bullpen, a spectator area behind the wall, or to protect a scoreboard incorporated into the wall. Many ballparks feature a yellow line denoting the top of the wall to aid umpires in judging whether the ball passed over the wall or if the ball is fair or foul. Foul poles Foul poles, if present, help umpires judge whether a fly ball hit above the fence line is foul (out of play) or fair (a home run). The poles are a vertical extension of the foul lines at the edge of the field of play. The outer edge of the foul lines and foul poles define foul territory. Both the lines and the poles are in fair territory, in contrast to American football and basketball, where the lines marking the playing boundaries are out of bounds. The minimum distance to hit a home run (along either foul line) is set by baseball rules, generally at 325 feet (99 m). Before 1931 (with the exception of a couple months in 1920) the foul lines extended indefinitely; a batter was awarded a home run only if a fly ball out of the field was fair where it landed. Now, a batted ball that leaves the field in flight is judged fair or foul at the point it leaves the field. Thus, such a fly ball passing on the fair side of a foul pole, or hitting a foul pole, is a home run regardless of where the ball goes thereafter. Foul poles are typically much higher than the top of the outfield fence or wall, and often have a narrow screen running along the fair side of the pole. This further aids the umpires' judgment, as a ball that bounces off this screen is a home run. It can still be a difficult call, especially in ballparks with no outfield stands behind the poles to provide perspective. Wrigley Field is notorious for arguments over long, curving flies down a foul line (most notably in left field) that sail higher than the foul pole. At Major League Baseball fields, foul poles are usually yellow. Those at Citi Field are orange. At Petco Park, there is no foul pole in left field; the pole's function is served by a yellow metal strip along the corner of the Western Metal Supply Co. building. Several parks featuring advertising along the length of the foul pole, with the most prominent example being the advertising from Chick-fil-A at both Citi Field and Minute Maid Park (serving as a pun, with "fowl" being another term for a chicken, the primary meat featured by that restaurant chain). Player preparation and coaching areas Bullpen The bullpen (sometimes referred to as simply "the 'pen") is the area where pitchers warm up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Relief pitchers usually wait in the bullpen when they have yet to play in a game, rather than in the dugout with the rest of the team. The starting pitcher also makes their final pregame warmups in the bullpen. Managers can call coaches in the bullpen on an in-house telephone from the dugout to tell a certain pitcher to begin their warmup tosses. "Bullpen" is also used metonymically to describe a team's collection of relief pitchers. On-deck circles There are two on-deck circles in the field, one for each team, positioned in foul ground between home plate and the respective teams' benches. The on-deck circle is where the next scheduled batter, or "on-deck" batter, warms up while waiting for the current batter to finish their turn. The on-deck circle is either an area composed of bare dirt; a plain circle painted onto artificial turf; or often, especially at the professional level, a mat made from artificial material, with the team or league logo painted onto it. Coach's boxes The coach's boxes, located behind first and third base, are where the first and third base coaches are supposed to stand, although coaches often stand outside the box. This is permissible as long as the coach does not interfere with play and the opposing team does not object (in which case the umpire shall ensure that all coaches on both teams must abide by the boundaries of the coach's boxes). The coach's boxes are marked with chalk or paint. In the early days of baseball, the term "coacher's box" was used, as "coach" was taken to be a verb. As the term "coach" evolved into a noun, the name of the box also changed. History Knickerbocker Rules The basic layout of the field has been little changed since the Knickerbocker Rules of the 1840s. Those rules specified the distance from home to second as 42 "paces". The dictionary definition of a "pace" at the time was 30 inches, yielding base paths of approximately 75 feet; however, if a "pace" of three feet was meant then the distance would have been 89 feet. It is not implausible that the early clubs simply stepped off the distance. 30 yards (90 feet) between the bases was first explicitly prescribed by the NABBP Convention of 1857. Through trial and error, 90 feet had been settled upon as the optimal distance. 100 feet would have given too much advantage to the defense, and 80 feet too much to the offense. The original Knickerbocker Rules did not specify the pitching distance explicitly; the 1854 Unified Rules stated "from Home to pitcher not less than fifteen paces". By the time major league baseball began in the 1870s, the pitcher was compelled to pitch from within a "box" whose front edge was 45 feet (14 m) from the "point" of home plate. Although they had to release the ball before crossing the line, as with bowlers in cricket, they also had to start their delivery from within the box; they could not run in from the field as bowlers do. Furthermore, the pitcher had to throw underhand. By the 1880s, pitchers had mastered the underhand delivery—in fact, in 1880, there were two perfect games within a week of each other. Modern history In an attempt to "increase the batting", the front edge of the pitcher's box was moved back 5 feet in 1881, to 50 feet (15 m) from home plate. The size of the box was altered over the following few years. Pitchers were allowed to throw overhand starting in 1884, and that tilted the balance of power again. In 1887, the box was set at 4 feet (1.2 m) wide and 5.5 feet (1.7 m) deep, with the front edge still 50 feet from the plate. However, the pitcher was compelled to deliver the ball with their back foot at the 55.5-foot (16.9 m) line of the box, thus somewhat restricting their ability to "power" the ball with their overhand delivery.: 96 In 1893, the box was replaced by the pitcher's plate, although "the box" is still used today as a slang term for the pitcher's location on the field. Exactly 5 feet was added to the point the pitcher had to toe, again "to increase the batting" (and hopefully to increase attendance, as fan interest had flagged somewhat), resulting in the seemingly peculiar pitching distance of 60.5 feet (18.44 m).: 230 Some sources suggest that the pitching distance evolved from 45 to 50 to 60.5 feet. However, the first two were the "release point" and the third is the "pushoff point." The 1893 rule change added only 5 feet to the release point, not 10.5 feet. Originally the pitcher threw from flat ground. Gradually, the raised mound was developed, somewhat returning the advantage to the pitchers. From 1893 to 1950, a stipulation was added that the mound be no more than 15 inches above the field. Before the mid-20th century, it was common for baseball fields to include a dirt pathway between the pitcher's mound and home plate. This feature is sometimes known as the "keyhole" due to the shape that it makes together with the mound. The keyhole was once as wide as the pitcher's box and resembled a cricket pitch. Sometimes this path extended through the batting area and all the way to the backstop. Once the rounded pitcher's mound was developed, the path became more ornamental than practical, and was gradually thinned before being largely abandoned by the 1950s. In recent years some ballparks, such as Comerica Park and Chase Field in the major leagues, have revived the feature for nostalgic reasons. From 1857 to 1867 home plate was a circular iron plate, painted or enameled white, covering "a space equal to one square foot of surface", i.e. with a diameter of ~13-1/2 inches. In 1868 the plate was changed to a square, 12" on a side, originally set with the flat sides toward the pitcher and catcher; the new professional National Association rotated it 45 degrees in 1871. In 1872 the rules required it to be made of white marble or stone set flush with the ground. For the rest of the century materials varied between stone, iron and wood, but at all times it was a white twelve-inch square. The pentagonal shape and the mandatory use of rubber were developed by Robert Keating, who had pitched one game for the 1887 Baltimore Orioles; the new plate was adopted by the National League in 1900. From 1861 to 1874 the center, not the back, of the plate was situated on the intersection of the foul lines, and in 1875–76 was moved entirely into foul ground with the "pitcher's point" at the intersection. In 1877 it was moved forward to its modern location, wholly in fair territory. There were no batters' boxes before 1874. Up until that time, the batter was required to hit with their front foot on a line passing through the center of the plate. The 1874 batters' boxes were 6 feet by 3 feet, 12 inches from the plate; the modern dimensions (6' x 4') were instituted in 1885 by the National League and the following year by the American Association Maintenance See: Turf management, Sports turf, Groundskeeping#Groundskeeping equipment, Equipment manager, and Sand-based athletic fields Honors and awards The Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) presents various awards each year. Starting in 2001, its Sports Turf Manager of the Year Awards have been presented annually in the Triple-A, Double-A, Class A, and Short-Season/Rookie divisions of Minor League Baseball and are chosen from the 16 league winners. STMA also presents the Baseball Field of the Year Award, which includes Schools and Parks, College/University and Professional categories. See also Official Rules of Major League Baseball The Baseball Encyclopedia, published by Macmillan Publishers Softball field Baseball5 field Batters' grounds, the cricket equivalent to bases References External links Baseball field Almanac Baseball Field Dimensions Differences among MLB fields
Joe_DiMaggio	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_DiMaggio	[ 639 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_DiMaggio" ]	Joseph Paul DiMaggio (born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio; [dʒuˈzɛppe ˈpaːolo diˈmaddʒo]; November 25, 1914 – March 8, 1999), nicknamed "Joltin' Joe", "the Yankee Clipper" and "Joe D.", was an American baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. Born to Italian immigrants in California, he is widely considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time and set the record for the longest hitting streak in major league baseball (56 games from May 15 – July 16, 1941). DiMaggio was a three-time American League (AL) Most Valuable Player Award winner and an All-Star in each of his 13 seasons. During his tenure with the Yankees, the club won ten American League pennants and nine World Series championships. His nine career World Series rings are second only to fellow Yankee Yogi Berra, who won 10. At the time of his retirement after the 1951 season, he ranked fifth in career home runs (361) and sixth in career slugging percentage (.579). He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955 and was voted the sport's greatest living player in a poll taken during baseball's centennial year of 1969. His brothers Vince (1912–1986) and Dom (1917–2009) also were major league center fielders. Outside of baseball, DiMaggio is also widely known for his marriage and life-long devotion to Marilyn Monroe. Early life Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio was born on November 25, 1914, in Martinez, California, the eighth of nine children born to Italian (Sicilian) immigrants Giuseppe and Rosalia DiMaggio, from Isola delle Femmine. His Italian birth name was Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio. Rosalia named her son "Giuseppe" after his father in the hopes he would be her last child; "Paolo" was in honor of Giuseppe's favorite saint, Paul of Tarsus. Giuseppe was a fisherman, as were generations of DiMaggios before him. DiMaggio's brother Tom told Maury Allen that Rosalia's father wrote to her saying Giuseppe could earn a better living in California. Giuseppe and Rosalia decided that he would go to the United States for one year: if things were better, he would send for her; if not, he would return home. After being processed on Ellis Island, Giuseppe worked his way across the country, eventually settling near Rosalia's father in Pittsburg, on the east side of the San Francisco Bay Area. After four years, he had earned enough money to send for Rosalia and their daughter, who was born after he left. When Joe was a toddler, Giuseppe moved his family to the North Beach section of San Francisco.: 18 Giuseppe hoped that his five sons would become fishermen. DiMaggio recalled that he would do anything to get out of cleaning his father's boat, as the smell of dead fish nauseated him. Giuseppe called him "lazy" and "good-for-nothing". At age ten, he took up baseball, playing third base at the North Beach playground near his home. After attending Hancock Elementary and Francisco Middle School, DiMaggio dropped out of Galileo High School and worked odd jobs. By 1931, DiMaggio was playing semi-pro ball. Nearing the end of the 1932 season, his brother Vince, playing for the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League (PCL), talked his manager into letting DiMaggio fill in at shortstop. He made his professional debut on October 1, 1932, playing the last three games. In less than two years, DiMaggio made the jump from the playground to the PCL, one notch below the majors.: 34 In his full rookie year, from May 27 to July 25, 1933, he hit safely in 61 consecutive games, a PCL-record, and second-longest in Minor League Baseball history. "Baseball didn't really get into my blood until I knocked off that hitting streak," he said. "Getting a daily hit became more important to me than eating, drinking, or sleeping.” In 1934, DiMaggio suffered a potentially career-threatening knee injury when he tore ligaments of his right knee while stepping out of a jitney. Convinced the injury would heal, Yankees scout Bill Essick pestered his bosses to give DiMaggio another look. After he passed a physical, the team bought him for $50,000 and five players, with the Seals keeping him for the 1935 season. DiMaggio batted .398 with 154 runs batted in (RBIs) and 34 home runs. The Seals won the 1935 PCL title, and he was named the league's Most Valuable Player. Professional career New York Yankees (1936–1942, 1946–1951) DiMaggio made his Major League debut on May 3, 1936, batting ahead of Lou Gehrig in the lineup. The Yankees had not been to the World Series since 1932, but they won the next four World Series. Over the course of his 13-year Major League career, DiMaggio led the Yankees to nine World Series championships, where he trails only Yogi Berra (10) in that category. DiMaggio set a franchise record for rookies in 1936 by hitting 29 home runs. DiMaggio accomplished the feat in 138 games. His record stood for over 80 years until it was shattered by Aaron Judge, who tallied 52 homers in 2017. In 1937, DiMaggio built upon his rookie season by leading the majors with 46 home runs, 151 runs scored, and 418 total bases. He also hit safely in 43 of 44 games from June 27 to August 12. He finished second in American League MVP voting in a close race with Charlie Gehringer of the Detroit Tigers. In 1939, DiMaggio was nicknamed "the Yankee Clipper" by Yankee's play-by-play announcer Arch McDonald, when he likened DiMaggio's speed and range in the outfield to the then-new Pan American airliner.: 152 That year in August, DiMaggio recorded 53 RBIs, tying Hack Wilson's 1930 record for most in a single month. He also won his first career batting title and MVP award, as well as leading the Yankees to their fourth consecutive World Series championship. DiMaggio was pictured with his son on the cover of the inaugural issue of SPORT magazine in September 1946. In 1947, DiMaggio won his third MVP award and his sixth World Series with the Yankees. That year, Boston Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey and Yankees GM Larry MacPhail verbally agreed to trade DiMaggio for Ted Williams, but the trade was canceled when MacPhail refused to include Yogi Berra. In the September 1949 issue of SPORT, Hank Greenberg said that DiMaggio covered so much ground in center field that the only way to get a hit against the Yankees was "to hit 'em where Joe wasn't." DiMaggio also stole home five times in his career. On February 7, 1949, DiMaggio signed a contract worth $100,000 ($1,280,000 in current dollar terms) ($70,000 plus bonuses), and became the first baseball player to break $100,000 in earnings. By 1950, he was ranked the second-best center fielder by the Sporting News, after Larry Doby. After a poor 1951 season, various injuries, and a scouting report by the Brooklyn Dodgers that was turned over to the New York Giants and leaked to the press, DiMaggio announced his retirement at age 37 on December 11, 1951. When remarking on his retirement to the Sporting News on December 19, 1951, he said: I feel like I have reached the stage where I can no longer produce for my club, my manager, and my teammates. I had a poor year, but even if I had hit .350, this would have been my last year. I was full of aches and pains and it had become a chore for me to play. When baseball is no longer fun, it's no longer a game, and so, I've played my last game. Through May 2009, DiMaggio was tied with Mark McGwire for third place all-time in home runs over the first two calendar years in the major leagues (77), behind Phillies Hall of Famer Chuck Klein (83), and Milwaukee Brewers' Ryan Braun (79). Through 2011, he was one of seven major leaguers to have had at least four 30-homer, 100-RBI seasons in their first five years, along with Chuck Klein, Ted Williams, Ralph Kiner, Mark Teixeira, Albert Pujols, and Ryan Braun. DiMaggio holds the record for most seasons with more home runs than strikeouts (minimum 20 home runs), a feat he accomplished seven times, and five times consecutively from 1937 to 1941. DiMaggio could have possibly exceeded 500 home runs and 2,000 RBIs had he not served in the military during World War II, causing him to miss the 1943, 1944, and 1945 seasons. DiMaggio might have had better power-hitting statistics had his home park not been Yankee Stadium. In "The House That Ruth Built", its nearby right field favored the Babe's left-handed power. For right-handed hitters, its deep left and center fields made home runs almost impossible. Mickey Mantle recalled that he and Whitey Ford witnessed many DiMaggio blasts that would have been home runs anywhere other than Yankee Stadium (Ruth himself fell victim to that problem, as he also hit many long flyouts to center). Bill James calculated that DiMaggio lost more home runs due to his home park than any other player in history. Left-center field went as far back as 457 ft [139 m], whereas left-center rarely reaches 380 ft [116 m] in today's ballparks. Al Gionfriddo's famous catch in the 1947 World Series, which was close to the 415-foot mark [126 m] in left-center, just in front of the visitors bullpen, would have been a home run in the Yankees' current ballpark and most other ballparks at that time, except perhaps the Polo Grounds, home of the New York Giants. DiMaggio hit 148 home runs in 3,360 at-bats at home versus 213 home runs in 3,461 at-bats on the road. His slugging percentage at home was .546, and on the road, it was .610. Statistician Bill Jenkinson commented on these figures: For example, Joe DiMaggio was acutely handicapped by playing at Yankee Stadium. Every time he batted in his home field during his entire career, he did so knowing that it was physically impossible for him to hit a home run to the half of the field directly in front of him. If you look at a baseball field from foul line to foul line, it has a 90-degree radius. From the power alley in the left-center field (430 in Joe's time) to the fence in the deep right-center field (407 ft), it is 45 degrees. And Joe DiMaggio never hit a single home run over the fences at Yankee Stadium in that 45-degree graveyard. It was just too far. Joe was plenty strong; he routinely hit balls in the 425-foot range. But that just wasn't good enough in the cavernous Yankee Stadium. Like Ruth, he benefited from a few easy homers each season due to the short foul line distances. But he lost many more than he gained by constantly hitting long flyouts toward center field. Whereas most sluggers perform better on their home fields, DiMaggio hit only 41 percent of his career home runs in the Bronx. He hit 148 homers at Yankee Stadium. If he had hit the same exact pattern of batted balls with a typical modern stadium as his home, he would have belted about 225 homers during his home-field career. DiMaggio became eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1953 but he was not elected until 1955. The Hall of Fame rules on the post-retirement induction waiting period had been revised in the interim, extending the waiting period from one to five years, but DiMaggio and Ted Lyons were exempted from the rule. DiMaggio told Baseball Digest in 1963 that the Brooklyn Dodgers had offered him their managerial job in 1953, but he turned it down. After being out of baseball since his retirement as an active player, DiMaggio joined the newly relocated Oakland Athletics as a vice president in 1968 and 1969 and a coach in just the first of those two seasons. The appointment allowed him to qualify for MLB's maximum pension allowance of which he had fallen two years short upon his retirement. During his only campaign as a coach, he helped improve the talents of players such as Reggie Jackson, Sal Bando, and Joe Rudi who became part of the team's nucleus which won three consecutive World Series in 1972, 1973, and 1974. After he resigned from the Athletics, DiMaggio was named the acting manager for the East team in the East-West Major League Baseball Classic which was held in honor of the late Martin Luther King Jr., raising charity money for King's causes. 1941 hitting streak DiMaggio's most famous achievement is his MLB record-breaking 56-game hitting streak in 1941. The streak began on May 15, a couple of weeks before the death of Lou Gehrig—who had been DiMaggio's teammate from 1936 to 1939—when DiMaggio went one-for-four against Chicago White Sox pitcher Eddie Smith. Major newspapers began to write about DiMaggio's streak early on, but as he approached George Sisler's modern-era record of 41 games, it became a national phenomenon. Initially, DiMaggio showed little interest in breaking Sisler's record, saying: "I'm not thinking a whole lot about it... I'll either break it or I won't." As he approached Sisler's record, DiMaggio showed more interest, saying, "At the start, I didn't think much about it... but naturally I'd like to get the record since I am this close." On June 29, 1941, DiMaggio doubled in the first game of a doubleheader against the Washington Senators at Griffith Stadium to tie Sisler's record and then singled in the nightcap to extend his streak to 42. A Yankee Stadium crowd of 52,832 fans watched DiMaggio tie the all-time hitting streak record (44 games, Wee Willie Keeler in 1897) on July 1. The next day against the Boston Red Sox, he homered into Yankee Stadium's left-field stands to extend his streak to 45, setting a new record. DiMaggio recorded 67 hits in 179 at-bats during the first 45 games of his streak, while Keeler recorded 88 hits in 201 at-bats. DiMaggio continued hitting after breaking Keeler's record, reaching 50 straight games on July 11 against the St. Louis Browns. On July 17 at Cleveland's Municipal Stadium, DiMaggio's streak was finally snapped at 56 games, thanks in part to two backhand stops by Indians third baseman Ken Keltner. DiMaggio batted .408 during the streak with 15 home runs and 55 RBI. The day after the streak ended DiMaggio started another streak that lasted 16 games, therefore hitting safely in 72 of 73 games. The closest anyone has come to equaling DiMaggio is Pete Rose, who hit safely in 44 straight games in 1978. During the streak, DiMaggio played in seven doubleheaders. The Yankees' record during the streak was 41–13–2. Some consider DiMaggio's streak a uniquely outstanding and unbreakable record and a statistical near-impossibility. Nobel Prize-winning physicist and sabermetrician Edward Mills Purcell calculated that, to have the likelihood of a hitting streak of 50 games occurring in the history of baseball up to the late 1980s be greater than 50%, fifty-two .350 lifetime hitters would have to have existed instead of the actual three (Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, and Shoeless Joe Jackson). His Harvard colleague Stephen Jay Gould, citing Purcell's work, called DiMaggio's 56-game achievement "the most extraordinary thing that ever happened in American sports". Samuel Arbesman and Steven Strogatz of Cornell University disagree. They conducted 10,000 computer simulations of Major League Baseball from 1871 to 2005, 42% of which produced streaks as long or longer, with record streaks ranging from 39 to 109 games and typical record streaks between 50 and 64 games. World War II DiMaggio enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces on February 17, 1943, rising to the rank of sergeant. He was stationed at Santa Ana, California, Hawaii, and Atlantic City, New Jersey, as a physical education instructor. He was released on a medical discharge in September 1945, due to chronic stomach ulcers. Other than being paid $21 a month, DiMaggio's service was as comfortable as a soldier's life could be. He spent most of his military career playing for baseball teams and in exhibition games against fellow Major Leaguers and minor league players, and superiors gave him special privileges due to his prewar fame. DiMaggio ate so well from an athlete-only diet that he gained 10 pounds, and while in Hawaii he and other players mostly tanned on the beach and drank. Embarrassed by his lifestyle, DiMaggio requested that he be given a combat assignment but was turned down. Parents as "enemy aliens" Giuseppe and Rosalia DiMaggio, both from Isola delle Femmine, were among the thousands of German, Japanese, and Italian immigrants classified as "enemy aliens" by the government after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Each was required to carry photo ID booklets at all times and was not allowed to travel outside a five-mile radius from their home without a permit. Giuseppe was barred from San Francisco Bay, where he had fished for decades, and his boat was seized. Rosalia became an American citizen in 1945, followed by Giuseppe in 1946. Marriages Dorothy Arnold In January 1937, DiMaggio met actress Dorothy Arnold on the set of Manhattan Merry-Go-Round, in which he had a minor role, and she was an extra. He announced their engagement on April 25, 1939, just before the Yankees were to meet the Philadelphia Athletics. They married at Saints Peter and Paul Church, San Francisco on November 19, 1939, as 20,000 well-wishers jammed the streets. The couple's son, Joseph Paul DiMaggio Jr. (1941–1999), was born at Doctors' Hospital in Staten Island. Their marriage was troubled, as Arnold wanted DiMaggio to settle down and be a father to their son and a nearby husband to her; DiMaggio was more interested in the public eye. The couple divorced in 1944, while DiMaggio was on leave from the Yankees during World War II. Marilyn Monroe According to her autobiography My Story, co-written with Ben Hecht, American actress Marilyn Monroe originally did not want to meet DiMaggio, fearing he was a stereotypically arrogant athlete. However, they did meet in Los Angeles while on a blind date. After dating for two years, they eloped at San Francisco City Hall on January 14, 1954. Although she suffered from endometriosis, Monroe and DiMaggio each expressed to reporters their desire to start a family. The union was troubled from the start by DiMaggio's jealousy, controlling attitude, and him physically abusing Monroe; as well as her busy life as an actress. A violent fight between the couple occurred immediately after Monroe filmed the skirt-blowing scene in The Seven Year Itch that was filmed on September 14, 1954, in front of Manhattan's Trans-Lux 52nd Street Theater, as DiMaggio disapproved of the scene. Then 20th Century Fox's East Coast correspondent Bill Kobrin told the Palm Springs Desert Sun that it was director Billy Wilder's idea to turn the shoot into a media circus. Monroe and DiMaggio then had a "yelling battle" in the theater lobby. After returning from New York City to Hollywood in October 1954, Monroe filed for divorce from DiMaggio after only nine months of marriage. However, she was devastated to leave DiMaggio, and throughout the procedures in court, she could be seen weeping openly. DiMaggio was also devastated, and wrote to Monroe, saying, "I love you and want to be with you…There is nothing I would like better than to restore your confidence in me…My heart split even wider seeing you cry in front of all those people." He also wrote, “[I don't] know what your thoughts are about me, but I can tell you I love you sincerely — way deep in my heart, irregardless of anything." After the divorce, DiMaggio underwent therapy, stopped drinking alcohol, and expanded his interests beyond baseball. On August 1, 1956, an International News wire photo of DiMaggio with Lee Meriwether gave rise to speculation that they were engaged, but DiMaggio biographer Richard Ben Cramer wrote that it was a rumor started by columnist Walter Winchell. Monroe biographer Donald Spoto claimed that DiMaggio was "very close to marrying" 1957 Miss America Marian McKnight, who won the crown with a Marilyn Monroe act, but McKnight denied it. He was also linked to Liz Renay, Cleo Moore, Rita Gam, Marlene Dietrich, and Gloria DeHaven during this period, and years later to Elizabeth Ray and Morgan Fairchild, but he never publicly confirmed any involvement with any woman. DiMaggio reentered Monroe's life as her marriage to Arthur Miller was ending. On February 10, 1961, he secured her release from Payne Whitney Psychiatric Clinic in Manhattan. She joined him in Florida where he was a batting coach for the Yankees. Their "just friends" claim did not stop remarriage rumors from flying. Reporters staked out her Manhattan apartment building. Bob Hope "dedicated" Best Song nominee "The Second Time Around" to them at the 33rd Academy Awards. According to Maury Allen's biography, DiMaggio was alarmed at how Monroe had fallen in with people he felt were detrimental to her well-being. Val Monette, the owner of a military post-exchange supply company, told Allen that DiMaggio left his employ on August 1, 1962, because he had decided to ask Monroe to remarry him. Four days later, on August 5, Monroe was found dead in her Brentwood, Los Angeles home after her housekeeper Eunice R. Murray telephoned Monroe's psychiatrist, Ralph Greenson. DiMaggio's son had spoken to Monroe on the phone the night of her death and said she seemed fine. Her death was deemed a probable suicide by "Coroner to the Stars" Thomas Noguchi. It has also been the subject of conspiracy theories. Devastated, DiMaggio claimed Monroe's body and arranged for her funeral at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery. He barred Hollywood's elite and members of the Kennedy family from attending the funeral, including President John F. Kennedy. He had a half-dozen red roses delivered to her crypt three times a week for 20 years. Oftentimes, he refused to talk about her publicly or otherwise exploit their relationship, and in the rare moments when he did speak to reporters, he was unable to hold back tears. He never married again. According to DiMaggio's attorney Morris Engelberg, DiMaggio's last words were "I'll finally get to see Marilyn." Though DiMaggio's brother Dominic challenged Engelberg's version of Joe's final moments and his motives, Engleberg continuously denied those who questioned DiMaggio's last words, reporting that one night when he and a terminally ill DiMaggio were sitting together, DiMaggio told him, "I don’t feel bad about dying. At least I’ll be with Marilyn again." Advertising In the 1970s, DiMaggio became a spokesman for Mr. Coffee, and was the face of the electric drip coffee makers for over 20 years. Vincent Marotta, the CEO of North American Systems, which manufactured Mr. Coffee at the time, recruited DiMaggio for the advertising campaign. DiMaggio's spots were successful with consumers. In a 2007 interview with The Columbus Dispatch, Marotta joked that "millions of kids grew up thinking Joe DiMaggio was a famous appliance salesman." Despite the commercials, DiMaggio rarely drank coffee due to ulcers; and when he did drink coffee, he preferred Sanka instant coffee rather than coffee brewed by Mr. Coffee machines. In 1972, DiMaggio became a spokesman for the Bowery Savings Bank. Except for a five-year hiatus in the 1980s, he regularly made commercials for them until 1992. In 1986, he became a spokesperson for Florida's Cross Keys Village, an active retirement community. Television programs Beginning in April 1952, DiMaggio had 10-minute programs on Channel 11 in New York City before and after each Yankees' home game. Episodes included interviews with guests and DiMaggio's comments about baseball. The team owned the program, with DiMaggio under contract to the Yankees. He also did Joe DiMaggio's Dugout on Channel 4 in New York City, a weekly filmed program unrelated to the pre-and post-game shows. It featured instructional sessions and quizzes for young people. Death DiMaggio was a heavy smoker for much of his adult life. He was admitted to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Florida, on October 12, 1998, for lung cancer surgery and remained there for 99 days. He returned to his home in Hollywood, Florida, on January 19, 1999, where he died on March 8 at age 84. DiMaggio's attorney, Morris Engleberg reported that his last words were, "I'll finally get to see Marilyn," referencing his ex-wife Marilyn Monroe. DiMaggio's funeral was held on March 11, 1999, at Saints Peter and Paul Church in San Francisco, and he was interred three months later at Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma, California. His son also died that year, on August 6, at age 57. Legacy At his death, The New York Times called DiMaggio's 1941 56-game hitting streak "perhaps the most enduring record in sports." According to American geneticist Mary-Claire King, in the spring of 1981 DiMaggio babysat her daughter at the San Francisco airport so King could drop her mother off to her flight to Chicago. According to King, if it were not for DiMaggio's kindness, she would have almost certainly missed her own flight that was taking her and her daughter to Washington, D.C., a trip that eventually resulted in King's getting her first major grant from the National Institutes of Health and the discovery of the breast and ovarian cancer-causing gene BRCA1. On September 17, 1992, the doors were opened at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Florida, for which he raised over $4 million. On April 13, 1998, DiMaggio was given the Sports Legend Award at the 13th annual American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame Awards Dinner in New York City. Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State and a longtime fan of DiMaggio, made the presentation to the Yankee great. The event was one of DiMaggio's last public appearances before taking ill. Yankee Stadium's fifth monument was dedicated to DiMaggio on April 25, 1999, and the West Side Highway was officially renamed The Joe DiMaggio Highway in his honor. The Yankees wore DiMaggio's number 5 on the left sleeves of their uniforms for the 1999 season. He is ranked No. 11 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and he was elected by fans to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. In addition to his number 5 being retired by the New York Yankees, DiMaggio's number was also retired by the Florida Marlins, who retired it in honor of their first team president, Carl Barger, who died five months before the team took the field for the first time in 1993. DiMaggio had been his favorite player. In 2000 after some negotiations, the heirs of Joe DiMaggio's estate, two granddaughters and their four children, welcomed the renaming of San Francisco's North Beach playground, the place where Joe DiMaggio first took up baseball as a boy, as the Joe DiMaggio North Beach Playground. In 2001, Major League Baseball introduced an online daily fantasy game called "Beat the Streak" which required players to pick one or two MLB players to get a hit in a game that day. The goal was to pick correctly 57 times in a row to beat DiMaggio's record streak. As of August 2021, the prize money for beating the streak was $5.6 million; more than 4.5 million players had combined to make over 100 million attempts but none had reached even 52 consecutive hits in the game's history. In May 2006, the adopted daughters of DiMaggio's son held an auction of DiMaggio's personal items. Highlights included the ball he hit in breaking Wee Willie Keeler's hitting-streak record ($63,250); his 2,000th career hit ball ($29,900); his 1947 Most Valuable Player Award ($281,750); the uniform worn in the 1951 World Series ($195,500); his Hall of Fame ring ($69,000); a photograph Marilyn autographed "I love you Joe" ($80,500); her passport ($115,000); and their marriage certificate ($23,000). Lot 758, DiMaggio's white 1991 Mercedes 420 SEL sedan, which was a gift from the New York Yankees commemorating the 50th anniversary of DiMaggio's 1941 season, sold for $18,000. The event netted a total of $4.1 million. On August 8, 2011, the United States Postal Service announced that an image of DiMaggio would appear on a stamp for the first time. It was issued as part of the "Major League Baseball All-Star Stamp Series," which came out in July 2012. DiMaggio insisted on being introduced as the "Greatest Living Ballplayer" at events, including Yankee Old-Timers Day, and he once punched Billy Crystal in the stomach for not introducing him as such. In 2013, the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award honored DiMaggio as one of 37 Baseball Hall of Fame members for his service in the United States Army Air Force during World War II. The Joe DiMaggio Fields in his hometown of Martinez, California, are named after him. Career statistics DiMaggio played in 10 World Series, winning 9. His only loss was in the 1942 World Series. He batted .271 (54–199), with 27 runs scored, 8 home runs, and 30 RBI in 51 post-season games. In popular culture An American icon, DiMaggio's popularity during his career was such that he was referenced in film, television, literature, art, and music both during his career and decades after he retired. Art Pierre Bellocq: Canvas of Stars mural for Gallagher's Steak House (2006) Robert Casilla: The Continuity of Greatness Devon Dikeou: Marilyn Monroe Wanted to Be Buried in Pucci installation (2008) Harvey Dinnerstein: The Wide Swing (1979) sold at auction for $95,000 Curt Flood: painting of DiMaggio sold at auction for $9,500 Bart Forbes: illustration of DiMaggio for the July 1999 Boys' Life Zenos Frudakis: bronze sculpture of DiMaggio for the Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital Bill Gallo: caricature of DiMaggio and Ted Williams sold at auction for $750 Red Grooms: Joltin' Joe Takes a Swing installation (1985–1988) Stephen Holland: Joe DiMaggio (2005) Armand LaMontagne: 1991 giclee of DiMaggio sold at auction for $325 Tommy McDonald: paintings of DiMaggio sold at auction for $4,000, and $2,300 Willard Mullin: 1936 drawing of DiMaggio sold at auction for $2,600 LeRoy Neiman: Joe DiMaggio, New York Yankees (1969), Joe DiMaggio, San Francisco Seals (1989), and The DiMaggio Cut (1998) Bruce Stark: caricature of DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle sold at auction for $700 Mark Ulriksen: illustration of DiMaggio for the cover of the April 12, 1999 The New Yorker Cartoons, comics and graphic novels Boobs in the Woods: Daffy yells at Porky: "Steal home, DiMaggio! It means the game! Attaboy, DiMaggio! Hit the dirt! Slide, DiMaggio! Slide!" Porky then breaks the Fourth wall and says: "Why am I sliding for? I'm not DiMaggio". DC Comics' 100 Bullets by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso: "The Counterfifth Detective", DiMaggio is recruited by Graves for the Minutemen "Idol Chatter", the former baseball player befriended by Graves is based on DiMaggio Harvey Comics' Babe Ruth Sports Comics (August 1949) Parents' Magazine's True Comics #71 (May 1948) Revolutionary Comics' Baseball Legends: Joe DiMaggio (July 1992) Literature "Buck Wischnewski" is based on him in Alvah Bessie's 1966 novel The Symbol "The Ex-Athlete" is based on him in Joyce Carol Oates's 2000 novel Blonde. "The Silent Season of a Hero" by Gay Talese, is a celebrated 1966 piece for Esquire magazine In Ernest Hemingway's 1952 novel, The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago is a fan of DiMaggio. Music Asia: "Joe DiMaggio's Glove" Billy Bragg and Woody Guthrie: "DiMaggio Done It Again" Les Brown & His Band of Renown's "Joltin' Joe DiMaggio" Kinky Friedman: "Marilyn and Joe" Mike Plume: "DiMaggio" Abie Rotenberg: "The Great Joe DiMaggio's Card" Simon & Garfunkel: "Mrs. Robinson" (Paul Simon performed the song on Joe DiMaggio Day in Yankee Stadium, a month after DiMaggio died.) Billy Joel: "We Didn't Start the Fire" Vulfpeck: "1 for 1, Dimaggio" Bon Jovi: "Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen from Mars" Madonna: "Vogue" Tim Curry: "I Do the Rock" John Fogerty: "Centerfield" Movies 61, played by Michael Nouri The Goddess: "Dutch Seymour" is based on DiMaggio Insignificance: "The Ballplayer" is based on DiMaggio Blonde, played by Bobby Cannavale Manhattan Merry-Go-Round (film), Joe DiMaggio played himself TV movies Marilyn & Me, portrayed by Sal Landi Marilyn: The Untold Story, portrayed by Frank Converse Norma Jean & Marilyn, portrayed by Peter Dobson The Rat Pack, portrayed by John Diehl The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe, portrayed by Jeffrey Dean Morgan Theatre Insignificance (1982) by Terry Johnson: The Ballplayer is based on DiMaggio Marilyn: An American Fable (1983): DiMaggio is a character Arthur and Joe (2012) by Allan Havis: DiMaggio is a character Bronx Bombers (2013) by Eric Simonson: DiMaggio is a character Television The Bronx Is Burning, played by Christopher McDonald Blonde: "The Baseball Player" is based on DiMaggio Frasier, "Room Full of Heroes": Martin dresses as DiMaggio, his boyhood hero MASH: "Showtime": Jackie Flash mentions DiMaggio during a routine "Pressure Points": Potter mentions DiMaggio while talking to Freedman "Bombshells": Hawkeye tries to convince a 20th Century-Fox Switchboard operator that he's DiMaggio's "friend" Ted Williams Seinfeld, "The Note": Kramer tries to convince the gang that he saw DiMaggio at Dinky Donuts Sesame Street-The Alphabet Game (Alphabet Treasure Hunt) (Game Show), "1988 VHS": Big Bird, Dimples the Dog, and Gary Grouch compete on a game show hosted by Sonny Friendly. Big Bird brings back a rabbit in the round they must bring something back that starts with 'R', but the choice is not accepted as Sonny Friendly calls the rabbit a "bunny". The episode ends with Dimples the Dog barking, which sounds like "roof", to the question "What is the top part of a house called?" Later, a flustered Big Bird says the dog would answer "roof" even to the question "Who was the best outfielder the Yankees ever had", in which case the rabbit responds, "DiMaggio!!!" See also List of Major League Baseball career batting average leaders List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders List of Major League Baseball career on-base percentage leaders List of Major League Baseball career OPS leaders List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders List of Major League Baseball career slugging percentage leaders List of Major League Baseball career total bases leaders List of Major League Baseball career triples leaders List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise References Works cited Further reading Cramer, Richard Ben (2000). Joe DiMaggio: The Hero's Life. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0684853914. Kahn, Roger (1986). Joe and Marilyn: A Memory of Love. Avon Books. ISBN 978-0380704620. Charyn, Jerome (2011). Joe DiMaggio: The Long Vigil. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0300123289. Kennedy, Kostya (2011). 56: Joe DiMaggio and the Last Magic Number in Sports. Sports Illustrated Books. ISBN 978-1603201773. O'Toole, Andrew (2015). Strangers in the Bronx: DiMaggio, Mantle, and the Changing of the Yankee Guard. Triumph Books. ISBN 978-1629370279. Positano, Rock; Positano, John (2017). Dinner with DiMaggio: Memories of An American Hero. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1501156847. Monroe, Marilyn; Hecht, Ben (1974). My Story. Stein and Day. ISBN 9780812817072. External links Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet Official website Joe DiMaggio at the Baseball Hall of Fame Joe DiMaggio at the SABR Baseball Biography Project Joe DiMaggio at IMDb
Wizard_Island	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wizard_Island	[ 640 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wizard_Island" ]	Wizard Island is a volcanic cinder cone which forms an island at the west end of Crater Lake in Crater Lake National Park, Oregon. The top of the island reaches 6,933 feet (2,113 m) above sea level, about 755 feet (230 m) above the average surface of the lake. The cone is capped by a volcanic crater about 500 feet (150 m) wide and 100 feet (30 m) deep. The crater was named the "Witches Cauldron" by William Gladstone Steel in 1885, who also gave Wizard Island its name at the same time. The land area of the island is 315.85 acres (127.82 ha). Formation Wizard Island was created after Mount Mazama, a large complex volcano, erupted violently approximately 7,700 years ago, forming its caldera which now contains Crater Lake. Following the cataclysmic caldera-forming eruption, which left a hole about 4,000 feet (1,200 m) deep where the mountain had once stood, a series of smaller eruptions over the next several hundred years formed several cinder cones on the caldera floor. The highest of these cones, the only one to rise above the current lake level, is Wizard Island, which rises over 2,700 feet (820 m) above the lowest point on the caldera floor and the deepest point in the lake. Another large cinder cone, Merriam Cone, is in the northeast part of the lake. Although Merriam Cone rises about 1,400 feet (430 m) above the caldera floor, its summit is still 505 feet (154 m) below the average lake level. Its surface features and lack of a crater indicate that Merriam Cone formed under water. Access Current public access to Wizard Island is available only during the summer months when boat tours on Crater Lake are in operation. The tours depart from Cleetwood Cove at the north end of the lake, and circle the lake in the counterclockwise direction, stopping at a dock at Governors Bay on the south side of Wizard Island. Passengers on boat trips early in the day may choose to disembark on the island, but must be prepared to spend the entire day on the island if subsequent boats are too full to take on additional passengers. Those on late afternoon boat trips are not permitted to disembark. A final boat is dispatched at the end of each day to pick up any stragglers since overnight camping is not permitted on the island. Two hiking trails are available on Wizard Island, one of which switchbacks up the flanks of the cone and circles the crater on top while the other trail meanders from the dock towards the western end of the island. Notes References External links USGS Crater Lake Data Clearinghouse Archived 2000-12-04 at the Wayback Machine USGS Crater Lake Bathymetry Images USGS: Crater Lake, OR: Wizard Island Perspective View USGS: Crater Lake, OR: Merriam Cone Perspective View Crater Lake National Park (National Park Service) Crater Lake Boat Tours (NPS concessionaire site)
Phantom_Ship_(island)	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_Ship_(island)	[ 640 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_Ship_(island)" ]	Phantom Ship is a small island in Crater Lake in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is a natural rock formation pillar which derives its name from its resemblance to a ghost ship, especially in foggy and low-light conditions. General Phantom Ship Island is mainly formed from andesite rock that dates from about 400,000 years ago, partly altered by hydrothermal activity. The island is situated on the south east end of Crater Lake and projects more than 200 m (656 ft) out from the wall of the caldera. The island is about 500 ft by 200 ft in size. The vegetation is similar to that on Wizard Island except for the lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) which is absent on Phantom Ship Island. The island forms the part of a submerged stratovolcano cone that is jaggedly sticking out of the water. References External links Media related to Phantom Ship at Wikimedia Commons This article incorporates public domain material from EPhantom Ship and Danger Bay, Crater Lake, Oregon. United States Geological Survey.
Technicolor	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technicolor	[ 641 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technicolor" ]	Technicolor is a series of color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black-and-white films running through a special camera (3-strip Technicolor or Process 4) started in the early 1930s and continued through to the mid-1950s, when the 3-strip camera was replaced by a standard camera loaded with single-strip "monopack" color negative film. Technicolor Laboratories were still able to produce Technicolor prints by creating three black-and-white matrices from the Eastmancolor negative (Process 5). Process 4 was the second major color process, after Britain's Kinemacolor (used between 1909 and 1915), and the most widely used color process in Hollywood during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Technicolor's three-color process became known and celebrated for its highly saturated color, and was initially most commonly used for filming musicals such as The Wizard of Oz (1939) and Down Argentine Way (1940), costume pictures such as The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and Gone with the Wind (1939), the film Blue Lagoon (1949), and animated films such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Gulliver's Travels (1939), and Fantasia (1940). As the technology matured, it was also used for less spectacular dramas and comedies. Occasionally, even a film noir – such as Leave Her to Heaven (1945) or Niagara (1953) – was filmed in Technicolor. The "Tech" in the company's name was inspired by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where Herbert Kalmus and Daniel Frost Comstock received their undergraduate degrees in 1904 and were later instructors. Nomenclature The term "Technicolor" has been used historically for at least five concepts: Technicolor: an umbrella company encompassing all versions and ancillary services (1914–present). Technicolor labs: a group of film laboratories worldwide, owned and run by Technicolor for post-production services including developing, printing, and transferring films in all major color film processes, as well as Technicolor's proprietary ones (1922–present). Technicolor process or format: several custom imaging systems used in film production, culminating in the "three-strip" process in 1932 (1917–1955). Technicolor IB printing ("IB" abbreviates "imbibition", a dye-transfer operation): a process for making color motion picture prints that allows the use of dyes that are more stable and permanent than those formed in ordinary chromogenic color printing. Originally used for printing from color-separation negatives photographed on black-and-white film in a special Technicolor camera (1928–2002, with differing gaps of availability after 1974, depending on the lab). Prints or Color by Technicolor: used since 1954, when Eastmancolor (and other single-strip color film stocks) supplanted the three-film-strip camera negative method, while the Technicolor IB printing process continued to be used as one method of making the prints. This connotation applies to nearly all films made from 1954 onward in which Technicolor is named in the credits (1953–present). History Both Kalmus and Comstock went to Switzerland to earn PhD degrees; Kalmus at University of Zurich, and Comstock at Basel in 1906. In 1912, Kalmus, Comstock, and mechanic W. Burton Wescott formed Kalmus, Comstock, and Wescott, an industrial research and development firm. Most of the early patents were taken out by Comstock and Wescott, while Kalmus served primarily as the company's president and chief executive officer. When the firm was hired to analyze an inventor's flicker-free motion picture system, they became intrigued with the art and science of filmmaking, particularly color motion picture processes, leading to the founding of Technicolor in Boston in 1914 and incorporation in Maine in 1915. In 1921, Wescott left the company, and Technicolor Inc. was chartered in Delaware. Two-color Technicolor Process 1 Technicolor originally existed in a two-color (red and green) system. In Process 1 (1916), a prism beam-splitter behind the camera lens exposed two consecutive frames of a single strip of black-and-white negative film simultaneously, one behind a red filter, the other behind a green filter. Because two frames were being exposed at the same time, the film had to be photographed and projected at twice the normal speed. Exhibition required a special projector with two apertures (one with a red filter and the other with a green filter), two lenses, and an adjustable prism that aligned the two images on the screen. The results were first demonstrated to members of the American Institute of Mining Engineers in New York on February 21, 1917. Technicolor itself produced the only movie made in Process 1, The Gulf Between, which had a limited tour of Eastern cities, beginning with Boston and New York on September 13, 1917, primarily to interest motion picture producers and exhibitors in color. The near-constant need for a technician to adjust the projection alignment doomed this additive color process. Only a few frames of The Gulf Between, showing star Grace Darmond, are known to exist today. Process 2 Convinced that there was no future in additive color processes, Comstock, Wescott, and Kalmus focused their attention on subtractive color processes. This culminated in what would eventually be known as Process 2 (1922) (often referred to today by the misnomer "two-strip Technicolor"). As before, the special Technicolor camera used a beam-splitter that simultaneously exposed two consecutive frames of a single strip of black-and-white film, one behind a green filter and one behind a red filter. The difference was that the two-component negative was now used to produce a subtractive color print. Because the colors were physically present in the print, no special projection equipment was required and the correct registration of the two images did not depend on the skill of the projectionist. The frames exposed behind the green filter were printed on one strip of black-and-white film, and the frames exposed behind the red filter were printed on another strip. After development, each print was toned to a color nearly complementary to that of the filter: orange-red for the green-filtered images, cyan-green for the red-filtered ones. Unlike tinting, which adds a uniform veil of color to the entire image, toning chemically replaces the black-and-white silver image with transparent coloring matter, so that the highlights remain clear (or nearly so), dark areas are strongly colored, and intermediate tones are colored proportionally. The two prints, made on film stock half the thickness of regular film, were then cemented together back to back to create a projection print. The Toll of the Sea, which debuted on November 26, 1922, used Process 2 and was the first general-release film in Technicolor. The second all-color feature in Process 2 Technicolor, Wanderer of the Wasteland, was released in 1924. Process 2 was also used for color sequences in such major motion pictures as The Ten Commandments (1923), The Phantom of the Opera (1925), and Ben-Hur (1925). Douglas Fairbanks' The Black Pirate (1926) was the third all-color Process 2 feature. Although successful commercially, Process 2 was plagued with technical problems. Because the images on the two sides of the print were not in the same plane, both could not be perfectly in focus at the same time. The significance of this depended on the depth of focus of the projection optics. Much more serious was a problem with cupping. Films in general tended to become somewhat cupped after repeated use: every time a film was projected, each frame in turn was heated by the intense light in the projection gate, causing it to bulge slightly; after it had passed through the gate, it cooled and the bulge subsided, but not quite completely. It was found that the cemented prints were not only very prone to cupping, but that the direction of cupping would suddenly and randomly change from back to front or vice versa, so that even the most attentive projectionist could not prevent the image from temporarily popping out of focus whenever the cupping direction changed. Technicolor had to supply new prints so the cupped ones could be shipped to their Boston laboratory for flattening, after which they could be put back into service, at least for a while. The presence of image layers on both surfaces made the prints especially vulnerable to scratching, and because the scratches were vividly colored they were very noticeable. Splicing a Process 2 print without special attention to its unusual laminated construction was apt to result in a weak splice that would fail as it passed through the projector. Even before these problems became apparent, Technicolor regarded this cemented print approach as a stopgap and was already at work developing an improved process. Process 3 Based on the same dye-transfer technique first applied to motion pictures in 1916 by Max Handschiegl, Technicolor Process 3 (1928) was developed to eliminate the projection print made of double-cemented prints in favor of a print created by dye imbibition. The Technicolor camera for Process 3 was identical to that for Process 2, simultaneously photographing two consecutive frames of a black-and-white film behind red and green filters. In the lab, skip-frame printing was used to sort the alternating color-record frames on the camera negative into two series of contiguous frames, the red-filtered frames being printed onto one strip of specially prepared "matrix" film and the green-filtered frames onto another. After processing, the gelatin of the matrix film's emulsion was left proportionally hardened, being hardest and least soluble where it had been most strongly exposed to light. The unhardened fraction was then washed away. The result was two strips of relief images consisting of hardened gelatin, thickest in the areas corresponding to the clearest, least-exposed areas of the negative. To make each final color print, the matrix films were soaked in dye baths of colors nominally complementary to those of the camera filters: the strip made from red-filtered frames was dyed cyan-green and the strip made from green-filtered frames was dyed orange-red. The thicker the gelatin in each area of a frame, the more dye it absorbed. Subtle scene-to-scene colour control was managed by partial wash-back of the dyes from each matrix. Each matrix in turn was pressed into contact with a plain gelatin-coated strip of film known as the "blank" and the gelatin "imbibed" the dye from the matrix. A mordant made from deacetylated chitin was applied to the blank before printing, to prevent the dyes from migrating or "bleeding" after they were absorbed. Dye imbibition was not suitable for printing optical soundtracks, which required very high resolution, so when making prints for sound-on-film systems the "blank" film was a conventional black-and-white film stock on which the soundtrack, as well as frame lines, had been printed in the ordinary way prior to the dye transfer operation. The first feature made entirely in the Technicolor Process 3 was The Viking (1928), which had a synchronized score and sound effects. Redskin (1929), with a synchronized score, and The Mysterious Island (1929), a part-talkie, were photographed almost entirely in this process also but included some sequences in black and white. The following talkies were made entirely – or almost entirely – in Technicolor Process 3: On with the Show! (1929) (the first all-talking color feature), Gold Diggers of Broadway (1929), The Show of Shows (1929), Sally (1929), The Vagabond King (1930), Follow Thru (1930), Golden Dawn (1930), Hold Everything (1930), The Rogue Song (1930), Song of the Flame (1930), Song of the West (1930), The Life of the Party (1930), Sweet Kitty Bellairs (1930), Bride of the Regiment (1930), Mamba (1930), Whoopee! (1930), King of Jazz (1930), Under a Texas Moon (1930), Bright Lights (1930), Viennese Nights (1930), Woman Hungry (1931), Kiss Me Again (1931) and Fifty Million Frenchmen (1931). In addition, many feature films were released with Technicolor sequences. Numerous short subjects were also photographed in Technicolor Process 3, including the first color sound cartoons by producers such as Ub Iwerks and Walter Lantz. Song of the Flame became the first color movie to use a widescreen process (using a system known as Vitascope, which used 65mm film). In 1931, an improvement of Technicolor Process 3 was developed that removed grain from the Technicolor film, resulting in more vivid and vibrant colors. This process was first used on a Radio Picture entitled The Runaround (1931). The new process not only improved the color but also removed specks (that looked like bugs) from the screen, which had previously blurred outlines and lowered visibility. This new improvement along with a reduction in cost (from 8.85 cents to 7 cents per foot) led to a new color revival. Warner Bros. took the lead once again by producing three features (out of an announced plan for six features): Manhattan Parade (1932), Doctor X (1932) and Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933). Radio Pictures followed by announcing plans to make four more features in the new process. Only one of these, Fanny Foley Herself (1931), was actually produced. Although Paramount Pictures announced plans to make eight features and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer promised two color features, these never materialized. This may have been the result of the lukewarm reception to these new color pictures by the public. Two independently produced features were also made with this improved Technicolor process: Legong: Dance of the Virgins (1934) and Kliou the Tiger (1935). Very few of the original camera negatives of movies made in Technicolor Process 2 or 3 survive. In the late 1940s, most were discarded from storage at Technicolor in a space-clearing move, after the studios declined to reclaim the materials. Original Technicolor prints that survived into the 1950s were often used to make black-and-white prints for television and simply discarded thereafter. This explains why so many early color films exist today solely in black and white. Warner Bros., which had vaulted from a minor exhibitor to a major studio with its introduction of the talkies, incorporated Technicolor's printing to enhance its films. Other producers followed Warner Bros.' example by making features in color, with either Technicolor, or one of its competitors, such as Brewster Color and Multicolor (later Cinecolor). Consequently, the introduction of color did not increase the number of moviegoers to the point where it was economical. This and the Great Depression severely strained the finances of the movie studios and spelled the end of Technicolor's first financial successes. Three-strip Technicolor Process 4: Development and introduction Technicolor envisioned a full-color process as early as 1924, and was actively developing such a process by 1929. Hollywood made so much use of Technicolor in 1929 and 1930 that many believed the feature film industry would soon be turning out color films exclusively. By 1931, however, the Great Depression had taken its toll on the film industry, which began to cut back on expenses. The production of color films had decreased dramatically by 1932, when Burton Wescott and Joseph A. Ball completed work on a new three-color movie camera. Technicolor could now promise studios a full range of colors, as opposed to the limited red–green spectrum of previous films. The new camera simultaneously exposed three strips of black-and-white film, each of which recorded a different color of the spectrum. The new process would last until the last Technicolor feature film was produced in 1955. Technicolor's advantage over most early natural-color processes was that it was a subtractive synthesis rather than an additive one: unlike the additive Kinemacolor and Chronochrome processes, Technicolor prints did not require any special projection equipment. Unlike the additive Dufaycolor process, the projected image was not dimmed by a light-absorbing and obtrusive mosaic color filter layer. Very importantly, compared to competing subtractive systems, Technicolor offered the best balance between high image quality and speed of printing. The Technicolor Process 4 camera, manufactured to Technicolor's detailed specifications by Mitchell Camera Corporation, contained a beam splitter consisting of a partially reflecting surface inside a split-cube prism, color filters, and three separate rolls of black-and-white film (hence the "three-strip" designation). The beam splitter allowed one-third of the light coming through the camera lens to pass through the reflector and a green filter and form an image on one of the strips, which therefore recorded only the green-dominated third of the spectrum. The other two-thirds was reflected sideways by the mirror and passed through a magenta filter, which absorbed green light and allowed only the red and blue thirds of the spectrum to pass. Behind this filter were the other two strips of film, their emulsions pressed into contact face to face. The front film was a red-blind orthochromatic type that recorded only the blue light. On the surface of its emulsion was a red-orange coating that prevented blue light from continuing on to the red-sensitive panchromatic emulsion of the film behind it, which therefore recorded only the red-dominated third of the spectrum. Each of the three resulting negatives was printed onto a special matrix film. After processing, each matrix was a nearly invisible representation of the series of film frames as gelatin reliefs, thickest (and most absorbent) where each image was darkest and thinnest where it was lightest. Each matrix was soaked in a dye complementary to the color of light recorded by the negative printed on it: cyan for red, magenta for green, and yellow for blue (see also: CMYK color model for a technical discussion of color printing). A single clear strip of black-and-white film with the soundtrack and frame lines printed in advance was first treated with a mordant solution and then brought into contact with each of the three dye-loaded matrix films in turn, building up the complete color image. Each dye was absorbed, or imbibed, by the gelatin coating on the receiving strip rather than simply deposited onto its surface, hence the term "dye imbibition". Strictly speaking, this is a mechanical printing process most closely related to Woodburytype and very loosely comparable to offset printing or lithography, and not a photographic one, as the actual printing does not involve a chemical change caused by exposure to light. During the early years of the process, the receiver film was preprinted with a 50% black-and-white image derived from the green strip, the so-called Key, or K, record. This procedure was used largely to cover up fine edges in the picture where colors would mix unrealistically (also known as fringing). This additional black increased the contrast of the final print and concealed any fringing. However, overall colorfulness was compromised as a result. In 1944, Technicolor had improved the process to make up for these shortcomings and the K record was eliminated. Early adoption by Disney Kalmus convinced Walt Disney to shoot one of his Silly Symphony cartoons, Flowers and Trees (1932), in Process 4, the new "three-strip" process. Seeing the potential in full-color Technicolor, Disney negotiated an exclusive contract for the use of the process in animated films that extended to September 1935. Other animation producers, such as the Fleischer Studios and the Ub Iwerks studio, were shut out – they had to settle for either the two-color Technicolor systems or use a competing process such as Cinecolor. Flowers and Trees was a success with audiences and critics alike, and won the first Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. All subsequent Silly Symphonies from 1933 on were shot with the three-strip process. One Silly Symphony, Three Little Pigs (1933), engendered such a positive audience response that it overshadowed the feature films with which it was shown. Hollywood was buzzing about color film again. According to Fortune magazine, "Merian C. Cooper, producer for RKO Radio Pictures and director of King Kong (1933), saw one of the Silly Symphonies and said he never wanted to make a black-and-white picture again." Although Disney's first 60 or so Technicolor cartoons used the three-strip camera, an improved "successive exposure" ("SE") process was adopted c. 1937. This variation of the three-strip process was designed primarily for cartoon work: the camera would contain one strip of black-and-white negative film, and each animation cel would be photographed three times, on three sequential frames, behind alternating red, green, and blue filters (the so-called "Technicolor Color Wheel", then an option of the Acme, Producers Service and Photo-Sonics animation cameras). Three separate dye transfer printing matrices would be created from the red, green, and blue records in their respective complementary colors, cyan, magenta and yellow. Successive exposure was also employed in Disney's "True Life Adventure" live-action series, wherein the original 16mm low-contrast Kodachrome Commercial live action footage was first duplicated onto a 35mm fine-grain SE negative element in one pass of the 16mm element, thereby reducing wear of the 16mm original, and also eliminating registration errors between colors. The live-action SE negative thereafter entered other Technicolor processes and were incorporated with SE animation and three-strip studio live-action, as required, thereby producing the combined result. Convincing Hollywood The studios were willing to adopt three-color Technicolor for live-action feature production, if it could be proved viable. Shooting three-strip Technicolor required very bright lighting, as the film had an extremely slow speed of ASA 5. That, and the bulk of the cameras and a lack of experience with three-color cinematography made for skepticism in the studio boardrooms. An October 1934 article in Fortune magazine stressed that Technicolor, as a corporation, was rather remarkable in that it kept its investors quite happy despite the fact that it had only been in profit twice in all of the years of its existence, during the early boom at the turn of the decade. A well-managed company, half of whose stock was controlled by a clique loyal to Kalmus, Technicolor never had to cede any control to its bankers or unfriendly stockholders. In the mid-'30s, all the major studios except MGM were in the financial doldrums, and a color process that truly reproduced the visual spectrum was seen as a possible shot-in-the-arm for the ailing industry. In November 1933, Technicolor's Herbert Kalmus and RKO announced plans to produce three-strip Technicolor films in 1934, beginning with Ann Harding starring in a projected film The World Outside. Live-action use of three-strip Technicolor was first seen in a musical number of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer feature The Cat and the Fiddle, released February 16, 1934. On July 1, MGM released Hollywood Party with a Technicolor cartoon sequence "Hot Choc-late Soldiers" produced by Walt Disney. On July 28 of that year, Warner Bros. released Service with a Smile, followed by Good Morning, Eve! on September 22, both being comedy short films starring Leon Errol and filmed in three-strip Technicolor. Pioneer Pictures, a movie company formed by Technicolor investors, produced the film usually credited as the first live-action short film shot in the three-strip process, La Cucaracha released August 31, 1934. La Cucaracha is a two-reel musical comedy that cost $65,000, approximately four times what an equivalent black-and-white two-reeler would cost. Released by RKO, the short was a success in introducing the new Technicolor as a viable medium for live-action films. The three-strip process also was used in some short sequences filmed for several movies made during 1934, including the final sequences of The House of Rothschild (Twentieth Century Pictures/United Artists) with George Arliss and Kid Millions (Samuel Goldwyn Studios) with Eddie Cantor. Pioneer/RKO's Becky Sharp (1935) became the first feature film photographed entirely in three-strip Technicolor. Initially, three-strip Technicolor was only used indoors. In 1936, The Trail of the Lonesome Pine became the first color production to have outdoor sequences, with impressive results. The spectacular success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), which was released in December 1937 and became the top-grossing film of 1938, attracted the attention of the studios. Limitations and difficulties One major drawback of Technicolor's three-strip process was that the cameras required a special, bulky, large volume sound blimp. Film studios could not purchase Technicolor cameras, only rent them for their productions, complete with camera technicians and a "color supervisor" to ensure sets, costumes, and makeup didn't push beyond the limitations of the system. Often on many early productions, the supervisor was Natalie Kalmus, ex-wife of Herbert Kalmus and part owner of the company. Directors had great difficulty with her; Vincente Minnelli said, "I couldn't do anything right in Mrs. Kalmus's eyes." Kalmus preferred the title "Technicolor Director", although British licensees generally insisted on "Colour Control" so as not to "dilute" the film director's title. She worked with quite a number of "associates", many of whom went uncredited, and after her retirement, these associates were transferred to the licensees, with, for example, Leonard Doss going to Fox where he performed the same function for Fox's DeLuxe Color. The process of splitting the image reduced the amount of light reaching the film stock. Since the film speed of the stocks used was fairly slow, early Technicolor productions required a greater amount of lighting than a black-and-white production. It is reported that temperatures from the hot studio lights on the film set of The Wizard of Oz frequently exceeded 100 °F (38 °C), and some of the more heavily costumed characters required a large water intake. Some actors and actresses claimed to have suffered permanent eye damage from the high levels of carbon arc illumination with its highly actinic ultraviolet. Because of the added lighting, triple amount of film, and the expense of producing dye transfer projection prints, Technicolor demanded high film budgets. The introduction of Eastmancolor and decline Color films that recorded the three primary colors in three emulsion layers on one strip of film had been introduced in the mid-1930s by Eastman Kodak in the United States (Kodachrome for 16mm home movies in 1935, then for 8mm home movies and 35mm slides in 1936) and Agfa in Germany (Agfacolor Neu for both home movies and slides later in 1936). Technicolor introduced Monopack, a single-strip color reversal film (a 35 mm lower-contrast version of Kodachrome) in 1941 for use on location where the bulky three-strip camera was impractical, but the higher grain of the image made it unsuitable for studio work. Eastman Kodak introduced its first 35 mm color motion picture negative film in 1950. The first commercial feature film to use Eastmancolor was the National Film Board of Canada documentary Royal Journey, released in December 1951. In 1952, Eastman Kodak introduced a high-quality color print film, allowing studios to produce prints through standard photographic processes as opposed to having to send them to Technicolor for the expensive dye imbibition process. That same year, the Technicolor lab adapted its dye transfer process (internally known as 'tri-robo' – Italian for three-strip) to derive triple matrices and imbibition prints directly from Eastmancolor negatives, as well as other stocks such as Ansco and DuPont color stocks. Foxfire (1955), filmed in 1954 by Universal, starring Jane Russell and Jeff Chandler, was the last American-made feature photographed with a Technicolor three-strip camera. The last British film to be shot in Process 4 was Ealing Studios' The Feminine Touch (1956). "'Invitation to the Dance (1956) and Jet Pilot (1957) were released later. In an attempt to capitalize on the Hollywood 3-D craze, Technicolor unveiled its stereoscopic camera for 3-D films in March 1953. The rig used two three-strip cameras, running a total of six strips of film at once (three for the left eye and three for the right). Only two films were shot with this camera set-up: Flight to Tangier (1953) and the Martin and Lewis comedy Money From Home (1954). A similar, but different system had been used by a different company, using two three-strip cameras side by side for a British short called Royal River. A number of 3-D films were made by RKO using Technicolor Monopack. Technicolor expanded into India in the 1950s and Jhansi Ki Rani was the first Technicolor film made in India. In 1956, Technicolor made an agreement with Ramnord Research Laboratories as its processor. A imbibition lab was planned for Bombay, but was never created. As the end of the Technicolor process became apparent, the company repurposed its three-color cameras for wide-screen photography, and introduced the Technirama process in 1957. Other formats the company ventured into included VistaVision, Todd-AO, and Ultra Panavision 70. All of them were an improvement over the three-strip negatives, since the negative print-downs generated sharper and finer grain dye transfer copies. By the mid-1960s, the dye-transfer process eventually fell out of favor in the United States as being too expensive and too slow in turning out prints. With the growing number of screens in the US, the standard run of 200–250 prints increased. And while dye-transfer printing yielded superior color printing, the number of high speed prints that could be struck in labs all over the country outweighed the fewer, slower number of prints that could only be had in Technicolor's labs. One of the last American films printed by Technicolor was The Godfather Part II (1974). A lab was established in Italy to circumvent taxes on foreign film imports. In 1975, the US dye transfer plant was closed and Technicolor became an Eastman-only processor. In 1977, the final dye-transfer printer left in Rome was used by Dario Argento to make prints for his horror film Suspiria. Technicolor's lab in Paris closed in 1958, as it was facing 450 million francs in debt. In 1980, the Italian Technicolor plant ceased printing dye transfer. The British line was shut down in 1978 and sold to Beijing Film and Video Lab which shipped the equipment to China. A great many films from China and Hong Kong were made in the Technicolor dye transfer process, including Zhang Yimou's Ju Dou (1990) and even one American film, Space Avenger (1989), directed by Richard W. Haines. The Beijing line was shut down in 1993 for a number of reasons, including inferior processing. Post-1995 usage Reintroduction of the dye transfer process In 1997, Technicolor reintroduced the dye transfer process to general film printing. A refined version of the printing process of the 1960s and 1970s, it was used on a limited basis in the restorations of films such as The Wizard of Oz, Gone With the Wind, Rear Window, Funny Girl, and Apocalypse Now Redux. After its reintroduction, the dye transfer process was used in several big-budget, modern Hollywood productions. These included Bulworth, The Thin Red Line, Godzilla, Toy Story 2, and Pearl Harbor. The dye-transfer process was discontinued by Technicolor in 2002 after the company was purchased by Thomson. Dye transfer Technicolor in archival work By the late 1990s, the dye transfer process still had its advantages in the film archival community. Because the dye transfer process used stable acid dyes, Technicolor prints are considered of archival quality. A Technicolor print from the dye transfer era will retain its original colors virtually unchanged for decades with proper storage, whereas prints printed on Eastmancolor stocks produced prior to 1983 may suffer color fading after exposure to ultraviolet light and hot, humid conditions as a result of less stable photochemical dyes. Fading on some prints is so rapid that in some cases, after as little as five to ten years, the colors of the print have faded to a brownish red. Furthermore, three-strip camera negatives are all on silver-based black-and-white stock, which have stayed unaltered over the course of time with proper handling. This has become of importance in recent years with the large market for films transferred to video formats for home viewing. The best color quality control for video transfer by far is achieved by optically printing from Technicolor negatives, or by recombining the three-strip black and white negatives through digital means and printing, onto low-contrast stock. Director George Lucas had a three-strip archival negative, and one or more imbibition prints made of Star Wars; this "protection" copy was consulted for color values in putting together the 1997 Special Edition of Star Wars. One problem that has resulted from Technicolor negatives is the rate of shrinkage from one strip to another. Because three-strip negatives are shot on three rolls, they are subject to different rates of shrinkage depending on storage conditions. Today, digital technology allows for a precise re-alignment of the negatives by resizing shrunken negatives digitally to correspond with the other negatives. The G, or Green, record is usually taken as the reference as it is the record with the highest resolution. It is also a record with the correct "wind" (emulsion position with respect to the camera's lens). Shrinkage and re-alignment (resizing) are non-issues with Successive Exposure (single-roll RGB) Technicolor camera negatives. This issue could have been eliminated, for three-strip titles, had the preservation elements (fine-grain positives) been Successive Exposure, but this would have required the preservation elements to be 3,000 feet or 6,000 feet whereas three-strip composited camera and preservation elements are 1,000 feet or 2,000 feet (however, three records of that length are needed). One issue that modern reproduction has had to contend with is that the contrast of the three film strips is not the same. This gives the effect on Technicolor prints that (for example) cinematic fades cause the color balance of the image to change as the image is faded. Transfer to digital media has attempted to correct the differing color balances and is largely successful. However, a few odd artifacts remain such that saturated parts of the image may show a false color. Where the image of a flame is included in shot, it will rarely be of the expected orange/yellow color, often being depicted as green. Technicolor today The Technicolor company remained a highly successful film processing firm and later became involved in video and audio duplication (CD, VHS and DVD manufacturing) and digital video processes. MacAndrews & Forbes acquired Technicolor, Inc. in 1982 for $100 million, then sold it in 1988 to the British firm Carlton Communications PLC for $780 million. Technicolor, Inc. acquired the film processing company CFI in 2000. Since 2001, Technicolor has been part of the French-headquartered electronics and media conglomerate Thomson Multimedia SA. The name of Thomson group was changed to "Technicolor SA" as of February 1, 2010, re-branding the entire company after its American film technology subsidiary. On June 24, 2020, Technicolor filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy in the United States, citing COVID-19 as the reason for its impact. In May 2021, Technicolor's post-production unit was acquired by Streamland Media. On September 27, 2022, Technicolor SA, which maintains the IoT, broadband and video solution businesses, rebranded as Vantiva, while the VFX, motion graphics and animation businesses now operated by Technicolor Creative Studios; these two were spun-off as the publicly independent companies. The visual aesthetic of dye transfer Technicolor continues to be used in Hollywood, usually in films set in the mid-20th century. Parts of The Aviator (2004), the biopic of Howard Hughes, were digitally manipulated to imitate color processes that were available during the periods each scene takes place. Mostly, during the credits of a film, the text "Color by Technicolor" or "Prints by Technicolor" is shown. See also List of film formats List of color film systems Imbibition Dye-transfer process List of early color feature films List of three-strip Technicolor films Color film Color photography References Works cited Street, Sarah; Yumibe, Joshua, eds. (2024). Global Film Color: The Monopack Revolution at Midcentury. Rutgers University Press. ISBN 9781978836839. Sources Farber, Manny. 2009. Farber on Film: The Complete Film Writings of Manny Farber. Edited by Robert Polito. Library of America. ISBN 978-1-59853-050-6 Further reading Fred E. Basten, Glorious Technicolor: The Movies' Magic Rainbow. Easton Studio Press, 2005. ISBN 0-9647065-0-4 Adrian Cornwell-Clyne, Colour Cinematography. London Champman & Hall, 1951. Layton, James – Pierce, David: The Dawn of Technicolor, 1915–1935. George Eastman House, Rochester (N.Y.), 2015. ISBN 978-0-93539-828-1 Richard W. Haines, Technicolor Movies: The History of Dye Transfer Printing. McFarland & Company, 2003. ISBN 0-7864-1809-5 John Waner, Hollywood's Conversion of All Production to Color. Tobey Publishing, 2000. Herbert T. Kalmus with Elenore King Kalmus, Mr. Technicolor: The Fascinating Story of the Genius Who Invented Technicolor and Forever Changed the History of Cinema. MagicImage Filmbooks, 1993. ISBN 1-882127-31-5 External links Technicolor SA corporate website Technicolor on Timeline of Historical Film Colors with many written resources and many photographs of Technicolor prints. Technicolor History at the American WideScreen Museum Database of 3-strip Technicolor Films Technicolor100: Explore Technicolor's History Archived 2017-09-11 at the Wayback Machine
Dye-transfer_process	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dye-transfer_process	[ 641 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dye-transfer_process" ]	Dye transfer is a continuous-tone color photographic printing process. It was used to print Technicolor films, as well as to produce paper colour prints used in advertising, or large transparencies for display. History The use of dye imbibition for making full-color prints from a set of black-and-white photographs taken through different color filters was first proposed and patented by Charles Cros in 1880. It was commercialized by Edward Sanger-Shepherd, who in 1900 was marketing kits for making color prints on paper and slides for projection. Imbibition printing was initially in monochrome. The basic underlying principle is that bichromate development of a silver gelatine photographic emulsion (not strictly a real chemical emulsion) results in the gelatine being differentially tanned or hardened in proportion to the exposure received, and blackening obtained. When washed in hot water a relief gelatine image is obtained which is then immersed in a dye bath, washed off in a 3% acetic acid solution (one liter for a 16 x 20 inch print to remove excess dye) then to the 1% acetic acid holding bath. Photographic paper was removed from the conditioner (mordant bath) and matrix was rolled into contact with photographic paper consisting of a paper base, a baryta coating to improve light reflectance and a gelatine coating without the light-sensitive silver salts in regular photographic bromide paper. The gelatine absorbs dye from the matrix (which is the same size as the print). Finally, the print is dried between blotters, or by heat. The colour process depends on superimposing three images in the subtractive colours: cyan, magenta and yellow in exact register, facilitated by means of register pins mounted at the edge of a glass rolling bed, using a purpose designed punch to make holes at the edge of the matrix films. As three matrices are required for each print, which are the same size as the print, the process is relatively expensive. Colour separation negatives together with their high contrast highlight masks that keep specular highlights clear from fogging over by exposing the contrast reducing masks through them. Technicolor introduced dye transfer in its Process 3, introduced in the feature film The Viking (1928), which was produced by the Technicolor Corporation and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Technicolor's two previous systems were an additive color process and a physically problematic subtractive color process, the latter requiring two prints cemented together back-to-back. Process 3 used an imbibition process pioneered by the Handschiegl color process, which had been created in 1916 for Cecil B. DeMille's feature film Joan the Woman (1917). Technicolor further refined the imbibition dye transfer process in its Process 4, introduced in 1932, which employed three simultaneously filmed negatives. In the 1940s, this process was popularized by the work of Jeannette Klute at Eastman Kodak for general-purpose graphic arts work, but not for motion picture work, which remained exclusive to Technicolor (and for which Eastman Kodak was manufacturing Technicolor's light-sensitive camera and printing films, including the "blank receiver" film, on an exclusive basis, but not Technicolor's dyes), and is sometimes referred to by such generic names as "wash-off relief printing" and "dye imbibition" printing. The graphic arts process requires making three printing matrices from three colour separation negatives made from a colour transparency original or at one time directly in a large format camera fitted with a sliding plate holder or film holder (to minimize camera movement when changing regular plate holders). The matrices, which are relief gelatine images on a film support (one for each subtractive primary color) absorb dye in proportion to the optical densities of the gelatin relief image. Successive placement of the dyed film matrices, one at a time, "transfers" each primary dye by physical contact from the matrix to a mordanted, gelatin-coated paper. It took a technician one whole day to produce one print. Firstly, three colour separation negatives were made using three high contrast highlight masks to produce three contrast reducing and colour correction unsharp masks. The unsharp masks were made with an oblique light source (and a clear film as a spacer, the contact frame exposed while rotating on a gramophone turntable. The original was either a miniature 6 x 6 cm or 35 mmm colour transparency, or else a large format 5 x 7 or 8 x 10 inch colour transparency. Three separation negatives were made on panchromatic film exposing the colour transparency through a red, green and blue filter that would eventually print in the subtractive dyes: cyan, magenta and yellow respectively. The red separation negative was exposed onto panchromatic film through the red unsharp mask. The green separation negative was also exposed through the red unsharp mask. The blue separation negative was exposed through the green unsharp mask. The purpose of the contrast reducing masks was to reduce the contrast range of the original transparencies to a level that could be handled by reflected copy material. By swapping the masks, colour correction was achieved to compensate for deficiencies in the dyes. The 8 x 10 separation negatives were placed in an enlarger to expose the printing matrices. These were developed in plastic developing trays, and when fixed were washed in hot water to remove unexposed gelatin. After drying in a room with a fan heater each matrix was placed in a dye bath: the red matrix in cyan; the green matrix in magenta, and the blue matrix in yellow dye. Before being rolled into contact with the mordanted paper with a gelatine surface, the first matrix was lifted out of the cyan dye bath and allowed to drain until the stream of dye broke into drops. It was then placed into a plastic developing dish and one litre of 3% acetic acid. The dish was vigorously rocked back and forth and right to left from side to side to wash off the dye on the surface of the matrix. The matrix was lifted clear of the solution once so as to allow the acetic acid solution to reach the back of the matrix film. To facilitate registration, a special punch with pairs of matching register pins: one round on the left and a squarish pin on the right; both pins mounted at the edge of a glass rolling bed. The paper was placed on the glass rolling bed gelatine surface up. The matrix held by one short edge high in the air while the left (round) hole fitted onto the register pin, and then the right (squarish) hole pressed down onto the pin. Then a rubber roller is taken and the matrix firmly rolled away from the operator into contact with the paper which is kept in a pile in a conditioning bath. The dye is absorbed by the paper for one minute after which the matrix is picked up by the farthermost corners and peeled off the paper. The same procedure is followed for the magenta and yellow matrices. While technicolor live action movies ended in 1954, the dye-transfer process would continue to be used for another twenty years for films shot with the single-negative Eastmancolor process. Status today In 1994, Eastman Kodak stopped making all materials for this process. The dyes used in the process are very spectrally pure compared to normal coupler-induced photographic dyes, with the exception of the Kodak cyan. The dyes have excellent light and dark fastness. The dye transfer process possesses a larger color gamut and tonal scale than any other process, including inkjet. Another important characteristic of dye transfer is that it allows the practitioner the highest degree of photographic control compared to any other photochemical color print process. A peculiar advantage of the process was that skilled dye transfer retouchers would use the same dyes the image was printed with to fill in blank white spaces between two or three separate colour photographs such as a background shot (rocks and a waterfall) one or more human figures, and more often than not a product shot (a cigarette pack) to produce a "strip in". Using the same dyes for photographically printing the images and for retouching meant that colour matching by eye would not show up differently when rephotographed. References External links Dye Transfer: The Ultimate Color Print by Ctein [1] at the Eliot Porter Collection Guide website of the Amon Carter Museum Dye Transfer Website Printing for Fine Art Photography Dye Transfer Archives
The_Godfather_Part_II	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Godfather_Part_II	[ 641 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Godfather_Part_II" ]	The Godfather Part II is a 1974 American epic crime film. The film is produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, loosely based on the 1969 novel The Godfather by Mario Puzo, who co-wrote the screenplay with Coppola. It is both a sequel and a prequel to the 1972 film The Godfather, presenting parallel dramas: one picks up the 1958 story of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), the new Don of the Corleone family, protecting the family business in the aftermath of an attempt on his life; the prequel covers the journey of his father, Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro), from his Sicilian childhood to the founding of his family enterprise in New York City. The ensemble cast also features Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire, Morgana King, John Cazale, Marianna Hill, and Lee Strasberg. Following the first film's success, Paramount Pictures began developing a follow-up, with many of the cast and crew returning. Coppola, who was given more creative control, had wanted to make both a sequel and a prequel to The Godfather that would tell the story of Vito's rise and Michael's fall. Principal photography began in October 1973 and wrapped up in June 1974. The Godfather Part II premiered in New York City on December 12, 1974, and was released in the United States on December 20, 1974, receiving divisive reviews from critics; its reputation, however, improved rapidly, and it soon became the subject of critical re-appraisal. It grossed $48 million in the United States and Canada and up to $93 million worldwide on a $13 million budget. The film was nominated for eleven Academy Awards, and became the first sequel to win Best Picture. Its six Oscar wins also included Best Director for Coppola, Best Supporting Actor for De Niro and Best Adapted Screenplay for Coppola and Puzo. Pacino won Best Actor at the BAFTAs and was nominated at the Oscars. Like its predecessor, Part II remains a highly influential film, especially in the gangster genre. It is considered to be one of the greatest films of all time, as well as a rare example of a sequel that rivals its predecessor. In 1997, the American Film Institute ranked it as the 32nd-greatest film in American film history and it retained this position 10 years later. It was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 1993, being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". The Godfather Part III, the final installment in the trilogy, was released 16 years later in 1990. Plot The film interweaves events some time after The Godfather and the early life of Vito Corleone. Vito In 1901, in Corleone, Sicily, Kingdom of Italy, Mafia chieftain Don Ciccio kills the family of nine-year-old Vito Andolini after his father refuses to pay tribute. Vito escapes to New York City and is registered on arrival as "Vito Corleone". In 1917, Vito lives in Little Italy with his wife, Carmela, and their infant son, Sonny. Black Hand extortionist Don Fanucci preys on the neighborhood, costing Vito his grocery store job. His neighbor Peter Clemenza asks Vito to hide a bag of guns. As thanks, Clemenza enlists Vito's help in stealing a rug, which he gives to Carmela. The Corleones have two more children: Fredo and Michael. Vito, Clemenza, and new partner Salvatore Tessio earn money by stealing dresses and selling them door-to-door. Fanucci threatens to report them to the police if they do not pay him off. Vito tells his partners he can convince Fanucci to take less than the $600 he has demanded. They are skeptical but go along with the plan. Vito meets Fanucci in a restaurant during the festival of San Rocco and pays him $100, which he grudgingly accepts. Vito tracks him back to his apartment and shoots him in the din of the festival. In the ensuing years, Vito gains a reputation as a defender of the neighborhood's downtrodden. In 1922, Vito and his family travel to Sicily to establish an olive oil importing business. He and his business partner, Don Tommasino, visit Don Ciccio, ostensibly to ask for Ciccio's blessing for their business. Vito reveals his identity to the elderly and feeble Ciccio then slices his stomach, avenging the Andolini family. Ciccio's guards shoot at Vito and Tommasino as they flee, injuring Tommasino, but he and Vito escape. Michael In 1958, during his son's First Communion party at Lake Tahoe, Michael has a series of meetings in his role as the don of the Corleone crime family. Johnny Ola, representing Jewish Mob boss Hyman Roth, promises Michael support in taking over a casino. Corleone capo Frank Pentangeli asks for help defending his Bronx territory against the Rosato brothers, affiliates of Roth. Michael refuses, frustrating Pentangeli. Senator Pat Geary, an anti-Italian xenophobe, demands a bribe to secure the casino license. Michael refuses and counters that Geary should pay the license fee. That night, an assassination attempt at his home prompts Michael to depart suddenly after confiding in consigliere Tom Hagen that he suspects a traitor within the family. Michael separately tells Pentangeli and Roth that he suspects the other of planning the hit, and arranges a peace meeting between Pentangeli and the Rosatos. At the meeting the brothers attempt to strangle Pentangeli, telling him "Michael Corleone says hello!" A police officer coincidentally walks in forcing the brothers to flee. Hagen blackmails Geary into cooperating with the Corleones by having him framed for the death of a prostitute. A sickly Roth, Michael, and several of their partners travel to Havana to discuss their Cuban business prospects under the government of Fulgencio Batista. Roth is exuberant, but Michael has doubts about the government's response to the Cuban Revolution. At a later meeting, Roth becomes angry when Michael asks who ordered the Rosatos to kill Pentangeli. On New Year's Eve Fredo pretends not to know Ola, but eventually slips, revealing himself to Michael as the traitor. Michael orders hits on Ola and Roth; his enforcer strangles Ola but is killed by Cuban soldiers as he tries to smother Roth. Batista resigns and flees Cuba due to rebel advances. During the ensuing chaos, Michael, Fredo, and Roth separately escape Cuba. Back home, Michael is told that his wife Kay has miscarried. In Washington, D.C., a Senate committee on organized crime is investigating the Corleone family, but Geary defends them. Pentangeli agrees to testify against Michael and is placed under witness protection. On returning to Nevada, Fredo tells Michael that Ola offered him a position of responsibility and that he did not realize Roth was planning a hit. Michael disowns Fredo but orders that he should not be harmed while their mother is alive. Michael sends for Pentangeli's brother from Sicily, and Pentangeli, after seeing his brother in the hearing room, retracts his statement implicating Michael in organized crime; the hearing dissolves in an uproar. Kay reveals to Michael that she had an abortion, not a miscarriage, and that she intends to leave him and take their children. Outraged, Michael strikes Kay, banishes her from the family, and takes sole custody of the children. Carmela dies some time later, and Michael hurries to wrap up loose ends. At the funeral, he embraces Fredo while giving a stern glance to family enforcer Al Neri. Kay visits her children; as she is saying goodbye, Michael arrives and closes the door on her. Roth returns to the United States after being refused asylum and entry to Israel. Corleone caporegime Rocco Lampone assassinates him at the airport and is shot while fleeing. Hagen visits Pentangeli at the army barracks where he is being held and the two discuss how failed conspirators against a Roman emperor could save their families by committing suicide. Pentangeli is later found dead in his bathtub, having slit his wrists. Neri takes Fredo fishing and shoots him as Michael watches from the compound. Michael reminisces about Vito's 50th birthday party on December 7, 1941, the same day Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. While the family waits to surprise Vito, Michael announces that he dropped out of college and joined the Marines, angering Sonny and surprising Hagen. Fredo is the only member of the family who supports his decision. Vito arrives and everyone but Michael goes to welcome him. In the present day, Michael sits alone at the family compound looking out over the lake. Cast Production Development Mario Puzo started writing a script for a sequel in December 1971, before The Godfather was even released; its initial title was The Death of Michael Corleone. Francis Ford Coppola's idea for the sequel would be to "juxtapose the ascension of the family under Vito Corleone with the decline of the family under his son Michael ... I had always wanted to write a screenplay that told the story of a father and a son at the same age. They were both in their thirties and I would integrate the two stories ... In order not to merely make Godfather I over again, I gave Godfather II this double structure by extending the story in both the past and in the present". Coppola met with Martin Scorsese about directing the film, but Paramount refused. Coppola also, in his director's commentary on The Godfather Part II, mentioned that the scenes depicting the Senate committee interrogation of Michael Corleone and Frank Pentangeli are based on the Joseph Valachi federal hearings and that Pentangeli is a Valachi-like figure. Production, however, nearly ended before it began when Pacino's lawyers told Coppola that he had grave misgivings with the script and was not coming. Coppola spent an entire night rewriting it before giving it to Pacino for his review. Pacino approved it and the production went forward. The film's original budget was $6 million but costs increased to over $11 million, with Variety's review claiming it was over $15 million. Casting Several actors from the first film did not return for the sequel. Marlon Brando initially agreed to return for the birthday flashback sequence, but the actor, feeling mistreated by the board at Paramount, failed to show up for the single day's shooting. Coppola then rewrote the scene that same day. Richard S. Castellano, who portrayed Peter Clemenza in the first film, also declined to return, as he and the producers could not reach an agreement on his demands that he be allowed to write the character's dialogue in the film, though this claim was disputed by Castellano's widow in a 1991 letter to People magazine. The part in the plot originally intended for the latter-day Clemenza was then filled by the character of Frank Pentangeli, played by Michael V. Gazzo. Coppola offered James Cagney a part in the film, but he refused. James Caan agreed to reprise the role of Sonny in the birthday flashback sequence, demanding he be paid the same amount he received for the entire previous film for the single scene in Part II, which he received. Among the actors depicting Senators in the hearing committee are film producer/director Roger Corman, writer/producer William Bowers, producer Phil Feldman, and actor Peter Donat. Filming The Godfather Part II was shot between October 1, 1973, and June 19, 1974. The scenes that took place in Cuba were shot in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Charles Bluhdorn, whose Gulf+Western conglomerate owned Paramount, felt strongly about developing the Dominican Republic as a movie-making site. Forza d'Agrò was the Sicilian town featured in the film. Unlike with the first film, Coppola was given near-complete control over production. In his commentary, he said this resulted in a shoot that ran very smoothly despite multiple locations and two narratives running parallel within one film. Coppola discusses his decision to make this the first major U.S. motion picture to use "Part II" in its title in the director's commentary on the DVD edition of the film released in 2002. Paramount was initially opposed because they believed the audience would not be interested in an addition to a story they had already seen. But the director prevailed, and the film's success began the common practice of numbered sequels. Only three weeks prior to the release, film critics and journalists pronounced Part II a disaster. The cross-cutting between Vito and Michael's parallel stories were judged too frequent, not allowing enough time to leave a lasting impression on the audience. Coppola and the editors returned to the cutting room to change the film's narrative structure, but could not complete the work in time, leaving the final scenes poorly timed at the opening. It was the last major American motion picture to have release prints made with Technicolor's dye imbibition process until the late 1990s. Music Release Theatrical The Godfather Part II premiered in New York City on December 12, 1974, and was released in the United States on December 20, 1974. Home media Coppola created The Godfather Saga expressly for American television in a 1975 release that combined The Godfather and The Godfather Part II with unused footage from those two films in a chronological telling that toned down the violent, sexual, and profane material for its NBC debut on November 18, 1977. In 1981, Paramount released the Godfather Epic VHS box set, which also told the story of the first two films in chronological order, again with additional scenes, but not redacted for broadcast sensibilities. Coppola returned to the film again in 1992 when he updated that release with footage from The Godfather Part III and more unreleased material. This home viewing release, under the title The Godfather Trilogy 1901–1980, had a total run time of 583 minutes (9 hours, 43 minutes), not including the set's bonus documentary by Jeff Werner on the making of the films, "The Godfather Family: A Look Inside". The Godfather DVD Collection was released on October 9, 2001, in a package that contained all three films—each with a commentary track by Coppola—and a bonus disc that featured a 73-minute documentary from 1991 entitled The Godfather Family: A Look Inside and other miscellany about the film: the additional scenes originally contained in The Godfather Saga; Francis Coppola's Notebook (a look inside a notebook the director kept with him at all times during the production of the film); rehearsal footage; a promotional featurette from 1971; and video segments on Gordon Willis's cinematography, Nino Rota's and Carmine Coppola's music, the director, the locations and Mario Puzo's screenplays. The DVD also held a Corleone family tree, a "Godfather" timeline, and footage of the Academy Award acceptance speeches. The restoration was confirmed by Francis Ford Coppola during a question-and-answer session for The Godfather Part III, when he said that he had just seen the new transfer and it was "terrific". Restoration After a careful restoration by Robert A. Harris of Film Preserve, the first two Godfather films were released on DVD and Blu-ray on September 23, 2008, under the title The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration. The Blu-ray Disc box set (four discs) includes high-definition extra features on the restoration and film. They are included on Disc 5 of the DVD box set (five discs). Other extras are ported over from Paramount's 2001 DVD release. There are slight differences between the repurposed extras on the DVD and Blu-ray Disc sets, with the HD box having more content. Paramount Pictures restored and remastered The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, and The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone (a re-edited cut of the third film) for a limited theatrical run and home media release on Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the premiere of The Godfather. The disc editions were released on March 22, 2022. Video game A video game based on the film was released for Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in April 2009 by Electronic Arts. It received mixed or average reviews and sold poorly, leading Electronic Arts to cancel plans for a game based on The Godfather Part III. Reception Box office Although The Godfather Part II did not surpass the original film commercially, it grossed $47.5 million in the United States and Canada. and was Paramount Pictures' highest-grossing film of 1974, and the seventh-highest-grossing picture in the United States. According to its international distributor, the film had grossed $45.3 million internationally by 1994, for a worldwide total of $93 million. Critical response Initial critical reception of The Godfather Part II was divisive, with some dismissing the work and others declaring it superior to the first film. Pauline Kael in The New Yorker was an early champion, writing that the film was "far more complexly beautiful than the first, just as it's thematically richer, more shadowed, more full." However, while the film's cinematography and acting were immediately acclaimed, many criticized it as overly slow-paced and convoluted. Vincent Canby of The New York Times viewed the film as "stitched together from leftover parts. It talks. It moves in fits and starts but it has no mind of its own ... The plot defies any rational synopsis." Stanley Kauffmann of The New Republic cited what he called "gaps and distentions" in the story. William Pechter of Commentary, while admiring the movie, regretted what he saw as its archness and self-importance, calling it an "overly deliberate and self-conscious attempt to make a film that's unmistakably a serious work of art," and professing to "know of no one except movie critics who likes Part II as much as part one." A mildly positive Roger Ebert awarded three out of four and wrote that the flashbacks "give Coppola the greatest difficulty in maintaining his pace and narrative force. The story of Michael, told chronologically and without the other material, would have had really substantial impact, but Coppola prevents our complete involvement by breaking the tension." Though praising Pacino's performance and lauding Coppola as "a master of mood, atmosphere, and period", Ebert considered the chronological shifts of its narrative "a structural weakness from which the film never recovers". Gene Siskel gave the film three-and-a-half out of four, writing that it was at times "as beautiful, as harrowing, and as exciting as the original. In fact, The Godfather, Part II may be the second best gangster movie ever made. But it's not the same. Sequels can never be the same. It's like being forced to go to a funeral the second time—the tears just don't flow as easily." Critical re-assessment The film quickly became the subject of a critical re-evaluation. Whether considered separately or with its predecessor as one work, The Godfather Part II is now widely regarded as one of the greatest films in world cinema. Many critics compare it favorably with the original – although it is rarely ranked higher on lists of "greatest" films. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 96% approval rating based on 126 reviews, with an average rating of 9.7/10. The consensus reads, "Drawing on strong performances by Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, Francis Ford Coppola's continuation of Mario Puzo's Mafia saga set new standards for sequels that have yet to be matched or broken." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 90 out of 100 based on 18 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Ebert retrospectively awarded it a full four stars in a second review and inducted the film into his Great Movies section, noting he "would not change a word" of his original review but praising the work as "grippingly written, directed with confidence and artistry, photographed by Gordon Willis ... in rich, warm tones." Michael Sragow's conclusion in his 2002 essay, selected for the National Film Registry web site, is that "[a]lthough The Godfather and The Godfather Part II depict an American family's moral defeat, as a mammoth, pioneering work of art it remains a national creative triumph." In his 2014 review of the film, Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian wrote "Francis Coppola's breathtakingly ambitious prequel-sequel to his first Godfather movie is as gripping as ever. It is even better than the first film, and has the greatest single final scene in Hollywood history, a real coup de cinéma." The Godfather Part II was featured on Sight & Sound's Director's list of the ten greatest films of all time in 1992 (ranked at No. 9) and 2002 (where it was ranked at No. 2. The critics ranked it at No. 4) On the 2012 list by the same magazine the film was ranked at No. 31 by critics and at No. 30 by directors. In 2006, Writers Guild of America ranked the film's screenplay (Written by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppla) the 10th greatest ever. It ranked No. 7 on Entertainment Weekly's list of the "100 Greatest Movies of All Time", and #1 on TV Guide's 1999 list of the "50 Greatest Movies of All Time on TV and Video". The Village Voice ranked The Godfather Part II at No. 31 in its Top 250 "Best Films of the Century" list in 1999, based on a poll of critics. In January 2002, the film (along with The Godfather) made the list of the "Top 100 Essential Films of All Time" by the National Society of Film Critics. In 2017, it ranked No. 12 on Empire magazine's reader's poll of The 100 Greatest Movies. In an earlier poll held by the same magazine in 2008, it was voted 19th on the list of 'The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time'. In 2015, it was tenth in the BBC's list of the 100 greatest American films. Many believe Pacino's performance in The Godfather Part II is his finest acting work. It is now regarded as one of the greatest performances in film history. In 2006, Premiere issued its list of "The 100 Greatest Performances of all Time", putting Pacino's performance at #20. Later in 2009, Total Film issued "The 150 Greatest Performances of All Time", ranking Pacino's performance fourth place. The Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa cited this movie as one of his 100 favorite films. Accolades This film is the first sequel to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. The Godfather and The Godfather Part II remain the only original/sequel combination both to win Best Picture. Along with The Lord of the Rings, The Godfather Trilogy shares the distinction that all of its installments were nominated for Best Picture; additionally, The Godfather Part II and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King are so far the only sequels to win Best Picture. Al Pacino became the fourth actor to be Oscar-nominated twice for playing the same character. American Film Institute recognition 1998: AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies – #32 2003: AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains: Michael Corleone – #11 Villain 2005: AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes: "Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." – #58 "I know it was you, Fredo. You broke my heart. You broke my heart." – Nominated "Michael, we're bigger than U.S. Steel." – Nominated 2007: AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) – #32 2008: AFI's 10 Top 10 – #3 Gangster Film and Nominated Epic Film Notes References External links The Godfather Part II at IMDb The Godfather Part II at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films The Godfather Part II at Box Office Mojo The Godfather Part II at Rotten Tomatoes The Godfather Part II at Metacritic The Godfather and The Godfather Part II essay by Michael Sragow on the National Film Registry website. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
Academy_Award_for_Best_Picture	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award_for_Best_Picture	[ 641, 678 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award_for_Best_Picture", "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award_for_Best_Picture#1970s" ]	The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards (also known as Oscars) presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible to submit a nomination and vote on the final ballot. The Best Picture category is traditionally the final award of the night and is widely considered the most prestigious honor of the ceremony. The Grand Staircase columns at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, where the Academy Awards ceremonies have been held since 2002, showcase every film that has won the Best Picture title since the award's inception. There have been 601 films nominated for Best Picture and 96 winners. History Category name changes At the 1st Academy Awards ceremony held in 1929 (for films made in 1927 and 1928), there were two categories of awards that were each considered the top award of the night: "Outstanding Picture" and "Unique and Artistic Picture", the former being won by the war epic Wings, and the latter by the art film Sunrise. Each award was intended to honor different and equally important aspects of superior filmmaking. In particular, The Jazz Singer was disqualified from both awards, since its use of synchronized sound made the film a sui generis item that would have unfairly competed against either category, and the Academy granted the film an honorary award instead. The following year, the Academy dropped the Unique and Artistic Picture award, deciding retroactively that the award won by Wings was the highest honor that could be awarded, and allowed synchronized sound films to compete for the award. Although the award kept the title Outstanding Picture for the next ceremony, the name underwent several changes over the years, as seen below. Since 1962, the award has been simply called Best Picture. 1927/28–1928/29: Academy Award for Outstanding Picture 1929/30–1940: Academy Award for Outstanding Production 1941–1943: Academy Award for Outstanding Motion Picture 1944–1961: Academy Award for Best Motion Picture 1962–present: Academy Award for Best Picture Recipients Until 1950, this award was presented to a representative of the production company. That year the protocol was changed so that the award was presented to all credited producers. This rule was modified in 1999 to apply a maximum limit of three producers receiving the award, after the five producers of Shakespeare in Love had received the award. As of 2020, the "Special Rules for the Best Picture of the Year Award" limit recipients to those who meet two main requirements: Those with screen credit of "producer" or "produced by", explicitly excluding those with the screen credit "executive producer, co-producer, associate producer, line producer, or produced in association with" those three or fewer producers who have performed the major portion of the producing functions The rules allow a bona fide team of not more than two people to be considered a single "producer" if the two individuals have had an established producing partnership as determined by the Producers Guild of America Producing Partnership Panel. Final determination of the qualifying producer nominees for each nominated picture will be made by the Producers Branch Executive Committee, including the right to name any additional qualified producer as a nominee. The Academy can make exceptions to the limit, as when Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack were posthumously included among the four producers nominated for The Reader. As of 2014 the Producers Branch Executive Committee determines such exceptions, noting they take place only in "rare and extraordinary circumstance[s]." Steven Spielberg currently holds the record for most nominations at thirteen, winning one, while Kathleen Kennedy holds the record for most nominations without a win at eight. Sam Spiegel and Saul Zaentz tie for the most wins with three each. As for the time when the Oscar was given to production companies instead, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer holds the record with five wins and 40 nominations. Best Picture and Best Director The Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director have been closely linked throughout their history. Of the 96 films that have won Best Picture, 69 have also been awarded Best Director. Only six films have been awarded Best Picture without receiving a Best Director nomination: Wings directed by William A. Wellman (1927/28), Grand Hotel directed by Edmund Goulding (1931/32), Driving Miss Daisy directed by Bruce Beresford (1989), Argo directed by Ben Affleck (2012), Green Book directed by Peter Farrelly (2018), and CODA directed by Sian Heder (2021). The only two Best Director winners to win for films that did not receive a Best Picture nomination were during the early years of the awards: Lewis Milestone for Two Arabian Knights (1927/28), and Frank Lloyd for The Divine Lady (1928/29). Nomination limit increased On June 24, 2009, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) announced that the number of films to be nominated in the Best Picture award category would increase from 5 to 10, starting with the 82nd Academy Awards (2009). Although the Academy never officially said so, many commenters noted the expansion was likely in part a response to public criticism of The Dark Knight and WALL-E (both 2008) (and, in previous years, other blockbusters and popular films) not being nominated for Best Picture. Officially, the Academy said the rule change was a throwback to the Academy's early years in the 1930s and 1940s, when 8 to 12 films were nominated each year. "Having 10 Best Picture nominees is going to allow Academy voters to recognize and include some of the fantastic movies that often show up in the other Oscar categories but have been squeezed out of the race for the top prize," AMPAS President Sid Ganis said in a press conference. "I can't wait to see what that list of 10 looks like when the nominees are announced in February." At the same time, the voting system was switched from first-past-the-post to instant runoff voting (also known as preferential voting). In 2011, the Academy revised the rule again so that the number of films nominated was between 5 and 10; nominated films must earn either 5% of first-place rankings or 5% after an abbreviated variation of the single transferable vote nominating process. Bruce Davis, the Academy executive director at the time, said, "A Best Picture nomination should be an indication of extraordinary merit. If there are only eight pictures that truly earn that honor in a given year, we shouldn't feel an obligation to round out the number." This system lasted until 2021, when the Academy reverted back to a set number of ten nominees from the 94th Academy Awards onward. Language and country of origin Seventeen non-English language films have been nominated in the category: La Grande Illusion (French, 1938); Z (French, 1969); The Emigrants (Swedish, 1972); Cries and Whispers (Swedish, 1973); The Postman (Il Postino) (Italian/Spanish, 1995); Life Is Beautiful (Italian, 1998); Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Mandarin Chinese, 2000); Letters from Iwo Jima (Japanese, 2006, but ineligible for Best Foreign Language Film because it was an American production); Amour (French, 2012); Roma (Spanish/Mixtec, 2018); Parasite (Korean, 2019); Minari (Korean, 2020, but ineligible for Best International Feature Film because it was an American production); Drive My Car (Japanese/Korean/Mandarin Chinese/German/Korean Sign Language, 2021), All Quiet on the Western Front (German, 2022), Anatomy of a Fall (French, 2023), Past Lives (Korean, 2023, but ineligible for Best International Feature Film because it was an American production), and The Zone of Interest (German/Polish/Yiddish, 2023). Parasite became the first film not in English to win Best Picture. Ten films wholly financed outside the United States have won Best Picture, eight of which were financed, in part or in whole, by the United Kingdom: Hamlet (1948), Tom Jones (1963), A Man for All Seasons (1966), Chariots of Fire (1981), Gandhi (1982), The Last Emperor (1987), Slumdog Millionaire (2008), and The King's Speech (2010). The ninth film, The Artist (2011), was financed in France, and the tenth film, Parasite (2019), was financed in South Korea. Rating Since 1968, most Best Picture winners have been rated R under the Motion Picture Association's rating system. Oliver! is the only G-rated film and Midnight Cowboy is the only X-rated film (what is categorized as an NC-17 film today), so far, to win Best Picture; they won in back-to-back years, 1968 and 1969. The latter has since been changed to an R rating. Eleven films have won with a PG rating: the first was Patton (1970) and the most recent was Driving Miss Daisy (1989). Eleven more films have won with a PG-13 rating (which was introduced in 1984): the first was The Last Emperor (1987) and the most recent was CODA (2021). Genres and mediums Three animated films have been nominated for Best Picture: Beauty and the Beast (1991), Up (2009) and Toy Story 3 (2010). The latter two were nominated after the Academy expanded the number of nominees, but none have won. No comic book film has won, although three have been nominated: Skippy (1931), Black Panther (2018), and Joker (2019). Two fantasy films have won: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) and The Shape of Water (2017), although more have been nominated. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) is the only horror film to win Best Picture. Five others have been nominated for Best Picture: The Exorcist (1973), Jaws (1975), The Sixth Sense (1999), Black Swan (2010), and Get Out (2017). Several science-fiction films have been nominated for Best Picture, though Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) was the first one to win. Titanic (1997) is the only disaster film to win Best Picture, though other such films have been nominated, including Airport (1970) and The Towering Inferno (1974). No documentary feature has been nominated for Best Picture, although Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness was nominated in the Unique and Artistic Picture category at the 1927/28 awards. A Best Documentary Feature category was introduced in 1941. Several musical adaptations based on material previously filmed in non-musical form have won Best Picture, including Gigi, West Side Story, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, Oliver!, and Chicago. Several epics or historical epic films have won Best Picture, including the first recipient Wings. Others include Cimarron, Cavalcade, Gone with the Wind, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Ben-Hur, Lawrence of Arabia, Patton, The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, The Last Emperor, Dances with Wolves, Schindler's List, Forrest Gump, Braveheart, The English Patient, Titanic, Gladiator, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, and Oppenheimer. Sequel nominations and winners Nine films that were presented as direct sequels have been nominated for Best Picture: The Bells of St. Mary's (1945; the sequel to the 1944 winner, Going My Way), The Godfather Part II (1974), The Godfather Part III (1990), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), Toy Story 3 (2010), Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) and Top Gun: Maverick (2022). Toy Story 3, Mad Max: Fury Road and Top Gun: Maverick are the only sequels to be nominated without any predecessors being nominated. The Godfather Part II and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King are the only sequels to have won the award, and their respective trilogies are the only series to have three films nominated. The Godfather series is the only film series with multiple Best Picture winners, with the first film winning the award for 1972 and the second film winning the award for 1974. Another nominee, Broadway Melody of 1936, was a follow-up of sorts to previous winner The Broadway Melody, but beyond the title and some music, the two films have mutually independent stories. The Silence of the Lambs was adapted from the sequel novel to Red Dragon. The latter had been adapted for film as Manhunter by a different studio, and the two films have different casts and creative teams and were not presented as a series. The Lion in Winter features Peter O'Toole as King Henry II, a role he had played previously in the film Becket, but The Lion in Winter is not a sequel to Becket. Similarly, The Queen features Michael Sheen as Tony Blair, a role he had played previously in the television film The Deal. Christine Langan, producer of both productions, described The Queen as not being a direct sequel, only that it reunited the same creative team. Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima was a companion piece to his film Flags of Our Fathers that was released earlier the same year. These two films depict the same battle from the different viewpoints of Japanese and United States military forces; the two films were shot back-to-back. In addition, Black Panther is a continuation of the events that occurred in Captain America: Civil War and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Remake nominations and winners Along similar lines to sequels, there have been few nominees and winners that are either remakes or adaptations of the same source materials or subjects. Ben-Hur, which won Best Picture of 1959, is a remake of the 1925 silent film with a similar title and both were adapted from Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. The Departed, which won Best Picture of 2006, is a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs and is the first remake of a non-English language or international film to win. Other nominees include 1963's Cleopatra about the titular last queen of Egypt following the 1934 version, 2018's A Star is Born following the 1937 film of the same name, and 2019's Little Women following the 1933 film of the same name with both being adaptations of the 1868 novel. True Grit, which was nominated for Best Picture of 2010, is the second adaptation of Charles Portis's 1968 novel following the 1969 film of the same name. Four of the nominees for the 94th ceremony were based on source material previously made into films: CODA, Dune, Nightmare Alley, and West Side Story. The 2021 version of West Side Story became the second adaptation of the same source material for a previous Best Picture winner to be nominated for the same award after 1962's Mutiny on the Bounty. For that same ceremony, CODA became the second remake of a non-English-language or international film to win. The 2022 German-language All Quiet on the Western Front is the second adaptation of the 1929 novel after the 1930 English-language film, and the third adaptation of the same source material of a previous Best Picture winner. Silent film winners At the 1st Academy Awards, the Best Picture award (then named "Academy Award for Outstanding Picture") was presented to the 1927 silent film Wings. The Artist (2011) was the first essentially silent (with the exception of a single scene of dialogue, and a dream sequence with sound effects) film since Wings to win Best Picture. It was the first silent nominee since 1928's The Patriot. It was the first Best Picture winner to be produced entirely in black-and-white since 1960's The Apartment. (Schindler's List, the 1993 winner, was predominantly black-and-white but contains some color sequences.) Version availability No Best Picture winner has been lost, though a few such as All Quiet on the Western Front and Lawrence of Arabia exist only in a form altered from their original, award-winning release form. This has usually been due to editing for reissue (and subsequently partly restored by archivists). Other winners and nominees, such as Tom Jones (prior to its 2018 reissues by The Criterion Collection and the British Film Institute) and Star Wars, are widely available only in subsequently altered versions. The Broadway Melody originally had some sequences photographed in two-color Technicolor. This footage survives only in black and white. The 1928 film The Patriot is the only Best Picture nominee that is lost (about one-third is extant). The Racket, also from 1928, was believed lost for many years until a print was found in Howard Hughes' archives. It has since been restored and shown on Turner Classic Movies. The only surviving complete prints of 1931's East Lynne and 1934's The White Parade exist within the UCLA film archive. Diversity standards The Academy has established a set of "representation and inclusion standards", called Academy Aperture 2025, which a film will be required to satisfy in order to compete in the Best Picture category, starting with the 96th Academy Awards for films released in 2023. There are four general standards, of which a film must satisfy two to be considered for Best Picture: (a) on-screen representation, themes and narratives; (b) creative leadership and project team; (c) industry access and opportunities; and (d) audience development. As explained by Vox, the standards "basically break down into two big buckets: standards promoting more inclusive representation and standards promoting more inclusive employment". The standards are intended to provide greater opportunities for employment, in cast, crew, studio apprenticeships and internships, and development, marketing, publicity, and distribution executives, among underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, women, LGBTQ+ people, and persons with cognitive or physical disabilities (not counting developmental disabilities like the autism spectrum), or who are deaf or hard of hearing. For the 94th and 95th Academy Awards (films released in 2021 and 2022), filmmakers were required to submit a confidential Academy Inclusion Standards form to be considered for Best Picture but were not required to fulfill the standards. These standards will only apply to the Best Picture category and do not affect a film's eligibility in other Oscar categories. 2016 ceremony mistake At the 89th Academy Awards on February 26, 2017, presenter Faye Dunaway read La La Land as the winner of the award. However, she and Warren Beatty had mistakenly been given the duplicate envelope for the "Best Actress in a Leading Role" award, which Emma Stone had won for her role in La La Land. While accepting the award, La La Land producer Jordan Horowitz, who was given the correct envelope, realized the mistake and announced that Moonlight had won the award. Winners and nominees In the list below, winners are listed first in the gold row, followed by the other nominees. Except for the early years (when the Academy used a non-calendar year), the year shown is the one in which the film first premiered in Los Angeles County, California; normally this is also the year of first release; however, it may be the year after first release (as with Casablanca and, if the film-festival premiere is considered, Crash and The Hurt Locker). This is also the year before the ceremony at which the award is given; for example, a film exhibited theatrically during 2005 was eligible for consideration for the 2005 Best Picture Oscar, awarded in 2006. The number of the ceremony (1st, 2nd, etc.) appears in parentheses after the awards year, linked to the article on that ceremony. Each individual entry shows the title followed by nominee. Until 1950, the Best Picture award was given to the production company; from 1951 on, it has gone to the producer or producers. The Academy used the producer credits of the Producers Guild of America (PGA) until 1998, when all five producers of Shakespeare in Love made speeches after its win. A three-producer limit has been applied some years since. There was controversy over the exclusion of some PGA-credited producers of Crash and Little Miss Sunshine. The Academy can make exceptions to the limit, as when Anthony Minghella and Sydney Pollack were posthumously among the four nominated for The Reader. However, now any number of producers on a film can be nominated for Best Picture, should they be deemed eligible. For the first ceremony, three films were nominated for the award. For the following three years, five films were nominated for the award. This was expanded to eight in 1933, to ten in 1934, and to twelve in 1935, before being dropped back to ten in 1937. In 1945, it was further reduced to five. This number remained until 2009, when the limit was raised to ten; it was adjusted from 2011 to 2020 to vary between five and ten, but has been a full ten since 2022. For the first six ceremonies, the eligibility period spanned two calendar years. For example, the 2nd Academy Awards presented on April 3, 1930, recognized films that were released between August 1, 1928, and July 31, 1929. Starting with the 7th Academy Awards, held in 1935, the period of eligibility became the full previous calendar year from January 1 to December 31. This has been the rule every year since except 2020, when the end date was extended to February 28, 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and 2021, which was correspondingly limited to March 1 to December 31. 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s Individuals with multiple wins Individuals with multiple nominations Production companies and distributors with multiple nominations and wins Columbia Pictures and United Artists have the most wins with 12, while 20th Century Studios has the most nominations with 64. Focus Features has the most nominations without a win with 12. See also BAFTA Award for Best Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Film Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Picture Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Producers Guild of America Award for Best Theatrical Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture List of superlative Academy Award winners and nominees List of presenters of the Academy Award for Best Picture List of Big Five Academy Award winners and nominees Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture List of Academy Award–winning films List of Academy Award–nominated films List of film production companies List of films considered the best Lists of films Academy Aperture 2025 Notes References External links Oscars.org (official Academy site) Oscar.com (official ceremony site) The Academy Awards Database (official site)
Michael_B._Jordan	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_B._Jordan	[ 642 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_B._Jordan" ]	Michael Bakari Jordan ( bah-KAR-ee; born February 9, 1987) is an American actor and producer. He is best known for his film roles as shooting victim Oscar Grant in the drama Fruitvale Station (2013), boxer Adonis Creed in Creed (2015), and Erik Killmonger in Black Panther (2018), all of which were written and directed by Ryan Coogler. Jordan reprised his role of Creed in Creed II (2018) and Creed III (2023); the latter also marked his directorial debut. Jordan initially broke out in television, playing Wallace in the first season of the HBO crime drama series The Wire (2002). He went on to play Reggie Montgomery on the ABC soap opera All My Children (2003–2006) and Vince Howard in the NBC sports drama series Friday Night Lights (2009–2011). His other films include Chronicle (2012), That Awkward Moment (2014), Fantastic Four (2015), and Just Mercy (2019), in which he portrayed Bryan Stevenson. He has also starred in and produced the HBO film Fahrenheit 451 (2018), for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie. Jordan was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2020 and 2023. Also in 2020, he was named People's Sexiest Man Alive, and The New York Times ranked him 15th on its list of the 25 greatest actors of the 21st century. Jordan is also a co-owner of English Premier League football club AFC Bournemouth. Early life Michael Bakari Jordan was born on February 9, 1987, in Santa Ana, California, to Donna and Michael A. Jordan. He has an older sister and a younger brother. His family lived in Santa Ana, CA for two years before moving to Newark, NJ where Jordan grew up. He attended Newark Arts High School, where his mother worked as a teacher, and where he also played basketball. Career 1999–2008: Beginnings Jordan worked as a child model for several companies and brands, including Modell's Sporting Goods and Toys "R" Us, before deciding to embark on a career as an actor. He launched his career as a professional actor in 1999, when he appeared briefly in single episodes of the television series Cosby and The Sopranos. His first principal film role followed in 2001 when he was featured in Hardball, which starred Keanu Reeves. In 2002, he gained more attention by playing the small but pivotal role of Wallace in the first season of HBO's The Wire. In March 2003, he joined the cast of All My Children, replacing Chadwick Boseman, playing Reggie Montgomery, a troubled teenager, until June 2006 when Jordan was released from his contract. Jordan's other credits include guest starring appearances on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Without a Trace and Cold Case. Thereafter, he had a lead role in the independent film Blackout and starred in The Assistants on The-N. In 2008, Jordan appeared in the music video "Did You Wrong" by R&B artist Pleasure P. 2009–2012: Friday Night Lights and Parenthood In 2009, Jordan began starring in the NBC drama Friday Night Lights as quarterback Vince Howard, and lived in an apartment in Austin where the show was filmed. He played the character for two seasons until the show ended in 2011. In 2009, he guest-starred on Burn Notice in the episode "Hot Spot", playing a high school football player who got into a fight and is being hunted by a local gangster. In 2010, he was considered one of the 55 faces of the future by Nylon Magazine's Young Hollywood Issue. In 2010, he guest-starred in the Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode "Inhumane Society" as a boxer involved in a Michael Vick-inspired dog fighting scandal. That year, he landed a recurring role on the NBC show Parenthood playing Alex (Haddie Braverman's love interest). This marked his second collaboration with showrunner Jason Katims, who was in charge of Friday Night Lights. BuddyTV ranked him #80 on its list of "TV's Sexiest Men of 2011". Jordan voiced Jace in the Xbox 360 game Gears of War 3. In 2012, Jordan appeared in the George Lucas-produced film Red Tails and played lead character Steve Montgomery in Chronicle, a film about three teenaged boys who develop superhuman abilities. He also guest-starred in an episode of House's final season, playing a blind patient. 2013–present: Breakthrough In 2013, Jordan starred as shooting victim Oscar Grant in Fruitvale Station, directed by Ryan Coogler. His performance garnered critical acclaim, with Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter stating that Jordan reminded him of "a young Denzel Washington". Following his role in Fruitvale Station, Jordan was named an "actor to watch" by People and Variety. Time magazine named him with Coogler one of 30 people under 30 who are changing the world, and he was also named one of 2013's breakout stars by Entertainment Weekly and GQ. In 2015, he starred as Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, in Fantastic Four. The film was universally panned by critics, holding a 9% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and was a bust at the box office. However, later in 2015, Jordan rebounded with critical acclaim when he starred as Donnie Creed, the son of boxer Apollo Creed in the seventh Rocky film, Creed, his second collaboration with Coogler, which co-starred Sylvester Stallone. Jordan prepared for his role as a boxer in Creed by undertaking one year of rigorous physical training and a stringent low-fat diet. He did not have a body double during filming and was "routinely bloodied, bruised, and dizzy" when fighting scenes were being filmed. In 2016, Jordan featured in the popular sports game NBA 2K17, portraying Justice Young, a teammate of the player in the game's MyCareer mode. In October 2017, it was announced that Jordan was cast in a supporting role as Mark Reese in the upcoming Netflix superhero series Raising Dion. In February 2018, Jordan starred as the villain Erik Killmonger in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Black Panther; this marked Jordan's third collaboration with Coogler. His performance in Black Panther received critical acclaim, with Dani Di Placido of Forbes stating that Jordan "steals the show", while Jason Guerrasio of Business Insider wrote that the actor "plays a Killmonger fueled with hate and emptiness – we won't give away why – but he also delivers it with a swagger that's just a joy to watch ... the movie takes off more in story and viewing enjoyment whenever Jordan is on screen." Later in 2018, Jordan starred in Fahrenheit 451 with Michael Shannon and Sofia Boutella. The television film was distributed on HBO by HBO Films. That same year, Jordan reprised his role as boxer Donnie Creed in Creed II, a sequel to Creed (2015) and the eighth installment in the Rocky film series. Creed II was released in the United States by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on November 21, 2018. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and it went on to debut to $35.3 million in its opening weekend (a five-day total of $55.8 million), marking the biggest debut ever for a live-action release over Thanksgiving. He also voices the character Julian Chase in Rooster Teeth's animated series Gen:Lock, which he also co-produces through his production company, Outlier Society Productions since January 2019. Jordan portrayed attorney Bryan Stevenson in a legal drama, Just Mercy, which he also co-produced. The film, based on a real-life story, was released in December 2019 to critical acclaim. Jordan stars in Without Remorse, based on the book by Tom Clancy, as John Clark, a former Navy SEAL and director of the elite counterterrorism unit Rainbow Six. Originally planned for release on September 18, 2020, it was released on April 30, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Jordan reprised his MCU role as Erik "Killmonger" Stevens in two episodes of the first season of What If...? (2021), and in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), and made a cameo appearance in Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021). He also starred in A Journal for Jordan (2021), directed by Denzel Washington, as a soldier who "kept a journal full of poignant life lessons for their newborn son, Jordan, while deployed overseas." Jordan made his directorial debut with Creed III, a sequel to Creed II, in addition to producing and reprising his starring role as boxer Adonis Creed. It was released on March 3, 2023. Michael B. Jordan's influences for filmmaking are: Steven Speliberg, Martin Scorsese, Alfonso Cuarón, Ryan Coogler, George Lucas, and Christopher Nolan Upcoming projects He is slated to reteam with Coogler for the fourth time in Wrong Answer, a film based on the Atlanta Public Schools cheating scandal. Jordan is also set to appear in a second remake of The Thomas Crown Affair. Jordan is also set to appear in the vampire film Blood Brothers. His production company Outlier Society signed a first look deal with Amazon, and is also developing Val-Zod, an HBO Max series featuring a Black version of the DC Comics character Superman. As of March 2022, Jordan will produce and star in the sequel of I Am Legend with Will Smith. Personal life Jordan has resided in Los Angeles since 2006. He grew up in a religious household and considers himself to be spiritual. As of 2018, he lived with his parents in a Sherman Oaks home that he purchased. Jordan is also a fan of anime, particularly Naruto: Shippuden and the Dragon Ball franchise. Jordan grew up in Newark, New Jersey and is a lifelong fan of the New York Giants. In November 2020, the actor began dating model Lori Harvey, daughter of comedian Steve Harvey. In June 2022, it was announced that the couple had ended their relationship. Sports ownership In December 2022, Jordan was announced as part-owner of English football club AFC Bournemouth. The club was taken over by the consortium group the Black Knights Football Club led by fellow American Businessman William Foley. Jordan led the minority ownership group with Kosmos Founder Nullah Sarker. Filmography Film Television Video games Music videos Awards and nominations References External links Michael B. Jordan at IMDb
Cillian_Murphy	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cillian_Murphy	[ 643 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cillian_Murphy" ]	Cillian Murphy ( KILL-ee-ən; born 25 May 1976) is an Irish actor. His works encompass both stage and screen, and his accolades include an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award and a Golden Globe Award. He made his professional debut in Enda Walsh's 1996 play Disco Pigs, a role he later reprised in the 2001 screen adaptation. His early film credits include the horror film 28 Days Later (2002), the dark comedy Intermission (2003), the thriller Red Eye (2005), the Irish war drama The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006), and the science fiction thriller Sunshine (2007). He played a transgender Irish woman in the comedy-drama Breakfast on Pluto (2005), which earned him his first Golden Globe Award nomination. Murphy began his collaboration with filmmaker Christopher Nolan in 2005, playing the Scarecrow in The Dark Knight trilogy (2005–2012) as well as appearing in Inception (2010) and Dunkirk (2017). He gained greater prominence for his role as Tommy Shelby in the BBC period drama series Peaky Blinders (2013–2022) and for starring in the horror sequel A Quiet Place Part II (2020). Murphy portrayed J. Robert Oppenheimer in Nolan's Oppenheimer (2023), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor. In 2011, Murphy won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance for the one-man play Misterman. In 2020, The Irish Times named him one of the greatest Irish film actors of all time. Early life and education Murphy was born on 25 May 1976 in Douglas, Cork. His mother taught French while his father, Brendan, worked for the Department of Education. His grandfather, aunts, and uncles were also teachers. He was raised in Ballintemple, Cork, alongside his younger brother Páidi and younger sisters Sile and Orla. He started writing and performing songs at the age of 10. Murphy was raised Catholic and attended the fee-paying Catholic secondary school Presentation Brothers College, where he did well academically but often got into trouble, sometimes being suspended; he decided in his fourth year that misbehaving was not worth the hassle. Not keen on sports, which was a major part of the school's curriculum, he found that artistic pursuits were neglected at the school. Murphy got his first taste of performing in secondary school, when he participated in a drama module presented by Corcadorca Theatre Company director Pat Kiernan. He later described the experience as a "huge high" and a "fully alive" feeling that he then set out to chase. Novelist William Wall, who was his English teacher, encouraged him to pursue acting but he was set on becoming a rock star. In his late teens and early 20s, he sang and played the guitar in several bands alongside his brother, Páidi, and the Beatles-obsessed duo named their most successful band The Sons of Mr. Green Genes, which they adopted from the Frank Zappa song of the same name. He later said the band "specialised in wacky lyrics and endless guitar solos". They were offered a five-album deal by Acid Jazz Records, which they rejected because Páidi was still in school and the duo did not agree with the small amount of money they would get for giving the record label the rights to Murphy's compositions. Murphy later confessed, "I'm very glad in retrospect that we didn't sign because you kind of sign away your life to a label and the whole of your music." Murphy began studying law at University College Cork (UCC) in 1996, but failed his first-year exams because he "had no ambitions to do it". Not only was he busy with his band, but he knew within days after starting at UCC that he did not want to practise law. After seeing Corcadorca's stage production of A Clockwork Orange, directed by Kiernan, he began directing his attention to acting. His first major role was in the UCC Drama Society's amateur production of Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme, which starred Irish-American comedian Des Bishop. Murphy also played the lead in their production of Little Shop of Horrors, which was performed in the Cork Opera House. He later admitted that his primary motivation at the time was not to pursue an acting career, but to go to parties and meet women. Career 1996–2002: Theatre work and early roles Murphy pressured Pat Kiernan until he got an audition at Corcadorca Theatre Company, and in September 1996, he made his professional acting debut on the stage, playing the part of a volatile Cork teenager in Enda Walsh's Disco Pigs. Walsh recalled meeting and discovering Murphy: "There was something about him – he was incredibly enigmatic and he would walk into a room with real presence and you'd go, "My God". It had nothing to do with those bloody eyes that everyone's going on about all the time." Murphy observed, "I was unbelievably cocky and had nothing to lose, and it suited the part, I suppose". Originally intended to run for three weeks in Cork, Disco Pigs ended up touring throughout Europe, Canada and Australia for two years, and Murphy left both university and his band. Though he had intended to go back to playing music, he secured representation after his first agent caught a performance of Disco Pigs, and his acting career began to take off. He starred in many other theatre productions, including Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing (1998), The Country Boy, and Juno and the Paycock (both 1999). He began appearing in independent films such as On the Edge (2001), and in short films, including Filleann an Feall (2000) and Watchmen (2001). He also reprised his role for the film adaption of Disco Pigs (2001) and appeared in the BBC television mini-series adaptation of The Way We Live Now. During this period, he moved from Cork, relocating first to Dublin for a few years, then to London in 2001. In 2002, Murphy starred as Adam in a theatre production of Neil LaBute's The Shape of Things at the Gate Theatre in Dublin. Writing for The Irish Times, Fintan O'Toole praised Murphy's performance, "Murphy measures out his metamorphosis with an impressive subtlety and intelligence". 2002–2004: 28 Days Later and breakthrough Murphy was cast in the lead role in Danny Boyle's horror film 28 Days Later (2002). He portrayed pandemic survivor Jim, who is "perplexed to find himself alone in the desolate, post-apocalyptic world" after waking from a coma in a London hospital. Casting director Gail Stevens suggested that Boyle audition Murphy for the role, having been impressed with his performance in Disco Pigs. Stevens stated that it was only after seeing his slender physique during filming that they decided to feature him fully nude at the beginning of the film. She recalled that Murphy was shy on set with the tendency to look slightly away from the camera, but enthused that he had a "dreamy, slightly de-energised, floating quality that is fantastic for the film". Released in the UK in late 2002, by the following July, 28 Days Later had become a sleeper hit in North America, and success worldwide, putting Murphy in front of a mass audience for the first time. His performance earned him a nomination for Best Newcomer at the 8th Empire Awards, and Breakthrough Male Performance at the 2004 MTV Movie Awards. Murphy professed that he considered the film to be much deeper than a zombie or horror film, expressing surprise at the film's success, and that American audiences responded well to its content and violence. Murphy said, "The film did so well. And you watch zombie stuff [now], we were the first people to make zombies run, and [that] changed everything. It has a very special place in my heart, that movie." In 2003, Murphy played the role of Konstantine in a stage production of Chekhov's The Seagull at the Edinburgh International Festival. He said that he wanted to play Konstantine because the character "goes on this amazing journey through the play [...] he comes to realise there's no point being an iconoclastic writer just for the sake of it, and that the search for new forms has to have something behind it". Murphy starred as a lovelorn, hapless supermarket stocker who plots a bank heist with Colin Farrell in Intermission (2003), which became the highest-grossing Irish independent film in Irish box office history (until The Wind That Shakes the Barley broke the record in 2006). Reflecting on his roles in 28 Days Later and the "sad-sack Dublin shelf-stacker" in Intermission, Sarah Lyall of the International Herald Tribune stated that Murphy brought "fluent ease to the roles he takes on, a graceful and wholly believable intensity. His delicate good looks have, as much as his acting prowess, caused people to mark him as Ireland's next Colin Farrell, albeit one who seems less likely to be caught tomcatting around or brawling drunkenly at premieres." He had a minor supporting role in the successful Hollywood period drama Cold Mountain (2003). He portrayed a deserting soldier who shares a grim scene with Jude Law's character, and was on location in Romania for only a week. Murphy stated that it was a "massive production", remarking that director Anthony Minghella was the calmest director he'd ever met. Murphy also had a role as a butcher in Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003) with Scarlett Johansson and Colin Firth. In 2004, Murphy toured Ireland with the Druid Theatre Company, in The Playboy of the Western World (playing the character of Christy Mahon) under the direction of Garry Hynes—who had previously directed Murphy back in 1999 in the theatre productions of Juno and the Paycock—and also in The Country Boy. 2005–2006: Villainous roles and critical success Murphy appeared as Dr. Jonathan Crane in Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins (2005). Originally asked to audition for the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman, Murphy never saw himself as having the right physique for the superhero, but leapt at the chance to connect with director Nolan. Though the lead went to Christian Bale, Nolan was so impressed with Murphy that he gave him the supporting role of Dr. Crane, whose alter ego is supervillain Scarecrow. Nolan told Spin magazine, "He has the most extraordinary eyes, and I kept trying to invent excuses for him to take his glasses off in close-ups". He starred as Jackson Rippner, who terrorises Rachel McAdams on an overnight flight in Wes Craven's thriller, Red Eye (2005). The New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis asserted that Murphy made "a picture-perfect villain" and that his "baby blues look cold enough to freeze water and his wolfish leer suggests its own terrors". The film was favourably reviewed and earned almost $100 million worldwide. Murphy received several awards nominations for his 2005 villainous roles, among them a nomination as Best Villain at the 2006 MTV Movie Awards for Batman Begins. Entertainment Weekly ranked him among its 2005 "Summer MVPs", a cover story list of 10 entertainers with outstanding breakthrough performances. The New Yorker's David Denby wrote: "Cillian Murphy, who has angelic looks that can turn sinister, is one of the most elegantly seductive monsters in recent movies." Murphy starred as Patrick/"Kitten" Braden, a transgender Irish woman in search of her mother, in Neil Jordan's comedy-drama Breakfast on Pluto (2005), based on the novel of the same title by Patrick McCabe. Seen against the film's kaleidoscopic backdrop of 1970s glitter rock fashion, magic shows, red-light districts and IRA violence, Murphy transforms from androgynous teen to a blonde drag queen. He had auditioned for the role in 2001 and, though Jordan liked him for the part, the director of The Crying Game was hesitant to revisit transgender and IRA issues. The actor lobbied Jordan for several years in a bid to get the film made before Murphy became too old to play the part; in 2004, he prepared for the role by meeting a transvestite who dressed him and took him clubbing with other transvestites. The role required "serious primping" with eyebrow plucking and chest and leg hair removal, and Roger Ebert noted the way that Murphy played the character with a "bemused and hopeful voice". While lukewarm reviews of Breakfast on Pluto tended to praise Murphy's performance highly, a few critics dissented: The Village Voice, which panned the film, found him "unconvincing" and overly cute. Murphy was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for Breakfast on Pluto and won the fourth Irish Film and Television Academy Best Actor Award. Premiere magazine cited his performance as Kitten in their "The 24 Finest Performances of 2005" feature. In 2006, Murphy starred in The Wind That Shakes the Barley, a film about the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War, which won the Palme d'Or at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and became the most successful Irish independent film at the Irish box office. Murphy was especially keen on appearing in the film due to his intimate connections to Cork, Ireland, where the film was shot. Murphy auditioned six times for the role of Damien O'Donovan, a young doctor turned revolutionary, before winning the part. Murphy considered it a very special privilege to have been given the role and stated that he was "tremendously proud" of the film, remarking that the "memories run very, very deep – the politics, the divisions and everybody has stories of family members who were caught up in the struggle." David Denby noted Murphy's moments of deep stillness and idiosyncrasies in portraying the character. Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times wrote that "Murphy is especially good at playing the zealotry as well as the soul-searching and the regret, at showing us a man who is eaten up alive because he's forced to act in ways that are contrary to his background and his training". GQ magazine presented Murphy with its 2006 Actor of the Year award for his work in The Wind That Shakes the Barley. 2006–2010: Further theatre and film roles Murphy returned to the stage starring opposite Neve Campbell at the New Ambassadors Theatre in London's West End from November 2006 to February 2007, playing the lead role of John Kolvenbach's play Love Song. Theatre Record described his character of Beane as a "winsomely cranky" mentally unstable "sentimentalised lonely hero", noting how he magnetically, with "all blue eyes and twitching hands", moves "comically from painfully shy "wallpaper" to garrulous, amorous male. Variety magazine considered his performance to be "as magnetic onstage as onscreen", remarking that his "unhurried puzzlement pulls the slight preciousness in the character's idiot-savant naivete back from the brink". He starred in the science fiction film Sunshine (2007) as a physicist-astronaut charged with re-igniting the sun, also directed by Danny Boyle. He starred opposite Lucy Liu in Paul Soter's romantic comedy Watching the Detectives (2007); the indie film premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival and was released direct-to-DVD. Murphy starred as Richard Neville, editor of the psychedelic radical underground magazine Oz in the film Hippie Hippie Shake, which was filmed in 2007, but the project, much delayed, was eventually shelved in 2011. Murphy made a brief re-appearance as the Scarecrow in Nolan's The Dark Knight (2008), the sequel to Batman Begins, before starring in The Edge of Love—about a love quadrangle involving the poet Dylan Thomas—with Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller and Matthew Rhys. In July 2008, Murphy made a debut appearance in another medium—on a postage stamp; the Irish Post Office, An Post, released a series of four stamps paying homage to the creativity of films recently produced in Ireland, including one featuring Murphy in a still from The Wind That Shakes the Barley. In 2009, Murphy starred opposite rock singer Feist and actor David Fox in The Water, directed by Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene. The 15-minute Canadian short film, released online in April 2009, is nearly silent until the Feist song of the same title plays close to the end. Murphy was attracted to the role as a fan of Broken Social Scene and the prospect of making a silent movie, which he considered to be the "hardest test for any actor". Murphy also starred in Perrier's Bounty, a crime dramedy from the makers of Intermission, in which he portrayed a petty criminal on the run from a gangster played by Brendan Gleeson. In 2010, he made a return to theatre in From Galway to Broadway and back again, which was a stage show that celebrated the Druid Theatre Company's 35th birthday. The direct-to-video psychological thriller Peacock (2010), co-starring Elliot Page, Susan Sarandon and Bill Pullman, starred Murphy as a man with a split personality who fools people into believing he is also his own wife. Christian Toto of The Washington Times referred to the film as "a handsomely mounted psychological drama with an arresting lead turn by Cillian Murphy", and noted that although Murphy wasn't a stranger to playing in drag, his work in the film set a "new standard for gender-bending performances". Murphy next starred in Christopher Nolan's Inception (2010), playing entrepreneur Robert Fischer, whose mind is infiltrated by DiCaprio's character Cobb to convince him to dissolve his business. That year, Murphy also made an uncredited cameo as programmer Edward Dillinger Jr., son of original Tron antagonist Ed Dillinger (David Warner) in Tron: Legacy. 2011–present: Peaky Blinders and Oppenheimer In 2011, Murphy performed in the stage monodrama Misterman, written and directed by Enda Walsh, with whom he had previously worked on Disco Pigs. The production was initially staged in Galway and was taken to St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn, New York. Murphy said of the role, "The live nature of it makes it so dangerous. You're only there because of the good will of the audience, and that's compounded by its being a one-man show." His performance earned critical acclaim, garnering Irish Times Theatre Award and a Drama Desk Award. Sarah Lyall of the International Herald Tribune described Murphy's character Thomas Magill to be a "complicated mixture of sympathetic and not nice at all – deeply wounded, but with a dangerous, skewed moral code", praising his ability to mimic wickedly. Lyall noted Murphy's "unusual ability to create and inhabit creepy yet fascinating characters from the big screen to the small stage in the intense one-man show Misterman", and documented that on one evening the "theater was flooded, not with applause but with silence", eventually culminating in a standing ovation at his powerful performance. He played the lead in the British horror film Retreat (2011), which had a limited release. He also appeared in the science fiction film In Time (2011), starring Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried, which was poorly reviewed. Murphy starred in Red Lights (2012) with Robert De Niro and Sigourney Weaver. He played Tom Buckley, the assistant to Weaver's character who is a paranormal investigator. Murphy considered working with De Niro to have been one of the most intimidating moments in his career. He remarked: "My first scene when I come to visit him my character is supposed to be terrified and intimidated. There was no acting involved. The man has presence. You can't act presence. I'll never have that. Watching him use it... when you put a camera on it, it just becomes something else." The film was panned by critics and under-performed at the box office. Murphy went on to reprise his role as the Scarecrow for the third time in The Dark Knight Rises (2012), and had a supporting role as Mike in the British independent film Broken (2012). His performance earned him a British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination. Since 2013, Murphy has starred as Thomas Shelby in the BBC television series Peaky Blinders, a series about a criminal gang in Birmingham during the post-World War I period. Jason Statham was initially picked for the role by director Steven Knight, who met both actors to talk about the role. Knight later said, "Cillian, when you meet him, isn't Tommy, obviously, but I was stupid enough not to understand that". He picked Murphy after receiving a text message from Murphy that read, "Remember, I'm an actor". Murphy told The Independent, "[The scripts] were so compelling and confident, and the character was so rich and complex, layered and contradictory. I was like, 'I have to do this.'" Peaky Blinders was praised and received high ratings. A second series began broadcasting on the BBC in October 2014. On 25 August 2019, the first episode of season 5 was broadcast on BBC One. In an interview with Digital Spy, director Anthony Byrne said, "if we did start shooting in January (2021), we wouldn't finish until May or June and then it's another 6 months of editing". Series six premiered on 27 February 2022. In 2013, Murphy made his directorial debut with a music video for the band Money's single Hold Me Forever. The video features dancers from the English National Ballet and was filmed at The Old Vic Theatre in London. In 2014, Murphy starred in the drama Aloft, and Wally Pfister's Transcendence. Both of these garnered mostly unfavourable critic reviews according to the aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. That same year, Murphy reunited with Enda Walsh in the play Ballyturk. He starred in Ron Howard's 2015 film In the Heart of the Sea. In 2015, he contributed spoken vocals to the tracks "8:58" and "The Clock" from Paul Hartnoll's album 8:58. The two previously met while Hartnoll was scoring the second season of Peaky Blinders. In 2016, Murphy starred in Ben Wheatley's Free Fire, and portrayed Czechoslovak World War II army soldier Jozef Gabčík, who was involved in Operation Anthropoid, the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich in Anthropoid. Rupert Hawksley of The Telegraph believed Cillian's performance in Anthropoid, but opined that he is "not asked to do an awful lot, other than smoke and look perplexed". In 2017, Murphy played a shell-shocked army officer who is recovered from a wrecked ship in Christopher Nolan's war film Dunkirk, which emerged as a critical and box-office success. He felt that his character, who is nameless and was credited simply as Shivering Soldier, was "representative of something experienced by thousands of soldiers, which is the profound emotional and psychological toll that war can have". Murphy has also played a role in the feature film Anna as Miller, released in June 2019. His next release, A Quiet Place Part II (2021), stars Murphy as Emmett, a hardened survivor and old family friend of the Abbotts. Murphy's character reluctantly takes in the Abbotts following the events of the first film. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian praised his performance. Murphy portrayed J. Robert Oppenheimer in the biographical thriller Oppenheimer. The film marks the sixth collaboration between Nolan and Murphy, and the first starring Murphy as the lead. To prepare for the role, Murphy lost a significant amount of weight to match Oppenheimer's near-emaciated appearance, extensively researched Oppenheimer's life and took inspiration from David Bowie's appearance in the 1970s. Released in 2023, the film grossed over $975 million worldwide and garnered positive reviews from critics. Murphy's performance was lauded, with Empire's Dan Jolin writing: "At the film's pulsing nucleus is Murphy as Oppenheimer, and he is compelling throughout." For his performance, he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama, BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role, and Academy Award for Best Actor. Murphy launched the independent production company Big Things Films with Alan Moloney in February 2024. He produced and starred in the historical drama Small Things like These, which opened the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, and the upcoming Steve, through a collaboration with Netflix. Murphy will also executive produce the sequel to 28 Days Later, titled 28 Years Later, and is in talks to reprise his role. Additionally, Murphy will reprise his role in a Peaky Blinders film which will shoot in September 2024. He will also produce and star in Blood Runs Coal for Universal Pictures. Murphy has presented shows on BBC Radio 6 Music since 2013; since 2020 he has hosted Cillian Murphy's Limited Edition, a limited-run series broadcasting late on Sunday evenings in which he draws from his personal music collection and answers "reasonable questions" from listeners. As of 2024, three seasons of Limited Edition have been produced, totaling 28 episodes. Public image Reserved and private, Murphy professes a lack of interest in the celebrity scene, finding the red carpet experience "a challenge" that he does not "want to overcome". He intentionally practises a lifestyle that will not interest the tabloids, stating, "I haven't created any controversy, I don't sleep around, I don't go and fall down drunk". He prefers not to speak about his life outside of acting and did not appear on any television talk shows until 2010, when he was a guest on Ireland's Late Late Show to promote Perrier's Bounty, though he still remained reserved. Murphy's introverted nature and lack of interest in social media has prompted several fans to create memes on his detached demeanour in press interviews and junkets. In 2017, upon being asked his opinion on the "Disappointed Cillian Murphy" meme, he answered, "What's a meme?". In 2015, Murphy was named one of GQ's 50 best-dressed men, and in 2024, he was announced as the new face of Italian luxury fashion company Versace. Activism Murphy participated in the 2007 Rock the Vote Ireland campaign, targeting young voters for the general election, and campaigning for the rights of the homeless with the organisation Focus Ireland. In 2011, he became a patron of the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre at the National University of Ireland Galway. He is closely associated with the work of Professor Pat Dolan Director UCFRC and UNESCO Chair in Children, Youth and Civic Engagement. In February 2012, he wrote a message of support to the former Vita Cortex workers involved in a sit-in at their plant, congratulating them for "highlighting [what] is hugely important to us all as a nation". Murphy was a supporter of the 2018 Irish referendum to repeal the eighth amendment of the constitution that restricted access to abortions, appearing on The Blindboy Podcast to urge men to support women and vote in favour of the referendum. Personal life In 2004, Murphy married his longtime girlfriend Yvonne McGuinness, whom he met at one of his rock band's shows in 1996. They lived in Dublin until 2001, when they moved to London so his wife could attend the Royal College of Art. After 14 years, they moved back to Dublin in 2015. They have two sons, born in 2005 and 2007. Murphy was raised Catholic. He stated that he had been verging on agnosticism until his role as a physicist and astronaut in the 2007 film Sunshine, at which point his views shifted towards atheism. In 2019, he said the Catholic faith still shaped his morality. He was a vegetarian for around 15 years, which he said happened because he was "worried about getting mad cow disease" rather than a moral decision. He also had qualms about unhealthy agribusiness practices. He began eating meat again to bulk up for his role in Peaky Blinders. In a 2022 interview, he said he had returned to vegetarianism. Acting credits and awards Murphy's most commercially successful films have been his many collaborations with Nolan, including Oppenheimer, Inception, Batman Begins, and Dunkirk. Following the success of Oppenheimer and the Barbenheimer phenomenon, Murphy was named in Variety's list of the most influential figures of 2023 in the entertainment and media industry. Murphy's works also include other critically acclaimed films, such as A Quiet Place II and The Wind that Shakes the Barley. He has received several accolades over the course of his career, including four Irish Film & Television Awards, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and an Academy Award. References Bibliography External links Cillian Murphy at IMDb
University_College_Cork	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_College_Cork	[ 643 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_College_Cork" ]	University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) (Irish: Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh) is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork. The university was founded in 1845 as one of three Queen's Colleges located in Belfast, Cork, and Galway. It became University College, Cork, under the Irish Universities Act 1908. The Universities Act 1997 renamed the university as National University of Ireland, Cork, and a Ministerial Order of 1998 renamed the university as University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork, though it continues to be almost universally known as University College Cork. Amongst other rankings and awards, the university was named Irish University of the Year by The Sunday Times on five occasions; most recently in 2017. In 2015, UCC was also named as top performing university by the European Commission funded U-Multirank system, based on obtaining the highest number of "A" scores (21 out of 28 metrics) among a field of 1200 partaking universities. UCC also became the first university to achieve the ISO 50001 standard in energy management in 2011. History Queen's College, Cork, was founded by the provisions of an act which enabled Queen Victoria to endow new colleges for the "Advancement of Learning in Ireland". Under the powers of this act, the three colleges of Belfast, Cork and Galway were incorporated on 30 December 1845. The college opened in 1849 with 23 professors and 181 students; Medicine, Arts, and Law were the three founding faculties. A year later the college became part of the Queen's University of Ireland. The original site chosen for the college was considered appropriate as it was believed to have had a connection with the patron saint of Cork, Saint Finbarr. His monastery and school of learning were close by at Gill Abbey Rock and the mill attached to the monastery is thought to have stood on the bank of the south channel of the River Lee, which runs through the college lower grounds. This association is also reflected in the college motto "Where Finbarr Taught, Let Munster Learn" which is also the university motto. Adjacent to Gillabbey and overlooking the valley of the river Lee, the site was selected in 1846. The Tudor Gothic quadrangle and early campus buildings were designed and built by Sir Thomas Deane and Benjamin Woodward. Queen's College Cork officially opened its doors in November 1849, with further buildings added later, including the Medical/Windle Building in the 1860s. National University of Ireland In the following century, the Irish Universities Act 1908 formed the National University of Ireland, consisting of the three constituent colleges of Dublin, Cork and Galway, and the college was given the status of a university college as University College, Cork. The Universities Act, 1997, made the university college a constituent university of the National University and made the constituent university a full university for all purposes except the awarding of degrees and diplomas which remains the sole remit of the National University. Today As of 2022, University College Cork (UCC) had 24,195 students. These included 16,849 in undergraduate programmes, 7,346 in postgraduate study and research, and 2,800 in adult continuing education across undergraduate, postgraduate and short courses. The student base is supported by 3429 academic, research and administrative staff. As of 2022, UCC reportedly has c. 200,000 alumni worldwide. Campus Student numbers, at over 24,000 in 2022, increased from the late 1980s, precipitating the expansion of the campus by the acquisition of adjacent buildings and lands. This expansion continued with the opening of the Alfred O'Rahilly building in the late 1990s, the Cavanagh Pharmacy building, the Brookfield Health Sciences centre, the extended Áras na MacLéinn (Devere Hall), the Lewis Glucksman Gallery in 2004, Experience UCC (Visitors' Centre) and an extension to the Boole Library – named for the first professor of mathematics at UCC, George Boole, who developed the algebra that would later make computer programming possible. The university also completed the Western Gateway Building in 2009 on the site of the former Cork Greyhound track on the Western Road as well as refurbishment to the Tyndall institute buildings at the Lee Maltings Complex. In 2016, UCC acquired the Cork Savings Bank building on Lapps Quay in the centre of Cork City. As of 2017, the university is rolling out a programme to increase the space across its campuses, with part of this development involving the creation of a 'student hub' to support academic strategy, add 600 new student accommodation spaces, and develop an outdoor sports facility. The School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences is based on the North Mall Campus, the site of the former North Mall Distillery. Since 1986, 2.5 tonnes of uranium rods have been stored in the basement of the UCC physics department. The uranium was originally given to Ireland by the US as part of the Atoms for Peace programme, however, due to public opposition, the reactor was dismantled during the 1980s. As there is no nuclear waste site in Ireland, the uranium remains on campus. In 2006, the university re-opened the Crawford Observatory, a structure built in 1880 on the grounds of the university by Sir Howard Grubb. Grubb, son of the Grubb telescope building family in Dublin, designed the observatory and built the astronomical instruments for the structure. The university paid for an extensive restoration and conservation of the building and the three main telescopes, the Equatorial, the Transit Circle and Sidereostatic telescopes. In November 2009, several UCC buildings were damaged by flooding. The floods also affected other parts of Cork City, with many students being evacuated from accommodation. The college authorities postponed academic activities for a week, and indicated that it would take until 2010 before all flood-damaged property would be repaired. Particularly impacted was the newly opened Western Gateway Building, with the main lecture theatre requiring a total refit just months after opening for classes. In 2018, UCC's campus became home to the first "plastic free" café in Ireland, with the opening of the Bio Green Café in the Biosciences building. Research The university is one of Ireland's leading research institutes, with among the highest research income in the state. In 2016, UCC secured research funding of over €96 million, a 21% increase over five years and a high for the university. The university had seven faculties: Arts and Celtic Studies, Commerce, Engineering, Food Science and Technology, Law, Medicine, and Science. Between 2005 and 2006 the university was restructured from these seven faculties into four colleges: Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Science; Business and Law; Medicine and Health; and Science, Engineering and Food Science. According to the 2009-2012 UCC Strategic Plan, UCC aimed to enhance research and innovation. In 2009, the university was ranked in the top 3% of universities worldwide for research. UCC's published research strategy proposed to create "Centres of Excellence" for "world-class research" in which the researchers and research teams would be given "freedom and flexibility to pursue their areas of research". Research centres in UCC cover a range of areas including: Nanoelectronics with the Tyndall Institute; Food and Health with the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre, NutraMara, Food for Health Ireland Research Centre, and Cereal Science Cork; the Environment with the Environmental Research Institute (with research in biodiversity, aquaculture, energy efficiency and ocean energy); and Business Information Systems. The Sunday Times "Good University Guide 2015", put UCC at the top of their rankings for "research income per academic". In October 2008, the governing body of the university announced that UCC would be the first institution in Ireland to use embryonic stem cells in research under strict guidelines of the University Research Ethics using imported hESCs from approved jurisdictions. In 2009, Professor of Mathematics at UCC, Des McHale, challenged the university's decision to allow embryonic stem cell research. According to the results of a poll conducted by irishhealth.com, almost two in three people supported the decision made by University College Cork to allow embryonic stem cell research. In 2016, Professor Noel Caplice, director of the centre for research in Vascular Biology at UCC and a cardiologist at Cork University Hospital, announced a "major breakthrough in the field of blood vessel replacement". Campus companies The university has a number of related companies including: Cytrea, which is involved in pharmaceutical formulations; Firecomms, an ICT company concentrating on optical communications; Alimentary Health a biotech healthcare company; Biosensia who develop integrated micro-system analytical chips; Sensl, part of ON Semiconductor; Luxcel which is involved in the development of probes and sensors; and Optical Metrology Innovations which develops laser metrology systems. Knowledge transfer Innovation and Knowledge transfer is driven by UCC's Office of Technology Transfer, an office of the university dedicated to commercialising aspects of UCC's research and connecting researchers with industry. Recent spinouts from the college include pharmaceutical company Glantreo, Luxcel Biosciences, Alimentary Health, Biosensia, Firecoms, Gourmet Marine, Keelvar, Lee Oncology, and Sensl. Commemorative events In 2015, the university marked the bicentenary of mathematician, philosopher and logician George Boole - UCC's first professor of mathematics. In September 2017, UCC unveiled a €350 million investment plan, with university president, Professor Patrick O’Shea, outlining the development goals for UCC in the areas of philanthropy and student recruitment. The plan proposes to provide for curriculum development, an increase in national and international student numbers, the extension of the campus and an increase in the income earned from philanthropy. The Minister for Culture, Heritage & the Gaeltacht and Chair of the National Famine Commemoration Committee, Heather Humphreys TD, also announced that 2018's National Famine Commemoration is planned to take place in UCC. Cork University Press published The Atlas of the Great Irish Famine in 2012. Subsequently, in September 2017, The Atlas of the Irish Revolution was published by Cork University Press. In November 2017, UCC's MSc Information Systems for Business Performance (ISBP) was named "Postgraduate Course of the Year - IT" at the gradireland Higher Education Awards in Dublin. Reputation University College Cork has been ranked by a number of bodies, and was named as the "Irish University of the Year" by the Sunday Times in 2003, 2005, 2011 and 2016, and was a runner up in the 2015 edition. In 2015, UCC was also named as top performing university by the European Commission funded U-Multirank system, based on a high number of "A" scores (21 out of 28 metrics) among a field of 1200 partaking universities. Also in 2015, the CWTS Leiden Ranking placed UCC 1st in Ireland, 16th in Europe and 52nd globally from a field of 750 universities. The 2011 QS World University Rankings assigned a 5-star rating to UCC, and ranked the university amongst the top 2% of universities worldwide. UCC was ranked 230th in the 2014 edition of the QS World University Rankings. 13 of its subject areas featured in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2015 (up from 10 subject areas in 2014), including the Pharmacy & Pharmacology disciplines, which were listed with the top 50 worldwide. The Universitas Indonesia (UI) Greenmetric World University Ranking awarded UCC a second in the world ranking for the second year in a row in 2015 for its efforts in the area of sustainability, with 360 universities from 62 countries ranked overall. UCC has been recognised for its digital and social media presence, winning the 'Best Social Media Engagement' category at the 2014 Social Media Awards, and as a finalist in two categories at the 2015 Social Media Awards. A previous finalist at the 2013 and 2014 Web Awards, UCC also made the 2015 finals in two categories, 'Most Influential Irish Website Ever' and 'Best Education and Third Level Website'. University College Cork had the first website in Ireland in 1991 (only the ninth website in the world at the time), serving transcriptions of Irish historical and literary documents for the CELT project converted from SGML to HTML. It was reported in December 2020 that UCC had spent €76,265.38 investigating sexual harassment claims over the previous five years. This represented the largest amount spent by a third-level institution in Ireland during that period. UCC spent €24,460.50 on legal fees in the years 2017 and 2018, and paid out €510 in 2018. Academic units College of Medicine and Health Medicine, Arts, and Law were the three founding faculties when Queen's College Cork opened its doors to students in 1849. The medical buildings were built in stages between 1860 and 1880, and the faculty quickly gained a reputation for the quality of its graduates. The first two women to graduate in medicine in Ireland did so in 1898 (this was notable as it was more than 20 years before women were permitted to sit for medicine at the University of Oxford). UCC School of Medicine is part of the College of Medicine and Health, and is based at the Brookfield Health Sciences Centre on the main UCC campus and is affiliated with the 1000-bed University College Cork Teaching Hospital, which is the largest medical centre in Ireland. The UCC School Of Pharmacy is based in the Cavanagh Pharmacy Building. Centre for Architectural Education The Cork Centre for Architectural Education (CCAE) is the Department of Architecture at UCC, and is a school jointly run with Munster Technological University. It is accredited by the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland. Humanities The College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences (CACSSS) incorporates a number of schools. UCC is home to the Irish Institute of Chinese Studies, which allows students to study Chinese culture as well as the language through Arts and Commerce. The department won the European Award for Languages in 2008. As of 2017, Digital Humanities had grown as a discipline, with 26 PhD research students working on various Digital Humanities projects. UCC's programme for students in Digital Humanities includes BA (Hons) Digital Humanities & Information Technology, MA Digital Arts & Humanities and PhD Digital Arts & Humanities. Student life Clubs, societies and representation University College Cork has over 100 active societies and 50 different sports clubs. There are academic, charitable, creative, gaming/role-playing, political, religious, and social societies and clubs incorporating field sports, martial arts, watersports as well outdoor and indoor team and individual sports. UCC clubs are sponsored by Bank of Ireland, with the UCC Skull and Crossbones as the mascot for all UCC sports teams. 100 students received scholarships in 26 different sports in 2010. The activities of UCC's societies include charity work; with over €100,000 raised annually by the Surgeon Noonan society, €10,000 raised by the War Gaming and Role Playing Society (WARPS) through its international gaming convention Warpcon, €10,000 raised by the UCC Law Society for the Cambodia orphanage and the UCC Pharmacy Society supports the Cork Hospitals Children's Club every year with a number of events. UCC societies also sometimes attract high-profile speakers such as Robert Fisk who addressed the Law Society, Nick Leeson, and Senator David Norris, who was the 2009/2010 honorary president of the UCC Philosophical Society. An Chuallacht (Irish pronunciation: [ənˠ ˈxuəl̪ˠaxt̪ˠ], meaning "the fellowship") is UCC's Irish language and culture society. Founded in 1912, this society promotes the Irish language, and was awarded the Glór na nGael "Irish Society of the Year Award" in 2009. The UCC Students' Union (UCCSU) acts as the representative body of the 17,000 students attending UCC. Each student is automatically a member by virtue of a student levy. A student-run radio station, formerly known as "Cork Campus Radio", also broadcasts on the campus. Student accommodation Accommodation for students is offered by UCC through a subsidiary company known as Campus Accommodation UCC DAC. UCC operate 5 accommodation complexes, including the Castlewhite Apartments (63 apartments/298 beds), Mardyke Hall (14 apartments/48 beds), In February 2020, UCC announced their decision to raise rent in the 2020/21 academic term by three-percent over the 2019/20 academic term rate. The announcement came after similar rent increases in university-owned accommodation throughout the country, and after increases in previous years to the rent of UCC-owned accommodation. This decision was met with backlash from student representatives, UCC staff, and local politicians. On 25 February 2020, the UCC Students' Union launched a campaign which demanded that UCC reverse the increase. A group of over 300 UCC staff members signed a petition in solidarity with the Students' Union. Several members of Cork County Council also expressed opposition to the decision. In early March 2020, a spokesperson for the university said the increase was necessary due to refurbishment works, and a rise in security and maintenance costs. International students The largest number of the 2,400 international students at UCC in 2010 came from the United States, followed by China, France and Malaysia. UCC participates in the Erasmus program with 439 students visiting UCC in 2009–2010. 201 UCC students studied in institutions in the United States, China and Europe in the same period. UCC was rated highly in the 2008 International Student Barometer report. This survey polled 67,000 international students studying at 84 institutions, and was carried out by the International Insight Group. The report held that 98% of UCC's international students (who participated in the survey) reported having "Expert Lecturers". And over 90% of these students said that they had "Good Teachers". In 3 categories of the survey, "sports facilities", "social facilities" and "university clubs and societies", UCC was in the top three of the 84 Institutions that took part in the survey. UCC's International Education Office was given a 93% satisfaction rating and UCC's IT Support was given a 92% satisfaction rating. Notable alumni Notable alumni of the university include graduates from different disciplines. In arts and literature, alumni include novelist Seán Ó Faoláin, short-story writer Daniel Corkery, composers Aloys Fleischmann, Seán Ó Riada, musicologist Ita Beausang, musician Julie Feeney, author, academic and critic Robert Anthony Welch, actors Fiona Shaw and Siobhán McSweeney, novelist and poet William Wall, poets Paul Durcan, John Mee, Liam Ó Muirthile, Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, Trevor Joyce, Thomas McCarthy, Theo Dorgan, and Greg Delanty, singer SEARLS, comedian Des Bishop, and journalists Brendan O'Connor, Ian Bailey, Samantha Barry, Stefanie Preissner and Eoghan Harris. Actor Cillian Murphy and BBC presenter Graham Norton both attended UCC but did not graduate. From the business community, alumni include Kerry Group's Denis Brosnan, Kingfisher plc's former CEO Gerry Murphy, former heads of CRH Anthony Barry and Myles Lee. In medicine, alumni include Sir Edwin John Butler, Charles Donovan, Sir Bertram Windle, Dr. Paul Whelton, and Dr. Pixie McKenna, doctor and TV presenter. In physics, alumni include Professor Margaret Murnane of the University of Colorado, Professor Patrick G. O'Shea of the University of Maryland, and Professor Séamus Davis of Cornell University. In mathematics alumni include Irish mathematicians Seán Dineen, an expert in complex analysis, and Des MacHale, a leading researcher on George Boole,. Politicians and public servants that attended UCC include current Tánaiste Micheál Martin, former Taoiseach Jack Lynch, Supreme Court justice Liam McKechnie, senator Annie Hoey, and High Court judge Bryan MacMahon. André Ventura, founder of the Portuguese political party Chega, attended UCC as a graduate student. In religious communities alumni have included the Church of Ireland Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, Dr Paul Colton, the first UCC graduate to be a Church of Ireland bishop. Some members of the Saint Patrick's Society for the Foreign Missions (Kiltegan Fathers) took their civil degrees in UCC, including Derek John Christopher Byrne, Catholic Bishop in Brazil, Maurice Anthony Crowley SPS in Kenya, John Alphonsus Ryan Bishop in Malawi, and John Magee who served as Bishop of Cloyne. Bishop of Kerry, Raymond Browne, holds a science degree from UCC. In sport, rugby coach Declan Kidney, Gaelic footballers Séamus Moynihan, Maurice Fitzgerald and Billy Morgan, hurlers Pat Heffernan, Joe Deane, James "Cha" Fitzpatrick and Ray Cummins, rugby players Edwin Edogbo, Moss Keane, Ronan O'Gara and Donnacha Ryan, and Olympian Lizzie Lee have all attended UCC. Notable academics George Boole was the first professor of mathematics at UCC. He developed Boolean algebra that would later make computer programming possible. Aloys Fleischmann, composer and musicologist, was professor of music 1934–1980 Michael Grimes, first UCC Professor of Microbiology Máire Herbert MRIA, historian of early medieval Ireland Kathleen O'Flaherty, professor of French literature and awarded chevalier in the Ordre national du mérite by the French government Mary Ryan, the first woman in Ireland or Great Britain to be a university professor, was a professor of romance languages at UCC Eoin O'Reilly,* researcher of optoelectronics and strained-layer laser structures J.C. Séamus Davis, Professor of Quantum Physics. Awarded the Buckley Prize (2023) for innovative visualization of complex quantum states of matter List of presidents 1845 to 1873: Sir Robert Kane; first president 1873 to 1890: William Kirby Sullivan 1890 to 1896: James W. Slattery 1897 to 1904: Sir Rowland Blennerhassett 1904 to 1919: Bertram Windle 1919 to 1943: Patrick J. Merriman 1943 to 1954: Alfred O'Rahilly 1954 to 1963: Henry St John Atkins 1964 to 1967: John J. McHenry 1967 to 1978: Donal McCarthy 1978 to 1988: Tadhg Ó Ciardha 1989 to 1999: Michael Mortell 1999 to 2007: Gerard Wrixon 2007 to 2017: Michael Murphy 2017 to 2020: Patrick G. O'Shea 2021 to Present: John O'Halloran Arms See also Education in the Republic of Ireland Intel Outstanding Researcher Award List of Irish organizations with royal patronage List of modern universities in Europe (1801–1945) UCC GAA References Further reading Parkes, H.M. 1953. Some notes on the herbarium of University College, Cork. Ir. Nat. J. ll: 102 – 106. Murphy, John A. 1995. The College: A History of Queen’s / University College Cork. Cork: Cork University Press. ISBN 1 85918 056 6 External links Official website Students' Union Cork University Press Annual Reports of President of Queen's College, Cork: 1849–51; 1851–1900; 1901–1909
1989_(album)	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_(album)	[ 644 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_(album)" ]	1989 is the fifth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, released on October 27, 2014, by Big Machine Records. Executive-produced by Swift and the Swedish producer Max Martin, it was Swift's effort to recalibrate her artistic identity from country to pop. Swift produced 1989 with an ensemble including Martin, Shellback, Jack Antonoff, Ryan Tedder, Nathan Chapman, and Imogen Heap. Recorded in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Sweden, the album was titled after Swift's birth year as a symbolic rebirth. Inspired by 1980s synth-pop, the production incorporates dense synthesizers, programmed drum machines, and processed electronic backing vocals—a stark contrast to the acoustic arrangements that had characterized Swift's past albums. The lyrics expand on her autobiographical songwriting about love and heartbreak, but they depict failed relationships from relatively lighthearted and more complex perspectives. 1989 was promoted with the 1989 World Tour, the highest-grossing concert tour of 2015. Five of the album's singles—"Shake It Off", "Blank Space", "Bad Blood", "Style", and "Wildest Dreams"—charted in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, with the first three reaching number one. In the United States, 1989 spent 11 weeks atop the Billboard 200 and was certified nine-times platinum. The album has sold 14 million copies worldwide and received platinum certifications in many countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia–Pacific. Swift and Big Machine withheld the album from free streaming services for nearly three years, which prompted an industry discourse on the relationship between streaming and record sales. Initial reviews of 1989 generally complimented its catchy production but were divided over the songwriting. Some critics argued that the synth-pop production undermined Swift's singer-songwriter identity—a criticism that has been retrospectively regarded as rockist. 1989 won Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2016 Grammy Awards, and Rolling Stone listed it among their "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list. The album transformed Swift's status to a pop icon and promoted poptimism, but Swift's heightened fame was accompanied by media scrutiny on her public and private lives. Following a 2019 dispute regarding the ownership of Swift's back catalog, she released a re-recording, 1989 (Taylor's Version), on October 27, 2023. Background Taylor Swift had identified as a country musician until her fourth studio album, Red, which was released on October 22, 2012, by Big Machine Records. The album incorporates eclectic styles of pop and rock in addition to country, and its two most commercially successful singles—"We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" and "I Knew You Were Trouble"—are pop songs with electronic stylings. The album's associated world tour, which from March 2013 to June 2014, was the all-time highest-grossing country tour when it completed. Although Red was promoted to country radio and awards shows, its pop-leaning production sparked a media debate over Swift's status as a country artist. Swift's personal life was another aspect that attracted media attention. Her serial romantic relationships, including a short-lived romance with the English singer Harry Styles, generated much tabloid coverage and blemished her "America's Sweetheart" image. In March 2014, Swift relocated from Nashville to New York City; she recounted that moving geographically while being unattached romantically prompted her to embrace new creative ideas, as did the media scrutiny of her public image. Recording and production Swift began writing her fifth studio album in mid-2013, when she was touring to support Red. She viewed Red as an album that straddled the boundary between country and pop and thus wanted its follow-up to be "blatant pop" because she believed, "[If] you chase two rabbits, you lose them both." Inspired by 1980s synth-pop, she viewed the decade as an "experimental time in pop music" when musicians abandoned the established "drums-guitar-bass-whatever" production to make songs with synthesizers, drum pads, and overlapped vocals. Two of her main inspirations were Annie Lennox and Peter Gabriel—she admired how the former conveyed her "intense" thoughts through music and the latter's synth-pop sound created "an atmosphere behind what he was singing, rather than a produced track". Swift enlisted Martin and Shellback as prime collaborators because she found "I Knew You Were Trouble" topping the US pop radio chart for seven weeks a motivation to fully embrace the electronic-pop sound that they produced. She enjoyed working with them because they often took her ideas in a different direction, which challenged her as a songwriter. Big Machine president Scott Borchetta initially was skeptical of Swift's decision and persuaded her to record a few country songs with instruments such as fiddle, but she rejected his request. Borchetta ultimately agreed with her to not promote the album to country radio, which had been formative in driving Swift's career. Martin and Shellback produced seven of the standard edition's thirteen tracks. Swift credited Martin as co-executive producer because he also recorded and produced the vocals on tracks where he was uncredited, which she deemed important in producing a coherent album. Jack Antonoff was another key producer on 1989; he had worked with Swift on the 1980s new wave-influenced soundtrack single "Sweeter than Fiction" (2013). Antonoff extensively used the Juno-6 synthesizer, which he thought to have "such a sadness and a glory all at once", and co-wrote and co-produced three tracks, two for the standard edition and one for the deluxe edition. "I Wish You Would" stemmed from his experimental sampling of the snare drums on Fine Young Cannibals' 1988 single "She Drives Me Crazy". He played his sample to Swift on an iPhone and sent it to her to re-record. The final track is a remix that retains the distinctive snare drums. For "Out of the Woods", Antonoff sent his finished instrumental track to Swift while she was on a plane. She sent him a voice memo containing the lyrics roughly 30 minutes later. The song was the first time Swift composed lyrics for an existing instrumental. Swift contacted Ryan Tedder, with whom she had always wanted to work, by a smartphone voice memo. He co-wrote and co-produced two songs—"Welcome to New York" and "I Know Places". For "I Know Places", Swift scheduled a meeting with him at the studio after forming a fully developed idea on her own; the recording process the following day finalized it. Tedder spoke of Swift's work ethic and perfectionism with Time: "Ninety-five times out of 100, if I get a track to where we're happy with it, the artist will say, 'That's amazing.' It's very rare to hear, 'Nope, that's not right.' But the artists I've worked with who are the most successful are the ones who'll tell me to my face, 'No, you're wrong,' two or three times in a row. And she did." For "Clean", Swift approached British producer Imogen Heap in London after writing the song's lyrics and melody. Heap helped to complete the track by playing instruments on it; the two finished recording after two takes in one day at Heap's studio. Nathan Chapman, Swift's longtime collaborator, co-produced the track "This Love". The album was mastered by Tom Coyne in two days at Sterling Sound Studio in New York City. Swift finalized the record upon completing the Asian leg of the Red Tour in mid-2014. Composition Music and lyrics The standard edition of 1989 includes 13 tracks; the deluxe edition includes six additional tracks—three original songs and three voice memos. The album prominently incorporates synthesizers, programmed drum machines, pulsating basslines, and processed backing vocals—a stark contrast to the acoustic arrangements of Swift's past albums. Because she aimed to recreate authentic 1980s pop, the album is devoid of contemporary hip hop or R&B crossover elements popular in mainstream music at the time. Although Swift declared her move from country to pop on 1989, several reviewers, including The A.V. Club's Marah Eakin, argued that Swift had always been more pop-oriented even on her early country songs. The three voice memos on the deluxe edition contain Swift's discussions of the songwriting process and unfinished demos for three songs—"I Know Places", "I Wish You Would", and "Blank Space". Myles McNutt, a professor in communications and arts, described the voice memos as Swift's effort to claim her authority over 1989, defying pop music's "gendered hierarchy" which had seen a dominance of male songwriters and producers. As with Swift's past albums, 1989 is primarily about the emotions and reflections resulting from past romantic relationships. Swift's songwriting retained its storytelling which had been nurtured by her country-music background, but it is more ambiguous and embraces pop-music songwriting prioritizing emotional intensity and general ideas over intricate details. Swift's characters in the 1989 songs cease to vilify ex-lovers and failed relationships like those on her past songs did and instead look at them through a wistful perspective. She attributed this change of attitude to her realization of "more complex relationships", in which she was also responsible for the downfall instead of completely putting the blame on the other. For USA Today's Brian Mansfield, even though the songs were inspired by Swift's personal life, they resonated with a wide audience who found themselves and their situations represented in her songs. The album's liner notes, which include a one-sentence hidden message for each of the 13 songs, collectively tell a story of a girl's tangled relationship. Ultimately, she finds that, "She lost him but she found herself and somehow that was everything." Songs Swift's feelings when she first moved to New York City inspired the opening track, "Welcome to New York", a synthesizer-laden song finding Swift embracing her newfound freedom. "Blank Space", set over a minimal hip hop-influenced beat, satirizes the media's perception of Swift as a promiscuous woman who dates male celebrities only to gather songwriting material. The production of "Style", a funk-flavored track, was inspired by "funky electronic music" artists such as Daft Punk; its lyrics detail an unhealthy relationship. "Out of the Woods" is an indietronica-flavored synth-pop song featuring heavy synthesizers, layered percussions and looping background vocals, resulting in a chaotic sound. Swift said that the song, which was inspired by a relationship that evoked constant anxiety because of its fragility, "best represents" 1989. "All You Had to Do Was Stay" laments a past relationship and originated from Swift's dream of desperately shouting "Stay" to an ex-lover against her will. The dance-pop track "Shake It Off", sharing a loosely similar sentiment with "Blank Space", sees Swift expressing disinterest in her detractors and their negative remarks on her image. The bubblegum pop song "I Wish You Would", which uses pulsing snare drums and sizzling guitars, finds Swift longing for the return of a past relationship. Swift said that "Bad Blood", a track that incorporates heavy, stomping drums, is about betrayal by an unnamed female peer, alleged to be Katy Perry, with whom Swift was involved in a feud that received widespread media coverage. "Wildest Dreams" speaks of a dangerous affair with an apparently untrustworthy man and incorporates a sultry, dramatic atmosphere accompanied by string instruments. On "How You Get the Girl", a bubblegum pop track featuring guitar strums over a heavy disco-styled beat, Swift hints at her desire to reunite with an ex-lover. "This Love" is a soft rock-flavored electropop ballad. The penultimate track of the standard edition is "I Know Places", which expresses Swift's desire to preserve an unstable relationship. Swift stated that it serves as a loose sequel to "Out of the Woods". Accompanied by dark, intense drum and bass-influenced beats, the song uses a metaphor of foxes running away from hunters to convey hiding from scrutiny. The final track on the standard edition, "Clean", is an understated soft rock and synth-folk song talking about the struggles to escape from a toxic yet addictive relationship; the protagonist is "finally clean" after a destructive yet cleansing torrential storm. "Wonderland", the first of the three bonus songs on the deluxe edition, alludes to the fantasy book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to describe a relationship tumbling down a "rabbit hole". Inspired by Antonoff and Lena Dunham's relationship, the ballad "You Are in Love" is about an ideal relationship from another woman's perspective. The final song's title, "New Romantics", refers to the cultural movement in the late 1970s and early 1980s. With a strong 1980s synth-pop sound, the song sees Swift reigniting her hopes and energy after the heartbreaks she had endured. Title and artwork Swift named 1989 after her birth year and said it signified a symbolic rebirth of her image and artistry. As creative director for the album's packaging, Swift included pictures taken with a Polaroid instant camera—a photographic method popular in the 1980s. The cover is a Polaroid portrait of Swift's face cut off at the eyes, which Swift said would bring about a sense of mystery: "I didn't want people to know the emotional DNA of this album. I didn't want them to see a smiling picture on the cover and think this was a happy album, or see a sad-looking facial expression and think, oh, this is another breakup record." She is wearing red lipstick and a lavender sweatshirt embroidered with flying seagulls. Her initials are written with black marker on the bottom left, and the title 1989 on the bottom right. Each CD copy of 1989 includes a packet, one of five available sets, of 13 random Polaroid pictures, made up from 65 different pictures. The pictures portray Swift in different settings such as backdrops of New York City and recording sessions with the producers. The photos are out-of-focus, off-framed, with a sepia-tinged treatment, and feature the 1989 songs' lyrics written with black marker on the bottom. Polaroid Corporation chief executive Scott Hardy reported that the 1989 Polaroid concept propelled a revival in instant film, especially among the hipster subculture who valued the "nostalgia and retro element of what [their] company stands for". Billboard in 2022 ranked the cover of 1989 as one of the 50 greatest album covers of all time. Release and promotion Swift marketed 1989 as her first "official pop" album. To bolster sales, Swift and Big Machine implemented an extensive marketing plan. As observed by Maryn Wilkinson, an academic specialized in media studies, Swift adopted a "zany" aspect for her 1989 persona. As Swift had been associated with a hardworking and authentic persona through her country songs, her venture to "artificial, manufactured" pop required intricate maneuvering to retain her sense of authenticity. She used social media extensively to communicate with her fan base. To attract a younger audience, she had promoted her country songs online previously. Her social media posts showcased her personal life, making fans feel engaged with her authentic self and thus cemented their support while attracting a new fan base besides her already large one. She also promoted the album through product endorsements with Subway, Keds, and Diet Coke. Swift held a live stream via Yahoo! sponsored by ABC News on August 18, where she announced the details of 1989 and released the lead single "Shake It Off", which debuted atop the US Billboard Hot 100. To connect further with her supporters, Swift selected a number of fans based on their engagement on social media and invited them to private album-listening sessions called "the 1989 Secret Sessions". They took place at her properties in Los Angeles, New York City, Nashville, Rhode Island, and London throughout September 2014. The album's standard and deluxe editions were released for download on digital platforms on October 27, 2014. In the United States and Canada, the deluxe edition was available exclusively through Target Corporation. The songs "Out of the Woods" and "Welcome to New York" were released through the iTunes Store as promotional singles on October 14 and 20, respectively. 1989 was supported by a string of commercially successful singles, including Billboard Hot 100 number ones "Blank Space" and "Bad Blood" featuring rapper Kendrick Lamar, and top-10 hits "Style" and "Wildest Dreams". Other singles were "Out of the Woods", previously a promotional single, and "New Romantics". The deluxe edition bonus tracks, which had been available exclusively through Target, were released on the US iTunes Store in 2015. On November 3, 2014, Swift removed her entire catalog from Spotify, the largest on-demand streaming service at the time, arguing that their ad-supported free service undermined the platform's premium service, which provides higher royalties for songwriters. She had written an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal in July 2014, expressing her concerns over the decline of the album as an economic entity following the rise of free, on-demand streaming. Big Machine and Swift kept 1989 only on paid subscription-required platforms such as Rhapsody and Beats Music. This move prompted an industry-wide debate on the impact of streaming on declining record sales during the digital era. In June 2015, Swift stated that she would remove 1989 from Apple Music, criticizing the service for not offering royalties to artists during their free three-month trial period. After Apple Music announced that it would pay artists royalties during the free trial period, she agreed to leave 1989 on their service; she then featured in a series of commercials for Apple Music. She re-added her entire catalog on Spotify in June 2017. Swift began rerecording her first six studio albums, including 1989, in November 2020. The decision came after talent manager Scooter Braun acquired the masters of Swift's first six studio albums, which Swift had been trying to buy for years, following her departure from Big Machine in November 2018. In addition to online promotion, Swift made many appearances on radio and television. She performed at awards shows including the MTV Video Music Awards and the American Music Awards. Her appearances on popular television talk shows included Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Late Show with David Letterman and Good Morning America. She was part of the line-up for the iHeartRadio Music Festival, CBS Radio's "We Can Survive" benefit concert, the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and the Jingle Ball Tour. The album's supporting tour, the 1989 World Tour, ran from May to December 2015. It kicked off in Tokyo, and concluded in Melbourne. Swift invited various special guests on tour with her, including singers and fashion models the media called Swift's "squad" which received media coverage. The 1989 World Tour was the highest-grossing tour of 2015, earning over $250 million at the box office. In North America alone, the tour grossed $181.5 million, setting the record for highest-grossing US tour by a woman. Swift broke this record in 2018 with her Reputation Stadium Tour. Commercial performance US music-industry publications were fond of predicting 1989's sales performance; the music industry had seen declining record sales brought by digital download and streaming platforms, but Swift had established herself as a best-selling album artist in the digital era: her last two albums, Speak Now (2010) and Red (2012), each sold over one million copies within one week. Many industry personnel questioned whether Swift abandoning country music and withdrawing from streaming would impact the album's sales. During one week leading to 1989's release, publications predicted the album would sell short of one million copies in its debut week, with estimations from 600,000 to 750,000 to 800,000–900,000. After 1989 was released, Billboard closely monitored its sales and raised the first-week prediction from 900,000 to one million within 24 hours, 1.2 million within 48 hours, and 1.3 million after six days of tracking. Through November 2, 2014, 1989 debuted atop the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 1.287 million copies, according to data compiled by Billboard for the chart dated November 15, 2014. Swift became the first artist to have three albums each sell one million copies within the first week, and 1989 was the first album released in 2014 to exceed one million copies. 1989 topped the Billboard 200 for 11 non-consecutive weeks and spent the first full year after its release in the top 10 of the Billboard 200. The album had spent 500 weeks on the chart by July 2024, becoming the third album by a female artist to achieve this feat in history. 1989 exceeded sales of five million copies in US sales by July 2015, the fastest-selling album since 2004 up to that point. With 6.215 million copies sold by the end of 2019, the album was the third-best-selling album of the 2010s decade in the United States. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the album nine-times platinum, which denotes nine million album-equivalent units. As of August 2023, 1989 had accumulated 12.3 million album-equivalent units in the United States. 1989 also reached number one on the record charts of various European and Oceanic countries, including Australia, Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland. The album received multi-platinum certifications in many countries, such as Australia (eleven-times platinum), Austria (triple platinum), Belgium (four-times platinum), New Zealand (nine-times platinum), and Norway (triple platinum). In Canada, it was certified six-times platinum by Music Canada (MC) and sold 542,000 copies to become the decade's fifth-best-selling album. It was the fastest-selling album by a female artist of 2014 in the United Kingdom, where it earned a six-times platinum certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). In the Asia-Pacific markets, 1989 was certified platinum in Japan and Singapore, and it sold over one million units as of August 2019 to become one of the best-selling digital albums in China. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), 1989 was the second-best-selling album of 2014 and third-best-selling of 2015. By 2022, the album was Swift's best-selling and had sold 14 million copies worldwide. After Swift embarked on her sixth headlining world tour, the Eras Tour, in March 2023, sales and streams of Swift's discography resurged. 1989 reached new peaks on the albums charts in Greece (number one), Austria (number four), Sweden (number 17). It appeared on new albums charts of Argentina (number one), Uruguay (number seven), and Iceland (number 25). Critical reception When 1989 was first released, contemporary music critics gave it generally positive reviews. On Metacritic, a review aggregator site that compiles reviews from mainstream publications and assigns a weighted average score out of 100, 1989 received a score of 76 that was based on 29 reviews. AnyDecentMusic? compiled 28 reviews and gave the album a score of 7.4 out of 10. Most reviewers highlighted Swift's mature perception of love and heartbreak. The A.V. Club's Marah Eakin praised her shift from overtly romantic struggles to more positive themes of accepting and celebrating the moment. Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph commended the album's "[sharp] observation and emotional engagement" that contrasted with lyrics found in "commercialised pop". Alexis Petridis of The Guardian lauded Swift's artistic control that resulted in a "perfectly attuned" 1980s-styled synth-pop authenticity. The album's 1980s synth-pop production divided critics. In an enthusiastic review, The New York Times' Jon Caramanica complimented Swift's avoidance of contemporary hip hop/R&B crossover trends, writing, "Ms. Swift is aiming somewhere even higher, a mode of timelessness that few true pop stars...even bother aspiring to." Writing for Rolling Stone, Rob Sheffield characterized the record as "deeply weird, feverishly emotional, wildly enthusiastic". In a review published by Cuepoint, Robert Christgau applauded her departure from country to experiment with new styles, but felt this shift was not radical. NME's Matthew Horton considered Swift's transition to pop "a success", save for the inclusion of the "soft-rock mush" of "This Love" and "Clean". Shane Kimberlin writing for musicOMH deemed Swift's transition to pop on 1989 "not completely successful", but praised her lyrics for incorporating "enough heart and personality", which he found rare in the mainstream pop scene. Some critics lamented that Swift's move from country to pop eroded her authenticity as a songwriter, particularly because of pop music's "capitalist nature" as opposed to country music's emphasis on authenticity. Slant Magazine's Annie Galvin observed that Swift maintained the clever songwriting that had distinguished her earlier releases, but was disappointed with the new musical style. Entertainment Weekly's Adam Markovitz and Spin's Andrew Unterberger were critical of the heavy synthesizers, which undermined Swift's conventionally vivid lyrics. AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine described the album as "a sparkling soundtrack to an aspirational lifestyle" that fails to transcend the "transient transparencies of modern pop". Mikael Wood, in his review for the Los Angeles Times, found the album inauthentic, but acknowledged her effort to emulate the music of an era she did not experience. Awards and rankings 1989 won industry awards, including Favorite Pop/Rock Album at the American Music Awards and Album of the Year (Western) at the Japan Gold Disc Awards in 2015, and Album of the Year at the iHeartRadio Music Awards in 2016. It also earned nominations for Best International Pop/Rock Album at the Echo Music Prize, International Album of the Year at the Juno Awards, and Best International Album at the Los Premios 40 Principales in 2015. At the 58th Annual Grammy Awards in 2016, 1989 won Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album. Swift became the first female solo artist to win Album of the Year twice—her first win was for Fearless (2008) in 2010. Many publications ranked 1989 among the best albums of 2014. Those who placed the album within their top 10 included Billboard (first), American Songwriter (4th), Time (4th), The Daily Telegraph (5th), The Music (5th), Drowned in Sound (6th), Complex (8th), and Rolling Stone (10th). Other publications that featured 1989 in their lists were The Guardian, The A.V. Club, PopMatters, Pitchfork, and MusicOMH. The album ranked 7th on The Village Voice's 2014 Pazz & Jop mass critics' poll and featured in individual critics' lists by Jon Caramanica for The New York Times (7th), Ken Tucker for NPR (3rd), and Brian Mansfield for USA Today (1st). Legacy Cultural influence 1989 transformed Swift's image from a country singer to a pop icon. According to Time's Raisa Bruner, "1989 changed the music industry forever and cemented Swift's place as not only an artist with longevity, but a star who would make music on her own terms." It was the second album to spawn five or more US top-10 singles in the 2010s decade, and made Swift the second woman to have two albums each score five US top-10 hits. Its singles received heavy rotation on US radio over a year and a half following its release, which Billboard noted as "a kind of cultural omnipresence" that was rare for a 2010s album. Shaun Cullen, an academic specializing in the humanities, described Swift as a figure "at the cutting edge of postmillennial pop". Swift continued to incorporate the 1980s pop sound of 1989 to her next albums such as Reputation (2017), Lover (2019), and Midnights (2022). Antonoff continued working with Swift on those albums and collaborated with other musicians to commercial success, and he credited Swift as the "first person" who recognized him a producer.Artists who cited 1989 as an influence included the singer-songwriter Conan Gray, the actor and musician Jared Leto, and the pop band Vamps, who was inspired by 1989 to compose their album Wake Up (2015). The director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson cited 1989 as an inspiration for her feature film debut, Someone Great (2019). The singer-songwriter Ryan Adams released his track-by-track cover album of 1989 in September 2015. Finding it a "joyful" record, he listened to the album frequently to cope with his broken marriage in late 2014. On his rendition, Adams incorporated acoustic instruments, which contrast with the original's electronic production. Swift was delighted with Adams' cover and told him, "What you did with my album was like actors changing emphasis." Along with 1989's success, Swift's status as a pop star became a subject of media scrutiny. Swift described herself as a feminist, but her public appearances with singers and fashion models whom the media called her "squad" gave the impression that she did so just to keep her name afloat in news headlines. Kristy Fairclough, a professor in popular culture and film, commented, "Her shifting aesthetic and allegiances appear confusing in an overall narrative that presents Taylor Swift as the centre of the cultural universe." Swift's disputes with several celebrities, including rapper Kanye West, diminished the sense of authenticity that she had maintained. Swift announced a prolonged hiatus following the 1989 World Tour because "people might need a break from [her]". Her follow-up album, Reputation, was influenced by the media commotion surrounding her celebrity. Critical reappraisal After Adams released his 1989 cover in 2015, Pitchfork attracted criticism when it reviewed his rendition while neglecting Swift's artistic output. In the New Statesman, Anna Leszkiewicz wrote that the "most highbrow music critics" praised Adams for transforming Swift's 1989 from a "cheesy" album to a more serious one. The philosopher Alison Stone argued that this critical reaction was a result of both rockism and sexism. According to Stone, music journalism assumed that Swift's pop music had its "feminine" qualities of "superficiality and triviality", which it deemed inferior to Adams's indie rock and "singer-songwriter" identities that supposedly embodied authenticity and meaningfulness. Stone and Slate's Forrest Wickman commented that this was in line with Pitchfork and other rock-music critics' tendency to prefer male-oriented, "edgy" musicians to "mainstream" acts. Retrospective reviews have considered 1989 an artistically accomplished album. Paste's Ellen Johnson wrote that it was "one of the best American pop albums of all time", and Esquire's Alex Bilmes regarded it as Swift's masterpiece and a modern classic. The Guardian's Ian Gormely wrote that 1989 made Swift the catalyst for poptimism—a critical reassessment of "mainstream" pop music that had been largely dismissed by "indie" music audiences. Lucy Ford of GQ said by embracing synth-pop, Swift "[proved] genres don't indicate authenticity". For many critics, the album stood out in contemporary music because Swift deliberately avoided contemporary hip-hop trends to incorporate 1980s/1990s musical influences, which made it an ambitious album with a nostalgic and classic sound; the BBC's Rob Freeman described the sound as "retrofuturist". NME's Hannah Mylrea deemed 1989 Swift's best album with a refined production and sharp lyrics. For the Alternative Press's Kelsey Barnes and Slant Magazine's Annie Galvin, the album fostered Swift's artistic autonomy to experiment with different sounds and songwriting tropes. Some critics, such as Lucy Harbron from Clash and Neil Smith from the BBC, regarded 1989 as a pioneer for artists who experimented beyond their perceived musical boundaries. Many publications ranked 1989 among their best albums of the 2010s decade—according to Metacritic, it is the 16th-most prominently acclaimed album on decade-end lists. The A.V. Club and Slant Magazine placed it in the top ten of their lists, and it featured in the top 50 on lists by Billboard, Consequence, NME, Paste, Rolling Stone, and Uproxx. Consequence additionally ranked it sixth on their list of the best 2010s-decade pop albums, and Variety's Chris Willman ranked it first on his personal list. The Guardian featured the album at number 89 on a 2019 list of the 100 best albums of the 21st century. The Times' Ed Potton dubbed it the "album of the century". On Pitchfork's readers' poll for the 2010s decade, it ranked 44th. 1989 placed at number 393 on Rolling Stone's 2023 revision of their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and number 39 on Consequence's The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time (2022). 2023 re-recording In November 2020, after a dispute over the ownership of Swift's back catalog, she began re-recording her first six studio albums that had been released by Big Machine. By re-recording them, Swift had the full ownership of the masters, which granted her full authorization of using her music for commercial purposes and therefore substituted the Big Machine-owned masters. Swift released the re-recording of 1989, subtitled Taylor's Version, on October 27, 2023, nine years after the original release of 1989. It was the fourth re-recorded album in the series, following the Taylor's Version re-recordings of Fearless (2021), Red (2021), and Speak Now (2023). 1989 (Taylor's Version)'s standard track-list contains re-recorded versions of all tracks on the deluxe 1989 edition and five previously unreleased "From the Vault" tracks. After the announcement of 1989 (Taylor's Version), the original album re-entered the top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart dated August 26, 2023. Track listing Notes ^a signifies a vocal producer ^b signifies an additional producer Personnel Adapted from the liner notes of 1989 Production Instruments Art Taylor Swift – creative director Sarah Barlow – photography Stephen Schofield – photography Josh & Bethany Newman – art direction Austin Hale – design Amy Fucci – design Joseph Cassell – wardrobe stylist Charts Decade-end charts All-time charts Certifications and sales See also List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 2014 List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 2015 List of UK Albums Chart number ones of the 2010s List of UK Album Downloads Chart number ones of the 2010s List of best-selling albums in Australia List of best-selling albums by year in the United States List of best-selling albums in China List of best-selling albums in the United States of the Nielsen SoundScan era List of best-selling albums of the 2010s in the United Kingdom List of best-selling albums of the 21st century List of best-selling albums by women Lists of fastest-selling albums List of albums which have spent the most weeks on the UK Albums Chart Notes References Bibliography External links 1989 at Discogs (list of releases)
Satoshi_Tajiri	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satoshi_Tajiri	[ 644 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satoshi_Tajiri" ]	Satoshi Tajiri (Japanese: 田尻智, Hepburn: Tajiri Satoshi, born August 28, 1965) is a Japanese video game designer and director who is the creator of the Pokémon franchise and the co-founder and president of video game developer Game Freak. A fan of arcade games in his youth, Tajiri wrote for and edited his own video gaming fanzine Game Freak with Ken Sugimori, before evolving it into a development company of the same name. Tajiri claims that the joining of two Game Boys via a link cable inspired him to create a game which embodied the collection and companionship of his childhood hobby, insect collecting. The game, which became Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green, took six years to complete and went on to spark a multibillion-dollar franchise which reinvigorated Nintendo's handheld gaming scene. Tajiri continued to work as director for the Pokémon series until the development of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, when he changed his role to executive producer, which he holds to this day. Tajiri has also worked for other Game Freak projects. He was also an executive producer on the live-action film Detective Pikachu. Early life Satoshi Tajiri was born on August 28, 1965, in Setagaya, Tokyo. Tajiri grew up in Machida, Tokyo, which at the time still maintained a rural atmosphere and was rapidly growing. As a child, Tajiri enjoyed insect collecting as a hobby, which would be an inspiration for his later video game work. Other children called him "Dr. Bug", and he wanted to become an entomologist. As urban areas of Japan spread and more land was paved over, habitats for hunting bugs were lost. Tajiri wanted his games to allow children to have the feeling of catching and collecting creatures as he had. He became fascinated with arcade games as a teenager, though his parents thought he was a delinquent for this pastime. He particularly enjoyed playing Taito's Space Invaders (1978), which drew him into other video games. Space Invaders got him interested in video games; after playing Space Invaders and its video game clones, he wanted to make his own sequel to Space Invaders. He was also inspired by Namco games designed around a single specific action, notably Dig Dug (1982). His interest eventually evolved into attempting to plan his own games. He took his Famicom apart to see how it worked, and won a contest for a video game idea sponsored by Sega. Because of his fascination with video games, Tajiri frequently cut classes. He took make-up classes and eventually earned his high school diploma. Tajiri did not attend university, but instead attended a two-year technical degree program at the National Institute of Technology, Tokyo College, where he majored in electronics and computer science. Career Tajiri wrote and edited a fanzine called Game Freak from 1981 to 1986, focusing on the arcade game scene. It was handwritten and stapled together. Satoshi created the Game Freak fanzine to help gamers with winning strategies and lists of easter eggs. The highest selling issue, at more than 10,000 copies, details how to get a high score in Xevious. Ken Sugimori, who later illustrated the first 151 Pokémon, saw the magazine at a dōjinshi shop, and became its illustrator. As more contributors came to Game Freak, Tajiri began to realize that most games were lacking in quality, and he and Sugimori decided the solution was to make their own games. Tajiri studied the Family BASIC game programming package, to better grasp the concepts of Famicom game design. He then purchased the requisite hardware for game development. Tajiri and Sugimori evolved the magazine into the video game development company Game Freak in 1989. Soon after, the two pitched their first game, an arcade-style game called Quinty, to Namco, who published the game. Tajiri also wrote as a freelance writer for the magazine Famicom Hisshōbon, later called Hippon, and reviewed arcade games for Family Computer Magazine and Famicom Tsūshin. Tajiri first conceived the idea of Pokémon in 1990. The idea came together after he saw a Game Boy and the ability to communicate between Game Boys, and Tajiri decided Pokémon made the most sense on the handheld console. When he thought about the link cable being able to interact with two Game Boys, he envisioned bugs crawling back and forth, recalling his childhood love of bug collecting. Tajiri advanced the connectivity between handheld game consoles beyond Tetris style competition, by suggesting that Game Boys could use their link cables to trade collectibles. When he first pitched the idea of Pokémon to Nintendo staff, they could not quite grasp the concept, but were impressed enough with Tajiri's game design reputation that they decided to explore it. Shigeru Miyamoto began to mentor Tajiri, guiding him during the creation process. Pokémon Red and Green took six years to produce, and nearly bankrupted Game Freak in the process; often, there was barely enough money to pay the employees. Five employees quit, and Tajiri did not take a salary, instead living off of his father's income. Investment from Creatures Inc. allowed Game Freak to complete the games, and in return, Creatures received one-third of the franchise rights. Between the approval and completion stages of the project, Tajiri assisted in the design of two Mario spin-off games for Nintendo: Yoshi and the Japanese-only release Mario & Wario. He also worked on 1994's Pulseman for Sega. Once the games were completed, very few media outlets gave it attention, believing the Game Boy was a dead console; a general lack of interest of merchandising convinced Tajiri that Nintendo would reject the games. The Pokémon games were not expected to do well, but sales steadily increased until the series found itself among Nintendo's top franchises. Rumors of a hidden Pokémon creature named Mew, which could only be obtained by exploiting programming errors, increased interest in the game. Tajiri had included Mew in the game in order to promote trading and interaction between players, but Nintendo was not aware of the creature upon release. The franchise helped Nintendo's waning sales. Tajiri deliberately toned down violence in his games. In this vein, he designed Pokémon creatures to faint rather than die upon their defeat, as he believed it was unhealthy for children to equate the concept of death with losing a game. After the completion and release of Red and Green in Japan, Tajiri later worked on 1997's Bushi Seiryūden: Futari no Yūsha. Tajiri continues to be involved in the more modern Pokémon games as well. For Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, he supervised the process from start to finish and approved all the text. While developing games, Tajiri works irregular hours, often laboring 24 hours at a time and resting 12 hours. Inspirations Tajiri cites Shigeru Miyamoto as a major influence, thinking of him as a sort of mentor. For this reason, his developmental style closely matches that of Miyamoto. In the Japanese version of the Pokémon anime, the main character is named Satoshi (Ash Ketchum in the English version), and his rival is Shigeru (Gary Oak in the English version). Tajiri drew much of his inspiration from old Japanese shows and anime, including Godzilla and Ultraman. He has stated that if he did not design video games, he would most likely be in the anime field. Awards and recognition IGN named Tajiri one of the top 100 game creators of all time, mainly for his ability to have built Pokémon into a "worldwide phenomenon". Electronic Gaming Monthly credited Tajiri as one of the 10 most influential people who made the modern video game market. Video game magazine Edge placed Tajiri on their list of the "Hot 100 Game Developers of 2008". Tajiri, alongside Tsunekazu Ishihara, received the Special Award from the Computer Entertainment Developers Conference in 2011. The Economist has described Pokémon as "Japan's most successful export." Works Games Filmography Bibliography Tajiri, Satoshi (2002). パックランドでつかまえて [A Catcher in Pac-Land: Video Game Youth Story] (in Japanese). Enterbrain. ISBN 4-7577-1004-6. Tajiri, Satoshi (1996). 新ゲームデザイン [New Game Design] (in Japanese). Enix. ISBN 4-87025-858-7. Miya, Shotaro (2004). 田尻智ポケモンを創った男 [Satoshi Tajiri: The Man Who Created Pokémon] (in Japanese). Ohta Publishing. ISBN 4-87233-833-2. See also Pokémon Game Freak Ash Ketchum References External links Satoshi Tajiri at IMDb
Pok%C3%A9mon	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon	[ 644 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pok%C3%A9mon" ]	Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of video games, animated series and films, a trading card game, and other related media. The franchise takes place in a shared universe in which humans co-exist with creatures known as Pokémon, a large variety of species endowed with special powers. The franchise's target audience is children aged 5 to 12, but it is known to attract people of all ages. The franchise originated as a pair of role-playing games developed by Game Freak, from an original concept by its founder, Satoshi Tajiri. Released on the Game Boy on February 27, 1996, the games became sleeper hits and were followed by manga series, a trading card game, and anime series and films. From 1998 to 2000, Pokémon was exported to the rest of the world, creating an unprecedented global phenomenon dubbed "Pokémania". By 2002, the craze had ended, after which Pokémon became a fixture in popular culture, with new products being released to this day. In the summer of 2016, the franchise spawned a second craze with the release of Pokémon Go, an augmented reality game developed by Niantic. Pokémon has since been estimated to be the world's highest-grossing media franchise and one of the best-selling video game franchises. Pokémon has an uncommon ownership structure. Unlike most IPs, which are owned by one company, Pokémon is jointly owned by three: Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. Game Freak develops the core series role-playing games, which are published by Nintendo exclusively for their consoles, while Creatures manages the trading card game and related merchandise, occasionally developing spin-off titles. The three companies established The Pokémon Company (TPC) in 1998 to manage the Pokémon property within Asia. The Pokémon anime series and films are co-owned by Shogakukan. Since 2009, The Pokémon Company International (TPCi), a subsidiary of TPC, has managed the franchise in all regions outside of Asia. Name The original full name of the franchise is Pocket Monsters (ポケットモンスター, Poketto Monsutā), which has been commonly abbreviated to Pokemon (ポケモン) since its launch. When the franchise was released internationally, the short form of the title was used with an acute accent (´) over the e to aid in pronunciation. Pokémon refers to both the franchise itself and the creatures within its fictional universe. As a noun, it is identical in both the singular and plural, as is every individual species name; it is grammatically correct to say "one Pokémon" and "many Pokémon", as well as "one Pikachu" and "many Pikachu". General concept The Pokémon franchise is set in a world in which humans coexist with creatures known as Pokémon. Pokémon Red and Blue contain 151 Pokémon species, with new ones being added in subsequent games; as of January 2024, 1,025 Pokémon species have been introduced. Most Pokémon are inspired by real-world animals or mythical creatures based on real-life folklore. For example, Pikachu are a yellow mouse-like species with lightning bolt-shaped tails that possess electrical abilities. The player character takes the role of a Pokémon Trainer. The Trainer has three primary goals: travel and explore the Pokémon world; discover and catch each Pokémon species in order to complete their Pokédex; and train a team of up to six Pokémon at a time and have them engage in battles. Most Pokémon can be caught with spherical devices known as Poké Balls. Once the opposing Pokémon is sufficiently weakened, the Trainer throws the Poké Ball against the Pokémon, which is then transformed into a form of energy and transported into the device. Once the catch is successful, the Pokémon is tamed and is under the Trainer's command from then on. If the Poké Ball is thrown again, the Pokémon re-materializes into its original state. The Trainer's Pokémon can engage in battles against opposing Pokémon, including those in the wild or owned by other Trainers. Because the franchise is aimed at children, these battles are never presented as overtly violent and contain no blood or gore. Pokémon never die in battle – they faint upon being defeated, and can then be rejuvenated at a Poké Center. When a Pokémon wins a battle, it gains experience points. After gaining a certain amount of it, the Pokémon levels up, and its statistics rise. As its level increases, the Pokémon learns new offensive and defensive moves to use in battle. Furthermore, many species can undergo a form of spontaneous metamorphosis called Pokémon evolution, and transform into stronger forms. Most Pokémon will evolve at a certain level, while others evolve through different means, such as exposure to a certain item. History Origins The main idea behind Pokémon was conceived by Satoshi Tajiri. Tajiri was born on August 28, 1965, and grew up in Machida, a suburb of Tokyo. As a child, he enjoyed discovering and catching insects and other small creatures in the various ponds and fields that surrounded his town. During Japan's economic miracle, many cities, including Machida, were significantly expanded. As a result, its nature was largely destroyed. In his second year of junior high school, an arcade hall opened in Tajiri's neighborhood, introducing him to video games. While studying electrical engineering at Tokyo College of Technology, Tajiri began publishing a doujinshi magazine titled Game Freak. The title was inspired by the 1932 film Freaks, which Tajiri was fascinated with at the time. He self-published the first issue of the magazine in March 1983, at the age of 17. At the time, magazines specializing in video games did not yet exist in Japan, allowing Game Freak to fill a gap in the market. Sometime later, Tajiri was contacted by aspiring manga artist Ken Sugimori, who became Game Freak's illustrator. Game Freak folded in the late 1980s, by which point Tajiri had become a respected game journalist in Japan's fledgling video game industry. Tajiri's knowledge of video games brought him into contact with Tsunekazu Ishihara. Ishihara had studied Arts and Science at Tsukuba University, and was trained in CGI. After working in advertising for two years, Ishihara joined a company named Sedic in 1983, which created video graphics and software, including one video game, Otocky (1987). As video games grew in popularity, Sedic also produced a number of game-related television shows for Fuji Television's late-night slot. In his job as a TV producer, Ishihara befriended Tajiri, as well as Shigesato Itoi, who would later become CEO of Ape, Inc. Ishihara was also the general director of the world's first gaming encyclopedia: TV Games: Encyclopedia of Video Games (テレビゲーム―電視遊戯大全, Terebigēmu ― Denshi Yūgi Taizen). Hatakeyama & Kubo (2000) wrote that, at the time, Ishihara was probably the most well-connected man in the industry, with a knowledge of games "beyond comparison". Ishihara was also interested in playing cards, and contributed to the development of at least three simple card games designed by Itoi and published by Ape. In 1986, Tajiri, Sugimori, and a few other enthusiasts started an informal development team called Game Freak, named after the magazine it grew out of. Over the next few years, they independently developed the puzzle game Quinty, working on it alongside school or their regular jobs. However, no one within the group knew how to make the game's music. After consulting all his contacts, Tajiri got in touch with Junichi Masuda, who became the group's composer. Quinty was finished in 1989, and published by Namco. Tajiri officially incorporated Game Freak Co., Ltd. on April 26, 1989. 1989–1995: Development of Red & Green Tajiri started to think of what was to become Pokémon while completing Quinty, and before he officially founded Game Freak. Around this time, Nintendo announced the upcoming release of the Game Boy, a handheld console that would revolutionize the gaming industry. Tajiri learned that the device would have a link port, and with the corresponding Game Link Cable, two Game Boys could be linked together. Sometime later, Tajiri remembered an incident while playing Dragon Quest II (1987), a role-playing game (RPG) for the Famicom (NES). The game features randomly appearing items of varying rarity, including an extremely rare item called Mysterious Hat. Tajiri did not encounter any, while Ken Sugimori, who was also playing the game, encountered two. Upon recalling this experience, Tajiri realized that the cable now made it possible to transfer things from one cartridge to another. He noted that, until then, the Game Link Cable was only used for competing, but not for something else. Combining this inspiration with his memories of catching insects and other small species, Tajiri's idea would eventually evolve into a virtual recreation of his boyhood experiences, and an attempt to "regain the world that he had lost". He would later state that the game represents "the story of a boy's summer day". Tajiri and Game Freak began pondering over a game centered on capturing creatures of differing rarity. Since the Game Boy is a portable device, these creatures could then be exchanged with other players in real life using the link cable. Once the player has caught a creature in-game, it was to be stored in miniaturized form in a special capsule. This facet of the game was inspired by Ultraseven, a tokusatsu show that Tajiri had enjoyed as a child. The series' titular character owns a number of capsules containing miniaturized kaiju (monsters), which come out and return to their original sizes when the capsule is thrown into mid-air. Kaiju media in general were an important influence on Pokémon, as many Game Freak staff members had grown up with them. Other influences that have been cited by Tajiri include: gashapon, capsules with toy figures in them that can be drawn from vending machines; collectible cards, such as baseball cards, Ultraman cards and menko; The Final Fantasy Legend (1989), the first RPG for the Game Boy; and petting in Japan, with Tajiri noting that having Pokemon is similar to having pets. Tajiri initially named his project Capsule Monsters, which GF's staff commonly shortened to "Capumon". However, it later turned out that the term Capsule Monsters could not be trademarked and was already registered. According to Hatakeyama & Kubo (2000), the word "capsule" could not be used in the trademark. Tomisawa (2000) states that the Game Freak staff then came up with several alternatives, before someone within the team suggested "Pocket Monsters", and it was subsequently decided as the final name for the titles. In March 1989, Nintendo co-founded Ape, Inc. with Itoi. Ape's principal work was Mother (1989), a role-playing game written by Itoi, but it was also founded with the intent to give outside talent a chance to pitch new, innovative games. At the time, Ape was housed in the same Kanda-Sudachō office building as Nintendo, located in Tokyo. Ishihara, a friend of both Itoi and Tajiri, was involved with Ape's management (and would become its vice-president in 1991). Tajiri's relationship with Ishihara prompted Tajiri to present his idea for Pocket Monsters at Ape's office. Present during Tajiri's pitch was Takashi Kawaguchi, who worked at Nintendo's General Affairs Department and was also a manager at Ape. Kawaguchi brought the idea to Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi, who reportedly said: "This is it. This is the idea I've been waiting for." By pure coincidence, Ishihara had come up with an idea for a game similar to that of Tajiri, and around the same time was discussing it with Ape. This game, Toto, involved "using the Game Boy as an insect cage". Ishihara emphasized, however, that the idea of trading creatures with the link cable was Tajiri's. GF and Ape agreed to merge their projects together. According to Tajiri, the two teams initially collaborated on the game, but the work proved difficult, one of the reasons being that Ape was busy developing EarthBound. Tajiri eventually figured that "rather than working with Ape, we had to do something on our own, or the project would never get finished". Ape, Inc. is not credited on the final product. The development contract was signed at the beginning of 1990, with a planned delivery of the game in October. Tajiri directed the project, working under Ishihara. Ishihara was the producer – he managed the budget, staff, and work schedule, monitored the game's overall progress, and served as a liaison between Game Freak and Nintendo. Ishihara also contributed ideas to the development, and helped with debugging. Sugimori was in charge of the graphics and character design. Masuda created all music and sound effects, and did part of the programming. The budget that Nintendo granted to Game Freak was low; thus, Pocket Monsters was initially planned as a small, compact game, based primarily around Tajiri's core idea of exchanging. However, as development progressed, GF's ideas and ambitions grew. They soon realized that the game they were beginning to envision would not be easy to make. Sugimori admitted that, at the time, no one at GF had much knowledge of RPGs. "We thought we could handle it, but as we began working, we realized it was going to be tough", he acknowledged. Pocket Monsters was suspended indefinitely, and GF turned their focus on other titles (see Game Freak § Games). After the game's initial development phase in 1990 and 1991, the staff "tinkered with it from time to time", as Sugimori put it. For instance, by October 1992, a large number of unique creatures – Pokemon – had been designed, and a poll was held that month among all staff members to gauge the popularity of the different species. Several more such votes followed to determine collectively which Pokemon should be included. Still, development had mostly come to a halt until the summer of 1994, after the release of the platform game Pulseman, upon which Tajiri decided it was time to make a serious effort towards finishing Pocket Monsters. By this point, Game Freak's experience had grown considerably. Over the years, a number of new staff members had been added to the company. One of them was Atsuko Nishida, a graphic artist who created Pikachu, among others. Ishihara used his knowledge of card games to add more depth to the battle system, and among other things suggested Pokémon types. Ishihara also came up with the idea of the Pokédex, a portable encyclopedic device which players can use to keep track of the Pokemon they caught. Throughout the years, Tajiri had several conversations with Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo's top game designer who Tajiri described as a mentor figure. Although, in a 2018 retrospect, Miyamoto downplayed his role in advising Tajiri, and stated that his contributions to the games were in fact limited. Miyamoto did, however, suggest the use of different colored cartridges for the game, in response to Tajiri's and Ishihara's musings about making each playthrough slightly different, as to 'individualize' the player's experience. According to Tajiri, "five or seven colors" were considered, but they eventually settled on two: Red and Green. Otherwise identical, each had Pokemon not found in the other, encouraging players to socialize and trade to complete their collection. Ishihara aspired to create video games of his own. As Pocket Monsters Red and Green were nearing completion, Ishihara founded Creatures, Inc. on November 8, 1995. Upon founding, the company was housed in the same office building as Nintendo and Game Freak. Co-ownership of the Pokemon property, which Ishihara helped create, was subsequently assigned to Creatures. This resulted in the franchise having three legal owners: Game Freak, the main developer; Creatures, representing producer Ishihara; and Nintendo, the publisher. Anne Allison (2006) wrote that Nintendo also bough it after Red and Green were finished. Hatakeyama & Kubo (2000) noted that the ownership structure of Pokemon is uncommon. They wrote that "[it] is probably the only property in the world today for which the original rights are not concentrated in a single company", like The Walt Disney Company does with their IPs. Tajiri and Ishihara did consider merging Game Freak and Creatures at one point, but Tajiri decided against it because he feared it would erase what he had built up since he was a teenager. "I felt threatened by the idea of changing how Game Freak was operating, and starting back over with Mr. Ishihara", he said. "It was an identity problem. If Game Freak ceased to exist, then so would I". Tajiri noted that, since Game Freak and Creatures both focus on Pokemon, it sometimes felt more like different departments than different companies. Pocket Monsters Red and Green were finally finished in December 1995, set for a release date of December 21 the same year, which was missed. After sufficient cartridges, manuals and packages had been manufactured, the pair of games ended up being published on February 27, 1996. However, the property was copyrighted in 1995, and "© 1995" is shown on the title screens and cartridges. This year is since used on the copyright notice seen on many Pokémon products, even though no actual Pokémon product was released in 1995. 1996–1998: Rise in Japan Release of Red & Green Nintendo had no high expectations of Pocket Monsters Red and Green, and media largely ignored the game(s). By 1996, the seven-year-old Game Boy console was considered yesterday's news and near the end of its lifecycle. On the other hand, new Game Boys continued to be manufactured and sold. The console was widespread and, due to its age, affordable to children. It also regained popularity 1995 due to the success of Mario's Picross, which, coincidentally, was directed by Ishihara, and co-developed by Ape. The popularity of Mario's Picross inspired Nintendo to develop the Game Boy Pocket, a slimmer and improved version of the Game Boy, released in Japan on July 21, 1996. Because of the timing, some were under the impression that the Game Boy Pocket was made to promote Pocket Monsters, but this was in fact another coincidence that would end up benefiting both. CoroCoro manga, Mew lottery Two media channels that would play important roles in the Pokemon franchise were the CoroCoro Comic, released monthly, and its sister magazine Bessatsu CoroCoro Comic, released bi-monthly. Both manga magazines are published by Shogakukan, a long-time business partner of Nintendo, and have featured manga based on Nintendo properties (e.g. Super Mario-kun, Kirby of the Stars, Donkey Kong). At the time of Pokémon's release, the main CoroCoro magazine was read by one in four elementary school students. CoroCoro's deputy editor-in-chief was Masakazu Kubo. On Ishihara's suggestion, Kubo commissioned the creation of a manga adaptation. Written and illustrated by Kosaku Anakubo, its first chapter was featured in the March/April issue of Bessatsu CoroCoro Comic, released on February 28, 1996, the day after Red and Green's release Shogakukan, which frequently surveys their target groups, determined that the manga was well received. To further promote Red and Green, the May issue of CoroCoro, released on April 15, 1996, announced a "Legendary Pokemon Offer", centered around a mysterious, secret 151st Pokemon called Mew. Mew was a last-minute addition to Red & Green. It is unobtainable in the game(s) through usual means, and was intended to be used at a later point in some post-launch activity. To participate in the promotion, CoroCoro readers had to send in a postcard, and from the entrants, 20 were selected at random. The winners then had to send in their cartridge so that Mew could be uploaded onto it. The lottery was a success and increased word-of-mouth. By September, sales of Red and Green had surpassed 1 million units. Blue Version After the release of Red and Green, Game Freak continued to grow, and a number of new employees were hired. For training purposes, they were ordered to study and make bug fixes to the source code of Red & Green, and to create new sprites for it; the test was later dubbed Pocket Monsters Blue. It was originally not meant to be sold. Only a small number of handmade copies were made, intended as a special gift to "20 to 100 people". After Kubo learned of it, he encouraged Tajiri and Ishihara to allow an official release of Blue. President Hiroshi Yamauchi initially rejected this, fearing it would confuse people into believing it was an entirely new Pokémon game. Kawaguchi then suggested an alternative, which Yamauchi agreed with; Blue would not receive a normal retail release, but would be made available only through mail order for a limited time as a special offer, as also explained in the announcement for Blue in the November issue of CoroCoro, to celebrate 1 million sales of Red and Green. The offer was a surprisingly big success: 300,000 units were expected to be sold, but over double was ordered. Trading Card Game The Pokemon Trading Card Game was one of the first collectible card games (CCGs) developed in Japan. Its creation was influenced by Magic: The Gathering, the first CCG in history. Indeed, the Trading Card Game can be considered a simplified version of Magic. First released in the United States in 1993, Magic had gained popularity not just in North America and Europe, but also in Asia. Ishihara was fond of playing cards, and had contributed to the development of at least three simple card games designed by Shigesato Itoi and released through Ape, Inc. At the time, Ishihara was particularly interested in Magic: The Gathering. While developing the Pokemon RPG, he realized that the concept behind it could be adapted into a Magic-like CCG. The Pokemon Trading Card Game was designed by Ishihara, Akihiko Miura, Kōichi Ōyama, and Takumi Akabane. All were former staff members of Ape and had previously worked on EarthBound (1994): Miura was the game's main designer, Ōyama was its art director, and Akabane was one of its chief debuggers. While card games have a long history in Japan, a collectible card game was a relatively new concept there, and at the time not widely known. Because of this, Ishihara had difficulties finding distributors. Sometime in 1995, Ishihara pitched the card game to Nintendo. They agreed to have the cards manufactured, subcontracting an unidentified printing company. However, Nintendo did not want the hassle of having to develop a distribution system from the ground up, i.e. finding retailers willing to sell a CCG. Ishihara was then contacted by Satoshi Kayama, director of a small firm called Media Factory. Like Ishihara, Kayama was a fan of card games. He felt that CCGs would soon rise to prominence in Japan, and had been gathering information on the possibility of developing such a game in some form. When Kayama heard that Creatures had developed a CCG, he contacted Ishihara and offered to distribute it, signing the contract near the end of 1995. CoroCoro again proved a valuable information channel. The Trading Card Game was first announced in the November issue alongside Pokemon Blue. The issue came bundled with two promo cards: one of Purin (Jigglypuff) and one of Pikachu. Surveys showed that they were respectively the most and second-most popular Pokémon at the time. On October 20, 1996, the first card set was released. Booster packs were launched the same day, containing 10 randomly inserted cards. In the West, the booster packs contained 11 cards. The original set would be titled the Base Set internationally. Many more sets would follow. Despite being ignored by the media, except for the CoroCoro, the cards became an instant success upon release. 87 million Pokemon cards were shipped by the end of March 1997, six months after its launch, and one month before the debut of the next big installment of the franchise: the Pokemon anime. The success of the TV series would cause the cards' sales figure to explode: by March 1998, a total of 499 million cards had been produced in Japan. Pokémon the Series By August 1996, Kubo had become convinced of Pokémon's potential, and believed Shogakukan should create an anime adaptation. Nintendo was hesitant, noting that if the anime would flop, it would negatively affect the popularity of the game. Ishihara initially opposed the idea, because he thought it would overly hasten the 'consumption' of the property: he feared that if the series would end, people would assume that Pokemon has ended, and move on to the next thing. At the time, Creatures and Game Freak were planning the sequel(s) to Red and Green, which went on to be Gold and Silver, and Ishihara did not want the anime to end before they could release their new games. Kubo was ultimately able to resolve the concerns of all parties involved. An important aspect of Kubo's bargaining power was the then-ongoing Mini 4WD craze and its accompanying hit series Bakusō Kyōdai Let's & Go!!. Kubo had an important role in the creation of both, which impressed the stakeholders. To appease Ishihara, Kubo promised him that the anime would last for at least one and a half year. This was unusually long for a debuting anime, and required a big investment. Kubo's proposal for Pocket Monsters was officially approved on September 26, 1996. For Nintendo of Japan, it was the first time they licensed a TV series. Kubo assigned independent producer Choji Yoshikawa to lead the project. Shogakukan Productions, commonly called ShoPro, was Shogakukan's production company. The animation company they commissioned was OLM, Inc. (Oriental Light and Magic), on Kubo's suggestion. Kunihiko Yuyama, one of OLM's founding members, became the anime's director. ShoPro assembled a team of five writers, plus two supporting writers. All key people involved with the production were well-experienced and had proven track records within Japan's anime industry. Yoshikawa felt that the team got lucky. "The probability of so many great people coming together at the same time is very low", he said. Per Tajiri's explicit condition, every anime team member had to play the game extensively, including the illustrators and voice actors. The anime staff "unanimously agreed that the game was interesting" and "felt connected with each other through the world of Pokemon", feeling positively challenged to make an anime that would match the game's quality. A production council was formed to produce the anime. Different people appeared at different meetings, but four individuals usually present were Ishihara of Creatures, Sugimori of Game Freak, Yuyama of OLM, and independent producer Yoshikawa. Yoshikawa had the final say. The council decided on the anime's worldview, characters, general storyline, and various important details. The early meetings, which were also attended by Tajiri, usually started with a Q&A session in which Tajiri and Ishihara were asked about the Pokemon universe. The council was careful to have the anime be in concordance with the video game. Inevitably, there had to be differences between the two, but all agreed that the overall worldview as envisioned by Tajiri should not be disturbed. At the start of the video game, the player has to choose one of three starter Pokemon: Fushigidane, Hitokage, or Zenigame (Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle). The council didn't want to unfairly popularize any of them, and wanted the protagonist to start out with a different Pokemon. Hatakeyama & Kubo (2000) wrote that, by coincidence, three people independently suggested to the council that a Pikachu should be a main character in the anime: Kubo, Yuyama, and Keisuke Iwata of TV Tokyo's Film Department. In the end, all council members agreed that Pikachu should star in the franchise, as they expected Pikachu to appeal to both boys and girls. This would expand Pokemon's audience, which was considered a core objective of the anime. During the council's first meeting, Yoshikawa brought up the issue on whether the Pokemon in the anime could talk, and if not, how they could communicate. In the video games, each has a specific cry. In Anakubo's CoroCoro manga, most could speak. At first, the council believed there should be a mixture of Pokemon that could talk and some that could not. However, this idea was eventually discarded: the Pokemon had to make a specific cry. The council agreed that Pokemon were like animals, and while they and humans should be able to understand each other in the series, they should not speak each other's language. It was decided that Pikachu would repeatedly say its own name in various intonations. The role of Pikachu was given to Ikue Otani. During try-outs, Yuyama had Otani voice Pikachu in normal Japanese, as well as in 'Pikachu talk', in which it only said the syllables of its name. Yuyama realized that, even in the latter style of limited communication, Otani was experienced enough to still convey the messages and emotions needed. ShoPro paid half of the production cost of Pocket Monsters. TV Tokyo paid the other half and was granted co-ownership of the anime. The ads during the show's commercial breaks were managed by advertisement agency JR Kikaku, which was in turn paid by sponsors buying advertisement space. In negotiating with TV Tokyo, Kubo managed to secure the 19:00 – 19:30 timeslot on Tuesdays. The anime premiered in Japan on April 1, 1997. By November, it had become the highest-rated program on TV Tokyo. The anime succeeded in its goal of widening Pokémon's audience. Although the video games and the cards remained mostly of interest to boys, the anime also got more girls interested in the franchise, and girls' purchases of Pokémon products increased. This has been partly credited to Pikachu, who gained widespread popularity among both boys and girls. The success of this character would later lead to the game Pocket Monsters Pikachu (Pokémon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition), released in Japan on September 12, 1998. An adaptation of Pokemon Blue, this version was made to resemble the TV series more. Copyright council formed, merchandising expands In the early months of the franchise, Nintendo was the contractual representative for Pokemon, and thus the central contact point for all Pokemon-related licensing (the approval of branded products). Around the time that planning of the anime begun, licensing requests for Pokemon started to increase, which Nintendo had difficulties handling due to a lack of (experienced) staff. Nintendo consequently granted ShoPro exclusive licensor rights. This was the first time that Nintendo of Japan (NoJ) granted licensor rights to another company, aside from its overseas subsidiaries Nintendo of America (NoA) and Nintendo of Europe (NoE). A copyright council was formed, headed by Ishihara. Beginning in April 1997, the council met every Tuesday, in the conference room of Creatures' office, at the Nintendo Kanda Building in Sudachō, Tokyo. Attendees usually included Ishihara and his secretary, representatives of Nintendo, Game Freak, ShoPro, TV Tokyo, and JR Kikaku, as well as head of the anime Yoshikawa. Broadly put, every meeting had three types of agenda items: discussing Pokémon-related events and basic policies in Japan, discussing Shogakukan publication plans, and considering merchandise proposals. For merchandising, the council set the bar high. Fiercely protective of Pokémon's brand equity, Ishihara was unwilling to greenlit an item just because it had a picture of a Pokemon printed on it. To avoid the market being flooded with low-quality goods, Ishihara put very specific demands on the products he evaluated. Furthermore, in most cases, the council opted to contract one company for each product category. Because of this, most merchandise proposals were rejected: of the approximately 7,500 applications submitted in 1997, only about 5% was approved. By March 1998, 35 companies offered licensed Pokemon goods, and there were approximately 700 Pokemon products: Tomy manufactured Pokemon toy figures and plush dolls, Bandai made Pokemon gashapon, dolls and ramune-flavored candy in a plastic box in the shape of a Game Boy, and Meiji Seika produced Pokemon chocolate snacks and pudding. The lucrative franchise provided a much-needed boost to Japan's economy, which was stagnating in what would later be called the Lost Decade. An example of a firm that benefited greatly from Pokemon was food manufacturer Nagatanien. From May 1997, the company began selling Pokémon-branded curry, furikake, and baking mixes. In December 1997, Nagatanien was hit hard by the collapse of one of its biggest sales channels, Toshoku, in what was then the third-largest bankruptcy in Japan's postwar history. Nonetheless, due to their Pokémon-licensed products, Nagatanien reported net profits in fiscal years '97 and '98, despite having forecasted losses. "Dennō Senshi Porygon" incident In the evening of December 16, 1997, the Pokémon franchise was hit by a crisis related to the broadcast of the anime's 38th episode, "Dennō Senshi Porygon" (Computer Warrior Porygon). It was watched by approximately 4.6 million households. In the episode, the cast transported into a virtual world, accompanied by a Porygon, a digital, human-made Pokemon. While flying through cyberspace, they are attacked by an anti-virus program which mistakes them for viruses, shooting "vaccine missiles" at the group resulting in explosions of bright, rapidly swapping red and blue flashes. The intense stimuli brought about by the episode triggered a variety of adverse health effects in more than 10,000 viewers, primarily irritated eyes, headaches, dizziness, and nausea. A small part suffered a photosensitive epileptic seizure, manifested in loss of conscious and/or convulsions. Hundreds of children were brought to hospitals, although a part of them had recovered enough upon arrival and did not need to be hospitalized. No one died. Broadcasting of Pocket Monsters was halted, and new guidelines were implemented to help prevent similar events from happening. With the show on hiatus, ShoPro and OLM worked on a feature Pokemon film. By the time the incident occurred, its script was already written, and the movie was in the storyboard stage. In mid-January, the staff resumed creating new episodes. The anime series returned on April 16, 1998. The film, titled Pocket Monsters the Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back (Pokémon: The First Movie), premiered on July 18, 1998. Ultimately, the incident did not damage the Pokemon franchise – it in fact grew further during and after the anime's hiatus. While video rental tapes were removed from shelves, all other related products continued to be sold as usual, and customer demand for them remained high. Helping matters was a general understanding among businesses that the anime was not canceled, but rather suspended, and many executives (correctly) expected the show to be resumed after precautions had been taken. Supermarkets and other distribution outlets responded calmly to the crisis, and did not remove Pokemon products from their sales floors. 1998–2000: International expansion and Pokémania North America Possibly the first person to show interest in a North American launch of Pokemon was Minoru Arakawa, founder and then-president of Nintendo of America (NoA). Arakawa visited Japan to participate in Shoshinkai 1996, held November 22–24. It was around this time when he first played one of the three Pokemon titles. He thought the games were promising, but Nintendo of Japan (NoJ) had no plans at the time to release them elsewhere. He returned to America with a few cartridges and tested the game on his employees – they did not believe it would work in the US. At the time, role-playing games (RPGs) were not very popular outside Japan, and NoA executives believed that American children did not have the attention span for such a complex title. Americans were said to be more interested in sport- and action-oriented games, preferably with realistic graphics. Japanese people, by contrast, were alleged to care more about characters and plot. Up to that point, few Japanese properties had been successfully mainstreamed in the US, and if they were, it was alleged to be on account of having been properly Americanized: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was considered a prime example of this. Visually, Pokemon was believed to be too kawaii, or cute. It was assumed that Pokémon could not succeed on cute alone – it must also be cool. In an effort to enhance the franchise's coolness, NoA considered a graphical redesign and contracted a few external artists to create some test-designs for the American market. The mockups they proposed included 'graffiti style' drawings, 'beefed-up' and more muscular looking Pokemon, and a new Pikachu that looked like "a tiger with huge breasts". Arakawa concluded that it "didn't work", and by that time, the anime had begun its production in Japan, leading NoA to conclude it was too late for a graphical revamp anyway. Of pivotal importance to Pokemon's global expansion was Alfred R. Kahn, CEO of US-based 4Kids Entertainment, NoA's licensing agent since 1987. Convinced of the franchise's potential, Kahn agreed to invest an undisclosed sum in return for both the anime and licensing rights. Pokemon became one of the first Japanese media franchises in which both the localization of the anime and the licensing of merchandise was handled by a single company, as well as a non-Japanese company. Kahn suggested to use the short version of the name, "Pokémon," adding an acute accent (´) over the e to assist with pronunciation and "give it a little flair". NoJ president Hiroshi Yamauchi officially approved the project in late November, and subsequently announced it at Space World 1997. However, three weeks later, the "Dennō Senshi Porygon" incident happened, which Kubo felt made even more people resistant to the idea of an overseas introduction. Market research turned back negative: American kids reportedly did not like Pokémon. Arakawa ignored the study and, convinced of the franchise's potential, allocated an enormous budget to Pokémon's launch. The exact amount was not disclosed, but was reportedly equal to or more than $50 million (c. $93.47 million in 2023), approximately the same amount as the launch budget of the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985. Arakawa admitted that it was "quite a bit of money", but NoA "had been doing well for several years, so we had a lot of money to spare". He opined that if Pokémon would be as successful in the US as it had been in Japan, "an investment of 1 would turn into 100". NoA and 4Kids proceeded to devise a strategy on how to localize Pokémon for the United States. Arakawa appointed Gail Tilden to lead the project, prompting her to leave her position at Nintendo Power magazine. Tilden said that they "decided to make an all-out effort to repeat the phenomenon in the Western world". In two press releases, NoA self-described Pokémon's marketing campaign as "aggressive". The localization of the Pokémon anime was done by 4Kids, and directed by Norman J. Grossfeld. Grossfeld strongly believed that the anime should be Americanized. At NATPE 1998, he asked ShoPro for a "kind of carte blanche, to let me change the show as I think would work for this market", to which ShoPro agreed. However, no national TV station was interested in buying the anime or financing its localization. Kahn then decided to self-finance Pokémon's production costs, despite realizing this "could very well bring down 4Kids" if the show would fail. According to Kahn, they "spend a fortune" on the localization. To have it broadcast in syndication, 4Kids offered the show for free to local TV stations across the country, in exchange for a portion of the advertising revenue. NoA assisted, persuading dozens of stations to carry the series by offering to buy some of their advertisement space, spending a total of $5 million (c. $9.35 million in 2023). Despite all this, most broadcasters were still reluctant to carry Pokémon, with Grossfeld experiencing difficulties getting through their "preconceived notions or their snobbery for Western-produced animation over something from Asia". At the time, anime had not yet found mainstream popularity in the West. Contemporary news reports cited Sailor Moon as an example of an anime that had failed to catch on with American youth. Still, with NoA's help, 4Kids ultimately succeeded in contracting 112 broadcasters for Pokémon, reaching "about 85 to 90 percent" of television households. However, many broadcasters gave it off-peak time slots, with starting times like 06:00 or 06:30. Prior to the late 1990s, this was the case for many anime in the US. Grossfeld came up with the advertising slogan "Gotta catch 'em all!" as the English equivalent to the Japanese Pokemon GETTO daze~! (ポケモンゲットだぜー！, Get (the) Pokémon!). The phrase "miraculously managed to gain approval" by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which normally prohibits the use of injunctions in ads directed at children (e.g. "You must buy this!"). While the tagline does sound commanding, the FCC reasoned that the act of catching is at the core of Pokémon's play. Therefore, the phrase was allowed. The series' theme song was written by John Loeffler and John Siegler and performed by Jason Paige. In commissioning the track, Grossfeld specifically requested the song's chorus to be written around the "Gotta catch 'em all" phrase, firmly embedding the slogan into the theme. While NoA and 4Kids were allowed a fair degree of liberty in their localization of Pokémon, the Japanese copyright council, headed by Ishihara, had the last say over it. All decisions regarding adjustments and promotion had to gain final approval of the Japan side. This included all of the merchandise, for which a 'two-step system' was created. All (aspiring) licensees in North America were to send their merchandise proposals to 4Kids. Staff of both 4Kids and NoA then made a pre-selection and send the approved proposals to Japan, where the council made the final decision. Many submissions were bounced at the US stage, and thus never got sent to Japan. Tilden noted that processing all license applications, and mailing all approved prototypes and their documentation to Japan, was a lot of work. Arakawa did consider streamlining the process by moving someone from Japan to the US, but no person could be found who was as competent as Ishihara. The Pokémon anime was first broadcast on September 7, 1998. Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version were released three weeks later, on September 28, 1998. To localize the card game, Nintendo contracted Wizards of the Coast, the creator of Magic: The Gathering. The Pokémon Trading Card Game was officially launched nationwide on January 9, 1999, although pre-sold in select stores in December. Coinciding with the North American launch of Pokémon was the release of the Game Boy Color on 23 November 1998. Other regions The American version of the Pokémon anime started broadcasting in Australia and New Zealand on September 28, 1998. Red and Blue were subsequently released there on October 23. Various territories in Asia followed: the anime series debuted in Hong Kong on November 16, in Taiwan on November 23, in Shanghai on November 24, in Beijing on January 10, 1999, and in South Korea on July 14, 1999. Outside North America, 4Kids distributed the anime in cooperation with Brian Lacey of Lacey Entertainment. The series was presented at MIP TV, in Cannes, France, from April 3–8, 1998. Broadcasters were initially not interested due to its Japanese origins, and preferred to wait and see how the anime would fare in the US. After its American success, Lacey received inquiries about the series throughout 1999 from multiple international broadcasters. Lacey noted that, in Europe, this was a stark contrast compared to previous years: "I was trying to sell this sort of stuff for years and buyers would tell me they were moving away from Japanese animation shows", he said. In October 1999, the franchise was launched in the European key markets of Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Spain. The anime started broadcasting in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden in December 1999. In 2000, broadcasting rights for the first season were secured by TV stations in South Africa, Russia, Iceland, and Finland. In Israel, the anime debuted in February 2000. For unclear reasons, Red and Blue were not officially released there. Thriving only on the strength of the TV series, The First Movie, the cards, and imported video games, the Israeli Pokémon still became a success. By the end of 2000, Pokémon games had been released in 70 countries, the anime was broadcast in 51 countries, the films were released in 33 countries, and the cards had been translated into 11 languages. Pokémania In North America, the debuting Pokémon franchise quickly rose to success. Red and Blue sold 200,000 copies in its first month. By December 1998, the Pokémon anime had become the highest-rated syndicated children's show during the weekdays. This attracted the attention of two media companies: Warner Bros., co-owner of The WB channel; and Saban Entertainment/Fox Family Worldwide, owners of the Fox Kids channel. A bidding war ensued between the parties, which was won by Warner Bros. On February 13, 1999, Pokémon launched on the Kids' WB national television block. The debut episode became the most watched premiere in Kids' WB's history. In European countries, the anime received similar levels of success. For example, in Germany, "a highly competitive kids market", Pokémon was purchased by RTL 2. The show's popularity bolstered the entire program block, more than tripling its viewers. Andrea Lang, RTL 2's editor of cartoons and children's programs, said: "We were speechless. We've never had a comparable success". By March 1998, half a year before Pokémon's overseas launch, 499 million Pokémon cards had been produced. By March 1999, the total number of cards shipped reached 764 million. By March 2000, this figure would grow further to 4.255 billion cards, manufactured in both Japanese and American factories. By April 1999, there was a general consensus in the US that Pokémon had become a phenomenon and the newest children's fad. By some, the fad was referred to as "Pokémania", including journalists of Time and USA Today. In the US, severe scarcity occurred of Pokémon goods, especially Pokémon cards, causing companies to miss profits. A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article, published on August 3, 1999, cited a Toys "R" Us manager as saying that a supply of 600 booster packs would last 24 hours. The CEO of one card distributor stated that they were "thousands of boxes behind" on orders. In the same article, a Wizards spokeswoman stated that more employees and printers had been hired to increase card production. However, near the end of the month, a different Wizards spokeswoman told The Washington Post that they had "exhausted most of the card-printing capacity of the United States". Similarly, USA Today reported in November 1999 that factories making Hasbro's Pokémon toys had expanded production by 20 times, but demand still exceeded supply. In Europe, scarcity of Pokémon merchandise also occurred. In part due to the Pokémon craze, Nintendo saw a 250% increase in profits in 1999 compared to the previous year, reaching a six-year high. The Pokémon franchise accounted for over 30% of Nintendo's revenue that year. Pokémon's popularity also caused a sharp increase in sales of the Game Boy line. The financial windfalls came at a time when Nintendo lost dominance in the home console market, with the Nintendo 64 being outsold by Sony's PlayStation. The global success of Pokémon compensated this loss somewhat. Buckingham & Sefton-Green went even further, writing in 2004: "while Nintendo is now among Japan's most profitable corporations, it could be argued that the company would have struggled to survive without Pokémon". 4Kids, initially a little-known firm, expanded thirty times in revenues, and was named the fastest-growing company in America in the September 4, 2000 issue of Fortune magazine. Many businesses that timely obtained a Pokémon license reaped considerable profits. In the summer of 1999, a massive run on stocks of publicly traded Pokémon licensees caused their value to increase dramatically. However, by November, most investors were shorting their shares. Realizing that Pokémon was a fad that would peak and fall at some point, investors were bearish about its prospects. Pokémon: The First Movie premiered in North America on November 12, 1999, and in Europe the following year. Despite being negatively received by many Western critics, it became one of the most successful Japanese animated films of all time. In the United States, November 1999 was estimated to have been the peak of Pokémania. Supporting the American release of The First Movie was a promotional action with Burger King, one of the largest in the history of the fast-food industry. The success of the promotion resulted in supply issues; restaurants often ran out of Pokémon toys to include with their meals. On December 27, Burger King recalled its Poké Ball toy after a 13-month-old girl died suffocating on one. Pokémon Gold and Silver, the successors to Red/Green/Blue, were released in North America on October 15, 2000. In Europe, they were released on April 6, 2001. The Pokémon Company and Pokémon USA established On April 23, 1998, Pokémon Center Co. Ltd. was founded as a joint venture by Nintendo, Creatures, and Game Freak. It was initially formed for the management of specialized merchandise stores called Pokemon Centers, of which the first location opened in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, on July 18, 1998. Throughout the years, multiple Japanese Pokémon Centers would open and close. As of January 2024, a total of 24 Pokémon merchandise shops exist in Japan. An American Pokémon Center also existed in New York City from 2001 to 2005. It was then remodelled into Nintendo World, later renamed Nintendo New York. After the release of Gold and Silver, Tsunekazu Ishihara began setting out a number of long-term goals for the Pokémon franchise, which included releasing a movie every year. As part of Ishihara's plan, the Pokemon Center Co. Ltd. was reformatted into The Pokémon Company (TPC), and officially renamed in October 2000. The goal of TPC is to centralize and streamline the global management of Pokémon. Satoru Iwata, who had joined Nintendo of Japan in June, was involved with the company's creation, which was one of his first jobs at Nintendo. In February 2001, Pokémon USA (PUSA) was established, an affiliated firm of The Pokémon Company. The company's first president was Tatsumi Kimishima (who would later become president of NoA, and subsequently president of NoJ). In 2002, Kimishima was succeeded by Akira Chiba. 2001–2006: End of the craze, business reforms In North America, Pokémania peaked in 1999, slowing down throughout the next year. On April 29, 2000, the anime was bumped off Kids' WB's #1 spot after holding it for 54 weeks. Around the same time, Pokémon was surpassed at Fox Kids by its rival Digimon. In Europe, the craze peaked in 2000. On January 20, 2001, The New York Times reported that Pokémon's trading card market had collapsed in the US. A June 2001 survey in the United Kingdom confirmed that Pokémon's popularity was waning there. Tobin (2004) wrote: "By the summer of 2001, Pokémon's shelf space in Japanese and U.S. toy stores was but a fraction of what it enjoyed in the fall of 1999". By the end of 2001, Pokémania was fading globally, and by 2002, the fad was largely over. From 2000 to 2002, Game Freak developed Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, the successors to Gold and Silver, for the newly released Game Boy Advance. Masuda, who was appointed to assistant director during Gold and Silver, was promoted to director for Ruby and Sapphire, with Tajiri making himself executive director. Masuda was concerned that the end of Pokémania indicated the end of Pokémon as a whole: "After Gold and Silver came out, it was a huge hit around the world, but shortly after everyone was saying, 'That's it. The Pokémon fad is over! It's dead!'." Determined to keep the franchise going, GF not only wanted to "prove people wrong" with Ruby and Sapphire, but already started planning their sequels: Diamond and Pearl (2006). They also began planning remakes of older installments, starting with FireRed and LeafGreen (2004), remakes of the original Red and Green. Ruby and Sapphire were released in Japan on November 21, 2002, and in the rest of the world the next year. The games introduced 135 new Pokémon, bringing the total amount to 386. Because of this, Golin Harris, NoA's ad agency, advised them to move away from the "Gotta catch 'em all!" slogan. They reasoned that if new, younger players were drawn into the franchise with Ruby/Sapphire, they would find the concept of "catching them all" to be a daunting if not impossible task if they didn't also have Red/Blue/Yellow and Gold/Silver/Crystal. Dockery (2022) noted that "from both a marketing perspective and, really, a legal perspective, it would not be to the company's advantage to keep pushing that slogan". By 2002, the relationship between Pokémon USA (PUSA) and Wizards of the Coast had deteriorated. That year, at least seven high-profile employees were poached from Wizards by PUSA: Wizard's former art director, senior graphic designer, business manager, events marketing director, project management director, and two vice presidents. All employees had signed NDAs. In March 2003, PUSA told Wizards that their contract would not be renewed, and that Wizards would not be distributing the new Ruby & Sapphire card set. Later, Wizards was also prohibited from releasing the sets Jamboree and Legendary Collection II. Notably, Jamboree was the first set containing cards designed by Wizards themselves. As considerable time and money was invested into creating them, Wizards was upset when they were barred from putting them out. On October 1, 2003, the day after their agreement expired, Wizards filed suit against Pokémon USA, alleging that the defendant had seized their intellectual property and trade secrets, and illegally tried to gain advantage over them in the competitive trading card market. The case was settled out of court. Jamboree and Legendary Collection II have remained unreleased. In October 2001, 4Kids Entertainment signed a new contract with PUSA, continuing to serve as Pokémon's exclusive licensing agent and anime localizer. On December 23, 2005, it was announced that the agreement would not be renewed and would expire on December 31, with PUSA moving all licensing in-house. The localization of the anime would be done by PUSA in cooperation with TAJ Productions. PUSA proceeded to replace almost all of the original English voice actors, who were still under contract with 4Kids. This decision "raised the ire of fans and the actors themselves". According to Stuart Zagnit, who voiced Professor Oak, the recasting was done to cut back on costs. In March 2003, Pokémon UK was established in London as a British representative of The Pokémon Company. 2006–2012: Generation IV–V, TPCi established Following Ruby and Sapphire, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl were released for the Nintendo DS on September 28, 2006 in Japan and on April 22, 2007 in North America. A third version, Pokémon Platinum, was released on September 28, 2008 in Japan and on March 22, 2009 in North America. They form the fourth generation (Generation IV) in the Pokémon video game series. Diamond and Pearl were designed based on the DS's various features such as its Wi-Fi capabilities and slot for Game Boy Advance cartridge. Pokémon president Tsunekazu Ishihara dubbed the games as the "ultimate" Pokémon titles because they allowed the player to trade and battle Pokémon including every Pokémon from previous iterations globally through WiFi, as opposed to previously only able to do so locally and with fewer Pokémon. The games' characters are 2D and the environments are rendered in 3D, and it is considerably difficult to differentiate them because Game Freak designed them this way to innovate the graphics while also retaining the traditional game style and feel. In Platinum, the developers focused on changing the most essential elements from Diamond and Pearl to maintain continuity with the previous games. Director Junichi Masuda stated that since they designed Diamond and Pearl as the "ultimate" Pokémon titles, it was only necessary to make Platinum "even stronger" than them. They approached this by designing the "Origin Forme" for the legendary Pokémon Giratina, ensuring that the design would appear significantly different from its regular form in Diamond and Pearl and to express the games' core antimatter and Distortion World concepts. The title Platinum was chosen to reflect a precious material that "shines" and is different from diamond and pearl and their associations of "love" and "happiness" respectively. Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver were released on September 12, 2009 in Japan and on March 14, 2010 in North America as part of Generation IV. They are remakes of Gold and Silver, aiming to balance familiarity for the original games' players and new content for newcomers. The titles reflected the theme of the bond between trainers and their Pokémon. The developers faithfully recreated the original story and added elements from the Generation IV games and Yellow, the latter of which was released concurrently with Gold and Silver. In 2009, Pokémon USA and Pokémon UK merged to form The Pokémon Company International (TPCi). This subsidiary of The Pokémon Company (TPC) has since managed the Pokémon franchise outside of Asia. In Generation V, Pokémon Black and White were released on September 18, 2010 in Japan for the DS and on March 6, 2011 in North America. The games feature enhanced visual effects and increased use of 3D graphics. The developers excluded old Pokémon and strategies, while introducing over 150 new Pokémon to evoke a sense of novelty and to provide new players a more "leveled playing field" against old players. The games seek to attract both new players and returning players through its detailed walkthrough and the addition of C-Gear (a real-time communication tool to improve the trade and battle experiences), respectively. The games were followed by Pokémon Black 2 and White 2, which were released on June 23, 2012 in Japan and on October 7, 2012 in North America. The games were developed for the DS rather than the more powerful Nintendo 3DS to maintain continuity with the game world in Black and White and they were presented from a different perspective in the storyline. Since the games are their first sequels, director Masuda explained that they have strived to find a "fine balance" to appeal to both newcomers and returning players by implementing introductory explanations, and by placing a Pokémon Center in the first in-game city, they were able to further this approach by providing newcomers with a detailed walkthrough and also returning players with new updates. During development phase, director Takao Unno revealed that they had experimented with a 100-player multiplayer experience via their communication feature Entralink drawing from their vision of players "sharing the same space, same time and same game" but this feature was never implemented due to technical limitations. 2013–2018: 3D, Generation VI–VII, Pokémon Go In Generation VI, Pokémon X and Y were released worldwide for the 3DS on October 12, 2013, and they are the first games to be released in this way. The developers focused on the themes of "beauty," "bond," and "evolution," and it is based on these themes that they created the games' core mechanic where Pokémon could achieve a higher form of evolution by strengthening their bonds with trainers; however, to maintain game balance, they limited this feature to a special, temporary phenomenon. The games' shift to fully 3D graphics allowed the player to freely manipulate the camera angles although due to technical limitations objects far away are rendered in lower polygon models, and producer Hitoshi Yamagami addressed to 2D players that "Game Freak [developers are also] big fans of 2D graphics... So there are some elements in there that I [Yamagami] think fans of 2D will appreciate as well." When asked about the Horde battle and Sky battle types, he stated that Horde battles are to supplant the roles of "really strong pokemon [sic]" to help the player more easily progress through the games and also to add "more excitement to the battles and a sense of danger," and that they added the Sky battles to take advantage of the games' 3D camera angels capabilities. Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire were released worldwide for the 3DS on November 21, 2014 and on November 28, 2014 in Europe as part of Generation VI. They are remakes of Ruby and Sapphire. The developers adopted X and Y's core game mechanic and added enhanced 3D graphics. According to director Masuda, they reviewed the original mechanic and concept and expressed them using modern hardware, such as replacing the original PokéGear feature for the enhanced versions BuzzNav and DexNav to more effectively provide information enabled by the games' hardware capabilities. They seek to explore the concept of Pokémon coexisting with humans and nature, revisiting the concept behind original games' setting, which translated to "richness or abundance in nature and bonds between people and nature" in Japanese. To appeal to the newer audience in X and Y, the developers decided to connect the story with X and Y by further exploring their core mechanic. In Generation VII, Pokémon Sun and Moon were released worldwide for the 3DS on November 18, 2016 and on November 23, 2016 in Europe. The developers chose Hawaii for inspiration due to its distinctive warm sunlight and clear moonlight and unique biomes that helped support the games' regional Pokémon variance concept. Ohmori said, as director, he aimed to focus on the concept of "Pokémon as these living creatures, [and really focus] on them being alive." Having the release date on the 20th anniversary of Pokémon in mind, he treated this project as a "celebration of that life, and to really express this respect for life." As he contemplated about life and its origins, Ohmori considered the significance of the Sun, enabling life with its light, and the Moon's impact on certain species' reproduction. He explained how the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth "work [together] to influence [one another], and life as a result grows and flourishes based on [this] relationship." Ohmori stated that with the innovation to 3D in X and Y the designers decided to examine more minor aspects concerning with the Pokémon themselves such as their motions, such as when they designed the games' first starter Pokémon to capitalize on its owl-like characteristics with its head "twists round and round." With the 3DS technologies, the developers are able to design the characters to be more expressive as themselves including different facial expressions and reactions. In addition to portraying Pokémon harmoniously coexisting with people and vice versa in the games, the developers replaced the traditional Gym mechanic with Island Trials, deepening the players' connection with the story and their Pokémon. The enhanced versions Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon were released worldwide on November 17, 2017. The games added an alternate storyline and additional characters, Pokémon, and other features. Developer Shigeki Morimoto revealed that they were developed by the younger staff members and veterans so the more veterans can prioritized on developing more important titles, and the developers considered them to be their culmination with the 3DS. Pokémon Go In 2016, the Pokémon franchise spawned a second worldwide fad with the release of Pokémon Go, a mobile augmented reality game. The app originated as a Google April Fools' Day joke in 2014: the "Google Maps Pokémon Challenge". The prank was conceived by Tsunekazu Ishihara and Satoru Iwata. On Ishihara's initiation, the hoax was turned into an actual video game developed by Niantic. Ishihara was a fan of Niantic's previous transreality game, Ingress, and saw the game's concept as a perfect match for Pokémon. Through in-game purchases, the game generated more than $160 million by the end of July 2016, with App Annie reporting that Pokémon Go had generated around $10 million in revenue every day that month. The same month, Sensor Tower reported that the game had passed more than $200 million in worldwide revenue, beating every existing record set by Clash of Clans and Candy Crush by a wide margin. The average daily usage of the app on Android devices in July 2016 exceeded that of Snapchat, Tinder, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. By September 2, 2016, Pokémon Go had generated more than $440 million in worldwide revenue, according to Sensor Tower. By September 30, it had received 500 million downloads and grossed $470 million in 80 days, according to market research firm Newzoo. Pokémon Go reached the milestone of $600 million in revenue after only 90 days on the market, becoming the fastest mobile game ever to do so. Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! were released for the Nintendo Switch on November 16, 2018. They are part of Generation VII. Inspired by Pokémon Yellow, the games seek to introduce newcomers and a new generation of players (particularly Pokémon Go players) to the Pokémon series in addition to catering old players. As such, the games feature similar capture mechanics to Go where the player throws Poké Balls to catch wild Pokémon rather than battling them like traditional Pokémon games. In addition, the games feature the same setting and characters as the first generation of games and the original animated series, and include exclusively the original 151 Pokémon to further appeal to their targeted audience. The only new Pokémon featured are Meltan and Melmetal.[citation needed] 2019–present: Generation VIII–IX Generation VIII debuted with the release of Pokémon Sword and Shield on November 15, 2019 for the Switch. Director Shigeru Ohmori stated that they designed the games based on what they believed of the biggest Pokémon theme of becoming/being "the greatest or strongest," which was expressed in the games' Dynamax / Gigantamax Pokémon core mechanic and the games' increasingly powerful software and hardware capabilities. Ohmori further revealed that through developing the Let's Go games as research projects for the Switch, they were able to gain valuable experiences and knowledge to develop Sword and Shield. He noted that they took advantage of the Switch's high resolution and TV connectivity to implement the games' gigantic-size core Pokémon mechanic. They envisioned the games' setting to be a "wide-open space" that is different from the traditional route systems and is constantly changing where the player can meet and explore with other players. Many pre-existing Pokémon are not available in Sword and Shield. This "Dexit", as it was called, led to fan backlash. Sword and Shield were the first Pokémon games to receive DLC expansions: Part 1—The Isle of Armor, and Part 2—The Crown Tundra; they were released on June 17, 2020 and October 22, 2020 respectively. They include additional storylines, places, Pokémon, characters, and other features. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. The resulting widespread ennui and excessive leisure time inspired a resurgence in popularity and interest of Pokémon cards, which was further popularized by various YouTubers and other influencers, such as Logan Paul. The craze resulted in severe supply shortages, and customers' inappropriate and obsessive behavior raised safety concerns in many retail outlets. Pokémon cards' values skyrocketed, prompting collectors to submit cards and overwhelm card grading agencies. The Pokémon Company responded by reprinting impacted products at maximum capacity to ensure price stabilization and general accessibility. Remakes of Diamond and Pearl, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl were released on November 19, 2021 for the Switch as part of Generation VIII. They are the first core series games to be developed by a third-party developer, ILCA, rather than Game Freak. The developers revealed that the games would not assume the anticipated style of the Let's Go Games and feature traditional game mechanics. Pokémon intends to celebrate their 25th anniversary with the release of the remakes by revisiting old games and mechanics, which they faithfully reproduced with enhanced 3D graphics. Pokémon Legends: Arceus was released on January 28, 2022 for the Switch as a prequel to Diamond and Pearl. It is part of Generation VIII. The game "represents a new approach for the Pokémon video game series" as it transitions from traditional RPG mechanics to add real-time elements in their games. Unlike traditional Pokémon games, the player can catch Pokémon by throwing a Poké Ball in real-time rather than triggering a battle; however, they can still choose the latter to weaken it for capture. Many in-game aspects, particularly its landscape, heavily resemble those of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The most recent main installments in the video game series are the Generation IX games Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, which were released for the Switch on November 18, 2022. The games are the first Pokémon games to feature an entirely open-world experience as opposed to the partially open-world experience in previous Pokémon games such as Sword and Shield, and it also departed from the traditional gym mechanics and the elite four battles to opt for unique road quests. The games' improved multiplayer experience allowed for up to four players to travel together. Their DLC, The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero, consists of two parts, The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk; The Teal Mask was released on September 12–13, 2023 and The Indigo Disk was released on December 14, 2023. An epilogue to The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero was released on January 11, 2024. On 27 February 2024, TPCi announced Pokémon Legends: Z-A, set to release in 2025 for the Switch. A gameplay-wise sequel to Legends: Arceus, this game acts as a prequel to X and Y. Media Video games Pokémon video games have been released in a wide variety of genres. The role-playing games (RPGs) developed by Game Freak are considered the core series of the franchise. Various spin-off games also exist, such as Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, a roguelike RPG series, Pokémon Ranger, an action RPG series, and Detective Pikachu (2018), an adventure game. Pokémon games, in particular the core RPGs, are commonly classified in generations. For example, Junichi Masuda referred to Diamond and Pearl (2006) as Gen 4, and X and Y (2013) as the 6th generation. Until 2011, Pokémon games were released exclusively on Nintendo's consoles. With the rise of the smartphone during the 2010s, The Pokémon Company also began developing, publishing, and licensing Pokémon titles for the mobile phone market, most notably Pokémon Go (2016), an augmented reality game developed by Niantic that spawned a worldwide craze in the summer of 2016. According to the official website of The Pokémon Company, as of March 2024, over 480 million Pokémon game units have been sold worldwide. Trading card game The Pokémon Trading Card Game (PTCG) was one of the first collectable card games (CCGs) in Japan. It was inspired by Magic: The Gathering. In the card game, the players use a 60-card deck featuring Basic and evolved Pokémon, Energy cards, and Trainer cards to help them knock out the opponent's Pokémon, drawing prize cards and winning the game. Cards are classified into various levels of rarity, ranging from Common to Rare Holofoil with a holographic illustration. Rare cards, including limited edition, exclusive cards, and older cards, are highly valued among collectors due to their scarcity. According to the official website of The Pokémon Company, 64.8 billion cards have been produced as of March 2024. Anime As of 2024, the anime consists of over 1,200 episodes across 26 seasons. Its current season, Pokémon Horizons: The Series, started on 14 April 2023. The anime originally focused on Ash Ketchum and his travels across the Pokémon world with his partner, Pikachu. They were retired as protagonists after the 25th season, and Pokémon Horizons introduced two new protagonists, Liko and Roy. A total of 23 anime films have been released, the most recent being Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle (2021). Spin-off series from the anime have also been produced, including a variety show titled Weekly Pokémon Broadcasting Station (週刊ポケモン放送局, Shūkan Pokemon Hōsōkyoku), which aired on TV Tokyo from 2002 to 2004 and aired in English as part of Pokémon Chronicles. Three television specials have been released. 27 short films focusing on Pikachu and other Pokémon were produced, primarily preceding the films. Various animated mini-series also exist. Live-action Detective Pikachu, a live-action/animated film based on the video game of the same name, was released in 2019. A sequel is currently under development. A live-action television drama produced by The Pokémon Company and TV Tokyo titled Pocket ni Boken o Tsumekonde premiered on TV Tokyo on October 20, 2023. Reaction to Pokémania (1999–2000) In 1999 and 2000, Pokémon was an unprecedented, ubiquitous fad in the Western world. Time magazine described it as "a multimedia and interactive barrage like no other before it". The franchise, primarily aimed at children, elicited mixed responses from parents and teachers, some of them critical. Yano (2004) even claimed that the reactions at one point constituted a moral panic. The bulk of the criticism on Pokémon was directed at the trading cards, in particular the booster packs, sealed packages of 11 randomly inserted cards that were sold separately from the main sets. The cards are of varying scarcity, the most valuable being the "holofoil cards" (also called "holographic" or "foil cards"), in which the illustrations of the Pokémon have a shiny overlay effect. The rare cards can only be found in booster packs, and the rarest ones are very infrequently included. Tobin (2004) notes that rarity in this case is "artificially created", and "effectively a form of gambling" in which children need to repeatedly purchase booster packs to get more rare cards. Brougère (2004) described a cynicism among adults that corporations could apparently, "out of thin air", ascribe value to cards which they saw as valueless, thereby "deceiving vulnerable young consumers and garnering excessive profits". As the franchise's popularity grew, children began taking their Pokémon cards to school for trading and playing. Soon, the cards were alleged to be "disrupting learning, poisoning playground friendships and causing such distraction that some children forget their homework, tune out in class and even miss school buses as they scramble to acquire one more card". The cards were "turning the playground into a black market", with card swaps sometimes inciting conflicts. Certain children engaged in "aggressive trading", tricking other (often younger) kids into unfair deals, forcing teachers to arbitrate. Some parents expressed their concerns about the craze, but feared that their children would be ostracized if they were to deny them Pokémon products. In the US, the Pokémon cards ended up "almost universally banned" from school grounds. Similar bans occurred in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and European countries. In September 1999, US-based law firm Milberg filed a class-action lawsuit against Nintendo of America, Wizards of the Coast, and 4Kids. The suit claimed that the booster packs constitute a form of lottery and promote gambling in kids. Susan Estrich noted that similar lawsuits had been filed against trading-card makers in the US, without success. The Pokémon card suit is not known to have gone to court, and is believed to have been settled. The Pokémon anime series was criticized by some as "cheap Japanese animation" that is "violent" and has "little educational value". Michelle Orecklin of Time dismissed the TV series as "less a cartoon than a half-hour exercise in Pokémon product placement". Allison (2006) wrote that even those within Pokémon's US marketing team agreed that the anime's visuals were "not especially sophisticated" compared to Disney cartoons. Pokémon: The First Movie premiered in the United States on November 12, 1999, and in European countries in February 2000. While a huge box-office success, the film was received negatively by several Western film critics. The Guardian decried it as a "contemptuously cheap animated cash-in on the monster kids' craze". The American adult animated series South Park satirized Pokémon in the episode "Chinpokomon", aired on November 3, 1999. In the episode, the titular media franchise is portrayed as a low-quality line of products that is part of an evil plan by the Japanese government to invade the US. South Park co-creator Matt Stone commented that, at the time, Pokémon was "scary huge". Kohler (2004) wrote that Pokémon was considered "ruthlessly commercial", and that it "program[med] children to be consumers of anything and everything Pokémon". CNN quoted child psychiatrist John Lochridge as worrying that "Pokémon's creators and marketers deliberately set out to create a fantasy world so compelling that children would quickly become obsessed". He believed that kids were being "brainwashed", and said: "I have had parents tell me that they cannot get their kids to do anything except Pokémon, so this stuff seems to really capture their minds, in a way". These concerns were countered by psychologist William Damon, who told Newsweek that obsessing is in fact a normal part of a child's neurological development. It should concern parents only when the obsession gets dangerous or excessive. An op-ed in the New Zealander newspaper The Dominion Post claimed that the anti-Pokémon sentiment was particularly American: "The backlash, which seems largely confined to the United States, may be no more than the sound of the world's leading cultural imperialist gagging on a taste of its own medicine". As Pokémania built, Western media started reporting on several crimes associated with Pokémon. These included violence (including two reported stabbings), burglaries, robberies (some at knifepoint), and shoplifting. Almost all these incidents were connected to the Pokémon cards, and the individuals involved were almost always underage. In the US, the incidents peaked in November 1999. In England, Pokémon-related delinquency reached a head in April 2000. High prices on the grey market were a motive behind some of the crimes, "posing a great temptation for older kids and bullies to take advantage of weaker children". At specialty shops and online auctions, a rare Pokémon card could be bought and sold for $50 or more (c. $91 in 2023). Aside from the negative reactions, many media also cited alleged beneficial effects of Pokémon. It was noted that the video games and the cards require children to read, memorize, calculate, and plan out a strategy. Both encourage socialization, and trading Pokémon requires negotiating skills. Stephanie Strom wrote in The New York Times that the Pokémon anime taught children "traditional Japanese values -- responsibility, empathy, cooperation, obedience, respect for elders, humility". Anne Allison interviewed various American parents during Pokémania. She found that while most of them were "utterly mystified" about Pokémon, few were overly worried about it, instead meeting the craze with "befuddled acceptance". Allison also notes that the Columbine High School massacre occurred during Pokémania, causing violent television, music, and games to be scrutinized. Compared to these media, she notes, Pokémon is in fact rather tame. In contrast, Pokémon received far less criticism in its native country of Japan. Yano (2004) attributes this to cultural differences, which includes: 1) greater acceptance of exuberant consumerism – to buy is to be a good citizen; 2) less focus on media influence – instead, Japan's educational system, bullying, and dysfunctional families are more often the target of attention; 3) less separation between child- and adulthood – what is suitable for adults is not necessarily considered unsuitable for kids; 4) Pokémon being permeated with kawaisa (cuteness), a hallmark of Japanese culture; 5) Japan's core religions, Buddhism and Shinto, are less moralizing in nature. However, Oliver Burkeman wrote in The Guardian that the Pokémon cards were also banned from some Japanese schools. Legacy and influences After World War II, Japan experienced a period of unprecedented growth and became well-known in the Western world for its consumer products, such as radios (e.g. Panasonic, Toshiba), cars (e.g. Toyota, Mitsubishi), and Sony's Walkman. From 1991 onwards, its economy stagnated, causing the country to lose its status as an economic superpower. However, during the 1990s and 2000s, Japan re-emerged as a source of 'cool' cultural goods, embraced by a growing international audience interested in Japanese culture. Nintendo, Sega, and Sony launched several popular video game consoles and franchises. In terms of children's properties, the success of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers changed perceptions on the viability of such Japanese imports in the West. The Tamagotchi fad (1997–98), centered around a portable digital pet device, was said to have "paved the way for Pokémon". Anne Allison (2006) wrote that, before the 1990s, Japan figured little in the face of the worldwide hegemony of Euro-American cultural industries, in particular that of the US. "Hollywood has been hostile to imports", she wrote, "and foreignness has largely been, and been seen as, an impediment to mass popularization in the United States". The surprise success of Pokémon was "an undeniable breakthrough in the homeland of Disney" that "changed preexisting assumptions about the US marketplace at the same time that it was constantly resisted for deviating from them". Pokémon was a welcomed boon to Japan's faltering economy, and positively influenced the country's soft power. Kamo (2000) interviewed various American children and found that kids who thought Pokémon was cool, were more likely to believe that Japan was a cool nation. Allison (2003) gave a similar finding: all the children she interviewed knew where Pokémon originated, and "many said that, as a result of Pokémon and other 'cool' Japanese goods, they had developed an interest in Japan. A number said that they now wanted to study Japanese and travel there one day". Kohler (2004) wrote: "Japanese are proud of Pokémon, the most successful export of Japanese popular culture ever". Although, Iwabuchi (2004) questioned to what extent Pokémon really is 'Japanese', and to what extent it is simply a good property with universal appeal. He noted that Japanese nationalist commentators celebrated Pokémon's global success and retrospectively attributed this to its "Japanese cultural power", while ignoring the localization of Pokémon overseas, as well as decades of increasing cooperation and cultural exchange between countries (globalization). In the 20th century, anime found niche popularity in North America and Europe in series (Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion, Speed Racer) and films (Akira, Ghost in the Shell). The Pokémon TV series and films marked a breakthrough for anime, contributing to its growing worldwide success at the turn of the 21st century. For some children, Pokémon was their introduction to 'Japanimation', serving as a "gateway" to other anime, manga, and Japanese culture in general. Pokémon: The First Movie became one of the most successful Japanese animated films in history. After Princess Mononoke, Pokémon: The First Movie became the second anime film to open at mainstream cinemas in the West, as opposed to the usual art house venues. Pioneering anime importer John Ledford noted that Pokémon underscored the commercial potential of anime, thus making it interesting from a business perspective. In the field of video games, the main Pokémon series became the standard within the monster-taming game genre, a subtype of RPGs. While not the first to use this concept, the Pokémon games became so synonymous with it that later titles involving catching and training monsters, of any genre, were inevitably compared to Pokémon. Examples of this include Dragon Warrior Monsters (1998), Robopon Sun and Star (1998), Spectrobes (2007), Invizimals (2009), Monster Crown (2021), and Palworld (2024). The success of Pokémon encouraged companies to look for other popular Japanese properties that might be localized for Western markets. The importing of at least three similar franchises were confirmed by business executives to have been (partly) inspired by Pokémon: Yu-Gi-Oh!, Digimon, and Monster Rancher. The import of Cardcaptor Sakura (as Cardcaptors) might also have been prompted by Pokémon. Footnotes References Multi-refs notes External links Official hub to regional Pokémon websites Pokémon Center, official merchandise web shop Official Pokémon GO site
89.5_FM	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/89.5_FM	[ 645 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/89.5_FM" ]	The following radio stations broadcast on FM frequency 89.5 MHz: Argentina Amistad in La Verde, Chaco Ciudad in Coronel Pringles, Buenos Aires Ciudad in Lobería, Buenos Aires Cristal in Ingeniero Luiggi, La Pampa CNN Radio Rosario in Rosario, Santa Fe Ideas del Pueblo in Colonia Aldao, Santa Fe Municipal in General Rodriguez, Buenos Aires Nuevo horizonte in San Carlos, Corrientes Radio María in Ciudadela, Buenos Aires Radio María in Mayor Buratovich, Buenos Aires Radio María in General Cabrera, Córdoba Radio María in Pilar, Córdoba Radio María in Chamical, La Rioja Radio María in Cutral Có, Neuquén Radio María in El Bolsón, Río Negro Radio María in Río Colorado, Río Negro Radio María in Rosario de Lerma, Salta Rec in Moreno, Buenos Aires Reconquista in Jose Leon Suarez, Buenos Aires San Ramon in Goya, Corrientes Sol in Parana, Entre Rios Universo in Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut Uno in Paso de los Libres, Corrientes Urbana in Buenos Aires Visión Formosa in Formosa Australia Valley FM 89.5 Tuggeranong in Tuggeranong, Australian Capital Territory ABC Classic FM in Goulburn, New South Wales Triple J in Sunshine Coast, Queensland 3PNN in Bendigo, Victoria SBS Radio in Wodonga, Victoria Canada (Channel 208) CBHN-FM in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia CBPJ-FM in Waterton Park, Alberta CBSM-FM in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario CBUD-FM in Bonnington Falls, British Columbia CBYP-FM in Portland Creek, Newfoundland and Labrador CFGB-FM in Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador CHWK-FM in Chilliwack, British Columbia CIUT-FM in Toronto, Ontario CJBR-FM-1 in Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec CJRL-FM in Kenora, Ontario CJSE-FM in Shediac, New Brunswick CKWG-FM in Wahgoshig Lake, Ontario China CNR Business Radio in Yongzhou CNR Kazakh Radio in Xinjiang CNR The Voice of China in Putian Yangjiang Travel & Economic Radio GRT News Radio in Jieyang Costa Rica LIFE 895 FM in Curridabat, San José Malaysia IKIMfm in Malacca Mexico XHBON-FM in Guadalajara, Jalisco XHCG-FM in Nogales, Sonora XHCSI-FM in Culiacán, Sinaloa XHFTI-FM in Fortín, Veracruz XHME-FM in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco XHNAL-FM in Tonalá, Chiapas XHRCL-FM in San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora XHRRR-FM in Encarnación de Díaz, Jalisco XHRV-FM in Valle Hermoso, Tamaulipas XHSAB-FM in Sabinas Hidalgo, Nuevo León XHUAQ-FM in Querétaro, Querétaro XHUCT-FM in Torreón, Coahuila Philippines DWIM-FM in Baguio DWJX in Sorsogon DWSB-FM in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Olongapo DZTR in Naga, Camarines Sur DYQN in Iloilo City DYKZ in Dumaguete City DXYM in General Santos DWEG in Lipa Taiwan Transfers CNR The Voice of China in Central Taiwan, mainly Kinmen Thailand Live 89.5 Radio United States (Channel 208) KACU in Abilene, Texas KAGJ in Ephraim, Utah KAIB in Shafter, California KBAQ in Phoenix, Arizona KBES in Ceres, California KBMJ in Heber Springs, Arkansas KBMM in Odessa, Texas KBPG (FM) in Montevideo, Minnesota KCAC (FM) in Camden, Arkansas KCFV in Ferguson, Missouri KCJA in Conway, Iowa KCKJ in Sarcoxie, Missouri KCNP in Ada, Oklahoma KDCB in Coos Bay, Oregon KDKO in Lake Andes, South Dakota KEFS in North Powder, Oregon KENW-FM in Portales, New Mexico KEPX in Eagle Pass, Texas KEQX in Stephenville, Texas KEWU-FM in Cheney, Washington KFAA in Horace, North Dakota KGRU in Burwell, Nebraska KGVI-FM in Grangeville, Idaho KGWO in Ogallala, Nebraska KHCD in Salina, Kansas KHKE in Cedar Falls, Iowa KICO in Rico, Colorado KITA in Iota, Louisiana KJAI in Ojai, California KJCC in Carnegie, Oklahoma KJVH in Longview, Washington KJZA in Drake, Arizona KKLY in El Paso, Texas KLAP in Gerlach, Nevada KLCD in Decorah, Iowa KLFG in Fort Dodge, Iowa KLND in Little Eagle, South Dakota KLRI in Rigby, Idaho KLUX in Robstown, Texas KLXD in Victorville, California KMFA in Austin, Texas KMGS in Anvik, Alaska KMOC in Wichita Falls, Texas KNCJ in Reno, Nevada KNHC in Seattle, Washington KNIB in Nikolai, Alaska KNLH in Cedar Hill, Missouri KOKS in Poplar Bluff, Missouri KOPN in Columbia, Missouri KPBS-FM in San Diego, California KPFR in Pine Grove, Oregon KPJH in Polson, Montana KPOO in San Francisco, California KPPR in Williston, North Dakota KPRA in Ukiah, California KPRN in Grand Junction, Colorado KQAL in Winona, Minnesota KQSI-LP in Sidney, Nebraska KRCI in Pinetop-Lakeside, Arizona KSKC in Crooked Creek, Alaska KSKO-FM in McGrath, Alaska KSKP in Sleetmute, Alaska KSKQ in Ashland, Oregon KSMC in Moraga, California KSOH in Wapato, Washington KTCB in Tillamook, Oregon KTCF in Dolores, Colorado KTEC in Klamath Falls, Oregon KTKF in Tok, Alaska KTME in Reliance, Wyoming KTOT in Spearman, Texas KTSC-FM in Pueblo, Colorado KTSY in Caldwell, Idaho KUSR in Logan, Utah KVBE-LP in Portland, Oregon KVLK in Milan, New Mexico KVMR in Nevada City, California KVNE in Tyler, Texas KVRF in Sutton, Alaska KVSJ-FM in Tracy, California KVUD in Bay City, Texas KWCC-FM in Woodland Park, Colorado KWGS in Tulsa, Oklahoma KWRR in Ethete, Wyoming KYFL in Monroe, Louisiana KYHK in Kearney, Nebraska KYPF in Stanford, Montana KYQX in Weatherford, Texas KZCT in Vallejo, California WAHS in Auburn Heights, Michigan WAWN in Franklin, Pennsylvania WAYJ in Naples, Florida WBCY in Archbold, Ohio WBEW in Chesterton, Indiana WBFR in Birmingham, Alabama WBSB (FM) in Anderson, Indiana WCLQ in Wausau, Wisconsin WCMU-FM in Mount Pleasant, Michigan WCNP in Baraboo, Wisconsin WCOF in Arcade, New York WCVV in Belpre, Ohio WDPS-FM in Dayton, Ohio WDTP in Huron Township, Michigan WEFI in Effingham, Illinois WEOS in Geneva, New York WETS-FM in Johnson City, Tennessee WFIT in Melbourne, Florida WFOT in Lexington, Ohio WGRN in Greenville, Illinois WGSG in Mayo, Florida WGTF in Dothan, Alabama WHRV in Norfolk, Virginia WHSS in Hamilton, Ohio WHVY in Coshocton, Ohio WILB-FM in Boardman, Ohio WITF-FM in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania WIUW in Warsaw, Illinois WJHW in Mayodan, North Carolina WJMU in Decatur, Illinois WJRF in Duluth, Minnesota WKMT (FM) in Fulton, Kentucky WKPB in Henderson, Kentucky WLJV in Spotsylvania, Virginia WLPS-FM in Lumberton, North Carolina WMAE-FM in Booneville, Mississippi WMFV in Cedar Creek, Florida WMIH in Geneva, Ohio WMOT in Murfreesboro, Tennessee WNCK in Nantucket, Massachusetts WNGU in Dahlonega, Georgia WNIJ in DeKalb, Illinois WNNU in Great Barrington, Massachusetts WNTE in Mansfield, Pennsylvania WOFR in Schoolcraft, Michigan WOVI in Novi, Michigan WPCS (FM) in Pensacola, Florida WPKN in Bridgeport, Connecticut WPRG in Columbia, Mississippi WQAI in Thomson, Georgia WQRP in Dayton, Ohio WRNF in Selma, Alabama WSCL in Salisbury, Maryland WSKB in Westfield, Massachusetts WSLU in Canton, New York WSOM in Franklin, Indiana WSOU in South Orange, New Jersey WSPI in Ellsworth, Illinois WTJY in Asheboro, North Carolina WUNY in Utica, New York WUUA in Glen Spey, New York WVDS in Petersburg, West Virginia WVMS (FM) in Sandusky, Ohio WVPR in Windsor, Vermont WWPJ in Pen Argyl, Pennsylvania WWTP in Augusta, Maine WYAZ in Yazoo City, Mississippi WYFK in Columbus, Georgia WYFS in Savannah, Georgia WYFW in Winder, Georgia WYNJ in Blackduck, Minnesota WYPA in Cherry Hill, New Jersey WZWP in West Union, Ohio == References ==
Abilene_Christian_University	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abilene_Christian_University	[ 645 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abilene_Christian_University" ]	Abilene Christian University (ACU) is a private Christian university in Abilene, Texas. It was founded in 1906 as Childers Classical Institute. It is affiliated with Churches of Christ. History The Churches of Christ in Abilene founded it as a Christian university for West Texas. Childers Classical Institute opened in the fall of 1906, with 25 students. It initially included a lower school starting in the seventh grade. When Jesse P. Sewell became president of the institute in 1912, the school began using Abilene Christian College on all its printed material. In 1920, the school formally changed the name. The Optimist, the university's student-produced newspaper, was founded in 1912. The Prickly Pear, the school yearbook, was founded in 1916. The campus literary-arts magazine (now The Shinnery Review, formerly The Pickwicker) has been in production since 1933. Abilene Christian College first received school accreditation in 1951, when it became an accredited member of the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Amberton University, previously Amber University, was created as an extension campus of Abilene Christian University. It was launched in Mesquite, Texas, in 1971, moving to Garland, Texas, in 1974. It became a separate institution as Amber University in 1982, and was rechristened Amberton University in 2001. Like Abilene Christian University, Amberton remains affiliated with the Churches of Christ. On February 22, 1976, the name of Abilene Christian College was changed to Abilene Christian University. The university celebrated its centennial in the 2005–06 school year. In July 2015, the university signed a lease for an expansion campus located in Addison, Texas. Called ACU Dallas, the new campus began offering several new graduate programs, including an MBA and Ed.D. in organizational leadership. Discrimination The university was officially segregated, for white students only, until 1962, when Billy Curl became the first black student to enroll. The university currently bars employees, but not students, from dating people of the same sex. In 2016 the university recognized Voice, an LGBT student association. Presidents Allen Booker Barret (1906–08) H. C. Darden (1908–1909) Robertson Lafayette Whiteside (1909–1911) James F. Cox (1911–1912)[2] Jesse Parker Sewell (1912–1924) Batsell Baxter (1924–1932) James F. Cox (1932–1940) Don H. Morris (1940–1969) John C. Stevens (1969–1981) William J. Teague (1981–1991) Royce Money (1991 – May 31, 2010) Phil Schubert (June 1, 2010–present) Academics Academic structure In 2022, ACU announced major changes to the academic structure that resulted in the creation of three new colleges. While the total number of colleges went unchanged, the reorganization was implemented to assist the University in marketing itself as a national university. Accreditation ACU is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. ACU's business programs are professionally accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), the Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, the Social Work programs are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, the Education programs are accredited by Teacher Education Accreditation Council and the Marriage and Family Therapy programs are accredited by Commission on the Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education. The Department of Journalism and Mass Communication is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications. The ACU School of Nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). ACU Graduate School of Theology is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). Traditions The Prickly Pear. From 1916 to 2009, this was the yearbook. The name was taken from Opuntia, a species of cactus native to the Abilene and West Texas area, commonly referred to as "prickly pear". Sing Song. Since 1956, this annual competition in mid-February has featured student groups of 30–100 people, singing themed a cappella medleys, usually satirical. Originating as a fundraiser for the school, the modern event has developed into a major show for which each group assembles costumes related to their act's theme, such as Peter Pan, the British Royal Guard, Coca-Cola, Adam and Eve, or forest fires. Often the costumes involve a mid-performance quick-change to a second costume—such as the 1987 acts in which grapes turned into raisins or bananas peeled to reveal Carmen Miranda—or elaborate choreography within the risers, as when the 1983 freshman class act recreated a Pac-Man screen and manipulated their costumes so that the character appeared to move around the screen. The men of Galaxy and the women of Sigma Theta Chi currently hold the records for most wins of a men's club and women's club, respectively. Summit. Referred to as Lectureship until the 2008 school year. Begun in 1918, this annual program gathers thousands of attendees for lectures and workshops on religious topics connected with a biblical theme that changes each year. After many years of following directly after Sing Song, the lectureship moved in 2006 to a September event, in part to spread out the events that bring the most visitors to campus and also to take advantage of the more stable autumn climate, as winter storms and rain had hindered attendance on multiple occasions. Abilene Christian University Press ACU is one of only seven faith-based institutions with a press. ACU Press, founded in 1983 to print books about Churches of Christ theology, is now a member of the Association of American University Presses, printing books about Christian Higher Education, West Texas History and Christian Living as well as theology. Along with its trade imprint, Leafwood Publishers, the press publishes an average of 36 titles per year. Among its notable authors are Rubel Shelly, Rick Ostrander, Darryl Tippens, Edward Fudge, Larry M. James and Walt McDonald. Student media The school established an NPR station, KACU, in 1986. Initially, the community was concerned that the school might use the station for proselytizing, and for the station's first ten years, an advisory board composed of community members served to monitor the station against this possibility. The Optimist, a converged student media operation, produces student-led news media. On October 18, 2008, the school hosted a live broadcast of Minnesota Public Radio's long-running A Prairie Home Companion radio show from the campus' Moody Coliseum. Research In August 2022 the ACU applied to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a construction licence for a molten salt research reactor for which it plans to achieve criticality by December 2025. Athletics Formerly a charter member of the Division I Southland Conference, Abilene Christian joined the Lone Star Conference (LSC) of Division II of the NCAA in 1973. In 2007, the LSC included 33 ACU current and former student athletes in its 75-member all-sports team commemorating the conference's 75th anniversary. Through 2009, ACU is fourth in NCAA history in team national championships won with 57, trailing Division I schools UCLA, Stanford, and USC, and tied with Division III school Kenyon College. In 2012, Abilene Christian received NCAA permission to compete in Division I FCS football and was under consideration for reattachment to the Southland Conference. On August 25, 2012, Abilene Christian's board of trustees accepted Southland's invitation to rejoin the conference effective with the start of the 2013-14 academic year. On Wednesday, August 23, 2017, the NCAA Board of Directors voted to pass ACU through to full Division I status, thus making them eligible for postseason play. In 2021, ACU left the Southland for the Western Athletic Conference. After the 2022 football season, ACU football joined the newly formed United Athletic Conference, a merger of the football leagues of the WAC and the ASUN Conference. The two all-sports conferences had partnered in a football-only alliance in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Athletic Achievements The men's track and field program has won 32 NCAA National Track and Field Championships: 19 NCAA outdoor and 13 indoor. The women's track and field program has won 22 national championships: 12 indoor and 10 outdoor. The Wildcats were NAIA national football champions in 1973 and 1977. Before the NCAA invalidated its 2007 season, nine ACU football players were included in the LSC's 75th-anniversary list of top players in conference history. The school's 2007 victories were vacated by the NCAA in 2009. The NCAA charged "two assistant football coaches helped a pair of players find an English correspondence class to take, enroll in the same course, allowed them to use the coaches' school computers for writing papers and paid to mail the assignments." The school had scored more than 40 points in 11 of its 13 games and more than 50 points in 7 games and 70 or more points in two games including a 73–76 three overtime loss to Chadron State in the second round of the NCAA playoffs. In 2008, the Wildcats "set a record for points in an NCAA (football) playoff game, beating West Texas A&M 93-68 in the second round of the Division II playoffs." Ove Johansson kicked the longest field goal in college football history (69 yards) in 1976, 3 yards longer than the current NFL record. As of 2024 it remains the longest field goal ever kicked in any level of football competition and is an unbroken world record. Olympic athletes from ACU include Bobby Morrow, three-time 1956 gold medal winner; Earl Young, 1960 Olympic gold medalist in the 4x400 relay; Billy Olson, who made the 1980 and 1988 U.S. teams but did not compete in 1980 due to President Carter's decision to boycott the Games; Yolande Straughn, who competed in 1988 for Barbados; and James Browne, 1988 competitor for Antigua. ESPN and NFL Network analyst and author Sean Adams is a former NCAA All-American athlete for ACU. Social clubs The school has a number of student organizations called "social clubs" that are equivalent to a fraternity or sorority on other college campuses. Notable alumni Academia and religion Kent Brantly, doctor and missionary Don Finto, pastor and author Edward Fudge, theologian Sally Gary, author V. E. Howard, minister Robert Kelley, president of the University of North Dakota H. Jeff Kimble, professor of Physics at the California Institute of Technology David Leeson (1978), journalist Dale Martin, bible scholar Barry McCarty, national radio host and former president of Cincinnati Christian University John W. Pilley, behavioral psychologist James Tabor, scholar of early Christianity and Second-Temple Judaism Hugh M. Tiner, president of Pepperdine University R. Gerald Turner, president of Southern Methodist University Thomas B. Warren, minister M. Norvel Young, president of Pepperdine University Business Gordon Bethune, former CEO of Continental Airlines David Sampson, President and CEO of the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America Monty Taylor, cloud computing executive, co-founder of OpenStack Entertainment and media Nelson Coates, film production designer Chris Christian, record producer, recording artist, songwriter Bonnie Curtis, film producer Jody Dean, news anchor of KTVT-TV, Dallas, Texas Holly Dunn, musician and painter Ronnie Dunn, singer and songwriter Micah P. Hinson, singer and songwriter Billie Hughes, recording artist and songwriter Daniel Johnston, singer and songwriter – attended ACU in his first year of college Stephen Mansfield, author Max Lucado, author TJ McCloud, singer-songwriter Aaron Watson, musician Zane Williams, musician Big Pokey, musician Merritt Tierce, short-story author, story editor, essayist, pro-choice activist, novelist, and television writer. Jerry Haymes, recording artist, songwriter, producer Gary G. Hamilton, television journalist and producer Politics and government Jeffrey S. Boyd, Justice of the Texas Supreme Court, Janice Hahn, member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors; former member of the United States House of Representatives; former Los Angeles City Councilwoman Robert Dean Hunter, vice-president emeritus of ACU; member of the Texas House of Representatives, District 71 (1986–2007) Robert L. Pitman, lawyer, former United States Attorney; former United States Magistrate Judge; United States federal judge Ted Poe, former Harris County, Texas, judge; member of the United States House of Representatives Jack Pope, lawyer, judge, and Supreme Court of Texas Chief Justice, 1982–1985 Jack Scott, California state senator; chancellor, California Community College System Joe Shirley (1978), President of Navajo Nation Lynn Coleman, former United States Deputy Secretary of Energy Louie Welch, former mayor of Houston, Texas Garrett Harencak, Commander of the U.S. Air Force Recruiting Service Paul J. Selva, former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff representing the U.S. Air Force Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas Brantley Starr, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas Sports Bill Blakeley, basketball coach James Browne, long jumper from Antigua Randall "Tex" Cobb, boxer, actor Charles Coody, golfer, winner of the 1971 Masters Tournament Grant Feasel, football player Greg Feasel, former offensive tackle in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers and San Diego Chargers; Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer for the Colorado Rockies; ACU Sports Hall of Fame (2004–05) Taylor Gabriel, football player for the Chicago Bears James Hill, football player for the Seattle Seahawks Ove Johansson, football player Johnny Knox, football player John Layfield, wrestler Clint Longley, football player Danieal Manning, football player Lindy McDaniel, baseball player Cleo Montgomery, football player Wilbert Montgomery, football player Bobby Morrow, sprinter Billy Olson, pole vaulter Billy Gene Pemelton, pole vaulter Johnny Perkins, football player Raymond Radway, football player Daryl Richardson, football player Bernard Scott, football player Jeev Milkha Singh (1996), golfer Gilbert Tuhabonye, runner and author Charcandrick West, football player Allen Wilson, football coach Earl Young, runner Art Briles, former head coach at Baylor University Rusty Whitt, coach Wes Kittley, coach of Texas Tech Red Raiders track and field Faculty Everett Ferguson, patristics scholar Douglas A. Foster, professor of church history Michael A. O'Donnell, professor of family studies Notes [3] When James Cox's wife became ill, his brother, Alonzo B. Cox, filled in for him to finish the term. References Bibliography Stevens, Dr. John C., No Ordinary University: The History of a City Set on a Hill, Abilene, Texas: Abilene Christian University Press, 1998. ISBN 0-89112-031-9. External links Official website
Jerry_West	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_West	[ 645 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_West" ]	Jerry Alan West (May 28, 1938 – June 12, 2024) was an American basketball player and executive. He played professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. His nicknames included "the Logo", in reference to his silhouette being the basis for the NBA logo; "Mr. Clutch", for his ability to make a big play in a key situation such as his famous buzzer-beating 60-foot shot that tied Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks; "Mr. Outside", in reference to his perimeter play with the Lakers and "Zeke from Cabin Creek" for the creek near his birthplace of Chelyan, West Virginia. West played the small forward position early in his career: he was a standout at East Bank High School and at West Virginia University, where he led the Mountaineers to the 1959 NCAA championship game. He earned the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player honor despite the loss in the championship. He then embarked on a 14-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers and was the co-captain of the 1960 U.S. Olympic gold medal team, a squad that was inducted as a unit into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010. West's NBA career was highly successful. Playing the guard position, he was voted 12 times into the All-NBA First and Second Teams, was elected into the NBA All-Star Team 14 times and was chosen as the All-Star MVP in 1972, the same year that he won the only title of his career. West holds the NBA record for the highest points per game average in a playoff series with 46.3. He was also a member of the first five NBA All-Defensive Teams (one second, followed by four firsts), which were introduced when he was 32 years old. Having played in nine NBA Finals, he is also the only player in NBA history to be named Finals MVP despite being on the losing team (1969). In 1980, West was inducted into the Hall of Fame and named to the NBA 35th Anniversary Team. West was named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996, and to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. After his playing career ended, West took over as head coach of the Lakers for three years. He led Los Angeles into the playoffs each year and earned a Western Conference finals berth once. Working as a player-scout for three years, West was named general manager of the Lakers before the 1982–83 NBA season. Under his reign, Los Angeles won six championship rings. In 2002, West became general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies and helped the franchise win their first-ever playoff berths. For his contributions, West won the NBA Executive of the Year Award twice: once as a Lakers manager (1995) and then as a Grizzlies manager (2004). He won two more NBA titles as a consultant with the Golden State Warriors (2015, 2017). In 2024, he will be inducted to the Hall of Fame as a contributor to the sport as an executive and consultant. Early life West was born into a poor household in Chelyan, West Virginia, on May 28, 1938. He was the fifth of six children of Cecil Sue West, a housewife, and Howard Stewart West, a coal mine electrician. West's father physically abused him, and West has stated that for a time he slept with a loaded shotgun under his bed out of fear that he might have to kill his father in self-defense. West was an outgoing and aggressive child in his youth. In 1951, his older brother, David, was killed in action in the Korean War, and the grief turned him into a shy and introverted boy. Growing up, West spent his days hunting and fishing, but his main activity was shooting at a basketball hoop that a neighbor had nailed to his storage shed. West spent days shooting baskets from every possible angle, ignoring mud and snow in the backyard, as well as his mother's whippings when he came home hours late for dinner. West attended East Bank High School in East Bank, West Virginia, from 1952 to 1956. During his first year, West was benched by his coach Duke Shaver due to his lack of height. Shaver emphasized the importance of conditioning and defense, which were lessons that the teenager appreciated. West soon became the captain of the freshman team, and during the summer of 1953 he grew to 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m). West eventually became the team's starting small forward, and he quickly established himself as one of the finest West Virginia high school players of his generation. He represented East Bank High School at a high level on and off the court, attending the 1955 session of Mountaineer Boys State and was named All-State from 1953 to 1956, then All-American in 1956 when he was West Virginia Player of the Year, becoming the state's first high-school player to score more than 900 points in a season, with an average of 32.2 points per game. West's mid-range jump shot became his trademark and he often used it to score while under pressure from opposing defenses. West led East Bank to a state championship on March 24 that year, prompting East Bank High School to change its name to "West Bank High School" every year on March 24 in honor of their basketball prodigy. This practice remained in effect until the school closed in 1999. College career West graduated from East Bank High School in 1956, and more than 60 universities showed interest in him. He eventually chose to stay in his home state and attend West Virginia University (WVU), located in Morgantown. In his freshman year (1956–57), West was a member of the WVU freshman squad that achieved a perfect record of 17 straight wins over the course of the season; other team members included Jay Jacobs and Willie Akers. In his first varsity year under head coach Fred Schaus, West scored 17.8 points per game and averaged 11.1 rebounds; he also started in all 28 games while shooting 49.6% from the field and 73.2% from the free throw line. These performances earned him a multitude of honors, among them an All-American Third Team call-up, First Team All-Southern Conference, Southern Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player Award and First Team honors, Chuck Taylor–Converse Second-team All-American honors, and Associated Press and United Press International Third-team All-America honors. The Mountaineers went 26–2 that year, ending the season with a loss to Manhattan College in postseason tournament play. During his junior year (1958–59), West scored 26.6 points per game and grabbed 12.3 rebounds per game. He tied the NCAA five-game tournament record of 160 points (32 points per game) and led all scorers and rebounders in every West Virginia game, including getting 28 points and 11 rebounds in a 71–70 loss to California in the final. West was named Most Outstanding Player of that year's Final Four. Further awards were All-America, Southern Conference Tournament MVP and Southern Conference Player of the Year and Athlete of the Year. He was also named to be a member of the U.S. Pan American Games basketball team that won the gold medal. West demonstrated his tenacity for the game in a match against the Kentucky Wildcats. He broke his nose during an incident in the game, but he continued to play despite intense pain and having to breathe through his mouth. He scored 19 points in the second half, leading WVU to an upset victory. In his final collegiate season (1959–60), West enjoyed several career highs, such as scoring 29.3 points per game, a 134 season-assists, 16.5 rebounds per game, and a shooting average of 50.4% from the field, 76.6% from the free throw line. He was honored again with several awards: a call-up to the All-America selection, and being voted Southern Conference MVP. West's best performance was a game against Virginia, in which he grabbed 16 rebounds and scored 40 points. Moreover, during that final year, he had 30 double-doubles and fifteen 30-point games. In his collegiate career, West totaled 2,309 points and 1,240 rebounds. He averaged 24.8 points per game and 13.3 rebounds. As of 2011, West holds 12 WVU all-time records. West and Oscar Robertson co-captained the U.S. men's basketball team that won the gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics. Professional career Los Angeles Lakers (1960–1974) 1960–64: Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside West made himself available for the 1960 NBA draft, and he was drafted with the second overall pick by the Minneapolis Lakers, shortly before the team relocated to Los Angeles. West became the first draft pick ever of the relocated franchise. His college coach, Schaus, was also hired that same season to coach the Lakers. He played West as a guard, in contrast to West's college days as a forward. The Lakers were captained by Hall-of-Fame forward Elgin Baylor, who was complemented by centers Jim Krebs and Ray Felix; forwards Rudy LaRusso and Tom Hawkins; and guards Rod Hundley (from West Virginia, like West), Frank Selvy, and Bobby Leonard. This team perennially had strong forwards and guards, but was constantly weak at center, giving them a disadvantage against the Boston Celtics with their Hall-of-Fame center, Bill Russell. Initially, West felt odd in his new environment. He was a loner. His high-pitched voice earned him the nickname "Tweety Bird", and he spoke with such a thick Appalachian accent that his teammates also referred to him as "Zeke from Cabin Creek" (his nickname acknowledged his country roots, and his accent was so thick that he squeaked his nickname sheepishly – "Zeek from Cab'n Creek"). He soon impressed his colleagues with his defensive hustle, with his vertical jump—he could reach up 16 inches above the rim when he went up—and with his work ethic, spending countless extra hours working on his game. On the floor, West scored 17.6 points, grabbed 7.7 rebounds and dished 4.2 assists per game. West won Schaus's trust and, alternating with Hundley, Selvy, and Leonard, played 35 minutes per game and established himself as the Lakers' second scoring option. The NBA commented that the Lakers now had a potent one-two-punch—with "Mr. Inside" (the low-post scorer, Baylor) and "Mr. Outside" (the long-distance shooter, West). These performances soon earned West his first of fourteen NBA All-Star Game call-ups. West helped the Lakers improve from their previous 25-win season to 36 wins as they reached the 1961 NBA Playoffs. They needed all five games to put away the Detroit Pistons but then lost to the St. Louis Hawks in seven games, losing the final game 105–103. In the 1961–62 NBA season, Baylor was called up by the U.S. Army Reserves and could play only 48 games. West took over the role of team leader and established himself as the main Lakers scorer, averaging 30.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game, winning All-NBA First Team honors. On January 17, 1962, West scored a career-high 63 points in a 129–121 win over the New York Knicks. West became known especially for hitting important late-game shots, and Lakers' announcer Chick Hearn named him "Mr. Clutch" a handle which stuck with West for his entire career. The Lakers won 54 regular-season games and secured a first-round bye in the 1962 NBA Playoffs. They beat the Pistons four games to two to advance to the 1962 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. The teams split the first two games, and at the end of Game 3 in Los Angeles, West tied the game at 115. The Celtics' Sam Jones inbounded the ball at half-court with three seconds left. West stole the ball, raced up court, and converted a running layup as the buzzer sounded. The Celtics tied the series in Game 6 at three games apiece, and the teams headed to Boston for Game 7. For most of the game, the Lakers trailed, but West and Frank Selvy hit several clutch baskets and tied the game at 100. Selvy then missed an open 8-foot shot which would have won the Lakers their first title. Baylor's tip-in attempt was thwarted by Sam Jones. In overtime, Jones scored several clutch baskets to ensure a 110–107 win for the Celtics. The 1962 NBA Finals would serve as the beginning of the greatest rivalry in NBA history. In the 1962–63 NBA season, Baylor was back full-time. West averaged 27.8 points, 7 rebounds and 5.6 assists and was again NBA All-Star and All-NBA First-Team. He played only 55 regular-season games, missing the last seven weeks due to a hamstring injury. Again, the Lakers reached the Finals, and again, they battled the Celtics. With West not yet in shape, Baylor and the Lakers fell back 3–2; then they succumbed in Game 6 in front of their home crowd with a 112–109 loss. As the game ended, veteran Celtics playmaker Bob Cousy threw the ball high into the rafters of the L.A. Sports Arena. In the following 1963–64 NBA season, West became the Lakers' scoring leader for the first time. His 28.7 points per game eclipsed the 25.4 by Baylor, who stated that he suffered from knee problems. The Lakers struggled during the entire season, winning only 42 games, and were beaten by the Hawks in five games during the first round of the 1964 NBA Playoffs. 1964–68: Leader of the Lakers In the following 1964–65 NBA season, West averaged 31.0 points (at the time, a career-high), only surpassed by perennial scoring champion Wilt Chamberlain. After ending the regular season with 49 wins, L.A. played the Baltimore Bullets in the first round of the 1965 NBA Playoffs, but then team captain Baylor suffered a career-threatening knee injury. West spectacularly took over Baylor's leading role, as he scored 49 points and willed the shocked Lakers to the win. In Game 2, Baltimore was unable to stop the Lakers guard, who scored 52 points, nearly half of L.A.'s total, in the 118–115 win. The Bullets took their two home games, despite West scoring 44 and 48 points respectively, but in the decisive Game 5 in L.A., the guard helped beat the Bullets with 42 points in a close 117–115 win. West averaged 46.3 points per game, a figure that is still an NBA record. In the 1965 NBA Finals, the Celtics easily beat the short-handed Lakers, 4–1. In Game 1, which Boston easily won, defensive Celtics guard K. C. Jones held West to only 26 points, and in Game 2, West scored 45 points, but Boston still won 129–123. In Game 3, West scored 49 points, and L.A. finally won a game, but in Games 4 and 5, the Lakers were beaten by double digits; in the last quarter of Game 5, West missed 14 of 15 shots and could not prevent yet another Celtics win. Still, the Lakers guard finished the playoffs with 40.6 points per game. In the 1965–66 NBA season, West averaged a career-best 31.3 points, along with 7.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game. He made an NBA record 840 free throws, and earned yet another pair of All-Star Team and All-NBA First Team nominations. Winning 45 games, the Lakers beat the St. Louis Hawks in a close seven-game series, and yet again met the Boston Celtics in the 1966 NBA Finals. West was assisted by Baylor, who was a self-estimated "75 percent" of his pre-injury self, The two long-standing rivals split the first six games, with West's usual scoring dominance countered by Celtics forward John Havlicek, whose size and speed created serious mismatch problems for the Lakers. In Game 7, West and Baylor shot a combined three of 18 in the first half, and the Lakers fell far behind; L.A. willed themselves back to a close 95–93 with four seconds left, but the Celtics ran the clock out and the Lakers were denied yet again. The 1966–67 NBA season saw West playing only 66 regular-season games due to injury; his averages fell slightly to 28 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game. The Lakers had a disappointing season, winning only 36 games and getting swept by the San Francisco Warriors in the first round of the 1967 NBA Playoffs. Veteran coach Fred Schaus retired, and Butch Van Breda Kolff took over; under his reign, the Lakers won 52 games in the 1967–68 NBA season in their first season in The Forum. The 52 wins were accumulated despite West playing only 51 regular season games due to injury and scoring 26.3 points, the lowest average since his rookie year: after being a First-Teamer for six times en bloc, he only made the All-NBA Second Team. In the 1968 NBA Playoffs, the Lakers beat the Chicago Bulls and the Warriors to set up yet another Lakers-Celtics NBA Finals; it was considered a match of size versus speed, as the Lakers had nobody to guard Celtics coach/center Bill Russell or forward John Havlicek close to the basket, but the Celtics in return had difficulties guarding prolific L.A. outside shooters Baylor, West and fellow guard Gail Goodrich. In Game 1, West only hit seven of 24 shots, and the Lakers lost 107–101, but L.A. evened out the series at two games each. But West, who had scored 38 points in a Game 4 win, had sprained his ankle, and did not play at full strength the rest of the series. In Game 5, an injured West scored 35 points, but Boston won by 3 points. In Game 6, Havlicek shredded the Lakers with 40 points, and after yet another Finals loss to Boston, West commented that the Lakers lost two games they should have won: "We gave them the first game, and we gave them the fifth. But I take nothing from them... They're all that way on the Celtics, and you can't teach it." 1968–71: Arrival of Wilt Chamberlain On July 9, 1968, the Lakers made a trade that brought reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia 76ers to Los Angeles at the beginning of the 1968–69 NBA season. To get the center, the Lakers traded West's backcourt partner Archie Clark, starting center Darrall Imhoff and backup forward Jerry Chambers to Philadelphia. Coach Van Breda Kolff was concerned about the drain at the guard positions after losing Clark, and especially after losing Goodrich in the expansion draft to the Phoenix Suns. He only had diminutive, defensively weak Johnny Egan left next to West. While West himself got on well with his new teammate, Chamberlain often argued with team captain Elgin Baylor and had a poor relationship with Van Breda Kolff. Van Breda Kolff pejoratively called Chamberlain "The Load", and later complained that Chamberlain was egotistical, never respected him, too often slacked off in practice and focused too much on his statistics. In return, the center blasted Van Breda Kolff as "the dumbest and worst coach ever". There was an altercation in which Chamberlain was about to punch Van Breda Kolff before Baylor had intervened. West was disturbed by locker room tension; used to playing on teams with good chemistry, his quality of play became erratic, and his scoring average of 25.9 points was his lowest since his rookie season. He made the Second Team of the inaugural All-Defensive Team. In the 1969 NBA Playoffs, the 55-win Lakers defeated the Atlanta Hawks and the San Francisco Warriors, setting up the sixth finals series versus Boston in eight years. Before Game 1, West privately complained to Bill Russell of exhaustion, but then the Lakers guard scored 53 points on Boston in a close two-point win. L.A. also took Game 2, with West scoring 41 points. In Game 3, Russell opted to double-team West, and the guard's exhaustion began to show: West twice asked to be subbed for longer periods, and both times the Lakers fell back by double digits and finally lost by six points. Game 4 saw Celtics guard Sam Jones hit an off-balance buzzer beater to tie the series, but in Game 5, the Lakers struck back and won by 13 points. West – who scored 39 points and by far led all players in scoring during the entire series – lunged for a meaningless late-game ball and seriously pulled his hamstring: it was immediately visible that the injury would not heal until the end of the series. Limping, he scored 26 points in Game 6, but the Celtics won 99–90 with a strong Bill Russell, who held Chamberlain to only 8 points in the entire game. In Game 7, Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke had put up thousands of balloons in the rafters of the Forum in Los Angeles. This display of arrogance motivated the Celtics and angered West. The Lakers trailed the entire game and were behind 91–76 after three quarters, but powered by a limping West, the Lakers closed the gap to 103–102 with two minutes to go and had the ball. But West committed costly turnovers and L.A. lost the game 108–106 despite a triple-double of 42 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists from West, who became the only recipient of the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award from the losing team. After the loss West was seen as the ultimate tragic hero: after the game, Bill Russell held his hand, and John Havlicek said: "I love you, Jerry". In the 1969–70 NBA season under new coach Joe Mullaney, the Lakers' season began with a shock when Wilt Chamberlain seriously injured his knee and missed practically the whole regular season. As after Baylor's injury years before, West stepped into the void, leading the NBA in scoring average with 31.2 points per game, and averaging 4.6 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game, earning him his first of four All-Defensive First Team votes and another All-NBA First Team berth after two Second Team years. The Lakers won 46 games, and in the 1970 NBA Playoffs, they narrowly beat the Phoenix Suns in seven games and swept the Hawks in four, setting up the first NBA Finals between the Lakers and the rugged New York Knicks, led by Hall-of-Famers, such as Willis Reed, Dave DeBusschere, Bill Bradley, and Walt Frazier. L.A. and N.Y. split the first two games, with both games respectively decided by centers Reed and the still-hobbling Chamberlain. In Game 3, DeBusschere hit a mid-range jump shot with three seconds left to put the Knicks ahead 102–100, and the Lakers had no time-outs left. Chamberlain inbounded the ball to West, who raced past Walt Frazier and threw up a 60-foot shot. Frazier later commented: "The man's crazy. He looks determined. He thinks it's going in!" West incredibly connected, and this basket was later called one of the greatest moments ever by the NBA. As the three-point line had not been introduced yet, the shot just tied the game. In overtime, West sprained his left hand and missed all five of his shots, and the Knicks won 111–108. In Game 4, the guard scored 37 points and 18 assists, and the Lakers won. More frustration awaited West in Game 5, when Reed pulled his thigh muscle and seemed out for the series; instead of capitalizing on a double-digit lead and reeling off an easy win, the Lakers committed 19 second-half turnovers, and the two main scorers Chamberlain and West shot the ball only three and two times, respectively, in the entire second half and lost 107–100 in what was called one of the greatest comebacks in NBA Finals history. After Chamberlain scored 45 points and West 31 points plus 13 assists in a series-equalizing 135–113 Lakers win, the Lakers seemed favorites prior to Game 7. West had also injured his right hand and taken several manual injections, and Reed hobbled up court before Game 7: the Knicks center scored the first four points, and inspired his team to one of the most famous playoff upsets of all time. With his injured hands, West still hit nine of his 19 shots, but was outplayed by Walt Frazier, who scored 36 points and 19 assists and was credited with several crucial steals on Lakers guard Dick Garrett. In the 1970–71 NBA season, the Lakers reacquired Gail Goodrich, who came back from the Phoenix Suns after playing for L.A. until 1968. At age 32, West averaged 26.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 9.5 assists, and helped the Lakers win 46 games and make the 1971 NBA Playoffs. After losing Elgin Baylor to an Achilles tendon rupture that effectively ended his career, West himself injured his knee and was out for the season; the short-handed Lakers lost the Western Conference Finals in five games to the championship-bound Milwaukee Bucks, who were led by freshly-crowned Most Valuable Player Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and veteran Hall-of-Fame guard Oscar Robertson. 1971–74: Late success and twilight years Before the 1971–72 NBA season, West was smarting from his frequent injuries and losses and considered retirement. The Lakers hired former Celtics star guard and future Hall-of-Fame coach Bill Sharman as head coach. Although injured captain Elgin Baylor ended his career, the Lakers had a season for the ages. The team was powered by Sharman's emphasis on tough defense and fast break offense, and L.A. embarked on an unprecedented 33 game win streak, en route to a then-record 69 wins in the regular season. West himself contributed with 25.8 points and led the league with a career-high 9.7 assists per game. He was named All-Star, All-NBA and All-Defense First Teamer and voted 1972 All-Star Game MVP. Prior to the Laker's 33 game team win streak, in which West started every game, the Lakers played 5 games in which West was injured and did not play. The Lakers lost 3 of the 5 games. Prior to that, West started 8 straight games in which the Lakers won each game. As a result, Jerry West had a personal win streak of 41 games in which he started. This is the longest such personal win streak in major American professional sports history. In the postseason, the Lakers defeated the Chicago Bulls in a four-game sweep, then went on to face the Milwaukee Bucks, and defeated them in six games. In the 1972 NBA Finals, the Lakers again met the New York Knicks. Although West suffered a terrible shooting slump during Games 1 and 2, the Lakers tied the series at one win each, and in Game 3, he scored 21 points and helped L.A. win Game 3. In this game, he reached 4,002 playoff points, which set an all-time NBA record. After winning Game 4 due to a superb outing from Wilt Chamberlain, West scored 23 points and dished out 9 assists in Game 5, helping the Lakers to win the game and the NBA championship. The championship was West's first-ever NBA title. West conceded that he had played a terrible series and credited the team for the success. Years later he said "I played terrible basketball in the Finals, and we won... It was particularly frustrating because I was playing so poorly that the team overcame me. Maybe that's what a team is all about." Having vanquished this long-time bane, West entered his 13th NBA year. In the 1972–73 NBA season, the main scoring role was taken by Goodrich, and West was now a playmaker instead of a scorer. He averaged 22.8 points, but also averaged 8.8 assists per game, and again was a First Teamer in the All-Star, All-NBA, and All-Defense Teams. The Lakers won 60 games and reached the 1973 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks. In-Game 1 West scored 24 points before fouling out with three minutes left and L.A. won Game 1 115–112. The Knicks took Games 2 and 3, and West strained both of his hamstrings: in Game 4, the shorthanded Lakers were no match for New York, and in Game 5, the valiant, but injured West and Hairston had miserable games, and despite Chamberlain scoring 23 points and grabbing 21 rebounds, the Lakers lost 102–93 and the series. The 1973–74 NBA season was to be West's last as a player. Now 36 years old, the veteran guard averaged 20.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game. In two newly introduced statistics, steals and blocks, he was credited with 2.6 steals and 0.7 blocks per game. Despite playing only 31 games due to a strained groin, West was still regarded as an elite guard, earning another call-up into his final All-Star Game. Without Chamberlain, who had ended his NBA career, the Lakers won 47 games and lost in five games to the Milwaukee Bucks. After this loss, West retired due to contract disagreements with Cooke, and filed a suit for unpaid back wages. West wanted to renegotiate his contract and keep playing. He said Cooke "basically told my agent to go to hell. I felt I was deceived. When you feel that you're deceived you don't want any part of the organization that deceived you. I could've played another very good year. Every athlete says that. But I could've, and I knew I could've. But I could never have played for the Lakers again, and I wasn't going to play for anybody else." At the time of his departure, West had scored more points than any other Laker in franchise history. Coaching career Los Angeles Lakers (1976–1979) Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke was known for a keen eye identifying leadership and teaching qualities (he also gave Hall of Famers Sparky Anderson and Joe Gibbs their first managerial/head coaching positions), and asked West to coach and participate in player personnel decisions. In the 1976–77 season, West became coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. In three years, he led the Lakers and star center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to a 145–101 record, making the playoffs all three seasons and reaching the Western Conference finals in 1977. Executive career Los Angeles Lakers (1979–2000) After his coaching stint, West worked as a scout for three years before becoming general manager of the Lakers before the 1982–83 season, when he succeeded Bill Sharman. West helped to build the great 1980s Lakers dynasty, also known as Showtime, which brought five championship rings (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988) to Los Angeles. Those championship-winning Lakers were coached by Pat Riley, and featured superstar players Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy. After a slump in the early 1990s, West rebuilt the team of coach Del Harris around center Vlade Divac, forward Cedric Ceballos, and guard Nick Van Exel, which won 48 games, and went to the Western Conference semifinals. In 1995, West received his first Executive of the Year Award for his role in turning the Lakers around. West continued to propel the Lakers to championship contender status by trading Divac for the draft rights to Kobe Bryant (1996), by signing free agent center Shaquille O'Neal (also in 1996), and by signing six-time NBA champion Phil Jackson as a coach (1999). West departed from the Lakers at the end of the 1999–2000 season after he won his sixth championship as a Lakers' executive. He laid down the foundation of the Lakers' three-peat, which saw L.A. win three NBA titles from 2000 to 2002. Memphis Grizzlies (2002–2007) In 2002, West became the general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies. He explained his decision with the desire for exploring something new: "After being a part of the Lakers success for so many years, I have always wondered how it would be to build a winning franchise that has not experienced much success. I want to help make a difference." West's Memphis stint was not as spectacular as his Los Angeles stint, but he turned a franchise which was about to be sold into a reliable playoffs team, making few trades but getting the maximum from the players he had available (such as Pau Gasol, James Posey, and Jason Williams) and signing coach Hubie Brown, who became Coach of the Year in 2004. West himself won his second NBA Executive of the Year Award in the same year. In 2007, West retired as a Grizzlies general manager and turned over managing duties to Chris Wallace. Golden State Warriors (2011–2017) On May 19, 2011, West joined the Golden State Warriors as an executive board member, reporting directly to new owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber. This role also came with an undisclosed minority ownership stake in the team. In 2015, the Warriors won their first championship in 40 years; the championship was the seventh earned by West while serving as a team executive. He earned his eighth in the 2016–17 season. Los Angeles Clippers (2017–2024) On June 1, 2017, West publicly stated that he would have been interested in returning to the Lakers, but nothing materialized as they hired Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka to run the team. On June 14, West announced that he would go to the Los Angeles Clippers as an executive board member and consultant. Clippers coach, Doc Rivers, floated the idea of West joining the organization during the 2016 season. West referred to leaving Golden State as "one of the saddest days of his life", but was excited to find a new challenge. On December 17, 2020, it was reported that West and the LA Clippers were under investigation by the NBA following a lawsuit filed by John Wilkes against the LA Clippers over the recruitment of Kawhi Leonard to the team. NBA career statistics Regular season Playoffs Head coaching record Player profile West was an all-around combo guard who could take the playmaking roles of a point guard and score like a shooting guard, while being equally strong on offense and defense. He had a jump shot with a release the NBA lauded as "lightning quick", and was known for making baskets late in the game, earning him the nickname "Mr. Clutch". Having played forward early in his career, he was also a capable rebounder, and gifted with long arms, quick hands, and strong defensive instincts. He was also described as one of the best ballhawks, man-to-man defenders and shot blockers among NBA guards: when the All-Defensive Teams were introduced in 1969, he made every one of them until his career ended in 1974. "He stole more than anybody, although they didn't keep records on it then", said Sharman. Contemporaries were most impressed by his work ethic, practicing, shooting and, rarely satisfying himself. West's all-round game and attitude is maybe best expressed in his statistically most spectacular game: he once was credited with 44 points (16 of 17 shots from the field, 12 of 12 free throw attempts) with 12 rebounds, 12 assists, and (unofficially counted) 10 blocked shots, thus scoring a non-official ultra-rare quadruple double. He commented: "Defensively, from a team standpoint, I didn't feel I played very well. Very rarely was I satisfied with how I played." Legacy West ended his playing career with 14 All-Star, 12 All-NBA Team and five All-Defensive Team selections, and scored 25,192 points, 6,238 assists and 5,366 rebounds in 932 games, translating to an average of 27.0 points, 6.7 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game. Among retired players, only Michael Jordan, Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain surpass his 27.0 points per game average. He led the Lakers in scoring in seven seasons, and is the league leader in career scoring in the NBA Finals (1,679). In 1979, West was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Lakers retired his No. 44 jersey in 1983. He was also elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic team in 2010, and will be inducted as a contributor in 2024; his induction as a contributor honors his tenure as a general manager and consultant. West was the first person to be enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and a contributor. The NBA logo, which was designed in 1969, incorporates a silhouette based on a photography of West according to its designer Alan Siegel. In March 2008, ESPN voted West the third greatest shooting guard of all time. In 2022, to commemorate the NBA's 75th Anniversary The Athletic ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named West as the 14th greatest player in NBA history. As a coach, West led the Lakers into three consecutive playoff campaigns, and then went on to win eight NBA championships as an executive and consultant. West built the 1980s Lakers dynasty under coach Pat Riley and players Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy and the 2000s under coach Phil Jackson and players Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. He was a member of Golden State's front office when the Warriors won titles in 2015 and 2017. In the summer of 2000, the city of Morgantown, West Virginia, and West Virginia Governor Cecil Underwood, dedicated the road outside of the West Virginia University Coliseum, "Jerry West Boulevard". The same road is shared on the south end of Morgantown with Don Knotts Boulevard, in honor of another WVU alumnus. Also, on November 26, 2005, his number 44 became the first basketball number to be retired by West Virginia University and on February 17, 2007, a bronze statue created by sculptor Jamie Lester was installed outside of the WVU Coliseum. On February 17, 2011, a statue of West was unveiled outside Staples Center at the Star Plaza in Los Angeles, California. On September 5, 2019, West received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Donald Trump in recognition of his contributions to the sport. Personal life West married his college sweetheart Martha Jane Kane in April 1960 in Morgantown; they divorced in 1976. They had three sons: David, Mark, and Michael. Jerry married his second wife, Kristine "Karen" Bua, in 1978. They had two sons, Ryan and Jonnie. Ryan is an executive with the Detroit Pistons. Jonnie played guard for West's college team, the West Virginia Mountaineers, is director of Basketball Operations for the Golden State Warriors, and married professional golfer Michelle Wie in 2019. West was often described as an introverted and nervous character, but he also drew the highest praise for his uncompromising work ethic. Regarding his shyness, WVU roommate Jody Gardner testified that West never dated in his entire freshman year, and Lakers coach Fred Schaus once recalled two weeks when his guard never said a word. Apart from being shy, West was always restless: Schaus described him as a "bundle of nerves", Celtics contemporary Bob Cousy said West "was always on the move", and fellow Laker and Mountaineer Rod Hundley testified that during bar visits, West would quickly squirm and demand to go elsewhere before everybody else had settled. His first wife Martha Kane recalled that her husband often had difficulties opening up to her. After a big loss, the Wests would drive home and she would try to console him, but West would say "get out" at the home porch and drive away—an experience that "killed" her as a wife. Early in his career, West's West Virginian roots made him a target for some mild jeering. He spoke with a high-pitched voice that became even shriller when he became excited so that Lakers captain Elgin Baylor dubbed West "Tweety Bird". His Appalachian accent was so thick that one coach interrupted him and asked him to speak English. Baylor once commented: "Rumors are safe with you, Tweety Bird. You pass them on, but nobody can understand you." West was also regarded for his extreme mental toughness and his exemplary work ethic. The NBA said he had "obsessive perfectionism, unabashed confidence, and an uncompromising will to win... a level of intensity so high it could melt lead". Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn once said: "He took a loss harder than any player I've ever known. He would sit by himself and stare into space. A loss just ripped his guts out." Even before his sole championship in 1972, the Lakers held a "Jerry West Night", and eleven-time NBA champion and perennial rival Bill Russell appeared and said: "Jerry, you are, in every sense of the word, truly a champion... If I could have one wish granted, it would be that you would always be happy." In 2011, West and bestselling author Jonathan Coleman wrote a memoir entitled West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life. The book had tremendous critical acclaim and became an instant New York Times bestseller. During an interview on HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, West revealed that as a child he was the victim of physical abuse from his father and has suffered from depression ever since. West was portrayed in the 2022 HBO docudrama series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty as a temperamental, foul-mouthed executive, prone to angry outbursts and mood swings. On April 19, 2022, West demanded a retraction from the network within two weeks for the "cruel" and "deliberately false" depiction, as played by actor Jason Clarke. Death West died in Los Angeles on June 12, 2024, at the age of 86. A moment of silence was held in West's memory before Game 3 of the ongoing NBA Finals between the Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks that night. See also List of NBA career scoring leaders List of NBA career assists leaders List of NBA career free throw scoring leaders List of NBA career playoff scoring leaders List of NBA career playoff assists leaders List of NBA annual scoring leaders List of NBA single-game scoring leaders List of NBA single-game assists leaders List of NBA single-game steals leaders List of NBA single-game playoff scoring leaders List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise Footnotes Notes References Cherry, Robert (2004). Wilt: Larger than Life. Chicago: Triumph Books. ISBN 1-57243-672-7. Lazenby, Roland (2005). The Show: The Inside Story of the Spectacular Los Angeles Lakers in the Words of Those Who Lived It. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-07-143034-2. Lazenby, Roland (2010). Jerry West: The Life and Legend of a Basketball Icon. Random House. p. 422. ISBN 978-0-345-51083-9. West, Jerry; Libby, Bill (1969). Mr. Clutch: The Jerry West Story. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Associated Features; Prentice Hall. ISBN 0-13-604710-6. LCCN 73-82904. Taylor, John (2005). The Rivalry: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and the Golden Age of Basketball. New York City: Random House. ISBN 1-4000-6114-8. External links Career statistics and player information from NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com Jerry West at nba.com Jerry West at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Jerry West Digital Collection at the West Virginia & Regional History Center Career Statistics (coach) Statistics (college)
Wealth_of_Elon_Musk	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wealth_of_Elon_Musk	[ 646 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wealth_of_Elon_Musk" ]	Elon Musk made $175.8 million when PayPal was sold to eBay in October 2002. He was first listed on the Forbes Billionaires List in 2012, with a net worth of $2 billion. He is the chairman, CEO, and CTO of SpaceX; angel investor, CEO, product architect, and former chairman of Tesla, Inc.; owner, executive chairman, and CTO of X Corp.; founder of the Boring Company and xAI; co-founder of Neuralink and OpenAI; and president of the Musk Foundation. He is one of the wealthiest people in the world, with an estimated net worth of US$248 billion as of September 2024, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, and $251.6 billion according to Forbes, primarily from his ownership stakes in Tesla and SpaceX. Details At the start of 2020, Elon Musk had a net worth of $27 billion. By the end of the year his net worth had increased by $150 billion, mostly driven by his ownership of around 20% of Tesla stock. During this period, Musk's net worth was often volatile. For example, it dropped $16.3 billion on September 8, the largest single-day plunge in Bloomberg Billionaires Index's history at the time. In November of that year, Musk passed Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg to become the third-richest person in the world; a week later he passed Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to become the second-richest. In January 2021, Musk, with a net worth of $185 billion, surpassed Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to become the richest person in the world. Bezos reclaimed the top spot the following month. On September 27, 2021, after Tesla stock surged, Forbes announced that Musk had a net worth of over $200 billion, and was the richest person in the world. In November 2021, Musk became the first person to have a net worth of more than $300 billion. On December 30, 2022, it was reported that Musk had lost $200 billion from his net worth due to declining stock values in Tesla, becoming the first person in history to lose such a large sum of money. In January 2023, Musk was recognized by Guinness World Records for experiencing the "largest loss of personal fortune in history" with regards to his financial losses since November 2021, which Guinness quoted a Forbes estimate of $182 billion. Musk's personal wealth is managed by his family office called Excession LLC, formed in 2016 and run by Jared Birchall. Sources of wealth Around 75% of Musk's wealth was derived from Tesla stock in November 2020, a proportion that fell to about 37% as of December 2022, after selling nearly $40 billion in company shares since late 2021. Musk does not receive a salary from Tesla; he agreed with the board in 2018 to a compensation plan that ties his personal earnings to Tesla's valuation and revenue. The deal stipulated that Musk only received the compensation if Tesla reached certain market values. It was the largest such deal ever done between a CEO and a company board. In the first award, given in May 2020, he was eligible to purchase 1.69 million Tesla shares (about 1% of the company) at below-market prices, which was worth about $800 million. The above stock compensation deal was invalidated by the Delaware court due to Musk controlling Tesla and having massive influence on the directors, making the compensation decision a "conflicted-controller transaction" which is subject to court review in Delaware law to be judged for fairness. Tesla is trying to reinstate the payment package via new shareholders votes. Musk paid $455 million in taxes on $1.52 billion of income between 2014 and 2018. According to ProPublica, Musk paid no federal income taxes in 2018. He stated his 2021 tax bill was estimated at $12 billion based on his sale of $14 billion worth of Tesla stock. Musk has repeatedly described himself as "cash poor", and has "professed to have little interest in the material trappings of wealth". In May 2020, he pledged to sell almost all physical possessions after a talk with Cory Spears. Musk has defended his wealth by saying he is accumulating resources for humanity's outward expansion to space. Notes == References ==
Economy_of_the_Philippines	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_Philippines	[ 646 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_Philippines" ]	The economy of the Philippines is an emerging market, and considered as a newly industrialized country in the Asia-Pacific region. In 2024, the Philippine economy is estimated to be at ₱26.55 trillion ($471.5 billion), making it the world's 32nd largest by nominal GDP and 13th largest in Asia according to the International Monetary Fund. The Philippine economy is transitioning from one based on agriculture to one based more on services and manufacturing. It has experienced significant economic growth and transformation in recent years. With an average annual growth rate of around 6 percent since 2010, the country has emerged as one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. The Philippines is a founding member of the United Nations, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, East Asia Summit and the World Trade Organization. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is headquartered in the Ortigas Center located in the city of Mandaluyong, Metro Manila. The country's primary exports include semiconductors and electronic products, transport equipment, garments, chemical products, copper, nickel, abaca, coconut oil, and fruits. Its major trading partners include Japan, China, the United States, Singapore, South Korea, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Germany, Taiwan, and Thailand. In 2017, the Philippine economy was projected to become the 9th largest in Asia and 19th largest in the world by 2050. By 2035, the Filipino economy is predicted to be the 22nd largest in the world. The Philippines has been named as one of the Tiger Cub Economies, alongside Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand. However, major problems remain, mainly related to alleviating the wide income and growth disparities between the country's different regions and socioeconomic classes, reducing corruption, and investing in the infrastructure necessary to ensure future growth. In 2024, the World Economic Forum chief Børge Brende said that “there is a real opportunity for this country to become a $2-trillion economy.” Overview The Philippine economy has been growing steadily over decades and the International Monetary Fund in 2014 reported it as the 39th largest economy in the world. The Philippines posted a high GDP growth rate of 7.6 percent in 2022. However, the country is not a part of the Group of 20 nations; instead, it is grouped in a second tier for emerging markets or newly industrialized countries. Notes for economic growth (1980-2023): 1980-82: Slower economic growth due to mismanagement 1983-86: Recession due to factors like corruption 1987-90: Recovery from 1984 crisis 1991-1992: Inflation and natural disasters (notably Mount Pinatubo eruption) caused slower growth 1993-97: Fast growth 1998: Minor recession due to the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis 1999: Recovery 2002-2008: Post-EDSA II recovery 2009: Effects of the Great Recession 2010-2019: Philippines as a Tiger Economy 2020: Coronavirus Outbreak 2021-2023: Rebound A chart below outlines selected statistics showing trends in the gross domestic product of the Philippines using data taken from the International Monetary Fund. Composition by sector As a newly industrialized country, the Philippines is still an economy with a large agricultural sector; however, the country's service industry has expanded recently. Much of the industrial sector is based on processing and assembly operations in the manufacturing of electronics and other high-tech components, usually from foreign multinational corporations. Filipinos who go abroad to work–-known as Overseas Filipino Workers or OFWs—are a significant contributor to the economy but are not reflected in the below sectoral discussion of the domestic economy. OFW remittances is also credited for the Philippines' recent economic growth resulting in investment status upgrades from credit ratings agencies such as the Fitch Group and Standard & Poor's. From more than US$2 billion worth of remittance from Overseas Filipinos sent to the Philippines in 1994, this significantly increased to a record US$37.2 billion in 2023 and represented 8.5 percent of the country's GDP. Agriculture As of 2022, agriculture employs 24 percent of the Filipino workforce accounting for 8.9 percent of the total GDP. The type of activity ranges from small subsistence farming and fishing to large commercial ventures with significant export focus. The Philippines is the world's third largest producer of coconuts, and the world's largest exporter of coconut products. Coconut production is generally concentrated in medium-sized farms. The Philippines is also the world's third largest producer of pineapples, producing 2,862,000 metric tons (2,817,000 long tons; 3,155,000 short tons) in 2021. Rice production in the Philippines is important to the food supply in the country and economy. The Philippines is the 8th largest rice producer in the world as of 2019, accounting for 2.5 percent of global rice production. Rice is the most important food crop, a staple food in most of the country; it is produced extensively in Central Luzon), Western Visayas, Cagayan Valley, Soccsksargen, and Ilocos Region. The Philippines is one of the largest producers of sugar in the world. At least 17 provinces located in eight regions of the nation have grown sugarcane crops, of which the Negros Island Region accounts for half of the country's total production. As of Crop Year 2012–2013, 29 mills are operational divided as follows: 13 mills in Negros, 6 mills in Luzon, 4 mills in Panay, 3 mills in Eastern Visayas and 3 mills in Mindanao. A range from 360,000 to 390,000 hectares (890,000 to 960,000 acres) are devoted to sugarcane production. The largest sugarcane areas are found in the Negros Island Region, which accounts for 51 percent of sugarcane areas planted. This is followed by Mindanao which accounts for 20 percent; Luzon with 17 percent; Panay with 7 percent and Eastern Visayas with 4 percent. Automotive and aerospace The ABS used in Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Volvo cars are made in the Philippines. Automotive sales in the Philippines increased to 352,596 units in 2022 from 268,488 units a year prior. Toyota sells the most vehicles in the country; this is followed by Mitsubishi, Ford, Nissan, and Suzuki. Honda and Suzuki produce motorcycles in the country. Since around the 2010s, several Chinese car brands have entered the Philippine market; these include Chery and Foton Motor. Aerospace products in the Philippines are mainly for the export market and include manufacturing parts for aircraft built by both Boeing and Airbus. Moog is the biggest aerospace manufacturer with base in Baguio; the company produces aircraft actuators in their manufacturing facility. Total export output of aerospace products in the Philippines reached US$780 million in 2019. Electronics A Texas Instruments plant in Baguio has been operating for 20 years and is the largest producer of DSP chips in the world. Texas Instruments' Baguio plant produces all the chips used in Nokia cell phones and 80% of chips used in Ericsson cell phones in the world. Toshiba hard disk drives are manufactured in Santa Rosa, Laguna. Printer manufacturer Lexmark has a factory in Cebu City. Electronics and other light industries are concentrated in Laguna, Cavite, Batangas and other Calabarzon provinces with sizable numbers found in Southern Philippines that account for most of the country's export. The Philippine Electronics Industry is classified into (73%) Semiconductor Manufacturing Services (SMS) and (27%) Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) according to SEIPI, the largest organization of foreign and Filipino electronics companies in the Philippines. Electronic products continued to be the country's top export with total earnings of US$45.66 billion and accounted for 57.8 percent of the total export of goods in 2022. Mining and extraction The Philippines is rich in mineral and geothermal energy resources. In 2019, it produced 1,928 megawatts (2,585,000 hp) of electricity from geothermal sources (7.55% of total electricity production). A 1989 discovery of natural gas reserves in the Malampaya oil fields off the island of Palawan is being used to generate electricity in three gas-powered plants. Philippine gold, nickel, copper, palladium and chromite deposits are among the largest in the world. Other important minerals include silver, coal, gypsum, and sulphur. Significant deposits of clay, limestone, marble, silica, and phosphate exist. About 60 percent of total mining production are accounted for by non-metallic minerals, which contributed substantially to the industry's steady output growth between 1993 and 1998, with the value of production growing 58 percent. Philippine mineral exports amounted to US$4.22 billion in 2020. Low metal prices, high production costs, lack of investment in infrastructure, and a challenge to the new mining law have contributed to the mining industry's overall decline. The industry rebounded starting in late 2004 when the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of an important law permitting foreign ownership of Philippines mining companies. In 2019, the country was the 2nd largest world producer of nickel and the 4th largest world producer of cobalt. According to Philippine Statistics Authority, the total monetary value of four key metallic minerals which were appraised to Class A namely: copper, chromite, gold and nickel were valued at US$9.01 billion in 2022. Class A mineral resources are commercially recoverable that could contribute to economy annually. Offshoring and outsourcing Business process outsourcing (BPO) and the call center industry contribute to the Philippines' economic growth resulting in investment status upgrades from credit ratings agencies such as Fitch and S&P. In 2008, the Philippines has surpassed India as the world leader in business process outsourcing (BPO). The industry generated 100,000 jobs, and total revenues were placed at US$960 million for 2005. In 2011, BPO sector employment ballooned to over 700,000 people and is contributing to a growing middle class; this increased to around 1.3 million employees by 2022. BPO facilities are concentrated in IT parks and centers in economic zones across the Philippines: Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Metro Clark, Bacolod, Davao City, and Iloilo City; other areas with significant pressence of the BPO industry include Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Dasmariñas, Dumaguete, Lipa, Naga, and Santa Rosa, Laguna. The majority of the top ten BPO firms of the United States operate in the Philippines. Call centers began in the Philippines as plain providers of email response and managing services and is a major source of employment. Call center services include customer relations, ranging from travel services, technical support, education, customer care, financial services, online business to customer support, and online business-to-business support. The Philippines is considered as a location of choice due to its many outsourcing benefits such as less expensive operational and labor costs, the high proficiency in spoken English of a significant number of its people, and a highly educated labor pool. The growth in the BPO industry is promoted by the Philippine government. The industry is highlighted by the Philippines Development Plan as among the 10 high potential and priority development areas. The government provides incentive programs such as tax holidays, tax exemptions, and simplified export and import procedures. Additionally, training is also available for BPO applicants. Renewable energy resources The Philippines has significant potential in solar energy; however, as of 2021, most of the domestically produced electricity is based on fossil fuel resources, particularly coal. The country produced 7,399 megawatts (9,922,000 hp) of renewable energy in 2019. On November 15, 2022, the renewable energy sector was granted the ability to operate with 100 percent foreign ownership, an increase from the previous 40 percent limit. This change allows for the infusion of foreign capital into the renewable energy (RE) industries. The Department of Energy is targeting an increase in the share of renewable energy in the country's power generation mix, aiming for 35 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040, up from the current 22 percent. Danish firm Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) is investing US$5 billion to develop three offshore wind energy projects with a potential capacity of 2,000 megawatts (2,700,000 hp); it will be located in Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur (1000 MW), Northern Samar (650 MW), Pangasinan and La Union (350 MW). In 2022, the share of RE in the energy mix was at 22.8 percent. Shipbuilding and repair The Philippines is a significant player in the global shipbuilding industry with 118 registered shipyards in 2021 distributed in Subic, Cebu, Bataan, Navotas and Batangas. As of 2022, it is the seventh largest shipbuilding nation by gross tonnage. Subic-made cargo vessels are exported to countries where shipping operators are based. South Korea's Hanjin started production in Subic in 2007 of the 20 ships ordered by German and Greek shipping operators. Bulk carriers, container ships and big passenger ferries are built in the country's shipyards. General Santos' shipyard is mainly for ship repair and maintenance. Surrounded by waters, the country has abundant natural deep-sea ports ideal for development as production, construction and repair sites. In the ship repair sector, the Navotas complex in Metro Manila is expected to accommodate 96 vessels for repair. Shipbuilding is part of Philippines' maritime heritage; employing over 600,000 people and contributing almost 15 percent of revenues to the ocean-based industries. Tourism Regional accounts For the year 2022, all economies of the 17 regions in the Philippines recorded positive growths; Western Visayas had the highest growth (9.3 percent), followed by Cordillera Administrative Region (8.7 percent), and Davao Region (8.15 percent). According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), gross regional domestic product (GRDP) is GDP measured at regional levels. Figures below are for the year 2019. International comparisons Statistics GDP-related data can be found here: Industries: electronics assembly, aerospace, agribusiness, automotive, IT and business process outsourcing, shipbuilding, garments, footwear, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wood products, financial services, food processing, petrochemical, metalcasting and mining, real estate, textile, tourism Electricity – production: 106,115 GWh (2021) Agriculture – products: abaca, bananas, sugarcane, coconuts, durian, rice, corn, cassavas, mangoes; pork, eggs, beef, pineapples, fish Exports – commodities/products: Semiconductors and electronic products, machinery, transport equipment, aerospace/parts, automotive/parts, garments, chemicals, copper,nickel, petroleum products, coconut oil, fruits Imports – commodities/products: electronic products, machinery, telecommunication and transport equipment, automotive, chemicals, petroleum, cereals, livestocks, cement and steel, fruits Manufacturing Growth: 5.9% (April 2024) PMI Manufacturing: 52.2 (April 2024) Yield Curve: 10-Year Bond 6.70% (June 2024) Net International Investment Position: –$51.317 billion (2023 est.) Government budget The national government budget for 2024 has set the following budget allocations: See also Bamboo network Emerging markets List of companies of the Philippines List of largest companies in the Philippines Newly industrialized country Tiger Cub Economies References Notes Further reading Balisacan, Arsenio; Hal Hill (2003). The Philippine Economy: Development, Policies, and Challenges. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 496. ISBN 978-0-19-515898-4. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Balisacan, Arsenio; Hal Hill (2007). The Dynamics of Regional Development: The Philippines in East Asia (PDF). Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 8, 2010. Bhagwati, Jagdish and Anne Krueger. (1974). Foreign Trade Regimes and Economic Development. National Bureau of Economic Research. Hawes, Gary, And Ruth T. Mcvey. (2018) "Marcos, His Cronies, and the Philippines' Failure to Develop." Southeast Asian Capitalists (Cornell University Press, 2018) pp. 145–160. Hutchcroft, Paul D. (1998). Booty Capitalism: The Politics of Banking in the Philippines. Cornell University Press. ISBN 9781501738630. Kang, David C. (2002). Crony Capitalism – Corruption and Development in South Korea and the Philippines. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-00408-4. Krinks, Peter. The economy of the Philippines: Elites, inequalities and economic restructuring (Routledge, 2003_. Villegas, Bernardo. (2010). The Philippine Advantage (3rd ed.). Manila: University of Asia and the Pacific. Yang, Lan, et al. "Can an island economy be more sustainable? A comparative study of Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines." Journal of Cleaner Production 242 (2020): 118572. The Impact of Trade on Employment in the Philippines: Country Report (PDF). Makati City, Philippines: International Labour Organization. April 2019. ISBN 978-92-2-133021-9. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 24, 2022. State of the Philippine Islands (1821) online Philippines – Asia's new tiger economy Philippines' opportunity point External links Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Central Bank of the Philippines) Department of Trade and Industry Department of Finance Archived February 28, 2009, at the Wayback Machine Philippine Stock Exchange Department of Tourism Philippine Economic Zone Authority Trade World Bank Summary Trade Statistics Philippines 2020
List_of_capitals_in_the_United_States	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_capitals_in_the_United_States	[ 647 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_capitals_in_the_United_States" ]	This is a list of capital cities of the United States, including places that serve or have served as federal, state, insular area, territorial, colonial and Native American capitals. Washington, D.C. has been the federal capital of the United States since 1800. Each U.S. state has its own capital city, as do many of its insular areas. Most states have not changed their capital city since becoming a state, but the capital cities of their respective preceding colonies, territories, kingdoms, and republics typically changed multiple times. There have also been other governments within the current borders of the United States with their own capitals, such as the Republic of Texas, Native American nations, and other unrecognized governments. National capitals The buildings in cities identified in the chart below served either as official capitals of the United States under the United States Constitution, or, prior to its ratification, sites where the Second Continental Congress or Congress of the Confederation met. The United States did not have a permanent capital under the Articles of Confederation. The U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1787, and gave the Congress the power to exercise "exclusive legislation" over a district that "may, by Cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States." The 1st Congress met at Federal Hall in New York. In 1790, it passed the Residence Act, which established the national capital at a site along the Potomac River that would become Washington, D.C. For the next ten years, Philadelphia served as the temporary capital. There, Congress met at Congress Hall. On November 17, 1800, the 6th United States Congress formally convened in Washington, D.C. Congress has met outside of Washington only twice since: on July 16, 1987, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of ratification of the Constitution; and at Federal Hall National Memorial in New York on September 6, 2002, to mark the first anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Both meetings were ceremonial. State capitals Each state has a capital that serves as the seat of its government. Ten of the thirteen original states and 15 other states have changed their capital city at least once; the last state to move its capital city was Oklahoma in 1910. In the following table, the "Since" column shows the year that the city began serving as the state's capital (or the capital of the entities that preceded it). The MSA/μSA and CSA columns display the population of the metro area the city is a part of, and should not be construed to mean the population of the city's sphere of influence or that the city is an anchor for the metro area. Fields colored light yellow denote that the population is a micropolitan statistical area. Insular area capitals An insular area is a United States territory that is neither a part of one of the fifty states nor a part of the District of Columbia, the nation's federal district. Those insular areas with territorial capitals are listed below. Former national capitals Two of the 50 U.S. states, Hawaii and Texas, were once de jure sovereign states with diplomatic recognition from the international community. Hawaii During its history as a sovereign nation (Kingdom of Hawaii, 1795–1893; Republic of Hawaii, 1894–1898), five sites served as the capital of Hawaii: Waikīkī, 1795–1796 Hilo, 1796–1803 Honolulu, 1803–1812 Kailua-Kona, 1812–1820 Lahaina, 1820–1845 Honolulu, 1845–1898 Annexed by the United States in 1898, Honolulu remained the capital, first of the Territory of Hawaii (1900–1959), and then of the state (since 1959). Texas During its history as a sovereign nation (Republic of Texas, 1836–1845), seven sites served as the capital of Texas: Washington (now Washington-on-the-Brazos), 1836 Harrisburg (now part of Houston), 1836 Galveston, 1836 Velasco, 1836 West Columbia, 1836 Houston, 1837–1839 Austin, 1839–1845 Annexed by the United States in 1845, Austin remains the capital of the state of Texas. Native American capitals Some Native American tribes, in particular the Five Civilized Tribes, organized their states with constitutions and capitals in Western style. Others, like the Iroquois, had long-standing, pre-Columbian traditions of a 'capitol' longhouse where wampum and council fires were maintained with special status. Since they did business with the U.S. Federal Government, these capitals can be seen as officially recognized in some sense. Cherokee Nation New Echota 1825–1832 New Echota, now near Calhoun, Georgia, was founded in 1825, realizing the dream and plans of Cherokee Chief Major Ridge. Major Ridge chose the site because of its centrality in the historic Cherokee Nation which spanned parts of Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama, and because it was near the confluence of the Conasauga and Coosawattee rivers. The town's layout was partly inspired by Ridge's many visits to Washington D.C. and to Baltimore, but also invoked traditional themes of the Southeastern ceremonial complex. Complete with the Council House, Supreme Court, Cherokee syllabary printing press, and the houses of several of the Nation's constitutional officers, New Echota served as the capital until 1832 when the state of Georgia outlawed Native American assembly in an attempt to undermine the Nation. Thousands of Cherokee would gather in New Echota for the annual National Councils, camping along the nearby rivers and holding long stomp dances in the park-like woods that were typical of many Southeastern Native American settlements. Red Clay 1832–1838 The Cherokee National council grounds were moved to Red Clay, Tennessee, on the Georgia state line, in order to evade the Georgia state militia. The log cabins, limestone springs, and park-like woods of Red Clay served as the capital until the Cherokee Nation was removed to Indian Territory (Oklahoma) on the Trail of Tears. Tahlequah 1839–1907, 1938–present Tahlequah, in present-day Oklahoma, served as the capital of the original Cherokee Nation after Removal. After the Civil War, a turbulent period for the Nation which was involved in its own civil war resulting from pervasive anger and disagreements over removal from Georgia, the Cherokee Nation built a new National Capitol in Tahlequah out of brick. The building served as the capitol until 1907, when the Dawes Act finally dissolved the Cherokee Nation and Tahlequah became the county seat of Cherokee County, Oklahoma. The Cherokee National government was re-established in 1938 and Tahlequah remains the capital of the modern Cherokee Nation; it is also the capital of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians. Cherokee 20th century–present (Eastern Band of Cherokee) Approximately four to eight hundred Cherokees escaped removal because they lived on a separated tract, purchased later with the help of Confederate Colonel William Holland Thomas, along the Oconaluftee River deep in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. Some Cherokees fleeing the Federal Army, sent for the "round up", fled to the remote settlements separated from the rest of the Cherokee Territory in Georgia and North Carolina, in order to remain in their homeland. In the 20th century, their descendants organized as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; its capital is at Cherokee, North Carolina, in the tribally-controlled Qualla Boundary. Muscogee Creek Nation Hot Springs, Arkansas c. 1837–1866 After Removal from their Alabama-Georgia homeland, the Creek national government met near Hot Springs which was then part of their new territory as prescribed in the Treaty of Cusseta. Because some Creeks fought with the Confederacy in the American Civil War, the Union forced the Creeks to cede over 3,000,000-acre (1,200,000 ha) - half of their land in what is now Arkansas. Okmulgee 1867–1906 Served as the National capital after the American Civil War. It was probably named after Ocmulgee, on the Ocmulgee river in Macon, a principle Coosa and later Creek town built with mounds and functioning as part of the Southeastern ceremonial complex. However, there were other traditional Creek "mother-towns" before removal. The Ocmulgee mounds were ceded illegally in 1821 with the Treaty of Indian Springs. Iroquois Confederacy Onondaga (Onondaga privilege c. 1450–present) The Iroquois Confederacy or Haudenosaunee, which means "People of the Longhouse", was an alliance between the Five and later Six-Nations of Iroquoian language and culture of upstate New York. These include the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, and, after 1722, the Tuscarora Nations. Since the Confederacy's formation around 1450, the Onondaga Nation has held privilege of hosting the Iroquois Grand Council and the status of Keepers of the Fire and the Wampum —which they still do at the official Longhouse on the Onondaga Reservation. Now spread over reservations in New York and Ontario, the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee preserve this arrangement to this day in what they claim to be the "world's oldest representative democracy." Seneca Nation of Indians Jimerson Town (Allegany Reservation) Irving (Cattaraugus Reservation) The Seneca Nation republic was founded in 1848 and has two capitals that rotate responsibilities every two years. Jimerson Town was founded in the 1960s following the formation of the Allegheny Reservoir. The Senecas also have an administrative longhouse in Steamburg but do not consider that location to be a capital. Navajo Nation Window Rock Window Rock (Navajo: Tségháhoodzání), Arizona, is a small city that serves as the seat of government and capital of the Navajo Nation (1936–present), the largest territory of a sovereign Native American nation in North America. It lies within the boundaries of the St. Michaels Chapter, adjacent to the Arizona and New Mexico state line. Window Rock hosts the Navajo Nation governmental campus which contains the Navajo Nation Council, Navajo Nation Supreme Court, the offices of the Navajo Nation President and Vice President, and many Navajo government buildings. Unrecognized national capitals There have been a handful of self-declared or undeclared nations within the current borders of the United States which were never officially recognized as legally independent sovereign entities; however, these nations did have de facto control over their respective regions during their existence. Colonies of British America Prior to the independence of the United States from Great Britain, declared July 4, 1776 in the Declaration of Independence and ultimately secured in the American Revolutionary War, several congresses were convened on behalf of some of the colonies of British America. However, these bodies did not address the question of independence from England, and therefore did not designate a national capital. The Second Continental Congress encompassed the period during which the United States declared independence, but had not yet established a permanent national capital. Vermont Republic Before joining the United States as the fourteenth state, Vermont was an independent republic known as the Vermont Republic (1777–1791). Three cities served as the capital of the Republic: Westminster, 1777 Windsor, 1777–? Castleton, ?–1791 The current capital of the State of Vermont is Montpelier. State of Franklin The State of Franklin was an autonomous, secessionist United States territory created not long after the end of the American Revolution from territory that later was ceded by North Carolina to the federal government. Franklin's territory later became part of the state of Tennessee. Franklin was never officially admitted into the Union of the United States and existed for only four years. Jonesborough, Tennessee, 1784–1785 Greeneville, Tennessee, 1785–1788 State of Muskogee The State of Muskogee was a Native American state in Spanish Florida created by the Englishman William Augustus Bowles, who was its "Director General", author of its Constitution, and designer of its flag. It consisted of several tribes of Creeks and Seminoles. It existed from 1799 to 1803. It had one capital: Miccosukee, 1799–1803 Republic of West Florida The Republic of West Florida was a short-lived nation that broke away from the territory of Spanish West Florida in 1810. It comprised the Florida Parishes of the modern state of Louisiana and the Mobile District of the modern states of Mississippi and Alabama. (The Republic of West Florida did not include any part of the modern state of Florida.) Ownership of the area had been in dispute between Spain and the United States, which claimed that it had been included in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Within two months of the settlers' rebellion and the declaration of an independent nation, President James Madison sent American forces to peaceably occupy the new republic. It was formally annexed by the United States in 1812 over the objections of Spain and the land was divided between the Territory of Orleans and Territory of Mississippi. During its brief existence, the capital of the Republic of West Florida was: St. Francisville, Louisiana, 1810 Republic of Indian Stream The Republic of Indian Stream was an unrecognized independent nation within the present state of New Hampshire. The area that would become Pittsburg, New Hampshire, 1832–1835 California Republic Before being annexed by the United States in 1848 (following the Mexican–American War), a small portion of north-central California declared itself the California Republic, in an act of independence from Mexico, in 1846 (see Bear Flag Revolt). The republic only existed a month before it disbanded itself to join the advancing American army; its claimed territory later became part of the United States as a result of the Mexican Cession. The very short-lived California Republic was never recognized by the United States, Mexico or any other nation. The flag, featuring a silhouette of a California grizzly bear, a star, and the words "California Republic", became known as the Bear Flag and was later the basis for the official state flag of California. There was one de facto capital of the California Republic: Sonoma, 1846 Confederate States The Confederate States of America (C.S.A.) had two capitals during its existence. The first capital was established February 4, 1861, in Montgomery, Alabama, and remained there until it was moved to Richmond, Virginia, on May 29, 1861, after Virginia seceded on May 23. The individual state capitals remained the same in the Confederacy as they had been in the Union (U.S.A.), although as the advancing Union Army used those cities for military districts, some of the Confederate governments were relocated or moved out of state, traveling along with secessionist armies. Montgomery, Alabama, February 4, 1861 – May 29, 1861 Richmond, Virginia, May 29, 1861 – April 3, 1865 Free State of Jones In 1863 and 1864, Jones County, Mississippi revolted against Confederate rule and became practically independent under the name Free State of Jones. The Free State fought a number of skirmishes with Confederate troops. By the spring of 1864 the Jones County rebels had taken effective control of the county from the Confederate government, raised an American flag over the courthouse in Ellisville, and sent a letter to Union General William T. Sherman declaring Jones County's independence from the Confederacy. Scholars have disputed whether the county truly seceded, with some concluding it did not fully secede. Lack of documentation makes the situation difficult to assess. The rebellion in Jones County has been variously characterized as consisting of local skirmishes to being a full-fledged war of independence. Ellisville, Mississippi Historical state, colonial, and territorial capitals Most of the original Thirteen Colonies had their capitals occupied or attacked by the British during the American Revolutionary War. State governments operated where and as they could. The City of New York was occupied by British troops from 1776 to 1783. A similar situation occurred during the War of 1812, during the American Civil War in many Confederate states, and during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680–1692 in New Mexico. Twenty-two state capitals have been a capital longer than their state has been a state, since they served as the capital of a predecessor territory, colony, or republic. Boston, Massachusetts, has been a capital city since 1630; it is the oldest continuously running capital in the United States. Santa Fe, New Mexico, is the oldest capital city, having become capital in 1610 and interrupted only by the aforementioned Pueblo Revolt. An even older Spanish city, St. Augustine, Florida, served as a colonial capital from 1565 until about 1820, more than 250 years. The table below includes the following information: The state, the year in which statehood was granted, and the state's capital are shown in bold type. NOTE: For the first thirteen states, formerly the Thirteen Colonies of Great Britain on the Atlantic seaboard, the year of statehood is shown as 1776 (United States Declaration of Independence) rather than the subsequent year each state ratified the 1787 United States Constitution. (See List of U.S. states by date of admission to the Union.) The year listed for each capital is the starting date; the ending date is the starting date for the successor unless otherwise indicated. In many cases, capital cities of historical jurisdictions were outside of a state's present borders. (Those cities are generally indicated with the two-letter abbreviation for the U.S. state in which the former administrative capital is now located.) See also History of the United States List of largest cities of U.S. states and territories by population List of state and territorial capitols in the United States List of states and territories of the United States Lists of capitals Outline of United States history Relocation of the United States Government to Trenton (1799) Territorial evolution of the United States Territories of the United States Timeline of geopolitical changes Explanatory notes References Further reading Christian Montes. American Capitals: A Historical Geography (University of Chicago Press; 2014) 394 pages; scholarly study of geographic and other factors that have shaped the designation of capitals in all 50 states External links Florida Facts - The Capitol Archived November 17, 2001, at the Library of Congress Web Archives The Capitalization of Georgia The State Houses of Louisiana Las Vegas: Nevada's Next State Capital? New Hampshire Senate for Kids - Capitals Handbook of Texas Online – Capitals Colonial Capitals of the Dominion of Virginia Utah History To Go - Utah's Capitols
Joel_McHale	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_McHale	[ 648 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_McHale#:~:text=Joel%20Edward%20McHale%20(born%20November,actor%2C%20comedian%20and%20television%20presenter." ]	Joel Edward McHale (born November 20, 1971) is an American actor, comedian and television presenter. He is best known for hosting The Soup (2004–2015) and his role as Jeffrey "Jeff" Winger on the NBC sitcom Community (2009–2015). He has performed in the films Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spy Kids: All the Time in the World (2011), Ted (2012), and The Happytime Murders (2018). McHale also starred in the short-lived CBS sitcom The Great Indoors (2016–2017), hosted a reboot of Card Sharks (2019–2021), and portrayed the superhero Starman on the show Stargirl (2020–2022). In 2020, he hosted a special aftershow interviewing key subjects from the Netflix documentary series Tiger King and voiced Johnny Cage in the direct-to-video martial arts film Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge, a role he reprised in its sequel, Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms (2021). He also voices X-PO in Lego Dimensions (2015–2017) and The Scientist in Fortnite (2021–present). He currently has a lead role in the Fox comedy series Animal Control (2023–present), and recurs as abusive chef David Fields on the FX on Hulu comedy-drama series The Bear (2022–present). Early life McHale was born in Rome, Italy, on November 20, 1971, the son of Jack McHale, who worked as the dean of students at Loyola University's Rome Center, and his wife Laurie. His father is American and is from Chicago, while his mother is Canadian and a native of Vancouver. McHale is of Irish and Norwegian descent, and was raised Catholic. He grew up on Mercer Island, Washington, and briefly lived in Haddonfield, New Jersey, before returning to Mercer Island. He attended Mercer Island High School. He received a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Washington in 1995, and was briefly in the Theta Chi fraternity but left it because he "couldn't stand it." McHale was recruited to be on the University of Washington's rowing team but later joined its football team. He was a walk-on as a tight end. He spent two years with the team but did not play in any games. He was on the team that played in the 1993 Rose Bowl. He was part of the Almost Live! cast, a local sketch comedy television show produced by Seattle's KING-TV. From 1993 to 1997, he was a member of the improv comedy group at Unexpected Productions, participating in Theatersports! at the Market Theater located in Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle. He received an MFA from the Professional Actors Training Program at the University of Washington. Career Hosting In 2004, McHale began hosting The Soup, a satirical weekly television show on the E! television network. Throughout the show, he takes the audience through the oddities and ridiculous happenings of the week in television. He frequently appears as a co-host on Loveline. He has been a judge on Iron Chef America. McHale made a guest appearance on the finale of Last Comic Standing's sixth season, when he recapped the show's events in his typical format of jokes made popular on The Soup. He made an appearance as a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race season 11, episode 4, "Trump: The Rusical". McHale was the host at the 2014 White House Correspondents' Association annual dinner. He hosted the 2011 Independent Spirit Awards and the 2015 ESPY Awards. In 2016, he appeared as an occasional co-host alongside Kelly Ripa in the ABC morning show Live with Kelly. McHale hosted the 43rd People's Choice Awards on January 18, 2017, and the 2017 Webby Awards on May 15, 2017. McHale hosted video game developer and publisher Ubisoft's press conference at E3 2010. In January 2018, it was announced that he would be receiving his own talk show on Netflix in February. The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale combined celebrity guests, pre-taped sketches and video clips in a half-hour series that focused on pop culture and news from around the world. On August 17, 2018, it was announced that Netflix had canceled the show after 19 episodes, reportedly due to low viewership. On April 8, 2019, TVLine reported that McHale would host a revival of the game show Card Sharks for ABC. The revival would premiere on June 12 of that year, running for two seasons and 21 episodes until July 7, 2021. The iteration was canceled in April 2022. Beginning March 27, 2020, McHale co-hosts The Darkest Timeline podcast with former Community co-star Ken Jeong; the podcast was created in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Also in 2020, he hosted an after-show special of the Netflix documentary series Tiger King. With Jeong, they became the new hosts of Fox's New Year's Eve special New Year's Eve Toast & Roast. The second edition was canceled due to the quickly rising cases of Omicron variant in the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, McHale began hosting Crime Scene Kitchen, also on Fox. In 2023, McHale hosted the E! reality competition series House of Villains. Acting After earning his master's degree in acting, McHale moved to Los Angeles and landed small roles in Diagnosis: Murder, CSI: Miami, and Will & Grace. He played a TV reporter in the biopic Lords of Dogtown. He guest-starred as a cast member on the NBC improv comedy show Thank God You're Here during the pilot episode and had a guest role on an episode of Pushing Daisies. McHale appeared in Spider-Man 2 in a small role as Mr. Jacks, a bank manager. McHale has a long association with Circle X Theatre, where he has done several plays. McHale was a weekly guest on The Adam Carolla Show and Mickey and Amelia, and occasional guest on Opie and Anthony. He occasionally appeared on Countdown with Keith Olbermann in a humor sequence closing the show. He was involved in the American version of the British TV show The IT Crowd. McHale starred in the sitcom Community, which premiered in fall 2009, and continued to host The Soup. McHale made an appearance on the first episode of the fifth season of Tosh.0. He played Rex in Ted (2012) and had a short guest stint on the FX show Sons of Anarchy. He played a police officer in the supernatural horror film Deliver Us from Evil. McHale appeared in 3 episodes between the tenth and eleventh seasons of The X-Files in 2016 and 2018, respectively. McHale played the lead role in the CBS sitcom The Great Indoors, which began airing in the fall of 2016. The series was cancelled on May 13, 2017, due to low ratings. In 2018, McHale was cast in the recurring role of Chris on the second season of the Netflix horror-comedy series Santa Clarita Diet. In December 2018, it was announced that McHale was cast as Sylvester Pemberton, the Golden Age Starman in the DC Universe and The CW series Stargirl. After sporadic appearances in its first two seasons, he was upgraded to series regular for the third. McHale has been a regular guest panelist on The Masked Singer. He first guested in episode four of the first season, then in two episodes of season 2 and episode 8 of season 3. In season 4, he was a guest panelist in episodes 3 and 4, on his first appearance performing Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" as the "Robin" (wearing a cut-out face of Robin Thicke). He went on to be a guest panelist in the third episode of season 5 and episode 7 of season 6. He was absent in season 7. He later served as a guest panelist alongside the late Leslie Jordan on episode 7 of season 8. Personal life McHale married Sarah Williams in July 1996. They have 2 sons. The family currently reside in Studio City after moving from Los Feliz. In a 2018 interview on Dax Shepard's podcast Armchair Expert, McHale revealed he was dyslexic, having discovered this when his two sons were diagnosed. Religious beliefs and political views He attends a Presbyterian church and has been supportive of the LGBT community. While performing at the Durham Performing Arts Center in North Carolina, he wore a handmade gay-rights shirt, talked about the bathroom law passed weeks prior, and said he was donating all proceeds to the LGBTQ Center of Durham and would not perform in the state again until the law was overturned. McHale, along with several of his Community castmates, made a campaign video in support of Joe Biden in October 2020 titled "Human Beings for Biden." Philanthropy In 2021, McHale has shown his support for the Children's Tumor Foundation, an organization dedicated to raising awareness for and treating neurofibromatosis. Some other charities and foundations that McHale has supported include DoSomething.org, Elton John AIDS Foundation, Friar's Charitable Foundation, Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Motion Picture & Television Fund, Noreen Fraser Foundation, Screen Actors Guild, The FEED Foundation, The Trevor Project, and UNICEF. Filmography Film Television Video games Awards and nominations Books McHale, Joel (2016). Thanks for the Money: How to Use My Life Story to Become the Best Joel McHale You Can Be. Penguin. ISBN 9780399575372. References External links Official website Joel McHale at IMDb Biography at E! Online
Philadelphia_Waterdogs	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_Waterdogs	[ 648 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_Waterdogs#Season_results" ]	The Philadelphia Waterdogs, formerly known as Waterdogs Lacrosse Club, are a professional men's field lacrosse team in the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL). The Waterdogs were the first PLL expansion team, beginning with the 2020 season. Players were selected through an expansion draft, new entry draft, and the college draft over the first few months of 2020. Andy Copelan was announced as the Club's first head coach on January 2, 2020. Owners of the club include Pardon My Take hosts, Barstool Big Cat & PFT Commenter. The Waterdogs won their first championship in 2022 against the Chaos. In March 2024 the Waterdogs hired Bill Tierney as Head Coach. Roster Indicates member of Holdout list *Indicates player is on PUP list (C) indicates captain Source: 2020 Expansion Draft Source: Coaching Staff Head coach – Bill Tierney Assistant coach – Dylan Sheridan Assistant coach – Louie Dedonatis 2020 Player Pool Acquisitions On March 21, Waterdogs announced they had signed the following players from the player pool: Source: All time Draft Selections 2020 Entry Draft The 2020 player entry draft occurred on March 16 for teams to select players arriving from rival Major League Lacrosse. On March 4, Paul Burmeister and NBCSN hosted an entry draft lottery for selection order. Out of 100 balls to select from, Waterdogs had 40, Chrome had 25, Atlas had 15, Archers had 10, Chaos had 6, Redwoods had 3, and the champion Whipsnakes had 1. Rob Pannell was announced to be transferring to the PLL on March 9, followed by 15 other players the following day, which comprised the selection pool for the entry draft. A total of 14 players were selected in the entry draft with remaining new players entering the league player pool. 2020 College Draft 2021 Entry Draft 2021 College Draft 2022 College Draft 2023 College Draft Season results PLL Award Winners Gait Brothers Midfielder of the Year Zach Currier: 2021 Dick Edell Coach of the Year Andy Copelan: 2021 Head coaches All-time record vs. PLL Clubs References External links Official website
Anglo-Dutch_Treaty_of_1814	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Dutch_Treaty_of_1814	[ 649 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Dutch_Treaty_of_1814" ]	The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814 (also known as the Convention of London; Dutch: Verdrag van Londen) was signed by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Sovereign Principality of the United Netherlands in London on 13 August 1814. The treaty restored most of the territories in the Moluccas and Java that Britain had seized in the Napoleonic Wars, but confirmed British possession of the Cape Colony on the southern tip of Africa, as well as portions of Dutch Guiana in South America. It was signed by Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh, on behalf of the British and diplomat Hendrik Fagel, on behalf of the Dutch. Terms Possessions The treaty returned the colonial possessions of the Dutch as they were at 1 January 1803, before the outbreak of the Napoleonic Wars in the Americas, Africa, and Asia, with the exception of the Cape of Good Hope and the South American settlements of Demerara, Essequibo and Berbice, where the Dutch retained trading rights. In addition, the British ceded the island of Banca off the island of Sumatra in exchange for the settlement of Cochin in India and its dependencies on the coast of Malabar. The Dutch also ceded the district of Bernagore, situated close to Calcutta, in exchange for an annual fee. Cooperation The treaty also noted a declaration of 15 June 1814 by the Dutch, that ships for the slave trade were no longer permitted in British ports. That restriction would be extended to a ban on involvement in the slave trade by Dutch citizens. Britain also agreed to pay £1,000,000 to Sweden to resolve a claim to the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. The British and the Dutch agreed to spend £2,000,000 each on improving the defences of the Low Countries. More funds, of up to £3,000,000, are mentioned for the "final and satisfactory settlement of the Low Countries in union with Holland." Disputes arising from the treaty were the subject of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824. See also Anglo-Dutch Slave Trade Treaty of 1818 Anglo-Dutch treaties of 1870–1871 Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 References Footnotes === Bibliography ===
Michelson%E2%80%93Morley_experiment	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelson%E2%80%93Morley_experiment	[ 649 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelson%E2%80%93Morley_experiment" ]	The Michelson–Morley experiment was an attempt to measure the motion of the Earth relative to the luminiferous aether, a supposed medium permeating space that was thought to be the carrier of light waves. The experiment was performed between April and July 1887 by American physicists Albert A. Michelson and Edward W. Morley at what is now Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and published in November of the same year. The experiment compared the speed of light in perpendicular directions in an attempt to detect the relative motion of matter, including their laboratory, through the luminiferous aether, or "aether wind" as it was sometimes called. The result was negative, in that Michelson and Morley found no significant difference between the speed of light in the direction of movement through the presumed aether, and the speed at right angles. This result is generally considered to be the first strong evidence against some aether theories, as well as initiating a line of research that eventually led to special relativity, which rules out motion against an aether. Of this experiment, Albert Einstein wrote, "If the Michelson–Morley experiment had not brought us into serious embarrassment, no one would have regarded the relativity theory as a (halfway) redemption.": 219 Michelson–Morley type experiments have been repeated many times with steadily increasing sensitivity. These include experiments from 1902 to 1905, and a series of experiments in the 1920s. More recently, in 2009, optical resonator experiments confirmed the absence of any aether wind at the 10−17 level. Together with the Ives–Stilwell and Kennedy–Thorndike experiments, Michelson–Morley type experiments form one of the fundamental tests of special relativity. Detecting the aether Physics theories of the 19th century assumed that just as surface water waves must have a supporting substance, i.e., a "medium", to move across (in this case water), and audible sound requires a medium to transmit its wave motions (such as air or water), so light must also require a medium, the "luminiferous aether", to transmit its wave motions. Because light can travel through a vacuum, it was assumed that even a vacuum must be filled with aether. Because the speed of light is so great, and because material bodies pass through the aether without obvious friction or drag, it was assumed to have a highly unusual combination of properties. Designing experiments to investigate these properties was a high priority of 19th-century physics.: 411ff Earth orbits around the Sun at a speed of around 30 km/s (18.64 mi/s), or 108,000 km/h (67,000 mph). The Earth is in motion, so two main possibilities were considered: (1) The aether is stationary and only partially dragged by Earth (proposed by Augustin-Jean Fresnel in 1818), or (2) the aether is completely dragged by Earth and thus shares its motion at Earth's surface (proposed by Sir George Stokes, 1st Baronet in 1844). In addition, James Clerk Maxwell (1865) recognized the electromagnetic nature of light and developed what are now called Maxwell's equations, but these equations were still interpreted as describing the motion of waves through an aether, whose state of motion was unknown. Eventually, Fresnel's idea of an (almost) stationary aether was preferred because it appeared to be confirmed by the Fizeau experiment (1851) and the aberration of star light. According to the stationary and the partially dragged aether hypotheses, Earth and the aether are in relative motion, implying that a so-called "aether wind" (Fig. 2) should exist. Although it would be theoretically possible for the Earth's motion to match that of the aether at one moment in time, it was not possible for the Earth to remain at rest with respect to the aether at all times, because of the variation in both the direction and the speed of the motion. At any given point on the Earth's surface, the magnitude and direction of the wind would vary with time of day and season. By analyzing the return speed of light in different directions at various different times, it was thought to be possible to measure the motion of the Earth relative to the aether. The expected relative difference in the measured speed of light was quite small, given that the velocity of the Earth in its orbit around the Sun has a magnitude of about one hundredth of one percent of the speed of light.: 417ff During the mid-19th century, measurements of aether wind effects of first order, i.e., effects proportional to v/c (v being Earth's velocity, c the speed of light) were thought to be possible, but no direct measurement of the speed of light was possible with the accuracy required. For instance, the Fizeau wheel could measure the speed of light to perhaps 5% accuracy, which was quite inadequate for measuring directly a first-order 0.01% change in the speed of light. A number of physicists therefore attempted to make measurements of indirect first-order effects not of the speed of light itself, but of variations in the speed of light (see First order aether-drift experiments). The Hoek experiment, for example, was intended to detect interferometric fringe shifts due to speed differences of oppositely propagating light waves through water at rest. The results of such experiments were all negative. This could be explained by using Fresnel's dragging coefficient, according to which the aether and thus light are partially dragged by moving matter. Partial aether-dragging would thwart attempts to measure any first order change in the speed of light. As pointed out by Maxwell (1878), only experimental arrangements capable of measuring second order effects would have any hope of detecting aether drift, i.e., effects proportional to v2/c2. Existing experimental setups, however, were not sensitive enough to measure effects of that size. 1881 and 1887 experiments Michelson experiment (1881) Michelson had a solution to the problem of how to construct a device sufficiently accurate to detect aether flow. In 1877, while teaching at his alma mater, the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Michelson conducted his first known light speed experiments as a part of a classroom demonstration. In 1881, he left active U.S. Naval service while in Germany concluding his studies. In that year, Michelson used a prototype experimental device to make several more measurements. The device he designed, later known as a Michelson interferometer, sent yellow light from a sodium flame (for alignment), or white light (for the actual observations), through a half-silvered mirror that was used to split it into two beams traveling at right angles to one another. After leaving the splitter, the beams traveled out to the ends of long arms where they were reflected back into the middle by small mirrors. They then recombined on the far side of the splitter in an eyepiece, producing a pattern of constructive and destructive interference whose transverse displacement would depend on the relative time it takes light to transit the longitudinal vs. the transverse arms. If the Earth is traveling through an aether medium, a light beam traveling parallel to the flow of that aether will take longer to reflect back and forth than would a beam traveling perpendicular to the aether, because the increase in elapsed time from traveling against the aether wind is more than the time saved by traveling with the aether wind. Michelson expected that the Earth's motion would produce a fringe shift equal to 0.04 fringes—that is, of the separation between areas of the same intensity. He did not observe the expected shift; the greatest average deviation that he measured (in the northwest direction) was only 0.018 fringes; most of his measurements were much less. His conclusion was that Fresnel's hypothesis of a stationary aether with partial aether dragging would have to be rejected, and thus he confirmed Stokes' hypothesis of complete aether dragging. However, Alfred Potier (and later Hendrik Lorentz) pointed out to Michelson that he had made an error of calculation, and that the expected fringe shift should have been only 0.02 fringes. Michelson's apparatus was subject to experimental errors far too large to say anything conclusive about the aether wind. Definitive measurement of the aether wind would require an experiment with greater accuracy and better controls than the original. Nevertheless, the prototype was successful in demonstrating that the basic method was feasible. Michelson–Morley experiment (1887) In 1885, Michelson began a collaboration with Edward Morley, spending considerable time and money to confirm with higher accuracy Fizeau's 1851 experiment on Fresnel's drag coefficient, to improve on Michelson's 1881 experiment, and to establish the wavelength of light as a standard of length. At this time Michelson was professor of physics at the Case School of Applied Science, and Morley was professor of chemistry at Western Reserve University (WRU), which shared a campus with the Case School on the eastern edge of Cleveland. Michelson suffered a mental health crisis in September 1885, from which he recovered by October 1885. Morley ascribed this breakdown to the intense work of Michelson during the preparation of the experiments. In 1886, Michelson and Morley successfully confirmed Fresnel's drag coefficient – this result was also considered as a confirmation of the stationary aether concept. This result strengthened their hope of finding the aether wind. Michelson and Morley created an improved version of the Michelson experiment with more than enough accuracy to detect this hypothetical effect. The experiment was performed in several periods of concentrated observations between April and July 1887, in the basement of Adelbert Dormitory of WRU (later renamed Pierce Hall, demolished in 1962). As shown in the diagram to the right, the light was repeatedly reflected back and forth along the arms of the interferometer, increasing the path length to 11 m (36 ft). At this length, the drift would be about 0.4 fringes. To make that easily detectable, the apparatus was assembled in a closed room in the basement of the heavy stone dormitory, eliminating most thermal and vibrational effects. Vibrations were further reduced by building the apparatus on top of a large block of sandstone (Fig. 1), about a foot thick and five feet (1.5 m) square, which was then floated in a circular trough of mercury. They estimated that effects of about 0.01 fringe would be detectable. Michelson and Morley and other early experimentalists using interferometric techniques in an attempt to measure the properties of the luminiferous aether, used (partially) monochromatic light only for initially setting up their equipment, always switching to white light for the actual measurements. The reason is that measurements were recorded visually. Purely monochromatic light would result in a uniform fringe pattern. Lacking modern means of environmental temperature control, experimentalists struggled with continual fringe drift even when the interferometer was set up in a basement. Because the fringes would occasionally disappear due to vibrations caused by passing horse traffic, distant thunderstorms and the like, an observer could easily "get lost" when the fringes returned to visibility. The advantages of white light, which produced a distinctive colored fringe pattern, far outweighed the difficulties of aligning the apparatus due to its low coherence length. As Dayton Miller wrote, "White light fringes were chosen for the observations because they consist of a small group of fringes having a central, sharply defined black fringe which forms a permanent zero reference mark for all readings." Use of partially monochromatic light (yellow sodium light) during initial alignment enabled the researchers to locate the position of equal path length, more or less easily, before switching to white light. The mercury trough allowed the device to turn with close to zero friction, so that once having given the sandstone block a single push it would slowly rotate through the entire range of possible angles to the "aether wind", while measurements were continuously observed by looking through the eyepiece. The hypothesis of aether drift implies that because one of the arms would inevitably turn into the direction of the wind at the same time that another arm was turning perpendicularly to the wind, an effect should be noticeable even over a period of minutes. The expectation was that the effect would be graphable as a sine wave with two peaks and two troughs per rotation of the device. This result could have been expected because during each full rotation, each arm would be parallel to the wind twice (facing into and away from the wind giving identical readings) and perpendicular to the wind twice. Additionally, due to the Earth's rotation, the wind would be expected to show periodic changes in direction and magnitude during the course of a sidereal day. Because of the motion of the Earth around the Sun, the measured data were also expected to show annual variations. Most famous "failed" experiment After all this thought and preparation, the experiment became what has been called the most famous failed experiment in history. Instead of providing insight into the properties of the aether, Michelson and Morley's article in the American Journal of Science reported the measurement to be as small as one-fortieth of the expected displacement (Fig. 7), but "since the displacement is proportional to the square of the velocity" they concluded that the measured velocity was "probably less than one-sixth" of the expected velocity of the Earth's motion in orbit and "certainly less than one-fourth". Although this small "velocity" was measured, it was considered far too small to be used as evidence of speed relative to the aether, and it was understood to be within the range of an experimental error that would allow the speed to actually be zero. For instance, Michelson wrote about the "decidedly negative result" in a letter to Lord Rayleigh in August 1887: The Experiments on the relative motion of the earth and ether have been completed and the result decidedly negative. The expected deviation of the interference fringes from the zero should have been 0.40 of a fringe – the maximum displacement was 0.02 and the average much less than 0.01 – and then not in the right place. As displacement is proportional to squares of the relative velocities it follows that if the ether does slip past the relative velocity is less than one sixth of the earth’s velocity. From the standpoint of the then current aether models, the experimental results were conflicting. The Fizeau experiment and its 1886 repetition by Michelson and Morley apparently confirmed the stationary aether with partial aether dragging, and refuted complete aether dragging. On the other hand, the much more precise Michelson–Morley experiment (1887) apparently confirmed complete aether dragging and refuted the stationary aether. In addition, the Michelson–Morley null result was further substantiated by the null results of other second-order experiments of different kind, namely the Trouton–Noble experiment (1903) and the experiments of Rayleigh and Brace (1902–1904). These problems and their solution led to the development of the Lorentz transformation and special relativity. After the "failed" experiment Michelson and Morley ceased their aether drift measurements and started to use their newly developed technique to establish the wavelength of light as a standard of length. Light path analysis and consequences Observer resting in the aether The beam travel time in the longitudinal direction can be derived as follows: Light is sent from the source and propagates with the speed of light c {\textstyle c} in the aether. It passes through the half-silvered mirror at the origin at T = 0 {\textstyle T=0} . The reflecting mirror is at that moment at distance L {\textstyle L} (the length of the interferometer arm) and is moving with velocity v {\textstyle v} . The beam hits the mirror at time T 1 {\textstyle T_{1}} and thus travels the distance c T 1 {\textstyle cT_{1}} . At this time, the mirror has traveled the distance v T 1 {\textstyle vT_{1}} . Thus c T 1 = L + v T 1 {\textstyle cT_{1}=L+vT_{1}} and consequently the travel time T 1 = L / ( c − v ) {\textstyle T_{1}=L/(c-v)} . The same consideration applies to the backward journey, with the sign of v {\textstyle v} reversed, resulting in c T 2 = L − v T 2 {\textstyle cT_{2}=L-vT_{2}} and T 2 = L / ( c + v ) {\textstyle T_{2}=L/(c+v)} . The total travel time T ℓ = T 1 + T 2 {\textstyle T_{\ell }=T_{1}+T_{2}} is: T ℓ = L c − v + L c + v = 2 L c 1 1 − v 2 c 2 ≈ 2 L c ( 1 + v 2 c 2 ) {\displaystyle T_{\ell }={\frac {L}{c-v}}+{\frac {L}{c+v}}={\frac {2L}{c}}{\frac {1}{1-{\frac {v^{2}}{c^{2}}}}}\approx {\frac {2L}{c}}\left(1+{\frac {v^{2}}{c^{2}}}\right)} Michelson obtained this expression correctly in 1881, however, in transverse direction he obtained the incorrect expression T t = 2 L c , {\displaystyle T_{t}={\frac {2L}{c}},} because he overlooked the increase in path length in the rest frame of the aether. This was corrected by Alfred Potier (1882) and Hendrik Lorentz (1886). The derivation in the transverse direction can be given as follows (analogous to the derivation of time dilation using a light clock): The beam is propagating at the speed of light c {\textstyle c} and hits the mirror at time T 3 {\textstyle T_{3}} , traveling the distance c T 3 {\textstyle cT_{3}} . At the same time, the mirror has traveled the distance v T 3 {\textstyle vT_{3}} in the x direction. So in order to hit the mirror, the travel path of the beam is L {\textstyle L} in the y direction (assuming equal-length arms) and v T 3 {\textstyle vT_{3}} in the x direction. This inclined travel path follows from the transformation from the interferometer rest frame to the aether rest frame. Therefore, the Pythagorean theorem gives the actual beam travel distance of L 2 + ( v T 3 ) 2 {\textstyle {\sqrt {L^{2}+\left(vT_{3}\right)^{2}}}} . Thus c T 3 = L 2 + ( v T 3 ) 2 {\textstyle cT_{3}={\sqrt {L^{2}+\left(vT_{3}\right)^{2}}}} and consequently the travel time T 3 = L / c 2 − v 2 {\textstyle T_{3}=L/{\sqrt {c^{2}-v^{2}}}} , which is the same for the backward journey. The total travel time T t = 2 T 3 {\textstyle T_{t}=2T_{3}} is: T t = 2 L c 2 − v 2 = 2 L c 1 1 − v 2 c 2 ≈ 2 L c ( 1 + v 2 2 c 2 ) {\displaystyle T_{t}={\frac {2L}{\sqrt {c^{2}-v^{2}}}}={\frac {2L}{c}}{\frac {1}{\sqrt {1-{\frac {v^{2}}{c^{2}}}}}}\approx {\frac {2L}{c}}\left(1+{\frac {v^{2}}{2c^{2}}}\right)} The time difference between T ℓ {\displaystyle T_{\ell }} and T t {\displaystyle T_{t}} is given by T ℓ − T t = 2 L c ( 1 1 − v 2 c 2 − 1 1 − v 2 c 2 ) {\displaystyle T_{\ell }-T_{t}={\frac {2L}{c}}\left({\frac {1}{1-{\frac {v^{2}}{c^{2}}}}}-{\frac {1}{\sqrt {1-{\frac {v^{2}}{c^{2}}}}}}\right)} To find the path difference, simply multiply by c {\displaystyle c} ; Δ λ 1 = 2 L ( 1 1 − v 2 c 2 − 1 1 − v 2 c 2 ) {\displaystyle \Delta {\lambda }_{1}=2L\left({\frac {1}{1-{\frac {v^{2}}{c^{2}}}}}-{\frac {1}{\sqrt {1-{\frac {v^{2}}{c^{2}}}}}}\right)} The path difference is denoted by Δ λ {\displaystyle \Delta \lambda } because the beams are out of phase by a some number of wavelengths ( λ {\displaystyle \lambda } ). To visualise this, consider taking the two beam paths along the longitudinal and transverse plane, and lying them straight (an animation of this is shown at minute 11:00, The Mechanical Universe, episode 41). One path will be longer than the other, this distance is Δ λ {\displaystyle \Delta \lambda } . Alternatively, consider the rearrangement of the speed of light formula c Δ T = Δ λ {\displaystyle c{\Delta }T=\Delta \lambda } . If the relation v 2 / c 2 << 1 {\displaystyle {v^{2}}/{c^{2}}<<1} is true (if the velocity of the aether is small relative to the speed of light), then the expression can be simplified using a first order binomial expansion; ( 1 − x ) n ≈ 1 − n x {\displaystyle (1-x)^{n}\approx {1-nx}} So, rewriting the above in terms of powers; Δ λ 1 = 2 L ( ( 1 − v 2 c 2 ) − 1 − ( 1 − v 2 c 2 ) − 1 / 2 ) {\displaystyle \Delta {\lambda }_{1}=2L\left(\left({1-{\frac {v^{2}}{c^{2}}}}\right)^{-1}-\left(1-{\frac {v^{2}}{c^{2}}}\right)^{-1/2}\right)} Applying binomial simplification; Δ λ 1 = 2 L ( ( 1 + v 2 c 2 ) − ( 1 + v 2 2 c 2 ) ) = 2 L v 2 2 c 2 {\displaystyle \Delta {\lambda }_{1}=2L\left((1+{\frac {v^{2}}{c^{2}}})-(1+{\frac {v^{2}}{2c^{2}}})\right)={2L}{\frac {v^{2}}{2c^{2}}}} Therefore; Δ λ 1 = L v 2 c 2 {\displaystyle \Delta {\lambda }_{1}={L}{\frac {v^{2}}{c^{2}}}} It can be seen from this derivation that aether wind manifests as a path difference. The path difference is zero only when the interferometer is aligned with or perpendicular to the aether wind, and it reaches a maximum when it is at a 45° angle. The path difference can be any fraction of the wavelength, depending on the angle and speed of the aether wind. To prove the existence of the aether, Michelson and Morley sought to find the "fringe shift". The idea was simple, the fringes of the interference pattern should shift when rotating it by 90° as the two beams have exchanged roles. To find the fringe shift, subtract the path difference in first orientation by the path difference in the second, then divide by the wavelength, λ {\displaystyle \lambda } , of light; n = Δ λ 1 − Δ λ 2 λ ≈ 2 L v 2 λ c 2 . {\displaystyle n={\frac {\Delta \lambda _{1}-\Delta \lambda _{2}}{\lambda }}\approx {\frac {2Lv^{2}}{\lambda c^{2}}}.} Note the difference between Δ λ {\displaystyle \Delta \lambda } , which is some number of wavelengths, and λ {\displaystyle \lambda } which is a single wavelength. As can be seen by this relation, fringe shift n is a unitless quantity. Since L ≈ 11 meters and λ ≈ 500 nanometers, the expected fringe shift was n ≈ 0.44. The negative result led Michelson to the conclusion that there is no measurable aether drift. However, he never accepted this on a personal level, and the negative result haunted him for the rest of his life. Observer comoving with the interferometer If the same situation is described from the view of an observer co-moving with the interferometer, then the effect of aether wind is similar to the effect experienced by a swimmer, who tries to move with velocity c {\textstyle c} against a river flowing with velocity v {\textstyle v} . In the longitudinal direction the swimmer first moves upstream, so his velocity is diminished due to the river flow to c − v {\textstyle c-v} . On his way back moving downstream, his velocity is increased to c + v {\textstyle c+v} . This gives the beam travel times T 1 {\textstyle T_{1}} and T 2 {\textstyle T_{2}} as mentioned above. In the transverse direction, the swimmer has to compensate for the river flow by moving at a certain angle against the flow direction, in order to sustain his exact transverse direction of motion and to reach the other side of the river at the correct location. This diminishes his speed to c 2 − v 2 {\textstyle {\sqrt {c^{2}-v^{2}}}} , and gives the beam travel time T 3 {\textstyle T_{3}} as mentioned above. Mirror reflection The classical analysis predicted a relative phase shift between the longitudinal and transverse beams which in Michelson and Morley's apparatus should have been readily measurable. What is not often appreciated (since there was no means of measuring it), is that motion through the hypothetical aether should also have caused the two beams to diverge as they emerged from the interferometer by about 10−8 radians. For an apparatus in motion, the classical analysis requires that the beam-splitting mirror be slightly offset from an exact 45° if the longitudinal and transverse beams are to emerge from the apparatus exactly superimposed. In the relativistic analysis, Lorentz-contraction of the beam splitter in the direction of motion causes it to become more perpendicular by precisely the amount necessary to compensate for the angle discrepancy of the two beams. Length contraction and Lorentz transformation A first step to explaining the Michelson and Morley experiment's null result was found in the FitzGerald–Lorentz contraction hypothesis, now simply called length contraction or Lorentz contraction, first proposed by George FitzGerald (1889) in a letter to same journal that published the Michelson-Morley paper, as "almost the only hypothesis that can reconcile" the apparent contradictions. It was independently also proposed by Hendrik Lorentz (1892). According to this law all objects physically contract by L / γ {\textstyle L/\gamma } along the line of motion (originally thought to be relative to the aether), γ = 1 / 1 − v 2 / c 2 {\textstyle \gamma =1/{\sqrt {1-v^{2}/c^{2}}}} being the Lorentz factor. This hypothesis was partly motivated by Oliver Heaviside's discovery in 1888 that electrostatic fields are contracting in the line of motion. But since there was no reason at that time to assume that binding forces in matter are of electric origin, length contraction of matter in motion with respect to the aether was considered an ad hoc hypothesis. If length contraction of L {\textstyle L} is inserted into the above formula for T ℓ {\textstyle T_{\ell }} , then the light propagation time in the longitudinal direction becomes equal to that in the transverse direction: T ℓ = 2 L 1 − v 2 c 2 c 1 1 − v 2 c 2 = 2 L c 1 1 − v 2 c 2 = T t {\displaystyle T_{\ell }={\frac {2L{\sqrt {1-{\frac {v^{2}}{c^{2}}}}}}{c}}{\frac {1}{1-{\frac {v^{2}}{c^{2}}}}}={\frac {2L}{c}}{\frac {1}{\sqrt {1-{\frac {v^{2}}{c^{2}}}}}}=T_{t}} However, length contraction is only a special case of the more general relation, according to which the transverse length is larger than the longitudinal length by the ratio γ {\textstyle \gamma } . This can be achieved in many ways. If L 1 {\textstyle L_{1}} is the moving longitudinal length and L 2 {\textstyle L_{2}} the moving transverse length, L 1 ′ = L 2 ′ {\textstyle L'_{1}=L'_{2}} being the rest lengths, then it is given: L 2 L 1 = L 2 ′ φ / L 1 ′ γ φ = γ . {\displaystyle {\frac {L_{2}}{L_{1}}}={\frac {L'_{2}}{\varphi }}\left/{\frac {L'_{1}}{\gamma \varphi }}\right.=\gamma .} φ {\textstyle \varphi } can be arbitrarily chosen, so there are infinitely many combinations to explain the Michelson–Morley null result. For instance, if φ = 1 {\textstyle \varphi =1} the relativistic value of length contraction of L 1 {\textstyle L_{1}} occurs, but if φ = 1 / γ {\textstyle \varphi =1/\gamma } then no length contraction but an elongation of L 2 {\textstyle L_{2}} occurs. This hypothesis was later extended by Joseph Larmor (1897), Lorentz (1904) and Henri Poincaré (1905), who developed the complete Lorentz transformation including time dilation in order to explain the Trouton–Noble experiment, the Experiments of Rayleigh and Brace, and Kaufmann's experiments. It has the form x ′ = γ φ ( x − v t ) , y ′ = φ y , z ′ = φ z , t ′ = γ φ ( t − v x c 2 ) {\displaystyle x'=\gamma \varphi (x-vt),\ y'=\varphi y,\ z'=\varphi z,\ t'=\gamma \varphi \left(t-{\frac {vx}{c^{2}}}\right)} It remained to define the value of φ {\textstyle \varphi } , which was shown by Lorentz (1904) to be unity. In general, Poincaré (1905) demonstrated that only φ = 1 {\textstyle \varphi =1} allows this transformation to form a group, so it is the only choice compatible with the principle of relativity, i.e., making the stationary aether undetectable. Given this, length contraction and time dilation obtain their exact relativistic values. Special relativity Albert Einstein formulated the theory of special relativity by 1905, deriving the Lorentz transformation and thus length contraction and time dilation from the relativity postulate and the constancy of the speed of light, thus removing the ad hoc character from the contraction hypothesis. Einstein emphasized the kinematic foundation of the theory and the modification of the notion of space and time, with the stationary aether no longer playing any role in his theory. He also pointed out the group character of the transformation. Einstein was motivated by Maxwell's theory of electromagnetism (in the form as it was given by Lorentz in 1895) and the lack of evidence for the luminiferous aether. This allows a more elegant and intuitive explanation of the Michelson–Morley null result. In a comoving frame the null result is self-evident, since the apparatus can be considered as at rest in accordance with the relativity principle, thus the beam travel times are the same. In a frame relative to which the apparatus is moving, the same reasoning applies as described above in "Length contraction and Lorentz transformation", except the word "aether" has to be replaced by "non-comoving inertial frame". Einstein wrote in 1916: Although the estimated difference between these two times is exceedingly small, Michelson and Morley performed an experiment involving interference in which this difference should have been clearly detectable. But the experiment gave a negative result — a fact very perplexing to physicists. Lorentz and FitzGerald rescued the theory from this difficulty by assuming that the motion of the body relative to the æther produces a contraction of the body in the direction of motion, the amount of contraction being just sufficient to compensate for the difference in time mentioned above. Comparison with the discussion in Section 11 shows that also from the standpoint of the theory of relativity this solution of the difficulty was the right one. But on the basis of the theory of relativity the method of interpretation is incomparably more satisfactory. According to this theory there is no such thing as a "specially favoured" (unique) co-ordinate system to occasion the introduction of the æther-idea, and hence there can be no æther-drift, nor any experiment with which to demonstrate it. Here the contraction of moving bodies follows from the two fundamental principles of the theory, without the introduction of particular hypotheses; and as the prime factor involved in this contraction we find, not the motion in itself, to which we cannot attach any meaning, but the motion with respect to the body of reference chosen in the particular case in point. Thus for a co-ordinate system moving with the earth the mirror system of Michelson and Morley is not shortened, but it is shortened for a co-ordinate system which is at rest relatively to the sun. The extent to which the null result of the Michelson–Morley experiment influenced Einstein is disputed. Alluding to some statements of Einstein, many historians argue that it played no significant role in his path to special relativity, while other statements of Einstein probably suggest that he was influenced by it. In any case, the null result of the Michelson–Morley experiment helped the notion of the constancy of the speed of light gain widespread and rapid acceptance. It was later shown by Howard Percy Robertson (1949) and others (see Robertson–Mansouri–Sexl test theory), that it is possible to derive the Lorentz transformation entirely from the combination of three experiments. First, the Michelson–Morley experiment showed that the speed of light is independent of the orientation of the apparatus, establishing the relationship between longitudinal (β) and transverse (δ) lengths. Then in 1932, Roy Kennedy and Edward Thorndike modified the Michelson–Morley experiment by making the path lengths of the split beam unequal, with one arm being very short. The Kennedy–Thorndike experiment took place for many months as the Earth moved around the sun. Their negative result showed that the speed of light is independent of the velocity of the apparatus in different inertial frames. In addition it established that besides length changes, corresponding time changes must also occur, i.e., it established the relationship between longitudinal lengths (β) and time changes (α). So both experiments do not provide the individual values of these quantities. This uncertainty corresponds to the undefined factor φ {\textstyle \varphi } as described above. It was clear due to theoretical reasons (the group character of the Lorentz transformation as required by the relativity principle) that the individual values of length contraction and time dilation must assume their exact relativistic form. But a direct measurement of one of these quantities was still desirable to confirm the theoretical results. This was achieved by the Ives–Stilwell experiment (1938), measuring α in accordance with time dilation. Combining this value for α with the Kennedy–Thorndike null result shows that β must assume the value of relativistic length contraction. Combining β with the Michelson–Morley null result shows that δ must be zero. Therefore, the Lorentz transformation with φ = 1 {\textstyle \varphi =1} is an unavoidable consequence of the combination of these three experiments. Special relativity is generally considered the solution to all negative aether drift (or isotropy of the speed of light) measurements, including the Michelson–Morley null result. Many high precision measurements have been conducted as tests of special relativity and modern searches for Lorentz violation in the photon, electron, nucleon, or neutrino sector, all of them confirming relativity. Incorrect alternatives As mentioned above, Michelson initially believed that his experiment would confirm Stokes' theory, according to which the aether was fully dragged in the vicinity of the earth (see Aether drag hypothesis). However, complete aether drag contradicts the observed aberration of light and was contradicted by other experiments as well. In addition, Lorentz showed in 1886 that Stokes's attempt to explain aberration is contradictory. Furthermore, the assumption that the aether is not carried in the vicinity, but only within matter, was very problematic as shown by the Hammar experiment (1935). Hammar directed one leg of his interferometer through a heavy metal pipe plugged with lead. If aether were dragged by mass, it was theorized that the mass of the sealed metal pipe would have been enough to cause a visible effect. Once again, no effect was seen, so aether-drag theories are considered to be disproven. Walther Ritz's emission theory (or ballistic theory) was also consistent with the results of the experiment, not requiring aether. The theory postulates that light has always the same velocity in respect to the source. However de Sitter noted that emitter theory predicted several optical effects that were not seen in observations of binary stars in which the light from the two stars could be measured in a spectrometer. If emission theory were correct, the light from the stars should experience unusual fringe shifting due to the velocity of the stars being added to the speed of the light, but no such effect could be seen. It was later shown by J. G. Fox that the original de Sitter experiments were flawed due to extinction, but in 1977 Brecher observed X-rays from binary star systems with similar null results. Furthermore, Filippas and Fox (1964) conducted terrestrial particle accelerator tests specifically designed to address Fox's earlier "extinction" objection, the results being inconsistent with source dependence of the speed of light. Subsequent experiments Although Michelson and Morley went on to different experiments after their first publication in 1887, both remained active in the field. Other versions of the experiment were carried out with increasing sophistication. Morley was not convinced of his own results, and went on to conduct additional experiments with Dayton Miller from 1902 to 1904. Again, the result was negative within the margins of error. Miller worked on increasingly larger interferometers, culminating in one with a 32-meter (105 ft) (effective) arm length that he tried at various sites, including on top of a mountain at the Mount Wilson Observatory. To avoid the possibility of the aether wind being blocked by solid walls, his mountaintop observations used a special shed with thin walls, mainly of canvas. From noisy, irregular data, he consistently extracted a small positive signal that varied with each rotation of the device, with the sidereal day, and on a yearly basis. His measurements in the 1920s amounted to approximately 10 km/s (6.2 mi/s) instead of the nearly 30 km/s (18.6 mi/s) expected from the Earth's orbital motion alone. He remained convinced this was due to partial entrainment or aether dragging, though he did not attempt a detailed explanation. He ignored critiques demonstrating the inconsistency of his results and the refutation by the Hammar experiment. Miller's findings were considered important at the time, and were discussed by Michelson, Lorentz and others at a meeting reported in 1928. There was general agreement that more experimentation was needed to check Miller's results. Miller later built a non-magnetic device to eliminate magnetostriction, while Michelson built one of non-expanding Invar to eliminate any remaining thermal effects. Other experimenters from around the world increased accuracy, eliminated possible side effects, or both. So far, no one has been able to replicate Miller's results, and modern experimental accuracies have ruled them out. Roberts (2006) has pointed out that the primitive data reduction techniques used by Miller and other early experimenters, including Michelson and Morley, were capable of creating apparent periodic signals even when none existed in the actual data. After reanalyzing Miller's original data using modern techniques of quantitative error analysis, Roberts found Miller's apparent signals to be statistically insignificant. Using a special optical arrangement involving a 1/20 wave step in one mirror, Roy J. Kennedy (1926) and K.K. Illingworth (1927) (Fig. 8) converted the task of detecting fringe shifts from the relatively insensitive one of estimating their lateral displacements to the considerably more sensitive task of adjusting the light intensity on both sides of a sharp boundary for equal luminance. If they observed unequal illumination on either side of the step, such as in Fig. 8e, they would add or remove calibrated weights from the interferometer until both sides of the step were once again evenly illuminated, as in Fig. 8d. The number of weights added or removed provided a measure of the fringe shift. Different observers could detect changes as little as 1/1500 to 1/300 of a fringe. Kennedy also carried out an experiment at Mount Wilson, finding only about 1/10 the drift measured by Miller and no seasonal effects. In 1930, Georg Joos conducted an experiment using an automated interferometer with 21-meter-long (69 ft) arms forged from pressed quartz having a very low coefficient of thermal expansion, that took continuous photographic strip recordings of the fringes through dozens of revolutions of the apparatus. Displacements of 1/1000 of a fringe could be measured on the photographic plates. No periodic fringe displacements were found, placing an upper limit to the aether wind of 1.5 km/s (0.93 mi/s). In the table below, the expected values are related to the relative speed between Earth and Sun of 30 km/s (18.6 mi/s). With respect to the speed of the solar system around the galactic center of about 220 km/s (140 mi/s), or the speed of the solar system relative to the CMB rest frame of about 370 km/s (230 mi/s), the null results of those experiments are even more obvious. Recent experiments Optical tests Optical tests of the isotropy of the speed of light became commonplace. New technologies, including the use of lasers and masers, have significantly improved measurement precision. (In the following table, only Essen (1955), Jaseja (1964), and Shamir/Fox (1969) are experiments of Michelson–Morley type, i.e., comparing two perpendicular beams. The other optical experiments employed different methods.) Recent optical resonator experiments During the early 21st century, there has been a resurgence in interest in performing precise Michelson–Morley type experiments using lasers, masers, cryogenic optical resonators, etc. This is in large part due to predictions of quantum gravity that suggest that special relativity may be violated at scales accessible to experimental study. The first of these highly accurate experiments was conducted by Brillet & Hall (1979), in which they analyzed a laser frequency stabilized to a resonance of a rotating optical Fabry–Pérot cavity. They set a limit on the anisotropy of the speed of light resulting from the Earth's motions of Δc/c ≈ 10−15, where Δc is the difference between the speed of light in the x- and y-directions. As of 2015, optical and microwave resonator experiments have improved this limit to Δc/c ≈ 10−18. In some of them, the devices were rotated or remained stationary, and some were combined with the Kennedy–Thorndike experiment. In particular, Earth's direction and velocity (ca. 368 km/s (229 mi/s)) relative to the CMB rest frame are ordinarily used as references in these searches for anisotropies. Other tests of Lorentz invariance Examples of other experiments not based on the Michelson–Morley principle, i.e., non-optical isotropy tests achieving an even higher level of precision, are Clock comparison or Hughes–Drever experiments. In Drever's 1961 experiment, 7Li nuclei in the ground state, which has total angular momentum J = 3/2, were split into four equally spaced levels by a magnetic field. Each transition between a pair of adjacent levels should emit a photon of equal frequency, resulting in a single, sharp spectral line. However, since the nuclear wave functions for different MJ have different orientations in space relative to the magnetic field, any orientation dependence, whether from an aether wind or from a dependence on the large-scale distribution of mass in space (see Mach's principle), would perturb the energy spacings between the four levels, resulting in an anomalous broadening or splitting of the line. No such broadening was observed. Modern repeats of this kind of experiment have provided some of the most accurate confirmations of the principle of Lorentz invariance. See also Michelson–Morley Award Moving magnet and conductor problem The Light (Glass) LIGO References Notes Experiments Bibliography (Series "A" references) External links Quotations related to Michelson–Morley experiment at Wikiquote Media related to Michelson-Morley experiment at Wikimedia Commons Mathematical analysis of the Michelson Morley Experiment at Wikibooks Roberts, T; Schleif, S (2007). Dlugosz, JM (ed.). "What is the experimental basis of Special Relativity?". Usenet Physics FAQ. University of California, Riverside. "Episode 41: The Michelson Morley Experiment - The Mechanical Universe". YouTube. caltech. December 19, 2016.
Category:Summer_Olympics_in_London	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Summer_Olympics_in_London	[ 650 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Summer_Olympics_in_London" ]
2012_Summer_Olympics	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Summer_Olympics	[ 650 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Summer_Olympics" ]	The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the group stage in women's football, began on 25 July at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, followed by the opening ceremony on 27 July. There were 10,518 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) who participated in the 2012 Olympics. Following a bid headed by former Olympic champion Sebastian Coe and the then-London mayor Ken Livingstone, London was selected as the host city at the 117th IOC Session in Singapore on 6 July 2005, defeating bids from Moscow, New York City, Madrid, and Paris. London became the first city to host the modern Olympics three times, having previously hosted the Summer Games in 1908 and 1948. Construction for the Games involved considerable redevelopment, with an emphasis on sustainability. The main focus was a new 200-hectare (490-acre) Olympic Park, constructed on a former industrial site in Stratford, East London. The Games also used venues that already existed before the bid. The United States topped the medal table, winning the most gold medals (48) and the highest number of medals overall (104). China finished second with a total of 91 medals (38 gold) and Great Britain came third with 65 medals overall (29 gold). Michael Phelps of the United States became the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time, winning his 22nd medal. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Brunei entered female athletes for the first time, meaning that every currently eligible country has now sent a female competitor to at least one Olympic Games. Women's boxing was included for the first time, and the 2012 Games became the first at which every sport had female competitors. The Games received considerable praise for their organisation, with the volunteers, the British military and public enthusiasm commended particularly highly. The Games were described as "happy and glorious". The opening ceremony, directed by Academy Award winner Danny Boyle, received widespread acclaim. These were the final Olympic Games under the IOC presidency of Belgian Jacques Rogge, who was succeeded by German Thomas Bach the next year. Bidding process London was chosen over Birmingham to represent Great Britain's bid by the British Olympic Association. By 15 July 2003—the deadline for interested cities to submit bids to the International Olympic Committee (IOC)—nine cities had submitted bids to host the 2012 Summer Olympics: Havana, Istanbul, Leipzig, London, Madrid, Moscow, New York City, Paris, and Rio de Janeiro. On 18 May 2004, as a result of a scored technical evaluation, the IOC reduced the number of cities to five: London, Madrid, Moscow, New York and Paris. All five submitted their candidate files by 19 November 2004 and were visited by the IOC inspection team during February and March 2005. The Paris bid suffered two setbacks during the IOC inspection visit: a number of strikes and demonstrations coinciding with the visits, and a report that a key member of the bid team, Guy Drut, would face charges over alleged corrupt party political finances. Throughout the process, Paris was widely seen as the favourite, particularly as this was its third bid in recent years. London was initially seen as lagging behind Paris by a considerable margin. Its position began to improve after the appointment of Lord Coe as the new chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) on 19 May 2004. In late August 2004, reports predicted a tie between London and Paris. On 6 June 2005, the IOC released its evaluation reports for the five candidate cities. They did not contain any scores or rankings, but the report for Paris was considered the most positive. London was close behind, having closed most of the gap observed by the initial evaluation in 2004. New York and Madrid also received very positive evaluations. On 1 July 2005, when asked who would win, Jacques Rogge said, "I cannot predict it since I don't know how the IOC members will vote. But my gut feeling tells me that it will be very close. Perhaps it will come down to a difference of say ten votes, or maybe less." On 6 July 2005, the final selection was announced at the 117th IOC Session in Singapore. Moscow was the first city to be eliminated, followed by New York and Madrid. The final two contenders were London and Paris. At the end of the fourth round of voting, London won the right to host the 2012 Games with 54 votes to 50. The celebrations in London were short-lived, being overshadowed by bombings on London's transport system less than 24 hours after the announcement. 12 years later, Paris would later be chosen as the host of the 2024 games in 2017. Development and preparations The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) was created to oversee the staging of the Games, and held its first board meeting on 3 October 2005. The committee, chaired by Lord Coe, was in charge of implementing and staging the Games, while the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), established in April 2006, was in charge of construction of the venues and infrastructure. The Government Olympic Executive (GOE), a unit within the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), was the lead government body for coordinating the London 2012 Olympics. It focused on oversight of the Games, cross-programme management, and the London 2012 Olympic Legacy before and after the Games that would benefit London and the wider United Kingdom. The organisation was also responsible for the supervision of the £9.3 billion of public sector funding. In August 2011, security concerns arose surrounding the hosting of the Olympic Games in London, following the 2011 England riots. Some countries expressed safety concerns, despite the IOC's assurance that the riots would not affect the Games. The IOC's Coordination Commission for the 2012 Games completed its tenth and final visit to London in March 2012. Its members concluded that "London is ready to host the world this summer". Venues The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games used a mixture of new venues, existing and historic facilities, and temporary facilities, some of them in well-known locations such as Hyde Park and Horse Guards Parade. After the Games, some of the new facilities would be reused in their Olympic form, while others will be resized or relocated. The majority of venues were divided into three zones within Greater London: the Olympic Zone, the River Zone and the Central Zone. In addition there were a few venues that, by necessity, were outside the boundaries of Greater London, such as the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy some 125 mi (201 km) southwest of London, which hosted the sailing events. The football tournament was staged at several grounds around the UK. Work began on the Park in December 2006, when a sports hall in Eton Manor was pulled down. The athletes' village in Portland was completed in September 2011. In November 2004, the 200-hectare (500-acre) Olympic Park plans were revealed. The plans for the site were approved in September 2004 by Tower Hamlets, Newham, Hackney and Waltham Forest. The redevelopment of the area to build the Olympic Park required compulsory purchase orders of property. The London Development Agency was in dispute with London and Continental Railways about the orders in November 2005. By May 2006, 86% of the land had been bought as businesses fought eviction. Residents who opposed the eviction tried to find ways to stop it by setting up campaigns, but they had to leave as 94% of land was bought and the other 6% bought as a £9 billion regeneration project started. There were some issues with the original venues not being challenging enough or being financially unviable. Both the Olympic road races and the mountain bike event were initially considered to be too easy, so they were eventually scheduled on new locations. The Olympic marathon course, which was set to finish in the Olympic stadium, was moved to The Mall, since closing Tower Bridge was deemed to cause traffic problems in central London. North Greenwich Arena 2 was scrapped in a cost-cutting exercise, Wembley Arena being used for badminton and rhythmic gymnastics events instead. Test events were held throughout 2011 and 2012, either through an existing championship such as 2012 Wimbledon Championships or as a specially created event held under the banner of London Prepares. Team GB House was the British Olympic Association's operational HQ up to and during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Designed by architects Gebler Tooth on the top floor of an office building in Westfield Stratford City, it combined the team HQ, athletes' "Friends and Family" lounge, Press Centre, and VIP lounge. Public transport IOC's initial evaluation felt that, if transport improvements were delivered in time for the Games, London would cope. Transport for London (TfL) carried out numerous improvements in preparation for 2012, including the expansion of the London Overground's East London Line, upgrades to the Docklands Light Railway and the North London Line, and the introduction of a new "Javelin" high-speed rail service. According to Network Rail, an additional 4,000 train services operated during the Games, and train operators ran longer trains during the day. During the Games, Stratford International station was not served by any international services (just as it had not been before the Games), westbound trains did not stop at Hackney Wick railway station, and Pudding Mill Lane DLR station closed entirely during the Games. TfL also built a £25 million cable car across the River Thames, called the Emirates Air Line, to link 2012 Olympics venues. It was inaugurated in June 2012 and crosses the Thames between Greenwich Peninsula and the Royal Docks, carrying up to 2,500 passengers an hour, cutting journey times between The O2 and the ExCeL exhibition centre and providing a crossing every 30 seconds. The plan was to have 80% of athletes travel less than 20 minutes to their event and 93% of them within 30 minutes of their event. The Olympic Park would be served by ten separate railway lines with a combined capacity of 240,000 passengers per hour. In addition, LOCOG planned for 90% of the venues to be served by three or more types of public transport. Two park-and-ride sites off the M25 with a combined capacity of 12,000 cars were 25 minutes away from the Olympic Park. Another park-and-ride site was planned in Ebbsfleet with a capacity for 9,000 cars where spectators could board a 10-minute shuttle train service. To get spectators to Eton Dorney, four park-and-ride schemes were set up. These Park and Ride services were operated by First Games Transport. TfL defined a network of roads leading between venues as the Olympic Route Network; roads connecting all of the Olympic venues located within London. Many of these roads also contained special "Olympic lanes" marked with the Olympic rings—reserved for the use of Olympic athletes, officials, and other VIPs during the Games. Members of the public driving in an Olympic lane were subject to a fine of £130. Additionally, London buses would not include roads with Olympic lanes on their routes. Concerns were expressed at the logistics of spectators travelling to the events outside London. In particular, the sailing events at Portland had no direct motorway connections, and local roads are heavily congested by tourist traffic in the summer. However, a £77 million relief road connecting Weymouth to Dorchester was built and opened in 2011. Some £16 million was put aside for the rest of the improvements. TfL created a promotional campaign and website, Get Ahead of the Games, to help provide information related to transport during the Olympics and Paralympics. Through the campaign, TfL also encouraged the use of cycling as a mode of transport. A temporary terminal was created at Heathrow Airport to be used by 10,100 departing athletes after the Games. Up to 35% more bags than normal were expected on 13 August, which was predicted to be the busiest day in the airport's history, according to Nick Cole, head of Olympic and Paralympic planning at Heathrow. Cost and financing A study from Oxford University found that the sports-related costs of London 2012 amounted to US$15 billion, compared with $4.6 billion for Rio 2016, $40–44 billion for Beijing 2008, and $51 billion for Sochi 2014 (the most expensive Olympics in history). London 2012 went over budget by 76% in real terms, measured from bid to completion. The cost per athlete was $1.4 million. This does not include wider costs for urban and transport infrastructure, which often equal or exceed the sports-related costs. The costs of staging the Games were separate from those for building the venues and infrastructure and redeveloping the land for the Olympic Park. While the Games were privately funded, the venues and infrastructure were largely financed using public money. According to The Wall Street Journal, the original budget for the Games was increased to about £9.3 billion (US$15.28 billion) in 2007. The revised figures were announced to the House of Commons on 15 March 2007 by Tessa Jowell. Along with East End regeneration costs, the breakdown was: Building the venues and infrastructure – £5.3 billion Elite sport and Paralympic funding – £400 million Security and policing – £600 million Regeneration of the Lower Lea Valley – £1.7 billion Contingency fund – £2.7 billion Volunteers Unpaid volunteers known as Games Makers performed a variety of tasks before and during the Games. A target of 70,000 volunteers was set as early as 2004. When recruitment took place in 2010, more than 240,000 applications were received. Sebastian Coe said in February 2012, "Our Games Makers will contribute a total of around eight million volunteer hours during the Games and the Games simply wouldn't happen without them". The volunteers wore clothing that included purple and red polo shirts and jackets, beige trousers, grey socks and grey-and-white trainers, which they collected from the Uniform Distribution and Accreditation Centre. Volunteers also wore photo accreditation badges that were also worn by officials, athletes, family members and media, which gained them access to specific venues and buildings around the site. Ticketing Organisers estimated that some 8 million tickets would be available for the Olympic Games, and 1.5 million tickets for the Paralympic Games. LOCOG aimed to raise £375–£400 million in ticket sales. There were also free events such as marathon, triathlon and road cycling, although, for the first time in Olympic history, the sailing events were ticketed. Eventually, more than 7,000,000 tickets were sold. Following IOC rules, people applied for tickets from the NOC of their country of residence. European Union residents were able to apply for tickets in any EU country. In Great Britain, ticket prices ranged from £20 for many events to £2,012 for the most expensive seats at the opening ceremony. Some free tickets were given to military personnel as part of the Tickets For Troops scheme, as well as to survivors and families of those who died during the 7 July 2005 London bombings. Initially, people were able to apply for tickets via a website from 15 March until 26 April 2011. There was a huge demand for tickets, with a demand of more than three times the number of tickets available. On 11 May 2012 a round of nearly one million "second chance" tickets went on sale over a 10-day period between 23 June and 3 July 2011. About 1.7 million tickets were available for football and 600,000 for other sports, including archery, field hockey, football, judo, boxing and volleyball. Ten sports had sold out by 8 am of the first day. Countdown During the closing ceremony of the 2008 Olympics, the Olympic Flag was formally handed over from the Mayor of Beijing to the Mayor of London. This was followed by a section highlighting London, One month later, the Olympic and Paralympic flags were raised outside the London City Hall. A countdown clock in Trafalgar Square was unveiled, 500 days before the Games. It was a two-sided clock with the Paralympic countdown on the other side. The countdown to the start of the Olympics began with a ceremony for the lighting of the Olympic flame in Olympia, Greece. Security The police led the security operation (named Operation Olympics by the Ministry of Defence), with 10,000 officers available, supported by 13,500 members of the British Armed Forces. Naval and air assets were deployed as part of the security operation, including ships situated in the Thames, Typhoon fighter jets and surface-to-air missiles; it was the biggest security operation Britain had faced in decades. The cost of security increased from £282 million to £553 million, and the figure of 13,500 armed forces personnel was greater than the number deployed at the time in Afghanistan. The Metropolitan Police and the Royal Marines carried out security exercises in preparation for the Olympics on 19 January 2012, with 50 marine police officers in rigid inflatables and fast response boats, joined by up to 100 military personnel and a Royal Navy Lynx helicopter. The Ministry of Defence distributed leaflets to residents of the Lexington building in Bow, announcing that a missile system was to be stationed on top of the water tower. This caused concern to some residents. The Ministry said it probably would use Starstreak missiles and that site evaluations had taken place, but that no final decision had taken place. Medals Approximately 4,700 Olympic and Paralympic medals were produced by the Royal Mint at Llantrisant. They were designed by David Watkins (Olympics) and Lin Cheung (Paralympics). 99% of the gold, silver and copper was donated by Rio Tinto from a mine in Salt Lake County, Utah in the U.S. The remaining 1% came from a Mongolian mine. Each medal weighs 375–400 g (13.2–14.1 oz), has a diameter of 85 mm (3.3 in) and is 7 mm (0.28 in) thick, with the sport and discipline engraved on the rim. The obverse, as is traditional, features Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, stepping from the Panathinaiko Stadium that hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, with Parthenon in the background; the reverse features the Games logo, the River Thames and a series of lines representing "the energy of athletes and a sense of pulling together". The medals were transferred to the Tower of London vaults on 2 July 2012 for storage. Each gold medal is 92.5 percent silver and 1.34 percent gold, with the remainder copper. The silver medal is 92.5 percent silver, with the remainder copper. The bronze medal is made up of 97 percent copper, 2.5 percent zinc, and 0.5 per cent tin. The value of the materials in the gold medal was about £410 (US$644), the silver about £210 (US$330), and the bronze about £3 (US$4.71) as of 30 July 2012. Torch relay The Olympics torch relay ran from 19 May to 27 July 2012, before the Games. Plans for the relay were developed in 2010–11, with the torch-bearer selection process announced on 18 May 2011. The torch was designed by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby. On 18 May 2012 the Olympic flame arrived at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall from Greece on flight BA2012, operated by a British Airways Airbus A319 named "Firefly". The relay lasted 70 days, with 66 evening celebrations and six island visits, and involved some 8,000 people carrying the torch about 8,000 mi (12,875 km), starting from Land's End in Cornwall. The torch had three days outside the United Kingdom when it visited the Isle of Man on 2 June, Dublin in Ireland, on 6 June, and both Guernsey and Jersey on 15 July. The relay focused on National Heritage Sites, locations with sporting significance, key sporting events, schools registered with the Get Set School Network, green spaces and biodiversity, Live Sites (city locations with large screens), and festivals and other events. Dumfries and Galloway was the only Region in the whole of the United Kingdom that had the Olympic Torch pass through it twice. A group of young athletes, nominated by retired Olympic athletes, ran the torch around the stadium. These torchbearers were Callum Airlie, Jordan Duckitt, Desiree Henry, Katie Kirk, Cameron MacRitchie, Aidan Reynolds, and Adelle Tracey. Together the torchbearers each lit a petal that spread the fire to the 204 petals of the cauldron, representing the countries that participated in the Games. The cauldron was designed by Thomas Heatherwick. Environmental policy The Olympic Park was planned to incorporate 45 hectares of wildlife habitat, with a total of 525 bird boxes and 150 bat boxes. Local waterways and riverbanks were enhanced as part of the process. Renewable energy also featured at the Olympics. It was originally planned to provide 20% of the energy for the Olympic Park and Village from renewable technologies; however, only 9% of it was achieved. Proposals to meet the original target included large-scale on-site wind turbines and hydroelectric generators in the River Thames, but these plans were scrapped for safety reasons. The focus subsequently moved to installing solar panels on some buildings, and providing the opportunity to recover energy from waste. Where it could not be reused or recycled, food packaging for use at the Olympics—including fast-food wrappers, sandwich boxes and drink cartons—was made from compostable materials like starch and cellulose-based bioplastics. After use, many of these materials were suitable for anaerobic digestion (AD), allowing them to be made into renewable energy. Post-Games, buildings like the Water Polo Arena were relocated elsewhere. Building parts like roofing covers and membranes of different temporary venues were recycled via VinyLoop. This allowed organisers to meet the standards of the Olympic Delivery Authority concerning environmental protection. London 2012 inaugurated Olympic Games guidelines that included the recycling of PVC, which was used for temporary buildings such as the Basketball Arena and for the temporary parts of permanent venues such as the Olympic Stadium. In the Water Polo Arena, PVC roofing was made from recycled cushions to provide insulation. Through this recycling process, the Olympic Games PVC Policy was fulfilled; the policy states: Where London 2012 procures PVC for temporary usage or where permanent usage is not assured, London 2012 is required to ensure that there is a take-back scheme that offers a closed-loop reuse system or mechanical recycling system for post-consumer waste. According to Kirsten Henson, Materials Manager for the London 2012 Olympic Park: "The majority of temporary facilities created for the Olympic Games including the Aquatic centre temporary stands, basketball arena, Water Polo Arena, and the shooting facilities at the Royal Artillery Barracks, are essentially big tents. Basically, PVC stretched over lightweight steel frame. This design solution makes them efficient to install, reduces the need for any significant foundations and are, of course, reusable. We were challenged by the public around the use of PVC; but we considered it to be the right material for certain functions. We therefore challenged the PVC supply chain to have certain environmental performance criteria in place, including a take back and recycle scheme." Cultural Olympiad The Olympic Charter, the set of rules and guidelines for the organization of the Olympic Games and for governing the Olympic Movement, states that LOCOG shall organise a programme of cultural events which must cover at least the entire period during which the Olympic Village is open. The Cultural Olympiad comprised many programmes, with more than 500 events spread over four years across the whole of the United Kingdom, and culminating in the London 2012 Festival. Opening ceremony Titled "The Isles of Wonder", the opening ceremony began at 21:00 British Summer Time (UTC+1) on 27 July in the Olympic Stadium. Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle was artistic director and Rick Smith of Underworld was musical director. The opening ceremony was immediately seen as a tremendous success, widely praised as a "masterpiece" and "a love letter to Britain". The principal sections of the artistic display represented Britain's Industrial Revolution, National Health Service, literary heritage, popular music and culture, and were noted for their vibrant storytelling and use of music. The Games were officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. This was the second Olympic Games opened personally by the Queen, the first being in 1976 in Montreal, Canada. The ceremony featured a short comic film starring Daniel Craig as secret agent James Bond and the Queen as herself. There was also a musical comedy item starring Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean playing along with the London Symphony Orchestra. These were widely ascribed to Britain's sense of humour. Live musical performers included Frank Turner, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Mike Oldfield, Dizzee Rascal, Arctic Monkeys, and Sir Paul McCartney who performed "Hey Jude" as the closing act. Broadcast live on BBC One, the ceremony attracted a peak viewing audience of over 27 million in the UK. Closing ceremony The closing ceremony was held on 12 August. It featured a flashback fiesta to British music with The Who closing the performance. The ceremony also included a handover of the Olympic flag by Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, to Eduardo Paes, Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, the host city of the 2016 Summer Olympics. In his closing address, Jacques Rogge described the Games as "happy and glorious". The Games Participating National Olympic Committees Around 10,500 athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) took part, (85 countries acquired at least one medal: gold, silver or bronze) surpassing the 1948 Summer Olympics in London and the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester as the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in the United Kingdom. Three athletes from the Netherlands Antilles, which whose territory was dissolved in 2010 and lost its recognition during 123rd IOC session held during July 2011, and one athlete from South Sudan, which their NOC was recognized in 2015, participated as two independent athletes teams under the Olympic flag. Number of athletes by National Olympic Committee 10,768 athletes from 204 NOCs National houses During the Games, some countries and continents had a "national house". These temporary meeting places for supporters, athletes and other followers were located throughout London. Sports The 2012 Summer Olympics featured 26 different sports encompassing 39 disciplines and 302 events. In the list below, the number of events in each discipline is noted in parentheses. Women's boxing was included in the programme for the first time, and 36 women competed in three weight classes. There was a special dispensation for the shooting events, which would otherwise have been illegal under UK gun law. In tennis, mixed doubles returned to the Olympic programme for the first time since 1924. London's bid featured the same 28 sports that had been included in other recent Summer Olympics, but the IOC voted to drop baseball and softball from the 2012 Games just two days after London had been selected as the host city. There was an appeal, but the IOC voted to uphold the decision, and the two sports were scheduled to be discontinued after their last appearance at the 2008 Olympics. The IOC then voted on whether or not to replace them; karate, squash, golf, roller sports and rugby sevens were considered. Karate and squash were the two final nominees, but neither received enough votes to reach the required two-thirds majority. Although formal demonstration sports were eliminated after the 1992 Summer Olympics, special tournaments for non-Olympic sports can be run during the Games, such as the Wushu tournament at the 2008 Summer Olympics. There were attempts to run Twenty20 cricket and netball tournaments alongside the 2012 Games, but neither campaign was successful. Calendar The final official schedule was released on 15 February 2011. All times and dates use British Summer Time (UTC+1) Records These Olympic Games resulted in 32 world records in eight sports. The largest number of records were set in swimming, at eight. China, Great Britain and the United States set the most records, with five each. Medal table A total of 85 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) won medals, 54 of those countries winning at least one gold medal. Seven NOCs won their first ever Olympic medal: Bahrain (gold), Botswana (silver), Cyprus (silver), Gabon (silver), Grenada (gold), Guatemala (silver), and Montenegro (silver). The United States finished at the top of the table, winning 48 gold medals and a total of 104 medals. China finished second with 38 gold medals and 91 medals overall, and hosts Great Britain came in third place, winning 29 gold medals and 65 medals overall in their best performance since London hosted its first Summer Olympics in 1908, pushing Russia—who won 18 gold medals and 64 medals in total, after doping redistributions (initially 24 gold and 82 total)—into fourth place. Key ‡ Changes in medal standings (see subpage) * Host nation (Great Britain) Podium sweeps Broadcasting The host broadcaster was Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), an agency of the IOC. The OBS used its own cameras and crews subcontracted from other Olympic broadcasters to cover the events. The base video and audio were sold to other broadcasters, who added their own commentary and presentation. The official recording format of the 2012 Summer Olympics used Panasonic's digital technologies. The official video was produced and distributed from the International Broadcast Centre in 1080/50i High-Definition (HD) format. Panasonic announced that DVCPRO HD would be the official recording format. OBS London used P2 HD shoulder-mount camcorders. The IOC wanted television coverage to reach as broad a worldwide audience as possible, and several national and regional broadcasters covered London 2012. In the UK, the BBC carried the Olympics and Channel 4 the Paralympics. The BBC aimed to broadcast all 5,000 hours of the Games. BBC Parliament's Freeview channel was suspended, BBC Three's on-air time was extended so that it could show Olympic events in the daytime, and 24 additional BBC Olympics channels were available via cable, satellite and the internet in the UK. The US television rights, owned by NBC, accounted for more than half the rights revenue for the IOC. Despite high viewership, many viewers were disappointed with NBC's coverage. The operations of broadcasters granted rights to the Games were hosted in the dedicated International Broadcast Centre inside the security cordon of the Olympic Park. YouTube planned to stream the Games in 64 territories in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa where there were no official broadcasters. In Sri Lanka a dispute occurred between Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) and MBC Networks (MTV/MBC) as to who was the official broadcaster of the Games. This problem was caused as Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) had offered the official broadcasting rights to both networks, as both of the networks were ABU members. So SLRC filed a case against MBC Networks for broadcasting rights at the Colombo Magistrate's Court. Considering the case, the court issued a special court order preventing MBC Networks' Olympic broadcast and stated that SLRC should be the sole broadcaster. However, when the Games started, both networks broadcast most of the events simultaneously. Another dispute had previously occurred between Carlton Sports Network (CSN) and SLRC, but the Sports Minister, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, had stated that SLRC had the exclusive rights. Olympic Golden Rings Awards In November 2012, the IOC announced the winners of the Golden Ring Awards for the best broadcast coverage of the Games. Best Olympic Sports Production was awarded to the sailing, produced by Christopher Lincoln, Gary Milkis, and Ursula Romero. The production for the canoe/kayak slalom and the rowing/canoe sprint came second and third respectively. The award for Best On Air Promotion went to NBC with Foxtel and ZDF finishing second and third. NBC Olympics also won the Best Olympic Feature category, as Sky Italia came second and ZDF third. The Best Athlete Profile award went to TV Record's profile of Sarah Menezes, NBC came second with their profile of David Rudisha, and ESPN Latin America took third place with a profile of Miguel Correa and Ruben Rezola. The award for Best Olympic Programme went to NBC, host broadcasters the BBC took second place for Super Saturday (the middle Saturday of the Games), and third place was claimed by the Nine Network for their live coverage of Day 16 of the Games. Marketing "Survival" by Muse was announced as the official song of the Olympics, to be played by international broadcasters reporting on the Games. The track was noted to express a sense of conviction and determination to win. In August 2009, the Royal Mail commissioned artists and illustrators to design 30 stamps, which were released in batches of 10 between 2009 and 2011. The last ones were released on 22 July 2011. Two £5 coins designed by Saiman Miah have been made to commemorate the Olympics. As with other Olympics since 1952, the Royal Mint will strike a set of commemorative one-kilogram gold and silver coins. Motto The official motto for the 2012 Summer Olympics is "Inspire a generation". It was chosen to highlight the organisers' commitment to inspire the world, including younger generations, to get involved in sporting events through the Games' legacy. A secondary motto of "Be part of it" was also used throughout marketing. Logo and graphics There have been two London 2012 logos: one used for the bidding process, and the other used in the branding for the Games themselves. The bid logo, created by Kino Design, was a ribbon with blue, yellow, black, green, and red stripes winding through the text "LONDON 2012", making the shape of the River Thames in East London. The main logo, designed by Wolff Olins and published on 4 June 2007, is a representation of the number 2012, with the Olympic Rings embedded within the zero. Public reaction to the main logo in a June 2007 BBC poll was negative; more than 80% of votes gave it the lowest possible rating. Several newspapers ran their own logo competitions, displaying alternative submissions from their readers, and several writers from news agencies criticised the logo. It was suggested that the logo resembled the American cartoon characters Lisa Simpson and Bart Simpson performing fellatio. In February 2011, Iran threatened to boycott the Olympics, complaining that the logo appeared to spell out the word "Zion". However, this boycott did not occur. Colours The four main colours used in the branding of the Games were pink, blue, green, and orange. These colours were chosen to showcase the spirit of the Games: energetic, spirited, youthful, and bright. The auxiliary colours used in the branding were dark purple, grey, and gold. These were mostly used in symbols and graphics to offset the brightness of the main colours. Mascots The official mascots for the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games were unveiled on 19 May 2010. Wenlock and Mandeville are animations depicting two drops of steel from a steelworks in Bolton. They are named after Much Wenlock, a town in Shropshire that holds a forerunner of the current Olympic Games, and Stoke Mandeville, a village in Buckinghamshire where a forerunner of the Paralympic Games was first held. The writer Michael Morpurgo wrote the story concept for the mascots, and an animation was produced. Four stories have been created about the mascots: Out Of A Rainbow, Adventures On A Rainbow, Rainbow Rescue, and Rainbow to the Games. Creative Review magazine liked the mascots, but elsewhere their design was greeted with some disdain. However, the mascots' creators claim that young people find the duo appealing. Chariots of Fire The 1981 Best Picture Oscar–winning film Chariots of Fire, which tells the story of two British athletes in the 1924 Olympics, was a recurring theme in promotions for the 2012 Olympics. A digitally re-mastered version of Chariots of Fire was released on 13 July 2012 and screened in over 100 UK cinemas as part of the celebrations, and a 2012 stage adaptation ran in London theatres from 9 May 2012 to 5 January 2013. The film's theme tune was performed during the opening ceremony by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Simon Rattle. The performance was accompanied by a comedic skit by Rowan Atkinson, which included the opening beach-running footage from the film. A new orchestration of the film's theme tune was played during each medal presentation of the Games. Controversies During the lead-up to the Games, there were controversies over sponsorship, the athletes' use of social media, and several political issues. After a complicated lottery process, thousands of people failed to secure seats for the events they wanted, but a large number of empty seats were observed early in the Games, even at some of the most popular events. There was speculation that this was due to a failure of corporate sponsors to make use of tickets they had received. During the Games, eight competitors in the badminton women's doubles were disqualified for "not using best efforts", when they tried to lose matches in the group stage to obtain more favourable fixtures in the knockout rounds. A number of results in boxing, gymnastics and judo were overturned by officials after initial decisions were appealed against. Drug testing and doping violations It was announced before the Summer Games that half of all the competitors would be tested for drugs, with 150 scientists set to take 6,000 samples between the start of the Games and the end of the Paralympic Games. Every competitor who won a medal was also tested. The Olympic laboratory tested up to 400 samples every day for more than 240 prohibited substances. Although there were less than 10 doping violations detected during the games, in the years following many samples were retested with improved laboratory procedures. This resulted in a large number of disqualifications and rescinded medals. As of mid 2024, 44 medals have been stripped due to doping violations with around 130 total disqualifications. In particular, almost 50 were from Russian athletes. Testing for drugs was completed by GSK (GlaxoSmithKline). See also 2012 Summer Paralympics Olympic Games held in Great Britain 1908 Summer Olympics – London 1948 Summer Olympics – London 2012 Summer Olympics – London List of IOC country codes 2012 Olympic hunger summit Twenty Twelve, a comedy mockumentary featuring a fictional London Olympics committee Notes References Further reading Jaworska, Sylvia; Hunt, Sally (2017). "Intersections and differentiations: a corpus-assisted discourse study of gender representations in the British press before, during and after the London Olympics 2012" (PDF). Gender and Language. 11 (3): 336–364. doi:10.1558/genl.28858. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 April 2019. Mallon, Bill (18 January 2019). "An Update On London 2012 Doping Positives". OlympStats. Mallon, Bill (18 January 2019). "All Olympic Doping Positives – The Count By Games". OlympStats. Pamment, James. "'Putting the GREAT Back into Britain': National Identity, Public-Private Collaboration & Transfers of Brand Equity in 2012's Global Promotional Campaign," British Journal of Politics & International Relations (2015) 17#2 pp 260–283. Surowiec, Pawel. and Philip Long. "Hybridity and Soft Power Statecraft: The 'GREAT' Campaign." Diplomacy & Statecraft 31:1 (2020): 1–28. online review https://doi.org/10.1080/09592296.2020.1721092 Official reports LOCOG, ed. (2013). Volume 1: Summary of the bid preparation. London 2012 Olympic Games: The Official Report. London: LOCOG. Knight, Tom; Ruscoe, Sybil (2012). Volume 2: London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games: the Official Commemorative Book. London 2012 Olympic Games: The Official Report. Chichester: Wiley. ISBN 978-1-119-97314-0. OL 24283202W. LOCOG, ed. (2013). Volume 3: Summary of Olympic Games preparations. London 2012 Olympic Games: The Official Report. London: LOCOG. Book references External links Official "London 2012". Olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Official website (London2012.com) at the UK Government Web Archive (archived 28 February 2013) News media London 2012 at BBC Online 2012 Summer Olympics collected news and commentary at The Guardian 2012 London Olympics at NBC at the Wayback Machine (archived 3 July 2013) London Olympics Business at The Telegraph at the Wayback Machine (archived 14 September 2010)
Britain%27s_Got_Talent	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britain%27s_Got_Talent	[ 650 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britain%27s_Got_Talent" ]	Britain's Got Talent (often abbreviated to BGT) is a televised British talent show competition, and part of the global Got Talent franchise created by Simon Cowell. Presented by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly (colloquially known as Ant & Dec), it is produced by both Thames (Talkback Thames until 2011) and Syco Entertainment, distributed by Fremantle, and broadcast on ITV every year (excluding 2021) in late Spring to early Summer. The show was originally intended for production in 2005, but filming was suspended in the wake of a dispute between ITV and the programme's originally planned host. Following the success of America's Got Talent that year, production resumed and the programme eventually premiered on 9 June 2007. Every year, contestants of any age can audition for the televised contest with whatever talent they wish to demonstrate. During auditions, participants seek to impress a panel of judges – presently consisting of Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon, and Bruno Tonioli – in order to secure a place in the live rounds of the contest. Once in the live rounds, participants seek to impress the public and judges to secure votes, in order to reach the final and a chance to win a cash prize and a place within that year's performances for the Royal Variety Performance before members of the British Royal Family. As of 2024, the show has had seventeen winners, ranging from musicians and singers to variety acts, magicians, dancers, and comedians. On average, each series of Britain's Got Talent draws viewing figures of 6 to 10 million viewers. The show's live final in the third series attracted a record 17.3 million viewers, obtaining a 64.6% audience share at the time of its broadcast. Each series of the main programme is accompanied by a sister show, Britain's Got More Talent, presented by Stephen Mulhern. Until June 2019, the programme was aired on ITV2, but has since been moved to online platforms. A spin-off featuring the same judges and hosts, titled Britain's Got Talent: The Champions, was later produced and broadcast in 2019 following the success of the American edition's spin-off America's Got Talent: The Champions. Britain's Got Talent is contracted to run until 2025. History The show's format was devised by X Factor creator and Sony Music executive Simon Cowell, who was involved in the creation of other Got Talent programmes across several different countries. He was inspired by popular British variety talent shows Opportunity Knocks (1949–1990) and New Faces (1973–1988). To showcase his idea, a pilot episode was filmed in September 2005, with the judging panel consisting of Cowell, Fern Britton (at the time, presenter of This Morning), as well as tabloid journalist Piers Morgan. The pilot was not broadcast on television until it was shown as part of a documentary series, titled The Talent Show Story, in January 2012. The original plan for the show was for it to be aired within 2005–2006 (before the broadcast of America's Got Talent), with Paul O'Grady presenting the programme under the title Paul O'Grady's Got Talent, after having hosted the pilot. However, complications arose when O'Grady was involved in a row with ITV and refused to appear on another of the broadcaster's programme, eventually defecting to Channel 4 to continue hosting his teatime show and effectively putting plans for the show on hold. In a 2010 interview, O'Grady commented about the row by stating: "I did the pilot for Britain's Got Talent – which was originally going to be called Paul O'Grady's Got Talent. But I told the producers they were having a joke if they thought I would front a show with that title. The original panel of judges was going to be Simon Cowell, Fern Britton and Piers Morgan. I was the host. Then when I had the row with ITV I was banned from the studios. I remember I rang Simon and told him he had a huge hit on his hands, but there was no way I could do it. I said, if I am banned I have to be banned from everything. I can't be a hypocrite and come in and do this. I had to bow out." On 12 February 2007, following the success of America's Got Talent the previous year, ITV announced their intentions for a British series of Got Talent. Their announcement revealed changes to the original plan for the programme, with Ant & Dec revealed to be the hosts for the new programme. While Cowell remained as part of the judging panel, the new plan intended for David Hasselhoff and Cheryl Cole. However, both resigned before the programme was due to air, leading to Morgan being part of the panel as originally planned, and actress Amanda Holden joining him and Cowell as a judge; Hasselhoff would later join the panel for the programme's fifth series after being a part of the panel for America's Got Talent, while Cowell later employed Cole to be a replacement for Sharon Osbourne on The X Factor. At the same time, the broadcaster also announced that the show would be accompanied by a sister show on ITV2, titled Britain's Got More Talent, with Stephen Mulhern as its presenter. Format Auditions Each year's competition begins with two rounds of auditions. The first round, referred to as "open auditions", are held across several different cities around the UK during the Autumn months, within small venues that are attended by the producers. The second round, referred to as the "Judges' Auditions", are held the following year during January and February, within a select set of cities (these have commonly included Cardiff, Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham and London). They take place within a theatre or convention hall, whose venue is chosen primarily for having the necessary facilities for handling large volumes of contestants. The venue is arranged into three zones consisting of a waiting area for participants, the wings where they enter and leave, and the main stage area that they perform on. The second round's name is due to the fact that these auditions are attended to by the judges, along with an audience who secure tickets to attend these sessions. Each participant that seeks to enter that year's competition must first submit an application to the programme, containing information about who is performing – whether a single person, a pair or trio of performers, and a small or large group – personal details regarding age, hometown and background, what experience they have for their talent, and the nature of the act that will be performed. Eligibility for the contest is determined by what information is submitted for researchers to double-check, such information is required, per the programme's terms and conditions. Once an application is approved, the participant conducts a performance during an open audition close to where they reside (or can reach), whereupon if successful, they will be allocated a place in the second round, and at a venue that they can reach without issue. Once they arrive at the venue they are assigned to, the participant is then given a number, and remains within the venue's designated waiting area until called into the wings to prepare to perform. Once brought onto the main stage, they begin by engaging with the judges, asking a few small questions (subjects can include their name, background and nature of their performance) – whereupon they are given three minutes to conduct their performance. A backing track for their act is allowed if required. A performance ends when either the time is up, or all the judges use their buzzers. Each judge has one that they can use to signal their dislike of the performance if they believe it to be unconvincing, boring or completely unacceptable for the contest (although a buzzer can be retracted if the judge felt they used it mistakenly, such as if the participant's performance did something unexpected that changed their opinion of them). Once a performance is over, each judge will give an overview of what they thought about the act, before casting a vote. If the contestant(s) receives a majority vote of "Yes", they then proceed onto the next stage in the contest, otherwise they are eliminated at that point from the competition. Beginning with the eighth series, judges can also grant an automatic place in the live rounds through the use of the "Golden Buzzer" situated on their panel's desk (a feature first introduced on Germany's Got Talent), which can be used by any of the judges for a participant whose audition was exceptional in their opinion, regardless of the views of the others. It may only be used once by each judge, and cannot be used again for any other participants yet to audition in that year's competition. The hosts of Britain's Got Talent may also press the Golden Buzzer for a participant, but must also adhere to the same rule. Filming for each series begins during the Judges' Auditions, and always consists of recording taken from each venue of auditions and backstage scenes within the wings and waiting area. Footage taken by production staff is then edited into a series of episodes consisting of montages of scenes from multiple venues, consisting of the most notable auditions (the best, worst and funniest made) – along with interviews with some of the notable participants that auditioned, and recorded backstage scenes of the hosts overseeing the performances from the wings. Judges' decisions This stage takes place after the auditions have been completed, and is also referred to as Deliberation Day, in which the judges look through the acts that have successfully made it to this stage, and begin whittling them down to those who would stand a fair chance in the live semi-finals. The amount that goes through has varied over the show's history, though usually consists of a number that can be divided equally over the semi-finals being held in a series. Once the judges have decided on who will go through, all contestants that have reached this stage are called back to discover if they will progress into the live semi-finals or not. After this has been done, the acts are divided up between the semi-finals that the series will have; usually eight in each series, except for the sixth to tenth series which had nine acts per semi-final. While in Series 1-13 the acts are called to the theatre to find out if they made it through, in season 14 the successful acts received a phone call from the judges and from season 15 onwards, the acts finding out their result is no longer televised. For the fifth series, some acts were asked to perform again, as the judges had had difficulty coming to a final decision on the semi-finalist, and thus needed to see their performance again in order to make up their minds; it is the only time in the show's history that this has happened, and has not been repeated since. Semi-finals and Final Contestants who make it into the semi-finals by passing both stages of auditions (or receiving a Golden Buzzer, as of series 8), are divided into groups for each round, where they must perform before the audience and judges, as well as on live television. As with the audition stage, each semi-finalist must conduct a performance before the judges – a new routine of their act – with the judges' role being to watch what is conducted and give feedback towards the end of the performance. Buzzers may still be used by each judge, and the performance can be ultimately terminated if all buzzers are used. Because all semi-finalists are performing live, they are given time to prepare in advance with rehearsals, while production staff can provide assistance to those in preparing their performance. In the case of those conducting routines that incorporate a level of risk, precautions are put in place, including paramedics and sometimes set up off-site venues for performances to use – either live or for a pre-recorded film for the episode's live broadcast. Each semi-final can only have two participants advance into the final, and these are determined by two votes. The first is public phone-in vote (via a special phone-number), in which the last two digits correspond to each semi-finalist, that takes place once all semi-finalists have performed and during a break in the semi-final to allow for votes to be made. Once the vote period is ended and the results counted and fully verified, the semi-finalist with the highest total of votes is announced as the winner of the semi-final and secures their place in the final. The second vote involves the judges and takes place after the result, in which they vote between the two semi-finalists placed 2nd and 3rd respectively in the public vote, with the participant receiving the majority vote securing their place in the finals. In the case of a tied vote, as of series 5, the semi-finalist placed 2nd in the public vote advances into the final. In addition to these votes, semi-finalists can also secure a place in the finals if chosen as a "Wildcard". Introduced in the sixth series, the format allows the judges to choose any eliminated semi-finalist to be appointed as their Wildcard in the finals, through a private vote conducted once the semi-finals are completed. The result of this vote is announced prior to the final's broadcast. The format was later expanded to allow for a Wildcard to be chosen by the public from any eliminated semi-finalist they liked in the ninth and tenth series respectively, though this format was dropped before the eleventh series. For the eleventh series, the judges vote was removed and all of the finalists from the semi-finals were chosen by the public, with the top two participants in the public vote advancing to the final. Following criticism over the format change, the judges vote was reinstated for the following series. The finals operate in a similar manner to the semi-finals, though all participants in this stage compete primarily to win votes from the public with either a new routine, or on some occasions, an enhanced version of their original audition performance. The judges can still buzz and give opinions on the performance they view, but have little impact on the public's voting intention. Once the public vote has been completed (once all finalists have performed and the votes verified and counted), the hosts announce who is placed as the top two acts of the vote, before revealing the winner who received the most votes from the public. Finalists who win receive a cash prize, and a place in the Royal Variety Performance later that year. For the show's scheduling, the live episodes are usually arranged to take place over the course of a week, semi-finals for each weekday, and the live final aired on either the Saturday or Sunday of the weekend. Exceptions to this were in both the seventh and eighth series, the live final aired a week after the semi-finals had been completed, and in the fourteenth series, where due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the semi-final episodes were all pre-recorded and aired weekly on Saturday nights, with the live final following a week after the semi-finals had finished. In the first three series, the live semi-finals were aired as single 90 minute editions featuring both performances and results whilst the live final (apart from the first series) was shown in two parts, the first part featured the live performances from the finalists with the results announced in a separate broadcast later that evening. From series four until series thirteen, the semi-finals were altered and adopted the two show format featuring a 90 minute performance episode and a half-hour results episode, with another ITV programme, usually an episode of Coronation Street, airing inbetween whilst the public vote took place. The live final during this period (apart from the fifth series) was merged into a single bumper edition, often running for around two and a half hours. Beginning from the third series, guest performers appeared on the show to give a performance; from the following series, when the semi-finals adopted the two show format, the results episode always featured a guest performer slot before the voting closed. In series fourteen, when the semi-finals aired weekly, each semi-final episode aired as a single two-hour edition. For the fifteenth series, the semi-finals returned to being shown live across a single week, but maintained the single two-hour episode format from the previous series. Until the tenth series, live episodes were broadcast from The Fountain Studios in Wembley, the same site used for The X Factor. Following its closure in 2016, the show relocated its live episodes to Elstree Studios in 2017, before moving to Hammersmith Apollo from the following year, apart from 2020. Judges and presenters For the first four series after the show began in June 2007, the judging panel consisted of music executive and television producer Simon Cowell, television personality and actress Amanda Holden, and newspaper editor and tabloid journalist Piers Morgan. In 2009, the producers made plans to alter the show's format to allow for a fourth judge when the third series was set to begin, with plans for Kelly Brook to be the new judge on the panel. Less than a week after the series began, this change was dropped on the belief that this alteration to the show's format would complicate it, resulting in Brook being credited as a guest judge for that series. In 2010, Cowell fell ill during filming of the fourth series and was unable to attend the Birmingham auditions, leading to Louis Walsh stepping in as a guest judge in his place until he recovered. In 2011, the panel saw its first major change, when Morgan revealed he was leaving the show to travel to America and begin filming of his new show. After Cowell announced he wouldn't be present for the fifth series' auditions due to his busy schedule with launching The X Factor USA, the panel was replaced with comedian Michael McIntyre and former America's Got Talent judge David Hasselhoff, to join Holden during the auditions. Walsh returned as a guest judge for the London auditions, due to Hasselhoff's commitments with a pantomime at that time. When the series entered its live episodes, Cowell returned to oversee the acts as a fourth judge. In October 2011, both Hasselhoff and McIntyre declined to return for the sixth series, while Cowell announced he was returning full-time to the show. On 2 January 2012, the producers revealed its decision to adopt the use of a fourth judge for the programme's format, announcing that both Cowell and Holden would now be joined by David Walliams and Alesha Dixon for the sixth series (with the latter moving to the talent show after deciding to leave BBC's Strictly Come Dancing). During filming in February, Holden was unable to attend the London auditions, due to having given birth to her daughter at that time which had led to her suffering some after-effects from her pregnancy. As a result, actress and model Carmen Electra served as a guest judge. In subsequent series, the line-up remained as Cowell, Holden, Walliams and Dixon. No further incidents occurred except for the eighth series in 2014 when Cowell missed the first day of the Manchester auditions, leading to Ant & Dec filling in for him. He was also absent for the final day of the London auditions. In the tenth series in 2016, Cowell was late for an audition, and was temporarily replaced by Walliams' mother Kathleen (who was in attendance that day). In September, October and December 2020, Cowell was absent from the series 14 live rounds and the Christmas Spectacular, following an accident that left him recovering from a back injury. He was replaced in these episodes by Ashley Banjo. In 2022, it was reported that Walliams would be leaving the show after ten series. In 2023, it was announced that Bruno Tonioli would replace Walliams. Notes Judges Presenters Guest Judges Series overview Notes Series 1 (2007) The first series was aired during 2007, between 9 and 17 June. Auditions for this series took place within the cities of Manchester, Birmingham, London and Cardiff, between January and February earlier that year. The series had three live semi-finals, featuring a total of twenty-four semi-finalists, all of whom were vying for a chance to perform at the Royal Variety Performance and claiming a £100,000 cash prize. The series was won by opera singer Paul Potts and the results of the other finalists were not announced. Series 2 (2008) The second series was aired during 2008, between 12 April and 31 May, and featured notable differences. Not only did the series run for much longer, auditions took place in Blackpool and Glasgow, the latter following complaints that Scotland hadn't been visited during the previous series (along with Manchester, Birmingham, London and Cardiff). In addition, the show had five live semi-finals, featuring a total of forty semi-finalists. The series was won by street-dancer George Sampson, with dual dance group Signature coming in second, and singer Andrew Johnston placing third. Series 3 (2009) The third series was aired during 2009, between 11 April and 30 May, with auditions held in the same five cities as before. Initially, a change in format included a fourth judge, Kelly Brook, on the panel, but this was later dropped a few days after auditions began. The series was won by dance troupe Diversity, with singer Susan Boyle coming in second, and saxophonist Julian Smith placing third. It is the highest watched series in the history of Britain's Got Talent, attracting an average of over 13.3 million viewers. Series 4 (2010) The fourth series was aired during 2010, between 17 April and 5 June. A single episode of this series, intended for airing on 22 May, was pushed back to 23 May in order to avoid it clashing with live coverage of the UEFA Champions League Final. The auditions were once more held across the same five cities as before, though the series also held auditions with Newcastle upon Tyne. The city had been originally planned to hold auditions for the previous series, but these were cancelled before this could happen. Owing to illness, Cowell was unable to attend the Birmingham auditions due to having the flu, which led to Louis Walsh being in brought in as a guest judge for these. The series was won by gymnastic troupe Spelbound, with dancing duo Twist and Pulse coming in second, and drummer Kieran Gaffney placing third. Series 5 (2011) The fifth series was aired during 2011, between 16 April and 4 June, and was the first to be broadcast completely in high-definition. A single episode intended for airing on 28 May, was pushed back to 29 May, to avoid it clashing with live coverage of the UEFA Champions League Final. Auditions took place across the same five cities, though also included Liverpool. This series saw a change in the judging panel, following Piers Morgan's departure from the show, with Holden joined by David Hasselhoff and Michael McIntyre during the auditions. Cowell appeared during the live episodes of the series with the rest of the panel, while Louis Walsh returned as a guest judge for the London auditions when Hasselhoff couldn't attend due to other commitments at the time. The series was won by singer Jai McDowall, with singer Ronan Parke coming in second, and boy band New Bounce placing third. Series 6 (2012) The sixth series was aired during 2012, between 24 March and 12 May. For this series, the cash prize was increased from £100,000 to £500,000, and a new feature was introduced called the "Wildcard". This meant, the judges could select one of the acts eliminated in the semi-finals, to return and compete in the finals. The show also increased the number of semi-finalist for the semi-finals to forty-five, with nine acts per semi-final, and the number of judges for the entire contest to four. The previous series also featured four judges, albeit for the live episodes only. In addition, the show attempted to bring in a new way of voting for the semi-finals via a mobile app, but this was suspended for the series after it suffered technical problems during the first live semi-final. This series featured an open audition in London, along with inviting other acts to audition via YouTube, before holding Judges' Auditions within Birmingham, London, Manchester, Cardiff, Blackpool and Edinburgh. As both McIntyre and Hasselhoff announced in late 2011 they wouldn't be returning, the show announced on 2 January 2012 that they would be replaced by David Walliams and Alesha Dixon. They joined both Holden and Cowell for the new series, the latter having announced he would be returning as a full-time judge on the show. Holden was unable to attend some of the auditions due to her pregnancy that year, leading to Carmen Electra stepping in as a guest judge for these. The series was won by trainer and dog duo Ashleigh and Pudsey, with opera duo Jonathan and Charlotte coming in second, and Welsh boys choir Only Boys Aloud placing third. Series 7 (2013) The seventh series was aired during 2013, between 13 April to 8 June. The show took a break on 29 May, due to live football coverage of England's friendly with the Republic of Ireland. While the show retained the new features introduced in the previous series, the cash prize was reduced to £250,000, with the series featuring auditions within five cities: Birmingham, London, Cardiff, Glasgow and Manchester. The series was won by shadow theatre troupe Attraction, with comedian Jack Carroll coming in second, and opera duo Richard & Adam placing third. Series 8 (2014) The eighth series aired during 2014, between 12 April and 7 June. This series was the first to introduce the "Golden Buzzer", and for the first time since the first series, auditions were not held in Scotland. Instead they were held in Northern Ireland within Belfast, along with Cardiff, London, Birmingham and Manchester. Edinburgh joined these cities to hold open auditions in late 2013, along with Blackpool and Brighton. Additional open auditions were held in various local branches of Morrisons within "Talent Spot" tents, owing to the show's sponsorship deal with the supermarket chain at the time. The series was won by boy band Collabro, with opera singer Lucy Kay coming in second, and rapper duo Bars & Melody placing third. Series 9 (2015) The ninth series was aired during 2015, between 11 April and 31 May. The "Wildcard" feature was updated this series, along with the judges being able to put forth an eliminated act from the semi-finals into the final (referred to as the Judges' Wildcard). The show allowed the public to vote between the three most popular eliminated acts, and the one with the highest number of votes advanced into the final. This act is referred to as the Public Wildcard. Auditions took place within Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham and London. The latter three cities held open auditions in late 2014 along with Newcastle, Cardiff, Portsmouth, Leeds, Norwich and Bristol. The winner of the series was trainer and dog duo Jules O'Dwyer & Matisse, with magician Jamie Raven coming second, and Welsh choir Côr Glanaethwy placing third. Series 10 (2016) The tenth series was aired during 2016, between 9 April to 28 May. Auditions were held within Liverpool, Birmingham and London, with all three holding open auditions in late 2015 along with Cardiff, Glasgow and Manchester. It was the last series to hold live episodes within The Fountain Studios, before its closure at the end of the year. The series was won by magician Richard Jones, with singer Wayne Woodward coming in second, and dance group Boogie Storm placing third. Series 11 (2017) The eleventh series was aired during 2017, between 15 April and 3 June. The final was originally planned for 4 June, but this was moved forward to avoid it clashing with the One Love Manchester benefit concert that day. The series had two major changes: the first was the total number of semi-finalist reduced to forty with eight per each semi-final, as it had been prior to the sixth series; the second was the Judges' vote being dropped, with the two semi-finalists with the highest number of public votes moving on into the final. In addition, the live episodes were broadcast from Elstree Studios, owing to the closure of the previous site. Auditions were held within Salford, Birmingham, London and Blackpool. The latter two cities held open auditions in late 2016, along with Peterborough, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Kingston upon Hull, Lincoln, Reading, Manchester and Luton. The series was won by pianist Tokio Myers, with magician Issy Simpson coming second, and stand-up comedian Daliso Chaponda placing third. Series 12 (2018) The twelfth series was aired during 2018, between 14 April and 3 June. Following the previous series, the Judges' vote was brought back into the show's format, while the live episodes were aired from Hammersmith Apollo and presented solely by Declan Donnelly. Although Anthony McPartlin had stepped down from his TV commitments in March 2018, he still appeared in the series' audition episodes, which had been filmed during January and February that year. Auditions were held within Manchester, Blackpool and London. Two of these cities held open auditions in 2017, along with a number of locations within the United Kingdom and Ireland (including Edinburgh, Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Dublin and Inverness). The series was won by stand-up comedian Lost Voice Guy, with comedy singer/pianist Robert White coming second, and singer Donchez Dacres placing third. Series 13 (2019) The thirteenth series was aired during 2019, between 6 April and 2 June. Following his absence from the previous series' live episodes, Anthony McPartlin made his return to Britain's Got Talent this year. Auditions were held across the same cities as before, including London and Manchester. This series saw three notable events – the withdrawal of an act from the live semi-finals, despite securing a place through their audition; the surprise return of a participant from a previous series' contest, operating under a veiled alias; and the contest being won by the oldest participant to take part. The series was won by singer Colin Thackery, with mentalist Marc Spelmann (under the stage name of "X") coming second, and magician Ben Hart placing third. Series 14 (2020) The fourteenth series was aired during 2020, but in two parts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the United Kingdom. The first half focused on audition episodes that had already been filmed earlier that year, and were broadcast between April and May. Production resumed on the remaining episodes for the second half, following a hiatus, which were broadcast between August and October. Several changes were implemented: measures were put in place to protect those involved from infection, including the use of a virtual audience and social distancing; all episodes were aired weekly; and all semi-finals were pre-recorded, with the voting system changed as a direct result for these rounds. Before the first semi-final was to be filmed, Simon Cowell sustained an injury following an accident in August, causing him to be absent for the rest of the series, and leading to him being replaced by Ashley Banjo as a guest judge in his place. The series was won by comedic pianist Jon Courtenay, with sign-language choir Sign Along With Us finishing in second place, and comedian Steve Royle in third place. Series 15 (2022) The fifteenth series was planned for production and broadcast in 2021, yet ITV, Thames and Syco Entertainment were concerned on how to safely conduct filming in the midst of the new government restrictions to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. After initially deciding to postpone production until later in the year, all involved parties agreed that they would not produce a new series until the following year, when government restrictions were eased and conditions surrounding the pandemic would be favourable for large-scale television production. The series began filming in January 2022, and airing on 16 April. The final took place on 5 June, with comedian Axel Blake winning. Ventriloquist Jamie Leahey and singer Tom Ball came second and third respectively. Series 16 (2023) The sixteenth series aired in 2023, between 15 April and 4 June. David Walliams did not return as a judge and was replaced by Bruno Tonioli. This series is notable of having eight Golden Buzzers instead of the usual five and also the first "group Golden Buzzer" by all four judges. The final took place on 4 June, with comedian Viggo Venn winning. Dancer Lillianna Clifton and magician Cillian O'Connor came second and third respectively. Series 17 (2024) The seventeenth series aired in 2024, between 20 April and 2 June. The entire cast from the sixteenth series returned. This series featured a total of nine Golden Buzzers, the most the show had ever seen. The final took place on 2 June, with singer Sydnie Christmas winning. Magician Jack Rhodes and dance duo Abigail & Afronitaaa came in second and third respectively. Spin-offs Britain's Got More Talent (2007–2019) Britain's Got More Talent (often shortened to BGMT) was a companion sister show that was broadcast on ITV2 from 9 June 2007 to 2 June 2019 and hosted by Stephen Mulhern. Each series coincided with the broadcast of each series of Britain's Got Talent, with episodes airing after each episode of the main programme, and featuring regular appearances by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly along with the judges for the respective year. The format was based on those of former spin-off programmes such as The Xtra Factor (the companion show of The X Factor), but with notable differences depending on what stage of the competition the spin-off was airing. While the auditions stage was being broadcast, its sister show focused on highlights of acts that couldn't be shown on the main show, with Mulhern operating in a similar manner to the main show's hosts (albeit with interviews of the participants before and after their performance). During live episodes, the sister show conducted live "after-show" episodes, featuring interviews with the semi-finalists and eventual finalists, and talks with the judges. The series also aired a set of compilation episodes featuring the best and worst auditions from that year's contest, titled Britain's Got Talent: Best and Worst. On 7 October 2019, Simon Cowell announced that Britain's Got More Talent would be shifted onto online platforms and thus provide more focus towards Britain's Got Talent. The decision was made due to changes in viewing habits from the sister show's target audience. Its replacement, Britain's Got Talent: Unseen, premiered on the ITV Hub in 2020, following the airing of the first episode of series 14 of the main show. "Unseen" did not return in 2022, which meant the main show had no companion show at all for the first time ever. Britain's Got Talent: The Champions (2019) In 2019, Simon Cowell opted to create a spin-off edition of the contest, following the success of the spin-off for America's Got Talent. His plan was to produce a contest under the same subtitle and format as the American spin-off, focusing on bringing the best talent from across the Got Talent franchise (many from the British edition), to compete for a cash prize and the title of "World Champion" in the British public's opinion. Both the contest and the production of the programme began in Spring of that year, with the spin-off's planned broadcast date announced in the 2019 series finale of Britain's Got Talent. The spin-off was filmed between 24 and 30 July, premiering on 31 August 2019, with the contest being won by dancing duo Twist and Pulse. Britain's Got Talent Christmas Spectacular (2020) On 1 December 2020, ITV confirmed that it was making a one-off Christmas special of Britain's Got Talent, which would feature the most memorable and talented acts over the past fourteen series of the programme's history (despite initial concerns that such a special would not be filmed due to the British government instituting a second lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic during October that year). The special aired on 25 December 2020, hosted by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, with the judging panel from the fourteenth series in attendance. Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams were joined by Ashley Banjo from the series' live rounds, while Simon Cowell continued his recovery from a back injury earlier that year. Britain's Got Talent: The Ultimate Magician (2022) On 10 October 2022, ITV announced a new one-off special of the main Britain's Got Talent show. Similar to Britain's Got Talent: The Champions, but only magicians taking part. The Ultimate Magician featured magicians from previous series of BGT and from across the Got Talent franchise, competing for the "Ultimate Magician" title and £50,000. The one-off special featured judges Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams and guest Penn Jillette (who replaced Simon Cowell due to commitments in the US). Former magician Stephen Mulhern hosted the show due to Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly testing positive for Covid days before filming. The show filmed at the ICC Birmingham on 11 October 2022, and was aired on 18 December 2022. Eric Chien won the show, with Magical Bones as runner-up and The Witch in third place. BGT Reacts (2024) Ahead of the 2024 series of Britain's Got Talent, ITV announced a spin-off companion show titled BGT Reacts. Released on ITVX, the series sees British content creators reacting to acts featured on the talent show. Awards and nominations Britain's Got Talent has been nominated for a number of National Television Awards in the category of 'Most Popular Talent Show' since 2007, but has lost out to its sister shows The X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing. Ant and Dec have won the award for 'Most Popular Entertainment Presenters' at the same awards for twenty-two consecutive years, as of September 2023. Britain's Got Talent has also been nominated for two British Academy Television Awards in 2008, but failed to win any awards. In 2007 and 2008, the show was nominated at the TV Quick and Choice Awards in the 'Best Talent Show' category, losing out to The X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing respectively. In 2008, it was a recipient of a Royal Television Society Programme Award for its technical achievements. It has also won four Nickelodeon UK Kids' Choice Awards from five nominations. In 2009, it won its first ever Digital Spy Reality Award for George Sampson for 'Favourite Reality Contestant'. The show was further nominated in the 'Reality Show' category, but lost out to The X Factor in the 'Reality TV Presenter' category for Ant & Dec and two nominations in the 'Reality TV Judge' category for Cowell and Morgan. Criticism The show was criticised by psychologist Glenn Wilson, who referred to it as a "freak show". He stated that "[contestants'] deficiencies and shortcomings are as important as their talent. We enjoy the stress we are putting these people under – will they or will they not survive?" In two separate interviews in 2012, MC Kinky said "Shows like X Factor and Britain's Got Talent reduce the art of making music and practicing your craft to the level of a low rent game show with huge financial backing and support. It's a means to make money, not a means to produce ground breaking or interesting artists that demonstrate what they are feeling or are compelled to do. It's corporate" and "it's a churn 'em out fast food form of putrid shit that I have no affiliation with". In 2013, Bruce Forsyth questioned the show's allowing children to audition. He said, "I don't think that's entertainment. I don't think they should put children on that are too young. If you're going to do that, have a separate show. Have a children's show, British Children Have Talent." Cowell responded to Forsyth, stating that: "someone, Mr Grumpy, said we shouldn't have children your age on the show", after the performance of dance troupe Youth Creation. Jessie J joined the debate, declaring: "I cannot agree with kids having to go through three or four auditions when it's purely for ridicule. I don't understand why it's legal, I think it's wrong". Live tour Between 2008 and 2011, several of the show's semi-finalists, finalists, and winners from various series, took part in a live tour titled "Britain's Got Talent Tour". The event consisted of several shows held across various UK cities during the Summer months, with site locations including: Cardiff, Liverpool, Birmingham, Belfast, Sheffield, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Nottingham, London and Manchester. When the first live tour hosted by Stephen Mulhern was announced on 17 April 2008, demand for tickets for the thirteen dates set for it was high. This led to an extension in the number of performances for it, increasing the overall number from twelve (the ten finalists from that year's series and two of the semi-finalists, Tracey Lee Collins and Anya Sparks), to twenty-two including matinées and a duet with Faryl Smith and Andrew Johnston. In 2009, Mulhern hosted a new live tour which initially featured four dates before it was later increased to run for eighteen shows. It included performances by Diversity, Flawless, Aidan Davis, Shaun Smith, Stavros Flatley, Hollie Steel, 2 Grand, Julian Smith, Shaheen Jafargholi, Susan Boyle, Darth Jackson, DJ Talent and the 2008 winner, George Sampson. In 2010, a third live tour was created, featuring a much larger schedule and taking place across sixteen cities and twenty-three shows. It was hosted by comedian Paddy McGuinness, and featured performances by that year's finalists of Britain's Got Talent: Spelbound, Twist & Pulse, Kieran Gaffney, Tobias Mead, Tina & Chandi, Paul Burling, Christopher Stone, Janey Cutler, Liam McNally and Connected. In 2011, a fourth live tour was created. Hosted by Mulhern, it featured performances by the finalists of that year's Britain's Got Talent: Jai McDowall, Ronan Parke, New Bounce, Razy Gogonea, Michael Collings, Paul Gbegbaje, Steven Hall, James Hobley, Les Gibson and Jean Martyn. However, ticket sales were drastically reduced due to low interest in the tour was as a result of the financial climate that year. Because there were raised concerns a new tour would flop if sales failed to improve, the tour was axed in 2012. Merchandise There are 6 pieces of related merchandise: Best of The Auditions DVD (2009) The Electronic Board Game (2009) The Magic Set (2009) Finalists of 2009: Annual 2010 (2009) Be the judge buzzer (2010) Finalists of 2010: Annual 2011 (2010) BGT App Since 2010, a Britain's Got Talent app has been available on Apple's App Store and Google Play. The features of the app vary from year to year but always include an interactive feature (e.g. a buzzer, polls or quizzes), relevant social media feeds and clips from the show. In 2015, free in-app voting was introduced. This means viewers are able to vote free of charge five times per voting window during the semi-finals and final rounds. As of 11 April 2022, the app is no longer available. Voting is now conducted through the ITV website. References == External links ==
List_of_Billboard_Hot_100_number_ones_of_2002	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Billboard_Hot_100_number_ones_of_2002	[ 651 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Billboard_Hot_100_number_ones_of_2002" ]	The Billboard Hot 100 is a chart that ranks the best-performing singles of the United States. Published by Billboard magazine, the data are compiled by Nielsen SoundScan based collectively on each single's weekly physical sales and airplay. In 2002, there were seven singles that topped the chart, the lowest number of singles to top the chart in a single year ever (if the two songs which peaked in 2001 are included, 2002 would have the second lowest number of chart-topping singles in a year, behind 2005). Although nine singles reached number one in fifty-two issues of the magazine in the calendar year, two songs began their peak position in 2001 and are thus excluded. In 2002, five acts earned their first U.S. number one single, either as a lead artist or featured guest. These artists were Ashanti, Nelly, Kelly Clarkson, and Eminem. Kelly Rowland, despite having hit number one with Destiny's Child, also earns her first number one song as a solo act. In 2002, Ja Rule, Ashanti, and Nelly had two number-one singles in the Billboard Hot 100. Most of the number-one singles in 2002 were extended chart-toppers. "Lose Yourself" is the longest-running single, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for 12 consecutive weeks, eight of which were in this calendar year. "Foolish" and "Dilemma" both stayed at number one for 10 weeks, the latter of which was non-consecutive. "Ain't It Funny" by Jennifer Lopez, in its remix version with Ja Rule, peaked at number one for six weeks. Rock band Nickelback's "How You Remind Me", which first peaked at number one in 2001, is the best-performing single of 2002. "Lose Yourself", which is the soundtrack to the 2002 film 8 Mile, is the second most-successful soundtrack song in the entire rock era. It is behind Whitney Houston's version of "I Will Always Love You", having topped the chart for 14 weeks. "Lose Yourself" is also the longest-running Oscar-winning number-one song since singer-actor Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" had 14 weeks on top in the 1940s. "A Moment Like This" is noted for its fifty-two-to-one leap in 2002, breaking the 38-year-old record set by The Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love", which jumped from number twenty-seven to one. Nelly became the first act to have consecutive number-one singles as the lead artist since 1994, when Boyz II Men had consecutive number-ones. Chart history Number-one artists See also 2002 in music List of Billboard number-one singles Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 2002 List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of the 2000s References Additional sources Fred Bronson's Billboard Book of Number 1 Hits, 5th Edition (ISBN 0-8230-7677-6) Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2008, 12 Edition (ISBN 0-89820-180-2) Joel Whitburn Presents the Billboard Hot 100 Charts: The 2000s (ISBN 0-89820-182-9) Additional information obtained can be verified within Billboard's online archive services Archived 2012-05-10 at the Wayback Machine and print editions of the magazine.
Foolish_(Ashanti_song)	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foolish_(Ashanti_song)	[ 651 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foolish_(Ashanti_song)" ]	"Foolish" is a song by American singer Ashanti. It served as her debut single, the first from her self-titled debut album (2002) and was released by Def Jam Recordings, AJM, and Irv Gotti's Murder Inc. Records. It was written by Ashanti, Etterlene Jordan, Mark DeBarge and Irv Gotti, while production was overseen by Gotti. The song heavily samples DeBarge's "Stay with Me". Due to the inclusion of the sample, Mark DeBarge and Etterlene Jordan are also credited as songwriters. A promotional version of the single called "Unfoolish" features a verse from The Notorious B.I.G. from his song "F--king You Tonight". The song was released as the album's lead single on February 11, 2002. It spent ten consecutive weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, becoming Ashanti's second number one and third top ten on both charts. It is Ashanti's highest charting single as a lead artist. Elsewhere, "Foolish" became a top ten hit in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The song was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 2003 Grammy Awards, and won the Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single – Female. In 2009, Billboard ranked it 19th on its Hot 100 Songs of the 2000s Decade. Composition The song is performed in the key of C major in common time with a tempo of 89 beats per minute. It follows a chord progression of Fmaj7–G, and Ashanti's vocals span from A3 to C6. Commercial performance "Foolish" spent 10 consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard charts and a total of 17 weeks in the top 10. It would later get ranked the second best performing single of 2002, and listed as the 132nd best single. Music video The filming session of the video for the single took place during January 2002. It was directed by Irv Gotti. The video shows the viewer a relationship where a man, played by Terrence Howard, gets involved into some criminal acts after telling his girlfriend [Ashanti] that he is in construction and is unfaithful to Ashanti with Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta reality star Althea, which ends up in a break-up after some quarrel. As the song suggests, Ashanti feels that she still loves her ex and that she just can't seem to get over him and becomes frustrated since her heart and her mind force her to love him and hate him at the same time. In supporting roles we can also see Charli Baltimore, Vita, Ja Rule and Irv Gotti. The video is set in the fashion of the movie Goodfellas, with Ashanti in the role of Karen Hill and Terrence Howard in the role of Henry Hill. Irv Gotti and Ja Rule are also in a scene appearing to take the roles of Jimmy Conway and Paulie Cicero. The video was a three-time nominee at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards for Best Female Video, Best R&B Video, and Best New Artist. Track listings Credits and personnel Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Ashanti. Instrumentation – 7 Aurelius Mixing – Supa Engineer Duro, Irv Gotti Production – 7 Aurelius, Irv Gotti Songwriting – 7 Aurelius, A. Douglas, E. Jordan, I. Lorenzo, M. DeBarge Recording – Milwaukee Buck Recording assistance – Terry "Murda Mac" Herbert Charts Certifications Release history See also List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2002 (U.S.) List of number-one R&B singles of 2002 (U.S.) List of best-selling singles == References ==
Itanhomi	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itanhomi	[ 652 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itanhomi" ]	Itanhomi is a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais in the Southeast region of Brazil. History Legend spoke about the existence of an Indian chief named Queiroga. Queiroga is actually a native plant that existed on the banks of Ribeirão forest, currently Ribeirão Queiroga, from which the name is derived. There were nomadic Indians, the Botocudos (a subdivision of the Aimorés Tribe), in this region. See also List of municipalities in Minas Gerais == References ==
Federative_units_of_Brazil	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federative_units_of_Brazil	[ 652 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federative_units_of_Brazil#/media/File:Brazil,_administrative_divisions_(states)_-_en_-_colored.svg" ]	The federative units of Brazil (Portuguese: unidades federativas do Brasil) are subnational entities with a certain degree of autonomy (self-government, self-regulation, and self-collection) and endowed with their own government and constitution, which together form the Federative Republic of Brazil. There are 26 states (estados) and one federal district (distrito federal). The states are generally based on historical, conventional borders which have developed over time. The states are divided into municipalities, while the Federal District assumes the competences of both a state and a municipality. Government The government of each state of Brazil is divided into executive, legislative and judiciary branches. The state executive branch is headed by a state governor and includes a vice governor, both elected by the citizens of the state. The governor appoints several secretaries of state (each one in charge of a given portfolio) and the state attorney-general. The state legislative branch is the legislative assembly, a unicameral body composed of deputies elected by the citizens of the state. The judiciary in each of the states is composed of judges of law, who constitute the courts of first instance, and a Court of Justice, which is the court of second instance of the state and is composed of judges called desembargadores. Judges qualify through exams or are appointed. The states are divided into municipalities, which have different competences and are considered autonomous from the states. Municipalities have a mayor, vice mayor and a chamber of aldermen, all elected by the citizens of the municipality, but do not have a separate judiciary. The Federal District has the same executive, legislative and judiciary organization as a state, but it cannot be divided into municipalities, which is why its territory is composed of several administrative regions. These regions are directly managed by the government of the Federal District, which exercises constitutional and legal powers that are equivalent to those of the states, as well as those of the municipalities, thus simultaneously assuming all the obligations arising from them. Fernando de Noronha is not a municipality, but a state district of Pernambuco (the only state district in the country). It is governed by an administrator-general, appointed by the governor of Pernambuco, and a council whose members are elected by the citizens of the district. All states and the Federal District are represented in the national congress, each with three senators and between eight and 70 deputies, depending on their population. The citizens of all states and the Federal District vote for these national representatives and for president and vice president. History The present states of Brazil trace their history directly to the captaincies established by Portugal following the Treaty of Tordesillas which divided the World between Portugal and Spain. The first administrative divisions of Brazil were the hereditary captaincies (capitanias hereditárias), stretches of land granted by the Portuguese Crown to noblemen or merchants with a charter to colonize the land. The first such captaincy was the island of São João, granted in 1504 to Fernão de Loronha. The continental land was divided into captaincies in 1534, generally following lines of latitude, although some followed meridians or diagonal lines. Each of the holders of these captaincies was referred to as a captain donatary (capitão donatário). The captaincies were to be inherited by the holders' descendants, but the Crown retained the power to reacquire them. In 1549, the Portuguese Crown appointed Tomé de Sousa as the first governor-general of the vast Portuguese dominion in South America, known as the State of Brazil (Estado do Brasil). In 1621, the northern part of the dominion was detached, becoming a separate entity known as the State of Maranhão. However, captaincies continued existing under both states as regional administrations. During the Iberian Union (1580–1640), which allowed Portuguese settlers to enter Spanish domains, the territory of Portuguese colonial domains in South America was more than doubled, with both states of Brazil and Maranhão greatly expanding westward. After the union ended, Portugal asserted its territorial claims, which Spain eventually accepted with the Treaty of Madrid in 1750. Several captaincies were created or merged during this period, in both the original and western domains, and some were returned to the Crown, becoming royal captaincies. The government of the Marquis of Pombal (1750–1777) significantly centralized the administration of the Portuguese colonies. By 1759, all captaincies had been returned to the Crown, with captains becoming appointed rather than recognized by inheritance. Some captaincies were designated as captaincies-general, to which other captaincies were subordinated. In addition, the State of Grão-Pará and Rio Negro and the State of Maranhão and Piauí, which had been split from the State of Maranhão, were reincorporated into the State of Brazil in 1775, under a single governor-general. This centralization later helped to keep Brazil as a unified nation-state, avoiding fragmentation similar to that of the Spanish domains. The captaincies became provinces in 1821, during the final years of the Kingdom of Brazil (united with Portugal), and maintained that designation after independence in 1822 under the Empire of Brazil. Most internal boundaries were kept unchanged from the end of the colonial period, generally following natural features such as rivers and mountain ridges. Some changes were made to suit domestic politics (transferring the Triângulo Mineiro from Goiás to Minas Gerais, transferring the south bank of the São Francisco River from Pernambuco to Minas Gerais and later to Bahia, separating the capital city of Rio de Janeiro as a Neutral Municipality outside any province, splitting Amazonas from Pará, and splitting Paraná from São Paulo), as well as international border adjustments resulting from diplomatic settlement of territorial disputes. The Cisplatine Province was annexed into Brazil in 1821, declared independence as Uruguay in 1825, and was recognized by the Treaty of Montevideo in 1828. When Brazil became a republic in 1889, all provinces became states, and the Neutral Municipality became the Federal District. In 1903, Brazil acquired the territory of Acre from Bolivia with the Treaty of Petrópolis. In 1942–1943, with the entrance of Brazil into World War II, the Vargas regime detached six strategic territories from the borders of the country to administer them directly: the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha (from Pernambuco), Amapá (from Pará), Rio Branco (from Amazonas), Guaporé (from Mato Grosso and Amazonas), Ponta Porã (from Mato Grosso) and Iguaçu (from Paraná and Santa Catarina). Shortly after the war, the Brazilian constitution of 1946 returned Ponta Porã and Iguaçu to their original states. Guaporé was renamed Rondônia in 1956, and Rio Branco was renamed Roraima in 1962, while remaining territories along with Amapá and Fernando de Noronha. Acre became a state in 1962. In 1960, the rectangular-shaped Distrito Federal was carved out of Goiás to contain the new capital, Brasília. The previous federal district became the state of Guanabara, but in 1975 it was reincorporated into its original state of Rio de Janeiro, becoming its capital as the city of Rio de Janeiro. In 1977, the southern part of Mato Grosso became the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. In 1981, Rondônia became a state. The Brazilian constitution of 1988 created the state of Tocantins from the northern portion of Goiás, established Amapá and Roraima as states, and returned the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha to Pernambuco. The constitution thus ended all remaining territories, although it maintained the possibility of creating others in the future. Proposed federative states Proposed division of Pará On 11 December 2011, a consultative referendum was held in the state of Pará about creating two new states from parts of it (Tapajós and Carajás, with the rest of the state remaining as Pará). Both proposals were rejected by about 66% of statewide voters, but reflecting a strong geographic split with over 90% approval by voters in the proposed breakaway regions and over 90% disapproval by those in the rest of the state. Maps List Other statistics, by: highest point, literacy rate, life expectancy, infant mortality, murder rate. Approximate correspondence between historical divisions See also Brazil socio-geographic division List of Brazilian states by Human Development Index List of Brazilian states by murder rate List of Brazil state name etymologies Provinces of Brazil Regions of Brazil References External links Economic statistical data for Brazil's 26 states and federal district (in English, Portuguese, and Spanish) Federative units of Brazil at Curlie Wikimedia Atlas of Brazil Map of Brazil, showing states and their standard time zones
Athletics_at_the_2020_Summer_Olympics	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_2020_Summer_Olympics	[ 653 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athletics_at_the_2020_Summer_Olympics" ]	Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics were held during the last ten days of the Games. They were due to be held from 31 July – 9 August 2020, at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the games were postponed to 2021, with the track and field events set for 30 July – 8 August. The sport of athletics at these Games was split into three distinct sets of events: track and field events, remaining in Tokyo, and road running events and racewalking events, moved to Sapporo. A total of 48 events were held, one more than in 2016, with the addition of a mixed relay event. Olympic stadium and venues The National Stadium, which was known as the Olympic Stadium during the games, completely rebuilt and inaugurated on 21 December 2019, was the venue of all the track and field events, while road events (marathons and racewalks) took place at Odori Park in Sapporo. Italian company Mondo equipped the stadium with a new track, a Mondotrack WS surface which was given a seal of approval with a World Athletics "Class 1 certificate" in December 2019. The Mondotrack WS surface in Tokyo's National Stadium is a better and updated version of the track that was provided and installed for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Due to the risk of a heat wave during the period of the Games, the IOC, Organizing Committee and IAAF decided in October 2019 that the Race Walking and Marathon events would be moved to Sapporo, which hosted the 1972 Winter Olympics. The route started and arrived at Odori Park and is the traditional venue of Hokkaido Marathon until 2012, featuring a large loop which is about the length of a half-marathon (21,095 km), followed by a second smaller loop (10,540 km) which was completed twice. Schedule Apart from the race walks and marathon, nine track and field events will hold finals in the morning session to ensure that they receive maximum visibility for the sport across all time zones. On 16 October 2019, the IOC announced that there were plans to re-locate the marathon and racewalking events to Sapporo due to heat concerns. The plans were made official on 1 November 2019 after Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike accepted the IOC's decision, despite her belief that the events should have remained in Tokyo. Qualification The 2020 athletics qualifying system for individual events was fundamentally different from previous versions. Instead of being only based on set qualifying standards, the new qualifying system is also based on IAAF World Rankings. Qualifying standards provided an alternate pathway, but are to be set high enough that only exceptional performances will meet them. Maximum entries per event were set (unlike previous years where entries were based on how many athletes met the qualifying standard), with the world rankings being used to fill the quota after the standards-based entrants and universality entrants are set. On 2 June 2021, Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics, declared that "our tracking suggests that about 70 percent of athletes in most events will qualify by entry standard. This is above the 50 percent rate we aimed for in devising the system, but we believe this is due to the extended qualifying period created after the postponement of the Olympic Games from 2020 to 2021." For relays, the qualification is somewhat similar to previous years. Eight teams will be selected through the results at the 2019 World Championships in Athletics, then adding the finalists of 2021 World Athletics Relays if different ones and some more selected through top lists' rankings, up to 16 teams by event. Record figures 3 world records and 12 Olympic records were set. 28 continental (area) records were set along with 151 national ones. According to the international governing body for the sport of athletics, World Athletics, their performance ranking system concludes that the 2020 Olympic Games were the "highest quality major event in history". Medal summary Medal table Key * Host nation (Japan) Men * Indicates the athlete only competed in the preliminary heats and received medals. Men's 4 × 100 On 18 February 2022 team of Great Britain was disqualified for doping use and officially stripped of the silver medal. The medals were reallocated on 19 May 2022. Women * Indicates the athlete only competed in the preliminary heats and received medals. Mixed * Indicates the athlete only competed in the preliminary heats and received medals. Competitors Placing table The Placing table assigns points to the top eight athletes in the final, with eight points to first place, seven to second place, and so on until one point for eighth place. Teams or athletes that did not finish or were disqualified do not receive points. See also Athletics at the 2018 Asian Games Athletics at the 2018 Commonwealth Games Athletics at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics Athletics at the 2019 African Games Athletics at the 2019 European Games Athletics at the 2019 Pacific Games Athletics at the 2019 Pan American Games Athletics at the 2020 Summer Paralympics References External links Results book Archived 8 August 2021 at the Wayback Machine
2015_Diamond_League	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Diamond_League	[ 653 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Diamond_League" ]	The 2015 IAAF Diamond League was the sixth season of the annual series of outdoor track and field meetings, organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). It consisted of fourteen one-day meetings, starting on 15 May in Doha, Qatar, and ending on 11 September in Brussels, Belgium. Other events were held in Shanghai, Eugene, Rome, Birmingham, Oslo, New York City, Paris, Lausanne, Fontvieille, Monaco, London, Stockholm, and Zürich. All previous venues remained on the tour, with the exception that London returned to host the second meeting in the United Kingdom, having been replaced by Glasgow during the 2014 IAAF Diamond League. Schedule The following fourteen meetings were included in the 2015 season: Events There are 16 men's and 16 women's disciplines in the Diamond League and seven events per discipline in the season. The total prize money for each competition is US$30,000, with a winner's share of $10,000. The season winner of each discipline wins US$40,000. Winners Events not included in the Diamond League are marked in grey background. Men Track Field Women Track Field Results Meeting highlights Doha Three Diamond League records were set in Doha during the opening competition of the series. Allyson Felix of the United States won the women's 200 metres with a run of 21.98 seconds to equal Veronica Campbell Brown's time which was set during the inaugural 2010 IAAF Diamond League season. Jasmin Stowers, making her debut on the circuit, broke the women's 100 metres hurdles record with a time of 12.35 seconds – this raised her to seventh on the all-time rankings for the discipline. The third record of the evening came in the men's triple jump: Cuba's Pedro Pablo Pichardo became the first person to go beyond eighteen metres in series history, setting a national record and Diamond League best of 18.06 m (59 ft 3 in). This placed him third on the all-time lists for the sport behind Jonathan Edwards and Kenny Harrison. The reigning Olympic champion, Christian Taylor, was runner-up and moved himself up to fourth on the all-time lists with a mark of 18.04 m (59 ft 2 in), making the contest the first in history to feature two men going beyond eighteen metres. Among the other results, Justin Gatlin of the United States became the fifth fastest man in the history of the 100 metres with his winning time of 9.74 seconds (bettering the world record of 9.77 seconds he set in 2006, which was annulled due to a failed doping test). Shanghai Almaz Ayana of Ethiopia gave the stand-out performance at the Shanghai Diamond League by running the third fastest women's 5000 metres of all time, finishing in 14:14.32 minutes for a Diamond League record. Mutaz Essa Barshim defeated Bohdan Bondarenko in the men's high jump with a meeting record and world-leading mark of 2.38 m (7 ft 9+1⁄2 in). In addition to these two performances, there were four other world-leading marks set during the competition: Silas Kiplagat (men's 1500 m), Jairus Kipchoge Birech (men's steeplechase), Gong Lijiao (women's shot put) and Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou (women's pole vault). Kyriakopoulou's vault of 4.75 m (15 ft 7 in) was also a Greek record. Aside from Gong, Lü Huihui was China's only other home nation victor, and her winning mark of 64.08 m (210 ft 2+3⁄4 in) from the women's javelin throw was also a meeting record. Eugene Renaud Lavillenie continued the streak of Diamond League records by winning the men's pole vault with a mark of 6.05 m (19 ft 10 in), raising him to joint second on the all-time outdoor lists. Wind and temperature conditions suited the sprinting events. Justin Gatlin won the men's 200 metres in a world lead 19.68 seconds, while Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won the women's 100 metres in another world lead of 10.81 seconds, sharing that time with Murielle Ahouré. Six women ran under 10.9 seconds that day, and China's Su Bingtian became the first man of Asian descent to break the 10-second barrier in the 100 m. Mutaz Essa Barshim continued his high jump streak with a meet record and world lead of 2.41 m (7 ft 10+3⁄4 in), while Caterine Ibargüen extended her undefeated run to 24 triple jump competitions. Genzebe Dibaba attempted to top Almaz Ayana's 5000 metres run from Shanghai: although she came up short, her winning time of 14:19.76 was the fifth fastest ever run for the distance. A total of thirteen world-leading marks and six meet records were set at the two-day competition. Rome A total of five world leading marks were set at the Golden Gala. Ethiopian male distance runners provided two of these, with Mohamed Aman winning the 800 m in 1:43.56 minutes and 17-year-old Yomif Kejelcha taking his first Diamond race victory in the 5000 m with the first sub-13-minute run of the season. Hyvin Kiyeng Jepkemoi, also in her first Diamond race win, took the women's steeplechase in 9:15.08 minutes (a personal best by more than six seconds). The more experienced Ruth Beitia topped the women's high jump with a clearance of 2.00 m (6 ft 6+1⁄2 in) – the 36-year-old Spaniard became the oldest woman to jump over that height. American Jennifer Simpson became the first woman under four minutes for the 1500 m that year. Two meeting records were bettered in Rome. Justin Gatlin knocked one hundredth off Usain Bolt's 2012 time with 9.75 seconds in the men's 100 m. Pedro Pablo Pichardo took down two much longer-standing marks in the men's triple jump with his jump of 17.96 m (58 ft 11 in): Jonathan Edwards 1998 meet record and also Khristo Markov's 1987 stadium record, which was the winning mark of the 1987 World Championships in Athletics. Other marks of note were Thiago Braz da Silva's South American record of 5.86 m (19 ft 2+1⁄2 in) in the men's pole vault and men's javelin throw national records from Kenya's Julius Yego and Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago. A strong women's 100 m hurdles field was notable for high-profile failures: Olympic champion Sally Pearson fell heavily and was injured, world champion Brianna Rollins clashed a hurdle and fell, and world leader Jasmin Stowers also hit a hurdle heavily and walked to the finish. Birmingham The best performance at the Birmingham Grand Prix came in the men's javelin with Kenya's Julius Yego greatly improving to 91.39 m (299 ft 10 in) to break the Diamond League record and the African record. This mark was the best recorded in the discipline since 2006. There was some discussion over the validity of the throw: officials initially judged the throw to be outside the allowable sector, despite the throw going beyond the area that officials had marked out, and only was the meeting had finished did they accept Yego's effort. Another world lead and African record came in the non-standard 300 m sprint as Wayde van Niekerk won in 31.63 seconds. Sandra Perković was the only athlete to set a meeting record, doing so in the women's discus with a mark of 69.23 m (227 ft 1+1⁄2 in), improving on former Olympic champion Ellina Zvereva's 13-year-old record. Perković win made her the only athlete of the meeting to have won all Diamond races in a discipline after just five meetings, as Marvin Bracy's 100 m win erased Justin Gatlin's streak. Home athlete Adam Gemili broke the 10-second barrier for the first time in that race, becoming the sixth Briton to achieve the feat. Oslo In poor weather conditions, there were few record performances in Oslo. Genzebe Dibaba fell short in her 5000 m world record attempt, although her winning time of 14:21.29 minutes was still the seventh fastest ever recorded at that point. The sole world-leading performance of the evening was Kaliese Spencer's 400 m hurdles win in 54.15 seconds. This brought the Jamaican to twelve points in the Diamond race. Caterine Ibargüen also reached twelve points, extending her three-year unbeaten run. No men were left unbeaten in their Diamond race due to two unexpected victories. A men's high jump billed as a contest between Mutaz Essa Barshim, Bohdan Bondarenko and Ivan Ukhov saw all finish outside the top two, as China's Zhang Guowei had his first Diamond League victory and Marco Fassinotti equalled the Italian record of 2.33 m (7 ft 7+1⁄2 in). Robert Urbanek ousted his fellow Pole Piotr Małachowski to prevent him from taking three straight wins in the men's discus. In the absence of Diamond race leader Kirani James, Steven Gardiner broke the men's 400 m streak and took his first Diamond League win. The greatest upset of the night came through Laura Muir in the women's 1500 m. The Briton built up a 40-metre lead to have her first major circuit win ahead of the more favoured Abeba Aregawi. Marharyta Dorozhon was another first time winner, achieving the feat in the women's javelin in an Israeli record of 64.56 m (211 ft 9+1⁄2 in). The only other national record of the meet was a Belgian one of 3:51.84 minutes in the 1500 m by Pieter-Jan Hannes. Asbel Kiprop had his fourth career win at the Bislett Dream Mile, which was in its 50th anniversary. New York As in Oslo, poor weather meant only one world-leading mark was recorded in New York: Francena McCorory improved the women's 400 m time to 49.86 seconds – also a meeting record. The women's field events provided two more meeting records: Christabel Nettey's clearance of 6.92 m (22 ft 8+1⁄4 in) brought her her first long jump win on the circuit, while Ruth Beitia and Blanka Vlašić were both clear at 1.97 m (6 ft 5+1⁄2 in) for a women's high jump record. Ajeé Wilson brought an end to Eunice Jepkoech Sum's run in the women's 800 m and Sandra Perković became the first athlete of the series to gather four straight wins. In a non-Diamond race, Usain Bolt extended his unbeaten record in the 200 m, although his winning margin was narrow and his time over a second off his best. Wayde van Niekerk took the men's 400 m in a South African record time. Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou of Greece also set a national record, but her pole vault clearance of 4.80 m (15 ft 8+3⁄4 in) left her second to Fabiana Murer on count-back. Paris Six world leading marks were established in Paris. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce's 100 m in 10.74 was also a meeting record, as was Jairus Kipchoge Birech's steeplechase victory in 7:58.83. Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou's women's pole vault world lead also equalled the Diamond League record of 4.83 m (15 ft 10 in) and improved her Greek record. Eunice Sum (800 m), Orlando Ortega (110 m hurdles) and Silas Kiplagat (1500 m) were the others to set world leads. Genzebe Dibaba and Almaz Ayana were both short again in a women's 5000 m world record attempt, although Genzebe's winning time of 14:15.21 was a new meet record. Three continental records were set at the meet: Wayde van Niekerk of South Africa ran an African record of 43.96 for the men's 400 m, France's Jimmy Vicaut was runner-up to Asafa Powell in the men's 100 m but equalled the European record at 9.86, while Evan Jager of the United States set a men's steeplechase record for the NACAC region. Jager did so despite a fall to the track at the last hurdle – a mistake that cost him the win over Birech and a certain sub-8 performance. A number of national records in athletics were also broken that day: Sergey Shubenkov improved the Russian record in the 110 m hurdles, Konstadinos Filippidis broke his nation's men's pole vault (a double for Greece in the event), Konstadinos Douvalidis equalled his Greek record in the 110 m hurdles, Selina Büchel improved the women's 800 m Swiss record to 1:57.95, and in the women's 400 m hurdles Sara Petersen and Kemi Adekoya broke their respective Danish and Bahraini records. Two long-standing streaks were brought to an end at the competition. Valerie Adams, returning from surgery, lost to Christina Schwanitz in the women's shot put after having had 56 consecutive wins. Renaud Lavillenie was the favourite for the men's pole vault, but finished in fifth place and recorded his first loss in seven years at the meeting on home soil. Zuzana Hejnová won the 400 m hurdles to prevent Kaliese Spencer (who was absent) from taking a fourth straight win. One streak that did continue was that of Colombia's Caterine Ibargüen, who joined Sandra Perković as the only unbeaten athletes on the Diamond League that year. Lausanne The Athletissima meeting saw one world leading performance: 2.03 m (6 ft 7+3⁄4 in) by Anna Chicherova in the women's high jump. Four meet records were improved. Christian Taylor defeated Pedro Pablo Pichardo with a triple jump of 18.06 m (59 ft 3 in) – the joint fourth best jump ever at that point. David Storl's shot put of 22.20 m (72 ft 10 in) was another meet record and the best by a European since 1988. The women's steeplechase record was bettered by Virginia Nyambura, while Keshorn Walcott set a Trinidad and Tobago national record and meet record of 90.16 m (295 ft 9+1⁄2 in) in the men's javelin. Yaime Pérez had her first ever Diamond League win and in doing so brought an end to Sandra Perković's unbeaten streak in the women's discus throw. Zharnel Hughes (men's 200 m) and Shaunae Miller (women's 400 m) also had their first ever wins on the Diamond League circuit. Monaco At the Herculis meet Genzebe Dibaba provided the highlight with her 1500 metres world record of 3:50.07 minutes, breaking Qu Yunxia's time from the 1993 Chinese Games. The veracity of the previous record had been subject to doubt and Genzebe's time—almost two and a half seconds faster than any time set outside the Chinese Games—attracted questions in addition to plaudits. In response, she said "I want to live my own history. I`m not interested in others or the conditions". Nearly six seconds behind her, Sifan Hassan set a Dutch record and Shannon Rowbury ran a North American record. One other Diamond League record was improved that evening, by Joe Kovacs in the men's shot put whose throw of 22.56 m (74 ft 0 in) moved him to eighth on the all-time lists and was the best throw recorded in over a decade. Though not a Diamond race, the men's 1500 m saw Asbel Kiprop move up to third on the all-time lists with a run of 3:26.69 minutes. A total of six meeting records were broken – Habiba Ghribi's 9:11.28 in the women's steeplechase, Christian Taylor's 17.75 m (58 ft 2+3⁄4 in) men's triple jump, and Justin Gatlin's 9.78 in the men's 100 m, were the other three marks addition to the above-mentioned performances. A total of eight world-leading performances were recorded. Amel Tuka (men's 800 m) and Candyce McGrone (women's 200 m) both won their first Diamond League races in personal bests, with Tuka improving over a second and a half in three races in July, breaking his own Bosnia and Herzegovina record and becoming the 11th fastest performer of all time. Following defeat at the previous leg, Sandra Perković returned for a fifth win in the women's discus. References Results Lists & Results 2015. Diamond League. Retrieved on 2015-06-13. Specific External links Official website
Nikoleta_Kyriakopoulou	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikoleta_Kyriakopoulou	[ 653 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikoleta_Kyriakopoulou" ]	Nikoleta 'Nikol' Kyriakopoulou (Greek: Νικολέτα "Νικολ" Κυριακοπούλου, born 21 March 1986) is a Greek retired pole vaulter. Nikoleta was 8th at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021. She also won the bronze medal at the World Championships in Beijing in 2015 jumping 4.80m. During the 2015 season, she set five Greek records (indoor and outdoor) raising the bar to 4,83 meters. The same year, she became the first Greek athlete to win the IAAF Diamond League. Her first success in a major event was in 2012 when she won the bronze medal at the European Championships in Helsinki. One year earlier, in 2011, she finished 8th at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu. She also won the 2009 Mediterranean Games with a Games record of 4.50 meters, while as a junior athlete she was 6th at the World Championships in Grosseto in 2004. Nikoleta did not compete in 2016 Rio Olympics due to injury. In 2017 she became a mother of a baby girl and announced her return to competition for 2018. She won the silver medal at the 2018 European Championships and bronze medal at the European Championships in Glasgow in 2019. She was named the Greek Female Athlete of the Year for 2015. International competitions Personal bests Personal life Nikoleta is married and has a daughter. She partially hailed from Emmanouil Pappas, Serres. References Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou at World Athletics External links Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou at Olympedia Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou at Olympics.com
Istiklal_Mosque,_Sarajevo	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istiklal_Mosque,_Sarajevo	[ 654 ]	[ "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istiklal_Mosque,_Sarajevo" ]	Istiklal Mosque (Bosnian: Istiklal Džamija) is one of the largest mosques in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was named after Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta, the national mosque of Indonesia, since the mosque was a gift from the Indonesian people and government for Bosnia and Herzegovina as a token of solidarity and friendship between the two nations. The name "istiqlal" is Arabic word for "independence", thus it is also meant to commemorate the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Activities Other than its regular function as a house of prayers; the regular daily 5 times salat and other prayers (Jumu'ah and Eids), Istiqlal mosque also hosts maktab and Quran recital competitions for children and adults. The mosque also served as Project Bureau Center for Islamic Architecture, arranging Sharia weddings, and also as Indonesian Cultural Center. History During his visit to the war torn city of Sarajevo in March 1995 and paid a courtesy call to Bosnian President Alija Izetbegović, Indonesian President Suharto contemplating an idea to build a mosque in the city as a gift for the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Suharto mobilized his administrations to realize his idea, and appointing Fauzan Noe’man, one of Indonesia's foremost architect to design the mosque and proceed with the project. Noe'man was known for his works in constructing grand mosque of Batam, Baiturrahim mosque in Merdeka Palace complex, and also At-Tin mosque (1999) in East Jakarta near Taman Mini Indonesia Indah. The project is started in 1995, however because the turmoil in Indonesia led to the fall of Suharto in 1998 has stalled the construction process. The mosque was completed and inaugurated in September 2001 by Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs Said Agil Al Munawar. A year later in September 2002 during her stately visit to Sarajevo, President Megawati Soekarnoputri also visited the mosque. Architecture The Istiqlal mosque of Sarajevo demonstrate postmodern interpretation of Islamic architecture as viewed from Indonesian perspective. The mosque built with simple geometric elements and patterns on metal-works made from stainless steel or aluminum and glass blocks applied on facade, windows and arches. The exterior were covered with white tiles, while the interior, especially in mihrab, minbar and window frames were adorned with Indonesian wooden carving of floral ornaments. Built on 2,800 square meters land on Otoka on western side of the city, the mosque is one among the largest mosque in Sarajevo and easily recognizable as the landmark in the neighborhood. The mosque has a single copper-colored dome measured 27 meters tall and 27 meters in diameter. The dome is equipped with three horizontal openings around the dome to allow natural lights to enter the mosque's interior beneath the dome. This type of dome is similar to those of At-Tin mosque in Jakarta, also designed by Fauzan Noe’man. Two twin towers flanking the entrance with reminiscent of Iranian iwan facade style. The tower height is 48 meters. The tip of the dome and twin towers are adorned with three spherical pinnacles with star and crescent on top of it. The twin towers symbolize two nations, as the mosque represents the friendship and solidarity between Indonesia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. See also Bosnia and Herzegovina–Indonesia relations References External links Pictures of Istiqlal Mosque, Sarajevo