title: Ali Khamenei

text: In 2012, Khamenei ordered a halt to a parliamentary inquiry into Ahmadinejad's mishandling of the Iranian economy. In 2016, Khamenei advised Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, his former ally with whom his relationship was strained after Ahmadinejad accused his son Mojtaba Khamenei of embezzling from the state treasury, to not run for president again.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: Khamenei supported Mesbah Yazdi describing him as one of Iran's most credible ideologues prior to the 2005 election, but has reportedly "recently been concerned about Mesbah's political ambitions."


title: Ali Khamenei

text: In 2007, Khamenei requested that government officials speed up Iran's move towards economic privatization. Its last move towards such a goal was in 2004, when Article 44 of the constitution was overturned. Article 44 had decreed that Iran's core infrastructure should remain state-run. Khamenei also suggested that ownership rights should be protected in courts set up by the Justice Ministry; the hope was that this new protection would give a measure of security to and encourage private investment. In 2007, Iranian police under the direction of Khamenei launched a "Public Security Plan", arresting dozens of "thugs" to increase public security.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: Additionally, Khamenei has stated that he believes in the importance of nuclear technology for civilian purposes because "oil and gas reserves cannot last forever."


title: Ali Khamenei

text: On 30 April 2008, Ali Khamenei backed President Ahmadinejad's economic policy and said the West was struggling with more economic difficulties than Iran, with a "crisis" spreading from the United States to Europe, and inflation was a widespread problem. The Iranian leader said that the ongoing economic crisis which has debilitated the world has been unprecedented in the past 60 years. "This crisis has forced the UN to declare state of emergency for food shortages around the globe but foreign radios have focused on Iran to imply that the current price hikes and inflation in the country are the results of carelessness on the part of Iranian officials which of course is not true", he said. Khamenei emphasized that no one has the right to blame the Iranian government for Iran's economic problems. He also advised people and the government to be content and avoid waste in order to solve economic problems. "I advise you to keep in your mind that this great nation is never afraid of economic sanctions", he added.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: As Supreme Leader, Khamenei has influence over elections in Iran since the Constitution of Iran allows him to appoint half of the members of the Guardian Council and the Chief Justice of Iran. The Constitution also establishes that the Council approves or disqualifies candidates for office while the Chief Justice presents the other half of the members of the council to be selected by Parliament. These constitutional provisions give Khamenei direct and indirect influence over the council; an entity that, in turn, has direct influence over who can run for government. This influence was evident in the 2004 parliamentary elections, in which the Guardian Council disqualified thousands of candidates from running—including 80 incumbents, many of the reformist members of Parliament, and all the candidates of the Islamic Iran Participation Front party. Subsequently, the conservatives won about 70 percent of parliamentary seats. The election became a key turning point in the country's political evolution as it marked the end of the campaign for political and social reform initiated by former President Mohammad Khatami.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: During the 2005 presidential election, Khamenei's comments about importance of fighting corruption, being faithful to the ideals of the Islamic revolution, as well as on the superior intelligence and dynamism of those who studied engineering, were interpreted by some as a subtle endorsement of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (who had a PhD in traffic engineering). After the election, and until recently, Khamenei was outspoken in his support for Ahmadinejad, and "defended him publicly in ways which he never" had reformist president Khatami. Khamenei would later certify the results of the 2009 Iranian Presidential election.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: Khamenei took a firm stand against the 2009–10 Iranian election protests, and stated that he will neither reconsider vote results nor bow to public pressure over the disputed reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. "By Allah's favor, the presidential election was accurately held, and the current matters should be pursued legally." In a public appearance on 19 June he expresses his support for the declared winner Ahmadinejad and accused foreign powers—including Britain, Israel and the United States—of helping foment protest against the election results. In particular, he singled out Britain, perceiving the country as the "most evil" of its enemies. He said that the Iranian people will respond with an "iron fist" if Western powers meddle in Iran's internal affairs.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: In response to reformist gains in the 2015–2016 election cycle, Khamenei lamented the loss of conservative clerics from the Assembly of Experts and suggested changes to the law by which the Guardian Council vets candidates may be needed because it is currently too difficult for the Guardian Council to vet so large a number of candidates.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: Ali Khamenei has been supportive of scientific progress in Iran. He was among the first Islamic clerics to allow stem cell research and therapeutic cloning. In 2004, Khamenei said that the country's progress is dependent on investment in the field of science and technology. He also said that attaching a high status to scholars and scientists in society would help talents to flourish and science and technology to become domesticated, thus ensuring the country's progress and development.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: Khamenei has "direct responsibility" for foreign policy, which "cannot be conducted without his direct involvement and approval". He has a foreign policy team independent of the president's "which includes two former foreign ministers" and "can at any time of his choosing inject himself into the process and 'correct' a flawed policy or decision." His foreign policy is said to steer a course that avoids either confrontation or accommodation with the West.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: Khamenei condemned the persecution of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar and called Myanmar's de facto leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung Sang Suu Kyi a "brutal woman".


title: Ali Khamenei

text: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticized Khamenei for his refusal to condemn the Xinjiang re-education camps and human rights abuses against the Uyghur Muslim minority in China.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: The United States and Iran have had no formal diplomatic relations since the Iran hostage crisis of 1980 when US embassy was taken over and US diplomats were taken prisoner. According to study by Karim Sadjadpour, speeches by Khamenei regularly mention the principle of resolute opposition to the United States; and according to Karim Sadjadpour he has "resisted Rafsanjani's attempts to find a modus vivendi with the United States", and once told reformist president Mohammad Khatami that "we need the United States as an enemy".


title: Ali Khamenei

text: On 4 June 2006, Khamenei said that Iran would disrupt energy shipments from the Persian Gulf region (about 20% of the world's daily supply of oil passes from the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz very close to Iran's coast) should the country come under attack from the US, insisting that Tehran will not give up its right to produce nuclear fuel.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: On 14 September 2007, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (on the 1st Friday prayer of Ramadan) predicted that George W. Bush and American officials will one day be tried in an international criminal court to be held "accountable" for the U.S. led invasion of Iraq. He asserts that the United States is the main cause of insecurity in Iraq.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: On 21 March 2009, a day after US President Barack Obama advocated a "new beginning" in diplomatic relations between the two countries, Khamenei said a change of US "words" was not enough and added: "We will watch and we will judge (the new US administration) ... You change, our behavior will change." He rejected US foreign policy since the Islamic revolution, insisted the United States is "hated in the world" and should end its interference in other countries.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: Khamenei criticized the NATO-led military intervention in Libya. On 21 March 2011, Khamenei accused the West of having "come after Libyan oil". He also stressed that "Iran utterly condemns the behaviour of the Libyan government against its people, the killings and pressure on people, and the bombing of its cities... but it (also) condemns the military action in Libya". Khamenei stated that he support sending mediators rather than bombing the country.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: In June 2011, Khamenei accused the United States government of terrorism and rejected the American definition of terrorism; he was quoted as saying, "The U.S. and the European governments that follow it describe Palestinian combatant groups who fight for the liberation of their land as terrorists."


title: Ali Khamenei

text: In June 2012, Khamenei warned Western governments that the mounting sanctions on the country will only deepen the Iranians' hatred of the West.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: In October 2014, Khamenei said the U.S. and the U.K. created ISIS as a tool to fight Iran and "create insecurity" in the region.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: On 19 July 2015, while speaking at a mosque in Tehran, Khamenei said to his supporters that the policies of the United States in the region were "180 degrees" opposed to Iran's political and religious movement. The speech was punctuated by chants of "Death to America" and "Death to Israel". Khamenei said in regards to the 2015 nuclear deal that "Even after this deal, our policy towards the arrogant U.S. will not change." U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that if the comments reflected policy, it was "very disturbing", and "very troubling".


title: Ali Khamenei

text: In March 2020, Khamenei warned against a United States offer of aid to fight COVID-19 on the grounds that it could be a way to hurt Iran by further spreading the disease. He also suggested the US had developed a special variety of the virus "based on Iranian genetic information they have gathered", although he provided no evidence for the theory. Khamenei explained, "There are enemies who are demons, and there are enemies who are humans, and they help one another."


title: Ali Khamenei

text: In March 2022, Khamenei accused the U.S. of creating the conflict surrounding the Russo-Ukrainian War.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: After the 11 September attacks, Khamenei condemned the act and the attackers and called for a condemnation of terrorist activities all over the world, but warned strongly against a military intervention in Afghanistan. He is quoted as saying, "Mass killings of human beings are catastrophic acts which are condemned wherever they may happen and whoever the perpetrators and the victims may be."


title: Ali Khamenei

text: Khamenei is an opponent of the State of Israel and Zionism, and has been criticized for making threats against Israel and for anti-Semitic rhetoric.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: On 15 December 2000, Khamenei called Israel a "cancerous tumor of a state" that "should be removed from the region" and in 2013 called Israel a "rabid dog", as well as in 2014 during the Gaza war, for what he called attacking innocent people. In 2014, a tweet from an account attributed to Khamenei, claimed that there was no cure for Israel but its annihilation.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: In a September 2008 sermon for Friday prayers in Tehran, Khamenei stated that "it is incorrect, irrational, pointless and nonsense to say that we are friends of Israeli people", because he believed that the occupation is done by the means of them. "[U]surpation of houses, lands, and business [of Palestinian people] are carried out using these people. They are the background actors of Zionist elements," said Khamenei in his speech. "[W]e have no problem with Jews and Christians ... we have problem with the usurpers of Palestine land," he added. Also, he said that he had raised the issue "to spell an end to any debates". In 2013, Khamenei accused France of "kneeling" before Israel, while saying that Israel was led by people unworthy of the "title human".


title: Ali Khamenei

text: Nevertheless, according to anti-regime change activist Abbas Edalat, in 2005 Khamenei responded to a remark by then-President Ahmadinejad which had been widely translated as saying that the "regime occupying Jerusalem should be wiped off the map" by saying that "the Islamic Republic has never threatened and will never threaten any country."


title: Ali Khamenei

text: In a September 2009 sermon, Khamenei was quoted as saying, that "the Zionist cancer is gnawing into the lives of Islamic nations." In another report of the same speech, he added that "we will support and help any nations, any groups fighting against the Zionist regime across the world, and we are not afraid of declaring this."


title: Ali Khamenei

text: Khamenei instead proposed that "Palestinian refugees should return and Muslims, Christians and Jews could choose a government for themselves, excluding immigrant Jews," adding "No one will allow a bunch of thugs, lechers and outcasts from London, America and Moscow to rule over the Palestinians."


title: Ali Khamenei

text: On 10 September 2015, in a speech about Israel after agreement on the nuclear program of Iran, Khamenei made a remark "Israel will not exist in 25 years". For the first time, the remark was published in Khamenei's official website and his Twitter. This statement was reported as voted as the best and most important among Khamenei's statements in 2015 by an online poll conducted by his official website.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: On 21 February, at the 6th International Conference in Support of the Palestinian Intifada, Khamenei regarded withdrawal of Israel from south Lebanon in 2000 and from Gaza in 2005 as two major achievements so far. Also, he advised the Islamic countries to refrain from "useless" crises and differences and instead concentrate on the issue of Palestine which he regarded as the core issue of Islam. "Otherwise, the potentials and capabilities of the nations will go to waste in the face of vain struggles, which would provide opportunities for the Zionist regime to become even stronger," he added.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: Khamenei condemned peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and charged UAE with betraying the Islamic world, the Arab countries and Palestine. He stated that the normalization will be only temporary, but the UAE will forever have to bear the shame regarding the deal.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: On 21 March 2014, during a morning speech marking the Persian New Year, Nowruz, Khamenei called into question the Holocaust. He said that "the Holocaust is an event whose reality is uncertain and if it has happened, it's uncertain how it has happened". Additionally he commented that "No one in European countries dares to speak about [the] Holocaust" (because of the potential legal consequences in some countries), and said that in the West, "speaking about [the] Holocaust and expressing doubts about it is considered to be a great sin." The Anti-Defamation League accused Khamenei in March 2014 of making statements of explicit Holocaust denial.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: On Holocaust Memorial Day, 27 January 2016, Khamenei posted a Holocaust denying video on his official website. In the video (drawing on the March 2014 speech), lasting about three minutes, the video features images of Holocaust deniers Roger Garaudy, Robert Faurisson, and David Irving. In a series of tweets in mid-December 2019, he praised Garaudy: "The fight he engaged in against the Zionists is a #DivineDuty for all those who respect the #Truth." France's conviction of Garaudy, he said, was against the concept of freedom of speech.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: At least one source (Yair Rosenberg), argues that statements by Khamenei purporting to attack "Zionism", are following an anti-Semitic tradition of avoiding censorship by using "Zionism" as a dog whistle for "Jews". For example, an 8 June 2022 statement tweeted by Khamenei:


title: Ali Khamenei

text: makes more sense (though is just as slanderous), if "Zionists" is replaced by "Jews". (The Zionist movement not have being founded until the late 19th century, Zionists are not likely to "have always been a plague".) Other accusations of Anti-Semitism have come from Victoria Coates and Ellie Cohanim, who note his holocaust denial, and find his "nine-point plan" to "wipe" Israel "off the face of the earth" uncomfortably reminiscent of Hitler's Final Solution; and the Jerusalem Post, who quote Khamenei's attack on the 2020 Israel–United Arab Emirates normalization agreement:


title: Ali Khamenei

text: and argue "filthy Zionist agents," "the Jewish member of Trump's family" (i.e. Jared Kushner), and "cruel", are all words channeling "antisemitic tropes and dog whistles".


title: Ali Khamenei

text: Critics have accused Khamenei of overseeing the assassination of as many as 160 exiled defectors worldwide, the heavy handed repression of protesters, the killings of tens of thousands of members of the M.E.K. (People's Mujahedin of Iran) paramilitary group, and of making dissident writers and intellectuals in Iran "a special target" of repression, among other infractions of human rights.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: However, Khamenei himself has insisted human rights are a fundamental principle underlying Islamic teachings, that precedes western concern for human rights by many centuries. He has attacked Western powers who have criticized the rights record of the Islamic Republic for hypocrisy saying that these countries economically oppress people in Third World countries and support despots and dictators. In response to Western complaints of human rights abuses in Iran he has stated that the American administration has committed many crimes and is therefore not fit to judge the Islamic Republic.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: There have been several major protests during Khamenei's reign, including the 1994 Qazvin Protests—where, according to Al-Arabiya, around 40 people were killed and over 400 were injured— the 1999 Iranian student protests, the 2009 Iranian presidential election protests, when protesters chanted "death to the dictator", and ripped down pictures of Khamenei, as well as the 2011–12 Iranian protests and 2017–18 Iranian protests, among others. In 2016, Khamenei, who outlines the elections guidelines "in line with Article 110 of Iran's Constitution", asked to maximize the amount of transparency in elections in Iran, using modern technologies.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: During the Mahshahr massacre, protests expanded against "government corruption, failing institutions, lack of freedoms and the repressive rule of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei."


title: Ali Khamenei

text: During the 2018–2019 Iranian general strikes and protests, Khameini demanded punishment for those "who disrupt economic security". According to Reuters, the remarks were "clearly intended to send a message to Iranians who may plan more demonstrations".


title: Ali Khamenei

text: During the 2019–2020 Iranian protests, Khamenei met with various officials and cabinet members, saying "he would hold the assembled officials responsible for the consequences of the protests if they didn't immediately stop them." According to an official, Khamenei "made clear the demonstrations required a forceful response" and that "rioters should be crushed."


title: Ali Khamenei

text: During the Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 protests, thousands of protesters demanded Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's resignation.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: The Baháʼí Faith is the largest religious minority in Iran, with around 300,000 members (8,000,000 members worldwide) and is officially considered a dangerous cult by Iranian government. It is banned in Iran and several other countries. Khamenei has approved new legislation against Baháʼís in Iran and lessen their influence abroad. According to a letter from the Chairman of the Command Headquarters of the Armed Forces in Iran addressed to the Ministry of Information, the Revolutionary Guard, and the Police Force, Khamenei has also ordered the Command Headquarters to identify people who adhere to the Baháʼí Faith and to monitor their activities and gather any and all information about the members of the Baháʼí Faith.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: In 2000, he was listed by the Committee to Protect Journalists as "one of the top ten enemies of the press and freedom of expression", and was named to the "Time" 100 in 2007. Opposition journalists Ahmad Zeidabadi, Mohsen Sazegara, Mohammad Nourizad and Akbar Ganji were arrested and investigated for spreading critical articles containing unproven charges against Khamenei's policies as the leader and some organizations. According to the Iran's Press Law "spreading rumors and lies and distorts the words of others" is not allowed. Also, according to the law, "spreading libel against officials, institutions, organizations and individuals in the country or insulting legal or real persons who are lawfully respected, even by means of pictures or caricatures" is not allowed.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: In 2000, Ali Khamenei sent a letter to the Iranian parliament forbidding the legislature from debating a revision of the Iranian press law to allow more freedom. (The law had been used "to close more than 20 independent newspapers" from 1997 to 2000.) He wrote: "The present press law has succeeded to a point in preventing this big plague. The draft bill is not legitimate and in the interests of the system and the revolution." His was called a use of "extra-legislative power" by reformists and opposition groups. but Speaker of Parliament Mehdi Karroubi reminded "deputies that the constitution contained 'elements of the absolute rule of the supreme clerical leader'".


title: Ali Khamenei

text: Among his controversial actions were his rejection of a bill presented by the Iranian parliament in 2000 that aimed to reform the country's press law, and the disqualification of thousands of parliamentary candidates for the 2004 Iranian legislative election by the Guardian Council he appointed.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: In 2012, 2013, and 2014, "Forbes" selected Khamenei as the 21st, 23rd, and 19th most powerful person in the world, respectively, in the list of "The World's Most Powerful People".


title: Ali Khamenei

text: Several journalists, bloggers, and other individuals were put on trial in Iran for the charge of insulting the Supreme Leader, often in conjunction with blasphemy charges.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: In 1996, Abbas Maroufi was sentenced to 35 lashes and 6 months imprisonment for spreading lies and insulting Khamenei. Maroufi was also banned from working as a journalist and his literary monthly Gardoon was closed. Maroufi had compared Khamenei to former Shah of Iran Mohammed Reza Pahlavi.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: In 2005, an Iranian was jailed for two years for insulting Khamenei and Imam Khomeini while being cleared of insulting the prophet.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: In 2009, Iranian blogger Omid Reza Mir Sayafi who was arrested for insulting Khamenei in an internet post, died while in custody in Evin Prison.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: In 2010, opposition activist Ahmad Gabel was sentenced to 20 months in jail for insulting Khamenei, as well as 3 additional years for possessing a satellite receiver, a 3-year exile and a fine.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: In 2014, eight men including a Briton were sentenced for 19 to 20 years for insulting Khamenei and other charges relating to Facebook comments.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: In 2017, Sina Dehghan was sentenced to death for insulting the prophet, with an additional 16-month sentence for insulting Khamenei in a messaging application.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: In July 2007, Khamenei criticized Iranian women's rights activists and the "Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women" (CEDAW): "In our country ... some activist women, and some men, have been trying to play with Islamic rules in order to match international conventions related to women", Khamenei said. "This is wrong." Khamenei made these comments two days after Iranian women's rights activist Delaram Ali was sentenced to 34 months of jail and 10 lashes by Iran's judiciary.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: Khamenei is an advocate of Islamic practice of Hijab. He believes that hijab is aimed at honoring women. To the Western objection to the compulsory hijab in Iran, he responds by pointing out the compulsory unveiling in certain western countries and obstacles created for veiled Muslim women who want to enter universities. He further argues that women in the West have lost their honor by pointing out perceived high rate of sexual violence in the West as well as the widespread exploitation of female sexual appeal for commercial purposes.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: Ali Khamenei believes in gender segregation. Khamenei also believes that gender equality is a Zionist plot with the purpose to "corrupt the role of women in society".


title: Ali Khamenei

text: Khamenei argues that "Today, homosexuality is a major problem in the western world. They [western nations] however ignore it. But the reality is that homosexuality has become a serious challenge, pain and unsolvable problem for the intellectuals in the west."


title: Ali Khamenei

text: On 24 June 2019, the United States imposed sanctions on Khamenei with the signing of Executive Order 13876.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: Khamenei is married to Mansoureh Khojasteh Bagherzadeh, with whom he has six children; four sons (Mostafa, Mojtaba, Masoud, and Meysam) and two daughters (Boshra and Hoda). One of his sons, Mojtaba, married a daughter of Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel. His eldest son, Mostafa, is married to a daughter of Azizollah Khoshvaght. Another son, Masoud, is married to the daughter of Mohsen Kharazi. He has three brothers, including Mohammad Khamenei and Hadi Khamenei. One of his four sisters, Badri Hosseini Khamenei (wife of dissident Ali Tehrani), fled into exile in the 1980s.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: As Supreme Leader, Khamenei moved to a house in Central Tehran on Palestine Street. A compound grew around it that now contains around fifty buildings. Around 500 people are employed at this "Beit Rahbari compound" according to "The Telegraph", "many recruited from the military and security services".


title: Ali Khamenei

text: According to Mehdi Khalaji, an Iran expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Khamenei has a decent life "without it being luxurious". Robert Tait of "The Daily Telegraph" commented that Khamenei is "renowned for a spartan lifestyle." Dexter Filkins describes Khamenei as presenting himself "as an ascetic, dressing and eating simply". In an interview with a women's magazine, his wife declared that "we do not have decorations, in the usual sense. Years ago, we freed ourselves from these things."


title: Ali Khamenei

text: On the other hand, "Mother Nature Network" claims Khamenei has been seen riding around in a BMW car and published a picture of him exiting one. In a 2011 report in "The Daily Telegraph", defectors from Iran claimed Khamenei has a considerable appetite of caviar and trout, a stable of 100 horses, collects items such as pipes and (reputedly) 170 antique walking sticks, and has a private court stretching over six palaces. Intelligence sources have also said his family has extensive international business interests.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: Khamenei's health has been called into question. In January 2007, after he had not been seen in public for some weeks, and had not appeared as he traditionally does at celebrations for Eid al-Adha, rumours spread of his illness or death. Khamenei issued a statement declaring that "enemies of the Islamic system fabricated various rumors about death and health to demoralize the Iranian nation", but according to author Hooman Majd, he appeared to be "visibly weak" in photos released with the statement.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: On 9 September 2014, Khamenei underwent prostate surgery in what his doctors described in state news media as a "routine operation". According to a report by "Le Figaro", Western intelligence sources said Khamenei has prostate cancer.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: In September 2022, it was reported that Khamenei had undergone surgery for bowel obstruction and had to cancel a number of meetings.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: In late 1996, following a fatwa by Khamenei stating that music education corrupts the minds of young children and is against Islam, many music schools were closed and music instruction to children under the age of 16 was banned by public establishments (although private instruction continued).


title: Ali Khamenei

text: Khamenei has stated that "poetry must be the vanguard of the caravan of the [Islamic] revolution... [T]hrough the arts and literature, the revolution can be exported in an easier and more honest way." It has been suggested (by Dexter Filkins) that this might explain his interest in banning books, prohibiting newspapers and imprisoning artists.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: He has expressed interest in the study of the novels and stories since childhood and studied various world's credible novels. He was "fascinated by Jean-Paul Sartre and Bertrand Russell" in his youth. He praised the works of Mikhail Sholokhov, Alexei Tolstoy, Honoré de Balzac, and Michel Zévaco. However, Victor Hugo's "Les Misérables" "is the best novel that has been written in history." He explained:


title: Ali Khamenei

text: He suggested reading "The Grapes of Wrath" to "an audience of writers and artists" and "Uncle Tom's Cabin" to the high-level state managers as he thought it shed light on the history of United States.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: Khamenei is fluent in Arabic in addition to his native languages, Persian and Azerbaijani. He has translated several books into Persian from Arabic, including the works of the Egyptian Islamic theoretician Sayyid Qutb.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: When it comes to poetry, in Mashhad he used to participate in the literary associations along with known poets and used to critique poems. Writing some poems himself, he chose pseudonym 'Amin' for himself.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: In the field of music, he is known to have a good singing voice and plays the tar, a traditional Iranian stringed instrument.


title: Ali Khamenei

text: In February 2011, Ali Khamenei supported the Egyptian uprising against their government, describing it as Islamic awakening instead of Arab Spring. Trying to communicate with Arab people, he addressed Egypt's protesters in Arabic. (Even though his native language is Persian.) He introduced himself as "your brother in religion", while praising the "explosion of sacred anger". Later, in "Islamic Awakening conferences" which were held in Tehran, Khamenei praised the Muslim youths of Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Yemen and Bahrain for what he described as Islamic awakening. He also paralleled these events with Islamic revolution in Iran during his Nowruz oration in 2011. However, major protests against the Iranian regime also broke out throughout Iran in 2011, and they became known as the 2011–12 Iranian protests.


title: Jason Segel

text: Jason Jordan Segel ( ; born January 18, 1980) is an American actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his role as Marshall Eriksen in the CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother", as well as for his work with director and producer Judd Apatow on the television series "Freaks and Geeks" and "Undeclared", and for the critically successful comedies in which he has starred, written, and produced.


title: Jason Segel

text: Segel has starred in several films, including "Knocked Up" (2007), "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" (2008), "I Love You, Man" (2009), "Despicable Me" (2010), "Bad Teacher" (2011), "Jeff, Who Lives at Home" (2011), "The Muppets" (2011), "The Five-Year Engagement" (2012), "This Is 40" (2012), "Sex Tape" (2014), "The Discovery" (2017), and "Our Friend" (2019). His performance as the late author David Foster Wallace in the 2015 film "The End of the Tour" was met with critical acclaim, earning him a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead.


title: Jason Segel

text: Segel was born on January 18, 1980, in Los Angeles, California, to Jillian (née Jordan; born 1952) and Alvin Segel, a lawyer. He grew up in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood. He has an older brother, Adam, and a younger sister, Alison.


title: Jason Segel

text: Segel's father is Jewish, whereas his mother is of English, Scottish, Irish, and French descent. He has stated that he was raised Jewish, as well as "a little bit of everything". Segel went to Hebrew school and had a Bar Mitzvah ceremony, and also attended St. Matthew's Parish School, a private Episcopal school.


title: Jason Segel

text: Following elementary school and middle school, Segel completed his high school studies at Harvard-Westlake School, where his frame helped him as an active member of the 1996 and 1997 CIF state champion boys' basketball team. He won a slam dunk contest in high school and he was nicknamed "Dr. Dunk." He was a backup to the team's star center, Jason Collins, who went on to play in the NBA.


title: Jason Segel

text: Segel's first major role was as stoner "freak" Nick Andopolis on the critically acclaimed but short-lived 1999 NBC comedy-drama series "Freaks and Geeks". The series revolved around a group of suburban Detroit high school students circa 1980. Segel personally composed a song for his character, Nick, to sing to the lead female character, Lindsay (Linda Cardellini).


title: Jason Segel

text: Segel had recurring roles on "" as Neil Jansen and on "Undeclared" as Eric. He played Marshall Eriksen on the CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother"; he had previously stated he would move on to other projects in 2013 when his contract expired, but was convinced to finish the series after its ninth season in 2014.


title: Jason Segel

text: Segel made his film debut with "Can't Hardly Wait" in 1998. His other early feature film appearances include "Slackers", "SLC Punk!", "The Good Humor Man", and "Dead Man on Campus". In 2007, he appeared in "Knocked Up", directed by "Freaks and Geeks" producer Judd Apatow. Segel starred in the lead role of 2008's "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", a film he wrote and Apatow produced with Shauna Robertson for Universal Pictures. He also starred in "I Love You, Man", which was released on March 20, 2009, by DreamWorks.


title: Jason Segel

text: In "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", Segel's character writes a "Dracula" musical performed by puppets. He also appeared in the most prominent scene containing full frontal nudity in the film. In an interview, he stated that the Dracula musical with puppets, as well as being broken up with while naked, were real experiences he wrote into the movie. Those cloth creatures were custom-made by the Jim Henson Company, and the experience emboldened Segel to pitch his concept for a Muppets movie. Segel performed a song from the film, "Dracula's Lament", on the 1000th episode of "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson".


title: Jason Segel

text: For the 2010 comedy "Get Him to the Greek", Segel co-wrote most of the soundtrack's music which was performed by the fictional celebrity singer, Aldous Snow, including Infant Sorrow. He also appeared on "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" and sang an original song entitled "Wonky Eyed Girl".


title: Jason Segel

text: In 2010, he voiced Gru's arch-rival Vector in the Universal's CGI animated film, "Despicable Me" and appeared as "Horatio" in a fantasy comedy film "Gulliver's Travels" directed by Rob Letterman and very loosely based on Part One of the 18th-century novel of the same name by Jonathan Swift. Segel appeared in "Bad Teacher", starring Cameron Diaz, which opened in June 2011. He played gym teacher and thwarted suitor Russell Gettis. Along with Nicholas Stoller, Segel approached Disney in 2007 to write the latest "Muppets" film. Disney was unsure on how to take the request, as Segel had just done frontal nudity in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", but after realizing that he was a fan, the project was approved. Segel stated that he wanted to do the film because the last film in the series to be released in theaters was "Muppets from Space" in 1999, and he felt that the younger generation was missing out on enjoying one of his childhood favorites.


title: Jason Segel

text: Segel decided not to star in the sequel to "The Muppets", "Muppets Most Wanted". He filmed "The Five-Year Engagement", with Emily Blunt, in spring 2011, in Michigan, and the film was released on April 27, 2012.


title: Jason Segel

text: In 2013, Segel revealed he was working on a series of young adult novels, based on a story he conceived when he was 21. In the fall of 2014, the first novel of the series "Nightmares!", co-written with Kirsten Miller, was released, with the followup coming out the following year.


title: Jason Segel

text: In 2015, Segel received praise for his portrayal of the late author David Foster Wallace in the independent biographical drama film "The End of the Tour". For his performance, he earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Male Lead.


title: Jason Segel

text: In 2017, Segel and Miller released their first young adult novel, "Otherworld". Segel created and starred in the American drama television series "Dispatches from Elsewhere", which premiered on March 1, 2020, on AMC.


title: Jason Segel

text: Segel is an ordained minister with the Universal Life Church. He performed a wedding ceremony on "The Tonight Show" on July 6, 2010, for a couple that solicited his services by placing pictures of him around his home town and the bar he frequently visited.


title: Jason Segel

text: Segel dated his "Freaks and Geeks" co-star Linda Cardellini for five years following the show's cancellation. He dated Michelle Williams from 2012 to 2013. From December 2013 to April 2021, Segel dated photographer Alexis Mixter.


title: K2

text: K2, at above sea level, is the second-highest mountain on Earth, after Mount Everest (at ). It lies in the Karakoram range, partially in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-administered Kashmir and partially in a China-administered territory of the Kashmir region included in the Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County of Xinjiang.


title: K2

text: K2 also became popularly known as the "Savage Mountain" after George Bell—a climber on the 1953 American expedition—told reporters, "It's a savage mountain that tries to kill you." Of the five highest mountains in the world, K2 is the deadliest; approximately one person dies on the mountain for every four who reach the summit. Also occasionally known as "Mount Godwin-Austen", other nicknames for K2 are "The King of Mountains" and "The Mountaineers' Mountain", as well as "The Mountain of Mountains" after prominent Italian climber Reinhold Messner titled his book about K2 the same.


title: K2

text: The summit was reached for the first time by the Italian climbers Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni, on the 1954 Italian expedition led by Ardito Desio. In January 2021, K2 became the final eight-thousander to be summited in the winter; the mountaineering feat was accomplished by a team of Nepalese climbers, led by Nirmal Purja and Mingma Gyalje Sherpa.


title: K2

text: K2 is the only 8,000+ metre peak that has never been climbed from its eastern face. Ascents have almost always been made in July and August, which are typically the warmest times of the year; K2's more northern location makes it more susceptible to inclement and colder weather. The peak has now been climbed by almost all of its ridges. Although the summit of Everest is at a higher altitude, K2 is a more difficult and dangerous climb, due in part to its more inclement weather. , only 377 people have completed the ascent to its summit. There have been 91 deaths during attempted climbs, according to the list maintained on the list of deaths on eight-thousanders.


title: K2

text: The name "K2" is derived from notation used by the Great Trigonometrical Survey of British India. Thomas Montgomerie made the first survey of the Karakoram from Mount Haramukh, some to the south, and sketched the two most prominent peaks, labelling them "K1" and "K2", where the "K" stands for "Karakoram".


title: K2

text: The policy of the Great Trigonometrical Survey was to use local names for mountains wherever possible and K1 was found to be known locally as Masherbrum. K2, however, appeared not to have acquired a local name, possibly due to its remoteness. The mountain is not visible from Askole, the last village to the south, or from the nearest habitation to the north, and is only fleetingly glimpsed from the end of the Baltoro Glacier, beyond which few local people would have ventured. The name "Chogori", derived from two Balti words, "chhogo ཆོ་གྷའོ་ (""big") and "ri རི "' ("mountain") (چھوغوری) has been suggested as a local name, but evidence for its widespread use is scant. It may have been a compound name invented by Western explorers or simply a bemused reply to the question "What's that called?" It does, however, form the basis for the name "Qogir" () by which Chinese authorities officially refer to the peak. Other local names have been suggested including "Lamba Pahar" ("Tall Mountain" in Urdu) and "Dapsang", but are not widely used.


title: K2

text: With the mountain lacking a local name, the name "Mount Godwin-Austen" was suggested, in honour of Henry Godwin-Austen, an early explorer of the area. While the name was rejected by the Royal Geographical Society, it was used on several maps and continues to be used occasionally.


title: K2

text: The surveyor's mark, K2, therefore continues to be the name by which the mountain is commonly known. It is now also used in the Balti language, rendered as "Kechu" or "Ketu" ( ). The Italian climber Fosco Maraini argued in his account of the ascent of Gasherbrum IV that while the name of K2 owes its origin to chance, its clipped, impersonal nature is highly appropriate for so remote and challenging a mountain. He concluded that it was:


title: K2

text: K2 lies in the northwestern Karakoram Range. It is located in the Baltistan region of Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan, and the Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County of Xinjiang, China. The Tarim sedimentary basin borders the range on the north and the Lesser Himalayas on the south. Melt waters from glaciers, such as those south and east of K2, feed agriculture in the valleys and contribute significantly to the regional fresh-water supply.


title: K2

text: K2 is ranked 22nd by topographic prominence, a measure of a mountain's independent stature. It is a part of the same extended area of uplift (including the Karakoram, the Tibetan Plateau, and the Himalaya) as Mount Everest, and it is possible to follow a path from K2 to Everest that goes no lower than , at the Kora La on the Nepal/China border in the Mustang Lo. Many other peaks far lower than K2 are more independent in this sense. It is, however, the most prominent peak within the Karakoram range.


title: K2

text: K2 is notable for its local relief as well as its total height. It stands over above much of the glacial valley bottoms at its base. It is a consistently steep pyramid, dropping quickly in almost all directions. The north side is the steepest: there it rises over above the K2 (Qogir) Glacier in only of horizontal distance. In most directions, it achieves over of vertical relief in less than .


title: K2

text: A 1986 expedition led by George Wallerstein made an inaccurate measurement showing that K2 was taller than Mount Everest, and therefore the tallest mountain in the world. A corrected measurement was made in 1987, but by then the claim that K2 was the tallest mountain in the world had already made it into many news reports and reference works.


title: K2

text: K2's height given on maps and encyclopedias is . In the summer of 2014, a Pakistani-Italian expedition to K2, named "K2 60 Years Later", was organized to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the first ascent of K2. One of the goals of the expedition was to accurately measure the height of the mountain using satellite navigation. The height of K2 measured during this expedition was .


title: K2

text: The mountains of K2 and Broad Peak, and the area westward to the lower reaches of Sarpo Laggo glacier, consist of metamorphic rocks, known as the "K2 Gneiss," and part of the Karakoram Metamorphic Complex. The K2 Gneiss consists of a mixture of orthogneiss and biotite-rich paragneiss. On the south and southeast face of K2, the orthogneiss consists of a mixture of a strongly foliated plagioclase-hornblende gneiss and a biotite-hornblende-K-feldspar orthogneiss, which has been intruded by garnet-mica leucogranitic dikes. In places, the paragneisses include clinopyroxene-hornblende-bearing psammites, garnet (grossular)-diopside marbles, and biotite-graphite phyllites. Near the memorial to the climbers who have died on K2, above Base Camp on the south spur, thin impure marbles with quartzites and mica schists, called the "Gilkey-Puchoz sequence", are interbanded within the orthogneisses. On the west face of Broad Peak and south spur of K2, lamprophyre dikes, which consist of clinopyroxene and biotite-porphyritic vogesites and minettes, have intruded the K2 gneiss. The K2 Gneiss is separated from the surrounding sedimentary and metasedimentary rocks of the surrounding Karakoram Metamorphic Complex by normal faults. For example, a fault separates the K2 gneiss of the east face of K2 from limestones and slates comprising nearby Skyang Kangri.


title: K2

text: Ar/Ar ages of 115 to 120 million years ago obtained from and geochemical analyses of the K2 Gneiss demonstrate that it is a metamorphosed, older, Cretaceous, pre-collisional granite. The granitic precursor (protolith) to the K2 Gneiss originated as the result of the production of large bodies of magma by a northward-dipping subduction zone along what was the continental margin of Asia at that time and their intrusion as batholiths into its lower continental crust. During the initial collision of the Asia and Indian plates, this granitic batholith was buried to depths of about or more, highly metamorphosed, highly deformed, and partially remelted during the Eocene Period to form gneiss. Later, the K2 Gneiss was then intruded by leucogranite dikes and finally exhumed and uplifted along major breakback thrust faults during post-Miocene time. The K2 Gneiss was exposed as the entire K2-Broad Peak-Gasherbrum range experienced rapid uplift with which erosion rates have been unable to keep pace.


title: K2

text: The mountain was first surveyed by a British team in 1856. Team member Thomas Montgomerie designated the mountain "K2" for being the second peak of the Karakoram range. The other peaks were originally named K1, K3, K4, and K5, but were eventually renamed Masherbrum, Gasherbrum IV, Gasherbrum II, and Gasherbrum I, respectively. In 1892, Martin Conway led a British expedition that reached "Concordia" on the Baltoro Glacier.


title: K2

text: The first serious attempt to climb K2 was undertaken in 1902 by Oscar Eckenstein, Aleister Crowley, Jules Jacot-Guillarmod, Heinrich Pfannl, Victor Wessely, and Guy Knowles via the Northeast Ridge. In the early 1900s, modern transportation did not exist in the region: it took "fourteen days just to reach the foot of the mountain".


title: K2

text: After five serious and costly attempts, the team reached —although considering the difficulty of the challenge, and the lack of modern climbing equipment or weatherproof fabrics, Crowley's statement that "neither man nor beast was injured" highlights the relative skill of the ascent. The failures were also attributed to sickness (Crowley was suffering the residual effects of malaria), a combination of questionable physical training, personality conflicts, and poor weather conditions—of 68 days spent on K2 (at the time, the record for the longest time spent at such an altitude) only eight provided clear weather.


title: K2

text: The next expedition to K2, in 1909, led by Prince Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi, reached an elevation of around on the South East Spur, now known as the "Abruzzi Spur" (or Abruzzi Ridge). This would eventually become part of the standard route, but was abandoned at the time due to its steepness and difficulty. After trying and failing to find a feasible alternative route on the West Ridge or the North East Ridge, the Duke declared that K2 would never be climbed, and the team switched its attention to Chogolisa, where the Duke came within of the summit before being driven back by a storm.


title: K2

text: The next attempt on K2 was not made until 1938, when the First American Karakoram expedition led by Charles Houston made a reconnaissance of the mountain. They concluded that the Abruzzi Spur was the most practical route and reached a height of around before turning back due to diminishing supplies and the threat of bad weather.


title: K2

text: The following year, the 1939 American expedition led by Fritz Wiessner came within of the summit but ended in disaster when Dudley Wolfe, Pasang Kikuli, Pasang Kitar, and Pintso disappeared high on the mountain.


title: K2

text: Charles Houston returned to K2 to lead the 1953 American expedition. The attempt failed after a storm pinned down the team for 10 days at , during which time climber Art Gilkey became critically ill. A desperate retreat followed, during which Pete Schoening saved almost the entire team during a mass fall (known simply as The Belay), and Gilkey was killed, either in an avalanche or in a deliberate attempt to avoid burdening his companions. Despite the retreat and tragic end, the expedition has been given iconic status in mountaineering history. The Gilkey Memorial was built in his memory at the mountain's foot.


title: K2

text: The 1954 Italian expedition finally succeeded in ascending to the summit of K2 via the Abruzzi Spur on 31 July 1954. The expedition was led by Ardito Desio, and the two climbers who reached the summit were Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni. The team included a Pakistani member, Colonel Muhammad Ata-ullah, who had been a part of the 1953 American expedition. Also on the expedition were Walter Bonatti and Pakistani Hunza porter Amir Mehdi, who both proved vital to the expedition's success in that they carried oxygen tanks to for Lacedelli and Compagnoni. The ascent is controversial because Lacedelli and Compagnoni established their camp at a higher elevation than originally agreed with Mehdi and Bonatti. It being too dark to ascend or descend, Mehdi and Bonatti were forced to overnight without shelter above 8,000 metres leaving the oxygen tanks behind as requested when they descended. Bonatti and Mehdi survived, but Mehdi was hospitalised for months and had to have his toes amputated because of frostbite. Efforts in the 1950s to suppress these facts to protect Lacedelli and Compagnoni's reputations as Italian national heroes were later brought to light. It was also revealed that the moving of the camp was deliberate, a move apparently made because Compagnoni feared being outshone by the younger Bonatti. Bonatti was given the blame for Mehdi's hospitalisation.


title: K2

text: On 9 August 1977, 23 years after the Italian expedition, Ichiro Yoshizawa led the second successful ascent, with Ashraf Aman as the first native Pakistani climber. The Japanese expedition took the Abruzzi Spur and used more than 1,500 porters.


title: K2

text: The third ascent of K2 was in 1978, via a new route, the long and corniced Northeast Ridge. The top of the route traversed left across the East Face to avoid a vertical headwall and joined the uppermost part of the Abruzzi route. This ascent was made by an American team, led by James Whittaker; the summit party was Louis Reichardt, Jim Wickwire, John Roskelley, and Rick Ridgeway. Wickwire endured an overnight bivouac about below the summit, one of the highest bivouacs in history. This ascent was emotional for the American team, as they saw themselves as completing a task that had been begun by the 1938 team forty years earlier.


title: K2

text: Another notable Japanese ascent was that of the difficult North Ridge on the Chinese side of the peak in 1982. A team from the led by Isao Shinkai and put three members, Naoe Sakashita, Hiroshi Yoshino, and Yukihiro Yanagisawa, on the summit on 14 August. However Yanagisawa fell and died on the descent. Four other members of the team achieved the summit the next day.


title: K2

text: The first climber to reach the summit of K2 twice was Czech climber Josef Rakoncaj. Rakoncaj was a member of the 1983 Italian expedition led by Francesco Santon, which made the second successful ascent of the North Ridge (31 July 1983). Three years later, on 5 July 1986, he reached the summit via the Abruzzi Spur (double with Broad Peak West Face solo) as a member of Agostino da Polenza's international expedition.


title: K2

text: The first woman to summit K2 was Polish climber Wanda Rutkiewicz on 23 June 1986. Liliane and Maurice Barrard who had summitted later that day, fell during the descent; Liliane Barrard's body was found on 19 July 1986 at the foot of the south face.


title: K2

text: In 1986, two Polish expeditions summitted via two new routes, the Magic Line and the Polish Line (Jerzy Kukuczka and Tadeusz Piotrowski). Piotrowski fell to his death as the two were descending. This latter route has never been repeated.


title: K2

text: Thirteen climbers from several expeditions died in the 1986 K2 disaster. Another six mountaineers died in the 1995 K2 disaster, while eleven climbers died in the 2008 K2 disaster.


title: K2

text: There are a number of routes on K2, of somewhat different character, but they all share some key difficulties, the first being the extremely high altitude and resulting lack of oxygen: there is only one-third as much oxygen available to a climber on the summit of K2 as there is at sea level.


title: K2

text: The second is the propensity of the mountain to experience extreme storms of several days duration, which have resulted in many of the deaths on the peak. The third is the steep, exposed, and committing nature of all routes on the mountain, which makes retreat more difficult, especially during a storm. Despite many attempts the first successful winter ascents occurred only in 2021. All major climbing routes lie on the Pakistani side. The base camp is also located on the Pakistani side.


title: K2

text: The standard route of ascent, used by 75% of all climbers, is the Abruzzi Spur, located on the Pakistani side, first attempted by Prince Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi in 1909. This is the peak's southeast ridge, rising above the Godwin-Austen Glacier. The spur proper begins at an altitude of , where Advanced Base Camp is usually placed. The route follows an alternating series of rock ribs, snow/ice fields, and some technical rock climbing on two famous features, "House's Chimney" and the "Black Pyramid." Above the Black Pyramid, dangerously exposed and difficult to navigate slopes lead to the easily visible "Shoulder", and thence to the summit. The last major obstacle is a narrow couloir known as the "Bottleneck", which places climbers dangerously close to a wall of seracs that form an ice cliff to the east of the summit. It was partly due to the collapse of one of these seracs around 2001 that no climbers reached the summit in 2002 and 2003.


title: K2

text: On 1 August 2008, 11 climbers from several expeditions died during a series of accidents, including several ice falls in the Bottleneck.


title: K2

text: Almost opposite from the Abruzzi Spur is the North Ridge, which ascends the Chinese side of the peak. It is rarely climbed, partly due to very difficult access, involving crossing the Shaksgam River, which is a hazardous undertaking. In contrast to the crowds of climbers and trekkers at the Abruzzi basecamp, usually at most two teams are encamped below the North Ridge. This route, more technically difficult than the Abruzzi, ascends a long, steep, primarily rock ridge to high on the mountain—Camp IV, the "Eagle's Nest" at —and then crosses a dangerously slide-prone hanging glacier by a leftward climbing traverse, to reach a snow couloir which accesses the summit.


title: K2

text: Besides the original Japanese ascent, a notable ascent of the North Ridge was the one in 1990 by Greg Child, Greg Mortimer, and Steve Swenson, which was done alpine style above Camp 2, though using some fixed ropes already put in place by a Japanese team.


title: K2

text: Because 75% of people who climb K2 use the Abruzzi Spur, these listed routes are rarely climbed. No one has climbed the East Face of the mountain due to the instability of the snow and ice formations on that side. Besides the East Face, the North Face has not yet been climbed either. In 2007 Denis Urubko and Serguey Samoilov intended to climb the K2's North Face but they were stymied by increasingly deteriorating conditions. After finding their intended route menaced by growing avalanche danger, they traversed onto the normal North Ridge route and summited on 2 October 2007, making the latest summer season ascent of the peak in history.


title: K2

text: For most of its climbing history, K2 was not usually climbed with supplemental oxygen, and small, relatively lightweight teams were the norm. However, the 2004 season saw a great increase in the use of oxygen: 28 of 47 summitteers used oxygen in that year.


title: K2

text: K2's summit is well above the altitude at which high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), or high altitude cerebral edema (HACE) can occur. In mountaineering, when ascending above an altitude of , the climber enters what is known as the "death zone".


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Robert James Gronkowski (born May 14, 1989) is an American former football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Nicknamed "Gronk", Gronkowski played nine seasons for the New England Patriots, then played his final two seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Regarded as one of the greatest tight ends of all time, he is a four-time Super Bowl champion (XLIX, LI, LIII, LV), a five-time Pro Bowl selection, a four-time First Team All-Pro selection, and was selected in the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team and NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Gronkowski played college football at the University of Arizona, winning several awards, including being named a "Sporting News" and Rivals.com Freshman All-American. Despite playing only two collegiate seasons, his 18.8 yards per reception average and 1,197 receiving yards were a team record for his position. The Patriots drafted Gronkowski in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft with the 42nd pick, after he missed his junior year due to back surgery.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: He is a receiver and blocker who has set several NFL records, including being the first player of his position to lead the league in receiving touchdowns (17 in 2011). Gronkowski also has the most career postseason receiving yards by a tight end (1,389). He has the most career postseason receiving touchdowns for his position with 15 to date, as well as the most combined receptions (23) and receiving yards (297) by a tight end in Super Bowl history. He is ranked first in average receiving yards per game (68.3), average yards per target (9.9), and average touchdowns per game (0.69) among tight ends.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Gronkowski was born in Amherst, New York, on May 14, 1989, and was raised in nearby Williamsville. He is the second youngest son of Gordon Gronkowski and Diane Walters, and is of Polish descent through his father. His father is a former college football guard for Syracuse University from 1977 to 1981 and later founded a high-end fitness equipment business. He is a great-grandson of Ignatius Gronkowski who represented the United States in cycling at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, and held five world records in the sport. Gronkowski's parents divorced in 2008. His four brothers – Gordie, Dan, Chris and Glenn – all played collegiate sports, and later played professionally.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Gronkowski played hockey until he was 14; he then started playing basketball. He attended Williamsville North High School (WNHS) for his first three years of high school, playing tight end and defensive end, as well as freshman kickoff specialist, supposedly due to his having the biggest feet on the team; center in basketball; and first baseman in baseball for the WNHS Spartans. As a junior playing football, he recorded 36 receptions for 648 yards and seven touchdowns on offense, and 73 tackles and six sacks on defense. He was named an All-Western New York first-team and All-State second-team player. Academically, Gronkowski was in the National Honor Society, citing math as his best subject, and English the worst.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: In 2006, Gronkowski moved to suburban Pittsburgh, where he attended Woodland Hills High School for his senior year. Initially ruled ineligible by the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League because of his transfer, he recorded eight receptions for 152 yards and four touchdowns at Woodland Hills after the ruling of ineligibility was overturned. He was named a SuperPrep All-American, PrepStar All-American, Associated Press Class 4-A all-state, "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette" "Fabulous 22", "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette" first-team all-conference, "The Patriot-News" (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) "Platinum 33", and a "Pittsburgh Tribune-Review" "Terrific 25" player. He was recruited by Kentucky, Arizona, Clemson, Louisville, Maryland, Ohio State, and Syracuse. Gronkowski graduated from Woodland Hills in 2007 with a 3.75 GPA and 1560 out of 2400 SAT score.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: After graduating from high school, Gronkowski attended the University of Arizona as a Pre-Business major and played for the Arizona Wildcats football team from 2007 to 2009 under head coach Mike Stoops. As a freshman in 2007, he recorded 28 receptions for 525 yards and six touchdowns. His 18.8 yards per reception average was the best on the team and his receiving yards were a school record for a tight end. He was named "The Sporting News" freshman All-American, Rivals.com freshman All-American, "The Sporting News" freshman Pac-10, and All-Pac-10 honorable mention player.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Gronkowski missed the first three games of the 2008 season, but later recorded 47 receptions for 672 yards and a team-best ten touchdowns. Five of his touchdowns were scored in his first two games against UCLA and Washington. He was twice named the John Mackey National Tight End of the Week, including his performance in a failed comeback bid against Oregon, when he caught 12 passes for 143 yards. He set the school records for a tight end for single-game, single-season, and career receptions, yards, and touchdowns. Gronkowski was named an Associated Press third-team All-American and All-Pac-10 first-team tight end.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Prior to the 2009 season, Gronkowski was placed on the watchlist for the Lombardi Award. He missed his junior season in 2009 due to back surgery, which caused his draft stock to fall.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Gronkowski was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round with the 42nd overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, after a draft day trade with the Oakland Raiders; in pre-draft evaluations revealed in May 2016, Raiders scouts had rated Gronkowski as the "best all-around player in the draft". He became the highest drafted tight end out of Arizona, breaking the mark set by Brandon Manumaleuna in 2001. He signed a four-year contract on July 25, 2010. The deal was worth $4.4 million, with a $1.76 million signing bonus.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: During the preseason, Gronkowski was one of three NFL players to score four touchdowns, tying Victor Cruz, a rookie wide receiver for the New York Giants, and Anthony Dixon, a running back for the San Francisco 49ers. In the Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Gronkowski caught his first regular season touchdown in the fourth quarter on a one-yard pass from Tom Brady in the 38–24 victory.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: In a Week 10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Gronkowski caught three touchdown passes from Brady, becoming the first rookie in Patriots history, and the youngest rookie in NFL history to accomplish this feat. In honor of the feat, "Madden NFL 12" has a "Rob Gronkowski Award" for players who have a tight end catch three or more touchdowns in a single game.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Visiting his hometown of Buffalo in Week 16, Gronkowski caught two touchdowns against the Buffalo Bills. He recorded his first 100-yard receiving game with six receptions for 102 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown in the regular season finale against the Miami Dolphins to give him 10 on the season. In 16 games played, Gronkowski started 11 games and caught 42 passes for 546 yards. Despite missing his entire 2009 college season following back surgery, Gronkowski did not miss a single game or practice all season; he was the first rookie tight end since the NFL-AFL merger to score 10 touchdowns. The Patriots finished with 14–2 record and won the AFC East. In the playoffs, Gronkowski made his postseason debut against the New York Jets in the . In the 28–21 upset loss, he had four receptions for 65 receiving yards.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Gronkowski was nominated three times for Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week, in Weeks 10, 14, and 17, winning twice and losing in Week 10 to Tim Tebow. Gronkowski also finished fifth in fan balloting at tight end for the 2011 Pro Bowl, and fourth overall among rookies. Gronkowski received one writer's vote for the Associated Press 2010 All-Pro Team (writers only vote for one tight end). He was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Gronkowski caught his first touchdown of the 2011 season on a 10-yard pass from Tom Brady in the Patriots' Week 1 38–24 victory over the Miami Dolphins; Gronkowski's six catches accounted for 86 of Brady's franchise record 517 yards. In Week 2, against the San Diego Chargers, he had four receptions for 86 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in the 35–21 victory. He followed that up with seven receptions for 109 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in the 34–31 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Over the next four games, he totaled 19 receptions for 214 receiving yards in a 3–1 stretch for the Patriots. In Week 9, against the New York Giants, he had eight receptions for 101 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown in the 24–20 loss. In Week 10, against the New York Jets, he had eight receptions for 113 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in the 37–16 victory. In Week 11, against the Kansas City Chiefs, Gronkowski caught two touchdown passes, including a career-long 52-yard catch and run, to equal his 2010 touchdown total in just ten games. He passed his reception and yardage totals from 2010 in only eight games.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Through Week 11, Gronkowski led all tight ends with 10 touchdowns; his 20 touchdowns were the most ever for a tight end in his first two seasons. His reception and receiving yardage totals both ranked second among tight ends (after Jimmy Graham of the New Orleans Saints), and in the top ten among all receivers, though they only ranked second on the Patriots, behind wide receiver Wes Welker.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Gronkowski broke the NFL record for touchdowns scored in a single season by a tight end when he had the second three-touchdown game of his career in the Patriots' Week 13 victory against the Indianapolis Colts. After scoring two touchdowns on receptions from Tom Brady, Gronkowski scored a third touchdown from two yards out. Initially declared a forward pass, the pass was later ruled a lateral pass, which is recorded as a rushing attempt; as of the conclusion of the 2020 season, it was the only rushing attempt of Gronkowski's career, and his only rushing touchdown. It was the first rushing touchdown by a tight end since Bo Scaife did it in 2006, and the first in Patriots history. At game's end, Gronkowski had sole possession of the touchdown scoring record, with 14, and shared the record for "receiving" touchdowns, 13, with Antonio Gates and Vernon Davis.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Gronkowski took sole possession of the tight end receiving record a week later against the Washington Redskins, in which he caught his 14th and 15th touchdown passes of the season; in total, he had six receptions for a career-high 160 yards. His performance also earned him his first AFC Offensive Player of the Week award, and, for the second week in a row, NFL.com's "Hardest Working Man" award. He ended the season with 1,327 receiving yards, breaking the previous NFL record for a tight end of 1,310 set by Jimmy Graham of the Saints earlier that same day. He also finished with 18 total touchdowns, 17 receiving—both NFL records for tight ends. Gronkowski's 18 touchdowns were the second-highest total in the NFL (after Philadelphia's LeSean McCoy, who had 20), and equaled the output of the entire St. Louis Rams team. His 17 receiving touchdowns were the most of any NFL player in 2011, marking the first time in NFL history a tight end had sole possession of the league lead.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Gronkowski was voted the starting tight end for the AFC at the 2012 Pro Bowl. One of eight Patriots players voted to the Pro Bowl, he finished fan voting with 936,886 votes, more than triple the number received by the number two tight end, Gronkowski's teammate Aaron Hernandez, and the third-highest total of any AFC player, behind teammates Tom Brady and Wes Welker. He was also voted the tight end for the AP All-Pro first team, receiving 44½ of the 50 votes (44 voters voted for Gronkowski; 5 voters voted for Jimmy Graham, and one voter split a vote between the two). He was ranked 21st by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2012.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: In the Patriots' first playoff game, a 45–10 rout of the Denver Broncos in the , Gronkowski tied an NFL post-season record, catching three touchdown passes as part of a 10-catch, 145-yard effort. Gronkowski alone had more catches than the entire Broncos offense, as quarterback Tim Tebow completed just 9 of 26 passes. In the , a 23–20 win over the Baltimore Ravens, Gronkowski suffered a high ankle sprain on a tackle by Ravens safety Bernard Pollard; the status of his ankle was one of the major story lines in the run-up to Super Bowl XLVI. Gronkowski still managed to finish with five receptions for 87 yards. In Super Bowl XLVI, the Patriots decided to start Gronkowski, but he wasn't a large factor in the game. With only a few seconds left in the Super Bowl XLVI, Gronkowski had a chance on Tom Brady's Hail Mary as time expired, but his dive for the ball came up short. Gronkowski finished the game with two receptions for 26 yards, which was his lowest output since early October. The Patriots lost the Super Bowl to the New York Giants, 21–17. A few days after the Super Bowl, Gronkowski had an MRI of his injured ankle that revealed strained ligaments and required surgery to repair.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: On June 8, 2012, Gronkowski signed a six-year, $54 million contract extension, the largest ever for an NFL tight end. The contract included an $8 million signing bonus, but otherwise left the 2012 and 2013 seasons of his rookie contract intact. Gronkowski started the season with receiving touchdowns in consecutive games, a 34–13 victory over the Tennessee Titans and a 20–18 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. In Week 4, he had five receptions for 104 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown in a 52–28 victory over the Buffalo Bills. In Week 7, against the New York Jets, he had six receptions for 78 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in the 29–26 victory. In Week 8, against the St. Louis Rams, he had eight receptions for 146 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in the 45–7 victory.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: In the Patriots' 59–24 victory in Week 11 over the Indianapolis Colts, Gronkowski had seven receptions for 137 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. Gronkowski broke his left forearm late in the fourth quarter during an extra point He became the third tight end in NFL history (after Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates) to achieve three seasons with at least 10 touchdown receptions, and the first ever to do it in three consecutive seasons. Gronkowski returned to practice in Week 15, and participated in the Week 17 game against the Miami Dolphins, scoring a touchdown. He re-injured his left arm in the first quarter of the Patriots' first playoff game, against the Houston Texans. He required another operation, and missed the remainder of the playoffs. In 11 games in the 2012 season, Gronkowski had 790 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. He earned a Pro Bowl nomination despite missing some playing time. He was ranked 25th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2013.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: In February 2013, Gronkowski was diagnosed with an infection in his forearm. He underwent an open procedure—the third on his forearm—in an effort to clear the infection; he was subsequently placed on a course of antibiotics. On May 20, 2013, Gronkowski underwent a fourth surgery on his forearm to replace the hardware implanted in the second procedure and perform tissue biopsies. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that doctors were encouraged the infection had finally resolved. On June 18, 2013, Gronkowski underwent back surgery. He was cleared to play for the October 20, 2013, game against the New York Jets. In his return, he recorded three 100-yard receiving games in a six-game stretch. During a game against the Cleveland Browns on December 8, 2013, Gronkowski suffered a right knee injury after a direct hit from safety T. J. Ward. Gronkowski tore his ACL and MCL, which prematurely ended his 2013 season. In seven games, Gronkowski produced 592 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns in six starts. Gronkowski was ranked 41st by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: In his first game back from ACL/MCL surgery, Gronkowski managed to catch four passes for 40 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown against the Miami Dolphins in a losing effort, 33–20. He played on limited snaps as the Patriots worked him back to full strength slowly. Against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2, Gronkowski had four receptions for 32 receiving yards in a 30–7 win. Against the Oakland Raiders in Week 3, Gronkowski had three receptions for 44 yards and his second touchdown of the season, and the only touchdown scored in the Patriots' 16–9 victory. Through Week 3, Gronkowski logged one start, 11 receptions, 116 receiving yards, and two receiving touchdowns on only 109 offensive snaps (42% of the team's offensive total). Gronkowski broke out in Week 8 against the Chicago Bears, catching nine passes for 149 yards and three receiving touchdowns in the 51–23 victory. In Week 14 against the San Diego Chargers, Gronkowski became the first tight end in NFL history to catch at least 10 touchdowns in four separate seasons. In the 23–14 victory, he had eight receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown. He finished the season with 82 receptions for 1,124 receiving yards and 12 receiving touchdowns. The Patriots finished with a 12–4 record and won the AFC East. Gronkowski earned his third Pro Bowl nomination and his second First Team-All Pro nomination for his 2014 season. His All-Pro nomination was unanimous, receiving all 50 votes. At the 2015 ESPY Awards, Gronkowski won the Comeback Player of the Year award for his 2014 season. He was ranked 10th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2015.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: In the against the Baltimore Ravens, he had seven receptions for 108 yards and a touchdown in the 35–31 victory. In the against the Indianapolis Colts, he had three receptions for 28 yards and a touchdown in the 45–7 victory. Gronkowski was a major factor in the Patriots' 28-24 Super Bowl XLIX win over the Seattle Seahawks, recording 6 catches for 68 yards and a touchdown late in the second quarter. Gronkowski was fined twice this season, once for "unnecessary roughness" against Indianapolis Colts safety Sergio Brown, and the other time occurring during Super Bowl XLIX. Gronkowski, among three others, was fined $8,628 for "striking an opponent".


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: During the Patriots' home opener on "Thursday Night Football" against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 10, 2015, Gronkowski caught five passes for 94 yards, scoring three of the Patriots' four touchdowns in their 28–21 victory. The three-touchdown performance was the third in Gronkowski's career, one shy of wide receiver Randy Moss's team record of four. It also made Gronkowski the first player in NFL history with multiple three-touchdown-reception games against the Steelers. Through the Patriots' first six games, all victories, Gronkowski recorded 34 receptions for 533 yards and six touchdowns. He added 113 yards and a touchdown on October 29 in a 36–7 win over the Miami Dolphins. In the Patriots' first loss of the season, on November 29, 2015, against the Denver Broncos, Gronkowski had to be carted off the field after a right knee injury in the fourth quarter. Initial reports said that the injury appeared to be less serious than it originally looked.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: After missing a week, Gronkowski returned for the Patriots' December 13 game against the Houston Texans. He caught four passes for 87 yards and a touchdown, for a total of 10 touchdowns and 1,018 yards on the season. The Patriots won, 27–6, to snap a two-game losing streak.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: On December 20, Gronkowski caught five passes for 54 yards and one touchdown in a 33–16 win over the Tennessee Titans. He dedicated the touchdown to his friend Dana Parenteau, who had died at the age of 43 two days earlier.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: In the Patriots' 27–20 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the , Gronkowski caught seven passes for 83 yards and two touchdowns. In the , a 20–18 loss to the Denver Broncos, Gronkowski led all receivers with eight catches for 144 yards and a receiving touchdown. Gronkowski had the Patriots' final touchdown to put the Patriots within two points, but the resulting two-point conversion was unsuccessful.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Gronkowski was selected to the Pro Bowl and to the AP All-Pro first team for the fourth time in his career; he led all non-quarterbacks in fan voting for the Pro Bowl, and received 48 of 50 All-Pro votes at tight end. He was ranked as the ninth best player on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Gronkowski missed the first two games of the 2016 season due to a hamstring injury and was limited in his next two games. Against the Buffalo Bills in Week 8, Gronkowski scored the 69th regular-season touchdown of his career, which was also his 68th receiving touchdown. The touchdown broke both Patriots franchise records set by Stanley Morgan. In Week 10 against the Seattle Seahawks, he took a big hit to the chest by Earl Thomas which was initially thought to be a punctured lung but turned out to be a pulmonary contusion, keeping him out in Week 11. In Week 12 against the New York Jets, he suffered a back injury at the beginning of the second half, which needed surgery to repair a herniated disk, and was out for the season. He was officially placed on injured reserve on December 3, 2016, after having surgery the previous day. He finished the season with 25 receptions on 38 targets for 540 yards and three touchdowns. His 21.6 yards per reception ranked first among NFL tight ends in 2016. Gronkowski was on injured reserve when the Patriots won Super Bowl LI on February 5, 2017. In the game, the Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons by a score of 34–28, earning Gronkowski his second Super Bowl championship. Despite missing eight games, Gronkowski was still ranked 23rd by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Gronkowski began the 2017 season healthy after missing much of the previous season on the injured reserve list. Gronkowski injured his groin during a Week 2 victory over the New Orleans Saints, leaving the game early, but the injury did not result in missing any further games. Before the injury, he had recorded six receptions for 116 yards and a 53-yard touchdown. By the end of Week 4, he was occupying his familiar role as the team leader in receptions and receiving yardage, but a thigh contusion suffered in practice prior to the "Thursday Night Football" game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5 caused him to miss that game entirely. In Week 6, Gronkowski caught six passes for 83 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns as the Patriots defeated the New York Jets by a score of 24–17. His 33-yard catch put the Patriots in the lead as well as overcoming a 14-point deficit. In Week 12, against the Miami Dolphins, Gronkowski caught five passes for 82 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. This was his 16th multiple touchdown game, which broke the franchise record previously held by Randy Moss.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: During Week 13 against the Buffalo Bills, Gronkowski had nine receptions for 147 receiving yards as the Patriots won 23–3. However, after Bills rookie cornerback Tre'Davious White intercepted a pass intended for Gronkowski during the fourth quarter, Gronkowski responded by jumping elbow-first onto White, drawing a personal foul penalty and giving White a concussion. Gronkowski was upset, claiming that White should have been flagged for a pass interference penalty. On December 4, the day after the game, Gronkowski was suspended for one game for his hit on White. The next day, December 5, the NFL denied Gronkowski's appeal of the one-game suspension. With Gronkowski suspended for the Patriots' Week 14 game against the Miami Dolphins, the Patriots lost 20–27.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: The following week, in a 27–24 win on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Gronkowski caught nine passes for a career-high 168 yards. Gronkowski caught three consecutive passes for 69 yards on the Patriots' game-winning drive, and then caught the ensuing two-point conversion to put the Patriots up by 3. He eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark on the season for the fourth time in his career, joining Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten as the only NFL tight ends with four 1,000-yard seasons. His performance in Week 15 earned him AFC Offensive Player of the Week. On December 19, 2017, Gronkowski was named to his fifth Pro Bowl. He finished the 2017 season with 69 receptions for 1,084 yards, most among tight ends, and eight touchdowns. In January 2018, he was named to the Associated Press' All-Pro First Team, earning him a $2.5 million incentive that was added to his contract during the 2017 offseason. The Patriots finished with a 13–3 record and earned a first round bye. In the against the Tennessee Titans, he finished with six receptions for receiving 81 yards and a receiving touchdown in the 35–14 victory. On January 21, 2018, Gronkowski suffered a concussion on a 21-yard reception during the against the Jacksonville Jaguars, being placed on concussion protocol, and did not return to the game. He would be cleared from the protocol just in time for Super Bowl LII against the Philadelphia Eagles. During the Super Bowl, he finished with 116 receiving yards and two touchdowns. In the closing seconds, he attempted to catch a Hail Mary pass, but failed, and the Patriots lost 33–41. He was ranked 15th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: The Patriots agreed to trade Gronkowski to the Detroit Lions in the offseason but the deal fell through after the tight end vetoed it.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: On April 24, Gronkowski announced that he had met with head coach Bill Belichick and that he would return for the 2018 season. He returned to practice on June 5 after skipping minicamp, confirming his return. In the opening game against the Houston Texans, Gronkowski had seven receptions for 123 yards and one touchdown in a 27–20 victory. He also fumbled for the first time since 2012. However, in his next six games, Gronkowski had some limited production, totaling 22 receptions for 325 yards with no touchdowns. He scored his second touchdown of the season in the Week 12 victory over the New York Jets. In Week 14, against the Miami Dolphins, he had eight receptions for 107 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown in the 34–33 loss. In the loss, a last-second victory by the Dolphins, Gronkowski unsuccessfully was the last line of defense on the game-winning play. This stemmed from Gronkowski often taking the field as a hybrid safety to defend against Hail Mary passes. In the 2018 season, he finished with 47 receptions for 682 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: The Patriots made the playoffs as the #2-seed in the AFC. In the against the Los Angeles Chargers, he had a 25-yard reception in the 41–28 victory. In the against the Kansas City Chiefs, he had six receptions for 79 receiving yards in the 37–31 overtime victory. During Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams, Gronkowski finished with 87 receiving yards as the Patriots won 13–3. In the process, he set the record for catches and yards for tight ends in the Super Bowl with 23 catches and 297 yards. Gronkowski's biggest moment came when, with the score tied at 3 in the fourth quarter, he had a 29-yard catch from Tom Brady which took the Patriots to the two-yard line and set up the game's only touchdown, with Sony Michel scoring on a two-yard rush to put the Patriots ahead.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: On March 24, 2019, after nine seasons, Gronkowski announced his retirement from the NFL, at 29 years old, via Instagram. He further elaborated on his decision five months later saying that the pain and injuries he had suffered throughout his career had taken a toll on his mental health,"I was not in a good place. Football was bringing me down, and I didn't like it. I was losing that joy in life... I could play right now if I wanted to play. I'm feeling good. Physically, I could do it. Mentally-wise, desire-wise, it's not there... I am very satisfied with where I am in life right now. I truly believe going through those tough times, nine years, off the field, on the field, has brought me to this point. I believe I'm on the right path in my life."


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: On April 21, 2020, the Patriots, which still held Gronkowski's rights, traded him to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers along with a seventh-round pick in exchange for a compensatory fourth round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. The trade reunited him with his former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who had signed with the Buccaneers a month prior. Head coach Bruce Arians stated that it was Brady himself who was adamant for the team to trade for Gronkowski.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: On October 18, 2020, Gronkowski caught five passes for 78 yards and his first touchdown with the Buccaneers in a 38–10 victory over the Green Bay Packers. It was Gronkowski's first touchdown catch since December 9, 2018, against the Miami Dolphins.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: In Week 12 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Gronkowski recorded six catches for 106 yards during the 27–24 loss.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: In Week 16 against the Detroit Lions, Gronkowski recorded two catches for 58 yards that both resulted in touchdowns during the 47–7 win. Overall, he finished with 45 receptions for 623 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Gronkowski's 29-yard catch towards the end of the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship Game set up the critical lead-extending field goal for Ryan Succop, with the Buccaneers winning 31–26 over the Packers.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Gronkowski caught two of the three touchdown passes thrown by Tom Brady in the Buccaneers' 31–9 victory over the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV. This gave him and Brady sole possession of the record for most postseason touchdowns between a quarterback and receiver, with 14. The duo was previously tied with Joe Montana and Jerry Rice for 12 postseason touchdowns. Gronkowski became the first player in NFL history to catch a pass in five different Super Bowls.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Though the 2020 season had been a rare season in which Gronkowski played all sixteen games, 2021 proved much more problematic for Gronkowski in terms of his health. The first two games were injury free. During the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys, Gronkowski had eight receptions for 90 yards and two touchdowns in a 31–29 victory. In Week 2, during a 48–25 win against the Atlanta Falcons, Gronkowski had four catches for 39 yards and two touchdowns. However, in a Week 3 game versus the Los Angeles Rams, he took a hit that resulted in multiple rib fractures and a punctured lung, which kept him essentially out of action for the next seven weeks, including a game against his former team in Foxborough, with the notable exception of an abortive attempt to return in Week 8, in which he played only a handful of snaps. When he returned in earnest in Week 11, he made six receptions on eight targets for 71 yards in a win over the New York Giants. He had his first 100+ yard receiving game in Week 12 against the Indianapolis Colts, leading all receivers with 123 yards on seven receptions, and followed that with his third multiple-touchdown game of the season, netting two end zone visits among his four catches for 58 yards in Week 13 against the Atlanta Falcons. This brought the Brady-Gronkowski connection to a total of 90 regular-season touchdowns, moving them on to second place on the all-time quarterback-receiver list, behind only Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Described as an "NFL supernova," a "sui generis," a "gold standard," a "generational marvel," and an "on-field force of nature," Gronkowski revolutionized the tight end position and became the envisioned archetype for which the position could and should be. For ESPN, "it felt like the tight end position was invented in response to his rare gifts, the singular marriage of power and grace he brought to the game."


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Gronkowski was widely praised for his versatility, having both the catching dexterity of a wide receiver and the blocking skills of an offensive lineman. Such abilities, both played on elite levels, made him the most complete, all-around, and true tight end, unlike other players of his position who were either only a receiver or blocker. Big, strong and agile at 6'6" and 265-pounds with hands measuring 10 ¾ inches from thumb to pinkie, he has been compared to NBA's LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal as one of the most physically gifted athletes in American sports history. Gronkowski is also known for his high football IQ and has been acknowledged for his intelligent and versatile route-running. A consummate teammate, he is known for his infectious positivity, with Bill Belichick remarking “In the ultimate team sport, Rob was a great, great teammate. His production spoke for itself, but his daily attitude, unmistakably positive energy wherever he went and toward whoever he touched will never be forgotten.” He was the highest ranked tight end in the annual NFL Top 100 Players five times, as voted by his peers. The Patriots also included him in its 2010s All-Decade Team. Regarded as one of football's finest players, he has set several NFL records and was selected not only in the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team but also in the NFL's 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. Gronkowski is also widely thought of as the best tight end in the history of the game.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: His effervescence and irreverence made him not only a fan favorite, but also an icon and a folk hero. Gronkowski is considered one of the most unique personalities in sports, and has played with "an inimitable combination of acrobatic athleticism and reckless abandon" all the while maintaining his boyish enthusiasm and humor.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Known for his exuberant personality, Gronkowski has been credited in resurrecting the spike as a touchdown celebration and making it his own. His signature "Gronk Spike" has been a product of the less restrictive scoring celebrations of the NFL compared to high school and college and debuted on September 26, 2010, after scoring his second NFL touchdown. It had become a fan phenomenon, with MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference calculating that Gronkowski's arm moves 130° with the football leaving his hand at 60 miles per hour delivering 650 pounds of force. He is also known to dance before spiking, and in 2012 imitated a Queen's Guard which he described as "that little nutcracker dude" before his touchdown celebration while playing at Wembley Stadium in the United Kingdom.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: In July 2015, Gronkowski co-wrote a memoir titled "It's Good to be Gronk" with Jason Rosenhaus. It was published by Simon & Schuster's and Derek Jeter's Jeter Publishing and became a "New York Times" Bestseller.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Started in 2015, Gronkowski and his four brothers operate Gronk Fitness, a fitness business that sells Gronk-branded gym equipment and has partnerships with other fitness companies including Life Fitness and Xtreme Monkey.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Gronkowski has stated that partying improved his playing abilities noting, "You go out and get refreshed, and it just makes you want to go back out on that practice field and keep going hard." During an on-air interview with ESPN Deportes after an AFC Championship win in 2012 he responded in Spanish answering, "¡Yo soy fiesta!" (literally, "I am party!") when asked how he will celebrate the victory. The clip went viral, and his Gronk Nation, L.L.C. later trademarked the catchphrase.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: In 2019, Gronkowski entered ESPN's "World Fame 100" list of most famous athletes in the world; the outlet estimated his endorsement income the past year alone was $8 million. In March 2021, his first NFT card collection sold for $1.2 million.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: In October 2020, ZooTampa at Lowry Park named their newly born greater one-horned rhino "Gronk" to celebrate Gronkowski joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Gronkowski has appeared in print, television and online advertisements for brands such as USAA, Nike, Dunkin' Donuts, Visa, T-Mobile, Tide, Lyft, JetBlue, Zynga, Cheerios, Oberto, SixStar Pro, Bodyarmor SuperDrink, DraftKings, Kids Footlocker, and video games Mobile Strike and among others.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: In 2012, PLB Sports began manufacturing "Gronk Flakes", a frosted cornflakes breakfast cereal named after and endorsed by Gronkowski. Its initial run of 64,800 boxes cost $3.99 each and available at Stop & Shop supermarkets in New England. After the success of the cereals, PLB Sports released "Gronk's Hot Sauce" in 2015. The following year Gronkowski and Monster Energy released a signature "Gronk" beverage distributed by Coca-Cola.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Gronkowski has appeared for several advertisements for Tide including commercials for Super Bowl LI. He was the endorser of Tide Pods, and consequently partnered with the brand for a public service announcement discouraging children and teens from eating the laundry detergent pods after a viral internet challenge in 2017–18.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: In August 2019, Gronkowski credited cannabidiol (CBD) oil, the non-psychoactive component of cannabis plants, for making him pain-free for the first time in a decade, and has advocated sports governing bodies to allow players to use it for pain management.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Gronkowski has been featured on the covers of "GQ," "ESPN The Magazine," "ESPN The Body Issue," "Sports Illustrated," and "Muscle & Fitness" among others. He was the cover of video sports game "Madden NFL 17" published by EA Sports in 2016 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One and Xbox 360. The cover featured the tight end in his signature touchdown celebration called the "Gronk Spike".


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: An erotica novel inspired by Gronkowski called "A Gronking To Remember", written by Lacey Noonan, was published in December 2014. It has been read aloud on broadcast by Gronkowski himself on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!", as well as comedian Gilbert Gottfried, and rapper Travis Scott.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Gronkowski has appeared as fictionalized versions of himself in the 2015 film "Entourage," a 2017 episode of "Family Guy" entitled "Gronkowsbees", "The Simpsons" episode "The Town", and has roles in the American crime-drama thriller film "American Violence" (2017) and "You Can't Have It" (2017) among others. He had been a co-host of "Crashletes" from 2016–17 on Nickelodeon and competed in TBS's "Drop the Mic" in 2017. The same year, Gronkowski appeared on ABC's "Shark Tank".


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: In 2017, Gronkowski executive produced and hosted Verizon's Go90 original show "MVP" in which "business owners and entrepreneurs pitch their products or services to a panel of VIP athletes who weigh in with their expert opinion." It had 36 episodes in two seasons. In July 2018, he joined Discovery Channel's "Shark Week" where he helped tag endangered tiger sharks in The Bahamas.


title: Rob Gronkowski

text: Gronkowski joined Fox Sports as an analyst for its NFL programming during his year-long retirement in 2019, making his on-air debut during "Fox NFL Thursday". Gronkowski also co-hosted "Fox's New Year's Eve with Steve Harvey" in New York in 2019.