Which composer wrote a 'German Requiem'?

Brahms' German Requiem: History and Criticism BACK TO ESSAYS -- PRINT VERSION Ein deutsches Requiem: (Mis)conceptions of the Mass From its first performance in Vienna in 1867, Johannes Brahms' German Requiem has been the subject of critical debate, often polemical, controversial, and even contradictory. Even the conditions surrounding the composer's choice of the Requiem form have sparked numerous debates ranging from historical and personal motivating factors to Brahms' own religious beliefs and intentions. On a musical level, the text has been praised, attacked, accepted, and reevaluated in a circular, cyclical progression: from the early debates between Brahms' and Wagner's respective supporters to the newfound acclaim from Schoenberg and other modern theorists, the only element of the Requiem's reception that has remained in any way constant is its continued popularity in concert performances. Certain key issues, most notably Brahms' use of traditional compositional elements and the enigmatic religious debates surrounding his choice of texts, can be seen to be the motivating factors throughout the reception of the work and to the present day. By examining these and other factors in greater detail, we can arrive at an appraisal of the Requiem's sometimes puzzling historical and musicological position. As with any such musical masterpiece, much study has been devoted to reconstructing the process by which Brahms came to produce the German Requiem. It appears, by all accounts, that the idea for the piece was already well-conceived by April of 1865, when Brahms mentioned his plans in several letters to Clara Schumann. He avoided particular details, but seemed to have the basic structure of the work clearly in mind, and he had apparently already decided on the individual texts (taken from the Luther Bible) as well. The writing of the Requiem began intensively in February of 1866, and the bulk of the piece -- movements 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 -- was complete by August of the same year. The next few months, through December of 1866, brought revisions and minor changes, which were also discussed with several of his correspondents, among them Clara Schumann and Joseph Joachim. The first two performances of the work, in Vienna and Bremen in 1867-8, led to further revisions of the existing movements [1] and the final addition of the fifth movement, written from April to June of 1868 and performed in a private concert in September. The motivations for Brahms' composition are a complicating factor in the work's production history. Early critics, among them Max Kalbeck, Brahms' first biographer, insisted that the idea for a Requiem mass was inspired by the death of the composer's mother, in 1865. This date does coincide with the letters written to Clara Schumann, and Brahms does in fact mention that his work was spurred on by the memory of his mother; in addition, the textual excerpts from the Luther Bible refer to a motherly comfort which consoles those whom the dead have left behind: "ich will euch trösten, wie einen seine Mutter tröstet." Later critics, however, have also noted that Brahms was greatly affected by the death of his friend and benefactor Robert Schumann, and had considered, within months after Schumann's death in 1856, composing some sort of musical memorial to him. Undoubtedly, as Musgrave has concluded, "it seems unlikely that there was only one personal influence on the Requiem," [2] and that both his mother's and Schumann's death were for Brahms "a stimulus to the completion of existing ideas, rather than the source of them." [3] Indeed, on numerous later occasions Brahms was heard to insist that his Requiem was intended for all humanity, despite (or indeed because of) its title; its innate themes of melancholy and consolation are applicable to any number of occasions. Not surprisingly, some critics have searched for other possible motivating factors for the Requiem, often with quite surprising results: Erb, as cited in Evans, even claims that the Franco-Prussian War, ending in 1866, also played a role in Brahms' ch


Three generations of which family have won Oscars?

Oscars fast facts Home » fastfacts » Oscars fast facts Oscars fast facts The shortest Oscar ceremony ever was the first, held in 1929; it lasted only about 15 minutes as all the winners had been announced three months earlier. The longest Oscar awards ceremony was in 2000, running for 4 hours and 16 minutes – beating a previous record by 16 minutes. Bob Hope has hosted the Oscars 18 times; Billy Crystal is in second place with 8 times. Tom Hanks is the youngest recipient of the Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award, which he received in 2002 at age 45. Kate Winslet received four Oscar nominations before reaching the age of 30. Elizabeth Taylor received four Oscar nominations before reaching the age of 28. Gone with the Wind, at 3 hours and 56 minutes, was the longest film to have won a Best Picture Oscar; it was also the first film in color to win Best Picture. The 1968 movie, War and Peace, was the longest film (431 minutes) to an Academy Award – for best Foreign picture. Julia Phillips was the first female producer to win Best Picture award, for The Sting (1973). The first female to win the Best Director award was Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker (2008). Henry Fonda was first nominated for a Best Actor Oscar in 1941 for his role in The Grapes of Wrath but had to wait 41 years before he finally achieved a win in 1982 for his role in On Golden Pond. At 76, he is the oldest actor yet to have received the Best Actor award. The oldest actress to win an Oscar is Jessica Tandy – at 81 she won the Best Actress Oscar in 1990 for her performance in Driving Miss Daisy. Anthony Quinn’s performance as painter Paul Gaugin in Lust for Life (1956) is the shortest ever to win a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award, his second Oscar. He was on screen for only 8 minutes. (He won a similar award in 1952 playing opposite Marlon Brando in Elia Kazan’s Viva Zapata!) The shortest-ever winning performance for Best Supporting Actress belongs to Beatrice Straight, who won an Oscar in 1976 for her 5 minutes 40 seconds appearance as devastated wife Louise Schumacher in Network. Dame Judi Dench won an Oscar in 1998 for less than 8 minutes of screen time playing Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love. The shortest-ever Best Actor Oscar-winning performance was awarded to David Niven in 1958, having appeared for only 15 minutes and 38 seconds in Separate Tables. The second-shortest winning appearance was made by Anthony Hopkins in 1992, for less than 16 minutes of screen time as Dr Hannibal “The Cannibal” Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs. In 1948, Jane Wyman won Best Actress award without uttering a word; she played the role of a deaf -mute person in the movie Johnny Belinda. The fewest lines actually spoken by an Oscar-winning actress won Patty Duke a Best Actress in a Supporting Role portraying the deaf and blind Helen Keller in the 1962 film The Miracle Worker. In the role she speaks only one word in the last scene: “Wah-wah” (for “water”). In 1993, Holly Hunter won a Best Actress Oscar for her role as a deaf person in the movie The Piano but she narrated a few scenes and does speak (although her face is covered) in the last scene of the film. The films with the most Oscar wins are Ben-Hur, Titanic and Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, each winning 11 Oscars from 12, 14 and 11 nominations respectively. See more in the  lists of Oscar winners . In total, the Middle-earth series (The Lord of the Rings – The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003) – and the The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) won 17 Oscars out of 33 nominations. William Wyler has directed more actors to Academy Award success than any other, with 34 nominations and 14 wins. Jack Nicholson leads the Best Actor Academy Award category with wins from 11 nominations, followed by Laurence Olivier, nominated 10 times and receiving one Best Actor award, and then Spencer Tracy with nine nominations resulting in two awards. Daniel Day-Lewis has won the most Best Actor awards, with 3 awards (1989, 2007, 2012). Meryl Streep had more Best


In which constituency was Chris Huhne elected as MP in 2005?

Christopher Huhne Christopher Huhne Chris Huhne is MP for Eastleigh, Liberal Democrats Biography Chris Huhne was re-elected MP for Eastleigh in May 2010 with a majority of 3,864. Chris Huhne was the Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary and MP for Eastleigh before the 2010 general election. After the formation of the coalition government he became energy and climate change secretary. Prior to entering politics Chris was an award-winning economic and financial journalist for the Guardian and Independent and later spent 5 years as a City economist. He has chaired four Liberal Democrat Policy Commissions, including one on public services reform. He was elected as a member of the European Parliament for the South East in 1999, serving until his election as MP for Eastleigh in May 2005. As an MEP he was the economic spokesman for the pan-European Liberal group and was an advocate and implementer of cross-party coalitions to reform Europe. He was elected MP for Eastleigh in May 2005. On entering parliament, Chris Huhne served as Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury until 2006 when he became Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Chris Huhne was a close runner-up in both the 2006 and 2007 Liberal Democrat leadership elections. Constituency


Which Liberal Democrat MP succeeded Chris Huhne as Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change in 2012?

Chris Huhne hits out at anti-green 'posturing' by senior Tory ministers | Environment | The Guardian Green deal and energy companies obligation (ECO) Chris Huhne hits out at anti-green 'posturing' by senior Tory ministers Former energy secretary condemns argument that rising cost of living and recession are grounds to reconsider green deal Chris Huhne, the former energy secretary, has attacked senior Tory ministers for threatening to backtrack on the green deal - one of his key legacies. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA Sunday 15 April 2012 17.21 EDT First published on Sunday 15 April 2012 17.21 EDT Share on Messenger Close Chris Huhne , the former energy secretary, has intervened to attack "posturing top Tories" after it emerged a group of senior ministers are staging a last-minute effort to block the green deal, one of his key legacies. Some senior Conservative ministers confirmed on Sunday that they were arguing that the rising cost of living and the recession made it necessary to look again at the green deal, a scheme designed to help millions of households become more energy-efficient by offering them financial incentives to insulate their homes and reduce emissions. The ministers, including the communities secretary, Eric Pickles, and the employment minister, Chris Grayling, are concerned that the green deal will force some households to spend thousands of pounds making their homes more energy-efficient at a time when their other bills were rising. The green deal, due to be launched in October, is designed to provide state-backed cheap finance to cover the upfront costs of improvements such as loft insulation or cavity wall insulation. But some Conservative ministers are furious at plans to require households to spend money on energy efficiency if they need to repair a boiler, replace windows or undertake major extensions. The deal was included in the 2011 Energy Act and is seen as central to the government goal of cutting carbon emissions and meeting the promise to be the greenest government ever . Backtracking on the deal now would expose the government to criticisms that it has abandoned this pledge. Huhne condemned those trying to undo his work: "The green deal means that home insulation is funded from the savings in home energy bills so people are better off, not worse off. Top Tories should stop posturing on green plans that help hard-hit households. "The green deal became law last year with all-party support because it is a world-leading way for households to save energy and costs." The Liberal Democrat MP resigned as energy secretary in February after the Crown Prosecution Service charged him with asking his then wife, Vicky Pryce, to take penalty points for a speeding offence committed nearly a decade ago. He faces trial in October. The Conservative energy minister, Greg Barker, also criticised the sniping , describing the attacks as "bonkers" and pointing out that the green deal policy was in the Tory-Lib Dem coalition agreement and had been developed by the Conservatives in opposition. Aides of Huhne's successor as energy secretary, Ed Davey, were also angry at the attack, saying the average cost of the green deal to householders would be £500 and that would be recovered quickly in lower energy bills. A senior Tory source was quoted in the Sunday Telegraph saying: "The green deal was Chris Huhne's baby. He has gone now and it is the right time to kill it off. Forcing people to pay thousands of pounds for unwanted extra home insulation is the last thing hard-pressed families need at the moment. It's madness." The Guardian has separately established that some ministers are opposed not just to any suggestion of a requirement to make a home more energy-efficient, but to the whole green deal itself. One minister said: "It cannot be right that every time your boiler blows up, you have to face the cost of replacing it, but also buying loft insulation. It is piling too much on. "We need to pause with the green deal and look at it again in the light of the recession." Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister, mounted


Which chemical element is named after the Roman for Paris?

Instructor: Thomas J. Sienkewicz ( toms@monm.edu ) THE NOMENCLATURE The American Heritage Dictionary 3rd ed. lists 103 chemical elements. Of these, 45 are made from Latin or Greek base words. Approximately 31 from Greek, and 14 from Latin. The names from Latin and Greek were not just chosen at random. There was a definite characteristic that made these names applicable. For instance, both bromine (35) and osmium (76) are derived from Greek words that mean "stink"; phosphorus means "light-bearing." Many identify colors associated with the element [e.g. beryllium 4) (and praseodymium (59) are from Greek words which mean green; iridium (77) = the Latin rainbow; rhodium (45) = the Greek rose, and rubidium (37) = the Latin red]. The names of 9 elements are derived from characters in Classical mythology. For instance, mercury (80) is very fluid, so it was named after the fleet-footed messenger of the gods. Promethium (61) is named after the Titan who gave humans fire. Both the earth (tellurium, 52) and the moon (selenium, 34) have elements associated with them. All of the planets in our solar system are named from mythological deities, and three of the chemical elements draw their name from these planets. The focal point here is Uranus, from which uranium (92) is named. Neptune comes next to Uranus as a planet; therefore, the chemical element next to uranium is neptunium (93). And second to Uranus is the planet Pluto and the second element beyond uranium is plutonium (94), Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, gave her name to iridium (77). Perhaps the most fascinating mythological names are these last two: 1. Tantalus could not drink water, so an element that does not an element that does not absorb water nor dissolve in most acids was named tantalum (73). 2. Tantalus had a daughter named Niobe, thus an element found in association with tantalum (73) is called niobium (41). Another seven elements are derived from Latin or Greek names of places. For example, lutetium (71) comes from Lutetia, the Roman name for Paris, and magnesium (12) and manganese (25) from Magnesia in Greece. This makes a total of 6l (almost two thirds) which have an affiliation with Latin or Greek. There are also two from characters in Norse mythology: thorium (90) from Thor, and vanadium (23) from an alternate name for the goddess Freya. EPONYMY Chemical elements are also named after places, including countries, cities, continents, and people. 20 elements have names derived from places: A. National or continental: polonium (84) (so named by Madame Curie to honor her native country) ruthenium (44) (from the Latin name for Russia) scandium (21) thulium (69) (because it was discovered in North Scandinavia, and the Greeks called the farthermost regions Thoule) indium (49) B. Towns [mostly where discovered, and Scandinavia has its share of these]: 1. Scandinavian cities: holmium (67) (from the latin form of Stockholm) erbium (68) (from a town in Sweden) Yttrium (39), terbium (65), and ytterbium (70) are all named after Ytterby, a town in Sweden. Note clipping of name. 2. Other towns: lutetium (71) (from the the Latin name for Paris) strontium (38) (from a town in Scotland, where it was first found in the lead mines) berkelium (97) rhenium (75) (from the Rhine) copper (29) (from Cyprus, famous for its copper mines) californium (98) Nine of the remaining 21 elements are based on people's names. The Scandinavians, Russians, and French rate two each in this category: A. Scandinavian 1. gadolinium (64)- so named by a Swiss chemist who discovered it in gadonlinite, which was named from a Finnish chemist. Gadolin (1760-1812) 2. nobelium (102)- from the Swedish inventor of dynamite and originator of the Nobel prize. It was so called because this element was first discovered at the Nobel Institute in Stockholm. B. Russian 1. mendelevium (101)- from the Russian chemist Mendeleev [pronounce men - de - la - ef] 2. samarium (62)- from Colonel Samarski, a Russian mining official C. French 1. curium (96)- of course from Pierre Curie and his Polish wife Marie 2. g


Which chemical element is named after an asteroid, now also classified as a dwarf planet?

Mysterious Dwarf Planet Ceres Gets Ready for the Spotlight Mysterious Dwarf Planet Ceres Gets Ready for the Spotlight Thursday, 05 Mar 2015 05:10 PM Close     The mysterious dwarf planet Ceres is ready for its close-up. Located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, Ceres is the largest unexplored space rock in the inner solar system. But that distinction ends Friday, when NASA's Dawn spacecraft arrives after nearly an eight-year journey, which included a stopover at the asteroid Vesta. Dawn has already beamed back images of Ceres from its approach. Five things to know about Ceres: THE DISCOVERY Ceres was spotted on New Year's Day in 1801 by Italian monk and astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi who was searching for a star. It was the first object discovered in the asteroid belt, a zone littered with rocky debris left over from the formation of the sun and planets 4½ billion years ago. THE NAME Piazzi named the object "Ceres Ferdinandea" after the Roman goddess of harvest and in honor of King Ferdinand IV of Naples and Sicily. Other astronomers shortened it to Ceres. The word cereal also has its origins in Ceres. The chemical element cerium, discovered in 1803, was named after Ceres. THE IDENTITY CRISIS Located about 250 million miles from the sun, Ceres was deemed a comet when it was first discovered. Then it was promoted to a planet and later downgraded to an asteroid. Since 2006, it has been classified as a dwarf planet like Pluto, the one-time ninth planet. Dwarf planets are spherical in shape like planets, but they share the same celestial neighborhood with other similar-sized objects. THE BRIGHT SPOTS Ceres — with a diameter of about 600 miles — is thought to have a rocky core surrounded by an icy mantle. Long ago it might have harbored an underground ocean. As Dawn approached Ceres, it spotted a pair of puzzling bright spots inside a crater. Scientists think the shiny dots may be exposed ice or salt. THE MISSION Launched in 2007 and powered by ion propulsion engines, Dawn will make the first close-ups of a dwarf planet. It will study Ceres for 16 months from varying altitudes, getting as close as 235 miles above Ceres' surface, or the distance of the International Space Station above Earth. The spacecraft will take sharper images of the mysterious spots and use its instruments to confirm whether Ceres' surface is still active and spewing plumes of water vapor. This summer, another NASA spacecraft dubbed New Horizons will make the first visit to the dwarf planet Pluto. © Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Click Here to comment on this article Close


Which is the largest lake wholly in Canada?

What are the biggest lakes in Canada? What are the biggest lakes in Canada? What are the biggest lakes in Canada? The biggest lakes in Canada are the Great Lakes, Great Slave Lake, and Great Bear Lake. The Great Bear Lake is the largest lake that is found entirely within Canada. Lake Huron and Lake Superior, which straddle the US-Canada border, are larger. The Great Bear Lake is the 7th largest in the world and the 4th largest on the North American continent. It is found on the Arctic Circle in the Northwest Territories. Its total volume is 536 cu mi or 2,236 km3, and its surface area is 12,028 sq mi or 31,153 km2. The Great Bear Lake empties into the Mackenzie River through the Great Bear River and is surrounded by taiga or boreal forest. It has the shape of a large amoeba with five arms � Smith, Dease, McTavish, McVicar, and Keith � meeting in a common centre. The lake lies between the Interior Plains and the Kazan Uplands. The only community that lives on the Great Bear Lake is the Charter Community of Deline, and the area is accessed by Deline Airport. Commercial fishing is prohibited because the lake is the home to relic species that regenerate slowly in ice-cold water. The Great Slave Lake is the world�s 9th largest lake, the deepest lake on the North American continent, and the 2nd largest in the Northwest Territories. It covers an area of 10,502 sq mi or 27,200 km2 and is 300 miles (480 kilometres) long. The Great Slave Lake is named after Slavey (also Deh Gah Got'ine, Slave, or Awokanak), a group of Athapaskan-speaking people that lives in the Canadian Subarctic. The Great Slave Lake, along with Athabasca and the Great Bear, are remnants of a postglacial pool. The lake is very deep and is frozen 8 months a year. It is a water reservoir for many streams and rivers, including Snowdrift, Snare, Yellowknife, Beaulieu, and others. The Dettah ice road is an ice road on the lake, connecting Dettah with Yellowknife. Towns situated on the Great Slave Lake include Fort Resolution, Hay River Reserve, Hay River, and Yellowknife. The first people to settle around the lake are North American Aboriginal peoples. The Great Lakes are a group of lakes that connect to the Atlantic through the Great Lakes Waterway and the Saint Lawrence Seaway. They are situated on the Canada-United States border and form the world�s largest group of lakes. The group consists of Lakes Huron, Michigan, Superior, Ontario, and Erie and comprises 21 percent of the surface fresh water in the world . The drainage basin of Lake Ontario covers a small portion of Pennsylvania and parts of New York and Ontario. Toronto, Hamilton, and other industrial centres are located on the shores of Lake Ontario. The US shore is less intensely farmed and less urbanized than the Canadian shore. Lake Michigan is the only lake from the group that is entirely within the US. The drainage basin of Lake Michigan includes portions of Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois.


Who is credited with inventing the bifocal lens?

The 'inventor' of bifocals? The 'inventor' of bifocals?    The Politician, Stephen Elmer, 1777 US statesman Benjamin Franklin has long been credited with the invention of bifocal spectacle lenses, but whether this is historically accurate or merely a myth is a matter of debate. Most serious historians now agree that the hard evidence is lacking. Benjamin Franklin, writer, politician, scientist and optician, was a great advocate of air bathing and is known to have favoured sitting naked each morning before an open window. Presumably he did not curtail this activity while lodging at what is now number 36 Craven Street (a few doors down from the present College of Optometrists' headquarters) between 1757 and 1775. Franklin can still be seen in the street (fully clothed) in this oil painting by royal academician Stephen Elmer, dated 1777. The portrait was acquired by the Museum in 1939. A subsequent copy of the painting is also on display at the US Embassy building in Paris. Franklin is known to have worn temple spectacles after his arrival in England, as must have done other members of his family. In February 1757 he wrote to his wife Deborah Franklin to describe the new furnishings in his Craven Street lodgings:  'Look at the figures on the China Bowl and Coffee Cups, with your spectacles on; they will bear examining'. In this painting, however, he is shown wearing silver folding nose spectacles, a precursor of pince-nez, but the College's interest in this portrait stems not from the eyewear depicted, but from the claim that Franklin was the inventor of the split-bifocal lens. The idea of a split lens, for use as a trial lens rather than for spectacles, had been suggested by Zahn in 1683 and, again, by Hertel in 1716, but there is no evidence that such lenses served a practical, ophthalmic function until several decades later.  Franklin wore spectacles continually after 1776. He admitted in 1784 that without them he could not 'distinguish a letter even of large print'. In 1779, whilst on his diplomatic mission to France which lasted from 1777-1785, Franklin had ordered a pair of spectacles from the English optician, Sykes, who had a business on the Place du Palais-Royale. The fact that Sykes wrote to Franklin explaining that his spectacles had been delayed due to the lenses having broken three times during cutting has been taken as evidence that the ambassador was ordering something out of the ordinary. The price of 18F, which he paid for the spectacles, was certainly higher than was usual at the time.  In a letter of August 1784, written to his friend George Whatley, Franklin declared himself 'happy in the invention of double spectacles, which serving for distant objects as well as near ones, make my eyes as useful to me as ever they were'. It should be noted that he did not describe them as 'my' invention, nor should the wording be taken necessarily to mean that the invention was recent. Whatley replied, referring to the spectacles as 'your invention' and as something he had been discussing with the English optician, Peter Dollond. The Dollonds were, it seems, producing spectacles of this, or a similar, type, as a bespoke service, but were not convinced that the idea had commercial potential.   Bifocal spectacles were described in a further letter of Franklin's to Whatley, dated 23 May 1785. In this he again referred to 'my double spectacles'  (where 'my' need only signify ownership) and provided a sketch. The letter continued: 'The same convexity of glass, through which a man sees clearest and best at the distance proper for reading, is not the best for greater distances. I therefore had formerly two pair of spectacles, which I shifted occasionally, as in travelling I sometimes read, and often wanted to regard the prospects. Finding this change troublesome, and not always sufficiently ready, I had the glasses cut and half of each kind associated in the same circle. By this means, as I wear my spectacles constantly, I have only to move my eyes up or down, as I want to see distinctly far or near, the proper glasses being


Where in North Carolina did the Wright Brothers first flight take place?

Wright Brothers in North Carolina | NCpedia Wright Brothers in North Carolina Copyright notice This article is from Tar Heel Junior Historian , published    for the Tar Heel Junior Historian Association by the North Carolina Museum     of History. Used by permission of the publisher. For personal use and     not for further distribution. Please submit permission requests for other     uses directly to the museum     editorial staff . Average: 4 (269 votes) Wright Brothers in North Carolina by Stephen Kirk Reprinted with permission from the Tar Heel Junior Historian. Fall 2003. Tar Heel Junior Historian Association, NC Museum of History See also: Wright, Wilbur ; Wright, Orville ;  Airplane, First Flight of ; Wright Brothers National Memorial . Wilbur Wright was born in Indiana in 1867. Orville Wright was born in Dayton, Ohio , four years later. During their boyhood in Dayton, they published and printed a small newspaper. As adults, they opened a shop where they designed, built, and repaired bicycles. The Wright brothers enjoyed making kites and playing with a helicopter toy their father gave them when they were boys. Later, they followed the news of glider experiments in America and Europe. In 1899 Wilbur began to gather information about flight. He also wrote the United States Weather Bureau to learn about wind speeds in different places around the country. Flying a glider into a strong, steady breeze helps keep it in the air. The Weather Bureau told Wilbur about Kitty Hawk on the Outer Banks. Wilbur then wrote the Kitty Hawk weather station to ask about the area. He received a warm reply from the local postmaster, Bill Tate. Kitty Hawk had more to offer than just strong winds, Tate told Wilbur. It also had soft sand for landing a glider and friendly people who would be willing to help. And it was an isolated place where Wilbur could get the privacy he wanted. Wilbur arrived in Kitty Hawk to begin his glider experiments in September 1900. Orville joined him a couple of weeks later. They stayed briefly with Bill Tate’s family and then lived in a tent set up on the sand. When they returned in the fall of 1901, they constructed a small wooden building to house their glider. They came for a third time in the fall of 1902. The Wright brothers stayed in North Carolina only a few months at a time. They returned to Dayton each year to run their bicycle shop and to design a new glider for the next season. They built the glider parts in Dayton, shipped them to Kitty Hawk, and assembled the craft there. Three things were necessary for powered flight. The Wright brothers had to design wings that could keep an airplane in flight. They also needed a control system to steer left and right, move up and down, and bank one wing higher than the other. Finally, they needed a light but powerful engine and propellers to push the craft. By the end of the 1902 season, the Wrights were making glides over six hundred feet long. Their wings kept them in the air, and their control system allowed them to steer and land safely. Back in Dayton that winter, they built an engine and two propellers, the final elements they needed. The Wright brothers had a good deal of trouble during the 1903 season in Kitty Hawk. They arrived in early September but weren’t ready to try their powered craft for more than three months. That was mainly because they kept breaking engine parts. They had to ship the parts to their bicycle shop in Dayton for repairs and wait until they were returned. On December 14, they were finally ready to try their powered airplane. Several of their friends from the local lifesaving station came to witness the event. So did two boys and a dog. The Wright brothers flipped a coin to decide who would make the first flight. Wilbur won. But when he tried to take off, he steered the craft upward too quickly, and it crashed. The Wright brothers were tempted to head back to Dayton for Christmas, but they decided to make one more try. On December 17, some of their lifesaver friends came again to help move the heavy craft and to


5 Major Lakes in Africa | USA Today 5 Major Lakes in Africa (Photo: Chris Jackson/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images ) Related Articles The Biggest Forests in Africa Africa contains the second-largest freshwater lake in the world, as well as the longest. Most of the major lakes in Africa lie along a continental fault line known as the East African Rift Valley, which runs through the southeastern portion of the continent, creating both spectacular mountains such as Kilimanjaro and a system of deep lakes known collectively as the Great Lakes of Africa. While not quite as large as the North American Great Lakes system, the system nonetheless looms significant in both the physical and economic geography of the continent -- and that's not to mention its physical beauty and stature. Lake Victoria Not only is Lake Victoria the largest lake in Africa, it is the second-largest freshwater lake in terms of area in the world. Bordered by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, it supports a diverse ecosystem of reefs and islands, including many unique species of fish. Lake Victoria is also one of the sources of the Nile River. The land around Lake Victoria is densely populated, and the lake plays an important economic role in the lives of the people there. For tourists, sport fishing for Nile perch is a major attraction, as is birdwatching. Lake Tanganyika Lake Tanganyika is one of the 10 largest freshwater lakes in the world and the second deepest. Long and narrow -- in fact, the longest lake in the world -- it forms the entirety of the border between Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and also borders Burundi to the north and Zambia to the south. The lake's warm blue waters make it especially attractive to swimmers; sport fishing is also a draw. Lake Nyasa Like Lake Victoria, Lake Nyasa -- also known as Lake Malawi -- is part of the African Great Lakes system. It's the third-largest lake in the East African Rift Valley system, bordered by Malawi, Tanzania and Mozambique. Nyasa means "lake" in Bantu. The Malawi beaches are well-established tourist attractions, while Tanzanian beaches such as Matema Beach tend to be less developed. Lake Albert Lake Albert is also sometimes known as Lake Mobutu Sese Seko. The lake is relatively shallow, reaching only 80 feet in depth, but in terms of surface area it's the fourth largest of the Rift Valley lakes. Its significant also for acting as a source of the White Nile river. Lake Albert borders Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Due to the terrain, which includes steep surrounding mountains, the shores of Lake Albert are sparsely populated, and the area is off the beaten path in terms of tourism, but visitors might be interested in the wildlife and forest preserves that surround the lake, as well as Muchison Falls National Park. Lake Chad Lake Chad is northern Africa's largest lake in terms of area, but it is strikingly shallow, reaching only 34 feet at its deepest point. This is in part because Lake Chad is surrounded by the arid Sahara Desert. In fact, the exact dimensions of the lake can vary widely from year to year depending on the local drought conditions. Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria and Niger share a border with the lake. Lake Chad is a vital wildlife sanctuary, and birdwatchers will find much to occupy themselves here. The best time to visit is during the rainy season, roughly August to December, when the water level is high. References


St Aidan's, John Snow and Ustinov are colleges at which University?

A world top 100 University - Durham University A World Top 100 University Toggle navigation Studying Physics at Durham University Undergraduate study in the Department of Physics. For more information visit: www.durham.ac.uk/physics Connect with us on social media 19 January Booking for our Postgraduate Open Day on Wed 8 February is now open at https://t.co/pC4IxCswdJ - visit us to find o… https://t.co/KxmwGYfJne 19 January Prof Jo Setchell from @AnthDurham1 urges us all to prevent mass extinction of our fellow primates #DurhamResearch … https://t.co/Z30r88asMe 19 January Our conservation expert on why we must take urgent action to save primates from extinction #primates #DurhamResearch https://t.co/GIliGGmsA6 19 January Listen to Prof Jo Setchell @AnthDurham1 talk about her research on the threat to primate species soon https://t.co/vbddxp0Pi5 18 January New research with Prof Jo Setchell shows primates are facing extinction crisis and urgent action is needed https://t.co/oMSFrYDP4k Comment and opinion Durham University is key to bright future The importance of having one of the world’s top 100 universities is central to Durham’s position as a first-class business destination – and there are dynamic plans in place to accelerate the momentum of recent years.


'Lungs' is the 2009 debut album by which indie rock band?

Lungs | TimePieces.nl - Greatest Albums of All Time In Charts Lungs is the debut album by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine, released on 3 July 2009 by Island Records. The album debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart for five weeks after its release. On 10 January 2010 the album returned to number two extending its stay at the runner-up spot to six non-consecutive weeks. The following week it reached its new peak position of number one for two consecutive weeks. So far it has spent sixty-five consecutive weeks within the top forty and thirty-three of those inside the top ten. It also peaked at number two for six weeks on the Irish Albums Chart. The album was a main contender for the 2009 Mercury Prize and received largely positive reviews from music critics. Additionally, it won the MasterCard British Album award at the 2010 BRIT Awards. Lungs has sold more than three million copies worldwide. Florence and the Machine recorded Lungs in the United Kingdom with four different producers—Paul Epworth (who has previously worked with several other British artists, including Bloc Party, Maximo Park and Kate Nash), James Ford (who is part of the electro group Simian Mobile Disco), Stephen Mackey (former member of Pulp) and


Which American author, born in Des Moines, Iowa, was Chancellor of Durham University from 2005 to 2011?

Bill Bryson Books - Biography and List of Works - Author of 'A Really Short History Of Nearly Everything' Home > Authors > Bill Bryson books Bill Bryson William 'Bill' McGuire Bryson (born December 8, 1951) is a best-selling American author of humorous books on travel, as well as books on the English language and on scientific subjects. Born in Des Moines, Iowa, he was educated at Drake University but dropped out in 1972 after deciding to backpack around Europe for four months. He returned to Europe the following year with his high-school friend, Stephen Katz (which, it transpires, is not his real name). Some of his experiences from this trip are re-lived as flashbacks in Neither Here Nor There , which documents a similar journey Bryson made twenty years later. In the mid-1970s, Bryson began working in a psychiatric hospital in Virginia Water, Surrey. There he met and soon married his English wife, Cynthia, a hospital nurse. Together they returned to the USA in order for Bryson to complete his college degree, after which they settled in England in 1977, remaining there until 1995. Living in North Yorkshire and mainly working as a journalist, he eventually became chief copy editor of the business section of The Times, and then deputy national news editor of the business section of The Independent. He left journalism in 1987, three years after the birth of his third child. In 1995, Bryson returned to live in the United States (more specifically Hanover, New Hampshire) for some years. In 2003, however, Bryson and his family returned to England, and are now living in Wymondham, Norfolk. Also in 2003, in conjunction with World Book Day, voters in Great Britain chose Bryson's book Notes From a Small Island as the book that best sums up British identity and the state of the nation. In the same year, he was appointed a Commissioner for English Heritage. In 2004, Bryson won the prestigious Aventis Prize for best general-science book with A Short History Of Nearly Everything . This concise and engaging piece of literature explores not only the histories and current status' of the sciences, but also reveals their humble and often humorous beginnings. One "top scientist" is alleged to have jokingly described the book as "annoyingly free of mistakes". Bryson has also written two works on the history of the English language- The Penguin Dictionary Of Troublesome Words in 1983). These books were popularly acclaimed and well-reviewed, though they received criticism from academics in the field, who claimed they contained factual errors, urban myths, and folk etymologies. Though Bryson has no formal linguistics qualifications, he is a popular and generally well-regarded writer on the subject of languages. In 2005, Bryson was appointed Chancellor of Durham University, a city he had praised as "a perfect little city" in Notes from a Small Island. He has also been awarded honorary degrees by numerous universities. His next book project is a memoir about growing up in America in the 1950s called The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid Bill Bryson books


In which film did George Lazenby star as James Bond?

George Lazenby: The forgotten James Bond George Lazenby: The forgotten James Bond mattmcd George Lazenby More Daniel Craig's third outing as James Bond, " Skyfall ," doesn't hit theaters in the US until this Friday, but it's already racked in an astonishing $287 million worldwide.  With three under his belt, Craig passes Timothy Dalton, who played Bond just twice. And since Craig has signed on to do two more, he's on track to exceed Pierce Brosnan's total of four.  But he still has a ways to go if he's going to match Sean Connery and Roger Moore, who played 007 in, yes, seven movies. But there is one actor who played the role just once.  With no prior acting experience he won one of the most coveted roles in cinema.  But the job, and the fame, disappeared almost as quickly as it had arrived. His name is Lazenby... George Lazenby, and he was the first person to take Sean Connery's place as Bond in 1969's "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." Connery had been catapulted to international stardom after debuting as James Bond in 1963's "Dr. No," and his subsequent films became a worldwide phenomenon. But Connery became increasingly frustrated in dealing with the producers of the Bond series, Harry Saltzman and Albert "Cubby" Broccoli. In "Everything or Nothing," a documentary about the history of Bond on film that is still airing on the EPIX channel, Connery is quoted as saying, "The producers were frightfully greedy."  So after his fifth film, 1967's "You Only Live Twice," Connery declared he was done with Bond. The search for a new star began. [Photos: The 10 best Bond movie posters ] Enter George Lazenby. He was an Australian native who moved to London in 1963, the same year "Dr. No" hit theaters.  He went from selling used cars to becoming a successful male model, but other than some TV commercials he had no acting credits to his name. That didn't stop him from setting his sights on becoming Bond, though. In "Everything or Nothing," Lazenby, now 73 years old, recalled that at the time, " I had nothing on my mind, night and day, except getting that job." He purchased a Savile Row suit that was originally made for Connery, along with a Rolex like the one Bond wore. He even got a haircut by Connery's barber. Then, as Lazenby told it, he went to the office Saltzman and Broccoli at EON Productions and waited.  The moment the receptionist turned her back, he bounded past her. Lazenby said she tried to stop him, "But it was too late. I was already up the stairs and leaning on the door saying, 'I heard you're looking for James Bond.'" When the producers inquired about his resume, he listed off fake credits in various foreign countries, hoping they wouldn't have any way of checking to see if he was telling the truth.  Suitably impressed, they scheduled a meeting for Lazenby with the film's director, Peter Hunt.  It was there that Lazenby admitted to Hunt that he had actually never acted before. Lazenby said the director told him, "You tell me you can't act? You fooled two of the most ruthless guys I've ever met in my life. You're an actor!" Watch George Lazenby in a clip from 'Everything or Nothing': [Related: Live like 007 in the 'Skyfall' Dream Sweepstakes ] What followed next was four months of testing to convince the producers and the studio, United Artists, that Lazenby was up for the challenge. He had to prove he could swim and ride horses. The studio also wanted to see if Lazenby could be convincing in an action scene, so he had to do a mock fight with a stuntman.  Lazenby may not have had any movie experience, but he said he had plenty of practice using his fists from his rough-and-tumble upbringing in Australia.  Lazenby got a little too into the fight, and he accidentally slugged the stuntman right in the face.  With that, Saltzman told Lazenby he had the role. So after working so hard to secure the role of James Bond, why did Lazenby only get to play him once? Lazenby said that the instantaneous fame got to him.  He said, "The monster side of you would come out... I believed I could do anything." But while endless partying


'Sigh No More' is the 2009 debut album by which indie folk quartet?

Mumford & Sons: Sigh No More - Music on Google Play Full Review Darshil Kathiara January 7, 2015 Excellent album One if the most complete albums of all time probably. So beautiful with the use of instruments, and the melody is just terrific. I strongly advise listening to the entire album on repeat mode. I assure you, you'll get lost in the music. Full Review MommaBear Amanda May 14, 2014 Another fine... Performance by these guys...happy to see they finally made it over here in the states....been listening to mumford & sons for quite some time now and it baffled me as to why their music wasnt on the top 40. Just goes to show you the difference of apprecation in music over here. Full Review Ronnie Livas November 18, 2016 So Inspirational These guys are a God sent. Their music touches my heart and enlightens my soul. Their words can fix a broken heart and mend a spirit. Continued success gentlemen of the road. Thank you Full Review Leta Buchanan August 31, 2015 Indescribably moving Every word to every song I have committed to memory! Love the new sound as well!! A natural progression for them! I would marry Marcus in a heartbeat were he not taken!! Full Review Christy Lynn September 25, 2016 Sigh No More While listening to the album, you don't realize that you've gotten up & started jammin', playing air drums & air ukulele.. You get wrapped up in it! Full Review Tim Lurkins March 23, 2015 Play all disk. This is one of those albums you turn on and listen to the whole thing. Every track is great and is so much fun. I love this album. Full Review Conor Markle December 2, 2014 Great band. This isn't usually my type of music as I'm into hard rock and metal, but I gotta say I absolutely love this band. Full Review Brenley Horrocks July 8, 2014 Has a song for every mood. I love that I can listen to these guys when I'm sad, happy, or just freaking mad. They have a song for every occasion. Full Review Adrian Ghandtchi January 11, 2017 After the storm These guys and specifically this song really throw me back to my high school years, an era of normalcy and mischief. I miss my father. This track always makes me cry. Full Review Karen Graham September 18, 2014 Sigh no more, Mumford and Sons Wonderful album with great depth. I never tire of listening to these guys Shelby Runyon September 22, 2014 Sigh no morr Folk Full Review Phoenix Frost May 14, 2015 Love it This is one of my FAVORITES, I don't usually buy cds anymore because I only like a couple song, but I love this entire album! Full Review Mark Binns March 14, 2015 Broken Always have loved this album... Purchased on Google play and it won't download into my Google music library... what's going on here ? Full Review Griffin Metheny July 2, 2015 Try and find a better album This is one of my favorite albums of all time. Every song on it is fantastic. This is the best Mumford and Sons album. Full Review Brandon Wichmann August 23, 2014 Phenomenal These songs are the best. You know how they only have one good song. Well every single song on this album is good Laurinda P October 21, 2014 Amazing They are great.the timshel song made me cry the first time i heard it.just beautiful Mr Gunt May 19, 2014 Whoever gave this band 3 stars is an absolute idiot Jon Hardesty August 24, 2014 Hipster garbage. No more, please. Full Review Jonathon Ruffolo June 23, 2015 This album contains some of the best and most thought provoking lyrics I've ever heard. See: Awake My Soul Full Review Madison Milthorpe July 18, 2014 Sigh no more- Mumford and Sons Such a good album. Greatest lyrics and I'm beginning to think that Marcus Mumford is heavenly. Joseph Gilroy October 2, 2014 Awesome Introduces a new era of music that is innovative obviously and exploding with talent. Billy Guadarrama February 7, 2016 Great album Cannot wait to hear more from them Why O Tdog April 2, 2015 Best band Little lion man and white blank page are my favorites Tootie Albano June 5, 2014 Every song is amazing! Mumford and Sons is a great band that plays great music! Full Review Caramon Hofstetter March 18, 2015 Gosh This album


What judicial office does Lord Dyson hold?

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary | Master of the Rolls Courts and Tribunals Judiciary Magistrates Master of the Rolls As a Head of Division and Member of the Privy Council, the Master of the Rolls is given the prefix ‘Right Honourable’. The current Master of the Rolls is Sir Terence Etherton. Who is the Master of the Rolls? The Master of the Rolls was originally responsible for the safe-keeping of charters, patents and records of important court judgments written on parchment rolls. He still has responsibility for documents of national importance, being Chairman of the Advisory Council on Public Records and Chairman of the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts. The Master of the Rolls is, by virtue of his office, a judge of the Court of Appeal and and is the President of its Civil Division. He is responsible for the deployment and organisation of the work of the judges of the division as well as presiding in one of its courts. He normally sits with two Lords Justices of Appeal and there is occasionally a third member such as a retired Lord Justice. The most complex cases traditionally come before the Master of the Rolls. The Master of the Rolls is second in judicial importance to the Lord Chief Justice. He is consulted on matters such as the civil justice system and rights of audience. Appointment The Heads of Division are appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of a selection panel convened by the Judicial Appointments Commission. The selection panel comprises the President of the Supreme Court or his nominee as Chair, the Lord Chief Justice or his nominee, the Chairman of the JAC or their nominee and a lay member of the JAC. The Chairman of the panel has a casting vote in the event of a tie. The panel reports to the Lord Chancellor, who can then accept the selection, reject it, or require the panel to reconsider. If practical the panel must consult the current holder of the office for which a selection is being made. By law, candidates for the post must be qualified for appointment as a Lord Justice of Appeal or to be a judge of the Court of Appeal. In practice, Heads of Division are generally appointed from among the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary (the Law Lords) or Lords Justices of Appeal. Court Dress For criminal hearings Heads of Division and Court of Appeal judges wear a Court coat and waistcoat (or a sleeved waistcoat) with skirt or trousers and bands (two strips of fabric hanging from the front of a collar), a black silk gown and a short wig. When presiding over civil cases this group of judges wear the civil robe introduced on 1 October 2008, with gold tabs at the neck of the gown and no wig. Did you find what you were looking for? Yes


Which Master of the Rolls produced the 1963 report into the Profumo Affair?

1963: The Profumo scandal | Politics | The Guardian Politics past 1963: The Profumo scandal At the height of the cold war in the early 60s, as the established order was challenged as never before, Britons paid rapt attention to a sordid little affair which involved a cabinet minister, a showgirl and a Soviet naval attache. Derek Brown looks back on 1963 John Profumo. Tuesday 10 April 2001 06.01 EDT First published on Tuesday 10 April 2001 06.01 EDT (Which was rather late for me) Between the end of the Chatterley ban And the Beatles' first LP. - Philip Larkin, 'Annus Mirabilis' That old rogue Larkin was out by a few years of course, but he captured perfectly the mood of the early 1960s . It was an era in which anything was possible and nothing was safe; a time when the established order was being challenged, subverted, and ultimately buried. The Chatterley ban was indeed one of the first shibboleths to evaporate. In August 1960 Penguin was prosecuted for publishing one of DH Lawrence's lesser works, Lady Chatterley's Lover, notable only for its use of the f-word and some sublimely silly sex scenes. The trial was farcical - at one stage the jurors were invited to consider whether they would be happy for their wives and servants to read such a book - and the outcome rarely in doubt. When Penguin was given the go ahead to publish, there was minor pandemonium: the initial print run of 200,000 copies sold out on the day of issue, November 10, at the then rather stiff price of 3s 6d (17.5p). Several more sensations were to unfold before - to follow Larkin's conceit - the Beatles' first LP. 1961 saw the first publication of a little magazine trying to revive an age old tradition of political and social satire. It was called Private Eye . In the same year, and the same spirit, a group of Cambridge graduates - Alan Bennett, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore and Jonathan Miller - brought their irreverent revue, Beyond the Fringe, to London's West End. In 1962 satire burst out on television, with the late night show That Was The Week That Was, or TW3 to its aficionados. It thrived by debunking religion, politics, royalty and sex, attracting a colossal audience of some 12m viewers - almost as many as the other TV sensation of the age, Coronation Street - making presenter David Frost a national celebrity, and giving the BBC governors some sleepless nights. The mood of iconoclasm spread even to the Palace of Westminster. In 1961 a young and ardent Labour MP, Anthony Wedgwood-Benn, was barred from the House of Commons after winning a byelection at Bristol South-east, on account of having inherited a viscountcy. Tony Benn, as we now know him, went on to campaign successfully for peers to be allowed to renounce the titles - and, in his case, to shear several syllables off their names as well. The mood of the day was embodied in the explosion of pop culture . Towards the end of 1962 there was a surge of interest in a new group - they were not called bands then - from Liverpool. It wasn't so much the music at first which caught the public eye (their first single, Love Me Do, barely scraped into the Top 20), but rather their bizarrely long hair. The following year, curiosity became craze , and the Beatles were on their way to their first LP. The political context Some commentators have compared the convulsions of the early 1960s, leading up to the election of Harold Wilson's first Labour government in 1964, with the sweeping aside of the Thatcher-Major years and the accession of Tony Blair in 1997. The analogy is tempting: both events involved the ending of long periods of unbroken Conservative government, and the promise at least of a new era. But it is a false comparison none the less. What happened in 1997 was a change of management and style. In 1964, the upheaval was much more fundamental. At the start of the decade, the prime minister, Harold Macmillan , was still basking in the glow of his 1959 near-landslide election victory, with a Commons majority of over 100. The cartoonists called him Supermac, and political writers were addicted to the a


Which team won the 2012 Baseball World Series?

2012 World Series by Baseball Almanac Support 2012 World Series The 2012 World Series was the 108th edition of Major League Baseball's (MLB) championship series. The best-of-seven playoff was won by the National League champion San Francisco Giants in four games over the American League champion Detroit Tigers. It was the Giants' seventh World Series title. The Tigers became only the third team to be swept in the World Series after sweeping the League Championship Series (LCS), following the 1990 Oakland Athletics and the 2007 Colorado Rockies. It also marks the first time since 1990 to feature a National League sweep of the American League. The Giants' Pablo Sandoval, who in Game 1 tied a record for hitting three home runs in a World Series game, was named the World Series Most Valuable Player (MVP). As has been standard since 2003, home field advantage for the series was decided by the outcome of the All-Star Game. The 2012 All-Star Game, played on July 10 in Kansas City, Missouri, was won 8ï¿½0 by the National League. (The two teams were heavily involved in the outcome: of the eight runs, all but one were scored and/or driven in by a Giant, while the NL's five first-inning runs were given up by Tigers ace Justin Verlander.) The 2012 World Series began on Wednesday, October 24 at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California, and ended on Sunday, October 28 at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. This was the fourth World Series matchup since the MLB postseason expanded to three rounds that one team won its LCS in a sweep and the other was extended through a Game 7. The previous three occurrences saw the Game 7 pennant-winner prevail, in 1988, 2006 and 2007, and this trend continued with this series. The Giants finished the regular season at 94ï¿½68 to win the National League West title before defeating the Cincinnati Reds in the National League Division Series in five games, losing the first two at home but winning the last three on the road, the first major league team ever to do so. They then came back from a 3ï¿½1 deficit to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals, the defending 2011 World Series champions, in the National League Championship Series, thus winning all six games facing elimination in consecutive postseason series, another first. This was the Giants' 22nd NL pennant, and their second World Series appearance in three years (since 2010, when they defeated the Texas Rangers in five games). The Tigers finished the regular season at 88ï¿½74 and won the American League Central title, their first repeat title in the divisional-play era (i.e., since 1969) and their first consecutive titles or playoff appearances since 1934ï¿½1935. They defeated the Oakland Athletics in the American League Division Series three games to two, and then swept the New York Yankees four games to none in the American League Championship Series, to win their 11th American League pennant and earn their first Series appearance since 2006, when they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals four games to one. The Tigers became the fourth American League team to sweep the ALCS in a best-of-7 series; and joined the previous as World Series runner ups (1988 and '90 Oakland A's and 2006 Detroit Tigers). The Giants jumped to a 6ï¿½0 lead in the fifth inning en route to a 8ï¿½3 victory in Game 1, on the strength of Pablo Sandoval's 4-for-4 with 4 RBI, on three home runs his first three times up and a final single. He joined Babe Ruth (in 1926 & 1928), Reggie Jackson (in 1977) and Albert Pujols (in 2011) as the only players ever to hit three home runs in one World Series game. Sandoval was the first player to hit three homers in Game 1 of the Series, and the only one to homer in his first three plate appearances. Tigers ace Justin Verlander lasted only four innings, giving up five Giant runs, including Sandoval's first two homers. San Francisco starting pitcher Barry Zito did much better, allowing only one run in 5 2/3 innings. The Giants scored their final two runs in the seventh inning off demoted Tigers closer Josï¿½ Valverde, who hadn't pitched since Game 1 of the A


The American TV series 'Elementary', featuring Sherlock Holmes in a modern setting, is set in which city?

Elementary (TV Series 2012– ) - 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 ON DISC ALL A modern take on the cases of Sherlock Holmes, with the detective now living in New York City. Creator: The duo goes against a clever opponent, who forces Holmes to think out of the box. Meanwhile Watson's troubles with her father are brought into focus when he writes a book about her and Holmes. 9.2 As Kitty begins to unravel due to the imminent threat to her safety, Sherlock and Joan intensify their efforts to help her. Also, the origin of Sherlock and Kitty's relationship is revealed. 9.2 While recovering from his gun shot wounds, Holmes eschews painkillers while working on a case of a Greek shipping magnate - involving an assassination and currency manipulation - before his final ... 9.0 a list of 25 titles created 24 Feb 2013 a list of 21 titles created 09 Apr 2013 a list of 38 titles created 24 Sep 2015 a list of 28 titles created 12 Dec 2015 a list of 26 titles created 9 months ago Search for " Elementary " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb 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. Nominated for     2     Primetime Emmys. Another    5 wins & 16 nominations. See more awards  » Videos The Blacklist (TV Series 2013) Crime | Drama | Mystery A new FBI profiler, Elizabeth Keen, has her entire life uprooted when a mysterious criminal, Raymond Reddington, who has eluded capture for decades, turns himself in and insists on speaking only to her. Stars: James Spader, Megan Boone, Diego Klattenhoff An eccentric genius forms an international network of super-geniuses to act as the last line of defense against the complicated threats of the modern world. Stars: Elyes Gabel, Katharine McPhee, Eddie Kaye Thomas Forensic anthropologist, Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan, and cocky FBI special agent Seeley Booth build a team to investigate murders - and quite often, there isn't more to examine than rotten flesh or mere bones. Stars: Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz, Michaela Conlin After a serial killer imitates the plots of his novels, successful mystery novelist Richard "Rick" Castle receives permission from the Mayor of New York City to tag along with an NYPD homicide investigation team for research purposes. Stars: Nathan Fillion, Stana Katic, Susan Sullivan A famous "psychic" outs himself as a fake and starts working as a consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation so he can find "Red John," the madman who killed his wife and daughter. Stars: Simon Baker, Robin Tunney, Tim Kang A modern update finds the famous sleuth and his doctor partner solving crime in 21st century London. Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, Una Stubbs Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV Series 2013) Action | Drama | Sci-Fi The missions of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. Stars: Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Brett Dalton Criminal Minds (TV Series 2005) Crime | Drama | Mystery The cases of the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), an elite group of profilers who analyze the nation's most dangerous serial killers and individual heinous crimes in an effort to anticipate their next moves before they strike again. Stars: Matthew Gray Gubler, Kirsten Vangsness, Thomas Gibson The cases of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service's Washington DC Major Case Response Team, led by Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Stars: Mark Harmon, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum Jane Doe is found in Times Square with no memory and mysterious tattoos on her body. Stars: Sullivan Stapleton, Jaimie Alexander, Rob Brown About Cal Lightman, the world's leading deception expert who studies facial expressions and involuntary body language to expose the truth behind the lies. Stars: Tim Roth, Kelli Williams, Brendan Hines A white collar criminal agrees to help the


Doris Day - Biography - IMDb Doris Day Biography Showing all 133 items Jump to: Overview  (4) | Mini Bio  (1) | Spouse  (4) | Trade Mark  (3) | Trivia  (72) | Personal Quotes  (49) Overview (4) 5' 7" (1.7 m) Mini Bio (1) One of America's most prolific actresses was born Doris Mary Ann Von Kapplehoff on April 3, 1922, in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Alma Sophia (Welz), a housewife, and William Joseph Kappelhoff, a music teacher and choir master. Her grandparents were all German immigrants. She had two brothers, Richard, who died before she was born and Paul, a few years older. Her parents divorced while she was still a child and she lived with her mother. Like most little girls, Doris liked to dance. At fourteen, she formed a dance act with a boy, Jerry Doherty, and they won $500 in a local talent contest. She and Jerry took a brief trip to Hollywood to test the waters. They felt they could succeed, so she and Jerry returned to Cincinnati with the intention of packing and making a permanent move to Hollywood. Tragically, the night before she was to move to Hollywood, she was injured riding in a car hit by a train, ending the possibility of a dancing career. It was a terrible setback, but after taking singing lessons she found a new vocation, and at age 17, she began touring with the Les Brown Band. She met trombonist Al Jorden, whom she married in 1941. Jorden was prone to violence and they divorced after two years, not long after the birth of their son Terry. In 1946, Doris married George Weidler , but this union lasted less than a year. Day's agent talked her into taking a screen test at Warner Bros. The executives there liked what they saw and signed her to a contract (her early credits are often confused with those of another actress named Doris Day, who appeared mainly in B westerns in the 1930s and 1940s). Her first starring movie role was in Romance on the High Seas (1948). The next year, she made two more films, My Dream Is Yours (1949) and It's a Great Feeling (1949). Audiences took to her beauty, terrific singing voice and bubbly personality, and she turned in fine performances in the movies she made (in addition to several hit records). She made three films for Warner Bros. in 1950 and five more in 1951. In that year, she met and married Martin Melcher , who adopted her young son Terry, who later grew up to become Terry Melcher , a successful record producer. In 1953, Doris starred in Calamity Jane (1953), which was a major hit, and several more followed: Lucky Me (1954), Love Me or Leave Me (1955), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) and what is probably her best-known film, Pillow Talk (1959). She began to slow down her filmmaking pace in the 1960s, even though she started out the decade with a hit, Please Don't Eat the Daisies (1960). In 1958, her brother Paul died. Around this time, her husband, who had also taken charge of her career, had made deals for her to star in films she didn't really care about, which led to a bout with exhaustion. The 1960s weren't to be a repeat of the previous busy decade. She didn't make as many films as she had in that decade, but the ones she did make were successful: Do Not Disturb (1965), The Glass Bottom Boat (1966), Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? (1968) and With Six You Get Eggroll (1968). Martin Melcher died in 1968, and Doris never made another film, but she had been signed by Melcher to do her own TV series, The Doris Day Show (1968). That show, like her movies, was also successful, lasting until 1973. After her series went off the air, she made only occasional TV appearances. By the time Martin Melcher died, Doris discovered she was millions of dollars in debt. She learned that Melcher had squandered virtually all of her considerable earnings, but she was eventually awarded $22 million by the courts in a case against a man that Melcher had unwisely let invest her money. She married for the fourth time in 1976 and since her divorce in 1980 has devoted her life to animals. Today, she runs the Doris Day Animal League in Carmel, California, which advocates homes and proper


What is the English title of the Verdi opera `Un Ballo in Maschera'?

‘Un Ballo in Maschera,’ at the Metropolitan Opera - The New York Times The New York Times Music |Icarus Haunts a Verdi Work Cloaked in Noir Search Icarus Haunts a Verdi Work Cloaked in Noir ‘Un Ballo in Maschera,’ at the Metropolitan Opera Continue reading the main story Photo Un Ballo in Maschera A winged (and goateed) Kathleen Kim, left, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky, in the Verdi work at the Metropolitan Opera. Credit Sara Krulwich/The New York Times The usual reason for a director to update the setting of a serious opera is to bring out the grim, contemporary darkness of the story. The most interesting aspect of David Alden ’s disappointing, metaphor-laden new production of Verdi’s “Ballo in Maschera,” at the Metropolitan Opera, which opened on Thursday night, is that he uses an early-20th-century setting and film noir imagery to emphasize not just the work’s darkness but also its strangeness. For Verdi “Un Ballo in Maschera” (“A Masked Ball”), which had its premiere in Rome in 1859, was a bold experiment in the mixing of styles. Elements of the intensely emotional Italian opera idiom of the mid-19th century are juxtaposed with strands of lighter, wryly comic scenes common in French grand opera of the period. Verdi does not really reconcile these contrasting styles. Instead, more interestingly, he just allows them to coexist. Mr. Alden embraces these stylistic contrasts. He brings a slightly surreal quality to the opera’s lighter elements, epitomized by the character of Oscar, the irreverent court page. At the same time, he draws out the ambiguities and fickleness of the opera’s conflicted hero, Gustavo III, the king of Sweden, a willful and restless monarch bored with official duties, recklessly pursuing an affair with Amelia, the wife of his steadfast adviser and friend. Aided by the lithe, crisp conducting of Fabio Luisi , Mr. Alden makes the shifts seem deliberate choices of the supremely confident dramatist Verdi. This production is best when subtle and character-driven, and Mr. Alden draws compelling performances from a strong cast, headed by the tenor Marcelo Álvarez, as Gustavo, and the soprano Sondra Radvanovsky , as Amelia. But the overall mood and look of the production are obvious and glib, despite the sleek, abstract imagery of Paul Steinberg’s sets and the handsome suits and dresses by the costume designer Brigitte Reiffenstuel, which suggest the color schemes of a black-and-white film. Advertisement Continue reading the main story As Verdi buffs know, he had particular trouble getting Antonio Somma’s libretto for “Un Ballo” through the censors, who determined what could appear on an opera stage in Italy. Like many productions of “Ballo” these days, this one restores the initial Swedish setting of the libretto, which is loosely based on the historical King Gustavo, who was assassinated at a masked ball in Stockholm. But with its film noir imagery, this “Ballo” could be in any early-20th-century locale. Continue reading the main story The sets use intersecting and angular flat panels, sometimes with gray-on-gray flowered images, sometimes starkly white. For the final ballroom scene, in which the king is killed, the walls are lined with mirrors that send blinding shafts of light around the stage and into the house. Photo Marcelo Álvarez and Sondra Radvanovsky in David Alden's new production of this Verdi work. Credit Sara Krulwich/The New York Times But the king’s rooms are dominated by a huge, classical-style mural showing the mythological Icarus falling from the sky, after trying to fly with wings made of feathers and wax, only to have them melt when he got too close to the sun. Ah, the king as Icarus. Get it? He is a self-absorbed monarch who invites disaster by shirking the needs of underlings and romancing the wife of his trusted adviser Renato (who in this setting is Count Anckarstrom). Icarus as a metaphor is heavy-handed enough. But a configuration of that mural looms over every scene, no matter where it takes place, and you get tired of looking at it. I wish Mr. Alden had stuck more closely to the film


What is the English title of the Stravinsky ballet 'Le Sacre du Printemps'?

Ballet - Stravinsky Le Sacre du Printemps - P Boulez Orch de Paris 2002 - YouTube Ballet - Stravinsky Le Sacre du Printemps - P Boulez Orch de Paris 2002 Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Jan 24, 2009 Igor Stravinsky - Le Sacre Du Printemps Pierre Boulez avec Orchestre De Paris - 2002 Category


The original TV series 'CSI' was set in which American city?

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (TV Series 2000–2015) - 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 An elite team of police forensic evidence investigation experts work their cases in Las Vegas. Creator: CSIs past and present come together at the news of Warrick's death. But will Warrick's real killer successfully frame another police officer for his murder? 9.2 Grissom gets Dr. Langston's help to find the man who is carrying on the serial killer's work before the next victim is killed. The case will prove to be Grissom's last with the crime lab. 9.2 Catherine goes into hiding with D.B. after Mark Gabriel's hitmen try to kill her, but they soon come to the realization that Gabriel himself may not be calling the shots. 9.2 a list of 23 titles created 13 Sep 2011 a list of 45 titles created 05 Jan 2012 a list of 40 titles created 15 Jan 2012 a list of 31 titles created 22 Feb 2013 a list of 37 titles created 31 Jan 2015 Title: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000–2015) 7.7/10 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. Nominated for     6     Golden Globes. Another    64 wins & 119 nominations. See more awards  » Videos CSI Head Detective Mac Taylor and his team solve crimes in New York City. Stars: Gary Sinise, Carmine Giovinazzo, Hill Harper The cases of the Miami-Dade, Florida police department's Crime Scene Investigations unit. Stars: David Caruso, Emily Procter, Adam Rodriguez The cases of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service's Washington DC Major Case Response Team, led by Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Stars: Mark Harmon, Pauley Perrette, David McCallum Criminal Minds (TV Series 2005) Crime | Drama | Mystery The cases of the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), an elite group of profilers who analyze the nation's most dangerous serial killers and individual heinous crimes in an effort to anticipate their next moves before they strike again. Stars: Matthew Gray Gubler, Kirsten Vangsness, Thomas Gibson NCIS: Los Angeles (TV Series 2009) Crime | Drama | Mystery The Naval Criminal Investigation Service's Office of Special Projects takes on the undercover work and the hard to crack cases in LA. Key agents are G. Callen and Sam Hanna, streets kids risen through the ranks. Stars: Chris O'Donnell, Daniela Ruah, Barrett Foa The cases of an FBI unit specializing in missing persons investigations. Stars: Anthony LaPaglia, Poppy Montgomery, Enrique Murciano CSI: Immortality (TV Movie 2015) Crime | Drama | Mystery An explosion inside a casino brings Catherine Willows back to Las Vegas to investigate. And when the crime is tied to Lady Heather, Gil Grissom is brought back as well to aid the investigation. Director: Louis Shaw Milito The third "Law and Order" series involves the criminal justice system from the criminal's point of view. Stars: Kathryn Erbe, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jamey Sheridan This show introduces the Special Victims Unit, a new elite squad of NYPD detectives who investigate sexually related crimes. Stars: Mariska Hargitay, Christopher Meloni, Ice-T Special agent Avery Ryan works to solve crimes as a CyberPsychologist for the FBI. Stars: Patricia Arquette, James Van Der Beek, Shad Moss Follows a crime, usually adapted from current headlines, from two separate vantage points, the police investigation and the prosecution in court. Stars: Jerry Orbach, Jesse L. Martin, Dennis Farina Forensic anthropologist, Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan, and cocky FBI special agent Seeley Booth build a team to investigate murders - and quite often, there isn't more to examine than rotten flesh or mere bones. Stars: Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz, Michaela Conlin Edit Storyline This show follows the nights of the detectives working at the Las Vegas Police Department Crime Scene Investigations bureau. Being the second busiest crime l


Which family of garden birds has the Latin name Paridae?

The RSPB: Great tit Great tit Conservation status: Green The largest UK tit - green and yellow with a striking glossy black head with white cheeks and a distinctive two-syllable song. It is a woodland bird which has readily adapted to man-made habitats to become a familiar garden visitor. It can be quite aggressive at a birdtable, fighting off smaller tits. In winter it joins with blue tits and others to form roaming flocks which scour gardens and countryside for food. Illustrations


Who was the captain of the losing American team in the 2012 Ryder Cup?

Ryder Cup 2012: USA team profiles | Sport | The Guardian Ryder Cup 2012 Ryder Cup 2012: USA team profiles USA Ryder Cup captain omits Rickie Fowler and Hunter Mahan from his four wildcard picks in the team to face Europe at Medinah at the last weekend of the month Dustin Johnson, one of Davis Love III's four wildcard picks for his USA team to play in the 2012 Ryder Cup Photograph: Cj Gunther/EPA Tuesday 4 September 2012 10.39 EDT First published on Tuesday 4 September 2012 10.39 EDT This article is 4 years old Tiger Woods 36 W13 H2 L14 Often criticised for not embracing the Ryder Cup format and has finished on the winning side only once in six attempts. Recent record of six wins in nine matches shows the former world No1's attitude towards the event may have softened. Bubba Watson 33 W1 L3 Will be making only his second Ryder Cup appearance at Medinah, where his big-hitting should prove beneficial. The colourful left-hander claimed this year's Masters in spectacular fashion, defeating Louis Oosthuizen in a playoff. Jason Dufner 35 Debut Was criticised as being a journeyman after finishing second in last year's US PGA Championship. Yet Dufner has won twice since and featured prominently elsewhere, highlighting him as a late developer. Keegan Bradley 26 Debut Became the first player to win a major when using a long putter, at last year's US PGA. Won the WGC event at Bridgestone last month and is rightly regarded as world golf's brightest young stars. Webb Simpson 27 Debut The current US Open champion. Also came a very close second to Luke Donald in the PGA Tour's money list of 2011. Zach Johnson 36 W3 H1 L3 Disappeared from view slightly after winning the Masters five years ago but has bounced back to form recently. Two wins and two runner-up finishes already this season. Matt Kuchar 34 W1 H2 L1 If there is a criticism to be made of the Georgia Tech graduate, it is that he fails to convert a number of winning opportunities. This year, though, Kuchar has claimed the Players Championship and was just a shot away from a Masters playoff. Phil Mickelson 42 W11 H6 L17 Will be making his ninth Ryder Cup appearance, making him the most experienced member of the American team. Has struggled with arthritis but retains a magical short game and won earlier this year at Pebble Beach. Wildcards Steve Stricker 45 W3 H1 L3 A close friend of Davis Love III , who surprisingly has only featured in two Ryder Cups to date. A superb putter, who successfully partnered Tiger Woods both at the 2010 Ryder Cup and in Presidents Cup matches. Jim Furyk 42 W7 H4 L15 Retains key Ryder Cup experience, having played seven times before, albeit not always successfully. Hasn't won since 2010 and blew a glorious chance to break that run at the US Open, where he endured a catastrophic finish. Dustin Johnson 28 W1 L3 One of the most laid back players in golf is unlikely to be fazed by the Ryder Cup surroundings. Would surely have claimed an automatic place in the team but for an injury which caused him to miss three months of the season. Famed for distance. Brandt Snedeker 31 Debut Shot to wider prominence with a fine performance at the Open, which he began with rounds of 64 and 66. Known for superb putting touch and an impressive attitude, was also runner-up at the Barclays event.


Who was Richard III - Last Plantagenet King to die in battle -Timeline - University of Leicester Who was Richard III? A Plantagenet primer on the last English king to die in battle. Although he only ruled for two years – from 1483 to 1485 – Richard III stands out among his peers as one of the most famous (or infamous) Kings of England. But who was he? And why does he continue to inspire such interest? Richard was born in Fotheringhay Castle, Northamptonshire on 2 October 1452 – about 30 miles (50km) from Leicester and only about 40 miles (65km - two days’ ride) from Bosworth where he met his end a third of a century later. Richard and his older brother Edward were the great-great-grandchildren of Edward III, a line of descent which was used to justify the claim to the throne by the House of York during the Wars of the Roses (the House of Lancaster was also descended from Edward III, via a different route). The Princes in the Tower The Princes in the Tower The Two Princes Edward and Richard in the Tower, 1483 by Sir John Everett Millais, 1878. Edward ruled as King Edward IV from 1461 until 1470 and again from 1471 until his death in 1483, when his 12-year-old son succeeded as Edward V, with Richard named Lord Protector. Young Edward and his brother moved into the Tower of London (which was then a royal palace, not a prison) but in June their parents’ marriage was declared invalid, making the princes illegitimate and hence their uncle became the heir apparent. Richard lost no time in being crowned King Richard III and the two boys were not seen again. Thus began the legend of ‘the Princes in the Tower’ and a long-standing popular belief that Richard had his nephews murdered in order to remove any competing claim to the throne. This has been widely debated for many years, with passionate arguments made both for and against Richard. Death and disappearance After defeating an unsuccessful rebellion in October 1483, Richard led his army to Bosworth in Leicestershire two years later to face Henry Tudor (whose somewhat tenuous claim to the throne was also through descent from Edward III). On 22 August 1485, Richard was killed at Bosworth Field, the last English King to die in battle, thereby bringing to an end both the Plantagenet dynasty and the Wars of the Roses. Henry Tudor was crowned King Henry VII. Richard’s body was brought back to Leicester, publicly displayed and then given for burial to a group of Franciscan friars. An alabaster tomb monument was constructed over the grave in 1495, paid for by the new King. With the dissolution of the monasteries (by Henry Tudor’s son, Henry VIII) that friary disappeared and along with it any clear record of Richard’s grave. Stories and rumours about where Richard’s mortal remains lie – or what happened to them – have circulated over the ensuing centuries, but most of these have subsequently been shown to be tall tales. Re-evaluating Richard Portrait of Richard III of England, painted c. 1520 (approximate date from tree-rings on panel), after a lost original, for the Paston family, now owned by the Society of Antiquaries, London. History, they say, is written by the victors. Tudor writers and artists had no qualms about depicting Richard III as an evil tyrant and child-murderer, as well as a crippled hunchback. Shakespeare’s eponymous play, written 106 years after Richard’s death, cemented the King’s bad reputation (and appearance) among the general public for centuries, although scholars including Francis Bacon and Horace Walpole sought to re-evaluate his reign. In 1924 the Richard III Society was founded, aiming to challenge accepted beliefs and assumptions about ‘the last Plantagenet’, not least the accusation of murder and the popular depiction of Richard as having a crooked spine. Among the inarguably good works of this popular King, they pointed out, were a number of significant changes to English law, including the presumption of ‘innocent until proven guilty’ and a reformation of the jury system. With a controversial claim to the throne, accusations of blood on his hands, a vio


Which bird was adopted as Britain's National Bird in the 1960s?

#birdvote: This is the one bird that must never represent Britain - Telegraph Wildlife This is the one bird that must never represent Britain Ten candidates are on the shortlist to become our national bird; but one  imposter is fast making a bid Robin Photo: Alamy Comments There are two national votes on May 7, both involving controversial, scheming and sometimes preening individuals. One is the general election and the other is a poll to find a national bird of Britain . There is little doubt which Britons will enjoy participating in more. • #birdvote: Meet the top ten vying to represent Britain Britain has never had a national bird , but it has a deep-rooted love of the creatures. With 1.1 million on its books, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has more paid-up members than all of the political parties put together. Birds are not just part of the English language, they are the punctuation marks that measure the passing of time: the first cuckoo of spring, swallow of summer or robin atop a snowy garden fence. Tweet of the Day preceding the Today programme has almost become as much part of Radio 4 as the pips. Blackbird David Goode, the author of Nature in Towns and Cities, says: “A love of birds is a very definite British thing. When the great Victorian natural history societies of Manchester or Birmingham organised trips to, say, the Peak District or North Wales they would hire special trains so great was the demand.” But for all our avian affection, we do not have a national bird. Sweden has the blackbird, Mongolia has the saker falcon, but Britain has no official feathered friend. The vote to rectify this has been proposed by David Lindo, a keen birdwatcher and a passionate believer in birds as a force for good. So far it is an unofficial vote, but he says: “We’re talking to government.” He drew up a longlist of 60 birds last year. Following hundreds of thousands of online votes, it has been whittled down to 10: barn owl, blackbird, blue tit, hen harrier, kingfisher, mute swan, puffin, red kite, robin and wren. Barn Owl The list manages to encompass both common garden birds – there are an estimated 10 to 15 million blackbirds in Britain, and about half as many robins – and exceedingly rare hen harriers. Last year, a mere four nests were found and there are fears that illegal hunting is pushing them to extinction. Many national birds are chosen to highlight their plight. The Philippine eagle was declared its country’s national bird in the 1990s in a bid to reverse a critical decline. For similar reasons Chris Packham, the BBC wildlife presenter, is one of many desperate for the hen harrier to be chosen in Britain’s poll. But others believe a national bird should be more than just a sympathy case; it should embody the national spirit . Ed Hutchings, a bird writer, thinks that the wren is the perfect candidate. “They sum up the British character. They are small but fearless and punch well above their weight, which we used to do. They are so full of character. They sing proudly from a perch, they don’t hide away. And you see them all over Britain in gardens and up mountainsides, in the depths of winter you can still hear their rat-a-tat-tat machine gun sound.” The Wren However he – like most – believes that the robin will “romp home” in the vote . “It’s invaded our national psyche, and since the 19th century its been on Christmas cards and stamps. Plus, it’s everywhere. On the continent, robins are shy woodland birds, but here they will perch on the end of your garden spade.” Despite their popularity, there are some who dislike their aggressive nature. “It is quite a violent bird,” says Mr Lindo. It is not entirely clear that Britain needs a national bird. Having a national anything, be it a flower, dish, musical instrument, shoe or animal is something that tends to be the preserve of new counties, without a deep wells of shared experiences. Mexico has a national dog, mammal, bird and even arthropod, which seems to be pushing it. (It’s a grasshopper, by the way). Many of other countries unimaginatively foll


Which golfer sank the putt which ensured that Europe retained (not won) the Ryder Cup in 2012?

Ryder Cup 2012: Martin Kaymer holds nerve to hole crucial eight-foot putt and complete Europe fightback - Telegraph Ryder Cup Ryder Cup 2012: Martin Kaymer holds nerve to hole crucial eight-foot putt and complete Europe fightback The Germans never miss a crucial penalty, so perhaps we ought not to have been  surprised when Martin Kaymer’s eight-foot putt deviated not a millimetre en  route to the centre of the cup. Match winner: Martin Kaymer held his nerve to make the crucial putt on the 18th which ensured Europe retained the Ryder Cup Photo: REUTERS By Oliver Brown , Medinah 8:07AM BST 01 Oct 2012 The man from Dusseldorf, not that you would have known it amid last night’s tumult as he retained the Ryder Cup for Europe, has endured a ragged season. But when it came to striking the decisive blow for his team, he was Teutonic cool personified. “It’s a feeling I’ve never had before,” Kaymer said, after every one of his team-mates had engulfed him in the pandemonium. It was also the opposite of the feeling that Bernhard Langer, the one other golfer from Germany whom the fairweather fan could name, had experienced at Kiawah Island in 1991. Where Langer had famously missed the putt that handed the United States victory in the war on the South Carolina shore 21 years ago, Kaymer held firm in the mayhem of Medinah. “On Friday I had sat down with Bernhard and talked to him a little bit about the Ryder Cup, because my attitude wasn’t the right one,” Kaymer explained. “By now, after that match today against Steve Stricker, I know how important the Ryder Cup became and still is for Olazábal. Bernhard helped me so much just to talk to me about it.” Kaymer is already a major champion, having won the US PGA at Whistling Straits in 2010, but this achievement under maximum strain brought a whole different level of ecstasy. “The major win was just for myself, but I could see the guys behind me,” he said of the critical moment on the final green. Related Articles McIlroy almost misses tee time 30 Sep 2012 “My brother was here, my father was here, and then Sergio Garcia ran on to the green. It means so much more when they are all standing behind me. Now I know how it really feels to win a Ryder Cup.” So animated was Kaymer, usually a figure of little outward emotion, that he forgot to shake opponent Stricker’s hand as he drained the putt and fell headlong into the embrace from the rest of a jubilant European team. Stricker, though, could not help but praise his opponent’s effort. “Martin played well, and I just didn’t put enough pressure on him to get it done.” To think, Kaymer had given the impression of being the makeweight of this European team. Clearly nervous after his wobbles during the 2012 campaign, he had contributed not a single birdie during his Friday fourballs defeat alongside Justin Rose and was not used by Olazábal in either of the second day’s sessions. The Europe captain had even joked, when pressed on the German’s poor form, that the team would need to find ways to relax him. An eight-footer to retain team golf’s greatest prize was not the classic moment of relaxation. But Kaymer maintained his composure when all watching were gasping for air amid an atmosphere thick with tension. A former world No 1 as recently as two years ago, he had not forgotten how to win, and showed as much with this consummate demonstration of nerve. Kaymer’s position at No 11 in the singles order was not an expression of confidence from Olazábal, who had sent all his leading player’s out first to erase the Europeans’ four-point deficit. Most expected him to be playing an irrelevant match once the day’s drama was done, and a United States victory was assured. And yet he found himself as the central player in a quite unforgettable evening’s theatre. It took him until the ninth hole to establish a lead over Stricker, and from there the balance of the match oscillated constantly. Stricker rediscovered how to putt again at the par-five 15th, taking the contest all-square into the 16th, but as Kaymer claimed the honours at the short 17 th with a pa


Who was the first UK winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature?

Defining English Literature: British Nobel Prize Winners Defining English Literature: British Nobel Prize Winners Thomas Storey For centuries, English literature has occupied a disproportionately large place on the global stage, with iconic figures such as William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens endowing the English literary tradition with a lustre that it still retains. The British winners of the Nobel Prize for literature embody this, although they may offer surprises even for those well versed in the literary output of the United Kingdom .   The diverse list of winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature from the United Kingdom reveal the way in which the contours of English literature have shifted over the course of the 20th century and how it has become more inclusive and more varied. The list includes several writers who were born elsewhere but came to call England their home, and came to have a profound impact on English literature, as well as writers working in the fields of history, philosophy and drama along with poetry and fiction. What these writers have in common is that they all put forward their own definition of English literature, and by doing so demarcated their own idea of England.   Rudyard Kipling (1864-1936)   Kipling, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907, was the first winner of the prize from the British Isles and was also the first English language writer to win. For many people, Kipling has become emblematic of a type of late-Victorian Englishness: something which is most apparent in his all-consuming zeal for the British Empire. Indeed Kipling was born in Bombay, then a major centre of the British Raj, and spent much of his life writing about the Empire. Works such as Mandalay (1890), Gunga Din (1890), The White Man’s Burden (1899) and If (1910) focused on Imperial exploits and the heroism of British forces in facing down indigenous foes. In subsequent decades he was dismissed as a propagandist for British Imperialism who cared little for the rights of the various peoples that populated the Empire, although the literary value of Kipling’s work has rarely been questioned. He is perhaps most fondly remembered for his children’s stories, such as The Jungle Book , which remains widely read.   John Galsworthy (1897-1933)   The next winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature from the United Kingdom was John Galsworthy, who won in 1932, a year before his death. In his time he was a highly successful novelist and playwright whose novel The Forsyte Saga and its sequels, A Modern Comedy and End of the Chapter , were immensely popular. This series of novels depicted the convoluted lives of an upper class British family who, despite their wealth, are beset by problems. The family is considered nouveaux riche, having come from a farming background, and the novels are partly an acutely observed satire of the complexities of the British class system. Whilst Galsworthy was immensely popular and was recognised for his literary achievements by the Nobel committee, he was also a divisive figure. The younger generation of modernist writers who came to prominence in the early 20th century dismissed him as an archaic relic of the Victorian era.   T.S. Eliot (1888-1965)   An American who spent most of his adult life in Britain and who eventually became a naturalised British citizen, T.S. Eliot is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in 20th century literature. Eliot was awarded the prize in 1948, by which time he had become a leading figure in the United Kingdom’s literary establishment and an icon for successive generations of young poets. Eliot was born in St Louis, Missouri, but immigrated to Europe in his early 20s, living first in Paris and then in London, where he met Ezra Pound. Together they would revolutionise 20th century literature, rejecting the staid realism of their predecessors in favour of a modernist stream-of-consciousness style that emphasised the ruptures of individual perspective. Eliot’s most famous works of his early period were The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufroc


What is the name of the Royal Horticultural Society's garden in Surrey?

RHS Garden Wisley : Days and events in Surrey / RHS Gardening Read more Exciting plans for Wisley's future Explore our vision to grow RHS Garden Wisley, planting three new gardens and building a Centre for Horticultural Science and Learning, while still maintaining our unique heritage and plant collections. Discover the masterplan /gardens/wisley/garden-highlights/major-projects-at-wisley Find us