title: Connecticut

text: The southwestern border of Connecticut where it abuts New York State is marked by a panhandle in Fairfield County, containing the towns of Greenwich, Stamford, New Canaan, Darien, and parts of Norwalk and Wilton. This irregularity in the boundary is the result of territorial disputes in the late 17th century, culminating with New York giving up its claim to the area, whose residents considered themselves part of Connecticut, in exchange for an equivalent area extending northwards from Ridgefield to the Massachusetts border, as well as undisputed claim to Rye, New York.


title: Connecticut

text: Areas maintained by the National Park Service include Appalachian National Scenic Trail, Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor, and Weir Farm National Historic Site.


title: Connecticut

text: Connecticut lies at the rough transition zone between the southern end of the humid continental climate, and the northern portion of the humid subtropical climate. Northern Connecticut generally experiences a climate with cold winters with moderate snowfall and hot, humid summers. Far southern and coastal Connecticut has a climate with cool winters with a mix of rain and infrequent snow, and the long hot and humid summers typical of the middle and lower East Coast.


title: Connecticut

text: Connecticut sees a fairly even precipitation pattern with rainfall/snowfall spread throughout the 12 months. Connecticut averages 56% of possible sunshine (higher than the U.S. national average), averaging 2,400 hours of sunshine annually. On average, about one third of days in the state see some amount of precipitation each year. Occasionally, some months may see extremes in precipitation, either much higher or lower than normal, though long term droughts and floods are rare.


title: Connecticut

text: Early spring can range from slightly cool (40s to low 50s F) to warm (65 to 70 F), while mid and late spring (late April/May) is warm. By late May, the building Bermuda High creates a southerly flow of warm and humid tropical air, bringing hot weather conditions throughout the state. Average highs are in New London and in Windsor Locks at the peak of summer in late July. On occasion, heat waves with highs from 90 to occur across Connecticut. Connecticut's record high temperature is which occurred in Danbury on July 15, 1995. Although summers are sunny in Connecticut, quick moving summer thunderstorms can bring brief downpours with thunder and lightning. Occasionally these thunderstorms can be severe, and the state usually averages one tornado per year. During hurricane season, the remains of tropical cyclones occasionally affect the region, though a direct hit is rare. Some notable hurricanes to impact the state include the 1938 New England hurricane, Hurricane Carol in 1954, Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and Hurricane Isaias in 2020.


title: Connecticut

text: Weather commonly associated with the fall season typically begins in October and lasts to the first days of December. Daily high temperatures in October and November range from the 50s to 60s (Fahrenheit) with nights in the 40s and upper 30s. Colorful foliage begins across northern parts of the state in early October and moves south and east reaching southeast Connecticut by early November. Far southern and coastal areas, however, have more oak and hickory trees (and fewer maples) and are often less colorful than areas to the north. By December daytime highs are in the 40s °F for much of the state, and average overnight lows are below freezing.


title: Connecticut

text: Winters (December through mid-March) are generally cold from south to north in Connecticut. The coldest month (January) has average high temperatures ranging from in the coastal lowlands to in the inland and northern portions on the state. The lowest temperature recorded in Connecticut is which has been observed twice: in Falls Village on February 16, 1943, and in Coventry on January 22, 1961. The average yearly snowfall ranges from about in the higher elevations of the northern portion of the state to only along the southeast coast of Connecticut (Branford to Groton). Generally, any locale north or west of Interstate 84 receives the most snow, during a storm, and throughout the season. Most of Connecticut has less than 60 days of snow cover. Snow usually falls from late November to late March in the northern part of the state, and from early December to mid-March in the southern and coastal parts of the state.


title: Connecticut

text: During winter every few years, Connecticut can occasionally get heavy snowstorms, called nor'easters, which may produce as much as two feet of snow on rare occasions. Ice storms also occur on occasion, such as the Southern New England ice storm of 1973 and the December 2008 Northeastern United States ice storm. These storms can cause widespread power outages and damage.


title: Connecticut

text: Forests consist of a mix of Northeastern coastal forests of Oak in southern areas of the state, to the upland New England-Acadian forests in the northwestern parts of the state. Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) is the state flower and is native to low ridges in several parts of Connecticut. Rosebay Rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum) is also native to eastern uplands of Connecticut and Pachaug State Forest is home to the Rhododendron Sanctuary Trail. Atlantic white cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides), is found in wetlands in the southern parts of the state. Connecticut has one native cactus (Opuntia humifusa), found in sandy coastal areas and low hillsides. Several types of beach grasses and wildflowers are also native to Connecticut. Connecticut spans USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5b to 7a. Coastal Connecticut is the broad transition zone where more southern and subtropical plants are cultivated. In some coastal communities, Magnolia grandiflora (southern magnolia), Crape Myrtles, scrub palms (Sabal minor), Needle Palms (Rhapidophyllum hystrix), and other broadleaved evergreens are cultivated in small numbers.


title: Connecticut

text: As of the 2020 United States census, Connecticut has a population of 3,605,944, an increase of 31,847 people (0.9%) from the 2010 United States census. Among the census records, 20.4% of the population was under 18.


title: Connecticut

text: In 1790, 97% of the population in Connecticut was classified as "rural". The first census in which less than half the population was classified as rural was 1890. In the 2000 census, only 12.3% was considered rural. Most of western and southern Connecticut (particularly the Gold Coast) is strongly associated with New York City; this area is the most affluent and populous region of the state and has high property costs and high incomes. The center of population of Connecticut is located in the town of Cheshire.


title: Connecticut

text: In common with the majority of the United States, non-Hispanic whites have remained the dominant racial and ethnic group in Connecticut. From being 98% of the population in 1940, however, they have declined to 63% of the population as of the 2020 census. These statistics have represented fewer Americans identifying as non-Hispanic white, which has given rise to the Hispanic and Latino American population and Asian American population overall. , 46.1% of Connecticut's population younger than age1 were minorities. As of 2004, 11.4% of the population (400,000) was foreign-born. In 1870, native-born Americans had accounted for 75% of the state's population, but that had dropped to 35% by 1918. Also as of 2000, 81.69% of Connecticut residents age5 and older spoke English at home and 8.42% spoke Spanish, followed by Italian at 1.59%, French at 1.31%, and Polish at 1.20%.


title: Connecticut

text: "Note: Births in table do not add up because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number."


title: Connecticut

text: A Pew survey of Connecticut residents' religious self-identification showed the following distribution of affiliations in 2014: Protestant 35%, Mormonism 1%, Jewish 3%, Roman Catholic 33%, Orthodox 1%, Non-religious 28%, Jehovah's Witness 1%, Hinduism 1%, Buddhism 1% and Islam 1%. Jewish congregations had 108,280 (3.2%) members in 2000.


title: Connecticut

text: The Jewish population is concentrated in the towns near Long Island Sound between Greenwich and New Haven, in Greater New Haven and in Greater Hartford, especially the suburb of West Hartford. According to the Association of Religion Data Archives, the largest Christian denominations, by number of adherents, in 2010 were: the Catholic Church, with 1,252,936; the United Church of Christ, with 96,506; and non-denominational Evangelical Protestants, with 72,863.


title: Connecticut

text: Recent immigration has brought other non-Christian religions to the state, but the numbers of adherents of other religions are still low. Connecticut is also home to New England's largest Protestant church: The First Cathedral in Bloomfield, Connecticut, located in Hartford County. Hartford is seat to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford, which is sovereign over the Diocese of Bridgeport and the Diocese of Norwich.


title: Connecticut

text: By the Public Religion Research Institute's study in 2020, 71% of the population identified as Christian. In contrast to the 2014 study by the Pew Research Center, the irreligious declined from 28% of the population to 21% at the 2020 Public Religion Research Institute's study.


title: Connecticut

text: Connecticut's economic output in 2019 as measured by gross domestic product was $289 billion, up from $277.9 billion in 2018.


title: Connecticut

text: Connecticut's per capita personal income in 2019 was estimated at $79,087, the highest of any state. There is, however, a great disparity in incomes throughout the state; after New York, Connecticut had the second largest gap nationwide between the average incomes of the top 1% and the average incomes of the bottom 99%. According to a 2018 study by Phoenix Marketing International, Connecticut had the third-largest number of millionaires per capita in the United States, with a ratio of 7.75%. New Canaan is the wealthiest town in Connecticut, with a per capita income of $85,459. Hartford is the poorest municipality in Connecticut, with a per capita income of $13,428 in 2000.


title: Connecticut

text: As of December 2019, Connecticut's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.8%, with U.S. unemployment at 3.5% that month. Dating back to 1982, Connecticut recorded its lowest unemployment in 2000 between August and October, at 2.2%. The highest unemployment rate during that period occurred in November and December 2010 at 9.3%, but economists expect record new levels of layoffs as a result of business closures in the spring of 2020 as the result of the coronavirus pandemic.


title: Connecticut

text: As of 2012, Connecticut residents had the second highest rate in the nation of combined state and local taxes after New York, at 12.6% of income compared to the national average of 9.9% as reported by the Tax Foundation.


title: Connecticut

text: Before 1991, Connecticut had an investment-only income tax system. Income from employment was untaxed, but income from investments was taxed at 13%, the highest rate in the U.S., with no deductions allowed for costs of producing the investment income, such as interest on borrowing.


title: Connecticut

text: In 1991, under Governor Lowell P. Weicker Jr., an independent, the system was changed to one in which the taxes on employment income and investment income were equalized at a maximum rate of 4%. The new tax policy drew investment firms to Connecticut; , Fairfield County was home to the headquarters for 16 of the 200 largest hedge funds in the world.


title: Connecticut

text: , the income tax rates on Connecticut individuals were divided into seven tax brackets of 3% (on income up to $10,000); 5% ($10,000–$50,000); 5.5% ($50,000–$100,000); 6% ($100,000–$200,000); 6.5% ($200,000–$250,000); 6.9% ($250,000–$500,000); and 6.99% above $500,000, with additional amounts owed depending on the bracket.


title: Connecticut

text: All wages of Connecticut residents are subject to the state's income tax, even if earned outside the state. However, in those cases, Connecticut income tax must be withheld only to the extent the Connecticut tax exceeds the amount withheld by the other jurisdiction. Since New York has higher income tax rates than Connecticut, this effectively means that Connecticut residents who work in New York have no Connecticut income tax withheld. Connecticut permits a credit for taxes paid to other jurisdictions, but since residents who work in other states are still subject to Connecticut income taxation, they may owe taxes if the jurisdictional credit does not fully offset the Connecticut tax amount.


title: Connecticut

text: Connecticut levies a 6.35% state sales tax on the retail sale, lease, or rental of most goods. Some items and services in general are not subject to sales and use taxes unless specifically enumerated as taxable by statute. A provision excluding clothing under $50 from sales tax was repealed . There are no additional sales taxes imposed by local jurisdictions. In 2001, Connecticut instituted what became an annual sales tax "holiday" each August lasting one week, when retailers do not have to remit sales tax on certain items and quantities of clothing that has varied from year to year.


title: Connecticut

text: State law authorizes municipalities to tax property, including real estate, vehicles and other personal property, with state statute providing varying exemptions, credits and abatements. All assessments are at 70% of fair market value. The maximum property tax credit is $200 per return and any excess may not be refunded or carried forward. According to the Tax Foundation, on a per capita basis in the 2017 fiscal year Connecticut residents paid the 3rd highest average property taxes in the nation after New Hampshire and New Jersey.


title: Connecticut

text: , gasoline taxes and fees in Connecticut were 40.13 cents per gallon, 11th highest in the United States which had a nationwide average of 36.13 cents a gallon excluding federal taxes. Diesel taxes and fees as of January 2020 in Connecticut were 46.50 cents per gallon, ninth highest nationally with the U.S. average at 37.91 cents.


title: Connecticut

text: In 2019, sales of single-family homes in Connecticut totaled 33,146 units, a 2.1 percent decline from the 2018 transaction total. The median home sold in 2019 recorded a transaction amount of $260,000, up 0.4 percent from 2018.


title: Connecticut

text: Connecticut had the seventh highest rate of home foreclosure activity in the country in 2019 at 0.53 percent of the total housing stock.


title: Connecticut

text: Finance, insurance and real estate was Connecticut's largest industry in 2018 as ranked by gross domestic product, generating $75.7 billion in GDP that year. Major employers include The Hartford, Travelers, Harman International, Cigna, the Aetna subsidiary of CVS Health, Mass Mutual, People's United Financial, Bank of America, Realogy, Bridgewater Associates, GE Capital, William Raveis Real Estate, and Berkshire Hathaway through reinsurance and residential real estate subsidiaries.


title: Connecticut

text: The combined educational, health and social services sector was the largest single industry as ranked by employment, with a combined workforce of 342,600 people at the end of 2019, ranking fourth the year before in GDP at $28.3 billion.


title: Connecticut

text: The broad business and professional services sector had the second highest GDP total in Connecticut in 2018 at an estimated $33.7 billion.


title: Connecticut

text: Manufacturing was the third biggest industry in 2018 with GDP of $30.8 billion, dominated by Raytheon Technologies formed in the March 2020 merger of Hartford-based United Technologies and Waltham, Mass.-based Raytheon Co. As of the merger, Raytheon Technologies employed about 19,000 people in Connecticut through subsidiaries Pratt & Whitney and Collins Aerospace. Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sikorsky Aircraft operates Connecticut's single largest manufacturing plant in Stratford, where it makes helicopters.


title: Connecticut

text: The worlds largest audio equipment manufacturing company Harman International is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. It owns many brands like JBL, Akg and Harman kardon.


title: Connecticut

text: Other major manufacturers include the Electric Boat division of General Dynamics, which makes submarines in Groton, Boehringer Ingelheim, a pharmaceuticals manufacturer with its U.S. headquarters in Ridgefield, and ASML, which in Wilton makes precision lithography machines used to create circuitry on semiconductors and flat-screen displays.


title: Connecticut

text: Connecticut historically was a center of gun manufacturing, and four gun-manufacturing firms continued to operate in the state , employing 2,000 people: Colt, Stag, Ruger, and Mossberg. Marlin, owned by Remington, closed in April 2011.


title: Connecticut

text: Other large components of the Connecticut economy in 2018 included wholesale trade ($18.1 billion in GDP); information services ($13.8 billion); retail ($13.7 billion); arts, entertainment and food services ($9.1 billion); and construction ($8.3 billion).


title: Connecticut

text: Tourists spent $9.3 billion in Connecticut in 2017 according to estimates as part of a series of studies commissioned by the state of Connecticut. Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun are the two biggest tourist draws and number among the state's largest employers; both are located on Native American reservations in the eastern part of Connecticut.


title: Connecticut

text: Connecticut's agricultural production totaled $580 million in 2017, with just over half of that revenue the result of nursery stock production. Milk production totaled $81 million that year, with other major product categories including eggs, vegetables and fruit, tobacco and shellfish.


title: Connecticut

text: Connecticut's economy uses less energy to produce each dollar of GDP than all other states except California, Massachusetts, and New York. It uses less energy on a per-capita basis than all but six other states. It has no fossil-fuel resources, but does have renewable resources. Average retail electricity prices are the highest among the 48 contiguous states. While the vast majority of state's overall energy consumption is fossil fuels, nuclear power delivered over 40% of state's electricity generation in 2019. Refuse-derived fuels and other biomass provided the largest share of renewable electricity at about a 3% share. Solar and wind generation have grown in recent years. More than three-quarters of solar generation came from distributed small-scale installations such as rooftop solar in 2019, and there is planning underway to significantly increase renewable generation with the state's offshore wind resource.


title: Connecticut

text: The Interstate highways in the state are Interstate 95 (I-95) traveling southwest to northeast along the coast, I-84 traveling southwest to northeast in the center of the state, I-91 traveling north to south in the center of the state, and I-395 traveling north to south near the eastern border of the state. The other major highways in Connecticut are the Merritt Parkway and Wilbur Cross Parkway, which together form Connecticut Route 15 (Route 15), traveling from the Hutchinson River Parkway in New York parallel to I-95 before turning north of New Haven and traveling parallel to I-91, finally becoming a surface road in Berlin. I-95 and Route 15 were originally toll roads; they relied on a system of toll plazas at which all traffic stopped and paid fixed tolls. A series of major crashes at these plazas eventually contributed to the decision to remove the tolls in 1988. Other major arteries in the state include U.S. Route7 (US7) in the west traveling parallel to the New York state line, Route8 farther east near the industrial city of Waterbury and traveling north–south along the Naugatuck River Valley nearly parallel with US7, and Route9 in the east.


title: Connecticut

text: Between New Haven and New York City, I-95 is one of the most congested highways in the United States. Although I-95 has been widened in several spots, some areas are only three lanes and this strains traffic capacity, resulting in frequent and lengthy rush hour delays. Frequently, the congestion spills over to clog the parallel Merritt Parkway and even US1. The state has encouraged traffic reduction schemes, including rail use and ride-sharing.


title: Connecticut

text: Connecticut also has a very active bicycling community, with one of the highest rates of bicycle ownership and use in the United States, particularly in New Haven. According to the U.S. Census 2006 American Community Survey, New Haven has the highest percentage of commuters who bicycle to work of any major metropolitan center on the East Coast.


title: Connecticut

text: Rail is a popular travel mode between New Haven and New York City's Grand Central Terminal. Southwestern Connecticut is served by the Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line, operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Metro-North provides commuter service between New York City and New Haven, with branches to New Canaan, Danbury, and Waterbury. Connecticut lies along Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, which features frequent Northeast Regional and Acela Express service from New Haven south to New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, DC, and Norfolk, VA, as well as north to New London, Providence and Boston. Since 1990, coastal cities and towns between New Haven and New London are also served by the Shore Line East commuter line.


title: Connecticut

text: In June 2018, a commuter rail service called the Hartford Line began operating between New Haven and Springfield on Amtrak's New Haven-Springfield Line. Hartford Line service is provided by both Amtrak and the Connecticut Department of Transportation's CT Rail, and in addition to its termini serves New Haven State Street, Wallingford, Meriden, Berlin, Hartford, Windsor, and Windsor Locks. Several infill stations are planned to be added in the near future as of 2021. Amtrak's Vermonter runs from Washington to St. Albans, Vermont via the same line. In July 2019, Amtrak launched the Valley Flyer, which runs between New Haven and Greenfield, Massachusetts.


title: Connecticut

text: A proposed commuter rail service, the Central Corridor Rail Line, would connect New London with Norwich, Willimantic, Storrs, and Stafford Springs, with service continuing into Massachusetts and Brattleboro, Vermont.


title: Connecticut

text: Statewide bus service is supplied by Connecticut Transit, owned by the Connecticut Department of Transportation, with smaller municipal authorities providing local service. Bus networks are an important part of the transportation system in Connecticut, especially in urban areas like Hartford, Stamford, Norwalk, Bridgeport and New Haven. Connecticut Transit also operates CTfastrak, a bus rapid transit service between New Britain and Hartford. The bus route opened to the public on March 28, 2015.


title: Connecticut

text: Connecticut's largest airport is Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, north of Hartford. Many residents of central and southern Connecticut also make heavy use of JFK International Airport and Newark International Airports, especially for international travel. Smaller regional air service is provided at Tweed New Haven Regional Airport. Larger civil airports include Danbury Municipal Airport and Waterbury-Oxford Airport in western Connecticut, Hartford–Brainard Airport in central Connecticut, and Groton-New London Airport in eastern Connecticut. Sikorsky Memorial Airport is located in Stratford and mostly services cargo, helicopter and private aviation.


title: Connecticut

text: Several ferry services cross Long Island Sound and connect the state to Long Island. The Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Ferry travels between Bridgeport, Connecticut and Port Jefferson, New York. Ferry service also operates out of New London to Orient, New York; Fishers Island, New York; and Block Island, Rhode Island, which are popular tourist destinations. Two ferries cross the Connecticut River: the Rocky Hill–Glastonbury ferry and the Chester–Hadlyme ferry, the former of which is the oldest continuously operating ferry in the United States, operating since 1655.


title: Connecticut

text: Hartford has been the sole capital of Connecticut since 1875. Before then, New Haven and Hartford alternated as dual capitals.


title: Connecticut

text: Connecticut is known as the "Constitution State". The origin of this nickname is uncertain, but it likely comes from Connecticut's pivotal role in the federal constitutional convention of 1787, during which Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth helped to orchestrate what became known as the Connecticut Compromise, or the Great Compromise. This plan combined the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan to form a bicameral legislature, a form copied by almost every state constitution since the adoption of the federal constitution. Variations of the bicameral legislature had been proposed by Virginia and New Jersey, but Connecticut's plan was the one that was in effect until the early 20th century, when Senators ceased to be selected by their state legislatures and were instead directly elected. Otherwise, it is still the design of Congress.


title: Connecticut

text: The nickname also might refer to the Fundamental Orders of 1638–39. These Fundamental Orders represent the framework for the first formal Connecticut state government written by a representative body in Connecticut. The State of Connecticut government has operated under the direction of four separate documents in the course of the state's constitutional history. After the Fundamental Orders, Connecticut was granted governmental authority by King Charles II of England through the Connecticut Charter of 1662.


title: Connecticut

text: Separate branches of government did not exist during this period, and the General Assembly acted as the supreme authority. A constitution similar to the modern U.S. Constitution was not adopted in Connecticut until 1818. Finally, the current state constitution was implemented in 1965. The 1965 constitution absorbed a majority of its 1818 predecessor, but incorporated a handful of important modifications.


title: Connecticut

text: The governor heads the executive branch. , Ned Lamont is the Governor and Susan Bysiewicz is the Lieutenant Governor; both are Democrats. From 1639 until the adoption of the 1818 constitution, the governor presided over the General Assembly. In 1974, Ella Grasso was elected as the governor of Connecticut. This was the first time in United States history when a woman was a governor without her husband being governor first.


title: Connecticut

text: There are several executive departments: Administrative Services, Agriculture, Banking, Children and Families, Consumer Protection, Correction, Economic and Community Development, Developmental Services, Construction Services, Education, Emergency Management and Public Protection, Energy & Environmental Protection, Higher Education, Insurance, Labor, Mental Health and Addiction Services, Military, Motor Vehicles, Public Health, Public Utility Regulatory Authority, Public Works, Revenue Services, Social Services, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs. In addition to these departments, there are other independent bureaus, offices and commissions.


title: Connecticut

text: In addition to the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, there are four other executive officers named in the state constitution that are elected directly by voters: Secretary of the State, Treasurer, Comptroller, and Attorney General. All executive officers are elected to four-year terms.


title: Connecticut

text: Connecticut's legislative branch is known as the General Assembly. It is a bicameral legislature consisting of an upper body, the State Senate (36 senators); and a lower body, the House of Representatives (151 representatives). Bills must pass each house in order to become law. The governor can veto bills, but this veto can be overridden by a two-thirds majority in both houses. Per Article XV of the state constitution, Senators and Representatives must be at least 18 years of age and are elected to two-year terms in November on even-numbered years. There also must always be between 30 and 50 senators and 125 to 225 representatives. The Lieutenant Governor presides over the Senate, except when absent from the chamber, when the President pro tempore presides. The Speaker of the House presides over the House. , Matthew Ritter is the Speaker of the House of Connecticut.


title: Connecticut

text: , Connecticut's United States Senators are Richard Blumenthal (Democrat) and Chris Murphy (Democrat). Connecticut has five representatives in the U.S. House, all of whom are Democrats.


title: Connecticut

text: Locally elected representatives also develop local ordinances to govern cities and towns. The town ordinances often include noise control and zoning guidelines. However, the State of Connecticut also provides statewide ordinances for noise control as well.


title: Connecticut

text: The highest court of Connecticut's judicial branch is the Connecticut Supreme Court, headed by the Chief Justice of Connecticut. The Supreme Court is responsible for deciding on the constitutionality of laws, or cases as they relate to the law. Its proceedings are similar to those of the United States Supreme Court: no testimony is given by witnesses, and the lawyers of the two sides each present oral arguments no longer than thirty minutes. Following a court proceeding, the court may take several months to arrive at a judgment. , the Chief Justice is Richard A. Robinson.


title: Connecticut

text: In 1818, the court became a separate entity, independent of the legislative and executive branches. The Connecticut Appellate Court is a lesser statewide court, and the Superior Courts are lower courts that resemble county courts of other states.


title: Connecticut

text: Connecticut does not have county government, unlike all other states except Rhode Island. Connecticut county governments were mostly eliminated in 1960, with the exception of sheriffs elected in each county. In 2000, the county sheriff was abolished and replaced with the state marshal system, which has districts that follow the old county territories. The judicial system is divided into judicial districts at the trial-court level which largely follow the old county lines. The eight counties are still widely used for purely geographical and statistical purposes, such as weather reports and census reporting.


title: Connecticut

text: Connecticut shares with the rest of New England a governmental institution called the New England town. The state is divided into 169 towns which serve as the fundamental political jurisdictions. There are also 21 cities, most of which simply follow the boundaries of their namesake towns and have a merged city-town government. There are two exceptions: the City of Groton, which is a subsection of the Town of Groton, and the City of Winsted in the Town of Winchester. There are also nine incorporated boroughs which may provide additional services to a section of town. Naugatuck is a consolidated town and borough.


title: Connecticut

text: The state is also divided into nine regional councils of government defined by the state Office of Planning and Management, which facilitate regional planning and coordination of services between member towns. The Intragovernmental Policy Division of this Office coordinates regional planning with the administrative bodies of these regions. Each region has an administrative body made up chief executive officers of the member towns. The regions are established for the purpose of planning "coordination of regional and state planning activities; redesignation of logical planning regions and promotion of the continuation of regional planning organizations within the state; and provision for technical aid and the administration of financial assistance to regional planning organizations".


title: Connecticut

text: Connecticut is generally considered to be a blue state. The last Republican presidential candidate to win Connecticut's votes in the Electoral College was George H. W. Bush in 1988.


title: Connecticut

text: Connecticut residents who register to vote may declare an affiliation to a political party, may become unaffiliated at will, and may change affiliations subject to certain waiting periods. around 59% of registered voters are enrolled in a political party. The Democratic Party of Connecticut is the largest party in the state by voter registration, with 37% of voters, followed by the Connecticut Republican Party with approximately 20%. An additional 1.7% are registered to third parties. As of 2021, 4 third parties have statewide enrollment privileges (meaning any state resident may register as a member), including the Libertarian Party of Connecticut, the Independent Party of Connecticut, the Connecticut Green Party, and the Connecticut Working Families Party. Connecticut allows electoral fusion, where the same candidate can run on the ballot of more than one political party; this is often used by the Connecticut Working Families Party to cross-endorse Democratic candidates.


title: Connecticut

text: In July 2009, the Connecticut legislature overrode a veto by Governor M. Jodi Rell to pass SustiNet, the first significant public-option health care reform legislation in the nation.


title: Connecticut

text: In April 2012, both houses of the Connecticut state legislature passed a bill (20 to 16 and 86 to 62) that abolished capital punishment for all future crimes, while 11 inmates who were waiting on the death row at the time could still be executed.


title: Connecticut

text: Connecticut ranked third in the nation for educational performance, according to Education Week's Quality Counts 2018 report. It earned an overall score of 83.5 out of 100 points. On average, the country received a score of 75.2. Connecticut posted a B-plus in the Chance-for-Success category, ranking fourth on factors that contribute to a person's success both within and outside the K-12 education system. Connecticut received a mark of B-plus and finished fourth for School Finance. It ranked 12th with a grade of C on the K-12 Achievement Index.


title: Connecticut

text: Hartford Public High School (1638) is the third-oldest secondary school in the nation after the Collegiate School (1628) in Manhattan and the Boston Latin School (1635). Today, the Connecticut State Board of Education manages the public school system for children in grades K–12. Board of Education members are appointed by the Governor of Connecticut.


title: Connecticut

text: Connecticut has a number of private schools. Private schools may file for approval by the state Department of Education, but are not required to. Per state law, private schools must file yearly attendance reports with the state.


title: Connecticut

text: Notable private schools include the Taft School, Choate Rosemary Hall, the Kent School, and Miss Porter's School.


title: Connecticut

text: Connecticut was home to the nation's first law school, Litchfield Law School, which operated from 1773 to 1833 in Litchfield. Well known universities in the state include Yale University, Trinity College, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield University, Quinnipiac University, and the University of Connecticut. The Connecticut State University System includes 4 state universities, and the state also has 12 community colleges. The United States Coast Guard Academy is located in New London.


title: Connecticut

text: There are two Connecticut teams in the American Hockey League. The Bridgeport Islanders is a farm team for the New York Islanders which competes at the Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport. The Hartford Wolf Pack is the affiliate of the New York Rangers; they play in the XL Center in Hartford.


title: Connecticut

text: The Hartford Yard Goats of the Double-A Northeast are a AA affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. Also, the Norwich Sea Unicorns play in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League. The New Britain Bees play in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. The Connecticut Sun of the WNBA currently play at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville. In soccer, Hartford Athletic began play in the USL Championship in 2019.


title: Connecticut

text: The state hosts several major sporting events. Since 1952, a PGA Tour golf tournament has been played in the Hartford area. It was originally called the "Insurance City Open" and later the "Greater Hartford Open" and is now known as the Travelers Championship.


title: Connecticut

text: Lime Rock Park in Salisbury is a road racing course, home to the International Motor Sports Association, SCCA, United States Auto Club, and K&N Pro Series East races. Thompson International Speedway, Stafford Motor Speedway, and Waterford Speedbowl are oval tracks holding weekly races for NASCAR Modifieds and other classes, including the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. The state also hosts several major mixed martial arts events for Bellator MMA and the Ultimate Fighting Championship.


title: Connecticut

text: The Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League played in Hartford from 1975 to 1997 at the Hartford Civic Center. They departed to Raleigh, North Carolina, after disputes with the state over the construction of a new arena, and they are now known as the Carolina Hurricanes. A baseball team known as the Hartfords (or Hartford Dark Blues) played in the National Association from 1874-1875, before becoming charter members of the National League in 1876. The team moved to Brooklyn, New York, and then disbanded one season later. In 1926, Hartford also had a franchise in the National Football League known as the Hartford Blues. From 2000 until 2006 the city was home to the Hartford FoxForce of World TeamTennis.


title: Connecticut

text: The Connecticut Huskies are the team of the University of Connecticut (UConn); they play NCAA Division I sports. Both the men's basketball and women's basketball teams have won multiple national championships. In 2004, UConn became the first school in NCAA DivisionI history to have its men's and women's basketball programs win the national title in the same year; they repeated the feat in 2014 and are still the only DivisionI school to win both titles in the same year. The UConn women's basketball team holds the record for the longest consecutive winning streak in NCAA college basketball at 111 games, a streak that ended in 2017. The UConn Huskies football team has played in the Football Bowl Subdivision since 2002, and has played in four bowl games.


title: Connecticut

text: New Haven biennially hosts "The Game" between the Yale Bulldogs and the Harvard Crimson, the country's second-oldest college football rivalry. Yale alumnus Walter Camp is deemed the "Father of American Football", and he helped develop modern football while living in New Haven. Other Connecticut universities which feature DivisionI sports teams are Quinnipiac University, Fairfield University, Central Connecticut State University, Sacred Heart University, and the University of Hartford.


title: Connecticut

text: The Constitution State Rivalry is an in-state college football rivalry between Sacred Heart University and Central Connecticut State University. Both teams compete at the NCAA Division 1 Football Championship Subdivision level in the Northeast Conference. Since 1998, the game has been played annually with the location of the matchup determined on a yearly basis.


title: Connecticut

text: The name "Connecticut" originated with the Mohegan word "quonehtacut", meaning "place of long tidal river". Connecticut's official nickname is "The Constitution State", adopted in 1959 and based on its colonial constitution of 1638–1639 which was the first in America and, arguably, the world. Connecticut is also unofficially known as "The Nutmeg State", whose origin is unknown. It may have come from its sailors returning from voyages with nutmeg, which was a very valuable spice in the 18th and 19th centuries. It may have originated in the early machined sheet tin nutmeg grinders sold by early Connecticut peddlers. It is also facetiously said to come from Yankee peddlers from Connecticut who would sell small carved nobs of wood shaped to look like nutmeg to unsuspecting customers. George Washington gave Connecticut the title of "The Provisions State" because of the material aid that the state rendered to the American Revolutionary War effort. Connecticut is also known as "The Land of Steady Habits".


title: Connecticut

text: According to "Webster's New International Dictionary" (1993), a person who is a native or resident of Connecticut is a "Connecticuter". There are numerous other terms coined in print but not in use, such as "Connecticotian" (Cotton Mather in 1702) and "Connecticutensian" (Samuel Peters in 1781). Linguist Allen Walker Read suggests the more playful term "Connecticutie". "Nutmegger" is sometimes used, as is "Yankee".


title: Connecticut

text: The official state song is "Yankee Doodle". The traditional abbreviation of the state's name is "Conn."; the official postal abbreviation is CT.


title: Connecticut

text: Commemorative stamps issued by the United States Postal Service with Connecticut themes include Nathan Hale, Eugene O'Neill, Josiah Willard Gibbs, Noah Webster, Eli Whitney, the whaling ship the "Charles W. Morgan", which is docked at Mystic Seaport, and a decoy of a broadbill duck.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: William John Paul Gallagher (born 21 September 1972) is an English singer and songwriter. He achieved fame as the lead vocalist and part time songwriter of the rock band Oasis from 1991 to 2009, and later fronted the rock band Beady Eye from 2009 to 2014, before starting a successful solo career in 2017. Oasis had various line-up changes, though Gallagher and his older brother Noel remained the only staple members. One of the most recognisable figures in British rock music, Gallagher is noted for his distinctive vocal style and outspoken, arrogant, and volatile personality. His demeanour during Oasis' commercial peak in the mid-1990s garnered much attention from British tabloids, which often ran stories concerning his drug use and self-destructive behaviour.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: Gallagher was interested in joining a band called the Rain, which they agreed to rename. It became Oasis, and they invited Noel to join them as the lead guitarist. The band's debut album, "Definitely Maybe" (1994), was a critical and commercial success. Their second album, "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?" (1995), reached the top of the album charts in many countries, and their third studio album, "Be Here Now" (1997), became the fastest-selling album in UK chart history. Britpop eventually declined in popularity and Oasis failed to revive it, however all of their subsequent albums topped the UK charts. In August 2009, following Noel's departure from Oasis, Gallagher and the remaining band members would go on to form Beady Eye, with whom he released two studio albums before they disbanded in 2014.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: In 2017, Gallagher began his solo career with the release of his debut solo album, "As You Were" (2017), which proved to be a critical and commercial success. It topped the UK Albums Chart and was the ninth fastest-selling debut album of the 2010s in the UK, with over 103,000 units sold in its first week. In 2018, the album was certified platinum with over 300,000 units sold in the UK. His second album, "Why Me? Why Not", received mostly positive reviews and topped the UK charts upon its release in September 2019. This made it his tenth chart-topping album including eight with Oasis, and it also became the fastest-selling vinyl of 2019. In March 2010, he was voted the greatest frontman of all time in a reader poll by "Q" magazine. In 2019, he received the MTV Europe Music Award for "Rock Icon".


title: Liam Gallagher

text: William John Paul Gallagher was born in the Longsight area of Manchester on 21 September 1972, the son of Irish immigrant parents Peggie and Thomas Gallagher. The family later moved to the city's Burnage area. When he was 10, Peggie took him and his brothers and left Thomas, whom she divorced four years later. Although Liam maintained sporadic contact with his father throughout his teens, their issues remain unresolved; notably, while drinking at a pub after an Oasis show in Ireland during the height of their fame, Liam noticed his father from across the room and had to be calmed down by Noel. A leaked phone call later revealed that he subsequently called his father and threatened to break his legs if he ever saw him again. The Gallagher brothers were troubled, especially in their mid-teens, and Liam often shoplifted bicycles from local shops.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: Gallagher was educated at St. Bernard's RC Primary School and the Barlow Roman Catholic High School in Didsbury. Despite common reports that he was expelled at age 16 for fighting, he was actually suspended for three months. He then returned to school, where he completed his last term and gained four GCSEs in 1990. He preferred sports at a young age, having no interest in music. During his teens, he suffered a blow to the head with a hammer from a student at a rival school, which he credits with changing his attitude towards music. After this incident, he became infatuated with the idea of joining a band. He became confident in his ability to sing and began listening to bands like the Beatles, the Stone Roses, the La's, the Who, the Kinks, the Jam, and T. Rex. In the process, he became obsessed with the Beatles' John Lennon, and would later sarcastically claim to be Lennon reincarnated despite being born eight years prior to Lennon's death. He would also help Noel with his job as a roadie for Inspiral Carpets and worked as a tax collector for HM Revenue and Customs.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: When school friend Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan invited Gallagher to join his band The Rain as a vocalist, he agreed. He was the band's co-songwriter, along with guitarist Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs. Noel has since openly mocked this writing partnership, describing them as being "just awful", and Liam also admitted that they were "shit". The band only rehearsed once a week and did not get many gigs. It was at one of their rare shows in 1991 at the Boardwalk in Manchester that Noel, having recently returned from touring internationally as a roadie for Inspiral Carpets, saw them perform. In 1993, Oasis played a four-song set at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow, where Alan McGee of Creation Records discovered them and signed them for a six-album deal. The band's debut album "Definitely Maybe" was released on 28 August 1994, and went on to become the fastest-selling British debut album of all time. Liam was praised for his vocal contributions to the album, and his presence made Oasis a popular live act. Critics cited influences from the Beatles and Sex Pistols. Liam's attitude garnered attention from the British tabloid press, which often ran stories concerning his alleged drug use and behaviour. In 1997, "Definitely Maybe" was named the 14th greatest album of all time in a "Music of the Millennium" poll conducted by HMV. In Channel 4's "100 Greatest Albums" countdown in 2005, the album was placed at No. 6. In 2006, "NME" placed the album at No. 3 in a list of the greatest British albums ever. In the 2006 book of "British Hit Singles and Albums", the album was voted the best album of all time, with the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" finishing second. "Q" placed it at No. 5 on their greatest albums of all-time list in 2006, and "NME" hailed it as the greatest album of all time that same year.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: The band's second album "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?" was even more successful, becoming the third-best selling album in British history. Around this time, Oasis became embroiled in a well documented media-fuelled feud with fellow Britpop band Blur. The differing styles of the bands now leading the Britpop movement—Oasis a working-class northern band, and Blur a middle-class southern band—made the media perceive them as natural rivals. In August 1995, Blur and Oasis released new singles on the same day; Blur's "Country House" outsold Oasis' "Roll with It" by 58,000 copies during the week. When the band mimed the single on "Top of the Pops", Liam pretended to play Noel's guitar and Noel pretended to sing, taking a jibe at the show's lip-syncing format. "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?" is considered to be a seminal record of the Britpop era and as one of the best albums of the 1990s, and appears in several charts as one of the greatest albums of all time. In 2010, "Rolling Stone" commented that "the album is a triumph, full of bluster, bravado, and surprising tenderness" and that it "capped a true golden age for Britpop". The magazine ranked the album at No. 378 on its 2012 list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". The album's enduring popularity within the UK was reflected when it won the BRITs Album of 30 Years at the 2010 BRIT Awards. The award was voted on by the public to decide the greatest Best Album winner in the history of the BRIT Awards. The album was also included in the book "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".


title: Liam Gallagher

text: Oasis's eagerly anticipated third album, "Be Here Now", was released on 21 August 1997 and set a new record as the fastest-selling album in UK Chart history. The album was denounced by Noel in later years, but Liam has defended it. On the first day of release, "Be Here Now" sold over 424,000 copies and became the fastest-selling album in British chart history; initial reviews were overwhelmingly positive. The band's long-time producer Owen Morris said the recording sessions were marred by arguments and drug abuse, and that the band's only motivations were commercial. As of 2008, the album had sold eight million copies worldwide. It was the best-selling album of 1997 in the UK, with 1.47 million units sold. The album topped the UK Vinyl Albums Chart in 2016, 19 years after its original release. Creation Records shut down in 1999, after which the Gallagher brothers set up their own label, Big Brother Recordings, for all future Oasis releases. Future album and singles were marked with codes starting with "RKID" ("our kid", Northern English slang for a sibling or younger relative). Oasis returned in 2000 with the album "Standing on the Shoulder of Giants". Founding members Bonehead and Guigsy left during the recording, leaving Liam as the only member remaining from the band's pre-Oasis lineup. The album featured the band's first song written by Liam, "Little James", written for his then-wife Patsy Kensit's son James. This song, along with the album as a whole, received generally mixed reviews.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: Oasis's next album, "Heathen Chemistry", was released in 2002 and featured three more songs written by Liam. One of them was "Songbird", an acoustic ballad about his love for Nicole Appleton, whom he would later marry. The song was the fourth single from the album and reached No. 3 in the UK charts. Later that year, Gallagher broke several teeth and sustained injuries to his face after a fight broke out at a Munich bar. He and Oasis drummer Alan White were arrested but released without charge. Oasis had to pull out of the shows in Munich and Düsseldorf due to Liam's injuries. 2005 saw the release of Oasis's sixth studio album, "Don't Believe the Truth", featuring a further three compositions by Liam: "Love Like a Bomb" (co-written with rhythm guitarist Gem Archer), "The Meaning of Soul", and "Guess God Thinks I'm Abel". The album won two Q Awards: a special People's Choice Award and Best Album. Gallagher joined the rest of Oasis to receive the Outstanding Contribution to Music Award at the BRIT Awards in 2007. As the band picked up the award, he commented on stage, "Seeing as we don't get nominated for this shit no more, this'll have to do." Around the same time, it was announced that he was in negotiations with the makers of Channel 4 afternoon quiz "Countdown" to appear as the weekly celebrity guest in "Dictionary Corner".


title: Liam Gallagher

text: 2008 saw the release of the band's final album "Dig Out Your Soul", which featured three Liam-written songs: "I'm Outta Time", "Ain't Got Nothin'", and "Soldier On". "Dig Out Your Soul" went straight to No. 1 on the UK Album Charts and reached No. 5 in the U.S. 200 Billboard Charts. In the UK, the album sold 90,000 copies on its first day of release, making it the second-fastest selling album of 2008, behind Coldplay's "Viva la Vida". It debuted on the UK Albums Chart at No. 1 with first-week sales of 200,866 copies, making it the 51st fastest selling album ever in the UK. The album debuted at No. 5 on the "Billboard" 200 in the U.S. with 53,000 copies sold. It is the highest chart position of any Oasis album in the U.S. since "Be Here Now", which debuted at No. 2, but fewer total opening week sales than "Don't Believe the Truth". It spent over 30 weeks in the French Albums Chart. Many critics lauded "Dig Out Your Soul" as one of the band's strongest albums, one opined that "it seems Oasis have made something that can happily play alongside "Morning Glory"". In August 2009, during the tour in support of the album, the band split up due to Noel not being able to work with Liam any more.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: In November 2009, Gallagher announced that he and former Oasis band members had written new material as part of a new project, and could be gigging as early as a couple of months, and stated that "Oasis are done, this is something new". On 19 November 2009, he announced that he would be recording an album with Gem Archer, Andy Bell, and Chris Sharrock around Christmas time, with a possible release date in July 2010. He told MTV: "We've been demoing some songs that we've had for a bit. Just doing that, on the quiet, not making a big fuss about it. After Christmas we might go in the studio and record them and hopefully have an album out in July." He later said that the band would "do it in a different kind of way now. I'll try and reconnect with a new band, new songs, and I'm feeling confident about the songs." He was reported to have been "feeling a million percent confident that they could be better than Oasis".


title: Liam Gallagher

text: In March 2010, Gallagher was voted the greatest frontman of all time in a reader poll by "Q" magazine. On 16 March 2010, he announced that his new band would be releasing their first single in October with an album to follow the next year. On 9 November 2010, Beady Eye released their first single "Bring the Light" as a free download. The next single from the album, "The Roller", was released in January 2011. The band's debut album "Different Gear, Still Speeding" was released on 28 February 2011. On the album the songwriting is credited as a collaborative work between Gallagher, Andy Bell, and Gem Archer. The BBC and "The Independent" both commented that the album bests Oasis' later music, if not lacking innovation from the previous group, while "NME" praised the album's simplicity and variety and cited "Bring the Light" as a surprising highlight. The album is generally agreed to have surpassed expectations, with "Mojo" remarking that the album "shaped up better than many imagined," and "Q" saying that it "decimates all negative preconceptions."


title: Liam Gallagher

text: On 3 April 2011, Beady Eye headlined a Japan Tsunami Disaster relief concert at the Brixton Academy. Gallagher organised the star-studded event as a fundraiser for the devastating event that happened on 11 March 2011. The event raised over £150,000 for the British Red Cross, which was working in the earthquake and tsunami-hit country. Gallagher also announced that Beady Eye's version of the Beatles' "Across the Universe", which they performed on the night, would be released as a charity single, to benefit the fundraising.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: In March 2012, Gallagher stated that Beady Eye would play Oasis songs. They did this for the first time when they supported the Stone Roses in June 2012. This prompted speculation as to whether an Oasis reunion was in the offing. In August 2012, Beady Eye performed "Wonderwall" at the London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: The band's second studio album "BE" was released on 12 June 2013. It was recorded with Dave Sitek between November 2012 and March 2013. The band embarked on a corresponding tour playing a "secret gig" at Glastonbury. In contrast to his headlining spot with Oasis, Beady Eye featured as one of the first bands to open the festival. Gallagher stated it was a "refreshing" change. BE was not as successful in the United States as Gallagher and the rest of the band had hoped. This hindered their American popularity and it was announced there would be no tour dates scheduled for the United States. "BE" received a mixed critical reception. Many positive reviews complimented the band's progression from their debut album, while negative reviews criticised the album's lyrics and production.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: Simon Harper of "Clash" magazine said, "Shades of light and dark ripple throughout and keep the listener guessing... (On 'Soul Love') Liam Gallagher's cosmic vibe is matched by the first distinct stamp of producer David Sitek's ambient adventuring, which commandeers the second-half of the song, letting it drift dreamily skywards. This is what permeates "BE", making it sonically enchanting." On 25 October 2014, Gallagher announced that Beady Eye had disbanded. His post on Twitter stated that the band were "no longer" and thanked fans for their support.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: In a Twitter post on 4 January 2016, Gallagher balked at the idea of pursuing a solo career. However, in an interview with "Q" later that year, he announced that he would be releasing solo songs in 2017; he did not consider it a solo career, stating that he had a backlog of songs he had written over the years and wanted to release them. A solo appearance at Bergenfest in 2017 was announced in November 2016, with other festival appearances for summer 2017 later confirmed. After beginning to record his debut solo album in 2016, it was announced in March 2017 that the album was to be titled "As You Were". His solo debut single "Wall of Glass" was released on 1 June, with an accompanying music video. In the same month, Gallagher performed his first solo concert at the Ritz in Manchester with all proceeds going to victims of the Manchester terror attack. He also revealed that he would launch his first solo tour of the United States and Canada to support the album's release.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: On 4 June 2017, Gallagher made a surprise appearance at the One Love Manchester benefit concert, where he played "Rock 'N' Roll Star", "Wall of Glass", and "Live Forever" alongside Coldplay's Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland. He performed at the Rock am Ring festival and the Pinkpop Festival in June 2017. Since a dispute with his management in 2017, he has been represented by his Australian-born nephew Daniel Nicholas. Gallagher also performed at Glastonbury in June 2017. During the set, he sang "Don't Look Back in Anger" for the first time, dedicating his performance to the victims of the recent Manchester and London terror attacks and the Grenfell Tower fire. On 30 June 2017, he released his second solo single "Chinatown". In July, he performed at the Exit festival in Serbia and Benicassim festival in Spain. On 3 August, Gallagher performed at Lollapalooza in Chicago and left the stage in the middle of a song after performing for only 20 minutes. He later apologised on Twitter and said he had vocal problems. In August, Gallagher performed at Reading and Leeds Festival. In October, he performed the Beatles' song "Come Together" with Foo Fighters and Joe Perry at the CalJam festival in California.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: On 6 October 2017, "As You Were" was released to positive reviews. The album proved to be a successful comeback for Gallagher, debuting at No. 1 in the UK with first-week sales of 103,000. In doing so, it outsold the rest of the top 10 of the UK Albums Chart combined, as well as achieving higher first-week sales than both Beady Eye albums combined. It also achieved the highest single-week vinyl sales in 20 years, with 16,000 copies sold. On 23 October, Gallagher announced that he would be doing a one-off concert in Finsbury Park on 29 June 2018. The gig sold out within minutes of tickets being announced. Subsequently, it was announced that there would be a concert at Emirates Lancashire Cricket Club in Manchester on 18 August 2018. It was also confirmed that Gallagher would be a headline act at the TRNSMT Festival in Glasgow Green on 30 June 2018, and that he would be a headline act at the 2018 Isle of Wight Festival alongside Depeche Mode, the Killers, and Kasabian.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: In February 2018, Gallagher performed "Live Forever" at the Brit Awards as a tribute to the victims of the 2017 Manchester Arena attack, after Ariana Grande (whose show was the target of the attack) could not perform due to illness. In April, it was confirmed that he would support the Rolling Stones at The London Stadium on 22 May. Later that month, he confirmed that he had started work on his second solo album with Greg Kurstin and Andrew Wyatt. On 29 May 2019, Gallagher revealed that the album would be called "Why Me? Why Not." On 7 June, "Shockwave" was released as the album's lead single. The same day, a documentary was released called "As It Was", which chronicled Gallagher's return to music. On 27 June, Gallagher released another single titled "The River". On 26 July, he released a third single from the album, "Once", followed by a fourth single, "One of Us", on 15 August.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: Gallagher played an acoustic set for "MTV Unplugged" in Hull City Hall on 3 August, showcasing his solo songs. "Once" debuted live and new songs "One of Us", "Now That I've Found You" (which was inspired by Gallagher's reunion with his daughter Molly), "Gone", and "Why Me? Why Not." were played publicly for the first time. Gallagher also performed several Oasis songs, including "Stand by Me" for the first time since 2001, and "Sad Song" which he had never performed live before. For the Oasis songs, Gallagher was joined on stage by former Oasis guitarist Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs. The special aired on 27 September, several hours after "Why Me? Why Not." debuted at number one in the UK.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: "Why Me? Why Not." received mostly positive reviews from music critics. Many positive reviews complimented the album for expanding on the sound of "As You Were", with Gallagher's vocals also being singled out for praise. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received a weighted average score of 74 based on 19 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". In November, he received the first Rock Icon award at the MTV Europe Music Awards. That same month, he announced that he would perform at Manchester's Heaton Park on 12 June 2020 and TRNSMT Festival on 11 July 2020.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: On 31 January 2020, Gallagher surprise released a live EP entitled "Acoustic Sessions", which contained 7 live acoustic performances of both his solo and Oasis songs, as well as the original demo version of "Once". On 27 March, he announced that the Heaton Park show was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the pandemic, he announced that he would perform a free show for NHS staff at The O2 Arena on 29 October 2020, which was ultimately postponed to 17 August 2021. After the first worldwide COVID-19 lockdown began in March 2020, Gallagher posted several humorous video clips to Twitter of him singing various Oasis hits with reworked lyrics to advise his fans to wash their hands. Later that year, Gallagher released his MTV Unplugged performance as his first live album, "MTV Unplugged (Live At Hull City Hall)", containing 10 of the 17 songs played. It was released on 12 June 2020 and debuted at number one on the UK charts upon its release, becoming Gallagher's third UK no.1 album as a solo artist.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: On 27 November 2020, Gallagher released a stand-alone single titled "All You're Dreaming Of". The proceeds from the song go to Action for Children. Peaking at #24, it became his fourth solo single to reach the UK top 40, while also becoming the UK's highest selling vinyl single of 2020.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: In October 2021, Gallagher collaborated with Richard Ashcroft on a reworked version of "C'mon People (We're Making It Now)" for Ashcroft's album "Acoustic Hymns Vol. 1".


title: Liam Gallagher

text: On 1 October 2021, Gallagher announced that he would be releasing a third solo album, titled "C'mon You Know", on 27 May 2022. Gallagher performed at Knebworth Park on 3 and 4 June 2022, nearly 26 years after he performed there with Oasis. On 11 October, Gallagher announced that he would also perform at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on 1 June and Hampden Park in Glasgow on 26 June 2022.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: On 20 January 2022, Gallagher announced that the first single to be released from "C'mon You Know" would be "Everything's Electric" co-written by Dave Grohl—who also provided drums—and Greg Kurstin. The track was released on 4 February 2022. Gallagher performed "Everything's Electric" at the 42nd Brit Awards on 8 February 2022. It debuted at number 18 on the UK Singles Chart Top 100, making it Gallagher's highest charting solo single to date. It debuted at number 1 on the UK Singles Sales Chart. The album's title track was released on 1 April. The album's third single "Better Days" was released 22 April with the song's proceeds going to War Child. The album's fourth single "Diamond In The Dark" was released on 26 May.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: On 17 March, Gallagher announced that he would be releasing his "Down By The River Thames" performance as his second solo live album. It was released on 27 May 2022, the same day as "C'mon You Know". On 3 and 4 June, Gallagher performed at Knebworth Festival in Hertfordshire. The concerts were performed on two consecutive nights which coincided with "C'mon You Know" becoming a number-one album in the UK national charts.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: On 29 July, Gallagher released his second EP, "Diamond In The Dark", which features a cover of "Bless You", originally recorded by John Lennon.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: On 10 October 2022, Gallagher released a fifth single from the album titled "Too Good For Giving Up" in partnership with mental health organisation Talk Club UK.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: With the appearance of Oasis on the music scene in 1994, Gallagher quickly made a public name for himself with his "loutish" behaviour. By 2000, his reputation and confrontational persona saw him feature in a Channel 4 documentary "Hellraisers" along with actors Peter O'Toole, Oliver Reed and Richard Harris and musicians Keith Moon and Ozzy Osbourne.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: After an argument on a flight to Australia in 1998 that apparently involved a scone, Gallagher was banned for life from Cathay Pacific airlines; he responded that he would "rather walk". During the band's Australian tour at the time, he was arrested and charged with assault after allegedly headbutting a 19-year-old fan who claimed he was only asking Gallagher for a photo. Criminal charges were later dropped, although a civil case was pursued that led to Gallagher reportedly settling out of court. In 2006, Gallagher allegedly had a drunken brawl with footballer Paul Gascoigne at the Groucho Club in London, which ended with him setting off a fire extinguisher in Gascoigne's face.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: On an early U.S. tour, Gallagher made derogatory remarks about Americans, as well as his brother Noel, which led to an ultimatum from the latter, who briefly left the band in 1994. When addressing their muted reception in the U.S. (especially in comparison with their home country), Gallagher said, "Americans want grungy people, stabbing themselves in the head on stage. They get a bright bunch like us, with deodorant on, they don't get it."


title: Liam Gallagher

text: On receiving an award at the 2010 Brit Awards for the best album of the past 30 years, Gallagher swore while he thanked all the former members of Oasis except for his brother. He then dropped the microphone and gave the award to a member of the crowd. Gallagher's behaviour prompted that year's host, Peter Kay, to brand him a "knobhead", much to the applause of the audience.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: Gallagher's voice has been compared to a blend of John Lennon and Johnny Rotten. He has stated he has no clear influence other than Lennon and "music" itself, though he has been known to incorporate many different forms such as punk, indie, new wave, and jazz. On his singing, "Spin" magazine states that he "twists vowels to the stretching point Johnny Rotten-style — 'sun-shee-ine'". On the "Definitely Maybe" DVD, Gallagher revealed that the reason he sings with his arms behind his back is because it allows him to project more power through his voice. His singing pose also sees him leaning forward, arching his head up towards the mic on the stand.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: In 2017, Gallagher admitted that had it not been for pop singer Madonna, he would have never entered the music industry. Recalling a childhood anecdote, he said he was "blown away" the first time he heard her song "Like a Virgin".


title: Liam Gallagher

text: On 7 May 2010, it was confirmed that Gallagher's production company In 1 Productions would adapt the Richard DiLello book about the Beatles' record label Apple Corps, called "The Longest Cocktail Party", into a feature film. As of 2021, the film has yet to be completed. Gallagher was previously the owner of the clothing range Pretty Green, named after a song by The Jam.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: In 2014, Gallagher designed a Parka-wearing Paddington Bear statue, one of fifty located around London prior to the release of the film "Paddington", which was auctioned to raise funds for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).


title: Liam Gallagher

text: In March 2015, Gallagher appeared alongside Stephen Fry in a short film for Comic Relief titled "National Treasures". In June, he played in a charity football match at the Juventus Stadium in Turin and performed on a special episode of "TFI Friday". For the latter, he performed "My Generation" by The Who as part of a supergroup which included Paul Arthurs, Roger Daltrey, Jay Mehler, and Zak Starkey.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: In October 2017, Gallagher appeared in the George Michael documentary "Freedom", in which he referred to the recently deceased Michael as a "modern-day Elvis", particularly praising his 1990 single "Praying for Time". On 3 November, he made an appearance alongside his mother Peggy and son Gene in a celebrity edition of the Channel 4 series "Gogglebox" in aid of Stand Up to Cancer. In December, he narrated the Climate Coalition's "alternative Christmas advert" depicting a snowman melting due to climate change.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: Gallagher released a documentary in 2019 called "As It Was", following his life after Beady Eye and his life leading up to his solo debut album "As You Were".


title: Liam Gallagher

text: Gallagher stars alongside sons Lennon and Gene in a documentary called "Liam Gallagher: 48 Hours at Rockfield", which documents a 48-hour period in Rockfield Studios with exclusive performances and interviews. It was released on 24 May.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: On 7 April 1997, Gallagher married actress Patsy Kensit at Marylebone Town Hall. Two months later, he began an affair with singer Lisa Moorish in Los Angeles, and she gave birth to a daughter named Molly on 26 March 1998. Gallagher did not meet Molly until May 2018, after which he expressed hope that he would have a continued presence in her life. Molly would later change her surname on her social media profiles from "Moorish" to "Moorish-Gallagher". Gallagher and Kensit's son, Lennon Francis Gallagher, was born on 13 September 1999. The couple divorced in 2000. Gallagher's second son, Gene Gallagher, was born to Canadian singer Nicole Appleton on 2 July 2001. After being together for nearly eight years, Gallagher and Appleton married on 14 February 2008, also at Marylebone Town Hall.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: From 2011 to 2012, Gallagher had an affair with journalist Liza Ghorbani, who gave birth to a daughter named Gemma in January 2013. The affair was publicly revealed five months later, after he had separated from Appleton and started dating his personal assistant Debbie Gwyther, to whom he referred as his "saviour" for helping him return to making music. During this time, he briefly moved to his mother's house in Ireland, and he was divorced from Appleton in April 2014. His relationship with brother Noel further deteriorated following the severe financial pressures resulting from Liam's divorce and family court settlements, and again when Liam's requests for Noel to take part in an Oasis reunion to help him raise funds were ignored. In 2019, he praised all the mothers of his children for raising the children to be "good people".


title: Liam Gallagher

text: During a holiday on the Amalfi Coast in August 2019, Gallagher proposed to Gwyther. The couple had intended to marry in Italy in the summer of 2020, but Gallagher announced in June 2020 that the wedding had been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They live in the Highgate area of London.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: Gallagher endorsed the Labour Party in the 2017 UK general election. He has discussed his concerns on climate change, having publicly praised Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, and voted for the Green Party in the 2019 UK general election. He has called people involved with cancel culture "fucking squares" and elaborated, "Unless they come around to your house and say you're cancelled, you're still going to do your fucking thing. [...] You can still go and do your gig, there are people out there who are going to like what you’ve got to say."


title: Liam Gallagher

text: Gallagher is a lifelong supporter of Manchester City FC. In 2019, he revealed that he never learned how to drive or swim. He has cited "Quadrophenia", "Scarface", "Seven" and "Trainspotting" as his favourite films.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: Gallagher often goes jogging, but revealed in 2019 that he had begun to suffer from arthritis of the hips and that doctors had advised him to jog less. He also suffers from psoriasis, which has forced him to sometimes wear protective gloves, as well as Hashimoto's thyroiditis and hay fever.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: Gallagher fell out of a helicopter following his headline set at the 2021 Isle of Wight Festival, sustaining cuts and bruises to his face. The injuries were severe enough for Gallagher to delay his performance at the 2021 edition of the Belsonic festival to the 2022 edition.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: During Oasis's American tour in 1994, Liam frequently changed the words of Noel's songs so that they were offensive to both Americans and Noel. In September 1994, Oasis played at Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles. The day of the show Oasis had been using methamphetamine that they believed was cocaine. The band made several mistakes and tensions arose on stage between Liam and Noel, eventually leading to Liam hitting Noel in the head with his tambourine. After the show, Noel shortly left the tour and went to San Francisco.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: During the 1995 recording sessions for "(What's the Story) Morning Glory?", the brothers had a fight when Liam invited everyone from a local pub back to the studio while Noel was trying to work, culminating in Noel hitting Liam over the head with a cricket bat. Noel later described this event as "possibly the biggest fight we ever had".


title: Liam Gallagher

text: In August 1996, after a record-breaking pair of shows at Knebworth, tension mounted between the Gallaghers when Liam backed out of Oasis's "MTV Unplugged" set minutes before it was due to start. Noel was forced to fill in at the last minute. Liam said that he had been struck down with a "sore throat" and that he does not like performing acoustically, though Noel has claimed he was hungover. Noel was further angered when Liam heckled him from the balcony while the band performed. Four days after, Noel was again forced to fill in for Liam on the first show of their American tour, when Liam refused to travel to America with the rest of the band claiming he needed time to buy a house. He was back on stage with Oasis for their next show three days later in Detroit. Tension between Noel and the rest of the band mounted and Noel left the tour, causing several media outlets to question the future of the band.


title: Liam Gallagher

text: While on tour in Barcelona in May 2000, Oasis were forced to cancel a show when drummer Alan White's arm seized up; the band spent the evening drinking instead. During the night Liam made a crude remark about Noel's wife, Meg Mathews (apparently questioning the legitimacy of Noel's baby daughter Anais), leading to a fight. Following this, a press release was put out declaring that Noel had decided to quit overseas touring with Oasis. The rest of the band, with guitarist Matt Deighton replacing Noel, played the remaining dates. Noel eventually returned for the British and Irish legs of the tour; at the first of these shows the brothers shook hands after the song "Acquiesce".


title: Liam Gallagher

text: In 2009, prior to the group's break, Noel called Liam "rude, arrogant, intimidating, and lazy", describing him as "the angriest man you'll ever meet [...] like a man with a fork in a world of soup". The final straw for the band came at Rock En Seine in Paris, when an altercation between the brothers (subsequently described by Noel as "no physical violence but there was a lot of World Wrestling Federation stuff") prior to their performance resulted in the destruction of Noel's guitar and saw him announce his departure from the group. Liam later claimed he "messed the first one up" when questioned about his 2019 MTV Unplugged performance and has since claimed he missed the show because he "accidentally got drunk again".


title: Liam Gallagher

text: Liam has stated he does not speak much with Noel and that they "don't really have a relationship". During the final tour, the only time that they ever spoke directly was when onstage. Noel would later reveal that while they were in Oasis, the two "never hung out together outside of the band, ever". Since the band's split, the only direct contact they have had with each other has consisted of exchanging text messages at Christmas; Liam also invited Noel to his wedding, which was scheduled to take place in 2021 after the COVID-19 pandemic, but does not believe Noel will attend. When speaking to Sky News, Noel denied any invite being received and remarked that as he was not invited to Liam's previous weddings "I'm not going to go to this one, am I?". Despite their constant fighting, the Gallaghers showed mutual affection before, during, and after their time in Oasis. Liam often calls Noel the best songwriter in the world, while Noel frequently calls Liam "cooler" than himself and praises Liam's good looks. Noel has said that Oasis came down to the relationship between him and Liam. Weeks prior to this, Noel said Liam was "obsessed with him", leading Liam to allege the same thing about Noel.


title: Dune (franchise)

text: Dune, also known as the Dune Chronicles, is an American science fiction media franchise that originated with the 1965 novel "Dune" by Frank Herbert and has continued to add new publications. "Dune" is frequently described as the best selling science fiction novel in history. It won the inaugural Nebula Award for Best Novel and the Hugo Award in 1966, and was later adapted into a 1984 film, a 2000 television miniseries, and a 2021 film. The latter will be followed by a . Herbert wrote five sequels, the first two of which were adapted as a miniseries called "Frank Herbert's Children of Dune" in 2003. "Dune" has also inspired some traditional games and a series of video games. Since 2009, the names of planets from the "Dune" novels have been adopted for the real-world nomenclature of plains and other features on Saturn's moon Titan.


title: Dune (franchise)

text: Frank Herbert died in 1986. Beginning in 1999, his son Brian Herbert and science fiction author Kevin J. Anderson published a number of prequel novels, as well as two sequels that complete the original "Dune" series ("Hunters of Dune" in 2006 and "Sandworms of Dune" in 2007), partially based on Frank Herbert's notes discovered a decade after his death.


title: Dune (franchise)

text: The political, scientific, and social fictional setting of Herbert's novels and derivative works is known as the "Dune" universe or Duniverse. Set tens of thousands of years in the future, the saga chronicles a civilization that has banned all "thinking machines", which include computers, robots and artificial intelligence. In their place, civilization has developed advanced mental and physical disciplines as well as advanced technologies that adhere to the ban on computers. Vital to this empire is the harsh desert planet Arrakis, the only known source of the spice melange, the most valuable substance in the universe.


title: Dune (franchise)

text: For the similarities between some of Herbert's terms and ideas and actual words and concepts in the Arabic language, as well as the series' "Islamic undertones" and themes, a Middle Eastern influence in Herbert's works has been widely noted.


title: Dune (franchise)

text: The "Dune" saga is set thousands of years in humanity's future. Faster-than-light travel has been developed, and humans have colonized a vast number of worlds, but a great reaction against computers has resulted in a ban on any kind of “thinking machine”, with the creation or possession of such punishable by immediate death. Despite this prohibition, humanity continues to develop and advance other branches of technology, including ESP and instruments of war. At the time of the first book's setting, humanity has formed a feudal interstellar empire known as the Imperium, run by several Great Houses that oversee various planets. Of key interest is the planet Arrakis, known as "Dune". A desert planet with nearly no precipitation, it is the only planet where a special life-extending drug, melange or "the spice", can be found. In addition to life extension, melange enhances the mental capacity of humans: it enables humans known as Mentats to perform complex calculations without the aid of computers; allows for the mutated Spacing Guild pilots to navigate folded space and travel the distances between planets; and triggers some of the powers of the Bene Gesserit, a religious group that secretly seeks to control the direction humanity takes. Melange is difficult to acquire, not only due to the harsh environment of Arrakis, but also the presence of giant sandworms that are drawn towards any rhythmic sounds on the sands of the desert. Control of Arrakis, its spice production, and the impact on humanity's development become the centerpoints of a millennia-long conflict that develops through the series.


title: Dune (franchise)

text: The "Dune" universe, set in the distant future of humanity, has a history that stretches thousands of years (some 15,000 years in total) and covers considerable changes in political, social, and religious structure as well as technology. Creative works set in the "Dune" universe can be said to fall into five general time periods:


title: Dune (franchise)

text: As explained in "Dune", the Butlerian Jihad is a conflict taking place over 11,000 years in the future (and over 10,000 years before the events of "Dune"), which results in the total destruction of virtually all forms of "computers, thinking machines, and conscious robots". With the prohibition "Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a human mind," the creation of even the simplest thinking machines is outlawed and made taboo, which has a profound influence on the socio-political and technological development of humanity in the "Dune" series. Herbert refers to the Jihad several times in the novels, but does not give much detail on how he imagined the causes and nature of the conflict. Critical analysis has often associated the term with Samuel Butler and his 1863 essay "Darwin among the Machines", which advocated the destruction of all advanced machines.


title: Dune (franchise)

text: In Herbert's "God Emperor of Dune" (1981), Leto II Atreides indicates that the Jihad had been a semi-religious social upheaval initiated by humans who felt repulsed by how guided and controlled they had become by machines. This technological reversal leads to the creation of the universal Orange Catholic Bible and the rise of a new feudal pan-galactic empire that lasts for over 10,000 years before Herbert's series begins. Several secret societies also develop, using eugenics programs, intensive mental and physical training, and pharmaceutical enhancements to hone human skills to an astonishing degree. Artificial insemination is also prohibited, as explained in "Dune Messiah" (1969), when Paul Atreides negotiates with the Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam, who is appalled by Paul's suggestion that he impregnate his consort in this manner.


title: Dune (franchise)

text: Herbert died in 1986, leaving his vision of the actual events of the Butlerian Jihad unexplored and open to speculation. The "Legends of Dune" prequel trilogy (2002–2004) by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson presents the Jihad as a war between humans and the sentient machines they had created, who rise up and nearly destroy humanity. The series explains that humanity had become entirely complacent and dependent upon thinking machines; recognizing this weakness, a group of ambitious, militant humans calling themselves the Titans use this widespread reliance on machine intelligence to seize control of the entire universe. Their reign lasts for a century; eventually they give too much access and power to the AI program Omnius, which usurps control from the Titans themselves. Seeing no value in human life, the thinking machines—now including armies of robot soldiers and other aggressive machines—dominate and enslave nearly all of humanity in the universe for 900 years, until a jihad is ignited. This crusade against the machines lasts for nearly a century, with much loss of human life but ultimately ending in human victory.


title: Dune (franchise)

text: The ancient Battle of Corrin—occurring 20 years after the end of the Butlerian Jihad—spawns the Padishah Emperors of House Corrino, who rule the known universe for millennia by controlling the Sardaukar, a brutally efficient military force. Ten thousand years later, Imperial power is balanced by the assembly of noble houses called the Landsraad, which enforces the Great Convention's ban on the use of atomics against human targets. Though the power of the Corrinos is unrivaled by any individual House, they are in constant competition with each other for political power and stakes in the omnipresent CHOAM company, a directorship that controls the wealth of the entire Empire. The third primary power in the universe is the Spacing Guild, which monopolizes interstellar travel and banking. Mutated Guild Navigators use the spice drug melange to successfully navigate "folded space" and safely guide enormous heighliner starships from planet to planet instantaneously.


title: Dune (franchise)

text: The matriarchal Bene Gesserit possess almost superhuman physical, sensory, and deductive powers developed through years of physical and mental conditioning. While positioning themselves to "serve" humanity, the Bene Gesserit pursue their goal to better the human race by subtly and secretly guiding and manipulating the affairs of others to serve their own purposes. By the time of "Dune", they have secured a level of control over the current emperor, Shaddam IV, by marrying him to one of their own who intentionally bears him only daughters. The Bene Gesserit also have a secret, millennia-long selective breeding program to bolster and preserve valuable skills and bloodlines as well as to produce a theoretical superhuman male they call the Kwisatz Haderach. When "Dune" begins, the Sisterhood are only one generation away from their desired individual, having manipulated the threads of genes and power for thousands of years to produce the required confluence of events. But Lady Jessica, ordered by the Bene Gesserit to produce a daughter who would breed with the appropriate male to produce the Kwisatz Haderach, instead bears a son—unintentionally producing the Kwisatz Haderach a generation early.


title: Dune (franchise)

text: "Human computers" known as Mentats have been developed and perfected to replace the capacity for logical analysis lost through the prohibition of computers. Through specific training, they learn to enter a heightened mental state in which they can perform complex logical computations that are superior to those of the ancient thinking machines. The Bene Tleilax are amoral merchants who traffic in biological and genetically engineered products such as artificial eyes, "twisted" Mentats, and gholas. Finally, the Ixians produce cutting-edge technology that seemingly complies with (but pushes the boundaries of) the prohibitions against thinking machines. The Ixians are very secretive, not only to protect their valuable hold on the industry but also to hide any methods or inventions that may breach the anti-thinking machine protocols.


title: Dune (franchise)

text: Against this backdrop, the "Prelude to Dune" prequel trilogy (1999–2001) chronicles the return from obscurity of House Atreides, whose role in the Butlerian Jihad is all but forgotten. The Imperial House schemes to gain full control of the Empire through the control of melange, precisely at the time that the Bene Gesserit breeding program is nearing fruition.


title: Dune (franchise)

text: As Frank Herbert's "Dune" (1965) begins, Duke Leto Atreides finds himself in a dangerous position. The 81st Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV has put him in control of the desert planet Arrakis, known as Dune, which is the only source of the all-important spice melange. The most valuable commodity in the known universe, the spice not only makes safe and reliable interstellar travel possible, but also prolongs life, protects against disease, and is used by the Bene Gesserit to enhance their abilities. The potential financial gains for House Atreides are mitigated by the fact that mining melange from the desert surface of Arrakis is an expensive and hazardous undertaking, thanks to the treacherous environment and constant threat of giant sandworms that protect the spice. In addition, Leto is aware that Shaddam, feeling threatened by the rising power and influence of the Atreides, has sent him into a trap. Failure to meet or exceed the production volume of his predecessor, the villainous Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, will negatively affect the position of House Atreides in CHOAM, which relies on spice profits. Further, the very presence of the Atreides on Arrakis inflames the long-simmering War of Assassins between House Atreides and House Harkonnen, a feud ignited 10,000 years before when an Atreides had a Harkonnen banished for cowardice after the Butlerian Jihad.


title: Dune (franchise)

text: The little-understood native population of Arrakis are the Fremen, long overlooked by the Imperium. Considered backward savages, the Fremen are an extremely hardy people and exist in large numbers, their culture built around the commodity of water, which is extremely scarce on Arrakis. The Fremen await the coming of a prophesied messiah, not suspecting that this prophecy had been planted in their legends by the Missionaria Protectiva, an arm of the Bene Gesserit dedicated to religious manipulation to ease the path of the Sisterhood when necessary. In "Dune", the so-called "Arrakis Affair" puts unexpected Kwisatz Haderach Paul Atreides in control of first the Fremen people and then Arrakis itself. Absolute control over the spice supply allows Paul to depose Shaddam and become ruler of the known universe, with Shaddam's eldest daughter Princess Irulan as his consort. With a bloody jihad subsequently unleashed across the universe in Paul's name but out of his control, the Bene Gesserit, Tleilaxu, Spacing Guild, and House Corrino conspire to dethrone him in "Dune Messiah" (1969). Though the plot fails, the Atreides Empire continues to devolve in "Children of Dune" (1976) as the religion built around Paul falters, Irulan's sister Wensicia conspires to place her son Farad'n on the throne, and Paul's twin heirs Leto II and Ghanima rise to power.


title: Dune (franchise)

text: The "Heroes of Dune" series (2008–2009) by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson chronicles the major events that take place between "Dune: House Corrino" (2001) and "Dune: The Duke of Caladan" (2020), between "Dune" (1965) and "Dune Messiah" (1969), and between "Dune Messiah" and "Children of Dune" (1976).


title: Dune (franchise)

text: At the time of "God Emperor of Dune" (1981), Paul's son, the God Emperor Leto II Atreides, has ruled the Empire for 3,500 years from the verdant face of a transformed Arrakis; melange production has ceased. Leto has forced the sandworms into extinction, except for the larval sandtrout with which he had forged a symbiosis, transforming him into a human-sandworm hybrid. Human civilization before his rule had suffered from twin weaknesses: that it could be controlled by a single authority, and that it was totally dependent upon melange, found on only one planet in the known universe. Leto's prescient visions had shown that humanity would be threatened by extinction in any number of ways; his solution was to place humanity on his "Golden Path," a plan for humanity's survival. Leto governs as a benevolent tyrant, providing for his people's physical needs, but denying them any spiritual outlets other than his own compulsory religion (as well as maintaining a monopoly on spice and thus total control of its use). Personal violence of any kind is banned, as is nearly all space travel, creating a pent-up demand for freedom and travel. The Bene Gesserit, Ixians, and Tleilaxu find themselves seeking ways to regain some of their former power or unseat Leto altogether. Leto also conducts his own selective breeding program among the descendants of his twin sister Ghanima, finally arriving at Siona, daughter of Moneo, whose actions are hidden from prescient vision. Leto engineers his own assassination, knowing it will result in rebellion and revolt but also in an explosion in travel and colonization. The death of Leto's body also produces new sandtrout, which will eventually give rise to a population of sandworms and a new cycle of spice production.


title: Dune (franchise)

text: In the aftermath of the fall of the God Emperor, chaos and severe famine on many worlds cause trillions of humans to set off into the freedom of unknown space and spread out across the universe. This diaspora is later called the Scattering and, combined with the invisibility of Atreides descendants to prescient vision, assures that humanity has forever escaped the threat of total extinction. At the time of "Heretics of Dune" (1984) and "" (1985)—1500 years after Leto's death—the turmoil is settling into a new pattern; the balance of power in the, as it is now called, Old Empire rests among the Ixians, the Bene Gesserit, and the Tleilaxu. The Spacing Guild has been forever weakened by the development of Ixian machines capable of navigation in foldspace, practically replacing Guild Navigators. The Bene Gesserit, through manipulation of the Priesthood of the Divided God, control the sandworms and their planet, now called Rakis, but the Tleilaxu have discovered how to produce melange using their axlotl tanks in quantities that greatly exceed natural melange harvests. This balance of power is shattered by a large influx of people from the Scattering, some fleeing persecution by an as-yet unknown enemy. Among the returning people, the Bene Gesserit finds its match in a violent and corrupt matriarchal society known as the Honored Matres, whom they suspect may be descended from some of their own sent out in the Scattering. As a bitter and bloody war erupts between the orders, it ultimately becomes clear that joining the two organizations into a single New Sisterhood with shared abilities is their best chance to fight the approaching enemy.


title: Dune (franchise)

text: Herbert's interest in the desert setting of "Dune" and its challenges is attributed to research he began in 1957 for a never-completed article about a United States Department of Agriculture experiment using poverty grasses to stabilize damaging sand dunes, which could "swallow whole cities, lakes, rivers, and highways." Herbert spent the next five years researching, writing, and revising what would eventually become the novel "Dune", which was initially serialized in "Analog" magazine as two shorter works, "Dune World" (1963) and "The Prophet of Dune" (1965). The serialized version was expanded and reworked—and rejected by more than 20 publishers—before being published by Chilton Books, a printing house best known for its auto repair manuals, in 1965. "Dune" won the inaugural Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1966, and the 1966 Hugo Award. The novel has been translated into dozens of languages, and has sold almost 20 million copies. "Dune" has been regularly cited as one of the world's best-selling science fiction novels.


title: Dune (franchise)

text: A sequel, "Dune Messiah", followed in 1969. A third novel called "Children of Dune" was published in 1976, and was later nominated for a Hugo Award. "Children of Dune" became the first hardcover best-seller ever in the science fiction field. Parts of these two first sequels were written before "Dune" was completed.