Due to the number of its population which country is known as the “Giant of Africa”?

Africa Continent, Africa Facts Africa Continent, Africa Facts Africa is the second largest and the second most populous continent of the world. This is the continent of wonder and the place for evolution of human history. Africa is a continent with diverse culture, uncountable languages and immense natural resources. Considered as the oldest inhabited territory on the earth, Africa had no nation states for a long time. This Saharan-Nile complex has always been the center of interest for the world as the slave trade was the major occupation of this region. Later on, the slave trade was replaced with commerce trade that opened a new chapter in the history of this continent. Africa is not only important due to its geographical location but also for its extensive natural resources which are playing an important role in the development of this continent. Its eye catching places and magnificent sights along with climatic diversity have made it premium spot for the tourists. Top Economies Of Africa Africa has occupied distinct place in the world's economy. Its natural resources, youth power and its geographical position have quadrupled its charm in the world. Despite its financial crunch, Africa continues to maintain its growth. Many international agencies are gaining interest in investing in the emerging economies of Africa. Most progressing economy of Africa is South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia. These countries are rich in mineral resources and fossil fuel. Rivers in Africa Continent by Length and Size Rivers have been of fundamental importance for human being throughout the human history. Rivers are immensely important geologically, biologically and historically. They provide settlement, food and means of transport. Major rivers of Africa are the Nile, The Congo, The Niger and Zambezi. Rivers in Africa are the blood for irrigation and fulfill the needs of human consumption. The Nile is 600km long and the oldest of historical rivers. It is the longest river of Africa as well as the longest river of the world. It flows in Ethiopia, Egypt, and Rwanda and in Sudan. This river is historically important which had given the birth of civilized nation of the world. The second longest river of Africa is The Congo which flows westward through Central Africa. It has the largest basin delta which covers 4.1million sq km of the land. The Niger River flows through four countries of Africa (Zambia, Angola, Namibia and Botswana)  and empty into Mozambique Channel. Great Lakes Of Africa Africa is not only blessed with rivers but also with lakes too. There is a group of big lakes in central Africa that might be called the "Great Lakes" of this continent. The largest of these lakes is Lake Victoria that also holds the reputation of being the 2nd fresh water lake in the world. Another among many famous lakes in Africa is Lake Tanganyika which is the 7th largest freshwater lake in the world. Other lakes which carry equal importance for Africa are Lake Malawi, Lake Turkana, Lake Albert, Lake Kivu and Lake Edward. Wonders Of Africa Natural wonders of Africa are spectacular, spell bound, mesmerizing and enthralling. The amazing wonders of nature are found throughout the continent of Africa. Namibia Desert is one of the natural wonders found in Africa that stretches 1,000 miles from North to South and is known for being the oldest desert on the earth. Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in the entire world. It has a height of 19,341 feet with its peak covered with snow year around. Ecologically significant and extremely beautiful Congo caves stand among the most mysterious natural wonders of the world. They present a majestic display of limestone formation with an extensive range of natural colors. Situated between the limestone hills, this wonder attracts flocks of people every year. A visit to Africa would be incomplete without witnessing the majestic and breathtaking beauty of Victoria Falls that extend along the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is among the two most powerful water falls in the world. Besides viewi


Madagascar declared its independence from which country in 1960?

MADAGASCAR: Independence, the First Republic, and the Military Transition, 1960-75 MADAGASCAR: Independence, the First Republic, and the Military Transition, 1960-75 The following is excerped from the Country Studies--Area Handbook program of the U.S. Department of the Army. The original version of this text is available at the Library of Congress . Full index of Country Studies-Madagascar Madagascar Independence, the First Republic, and the Military Transition, 1960-75 View of Antananarivo from the Royal Hill Courtesy Brian Kensley After France adopted the Constitution of the Fifth Republic under the leadership of General Charles de Gaulle, on September 28, 1958, Madagascar held a referendum to determine whether the country should become a self-governing republic within the French community. The AKFM and other nationalists opposed to the concept of limited self-rule mustered about 25 percent of votes cast. The vast majority of the population at the urging of the PSD leadership voted in favor of the referendum. The vote led to the election of Tsiranana as the country's first president on April 27, 1959. After a year of negotiations between Tsiranana and his French counterparts, Madagascar's status as a self-governing republic officially was altered on June 26, 1960, to that of a fully independent and sovereign state. The cornerstone of Tsiranana's government was the signing with France of fourteen agreements and conventions designed to maintain and strengthen Franco-Malagasy ties. These agreements were to provide the basis for increasing opposition from Tsiranana's critics. A spirit of political reconciliation prevailed in the early 1960s. By achieving independence and obtaining the release of the MDRM leaders detained since the Revolt of 1947, Tsiranana had coopted  the chief issues on which the more aggressively nationalist elements had built much of their support. Consistent with Tsiranana's firm commitment to remain attached to Western civilization, the new regime made plain its intent to maintain strong ties to France and the West in the economic, defense, and cultural spheres. Not entirely sanguine about this prospect, the opposition initially concurred in the interest of consolidating the gains of the previous decade, and most ethnic and regional interests supported Tsiranana. Similar to other African leaders during the immediate independence era, Tsiranana oversaw the consolidation of his own party's power at the expense of other parties. A political system that strongly favored the incumbent complemented these actions. For example, although the political process allowed minority parties to participate, the constitution mandated a winner-take- all system that effectively denied the opposition a voice in governance. Tsiranana's position was further strengthened by the broad, multiethnic popular base of the PSD among the c�tiers, whereas the opposition was severely disorganized. The AKFM continued to experience intraparty rifts between leftist and ultranationalist, more orthodox Marxist factions; it was unable to capitalize on increasingly active but relatively less privileged Malagasy youth because the party's base was the Merina middle class. A new force on the political scene provided the first serious challenge to the Tsiranana government in April 1971. The National Movement for the Independence of Madagascar (Mouvement National pour l'Ind�pendance de Madagascar--Monima) led a peasant uprising in Toliara Province. The creator and leader of Monima was Monja Jaona, a c�tier from the south who also participated in the Revolt of 1947. The main issue was government pressure for tax collection at a time when local cattle herds were being ravaged by disease. The protesters attacked military and administrative centers in the area, apparently hoping for support in the form of weapons and reinforcements from China. Such help never arrived, and the revolt was harshly and quickly suppressed. An estimated fifty to 1,000 persons died, Monima was dissolved, and Monima leaders, including Jaona and several hundred protesters,


What did Richard Sharpe capture at the battle of Talavera?

Richard Sharpe | Sharpe | Fandom powered by Wikia Richard Sharpe was a British soldier who fought in India, the Peninsular War and the Battle of Waterloo . Biography Edit Sharpe was born in London, England in the 1770's to prostitute Lizzie Sharpe and a unidentified Father. He would late move to Yorkshire at a young age, picking up a strong local accent. Some years later he left Yorkshire and joined the British Army. He saw action in India, including surviving the massacre at Chasalgaon, perpertrated by renegade East India Company officer William Dodd, in 1803. It was in India where he met his nemesis, Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill, who had him flogged. However Sharpe proved himself, and by the end of his time in India had been promoted to the rank of Sergeant. Edit He then saw action in the Peninsula War. While in Portugal he managed to save the life of General Arthur Wellesley, killing three French Cavalrymen in the process. After saving Arthur Wellesley 's life, Sharpe was field promoted to Ensign. Later, Sharpe met Major Hogan who gave him his first assignment, asking him to find James Rothschild , who was carrying a bank draft vital to the continued funding of the British army. Sharpe was sent to take command of the so called " Chosen Men ". When he first met them, he found them sleeping without a sentry and largely drunk. Angered, he tried to wake the sleeping Patrick Harper who took him to be a thief and they fought. The appearance of a superior confirmed that Sharpe was in command. Sharpe was initially shunned by his men as he had come up from the ranks and was hostile to them. While making camp in a barn, led by Harper, they staged a mutiny. Sharpe once again fought Harper but the appearance of Teresa Moreno and Count Blas Vivar along with their men stopped the fight. Sharpe agreed that they could accompany his men and had Harper tied up, ready to be sentenced once they returned to camp. Sharpe rigged the barn with explosives that detonated when the French soldiers entered. He confronted the Count, telling him that he was escorting them, not the other way around. He also questioned the contents of the box they were carrying and was told it contained important documents for the Spanish government. Teresa convinced Sharpe to treat his men with more respect, and when he did so she was happy. The Count told Sharpe about this, saying it was the first time she had smiled since she was a child and saw French soldiers kill her parents and sister in Salamanca, and thanked him for it. After Harper successfully defended the Count's box, Sharpe told him to rejoin the column. They met the Parkers, a Methodist missionary group, at the village of Casa Antigua and Sharpe took them into his protection. While staying in a small village, Sharpe broke into the chapel and found Teresa and the Count there. They told him that the box contained the gonfalon of Santiago , a legendary flag supposed to call upon Saint James to assist them as he had centuries before during the invasion of the Moors. Sharpe was angered that they had lied to him and did not believe the banner could inspire the people as the Count wished it would. However, Major Hogan entered and ordered Sharpe to do as the Count commanded. Sharpe agreed but left angrily, followed by Teresa who tried to convince him it would work. Sharpe with Teresa Moreno . ( Sharpe's Rifles ) Upon entering Torrecastro , they fought the garrison, led by the Count's brother, the Count of Matamoro . They managed to enter the chapel and raise the banner. They were met with the cheers of the people. When the fighting ended Sharpe reported back to Wellesley and unmasked "Mrs. Parker" as the missing James Rothschild, still carrying the much needed bank draft. Sharpe then met with Teresa in a barn and they slept together. Hogan promoted him to Second Lieutenant and he waved goodbye to Teresa as she left with the Count. Edit Sharpe suffered from a leg wound at some point between Sharpe's Rifles and Sharpe's Eagle. This prevented him from gaining further advancement from the position of lieutenant. He w


In which conflict are the Starbuck novels set?

Rebel (The Starbuck Chronicles, Book 1): Amazon.co.uk: Bernard Cornwell: 9780007497966: Books Rebel (The Starbuck Chronicles, Book 1) Add all three to Basket One of these items is dispatched sooner than the other. Show details Buy the selected items together This item:Rebel (The Starbuck Chronicles, Book 1) by Bernard Cornwell Paperback Â£8.99 Only 1 left in stock (more on the way). Sent from and sold by Amazon. FREE Delivery on orders over Â£10. Details Copperhead (The Starbuck Chronicles, Book 2) by Bernard Cornwell Paperback Â£8.99 In stock. Sent from and sold by Amazon. FREE Delivery on orders over Â£10. Details Battle Flag (The Starbuck Chronicles, Book 3) by Bernard Cornwell Paperback Â£8.99 In stock. Sent from and sold by Amazon. FREE Delivery on orders over Â£10. Details Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought Page 1 of 1 Start over Page 1 of 1 This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading. Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. Apple To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. or Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here , or download a FREE Kindle Reading App . Product details Publisher: Harper (26 Sept. 2013) Language: English Product Dimensions: 13.3 x 3 x 19.4 cm Average Customer Review: Praise for REBEL: ‘A sure-fire bestseller’ Financial Times ‘His series of Sharpe novels earned him almost every accolade possible from British newspapers. This is even better’ Daily Mail ‘What Cornwell really likes is battles . . . you will be duly rewarded with the smell of quality cordite rising from the pages’ Daily Telegraph From the Back Cover Nathaniel Starbuck is a rebel, a young Yankee fighting for the South against the North in the American Civil War. It is the summer of 1861 when Nate arrives in Richmond, Virginia, suddenly to be rescued from a lynch mob by Washington Faulconer who is raising his own Legion in the interests of the Confederacy. Personal and political loyalties are tested to the limit, and Nate quickly learns to fight in his own interests and those of his adopted country and friends while the United States of America tears itself violently, unforgivingly apart in the first bloody battles of the Civil War. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. By michael_hawkes@cwcom.net on 26 Oct. 2001 Format: Paperback At first i was dissapointed, both in the amount of time it took to get anything to actually happen to Starbuck and the character of Starbuck himself. This is a slow and very slightly boring book but vital if you want to enjoy the delights of Cornwell's American Civil War series which is easily as good as his famous Sharpe series. Starbuck takes the entire book to transform from the indecisive, lost little preacher's son to the intelligent, decisive rebel captain of the next book. As an introduction to the series i was almost put off but i persevered and was grateful for doing so, Starbuck ends up just as strong and entertaining as the great man, Sharpe himself and i'm already eagerly searching for the next book in my series. The end of the book is well worth the wait though and the battle scene is wonderful, describing the ineptitude of both armies and the emotions of the men fighting their first war. The Starbuck chronicles are great and i strongly recommend this book to get into them. 25 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again By A. Ross TOP 1000 REVIEWER on 10 Nov. 2002 Format: Paperback One of my favorite writers of historical fiction kicks off his Civil War series with this remarkably tepid tale. A number of flaws make themselves manifest over the course of the book, the foremost of which is an unlikable hero. Cornwell s


Which car company currently sponsors the Kennington Oval?

Contact Kia Oval | Surrey CCC Events LONDON SE11 5SS Where are we? The Kia Oval is easily accessible by car, train, bus and tube, from the West End, the City and all South East Counties. Click below. GETTING TO THE KIA OVAL Nearby Accommodation Please use the button below to view a range of nearby hotels that are suitable for your visit to the Kia Oval. NEARBY ACCOMMODATION @SurreyPigeon Have a lovely Christmas to you too! See you for another huge summer of cricket! #2017 The events office will be closed from 11.30am today until Tuesday 3rd January. Have a great Christmas and New Year! https://t.co/akI8ocAD6b Last minute Christmas gift? 2017 Roof Terrace hospitality from £99+VAT per person. Book online now!… https://t.co/IWYabVixPo


Which singing legend died in a plane crash in Montana in 1967?

Celebrities who died too young - NBC Montana Celebrities who died too young Posted: Jul 20, 2016 02:47 AM MDT Updated: Oct 04, 2016 01:00 PM MDT Celebrities who died too young By National General Pictures (eBay front back) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Actor Bruce Lee died from an allergic reaction to a painkiller on July 20, 1973, at age 32. He is considered the greatest icon of martial arts cinema, and is known for his roles in "Enter the Dragon" and "Fists of Fury," among others. Raised in Hong Kong, Lee came to America at age 18 and made a career teaching martial arts before he became an actor. Larry Busacca/Getty Images Scott Weiland, whose career as the lead singer of the Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver was overshadowed by his unending battle with drug addiction, died at age 48 on Dec. 3, 2015, while on tour with his latest band, The Wildabouts. Weiland was found dead on his tour bus in Bloomington, Minnesota, with his cause of death later announced as an accidental drug overdose. Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Bing Former A Tribe Called Quest rapper Phife Dawg died of complications from diabetes at age 45 on March 22, 2016. Ernesto Ruscio/Getty Images Paul Walker, who shot to fame as star of the high-octane street racing franchise "Fast & Furious," died in a fiery car crash in Southern California on Nov. 30, 2013. The 40-year-old actor was in the passenger seat of a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT driven by racing team partner Roger Rodus, who also died in the crash, that slammed into a light pole and burst into flames in an office park in the community of Valencia in Santa Clarita, about 30 miles north of Hollywood. Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images For The BFI Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in his Manhattan apartment on Feb. 2, 2014, of a drug overdose. Authorities said Hoffman, 46, was found on the bathroom floor and that heroin and prescription medications were also discovered at the scene. The New York City medical examiner's office later ruled Hoffman's death an accident caused by "acute mixed drug intoxication, including heroin, cocaine, benzodiazepines and amphetamine." Hoffman won an Academy Award for Best Actor for the 2005 biopic "Capote" and also earned Oscar nominations for his roles in "Charlie Wilson's War," "Doubt" and "The Master." He also starred in movies such as "Twister," "Boogie Nights," "The Big Lebowski," "Almost Famous," "Mission: Impossible III," "Moneyball" and "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire." Peter Kramer/Getty Images Actor Heath Ledger, best known for his films "The Dark Knight" and "Brokeback Mountain," died from an accidental prescription drug overdose on Jan. 22, 2008, at age 28. The Australia-born actor earned a posthumous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of The Joker in "The Dark Knight." Isaac Brekken/Getty Images "Glee" star Cory Monteith was found dead in a Vancouver hotel room at the age of 31 on July 13, 2013. Three days later the British Columbia Coroners Service announced his death was caused by "a mixed drug toxicity, involving heroin and alcohol." Monteith had a history of drug use, telling Parade magazine in 2011 that he used "anything and everything, as much as possible." He entered rehab at age 19, but it took a family ultimatum after stealing money from a relative to convince him to get clean. He entered rehab again in April 2013, about three months before his death. Brunswick Records via Wikimedia Commons Rock 'n' Roll pioneer Buddy Holly died at the age of 22 on Feb. 3, 1959, in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa. His successful career lasted less than two years and produced such hits as "That'll Be the Day," "Peggy Sue," "Everyday," "Maybe Baby" and "It's So Easy." That same plane crash also claimed the lives of Ritchie Valens, 17, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, 28. Valens had a recording career that lasted all of eight months, scoring several hits, including "La Bamba," and Richardson was a former disc jockey best known for his 1958 hit "Chantilly Lace." Decca Records via Wikimedia Commons Thurs


Which military legend died in Germany in December 1945 as the result of a car crash?

“Old Blood and Guts” dies - Dec 21, 1945 - HISTORY.com “Old Blood and Guts” dies Share this: “Old Blood and Guts” dies Author “Old Blood and Guts” dies URL Publisher A+E Networks On this day, General George S. Patton, commander of the U.S. 3rd Army, dies from injuries suffered not in battle but in a freak car accident. He was 60 years old. Descended from a long line of military men, Patton graduated from the West Point Military Academy in 1909. He represented the United States in the 1912 Olympics-as the first American participant in the pentathlon. He did not win a medal. He went on to serve in the Tank Corps during World War I, an experience that made Patton a dedicated proponent of tank warfare. During World War II, as commander of the U.S. 7th Army, he captured Palermo, Sicily, in 1943 by just such means. Patton’s audacity became evident in 1944, when, during the Battle of the Bulge, he employed an unorthodox strategy that involved a 90-degree pivoting move of his 3rd Army forces, enabling him to speedily relieve the besieged Allied defenders of Bastogne, Belgium. Along the way, Patton’s mouth proved as dangerous to his career as the Germans. When he berated and slapped a hospitalized soldier diagnosed with “shell shock,” but whom Patton accused of “malingering,” the press turned on him, and pressure was applied to cut him down to size. He might have found himself enjoying early retirement had not General Dwight Eisenhower and General George Marshall intervened on his behalf. After several months of inactivity, he was put back to work. And work he did-at the Battle of the Bulge, during which Patton once again succeeded in employing a complex and quick-witted strategy, turning the German thrust into Bastogne into an Allied counterthrust, driving the Germans east across the Rhine. In March 1945, Patton’s army swept through southern Germany into Czechoslovakia—which he was stopped from capturing by the Allies, out of respect for the Soviets’ postwar political plans for Eastern Europe. Patton had many gifts, but diplomacy was not one of them. After the war, while stationed in Germany, he criticized the process of denazification, the removal of former Nazi Party members from positions of political, administrative, and governmental power. His impolitic press statements questioning the policy caused Eisenhower to remove him as U.S. commander in Bavaria. He was transferred to the 15th Army Group, but in December of 1945 he suffered a broken neck in a car accident and died less than two weeks later. Related Videos


Which railroad legend died in Mississippi as the result of a train crash in 1900?

Casey Jones - Folk Hero - Biography.com Casey Jones Casey Jones was a railroad engineer known for his speed who died in 1900, when he collided with another train. He was immortalized as an American folk hero with the release of Wallace Saunders's song "The Ballad of Casey Jones." IN THESE GROUPS Famous People Who Died in Vaughan Synopsis Born John Luther Jones on March 14, 1864, in Missouri, Casey Jones is an American folk hero who was an engineer during the heyday of the American railroad. He is best known for his courage, sacrificing his life by keeping one hand on the brake to slow the train and one hand on the whistle to warn others who might be near the train, as well as for his tenacity in keeping trains on schedule and his famous "whippoorwill whistle." He died in 1900 in Vaughan, Mississippi, when he collided with another train. A ballad written by Wallace Saunders entitled "The Ballad of Casey Jones" made Jones a permanent figure in American folklore. Early Life Famed American folk hero Casey Jones was born John Luther Jones on March 14, 1864, in a rural part of southeastern Missouri. When Jones was a young boy, his father, Frank Jones, a school teacher, and his mother, Ann Nolan Jones, determined that the backwoods of Missouri offered little opportunity for their family, and, subsequently, the Jones family moved to Cacey, Kentucky—a town that was the source of Jones's nickname: "Casey." While growing up in Cacey, Jones became extremely interested in the railroad and aspired to become an engineer. The American railroad passenger system was a relatively new and exciting mode of transportation, as people were able to travel great distances at high speeds. Railroad Worker At the age of 15, Casey Jones moved to Columbus, Kentucky, and began working as a telegrapher for the Mobile and Ohio railroad. In 1884, he moved to Jackson, Tennessee, where he was promoted at M&O to the position of flagman. While living in a boarding house in Jackson, Jones met and fell in love with Joanne "Janie" Brady, the daughter of a proprietor. The couple wed on November 26, 1886, and moved into a place of their own in Jackson. They would have two sons and a daughter together. Jones was successful at M&O, quickly moving up the ranks. In 1891, he was offered a job at Illinois Central Railroad as an engineer. Jones earned a reputation as an engineer who would always stay on schedule, even if it meant pushing the train to great and sometimes dangerous speeds—a trait that made him a popular employee. The public began to recognize Jones for the "whippoorwill call" he would make on the engine's whistle while driving through towns. Death On April 30, 1900, Jones volunteered to work a double shift to cover for a fellow engineer who was ill. He had just completed a run from Canton, Mississippi, to Memphis, Tennessee, and was now faced with the task of returning on board Engine No. 1 headed southbound. Sam Webb, a fireman for Illinois Central, accompanied Jones on the journey. The train was originally running more than an hour and a half behind, and Jones, determined to arrive as scheduled, ran the steam locomotive at speeds nearing 100 miles per hour in an effort to make up the time. As Jones took a turn into Vaughan, Mississippi, Webb warned him that there was another train parked on the tracks ahead of them. As quickly as he could, Jones grabbed the brake with one hand and pulled the whistle with the other in an attempt to warn those around the train. Jones then turned to Webb and told him to jump to safety, all the while still trying to slow the train. The collision was brutal. All passengers on the train survived, with the exception of Casey Jones, who was struck in the throat while still holding one hand on the break and one hand on the whistle. Legend Shortly after Casey Jones's death, Wallace Saunders, an engine wiper who worked for I.E., wrote "The Ballad of Casey Jones," a tribute to Jones, who Saunders greatly admired. The song was later adapted by William Leighton and sold to vaudeville artists. The ballad became extremely popular and ma


In which pantomime do the broker’s men traditionally appear?

It's Behind You - Cinderella   THE ORIGINS Cinderella- the most popular pantomime story owes its  popularity to Perrault. Either Charles or Pierre Perrault retold this  already ancient tale in �Histories ou Contes du temps pass��,  published in Paris in 1697. There are many older versions of this �rags to riches�  story �Scotland had a version called �Rashin Coatie�-after the  garment of rushes a King�s daughter had to wear because of her three wicked  step-sisters. In this version, as with many others, there is no fairy  godmother- Rashin Coatie  received her magic from a slaughtered calf- other  versions , like �Ashenputtel� from the Grimm Brothers  sees her with  two step-sisters, and she is aided by a white bird, perched on a tree. In  each case the heroine is able to meet her Prince through her kindness to  others. One version of the story had already been printed in  English before the Perrault publication- �Finetta the Cinder Girl� had been published in 1721 by Madam d�Aulnoy In this story three children are abandoned in the wood,  and are taken in by an Ogre. Two sisters live the grand life, and Finetta is  forced to be their servant. In this tale she discovers a golden key in the  ashes of the fire. This opens a chest filled with beautiful gowns, and  again, she gets to meet her Prince in disguise. Even earlier was the Italian story of �La Gatta  Cenerentola�- �The Hearth Cat� which dates from 1634. This is a  much darker tale, with the heroine not so pure of heart- by her plotting to  rid herself of her Step-mother  events pass which see her faced with six  step-sisters! This version actually has a fairy (living in a date tree)  who grants her wishes. Possibly the oldest version exists in China, from a book  written around 850-860AD. Yeh-hsien the heroine is  kept in rags by her step mother. This time it is a magic fish- or the ghost  of a magic fish that grants her desires. The version includes the loss of a  slipper, and after a search for the owner, Yeh-hsien gets to marry the King. The  Chinese story has nearly all the elements that occur in the later European  versions. The slipper- in some versions made of silk, is often believed to  be the result of a mis-translation of Perrault�s story- It has been mooted  that he described the slipper as �Vair�- rabbit fur, rather than �verre�-Glass.  However, it is likely that Perrault always intended the slipper to be made  of glass- glass cannot be stretched, and  by being made of glass, it could  be seen to fit. The final proof must be that the Perrault title was �Cendrillon,  ou la petit pantoufle de verre�. THE PERRAULT  'CINDERELLA' 'CINDERILLA' or The  Little Glass Slipper A gentleman- now a widower, married his second wife �The  proudest and most haughty woman that ever was known�. She had two daughters  who were exactly like her. The gentleman had a daughter by his former wife  �but of unparalleled goodness and sweetness of temper�. After the wedding the Step-Mother began to display her  ill humour. She could not bear the good qualities in her step-daughter, as  it made her own daughters all the more hated and despised. The gentleman�s  daughter was treated as a servant by these three, and lived in the top rooms  of the house in a garret,on a bed of straw, while her own daughters lay in  fine rooms, upon beds in the newest fashion. The poor girl bore all patiently, and dared not tell her  Father, who was governed entirely by his wife. When she had finished her  work, she would sit in the chimney corner, and sit down upon the cinders.  Her cruel step-sister gave her the name �Cinderbreech�, but the youngest of  her step-sisters, not as rude and uncivil as her sister called her �Cinderilla�. It happened that the King�s son gave a ball, and invited  all persons of quality to it. The step-sisters were invited to it, and were  very busy choosing out �such gowns, petticoats, and head-clothes as might  become them best�. This was a new trouble for Cinderilla, as she had to  iron, and pleat their ruffles. The Sisters


Which traditional pantomime is based on a work first published in 1719?

V&A The Origin of Popular Pantomime Stories Frontispiece for 'Jack and the Beanstalk', published by JL Marks, London, 1850s. Museum no. MB.JACB.MA, © Victoria and Albert Museum, London Pantomime text for 'jack and the Beanstalk' at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London, 1899. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London In the 19th century topical subjects began to be included in pantomime stories. 'The Birth of the Steam Engine or Harlequin Locomotive and Joe Miller and his Men' was a pantomime that appeared shortly after the first railway engine made its journey from Stockton to Darlington. By the 1840s the subject matter of Harlequinades had become more and more nonsensical. Pantomimes such as 'Harlequin and the Tyrant of Gobblemupandshrunkemdowno', and 'The Doomed Princess of the Fairy Hall with Forty Blood-red Pillars', told imaginative stories dominated by tomfoolery and slapstick. By the 1870s the fashion for Harlequinades was dying out and most pantomimes were drawing on fairy tales and nursery rhymes such as 'Aladdin', 'Cinderella', and 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears'. Pantomime writers In 1843 a Parliamentary Act stipulated that any theatre could now produce a play containing spoken dialogue. Before this date only some theatres were granted such a licence. Harlequin chase scenes were mimed, so theatres had been able to produce pantomime without the appropriate theatre licences. After this law was passed new writers began to script pantomimes. Two writers predominated in London pantomimes, Henry James Byron and James Robinson Planché. H.J. Byron had introduced burlesques into the theatre, and was a theatre manager and a playwright. Both writers specialised in puns or word play, a tradition that continues into pantomime today. Planche's stories, originally written in the 18th century included 'Sleeping Beauty', 'Little Red Riding Hood', 'Bluebeard' and 'Puss in Boots'. Pantomime stories Stories derived from English folk tales or ballads include: 'Dick Whittington and his Cat', 'Robinson Crusoe', 'Babes in the Wood', 'Robin Hood', 'St George and the Dragon', and 'Little Goody Two Shoes'. The stories derived from Madam d'Aulnoy's 1721 tales published in France include 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears', and a version of 'Cinderella'. Several pantomime stories come from the book The Arabian Nights, which was first published in the UK between 1704 and 1714: 'Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves', 'Aladdin', and 'Sinbad the Sailor'. 'Mother Goose' comes from French poet and essayist Charles Perrault who wrote a book of the same name dedicated to the King of France's niece. 'Cinderella' is one of the tales in this book. Cinderella Lillian Stanley as Cinderella, published in The Sketch Magazine, 20th January, 1897. Museum no. 131655, © Victoria and Albert Museum, London Newspaper illustration of a scene from Cinderella at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London, from 'The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News', 1875. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London Finale of Cinderella at the Birmingham Hippodrome, 1995-6. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London The story of Cinderella appears in many countries from Romania to Scandinavia. One version of it can be traced back to Madame d'Aulnoy's Fairy Tales published in 1721. The story was originally called 'The Story of Finetta, the Cinder Girl'. The first stage appearance of the story in England was at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in 1804 as part of the 'New Grand Allegorical Pantomime Spectacle'. This was written anonymously but based on a story by another French writer, Perrault, in Mother Goose's Rhymes. By 1820 the story of Cinderella had become a comic opera: Rossini's 'La Cenerentola'. This was the first version in which Cinderella's father was a Baron. It also featured Dandini, the prince's faithful servant. Just 12 weeks later the King's Opera in Covent Garden opened an Easter pantomime entitled 'Harlequin and Cinderella or the Little Glass Slipper'. This featured Baron Pomposini, and his wife was played by Grimaldi, the clown. It would be hard to imagine Grimaldi playing a serious role a


In which pantomime does Robin Hood normally appear?

It's Behind You - Babes in the Wood HISTORY: Based on an old English Ballad (preserved in the British Museum) of 1595, it tells the story of two children, abandoned deep in the forest upon the orders of their Wicked Uncle. First presented on the stage in 1793 as �The Children In The Wood�, an Opera performed at the Haymarket Theatre. It was created by Dr. Samuel Arnold. In this version the children survived, and were restored to their parents, but other versions stuck to the more gloomy conclusion of the original ballad. It was the subject of an operatic �Burletta� in 1812 at the Surrey Theatre. They succumbed to the elements in �Harlequin and Cock Robin: or, The Babes In The Wood� at Drury Lane in 1827,in what was the first �pantomime� version, and again in 1856 at the Haymarket. In 1867 the character of Robin Hood was introduced to the story. He rescued the babes from their fate, but this was not always the case. Covent Garden�s pantomime in 1874 kept the unhappy ending, and  also saw their Wicked Uncle meeting his death. In modern versions the babes always survive their ordeal, and the evil uncle is unmasked. The parts of the children have been interpreted in different ways-from small children to comedians. Dan Leno and Herbert Campbell appeared as �The Babes� at Drury Lane in 1897. More often the roles are taken by Juveniles, or actors who comfortably pass as juveniles to play �Boy Babe and Girl Babe�. THE STORY: When their Father dies, two young children- their names vary from one version to another- are entrusted into the care of their Uncle (sometimes portrayed as a wicked Baron). The uncle is eager to acquire the fortune left to the children and knows that it will pass to him if the children should die. He persuades two cronies (often called Good & Bad Robbers) to take the children deep into the woods and murder them. One of the cronies relents at the last moment, and kills his companion. The children are left to their fate. In some versions they are looked after by a guardian Fairy. They eat wild berries to survive, and when they fall asleep the birds cover them over with leaves to keep them warm. In the original ballad this was the ending- the Babes did not survive. In pantomime it is traditionally the end of Act One. ROBIN HOOD and The Babes In The Wood In later versions of the pantomime the Babes were discovered by Robin Hood and Maid Marion. The children are taken into their encampment in the forest and Marion often becomes their nurse. The Merry Men are often part of this story. The Story ends when the evil deeds of their uncle are revealed, and the children are restored. The introduction of Robin Hood to the pantomime version became very popular- often the title became �Robin Hood and The Babes In The Wood�. How exactly Robin Hood came to be connected to the story of �The Babes� is uncertain. The character of Robin Hood had been the subject of his own pantomime since �Merry Sherwood� in the 1790�s. a very far fetched theory could be that, in the original ballad  the Babes were discovered by a Robin (Redbreast)- the feathered type, and that by word association the name of Robin (Hood) came into play. Unlikely, but then so is Robin Hood�s appearance in their story! He first appeared in the �Babes In The Wood� in 1867 at Covent Garden. Robin Hood and his Merry Men, all played by women, were joined by Maid Marion who became the Nurse to the babes. Robin historically had lived two hundred years before the Babes In The Wood were born, but soon he became associated with their story in the world of pantomime. Because the story-line of the babes themselves is quite thin, introducing a second story- one already known to children- was a sensible idea. Rather than wait until the beginning of Act Two for Robin to find the babes, the pantomime versions often started with part of the Robin Hood legend. As late as 1888 The Times could still express surprise at Robin Hood�s connection with the Babes In The Wood, claiming the babes were �mixed up with the proceedings of R


Which boat made a famous crossing from Peru to Polynesia in 1947?

THE KONTIKI RAFT EXPEDITION SOUTH AMERICA TO POLYNESIA AND THOR HEYERDAHL GREAT EXPLORERS RAFTS AND RAFTING THOR                HEYERDAHL and the KON TIKI                EXPEDITION       During             1937 - 1938 Thor Heyerdahl received a zoological grant             to research animal life on the Marquesas Islands.  His interest soon turned as to how these Islands and             Polynesia in general, had become populated.    Heyerdahl             observed that wind and ocean streams flowed from across             the Pacific from east to west.  Since there were             cultural similarities to             be found on either side of this ocean, he formed the             theory that the Polynesian Islands had been populated             from South America.  This generated a storm of             protest from scientists, since it was widely accepted             that the islands had been populated from the east, from             Indonesia.         The             main argument against Heyerdahl's theory was the lack of             evidence of Pre-Colombian Indians in South America             having had sea-going vessels capable of crossing the             expanse of ocean between South America and Polynesia.     Thor             Heyerdahl was so convinced that the Polynesian Islands             were settled by people from Peru, South America, that he             needed to prove his theory.  He organized an             expedition of six men, built a primitive raft of balsa             wood and bamboo that had a small shelter, named it             Kontiki and on April 28, 1947, left Peru on a voyage             full of adventure, hoping the prevailing wind and ocean             current would bring them to Polynesia.   To             prove his theory, Heyerdahl decided to build a replica             of the Indian balsa wood rafts.  In 1947 he set off             on the 1st KonTiki expedition, finally making a landfall just as the raft             was sinking - it had become waterlogged.  He thus             successfully proved that Indian balsa wood rafts were             able to cross the Pacific Ocean.  Later in 1961             another raft was constructed and the KonTiki legend continued for others to enjoin. For communications the two             radio operators Kurt Haugland and Forstein Raaby used a             National NC-173 amateur radio receiver.  This was             powered by batteries and a hand cranked generator that             the crew continuously cranked when on the air.  Their call letters, LI2B were familiar to many who daily             kept in touch by amateur radio.  (KH and FR had             been in the Norwegian underground and had used a small             radio set in sabotage work against the Germans in World             War II)   Tuna,             bonito, shark and dolphins were in abundance and             provided their steady diet.  Sailing 50 to 60 miles             a day in the Humboldt Current and prevailing easterly             wind, the raft could only go forward, towards Polynesia.   A             heavy storm sent 15-foot waves over their raft, severely             damaging the cabin and the large steering oar.  A             cry of "man overboard" had all hands             struggling to rescue radio operator Forstein, who             narrowly escaped death. After 97 days they sighted Angatau Island, but due to             high wind could not land.  With limited steering


Which film featured the villainous Blue Meanies?

Blue Meanies | Villains Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Role in the film Taking over Pepperland Their first appearance is right at the beginning, when they assemble their troops to take over the fictional, musical land of Pepperland, as they hate any kind of music. Assembled and ready, they attack using anti-music missiles and small guns that petrifies the citizens. To add insult to injury, they lock the land's biggest source of music, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, inside a huge glass sphere that neutralizes their music. The land soon becomes a big gray wasteland and every Pepperlander ends up petrified, except for one man called "Old Fred" that is told by Pepperland's mayor to seek help, moments before his own capture. Fred quickly sails his Yellow Submarine to Liverpool, where he asks for the Beatles' help. Gathered by Ringo, they all agree to help the land and drive the Meanies away. Fighting the Beatles and redeeming After meeting the Nowhere Man Jeremy Hillary Boob Ph.D and having him captured by the Blue Meanies, the Beatles and Fred soon reach Pepperland, discovering that the whole land has become gray and devoid of color, and every citizen has been petrified and are now being used by the Meanies as a source of amusement. They The main Blue Meanie Chief. quickly sight the Chief Blue Meanie between the crowd and wait until nighttime so they can act while the Meanies are asleep. As they rush to an old stage where the Lonely Hearts Club Band's instruments are impounded, one of the common Meanies sights them and tries to shoot them, only to miss every shot. The Beatles manage to recover the instruments and disguise themselves as the band. When the sun rises, they try to sneak past the sleeping Meanies, but Ringo accidentally steps on a bagpipe, causing one of the Countdown Clowns to awake and alert the other Meanies of their escape. As they finally gain a chance to hide, they begin to sing " Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band " as they play the instruments, managing to revive Pepperland's citizens, as well as defeating a bunch of Blue Meanies as they sing. The singing immediately angers the Chief Meanie , so he sends his most destructive "soldier", the "Dreadful Flying Glove", to take out the band before they can sing any other songs. However, John manages to single-handedly defeat it by discovering that without its "G", all that is left of "glove" is "love", thus inspiring him to sing " All You Need is Love ". The song defeats the Glove and revives Pepperland to its fullest. The group also manages to free the Lonely Hearts Club Band from their prison, as they discover that the Band's members are alternate versions of themselves. Not wanting to give up so easily, the Chief decides to send in his Four-Headed Bulldog to finish them, but the new union of the Beatles and the Club Band sing " Hey Bulldog " together, defeating the Meanies' final effort to enslave the population and causing them to retreat. Amongst the ruckus, Ringo frees Jeremy from the Meanies as the Nowhere Man faces the Chief Meanie himself, managing to conjure a magic spell that fills the Chief's body with flowers and causing him to have a breakdown. As they cheer on their victory, John asks if the Meanies want to join them, which they happily do as they all celebrate with " It's All Too Much " playing on the background. Personality The Meanies are supposed to represent every bad person in the world. As a result, they are all despicable and abhorrent creatures who hate any source of music and never accept "Yes" as an answer. Types There are many types of Blue Meanies seen in the film. The only common trend between them is that they all have blue or at least bluish parts or garments on their bodies. Storm Bloopers: The most common variety, and the most seen. They wear navy-blue woolly coats, domino masks and Mickey Mouse -ear-like hats. Another common trend is that they have six claws on each hand, and wear a pair of yellow-and-orange striped tights. They are usually seen carrying weapons that fire pale-blue jagged arrows, which can petrify pe


Bridgetown is the capital of which island?

Bridgetown, capital city of Barbados All... Bridgetown, capital city of Barbados Bridgetown is not just the capital of Barbados; it is also the island's only city. More than 110,000 people call Bridgetown home, and it is the cultural, political and economic heart of the island nation. The city boasts beautiful architecture, a UNESCO World Heritage site, terrific shopping and world-class restaurants, all in a paradisiacal setting with blue skies, palm trees and the country's only natural harbor. The harbor made Bridgetown a key hub for commerce and trade during the 17th century, but it also made Barbados a target. The colonial powers of Spain, England, Holland and France were often battling over the Caribbean's prosperous islands, and Barbados soon was dotted with fortifications to protect the island. The largest fort is the Barbados Garrison, built in 1705. Today, the garrison's walls surround Bridgetown's historic district, whose serpentine layout and buildings are outstanding examples of colonial architecture. The Garrison district is now a perfect blend of historic buildings and modern amenities. There are many restaurants, beaches, galleries, boutiques, cafes and villas in the area, making it a favorite destination of both travelers and locals. The Chamberlain Bridge is just two miles south of the garrison in the capital's center. Originally built between 1865 and 1872, the bridge separates the outer and inner basins of the harbor, creating a safe space for fishing boats, catamarans and pleasure crafts. The Bridgetown boardwalk runs along the west side of the bridge and makes for a lovely waterfront stroll. At the west end of the boardwalk is a small park dedicated to the country's maritime history. Visitors can see some of the island's oldest cannons and read posters with fascinating facts about Barbados' pirates. The east end of the boardwalk leads to Independence Square, a quiet respite in the center of the city. The square has many benches that offer beautiful waterfront views of some of Bridgetown's most historic buildings, including the Parliament Building. The Museum of Parliament offers visitors a riveting inside-look at politics in Barbados, and the nearby National Heroes Gallery traces the lives and work of many influential citizens, including doctors, sportsmen, politicians and artists. The beaches that surround Carlisle Bay are considered to be some of the best in Barbados. The waters on the west side of the island are generally calmer and more suitable for swimming and diving than those on the east or north coasts, and what lies underwater is even more beautiful and intriguing than what is on land. Carlisle Bay is home to several species of exotic and brilliantly colored marine life, including reef squid, sea horses, barracudas, frog fish, moral eels, octopi, mackerel and more. The bay also contains the wrecks of six ships, including the coral-laden Berwyn, the country's first tugboat and a Canadian freighter sunk in World War II by a German torpedo. Bridgetown's nightlife is quite active, and although most bars and nightclubs do not open until later in the evening, they usually keep the party going until dawn. The beaches often play host to bonfire parties, where guests are treated to steel drum music and mouth-watering barbecues, and most establishments only charge a cover fee. After that, the drinks flow like water all night and you do not have to pay a single penny. Bridgetown Geographical Location Bridgetown is located in the southwest of Barbados on the Constitution River. The approximate population of Bridgetown is 100,000 and is Barbados’ largest city. Bridgetown Language English is the official and primary language of Barbados although it is a regional variant. Bridgetown Predominant Religion


What is the European term of a golf score known in the USA as a double eagle?

Double eagle: The golf term that makes no sense Double eagle: The golf term that makes no sense Everywhere but the USA, a score of 3-under par on a hole is known as an albatross. Post to Facebook Double eagle: The golf term that makes no sense Everywhere but the USA, a score of 3-under par on a hole is known as an albatross. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: http://usat.ly/10FsQWn CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. 3 To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs Double eagle: The golf term that makes no sense AP Published 12:03 p.m. ET April 9, 2013 | Updated 12:05 p.m. ET April 9, 2013 Gene Sarazen as an honorary starter for the Masters in 1997. He was a seven-time major champion and one of only five players to win all four of golf's modern majors. Sarazen, who also helped put the Masters on the map, died in 1999. (Photo: USA TODAY) Gene Sarazen's "shot heard round the world" in 1935 put the Masters on the map It also led to a golf term, double eagle, that doesn't really make sense Padraig Harrington: "It's an albatross ... There's no such thing in life as a double eagle" 168 CONNECT TWEET LINKEDIN 3 COMMENTEMAILMORE AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Gene Sarazen hit "the shot heard 'round the world," holing out with a 4-wood from 235 yards in the 15th fairway at Augusta National in 1935. He put a 2 on his card, made up a three-shot deficit with one swing, and then beat Craig Wood in a playoff the next day. It was the shot that put the Masters on the map. And it led to a golf term that was made in America, used only in America, and doesn't make a lick of sense. Double eagle? The golf writers deserved a double bogey for that one. "It's an albatross," Padraig Harrington said, incredulous that anyone would dare call it anything else. "There's no such thing in life as a double eagle. Is there? Two eagles side by side are two eagles, not a double eagle. You don't refer to animals ... 'Oh, I just saw a double elephant over there.' There's no doubting what it is. It's an albatross." On every other continent where golf is played, a score of 3-under par on a hole is known as an albatross. Where the term "double eagle" came from is one of golf's mysteries, and it simply doesn't add up. A birdie is universally known as a score of 1-under par on a hole. An eagle is 2-under par. Double that — a double eagle — and it would be 4-under par. "That's American mathematics for you," Hunter Mahan said. "That's why we're 40th in the world or whatever. I think albatross sounds cool." By whatever name, it's one of the rarest shots in golf. And it returned to the conversation last year at the Masters when Louis Oosthuizen made an albatross on the second hole of the final round. He hit 4-iron from 253 yards, the first 2 on that hole in Masters history. There has been one albatross on each of the par 5s at Augusta National — Bruce Devlin on No. 8 in 1967, Jeff Maggert on No. 13 in 1994 and Sarazen on the 15th in 1935. Sarazen's was the most famous. It was the first of its kind, and it led to him winning the tournament. GALLERY: GETTING READY FOR THE MASTERS A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. Tiger Woods hits a tee shot on the 15th hole during a practice round.  Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports Tiger Woods and Fred Couples walk across the Nelson Bridge on Wednesday.  Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports Tiger Woods walks up to the 12th tee box on Wednesday.  Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports Sunrise at Augusta on Wednesday, and Fred Couples is out on a practice round.  Andrew Redington, Getty Images Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano of Spain heads for the range Wednesday.  David Goldman, AP Bubba Watson and his pink driver on Wednesday.  Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports Keegan Bradley, Tiger Woods and Fred Couples walk into a bar. Just kidding. The three superstar golfers walk down the fairway of the 12th hole at Augusta on Wednesday.  Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Sports Justin Rose of England draws a crowd.  Mike Ehrmann, Getty Images Rory McIlroy h


Which TV series was about a quartet of students at Scumbag college?

The Young Ones - BBC2 Sitcom - British Comedy Guide Paul Jackson The Young Ones are misfit, house-sharing students at Scumbag College - Neil the hippie, Rick the "right-on" leftist anarchist, Vyvyan Basterd the punk medical student, and Mike The-Cool-Person. Only Mike attracts any respect: Vyvyan and Rick loathe each other, and all three look down on Neil, who acts as the unappreciated mother of the house. Their dysfunctional relationships with each other, lack of money, squalid surroundings, reluctance to attend any lectures and violent landlord Mr Balowski regularly combine to create anarchy in and around the house, even - or perhaps especially - when they're all deathly bored.


US Map - USA Map, Map of United States of America US Map Get Custom Mapping Quote  +1 408 637 0064 | sales@mapsofworld.com Disclaimer × Disclaimer  :  All efforts have been made to make this image accurate. However Compare Infobase Limited,its directors and employees do not own any responsibility for the correctness or authenticity of the same. The map of USA is available in different formats. Learn more about the state boundaries, international boundaries, important water bodies and capitals of all the 50 states of the country. Buy the map on Amazon.com printed on matte paper in 36 inch size; for more options in size along with digital formats, visit our store at Store.mapsofworld.com. USA Physical Map US History Back in the 1500s, the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León landed on the coast of Florida and Spain established the first European colony in North America. In 1700s, Britain gained control of the territories on the east of the Mississippi River. The motto displayed on the Great Seal of the USA is “E pluribus unum”, which means “Out of many, one.” The USA has no official language. The USA is divided into nine time zones . The total area of the USA is 9,857,306 sq. km, making it the third largest country in the world. The major rivers of the country are the Colorado, Columbia, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Rio Grande, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Snake River, and the Yellowstone. More than 800 rivers crisscross the Continental U.S. This map shows some of the longest rivers in the US . The Mississippi River combines with the Missouri River to form the fourth longest river system in the world. Of the five great lakes, Lake Superior, Huron, Erie and Ontario are shared by the USA and Canada and only Michigan lies entirely in the USA. The highest point in the USA is Mount McKinley in Alaska, which is 6,194 meters high. The lowest point is the Death Valley in California which lies 86 meters below sea level. The USA has more diverse ecosystems than any other nation in the world. Iconic flora of the USA includes the Prairie grass, the Giant Redwood of California and the Giant Saguaro cacti in the US deserts. Alaska's coastline is longer than the coastlines of all other states combined. The USA has 59 officially-designated National Parks spread over the 50 states. Here is a list of US National Parks . More on US Climate... Education and Health Public education is free and available to all students. Apart from public schools, private schools and home schools are two other options for schooling in the United States. Some of the American colleges and universities consistently rank among the top 20 in the world. Here is a list of Top Universities in USA . The literacy rate in the US is 99%. The life expectancy at birth is 78.7 years. However, it is not in the list of Top 10 Countries with Highest Life Expectancy . US Travel and Tourism The USA receives around seven million international visitors every year. Some of the most visited cities in the USA are New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., Honolulu, Boston, Chicago, San Diego, Philadelphia, and Seattle. Some of the favorite destinations for domestic American tourists were the US Virgin Islands , Hudson River Valley, Four Corners Region, California Gold Country, and Yellowstone National Park. The most visited tourist spots include the Times Square, the Las Vegas Strip, National Mall and Memorial Parks, Disney World's Magic Kingdom, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Niagara Falls, Great Smokey Mountains National Park, and Navy Pier. The state of Kentucky has the longest cave system in the world. The Universal Studio and Disneyland are among the best Theme Parks in the US Famous Americans


Geronimo was a leader of which Native American tribe?

Geronimo - Native American History - HISTORY.com Google When Geronimo died, he had been a legend for more than a generation. But his courage and determination did more than provide a battle cry for paratroopers of another day. It helped sustain the spirits of his people, the Chiricahua Apaches, in the last desperate days of the Indian wars. Geronimo was born in the upper Gila River country of Arizona . He came to maturity in the final years of Mexican rule of the region. His antagonism toward the Mexicans was as deep-rooted as it was understandable. In one fateful encounter, Mexican soldiers killed his mother, his wife, and his three small children. This tragic event steeled the young man for a long life of frequent conflict. In 1848, soon after the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo , in which Mexico ceded extensive lands in the Southwest to the United States, the Anglo-Americans made it clear they intended to restrict the old patterns of raiding and territorial use by the different Apache bands. The Anglo-American mines, ranches, and communities disrupted established Apache lifeways. The intruders set limits on where the Apaches could live and how. The Apaches, of course, had other ideas. The initial reservation established for the Chiricahua Apaches in 1872 included at least a portion of their homeland. The Chiricahuas were unhappy with the prospect of any reservation life, but their dismay turned to anger when they were evicted from this reserve and forcibly gathered with other Apache groups on the San Carlos Reservation in Arizona in the mid-1870s. Geronimo bitterly resented the move, and he especially disliked San Carlos. For the next decade he and his followers repeatedly broke out from what they saw as imprisonment. Once clear of San Carlos, they were difficult to locate and bring back, for they knew well the country of southern Arizona and northern Mexico. Time after time, Geronimo sought a more unfettered existence, despite the best efforts of the U.S. Army. Geronimo’s repeated escapes embarrassed and provoked politicians, army officers, and the non-Indian populace of the Southwest. His very name brought terror to the people who continually heard of his evading capture and occasionally killing Anglo-Americans and Mexicans. Territorial newspaper headlines blared his name, time and again. His final surrender to Gen. Nelson Miles in Skeleton Canyon, Arizona, just north of the Mexican border, on September 4, 1886, truly marked the end of a chapter in Apache and western American history. It meant exile for himself and almost four hundred of his fellows. They were sent by train to incarceration at Fort Pickens, Florida ; Mount Vernon Barracks, Alabama ; and finally, in 1894, Fort Sill, near Lawton, Oklahoma . Geronimo spent more than fourteen years at Fort Sill, although he was allowed sporadically to appear at world’s fairs and other gatherings. He was a celebrity in defeat but still a captive when he died and was buried at Fort Sill in the new state of Oklahoma. Angie Debo, Geronimo: The Man, His Time, His Place (1976). PETER IVERSON 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. Tags


What did bluesman B.B. King name his first guitar?

The Legacy of Lucille: The Surprising Story Behind B.B. King's Guitar - Rolling Stone The Legacy of Lucille: The Surprising Story Behind B.B. King's Guitar The Legacy of Lucille: The Surprising Story Behind B.B. King's Guitar After it was rescued from a fire, the guitar became an icon B.B. King and his guitar, Lucille, were virtually inseparable for more than a half-century. Credit: Paul Natkin/Getty Eric Clapton had "Blackie" and "Brownie"; Willie Nelson has "Trigger" ; Keith Richards, "Micawber." But before all of them, B.B. King  had "Lucille." More News B.B. King, Blues Legend, Dead at 89 Brilliant bluesman who inspired a generation of guitarists and singers dies after decades-long battle with diabetes For more than a half-century, the bluesman and Lucille have been virtually inseparable — few, if any, relationships between man and guitar have persevered for as long or proven more fruitful. Lucille is the stinging single-note lines that punctuate "The Thrill Is Gone" and "Sweet Little Angel"; the embodiment of the whole of American blues music on U2's "When Love Comes to Town"; and, more generally speaking, the sound that has stirred and inspired guitarists for generations. Lucille also serves as B.B. King's voice, as much as the bluesman's actual voice. "The minute I stop singing orally," he once said , "I start to sing by playing Lucille." One thing that Lucille is not — unlike Blackie, Trigger or Micawber — is a one-of-a-kind instrument. Through the years, there have been many Lucilles. Today, Lucille is widely recognized as a black-with-gold-hardware Gibson ES-355–style guitar. But she came into being as a much different instrument, one born — in a origin story befitting a blues icon — in a burst of fighting and fire. Related PHOTOS: 10 Legendary Acts That Wouldn't Exist Without B.B. King From Jimi Hendrix to Stevie Ray Vaughan, King's impact is large and undeniable Lucille's beginnings date to 1949, when King, then in his early 20s, was performing at a nightclub in Twist, Arkansas, in the dead of winter. To heat the cold room, King recalled in a video interview , "they would take something that looked like a big garbage pail, half fill it with kerosene, light that fuel [and] set it in the middle of the dance floor." All well and good, but on this night, a fight broke out between two men, and the pail was knocked over. "It spilled on the floor, it looked like a river fire," the guitarist said. "And everyone started to run for the front door, including B.B. King." The blueseman managed to make it to safety outside — only to realize he had left his guitar behind. He raced back inside to retrieve it even as the wooden building, he said, "started to fall in around me." The next day, he learned that two men had died in the blaze and that the fight that had set off the tragic chain of events had been over a woman who worked at the club. Her name was Lucille.  Werner B.B., who claimed he "almost lost [his] life" rushing back into the nightclub, christened his guitar after her, he said, "to remind me never to do a thing like that again." The original Lucille — the guitar King rescued that night in the fire — was an inexpensive, small-bodied Gibson L-30 archtop. The singer would go on to play a range of guitars over the ensuing years, attaching the Lucille name to each one. He was particularly drawn to Gibsons of the semi-hollow "ES" (Electric Spanish) variety, such as the ES-335 model that can be heard on his legendary 1965 disc, Live at the Regal. He eventually arrived at the ES-355, a top-of-the-line model boasting stately looks (gold-plated hardware, multi-layered binding, big mother-of-pearl fretboard markers) and a sharp but sweet tone bolstered by dual humbucking pickups and stereo and mono outputs. The ES-355 remained B.B.'s instrument of choice until the early Eighties, when he collaborated with Gibson to create his own signature model. Known as the Gibson "Lucille," the guitar was essentially a 355 outfitted with several modifications, some of them aesthetic (the personalized "Lucille" headstock), and others mor


What was the original name of Leicester City F.C.?

Official Website of the Foxes - Leicester City FC latest news, photos and videos Leicester City Business Finder is powered by city-visitor.com & cityvisitor.co.uk By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. You can change this and find out more by following this link . Accept Cookies


In “Open All hours” which actress delivered the milk?

Open All Hours Cast | List of All Open All Hours Actors and Actresses Open All Hours Cast List 6.5k views 8 items tags f t p @ Open All Hours cast list, including photos of the actors when available. This list includes all of the Open All Hours main actors and actresses , so if they are an integral part of the show you'll find them below. You can various bits of trivia about these Open All Hours stars, such as where the actor was born and what their year of birth is. This cast list of actors from Open All Hours focuses primarily on the main characters, but there may be a few actors who played smaller roles on Open All Hours that are on here as well. This list features items like David Jason Barbara Flynn , and many more. If you are wondering, "Who are the actors from Open All Hours?" or "Who starred on Open All Hours?" then this list will help you answer those questions. In most cases you can click on the names of these popular Open All Hours actors and actresses to find out more information about them. If you're looking for a particular Open All Hours actor or actress, then type their name into the "search" bar to find them directly.


In “Porridge” which warder was played by Brian Wilde?

Brian Wilde - The Full Wiki The Full Wiki More info on Brian Wilde   Wikis       Note: Many of our articles have direct quotes from sources you can cite, within the Wikipedia article! This article doesn't yet, but we're working on it! See more info or our list of citable articles . Related top topics Top rankings for Brian Wilde 2nd From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Brian Wilde Spouse(s) Eva Stuart Brian George Wilde (13 June 1927 – 20 March 2008) was an English actor , best known for his roles in television comedy , including Mr Barrowclough in Porridge and "Foggy" Dewhurst in Last of the Summer Wine . His lugubrious world-weary face was a staple of British television for forty years. Contents 4 External links Career Whilst born in Ashton-under-Lyne , Lancashire [1] , he was brought up in Devon and Hertfordshire and attended Richard Hale School . He trained as an actor at RADA . [1] He had a small part in the horror film Night of the Demon (1957) and early television roles included the series The Love of Mike (1960) and supporting Tony Hancock in episodes of his ATV series in 1963. He also played Detective Superintendent Halcro in a series of two-part thrillers about undercover Scotland Yard officers, The Men from Room Thirteen (BBC, 1959-61). He had minor roles in films such as Life for Ruth (1962), The Bargee (1964), The Jokers (1967) and Carry On Doctor (1968), and on television in Room at the Bottom (1966-67) as Mr Salisbury. His first major television success was in 1970 as refuse depot manager "Bloody Delilah" in the ITV sitcom The Dustbinmen . He showed his sinister side as the mischievous magician Mr Peacock in the children's drama series Ace of Wands between 1970 & 1972. In 1971, he starred as a murderer in The Uninvited, an episode of the BBC's supernatural thriller series Out of the Unknown . Also in 1971, in the television drama Elizabeth R , Wilde played the efficient, merciless 'rackmaster' Richard Topcliffe, who was charged with the torture of prisoners in the Tower of London . Advertisements Porridge Brian Wilde as prison warder Mr. Barraclough In 1973, he starred as a different kind of gaoler in the second episode of Seven of One , a series of seven individual stories, all of which starred Ronnie Barker . In the episode, entitled "Prisoner and Escort", Wilde played Mr Barrowclough , a prison officer whose job it is to escort Barker's character Fletch across the moors to his prison. The episode proved popular and a series was commissioned by the BBC , called Porridge . Wilde reprised his role as the timid and eager-to-please Barraclough. Porridge was popular and successful; it ran until 1977, with a film version being made in 1979. Last of the Summer Wine Wilde established another famous role in 1976, when he took over from Michael Bates as the third member of a trio of old men in the BBC sitcom Last of the Summer Wine . The character, Walter "Foggy" Dewhurst, was a determined ex-army man who planned the group's misadventures with military precision and a painstaking eye for detail. Wilde saw the long-running series gather momentum and continue its success. He stayed with the series for 9 years before leaving in 1985, to work on other projects. Foggy was written out of the series - it was said that he had moved to Bridlington to take over the family egg painting business - and was replaced by Michael Aldridge as Seymour Utterthwaite until 1990. When Aldridge left Last of the Summer Wine, Wilde returned as Foggy in 1990, reuniting the series' most popular and enduring line-up. Suffering from a mild infection, Wilde stood down for the first five episodes of the 1997 series in case his illness worsened. His temporary absence was covered by Frank Thornton ; Wilde himself suggested Thornton as a replacement. The filming of a Christmas Special made to introduce Thornton's character resulted in a scheduling problem that made it impossible for Wilde, who was by then fully fit, to return in that series. Producer Alan J.W. Bell said, "Since then, he has been invited to return many times, but says he feels he h


Which character was Charlie Farley’s partner in” the Two Ronnies”?

"The Two Ronnies" Episode #6.7 (TV Episode 1978) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error In the sketches we see some of the side effects of medicine, Dr Spooner goes to a book shop, Piggy Malone and Charlie Farley continue with "Stop You're Killing Me", we see what happens one ... See full summary  » Writers: Search for " Episode #6.7 " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Title: Episode #6.7 (02 Jan 1978) 7.9/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Add Image Add an image Do you have any images for this title? Edit Storyline In the sketches we see some of the side effects of medicine, Dr Spooner goes to a book shop, Piggy Malone and Charlie Farley continue with "Stop You're Killing Me", we see what happens one night in a hotel laundry, there is reunion in The Adventurers Club, Ronnie tells a very old joke about a traveller to Portsmouth, and the final musical item is a barbershop quartet set in a barbers shop. The performance in this episode is by The Nolan Sisters. Written by jem


Which Shakespeare play has the subtitle ‘What you will’?

10 Famous Books With Lesser-Known Subtitles | Mental Floss 10 Famous Books With Lesser-Known Subtitles smith.edu Like us on Facebook 1. Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. Many see this as Mary Shelley's answer to the Industrial Revolution—she was rather skeptical that the type of progress being made was good progress. 2. Slaughterhouse Five: or The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death 3.Oliver Twist: The Parish Boy's Progress. Dickens was a big fan of subtitles – others included A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas, Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of Eighty and David Copperfield or The Personal History, Adventures, Experience and Observation of David Copperfield the Younger of Blunderstone Rookery (Which He never meant to be Published on any Account). 4. Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life. 5. Peter Pan, or, The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up 6. Twelfth Night, or What You Will. Twelfth Night is one of only two Shakespeare plays to have a subtitle. The other is Henry VIII, or All Is True. Some Shakespeare scholars suggest he was mocking the whole subtitle craze by giving Twelfth Night a completely useless subtitle that added absolutely no extra information about the play. 7. Roots: The Saga of an American Family 8. Tess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented 9. Vanity Fair: A Novel Without a Hero 10. Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor Did any of these surprise you? Do you know of any others? More from mental_floss...


Edinburgh university lecturer Joseph Bell was the inspiration for which character?

Joseph Bell | Baker Street Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit Bell was a great-grandson of Benjamin Bell, a forensic surgeon. In his instruction, Joseph Bell emphasized the importance of close observation in making a diagnosis. To illustrate this, he would often pick a stranger and, by observing him, deduce his occupation and recent activities. These skills caused him to be considered a pioneer in forensic science (forensic pathology in particular) at a time when science was not yet widely used in criminal investigations. Bell studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh Medical School and received an MD in 1859. Bell served as personal surgeon to Queen Victoria whenever she visited Scotland. He also published several medical textbooks. Bell was a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, a Justice of the Peace, and a Deputy Lieutenant. Bell wrote the book Manual of the Operations of Surgery, which was published in 1883. [1] Joseph Bell died on 4 October, 1911. He was buried at the Dean Cemetery in Edinburgh alongside his wife, Edith Katherine Erskine Murray, and their son Benjamin, and next to his father's and brother's plots. Inspiration for Sherlock Holmes Edit sir Arthur Conan Doyle met Bell in 1877, and served as his clerk at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. Doyle later went on to write a series of popular stories featuring the fictional character Sherlock Holmes , who Doyle stated was loosely based on Bell and his observant ways. [2] Bell was aware of this inspiration and took some pride in it. According to Irving Wallace (in an essay originally in his book The Fabulous Originals but later republished and updated in his collection The Sunday Gentleman),[citation needed] Bell was involved in several police investigations, mostly in Scotland, such as the Ardlamont Mystery of 1893, usually with forensic expert Professor Henry Littlejohn (surgeon born 1826). Dramatisation Edit The BBC television series Murder Rooms: The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes was a fictionalised account of Doyle 's time as Bell's clerk. The series may have exaggerated Bell's criminal investigations, as well as the degree to which Holmes was based on Bell (played by Ian Richardson ), and positioned Doyle in the role of a Dr Watson to Bell's Holmes. The original one-off production – which led to the later series – was released on DVD and VHS in the US in 2003, titled Dr. Bell and Mr. Doyle – The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes. In 2006, Stone Publishing House published a book, written by historian Dr Robert Hume, aimed at schoolchildren titled Dr. Joseph Bell – The Original Sherlock Holmes.[citation needed] Memorial Edit A bronze plaque was erected to Joseph Bell at 2 Melville Crescent, Edinburgh on 8 October 2011, marking the centenary of his death. Organised and funded by The Japan Sherlock Holmes Club, the building at this address, which was his home for his final decades, is now the Japanese Consulate in Edinburgh.


What information did members of the Waffen S.S. have tattooed on their arms?

SS blood type tattoo - WWII General - WWII Forums → WWII General We Need Your Help - Become a Site Supporter For 16 years we've been delivering WWII discussion and research, help support our efforts for the next 16 years. Become a WW2 Forums Patron ! SS blood type tattoo Started by Wolfy , Jun 12 2009 01:10 PM Please log in to reply 5 replies to this topic 1,900 posts Posted 12 June 2009 - 01:10 PM Mundane question, but why were these required for all members of the SS? Armed or General SS, etc.? 2    Posted 12 June 2009 - 01:17 PM I recall it was for the quicker transfusion when they saw the blood group straight away. And I think it was for the Waffen-ss. Found something in a previous posting: Blood Group Tattoo Many members of the SS had their blood type tattooed under their left underarm, 7cm long and 20cm up from the elbow. The purpose of the tattoo was for medics to quickly determine a wounded man's blood type. Despite the fact that the tattoo was mentioned in a a soldiers ID papers, not all Waffen-SS troops were branded with it. After the war, Allied investigators used the blood group tattoo to identify potential war crimes suspects; which prompted many SS members to burn or disfigure their underarm to avoid capture. However, SS officers were not obligated to get the tattoo - undoubtedly aiding their chances to evade capture and interrogation. All members of the Waffen-SS were required to have a tattoo on his left arm verifying his blood group. Note that not all members actually had a tattoo even though it was required, this included any of the high ranking officers and those who joined the Waffen-SS in the later part of the war. The tattoo was normally applied to those who did their basic training in the Waffen-SS, but also non-Waffen-SS soldiers could get the tattoo if they were treated in the Waffen-SS field hospitals. Two different types of tattoos existed, one in gothic lettering and one in latin lettering, the latter one being used later in the war. Wolfy and AndyPants like this


What was the Monkees’ second UK hit single?

The Monkees: The Monkees - Music on Google Play ( 5) Description The Monkees is the first album by the band The Monkees. It was released in October 1966 by Colgems Records in the United States and RCA Victor in the rest of the world. It was the first of four consecutive U.S. number one albums for the group, taking the top spot on the Billboard 200 for 13 weeks, after which it was displaced by the band's second album. It also topped the UK charts in 1967. The Monkees has been certified quintuple platinum by the RIAA, with sales of over five million copies. The song "Last Train to Clarksville" was released as a single shortly before the release of the album and went to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was the only hit single from the album. "I'll Be True to You" was previously released as a single by The Hollies in January 1965 under the title "Yes I Will".


In 1957 who took “Last train to San Fernando” into the UK charts?

Obituary: Johnny Duncan | News | The Guardian Johnny Duncan Tennessee hillbilly singer who helped pave the way for Britain's rock revolution John Pilgrim Share on Messenger Close In the summer of 1957, the Tennessee singer Johnny Duncan, who has died of cancer in Australia aged 67, achieved a one-off hit, Last Train To San Fernando. It epitomised the spirit of the British skiffle boom, remained in the top 20 for weeks and featured an irritating, compulsive catchline that reverberated down the rest of the century. Duncan had not wanted to record the song - he was a hillbilly country singer with one eye on rock 'n' roll - and he was to pay a price for his association with skiffle. But he had a good voice, a talent for the guitar and mandolin, and, in an era when inept imitation of transatlantic rock 'n' roll plagued British pop, he was, at least, a real American. It was a time when Musicians Union restrictions limiting the entry of American stars increased the exoticism of those few transatlantic imports. And Duncan was the first in a line of US pop singers - Geno Washington, the Walker Brothers, PJ Proby et al - whose careers blossomed in Britain. Duncan was a miner's son, born in Oliver Springs, Tennessee. He sang with his local church choir and later with a gospel quartet before heading for Texas in his mid-teens. There he learned guitar and performed with a hillbilly trio. Then came the draft. He arrived as a serviceman in England in 1952. A year later he married a Cambridgeshire girl, Betty. After a brief return to the US, her illness and homesickness brought them back, and he briefly worked on her father's market clothes stall. It was while performing at the American Club in Bushey Park that Duncan attracted the attention of Dickie Bishop, banjoist with the then hugely successful Chris Barber jazz band. The band had been the launchpad for the "king of skiffle", Lonnie Donegan, who had quit Barber following the phenomenal success of Rock Island Line. Bishop recalls inviting Duncan to the White Hart in Southall to meet Barber - and he was taken on for £10 a week. The American stayed with the band - or with the Chris Barber Skiffle Group, within it - for a year, performing live, recording and broadcasting. By early 1957, alongside the impact of American rock 'n' roll, skiffle, that "peculiar mixture of country, gospel, folk and blues" as Duncan's sometime recording manager Keith Glass labelled it, had emerged as a British phenomenon, and indeed the seedbed of domestic rock 'n' roll, with Donegan and others enjoying a string of hits. Thus did Duncan leave Barber and, guided by producer Dennis Preston, recruited the Blue Grass Boys, Lennie Hastings, Denny Wright, Jack Fallon and Danny Levan. Their first single, Hank Williams's Kaw Liga in April 1957, flopped. Then, two months later, came Last Train To San Fernando. The Duke Of Iron had recorded the song as a calypso, and Preston's Caribbean wife had drawn the song to her husband's attention. "I'd have chucked it in the trash can," Duncan said subsequently, an observation which may have led later to suggestions that he was a redneck racist. But Preston would not have recorded him if he had been; Fallon refutes the charge, and so do those - like me - who played on the same circuit as he did. Duncan just didn't like the song. It was fortunate that Wright did. With Duncan's bassist and manager Jack Fallon, Wright worked up an arrangement - and provided the sparkling guitar - that, together with Duncan's singing, made it a best seller. It was Paul Anka's multi-million selling Diana that blocked it from number one. Duncan the Tennessee hillbilly singer briefly became a British star. He sounded authentic. When he sang of "blowing down that old dusty road", listeners believed he had been there, rather than - as with his English contemporaries - confined hard travelling to the number nine bus route. He headlined over visiting Americans singers like Marvin Rainwater, starred on BBC television's first teen slot, The 6.5 Special, had his own BBC radio series, Tennessee Songbag, and t


Which is the smallest true thrush normally seen in Britain?

List of countryside birds in more urban areas - Telegraph Wildlife List of countryside birds in more urban areas Countryside birds are increasingly moving into towns because the big freeze  has meant food is harder to find, according to the RSPB.   Follow Here is a list of the unusual visitors, courtesy of the RSPB: Redwing: Most commonly encountered as a winter bird and is Britain's smallest true thrush. Its creamy strip above the eye and orange-red flank patches make it distinctive. They roam across the countryside, feeding in fields and hedgerows, rarely visiting gardens, except in the coldest weather when snow covers the fields. Fieldfare: Large, colourful thrushes, much like a mistle thrush in general size, shape and behaviour. They stand very upright and move forward with purposeful hops. They are very social birds, spending the winter in flocks of anything from a dozen or two to several hundred strong. Bittern: A thickset heron with all-over bright, pale, buffy-brown plumage covered with dark streaks and bars. It flies on broad, rounded, bowed wings. Very difficult to see, as it moves silently through reeds at water's edge, looking for fish. The males make a far-carrying, booming sound in spring. Its dependence on reedbeds and very small population make it a Red List species - one of the most threatened in the country. Woodcock: A large bulky wading bird with short legs, and a very long straight tapering bill. It is largely nocturnal, spending most of the day in dense cover. Most of the birds in the UK are residents; in the autumn birds move to the UK from Finland and Russia to winter here. Related Articles


What is the correct term for a female bear?

Bear Behaviour - BearSmart.com Building Bear Smart Communities Behaviour Understanding bear behaviour is an essential part of creating safe environments for both bears and people. More often than not, bear behaviour is misinterpreted. People all too often interpret what a bear does in terms of their own fear. To truly understand bear behaviour, you must interpret bear postures and vocalizations in terms of what the bear fears. Bear behaviour can be predictable. The more you can learn about bears and how they behave, the less likely you will be to have a negative encounter or misinterpret interactions. Bears are predictable. In fact, bears are usually more predictable than people. If you learn more about bears and how to interpret their behaviour, you will be able to react appropriately when you see them and avoid a negative encounter. Bears are NOT ferocious. They are NOT mean or malicious. Bears are normally shy, retiring animals that have very little desire to interact with humans. Unless they are forced to be around humans to be near a food source, they usually choose to avoid us. Bears, like humans and other animals, have a “critical space” – an area around them that they may defend. Once you have entered a bear’s critical space, you have forced the bear to act – either to run away or be aggressive. The size of the critical space is different for every bear and every situation. Although black bears and grizzly bears do share some common traits, it’s important to understand the difference in the way they react to perceived threats. Each species has evolved different strategies for survival. Black bears, for instance, are usually less aggressive and more tolerant of people. They often live near human settlements, whereas grizzly bears prefer to stay away from human settlements and are often extirpated from heavily used or populated areas. Black bears are excellent climbers. When a black bear is threatened he usually runs from the perceived threat or goes up a tree. With cubs out of danger, female black bears don’t have to make vigorous defences that risk potential injury. Although black bears tend to retreat from people, they are still incredibly strong animals that can cause injuries. Today, brown (or grizzly) bears tend to live in coastal or mountain forests, but they evolved in treeless habitat that influenced their behavioural response to perceived threats. For instance, they are more likely than black bears to defend themselves when threatened. A black bear’s first line of defence is retreat, but grizzlies, especially sows with cubs, can be very aggressive towards other bears and people they perceive as threats. Grizzlies are not good tree climbers, though it’s important to note that they can climb trees. For instance, a mother grizzly will usually aggressively defend her cubs on the ground rather then send them up a tree as a black bear sow will. Bears are very curious and will inspect odours, noises and objects to determine if they are edible or playable. Standing up on its hind legs allows a bear to get more information from its senses of smell, sight and hearing. It is a sign of curiosity, not aggression. Bears are usually active from dawn to dusk, but they may be seen any time of day or night. Bears in many places of high human use have become nocturnal in order to avoid people. While others have become habituated to people in order to gain access to their plentiful buffet of improperly stored garbage and other attractants. Bears can be very social. Bears are often described as asocial when compared to wolves, chimps or lions, but to use the term “asocial” to describe bears is incorrect. While bears do not live in extended family groups or join in hunts, they can co-exist in very close proximity to each other and in fact form alliances and friendships – some adult bears have even been known to mentor younger unrelated bears; young unrelated subadults hang around in pairs and even groups (likely because there is strength in numbers). The bears of a region are usually familiar with one another and meetings cons


kangaroo: Types of Kangaroos kangaroo Types of Kangaroos The largest kangaroo, and largest of all marsupials, is the great red kangaroo, M. rufus, which inhabits the inland plains of Australia. Males of this species may be over 7 ft (210 cm) tall and weigh over 200 lbs (90 kg). They are bright maroon in color, with white faces and underparts. Females, called blue flyers, are blue-gray; smaller and faster than the males, they may achieve speeds of 30 mi (48 km) per hr. The great gray kangaroo, M. canguru, is almost as large; it is found in open forest areas of E and W Australia and in Tasmania. A related kangaroo, M. robustus, is known as the wallaroo and inhabits rocky hills throughout most of the continent. Smaller, but quite similar in appearance and behavior, are members of the kangaroo family called wallabies and pademelons, of which there are many species, classified in several genera. Some of these are plains dwellers, others live among rocks or in scrub country; most are about the size of a rabbit. Of similar size are the tree and rat kangaroos. Tree kangaroos, species of the genus Dendrolagus, are the only arboreal members of the family. Found in the rain forests of New Guinea and N Australia, they climb well and can leap from branch to branch. Rat kangaroos are omnivorous animals of ratlike appearance. They feed largely on roots and fungi; members of many species live in burrows. They are classified in several genera and are distributed throughout the Australian region. Sections in this article:


Who was the first sportsman to be British Sports Personality of the Year twice?

Muhammad Ali named BBC Sportsman of the Century | The Independent Muhammad Ali named BBC Sportsman of the Century Sunday 12 December 1999 00:00 BST Click to follow The Independent Online Muhammad Ali always said he was 'The Greatest'. Tonight the British public agreed by naming him BBC Sports Personality of the Century. Muhammad Ali always said he was 'The Greatest'. Tonight the British public agreed by naming him BBC Sports Personality of the Century. Ali, who won more votes than the other four candidates together, collected his award at a star-studded gala occasion in London. The finest sporting heroes in Britain gazed in awe as Ali stood at the centre of the studio, boxing stars past and present having paid their own tributes to the man they unanimously called their mentor. Parkinson's disease has stripped Ali of much of his speech and movement but he remains an irresistible icon to all. And it was an emotional sight as Ali clasped the award and proved he had lost none of his legendary charm and wit. He said slowly: "I'd like to thank the British people for giving me this great welcome and thank you for this award. "I had a good time boxing, I enjoyed it - and I may come back!" In a prepared statement, Ali paid tribute to the British public, in front of whom he boxed three times professionally. "Ever since I first came here in 1963 to fight Henry Cooper, I have loved the people of England," Ali said. "They have always been extremely warm and welcoming to me, which is why I am especially honoured to accept the BBC's Sports Personality of the Century. I give thanks to God and to all the people in the UK who have supported me over the years." Ali had three professional fights in Britain, most famously his first visit in May 1966. Then known as Cassius Clay, he was decked by Henry Cooper in round four before coming back to force a cuts stoppage of the Briton in the following round. It was alleged in some quarters that Ali's corner had bought valuable recovery time after his knockdown by enhancing a small cut in his glove at the end of the round and calling for a replacement. Ali returned three years later to stop Cooper in round six, and three months later outclassed Brian London on his last fighting visit to this country. The BBC award is already the third Ali has received as a tribute to his influence on a century of sport. He also won the Sports Illustrated Athlete of the Century Award and the World Sports Award's World Sportsman of the Century. That Ali would be officially recognised as 'The Greatest' was in little doubt. While it would be quite correct to state that the other shortlisted legends like Pele, Sir Donald Bradman and Jack Nicklaus were as accomplished in their chosen sports as was Ali in boxing - indeed, there are those who insist Sugar Ray Robinson was even better in the ring - nobody else has managed to transcend sport quite like Ali. Using his platform as three-times world heavyweight champion, Ali campaigned against repression and abuse of civil liberties the world over. He was even willing to let his coveted crown be ripped away from him rather than join the US army and fight in Vietnam. In retirement Ali still continues to campaign for the causes in which he believes. His illness may have ravaged those lightning reflexes but his eyes still burn with passion and with his desire to use his position to make a difference. And they glow with the memories of his greatest nights, of which there were many. In 1964, when he stunned Sonny Liston to win the world title for the first time. In 1974, when he once again upset the odds to knock out George Foreman in the unforgettable 'Rumble in the Jungle'. In 1975, when he was taken to the brink by Joe Frazier before triumphing after 14 rounds in Manila. They are the greatest of memories from a man who has lived up to his boasts and become without question the greatest sportsman of the century. Other contenders for the BBC's top award included Brazilian soccer star Pele and American track athlete Jesse Owens. British boxer Lennox Lewis scooped the BBC personality