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After retiring as a player, with what team did baseball great Babe Ruth spend one year as a coach? | Babe Ruth Biography - ESPN
Babe Ruth Biography
Personal
Babe Ruth is a former Major League Baseball player, widely considered to be the greatest baseball player of all-time, starting his career as a pitcher with the Boston Red Sox. In a controversial deal with the New York Yankees, Ruth was sold for $100,00 in a trade that would later be known as "The Curse of the Bambino." With the Yankees, Ruth moved to the outfield and transformed into one of the greatest hitters of all time. He was the first player to hit 60 home runs in a season. Ruth ended his career with a .342 batting average and 714 home runs, which was a record until Hank Aaron surpassed him in 1974. Ruth was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936.
Early Years
George Herman Ruth Jr. was born on Feb. 6, 1895 in Baltimore, Md., to Kate Schamberger-Ruth and George Herman Ruth, Sr. Only two of their eight children survived past infancy: Ruth, and his sister, Mamie. At age seven, Ruth was sent to St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, a reformatory and orphanage. Ruth spent 12 years at the school, rarely seeing his family. It was at St. Mary's that Ruth started playing baseball. He played a variety of positions but played catcher mostly until the age of 15. Ruth started pitching and switched between pitcher and catcher on the St. Mary's varsity baseball team.
Professional Career
Minor league career
During a game in 1913 between St. Mary's and Mount St. Mary's University, Ruth's pitching skills caught the attention of Washington Senators pitcher Joe Engel. Engel told Jack Dunn, owner of the then-minor league Baltimore Orioles, about the prospect, and Dunn signed Ruth to a contract on Feb. 14, 1914. Ruth earned the nickname of "Babe" after teammates referred to him as Jack Dunn's newest babe. The nickname stuck with Ruth for the rest of his career.
On July 7, 1914, Ruth was nearly sold to the Philadelphia Athletics along with Ernie Shore and Ben Egan for $10,000. Athletics owner and manager Connie Mack refused to spend $10,000 on the trio. Ruth was eventually sold to the Boston Red Sox.
Boston Red Sox (1914-19)
Babe Ruth made his major league debut on July 11, 1914, for the Boston Red Sox. Ruth appeared in five games during the 1914 season, pitching in four of them. On the mound, Ruth went 2-1 with a 3.91 ERA, and he went just 2-for-10 with two RBI at the plate. Ruth spent a majority of the season with the Providence Grays in the minor leagues.
Ruth landed a spot in the Red Sox pitching rotation during the 1915 season. In his first full season as a starter, Ruth went 18-18 with a 2.44 ERA in 28 starts. Ruth showed his first glimpse of power at the plate, slugging four home runs and driving in 21 runs. Ruth made his postseason debut in the 1915 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, grounding out in his only at-bat.
In 1916, Ruth led the American League in earned run average (1.75), games started (41) and shutouts (9). He went 23-12, including four victories over Washington Senators great Walter Johnson. The Red Sox won their second-straight World Series championship in 1916. Ruth pitched a 14-inning complete game in Game 2 against the Brooklyn Robins.
Ruth had his best season as a pitcher in 1917, going 24-13 with a 2.01 ERA and 35 complete games. On June 23, 1917, against the Senators, Ruth threw a punch at an umpire after walking the leadoff hitter. He received a 10-game suspension for his actions.
In 1918, Ruth started to shift his playing time from the mound to the outfield. At the plate, Ruth led the league in home runs with 11 and batted .300 with 66 RBI. On the mound, Ruth started Game 1 of the 1918 World Series, throwing a 1-0 shutout over the Chicago Cubs. In Game 4, Ruth pitched eight innings, allowing just two earned runs and striking out six in a 3-2 victory. The Red Sox won the World Series in six games.
Ruth hit .322 with 29 home runs and 114 RBI in 1919, which turned out to be his final season with the Red Sox. The 29 home runs was a single-season record at the time. In his last season as a starting pitcher, Ruth went 9-5 with a 2.97 ERA.
Ruth wanted an increase in his salary following the 1919 season, but Frazee refused to pay him and decided to trade his star player. Finding a team to make a deal was a problem as Frazee had only two options in the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees. The White Sox offered the Red Sox "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and $60,000 for Ruth. The Yankees offered the Red Sox $100,000 in cash.
New York Yankees (1920-34)
Boston Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees on Dec. 26, 1919. Frazee received $25,000 up front along with three promissory notes of $25,000 each at six percent interest. Frazee also received a loan for $300,000 against the mortgage of Fenway Park as collateral.
The deal was eventually known as the "Curse of the Bambino," as the Red Sox wouldn't win another World Series title until 2004. It was claimed that Ruth was sold to the Yankees in order for Frazee to finance "No, No, Nanette" on Broadway. According to author Leigh Montville, who wrote "The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth," he discovered that "No, No, Nannette" was indeed financed by the sale of Ruth to the Yankees.
On the Yankees, Ruth completed his transition from a pitcher to an outfielder, pitching in just 36 games over the next 15 seasons in New York.
Ruth hit .376 with 54 home runs and 137 RBI in his first season with the Yankees in 1920. He nearly doubled his home run record he set the season before with the Red Sox. Only the Philadelphia Phillies hit more home runs as a team than Ruth.
Ruth led the Yankees to a first-place finish in the American League in 1921, hitting .378 with 59 home runs and 171 RBI. It was arguably one of the greatest seasons of Ruth's career, as the player set records in total bases (457), extra base hits (119) and times on base (379). Ruth broke Roger Connor's home run record of 138 on July 18, 1921, against the Detroit Tigers. In the 1921 World Series, the Yankees won the first two games before Ruth injured his elbow in Game 2. Doctors advised Ruth not to play the rest of the series. Ignoring doctor's orders, Ruth started and played the next three games in the World Series before coming off the bench as a pinch-hitter in Game 8. Ruth hit .313 with one home run and four RBI in the series, but the Yankees lost to the Giants in eight games.
Baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis suspended Ruth for the first six weeks of the 1922 season after he participated in a barnstorming tour following the World Series. Ruth made his season debut on May 20, 1922, as the captain of the Yankees. Just five days later, Ruth was stripped of his captaincy after he was ejected from a game for throwing dirt on an umpire and confronting a fan in the stands. Despite missing more than 40 games, Ruth still managed to hit 35 home runs with 99 RBI. The Yankees faced the Giants again in the World Series but lost in five games, partly because of Ruth's .118 average.
1923 was the first season at Yankee Stadium after moving from the Polo Grounds. In a stadium nicknamed "The House That Ruth Built," Ruth hit the first-ever home run at Yankee Stadium on Apr. 18, 1923, against the Red Sox. Thanks to a career-high .393 batting average, 41 home runs and 131 RBI, Ruth won the only American League Most Valuable Player award in his career. The Yankees finally knocked off the Giants in the 1923 World Series for their first World Series in franchise history. Ruth hit three home runs in the six-game series.
Ruth finished eight RBI short of winning the AL Triple Crown in 1924, leading the league with a .378 average and 46 home runs. When he wasn't busy hitting home runs, Ruth enlisted for three years in the 104th field artillery of the National Guard of New York.
Ruth's career hit a low during the 1925 season. He was having problems at home with his marriage and spent the offseason eating and partying. When he arrived to Spring Training, Ruth was sick and out of shape. During a road trip in Asheville, N.C., Ruth collapsed. It was rumored that he had the flu, but the headlines claimed Ruth overindulged on soda and hot dogs. Ruth's illness was dubbed "The Bellyache Heard 'Round the World." Ruth underwent an operation for an "intestinal abscess," and he missed the first part of the season while he recovered. Ruth played in only 98 games, hitting .290 with 25 home runs and 66 RBI as the Yankees finished in next-to-last place.
A healthy Ruth bounced back in 1926, hitting .372 with 47 home runs and 146 RBI. In the 1926 World Series, Ruth slugged three home runs in Game 4 against the St. Louis Cardinals. Ruth promised Johnny Sylvester, an 11-year-old hospitalized after a horseback riding accident, that he would hit a home run for him in Game 4. Sylvester's condition improved after Ruth's three home runs. With the Yankees trailing 3-2 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth of Game 7, Ruth was thrown out trying to steal second base.
Ruth set a career high and major league record 60 home runs in 1927. Seventeen of his 60 home runs came in the month of September. His season record stood until Roger Maris hit 61 in 1961. Ruth was part of one of the greatest lineups in baseball history along with Earle Combs, Mark Koeing, Lou Gehrig, Bob Meusel and Tony Lazzeri. The Yankees went 110-44 in the regular season and swept the Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series.
Ruth followed up his 60-homer season with 54 home runs in 1928. He had a chance of breaking the record he set the season before, but Ruth battled an ankle injury towards the end of the season. In the 1928 World Series, Ruth hit .625 (10-for-16) with three home runs (all three in Game 4) as the Yankees swept the St. Louis Cardinals.
Ruth hit .345 with 46 home runs and 154 RBI in 1929. Yankees manager Miller Huggins died on Sept. 25, 1929, of erysipelas. Ruth had interest in managing the Yankees, but former Chicago Cubs manager Joe McCarthy was hired, instead. Ruth made his final postseason appearance in 1932 with the Yankees. New York went 107-47 in the regular season under McCarthy and swept the Chicago Cubs in the World Series. Ruth hit .333 with two home runs and six RBI. One of Ruth's two home runs was in Game 3, which was known as Babe Ruth's called shot. Ruth made a gesture towards center field and hit a home run on a 2-2 pitch off Cubs pitcher Charlie Root. The home run was Ruth's last World Series hit. He finished with a lifetime World Series average of .326 with 15 home runs and 33 RBI in 41 games. Major League Baseball honored Ruth's World Series success in 1949 with the Babe Ruth Award for the player with the best World Series performance.
Ruth was elected to the first All-Star game in 1933, hitting .301 with 34 home runs and 103 RBI on the season. In the 1933 All-Star Game, Ruth hit the first home run in the game's history at Comiskey Park in Chicago. The former pitcher made his final appearance on the mound during the 1933 season, pitching a complete-game victory against the Boston Red Sox and improving his record to 5-0 as a pitcher for the Yankees.
Ruth's final season with the Yankees came in 1934, hitting .288 with 22 home runs and 84 RBI. Ruth wanted to manage the Yankees, but McCarthy was entrenched in the manager's job. He was offered the managerial position with the Newark Bears, the Yankee's top minor-league affiliate, but Ruth turned the offer down.
Boston Braves (1935)
Babe Ruth was traded to the Boston Braves on Feb. 26, 1935. Along with playing, Ruth would be the Braves' vice president and assistant manager. But after leaving the Yankees, Ruth's on-the-field skills declined sharply. His last glimpse of greatness occurred on May 25, 1935, against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ruth went 4-for-4 with three home runs and six RBI. On May 30, 1935, Ruth played in his final game, striking out in his only at-bat before leaving with a knee injury. On June 2, 1935, Ruth announced his retirement.
Ruth retired with 714 career home runs, which was the most in baseball until Hank Aaron broke his record on April 8, 1974.
Post-playing career
After retiring from playing, Ruth was the first base coach of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1938 but he lasted only one season before quitting.
Ruth appeared in nearly a dozen movies during the silent film era. His acting debut came in 1920 in "Headin' Home." Ruth also appeared in "Speedy," "Perfect Control," and "Over The Fence." He was also a mainstay on radio programs. He appeared on "The Adventures of Babe Ruth," produced by the Blue Network, in 1934. It was a series of 15-minute programs that featured Ruth telling fully dramatized episodes from his career. Ruth was also featured on "Here's Bath Ruth," the comedy-drama "Alibi Ike," and "Baseball Quiz."
Ruth became ill in 1946 after doctors discovered he had a malignant tumor in his neck. While in the hospital, Ruth lost 80 pounds from the radiation therapy. With Ruth still ailing, he was treated with a new medicine called teropterin (which eventually led to the creation of methorexate, which is used to treat cancer). It wasn't until after Ruth's death that it was discovered he was suffering from nasopharyngeal carcinoma, a rare tumor that's located in the back of the nose.
Ruth's health continued to decline in 1948. The Yankees held a "Babe Ruth Day" on April 27, 1947. Ruth spoke in front of 60,000 fans. His final appearance at Yankee Stadium came on June 13, 1948, for the 25th anniversary celebration of the ballpark. On Aug. 16, 1948, Ruth passed away from pneumonia at 63. Over 100,000 fans came out to Yankee Stadium to pay their final respects as Ruth's casket was on display. Ruth was buried at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, N.Y.
Legacy
Babe Ruth was one of the first five players elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936.
Formally the Little Bigger League, the Babe Ruth League was founded in 1951 as a youth baseball program. The name was changed to the Babe Ruth League in 1954 after Ruth's widow, Claire Ruth, gave the organization permission. The league serves more than 1 million young players from ages 4-18 across the United States.
The Curtiss Candy Company created the "Baby Ruth" candy bar, originally called "Kandy Kate." The Curtiss Candy Company changed the name in 1921 to "Baby Ruth" and claimed it was named after Ruth Cleveland, the daughter of President Glover Cleveland. Ruth Cleveland had passed away 17 years prior to the name change. It was also around the same time when Babe Ruth was emerging as a baseball superstar. The Curtiss Candy Company capitalized from Ruth's success without having to pay the slugger royalties, an early example of ambush sports marketing.
Personal
Babe Ruth married Helen Woodford on Oct. 17, 1914. Babe and Helen adopted a baby girl named Dorothy in 1921. In a book titled, "My Dad, The Babe," Dorothy claimed she was Ruth's biological child with a woman named Juanita Jennings. Helen passed away in 1929 from a house fire in Watertown, Mass. Ruth remarried later that year to model Claire Merritt Hodgson. Ruth adopted Julia Hodgson, the daughter of his wife, Claire.
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What is the maximum weight permitted for calves in rodeo calf-roping competition? | Babe Ruth Biography - ESPN
Babe Ruth Biography
Personal
Babe Ruth is a former Major League Baseball player, widely considered to be the greatest baseball player of all-time, starting his career as a pitcher with the Boston Red Sox. In a controversial deal with the New York Yankees, Ruth was sold for $100,00 in a trade that would later be known as "The Curse of the Bambino." With the Yankees, Ruth moved to the outfield and transformed into one of the greatest hitters of all time. He was the first player to hit 60 home runs in a season. Ruth ended his career with a .342 batting average and 714 home runs, which was a record until Hank Aaron surpassed him in 1974. Ruth was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936.
Early Years
George Herman Ruth Jr. was born on Feb. 6, 1895 in Baltimore, Md., to Kate Schamberger-Ruth and George Herman Ruth, Sr. Only two of their eight children survived past infancy: Ruth, and his sister, Mamie. At age seven, Ruth was sent to St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, a reformatory and orphanage. Ruth spent 12 years at the school, rarely seeing his family. It was at St. Mary's that Ruth started playing baseball. He played a variety of positions but played catcher mostly until the age of 15. Ruth started pitching and switched between pitcher and catcher on the St. Mary's varsity baseball team.
Professional Career
Minor league career
During a game in 1913 between St. Mary's and Mount St. Mary's University, Ruth's pitching skills caught the attention of Washington Senators pitcher Joe Engel. Engel told Jack Dunn, owner of the then-minor league Baltimore Orioles, about the prospect, and Dunn signed Ruth to a contract on Feb. 14, 1914. Ruth earned the nickname of "Babe" after teammates referred to him as Jack Dunn's newest babe. The nickname stuck with Ruth for the rest of his career.
On July 7, 1914, Ruth was nearly sold to the Philadelphia Athletics along with Ernie Shore and Ben Egan for $10,000. Athletics owner and manager Connie Mack refused to spend $10,000 on the trio. Ruth was eventually sold to the Boston Red Sox.
Boston Red Sox (1914-19)
Babe Ruth made his major league debut on July 11, 1914, for the Boston Red Sox. Ruth appeared in five games during the 1914 season, pitching in four of them. On the mound, Ruth went 2-1 with a 3.91 ERA, and he went just 2-for-10 with two RBI at the plate. Ruth spent a majority of the season with the Providence Grays in the minor leagues.
Ruth landed a spot in the Red Sox pitching rotation during the 1915 season. In his first full season as a starter, Ruth went 18-18 with a 2.44 ERA in 28 starts. Ruth showed his first glimpse of power at the plate, slugging four home runs and driving in 21 runs. Ruth made his postseason debut in the 1915 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, grounding out in his only at-bat.
In 1916, Ruth led the American League in earned run average (1.75), games started (41) and shutouts (9). He went 23-12, including four victories over Washington Senators great Walter Johnson. The Red Sox won their second-straight World Series championship in 1916. Ruth pitched a 14-inning complete game in Game 2 against the Brooklyn Robins.
Ruth had his best season as a pitcher in 1917, going 24-13 with a 2.01 ERA and 35 complete games. On June 23, 1917, against the Senators, Ruth threw a punch at an umpire after walking the leadoff hitter. He received a 10-game suspension for his actions.
In 1918, Ruth started to shift his playing time from the mound to the outfield. At the plate, Ruth led the league in home runs with 11 and batted .300 with 66 RBI. On the mound, Ruth started Game 1 of the 1918 World Series, throwing a 1-0 shutout over the Chicago Cubs. In Game 4, Ruth pitched eight innings, allowing just two earned runs and striking out six in a 3-2 victory. The Red Sox won the World Series in six games.
Ruth hit .322 with 29 home runs and 114 RBI in 1919, which turned out to be his final season with the Red Sox. The 29 home runs was a single-season record at the time. In his last season as a starting pitcher, Ruth went 9-5 with a 2.97 ERA.
Ruth wanted an increase in his salary following the 1919 season, but Frazee refused to pay him and decided to trade his star player. Finding a team to make a deal was a problem as Frazee had only two options in the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees. The White Sox offered the Red Sox "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and $60,000 for Ruth. The Yankees offered the Red Sox $100,000 in cash.
New York Yankees (1920-34)
Boston Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees on Dec. 26, 1919. Frazee received $25,000 up front along with three promissory notes of $25,000 each at six percent interest. Frazee also received a loan for $300,000 against the mortgage of Fenway Park as collateral.
The deal was eventually known as the "Curse of the Bambino," as the Red Sox wouldn't win another World Series title until 2004. It was claimed that Ruth was sold to the Yankees in order for Frazee to finance "No, No, Nanette" on Broadway. According to author Leigh Montville, who wrote "The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth," he discovered that "No, No, Nannette" was indeed financed by the sale of Ruth to the Yankees.
On the Yankees, Ruth completed his transition from a pitcher to an outfielder, pitching in just 36 games over the next 15 seasons in New York.
Ruth hit .376 with 54 home runs and 137 RBI in his first season with the Yankees in 1920. He nearly doubled his home run record he set the season before with the Red Sox. Only the Philadelphia Phillies hit more home runs as a team than Ruth.
Ruth led the Yankees to a first-place finish in the American League in 1921, hitting .378 with 59 home runs and 171 RBI. It was arguably one of the greatest seasons of Ruth's career, as the player set records in total bases (457), extra base hits (119) and times on base (379). Ruth broke Roger Connor's home run record of 138 on July 18, 1921, against the Detroit Tigers. In the 1921 World Series, the Yankees won the first two games before Ruth injured his elbow in Game 2. Doctors advised Ruth not to play the rest of the series. Ignoring doctor's orders, Ruth started and played the next three games in the World Series before coming off the bench as a pinch-hitter in Game 8. Ruth hit .313 with one home run and four RBI in the series, but the Yankees lost to the Giants in eight games.
Baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis suspended Ruth for the first six weeks of the 1922 season after he participated in a barnstorming tour following the World Series. Ruth made his season debut on May 20, 1922, as the captain of the Yankees. Just five days later, Ruth was stripped of his captaincy after he was ejected from a game for throwing dirt on an umpire and confronting a fan in the stands. Despite missing more than 40 games, Ruth still managed to hit 35 home runs with 99 RBI. The Yankees faced the Giants again in the World Series but lost in five games, partly because of Ruth's .118 average.
1923 was the first season at Yankee Stadium after moving from the Polo Grounds. In a stadium nicknamed "The House That Ruth Built," Ruth hit the first-ever home run at Yankee Stadium on Apr. 18, 1923, against the Red Sox. Thanks to a career-high .393 batting average, 41 home runs and 131 RBI, Ruth won the only American League Most Valuable Player award in his career. The Yankees finally knocked off the Giants in the 1923 World Series for their first World Series in franchise history. Ruth hit three home runs in the six-game series.
Ruth finished eight RBI short of winning the AL Triple Crown in 1924, leading the league with a .378 average and 46 home runs. When he wasn't busy hitting home runs, Ruth enlisted for three years in the 104th field artillery of the National Guard of New York.
Ruth's career hit a low during the 1925 season. He was having problems at home with his marriage and spent the offseason eating and partying. When he arrived to Spring Training, Ruth was sick and out of shape. During a road trip in Asheville, N.C., Ruth collapsed. It was rumored that he had the flu, but the headlines claimed Ruth overindulged on soda and hot dogs. Ruth's illness was dubbed "The Bellyache Heard 'Round the World." Ruth underwent an operation for an "intestinal abscess," and he missed the first part of the season while he recovered. Ruth played in only 98 games, hitting .290 with 25 home runs and 66 RBI as the Yankees finished in next-to-last place.
A healthy Ruth bounced back in 1926, hitting .372 with 47 home runs and 146 RBI. In the 1926 World Series, Ruth slugged three home runs in Game 4 against the St. Louis Cardinals. Ruth promised Johnny Sylvester, an 11-year-old hospitalized after a horseback riding accident, that he would hit a home run for him in Game 4. Sylvester's condition improved after Ruth's three home runs. With the Yankees trailing 3-2 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth of Game 7, Ruth was thrown out trying to steal second base.
Ruth set a career high and major league record 60 home runs in 1927. Seventeen of his 60 home runs came in the month of September. His season record stood until Roger Maris hit 61 in 1961. Ruth was part of one of the greatest lineups in baseball history along with Earle Combs, Mark Koeing, Lou Gehrig, Bob Meusel and Tony Lazzeri. The Yankees went 110-44 in the regular season and swept the Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series.
Ruth followed up his 60-homer season with 54 home runs in 1928. He had a chance of breaking the record he set the season before, but Ruth battled an ankle injury towards the end of the season. In the 1928 World Series, Ruth hit .625 (10-for-16) with three home runs (all three in Game 4) as the Yankees swept the St. Louis Cardinals.
Ruth hit .345 with 46 home runs and 154 RBI in 1929. Yankees manager Miller Huggins died on Sept. 25, 1929, of erysipelas. Ruth had interest in managing the Yankees, but former Chicago Cubs manager Joe McCarthy was hired, instead. Ruth made his final postseason appearance in 1932 with the Yankees. New York went 107-47 in the regular season under McCarthy and swept the Chicago Cubs in the World Series. Ruth hit .333 with two home runs and six RBI. One of Ruth's two home runs was in Game 3, which was known as Babe Ruth's called shot. Ruth made a gesture towards center field and hit a home run on a 2-2 pitch off Cubs pitcher Charlie Root. The home run was Ruth's last World Series hit. He finished with a lifetime World Series average of .326 with 15 home runs and 33 RBI in 41 games. Major League Baseball honored Ruth's World Series success in 1949 with the Babe Ruth Award for the player with the best World Series performance.
Ruth was elected to the first All-Star game in 1933, hitting .301 with 34 home runs and 103 RBI on the season. In the 1933 All-Star Game, Ruth hit the first home run in the game's history at Comiskey Park in Chicago. The former pitcher made his final appearance on the mound during the 1933 season, pitching a complete-game victory against the Boston Red Sox and improving his record to 5-0 as a pitcher for the Yankees.
Ruth's final season with the Yankees came in 1934, hitting .288 with 22 home runs and 84 RBI. Ruth wanted to manage the Yankees, but McCarthy was entrenched in the manager's job. He was offered the managerial position with the Newark Bears, the Yankee's top minor-league affiliate, but Ruth turned the offer down.
Boston Braves (1935)
Babe Ruth was traded to the Boston Braves on Feb. 26, 1935. Along with playing, Ruth would be the Braves' vice president and assistant manager. But after leaving the Yankees, Ruth's on-the-field skills declined sharply. His last glimpse of greatness occurred on May 25, 1935, against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ruth went 4-for-4 with three home runs and six RBI. On May 30, 1935, Ruth played in his final game, striking out in his only at-bat before leaving with a knee injury. On June 2, 1935, Ruth announced his retirement.
Ruth retired with 714 career home runs, which was the most in baseball until Hank Aaron broke his record on April 8, 1974.
Post-playing career
After retiring from playing, Ruth was the first base coach of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1938 but he lasted only one season before quitting.
Ruth appeared in nearly a dozen movies during the silent film era. His acting debut came in 1920 in "Headin' Home." Ruth also appeared in "Speedy," "Perfect Control," and "Over The Fence." He was also a mainstay on radio programs. He appeared on "The Adventures of Babe Ruth," produced by the Blue Network, in 1934. It was a series of 15-minute programs that featured Ruth telling fully dramatized episodes from his career. Ruth was also featured on "Here's Bath Ruth," the comedy-drama "Alibi Ike," and "Baseball Quiz."
Ruth became ill in 1946 after doctors discovered he had a malignant tumor in his neck. While in the hospital, Ruth lost 80 pounds from the radiation therapy. With Ruth still ailing, he was treated with a new medicine called teropterin (which eventually led to the creation of methorexate, which is used to treat cancer). It wasn't until after Ruth's death that it was discovered he was suffering from nasopharyngeal carcinoma, a rare tumor that's located in the back of the nose.
Ruth's health continued to decline in 1948. The Yankees held a "Babe Ruth Day" on April 27, 1947. Ruth spoke in front of 60,000 fans. His final appearance at Yankee Stadium came on June 13, 1948, for the 25th anniversary celebration of the ballpark. On Aug. 16, 1948, Ruth passed away from pneumonia at 63. Over 100,000 fans came out to Yankee Stadium to pay their final respects as Ruth's casket was on display. Ruth was buried at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, N.Y.
Legacy
Babe Ruth was one of the first five players elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936.
Formally the Little Bigger League, the Babe Ruth League was founded in 1951 as a youth baseball program. The name was changed to the Babe Ruth League in 1954 after Ruth's widow, Claire Ruth, gave the organization permission. The league serves more than 1 million young players from ages 4-18 across the United States.
The Curtiss Candy Company created the "Baby Ruth" candy bar, originally called "Kandy Kate." The Curtiss Candy Company changed the name in 1921 to "Baby Ruth" and claimed it was named after Ruth Cleveland, the daughter of President Glover Cleveland. Ruth Cleveland had passed away 17 years prior to the name change. It was also around the same time when Babe Ruth was emerging as a baseball superstar. The Curtiss Candy Company capitalized from Ruth's success without having to pay the slugger royalties, an early example of ambush sports marketing.
Personal
Babe Ruth married Helen Woodford on Oct. 17, 1914. Babe and Helen adopted a baby girl named Dorothy in 1921. In a book titled, "My Dad, The Babe," Dorothy claimed she was Ruth's biological child with a woman named Juanita Jennings. Helen passed away in 1929 from a house fire in Watertown, Mass. Ruth remarried later that year to model Claire Merritt Hodgson. Ruth adopted Julia Hodgson, the daughter of his wife, Claire.
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What baseball player hit the only home run of his 212-year major league career off his own brother? | TRIVIA - SPORTS
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Fun sports trivia questions and answers - Ty Cobb, the Olympics, little league baseball, Boxing, Tennis, Cross Country Bike Racing
What is the distance between bases on a little league baseball field?
60 feet.
What college once had 22 members of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society on its football team?
Dartmouth, in 1925.
What was the first sport in which women were invited to compete at the Olympics?
Tennis, at the 1900 games in Paris. Charlotte Cooper of Great Britain was the first gold medalist.
What sport was the first to be filmed---and who filmed it?
The sport was boxing; the man who did the filming, Thomas A. Edison; the year, 1894. Edison filmed a boxing match between Jack Cushing and Mike Leonard in a studio on the grounds of his laboratory complex in West Orange, New Jersey.
How many home runs did baseball great Ty Cobb hit in the three world series in which he played?
None.
Sports trivia questions and answers about baseball, football, boxing, the Olympics, NBA, NFL, Deion Sanders...
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What Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher hit a home run in his first major league at-bat--and never hit another?
New York Giant knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm, in 1952.
What baseball player hit the only home run of his 212-year major league career off his own brother?
Joe Nickro in 1976. Nickro, a pitcher with the Houston Astros, hit a four-bagger off his brother Phil, who was pitching fro the Atlanta Braves. Houston won the game, 4-3.
What 1921 sporting event took up all of the first 13 pages of The New York Times --except for a little space on the front page devoted to the formal end of World War I?
The July 2nd heavyweight championship bout between Jack Dempsey and George Carpenter, the first fight to gross over $1 million in gate receipts. Dempsey won in a fourth-round knockout.
In the National Football League, how many footballs is the home team required to provide for each game?
24--although from 8 to 12 are usually used.
Brooks Robinson and Carl Yastrzemski hold the major league baseball record for playing the greatest number of seasons with the same team. How many years did they play-- and with what teams?
23 years. Third baseman Robinson played with the Baltimore Orioles from 1955 to 1977; Carl Yastrzemski, outfielder/first baseman, played with the Boston Red Sox from 1961 to 1983.
Why is the site of a boxing match called a ring when it's square?
Boxing rings were originally circular.
In the very first Boston Marathon, 15 runners competed. How many finished?
10.
How long is the average pool cue?
57 inches.
Under the rules outlined in the charter of the International Olympic Committee, how much pure gold must there be in each gold medal awarded to first-place winners?
At least 6 grams. Silver medals must be at least .925 sterling silver.
What professional ice hockey star didn't hang up his skates until he was 52?
Gordie Howe, who played in 1,687 games in the National Hockey League.
What is the state sport of Alaska?
Dog-mushing.
Who was the first athlete to hit a major league home run and make a professional football touchdown in the same week?
Jim Thorpe, in 1917. He did it a second time in 1919. Deion Sanders was the second athlete to accomplish the feat---70 years later in 1989.
Who was the famous great-great-grandfather of San Francisco 49er quarterback Steve Young?
Mormon leader Brigham Young.
Who was the first professional athlete to win championship rings in two major sports?
Gene Conley. He pitched for the Milwaukee Braves team that won the 1957 World Series, and was on the Boston Celtic teams that won National Basketball Association championships in 1959,1960 and 1961.
How long and wide is the balance beam used in Olympic gymnastic competition?
Length, 16 feet 3 inches; width, 4 inches.
What sport besides football did famed fullback Jim Brown compete and excel in while he attended Syracuse University in the mid 1950s?
Lacrosse. He made All-American.
How much did a one-minute TV spot cost advertisers on the first Super Bowl broadcast in 1967?
$85,000.
How many of the four Grand Slam trophies in tennis are gold; how many are silver?
Only the Wimbledon trophy is gold; the others--for the U.S. Open, the French Open and the Australian Open--are sliver.
Sports Trivia - Athletes, Sporting Events, Bobbie Riggs, Arthur Ash, Golf, Chris Evert, Hockey, Triple Crown, and more.
In which US state were the last summer Olympics of the century held?
Georgia.
| joe nickro in 1976 nickro pitcher with houston astros hit four bagger off his brother phil who was pitching fro atlanta braves houston won game 4 3 |
Brooks Robinson and Carl Yastrzemski hold the major league baseball record for playing the greatest number of seasons with the same team. How many years did they play-- and with what teams? | TRIVIA - SPORTS
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Fun sports trivia questions and answers - Ty Cobb, the Olympics, little league baseball, Boxing, Tennis, Cross Country Bike Racing
What is the distance between bases on a little league baseball field?
60 feet.
What college once had 22 members of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society on its football team?
Dartmouth, in 1925.
What was the first sport in which women were invited to compete at the Olympics?
Tennis, at the 1900 games in Paris. Charlotte Cooper of Great Britain was the first gold medalist.
What sport was the first to be filmed---and who filmed it?
The sport was boxing; the man who did the filming, Thomas A. Edison; the year, 1894. Edison filmed a boxing match between Jack Cushing and Mike Leonard in a studio on the grounds of his laboratory complex in West Orange, New Jersey.
How many home runs did baseball great Ty Cobb hit in the three world series in which he played?
None.
Sports trivia questions and answers about baseball, football, boxing, the Olympics, NBA, NFL, Deion Sanders...
�@
What Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher hit a home run in his first major league at-bat--and never hit another?
New York Giant knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm, in 1952.
What baseball player hit the only home run of his 212-year major league career off his own brother?
Joe Nickro in 1976. Nickro, a pitcher with the Houston Astros, hit a four-bagger off his brother Phil, who was pitching fro the Atlanta Braves. Houston won the game, 4-3.
What 1921 sporting event took up all of the first 13 pages of The New York Times --except for a little space on the front page devoted to the formal end of World War I?
The July 2nd heavyweight championship bout between Jack Dempsey and George Carpenter, the first fight to gross over $1 million in gate receipts. Dempsey won in a fourth-round knockout.
In the National Football League, how many footballs is the home team required to provide for each game?
24--although from 8 to 12 are usually used.
Brooks Robinson and Carl Yastrzemski hold the major league baseball record for playing the greatest number of seasons with the same team. How many years did they play-- and with what teams?
23 years. Third baseman Robinson played with the Baltimore Orioles from 1955 to 1977; Carl Yastrzemski, outfielder/first baseman, played with the Boston Red Sox from 1961 to 1983.
Why is the site of a boxing match called a ring when it's square?
Boxing rings were originally circular.
In the very first Boston Marathon, 15 runners competed. How many finished?
10.
How long is the average pool cue?
57 inches.
Under the rules outlined in the charter of the International Olympic Committee, how much pure gold must there be in each gold medal awarded to first-place winners?
At least 6 grams. Silver medals must be at least .925 sterling silver.
What professional ice hockey star didn't hang up his skates until he was 52?
Gordie Howe, who played in 1,687 games in the National Hockey League.
What is the state sport of Alaska?
Dog-mushing.
Who was the first athlete to hit a major league home run and make a professional football touchdown in the same week?
Jim Thorpe, in 1917. He did it a second time in 1919. Deion Sanders was the second athlete to accomplish the feat---70 years later in 1989.
Who was the famous great-great-grandfather of San Francisco 49er quarterback Steve Young?
Mormon leader Brigham Young.
Who was the first professional athlete to win championship rings in two major sports?
Gene Conley. He pitched for the Milwaukee Braves team that won the 1957 World Series, and was on the Boston Celtic teams that won National Basketball Association championships in 1959,1960 and 1961.
How long and wide is the balance beam used in Olympic gymnastic competition?
Length, 16 feet 3 inches; width, 4 inches.
What sport besides football did famed fullback Jim Brown compete and excel in while he attended Syracuse University in the mid 1950s?
Lacrosse. He made All-American.
How much did a one-minute TV spot cost advertisers on the first Super Bowl broadcast in 1967?
$85,000.
How many of the four Grand Slam trophies in tennis are gold; how many are silver?
Only the Wimbledon trophy is gold; the others--for the U.S. Open, the French Open and the Australian Open--are sliver.
Sports Trivia - Athletes, Sporting Events, Bobbie Riggs, Arthur Ash, Golf, Chris Evert, Hockey, Triple Crown, and more.
In which US state were the last summer Olympics of the century held?
Georgia.
| i don't know |
Under the rules outlined in the charter of the International Olympic Committee, how much pure gold must there be in each gold medal awarded to first-place winners? | TRIVIA - SPORTS
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Fun sports trivia questions and answers - Ty Cobb, the Olympics, little league baseball, Boxing, Tennis, Cross Country Bike Racing
What is the distance between bases on a little league baseball field?
60 feet.
What college once had 22 members of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society on its football team?
Dartmouth, in 1925.
What was the first sport in which women were invited to compete at the Olympics?
Tennis, at the 1900 games in Paris. Charlotte Cooper of Great Britain was the first gold medalist.
What sport was the first to be filmed---and who filmed it?
The sport was boxing; the man who did the filming, Thomas A. Edison; the year, 1894. Edison filmed a boxing match between Jack Cushing and Mike Leonard in a studio on the grounds of his laboratory complex in West Orange, New Jersey.
How many home runs did baseball great Ty Cobb hit in the three world series in which he played?
None.
Sports trivia questions and answers about baseball, football, boxing, the Olympics, NBA, NFL, Deion Sanders...
�@
What Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher hit a home run in his first major league at-bat--and never hit another?
New York Giant knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm, in 1952.
What baseball player hit the only home run of his 212-year major league career off his own brother?
Joe Nickro in 1976. Nickro, a pitcher with the Houston Astros, hit a four-bagger off his brother Phil, who was pitching fro the Atlanta Braves. Houston won the game, 4-3.
What 1921 sporting event took up all of the first 13 pages of The New York Times --except for a little space on the front page devoted to the formal end of World War I?
The July 2nd heavyweight championship bout between Jack Dempsey and George Carpenter, the first fight to gross over $1 million in gate receipts. Dempsey won in a fourth-round knockout.
In the National Football League, how many footballs is the home team required to provide for each game?
24--although from 8 to 12 are usually used.
Brooks Robinson and Carl Yastrzemski hold the major league baseball record for playing the greatest number of seasons with the same team. How many years did they play-- and with what teams?
23 years. Third baseman Robinson played with the Baltimore Orioles from 1955 to 1977; Carl Yastrzemski, outfielder/first baseman, played with the Boston Red Sox from 1961 to 1983.
Why is the site of a boxing match called a ring when it's square?
Boxing rings were originally circular.
In the very first Boston Marathon, 15 runners competed. How many finished?
10.
How long is the average pool cue?
57 inches.
Under the rules outlined in the charter of the International Olympic Committee, how much pure gold must there be in each gold medal awarded to first-place winners?
At least 6 grams. Silver medals must be at least .925 sterling silver.
What professional ice hockey star didn't hang up his skates until he was 52?
Gordie Howe, who played in 1,687 games in the National Hockey League.
What is the state sport of Alaska?
Dog-mushing.
Who was the first athlete to hit a major league home run and make a professional football touchdown in the same week?
Jim Thorpe, in 1917. He did it a second time in 1919. Deion Sanders was the second athlete to accomplish the feat---70 years later in 1989.
Who was the famous great-great-grandfather of San Francisco 49er quarterback Steve Young?
Mormon leader Brigham Young.
Who was the first professional athlete to win championship rings in two major sports?
Gene Conley. He pitched for the Milwaukee Braves team that won the 1957 World Series, and was on the Boston Celtic teams that won National Basketball Association championships in 1959,1960 and 1961.
How long and wide is the balance beam used in Olympic gymnastic competition?
Length, 16 feet 3 inches; width, 4 inches.
What sport besides football did famed fullback Jim Brown compete and excel in while he attended Syracuse University in the mid 1950s?
Lacrosse. He made All-American.
How much did a one-minute TV spot cost advertisers on the first Super Bowl broadcast in 1967?
$85,000.
How many of the four Grand Slam trophies in tennis are gold; how many are silver?
Only the Wimbledon trophy is gold; the others--for the U.S. Open, the French Open and the Australian Open--are sliver.
Sports Trivia - Athletes, Sporting Events, Bobbie Riggs, Arthur Ash, Golf, Chris Evert, Hockey, Triple Crown, and more.
In which US state were the last summer Olympics of the century held?
Georgia.
| at least 6 grams silver medals must be at least 925 sterling silver |
Who was the famous great-great-grandfather of San Francisco 49er quarterback Steve Young? | TRIVIA - SPORTS
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`
Fun sports trivia questions and answers - Ty Cobb, the Olympics, little league baseball, Boxing, Tennis, Cross Country Bike Racing
What is the distance between bases on a little league baseball field?
60 feet.
What college once had 22 members of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society on its football team?
Dartmouth, in 1925.
What was the first sport in which women were invited to compete at the Olympics?
Tennis, at the 1900 games in Paris. Charlotte Cooper of Great Britain was the first gold medalist.
What sport was the first to be filmed---and who filmed it?
The sport was boxing; the man who did the filming, Thomas A. Edison; the year, 1894. Edison filmed a boxing match between Jack Cushing and Mike Leonard in a studio on the grounds of his laboratory complex in West Orange, New Jersey.
How many home runs did baseball great Ty Cobb hit in the three world series in which he played?
None.
Sports trivia questions and answers about baseball, football, boxing, the Olympics, NBA, NFL, Deion Sanders...
�@
What Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher hit a home run in his first major league at-bat--and never hit another?
New York Giant knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm, in 1952.
What baseball player hit the only home run of his 212-year major league career off his own brother?
Joe Nickro in 1976. Nickro, a pitcher with the Houston Astros, hit a four-bagger off his brother Phil, who was pitching fro the Atlanta Braves. Houston won the game, 4-3.
What 1921 sporting event took up all of the first 13 pages of The New York Times --except for a little space on the front page devoted to the formal end of World War I?
The July 2nd heavyweight championship bout between Jack Dempsey and George Carpenter, the first fight to gross over $1 million in gate receipts. Dempsey won in a fourth-round knockout.
In the National Football League, how many footballs is the home team required to provide for each game?
24--although from 8 to 12 are usually used.
Brooks Robinson and Carl Yastrzemski hold the major league baseball record for playing the greatest number of seasons with the same team. How many years did they play-- and with what teams?
23 years. Third baseman Robinson played with the Baltimore Orioles from 1955 to 1977; Carl Yastrzemski, outfielder/first baseman, played with the Boston Red Sox from 1961 to 1983.
Why is the site of a boxing match called a ring when it's square?
Boxing rings were originally circular.
In the very first Boston Marathon, 15 runners competed. How many finished?
10.
How long is the average pool cue?
57 inches.
Under the rules outlined in the charter of the International Olympic Committee, how much pure gold must there be in each gold medal awarded to first-place winners?
At least 6 grams. Silver medals must be at least .925 sterling silver.
What professional ice hockey star didn't hang up his skates until he was 52?
Gordie Howe, who played in 1,687 games in the National Hockey League.
What is the state sport of Alaska?
Dog-mushing.
Who was the first athlete to hit a major league home run and make a professional football touchdown in the same week?
Jim Thorpe, in 1917. He did it a second time in 1919. Deion Sanders was the second athlete to accomplish the feat---70 years later in 1989.
Who was the famous great-great-grandfather of San Francisco 49er quarterback Steve Young?
Mormon leader Brigham Young.
Who was the first professional athlete to win championship rings in two major sports?
Gene Conley. He pitched for the Milwaukee Braves team that won the 1957 World Series, and was on the Boston Celtic teams that won National Basketball Association championships in 1959,1960 and 1961.
How long and wide is the balance beam used in Olympic gymnastic competition?
Length, 16 feet 3 inches; width, 4 inches.
What sport besides football did famed fullback Jim Brown compete and excel in while he attended Syracuse University in the mid 1950s?
Lacrosse. He made All-American.
How much did a one-minute TV spot cost advertisers on the first Super Bowl broadcast in 1967?
$85,000.
How many of the four Grand Slam trophies in tennis are gold; how many are silver?
Only the Wimbledon trophy is gold; the others--for the U.S. Open, the French Open and the Australian Open--are sliver.
Sports Trivia - Athletes, Sporting Events, Bobbie Riggs, Arthur Ash, Golf, Chris Evert, Hockey, Triple Crown, and more.
In which US state were the last summer Olympics of the century held?
Georgia.
| i don't know |
How many of the four Grand Slam trophies in tennis are gold; how many are silver? | TRIVIA - SPORTS
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Fun sports trivia questions and answers - Ty Cobb, the Olympics, little league baseball, Boxing, Tennis, Cross Country Bike Racing
What is the distance between bases on a little league baseball field?
60 feet.
What college once had 22 members of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society on its football team?
Dartmouth, in 1925.
What was the first sport in which women were invited to compete at the Olympics?
Tennis, at the 1900 games in Paris. Charlotte Cooper of Great Britain was the first gold medalist.
What sport was the first to be filmed---and who filmed it?
The sport was boxing; the man who did the filming, Thomas A. Edison; the year, 1894. Edison filmed a boxing match between Jack Cushing and Mike Leonard in a studio on the grounds of his laboratory complex in West Orange, New Jersey.
How many home runs did baseball great Ty Cobb hit in the three world series in which he played?
None.
Sports trivia questions and answers about baseball, football, boxing, the Olympics, NBA, NFL, Deion Sanders...
�@
What Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher hit a home run in his first major league at-bat--and never hit another?
New York Giant knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm, in 1952.
What baseball player hit the only home run of his 212-year major league career off his own brother?
Joe Nickro in 1976. Nickro, a pitcher with the Houston Astros, hit a four-bagger off his brother Phil, who was pitching fro the Atlanta Braves. Houston won the game, 4-3.
What 1921 sporting event took up all of the first 13 pages of The New York Times --except for a little space on the front page devoted to the formal end of World War I?
The July 2nd heavyweight championship bout between Jack Dempsey and George Carpenter, the first fight to gross over $1 million in gate receipts. Dempsey won in a fourth-round knockout.
In the National Football League, how many footballs is the home team required to provide for each game?
24--although from 8 to 12 are usually used.
Brooks Robinson and Carl Yastrzemski hold the major league baseball record for playing the greatest number of seasons with the same team. How many years did they play-- and with what teams?
23 years. Third baseman Robinson played with the Baltimore Orioles from 1955 to 1977; Carl Yastrzemski, outfielder/first baseman, played with the Boston Red Sox from 1961 to 1983.
Why is the site of a boxing match called a ring when it's square?
Boxing rings were originally circular.
In the very first Boston Marathon, 15 runners competed. How many finished?
10.
How long is the average pool cue?
57 inches.
Under the rules outlined in the charter of the International Olympic Committee, how much pure gold must there be in each gold medal awarded to first-place winners?
At least 6 grams. Silver medals must be at least .925 sterling silver.
What professional ice hockey star didn't hang up his skates until he was 52?
Gordie Howe, who played in 1,687 games in the National Hockey League.
What is the state sport of Alaska?
Dog-mushing.
Who was the first athlete to hit a major league home run and make a professional football touchdown in the same week?
Jim Thorpe, in 1917. He did it a second time in 1919. Deion Sanders was the second athlete to accomplish the feat---70 years later in 1989.
Who was the famous great-great-grandfather of San Francisco 49er quarterback Steve Young?
Mormon leader Brigham Young.
Who was the first professional athlete to win championship rings in two major sports?
Gene Conley. He pitched for the Milwaukee Braves team that won the 1957 World Series, and was on the Boston Celtic teams that won National Basketball Association championships in 1959,1960 and 1961.
How long and wide is the balance beam used in Olympic gymnastic competition?
Length, 16 feet 3 inches; width, 4 inches.
What sport besides football did famed fullback Jim Brown compete and excel in while he attended Syracuse University in the mid 1950s?
Lacrosse. He made All-American.
How much did a one-minute TV spot cost advertisers on the first Super Bowl broadcast in 1967?
$85,000.
How many of the four Grand Slam trophies in tennis are gold; how many are silver?
Only the Wimbledon trophy is gold; the others--for the U.S. Open, the French Open and the Australian Open--are sliver.
Sports Trivia - Athletes, Sporting Events, Bobbie Riggs, Arthur Ash, Golf, Chris Evert, Hockey, Triple Crown, and more.
In which US state were the last summer Olympics of the century held?
Georgia.
| only wimbledon trophy is gold others for u s open french open and australian open are sliver |
"What breakfast food gets its name from the German word for ""stirrup""?" | TRIVIA - SPORTS
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Fun sports trivia questions and answers - Ty Cobb, the Olympics, little league baseball, Boxing, Tennis, Cross Country Bike Racing
What is the distance between bases on a little league baseball field?
60 feet.
What college once had 22 members of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society on its football team?
Dartmouth, in 1925.
What was the first sport in which women were invited to compete at the Olympics?
Tennis, at the 1900 games in Paris. Charlotte Cooper of Great Britain was the first gold medalist.
What sport was the first to be filmed---and who filmed it?
The sport was boxing; the man who did the filming, Thomas A. Edison; the year, 1894. Edison filmed a boxing match between Jack Cushing and Mike Leonard in a studio on the grounds of his laboratory complex in West Orange, New Jersey.
How many home runs did baseball great Ty Cobb hit in the three world series in which he played?
None.
Sports trivia questions and answers about baseball, football, boxing, the Olympics, NBA, NFL, Deion Sanders...
�@
What Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher hit a home run in his first major league at-bat--and never hit another?
New York Giant knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm, in 1952.
What baseball player hit the only home run of his 212-year major league career off his own brother?
Joe Nickro in 1976. Nickro, a pitcher with the Houston Astros, hit a four-bagger off his brother Phil, who was pitching fro the Atlanta Braves. Houston won the game, 4-3.
What 1921 sporting event took up all of the first 13 pages of The New York Times --except for a little space on the front page devoted to the formal end of World War I?
The July 2nd heavyweight championship bout between Jack Dempsey and George Carpenter, the first fight to gross over $1 million in gate receipts. Dempsey won in a fourth-round knockout.
In the National Football League, how many footballs is the home team required to provide for each game?
24--although from 8 to 12 are usually used.
Brooks Robinson and Carl Yastrzemski hold the major league baseball record for playing the greatest number of seasons with the same team. How many years did they play-- and with what teams?
23 years. Third baseman Robinson played with the Baltimore Orioles from 1955 to 1977; Carl Yastrzemski, outfielder/first baseman, played with the Boston Red Sox from 1961 to 1983.
Why is the site of a boxing match called a ring when it's square?
Boxing rings were originally circular.
In the very first Boston Marathon, 15 runners competed. How many finished?
10.
How long is the average pool cue?
57 inches.
Under the rules outlined in the charter of the International Olympic Committee, how much pure gold must there be in each gold medal awarded to first-place winners?
At least 6 grams. Silver medals must be at least .925 sterling silver.
What professional ice hockey star didn't hang up his skates until he was 52?
Gordie Howe, who played in 1,687 games in the National Hockey League.
What is the state sport of Alaska?
Dog-mushing.
Who was the first athlete to hit a major league home run and make a professional football touchdown in the same week?
Jim Thorpe, in 1917. He did it a second time in 1919. Deion Sanders was the second athlete to accomplish the feat---70 years later in 1989.
Who was the famous great-great-grandfather of San Francisco 49er quarterback Steve Young?
Mormon leader Brigham Young.
Who was the first professional athlete to win championship rings in two major sports?
Gene Conley. He pitched for the Milwaukee Braves team that won the 1957 World Series, and was on the Boston Celtic teams that won National Basketball Association championships in 1959,1960 and 1961.
How long and wide is the balance beam used in Olympic gymnastic competition?
Length, 16 feet 3 inches; width, 4 inches.
What sport besides football did famed fullback Jim Brown compete and excel in while he attended Syracuse University in the mid 1950s?
Lacrosse. He made All-American.
How much did a one-minute TV spot cost advertisers on the first Super Bowl broadcast in 1967?
$85,000.
How many of the four Grand Slam trophies in tennis are gold; how many are silver?
Only the Wimbledon trophy is gold; the others--for the U.S. Open, the French Open and the Australian Open--are sliver.
Sports Trivia - Athletes, Sporting Events, Bobbie Riggs, Arthur Ash, Golf, Chris Evert, Hockey, Triple Crown, and more.
In which US state were the last summer Olympics of the century held?
Georgia.
| i don't know |
What popular drink did a Dutch medical professor produce in his laboratory while trying to come up with a blood cleanser that could be sold in drugstores? | Belltown Pub - Seattle Booze
Trivia
Booze
(Q) What popular drink did a Dutch medical professor produce in his laboratory while trying to come up with a blood cleanser that could be sold in drugstores?
(Q) Gin.
| Gin |
On what vegetable did an ancient Egyptian place his right hand when taking an oath? | Belltown Pub - Seattle Booze
Trivia
Booze
(Q) What popular drink did a Dutch medical professor produce in his laboratory while trying to come up with a blood cleanser that could be sold in drugstores?
(Q) Gin.
| i don't know |
What American city produces most of the egg rolls sold in grocery stores in the United States? | The Food Timeline: history notes--Asian-American cuisine
Asian food was introduced to the United States in the mid-1800's when Chinese immigrants from Canton began settling in California. At that time the food was consumed primarily by the Chinese community. Chinese food became popular with young cosmopolitans in the 1920s because it was considered exotic. It wasn't until after World War II that Asian cuisines (notably Chinese, Japanese and Polynesian) piqued the interest of mainstream America. Sylvia Lovegren's Fashionable Food: Seven Decades of Food Fads [MacMillan:New York] 1995 describes America's 20th century Asian food fads. In the 1960s Polynesian theme restaurants and tiki bars were all the rage.
While Chinese food was introduced to America in the mid-19th century, Vietnamese (Japanese, Thai, etc.) cuisine was generally unknown to mainstream American diners until the 1970s. Coincidentally, this period also marks the genesis of fusion cuisine, a convergence of fresh foods, exotic tastes and interesting textures.
From the beginning, Asian dishes intended for American diners were adapted to suit expectations. Emphasis on basic meat and vegetables served in standard (sweet & sour, soy) sauces with fried rice became the norm. In many authentic Asian restaurants, there were two menus: one for people of Asian descent and another for tourists. The difference was more than language. Did you know? Some "classic" Chinese menu choices such as fortune cookies are not Chinese at all! They were invented in America. Molly O'Neil's article "The Chop Suey Syndrome: Americanizing the Exotic," New York Times, July 26, 1989 (C1) explains the process.
"When Europe began trading with the Orient, the seaport of Canton became the gateway to the West. The Cantonese readily absorbed these cosmopolitan influences and, being great travelers themselves, soon emigrated to Europe and America. They were the first to establish Chinese restaurants ouside their own country and to make Chinese cooking known to the West. As a result, most Chinese restaurants in the United States and Europe are Cantonese."
---The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook, Gloria Bley Miller [Grosset & Dunlap:New York] (p. 15)
"...in 1847, the first Chinese immigrants settled in San Francisco and were followed by thousands who helped to build the transcontinental railways. The meals of hundreds of California families were influenced by cooks who were Chinese and had been hired as housemen in middle-class homes. They seldom were permitted to prepare Oriental meals, but they held to their art of serving vegetables that do to lose their crispness or color...Other Chinese were cooks for the work gangs...In the early California Chinese restaurants there was a willingness to cater to customers--some proprietors served their non-Chinese clients only what they thought those diners wanted, that is, chop suey and fried steak. Better restaurants gained fame on San Francisco's Grant Avenue, on or near New York's Mott Street, in Los Angeles, and every other American city of consequence, and the developing tastes for genuine Chinese food resulted in a vogue for home delivery of such easily portable items as egg rolls and chicken chow mein in paper buckets. But it wasn't until after World War II that Americans began consciously to augment their Oriental kitchen repertoires by attending classes in Chinese cooking and avidly sampling new tastes that became available in restaurants specializing in Mandarin, Hunan, Fukien, and Szechwan dishes in addition to those from Canton. This influence on American eating habits came after new political relationships encouraged interest in largely unknown regions of the People's republic, and many more Chinese entrepreneurs arrived to join what had been dominantly a Cantonese population in the United States..."
---American Food: The Gastronomic Story, Evan Jones, 2nd edition [Vintage Books:New York] 1981 (p. 166-7)
"The Chinese settled their own Chinatowns within major United States cities, where they opened chow chow eateries, identified by their triangular yellow flags. At first these small, cramped eateries catered to their own people, then expanded their menus to attract curious Americans who dared cross into those mysterious cities-within-cities...The cookery in these new Chinatowns was basically stir-fired, rice-based Cantonese, whcih efficiently utilized every part of the animal... Americans not used to such economy were often dismayed by what they found in their rice bowl...Most of these eateries were primitive in design and atmosphere...Before ling, however, Chinese cooks learned how to modify thier dishes to make them more palatable to a wider American audience. In fact, most of the Chinese restaurants outside of Chinatown proclaimed in their windows that they were Chinese-American, lest Occidental customers shy away for fear of being served duck feet and bird's nests.By the 1920s, Chinese restaurants dotted the American landscape, and one was as likely to find a chop suey' parlor in Kansas City as in New York or San Francisco, even though the typical menu in such places bore small resemblance to the foods the Chinese themselves ate. Many dishes were cloyingly sweetened with caramel and sugar, inundated with pineapple chunks and maraschino cherries, and fried in thick batters, while the ubiquitious flaming appetized platter called pu pu...was first served as a gimmick by Victor Bergeron at his Trade Vic's Polynesian-American restaurants in Oakland and San Francisco. Won ton soup, egg rolls, barbecued spareribs, sweet-and-sour pork, and beef with lobster sauce were all concocted to whet Americans' appetites, and to this day, it is standard procedure for an American in an Chinese restaurant to be handed a two-columned menu written in English, while a completely different menu printed in Chinese will be given to a Chinese patron, who, in any case, would probably disregard it and order from the specials written in pictographs on the walls. "Going for Chinese" became very much an American expression, and when Americans began moving to the suburbs in the 1950s and 1960s, Chinese restaurants followed on their heels,particularly in suburban shopping malls....Perhaps more important to the success of the Chinese-American restaurant was its readiness to serve food at any and all hours and to pack it up and deliver it with dispatch, all at prices no other ethnic group could match. Chinese take-out went hand in hand with Americans' historic penchant for gobblingh up lots of cheap food in as little time with as little fuss as possible."
---America Eats Out, John Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p. 76-80)
[NOTE: This book has far more information than can be paraphrased here. Ask your librarian to help you find a copy]
"Much of what passes for Cantonese cooking in the Western World would sicken a traditional Cantonese gourmet. Canned pineapple, canned cherries, and even canned fruit cocktail; enourmous quantities of dehydrated garlic, barbecue or Worcestershire sauce; canned vegetables, corn starch, monosodiumglutamate, cooking sherry, and heavy doses of sugar are found in many of these bizarre creations. This fusion of pseudo-Cantonese and pseudo-Polynesian food can be traced to a renegade Cantonese chef at Trader Vic's in California. The basic formula appears to be: take the fattest, rankest pork you can get; cook it in a lot of oil with the sweetest mixture of canned fruits and sugar you can make; throw on a lot of MSG and cheap soy sauce; thicken the sauce to gluelike consistency; and serve it forth. The Cantonese regard the whole business as proof that Westerners are cultureless barbarians, but they cook it, and now even many Taiwan Chinese (having eaten Cantonese food only in cafes catering to American G.I.'s) are convinced that this is typical Cantonese cooking." ---Food in China, E.N. Anderson [Yale University Press:New Haven CT] 1988 (p. 212-3)
RECOMMENDED READING
Tracing the origin, evolution and dispersion of Japanese restaurants in the USA is a complicated and challenging project. Early print (English-language newspaper/ magazine) evidence provides location markers, but poor indicators of actual restaurant activity. Presumably, Japanese eating establishments existed in the earliest Japanese-American enclaves. The earliest of these coincided with Chinatowns. A study of Japanese immigration patterns may provide a more accurate predictor of the earliest restaurants in foreign cities. Also worth noting: strong Japanese presence in 19th century Hawaii (long before the state was admitted in 1958) merits examination.
At any rate, USA print evidence for Japanese eateries commences in the last quarter of the 19th century. The Mikado (opera) played a key role in enticing mainstream Americans to sample Japanese fare. A popular London exhibition inspired trendy New York chef/restaurateur Louis Sherry to feature Japanese inspired Anglo foods to the city's culinary elite. Tenuous relations between the USA and Japan in following decades temper the attitude/growth of ethnic restaurants. In the 1920s all things Japanese were chic and "bohemian'; during WWII Japanese-American restaurants were protested, unpatronized, confiscated, & shuttered.
It was not until after WWII modern Japanese restaurants, as we Americans know them today, flourished. In addition to standard Japanese restaurants, Tea rooms, Noodle bars, Steak Houses, and Sushi bars proliferated.
General overview
"Japanese restaurants were almost unknown in the United States until well after World War II. New York had a few in the 1930s--Toyo-Kwan, Daruma, and Miyako, for instance--all serving a simple menu of sukiyaki, teriyaki, and tempura dishes, which even squeamish Americans could enjoy. Sushi bars did not make an appearance until 1957 when Moto Saito opened Saito restaurant in Manhattan. Dressed in traditional Japanese garb, Saito would instruct her customers on the correct way to eat raw fish--something completely foreign to most Americans--and sushi and sashimi restaurants grew in number in the 1970s, creating in popularity a decade later. Other Japanese restaurants invented dishes especially for the American palate: New York's Nippon introduced negikami, rolls of beef wrapped around scallions in soy sauce. In California, the "California roll"--Japanese pidgin English for a morsel of sushi made with vinegared rice, avocados, and cucumbers--was a hit. By far the most impressive gimmick to come out of the immigrant experience was the Japanese steakhouse, opened with thirty thousand dollars by immigrant Rocky Aioki in New York in 1964. He called his twenty-eight seat restaurant Benihana of Tokyo, based on the idea of the Japanese teppanyaki steel griddle...By the mid-1980s Aioki's Benihana restaurants were located in every major American city, grossing sixty million dollars annually."
---America Eats Out, John Mariani [William Morrow:New York] 1991 (p. 80)
[1884: London]
"As one of the practical illustrations of food...a 'Nippon Rioriya,' or Japanese restaurant, has been opened by Mr. Matsusawa, of Tokyo. With Japanese chefs, chopsticks, and the small dinner service peculiar ot Japan, there is left little doubt as to the authenticity of the viands; they posses an aromatic flavor so totally different from that to which one is accustomed. Here is a specified bill of fare, for which a dollar is charged, including tea and sake, or Japanese wine, while paper napkin and a Japanese fan are presented to every diner: misoshiru, or soup from a fermented mixture of Soy beans, wheat and a salt; kuchitori, a dish composed of fresh eggs and sea-weed, fetched up from a depth of three hundred feet, kept for a long time and boiled twenty hours; hachimono, or roast; choku, dressed vegetables; ham, boiled rice; wanmori, soup; sunomo, salad; and konomono, vegetables, salted or preserved in miso (the fermented mixture above-mentioned). Be it observed that the courses do not follow one another in regular order, but are served altogether, in little porcelain saucers and lacquered wooden bowls, on a diminutive table, so that the diner can pick from each in turn, according to his own sweet will. The dining-room has been fitted up entirely in Japanese style, and the dinner is under the auspices of the Japanese Commissioner."
---"In the Food Gallery of the Health Exhibition, London, England," J.W.P., The American Architect and Building News, November 8, 1884 (p. 224)
[1885: New York]
"[Louis] Sherry's breakthrough came when the Mikado arrived in New York in 1885 and took the town by storm, just as it had in London. Overnight, all things Japanese were the height of fashion...Called upon to cater an exclusive post-theater party at a private town house, he created Mikado-themed cakes, with ices molded in the shape of the principal characters, each one holding tiny parasol."
---Appetite City: A Culinary History of New York, William Grimes [North Point Press:New York] 2009 (p. 113)
[1888: Seattle]
"Before I left the East I was told that ony one could obtain work in Washington Territory with entire ease. Trusting to this assurances, I at length found myself in Seattle with very few dollars left in my pocket...I had spent my last cent, with the exception of a few postage stamps, for a fifteen-cent dinner at a Japanese restaurant that day..."
---"Looking for Work," Morrison I. Swift, Christian Union, December 13, 1888 (p. 6)
[1892: San Francisco]
"There are Russian, and I believe Scandinavian and Japanese restaurants in San Francisco, but of these I can only speak by hearsay."
---"The Restaurants of San Francisco," Charles S. Greene, Overland Monthly and Out West Magazine," December 1892 (p. 8+)
[1896: Los Angeles]
"The Japanese restaurants, which are almost without exception 10-cent houses, are places where nobody need be ashamed to eat a meal. Their numerous imitators come very near them, but something is lacking, one thing being especially noticeable--the rude manner of the waiters. The Japs are universally suave and polite."
---"Ten-Cent Meals," Los Angeles Times, January 26, 1896 (p. 28)
[1903: New York]
"The St. Nicholas Garden has in a remarkably short time been transformed into a Japanese village. Every conceivable novelty characteristic of Japan has been introduced. Geisha girls serve tea, manicure the hands of everybody who wants them to and dress the tresses of visiting ladies. A Japanese restaurant stands on the side of a narrow street at the end of which is a prismatic fountain."
---"Stray bits from Stageland: Vaudeville and Gardens, Coney Island, Manhattan Beach," New York Times, August 30, 1903 (p. 25)
[1907: San Francisco]
"Ambassador Wright cabled information obtained through Japanese channels that Japanese restaurant and a Japanese bathhouse in San Francisco had been demolished by a mob."
---"Japan Complains of Fresh Assaults: Details of Rioting in San Francisco," New York Times, May 26, 1907 (p. 5)
[1949: New York]
"Miyako. 20 West 56th...Japanese restaurant which had many, many years of popularity behind it, acquired on West 58th Street near Ninth Avenue, when it moved into these more impressive quarters--a substantial manion which has been orientalized in decor and equipped with a picturesque iron-trimmed outdoor stairway. Ground floor has neat bar and cocktail lounge. Lunching and dining are done on main floor, in what used to be front and back parlors and library. The principal specialties are the tempura--split shrimp fried in egg batter for dunking in soy-bean sauce--and the sukiyaki. The latter is cooked at table on your own private stove. Into a deep pan go thin slices of pork, beef, or chicken together with spinach, celery, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, sliced onions, and cubes of curds. They start hissing and are silenced by soy-bean sauce, followed by chicken broth. By the time this panful, simmered to the correct degree of tenderness, is dished out into plates on a tray before you, your appetite is on trigger edge. Open for luncheon, cocktails, and dinner every day of the week except Monday."
---Knife and Fork in New York, Lawton Mackall [Doubleday & Company:Garden City NY] 1949, end edition (p. 212) [NOTE: This is the only Japanese restaurant profiled in this book.]
Researching "first" or "oldest" ethnic restaurants is challenging because online access to newspapers is spotty and one has to employ a variety of geographical synonyms (in this case: Thai, Thailand, Siam, Siamese, Bankok). Most folks emigrating from Asian countries land first on the West Coast. That's generally where the first markets and restaurants offering Asian regional cuisine surfaces. Thai restuarants may be an exception to this rule.
Jennifer Cronk, Curator of Collections at the Aurora History Museum [CO], sent us an article from the Denver Post (undated, maybe 1963) featuring Lai-iad [Lily] Chittivej, who opened a Thai restaurant in Denver. A most unlikely place, until you read her remarkable story:
[1959: Denver, Chada Thai]
"Ancient Thailand's answer to the unsinkable Mollly Brown is living, appropriately enough, right in Colorado. And, she's kept afloat by the Chada Cafe at 408 E. 20th Ave., which she owns and operates herself (A chada is an elaborate gold crown.). 'Molly,' is Lai-iad Chittivej, whose American friends call her Lily. She has publsihed her own newspaper in Thailand, discussed socialism with Clement Atlee and advised Thai politicans. But now her major interest is her Denver food business, both for the sake of her children and because the political climate isn't healthy for her at home. 'I want my children to have a good education in a civilized country,' she said in an interview. 'There is no room for all smart students in Thailand, and the ones who fail to get into a university often commit suicide. Here the children have a chance,' After 26 years of marriage, to a Thai army doctor, Lily has five living children...Lily's husband came to Denver in 1960 to practice at Fitzsimmons and Colorado General hospitals. She owned a pharmaceutical company, which she sold to pay for her visit here. She planned to stay five months. But she liked Denver so much--and political pressures were so strong in Thailand--that she decided to stay, even when Dr. Chittijev returned home in 1961...Lily and her family keep the cafe humming six days a week, sometimes working in the kitchen until 1 a.m. 'We've had the place for some moths...Some of the Thais in Denver said it would be a big mistake, that Americans don't like spiced food. 'You go broke' they told me. But I wanted to prove I could succeed, and I did.' This is a far cry from Lily's life at home. Her grandfather was a wealthy landowner and her father was a captain in the Siamese Air Force in World War I...She fed the buffalos on her grandfather's dfarm and went on to study midwidvery...'I was a real society girl...Lots of servants, soft hands with long painted nails. I'd learned to cook a long time ago but had to practice a lot here. Then I taught the children.' The kitchen has replaced politics as her major interest."
---"Thai Woman in Denver: Food Business Replaces Politics in Lily's Life," Barbara Haddad, Denver Post (undated, 1963?, with photo of Lily.]
[NOTES: (1) There is conficting evidence regarding the year this restaurant opened. Most sources state 1959: "The Original Chada Thai, open from 1959 to 1972, was one of the nation's first Thai restaurants."---"Nibbles," Rocky Mountain News, January 12, 2007 (accessed via NewsBank database). The article above states Dr. Chittivej arrived in Denver in 1960; it does not state when his wife arrived. (2) Lily's Cook Book: Recipes from the Chada Thai Restaurant/Prampian Coutts and Lily Chittijev was published in 1975. It is 30 pages and we do not yet own a copy. (3) Chada Thai exists today, managed by a family member. The location is different: ]
[1968: Los Angeles, unnamed]
"The menu here is crammed with noodles: Thai rice noodles, Chinese egg noodles, Vietnamese rice stick noodle soup, even stir-fried spaghetti. "My whole life I've been involved in restaurants," says John Mekpongsatorn, the 23-year-old restaurateur who created Noodle World, an Alhambra eatery that combines a Denny's-style fast food atmosphere with what amounts to a global tour of noodles. "My favorite thing to eat, of course, was noodles." Mekpongsatorn is the latest heir to a family dynasty of Asian cuisine that dates back to 1930 in Thailand. That year, his grandfather migrated from China to open a Chinese-Thai restaurant in Bangkok. In 1968, his father, Surabon, opened some of the first Thai restaurants in the Los Angeles area. John Mekpongsatorn decided his own restaurant would consolidate all his favorites in one menu, and offer hefty portions of quick, cheap, flavorful food. Noodle World, 46 W. Valley Blvd., Alhambra. Hours 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily. (818) 293-8800."
---"Trip for Noodles Will Do a World of Good," Deborah Sullivan, Los Angeles Times, March 2, 1995 (p. 18) [NOTE: this article does not mention the name of Surabon's restaurant.]
[1969: Los Angeles, Thai Kitchen]
"The first Thai restaurant in Los Angeles...opened in 1969, on Vermont Avenue and Eighth Street, and was by all accounts little more than a food shop with a few tables. (It closed in the early 70's and no one seems to able to remember its name.)."
---"With Satay and Tiger Prawns, Fiery Thai Food Is a Hit in L.A.," Colman Andrews, Los Angeles Times, July 8, 1990 (p. XX6)
"This is some of what is burned and gone, just within walking distance of my apartment: Vim and Arunee and the Thai Kitchen on Vermont just north of Ninth, among the oldest Thai restaurants in Los Angeles..."
---A Neighborhood Just West of Downtown," Jonathan Gold, Los Angeles Times, May 7, 1992. (p. 27)
"Dining experiences in Los Angeles have been enriched by the recent addition of several Thai restaurants, serving a cuisine that resembles the Chinese, the Indonesian and the Indian, but makes its own clear statement that there are more flavors on heaven and earth than have yet been put together. The restaurants are worth the attention of connoisseurs, not only because the foods are subtle and rewarding, but because they are fresh and new, not yet weakened by the gentle American art of compromise. The Orient is a small, spare, ordered restaurant, owned by Parneet Kongkeo and his sister, Aree Kongkeo, who is the chef."---"Roundabout," Lois Dwan, Los Angeles Times, February 7, 1971 (p. 57) "One reason for the increase in Thai restaurants in Los Angeles is that we now have 6,000 Thai students here."
---"Roundabout," Lois Dwan, Los Angeles Times, April 4, 1971 (p. C64)
---"Bangkok on the Thames," Charles Perry, Los Angeles Times, January 31, 1982 (p. K87)
"Bangkok, 14 Bute Street SW7...Open: Tuesday-Saturday...Seats: 36...Average price L1.50-L2.
The Bangkok, in South Kensington, is obviously a roaring success with local inhabitants; quieter parties from other parts of London like it too. It was opened in 1967 by Mr Bunnag and his family who still run it today. Mr Bunnag originally came to London as a diplomat with the Thai Embassy. He was here so long that he didn't want to move on. Opening a restaurant seemed to be a good way of staying. The cooking, which is as authentic as Mrs Bunnag can make it in London, is very simple, skilful and admirable. It's not a cross between Indian and Chinese; it lies somewhere between the two. Ginger and chilli give some dishes a hot spiciness; vinegar, soy sauce and ginger give others a touch' of sweet and sour. Everything is sliced thinly and cooked briefly and quickly. The menu is not long but everything on it is so popular it's never been altered since they began. Start with one of the clear clean soups or sate, which at the Bangkok is made form little pieces of marinated beef skewered and grilled, eaten with a peanut sauce, little squares of toast and thinly sliced pickled cucumber. Main dishes include fried trout with sweet and sour sauce, slices of beef with ginger, green pepper, chilli or oyster sauce; pork is sweet and sour, barbecued or with chilli; chicken is fried, cooked with chilli, with mushroom curry, or with ginger. Rice is recommended with all main dishes; plain, fried or with vegetables, but the best of all is Thai rice-noodles. These are noodles made from rice-flour, with egg, shreds of pork, bean sprouts, peanuts, vinegar, sugar and soy sauce all stirred in. It's very hard to stop eating them. Scalding hot jasmine tea is served throughout the meal; there is a wine list, ane Pilsner beer for those who like it. Desserts of of fresh orange in syrup or lychees. Service is rapid, everything is piping hot and spotless. The busy, brightly-lit kitchen is open to full view at the far end of the restaurant, more to save space than to display the dexterity of the cooks, but it is nice to be able to watch everything going on including the washing-up. The dining room is by contrast dark and elegant making much use of teak, black leatherette and cork. The clever Mr Bunnag designed all this himself. The whole restaurant is a beautiful example of what can be done with talent, taste and hard work."
---Cheap Eats in London, Susan Campbell with Alexandra Towle [Penguin Books:New York] 1975, 1976 (p. 180-181)
[NOTE: The Bangkok Restaurant still operates today in the original location.]
What is Sriracha sauce & when whas it introduced to the USA?
Our survey of historic USA newspapers suggest Vietnamese-American restaurants first surfaced in the USA in the early 1960s. For a long time they quietly offered traditional food to expatriated nationals. As the Vietnamese War escalated and civilians immigrated abroad, more restaurants opened. The American palate traditionally welcomes exotic combinations and new flavors. In the 1970s Chinese food was "mainstream" and westernized Japanese cuisine (think: Benihana) was chic. The subtle blends of Vietnamese flavors took most Americans by surprise.
[1961]
The oldest print reference we find for a Vietnamese restaurant in the USA was published in 1961: Craig Claiborne wrote: "When it is a question of restaurants, New York could be called an international festival. The most recent establishment to join the roster of oriental dining rooms is the Viet Nam, 1245 Amsterdam Avenue (near 122nd Street). It is a small, poorly air-conditioned, unpretentious place with an interesting cuisine modestly priced. It is reputedly the only Vietnamese restaurant in America."
---"Restaurant on Review," New York Times, August 15, 1961 (p. 21)
[1971]
"There is apparently no Vietnamese restaurant in this country..."
---"She Learned How to Cook as a Girl in Hanoi," Raymond A. Sokolov, New York Times, July 22, 1971 (p. 40)
[1972]
"Eight years ago when Nguyen Ton Hoan went to work in Saigon, everyone he passed noticed his shiny chauffeur-driven limousine and the armed bodyguards who rode with them. Then, Dr. Hoan was Deputy Premier of South Vietnam. Now each morning he and his wife drive unnoticed the few miles from their home to the little Vietnamese restaurant they operate here [Riverside CA]...For nearly a year Dr. Hoan and his wife, sometimes with the aid of their children, have been serving imperial roll, shrimp Mekong and other delicacies to patrons who sit in booths upholstered in brown vinyl impressed with branding-iron-designs. The restaurant is wedged between a vacant storefront and a photographic studio in the this city 35 miles south of San Francisco. Dr. Hoan, 55 years old, greets each of his few patrons with a smile...He tells the inquiring diners that he is from Vietnam. Only rarely does he reveal his former role in the Saigon Government."
---"Ex-Saigon Aide a Restaurateur in California," New York Times, August 27. 1972 (p. 3)
[1973]
"It has taken a strangely long time for Los Angeles to acquire a Vietnamese restaurant. Paris has many and they are to be founding New York and San Francisco, but we have only the short-lived Le Relais, which was basically French with Vietnamese dishes to be specially ordered. The years spent in Vietnam, uncomfortable as they were, could not help but arouse interest in a cuisine that has been influenced by two of the greatest in the world and still manages to retain its own individuality...the Vietnamese do pretty much as they please; their way with food is entirely their own. Dishes may look familiar but they will not taste familiar. An all-purpose seasoning, nuoc mam, made form fish packed in salt and fermented, gives the characteristic flavor. There is apt to be a little hotness; scallions and cilantro, as well as other herbs, related by more pungent than sweet basil, are frequent garnishes, appealing to taste and sight. Nguyen Van Ung and Mme. Luong Thi Sinh, who recently opened Vietnam in Hollywood, also have a restaurant in San Francisco and I suspect they have already begun trying to please Americans who, predictably, are not to be charmed by fish sauce."
---"Roundabout," Lois Dwan, Los Angeles Times, September 16, 1973 (p. O65)
[1979]
"The oldest of the existing [Vietnamese] restaurants, Vietnam Pearl, opened in 1973 as Vietnam, a small, dark place on Hollywood Boulevard."
---"Vietnamese Food in L.A.: A Test Case, Lois Swan, Los Angeles Times, June 14, 1979 (p. N118) [This restaurant review also includes Than Phong (sometimes Mekong), 5051 Hollywood Blvd. and Saigon Flavor, 1044 S. Fairfax. No establishment dates offered for these restaurants.]
[1986]
"Today, America is home to almost 500,000 Vietnamese immigrants,...and there are Vietnamese restaurants throughout the country. Yet, in New York--a city that seems to revel in ethnic diversity and savor the culinary riches that provides--first rate Vietnamese restaurants offering authentic Vietnamese food are comparatively hard to find. In the Vietnamese restaurants that do exist, the kitchen repertory is often limited, Americanized or both."
---"Vietnamese Restaurants: Room to Grow," Craig Claiborne, New York Times, June 4, 1986 (p. C3)
[1995]
"In 1993, there were 12, 266 Vietnamese-born people living in the five boroughs [of New York City]...Most of those who are opening restaurants are clustering them in Chinatown...Although Manhattan does not have the largest Vietnamese population in the city, it does have the largest number of Vietnamese restaurants (at least 11 in Chinatown), along with two supermarkets and at least one bookstore...The first of Chinatown's Vietnamese restaurants opened in 1981; two opened this year alone."
---"Chinatown, Meet Vietnam," Elaine Louie, New York Times, September 20, 1995 (p. C1)
"In the last couple of years, Vietnamese restaurants have opened in midtown, the Upper East and Upper West Sides, SoHo, Brooklyn Heights and Park Slope. At least six new establishments have crowds of eager customers willing to stand in line for tables. More places are on the way. And many American chefs have begun to add touches of Vietnam--like the fresh salad rolls of vegetables, noodles and herbs in fresh rice-paper wrappers--to their menus."
---"Vietnamese Cuisine, All Around Town," New York Times, Florence Fabricant, September 20, 1995 (p. C6)
[1998]
"Ten years ago, you could count on one hand the number of New York restaurants serving Vietnamese food. Nowadays you need two hands, two feet and maybe a few more bodies to count them all."
---"Vietnamese," New York Times, October 23, 1998 p. E43)
[2008]
"Since the beginning of the Vietnamese diaspora in the 1970s, some regions of the United States have become home to large numbers of ex-pats. Southern California, Texas, and Virginia are known within the Vietnamese community for having Vietnamese restaurants of quality. The first large group of Vietnamese immigrants brought with them the spicier, herbaceous foods of southern Vietnam and the more Westernized flavor palate of central Vietnam. Later, the simple and inexpensive soups from the colder north became omnipresent in Vietnamese restaurants."
---"Keep on Truc-ing," Tricia Childress, Creative Loafing, May 7-May 13, 2008 (p. 57)
[2011]
The Reference USA database lets you compile custom lists by type of business and location. According to this source there are 1,840 Vietnamese restaurants currently operating in the USA. This count does not include food trucks or street vendors, composing a significant part of this culinary market. You can run the numbers for each state if you want. Ask your (public/school) librarian about database access.
Credited for introducing Americans to Peking Duck and Chinese Chicken Salad , this innovative man laid the foundation for fusion cuisine. He also taught Danny Kaye to cook.
[1941]
"San Francisco--Once more the temple bells will ring out in San Francisco's old Chinatown; again the colored paper lantern will bob in the evening breeze, and the monster dragon will emerge to wind a sinuous course down Grant Avenue behind glaring torches and throbbing drums. San Franciscans and out-of-town visitors will throng the sidewalks and attend gay dinner parties at Johnny Kan's Cathay House, Tommy Tong's Lion's Den and elsewhere. In this manner the largest Oriental settlement, outside of China will mark its third annual Bowl of Rice party on May 2, 3, and 4. The proceeds of the parties are devoted to feeding China's destitute civilians..."
---"San Francisco 'Bowl of Rice,'" New York Times, April 27, 1941 (p. XX3)
[1941]
Photograph of Johnny Kan , courtesy of the Museum of San Francisco.
[1957]
"Nobody need be frustrated about not being able to visit China. Right here in San Francisco there is a complete Chinese city of 30,000 where anybody homesick for Peking can find dried fish stomachs, dried balloon-fish heads, dried duck feet and cerise cuspidors embossed with chirping robins. Alla same old country. Chinatown covers 12 square blocks, but the most exciting Oriental alley is Grant Ave., where the lampposts are pagoda lamps festooned with temple bells and dragons entwining the steel bamboo shafts. They cast an amber glow over the largest Chinese community in the hemisphere, while music from the old Yangtze eddies from the second-story windows with all the melody of a dozen lovesick cats. Long strings of lanterns looped between the lampposts, shine on the great restaurants like Kan's....Kan's where the visiting Hollywood stars come for supper, will not serve chow mein, chop suey or coffee. But inside Kan's gold walls you can find a dish called Precious Flower Egg which, one might think, ought to be delivered by armed waiters from Brink's. But is is only a mushroom omelet. And if you order it a day ahead, there is melon soup served in a pumpkin-size winter melon which has been steamed for seven hours. Peking Duck also takes a day to prepare, mainly because the skin has to be coated with honey and then faced toward a southeast wind. Sometimes, when Kan is becalmed, he has been known to use a Westinghouse fan. Peking duck is served with Thousand-Layer Buns, a lump of white dough that resembles a dumpling or may be a just-brown-and-serve roll served before it was browned. A thousand-layer bun is supposed to peel into 1000 layers but I could only get four out of mine, and there is talk among local wise men that the thousand-layer bun has been devaluated. Dishes like duck can be washed down with Three-Star Sparkling Cider, and an similarity between this Hong Kong bellywash and cream soda is purely coincidental. It is made after an old recipe by a local Oriental combine called Belfast Beverages, Inc....Of course, some Chinese places have become mixed up with American traditions, producing such ice-cream parlors as the Fong Fong Fountain which makes ginger, lichee and Chinese fruit ice cream, and serves chop suey sundaes..."
---"Tong Wars are Things of the Past in Chinatown But You Can Hooked on Chop Suey Sundaes," Horace Sutton, Los Angeles Times, July 28, 1957 (p. E8)
[1972]
"Funeral services will be held Monday for Johnny Kan, world renowned gourmet and Chinatown restaurateur, who died of cancer Thursday, He was 66. Kan, a native of Portland Ore., was credited with being the first Chinese-American to introduce Peking duck to Caucasian diners. Early in his career, he initiated the Chinese Kitchen, a 1940 venture said to be the first delivery service for Chinese food. Kan, who had lived all but his first four years in San Francisco's Chinatown, opened the first large soda fountain and Chinese bakery in Chinatown in 1935 and originated such concoctions as lichee, kumquat and ginger ice cream. After service with the Army in World War II, Kan made plans for the elegant establishment that became widely known to tourists--Kan's Chinese Restaurant. It became a gathering place for Hollywood film stars, celebrities and socialites. He leaves his wife, Helen; a daughter, Patricia Lee of Los Angeles; and two sisters, Ruth Wong and Mary Yip of Los Angeles. Services will be held at the Chapel of Chimes in Oakland."
---"Services set for S.F. Restaurateur J. Kan," Los Angeles Times, December 10, 1972 (p. A6)
[1974]
"For more years than I can recollect, I have been lunching and dining at Kan's in San Francisco, on Grant Ave. in Chinatown, which I have always felt was one of the outstanding Chinese restaurants in this country. Like every great restaurant, this is a place where, if you wish to plan a special menu for a party of friends, should consult with the owner several days in advance about what you want. Then you will get a really remarkable meal. Johnny Kan, who owned Kan's, was one of my oldest friends, and I have always considered his chef, Pui, to be one of the finest Chinese chefs I know. Johnny's widow, Helen, now runs the establishment in her quiet and efficient way and had done a tremendously good job of maintaining the high standards set by her husband. Recently, friends and I had a dinner party at Kan's which featured a number of my favorite dishes. We had Gold Coin Chicken, chicken cooked with Chinese ham, which is closely allied to Virginia ham, and extraordinarily good and some other dishes that were unusual and striking. One, quite different from most Chinese food in that it is called a salad, had a counterpoint of flavors that was captivating to the palate...."
---"A Contrapuntal Chinese Salad," James Beard, Los Angeles Times, September 5, 1974 (p. L6)
Our survey of historic USA newspapers confirms "California roll"-type dishes first surfaced in Los Angeles sometime in the early 1970s. These items were referenced under several names (see above aka). Actual descriptions of these early prototypes are rare. Those that exist confirm they did not include avocado, crab or mayonnaise. California Rolls, as we know them today, make their way to the plate in the late 1970s. The earliest reference we find for possible inspiration was an article profiling Chinese cuisine, circa 1973, featuring a recipe for
"Cucumber Roll." In this case, the "roll" effect was the cucumber, not seaweed. Still? The concept is strikingly similar and worth noting. The earliest print reference we find describing the modern California Roll was published in 1978. The item was called "Kappa Maki."
About American Sushi:
"Sushi East and West. Many of the foods ordinarily associated only with Western cuisine harmonize astonishingly well with sushi rice...You will find this hybrid "East-West" sushi can be expanded to include many new tempting treats suited to your family's tastes. One tasty variation is the California roll, a slender mat-rolled sushi containing crab, avocado and cucumber. It is a great favorite in Los Angeles sushi shops, has spread to New York and is making a debut in Tokyo too. The creamy, rich, slightly oily avocado has something in common with the taste of fatty tuna."
---The Book of Sushi, Kinjiro Omae and Yuzuru Tachibana [Kodansha International:Tokyo] 1981 (p. 76)
Additional sushi history notes here .
When did California Rolls enter the scene?
"California roll....A form of sushi made with avocados, crabmeat, cucumbers and other ingredients wrapped in vinegared rice. It was supposedly created at a Japanese restaurant in Los Angeles named Tokyo Kaikan about 1973 for the American palate but has also gained popularity in Japan, where it is called kashu-maki, a literal translation of "California roll."
---Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, John F. Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p. 53)
"California rolls, consisting of avocado, imitation crabmeat, and mayonnaise encased in rice with sesame seeds on the outside, are an excellent example of Japanese American food. The rolls were invented by Japanese chefs in Los Angeles during the 1970s for Americans who were squeamish about eating raw fish. California rolls became a popular addition to Japanese restaurant menus in the United States during the 1980s, and there were eventually exported back to Japan, although many sushi purists eschew them, as they were not a traditional Japanese food."
---Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America, Andrew F. Smith editor [Oxfod University Press:New York] 2004, Volume 1 (p. 728)
Articles in the Los Angeles Times confirm Tokyo Kaikan was established 1973. This 1974 review confirms the establishment's popularity but omits reference to the "signature" California Roll some food historians attribute for being invented there. Of course, it is possible the item was on the menu and not sampled by the reviewer. It is more likely the item was added at a later date. We do know from an earlier review (LATimes, July 22, 1973 p. N71) the reviewer was familiar with "Kappa Maki," a cucumber-based sushi item. No other ingredients were mentioned. It is interesting to note "Maki" is the Japanese word for roll. But! "Kappa" does not mean cucumber. It is a mythological figure that associated with cucumber eating.
"The Japanese like their food to be beautiful and they want no precious taste lost to time or air. The beauty will often be in the presentation of the raw stuffs, arranged in patterns on the platters...There are also bars, to be found here mostly in Little Tokyo, usually preparing only one thing. Sushi is better at a bar...The new Tokyo Kaikan is the only place I know that combines four bars (sushi, tempura, shabu shabu, teppan yaki) with a trim formal dining room and the more familiar bar for American cocktails...Sushi can be either chirashi, which adds raw fish to a bowl of rice or the more familiar nigiri, the roll of rice with fish on top."
---"Roundabout," Lois Dwan, Los Angeles Times,, August 21, 1974 (p. F4)
"Tekka Maki (raw tuna laid on a bed of rice spread over a sheet of dried seaweed, then rolled up and cross-sectioned)... Kappa Maki (cucumber treated like the tuna mentioned above)...
---"Fifty four hours," Jessica Maxwell, Los Angeles Times, October 5, 1976 (p. J30)
"Southern California provides a top-notch opportunity to try sushi...sushi generally consists of nigiri--a small mound of vinegared rice, usually topped with a dab of wasabi (horseradish)--and a thin slice of seafood you select from the variety of fish, shellfish and other delicacies. Sushi selections are usually served in pairs, except for temaki--a sheet of nori spread with the vinegared rice and rolled up with strips of fish or cucumber in the middle...The avocado and crab roll--kappa maki--is very refreshing."
---"All About Sushi--Including Where to Sample the Best," Nancy Yoshihara, Los Angeles Times, January 17, 1978 (p. G4)
"There's a new breed of barhoppers in this town, but they're not searching for the perfect martini. Their prey is the silken flesh of fresh raw fish, served in thinly sliced slivers placed lovingly atop little mounds of vinegared rice. It's a traditional Japanese delicacy called sushi, dispensed by highly trained chefs to clients across shiny pine counters. To the uninitiated, the very thought of raw fish can be distressing, but these days, savvy Southern Californians--and others everywhere across the country--just can't seem to get enough of it...the sushi bar is a great place to make new friends...Those who go infor celebritywatching and know where to go can catch glimpses of such prominent sushi devotees as James Coburn, Richard Dreyfuss...Cheryl Ladd and Henry Winkler...Sushi is booming right now in Los Angeles...A self-described Japanese gourmet restaurant located at the top of the chic restaurant row area on La Cienga Boulevard, Kim Jo features a tempura bar and a tradtional Japanese menu. But its centerpiece is a top-of-the-line sushi counter presided over by veteran chef Ken Seusa. Mrs. Wade says Seusa invented the California roll, a crab, avocado and cucumber medley wrapped in rice and seaweed and one of the most popular items at any sushi bar. Mrs. Wade has several theories as to why sushi--and its riceless, straight-raw-fish companion, sashimi--have become so popular. 'No. 1. somehow or other Americans think Japanese cuisine is much more natural and dietetic than French, Italian or American cooking.' George Millman, part-owner of...Teru Sushi agrees 'Californian like clean and light food, which sushi is.'...Millman says a new breed of outgoing and helpful sushi chefs helped initiate Caucasians to the delights of raw fish."
---"Sushi Latest Food Fad," AP newswire [Los Angeles,] Indiana Gazette [PA], November 30, 1979 (p. 22)
"Another example of marrying Japanese techniques and American ingredients is the California roll. Loose sushi hand rolls are popular in Japan, but the version that calls for avocado, king crab meat, mayonnaise and rice wrapped in a sheet of papery black seaweed appeared in southern California sushi bars a few years ago. It has also become commonplace in New York and is apparently now being served in Japan as well."
---"Adapting American Foods to Japanese Cuisine," Florence Fabricant, New York Times, October 6, 1982 (p. C1)
Compare these recipes:
Bird's Nest Soup
Like Shark's fin soup , bird's nest soup was traditionally valued for its healthful properties. It is most often served as soup. Is the traditional Chinese ingredient a real nest made by an actual bird? Yes. Mock bird's nest soup was crafted by Trader Vic for quasi-adventurous American diners in the 1960s. American Bird's Nest Pudding is totally unrelated, except for the name.
"One of the most distinctive Chinese delicacies is edible bird's nest (yen-wo), the white, translucent, gelatinous nest of various species of small swifts called swiftlets. The principal commercial species are the 'White-nest' or 'Edible-nest Swiftlet'...and the 'Black-nest Swiftlet'...The highest quality nests are those of the...'white' because they consist entirely of nest-cement, a salivary secretion, occasionally with a few feathers of nesting birds and bits of green vegetable matter...white nests, which require far less cleaning before use, command the highest prices by far, perhaps twenty-five times that of black nests... Why such an unusual food should have come into use at all remains a mystery, but one should note that in China birds' nests are not only a delicacy but a strengthening food and medicine...One reads...of the Chinese belief that the nest is made by a swiftlet from the windblown sea foam, that it is rich in minerals and other valuable elements form the sea, a distillation of the bird's qualities of vigor, strength, perseverance, potency, and fidelity. In traditional and modern China, bird's nest is considered nutritious and purifying."
---Food in China: A Cultural and Hsitorical Inquiry, Frederick J. Simoons [CRC Press:Boca Raton FL] 1991 (p. 427-429)
"Bird's nest (swallow's nest): Rare, expensive dried delicacy whose origins go back ten centuries. Not ordinary bird's nest, but an edible gelatinous coating produced by tiny swallows or swiftlets indigenous ot the South China Sea. The nests, beige in color, look like finely shredded and glazed coconut. Must be soaked and cleaned before use. When cooked, they separate into shreds and have a subtle, distinctive taste. (They're also high in proteins and vitamins because of the bird's diet of seaweed and marine plants.) Bird's nest soup is considered a mark of great hospitality and the high point in formal dinners. It's also used as a poultry stuffing and prepared with rock sugar as a sweet dish for wedding feasts. Bird's nest is available in three grades: The rarest and most expensive grades are the whole nests which look like small, shallow, transparent cups. (The best of these are nearly white, with few twigs and feathers.) Next are the curved chips of broken nests or "Dragon's Teeth." Last are ground-up bird's nest fragments, made into porous, brittle cakes."
---The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook, Gloria Bley Miller [Grosset & Dunlap:New York] 1975(p. 847)
[NOTE: This book has more information on bird's nest cookery. Your librarian can help you find a copy.]
"Bird's nest. The Eponymous ingredient of Chinese bird's nest soup is an expensive delicacy. The nests belong to a species of swiftlet, Collocalia whiteheadi, which is found in the Philippines and New Guinea. Patricia Arroyo Staub (1982) has explained that "The gathering of these nests is a formidable task of the intrepid sould who scale cliffs and mountains. Contrary to popular belief, the bird's nests are not found in the faces of the cliffs but in caves. Hence the gathering involves work in the nooks and crannies of caves which are dark and slippery. This makes it a rare and highly prized delicacy which is most precious to a Chinese food goumet and which has become popular among Filipinos...However, did to its ability to swell in boiling water, very small amounts are needed to make soup." In making thier nests, the birds cement scaffolding of tiny twigs together with a sticky substance which has been variously indentified as coming from regurgitated seaweed, such as agar-agar, or as being simlpy the bird's own saliva. Since it is the sticky substance which is finally absorbed by the persons eating the bird's nest soup, it seems to be an open question whether they are consuming a plant food or an animal food."
---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 1999 (p. 74-5) If you want to learn more about this bird ask your librarian to help you find this book: Swifts: A Guide to Swifts and Treeswifts around the World, Phil Chantler. It is also possible this bird will show up in general bird identification books covering Asia.
"Bird's Nest Soup
There is also an early American dessert called bird's nest pudding (aka crow's nest pudding). John F. Mariani describes it as "A very old New England fruit pudding (most commonly made with apples), usually with a crust and some kind of sauce. The finished dish somewhat resembles a bird's nest. It dates in print to 1833." (Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink [Lebhar-Friedman:New York 1999, p. 29). Recipe here:
"Bird's nest pudding.
If you wish to make what is called 'bird's nest pudding,' prepare your custard,--take eight or ten pleasant apples, pare them, and dig out the core, but leave them whole, set them in a pudding dish, pour your custard over them, and bake them about thirty minutes."
---The American Frugal Housewife, Mrs. Child, 1833 facsimile reprint [Applewood Books:Boston] (p. 63)
Until recently, most food historians agreed "chop suey" was created in the USA in the late 19th century. A closer examination of Chinese texts suggests the recipe may indeed have originated in Canton. By the 20th century, Americanized chop suey , casseroles totally devoid of any Oriental ingredients, became an economical family supper staple. Regional variations ( Polish Chop Suey ) reflected local taste and old world ingredients.
"The second famous "Chinese-American" dish to come out of the mining frontier is chop suey, the subject of some historical controversy. It has been common wisdom to say that chop suey...did not exist in old China. The stir-fried hash was invented, according to tradition, in a San Francisco restaurant during the wee hours one morning when a rowdy group of holidaying iners would not hear of the Chinese cook's plea that he had no food. Rather than risk a drubbing, the cook concocted chop suey of the day's scraps. Perhaps. At least one Chinese authority...insists that chop suey was intimately famliar to emigrants from Toisan, the region south of Canton that is the ancestral home of more than half the American Chinese. It does seem hard to believe that a people wracked by poverty had not thought to put together "miscellanious stuff" before they arrived at the "Golden Mountain."
---Bacon, Beans and Galantines: Food and Foodways on the Western Mining Frontier, Joseph R. Conlin [University of Nevada Press: Reno] 1986 (p. 192-3)
Mr. Conlin's alternate theory is confirmed here:
"Last of all, chop suey is not--as many would-be connoisseurs believe--an American invention. As Li Shu-fan points out in his delightful autobiography, Hong Kong Surgeon (1964), it is a local Toisanese dish. Toisan is an rural district south of Canton, the home for most of the early immigrants from Kwangtung to California. The name is Cantonese tsap seui (Mandarin tsa sui), "Miscellaneous scraps." Basically , it is leftover of odd-lot vegetables stir-fried together. Noodles are often included. Bean sprouts are almost invariably present, but the rest of the dish varies according to whatever is around. The origin myth of chop suey is that it was invented in San Francisco, when someone demanded food late at night at a small Chinese restaurant. Out of food, the restaurant cooked up the day's slops, and chop suey was born. (The "someone" can be a Chinese dignitary, a band of drunken miners, a San Francisco political boss, and so on.)"
---Food of China, E. N. Anderson [Yale University Press:New Haven] 1988 (p. 212-3)
More information , courtesy of the Library of Congress.
A stir fried celebration of authentic, modified, exotic, and mainstream cuisine. Every dish tells a story. Early American chop sueys mirrored original intent by featuring Oriental ingredients. They were considered exotic fare. Before long, "Americanized" versions, built with familiar ingredients (ground beef, tomatoes, macaroni), slipped into the pot. Any random economical dish composed of various ingredients could be called "chop suey." Desserts assumed this popular this moniker too. Think: Chop suey cake & Chop suey ice cream sundaes .
Mainstream American chop suey recipes divide neatly into two categories: company product promotions and collective immigrant experience. The common thread is "making do" with what's on hand tonight. The concept motivating this particular recipe transcends time, geography, culture and cuisine. Polish chop suey is found in Milwaukee. New England-style American chop suey is arguabley inspired by Italian cuisine. Could it be that "chop suey" was at one time the collective Anglo-American name for anything foreign?
"American chop suey. Of course the "real" chop suey is American, too, a nineteenth-century creation, its said, of the Chinese who cooked for men laying the track for the Pacific Railroad. This altogether different, twentieth-century chop suey enjoyed a certain faddishness in the teens and '20s. This recipe is reprinted from the Larkin Housewives Cook Book (1915). Larkin, as this recipe makes clear, not only processed and packaged a wide array of food but also sold a variety of kitchen gadgets."
---American Century Cookbook: The Most Popular Recipes of the 20th Century, Jean Anderson [Clarkson Potter:New York] 1997 (p. 106)
"American Chop Suey. American food culture was formed in an environment that was resource-rich and labor-poor. There has always been a premium on one-pot sautes or quick stews, and these have sometimes acquired fanciful names like slumgullion (perhaps from Salmagundi), or mulligan stew (perhaps from slumgullion), or Finnish American mojaka...In old New England, a random collection of smothered meat and potatoes was known as potato bargain or necessity mess...During the Great Depression, the names of foreign mixed dishes, such as goulash, hodgepodge (perhaps from hachepot), or chop suey, were applied to quick assortments of meat, vegetables, and potatoes, and sometimes even to desserts with mixed ingredients. American chop suey, however, eventually became somewhat standardized, especially in institutional catering, as a stew or casserole of beef, celery, and macaroni--none of which seeems especially Chinese. Chinese restaurant chop suey was itself a poorly defined American invention and basically another mixed stew. A likely origin for American chop suey is a recipe for Chop Suey Stew in the 1916 Manual for Army Cooks, a text for many institutional foods of the twentieth century. The army recipe could be made with either beef round or pork shoulder, beef stock, barbecue sauce, and salt. By 1932, the Navy's cookbook had added cabbage and green peppers. Practical Home Economics (1919) has a recipe entitled Chop Suey that adds tomatoes and parsley and omits the onions and cabbage. All these early recipes leave out soy sauce, but suggest serving the stew over rice. More recent recipes simplify the service by dropping the rice and mixing in cooked macaroni, but they tend to restore some amount of soy sauce unless using Italian tomato sauce. As distinct from Chinese restaurant chop suey, American chop suey is in the early twenty-first century is usually made with beef instead of pork; the vegetables are usually restricted to celery and onions; and macaroni often replaces rice."
---Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America, Andrew F. Smith editor [Oxford University Press:New York] 2004, Volume 1 (p. 35-6)
[1902]
"Chop suey, the national dish of China for at least twenty-five centuries bids fair to become a standard food in this country. There are some sixty Chinese restaurants scattered over the different boroughs of Greater New York whose chief attraction is this popular composition, and several American restaurants have endeavored to take advantage of its popularity by adding it to their daily bill of fare. There is a ridiculous amount of mystery concerning this dish. It is simple, economical, and easily made. The genera; formula is as follows: One pound of moderately lean fresh pork, cut into pieces a quarter of an inch thick, a half an inch wide, and an inch long; two chicken livers, chopped up to the size of dice; two chicken gizzards, cut into slices the size of a nickel, and each ring pinked with the lines almost meeting in the center. The heat of cooking causes the fibers to shrink and converts the circle into a many-pointed star. A quarter of a pound of celery cut into slivers, a quarter of a pound of canned mushrooms, and a quarter of a pound of green peas, chopped string beans, asparagus tips, bean sprouts, or salsify. These are thrown into a frying pan over a hot fire, covered with a cup of water, four tablespoonfuls of peanut oil, oilive oil, or melted butter, a tablespoonful of chopped onion, half a clove of garlic, grated salt, white pepper, and red pepper. If the fire is hot enough, these will cook in five minutes. The contents of the pan chould be stirred to prevent burning, and the moment the water boils out fresh water should be added in small quantities to prevent frying. The dish could be served promptly, and is not only palatable but wholesome and easily digested. In place of pork, mutton can be employed, while chicken liver and gizzard may be replaced by those of the turkey. Some Chinese cooks use the Indian soy, which is sweeter. The effect can be imitated by adding a teaspoonful of Worcestershire sauce and another of brown sugar or a teaspoonful of molasses. An agreeable modification results from the use of asparagus tips along with the other vegetable ingredients, whil the Singapore variety is obtained by stirring in a tablespoonful of curry paste. In the Chinese restaurants the cost varies from ten to twenty-five cents a plate, the expensive dish containing a fair amount of the best imported mushrooms."
---"Chop Suey More Popular: How the Favorite Dish of the Chinaman Is Prepared," New York Times, July 27, 1902 (p. 24)
[1914]
[1967]
"'Polish Chop Suey.'
Hunter's stew is an individual dish to each cook, some taking 3 days to make it and using almost any meat or poultry available. 'It's a Polish chop suey,' laughed Mrs. Edward Kaminsky of Hollywood, a bazaar committee member. It is a dish that gains flavor from reheating so the cook likes to have some left over for a second-day meal. All cooks add sauerkraut and fresh cooked cabbage, however. 'One of the reasons many Americans do not like sauerkraut is because they don't treat it properly,'... Mysliwski Bigos (Hunter's Stew)
1 qt. sauerkraut
2 lb. head cabbage, shredded
1/4 lb sliced bacon
1/2 lb. beef stew meat
1/2 lb. lamb stew meat
1/2 lb. venison, optional
1/2 lb. polish sausage, fresh or smoked
1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
Salt, pepper
Rinse sauerkraut and drain. Place in saucepan, add enough water to nearly cover and cook over low heat 30 to 45 min. Cook cabbage in boiling water to nearly cover until crisp tender, about 10 to 15 min. Dice bacon and fry until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside. Add onion and cubed pork, veal, beef, lamb and venison, if used. Cook until meat is lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add liquid drained from kraut and cabbage, cover and simmer until meat is tender, about 1 hr. Dice sausage and add in meat along with mushrooms, kraut and cabbage. Add more water, if needed. Simmer 20 to 30 min. to blend flavors and finish cooking meats. Season to taste with salt an pepper. Makes 6 to 8 servings."
---"It's Time Again for Dozyniki, the Annual Polish Bazaar," Cecil Fleming, Los Angeles Times, October 5, 1967 (p. F24)
[1976]
Dim sum is a Chinese tradition originating in Canton. It made its way to America with Chinese immigrants, many of whom were Cantonese.
"...the ultimate in "small eating" is the Cantonese institution of iam ch'a (Mandaarin he ch'a: "to drink tea"). Drinking tea traditionally involves the consumption of snacks known as timsam (borrowed in English as dimsum, pronounced "deem some"). This phrase (the Mandarin is tien hsin) means "to dot the heart," a peculiar idiom of obscure origin, meaning something like "to hit the spot." "Dot hearts"...are found throughout China, but in Cantonese culture they become the sold food at huge luncheons or late breakfasts, while elsewhere in China they are definitely "small" affairs. There are hundreds of them...Typical tim sam are ha kaau...based on minced shrimp and other items wrapped in thin dough skin, siu maai...with meat filling and different skin composition; taro horns, chopped meat covered with mashed taro dough, rolled into a hornlike shape, and deep-fried; ch'a shao pao; other pao of other kinds; beef balls pungently flavored with soy sauce, ginger and so on; faan kun, oily chopped fillings wrapped in rice-flour dough skins...The commonest and most basic tim sam follow the pattern of some sort of starch staple wrapped around a filling of chopped meat, soy sauce, finger, water chestnut, or similar extender and texturizer, oil and flavoring."
---Food of China, E. N. Anderson [Yale University Press:New Haven Ct] 1988 (p. 215)
"Dim sum
an important institution of Cantonese cuisine which has become increasingly visible in 'Chinatowns' outside China has been China, has been described by Yan-Kit So...Literally translated as 'so close to the heart', they are, in reality a large range of hors d'oeuvres Cantonese people traditionally enjoy in restaurants (previously teahouses) for breakfast and for lunch, but never for dinner, washed down with tea. 'Let's go yumcha (to drink tea)' is understood among the Cantonese to mean going to a restaurant for dimsum; such is the twin linkage between the food and the beverage...The range of dimsum in a restaurant easily numbers several dozen and they come under these main varieties: the steamed, the fried and the deep-fried..."
---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 1999 (p. 250)
[NOTE: This book has much more information & description than can be paraphrased here. Ask your local public librarian to help you find a copy of this book.]
Egg rolls & spring rolls
Egg rolls (and their lighter counterpart, spring rolls) date back to ancient China. Wontons (thin unleavened dough with fillings or as noodles) are a traditional part of the Chinese diet. It is quite likely that egg-roll type foods were made and consumed in the USA by the first Chinese settlers in the mid 1800's. It is also just as likely that most Americans never heard of them until about 50 years ago. Vietnamese spring rolls employ different tastes. Why are they called egg rolls? The dough is traditionally made with egg. Spring rolls are lighter, omitting the egg. Egg roll-type foods are part of traditional dim sum .
"Eggrolls are thin coverings of unraised dough, wrapped around various meat, seafood and vegetable mixtures, and then usually deep fried. Originally, these were special snacks served with tea when relatives and friends came to visit after Chinese New Year. Since the time was early spring, they came to be known as spring rolls...the eggroll, said to have originated in Canton and more familiar to Westerners, is larger...thicker. Eggrolls are served either as hors d'oevres or with dinner at any time of the year."
---The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook, Gloria Bley Miller [Grosset & Dunlap:New York] (p. 698)
"Spring roll...An Asian-American appetizer made of crispdough wrapped around a filling of various ingredients such as vegetables, meat, shrimp, and seasonings. Sometimes synonymous with "egg roll," it is considered somewhat more "authentic" and delicious than the latter. The name, which dates in English print to 1943, comes from the Chinese tradition of serving them on the first day of the Chinese New Year, which is also the first day of the lunar year's spring."
---Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, John F. Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p. 308)
If you need more information on ask your librarian to help you find this article:
"Going beyond egg rolls," Newsweek, August 13, 1990 (p. 61+) --this article and several more are available full-text from the EBSCO
ABOUT VIETNAMESE SPRING ROLLS "When New York Times food writer Craig Claiborne wrote about Routhier and her Vietnamese spring roll, or cha gio, he catapulted her into the culinary limelight. In the 1985 article about upcoming young chefs, he praised her creation as "the best cha gio I have eaten since - in fact, I found them the equal of those in Vietnam." As they say, the rest is history. Between writing cookbooks and teaching classes, Houstonian Routhier continues to make her famous Vietnamese spring rolls for friends and relatives.
Rolled in parchmentlike rice papers, her spring roll consists of crab meat, shrimp, pork, Chinese mushrooms and water chestnuts. But this is just one spring roll recipe among hundreds, perhaps thousands. Like many good culinary ideas, the spring roll has been imitated and embellished again and again through time. There are fried spring rolls and uncooked ones. Some are filled with finely minced seafood; others brim with crispy vegetables and barbecued meats. With so many variations, no wonder the spring roll is one of the most misunderstood foods...The spring roll is a tradition that dates back many centuries in China. Because of its rich golden color, the spring roll is believed to symbolize a gold nugget or prosperity, and it plays a central role at Chinese banquets. You'll typically find spring rolls served on Chinese New Year's Day, which takes place at the start of spring. Chefs in other Asian countries such as Cambodia, Singapore and Thailand have adapted the Chinese spring roll and created their own versions. In Vietnam and Thailand, rice-paper wrappers made from cooked rice starch are preferred over lumpia wrappers. Brittle rice-paper wrappers are first soaked in water to make them pliable, then filled with either raw or cooked ingredients. They are then fried or eaten uncooked. Hence the confusion of getting a "fresh" spring roll at a Vietnamese restaurant when what you wanted was a "fried" spring roll.
Often, though, the menu will provide a clue. Uncooked versions are often referred to as summer rolls. They're often stuffed with boiled shrimp, steamed pork, vermicelli noodles, lettuce and herbs. These light, fresh-tasting summer rolls are uniquely Vietnamese and Thai, Routhier says. The Chinese, Malaysians and Singaporeans also have "fresh" spring rolls. These, however, are made with lumpia wrappers and are prepared at the table by the guests, who fill the wrappers with a combination of fresh and cooked ingredients, such as grated carrots, shredded cabbage and leeks.... The Chinese believe in the merit and charm of eating the spring roll undressed. The Vietnamese, on the other hand, love to wrap theirs with soft lettuce, basil and mint. "Like many Vietnamese dishes, eating it this way resonates with layers of flavors and textures - the crispy vegetables with the crunchy spring roll," Routhier says. In the last few years, spring rolls have moved from the menus of inexpensive Chinese and Vietnamese eateries to more expensive contemporary establishments. Spring-roll wrappers have become a popular food format for chefs and consumers seeking stylish snacks and appetizers..."
---"For fresh, contemporary flavor with ancient Asian flair, nothing beats; SPRING ROLLS," The Houston Chronicle, July 26, 2000, (Food P. 1)
Historic information and global timeline , Soy Information Center.
[1981]
"Question: I am a diabetic and have been using the food exchange list as a guide to the foods I eat daily. Born in the Orient and raised here, I am very fond of Oriental vegetables...However these vegetables are not in the standard exchange list and I do not know which belong to vegetable exchange list 1 or 2...[Answer] Exchange List 2...Soybeans, green (edamame), 1/3 cup."
---"You Asked About...Oriental Vegetables and Food Exchanges for the Diabetic," Minnie Bernardino, Los Angeles Times, June 11, 1981 (p. J8)
[1993]
"With the sake I like a little bowl of edamame -- fresh soy beans -- slightly salted and still in the pod. You pick them up and pop the beans into your mouth. (If you try to eat the pods, you will find that they are rather tough.) At first taste, they are slightly salty, and then the buttery richness of the beans comes through. If you think of soybeans as boring, these will change your mind."
---"Restaurants: Honmura An," Ruth Reichl, New York Times, September 10, 1993 (p. 20)
"Minnesota's Gillette cites the example of edamame beans, specially processed soybeans eaten in Japan as a salted snack similar to popcorn or peanuts. With production dropping on Taiwan, Japan's historic source, the beans are grown in Jackson and Martin counties in Minnesota on an experimental basis, processed locally and shipped to Japan. The Pillsbury Co. is reportedly investigating the possibility of processing this bean for export on a large scale."
---"Adding value to agriculture: New life for an old industry?" Ed Lotterman, Fedgazette, Jan1993 (p. 1)
[1995]
"At Nobu in New York, VIPs and repeat customers often receive a complimentary starter of edamame, or steamed fresh vegetable soy beans with kosher salt on the side. The beans, which are a brilliant green because they were harvested before reaching maturity and drying out, are served in the pod, and guests squeeze them out. Soy beans that have been dried are tan or yellow in color. Nobu general manager Richard Notar says that while many Westerners, including himself, become "addicted" to the steamed beans, the restaurant's Japanese chefs can't understand the excitement. In Japan, he says, edamame is akin to a "snack food." "
---"Joy of Soy: Protein-Rich Bean can Lower Cholesterole," Alan Liddle, Nation's Restaurant News, September 18, 1995 (p. 37)
[1997]
"We sampled a few appetizers. Edamame ($2) is a dish of quick-boiled soybeans sprinkled with a light dusting of salt, which, though simple, is incredibly addictive and perfect finger-food for a table of four."
---"Short Order," (restaurant review, Shohko-Cafe), Santa Fe New Mexican, February 14, 1997 (p. 87)
[1998]
"A delectable snack, edamame (eh-dah-MAH-meh) are soybeans, served boiled or steamed in the pod and sprinkled with coarse salt. Frozen soybeans are easier to find than fresh ones. To prepare, bring a pot of water to the boil, add the soybeans in their shells and cook for about 5 minutes. Drain and sprinkle generously with coarse salt--Japanese sea salt is the best. Serve edamame with cocktails before dinner. Make sure you tell your guests how to eat them: Hold the end of a pod in your fingers, close your teeth around the shell, and pull it slowly out of your mouth; the beans will pop out of the tough shell, which should be discarded."
---"Soybean Snacks," Gazette [Cedar Rapids IA], February 6, 1998 (p. 5A)
[1999]
"The Chinese call them mao dou, or hairy beans. The Japanese call them edamame, or branch beans. Neither name, however, expresses even faintly the fondness those cultures have for the soybean. Like the peanut in America, the soybean is a humble homegrown legume that everyone eats--often as a snack--and most adore. Soybeans are earning increasing fondness in this country, too. Enter any Japanese restaurant in Manhattan...and you are sure to spot a bowl of them, piled high and disappearing quickly. Served in the pod, they are eaten by scraping the oval beans out of the salty, fuzzy pod with your teeth. They're so tasty they're addictive. Trader Joe's, a national grocery chain, began carrying frozen soybeans 10 months ago. Sales now rival those of frozen corn and broccoli. Ford decades, pigs were the beneficiaries of most soybeans cultivated in the United States. Other soy proeducts, like tofu and soy mik, had for years been treated as esoteric health foods. Now that soy is being heralded for healthfulness, that perception is reversing...Next to a bag of chips, spybeans in the pod happen to be the world's easiest hors d'oeuvre. Simply buy a bag of the frozen beans...boil them for a few minutes, drain, cool and pile them into a bowl. This is how they are prepared in Japan, where they are served in practically every bar. In New York, edamame appears on the menus on most Japanese restaurants, ususally among the appetizers. It also shows up on Korean and Chinese menus, as well as on ones that are not Asian...In Japan, soybeans are sold in markets on the branch with their roots still attached--thus the name branch bean...A copper brown fuzz clings to the outside of soybean pods must be removed before eating. To get it off, Ms. Andoh said, Japanese cooks put te beans in a suribachi, a ceramic mortar with a grooved interior. Then they sprinkle on coarse salt and rub the beans against the mortar so that the fuzz sticks in the grooves, leaving just the bright-green pods. With this technique ther eis no need to salt the water when boiling them. All this work may be considered a necessity in Japan, but in America, it's tough to sell...In Japanese restaurants...soybeans are still mostly served plain. And cold. Eating them cold from the pod has been traditional since the 17th century in Japan."
---"Bet You Can't Eat Just One Soybean," Amanda Hesser, New York Times, September 8, 1999 (p. F3)
"Edamame, salted soybeans that are the equivalent of cocktail peanuts in Asian restaurants, will soon be moving into home kitchens. Karan Hall, a spokeswoman for one importer, Seaside Farms of Inglewood, Calif., says the demand for the fresh soybeans has risen fivefold nationally in the last six months. Nobu Next Door, Mirezi, Bop and other restaurants serve the snack warm with drinks. Edamame, fresh soybeans that are boiled and salted, are bright green and slightly fuzzy pods that should be popped open; each contains about three plump, slightly sweet legume-like seeds. Edamame are now available frozen in one-pound bags in shops that specialize in Asian ingredients. But by spring, they will be available at Kings Super Markets in New Jersey and A.&P. stores in the New York area, now that Haddon House, a food distributor, has started receiving shipments from Seaside Farms. Ms. Hall says the company is bringing in 28,000 pounds a week."
---"Food Stuff," Florence Fabricant, New York Times, January 27, 1999 (p. 2)
[2000]
"Move over tempeh, tofu, miso, soy sauce, and all you other processed soy foods the most up-and-coming variety of soybean is edamame, also known as vegetable soybeans. These soybeans in their most primative state--picked young and green, steamed or boiled five minutes, then popped out of the pods right into your mouth. With 36 percent protein, a good dose of vitamin C and phytoestrogens, or plant-derived hormones, soybeans have alsways garnered high praise as a nutritional powerhouse. Their taste, though, can leave something to be desired. Boiled mature (dry) soybeans have an unpleasant flavor and waxy texture, and tofu and tempeh are most esteemed for picking up other flavors. Edamame, on the other hand, are delectable in their own right, combining the best of garden peas and lima beans in flavor and texture. Popular in Asia for millenniums, edamame now occasionally show up in markets on this side of the Pacific. Although edamame taste like peas and lima beans and grow much like green beans, they are as easy to grow as those familiar vegetables, or even easier. Edamame tolerate summer heat better than garden peas..."
---"Edamame, the Soybean With the Advantage," Lee Reich, New York Times, May 14, 2000 (p. ST9)
The Japanese connection
"'It may surprise you to learn,' said the Chinese Nationalist Republic emissary, 'that fortune cookies are completely unknown in China. None of us ever laid eyes on one before we came to America. It was the Japanese immigrants out on the West Coast who started the whole idea in the U.S. by stuffing philosophy into their traditional rice cookies.' Kingpin of the fortune cooky industry is Japanese-born Bunshichi Okuno, whos bustling bakery, Twixt Inc., of Long Island City, N.Y. turns out 750,000 proverbial and prophetic pastries a day stuffed with 600 separate and distinct sayings (with 400 more on reserve). He ships to evey part of the United States not already serviced by his brother, Yasuo Okuno, editor and publisher of the Umeya fortune cooky company in Los Angeles...The architecture of the contemporary Chinese fortune cooky is the result of years of tireless Japanese perseverance and experimentation. 'My father launched the idea of putting messages inside pastry when he came to Los Angeles 40 years ago...But in those days we used flat, round rice cookies and rolled them into a scroll with the message inside--sort of a Confucius tamale. These fragile cookies crumbled so easily that they remained mere novelties. But around 1912 came the turning point. My father had been experimenting for years with different shapes to give more tensile strength to the cooky. Shortly before World War II, he hit on the revolutionary idea of bending the dough into a half-pretzel horseshoe shape."
---"The Inside Story of Chinese Fortune Cookies, Leslie Lieber, Los Angeles Times,, June 7, 1959 (p. I25)
"I had never found anyone as obsessed with fortune cookies as I was until I arrived in Japan and met Yasuko Nakamachi. A researcher at Kanagawa University, she had spent six years following the global fortune cookie trail from the United States to Japan and back to the United States. She had first encountered these cookies in New York City Chinese restaurants some two decades earlier...But a few years later, while reading a Japanese book on confectioneries, she stumbled upon a reference to a regional snack--Japanese cookies folded around little pieces of paper...She thought they were a local snack until she made a visit to Kyoto in 1998...she saw a number of small, family-run Japanese bakeries selling cookies with a familiar shape. They were exactly like fortune cookies...the bakers called them omikuji senbei ("fortune crackers") or tsujiura suzu ("bells with fortunes")... At that point she knew it in her heart: fortune cookies were originally Japanese...She spent years sifting through Edo- and Meiji-era documents from various historical archives...She found references to tsujira senbei in nineteenth-century Japan, described as brittle cookies that contained a fortune in a fictional work by Tamanaga Shunsui, a humorist who lived between 1790 and 1842...Then a breakthrough: a reference to an old drawing of a tsujura senbei shop from a modern artist...an 1878 print of a man grilling tsujiura senbei."
---The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, Jennifer 8. Lee [12:New York] 2008(p. 260-261)
---"Fortunetelling Is Against the Law," Timoth G. Turner, Los Angeles Times, June 30, 1950 (p. A5)
"Mr. Okuno told us that the sayings used in his cookies must be passed by an editorial board consisting of three college graduates. Every three months the sayings come up for review, revision, and possible deletion...Where do fortune cooky people get their matrieal? They don't quote famous living authors for fear of being sued for plagairism...Mr. Okuno said that Twixt Inc., once wrote the National Association of Gagwriters--the fellows wo write the funny TV shows--and invited them to submit cooky sayings. 'They failed to come up with anything we considered worthy.'...The Key Key outfit's aphorisms and fortunes go through a careful editorial sieve before they are finally folded by hand into cookies. Philip Leong's father culls the bulk of them from Confucius' loftiest medications. The Lenog's pretty young wife, Margaret, who works in a nearby taily shop and is known as the 'Poet Laureate of Fortune Cookies,' translates them from Chinese into English. The whole batch is then dumped into the lap of Mrs. Cornelia Fredenbugt, and English teacher at New York's High School of Commerce, for a final primpng and polishing (Mrs. Fredenburgh was on vacation when the ungrammatical 'God helps them who helps themselves' sneaked into the Key Key line). What is the most popular fortune cooky every published? Waiters in ten Chinese restaurants said the cooky that made the msot sense to them when they served it to a customer at dessert times was: 'God loveth a cheerful giver.'"
---"The Inside Story of Chinese Fortune Cookies, Leslie Lieber, Los Angeles Times, , June 7, 1959 (p. I25)
"As for the fortune, its origin is even more obscure. There is fortune-telling in China (or there was; the city of Peiping, in what may have been a side-spread action, banned fortune-telling as un-Socialist two years ago) and Chinese now in New York playing a parlor game involving little sticks and fortunes. In Japan...fortune cookies are sold as a treat for children. Yet there seems to be no significant tradition behind them. Chances are that the first man who wrote a wise saying or prediction on a slip of paper and wrapped it in a cooky was simply an inventive genius parlaying the 'mystery of the Orient' and the wisdom of Confucius into a good thing...The standard story about fortune cookies has a bewildered diner fishing out a slip that reads: 'Help! I'm trapped in a Chinese bakery!' This is unlikely. But almost anything else may show up on the tiny slips of paper. In general, the messages are pleasant predictions, simple snippets of philosophy or lines of poetry. Their origin is informal...and their content is increasingly un-Chinese. The Key Key company's author is Margaret Leong, wife of one of the proprietors. 'My father-in-law used to do it...translating Chinese proverbs. But those old things don't go so good these days. Some people like poetry and some like fortunes so I try to mix things up. I read alot, and whenever I see something good I write it dowon. I read Bartlett's and a lot of poems,too'...Mrs. Leong's output is representative of the fortune-cooky literature. There is straigh poetry...clarivoyance...soothsaying...cliches and correct, if obscure, versions of cliches."
---"Rising Fortunes," Armand Schwab Jr., New York Times, November 27, 1960 (p. SM84)
Want to make your own fortune cookies? It's fun & you get to make your own fortunes! Tricky part is folding cookies, before they cool and harden. Small batches are easier to work with.
Fortune Cookies
3/4 cup soft butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
1 cup sifted flour
5 dozen paper fortunes
Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Blend in vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in flour. Grease and flour cooky sheets. Drop six rounded teaspoonfuls of dough on each sheet at least 2-in. apart. Bake at 375 deg. 15 to 20 min. or until edges are well browned. Remove from oven, loosen cookies carefully with a wide spatula, keeping pan warm Gently fold each cooky in half, wrapping paper fortunes inside nd keeping top of cookie on outside. Pinch points together. Cool at once. Makes 5 dozen."
---"Fortune Cookies Not Hard to Make," Marian Manners, Los Angeles Times, February 3, 1963 (p. SF_A10)
As with many Chinese foods popular in America today, fried rice has a long and interesting history. Rice is an ancient food that plays an fundamental role in many cultures and cuisines. About rice from Cambridge World History of Food . Fried rice and noodle dishes with vegetables are likewise ancient. They were typically composed of leftover ingriedents and cooked in woks . If meat was available (chicken, pork, etc.) it was added. According to Chinese food experts, fried rice is a specialty of Yangzhou. They do not attempt to put an exact date on the origin of this recipe.
"Fried rice, which originated in Yanchow province, is a versatile dish which combines cooked rice, onions, soy sauce, sometimes eggs, and just about any other ingredient--leftover or fresh--that may be on hand. The ingredient that predominates gives the dish its name: chicken fried rice, roast pork fried rice, shrimp fried rice, etc. When any ingredients are included, the dish is called subgum--or "many varieties"--fried rice...The [American] restaurant convention of ordering a dish of fried rice with numerous other main courses, or ordering it place of white rice, is Western and not Chinese at all."
---The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cook Book, Gloria Bley Miller [Grosset & Dunlap:New York] 1975 (p. 632-3)
"Fried rice...is a standard method of cooking leftovers, involving frying cold boiled rice with chopped-up meat and vegetables. In really superior restaurants, rice weill be specially boiled and dried for this, but usually old, unused rice is served. The common (and favorite) recipe, however is not Cantonese, but eastern, deriving from Yonchou in the lower Yangtze country; it involved mixing chopped ham, beaten egg, green peas, green onions, and other ingredients to taste, and then rather slowly sauteing the rice. The rice is neither deep-fried nor stir-fried, but chin-left to cook slowly in a little oil, producing a fluffy product with a slight crust."
---Food of China, E.N. Anderson [Yale University Press:New Haven CT] 1988 (p. 212)
"Fried rice with Choice of Flavors.
Chow Faan. There are more ways to make fried rice than I would care to count. Which is more authentically Chinese?...Fried rice, Chinese style, can be varied infinately by following a basic recipe and just changing the main ingredients used in conjunction with the rice. Roast pork, ham, chicken, or any type of seafood or preserved meats may be used."
---Jim Lee's Chinese Cook Book, Jim Lee [Harper Row:New York] 1968 (p. 272-3)
About fried rice in America
"The [American] restaurant convention of ordering a dish of fried rice with numerous other main' courses, or ordering it place of white rice, is Western and not Chinese at all."
---The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cook Book, Gloria Bley Miller [Grosset & Dunlap:New York] 1975 (p. 633)
Fried rice recipes , Chinese-Japanese Cook Book, Sara Bosse [1914]
---page through to read the entire chapter
Seitan, Wheat Meat & Fu
The origin and evolution Seitan (aka wheat meat ) and Fu are challenging to trace. Most popular references vaguely refer to ancient Buddhist origins, similar to that of tofu. A survey of American cookbooks and articles confirms seitan was known in our country by the 1970s. It became popular in selected vegetarian food circles by the early 1990s. Aveline Kushi's Complete Guide to Macrobiotic Cooking [1985] devotes an entire chapter to seitan cookery.
What is Seitan?
"Seitan is a whole wheat product cooked in a broth of kumba, tamari soy sauce, and water. It has a rich, dynamic taste and lends itself to a variety of dishes ranging from cutlets to soups, salads, and layered casseroles. Similar in taste and texture to meat, seitan was developed by Zen Buddhist cooks in China and Japan and used instead of chicken and pork. Made from separating the starch and bran from the gluten (cereal protein) in whole wheat flour, seitan is also known as wheat gluten or wheat meat. In this country, wheat meat patties have become very popular served as grainburgers and make an ideal substitute for hamburger or other animal food entrees. In Europe, wheat gluten often forms a part of the traditional diet and is usually made with a little oil. High in protein, seitan creates strength and vitality and is quite filling. It can be made at home with whole wheat flour from hard spring or hard red wheat...."
---Aveline Kushi's Complete Guide to Macrobiotic Cooking, Aveline Kushi with Alex Jack [Warner Books:New York] 1985 (p. 99-100)
[NOTE: Recipe for homemade seitan follows. Happy to share if you want. Recipes including seitan ingredient include: Seitan Kinpira, Sauteed Seitan and Onions, Seitan and Sauerkraut, Seitan with Vegetables and Kuzu Sauce, Deep-fried Seitan and Vegetables, Seitan Croquettes, Seitan Stew, Wheat Meat Burger, Sweet and Sour Seitan.]
Origins
"Gluten as a Separate Ingredient. Because they're both cohesive and insoluble in water, the gluten proteins are easily separated from the rest of the flour; you simply make a dough, then knead it in water. The starch and water-coluable substances wash away, and tough, chewy gluten remains. Gluten as a unique food ingredient was discovered by the Chinese noodle makers around the 6th century, and by the 11th it was known as mein chin, or the 'muscle of flour.' (The Japanese call it seitan.) When cooked, concentrated gluten does develop a chewy, slippery texture like that of meats from animal muscle. Mein chin became a major ingredient in the vegetarian cooking that developed in Buddhist monasteries; there are recipes dating from the 11th century from imitation venison and jerky, and for fermented gluten."
---On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of The Kitchen, Harold McGee, Completely Revised and Updated [Scribner:New York] 2004 (p. 468)
"Wheat gluen has long been separated form the starch and made into imitation meats for vegetarian cookery (Buddhist-inspired). Some of the imitations are close to the original; others stretch one's imagination."
---Food of China, E.N. Anderson [Yale University Press:New Haven CT] 1988 (p. 144)
[NOTE: Neither this source nor Food in China: A cultural and Historical Inquiry/Frederick J. Simoons place a date of first use.]
Seitan in the USA
"SEITAN, (SAY-tan), is a Japanese name for seasoned wheat gluten, or "wheat meat" as it is sometimes called. Not widely known in the West, except among Mormons and Seventh-day Adventists, wheat gluten has a long history of use in the cuisine of the Middle and Far East. Wheat gluten is made by first forming a dough with high protein wheat flour and water. The dough is kneaded and washed to remove the starches and bran. What is left is the concentrated gluten, or protein, of the wheat. To make seitan, wheat gluten is slowly simmered in a seasoned broth that usually contains tamari (a high quality soy sauce), kombu (a sea vegetable) and water. The result is a delicious, high protein, vegan food. A four-ounce serving contains 70 calories, 15 grams of protein, 1 gram of fat and, as with all vegan foods, zero cholesterol. Those with gluten sensitivity may be sensitive to seitan as well. Luckily, because of the high quality ingredients and cooking methods, some who are sensitive to other wheat gluten products find they have little or no allergic reaction to seitan. ."
---"Meet the Meat of Wheat," Timothy Aitken, Vegetarian Times, February 1997 (p. 88)
---A Dictionary of Japanese Food: Ingredients and Culture, Richard Hosking [Charles E. Tuttle Company:Rutland VT] 1997 (p. 41)
What's the difference between sietan and fu?
"Fu is made by kneading hard-gluten wheat flour with water for 30 minutes to an hour (this varies with the maker), separating protein (gluten) from starch. The starch is washed away with cold running water, leaving the pure gluten. In this form it is known as seitan, familiar to macrobiotic dieters. To complete the fu, flour made from glutinous rice is added, the sticky substance kneaded again, and flavorings or coloring added. The elastic mass is shaped into rolls and dipped briefly in boiling water. It is then placed in molds lined with wet cotton cloth, and steamed for about 20 minutes. Nama fu is fully cooked and can be eaten as is, but it is often added to soups or other hot dishes. Fresh fu...should be refrigerated as soon as possible after purchase...and eaten no more than a day later."
---"Fu and Yuba, Tasty Specialties of Kyoto," Amanda Mayer Stinchecum, New York Times, June 7, 1992 (p. XX6)
Origin & history
"The most characteristic foods of Japanese cuisine are delicate and often elusive in flavor, appreciated as much for their texture and consistency as for their taste. Bean curd is probably the most familiar of these foods in the West. Two are so special, so tied to place, history and freshness that they really be fully enjoyed only in Kyoto. Fresh wheat gluten (nama fu), its consistency chewy but tender and fresh bean curd skin (nama yuba)...Fu...originally came from China and was brought to Japan during the Muromachi period (late 14th to 16th century). The preparation and use of protein rich fu developed as part of the vegetarian cuisine that evolved in Buddhist temples...Because there were (and are) so many temples in Kyoto, and also because the city was known for the quality of its well water, Kyoto became famous for fu. At the height of its popularity in the 19th century, there were over a hundred fu specialty shops in the city, and the name of one street, Fuyacho, still attests to the aggregation of fu makers formerly in the ear. With the increasing popularity of Western-style food since the end of World War II, the demand for traditional specialties, particularly those that cannot be stored indefinitely, has gradually declined. Many young people are completely unfamiliar with them. Now there are about 10 establishments that make fu, but most of their business is the toasted and dried yaki fu, which keeps indefinitely and is shipped all over Japan. Used mainly in soups, it has a kind of breadlike quality when reconstituted and is quite different in flavor and consistency from the fresh stuff."
---"Fu and Yuba, Tasty Specialties of Kyoto," Amanda Mayer Stinchecum, New York Times, June 7, 1992 (p. XX6)
"Since the Meiji period [1868-1912], fu has also been mixed with leavening and baked into yakifu, a dry spongy food that keeps for a long time."
---Yhe History and Culture of Japanese Food, Naomichi Ishige [Kegan Paul:London] 2001 (p. 243)
Culinary applications
"Fu is a wheat gluten product similar to seitan but toasted, steamed, and dried. Light in consistency, fu absorbs liquid and expands several times in volume when cooked. Like seitan, it is easy to digest and gives energy. Fu can be enjoyed plain, garnished with grated fresh ginger and toasted black sesame seeds, or added to miso soup or tamari soy sauce broth, stews, salads, or cooked together with vegetables. At home, fu can be made using the basic method for seitan...Then gently toast in a moderately hot oven for a few minutes. After cooling, lightly steam to allow the fu to puff up. Cut into rounds and let dry in a cook place. Store in an airtight container. Dried fu is available in several forms in natural foods stores or Oriental markets: flat strips, large doughnut-shaped rounds, and small rounds. A good quality 100-percent whole what product is uranafu, which has a natural light brown color...Oriental food stores often carry a very white refined fu. It is attractively cut in fancy shapes, such as flowers, but contains artificial color and should be avoided. To prepare dried fu, soak for 5 to 10 minutes in hot water until softened and press out any excess water by squeezing between the palms of your hands; then slice into cubes or bite-sized pieces and add to miso soup, or boil, saute, steam, bake, or deep-fry for your favorite dish."
------Aveline Kushi's Complete Guide to Macrobiotic Cooking, Aveline Kushi with Alex Jack [Warner Books:New York] 1985 (p. 106)
[NOTE: recipe for Fu and Broccoli Broth included.]
Sharks have been feeding humans from prehistoric times forward. Chinese culinary traditions celebrate shark fins as banquet fare from medieval times forward. Sharks Fin Soup is one of several examples. Americans discovered shark meat in the 20th century. Mock Shark's Fin Soup surfaces in the 1960s. In the 21st century, concerns are raised about "finning" ( sharks being killed specifically for their fins).
What is "shark's fin?"
"Shark's fin, and ingredient greatly valued in China, comes--obviously--from a shark, but not just any shark and not just any fin. Of the numerous species in the Indo-Pacific only a few are especially sought because they yield fins with the qualities required; and distinctions are also made between e.g. the dorsal fin and the ventral fins and others. Kreuzer...listed what he though were the most valuable fins, explaining that those of sharks shorter than 1.5 m (5') are preferred, and mention the pectoral fins of the sawfish shark...The value of fins, which are always sold dried, depends also upon their condition and on the length of unbroken cartilaginous 'strands' which they will yield after the very elaborate processing which they undergo in professional kitchens."
---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 1999 (p. 716)
Origin & varieties
"Shark's fin...is another great delicacy in China, served at banquets and special dinners and, where found on restaurant menus, quite expensive. In the Dai Tung Restaurant in 1987 we found shark's fin dishes to be two to three times as expensive as bird's nest ones...Shark's fin seem to have first gained favor in Sung times...Domestic supply has long been too small to meet demand, and the Chinese have been forced to obtain sharks' fins from abroad. Late in the last century, the Indian ports of Bombay and Madras were identified as large suppliers of 'sharks' fins to China, mainly from the tiger shark...and shark-like guitar fishes...Other suppliers mentioned were the Philippines, Dutch East Indies, Burma, and the Hawaiian Islands...In the 1920's, most of the shark's fin imported to China came from India, where fins (from at least fourteen species of sharks, rays and certain other fish) were obtained in the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean, with Bombay and Karachi identified as very important in the shark's fin trade...The trade network may have been even more extensive in the 1950's..."
---Food in China: A Cultural and Historical Inquiry, Frederick J. Simoons [CRC Press:Boca Raton FL] 1991 (p. 431) [NOTE: Sung Dynasty 960AD-1279AD]
Culinary applications
"...the preparation differs according to whether the find is of lesser quality (loose of separated) or better quality (compact). Lesser quality fin is usually cooked in a sort of soup with chicken or crab flesh and served with them. Better quality fin...is cooked with ham or pork in a double boiler with water and wine until tender, for about three hours. Then it is carefully removed from the pot, separate from the other ingredients, and is put in another pan with specially-prepared chicken and ham bouillon. The fin is cooked for ten minutes to permit the bouillon flavor to penetrate it. Soy sauce and, if needed, salt is added, and the dish is served immediately...That the Chinese should develop such a dish is eloquent testimony to their unusual commitment to culinary experimentation as well as to the high regard in which they hold shark's fin, which, like bird's nest, is considered strengthening by the Chinese. In terms of food value, shark's fin...is very high in calcium and high in iron."
---Food in China (p. 432)
"Shark's fin...is a delicacy which belongs to the sphere of Chinese haute cuisine. It is only served at party dinners and banquets...In China, a shark's fin dish can almost be considered a culinary joke, for it takes 3 days to prepare, and only 3 minutes to eat. The reason why preparation of shark's fin takes such a long time is because in its original state, it is as tough as rhinoceros' horn. If it is be softened into a jellified state without destroying or changing its essential nature, it requires very careful handling."
---Encyclopedia of Chinese Cooking, Kenneth Lo [Galahad Books:New York] 1979, 1985 (p. 299)
How is shark fin prepared?
"When fresh, shark's fin has little flavor, but when cured its flavor is more pronounced. Curing fo the Chinese market as practiced in Malaya involved removing the fin, coating it with lime dust, rubbing the flesh with salt, and then sun-drying it...Ways of preparing shark's fin for eating have been described by various authors. The most detailed account we have found...is that of F.T. Cheng...who notes that preparation differs according to the quality of the fin, with more elaborate preparation for compact shark's fin of the finest quality. Whatever the quality...it is best to soften the fin by soaking in cold water for three days, through one can skip this stage if there is insufficient time. The fin is then prepared for cleaning by simmering for four to five hours or until the skin and bone can readily be removed. In simmering, the water is changed frequently to prevent the unpleasant odor of decayed flesh and bone from affecting the fin. Then the fin is cleaned, with careful attention to the removal of decayed flesh. Fin of low quality may lack sufficient gelatin to hold together and may be loose or even separate in the process of cleaning. Cooks make as special effort to avoid separation...for a dish of compact shark's fin is three times or more as expensive in restaurants as one of loose fin. In Canton, the cook uses a bamboo net in later stages or preparation to keep the fin compact."
---Food in China (p. 432)
"Shark Fins, Preparatory Cooking. Take two pounds of uncooked shark fins, afteer trimming off hard pieces, boil 6 hours; rinse in cold water and draain. Remove all bones aand clean until clear of sand. Place shark fins in a deep colander and put colaner in a pot with water to cover. Cook 5 hours rinse again and drain. Rub well between palms of hands and rinse again. Put into a deep bowl, pour boiling water over them. Clean in this way several times until all outer skin has been removed. Shark fins are dried and may be bought at a Chinese grocery store."
---Cook at Home in Chinese, Henry Low [Pacific Printing:Hong Kong] 1938 (p. 63)
"Shark's fins (skinless): Rinse in cold water. Soak overnight in warm water. Wash.
Drain. Simmer 1 hour with a garlic clove, small piece or ginger root or leek).
Rinse
Or: Soak 30 minutes in warm water. Wash. Drain. Simmer as above for 2 hours.
Or: Soak overnight in warm water. Cook 2 hours in chicken broth, using the bowl-within-a-pot method of steaming.
Note: Already processed shark's fins are available in some Chinese food stores, but must be ordered several days beforehand. They are quite expensive."
---The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook, Gloria Bley Miller [Grosset & Dunlap:New York] 1966, 1970 (p. 884)
[1966]
Shark's fin soup
"Although many Chinese banquet dishes are within the range of the home cook, several are not often prepared at home because they demand special skills and facilities. These include shark's fin [soup]...Shark's fin soup...requires particular culinary skills to produce a dish which is creamy, yet not heavy; rich in fragrance, yet still mild; with the shark's fin soft and gelatinous, but not completely dissolved...
"Shark's Fin Soup I
1/2 pound dried shark's fin
1 cup white meat chicken
cornstarch
1 or 2 scallion stalks
6 cups stock
1. Soak and process shark's fin.
2. Shred chicken; then dredge lightly in cornstarch. Mince smoked ham and scallion stalks.
3. Bring stock to a boil. Add shark's fin and simmer, covered, 20 minutes. Add chicken; simmer, covered, 10 minutes more.
4. Season with salt. Garnish with ham and scallion and serve.
NOTE: A rich clear stock should be used and the fins cooked until their gelatinous content dissolves partially, thickening the stock. The fins should be eaten when soft but still firm.
"Shark's Fin Soup II
While sushi and sashimi may sit side by side in contemporary upscale western-based Japanese restaurants, that was not the original intent. Sushi and sashimi evolved for two distinct culinary purposes. Amerian sushi, including California rolls descended from these traditions.
SUSHI
"Sushi marries the flavor of vinegared rice to the clean flavor of fresh raw fish and shellfish. The rice is deftly shaped into bite-sized 'fingers'. seasoned with a dab of zesty wasabi horseradish, and covered by a strip of choice seafood...Sushi originated as a way of preserving tuna, or curcian, a kind of carp. The fish was salted and allowed to mature on a bed of vinegared rice, after which the rice was discarded. Long before vinegared rice came to be eaten together with the fish and many different combination and ways of serving them evolved."
---Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art, Shizou Tsuji [Kodansha International:New York] 1980 (p. 285-288)
"The original of modern sushi is known as narezushi, a way of preserving fish by salting and fermenting between layers of rice...First the fermentation, then the salting were done away and and the rice (which once was thrown away) was converted to the sublime vinegared rice of today. Something approaching nigiri-zushi was available in a multitude of Edo (Tokyo) restaurants by the middle of the 19th century. The modern forms were not fixed...until the advent of refrigeration."
---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 2nd edition, 2007 (p. 772)
"The beginning of all sushi making was a method of pickling fish practiced first in Southeast Asia. Long ago the mountain people of that region preserved fish by packing it wth rice. As it fermented the rice produced lactic acid, which pickled the fish and kept it from spoiling. It seems probable that it was during prehistoric times when this method of preservation was introduced to Japan along with rice cultivation. One of the for it eventually took was nare-zushi, a sushi made with carp in the vicinity of Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture. As had been th custom from the beginning, only the fish was eaten; the rice was discarded. The history of Biwa carp sushi, also called funa-suzhhi, is said to extend back 1300 years...Preparing nare-zushi takes from 2 months to more than a year. People in 15th and 16th century Japan came to think not ony that this was too time consuming but that it was a waste of rice...One thing the people of Edo were not noted for was their patience. In the middle of the 17th century, a doctor named Matsumoto Yoshiichi...hit upon the idea of adding vinegar to sushi rice. The resulting tartness was pleasing, and the time it was necessary to wait before eating the sushi was substantially reduced. Still, it was not eaten right away. In keeping with the culinary practices of the time, the rice and other ingredients were boxed or rolled up before consumption...By the early 19th century...nigiri-zushi came into being. It is often referred to as Edomae-zushi, possibly...becuase the fish and shellfish used in it were taken from the waters of the large bay on which the city is situated...By 1824 a man named Hanaya Yohei conceived the idea of sliced, raw seafood at its freshest, served on small fingers of vinegared rice...The stall he opened in the bustling Ryoguku district of Edo caught on at once...In old pictures the sushi shops of the Edo period (1603-1868) look very little like ones of today. For one thing, the cook worked seated behind a lattice. Still there is something familiar. A raised tatami-floored section for a small number of guests is shown in some pictures, and this might be considered the predecessor fo the tatami areas in some modern sushi shops. And then as now sushi could be delivered, after a fashion. Men walked around selling it from large boxes carried on their backs. In the middle of the 19th century, sushi stalls began emerging all over Edo. They were well patronized and endured until shortly after World War II. Many a proprietor of a splendid modern sushi shop got his start as a sushi stall operator. There were many ordinary sushi shops in the city, too...The stall had wheels and were hauled into place in the evening. Then the operator hung out his noren curtain to signify he was ready for business...He kept his wares in a box filed with ice, lifting the bamboo mat covereing it to display what he had to offer. On the stall's small counter, he set out one bowl of soy rice and another of sliced pickeld ginger. His sushi rice he cooked at home and brought with him in a wooden container. In winter the container was wrapped with straw wo the rice would not get too cold and unappetizing...The transition from sushi stall to the often elegant shop of today was gradual and began after the Great Kanto earthquake of 1923. For a while after shops began to be built, the stall remained, parked in front of the shop. Customers who were so inclined purchased and consumed theri food out of doors. The chairs inside the shop were mostly for the convenience of people waiting to have sushi packed in boxes to take out...Sushi stalls vanished form Tokyo streets forever after World War II...At first the stall was simply moved indoors to become the sushi chef's work space and counter."
---The Book of Sushi, Kinjiro Omae and Yuzuru Tachibana [Kodansha International:New York] 1981 (p. 104-108)
"...sushi has existed in Japan for more than a thousand years in the form of narezushi, which is also found throughout Southeast Asia and in rice-growing regions of China...From the fifteenth century, Japanese sushi developed in a direction different from the other Asia areas, beginning with the appearance of namanare-zushi. 'Namanare' means 'raw mature' and describes an intermediate phase between those states. Namanare-zushi is ready to eat between several days and a month after the mixture of fish and rice is enclosed under a weighted lid...The rice i seaten with the fish rather than discarded. Whereas narezushi is fish eaten as a side dish, the emergence of namanare-zushi was the point where sushi took on the character of a complete snack, combining staple and side dish. Narezushi developed originally as a method for preserving a large amount of fish caught at one time so it would be edible later in the year. In contrast, namanare-zushi was made in small quantities for use at festivals or feasts, and so was a luxury food rather than a preserved food. That meant that the types of fish were no longer limited to those caught seasonally in large quantities, and sushi diversified to include various sea fish, and even vegetables which were processed into vegetarian shushi. In place of the big cask used for large amounts of sushi, a small amount was made in a shallow wooden box, by topping a bed of rice with a layer of sliced fish, and applying an inner lid weighted with a stone. The finished product was sliced into long pieces. This is the forerunner of today's hakosushi ('box sushi'), and Osaka specialty...The next new direction in sushi making, devised in the late seventeenth century, was to produce a rice-and-fish combination with a tasty acidic flavour, not through fermentation but by simply adding vinegar to the rice. Thus lactic acid was replaced by acetic acid. This new 'quick sushi' was given a name that means exactly that, hayazushi. later, in the early nineteenth century, it became popular on the streets of Edo as nigiri-zushi, a convenient form that involves neither the vinegar dressing used for namasu nor the stprage technology of preserved sushi. This was the final stage in the transformation of sushi from preserved food into a fast food. The fact thet vinegar is still always added to sushi rice to give it a slightly tart taste means that a culinary tradition survives unbroken, if only barely, in the form of contemporary sushi."
---The History and Culture of Japanese Food, Naomichi Ishige [Kegan Paul:London] 2001 (p. 227-231)
Sashimi
"For Westerners, shashimi is perhaps the archetypal Japanese dish; thinly sliced raw fish served typically with grated horseradish or with a ginger and soy sauce. The preparation of the fish, with a villainously sharp knife, is a skill perfected with long practice."
---An A-Z of Food & Drink, John Ayto [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 2002 (p. 301)
"Sashimi, a Japanese term for a dish of sliced raw fish. The word is derived from sashi (to pierce) and mi (flesh), with no element specifying fish or seafood; and similar techniques can be used to produce dishes called sashimi chicken or beef, but these are rarities by comparison with the ubiquitous fish sashimi. Tsuji...has declared sahimi to be 'the crowning glory of the formal meal' in Japan...and emphasizes that its preparation is not just a matter of choosing supremely fresh fish but also of taking into account the seasonings at which the various species are at their best. Sashimi is presented wtih great elegance in an arrangement."
---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 2nd edition, 2007 (p. 695)
"Sashimi is served searly in the meal so its subtle flavor may be enjoyed while one is still hungry and before one's palate is sates with cooked foods. Home meals a usually served all at once, but the sashimi should be eaten first, for the same reason...Sashimi is usually served on individual shallow dishes (or plates) in slices...Five or six rectangular slices rest like fallen dominoes against a high bed of crisp, shred-cut giant white radish..."
---Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art, Shizou Tsuji [Kodansha International:New York] 1980 (p. 159)
"In Japan the word sashimi frist appears in literature of the mid-fifteenth cnetury. Before that time raw fish dishes were always called namasu, a term which appears in literature from as early as the eighth century. Namasu is thinly sliced raw fish that is eaten with a vinegar-based dressing poured over it. The dressing may contain spices, such as a salted paste of grated ginger and the sharp-tasting tade...or miso...The there was a time when the words namasu and sashimi were synonymous, sashimi took on a different meaning when the current style was established in the Edo period. Namasu is cut into long cord-like pieces and dressed, whereas sashimi appears to have originated with city dwellers. Wasabi was a wild plant until sashimi became popular in the Edo period and the supply could no longer meet the demand, after which it became domesticated...Before modern refrigeration and transport technologies were developed, people in inland areas have very few chances to eat sea-fish sashimi, which made it the symbol of a great feast. From the 1960s sashimi has been a regular item on the Japanese dinner table..."
---The History and Culture of Japanese Food, Naomichi Ishige [Kegan Paul:London] 2001 (p. 224-227)
Empress Chicken
Dishes titled "Empress Chicken," are the same recipe as General Tso only made with white meat rather than dark. Our survey of historic newspapers confirm the Empress first surfaces in the Hunan-American restaurants in the mid-1980s. We find no particular person or restaurant claiming the honor of invention. Generally, whiter meat=more Americanization.
We also found this:
"Empress Chicken will be served at the Empress Seafood Restaurant located on the sixth floor of the Xinqiao Hotel. Service begins August 28. Operated by the Hong Kong-based Galaxy (China) Ltd, the restaurant boasts a karaoke bar and a nightclub, in addition to a luxury banquet hall that can seat 70 customers at a time. The restaurant mainly provides Guangdong dishes, one of the eight major cuisines in China. It is introducing to Beijing the dish known as Empress Chicken, which enjoys an excellent reputation in Hong Kong. Empress Chicken doesn't taste like broiled or fried chicken. It resembles Peking Duck, in that it is roasted whole and emerges from the oven with a crisp, slightly sweet skin. The bird is sliced just before serving. Its skin is moist with the chicken's natural juices. To ensure that Beijing Empress Chicken tastes like its Guangzhou counterpart, Empress Seafood Restaurant plans to airlift Sanhuang chickens from Guangzhou daily rather than rely on local supplies. It will offer Empress Chicken in its dining room and also boxed for take-out. The restaurant has brought Yuan Shenglian, a famous Hong Kong chef, to Beijing to run its kitchen."
---"Empress Chicken comes to Beijing," Beijing Weekend 6 August 1993 (p.5)
Again no "inventor." General notes on Peking Duck & related dishes here .
Potstickers (aka pot stickers) belong to the dumpling family. Global and local, these delicious filled dough morsels are enjoyed in most cultures and cuisines. Ingredients, recipes, and cooking methods vary according to culture and cuisine. About dumplings.
Chinese cuisine offers many different kinds of dumplings. They may be served for appetizers (dim sum) or with the main course. Dumplings may be steamed, boiled, saut�ed or fried. Our survey of Chinese cookbooks, culinary texts and magazine/newspaper articles returned conflicting reports as to the origin of what we Americans now call �potstickers.� Some sources state this item belongs to the Northern provinces, where steamed wheat products are favored over rice. Other sources credit Cantonese cooks for introducing potstickers to the USA. Both theories have merit. Why the name? Presumably it describes how the product adheres to the cooking receptacle. The earliest USA print sources we find mentioning potstickers date to the mid-1970s (see recipes below). Popularity, measured by references in magazines/newspapers continues to grow in each century. So do the recipes and definitions.
About Chinese dumplings
The dumpling is a gastronomic ambassador across China's regions, ethnic groups and even religions," says Ted Anthony, a former China News Editor of The Associated Press. Though pork is a popular filling, the Chinese landscape and the adaptability of dumpling recipes are broad enough to handle the great variety of religious and ethnic dietary mandates in the country. Dumplings may be sweet or fiery hot, small as a pearl or as large as a soup bowl. But China's varying climates and topography have dictated one constant in the 3,000-year history of Chinese dumplings: The wrappings are traditionally wheat-based in the north and rice-based in the south. Though chefs can serve more than 100 varieties of dumplings, that "doesn't begin to scratch the surface of the variety prepared in the kitchens every day throughout every province in China," says San Francisco-based celebrity chef Martin Yan, who recently established his Martin Yan Culinary Arts Institute in Chengdu, located in the "spice box" province of Sichuan. "You are not using just one filling or one way of folding, or even one way of cooking," he says. "It is an art, an age-old heritage for thousands of years, different from city to city, village to village. The fillings could be anything: chopped nuts, fermented rice, red-bean paste and many varieties of vegetables, meats and seafood." The Cantonese call their version of the jiaozi "bao gee." In the south it may be steamed or deep-fried. Up north it usually would be boiled. If the jiaozi is flipped into a frying pan for browning, it would be called guotie, which translates as "pot stickers." Won tons, or hundun in Mandarin, are usually smaller and have a more irregular shape than jiaozi. In Xi'an, China's capital for 1,000 years, restaurants are famous for their dumplings. At this central Chinese city's Tang Dynasty Theatre Restaurant, which features music programs from the Tang reign, ending in 907 A.D., the first item on its extensive prix-fixe menu is a dumpling dish. In Shanghai, the steamed soup dumpling, or xiao long bao, is a popular item, prepared with a gelatinous dollop of soup, and usually a ball of seasoned pork, sealed in dough. As the dumpling is steamed, the gelatin melts to provide the diner with a burst of hot, nutritious food. ."
---�Reigning dumplings,� falseRichard L. Papiernik, Nation's Restaurant News, March 10, 2008 (p. 31,50).
"From the pot stickers and succulent dumplings of the northern provinces�"FOOD, CULINARY IDENTITY, AND TRANSNATIONAL CULTURE: Chinese Restaurant Business in Southern California,� Liu, Haiming Lin, Lianlian, Journal of Asian American Studies, June 2009, p. 135-162, 138)
POT STICKER RECIPES
�Pot Stickers with Beef and Water Chestnuts (Shanghai)
1 recipe for jao tze dough
Filling:
1 pound lean ground beef
� cup minced tangerine peel, soaked to soften and minced
2 tablespoon minced coriander leaves
1 teaspoon minced ginger root
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon each sugar and salt
� teaspoon Oriental sesame oil
Combine filling ingredients and let stand 20 minutes to blend flavors. Roll dough as directed and fill, making bonnet shape�Place on oiled pan in one layer and steam over boiling water 15 minutes.
�Jao Tze (Peking)
Our research indcates Ramen-style noodles migrated to Japan, via China, in the 1920s. Instant ramen noodles were invented by Momofuku Ando , a Japanese food manuracturer in 1958. The product arrived in the USA in 1970. Tasty, cheap & easy to prepare, ramen continues to play a key role in the American the dry-soup market
[1920s] RAMEN NOODLES TRAVEL FROM CHINA TO JAPAN
"Chinese-style ramen noodles of Japan are more elastic and hence chewier than the traditional Japanese wheat noodles (udon, somen, and kishimen). The difference results from the Chinese technique of adding alkali to the salty water that is used to knead the wheat dough. This also gives the noodles a pale yellow hue and a particular aroma. The were served in Chinese restaurants and by street peddlers from about 1920 as a dish called shina soba (Chinese soba), but because that name had a derogatory nuance it was changed after the Second World War to chuka soba (Chinese soba), or, more commonly, ramen. The word ramen probably came from the Chinese la mian ('handmade noodles') although there are other theories. The dish consists basically of noodles in a pork or chicken broth seasoned with black pepper and topped with slices of pork and various other items. In the post-war years, many Japanese who had returned from living in Manchuria or other parts of China opened ramen shops with great success. It was a time of food shortages in Japan, and not only did Chinese food in general have a reputation for high nutrition, but ramen with its meat broth and meat topping offered more protein than most traditional Japanese noodle dishes. Ramen shops have remained common throughout the county every since. Many distinctive local version of ramen were established as the shops in each region concentrated on the varieties of oup seasonings and toppings appreciated by local people. Among the best known is Sapporo ramen...which fatures heavy noodles...a rich thick broth seasoned with miso instead of the more common salt and soy sauce, and locally produced toppings of butter and maize...This proliferation of regional varieties is remarkable, as it runs counter to the strong national trend toward standardization of food which has accompanied the growth of nationwide distribution networks and the mass media since the 1960s. Now the local ramen dishes have themselves gone national, as chains of ramen shops specialized in particular styles have developed in the large cities. This relatively new Japanese food has indeed developed with great dynamism."
---The History and Culture of Japanese Food, Naomichi Ishige [Kegan Paul:London] 2001 (p. 251-253)
[1958] INSTANT RAMEN NOODLES
"Nissin founder, Momofuku Ando, has always instilled a sense of commitment and quality in Nissin products. Today, Nissin's corporate philosophy inspires this same commitment to taste, convenience, and quality. Mr. Ando began the company as part of a humble family operation back in 1948. Faced with sparse food sources after World War II, Mr. Ando realized that a quality, convenient ramen product would help to feed the masses. His goal was to create a satisfying ramen that could be eaten anywhere, anytime. In 1958, Nissin introduced "Chicken Ramen", the first instant ramen. Ironically, it was considered a luxury item, since Japanese grocery stores sold fresh Japanese noodles (udon) at one-sixth the cost of Mr. Ando's new food concept. Still, Mr. Ando was convinced that his revolutionary new method of preparation would sell. The concept seemed simple enough. All users would have to do is simply remove the ramen from its package, place it in a bowl, add boiling water, cover the bowl, and wait three minutes. The conservative Japanese food industry, however, rejected the product as a novelty with no future. They had never been so wrong. Soon, Chicken Ramen was selling beyond even Mr. Ando's wildest expectations. Before you could say "instant", more than ten companies were rushing to put their own versions out on the market. By the end of 1958, grocery shelves were crowded with this new staple for the Japanese kitchen."
[NOTE: according to the article below, Mr. Ando's instant ramen product was introduced to USA markets in 1970.]
[1989] THE MARKET CONTINUES TO GROW
"Ramen--the word is Japanese, referring to a broth with noodles--has thin tightly curied noodles and has been one of the leading fast foods of Asia since World War II. Selling for anywhere from a dime to 75 cents a package in this country, it now accounts for 73 percent of United States dry-soup sales, by volume, in a segment of the market that also includes non-ramen products made by the Campbell Soup Company, Thomas J. Lipton Inc. and Knorr Soups...Campbell Soup, one of the world's largest soup companies, still does not have a ramen product in its national line...Lipton...only recently rolled out its Lots-a-Noodles instante Oriental soup nationally...Because of its low price and ease of preparation, many consumers first acquired their taste for ramen while in college...Ramen's intense taste, as much as its low price, helps account for its popularity...Despite ramen's growing popularity, there is reason for the tentative approach of the domestic soup makers. 'How much money can you make on a package of soup that costs 15 cents?'...Nissin introduced ramen to the United States in 1970...Asian ramen makers have offered cup rpoducts since 1974."
---"New Competition in Noodle Soup," Eben Shapiro, New York Times, December 26, 1989 (p. D1)
[1998] WORLD RAMEN SUMMIT CONVENES
"...the delegates of the World Ramen Summit recently said they're confident they can meet their objective: to sell the world more instant noodles. As part of their mission to get consumers to use their noodles, the ramen producers from around the owrld also created IRMA: the Instant Ramen Manufacturers' Association. Pretty heady stuff for the humble package of instant noodles--just-ad-hot-water, way-under-a-dollar snack that now commands a colossal world market. Noodle-slurpers around the world take in 40 billion packs of instant ramen every year--about seven for every man, woman and child on the face of the planet...[Momofuku] Ando, who was annointed IRMA's first chairman, said he never imagined that the convenient snack product he created would be such a success. 'When the market was young, there were many who didn't accept the idea of instant ramen noodles. But now instant ramen is enjoyed widely overseas and represents a piece of Japan's lifestyle,' he said."
---"Instant Noodle Makers Intend on Selling More," Seth Sutel, Philadelphia Tribune, July 7, 1998 (p. 2B)
[NOTE: IRMA is now the World Instant Noodle Association ]
[2004] TRADITIONAL RAMEN SHOPS FLOURISH
"In Japanese ramenyas (ramen shops) a bowl of ramen holds a house-made aoup, springy noodles, the chef's own tare (a mix of soy sauce, sugar and rice wine to flvor the soup) and exactly six traditional toppings. The wait at top Tokyo ramenyas can be up to three hours. Remember the 1985 movie 'Tampopo.' in which a ramen chef undergoes training as rigorous as a boxer's to create the perfect bowl of noodle soup? That's ramen mania. And with new and authentic ramenyas opening in Manhattan, New Yorkers are getting a taste. Places like Momofuku, Mnca Ramen Factory and Rai Ken in the East Village offer Berkshire pork, free-range chicken and proprietary blends of organix miso paste...The difference between these richly satisfying bowls and packaged a]ramen, flavored mostly with MSG, is vast. 'New York might never have really great ramen, just like Tokyo might never have really great pizza...But I'm having a lot of fun trying.' In Japan ramen is more than a cheap cup of noodles. It is the national dish, cheaper than sushi, available everywhere and perpetually fashionable. With its rich, meaty broth, ramen is very different from other Japanese soups; in fact the dish is a relatively recent import from China. But since Ramen became popular in Japan in the 1950s, it has been a national institution: quick, inexpensive street food, as closely associated with young people and budget meals as it is here. One Japanese name for instant ramen is gakusei ryori, or student cuisine. Ramen stalls cluster around train stations, and vending machines provide customized bowls...Like American barbecue joints, ramen shops close when they run out of their key ingredient: soup...This only adds to their mystique...The ramen museum and theme park in Yokohama, which serves all eight major regional styles of ramen, receives more than 120,000 visitors each year,. This is not to be confused with the instant ramen museum in Ikeda, a separate tribute to the founder of Nissin Foods...Japanese diners start with the noodles, lifting them with chopsticks and sucking up the strands whole. (Biting noodles is considered unlucky in most Asian cultures, as they represent longevity). The toppings are eaten between mouthfuls of noodles. And last comes the broth, which grows richer and more flavorful as it cools, because the stgarch of the noodles and the flavors of the toppings have been released into the soup."
---"Here Comes Ramen, The Slurp Heard Round the World," Julia Moskin, New York Times, November 10, 2004 (p. F1)
Flavor & Fortune
"However mooncakes figure into this day of festivity involves another story. It is rooted more in history than myth, circa the 14th Century. China then was ruled by Mongols. Chinese noblemen, hoping to evade snooping ears of Mongol spies planted in their household to discourage rebellion, instructed cooks to roll messages of insurrection in round cakes being prepared for Moon Festival. Thousands of conspiratorial cakes thus were delivered, enabling rebels to rout the Mongols, in a coordinated uprising."
---"Mooncakes give Moon Festival a flavor out of this world," Richard Phillips, Chicago Tribune, September 11, 1986 (p. G7)
[1876]
"Moon-cakes once more adorn the street stalls, and some of them are put in boxes of a circular full-moon shape, which our Celestial friends send to each other like Christmas boxes."
---North China Herald, Shanghai, October 12, 1876 (p. 24)
[1892]
"To-day is the Mid-autumn Festival, and the people are busy...To-night is the great worship of the moon. For days dealers have been doing a good business selling large flat round mooncakes, inscribed in red characters with a suitable device. These will be offered with due ceremony to the moon this evening. After sunset each family will place a table outside the house in full view of the moon, and on it place the mooncakes. To these the master of the house will burn incense...6th October."
---"Kiukiang," North China Herald, October 14, 1892 (p. 13)
Note: the earliest print reference we find for Chinese mooncakes in a USA newspaper was published in 1884 [Biddeford Maine].
Zao ]
"Every year a new trend surfaces in restaurants -- and noodle bars are becoming the thing for 1998. Patrons typically start with a bowl of their choice of noodles. Then they build up from there, heaping whatever they're in the mood for --meats, vegetables, sauces, etc. -- on top. Often, noodle bars cater to the Oriental food market, but they've been popping up in Italian eateries as well. The big question is: will this trend spill over into venues as well? Not surprisingly, it looks like California is the first to test this menu option. To be more specific, Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles."
---"Noodling Around with a new concept," Athena Schaffer, Amusement Business, May 11, 1998 (p. 26)
Peking duck & beggar's chicken
Food historians tell us duck cookery may have originated in China thousands of years ago. Peking duck is considered one of the most famous examples. Notes here:
"Peking duck,...a term most used for a special way of cooking duck which produces what is probably the most famous dish of Beijing (formerly Peking); and also the name for the variety of duck used in this dish, and now commonly bred in many parts of the world. Chinese authorities do not attribute a very long history to the dish. Roast duck had been recorded from the distant past, but his originally meant a Nanjing duck, of small size and black feathers, not artificially fattened. The story goes that the transfer of the capital for Nanjing to Peiking brought unexpected results for the duck which lived along side the canal used for grain supplies. These ducks, which like the Nanjing ducks were mallard ducks, were now able to geast on grains which fell overboard from barges, and they gradually became larger. In the course of time there evolved a new variety of duck, not only larger but plumper, and with white plumage. The plumpness was increased by the practice of force-feeding, mentioned in texts from the Five Dynasties in the 10th century AD. This new duck was appreciated outside of China...However, it was only in China, and indeed for a long time only in Beijing, that the special dish known as Beijing kaoya (in China), Peking Duck (in English), and canard laque (in French) was prepared." (description of dish follows)
---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 1999 (p. 593)
""Peking Duck"...is so famous that Chinese chefs my specialize in the dish, and restaurants serve only dinners of Peking Duck...Peking Ducks are raised in a special way, sometimes even with a particular oven in mind, and the dish is demanding to make and unusual in preparation and in the way it is eaten. Though there are different ways of preparation, varying in elaborateness, one described by Kenneth Lo...involved loosening of the skin of the carcass from the flesh by inflating with air; then hanging the bird up to dry; and, finally coating its skin with a sugary liquid before roasting. The roast duck has crisp, brown skin and tender flesh, and both are consumed, commonly rolled in a pancake with raw vegetables, such as spring onion and cucumber, and piquant sauces and flavorings, and then eaten with the fingers."
---Food in China: A Cultural and Historical Inquiry, Frederick J. Simoons [CRC Press:Boca Raton FL] 1991 (p. 301)
"One of the world's great delicacies is a dish called "Peking Duck." It is, however, more shadow than substance: the diner never sees the duck itself. This dish, eaten by wealthy Chinese, consists of just the crisp skin, roasted to a beautiful glossy brown in a long process which takes a whole day's labor. The meat of the duck is of such secondary importance that it used to be given to the servants for their meal in the kitchen. This intriguing phenomenon of waste of food and effort took place in a country ruled by the very rich, with a population that was very poor. Such excess was not limited to China: pursue the histories of all such cultures and similar examples can be found..."
---Jim Lee's Chinese Cook Book, Jim Lee [Harper & Row:New York] 1968 (p. 181)
Food historians confirm bean sprouts have played a key role in Chinese cuisine for thousands of years. Rich in vitamins (C & B), sprouts and easily grown, bean sprouts added texture and delicate flavor to any dish. Presumably, bean sprouts were introducted to by Chinese laborers in the 19th century. Like many exotic ingredients, bean sprouts were not considered "mainstream" by American consumers until the late 20th century. Early American sprout references appear to be different.
Chinese origin
"Bean sprouts are produced by allowing seeds to germinate and grow for a short time to form shoots. The Chinese have been sprouting mung and soya beans for 3,000 years, and bean shoots, always popular in E. Asia, are now widely available elsewhere."
---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 1999 (p. 64)
"The pulses may be consumed in various ways...Mung bean seed is...commonly germinated, and the sprouts are regarded as the best of all such sprouts, added to stews or soups, ; cooked as a vegetable, whether boiled or stir-fried; or consumed in other ways...Leaves and young shoots of some minor legumes, for example the pea, may also be cooked and eaten...Soybeans, broad beans, and black-eyed peas (cowpeas) are also germinated for sprouts, but are less tender. Bean sprouts in general contain good amounts of vitamin C and riboflavin and fair or good amounts of iron."
---Food in China: A Cultural and Historical Inquiry, Frederick J. Simoons [CRC Press:Boca Raton] 1991 (p. 92, 98)
"The mung bean is apparently of Indian or Southeast Asian origin. Usually a golden-green in color, it is known as lu tou (green bean) in Chinese...When Linnaeus named these closely related beans, he applied the Indian vernacular name, ming or mungo, to the wrong bean--the black gram. But the two are now considered one species, so his mistake is corrected. The mung bean is boiled and made into curd; its starch is important in making the thin transparent noodles known as beanstarch or peastarch noodles (fen-ssu), but its great fame is in the form of sprouts, for which it is the bean of choice. The soybean is the other bean normally sprouted, its sprouts being considered coarser. The two are sometimes misleadingly distinguished in English as "pea sprouts" and "bean sprouts." Mung beans are grown everywhere in China except in cold or very dry areas."
---The Food of China, E. N. Anderson [Yale University Press:New Haven] 1988 (p. 152)
American sprouts
Early American sprout recipes appear to describe top greens produced by a variety of common vegetables. They could also possibly refer to Brussels Sprouts . Oriental-style bean sprouts surface in the mid-19th century California, and flourish, albeit in exotic urban culinary circles, in the 1920s. Think: The Chop Suey phenomenon. Bean sprouts were actively promoted by the goverment agencies and agricultural schools from WWI--WWII as inexpensive vitamin-rich food sources. Most recipes at that time did not venture past Chop Suey. Bean sprouts were "rediscovered" during the 1970s health food movement. From this point forward creative cooks found dozens of interesting ways to incorporate the humble sprout.
[1796]
"Greens and sprouts.
After you have picked and washed them as directed, put plenty of spring water into a pot or stewpan, and when it boils throw in a handful of salt, put in the greens or sprouts, and make them boil up quick; while they are boiling press them down with a skimmer, and try them often, that they may not be boiled too much; when done take them up in a clean sieve or cullender, and put them over the hot water a few mnutes to drian, but not too long, as the steam will make them yellpw; then put them in a dish, and garnish them with boiled carrot cut in any shape you please, with melted butter in a boat."
---The New Art of Cookery According to the Present Practice, Richard Briggs [W. Spotswood, R. Canpbell and B. Johnson: Philadelphia] 1792 (p. 28-29)
[1803]
"To boil Sprouts. Pick and wash your sprouts very clean, and see there are not snails or grubs between the leaves, cut them across the stem, but not the heart; after they are well washed, take them out of the water to drain; when your water boils, put in some salt, and then the sprouts, with a little more salt on them; make them boil quick, and if any scum arises, take it clean off. As soon as the stalks are tender strain them off, or they will not only lose their colour, but likewise their flavour."
About chicken
About Chicken in Japanese cuisine
: "Chicken was long held taboo [in Japan] as a foodstuff, but it appeared in seventeenth-century cookbooks. Eating the flesh of mammals for medicinal purposes was permissable, and sometimes healthy people ate it as tonic. The ususal medicine eating' fare was deer or wild boar...The meat of choice in the latter part of the nineteenth century was beef." ---The History and Culture of Japanese Food, Naomichi Ishige [Keegan Paul:London] 2001 (p. 146-7)
ABOUT SAKE (rice wine) & MIRIN (a sweet version of sake)
"Rice wine or sake, which was homemade by farmers, is a result of the alcoholic fermentation of a simple mixture of steamed rice, koji and water. Professional brewers would prepare sake by adding low-alcohol sake to newly mixed steamed rice and koji without previous filtering. This process causes saccharification and alcoholic fermentation at the same time and increases the alcoholic strength of the mixture. In contemporary commercial production, such a process is repeated three times to increase the amount of alcohol to nearly 20 percent. The mixture is then placed in a cloth bag and squeezed with a press. The pasteurization of the clear liquid from the press is the last part of the process. The latter technique was first mentioned in A.D. 1568, in the Tamonin-nikki, the diary of a Buddhist monk, indicating its practice in Japan some 300 years before Louis Pasteur. In China, the first country in East Asia to develop the technique, the earliest record of the process dates from A.D.1117."
---Cambridge World History of Food, Kenneth F. Kiple & Kriemhild Conee Ornelas [Cambridge University Press:Cambridge] 2001, Volume Two (p. 1180)
[NOTE: This book notes "Indeed, most traditional dishes served in homes and restaurants today had their origins in the Edo period. (P. 1181). ]
Food historians tell us although the ingredients (chicken/soy sauce) and cooking methods are ancient, this particular recipe is relatively new. Yakitori is popular Japanese dish is composed of bite-sized chunks of marinaded chicken grilled on a skewers. According to John Mariani's Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink [Lebhar-Freidman:New York 1999] yakitori entered the American scene in the early 1960s. This coincides neatly with the emergence of Japanese steak houses (Benihana's). Trader Vic's cookbook [1968] has a recipe for Yakitori, probably one of the first in an American cookbook.
"Yakitori. Bite-sized pices of chicken grilled on a skewer. Many parts of the chicken, including the skin and the gizzard, are used. Other birds are also used, especially sparrow, the head being crunched whole. Yakitori is a very popular tsumamimono and many simple drinking places specialize in it."
---A Dictionary of Japanese Food, Richard Hosking [Charles Tuttle:Rutland Vermont] 1997 (p. 172)
"Yakitori is a sort of Japanese chicken kebab. Chunks of chicken are threaded on to skewers and grilled by being basted with a sauce made from soy sauce, rice wine, and sugar. They are a popular Japanese snack, being served from yakitori stands and in yakitori bars. The word is a compound formed from yaki, grill, cook' and tori, bird'."
---An A-Z of Food and Drink, John Ayto [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 2002 (p. 372)
The history of won tons is intertwined with the history of stuffed dumplings and pasta foods enjoyed in by many cultures and cuisines. About dumplings , pasta , ravioli & kreplach . (stuffed pasta products)
"Wonton (or won ton), the Anglicized form of two Chinese words meaning a 'small dumpling' or roll consisting of a wonton wrapper (made from the same dough as egg noodle) with a savoury filling, especially of minced pork with seasonings. Sweet wontons, e.g. with a date and walnut filling, also exist. Wontons may be steamed or pan fried or deep-fried; and are often served in soups, or as items in dim sum. One variation is to have open-faced steamed wontons, shaped to have a flat bottom so that they will stand upright; these are shao mai..."
---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 1999 (p. 850)
"The stuffed dumpling, humble as it may seem, is a dish with a fascinating history, going back many centuries and interwoven into the cuisines of a number of countries. The story has often been told of Marco Polo arriving in China during the 13th century and discovering with delight that the Chinese were producing a variety of stuffed noodles that included won ton. So impressed was he that he brought the secrets back to Italy. That tale is considered apocryphal by both the Chinese and Italians, but wouldn't it be fascinating to know how the two cuisines are related?
"Similarly, what about the pelmeni of Russia? These are delectable Siberian dumplings filled with meat or mushrooms or potatoes or cabbage. What cook traveled the roads from Canton, or wherever, to the Irtysh River in the cold plateaus of Siberia, bringing with him the goodness of filled pasta? Or consider the kreplach, the filled dumpling held in such high esteem in the Jewish kitchen. The migrations of the Jews, carrying with them a culinary heritage from various parts of the world, are well known, as is the fact that many Jewish specialties are borrowings from the Russian. At what point did the pelmeni turn into kreplach, with its economical use of ground cooked beef as the filling?
"That use of cooked meat, probably from a soup or stew, is also characteristic of dumplings. The lack of kosher meat in medieval ghettos dictated that there be ways to stretch a meager supply from one meal to another. The uses to which dumplings are put are intriguing as well. They are probably most often used in soups, and yet a wide array of sauces may also be served with them. Won tons, for example, go deliciously with a blend of soy sauce, garlic, vinegar, grated ginger, hot chilies and the like, a combination that would seem odd to an Italian chef thinking of ravioli. For ravioli there is nothing like a tomato sauce with freshly grated cheese or alla panna - a reduction of heavy cream and cheese. Or (as they do in Rapallo when they serve pansotti, a form of ravioli) a salsa di noce made with walnuts and a form of ricotta cheese.
"Curiously, however, the Siberians and those who prepare pelmeni are not averse to serving them with a sauce somewhat akin to the Chinese soy sauce, vinegar and herb combination. Pelmeni are often served with a mustard sauce, sour cream and chopped dill. Kreplach, like the Chinese dumplings, are often fried in fat (butter or chicken fat, for example) rather than served in soup. What follow are our versions of these stuffed dumplings. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact yield of filled dumplings because it depends on the thickness to which the noodle dough is rolled out, the amount of filling allotted to each dumpling and the caution exercised by the cook in cutting out the dough to be filled."
---"Stuffed Dumplings: The Get Around," Craig Claiborne, The New York Times, February 10, 1982 (p. C1)
Where did wontons (as we know them today) begin? Food historians confirm wheat-based products (noodles, bread, etc.) originated in northern China. The first recorded instancce happen in the early medieval period. Our survey of historic sources does not find a specific person/place/year credite with the the creation of wontons or related products.
"During the Period of Division, boiled noodles were eaten druing the summer festival known as the Day of Concealment...which was held on the third geng-day after the summer solstice...The custom of eating boiled noodles can be documented as early as the Wei dynasty... ...Steaming was the most common method of cooking buns and small breads. The buns...were usually stuffed with some kind of filling...They were cooked in a bamboo steamer...Shu Xi's phapsody tells about other pastas, the most delectable of which is a stuffed dumpling called lao wan...which seems to be the ancestor of the modern [wan ton]...The poet says that the wrapper is made of wheat flour that is blended with a meat stock. Into the wrapper goes a filling made of minced lamb, pork, sliced ginger and onions, and flavored with cinnamon, fagara, throroughwort, salt, and bean relish. The dumplings are cooked in a bamboo steamer. The poet vividly describes how the cook quickly turns out one dumpling after another and drops them into the steamer...Ad the dumplings quickly cook in the steam, the filling swells in the wrappers to the point they seem about to burst... The poet tells how the dumplings are eaten...they are dupped in a sauce with chop sticks. The cause that they use is the ancient meat sauce called ai...which was made of a mixture of meat, millet yeast, and salt that was steeped in ale and allowed to ferment... The eaters of the dumplings are portrayed as a pack of ravenous beasts who gulp them down so fast, the cook cannot turn them out fast enough."
---"Gradually Entering the Realm of Delight: Food and Drink in Early Medieval China," David R. Knechtges Journal of the American Oriental Society 117, No. 2 (Apr. - Jun., 1997) (p. 229-239)
"Cantonese are the past masters at the simple snack foods: wonton woup, noodles...and the infinite kinds of tim sam [ dim sum]." ---Food in Chinese Culture: Anthropological and Historical Perspectives, K.C. Chang editor [Yale University Press:New Haven CT] 1977 (p. 355)
"In the North, wheat continued to grain...From the many writings we have from T'ang, and especially from the extremely complete diary of the Japanese monk Ennin, who visited China in the 840s, we learn that millet was the daily staff of life in the north; wheat was considered something of a luxury...Ennin records that wheat cakes and dumplings of various kinds were special fare brought out to greet him and his entourage or eaten as the fancy food at great feasts..."
---Food of China, E.N. Anderson [Yale University Press: New Haven CT] 1988 (p. 66)
"Basic to an understanding of northern Chinese cuisine is the importance of wheat, sorghum, millets, and maize, rather than rice. Various of these cereals are cooked and served as porridge...the stuffed dumplings for which the north is noted are wrapped in skins made of wheat flour..."
---Food in China: A Cultural and Historical Inquiry, Frederick J. Simoons [CRC Press:Boca Raton FL] 1991
About krelpach (Jewish wonton)
"The traditional kreplach is similar to a wonton and was brought either by the Khazars to Polish lands or by Jews trading in China, who learned to make them there."
---Jewish Cooking in America, Joan Nathan [Alfred A. Knopf:New York] 1998 (p. 113)
RELATED FOODS?
| Houston |
Italy leads the world in pasta consumption with 61.7 pounds eaten per person per year. What country is second? | The Food Timeline: history notes--Asian-American cuisine
Asian food was introduced to the United States in the mid-1800's when Chinese immigrants from Canton began settling in California. At that time the food was consumed primarily by the Chinese community. Chinese food became popular with young cosmopolitans in the 1920s because it was considered exotic. It wasn't until after World War II that Asian cuisines (notably Chinese, Japanese and Polynesian) piqued the interest of mainstream America. Sylvia Lovegren's Fashionable Food: Seven Decades of Food Fads [MacMillan:New York] 1995 describes America's 20th century Asian food fads. In the 1960s Polynesian theme restaurants and tiki bars were all the rage.
While Chinese food was introduced to America in the mid-19th century, Vietnamese (Japanese, Thai, etc.) cuisine was generally unknown to mainstream American diners until the 1970s. Coincidentally, this period also marks the genesis of fusion cuisine, a convergence of fresh foods, exotic tastes and interesting textures.
From the beginning, Asian dishes intended for American diners were adapted to suit expectations. Emphasis on basic meat and vegetables served in standard (sweet & sour, soy) sauces with fried rice became the norm. In many authentic Asian restaurants, there were two menus: one for people of Asian descent and another for tourists. The difference was more than language. Did you know? Some "classic" Chinese menu choices such as fortune cookies are not Chinese at all! They were invented in America. Molly O'Neil's article "The Chop Suey Syndrome: Americanizing the Exotic," New York Times, July 26, 1989 (C1) explains the process.
"When Europe began trading with the Orient, the seaport of Canton became the gateway to the West. The Cantonese readily absorbed these cosmopolitan influences and, being great travelers themselves, soon emigrated to Europe and America. They were the first to establish Chinese restaurants ouside their own country and to make Chinese cooking known to the West. As a result, most Chinese restaurants in the United States and Europe are Cantonese."
---The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook, Gloria Bley Miller [Grosset & Dunlap:New York] (p. 15)
"...in 1847, the first Chinese immigrants settled in San Francisco and were followed by thousands who helped to build the transcontinental railways. The meals of hundreds of California families were influenced by cooks who were Chinese and had been hired as housemen in middle-class homes. They seldom were permitted to prepare Oriental meals, but they held to their art of serving vegetables that do to lose their crispness or color...Other Chinese were cooks for the work gangs...In the early California Chinese restaurants there was a willingness to cater to customers--some proprietors served their non-Chinese clients only what they thought those diners wanted, that is, chop suey and fried steak. Better restaurants gained fame on San Francisco's Grant Avenue, on or near New York's Mott Street, in Los Angeles, and every other American city of consequence, and the developing tastes for genuine Chinese food resulted in a vogue for home delivery of such easily portable items as egg rolls and chicken chow mein in paper buckets. But it wasn't until after World War II that Americans began consciously to augment their Oriental kitchen repertoires by attending classes in Chinese cooking and avidly sampling new tastes that became available in restaurants specializing in Mandarin, Hunan, Fukien, and Szechwan dishes in addition to those from Canton. This influence on American eating habits came after new political relationships encouraged interest in largely unknown regions of the People's republic, and many more Chinese entrepreneurs arrived to join what had been dominantly a Cantonese population in the United States..."
---American Food: The Gastronomic Story, Evan Jones, 2nd edition [Vintage Books:New York] 1981 (p. 166-7)
"The Chinese settled their own Chinatowns within major United States cities, where they opened chow chow eateries, identified by their triangular yellow flags. At first these small, cramped eateries catered to their own people, then expanded their menus to attract curious Americans who dared cross into those mysterious cities-within-cities...The cookery in these new Chinatowns was basically stir-fired, rice-based Cantonese, whcih efficiently utilized every part of the animal... Americans not used to such economy were often dismayed by what they found in their rice bowl...Most of these eateries were primitive in design and atmosphere...Before ling, however, Chinese cooks learned how to modify thier dishes to make them more palatable to a wider American audience. In fact, most of the Chinese restaurants outside of Chinatown proclaimed in their windows that they were Chinese-American, lest Occidental customers shy away for fear of being served duck feet and bird's nests.By the 1920s, Chinese restaurants dotted the American landscape, and one was as likely to find a chop suey' parlor in Kansas City as in New York or San Francisco, even though the typical menu in such places bore small resemblance to the foods the Chinese themselves ate. Many dishes were cloyingly sweetened with caramel and sugar, inundated with pineapple chunks and maraschino cherries, and fried in thick batters, while the ubiquitious flaming appetized platter called pu pu...was first served as a gimmick by Victor Bergeron at his Trade Vic's Polynesian-American restaurants in Oakland and San Francisco. Won ton soup, egg rolls, barbecued spareribs, sweet-and-sour pork, and beef with lobster sauce were all concocted to whet Americans' appetites, and to this day, it is standard procedure for an American in an Chinese restaurant to be handed a two-columned menu written in English, while a completely different menu printed in Chinese will be given to a Chinese patron, who, in any case, would probably disregard it and order from the specials written in pictographs on the walls. "Going for Chinese" became very much an American expression, and when Americans began moving to the suburbs in the 1950s and 1960s, Chinese restaurants followed on their heels,particularly in suburban shopping malls....Perhaps more important to the success of the Chinese-American restaurant was its readiness to serve food at any and all hours and to pack it up and deliver it with dispatch, all at prices no other ethnic group could match. Chinese take-out went hand in hand with Americans' historic penchant for gobblingh up lots of cheap food in as little time with as little fuss as possible."
---America Eats Out, John Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p. 76-80)
[NOTE: This book has far more information than can be paraphrased here. Ask your librarian to help you find a copy]
"Much of what passes for Cantonese cooking in the Western World would sicken a traditional Cantonese gourmet. Canned pineapple, canned cherries, and even canned fruit cocktail; enourmous quantities of dehydrated garlic, barbecue or Worcestershire sauce; canned vegetables, corn starch, monosodiumglutamate, cooking sherry, and heavy doses of sugar are found in many of these bizarre creations. This fusion of pseudo-Cantonese and pseudo-Polynesian food can be traced to a renegade Cantonese chef at Trader Vic's in California. The basic formula appears to be: take the fattest, rankest pork you can get; cook it in a lot of oil with the sweetest mixture of canned fruits and sugar you can make; throw on a lot of MSG and cheap soy sauce; thicken the sauce to gluelike consistency; and serve it forth. The Cantonese regard the whole business as proof that Westerners are cultureless barbarians, but they cook it, and now even many Taiwan Chinese (having eaten Cantonese food only in cafes catering to American G.I.'s) are convinced that this is typical Cantonese cooking." ---Food in China, E.N. Anderson [Yale University Press:New Haven CT] 1988 (p. 212-3)
RECOMMENDED READING
Tracing the origin, evolution and dispersion of Japanese restaurants in the USA is a complicated and challenging project. Early print (English-language newspaper/ magazine) evidence provides location markers, but poor indicators of actual restaurant activity. Presumably, Japanese eating establishments existed in the earliest Japanese-American enclaves. The earliest of these coincided with Chinatowns. A study of Japanese immigration patterns may provide a more accurate predictor of the earliest restaurants in foreign cities. Also worth noting: strong Japanese presence in 19th century Hawaii (long before the state was admitted in 1958) merits examination.
At any rate, USA print evidence for Japanese eateries commences in the last quarter of the 19th century. The Mikado (opera) played a key role in enticing mainstream Americans to sample Japanese fare. A popular London exhibition inspired trendy New York chef/restaurateur Louis Sherry to feature Japanese inspired Anglo foods to the city's culinary elite. Tenuous relations between the USA and Japan in following decades temper the attitude/growth of ethnic restaurants. In the 1920s all things Japanese were chic and "bohemian'; during WWII Japanese-American restaurants were protested, unpatronized, confiscated, & shuttered.
It was not until after WWII modern Japanese restaurants, as we Americans know them today, flourished. In addition to standard Japanese restaurants, Tea rooms, Noodle bars, Steak Houses, and Sushi bars proliferated.
General overview
"Japanese restaurants were almost unknown in the United States until well after World War II. New York had a few in the 1930s--Toyo-Kwan, Daruma, and Miyako, for instance--all serving a simple menu of sukiyaki, teriyaki, and tempura dishes, which even squeamish Americans could enjoy. Sushi bars did not make an appearance until 1957 when Moto Saito opened Saito restaurant in Manhattan. Dressed in traditional Japanese garb, Saito would instruct her customers on the correct way to eat raw fish--something completely foreign to most Americans--and sushi and sashimi restaurants grew in number in the 1970s, creating in popularity a decade later. Other Japanese restaurants invented dishes especially for the American palate: New York's Nippon introduced negikami, rolls of beef wrapped around scallions in soy sauce. In California, the "California roll"--Japanese pidgin English for a morsel of sushi made with vinegared rice, avocados, and cucumbers--was a hit. By far the most impressive gimmick to come out of the immigrant experience was the Japanese steakhouse, opened with thirty thousand dollars by immigrant Rocky Aioki in New York in 1964. He called his twenty-eight seat restaurant Benihana of Tokyo, based on the idea of the Japanese teppanyaki steel griddle...By the mid-1980s Aioki's Benihana restaurants were located in every major American city, grossing sixty million dollars annually."
---America Eats Out, John Mariani [William Morrow:New York] 1991 (p. 80)
[1884: London]
"As one of the practical illustrations of food...a 'Nippon Rioriya,' or Japanese restaurant, has been opened by Mr. Matsusawa, of Tokyo. With Japanese chefs, chopsticks, and the small dinner service peculiar ot Japan, there is left little doubt as to the authenticity of the viands; they posses an aromatic flavor so totally different from that to which one is accustomed. Here is a specified bill of fare, for which a dollar is charged, including tea and sake, or Japanese wine, while paper napkin and a Japanese fan are presented to every diner: misoshiru, or soup from a fermented mixture of Soy beans, wheat and a salt; kuchitori, a dish composed of fresh eggs and sea-weed, fetched up from a depth of three hundred feet, kept for a long time and boiled twenty hours; hachimono, or roast; choku, dressed vegetables; ham, boiled rice; wanmori, soup; sunomo, salad; and konomono, vegetables, salted or preserved in miso (the fermented mixture above-mentioned). Be it observed that the courses do not follow one another in regular order, but are served altogether, in little porcelain saucers and lacquered wooden bowls, on a diminutive table, so that the diner can pick from each in turn, according to his own sweet will. The dining-room has been fitted up entirely in Japanese style, and the dinner is under the auspices of the Japanese Commissioner."
---"In the Food Gallery of the Health Exhibition, London, England," J.W.P., The American Architect and Building News, November 8, 1884 (p. 224)
[1885: New York]
"[Louis] Sherry's breakthrough came when the Mikado arrived in New York in 1885 and took the town by storm, just as it had in London. Overnight, all things Japanese were the height of fashion...Called upon to cater an exclusive post-theater party at a private town house, he created Mikado-themed cakes, with ices molded in the shape of the principal characters, each one holding tiny parasol."
---Appetite City: A Culinary History of New York, William Grimes [North Point Press:New York] 2009 (p. 113)
[1888: Seattle]
"Before I left the East I was told that ony one could obtain work in Washington Territory with entire ease. Trusting to this assurances, I at length found myself in Seattle with very few dollars left in my pocket...I had spent my last cent, with the exception of a few postage stamps, for a fifteen-cent dinner at a Japanese restaurant that day..."
---"Looking for Work," Morrison I. Swift, Christian Union, December 13, 1888 (p. 6)
[1892: San Francisco]
"There are Russian, and I believe Scandinavian and Japanese restaurants in San Francisco, but of these I can only speak by hearsay."
---"The Restaurants of San Francisco," Charles S. Greene, Overland Monthly and Out West Magazine," December 1892 (p. 8+)
[1896: Los Angeles]
"The Japanese restaurants, which are almost without exception 10-cent houses, are places where nobody need be ashamed to eat a meal. Their numerous imitators come very near them, but something is lacking, one thing being especially noticeable--the rude manner of the waiters. The Japs are universally suave and polite."
---"Ten-Cent Meals," Los Angeles Times, January 26, 1896 (p. 28)
[1903: New York]
"The St. Nicholas Garden has in a remarkably short time been transformed into a Japanese village. Every conceivable novelty characteristic of Japan has been introduced. Geisha girls serve tea, manicure the hands of everybody who wants them to and dress the tresses of visiting ladies. A Japanese restaurant stands on the side of a narrow street at the end of which is a prismatic fountain."
---"Stray bits from Stageland: Vaudeville and Gardens, Coney Island, Manhattan Beach," New York Times, August 30, 1903 (p. 25)
[1907: San Francisco]
"Ambassador Wright cabled information obtained through Japanese channels that Japanese restaurant and a Japanese bathhouse in San Francisco had been demolished by a mob."
---"Japan Complains of Fresh Assaults: Details of Rioting in San Francisco," New York Times, May 26, 1907 (p. 5)
[1949: New York]
"Miyako. 20 West 56th...Japanese restaurant which had many, many years of popularity behind it, acquired on West 58th Street near Ninth Avenue, when it moved into these more impressive quarters--a substantial manion which has been orientalized in decor and equipped with a picturesque iron-trimmed outdoor stairway. Ground floor has neat bar and cocktail lounge. Lunching and dining are done on main floor, in what used to be front and back parlors and library. The principal specialties are the tempura--split shrimp fried in egg batter for dunking in soy-bean sauce--and the sukiyaki. The latter is cooked at table on your own private stove. Into a deep pan go thin slices of pork, beef, or chicken together with spinach, celery, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, sliced onions, and cubes of curds. They start hissing and are silenced by soy-bean sauce, followed by chicken broth. By the time this panful, simmered to the correct degree of tenderness, is dished out into plates on a tray before you, your appetite is on trigger edge. Open for luncheon, cocktails, and dinner every day of the week except Monday."
---Knife and Fork in New York, Lawton Mackall [Doubleday & Company:Garden City NY] 1949, end edition (p. 212) [NOTE: This is the only Japanese restaurant profiled in this book.]
Researching "first" or "oldest" ethnic restaurants is challenging because online access to newspapers is spotty and one has to employ a variety of geographical synonyms (in this case: Thai, Thailand, Siam, Siamese, Bankok). Most folks emigrating from Asian countries land first on the West Coast. That's generally where the first markets and restaurants offering Asian regional cuisine surfaces. Thai restuarants may be an exception to this rule.
Jennifer Cronk, Curator of Collections at the Aurora History Museum [CO], sent us an article from the Denver Post (undated, maybe 1963) featuring Lai-iad [Lily] Chittivej, who opened a Thai restaurant in Denver. A most unlikely place, until you read her remarkable story:
[1959: Denver, Chada Thai]
"Ancient Thailand's answer to the unsinkable Mollly Brown is living, appropriately enough, right in Colorado. And, she's kept afloat by the Chada Cafe at 408 E. 20th Ave., which she owns and operates herself (A chada is an elaborate gold crown.). 'Molly,' is Lai-iad Chittivej, whose American friends call her Lily. She has publsihed her own newspaper in Thailand, discussed socialism with Clement Atlee and advised Thai politicans. But now her major interest is her Denver food business, both for the sake of her children and because the political climate isn't healthy for her at home. 'I want my children to have a good education in a civilized country,' she said in an interview. 'There is no room for all smart students in Thailand, and the ones who fail to get into a university often commit suicide. Here the children have a chance,' After 26 years of marriage, to a Thai army doctor, Lily has five living children...Lily's husband came to Denver in 1960 to practice at Fitzsimmons and Colorado General hospitals. She owned a pharmaceutical company, which she sold to pay for her visit here. She planned to stay five months. But she liked Denver so much--and political pressures were so strong in Thailand--that she decided to stay, even when Dr. Chittijev returned home in 1961...Lily and her family keep the cafe humming six days a week, sometimes working in the kitchen until 1 a.m. 'We've had the place for some moths...Some of the Thais in Denver said it would be a big mistake, that Americans don't like spiced food. 'You go broke' they told me. But I wanted to prove I could succeed, and I did.' This is a far cry from Lily's life at home. Her grandfather was a wealthy landowner and her father was a captain in the Siamese Air Force in World War I...She fed the buffalos on her grandfather's dfarm and went on to study midwidvery...'I was a real society girl...Lots of servants, soft hands with long painted nails. I'd learned to cook a long time ago but had to practice a lot here. Then I taught the children.' The kitchen has replaced politics as her major interest."
---"Thai Woman in Denver: Food Business Replaces Politics in Lily's Life," Barbara Haddad, Denver Post (undated, 1963?, with photo of Lily.]
[NOTES: (1) There is conficting evidence regarding the year this restaurant opened. Most sources state 1959: "The Original Chada Thai, open from 1959 to 1972, was one of the nation's first Thai restaurants."---"Nibbles," Rocky Mountain News, January 12, 2007 (accessed via NewsBank database). The article above states Dr. Chittivej arrived in Denver in 1960; it does not state when his wife arrived. (2) Lily's Cook Book: Recipes from the Chada Thai Restaurant/Prampian Coutts and Lily Chittijev was published in 1975. It is 30 pages and we do not yet own a copy. (3) Chada Thai exists today, managed by a family member. The location is different: ]
[1968: Los Angeles, unnamed]
"The menu here is crammed with noodles: Thai rice noodles, Chinese egg noodles, Vietnamese rice stick noodle soup, even stir-fried spaghetti. "My whole life I've been involved in restaurants," says John Mekpongsatorn, the 23-year-old restaurateur who created Noodle World, an Alhambra eatery that combines a Denny's-style fast food atmosphere with what amounts to a global tour of noodles. "My favorite thing to eat, of course, was noodles." Mekpongsatorn is the latest heir to a family dynasty of Asian cuisine that dates back to 1930 in Thailand. That year, his grandfather migrated from China to open a Chinese-Thai restaurant in Bangkok. In 1968, his father, Surabon, opened some of the first Thai restaurants in the Los Angeles area. John Mekpongsatorn decided his own restaurant would consolidate all his favorites in one menu, and offer hefty portions of quick, cheap, flavorful food. Noodle World, 46 W. Valley Blvd., Alhambra. Hours 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily. (818) 293-8800."
---"Trip for Noodles Will Do a World of Good," Deborah Sullivan, Los Angeles Times, March 2, 1995 (p. 18) [NOTE: this article does not mention the name of Surabon's restaurant.]
[1969: Los Angeles, Thai Kitchen]
"The first Thai restaurant in Los Angeles...opened in 1969, on Vermont Avenue and Eighth Street, and was by all accounts little more than a food shop with a few tables. (It closed in the early 70's and no one seems to able to remember its name.)."
---"With Satay and Tiger Prawns, Fiery Thai Food Is a Hit in L.A.," Colman Andrews, Los Angeles Times, July 8, 1990 (p. XX6)
"This is some of what is burned and gone, just within walking distance of my apartment: Vim and Arunee and the Thai Kitchen on Vermont just north of Ninth, among the oldest Thai restaurants in Los Angeles..."
---A Neighborhood Just West of Downtown," Jonathan Gold, Los Angeles Times, May 7, 1992. (p. 27)
"Dining experiences in Los Angeles have been enriched by the recent addition of several Thai restaurants, serving a cuisine that resembles the Chinese, the Indonesian and the Indian, but makes its own clear statement that there are more flavors on heaven and earth than have yet been put together. The restaurants are worth the attention of connoisseurs, not only because the foods are subtle and rewarding, but because they are fresh and new, not yet weakened by the gentle American art of compromise. The Orient is a small, spare, ordered restaurant, owned by Parneet Kongkeo and his sister, Aree Kongkeo, who is the chef."---"Roundabout," Lois Dwan, Los Angeles Times, February 7, 1971 (p. 57) "One reason for the increase in Thai restaurants in Los Angeles is that we now have 6,000 Thai students here."
---"Roundabout," Lois Dwan, Los Angeles Times, April 4, 1971 (p. C64)
---"Bangkok on the Thames," Charles Perry, Los Angeles Times, January 31, 1982 (p. K87)
"Bangkok, 14 Bute Street SW7...Open: Tuesday-Saturday...Seats: 36...Average price L1.50-L2.
The Bangkok, in South Kensington, is obviously a roaring success with local inhabitants; quieter parties from other parts of London like it too. It was opened in 1967 by Mr Bunnag and his family who still run it today. Mr Bunnag originally came to London as a diplomat with the Thai Embassy. He was here so long that he didn't want to move on. Opening a restaurant seemed to be a good way of staying. The cooking, which is as authentic as Mrs Bunnag can make it in London, is very simple, skilful and admirable. It's not a cross between Indian and Chinese; it lies somewhere between the two. Ginger and chilli give some dishes a hot spiciness; vinegar, soy sauce and ginger give others a touch' of sweet and sour. Everything is sliced thinly and cooked briefly and quickly. The menu is not long but everything on it is so popular it's never been altered since they began. Start with one of the clear clean soups or sate, which at the Bangkok is made form little pieces of marinated beef skewered and grilled, eaten with a peanut sauce, little squares of toast and thinly sliced pickled cucumber. Main dishes include fried trout with sweet and sour sauce, slices of beef with ginger, green pepper, chilli or oyster sauce; pork is sweet and sour, barbecued or with chilli; chicken is fried, cooked with chilli, with mushroom curry, or with ginger. Rice is recommended with all main dishes; plain, fried or with vegetables, but the best of all is Thai rice-noodles. These are noodles made from rice-flour, with egg, shreds of pork, bean sprouts, peanuts, vinegar, sugar and soy sauce all stirred in. It's very hard to stop eating them. Scalding hot jasmine tea is served throughout the meal; there is a wine list, ane Pilsner beer for those who like it. Desserts of of fresh orange in syrup or lychees. Service is rapid, everything is piping hot and spotless. The busy, brightly-lit kitchen is open to full view at the far end of the restaurant, more to save space than to display the dexterity of the cooks, but it is nice to be able to watch everything going on including the washing-up. The dining room is by contrast dark and elegant making much use of teak, black leatherette and cork. The clever Mr Bunnag designed all this himself. The whole restaurant is a beautiful example of what can be done with talent, taste and hard work."
---Cheap Eats in London, Susan Campbell with Alexandra Towle [Penguin Books:New York] 1975, 1976 (p. 180-181)
[NOTE: The Bangkok Restaurant still operates today in the original location.]
What is Sriracha sauce & when whas it introduced to the USA?
Our survey of historic USA newspapers suggest Vietnamese-American restaurants first surfaced in the USA in the early 1960s. For a long time they quietly offered traditional food to expatriated nationals. As the Vietnamese War escalated and civilians immigrated abroad, more restaurants opened. The American palate traditionally welcomes exotic combinations and new flavors. In the 1970s Chinese food was "mainstream" and westernized Japanese cuisine (think: Benihana) was chic. The subtle blends of Vietnamese flavors took most Americans by surprise.
[1961]
The oldest print reference we find for a Vietnamese restaurant in the USA was published in 1961: Craig Claiborne wrote: "When it is a question of restaurants, New York could be called an international festival. The most recent establishment to join the roster of oriental dining rooms is the Viet Nam, 1245 Amsterdam Avenue (near 122nd Street). It is a small, poorly air-conditioned, unpretentious place with an interesting cuisine modestly priced. It is reputedly the only Vietnamese restaurant in America."
---"Restaurant on Review," New York Times, August 15, 1961 (p. 21)
[1971]
"There is apparently no Vietnamese restaurant in this country..."
---"She Learned How to Cook as a Girl in Hanoi," Raymond A. Sokolov, New York Times, July 22, 1971 (p. 40)
[1972]
"Eight years ago when Nguyen Ton Hoan went to work in Saigon, everyone he passed noticed his shiny chauffeur-driven limousine and the armed bodyguards who rode with them. Then, Dr. Hoan was Deputy Premier of South Vietnam. Now each morning he and his wife drive unnoticed the few miles from their home to the little Vietnamese restaurant they operate here [Riverside CA]...For nearly a year Dr. Hoan and his wife, sometimes with the aid of their children, have been serving imperial roll, shrimp Mekong and other delicacies to patrons who sit in booths upholstered in brown vinyl impressed with branding-iron-designs. The restaurant is wedged between a vacant storefront and a photographic studio in the this city 35 miles south of San Francisco. Dr. Hoan, 55 years old, greets each of his few patrons with a smile...He tells the inquiring diners that he is from Vietnam. Only rarely does he reveal his former role in the Saigon Government."
---"Ex-Saigon Aide a Restaurateur in California," New York Times, August 27. 1972 (p. 3)
[1973]
"It has taken a strangely long time for Los Angeles to acquire a Vietnamese restaurant. Paris has many and they are to be founding New York and San Francisco, but we have only the short-lived Le Relais, which was basically French with Vietnamese dishes to be specially ordered. The years spent in Vietnam, uncomfortable as they were, could not help but arouse interest in a cuisine that has been influenced by two of the greatest in the world and still manages to retain its own individuality...the Vietnamese do pretty much as they please; their way with food is entirely their own. Dishes may look familiar but they will not taste familiar. An all-purpose seasoning, nuoc mam, made form fish packed in salt and fermented, gives the characteristic flavor. There is apt to be a little hotness; scallions and cilantro, as well as other herbs, related by more pungent than sweet basil, are frequent garnishes, appealing to taste and sight. Nguyen Van Ung and Mme. Luong Thi Sinh, who recently opened Vietnam in Hollywood, also have a restaurant in San Francisco and I suspect they have already begun trying to please Americans who, predictably, are not to be charmed by fish sauce."
---"Roundabout," Lois Dwan, Los Angeles Times, September 16, 1973 (p. O65)
[1979]
"The oldest of the existing [Vietnamese] restaurants, Vietnam Pearl, opened in 1973 as Vietnam, a small, dark place on Hollywood Boulevard."
---"Vietnamese Food in L.A.: A Test Case, Lois Swan, Los Angeles Times, June 14, 1979 (p. N118) [This restaurant review also includes Than Phong (sometimes Mekong), 5051 Hollywood Blvd. and Saigon Flavor, 1044 S. Fairfax. No establishment dates offered for these restaurants.]
[1986]
"Today, America is home to almost 500,000 Vietnamese immigrants,...and there are Vietnamese restaurants throughout the country. Yet, in New York--a city that seems to revel in ethnic diversity and savor the culinary riches that provides--first rate Vietnamese restaurants offering authentic Vietnamese food are comparatively hard to find. In the Vietnamese restaurants that do exist, the kitchen repertory is often limited, Americanized or both."
---"Vietnamese Restaurants: Room to Grow," Craig Claiborne, New York Times, June 4, 1986 (p. C3)
[1995]
"In 1993, there were 12, 266 Vietnamese-born people living in the five boroughs [of New York City]...Most of those who are opening restaurants are clustering them in Chinatown...Although Manhattan does not have the largest Vietnamese population in the city, it does have the largest number of Vietnamese restaurants (at least 11 in Chinatown), along with two supermarkets and at least one bookstore...The first of Chinatown's Vietnamese restaurants opened in 1981; two opened this year alone."
---"Chinatown, Meet Vietnam," Elaine Louie, New York Times, September 20, 1995 (p. C1)
"In the last couple of years, Vietnamese restaurants have opened in midtown, the Upper East and Upper West Sides, SoHo, Brooklyn Heights and Park Slope. At least six new establishments have crowds of eager customers willing to stand in line for tables. More places are on the way. And many American chefs have begun to add touches of Vietnam--like the fresh salad rolls of vegetables, noodles and herbs in fresh rice-paper wrappers--to their menus."
---"Vietnamese Cuisine, All Around Town," New York Times, Florence Fabricant, September 20, 1995 (p. C6)
[1998]
"Ten years ago, you could count on one hand the number of New York restaurants serving Vietnamese food. Nowadays you need two hands, two feet and maybe a few more bodies to count them all."
---"Vietnamese," New York Times, October 23, 1998 p. E43)
[2008]
"Since the beginning of the Vietnamese diaspora in the 1970s, some regions of the United States have become home to large numbers of ex-pats. Southern California, Texas, and Virginia are known within the Vietnamese community for having Vietnamese restaurants of quality. The first large group of Vietnamese immigrants brought with them the spicier, herbaceous foods of southern Vietnam and the more Westernized flavor palate of central Vietnam. Later, the simple and inexpensive soups from the colder north became omnipresent in Vietnamese restaurants."
---"Keep on Truc-ing," Tricia Childress, Creative Loafing, May 7-May 13, 2008 (p. 57)
[2011]
The Reference USA database lets you compile custom lists by type of business and location. According to this source there are 1,840 Vietnamese restaurants currently operating in the USA. This count does not include food trucks or street vendors, composing a significant part of this culinary market. You can run the numbers for each state if you want. Ask your (public/school) librarian about database access.
Credited for introducing Americans to Peking Duck and Chinese Chicken Salad , this innovative man laid the foundation for fusion cuisine. He also taught Danny Kaye to cook.
[1941]
"San Francisco--Once more the temple bells will ring out in San Francisco's old Chinatown; again the colored paper lantern will bob in the evening breeze, and the monster dragon will emerge to wind a sinuous course down Grant Avenue behind glaring torches and throbbing drums. San Franciscans and out-of-town visitors will throng the sidewalks and attend gay dinner parties at Johnny Kan's Cathay House, Tommy Tong's Lion's Den and elsewhere. In this manner the largest Oriental settlement, outside of China will mark its third annual Bowl of Rice party on May 2, 3, and 4. The proceeds of the parties are devoted to feeding China's destitute civilians..."
---"San Francisco 'Bowl of Rice,'" New York Times, April 27, 1941 (p. XX3)
[1941]
Photograph of Johnny Kan , courtesy of the Museum of San Francisco.
[1957]
"Nobody need be frustrated about not being able to visit China. Right here in San Francisco there is a complete Chinese city of 30,000 where anybody homesick for Peking can find dried fish stomachs, dried balloon-fish heads, dried duck feet and cerise cuspidors embossed with chirping robins. Alla same old country. Chinatown covers 12 square blocks, but the most exciting Oriental alley is Grant Ave., where the lampposts are pagoda lamps festooned with temple bells and dragons entwining the steel bamboo shafts. They cast an amber glow over the largest Chinese community in the hemisphere, while music from the old Yangtze eddies from the second-story windows with all the melody of a dozen lovesick cats. Long strings of lanterns looped between the lampposts, shine on the great restaurants like Kan's....Kan's where the visiting Hollywood stars come for supper, will not serve chow mein, chop suey or coffee. But inside Kan's gold walls you can find a dish called Precious Flower Egg which, one might think, ought to be delivered by armed waiters from Brink's. But is is only a mushroom omelet. And if you order it a day ahead, there is melon soup served in a pumpkin-size winter melon which has been steamed for seven hours. Peking Duck also takes a day to prepare, mainly because the skin has to be coated with honey and then faced toward a southeast wind. Sometimes, when Kan is becalmed, he has been known to use a Westinghouse fan. Peking duck is served with Thousand-Layer Buns, a lump of white dough that resembles a dumpling or may be a just-brown-and-serve roll served before it was browned. A thousand-layer bun is supposed to peel into 1000 layers but I could only get four out of mine, and there is talk among local wise men that the thousand-layer bun has been devaluated. Dishes like duck can be washed down with Three-Star Sparkling Cider, and an similarity between this Hong Kong bellywash and cream soda is purely coincidental. It is made after an old recipe by a local Oriental combine called Belfast Beverages, Inc....Of course, some Chinese places have become mixed up with American traditions, producing such ice-cream parlors as the Fong Fong Fountain which makes ginger, lichee and Chinese fruit ice cream, and serves chop suey sundaes..."
---"Tong Wars are Things of the Past in Chinatown But You Can Hooked on Chop Suey Sundaes," Horace Sutton, Los Angeles Times, July 28, 1957 (p. E8)
[1972]
"Funeral services will be held Monday for Johnny Kan, world renowned gourmet and Chinatown restaurateur, who died of cancer Thursday, He was 66. Kan, a native of Portland Ore., was credited with being the first Chinese-American to introduce Peking duck to Caucasian diners. Early in his career, he initiated the Chinese Kitchen, a 1940 venture said to be the first delivery service for Chinese food. Kan, who had lived all but his first four years in San Francisco's Chinatown, opened the first large soda fountain and Chinese bakery in Chinatown in 1935 and originated such concoctions as lichee, kumquat and ginger ice cream. After service with the Army in World War II, Kan made plans for the elegant establishment that became widely known to tourists--Kan's Chinese Restaurant. It became a gathering place for Hollywood film stars, celebrities and socialites. He leaves his wife, Helen; a daughter, Patricia Lee of Los Angeles; and two sisters, Ruth Wong and Mary Yip of Los Angeles. Services will be held at the Chapel of Chimes in Oakland."
---"Services set for S.F. Restaurateur J. Kan," Los Angeles Times, December 10, 1972 (p. A6)
[1974]
"For more years than I can recollect, I have been lunching and dining at Kan's in San Francisco, on Grant Ave. in Chinatown, which I have always felt was one of the outstanding Chinese restaurants in this country. Like every great restaurant, this is a place where, if you wish to plan a special menu for a party of friends, should consult with the owner several days in advance about what you want. Then you will get a really remarkable meal. Johnny Kan, who owned Kan's, was one of my oldest friends, and I have always considered his chef, Pui, to be one of the finest Chinese chefs I know. Johnny's widow, Helen, now runs the establishment in her quiet and efficient way and had done a tremendously good job of maintaining the high standards set by her husband. Recently, friends and I had a dinner party at Kan's which featured a number of my favorite dishes. We had Gold Coin Chicken, chicken cooked with Chinese ham, which is closely allied to Virginia ham, and extraordinarily good and some other dishes that were unusual and striking. One, quite different from most Chinese food in that it is called a salad, had a counterpoint of flavors that was captivating to the palate...."
---"A Contrapuntal Chinese Salad," James Beard, Los Angeles Times, September 5, 1974 (p. L6)
Our survey of historic USA newspapers confirms "California roll"-type dishes first surfaced in Los Angeles sometime in the early 1970s. These items were referenced under several names (see above aka). Actual descriptions of these early prototypes are rare. Those that exist confirm they did not include avocado, crab or mayonnaise. California Rolls, as we know them today, make their way to the plate in the late 1970s. The earliest reference we find for possible inspiration was an article profiling Chinese cuisine, circa 1973, featuring a recipe for
"Cucumber Roll." In this case, the "roll" effect was the cucumber, not seaweed. Still? The concept is strikingly similar and worth noting. The earliest print reference we find describing the modern California Roll was published in 1978. The item was called "Kappa Maki."
About American Sushi:
"Sushi East and West. Many of the foods ordinarily associated only with Western cuisine harmonize astonishingly well with sushi rice...You will find this hybrid "East-West" sushi can be expanded to include many new tempting treats suited to your family's tastes. One tasty variation is the California roll, a slender mat-rolled sushi containing crab, avocado and cucumber. It is a great favorite in Los Angeles sushi shops, has spread to New York and is making a debut in Tokyo too. The creamy, rich, slightly oily avocado has something in common with the taste of fatty tuna."
---The Book of Sushi, Kinjiro Omae and Yuzuru Tachibana [Kodansha International:Tokyo] 1981 (p. 76)
Additional sushi history notes here .
When did California Rolls enter the scene?
"California roll....A form of sushi made with avocados, crabmeat, cucumbers and other ingredients wrapped in vinegared rice. It was supposedly created at a Japanese restaurant in Los Angeles named Tokyo Kaikan about 1973 for the American palate but has also gained popularity in Japan, where it is called kashu-maki, a literal translation of "California roll."
---Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, John F. Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p. 53)
"California rolls, consisting of avocado, imitation crabmeat, and mayonnaise encased in rice with sesame seeds on the outside, are an excellent example of Japanese American food. The rolls were invented by Japanese chefs in Los Angeles during the 1970s for Americans who were squeamish about eating raw fish. California rolls became a popular addition to Japanese restaurant menus in the United States during the 1980s, and there were eventually exported back to Japan, although many sushi purists eschew them, as they were not a traditional Japanese food."
---Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America, Andrew F. Smith editor [Oxfod University Press:New York] 2004, Volume 1 (p. 728)
Articles in the Los Angeles Times confirm Tokyo Kaikan was established 1973. This 1974 review confirms the establishment's popularity but omits reference to the "signature" California Roll some food historians attribute for being invented there. Of course, it is possible the item was on the menu and not sampled by the reviewer. It is more likely the item was added at a later date. We do know from an earlier review (LATimes, July 22, 1973 p. N71) the reviewer was familiar with "Kappa Maki," a cucumber-based sushi item. No other ingredients were mentioned. It is interesting to note "Maki" is the Japanese word for roll. But! "Kappa" does not mean cucumber. It is a mythological figure that associated with cucumber eating.
"The Japanese like their food to be beautiful and they want no precious taste lost to time or air. The beauty will often be in the presentation of the raw stuffs, arranged in patterns on the platters...There are also bars, to be found here mostly in Little Tokyo, usually preparing only one thing. Sushi is better at a bar...The new Tokyo Kaikan is the only place I know that combines four bars (sushi, tempura, shabu shabu, teppan yaki) with a trim formal dining room and the more familiar bar for American cocktails...Sushi can be either chirashi, which adds raw fish to a bowl of rice or the more familiar nigiri, the roll of rice with fish on top."
---"Roundabout," Lois Dwan, Los Angeles Times,, August 21, 1974 (p. F4)
"Tekka Maki (raw tuna laid on a bed of rice spread over a sheet of dried seaweed, then rolled up and cross-sectioned)... Kappa Maki (cucumber treated like the tuna mentioned above)...
---"Fifty four hours," Jessica Maxwell, Los Angeles Times, October 5, 1976 (p. J30)
"Southern California provides a top-notch opportunity to try sushi...sushi generally consists of nigiri--a small mound of vinegared rice, usually topped with a dab of wasabi (horseradish)--and a thin slice of seafood you select from the variety of fish, shellfish and other delicacies. Sushi selections are usually served in pairs, except for temaki--a sheet of nori spread with the vinegared rice and rolled up with strips of fish or cucumber in the middle...The avocado and crab roll--kappa maki--is very refreshing."
---"All About Sushi--Including Where to Sample the Best," Nancy Yoshihara, Los Angeles Times, January 17, 1978 (p. G4)
"There's a new breed of barhoppers in this town, but they're not searching for the perfect martini. Their prey is the silken flesh of fresh raw fish, served in thinly sliced slivers placed lovingly atop little mounds of vinegared rice. It's a traditional Japanese delicacy called sushi, dispensed by highly trained chefs to clients across shiny pine counters. To the uninitiated, the very thought of raw fish can be distressing, but these days, savvy Southern Californians--and others everywhere across the country--just can't seem to get enough of it...the sushi bar is a great place to make new friends...Those who go infor celebritywatching and know where to go can catch glimpses of such prominent sushi devotees as James Coburn, Richard Dreyfuss...Cheryl Ladd and Henry Winkler...Sushi is booming right now in Los Angeles...A self-described Japanese gourmet restaurant located at the top of the chic restaurant row area on La Cienga Boulevard, Kim Jo features a tempura bar and a tradtional Japanese menu. But its centerpiece is a top-of-the-line sushi counter presided over by veteran chef Ken Seusa. Mrs. Wade says Seusa invented the California roll, a crab, avocado and cucumber medley wrapped in rice and seaweed and one of the most popular items at any sushi bar. Mrs. Wade has several theories as to why sushi--and its riceless, straight-raw-fish companion, sashimi--have become so popular. 'No. 1. somehow or other Americans think Japanese cuisine is much more natural and dietetic than French, Italian or American cooking.' George Millman, part-owner of...Teru Sushi agrees 'Californian like clean and light food, which sushi is.'...Millman says a new breed of outgoing and helpful sushi chefs helped initiate Caucasians to the delights of raw fish."
---"Sushi Latest Food Fad," AP newswire [Los Angeles,] Indiana Gazette [PA], November 30, 1979 (p. 22)
"Another example of marrying Japanese techniques and American ingredients is the California roll. Loose sushi hand rolls are popular in Japan, but the version that calls for avocado, king crab meat, mayonnaise and rice wrapped in a sheet of papery black seaweed appeared in southern California sushi bars a few years ago. It has also become commonplace in New York and is apparently now being served in Japan as well."
---"Adapting American Foods to Japanese Cuisine," Florence Fabricant, New York Times, October 6, 1982 (p. C1)
Compare these recipes:
Bird's Nest Soup
Like Shark's fin soup , bird's nest soup was traditionally valued for its healthful properties. It is most often served as soup. Is the traditional Chinese ingredient a real nest made by an actual bird? Yes. Mock bird's nest soup was crafted by Trader Vic for quasi-adventurous American diners in the 1960s. American Bird's Nest Pudding is totally unrelated, except for the name.
"One of the most distinctive Chinese delicacies is edible bird's nest (yen-wo), the white, translucent, gelatinous nest of various species of small swifts called swiftlets. The principal commercial species are the 'White-nest' or 'Edible-nest Swiftlet'...and the 'Black-nest Swiftlet'...The highest quality nests are those of the...'white' because they consist entirely of nest-cement, a salivary secretion, occasionally with a few feathers of nesting birds and bits of green vegetable matter...white nests, which require far less cleaning before use, command the highest prices by far, perhaps twenty-five times that of black nests... Why such an unusual food should have come into use at all remains a mystery, but one should note that in China birds' nests are not only a delicacy but a strengthening food and medicine...One reads...of the Chinese belief that the nest is made by a swiftlet from the windblown sea foam, that it is rich in minerals and other valuable elements form the sea, a distillation of the bird's qualities of vigor, strength, perseverance, potency, and fidelity. In traditional and modern China, bird's nest is considered nutritious and purifying."
---Food in China: A Cultural and Hsitorical Inquiry, Frederick J. Simoons [CRC Press:Boca Raton FL] 1991 (p. 427-429)
"Bird's nest (swallow's nest): Rare, expensive dried delicacy whose origins go back ten centuries. Not ordinary bird's nest, but an edible gelatinous coating produced by tiny swallows or swiftlets indigenous ot the South China Sea. The nests, beige in color, look like finely shredded and glazed coconut. Must be soaked and cleaned before use. When cooked, they separate into shreds and have a subtle, distinctive taste. (They're also high in proteins and vitamins because of the bird's diet of seaweed and marine plants.) Bird's nest soup is considered a mark of great hospitality and the high point in formal dinners. It's also used as a poultry stuffing and prepared with rock sugar as a sweet dish for wedding feasts. Bird's nest is available in three grades: The rarest and most expensive grades are the whole nests which look like small, shallow, transparent cups. (The best of these are nearly white, with few twigs and feathers.) Next are the curved chips of broken nests or "Dragon's Teeth." Last are ground-up bird's nest fragments, made into porous, brittle cakes."
---The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook, Gloria Bley Miller [Grosset & Dunlap:New York] 1975(p. 847)
[NOTE: This book has more information on bird's nest cookery. Your librarian can help you find a copy.]
"Bird's nest. The Eponymous ingredient of Chinese bird's nest soup is an expensive delicacy. The nests belong to a species of swiftlet, Collocalia whiteheadi, which is found in the Philippines and New Guinea. Patricia Arroyo Staub (1982) has explained that "The gathering of these nests is a formidable task of the intrepid sould who scale cliffs and mountains. Contrary to popular belief, the bird's nests are not found in the faces of the cliffs but in caves. Hence the gathering involves work in the nooks and crannies of caves which are dark and slippery. This makes it a rare and highly prized delicacy which is most precious to a Chinese food goumet and which has become popular among Filipinos...However, did to its ability to swell in boiling water, very small amounts are needed to make soup." In making thier nests, the birds cement scaffolding of tiny twigs together with a sticky substance which has been variously indentified as coming from regurgitated seaweed, such as agar-agar, or as being simlpy the bird's own saliva. Since it is the sticky substance which is finally absorbed by the persons eating the bird's nest soup, it seems to be an open question whether they are consuming a plant food or an animal food."
---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 1999 (p. 74-5) If you want to learn more about this bird ask your librarian to help you find this book: Swifts: A Guide to Swifts and Treeswifts around the World, Phil Chantler. It is also possible this bird will show up in general bird identification books covering Asia.
"Bird's Nest Soup
There is also an early American dessert called bird's nest pudding (aka crow's nest pudding). John F. Mariani describes it as "A very old New England fruit pudding (most commonly made with apples), usually with a crust and some kind of sauce. The finished dish somewhat resembles a bird's nest. It dates in print to 1833." (Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink [Lebhar-Friedman:New York 1999, p. 29). Recipe here:
"Bird's nest pudding.
If you wish to make what is called 'bird's nest pudding,' prepare your custard,--take eight or ten pleasant apples, pare them, and dig out the core, but leave them whole, set them in a pudding dish, pour your custard over them, and bake them about thirty minutes."
---The American Frugal Housewife, Mrs. Child, 1833 facsimile reprint [Applewood Books:Boston] (p. 63)
Until recently, most food historians agreed "chop suey" was created in the USA in the late 19th century. A closer examination of Chinese texts suggests the recipe may indeed have originated in Canton. By the 20th century, Americanized chop suey , casseroles totally devoid of any Oriental ingredients, became an economical family supper staple. Regional variations ( Polish Chop Suey ) reflected local taste and old world ingredients.
"The second famous "Chinese-American" dish to come out of the mining frontier is chop suey, the subject of some historical controversy. It has been common wisdom to say that chop suey...did not exist in old China. The stir-fried hash was invented, according to tradition, in a San Francisco restaurant during the wee hours one morning when a rowdy group of holidaying iners would not hear of the Chinese cook's plea that he had no food. Rather than risk a drubbing, the cook concocted chop suey of the day's scraps. Perhaps. At least one Chinese authority...insists that chop suey was intimately famliar to emigrants from Toisan, the region south of Canton that is the ancestral home of more than half the American Chinese. It does seem hard to believe that a people wracked by poverty had not thought to put together "miscellanious stuff" before they arrived at the "Golden Mountain."
---Bacon, Beans and Galantines: Food and Foodways on the Western Mining Frontier, Joseph R. Conlin [University of Nevada Press: Reno] 1986 (p. 192-3)
Mr. Conlin's alternate theory is confirmed here:
"Last of all, chop suey is not--as many would-be connoisseurs believe--an American invention. As Li Shu-fan points out in his delightful autobiography, Hong Kong Surgeon (1964), it is a local Toisanese dish. Toisan is an rural district south of Canton, the home for most of the early immigrants from Kwangtung to California. The name is Cantonese tsap seui (Mandarin tsa sui), "Miscellaneous scraps." Basically , it is leftover of odd-lot vegetables stir-fried together. Noodles are often included. Bean sprouts are almost invariably present, but the rest of the dish varies according to whatever is around. The origin myth of chop suey is that it was invented in San Francisco, when someone demanded food late at night at a small Chinese restaurant. Out of food, the restaurant cooked up the day's slops, and chop suey was born. (The "someone" can be a Chinese dignitary, a band of drunken miners, a San Francisco political boss, and so on.)"
---Food of China, E. N. Anderson [Yale University Press:New Haven] 1988 (p. 212-3)
More information , courtesy of the Library of Congress.
A stir fried celebration of authentic, modified, exotic, and mainstream cuisine. Every dish tells a story. Early American chop sueys mirrored original intent by featuring Oriental ingredients. They were considered exotic fare. Before long, "Americanized" versions, built with familiar ingredients (ground beef, tomatoes, macaroni), slipped into the pot. Any random economical dish composed of various ingredients could be called "chop suey." Desserts assumed this popular this moniker too. Think: Chop suey cake & Chop suey ice cream sundaes .
Mainstream American chop suey recipes divide neatly into two categories: company product promotions and collective immigrant experience. The common thread is "making do" with what's on hand tonight. The concept motivating this particular recipe transcends time, geography, culture and cuisine. Polish chop suey is found in Milwaukee. New England-style American chop suey is arguabley inspired by Italian cuisine. Could it be that "chop suey" was at one time the collective Anglo-American name for anything foreign?
"American chop suey. Of course the "real" chop suey is American, too, a nineteenth-century creation, its said, of the Chinese who cooked for men laying the track for the Pacific Railroad. This altogether different, twentieth-century chop suey enjoyed a certain faddishness in the teens and '20s. This recipe is reprinted from the Larkin Housewives Cook Book (1915). Larkin, as this recipe makes clear, not only processed and packaged a wide array of food but also sold a variety of kitchen gadgets."
---American Century Cookbook: The Most Popular Recipes of the 20th Century, Jean Anderson [Clarkson Potter:New York] 1997 (p. 106)
"American Chop Suey. American food culture was formed in an environment that was resource-rich and labor-poor. There has always been a premium on one-pot sautes or quick stews, and these have sometimes acquired fanciful names like slumgullion (perhaps from Salmagundi), or mulligan stew (perhaps from slumgullion), or Finnish American mojaka...In old New England, a random collection of smothered meat and potatoes was known as potato bargain or necessity mess...During the Great Depression, the names of foreign mixed dishes, such as goulash, hodgepodge (perhaps from hachepot), or chop suey, were applied to quick assortments of meat, vegetables, and potatoes, and sometimes even to desserts with mixed ingredients. American chop suey, however, eventually became somewhat standardized, especially in institutional catering, as a stew or casserole of beef, celery, and macaroni--none of which seeems especially Chinese. Chinese restaurant chop suey was itself a poorly defined American invention and basically another mixed stew. A likely origin for American chop suey is a recipe for Chop Suey Stew in the 1916 Manual for Army Cooks, a text for many institutional foods of the twentieth century. The army recipe could be made with either beef round or pork shoulder, beef stock, barbecue sauce, and salt. By 1932, the Navy's cookbook had added cabbage and green peppers. Practical Home Economics (1919) has a recipe entitled Chop Suey that adds tomatoes and parsley and omits the onions and cabbage. All these early recipes leave out soy sauce, but suggest serving the stew over rice. More recent recipes simplify the service by dropping the rice and mixing in cooked macaroni, but they tend to restore some amount of soy sauce unless using Italian tomato sauce. As distinct from Chinese restaurant chop suey, American chop suey is in the early twenty-first century is usually made with beef instead of pork; the vegetables are usually restricted to celery and onions; and macaroni often replaces rice."
---Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America, Andrew F. Smith editor [Oxford University Press:New York] 2004, Volume 1 (p. 35-6)
[1902]
"Chop suey, the national dish of China for at least twenty-five centuries bids fair to become a standard food in this country. There are some sixty Chinese restaurants scattered over the different boroughs of Greater New York whose chief attraction is this popular composition, and several American restaurants have endeavored to take advantage of its popularity by adding it to their daily bill of fare. There is a ridiculous amount of mystery concerning this dish. It is simple, economical, and easily made. The genera; formula is as follows: One pound of moderately lean fresh pork, cut into pieces a quarter of an inch thick, a half an inch wide, and an inch long; two chicken livers, chopped up to the size of dice; two chicken gizzards, cut into slices the size of a nickel, and each ring pinked with the lines almost meeting in the center. The heat of cooking causes the fibers to shrink and converts the circle into a many-pointed star. A quarter of a pound of celery cut into slivers, a quarter of a pound of canned mushrooms, and a quarter of a pound of green peas, chopped string beans, asparagus tips, bean sprouts, or salsify. These are thrown into a frying pan over a hot fire, covered with a cup of water, four tablespoonfuls of peanut oil, oilive oil, or melted butter, a tablespoonful of chopped onion, half a clove of garlic, grated salt, white pepper, and red pepper. If the fire is hot enough, these will cook in five minutes. The contents of the pan chould be stirred to prevent burning, and the moment the water boils out fresh water should be added in small quantities to prevent frying. The dish could be served promptly, and is not only palatable but wholesome and easily digested. In place of pork, mutton can be employed, while chicken liver and gizzard may be replaced by those of the turkey. Some Chinese cooks use the Indian soy, which is sweeter. The effect can be imitated by adding a teaspoonful of Worcestershire sauce and another of brown sugar or a teaspoonful of molasses. An agreeable modification results from the use of asparagus tips along with the other vegetable ingredients, whil the Singapore variety is obtained by stirring in a tablespoonful of curry paste. In the Chinese restaurants the cost varies from ten to twenty-five cents a plate, the expensive dish containing a fair amount of the best imported mushrooms."
---"Chop Suey More Popular: How the Favorite Dish of the Chinaman Is Prepared," New York Times, July 27, 1902 (p. 24)
[1914]
[1967]
"'Polish Chop Suey.'
Hunter's stew is an individual dish to each cook, some taking 3 days to make it and using almost any meat or poultry available. 'It's a Polish chop suey,' laughed Mrs. Edward Kaminsky of Hollywood, a bazaar committee member. It is a dish that gains flavor from reheating so the cook likes to have some left over for a second-day meal. All cooks add sauerkraut and fresh cooked cabbage, however. 'One of the reasons many Americans do not like sauerkraut is because they don't treat it properly,'... Mysliwski Bigos (Hunter's Stew)
1 qt. sauerkraut
2 lb. head cabbage, shredded
1/4 lb sliced bacon
1/2 lb. beef stew meat
1/2 lb. lamb stew meat
1/2 lb. venison, optional
1/2 lb. polish sausage, fresh or smoked
1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
Salt, pepper
Rinse sauerkraut and drain. Place in saucepan, add enough water to nearly cover and cook over low heat 30 to 45 min. Cook cabbage in boiling water to nearly cover until crisp tender, about 10 to 15 min. Dice bacon and fry until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside. Add onion and cubed pork, veal, beef, lamb and venison, if used. Cook until meat is lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add liquid drained from kraut and cabbage, cover and simmer until meat is tender, about 1 hr. Dice sausage and add in meat along with mushrooms, kraut and cabbage. Add more water, if needed. Simmer 20 to 30 min. to blend flavors and finish cooking meats. Season to taste with salt an pepper. Makes 6 to 8 servings."
---"It's Time Again for Dozyniki, the Annual Polish Bazaar," Cecil Fleming, Los Angeles Times, October 5, 1967 (p. F24)
[1976]
Dim sum is a Chinese tradition originating in Canton. It made its way to America with Chinese immigrants, many of whom were Cantonese.
"...the ultimate in "small eating" is the Cantonese institution of iam ch'a (Mandaarin he ch'a: "to drink tea"). Drinking tea traditionally involves the consumption of snacks known as timsam (borrowed in English as dimsum, pronounced "deem some"). This phrase (the Mandarin is tien hsin) means "to dot the heart," a peculiar idiom of obscure origin, meaning something like "to hit the spot." "Dot hearts"...are found throughout China, but in Cantonese culture they become the sold food at huge luncheons or late breakfasts, while elsewhere in China they are definitely "small" affairs. There are hundreds of them...Typical tim sam are ha kaau...based on minced shrimp and other items wrapped in thin dough skin, siu maai...with meat filling and different skin composition; taro horns, chopped meat covered with mashed taro dough, rolled into a hornlike shape, and deep-fried; ch'a shao pao; other pao of other kinds; beef balls pungently flavored with soy sauce, ginger and so on; faan kun, oily chopped fillings wrapped in rice-flour dough skins...The commonest and most basic tim sam follow the pattern of some sort of starch staple wrapped around a filling of chopped meat, soy sauce, finger, water chestnut, or similar extender and texturizer, oil and flavoring."
---Food of China, E. N. Anderson [Yale University Press:New Haven Ct] 1988 (p. 215)
"Dim sum
an important institution of Cantonese cuisine which has become increasingly visible in 'Chinatowns' outside China has been China, has been described by Yan-Kit So...Literally translated as 'so close to the heart', they are, in reality a large range of hors d'oeuvres Cantonese people traditionally enjoy in restaurants (previously teahouses) for breakfast and for lunch, but never for dinner, washed down with tea. 'Let's go yumcha (to drink tea)' is understood among the Cantonese to mean going to a restaurant for dimsum; such is the twin linkage between the food and the beverage...The range of dimsum in a restaurant easily numbers several dozen and they come under these main varieties: the steamed, the fried and the deep-fried..."
---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 1999 (p. 250)
[NOTE: This book has much more information & description than can be paraphrased here. Ask your local public librarian to help you find a copy of this book.]
Egg rolls & spring rolls
Egg rolls (and their lighter counterpart, spring rolls) date back to ancient China. Wontons (thin unleavened dough with fillings or as noodles) are a traditional part of the Chinese diet. It is quite likely that egg-roll type foods were made and consumed in the USA by the first Chinese settlers in the mid 1800's. It is also just as likely that most Americans never heard of them until about 50 years ago. Vietnamese spring rolls employ different tastes. Why are they called egg rolls? The dough is traditionally made with egg. Spring rolls are lighter, omitting the egg. Egg roll-type foods are part of traditional dim sum .
"Eggrolls are thin coverings of unraised dough, wrapped around various meat, seafood and vegetable mixtures, and then usually deep fried. Originally, these were special snacks served with tea when relatives and friends came to visit after Chinese New Year. Since the time was early spring, they came to be known as spring rolls...the eggroll, said to have originated in Canton and more familiar to Westerners, is larger...thicker. Eggrolls are served either as hors d'oevres or with dinner at any time of the year."
---The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook, Gloria Bley Miller [Grosset & Dunlap:New York] (p. 698)
"Spring roll...An Asian-American appetizer made of crispdough wrapped around a filling of various ingredients such as vegetables, meat, shrimp, and seasonings. Sometimes synonymous with "egg roll," it is considered somewhat more "authentic" and delicious than the latter. The name, which dates in English print to 1943, comes from the Chinese tradition of serving them on the first day of the Chinese New Year, which is also the first day of the lunar year's spring."
---Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, John F. Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p. 308)
If you need more information on ask your librarian to help you find this article:
"Going beyond egg rolls," Newsweek, August 13, 1990 (p. 61+) --this article and several more are available full-text from the EBSCO
ABOUT VIETNAMESE SPRING ROLLS "When New York Times food writer Craig Claiborne wrote about Routhier and her Vietnamese spring roll, or cha gio, he catapulted her into the culinary limelight. In the 1985 article about upcoming young chefs, he praised her creation as "the best cha gio I have eaten since - in fact, I found them the equal of those in Vietnam." As they say, the rest is history. Between writing cookbooks and teaching classes, Houstonian Routhier continues to make her famous Vietnamese spring rolls for friends and relatives.
Rolled in parchmentlike rice papers, her spring roll consists of crab meat, shrimp, pork, Chinese mushrooms and water chestnuts. But this is just one spring roll recipe among hundreds, perhaps thousands. Like many good culinary ideas, the spring roll has been imitated and embellished again and again through time. There are fried spring rolls and uncooked ones. Some are filled with finely minced seafood; others brim with crispy vegetables and barbecued meats. With so many variations, no wonder the spring roll is one of the most misunderstood foods...The spring roll is a tradition that dates back many centuries in China. Because of its rich golden color, the spring roll is believed to symbolize a gold nugget or prosperity, and it plays a central role at Chinese banquets. You'll typically find spring rolls served on Chinese New Year's Day, which takes place at the start of spring. Chefs in other Asian countries such as Cambodia, Singapore and Thailand have adapted the Chinese spring roll and created their own versions. In Vietnam and Thailand, rice-paper wrappers made from cooked rice starch are preferred over lumpia wrappers. Brittle rice-paper wrappers are first soaked in water to make them pliable, then filled with either raw or cooked ingredients. They are then fried or eaten uncooked. Hence the confusion of getting a "fresh" spring roll at a Vietnamese restaurant when what you wanted was a "fried" spring roll.
Often, though, the menu will provide a clue. Uncooked versions are often referred to as summer rolls. They're often stuffed with boiled shrimp, steamed pork, vermicelli noodles, lettuce and herbs. These light, fresh-tasting summer rolls are uniquely Vietnamese and Thai, Routhier says. The Chinese, Malaysians and Singaporeans also have "fresh" spring rolls. These, however, are made with lumpia wrappers and are prepared at the table by the guests, who fill the wrappers with a combination of fresh and cooked ingredients, such as grated carrots, shredded cabbage and leeks.... The Chinese believe in the merit and charm of eating the spring roll undressed. The Vietnamese, on the other hand, love to wrap theirs with soft lettuce, basil and mint. "Like many Vietnamese dishes, eating it this way resonates with layers of flavors and textures - the crispy vegetables with the crunchy spring roll," Routhier says. In the last few years, spring rolls have moved from the menus of inexpensive Chinese and Vietnamese eateries to more expensive contemporary establishments. Spring-roll wrappers have become a popular food format for chefs and consumers seeking stylish snacks and appetizers..."
---"For fresh, contemporary flavor with ancient Asian flair, nothing beats; SPRING ROLLS," The Houston Chronicle, July 26, 2000, (Food P. 1)
Historic information and global timeline , Soy Information Center.
[1981]
"Question: I am a diabetic and have been using the food exchange list as a guide to the foods I eat daily. Born in the Orient and raised here, I am very fond of Oriental vegetables...However these vegetables are not in the standard exchange list and I do not know which belong to vegetable exchange list 1 or 2...[Answer] Exchange List 2...Soybeans, green (edamame), 1/3 cup."
---"You Asked About...Oriental Vegetables and Food Exchanges for the Diabetic," Minnie Bernardino, Los Angeles Times, June 11, 1981 (p. J8)
[1993]
"With the sake I like a little bowl of edamame -- fresh soy beans -- slightly salted and still in the pod. You pick them up and pop the beans into your mouth. (If you try to eat the pods, you will find that they are rather tough.) At first taste, they are slightly salty, and then the buttery richness of the beans comes through. If you think of soybeans as boring, these will change your mind."
---"Restaurants: Honmura An," Ruth Reichl, New York Times, September 10, 1993 (p. 20)
"Minnesota's Gillette cites the example of edamame beans, specially processed soybeans eaten in Japan as a salted snack similar to popcorn or peanuts. With production dropping on Taiwan, Japan's historic source, the beans are grown in Jackson and Martin counties in Minnesota on an experimental basis, processed locally and shipped to Japan. The Pillsbury Co. is reportedly investigating the possibility of processing this bean for export on a large scale."
---"Adding value to agriculture: New life for an old industry?" Ed Lotterman, Fedgazette, Jan1993 (p. 1)
[1995]
"At Nobu in New York, VIPs and repeat customers often receive a complimentary starter of edamame, or steamed fresh vegetable soy beans with kosher salt on the side. The beans, which are a brilliant green because they were harvested before reaching maturity and drying out, are served in the pod, and guests squeeze them out. Soy beans that have been dried are tan or yellow in color. Nobu general manager Richard Notar says that while many Westerners, including himself, become "addicted" to the steamed beans, the restaurant's Japanese chefs can't understand the excitement. In Japan, he says, edamame is akin to a "snack food." "
---"Joy of Soy: Protein-Rich Bean can Lower Cholesterole," Alan Liddle, Nation's Restaurant News, September 18, 1995 (p. 37)
[1997]
"We sampled a few appetizers. Edamame ($2) is a dish of quick-boiled soybeans sprinkled with a light dusting of salt, which, though simple, is incredibly addictive and perfect finger-food for a table of four."
---"Short Order," (restaurant review, Shohko-Cafe), Santa Fe New Mexican, February 14, 1997 (p. 87)
[1998]
"A delectable snack, edamame (eh-dah-MAH-meh) are soybeans, served boiled or steamed in the pod and sprinkled with coarse salt. Frozen soybeans are easier to find than fresh ones. To prepare, bring a pot of water to the boil, add the soybeans in their shells and cook for about 5 minutes. Drain and sprinkle generously with coarse salt--Japanese sea salt is the best. Serve edamame with cocktails before dinner. Make sure you tell your guests how to eat them: Hold the end of a pod in your fingers, close your teeth around the shell, and pull it slowly out of your mouth; the beans will pop out of the tough shell, which should be discarded."
---"Soybean Snacks," Gazette [Cedar Rapids IA], February 6, 1998 (p. 5A)
[1999]
"The Chinese call them mao dou, or hairy beans. The Japanese call them edamame, or branch beans. Neither name, however, expresses even faintly the fondness those cultures have for the soybean. Like the peanut in America, the soybean is a humble homegrown legume that everyone eats--often as a snack--and most adore. Soybeans are earning increasing fondness in this country, too. Enter any Japanese restaurant in Manhattan...and you are sure to spot a bowl of them, piled high and disappearing quickly. Served in the pod, they are eaten by scraping the oval beans out of the salty, fuzzy pod with your teeth. They're so tasty they're addictive. Trader Joe's, a national grocery chain, began carrying frozen soybeans 10 months ago. Sales now rival those of frozen corn and broccoli. Ford decades, pigs were the beneficiaries of most soybeans cultivated in the United States. Other soy proeducts, like tofu and soy mik, had for years been treated as esoteric health foods. Now that soy is being heralded for healthfulness, that perception is reversing...Next to a bag of chips, spybeans in the pod happen to be the world's easiest hors d'oeuvre. Simply buy a bag of the frozen beans...boil them for a few minutes, drain, cool and pile them into a bowl. This is how they are prepared in Japan, where they are served in practically every bar. In New York, edamame appears on the menus on most Japanese restaurants, ususally among the appetizers. It also shows up on Korean and Chinese menus, as well as on ones that are not Asian...In Japan, soybeans are sold in markets on the branch with their roots still attached--thus the name branch bean...A copper brown fuzz clings to the outside of soybean pods must be removed before eating. To get it off, Ms. Andoh said, Japanese cooks put te beans in a suribachi, a ceramic mortar with a grooved interior. Then they sprinkle on coarse salt and rub the beans against the mortar so that the fuzz sticks in the grooves, leaving just the bright-green pods. With this technique ther eis no need to salt the water when boiling them. All this work may be considered a necessity in Japan, but in America, it's tough to sell...In Japanese restaurants...soybeans are still mostly served plain. And cold. Eating them cold from the pod has been traditional since the 17th century in Japan."
---"Bet You Can't Eat Just One Soybean," Amanda Hesser, New York Times, September 8, 1999 (p. F3)
"Edamame, salted soybeans that are the equivalent of cocktail peanuts in Asian restaurants, will soon be moving into home kitchens. Karan Hall, a spokeswoman for one importer, Seaside Farms of Inglewood, Calif., says the demand for the fresh soybeans has risen fivefold nationally in the last six months. Nobu Next Door, Mirezi, Bop and other restaurants serve the snack warm with drinks. Edamame, fresh soybeans that are boiled and salted, are bright green and slightly fuzzy pods that should be popped open; each contains about three plump, slightly sweet legume-like seeds. Edamame are now available frozen in one-pound bags in shops that specialize in Asian ingredients. But by spring, they will be available at Kings Super Markets in New Jersey and A.&P. stores in the New York area, now that Haddon House, a food distributor, has started receiving shipments from Seaside Farms. Ms. Hall says the company is bringing in 28,000 pounds a week."
---"Food Stuff," Florence Fabricant, New York Times, January 27, 1999 (p. 2)
[2000]
"Move over tempeh, tofu, miso, soy sauce, and all you other processed soy foods the most up-and-coming variety of soybean is edamame, also known as vegetable soybeans. These soybeans in their most primative state--picked young and green, steamed or boiled five minutes, then popped out of the pods right into your mouth. With 36 percent protein, a good dose of vitamin C and phytoestrogens, or plant-derived hormones, soybeans have alsways garnered high praise as a nutritional powerhouse. Their taste, though, can leave something to be desired. Boiled mature (dry) soybeans have an unpleasant flavor and waxy texture, and tofu and tempeh are most esteemed for picking up other flavors. Edamame, on the other hand, are delectable in their own right, combining the best of garden peas and lima beans in flavor and texture. Popular in Asia for millenniums, edamame now occasionally show up in markets on this side of the Pacific. Although edamame taste like peas and lima beans and grow much like green beans, they are as easy to grow as those familiar vegetables, or even easier. Edamame tolerate summer heat better than garden peas..."
---"Edamame, the Soybean With the Advantage," Lee Reich, New York Times, May 14, 2000 (p. ST9)
The Japanese connection
"'It may surprise you to learn,' said the Chinese Nationalist Republic emissary, 'that fortune cookies are completely unknown in China. None of us ever laid eyes on one before we came to America. It was the Japanese immigrants out on the West Coast who started the whole idea in the U.S. by stuffing philosophy into their traditional rice cookies.' Kingpin of the fortune cooky industry is Japanese-born Bunshichi Okuno, whos bustling bakery, Twixt Inc., of Long Island City, N.Y. turns out 750,000 proverbial and prophetic pastries a day stuffed with 600 separate and distinct sayings (with 400 more on reserve). He ships to evey part of the United States not already serviced by his brother, Yasuo Okuno, editor and publisher of the Umeya fortune cooky company in Los Angeles...The architecture of the contemporary Chinese fortune cooky is the result of years of tireless Japanese perseverance and experimentation. 'My father launched the idea of putting messages inside pastry when he came to Los Angeles 40 years ago...But in those days we used flat, round rice cookies and rolled them into a scroll with the message inside--sort of a Confucius tamale. These fragile cookies crumbled so easily that they remained mere novelties. But around 1912 came the turning point. My father had been experimenting for years with different shapes to give more tensile strength to the cooky. Shortly before World War II, he hit on the revolutionary idea of bending the dough into a half-pretzel horseshoe shape."
---"The Inside Story of Chinese Fortune Cookies, Leslie Lieber, Los Angeles Times,, June 7, 1959 (p. I25)
"I had never found anyone as obsessed with fortune cookies as I was until I arrived in Japan and met Yasuko Nakamachi. A researcher at Kanagawa University, she had spent six years following the global fortune cookie trail from the United States to Japan and back to the United States. She had first encountered these cookies in New York City Chinese restaurants some two decades earlier...But a few years later, while reading a Japanese book on confectioneries, she stumbled upon a reference to a regional snack--Japanese cookies folded around little pieces of paper...She thought they were a local snack until she made a visit to Kyoto in 1998...she saw a number of small, family-run Japanese bakeries selling cookies with a familiar shape. They were exactly like fortune cookies...the bakers called them omikuji senbei ("fortune crackers") or tsujiura suzu ("bells with fortunes")... At that point she knew it in her heart: fortune cookies were originally Japanese...She spent years sifting through Edo- and Meiji-era documents from various historical archives...She found references to tsujira senbei in nineteenth-century Japan, described as brittle cookies that contained a fortune in a fictional work by Tamanaga Shunsui, a humorist who lived between 1790 and 1842...Then a breakthrough: a reference to an old drawing of a tsujura senbei shop from a modern artist...an 1878 print of a man grilling tsujiura senbei."
---The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, Jennifer 8. Lee [12:New York] 2008(p. 260-261)
---"Fortunetelling Is Against the Law," Timoth G. Turner, Los Angeles Times, June 30, 1950 (p. A5)
"Mr. Okuno told us that the sayings used in his cookies must be passed by an editorial board consisting of three college graduates. Every three months the sayings come up for review, revision, and possible deletion...Where do fortune cooky people get their matrieal? They don't quote famous living authors for fear of being sued for plagairism...Mr. Okuno said that Twixt Inc., once wrote the National Association of Gagwriters--the fellows wo write the funny TV shows--and invited them to submit cooky sayings. 'They failed to come up with anything we considered worthy.'...The Key Key outfit's aphorisms and fortunes go through a careful editorial sieve before they are finally folded by hand into cookies. Philip Leong's father culls the bulk of them from Confucius' loftiest medications. The Lenog's pretty young wife, Margaret, who works in a nearby taily shop and is known as the 'Poet Laureate of Fortune Cookies,' translates them from Chinese into English. The whole batch is then dumped into the lap of Mrs. Cornelia Fredenbugt, and English teacher at New York's High School of Commerce, for a final primpng and polishing (Mrs. Fredenburgh was on vacation when the ungrammatical 'God helps them who helps themselves' sneaked into the Key Key line). What is the most popular fortune cooky every published? Waiters in ten Chinese restaurants said the cooky that made the msot sense to them when they served it to a customer at dessert times was: 'God loveth a cheerful giver.'"
---"The Inside Story of Chinese Fortune Cookies, Leslie Lieber, Los Angeles Times, , June 7, 1959 (p. I25)
"As for the fortune, its origin is even more obscure. There is fortune-telling in China (or there was; the city of Peiping, in what may have been a side-spread action, banned fortune-telling as un-Socialist two years ago) and Chinese now in New York playing a parlor game involving little sticks and fortunes. In Japan...fortune cookies are sold as a treat for children. Yet there seems to be no significant tradition behind them. Chances are that the first man who wrote a wise saying or prediction on a slip of paper and wrapped it in a cooky was simply an inventive genius parlaying the 'mystery of the Orient' and the wisdom of Confucius into a good thing...The standard story about fortune cookies has a bewildered diner fishing out a slip that reads: 'Help! I'm trapped in a Chinese bakery!' This is unlikely. But almost anything else may show up on the tiny slips of paper. In general, the messages are pleasant predictions, simple snippets of philosophy or lines of poetry. Their origin is informal...and their content is increasingly un-Chinese. The Key Key company's author is Margaret Leong, wife of one of the proprietors. 'My father-in-law used to do it...translating Chinese proverbs. But those old things don't go so good these days. Some people like poetry and some like fortunes so I try to mix things up. I read alot, and whenever I see something good I write it dowon. I read Bartlett's and a lot of poems,too'...Mrs. Leong's output is representative of the fortune-cooky literature. There is straigh poetry...clarivoyance...soothsaying...cliches and correct, if obscure, versions of cliches."
---"Rising Fortunes," Armand Schwab Jr., New York Times, November 27, 1960 (p. SM84)
Want to make your own fortune cookies? It's fun & you get to make your own fortunes! Tricky part is folding cookies, before they cool and harden. Small batches are easier to work with.
Fortune Cookies
3/4 cup soft butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
1 cup sifted flour
5 dozen paper fortunes
Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Blend in vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in flour. Grease and flour cooky sheets. Drop six rounded teaspoonfuls of dough on each sheet at least 2-in. apart. Bake at 375 deg. 15 to 20 min. or until edges are well browned. Remove from oven, loosen cookies carefully with a wide spatula, keeping pan warm Gently fold each cooky in half, wrapping paper fortunes inside nd keeping top of cookie on outside. Pinch points together. Cool at once. Makes 5 dozen."
---"Fortune Cookies Not Hard to Make," Marian Manners, Los Angeles Times, February 3, 1963 (p. SF_A10)
As with many Chinese foods popular in America today, fried rice has a long and interesting history. Rice is an ancient food that plays an fundamental role in many cultures and cuisines. About rice from Cambridge World History of Food . Fried rice and noodle dishes with vegetables are likewise ancient. They were typically composed of leftover ingriedents and cooked in woks . If meat was available (chicken, pork, etc.) it was added. According to Chinese food experts, fried rice is a specialty of Yangzhou. They do not attempt to put an exact date on the origin of this recipe.
"Fried rice, which originated in Yanchow province, is a versatile dish which combines cooked rice, onions, soy sauce, sometimes eggs, and just about any other ingredient--leftover or fresh--that may be on hand. The ingredient that predominates gives the dish its name: chicken fried rice, roast pork fried rice, shrimp fried rice, etc. When any ingredients are included, the dish is called subgum--or "many varieties"--fried rice...The [American] restaurant convention of ordering a dish of fried rice with numerous other main courses, or ordering it place of white rice, is Western and not Chinese at all."
---The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cook Book, Gloria Bley Miller [Grosset & Dunlap:New York] 1975 (p. 632-3)
"Fried rice...is a standard method of cooking leftovers, involving frying cold boiled rice with chopped-up meat and vegetables. In really superior restaurants, rice weill be specially boiled and dried for this, but usually old, unused rice is served. The common (and favorite) recipe, however is not Cantonese, but eastern, deriving from Yonchou in the lower Yangtze country; it involved mixing chopped ham, beaten egg, green peas, green onions, and other ingredients to taste, and then rather slowly sauteing the rice. The rice is neither deep-fried nor stir-fried, but chin-left to cook slowly in a little oil, producing a fluffy product with a slight crust."
---Food of China, E.N. Anderson [Yale University Press:New Haven CT] 1988 (p. 212)
"Fried rice with Choice of Flavors.
Chow Faan. There are more ways to make fried rice than I would care to count. Which is more authentically Chinese?...Fried rice, Chinese style, can be varied infinately by following a basic recipe and just changing the main ingredients used in conjunction with the rice. Roast pork, ham, chicken, or any type of seafood or preserved meats may be used."
---Jim Lee's Chinese Cook Book, Jim Lee [Harper Row:New York] 1968 (p. 272-3)
About fried rice in America
"The [American] restaurant convention of ordering a dish of fried rice with numerous other main' courses, or ordering it place of white rice, is Western and not Chinese at all."
---The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cook Book, Gloria Bley Miller [Grosset & Dunlap:New York] 1975 (p. 633)
Fried rice recipes , Chinese-Japanese Cook Book, Sara Bosse [1914]
---page through to read the entire chapter
Seitan, Wheat Meat & Fu
The origin and evolution Seitan (aka wheat meat ) and Fu are challenging to trace. Most popular references vaguely refer to ancient Buddhist origins, similar to that of tofu. A survey of American cookbooks and articles confirms seitan was known in our country by the 1970s. It became popular in selected vegetarian food circles by the early 1990s. Aveline Kushi's Complete Guide to Macrobiotic Cooking [1985] devotes an entire chapter to seitan cookery.
What is Seitan?
"Seitan is a whole wheat product cooked in a broth of kumba, tamari soy sauce, and water. It has a rich, dynamic taste and lends itself to a variety of dishes ranging from cutlets to soups, salads, and layered casseroles. Similar in taste and texture to meat, seitan was developed by Zen Buddhist cooks in China and Japan and used instead of chicken and pork. Made from separating the starch and bran from the gluten (cereal protein) in whole wheat flour, seitan is also known as wheat gluten or wheat meat. In this country, wheat meat patties have become very popular served as grainburgers and make an ideal substitute for hamburger or other animal food entrees. In Europe, wheat gluten often forms a part of the traditional diet and is usually made with a little oil. High in protein, seitan creates strength and vitality and is quite filling. It can be made at home with whole wheat flour from hard spring or hard red wheat...."
---Aveline Kushi's Complete Guide to Macrobiotic Cooking, Aveline Kushi with Alex Jack [Warner Books:New York] 1985 (p. 99-100)
[NOTE: Recipe for homemade seitan follows. Happy to share if you want. Recipes including seitan ingredient include: Seitan Kinpira, Sauteed Seitan and Onions, Seitan and Sauerkraut, Seitan with Vegetables and Kuzu Sauce, Deep-fried Seitan and Vegetables, Seitan Croquettes, Seitan Stew, Wheat Meat Burger, Sweet and Sour Seitan.]
Origins
"Gluten as a Separate Ingredient. Because they're both cohesive and insoluble in water, the gluten proteins are easily separated from the rest of the flour; you simply make a dough, then knead it in water. The starch and water-coluable substances wash away, and tough, chewy gluten remains. Gluten as a unique food ingredient was discovered by the Chinese noodle makers around the 6th century, and by the 11th it was known as mein chin, or the 'muscle of flour.' (The Japanese call it seitan.) When cooked, concentrated gluten does develop a chewy, slippery texture like that of meats from animal muscle. Mein chin became a major ingredient in the vegetarian cooking that developed in Buddhist monasteries; there are recipes dating from the 11th century from imitation venison and jerky, and for fermented gluten."
---On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of The Kitchen, Harold McGee, Completely Revised and Updated [Scribner:New York] 2004 (p. 468)
"Wheat gluen has long been separated form the starch and made into imitation meats for vegetarian cookery (Buddhist-inspired). Some of the imitations are close to the original; others stretch one's imagination."
---Food of China, E.N. Anderson [Yale University Press:New Haven CT] 1988 (p. 144)
[NOTE: Neither this source nor Food in China: A cultural and Historical Inquiry/Frederick J. Simoons place a date of first use.]
Seitan in the USA
"SEITAN, (SAY-tan), is a Japanese name for seasoned wheat gluten, or "wheat meat" as it is sometimes called. Not widely known in the West, except among Mormons and Seventh-day Adventists, wheat gluten has a long history of use in the cuisine of the Middle and Far East. Wheat gluten is made by first forming a dough with high protein wheat flour and water. The dough is kneaded and washed to remove the starches and bran. What is left is the concentrated gluten, or protein, of the wheat. To make seitan, wheat gluten is slowly simmered in a seasoned broth that usually contains tamari (a high quality soy sauce), kombu (a sea vegetable) and water. The result is a delicious, high protein, vegan food. A four-ounce serving contains 70 calories, 15 grams of protein, 1 gram of fat and, as with all vegan foods, zero cholesterol. Those with gluten sensitivity may be sensitive to seitan as well. Luckily, because of the high quality ingredients and cooking methods, some who are sensitive to other wheat gluten products find they have little or no allergic reaction to seitan. ."
---"Meet the Meat of Wheat," Timothy Aitken, Vegetarian Times, February 1997 (p. 88)
---A Dictionary of Japanese Food: Ingredients and Culture, Richard Hosking [Charles E. Tuttle Company:Rutland VT] 1997 (p. 41)
What's the difference between sietan and fu?
"Fu is made by kneading hard-gluten wheat flour with water for 30 minutes to an hour (this varies with the maker), separating protein (gluten) from starch. The starch is washed away with cold running water, leaving the pure gluten. In this form it is known as seitan, familiar to macrobiotic dieters. To complete the fu, flour made from glutinous rice is added, the sticky substance kneaded again, and flavorings or coloring added. The elastic mass is shaped into rolls and dipped briefly in boiling water. It is then placed in molds lined with wet cotton cloth, and steamed for about 20 minutes. Nama fu is fully cooked and can be eaten as is, but it is often added to soups or other hot dishes. Fresh fu...should be refrigerated as soon as possible after purchase...and eaten no more than a day later."
---"Fu and Yuba, Tasty Specialties of Kyoto," Amanda Mayer Stinchecum, New York Times, June 7, 1992 (p. XX6)
Origin & history
"The most characteristic foods of Japanese cuisine are delicate and often elusive in flavor, appreciated as much for their texture and consistency as for their taste. Bean curd is probably the most familiar of these foods in the West. Two are so special, so tied to place, history and freshness that they really be fully enjoyed only in Kyoto. Fresh wheat gluten (nama fu), its consistency chewy but tender and fresh bean curd skin (nama yuba)...Fu...originally came from China and was brought to Japan during the Muromachi period (late 14th to 16th century). The preparation and use of protein rich fu developed as part of the vegetarian cuisine that evolved in Buddhist temples...Because there were (and are) so many temples in Kyoto, and also because the city was known for the quality of its well water, Kyoto became famous for fu. At the height of its popularity in the 19th century, there were over a hundred fu specialty shops in the city, and the name of one street, Fuyacho, still attests to the aggregation of fu makers formerly in the ear. With the increasing popularity of Western-style food since the end of World War II, the demand for traditional specialties, particularly those that cannot be stored indefinitely, has gradually declined. Many young people are completely unfamiliar with them. Now there are about 10 establishments that make fu, but most of their business is the toasted and dried yaki fu, which keeps indefinitely and is shipped all over Japan. Used mainly in soups, it has a kind of breadlike quality when reconstituted and is quite different in flavor and consistency from the fresh stuff."
---"Fu and Yuba, Tasty Specialties of Kyoto," Amanda Mayer Stinchecum, New York Times, June 7, 1992 (p. XX6)
"Since the Meiji period [1868-1912], fu has also been mixed with leavening and baked into yakifu, a dry spongy food that keeps for a long time."
---Yhe History and Culture of Japanese Food, Naomichi Ishige [Kegan Paul:London] 2001 (p. 243)
Culinary applications
"Fu is a wheat gluten product similar to seitan but toasted, steamed, and dried. Light in consistency, fu absorbs liquid and expands several times in volume when cooked. Like seitan, it is easy to digest and gives energy. Fu can be enjoyed plain, garnished with grated fresh ginger and toasted black sesame seeds, or added to miso soup or tamari soy sauce broth, stews, salads, or cooked together with vegetables. At home, fu can be made using the basic method for seitan...Then gently toast in a moderately hot oven for a few minutes. After cooling, lightly steam to allow the fu to puff up. Cut into rounds and let dry in a cook place. Store in an airtight container. Dried fu is available in several forms in natural foods stores or Oriental markets: flat strips, large doughnut-shaped rounds, and small rounds. A good quality 100-percent whole what product is uranafu, which has a natural light brown color...Oriental food stores often carry a very white refined fu. It is attractively cut in fancy shapes, such as flowers, but contains artificial color and should be avoided. To prepare dried fu, soak for 5 to 10 minutes in hot water until softened and press out any excess water by squeezing between the palms of your hands; then slice into cubes or bite-sized pieces and add to miso soup, or boil, saute, steam, bake, or deep-fry for your favorite dish."
------Aveline Kushi's Complete Guide to Macrobiotic Cooking, Aveline Kushi with Alex Jack [Warner Books:New York] 1985 (p. 106)
[NOTE: recipe for Fu and Broccoli Broth included.]
Sharks have been feeding humans from prehistoric times forward. Chinese culinary traditions celebrate shark fins as banquet fare from medieval times forward. Sharks Fin Soup is one of several examples. Americans discovered shark meat in the 20th century. Mock Shark's Fin Soup surfaces in the 1960s. In the 21st century, concerns are raised about "finning" ( sharks being killed specifically for their fins).
What is "shark's fin?"
"Shark's fin, and ingredient greatly valued in China, comes--obviously--from a shark, but not just any shark and not just any fin. Of the numerous species in the Indo-Pacific only a few are especially sought because they yield fins with the qualities required; and distinctions are also made between e.g. the dorsal fin and the ventral fins and others. Kreuzer...listed what he though were the most valuable fins, explaining that those of sharks shorter than 1.5 m (5') are preferred, and mention the pectoral fins of the sawfish shark...The value of fins, which are always sold dried, depends also upon their condition and on the length of unbroken cartilaginous 'strands' which they will yield after the very elaborate processing which they undergo in professional kitchens."
---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 1999 (p. 716)
Origin & varieties
"Shark's fin...is another great delicacy in China, served at banquets and special dinners and, where found on restaurant menus, quite expensive. In the Dai Tung Restaurant in 1987 we found shark's fin dishes to be two to three times as expensive as bird's nest ones...Shark's fin seem to have first gained favor in Sung times...Domestic supply has long been too small to meet demand, and the Chinese have been forced to obtain sharks' fins from abroad. Late in the last century, the Indian ports of Bombay and Madras were identified as large suppliers of 'sharks' fins to China, mainly from the tiger shark...and shark-like guitar fishes...Other suppliers mentioned were the Philippines, Dutch East Indies, Burma, and the Hawaiian Islands...In the 1920's, most of the shark's fin imported to China came from India, where fins (from at least fourteen species of sharks, rays and certain other fish) were obtained in the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean, with Bombay and Karachi identified as very important in the shark's fin trade...The trade network may have been even more extensive in the 1950's..."
---Food in China: A Cultural and Historical Inquiry, Frederick J. Simoons [CRC Press:Boca Raton FL] 1991 (p. 431) [NOTE: Sung Dynasty 960AD-1279AD]
Culinary applications
"...the preparation differs according to whether the find is of lesser quality (loose of separated) or better quality (compact). Lesser quality fin is usually cooked in a sort of soup with chicken or crab flesh and served with them. Better quality fin...is cooked with ham or pork in a double boiler with water and wine until tender, for about three hours. Then it is carefully removed from the pot, separate from the other ingredients, and is put in another pan with specially-prepared chicken and ham bouillon. The fin is cooked for ten minutes to permit the bouillon flavor to penetrate it. Soy sauce and, if needed, salt is added, and the dish is served immediately...That the Chinese should develop such a dish is eloquent testimony to their unusual commitment to culinary experimentation as well as to the high regard in which they hold shark's fin, which, like bird's nest, is considered strengthening by the Chinese. In terms of food value, shark's fin...is very high in calcium and high in iron."
---Food in China (p. 432)
"Shark's fin...is a delicacy which belongs to the sphere of Chinese haute cuisine. It is only served at party dinners and banquets...In China, a shark's fin dish can almost be considered a culinary joke, for it takes 3 days to prepare, and only 3 minutes to eat. The reason why preparation of shark's fin takes such a long time is because in its original state, it is as tough as rhinoceros' horn. If it is be softened into a jellified state without destroying or changing its essential nature, it requires very careful handling."
---Encyclopedia of Chinese Cooking, Kenneth Lo [Galahad Books:New York] 1979, 1985 (p. 299)
How is shark fin prepared?
"When fresh, shark's fin has little flavor, but when cured its flavor is more pronounced. Curing fo the Chinese market as practiced in Malaya involved removing the fin, coating it with lime dust, rubbing the flesh with salt, and then sun-drying it...Ways of preparing shark's fin for eating have been described by various authors. The most detailed account we have found...is that of F.T. Cheng...who notes that preparation differs according to the quality of the fin, with more elaborate preparation for compact shark's fin of the finest quality. Whatever the quality...it is best to soften the fin by soaking in cold water for three days, through one can skip this stage if there is insufficient time. The fin is then prepared for cleaning by simmering for four to five hours or until the skin and bone can readily be removed. In simmering, the water is changed frequently to prevent the unpleasant odor of decayed flesh and bone from affecting the fin. Then the fin is cleaned, with careful attention to the removal of decayed flesh. Fin of low quality may lack sufficient gelatin to hold together and may be loose or even separate in the process of cleaning. Cooks make as special effort to avoid separation...for a dish of compact shark's fin is three times or more as expensive in restaurants as one of loose fin. In Canton, the cook uses a bamboo net in later stages or preparation to keep the fin compact."
---Food in China (p. 432)
"Shark Fins, Preparatory Cooking. Take two pounds of uncooked shark fins, afteer trimming off hard pieces, boil 6 hours; rinse in cold water and draain. Remove all bones aand clean until clear of sand. Place shark fins in a deep colander and put colaner in a pot with water to cover. Cook 5 hours rinse again and drain. Rub well between palms of hands and rinse again. Put into a deep bowl, pour boiling water over them. Clean in this way several times until all outer skin has been removed. Shark fins are dried and may be bought at a Chinese grocery store."
---Cook at Home in Chinese, Henry Low [Pacific Printing:Hong Kong] 1938 (p. 63)
"Shark's fins (skinless): Rinse in cold water. Soak overnight in warm water. Wash.
Drain. Simmer 1 hour with a garlic clove, small piece or ginger root or leek).
Rinse
Or: Soak 30 minutes in warm water. Wash. Drain. Simmer as above for 2 hours.
Or: Soak overnight in warm water. Cook 2 hours in chicken broth, using the bowl-within-a-pot method of steaming.
Note: Already processed shark's fins are available in some Chinese food stores, but must be ordered several days beforehand. They are quite expensive."
---The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook, Gloria Bley Miller [Grosset & Dunlap:New York] 1966, 1970 (p. 884)
[1966]
Shark's fin soup
"Although many Chinese banquet dishes are within the range of the home cook, several are not often prepared at home because they demand special skills and facilities. These include shark's fin [soup]...Shark's fin soup...requires particular culinary skills to produce a dish which is creamy, yet not heavy; rich in fragrance, yet still mild; with the shark's fin soft and gelatinous, but not completely dissolved...
"Shark's Fin Soup I
1/2 pound dried shark's fin
1 cup white meat chicken
cornstarch
1 or 2 scallion stalks
6 cups stock
1. Soak and process shark's fin.
2. Shred chicken; then dredge lightly in cornstarch. Mince smoked ham and scallion stalks.
3. Bring stock to a boil. Add shark's fin and simmer, covered, 20 minutes. Add chicken; simmer, covered, 10 minutes more.
4. Season with salt. Garnish with ham and scallion and serve.
NOTE: A rich clear stock should be used and the fins cooked until their gelatinous content dissolves partially, thickening the stock. The fins should be eaten when soft but still firm.
"Shark's Fin Soup II
While sushi and sashimi may sit side by side in contemporary upscale western-based Japanese restaurants, that was not the original intent. Sushi and sashimi evolved for two distinct culinary purposes. Amerian sushi, including California rolls descended from these traditions.
SUSHI
"Sushi marries the flavor of vinegared rice to the clean flavor of fresh raw fish and shellfish. The rice is deftly shaped into bite-sized 'fingers'. seasoned with a dab of zesty wasabi horseradish, and covered by a strip of choice seafood...Sushi originated as a way of preserving tuna, or curcian, a kind of carp. The fish was salted and allowed to mature on a bed of vinegared rice, after which the rice was discarded. Long before vinegared rice came to be eaten together with the fish and many different combination and ways of serving them evolved."
---Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art, Shizou Tsuji [Kodansha International:New York] 1980 (p. 285-288)
"The original of modern sushi is known as narezushi, a way of preserving fish by salting and fermenting between layers of rice...First the fermentation, then the salting were done away and and the rice (which once was thrown away) was converted to the sublime vinegared rice of today. Something approaching nigiri-zushi was available in a multitude of Edo (Tokyo) restaurants by the middle of the 19th century. The modern forms were not fixed...until the advent of refrigeration."
---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 2nd edition, 2007 (p. 772)
"The beginning of all sushi making was a method of pickling fish practiced first in Southeast Asia. Long ago the mountain people of that region preserved fish by packing it wth rice. As it fermented the rice produced lactic acid, which pickled the fish and kept it from spoiling. It seems probable that it was during prehistoric times when this method of preservation was introduced to Japan along with rice cultivation. One of the for it eventually took was nare-zushi, a sushi made with carp in the vicinity of Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture. As had been th custom from the beginning, only the fish was eaten; the rice was discarded. The history of Biwa carp sushi, also called funa-suzhhi, is said to extend back 1300 years...Preparing nare-zushi takes from 2 months to more than a year. People in 15th and 16th century Japan came to think not ony that this was too time consuming but that it was a waste of rice...One thing the people of Edo were not noted for was their patience. In the middle of the 17th century, a doctor named Matsumoto Yoshiichi...hit upon the idea of adding vinegar to sushi rice. The resulting tartness was pleasing, and the time it was necessary to wait before eating the sushi was substantially reduced. Still, it was not eaten right away. In keeping with the culinary practices of the time, the rice and other ingredients were boxed or rolled up before consumption...By the early 19th century...nigiri-zushi came into being. It is often referred to as Edomae-zushi, possibly...becuase the fish and shellfish used in it were taken from the waters of the large bay on which the city is situated...By 1824 a man named Hanaya Yohei conceived the idea of sliced, raw seafood at its freshest, served on small fingers of vinegared rice...The stall he opened in the bustling Ryoguku district of Edo caught on at once...In old pictures the sushi shops of the Edo period (1603-1868) look very little like ones of today. For one thing, the cook worked seated behind a lattice. Still there is something familiar. A raised tatami-floored section for a small number of guests is shown in some pictures, and this might be considered the predecessor fo the tatami areas in some modern sushi shops. And then as now sushi could be delivered, after a fashion. Men walked around selling it from large boxes carried on their backs. In the middle of the 19th century, sushi stalls began emerging all over Edo. They were well patronized and endured until shortly after World War II. Many a proprietor of a splendid modern sushi shop got his start as a sushi stall operator. There were many ordinary sushi shops in the city, too...The stall had wheels and were hauled into place in the evening. Then the operator hung out his noren curtain to signify he was ready for business...He kept his wares in a box filed with ice, lifting the bamboo mat covereing it to display what he had to offer. On the stall's small counter, he set out one bowl of soy rice and another of sliced pickeld ginger. His sushi rice he cooked at home and brought with him in a wooden container. In winter the container was wrapped with straw wo the rice would not get too cold and unappetizing...The transition from sushi stall to the often elegant shop of today was gradual and began after the Great Kanto earthquake of 1923. For a while after shops began to be built, the stall remained, parked in front of the shop. Customers who were so inclined purchased and consumed theri food out of doors. The chairs inside the shop were mostly for the convenience of people waiting to have sushi packed in boxes to take out...Sushi stalls vanished form Tokyo streets forever after World War II...At first the stall was simply moved indoors to become the sushi chef's work space and counter."
---The Book of Sushi, Kinjiro Omae and Yuzuru Tachibana [Kodansha International:New York] 1981 (p. 104-108)
"...sushi has existed in Japan for more than a thousand years in the form of narezushi, which is also found throughout Southeast Asia and in rice-growing regions of China...From the fifteenth century, Japanese sushi developed in a direction different from the other Asia areas, beginning with the appearance of namanare-zushi. 'Namanare' means 'raw mature' and describes an intermediate phase between those states. Namanare-zushi is ready to eat between several days and a month after the mixture of fish and rice is enclosed under a weighted lid...The rice i seaten with the fish rather than discarded. Whereas narezushi is fish eaten as a side dish, the emergence of namanare-zushi was the point where sushi took on the character of a complete snack, combining staple and side dish. Narezushi developed originally as a method for preserving a large amount of fish caught at one time so it would be edible later in the year. In contrast, namanare-zushi was made in small quantities for use at festivals or feasts, and so was a luxury food rather than a preserved food. That meant that the types of fish were no longer limited to those caught seasonally in large quantities, and sushi diversified to include various sea fish, and even vegetables which were processed into vegetarian shushi. In place of the big cask used for large amounts of sushi, a small amount was made in a shallow wooden box, by topping a bed of rice with a layer of sliced fish, and applying an inner lid weighted with a stone. The finished product was sliced into long pieces. This is the forerunner of today's hakosushi ('box sushi'), and Osaka specialty...The next new direction in sushi making, devised in the late seventeenth century, was to produce a rice-and-fish combination with a tasty acidic flavour, not through fermentation but by simply adding vinegar to the rice. Thus lactic acid was replaced by acetic acid. This new 'quick sushi' was given a name that means exactly that, hayazushi. later, in the early nineteenth century, it became popular on the streets of Edo as nigiri-zushi, a convenient form that involves neither the vinegar dressing used for namasu nor the stprage technology of preserved sushi. This was the final stage in the transformation of sushi from preserved food into a fast food. The fact thet vinegar is still always added to sushi rice to give it a slightly tart taste means that a culinary tradition survives unbroken, if only barely, in the form of contemporary sushi."
---The History and Culture of Japanese Food, Naomichi Ishige [Kegan Paul:London] 2001 (p. 227-231)
Sashimi
"For Westerners, shashimi is perhaps the archetypal Japanese dish; thinly sliced raw fish served typically with grated horseradish or with a ginger and soy sauce. The preparation of the fish, with a villainously sharp knife, is a skill perfected with long practice."
---An A-Z of Food & Drink, John Ayto [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 2002 (p. 301)
"Sashimi, a Japanese term for a dish of sliced raw fish. The word is derived from sashi (to pierce) and mi (flesh), with no element specifying fish or seafood; and similar techniques can be used to produce dishes called sashimi chicken or beef, but these are rarities by comparison with the ubiquitous fish sashimi. Tsuji...has declared sahimi to be 'the crowning glory of the formal meal' in Japan...and emphasizes that its preparation is not just a matter of choosing supremely fresh fish but also of taking into account the seasonings at which the various species are at their best. Sashimi is presented wtih great elegance in an arrangement."
---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 2nd edition, 2007 (p. 695)
"Sashimi is served searly in the meal so its subtle flavor may be enjoyed while one is still hungry and before one's palate is sates with cooked foods. Home meals a usually served all at once, but the sashimi should be eaten first, for the same reason...Sashimi is usually served on individual shallow dishes (or plates) in slices...Five or six rectangular slices rest like fallen dominoes against a high bed of crisp, shred-cut giant white radish..."
---Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art, Shizou Tsuji [Kodansha International:New York] 1980 (p. 159)
"In Japan the word sashimi frist appears in literature of the mid-fifteenth cnetury. Before that time raw fish dishes were always called namasu, a term which appears in literature from as early as the eighth century. Namasu is thinly sliced raw fish that is eaten with a vinegar-based dressing poured over it. The dressing may contain spices, such as a salted paste of grated ginger and the sharp-tasting tade...or miso...The there was a time when the words namasu and sashimi were synonymous, sashimi took on a different meaning when the current style was established in the Edo period. Namasu is cut into long cord-like pieces and dressed, whereas sashimi appears to have originated with city dwellers. Wasabi was a wild plant until sashimi became popular in the Edo period and the supply could no longer meet the demand, after which it became domesticated...Before modern refrigeration and transport technologies were developed, people in inland areas have very few chances to eat sea-fish sashimi, which made it the symbol of a great feast. From the 1960s sashimi has been a regular item on the Japanese dinner table..."
---The History and Culture of Japanese Food, Naomichi Ishige [Kegan Paul:London] 2001 (p. 224-227)
Empress Chicken
Dishes titled "Empress Chicken," are the same recipe as General Tso only made with white meat rather than dark. Our survey of historic newspapers confirm the Empress first surfaces in the Hunan-American restaurants in the mid-1980s. We find no particular person or restaurant claiming the honor of invention. Generally, whiter meat=more Americanization.
We also found this:
"Empress Chicken will be served at the Empress Seafood Restaurant located on the sixth floor of the Xinqiao Hotel. Service begins August 28. Operated by the Hong Kong-based Galaxy (China) Ltd, the restaurant boasts a karaoke bar and a nightclub, in addition to a luxury banquet hall that can seat 70 customers at a time. The restaurant mainly provides Guangdong dishes, one of the eight major cuisines in China. It is introducing to Beijing the dish known as Empress Chicken, which enjoys an excellent reputation in Hong Kong. Empress Chicken doesn't taste like broiled or fried chicken. It resembles Peking Duck, in that it is roasted whole and emerges from the oven with a crisp, slightly sweet skin. The bird is sliced just before serving. Its skin is moist with the chicken's natural juices. To ensure that Beijing Empress Chicken tastes like its Guangzhou counterpart, Empress Seafood Restaurant plans to airlift Sanhuang chickens from Guangzhou daily rather than rely on local supplies. It will offer Empress Chicken in its dining room and also boxed for take-out. The restaurant has brought Yuan Shenglian, a famous Hong Kong chef, to Beijing to run its kitchen."
---"Empress Chicken comes to Beijing," Beijing Weekend 6 August 1993 (p.5)
Again no "inventor." General notes on Peking Duck & related dishes here .
Potstickers (aka pot stickers) belong to the dumpling family. Global and local, these delicious filled dough morsels are enjoyed in most cultures and cuisines. Ingredients, recipes, and cooking methods vary according to culture and cuisine. About dumplings.
Chinese cuisine offers many different kinds of dumplings. They may be served for appetizers (dim sum) or with the main course. Dumplings may be steamed, boiled, saut�ed or fried. Our survey of Chinese cookbooks, culinary texts and magazine/newspaper articles returned conflicting reports as to the origin of what we Americans now call �potstickers.� Some sources state this item belongs to the Northern provinces, where steamed wheat products are favored over rice. Other sources credit Cantonese cooks for introducing potstickers to the USA. Both theories have merit. Why the name? Presumably it describes how the product adheres to the cooking receptacle. The earliest USA print sources we find mentioning potstickers date to the mid-1970s (see recipes below). Popularity, measured by references in magazines/newspapers continues to grow in each century. So do the recipes and definitions.
About Chinese dumplings
The dumpling is a gastronomic ambassador across China's regions, ethnic groups and even religions," says Ted Anthony, a former China News Editor of The Associated Press. Though pork is a popular filling, the Chinese landscape and the adaptability of dumpling recipes are broad enough to handle the great variety of religious and ethnic dietary mandates in the country. Dumplings may be sweet or fiery hot, small as a pearl or as large as a soup bowl. But China's varying climates and topography have dictated one constant in the 3,000-year history of Chinese dumplings: The wrappings are traditionally wheat-based in the north and rice-based in the south. Though chefs can serve more than 100 varieties of dumplings, that "doesn't begin to scratch the surface of the variety prepared in the kitchens every day throughout every province in China," says San Francisco-based celebrity chef Martin Yan, who recently established his Martin Yan Culinary Arts Institute in Chengdu, located in the "spice box" province of Sichuan. "You are not using just one filling or one way of folding, or even one way of cooking," he says. "It is an art, an age-old heritage for thousands of years, different from city to city, village to village. The fillings could be anything: chopped nuts, fermented rice, red-bean paste and many varieties of vegetables, meats and seafood." The Cantonese call their version of the jiaozi "bao gee." In the south it may be steamed or deep-fried. Up north it usually would be boiled. If the jiaozi is flipped into a frying pan for browning, it would be called guotie, which translates as "pot stickers." Won tons, or hundun in Mandarin, are usually smaller and have a more irregular shape than jiaozi. In Xi'an, China's capital for 1,000 years, restaurants are famous for their dumplings. At this central Chinese city's Tang Dynasty Theatre Restaurant, which features music programs from the Tang reign, ending in 907 A.D., the first item on its extensive prix-fixe menu is a dumpling dish. In Shanghai, the steamed soup dumpling, or xiao long bao, is a popular item, prepared with a gelatinous dollop of soup, and usually a ball of seasoned pork, sealed in dough. As the dumpling is steamed, the gelatin melts to provide the diner with a burst of hot, nutritious food. ."
---�Reigning dumplings,� falseRichard L. Papiernik, Nation's Restaurant News, March 10, 2008 (p. 31,50).
"From the pot stickers and succulent dumplings of the northern provinces�"FOOD, CULINARY IDENTITY, AND TRANSNATIONAL CULTURE: Chinese Restaurant Business in Southern California,� Liu, Haiming Lin, Lianlian, Journal of Asian American Studies, June 2009, p. 135-162, 138)
POT STICKER RECIPES
�Pot Stickers with Beef and Water Chestnuts (Shanghai)
1 recipe for jao tze dough
Filling:
1 pound lean ground beef
� cup minced tangerine peel, soaked to soften and minced
2 tablespoon minced coriander leaves
1 teaspoon minced ginger root
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon each sugar and salt
� teaspoon Oriental sesame oil
Combine filling ingredients and let stand 20 minutes to blend flavors. Roll dough as directed and fill, making bonnet shape�Place on oiled pan in one layer and steam over boiling water 15 minutes.
�Jao Tze (Peking)
Our research indcates Ramen-style noodles migrated to Japan, via China, in the 1920s. Instant ramen noodles were invented by Momofuku Ando , a Japanese food manuracturer in 1958. The product arrived in the USA in 1970. Tasty, cheap & easy to prepare, ramen continues to play a key role in the American the dry-soup market
[1920s] RAMEN NOODLES TRAVEL FROM CHINA TO JAPAN
"Chinese-style ramen noodles of Japan are more elastic and hence chewier than the traditional Japanese wheat noodles (udon, somen, and kishimen). The difference results from the Chinese technique of adding alkali to the salty water that is used to knead the wheat dough. This also gives the noodles a pale yellow hue and a particular aroma. The were served in Chinese restaurants and by street peddlers from about 1920 as a dish called shina soba (Chinese soba), but because that name had a derogatory nuance it was changed after the Second World War to chuka soba (Chinese soba), or, more commonly, ramen. The word ramen probably came from the Chinese la mian ('handmade noodles') although there are other theories. The dish consists basically of noodles in a pork or chicken broth seasoned with black pepper and topped with slices of pork and various other items. In the post-war years, many Japanese who had returned from living in Manchuria or other parts of China opened ramen shops with great success. It was a time of food shortages in Japan, and not only did Chinese food in general have a reputation for high nutrition, but ramen with its meat broth and meat topping offered more protein than most traditional Japanese noodle dishes. Ramen shops have remained common throughout the county every since. Many distinctive local version of ramen were established as the shops in each region concentrated on the varieties of oup seasonings and toppings appreciated by local people. Among the best known is Sapporo ramen...which fatures heavy noodles...a rich thick broth seasoned with miso instead of the more common salt and soy sauce, and locally produced toppings of butter and maize...This proliferation of regional varieties is remarkable, as it runs counter to the strong national trend toward standardization of food which has accompanied the growth of nationwide distribution networks and the mass media since the 1960s. Now the local ramen dishes have themselves gone national, as chains of ramen shops specialized in particular styles have developed in the large cities. This relatively new Japanese food has indeed developed with great dynamism."
---The History and Culture of Japanese Food, Naomichi Ishige [Kegan Paul:London] 2001 (p. 251-253)
[1958] INSTANT RAMEN NOODLES
"Nissin founder, Momofuku Ando, has always instilled a sense of commitment and quality in Nissin products. Today, Nissin's corporate philosophy inspires this same commitment to taste, convenience, and quality. Mr. Ando began the company as part of a humble family operation back in 1948. Faced with sparse food sources after World War II, Mr. Ando realized that a quality, convenient ramen product would help to feed the masses. His goal was to create a satisfying ramen that could be eaten anywhere, anytime. In 1958, Nissin introduced "Chicken Ramen", the first instant ramen. Ironically, it was considered a luxury item, since Japanese grocery stores sold fresh Japanese noodles (udon) at one-sixth the cost of Mr. Ando's new food concept. Still, Mr. Ando was convinced that his revolutionary new method of preparation would sell. The concept seemed simple enough. All users would have to do is simply remove the ramen from its package, place it in a bowl, add boiling water, cover the bowl, and wait three minutes. The conservative Japanese food industry, however, rejected the product as a novelty with no future. They had never been so wrong. Soon, Chicken Ramen was selling beyond even Mr. Ando's wildest expectations. Before you could say "instant", more than ten companies were rushing to put their own versions out on the market. By the end of 1958, grocery shelves were crowded with this new staple for the Japanese kitchen."
[NOTE: according to the article below, Mr. Ando's instant ramen product was introduced to USA markets in 1970.]
[1989] THE MARKET CONTINUES TO GROW
"Ramen--the word is Japanese, referring to a broth with noodles--has thin tightly curied noodles and has been one of the leading fast foods of Asia since World War II. Selling for anywhere from a dime to 75 cents a package in this country, it now accounts for 73 percent of United States dry-soup sales, by volume, in a segment of the market that also includes non-ramen products made by the Campbell Soup Company, Thomas J. Lipton Inc. and Knorr Soups...Campbell Soup, one of the world's largest soup companies, still does not have a ramen product in its national line...Lipton...only recently rolled out its Lots-a-Noodles instante Oriental soup nationally...Because of its low price and ease of preparation, many consumers first acquired their taste for ramen while in college...Ramen's intense taste, as much as its low price, helps account for its popularity...Despite ramen's growing popularity, there is reason for the tentative approach of the domestic soup makers. 'How much money can you make on a package of soup that costs 15 cents?'...Nissin introduced ramen to the United States in 1970...Asian ramen makers have offered cup rpoducts since 1974."
---"New Competition in Noodle Soup," Eben Shapiro, New York Times, December 26, 1989 (p. D1)
[1998] WORLD RAMEN SUMMIT CONVENES
"...the delegates of the World Ramen Summit recently said they're confident they can meet their objective: to sell the world more instant noodles. As part of their mission to get consumers to use their noodles, the ramen producers from around the owrld also created IRMA: the Instant Ramen Manufacturers' Association. Pretty heady stuff for the humble package of instant noodles--just-ad-hot-water, way-under-a-dollar snack that now commands a colossal world market. Noodle-slurpers around the world take in 40 billion packs of instant ramen every year--about seven for every man, woman and child on the face of the planet...[Momofuku] Ando, who was annointed IRMA's first chairman, said he never imagined that the convenient snack product he created would be such a success. 'When the market was young, there were many who didn't accept the idea of instant ramen noodles. But now instant ramen is enjoyed widely overseas and represents a piece of Japan's lifestyle,' he said."
---"Instant Noodle Makers Intend on Selling More," Seth Sutel, Philadelphia Tribune, July 7, 1998 (p. 2B)
[NOTE: IRMA is now the World Instant Noodle Association ]
[2004] TRADITIONAL RAMEN SHOPS FLOURISH
"In Japanese ramenyas (ramen shops) a bowl of ramen holds a house-made aoup, springy noodles, the chef's own tare (a mix of soy sauce, sugar and rice wine to flvor the soup) and exactly six traditional toppings. The wait at top Tokyo ramenyas can be up to three hours. Remember the 1985 movie 'Tampopo.' in which a ramen chef undergoes training as rigorous as a boxer's to create the perfect bowl of noodle soup? That's ramen mania. And with new and authentic ramenyas opening in Manhattan, New Yorkers are getting a taste. Places like Momofuku, Mnca Ramen Factory and Rai Ken in the East Village offer Berkshire pork, free-range chicken and proprietary blends of organix miso paste...The difference between these richly satisfying bowls and packaged a]ramen, flavored mostly with MSG, is vast. 'New York might never have really great ramen, just like Tokyo might never have really great pizza...But I'm having a lot of fun trying.' In Japan ramen is more than a cheap cup of noodles. It is the national dish, cheaper than sushi, available everywhere and perpetually fashionable. With its rich, meaty broth, ramen is very different from other Japanese soups; in fact the dish is a relatively recent import from China. But since Ramen became popular in Japan in the 1950s, it has been a national institution: quick, inexpensive street food, as closely associated with young people and budget meals as it is here. One Japanese name for instant ramen is gakusei ryori, or student cuisine. Ramen stalls cluster around train stations, and vending machines provide customized bowls...Like American barbecue joints, ramen shops close when they run out of their key ingredient: soup...This only adds to their mystique...The ramen museum and theme park in Yokohama, which serves all eight major regional styles of ramen, receives more than 120,000 visitors each year,. This is not to be confused with the instant ramen museum in Ikeda, a separate tribute to the founder of Nissin Foods...Japanese diners start with the noodles, lifting them with chopsticks and sucking up the strands whole. (Biting noodles is considered unlucky in most Asian cultures, as they represent longevity). The toppings are eaten between mouthfuls of noodles. And last comes the broth, which grows richer and more flavorful as it cools, because the stgarch of the noodles and the flavors of the toppings have been released into the soup."
---"Here Comes Ramen, The Slurp Heard Round the World," Julia Moskin, New York Times, November 10, 2004 (p. F1)
Flavor & Fortune
"However mooncakes figure into this day of festivity involves another story. It is rooted more in history than myth, circa the 14th Century. China then was ruled by Mongols. Chinese noblemen, hoping to evade snooping ears of Mongol spies planted in their household to discourage rebellion, instructed cooks to roll messages of insurrection in round cakes being prepared for Moon Festival. Thousands of conspiratorial cakes thus were delivered, enabling rebels to rout the Mongols, in a coordinated uprising."
---"Mooncakes give Moon Festival a flavor out of this world," Richard Phillips, Chicago Tribune, September 11, 1986 (p. G7)
[1876]
"Moon-cakes once more adorn the street stalls, and some of them are put in boxes of a circular full-moon shape, which our Celestial friends send to each other like Christmas boxes."
---North China Herald, Shanghai, October 12, 1876 (p. 24)
[1892]
"To-day is the Mid-autumn Festival, and the people are busy...To-night is the great worship of the moon. For days dealers have been doing a good business selling large flat round mooncakes, inscribed in red characters with a suitable device. These will be offered with due ceremony to the moon this evening. After sunset each family will place a table outside the house in full view of the moon, and on it place the mooncakes. To these the master of the house will burn incense...6th October."
---"Kiukiang," North China Herald, October 14, 1892 (p. 13)
Note: the earliest print reference we find for Chinese mooncakes in a USA newspaper was published in 1884 [Biddeford Maine].
Zao ]
"Every year a new trend surfaces in restaurants -- and noodle bars are becoming the thing for 1998. Patrons typically start with a bowl of their choice of noodles. Then they build up from there, heaping whatever they're in the mood for --meats, vegetables, sauces, etc. -- on top. Often, noodle bars cater to the Oriental food market, but they've been popping up in Italian eateries as well. The big question is: will this trend spill over into venues as well? Not surprisingly, it looks like California is the first to test this menu option. To be more specific, Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles."
---"Noodling Around with a new concept," Athena Schaffer, Amusement Business, May 11, 1998 (p. 26)
Peking duck & beggar's chicken
Food historians tell us duck cookery may have originated in China thousands of years ago. Peking duck is considered one of the most famous examples. Notes here:
"Peking duck,...a term most used for a special way of cooking duck which produces what is probably the most famous dish of Beijing (formerly Peking); and also the name for the variety of duck used in this dish, and now commonly bred in many parts of the world. Chinese authorities do not attribute a very long history to the dish. Roast duck had been recorded from the distant past, but his originally meant a Nanjing duck, of small size and black feathers, not artificially fattened. The story goes that the transfer of the capital for Nanjing to Peiking brought unexpected results for the duck which lived along side the canal used for grain supplies. These ducks, which like the Nanjing ducks were mallard ducks, were now able to geast on grains which fell overboard from barges, and they gradually became larger. In the course of time there evolved a new variety of duck, not only larger but plumper, and with white plumage. The plumpness was increased by the practice of force-feeding, mentioned in texts from the Five Dynasties in the 10th century AD. This new duck was appreciated outside of China...However, it was only in China, and indeed for a long time only in Beijing, that the special dish known as Beijing kaoya (in China), Peking Duck (in English), and canard laque (in French) was prepared." (description of dish follows)
---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 1999 (p. 593)
""Peking Duck"...is so famous that Chinese chefs my specialize in the dish, and restaurants serve only dinners of Peking Duck...Peking Ducks are raised in a special way, sometimes even with a particular oven in mind, and the dish is demanding to make and unusual in preparation and in the way it is eaten. Though there are different ways of preparation, varying in elaborateness, one described by Kenneth Lo...involved loosening of the skin of the carcass from the flesh by inflating with air; then hanging the bird up to dry; and, finally coating its skin with a sugary liquid before roasting. The roast duck has crisp, brown skin and tender flesh, and both are consumed, commonly rolled in a pancake with raw vegetables, such as spring onion and cucumber, and piquant sauces and flavorings, and then eaten with the fingers."
---Food in China: A Cultural and Historical Inquiry, Frederick J. Simoons [CRC Press:Boca Raton FL] 1991 (p. 301)
"One of the world's great delicacies is a dish called "Peking Duck." It is, however, more shadow than substance: the diner never sees the duck itself. This dish, eaten by wealthy Chinese, consists of just the crisp skin, roasted to a beautiful glossy brown in a long process which takes a whole day's labor. The meat of the duck is of such secondary importance that it used to be given to the servants for their meal in the kitchen. This intriguing phenomenon of waste of food and effort took place in a country ruled by the very rich, with a population that was very poor. Such excess was not limited to China: pursue the histories of all such cultures and similar examples can be found..."
---Jim Lee's Chinese Cook Book, Jim Lee [Harper & Row:New York] 1968 (p. 181)
Food historians confirm bean sprouts have played a key role in Chinese cuisine for thousands of years. Rich in vitamins (C & B), sprouts and easily grown, bean sprouts added texture and delicate flavor to any dish. Presumably, bean sprouts were introducted to by Chinese laborers in the 19th century. Like many exotic ingredients, bean sprouts were not considered "mainstream" by American consumers until the late 20th century. Early American sprout references appear to be different.
Chinese origin
"Bean sprouts are produced by allowing seeds to germinate and grow for a short time to form shoots. The Chinese have been sprouting mung and soya beans for 3,000 years, and bean shoots, always popular in E. Asia, are now widely available elsewhere."
---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 1999 (p. 64)
"The pulses may be consumed in various ways...Mung bean seed is...commonly germinated, and the sprouts are regarded as the best of all such sprouts, added to stews or soups, ; cooked as a vegetable, whether boiled or stir-fried; or consumed in other ways...Leaves and young shoots of some minor legumes, for example the pea, may also be cooked and eaten...Soybeans, broad beans, and black-eyed peas (cowpeas) are also germinated for sprouts, but are less tender. Bean sprouts in general contain good amounts of vitamin C and riboflavin and fair or good amounts of iron."
---Food in China: A Cultural and Historical Inquiry, Frederick J. Simoons [CRC Press:Boca Raton] 1991 (p. 92, 98)
"The mung bean is apparently of Indian or Southeast Asian origin. Usually a golden-green in color, it is known as lu tou (green bean) in Chinese...When Linnaeus named these closely related beans, he applied the Indian vernacular name, ming or mungo, to the wrong bean--the black gram. But the two are now considered one species, so his mistake is corrected. The mung bean is boiled and made into curd; its starch is important in making the thin transparent noodles known as beanstarch or peastarch noodles (fen-ssu), but its great fame is in the form of sprouts, for which it is the bean of choice. The soybean is the other bean normally sprouted, its sprouts being considered coarser. The two are sometimes misleadingly distinguished in English as "pea sprouts" and "bean sprouts." Mung beans are grown everywhere in China except in cold or very dry areas."
---The Food of China, E. N. Anderson [Yale University Press:New Haven] 1988 (p. 152)
American sprouts
Early American sprout recipes appear to describe top greens produced by a variety of common vegetables. They could also possibly refer to Brussels Sprouts . Oriental-style bean sprouts surface in the mid-19th century California, and flourish, albeit in exotic urban culinary circles, in the 1920s. Think: The Chop Suey phenomenon. Bean sprouts were actively promoted by the goverment agencies and agricultural schools from WWI--WWII as inexpensive vitamin-rich food sources. Most recipes at that time did not venture past Chop Suey. Bean sprouts were "rediscovered" during the 1970s health food movement. From this point forward creative cooks found dozens of interesting ways to incorporate the humble sprout.
[1796]
"Greens and sprouts.
After you have picked and washed them as directed, put plenty of spring water into a pot or stewpan, and when it boils throw in a handful of salt, put in the greens or sprouts, and make them boil up quick; while they are boiling press them down with a skimmer, and try them often, that they may not be boiled too much; when done take them up in a clean sieve or cullender, and put them over the hot water a few mnutes to drian, but not too long, as the steam will make them yellpw; then put them in a dish, and garnish them with boiled carrot cut in any shape you please, with melted butter in a boat."
---The New Art of Cookery According to the Present Practice, Richard Briggs [W. Spotswood, R. Canpbell and B. Johnson: Philadelphia] 1792 (p. 28-29)
[1803]
"To boil Sprouts. Pick and wash your sprouts very clean, and see there are not snails or grubs between the leaves, cut them across the stem, but not the heart; after they are well washed, take them out of the water to drain; when your water boils, put in some salt, and then the sprouts, with a little more salt on them; make them boil quick, and if any scum arises, take it clean off. As soon as the stalks are tender strain them off, or they will not only lose their colour, but likewise their flavour."
About chicken
About Chicken in Japanese cuisine
: "Chicken was long held taboo [in Japan] as a foodstuff, but it appeared in seventeenth-century cookbooks. Eating the flesh of mammals for medicinal purposes was permissable, and sometimes healthy people ate it as tonic. The ususal medicine eating' fare was deer or wild boar...The meat of choice in the latter part of the nineteenth century was beef." ---The History and Culture of Japanese Food, Naomichi Ishige [Keegan Paul:London] 2001 (p. 146-7)
ABOUT SAKE (rice wine) & MIRIN (a sweet version of sake)
"Rice wine or sake, which was homemade by farmers, is a result of the alcoholic fermentation of a simple mixture of steamed rice, koji and water. Professional brewers would prepare sake by adding low-alcohol sake to newly mixed steamed rice and koji without previous filtering. This process causes saccharification and alcoholic fermentation at the same time and increases the alcoholic strength of the mixture. In contemporary commercial production, such a process is repeated three times to increase the amount of alcohol to nearly 20 percent. The mixture is then placed in a cloth bag and squeezed with a press. The pasteurization of the clear liquid from the press is the last part of the process. The latter technique was first mentioned in A.D. 1568, in the Tamonin-nikki, the diary of a Buddhist monk, indicating its practice in Japan some 300 years before Louis Pasteur. In China, the first country in East Asia to develop the technique, the earliest record of the process dates from A.D.1117."
---Cambridge World History of Food, Kenneth F. Kiple & Kriemhild Conee Ornelas [Cambridge University Press:Cambridge] 2001, Volume Two (p. 1180)
[NOTE: This book notes "Indeed, most traditional dishes served in homes and restaurants today had their origins in the Edo period. (P. 1181). ]
Food historians tell us although the ingredients (chicken/soy sauce) and cooking methods are ancient, this particular recipe is relatively new. Yakitori is popular Japanese dish is composed of bite-sized chunks of marinaded chicken grilled on a skewers. According to John Mariani's Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink [Lebhar-Freidman:New York 1999] yakitori entered the American scene in the early 1960s. This coincides neatly with the emergence of Japanese steak houses (Benihana's). Trader Vic's cookbook [1968] has a recipe for Yakitori, probably one of the first in an American cookbook.
"Yakitori. Bite-sized pices of chicken grilled on a skewer. Many parts of the chicken, including the skin and the gizzard, are used. Other birds are also used, especially sparrow, the head being crunched whole. Yakitori is a very popular tsumamimono and many simple drinking places specialize in it."
---A Dictionary of Japanese Food, Richard Hosking [Charles Tuttle:Rutland Vermont] 1997 (p. 172)
"Yakitori is a sort of Japanese chicken kebab. Chunks of chicken are threaded on to skewers and grilled by being basted with a sauce made from soy sauce, rice wine, and sugar. They are a popular Japanese snack, being served from yakitori stands and in yakitori bars. The word is a compound formed from yaki, grill, cook' and tori, bird'."
---An A-Z of Food and Drink, John Ayto [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 2002 (p. 372)
The history of won tons is intertwined with the history of stuffed dumplings and pasta foods enjoyed in by many cultures and cuisines. About dumplings , pasta , ravioli & kreplach . (stuffed pasta products)
"Wonton (or won ton), the Anglicized form of two Chinese words meaning a 'small dumpling' or roll consisting of a wonton wrapper (made from the same dough as egg noodle) with a savoury filling, especially of minced pork with seasonings. Sweet wontons, e.g. with a date and walnut filling, also exist. Wontons may be steamed or pan fried or deep-fried; and are often served in soups, or as items in dim sum. One variation is to have open-faced steamed wontons, shaped to have a flat bottom so that they will stand upright; these are shao mai..."
---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 1999 (p. 850)
"The stuffed dumpling, humble as it may seem, is a dish with a fascinating history, going back many centuries and interwoven into the cuisines of a number of countries. The story has often been told of Marco Polo arriving in China during the 13th century and discovering with delight that the Chinese were producing a variety of stuffed noodles that included won ton. So impressed was he that he brought the secrets back to Italy. That tale is considered apocryphal by both the Chinese and Italians, but wouldn't it be fascinating to know how the two cuisines are related?
"Similarly, what about the pelmeni of Russia? These are delectable Siberian dumplings filled with meat or mushrooms or potatoes or cabbage. What cook traveled the roads from Canton, or wherever, to the Irtysh River in the cold plateaus of Siberia, bringing with him the goodness of filled pasta? Or consider the kreplach, the filled dumpling held in such high esteem in the Jewish kitchen. The migrations of the Jews, carrying with them a culinary heritage from various parts of the world, are well known, as is the fact that many Jewish specialties are borrowings from the Russian. At what point did the pelmeni turn into kreplach, with its economical use of ground cooked beef as the filling?
"That use of cooked meat, probably from a soup or stew, is also characteristic of dumplings. The lack of kosher meat in medieval ghettos dictated that there be ways to stretch a meager supply from one meal to another. The uses to which dumplings are put are intriguing as well. They are probably most often used in soups, and yet a wide array of sauces may also be served with them. Won tons, for example, go deliciously with a blend of soy sauce, garlic, vinegar, grated ginger, hot chilies and the like, a combination that would seem odd to an Italian chef thinking of ravioli. For ravioli there is nothing like a tomato sauce with freshly grated cheese or alla panna - a reduction of heavy cream and cheese. Or (as they do in Rapallo when they serve pansotti, a form of ravioli) a salsa di noce made with walnuts and a form of ricotta cheese.
"Curiously, however, the Siberians and those who prepare pelmeni are not averse to serving them with a sauce somewhat akin to the Chinese soy sauce, vinegar and herb combination. Pelmeni are often served with a mustard sauce, sour cream and chopped dill. Kreplach, like the Chinese dumplings, are often fried in fat (butter or chicken fat, for example) rather than served in soup. What follow are our versions of these stuffed dumplings. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact yield of filled dumplings because it depends on the thickness to which the noodle dough is rolled out, the amount of filling allotted to each dumpling and the caution exercised by the cook in cutting out the dough to be filled."
---"Stuffed Dumplings: The Get Around," Craig Claiborne, The New York Times, February 10, 1982 (p. C1)
Where did wontons (as we know them today) begin? Food historians confirm wheat-based products (noodles, bread, etc.) originated in northern China. The first recorded instancce happen in the early medieval period. Our survey of historic sources does not find a specific person/place/year credite with the the creation of wontons or related products.
"During the Period of Division, boiled noodles were eaten druing the summer festival known as the Day of Concealment...which was held on the third geng-day after the summer solstice...The custom of eating boiled noodles can be documented as early as the Wei dynasty... ...Steaming was the most common method of cooking buns and small breads. The buns...were usually stuffed with some kind of filling...They were cooked in a bamboo steamer...Shu Xi's phapsody tells about other pastas, the most delectable of which is a stuffed dumpling called lao wan...which seems to be the ancestor of the modern [wan ton]...The poet says that the wrapper is made of wheat flour that is blended with a meat stock. Into the wrapper goes a filling made of minced lamb, pork, sliced ginger and onions, and flavored with cinnamon, fagara, throroughwort, salt, and bean relish. The dumplings are cooked in a bamboo steamer. The poet vividly describes how the cook quickly turns out one dumpling after another and drops them into the steamer...Ad the dumplings quickly cook in the steam, the filling swells in the wrappers to the point they seem about to burst... The poet tells how the dumplings are eaten...they are dupped in a sauce with chop sticks. The cause that they use is the ancient meat sauce called ai...which was made of a mixture of meat, millet yeast, and salt that was steeped in ale and allowed to ferment... The eaters of the dumplings are portrayed as a pack of ravenous beasts who gulp them down so fast, the cook cannot turn them out fast enough."
---"Gradually Entering the Realm of Delight: Food and Drink in Early Medieval China," David R. Knechtges Journal of the American Oriental Society 117, No. 2 (Apr. - Jun., 1997) (p. 229-239)
"Cantonese are the past masters at the simple snack foods: wonton woup, noodles...and the infinite kinds of tim sam [ dim sum]." ---Food in Chinese Culture: Anthropological and Historical Perspectives, K.C. Chang editor [Yale University Press:New Haven CT] 1977 (p. 355)
"In the North, wheat continued to grain...From the many writings we have from T'ang, and especially from the extremely complete diary of the Japanese monk Ennin, who visited China in the 840s, we learn that millet was the daily staff of life in the north; wheat was considered something of a luxury...Ennin records that wheat cakes and dumplings of various kinds were special fare brought out to greet him and his entourage or eaten as the fancy food at great feasts..."
---Food of China, E.N. Anderson [Yale University Press: New Haven CT] 1988 (p. 66)
"Basic to an understanding of northern Chinese cuisine is the importance of wheat, sorghum, millets, and maize, rather than rice. Various of these cereals are cooked and served as porridge...the stuffed dumplings for which the north is noted are wrapped in skins made of wheat flour..."
---Food in China: A Cultural and Historical Inquiry, Frederick J. Simoons [CRC Press:Boca Raton FL] 1991
About krelpach (Jewish wonton)
"The traditional kreplach is similar to a wonton and was brought either by the Khazars to Polish lands or by Jews trading in China, who learned to make them there."
---Jewish Cooking in America, Joan Nathan [Alfred A. Knopf:New York] 1998 (p. 113)
RELATED FOODS?
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When Birdseye introduced the first frozen food in 1930, what did the company call it/ | A Chilling History of Frozen Food
A Chilling History of Frozen Food
A Chilling History of Frozen Food
Swanson TV Dinner. Courtesy of the Pinnacle Foods Corporation
By Mary Bellis
Updated April 01, 2016.
When we crave fresh fruits and vegetables in the middle of winter, we can thank an American taxidermist for making possible the next best thing.
Clarence Birdseye, who invented and commercialized a method for quick-freezing food products in convenient packages and without altering the original taste, was simply seeking a way for his family to have fresh food all year round. The solution came to him while conducting fieldwork in the arctic, where he observed how the Inuit would preserve freshly caught fish and others meats in barrels of sea water that quickly froze due to the frigid climate. The fish were later thawed, cooked and most importantly tasted fresh -- much more so than anything at the fish markets back at home. He surmised that it was this practice of rapid freezing in extremely low temperatures that allowed meat to retain freshness once thawed and served months later.
Back in the U.S., commercial foods were typically chilled at a higher temperature and thus took longer to freeze.
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Compared to conventional techniques, fast freezing causes smaller ice crystals to form, which is less likely to damage the food. So in 1923, with an investment of $7 for an electric fan , buckets of brine, and cakes of ice, Clarence Birdseye developed and later perfected a system of packing fresh food into waxed cardboard boxes and flash-freezing under high pressure. And by 1927, his company General Seafoods was applying the technology to preserve beef, poultry, fruit, and vegetables.
Two years later, The Goldman-Sachs Trading Corporation and the Postum Company (later the General Foods Corporation) bought Clarence Birdseye’s patents and trademarks in 1929 for $22 million. The first quick-frozen vegetables, fruits, seafoods, and meat were sold to the public for the first time in 1930 in Springfield, Massachusetts, under the trade name Birds Eye Frosted Foods®.
These frozen products were initially only available at 18 stores as a way to gauge whether consumers would take to what was then a novel approach to selling food. Grocery shoppers could choose from a fairly wide selection that included frozen meat, blue point oysters, fish fillets, spinach, peas, various fruits and berries. The products were a hit and with the company continued to expand, with frozen food products transported by refrigerated boxcars to distant stores. Today commercially frozen foods are a multi-billion dollar industry and "Birds Eye," a top frozen-food brand, is widely sold just about everywhere.
Birdseye served as consultant to General Foods up until 1938 and eventually turned his attention to other interests and invented an infrared heat lamp , a spotlight for store window displays, a harpoon for marking whales. He would also establish companies to market his products. By the time of his sudden passing in 1956 he had about 300 patents to his name.
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Which 100-mile long waterway links the Mediterranean and the Red Sea? | About Us « Hillphoenix
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Hillphoenix Timeline
1887 – C.V. Hill, a New Jersey grocer is dissatisfied with the coolers currently available both with regard to price and performance. Because he dislikes lifting out the heavy butter and lard tubs stored in the coolers he invents a butter slide that comes out automatically when the cooler door is opened. A neighboring grocer heard about the unit and when he saw it he bought it on the spot. Mr. Hill sold another cooler and then decided to go into the cooler manufacturing business. He calls the new business C. V. Hill Refrigerator Works.
1889 – Mr. Hill establishes his first factory to produce coolers for C.V. Hill Refrigerator Works.
1890 – Mr. Hill invents the first baffle and bunker system for ice-refrigerated coolers.
1896 – C.V. Hill Refrigerator Works moves to a larger building located in Trenton, NJ. In addition to the coolers he produces Mr. Hill starts to develop concepts for refrigerated showcases.
1905 – The first Hill Refrigerated Showcase for dairy products is introduced.
1909 – Utilizing the growing availability of the electric motor and ammonia as the refrigerant develops a showcase that displays fresh meat. Hill Refrigeration Company is born.
1920 – During the early 1920’s Hill introduces the first “top display” cases which allow customers to view the merchandise inside.
1927 – Hill introduces the first all metal display case.
1928 – Hill develops the first display cases capable of holding frozen food and ice cream. Swift and Company uses the Hill cases in their laboratory as they work to develop frozen foods.
1929 – Hill installs the first frozen food case in a retail store.
1930 – Clarence Birdseye recommends the use of the Hill “2000” model frozen food case to display the new Birdseye “frosted foods” then being introduced in the marketplace.
1932 – C.V. Hill retires and turns the company over to his sons, C.V. Hill Jr., and J.S. Hill.
1932 – Hill introduces the first porcelain-clad display cases
1934 – Hill introduces the first service deli cases with mezzanine shelving and storage in the bottom area.
1934 – Hill publishes first edition of Hardcover book entitled “Modern Food Merchandising”.
1936 – Hill introduces “add-a-unit” feature to display cases allowing cases to be joined together to make lineups.
1945 – Hill introduces the first three-deck open dairy case.
1953 – Hill becomes the first manufacturer to offer the option to add color to display cases. “Color Blend” transforms an industry that previously only offered white.
1967 – Hill introduces Vista Line of medium temp cases with expanded Color Blend® colors and sleek streamlined styling.
1977 – Grant Brown starts new refrigeration systems business in Georgia called Engineered Supermarket Products.
1977 – ESP introduces the first uneven parallel refrigeration system.
1980 – Grant Brown sells ESP and starts up Engineered Refrigeration Systems.
1980 – Hill starts new service training program called Hill Aware, a program that became an acclaimed success throughout the industry.
1981 – Hill introduces the first U.S. manufactured curved glass service deli case.
1983 – Hill introduces ParaTemp®, the industry’s first outdoor parallel distributed refrigeration system.
1985 – Grant Brown sells ERS to Margaux, Inc.
1988 – Grant Brown re-enters the refrigeration systems market with a new company named Phoenix Refrigeration Systems.
1990 – Hill introduces the Origin® line of display cases; a bold departure in case styling.
1990 – Hill introduces WeatherPac® distributed outdoor refrigeration systems
1993 – Dover Corporation acquires Phoenix Refrigeration Systems.
1994 – Phoenix Refrigeration Systems acquires Hill Refrigeration to form Hillphoenix®.
1995 – Hillphoenix acquires Margaux Refrigeration.
1995 – Display case operations move to new factory in Colonial Heights, Virginia.
1995 – Hillphoenix introduces ORIGIN2® display cases.
1995 – Hillphoenix introduces Phill, the first commercially available secondary coolant refrigeration system prototype.
1996 – Hillphoenix introduces 2Cool™ secondary coolant refrigeration systems
1997 – EDS (Electrical Distribution Systems) merged back into Hillphoenix.
1999 – Hillphoenix re-enters the Walk In Cooler business.
2002 – Hillphoenix expands secondary coolant refrigeration system focus with introduction of Second Nature® Technology.
2002 – Hillphoenix introduces patented Coolgenix® service case technology.
2003 – Hillphoenix introduces the industry’s first six-door, refrigerated display case at the Food Marketing Institute FMI Show.
2004 – Hillphoenix introduces the industry’s first true 5-deck rear load fresh meat display case and a companion front load model (O5MR/O5M)
2005 – Hillphoenix management commissions team to develop educational programs for sales, service, dealers, customers and contractors.
2006 – Hillphoenix launches the Hillphoenix Learning Center.
2006 – Refrigeration Systems Division introduces InviroPac™ distributed systems.
2006 – Hillphoenix Refrigeration Systems Division installs first test sites utilizing CO2 as a secondary fluid at a Food Lion store in Montpelier, Virginia and a Sam’s Club in Savannah, Georgia.
2007 – Hillphoenix begins field testing of SmartValve™ patented superheat management system.
2007 – Hillphoenix introduces Climate Keeper™ providing an advanced approach to in-store, environmental control that significantly improves upon these less successful methods.
2007 – Hillphoenix becomes the first refrigeration equipment manufacturer to join the EPA’s GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership.
2007 – Hillphoenix releases the industry’s first Sustainability Report from a refrigeration manufacturer.
2008 – Hillphoenix installs the first test site utilizing Second Nature CO2 Cascade Refrigeration technology at Price Chopper location in New York.
2008 – Hillphoenix installs the first full store test site utilizing Second Nature medium temp system utilizing Propylene Glycol and low temperature system utilizing CO2 as a secondary coolant.
2009 – Hillphoenix receives an Ozone Layer Protection Award in the corporate/government category from the U.S. EPA.
2009 – Hillphoenix receives the 2008-2009 GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership “Distinguished Partner Award” from the U.S. EPA.
2009 – Hillphoenix acquires select assets of Tyler Refrigeration Corporation.
2009 – Hillphoenix acquires Barker Company creating Specialty Products by Hillphoenix.
2009 – Hillphoenix introduces Clearvoyant® LED Systems; LED lighting specifically designed for display cases.
2009 – Hillphoenix becomes the first manufacturer to receive SNAP approval from the U.S. EPA to use CO2 as a replacement for HCFCs in retail refrigeration
2010 – Hillphoenix launches Synerg-E™ Technology; the most energy efficient display case refrigeration technology available.
2010 – Hillphoenix expands Second Nature CO2 technology offering announcing the availability its industry-leading Second Nature Low Temperature Direct Expansion Cascade system.
2010 – The Champlain Valley Vermont Chapter of ASHRAE presents Hillphoenix with its first Research Promotion Award, recognizing the Hillphoenix Learning Center for its leadership and commitment to training for the commercial refrigeration/supermarket industries.
2011 – Hillphoenix helps Sprouts Farmers Market become the third U. S. retailer to achieve Platinum GreenChill status with the installation of the new Hillphoenix Second Nature CO2 Cascade System for both low and medium temperature applications. All three Platinum Certified GreenChill stores are Hillphoenix designs.
Hillphoenix History
Company History – We Were Born To Leap
Hillphoenix Inc., a Dover Company, designs and manufactures an extensive line of commercial refrigerated display merchandisers, commercial and light industrial refrigeration systems and mechanical centers, electrical distribution products, and specialty display cases and fixtures.
The origin of Hillphoenix dates back to 1887, when C.V. Hill, a New Jersey grocer, dissatisfied with the coolers currently available to him both with regard to price and performance, decides to build his own. Because Mr. Hill “dislikes lifting out the heavy butter and lard tubs stored in the coolers”, he invents a butter slide which comes out automatically when the cooler door is opened. This is the first of many patents the company will own as new ideas are initiated over the decades that follow. A neighboring grocer hears of the unit and when he sees it, buys it on the spot. Mr. Hill sells another cooler and then decides to go into the cooler manufacturing business, as he says “for a few years,” then return to the grocery store. He starts a new company and names it C. V. Hill Refrigerator Works. He never returns to the grocery business deciding instead to focus on developing better ways for grocers to display perishable products. Not only is a company born but so is an industry.
Mr. Hill learns about refrigeration and air circulation on the first two coolers he builds and in 1889 he establishes his first factory. He builds two more refrigerators and shows them at the first Trenton State Fair. Although he enjoys the fair, he does not sell any products. In March of 1890, he sells two refrigerators at $115.00 each. He also invents the first baffle and bunker system for ice-refrigerated coolers. This “puts him on the map in Trenton.”
By 1896 Hill Refrigerator Works moves to a larger facility in Trenton, N.J., and begins to receive orders from the government and steamship operators, as well as from grocers. As the turn of the century arrives Mr. Hill starts developing refrigerated show cases and in 1905 introduces the first Hill refrigerated show case. As he continues to develop show case concepts he is particularly focused on developing the first refrigerated display case for fresh meat. Around 1909, utilizing the growing availability of the electric motor and ammonia as the refrigerant, Mr. Hill begins to make a name for himself as grocers up and down the Eastern Seaboard want to buy his meat cases for their stores. Hill Refrigeration Company is born.
In the early 1920s, the company develops the first top display case, which allows customers to view the merchandise inside. Other innovations include the 1927 introduction of the first all-metal case and the 1928 introduction of the first display case capable of maintaining frozen food and ice cream at the right temperatures. When Swift and Company is looking for a case to use for frozen meat, they are surprised to learn that one has already been developed by Hill. Swift uses the Hill case successfully in their laboratory test helping to establish the retail frozen food business in grocery stores. In 1929 Hill installs the first frozen food case in a retail food store and in 1930 Clarence Birdseye recommends the use of the Hill 2000 model to display the Birdseye “frosted foods” then being introduced in the marketplace.
In 1932, Mr. Hill retires, leaving the company in the very capable hands of his sons, C. V. Hill Jr., and J. S. Hill. That same year the company creates the first porcelain-clad cases, providing retailers with a more durable case that is easier to clean. In the next few years, the company introduces the first service deli case with mezzanine shelving and storage in the bottom area. As the 1930’s introduce larger, self-service stores, Hill Refrigeration is ready, once again leading the way with their new “add-a-unit” feature, developed in 1939, which allows cases to be joined together in a continuous lineup. This feature is perfect for the larger stores that are being built and catches on with grocers all over the country.
At the height of the depression, the company scores another first, only this one is in the area of marketing. Hill Refrigeration publishes a book called “Modern Food Merchandising” in 1934 which enumerates guidelines on successful food marketing. The book is enthusiastically received and five editions are published. The company also builds its own grocery store, both to test its new equipment and to try out new merchandising ideas.
During World War II, Hill manufactures landing craft for the military along with refrigerators for use on Navy vessels. When the war ends the company is in an excellent position to meet the demands of the food industry for new equipment, since it was able to devote significant time in research and development efforts focused on making war-time products better.
In 1945, Hill Refrigeration announces a major breakthrough in refrigerated display case design; a three-deck open dairy case. This mechanical and merchandising breakthrough maintains temperature on each level while showcasing a greater quantity and variety of product. The new case not only gives grocers an attractive display setting that stimulates impulse sales, it also allows them to show much more quantity and variety in the same floor space. The case breaks new merchandising ground, and helps speed the spread of “self-service shopping”. The immediate success of the new Hill dairy case leads to the introduction of the Hill self-service open frozen food cases with the “add-a-unit” feature and automatic defrost.
During the 1950’s Hill dramatically expands its manufacturing capabilities to meet the requirements of the many new “super markets” that are being built for the ex-soldiers and their families who are moving in huge numbers to the suburbs. In 1953 Hill becomes the first manufacturer to offer grocers the option to add color to their display cases. The introduction of “Color Blend” styling leads a design transformation in an industry that previously only offered one color, white.
Up to this point, Hill Refrigeration has been a family-owned operation. In the 1950s, the company is sold and, after a series of owners, Hill becomes a division of Emhart Corp. in 1964.
The “Color Blend” trend that began in 1953 culminates with the 1967 introduction of the Vista line of medium temperature cases. The Vista line offers a departure from the traditional white boxes by expanding the range of available colors and sporting sleek, streamlined styling.
With the arrival of the 1970s comes the nation’s first real energy crisis. Hill Refrigeration responds by improving the energy efficiencies of its cases and by developing technologies to allow grocers to capitalize on the most efficient refrigeration systems for their specific needs. In 1971 the company introduces a new five-deck frozen food case, the most efficient in the industry and it immediately becomes the best selling multi-deck case.
In 1977, Georgia entrepreneur Grant Brown recognizes a neglected niche in the market for custom refrigeration systems and starts Engineered Supermarket Products (ESP). Immediately, ESP introduces the first uneven parallel system and begins to establish a leadership position in the refrigeration systems market.
In 1980 ESP is sold and ultimately becomes the company known today as Emerson CPC Controls. That same year Grant Brown forms a new company, names it Engineered Refrigeration Systems (ERS) and continues to expand his presence in the custom refrigeration systems business.
At the FMI 1981 trade show, Hill unveils the first U.S. manufactured curved glass service deli case. The prototype creates much positive response, and as a result, Hill develops the first complete line of curved glass service cases to meet the varied needs of its customers.
In 1985 Grant Brown sells Engineered Refrigeration Systems to Margaux, Incorporated. In 1988, realizing that the niche is still unfulfilled, Grant re-enters the market, forming a new company which he names Phoenix Refrigeration Systems and completely changes the nature of system design with innovative ideas such as the introduction of the first pre-fabricated mechanical centers and electrical distribution centers. Phoenix Refrigeration Systems quickly becomes a major designer and manufacturer of refrigeration systems in the United States.
In 1990, Hill Refrigeration introduces a new look for Hill cases. The ORIGIN™ line represents a bold departure in case styling, featuring soft, rounded exteriors with a distinctly European flavor. Hill pioneers the use of polymers, which permits the creation of curved bumpers and rounded edges while increasing the durability of the cases. No other case on the market looks like this one.
Phoenix Refrigeration Systems is acquired by Dover Corporation in 1993 and in 1994 Phoenix acquires Hill Refrigeration to form Hillphoenix®. The merger of Phoenix Refrigeration Systems with Hill Refrigeration is a natural and the circle is completed one year later when Hillphoenix acquires Margaux Refrigeration, the company that acquired ERS from Brown 10 years earlier.
Display Case Operations relocate to a new 450,000-square-foot factory in Chesterfield County, Va., in 1995. The new facility is outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment and expanded manufacturing processes for producing Hillphoenix cases. The stream of innovative new product lines continues with the 1995 introduction of ORIGIN2®, which extends the exterior case makeover of ORIGIN to the interior. The redesign features curved tanks for improved sanitation; improved coils and fan plenums for increased efficiency, sanitation and ease of maintenance and upgraded lighting for better product display. The ORIGIN2 line also introduces Radial Airflow®, a patented feature that improves airflow for better case performance and removable casters to aid in assembly line movement, in shipping, and in the installation of cases in stores. No other case in the industry offers this patented, convenient feature.
In 1995, Hillphoenix is the first to introduce secondary coolant refrigeration technology to the supermarket industry both as a “green” environmental initiative and as a system with positive design advantages over conventional direct expansion systems. After seven years’ performance experience for its growing installed base of secondary coolant systems at many of the top U.S. chains, in 2002 the company brands its secondary coolant technology Second Nature®. Hillphoenix Second Nature technology includes secondary coolant system design and installation, low- and medium-temperature merchandisers, walk-ins and prep rooms.
In January of 1997 a team of 40 Hillphoenix associates meets over a long weekend and develops a statement of purpose that defines the Hillphoenix commitment to achieve a leadership position in the industry through the delivery of excellence to customers. This call to action continues to clearly communicate the company’s ideals and goals providing every Hillphoenix associate with the focus and direction needed to provide answers that help our customers be successful. It is in fact a rededication to the principles that C.V. Hill and Grant Brown were dedicated to when they started the respective businesses that became Hillphoenix.
The Hillphoenix Statement of Purpose
We will lead the markets we serve with innovative products, solutions and technical advances in a relentless pursuit to exceed customer expectations.
We will create a culture that promotes teamwork, integrity and respect for our customers, our suppliers and ourselves.
We are intolerant of mediocrity and dedicated to continuous improvement as a way of life.
As a result, Hillphoenix will enhance the success of our customers, the return to our shareholders, and the satisfaction of our employees.
Also in 1997, Electrical Distribution Systems (EDS), a Dover Diversified Company, manufacturer of electrical distribution systems that was originally started by Grant Brown during the Phoenix Refrigeration years, is merged back into Hillphoenix. EDS, located in Covington, Ga., becoming the Power Systems Division of Hillphoenix. Power Systems designs and manufactures pre-assembled, pre-wired electrical distribution products including PowerCenter®, PowerPlus, Power On, Power Flow, industrial enclosures and solar equipment.
Hillphoenix re-enters the Walk-In Cooler and Freezer business in 1999 and in 2009 begins a series of major commitments in people, plants and processes all focused on creating the industry’s leading Walk-In’s business. Today, the mission of Hillphoenix Walk In’s Division is consistent with the same mission Mr. Hill had when he started the Hill Refrigerator Works cooler business in 1889; to provide the Food Retail industry with high quality products and services that exceed our customers’ expectations. With a renewed focus on providing innovative product designs and customer service, the people who make up Hillphoenix WALK INS look forward to the opportunity to serve our customers needs in a more comprehensive manner than they have ever experienced.
As the 21st Century gets under way, Hillphoenix continues its leadership position as an industry innovator with a strategic direction dedicated to developing products focused on making supermarket operators more effective operationally and financially. The May 2002 introduction of the proprietary Coolgenix® display case technology provides retailers with the opportunity to reinvent their service departments. The patented secondary coolant conduction design enables significant increases in product shelf life and dramatically reduces product shrinkage.
At the 2003 May FMI Show, the introduction of new ORIGIN2 display case technologies including the industry’s first six-door reach-in display case and a focus on efficiency in system and display case design and performance provides customers with answers to energy cost concerns. Hillphoenix introduces “The People Factor Makes The Difference”, a campaign that celebrates the impact that the people and the culture that make up Hillphoenix have in providing daily examples of Hillphoenix’s century-long commitment to providing specific answers to customer challenges.
In 2004, Hillphoenix introduces the industry’s first true 5-deck rear load fresh meat case, the O5MR, and its companion O5M front load model. A key feature is a patented articulating shelf design that provides supreme product integrity and striking display opportunities.
In 2005 a team is formed and a charter created that leads an intense focus on the development of the industry’s most extensive product and process training program. The Hillphoenix Learning Center is launched in June of 2006. President Ray Hoglund says at the time, “Throughout Hillphoenix, we believe we can only provide the individual answers that help improve the profitability of our customers by supporting our sales force and customers with top quality training. I am pleased to announce the opening of The Hillphoenix Learning Center. We have made a very significant investment in the development of distinctive product training programs, increased our training staff and renovated our facilities in order to provide the best possible product training experience using state of the art technology. I invite you to learn about Hillphoenix Answers; people, products and technology working together for a brighter future.”
In 2006, as environmental concerns move to the forefront of the industry’s focus, Hillphoenix Refrigeration Systems Division begins redesign work on the distributed systems offering that was first introduced in 1984. The ParaTemp® and WeatherPac® system designs are updated and the industry’s most complete and efficient indoor distributed system, InviroPac™, is introduced. Also in 2006, the company’s Refrigeration Systems Division installs the first test stores utilizing CO2 as a secondary fluid at sites in Montpelier, Virginia and Savannah, Georgia.
In 2007 Hillphoenix becomes the first refrigeration equipment manufacturer to join the U.S. EPA’s GreenChill Refrigeration Partnership program. As a charter member, Hillphoenix is instrumental in helping the EPA work together for the first time with supermarket retailers to develop this partnership program designed to advance the deployment of sustainable refrigeration technologies. That same year Hillphoenix releases its first SustainAbility Report, the first from a refrigeration manufacturer. There is no doubt that at this time, Hillphoenix leads the way in the commitment to and development of sustainable technologies for its customers.
Also in 2007, two distinguishable energy-saving technologies are introduced by Hillphoenix. The company starts extensive field testing of SmartValve®, a patented superheat management system designed to help customers insure that display case superheat is maintained at a pre-set condition eliminating adjustments that are typically required to maintain optimum efficiency. And Climate Keeper™, a proprietary air distribution system is introduced during the FMI Energy Conference.
2008 brings the first test site utilizing a new Hillphoenix Second Nature CO2 Cascade system design. Installed at a Price Chopper location in New York this design provides yet another example of Hillphoenix’s commitment to work together with its customers to continue moving the technology envelope forward in an effort to help them implement their sustainability plans. Also in 2008 Hillphoenix works with Food Lion to install the first full store test site utilizing Second Nature glycol medium temp systems and CO2 secondary coolant low temp systems. And in 2009, Hillphoenix receives two awards from the U.S. EPA; an Ozone Layer Protection Award and the 2008-2009 GreenChill advanced Refrigeration award.
In 2009 Hillphoenix completes two key acquisitions. In May the company acquires key assets of Tyler Refrigeration and the opportunity to welcome many key Dealers from the Tyler Dealer Network to the Hillphoenix Dealer group. As a result, the Hillphoenix Dealer network immediately becomes the largest of any manufacturer, servicing the needs of customer in the U.S. and Canada. And in November, Hillphoenix acquires Barker Company of Keosauqua, Iowa creating Specialty Products by Hillphoenix. Both acquisitions help deliver strategic initiatives directed at helping food retailers sell more products, more profitably and more responsibly driving significant growth with existing and new customers.
2009 also sees the introduction of Hillphoenix’s proprietary Clearvoyant® LED lighting system designed specifically for use in Hillphoenix display cases. And Hillphoenix becomes the first manufacturer to receive SNAP (Significant New Alternatives Policy) approval from the U.S. EPA to use CO2 as a replacement for HCFCs in retail refrigeration. When the announcement is made Drusill Hufford, the director of the EPA’s Stratospheric Protection Division says, “I am glad to see Hillphoenix’s continued leadership in the supermarket industry in providing options that protect the ozone layer and significantly reduce impacts on the climate.”
In 2010 Hillphoenix expands its Second Nature CO2 technology offering announcing the availability of its industry-leading Second Nature Low Temperature Direct Expansion Cascade system. And at the FMI Show Hillphoenix introduces the availability of its Synerg-E™ display case technology, the most energy efficient case technology available in the marketplace.
In December of 2010, the Champlain Valley Chapter of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) in Burlington, VT, presents Hillphoenix with its first Research Promotion Award, recognizing the Hillphoenix Learning Center for its leadership and commitment to training for the commercial refrigeration/supermarket industries.
In 2011 Hillphoenix helps Sprouts Farmers Market become the third U. S. retailer to achieve Platinum GreenChill status with the installation of the new Hillphoenix Second Nature CO2 Cascade System for both low and medium temperature applications. Hillphoenix is the manufacturer as of this point in time that has been able to help customers achieve the Platinum certification level.
Mr. Hill started something over a century ago – and the people of Hillphoenix are determined to live up to that legacy. As a result, Hillphoenix “LEAP of Excellence” innovations continue to define an industry. L.E.A.P. is an acronym born of over a century of experience. Learn our customer’s business. Earn their trust. Answer their needs. Perform beyond their expectations. Today, while there’s no doubt that the spirit of innovation runs deep in our bloodline, it’s most apparent to our customers in the products and services we bring them. Every day, systems and technologies are being improved – even revolutionized– to be the next leap that makes a difference. We can’t wait to see what tomorrow will bring!
Hillphoenix has its corporate headquarters in Conyers, GA. The company employs more than 3,500 people nationwide. Manufacturing facilities are located in Covington and Conyers, GA., Richmond, VA., Keosauqua and Centerville, IA, and Chino, CA. The company also has Comprehensive Services Operations located in Phoenix, AZ and Brea, CA.
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In which country is the Aswan Dam? | Aswan High Dam Controls the Nile River
Aswan High Dam
Aswan High Dam Controls The Nile River
Cars drive on a bridge crossing the Nile River in central Cairo, Egypt. Getty Images Europe
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By Matt Rosenberg
Just north of the border between Egypt and Sudan lies the Aswan High Dam, a huge rockfill dam which captures the world's longest river , the Nile River, in the world's third largest reservoirs, Lake Nasser. The dam, known as Saad el Aali in Arabic, was completed in 1970 after ten years of work.
Egypt has always depended on the water of the Nile River. The two main tributaries of the Nile River are the White Nile and the Blue Nile. The source of the White Nile are the Sobat River Bahr al-Jabal (The "Mountain Nile") and the Blue Nile begins in the Ethiopian Highlands. The two tributaries converge in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan where they form the Nile River. The Nile River has a total length of 4,160 miles (6,695 kilometers) from source to sea.
Nile Flooding
Before the building of a dam at Aswan, Egypt experienced annual floods from the Nile River that deposited four million tons of nutrient-rich sediment which enabled agricultural production.
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This process began millions of years before Egyptian civilization began in the Nile River valley and continued until the first dam at Aswan was built in 1889. This dam was insufficient to hold back the water of the Nile and was subsequently raised in 1912 and 1933. In 1946, the true danger was revealed when the water in the reservoir peaked near the top of the dam.
In 1952, the interim Revolutionary Council government of Egypt decided to build a High Dam at Aswan, about four miles upstream of the old dam. In 1954, Egypt requested loans from the World Bank to help pay for the cost of the dam (which eventually added up to one billion dollars). Initially, the United States agreed to loan Egypt money but then withdrew their offer for unknown reasons. Some speculate that it may have been due to Egyptian and Israeli conflict. The United Kingdom , France, and Israel had invaded Egypt in 1956, soon after Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal to help pay for the dam.
The Soviet Union offered to help and Egypt accepted. The Soviet Union's support was not unconditional, however. Along with the money, they also sent military advisers and other workers to help enhance Egyptian-Soviet ties and relations.
Building of the Aswan Dam
In order to build the Aswan Dam both people and artifacts had to be moved. Over 90,000 Nubians had to be relocated. Those who had been living in Egypt were moved about 28 miles (45 km) away but the Sudanese Nubians were relocated 370 miles (600 km) from their homes. The government was also forced to develop one of the largest Abu Simel temple and dig for artifacts before the future lake would drown the land of the Nubians.
After years of construction (the material in the dam is the equivalent to 17 of the great pyramid at Giza), the resulting reservoir was named for the former president of Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser , who died in 1970. The lake holds 137 million acre-feet of water (169 billion cubic meters). About 17 percent of the lake is in Sudan and the two countries have an agreement for distribution of the water.
Aswan Dam Benefits
The Aswan Dam benefits Egypt by controlling the annual floods on the Nile River and prevents the damage which used to occur along the floodplain. The Aswan High Dam provides about a half of Egypt's power supply and has improved navigation along the river by keeping the water flow consistent.
There are several problems associated with the dam as well. Seepage and evaporation accounts for a loss of about 12-14% of the annual input into the reservoir. The sediments of the Nile River, as with all river and dam systems, has been filling the reservoir and thus decreasing its storage capacity. This has also resulted in problems downstream.
Farmers have been forced to use about a million tons of artificial fertilizer as a substitute for the nutrients which no longer fill the flood plain. Further downstream, the Nile delta is having problems due to the lack of sediment as well since there is no additional agglomeration of sediment to keep erosion of the delta at bay so it slowly shrinks. Even the shrimp catch in the Mediterranean Sea has decreased due to the change in water flow.
Poor drainage of the newly irrigated lands has led to saturation and increased salinity. Over one half of Egypt's farmland in now rated medium to poor soils.
The parasitic disease schistosomiasis has been associated with the stagnant water of the fields and the reservoir. Some studies indicate that the number of individuals affected has increased since the opening of the Aswan Dam.
The Nile River and now the Aswan High Dam are Egypt's lifeline. About 95% of Egypt's population live within twelve miles from the river. Were it not for the river and its sediment, the grand civilization of ancient Egypt probably would have never existed.
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Where did Idi Amin rule from 1971-1979? | Egypt High Dam
The High Dam
The High Dam of Aswan is one of the most important achievements of the in the last century in Egypt, even for many years it was a symbol of the New Era of the Revolution of 1952. It provided Egypt with water and electricity and secured the country of the risk of the destructive inundation.
The Aswan High Dam was a great project! In fact it was one of the most important achievements of the last century in Egypt, for many years symbolising the New Era after 1952. Today It provides Egypt with water and electricity, and secures the country from the risk of the destructive inundation of the River Nile.
After the revolution of July 1952, President Nasser announced his proposal for building the High Dam, but was met with Western refusals to co-operate, so he turned to the Soviet Union for both technological and financial aid. The result was the present rock-filled structure. The work began on the 9th January 1960 and the completed dam was opened in the spring of 1971. This gigantic building is 111m tall, 3.5Km in length and about 1Km wide! It has a Hydro-electric plant, with 6 turbines, capable of producing 2.1 million kilowatts.
As a result of its construction, a great lake was formed, Lake Nasser, which is about 10 km wide in some places, and 500km long. extending between Egypt and The Sudan – the worlds largest man-made lake! This lake also has an immense fish population, which is commercially exploited. Because raising the water caused the damage, and loss, of so many of the Nubian monuments, great efforts were made by the Egyptian Government, aided by UNESCO and other countries, to save the most important monuments of Nubia.
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Which country has the rand as its currency? | ZAR | South African Rand | OANDA
South African Rand
Overview
The South African Rand is the currency of South Africa, and is issued by the South African Reserve Bank. The currency takes its name from the Witwatersrand ("White-waters-ridge"), the ridge where most of South Africa's gold deposits were found and where Johannesburg was built. The Rand has the symbol "R" and is subdivided into 100 cents.
Coins are issued in 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, R 1, R 2, and R 5 denominations. Banknotes include R 10, R 20, R 50, R 100, R 200 denominations.
The South African Rand is also legal tender in Swaziland and Lesotho, and is accepted in Namibia.
Economy
Daunting economic problems remain from the apartheid era, including poverty, lack of economic empowerment for the disadvantaged, and inadequate public transportation. Unemployment is extremely high (approaching 25%), and South Africa ranks poorly for income inequality, as measured by the Gini coefficient.
Growth has recovered in recent years, but unemployment remains high and outdated infrastructure constrains growth.
A Commission established in 1956 recommended giving up the pound sterling and associated terms pounds, shillings and pence in favor of a new currency named "rand."
From 1982, the value of the currency started to erode due to mounting international pressure and sanctions against the country because of its apartheid policies. In July 1985, all foreign exchange transactions were suspended for three days to try to stop the devaluation.
The currency continued to depreciate due to the uncertainty of apartheid reforms and black majority rule. In 1992, the currency depreciated to the level of R 3 to the dollar; in 1999, to R 6 to the dollar. The September 11, 2001 attacks pushed the currency to its weakest historical level of R 13.84 to the dollar in December 2001. The currency has since stabilized.
History
A Commission established in 1956 recommended giving up the British Pound and associated terms pounds, shillings and pence in favor of a new currency named “Rand.”
The South African Rand was introduced on February 14, 1961, replacing Round Sterling as legal tender, at two Rand = 1 Pound 10 shillings. 1961 was also the year the country became a republic and left the Commonwealth of Nations following a whites-only referendum.
From 1982, the value of the currency started to erode due to mounting international pressure and sanctions against the country because of its apartheid policies. In July 1985, all foreign exchange transactions were suspended for three days to try to stop the devaluation.
Symbols and Names
Cent = 1/100 of a Rand
Denominations
Bills: R 10, R 20, R 50, R 100, R 200
Coins: 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c. R 1, R 2, R 5
Countries Using This Currency
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| South Africa |
What is the former name of the People's Republic of Venin? | This country has nine currencies - Feb. 29, 2016
This country has nine currencies
by Eleni Giokos @CNNMoney February 29, 2016: 11:43 AM ET
How Zimbabwe functions without a local currency
Managing your money in one currency is tricky enough for most people. Imagine having to keep track of nine.
That's a hard fact of life for many of Zimbabwe's businesses, who have been forced into the role of foreign exchange dealers after the country's dollar collapsed and was withdrawn from circulation.
They'll trade in the U.S. dollar, Australian dollar, South African rand, Botswana pula, euro, British pound, Japanese yen, Chinese yuan and Indian rupee.
"Most currencies are for trading purposes," Reserve Bank Governor John Mangudya told CNNMoney. "50% of our trade is with China and South Africa so we need to allow trading in many currencies."
The U.S. dollar is Zimbabwe's official "reserve currency." Mangudya says the country has no intention of ditching it for the yuan, or the rand.
On the streets of the capital Harare, the U.S. dollar is preferred but traders accept a variety of currencies. Near the borders with South Africa and Botswana, the rand, pula and the euro are popular.
Still, the popularity of the rand has declined recently after it plunged 30% last year. Zimbabweans are starting to dump their neighbor's currency in fear of further depreciation.
Ultimately it's about the rate they can negotiate. Local business will accept almost any currency in the basket, but at a far higher rate than the official rates.
Zimbabwe's currency crisis started in 2000 when the government implemented aggressive land reform. A combination of sanctions and a loss of confidence in the economy saw the Zimbabwean dollar crash.
The last official measure of inflation was 230 million percent in early 2009, the year when the U.S. dollar became legal tender. Mangudya says the central bank "printing presses were on all day."
The price of goods changed by the minute, and Zimbabwe became known for its one hundred trillion dollar note.
Shingi Munyeza, chairman of Vinal Investments, says he would "pay for coffee before it was made because by the time you sat down to drink it, the price would have increased."
| i don't know |
In which country are Tangier and Casablanca? | Morocco
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Morocco
Official Name: Kingdom of Morocco
Last Updated: April 8, 2016
Embassy Messages
Must be valid at time of entry
BLANK PASSPORT PAGES:
One page required for entry stamp
TOURIST VISA REQUIRED:
Not required for stays under 90 days
VACCINATIONS:
Export of Moroccan dirhams is not allowed
Expand All
Emergency After-Hours Telephone: +(212)(661) 13-19-39
Fax: +(212) (522) 29-77-01
KM 5.7, Avenue Mohammed VI
Souissi, Rabat
Fax: +(212)(537) 63-72-01
Destination Description
Read the Department of State’s Fact Sheet on Morocco for information on U.S. – Morocco relations.
Entry, Exit & Visa Requirements
Passports and Visas:
You must have a valid passport with at least one blank page.
Visas are not required for visits lasting less than 90 days. Visit the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco website for the most current visa information.
If you remain in Morocco beyond 90 days without having requested an extension of stay, you will need to appear before a judge prior to departing Morocco. Please contact the immigration office at your local police station for details. Clearance may include the payment of a fine.
Travelers who plan to reside in Morocco must obtain a residence permit from immigration authorities (Service Etranger) at the central police station of the district of residence.
Carry a copy of your U.S. passport with you at all times to have proof of identity and U.S. citizenship readily available, if needed.
Children who possess U.S. passports and who are born to a Moroccan father may experience difficulty leaving Morocco without the father's permission, even if the parents are divorced and the mother has legal custody. Under Moroccan law, these children are considered Moroccan citizens.
U.S. citizen women married to Moroccans do not need their spouse's permission to leave Morocco.
HIV/AIDS: The U.S. Department of State is unaware of any HIV/AIDS entry restrictions for visitors to or foreign residents of Morocco.
Find information on dual nationality , prevention of international child abduction , and customs regulations on our websites.
Safety and Security
The potential for terrorist violence against U.S. interests and citizens exists in Morocco. Moroccan authorities continue to disrupt groups seeking to attack U.S. or Western-affiliated and Moroccan government targets, arresting numerous individuals associated with international terrorist groups. With indications that such groups still seek to carry out attacks in Morocco, it is important for U.S. citizens to be keenly aware of their surroundings and adhere to prudent security practices such as avoiding predictable travel patterns and maintaining a low profile.
Establishments that are identifiable with the United States are potential targets for attacks. These may include facilities where U.S. citizens and other foreigners congregate, including clubs, restaurants, places of worship, schools, hotels, movie theaters, U.S. brand establishments, and other public areas. Such targets may also include establishments where activities that may offend religious sensitivities occur, such as casinos or places where alcoholic beverages are sold or consumed.
All U.S. citizens are urged to remain alert to local security developments and be vigilant regarding their personal security and report any suspicious incidents or problems immediately to Moroccan authorities and the U.S. Consulate in Casablanca.
Demonstrations occur frequently in Morocco and are typically focused on political or social issues. During periods of heightened regional tension, large demonstrations may take place in the major cities. By law, all demonstrations require a government permit, but spontaneous unauthorized demonstrations, which have greater potential for violence, can occur. In addition, different unions or groups may organize strikes to protest an emerging issue or government policy. Travelers should be aware of the current levels of tension in Morocco and stay informed of regional issues that could resonate in Morocco and create an anti-American response. Avoid demonstrations if at all possible. If caught in a demonstration, remain calm and move away immediately when provided the opportunity.
The Western Sahara is an area where the legal status of the territory and the issue of its sovereignty remain unresolved. The area was long the site of armed conflict between Moroccan government forces and the POLISARIO Front, which continues to seek independence for the territory. However, a cease-fire has been fully in effect since 1991 in the UN-administered area. There are thousands of unexploded mines in the Western Sahara and in areas of Mauritania adjacent to the Western Saharan border. Exploding mines are occasionally reported, and they have caused death and injury. There have been sporadic reports of violence in the cities of Laayoune and Dakhla stemming from sporting events and from political demonstrations. Morocco claims sovereignty over the Western Sahara and closely monitors and controls access to the territory. There have been instances in which U.S. citizens suspected of being participants in political protests or of supporting NGOs that are critical of Moroccan policies have been expelled from, or not been allowed to enter, the Western Sahara.
To stay connected:
Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program so we can keep you up to date with important safety and security announcements.
Follow the Bureau of Consular Affairs on Twitter and Facebook .
See traveling safely abroad for useful travel tips.
Local Laws & Special Circumstances
Criminal Penalties: You are subject to local laws. If you violate local laws, even unknowingly, you may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. In some places you may be taken in for questioning if you don’t have your passport with you.
Furthermore, some laws are also prosecutable in the U.S., regardless of local law. For examples, see our website on crimes against minors abroad and the Department of Justice website.
Arrest Notification: If you are arrested or detained, ask police or prison officials to notify the U.S. Consulate immediately. See our webpage for further information.
Crimes of fraud, including passing bad checks, non-payment of bills (including hotel bills), or breach of contract are considered serious in Morocco and can often result in imprisonment and/or fines.
Bail generally is not available to non-residents of Morocco who are arrested for crimes involving fraud.
Debtors can be held in prison until their debts are paid or until an agreement is reached between the parties.
Passports may be seized by the Moroccan government to guarantee that debtors settle their cases.
Debtors may be unable to work in Morocco without passports while still being held responsible for their debts.
Prior to entering into a contract, you may want to consider consulting an attorney.
Faith-Based Travelers: Islam is the official religion in Morocco. However, the constitution provides for the freedom to practice one's religion. The Moroccan government does not interfere with public worship by the country’s Jewish minority or by expatriate Christians. Proselytizing is, however, prohibited. In the past, U.S. citizens have been arrested, detained, and/or expelled for discussing or trying to engage Moroccans in debate about Christianity. In February 2014, several U.S. citizens were expelled from Morocco for alleged proselytizing. Many of those expelled were long-time Moroccan residents. In these cases, U.S. citizens were given no more than 48 hours to gather their belongings or settle their affairs before being expelled. See the Department of State’s International Religious Freedom Report .
LGBTI Travelers: Consensual same-sex sexual relations are criminalized in Morocco. Penalties include fines and jail time. See our LGBTI Travel Information page and section 6 of our Human Rights report for further details.
Travelers Who Require Accessibility Assistance: While in Morocco, individuals with disabilities may find accessibility and accommodation very different from what is customary in the United States.
Copy of the current passport
Copy of the current Moroccan residency card
Medical certificate from a doctor stating that the requester is free from any contagious disease
Court record (Casier Judiciaire) obtained from the Ministry of Justice in Rabat
100 MAD stamp
Individuals planning on residing in Morocco or relocating to the U.S. may be asked to provide a notarized change of residence form. This form is available at the U.S. Consulate by appointment.
Sending Passports through the Mail: According to Moroccan law, it is prohibited to send passports by mail across international borders. Passports sent to or through Morocco via Fedex, DHL, or other courier will be confiscated by Moroccan authorities. Confiscated U.S. passports are sent to the U.S. Consulate General in Casablanca after being processed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If your passport has been confiscated, you can contact the American Citizens Services section at acscasablanca@state.gov to ask if it has been received.
Property: U.S. consular officers are prohibited by law and regulation from accepting personal property for safekeeping regardless of the circumstances involved.
If there is concern over the protection of property left behind in Morocco due to confiscation or deportation for political, legal, or other reasons, U.S. citizens should take every precaution to ensure that available legal safeguards are in place either before, or immediately after, purchasing property in Morocco or taking up residence there. U.S. citizens are also encouraged to consider assigning a Power of Attorney, or Procuration, to be used in Morocco if necessary. More information and sample Power of Attorney forms are available on the Consulate General of the Kingdom of Morocco in New York website.
Photographing Sensitive Locations: Taking photographs of anything that could be perceived as being of military or security interest may result in problems with the authorities. As a general rule, travelers should not photograph palaces, diplomatic missions, government buildings, or other sensitive facilities and when in doubt should ask permission from the appropriate Moroccan authorities.
Professional Basketball in Morocco: The U.S. Consulate General in Casablanca is aware that there are local professional basketball teams who have made contracts with U.S. citizens to play on Moroccan teams. Some of these players have subsequently claimed they were not paid as stipulated per the terms of the contract. Individuals considering playing basketball professionally in Morocco may wish to consult with a lawyer regarding the terms of their contract prior to signing. A list of lawyers can be found on the Consulate’s webpage.
Health
Adequate medical care is available in Morocco’s largest cities, particularly in Rabat and Casablanca, although not all facilities meet Western standards.
Emergency and specialized care outside the major cities is far below U.S. standards and may not be available at all.
Most medical staff will have limited or no English-speaking ability.
Most ordinary prescription and over-the-counter medicines are widely available.
Specialized prescriptions may be difficult to fill and availability of all medicines in rural areas is unreliable.
Travelers should not ask friends or relatives to send medications through the mail, FedEx, or UPS since Moroccan customs will impound the delivery and not release it to the recipient.
Travelers planning to drive in the mountains and other remote areas may wish to carry a medical kit and a Moroccan phone card for emergencies.
In the event of vehicle accidents involving injuries, immediate ambulance service is usually not available. The police emergency services telephone number is “190” (see Traffic Safety and Road Conditions section below).
The U.S. Mission in Morocco is unable to pay your medical bills. Be aware that U.S. Medicare does not apply overseas.
Medical Insurance: Make sure your health insurance plan provides coverage overseas. Most care providers overseas only accept cash payments. You may also be required to pay a deposit before being admitted for treatment. See our webpage for more information on insurance providers for overseas coverage .
We strongly recommend supplemental insurance to cover medical evacuation.
If traveling with prescription medication, check with the Government of Morocco Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure the medication is legal in Morocco. Always carry your prescription medication in original packaging, along with your doctor’s prescription.
Vaccinations: Be up-to-date on all vaccinations recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Further health information:
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Travel & Transportation
Road Conditions and Safety: Traffic accidents are a significant hazard in Morocco. Driving practices are very poor and have resulted in serious injuries to and fatalities of U.S. citizens. This is particularly true at dusk during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, when adherence to traffic regulations is lax, and from July to September when Moroccans resident abroad return from Europe by car in large numbers.
Drivers should exercise extreme caution when driving at night due to poor lighting systems along roads.
Traffic signals do not always function, and are sometimes difficult to see.
Modern freeways link the cities of Tangier, Rabat, Fez, Casablanca, and Marrakesh. Two-lane highways link other major cities.
Secondary routes in rural areas are often narrow and poorly paved. Roads through the Rif and Atlas mountains are steep, narrow, windy, and dangerous.
Pedestrians, scooters, and animal-drawn conveyances are common on all roadways, including the freeways, and driving at night should be avoided if possible.
During the rainy season (November - March), flash flooding is frequent and sometimes severe, washing away roads and vehicles in rural areas.
Traffic Laws: In the event of a traffic accident, including accidents involving injuries, the parties are required to remain at the scene and not move their vehicles until the police have arrived and documented all necessary information. The police emergency services telephone number is “190”. Often Moroccan police officers pull over drivers for inspection within the city and on highways.
Traffic Fines: Confiscation of a driver’s license is possible if a violator is unable or unwilling to settle a fine at the time of a traffic stop.
If you are stopped for a speeding violation, you have the right to request the video footage documenting the infraction. Once the speeding violation is confirmed, you have three options:
Pay the fine on the spot and obtain a receipt of payment;
Pay at the local city’s treasury (La Perception). The police/gendarme officer will issue you a ‘ticket’ indicating the amount of the fine and keep your driver’s license until you pay the fine.
Should you wish to contest a violation, you may file a complaint at court; however, Moroccan authorities may keep your driver’s license and vehicle registration while this lengthy process takes place.
Foreign driver’s licenses are valid for use in Morocco for up to one year. After that, foreign residents must pass the Moroccan driver’s test and obtain a Moroccan driver’s license.
Public Transportation: While public buses and taxis are inexpensive, driving habits are poor, and buses are frequently overcrowded. The train system has a good safety record. Trains, while sometimes crowded, are comfortable and generally on time.
See our Road Safety page for more information. Visit Morocco’s National Tourism website for additional information.
Aviation Safety Oversight: The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has assessed the Government of Morocco’s Civil Aviation Authority as being in compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards for oversight of Morocco’s air carrier operations. Further information may be found on the FAA’s safety assessment page .
Emergency After-Hours Telephone +(212) (661) 13-19-39
Fax +(212) (522) 29-77-01
| Morocco |
Who was the Egyptian president who was assassinated in 1981? | Morocco Country Code 212 Country Code MA
About Morocco Hide
CountryCode.org is your complete guide to make a call from anywhere in the world, to anywhere in the world. This page details Morocco phone code.
The Morocco country code 212 will allow you to call Morocco from another country. Morocco telephone code 212 is dialed after the IDD. Morocco international dialing 212 is followed by an area code.
The Morocco area code table below shows the various city codes for Morocco. Morocco country codes are followed by these area codes. With the complete Morocco dialing code, you can make your international call.
Dirham (MAD)
Languages
Arabic (official), Berber languages (Tamazight (official), Tachelhit, Tarifit), French (often the language of business, government, and diplomacy)
Electricity
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Which country was called Upper Volta until 1984? | Which African country was called Upper Volta until 1984?
View the step-by-step solution to:
Which African country was called Upper Volta until 1984?
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Which African country was called Upper Volta until 1984?
BarbaraMcdonald posted a question · Jun 08, 2016 at 2:14am
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Let me explain the... View the full answer
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leonardkabib answered the question · Jun 08, 2016 at 2:15am
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Burkina Faso on 4 August... View the full answer
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| Burkina Faso |
Who was the Egyptian king whose tomb an treasures were discovered in the Valley of the Kings in 1922? | Haute-Volta - definition of Haute-Volta by The Free Dictionary
Haute-Volta - definition of Haute-Volta by The Free Dictionary
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Haute-Volta
Also found in: Thesaurus , Encyclopedia , Wikipedia .
Burkina Faso
Bur·ki·na Fa·so
(bər-kē′nə fä′sō) Formerly Up·per Vol·ta (ŭp′ər vŏl′tə, vōl′-, vôl′-)
A landlocked country of western Africa. It was a French protectorate from 1896 until 1960, when it gained its independence. The name of the country was officially changed in 1984. Ouagadougou is the capital and the largest city.
Burkina Faso
Burkina
n
(Placename) an inland republic in W Africa: dominated by Mossi kingdoms (10th–19th centuries); French protectorate established in 1896; became an independent republic in 1960; consists mainly of a flat savanna plateau. Official language: French; Mossi and other African languages also widely spoken. Religion: mostly animist, with a large Muslim minority. Currency: franc. Capital: Ouagadougou. Pop: 17 812 961 (2013 est). Area: 273 200 sq km (105 900 sq miles). Former name (until 1984): Upper Volta
Bur•ki•na Fa•so
(bərˈki nə ˈfɑ soʊ)
n.
a republic in W Africa: formerly part of French West Africa. 11,575,898; 106,111 sq. mi. (274,827 sq. km). Cap.: Ouagadougou. Formerly, Upper Volta.
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| i don't know |
Name the East African country which lies on the equator. | Which African countries does the equator pass through? | Reference.com
Which African countries does the equator pass through?
A:
Quick Answer
The equator passes through the African countries of Gabon, Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kenya and Somalia. In total, the equator passes through 12 countries.
Full Answer
In addition to the six African countries that the equator passes through, it also passes through Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Maldives, Indonesia, Kiribati and Sao Torne and Principe.
The equator represents a great circle that is equal distance from both poles on the Earth, the North and South Poles. It divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The tropics are more likely to be found around the equator and as a result, temperatures are consistently hotter in these areas of the world than any others.
| Kenya |
In which country did King Hassan II ascend the throne in 1961? | The Equator, Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn
By Matt Rosenberg
Updated August 31, 2016.
Three of the most significant imaginary lines running across the surface of the Earth are the equator, the Tropic of Cancer, and the Tropic of Capricorn. While the equator is the longest line of latitude on the Earth (the line where the Earth is widest in an east-west direction), the tropics are based on the sun's position in relation to the Earth at two points of the year. All three lines of latitude are significant in their relationship between the Earth and the sun.
The Equator
The equator is located at zero degrees latitude . The equator runs through Indonesia, Ecuador, northern Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo , and Kenya, among other countries . It is 24,901.55 miles (40,075.16 kilometers) long. On the equator, the sun is directly overhead at noon on the two equinoxes - near March and September 21. The equator divides the planet into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. On the equator, the length of day and night are equal every day of the year - day is always twelve hours long and night is always twelve hours long.
continue reading below our video
Overview of the Four Seasons
The Tropic of Cancer and The Tropic of Capricorn
The Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn each lie at 23.5 degrees latitude. The Tropic of Cancer is located at 23.5° North of the equator and runs through Mexico, the Bahamas, Egypt, Saudi Arabia , India, and southern China. The Tropic of Capricorn lies at 23.5° South of the equator and runs through Australia, Chile, southern Brazil (Brazil is the only country that passes through both the equator and a tropic), and northern South Africa .
The tropics are the two lines where the sun is directly overhead at noon on the two solstices - near June and December 21. The sun is directly overhead at noon on the Tropic of Cancer on June 21 (the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of winter in the Southern Hemisphere) and the sun is directly overhead at noon on the Tropic of Capricorn on December 21 (the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of summer in the Southern Hemisphere).
The reason for the location of the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.5° north and south respectively is due to the axial tilt of the Earth. The Earth is titled 23.5 degrees from the plane of the Earth's revolution around the sun each year.
The area bounded by the Tropic of Cancer on the north and Tropic of Capricorn on the south is known as the "tropics." This area does not experience seasons because the sun is always high in the sky. Only higher latitudes, north of the Tropic of Cancer and south of the Tropic of Capricorn, experience significant seasonal variation in climate. Realize, however, that areas in the tropics can be cold. The peak of Mauna Kea on the big island of Hawaii stands nearly 14,000 feet above sea level, and snow is not unusual.
If you live north of the Tropic of Cancer or south of the Tropic of Capricorn, the sun will never be directly overhead. In the United States, for example, Hawaii is the only location in the country that is south of the Tropic of Cancer, and it is thus the only location in the United States where the sun will be directly overhead in the summer..
Prime Meridian
While the equator divides the Earth into Northern and Southern Hemispheres , it is the Prime Meridian at zero degrees longitude and the line of longitude opposite the Prime Meridian (near the International Date Line ) at 180 degrees longitude that divides the Earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres . The Eastern Hemisphere consists of Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia while the Western Hemisphere includes North and South America . Some geographers place the boundaries between the hemispheres at 20° West and 160° East so as to not run through Europe and Africa. Unlike the equator and the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, the Prime Meridian and all lines of longitude are completely imaginary lines and have no significance with regard to the Earth or to its relationship with the sun.
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Which British general was killed at Khartoum in 1885? | Mahdist War and the Siege of Khartoum
approx. 50,000 men
Siege of Khartoum - Background:
In the wake of 1882 Anglo-Egyptian War, British troops remained in Egypt to protect British interests. Though occupying the country, they allowed the Khedive to continue overseeing domestic affairs. This included dealing with the Mahdist Revolt which had commenced in Sudan. Though technically under Egyptian rule, large parts of Sudan had fallen to Mahdist forces led by Muhammad Ahmad. Considering himself the Mahdi (the redeemer of Islam), Ahmad defeated Egyptian forces at El Obeid in November 1883 and overran Kordofan and Darfur. This defeat and the deteriorating situation led to Sudan being discussed in Parliament. Assessing the problem and wishing to avoid the cost of intervention, Prime Minister William Gladstone and his cabinet were unwilling to commit forces to the conflict.
As a result, their representative in Cairo, Sir Evelyn Baring, directed the Khedive to order the garrisons in Sudan to evacuate back into Egypt. To oversee this operation, London requested that Major General Charles "Chinese" Gordon be placed in command. A veteran officer and former governor-general of Sudan, Gordon was familiar with the region and its peoples. Leaving in early 1884, he was also tasked with reporting on the best means for extracting the Egyptians from the conflict. Arriving in Cairo, he was re-appointed Governor-General of Sudan with full executive powers. Sailing up the Nile, he arrived at Khartoum on February 18. Directing his limited forces against the advancing Mahdists, Gordon began evacuating women and children north to Egypt.
Siege of Khartoum - Gordon Digs In:
Though London desired to abandon Sudan, Gordon firmly believed the Mahdists needed to be defeated or they could overrun Egypt. Citing a lack of boats and transport, he ignored his orders to evacuate and began organizing a defense of Khartoum. In an effort to win over the city's residents, he improved the justice system and remitted taxes. Recognizing that Khartoum's economy rested on the slave trade, he re-legalized slavery despite the fact the he had originally abolished it during his earlier term as governor-general. While unpopular at home, this move increased Gordon's support in the city. As he moved forward, he began requesting reinforcements to defend the city. An initial request for a regiment of Turkish troops was denied as was a later call for a force of Indian Muslims.
Increasingly agitated by Gladstone's lack of support, Gordon began sending a series of angry telegrams to London. These soon became public and led to a vote of no confidence against Gladstone's government. Though he survived, Gladstone steadfastly refused to become committed to a war in Sudan. Left on his own, Gordon began enhancing Khartoum's defenses. Protected to the north and west by the White and Blue Niles, he saw that fortifications and trenches were constructed to the south and east. Facing the desert, these were supported by land mines and wire barriers. To defend the rivers, Gordon retrofitted several steamers into gunboats which were protected by metal plates. Attempting an offensive near Halfaya on March 16, Gordon's troops faltered and took 200 casualties. In the wake of the setback, he concluded that he should remain on the defensive.
Siege of Khartoum - The Siege Begins:
Later that month, Mahdist forces began to near Khartoum and skirmishing commenced. With Mahdist forces closing in, Gordon telegraphed London on April 19 that he had provisions for five months. He also requested two to three thousand Turkish troops as his men were increasingly unreliable. Gordon believed that with such a force, he could drive off the enemy. As the month ended, the tribes to the north elected to join with the Mahdi and cut off Gordon's lines of communication to Egypt. While runners were able to make the journey, the Nile and telegraph were severed. As enemy forces surrounded the city, Gordon attempted to convince the Mahdi to make peace but with no success.
Siege of Khartoum - Fall of Khartoum:
Holding the city, Gordon was able to somewhat replenish his supplies by raiding with his gunboats. In London, his plight was played up in the press and eventually Queen Victoria directed Gladstone to send aid to the beleaguered garrison. Acquiescing in July 1884, Gladstone ordered General Sir Garnet Wolseley to form an expedition for the relief of Khartoum. Despite this, it took a substantial amount of time to organize the needed men and supplies. As the fall progressed, Gordon's position became increasingly tenuous as supplies dwindled and many of his more capable officers were killed. Shortening his line, he constructed a new wall inside the city and tower from which to observe the enemy. Though communications remained spotty, Gordon did receive word that a relief expedition was en route.
Despite this news, Gordon greatly feared for the city. A letter that arrived in Cairo on December 14 informed a friend, "Farewell. You will never hear from me again. I fear that there will be treachery in the garrison, and all will be over by Christmas." Two days later, Gordon was forced to destroy his outpost across the White Nile at Omdurman. Made aware of Gordon's concerns, Wolseley began pressing south. Defeating the Mahdists at Abu Klea on January 17, 1885, he men met the enemy again two days later. With the relief force approaching, the Mahdi began planning to storm Khartoum. Possessing around 50,000 men, he ordered one column to wade across the White Nile to attack the city's walls while another assaulted the Massalamieh Gate.
Moving forward on the night of January 25-26, both columns quickly overwhelmed the exhausted defenders. Swarming through the city, the Mahdists massacred the garrison and around 4,000 of Khartoum's residents. Though the Mahdi had expressly ordered that Gordon be taken alive, he was struck down in the fighting. Accounts of his death vary with some reports stating he was killed at the governor's palace, while others claim he was shot in the street while trying to escape to the Austrian consulate. In either case, Gordon's body was decapitated and taken to the Mahdi on a pike.
Siege of Khartoum - Aftermath:
In the fighting at Khartoum, Gordon's entire 7,000-man garrison was killed. Mahdist casualties are not known. Driving south, Wolseley's relief force reached Khartoum two days after the city's fall. With no reason to remain, he ordered his men to return to Egypt, leaving Sudan to the Mahdi. It remained under Mahdist control until 1898 when Major General Herbert Kitchener defeated them at the Battle of Omdurman . Though a search was made for Gordon's remains after Khartoum was retaken, they were never found. Acclaimed by the public, Gordon's death was blamed on Gladstone who delayed forming a relief expedition. The resulting outcry led his government to fall in March 1885 and he was formally rebuked by Queen Victoria.
Selected Sources
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On the border of which two countries is Victoria Falls? | Siege of Khartoum | Military Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
Edit
Since the 1882 Anglo-Egyptian War , the British military presence ensured that Egypt remained a de facto British protectorate . However, the administration of Sudan was considered a domestic Egyptian matter, and left to the Khedive 's government. [1] As a result, the suppression of the Mahdist revolt was left to the Egyptian army, which suffered a bloody defeat at the hands of the Mahdist rebels at El Obeid , in November 1883. The Mahdi's forces captured huge amounts of equipment and overran large parts of Sudan, including Darfur and Kordofan .
These events brought Sudan to the attention of the British government, and of the British public. The Prime Minister William Gladstone and his War Secretary Lord Hartington did not wish to become involved in Sudan. Accordingly, the British representative in Egypt, Sir Evelyn Baring , persuaded the Egyptian government that all their garrisons in Sudan should be evacuated. General Charles Gordon was then a popular figure in Great Britain. Having already held the Governor-Generalship of Sudan in 1876-79, he was appointed to accomplish this task.
Gordon's ideas on Sudan were radically different from Gladstone's: he believed that the Mahdi's rebellion had to be defeated, or he might gain control of the whole of Sudan, and from there sweep over Egypt. His fears were based on the Mahdi's claim to dominion over the entire Islamic world and on the fragility of the Egyptian army, which had suffered several defeats at the hands of the Sudanese. Gordon favoured an aggressive policy in Sudan, in agreement with noted imperialists such as Sir Samuel Baker and Sir Garnet Wolseley , and his opinions were published in The Times in January 1884. [2]
Despite this, Gordon pledged himself to accomplish the evacuation of Sudan; he was given a credit of £100,000 and was promised by the British and Egyptian authorities "all support and cooperation in their power.". [3] On January 14, 1884, Gordon left the Charing Cross railway station in London for Dover, the ferry to Calais, and on to the Sudan.
When in Cairo, Gordon met Al-Zubayr Rahma Mansur , a former slave trader who had once controlled a semi-independent province in southern Sudan. The two men had a troubled history, as Gordon had been instrumental in destroying Zubayr's influence. Passing over their previous enmity, Gordon became convinced that Zubayr was the only man with sufficient energy and charisma to counter the Mahdi. [4]
On his way to Khartoum with his assistant, Colonel Stewart , Gordon stopped in Berber to address an assembly of tribal chiefs. Here he committed a cardinal mistake by revealing that the Egyptian government wished to withdraw from Sudan. The tribesmen became worried by this news, and their loyalty wavered. [5]
Battle
File:SiegeKhartoum02.JPG
Gordon made a triumphal entry in Khartoum on February 18, 1884, but instead of organising the evacuation of the garrisons, set about administering the city.
His first decisions were to reduce the injustices caused by the Egyptian colonial administration: arbitrary imprisonments were cancelled, torture instruments were destroyed, and taxes were remitted. To enlist the support of the population, Gordon legalised slavery, despite the fact that he himself had abolished it a few years earlier. This decision was popular in Khartoum, where the economy still rested on the slave trade, but caused controversy in Britain. [6]
Muhammad Ahmad , the self-proclaimed Mahdi .
The British public opinion was shaken again shortly after by Gordon's demand that Zubayr Pasha be sent to help him. Zubayr, as a former slave trader, was very unpopular in Britain; the Anti-Slavery Society contested this choice, and Zubayr's appointment was denied by the government. [7] Despite this setback, Gordon was still determined to "smash up the Mahdi". He requested that a regiment of Turkish soldiers be sent to Khartoum as Egypt was still nominally a province of the Ottoman Empire . When this was refused, Gordon asked for a unit of Indian Muslim troops and later for 200 British soldiers to strengthen the defenses of Khartoum. All these proposals were rejected by the Gladstone cabinet, which was still intent on evacuation and refused absolutely to be pressured into military intervention in Sudan. This drove Gordon to resent the government's policy, and his telegrams to Cairo became more acrimonious. On April 8, he wrote: "I leave you with the indelible disgrace of abandoning the garrisons" and added that such a course would be "the climax of meanness". [8] When these criticisms were made public in Britain, the conservative opposition seized on them and moved a vote of censure in the House of Commons. The government won by only 28 votes. [9]
Knowing that the Mahdists were closing in, Gordon ordered the strengthening of the fortifications around Khartoum. The city was protected to the north by the Blue Nile and to the west by the White Nile . To defend the river banks, he created a flotilla of gunboats from nine small paddle-wheel steamers, until then used for communication purposes, which were fitted with guns and protected by metal plates. In the southern part of the town, which faced the open desert, he prepared an elaborate system of trenches, makeshift Fougasse-type land mines , and wire entanglements. Also, the surrounding country was controlled by the Shagia tribe, which was hostile to the Mahdi. [2]
By early April 1884, the tribes north of Khartoum rose in support of the Mahdi, and cut the Egyptian traffic on the Nile and the telegraph to Cairo. Communications were not entirely cut, as runners could still get through, but the siege had begun and Khartoum could only rely on its own food stores, which could last five or six months.
On March 16, an abortive sortie from Khartoum was launched, which led to the death of 200 Egyptian troops as the combined forces besieging Khartoum grew to over 30,000 men. Through the months of April, May, June, and July, Gordon and the garrison dealt with being cut off as food stores dwindled and starvation began to set in for both the garrison and the civilian population. Communication was kept through couriers while Gordon also kept in contact with the Mahdi, who rejected his offers of peace and to lift the siege.
On September 16, an expedition sent from Khartoum to Sennar was defeated by the Mahdists which resulted in the death of over 800 garrison troops at Al Aylafuh. By the end of the month, the Mahdi moved the bulk of his army to Khartoum, more than doubling the number already besieging it. As of September 10, 1884, the civilian population of Khartoum was about 34,000. [10]
Fall of Khartoum
George W. Joy 's portrayal of Gordon's death
Gordon's plight excited great concern in the British press , and even Queen Victoria intervened on his behalf. The government ordered him to return, but Gordon refused, saying he was honour-bound to defend the city. By July 1884, Gladstone reluctantly agreed to send an expedition to Khartoum. However, the expedition, led by Sir Garnet Wolseley , took several months to organise and only entered Sudan in January 1885. By then, Gordon's situation had become desperate, with the food supplies running low, many inhabitants dying of hunger and the defenders' morale at its lowest.
The Nile Expedition for the relief of Gordon
The relief expedition was attacked at Abu Klea on January 17, and two days later at Abu Kru. Though their square was broken at Abu Klea, the British managed to repel the Mahdists. The Mahdi, hearing of the British advance, decided to press the attack on Khartoum. On the night of January 25–26, an estimated 50,000 Mahdists attacked the city wall just before midnight. The Mahdists took advantage of the low level of the Nile, which could be crossed on foot, and rushed around the wall on the shores of the river and into the town. The details of the final assault are vague, but it is said that by 3:30 am, the Mahdists managed to concurrently outflank the city wall at the low end of the Nile while another force, led by Al Nujumi, broke down the Massalamieh Gate despite taking some casualties from mines and barbed wire obstacles laid out by Gordon's men. The entire garrison, physically weakened by starvation, offered only patchy resistance and were slaughtered to the last man within a few hours, as were 4,000 of the town's inhabitants, while many others were carried into slavery. Accounts differ as to how Gordon was killed. According to one version, when Mahdist warriors broke into the governor's palace, Gordon came out in full uniform, and, after disdaining to fight, he was speared to death—in defiance of the orders of the Mahdi, who had wanted him captured alive. [11] In another version, Gordon was recognised by Mahdists while making for the Austrian consulate and shot dead in the street. [12] What appears certain is that his head was cut off, stuck on a pike, and brought to the Mahdi as a trophy and his body dumped in the Nile.
Advance elements of the relief expedition arrived within sight of Khartoum two days later. After the fall of the city, the surviving British and Egyptian troops withdrew from the Sudan, with the exception of the city of Suakin on the Red Sea coast and the Nile town of Wadi Halfa at the Egyptian border, leaving Muhammad Ahmad in control of the entire country.
Aftermath
Edit
The British press put the blame of Gordon's death on Gladstone, who was charged with excessive slowness in sending relief to Khartoum. He was rebuked by Queen Victoria in a telegram which became known to the public, and an acronym applied to him, G.O.M. for "Grand Old Man" which was changed to M.O.G. the "Murderer Of Gordon". His government fell in June 1885, though he was back in office the next year. However this public outcry soon paled, firstly when press coverage and sensationalism of the events began to diminish and secondly when the government released details of the £11.5 million military budget cost for pursuing war in the Sudan.
In reality, Gladstone had always viewed the Egyptian-Sudanese imbroglio with distaste and had felt some sympathy for the Sudanese striving to throw off the Egyptian colonial rule. He once declared in the House of Commons: "Yes, those people are struggling to be free, and they are rightly struggling to be free." [13] Also, Gordon's arrogant and insubordinate manner did nothing to endear him to Gladstone's government.
After his victory, Muhammad Ahmad became the ruler of most parts of what is now Sudan, and established a religious state, the Mahdiyah, which was governed by a harsh enforcement of Sharia law. He died shortly afterwards, in June 1885, though the state he founded survived him.
In Britain, Gordon came to be seen as a martyr and a hero. In 1896, an expedition led by Horatio Herbert Kitchener was sent to avenge his death (who swore to do so upon hearing of Gordon's demise) and reconquer Sudan. On 2 September 1898 Kitchener's troops defeated the bulk of the Mahdist army at the Battle of Omdurman . Two days later a memorial service for Gordon was held in front of the ruins of the palace where he had died. Surviving family members of the movement's leaders were held by the British in a prison in Egypt . [14] The women and children were held there for ten years. The men were held for twelve years. After their return to Sudan they were held under house arrest for the rest of their lives.
Cultural depictions
The Siege of Khartoum is the setting for Wilbur Smith 's novel The Triumph of the Sun , pub. 2005
G. A. Henty wrote a young adults' novel about the siege called The Dash for Khartoum, originally published in 1892, since reissued and also available to read free online at Project Gutenberg .
Henryk Sienkiewicz , Polish writer and Nobel Prize winner, set his novel In Desert and Wilderness in Sudan during Mahdi's rebellion, which plays a vital role in the plot.
The 1999 Mike Leigh film Topsy-Turvy makes reference to the Fall of Khartoum.
Gillian Slovo based her novel An Honourable Man (2012) on the established narrative of General Gordon's last days in Khartoum.
References
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What is the name of the volcanic valley that runs from the Sinai peninsula to central Mozambique? | Africa Map: Interactive Map of Africa with countries and capitals
Africa
is the warmest continent. The equator runs through Africa about halfway between the northern-most and southern-most points. Over three-quarters of Africa is in the tropics; only the upper part of the Sahara, the Mediterranean area, and the southern tip of Africa, are outside of the tropics. Except for the peaks of high mountains, it never freezes in these tropical regions. Because of being in the tropics, the snow line is much higher up than it would be on a mountain of similar height in the temperate zone.
Africa is divided by the Sahara Desert, which stretches west to east just below the top of the continent. While some nomadic peoples live in the desert, and others live in the occasional oasis within the Sahara, the desert is mostly a vast barrier of sand, inhospitable and forbidding. Any kind of communication across the Sahara used to be more difficult than communication around the Mediterranean. The climate north of the Sahara is also similar to the rest of the Mediterranean area. The peoples around the Mediterranean, therefore, are closer to the other cultures around it than to those south of the Sahara. The former are primarily Arabs, while the people south of the Sahara are primarily Khoisan, Bantu and other native Africans.
Below the Sahara is the area known as the Sahel, a high plateau of land that is mostly savanna, plains studded with occasional trees. This area is quite warm and has low to moderate rainfall. The Great Rift Valley runs north-south through the eastern part of Africa, and north of Africa into the Red Sea. This area is where the earliest fossils of early hominids have been found. Two volcanic peaks, Mount Kenya and Mount Kilimanjaro (the highest point in Africa) are found near the Lakes region. The volcanic ash makes for fertile soil, and the warm climate and plentiful rainfall mean that the growing season is limited only by legal holidays—food can be grown all year round. This area is densely populated, and has a high birth rate.
The beautiful tropical rainforest, where plant life is so lush that sunlight rarely reaches the ground, is found below the Sahel, in West Africa and into the central part of the continent. The rivers provided the only access to the interior of this part of the continent. When colonial powers arrived in Africa, they set up an "entrepot" where the river emerged into the ocean, and traded and stored goods there. Many of the countries on the West African coast (Togo, Benin, Cameroon) are shaped the way they are to contain a river and its mouth Tragically, a major part of the trade was in slaves.
The Nile river flows north through the Sahara on the eastern edge of Africa. The White Nile rises in the Great Lakes region of Africa, south of the Sahara Desert, and is joined by the Blue Nile in Sudan, near Khartoum. The Nile then flows north into the Mediterranean Sea.
Senegal and the Gambia:
Senegal and The Gambia agreed to merge in 1981 into Senegambia but the agreement was dissolved in 1989. The Gambia, the smallest country in Africa, is still almost a part of Senegal.
Democratic Republic of the Congo:
The Democratic Republic of the Congo was formerly know as Zaire.
"Congo":
The Republic of the Congo is often referred to as "Congo (Brazzaville)".
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is often referred to as "DRC" or "Congo (Kinshasa)".
Cote d'Ivoire:
Cote d'Ivoire was formerly known as Ivory Coast.
Capital of Cote d'Ivoire:
Yamoussoukro has been the official capital of Cote d'Ivoire since 1983. However, Abidjan remains the administrative center and foreign countries have their embassies there.
Capital of Western Sahara:
The former Spanish colony of Western Sahara was annexed by Morocco in 1975. A cease-fire with groups fighting for independence was established in 1991. The Polisario rebels have set up a government in exile called the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). The United Nations planned to hold a referendum on independence but Morocco has not allowed this. Since Western Sahara has no recognized government it has no capital.
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Which actor won an Academy Award for his performance in The African Queen? | Introduction to Sinai | Egyptian Monuments
A detailed guide to the archaeological sites of the Nile Valley and desert areas of Egypt
Introduction to Sinai
For many visitors to Egypt, their experience of Sinai may be limited to the tourist towns of Sharm el-Sheikh and Dahab with their luxury hotels, clubs and beach parties much frequented by tourists from both Egypt and beyond. This part of the Red Sea Coast however, is also a vertitable paradise for divers and naturalists. On the southernmost point of Sinai about 20 kilometres from Sharm is the promontory of Ras Mohammed, an area of remarkably unspoilt beauty now designated as a National Park. The area itself is teaming with nature and wildlife, and extends out into the translucent blue waters of the Red Sea with its vast terraces of fossil coral reefs, home to a wide variety of amphibious creatures – over a thousand species which are common only to the Red Sea area. Ras Mohammed is also on the migratory path of a wide variety of birds who may stop for a few weeks each year to mingle with the gazelles, foxes, goats and other animals who live on the promontory.
The more intrepid traveller may take a trip up the coast to Taba on the border with Israel and Jordan, or into the desert to St Catherine’s Monastery. Sinai is not a place which is easily explored. Some say Sinai is named after a Lunar deity called Sin, though the true origins and history of the land are buried as deep as the canyons and wadis of its inaccessible interior. The northern region is mostly part of a military zone and travelling here requires special permits, so most visitors will wish to explore the southern half of the peninsula where the antiquity of the land can be felt all around. Those who have experienced the allure of the desert can never be free of its attraction. Vast harsh empty spaces bounded on all sides by huge formations of rock offer an ever-changing vista of colour. The black, ochre and crimson-streaked walls of rock are relieved by great areas of soft golden and apricot sands, home to the Bedouin tribes who still wander the desert with their herds of camels. Anyone who has experienced the silence of the Sinai desert can never forget its unearthly beauty.
Millions of years ago the Sinai Peninsula was attached to Egypt and Saudi Arabia as part of the land mass known as the Great Rift Valley. Thermal currents, the movement of the continental plates, glacial and volcanic activity eventually threw up this triangular area of remote mountains and desert, bordered on one side by the Gulf of Suez and on the other by the Gulf of Aqaba. Its geology can be divided into three main areas. The northern part runs parallel with the Mediterranean coast and consists of dried up river beds or wadis leading to sand dunes and fossil beaches. Rocky islets of limestone punctuate the flat landscape extending south towards the mountainous limestone and sandstone region of Gebel Maghara. The central part of the peninsula is mostly comprised of the el-Tih Plateau, a high area of limestone formed during the Tertiary Period. The southern geology of Sinai was formed by volcanic action on the sea bed producing large areas of granite and basalt and bounded in the coastal region by ancient coral formations. Sinai is a geologist’s paradise, but no casual visitor to the peninsula could fail to be captivated by the textures and colours seen in the vast array of mountainous landscapes.
Despite its remoteness, Sinai has always attracted travellers and explorers who wrote its history on the land itself. It is a region rich in precious minerals such as copper, malachite and turquoise found at Wadi Maghara and Serabit el-Khadim, as well as the more recently discovered oil in the Gulf of Suez. Archaeological investigations have shown that migrating peoples crossed the harsh passageways of Sinai between Africa and Asia during many of the prehistoric periods. Military expeditions during Pharaonic times left their mark in the rock-art which can be seen in many areas of the peninsula and the Biblical story of the Exodus has bequeathed a rich source of tradition in which Sinai is a holy place.
From the beginning of Egyptian history mining and smelting of copper led to an increased population in Sinai as colonisers began to move south and several sites have been found which were exploited from very early times. Systematic mining and quarrying began when the Pharaohs sent expeditions to investigate the area during the Early Dynastic Period. One of the earliest indications of Pharaonic interest is an inscription on the east face of Gebel Maghara depicting Dynasty III King Sekhemkhet in the traditional smiting pose, first discovered by the English explorer E H Palmer in 1868. There are also inscriptions naming Kings Djoser, Sanakht and Pepy II of the Old Kingdom as well as Middle and New Kingdom rulers.
Perhaps one of the best known and most important archaeological sites in Sinai is Serabit el-Khadim, on a highland east of the modern town of Abu Zenima. Turquoise, much prized by the Egyptians, was mined here at least from 3500 BC but most intensively during the Middle Kingdom as attested by inscriptions dating to the reign of Amenemhet II and III. A rock-cut temple dedicated to the Goddess Hathor begun here in early Dynasty XII, is known as the ‘Cave of Hathor’, the goddess who is often named as ‘Lady of the Turquoise’. The earlier shrine was enlarged during the New Kingdom, mainly during the reigns of Hatshepsut and Tuthmose III and thousands of votive offerings and artefacts have been since recovered, including the famous head of a statuette of Queen Tiye, now in the Cairo Egyptian Museum. Other deities worshipped locally were Thoth and Sopd ‘God of the Eastern Desert’, as well as several deified kings. The site of Serabit el-Khadim was excavated by W M Flinders Petrie, who published his work in ‘Researches in Sinai’ in 1906.
Another important Pharaonic site in Sinai in Wadi Kharit was also an area of turquoise mining attested by a rock inscription of Sahure of Dynasty V and a large stela of Senwosret I of Dynasty XII. Found in the Wadi Nasb nearby, was a rock-stela of Amenemhet III and Middle Kingdom and Ramessid texts.
One of the most popular tourist excursions is to Gebel Musa, commonly believed to be Mount Horeb where Biblical tradition claims that Moses received the Ten Commandments. Visitors often make the three-hour climb up the mountain (2286m) before sunrise and on reaching the summit they wait for the dawn to reveal the spectacular view across the surrounding mountains. Below Gebel Musa, fifteen centuries of history are contained within the walls of the Monastery of St Catherine. Founded by the Emperor Justinian in the 6th century AD and later dedicated to St Katherina, a young martyr from Alexandria, the monastery is still home to many of the Eastern Orthodox monks who live and work there. The Prophet Mohammed himself is said to have issued a decree of protection for the monastery and it subsequently survived the conquest of Sinai by Muslim Arabs and was undisturbed by the Crusader wars and the Napoleonic Expedition. Today as it has always done, the monastery’s heritage, rich in architecture and art, draws pilgrims from all over the world.
The romantic desert scenario depicted by such epics as ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ has now given way to a new breed of traveller. Once only the Bedouin tribesmen knew the paths through remote desert wadis, but with the advent of four-wheel-drive vehicles and camel-treks offered to tourists we can all experience a little of this timeless land despite its remoteness.
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Who wrote the novel Cry, the Beloved Country about South Africa? | SparkNotes: Cry, the Beloved Country: Context
Cry, the Beloved Country
Table of Contents
Plot Overview
Alan Paton was born in the South African city of Pietermaritzburg on January 11, 1903, to a Scottish father and a South African mother of English heritage. An active and intelligent child, Paton went on to attend Natal University, where, among other activities, he wrote poetry and served as student body president. At the age of twenty-two, he became a teacher at two of South Africa’s elite, all-white schools, first in the village of Ixopo, then in Pietermaritzburg. Ten years later, he left teaching to pursue a career as a reformatory worker. He was appointed principal of the Diepkloof Reformatory, a prison school for black youths. While at the reformatory, Paton attempted to loosen the restrictions placed on the youths and emphasized preparation for life outside the reformatory walls. He also traveled extensively to study reformatory schools worldwide. It was on one such trip, shortly after World War II, that he wrote Cry, the Beloved Country, the novel that earned him his fame as an author.
Cry, the Beloved Country was published in 1948 to overwhelming international acclaim—at the time of the author’s death, in 1988, more than fifteen million copies of the novel had been sold, and it had been published in twenty different languages. In Paton’s native South Africa, however, praise for Cry, the Beloved Country remained muted, and the novel’s objective take on the problems of racial inequality in South Africa created much controversy. Nonetheless, Paton’s reputation as one of South Africa’s greatest writers remained secure, though his subsequent novels, Too Late the Phalarope (1953) and Ah, But Your Land Is Beautiful (1981), were praised by critics but failed to generate the same excitement as Cry, the Beloved Country.
Although apartheid, South Africa’s infamous system of enforced racial segregation, was not instituted until after the novel’s publication, the South Africa of Cry, the Beloved Country was nevertheless suffering from the effects of racial segregation, enforced inequality, and prejudice. The crime rate was high, and attacks on whites by black agitators caused panic among the country’s white citizens. Black South Africans found themselves adrift as the traditional tribal cultures gave way to the lure of the cities, and many South Africans were left without any moral or social organization to turn to. Whites held a monopoly on political power, and they did nothing to alleviate the extreme poverty among black South Africans, which in turn led many young black men to crime. The gold mines, which were so vital to South Africa’s economy, depended on cheap black labor to remain profitable, and as a result, the workers were paid barely enough to survive. But those in power inevitably broke up attempts to strike or seek a better wage.
Cry, the Beloved Country is set in this tense and fragile society, where the breathtaking beauty of the nation’s natural landscape is tainted by the fears of its people. And yet, the message of the novel is one of hope. Characters such as Stephen Kumalo, James Jarvis, and Theophilus Msimangu reveal a potential for goodness in humankind, and are able to defuse hatred, overcome fear, and take the first steps necessary for mending a broken nation.
Historical Background
Cry, the Beloved Country is set in South Africa in the 1940s. Its story unfolds against a backdrop of economic and political tensions that have a lengthy, complicated history. Thousands of years before the first Europeans arrived, southern Africa was populated by various African tribal groups, including the San, the Khoikhoi, and, later on, Bantu-speaking peoples who were ancestors of the modern Zulus. The first European settlers in South Africa, the Dutch, arrived in the mid-1600s. The Dutch wanted only to set up bases for trade, not to colonize the country, and they met with little resistance. But by the mid-1700s, the Dutch, who had come to be known as the Boers and who had developed their own language, Afrikaans, had begun to settle deeper and deeper into the country. In a process similar to the displacement and destruction of Native American life in the United States, African tribes were forced off their traditional lands, decimated by disease, and defeated in battles against the well-armed Boers.
English settlers first arrived in 1795. Unlike the Dutch, by the early 1800s the English decided to make South Africa a full-fledged colony. Concentrated in coastal cities, the English soon found themselves in conflict with Boer farmers, who called themselves “the white tribe of Africa.” The Boers moved north, away from the coast, while the Zulus, led by the famous warrior-leader Shaka, pressed south on a military campaign. Inevitably, the two groups clashed, fighting a number of bloody battles before the Zulus were defeated. The Boers created several independent republics, but when diamonds and gold were discovered in the Boer territories, the British moved to annex them, leading to the first Anglo-Boer war in 1881. The Boers regained the independence of their territories, but when gold was discovered near what is now Johannesburg in 1886, the British invaded the area again. The second Anglo-Boer war lasted from 1899 to 1902. The victorious British were able to establish rule, and they officially established the Union of South Africa in 1910.
Cry, the Beloved Country takes place after these upheavals and immediately before the implementation, in 1948, of apartheid, which codified the systematic inequalities depicted in the novel. During the time in which the novel is set, black workers were permitted to hold only unskilled jobs and were subject to “pass laws” that restricted their freedom of movement. In 1913, the Natives Land Act radically limited the amount of land that black South Africans were permitted to own. As the character Arthur Jarvis states in the novel, just one-tenth of the land was set aside for four-fifths of the country’s people. The resultant overcrowding led many black South Africans to migrate to Johannesburg to work in the mines. Those in power welcomed the influx of cheap labor but failed to provide adequate housing or services to address the mass migration. These are the circumstances under which the character Stephen Kumalo leaves his impoverished rural village to search for his son in Johannesburg.
Though Paton’s novel helped raise the social consciousness of white South Africa, things got much worse before they got better. In 1948, the National Party (representing Afrikaner and conservative interests) gained power and introduced apartheid. Under apartheid, every South African was classified according to race, and the Group Areas Act enforced the physical separation of blacks from whites. Every aspect of South African life was racially segregated. Under the leadership of Nelson Mandela, the African National Congress (ANC), which had been founded in 1912 as the South African Native National Congress and renamed in 1923, began protests against the new laws in the form of strikes and marches. After decades of struggle and bloodshed, the ANC prevailed, and South Africa held its first free election in 1994. Mandela was elected president, apartheid was dismantled, and the country ratified one of the most liberal constitutions in the world.
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What is the capital of Kenya? | Cry, the Beloved Country | novel by Paton | Britannica.com
Cry, the Beloved Country
Ulysses
Cry, the Beloved Country, novel by Alan Paton , published in 1948. The novel relates the story of a black South African, Absalom Kumalo, who has murdered a white man. This situation is Paton’s basis for examining aspects of guilt, both Kumalo’s personal guilt and responsibility and the collective guilt of a society that creates such disparity in living conditions.
Learn More in these related articles:
Alan Paton
January 11, 1903 Pietermaritzburg, Natal, South Africa April 12, 1988 near Durban, Natal South African writer, best known for his first novel, Cry, the Beloved Country (1948), a passionate tale of racial injustice that brought international attention to the problem of apartheid in South Africa.
in African literature: English
...segregation, codified as apartheid in 1948, that dominated the country until the early 1990s. In two early novels, Mine Boy (1946), by Peter Abrahams, and Cry, the Beloved Country (1948), by Alan Paton, black Africans go to Johannesburg and experience the terror of apartheid. In To Every Birth Its Blood (1981), Mongane...
in Zoltan Korda
After spending nearly 10 years in Hollywood, Korda returned to England to make Cry, the Beloved Country (1951), from Alan Paton’s novel about racial tension and reconciliation in South Africa. Sidney Poitier, Canada Lee, and Charles Carson were the principals in this tragic and powerful film. Korda’s final picture was Storm over the Nile (1955;...
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Article Title: Cry, the Beloved Country
Website Name: Encyclopædia Britannica
Date Published: November 25, 2011
URL: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cry-the-Beloved-Country-novel-by-Paton
Access Date: January 15, 2017
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From which European country did Angola achieve independence in 1975? | HISTORY OF ANGOLA
HISTORY OF ANGOLA
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Angola and slaves: 15th-19th century
Little is known about the early history of the Angola region, stretching south from the mouth of the Congo. The inhabitants are living a neolithic existence until the arrival of Bantu migrants from the north, bringing iron technology in the first millennium AD.
When the Portuguese begin trading on the west coast of Africa, in the 15th century, they concentrate their energies on Guinea and Angola. Hoping at first for gold, they soon find that slaves are the most valuable commodity available here for export. But the Portuguese never establish much more than a foothold in either place. In Guinea rival Europeans grab much of the trade, while local African rulers confine the Portuguese to the area around Bissau.
Thousands of miles down the coast, in Angola, the Portuguese find it even harder to consolidate their early advantage against encroachments by Dutch, British and French rivals. Nevertheless the fortified towns of Luanda (established in 1587 with 400 Portuguese settlers) and Benguela (a fort from 1587, a town from 1617) remain almost continuously in Portuguese hands.
As in Guinea , the slave trade becomes the basis of the local economy - with raids carried ever further inland to procure captives. More than a million men, women and children are shipped from here across the Atlantic. In this region, unlike Guinea, the trade remains largely in Portuguese hands. Nearly all the slaves are destined for Brazil .
During the 19th century the western embargo on the slave trade brings to an end Angola's main export. The shipping of slaves from Angola is banned in 1836, but slavery remains legal in the Portuguese empire until 1875. So an attempt is made in Angola to make productive use of slaves who can no longer be sold abroad.
Grants of land are made in regions inland from Luanda. Plantations are established, with coffee, cotton and sugar as the main crops. But this encroachment leads to continual outbreaks of warfare with local rulers of the Kongo, Mbundu and Ovambo peoples. Angola is a most unsettled region when the European scramble for Africa begins in the 1880s. It remains so in most subsequent periods.
Colonial period: 1885-1975
Portugal's colonial claim to the region is recognized by the other European powers during the 1880s, and the boundaries of Portuguese Angola are agreed by negotiation in Europe in 1891. At the time Portugal is in effective control of only a small part of the area thus theoretically enclosed. But work is already under way to open up the interior.
Construction of a railway from Luanda to Malanje, in the fertile highlands, is started in 1885. Work begins in 1902 on a commercially more significant line from Benguela all the way inland to the Katanga region, aiming to provide access to the sea for the richest mining district of the Belgian Congo . The line reaches the Congo border in 1928.
By this time the regime in Portugal has been through two violent transitions, from monarchy to republic in 1910 and then to a military dictatorship after a coup in 1926. The effect of these changes in Angola is a tightening of Portuguese control.
In the early years of the colony there has been a continuation of the almost endemic warfare between the Portuguese and the various African rulers of the region. Now a systematic campaign of conquest is undertaken. One by one the local kingdoms are overwhelmed and abolished. By the 1920s almost the whole of Angola is under control. There is no longer slavery, but the plantations are worked on a system of forced African labour.
In the 1950s and 1960s three rival guerrilla groups are formed to fight for Angolan independence. The first is the MPLA or Movimento Popular de Libertaçcão de Angola (Popular Liberation Movement of Angola), founded in 1956 by members of the banned Portuguese Communist party and supported by the USSR.
In the following year the FNLA or Frente Nacional de Libertação de Angola (National Front for the Liberation of Angola) is set up with aid from the USA. And in 1966 UNITA or União Nacional para a Independencia Total de Angola (National Union for the Total Independence of Angola) is established. UNITA has little foreign aid but considerable tribal allegiance in southern Angola.
Portugal's terminal problems in Angola are not directly caused by any of these guerrilla groups. It is a rebellion of workers, undergoing forced labour in coffee and cotton plantations in the north, which first plunges the country into chaos in 1961.
The government in Lisbon responds vigorously. Large numbers of troops are sent to the colony. The emigration of Portuguese peasants to Angola, to be settled on African farms, is greatly accelerated. Reforms are introduced (improvements in the provision of education and health, and the ending of forced labour) in a belated attempt to appease the African population.
The unrest gives the guerrilla groups their opportunity. Throughout the 1960s and into the 1970s they are actively engaged in a campaign of violence against the colonial power. But they are equally active in fighting among themselves. Civil war accompanies the anti-colonial war.
As a result Angola is ill-equipped to respond positively in the aftermath of a 1974 coup in Portugal . This event, largely prompted by the dire situation in Portugal's three rebellious African colonies, brings to a sudden end the country's long-established right-wing dicatatorship. The change of regime in Lisbon has immediate consequences in Africa.
The new government in Lisbon is disinclined to prop up Portugal's collapsing and by now very expensive empire. All the Portuguese colonies in Africa are rapidly granted their independence.
Portuguese Guinea is the first, in September 1974. Portuguese East Africa follows in June 1975, taking the new name Mozambique. The republic of Cape Verde is established in July. And Angola, in the middle of civil war, becomes independent in November 1975.
Independence: from1975
During 1975, before the official Portuguese withdrawal, the civil war in Angola intensifies. In fighting for control of the capital city, Luanda, the MPLA succeeds in driving out both its rivals. UNITA, which claims to enjoy wider popular support than the other groups, argues that Portugal must fulfil its last colonial duty and supervise elections.
But the Portuguese, eager to leave as quickly as possible, abandon the country without formally handing over control to any succeeding government. The MPLA, in possession of the capital and with guaranteed support from the USSR and Cuba, declares itself the government of independent Angola. Agostinho Neto, a distinguished poet who has led the MPLA since 1962, becomes president.
UNITA and the FNLA set up a rival government in the mountainous region of Huambo, inland from Benguela. Here they enlist the support of South African forces in neighbouring Namibia to oust the Marxist MPLA.
The conflict in Angola thus becomes an extension of the Cold War. The United States sends funds to UNITA and the FNLA and encourages South African involvement. The USSR provides similar support to the MPLA, while president Castro, eager to spread communism in Africa, sends large contingents of Cuban troops to Angola. As early as November 1975 South African and Cuban troops clash in a battle at Ebo, with victory on this occasion going decisively to the Cubans.
South Africa's involvement increases over the years because of the situation in neighbouring Namibia, where the insurgent group SWAPO receives support from Angola's MPLA. From South Africa's point of view, maintaining control in Namibia and fighting communism in Angola become one and the same cause. But in 1988 exhaustion leads to a pact with Cuba. Both sides will withdraw their troops from Angola. South Africa will also pull out of Namibia .
This leaves Angola's civil war as an internal affair. The FNLA has by the late 1980s declined in importance. The rivals now are the MPLA, led by José dos Santos since the death of Neto in 1979; and UNITA, still under the control of its founder, Jonas Savimbi.
From 1989 there are several attempts by the two men to achieve a ceasefire. A solution is made easier when the MPLA decides to give up Marxism-Leninism and the one-party state. An agreement is reached in 1991 on a new constitution, the merging of the two rival armies and the holding of multiparty elections.
The elections duly take place in 1992 and the MPLA beats UNITA into second place. Savimbi refuses to accept this result. Civil war breaks out again, even more violently than before. During two years of fighting, it is calculated that some two million people are driven from their homes (20% of the population). More than 20 million land mines are planted by the warring factions.
In November 1994, under UN mediation in Lusaka, a somewhat shaky peace is agreed. It involves the gradual demobilization of UNITA's forces and the participation of UNITA in government as a political party, with Savimbi as vice-president of the nation.
However progress is far from convincing. The demobilization soon falls behind schedule. Savimbi reconsiders his decision to serve as vice-president. And UNITA proves reluctant to relinquish control over regions which include Angola's valuable diamond mines. (Of the nation's two main sources of wealth, oil has been exclusively in MPLA hands while diamonds have funded UNITA).
All trace of agreement ends in December 1998, with a return to full-scale civil war. During 1999 UNITA wins control of some 75% of the countryside, forcing terrified peasants into government-held cities where starvation and illness threaten the lives of hundreds of thousands. The UN World Food Programme desperately tries to truck in emergency supplies along roads mined and ambushed by UNITA forces. Meanwhile the rest of the world hardly notices, with Kosovo exhausting the available supply of compassion.
No country in the world has had such a continuously appalling start to independence as Angola, potentially so prosperous from its natural resources but suffering from lethal self-inflicted wounds.
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Which country mainly makes up the Horn of Africa? | Milestones: 1969–1976 - Office of the Historian
Milestones: 1969–1976
The Angola Crisis 1974–75
After a successful military coup in Portugal that toppled a long-standing authoritarian regime on April 25, 1974, the new rulers in Lisbon sought to divest the country of its costly colonial empire. The impending independence of one of those colonies, Angola, led to the Angolan civil war that grew into a Cold War competition. The Angola crisis of 1974–1975 ultimately contributed to straining relations between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Cuban and Angolan soldiers are shown during a weapon practice session at a training center. (AP Photo)
Three main military movements had been fighting for Angolan independence since the 1960s. The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) was a Marxist organization centered in the capital, Luanda, and led by Agostinho Neto. The National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA), led by Holden Roberto, was based in the north of the country and had strong ties to the U.S. ally, Mobutu Sese Seko, in neighboring Zaire. The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), an offshoot of the FNLA, was led by Jonas Savimbi and supported by the country’s largest ethnic group, the Ovimbundu. Following the Portuguese coup, these three revolutionaries met with representatives of the new Portuguese Government in January 1975 and signed the Alvor Agreement that granted Angolan independence and provided for a three-way power sharing government. However, trust quickly broke down among the three groups, and the country descended into civil war as each vied for sole power.
The crisis in Angola developed into a Cold War battleground as the superpowers and their allies delivered military assistance to their preferred clients. The United States supplied aid and training for both the FNLA and UNITA while troops from Zaire assisted Holden Roberto and his fighters. China, also, sent military instructors to train the FNLA. The Soviet Union provided military training and equipment for the MPLA. During the summer of 1975, the Soviet-supported MPLA was able to consolidate power in Luanda and oust the U.S.-supported FNLA from the capital, but the FNLA continued to attack. The remaining Portuguese troops failed to stem the violence. When MPLA leader Neto announced November 11, 1975 as the day of Angolan independence, Lisbon decided to withdraw its troops on that day.
The MPLA also had long-established relations with Fidel Castro’s Cuba. Before November 11, the MPLA had negotiated with Castro for Cuban assistance. At the same time, UNITA, which enjoyed U.S. support, approached the Apartheid government in South Africa for military reinforcement. Pretoria, with the aim to end the use of Angola as a base for rebels fighting for the independence of South Africa-occupied Namibia, contributed forces that entered southern Angola in October and made rapid progress toward the capital. In response, Castro sent Cuban Special Forces to halt the South African advance and succeeded in drawing attention to the fact that the United States had provided support to a group that now accepted assistance from an Apartheid government.
The U.S. Government had encouraged the South African intervention, but preferred to downplay its connection with the Apartheid regime. However, once Pretoria’s involvement became widely known, the Chinese withdrew its advisers from the region, and the Ford Administration was faced with domestic resistance to the U.S. role in the Angolan conflict. President Gerald Ford had requested Congressional approval for more money to fund the operation in Angola. However, many members of Congress were wary of intervening abroad after the struggle in Vietnam, others wished to avoid the South Africa connection, and still others did not believe the issue was important. In the end, Congress rejected the President’s request for additional funds. South Africa withdrew its forces in the spring of 1976 and the MPLA remained as the official government of Angola. Still, Jonas Savimbi and UNITA continued an insurgency until his death in 2002.
During the period of the Angolan crisis, the United States and the Soviet Union were still enjoying a brief thaw in their relations, in an era referred to as détente . During this time, Washington and Moscow had reached a series of agreements that aimed to reduce tensions between the two superpowers. However, by 1974, strains on bilateral relations had already compromised U.S. support for détente and the crisis in Angola served to accelerate this trend. From the U.S. point of view, one of the aims of détente was to draw the Soviet Union further into the international system so that Washington could induce Moscow to show restraint in its dealings with the Third World. The Ford Administration believed that Cuba had intervened in Angola as a Soviet proxy and as such, the general view in Washington was that Moscow was breaking the rules of détente. The appearance of a Soviet success and a U.S. loss in Angola on the heels of a victory by Soviet-supported North Vietnam over U.S.-supported South Vietnam continued to erode U.S. faith in détente as an effective Cold War foreign policy.
The U.S. failure to achieve its desired outcome in Angola raised the stakes of the superpower competition in the Third World. Subsequent disagreements over the Horn of Africa, and Afghanistan contributed to undoing the period of détente between the Soviet Union and the United States. Additionally, the Angola crisis also ended a recent thaw in U.S.-Cuban relations.
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What is the capital of Sierra Leone? | Capital of Sierra Leone - List of Capitals
The capital of Sierra Leone is Freetown
Picture has been licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike .
Author: Magnus Ohman
Facts about Freetown
Freetown, Sierra Leone is located in Sierra Leone Freetown, Sierra Leone Map of Sierra Leone showing the capital Freetown Coordinates: 8°29′4″N 13°14′4″W / 8.48444°N 13.23444°W / 8.48444; -13.23444Coordinates: 8°29′4″N 13°14′4″W / 8.48444°N 13.23444°W / 8.48444; -13.
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Which country is the island of Zanzibar part of? | What is the Capital of Sierra Leone? - Capital-of.com
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Capital of Sierra Leone
The Capital City of Sierra Leone (officially named Republic of Sierra Leone) is the city of Freetown. The population of Freetown was 6,294,774.
Sierra Leone is an English speaking country on the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean.
Additional Information
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What is Africa's largest country? | Map of Top Ten Largest African Countries by Area
Largest Countries in the World by Area
Countries in Africa
Africa is made up of over fifty sovereign nations, and several more territories and dependencies. Of the countries in Africa, Algeria is the largest country by area, with an area of 2,381,740 square kilometers.
Algeria is situated in northwestern Africa, and its capital is in Algiers. Algeria has a population of over 33 million.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the second largest country in Africa, falling just behind Algeria, with an area of 2,344,858 square miles. The DRC is located in Central Africa, and its capital is in Kinshasa. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has a population of almost 72 million.
The Republic of the Sudan is the third largest nation, with 1,861,484 square kilometers in area. Sudan is located in northeastern Africa, and its capital is located in Khartoum. The population of Sudan is about 67 million.
The fourth largest country in Africa is Libya, with an area of 1,759,540. Libya is situated in the far north of Africa along the Mediterranean Sea, and its capital is Tripoli. The population of Libya is just over 6 million people.
Chad is in fifth place for largest African countries by area, with a total area of about 1,284,000 square kilometers. Chad is centrally located in Africa, and its capital is N'Djamena. The population of Chad is about 10.1 million.
Niger has the sixth largest area in Africa, with its area measuring about 1,267,000 square kilometers. Niger is a central African country, with its capital in Niamey. The population of Niger is almost 14 millions.
Angola has an area of 1,246,700 square kilometers, making it seventh largest in the African continent. Angola is a southwestern nation, with its capital in Lunda, and its population numbers under 16 million.
Mali takes eighth place in terms of largest countries in Africa, with an area of 1,240,192 square kilometers. Mali is located in West Africa, and its capital is in Bamako. The population of Mali is about 13.5 million.
South Africa is the ninth largest country in Africa. Located in the far south of the African continent, South Africa has an area of 1,221,037 square kilometers. The capital of South Africa is in three cities: Bloemfontein, Cape Town, and Pretoria, and the population of the country is about 47.5 million.
The tenth largest country in Africa by area is Ethiopia, which is located in eastern Africa. The area of Ethiopia is 1,104,300 square kilometers, and its population is about 85.2 million. The capital of Ethiopia is Addis Adaba.
Top 10 Largest African Countries by Area
Country
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Which African country is bordered by Benin, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Niger, and Mali? | Africa Map / Map of Africa - Facts, Geography, History of Africa - Worldatlas.com
African History
African Origin of Modern Humans
As for Africa, scientists have formerly concluded that it is the birthplace of mankind, as large numbers of human-like fossils (discovered no where else) were found on the continent, some dating back 3.5 million years.
About 1.75 million years ago, early man spread throughout parts of Africa. They became aggressive hunters, lived in caves and used fire and their ability to create stone tools just to survive.
The Neanderthals arose some 200,000 years ago and inhabited regions in northern Africa and across parts of southern Europe. There is also clear evidence that they had control of fire, lived in caves, as well as open-air structures of stone and vegetation.
One of the most important developments of primitive man was the creation of stone tools. By 5000 BC farming was somewhat common in the northern areas of Africa, as people were growing crops and herding livestock. During that time the Sahara Desert was a fertile area.
Ancient African History
In 3200 BC the Egyptian culture emerged along the lower reaches of the Nile River; it was among the earliest civilizations and their tools and weapons were made of bronze. They also pioneered the building of massive pyramids and temples.
Egyptians also developed mathematics, an innovative system of medicine, irrigation and agricultural production techniques, writing and the first ships. In short, the Egyptians left a lasting legacy upon the world.
Around 600 BC the use of metal tools spread across small population bases and farming groups in North Africa, and their use gradually spread south into what is now called South Africa.
The Phoenicians were an enterprising maritime trading culture from Lebanon who spread across the Mediterranean from 1550 BC to 300 BC. In 814 BC, they founded the city of Carthage in what is now Tunisia in north Africa; only to be destroyed by the Romans in 146 BC.
Meanwhile, the Egyptians continued to spread their culture across Northern Africa, and kingdoms were created in Ethiopia and Sudan. The then-growing Roman Empire continued to expand its influence, and in 30 BC Egypt became a province of Rome; Morocco the same in 42 AD.
Before the Middle Ages began, the Roman Empire collapsed and the Arabs quickly took their place on the continent. In 698-700 they invaded Tunis and Carthage and soon controlled all of coastal North Africa. The Arabs were Muslims, and most of North Africa converted to Islam; Ethiopia was the exception.
Soon kingdoms emerged in Africa; they traded with the Arabs using gold plus a valuable commodity - slaves. One of the first kingdoms was Ghana, located in what is now southeastern Mauritania and western Mali. The empire grew rich from the trans-Saharan trade in gold and salt, but then lost its power in the 11th century.
Additional kingdoms developed across the continent, including those in Benin and Mali. Both became rich by trading in gold, horse salt, and of course, slaves. And like most kingdoms before them on any continent, they were invaded and in the end destroyed.
Mogadishu, the now largest city in Somalia, was settled by Arabs who traveled and traded on the east coast of Africa. The Arabs' reach extended to Zanzibar, which was used as a base for voyages between the Middle East and India.
As other organized kingdoms were formed in central and southern Africa, the Portuguese began to explore the western coast of Africa. By 1445 they reached the Cape Verde Islands and the coast of Senegal, and the mouth of the River Congo in 1482. They even sailed around the Cape of Good Hope.
African Colonization and the Slave Trade
The continent-changing 16th Century began with Europeans transporting African slaves to the Americas for profit. A slave purchased on the African coast for the equivalent of 14 English pounds in bartered goods could sell for 45 pounds in the American market.
The best-known method of commerce at the time was called the Triangular Trading System. It involved British and other European countries' manufactured goods which were shipped to Africa, then slaves from there to the West Indies and then sugar and other products back to Europe.
At the same time, Barbary pirates along the North African coast captured thousands of ships. From the 16th to 19th century, an estimated 800,000 to 1.25 million people were taken captive as slaves. The pirates' impact on the continent, however, peaked in the early to mid-17th century.
As tales of African riches spread north, the Europeans founded their first real colonies in the early 16th century, when the Portuguese settled in what is now Angola. Later, the Dutch founded a colony in what is now South Africa.
Strong movements to end slavery began in the late 18th century. France became one of the first countries to abolish slavery in 1794. Britain banned slave trade in 1807, but it was not officially abolished for good until 1848. In some parts of Africa, slave-like practices continue to this day and have proven difficult to eliminate.
Wholesale colonization of Africa by European countries began in 1814 when the British snatched the Dutch Colony of South Africa. Carved up like a large pie, the Brits, Dutch, French, Germans and Portuguese grabbed all of the available pieces.
By the end of the 19th century, from Algeria to Zimbabwe, and from Botswana to Niger, the continent was now all but controlled by European powers. In the early 20th century the land grab continued as the British took control of Egypt.
By 1920, the forced occupation of African lands began to sour in Europe, and change was in the wind. Africans were also driven by their passionate desire for independence and the movement for same became unstoppable. By mid-century most of the continent was independent, with Angola finally free in 1975.
Post-Colonial Africa
Self-government brought more than its share of civil wars, coup d'états and ethnic conflicts to the newly emerged countries. Add to that mix some horrible genocides, along with famines and out-of-control disease (HIV/AIDS), and Africa was teetering on the edge, and in many areas still does today.
Although Africa remains the world's poorest inhabited continent, there are many bright spots in this land of over one billion people and its 2,000 + languages. Significant economic and social gains have taken place over the last few years, with South Africa, Nigeria, Morocco and Egypt leading the way.
The largest segments of modern Africa's economies are agriculture and mining, with tourism growing in some areas. Manufacturing industries have grown large enough to ship products across the planet, and the oil export revenues of Angola, Libya and Nigeria have the potential to change the lives of millions.
Today the 54 countries of Africa have great potential, but this question must be asked: "Can it change soon enough to meet the needs of its people?" We can only hope so.
Africa Geography Facts
For additional geography details please use the yellow navigation bar at the top of this page.
Algeria is Africa's largest country
The Seychelles are Africa's smallest country
Nigeria is Africa's largest country by population
The Seychelles are Africa's smallest country by population
Africa's highest point is Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania
Africa's lowest point is Lake Assal in Djibouti
Interesting Facts About Africa
Two of Africa's most interesting geographical features are the Nile River System and Sahara Desert; both impressive in so many ways.
Nile River System: The Nile is a north-flowing river considered the longest river in the world at 6,650 km (4,130 mi) long. It is shared by and benefits eleven countries. The White Nile and Blue Nile are its major tributaries. The White Nile is longer and rises in the Great Lakes region of central Africa, flowing north from Tanzania to South Sudan . The Blue Nile is the source of most of the water and both rivers join near Khartoum, Sudan The northern section of the river flows almost entirely through desert, from Sudan into Egypt. The Nile ends in a large delta that empties into the Mediterranean Sea.
Sahara Desert: It's the world's hottest desert, the third largest desert after Antarctica and the Arctic, and almost as large as China. Covering almost one-third of the continent, the Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world at approximately 3,500,000 sq. miles (9,065,000 sq. km) in total size. Topography includes areas of rock-strewn plains, rolling sand dunes and numerous sand seas. It ranges in elevation from 100 ft. below sea level, to peaks in the Ahaggar and Tibesti Mountains, that exceed 11,000 ft. (3,350m). Regional deserts include the Libyan, Nubian and the Western desert of Egypt, just to the west of the Nile. Almost completely without rainfall, a few underground rivers flow from the Atlas Mountains, helping to irrigate isolated oases. In the east, the waters of the Nile help fertilize smaller parts of the landscape.
Africa Information
Africa weather forecasts and current conditions
Maps of Africa
Africa, the planet's 2nd largest continent and the second most-populous continent (after Asia) includes (54) individual countries, and Western Sahara, a member state of the African Union whose statehood is disputed by Morocco. Note that South Sudan is the continent's newest country.
With a 2011 population of 1,032,532,974, it accounts for just over 14% of the world's human population. It also contains the Nile River system, the world's longest, and the massive Sahara Desert, the world's largest.
Africa is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, both the Suez Canal and the Red Sea along the Sinai Peninsula to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the east and southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.
Country Map of Africa Outline
Outline map of the Africa continent including the disputed territory of Western Sahara
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Who was the woman sentenced to six years in jail after the murder of Stompei Seipi? | Winnie Mandela Is Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison - latimes
Winnie Mandela Is Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison
May 15, 1991 |SCOTT KRAFT | TIMES STAFF WRITER
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — Winnie Mandela was sentenced Tuesday to six years in prison by a judge who said she misused her leadership position and showed "not the slightest remorse" for her role in abducting four young black men who were later brutally beaten at her home.
A courtroom crowded with Mandela supporters listened in stunned silence as Rand Supreme Court Judge Michael S. Stegmann sentenced one of the world's best-known anti-apartheid figures to jail for the common crimes of kidnaping and accessory to assault.
"You, Mrs. Mandela, bear a heavy responsibility," Stegmann told Mandela, who stood facing him in the defendants' dock. "A position of leadership is not something that entitles you to play fast and loose with the liberty of others for your own purposes."
Mandela's attorney, George Bizos, immediately applied for permission to appeal the verdict, citing several dozen instances in which he contended that the judge had erred or drawn conclusions not supported by the evidence. For Mandela to be allowed to appeal, Judge Stegmann must rule at a later hearing that the appeal has a "reasonable prospect" of success.
Mandela was allowed to remain free, and her bail was set at 200 rand ($80).
Several hundred African National Congress supporters, surrounded by blue-uniformed policemen, turned out to greet Mandela, who is the ANC's social welfare director. A few carried placards reading: "No Justice Under an Unjust Government" and "Stop Harassing Our Mother, Winnie Mandela."
Although some militant ANC leaders have said that Mandela's conviction and imprisonment would touch off mass township protests, her husband, ANC Deputy President Nelson Mandela, appeared to play down the impact that the verdict would have on his negotiations with President Frederik W. de Klerk's white-led government.
Nelson Mandela, who was out of town during the sentencing, said he remains convinced of his 56-year-old wife's innocence and confident that she will eventually be cleared of all the charges against her.
"I trust that soon her name will be cleared completely," Mandela said after a speech to white students in Stellenbosch. "In the meantime, I appeal to all to leave matters to the courts." Referring to the appeal, he added: "The last word . . . has not been spoken."
Winnie Mandela, appearing confident, blamed her troubles on the media, which have thoroughly reported the allegations against her for nearly two years.
"We have been found guilty by the media," she told cheering supporters.
Although she is a controversial figure inside the ANC, most of those who gathered outside the courthouse Tuesday took a dim view of the government's decision to prosecute her.
"They are trying to demoralize his (Nelson Mandela's) spirit," said Tsepo Lentsoane, a black man in his 30s. "They are capitalizing on the mistakes of his wife."
Judge Stegmann concluded the three-month trial Tuesday by ordering Winnie Mandela to serve consecutive prison terms of five years for her conviction on four counts of kidnaping and one year for her conviction on four counts of being an accessory to assault after the fact.
The charges stemmed from the Dec. 29, 1988, abduction and beating of four young black men from a Methodist church halfway house in Soweto. One of the victims, 14-year-old Stompie Seipei, died several days later, and one of Mandela's bodyguards has been convicted and sentenced to hang in that case.
Two of the men were kept at Mandela's home for 18 days, and a third escaped after nine days. Seipei disappeared after three days, and his body was later found in a Soweto field.
Mandela had contended that the men were brought to her home to protect them from improper sexual advances made by the Rev. Paul Verryn, who ran the church house. Stegmann found, however, that the men were held against their will and assaulted in an effort to force them to bring charges against Verryn.
On Tuesday, Bizos, Mandela's lawyer, asked the judge for leniency.
He argued, among other things, that publicity surrounding the allegations had been the "greatest punishment" for a woman of her stature.
But prosecutor Jan Swanepoel, in asking for a jail term, suggested that the defense did not consider the abductions serious because the victims "were from a less privileged part of society."
The judge agreed with the prosecution, pointing out that the victims were wayward young men who had taken refuge in the church house.
The judge said that Mandela, as a community leader, had a special responsibility to the victims. "You fundamentally misunderstood or ignored your responsibility as a leader," he told her.
In her lawyers' application for permission to appeal, Mandela argued that Stegmann's verdict was faulty for a number of reasons. Among other things, Mandela contends that the evidence does not support the judge's finding that Mandela ordered the men forcibly removed from the church house, that she was trying to oust the church house pastor from his job or that she was part of a conspiracy to kidnap the men.
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In which country are the towns of Gweru and Kwekwe? | MANDELA: An Audio History
Mandela: An Audio History is told through the voices of more than 50 people who fought with - and against - Nelson Mandela.
NEVILLE ALEXANDER
As one of the founders of the National Liberation Front, Neville Alexander was convicted in 1964 for conspiracy to commit sabotage and sent to Robben Island for ten years. After his release, Alexander became involved in the fight against P.W. Botha's tricameral constitution and in 1979 wrote a book called One Azania, One Nation.
"Interactions with the Afrikaners were always antagonistic before we went to prison. But in Robben Island we came to understand the character of the Afrikaner as a political animal."
—Neville Alexander
FIKILE BAM
While studying law at the University of Cape Town, Fikile Bam became an underground activist, distributing propaganda. He spent 11 years on Robben Island with Nelson Mandela before being released in 1974.
"In prison you have time to think about the things that matter, like the future of the country. In spirit. you are actually freer than the people outside. When I was released I was uneasy. I felt I was better off with the crowd on the Island. That carried on for a while."
—Fikile Bam
GEORGE BIZOS
George Bizos, a Greek expatriot and veteran lawyer, defended many well-known political activists in South Africa beginning in 1954. Bizos was Nelson Mandela's lawyer and confidant throughout the Rivonia Trials, and he defended Winnie Mandela several times in court. Throughout the 1990s, Bizos played a central role in establishing constitutional law and investigating apartheid-era crimes for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
PIK BOTHA
Pik Botha became a member of the South African Department of Foreign Affairs as a young man. He joined the National Party in 1970, and sat in the UN General Assembly during the height of apartheid. Botha served under Nelson Mandela as Minister of Energy, but left in opposition to F.W. de Klerk’s departure from office.
CHRISTO BRAND
As a young warder on Robben Island, Christo Brand became friendly with many of the political prisoners. Later in his career, Brand was transferred to Pollsmoor Prison where he eventually took Nelson Mandela on several preparatory outings prior to his release.
NAT BREGMAN
Nat Bregman was a law clerk at Witkin, Sidelsky, and Eidelman at the same time as Nelson Mandela, in 1942. Mandela refers to Bregman as his first white friend. As a member of the South African Communist Party he introduced the future leader to the intellectual ideals of Communism.
AMINA CACHALIA
Amina Cachalia was a prominent member of the Indian Youth Congress during apartheid. She comes from a political family whose involvement began with Mahatma Gandhi’s passive resistance movement in South Africa. Cachalia’s political activities brought her into contact with Nelson Mandela, who later became a close friend and mentor.
"We used to get together in somebody's home, Nelson, Yusef, Walter, and others. There was the home of a family very near to Indian Congress and also near to the ANC offices in the centre of Johannesburg. A lot of people in the offices used to go over to their home for meals. It was social life but spiced with political ideas always."
—Amina Cachalia
EDDIE DANIELS
Eddie Daniels formed the African Resistance Movement in partnership with dissenting liberals in order to exert greater pressure on the apartheid government. He was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment on Robben Island for committing acts of sabotage. Daniels entered Robben Island with an 8th grade education and left with two university degrees.
"We were amateurs trying to do our best to destroy apartheid. We were not highly trained. We paid to fight. Even supplied our own cars. Ten percent of our salaries went to the fight."
—Eddie Daniels
DENNIS GOLDBERG
Dennis Goldberg was the only white member of Umkonto we Sizwe (MK) to be arrested and sentenced in the Rivonia Trials to life imprisonment. He was sent to a white prison in Pretoria to serve a life sentence for 'attempt to overthrow the apartheid state through force of arms'.
"Being black and involved (in the struggle) meant you had support of many people and it meant you got to be part of a community. Being white and involved meant being isolated."
—Dennis Goldberg
RICA HODGSON
Rica Hodgson and her husband, Jack, were anti-apartheid activists when Nelson Mandela was gathering support for an armed struggle. Having spent time in the military and the mines near Johannesburg, Jack was an explosives expert. Nelson Mandela and others carried out early bomb experiments at the Hodgson's house in preparation for the launch of Umkonto we Sizwe (MK) and the bombing campaign, which began on December 16, 1961. The couple fled into exile shortly thereafter and remained active in the underground from Southern Africa.
AHMED KATHRADA
Kathrada was sentenced to life imprisonment at Rivonia along with the core leadership of Umkonto we Sizwe (MK). He began a political career in his teens as a member of the Transvaal Indian Youth Congress. He completed his BA in Arts and an Honors in History and Politics while on Robben Island. Kathrada served as a Parliamentary Counselor to Mandela after the 1994 elections.
"It's been ingrained in us, this apartheid thing. We were excluded from all these facilities: restaurants, hotels...and now they're all open to us. I can't speak for the others, but it's that easy to adjust."
—Ahmed Kathrada
TOM LODGE
Tom Lodge is a well-known political scientist in South Africa. He has written several comprehensive analyses on apartheid, including Consolidating Democracy: South Africa's Second Popular Election and Politics in South Africa from Mandela.
MAC MAHARAJ
Mac Maharaj became politically active in 1963. He spent several years underground as part of Umkonto we Sizwe (MK), the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC). During his 12 years on Robben Island, Maharaj transcribed, in miniscule handwriting, thousands of pages of Mandela's notes. The papers he smuggled out with him upon his release became the basis for Mandela's memoir, Long Walk to Freedom. Maharaj was part of the team that negotiated the transitional government in the early 1990s.
MAKAZIWE MANDELA
Makaziwe (Makie) Mandela is the youngest daughter of Nelson Mandela and his first wife, Evelyn. She was 6 years old when her parents divorced. Makie frequently visited her father while he was underground in the 1960s, and didn't see him again until she was a teenager in the late 1970s.
NELSON MANDELA
Nelson Mandela is an iconic leader and worldwide symbol of forgiveness and the triumph of the human spirit in the struggle for freedom. Having spent 27 years as a political prisoner on Robben Island, he was instrumental in helping to negotiate an end to apartheid. Mandela was president of South Africa from 1994 until 1999, when he retired from public service.
WINNIE MADIKIZELA-MANDELA
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela was Nelson Mandela's wife and political partner for nearly 38 years. Madikizela-Mandela was regularly banned for her political activities; in 1975, she was banished to the small Afrikaaner town of Brandfort in the Orange Free State. In the late 1980s, she became a controversial figure because of her involvement with the Mandela United Football Club, which brutalized her neighbors and kidnapped 14-year-old Stompie Stompei. Madikizela-Mandela has been president of the ANC Women's League and was deputy minister of arts, culture, science, and technology for the ANC from 1994-1995.
ZINDZI MANDELA-HLONGWANE
Zindziswa (Zindzi) Mandela-Hlongwane is the youngest daughter of Nelson and Winnie Mandela. She was 18 months old when her father was sent to prison, and she was 14 when she first saw him again on Robben Island. In 1985, Zindzi made headlines when she read aloud her father's response to the government's conditional release offer. The speech, known as "My Father Says..." in which he emphatically refused the offer, inspired a renewed mass action campaign.
"I delivered that message at Jabulani Stadium, in Soweto. My mother was banned at the time, so she couldn't attend. But she did come disguised. I was a bit emotional, close to tears, because it was my father's words. It was hard: here was an opportunity when he could have come out. I could have had a normal life, but once more I couldn't. And I couldn't even fault him for that, because I believed in the stand that he took."
—Zindzi Mandela-Hlongwane
DOROTHY MASUKA
At the age of 14, Dorothy Masuka became famous in South Africa for her political songs including Dr. Malan, which despite being banned, was known by almost every black in the country. After a very brief career, she went into exile where she was active in the underground struggle. She returned nearly four decades later to sing at Nelson Mandela's inauguration.
JOE MATTHEWS
Most people consider Joe Matthews to be an "ANC Man," as he has been active in the African National Congress (ANC) and the Youth League since 1944. Matthews accompanied Nelson Mandela on his trans-Africa tour to garner support and training for the military branch of the ANC. Matthews was a close friend of Mandela, often staying with him in his Soweto home after Mandela and Winnie divorced.
FATIMA MEER
Fatima Meer is an author, professor of sociology, and political activist. Meer and her husband were good friends with Nelson Mandela in the 1950s, but she became even closer to Winnie when they were imprisoned together in 1969. Meer was the first president of the Black Women's Federation (established in 1975) and author of the Nelson Mandela biography, Higher Than Hope.
ROELF MEYER
Roelf Meyer was one of the key architects of the post-apartheid constitution. He and ANC negotiator Cyril Ramaphosa were known as 'the channel', the only line of communication throughout the official and unofficial breakdowns in the negotiation process. Meyer was Minister of Provincial Affairs and Constitutional Development for the transitional government until 1997, when he resigned and helped pioneer a new political party, the United Democratic Front (UDF).
BONGHI MKHABELA
Sibongiwe (Bongi) Mkhabela was one of the student organizers responsible for planning the Soweto march to protest the use of Afrikaans as a language of instruction in high schools. She was arrested shortly after the June 16th march, where police shot at student protestors, killing 60 and wounding hundreds more. She was sent to Pretoria Maximum Prison for seven years; much of that time was spent in isolation.
ANDREW MLANGENI
Andrew Mlangeni was sentenced to life imprisonment in the Rivonia Trials and spent 26 years on Robben Island with Nelson Mandela and others. He was one of the few leaders who were transferred to Pollsmoor Prison with Mandela in the 1980s. He received his BA in Political Science through University of South Africa while in prison. Mlangeni became a member of Parliament after the 1994 elections.
THANDI MODISE
As a teenager, Thandi Modise crossed the borders into Angola to train as a guerilla soldier for the emerging military wing of the ANC, Umkonto we Sizwe (MK). Having undergone military and political training, she was the first woman sent back to fight and organize in the townships. Her fellow soldiers named a machine gun "The Thandi" in her honor. Modise has recently served prominent roles in the ANC, the Women's League, and Parliament.
STRINI MOODLEY
Strini Moodley was a key founder of the Black Consciousness movement and the South African Students Organization (SASO). He was arrested in 1974 under the Suppression of Communism Act and sent to Robben Island, where he inhabited a cell across the hall from Nelson Mandela. After Moodley was released from prison, he worked as a journalist for the Natal Witness and served as a member of the National Executive Committee of Media Workers Association.
DR. NTHATO MOTLANA
Dr. Nthato Motlana's role as the Mandela family physician allowed him to remain in close contact with Mandela throughout his incarceration. He played a critical role in the aftermath of the 1976 student uprisings when he and Winnie Madizikela-Mandela formed The Black Parent's Association. In addition to his medical practice, Motlana is well-known for his entreprenureship, which has increased visibility for black-owned business throughout South Africa.
DULLAH OMAR
Dullah Omar was one of the few lawyers allowed to visit political prisoners on Robben Island. He would often smuggle papers in and out of the prison in food that his wife cooked for the prison guards. Omar endured intense harassment by the apartheid government. He was banned and detained several times, and the security body of the NP government made numerous attempts to assassinate him, at one point attempting to kidnap his daughter. Omar was appointed Minister of Justice under Nelson Mandela in 1994, and later as Minister of Transport under Thabo Mbeki. Omar died on March 13, 2004 in Cape Town.
ALBIE SACHS
Albie Sachs was a member of the underground military and was detained under the "90 Day Law" by the apartheid regime. As the government was preparing to release Mandela, Sachs and others were studying constitutions around the world in preparation for negotiating the new South African constitution. Once negotiations began, he served a key role in the process. Sachs has written several books on law, gender, and human rights, including The Jail Diaries of Albie Sachs. He is currently a justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa.
LUNGI SISULU
Lungi Sisulu is the eldest son of Walter Sisulu, Nelson Mandela’s mentor and confidant throughout the anti-apartheid struggle. Lungi began crossing borders to deliver messages for the underground at the age of 14. He and his family lived with ongoing harassment by the South African police force during apartheid. He is currently a businessman in Johannesburg.
ALLISTER SPARKS
Having covered South African politics for more than 50 years, Allister Sparks is South Africa's best known journalist. He is the author of three award-winning books on South African history and the struggle against apartheid, including The Mind of South Africa, Tomorrow is Another Country, and Beyond the Miracle. (Producer's note: We highly recommend Beyond the Miracle for anyone wanting to learn more about post-apartheid South Africa.)
RAYMOND SUTTNER
As a white university lecturer and member of the South African Communist Party (SACP), Raymond Suttner worked underground for the guerilla movement from 1971 until his arrest in 1975. He was imprisoned for seven years and six months, and in 1986 was detained for another three years. Having helped to clarify the Freedom Charter, Suttner returned to academia where he has researched guerilla fighters in the underground struggle.
HELEN SUZMAN
Helen Suzman is well known for her role as the unyielding voice of opposition to apartheid in Parliament for 28 years. She began as a professor of economic history at the University of Witwatersrand, and later formed a branch of the United Party (UP) at the University as a means to question the racist policies of the apartheid state. She stood as the lone parliamentary representative of the UP (and later the Progressive Federal Party) until she was joined by Frederick Van Zyl Slabbert in 1974. For several years she was the only political leader allowed to visit Robben Island. She made several trips there throughout the late 60s and 70s and her reports to the International Red Cross were critical in demanding improvements in prison conditions.
Other Prominent Leaders in South African History
STEVE BIKO
Steve Biko was founder of the Black Consciousness Movement and co-founder of the South African Student Organization (SASO). Arrested twice in the late 1970s, Biko died of cerebral injuries sustained in police custody. The murder captured international headlines and established Biko as an enduring symbol of black resistance to oppression.
CHRIS HANI
Chris Hani was chief of staff of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) and a senior member of the South African Communist Party (SACP). Hani received specialized military training in the Soviet Union and later fought in the Rhodesian bush war. He returned to South Africa when the ANC and SACP were unbanned in 1990. In 1993, Hani was assassinated by right-wing extremists hoping to disrupt the election. And they almost succeeded. The country teetered on the brink of chaos as thousands mourned his death. Mandela calmed the masses when he appeared on television saying, "Let us respond with dignity."
P.W. BOTHA
Known as the "great crocodile", P.W. Botha joined the Nationalist Party in 1948 and served as Prime Minister from 1978 until his resignation in 1989. Although Botha was a strict conservative, many apartheid restrictions were loosened under his regime and he began secret negotiations with the then imprisoned Nelson Mandela before he was ousted by his own party. He was charged at the Truth and Reconciliation for 'Crimes of Humanity', which occurred under his watch.
D.F. MALAN
D.F. Malan was the Prime Minister of the National Party (NP) when it first came to power in 1948. The 1948 elections represented a radical shift from British colonial rule (under Smuts and the United Party) to the Afrikaner-dominated NP which ran on a platform of racial separation.
H.F. VERWOERD
H.F. Verwoerd is considered to be the intellectual architect of apartheid. As Minister of Native Affairs for the NP government in his early career, he implemented some of the most effective apartheid laws including the infamous 'Bantustan' policy, which separated black tribes into independent homelands that were denied basic civil rights. Appointed Prime Minister after the death of J.G. Strijdom in 1958, Verwoerd lead South Africa through the turbulence of the 1960s. He was stabbed to death in 1966 by a Parliamentary messenger.
WALTER SISULU
While his name is not as widely known as Nelson Mandela's, Walter Sisulu played an integral role in grooming the ANC leadership in the anti-apartheid struggle. He was part of the trio that formed the ANC Youth League in 1944, he was a key figure in the Defiance Campaign of the 1950s, and he helped establish the MK in 1960. One of eight men imprisoned for life in the Rivonia Trials, Sisulu is considered by most of his comrades to have been the father of the struggle. Walter Sisulu passed away on May 5, 2003.
OLIVER TAMBO
Oliver Tambo was the co-founder (along with Nelson Mandela) of South Africa's first black legal firm. Being a key leader (and eventually the President) of the ANC, Tambo went into exile in the 1960s and managed the external activities of the ANC. These activities included several visits to the United Nations, structural reorganization, and the establishment of military training camps outside South Africa. After suffering from a stroke in 1989, Tambo in 1991 relinquished his position as ANC president to Nelson Mandela.
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Who was the founder of the Back to Africa movement who largely inspired Rastafarianism? | Rastafarianism
Rastafarianism
Keywords: Rastafarianism, Rasta, Rastafari, Ethiopianism, Africanists, Jamaica, Selassie, dreadlocks
I. Abstract
In the early 1930�s religious and social movement called Rastafarianism evolved in Jamaica.� Rastas sought to provide a voice for the poor Blacks in Jamaica by encouraging resistance to oppressive societal structures.� At the core of their belief is the re-interpretation of the Hebrew Bible with a focus on Blacks as God�s chosen race, and the belief that the true Messiah comes to us as Emperor Haile Selassie I� (Ras Tafari) of Ethiopia.�� Through extensive spoken discourse, the Rastafarians aim to clarify the Western misinterpretation of the Bible, so as to spread the true word and fight against the unjust hierarchy of Western culture (collectively called Babylon).� In the meantime, Rastafarians await a time of repatriation of Blacks and a return to Ethiopia, qua Africa, of its rightful ruling status.
II. Scope and Purpose of the System
Rastafarianism is an afro-centric religious and social movement based in the Caribbean island of Jamaica.� Stemming from the roots of Rastafari in rising against the post-colonial oppression of poor blacks, Rastas typically come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Especially difficult economic hardships in Jamaica saw a distinctive rise in the movement�s following. At the time of Jamaica�s independence in the 1960�s, virtually all Rastafarians were members of the 79 percent of the population classified as lower class (Waters, 50).� In the past few decades, however, especially through the influence of Reggae music, the movement has gained a more international and cosmopolitan following.���
Although a largely unorganized group, the Rastafarians unite on a few central beliefs: a strong belief in the beauty of black people�s African heritage; the belief that Ras Tafari Haile Selassie I, emperor of Ethiopia, is the Biblical Messiah; belief in repatriation to Ethiopia, the true home and redemption of black people; and belief in the eventual fall of �Babylon�, the corrupt world of the white man, and a reversal in the slavery-based societal hierarchy (Murrell, 5).� The Rastas believe that the Bible is the history of the African race, taken by Europeans at the time of enslavement and deliberately mistranslated in an effort to deceive the slaves (Waters, 47).� The system encourages black people to free their minds from the shackles of the existing social hierarchy, and take their place as the true leaders that God (Jah) intended them to be.�
Many symbols of the Rastafarian arise from their interpretation of the Bible and the ideal of Ethiopia as �Zion�, the Promised Land.� The most noticeable are the long, uncombed locks by which they are readily identified (Waters, 48).� This tradition stems from: the laws of the Nazarites that forbid cutting hair [1] ; the style of Ethiopian tribal warriors and priests; and as a symbol of the lion�s mane. These locks also serve as a mystical link or �psychic antenna�, connecting Rastas with God and his mystical power, or �earthforce�, which is immanent in the universe (Murrell, 32).�� Other symbols are those of Ethiopia, including the national colors (red, green and gold) as well as the lion that appears on the country�s flag.� The ritual smoking of marijuana (ganja) also plays an important role in Rastafarian life.� This �holy herb� is highly valued for its physical, psychological and therapeutic powers (Murrell, 354).� Language also forms an important Rasta symbol.� Although Rastas often speak Jamaican dialect, called �patois�, they have developed a subdialect to take a further step away from Standard English (Chevannes,167).� Many of these patterns of speech carry moral or social implications related to the Rasta world-view.� For example, the Rasta uses �outernationtional� instead of �international� to emphasize their feelings that the rest of the world lies outside their realm.�
a. Sources and Criteria of Valid Knowledge
The Bible serves as the official source of knowledge in the Rastafarian movement.� Rastas take Biblical study very seriously and spend much time citing and discussing scriptural passages (Murrell, 326).� They believe these scriptures tell the true story of the black man�s history, present and future, and feel that Christian ministers have misled people by providing incorrect interpretations of the Bible, especially in the use of the Bible to justify slavery (Chevannes, 116).� Rastas have moved beyond the identification of Blacks in biblical text, and go on transform themselves into the very Israelites in the Bible (Murrell, 353).
Further proof of this interpretation of the Bible came with the crowning of Haile Selassie as Emperor Haile Selassie (Power of the Trinity) I, the Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Elect of God, King of Kings, of Ethiopia.� To the Rastafarians, this was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (Murrell, 159).� The true Messiah was not Jesus of Nazareth, but Emperor Selassie, the descendant of King Solomon, and thus a living man of the house of David � exactly as the Old Testament foretold (Waters, 2).� On the other hand, many see Selassie as the second coming of the Messiah. Some have even claimed to see indentations in his hands as a sign of his crucifixion.�
Aside from the Bible, Rastafarians have published other �official documents�. These include works such as The Promised Key, The Living Testament of Rasta-for-I and The Holy Piby (Murrell, 391).� One must still realize that even though forms of their theological thought have surfaced in the literature, the Rastas� theological ideas have not been formalized.� Scholars tend to agree that no central doctrine, formal or informal, exists.� This comes to us as no surprise, as the Rastafarian advocates liberation from the oppression of organized systems.� Instead, persons should engage in �appropriate reflection and interpretation of their experience, and arrive at personal conviction and conclusions of their belief� (Murrell, 391).�
b. Methods of Inquiry
The Rasta views the Bible in search of materials that favor the hermeneutics of Blackness.� Most have no formal training in theology or knowledge of the original languages of the Bible.� In reality, some Rastas are barely literate. Yet, their creativity sheds new light upon the stories and personalities represented in the Bible.�
Key to understanding Rastafarian theology is their interpretation of �Babylon� and �Zion�.� In the Bible, the ancient city of Babylon represents the main oppressor of the people of God, whereas Zion is the Promised Land they will inhabit after their release from oppression.��� Rastafarians have extended the idea of Babylon from a literal place to an entire system of oppression and domination.� They believe that the spirit of Babylon survives as an oppressive force in modern-day political and economic systems and institutions in the West generally, particularly in Jamaica (Murrell, 25).� Zion, on the other hand, represents freedom from the Babylonian System.� To the Rasta, Ethiopia is the Promised Land to which they will return someday.� When Babylon crumbles, the existing system will be reversed, and Ethiopia will take her rightful place as the ruling state.
�The primary methods of inquiry in Rastafarian thought are called �grounding� and �reasoning�.� Grounding refers to an event (a �grounation�) where Rastas come together to smoke marijuana and �reason�, that is, reflect on their faith, or on any current or historic event that impinges on their lives (Murrell, 355).� These sessions may be informal gatherings, or planned meetings at specific locations.� Somewhat more formal all-night gatherings sometimes take place, where in addition to ritual smoking and reasoning, drumming, chanting and feastings also mark the event (Murrell, 355). Grounding also takes place at the �Nyahbinghi�, a periodically held movement-wide assembly.� The activities of Nyahbinghi serve to unleash the �earthforce� against those who have historically oppressed African people (Murrell, 356)��
The modes of language evolved by the Rastafarians play an especially important part in the reasoning process.� The most important is the use of �I�, the personal pronoun, in Rasta language, which often defies logic and confuses the outsider.�� �I� is the same to the Rasta as the Roman numeral I (signifying the first), which appears in the name of His Imperial Majesty (H.I.M) Haile Selassie I.� They believe that each Rasta is a part of God (called �I�), and hence substitute �I� for �me� and �mine�, signifying that the Rasta is a part of God and hence another �I� (Chevannes, 167).� Everyone is an �I�, so they substitute �I and I� for �we�.� �I� also transforms other words such as �Iternal� (eternal), �Ireator� (creator) and �Issembly� (assembly).��� The Rastas have also made many other colorful transformations which express their views of society. �Oppression� becomes �downpression� to signify the direction of the struggle.� On the other hand, one �overstands� instead of �understands� since one gains knowledge.� Language can also be used to express dislike for certain persons or institutions.� �Politics�, one of the main components of Babylon, is called �polytricks�, while political leader Edward Seaga, who they view as having lack of foresight, has earned the name �Blind�aga� instead.� Formal discourses of Rastafarian reasoning are rare, but can be found in a form of spoken word expression called �dub poetry� as well as in reggae music.�
c. Institutions and Professional Structure
One of the key ideals of the Rastafarian system of though is the lack of a formalized structure or hierarchy.� As previously outlined, organized systems belong to Babylon, and therefore should be shunned.�� No formal leadership hierarchy or orthodoxy structures exist in this non-homogenous movement.� Many researchers see this as a positive characteristic of the movement, allowing the individual Rasta groups to enjoy a kind of freedom not often encouraged in many organized religious and secular movements (Murrell, 349).�
Even though formal organization fails to exist among Rastas as a whole, there are still distinct social structures within the movement.� Firstly, we have the �own-built� Rastas who share the foundational beliefs and attitudes of the movement, but do not belong to any particular group or organization.� They focus on the individual �I� level of consciousness and seek unity with Jah�s �earthforce�.� This individual spirituality is the main emphasis of Rastafarian thought, as a personal relationship with God provides an understanding of the source of truth and life (Murrell, 352).�
�Houses� and �yards� represent a more communal level of social organization among the Rastas.� These are small, informal groups of Rastas whose members sustain an ongoing relationship (Murrell, 350).� Houses often emerge where Rastas attach themselves to a� �leading brethren� and gather to engage in �grounding� and �reasoning�.� These leading brethren are often seen as elders, not in a formal sense, but more as an inspirational leader.� Rather than being attained through election, the position is conferred upon one who has an uncompromising commitment to and defense of the principles of Rastafari (willing to suffer persecution).� This individual often possesses an extraordinary ability to expound the philosophy of Rastafarianism, called �speechifying�.�
More formal groups, called �mansions� usually appear as communes led by charismatic leaders or voluntary organizations dedicated to the accomplishment of particular goals (Murrell, 351).� Whereas ten to fifteen Rastas may comprise a house, mansions often have hundreds of members.� These more formal groups fall into two categories �churchical� and �statical�.� Churchical groups focus on the development of Rastafarian culture and behavior, as well as the cultivation of African consciousness and lifestyle (Murrell, 351).� Statical groups focus their interests on a commitment to social and political goals.� Through these groups, the Rasta paved the way of social and political progress by giving a strong voice to the poor blacks in Jamaica.
IV. History
The Rastafarian movement is indigenous to the Caribbean island of Jamaica. Rastafarianism spawned from a combination of various forms of Africanist thought which prevailed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.� Its roots are to be found in the cultural, economic and political struggles of the Jamaican people in the post-emancipation years after 1838 (Murrell, 148).�� The inspiration leading to the genesis of the movement in the 1930�s can be described as Messianic or millenarian in nature (Bisnauth, 185).� This turning point was the crowning of Ras Tafari, the great-grandson of King Sahela Selassie of Shoa and son of Ras Makonnen, as Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethopia (then known as Abyssnia) on November 2, 1930 (Campbell, 70).� Selassie would be the first black African leader to join the international community of Kings and Princes.� This event would provide the catalyst for the formation of the Rastafarian movement, which had been brewing since the beginnings of African idealism in Jamaica.
The beginnings of the Rastafarian movement can be traced back to the teachings of Leonard P. Howell.� Howell had just returned to Jamaica after being deported from Panama for grand larceny in 1932. He came to prominence when he formed the Ethiopian Salvation Society, proclaiming the message that �black people could not have two kings and that the only true king was Emperor Haile Selassie� (Campbell, 71). His word quickly spread, as people embraced the strong anti-colonial message.� These developments worried colonial authorities, leading to the eventual imprisonment of Howell and his Deputy, Robert Hinds in 1939.� Other exponents of early Rastafarianism include Joseph Hibbert and Archibald Dunkley, both returning migrants.� These three have the common bond of exposure to the system of Afro-American thought which focused on a eventual rise Africa (through Ethiopia) as world leader.�
Essential in the discussion of Africanist movements is the powerful influence of Marcus Garvey and his �Back to Africa� movement during the early 1900�s.� Garvey, a committed Afrocentrist, underscored the need for Blacks to interpret their own history and control their destiny in Africa.� He embraced the idea that Ethiopia was the �cradle of the black race and that its contributions to the development of civilization were paramount to the realization of racial equality for the black diaspora� (Murrell, 42).� Garvey�s thoughts played a significant role in the evolution of the Rastafarian movement.� Rastafarians allege that Garvey predicted that �whenever a Black king in Africa, our redemption is near� (Murrell, 44).�
With the belief in Garvey�s �prophesies�, the teachings of those such as Howell, Hibbert and Dunkley, as well as social and political movements against colonialism, many were convinced that Selassie was truly the Messiah.� Additionally, evidence from the interpretation of Biblical passages, especially with reference to Ethiopia, provided the Rastafarians with a solid foundation to support their faith. Eventually, Rastafarians were not only linking themselves to Ethiopia, but also called themselves Nya men � linking themselves to the anti-colonial Ugandan movement, Nyabingi, which called for �Death to Black and White Oppressors� (Campbell, 72).������
V. Representative Examples of Argumentation
As previous stated, there are few recorded examples of the Rastafarian insight into the nature of the world.� Musical lyrics and spoken-word (dub poetry) provide us with the most common recordings of Rastafarian �reasoning�.� In an attempt to illustrate the way a Rasta views society, I will use a sample of the work of the greatest dub-poet of all time, Mutabaruka.� His work is written in a combination of Jamaican English dialect with the use of Rasta sub-dialect commonly found in �speakifying� (extended reasoning).� The following excerpt from piece entitled �Nursery Rhyme Lament� also shows the creativity associated Rastafarian thought (web, Mutabaruka Online).� I have provided a translation following each verse for clarity.
Would run up the hill everyday
Now they have running water
But the water bill has gone up]
everday dem woulda reincarnate humpty dumpty
fi fall of de wall
likkle bway blue
who love to blow im horn to de sheep in the meddow
likkle bway blue grow up now
an de sheep dem get curried
ina likkle cold suppa shap dang de street
[everyday they would reincarnate humpty dumpty
to fall off the wall
Little Boy Blue
Loved to play his horn for the sheep in the meadow
Little Boy Blue had grow up
And they made a curry (stew) with the sheep
In the diner down the street]
Here, Mutabaruka plays with social conventions using nursery rhymes. His tone is sarcastic and harsh (best brought out as one would hear him speak). He wants to show that the nursery rhymes we teach our children have nothing to do with the realities of the system (Babylon), and that we need to face the truth. His writing style also leaves an open end for the listener�s personal introspection, possibly suggesting a starting point for �grounding� and �reasoning� session.�
VI. Suggested Position in Comparative Scales
a. Tradition (1) ---. experience (10): 8
Whereas tradition plays a major role in passing down of the central teaching of Rastafarianism, the focus on the personal experience of the individual is more important. Once the follower has the basic tools (ideas) to work with, the person must have establish personalized link with Jah as a means to see the truth in the world
�����������
b. Centralized authority (1) ---� decentralized authority (10): 9
The lack of emphasis on a centralized authority is one of the distinguishing marks of the Rastafarian movement.� Centralized authority is viewed a part of the Babylon system, and therefore should be avoided.
c. Emphasis on the invisible realm (1) ---. visible realities (10): 7
The system does talk about the invisible �earth-force� associated with God and the importance of connecting with this invisible force.� However, unlike the Christian tradition, the focus lies not in reaching a heavenly home, but returning to Zion (Ethiopia) the Promised Land.
�
d. Spiritual/moral goal (1) --- pragmatic objectives (10): 5
Rastafarianism has its spiritual and moral goals intimately tied up in pragmatic objectives.� While aiming to reveal the eternal truths regarding how one should achieve healthy spiritual life, they also aim to bring about the advancement of black people through an appreciation of their African heritage.� While being seemingly separate goals, the Rastafarian lifestyle (called �livity�) intends to bring about both.
e. Primarily divine power (1) --- individual power (10): 5
The Rastafarian believes in the ultimate power of Jah (�I�) in the universe.� Everything comes about through the hand of God.� However, one must still bear in mind that the concept of �I� ties each individual back to God.� God is �I�, and everyone is a part of God � therefore, everyone is �I� also.��
Secondary Sources
Bisnauth, Dale.� History of Religions in the Caribbean. �Trenton: Africa World Press, 1996.
This text is useful for finding a concise explanation of the history of the Rastafarian movement.� It is also helpful for comparing the origins of Rasta to other religious movements in the Caribbean.
Campbell, Horace. Rasta and resistance : from Marcus Garvey to Walter Rodney. Trenton: Africa World Press, 1987
Here, one can find details on the more social aspects of Rasta culture.� This text focuses on the social reform aspect of the Rastafarian movement.
Chevannes Barry. Rastafari: roots and ideology. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 1994.
This text contains a basic overview of Rastafarian ideas and thought.� It is well written and easily understood.
Murrell, Samuel Nathaniel, William David Spencer, Adrian Anthony McFarlane and Clinton Chisholm, eds.� Chanting down Babylon: the Rastafari reader.� Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1998.
This text provides the most comprehensive coverage of the Rastafarian movement.� It is a compilation of articles written by several different people concerning the major issues in the Rasta movement.� This text proved the most helpful to me.
Waters, Anita M. Race, class, and political symbols: Rastafari and reggae in Jamaican politics.� New Brunswick: Transaction Books, c1985.
This text covers the mostly the political impact of the Rasta movement in Jamaica.� It is especially useful for uncovering the afro-centric ideals of the Rastafari.
[1] �All the days of the vow of his separation there shall not come razor upon his head� Numbers 6:5 KJV
| Marcus Garvey |
Which African country is sandwiched between Ghana and Benin? | What Is Rastafarianism? Who Was Bob Marley? : Christian Courier
What Is Rastafarianism? Who Was Bob Marley?
by Wayne Jackson
“What is the religion called Rastafarianism, and how is such related to the Jamaican entertainer, Bob Marley (1945-1981)?”
Rastafarianism is a religious movement (especially popular in Jamaica — 5% to 10% of the population) that is less than a century old. It had its beginnings in a black, political movement that started in the 1920s/30s.
One of the early influences who paved the way for the rise of this cult was Marcus Garvey (1887-1940). Garvey, who lived in New York City, believed that the black man would never receive fair treatment in a white man’s world. He thus organized a “back-to-Africa” movement that attracted thousands of followers among the poor blacks of certain large-city urban areas. Garvey was convicted of mail fraud, spent time in prison, and finally returned to his native Jamaica in 1927.
At about the same time, Garvey allegedly “prophesied” that a black king would be crowned in Africa, and through that monarch deliverance for dark-skin people would be realized eventually. Garvey himself never joined the subsequent religious movement that became known as Rastafarianism.
In 1930, a man by the name of Ras Tafari Makonnen (1893-1975) was crowned as emperor of Ethiopia. He became more popularly known as Haile Selassie I (signifying, “Power of the Trinity”), a name he chose for himself. Selassie was from a dynasty that boasted of having descended from a union between King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba (of which there is no biblical evidence). At his coronation, he was exalted as “King of Kings, Lord of Lords, His Imperial Majesty of the Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Elect of God.” In the minds of many, Selassie was perceived as the “fulfillment” of Marcus Garvey’s earlier “prophecy.”
The followers of Selassie began to designate themselves as “Rastafarians,” after the emperor’s original name (though, apparently, Selassie himself never joined the sect). The main focus of the movement was in Jamaica, but many Rastafarians migrated to the United States in the 1960s/70s. They now number more than 1,000,000 world-wide.
Like many other systems, Rastafarianism has segments within it that advocate various shades of religious ideas. But these sects have one thing in common. Each teaches doctrines that are antagonistic to the Christian system as revealed in the New Testament. Here is a brief listing of some of the false ideas associated with this religious movement.
Selassie Divine
Though Haile Selassie died in 1975, some Rastafarians believe he is alive still; most, however, simply honor him as their “King of Kings” in “spirit.” He is considered to be “divine.”
The Three Incarnations
The “god” of this hybrid religion is called “Jah” (an abbreviated form of “Jehovah”), whom many devotees believe had “three incarnations” – Melchizedek, Jesus Christ, and Haile Selassie (who was supposed to be the ultimate embodiment of “Jah”). Each of these persons is alleged to have been a “savior” in some sense.
Black Judaism
An especially important doctrine of the movement (known as “Black Judaism”) is the notion that the black race constitutes the modern counterpart of the ancient Hebrews. Supposedly, the white race descended from a very wicked civilization, and is an “unnatural” segment of humanity.
The ultimate hope of militant Rastafarians is that all black people can return to Africa for a while, though eventually they hope to span the globe and become the dominate race of humanity. Many of them believe (and hope) that, ultimately, the world’s white population will experience a total collapse.
Rastafarianism among black people is as radical as the obnoxious white-supremacist groups are among Caucasians. Some Rastas believe that the white man’s “god” is Satan, and white people are to be designated as spiritual “Babylon.” The Rastafarian populous has but a small minority of non-blacks.
The “Black Man’s Bible”
The religious text of the Rastafarians is called “The Holy Piby,” also designated as the “Black Man’s Bible.” This volume was compiled by Robert A. Rogers between 1913-1917. Rastas allege that, under the influence of the early Roman popes, church scholars distorted the Amharic Bible by characterizing God and his prophets as being Caucasian, instead of black.
“Wisdom Weed”
The “sacrament” of Rastafarianism is ganja (marijuana), called the “wisdom weed.” Leaders urge adherents to smoke marijuana as a religious ritual. Supposedly, marijuana was found growing on Solomon’s grave, and it is claimed that there is biblical support for the spiritual use of “pot” – in scripture texts such as Exodus 10:12; Psalms 104:14, which suggest that “herbs” were created for man.
Dreadlocks A Symbol of “Racial Selfhood”
Many Rastafarian men allow their hair to grow out into “dreadlocks” — the term “dread” having become a praise-word in their vocabulary. It is employed to describe the “confrontation” of a people who are struggling to maintain “racial selfhood,” which they contend has been denied them.
In part, the purpose behind these long plaits of hair is to demonstrate a contrast to the generally straight hair of Caucasians, and to “mock” those who disdain their bedraggled appearance.
Core Beliefs
As mentioned earlier, Rastafarians are not united in their beliefs, but some core concepts are these: hatred for the white race, the superiority of blacks, the hope of an eventual return to Africa, the acknowledgement of Haile Selassie as the “Supreme Being” and only ruler of black people, and no existence after this life.
Ethiopia is considered to be the Rasta “heaven on Earth,” and there is no such place as an eternal punishment in “hell.”
Bob Marley: Rasta Populist
Bob Marley (1945-1981) was a Jamaican who helped popularize Rastafarianism during the 1970s. He and his musical group (the Wailers) blended traditional Jamaican music with various other forms (e.g., American rhythm and blues) into a style known as Reggae (though some traditional Rastas consider this form of music as a “sellout” to white “Babylon”).
Marley, a heavy pot-smoker, was a militant follower and advocate of Rastafarianism. Students of this movement suggest that Marley became a symbol of “Rasta values and beliefs.” He died of cancer in 1981, though his popularity lives on in some who may be unaware of (or undisturbed by) his heretical religious inclinations.
This brief essay has not been designed as a refutation of Rastafarianism. That hardly needs to be done on behalf of anyone who even remotely respects the teaching of Jesus Christ. This discussion has been intended merely to inform those who may not be familiar with the doctrines and practices of this cult.
References
Mather, George A. & Nichols, Larry A. (1993), Dictionary of Cults, Sects, Religions and the Occult (Grand Rapids: Zondervan).
| i don't know |
The Zambesi and which other river define the borders of Matabeleland? | About Zimbabwe
Contact Us
Situated in Central Southern Africa, between the Limpopo and the Zambezi, Zimbabwe is landlocked, bounded by Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa and Botswana The country of Zimbabwe is 390,580 sq km and is bordered on all sides by other countries. Zambia lies to the northwest with the Zambezi river and its Victoria Falls forming the border. Mozambique lies to the northeast with its border formed by the Eastern Highlands. Botswana lies to the southwest and South Africa to the south (its border formed by the Limpopo River)
Capital City Harare
Other main cities are Bulawayo, Chitungwiza, Mutare , Masvingo, Gweru ,Kwekwe ,Chinhoyi ,Chegutu ,Victoria Falls, Kariba, Chiredzi
Zimbabwe is divided into ten administrative provinces namely, Harare Metropolitan, Bulawayo Metropolitan, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East , Mashonaland Central, Masvingo, Manicaland, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South
TIME ZONE +2 Hours GMT
POPULATION 12,236,805 (ZIMSTART))
| Limpopo |
"Which song say, ""The words of the prophet are written on the subway walls?""" | Zambezi : definition of Zambezi and synonyms of Zambezi (English)
3,400 m3/s (120,070 cu ft/s) [1] [2]
The Zambezi and its river basin
The Zambezi (also spelled Zambeze and Zambesi) is the fourth-longest river in Africa , and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean from Africa. The area of its basin is 1,390,000 square kilometres (540,000 sq mi), [1] [2] slightly less than half that of the Nile . The 3,540-kilometre-long river (2,200 mi) has its source in Zambia and flows through Angola , along the borders of Namibia , Botswana , Zambia again, and Zimbabwe , to Mozambique , where it empties into the Indian Ocean .
The Zambezi's most well-known feature is the Victoria Falls . Other notable falls include the Chavuma Falls at the border between Zambia and Angola, and Ngonye Falls , near Sioma in Western Zambia.
There are two main sources of hydroelectric power on the river. These are the Kariba Dam , which provides power to Zambia and Zimbabwe and the Cahora Bassa Dam in Mozambique which provides power to both Mozambique and South Africa. There is also a smaller power station at Victoria Falls.
Contents
Course of the river
Source
The river rises in a black marshy dambo in north-western Zambia, in undulating miombo woodland , quite dense in parts, about 1,524 m (4,900 ft) above sea level . Eastward of the source, the watershed between the Congo and Zambezi basins is a well-marked belt of high ground, falling abruptly north and south, and running nearly east-west. This distinctly cuts off the basin of the Lualaba (the main branch of the upper Congo) from that of the Zambezi. In the neighborhood of the source the watershed is not as clearly defined, but the two river systems do not connect. [3]
The region drained by the Zambezi is a vast broken-edged plateau 900–1200 m high, composed in the remote interior of metamorphic beds and fringed with the igneous rocks of the Victoria Falls. At Shupanga , on the lower Zambezi, thin strata of grey and yellow sandstones , with an occasional band of limestone , crop out on the bed of the river in the dry season, and these persist beyond Tete , where they are associated with extensive seams of coal . Coal is also found in the district just below the Victoria Falls. Gold -bearing rocks occur in several places.
The upper Zambezi
The river flows to the south-west and into Angola for about 240 kilometres (150 mi), then is joined by sizeable tributaries such as the Luena and the Chifumage flowing from highlands to the north-west. [3] It turns south and develops a floodplain and becomes very variable in width between the dry and rainy seasons. It enters a region with dense patches of evergreen Cryptosepalum dry forest , though on its western side, Western Zambezian grasslands also occur. Where it re-enters Zambia it is nearly 400 metres (1,300 ft) wide in the rainy season and flows quite quickly with rapids ending in the Chavuma Falls , where the river flows through a rocky fissure. The river drops about 400 metres (1,300 ft) in elevation from its source at 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) to the Chavuma Falls at 1,100 metres (3,600 ft), in a distance of about 400 kilometres (250 mi). From this point to the Victoria Falls, the level of the basin is very uniform, dropping only by another 180 metres (590 ft) in a distance of around 800 kilometres (500 mi).
The first of its large tributaries to enter the Zambezi is the Kabompo River in the north-western province of Zambia. [3] The savanna through which the river has flowed gives way to a wide floodplain, studded with Borassus fan palms . A little farther south is the confluence with the Lungwebungu River . This is the beginning of the Barotse Floodplain , the most notable feature of the upper Zambezi, but this northern part does not flood so much and includes islands of higher land in the middle
Thirty kilometres (20 mi) below the confluence of the Lungwebungu the country becomes very flat, and the typical Barotse Floodplain landscape unfolds, with the flood reaching a width of 25 kilometres (16 mi) in the rainy season . For more than 200 kilometres (120 mi) downstream the annual flood cycle dominates the natural environment and human life, society and culture.
Eighty kilometres (50 mi) further down, the Luanginga , which with its tributaries drains a large area to the west, joins the Zambezi. A few kilometres higher up on the east the main stream is joined in the rainy season by overflow of the Luampa / Luena system. [3]
A short distance downstream of the confluence with the Luanginga is Lealui , one of the capitals of the Lozi people who populate the Zambian region of Barotseland in Western Province. The chief of the Lozi maintains one of his two compounds at Lealui; the other is at Limulunga , which is on high ground and serves as the capital during the rainy season. The annual move from Lealui to Limulunga is a major event, celebrated as one of Zambia's best known festivals, the Kuomboka .
After Lealui, the river turns to south-south-east. From the east it continues to receive numerous small streams, but on the west is without major tributaries for 240 km (150 mi). Before this, the Ngonye Falls and subsequent rapids interrupt navigation. South of Ngonye Falls, the river briefly borders Namibia's Caprivi Strip . [3] The strip projects from the main body of Namibia, and results from the colonial era: it was added to German South-West Africa expressly to give Germany access to the Zambezi.
Below the junction of the Cuando River and the Zambezi the river bends almost due east. Here, the river is very broad and shallow, and flows fairly slowly, but as it flows eastward towards the border of the great central plateau of Africa it reaches a chasm into which the Victoria Falls plunge.
The middle Zambezi
Victoria Falls , the end of the upper Zambezi and beginning of the middle Zambezi
The Victoria Falls are considered the boundary between the upper and middle Zambezi. Below them the river continues to flow due east for about 200 kilometres (120 mi), cutting through perpendicular walls of basalt 20 to 60 metres (66 to 200 ft) apart in hills 200 to 250 metres (660 to 820& ft) high. The river flows swiftly through the Batoka Gorge , the current being continually interrupted by reefs. It has been described[ citation needed ] as one of the world's most spectacular whitewater trips, a tremendous challenge for kayakers and rafters alike. Beyond the gorge are a succession of rapids which end 240 km (150 mi) below Victoria Falls. Over this distance, the river drops 250 metres (820 ft).
At this point, the river enters Lake Kariba , created in 1959 following the completion of the Kariba Dam . The lake is one of the largest man-made lakes in the world, and the hydroelectric power-generating facilities at the dam provide electricity to much of Zambia and Zimbabwe .
The Luangwa and the Kafue are the two largest left-hand tributaries of the Zambezi. The Kafue joins the main river in a quiet deep stream about 180 metres (590 ft) wide. From this point the northward bend of the Zambezi is checked and the stream continues due east. At the confluence of the Luangwa (15°37' S) it enters Mozambique.
The middle Zambezi ends where the river enters Lake Cahora Bassa (also spelled Cabora Bassa). Formerly the site of dangerous rapids known as Kebrabassa, the lake was created in 1974 by the construction of the Cahora Bassa Dam.
The lower Zambezi
The lower Zambezi's 650 km (400 mi) from Cahora Bassa to the Indian Ocean is navigable, although the river is shallow in many places during the dry season . This shallowness arises as the river enters a broad valley and spreads out over a large area. Only at one point, the Lupata Gorge , 320 km (200 mi) from its mouth, is the river confined between high hills. Here it is scarcely 200 m wide. Elsewhere it is from 5 to 8 km (3 to 5 mi) wide, flowing gently in many streams. The river bed is sandy, and the banks are low and reed-fringed. At places, however, and especially in the rainy season , the streams unite into one broad fast-flowing river.
About 160 km (100 mi) from the sea the Zambezi receives the drainage of Lake Malawi through the Shire River . On approaching the Indian Ocean , the river splits up into a delta . [3] Each of the four prinmbe (distributaries?), Kongone, Luabo and Timbwe, is obstructed by a sand bar. A more northerly branch, called the Chinde mouth, has a minimum depth at low water of 2 m at the entrance and 4 m further in, and is the branch used for navigation. 100 km (60 mi) further north is a river called the Quelimane , after the town at its mouth. This stream, which is silting up, receives the overflow of the Zambezi in the rainy season.
Floods and floodplains
The delta of the Zambezi is today about half as broad as it was before the construction of the Kariba and Cahora Bassa dams controlled the seasonal variations in the flow rate of the river.
Before the dams were built seasonal flooding of the Zambezi had quite a different impact on the ecosystems of the delta from today as it brought nutritious fresh water down to the Indian Ocean coastal wetlands. The lower Zambezi experienced a small flood surge early in the dry season as rain in the Gwembe catchment and north-eastern Zimbabwe rushed through while rain in the Upper Zambezi, Kafue, and Lake Malawi basins, and Luangwa to a lesser extent, is held back by swamps and floodplains. The discharge of these systems contributed to a much larger flood in March or April, with a mean monthly maximum for April of 6,700 cubic metres (240,000 cu ft) per second at the delta. The record flood was more than three times as big, 22,500 cubic metres (790,000 cu ft) per second being recorded in 1958. By contrast the discharge at the end of the dry season averaged just 500 cubic metres (18,000 cu ft) per second. [1]
In the 1960s and 1970s the building of dams changed that pattern completely. Downstream the mean monthly minimum–maximum was 500 cubic metres (18,000 cu ft) to 6,000 cubic metres (210,000 cu ft) per second; now it is 1,000 cubic metres (35,000 cu ft) to 3,900 cubic metres (140,000 cu ft) per second. Medium-level floods especially, of the kind to which the ecology of the lower Zambezi was adapted, happen less often and have a shorter duration. As with the Itezhi-Tezhi Dam 's deleterious effects on the Kafue Flats, this has the following effects:
fish , bird and other wildlife feeding and breeding patterns disrupted
The river and its floodplain near Mongu in Zambia.
Water is black in this false-colour image of the Zambezi flood plain.
This highly detailed true-colour image shows the stark eastern edge of the Zambezi floodplain.
Ecology of the delta
As well as the Zambezi this section applies to the Buzi , Pungwe , and Save rivers which also drain the Zambezi basin. Together the floodplains of these four river floodplains make up the World Wildlife Fund 's Zambezian coastal flooded savanna ecoregion . They are a mixture of open grassland and freshwater swamp inland from the Indian Ocean in Mozambique.
Although the dams have stemmed some of the annual flooding of the lower Zambezi and caused the area of floodplain to be greatly reduced they have not removed flooding completely. They cannot control extreme floods, they have only made medium-level floods less frequent. When heavy rain in the lower Zambezi combines with good runoff upstream, massive floods still happen and the wetlands are still an important habitat. However, as well as the shrinking of the wetlands further severe damage to wildlife was caused by uncontrolled hunting of animals such as buffalo and waterbuck during the Mozambique Civil War and now the conflict has ceased it is likely the floodplains will become more populated, and further damming has also been discussed. The only protected area of floodplain is the Marromeu Game Reserve near the city of Beira .
Although the region has seen a reduction in the populations of the large mammals it is still home to some including the Reedbuck and migrating eland . Carnivores found here include lion (Panthera leo), leopard (Panthera pardus), cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) and Side-striped jackal (Canis adustus). The floodplains are a haven for migratory waterbirds including Pintails , Garganey , African Openbill (Anastomus lamelligerus), Saddle-billed Stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis), Wattled Crane , and Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus).
Reptiles include Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus), Nile monitor lizard (Varanus niloticus) and African rock python (Python sebae), the endemic Pungwe worm snake (Leptotyphlops pungwensis) and three other snakes that are nearly endemic; Floodplain Water Snake (Lycodonomorphus whytei obscuriventris), Dwarf wolf snake (Lycophidion nanus) and Eyebrow viper ( Proatheris ).
There are a number of endemic butterflies.
Climate
The north of the Zambezi basin has mean annual rainfall of 1100 to 1400 mm which declines towards the south, reaching about half that figure in the south-west. The rain falls in a 4-to-6-month summer rainy season when the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone moves over the basin from the north between October and March. Evaporation rates are high (1600 mm-2300 mm) and much water is lost this way in swamps and floodplains, especially in the south-west of the basin. [1]
Wildlife
The river supports large populations of many animals. Hippopotamuses are abundant along most of the calm stretches of the river, and many crocodiles are also present. Monitor lizards are found in many places. Birds are abundant, with species including heron , pelican , egret and African fish eagle present in large numbers. Riverine woodland also supports many large animals, such as buffalo , zebras , giraffes , elephants .
The Zambezi also supports several hundred species of fish , some of which are endemic to the river. Important species include cichlids which are fished heavily for food, as well as catfish , tigerfish , yellowfish and other large species. The bull shark is sometimes known as the Zambezi Shark after the river but is found around the world. It normally inhabits coastal waters but has been found far inland in many large rivers including the Zambezi.
Tributaries, their basin areas, discharge rates and region drained
Upper Zambezi: 507,200 km², discharges 1044 m³/s at Victoria Falls, comprising:
Northern Highlands catchment, 222,570 km², 850 m³/s at Lukulu :
Cuando /Linyanti/Chobe River : 133,200 km², Angolan S plateau & Caprivi
Middle Zambezi cumulatively 1,050,000 km², 2442 m³/s, measured at Cahora Bassa Gorge
(Middle section by itself: 542,800 km², discharges 1398 m³/s (C. Bassa–Victoria Falls)
Gwembe Catchment, 156,600 km², 232 m³/s (Kariba Gorge–Vic Falls):
Gwayi River : 54,610 km², NW Zimbabwe
Sengwa River : 25,000 km², North-central Zimbabwe
Sanyati River : 43,500 km², North-central Zimbabwe
Kariba Gorge to C. Bassa catchment, 386200 km², 1166 m³/s (C. Bassa–Kariba Gorge):
Kafue River : 154,200 km², 285 m³/s, West-central Zambia & Copperbelt
Luangwa River : 151,400 km², 547 m³/s, Luangwa Rift Valley & plateau NW of it
Panhane River : 23,897 km², North-central Zimbabwe plateau
Lower Zambezi cumulatively, 1,378,000 km², 3424 m³/s, measured at Marromeu
(Lower section by itself: 328,000 km², 982 m³/s (Marromeu–C. Bassa))
Luia River : 28,000 km², Moravia-Angonia plateau, N of Zambezi
Luenha River / Mazoe River : 54,144 km², 152 m³/s, Manica plateau, NE Zimbabwe
Shire River , 154,000 km², 539 m³/s, Lake Malawi basin
Zambezi Delta, 12,000 km²
Total Zambezi river basin: 1,390,000 km², 3424 m³/s discharged into delta
Source: Beilfuss & Dos Santos (2001) [1] The Okavango Basin is not included in the figures because it only occasionally overflows to any extent into the Zambezi.
Due to the rainfall distribution, northern tributaries contribute much more water than southern ones, for example: the Northern Highlands catchment of the upper Zambezi contributes 25%, Kafue 8%, Luangwa and Shire Rivers 16% each, total 65% of Zambezi discharge. The large Cuando basin in the south-west on the other hand contributes only about 2 m³/s because most is lost through evaporation in its swamp systems. The 1940s and 1950s were particularly wet decades in the basin. Since 1975, it has been drier, the average discharge being only 70% of that for the years 1930 to 1958. [1]
Geological changes to the course
More than two million years ago, the Upper Zambezi river used to flow south through what is now the Makgadikgadi Pan to the Limpopo River . The land around the pan experienced tectonic uplift (perhaps as part of the African superswell ) and a large lake formed, and extended east.
Meanwhile, 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) east, a western tributary of the Shire River in the East African Rift 's southern extension through Malawi eroded a deep valley on its western escarpment. At the rate of a few cm per year, this river, the Middle Zambezi, started cutting back the bed of its river towards the west, aided by grabens ( rift valleys ) forming along its course in an east-west axis. As it did so it captured a number of south-flowing rivers such as the Luangwa and Kafue.
Eventually the large lake trapped at Makgadikgadi (or a tributary of it) was captured by the Middle Zambezi cutting back towards it, and emptied eastwards. The Upper Zambezi was captured as well. The Middle Zambezi was about 300 metres (980 ft) lower than the Upper Zambezi, and a high waterfall formed at the edge of the basalt plateau across which the upper river flows. This was the first Victoria Falls, somewhere down the Batoka Gorge near where Lake Kariba is now. [4] For details of how the falls cuts back its bed to form the gorge, see How the Victoria Falls formed .
History
Etymology
The first European to come across the Zambezi river was Vasco da Gama , in January 1498, who anchored at what he called Rio dos Bons Sinais (River of Good Omens), now the Quelimane , a small river on the northern end of the delta, which at that time was connected by navigable channels to the Zambezi river proper (the connection silted up by the 1830s). In a few of the oldest maps, the entire river is denoted as such. But already by the early 1500s, a new named emerged, the Cuama river (sometimes 'Quama' or 'Zuama'). Cuama was the local name given by the dwellers of the Swahili Coast for an outpost located on one the southerly islands of the delta, near the Luabo river. Most old nautical maps denote the Luabo entry as Cuama, the entire delta as the 'rivers of Cuama' and the Zambezi river proper as the 'Cuama river'.
Nonetheless, already in 1552, Portuguese chronicler João de Barros notes that the same Cuama river was called Zembere by the upriver people of Monomatapa . [5] The Portuguese Dominican friar João dos Santos , visiting Monomatapa in 1597, reported it as Zambeze ( Bantu language frequently shifts between z and r) and inquired into the origins of the name, and was told it was named after an upriver people or settlement.
Map by Willem Janszoon Blaeu , dated 1635, showing the course of the Zambezi, and its source in a great lake.
"The River Cuama is by them called Zambeze; the head whereof is so farre within Land that none of them know it, but by tradition of their Progenitors say it comes from a Lake in the midst of the continent which yeelds also other great Rivers, divers ways visiting the Sea. They call it Zambeze, of a Nation of Cafres dwelling neere that Lake which are so called." - J. Santos Ethiopia Oriental, 1609 [6]
Thus 'Zambezi' is a derivation from a locality, probably named 'M'biza' (or something very close to that) in the original Bantu.
The Monomatapa notion that the Zambezi was sourced from a great internal lake might be a reference to one of the African Great Lakes . Indeed, one of the names reported by early explorers for Lake Malawi was 'Lake Zambre' (probably a corruption of 'Zambezi'). The Monomatapa story complied with the European notion - drawn from classical antiquity - that all the great African rivers - the Nile, the Senegal, the Congo, now the Zambezi too - were all sourced from the same great internal lake. The Portuguese were also told that the Mozambican Espirito Santo 'river' (actually an estuary formed by the Umbeluzi , Matola and Tembe rivers) was sourced from a lake (hence its outlet became known as Delagoa Bay ). As a result, many old maps show the Zambezi and the 'Espirito Santo' converging deep in the interior, at the same lake.
Exploration of the river
Satellite image showing Victoria Falls and subsequent series of zigzagging gorges
The Zambezi region was known to medieval geographers as the Empire of Monomotapa , and the course of the river, as well as the position of lakes Ngami and Nyasa , were given broadly accurately in early maps. These were probably constructed from Arab information.[ citation needed ]
The first European to visit the upper Zambezi was David Livingstone in his exploration from Bechuanaland between 1851 and 1853. Two or three years later he descended the Zambezi to its mouth and in the course of this journey discovered the Victoria Falls . During 1858–60, accompanied by John Kirk , Livingstone ascended the river by the Kongone mouth as far as the Falls, and also traced the course of its tributary the Shire and reached Lake Malawi .
For the next 35 years very little exploration of the river took place. Portuguese explorer Serpa Pinto examined some of the western tributaries of the river and made measurements of the Victoria Falls in 1878.[ citation needed ] In 1884 the Plymouth Brethren missionary Frederick Stanley Arnot traveled over the height of land between the watersheds of the Zambezi and the Congo , and identified the source of the Zambezi. [7] He considered that the nearby high and cool Kalene Hill was a particularly suitable place for a mission. [8] Arnot was accompanied by the Portuguese trader and army officer António da Silva Porto . [9] In 1889 the Chinde channel north of the main mouths of the river was discovered. Two expeditions led by Major A. St Hill Gibbons in 1895 to 1896 and 1898 to 1900 continued the work of exploration begun by Livingstone in the upper basin and central course of the river.[ citation needed ]
Two local people in the Zambezi river near Victoria falls, Zambia.
Economy
The population of the Zambezi river valley is estimated to be about 32 million. About 80% of the population of the valley is dependent on agriculture , and the upper river's flood plains provide good agricultural land.
Communities by the river fish extensively from it, and many people travel from far afield to fish. Some Zambian towns on roads leading to the river levy unofficial 'fish taxes' on people taking Zambezi fish to other parts of the country. As well as fishing for food, game fishing is a significant activity on some parts of the river. Between Mongu and Livingstone , several safari lodges cater for tourists who want to fish for exotic species, and many also catch fish to sell to aquaria .
The river valley is rich in mineral deposits and fossil fuels , and coal mining is important in places. The dams along its length also provide employment for many people near them, in maintaining the hydroelectric power stations and the dams themselves. Several parts of the river are also very popular tourist destinations. Victoria Falls receives over 1.5 million visitors annually, while Mana Pools and Lake Kariba also draw substantial tourist numbers.
Transport
1975 photo of Victoria Falls Bridge
The river is frequently interrupted by rapids and so has never been an important long-distance transport route. David Livingstone's Zambezi Expedition attempted to open up the river to navigation by paddle steamer , but was defeated by the Cahora Bassa rapids . Along some stretches, it is often more convenient to travel by canoe along the river rather than on the unimproved roads which are often in very poor condition due to being regularly submerged in flood waters, and many small villages along the banks of the river are only accessible by boat. In the 1930s and 40s a paddle barge service operated on the stretch between the Katombora Rapids, about 50 kilometres (31 mi) upstream from Livingstone, and the rapids just upstream from Katima Mulilo. However, depending on the water level, boats could be paddled through— Lozi paddlers, a dozen or more in a boat, could deal with most of them—or they could be pulled along the shore or carried around the rapids, and teams of oxen pulled barges 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) over land around the Ngonye Falls. [10]
Road, rail and other crossings of the river, once few and far between, are proliferating. They are, in order from the source:
Cazombo road bridge, Angola , bombed in the civil war and not yet reconstructed [11]
Chinyingi suspension footbridge near the town of Zambezi , a 300-metre (980 ft) footbridge built as a community project
Tete Suspension Bridge , 1-kilometre (1,000 m) road bridge (1970s)
Dona Ana Bridge , originally railway but converted to single-lane road, (1935), the longest at 3 kilometres (1.9 mi), since late 2009 it is again a railway bridge, passenger and freight trains are again running across it and from 2011 on the railway line over this bridge may convey several million of tonnes of Tete coal to the port of Beira.
Caia Bridge —construction started in 2007 of a 2.3-kilometre (1.4 mi) road bridge to replace the Caia ferry, which, with Kazungula, is the largest ferry across the river
There are a number of small pontoon ferries across the river in Angola, western Zambia, and Mozambique, notably between Mongu and Kalabo . Above Mongu in years following poor rainy seasons the river can be forded at one or two places. In tourist areas, such as Victoria Falls and Kariba , short-distance tourist boats take visitors along the river.
Ecology
Lake Cahora Bassa in Mozambique, one of the river's major sources of hydroelectric energy
Sewage effluent is a major cause of water pollution around urban areas, as inadequate water treatment facilities in all the major cities of the region force them to release untreated sewage into the river. This has resulted in eutrophication of the river water and has facilitated the spread of diseases of poor hygiene such as cholera , typhus and dysentery .
The construction of two major dams regulating the flow of the river has had a major effect on wildlife and human populations in the lower Zambezi region. When the Cahora Bassa Dam was constructed in 1973, its managers allowed it to fill in a single flood season, going against recommendations to fill over at least two years. The drastic reduction in the flow of the river led to a 40% reduction in the coverage of mangroves , greatly increased erosion of the coastal region and a 60% reduction in the catch of prawns off the mouth due to the reduction in emplacement of silt and associate nutrients . Wetland ecosystems downstream of the dam shrank considerably. Wildlife in the delta was further threatened by uncontrolled hunting during the civil war in Mozambique.
The transfrontier Okavango-Zambezi Conservation Park will cover parts of Zambia, Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Botswana, including the famous Okavango Delta in Botswana and Mosi-oa-Tunya (The Smoke That Thunders, or Victoria Falls). It is thought that the cross-border park will help with animal migration routes and assist in the preservation of wetlands which clean water, as sewage from communities is a problem.
Funding boost for cross-border conservation project along the Zambezi in 2008. The Okavango–Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation project—which follows the Zambezi River and stretches across Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe—has received a grant of €8 million from a German nongovernmental organisation. Part of the funds will be used for research in areas covered by the project. However, Angola has warned that landmines from their civil war may impede the project. [12]
EUS outbreak
On 14 September 2007, epizootic ulcerative syndrome (EUS) killed hundreds of sore-covered fish in River Zambezi. Zambia Agriculture Minister Ben Kapita asked experts to investigate the outbreak to probe the cause to find out if the disease can be transmitted to humans. [13]
Major towns
Along much of the river's length, the population is sparse, but important towns and cities along its course include the following:
^ "Zambia warns against fish killed by mysterious disease" . AFP. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_kmafp/is_200709/ai_n19522812 . [ dead link ]
General references
Bento C.M., Beilfuss R. (2003), Wattled Cranes, Waterbirds, and Wetland Conservation in the Zambezi Delta, Mozambique, report for the Biodiversity Foundation for Africa for the IUCN - Regional Office for Southern Africa: Zambezi Basin Wetlands Conservation and Resource Utilisation Project.
Bourgeois S., Kocher T., Schelander P. (2003), Case study: Zambezi river basin, ETH Seminar: Science and Politics of International Freshwater Management 2003/04
Davies B.R., Beilfuss R., Thoms M.C. (2000), "Cahora Bassa retrospective, 1974–1997: effects of flow regulation on the Lower Zambezi River," Verh. Internat. Verein. Limnologie, 27, 1–9
Dunham KM (1994), The effect of drought on the large mammal populations of Zambezi riverine woodlands, Journal of Zoology, v. 234, p. 489–526
Dorling Kindersley Publishing, Inc. (2004). World reference atlas. New York: Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 0-7566-0481-8
Wynn S. (2002), "The Zambezi River - Wilderness and Tourism", International Journal of Wilderness, 8, 34.
H. C. N. Ridley: “Early History of Road Transport in Northern Rhodesia”, The Northern Rhodesia Journal, Vol 2 No 5 (1954)—Re Zambezi River Transport Service at Katombora.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
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Who sang the title song for the Bond film A View To A Kill? | A View to a Kill (song) | James Bond Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
A View to a Kill (song)
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Short Story — Film — Games — Soundtrack — Song — Characters
A View to a Kill is the theme song for the Bond film of the same name. The song was written by John Barry and Duran Duran , and was performed by Duran Duran, who were nominated for the best original song at the Golden Globes. The song was also the only James Bond song to ever reach the #1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.
Trivia
Meeting you, with a view to a kill,
face to face in secret places, feel the chill,
night fall covers me, but you know the plans I'm making,
still oversea, could it be the whole world opening wide,
A sacred why, a mystery gaping inside,
the weekend's why.
Until we dance into the fire, that fatal kiss is all we need,
dance into the fire, to fatal sounds of broken dreams,
dance into the fire, that fatal kiss is all we need,
dance into the fire.
Choice for you, is the view to a kill,
between the shades, assassination's standing still,
the first crystal tears, fall as snowflakes on your body,
first time in years, to drench you skin with lovers rosy stain,
A chance to find the phoenix for the flame,
A chance to die.
But can we dance into the fire, that fatal kiss is all we need,
dance into the fire, to fatal sounds of broken dreams,
dance into the fire, that fatal kiss is all we need,
dance into the fire, when all we see is the view to a kill.
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The music of James Bond
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Shirley Bassey
Welsh singer Shirley Bassey has sung the most Bond theme songs, beginning with "Goldfinger," a pop hit in 1964. She also sang "Diamonds Are Forever" (1971) and "Moonraker" (1979).
Photo: Singer Dame Shirley Bassey performs on stage during the Diamond Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace on June 4, 2012, in London.
Credit: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
Tom Jones
Tom Jones sang the theme for "Thunderball" in 1965, the same year he burst onto the music scene with his signature hit, "It's Not Unusual," and won a Grammy as best new artist. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II on March 29, 2006.
Photo: Tom Jones performs on the Virgin Media Stage during the V Festival at Hylands Park on Aug. 19, 2012, in Chelmsford, England.
Credit: Samir Hussein/Getty Images
Nancy Sinatra
Sixties pop icon Nancy Sinatra sang the theme for the 1967 film "You Only Live Twice."
Photo: Actress/singer Nancy Sinatra arrives at the 12th Annual Costume Designers Guild Awards at The Beverly Hilton hotel on Feb. 25, 2010, in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Paul McCartney and Wings
Paul McCartney had a Top 10 hit with the theme song for "Live and Let Die" (1973).
Photo: Paul McCartney performs at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 12, 2012, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Getty
Lulu
Scottish singer, actress, and television personality Lulu performed the title theme for "The Man with the Golden Gun" (1974).
Photo: Lulu arrives at the "Strictly Come Dancing" press launch at BBC Television Center on Sept. 7, 2011, in London.
Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Carly Simon
Carly Simon had a huge hit with the Marvin Hamlisch-penned "Nobody Does It Better" for the 1977 film "The Spy Who Loved Me." It was the first Bond song that had a different title than the movie, but the words "the spy who loved me" are in the song's lyrics.
Photo: Carly Simon attends the "You're So Vain" after-party during the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival at 1 Oak on April 29, 2010, in New York.
Credit: Joe Corrigan/Getty Images
Sheena Easton
Sheena Easton sang the Oscar-nominated title song for "For Your Eyes Only" (1981). The Scottish-born singer is the only Bond artist to be seen singing the title song during the opening credits.
Photo: Sheena Easton performs at the grand opening of the Chaum Center on Oct. 27, 2010, in Seoul, South Korea.
Credit: Chris Weeks/Getty Images
Duran Duran
Duran Duran had a No. 1 hit with the title song for "A View to a Kill" (1985). It remains the only James Bond theme song to have reached the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Photo: From left, Jon Taylor, Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes and Roger Taylor of the musical group Duran Duran arrive at the "South Park" 15th Anniversary Party at The Barker Hanger on Sept. 20, 2011, in Santa Monica, Calif.
Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Gladys Knight
Motown legend Gladys Knight performed the title song for "License to Kill" in 1989.
Photo: Gladys Knight arrives at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 20, 2012, in Las Vegas.
Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Tina Turner
U2's Bono and The Edge wrote the main title song for 1995's "Goldeneye," sung by Tina Turner.
Photo: Tina Turner attends the Emporio Armani show during Milan Fashion Week on Feb. 26, 2011, in Milan, Italy.
Credit: Vittorio Zunino Celotto
Sheryl Crow
The main title song for "Tomorrow Never Dies" (1997) was performed by Sheryl Crow, who co-wrote it with Mitchell Froom.
Photo: Sheryl Crow performs during the Stagecoach Country Music Festival held at the Empire Polo Field on April 29, 2012, in Indio, Calif.
Credit: AP Photo/Matt Sayles
Garbage
Alternative pop/rock band Garbage sang the title song for "The World Is Not Enough" (1999).
Photo: Shirley Manson of Garbage performs onstage at the MTV World Stage Monterrey Mexico 2012 at Arena Monterrey on Sept. 12, 2012, in Monterrey, Mexico.
Credit: Victor Chavez/Getty Images
Madonna
Madonna's title track for "Die Another Day" (2002) was a Top 10 single in the United States and No. 1 in several other countries. It was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for best original song.
Photo: Madonna performs on stage in Nice, France, on Aug. 21, 2012.
Credit: AP Photo
Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell performed the title song for "Casino Royale" (2006), titled "You Know My Name." The former Audioslave frontman co-wrote the track with David Arnold, the soundtrack's composer.
Photo: Chris Cornell performs live during the first day of Hard Rock Calling at Hyde Park on July 13, 2012, in London.
Credit: Jim Dyson/Getty Images
Jack White and Alicia Keys
The first duet in the Bond series came from Jack White and Alicia Keys, who performed "Another Way to Die," the theme from "Quantum of Solace" (2008).
Photos: Jack White performs at Eurockeennes Music Festival on July 1, 2012, in Belfort, France (left). Alicia Keys performs during the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 6, 2012, in Los Angeles (right).
Credit: Getty Images
Adele
Adele has confirmed that she has co-written and performed the theme for the film "Skyfall" (2012). This is the first Bond theme to have the same title as the film since Madonna's "Die Another Day" in 2002.
Photo: Adele performs at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards held on Feb. 12, 2012, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Getty
Sam Smith
Singer Sam Smith recorded "Writing's On The Wall," the theme song to 2015's "Spectre," the 24th James Bond adventure, starring Daniel Craig. It's the first James Bond theme song recorded by a British male solo artist since 1965. "This is one of the highlights of my career," Smith said.
Photo: Sam Smith performs "Stay With Me" during the 57th annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 8, 2015, in Los Angeles.
Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
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Who won the Oscar for directing It Happened One Night? | 1934 Academy Awards® Winners and History
Actor:
CLARK GABLE in
"It Happened One Night" , Frank Morgan in "Affairs of Cellini", William Powell in "The Thin Man"
Actress:
CLAUDETTE COLBERT in
"It Happened One Night" , Grace Moore in "One Night of Love", Norma Shearer in "The Barretts of Wimpole Street"
Director:
FRANK CAPRA for
"It Happened One Night" , Victor Schertzinger for "One Night of Love", W. S. Van Dyke for "The Thin Man"
This was the first year that the Academy decided to match the eligibility period to the calendar year. From now on, the nominating selections and the award ceremony would cover the same calendar year. Three new categories were added: for Film Editing, Song, and Scoring. The Academy allowed write-in candidates in all categories after members denounced the omission of Bette Davis ( Of Human Bondage ) from the Best Actress nominees. Write-in candidates were disallowed after 1935, a year later.
The Best Picture category had a record twelve nominated films. (This total would remain for one more year, and then decrease to ten, and finally to five.)
The film that dominated and swept all major categories of the awards was Columbia's come-from-behind
It Happened One Night , Frank Capra's exceptional screwball romantic comedy that gave birth to the genre. The sparkling, 'Capra-corn' film was about an antagonistic couple - a spoiled runaway heiress (Colbert) and a recently-fired newspaper reporter (Gable in his first comedic role) - an affectionate feuding, battle of the sexes during their bus and hitch-hiking trip on the road. Instead of turning her in for the reward, he falls in love with her. The film illustrated that even a wealthy heiress could find happiness and adventure on the road among the common folk. Numerous scenes in the film have become classics: the hitchhiking scene with Claudette Colbert lifting her skirt for a ride, Gable's bared chest (causing undershirt sales to drop dramatically), and the motel room divided by the "walls of Jericho."
It was Columbia's first Best Picture winner and the first major Academy Awards sweep of the "Top Five" awards categories (with five nominations and five wins - Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Adaptation by screenwriter Robert Riskin), un-equaled and un-duplicated until
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975) and The Silence of the Lambs (1991) . [In each case, these films won no other Oscars than the top awards.] It was the first time in Academy history that both male and female leads (Gable and Colbert) from the same film, a Best Picture nominee (and winner), won the top or lead award for acting (Best Actor and Best Actress).
There were eleven other films nominated for Best Picture in 1934:
the second film of dancing duo Astaire and Rogers - director Mark Sandrich's The Gay Divorcee (with five nominations and one award - Best Song "The Continental")
director W. S. Van Dyke's comedy/mystery The Thin Man (with four nominations and no wins) based on Dashiell Hammett's novel with William Powell and Myrna Loy as married sleuths in the first of their popular series
director Victor Schertzinger's operatta about a "Pygmalion-like" American diva who rebels against her Italian singing teacher in One Night of Love (with six nominations and two wins - Best Sound Recording and Best Score)
director Sidney Franklin's account of the romancing of poetess Elizabeth Barrett by Victorian poet Robert Browning in The Barretts of Wimpole Street (with two nominations and no wins)
Wallace Beery in the title role of Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa in director Jack Conway's (and an un-credited Howard Hawks') Viva Villa
director John Stahl's Imitation of Life (with three nominations and no wins) - the first version of the classic melodrama on race relations based on Fanny Hurst's novel (this film was remade by Douglas Sirk as Imitation of Life (1959) with Lana Turner and Juanita Moore)
Claudette Colbert as the Egyptian temptress in master showman Cecil B. DeMille's classic Cleopatra (with four nominations and one win - Best Cinematography)
director Frank Borzage's musical film starring Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell as the general's daughter and a West Point cadet who are in love in Flirtation Walk (with two nominations and no wins)
director Lloyd Bacon's Here Comes the Navy (with one nomination and no wins) - Warner Bros.' sole nominee with James Cagney as a naval hero
director Alfred R. Werker's Napoleonic costume drama, The House of Rothschild (with one nomination and no wins)
and Irving Cummings' dramatic film about hospital student nurses in The White Parade (with two nominations and no wins)
The winner of the Best Actor award was the "King" - Clark Gable (with the first of three career nominations and his sole win) for his role as down-on-his-luck reporter Peter Warne in
It Happened One Night .
The two Best Actor competitors were:
Frank Morgan (with his first nomination) as Alessandro, a 16th century Duke of Florence in director Gregory La Cava's Affairs of Cellini (with four nominations and no wins)
William Powell (with his first of three unsuccessful career nominations) as urbane, tippling, witty detective Nick Charles in The Thin Man
Gable's French-born co-star, Claudette Colbert (with the first of three career nominations and her sole win) won the Best Actress award for her performance as runaway heiress Ellie Andrews in
It Happened One Night . [Colbert was the first performer to appear in three Best Picture-nominated films in the same year - she also starred in Cleopatra and Imitation of Life. This feat would be repeated by Charles Laughton in 1935, Thomas Mitchell in 1939 and John C. Reilly in 2002]. The hitchhiking scene contained Gable's immortal line to Colbert when she lifted her skirt slightly to expose a bit of her leg, and promptly stopped a passing car: "Why didn't you take off all your clothes? You could have stopped 40 cars."
The other two Best Actress nominees were:
Metropolitan Opera soprano star Grace Moore (with her sole career nomination) as American opera singer Mary Barrett in One Night of Love
Norma Shearer (with her fourth nomination) for her performance as invalid Elizabeth Barrett in The Barretts of Wimpole Street
Five year old, popular Fox Studios money-maker Shirley Temple (born on April 23, 1928, she was almost six years old at the time of the Academy banquet held on March 16, 1934) was presented with a miniature statuette - a Special Award - for her "outstanding contribution to screen entertainment during the year 1934". By some accounts, she remains the youngest Oscar recipient in history.
And Walt Disney picked up another (his third consecutive) Short Subject: Cartoon Award for The Tortoise and the Hare.
Oscar Snubs and Omissions:
Howard Hawks' Twentieth Century with John Barrymore (with a tour-de-force performance) and Carole Lombard
The Academy also ignored another Josef von Sternberg (and Marlene Dietrich) film, The Scarlet Empress.
Horror films rarely received nominations, such as director Edgar Ulmer's The Black Cat with the leads (Karloff, Lugosi) and its brilliant Expressionist cinematography (John Mescall) and art direction/set design (Charles D. Hall).
One of the most controversial oversights of the Academy was denying Warner Bros' actress Bette Davis an official Best Actress nomination for her performance as the slutty, bleach-blonde, Cockney waitress Mildred, who took advantage of sensitive, crippled (club-footed) doctor Philip Carey (Leslie Howard), in RKO's Of Human Bondage - she was a write-in candidate only (who lost), but was compensated the next year with a Best Actress Oscar win for Dangerous (1935).
Myrna Loy was un-nominated for her performance in The Thin Man .
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Hellenikon international airport is in which country? | It Happened One Night (1934) - IMDb
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A spoiled heiress running away from her family is helped by a man who is actually a reporter in need of a story.
Director:
Robert Riskin (screen play), Samuel Hopkins Adams (based on the short story by)
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An allegorical tale about a man fighting the good and evil within him. Both sides are made flesh - one a sophisticated woman he is attracted to and the other his wife.
Director: F.W. Murnau
A poor Midwest family is forced off of their land. They travel to California, suffering the misfortunes of the homeless in the Great Depression.
Director: John Ford
A hack screenwriter writes a screenplay for a former silent-film star who has faded into Hollywood obscurity.
Director: Billy Wilder
An ex-prize fighter turned longshoreman struggles to stand up to his corrupt union bosses.
Director: Elia Kazan
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Storyline
Ellie Andrews has just tied the knot with society aviator King Westley when she is whisked away to her father's yacht and out of King's clutches. Ellie jumps ship and eventually winds up on a bus headed back to her husband. Reluctantly she must accept the help of out-of- work reporter Peter Warne. Actually, Warne doesn't give her any choice: either she sticks with him until he gets her back to her husband, or he'll blow the whistle on Ellie to her father. Either way, Peter gets what (he thinks!) he wants .... a really juicy newspaper story. Written by A.L.Beneteau <albl@inforamp.net>
An unforgettable entertainment...the outstanding performance of two outstanding careers! See more »
Genres:
23 February 1934 (USA) See more »
Also Known As:
Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)
Color:
Did You Know?
Trivia
Instead of the usual static camera set-up, Frank Capra insisted on sticking a camera onto a crane. This enabled him to do more tracking shots, which was entirely in keeping with a film in which the main characters spend most of their time on the move. See more »
Goofs
When Peter is chasing after the police escort that Ellen is riding in, the road has a solid line down the middle. As he pulls over to the side of the road and gets the flat tire, there is no line down the middle of the road. It is a different road. See more »
Quotes
Zeke's Wife : If you ask me, I don't believe they're married.
Zeke : They're married all right. I just seen the license.
Zeke's Wife : They made me get them a rope and a blanket on a night like this. What do you reckon that's for?
Zeke : Blamed if I know. I just brung 'em a trumpet.
Zeke : Yeah, one of them toy things. They sent me to the store to get it.
Zeke's Wife : But what in the world do they want a trumpet for?
[...]
Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf
(uncredited)
(Buffalo, New York) – See all my reviews
In his autobiography, The Name's Above the Title, Frank Capra said that until It Happened One Night drama had four stock characters, the hero, the heroine, the comedian, and the villain.
What Capra did and you might notice he followed that in a whole lot of his films, the characters of hero and comedian are combined. Not completely though because Claudette Colbert gets a few laughs herself, especially with that system all her own. But in doing what he did for Clark Gable's character, Capra created a whole new type of screen comedy, the classic screwball comedy and It Happened One Night surely set the mold.
Capra's autobiography told the story of the making of It Happened One Night which in itself could be a movie. Capra worked for Columbia Pictures which at that time was a minor studio, along the lines of Republic or Monogram. As Capra tells it he had a vision about this story that Samuel Hopkins Adams wrote and persuaded Harry Cohn to buy it.
Capra also had a stroke of good luck. Adolph Zukor at Paramount and Louis B. Mayer at MGM were looking to punish a couple of recalcitrant stars, Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable. The idea was to show these two what it was like to work in a small budget studio without all the perks of Paramount and MGM. In fact the description of Gable arriving to work at Columbia that first day, drunk as a skunk, is priceless. Capra dressed him down good and said that to his credit Gable came to work afterwards and couldn't have been more cooperative.
At some point Harry Cohn at Columbia was convinced that maybe Capra had something. He had in fact delivered for Columbia the previous year with Lady for a Day. So the publicity drums were beat.
The rest as they say is history. It Happened One Night won the first Oscar grand slam, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress. It won the first Oscars Columbia Pictures ever got and lifted it right into the ranks of the major studios. And it set the standard for screwball comedy.
The film could never have gotten off the ground were it not for the chemistry of Gable and Colbert. They're together for most of the film so if it doesn't click between the two of them, you have people walking out in droves. Colbert had already played a wide variety of parts at Paramount, ranging from Poppaea and Cleopatra to comedies with Maurice Chevalier like The Big Pond. Gable had played a whole lot of tough guys on both sides of the law at MGM. It Happened One Night showed he had some real comic talent, a flair MGM exploited in his roles from then on in.
Gable and Colbert did only one other film together, Boom Town for MGM. You can't get much more different than those two films. Boom Town had a huge MGM budget, Spencer Tracy and Hedy Lamarr as well, and a lot of special effects involving the oil industry and hazards therein. It's also a great film, but it's not a classic like It Happened One Night.
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Who had a 60s No 1 with Lightnin' Strikes? | Lightnin` Strikes Once Again For Lou Christie - tribunedigital-chicagotribune
Lightnin` Strikes Once Again For Lou Christie
February 11, 1990|By Lynn Van Matre.
Between 1963 and 1969, singer Lou Christie had five hit singles, including the million-selling No. 1 hit ``Lightnin` Strikes.`` These days, he is best known as the biggest draw on the vintage rock concert circuit, with busloads of his fan club members regularly turning up whenever Christie`s on the bill, at the Star Plaza in Merrillville, Ind., and elsewhere.
But please, don`t pigeonhole Christie as an ``oldies`` act.
``I don`t feel that my life stopped after my hit records in the 1960s,``
says Christie, 46, whose longish blond hair and cockily exuberant stage presence is reminiscent of a more mature (and more vocally gifted) David Lee Roth. ``I feel more contemporary now than I ever did. I`m working on new ideas, new records, new projects. I like to be where things are happening; I live two blocks off of Broadway in New York City. I`m not in a time tunnel.``
It`s not that Christie`s tired of reprising ``Lightnin` Strikes,``
``Rhapsody in the Rain,`` ``Two Faces Have I`` and his other hits (complete with trademark falsetto) and bringing back memories, all of which he will be doing when he plays Star Plaza next Saturday.
``I think the oldies shows are great, because the whole family can go,``
he says. ``The kids want to see what was going on, and the parents don`t have to be embarrassed about what their own teenage years were about. The `50s and `60s were great times that changed the world. The clothes, the hairstyles, the music-it was all new. Today, you see Madonna and all of these other performers imitating people from that era, but back then, it was fresh and original.``
The problem, Christie says, is convincing record companies that he can be a recording artist for the 1990s. In the last year or so, a song he originally recorded in the early 1970s, ``Beyond the Blue Horizon,`` was used on the
``Rain Man`` film soundtrack, and Rhino Records issued a well-received
``Best of Lou Christie`` compilation CD. More recently, Polygram Records put together a budget line compilation, ``Rhapsody in the Rain,`` which, according to a company representative, is available in all formats and is being marketed mainly through convenience stores. But so far, his efforts to land a new record deal have met with frustration.
``Rock `n` roll is supposed to be so open-minded, but whenever I go into a record company and hand them some new material and say the name `Lou Christie,` they immediately think, `oldie,` `` he says. ``That really drives you insane. It`s frustrating, trying to make people forget that you had a past.
``But Tina Turner did it, and I guess that I can, too,`` adds Christie optimistically. ``I`ll just have to find the right spot, where somebody thinks what I`m doing is hip and is willing to go with it. I`m working on a couple of different projects now. I don`t want to talk too much about them before they`ve happened, but someone wants to use some new songs I`ve written in a movie, and I may be doing some music for a TV series. I`ll probably be recording some new material soon to shop around to the record labels, too.``
Christie, who is married with two children, divides his time between New York and New Orleans, where his family lives. ``I wouldn`t raise children in New York City; it`s too violent and distracting,`` he says. ``I stay in New York because I like a lot of stimulation. I like being around people who create things; one of my friends is a clothing designer and some of them are putting on Broadway shows. My wife doesn`t want to live my lifestyle, so this suits us fine. And I love having time by myself to meditate and process all that I`m seeing around me.``
Does he listen to much new music? ``I listen to the radio a lot,`` says Christie, ``but I don`t run out to buy the latest records to see what`s going on. My tastes are pretty eclectic, everything from classical music to Ricky Skaggs. Most of the music today doesn`t interest me much, though. I heard the original sounds when they were fresh and new. Now what I hear are people doing bad imitations of the original stuff.``
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| Lou Christie |
In which year was CNN founded? | Lou Christie - Lightnin' Strikes - YouTube
Lou Christie - Lightnin' Strikes
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Lou Christie - Lightnin' Strikes
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Who was President Reagan's Secretary for Defense from 1987 to 1989? | Frank C. Carlucci - 16th Secretary of Defense for Ronald Reagan
Frank C. Carlucci
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Frank C. Carlucci 16th Secretary of Defense under Ronald Reagan
The Secretary of Defense manages all the armed forces of the United States. The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, National Guard, and Reserve Forces are part of this Department.
Frank C. Carlucci was appointed to the position of Secretary of Defense by President Ronald Reagan in 1987 and served until 1989.
See all Cabinet Members
| Frank Carlucci |
Which famous brother of Talia Shire does not share her last name? | Frank C. Carlucci - 16th Secretary of Defense for Ronald Reagan
Frank C. Carlucci
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Frank C. Carlucci 16th Secretary of Defense under Ronald Reagan
The Secretary of Defense manages all the armed forces of the United States. The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, National Guard, and Reserve Forces are part of this Department.
Frank C. Carlucci was appointed to the position of Secretary of Defense by President Ronald Reagan in 1987 and served until 1989.
See all Cabinet Members
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In basketball where do the Celtics come from? | Boston Celtics | The Official Site of the Boston Celtics
BOSTON – The struggling New York Knicks were desperate for a win Wednesday night as they took...
5 hours ago
Amanda Pflugrad and Marc D'Amico discuss a rare poor performance during the fourth quarter by the C...
5 hours ago
The Celtics struggled to generate any momentum in the fourth quarter and fell to the Knicks, 117-...
8 hours ago
Key Moment Simply put, the Knicks made the plays that they needed in order to win...
9 hours ago
| Boston |
Which Disney film had the theme tune A Whole New World? | Celtics come ready to pitch Kevin Durant with … Tom Brady? - The Washington Post
Celtics come ready to pitch Kevin Durant with … Tom Brady?
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By Marissa Payne By Marissa Payne July 2, 2016 Follow @marissapayne
(Chalres Krupa/Reuters/LM Otero/AP)
The Boston Celtics are pulling out all the stops as the team attempts to woo Kevin Durant. On Saturday, the team seemingly brought New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to the Hamptons in New York, where the Celtics are presenting their case to the NBA prized free agent.
Tom Brady heading to KD meeting as part of Celtics recruitment team (via @RCH1I1 ) pic.twitter.com/eQstsmy946
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 2, 2016
Predictably, some lost their minds about it — including one particularly high-profile Boston fan.
TOM BRADY MIGHT BE AT THE DURANT MEETING AND I HAVE LOST THE ABILITY TO BREATHE AND BLINK SEND HELP NOW
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) July 2, 2016
TOM BRADY: [bats his beautiful eyelashes]
KEVIN DURANT: i will play basketball for free.
— Ethan Booker (@Ethan_Booker) July 2, 2016
While Durant has said nice things about Brady in the past…
Man Tom Brady is like a perfect QB…seems like he never makes any mistakes
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) September 12, 2011
It’s unclear whether the technique will work. Many people are skeptical. After all, Durant was born and raised in Washington area, not to mention he’s a Nike guy who once designed a pair of sneakers in burgundy and gold, the very same colors worn by the Redskins.
KD is a Redskins fan. Die Hard. He doesn't want anything to do with Tom Brady.
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What does MG sand for in Booker T & The MG's? | Booker T & The MGs | Rolling Stone
artists > B > Booker T & The MGs > Bio
Booker T & The MGs Bio
The Memphis-based quartet Booker T. & the MG's is one of the most important studio bands in the history of American popular music. On their own, the MG's are best known for their 1962 instrumental hit "Green Onions" (Number Three, Pop, Number One, R&B), but the group is remembered more today for its work as the house band at Stax Records, where they played behind a string of hits by heavyweight soul acts including Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Sam & Dave and the Staple Singers.
The band formed by accident one day in 1962, when seventeen-year-old keyboard player Booker T. Jones was in a Memphis studio waiting for rockabilly singer Billy Lee Riley to arrive to a recording session. He and drummer Al Jackson, bassist Lewie Steinberg and guitarist Steve Cropper began jamming on the melody that would become "Green Onions." Stax Records president Jim Stewart liked the tune so much he decided to record it and put it out as a single. The band needed a name, so Jackson suggested the MG's, for the popular early-sixties sports car. Eventually, MG's came to stand for Memphis Group. The style of the song — a bouncy, organ-driven R&B melody with blasts of trebly, country-rock guitar over a swinging, laid-back bass-and-drums groove — became the signature musical foundation for Southern soul.
Jones had been working as a session man for Stax since 1960. Cropper was a one-time member of the Mar-Keys, a band known for its proto-MG's instrumental hit "Last Night." Jackson was a veteran of the Memphis jazz scene. After two albums with the MG's — 1962's Green Onions and 1965's Soul Dressing — Steinberg was replaced by another former Mar-Keys member, bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn. The MG's were prolific throughout Sixties, recording their own albums in addition to their work as the Stax house band. Their string of hits include "Boot-leg" (Number Ten R&B, Number 58 pop, 1965), "Groovin'" (Number Ten R&B, Number 21, Pop, 1967), "Hip Hug-Her" (Number Six R&B, Number 37, Pop, 1967), "Soul Limbo" (Number 17 Pop, 1968), Hang 'Em High" (Number Nine Pop, Number 35 R&B, 1969) and "Time is Tight" (Number Six Pop, Number Seven R&B, 1969). Although mostly known for their hip singles, the MG's stretched out on the ambitious McLemore Avenue (#19 R&B, 1970), the band's funky, instrumental version of the Beatles' Abbey Road in its entirety.
As important as their music, Booker T. & the MG's — two black members and two white members — became a symbol of racial integration in the South during the civil rights years. As the individual members began getting session work in other cities, they had less and less time for their work as the MG's, and the group called it quits in 1971. Their final album, released that year, was the aptly named Melting Pot. In 1975, the band had begun work on a reunion album when Al Jackson was shot and killed by a burglar at his home in Memphis. Three years later, Cropper and Dunn backed the Blues Brothers — Saturday Night Live's John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd's semi-serious send-up of an R&B band — for the Number One album Briefcase Full of Blues, which included a cover of the Sam & Dave hit "Soul Man" that reached Number 14 on the Pop chart. The project was so popular that Cropper and Dunn worked with Belushi and Aykroyd on a 1980 film of the same name.
The two also continued their work as session musicians. Cropper worked with artists ranging from Rod Stewart and Dolly Parton to southern power pop pioneers Big Star and The Band's drummer Levon Helm. Dunn recorded with Helm, Peter Frampton, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan and others. Jones released four solo albums and played on sessions with the likes of Dylan, Willie Nelson, Rodney Crowell, Carlos Santana and John Lee Hooker.
In 1986, Atlantic Records co-owner Jerry Wexler asked the MG's to reform for the company's fortieth anniversary. Jones was unable to attend because he fell ill, but the show, with a replacement keyboardist, went on. It inspired with group to reform, along with Jones, for other dates including a 1992 concert commemorating Bob Dylan's thirtieth anniversary in the music business. For that show, the group backed a string of artists ranging from Dylan, Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton and Stevie Wonder to Eddie Vedder.
That same year, Booker T. & the MG's were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. When the Hall opened its doors in Cleveland three years later, the MG's backed featured attendees Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Sam Moore of Sam & Dave and Creedence Clearwater Revival's John Fogerty. In 1994, the group — with drummers Steve Jordan and James Gadson filling Jackson's shoes — followed all the recent activity with an album of new material, That's the Way It Should Be, on Columbia Records. Since then, the members have continued to work as session players. In 1998, Cropper and Dunn reprised their roles in the movie Blues Brothers 2000. In 2007, Booker T. & the MG's received the Grammys' Lifetime Achievement Award.
| Memphis Group |
Florence Ballard was a member of which girl group? | Booker T & The MGs | Rolling Stone
artists > B > Booker T & The MGs > Bio
Booker T & The MGs Bio
The Memphis-based quartet Booker T. & the MG's is one of the most important studio bands in the history of American popular music. On their own, the MG's are best known for their 1962 instrumental hit "Green Onions" (Number Three, Pop, Number One, R&B), but the group is remembered more today for its work as the house band at Stax Records, where they played behind a string of hits by heavyweight soul acts including Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Sam & Dave and the Staple Singers.
The band formed by accident one day in 1962, when seventeen-year-old keyboard player Booker T. Jones was in a Memphis studio waiting for rockabilly singer Billy Lee Riley to arrive to a recording session. He and drummer Al Jackson, bassist Lewie Steinberg and guitarist Steve Cropper began jamming on the melody that would become "Green Onions." Stax Records president Jim Stewart liked the tune so much he decided to record it and put it out as a single. The band needed a name, so Jackson suggested the MG's, for the popular early-sixties sports car. Eventually, MG's came to stand for Memphis Group. The style of the song — a bouncy, organ-driven R&B melody with blasts of trebly, country-rock guitar over a swinging, laid-back bass-and-drums groove — became the signature musical foundation for Southern soul.
Jones had been working as a session man for Stax since 1960. Cropper was a one-time member of the Mar-Keys, a band known for its proto-MG's instrumental hit "Last Night." Jackson was a veteran of the Memphis jazz scene. After two albums with the MG's — 1962's Green Onions and 1965's Soul Dressing — Steinberg was replaced by another former Mar-Keys member, bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn. The MG's were prolific throughout Sixties, recording their own albums in addition to their work as the Stax house band. Their string of hits include "Boot-leg" (Number Ten R&B, Number 58 pop, 1965), "Groovin'" (Number Ten R&B, Number 21, Pop, 1967), "Hip Hug-Her" (Number Six R&B, Number 37, Pop, 1967), "Soul Limbo" (Number 17 Pop, 1968), Hang 'Em High" (Number Nine Pop, Number 35 R&B, 1969) and "Time is Tight" (Number Six Pop, Number Seven R&B, 1969). Although mostly known for their hip singles, the MG's stretched out on the ambitious McLemore Avenue (#19 R&B, 1970), the band's funky, instrumental version of the Beatles' Abbey Road in its entirety.
As important as their music, Booker T. & the MG's — two black members and two white members — became a symbol of racial integration in the South during the civil rights years. As the individual members began getting session work in other cities, they had less and less time for their work as the MG's, and the group called it quits in 1971. Their final album, released that year, was the aptly named Melting Pot. In 1975, the band had begun work on a reunion album when Al Jackson was shot and killed by a burglar at his home in Memphis. Three years later, Cropper and Dunn backed the Blues Brothers — Saturday Night Live's John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd's semi-serious send-up of an R&B band — for the Number One album Briefcase Full of Blues, which included a cover of the Sam & Dave hit "Soul Man" that reached Number 14 on the Pop chart. The project was so popular that Cropper and Dunn worked with Belushi and Aykroyd on a 1980 film of the same name.
The two also continued their work as session musicians. Cropper worked with artists ranging from Rod Stewart and Dolly Parton to southern power pop pioneers Big Star and The Band's drummer Levon Helm. Dunn recorded with Helm, Peter Frampton, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan and others. Jones released four solo albums and played on sessions with the likes of Dylan, Willie Nelson, Rodney Crowell, Carlos Santana and John Lee Hooker.
In 1986, Atlantic Records co-owner Jerry Wexler asked the MG's to reform for the company's fortieth anniversary. Jones was unable to attend because he fell ill, but the show, with a replacement keyboardist, went on. It inspired with group to reform, along with Jones, for other dates including a 1992 concert commemorating Bob Dylan's thirtieth anniversary in the music business. For that show, the group backed a string of artists ranging from Dylan, Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton and Stevie Wonder to Eddie Vedder.
That same year, Booker T. & the MG's were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. When the Hall opened its doors in Cleveland three years later, the MG's backed featured attendees Aretha Franklin, Al Green, Sam Moore of Sam & Dave and Creedence Clearwater Revival's John Fogerty. In 1994, the group — with drummers Steve Jordan and James Gadson filling Jackson's shoes — followed all the recent activity with an album of new material, That's the Way It Should Be, on Columbia Records. Since then, the members have continued to work as session players. In 1998, Cropper and Dunn reprised their roles in the movie Blues Brothers 2000. In 2007, Booker T. & the MG's received the Grammys' Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Who was born first, Susan Sarandon or Glenn Close? | What Susan Sarandon said about Trump was out of this world - The Washington Post
What Susan Sarandon said about Trump was out of this world
The inside track on Washington politics.
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By Jonathan Capehart By Jonathan Capehart March 29, 2016 Follow @capehartj
Susan Sarandon watches Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) speak at an event in Iowa on Jan. 27. (Chris Carlson/Associated Press)
MSNBC’s Chris Hayes interviewed actress Susan Sarandon on Monday and right now I. Can’t. Even.
The surrogate for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) told Hayes, “I don’t know. I’m going to see what happens” when he asked whether she would vote for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump. Not committing to voting for Clinton wasn’t terribly shocking. Sarandon had spent a considerable amount of time knocking the former secretary of state’s record. But what she said about Trump was out of this world.
HAYES: Right, but isn’t the question always in an election about choices, right. I mean, I think a lot of people think to themselves well if it’s Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, and I think Bernie Sanders probably would think this…
SARANDON: I think Bernie probably would encourage people because he doesn’t have any ego. I think a lot of people are sorry, I can’t bring myself to do that.
HAYES: How about you personally?
SARANDON: I don’t know. I’m going to see what happens.
HAYES: Really?
SARANDON: Really.
HAYES: I cannot believe as you’re watching the, if Donald Trump…
SARANDON: Some people feel Donald Trump will bring the revolution immediately if he gets in then things will really, you know explode.
When Hayes asked Sarandon if she didn’t think that argument was “dangerous,” she said, “The status quo is not working, and I think it’s dangerous to think that we can continue the way we are with the militarized police force, with privatized prisons, with the death penalty, with the low minimum wage, with threats to women’s rights and think that you can’t do something huge to turn that around.”
[ Time to take our country back — from Donald Trump ]
Actress Susan Sarandon spoke at a rally for Bernie Sanders in Mason City, Iowa, Jan. 27. (Bernie Sanders)
Let me state clearly that the passion with which Sarandon campaigns for Sanders is something we need more of in American politics. If more were as engaged and active as she is, our ongoing national discussion of the issues would be as dynamic as they would be thrilling. But the Academy Award-winning actress displayed the downside of such fervent participation: the inability or unwillingness of too many to see that their insistence on political purity could lead to calamity.
This is not Sarandon’s first time making the perfect the enemy of the good. In the 2000 presidential campaign, when misguided progressives believed that a vote for Vice President Al Gore was the same as voting for then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush, she was an active supporter of Ralph Nader. And we all know how that turned out.
Ralph Nader in 2000. (Lucian Perkins/The Washington Post)
[ A warning to warring Democrats in the Clinton-Sanders race ]
It defies logic that a progressive would find anything redeeming about the Trump candidacy. Sure, the Republican presidential front-runner “will bring the revolution immediately” if, God help us, he’s elected. But that revolution would be fueled by a campaign that thrived on racism, xenophobia and misogyny. And, as far as we know, that revolution would involve deporting 11 million undocumented immigrants, restricting all Muslims from entering the United States and alternately treating women like pretty prized possessions or objects of ridicule.
Clinton is not perfect. We all know it. And she would be the first to admit it. But it is monumentally insane to argue that a Trump in the White House would be preferable to a Clinton in the Oval Office. The Manhattan billionaire’s meeting with The Post’s editorial board and interview with the New York Times last week should disabuse anyone of that flawed logic. Even Michael Hayden, former head of the CIA and no fan of Clinton, told Glenn Thursh of Politico that he prefers her to Trump.
[ A transcript of Donald Trump’s meeting with The Washington Post’s editorial board ]
If Sarandon truly cares about all the things she says she cares about, not only will she actively campaign against Trump but she will also vote for Clinton. At a minimum, to not do the latter is tantamount to casting a vote for the former. And that cannot possibly happen.
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| Susan Sarandon |
Who wrote the novel The Go Between? | The famous faces of Maine | BDN Maine | Bangor Daily News
The famous faces of Maine
By Emily Burnham , BDN Staff
Jan. 06, 2012, at 2:42 p.m.
We all know why Maine is a great place to live, with its natural beauty, quiet lifestyle and friendly folk. Naturally, some very famous people have, over the years, been drawn to the Pine Tree State’s charms — and some very famous people have come out of the state itself. Some you probably already know about, such as Martha Stewart and Stephen King. Others may come as a surprise. Here’s our as-complete-as-possible list of celebrities that were either born in Maine, still live in Maine or have come here to visit. If you know of any others, be sure to tell us. We’d love to add them to the list.
Actors
John Travolta and Kelly Preston, Islesboro: This Hollywood power couple has owned a house on the Knox County island for decades now.
Glenn Close, Scarborough: The five-time Academy Award nominee and star of “Damages” lives part of her summer in the Cumberland County town.
Willem Dafoe, Otisfield: The “Spider-Man” star owns a winter retreat on Thompson Lake in Oxford County; watch his turn in the ice fishing in Maine segment in the cult classic “Fishing With John.”
Bob, Chris and Abby Elliott, Harpswell: Former “Saturday Night Live” cast member and comedy writer Chris Elliott and his daughter Abby, also an SNL cast member, summer in Maine, along with Chris Elliott’s father, Bob, of the famous radio comedy duo Bob and Ray.
Stockard Channing, Georgetown: The star of everything from “Grease” to “The West Wing” summers in the Cumberland County town.
Genie Francis and Jonathan Frakes, Belfast: The couple — she known for her work on “General Hospital,” he as Commander Riker on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” — own a house and business in Belfast.
David Morse, Bar Harbor: Morse, who has starred in everything from “The Green Mile” and “12 Monkeys” to “House” and “Treme,” has summered in Bar Harbor for years.
Gunnar Hansen, Northeast Harbor: The man who played Leatherface in the 1970s horror classic “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” maintains a low profile in Northeast Harbor.
Patrick Dempsey, Harpswell: McDreamy from “Grey’s Anatomy” is a born and bred Mainer — born in Lewiston, grew up in Buckfield — who now has property in the picturesque Cumberland County town of Harpswell.
Kirstie Alley, Islesboro: Though it appears she has now sold her home, the star of “Cheers” owned a palatial estate on the Penobscot Bay island, along with her friends John Travolta and Kelly Preston.
Anna Kendrick, Portland: The 28-year-old Academy Award nominee for “Up in the Air” and star of the “Twilight” series was born and raised in Portland; her parents still live there.
Susan Sarandon, Bar Harbor: The Oscar winner has spent a number of summers on Mount Desert Island.
Judd Nelson, Portland: The Portland native and star of a number of John Hughes movies, including “The Breakfast Club” and “St. Elmo’s Fire,” most recently was invited to read stories at a Portland Symphony Orchestra event.
Linda Lavin, Portland: The star of television (including the 1970s series “Alice”) and Broadway was born and raised in Portland.
Anna Belknap, Damariscotta: The actress who plays Detective Lindsay Monroe on “CSI: NY” grew up in Damariscotta.
Liv Tyler, Portland: Though she was born in New York, Tyler grew up in Portland and attended Portland area schools as a youngster. Her mother, Bebe Buell, still lives there.
Andrea Martin, Portland: The American-Canadian comedian and star of “SCTV” and numerous Broadway shows was born in Portland.
Victoria Rowell, Portland: “The Young and the Restless” and “Diagnosis Murder” star was born in Portland.
Bob Marley, Portland: Maine’s favorite stand-up comedian was born in Falmouth and now lives in Portland.
Oliver Platt, North Haven: Platt has been seen in everything from “Frost/Nixon” to “X-Men: First Class,” as well as on “The West Wing,” and has summered on North Haven for years.
Rock Anthony, Presque Isle: This up-and-coming “Glee” actor grew up in Presque Isle.
Sally Struthers, Ogunquit: The star of “All In the Family” maintains a home in the southern Maine resort town of Ogunquit.
John O’Hurley, Kittery: J. Peterman on “Seinfeld” and a memorable competitor on “Dancing With Stars” is also a Kittery resident.
Kurt Russell, Rangeley: Kurt Russell, aka Snake Plisskin, has quietly owned a home in the western Maine mountains for a number of years.
Writers and artists
Stephen King, Bangor: The Queen City’s most famous resident is continually inspired by the city in his novels; let’s hope Bangor isn’t quite as terrifying as Derry.
David McCullough, Camden: Beloved Pulitzer Prize-winning American history biographer McCullough has long summered in Knox County.
Tess Gerritsen, Camden: Well-known as the mind behind the “Rizzoli and Isles” series of books (now with its own TV show), Gerritsen lives year-round in Camden.
Robert Indiana, Vinalhaven: The pop art icon has made a summer home on Vinalhaven for years.
Richard Russo, Camden: The Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Colby College professor now makes his home in Knox County.
Michael Chabon, Brooklin: Pulitzer Prize-winner Chabon, author of “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay,” and his wife, writer Ayelet Waldman, summer in the Hancock County town of Brooklin.
Jonathan Lethem, Berwick: Acclaimed author and MacArthur fellow Lethem, author of “Motherless Brooklyn,” lives in southern Maine part-time.
Lois Lowry, Portland: The author of “The Giver” and the Anastasia books attended the University of Southern Maine and still lives here.
Annie Proulx, Portland: The author of “The Shipping News” and “Brokeback Mountain” lives in Portland.
Angela Adams, Portland: Popular fashion and home designer, made famous by “Sex in the City,” has her signature store in Portland.
Kevin Eastman, Springvale: The creator of the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and comic book royalty, Eastman is from the York County town of Springvale.
John Cariani, Presque Isle: The author of the play “Almost, Maine” writes lovingly about his hometown of Presque Isle.
Mike Daisey, Fort Kent: Daisey’s one-man shows, including “The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs” and “21 Dog Years,” are highly acclaimed on the stage; he’s also a Fort Kent native.
Alex Katz, Lincolnville: Figurative and pop artist Katz splits his time between New York and Lincolnville.
Terry Goodkind, Mount Desert Island: The famed fantasy writer built his own home on Mount Desert Island before hitting it big with his first book “Wizard’s First Rule.”
Elizabeth Strout, Harpswell: Yet another Pulitzer Prize winner, Strout, author of “Olive Kittridge,” grew up in Maine and attended Bates College; she splits her time between Maine and New York.
Musicians
Win Butler, Mount Desert Island: Win Butler, lead singer for Grammy winners the Arcade Fire, spent summers on Mount Desert Island; the band’s video for “Rebellion (Lies)” was filmed there and his mother still lives there.
Ray Lamontagne, Wilton: One of Maine’s most famous musical sons lived in western Maine for a long time; he got his start playing at the Oddfellow Theatre in Buckfield. He now lives in western Massachusetts.
Nick Noonan, Old Town: The up-and-coming pop duo Karmin features Old Town native Nick Noonan.
Patty Griffin, Old Town: The acclaimed songwriter and Robert Plant collaborator grew up in Old Town.
John Fishman, Lincolnville: The drummer for jam band legend Phish lives the quiet life in midcoast Maine.
Noel Paul Stookey, Blue Hill: The “Paul” of Peter, Paul and Mary has been a part of the Blue Hill community for decades.
Jonathan Edwards, Cape Elizabeth: The “Sunshine” singer has lived and performed throughout Maine for many years.
Don McLean, Camden: You know him as the man behind “American Pie,” but he’s also lived in Camden year-round for a very long time.
Darryl Hall, Kittery: We can totally go for the fact that Darryl Hall of Hall & Oates owns a beautiful 17th century home in Kittery.
Howie Day, Brewer: A native son of Brewer, the “Collide” singer’s family runs Nicky’s Cruisin’ Diner in Bangor.
Kara DioGuardi, Prospect Harbor: The songwriter, music business power player and former “American Idol” judge lives part-time with her husband in the Hancock County town where they met while she was on vacation.
Juliana Hatfield, Wiscasset: The ’90s singer-songwriter was born in coastal Maine.
Bob Ludwig, Portland: The mastermind behind Gateway Mastering cleans up albums from the likes of Bruce Springsteen, U2 and many more from his Portland studio.
Chuck Winfield, Augusta: This former member of Blood, Sweat and Tears teaches jazz at the University of Maine at Augusta.
Adam Gardner, Portland: The lead guitarist for Guster lives in Portland, where he runs his ecofriendly touring company, Reverb.
Vince Clarke, Damariscotta: Clarke, a member of ’80s new wave bands Yaz and Erasure, makes his home in the Lincoln County town.
Ellis Paul, Presque Isle: The singer-songwriter went to Presque Isle High School, where he ran cross country.
David Mallett, Sebec: The “Garden Song” writer has lived in central Maine for decades; his sons Will and Luke are in the Mallett Brothers Band.
Reality television stars
Bob Crowley, South Portland: The winner of “Survivor: Gabon” lives in South Portland and taught high school science in nearby Gorham.
“Timber” Tina Scheer, Ellsworth: The timber sports champion was on “Survivor: Panama” in 2005, and now runs the Great Maine Lumberjack Show in Ellsworth.
Ashley Hebert, Madawaska: Hebert, a St. John Valley native, was on the 2011 season of “The Bachelorette,” and plans to wed her suitor, J.D. Rosenbaum.
Ashley Underwood, Benton: The former Miss Maine and University of Maine basketball player came in second place on “Survivor: Redemption Island.”
Producers, politicians and moguls
Martha Stewart, Seal Harbor: The domestic goddess’ second home is in Seal Harbor, in a beautiful, well-kept estate.
Justice John Roberts, St. George: Justice Roberts has a home on an island in the Lincoln County town of St. George.
David E. Kelley, Waterville: The producer of everything from “Ally McBeal” to “Boston Legal” grew up in Waterville; he is married to Michelle Pfeiffer.
George and Barbara Bush, Kennebunkport: The 41st president of the United States has summered in Kennebunkport for decades.
JJ Abrams, Camden: Abrams, producer of “Lost” and “24” and director of “Super 8,” has a home in Camden with his family; his wife, Katie McGrath, is from Brewer.
Zbigniew Brzezinski, Northeast Harbor: The foreign policy adviser, who has served under President Carter and advised other U.S. presidents, maintains a home on the island. His daughter is MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” co-anchor Mika Brizienski,
Neil Clark Warren, Kennebunkport: The co-founder of dating website eHarmony lives in Kennebunkport.
F. Lee Bailey, Yarmouth: Star lawyer F. Lee Bailey lives in Yarmouth and engages in a number of speaking appearances throughout the state.
Joan Lundun, Naples: This journalist and author runs a women’s fitness and lifestyle camp in Naples called Camp Reveille.
Athletes
Joan Benoit Samuelson, Cape Elizabeth: This women’s marathon running Olympic gold medalist lives in Cape Elizabeth, and held the record in the women’s division at the Boston Marathon for 28 years.
Seth Wescott, Carrabassett Valley: This two-time snowcross snowboarding Olympic champion lives and trains at Sugarloaf.
Ian Crocker, Portland: This Portland native has won three gold, two silver and one bronze medal at the Olympics, for swimming.
Marcus Davis, Houlton: This Ultimate Fighting Championship star, the “Irish Hand Grenade,” is a hero in his home state of Maine.
Mike Bordick, Winterport: This baseball shortshop was most famous for playing for the Oakland Athletics and Baltimore Orioles, where he replaced legend Cal Ripkin.
CORRECTION:
An earlier version of this story contained errors. The town of Harpswell is located in Cumberland County, not Lincoln County. John O’Hurley’s character on “Seinfeld” was named J. Peterman, not J. Peterson.
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In which musical do the sweeps sing Chim Chim Cheree? | Chim Chim Cheree Mary Poppins MagicChimneySweep.com - YouTube
Chim Chim Cheree Mary Poppins MagicChimneySweep.com
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Published on Dec 14, 2013
http://magicchimneysweep.com/ Great song! If you live in the NW Georgia area, we want to be YOUR Chimney Sweep. Just $99 for most chimneys!
Category
| Mary Poppins |
Who had a big 60s No 1 with Tossin' and Turnin'? | Mary Poppins - Chim Chimney [AMV] - YouTube
Mary Poppins - Chim Chimney [AMV]
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Uploaded on Feb 2, 2008
AMV About Mary Poppins.
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Sam Phillips was owner of which legendary recording studio? | About | Sam Phillips Recording
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Sam Phillips is not just one of the most important producers in rock history, he is also one of the most important figures in 20th-century American culture. As owner and founder of his Memphis Recording Service Studio and Sun Record Company, he was the vital creative innovator at the epicenter of establishing rock n’ roll as the fresh, new, global music of the 20th-century era. He produced, recorded, inspired and launched the careers of the artists that originally defined this new musical sound…Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Charlie Rich, B.B. King, Ike Turner, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Milton, Rufus Thomas, and so many more. Sam first made his mark (and a very deep one) with electric rhythm and blues by African American black performers. He will always be remembered for all of the music he created, but probably most remembered for his difference-making rock n’ roll artists, particularly Elvis Presley.
After successfully outgrowing his Memphis Recording Service/ Sun Studio, Phillips opened Sam Phillips Recording service in 1960.
1960 Local Newspaper Memphis Press-Scimitar Writes:
Sam Phillips, who made $2 million in the record business without a desk, finally has one-and a new three quarters of a million dollar studios to go with it. As he leans back in an upholstered arm chair as white and billowy as the heavenly chariot, the white Formica top of the walnut desk slashes across in front of him like the wing of a jet. His left hand rests on the colorfully buttoned control panel of the huge stereophonic hi-fi- a juke box that requires no dimes-which sits at the other end of the office. “This is a little Cape Canaveral of the recording business,” he says, his eye taking in the two floors of studios, control rooms, mastering rooms, mailing rooms and offices which lie beneath the penthouse executive offices. “Woodshed recordings have had it. You’ve got to have the latitude today- all the electronic devices, built in high and low frequency equalization and attenuation, echoes, channel-splitting facilities, and metering on everything.
“Each section of the building is structurally isolated from the rest, and there are exact humidity controls for the studios, control rooms, editing and mastering rooms. Everything that has gone into this building”, Phillips continued, “has been custom built which is why it has taken us two and a half years to get it finished. We have built for the future. We are fully equipped to perform the finest recording techniques now, and we are prepared for any new innovation that may come along. In our experience, and in the opinions of many professional people who have already visited our new studio, we have one of the best equipped and most versatile recording studios, not just in the South or even in the nation, but in the world.”
Formerly the Midas Muffler shop, the building at 639 Madison was stripped to it’s shell and completely rebuilt. William W. Bond Jr. was the architect and Denise Howard, of Decor by Denise, assisted in design phases of the front, and designed the mobile of brightly colored disks which keynotes it. She also handled interior designing and furnishing, including such luxury features such as an employees lounge, executive bar, and the roof top sun deck which, with potted plants and redwood fencing, provides an atmosphere of outdoor living, visible through the windows of the penthouse executive offices.
Over the years Sam Phillips Recording has recorded these artists:
Jerry Lee Lewis
| Sun |
Which actor played Maxwell Smart? | Elvis Presley | Sun Record Company
Official Website
Biography
Elvis Aaron Presley, in the humblest of circumstances, was born to Vernon and Gladys Presley in a two-room house in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8, 1935. His twin brother, Jessie Garon, was stillborn, leaving Elvis to grow up as an only child. He and his parents moved to Memphis , Tennessee in 1948, and Elvis graduated from Humes High School there in 1953.
Elvis’ musical influences were the pop and country music of the time, the gospel music he heard in church and at the all-night gospel sings he frequently attended, and the black R&B he absorbed on historic Beale Street as a Memphis teenager. In 1954, he began his singing career with the legendary Sun Records label in Memphis. In late 1955, his recording contract was sold to RCA Victor. By 1956, he was an international sensation. With a sound and style that uniquely combined his diverse musical influences and blurred and challenged the social and racial barriers of the time, he ushered in a whole new era of American music and popular culture.
He starred in 33 successful films, made history with his television appearances and specials, and knew great acclaim through his many, often record-breaking, live concert performances on tour and in Las Vegas. Globally, he has sold over one billion records, more than any other artist. His American sales have earned him gold, platinum or multi-platinum awards for 150 different albums and singles, far more than any other artist. Among his many awards and accolades were 14 Grammy nominations (3 wins) from the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, which he received at age 36, and his being named One of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Nation for 1970 by the United States Jaycees. Without any of the special privileges his celebrity status might have afforded him, he honorably served his country in the U.S. Army.
His talent, good looks, sensuality, charisma, and good humor endeared him to millions, as did the humility and human kindness he demonstrated throughout his life. Known the world over by his first name, he is regarded as one of the most important figures of twentieth century popular culture. Elvis died at his Memphis home, Graceland, on August 16, 1977.
June 3, 1953
Elvis graduates from Humes High School.
1953
Elvis works at Parker Machinists Shop right after graduation. That summer he drops by The Memphis Recording Service, home of the Sun label and makes a demo acetate of “My Happiness” and “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin” for a cost of about $4.00. (The studio came to be known as Sun Studio though never officially named that until the 1980s. For simplicity this text uses the name Sun Studio.) The studio owner isn’t in, so his assistant, Marion Keisker handles the session. Elvis wants to see what his voice sounds like on a record and he has aspirations to become a professional singer. He takes the acetate home, and reportedly gives it to his mother as a much-belated extra birthday present. By the fall, he is working at Precision Tool Company, and soon changes jobs again, going to work for Crown Electric Company. At Crown, he does various jobs, including driving a delivery truck. He also goes to night school and studies to be an electrician.
January, 1954
Elvis makes another demo acetate at Sun. Sam Phillips, the owner, is in this time and, like Marion Keisker, is intrigued by this unusual looking and sounding young man.
Summer 1954
At Marion Keisker’s suggestion, Sam Phillips calls Elvis into the studio to try singing a song Sam hopes to put out on record. The song is “Without You” and Elvis does not sing it to Sam’s satisfaction. Sam asks Elvis what he can sing, and Elvis runs through a number of popular tunes. Sam is impressed enough to team Elvis up with local musicians Scotty Moore (guitar) and Bill Black (bass) to see if they, together, can come up with something worthwhile. Nothing really clicks until July 5, when after a tedious session, Elvis and the guys break into a sped-up version of Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup’s “That’s All Right.” This song, backed with Blue Moon of Kentucky becomes the first of five singles Elvis will release on the Sun label. Elvis, Scotty, and Bill start performing together, with Scotty acting as the group’s manager. Elvis continues to work at Crown Electric as the group starts to play small clubs and other small time gigs locally and throughout the South, enjoying moderate success with the records and personal appearances. Elvis’ one appearance on the Grand Ole Opry doesn’t go over particularly well, with one of the Opry officials reportedly suggesting that Elvis go back to driving a truck. The Opry is very important at this time. This is a painful disappointment in Elvis’ early career.
Elvis, Scotty, and Bill continue to record and to travel.
October 16, 1954
They appear for the first time on the Louisiana Hayride, a live Saturday night country music radio show originating in Shreveport, Louisiana, broadcast over KWKH Radio. The show is the Grand Ole Opry’s chief competitor, carried by 190 stations in thirteen states. This leads to regular appearances on the Hayride and, in November, Elvis signs a one-year contract for fifty-two Saturday night appearances. This is a great break, but as Elvis’ popularity grows, his commitment to the Hayride prevents him from traveling much outside the South to further his career on a larger scale. During Elvis’ association with the Hayride he meets “Colonel” Tom Parker, a promoter and manager connected with various acts, and connected with the Louisiana Hayride. Parker is also the manager for country star, Hank Snow. A previous Parker client is country star Eddy Arnold.
January 1955
Elvis signs a contract with Bob Neal, who becomes his manager.
1955
Elvis, Scotty, and Bill continue touring on their own and in package shows with various country stars, including package tours of artists from the Hayride. Colonel Parker is involved. This includes touring with Hank Snow. The regular Hayride appearances continue. Drummer D.J. Fontana joins Elvis’ band. In the spring, Elvis fails to be accepted on Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts, a network television show. As always, Elvis’ live appearances have special appeal for the teenagers, especially the females. His unusual style, sexy moves, and good looks start to cause more and more excitement wherever he plays. Sometimes the crowds break through the barricades in near-riot behavior. Elvis gains more and more popularity and begins to receive national attention. Colonel Parker becomes more involved in Elvis’ career.
August 15, 1955
Elvis signs a management contract with Hank Snow Attractions, which is owned equally by Snow and Colonel Tom Parker. Bob Neal remains involved as an adviser. Colonel Parker is to be Elvis’ exclusive manager from this time on, and Snow is soon no longer connected to Elvis.
November 20, 1955
Elvis signs his first contract with RCA Records. Colonel Parker negotiates the sale of Elvis’ Sun contract to RCA, which includes his five Sun singles and his unreleased Sun material. The price is an unprecedented $40,000, with a $5,000 bonus for Elvis. RCA soon re-releases the five Sun singles on the RCA label. At the same time Elvis signs a contract with Hill and Range Publishing Company, which is to set up a separate firm called Elvis Presley Music, Inc. Elvis will share with Hill and Range the publishing ownership of songs bought by Hill and Range for him to record.
Elvis is the hottest new star in the music business.
[Used with Premission – Source: Elvis.com ]
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On a computer keyboard which letter on the same line is between C and B? | How to Use Keyboard Shortcuts to Make Your Life Easier | Senior Planet
How to Use Keyboard Shortcuts to Make Your Life Easier
09/30/2013
13 comments
Looking for computer help? Every week, our Tekspert answers one question about digital technology. Computers, tablets, phones, cameras…
What do you do when you want to print something on your computer or close out of an application? How about when you need to copy and paste? If you use your cursor and the drop-down menu at the top of your screen, then I’ve got good news for you: There’s an easier way.
Whether you are using a PC or a Mac, your computer has built-in keyboard shortcuts for a number of actions. You can even use a keyboard shortcut to undo a mistake you just made, or to scroll up or down a webpage. Using keyboard shortcuts is much faster, because your hands aren’t going back and forth between your mouse or trackpad and your keyboard, and they make your life easier. If you’re having any pain in your hands, using the keyboard instead of the mouse when possible can save exacerbating it.
While you’re learning these shortcuts, you might have to reference this list. Use the black “Print” button at the top of the page to bring up a printable version so you can keep it handy.
General Shortcuts
Wherever you see the “+” sign below, depress both keys at once. In other words, in where you see “Control + F” depress the “Control” key and the “F” key at the same time.
Log In or say “Okay” You don’t always have to use your cursor to click the “log in” or “sign in” button after you’ve entered your password. Instead you can just hit the “Enter” key on your PC or your or “Return” key on your Mac. The same thing goes for the “okay” button; just hit “Enter” or “Return.”
Find a word or phrase When you want to quickly locate a particular word or phrase in a large amount of text, whether in a document, in an email or on a webpage, just hit these keys:
PC Control + F
Mac ⌘Command + F
A small search bar will appear near the top right or bottom left of your screen, where you can type the word or phrase you’re looking for. Then hit the “Enter” or “Return” key to have your computer conduct the search.
Scroll up, down or sideways Instead of using your cursor on the scroll bar, you can use the arrow keys on your keyboard. The “up” arrow scrolls up, the “down” arrow scrolls down, and the left and right arrow will scroll horizontally if you happen to be a web page that’s wider than your computer screen.
Print This shortcut works both in word processing applications like Microsoft Word and in web browsers like Safari or Internet Explorer. You can also use this shortcut if you need to print an email confirmation (like a receipt or a ticket for an event.) While this shortcut is handy, if you’re printing something from the web, first look for a little printer icon on the webpage you want to print. This will provide you a printer-friendly version that’s easier to read on paper.
PC Control + P
Mac ⌘Command + P
Undo your mistake Made a mistake? Did you accidentally delete something or did a document you were working on suddenly go blank? Don’t panic! That’s what the undo shortcut is for. Hit these keys and see the magic.
PC Control + Z
Mac ⌘Command + Z
Redo what you undid This is the opposite of undo; you can also easily redo your last action.
PC Control + Y
Mac shift + ⌘Command + Z
Quit When you’re finished browsing the web or working in an application, you can quickly close the program with this shortcut. Just make sure you are actually in the application you want to close. Look at the top left of your computer screen to see which application you are in at the moment.
PC Control + F4
Mac ⌘Command + Q
Reveal your desktop Sometimes, when you have one or more windows open, you need to look at your desktop; to do that without closing or minimizing your windows, use this shortcut.
PC Window + D or Window + M. Then use Window + Shift + M to bring back the windows that were open.
Mac F11. Then press F11 again to bring back all the windows.
Copying and Pasting
Once you’re a pro at copying and pasting ( click here to read our Tech Tip on how to copy and paste text), you can move even faster with these keyboard shortcuts.
Select all Instead of dragging your cursor to select all the text on a page, you can quickly highlight that text with a keyboard shortcut.
PC Control + A
Mac ⌘Command + A
Copy Highlight text that’s in an email or a Microsoft Word document, or highlight the URL in your web browser; then use this shortcut to copy it.
PC Control + C
Mac ⌘Command + C
Paste Once you’ve copied text, use this keyboard shortcut to paste it where you want it to go.
PC Control + V
Browser Specific Shortcuts
You probably spend a lot of time online, so use these keyboard shortcuts to get around on the Internet more quickly.
Go back to a previous webpage Instead of hitting the browser back button to return to the page you were just on, you can simply hit the backspace or delete key on your keyboard.
PC Backspace
Mac Delete
Close a browser window (without quitting the application) If you’d like to close one window or webpage, but still want keep your browser open, use this shortcut.
PC Control + W
Mac ⌘Command + W
Open a new window To open a new browser window so you can go to a new webpage, use this shortcut.
PC Control + N
Mac ⌘Command + N
Open a new tab Instead of opening a new window, you might want to open a new tab when you want to go to a new webpage. You can easily toggle between tabs at the top of your browser window to move between different webpages.
PC Control + T
Mac ⌘Command + T
These basics are a great starting point. If you’d like to learn about other shortcuts, check out a more in-depth list of keyboard shortcuts for Windows by clicking here and keyboard shortcuts for Mac here . This table of keyboard shortcuts is also helpful.
Got a question? Ask it in the comments box below, or email it to editor@seniorplanet.com
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Lunar 10's Lunar Excursion Module was named after which famous character? | HP PCs - Using Keyboard Shortcuts and Special Keys (Windows 10, 8, 7) | HP® Customer Support
HP PCs - Using Keyboard Shortcuts and Special Keys (Windows 10, 8, 7)
This document pertains to HP products with a Microsoft Windows operating system.
Enhance your efficiency in Windows by memorizing and using keyboard shortcuts to perform routine tasks.
The typical keyboard includes the following keys:
Figure : A typical English keyboard layout (your keyboard might look different)
Number
Activates/deactivates the Caps Lock feature.
2
Activates/deactivates the Scroll Lock feature.
3
Activates/deactivates the Num Lock feature.
4
Ctrl key
Use in combination with another key; its function depends on the application software you are using.
5
Windows key
*
Opens the Start menu in Microsoft Windows. Use in combination with other keys to perform other functions.
6
Alt key
Use in combination with another key; its function depends on the application software you are using.
7
Application key*
Similar to the right mouse button, opens pop-up menus in a Microsoft Office application. May perform other functions in other software applications.
8
Includes the following: Insert, Home, Page Up, Delete, End, and Page Down.
Hold Ctrl and Alt while pressing Delete to restart the computer.
*Available in select geographic regions.
Additional keys often found on your keyboard
Name
Fn
Lower left between Ctrl and Alt
Used in combination with another key; its function depends on the application software you are using.
The Fn key often has colored letters or a box around the letters. Use the Fn key with other, similarly identified, keys.
Esc
Top row on the left side. Left of the F1 through F12 keys
Cancels or aborts the current operation.
Prt Scr
Top row on the right side. Right of the F1 through F12 keys
Sends a current image of the screen to the computer clipboard.
Insert
Top row on the right side. Right of the F1 through F12 keys
Activates/deactivates text insertion without overwriting previous text.
Pause/Break
Top row on the right side. Right of the F1 through F12 keys
Pauses the program or restarts a paused program.
There are several special keys along the top row of the keyboard. The F1 through F12 keys have different functions depending on whether you are on the Windows desktop or within an application.
note:
The F1 through F12 keys have no function while on the Windows 8 Start screen.
The following table explains the keys and their use:
Name
Windows 10, 8, and 7 Desktop feature or function
Application feature or function
+ F1 opens Windows Help screen
In applications, opens application specific Help window.
F2
In Microsoft Word, Ctrl + F2 shows print options. Ctrl + Alt + F2 opens the Document window.
F3
In applications, opens application specific search window.
In Microsoft Word, Shift + F3 toggles between uppercase and lowercase letters in the highlighted section.
In Microsoft Outlook,
+ F3 opens advanced search options.
F4
Alt + F4 closes the active window.
In applications, Ctrl + F4 closes the open window within the active application.
F5
In Internet Browsers, refreshes the page.
In Microsoft Word, opens the Find, Replace, Go To window.
In PowerPoint, starts slideshow.
In Internet Browsers, highlights the contents of the address bar.
In Microsoft Word, toggles between open documents.
F7
In Microsoft applications, initiates spell check and grammar check.
F8
Used during Power on to access the Startup menu
None
In Microsoft Word, Alt + F9 toggles to show the addresses of hyperlinks.
F10
Shift + F10 performs a right-click on the selected item.
In applications, activates the menu bar.
F11
In Internet Browsers, enters full-screen mode.
F12
Many keyboards come with extra keys. The following table shows special key symbols and functions.
Symbol
Displays apps side by side for simultaneous viewing.
Switches between open apps.
Shows the commands available in an open Windows 10 or 8 app.
On some keyboards, you may need to press fn at the same time.
Lists recently used apps in Windows 10 or 8.
On some keyboards, you may need to press fn at the same time.
Begins, pauses, or resumes playback of audio or video discs.
Plays previous section or track of audio or video discs.
Stops playing audio or video discs.
Plays next section or track of audio or video discs.
In Windows 8, opens Search.
On some keyboards, you may need to press fn at the same time.
In Windows 8, opens Share charm to share pictures, files, or web pages.
On some keyboards, you may need to press fn at the same time.
In Windows 8, opens Device charm to set up printers and sync data with other devices.
On some keyboards, you may need to press fn at the same time.
In Windows 8, opens Settings charm to personalize the computer.
On some keyboards, you may need to press fn at the same time.
Copies selection to clipboard.
Puts the computer in sleep/suspend mode.
Opens help content.
Switches to another display mode when an external display is connected.
Enables or disables Wireless networking.
Locks the computer.
The following table lists keyboard shortcuts to use in Windows 7.
Keystroke
Opens Windows Explorer to My Computer.
Windows key
Searches for a file or folder.
Windows key
Opens the Run dialog box.
Windows key
+ Ctrl + Tab
Moves focus from Start, to the Quick Launch toolbar, to the system tray. Use right arrow or left arrow keys to select items on the Quick Launch toolbar or system tray.
Windows key
Views the System Properties dialog box.
Ctrl + Esc
Opens the Start menu. From here, use the arrow keys to select an item, or press Tab to select the taskbar, or press Shift+F10 for a context menu (equivalent to right-clicking the mouse).
Ctrl + Shift + Esc
Switches to the next child window of a Multiple Document Interface (MDI) program.
Alt + Esc
Switches between open items.
Alt + Tab
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| i don't know |
In which decade did golfer Gary Player last win the British Open? | Gary Player is still perfect fit for golf - LA Times
Gary Player is still perfect fit for golf
Gary Player
Chris Carlson / Associated Press
Gary Player is still limber enough to enjoy himself after making a birdie during the par-three tournament at the Masters last spring.
Gary Player is still limber enough to enjoy himself after making a birdie during the par-three tournament at the Masters last spring. (Chris Carlson / Associated Press)
Bill Dwyre
At 79, the nine-time major champion usually shoots better than his age
It was well beyond just a good day at Riviera on Thursday, and not just because the weather for the first round of the Northern Trust Open was Southern California perfect.
Gary Player was in the house.
There is nobody quite like him. Lunch with him is a four-course offering of golf, philosophy, passion and common sense. When they create the next one like him, they will need DNA from Tiger Woods , Billy Graham and Socrates.
South Africa remains his home, but Player still travels the world like he did when he was winning nine major titles. Also like he did when he added four more majors on the senior tour, making him the only one to complete Grand Slams on both tours.
Player is a jet-setting conglomerate. He makes appearances, advises businessmen, represents major golf companies such as Callaway and designs golf courses all over the world.
And he still plays. A lot.
Chris Dufresne
Retief Goosen and Vijay Singh, two carbon-based products from the PGA Tour 's Paleozoic era, were exhibited as a museum-piece pair for Thursday's first round of the Northern Trust Open.
They went out early off the fabled first tee at Riviera Country Club, in the 7:11 a.m. time slot.
Their ages added...
Retief Goosen and Vijay Singh, two carbon-based products from the PGA Tour 's Paleozoic era, were exhibited as a museum-piece pair for Thursday's first round of the Northern Trust Open.
They went out early off the fabled first tee at Riviera Country Club, in the 7:11 a.m. time slot.
Their ages added...
(Chris Dufresne)
"Seventy-five is a bad score for me," he says. "I shoot my age almost every time out."
He has earned the right to brag. He will be 80 in November.
The opinions intersect and intermingle with the wonderful stories and memories. The recent U.S. failures in the Ryder Cup converge easily with his first swing at St. Andrews in 1956.
"You know how the U.S. can win the Ryder Cup?" Player says. "Play better. Don't make excuses. Just play better.
A golfer finishes his round at Riviera Country Club and a reporter asks: "How did you play No. 10?"
It is hard to imagine a more talked-about hole on the PGA Tour .
It helps that Jack Nicklaus, long ago, called No. 10 one of the...
It's one of the annual post-round rituals at the Northern Trust Open .
A golfer finishes his round at Riviera Country Club and a reporter asks: "How did you play No. 10?"
It is hard to imagine a more talked-about hole on the PGA Tour .
It helps that Jack Nicklaus, long ago, called No. 10 one of the...
(Chris Dufresne)
"They were going to form a committee to study what was wrong and try to fix it. A committee? Are you kidding? Just figure it out. They're better, so you have to get better."
He also says he heard a TV analyst talking about how difficult it is for U.S. players to play in Europe, that home advantage was worth two shots a player. Player debunks that with a snort, and it's not hard to remember that, in the early 1970s, as a star athlete from apartheid South Africa, he was hardly made to feel at home on the road because of his country's horrible racial policies.
People assumed that because Player was white he was a supporter of apartheid. They kicked his ball into the rough, threw ice in his face and yelled in his backswing, once on a 14-inch putt in the 1969 PGA championship that he missed by four inches in a tournament he lost by a stroke to Raymond Floyd.
"I've played in tournaments, like the Masters against Arnie," he says, "where the only people rooting for me were my wife and my dog."
His wife and dog were certainly pulling for him when Player stepped to the first tee for the first time at the sacred grounds of St. Andrews in Scotland in 1957. He was a 21-year-old, 5-foot-6 newcomer in his third major. The night before, he hadn't had enough money to pay the 40 pounds for a hotel room, so he slept on the famous beach at St. Andrews, where they filmed "Chariots of Fire."
"The first fairway is so wide a blind man couldn't miss it," Player says. "The starter is 6 foot 4, he looks down at me and says, 'Play away, laddie.'
"I was so nervous, I yanked my drive so far left that it actually had a chance of going out of bounds until it hit the marker and bounced back into the fairway. The starter calls me over and says, 'What's your handicap, lad?' I told him I was a pro. He looked at me and said, 'You must be a hell of a chipper and putter.' "
Player won the British Open at Muirfield in 1959, then returned to St. Andrews for the event the next year.
"The same starter is on the first tee," Player says. "He takes one look at me and says, 'It's a bloody miracle.' "
He is legendary for his fitness and work ethic. He holds out his hands and says, "These hands have hit more golf balls than any human on Earth." He acknowledges that Vijay Singh might catch him, but figures Singh has many years to live before he does so.
Singh was among Thursday's first-round leaders at five under par.
Player rises from his Caesar salad to punch himself in the stomach. Still rock hard.
He says he is proud of the fitness of most current players and says it certainly wasn't so in his day.
"They'd laugh at me," he says. "The only exercise they'd do is lift an olive into their glass."
His prevailing theory is that there is much more to come from the game of pro golf.
"We haven't scratched the surface of what's going to happen," he says. With nutrition and the good life, he says, there will soon be a "LeBron James-like" player who will "reach all the par-fives at Augusta National, except No. 8, with a driver and a wedge."
He says that, in balancing the long hitters, players such as Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson , "who are not good drivers," have helped the game by showing it is possible to win with "good shots out of the rough from 100 yards."
He says he will be at all four majors this year and will, once again, participate in the ceremonial first tee-off at the Masters with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus.
Is that all ceremony, or does a pilot light of competitiveness still flicker?
Player laughs.
"I've increased the weight on my barbells," he says, "and yesterday, I did 1,300 setups, with a 100-pound weight on my chest for the last 100."
He sees Rory McIlroy and Jason Day as the future biggest stars of golf — "With Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas close behind."
He tiptoes carefully on the Tiger Woods subject, as so many do, because the fall has been so startling.
"Golf needs him," Player says. "But if you have the yips, you die with them."
bill.dwyre @latimes.com
| 1970s |
Where was the peace treaty signed that brought World War I to an end? | Arnold Palmer - Golf Topics - ESPN
Arnold Palmer
Later Years
Arnold Palmer is a former professional golfer who won 62 tournaments during his career on the PGA Tour. Widely considered one of the greatest golfers of all-time, Palmer captured seven majors that included four Masters wins from 1958 to 1964 and two British Open titles. Part of golf's "Big Three" with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player that helped to popularize the sport in the 1950s and '60s, Palmer was named "Athlete of the Decade" for the 1960s in an Associated Press poll. Nicknamed "The King," he also claimed 12 titles on the Senior PGA Tour, and was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Following his PGA career, Palmer has entered into a number of golf-related business ventures that include the Arnold Palmer Design Company that is based at Orlando's Bay Hill club, which hosts the annual Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Arnold Palmer was born on September in Latrobe, Pa. on September 10, 1929, the son of Milfred (Deacon) Palmer, who was a golf professional and course superintendent at Latrobe Country Club.
Palmer began playing golf at the age of four, using a set of clubs that his father had cut down in size. An established golfer by his teenage years, Palmer twice won the Pennsylvania high school championship and won the first of his five West Penn Amateur Championships as a 17-year-old.
He was a regular participant in national junior golf events by the time he entered college at Wake Forest (in Winston-Salem, N.C.), where he became the No. 1 player on the school's successful golf team.
After withdrawing from school in his senior year (following the death of a classmate and friend), Palmer joined the Coast Guard. He became refocused on his golf game while stationed in Cleveland, and began playing amateur events again after his discharge. In 1954, Palmer's victory in the Ohio Amateur was followed by victory at the U.S. Amateur.
Arnold Palmer turned professional in the fall of 1954 after winning the U.S. Amateur that summer. His first victory on the PGA Tour came at the Canadian Open in 1955. Two years later, he led the professional tour in victories for the season with four titles in 1957.
In 1958, Palmer claimed the first major championship of his career, by winning The Masters, along with two other tour victories on the season. His aggressive playing style and charismatic personality earned him many fans, as golf began to gain in popularity as a television sport.
Three more titles came in 1959, before Palmer began to dominate the PGA Tour in the early part of the following decade. He captured his second Masters victory early in the 1960 season, and followed that with a spectacular win at Denver's Cherry Hills Country Club -- making up seven strokes in the final round -- to earn the U.S. Open trophy. After winning a total of eight tournaments in 1960, Palmer was named as the "Sportsman of the Year" by Sports Illustrated magazine.
In 1961, Palmer claimed his first British Open title, at Royal Birkdale, among six tour victories. With the lowest scoring average among PGA golfers, he won his first of four Vardon trophies that year, and was also part of the victorious U.S. team at the 1961 Ryder Cup.
Palmer won two more majors in 1962, claiming his third green jacket with another Masters victory at Augusta National while repeating as British Open champion at Royal Troon in Scotland. His eight victories on the season topped the PGA Tour, and he also garnered a second consecutive Vardon Trophy.
Although Palmer's throng of on-course followers known as "Arnie's Army" didn't see him lift any major trophies in 1963, the Pennsylvania native did win seven events on the year. He also captained the U.S. Ryder Cup team that defeated Great Britain at the Atlanta Athletic Club.
After winning 29 PGA tournaments in four seasons from 1960 to 1963, Palmer claimed only two titles in 1964. But one of them was a victory at the Masters, making him the first player to ever win that major championship four times. 1965 brought one more tour victory and participation in another Ryder Cup, but Palmer's dominance began to wane as Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player -- the two other members of golfing's "Big Three" during that decade -- emerged victorious at a number of big tournaments.
Palmer again had the PGA's lowest scoring average in 1967, when he gained four more titles; his wins included his third career victories at both the Los Angeles Open and the Tournament of Champions.
He continued to win at least once each season from 1968 to 1970 before producing another big year in 1971, when he captured four tournaments. The last of his 62 PGA Tour victories came at the Bob Hope Desert Classic in 1973.
Following his impressive career on the PGA Tour, Arnold Palmer was among the first group of players eligible for the inaugural PGA Senior Tour (for players 50 years of age or older) that debuted in 1980. Still one of the world's more popular golfers, he helped build that tour into a successful entity and won ten events that included five senior major championships.
Palmer has also become involved in a number of golf-related business ventures over the years. He has been president and owner of his hometown Latrobe Country Club since the early 1970s, and has been a principal owner of the Bay Hill Club and Lodge in Orlando, Fla., which now hosts the Arnold Palmer Invitational each year on the PGA Tour.
He was also involved as a consultant and chairman of the board for the Golf Channel, and has helped to build a golf course design and management company. Now called Arnold Palmer Golf Management and based at his club at Bay Hill, the company offers a variety of course-related services and operates a number of clubs throughout the country.
NEWS RESULTS FOR ARNOLD PALMER
| i don't know |
Which Welsh singer was invited to sing at the White House on Millennium Eve? | Singers.com - Welsh choral groups - celtic, choral and folk music from Wales
| Ralph Vaughn Williams
London Welsh Chorale : A Century of Welsh Music
Review: The London Welsh Chorale's second CD: Cennin Aur - A Century of Welsh Music charts the progress of choral music in Wales over the last hundred years. The most recent work being In My Craft by Geraint Lewis, a commission to celebrate the life of Dylan Thomas whose daughter Aeronwy was one of the Chorale's vice presidents for many years.
Songlist: Efe A Ddaw, Gweddi Y Pechadur, Yr Arglwydd Yw Fy Mugail, Dyn A Aned O Wraig, Gwel Uwchlaw Cymylau Amser, Dyrchafaf Fy Llygaid, Laudamus, Molwch Yr Arglwydd, Y Mae Afon, Cennin Aur, Cadwyn, Magnificat & Numc Dimittis, In My Craft Or Sullen Art
6207c | 1 CD | $12.95 |
Men Aloud : Live From Wales
Review: Fresh off their Platinum album debut, and on the heels of their stunning victory on BBC's television smash hit show, Last Choir Standing , Britain's favorite choir MEN ALOUD is set to bring their unique music making to North America. The choir, led by Tim Rhys-Evans, features 20 tremendous vocal talents from across Wales. In addition, Men Aloud is also a recent winner of the Classical Brit Album of the Year award for their second album, Band of Brothers. The program was produced in association with the BBC and was filmed in the Wales Millennium Center with featured performances by opera star Bryn Terfel, John Owen Jones (leading man of Broadway and London's West End's Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera & Showboat) and pop icon, Bonnie Tyler. Men Aloud was formed in 2000 by Tim Rhys-Evans. Tim s primary aim was to encourage young men to get involved with one of Wales oldest and best loved traditions, male voice singing. The group are unafraid to tackle music not normally associated with male voice choirs, and their repertoire ranges from the 17th Century to the present day.
Songlist: O Verona, It Ain't Necessarily So, Don't Rain on My Parade, Macarthur Park, Bridge Over Troubled Water, All by Myself, Bui-Doi, Sit Down You'Re Rocking the Boat, Rhythm of Life, Cwm Rhondda, Gwahoddiad, Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
20801c | 1 CD | $15.95 |
Rhos Orpheus Male Choir : Carols at Christmas
Review: The Village of RHOSLLANNERCHRUGOG ("Rhos") is situated some 4 miles south west of Wrexham in North Wales, which itself is 12 miles south of the historic Roman city of Chester. lt is a former mining village, but the last remaining pit closed in 1987. Once known as the largest village in Wales, it has a long history of producing talented performers in all areas of the arts. Over the years, it has been home to two male voice choirs, a ladies' choir, a girls' choir, a mixed choir and a championship quality Silver Band. Rhos has been the birthplace of many top class musicians, actors and singers who have made significant contributions to Welsh culture not only as performers, but also as writers and composers. Here the male choir sings some holiday favorites.
Songlist: The First Nowell, While Shepards Watched, Deck The Halls, Away In A Manger, The Coventry Carol, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, The Holly And The Ivy, Hark The Herald Angels Sing, O Come All Ye Faithful, In The Bleak Midwinter, Ding-Dong Merrily On High, We Three Kings, O, Little Town Of Bethlehem, Once In Royal David's City, It Came Upon The Midnight Clear, Silent Night
8357c | 1 CD | $15.98 |
Serendipity : Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
Review: Serendipity is one of the best of the new breed of Welsh choirs; young, vibrant, have great panache with an identifiable sound as well as exhibiting impeccable intonation, phrasing and musicianship under their musical director Tim Rhys-Evans. I first heard them at the finals of the 2003 C�r Cymru competition and the performance was hugely impressive; so much so that I invited them to perform at my 60th birthday celebrations at the Royal Festival Hall the following year as well as singing, under Tim's direction, the choral parts of my Requiem released on EMI Classics. It's been a privilege to have this association with the choir that I hope will continue and I am thrilled that they have chosen to perform the Benedictus from my The Armed Man: A Mass For Peace on this, their debut CD.
Songlist: Aberystwyth, Frolocket Ihr Volker Auf Erden, Agnus Dei, Lord Bless And Keep You, Gonna Set Down An' Rest Awhile, Lay a Garland, Benedictus, Lux Aurumque, This Little Light of Mine, Souls Of The Righteous (Iustorum Animae), O nata lux, Give Me Jesus, I Was Glad When They Said Unto Me
6210c | 1 CD | $12.95 |
Tenebrae : Paul Mealor - A Tender Light
Review: The sublime new album from the star composer of the Royal Wedding. Performed by the Tenebrae Choir and also features the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra the album includes the moving A Spotless Rose and Ubi Caritas, performed at the Royal Wedding. "Paul Mealor has a deep connection with our choral heritage yet his works have immediacy and modernity. He has the rare gift of being able to create joyous melody within music that is both sincere and profound. This is an album with hints of Celtic mystery, moments of great solemnity, splendiferous singing and above all sumptuous tunes." - Gareth Malone - Choir Master and BAFTA Award-winning BBC Presenter of The Choir
Songlist: Now Sleeps The Crimson Petal, Lady, When I Behold The Roses Sprouting, Upon A Bank, A Spotless Rose, She Walks In Beauty, O Vos Omnes, Stabat Mater, Salvator Mundi: Greater Love, Locus Iste, Ave Maria, Ubi Caritas
2602c | 1 CD | $23.95 |
| Paul Mealor
Tredegar Orpheus Male Choir : the Voice Of Wales
Review: The rich blend of Tenors, Baritones and Basses in the male voice choir has an appealing homogeneity and power, one that has flourished in Wales hymn-singing festivals for centuries. 15 memorable tunes: "God Bless the Prince of Wales," written in 1862 gets the CD off to a rousing start, and the two best-loved Welsh hymns "Cvm Rhondda" (Guide me, O Thou Great Jehovah"), and "The Lord Is My Shepherd," now known as the tune "Crimond" are well done here. "Fantasia on Famous Welsh Airs," the dramatic "The Lost Chord," "See, The Conquering Hero Comes," "The Ash Grove," the exciting "Hunting the Hare," and two spirituals, "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" and "Nobody Knows The Trouble I See Lord," are particularly wonderful. Some organ, harp and piano accompaniment. The Tredegar Orpheus Male Voice Choir, directed by Ieuan Davies, and the Rhos Orpheus Male Voice Choir are as good as they come, with a visceral, ancient wall of sound that hits us where we live. "Voice of Wales" is powerful and wonderful!
Songlist: God Bless The Prince Of Wales, David Of The White Rock, The Rising Of The lark, All Through The Night, Hunting The Hare, Fantasia On Famous Welsh Airs, The Lost Chord, See The Conquering hero Comes, The ash Grove, Swing Low Sweet Chariot, Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah, Crimond, Praise Ye The Lord, Nobody Knows The Trouble I See Lord, And The Glory Of The Lord Shall Be Revealed
7504c | 1 CD | $13.98 |
Various Artists : Take Me Home - The Male Choirs of Wales
Review: A beautiful collection of favourite songs by the Welsh Male Voice choirs from Porth Tywyn, Godre'r Aran, Bangor, Llangwm, Dyffryn Tywi, Caernarfon, Lleisiau'r Frogwy, Dyffryn Tywi, Hogia'r Ddwylan, Llanelli, Cwmbach, Brythoniaid, Dyffryn Peris, Pendyrus & Maesteg Gleemen.
Songlist: Take Me Home , Dawnsio'r Ffandango , Lily Of The Valley , Bytholwyrdd , Hen Fenyw Fach Cydweli , When The Saints Go Marching In , Gwenno Penygelli , Un Dydd Ar Y Tro , The Rhythm Of Life , Gweddi Dros Gymru (Finlandia) , Cwm Rhondda , Pan Fo'r Nos Yn Hir , La Vergine , Dyffryn Peris , Morte Criste , The Lonely Steppe , Kalinka , Myfanwy , Llongau Caernarfon , You'll Never Walk Alon
2036c | 1 CD | $12.95 |
Various Artists : The Very Best of Welsh Male Choirs
Review: Wales is famous for its choirs and SAIN is Wales' foremost recording company, and over the years, it has built up the most comprehensive catalogue ever of Welsh choral singing, including all the leading male voice choirs. This compilation has been carefully selected from the Sain catalogue of recent years to reflect the best of Welsh male choral singing. All the tracks were recorded digitally, ensuring a consistently high standard of sound quality throughout.
Songlist: Arwelfa - United Choirs, Now The Day Is Over - Llanelli Choir, Y Goedwig Werdd - Cor Godrer Aran, Deep Harmony - Pendryus And Cory Band, The Last Words Of David - United Choirs, With A Voice Of Singing - CWM Bach, Ol' Ark's A-Moverin - Trelawnyd Choir, The Lost Chord - Pontarddulais Choir, Pilgrim's Chorus - United Choirs, Iechyd Da - Rhos Choir, Gloria - Pendryus And Cory Band, Kwmbayah - Trelawnyd Choir, Gwn Dafydd Ifan - TWM o'r NANT Choir, Amen - United Choirs, Pie Jesu - Llanelli Choir, The Bandit's Chorus - CWM Bach, Ar Derfyn Dydd - Godrer Aran, Where Shall I Be - Pontarddulais Choir, Love I Could Ony Tell Thee - Rhos Choir, Mae D'Eiseau Di Bob Awr - United Choirs
8381c | 1 CD | $15.98 |
Various Artists : Welsh Choirs Sing Folk
Review: Two great Welsh tradition have been brought together on this recording: the Male Choir tradition on the one hand, and the wealth of traditional folk songs on the other. Two traditions of the Welsh people, - two "folk" tradition in the true sense of that over-used word. It is very difficult to say precisely how old these songs are, though it is evident tat some are considerable older than others. They mainly reflect the rural way of life, though there are more recent and urban connections to songs such as "Ffarwel i ddociau Lerpwl" ("Farewell to Liverpool docks") and "Sosban Fach", known the world over as Llanelli's rugby anthem. Two recurring themes are romance and the battle for Welsh independence, and there are also a lullaby and children's songs such as "Hen fenyw fach Cydweli" ("The old woman of Kidwelly"). 24 traditional songs in all, - arranged for Male Choirs in four-part harmony.
Songlist: Deryn Y Bwn O'r Banna , Bugeilio'r Gwenith Gwyn , Tair Alaw Werin Gymreig-Rew-Di-Ranno/Mae 'Nghariad I'n Fenws/Hela'r Sgyfarnog , Y Pren Ar Y Bryn , Tros Y Garreg , Fantasia On Famous Welsh Airs , Si Hei Lwli 'Mabi , Ffarwel I Ddociau Lerwpl , Dacw 'Nghariad , Gwn Dafydd Ifan , Lisa Lan , Hen Ferchetan , Ar Lan Y Mor , Cadwyn O Alawon-Ar Hyd Y Nos/Dafydd Y Garreg Wen/Sosban Fach , Titrwm, Tatrwm , Hen Fenyw Fach Cydweli ,
2039c | 1 CD | $12.95 |
Blaenavon Male Choir : Songs From The Valley of Wales
Review: Wales is known by the phrase "The Land Of Song", a fact underlined by the international success of artists of the calibre of Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey and Charlotte Church. Choirs are the base of this rich heritage and The Blaenavon Male Choirwere formed close to a century ago in 1910. With member ranging in age from 15 to 80, the choir have enjoyed success in major competitions throughout the UK and successful tours of America, France, Norway and Hungary This rich collection of songs highlights both the traditional and modern and underlines their supreme vocal skills.
Songlist: Men Of Harlech, We Shall Walk Through The Valley, Ar Lan Y Mor, The Gypsy, Angels Watching O'er Me, Ty Di A Roddaist, What Would I Do Without My Music?, Nant Y Mynydd, There Is A Land, With A Voice Of Singing, Laudamus, My Love Is Like A Red, Red Rose, I'll Walk With God, Adiemus, Soldier's Chorus, Abide With Me, You Raise Me Up, Bridge Over Troubled Water, If I Fell, Let It Be Me, She, Take Me Home, The Rose, Love Changes Everything, Bring Him Home, Mame, The Impossible Dream, Bui-Doi, Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again, You'll Never Walk Alone, and more
6204c | 2 CDs | $15.95 |
Various Choirs : Ultimate Welsh Choirs
Review: Enjoy the sound of Wales with this extensive collection performed by some of the country's most cherished choirs. Featuring traditional Welsh songs, West End musical classics and popular standards this collection is full of spirit and charm. A beautifully packaged 2 CD set.
Songlist: Love Changes Everything, Take Me Home, Sailing, Lily of the Valley, Do You Hear The People Sing, The Sound Of Silence, Gloria, I Have a Dream, With a Voice of Singing, The Wonder of You, Solitare, There's A Valley Called the Rhondda, Battle Hymn of the Republic, The Lost Chord, Where Shall I Be?, Abide With Me, Passing By, Love Could I Only Tell The , Sunrise Sunset, Amen, The Crusaders, Pilgrims Chorus, Softly As I Leave You, Rhythm of Life, Myfanwy, Deryn Y Bwn o'r Banna, Speed Your Journey, Beautiful Dreamer, Calm is the Sea, Amazing Grace, and more
2763c | 2 CDs | $17.95 | A Cappella |
| Welsh Choral Music Arrangements | Paul Mealor
Simon Halsey : Five Welsh Carols
Review: These lyrical and atmospheric carols for the Christmas season offer choirs the chance of exploring treasures from one of the most musical of nations. The Welsh texts are accompanied by new English singing translations.
Songlist: The Shepherds Were Keeping Their Watch (Roed Yn Y Wlad Honno), Come from Ev'ry Land (Tua Bethl'em Dref) , Come All Christians, Singing (O Deued Pob Cristion), Dark the Night (Seren Bethlehem), Deck the Hall with Boughs of Holly (Oer Yw'r Gwr Sy'n Methu Caru)
7290b | Songbook | $6.95 | SATB | A Cappella |
| Welsh Choral Music Arrangements
Men Aloud : Live From Wales
Review: Fresh off their Platinum album debut, and on the heels of their stunning victory on BBC's television smash hit show, Last Choir Standing , Britain's favorite choir MEN ALOUD is set to bring their unique music making to North America. The choir, led by Tim Rhys-Evans, features 20 tremendous vocal talents from across Wales. In addition, Men Aloud is also a recent winner of the Classical Brit Album of the Year award for their second album, Band of Brothers. The program was produced in association with the BBC and was filmed in the Wales Millennium Center with featured performances by opera star Bryn Terfel, John Owen Jones (leading man of Broadway and London's West End's Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera & Showboat) and pop icon, Bonnie Tyler. Men Aloud was formed in 2000 by Tim Rhys-Evans. Tim s primary aim was to encourage young men to get involved with one of Wales oldest and best loved traditions, male voice singing. The group are unafraid to tackle music not normally associated with male voice choirs, and their repertoire ranges from the 17th Century to the present day.
Songlist: O Verona, It Ain't Necessarily So, Don't Rain on My Parade, Macarthur Park, Bridge Over Troubled Water, All by Myself, Bui-Doi, Sit Down You'Re Rocking the Boat, Rhythm of Life, Cwm Rhondda, Gwahoddiad, Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau
2080dvd | DVD | $18.95 |
Margery Hargest Jones : Songs of Wales
Review: Bumper collections of folk songs with manageable piano accompaniments, guitar chords and background notes. Ideal for solo singers of all ages or for classroom singing and cross-curricular activities.
Songlist: A Lovely Lady Softly Sighed, All The Day (North Wales Version), All The Day (South Wales Version), All Through The Night, As The Night Is Approaching, David Of The White Rock, Fair Country, Farewell My Dear Country, Forth To The Battle, From Your Slumber Arise!, God Bless The Prince Of Wales, If She Were Mine, In The Vale Of Llangollen, Land Of My Fathers, Let Now The Harp, Loudly Proclaim, Megan's Fair Daughter, Men Of Harlech, My Heart, My Lady Is More Fair, New Year's Eve, O Mountain White, On this day, Once A Farmer And His Wife, One Bright Summer Morning, Over The Stone, Sad Was The Day, So Early In The Morning, Springtime Is Returning, The Ash Grove, and more
Style: World / Folk
| Welsh Choral Music Arrangements
Llyfr Caneuon : The Welsh Children's Songbook
Review: A beautifully presented, illustrated collection of children's songs from Wales. It is compulsory for all children to learn Welsh up to the age of 16 in Welsh schools, and this book provides a fun way of teaching and learning the language both in and out of the classroom. All songs are printed in the Welsh language and arranged for easy Piano and Voice.
Songlist: A Ei Di'r Deryn Du (Blackbird Will You Go), Ar Hyd Y Nos (All Through The Night), Bwrw Glaw Yn Sobor Iawn (Raining Heavily), Dafydd Y Garreg Wen (David Of The White Rock), Dau Gi Bach (Two Little Dogs), Daw Hyfryd Fis (The Lovely Month), Deryn Y Bwn O'r Banna (The Bittern From The Beacons), Gee Ceffyl Bach (Gee Up Little Horse), Hen Fenyw Fach Cydweli (Little Old Woman Of Kidwelly), Hen Wraig Fach (Little Old Lady), Heno, Heno (Tonight, Tonight), Jac Y Do (The Jackdaw), Llongau Caernarfon (Ships Of Caernarfon), Llwyn Onn (The Ash Grove), Myfanwy (Myfanwy), Mynd Drot Drot (Trotting Along), Pedoli, Pedoli (The Horseshoe), Robin Ddiog (Lazy Robin), Robin Goch (Red Robin), Sosban Fach (Little Saucepan), Y Broga Bach (The Little Frog), Y Deryn Bach Syw (Birdie My Dear), Y March Glas (The Grey Stallion)
Style: World / Folk
| Tom Jones |
Which company was responsible for the oil spill in Alaska in 1989? | Duffy Bio. New queen of soul. Photos, music, videos, albums, awards, stage and private life of Duffy. Rockferry.
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Duffy
Duffy, a Welsh singer and songwriter, is a rising soul star winning the world with her strong voice and genuine lyrics. She’s young but she’s already cited as one of the brightest soul stars of the day. Though being often in the spotlight now, Duffy manages to balance sincerity and openness in public and privacy of her personal life.
Before she became famous
Aimee Anne Duffy was born on June 23, 1984 in Gwynedd, Wales and raised in Nefyn on the Llŷn Peninsula in North Wales. When she was 10, her parents divorced and she moved to Pembrokeshire with her mother, older sister Kelly, and twin sister Katy. When Duffy turned 19 she dropped her first name Aimee, calling herself Duffy professionally and personally.
According to Duffy, she grew up without a record collection of her own. Duffy started singing at the age of 6 and at that age carried around a notebook in which she scribbled lyrics. She wanted to sing in her school choir but she wasn’t allowed because her voice was “too big; I didn’t fit in.”
Her first experience of music was seeing a VHS cassette of Mick Jagger singing ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’, but it wasn’t this that kick-started her decision to pursue music. Duffy’s early interest in singing was apparently inspired by her father John Duffy’s videotape of the 1960s television rock show Ready Steady Go! Performances of the Beatles and Stones left an indelible impression so when Duffy was 15 she was already singing in local bands herself.
After an unsuccessful music project in Switzerland, Duffy returned to Wales in 2003 and was invited to appear on Wawffactor, a Welsh television show similar to American Idol. She was expected to win, but came second.
As a teen, Duffy wanted and expected to be a world famous pop star. At the age of 18 thinking her dreams were not going to come true she “became almost a quite withdrawn singer.” Eventually she decided to just make music for her own pleasure.
Duffy went to College Meirion-Dwyfor in North Wales where she was elected president of the Students Union. Then she transferred to the University of Chester in England. A lecturer advised her to “go on the dole, love, and become a singer,” she left the university and worked for an optician and performed with guitarist David Burton from the band The Invisible Wires.
Getting famous
Duffy recorded a three-song-EP in Welsh in 2004 and appeared on two tracks on the album See You in the Morning by Mint Royale the same year. In August 2004 Duffy was introduced to former Public Image Ltd. member turned music manager and part-owner of Rough Trade Records, Jeanette Lee. Lee moved Duffy to Crouch End in London, and arranged her meeting with Suede’s ex-guitar player Bernard Butler.
Butler not only co-wrote for her album and helped create a new retro sound, he was giving Duffy soul music classes by downloading tracks onto her iPod. The music included Al Green, Bettye Swann, Ann Peebles, Beyoncé, Doris Duke, Scott Walker, Phil Spector and Burt Bacharach.
Duffy entered into the contract with A&M Records in 2007. Duffy became the most prominent of the so-called “new Amys”. “Duffy, Gabriella Cilmi and Adele lead the charge to be the next Winehouse. First sightings seem to indicate that they are all bright-eyed innocents with bags of talent—a familiar starting point, no?” Adam Thompson from The Times wrote on December 30, 2007.
Duffy herself often states she doesn’t like to be compared with Amy Winehouse or Dusty Springfield, saying she wants to be recognized in her own right. She said: “To be honest, if it’s not Leona Lewis, it’s Amy Winehouse. I’m being compared with Lily Allen or Dusty Springfield, bless her soul, she was an amazing woman. I just feel like one day I’ll be known as myself, but time will tell.”
Meantime, singer-songwriter Alison Goldfrapp said while Duffy has a great voice she was trained to sound essentially like Amy Winehouse as part of a business plan. Though Duffy’s manner of performing is obviously similar to Amy Winehouse’s ice-cold 60s grooves and Dusty Springfield influence, Duffy is outstandingly different from Amy at least in one but important thing – her squeaky-clean image has nothing to do with Winohouse’s rollercoaster life.
It was the end of 2007 when Duffy got to be often invited to perform at different shows as a part of promoting Rockferry. She performed on the BBC2 television show Later with Jools Holland, and later on the related New Year’s Eve show Hootenanny, on which she performed with soul legend Eddie Floyd. On February 22, 2008 Duffy appeared on Later with Jools Holland for a third time and performed ‘Rockferry’, ‘Mercy’ and ‘Stepping Stone’, songs from her debut album Rockferry that was released in March 2008.
In January 2008, she came second in the annual BBC News Sound of 2008 website poll of industry experts for acts to emerge in the coming year.
International success
When her first single, the lonely hearts-friendly tear jerker ‘Rockferry’ was released in December 2007, Duffy instantly captured media attention and adoration for her strong sanguine, melodic voice and sincere lyrics.
First Duffy released a debut limited edition single ‘Rockferry’ in November 2007, and then a follow-up single, ‘Mercy’ (released February 25, 2008), which went straight to number one on download sales as of February 17, 2008.
The debut album Rockferry was released on March 3, 2008 reaching number 1 in the UK. Rockferry has become the best-selling album of the year in the UK so far.
In North America Duffy is seen as the latest in a recent wave of British singers, so-called “British invaders,” consisting of females with a unique take on writing and performing songs. Duffy first performed in America at the SXSW conference and in New York City in March 2008. The Coachella Festival was her first festival gig.
By May her song ‘Mercy’ was a VH1 hit and a hot Adult Contemporary radio hit, and had been featured in TV shows ER, Smallville and the season finale of Grey’s Anatomy as well as included into the soundtrack album for Sex and the City: The Movie.
Rockferry was released in the United States on May, 13. It debuted at number 4 in charts. To coincide with the album release Duffy performed at New York’s historic Apollo Theater and made a number of television appearances. By the week of May, 22, ‘Mercy’ was at number 27 position on the Billboard Top 100 propelled by digital downloads.
By the end of May Rockferry had sold more than 700,000 copies in the United Kingdom. In France, Rockferry had sold 159,583 copies between March 3 and the end of June. On 12 June the album topped the European albums charts. ‘Mercy’ was number 2 on the European singles chart. As of 9 July 2008, The Official UK Charts Company confirmed Rockferry had already sold over 1 million copies.
Rockferry’s success in the US was very impressive for a newcomer. The Los Angeles Times predicted Duffy was likely to win a Grammy Award if the voters were willing to vote for a United Kingdom soul singer in consecutive years (Amy Winehouse got 5 Grammy Awards in 2008).
According to the source, Duffy was the fifth best selling artist worldwide in the first half of 2008, selling 2.25 million copies.
Duffy’s latest video for ‘Stepping Stone’ (out September, 1) is set to surprise fans, as it will be a steamy one, depicting Duffy as a 1960s sexpot who is seduced by a stranger in a nightclub.
“This video will be one of the hottest ever released – very suggestive but tasteful. The sexual encounter will be hinted at but not shown,” a source told The Daily Star.
Duffy has lately claimed that she fears her quick rise to fame will lead to a breakdown. “As a girl I thought I was superhuman… but I’m borderline on a breakdown. The scary thing is that this feels like the beginning. It would be easy to become a recluse… I have sold my soul.”
Duffy says it’s difficult for her to deal with all the fans. “It can be scary when there are 15 lads on one side of a pub and a gang of girls on the other who all want a photo. I’m never calm anymore. There’s a lot to it I didn’t think of. It’s not the physical stuff – it’s mental.”
Success in music industry provided Duffy with a number of proposals to star in ad campaigns. Duffy’s first endorsement ad in the U.S was for Nivea that has chosen her as their new face. She appeared in the brand’s ad exclusively featured in the Fashion Rocks Magazine September issue.
On October 28, 2008 Duffy performed her hit ‘Stepping Stone,’ on The View, confessing that it was Whoopi Goldberg, one of The View hostesses to inspire her soul sound. “My first introduction to soul music was Sister Act, so I’m having a Whoopi moment. I’ve gone full-circle.”
Duffy appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman on September 4. On September 5 Duffy performed at the Fashion Rocks benefit concert at New York’s Radio City Music Hall.
In fall 2008 she was an opening act for five Coldplay shows during her first ever North American tour. Her shows with Coldplay started in Cleveland on October 21 while her own tour to support the debut album Rockferry kicked off in San Diego on October 9. When her American tour was over on November, 1 in Philadelphia, she headed back to the UK for a month-long tour.
Duffy made her MTV EMA debut on November 6 in Liverpool, UK. She was nominated in three categories: Album of the Year for Rockferry, Most Addictive Track for ‘Mercy’ and New Act. If she did win her nomination in the New UK & Ireland Act category, she would have lead with the most nominations in EMA’08 awards (total of four). Though she didn’t win she performed her super hit ‘Mercy’ on stage during the show.
Duffy is still bemused by her fame: “If I sat and thought about everything, I’d probably lose my mind. So I just go, ‘That’s weird, isn’t it?’ You’ve just got to get on with it – don’t give yourself a chance to dwell,” adding she’s still got a lot to learn. “It’s been like baby steps along the way. It wasn’t like one day I won the lottery. I’ve got a few more years and a few more lessons to learn.”
The singer also confesses she gets every emotional on stage now and then: “I wish I could explain it. Once in every 15 shows, I get teary. The lights are so bright, I can’t hide. I feel very exposed. At the moment, I am growing up under a microscope.”
In January 2009 it was reported Duffy is chosen face of new Diet Coke’s European ads. Duffy said she “loved the attitude of this new Diet Coke ad” and drank “so much of the stuff, they were either going to give me shares in the company or put me in the advert.”
“Duffy is a great embodiment of today’s modern female attitudes,” the beverage company said in their statement.
In February 2009 Duffy received a very special present. She was honored with a special new variety of Daffodil called the Duffydil. “The Duffydil – brilliant. Maybe now I can forgive myself for stealing them from people’s gardens,” Duffy said in the interview.
Albums
ENDLESSLY (2010)
Duffy’s sophomore album hit shelves on November 29, 2010. Video for the first single ‘Well, well, well’ featured American hip hop band The Roots.
ROCKFERRY (2008)
Duffy’s debut studio album Rockferry (2008) has generally received only positive reviews from critics. The Observer described it as “a fantastic album of burning blue soul.” According to some reviews, Duffy managed to do an entire pop album without one hip-hop beat. Rockferry is “an interesting mix of up beat and slower tempo pop music borrowing much from the styles of ‘60s chanteuses while still being in touch with current tastes.” Rockferry managed to “respect the past of pop music, while showing the way for the future of the genre.”
On its first day of release in the UK the album sold 60,000 copies becoming one of the fastest selling debuts ever. It sold 180,000 copies in the UK alone during the first week, and spent a cumulative total of 5 weeks in the number 1 spot of the charts.
In America, the album sold 16,000 copies during the first day, and 72,000 copies in its first week, debuting at number 4 on the Billboard 200. Universal Records stated that Rockferry is the best American debut for one of its UK acts.
Track Title
Awards
2008
Duffy was nominated for MOJO Awards for Song of the Year (‘Mercy’), Album of the Year (Rockferry) and Breakthrough Act. The awards ceremony was held on June, 16 with Duffy winging Single of the Year. The three nominations were the largest amount of nominations for any one act. “This time last year I was eating fish and chips on a North Wales beach! This is my first big awards ceremony. No one cared about me then so I don’t know why they do now,” Duffy said.
Duffy was nominated for World’s Best Pop/Rock Female Artist and World’s Best New Artist at World Music Awards 2008 but won in neither of the categories.
2009
Duffy was nominated for Best International Album for her hit LP at the French NRJ Music Awards but did not get the award.
She also got three nods at Ivor Novello Awards. Duffy is nominated for Best Selling British Song, Most Performed Work and Album awards. The Ivor Novellos honours achievements in song writing and is considered one of the most prestigious honours in the music industry.
Duffy was honored a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album for Rockferry in February 2009. And later that month she won three awards at 2009 Brit Awards , becoming the best in such categories as Best British Album for Rockferry, Best British Female Solo Artist and Best British Breakthrough Act. “I’m overwhelmed. I didn’t think I would win three awards. The chances were slim. It’s been the most amazing night,” she said.
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Keeping it private
Duffy manages to keep her personal life private so there’s not much information about her love life available. Duffy has revealed she is happiest living the simple life. “I guess my life is a lot more glamorous than it used to be in terms of the things I wear, the places I go, the places I stay, the places I eat at and the people I meet. Everything is just wonderful, it’s really fantastic – but I don’t get too caught up in it,” she said.
Duffy says she’s a confirmed singleton for two years, adding a glass of merlot is “better than a man” because she’s not interested in complicated relationships, all she wants is to be able to be herself.
“My music is the most honest thing I have. Actually, it’s the only thing I can be honest in, because everything else in life – like love and friendship – is so complex,” she said.
Duffy spent five years with Mark Durston, whom she met while studying for A-levels.
“I’m a bit of a commitment-phobe. Why? I don’t know… It’s the only thing I’m afraid of. And besides, I’m really happy on my own. Because, that way, no one can hurt you,” she said.
As for her ideal man, Duffy would like him to be someone who is charismatic and funny and intriguing and dresses well, “who’s good with his hands, a real man”.
In October 2008 it was reported that Duffy is dating her guitarist Jon Green. “They’ve gone to great lengths to play down their feelings in public, but the truth is Duffy and Jon are completely loved up,” an insider told the News Of The World. “They have had plenty of time together as Jon is touring with Duffy to promote her hit album. It all stemmed from their chemistry on stage – he’s a wonderful guitarist and she absolutely loves performing with him.”
Friends say that Duffy has finally found her Mr. One.
Though being really busy recently, Duffy always has time for her everyday routine:
“I like getting home after a day’s work, taking everything off, slipping into my bathrobe, pouring a glass of red wine, having the radio on in the background, then calling my friends and family and gassing on the phone all night. I like to hang out in my bathrobe a lot and just kick back. Sometimes I’ll stay like that the whole weekend,” she said.
Duffy says vintage is her favorite fashion style: “I like to wear vintage designer clothes, you can never go wrong with that.” “At the moment I’m wearing vintage Chanel and I also like vintage Gucci, especially little handbags that are battered and have been around for 40 years. I love wearing things that have been around longer than me.”
Though being often compared to Amy Winehouse, Duffy keeps away from the rock and roll destructive lifestyle. She’s not into drinking, or using any drugs. She limits herself to a few glasses of wine and lives on seafood on which she was raised. Her favorite dish is lobster linguini.
Also, Duffy says fame hasn’t changed her personality a bit. “It’s weird because I don’t really feel any different since I became famous. I remember being in the bath one night and calling my mum, and saying, ‘When you reach a goal you always think you’ll feel different but the truth is you don’t.’ I remember saying, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to feel elevated, famous, special?’ But you don’t, I’ve tried pretending but you don’t,” Duffy said in November 2010. “In Britain I constantly seem to attract this sorrowfulness, ‘Is it difficult? Is it hard? How are you coping?’. I think it’s because I’m blonde, young and from a small town. People want to protect me from the success I’ve achieved.”
10 things you should know about Duffy
1. Duffy is the first Welsh female to achieve a number one pop single in the past 25 years, and the only female from the Llŷn Peninsula to ever top the UK music singles charts.
2. Duffy was put in a safe house in 1998 when police uncovered a plot by her stepfather’s ex-wife to pay a hitman £3000 to kill her stepfather. The tabloid quoted Duffy as saying about the alleged incident: “I was so terrified. I felt so ill.” She cites the effects of her stepfather’s ex-wife’s alcoholism as the reason for her not being a user of alcohol or drugs.
3. There were claims in American media that Duffy is the lovechild of fellow Welsh singer Tom Jones. She had to deny those rumors. “I’m dealing with this every day here. It’s kind of bizarre. You’ve got to laugh”, she told a UK tabloid.
4. Duffy’s real farther runs a bar in North Wales.
5. She reached the number 1 spot on Siart C2 with her Welsh language EP entitled simply Aimée Duffy.
6. Duffy has nothing against illegal downloading of music. She has said it will encourage more of kids to buy records in the long run. “Well, I mean, it can go two ways. Some people think it creates illegal access, but I think the big wheel is round, y’know? I think it’s got more positives because it basically gives people access, what’s the harm in that? So it’s just making music a part of everyone’s lives.”
7. The video for ‘Warwick Avenue’ was filmed at Warwick Avenue underground station and Merrick Square, London.
8. Duffy’s debut studio album Rockferry is written about the place Rock Ferry on The Wirral, where her father is from.
9. Duffy is 5ft 4in tall, her shoe size is five.
10. People often say Duffy looks like Brigitte Bardot
Upcoming Projects
As of summer 2008 Duffy was constantly writing material for a second album while getting inspiration from “loads of books”. Duffy said that she would not constantly reinvent herself for each album.
Besides musical career, Duffy will pursue another one, this time as a fashion muse for Dolce & Gabbana.
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What date is Father's Day? | When is Father's Day? 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2015, 2016?
Home > Holiday and Occasions > Fathers Day > When is Father's Day?
Father's Day 2017
Need to know the exact date of Fathers Day this year? Here's a chart that shows what day Father's Day is celebrated from 2015 - 2025.
In the USA, UK and Canada - Fathers' Day is celebrated on the 3rd Sunday in June since being made a national holiday in 1966. In Australia and New Zealand, fathers are honored the first Sunday in September. Other countries celebrate fathers throughout the year.
Year
Fathers' Day in U.S.A., Canada and U.K.
Fathers' Day in Australia
| 3rd sunday in june |
In which decade of the 20th century was the FBI set up? | When is Father's Day? 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2015, 2016?
Home > Holiday and Occasions > Fathers Day > When is Father's Day?
Father's Day 2017
Need to know the exact date of Fathers Day this year? Here's a chart that shows what day Father's Day is celebrated from 2015 - 2025.
In the USA, UK and Canada - Fathers' Day is celebrated on the 3rd Sunday in June since being made a national holiday in 1966. In Australia and New Zealand, fathers are honored the first Sunday in September. Other countries celebrate fathers throughout the year.
Year
Fathers' Day in U.S.A., Canada and U.K.
Fathers' Day in Australia
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Which American wrote The Game of Chess in 1959? | Chess History - Best Of Chess
Best of chess
Chess History
Many History writers mentioned that the chess was invented in India, before the 6th century AD then the game spread to Persia. When the Arabs conquered Persia, chess was taken up by the Muslim world and subsequently spread to Southern Europe. In Europe, chess evolved into roughly its current form in the 15th century. In the second half of the 19th century, modern chess tournament play began, and the first World Chess Championship was held in 1886. The 20th century saw great leaps forward in chess theory and the establishment of the World Chess Federation (FIDE). Developments in the 21st century include use of computers for analysis, which originated in the 1970s with the first programmed chess games on the market. Online gaming appeared in the mid-1990s.
Those are the most famous facts happened in the history of chess:
6th century – The game chaturanga probably evolved into its current form around this time in India.
569 – A Chinese emperor wrote a book of xiangqi, Xiang Jing, in AD 569.
c. 600 – The Karnamuk-i-Artakhshatr-i-Papakan contains references to the Persian game of shatranj, the direct ancestor of modern Chess. shatranj was initially called “Chatrang” in Persian (named after the Indian version), which was later renamed to shatranj.
c. 720 – Chess spreads across the Islamic world from Persia.
c. 840 – Earliest surviving chess problems by Caliph Billah of Baghdad.
c. 900 – Entry on Chess in the Chinese work Huan Kwai Lu (‘Book of Marvels’).
997 – Versus de scachis is the earliest known work mentioning chess in Christian Western Europe.
1008 – Mention of chess in the will of Count Uregel, another early reference.
10th century – As-Suli writes Kitab Ash-Shatranj, the earliest known work to take a scientific approach to chess strategy.
late 10th century – Dark and light squares are introduced on a chessboard.
1173 – Earliest recorded use of algebraic chess notation.
1283 – Alfonso X compiles the Libro de los juegos, with an extensive collection of chess problems.
late 13th century – Pawns can now move two ranks on first move.
late 14th century – The en passant rule is introduced.
1422 – A manuscript from Kraków sets the rule that stalemate is a draw.
1471 – The Göttingen manuscript is the first book to deal solely with chess.
1474 – William Caxton publishes The Game and Playe of Chesse, the first chess book in English.
1475–1525 – The modern moves for the queen, bishop, and castling are slowly adopted.
1475 – Scachs d’amor the first published game of modern chess, written as a poem.
1497 – Luis Ramirez Lucena publishes the first European work on chess openings.
1510 – Marco Girolamo Vida wrote Scacchia ludus(The Game of Chess) with the first reference to a goddess of chess.
1512 – Pedro Damiano publishes one of the first chess treatises, Questo libro e da imparare giocare a scachi et de li partiti
1561 – Ruy López coins the word gambit to describe opening sacrifices.
1690 – Openings are now systematically classified by the Traite de Lausanne.
18th century
1744 – François-André Danican Philidor plays two opponents blindfolded in Paris.
1747 – François-André Danican Philidor (France) defeats Philipp Stamma (Syria) in a London match.
1763 – Sir William Jones invents Caissa, the chess muse.
1769 – Baron Wolfgang von Kempelen builds the Mechanical Turk.
1783 – Philidor plays as many as three games simultaneously without seeing the board.
19th century
1802 – Earliest known American chess book, Chess Made Easy, by J. Humphreys.
1813 – The Liverpool Mercury prints the world’s earliest chess column.
1824 – Earliest known British correspondence chess match, London–Edinburgh.
1830 – Earliest recorded instance of a modern female chess player.
1834 – Earliest recorded international challenge match: Alexander McDonnell (Ireland) versus Louis de la Bourdonnais (France) at the Westminster Chess Club, London.
1843 – Howard Staunton (England) wins a match against Pierre Charles Fournier de Saint-Amant (France) in Paris.
1845 – Telegraph is used to transmit moves in a match between London and Portsmouth.
1846 – Deutsche Schachzeitung is the first German chess magazine.
1848 – Earliest known instance of a game played between blind players.
1849 – Staunton chess set created by Nathaniel Cook.
1851 – First international tournament is held in London, and won by Adolf Anderssen.
1852 – Sandglasses are first used to time a game.
1857 – First American Chess Congress, won by 20 year old Paul Morphy, causes a chess epidemic across the U.S.
1857 – The UK Chess Association is formed.
1858 – The California Chess Congress is held in San Francisco, won by Selim Franklin
1859 – Paul Morphy declared unofficial world champion after two years of international play
1861 – Games played via transoceanic cables (Dublin–Liverpool).
1867 – Mechanical game clocks are introduced in tournament play.
1870 – Earliest recorded tournament in Germany (Baden-Baden).
1871 – Durand publishes the first book on endgames.
1873 – The Neustadtl score system is first used in a tournament.
1877 – Formation of the Deutsche Schachbund.
1879 – First New Zealand Chess Championship, the longest running national chess championship in the world.
1883 – Invention of Forsyth notation.
1884 – Paul Morphy dies.
1886 – First official World Chess Championship match held between Wilhelm Steinitz and Johannes Zukertort. Steinitz wins decisively with the score 12½–7½ to become the first official world champion.
1888 – First international correspondence tournament.
1888 – U.S. Chess Championship starts.
1894 – Emanuel Lasker defeats Wilhelm Steinitz in a world championship match to become the second official world champion.
1895 – Hastings 1895 chess tournament at Hastings, England.
1899 – Chess clocks now have timeout flags.
20th century
1902 – First radio chess match by players on two American ships.
1904 – British Chess Federation (BCF) is established.
1905 – British national championship for women starts.
1907 – Lasker–Marshall World Championship match in several US cities.
1910 – José Raúl Capablanca is the first to win a major tournament (in New York) with a 100% score.
1911 – The first simultaneous exhibition with more than 100 participants.
1913 – Publication of Harold Murray’s monumental book A History of Chess.
1913 – The grasshopper is the first fairy piece invented, having its origin in the Renaissance “leaping queen”.
1919 – Capablanca plays a simul in the House of Commons against 39 players.
1921 – British correspondence championship starts.
1921 – José Raúl Capablanca defeats Emanuel Lasker in Havana +4 −0 =10 to become the third official world champion.
1924 – Establishment of Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE).
1924 – Staunton set officially adopted by FIDE.
1927 – First official Chess Olympiad in London.
1927 – Alexander Alekhine defeats Capablanca at Buenos Aires with +6 −3 =25 and became the fourth official world champion.
1935 – Max Euwe wins the world championship title from Alexander Alekhine in Zandvoort, The Netherlands +9 −8 =13 and became the fifth official world champion.
1937 – A record for simultaneous blindfold play against 34 opponents.
1937 – Alexander Alekhine regains his champion title from Max Euwe in The Netherlands +10 −4 =11.
1941 – Basic Chess Endings by Reuben Fine published.
1945 – USA vs USSR Radio match is the first international sporting event after World War II. The USSR scores an overwhelming victory and would dominate world chess for the next 25 years.
1946 – Reigning world champion Alexander Alekhine dies in Portugal, leaving the title vacant. FIDE moves to gain control of the world championship.
1947 – The first postage stamp with a chess motif was printed by Bulgaria.
1948 – Mikhail Botvinnik wins the 1948 World Chess Championship, which was held at The Hague and Moscow. He became the sixth official world champion.
1949 – Claude Shannon speculates on how computers might play chess.
1950 – FIDE introduces the International Grandmaster (GM) and International Master (IM) titles.
1950 – First Candidates Tournament is held in Budapest. David Bronstein wins after a playoff against Isaac Boleslavsky.
1951 – Mikhail Botvinnik retains his title after the World Championship match with challenger David Bronstein ends in a 12–12 tie.
1951 – First World Junior Chess Championship held.
1952 – Soviet Union begins their string of Chess Olympiad victories in Helsinki.
1953 – Vasily Smyslov wins the Candidates Tournament at Zurich. The tournament is the subject of a well-known book by David Bronstein.
1954 – Mikhail Botvinnik retains his title after the World Championship match with challenger Vasily Smyslov ends in a 12–12 tie.
1956 – Vasily Smyslov wins the Candidates Tournament in Amsterdam. Paul Keres finishes second.
1957 – Vasily Smyslov defeats Botvinnik by the score 12½–9½ and became the seventh official world champion.
1958 – Botvinnik defeats Smyslov in a rematch by the score 12½–10½ to regain the title.
1958 – Bobby Fischer qualifies for the 1959 Candidates Match, becoming the youngest ever Grandmaster. This record would stand until 1991.
1959 – Mikhail Tal wins the Candidates Tournament in Yugoslavia. Paul Keres finishes second.
1960 – Mikhail Tal defeats Botvinnik +6 −2 =13 to become the eighth official world champion and the youngest-ever world champion (a record later broken by Garry Kasparov, who earned the title at 22).
1961 – Botvinnik defeats Tal in a rematch by the score +10 −5 =6 to regain the title.
1962 – Tigran Petrosian wins the Candidates Tournament in Curaçao, going through the tournament without a defeat. Paul Keres finishes second in a Candidates Tournament for the third consecutive time.
1963 – Tigran Petrosian defeats Botvinnik 12½–9½ to become the ninth World Chess Champion.
1965 – Boris Spassky wins Candidates Matches against Paul Keres, Efim Geller, and Mikhail Tal.
1966 – Tigran Petrosian successfully defends his World Championship title against Boris Spassky, 12½–11½.
1967 – Bent Larsen wins the Sousse Interzonal after Bobby Fischer withdraws after ten games while leading with 8½ points. Larsen also wins the first Chess Oscar.
1969 – Boris Spassky defeats Petrosian 12½–11½ to become the tenth World Chess Champion.
1970 – Bobby Fischer wins the Palma de Mallorca Interzonal 3½ points ahead of his nearest rival.
1971 – Bobby Fischer blazes through his Candidates Matches, defeating Mark Taimanov and Bent Larsen each 6–0 and Tigran Petrosian by 6½–2½. Fischer establishes a 20 game winning streak in 1970 and 1971.
1972 – Bobby Fischer beats Boris Spassky for the World Chess Championship 1972, giving chess an unprecedented level of publicity. The score was 12½–8½ to become the eleventh World Chess Champion.
1975 – Anatoly Karpov becomes the twelfth World Champion without having defeated the reigning champion as Fischer forfeits his crown.
1977 – Female player Nona Gaprindashvili wins the men’s tournament at Lone Pine.
1978 – Nona Gaprindashvili becomes the first woman to receive the FIDE Grandmaster title.
1978 – FIDE Master (FM) introduced as a title below International Master.
1978 – First Sargon (chess) chess-playing software for personal computers introduced at the 1978 West Coast Computer Faire.
1981 – Anatoly Karpov convincingly defeats challenger Viktor Korchnoi six wins to two to retain the World Championship.
1984 – In a controversial decision, the FIDE president abandons the first World Championship match between Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov after 48 games with Karpov leading 5–3.
1985 – Garry Kasparov defeats Anatoly Karpov to become the thirteenth World Chess Champion 13–11, and then dominates world chess for the next 15 years.
1986 – Theatrical version of Chess opens in London’s West End.
1991 – Judit Polgár becomes the youngest ever Grandmaster, breaking Bobby Fischer’s record by about a month.
1992 – Bobby Fischer plays Boris Spassky in FR Yugoslavia in a rematch of the 1972 World Championship.
1993 – Searching for Bobby Fischer motion picture released (in the United Kingdom as “Innocent Moves”).
– Garry Kasparov and Nigel Short break from FIDE to play their world championship match, forming the Professional Chess Association.
1996 – Deep Blue beats Garry Kasparov in the first game won by a chess-playing computer against a reigning world champion under normal chess tournament conditions. Kasparov recovers to win the match 4–2 (three wins, one loss, two draws).
1997 – Garry Kasparov loses a rematch to chess supercomputer Deep Blue (2½–3½), becoming the first World Champion to lose a match to a computer.
1999 – Kasparov plays and wins against the World whose moves were determined by plurality of vote via Internet.
2000 – Garry Kasparov loses his title to Vladimir Kramnik (8½–6½). Kramnik became the World Chess Champion of Professional Chess Association.
21st century
2002 – Sergey Karjakin becomes the youngest ever Grandmaster at age 12 years and 7 months.
2004 – Rustam Kasimdzhanov wins the FIDE World Chess Championship 2004 by beating Michael Adams in the final.
2004 – Vladimir Kramnik successfully defends his title in the Classical World Chess Championship 2004 against Peter Leko.
2005 – Veselin Topalov wins the FIDE World Chess Championship 2005 with 10/14 (+6 −0 =8).
2006 – World Chess Championship reunited when Vladimir Kramnik defeats Veselin Topalov in the FIDE World Chess Championship 2006.
2007 – Viswanathan Anand becomes the fifteenth World Chess Champion after winning the World Chess Championship 2007 tournament held in Mexico City. Anand finished the tournament with a score of 9/14 (+4 −0 =10).
2008 – Former World Champion Bobby Fischer dies in Iceland at age 64.
2008 – Viswanathan Anand successfully defends his title against Vladimir Kramnik in the World Chess Championship 2008.
2009 – Eighteen-year-old Magnus Carlsen wins the super-grandmaster (Category 21) Nanjing Pearl Spring Tournament, scoring an undefeated 8–2 in the double round robin event. Carlsen’s performance rating for the tournament is 3002, one of the highest in history, and his rating goes over 2800, making him the fifth player (and by far the youngest) to attain that rating level.
2009 – Kasparov and Karpov play each other once more, as a commemoration of their World Championship Match 25 years ago.
2010 – Chess therapy was explored by Alexian Center For Mental Health at the South Elgin Rehabilitation Center in Elgin, Illinois.
2012 – Magnus Carlsen achieves a record breaking elo rating of 2861 surpassing Garry Kasparov’s record of 2851.
2013 – Magnus Carlsen Becomes the new world champion.
| Bobby Fischer |
Which leader did Hitler meet in the Brenner Pass in WWII? | 1960 - 1961 Tal - Carolus Chess
Chess Worldchampions >
1960 - 1961 Tal
Mikhail Tal (November 9, 1936 – June 28, 1992) was a Soviet–Latvian chess player, a Grandmaster, and the eighth World Chess Champion. He was often called "Misha", a diminutive for Mikhail, and "The magician from Riga" for his daring combinational style. Both The Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games (Burgess, Nunn & Emms 2004) and Modern Chess Brilliancies (Evans 1970) include more games by Tal than any other player.
Tal was also a highly-regarded chess writer; his professional career was that of a chess journalist. The Mikhail Tal Memorial is held in Moscow each year since 2006 to honour his memory. He holds the records for both the first and second longest unbeaten streaks in competitive chess history. Many authorities consider him to have been the greatest attacking Grandmaster of all time.
Early years
Tal was born in Riga, Latvia, into a Jewish family. At the age of eight, Tal learned to play chess while watching his father, a doctor. Shortly thereafter he joined the Riga Palace of Young Pioneers chess club. His play was not exceptional at first but he worked hard to improve. Alexander Koblents began tutoring Tal in 1949, after which Tal's game rapidly improved, and by 1951 he had qualified for the Latvian Championship. In the 1952 Latvian Championship Tal finished ahead of his trainer. Tal won his first Latvian title in 1953, and was awarded the title of Candidate Master. He became a Soviet Master in 1954 by defeating Vladimir Saigin in a qualifying match. That same year he also scored his first win over a Grandmaster when Yuri Averbakh lost on time in a drawn position. Tal graduated in Literature from the University of Riga, writing a thesis on the satirical works of Ilf and Petrov, and taught school in Riga for a time in his early twenties. He was a member of the Daugava Sports Society, and represented Latvia in internal Soviet team competitions.
Soviet champion
Tal first qualified for the USSR Chess Championship final in 1956, finishing joint fifth, and became the youngest player to win it the following year, at the age of 20. He had not played in enough international tournaments to qualify for the title of Grandmaster, but FIDE decided at its 1957 Congress to waive the normal restrictions and award him the title because of his achievement in winning the Soviet Championship.
Tal made three appearances for the USSR at Student Olympiads, from 1956–1958, winning three team gold medals and three board gold medals. He won nineteen games, drew eight, and lost none, for 85.2 percent.
1957 Tal - Tolush 1 - 0
He retained the Soviet Championship title in 1958 at Riga, and competed in the World Chess Championship for the first time. He won the 1958 Interzonal tournament at Portorož, then helped the Soviet Union win their fourth consecutive Chess Olympiad at Munich.
World champion
Tal won a very strong tournament at Zürich, 1959. Following the Interzonal, the top players carried on to the Candidates' Tournament, Yugoslavia 1959. Tal showed superior form by winning with 20/28 points, ahead of Paul Keres with 18½, followed by Tigran Petrosian, Vasily Smyslov, Bobby Fischer, Svetozar Gligorić, Friðrik Ólafsson, and Pal Benko. Tal's victory was attributed to his dominance over the lower half of the field; whilst scoring only one win and three losses versus Keres, he won all four individual games against Fischer, and took 3½ points out of 4 from each of Gligorić, Olafsson, and Benko.
Fischer - Tal 1959 Candidates Match
Fischer vs Tal (0-1) and Tal vs Benko (1-0) and Olafsson vs Keres (0-1):
Candidates Tournament 1959
In 1960, at the age of 23, Tal thoroughly defeated the relatively staid and strategic Mikhail Botvinnik in a World Championship match, held in Moscow, by 12½–8½ (six wins, two losses, and thirteen draws), making him the youngest-ever world champion (a record later broken by Garry Kasparov, who earned the title at 22).
Tal - Champion Of The World! (russian)
Botvinnik, who had never faced Tal before the title match began, won the return match against Tal in 1961, also held in Moscow, by 13–8 (ten wins to five, with six draws). In the period between the matches Botvinnik had thoroughly analyzed Tal's style, and turned most of the return match's games into slow wars of maneuver or endgames, rather than the complicated tactical melees which were Tal's happy hunting ground. Tal's chronic kidney problems contributed to his defeat, and his doctors in Riga advised that he should postpone the match for health reasons. Yuri Averbakh claimed that Botvinnik would agree to a postponement only if Tal was certified unfit by Moscow doctors, and that Tal then decided to play. His short reign atop the chess world made him one of the two so-called "winter kings" who interrupted Botvinnik's long reign from 1948 to 1963 (the other was Smyslov, world champion 1957–1958).
His highest Elo rating was 2705, achieved in 1980. His highest Historical Chessmetrics Rating was 2799, in September 1960. This capped his torrid stretch which had begun in early 1957.
Later achievements
Soon after losing the rematch with Botvinnik, Tal won the 1961 Bled supertournament by one point over Fischer, despite losing their individual game, scoring 14½ from nineteen games (+11 -1 =7) with the world-class players Tigran Petrosian, Keres, Gligorić, Efim Geller, and Miguel Najdorf among the other participants.
Tal played in a total of six Candidates' Tournaments and match cycles, though he never again earned the right to play for the world title. In 1962 at Curaçao, he had serious health problems, having undergone a major operation shortly before the tournament, and had to withdraw three-quarters of the way through, scoring just seven points (+3 -10 =8) from 21 games. He tied for first place at the 1964 Amsterdam Interzonal to advance to matches. Then in 1965, he lost the final match against Boris Spassky, after defeating Lajos Portisch and Bent Larsen in matches. Exempt from the 1967 Interzonal, he lost a 1968 semi-final match against Viktor Korchnoi, after defeating Gligoric.
Poor health caused a slump in his play from late 1968 to late 1969, but he recovered his form after having a kidney removed. He won the 1979 Riga Interzonal with an undefeated score of 14/17, but the next year lost a quarter-final match to Lev Polugaevsky, one of the players to hold a positive score against him. He also played in the 1985 Montpellier Candidates' Tournament, a round-robin of 16 qualifiers, finishing in a tie for fourth and fifth places, and narrowly missing further advancement after drawing a playoff match with Jan Timman, who held the tiebreak advantage from the tournament proper.
From July 1972 to April 1973, Tal played a record 86 consecutive games without a loss (47 wins and 39 draws). Between October 23, 1973 and October 16, 1974, he played 95 consecutive games without a loss (46 wins and 49 draws), shattering his previous record. These are the two longest unbeaten streaks in modern chess history.
A measure of Tal's strength also in his later years is given by his score against Anatoly Karpov, who was some 15 years younger, in tournament games: one loss (at Bugojno, 1980) and nineteen draws out of 20 games they played.
One of Tal's greatest achievements during his later career was an equal first place with Karpov (whom he seconded in a number of tournaments and world championships) in the 1979 Montreal "Tournament of Stars", with an unbeaten score of (+6 =12), the only undefeated player in the field, which also included Spassky, Portisch, Vlastimil Hort, Robert Hübner, Ljubomir Ljubojevic, Lubomir Kavalek, Timman and Larsen.
1979 Montreal: Spassky - Tal 0 - 1
Tal played in 21 Soviet Championships, winning it a record six times (1957, 1958, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1978), a number only equalled by Botvinnik. He was also a five-time winner of the International Chess Tournament in Tallinn, Estonia, with victories in 1971, 1973, 1977, 1981, and 1983.
Tal also had successes in blitz chess; in 1970, he took second place to Fischer, who scored 19/22, in a blitz tournament at Herceg Novi, Yugoslavia, ahead of Korchnoi, Petrosian and Smyslov. In 1988, aged 51, he won the second official World Blitz Championship (the first was won by Kasparov the previous year in Brussels) at Saint John, ahead of such players as Kasparov, the reigning world champion, and ex-champion Anatoly Karpov. In the final, he defeated Rafael Vaganian by 3½-½.
Team competitions
In Olympiad play, Mikhail Tal was a member of eight Soviet teams, each of which won team gold medals (1958, 1960, 1962, 1966, 1972, 1974, 1980, and 1982), won sixty-five games, drew thirty-four, and lost only two games (81.2 percent). This percentage makes him the player with the best score among those participating in at least four Olympiads. Individually, Tal won seven Olympiad board medals, including five gold (1958, 1962, 1966, 1972, 1974), and two silver (1960, 1982).
Tal also represented the Soviet Union at six European Team Championships (1957, 1961, 1970, 1973, 1977, 1980), winning team gold medals each time, and three board gold medals (1957, 1970, and 1977). He scored 14 wins, 20 draws, and three losses, for 64.9 percent. Tal played board nine for the USSR in the first match against the Rest of the World team at Belgrade 1970, scoring 2 out of 4. He was on board seven for the USSR in the second match against the Rest of the World team at London 1984, scoring 2 out of 3. The USSR won both team matches. He was an Honoured Master of Sport.
From 1950 (when he won the Latvian junior championship) to 1991, Tal won or tied for first in 68 tournaments (see table below). During his 41-year career he played about 2,700 tournament or match games, scoring over 65 percent.
Health problems
Tal suffered from bad health, and had to be hospitalized frequently throughout his career, mainly for kidney problems. Eventually one of his diseased kidneys was removed. Tal was a chain smoker and a heavy drinker. He was also briefly addicted to morphine. On June 28, 1992, Tal died in a Moscow hospital, officially of kidney failure. But his friend and fellow Soviet grandmaster Genna Sosonko reported that "in reality, all his organs had stopped functioning. Tal had the congenital deformity of ectrodactyly in his right hand (visible in some photographs).
The Last Chess Game of Mikhail Tal
The Last Game Tal - Kasparow 1-0 video
Playing style
Tal loved the game in itself and considered that "Chess, first of all, is Art." He was known to play numerous blitz games against unknown or relatively weak players purely for the joy of playing.
Known as "The Magician from Riga", Tal was the archetype of the attacking player, developing an extremely powerful and imaginative style of play. His approach over the board was very pragmatic – in that respect, he is one of the heirs of ex-World Champion Emanuel Lasker. He often sacrificed material in search of the initiative, which is defined by the ability to make threats to which the opponent must respond. With such intuitive sacrifices, he created vast complications, and many masters found it impossible to solve all the problems he created over the board, though deeper post-game analysis found flaws in some of his conceptions. The famous sixth game of his first world championship match with Botvinnik is typical in that regard: Tal sacrificed a knight with little compensation but prevailed when the unsettled Botvinnik failed to find the correct response.
Although his playing style was scorned by ex-World Champion Vasily Smyslov as nothing more than "tricks", Tal convincingly beat virtually every notable grandmaster with his trademark aggression. Viktor Korchnoi and Paul Keres are two of the very few with a significant plus record against him. It is also notable that he adopted a more sedate and positional style in his later years; for many chess lovers, the apex of Tal's style corresponds with the period (approximately from 1971 to 1979) when he was able to integrate the solidity of classical chess with the imagination of his youth.
Of the current top-level players, the Latvian-born Spaniard Alexei Shirov has probably been most influenced or inspired by Tal's sacrificial style. In fact, he studied with Tal as a youth. Many other Latvian grandmasters and masters, for instance Alexander Shabalov and Alvis Vitolins, have played in a similar vein, causing some to speak of a "Latvian School of Chess." Tal contributed little to opening theory, despite a deep knowledge of most systems, the Sicilian and the Ruy Lopez in particular. But his aggressive use of the Modern Benoni Defense, particularly in his early years, led to a complete re-evaluation of this variation at the time, though it is seldom seen in top-class tournament play in the 21st century.
Writings
Tal was a prolific and highly respected chess writer, serving as editor of the Latvian chess magazine Šahs ("Chess") from 1960 to 1970. He also wrote four books: one on his 1960 World Championship with Botvinnik, his autobiography The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, Attack with Mikhail Tal coauthored by Iakov Damsky, and Tal's Winning Chess Combinations coauthored by Viktor Khenkin. His books are renowned for the detailed narrative of his thinking during the games. American Grandmaster Andrew Soltis reviewed his book on the world championship match as "simply the best book written about a world championship match by a contestant. That shouldn't be a surprise because Tal was the finest writer to become world champion". New Zealand Grandmaster Murray Chandler wrote in the introduction to the 1997 reissued algebraic edition of The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal that the book was possibly the best chess book ever written.
Tal, Mikhail (1997). The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal. Everyman Chess. ISBN 1-85744-202-4.
Tal, Mikhail (2001). Tal-Botvinnik, 1960. Russell Enterprises. ISBN 1-888690-08-9.
Tal, Mikhail, Iakov Damsky and Ken Neat (tr.) (1994). Attack with Mikhail Tal. Everyman Chess. ISBN 1-85744-043-9.
Short Tal interview in Russian
Short Movie: The French Defense
It's Moscow, 1960. For a whole year the world has been waiting to see what happens when Tal and Botvinnik meet for the World Chess Crown. And now, the wait is over. The time is now.
The French Defense by Dimitri Raitzin is an award-winning play about this struggle of generations. The protagonists are the new and the old, pure talent and a lifetime of experience, two different styles and two different outlooks on life.
It is a play about a collision between the two best chess players in the world: the Champion - a survivor of the Stalin era who has held the World Title for 12 years, and the Challenger - a bright new phenom who has only one thing on his mind: victory.
The French Defense 1
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Which company first manufactured the electric toothbrush? | Who invented the toothbrush and when was it? (Everyday Mysteries: Fun Science Facts from the Library of Congress)
Who invented the toothbrush and when was it invented?
Various Peoples. 1938 (modern).
The toothbrush as we know it today was not invented until 1938. However, early forms of the toothbrush have been in existence since 3000 BC. Ancient civilizations used a "chew stick," which was a thin twig with a frayed end. These 'chew sticks' were rubbed against the teeth.
The bristle toothbrush, similar to the type used today, was not invented until 1498 in China. The bristles were actually the stiff, coarse hairs taken from the back of a hog's neck and attached to handles made of bone or bamboo.
Boar bristles were used until 1938, when nylon bristles were introduced by Dupont de Nemours. The first nylon toothbrush was called Doctor West's Miracle Toothbrush. Later, Americans were influenced by the disciplined hygiene habits of soldiers from World War II. They became increasingly concerned with the practice of good oral hygiene and quickly adopted the nylon toothbrush.
Some other interesting toothbrush facts:
The first mass-produced toothbrush was made by William Addis of Clerkenwald, England, around 1780.
The first American to patent a toothbrush was H. N. Wadsworth, (patent number 18,653,) on Nov. 7, 1857.
Mass production of toothbrushes began in America around 1885.
One of the first electric toothbrushes to hit the American market was in 1960. It was marketed by the Squibb company under the name Broxodent.
Related Web Sites
About.com - Inventors - Dental Innovations - History of Dentistry - This site discusses the history of the toothbrush and toothpaste, including the first electric toothbrush invented in 1939.
Floss.com - This site provides dental trivia and tips as well as information on the origins of toothpaste and floss.
Evolution and Analysis of the Toothbrush - Kylie W. Sembera's article, which appeared in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Mechanical Advantage (v. 10, March 2001), discusses the history of the toothbrush with diagrams comparing classic style toothbrush designs with today's styles.
History of Dentistry from the American Dental Association (ADA) - ADA provides a time line of important dentistry events and innovations.
How Products are Made: Toothbrush - Explains and details the manufacturing process of the toothbrush. Content within the website, except those explicitly noted otherwise, are Copyright by Thomson Gale.
Further Reading
Asimov, Isaac, and Carrie Dierks. Why do we need to brush our teeth? Milwaukee, G. Stevens Pub., 1993. 24 p. (Juvenile).
Elvin-Lewis, Memory and Walter H. Lewis. The use of Nature's toothbrush: the chewing stick. Research Reports - National Geographic Society, v.16, 1975: 211-231.
Giscard d'Estaing, Valerie-Anne. The second world almanac book of inventions. New York, World Almanac, 1986. 352 p.
Golden, Irwin B. Teeth for your lifetime: a complete, easy-to-read, and understandable guide to a lifetime of dental health. Upland, Calif., Counterpoint Publications, c1993. 106 p.
McGrath, Kimberley A., and Bridget Travers, eds. World of Invention. Detroit, Gale, 1999. 1043 (See especially p. 805-806 for Toothbrush and Toothpaste).
Panati, Charles. Extraordinary origins of everyday things. New York, Harper & Row, 1987: p.208-10.
Weinbeger, Bernhard Wolf. An introduction to the history of dentistry, with medical, dental, chronology & bibliographic data. St. Louis, C.V. Mosby Company, 1948.
2 v.
| Bristol-Myers Squibb |
Who lived under the pseudonym of Harriet Brown in New York form the 40s to the 90s? | Invention of Toothbrush
Though primitive toothbrushes started out as toothpicks and chewing sticks, over the years the toothbrush has changed quite a bit. Take a look at the timeline below to learn how the toothbrush has changed over the years.
3500 B.C.
Babylonians used chewing sticks to clean their teeth. They were careful to select twigs from aromatic trees that they believed would clean and freshen their mouth. They chewed on one end of the stick until it became soft like a brush, and kept the other end pointed to pick out food that got stuck between their teeth. These sticks were the size of a pencil.
15th-16th Century
The first “toothbrush” (with bristles) was invented in China and was made of animal bone, bamboo and hog hair. The bristles were very hard.
1780
William Addis of England invented the first mass-produced toothbrush. While in prison, he drilled small holes in a cattle bone, tied swine fibers (from wild pigs) in bunches, passed them through the holes and then glued them.
The first three-row bristle brush was designed by Dr. Meyer Rhein.
1857
H.N. Wadsworth was the first to patent the toothbrush. Like those before him, he used animal bone and swine hair.
Other American companies began to mass-produce the toothbrush.
1938
The nylon toothbrush, the first to be made with synthetic bristles, appeared on the market. People preferred these bristles because they were softer and more hygienic than animal hair bristles.
The first electric toothbrush was invented in Switzerland.
1940s
Soliders in the United State Army returned from World War II and brought their habit of tooth brushing home with them. The concept spread thoughout the country and nylon toothbrushes became very popular.
1960s
The Broxodent was the first electric toothbrush to be sold in the United States by the company Squibb. A year later, General Electric was the first company to sell a rechargeable cordless toothbrush.
1987
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Which actor bought the island of Tetiaroa? | Eco-Resort to Open on Marlon Brando's Tahitian Island | Pret-a-Reporter
Eco-Resort to Open on Marlon Brando's Tahitian Island
10:00 AM PDT 7/26/2012 by Degen Pener
COMMENTS
Marlon Brando's Island
The actor bought the island three years after shooting 1962's "Mutiny on the Bounty" in the South Pacific country but never returned after a family tragedy.
This story first appeared in the August 3 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.
Beginning in late 2013, visitors to Tahiti can loll about on Marlon Brando's former private island when a luxury eco-resort called The Brando opens there. The late actor fell in love with the South Pacific country -- and his third wife, French Polynesian actress Tarita Teriipia -- after shooting 1962's Mutiny on the Bounty there.
STORY: Who in Hollywood Owns a Private Island
Three years later, he purchased a 12-island atoll called Tetiaroa 20 miles north of the main island of Tahiti that would prove to be a sanctuary for him for three decades. He and Teriipia even opened a hotel on one of the islands. But after tragedy struck in 1990 when his son Christian killed Dag Drollet, the boyfriend of Brando's daughter Cheyenne (who five years later committed suicide in Tahiti), Brando never returned to his beloved spot.
And when Brando died in 2004, his executors, who included producer Mike Medavoy, gave permission to build a hotel to a Tahitian developer, Richard Bailey, who had discussed creating an eco-sensitive resort on Tetiaroa with Brando. It's not been without controversy. When it was first announced in the mid-2000s, some friends of Brando's decried the project as something he would never have wanted.
STORY: Marlon Brando Estate Settles Lawsuit With Harley-Davidson Over 'Brando' Boots
Nonetheless, it was approved by his heirs, who sold an initial interest in the atoll to Bailey for $2 million and will profit from yearly rent and a cut of proceeds. The goal of the resort is that its energy needs be 100 percent renewable (via solar, deep ocean-water cooling and coconut oil biofuel) and that the 35 villas be set back from the beach -- not situated over the water -- in accordance with the star's wishes.
| Marlon Brando |
Between 1952 and 1954 did the number of TV stations in the USA double, triple or quadruple? | An Island You Can't Refuse: Marlon Brando's Tahitian Paradise
An Island You Can't Refuse: Marlon Brando's Tahitian Paradise
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"You have to feel this place. See it: Open your eyes," says Tumi Brando as we skim across the joltingly blue lagoon of Tetiaroa, her grandfather Marlon's private atoll in French Polynesia. Tumi grew up here, fishing with her grandmother Tarita and taking mud baths on Oroatera, one of the 12 motus (or islets) that make up the atoll. These days, the 26-year-old is showing off the property to guests at The Brando the lush eco-resort the Oscar-winning actor envisioned many years before and that finally opened July 1, on the tenth anniversary of his death.
Brando first saw Tetiaroa, 30 miles north of Tahiti's main island, while filming Mutiny on the Bounty there in 1960. It was, and is, a place out of time--with its vivid turquoise water, untouched beaches, lush vegetation and teeming life, both above and below the water. Brando was immediately enamored of its exotic beauty. He was far from the first person to appreciate it: Tetiaroa was for centuries a retreat for Tahitian royalty. Brando, a complicated man leading a complicated existence back home, fell in love with island life--not to mention his romantic interest in the film, the 19-year-old Tahitian Tarita Teriipaia, whom he later married.
"Marlon felt that everyone in Hollywood wore a mask," says Richard Bailey, Managing Director of the hotel company, Pacific Beachcomber , that built and operates The Brando. "But Tahitians don't wear masks. There's no hypocrisy. He loved that. He felt Tahitians had something to teach the world about how to lead a happy, balanced life."
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Six years after his first sighting, Brando managed to buy the entire atoll, an extended process that involved a direct request to the president of France and a potentially hazardous negotiation with a nearly blind woman who inhabited one of the motus and greeted all intruders with rifle fire.
Once he took ownership, the actor would visit Tetiaroa for a month or two between films. Visitors would see him wrapped in a pareo, barefoot with his hair in a ponytail and projecting a very different demeanor from his various onscreen personae. "He was always playing and joking around," Tumi remembers. "At dinner, he would do things like yell, 'Look, there's a lizard!' and when you'd turn around, he'd have thrown fish bones on your plate or stolen your food."
Along the way, while spending idyllic stretches on the island, Brando developed a passionate interest in conservation. As Bailey recalls, he started expressing ideas about sustainability before the term was in use and read voraciously about atoll ecology. Given the remote location, he also became a ham radio operator, a skill he continued to employ when he was back in his house on Mulholland Drive in Los Angeles, never identifying himself as one of the biggest movie stars on the planet. "People all over the world had conversations with him without ever knowing it," Bailey says.
He also opened a modest eco-lodge, Tetiaroa Village, on the island so that others could experience his private paradise, among them famous friends such as Quincy Jones and Robert De Niro. Amenities were few, however--there was a notable lack of air-conditioning for this steamy part of the world--and basic services were unreliable. "I'm sure if you asked Quincy Jones what he remembers from his visits, he'd remember that the island is beautiful," Bailey says. "But also that the mosquitoes drove him nuts and that he couldn't flush the toilet because the generator was out."
In 1999, with an eye to upgrading the place, Brando called Bailey, an experienced hotelier, and asked him to come and examine the lodge. Bailey came over with some of his team members and was horrified by what he found.
He wrote Brando a long memo, explaining that he couldn't help with the Tetiaroa lodge because he was in business to deliver quality travel experiences, not to ensure that there was water and electricity. "He got very upset," Bailey recalls. "He wasn't used to people telling him that things wouldn't work." But six months later, he called again and asked what it would take to set things right. "I said I had some ideas. We could talk, " Bailey says. And that's exactly what they did--for the next four years.
Paramount among Brando's priorities were sustainability and renewable energy. "He didn't want any fossil energy on the island," Bailey says, "but he did want air-conditioning, and he said we could get it from the ocean. I thought it was one of his crazy ideas." It was real enough, though, as Bailey learned when he went to Hawaii to meet with Dr. John Craven, formerly the chief scientist for the U.S. Navy's Special Projects Office. Craven had developed a system for creating electricity by planting a deep pipe into the cold reaches of the ocean below 3,000 feet. The eventual refinement of the technique was first used at Pacific Beachcomber's hotel on Bora Bora, the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa, and is in place today at The Brando, where it provides half of the resort's energy. (A field of solar panels bordering the airstrip provides another quarter, and a biofuel thermal power station running on Tahitian coconut oil makes up the rest.)
Design was largely left up to Bailey, with the exception of a ban on overwater bungalows, a staple of other Polynesian resorts. "He thought it was an encroachment on nature," explains Bailey. "He wanted the approach to his island from the water to look as much as possible like it had in its primitive state. So we set everything back into the trees."
Today, The Brando's cottages (one-bedroom villas start at $4,000 a night, all inclusive) are indeed effectively camouflaged among the foliage. The buildings themselves, though, have an understated elegance, particularly the interiors. Designed by Pierre-Jean Picart, a Frenchman living in Tahiti, they blend Polynesian style with whimsical flourishes. The building housing the fine dining restaurant Les Mutinés, for example, has curved arcs like the hull of a boat, while lines of layered twigs embellish some buildings' exteriors, fringes of wood drape over balconies and the spa buildings are clad in a skein of striplings resembling a bird's nest. Overall, it's an aesthetic that Bailey believes Brando would have appreciated.
That consideration--what would Marlon have wanted?--recurred to Bailey throughout the five years of construction. "I felt him looking over my shoulder the entire time," says Bailey. "And I heard him arguing, as we always did. ... I'd think, 'Is it okay if I do this?' and hear 'No, you can't do that!'"
It's hard, though, to imagine Brando being displeased with his namesake resort. The villas are sleek but muted, constructed mostly in light wood with neutral taupe color schemes. They come complete with media rooms with satellite TVs, plunge pools and direct access to the beach. Parisian chef Guy Martin, of the Michelin two-star Le Grand Vefour , is the consultant for the two restaurants. Dishes such as mahi mahi with white mushroom, spice, and a ginger and basil emulsion in the somewhat more formal Les Mutinés, and grilled tuna with coconut vierge dressing in the more casual Beachcomber Café would be remarkable in any setting (as would The Beachcomber's deftly prepared roster of bistro classics). At breakfast, Martin's Paris sous-chef Antoine Soots, the executive chef here, turns out remarkably flaky, authentic croissants that don't turn soggy in the humidity and are even better with the voluptuous honey produced by the island's own beehives.
Guests can spend their days in the Varua spa experiencing treatments such as "the Varua Mana experience," a Tahitian tamanu oil scrub followed by a coconut oil Polynesian massage. Off land, they can go snorkeling out in the lagoon or take excursions conducted by Te Mana O Te Moana , a Tahiti-based nonprofit devoted to the conservation of marine wildlife. They can also visit the eco-station of the island's own nonprofit Tetiaroa Society , where research is being conducted by scientists from visiting universities--another important goal of Brando's. The society's director, Hinano Bagnis, first met Brando as a 10-year-old visiting the island. She works closely with Marlon's son Teihotu Brando, who has spent his entire life on the island and seems to know something about every leaf and fish.
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What was Wham!'s first No 1? | Wham! 80s Songs and Albums | Simplyeighties.com
WHAM! 80S SONGS AND ALBUMS
Firstly, we hope you will enjoy our playlist of official videos. There are also several pages with further info about some of the songs which are linked to underneath.
Wham! formed in 1981 and were initially named Wham! UK in the U.S. due to another band using the name Wham. Between 1982 and 1987, the band sold over 28 million records. They achieved success with six UK No.1's between 1983 and 1986. These were; "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go", "Careless Whisper", "Freedom", "I'm Your Man", "A Different Corner" and "The Edge Of Heaven".
George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley first met at Bushey Meads School in Bushey, Hertfordshire. Their first performance together was in a short-lived band called The Executive which they formed with three old school friends. After the band split, George and Andrew formed Wham! and signed to Innervision Records.
The Singles
1984 Everything She Wants / Last Christmas #2
1985 I'm Your Man #1
1986 The Edge Of Heaven #1
The First Top Of The Pops Performance
The band's debut single was released in June 1982. "Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do)" initially failed to chart. However, the band received an unexpected invite to perform their second single "Young Guns (Go For It)" on BBC Top Of The Pops when another act pulled out of the show. This proved to be a significant turning point for the band, with the song reaching #3 in the UK charts.
You may well remember the performance which featured Dee C. Lee and Shirlie Holliman as backing dancers. George wore an unbuttoned suede jacket with a turned up collar with rolled-up blue denim jeans and espadrilles. After George had danced around Ridgeley for a while, the four performed a synchronised dance routine with hand claps. It all looked so very cool at the time and the band.
Following on from this success, "Wham Rap!" was re-released in 1983 and this time managed to reach No.8 in the UK, No.9 in Australia and No.13 in the Irish singles chart.
Dee C. Lee left the band to work with The Style Council, with Pepsi DeMacque taking her place.
Wham! had two UK No.2 hits with "Bad Boys" in May 1983 and with "Last Christmas" in December 1984. Their other well-known hit was the camptastic "Club Tropicana", which reached No.4 in July 1983.
Wham's farewell album "The Final" was released in 1986, and reached No.2 in the UK album charts. The final single taken from the album was "The Edge Of Heaven" which was a UK No.1.
Overall, Wham! released three studio albums which were Fantastic (UK No.1, 1983), Make It Big (UK No.1, 1984) and The Final (UK No.2, 1986).
Music From The Edge Of Heaven (U.S. No.10, 1985), was a severely pared-down version of The Final with alternate tracks, and was released in the U.S.
If You Were There (The Best Of Wham) was released in 1997 and reached No.4 in the UK.
Of course, George Michael's musical career was far from over. His 1987 debut solo album, "Faith" was a massive success and has now sold over 20 million copies worldwide.
George Michael has now sold over 100 million records worldwide, and this includes 12 UK No.1 singles, 7 UK No.1 albums, 10 U.S. No.1 singles, and 1 US No.1 album.
"EVERYTHING SHE WANTS" (1984)
This song was a million-seller in Britain, although it never really got quite the attention it deserved. It was released as a double-A side with "Last Christmas" on 10th Dec 1984 and, inevitably, it was the festive favourite that had the majority of the airplay. Nonetheless, it's still a widely recognised 80s tune which has attracted over 20 million views on Youtube. This is, no doubt, thanks partly to the video game Grand Theft Auto V in which it featured. George Michael once stated in an interview that it was his favourite Wham! track.
"THE EDGE OF HEAVEN"
The video clip features George Michael and Andrew Ridgley's final performance as Wham! on the British music show Top Of The Pops.
By the time The Edge Of Heaven was released Wham had already announced they were going to split-up, and George Michael was keen to develop a more sophisticated, adult sound.
The song was the 80s band's fourth and final number one and was lifted from The Final album. In America the song reached #10, making it their last Top 40 hit in the Billboard Hot 100.
WHAM! PERFORMING "FREEDOM" ON BBC TOP OF THE POPS IN 1984
Released in the late summer of 1984, Freedom was a #1 in the UK, Ireland and Norway during 1984 and was taken from the second album, Make It Big which was released a couple of months later during October 1984. It was the band's second out of four number one hit singles in the UK and their seventh Top 20 hit of the 80s.
WHAM Freedom (1984 UK 7 inch vinyl single)
WHAM! Freedom (1984 UK 12" inch vinyl single featuring the Long Version & Instrumental picture sleeve)
Make It Big!
Released on 23rd October 1984, the second album release from Wham! certainly lived up to its title, and went on to become the band's most successful studio album achieving 6x Platinum in both the U.S. and Canada and 4x Platinum in the UK.
Track listing:
| Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go |
Which musical featured the song You'll Never Walk Alone? | Wham's George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley could be set for long-awaited reunion for 30th anniversary - Mirror Online
Celebs
Wham's George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley could be set for long-awaited reunion for 30th anniversary
80s heartthrobs could be about to make up before they go go for a new documentary to mark 30th anniversary
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Reunion: Could Wham be getting back together (Photo: Mirrorpix)
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Fans of iconic 80s duo Wham! will be on the edge of heaven as George Michael may film a 30th anniversary reunion.
Documentary makers are keen to get George back with Andrew Ridgeley and backing singers Shirley Holliman, 53, and Pepsi DeMacque, 56.
The film would mark 30 years since the band’s last emotional gig at Wembley Stadium in June 1986.
The heart-throbs, both now 52, enjoyed a string of hits together in the mid 80s, including Wake Me Up Before You Go Go, Last Christmas and I’m Your Man.
A TV source said: “The show would be a great opportunity to reflect on the band’s incredible success. They defined that era in pop music, and it would be amazing to see the guys together again.
Heartthrobs: Wham performing back in the 1980s (Photo: Daily Mirror)
“At the moment it is in the early phases of planning but the signs are good and George’s people are keen on the idea.
“Getting him on board is the most difficult aspect of it, but he’s keen to do something positive and would enjoy the chance to celebrate the band’s achievements.
“He still has very fond memories of that time in his career, and it catapulted him to huge fame and laid the foundations for his enormous solo success. The others are keen to make something happen. Everyone is hopeful.”
The show could also be the perfect chance for George to mark a return to form after damaging reports claimed he was addicted to crack.
Reunion plans: Andrew Ridgeley, former member of 1980s pop duo Wham! (Photo: BILLY GRIFFITHS)
The star strenuously denied claims that his family feared he would die from drug abuse and that he was in a Swiss rehab clinic.
He posted on his Twitter profile: “To my lovelies, do not believe this rubbish in the papers today by someone I don’t know anymore and haven’t seen for nearly 18 years.
“I am perfectly fine and enjoyed Wimbledon like the rest of you. Wish it went to five sets though! Lots of love, The Singing Greek x.”
Back together: Could George Michael be about to reform Wham (Photo: PA)
And a statement from his management said: “Whilst it is our general policy not to comment on private matters, we would in this instance note that these highly inaccurate stories have been apparently provided to the press by the wife of a very distant family member, neither of whom has had any dealings with him for many many years.
“It is therefore unsurprising that they are so incorrect. Beyond this we have no further comment to make as the matter is now in the hands of Mr Michael’s lawyers.”
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In which year was Bloody Sunday in Londonderry? | BBC - History - Bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday
An overview of the events of 30 January 1972 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, using archive footage and interviews.
Bloody Sunday
On 30 January 1972, a civil rights demonstration through the streets of Londonderry in north-west Northern Ireland ended with the shooting dead of thirteen civilians by the British Army.
An official government inquiry began two weeks later but was widely considered a whitewash, leading to a fresh public inquiry in 1998 that took 12 years to report and absolved the victims of blame.
Explore the history of Bloody Sunday with over 40 years of BBC archive clips.
Photo: Demonstrators on a civil rights march through the streets of Londonderry before the shootings on Bloody Sunday
Timeline of key events: details and archive clips
15 June 2010
More information about: Bloody Sunday
On the morning of Sunday 30 January 1972, around ten thousand people gathered in Londonderry for a civil rights march. The British Army had sealed off the original route so the march organisers led most of the demonstrators towards 'Free Derry Corner' in the nationalist Bogside area of the city. Despite this, a number of people continued on towards an army barricade where local youths threw stones at soldiers, who responded with a water cannon, CS gas and rubber bullets.
As the riot began to disperse, soldiers of the 1st Parachute Regiment were ordered to move in and arrest as many of the rioters as possible. In the minutes that followed, some of these paratroopers opened fire on the crowd, killing thirteen men and injuring 13 others, one of whom died some months later.
Free Derry
British troops had been sent into Derry as a peacekeeping force in August 1969 and had initially been welcomed by the predominantly Catholic nationalist community as a preferable alternative to what they saw as the discrimination of the local Northern Ireland security forces. The residents of the Bogside area of the city had declared it 'Free Derry' and refused to recognise the authority of the Northern Ireland government, led by a unionist majority that drew most of its support from the Protestant community.
Opposition to policies such as detention of terrorist suspects without trial (internment) and the alleged rigging of electoral wards to favour Protestant voters (gerrymandering) had inspired a nascent civil rights movement across Northern Ireland. With support for the demands of the civil rights movement so strong among local people, Derry was an obvious choice for a mass demonstration.
The events of Bloody Sunday
About ten thousand people gathered in the Creggan area of Derry on the morning of Sunday 30 January 1972. After prolonged skirmishes between groups of local youths and the army at barricades set up to prevent the march reaching its intended destination (Guildhall Square in the heart of the city), paratroopers moved in to make arrests. During this operation, they opened fire on the crowd, killing thirteen and wounding 13 others.
The dead were all male, aged between seventeen and forty-one. Another man, aged fifty-nine, died some months later from injuries sustained on that day. The wounded included a fifteen-year-old boy and a woman.
Reaction and inquiries
While the British Army maintained that its troops had responded after coming under fire, the people of the Bogside saw it as murder. The British government was sufficiently concerned for the Home Secretary to announce the following day an official inquiry into the circumstances of the shootings.
Opinion was further polarised by the findings of this tribunal, led by the British Lord Chief Justice, Lord Widgery. His report exonerated the army and cast suspicion on many of the victims, suggesting they had been handling bombs and guns. Relatives of the dead and the wider nationalist community campaigned for a fresh public inquiry, which was finally granted by then Prime Minister Tony Blair in 1998.
Headed by Lord Saville, the Bloody Sunday Inquiry took 12 years and finally reported in 2010 . It established the innocence of the victims and laid responsibility for what happened on the army.
Prime Minister David Cameron called the killings "unjustified and unjustifiable". The families of the victims of Bloody Sunday felt that the inquiry's findings vindicated those who were killed, raising the question of prosecutions and compensation.
| one thousand nine hundred and seventy two |
The first untethered space walk took place from which space craft? | Bloody Sunday: who else could be arrested? - Telegraph
Defence
Bloody Sunday: who else could be arrested?
The Police Service of Northern Ireland has said it intends to question seven former soldiers as part of its murder inquiry into the events of Bloody Sunday in 1972.
A memorial in Londonderry to those killed on Bloody Sunday Photo: AFP
By Gordon Rayner , Chief Reporter
6:02PM GMT 11 Nov 2015
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Following the arrest of L/Cpl J, a 66-year-old former Para who was involved in Bloody Sunday, the Police Service of Northern Ireland has said more arrests will follow.
L/Cpl J became the first member of the British armed forces to be arrested over the killing of 14 people at a civil rights march in Londonderry in 1972 when he was held on Tuesday.
Here we profile the key players who were criticised by the 12-year-long Saville Inquiry into the killings.
Colonel Derek Wilford
Col Derek Wilford
The man in charge of 1 Para was criticised by the Saville Report for going beyond his orders to round up trouble-makers and protect the public.
It said: "It appears to us that he wanted to demonstrate that the way to deal with rioters in Londonderry was not for soldiers to shelter behind barricades like (as he put it) ‘Aunt Sallies’ while being stoned, as he perceived the local troops had been doing, but instead to go aggressively after rioters, as he and his soldiers had been doing in Belfast.
"What Colonel Wilford failed to appreciate, or regarded as of little consequence, was that his soldiers… would almost certainly be unable to identify anyone as a rioter."
Col Wilford, 81, now lives in Belgium.
Lance Corporal F
The Saville Inquiry concluded that L/Cpl F killed Patrick Doherty, Michael Kelly, Bernard McGuigan and possibly William McKinney and James Wray. The soldier himself agreed that he had killed four people – Doherty, Kelly, McGuigan and a fourth man whose identity he could not be sure of.
Michael Kelly was shot while he was behind a rubble barricade in Rossville Street, Londonderry, while the others were killed in nearby Glenfada Park North.
Soldier F said in his evidence to the Saville Inquiry: “The people I shot are the petrol bombers or a person who had a weapon."
In the chaos of Bloody Sunday 14 people were killed Photo: Ken Mason/The Telegraph
The report said: “Lance Corporal F did not fire in a state of fear or panic. We are sure that he fired either in the belief that no-one in the area into which he fired was posing a threat of causing death or serious injury, or not caring whether or not anyone there was posing such a threat."
Four soldiers, E, F, G and H, were between them responsible for killing seven of the 14 people who died on Bloody Sunday, and injuring several others. Private G has since died.
Private H
The man who fired the most shots on Bloody Sunday, Private H is one of two suspects, together with L/Cpl F, for the killing of William McKinney, who was killed in Glenfada Park North.
Private H may also have fired the first shot to hit James Wray, the report said. He was hit twice, and the Saville Inquiry concluded that H and G fired the two shots.
Like E, F and G, soldier H said he had only shot at people in possession of of or seeking to use bombs or firearms.
The Saville Report stated: “In our view none of these soldiers fired in the belief that he had or might have identified a person in possession of or using or about to use bombs or firearms. William McKinney and Jim Wray were both shot in the back and none of the other casualties (with the possible exception of Daniel Gillespie) appears to have been facing the soldiers when shot.
“We are sure that these soldiers fired either in the belief that no-one in the areas towards which they respectively fired was posing a threat of causing death or serious injury, or not caring whether or not anyone there was posing such a threat. In their cases (with the possible exception of Private H), it is unlikely that they fired in a state of fear or panic.”
Corporal E
The Saville Report said it was possible Corporal E was responsible for shooting one of three casualties next to each other at a rubble barricade – William Nash, John Young and Michael McDaid. Soldier J was arrested and questioned about the deaths of all three.
It is “probable” that Corporal E also injured another man in Glenfada Park North.
John Young, William Nash and Michael McDaid Photo: Bloody Sunday Trust/PA
Corporal P
The Saville Report concluded that Corporal P shot at least one of the three casualties at the rubble barricade “and may have been responsible for all three”.
It is also possible that he injured Alexander Nash, who was shot while he was attending to his son William.
He told the Saville Inquiry he did not remember firing his rifle.
A Saville Inquiry graphic shows Corporal P's position and shot trajectory Photo: Saville Inquiry
Private R
The Saville Report said Private R, of Mortar Platoon, was probably the soldier who shot 17-year-old Jackie Duddy, the first person to die on Bloody Sunday.
A mural in Londonderry depicts Jackie Duddy being carried away by friends after he was shot
Private U
The Saville Report authors said they were “sure” that Private U, who had taken up a position at the northern end of the Rossville Flats, “fired at and mortally wounded Hugh Gilmour as the latter was running south (away from the soldiers)”.
The 17-year-old was shot through the elbow, the bullet then entering his chest and killing him.
A graphic produced by the Saville Inquiry shows the direction of a shot fired by Private U, thought to have killed Hugh Gilmour Photo: Saville Inquiry
Privates L and M
The Saville Report said that either L or M shot and killed Kevin McElhinney as he was crawling south from the rubble barricade away from the soldiers. Both are thought to have fired at him.
A Saville Inquiry grahic shows the shots fired by soldiers L and M Photo: Saville Inquiry
Bloody Sunday investigation
The arrest of a former British soldier over the Bloody Sunday killings comes more than 43 years after the incident
30 Jan 1972
Bloody Sunday
Thirteen people are killed and another 14 wounded when soldiers of the Parachute Regiment open fire during a disturbance after a civil rights march in Londonderry. One of the wounded dies some months later.
31 Jan 1972
Heath announces inquiry
Edward Heath, then Prime Minister, sets up a public tribunal under the then Lord Chief Justice, Lord Widgery.
18 Apr 1972
Widgery Report
Lord Widgery’s report exonerates the Army, concluding the soldiers were fired upon first. It concludes there was a strong suspicion that some of those killed had been handling bombs or weapons earlier in the afternoon. Families of the dead say the report is a whitewash and begin a long campaign for a new inquiry.
Dec 1974
Compensation
Government says it will make compensations payments to the families of the dead "in a spirit of goodwill and conciliation". Payments range from £250 to more than £16,500.
Jun 1997
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What was the main color of a Storm trooper in Star Wars? | Stormtrooper | Wookieepedia | Fandom powered by Wikia
― Luke Skywalker [src]
Specialized snowtrooper armor
Stormtroopers wore a distinctive set of white armor that was used to instill fear in the Empire's subjects, while also providing the soldiers with an extended range of survival equipment and temperature controls, thus allowing them to survive in almost any environment. [1] The helmet provided skull protection, filtered air , and contained enhanced vision and communication systems. Rank was determined by a color coded pauldron worn over the left shoulder, with orange or red representing the rank of commander , black indicating an enlisted trooper, and white representing a sergeant . They also had a utility belt and a grappling hook attached to it, and primarily used the E-11 blaster rifle , however could also utilize the DLT-20A laser rifle or DLT-19 heavy blaster rifle when necessary. However, the stormtrooper armor was not without its faults. The plates made running hard and offered little protection against a direct blaster shot. [6] [28] The helmet also greatly obstructed a soldier's vision, which hindered their capacity to properly aim a blaster, regardless of prior training. [28]
By 28 ABY , stormtrooper helmets and armor were collected by individuals like the New Republic senator Ransolm Casterfo , who had an interest in Imperial "artifacts." Several of Casterfo's Centrist senators including Apolin and Fatil also admired and collected Imperial uniforms and armor. In addition, Imperial armor and other artefacts also sold at markets on Chrome Citadel . [29]
Specialized stormtroopers
Edit
In addition to the "standard" troops, the Empire had created a number of specialized stormtrooper units assembled to operate on varied planets and climates within its territory. Scout troopers wore lighter armor and used speeder bikes to patrol the perimeter of the Imperial garrisons they were assigned to. [19]
Sniper troopers were specialists pulled from Scout trooper ranks and wielded the deadly E-11s long-range blaster . [30] Stormtrooper snipers were also pulled from standard stormtrooper ranks, and wore a blue pauldron over their shoulder and had a visor attached to their helmet, along with a black bandolier across their chest plate. [30] There were also the Imperial combat drivers who piloted many of the Imperial Army's ground vehicles. [31]
Sandtroopers wore modified armor that allowed them to survive on desert worlds such as Tatooine. [32] To deal with problems on frozen environments, the Empire utilized their cold weather assault stormtroopers , nicknamed snowtroopers, who wore a special mask and a kama that both resembled the equipment worn by the Galactic Marines on Mygeeto during the Clone Wars. [8] [1] [17] Coastal defender stormtroopers were stormtroopers trained and equipped to operate in coastal and tropical regions, such as those found on Scarif .
Death trooper armor
Phase II dark troopers wore heavy armor and were used to attack enemy defenses with assault cannons. [33] While Shadow Troopers were armed with T-21 light repeating blasters and cloaking technology along with intimidating black amour.
Similar to the Shadow Troopers, the black armored death troopers were an elite variant of troopers focusing on Imperial Intelligence and Imperial Navy . They were usually assigned to protect high ranking personnel and equipped with SE-14r light repeating blasters .
Magma troopers were equipped to operate in extremely high temperatures, and were trained to fight on volcanic worlds such as Sullust. [34] [25] Spacetroopers wore armor designed to breathe in space and were used to patrol parts of the Death Star with no air. [35]
Shock Troopers were armed with heavy weaponry and wore stormtrooper armor with distinctive red markings, similar to those of Republic clone troopers who served as Coruscant Guards during the Clone Wars . [21] [36] There also existed Imperial Heavy Troopers who were equipped with heavy combat armor and electrostaffs , similar to the Imperial riot troopers . Heavy Weapons Stormtroopers wielded large, rotary blaster cannons while the more agile Jumptroopers , equipped with jet packs easily bounded over walls and other obstacles to assault targets directly. [36] Stormtrooper grenadiers wielded grenade launchers , and wore a red pauldron along with a black bandolier across their chest, while Stormtrooper chargers took down their opponents with extreme ferocity. [30]
Stormtroopers in mechanized battle armor armed with heavy handheld cannon were present at the battle of Sevarcos. [15] Purge Troopers helped enforce Imperial law in the Anoat sector , being lead by the formidable Commander Bragh during the Iron Blockade . [37] Flametroopers were stormtroopers equipped with incendiary weapons. [16] Storm Commandos were the special forces of the Stormtrooper Corps and were trained to deal with extreme combat situations. [7]
Thirty years after the Battle of Endor , variants of the former Galactic Empire's armed forces would exist under the auspices of a new organization known as the First Order . It would continue to utilize new stormtroopers , as well as megablaster heavy assault troopers , riot control stormtroopers , snowtroopers , and flametroopers . [22]
Behind the scenes
Edit
Early concept art of stormtroopers.
Stormtroopers, as depicted in the early drafts of Star Wars and envisioned by Ralph McQuarrie , were to wield lightsabers and hand-held shields. George Lucas , when composing background information for licensees in 1977 , stated that females did exist in the Stormtrooper Corps, although there were few stationed on the Death Star. He suggested that they were numerous in other units. [38]
In Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope , an actor playing a stormtrooper accidently hit his head on a doorway. In the Star Wars Special Editions , a sound was added for the purpose of comedy. Over the years the accident turned into a tradition by making actors hit their heads on doors in the Star Wars films. [39]
Stormtroopers were named after Imperial German Sturmtruppen, which in English translated to Stormtroopers , special troops who were tasked in the last year of World War I with mounting fierce infantry assaults on Allied trenches in an attempt to break the stalemate on the Western Front. However, many aspects of the branch of service, such as their unwavering obedience to the Emperor, their reputation for excessive force, and their status as an independent element separate from the overall army bears some similarity to the Sturmabteilung (Lit: Assault Section) of the 1930s NSDAP party in Germany, as well as the Waffen-SS or "Armed SS" units that served as independent military formations controlled directly by the Nazi hierarchy and not the German High Command during World War II .[ source? ]
Panoramic view of stormtroopers marching through shallow water for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Appearances
| White |
Richard Nixon was Vice President to which US state? | Black Stormtrooper in Star Wars Hits Back at Commenters
John Boyega is unbothered by Star Wars fans who wanted white Stormtroopers
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When the first trailer for Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens emerged, some commenters on the Internet were peeved to see a black actor playing a Stormtrooper in the film.
But that’s not bothering actor John Boyega, who called the negativity “unnecessary” in an interview with V Magazine. “I’m in the movie, what are you going to do about it? You either enjoy it or you don’t. I’m not saying get used to the future, but what is already happening. People of color and women are increasingly being shown on-screen. For things to be whitewashed just doesn’t make sense.”
Boyega also opened up about his character, whose plot line remains mysterious; he’s been seen both in his Stormtrooper uniform and in personal clothes, which has sparked fan theories about what his role might be. He says the truth will be “very surprising” to moviegoers, and from the speculation he’s seen so far, “nobody has a clue.”
Boyega is a relative newcomer to Hollywood, and says he has a helpful mentor to show him the ropes: Robert Downey, Jr. “He’s helped me prepare for how my life is going to change and that has been inspiring,” Boyega says. “I’m talking to someone who understands the power of choices, both positive and negative.”
Star Wars hits theaters Dec. 18.
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Luxor international airport is in which country? | Profile on Luxor International Airport | CAPA - Centre for Aviation
TAP Portugal
Luxor International Airport serves the city of Luxor, Egypt . Luxor is a popular tourist destination, particularly for tourists travelling to the River Nile and the Valley of the Kings. The majority of traffic at Luxor is European charter traffic, but the airport is also well served by airlines from across North Africa , the Middle East and Europe .
Location of Luxor International Airport, Egypt
Source: CAPA - Centre for Aviation and Google Maps
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| Egypt |
Which country did Albert Einstein move to as the Nazis rose to power? | Car rental Luxor International Airport | Europcar
Egypt
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In the 90s how many points have been awarded for finishing first in a Grand Prix? | Olympic success: How much does a gold medal cost? - BBC News
BBC News
Olympic success: How much does a gold medal cost?
By Richard Anderson Business reporter, BBC News
7 August 2012
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Image caption The Great British team is on course for its best performance since the first London Olympics in 1908
How much does an Olympic gold medal cost? With a minimum six grams of gold and a large chunk of silver, the pithy answer is about £450.
But as Britain basks in the glory of what is shaping up to be the most triumphant Olympics for Team GB in more than 100 years, it is worth reflecting for a moment on the reasons behind the success.
Talent, punishing training regimes, pride in a home games and fervent support have of course played a key part in so many record-breaking performances.
But, in the end, as cynical and unpalatable as it may sound, the main reason behind the team's overall success is cold, hard cash.
Medal bonanza
In the Atlanta Games in 1996, the British team won a grand total of one gold medal, and 15 in all.
The following year, National Lottery funding was injected directly into elite Olympic sports for the first time.
The return was instant. In the Sydney Games of 2000, the British team won 11 golds - the first time Britain won more than 10 golds since the Antwerp Games in 1920 - and 28 medals in total.
Athens in 2004 saw a similar return, the last games before the Olympic Committee awarded the 2012 games to London.
Investment in Olympic sports in the UK immediately rocketed in preparation for the country's first games since 1948, and again the return was both immediate and spectacular - the British team won 19 golds and 47 medals in total in Beijing in 2008.
This graph was correct at time of publication. The latest full Olympic medals table can be seen here.
"When Great Britain went to Beijing, the team benefited from £235m investment in training programmes in the years running up to the Olympics - that's a fourfold increase on what was spent [in the run up to Athens]," says Prof David Forrest, a sports economist at the University of Salford.
"We spent an extra £165m and got 17 more medals, so that's about £10m a medal."
'Big impact'
This massive increase in investment in elite sports was funded in large part by the National Lottery.
"Lottery funding in the 90s has a lot to do with [Great Britain's recent success]," says Stefan Szymanski, professor of sports management at the University of Michigan.
"That devotion of financial resources, particularly on building up elite teams, has had a big effect on Britain."
Image caption More successful sports such as cycling receive greater funding, making them even more successful
In fact, the Lottery accounts for about 60% of funding for GB's Olympic teams' preparation for the London Games. Almost 40% comes directly from the UK exchequer - in other words, directly from our pockets via taxes.
This equates to about 80p a year per UK taxpayer. About £7m also comes from money raised by Team 2012, mainly through corporate sponsors.
Just how big an impact all this money has had becomes even clearer when you look at individual sports.
In Beijing, the most successful sports were those that received the most funding. Between them, athletics, cycling, rowing, sailing and swimming accounted for half of all Olympic team funding. They also accounted for 36 of the 47 medals won.
The same pattern can be seen in the current Olympics - almost half of all funding went to these five sports and, so far, together they have won 27 out the 40 medals won.
Of course, there is a chicken and egg element here, as funding is rewarded on the basis of success.
Once the pattern in established, however, it is hard to break, as the more successful sports get more money, allowing them to become even more successful.
Closed sports
In fact, there are some sports that are in effect closed to all but the most wealthy nations.
That really cost us... the money is the difference between silver and gold
Kevan Gosper, Australian member of the International Olympic Committee
"We have identified four sports where there is virtually no chance that anyone from a poor country can win a medal - equestrian, sailing, cycling and swimming," says Prof Forrest.
He points to a study suggesting there is one swimming pool for every six million people in Ethiopia.
Wrestling, judo, weightlifting and gymnastics, he says, tend to be the best sports for developing nations.
For the majority of other disciplines, money is key.
According to Prof Szymanski, 15% of all Olympic medals ever awarded have been won by the US, with European countries accounting for 60%.
"These are two very rich and relatively highly populated regions. The combination of these two is probably what goes to producing Olympic medals over the long term," he says.
'Real difference'
Australians are certainly starting to question the role of money in their team's relatively poor performances in London - at the time of writing, the country is lying 24th in the medals table, with just one gold.
Kevan Gosper, Australian member of the International Olympic Committee, can see one very obvious reason.
"We've been down on the sort of financial support that we were accustomed to when compared with the financial support that's coming through from other countries, particularly here in Europe," he told Australia's ABC radio during an interview from London.
"That really cost us... the money is the difference between silver and gold."
For other countries, it's the difference between finishing on the podium and finishing nowhere.
"If you start thinking of [the games] in terms of 'how has my country performed relative to others', then you can get rather cynical, because the shape of the medals table is driven mainly by just how rich a country is," says Prof Forrest.
But with Team GB's haul so far costing each UK taxpayer less than 10p a medal, you won't find too many Britons complaining. Add in a conservative £12bn cost of hosting the games at £400 per taxpayer, and some may not feel quite the same.
*Tennis is funded by the Lawn Tennis Association
| ten |
Which lawyer made Raymond Burr famous? | 2012 Olympia Weekend: How Do Athletes Qualify?
2012 Olympia Weekend: How Do Athletes Qualify?
By David Robson
Last updated: Sep 11, 2012
This year marks the debut of a new Olympia qualification system. Get all the facts, rules and opinions from pros right here!
The IFBB has created a new points system to promote increased competition among its athletes while providing fans with consistently-stacked lineups. The announcement of the Olympia Qualification Series came on March 14, 2012, and was largely viewed by fans, competitors and administrators as a welcome change. It's an opportunity for more athletes to compete against the best, ensuring a steady supply of heated battles and exciting events.
The Olympia Qualification Series awards points to competitors who place in the top 5 in all six divisions of all Pro League events. The winners of each Pro League event qualify for that season's Olympia. Each athlete who places in the top-5 at the Olympia automatically qualifies for the next Olympia.
Athletes on the top-tier fringes must, under the new system, fight it out to achieve the score needed to enter the top-5 standings based on accumulated points. If contenders accumulate enough points, they will proceed to Olympia contention.
Olympic Dreams
The IFBB ranked each of its Pro League events from Tier 1 through Tier 4. It will reward athletes with points commensurate with the level of competition each show likely presents (see table below). Such rankings should encourage more athletes to compete in the larger shows and also promote greater overall inclusion in the 'smaller' events (a promoter's dream come true).
Based on current pro point standings, Ben Pakulski has the most points (10) so far and is well-placed for Olympia inclusion. By contrast, Australia's Luke Timms who placed fifth in this year's Australian Pro Grand Prix and 13th at the 2012 Mr. Europe Grand Prix, has secured only one point. In order to make it to the Olympia, he needs to overtake men like Tony Freeman (4 points), Sergey Shelestov (4 points) and Flex Lewis (3 points).
Pros and Cons of Systemic Change
As with any new system or set of rules governing the running of sporting events, it remains to be seen whether the latest IFBB mandate is as successful as proposed. It seems well-thought-out and has been welcomed as a way to generate mainstream interest and opportunities for sponsorships for fitness, figure and bodybuilding competitors. But there aren't many systems that are infallible, and it's still worthwhile to assess the pros and cons of this new regulation.
Pros ///
Bigger Lineups - With Olympia inclusion at stake, more athletes will vie for top honors in a greater number of IFBB-run pro events. More participation in better events will serve to promote pro bodybuilding's elite athletes on a much grander scale and increase the sport's level of exposure.
Olympia Inclusion - The system rewards athletes who are willing to make the necessary sacrifices and who have the toughness and resiliency to stand toe-to-toe with the world's best for months on end. The Olympia is on the line all year now. Lesser competitors who consistently maintain their peaks can earn points and overtake the betting favorites. This will help keep competitors honest and will likely raise the physical standard among all IFBB pros.
Better-Conditioned Athletes - The new qualification system may encourage athletes to fine tune their preparation and consistently bring their A-game to each contest. IFBB athletes will have to perfect the art shredding and peaking in order to obtain those much-needed points. Competitors may initially find it difficult to adjust to the pressure of competing more often, which may be reflected in the way they look onstage. But in due course, we should see a much higher standard. More competitors will then be likely to take to the Olympia stage in the best shape of their lives.
Star Athletes Will Compete More Often - Though the sport's biggest names may have already received automatic Olympia inclusion, contenders who routinely place in the top 5 in the smaller shows may now be forced to compete more often. If this does occur, each show's lineup may be on par with the average Arnold Classic or New York Pro field, leading to bigger and better contests.
Increased Mainstream Interest - Because more top-level competitors will challenge each other more often, the IFBB (and bodybuilding in general) will likely gain greater exposure. Events will be more widely discussed and disseminated, and we can expect more anticipation for upcoming shows. This extra exposure will naturally translate to more mainstream interest in pro bodybuilding, a win-win for the sport.
Tests The Best - In sports, top amateur events like the Olympics and professional leagues (NFL and MLB), athletes are expected to compete week after week to solidify their position as the best of the best. Pro bodybuilding organizations once tested their athletes under such trying conditions. The Grand Prix tours of the '70s, '80s and '90s were much more difficult than they are now.
A major component to athletics is the ability to consistently perform at the highest level. Until recently, certain professional bodybuilders - usually elite level competitors - may have competed only once per year; then they trained, rested and put the rest of their energy into
showing well at the
previous placements, not
the work ethic that distinguishes
a champion from an also-ran. Now the top contenders, like all other athletes, may have to prove themselves many times each year.
Cons ///
Back-To-Back Competition - In the past, IFBB pro athletes would have the opportunity to pick an event, train hard for it, then land in the top 3 to garner Olympia inclusion. In the new system, athletes unlikely to either win an event or place top 5 in the Olympia will be pressured to gather the necessary points instead. It is difficult to prepare for just one event, but having to compete several times over 3-to-4 months could prove exhaustive. A weary schedule could result in a lineup of battle-weary Olympians.
Potential Danger - For those who must compete many times throughout the year, multiple peaking could mean an increased reliance on potentially harmful chemicals like clenbuterol, diuretics and other enhancers. The demise of champions Andreas Munzer and Momo Benaziza, both known for their active pro competition schedules, shows that tipping the body's chemical balance too far can have devastating consequences. Seasoned competitors know that in today's ultra-competitive pro bodybuilding scene, it is imperative to achieve off-the-charts-conditioning to have any hope of finishing well.
New Pros May Struggle - While the new qualification system may enable new pros to gain Olympia inclusion based on persistence of effort and extreme sacrifice, many rookie competitors may not yet have the experience needed to nail their conditioning for one event, let alone many competitions in succession. They will have to adjust, overcome, and learn from their mistakes. Such a practice may prove dissuasive, thus forcing many promising athletes out of the sport before they're truly in.
Champions and Insiders Speak
Professional competitors weigh in on the new Olympia Qualification Series:
Francis Benfatto ///
IFBB Pro Bodybuilding Legend
Most pro bodybuilders who compete today may like the idea of getting points to participate at the Mr. Olympia competition, but some athletes may not have the Olympia-level physique to successfully compete. Most qualified athletes should have a serious year of preparation to significantly progress in order to reach Olympia level. The current level of muscle development, density and conditioning required to compete against the best Olympians is phenomenal, and with no comparison to any other professional competition, it's difficult to judge how far an athlete has come. We will only know for sure the positive or negative side of this qualification system after trying and verifying it.
Constantinos Demetriou ///
IFBB Pro Bodybuilder
I was pretty accustomed to placing top 3 and top 5 under the NY pro qualifying system when aiming for Olympia inclusion. I had that set in my mind for some time and felt I was almost there because I have placed 9th, 7th and 5th. I am not sure if the new system is better for us or not. I guess I must take it up a notch and win a show or be more consistent with my competing. Either way, I now have to become a better bodybuilder. The Mr. Olympia is a prestigious event and I am glad they are making us work hard to qualify for it. If they didn't and some guys slipped in and qualified because there was lack of competition in a qualifying show, then it would no longer be special. Why would you want to walk on that stage with the best in the world if you looked out of place up there?
Mark Dugdale ///
IFBB Pro Bodybuilder
I think the point system is valid. It will benefit contest promoters who may otherwise lose competitors when a "big name" athlete commits to their show. It also provides an opportunity for athletes who may never win an IFBB pro contest to gain an Olympia qualification. The downside is that some competitors will essentially need to diet year-round and enter several contests to gain a qualifying spot. Getting to the Olympia stage will be like running a marathon and on the day of the Super Bowl of bodybuilding, those who competed often will not be able to bring their best physique to the stage.
Kris Gethin ///
Writer, Book Author, Physical Transformation Specialist
The new IFBB Pro League points scoring system is definitely a welcome addition for all parties: fans, promoters, athletes and for worldwide exposure of the sport. Of course, more fans will be encouraged to visit more events knowing they are going to see a stacked lineup of top-tier bodybuilders fighting to accumulate as many points as possible for Olympia
qualification. Bodybuilders will stay in shape
more, which will be attractive for photographers,
promoters, and sponsors. And overseas
promoters are likely to see more names and
numbers enter their events.
I am glad that bodybuilding is starting to acknowledge and recognize what works in other successful sports. You don't see pro tennis players or cyclists enter 1-2 events per year, so why should bodybuilders be given a different privilege? I understand all too well that dieting and competing is very taxing, but guys like Vince Taylor, Levrone, and Gaspari used to compete frequently through the year. This is what being professional is about.
Dan Hill ///
IFBB Pro Bodybuilder
I really like the system, because athletes who compete more frequently should be rewarded for their efforts. I don't compete that often because my muscles still need to mature and grow and I still need a good offseason, but I totally agree with the fact that athletes who are competing more frequently represent the sport in a good way and should have the opportunity to reach the Olympia stage through their consistent effort.
Leo Ingram ///
IFBB Pro Bodybuilder
I'm struggling to embrace the new point system. The logic behind what the organization is attempting to do for the sport appears to be one that provides a solution for competitors, promoters and fans. However, the new point system can be a disadvantage for those competitors who decide to wait for only a
select few shows or for those who cannot afford to compete as often without the aid of sponsorship. This would immediately eliminate the possibility for some competitors who are attempting to qualify for the Olympia. Their lack of competing limits their ability to obtain the amount of points needed for qualification. So if you didn't get a head start at the beginning of the competition season, you're pretty much out of luck.
From a top-tier competitor viewpoint, the new system will have a minimal impact. But, it's somewhat prejudicial to the remainder of the competitors. But on the other hand, if there is a positive outcome to this sudden change it won't be seen until the next season. With the options provided on how to obtain a qualification for the Olympia, it obligates more of the top competitors to participate at local shows. This should fill more shows for the promoters, providing profitability, and it will allow fans to see their favorite competitor battle it out prior to seeing them on the big stage. We will know the effects of this system in due time.
Richard "Tricky" Jackson ///
IFBB Pro
I am a creature of habit, so unfortunately I am not a big fan of the change. It's hard to be strategic as an athlete as to what show to do if the only two ways into the Olympia is a 1st place win and accumulation of points. In other words, it seems easier to pick a show where you might place top 3, then focus on the Olympia, than doing 4-to-5 shows for the sake of accumulating enough points to qualify. In addition, how can a person even have a decent attempt in the Olympia after 4, 5, 6 or however many shows you need to get there? We know our sport - the body needs some rest - but you could see how this could put some tired bodies on stage. As with many changes that occur in any sport, only time will tell. I think the powers that be do a great job making rule adjustments when a system does not meet its expectations.
Michael Kefalianos ///
IFBB Pro Bodybuilder
The new Olympia qualification system will definitely help determine the best of the best in all the categories. I think we will see its results, in full effect, after this year's Olympia.
Dr. Layne Norton ///
Ph.D. Nutritional Sciences; Bodybuilding Author
I think the new Olympia points system has upsides and downsides. I think the downside is that many competitors will compete year-round and not make as many improvements as they otherwise might, due to constant dieting for numerous competitions. On the plus side, it gives competitors a reward for doing so many shows and also ensures that people who consistently place high get a shot at the Olympia. Also it ensures that more high-quality competitors will compete in more shows other than just the Olympia and Arnold. Overall, I like the new rule.
Gordon LaVelle ///
Author, Bodybuilding: Tracing the Evolution of the Ultimate Physique
Given the current state of professional competition, anything that encourages bodybuilders to compete more often also encourages them to take more appearance-enhancing drugs and to flirt more often with dehydration-related calamities. Let's not forget that Mohammed Benaziza dropped dead only hours after stepping offstage at the last of the 1992 European Grand Prix contests, or that Andreas Munzer died only days after the San Jose Pro show in 1996. Both competed as often as the IFBB schedule allowed.
It could be argued that the new qualification system will give more bodybuilders the opportunity to compete in the Mr. Olympia contest. A counterargument holds that if you weren't good enough to qualify under the old system, you probably don't belong on an Olympia stage anyway. Nevertheless, competing in an Olympia, even if it means getting one's butt kicked, may be the lifelong dream of many also-ran professionals. It may appear that the IFBB has changed the rules as a charitable gesture, but it's also worth pointing out that such gestures are out of character for that organization. This may appear to be a cynical point of view, but the history of the IFBB and bodybuilding in general invites this attitude.
So why is the IFBB changing the qualification rules? In a situation like this, it may seem appropriate to conjure the old adage which says if you ask 100 questions, 99 times the correct answer is the same: Money. Will the IFBB generate more money from this, and if so, how? Or a better question might be how will it funnel more money into the hands of the right people? One can only guess if money is indeed the underlying motivation. Meanwhile, pro bodybuilding, a stressful occupation for those who depend on it to make a living, may have just gotten more stressful.
Dan Solomon ///
Bodybuilding Media Producer and Host
The system was created in an effort to encourage athletes to compete more often. It also ensures a higher-caliber lineup. Under the old system, an athlete would qualify for the Olympia simply by finishing 3rd at a single event. Those days are over. The new system is a step in the right direction.
Lonnie Teper ///
Bodybuilding MC and Writer
I think the new qualifying standards cut both ways: yes, it does get competitors - not the top tier guys - to probably compete in more contests, helping out promoters, but it may not result in having the best of the best on the Olympia stage. The Arnold Classic is by invitation only, so the field can be limited to 12-14 guys, or how many Jim Lorimer decides he wants. With the new Olympia standards, it's virtually impossible to present that size of a lineup. I imagine that's what the Olympia production people are hoping for.
What happens if there is a tie between 3-or-4 guys for the last slot? The top 5 at the Olympia automatically re-qualify for the following year, as do the top 3 do likewise at the Arnold and the top 2 at the New York Pro. That's nine guys already. So many shows naturally water down many of the line-ups. It won't be an easy task making the Olympia a contest where only the Grade-A physique artists take the stage.
[Note: in the event of a tie, the best top-5 placements will proceed to the Olympia.]
Luke Timms ///
IFBB Pro Bodybuilder
I liked the old rules. The new ones seem to look good too, but it's a lot more difficult due to the strain of competing in multiple shows per year. I believe the new rules have deterred a lot of pros from entering if they know first place is already taken. If some pros skip out, we may see smaller lineups.
Nicole Wilkins ///
IFBB Pro Figure Competitor
I think this system is good for a few reasons:
It will allow only the best of the best to attend the Olympia instead of upward of 30 competitors in each category.
It will get competitors competing more throughout the year instead of just once before taking the rest of the year off.
It is great for promoters to keep big names in their shows and bring in more money.
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Which broadcasting company did Edward J Noble found? | Edward J. Noble | American businessman | Britannica.com
American businessman
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in American Broadcasting Company (ABC): Origins
...and the Blue networks. After the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) declared in 1941 that no company could own more than one radio network, NBC in 1943 sold the less-lucrative Blue Network to Edward J. Noble, the millionaire maker of Life Savers candy, who initially renamed it the American Broadcasting System before settling on the name the American Broadcasting Company, Inc. (ABC). ABC...
in radio: The development of networks and production centres
...for a monopoly on broadcasting, and in 1941 it recommended that no single company own more than one network. As a result, NBC decided to sell its Blue network in 1943. The chain was purchased by Edward J. Noble, president of the Life Savers candy company. By 1944 it had been renamed the American Broadcasting Company (ABC).
| ABC |
In which decade did the Jackson 5 sign to Motown? | NBC
Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American television broadcasting and cable company, including the NBC television network , the Telemundo Spanish language broadcast television network, the CNBC, MSNBC and Bravo cable channels, and a group of owned-and-operated television stations. NBC was founded in 1926 by the Radio Corporation of American, RCA , and is today owned by General Electric . The NBC radio network opened with 24 stations on November 15 , 1926.
NBC's logo is an abstraction of a peacock to indicate richness in color.
The National Broadcasting Company was created when RCA purchased radio stations WEAF New York, WCAP Washington, DC and the radio programming network from American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T) in 1926 and merged those assets with its own WJZ New York, WRC Washington and radio programming network. The WEAF stations and network would become known as the NBC Red network, the WJZ stations and network would be dubbed the NBC Blue network (later to become ABC, the American Broadcasting Company ).
The WEAF network was created by the American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T) to serve as a research and development for technologies involved with transmitting audio over wire and radio. AT&T's Western Electric division manufactured radio transmitters and antennas and needed a real-world environment to test their design and ability to transmit audio. AT&T's long distance and local Bell operating divisions were developing technologies for transmitting voice and music grade audio over short and long distances, via both wireless and wired methods. These effort came together to create radio station WEAF in New York City.
With a radio station broadcasting to the public, programming was needed. WEAF put together a regular schedule of programs of all types, and created some of the first broadcasts to encorporate commercial endorsements or sponsorships by commercial entities. The station met with great success, and with the opening of radio stations across the United States many stations wished to share programming. WEAF's first efforts in what would become known first as "chain broadcasting" and later as "networking" tied together The Outlet Company's WJAR in Providence, Rhode Island with AT&T's WEAF and WCAP in Washington, DC (named for the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company division of AT&T). With the success of this effort and the good audio quality of AT&T's phone line circuits, the WEAF network became a success.
At the same time, RCA was beginning to realize that sharing programming on stations in different cities also made sense. RCA licensed WRC in Washington, DC in 1923 and attempted to transmit audio between cities via low-quality telegraph lines, since AT&T refused outside companies access to their high-quality phone lines. The effort was poor at best, with the uninsulated telegraph lines incapable of good audio transmission quality and very succeptable to both atmospheric and man-made electrical interference.
In 1925 the management of AT&T decided that WEAF and its network were not compatible with AT&T's goal of providing phone service and began looking to sell the station and its network. AT&T found a ready buyer in RCA, whose primary business was radio broadcasting and manufacturing, the a deal was struck where RCA would buy WEAF and gain the rights to rent AT&T's phone lines to transmit radio programs between cities.
In 1926 RCA bought WEAF, closed WCAP, created the wholly-owned division called the National Broadcasting Company and operated the New York stations and the two network efforts side by side for about a year. In 1927 NBC formally created two radio networks, the NBC Red Network with WEAF as its originating station distributing mostly entertainment and music programming; and the NBC Blue Network with WJZ as its originating station and concentrating on news and cultural programming.
Legend has it that the color designations originated from the color of the push pins the engineers at AT&T used to designate the affiliates of WEAF (red push pins) and RCA's WJZ (blue push pins). At various times in the 1930s there were several other color designation, with the NBC White, Gold and Orange networks operating in various configuration of the west coast.
The famous 3-note chimes of NBC came about after several years of trying different musical note combinations. The three note combination (G-E-C; not related at all to RCA's original stockholder General Electric)came from WSB in Atlanta, which used it for its own purposes until one day someone at NBC in New York heard the WSB version of the notes and asked permission to use it on the national network. NBC started to use the 3 notes in 1933, and it was the first ever audio trademark to be accepted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
NBC became the primary tenant in the brand new Rockefeller Center project in 1936. It would serve to consolidate radio operations, some RCA corporate operations, and the home of the flagship theatres of RCA-owned RKO Radio Pictures in the Radio City Music Hall of the RKO Roxie theatre (since torn down).
From its creation in 1934, the Federal Communications Commission had been studying the monopolistic effects of chain broadcasting (what we now call "networking") on the radio industry, and found that the NBC Red and Blue networks and their owned-and-operated radio stations owned by NBC controlled the majority of radio audiences, radio affiliates and advertising dollars in the American radio industry. In 1939 the FCC ordered RCA to divest itself of one of the two NBC networks and accompanying owned-and-operated stations. RCA fought the divestiture order, but divided NBC into two companies in 1940 in case the appeals were lost. The NBC Blue network became the "NBC Blue Network, Inc." and the NBC Red Network becoming the "NBC Red Network, Inc."
With the loss of the final appeal before the United States Supreme Court, RCA sold the NBC Blue Network, Inc. to Lifesavers magnate Edward J. Noble in 1943. He renamed the company "The Blue Network, Inc." but quickly realized that the name was not appropriate for a major radio network. After acquiring the rights to the name "the American Broadcasting Company " from broadcaster George Storer in 1946, the Blue Network, Inc. become the American Broadcasting Company. The NBC Red Network was renamed the NBC Radio Network after the Blue network was sold.
Since GE's acquisition of RCA, NBC has been owned by General Electric . The NBC Radio Network was sold by General Electric in 1988 to Westwood One. While the chimes and an hourly newscast still appear on radio at certain times on weekdays, the NBC Radio Network as a programming service ceased to exist in 1989 and simply became a marketing brand name for programming produced by Westwood One.
For many years NBC was closely identified with founder David Sarnoff , who viewed it as a means for selling entertainment, and consumer electronics.
While CBS has received more attention from historians discussing broadcast journalism history, NBC's news operation was no slouch. From 1956 through 1970, the television broadcast team of Chet Huntley and David Brinkley consistently exceeded the viewership levels attained by CBS News and its main anchor Walter Cronkite . The dominance ended when Huntley retired, to die a year later from cancer. The loss of Huntley, along with a reluctance of RCA to fund NBC News at the level CBS was funding CBS News, left NBC News in the doldrums. NBC News did not recover viewership levels until after GE acquired RCA.
NBC is based in New York's Rockefeller Center .
NBC operates the cable networks CNBC , MSNBC (in conjunction with Microsoft Corporation), Bravo , and Telemundo (in Spanish).
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How many vice presidents did Franklin D Roosevelt have? | Franklin D. Roosevelt | whitehouse.gov
Air Force One
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Assuming the Presidency at the depth of the Great Depression as our 32nd President (1933-1945), Franklin D. Roosevelt helped the American people regain faith in themselves.
Assuming the Presidency at the depth of the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt helped the American people regain faith in themselves. He brought hope as he promised prompt, vigorous action, and asserted in his Inaugural Address, "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself."
Born in 1882 at Hyde Park, New York--now a national historic site--he attended Harvard University and Columbia Law School. On St. Patrick's Day, 1905, he married Eleanor Roosevelt.
Following the example of his fifth cousin, President Theodore Roosevelt, whom he greatly admired, Franklin D. Roosevelt entered public service through politics, but as a Democrat. He won election to the New York Senate in 1910. President Wilson appointed him Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and he was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 1920.
In the summer of 1921, when he was 39, disaster hit-he was stricken with poliomyelitis. Demonstrating indomitable courage, he fought to regain the use of his legs, particularly through swimming. At the 1924 Democratic Convention he dramatically appeared on crutches to nominate Alfred E. Smith as "the Happy Warrior." In 1928 Roosevelt became Governor of New York.
He was elected President in November 1932, to the first of four terms. By March there were 13,000,000 unemployed, and almost every bank was closed. In his first "hundred days," he proposed, and Congress enacted, a sweeping program to bring recovery to business and agriculture, relief to the unemployed and to those in danger of losing farms and homes, and reform, especially through the establishment of the Tennessee Valley Authority.
By 1935 the Nation had achieved some measure of recovery, but businessmen and bankers were turning more and more against Roosevelt's New Deal program. They feared his experiments, were appalled because he had taken the Nation off the gold standard and allowed deficits in the budget, and disliked the concessions to labor. Roosevelt responded with a new program of reform: Social Security, heavier taxes on the wealthy, new controls over banks and public utilities, and an enormous work relief program for the unemployed.
In 1936 he was re-elected by a top-heavy margin. Feeling he was armed with a popular mandate, he sought legislation to enlarge the Supreme Court, which had been invalidating key New Deal measures. Roosevelt lost the Supreme Court battle, but a revolution in constitutional law took place. Thereafter the Government could legally regulate the economy.
Roosevelt had pledged the United States to the "good neighbor" policy, transforming the Monroe Doctrine from a unilateral American manifesto into arrangements for mutual action against aggressors. He also sought through neutrality legislation to keep the United States out of the war in Europe, yet at the same time to strengthen nations threatened or attacked. When France fell and England came under siege in 1940, he began to send Great Britain all possible aid short of actual military involvement.
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Roosevelt directed organization of the Nation's manpower and resources for global war.
Feeling that the future peace of the world would depend upon relations between the United States and Russia, he devoted much thought to the planning of a United Nations, in which, he hoped, international difficulties could be settled.
As the war drew to a close, Roosevelt's health deteriorated, and on April 12, 1945, while at Warm Springs, Georgia, he died of a cerebral hemorrhage.
The Presidential biographies on WhiteHouse.gov are from “The Presidents of the United States of America,” by Frank Freidel and Hugh Sidey. Copyright 2006 by the White House Historical Association.
For more information about President Roosevelt, please visit
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In which state is Harrah's Auto Collection situated? | Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945)
The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project is a university-chartered research center associated with the Department of History of The George Washington University
Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945)
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born on January 30, 1882 at his parents' estate in Hyde Park, New York. His parents were members of the New York aristocracy. His father, James, was a country gentleman who made money in railroads and coal. His mother, Sara , was a strong-willed woman who adored her only child and remained a central figure in his life until her death in 1941. His father died in 1900. FDR�s childhood in Hyde Park instilled in him a love of the Hudson Valley, farming and rural people. His lifelong interest in forestry helped shape some of the policies and programs of the New Deal, particularly the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).
After being educated at home by private tutors, FDR entered Groton, an elite private school in Massachusetts, in 1896. Endicott Peabody , the head of the school, became an important influence in FDR�s life instilling in him a strong sense of civic responsibility. One of the most significant events while he was at Groton was a talk given by his distant cousin, Theodore Roosevelt, whom he greatly admired and went on to emulate in his political career. FDR was neither an outstanding student nor athlete, but he entered enthusiastically into life at Groton and did well enough to go on to Harvard in 1900. At Harvard he put much of his energy into his social life and extracurricular activities. His greatest accomplishment was to become president of the Harvard Crimson, the campus newspaper. FDR was a handsome, charming, fun-loving young man to whom women were strongly attracted. In 1902, he began to take notice of Eleanor Roosevelt, Theodore�s niece and FDR�s distant cousin, whom he had seen occasionally during his childhood but who was now a tall, willowy, intelligent young woman. They fell in love and, after a year�s delay granted to his resistant mother, were married in New York City on St. Patrick�s Day, 1905. Her father being dead, President Theodore Roosevelt gave his niece away. Despite the later difficulties in their marriage, FDR had chosen well and ER and FDR remained committed partners throughout their lives.
After their honeymoon in Europe, FDR and ER moved into one half of a double townhouse given to them as a wedding present. Sara occupied the other half, which opened into theirs. FDR resumed his studies at Columbia University Law School, which he had begun in the fall of 1904. He never completed the courses needed to receive an LL.B. degree, but passed the bar examination at the end of three years and began a law practice in New York City. In 1910, FDR won a seat in the New York State Senate. It would be the only election in which he carried the Republican stronghold of Dutchess County where his Hyde Park home was located. As a freshman senator, he led a challenge to the Tammany bosses who sought to elect one of their own to the United States Senate (senators from New York were at that time elected by the state legislature). Although the uprising failed in the end, FDR won wide renown for his efforts. He introduced legislation to protect farmers that successfully passed and headed the Senate Forest, Fish and Game Committee where he began to emerge as a leader in conservation.
After the election of Woodrow Wilson in 1912, FDR accepted an appointment as assistant secretary of the navy, a post he held for the next seven years. A lover and student of the sea and ships from his childhood on, FDR vigorously argued within the administration for a better prepared navy and for a more militant stance in crises than Wilson was willing to take. When the United States finally entered World War I in 1917, FDR worked to ensure that the navy had a vital role to play in the war. In the making of peace at the end of the war, FDR absorbed President Wilson�s internationalist ideals, as well as the lessons of Wilson�s failure to bring the United States into the League of Nations . His experience during this period helped produce the combination of idealism and realism that he later brought to the creation of the United Nations .
Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt�s first child, Anna , was born in 1906. Five sons followed (one of whom died in infancy), the last of whom was born in 1916. The large family spent vacations in Hyde Park and part of each summer on the island of Campobello on the Canadian coast just north of Maine. In the fall of 1918, ER discovered that FDR was having a love affair with Lucy Mercer , a beautiful young woman who served as ER�s social secretary. ER offered FDR a divorce, but partly because divorce was considered a disgrace in their social circle and partly because it would have badly damaged his political career, FDR decided to stay married and agreed never to see Lucy again. The incident profoundly altered their relationship and was a major factor in ER�s search for friendship and fulfillment in social and political activism independent of FDR.
In 1920, FDR was nominated as the Democratic candidate for vice-president on a ticket with James Cox of Ohio. Although they did not win, FDR�s spirited campaigning won him a following in the Democratic party and laid the groundwork for his future success. He returned to his law practice with a promising political future ahead of him, but in August of 1921 at the age of 39, he came down with polio while vacationing at his beloved Campobello. Paralyzed from the waist down, he set about trying to recover the use of his legs with characteristic energy, optimism, ingenuity, and determination. He began an ambitious regimen of exercise and searched out new treatments. Although he increased his strength, particularly in his upper body, he would never walk unaided again. In 1924, he discovered the restorative powers of the mineral waters at Warm Springs, Georgia, and found that exercising in the buoyant 88-degree waters there helped him recover some sensation and muscle strength. Not content with trying to heal himself alone, he bought the old resort hotel at Warm Springs and in 1927 established the Warm Springs Foundation, a pioneering center for the rehabilitation of polio patients and for what is called today, �independent living.� He remained devoted to this institution for the rest of his life, returning almost every year to celebrate Thanksgiving with his fellow �polios� and at other times to restore his body and spirit.
While FDR sought to recover the use of his legs, he remained active, mainly through correspondence, in the Democratic party. Louis Howe , the canny political operative who attached himself to FDR when FDR was a state senator, worked tirelessly to maintain FDR�s profile in the party. In 1924, FDR appeared at the Democratic convention on crutches to nominate New York Governor Al Smith for president. Although Smith did not win the nomination, FDR won acclaim for his speech. Howe also became a valuable advisor to ER in her work in organizing the Women�s Division of the Democratic party and ER�s growing power and influence also helped keep FDR�s name alive. In 1928, when Al Smith won the Democratic nomination for president, he persuaded FDR to run for governor of New York. Although Smith lost, FDR won. FDR established himself as a progressive governor by bringing tax relief to farmers and advocating cheap electric power. In September 1929, the stock market crashed and FDR spent the rest of his four years as governor dealing with the consequences. He moved slowly at first but as the depression worsened, he became a strong advocate of government intervention. He established relief programs for people out of work, including a program that put 10,000 men to work in New York State�s forests and parks planting trees, building roads and park buildings, and taking measures to prevent erosion. This would become the model for the CCC, one of the most successful New Deal programs.
In 1932, with the Great Depression at its peak and Herbert Hoover, the incumbent president, unable to effect change or inspire hope, the American people elected FDR president by a wide margin. He brought to the presidency the courage that had enabled him to overcome his disability, the experience that he had acquired in fighting the depression as governor, a joy in exercising the wiles of a skillful politician, and an incandescent optimism that lifted the spirits of the nation.
With a strong mandate, FDR moved quickly during the first hundred days of his administration to address the problems created by the Great Depression. Under his leadership, Congress passed a series of landmark bills that created a more active role for the federal government in the economy and in people�s lives. During the first hundred days of his administration, Congress passed the Emergency Banking Relief Act, which stabilized the nation�s ailing banks and reassured depositors, created the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), the National Recovery Administration (NRA), the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA), and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Believing that work programs were better than relief, FDR secured passage of legislation establishing the CCC and the Civil Works Administration (replaced in 1935 by the Works Progress Administration or WPA). He appointed Frances Perkins as Secretary of Labor, the first woman to become a cabinet member. With strong prodding from Eleanor Roosevelt, FDR appointed more women to federal posts than any president before him and made sure that black Americans were included in federal job programs (although they remained, in most cases, segregated). In 1935, Congress passed the Social Security Act, the most important and enduring piece of New Deal legislation.
On March 12, 1933, shortly after his inauguration, FDR gave the first of his famous �fireside chats.� In these informal, but carefully prepared, radio talks, FDR explained his initiatives in the same language he used in speaking with his rural Hyde Park neighbors. As a result, his listeners felt that he was talking directly to them, understood their problems, and was taking action to address their needs. FDR�s ability to connect personally with ordinary people, to communicate his optimism, and project an image of vigorous action was probably as important as all the New Deal legislation combined in helping the nation weather the Great Depression.
Although the depression was far from over, New Deal legislation during FDR�s first term in banking, housing, unemployment, work relief, and old age pensions gave people hope and a sense of security they had not enjoyed before. In 1936, FDR won reelection in a landslide even bigger than in 1932, carrying every state except Maine and Vermont.
During his first administration, several key pieces of New Deal Legislation, notably the NRA, had been struck down as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Frustrated that the aging members of the Court were preventing some of his programs from taking effect, and feeling that his 1936 victory gave him an overwhelming mandate for change, FDR proposed expanding the number of justices on the Court. Many Americans, however, saw the "court packing� plan as an assault on one of the nation�s sacred institutions. The plan immediately ran into stiff opposition in Congress and was defeated, handing FDR the most embarrassing political setback of his career.
By 1937, the depression had eased somewhat and FDR sought to balance the budget by cutting government spending. But in the fall and winter of 1937-38, conditions worsened again, partly because of these cuts, and FDR had to seek additional funds to meet the crisis. The depression didn�t actually end until the beginning of World War II when the defense economy put the unemployed who were not called to military service back to work.
No president had ever run for a third term but, in 1940, FDR did so, feeling that with Poland, France, and the Low Countries overrun by Hitler�s forces and Great Britain standing alone, that he was still needed. FDR and Hitler had come to power in the same year and FDR had opposed Hitler from the beginning. Although his hands were tied by the deep isolationism of most Americans, the Neutrality Act, and restrictive immigration laws, FDR worked cautiously to build up the nation�s defenses, to generate sympathy for Great Britain (e.g. by hosting a visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to the United States in 1939), and to prepare the nation for the eventuality of war. After his reelection in November 1940, he pressed these initiatives harder. Under the Lend-Lease program he proposed, the United States provided military assistance to Great Britain in exchange for air and naval bases. America, he said in December 1940, must be the �arsenal of democracy.�
The United States finally entered the war when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. FDR�s eloquence, confidence, love of action, and ability to communicate with ordinary people made him one of the great leaders of a nation at war. His abiding interest in naval ships and strategy and experience as assistant secretary of the Navy helped him form a close working relationship with his military commanders. In December 1942, with many on the West Coast panicky about possible Japanese subversion or invasion, FDR signed an executive order authorizing the internment of Japanese living on the West Coast, many of whom were American citizens. As the war progressed and news of the Holocaust became more and more disturbing, pressure grew to address the urgent needs of refugees. In January 1944, FDR issued an executive order establishing the War Refugee Board, which aided in the rescuing of Jews and other refugees during the remainder of the war.
Characteristically, FDR began to envision the postwar world even before the United States entered the war. In January 1941 he outlined the �Four Freedoms� on which he hoped that world would be founded: freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. In August 1941, he met Winston Churchill for the first time off the coast of Newfoundland and they drew up the Atlantic Charter, a set of democratic principles that, symbolically at least, allied the two nations in the same struggle. Toward the end of the war, FDR worked with Churchill, Stalin, and other Allied leaders to plan the United Nations organization. Although he did not live to see its charter adopted, its creation was one of his enduring achievements
In 1944, the tide turned, but the war was not won. FDR ran again and won a fourth term. Unknown to the public and apparently not fully recognized by himself, he was already seriously ill. Nevertheless, he was determined to see the war through to its conclusion. After his return from Yalta, the last of the wartime conferences with Allied leaders that he attended, he grew worse and, on April 12, 1945, died of a cerebral hemorrhage while trying to recover his strength at the Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia. He was buried in Hyde Park.
From the early 1920s on, FDR and ER managed a complex relationship with each other. Although their circles of friends overlapped, they rarely relaxed together. FDR and ER each found emotional sustenance in other people, not in each other. FDR found affection, humor, and fellowship in his friendships with Louis Howe, Harry Hopkins , Edwin �Pa� Watson (his military aide and appointments secretary), Missy LeHand (his devoted personal secretary), Margaret �Daisy� Suckley (a distant cousin), and, during World War II , with the exiled Princess Martha of Norway and his daughter Anna, who moved into the White House in 1943. FDR and ER continued, however, to have great respect and affection for each other. Without this they could not have created one of the greatest political partnerships in history. ER�s strong support among blacks, women, and youth and her skill at political organizing helped draw support to FDR. Her first-hand knowledge of conditions and government programs, which she gathered on her frequent travels, helped her shape some of the policies of the Roosevelt administration. Although her independent stance on some issues may have been a liability to FDR, it also meant that blacks, women and youth felt that someone with power and influence understood their problems and was fighting their fight within the administration.
Sources:
Freidel, Frank. Franklin D. Roosevelt: A Rendezvous with Destiny. Boston: Little Brown and Co., 1990, passim.
Graham, Otis L., Jr., and Meghan Robinson Wander. Franklin D. Roosevelt, His Life and Times. New York: Da Capo Press, 1985, passim.
Leuchtenberg, William E. The FDR Years: On Roosevelt and His Legacy. New York: Columbia University Press, 1995, passim.
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What was the name of Gene Autry's horse? | GeneAutry.com: Gene Autry: Champion, World's Wonder Horse
Champion, World's
Wonder Horse
Champion appeared with Gene Autry as his partner and sidekick throughout their legendary career in film, radio, and television.
Original Champion in Home on the Prairie, 1939
There were three "official" Champions that performed in Autry films and several specialized Champions, such as Little Champ, Lindy Champion, Touring Champion, and Champion Three. Other horses, for which we have no documentation at this time, served as doubles for movie stunts and personal appearances. The Original Champion was sorrel-colored, had a blaze down his face and white stockings on all his legs except the right front. His first onscreen credit was for 1935's Melody Trail. He died while Gene was in the service.
Champion Jr., c. 1950
Gene's second screen horse was Champion Jr., a lighter sorrel with four stockings and a narrow blaze, who appeared in films until 1950. While onscreen with Republic, Champion Jr. was billed as "Wonder Horse of the West," and at Columbia, he was known as "World's Wonder Horse." The third screen horse, Television Champion, costarred in Gene's last films and also appeared on television in The Gene Autry Show and The Adventures of Champion during the fifties. Also a light sorrel with four white stockings, he resembled Champion Jr. but had a thick blaze. In the late forties, Little Champ joined Gene's stable. A well-trained trick pony, this blaze-faced sorrel with four stockings appeared in three of Gene's films and made personal appearances.
Rushing from a movie set in Hollywood to his annual appearance at Madison Square Garden for the World's Championship Rodeo in 1940, Lindy Champion made aviation history as the first horse to fly from California to New York. Gene used Lindy, a sorrel with four white stockings and an oval-topped blaze, for personal appearances.
Touring Champion on parade,
c. 1953
Touring Champion and Champion Three were also personal appearance horses. A darker sorrel with four white stockings and a medium-wide blaze, Touring Champion appeared at rodeos and stage shows in the late forties and fifties and has his hoof prints next to Gene's handprints at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood. Champion Three appeared with Gene on the road from the late fifties until 1960, when the sorrel with four white stockings and a crooked blaze retired happily to Gene's Melody Ranch in Newhall, California, where he died in 1990.
Touring Champion taking tea
at London's Savoy Hotel, 1953
Collectively, the Champions performed the world's largest repertory of horse tricks, including dancing the hula and the Charleston, jumping through a ring of fire, and playing dead. Greeting crowds from Brownwood, Texas, to Dublin, Ireland, Touring Champion even enjoyed a proper high tea at the Savoy in London.
Always popular, Champion received thousands of fan letters each month, proving that the World's Wonder Horse was an important element in the Singing Cowboy's success.
Throughout their careers, Gene Autry and Champion were featured in dime novels, children's stories, and comic books. Champion even received equal billing with Gene above the leading ladies on movie posters and lobby cards promoting Autry films.
If you'd like to know more about Champion and horses in the movies, we recommend the book Hollywood Hoofbeats: Trails Blazed Across the Silver Screen by Petrine Day Mitchum with Audrey Pavia. For details, read here .
You'll also find information on Champion and Gene's movies and television shows in the book Gene Autry Westerns by Boyd Magers. For details, read here .
A variety of horses were known as Champion over the years. To learn more about each horse's role in Gene's career, click on the photos below.
| Champion |
Which city has a sports team of Steelers and team of Pirates? | Champion (Gene Autry horse)
Champion (Gene Autry horse)
Date Created/Published: 1954 Apr. 4 (date added to Look's library)
Medium: 27 photographic prints (contact sheets).
Summary: Photographs show actor Gene Autry and his horse Champion training a smaller horse at Autry's ranch. Includes Champion and other horse performing tricks; Autry riding Champion as he performs tricks; Autry cleaning horse's hoofs; checking horse's teeth; Autry and other trainers working with horses. Also Champion and smaller horse being transported in truck; stables at the ranch; Autry on Champion donating money to a Los Angeles police charity.
Reproduction Number: ---
Rights Advisory: Publication may be restricted. For information see "Look Magazine Photograph Collection, Rights and Restrictions Information." (http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/print/res/074_look.html)
Call Number: LOOK - Job 54-1528 <P&P> [P&P]
Notes:
Job title and date from photographers' logbook.
Gift; Cowles Communications, Inc.; December 13, 1971.
Bag count: 22.
Part of: Look Magazine Photograph Collection (Library of Congress)
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Rights Advisory: Publication may be restricted. For information see "Look Magazine Photograph Collection, Rights and Restrictions Information." http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/print/res/074_look.html
Reproduction Number: ---
Call Number: LOOK - Job 54-1528 <P&P> [P&P]
Medium: 27 photographic prints (contact sheets).
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Call Number: LOOK - Job 54-1528 <P&P> [P&P]
Medium: 27 photographic prints (contact sheets).
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What did Fort Dearborn, Indian Territory change its name to? | American-Indian Wars - Native American History - HISTORY.com
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American-Indian Wars
Warfare between Europeans and Indians was common in the seventeenth century. In 1622, the Powhatan Confederacy nearly wiped out the struggling Jamestown colony. Frustrated at the continuing conflicts, Nathaniel Bacon and a group of vigilantes destroyed the Pamunkey Indians before leading an unsuccessful revolt against colonial authorities in 1676. Intermittent warfare also plagued early Dutch colonies in New York . In New England, Puritan forces annihilated the Pequots in 1636-1637, a campaign whose intensity seemed to foreshadow the future. Subsequent attacks inspired by Metacom (King Philip) against English settlements sparked a concerted response from the New England Confederation. Employing Indian auxiliaries and a scorched-earth policy, the colonists nearly exterminated the Narragansetts, Wampanoags, and Nipmucks in 1675-1676. A major Pueblo revolt also threatened Spanish-held New Mexico in 1680.
Did You Know?
On November 29, 1864, one of the most infamous events of the American-Indian wars occured when 650 Colorado volunteer forces attacked a Cheyenne and Arapho encampent along Sand Creek. Although they had already begun topeace negotiationswith the U.S. government, more than 150 Native Americans were killed and mutilated, more than 2/3 of which were women and children.
Indians were also a key factor in the imperial rivalries among France, Spain, and England. In King William’s (1689-1697), Queen Anne’s (1702-1713), and King George’s (1744-1748) wars, the French sponsored Abnaki and Mohawk raids against the more numerous English. Meanwhile, the English and their trading partners, the Chickasaws and often the Cherokees, battled the French and associated tribes for control of the lower Mississippi River valley and the Spanish in western Florida . More decisive was the French and Indian War (1754-1763). The French and their Indian allies dominated the conflict’s early stages, turning back several English columns in the north. Particularly serious was the near-annihilation of Gen. Edward Braddock’s force of thirteen hundred men outside of Fort Duquesne in 1755. But with English minister William Pitt infusing new life into the war effort, British regulars and provincial militias overwhelmed the French and absorbed all of Canada.
But eighteenth-century conflicts were not limited to the European wars for empire. In Virginia and the Carolinas, English-speaking colonists pushed aside the Tuscaroras, the Yamasees, and the Cherokees. The Natchez, Chick asaw, and Fox Indians resisted French domination, and the Apaches and Comanches fought against Spanish expansion into Texas . In 1763, an Ottawa chief, Pontiac, forged a powerful confederation against British expansion into the Old Northwest. Although his raids wreaked havoc upon the surrounding white settlements, the British victory in the French and Indian War combined with the Proclamation of 1763 , which forbade settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains, soon eroded Pontiac’s support.
Most of the Indians east of the Mississippi River now perceived the colonial pioneers as a greater threat than the British government. Thus northern tribes, especially those influenced by Mohawk chief Thayendanegea (Joseph Brant), generally sided with the Crown during the American War for Independence. In 1777, they joined the Tories and the British in the unsuccessful offensives of John Burgoyne and Barry St. Leger in upstate New York. Western Pennsylvania and New York became savage battlegrounds as the conflict spread to the Wyoming and Cherry valleys. Strong American forces finally penetrated the heart of Iroquois territory, leaving a wide swath of destruction in their wake.
In the Midwest, George Rogers Clark captured strategic Vincennes for the Americans, but British agents based at Detroit continued to sponsor Tory and Indian forays as far south as Kentucky . The Americans resumed the initiative in 1782, when Clark marched northwest into Shawnee and Delaware country, ransacking villages and inflicting several stinging defeats upon the Indians. To the south, the British backed resistance among the Cherokees, Chickasaws, Creeks, and Choctaws but quickly forgot their former allies following the signing of the Treaty of Paris (1783).
By setting the boundaries of the newly recognized United States at the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes, that treaty virtually ensured future conflicts between whites and resident tribes. In 1790, Miami chief Little Turtle routed several hundred men led by Josiah Harmar along the Maumee River. Arthur St. Clair’s column suffered an even more ignominious defeat on the Wabash River the following year; only in 1794 did Anthony Wayne gain revenge at the Battle of Fallen Timbers . Yet resistance to white expansion in the Old Northwest continued as a Shawnee chief, Tecumseh , molded a large Indian confederation based at Prophetstown. While Tecumseh was away seeking additional support, William Henry Harrison burned the village after a stalemate at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811.
Indian raids, often encouraged by the British, were influential in causing the United States to declare war on Great Britain in 1812. The British made Tecumseh a brigadier general and used Indian allies to help recapture Detroit and Fort Dearborn ( Chicago ). Several hundred American prisoners were killed following a skirmish at the River Raisin in early 1813. But Harrison pushed into Canada and won the Battle of the Thames, which saw the death of Tecumseh and the collapse of his confederation. In the Southeast, the Creeks gained a major triumph against American forces at Fort Sims, killing many of their prisoners in the process. Andrew Jackson led the counterthrust, winning victories at Tallasahatchee and Talladega before crushing the Creeks at Horseshoe Bend in 1814.
Alaska and Florida were also the scenes of bitter conflicts. Native peoples strongly contested the Russian occupation of Alaska. The Aleuts were defeated during the eighteenth century, but the Russians found it impossible to prevent Tlingit harassment of their hunting parties and trading posts. Upon the Spanish cession of Florida, Washington began removing the territory’s tribes to lands west of the Mississippi River. But the Seminole Indians and runaway slaves refused to relocate, and the Second Seminole War saw fierce guerrilla-style actions from 1835 to 1842. Osceola, perhaps the greatest Seminole leader, was captured during peace talks in 1837, and nearly three thousand Seminoles were eventually removed. The Third Seminole War (1855-1858) stamped out all but a handful of the remaining members of the tribe.
In the United States, the removal policy met only sporadic armed resistance as whites pushed into the Mississippi River valley during the 1830s and 1840s. The Sac and Fox Indians were crushed in Black Hawk’s War (1831-1832), and tribes throughout the region seemed powerless in the face of the growing numbers of forts and military roads the whites were constructing. The acquisition of Texas and the Southwest during the 1840s, however, sparked a new series of Indian-white conflicts. In Texas, where such warfare had marred the independent republic’s brief history, the situation was especially volatile.
On the Pacific Coast, attacks against the native peoples accompanied the flood of immigrants to gold-laden California . Disease, malnutrition, and warfare combined with the poor lands set aside as reservations to reduce the Indian population of that state from 150,000 in 1845 to 35,000 in 1860. The army took the lead role in Oregon and Washington, using the Rogue River (1855-1856), Yakima (1855-1856), and Spokane (1858) wars to force several tribes onto reservations. Sporadic conflicts also plagued Arizona and New Mexico throughout the 1850s as the army struggled to establish its presence. On the southern plains, mounted warriors posed an even more formidable challenge to white expansion. Strikes against the Sioux, Cheyennes, Arapahos, Comanches, and Kiowas during the decade only hinted at the deadlier conflicts of years to come.
The Civil War saw the removal of the Regulars and an accompanying increase in the number and intensity of white-Indian conflicts. The influence of the Five Southern, or “Civilized” Tribes of the Indian Territory was sharply reduced. Seven Indian regiments served with Confederate troops at the Battle of Pea Ridge (1862). Defeat there and at Honey Springs (1863) dampened enthusiasm for the South, although tribal leaders like Stand Waite continued to support the confederacy until the war’s end. James H. Carleton and Christopher (“Kit”) Carson conducted a ruthlessly effective campaign against the Navahos in New Mexico and Arizona. Disputes on the southern plains culminated in the Sand Creek massacre (1864), during which John M. Chivington’s Colorado volunteers slaughtered over two hundred of Black Kettle’s Cheyennes and Arapahos, many of whom had already attempted to come to terms with the government. In Minnesota , attacks by the Eastern Sioux prompted counterattacks by the volunteer forces of Henry H. Sibley, after which the tribes were removed to the Dakotas. The conflict became general when John Pope mounted a series of unsuccessful expeditions onto the plains in 1865.
Regular units, including four regiments of black troops, returned west following the Confederate collapse. Railroad expansion, new mining ventures, the destruction of the buffalo, and ever-increasing white demand for land exacerbated the centuries-old tensions. The mounted warriors of the Great Plains posed an especially thorny problem for an army plagued by a chronic shortage of cavalry and a government policy that demanded Indian removal on the cheap.
Winfield S. Hancock’s ineffectual campaign in 1867 merely highlighted the bitterness between whites and Indians on the southern plains. Using a series of converging columns, Philip Sheridan achieved more success in his winter campaigns of 1868-1869, but only with the Red River War of 1874-1875 were the tribes broken. Major battlefield encounters like George Armstrong Custer’s triumph at the Battle of the Washita (1868) had been rare; more telling was the army’s destruction of Indian lodges, horses, and food supplies, exemplified by Ranald Mackenzie’s slaughter of over a thousand Indian ponies following a skirmish at Palo Duro Canyon, Texas, in 1874.
To the north, the Sioux, Northern Cheyennes, and Arapahos had forced the army to abandon its Bozeman Trail forts in Red Cloud’s War (1867). But arable lands and rumors of gold in the Dakotas continued to attract white migration; the government opened a major new war in 1876. Initial failures against a loose Indian coalition, forged by leaders including Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull , culminated in the annihilation of five troops of Custer’s cavalry at the Little Bighorn. A series of army columns took the field that fall and again the following spring. By campaigning through much of the winter, harassing Indian villages, and winning battles like that at Wolf Mountain (1877), Nelson A. Miles proved particularly effective. The tribes had to sue for peace, and even Sitting Bull’s band returned from Canada to accept reservation life in 1881. Another outbreak among the Sioux and Northern Cheyennes, precipitated by government corruption, shrinking reservations, and the spread of the Ghost Dance, culminated in a grisly encounter at Wounded Knee (1890), in which casualties totaled over two hundred Indians and sixty-four soldiers.
Less spectacular but equally deadly were conflicts in the Pacific Northwest. In 1867-1868, George Crook defeated the Paiutes of northern California and southern Oregon. In a desperate effort to secure a new reservation on the tribal homelands, a Modoc chief assassinated Edward R. S. Canby during an abortive peace conference in 1873. Canby’s death (he was the only general ever killed by Indians) helped shatter President Ulysses S. Grant’s peace policy and resulted in the tribe’s defeat and removal. Refusing life on a government-selected reservation, Chief Joseph’s Nez Percés led the army on an epic seventeen-hundred-mile chase through Idaho , Wyoming, and Montana until checked by Miles just short of the Canadian border at Bear Paw Mountain (1877). Also unsuccessful was armed resistance among the Bannocks, Paiutes, Sheepeaters, and Utes in 1878-1879.
To the far southwest, Cochise , Victorio, and Geronimo led various Apache bands in resisting white and Hispanic encroachments, crossing and recrossing the border into Mexico with seeming impunity. Many an officer’s record was scarred as repeated treaties proved abortive. Only after lengthy campaigning, during which army columns frequently entered Mexico, were the Apaches forced to surrender in the mid-1880s.
The army remained wary of potential trouble as incidental violence continued. Yet, with the exception of another clash in 1973 during which protesters temporarily seized control of Wounded Knee, the major Indian-white conflicts in the United States had ended. Militarily, several trends had become apparent. New technology often gave the whites a temporary advantage. But this edge was not universal; Indian warriors carrying repeating weapons during the latter nineteenth century sometimes outgunned their army opponents, who were equipped with cheaper (but often more reliable) single-shot rifles and carbines. As the scene shifted from the eastern woodlands to the western plains, white armies found it increasingly difficult to initiate fights with their Indian rivals. To force action, army columns converged upon Indian villages from several directions. This dangerous tactic had worked well at the Battle of the Washita but could produce disastrous results when large numbers of tribesmen chose to stand and fight, as at the Little Bighorn.
Throughout the centuries of conflict, both sides had taken the wars to the enemy populace, and the conflicts had exacted a heavy toll among noncombatants. Whites had been particularly effective in exploiting tribal rivalries; indeed, Indian scouts and auxiliaries were often essential in defeating tribes deemed hostile by white governments. In the end, however, military force alone had not destroyed Indian resistance. Only in conjunction with railroad expansion, the destruction of the buffalo, increased numbers of non-Indian settlers, and the determination of successive governments to crush any challenge to their sovereignty had white armies overwhelmed the tribes.
The Reader’s Companion to American History. Eric Foner and John A. Garraty, Editors. Copyright © 1991 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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THE FR T DEARBORN ]Vi ASS ACRE ft Romantic and Grapliic ttistoru of Corporal John Simmons and His Brave Wife. N. SIMMONS, M. D., LAWRENCE, KANSAS. 1896. APR 4-52 i 3 H S c S s HEROES AND HEROINES OF THE FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE ROMANTIC AND TRAGIC HISTORY -OF- CORPORAL JOHN SIMMONS AND HIS HEROIC WIFE, THE FIRST WHITE CHILD BORN IN CHICAGO. THE LAST SURVIVOR OF THE HORRID BUTCHERY. A FULL AND TRUE RECITAL OF MARVELOUS FORTITUDE, MATCHLESS COURAGE AND TERRIBLE SUFFERINGS DURING THE BATTLE, THE MARCH, AND IN CAPTIVITY. BY N. SIMMONS, M. D. LAWRENCE, KANSAS: JOURNAL, PUBLISHING COMPANY, COPYRIGHT, 1896. BY N. SIMMONS, M. D. PREFACE. Much of the material for this narrative has been obtained from Mrs. Simmons, an eye witness, and from her daughter, who was her companion in captivity, and with whom she resided for many years. Many histories have been consulted, but they are most unsatisfactory in their treatment of the details of the Fort Dearborn massacre, while the only reference to John Simmons on file in the department at Washington is that he drew $60 for his first year's service as a soldier. By the kind courtesy of E. G. Mason, Esq., President of the Chicago Historical Society, his masterly address, delivered at the unveiling of the Pullman Memorial Monument on the 22d of June, 1893, is inserted. In behalf of the large number of relatives and friends of the principal parties whose names are mentioned in this little book, I desire to express here their grateful ac- knowledgments to George M. Pullman, the donor of the beautiful monument to the memory of the slain of the massacre, and all associated with him in its conception and execution, especially E. G. Mason, historian, and Carl Rorhl-Smith, sculptor of the monument. My apology for this intrusion into the already over- wrought field of authorship is a desire to do justice to the memory of a brave soldier and his devoted wife, and also to add a few tacts to the brief history of the Fort Dearborn massacre. 4 HEROES AND HEROINES The heroines and heroes of that awful day, whose blood sank into the sand dunes by the lake, or who experienced in captivity, an even more dreadful fate, are almost forgotten, but it may be interesting to know that the butchers of Fort Dearborn and their descendents have annually received many thousands of dollars from the United States government for their support. The name of the ancestors of John Simmons in Switzerland was Simons, the additional letter being first employed after their arrival in America. FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. CONTKNTS. PAGE. PREFACE 3 CHAPTER I. A FORTUNATE MEETING IN THE WILDERNESS. 9 CHAPTER II. MARRIED AND ENLISTED 13 CHAPTER III. THE STORM GATHERING 15 CHAPTER IV. A TOUR THROUGH THE WILDERNESS 20 CHAPTER V. LIFE AT FORT DEARBORN 25 CHAPTER VI. THE ORDER To EVACUATE THE FORT 28 CHAPTER VII. PREPARING TO EVACUATE THE FORT 31 CHAPTER VIII. THE BATTLE AND MASSACRE. 35 O HEROES AND HEROINES CHAPTER IX. CAPTIVITY AND RANSOM 52 CHAPTER X. THE MASSACRE OF NEIGHBORS HER ONLY SISTER AMONG THEM 61 CHAPTER XI. ' AT REST 67 CHAPTER XII. AWAITING THE END 69 CHAPTER XIII. THE POTTAWATOMIE TRIBE.. ,.J2 BLACK PARTRIDGE RETURNING HIS MEDAL. N. SIMMONS, M. D. HEROES AND HEROINES OF THE FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. CHAPTER I. A FORTUNATE MEETING IN THE WILDERNESS. One bright evening in the early springtime of 1801 two wagon trains entered simultaneously a beautiful grove on the banks of a limpid stream in eastern Ohio. The leaders of these trains at once discovered in each other friends and associates of boyhood days in the far away land of their nativity charming Switzerland. In early manhood they had emigrated to America and with- out prearrangement become neighbors in Pennsylvania. Phillip Simmons with his wife and only son, John, had settled in York county on the Susquehanna river, while later on, the elder Millhouse located on the opposite shore of the same stream in Lancaster county. This opportune meeting in a strange land which both had sought for new homes was the welcome renewal of the former acquaintance in dear old Switzerland. This close relation of comradeship between the families continued for many years and was not fully dissolved until the year 1800, when Phillip Simmons and his wife having passed away in the ripened maturity of wholesome lives, IO HEROES AND HEROINES John Simmons was left at the head of the family, his own household consisting of six hardy sons and four daughters. To provide homes for this large family he determined to move to West Virginia. A short resi- dence there convinced this descendent of Alpine moun- tains that he had not as yet found a satisfactory abiding place. The bold freeman resolved that his children should not live under the blighting influences of human slavery. This purpose led him to consider seriously the possibilities of obtaining homes on a soil free from the hated institution. Fortunately, at that time one of the grandest domains on earth had been recently dedicated to freedom. The ordinance of 1787 forever prohibited slavery in the Northwest Territory lying north and west of the Ohio river. The resources of this new land were the subject of almost fabulous tales of its wonderful pro- ductiveness, the mildness of its climate, the beautiful streams fed by springs of crystal water, gurgling from the rocks and hill sides, the magnificent forests furnishing the finest timber for building purposes and teeming with wild game, the native grasses furnishing abundant food for horses and cattle, both winter and summer while the bountiful mast of the woods maintained the numerous hogs which ranged through them. This mere outline of the reports reaching the older settlements through the soldiers returning from the cam- paigns of Harmer, St. Clair and Wayne had awakened the spirit of adventure in these home seekers to the extent that they determined to dare the dangers arising from the hostility of the savages and seek their fortunes FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. I I in the new Territory of Ohio. Simultaneously the persons composing a train headed by Mr. Millhouse, had arrived at the same conclusion, hence the meeting in the wilderness. In the early morning following, the leaders of the two trains determined to cast their fortunes together on the remainder of the journey to the great Miami valley in western Ohio. This combination of forces enabled the train to present a somewhat formid- able aspect as each male member carried a rifle on his shoulder or strapped to his back and a serviceable knife in his belt. In the Simmons family, John Simmons, Jr., a lad of but twelve years of age was the favorite, while the youngest daughter, Susan Millhouse, was most tenderly regarded by the other party. Though their parents had been friends and acquaintances, first in Switzerland, then again in Pennsylvania, John and Susan first met in camp, as above described. They soon became fast friends and they are here introduced to the reader as the hero and heroine of this narative. Though John Simmons was but a mere boy, he was tall, strong and alert beyond his years. With his trusty rifle he furnished his full quota of game for the combined train and performed regular guard duty besides. Indeed his general usefulness in camp and on the journey rendered him a favorite with all. His genial spirit and cheerful bearing was especially recognized by Susan Millhouse, who looked upon the young frontiersman as her ideal of the coming hero, and manifested her partiality for his presence by little acts of favoritism. These evidences of deep esteem for John from the 12 HEROES AND HEROINES innocent girl were noticed with chagrin and mortification by a young man who had lived in the Millhouse family for some time, and was now emigrating with them to their new home. Thomas Rodgers was a fine athletic young fellow, but quiet and earnest. It had been his dream to win the hand of the youngest daughter of the Millhouse family, and it was with forebodings of disap- pointment that he witnessed the growing friendship between John Simmons and his idol. He continued to discharge his duties faithfully however, and with the exception of a disposition to ramble alone in the forest, seemingly without special purpose, and to isolate himself from society generally, no indication of his feeling was manifest. " Tom," as he was familiarly called, remained with the party to the end of the journey and with the Millhouse family long after the marriage of their daugh- ter. With this simple statement Tom will be dismissed for the present. FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. 13 CHAPTER II. MARRIED AND ENLISTED. After months of weary journeying the travelers finally stood upon the shore of the great Miami river near the present city of Dayton. Few settlers had preceded them and the only evidence of advancing civilization were the few military trails that traversed the wilderness between the outposts and Indian agencies. After a time spent in exploring lands along the Miami and its tribu- taries in the vicinity of Troy and Dayton, John Sim- mons, Sr. , selected six quarter sections of fertile land on upper Lost Creek, six miles east of Col. Johnson's Indian Agency on the site of the present Piqua. Having secured titles to these lands, the men who were to occupy them proceeded to build a large two-story double log house at a central point near a fine spring of ever flowing cold water. The walls were pierced with loop holes; barricades and other means of defense were pro- vided and all trees and bushes within gun-shot distance of the blockhouse were removed. It was consequently deemed impossible for an enemy to approach without exposure to the fire of the riflemen within. Here the family resided and in times of extreme danger the neighbors collected. It is needless to say that when Mr. Millho'use settled near the Simmons blockhouse, John, Jr., and Susan were delighted. Perhaps the latter had 14 HEROES AND HEROINES reminded her father that there were six stalwart riflemen in the Simmons family, whose protection would be desirable in case of attack by the savages, and possibly her wishes were consulted in the selection of the home- stead site. Years passed amid constant dangers from the time the emigrants crossed the Ohio river. At that time John Simmons was but twelve years old. Young as he was he had been constantly on duty and every moment on the alert to prevent surprise by the Indians or wild beasts. It was not strange therefore that after eight years of this mode of life he embraced the first opportu- nity that presented after he had reached the age and strength required, to enlist in the regular army, some of the most important duties in which service having been learned in these individual experiences. In March, iSoS, John Simmons, Jr., and Susan Millhouse were married and in the latter part of 1809 David Simmons was born. On the I4th of March, 1810, John Simmons enlisted in Captain Whistler's Company, First Regiment, United States Infantry, afterward commanded by Cap- tain Nathan Heald, and was assigned to duty at Fort Dearborn on the site of the city of Chicago. FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. I 5 CHAPTER III. THE STORM GATHERING. A brief study of the relation existing between the whites and Indians at this time is indispensable to a complete understanding of the perils that confronted the border settlers. As early as 1788 a settlement was made at Marietta and another at Cincinnati. The Indians alarmed at these and other aggressions main- tained a constant warfare on the border pioneers, often crossing the Ohio river into Pennsylvania, Virginia and Kentucky and robbing isolated settlers and returning to their villages in the interior. To stop these predatory incursions and bring the Indians to terms, General Harmer was sent with an army of 1400 men into the country of the hostiles. Late in the autumn of 1790 he reached and destroyed the towns of the Miami Indians on the ground now occupied by Fort Wayne. The complete loss of their habitations and possessions was a severe blow to the savages, and doubtless rendered them desperate. To complete the work of destruction Gen. Harmer divided his army into three detachments which were cut to pieces in detail by the Indians under Little Turtle and Captain Wells. On November 3d. 1791, Gen. Arthur St. Clair with 1400 soldiers encamped at Fort Recovery, near the Ohio and Indiana state line. On the following morning 1 6 HEROES AND HEROINES at early dawn the savages made a furious attack upon the camp which resulted in fearful slaughter and dis- astrous route of the surprised whites. Closely pursued the remnant of the army fled to Fort Washington. These victories emboldened the exhilarated Indians to repeated depredations and acts of pillage and murder. In August, 1 794, Gen. Wayne, with 3000 troops attacked the hostiles near the Maumee Rapids and defeated them with great slaughter. Captain Wells, the former ally and son-in-law of Little Turtle acted as captain of scouts to Gen. Wayne. "Mad Anthony" took no trivial revenge upon the defeated enemy. Their fields and villages for fifty miles around were destroyed. Completely humbled and impoverished the late defiant victors sued for peace. Accordingly in 1795 a treaty was signed between Gen. Wayne and many of the Indian chiefs. A number refused to recognize the treaty how- ever, and at once began to prepare for the continuation of hostilities. It was during this enforced peace, late in 1 80 1 that the Simmons settlement was located in the interior of western Ohio in the midst of Indian villages. After Wayne's treaty a chain of forts was established on the border extending from Cincinnati west to Vincennes and St. Louis, north to Greenville, Fort Recovery, Fort Wayne, Fort Defiance, Fort Meigs, Detroit, Macinac, and northwest to Fort Dearborn (Chicago). Within this chain of posts were scores of Indian villages, teem- ing with old, scarred warriors who delighted in detailing the wrongs the tribes had suffered at the hands of the whites. The young warriors listened intently to these tales, and burned to avenge these indignities and injuries FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. \J without delay. A leader alone was required to begin hostilities at once, and with the demand came the man. The leading chiefs of the powerful Shawnee tribe were Tecumseh and his twin brother Telskwatawa, known as "The Prophet," two eloquent orators and able leaders. Tecumseh stirred the young warriors to the verge of frenzy with his firey recital of the outrages inflicted upon the Indians by the whites, while the Prophet aroused the strong religious and superstitious feelings of the tribe by his mysterious incantations. In 1806 Tecumseh and the Prophet established a village at Fort Greenville, twenty-six miles distant from the Simmons settlement, but in 1808 they removed to Tippecanoe, Indiana, to the great delight of the Ohio settlers. Undoubtedly this removal was made prepara- tory to the storm they intended should break upon the white settlers of the border, being for the purpose of placing their women and children beyond the doomed region. In 1809 the apprehension of the whites reached its climax, and rapid preparations were made for defence. Block houses, often surrounded with stockades, were erected in each settlement. Militia companies were organized, and the whole population of the border put upon a war footing. In 1810, house burning, horse stealing and murders were daily on the increase and had become so common that Gen. Harrison sent a message to Tecumseh, declaring that if these crimes against the white settlers did not cease he might expect to be attacked. To this message Tecumseh replied in person, but the interview was stormy and unsatisfactory, I 8 HEROES AND HEROINES and each proceeded at once to prepare for open hostili- ties; Tecumseh by visiting the Indian tribes in the south to secure their co-operation in the coming struggle, while Gen. Harrison collected his forces, and at once marched against the Shawnee village of Tippecanoe, where, on the /th of November, 1811, he defeated the Indians after a desperate engagement, and destroyed the village with the accumulated provisions for the coming winter. The records of history afford no grander episode than that of the crusade of Tecumseh. This eloquent champion, stealthy as the panther of his native wilds sprang from one tribe to another and enkindled every- where the smouldering embers of rapine and revenge into the fierce fires of war. But one theme was discussed at the numerous council fires which blazed from the oak forests of Michigan to the moss covered pines of Alabama. The whites were to be exterminated or driven across the Ohio. Many of the settlers had secured homes that were as dear to them as the lands on which they stood were to the Indians. So, to both parties it was to be a battle for their homes, therefore a battle to the death. With the certainty of an Indian war and of a conflict with Great Britain it was evident that the recruits who enlisted in the American army in 1810 might confidently expect a speedy participation in bloody conflict. Against this assurance of the dangers of battle the government had only the paltry pittance of five dollars a month to offer these enlisted men, but the courage and patriotism that accepted these odds finds no worthy parallel. Grand as were all these voluntary supporters of the country in this dark hour, none were more sublime in FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. 19 sacrifice than Private John Simmons. A young and affectionate wife and a babe less than a year old were left behind while he went to engage in a war with fiendish savages who took no prisoners but to torture them to death in the most cruel manner. The only exceptions to this awful custom was furnished when a captive woman or child was occasionally spared with intent to impress as a slave or adopt by a warrior. From such an enemy no mercy need be expected. The result of each encounter was to be complete victory or dreadful death. It is difficult therefore for the men of this gene- ration with its protracted season of peace and the almost universally acknowledged amenities of warfare to realize the value of such sacrifice and service. 2O HEROES AND HEROINES CHAPTER IV. A TOUR THROUGH THE WILDERNESS. John Simmons reached Fort Dearborn early in the spring of 1810 and at once entered upon his military duties which he performed with skill and fidelity, and at the end of the first year of service he modestly received his promotion to corporal, and with it a furlough which enabled him to visit his family. He had often accom- panied hunting and scouting parties along the lake shore and the Chicago river. He became enamored of the country around Fort Dearborn which is now occupied by Chicago and its suburbs. Swarms of water fowl covered the lakes and rivers while their waters teemed \vith the finest fish. Buffalo, elk, bear and deer, with a good variety of smaller game were found in abundance. On the vast prairies and along the wooded river bottoms the tall grass attested the great fertility of the soil, while the ease with which a farm could be opened by merely plowing the prairie as compared with the task of clearing the timber lands of western Ohio and eastern Indiana induced the young soldier to determine to settle there at the expiration of his term of seivice. He believed and frequently expressed the conviction that a great city would eventually be built near the fort. It was with these anticipations that John Simmons left the garrison and with rapid strides traversed the intervening FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. 21 wilderness to his home in Miami county, Ohio. Looking back almost a century one can scarcely realize the extasy with which the returned soldier met his aged father and mother, his devoted wife and curly headed boy who had in his absence taken his first steps, and learned to pronounce the sacred words "Mama" and "Papa." Equally difficult would it be for us to understand the emotions of the individual members of the little house- hold as the stalwart young officer, from whom presum- ably nothing had been heard during his absence, passed the heavy door and entered the well guarded enclusure. As John Simmons unfolded the marvelous tales of the Illinois country all members of the rejoicing family listened with engrossed interest. The vast meadows covered with luxuriant grass waving in the breeze, and bounded only to the observers view by the horizon, the herds of buffalo, deer and elk pasturing on these prairies, furnishing an abundance of excellent meat, while the lakes and rivers swarmed with an inexhaustible supply of food. His enthusiastic description produced un- bounded admiration and the narrator improved the advantage he had gained by revealing his desire to make the delectable land his future home, and for that purpose to take his little family with him on his return. This proposition startled his aged parents who having emi- grated from Europe to Pennsylvania, thence to Ohio, shrank from the thought of removing to Illinois. But the arguments John employed were so reasonable that they interposed but feeble opposition and contented themselves by expressing regrets that the parting must so soon occur and the hope that at the expiration of his 22 HEROES AND HEROINES term of service he would return to them and make his home on the land which they had given him. To Mrs. Simmons, Jr., the return with her husband to Fort Dearborn was a momentous matter. It involved a journey of four hundred miles through an almost track- less wilderness on foot with no shelter save that afforded by a small canvass stretched over the boughs of trees. But she had learned to trust her young soldier husband implicitly and for admirable cause. They had journeyed together from eastern Ohio to their home in Miami county, as neighbors and lovers they had been intimately acquainted for seven years; she had scarcely claimed him as her own before surrendering him to her country as a soldier. His promotion in the absence of wealth or influential friends to urge his cause was to her the best assurance of his merit. As he stood before her, nearly six feet in height, with massive frame, in the liberal endowment of muscular young manhood, clad in the neat army uniform, a mature man, an experienced back- woodsman and a brave soldier, his young wife felt that his plea for her companionship during the remaining period of his enlistment was already granted. Never had his influence over her been so controling, her love for him so overpowering. It was, however, no blind passion which assented to the hard conditions of the proposition. The devoted wife was no novice in the knowledge of the dangers to be expected on the con- templated journey. It was therefore with full under- standing of the situation that she gave her cheerful consent to accompany her husband on his return. FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. 23 Mrs. Simmons, although of but medium height, pos- sessed a physical frame and organization capable of great endurance. Aware, at least partially, of the demands to be made upon her constitution, she entered into the work of preparation for the journey intelligently, and the progress of the dreary march revealed her wise forethought in providing as far as possible for the comfort and relief of her cherished companions. Still, little time remained to complete the preparations and little was the amount they were able to transport, as a single pack horse was expected to carry the cooking utensils, camp equipage, provisions and extra clothing. John led the horse and bore his heavy rifle upon which so much of the safety and supply of the little party depended, while Susan trudged along carrying the child. So they set out one morning in the latter part of March, 181 1. The last parting had been a trying event. To the friends who had collected to see the adventurous pilgrims depart on their fearful journey it seemed the last farewell. To the aged father and mother of both John and Susan the parting was indescribably painful. Little David received a full share of tearful affection of all who had known him as the sunshine of the home he had so recently come to bless, and which was to see him no more. Reasonable as were the sad anticipations of the sorrowful friends, none could foretell the awful fate of the small party, but one of whom was to return. On the first day the family was escorted to Piqua where they crossed the Miami river and pushed on to Stillwater, where Covington now stands and there en- camped, having traveled fifteen miles. On the second 24 HEROES AND HEROINES day they reached Fort Greenville. Here their escort returned. From Fort Greenville they bore a little west of north to Fort Recovery, a distance of thirty-five miles. Their next point was Fort Wayne, distance eighty miles, where they rested for a day and secured provisions for the remainder of the journey to Fort Dearborn, the route traveled being near two hundred miles. The time occupied in making the trip to Fort Dearborn from Ohio was about thirty days. To persons acquainted with the country traveled it is a marvel that they succeeded in making the journey in that time, as at that season of the year (April) the streams were usually full and difficult to ford, and they were compelled to make long detours to pass around the swamps covered with water which lay on their way. Then, the constant fear of falling in with scalping parties of savages required incessant watchful- ness. Wearisome days were succeeded by sleepless nights and neither of the parents for an hour were free from apprehension. Long years after this journey, while Mrs. Simmons enjoyed repose in the society of friends she often declared that she enjoyed the trip as though it had been a pleasure excursion, but it is possible that this view was suggested by the contrast with her subsequent experiences. FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. 2 $/ CHAPTER V. LIFE AT FORT DEARBORN. It was late in April when the little party entered the gate at Fort Dearborn, tired and foot sore. The young- soldier was complimented by his comrades in arms for his bravery in making the journey to and from Ohio. A universal favorite before, this adventure greatly enhanced his reputation as a soldier of skill and spirit. His supe- rior officers confided important duties to his care and command which he always executed with the strictest fidelity. Mrs. Simmons watched with admiration and delight the growing confidence reposed in her husband. For herself, she soon shared with her husband the esteem of the entire garrison. The people of the fort, consisting of soldiers, women and children, were less than one hundred in number. The imminence of a common danger united all in a common union. They were far from civilization, far from succor in case of an attack by a strong enemy. Rumors of threatened hostilities were frequently brought to the fort by scouts or friendly Indians. Into such a community, thus bound together by a tie stronger than any known to humanity, it was not difficult for the heroic woman to obtain speedy entrance into any circle in the limited society of the post. Her splendid courage and endurance during the long and wearisome march, and 26 HEROES AND HEROINES her thorough acquaintance with Indian character, ac- quired by long residences in the midst of savage settle- ments, rendered her opinions almost as valuable as those of her husband. On account of his participation in the journey, little David, now three years old, was familiarly called "the little curly headed corporal," and soon became a pet of all in the garrison. In November, 1811, Gen. Harrison defeated the Indians at Tippecanoe and destroyed their village. The loss to the hostiles of the stores collected for winter entailed great hardship upon them. The news of this battle reached Fort Dearborn by the way of Detroit, Fort Macinac and lake Michigan, and warned the garri- son of impending danger. The gratification over the success of the engagement was mingled in the minds of the occupants of the isolated post by the reflection that while it was then too late in the season for the enraged tribes to lay siege to Fort Dearborn a renewal of hostili- ties might be expected on the return of spring. Aggressions and indignities were so frequently inflicted upon American citizens by the officers and agents of the English government, that in June, 1812, war was de- clared against Great Britain, and in July the British and Indians captured Fort Macinac. The officers of this post first learned of the declaration of war from the enemy, a fact which suggests incompetency or criminal neglect on the part of high officials. On the I2th day of February, 1812, a daughter was born to Corporal Simmons, being one of the first white children, if not the first, born within the limits of the present city of Chicago. She came to brighten the few FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. 2J remaining months of her little brother's life, as a source of consolation to her mother in widowhood and bondage, and to sustain and comfort her in her declining years. At this writing she is reposing at the age of 83 years in the beautiful California home of her daughter. In honor of his devoted wife, Corporal Simmons named the little stranger Susan Simmons. 28 HEROES AND HEROINES CHAPTER VI. THE ORDER TO EVACUATE THE FORT. With Macinac, the key to lake Michigan, in possession of the British and Indians, with Detroit practically beleaguered, while assistance from Fort Wayne or Yin- cennes was out of the question, Fort Dearborn should have been evacuated at once. There were no settlers near to protect, the garrison was too weak to venture beyond the walls of the fort and too far from other military posts to render them any assistance or to receive succor from them in case of attack. Such was the condition of Fort Dearborn on the seventh day of August, 1812, when Captain Heald received the order from Gen. Hull, who had reported to the war department on July 2Qth, that he would send "at once." The order being nine days in transit reached the fort on the /th of August. It was obvious that every moment of delay increased the danger of the garrison. Whether it should be decided to remain or withdraw, this fact was equally manifest. Why, therefore, Captain Heald faltered for seven days is a serious question. The inexplicable delay gave the Indians an opportunity to collect their warriors from the Pottawatomie villages in the vicinity. This was done industriously during the week extending from the /th to the 1 4th of August. FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. 2Q On the 1 4th of August Captain Heald determined to evacuate the fort on the following day. On that day he concluded a treaty with the Indians by the terms of which the savages were to be given all the stores of the fort not required on the march in consideration of which the Indians stipulated to escort the garrison to Fort Wayne in safety. On the evening of the I4th, after the treaty had been made and the Indians had doubtless fully matured their plans for the following day, which without doubt included the capture of the entire garrison when decoyed into the open prairie, Black Partridge, a Pottawatomie chief, warned Captain Heald of the determination on the part of the Indians by returning to him a valuable medal with the statement that his young men had determined to wash their hands in the blood of the whites and that he could not restrain them. Then, in tones of sadness, he closed his remarkable speech with the most emphatic warning, saying: "Linden birds have been singing in my ears to-day; be careful on the march you are about to make." The fact that near five hundred armed warriors had collected in the imme- diate vicinity of the fort of itself boded no good to the garrison, but the warning of Black Partridge, couched in the most significant language and delivered in terms of sadness and sorrow, should have changed doubt and suspicion in the mind of Captain Heald into positive certainty. Perhaps the warning came too late for the commandant to retrace his steps and prepare for defense, but it should have led to more prudent alignment of the troops on the line of retreat. The destruction of surplus stores, notably powder and whiskey, while perhaps 3O HEROES AND HEROINES justifiable on account of the inevitable excesses their possession would cause, was made a pretext by the Indians to excuse their treachery. But the falseness of this plea is proved by the words of Black Partridge, which shows that the bloody purpose had been deter- mined on before the evacuation. Still, it may be possible that the act stimulated the savages to greater cruelty in their treatment of the whites. If there was any doubt as to the good intentions of Black Partridge in warning the garrison on the evening before the evacuation, it disappeared as the fact of his repeated intervention to save the lives of the doomed inmates was manifest It was a rash and ill considered act on the part of the government in planting a feeble post so far from support. Immediately upon the declaration of war, and especially after the fall of Mackinac it should have been evacuated. Promptly on the receipt of Gen. Hull's discretionary order Captain Heald should have abandoned the fort, and marched with all possible speed to Fort Wayne or he should have made the best possible preparation for defense and seige, but seven days of indecision coupled with previous neglect and incompetency caused the destruction of the brave garrison and the obliteration of the first Chicago. FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. 31 CHAPTER VII. PREPARING TO EVACUATE THE FORT. On the evening of the I4th the garrison was busy loading the wagons for the journey which would occupy from eight to ten days. Provisions and camp equipage constituted the principal part of these loads. In the grave peril which confronted them the members of the garrison were more united in sentiment and action than ever before. The soldiers filled their powder horns, adjusted their flints, loaded their bullet pouches, and every possible preparation was made for defense, believing the moment they left the friendly walls of the fort they would be at the mercy of an overwhelming army of savages. Many of the little Spartan band vowed to defend the women and children with their lives, and for this purpose the best possible preparations were made. Corporal Simmons fully realized the fearful responsibility that rested upon him, and not one of the small command prepared to march through the gate of the fort and out into the presence of the Indians with a firmer determin- ation to do his whole duty. True not one of them had greater incentive to perform a soldier's part. His con- stant thought was of the noble woman who had been his faithful friend on the perilous journey through the wilderness of Ohio, and later became his idolized wife; and who in a spirit fitting a soldier's bride, gave him to 32 HEROES AND HEROINES the service of his country a little more than two years before. His heart swelled often while engaged in the monotonous routine of his regular duty as he recalled her grand comradeship, on the long tramp through the dense forests in western Ohio and across Indiana to this forlorn hope. Intimately and inseparably connected with remembrances of his heroic wife, Corporal Simmons never forgot their first born, little David, the "curly headed corporal," full of life and happy in the love of papa and mama, and the infant Susan, six months and two days old, the delight and joy of the little family and the pet and play fellow of even the roughest soldiers in the camp. On that sad evening, as John Simmons looked upon this group confided to his protection he resolved that harm could only reach them over his dead body. With what fidelity he redeemed this vow will be revealed later on. The great number of warriors camped in the imme- diate vicinity of the fort required a strong guard for the night to prevent a surprise. The other soldiers slept a fitful sleep upon their arms. The women of the garrison, a majority of whom had small children, were busy in preparing for the march. Among these was Mrs. Sim- mons, who early in the evening had endeavored to put her babe to sleep so that she might complete the preparations necessary for the long march. The "little corporal," David, had noticed the unusual stir and preparation going on around him, and was exceedingly anxious to know what it all meant. "Where were they going?" " Would he ride in the big wagon? " " Were they going to grandpa's in Ohio? " These with many FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. 33 other questions were eagerly asked and years afterward rang in the ears of Mrs. Simmons when she recalled the events of that last gloomy night in Fort Dearborn. It was late in the evening when little David, tired of watching the busy scene and overcome by weariness, repeated his little prayer on his mother's lap for the last time and received his good night kiss from father and mother. The young soldier and wife now discussed the probabilities of the morrow. He was familiar with all the details of the proposed evacuation. During the day Captain Wells one of the most famous Indian fighters of the frontier arrived with twenty friendly warriors of the Miami tribe, for the purpose of rendering assistance to the beleaguered garrison or to escort them to Fort Wayne in case of evacuation. Captain Wells was present and heard the declaration of Black Partridge that his young men had determined to imbue their hands in the blood of the whites and that he could not restrain them. Wells knew the chief intimately and reposed the utmost confidence in his truthfulness. This statement therefore convinced him of the danger which confronted them. Corporal Simmons informed his wife of the order to secretly destroy the whiskey and ammunition which Captain Heald had promised the Indians, and of his belief that should the savages discover this they would not hesitate to murder the garrison. He did not conceal from her his opinion that the peril seemed imminent for he realized that the whites would be com- pelled to fight for their lives with odds of eight to one against them. It may be well supposed that the night was far advanced before sleep came to their relief from 34 HEROES AND HEROINES the heavy burdens which oppressed mind and body, and that early dawn found them astir and preparing for the fearful ordeal before them. All night dark objects were seen moving about outside the fort, showing to the guards who were ever on the alert that the Indians were on the watch to prevent the admittance of farther rein- forcements and the dispatch of couriers for succor. At an early hour on the morning of the i 5th day of August, 1812, the troops were mustered within the stockade and inspected. The roll was called and answered for the last time. Fifty-four regular soldiers and twelve militia men stood in line, presenting a feeble array with which to engage five hundred fierce warriors on the open prairie. The troops were dismissed for the last breakfast they were destined to eat together, with orders to be ready to march at nine o'clock. While the troops were engaged in eating breakfast and preparing for the march the Indians just outside the stockade were eating a meal furnished from the stores of the fort the day before, and arranging apparently to escort the garrison on its march to safety, while in reality they were preparing to decoy it to its doom. FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. 35 CHAPTER VIII. THE BATTLE AND MASSACRE. Preparations for the evacuation having been completed and the fatal hour having arrived, the line of march was formed within the stockade as described by E. G. Mason, Esq., President of the Chicago Historical Society, in his masterly address delivered at the unveiling of the Pullman Memorial Monument, which is here inserted in full, as follows: "The Chicago Historical Society accepts this noble gift in thrust for our city and for posterity with high appreciation of the generosity, the public spirit, and the regard for history of the donor. It realizes that this monument so wisely planned and so superbly executed is to be preserved not simply as a splendid ornament of our city but also as a most impressive record of its history. This group, repre- senting to the life the thrilling scene enacted perchance on the very spot on which it stands, barely eighty years ago, and its present surroundings, make most vivid the tremen- dous contrast between the Chicago of 1812 and the Chicago of 18^3. It teaches thus the marvelous growth of our city, and k commemorates as well the trials and the sorrows of those who suffered here in the cause' of civilization. The tragedy which it recalls, though it seemed to extinguish the infant settlement in blood, was in reality one which nerved men's arms and fired their hearts to the efforts vhich rescued this region from the invader and the barba- 36 HEROES AND HEROINES rian. The story which it tells is therefore of deeper significance than many that have to do with ' Battles, and the breath Of stormy war and violent death,' and it is one which should never be forgotten. "With its suggestions before us how readily we can pic- ture to ourselves the events of that i5th day of August in the year of grace 1812. Hardly a week before there had come through the forest and across the prairie to the lonely Fort Dearborn an Indian runner, like a clansman with the fiery cross, bearing the news of the battle and disaster. War with Great Britain had been declared in June, Mackinac had fallen into the hands of the enemy in July, and with these alarming tidings the red messenger brought an order from the commanding general at Detroit, contemplating the abandonment of this frontier post. Concerning the terms of his order authorities have differed. Capt. Heald, who received it, speaks of it as a peremptory command to evacuate the fort. Others with good means of knowledge say that the dispatch directed him to vacate the fort if practicable. But General Hull who sent the order, settles this question in a report to the War Department which has recently come to light. Writing under date of July 2Qth, 1812, he says: " ' I shall immediately send an express to Fort Dearborn with orders to evacuate that post and retreat to this place (Detroit) or Fort Wayne, provided it can be effected with a greater prospect of safety than to remain. Capt. Heald is a judicious officer and I shall confide much to his discretion. ' " The decision whether to go or stay rested therefore with Capt. Nathan Heald, and truly the responsibility was a heavy one. Signs of Indian hostility had not been want- FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. 37 ing. But the evening before Black Partridge, a chief of the Pottawatomie tribe, long a friend of the whites, had entered the quarters of the commanding officer and handed to him the medal which the warrior wore in token of ser- vices to the American cause in the Indian campaigns of ' Mad' Anthony Wayne. With dignity and with sadness the native orator said : " ' Father, I come to deliver up to you the medal I w r ear. It was given me by the Americans, and I have long worn it in token of our mutual friendship. But our young men are resolved to imbue their hands in the blood of the whites. I cannot restrain them and I will not wear a token of peace while I am compelled to act as an enemy. ' "This striking incident has been fitly chosen as the subject of one of the reliefs on the pedestal of the monu- ment. It typifies the relations between the hapless whites and their red neighbors at the moment and the causes which had changed friendship into hatred, and it sounds the note of coming doom. "On that dreary day one gleam of light fell across the path of the perplexed commander. Capt. William Wells arrived from Fort Wayne with a small party of friendly Miami Indians to share the fortunes of the imperiled garri- son. This gallant man, destined to be the chief hero and victim of the Chicago massacre, had had a most remarkable career. Of a good Kentucky family, he was stolen when a boy of 12 by the Miami Indians and adopted by their great chief, Me-che-kau-nah-qua, or Little Turtle, whose daughter became his wife. He fought on the side of the red men in their defeat of Gen Harmar in 1790 and Gen. St. Clair in 1791. Discovered by his Kentucky kindred when he had reached years of manhood, he was persuaded to ally himself with his own race, and took formal leave of his Indian comrades, avowing henceforth his enmity to them. Joining 38 HEROES AND HEROINES Wayne's army, he was made captain of a company of scouts, and was a most faithful and valuable officer. When peace came with the treaty of Greenville in 1795, he de- voted himself to obtaining an education, and succeeded so well that he was appointed Indian agent and served in that capacity at Chicago as early as 1803, and later at Fort Wayne, where he was also government interpreter and a Justice of the Peace. Here he heard of the probable evacuation of the post at Chicago, and knowing the temper of the Indians, he gathered such force as he could and made a rapid march across the country to save or die with his friends at Fort Dearborn, among whom the wife of Capt. Heald was his own favorite niece, whose gentle influence had been most potent in winning him back from barbarism years before. It seemed almost as if he had resolved to atone for the period in which he had ignorantly antagonized his own people by a supreme effort in their behalf against the race which had so nearly made him a savage. " He came too late to effect any change in .Capt. Heald's plans. The abandonment was resolved upon, and the stores and ammunition were in part destroyed and in part divided among the Indians, who were soon to make so base a return for these gifts. At 9 o'clock on that fatal summer morning the march began from the little fort, which stood where Michigan avenue and River street now join on a slight eminence around which the river wound to find its way to the lake near the present terminus of Madison street. The garrison bade farewell to the rude stockade and the log barracks and magazine and two corner blockhouses which composed the first Fort Dearborn. When this only place of safety was left behind, the straggling line stretched out along the shore of the lake, Capt. Wells and a part of his Miamis in the van, half a company of regulars and a dozen militiamen, and the wagons with the women and children FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. 39 following, and the remainder of the Miamis bringing up the rear. You may see it all on the panel on the monument, which recalls from the past and makes very real this mournful march to death. The escort of Pottawatomies, which that treacherous tribe had glibly promised to Capt. Heald, kept abreast of the troops until they reached the sand hills intervening between the prairie and the lake, and here the Indians disappeared behind the ridge. The whites kept on near the water to a point a mile and a half from the fort and about where Fourteenth street now ends, when Wells in the advance was seen to turn and ride back, swinging his hat around his head in a circle, which meant in the sign language of the frontier: 'We are surrounded by Indians.' "As soon as he came within hearing he shouted: 'We are surrounded; march up on the sand ridges.' And all at once, in the graphic language of Mrs. Heald, they saw ' the Indians' heads sticking up and down again, here and there, like turtles out of the water.' " Instantly a volley was showered down from the sand hills, the troops were brought into line, and charged up the bank, one man, a veteran of seventy years, falling as they ascended. Wells shouted to Heald, ' Charge them! ' and then led on and broke the line of the Indians, who scattered right and left. Another charge was made, in which Wells did deadly execution upon the perfidious barbarians, load- ing and firing two pistols and a gun in rapid succession. But the Pottawatomies, beaten in front, closed in on the flanks. The cowardly Miamis rendered no assistance, and in fifteen minutes' time the savages had possession of the baggage train and were slaying the women and children. Heald and the remnant of his command were isolated on a mound in the prairie. He had lost all his officers and half 40 HEROES AND HEROINES his men, was himself sorely wounded, and there was no choice but to surrender. "Such, in merest outline, was the battle, and one of its saddest incidents was the death of Capt. Wells. As he rode back from the fray, desperately wounded, he met his niece and bade her farewell, raying: 'Tell my wife, if you live to see her but I think it doubtful if a single one escapes tell her I died at my post; doing the best I could. There are seven red devils over there that I have killed.' As he spoke his horse fell, pinning him to the ground. A group of Indians approached; he took deliberate aim and fired, killing one of them. As the others drew near, with a last effort he proudly lifted his head, saying: 'Shoot away,' and the fatal shot was fired. "So died Chicago's hero, whose tragic fate and the hot fight in which he fell are aptly selected as the subjects of the other bas-reliefs of this monument. The bronze group which crowns it is an epitome of the whole struggle, revealing its desperate character, the kind of foemen whom our soldiers had to meet, and their mode of warfare, their merciless treatment of women and children, and setting forth the one touch of romance in the grim record of the Chicago massacre. It illustrates the moment when the young wife of Lieut. Helm, second in command of the fort, was attacked by an Indian lad, who struck her on the shoulder with a tomahawk. . To prevent him from using his weapons she siezed him around the neck and strove to get possession of the scalping-knife which hung in a scab- bard over his breast. In the midst of the struggle she was dragged from the grasp of her assailant by an older Indian. He bore her to the lake and plunged her into the waves; but she quickly perceived that his object was not to drown her, as he held her head above water. Gazing intently at him she soon recognized, in spite of the paint with which FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. 41 he was disguised, the whilom friend of the whites, Black Partridge, who saved her from further harm and restored her to her friends. For this good deed, and others, too, this noble chief should be held in kindly remembrance. "It is difficult to realize that such scenes could have taken place where we meet to-day; but history and tradi- tion alike bear witness that we are assembled near the center of that bloody battlefield. From the place on the lake shore a few blocks to the north, where Wells' signal halted the column over the parallel sand ridges southwest- erly along the prairie and through the bushy ravines between, the running fight continued probably as far as the present intersection of Twenty-first street and Indiana avenue, where one of our soldiers was slain and scalped, and still lies buried. Just over on Michigan avenue must have been the little eminence on the prairie on which Heald made his last rally, and right before us the skulking savages, who had given away at the advance of our men, gathered in their rear around the few wagons which had vainly sought to keep under the cover of our line. "If this gaunt old cottonwood, long known as the 'Massacre Tree,' could speak, what a tale of horror it would tell. For tradition, strong as Holy Writ, affirms that between this tree and its neighbor, the roots of which still remain beneath the pavement, the baggage wagon containing twelve children of the white families of the fort, and one young savage climbed into it, tomahawked the entire group.* A little while and this sole witness of that deed of woe must pass away. But the duty of preserving *Mrs. Simmons was perhaps the only person who witnessed the details in and around the government wagon who escaped from captivity, and she always placed the number of children killed in the wagon at nine, the other three who wore murdered were on foot. 42 HEROES AND HEROINES the name and the locality of the Chicago massacre, which has been its charge for so many years, is now transferred to this stately monument, which will faithfully perform it long after the fall of the 'Massacre Tree.' "Capt. Heald's whole party, not including the Miami detachment, when they marched out of Fort Dearborn comprised fifty-four regulars, twelve militiamen, nine women and eighteen children ninety-three white persons in all. Of these twenty-six regulars and the twelve militia- men were slain in action, two women and twelve children were murdered on the field, and five regulars were bar- barously put to death, after the surrender. There remained then but thirty-six of the whole party of ninety-three, and of the sixty-six fighting men who met their red foemen here that day only twenty-three survived. These, with seven women and six children, were prisoners in the hands of the savages. We know of the romantic escape, by the aid of friendly Indians, of Capt. and Mrs. Heald and Lieut, and Mrs. Helm; and three of the soldiers, one of whom was Orderly Sergeant William Griffith, in less than two months after the massacre found their way to Michi- gan, bringing the sad news from Fort Dearborn. Hull's surrender had placed Detroit in the hands of the enemy; but the Territorial Chief Justice, Woodward, the highest United States authority there, in a ringing letter to the British Commander, Col. Proctor, under date of October 8, 1812, demanded in the name of humanity that instant means should be taken for the preservation of these un- happy captives by sending special messengers among the Indians to collect the prisoners and bring them to the nearest army post, and that orders to co-operate should be issued to the British officers on the lakes. Col. Proctor one month before had been informed by his own people of the bloody work at Chicago, and had reported the same to FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. 43 his superior offcer, Maj. Gen. Brock, but had contented himself with remarking that he had no knowledge of any attack having been intended by the Indians on Chicago, nor could they indeed be said to be within the influence of the British. "Now, spurred to action by Judge Woodward's clear and forcible presentation of the case, Proctor promised to use the most effective means in his power for the speedy release from slavery of these unfortunate individuals. He committed the matter to Robert Dickson, British agent to the Indians of the Western Nations, who proceeded about it leisurely enough. March 16, 1813, he wrote from St. Joseph's Lake, Michigan, that there remained of the ill- fated garrison of Chicago, captives among the Indians, seventeen soldiers, four women, and some children, and that he had taken the necessary steps for their redemption and had the fullest confidence that he should succeed in getting the whole. Six days later he came to Chicago and inspected the ruined fort, where, as he says, there remained only two pieces of brass ordinance, three-poundersone in the river, with wheels, and the other dismounted a powder magazine, well preserved, and a few houses on the outside of the fort, in good condition. The desolation apparently was not relieved by the presence of a single inhabitant. Such was the appearance of Chicago in the spring following the massacre. Of these seventeen soldiers, the nine who survived their long imprisonment were ransomed by a French trader and sent to Quebec, and ultimately reached Plattsburg, N. Y. , in the summer of 1814. Of the women, two were rescued from slavery, one by the kindness of Black Partridge; and the others doubt- less perished in captivity. Of the children, we only hear again of one. In a letter written to Maj. Gen. Proctor by Capt. Bullock, the British, commander at Mackinac, Sep- 44 HEROES AND HEROINES tember 25, 1813, he says: 'There is also here a boy (Peter Bell), 5 or 6 years of age, whose father and mother were killed at Chicago. The boy was purchased from the Indians by a trader and brought here last July by direction of Mr. Dickson.' Of the six little people who fell into the hands of the Indians this one small waif alone seems to have floated to the shore of freedom." "The Pottawatomies, after the battle and the burning of the fort, divided their booty and prisoners and scattered, some to their villages, some to join their brethren in the siege of Fort Wayne. Here they were foiled by the timely arrival of William Henry Harrison, then Governor of the Indiana Territory, with a force of Kentucky and Ohio troops, and condign punishment was inflicted upon a part at least of the Chicago murderers. A detachment which Gen. Harrison assigned to this work was commanded by Col. Samuel Wells, who must have remembered his brother's death when he destroyed the village of Five Medals, a leading Pottawatomie chief. To one of the ruthless demons who slew women and children under the branches of this tree, such an appropriate vengeance came that it seems fitting to tell the story here. He was older than most of the band, a participant in many battles, and a deadly enemy of the whites. His scanty hair was drawn tightly upward and tied with a string, making a tuft on top of his head, and from this peculiarity he was known as Chief Shavehead. Years after the Chicago massacre he was a hunter in Western Michigan and when in liquor Avas fond of boasting of his achievements on the warpath. On one of these occasions in the streets of a little village he told the fearful tale of his doings on this field with all its horrors; but among his hearers chanced to be a soldier of *It is due Mr. Mason to say that he had no knowledge of Mrs. Simmons and her child until after he delivered his memorial address. FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. 45 the garrison of Fort Dearborn, one of the few survivors of that fatal day. As he listened he saw that frightful scene again, and was maddened by its recall. At sundown the old brave left the settlement, and silently on his trail the soldier came, 'with his gun,' says the account, 'resting in the hollow of his left arm and the right hand clasped around the lock, with his forefinger carelessly toying with the trigger.' The red man and the white passed into the shade of the forest; the soldier returned alone; Chief Shavehead was never seen again. He had paid the penalty of his crime to one who could, with some fitness, exact it. Such was the fate of a chief actor in the dark scene enacted here. "Many others of the Pottawatomie tribe joined the British forces in the field, and at the battle of the Thames, October 5, 1813, they were confronted again by Harrison and his riflemen, who then avenged the slaughter at Chicago upon some of its perpetrators. Victor and victim alike have passed away. The story of their struggle remains, and this masterpiece will be an object-lesson teaching it to after generations. Mr. Pullman's liberal and thoughtful action is a needed recognition of the importance and interest of our early history, an inspiration to its study, and an example which may well be followed. The event which this monument commemorates, its principal inci- dents, and the after fortunes of those concerned in it, have been briefly sketched and much has necessarily been left unsaid. But we should not omit a grateful recognition of the able civillian soldier, William Henry Harrison, who stayed the tide of barbarism which flowed from the Chicago massacre, and humbled the tribe which was responsible for that lurid tragedy. The name of Harrison is intimately and honorably associated with the early days in the North- west, with the war of 1812, and with the highest office in 46 HEROES AND HEROINES the gift of the American people half a century ago. It is likewise intimately and honorably associated with the later days of the Northwest and the great civil war, and again with the highest office in the gift of the American people in our own times. It is fitting that the distinguished descendant of William Henry Harrison should be here to- day. It is a high honor that the eminent ex-President of the United States should grace this occasion with his presence, which makes these exercises complete." Mr. Mason having told the story of the Fort Dearborn tragedy as it deserves and as it has never before been told, it remains for this humble sketch to devote itself chiefly to the fate of the persons with whom our story especially deals. Returning to the fort where we left the line of march forming, Corporal Simmons remained by the wagon until his duty called him away. He then lifted David, "the curly headed Corporal," in his arms and, after both father and mother had kissed him for the last time, he placed him in the government wagon, then turning to his wife who held their babe, he embraced and kissed both, then held the babe up to receive the last kiss from its little brother. Then bidding his brave and faithful wife remain close by the children in the wagon he took his place among the troops who were ordered to guard the wagons and women and children, a position in which he had requested to be placed that he might defend his family to the last. Little David with eight other chil- dren, too small to walk, occupied the government wagon as it was called. Mrs. Simmons carried her babe in her arms while Peter Bell, six years old, with seven other children were with their mothers who were on foot near FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. 47 the wagon, making eighteen children in all. Mrs. Heald and Mrs. Helm rode on horseback with their husbands and Capt. Wells, while Mrs. Simmons, Mrs. Bell and Mrs. Holt with four other women, whose names are unknown, were on foot near the wagon containing the children, altogether constituting a group of seven women and eighteen children. No sooner had the train left the fort than the Indians rushed into the stockade to take possession and secure the booty abandoned and perhaps assure themselves of the treachery of Capt. Heald in destroying the arms and ammunition and also to prevent the return of any of the garrison when attacked. No more favorable position to suit the purpose of the Indians could have been selected than that occu- pied by the line of march. The slender column was flanked on the left by the lake and on the right by the sand hills which were occupied by the savages and from which they suddenly poured down a shower of balls without exposing their own persons. The column was instantly halted when Capt. Wells discovered that it was surrounded by the assailants, and at the suggestion of Capt. Wells, Capt. Heald formed a line and charged up the sand hills through the line of Indians, and took a position on a mound in the prairie where they held the enemy at bay for a time. In the meanwhile, the bag- gage train, with the women and children remained near the lake, with the twelve militia men and^a mere hand- ful of regulars to guard them. The greater part of the soldiers who were not already killed or wounded had escaped with Capt. Heald and were now outside the 48 HEROES AND HEROINES Indian lines. The savages soon discovered the almost defenceless condition of the baggage train and of the women and children, fired a volley upon them and then rushed in from front, rear and right, with uplifted tomahawks. The few soldiers having discharged their rifles and being too closely pressed to reload them, continued the unequal contest with clubbed guns until every one was slain. It was at this time that the brave Capt. Wells returned through the Indian lines to the defense of the women and children, and dealt death among the savages until covered with wounds he fell with his face to the enemy, confronting death as a brave knight in defense of the helpless. He might have remained on the mound and surrendered with Capt. Heald and Lieut. Helm, and perhaps saved his life, but his cowardly and treacherous Miamis had betrayed him and fled to the enemy, leaving him to battle and die alone. His death was a fitting close to a heroic and honorable life and the name of Capt. William Wells will ever confer lustre on the list of American heroes. When the attack was made Corporal John Simmons, from his position near the great cottomvood, known as the " Massacre Tree," loaded and fired as rapidly as possible, and more than one dusky warrior bit the dust at the discharge of his unerring rifle, but the contest was too unequal to continue long. When too closely pressed to load and fire his gun he clubbed it and wielded it with tremendous effect. Finally covered with wounds he fell to rise no more. The vow of the previous night had been redeemed. FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. 49 No sooner had Mrs. Simmons seen her husband fall beneath the blows of the savages surrounding him than she realized that all were at the mercy of the infuriated victors. A young Indian, tomahawk in hand, climbed into the now unguarded wagon, and in utter disregard of the tears and importunities of Mrs. Simmons and the other women, struck his bloody weapon into the heads of every child within, killing them instantly. The children unconscious of the danger which beset them had gayly enjoyed the ride from the fort until the fight began. The slaughter of these innocents was one of the most pathetic and fiendish incidents in the fearful annals of Indian warfare. At the first fire from the Indians Mrs. Holt was wounded in the foot and was rendered unable to walk when the charge was made upon the guard protecting the women and children. The savages came on enrnassc firing their guns and uttering hideous yells. The horses harnessed to the wagons became ungovernable and ran over Mrs. Holt, trampling her to death. Mrs. Bell was also severely and perhaps fatally wounded and finally tomahawked to death. Her husband, a soldier, was slain in action, leaving little Peter Bell, a boy six years old, the lone survivor of the family, a prisoner in the hands of the savages. The boy was fortunately on for)t and thus escaped the doom which fell upon all within the wagon. Three children besides those in the wagon were murdered on the spot, leaving six prisoners. Of these but two drifted back to civilization, Peter Bell and the infant babe of Mrs. Simmons, which escaped the fate of her little brother and the other children by being held in the arms of her mother during the massacre. HEROES AND HEROINES No sooner had the savages completed the destruction of the little, force guarding the baggage train, even to the last man, than most of them hastened to aid in the capture of Capt. Heald, who with his party was now surrounded by an overwhelming force, from which there was no possible escape. Realizing this, he promptly surrendered, and the little band was marched to the captured train, where all were closely guarded while the soldiers cared for their wounded and disposed of their dead, making sure that the whites should not learn the extent of their loss, which was considerable considering the disparity in numbers of the combatants. The whites, however, were all experienced backwoods riflemen and did terrible execution with weapons greatly superior to the arms of the savages, thus amply avenging their deaths before they fell. The Indians, not yet satisfied with thzir fiendish barbarity, now proceeded to deliber- ately hack and mangle to death five of the captured and disarmed soldiers in the most diabolical manner. It has been surmised that this vile deed was done to make the loss of the whites equal their own. Whether this be true or false, the act remains one of the most infamous on record. For the purpose of distressing the other prisoners, men, women and children were compelled to witness this horrible butchery. The surviving captives, as they beheld this deed, almost envied their tortured comrades as death at length came to their relief. They could reasonably anticipate a like fate, unless their heartless captors could realize more ransom money, whiskey or ammunition for their lives than for scalps, th2 life itself being of no value in their view. Mrs. FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. 51 Simmons discovered that the delight of the savages was much enhanced by tormenting their prisoners in every conceivable manner, thus almost invariably forcing from them manifestations of pain or anger which were sweeter than music in their ears. She therefore summoned all her marvelous fortitude to prevent any expression of the anguish which was crushing her great soul. She had scarcely thus determined until her resolution was put to the most excrutiating test. The Indians collected all the murdered children and laid them in a row with their faces downward. Two burly Indians then held her by the arms and led her slowly past the children, expecting that if her boy was one of the number she would make some demonstration at the sorrowful sight. But al- though her tearless eyes seemed fastened upon her dead darling's flaxen curls now matted by his blood, she passed the fearful ordeal and made no sign. Not alone, nor chiefly did considerations born of pride or hatred control her in this apparently stoical indifference. True, the indignation of her pure womanhood was aroused and fixed forever against a race capable of such hellish conduct, but to save if possible the corpse of her beauti- ful boy from farther mutilation and her little girl from a life with these monsters, or to perish as the last resort with it, the grand heroism nerved her to bear un- moved all events, and during the entire period of her captivity, eight long months, she met all the insults and injuries of her captors with defiance, never once during that period paying them the tribute of a tear. 5 2 HEROES AND HEROINES CHAPTER IX. CAPTIVITY AND RANSOM. The arms and ammunition of the fallen and prisoners were collected. The dead were stripped of everything of value, were scalped and their scalps were strung on a pole and carried on their march as trophies of the campaign. The march was then made back to the fort, where the Indians camped for the night, and feasted on the stores, while around and near the old Massacre Tree lay stark in death thirty-eight soldiers, twelve children and two women, the mangled trophies of their infernal treachery and bloodthirstiness. Never was a memorial more worthy its object, and never were noble and heroic deeds more appropriately commemorated than by the Pullman monument. Captain William Wells, Corporal John Simmons and the other soldiers who fell on that consecrated spot all deserve to have their names em- blazoned on that monument as brave martyrs to the folly of their officers. The horrors of the past and the dread of the future produced for Mrs. Simmons another sleepless night. Flushed with their success and indulging great expecta- tions of future triumphs, the Indians were equally wake- ful. In the morning the plunder was divided and the prisoners were separated, some going to the Kankakce village, some to Green Bay, and some to Michigan. FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. 53 After moving out of the fort it was set on fire and burned, and the line of march for the respective villages was taken up. It fell to the lot of Mrs. Simmons to go to Green Bay and her captors crossed the Chicago river on the 1 6th of August and started for home. The weather being warm and pleasant the hardships of the journey to Mrs. Simmons consisted mainly in being compelled to do the drudgery of the Indians, such as gathering fuel, building fires and preparing food. On the march she walked and carried her babe, the entire distance being over two hundred miles. More than a week was employed in making the journey, a terrible week to our heroine who was sufficiently acquainted with the customs of the savages to anticipate a wild scene upon arrival at their destination. Her fears were abundantly verified. Swift runners heralded the ap- proach of the party to the members of the tribe in camp and upon the first glimpse of the returning column the women and children sallied forth to meet it. Upon the announcement of the death of their friends they com- menced a fusilade of insult upon the prisoners in every conceivable manner, such as spitting in their faces, pull- ing their hair, kicking them and tormenting them in various other ways. They finally reached the village where the prisoners were kept under close guard during the night. In the morning the village was early astir. The young Indians especially were abroad and clamoring in a way that boded no good to the unfortunate captives. Soon, old and young, male and female, were on the open ground outside the circle of wigwams and formed a long double line reaching to the verge of the surrounding 54 HEROES AND HEROINES pines. The prisoners were then marched to one end of the line and each one of the soldiers was compelled to run the gauntlet receiving blows from the women and children who formed the line, and who beat them with sticks, switches and clubs. Mrs. Simmons witnessed this characteristic exhibition of savage cruelty and hoped that her sex and the infant she held in her arms would exempt her from the cruel ordeal; but to her dismay she was led in response to the universal clamor to the start- ing point. Looking for a moment in horror at that long line of women and children armed with implements of torture and eager to inflict punishment upon the pale- faced squaw, then glancing at the grim warriors looking on with apparent delight at the anxiety manifested by their wives and children, she almost lost heart for a moment and instantly realizing that in all the sur- rounding multitude there was not a heart to sym- pathize, not a hand to shield, before her was a long double line of savages awaiting her approach with uplifted clubs, all seeking to excel each other in wound- ing and bruising their victim. It was an awful moment for the poor woman but, as she had often done before in the last twelve days, when overcome with grief and almost famished with hunger, she turned her face to heaven and reposed her trust in her creator, her only source of hope and consolation, and as if inspired with superhuman strength, she wrapped the blanket about the babe that was clinging to her bosom for protection, and folding it in her strong arms to protect it from the cruel blows of the savages, she ran rapidly down the line, reaching the goal bleeding and bruised, but with the beloved object of her solicitude unharmed. FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. 55 Immediately after passing the gauntlet Mrs. Simmons was astonished to receive an act of kindness tor the first time since her captivity began. An elderly squaw took her kindly by the arm and led her into a wigwam, where her wounds and bruises were washed, food was given her and she was permitted to lie down and enjoy as well as she could a much needed rest. This kindness, so opportunely and unexpectedly extended was a great solace to the distressed woman. It revived her drooping faith and courage to encounter the trials yet before her. To ordinary view her situation seemed utterly desperate. She was five hundred miles from friends, the only exception being the poor savage who had befriended her at the hazard of her own safety, doubtless, and all the intervening territory swarming with murderous war parties of Indians. Bereft of the wise council and strong support of her husband, she had been taught by her bitter experiences to rely upon the All-wise and Almighty for power and guidance. It will not be out of place to state here that the squaw who so agreeably surprised Mrs. Simmons with her kind offices remained her friend so long as they were in the same camp. Mrs. Simmons ever after spoke of her as her Indian mother, and regretted that it was not in her. power to repay her for the many favors she had received from her hands. It was a matter of especial regret to her that she had forgotten her name. Could the name and history of this noble- daughter of the wilderness have been preserved along with the life of Black Partridge, their good deeds would atone somewhat for the cruelties of the more vicious of their race. 56 HEROES AND HEROINES After the massacre of Fort Dearborn many of the more blood-thirsty young savages of the Pottawatomie tribe hastened east to participate in the siege of Detroit and Fort Meigs, the- former having surrendered to the British and Indians on the day following the capture of Fort Dearborn. Sometime in the fall of 1812 the warriors of Green Bay with their prisoners left Green Bay and marched to the ruins of Fort Dearborn, thence around the end of lake Michigan and up to Mackinac, which was still in the hands of the British and Indians. It was winter when they reached Mackinac, and nego- tiations for the ransom of the prisoners were opened. Mrs. Simmons and her babe had suffered terribly while on the journey to Mackinac. Winter had come on and found her thinly clad, while she was often compelled to seek food from under the snow. Still, amid all her privations and hardships the heroic woman thought only of the safety and comfort of her child. While in Green Bay the Indians had, by various devices, attempted to take her babe from her, under the pretext of friendship. They declared they would relieve her from the burden of its care and would rear it as one of their own children. These repeated offers and their unconditional refusal led the mother to more closely watch over the babe, never permitting her to pass beyond her reach. After many refusals a chief seized the child by the arm and attempted to drag it from its mother's breast, at the same time brandishing his tomahawk over her head with violent contortions and gesticulations, and threatening to kill her instantly unless she resigned the infant. With a look of disdain and defiance, she replied FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. 57' to his ferocious demonstrations that he might slay her, but separate her and her child, never! The chief finding her spirit unbroken and undismayed, relaxed his hold upon the child, and kindly though firmly said to Mrs. Simmons: "Good squaw; heap brave; may keep papoose." This was the last effort made to take her babe from her, though she maintained a vigilant watch upon it while she remained a prisoner. Neither was she farther molested in caring for it, save that the Indians compelled her to bathe it daily, for the purpose, as they said, of washing the white blood out of its veins. At Mackinac Mrs. Simmons was much encouraged by the hope of ransom or exchange, and in order to accomplish release on some terms she was sent in mid- winter from Mackinac to Detroit, a distance of over three hundred miles. Deep snows with occasional storms and blizzards impeded their march, which was on foot through a trackless wilderness. But for the knowledge Mrs. Simmons possessed that an effort was being made by government authorities to ransom her and her child and that every step she now took led her nearer liberty and friends she must have sat down in despair. Who can imagine the hidden power which sus- tained the poor woman as she trudged along from day to day on that long and dreary journey? Her clothing was woefully insufficient and in tatters, the weather was unendurable, and food so scarce that she often appeased hunger by eating roots, acorns and nuts found under the snow. Her babe, now a year old, had much increased in weight, yet with her own diminished strength she was obliged to carry it in her arms continually while she performed the camp drudgery for the Indians. 58 HEROES AND HEROINES In the latter part of winter, when Mrs. Simmons with her captors reached Detroit they found that post in possession of the British and Indians, the latter having practical control. A large number of prisoners were captured by these allies at Frenchtown on the river Raisin in January, after a severe battle. Shortly after, Gen. Proctor, the British general, left for Maiden, across the Detroit river, when the Indians butchered part of the prisoners in cold blood. The wounded had been collected in two houses: these were set on fire, and when such of the prisoners as could move attempted to leave the burning buildings they were pushed back into the flames by the savages and perished there. The few who were not butchered or burned to death, were marched as slaves to Detroit and, dragged through the streets, exposed to sale as such. The citizens sacrificed every- thing they could spare to ransom them from this pitiful fate. Here Mrs. Simmons saw and recognized the savage Pottawatomies, and learned with horror of their barbarities at Frenchtown, and that the entire northwest was in possession of the Indians. She had fondly hoped that her perils would end when she reached Detroit, and expected that safety which it is the boast of England prevails beneath the British flag, but soon realized that the English officers had little disposition to restrain the cruelty of the Indians. From Detroit she was taken to Fort Meigs, and on the journey witnessed the destruction effected by the savages. Late in March she arrived at Fort Meigs; which was in command of Gen. Harrison, who was laboring day and night to strengthen the forti- fication against the expected attack from the British and FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. 59 Indians. Here Mrs. Simmons was set at liberty among friends and joyfully learned that a supply train had just arrived from Cincinnati, and would immediately return under a strong escort. The train was to pass on return within a few miles of her home in Miami county, Ohio. She was still two hundred miles from home, the streams were swollen, the swamps covered with water, the roads deep in mud and slush, and the weather chilly, all combined making the journey disagreeable. But Mrs. Simmons contrasted it with her recent experience, and decided that after traveling nearly 400 miles, from Mackinac to Fort Meigs, through fierce storms and bitter cold, poorly clad, almost starved, bearing night and day the growing burden of her child, a slave to savage brutes, and forced to plod every step of the long way on feet almost bare, swollen and bleeding, the present trip was a delightful pleasure excursion. She was now among friends, with no great apprehension of danger from ene- mies, warmly wrapped in blankets and sheltered in a comfortable government wagon, enjoying plenty of civilized food, and conscious that each day's march brought her nearer her longed for destination. On a day about the middle of April, 1813, the train passed four miles south of her home. Here she left the wagons and escort with many heart-felt thanks for the kindness shown her on the march, and taking her babe in her arms walked swiftly along a dim path through the forest. The country was infested with predatory scalp- ing bands of Indians, ready to pounce upon defenseless travelers or isolated settlers for plunder or revenge. But the thoughts of the lone woman were busy with 6O HEROES AND HEROINES retrospect of the eventful past, rather than with forebod- ings of the future. Every step was bringing her nearer the home which she had left two years before in com- pany with her young soldier husband and their first born, little David. During the short journey to the dear home what pictures rose before her mental vision. The march of the little family through the woods, the rumbling of the coming storm, the heart-sickening details of the evacuation and the massacre of the soldiers, death of her brave husband, the slaughter of the innocents, David among them, the awful death of the captured soldiers, the fearful gauntlet, the exhausting marches through ex- treme cold, blinding storms and freezing mud and water, the miseries of starvation, and if it were possible to represent it, over all and through all the anxiety which knew neither palliation or cessation. As her heart burned within her at the remembrance of these experiences she found herself at the door of the blockhouse. To the inmates she appeared as one risen from the dead, for they had long before resigned themselves to the belief that the entire family of their son had fallen. The mutual, mingled feelings of grief, joy, thankfulness and sympathy, may well be left to the imagination of our readers without attempted description. It was long before the terrible tidings became an old story in recital, and as for the narrator herself, her long repressed emotions were so completely broken down by the return that to use her own language, she "did nothing but weep for months." FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. 6 I CHAPTER X. THE MASSACRE OF NEIGHBORS, HER ONLY SISTER AMONG THEM. Arrived at home Mrs. Simmons hoped that her trials were over, but she was soon to be terribly undeceived. Her only sister married a Henry Dilbone in Lancaster county, Pa., and they emigrated to Ohio in 1807, settling near the Simmons blockhouse where they opened a small farm. Here in the summer of 1813 they were living happily with their family of small children. Occasion- ally an alarm of Indian raids caused them to take tem- porary shelter in the blockhouse. The situation in the northwest was truly gloomy. The barbarities of the Indians and their British allies at Mackinac, Dearborn, Detroit, Frenchtown, the river Raisin, and Fort Meigs, where prisoners fell into their hands had brought mourn- ing to almost every family. Many women and children had been carried away into slavery. So far the savages had been successful in almost every engagement. They were therefore frenzied with daring and cruelty. It had become a war of extermination on both sides, and the lives of friendly Indians were often sacrificed by the enraged frontiersmen in retaliation for crimes committed by the hostiles. Many camps of peaceable savages existed all through the settlements, and their inmates were compelled to endure many hardships as it was not safe for them to go abroad to hunt or s:ek food. 62 HEROES AND HEROINES At this time there was an Indian camp at Piqua on the Miami river, and others in the vicinity. About the middle of August, 1813, three or four Indians in a canoe dropped down the river to near the mouth of Spring creek, where they were seen late in the evening by Dr. Coleman, of Troy, and from this action were supposed to be a fishing party. On the following day, about four o'clock in the afternoon they fired on and killed David Gerard, near his residence, about two miles north of the mouth of Spring creek. Having secured his scalp they fled north about four miles to the Dilbone farm. Henry Dilbone and his family were at some distance from the house in a field, which was surrounded by woods on three sides, engaged in pulling flax, from which to make clothing for the household. Adjoining the flax patch was a small field of corn within which an Indian had secreted himself, waiting an opportunity to slay the entire family. The sinking sun casting its lurid glare on the surrounding forest, and the evening shades fast settling down upon that sultry August day, warned the tired laborers that their day's work was nearly completed. Little did they dream how near the end of their earthly toil approached. Their faithful dog discovered the savage lying in wait, gave the alarm and almost simul- taneously with his loud bark a gun was discharged, Mr. Dilbone receiving a ball from the rifle of the Indian in his breast. The assassin at the same instant sprang from his place of concealment and rushed forward to tomakawk and scalp his victim, but Mr. Dilbone as quickly recovered from the shock and ran rapidly south, leaping over the fence into the thick brush bordering a FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. 63 swamp where he fell. The savage abandoned the pursuit of Mr. Dilbone, perhaps not aware of the severity of his wound, being deceived by his speed, now turned his attention to Mrs. Dilbone, who at a glance saw the situation and fled into the corn on the west for conceal- ment, but was overtaken by the fiendish savage. A single blow from his tomahawk felled her to the earth, where, after taking her scalp, he left her weltering in her blood. During the time in which this terrible tragedy was being enacted, the four little children were horrified witnesses, and momentarily expected the same fate. The eldest son, John, being less than ten years of age, took his little brother, now in his seventh month, in his arms and set out for the house, but being encumbered with the babe and his little sisters who were but three and four years old, made slow progress over the rough ground. They had gotten but a little way when the fiend left his other victims and started toward them. But to the report of his own gun, the continued barking of the dog and the screams of Mrs. Dilbone, was now added the report of another fire arm a short distance away, which so alarmed the Indian that he instantly fled into the the deep forest leaving his rifle and blanket where he had dropped them in pursuit of his victims. He then, as stated in the History of Ohio, "hastened north to receive the bounty for his scalps from the British authorities." More probably, from the agents of the British Hudson Bay Company. The fact that the savage fled without his gun is evidence that he was terribly alarmed, and this belief in his imminent peril 64 HEROES AND HEROINES was the salvation of the helpless children. The neigh- bors were speedily alarmed and collecting at once went in quest of Mr. and Mrs. Dilbone, accompanied by the eldest son as a guide. The dead body of Mrs. Dilbone was found which, with the children, was taken to the Simmons blockhouse for safety. In ignorance of the number of the assailants and fearing an ambuscade, darkness having already settled upon the dense forest, farther search for Mr. Dilbone was postponed until the following morning when a company of militia, under Capt. Wm. McKinney, which had rallied at the Sim- mons blockhouse during the night, started with the rising sun in search of the wounded man. In searching the neighboring woods the company passed so near him that he saw and heard them. As the rear soldier, Jacob Simmons, was passing by where he lay, Mr. Dilbone cried out in the accents of despair, " For God's sake, don't all pass me again! " The poor man lay just where he had first fallen, so exhausted that he was unable to rise or make any outcry audible to his son and the party which on the previous evening removed the body of his wife, and whom he heard distinctly. All night he had lain between two oaks, one of which has been spared by time and the woodman and still stands, a living monu- ment to the memory of Henry Dilbone. How little can the men of this generation realize the dreadful anguish under that veteran oak during that awful August night. Uncertainty regarding the fate of his loved and helpless family prompted him to rise and drag himself to them. Failing utterly in this attempt, he strove to staunch the streaming wound in his bosom. Tortured with the FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. 65 agony of pain and consuming thirst, he could only lie help- less and well nigh hopeless and wait for the morning. Beside such anguish of body and mind how trivial seem many of our loudly lamented calamities. The almost unconscious man was borne to the block house, and a messenger was sent to summon the dis- tinguished Dr. Coleman from Troy the only surgeon then residing in Miami county, who came and attended the dying sufferer until the following day when he expired in the presence of his children. It was a sad coincidence when the dead and mangled body of the only sister of Mrs. Simmons was brought to the Simmons homestead on the first anniversary of the murder of her husband and son and her own capture. Surely her vivid remembrance of the events of the massacre and consequent captivity had been sufficiently bitter without this final draught of the cup of sorrow on the first recurrence of the black day. Mrs. Simmons and the other inmates of the blockhouse had been in- formed by a runner of the hellish deed and awaited the coming of the mournful procession which bore the mortal remains of her beloved sister accompanied by her four small orphan children. Another coincidence connecting this transaction with her own sad story which profoundly impressed Mrs. Simmons was the fact of the babe in its seventh month being bereft of its parents as her own infant had been robbed of its father a year before at the same tender age. That night of sorrow was a painful vigil for Mrs. Simmons. Her only sister, beloved as a cherished companion for almost a life time, lay a bloody corpse in the house. The cries of bereaved children, her 66 HEROES AND HEROINES own thoughts mingling ghastly memories with well- founded forebodings of future outrages from the savages believed to be prowling in the neighborhood, together with the agonizing uncertainty regarding the fate of her wounded brother-in-law, all combined to render the watch of the terribly tried woman the extremity, of mental torture. Mr. and Mrs. Dilbone were buried near where they fell, a few feet north of the section line, five miles east of Piqua on the turnpike and old military road over which a stream of emigrants have passed for more than eighty years, unconscious that they trod upon the unmarked graves of these martyrs to civilization. FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. 67 CHAPTER XI. AT REST During the years of peace and rural plenty which followed the eventful era of exploration and conquest the infant child of Mrs. Simmons, whose life morning opened so wild and ominous, grew to womanhood and became a happy wife and mother. Her husband, Moses Winans, settled in Shelby county, Ohio, when her aged mother took up her residence in her daughter's family. In 1853, Mrs. Simmons removed with the Winans family to Springville, Linn county, Iowa, where she died, February 27th, 1857, at the mature age of eighty years. The friends of Mrs. Simmons applied for and secured a pension for her, but she only received one payment, the pitiful sum of thirty dollars. The reason for the suspension of this payment was never known to her. In all the annals ol the race no grander exhibition of courage, devotion and fortitude can be found. No Spartan mother could have more effectually fortified her feelings against expression, when the slightest manifesta- tion of weakness had been fatal. Upon this lone woman culminated all the horrors which the most ingenious tortures could devise, while she endured so well the extremity of mental anguish, yet these almost incredible sufferings could not force from her proud, heroic spirit the tribute of a solitary tear to her tormentors. She 68 HEROES AND HEROINES passed the awful ordeal unscathed from dishonor or weakness and is entitled to a leading place among Amer- ican Heroines. A few words may be properly devoted at this place to a character previously introduced and well worthy mention on account of his exemplary and useful life. Tom Rodgers passed the three years of the war in the woods scouting and watching the movements of the Indians. He slept in the houses of settlers only in very cold weather. After the war he built for himself a small cabin in the forest on the banks of Spring Creek, in the vicinity of which he spent his life alone, hunting to sup- ply himself with food and clothing, until about 1850, when he became feeble from age and was taken to the county asylum, near Troy, where he died a year or two later. The service which he rendered daring the war so endeared Tom Rodgers to the settlers that he was at all times a welcome guest, but he very seldom took advan- tage of their generosity, preferring the life of a hermit. He lived more than the allotted three score years and ten- -a life which experienced the marvelous transition from the unbroken solitudes of a trackless wilderness to the perfect civilization of a mighty commonwealth. FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. 69 CHAPTER XII. AWAITING THE END. Mrs. Winans has unquestionably for many years been the sole survivor of the Fort Dearborn massacre. Cer- tainly for more than thirty years has this claim been true. It is also almost certain that she was the only person born there who escaped death on that fatal day, Peter Bell being the only competitor for this distinction with the weight of evidence in her favor. In the number of the "Illustrated Pacific States" for June, 1893, the following article with an excellent cut of the subject appears, contributed by Mrs. Florence M. Kimball. "It is interesting to know that there is now living the first white child born in the famous city by the lakes. Mrs. Susan Winans of Santa Ana, Orange county, Cali- fornia, enjoys this distinction. When old Fort Dearborn was standing on the site of one of the greatest cities on the American continent, and savage Indians held supreme sway, Susan Simmons first saw the light in that historic fort. " Her father, John Simmons, a Pennsylvanian by birth, married Miss Susan Millhouse, also a Pennsylvanian. He enlisted in the war of 1812, and was sent to the frontier, Fort Dearborn. While on a furlough he visited his young wife and persuaded her to return with him, /O HEROES AND HEROINES" taking with them their little two-year old son, David. On February I3th, 1812, Susan was born. The dis- comforts and trials of the young mother, surrounded by hostile Indians, and the life of her husband constantly endangered, can never be told. Her devotion to her family and wonderful heroism sustained her; even when in the following August her husband and little son were killed at the terrible Indian massacre, and she, with her infant, Susan, were taken prisoners, she still maintained her courageous bearing. In April of the next year an exchange was effected, and the bereaved mother and little daughter returned to the parental roof in Ohio. In 1828 Susan Simmons was married to Mr. M. P. Winans. Nine children were born to them, six of whom are living, three in Orange count)', Cal., and three in Iowa, to which state Mr. and Mrs. Winans moved in 1853. Born in the midst of dangers, her life has been one of heroic acts, noble sacrifices and gentle, womanly deeds of love and kind- ness. Although eighty-thres years of age, she might easily be taken for sixty; her handwriting is that of a much younger person, and all her faculties are unimpaired. Enveloped in the domestic sunshine of her daughter's happy home, Grandma Winans' declining years are made bright and pleasant by its members. The children of the neighborhood love her as if she were their own. I visited her on May Day and found the vine-embowered cottage porch gay with May baskets left by the little ones, with the message, "For Grandma." "Anxious that Mrs. Winans should be represented either in the Woman's building at Chicago, or the recon- structed Fort Dearborn, I have made partial arrangement FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. /I for a life-size crayon portrait to be made by her grand- daughter, who is a fine artist. Mrs. Potter Palmer has asked for the glass of jelly made by her, and placed by the citizens of Santa Ana on a handsome silver stand, for the Woman's building. In reply to the -question if she would not like to visit the Exposition, she replied, with a smile of satisfaction: ' Oh, no; I have lived in the delightful climate of Southern California too long to be willing to encounter the storms of the East.' " "Such, in brief, " concludes an article in the San Francisco JLvcning Chronicle of corresponding date with the issue of the Illustrated Pacific States, " is the life history of the first white child born in Chicago. " And this humble sketch may fittingly conclude in the graphic language of another review of this eventful life: " In winterless California one of the most notable vestiges of the formative life of the nation abides in peace and quiet the inevitable change. Into her infant ears dinned the reveille of camp and the war hoop of the savage; her innocent eyes beheld father and brother fall in awful death. At a mother's breast she clung close that no club might bruise her tender frame. From that terrible dream of destruction and death to the vast Chicago, hostess of the nations in her peerless palaces by the illuminated lake, from the awful glare of the burning fort upon its unburied victims to the dazzling lights of Fairyland, from the temporary triumph of savagery to the eternal victory of the arts of civilization spans the extent of this phenomenal life." 72 HEROES AND HEROINES CHAPTER XIII. THE POTTAWATOMIE TRIBE. To perfect this narrative a brief history of the Potta- watomie Indians is essential. They are of Algonquin stock, crafty and hardy, possessing strong passions and as enemies are fierce and relentless. The establishment of Fort Dearborn in the center of their territory in 1 803 excited their jealousy. Gen. Harmer had penetrated to the border of their domain and laid the country waste in the fall of 1790. In November, 1791, Gen. St. Clair had reached the vicinity of the Indian villages for the purpose of destroying them. In 1 794 General Wayne killed many of their warriors and laid the country waste early in the fall. In November, 1811, Gen. Harrison defeated the Indians at Tippecanoe and destroyed the village with the food provided for the winter. These campaigns, although not uniformly successful, entailed great hardships upon the Indians. The destruction of their winter supplies at the approach of cold weather was exceedingly exasperating. These events recalled to their minds by the firey eloquence of Tecumseh became more provocation for war at each fresh recital. The Pottawatomies had long waited for the opportunity which now presented itself to seek revenge for these wrongs and to drive the Americans from their territory. The remembrance of the excesses perpetrated by vicious FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. 75 whites upon peaceable Indians added to the natural resentment of the fierce tribes. It is therefore not to be deemed surprising in view of the peculiarities of Indian character that the atrocities of Dearborn, Frenchtown, Meigs and Detroit should have been committed. We have written the bloody record of the Pottawato- mies as we found it, but desiring to do the tribe justice, we note with pleasure the good deeds of Black Partridge and the noble Indian mother to whose care and kindness Mrs. Simmons probably owed her life and the life of her child, and through the efforts of the chief her restoration to her friends. Black Partridge deserves more than a passing notice for his timely warning to the doomed garrison and his heroic efforts to save the lives of the whites on the battle field at the hazard of his own. His identity concealed beneath war paint, he was liable to be shot down by those whom he endeavored to save. There may have been others as noble as those we have mentioned whose names will forever remain buried in oblivion. Later in the history of Chicago and northern Illinois, Chief Shabbona was prominent as an advocate for peace. He stood by the side of Tecumseh when that warrior fell, and soon after became the fast friend of the whites and devoted the remainder of his life to sincere efforts to maintain peace between the settlers and Indians, and between the several tribes. Pokanoka, squaw of Chief Shabbona, faithfully seconded him in his labor of love and mercy. The lives of many of the earlier settlers were saved by the timely warning given them by these noble missionaries of mercy. 74 HEROES AND HEROINES There are a few Pottawatomies in Michigan, a few in Nebraska, Wisconsin and the Indian territory, but the majority of the tribe, consisting of the Prairie Band, reside on their reservation in Jackson county, Kansas. This reservntion is twelve miles square. They pay no taxes and maintain their tribal relation. The United States government sustains a very extensive boarding school here. During the last quarter of 1895 eighty- nine boys and fifty-four girls from the Pottawatomie tribe also attended Haskell Institute, an Indian Training School maintained at Lawrence, Kansas, by the general government. A school is also in operation in Nebraska for the benefit of the Pottawatomies. They have now standing to their credit on the books of the Interior Department at Washington a total of $635,816.28. Thus whatever were the provocations furnished by the whites to inspire the cruelties of the Pottawatomies in the remote past, it is obvious that the surviving members of the tribe are in receipt of especial favors from the pale faces of the present time. These figures also contrast with the pitiful sums paid by the same gov- ernment to the brave men who left homes and families exposed to the assaults of the merciless savages and from whose sacrifices and sufferings sprang the mighty empire of the northwest. While the descendants of the butchers of Fort Dearborn are lavishly pro- vided for by the government, it is not too much to expect that the memories of the men and women who planted the outposts of civilization and defended them with their blood and lives shall be held in everlasting remembrance by the millions who shall occupy the fair heritage these heroic pioneers won from the wilderness. FORT DEARBORN MASSACRE. 75 The tribe touches by one link the period of the massa- cre. The present chief, Shaugh-nes-see, was born on the Kankakee in 1812. His grandfather, Suna-we-wone, was in command of the Pottawatomies at the Fort Dearborn fight. His father, Wab-sai was also a par- ticipant in the slaughter of the garrison. Shaugh-nes- see lives on the tribal reservation in Jackson county, Kansas. In a recent interview with him, he stated in reply to questions that the evening before the battle a white man (meaning probably Capt. Wells) who had been raised by Indians rode into the stockade, and that he tried to escape the next day but was killed by the savages. Also that a party of soldiers escaped to a mound but were captured and killed. To the question as to the number and disposition of prisoners taken, he believed that no captives were taken, the entire garrison having been slain. He had understood that the treach- ery of the officers in destroying the stores of the fort was one of the main causes of the massacre. All these statements were of course founded upon the traditions of the tribe often repeated in the hearing of the chief, and furnished an illustration of the reliability of such evidence as the sole support of history. N. SIMMONS, M. D. Proprietor of Simmons Liver Tablets or Ginger Snaps. The following extract is from the Select Friend the organ of the order of that name: "The Doctor has been one of the leading Physicians of Lawrence for many years. He is also one of our most reliable citizens. He has been a member of the Legislature; Mayor of our city; member of the State Board of Health, Coroner; County Health Officer; President and Secre- tary successively of the State Medical Association, etc.; and has always acquitted himself with credit in whatever position he has been called. His Tablets were first made to use in his practice but soon, by reason of their intrinsic merit, acquired a local reputation, and for several years their use has been gradually extended until now their manufacture and sale has become a business of considerable magnitude. We know of families who would not think of keeping house without them." THK HUMAN SYSTEM. By the harmonious action of this mechanism it is constantly renewing itself. Worn, effete material is eliminated by the excretory organs, while fresh supplies are prepared and assimilated to take its place. If the equilibrum between these functions is disturbed, and elimination proceeds rapidly, while assimilation is suspended, the system becomes emaciated and blood impoverished, resulting in anemia, vertigo, neuralgia, cramps, nervous headache indigestion, constipation, paresis, paralysis, palpita- tion, irregular action of the liver, kidneys, skin, brain and heart, with horrid mental forebodings and fleeting pains in all parts of the body. To attempt to correct this condition with active cathartics, only in- creases the danger, by hastening excretion and farther impairing assimila- tion. To attempt this correction with opiate or alcoholic narcotics is equally fallacious, for while excretion is delayed, assimilation is also im- paired, and life endangered by the retention of the morbid material. On the other hand, if excretion is retarded and assimilation active, perversion of the blood follows. The process of the renewal of life is arrested, colonies of microbes find lodgment in the accumulated detritis which clog the free circulation of the blood, resulting in congestion, tu- berculosis, scroffula, eczema, tumors, cancers, consumption, epilepsy, paralysis, apoplexy, rheumatism, gout, dropsy and Bright's disease, with blood poison and physical degeneration of the brain, lungs, heart, liver, stomach and kidneys. The proper remedies to employ are those that vitalize all of the func- tions of the system, and restore lost action of the stomach and bowels, strengthen and energize the brain and nervous system, stimulate the liver aai kidneys, and give force to the heart and circulaton of the blood, thereby relieving congestion and preventing the development of the many dangerous diseases above enumerated before organic disintegra- tion has proeeded too far to admit of recovery. There is no household remedy on the market that is equal to SIMMONS LIVER TABLETS OR GINGER SNAPS to correct these morbid functional processes and restore normal action. They are so accurately compounded that while they hasten the removal of waste, they stimulate assimilation and maintain harmony in the organ- ism which is indispensible to health. RIGIN OF THE 3j|AnE. THE UNIQUE NAME OF SIMMONS LIVER TABLETS OR GINGER SNAPS. Did not originate in an eccentric freak of the proprietor. They were widely known by this name many years before printed labels or circulars were prepared and could not well be changed without causing unavoidable confusion. HOW TO DO GOOD. Call on your neighbor who has sick headache and often complains of constipation, biliousness, torpid liver, weak stomach and is generally miserable and don't let him or her rest until made happy by the exhilerating effects of Simmons Liver Tablets or Ginger Snaps. NOTICE. It is due the public to say that Simmons Liver Tablets or Ginger Snaps will not cure all organic diseases in their advanced stage; notably cancers and consumption, but their timely use will prevent organic disintegration by ar- resting the morbid processes leading to their destruction. They keep the Life Renewing Mechanism Running. If the dotage of age or decline is creeping upon you take Simmons Liver Tablets or Ginger Snaps and stimulate the renewal of life and you will be surprised at the happy results, that aged and haggard look and feeling due to general debility will be replaced by youthful freshness and vivacity. A HINT. Persons who use Simmons Liver Tablets or Ginger Snaps seldom have to call in a physician. To the Despondent. Do not abandon hope while you can purchase 200 doses of Simmons Liver Tablets or Ginger Snaps for $1.00 and remove the physical condition which makes you mel- ancholy and miserable. RfcflD THE FOLLOWING SPECIAL DIRECTIONS. For Constipation: Take i to 6 tablets, or as many as may be required 3 times a day until action is es- tablished. Then enough daily at bed time to produce a free operation on the following morning. For Sick Headache, Vertigo and Dizziness: Take the same as for Constipation and it will only be a ques- tion of time when you will be free from your tormentor. For Indigestion, (Dyspepsia): Take as many as the bowels will bear immediately before or after each meal. Congestion or Inflamed Liver: Symptoms; fulness, pain and soreness at the lower edge of the ribs on the right side. Take i to 4 tablets every 3 hours until free action is es- tablished; then repeat from i to 3 times a day as long as required. Weakness of the Kidneys and Bladder: Elderly persons, especially who are much disturbed of their rest at night will be greatly relieved by taking as many as the bowels will bear at early bed time. For Old Age: Use freely and postpone its ravages. Threatened Paralysis and Apoplexy: Symptoms; numbness, tingling in the extremities, pain and dizziness in the head, weakness, unsteady gait and loss of memory. Take as many as the bowels will bear from i to 3 times a day. For Heart Failure, Weakness: Take as many as the bowels will bear 2 or 3 times a day as a tonic to the pneumogastric nerve and muscles of the heart. In all Fevers: Take enough daily to keep the bowels in good condition. For Diarrhoea: Take a tablet every 2 hours until the discharges are corrected then 2 or 3 times a day. If chronic take i from i to 3 times a day. For Dysentary: Take 2 to 5 tablets every 3 hours until natural stools are produced; then repeat 3 times a day. Explanation: As many as the bowels will bear means not to exceed two or three operations daily. Containing no mercury, Simmons Liver Tablets or Gin- ger Snaps may be taken by persons of all ages and condi- tions for an indefinate period without injury. Children must take less in proportion to age. Call for Simmons Liver Tablets or Ginger Snaps and re- fuse all substitutes as there is no similar remedy on the market that can be safely employed in their stead. For Sale by all Druggists, or sent by Mail on receipt of Price. SINCLE BOX KOR 25 CENTS, Five Boxes for $1.00. ADDRESS, ,V. SIMMONS, M. D., Lawrence, Kansas. UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA HEROESAND HEROINES OF THE FORT DEARBORN 30112025385367
| i don't know |
Leslie Nielsen trained in which of the armed services in WWII? | Celebrities In Uniform
Led men at D-Day invasion; played Scotty on Star Trek
Melvin
Army
World War I and World War II
Actor of many movies, At the age of seventeen Douglas joined the army and served at Fort D. A. Russell in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in a venereal disease ward.
strong supporter of entering World War II (1941-45) and appointed head of the Office of Civilian Defense Arts Council in February 1942. The office organized artists' talents in support of the war effort. In December of that year Douglas enlisted in the army as a senior recruit and in 1943 was assigned to serve in India, where he entertained troops who were opening supply lines to China.
Kirk
Captain/Silver Star, British Distinguished Service Cross, French Legion of Honor
Bob
U.S. Navy
World War II
Baseball pitcher who volunteered day after Pearl Harbor and served four years. Nicknamed "The Heater from Van Meter," "Bullet Bob," and "Rapid Robert," was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He became the first pitcher to win at least twenty games in a season before the age of 21, threw three no-hitters and twelve one-hitters,
Eddie
U.S. Army
World War II
Drafted served a year in Korea. From 1952 to 1953, official vocal soloist for The United States Army Band (Pershing's Own) and a tenor section member in the United States Army Band Chorus (an element of Pershing's Own) assigned at Fort Myer in the Washington, D.C. Military District. Also made occasional guest television appearances, in uniform, introduced as "Pfc Eddie Fisher; Entertainer, singer & husband to Elizabeth Taylor, Debbie Reynolds and Connie Stevens.
Eric
Merchant Marines & US Navy
World War II
Played Gil Favor on Rawhide, died on location making film in Peru. First Merchant Marines and then served in Pacific. Master Carpenter in SeaBees, received severe facial injuries in an accident in Navy underwent extensive plastic surgery.
Henry
1st Draftee from OK, Wounded in Action
Art
U.S. Navy
World War II
Was fighter-director officer aboard aircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean; His announcing voice became a part of many classic radio programs including George Gobel Show, The Red Skelton Show, An Evening with Fred Astaire and many others, narrated 156 episodes of Highway Patrol
George
Army Air Corps
World War II
Comedian, enlisted and served as a flight instructor in AT-9 aircraft at Altus, OK and later in B-26 Marauder bombers at Frederick, OK.
Donald Edward
Army Air Corps
World War II
Invented SpaghettiOs at Franco-American Foods, served in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II
Carl
USAF
Korean War
Aircraft mechanic; film, on stage and television as a character actor most notable role was on the 1991–1994 Fox series Roc
Frank
U.S. Army
Korean War
Actor & Comedian, Film, TV and Broadway: Riddler on Batman TV, . In 1953, Gorshin was drafted into the United States Army and was posted in Korea mostly entertained troops.
Harold
U.S. Army
World War II
Enlisted & saw combat in France in a mortar company. Developed trenchfoot, sent to England to recover then served in a rail transport unit in France; Played Martin Morgenstern in 1970s Rhoda and The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Miles Webber in The Golden Girls. Gould acted in over 300 TV shows, 20 films, and 100 plays nearly 50 years.
Donald
Coast Guard
World War II and after
Writer of Roots and other books, started as mess attendant eventually becoming Chief Petty Officer, served in Pacific, retired after 20 years.
Gus
World War II
U.S. Navy
Joined American Communist party in '27 and ran organization try to organize steel unions. Volunteered for the U.S. Navy when World War II broke out, serving as a machinist in Guam
James O.
World War II
Army
Amateur historian who specialized in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. He served in the U.S. Army as First Lieutenant during World War II, then worked for the Department of Labor
Oakley Maxwell
Actor, screenwriter, and film producer, mostly B movie Westerns. Pilot
Jack
World War II
Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Giants between 1940 and 1948. He missed 1944 and 1945 because he was serving overseas during World War II.
Harold P.
World War II
Army
College president, professor, state government official and charity administrator. In combat with the 84th Infantry Division in France, the Netherlands and Germany in the Rhineland campaign, assault on the Siegfried Line and the Battle of the Bulge
John Paul
World War II & After
US Army Air Corps
Third Combat Cargo Group in China-Burma-India Theater, 1942-1945; United States Air Force Reserves, 1945-1960. Represented Arkansas in 13 terms in US Congress
Dashiell
World War I & II
US Army
Ambulance Driver in WWI; In 1942, after Pearl Harbor, Hammett enlisted in the United States Army. Though he was a disabled veteran of World War I, and a victim of tuberculosis, he pulled strings in order to be admitted to the service. He spent most of World War II as an Army sergeant in the Aleutian Islands, where he edited an Army newspaper. Author of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade (The Maltese Falcon), Nick and Nora Charles (The Thin Man),
John Henry
World War II
a record producer, musician and music critic from the 1930s to the early 1980s. In his service as a talent scout, Hammond became one of the most influential figures in 20th Century popular music.
Ray
Enlisted and while in Korea first drew for Stars & Stripes. Cartoonist, BC & Wizard of Id
Jalacy (Screamin' Jay)
World War II
U.S. Army
Musician, singer, and actor. Famed chiefly for his powerful, operatic vocal delivery and wildly theatrical performances of songs such as I Put a Spell on You and Constipation Blues. He served in the U.S. Army in the Pacific theater during World War II, primarily as an entertainer. Although he claimed to have been tortured for some time as a prisoner of war, stories of the circumstances of his actual capture vary. According to the documentary, I Put a Spell on Me, upon liberation he blew his chief tormentor's head off by taping a hand-grenade into his mouth and pulling the pin.
Jack
Governor American Samoa 69-74. 1st Lt in AAF and flew 35 combat missions over Germany
Woody
World War II
USN
Football coach at Ohio State 51-78, 5 Nat. Titles & 15 Big Ten. Enlisted in '41, rose to Lt Cmdr; commanded PC 1251 in the Palau Islands invasion and the destroyer-escort USS Rinehart in both the Atlantic and Pacific operations
Myron
World War II
Army Air Corps
Actor: Johnny Ringo in Tombstone Territory, Pat Conway as Sheriff Clay Hollister, in the episode "Johnny Ringo's Last Ride", a semi-regular on shows produced by Gene Autry's Flying-A production company: Annie Oakley, Buffalo Bill Jr., The Range Rider, and The Gene Autry Show. Collectively, appeared in over 140 films, including 81 westerns and 3 serials. Navigator and bombardier, flying in B-26 Martin Marauders in the European Theatre. Continued military duty, retiring in the early 1960s as a captain in the United States Air Force Reserve.
Gerald
World War II
US Army
Forty years as Federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (1966-2006). Enlisted, volunteered Rangers, became 2/Lt in the 2nd Ranger Battalion. landed at Normandy on the early hours of D-Day, one of only three still on the front lines with the Rangers on VE Day.
Jay
World War II
USMC
Golfer, won 7 times on the PGA Tour including the 1960 PGA Championship. Rose to the rank of captain, wounded in the leg at the Battle of Iwo Jima.
Ken
World War II
US Army
Representative from WV 59-77. With the 9th Armored Division when one of its infantry-tank task forces captured the Ludendorff Bridge spanning the Rhine river at Remagen, Germany. Interviewed several of both the US and German soldiers involved, and in 1957 wrote The Bridge at Remagen which became film in 1969.
Anthony
World War II
US Army
Poet. Drafted into 97th ID and was sent to the battlefields in Europe. He saw a great deal of combat in Germany, France, and Czechoslovakia. As Jew, helped liberate concentration camps
David
U.S. Navy
After WWII
Actor Captain Lee Crane of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and Felix Leiter of two Bond films. US Navy shortly after the Second World War, Hedison trained for 14 weeks in Sampson, NY, then stationed in Jacksonville, FL. Finished up his military career mothballing cruisers and destroyers at Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Edward
World War II
US Army
Author wrote Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends: Two WWII Paratroopers from the Original Band of Brothers Tell Their Story with fellow veteran William "Wild Bill" Guarnere and journalist Robyn Post in 2007. Private with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division
Howell
World War II
USMC
Senator AL (D) 78-97. Officer, awardedSilver Star for valor in combat and recipient of two Purple Heart medals, seeing action on Bougainville and Guam.
Van
Army Air Corps
World War II
Actor Broadway and Film. Starred with Alan Ladd in Shane. Won Academy Award for supporting in Johnny Eager ’42. Served as a combat cameraman in the Ninth Air Force in Europe.
Hugh
Author created Playboy magazine. Served as a writer for a military newspaper 1944-1946
Joseph
Army Air Corps
World War II
American satirical novelist, short story writer and playwright, wrote Catch 22. In 1942, at age 19, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps. Two years later he was sent to Italy, where he flew 60 combat missions as a B-25 bombardier. His Unit was the 488th Bomb Squadron, 340th Bomb Group, 12th Air Force.
Ernest
Army & Civilian
World War I and World War II
Enlisted in WWI, went to Italian front as ambulance drivers where seriously wounded, was journalist for Spanish Civil War & WWII and was present at D-Day Normandy Landings and liberation of Paris; author of For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms, Old Man and the Sea and many other books.
Jimi
U.S. Army
1960's
Joined in 1961, served with 101st Airborne, broke his ankle on 26th and final parachute jump. Rock Singer
Edward F.
U.S. Army
WWII
Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court from 1976 to 1989. He served in the United States Army during World War II (in the Mediterranean theater) and was a captain, receiving a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.
Jim
Army Air Corps
WWII
Founded Hensley & Co. in Phoenix, grew to be one of the largest Anheuser-Busch beer distributorships in the nation, bombardier on B-17 Flying Fortresses during World War II and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Frank
Science fiction author, Dune, served in the U.S. Navy's Seabees for six months as a photographer during World War II until he was given a medical discharge.
Harold S.
U.S. Navy
WWII
Kansas Supreme Court justice and Kansas State Senator, serving in the Pacific Theater as a naval officer on the USS Rio Grande and USS Cache. He left the Navy as a Lieutenant in 1946.
Audrey
Served two years mostly at Ft Ord with Clint Eastwood; was The Fugitive on TV
Rick
U.S. Army Air Corp
World War II
Actor Film and TV: Lieutenant Wore Skirts, The Wayward Bus, Fountain of Youth and 2nd LT in TV series Combat! Served 43-45.
James Earl
US Army
Actor and TV pitchman as "the voice", commissioned from ROTC served at cold weather training site in Colorado before separating as 1/Lt.
Alfred E.
U.S. Army
World War II
Before World War II, he also worked for policy research organizations and government agencies in Washington, including the Brookings Institution and the antitrust division of the U.S. Justice Department. After serving in the United States Army, he became Chairman of the Department of Economics at Ripon College; professor, an expert in regulation and deregulation, and an important influence in the deregulation of the airline and energy industries. Commonly known as the "Father of Airline Deregulation,
Bob
Flew B-17's in Europe; Dallas Cowboys Coach
Don
U.S. Army
Korean War
MLB St. Louis Browns and NY Yankees; Pitched perfect game in World Series; Played baseball in Hawaii for two years.
Dan
USMC
Vietnam
Fought in Vietnam; Father on Wonder Years also 7th Heaven, JAG, and Ed. As of 2010, plays Vince Lombardi in the Broadway musical Lombardi
Paul
Viet Nam
Actor (John Milner) American Graffiti, Melvin & Howard. Vietnam War veteran awarded the National Defense Medal and Vietnam Service Medal, and won the George Washington Honor Medal, from the Freedom Foundation Spent six months in the Philippines in addition to a Tour of Duty in Vietnam
Jack
U.S. Army
Before World War II
Film, television character actor whose credits included more than 50 feature films, a half-dozen mostly short-lived TV series, movies include Twelve O'Clock High and All About Eve, but he rarely moved beyond supporting roles in his many Westerns, war movies, and medical dramas,
Gordon
U.S. Army
Attended One Term at Univ. of Oregon as Phys Ed Major. Infantry drill instructor (rifle, pistol and bayonet; judo and hand-to-hand combat; close order drill), then a military policeman. Honorable discharge 1947, Star of 5 Tarzan Movies.
Ray
Civilian Flight Instructor
World War II
Actor Broadway, TV and Film: Academy Award The Lost Weekend, parts on Death Valley Days and Hart to Hart. When the Second World War began, Milland tried to enlist in the U.S. Army Air Forces, but was rejected because of an impaired left hand. He worked as a civilian flight instructor for the Army, and toured with a United Service Organization (USO) South Pacific troupe in 1944
Dick
Film, television and Broadway actor, bombardier
Robert
U.S. Army
World War II
Actor and singer: Thunder Road, Ryan’s Daughter, Midway, and TV miniseries Winds of War and many others. After making The Story of GI Joe (Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor) in 1945, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, serving at Fort MacArthur, California
Robert
U.S. Navy Reserve
World War II
Served as Naval Attache on British destroyers hunting U-Boats. Won an Oscar before WWII. Started in films in 1929.
Alvy
USMC
World War II
Character Actor Mr. Kimbell of Green Acres, saw action in Pacific at Battle of Iwo Jima
Terry
MLB Hall of Famer, St. Louis Cardinals Outfielder
Wayne (Bert Dewayne)
Army Air Corps
World War II
American film & television actor, including Paths of Glory (1957), The Bushwackers (1952) & Kid Galahad in 1937, decorated World War II fighter ace.
Walter Fredrick "Fred"
Army Air Corps
World War II
Invented Frisbee, flew P-47 Thunderbolts in Italy, was shot down and a POW for 48 days.
Vic
US Navy
After World War II
Actor of Combat, killed on set; : At age 17, quit high school and joined the Navy
Carl
U.S. Army
1960s
American outfielder who spent eight seasons in Major League Baseball with the Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers, and California Angels, mainly as reserve left fielder and pinch hitter, spent 1½ years away from Orioles serving at Fort Richardson, AK.
Audie
U.S. Air Force
Served late '40's, early '50's.
Played in AF Band (Airmen of Note). Played Sax on Johnny Carson 'Tonight' Show, beginning in 1962.
Dave
Entered the military, and began his broadcasting career with Armed Forces Radio; worked for the Seattle Mariners to broadcast their games, earlier LA Rams & California Angels
Leslie
Canadian RAF
WWII
Airplane, Naked Gun series, Poseidon Adventure and others (over 100 films). Nielsen enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force and was trained as an aerial gunner during the latter part of World War II (but was too young to be fully trained and sent overseas).
David
B-17 Pilot (455th BG) Wounded in Action, Purple Heart recipient
Fess Elisha
Navy & USMC
World War II
American film and television actor best known for his 1950s portrayals of Davy Crockett late 1960s portrayal of Daniel Boone; enlisted in the U.S. Navy in the latter part of WW II, hoping to become a pilot, turned down because too tall at 6 feet 6 inches,then tried to become a radioman gunner, but was found too big to fit into rear cockpit, finally transferred to the USMC as a radio operator and shipped out for the South Pacific shortly before the atom bomb ended the war.
Robert Brown
U.S. Army
Korean War
American crime writer, most famous works were the novels about the private detective Spenser which was Spenser for Hire on TV, Parker served in the US Army in Korea.
Bert
Enlisted as private'42, China Recce missions, discharged as Capt in 1946, Silver Star
Dick
U.S. Navy
World War II
Actor in Support Your Local Sheriff, The Good Guys and the Bad Guys in 1969, and Your Money or Your Wife in 1972, on TV for 6 years on Combat!.
Sam
U.S.M.C.
World War II
Was disappointed he did not see combat. Director of Wild Bunch and several other famous Westerns
Arthur
U.S. Army
World War II
1941 Drafted stationed in Britain, he became interested in theater. Directed and took part in shows being put on for the soldiers around England at the time. Director including The Left Handed Gun (about Billy the Kid), The Miracle Worker, and Bonnie & Clyde.
George
Enlisted '42, 1st LT Signal Corps
Aldo
U.S. Army
World War II
Actor with starring roles in Battle Cry, Three Stripes in the Sun and We're No Angels, In 1944, at 18 entered the Navy, where he served as a frogman until 1946 seeing action at Okinawa with UDT-17
Gene
Army Air Corps & USAF
World War II & After
Actor who served in both World War 2 & VietNam. Actor who took flying lessons at his own expense, sure U.S. would go to war, after Pearl Harbor commissioned 1/Lt. Flew as observer in B-17s on anti-sub patrol off the Atlantic coast. Promoted to Assistant Operations Officer in the 8th Bomber Command. During these difficult years of frequent separation, Jeanette constantly wore a pair of his flying wings pinned to her dress. In 1943, Gene returned to the U.S. and flew B-17s, B-25s, B-26s, and P-39s. After the war, he was released from active duty as a Major on Oct. 22, 1945. He remained in the USAF Reserve, taking jet training and flying the T-33, T-39, KC-97, KC-135, and C-141. He logged more than 5,000 hours and received his command pilot wings before his retirement from the USAF on August 13, 1968 as a Colonel
Ronald
U.S. Army Air Corps
World War II
Before WWII was Cavalry Officer in NE NG, Lost hearing and couldn't fly so made training films for the Army Air Corp as Captain.
Carl
U.S. Army
World War II
Educated at the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and served in the United States Army Special Services later Radio Operator in Pacific, but before action was converted to Entertainment unit; American actor, film director, producer, writer and comedian
Don
Enlisted, served on USS Randall, present for invasion on Okinawa
J.D.
U.S. Army
World War II
Spring of 1942, drafted into the Army, saw combat with the 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. Active at Utah Beach on D-Day and in the Battle of the Bulge as well as the Huertgren Forest campaign, then assigned to a counter-intelligence division, where he used his proficiency in French and German to interrogate prisoners of war. He was also among the first soldiers to enter a liberated concentration camp; Writer especially Catcher In The Rye.
Albert
U.S. Army
After World War II
Actor: had roles on The Twilight Zone, Gunsmoke, Combat!, Bonanza, The Legend of Jesse James, Custer and The Eleventh Hour.
Robert
Army National Guard
Peacetime
Served as a soldier in the 160th Infantry Regiment and was activated for the Watts Riots; actor Magnum PI, Blue Bloods and many other roles
Rod
U.S. Army
World War II
11 Airborne Division fought in New Guinea & Philippines; screenwriter, novelist, television producer, and narrator of “Twilight Zone”
Johnny
U.S. Army
World War II
Stage character actor who appeared in 26 films and over 600 TV shows, was Lt Reese for 7 years on Ironsides American born John Anthony Fetto, served in the Philippines during WW II & performed with the USO, earned his nickname "Johnny Seven" while in the Army and kept it.
Sydney
U.S. Army
World War II
Writer of satire black comedy & SiFi, Slaughterhouse-Five, Cat’s Cradle & Breakfast of Champions. Enlisted in Army during WWII while at Cornell and was sent the Carnegie Institute of Technology and the University of Tennessee to study mechanical engineering. Sent to Europe to fight as private with 106th Infantry Division, wandered behind enemy lines and was captured, imprisoned in Dresden and Vonnegut was repatriated by Red Army troops in May 1945 at the Saxony-Czechoslovakian border.
James
U.S. Army
World War II
Performed on radio, theater, and in the Army during World War II, Wall worked as a stage manager on Broadway before being hired as the stage manager for the children's television series Captain Kangaroo by CBS in 1962; Captain Kangaroo’s neighbor.
Eli
| royal canadian |
What went with Blood and Sweat in the name of the 60s rock band? | Celebrities In Uniform
Led men at D-Day invasion; played Scotty on Star Trek
Melvin
Army
World War I and World War II
Actor of many movies, At the age of seventeen Douglas joined the army and served at Fort D. A. Russell in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in a venereal disease ward.
strong supporter of entering World War II (1941-45) and appointed head of the Office of Civilian Defense Arts Council in February 1942. The office organized artists' talents in support of the war effort. In December of that year Douglas enlisted in the army as a senior recruit and in 1943 was assigned to serve in India, where he entertained troops who were opening supply lines to China.
Kirk
Captain/Silver Star, British Distinguished Service Cross, French Legion of Honor
Bob
U.S. Navy
World War II
Baseball pitcher who volunteered day after Pearl Harbor and served four years. Nicknamed "The Heater from Van Meter," "Bullet Bob," and "Rapid Robert," was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He became the first pitcher to win at least twenty games in a season before the age of 21, threw three no-hitters and twelve one-hitters,
Eddie
U.S. Army
World War II
Drafted served a year in Korea. From 1952 to 1953, official vocal soloist for The United States Army Band (Pershing's Own) and a tenor section member in the United States Army Band Chorus (an element of Pershing's Own) assigned at Fort Myer in the Washington, D.C. Military District. Also made occasional guest television appearances, in uniform, introduced as "Pfc Eddie Fisher; Entertainer, singer & husband to Elizabeth Taylor, Debbie Reynolds and Connie Stevens.
Eric
Merchant Marines & US Navy
World War II
Played Gil Favor on Rawhide, died on location making film in Peru. First Merchant Marines and then served in Pacific. Master Carpenter in SeaBees, received severe facial injuries in an accident in Navy underwent extensive plastic surgery.
Henry
1st Draftee from OK, Wounded in Action
Art
U.S. Navy
World War II
Was fighter-director officer aboard aircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean; His announcing voice became a part of many classic radio programs including George Gobel Show, The Red Skelton Show, An Evening with Fred Astaire and many others, narrated 156 episodes of Highway Patrol
George
Army Air Corps
World War II
Comedian, enlisted and served as a flight instructor in AT-9 aircraft at Altus, OK and later in B-26 Marauder bombers at Frederick, OK.
Donald Edward
Army Air Corps
World War II
Invented SpaghettiOs at Franco-American Foods, served in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II
Carl
USAF
Korean War
Aircraft mechanic; film, on stage and television as a character actor most notable role was on the 1991–1994 Fox series Roc
Frank
U.S. Army
Korean War
Actor & Comedian, Film, TV and Broadway: Riddler on Batman TV, . In 1953, Gorshin was drafted into the United States Army and was posted in Korea mostly entertained troops.
Harold
U.S. Army
World War II
Enlisted & saw combat in France in a mortar company. Developed trenchfoot, sent to England to recover then served in a rail transport unit in France; Played Martin Morgenstern in 1970s Rhoda and The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Miles Webber in The Golden Girls. Gould acted in over 300 TV shows, 20 films, and 100 plays nearly 50 years.
Donald
Coast Guard
World War II and after
Writer of Roots and other books, started as mess attendant eventually becoming Chief Petty Officer, served in Pacific, retired after 20 years.
Gus
World War II
U.S. Navy
Joined American Communist party in '27 and ran organization try to organize steel unions. Volunteered for the U.S. Navy when World War II broke out, serving as a machinist in Guam
James O.
World War II
Army
Amateur historian who specialized in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. He served in the U.S. Army as First Lieutenant during World War II, then worked for the Department of Labor
Oakley Maxwell
Actor, screenwriter, and film producer, mostly B movie Westerns. Pilot
Jack
World War II
Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Giants between 1940 and 1948. He missed 1944 and 1945 because he was serving overseas during World War II.
Harold P.
World War II
Army
College president, professor, state government official and charity administrator. In combat with the 84th Infantry Division in France, the Netherlands and Germany in the Rhineland campaign, assault on the Siegfried Line and the Battle of the Bulge
John Paul
World War II & After
US Army Air Corps
Third Combat Cargo Group in China-Burma-India Theater, 1942-1945; United States Air Force Reserves, 1945-1960. Represented Arkansas in 13 terms in US Congress
Dashiell
World War I & II
US Army
Ambulance Driver in WWI; In 1942, after Pearl Harbor, Hammett enlisted in the United States Army. Though he was a disabled veteran of World War I, and a victim of tuberculosis, he pulled strings in order to be admitted to the service. He spent most of World War II as an Army sergeant in the Aleutian Islands, where he edited an Army newspaper. Author of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade (The Maltese Falcon), Nick and Nora Charles (The Thin Man),
John Henry
World War II
a record producer, musician and music critic from the 1930s to the early 1980s. In his service as a talent scout, Hammond became one of the most influential figures in 20th Century popular music.
Ray
Enlisted and while in Korea first drew for Stars & Stripes. Cartoonist, BC & Wizard of Id
Jalacy (Screamin' Jay)
World War II
U.S. Army
Musician, singer, and actor. Famed chiefly for his powerful, operatic vocal delivery and wildly theatrical performances of songs such as I Put a Spell on You and Constipation Blues. He served in the U.S. Army in the Pacific theater during World War II, primarily as an entertainer. Although he claimed to have been tortured for some time as a prisoner of war, stories of the circumstances of his actual capture vary. According to the documentary, I Put a Spell on Me, upon liberation he blew his chief tormentor's head off by taping a hand-grenade into his mouth and pulling the pin.
Jack
Governor American Samoa 69-74. 1st Lt in AAF and flew 35 combat missions over Germany
Woody
World War II
USN
Football coach at Ohio State 51-78, 5 Nat. Titles & 15 Big Ten. Enlisted in '41, rose to Lt Cmdr; commanded PC 1251 in the Palau Islands invasion and the destroyer-escort USS Rinehart in both the Atlantic and Pacific operations
Myron
World War II
Army Air Corps
Actor: Johnny Ringo in Tombstone Territory, Pat Conway as Sheriff Clay Hollister, in the episode "Johnny Ringo's Last Ride", a semi-regular on shows produced by Gene Autry's Flying-A production company: Annie Oakley, Buffalo Bill Jr., The Range Rider, and The Gene Autry Show. Collectively, appeared in over 140 films, including 81 westerns and 3 serials. Navigator and bombardier, flying in B-26 Martin Marauders in the European Theatre. Continued military duty, retiring in the early 1960s as a captain in the United States Air Force Reserve.
Gerald
World War II
US Army
Forty years as Federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (1966-2006). Enlisted, volunteered Rangers, became 2/Lt in the 2nd Ranger Battalion. landed at Normandy on the early hours of D-Day, one of only three still on the front lines with the Rangers on VE Day.
Jay
World War II
USMC
Golfer, won 7 times on the PGA Tour including the 1960 PGA Championship. Rose to the rank of captain, wounded in the leg at the Battle of Iwo Jima.
Ken
World War II
US Army
Representative from WV 59-77. With the 9th Armored Division when one of its infantry-tank task forces captured the Ludendorff Bridge spanning the Rhine river at Remagen, Germany. Interviewed several of both the US and German soldiers involved, and in 1957 wrote The Bridge at Remagen which became film in 1969.
Anthony
World War II
US Army
Poet. Drafted into 97th ID and was sent to the battlefields in Europe. He saw a great deal of combat in Germany, France, and Czechoslovakia. As Jew, helped liberate concentration camps
David
U.S. Navy
After WWII
Actor Captain Lee Crane of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and Felix Leiter of two Bond films. US Navy shortly after the Second World War, Hedison trained for 14 weeks in Sampson, NY, then stationed in Jacksonville, FL. Finished up his military career mothballing cruisers and destroyers at Brooklyn Navy Yard.
Edward
World War II
US Army
Author wrote Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends: Two WWII Paratroopers from the Original Band of Brothers Tell Their Story with fellow veteran William "Wild Bill" Guarnere and journalist Robyn Post in 2007. Private with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division
Howell
World War II
USMC
Senator AL (D) 78-97. Officer, awardedSilver Star for valor in combat and recipient of two Purple Heart medals, seeing action on Bougainville and Guam.
Van
Army Air Corps
World War II
Actor Broadway and Film. Starred with Alan Ladd in Shane. Won Academy Award for supporting in Johnny Eager ’42. Served as a combat cameraman in the Ninth Air Force in Europe.
Hugh
Author created Playboy magazine. Served as a writer for a military newspaper 1944-1946
Joseph
Army Air Corps
World War II
American satirical novelist, short story writer and playwright, wrote Catch 22. In 1942, at age 19, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps. Two years later he was sent to Italy, where he flew 60 combat missions as a B-25 bombardier. His Unit was the 488th Bomb Squadron, 340th Bomb Group, 12th Air Force.
Ernest
Army & Civilian
World War I and World War II
Enlisted in WWI, went to Italian front as ambulance drivers where seriously wounded, was journalist for Spanish Civil War & WWII and was present at D-Day Normandy Landings and liberation of Paris; author of For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms, Old Man and the Sea and many other books.
Jimi
U.S. Army
1960's
Joined in 1961, served with 101st Airborne, broke his ankle on 26th and final parachute jump. Rock Singer
Edward F.
U.S. Army
WWII
Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court from 1976 to 1989. He served in the United States Army during World War II (in the Mediterranean theater) and was a captain, receiving a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.
Jim
Army Air Corps
WWII
Founded Hensley & Co. in Phoenix, grew to be one of the largest Anheuser-Busch beer distributorships in the nation, bombardier on B-17 Flying Fortresses during World War II and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Frank
Science fiction author, Dune, served in the U.S. Navy's Seabees for six months as a photographer during World War II until he was given a medical discharge.
Harold S.
U.S. Navy
WWII
Kansas Supreme Court justice and Kansas State Senator, serving in the Pacific Theater as a naval officer on the USS Rio Grande and USS Cache. He left the Navy as a Lieutenant in 1946.
Audrey
Served two years mostly at Ft Ord with Clint Eastwood; was The Fugitive on TV
Rick
U.S. Army Air Corp
World War II
Actor Film and TV: Lieutenant Wore Skirts, The Wayward Bus, Fountain of Youth and 2nd LT in TV series Combat! Served 43-45.
James Earl
US Army
Actor and TV pitchman as "the voice", commissioned from ROTC served at cold weather training site in Colorado before separating as 1/Lt.
Alfred E.
U.S. Army
World War II
Before World War II, he also worked for policy research organizations and government agencies in Washington, including the Brookings Institution and the antitrust division of the U.S. Justice Department. After serving in the United States Army, he became Chairman of the Department of Economics at Ripon College; professor, an expert in regulation and deregulation, and an important influence in the deregulation of the airline and energy industries. Commonly known as the "Father of Airline Deregulation,
Bob
Flew B-17's in Europe; Dallas Cowboys Coach
Don
U.S. Army
Korean War
MLB St. Louis Browns and NY Yankees; Pitched perfect game in World Series; Played baseball in Hawaii for two years.
Dan
USMC
Vietnam
Fought in Vietnam; Father on Wonder Years also 7th Heaven, JAG, and Ed. As of 2010, plays Vince Lombardi in the Broadway musical Lombardi
Paul
Viet Nam
Actor (John Milner) American Graffiti, Melvin & Howard. Vietnam War veteran awarded the National Defense Medal and Vietnam Service Medal, and won the George Washington Honor Medal, from the Freedom Foundation Spent six months in the Philippines in addition to a Tour of Duty in Vietnam
Jack
U.S. Army
Before World War II
Film, television character actor whose credits included more than 50 feature films, a half-dozen mostly short-lived TV series, movies include Twelve O'Clock High and All About Eve, but he rarely moved beyond supporting roles in his many Westerns, war movies, and medical dramas,
Gordon
U.S. Army
Attended One Term at Univ. of Oregon as Phys Ed Major. Infantry drill instructor (rifle, pistol and bayonet; judo and hand-to-hand combat; close order drill), then a military policeman. Honorable discharge 1947, Star of 5 Tarzan Movies.
Ray
Civilian Flight Instructor
World War II
Actor Broadway, TV and Film: Academy Award The Lost Weekend, parts on Death Valley Days and Hart to Hart. When the Second World War began, Milland tried to enlist in the U.S. Army Air Forces, but was rejected because of an impaired left hand. He worked as a civilian flight instructor for the Army, and toured with a United Service Organization (USO) South Pacific troupe in 1944
Dick
Film, television and Broadway actor, bombardier
Robert
U.S. Army
World War II
Actor and singer: Thunder Road, Ryan’s Daughter, Midway, and TV miniseries Winds of War and many others. After making The Story of GI Joe (Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor) in 1945, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, serving at Fort MacArthur, California
Robert
U.S. Navy Reserve
World War II
Served as Naval Attache on British destroyers hunting U-Boats. Won an Oscar before WWII. Started in films in 1929.
Alvy
USMC
World War II
Character Actor Mr. Kimbell of Green Acres, saw action in Pacific at Battle of Iwo Jima
Terry
MLB Hall of Famer, St. Louis Cardinals Outfielder
Wayne (Bert Dewayne)
Army Air Corps
World War II
American film & television actor, including Paths of Glory (1957), The Bushwackers (1952) & Kid Galahad in 1937, decorated World War II fighter ace.
Walter Fredrick "Fred"
Army Air Corps
World War II
Invented Frisbee, flew P-47 Thunderbolts in Italy, was shot down and a POW for 48 days.
Vic
US Navy
After World War II
Actor of Combat, killed on set; : At age 17, quit high school and joined the Navy
Carl
U.S. Army
1960s
American outfielder who spent eight seasons in Major League Baseball with the Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers, and California Angels, mainly as reserve left fielder and pinch hitter, spent 1½ years away from Orioles serving at Fort Richardson, AK.
Audie
U.S. Air Force
Served late '40's, early '50's.
Played in AF Band (Airmen of Note). Played Sax on Johnny Carson 'Tonight' Show, beginning in 1962.
Dave
Entered the military, and began his broadcasting career with Armed Forces Radio; worked for the Seattle Mariners to broadcast their games, earlier LA Rams & California Angels
Leslie
Canadian RAF
WWII
Airplane, Naked Gun series, Poseidon Adventure and others (over 100 films). Nielsen enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force and was trained as an aerial gunner during the latter part of World War II (but was too young to be fully trained and sent overseas).
David
B-17 Pilot (455th BG) Wounded in Action, Purple Heart recipient
Fess Elisha
Navy & USMC
World War II
American film and television actor best known for his 1950s portrayals of Davy Crockett late 1960s portrayal of Daniel Boone; enlisted in the U.S. Navy in the latter part of WW II, hoping to become a pilot, turned down because too tall at 6 feet 6 inches,then tried to become a radioman gunner, but was found too big to fit into rear cockpit, finally transferred to the USMC as a radio operator and shipped out for the South Pacific shortly before the atom bomb ended the war.
Robert Brown
U.S. Army
Korean War
American crime writer, most famous works were the novels about the private detective Spenser which was Spenser for Hire on TV, Parker served in the US Army in Korea.
Bert
Enlisted as private'42, China Recce missions, discharged as Capt in 1946, Silver Star
Dick
U.S. Navy
World War II
Actor in Support Your Local Sheriff, The Good Guys and the Bad Guys in 1969, and Your Money or Your Wife in 1972, on TV for 6 years on Combat!.
Sam
U.S.M.C.
World War II
Was disappointed he did not see combat. Director of Wild Bunch and several other famous Westerns
Arthur
U.S. Army
World War II
1941 Drafted stationed in Britain, he became interested in theater. Directed and took part in shows being put on for the soldiers around England at the time. Director including The Left Handed Gun (about Billy the Kid), The Miracle Worker, and Bonnie & Clyde.
George
Enlisted '42, 1st LT Signal Corps
Aldo
U.S. Army
World War II
Actor with starring roles in Battle Cry, Three Stripes in the Sun and We're No Angels, In 1944, at 18 entered the Navy, where he served as a frogman until 1946 seeing action at Okinawa with UDT-17
Gene
Army Air Corps & USAF
World War II & After
Actor who served in both World War 2 & VietNam. Actor who took flying lessons at his own expense, sure U.S. would go to war, after Pearl Harbor commissioned 1/Lt. Flew as observer in B-17s on anti-sub patrol off the Atlantic coast. Promoted to Assistant Operations Officer in the 8th Bomber Command. During these difficult years of frequent separation, Jeanette constantly wore a pair of his flying wings pinned to her dress. In 1943, Gene returned to the U.S. and flew B-17s, B-25s, B-26s, and P-39s. After the war, he was released from active duty as a Major on Oct. 22, 1945. He remained in the USAF Reserve, taking jet training and flying the T-33, T-39, KC-97, KC-135, and C-141. He logged more than 5,000 hours and received his command pilot wings before his retirement from the USAF on August 13, 1968 as a Colonel
Ronald
U.S. Army Air Corps
World War II
Before WWII was Cavalry Officer in NE NG, Lost hearing and couldn't fly so made training films for the Army Air Corp as Captain.
Carl
U.S. Army
World War II
Educated at the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and served in the United States Army Special Services later Radio Operator in Pacific, but before action was converted to Entertainment unit; American actor, film director, producer, writer and comedian
Don
Enlisted, served on USS Randall, present for invasion on Okinawa
J.D.
U.S. Army
World War II
Spring of 1942, drafted into the Army, saw combat with the 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. Active at Utah Beach on D-Day and in the Battle of the Bulge as well as the Huertgren Forest campaign, then assigned to a counter-intelligence division, where he used his proficiency in French and German to interrogate prisoners of war. He was also among the first soldiers to enter a liberated concentration camp; Writer especially Catcher In The Rye.
Albert
U.S. Army
After World War II
Actor: had roles on The Twilight Zone, Gunsmoke, Combat!, Bonanza, The Legend of Jesse James, Custer and The Eleventh Hour.
Robert
Army National Guard
Peacetime
Served as a soldier in the 160th Infantry Regiment and was activated for the Watts Riots; actor Magnum PI, Blue Bloods and many other roles
Rod
U.S. Army
World War II
11 Airborne Division fought in New Guinea & Philippines; screenwriter, novelist, television producer, and narrator of “Twilight Zone”
Johnny
U.S. Army
World War II
Stage character actor who appeared in 26 films and over 600 TV shows, was Lt Reese for 7 years on Ironsides American born John Anthony Fetto, served in the Philippines during WW II & performed with the USO, earned his nickname "Johnny Seven" while in the Army and kept it.
Sydney
U.S. Army
World War II
Writer of satire black comedy & SiFi, Slaughterhouse-Five, Cat’s Cradle & Breakfast of Champions. Enlisted in Army during WWII while at Cornell and was sent the Carnegie Institute of Technology and the University of Tennessee to study mechanical engineering. Sent to Europe to fight as private with 106th Infantry Division, wandered behind enemy lines and was captured, imprisoned in Dresden and Vonnegut was repatriated by Red Army troops in May 1945 at the Saxony-Czechoslovakian border.
James
U.S. Army
World War II
Performed on radio, theater, and in the Army during World War II, Wall worked as a stage manager on Broadway before being hired as the stage manager for the children's television series Captain Kangaroo by CBS in 1962; Captain Kangaroo’s neighbor.
Eli
| i don't know |
Which musical featured the song I Feel Pretty? | West Side Story-I Feel Pretty - YouTube
West Side Story-I Feel Pretty
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Uploaded on Feb 7, 2007
A fun number from West Side Story.
Category
| West Side Story |
Who produced the first Jetliner in 1957? | JULIE ANDREWS - I FEEL PRETTY (FROM WEST SIDE STORY) LYRICS
I Feel Pretty (From West Side Story) Lyrics
Julie Andrews - I Feel Pretty (From West Side Story) Lyrics
I feel pretty and witty and bright!
And I pity
Any girl who isn't me tonight.
I feel charming,
It's alarming how charming I feel!
And so pretty
That I hardly can believe I'm real.
See the pretty girl in that mirror there:
Who can that attractive girl be?
Such a pretty face,
Feel like running and dancing for joy,
For I'm loved
By a pretty wonderful boy!
Have you met my good friend Maria,
The craziest girl on the block?
You'll know her the minute you see her,
She's the one who is in an advanced state of shock.
She thinks she's in love.
She thinks she's in Spain.
She isn't in love,
It must be the heat
Or some rare disease,
Or too much to eat
Or maybe it's fleas.
And out of her mind!
I feel pretty,
That the city should give me its key.
A committee
Should be organized to honor me.
La la la la . . .
I feel fizzy and funny and fine,
And so pretty,
Miss America can just resign!
La la la la
See the pretty girl in that mirror there:
What mirror where?
Who can that attractive girl be?
Which? What? Where? Whom?
Feel like running and dancing for joy,
For I'm loved
By a pretty wonderful boy!
Writer(s): Stephen Sondheim, Leonard Bernstein
Lyrics powered by www.musixmatch.com
Don't Go into the Lions Cage Tonight / Broadway's Fair Tracklist
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<table class="songlyrics" style="width: 100%; table-layout: fixed;"><col width="40" /><col /><tbody><tr><th colspan="2">Julie Andrews - Don't Go into the Lions Cage Tonight / Broadway's Fair Album Lyrics</th></tr><tr><td class="sl-td-left">1.</td><td class="sl-td-right"><a href="http://www.songlyrics.com/julie-andrews/i-feel-pretty-from-west-side-story-lyrics/" title="I Feel Pretty (From West Side Story) Lyrics Julie Andrews">I Feel Pretty (From West Side Story)</a></td></tr><tr><td class="sl-td-left">2.</td><td class="sl-td-right"><a href="http://www.songlyrics.com/julie-andrews/alexander-s-ragtime-band-lyrics/" title="Alexander's Ragtime Band Lyrics Julie Andrews">Alexander's Ragtime Band</a></td></tr><tr><td class="sl-td-left">3.</td><td class="sl-td-right"><a href="http://www.songlyrics.com/julie-andrews/by-the-light-of-the-silvery-moon-lyrics/" title="By the Light of the Silvery Moon Lyrics Julie Andrews">By the Light of the Silvery Moon</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="sl-credit"><a href="http://www.songlyrics.com/julie-andrews-lyrics/" title="Julie Andrews Lyrics">Julie Andrews Lyrics</a> provided by <a href="/" title="Lyrics">SongLyrics.com</a></p>
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In which decade of the 20th century was James Caan born? | IMDb: Most Popular People With Biographies Matching "James Caan"
Most Popular People With Biographies Matching "James Caan"
1-50 of 54 names.
James Caan
A masculine and enigmatic actor whose life and movie career have had more ups and downs than the average rollercoaster and whose selection of roles has arguably derailed him from achieving true superstar status, James Caan is New York-born and bred.
He was born in the Bronx, to Sophie (Falkenstein) and Arthur Caan, Jewish immigrants from Germany. His father was a meat dealer and butcher. The athletically gifted Caan played football at Michigan State University while studying economics, holds a black belt in karate and for several years was even a regular on the rodeo circuit, where he was nicknamed "The Jewish Cowboy". However, while studying at Hofstra University, he became intrigued by acting and was interviewed and accepted at Sanford Meisner 's Neighborhood Playhouse. He then won a scholarship to study under acting coach Wynn Handman and began to appear in several off-Broadway productions, including "I Roam" and "Mandingo".
He made his screen debut as a sailor in Irma la Douce and began to impress audiences with his work in Red Line 7000 and the western El Dorado alongside John Wayne and Robert Mitchum . Further work followed in Journey to Shiloh and in the sensitive The Rain People . However, audiences were moved to tears as he put in a heart-rending performance as cancer-stricken Chicago Bears running back Brian Piccolo in the highly rated made-for-TV film Brian's Song .
With these strong performances under his belt, Francis Ford Coppola then cast him as hot-tempered gangster Santino "Sonny" Corleone in the Mafia epic The Godfather . The film was an enormous success, Caan scored a Best Supporting Actor nomination and, in the years since, the role has proven to be the one most fondly remembered by his legion of fans. He reprised the role for several flashback scenes in the sequel The Godfather: Part II and then moved on to several very diverse projects. These included a cop-buddy crime partnership with Alan Arkin in the uneven Freebie and the Bean , a superb performance as a man playing for his life in The Gambler alongside Lauren Hutton , and pairing with Barbra Streisand in Funny Lady . Two further strong lead roles came up for him in 1975, first as futuristic sports star "Jonathon E" questioning the moral fiber of a sterile society in Rollerball and teaming up with Robert Duvall in the Sam Peckinpah spy thriller The Killer Elite .
Unfortunately, Caan's rising star sputtered badly at this stage of his career, and several film projects failed to find fire with either critics or audiences. These included such failures as the hokey Harry and Walter Go to New York , the quasi-western Comes a Horseman and the saccharine Chapter Two . However, he did score again with the stylish Michael Mann -directed heist movie Thief . He followed this with a supernatural romantic comedy titled Kiss Me Goodbye and then, due to personal conflicts, dropped out of the spotlight for several years before returning with a stellar performance under old friend Francis Ford Coppola in the moving Gardens of Stone .
Caan appeared back in favor with fans and critics alike and raised his visibility with the sci-fi hit Alien Nation and Dick Tracy , then surprised everyone by playing a meek romance novelist held captive after a car accident by a deranged fan in the dynamic Misery . The 1990s were kind to him and he notched up roles as a band leader in For the Boys , another gangster in Honeymoon in Vegas , appeared in the indie hit Bottle Rocket and pursued Arnold Schwarzenegger in Eraser .
The demand on Caan's talents seems to have increased steadily over the past few years as he is making himself known to a new generation of fans. Recent hot onscreen roles have included The Yards , City of Ghosts and Dogville . In addition, he finds himself at the helm of the hit TV series Las Vegas as casino security chief "Big Ed" Deline. An actor of undeniably manly appeal, James Caan continues to surprise and delight audiences with his invigorating performances.
Matt Dillon
Matt Dillon's successful film career has spanned over three decades and has showcased his wide range of dramatic and comedic talents. Dillon displayed his versatility with an arresting performance co-starring as a racist cop in the critically acclaimed Paul Haggis film Crash. This role earned him nominations for an Academy award, Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, Critics Choice Award, BAFTA Award and won him an Independent Spirit Award. In addition, the film earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Critics Choice Award for Best Ensemble. As the New York Times' Film Critic A.O. Scott put it, "He seems to be getting better with every film."
He starred opposite Kate Hudson and Owen Wilson in Universal Pictures' comedy, You, Me and Dupree and in Factotum for which he received glowing reviews for portraying Charles Bukowski's alter ego when the film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. From his breakthrough performance in The Outsiders to his hilarious turn as an obsessed private investigator in There's Something About Mary, he has proven himself to be one of the most diverse actors of his generation.
In 1990 Dillon won an IFP Spirit Award for his gritty performance as a drug addict in Gus Van Sant's Drugstore Cowboy. From there he went on to star in such films as Ted Demme's Beautiful Girls opposite Uma Thurman and Natalie Portman, Cameron Crowe's Singles, In & Out with Kevin Kline, Kevin Spacey's Albino Alligator, Francis Ford Coppola's Rumble Fish, Garry Marshall's Flamingo Kid, Van Sant's To Die For with Nicole Kidman, and John McNaughton's Wild Things. He starred in Nothing But The Truth, opposite Kate Beckinsale and Vera Farmiga, Disney's Old Dogs, opposite John Travolta, Robin Williams and Kelly Preston, and the Screen Gems films Armored and Takers.
Aside from being an accomplished actor, Dillon wrote, and made his feature film directorial debut with City of Ghosts, in which he also starred with Gérard Depardieu, Stellan Skarsgård, and James Caan. Prior to City of Ghosts, Dillon made his television directorial debut in 1997 with an episode of HBO's gritty prison drama Oz.
Dillon's achievements continued with television appearances in an HBO adaptation of Irwin Shaw's Return To Kansas City and a part co-narrating the documentary Dear America: Letters From Home.
Dillon's multi-talents have also landed him on stage starring on Broadway in The Boys In Winter as well as the PBS/American Playhouse production of The Great American Fourth Of July And Other Disasters.
His recent film credits include the comedy Girl Most Likely opposite Annette Bening and Kristen Wiig; the drama Sunlight, Jr. opposite Naomi Watts, and the heist comedy The Art Of The Steal opposite Kurt Russell. Dillon most recently starred in M. Night Shyamalan's hit television event series Wayward Pines for FOX.
Rob Archer
They didn't throw away the mold, when it came to Rob Archer. He broke it. At 6'6", and 285 lbs. of solid, etched muscle, Archer moves like a comic book superhero come to life. As an actor, he moves smoothly between playing the recurring role of Bio-Man on "Defiance" [Seasons 1,2,3], the recurring role of Bruce on "Lost Girl" [Seasons 3, 4, 5] and the "Lost Girl" webisodes, four different characters on "Warehouse 13," guest-starred as The Brain on "XIII: The Series," Vernon Hicks in The Samaritan, and Buzz on Bulletproof Monk. Archer's credits also include "Beauty and the Beast," Kickass2, "Flashpoint," "Alphas," and Repo Men.
For the winter of 2015, Archer embodies what is becoming, according to Hitfix, this generation's premiere bogeymen: Krampus in A Christmas Horror Story, co-starring William Shatner, which premiered at Fantasia, 2015. Certainly this is bolstered by two awards from the 2015 After Dark Film Festival: Best Monster/Creature (Krampus) and best Villain (Krampus played by Rob Archer).
Archer has just completed work on 22 Chaser, playing opposite Brian J. Smith (Sense8) and Raoul Trujillo (Sicario) and Operation Insanity where he takes on, literally, James Caan. Before that, he most recently appeared as the lead Navy Seal in Adam Sandlers, Pixels, trading lines with Josh Gad. Archer's career began as a stuntman/actor on "Mutant X" when he played the villain in the Season 2 finale. He was brought back to the series again in their third season and also appeared in Robocop. A consistent pattern emerged where producers took note of his acting and expanded his roles to keep him on screen longer.
Beyond film and television, the video game world has discovered his potential. Archer's work for a major label video game will be announced in the near future. This is a natural evolution from his character 'The Conduit' in the GlassMonkey Studios comic book of the same name. The character of 'Conduit', harnesses energy as his power to combat evil, is drawn by the legendary artist Tony Gray, was modeled after Archer.
As a spokesperson, Archer is not only the international ambassador for Mr Hyde for Pro Supps, from Professional Supplements, the world wide top tier sports nutrition company based out of the USA, he is also the face of the franchise.
Ragan Wallake
Born in Toledo OH and raised in Minnesota, Ragan (Wallake) Brooks discovered her love for performing and the spotlight at the young age of five, when she began modeling in department store fashion shows. She continued modeling, and dancing ballet through high school, until she discovered her love for working in film and television. After booking a part on "Joe Somebody," with Tim Allen, her first movie gig in Minnesota, Ragan was hooked. Ragan graduated from college with a Bachelor of Arts in business and a minor in advertising and marketing, and at the prodding of a talent manager, "took a year off" to try her hand at acting in Hollywood. She booked her very first audition - a guest star role on "Malibu CA," which only solidified Ragan's resolve, and launched her into a full time career as an actress. Enlisting the aid of professionals like Bob Corff, Patsy Rodenberg and Howard Fine, and training with The Groundlings, Ragan began to hone her acting and performance skills. She now studies with a private coach, Lisa Robertson. Since her move out west in 2001, Ragan has worked on diverse projects ranging from episodic television and soap operas, to feature films. Her credits include well known television shows and films like "Hollywood Homicide" (working alongside Josh Hartnett and Harrison Ford), "Charmed," "The Bold and the Beautiful," "Summerland," "Las Vegas," "Kitchen Confidential," "Eastwick," and "Desperate Housewives." She recently worked on the full-length feature "Minkow," due out in the spring of 2010, and starring Mark Hamil and James Caan. Ragan thoroughly enjoys working on set and in high profile film/television projects, citing the teamwork involved in producing them as "infectious." Aside from that, Ragan is truly motivated by the heart and soul that goes into independent films, and no matter how busy her schedule, she tries to reserve time to work on independent projects that come her way. Despite all that Tinsel Town has to offer, Ragan works very hard to maintain balance and keep things real. She maintains a very special place in her heart for her four-legged and furry friends, and has been an active volunteer with the Animal Advocates Alliance and The Lange Foundation, as well as the Home For Life organization in Minnesota. In her spare time, Ragan attends spin classes (albeit reluctantly), hikes the hills of Hollywood and Malibu and practices yoga. When she isn't rejuvenating and regenerating her body, Ragan is dressing it. She is fascinated by fashion, clothing, shoes, jewelry and all that makes up the perfect ensemble. An only child, Ragan is extremely close to her parents, and holds family in very high regard.
Christopher McQuarrie
Christopher McQuarrie is an acclaimed producer, director and an Academy Award® winning writer. McQuarrie grew up in Princeton Junction, New Jersey and in lieu of college, he spent the first five years out of school traveling and working at a detective agency. He later moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film.
In 1995, his screenplay for The Usual Suspects, directed by childhood pal, Bryan Singer, garnered him the Academy Award® and the BAFTA Award for "Best Original Screenplay". McQuarrie also went on to win the Edgar Allan Poe Award and the Independent Spirit Award. The Usual Suspects has been named one of the greatest screenplays of all time by the Writer's Guild of America.
In the years following, McQuarrie directed The Way of the Gun, starring Ryan Phillippe, Benicio Del Toro and James Caan. In 2008, he collaborate with Singer once again to produce and co-write Valkyrie, starring Tom Cruise. This film would lead to many more McQuarrie-Cruise collaborations. McQuarrie re-teamed with Cruise in 2012 for his sophomore directorial outing, Jack Reacher Within hours of completing the film, he was at work with Cruise again, this time re-writing the script for Doug Liman's Edge of Tomorrow. It was while working together on the sci-fi action film that Cruise suggested McQuarrie direct what would become Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation. The highly anticipated fifth installment of the Ethan Hunt saga, written also by McQuarrie, garnered the biggest opening in the history of the Mission: Impossible franchise, was the highest-grossing 2D Hollywood film ever at the Chinese box office, earning $124 million, and garnered over $680 million worldwide. McQuarrie is confirmed to write and direct the sixth chapter in the franchise, making him the first repeat director in the film's two-decade history.
Heather Wahlquist
Heather Wahlquist is an actress and writer. A native Oklahoman, Wahlquist aspired to be an actress at an early age and came to Hollywood after studying drama at the University of Oklahoma.
Her most recent project is "Yellow," in which she not only stars, but also co-wrote in collaboration with the film's director, Nick Cassavetes. This wildly inventive and visually dazzling film follows a young substitute teacher, Mary (Wahlquist), who escapes from her drudging everyday life by fantasizing bizarre parallel realities. In addition to Wahlquist, the film stars Sienna Miller, Ray Liotta, Melanie Griffith and Gena Rowlands. "Yellow" premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival and will be released in theatres in 2013. Entertainment Tonight said the film was "led by a star-making performance from Wahlquist," and boasted "a stellar script that is sure to leave everyone talking."
Other acting credits include "My Sister's Keeper," alongside Cameron Diaz and Abigail Breslin, playing Kelly, who put her life on hold to help her needy sister; the critically acclaimed "The Notebook," with an all-star cast that included Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, Gena Rowlands and James Garner, playing Sara, the uninhibited best friend who introduced Noah and Allie; "John Q" with Denzel Washington, playing Julie, the battered hostage who had one of the movie's most memorable moments during the infamous fight scene; "Alpha Dog" with Bruce Willis and Justin Timberlake, playing Wanda, the spunky, drug-addled girlfriend of Ben Foster's leading character; "Good Advice" with Charlie Sheen, playing Sarah, the straight-laced secretary; and "Lonely Street" with Robert Patrick and Joe Mantegna, playing Kathy, the well-intentioned wife who helps her husband overcome his little man complex. Wahlquist also appeared in the Emmy-winning movie "The Incredible Mrs. Ritchie," starring Gena Rowlands and James Caan.
She currently lives in Los Angeles with her daughter.
Mary Birdsong
Mary grew up in the small beach community of Long Beach Island, New Jersey. Mary graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts where she earned her BFA in acting, and was also awarded the Stella Adler Award for Outstanding Achievement in Acting.
Mary made her Broadway debut in "Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me" in 2006, for which she won the prestigious Theatre World Award. Mary also stared as rookie cop "Deputy Kimball" in Reno 911 on Comedy Central, and in the Fox feature film "Reno 911: Miami."
She has performed in several shows on Comedy Central-- appearing regularly on the network in "Crossballs," Contest Searchlight w/Dennis Leary and "The Daily Show w/Jon Stewart." Mary has appeared in numerous TV pilots, including CBS' "Rubbing Charlie" (starring Scott Wolfe), a FOX sitcom starring James Caan and Jill Clayburgh, the role of "Connie" in CBS' "Welcome to New York" with Christine Baranski, and a co-starring role with Cheri Oteri in the sitcom pilot, "Loomis." Mary has appeared as a guest star on "Normal People" (FOX TV pilot with Tori Spelling), and "Talk To Me" (ABC sitcom w/Kyra Sedgwick). She has done guest spots on MTV's "Apt. 2F," NBC's "ED" & "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" & "The Howard Stern Show" on E!. As a writer/performer Mary created 25+ original characters in the NBC sketch comedy pilot, "Live On Tape". But Mary is no stranger to the legitimate stage.
She trod the boards in the very UN-legitimate role of "Vixen Fox" (a porn star) in Elaine May's off-Broadway comedy "Adult Entertainment" with Danny Aiello and Jeannie Berlin at the Variety Arts Theatre in NYC. Other theatre roles include "Portia" in the Moonwork production of "Julius Caesar" in New York City, and "Victoria Fitch" in the musical "Palm Beach." She wrote and starred in the one-woman off-Broadway show "Judy Speaks" at the Ars Nova Theatre in New York City, and at Playhouse Merced in CA. She also wrote/starred in a series of one-acts for her alter-ego, the 1940s B-movie star Janet Lamé, who made her small screen debut on NBC's variety show "Late Friday." She has also performed her other one-woman shows "The Very Mary Birdsong Show" & "The Respectable Race" in L.A. at the HBO/WB Workspace and in New York @ PSNBC. Other film credits include "Beer League" (w/Artie Lange), "Pizza," "Le Chase," "Above Freezing," "Let It Snow," "In God's Hands," (starring Peter Sarsgaard) and "The Last Request" (starring Danny Aiello.)
Jeremy Jackson
Jeremy Jackson At the tender age of six, Jeremy Jackson got his first taste of show business, booking his first successful commercial for Mattel. From this Jeremy exploded onto the commercial scene starring in dozens of national network ad campaigns including television and print. In addition to his commercial work Jeremy dabbled in daytime television with a seven-episode run on the soap opera Santa Barbara, and got his first feature film shot with a small roll in Shout starring John Travolta. With hard work and determination, he accomplished all of this before his tenth birthday. Soon after in 1990, the ten year old Newport Beach native beat 3,000 other child actors, including a young Leonardo DiCaprio, for the role of Hobie Buchanon on the 90's phenomenon Baywatch. His character remained on the show for its entirety running through 1999. In the midst of all this success Jeremy's creativity did not stop at television. In 1992 Jeremy starred alongside Oscar winning actress Sally Kirkland in the short film The Bulkin Trail for which he received a Youth and Film Award nomination for Best Actor. During his successful acting career Jeremy soared into the music industry releasing two full length albums yielding two top ten hits, several singles, and launching him into a full European tour. His creative endeavors were honored when he was invited into the World Music Hall of Fame and in 1996 with his induction into the Young Hollywood Hall of Fame. Right out of the gate, Jackson's success seemed to skyrocket; gaining momentum with no regard to gravity. However, underneath the incredible success story was an all-too-familiar and all-too-unfortunate twist. During his time on Baywatch, the golden boy surfer from Newport Beach developed a serious substance abuse problem. In 2000, following an arrest, Jeremy decided to change his ways, and committed himself into drub rehab. Since then he has remained clean and sober, and, using his kind heart, natural charisma and magnetic personality, has helped countless peers through their struggles with addiction. In 2003, Jeremy established an invaluable business relationship with Christian Audigier marketing his new clothing line Von Dutch. After the success of the line, Audigier employed Jackson's talents to help catapult his newest line, Ed Hardy. In his time as an event coordinator for Audigier, Jackson has produced over 170 fashion events in 35 states and 5 countries. In 2004, Jeremy tried his hand in film production in addition to starring in some independent films. However, his reemergence onto the scene took a major stride when former child stars turned producers, Jason Hervey and Scott Baio contacted him about their new reality show. The show, VH1's Confessions of a Teen Idol, aired in January 2009, and follows several child stars in their journeys to reclaiming the fame they once had. Since then, Jeremy has moved from his roots in Newport Beach and traded the laid back beach lifestyle in for the life of a busy artist in the heart of Los Angeles. Jeremy is committed to attending scene study classes, working with his acting coach, taking meetings and auditions all while staying dedicated to his newly found passion for health and fitness. He most recently landed the role of Federal Bureau investigator Jason Gallion acting opposite James Caan and an all star cast in the true life story, Barry Minkow, set for release on the "big screen" in 2010 In 2012 Jeremy set out to accomplish a lifelong goal, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training. Committing to the immensely successful Body By Vi 90 Day Challenge,
Jeremy and a few close friends arranged, not only train, but to compete in their very first Jiu Jitsu tournament after only 90 days of training. Jeremy found Master Marcus Vinicius Delucia, close by at Beverly Hills Jiu Jitsu Club, and began instruction. After just three months of intense daily training sessions, Jeremy competed at the 5th American Cup and went home empty handed losing his first match by points. Since that loss Jeremy has been committed to training, inspired by the never ending learning process, the always evolving art, the unattainable perfection, and an absolute love for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Jeremy has since acquired many gold metals as well as silver and bronze.
Jeremy passion for Jiu Jitsu lead him to International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation tournament competing and working with his new found family and friends in the sport he loves so much. Jeremy continues to devote his time to the betterment of himself and others while maintaining a firm commitment to acting classes, fitness and nutrition programs, and preparing himself to grow in the entertainment industry. He is an accomplished Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitor, surfer, snow and wake boarder, musician, D.J., and emcee.
Craig Fairbrass
At six foot three, Craig Fairbrass is an experienced award winning British actor. Craig has starred in over forty feature films, including the lead role in fifteen independent films in the U.K and U.S as well as Award winning British TV along with guest star roles in five major U.S. TV series. Craig also became one of the most iconic voices within the most successful video game franchise of all time, Call Of Duty Modern Warfare by lending his voice to Gaz, Ghost and Walcroft in Call of Duty MW: 1, 2 and 3 and now the new Infinite Warfare.
Craig was born in Mile End hospital in London's East End, his father Jack was one of nine kids and was a Stevedore the best you could be as a London docker, his mother Maureen was a machinist dressmaker in Petticoat Lane, she was one of ten kids. Along with his younger sister Lindsey they lived in Stepney where Craig grew up.
It was at Eaglesfield boys secondary comprehensive in Woolwich where Craig became fascinated with films and acting, although struggling from one year to the next and not top of the class academically he found drama an outlet, winning a place with the National Theatre youth company, it was here that he got the acting bug. After being expelled at 15 he worked as a roofer's labourer, a job he would return to time and time again in the coming years for support while securing acting roles, this earned him enough money to attend a course at drama school.
Leaving drama school Craig soon realised that to survive he needed a second string to his bow if he was to pursue his dream as an actor, so he returned to roofing in the day and working on the doors of some of S.E. London's less desirable nightspots for the next five years until securing enough money to buy his own business, a sandwich bar in Woolwich market.
Movie experience began as well in the breakout role of Challoner, opposite Denzel Washington in the powerful British film For Queen And Country. Television soon followed, with the BBC drama Big Deal a regular role in LWT'S award winning London's Burning and the highly acclaimed BAFTA /EMMY award-winning TV series Prime Suspect 1 and 2 in which Craig played hard-bitten detective Frank Burkin opposite Helen Mirren.
1992 saw Craig use this as a calling card in Los Angeles, securing a starring a role in one of the biggest action movies of the 90s, Cliffhanger with Sylvester Stallone, which opened doors in the U.S independent film arena, starring in the action films, Nightscare, Terminal Force and Proteus before returning to the UK to star in the British thriller Killing Time and the award-winning horror, Darklands.
In 1999 Craig joined the cast of the BBC's flagship show EastEnders where his recurring character of Dan Sullivan over three years won record viewing figures and a four-hander Sunday evening special Directed by Tom Hooper won a TV BAFTA for best drama. Other strong roles followed, lead villain Ray Betson in TV movie - The Great Dome Robbery, then to Rome to complete his role on Moro, for controversial award-winning Italian art-house director Aurellio Grimaldi and guest lead in Radio 4's afternoon play Fair Maids Are Shining.
Craig's role of the killer Henry Caine in White Noise 2, the sequel to the No. 1 box office hit White Noise reaches no. 5 in the top ten cinema films in London. It was in 2007 that saw Craig in his most powerful performance to date, that of true life gangster Pat Tate in Rise Of The Footsoldier the gangster epic based on true life events directed by BAFTA nominee Julian Gilbey, followed by a strong supporting role in The Bank Job, opposite Jason Statham.
Craig returned to L.A to guest-star in U.S TV series Terminator The Sarah Connor Chronicles. David Mamet's top rated action drama series The Unit, Stargate SG1 and the action film Far Cry.
Craig continues to forge a strong position in the independent film arena with lead roles in Freight, Dead Cert and Devils Playground - comedy cameos in The Shouting Men and Just For The Record. 2011 sees Craig in U.S action thriller House Of The Rising Sun opposite Dave Bautista, co-lead in British thriller St Georges Day, U.S actioner Hijacked and Universal's multi-million dollar Vikingdom 3D.
2012 kicks off with Universal's Get Lucky and Bula Quo the Status Quo action comedy and the male lead in Let Me Survive a drama based on the best selling book.
Oct 2012 Craig plays the lead role of British mercenary Lex Walker opposite Jason Patric and James Caan in the L.A based U.S action thriller The Outsider, followed by Universal's gangster spoof The Hooligan Factory.
In recent years, Craig takes the lead role of Alfie Jennings in Jonnie Malachi's violent, stylized contract killer movie Breakdown and Mark McQueens slick revenge thriller London Heist written by Craig - set in Spain's glamorous Marbella and London's underworld.
The eagerly anticipated motion capture sci-fi game - Star Citizen/ Squadron 42 alongside Gary Oldman, Gillian Anderson and Mark Strong and the new Call of Duty Infinite Warfare with Kit Harrington. Craig has just completed filming on Rise of the Footsoldier 3 - The Pat Tate years.
Heather Sossaman
Heather Sossaman is a California native actress known for her role as Laura Barns in Universal and Blumhouse picture's Unfriended.
She began acting at a young age alongside her two sisters. Heather immediately landed small roles in popular shows like Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990), for which she was hand-picked by producer Aaron Spelling when she was just ten years old. A versatile artist, Heather taught herself to play guitar at a young age, and was featured on MTV by the age of 18 for her singing/songwriting skills. Shortly after Heather attended a mass audition of over 3500 performers to join the first ever Disneyland cast in Paris, France. She was selected as one of only three girls to spend a year training and performing in Paris.
After visiting over 16 countries, Heather returned home to focus on a film and television career in Los Angeles. Since, she has landed recurring roles on NBC's Days of Our Lives, appeared in three CSI series in major guest starring roles, as well as NCIS, NCIS: LA, Fox's Breaking In with Christian Slater, Hawaii Five-0 as the god daughter of James Caan, among others. Her television roles have ranged diversely from strong comedic roles, to intense, dramatic roles.
Along with Television, Heather has garnered some notable roles in films. 2015 brought the release of Desecrated, starring along side Haylie Duff & Michael Ironside, and Earth Quake 10.0 with a noteworthy ensemble cast, Heather playing the daughter of Lost's Henry Ian Cusick. Universal Studios, and Blumhouse Pictures' Unfriended marked Her first wide theatrical release, playing widely discussed Villain, Laura Barns in April of 2015.
Heather is a talented and skilled young artist, steadily making a mark with her diverse range in acting, singing, and performing.
Missy Crider
A native of Columbia, South Carolina, Missy Crider began her journey to the arts at an early age. She took a job as a singer and violinist in musical stage shows, when she was awarded Young Entertainer of the Year by the OMA Stage Awards Association in 1986 in Branson, Missouri. A trip to record a Christmas album in Nashville was stopped short due to a car accident, and the album was never recorded. Although she has yet to sing on country music stages again, she performed and produced two songs, "Endless Sleep" and "Can't Show the World", that appear on the soundtracks in two of her films: "Girls in Prison" (1994) and "A Boy Called Hate" (1995).
She started her Hollywood career at a young age (12) and for six years, alternated between making films in Hollywood and doing musical stage work in New York City and Branson Missouri while doubling her education, managing to graduate with a 3.98 GPA ranked 3rd in her class. She spent seven years working in musical theater and doing local plays while flying back and forth to Hollywood and New York. She made a permanent move to Los Angeles in October of 1992, after having filmed six movies and miniseries for television that secured her Screen Actors Guild membership, including the award-winning original, "Lonesome Dove" (1989), starring Tommy Lee Jones, Robert Duvall, Anjelica Huston and Diane Lane, for which she was cast by New York-based casting director Lynn Kressel. Through Crider's final high school years in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, Kressel cast her in three projects before she made the permanent move to Los Angeles. After playing Anjelica Huston's lovesick daughter, "Sally Allen", in "Lonesome Dove" (1989), Lorimar Productions immediately signed Missy to a one-year holding contract. She celebrated her graduation from high school with a starring role opposite Ossie Davis and Morris Chestnut in NBC's The Ernest Green Story (1993) (TV), which showed the 1950s struggle to integrate the school system in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Shortly after her relocation to Los Angeles, director Glenn Jordan cast her opposite James Woods and Anne Archer in the prestigious Hallmark Hall of Fame production, Jane's House (1994) (TV). Shortly thereafter, Crider portrayed the beleaguered daughter of Lesley Ann Warren in ABC's A Mother's Revenge (1993) (TV), opposite Shirley Knight and Bruce Davison and, soon afterward, director John McNaughton cast her as an aspiring singer who lands a record deal. McNaughton asked Crider to sing the vocal tracks for the film in Showtime's campy remake classic, Girls in Prison (1994) (TV), co-starring Anne Heche and Ione Skye. Crider received a 1994-95 Emmy nomination for her leading role opposite Tom Everett Scott in the ABC drama about fear of sex in the 1990s: "CBS Schoolbreak Special: Love in the Dark Ages (#11.3)" (1994). She made the transition to film when writer/director Mitch Marcus cast her as the female lead, "Cindy Wells", opposite Scott Caan, James Caan and Elliott Gould, in A Boy Called Hate (1995). The gritty road movie captivated filmgoers and critics alike, winning The Grand Jury Prize at the Berlin Film Festival. She followed this role by being cast as a Southern woman caught in a cycle of small-town violence with a sensitive portrayal of a student who finds compassion for fellow empath, Sean Patrick Flanery in Disney's feature film, Powder (1995), co-starring Jeff Goldblum and Mary Steenburgen.
It was this winsome portrayal that brought her to the attention of renowned television producer Steven Bochco, who cast her opposite Anthony LaPaglia and Mary McCormack, as inscrutable murder defendant "Sharon Rooney" for a nine-episode run in the second season of his highly-acclaimed ABC series, "Murder One" (1995).
It was during this period that Crider filmed Paramount's Sins of the Mind (1997) (TV), in the starring role of "Michelle Widener", opposite Louise Fletcher and Jill Clayburgh. This telefilm was based on the true story of a talented and traditional young woman who slips into a coma following a car accident and awakens with psychologically disturbing and uncharacteristic emotional behavior, swinging mercurially from childlike behaviors to that of a young woman as she healed. That winter, she went on to show more colors with Nick Cassavetes and Paul Johansson, as a neglected date at the end of her rope in the short film, Conversations in Limbo (1998).
Other credits for the actress include a Los Angeles theatrical production, "Pot Mom", directed by Justin Tanner; Peter Benchley's eight-hour miniseries for NBC, The Beast (1996) (TV), opposite William Petersen; Stephen King's Quicksilver Highway (1997) (TV) for ABC, opposite Christopher Lloyd, and the independent film, Stand-ins (1997), in which Crider drones in low German octave when playing Marlene Dietrich's savvy, wise-cracking double, in 1930s banter with fellow stand-ins Bette Davis, Jean Harlow, Mae West, Rita Hayworth and Greta Garbo. In Christian Otjen's drama/suspense indie ensemble, Reeseville (2003), she was cast as "Athee", a quirky small-town girl who works at the local stop-and-shop and proves pivotal in a murder mystery, opposite Majandra Delfino, Brad Hunt, Brian Wimmer, Mark Hamill and Sally Struthers.
She won the role of "Janine Haywood" in the premiere episode of the second season of CBS' hit series, "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (2000), playing a Las Vegas dancer with a decidedly Jersey accent who is suspected of murdering her lover, the owner of a successful chain of casinos, due to her insisting she is in his will and owns "half" of his mansion. Next, Crider played opposite Simon Baker in CBS' series, "The Guardian" (2001), as "Minette", his ex-girlfriend, an actress from his less sober days in New York, who shows up in his Pittsburgh office, after five years, in hopes of picking up where they left off. She then accepted the offer of a lead role in Showtime's futuristic series, "Jeremiah" (2002). She played "Claire", a brave young lady making her way in a new and hopeful post-apocalyptic time, siphoning gasoline to fuel her late father's sailboat in order to travel to the other side of the world to see if human life still exists. Claire's mysterious way and curious behavior of siphoning scarce gasoline is luring to Jeremiah. They fall in love as she reveals that she has been storing what gas she could find a little at a time over the span of ten years to fuel her late father's boat and the promise to live out his dream of sailing the sea to discover if human life remains in other parts of the world.
In the fall of 1999, Crider's manager received a phone call from Steven Spielberg. He said he had recently seen her work on ABC's "Strange World" (1999) and wanted to write a leading role, specifically, for her in his NBC one-hour drama, "The Others" (2000). The role had originally been written as an elderly Indian woman and was rewritten for Crider to play "Satori", a gifted psychic, opposite fellow telepaths Bill Cobbs, Julianne Nicholson, John Billingsley, Kevin J. O'Connor and Gabriel Macht. The series aired for 14 episodes on Saturday nights in 2000. Proving equally adept with humor, Crider completed a co-starring role in producer/director Mike Binder's award-winning feature film comedy, The Sex Monster (1999), joining an ensemble cast that included Mariel Hemingway, Kevin Pollak and Stephen Baldwin. In this bedroom farce, which won Best Picture at the 1999 Aspen Comedy Festival, Crider plays "Diva", a beautiful young secretary who becomes the unwitting object of both her employer's and his wife's affections.
In 2001, Bill Paxton met Crider at a screening of "The Sex Monster". He cast her in his feature-film directorial debut, set in rural Texas, Frailty (2001), playing a cameo as Matthew McConaughey's wife, "Becky Meiks". Soon after, she was offered the leading role in the indie film, Instinct to Kill (2001), the film version of the book, "The Perfect Husband", playing "Tess", a young woman who discovers that her husband is a serial killer and has stalked her since she was a child.
Crider landed a coveted role in David Lynch's ABC pilot-turned-feature film, Mulholland Dr. (2001), as "Diane/Betty", a smart, hip, mysterious waitress who dreams of becoming an actress and served as the projection of Naomi Watts' character's fragile identity. Writer/director Andrew Bowen offered Crider the female lead in his independent film, Along the Way (2007), a coming-of-age tale about four young men whose lives seem destined for tragedy. Crider plays "Jordan", a photojournalist whose relationship with one of the friends becomes the catalyst that forces him to come to terms with his life.
Crider joined an all-star cast, including Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Al Pacino and Christopher Walken in Revolution Studios' romantic comedy, Gigli (2003), written and directed by Martin Brest. Director Gregory Hatanaka offered her the lead role of "Mina" in his ensemble independent film, Until the Night (2004), in which she plays the girlfriend of hopeful cinematographer Norman Reedus, an actress who battles with them growing in different directions in Hollywood. The ensemble also costars Sean Young, Kathleen Robertson, Michael T. Weiss and Aimee Graham. Crider was offered the female lead in an original Hallmark Channel television film, Out of the Woods (2005) (TV), opposite Jason London and Edward Asner, directed by Stephen Bridgewater. She completed the premiere episode of the 2004 fall season of "CSI: Miami" (2002), as the lead guest star, "Tawny Williams", the wife of a wealthy man and stepmother of his child, who is suspected of his murder.
In 2006, she appeared in "Law & Order: Criminal Intent: Bedfellows (#6.5)" (2006) as Charlene Copeland and in "Huff" (2004) as Natalie for two episodes. In 2007, she appeared in four episodes of Fox's highly acclaimed hit show, "24" (2001) as Rita Brady and was in "Without a Trace: One and Only (#5.22)" (2007) as Mia. In 2009, she was in CW's "90210" (2008). In 2013, she returned to TV as Leanne Tipton in "Criminal Minds: Pay It Forward (#8.19)" (2013).
Crider has starred in several indie films such as Until the Night (2004) opposite Norman Reedus, Kathleen Robertson, Michael T. Weiss, and Sean Young, Butterfly Dreaming (2008) opposite Andrew Bowen, and co-stars opposite John Savage and Dee Wallace Stone in The Cry of the Butterfly (2014). After ten years of doubling residency between California and Northwest Arkansas, in the spring of 2013, Crider made a permanent move to Los Angeles after the sale of her circa 1885 bed & breakfast in the South when working on ABC's hit show, Criminal Minds.
Dylan Kussman
A professional actor since 1985, Dylan got his big break as Richard Cameron in "Dead Poets Society". He has since appeared in numerous feature films, including "Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken", "Jack Reacher", "Flight", "X2", and "The Way of the Gun", and has worked alongside such cinematic luminaries as Cliff Robertson, James Caan, Cathy Bates, Benicio Del Toro, Brian Cox, Alfre Woodard, Sir Ian McCellan, Patrick Stewart, and the late Robin Williams. His television credits include appearances on "Monk", "House", "Without A Trace", "Cold Case", "The X-Files" and "Drop Dead Diva". A longtime screenwriter and member of the WGAW since 2005, he is the sole or contributing writer on "Booth", "The Mayor of Castro Street", "The Ghost Inside" and "Mission Blacklist", as well as being the writer, director, and star of the critically-acclaimed Web series "The Steps".
Jennifer Billingsley
Pretty, appealing and energetic blonde actress Jennifer Billingsley was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Jennifer was an army brat who grew up all over the world. She graduated with honors from Fort Smith Senior High School in Arkansas. Billingsley's initial claim to fame was her striking resemblance to Brigitte Bardot. Jennifer garnered plenty of favorable critical notices for her lively performance in the hit Broadway musical "Carnival." She made an excellent and impressive film debut as James Caan's wild teenage moll girlfriend in the harrowing thriller "Lady in a Cage." Billingsley had a recurring part on the popular daytime soap opera "General Hospital." Jennifer appeared in a handful of hugely entertaining low-budget drive-in features throughout the 70s: she's a scruffy motorcycle mama in the biker romp "C.C. and Company," a sexy hippie hitchhiker in the sleazy "Brute Corps," a brash young lass in the terrific psycho Vietnam vets exploitation winner "Welcome Home, Soldier Boys," a sassy Southern gal in the immensely enjoyable Burt Reynolds vehicle "White Lightning," an American tourist who runs afoul of an evil cult in the cruddy Filipino horror dud "The Thirsty Dead," and another more bitter motorcycle mama in the fine "Hollywood Man." Among the TV shows Jennifer Billingsley had guest spots on are "Naked City," "Gunsmoke," "Route 66," "Dr. Kildare," "Wagon Train," "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.," "Mannix," "Hawaii Five-O," "Police Story," "Alice," "Baretta," and "The Amazing Spider Man."
Mo Gallini
Mo was born in Miami, Florida. Growing up multi-ethnic was a plus, giving him the opportunity to learn of life outside the United States at a young age. His father was from Lebanon and his mother is a New Yorker of Cuban descent.
After meeting director David Anspaugh, who graciously extended him the opportunity to work on his football themed feature film "Rudy", he was hooked. Fulfilling his former passion with his future.
Since then Gallini has worked opposite the likes of Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman in Crimson Tide. James Caan in director Bob Rafelson's HBO original Poodle Springs. James Garner, who he watched as a boy, in a CBS Rockford Files Mow. The legendary Rod Steiger, Gabriel Byrne, and the once in a lifetime experience of fighting Arnold Schwarzenegger in End Of Days. He also worked with the amazing David Lynch on the ABC pilot which became Mulholland Drive. And a leading role in Universal Pictures 2 Fast 2 Furious for director John Singleton. He also has received high accolades for his award winning role in the Pander Brothers film, Selfless
On television Mo has had recurring roles on 24, Chase, General Hospital, and The Young & the Restless. His numerous guest star assignments include CSI:NY, Weeds, N.C.I.S., Shark, The District, J.A.G., The X-Files, Brooklyn South, and Seinfeld. Along with multiple episodes of NYPD Blue, VIP, and Melrose Place.
Adam Rifkin
Adam Rifkin is a writer/director/producer/actor whose eclectic career ranges from broad family comedies to gritty urban dramas. Most recently Rifkin wrote, directed, and starred in Homo Erectus, a comedy set in caveman times that had its World Premier at the 2007 Slamdance Film Festival. Additionally, Rifkin wrote Underdog for Walt Disney Studios. The tent pole comedy based on the iconic cartoon show of the same name hits theaters August 3, 2007.
As a writer, he is also known for having penned two hits for DreamWorks, "Mousehunt" and "Small Soldiers". Continuing in the family film genre, he scribed the big screen version of Where's Waldo for Paramount/Nickelodeon. As a director Rifkin was in charge of the popular teen comedy "Detroit Rock City" for New Line Cinema. He also wrote and directed the car crash flick "The Chase" starring Charlie Sheen, a film that James Cameron described as "awesome". In addition he directed the critically acclaimed "Night At The Golden Eagle", a dark drama starring James Caan, Natasha Lyonne, and Vinnie Jones. It was an official selection of the London Film Festival and opened to rave reviews. The film won Best Cinematography and Best Supporting Actor for Vinnie Jones at the New York Independent Film Festival.
Rifkin as well wrote and directed the cult classic "The Dark Backward". In the year of its release The Dark Backward was named one of the top ten films of the year by the New York Post.
As a performer, Rifkin co-directed and starred in "Welcome To Hollywood", a mock documentary chronicling the trials and tribulations of what it takes to pursue a career in tinsel town. The film boasts an impressive list of cameos including John Travolta, Sandra Bullock, and Will Smith.
In 2010 Rifkin worked on the TV series "Look", a controversial drama that takes us into the foreboding world of hidden cameras. The unique show was shot entirely from the point of view of the hundreds of surveillance cameras we all pass in front of on a daily basis.
Danny Hoch
Born and raised in New York City, Danny Hoch (rhymes with rock) attended the High School of Performing Arts where he began his studies in theatre. After studying in London and then working with a high-octane theatre troupe (Creative Arts Team) in NYC's jails and high schools, Mr. Hoch began to develop his unique brand of solo performance or monologues, where he portrays a dozen or so characters of all ages and backgrounds in one piece, usually 90 minutes long. These solo shows eventually became cult classics which were taped for HBO (Some People, 1995) and as a feature film (Jails, Hospitals & Hip-Hop 1998). Five of these tour-de forces have been performed all over the U.S. and the world, as well as other plays written by Mr. Hoch. Mr. Hoch's theatre work has garnered him several awards for both writing as well as performance, including the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship, 2 OBIE's, a USA Ford Fellowship, a Creative Capital Award, the CalArts Alpert Award in Theatre, and several Sundance Institute Fellowships, where he developed his classic film Whiteboyz (1999), which was developed from a character in Jails, Hospitals & Hip-Hop (1998)_.
In 2000 He founded the Hip-Hop Theater Festival to promote and support Hip-Hop Generation arts and artists, which is still in existence today. Having worked with such lauded theatre artists as Nilaja Sun, Eisa Davis, Will Power, Liza Colon-Zayas and Marc Bamuthi Joseph, he has also worked in film and television alongside such talents as Keanu Reeves, James Caan, Edie Falco, Boaz Yakin, Joaquin Phoenix, Margaret Cho, Paul Giamatti, Liev Schreiber, Jason Statham and Eric Bana, and has had the opportunity to work for directors such as Curtis Hanson, Steven Spielberg, John Turturro, Spike Lee, Darnell Martin, James Gray, Marc Levin and Terrence Malick.
His writing has been published in the New York Times, Village Voice, The Nation, Harpers, American Theatre Magazine and several books, including an anthology of his work which is to be released in late 2013 by TCG.
In addition to mastering scores of accents both regional and international, he also speaks fluent Spanish, and has performed his solo shows in 5 Latin American countries- in different accents (Dominican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Mexican, Argentinian, Chilean and Castilian). It is reported that very few people know what his regular speaking voice actually sounds like.
A bit of trivia: At the High School of Performing Arts, Danny Hoch went to High School with Jennifer Aniston, Eagle Eye Cherry, Marlon Wayans, Adrien Brody, Reno Wilson, Seth Gilliam, Curtis McClaren, Dondre Whitfield, Alex Desert, Carl Payne, Kirk Acevedo and Rory Cochrane.
Last year he was seen on Broadway in a play by Woody Allen and Ethan Coen, alongside Steve Guttenberg, Marlo Thomas and Marc Linn-Baker.
Chanel Ryan
Chanel, an American actress has successfully navigated the acting and modeling industry over the past decade. Descriptions of Chanel are as varied as the roles she plays. A ball of energy with captivating eyes in a pretty blonde package. She's a chameleon with strength, vulnerability, and great comedic timing in equal amounts. She shines in the lighter, bubbly types and specializes in darker material, playing edgy and troubled young women as well. Ryan's first movie appearance was in the independent film "Waiting for the Rocket". When she auditioned for the film "George Wallace" legendary director John Frankenheimer offered her the part on the spot, working with veteran actors Gary Sinise and Mare Winningham. Next she landed the role of one of the Felon Cheerleaders in the Universal film BASEkeball, from the creators of South Park and director David Zucker. Her improv training with the Ground- lings and ACME Comedy Theater helped her garner a guest starring role opposite Bill Murray in the pilot "The Sweet Spot". During the early years of her career, Chanel's main focus was modeling. In 2011, she shifted her attention from modeling to acting full time. Her recent acting roles include Jonas Akerlund's "Small Apartments" with James Caan and Billy Crystal; "Dorothy and the Witches of Oz", starring Sean Astin, Christopher Lloyd and Lance Henrickson; "Skum Rocks" with Alice Cooper and "Bad Kids Go To Hell" with Judd Nelson and Ben Browder, based on the best-selling comic book. She appears as "Fantazia" in the cult classic follow-up "Hobgoblins 2" from director Rick Sloan and is next featured in, the soon-to-be-released horror film, "Alice D.", where she plays horror icon Kane Hodder's evil sidekick "Isabel"; Creature Feature "Dead Sea" alongside scream queen Devanny Pinn; and the upcoming drama "Bigger Than The Beatles" as Candice Bergen. Next, she is starring in two independent films; horror film "Circus of the Dead" alongside genre legend Bill Oberst Jr., the psychological thriller "House on Rodeo Gulch". Always striving for more from her career, the progression to producer was only natural. She is currently in development on her feature film producing debut: "Crimson Saints", where she brings her extensive experience, knowledge of public relations/marketing/branding and her vast rolodex to the project. Chanel has studied with some of L.A.'s most respected and renowned acting coaches including Margie Haber (Master Class), Aaron Speiser, Lesly Kahn, John Rosenfeld and Scott Seditas. Her affinity for accents and extensive dialect coaching from the "Master of Voices", Bob Corff, has helped her perfect numerous accents, from British to Southern. She's proficient with handguns, automatic rifles and shotguns, as well as hand to hand combat including knife and firearm disarmament. To date, Chanel has appeared in over 30 national commercials including Pepsi, Saturn, Volkswagen, Del Taco, Wet & Wild Cosmetics, Audi, Coca-Cola, and VISA. You have seen her in campaigns for Anheuser Busch, Burke Williams Spas, Edward Jones Investments, Harley Davidson Swimwear, Harrah's Casino's and Miller Beer, as well as in fashion shows for Fredrick's of Hollywood. Named one of the "Sexiest Women on the Planet" by magazines from four continents, her face and body have graced magazines across the globe, including Esquire, GQ, Maxim, FHM and Playboy. In 2004, Chanel created her "Chanel" Swimsuit Calendar; garnishing awards year after year and becoming a seasoned producer of photography and editorial layouts. Her shoots appear regularly on magazine covers and editorials around the world; in publications such as FHM, DT, NUTS, Men's Edge, People, Ralph, etc. Her clients range from fashion designers, models and actors, feature film campaigns and image consultancy. An avid animal lover, activist and "rescuer", Chanel shares her home with two "adoptees"; a cat named Ruby Tuesday and a border collie named Lucky. A portion of the proceeds from her numerous autograph appearances, go to support animal charities each year.
Bernard Robichaud
Boston-born, Canadian-based actor, writer and comic Bernard Robichaud, known to fans worldwide as Cyrus, the gun-toting, drug-dealing nemesis from the hit television series Trailer Park Boys, started his life in the spotlight as a sought-after model...that is, until the day he crossed paths with a Toronto talent agent, who insisted he missed his calling and should try his hand at acting. With that advice in mind, Bernard enrolled in the Theatre Arts program at Dalhousie University and later honed his skills under the private tutelage of esteemed vocal coach Dorothy Ward, and later under the wings of award-winning director Tom Kerr at the prestigious Neptune Theatre.
Believe it or not, this athletic man who grew up playing hockey and basketball and today is an avid golfer was hired to voice the characters of both Robert and Becky in the CBC radio drama In Becky's Name. Governor General Award-winning playwright and author, Kent Stetson, took the liberty of contacting ACTRA on Bernard's behalf, stating that anyone who could play a man and women on radio in their first performance deserved to be given their professional status...he was, and he hasn't looked back.
His uncanny talent of being able to transform himself into a rough and tumble lowlife to a ruggedly handsome good guy has garnered Bernard a variety of most interesting roles over his career, including performing alongside such Hollywood icons as James Caan and Kathy Bates. Most recently he was seen in Blue Seduction, co-starring Billy Zane and Estella Warren, and American Sunset, co-starring with his friend, the late Corey Haim. Bernard also has a recurring role as Kirk in the Showcase TV series Haven. Fans are looking forward to catching him as Cyrus once again next year in Trailer Park Boys 3.
Bernard is writing a screenplay, Kitchen Sports, an adaptation of his successful 1995 play. He also penned A Woman Scorned, a screenplay feature thriller, and has a new sitcom in development, The Adventures of Black Bart.
When not gracing the small or large screens, Bernard tours North America with his stand-up comedy act, Who Needs Grade10? I'm a Public Speecher! The comedy act is a portrayal of an uneducated convict whom Bernard knows all too well after 10 years on Trailer Park Boys. Bernard's unique stories of crime, sex, drugs, and (very little) rock and roll have his audiences bustin' a gut!
Iva Franks Singer
Iva was born in Carson City Nevada, but grew up in Clovis California. She has 4 older brothers all Martial Arts instructors, three half brothers and two half sisters. Iva has one child, a daughter. At the age of 24 Iva was an EMT working on the ambulance and in the ER in Los Angeles and Fresno, CA. Iva has been acting professionally for over 28 years, Iva was accepted into the prestigious Sal Dano Actor's Workshop, taught by Sal Dano: the late and legendary acting coach. She was also accepted into the Groundlings and trained in various other techniques for over 14 years. She has appeared in over 25 independent feature films. She's guest starred and recurred on several shows, to name a few: "Blood Relatives", NBC's "Las Vegas" along side James Caan, FOX's Sci Fi series "Space Above and Beyond", "Tim and Eric's Awesome Show, Great Job".
As a writer, Iva has written a one our dramatic television series titled "Under Surveillance", inspired by her eight-year battle with a stalker. Her stalking case was also featured on Discovery's show "Stalker", InTouch magazine and several other media outlets. Along with her two writing partners, Matthew Singer and David Garin George they've written an amazing action, adventure, comedy titled "All the Best Field Trips". Which is expected to go into pre-production in 2016. Iva is also working on a documentary about the Khmelnitsky massacre; during the period 1648-1656 where tens of thousands of Jews were massacred in the Ukraine. The scale was so great that it is considered one of the most traumatic events in Jewish history prior to the Holocaust.
Iva is very involved with animal rescue and several other charitable organizations. In 2008 Iva was one of the top fundraisers for the City of Hope's Underwear Affair (finding a cure for all cancers below the waist). Iva is on the Board of Directors of "Jodi's Voice" an anti-stalking organization. She also works along side several victims rights advocates in order to help change legislation to protect victims of violent crimes and restructure the victims' notification system. As well they work toward protection of victims and their families, not only Calif. but also the entire United States. Iva is on the Board of Directors of the "Los Angeles Women's International Film Festival" overseeing all documentary films. Iva is also the Co-Founder of "Squrrul Gurl Productions".
Joe Cortese
Mr. Cortese, a Jersey boy, received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater/ Communications from Midwestern College in Denison, Iowa, where he studied theatre, under the guidance of his acting teacher Alfred Rusico. While attending school on a drama scholarship, Joe did lead roles in many plays, many with seasoned New York and Hollywood actors. Some of his theatre credits include Lenny in "Of Mice and Men", Pozzo in "Waiting for Godot", and Patsy in "Three Men on a Horse", to mention a few. After graduation he headed to New York and at 22 years of age he started his career in Journalism on Madison Ave. where he became the associate fashion editor for Gentlemen's Quarterly at Esquire. After a very creative working relationship with Esquire, he left in pursuit of a career in acting and writing. This pursuit eventually led him to the New York Theatre. Some of his New York and regional credits include "Waiting for Lefty" and "Momma's little Angels" both at ETC. Mr. Cortese spent two summers at The Eugene O'Neil playwright's foundation in Waterford Connecticut. Joe also starred in the original play "Golden Girl" portraying Clifford Odets, at Theatre for New City. His early stage work eventually led to his first leading film role in the highly acclaimed cult classic, "The Death Collector" with Joe Pesci which eventually lead him to Hollywood where over the last 30 years he has established himself as an actor/writer. Some of his Screenplays include, "Charlie Lucky", "The Bridge", "The Bible Teacher," "Genghis Khan: Lord of the Kings" and High Caliber. In Television he has recently created Escort Inc. a 1 hour television pilot. He is currently in development on San Pedro Waterfront.. . As an actor Joe Cortese has achieved success in film, television and theatre. He just finished starring in the Independent film, "Doobious Sources" as Magnus Martindale, for writer/director Clif Lord. He also recently shot, "The Bronx Bull", with William Forsythe portraying the legendary fighter Jake LaMotta for director Martin Guigui, as Vito Latzzio, a character described as the Italian Johnny Carson. Some other film credits are: Abel Ferrara's "Go Go Tales" with Willem De Foe and Bob Hoskins, which had its World Premiere at The Cannes Film Festival' and later that year it had its American Premiere at the New York Film Festival at Lincoln Center. Joe won the Best Actor award for 2006 at The New York Hip Hop film festival for his starring role in the comedy, "Shut Up and Shoot". In 2005 Joe starred in Paramount's "Against the Ropes" with Meg Ryan, Tony Shalhoub and Charles Dutton, as well as the independent festival film "You Got Nothin'", for director Phillip Angelotti. Some of his films include starring roles in "Windows" with Talia Shire for UA, "Monsignor" which he starred in with Christopher Reeve for director Frank Perry and 20TH Century Fox, and "American History X" with Edward Norton for Warner Bros. Joe has received major accolades for his numerous top rated television projects including "The C.A.T. Squad", a trilogy of two-hour movies for NBC and producer/director William Friedkin. The highly rated mini-series "Something's Out There" for NBC, "Exclusive" with Suzanne Somers (ABC), "Assault and Matrimony" (NBC), "Just Life" (ABC), "Letting' GO" (ABC), "Born to Run" (FOX), Sidney Sheldon's mini-series "If Tomorrow Comes" (CBS) and Jackie Collins' "Lady Boss" (NBC).
Cortese also starred in the PBS special "He Wants Her Back", written and directed by Stanton Kaye. His other recent T.V appearances were with Danny Devito in "Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia". Joe Cortese has also been honored by his Television peers and fans by receiving the1989 Saturn Award for best actor in a miniseries for "Something's Out There". Other outstanding performances include starring roles in "Lucky Town" with James Caan and Kirsten Dunst, "The Shipment" with Matthew Modine and Elizabeth Berkley, and" Ruby" with Danny Aiello. Joe received rave reviews in Paramount's "Malevolence" where he played "Billy Bob Jones": a character loosely based on James Earl Ray. He also received kudos for his role as Johnny Roselli in HBO's critically acclaimed movie, "The Rat Pack".
Mr. Cortese never strayed far from the theatre once he moved to Los Angeles. He was one of the founding members of the MET Theatre in Los Angeles, where he produced the original play "Cody Angelino Is Coming", which he also starred in. Some of his other L.A. theatre credits include "True West" at the Zephyr theatre, and "Waking Jimmy Rizzo" at the White Fire theatre. He is also a lifetime member of The Actors Studio where he continues his support of actors and the craft of acting. Mr. Cortese is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
Val Lauren
A native of Los Angeles, Val Lauren began his acting career by joining the repertory theater company "Playhouse West", where he directed and starred in original plays written by and co-starring Scott Caan.
Val made the transition to independent films. He played several supporting character roles before landing his first starring role as self destructive orphan "Max Modeen" in the Sundance Institute film "True Love", for which he won an Audience Award for Best Actor.
Val also Guest Starred on many television shows including "Hawaii 5.0.","The Mentalist","Criminal Minds","CSI N.Y."and recurring roles on "NCIS LA" and "24". He went on to star in "Dallas 362" as manic gambling addict "Christian Potter" opposite Jeff Goldblum, Scott Caan Sean Hatosy and Selma Blair to rave reviews.
Val made his Writing and Directorial debut with "HELP". He also played the lead character in the drama about a young man on the night that he sets out on a mission to save his dying Mother's life. "HELP" completed it's festival run, winning *2 Jury Prize Awards *Audience Award *2 Best Actor Awards *Audience Award for Best Actor *Best Director *Best Story *Best Screenplay. "HELP" went on to win the 1st "Openfilm" Grand Prize, earning him a $50,000 cash award, plus feature financing by Openfilm, to be produced by James Caan and Robert Duvall.
Val has starring roles in two films set to be theatrically released in 2015. "DOTH" (Cannes Film Festival) and "The Last Knights"(Lionsgate) opposite Clive Owen and Morgan Freeman.
Recent theatrically released films include "Int. Leather Bar."(Sundance & Berlinale Premieres) and "SAL"(Venice Film Festival Premiere), where Val played the title role as "Sal Mineo", one time teen idol who went on to become the youngest actor to win two Academy Award nominations for his work in "Rebel Without a Cause" and "Exodus". The bio-pic was written and directed by James Franco, based on the book "SAL" by Michael Gregg Michaud.
Next, Val is attached to star as Elia Kazan in "Streetcar" opposite James Franco as "Tennessee Williams". The film will be directed by James Franco and chronicles the experiences of Elia, Tennessee and Marlon Brando as they went about mounting the hit Broadway play, "A Streetcar Named Desire."
Emilio Ferrari
Emilio Ferrari is one of Hollywood's busiest independent producers. Over the past 20 years, he has owned several production and distribution companies including Allied Entertainment Group and A Plus Entertainment. Emilio Ferrari is now working with Entertainment 7.
His films include stars like Jack Nicholson, Kirsten Dunst, John Corbett, Heather Graham, James Caan, Natasha Lyonne, Jerry O'Connell, Lara Flynn Boyle, Clea Duvall, Tim Curry, Cathy Moriarty, Charlton Heston, and many more...
Ferrari has been responsible for licensing over three hundred film including "But I am a Cheerleader" which had a successful domestic theatrical run and about five thousand hours of television programming worldwide
He also co-owns several production companies with offices in London, Vancouver, Rome and Los Angeles which have produced over forty films such as "Lucky Town" starring Kirsten Dunst and James Caan, the high-energy snowboarding thriller "I Know What You Did Last Winter" and television titles including "Inside Take" (interviews and behind the scenes program with Hollywood's biggest stars) which has become one of the most popular show in over forty countries, and hit show 'Knockout'.
Mr. Ferrari regularly attends various film and television markets and festivals worldwide.
Joe Perry
As co-founding member, principal co-songwriter, electrifying lead guitarist and co-producer of Aerosmith--America's Greatest Rock & Roll Band--Joe has achieved permanent iconic stature in the pantheon of rock. He has helped to drive his band, over the course of three decades, to sales of more than 150 million albums, critical acclaim, four Grammy Awards and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The world's true Guitar Hero was immortalized in 2008, when Aerosmith made history and created a cultural firestorm with the Activision released Guitar Hero®: Aerosmith®, an epic collaboration that marked the first music-based game to feature one band. The groundbreaking partnership united "America's greatest hard rock act" (as described by Mojo editor Phil Alexander in a May '07 cover story) with the massively successful video game franchise; sales exploded and broke records, with Aerosmith reaching yet again a younger generation of fans.
In 2009, Joe Perry released his fifth solo CD- Have Guitar Will Travel, entirely written and produced by Perry. The hard driving, ten-song, in your face, collection features Perry's trademark rock and blue ferocity. In his 2005 Grammy-nominated fourth solo album Joe Perry--recorded at the BoneYard, Perry's basement home studio in Boston-- he provided an exciting glimpse of another side of himself. Still as scorching hot on guitar as he is preternaturally cool in his persona, Perry created a collection of songs reflecting his deepest personal concerns, from his passion for rock and love of the blues to his keen social conscience and devotion to friends and family.
His previous solo works--as the "Joe Perry Project"--include the self-produced Let The Music Do The Talking (1980) and Once A Rocker, Always A Rocker (1983), along with I've Got The Rock 'N' Rolls Again (1981), all of which were recorded at a time when Joe was on hiatus from Aerosmith.
As a producer, JOE has received a producing credit (solo or included as AEROSMITH) for the band's following albums: Rocks, Draw The Line, Night In The Ruts (Partial), Greatest Hits, Classics Live Ii, Just Push Play, and their last studio album Honkin' On Bobo.
PERRY has expanded his musical outreach to include composing for film and television. He composed the theme song for the "Spiderman" animated TV series as well as instrumental music for the independent movie This Thing of Ours, starring James Caan. His other instrumental credits include Aerosmith's Grammy-nominated track, "Boogie Man," a guitar tour de force from 1994's Get A Grip album, as well as "Mercy"--from Joe Perry, his last solo album--which earned him a Grammy nomination in the "Best Rock Instrumental Performance" category (2005).
Perry's guitar prowess was documented in a version of James Moore's "I'm A King Bee," performed with Aerosmith bandmate Steven Tyler heard on the album and film, Lightning In A Bottle, the 2005 Martin Scorsese-produced concert documentary on the blues shot at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
In September, 2009 Joe Perry met the nation's Top Scientists and Leaders on Capitol Hill for a panel discussion focusing on promoting cures and improving therapies for Cancer, Alzheimer's Disease, HIV/AIDS and PTSD, followed by a performance with JOE and a back up band consisting of NIH Director Francis Collins, MD PhD, Rudy Tanzi, PhD Professor of Neurology at Harvard University and others. A few months later JOE and other iconic celebrities including will.i.am, Sheryl Crow, Seal and Josh Groban, appeared alongside the Top Scientists and Leaders for a feature called Rock Stars of Science in GQ's Men of the Year issue.
At the Lollapalooza Festival in 2009, JOE took the stage with Janes Addiction to play "Jane Says", for what would be the band's first major performance together at Lollapalooza since 1991. The night before PERRY joined Jimmy Buffett at Toyota Park in Chicago and performed on "Margaritaville" to roughly 30,000 fans.
On July 1, 2007, PERRY joined Tom Jones and his band at the historic "Concert For Diana" at Wembley Stadium on the classic "Ain't That A Lot of Love" (with Joss Stone on guest vocals) and covers of Prince's "Kiss" and the Arctic Monkeys' "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor." Between this appearance, viewed by more than 500 million worldwide, and his special guest performance with Kelly Clarkson on the 2007 season finale of "American Idol," Perry and his fiery signature guitar sound (not to mention his cool, mysterious aura) were a part of two of the year's biggest TV events.
In late 2006, at the personal invitation of Chuck Berry, JOE jammed with Mr. Berry and his band at his 80th birthday celebration at Blueberry Hill in St. Louis. JOE also played guitar on Mick Jagger's last solo album, Goddess in the Doorway; appeared in the video for Nelly's "#1" hit single; and played guitar on Les Paul & Friends: A Tribute To A Legend.
In June 2006, PERRY and his wife Billie hosted a concert for the town of Woodstock, Vermont (where his family occasionally live in the landmark "Sleepy Hollow Farm") for the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars. Later that year, PERRY went to see the All Stars and joined them on stage for a medley of Bob Marley's "War" and "Get Up Stand Up." JOE also ensured that the band could continue to pursue their music by providing them with instruments (guitars, basses and strings) along with a MAC computer for the youngest member.
Beyond his music career, JOE made his acting debut guest-starring as DEA agent "Joe Landrewsky" in an October 1998 episode of the critically hailed NBC drama "Homicide: Life On The Street." Perry also had a cameo in Wayne's World 2 and the 2005 film MGM/UA movie Be Cool, a sequel to Get Shorty, which also features an Aerosmith performance of the group's smash "Cryin'." In 2005, fashion designer John Varvatos, a fan of JOE's, asked him to be in one of his major fashion campaigns with his son Tony. He appeared on billboards and high fashion magazines around the US.
Perry and his wife Billie have four sons (Tony, Roman, Adrian and Aaron); The legendary guitarist frequently sits in with TAB THE BAND which is led by sons Adrian and Tony.
In 2003, PERRY launched his own food company "Joe Perry's Rock Your World". With the first products being BoneYard Brew Table Sauce, later followed by Mango Peach Tango; JOE is planning to release his Mac and Cheese "Joe Perry's Rockin' Roni" soon. It will have two flavors: White Cheddar and Shells and Spicy Buffalo Cheddar and Elbows.
PERRY and his family are well-known animal lovers and helped to fund the building of a new animal shelter in their community. PERRY was also instrumental in bringing awareness to the Friesian Horse. Twenty years ago, Joe and Billie were the first in the New England area to own a pair of the once endangered breed, a cause Billie is very involved with. In that time, the Friesian Horse has gone from the endangered list to rare breeds list and now numbers in the tens of thousands in America alone. In addition, he also supports the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society whose members undertake campaigns to protect marine species and environments.
Joe's work with Aerosmith has resulted in an unending array of accolades and honors. Beyond their Grammy Awards and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, other key milestones over the past 35 years include: 12 MTV Video Awards; two People's Choice Awards; six Billboard Music Awards; eight American Music Awards; 23 Boston Music Awards; and an Academy Award nomination for Best Song, "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" (from the soundtrack to Armageddon).
Recent Aerosmith releases include: 2011's Tough Love: Best Of The Ballads; the 2004 blues-influenced CD Honkin' On Bobo (which received a four-star review in Rolling Stone); 2004's live DVD You Gotta Move; 2005's Rockin' The Joint, a live CD recorded at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas; and 2006's career retrospective Devil's Got A New Disguise: The Very Best of Aerosmith that featured two unreleased songs. Aerosmith are recording a new album this summer with Producer Jack Douglas. They've maintained their high profile through an array of key television, commercial and film appearances and have had their music featured in numerous films, commercials and TV shows. In 2001, Aerosmith performed at the prestigious NFL Superbowl XXXV Halftime Show along with Britney Spears and 'N Sync--in front of approximately 84.3 million viewers--and they were a headliner at Woodstock '94. Other highlights include the CBS-TV 4th of July concert in 2006 with the Boston Pops Orchestra and an alliance with NASCAR racing: their newly-recorded live version of their classic "Back In The Saddle," with new racing-themed lyrics, was an integral part of the ABC-TV/ESPN's NASCAR telecasts in 2007.
In 2007, Aerosmith's World Tour broke attendance records with sold out stadium shows in numerous countries including Dubai, Russia, India, Finland, France, England Italy, Germany, Ireland, Estonia, Latvia, Belgium etc. In November 2009, the band played at the Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi to 50,000 fans. On the 2010 Cocked Locked, Ready to Rock tour, Aerosmith felt "Aero-mania", as thousands of frenzied fans in Latin America mobbed the band everywhere they went. In October 2011, the band returned to Latin America where they played to fans in Peru, Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Panama, Brazil, Columbia and Ecuador. In November, 2011, Aerosmith performed in Japan for the first time in 7 years and really enjoyed playing for their fans who were struck with the recent tragedies there.
Leyla Milani
Leyla--AKA Lucky #13 can be seen on several hit network shows, several upcoming motion picture releases, as well as a new nationally televised Budweiser commercial.
As Brittany, "the girl on the go in the 310," Leyla Milani adds to her ever growing list of film credits, appearing in this highly acclaimed independent movie, The Boys and Girls Guide to Getting Down. The theatrical opening of the feature film will occur nationwide on March 16, 2007. You can also see Leyla "Bring it" on her WWE Raw "Fan-nation" promos airing all year on USA network. Another of Leyla's feature film projects to be released later in the year is an award-winning horror film, "Wrestle Maniac."
In addition to her work on the large screen, Ms. Milani co-stars in the television show, My Network TV's "Desire: Table for Three." She's also co-starred in an episode of the hit series on Showtime, "Sleeper Cell" and her guest co-starring role on FOX TV's "Stacked" saw her face-off against Pam Anderson. Her appearance on the series "Las Vegas," - a guest starring spot along side Josh Duhamel and James Caan as a sexy diamond thief -- had male viewers on the edge of their seats. She'll be a co-star on Will and Jada Pinket - Smith's television series, "All of Us," and when Howie Mandel says "Open the Case" on the hit TV show, NBC's "Deal or No Deal," it seems that "Lucky Number 13" -- aka Leyla -- is a heartbreaker in real life and television. She always seems to have hundreds of thousands of dollars in her possession... enough to break the heart of any contestant, guy or girl.
Some of her newly cultivated legions of fans recognize Leyla as the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) Raw Diva Search 2005 finalist and runner-up. Selected from 8,000 applicants, for 8 consecutive weeks, Leyla made her way through the stiff competition and appeared live in front of millions to become the #2 Diva. As a result of her repeated appearances on WWE and the millions of viewers watching her worldwide, Leyla's website receives thousands of hits daily. In response, www.leylamilani.com, a new "members only" section will hopefully satisfy her hardcore fans. Leyla's status as "runner-up" began the constant stream of traffic on her website which continues to this day. She plans to begin "video-chatting" with her online fans later this year.
Local fame came early with Leyla hosting an after-school television show at the age of 12. With a flurry of local modeling gigs and runway appearances, she had already become an in-demand face at a very early age.
After high school, the family moved from Toronto to Los Angeles. For Leyla this was exactly where she wanted to be. With her options completely open, she enrolled in L.A's Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. Amazingly, by the age of 20, Leyla Jeans Couture, her high-end contemporary denim line was already the talk of the industry. Another Leyla inspired line was also a hit with consumers, with the collection eventually finding its way into the mega Forever 21 stores, nationwide.
Her go-getter attitude paid off as Hollywood stood-up and took notice and Leyla began appearing with greater frequency on the small and large screen. She's appeared on several hit television shows including CMT's reality show, Popularity Contest, the new TNT drama, Wanted and Larry David's HBO smash, Curb Your Enthusiasm. She recently returned from Sao Paulo, Brazil where she performed on Show Fight, Brazil's version of UFC, broadcast all over South America.
With her newfound popularity and her will to succeed reaching new heights, Leyla remains in constant motion. With feature film roles in the works, the girl with that sexy mane and the heart of a lioness continues to accomplish her career goals as a sought-after host, model, actor and noted fashion designer.
Matt Weinglass
Matt Weinglass is an actor, writer, producer and director living in Los Angeles, CA. He was born in San Francisco on April 23rd, 1978, the oldest of identical twin brothers raised by a single mother. Matt began acting at age 10 when he joined the Scaramouche Repertory Theater, a children's theatre company in the Bay Area. As a teen he was selected to compete in the American Collegiate Theatre Festival in Park City, Utah. Matt was soon accepted into the BFA acting conservatory program at UC Santa Barbara; there he co-founded the Sherwood Players, a theater company which produced original, relevant and racy material, and gained a large following throughout the Santa Barbara community. After college Matt moved to Los Angeles where the 6'7" actor worked in over 40 nightclubs as a bouncer to support himself while pursuing a career in entertainment.
In 2006 he co-created a TV show for LA36 called The Underground, which served as a platform for progressive film-makers and artists of all types to showcase their work. Eventually, The Underground evolved into an independent film and Internet production company that specializes in documentary film-making and sketch comedy. Along with fellow Underground film-makers, Matt has produced and directed documentary pieces around the world like Ballentine: Top of the World (2006) filmed in Greenland and touched on both a USO tour and global warming, Nicaragua: A Dying Generation (2009) about the abortion ban in Nicaragua initiated by the Catholic Church, and All Fired Up (2009) which documented Barack Obama's run to the presidency. He is currently producing The Underground's first feature-length documentary, Tupamaro (2015), about a vigilante biker gang who police the violent streets of Caracas, Venezuela. The film features interviews with prominent historians such as Noam Chomsky and is narrated by Ed Asner.
Realizing that his acting career had taken a backseat to his security jobs, Matt eventually decided to leave bouncing completely and turn a fresh focus on his acting. He joined the Lifebook Acting Academy where he began writing and producing his own original theater productions. In 2013 he wrote, produced and starred in a one-man show, "In-Security," about his experiences in the nightclub scene in Los Angeles. He is currently making regular appearances in film and television. In 2011 he was featured in a sketch opposite James Caan on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and in the movies Hitchcock (2012), Oz, The Great and Powerful (2013), and Muppets Most Wanted (2014). He also recently wrote, produced, directed and was featured in a family comedy short, Crash (2014), a PSA for teenagers about the dangers of texting and driving.
Frank Patton
Frank Patton is known for his work on 21 in (2008)with Kevin Spacey and Las Vegas (TV Series) in(2003)with James Caan and Ocean's Eleven in (2001) with George Clooney and Out To Sea in(1997) with Walter Matthau and Last Action Hero in(1993)with Arnold Schwarzenegger and The Munsters Today (TV Series) in (1989-1991)with John Schuck and The Equalizer (TV Series)in (1985-1988) with Edward Woodward and Death Wish 3 in(1985) with Charles Bronson and Miami Vice (TV Series) in (1985) with Don Johnson and Ghostbusters in (1984) with Bill Murray and Amityville II: The Possession in(1982) with Burt Young and Ragtime in(1981) with James Cagney.
Michelle Betts
One fearless and feisty beauty, Michelle Betts, just completed filming the daring dramatic role of Tami in the feature, America Is Still The Place (2014), starring, Dylan Baker. Exercising her comedic chops, Betts most recently can be seen in her prime time recurring role in ABC's, Back InThe Game (2013), where she worked with legendary James Caan and newcomer Maggie Lawson.
Armed with a degree in Broadcasting from California State University Chico, Michelle headed to Hollywood. Her boisterous enthusiasm got her quickly noticed by renowned acting coach, Ivana Chubbuck. Under her coveted tutelage at The Ivana Chubbuck Studio, in Los Angeles, Michelle worked diligently to hone her acting skills. Specialized study at Lesly Kahn studios provided the forum for Ms.Betts to master her natural gift of comedic timing.
Michelle's animated expressiveness clinched her first national booking for a McDonald's commercial campaign. Her winning smile was showcased in a national campaign for Sonicare. Betts' movie debut was realized when she landed a lead role as a fierce, sexy, bounty hunter opposite Stacy Keach, in the Showtime sci-FYI thriller, Galaxy Hunter. In 2011 Betts signed on for a thirteen episode run as a standout cast member of the successful Vh1 franchise, Tough Love. Michelle additionally gave colorful appearances in NBC's, Ready For Love, and Bravo's, Real Housewives of Orange County. Trending on the web, Michelle adds her own brand of sizzle performing in the racy comedic web series, Party Girl Plus One, and Yahoo's widely popular web series, The Flip Side.
This fitness magazine cover-girl not only keeps her slim athletic build in top-notch shape, but, inspires a select roster of other actors she professionally trains. Certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine, Michelle is highly sought after for her expertise in maintaining a camera ready body. She boldly incorporates her advanced talents in pole dancing, yoga, and Pilate's in her unique fitness routines. It is no wonder why she was handpicked by director McG to be Demi Moore's body double in the film, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. A lover of skydiving, horseback riding, and trapeze flying, her dream roles would include doing her own stunts.
David C. Williams
David Williams has scored more than 50 feature and television films encompassing a wide range of styles and genres. He has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry including Francis Coppola on the MGM film "Supernova". He recently scored Sony Pictures/MTV psychological thriller "The Dorm", directed by Rachel Talalay ("Doctor Who"), and produced by Michael Frislev and Chad Oakes (FX's "Fargo"). Other films he has scored include Miramax's "Phantoms" (Ben Affleck, Rose McGowan, Liev Schreiber, Joanna Going, Peter O'Toole), Sony Pictures romance "Ice Castles", the suspense feature "Freezer" (Dylan McDermott, Peter Facinelli) directed by two-time Academy Award nominee and multi-Emmy winner Mikael Salomon, Sony Pictures drama "No Way Back" (Russell Crowe), the action-comedy "Give 'Em Hell Malone" (Thomas Jane, Elsa Pataky, Ving Rhames) directed by Russell Mulcahy ("Highlander"), A&E's historical drama "Benedict Arnold" (Aidan Quinn, Kelsey Grammer), the indie WWII period drama "Christina" (Stephen Lang), ABC-Disney's fantasy "Fallen" (Paul Wesley, Tom Skerritt, Bryan Cranston), FOX's military drama "A Glimpse Of Hell" (James Caan, Robert Sean Leonard), NBC/Universal's "L.A. Law: The Movie", and Dimension's "The Prophecy" (Christopher Walken, Virginia Madsen, Viggo Mortensen) directed by Gregory Widen ("Backdraft").
He graduated from Missouri State University with studies in composition and orchestration. He also had post-graduate work at North Texas University. David also studied with celebrated Oscar-winning composer John Corigliano. He is an ASCAP Award winner and is a member of the SCL. He lives in Los Angeles, California.
Christopher Mallick
Christopher Mallick: Founder/Owner
Texas-born and current Los Angeles resident, Christopher Mallick is the founder and owner of Oxymoron Entertainment, Inc. one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and next-generation minded production company's headquartered in Los Angeles. Leveraging over 35 years of success in various business ventures, the ambitious entrepreneur brings a refreshing approach to the Television and Film Industry. Mallick's development process and ability to effectively produce and develop budget conscious projects quickly and efficiently sets Oxymoron apart from other production companies. Recognized as a multifaceted entertainment mogul, Mallick is often quoted in the media and is touted as a game-changer in the film and TV industry by peers. Mallick is also a committed and noted philanthropist who supports various charitable foundations that support research and treatment for pediatric diseases and adult and youth guidance and mentoring programs.
As an independent filmmaker, Mallick made his entrance into the film industry with the completion of his first feature film, Middle Men, establishing him as a creative force in the entertainment industry. Mallick collaborated with noted writer/director George Gallo and writer Andy Weiss to write the screenplay for Middle Men, starring Luke Wilson, Giovanni Ribisi, Gabriel Macht, and James Caan. Middle Men premiered at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, and was selected as the official closing night film of both the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and the Phoenix Film Festival that same year. Mallick and his film have been featured in dozens of International and top-tier entertainment publications including the Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, Variety, and The Hollywood Reporter.
Intrigued by puzzling storylines, Mallick's next film was the mystery thriller, Columbus Circle, also starring Giovanni Ribisi, Selma Blair, Amy Smart and Jason Lee; distributed by Universal Pictures in 2012. Additionally, Mallick produced the documentary, "After Porn Ends, " which was released in May 2012 and dominated the #1 Documentary and Independent film spots on Digital Download and On Demand (reaching 100 million homes nationwide).
Mallick is currently in development on a number of feature length films and television shows. Some projects include: Ninety, a feature Action/Thriller written by Scott Milam and to be directed by Darren Lynn Bousman; White Boy Rick, a biographical drama based on the true-life events of Rick Wershe Jr.; "Connected," an episodic drama/comedy based on the Motion Picture Middle Men; "Untitled Security Series," an episodic drama following the stories of high profile abductors, their victims and the heroic kidnap rescuers in partnership with Wild West Picture Show Company, owned by Vince Vaughn and Peter Billingsly and Go Go Lucky, owned by Gary and Julie Auerbach; and various other projects with the assistance of Paradigm Agency.
Mallick began his professional career in business when he launched multiple billing companies, including one of the Internet's first third-party billing services. In 2009, Mallick founded StereoD LLC, a 3D conversion company with Giovanni Ribisi, William Sherak & Jason Shuman. In 2011, Mallick sold StereoD to Ron Perlman's Deluxe Entertainment.
Michael Cerenzie
Michael Cerenzie is a seasoned film producer, financier and a versatile entrepreneur who has excelled across a wide range of creative endeavors. He has over 20 years of experience in producing for theatre, films and television. He brings a diverse network of both creative and business relationships, keen industry acumen, and a pervasive awareness of developing trends and new opportunities to film and television development, packaging, productions, financing, treaty and non-treaty co-productions and distribution.
Mr.Cerenzie has developed, produced and financed more than a dozen films both independently and in partnership with almost every major studio in Hollywood. He has collaborated with some of the most talented filmmakers in the business including Jim Sheridan, Robert Altman and Sidney Lumet. He has worked with an extensive list of Academy Award winning and nominated actors that include Philip Seymour Hoffman, James Franco, Matt Dillon, Albert Finney, Michael Shanon, Marisa Tomei, Amy Ryan, James Caan, Ethan Hawk, Bob Hoskins, Stellan Skarsgard, Natascha McHelhone and Gerard Depardieu.
His films have premiered or competed at Cannes, Venice, Deauville, Sundance and Toronto International Film Festival; additionally they have been awarded top honors from AFI, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York Film Critics Associations and the Independent Spirit Awards among many others.
Cerenzie has been responsible for raising in excess of $100 million in production funding and has developed and produced critically acclaimed theatrical motion pictures over the past decade. Included among his productions is "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" directed by legendary Academy Award winning filmmaker Sidney Lumet (12 Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon, Network). The film garnered Michael a prestigious AFI Award and made it onto 115 critics "Top Ten Films) lists and Time Magazine named it #3 on their top ten films for 2007.
Variety Magazine named Mr. Cerenzie as one of its "50 Creatives to Watch" after his second film "City of Ghosts" for MGM/UA. The California Independent Film Festival named him "Maverick Producer of the Year" for 2007, the same year Michael was also awarded the AFI Award for his production of "Before The Devil Knows You're Dead".
Cerenzie's next film is "Kill The Trumpet Player", a non-linear biography based on the life of Miles Davis. the film stars Academy Award Nominee Don Cheadle in the principal role and is being directed by Antoine Fuqua.
Mr.Cerenzie has contributed as an on-air entertainment industry expert for Fox Business News, CNBC and Bloomberg.com, as well as numerous financial and trade publications including Forbes, the Financial Times of London, The New York Times and the Los Angeles Business Journal.
Jon Doscher
One of the bright and promising young actors, as well as a rising talent in filmmaking, Jon Doscher is a co-star and producer of the feature films Remedy, The Gentleman, Anyone's Son, and 4Chosen.
Jon was raised in northern New Jersey, and successfully developed and managed a restoration company and a magazine publishing business prior to pursuing his acting career.
After seeking advice through correspondence with Jack Nicholson, Jon was accepted and trained at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in New York City. Shortly thereafter, Jon's friend, actor Danny Aiello, advised him to leave Strasberg and begin auditioning. He was then quickly cast in the film This Thing of Ours, starring James Caan. Jon was also cast in other independent films and was the lead in the off-Broadway production, Rain Delay.
Jon produced and co-starred in Remedy, along with Frank Vincent, Vincent Pastore and Ace Frehley, with music by Oscar Nominated Actor, Danny Aiello.
In June 2004, Jon launched Starline Films and is now producing two dramatic motion pictures based on true stories, designed to move audiences, and make a difference politically. Jon secured Danny Aiello to direct Anyone's Son and David Anspaugh to direct 4Chosen.
Jon provides a powerful combination of creative energy and business savvy as an actor/producer. He is an outstanding negotiator with an experienced eye for talent and potential. On the set, Jon is a charismatic presence who evokes strong performances, poignant scenes, and successful productions. He is a hard-working visionary committed to making a positive impact on the film industry.
Joseph Bertót
Bertót graduated from Hialeah High School and attended Miami Dade Community College with a full musical theatre scholarship. He left college to pursue acting full time and worked for more than 20 theaters in Florida before branching into film, television, puppetry and voiceover work. He moved to Los Angeles in 2001 as a regular cast member on Nickelodeon's award-winning "Taina." In his 12 years in Los Angeles, he performed on TV, film, and in commercials, working with such directors and actors as Paul Haggis, Tommy Lee Jones, Matthew Perry, James Caan, and the Duplass brothers on HBO's "Togetherness." Bertót currently lives in Portland, Ore. (2015) and appears on NBC's "Grimm" as the recurring character Detective Pogue. Other upcoming releases including "Green Room," (2016) featuring Patrick Stewart and screened at the Cannes Film Festival, and "Brother in Laws," featuring Taran Killam and produced by Lorne Michaels.
Charles Arthur Berg
Charles Berg has been in the entertainment industry for the past 19 years. He has come up through the ranks. He has produced over 45 full length features
He has practical on-set knowledge. He has a very realistic approach to film making. He has also done some in front of the camera work. He did 5 days as a day player on Universals Ed TV,directed by Ron Howard and a co starring role in the low budget crime thriller, "Dark World," which he also produced.
Charles also Executive produced, "Green Street Hooligans 2," and line produced, "American Virgin," starring Jenna Dewan and Rob Schneider. He produced, "The Barry Minkow Project" with James Caan and Ving Rhames and the original king of ponzi schemes Barry Minkow himself. Charles also produced the mafia film, "For the Love of Money."
Charles also has a several projects in development. He is set to direct his first feature film in 2012, "Revelations." Other projects in development are "Out of the Ashes", "Raising Baby," "Quest for Vengeance" and "Street Talk." He is turning his attention to writing. He appears to have the insight to become a quality writer. Charles has a strong reputation for getting things done no matter what obstacles are presented in front of him. Above all else he is one of the few that does what he says.
Dan Coplan
Born and raised in New York City, New York, Mr. Coplan is a graduate of the prestigious New York University Film School, the COBRAY Counter-terrorist Training Facility in Marietta, Georgia, and Southwestern University School of Law and is a practising attorney in the State of California. Mr. Coplan started making movies when he was 14 years old with his grandfather's old movie camera. In 1973 he produced and co-wrote a half hour comedy entitled "The Incredibly Awful Dr. Sporgo" which went on to win the Silver Medal at the 1974 Atlanta International Film Festival and Golden Image Certificate at the 1975 Long Island International Film Festival. In 1973 he also wrote, directed, produced and starred in another short film "Of Mirrors, The Mind, and Time". This film, a psychological thriller, was presented at the Kracow International Film Festival in 1975. From 1974 to 1975, Mr. Coplan worked as a camera department assistant on the motion picture and television productions of "King Kong", "Kojak" and "Sybil". He also worked on the motion picture "Taxi Driver" by providing location security. In 1975 he produced the half-hour documentary "The Dream Factory" which featured appearances by Sean Connery, Gloria Swanson, Marlo Thomas, Roy Scheider and was narrated by Eli Wallach. This film is now part of the permanent cinema collection of the Museum of Modern Art, NYC, NY. After Graduating from NYU, with a BFA degree in Film and Business, Mr. Coplan was employed by The Walter Reade Organization, the foremost chain of movie theatres in Manhattan, as a Theatre Manager. Mr. Coplan spent three years with this company, during which time he was given greater and greater operating responsibilities and it was during this period that he developed a very keen sense for predicting the commercial success of individual motion pictures. Because of this talent he was given the additional responsibilities of assisting the head film buyer at The Walter Reade Organization. While still employed by the Reade Organization he established his own literary agency and was responsible for setting up the motion picture "Just Before Dawn" a horror film starring George Kennedy. Mr. Coplan was also engaged on a freelance basis to provide consulting services to CBS Entertainment in New York City regarding the analysis of prospective literary material for possible TV Movies, Mini-series, and/or Series. In 1981 Mr. Coplan left The Walter Reade Organization to attend law school in Los Angeles, California. In 1982, while a full time law student, Mr. Coplan was hired by Paramount Pictures Corporation as a Business Affairs Intern. During his two year tenure with Paramount, Mr. Coplan worked on the TV Show "Entertainment Tonight" and an exciting interactive videodisc called "The Entertainment Game." Mr. Coplan was responsible for negotiating agreements for the appearances of over two hundred actors including Warren Beatty, Robert Redford, James Caan, Jane Fonda, and Diane Keaton. Mr. Coplan earned his Juris Doctor degree in May 1984, and shortly thereafter secured a position with the small entertainment law firm of Raymond L. Asher, where he continued to negotiate contracts and was involved with entertainment and business litigation. Over the years Mr. Coplan has established his own law office which specializes in business and entertainment litigation. Mr. Coplan has successfully represented numerous, writers, directors, and producers in claims against major studios, distributors, and production companies. Mr. Coplan has studied acting with the noted actress Nina Foch, ("The Ten Commandments", "Spartacus", and "Executive Suite"). Mr. Coplan is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and has appeared in the motion pictures "Hell Comes to Frogtown, " "Wishman, " The Dragon Gate, @and The Man In The Iron Mask. His stage performances include, "Man With No Shadow, " "Mobile Home, " Little Woman In May 1988, Mr. Coplan's screenplay "Special Circumstances" placed in the top fifty out of eleven hundred screenplays submitted for competition in the Writers Guild of America East Fellowship competition. In December 1993, principle photography commenced on The Dragon Gate Mr. Coplans first full length theatrical motion picture, as a writer/producer, staring Academy Award Winners Haing S. Ngor (AThe Killing Fields) and Geoffrey Lewis (Maverick) and many other wonderful actors. Production was completed on time and on budget and delivered in April 1994 for licensing around the world. To date, "The Dragon Gate" has been exploited in all the Spanish speaking territories around the world and most of the Pacific Rim, with Home Video release in the United States anticipated for the first quarter of 1999. Not satisfied with conquering world markets, Mr. Coplan himself engineered the theatrical release of the film in the United States of America, in December 1994. His cost effective marketing campaign resulted in a successful opening which set a new standard in guerrilla distribution. The Dragon Gate out grossed many of the films released by the major studios, lasting 11 weeks as the number one cult film in Los Angeles. These engagements were followed with runs in Seattle and Austin. As a result Mr. Coplan's motion picture marketing services have been in demand and he has consulted on theatrical releases of Mona Must Die, The Disappearance of Kevin Johnson, and A Night In The Life Of Jimmy Reardon, The Director's Cut.
Katherin Kovin-Pacino
Katherin Kovin-Pacino, the daughter of Arnold and Rosalind Kevin, was born in Chicago Illinois, and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. Her parents, jewelry store chain owners, moved to North San Diego County when she was a young teen. At that early age. she knew absolutely that she wanted to be an actor! She worked in her father's jewelry business and excelled in the drama classes at her Orange Glen High School. Katherin's strongest memories when growing up are of their stressing of the values of honesty and attention to detail and hard work in her daily life, attitudes that have made her so many friends in the business world. After high school, she left for Hollywood to seek her fortune. Within a few years, she married P. Sterling Radcliffe, who worked with Barry White, writing and producing the quadruple-platinum record. "You are My First Last and Everything," that he wrote for Katherin. That marriage ended some years later, but both remained life-long friends. She studied in Hollywood at the Lee Strasberg Acting Academy. mentored by Dominic DeFazio from New York Actors' Studio, where she learned method acting. To supplement her studies, she learned the an of make-up and color, and with her expertise in sales, she worked showing clothing and exclusive skin care products. Later, she worked for Marty Licker, entertainment CPA, where she began to make inroads into the entertainment industry. Marty worked with such celebrities as James Caan, Gary Sinise, Jeff Wald. and he introduced Katherin to many other notables in the acting world. She soon met Sal Pacino. father of Al Pacino, and they married shortly thereafter. They worked as an acting team (until his death in 2005) in such projects as Simon Bolivar-Path to Glory, that was filmed in Caracas, Venezuela, with her then-manager, Bob DeBrino, who was a producer from CAA. Today, Katherin is happily married to William Lashbrook and they are represented by their team Avenue Entertainment Management, better known as AEM. Katherin is excited for the continuing strength and bright prospects for the entertainment industry.
Sally Colon-Petree
Sally Colon-Petree is a native of Chicago, but relocated to Los Angeles in 1996 to pursue her career in the entertainment industry, after attending Oral Roberts University, where she studied Film & Television production.
A year after arriving in LA, Sally landed a role in the dark comedy "Eight Heads in A Duffel Bag", starring Joe Pesci & David Spade; followed by several guest starring roles on network television shows and National commercials, as well as landing a coveted spot on the cover of "Woman's World" magazine.
In 2001, Sally signed a $1.3 million dollar record deal as part of a Latin girl group managed by Suzanne DePasse, a Motown executive responsible for discovering the Jackson 5. Later, Sally decided to focus on creating family friendly programs, and moved into producing and hosting TV. Her first endeavor was as producer and host of "Action House TV", an MTV style music video show. Sally's duties were to interview well known music artist in the music industry, and showcase their latest music videos; as the show expanded, Sally was recruited by Grace Hill Media to be one of their media representatives, which led to her traveling the country doing press junkets for major film studios, consequently expanding her interviewing to major movie stars such as Robert Duval, Jaime Lee Curtis, Kevin Kline, Cuba Gooding Jr, Beyonce Knowles, James Caan, Will Ferrell, etc... "Action House TV" quickly became the largest faith based music video show in the country, potentially viewed in more than 250 million homes each week, which consequently led Sally to wining 2 Telly awards for her work as producer and host of the show.
In 2003, Sally became one of the co-host on the magazine-style talk show, Insight for Women, Family and Faith. Similar to ABC's "The View," hosted by Barbara Walters, the show focused on women's concerns from a Christian perspective. Working alongside Lakita Garth and Holly McClure, Colón was excited about the opportunity to add her perspective to these issues. Sally was also a frequent guest host on the popular Christian show "The Harvest Show", based out of South Bend, IN.
In 2004, Sally and her husband started a production company called Dream On Productions. Soon after they started the company, Sally created, produced and hosted a reality show called "Tour TV" which she shopped to several networks, and eventually sold 19 episodes to INSP (Inspirational Network). Soon after the show began airing, Stephen and Sally found out they were about to embark on the most exciting time of their life, bringing a child into the world. In 2005, Isabella Carmen Petree was born, this led Sally to take some time off to be a stay at home mom, 4 months after Isabella was born, Sally found out she was pregnant with her second child, and in 2007, StevieJane Petree was born.
In 2008, Sally ventured back into the entertainment biz as a morning show host on an internet radio station. Several months later, she got hired to run the artist management department at an LA based record label distributed by Universal Music Group. She managed several artists, overseeing key aspects of their careers. Sally worked with the publicity department at Rogers and Cowan to bring media awareness to the artists; booked the artists at local and national venues, paired the artists with corporate sponsors; established a social network marketing team that was responsible for building a fan base for the artists; placed songs on TV shows such as MTV's "The Hills" & "The City"; and worked with radio promoters to place songs in regular rotation on CHR, Triple A and Rock radio stations. Sally currently manages music artists, and works independently with production companies like Pure Flix Films to produce film projects. Her current project is as Director/Producer of a documentary called "Women Like Us" featuring Catt Sadler of E! News, set to release Spring 2015.
Her 20 years of broad-based knowledge of the entertainment industry, acquired first as talent and subsequently as a television producer, radio host, talent manager, production manager for feature films, and most recently as Director/Producer of her documentary, affords Sally a comprehensive understanding of the complexity of achieving success in a hyper-competitive market.
Sally currently resides in Valencia, California with her musician/producer husband, Stephen, as well as her two daughters (Isabella 8 and StevieJane 7). In addition to her producing & managing endeavors, Sally also sits on the board at The Dream Center (an urban outreach center in downtown LA), as well as the Women Like Us Foundation, where the focus is on mentoring teen girls and supporting women led causes globally and locally.
Daniel Ganea
Daniel Ganea was born in Europa Cluj-Napoca City of Transylvania, Romania . He is an actor, known for future films; SIS, Special Investigation Squad , Love a la Carte (2014), King's Man (2010) The Trail (2010) Middle man movie directed by Famous Hollywood Director - Producer George Gallo, Andy Weiss, playing along with famous Hollywood stars; Giovanni Ribisi, Terry Crews, Luke Wilson, James Caan, Gabriel Macht, Kelsey Grammer, Rade Serbedzija, and many more, which Daniel made a great friendship connection in the filming industry. Also he has been playing and presenting, Directing, in Theater TV Commercials, TV Series, achieving international awards and tropes around the world at many festivals. One of a great role Daniel got in to , was playing alongside ;Miley Cyrus, when Daniel was cast from hundreds of actors by Disney Chanal to be in : It's a Laugh Productions with ,, Hannah Montana Forever,, Created and directed by Rich Correll, Barry O Brien, Michael Poryes, where he got to play(work) alongside Miley, Emily Osment, Billy Ray Cyrus, Dolly Parton, Brooke Shields, Selena Gomez, and many more Hollywood Stars, which Daniel has a great time and lot of laughs especially beyond the camera when Daniel encourage them to visit the ,,Dracula Castle in Transilvania the place where Daniel was born. The producers , crew, actors, and everybody has a great time and laugh with Daniel on the set at: KT-LA Studio 5 where they film the TV Series. Daniel he is a multi task hard worker always claiming and fighting hard for his carrier and family, attending, graduating from multiple prestigious schools in Europa and USA. College, University, academy's, and special training in acting/ directing/producing, Aviation,International Business Degree, Transportation holding a Commercial driving Licenses, also license in Theology, etc. He is currently a student at Utah Valley University for major aviation Pilot 4 years degree program on 3 the year , but on an exclusive interview he mention that he can't live with out acting anymore. He got to put himself together , drop everything and go home to Hollywood where he belongs to entertain people, for which he was born. He will continue to price the gospel for the love of God and act, that is the last think he wants to do from now on with his life. Also he is the owner /President on his own company's including filming and producing. he is a Executive Director / presenter at :Professional Celebrity Gala Awards Europe, Bucharest USA. Director at Uarp, member at Union actors Uarf , Europe, Equity, Spotlight UK, Sag-Aftra Usa. Daniel has a wonderful story to tell the world, how was raise over in Europe, especially in a Country like ;Transilvania-Romania, where Dracula was born and Daniel to. Also how hard was for Daniel to live anymore in that Country under the Communist regime when : Dictator: Nicolae Ceausescu was the President in that time and especially after Daniel reveled his dream to the School, that his dream is : crossing the Atlantic Ocean and kiss the statue of Liberty in New York! After all this Daniel and his family was deeply interrogated and Daniel was bidet by the officials and the school teachers etc...But nothing had stop Daniel to pursue his dreams, even when his life becomes very complicated and very hard! He travel the world to reach for freedom and American dream... He use to live, sleep in cars, Trains, Parks, etc in Europe and USA, with no jobs, no food,no money, nothing sometimes, and with pregnant wife by his side also to care for with dignity and love ! But again: Nothing had stop Daniel to achieve his dream!. Daniel takes time off from acting sometime when life its black he said. I told my agency please do not sent me to any audition roles etc ; i am not me now! Acting not suppose to be acting , it will never be! Acting its me! If i fell terrible in side in my soul the camera will see me terrible whatever i do! God and the camera they are the only ones they can see me in side my soul!! I have an advise for young actors: Do not go to audition for any role or play even if the role will character your status better because you fill terrible and now its the time to play the macing character role. No its not , you will make a big mastic's; especially you will over do it ,what you suppose to do any more. Acting is; don't over do it , but don't under do it either. Acting is hitting it just right. Actors are smart and very instinctive. if you belief you can't comply ; please find something else to do . In acting the trip is whats interesting , not the destination. Playing the trip is interesting for the audience. Defenetly Daniel has lot more to tell the world and takes his carriers especially acting very seriously! One time he said : in order to be fun and a great acting ; behind/before everything suppose to be a very good instinctive judgement from the actor! Like i have been mentioned Daniel takes time of when not filing good for it. For example when his father pass a way or any others major problems! Daniel is more like his father he got the look facial expression for action movies, drama, but his actually a killing Comedian character,, His Father was a Comedian actor at ,,National Theater,, and a pricer to. His mom was an office lady, tall and beautiful city lady also. Daniel has 3 more brothers and one sister a life and a mom. He has been married to Ana Ganea since February 11, 1992. She is working in medical field from long time. They have two children. Spouse (1) Ana Ganea (11 February 1992 - present) (2 children) Trivia (2) He was born in the heart of Transylvania, the home of famous, Dracula (Vlad-Tepes). Daniel loved cinema and especially Hollywood, the American dream with a vengeance . He was in many Countries, but was no place for hem anywhere in the planet just America only, to achieve his dream becoming an American, and Hollywood actor. One day in 1992, he decided to live everything behind and go crossing the Atlantic Ocean to search for his big dream! Was not easy!... But he funded,,):
GenderMale CityLos Angeles Country/RegionUnited States Physical Attributes
Sheila Sisco
Sheila began to discover her passion and talents for writing, acting, directing and producing in high school. She was given the highest honors in Nevada's Junior Miss Contest mostly because of her monologue from Mourning Becomes Electra by Eugene O'Neill.
One of her first breaks was being selected to play Jane with James Caan as Tarzan in The Don Adam's Screentest. This pilot brought her to the attention of the famous Francis Ford Coppola, Howard Koch, Art Carney, Jack Lemmon, and agent, Jack Fields. With Fields as her agent, she attended many activist events with Ed Asner, Martin Sheen, Charles Durning, Meredith Baxter Burney, Dennis Weaver, and many others in the entertainment field to raise funds to help the less fortunate in society. Her friendship with Ed Asner has continued as she recently interviewed him for the pilot Fascinating People, she is producing and directing. She directed and produced To The Moon and Back I and II and The View From Space in a CD set and in DVD with her son, Adam Mitchell. (1984-2010). Sheilah is currently creating The Adam Mitchell Foundation for his legacy to educate. She is developing The View From Space, a film project her son began before he tragically died. Both projects are in development as major motion pictures. John and Celia Milius have recently given this project high praise.
Happy Days, Baretta, The Cheap Detective, Won, Ton, Ton, The Dog Who Saved Hollywood, brought Sheilah to the attention of Eddie Foy III because the famous Art Carney recommended her as a "New and very talented young actress". Although they never met, Art Carney was clearly a most kind and generous actor.
Sheilah is dedicated to the arts, sciences and communications. She has interviewed Jack Canfield, Raymond Francis and many others for the pilot Fascinating People she is producing, directing and hosting.
Ryan Beveridge
Ryan Beveridge is a Los Angeles based composer, conductor, and music producer for film, television, theater and beyond.
His entree into the film/TV industry came through a collaboration with Stewart Copeland (The Police) on the Warner Brothers series Brutally Normal . The two subsequently joined forces to create the soundtracks for Sony Playstation's Spyro: Year of the Dragon and Bravo Network's Breaking News
Aaron Au
Aaron started in film as an actor and stunt performer and quickly amassed dozens of credits both in films and TV series. He used his time on set to learn film inside and out and in 2008 ventured into directing and producing. After a string of successful short films, he produced two features including "Preggoland" starring Sonja Bennett, Danny Trejo and James Caan. The film would premiered at TIFF in 2014 and had a North American theatrical release.
While continuing to write and develop his own projects, Aaron recently joined Brightlight Pictures as a Development Executive.
Holeg Spies
Holeg Spies is a French-born composer and music producer best known for his collaboration in film music with Patrick Savage as Savage & Spies notably for the cult horror film The Human Centipede (First Sequence) and James Caan's thriller The Outsider.
Since 1993, Spies is recognized as a leader and pioneer in the fusion of musical styles in the indie-music world. Headliner DJ of the first official electronic music tour in India he then joined the Out Soon booking agency alongside stars Jeff Mills and Carl Cox. Experienced in international collaborations, Holeg Spies has constantly explored cultures and sound-worlds to forge his own unique and unconventional style. From indie-rock to electronica/techno throughout ancient/world and orchestral music, Holeg worked with major record companies such as Universal Japan, BMG and Polygram. Holeg Spies has composed and produced a massive amount of music pieces under several names: Holeg Spies, Spies, Savage & Spies, Spies Under Von Magnet Influence, The Star Shrink Shooters and Kore Kosmou featuring Jon Klein (Siouxsie and the Banshees), East Bay Ray (Dead Kennedys). Holeg also produced for numerous artists and labels in more than 20 countries.
In Japan where he toured and provided art installations frequently over a 10-year period (1997-2007) having been introduced by Mike Maguire (Juno Reactor), he met director Miike Takashi in 2002. Spies scored an exclusive 4' trailer for his award-winning movie Ichi the Killer and decided then to concentrate his musical composition for films. Holeg got started in the American film industry with his contribution to the theatrical trailer of Michael Bay's Hitcher. In 2006, he met Patrick Savage and together created the Savage & Spies composer-duo. From 2011 to 2014, Holeg Spies joined ICM Partners alongside a stable of film luminaries that includes Ennio Morricone, Al Pacino as well as music superstars Beyoncé, Eminem and Lou Reed.
Ed Donovan
Ed Donovan was one in a family of eight children, born into the predominately Irish Catholic city of South Boston, Massachusetts. His early education involved twelve years with the Sisters of St. Joseph at the Gate Of Heaven School. He joined the US Navy, was stationed aboard the USS Missouri, and later stationed at US Naval Base in Key West, Florida as a photographer. He produced and directed training films for the Navy. He met Tennessee Williams the playwright who was about to sponsor Ed in summer stock in Key West when Ed met Mary Agnes Harper of Miami. They married and moved to Boston.
Ed joined the Boston Police Department and later became a police photographer. He photographed John F. Kennedy, Bob Hope, Jimmy Durante, Red Skelton, Elke Sommers, Steve McQueen, not to mention some the greatest band leaders of the time. He was a publicity photographer for Sumner Redstone, now the owner of Viacom. During the shoot of The Thomas Crown Affair as a bodyguard for Steve McQueen, he was a stand in for McQueen when his regular stand-in became ill.
Ed implemented a stress program "Cops Helping Cops" hoping to stem the national tide of cops committing suicide. This program brought national and international attention to Ed Donovan. He was in demand for interviews with local and national newspapers and magazines, including US News & World Report, Time, and Newsweek. Ed has appeared on Oprah Winfrey, Phil Donahue, 20/20, 48 Hours, Charlie Rose Show, HBO, Discovery Channel and numerous other shows. Ed has been interviewed by Jane Pauly, Tom Brokaw, Dan Rather, Ed Bradley, Charlie Rose, Tom Snyder, Dick Cavett, and Diane Sawyer. Ed has lectured and taught at local state and federal law enforcement academies throughout the US and Canada, including the FBI Academy and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Academy. In 1979 he was invited to speak at the World Conference on Stress held in Monaco, along with five Nobel Peace Prize Winners. The Journal of American Medical Association noted, "Ed Donovan gave the most dynamic presentation at the conference." He moved to Florida and attended Manatee Community College, Valencia Community College and the University of Central Floirda Orlando taking classes in Advanced Screenwriting and Episodic Television Production, Acting, Voice for the Actor, Stage Movement and Dialects. He continued his acting with private classes in Scene Study and Acting for the Camera. All this has led to Ed landing a national SAG commercial, local TV commercials, voice-overs, print work and roles in several independent films. Ed was featured as a Florida State Prison Guard leading Oscar winner Charlize Theron to her fate in the 2003 film Monster. Ed is the editor of Focus In, Florida's award wining Film, Television and the Arts newspaper. His interviews included Ernest Borgnine, Robert Evans, Adrien Brody, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Susan De Laurentis, Alan Rudolph, James Caan, Ruby Dee, Julie Harris, Charles Nelson Reilly, Ed Burns, Wil Shriner and Taylor Negron. "The Shattered Badge, The Story of Ed Donovan, Stress Cop" was written by William Kankewitt of Vancouver.
Jerome Leroy
Jerome Leroy is a media composer who has written original music for feature films, TV movies, short films, video games and live events.
Majoring in Film Scoring, he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA) in May 2005.
While honing his skills working for various renowned Hollywood film composers, Jerome started his own career by scoring numerous short films, including the multi award-winning animated film Brother (American Pavilion winner at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival).
Since then, Jerome has written original music for the independent feature films A Better Place (directed by Dennis Ho), After Ever After (directed by Rakesh Kumar), iKllr (directed by Jeffrey Coghlan), The Mistover Tale (directed by Harry Tappan Heher), and wrote additional music on New Line Cinema's A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, Touchback (starring Kurt Russell), and 50 To 1 (directed by Academy Award winner Jim Wilson). His work in the film industry also includes stints as music programmer (Lionsgate's tent-pole movie The Hunger Games and Universal's The Tale of Despereaux), arranger (The Liberator, with music by Gustavo Dudamel), orchestrator, and score producer.
In television, Jerome's co-composed the original scores to Hallmark Hall of Fame's One Christmas Eve (directed by Jay Russell) and Crackle's The Throwaways (starring James Caan and Kevin Dillon). His music can also be heard on a variety of movies-of-the-week including Hallmark Hall of Fame's Away & Back, starring Jason Lee and Minka Kelly, and In My Dreams, starring Katharine McPhee; Lifetime's Steel Magnolias (starring Queen Latifah); and The Note, Hallmark Channel's highest-rated original movie. He also co-produced and wrote music on the original score to OWN's groundbreaking docuseries Operation Change.
In addition to his work in long form entertainment, Jerome has written or produced music for various media projects, most notably for video games (Studio Cegos' Time Explorer), commercials and corporate films (Coca-Cola, Chevrolet, Johnson Controls, etc.), and theme park rides (Disney World, Disneyland, and Universal Studios). He also arranged songs for a variety of artists, including Idina Menzel and teen sensation band Il Volo. The multitude of projects he has participated in has allowed him to record at every major scoring stages in Los Angeles, London (including at Abbey Road with the London Symphony Orchestra), and Eastern Europe.
A native of Paris, France, Jerome lives with his wife and three-year-old son in Los Angeles.
G. Scott Paterson
G. Scott Paterson is a Canadian technology/media venture capitalist who also acts and produces part-time. He is best known for his work on A Fighting Man (2014), Breakout (2013), A Dark Truth (2012), and Sexy Evil Genius (2013). Born on January 11, 1964 in Ontario, Canada, Paterson has spent most of his professional career working as an investment banker financing technology, internet, biotechnology and film and television companies.
When Chariman and CEO of Yorkton Securities in late 90s, Paterson led the Canadian brokerage to become the lead underwriter for many leading Canadian entertainment companies, including Alliance, Nelvanna, Atlantis, Salter Street Films and Lions Gate Entertainment, amongst other film and television companies.
In 1997, Paterson was invited by Lions Gate Entertainment founder Frank Giustra to be the second investor in the company when he created the film production company from scratch. Paterson was appointed to the Board of Directors that same year and added the role of Chairman of Lionsgate's Audit Committee a decade later. Today he is largest shareholder of the independent Board members.
Having worked so closely with Lionsgate for 17 years and serving, on occasion, as an associate/executive producer on a number of films (unaffiliated with Lionsgate), Paterson has had the unique opportunity to observe first-hand the evolution of the film production process from script to screen. Paterson's fascination with the industry has grown over the years to include experimenting in small talent roles with a view to appreciating all aspects of the business.
In 2012, Paterson performed a small voice over role in the thriller A Dark Truth, staring Andy Garcia and Forrest Whitaker. Paterson gained further experience with small acting roles in Breakout which stared Brendan Fraser. That same year, he became a member of ACTRA, Canada's union for actors. In 2014, Paterson had a small role in A Fighting Man, starring Dominic Purcell and James Caan.
Louie Cowan
Louie Cowan was born in Cape Town, South Africa where his dream was to make movies in America. His first foray into professional theatre was as Donalbain in Shakespeare's Macbeth, when he was just 16 years old. He followed that up with many roles in musical theater, playing Joseph in the Cape Town production of Andrew Lloyd-Webber's "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat", and Rolf in "The Sound of Music". He launched his show business career in earnest after studying at the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.
After working as a production singer on international cruise ships and for Spirit Cruise Lines on Lake Michigan in Chicago, Louie settled in Columbus, where he has performed in numerous commercials, most notably for Maker's Mark, Hollywood Casinos, Liebert Cooling Systems and Ohio Health, and in leading roles in independent films. Since 2001 Louie has produced & directed a number of films of his own, including, "Safe House", "Turkey Day", "A Cold Blood", the first Columbus-based sitcom web series,"Two Doors Down", and "Bloodwood Forest".
Louie is also a published author in the book "Should I Stay or Should I Go", chronicling his journey to emigrate to America . His film "A Cold Blood" has been shown at the world renown "Wexner Center for the Arts" and "Turkey Day" was awarded Best Film at the Wilmington Delaware International Film Festival. As an actor, he has played numerous lead roles - in feature films such as "Dark Fate", "The Courier", "Horrors of War" & "Wicked Business", and appeared alongside Jon Voight and James Caan in "JL Ranch". He was nominated twice for the equivalent of the Tony Award in South Africa, called the Vita Award, and has received the Best Actor Award for his work in the 48 Hour Film Challenge 2014 in Columbus Ohio.
Challenging points in his career so far have been 5 months of living in a youth homeless shelter in New York City in 1989, and an incident that he could never forget ... when he was performing his personal cabaret on the "Achille Lauro" cruise ship and it caught on fire and sank 3 days off the coast of Somalia! (True to his mantra of turning lemons into lemonade, he fortunately captured the entire event on video and was able to sell the footage to ITN who displayed in on CNN)
High points have been directing his first short film "Safe House", winning the Cape Times Best Actor in a Musical Award in 1989, the launch of Two Doors Down - the web series, and the birth of his son in 2001.
Gregory Stenson
Gregory Stenson grew up on the mean streets of Las Vegas, Nevada. Today we know him as the 6 foot box-office hero, but his growth spurt didn't occur to late in his teen years, thus his small size made him a target for bullies. The brutalities he endured as a youngster only made him stronger however and has helped to make him the person he is today. Greg has two loving parents and did the best they could with their lower class status. Gregory hated that his family didn't have all the things they would like to, things they saw while watching programs like The Jefferson's and Goodtimes. He wished his family could have such luxuries and live like these TV families did. His major goal in life became to do the best he could to make his families life the best it could possibly be!
His grades in school were never the best, and Gregory couldn't see himself as a suit anyway, so Gregory looked to other avenues to achieve his goal. It was about this time that his body caught up with and surpassed the size of his classmates, and it wasn't long before the coach of his High School Football Team noticed Gregory on campus. Greg took to Football like a fish to water and excelled greatly, his skills as a Line Backer helped drive his team to two State Championship wins. By his senior year Greg was a hot commodity and had scouts from colleges all over the country looking him over. Greg took his time deciding on who he should go with and finally decided on Antelope Valley College in beautiful Lancaster, California and the outstanding Marauders Football Team. While an odd choice it was nonetheless the one that Gregory made. His reasoning better to be a big fish in a small pond than a big fish in a much larger pond! His talents as a Line Backer once again proved strong here as they did in High School. He brought many victories to his team the Marauders through his tenure with them and was on the Fast Track to an NFL Career when tragedy struck in one the most prolific games of his college career. During the third down as the Quarter Back was looking for a clear Receiver and a shot to bring the team to victory, Gregory was holding the line with all he had. He had already held off to heavy blitzes on his QB but the last push was too much and he was overrun by two Rushers and was left lying on the ground after the play was through. Gregory didn't get up and his teammates ran to his side, where they found him screaming in agony.
Gregory was rushed to the local hospital where it was found that his Bicep muscle was entirely ripped from his bone. A terrible injury to have and one that took many months of reconstructive surgery and therapy to correct. Unfortunately this spelled the end of Gregory's football career as the doctor told him one more injury like this and they don't know what would happen!
Greg became disillusioned with life and fell into a very dark period in his life, (little is known about this part of his life?) but re-emerged a year later with new determination and with his original goal of a better life for himself and his family at the forefront once more. Gregory had endless nights without sleep trying to figure out how he could make his dream come true, then it hit him like a blitz from a forward in his football days. While thinking about the TV shows he loved so much as a kid, he thought he could play those parts as good if not better than say J.J. did on Goodtimes. So with a new resolve he decided to be an actor.
Just as Gregory had chosen an obscure approach to his Football College Career, he again chose the same method on his way to his Hollywood Movie Actor Career. Gregory didn't head to Los Angeles or New York as most people do, instead he went to back to Sin City itself, Las Vegas. He knew that more and more movies were being shot there and decided that a big fish in a smaller pond was good enough for him this time as well. He signed with many different agencies as soon as he arrived back in Vegas and not surprisingly was given a very warm reception. His good looks and boyish charm did very well for Gregory indeed. As his agents looked for work for him, sometimes staying up very late to make sure Gregory was looked at seriously for some of the bigger roles, Gregory knew he couldn't just wait for that "right" acting role to come along so he branched off to "character acting."
His agents found him work at The Aladdin Casino playing a Genie. Greg enjoyed this work immensely, he loved it when the tourists would smile at him and ask for a photo with him, he thought to himself, "Well if this is what its like to be a big-time movie actor, I think I'm gonna love it." While playing the Genie he continually went out on auditions, sometimes he would miss some of his work playing Genie, but his producers understood his need to move his career along and gave him time off as needed. While he had not won any parts on the screen or TV yet, he continually tried, knocking down many barriers as he tried. After a year of playing Genie he thought he had explored all the realms of the character so he decided he needed something fresh as it wasn't fair to him or "Genie" to keep playing a character he saw as "evolved". So without another job to go to he bid the Aladdin farewell.
But it wasn't long before Caesar's Palace heard Gregory was available and immediately made an offer to him to play "Marc Anthony" at their casino. Gregory couldn't believe his luck, the role of Marc Anthony was one of the most sought-after roles in Vegas. Here he was being offered the role without even an audition! Gregory loved his new role and explored all facets of the character in his day to day workings.
Greg's movie career also got a shot in the arm at this time as well. One of his agents found him a very small role in the comedy hit "Bubble Boy". Greg played of all things a security guard in this picture, having never had any experience as a security guard in real life, he learned all he could about his role, going as far as doing temp work as one, before filming started to get an idea of what the character should be about. When the time came to shoot Gregory was more than ready, and brought to the part more that even the writer had hoped to see. Gregory was on his way!
While he continued his Marc Anthony role he went for more and more auditions, picking up a commercial or music video starring role along the way. Gregory's biggest break came when "Bubble Boy" was released and one of the producers assistants of Ocean's Eleven , 'Harvey Weintrapper' saw Gregory and his performance. In the script of Ocean's Eleven there was a part for a white security officer, and this part was very critical to the unfolding of the whole plot of the movie. Weintrapper called Gregory in and gave him a shot at the part, Gregory with all his zeal again researched the part prior to the meeting. To understand the role he shadowed one of Caesar's Hotel security men for a day to see what it was all about. When Gregory read the part, Weintrapper was blown away, he had expected a great read from Gregory but this was beyond all expectations. Even though Gregory differed from the original characters concept, they decided to take a chance.
Ocean's Eleven became a stunning hit spectacular and owed this in no small way to Gregory Stenson's portrayal of The Sentry in his stunning scene that featured him along with two actors each from a Dynasty of acting Royalty. Gregory's role paired him up against the dynamic Scott Caan (James Caan's Son) and Casey Affleck (Ben Affleck's Brother and best buddy as well of Matt Damon). Both Scott and Casey were most impressed with Gregory's work and invited him to hang out with them after the shoot thus beginning a friendship that lasts to this day. It is a little known secret around insider circles that the three of them are looking at a "western" script to do together.
Chris Millis
Chris Millis is a prize-winning, bestselling writer, producer, cartoonist, teacher, and celebrity collaborator. He adapted his first novel, Small Apartments (Anvil Press, 2001), into a feature film directed by Jonas Akerlund that stars Billy Crystal, Matt Lucas, James Caan, Johnny Knoxville, Dolph Lundgren, Peter Stormare, Juno Temple, James Marsden, Amanda Plummer, Rosie Perez, Rebel Wilson, and many more. The film made its World Premiere at the 2012 South By Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas and is distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures. Chris is professionally represented by Anonymous Content, which is also partnering to produce his feature films "God & California" (which he adapted from his second novel) and "Mega Takedown: The Truthy Adventures of Kim Dotcom" (inspired by the life and times of the accused Internet copyright pirate). A few more upcoming projects include his family comedy "Milo"-about a nerdy bigfoot who falls in love with a human girl and wishes to be smooth (with Jonas Akerlund to direct and Matt Lucas to star); the screwball caper comedy "Tackling Larry Csonka" (scheduled for a full-cast table read at Ben Stiller's Red Hour), "Love Brokers", based on the real-life adventure of an east coast mob enforcer who moved to Texas in the 1980's to become a millionaire in the dating industry (about which, Chris is also penning a series of mystery novels); and "The Wild Man", based on the amazing, true story of two little-known actors that inherited a fortune from a reclusive Illinois farmer they never met (a story featured on ABC's "20/20", Fox Business Network's "Strange Inheritance", and TLC's upcoming "Suddenly Rich"). As a celebrity collaborator, Chris's credited books include The Making of a Stand-Up Guy, with "Chappelle's Show" star Charlie Murphy (Simon & Schuster, 2009), and the national bestseller Here's the Situation, with Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, star of MTV's "Jersey Shore" (Penguin, 2010). He has traveled America, writing with stand-up headliners like actor-comedian Rob Schneider, has delivered lectures at colleges on film and three-act structure, and has served as faculty for writing seminars and retreats. Since 1995, Chris has partnered with John McPherson on the syndicated cartoon panel "Close To Home," distributed by Universal Press Syndicate to over 700 newspapers worldwide. He has published thousands of cartoons in newspapers, magazines, books, on greeting cards and toys. His illustrated books including An American Bestiary (Lone Oak Press, 2000) by the late presidential candidate, U.S. Senator, and poet-statesman Eugene J. McCarthy, the bestselling New England children's book, A Clam Named Sam (Lone Oak Press, 2001) by conservationist Lee DeVitt, and the upcoming children's book, Rocketfish, which he wrote and illustrated. Beginning his career as an art director, sportswriter, and political cartoonist for daily newspapers in upstate New York, Chris holds a B.A. in Art from Buffalo State College (Buffalo, NY) and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Goddard College (Vermont). He lives in New York and Los Angeles with his wife and identical twin sons and now serves as the Distinguished Visiting Professor and Writer in Residence at Sierra Nevada College in Lake Tahoe.
Ennio Coltorti
During his career in the theater, begun in 1981, he has worked with names of the caliber of Sergio Castellitto (joined by Margaret Mazzantini), Sergio Rubini, Giorgio Albertazzi, Fiorenzo Fiorentini, Renzo Montagnani and Ennio Fantastichini. Voiced by the late eighties, he has given voice to some interpretations appreciated performers of European cinema, as Gérard Depardieu or Rüdiger Vogler, in Lisbon Story by Wim Wenders, and American as Harvey Keitel, James Caan, Billy Bob Thornton, Alfred Molina, Ben Kingsley, Dennis Hopper, Christopher Walken and Willem Dafoe. He also voiced Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now Redux, Patrick Stewart in the movie franchise X-Men and Hugo Weaving in "The Matrix" trilogy. He has appeared as an actor in "Li chiamarono... briganti!" by Pasquale Squitieri, in "Caruso; Hannibal", directed by Ridley Scott; in "Una storia italiana", directed by Stefano Reali in the role of father of the Abbagnale brothers. For television, Coltorti has doubled Lance Henriksen as Frank Black in "Millennium", Ron Rifkin in the role of Arvin Sloane on "Alias" and Ted Levine in the role of Leland Stottlemeyer in "Detective Monk". He participated as an actor in the drama "Lui e lei". He is the creator and director of the theatrical "Attori in cerca d'autore".
Michael Jovanovski
A childhood fan of the movies. Michael has carved out a successful career in FILM as a LEAD DRESSER. Recently "JOVO" has taken on the responsibilities of Producer, Production Designer and Set Decorator and is now turning his attention to acting. Always working on his craft and love of the business. Stay tuned for JOVO's transition into acting with his short film..."CLOSE UP" and appearance as a Krakovian Soldier in the film "Undercover Grandpa" with the Legends James Caan, Lou Gossett Jr. and Paul Sorvino.
| 1930s |
In which country is the deepwater port of Trondheim? | 20th Century History Timeline - Decade by Decade
20th Century History
Decade by Decade
Every decade of the twentieth century had its own personality. This personality was formed by both the people and the events that dominated it. Learn more about the century by exploring its decades.
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Still from the 1903 film, The Great Train Robbery. Picture in the public domain.
1900s
Photograph from the National Archives and Records Administration.
1910s
The Coffinette for the Viscera of Tutankhamun on display during the press viewing of the 'Tutankhamun & The Golden Age of the Pharaohs' exhibition on November 13, 2007 in Greenwich, London, England. Picture by Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images.
1920s
Picture courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration.
1930s
Adolf Hitler poses with a group of SS members soon after his appointment as Chancellor. Picture courtesy of USHMM Photo Archives.
1940s
While countries from around the world sent troops to Europe to fight World War II, the Nazis continued their blitzkrieg tactics to take over Europe, country by country, while also murdering millions of Jews and Gypsies.
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In which state is Camp David? | Milestones: 1977–1980 - Office of the Historian
Milestones: 1977–1980
Camp David Accords and the Arab-Israeli Peace Process
The Camp David Accords, signed by President Jimmy Carter, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin in September 1978, established a framework for a historic peace treaty concluded between Israel and Egypt in March 1979. President Carter and the U.S. Government played leading roles in creating the opportunity for this agreement to occur. From the start of his administration, Carter and his Secretary of State, Cyrus Vance, pursued intensive negotiations with Arab and Israeli leaders, hoping to reconvene the Geneva Conference, which had been established in December 1973 to seek an end to the Arab-Israeli dispute.
President Jimmy Carter with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at Camp David, Maryland in September 1978. (Jimmy Carter Library)
As Carter and Vance met with individual leaders from Arab countries and Israel during the spring of 1977, negotiations for a return to Geneva appeared to gain some momentum. On May 17, 1977, an Israeli election upset stunned the Carter administration as the moderate Israeli Labor Party lost for the first time in Israel’s history. Menachem Begin, the leader of the conservative Likud Party and the new Israeli Prime Minister, appeared intractable on the issue of exchanging land for peace. His party’s commitment to “greater Israel” left Carter with an even more challenging situation during the summer of 1977.
In addition to the new reality of a Likud government in Israel, long-standing rivalries among Arab leaders also played a role in blocking substantive progress in negotiations for a Geneva conference. By early November, Egyptian President Sadat found himself frustrated by the lack of movement and made a dramatic move, announcing on November 9 that he would be willing to go to Jerusalem. This move stunned the world. Sadat would attempt to break the deadlock and to engage the Israelis directly for a Middle East settlement, eschewing any talk of returning to the Geneva Conference. Sadat’s visit led to direct talks between Egypt and Israel that December, but these talks did not generate substantive progress. By January 1978, the United States returned to a more prominent negotiation role.
During the spring and early summer of 1978, the United States attempted to find common ground with regard to Israeli withdrawal from the Sinai, West Bank, and Gaza. Egypt insisted on an Israeli withdrawal to June 4, 1967 borders in exchange for security arrangements and minor border modifications. Israel rejected Egypt’s insistence on withdrawal, especially from the West Bank and Gaza. It argued instead for some form of Palestinian autonomy during a five-year interim period followed by the possibility of sovereignty after the interim period expired. The impasse over the West Bank and Gaza led Carter to intercede directly in an attempt to resolve the deadlock.
By July 30, as Sadat expressed disappointment over the progress of negotiations and a desire to cut direct contacts off with the Israelis, Carter decided to call for a summit meeting. This meeting would bring Sadat, Begin, and Carter together at the presidential retreat in Maryland at Camp David. On August 8, the White House spokesman formally announced the meeting, which both Begin and Sadat agreed to attend in September.
The Camp David Summit, held from September 5–17, 1978, was a pivotal moment both in the history of the Arab-Israeli dispute and U.S. diplomacy. Rarely had a U.S. President devoted as much sustained attention to a single foreign policy issue as Carter did over the summit’s two-week duration. Carter’s ambitious goals for the talks included breaking the negotiating deadlock and hammering out a detailed Egyptian-Israeli peace agreement. To this end, U.S. Middle East experts produced a draft treaty text, which served as the basis for the negotiations and would be revised numerous times during the Summit. The talks proved extremely challenging, especially when the trilateral format became impossible to sustain. Instead, Carter and Vance met with the Egyptian and Israeli delegations individually over the course of the next twelve days.
The talks ranged over a number of issues, including the future of Israeli settlements and airbases in the Sinai Peninsula, but it was Gaza and the West Bank that continued to pose the most difficulty. Specifically, the delegations were divided over the applicability of United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 to a long-term agreement in the territories, as well as the status of Israel’s settlements during projected negotiations on Palestinian autonomy that would follow a peace treaty. In the end, while the Summit did not produce a formal peace agreement, it successfully produced the basis for an Egyptian-Israeli peace, in the form of two “Framework” documents, which laid out the principles of a bilateral peace agreement as well as a formula for Palestinian self-government in Gaza and the West Bank.
While the conclusion of the Camp David Accords represented significant progress, the process of translating the Framework documents into a formal peace treaty proved daunting. As with the Summit, Carter’s hopes for rapid progress were high, and the President hoped that a treaty text would be concluded in a matter of days. However, the controversy that developed between the Carter administration and the Begin government over the duration of an agreed freeze in the construction of Israeli settlements was quickly followed by the administration’s failure to win support from Jordan or Saudi Arabia for the Accords. Beginning in October, a series of talks in Washington broke down as a result of Israeli concerns over the timing of their withdrawal and Egyptian reservations regarding the impact of a peace treaty on its obligations to other Arab states. Other regional developments, especially the Iranian Revolution, distracted U.S. policymakers and raised Israeli concerns about its oil supply, resulting in an impasse during the winter of 1978–1979. After Begin’s visit to the White House in early March failed to break the stalemate, Carter traveled to Israel on March 10. Having previously secured Sadat’s consent to negotiate on behalf of Egypt, the President engaged in three days of intensive talks with the Israelis. As a result of a series of compromises, notably a U.S. guarantee of Israel’s oil supply, omitting references to a “special role” for Egypt in Gaza, and Israeli agreement to make a number of unilateral gestures to the Palestinians, the U.S. and Israeli delegations agreed to a treaty text on March 13. Sadat quickly assented to the agreement and the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty was formally signed on March 26.
Although a landmark event, the successful conclusion of the Egyptian-Israeli Treaty represented the high-water mark for the Peace Process during the Carter Presidency. After March 1979, the issue would not receive the same level of U.S. attention due to the competing demands of crises, especially those in Iran and Afghanistan, as well as Carter’s desire to reduce his personal involvement in the next round of negotiations devoted to Palestinian autonomy. For those talks, Carter appointed a “special negotiator” to represent the United States; former Special Trade Representative Robert Strauss served in this role briefly before being replaced in the fall of 1979 by Sol Linowitz, who had previously helped negotiate the Panama Canal treaty. The talks failed to produce much as Palestinian representatives refused to participate, and the gap between Egyptian and Israeli positions on Palestinian self-government, not to mention their respective stances on Israeli settlements in Gaza and the West Bank and the legal status of East Jerusalem, proved unbridgeable.
| Maryland |
What was the Statue of Liberty originally called? | Camp David
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Camp David Presidential Retreat Site
Located 70 miles from the White House in the Catoctin Mountains of Maryland, Camp David was established in 1942 as a place for the President to relax and entertain. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt wanted to escape the summer heat of Washington, D.C., and the higher altitude of the Camp provided cool breezes and good security. President Roosevelt called the Camp "Shangri-La" after the mountain kingdom in James Hilton's book Lost Horizon. It was renamed Camp David in 1953 by President Eisenhower in honor of his grandson.
The Camp is operated by Navy personnel, and troops from the Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C., provide permanent security. Marine One carries the President during the half-hour helicopter ride from our Nation's capital. Guests at Camp David can enjoy a pool, putting green, driving range, tennis courts, gymnasium, and the many guest cabins -- Dogwood, Maple, Holly, Birch, and Rosebud, to name a few. The presidential cabin is called Aspen Lodge.
Camp David has been the site of many historic international meetings. It was there, during World War II, that President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill planned the Allies' invasion of Europe. Many historical events have occurred at the Presidential Retreat; the planning of the Normandy invasion, Eisenhower-Khrushchev meetings, discussions of the Bay of Pigs, Vietnam War discussions, and many other meetings with foreign dignitaries and guests. President Jimmy Carter chose the site for the meeting of Middle East leaders that led to the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt.
Camp David continues to serve as the Presidential Retreat. It is a private, secluded place for recreation, contemplation, rest, and relaxation. Maintaining the privacy and secluded atmosphere of the retreat is an important role for Catoctin Mountain Park. The Presidential Retreat still remains within park boundaries but is not open to the public. It is a place where presidents can relax, unwind, contemplate, entertain distinguished guests in an informal setting, and cope with the pressures of modern day society.
The Presidential retreat is not open or accessible to the public, but the eastern hardwood forest of Catoctin Mountain Park has many other attractions for visitors: camping, picnicking, fishing, 25 miles of hiking trails, scenic mountain vistas, all await exploration.
Catoctin Mountain Park was originally submarginal land purchased by the government in 1936, to be developed into a recreational facility. The facility was to demonstrate how rough terrain and eroded soil could be turned into productive land again. The New Deal's Works Progress Administration, WPA, began the work in the newly created Catoctin Recreational Demonstration Area, joined by the Civilian Conservation Crops, CCC, in 1939. Camp Misty Mount was first used by the Maryland League for Crippled Children. After the first year, the League moved to a second camp in 1938, Camp Greentop, because Camp Misty Mount's terrain was difficult to negotiate in a wheelchair. A third camp, Camp Hi-Catoctin, was completed in the winter of 1938-1939 and was used for three years as a family camp for federal employees.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt was accustomed to seeking relief from hot Washington, D.C. summers and relaxing on weekends, aboard the presidential yacht "Potomac" or at Hyde Park, NY. In 1942 the U.S. Secret Service were very concerned about the President's continued use of the "Potomac." World War II had brought an attack on Pearl Harbor and German U boats close in Atlantic waters. Presidential safety was a concern and Presidential health was also a concern. The muggy climate of Washington, D.C., was considered detrimental to his health, affecting his sinuses. A new retreat, a place to relax, within a 100 mile radius of Washington, D.C. and in the cool mountain air was sought. Several sites were considered but Camp Hi-Catoctin in the Catoctin Recreational Demonstration Area was selected after the President's first visit on April 22, 1942. A camp was already built on the site and the estimated conversion cost was $18,650. It was also almost 10 degrees cooler than Washington. The camp for federal employee's families became the camp of one federal employee, the President of the United States. Roosevelt quickly renamed the camp to "Shangri-La" from James Hilton's 1933 novel, Lost Horizon.
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