title: Wolfenstein

text: Production for "Wolfenstein 3D" began on December 15, 1991. Romero pitched the idea as a 3D version of "Castle Wolfenstein" and the team initially planned to include many of the same features that "Castle Wolfenstein" and its sequel had included such as dragging and looting dead bodies, and opening crates. They also began to implement other ideas inspired by the stealth aspect of "Castle Wolfenstein" such as swapping uniforms with guards, and stealth attacking enemies; the team was also able to get it working so if a guard saw a dead body they tried finding the player. However, the stealth related features were eventually removed as Romero found that they impeded the flow of the game; Romero stated in an interview that "the problem is that the game came to a dead stop when you did these things... we didn't want to slow it down so we actually removed the features and left it fast." As Romero further explained in another interview: "The game was most fun when it was a breakneck run through maps with tons of blasting down Nazis. Anything that slowed down that gameplay had to go."


title: Wolfenstein

text: id's "Wolfenstein 3D" was released on May 5, 1992 and published by Apogee Software. The game has been credited with helping to establish the first-person shooter genre, and marked a new direction for the franchise itself. "3D" was the first game to feature a first-person view and 3D graphics, breaking away from the more reserved gameplay of "Castle Wolfenstein" that valued stealth and resource management. The game instead adapted the run and gun style that would set the template for the first-person shooter genre. "Wolfenstein 3D" was also the first game to feature William "B.J." Blazkowicz, an American spy of Polish descent, who would become the main protagonist of the series.


title: Wolfenstein

text: id Software was hoping to make around $60,000 from the game upon its release. By the end of 1993, the game had sold over 100,000 copies, plus a further 100,000 units of its prequel "".


title: Wolfenstein

text: A stealth-adventure game set during World War II, in which the player controls an unnamed American prisoner of war as he steals German files containing secret war plans. The main goal is to escape the eponymous Nazi stronghold, while avoiding, disarming, or at times killing hostile guards.


title: Wolfenstein

text: A sequel to "Castle Wolfenstein" set in World War II during Adolf Hitler's rule as Chancellor of Germany. The objective of the game is to traverse all the levels of the secret Berlin bunker where the Führer is holding secret meetings with his senior staff. The player must retrieve a bomb that the operatives have placed inside the bunker and place it outside the door of the room where Hitler is holding his meeting, a scenario bearing a passing resemblance to the July 20 Plot.


title: Wolfenstein

text: "Beyond Castle Wolfenstein" was the second and final title developed and published by Muse Software, and was released in 1984. After the death of the original designer of the program, the widow of Silas Warner released a ported version of the game, as well as its reconstructed source code in his honor in 2004.


title: Wolfenstein

text: After the Nazis apprehend an American spy, William "B.J." Blazkowicz, who was sent to sabotage the enemy's regime and foil their schemes, they imprison him under the grounds of Castle Wolfenstein. Finding a way to incapacitate a prison guard, B.J. manages to arm himself with a stolen pistol and advance through the subterranean floors of the castle, on his way to accomplish his mission by uncovering the truth behind 'Operation Eisenfaust' and destroy it.


title: Wolfenstein

text: "Wolfenstein 3D" was the first game in the series to be developed by id Software, and published by Apogee Software. It marked the series transition to the first-person shooter genre, a genre that the game would go on to popularize.


title: Wolfenstein

text: Set before the events of "Wolfenstein 3D", the player assumes the role of William "B.J." Blazkowicz, who is set to reclaim the Spear of Destiny from the Nazis after it was stolen from Versailles. The spear itself, as spoken by legends, bears powerful effects on its own, and whoever took a hold of it, turns into an unbeatable being.


title: Wolfenstein

text: Spear of Destiny is an expansion pack for "Wolfenstein 3D" that was developed by id Software, and published by FormGen Corporation.


title: Wolfenstein

text: Two operatives of an allied espionage agency, William "B.J." Blazkowicz and Agent One are captured by the Nazis and imprisoned in Castle Wolfenstein during their attempt to investigate rumours surrounding one of Heinrich Himmler's personal projects, the SS Paranormal Division. Agent One is killed during the interrogation, while Blazkowicz escapes custody, fighting his way out of the castle. As the challenge is still afoot, Blazkowicz discovers that the Nazis are constructing a plan called 'Operation Resurrection', which oversees resurrecting the dead as well as dealing with supernatural elements, using them for their own advantage to win World War II against the Allied power.


title: Wolfenstein

text: The game was developed by Gray Matter Studios and published by Activision, and released in 2001 on Microsoft Windows. The game would be ported to consoles two years later.


title: Wolfenstein

text: Originally planned to be released as an expansion pack to "Return to Castle Wolfenstein", "Enemy Territory" was instead released as a standalone, free to play multiplayer title. Instead of a single-player campaign mode and storyline, the game features an expanded edition of the previous title's multiplayer. The game was developed by Splash Damage and published by Activision.


title: Wolfenstein

text: In a mission to investigate the Paranormal Division of the Axis military, William "B.J." Blazkowicz is captured and held prisoner in The Tower. He escapes the clutches of the enemy forces, and sets himself to stop them and their operation that involves supernatural activities once and for all, infiltrating Castle Wolfenstein to continue his escapade deep inside.


title: Wolfenstein

text: It is a mobile phone game developed by Fountainhead Entertainment, and published by EA Mobile in 2008. John Carmack, one of the key people of "Wolfenstein 3D", reprised his role as the sole programmer.


title: Wolfenstein

text: Blazkowicz discovers an unnatural medallion containing supernatural powers while on a mission on a German battleship. Learning the Nazis had begun digging deep into crystal mines to obtain more of the very same medallion Blazkowicz found, the OSA sends their operative to the fictional town of Isenstadt, which the Nazis had taken complete control of in order to excavate rare Nachtsonne crystals necessary to access the "Black Sun" dimension.


title: Wolfenstein

text: The 2009 game was a loose sequel to "Return to Castle Wolfenstein" developed by Raven Software, produced by id Software, and published by Activision.


title: Wolfenstein

text: "The New Order" is set after the end of World War II, in an alternate universe where the Axis powers won World War II. In 1946, as the Nazis expand their regime all over the world, OSA agent William "B.J." Blazkowicz is sent to assassinate General Deathshead, as part of a last all-out effort by Allied airborne and commando forces. The mission is a failure and, after the unit is slaughtered by the Nazi forces, Blazkowicz barely escapes the compound, sustaining a critical head injury which renders him unconscious and subsequently puts him in a coma.


title: Wolfenstein

text: In 1960, fourteen years later, B.J. finds himself settled in an asylum, unaware of the events that took place during his coma, and about to be executed by the Nazis who have ordered the asylum liquidated. Awakened into full strength, Blazkowicz fights his way out of the building, escaping with a wounded nurse, Anya. B.J. locates the Resistance and helps them fight the Nazis, dismantling them and ultimately crippling their dominance around the world.


title: Wolfenstein

text: After the publishing rights were moved from Activision to Bethesda Softworks, development on "The New Order" began in 2010 by MachineGames.


title: Wolfenstein

text: A prequel to "The New Order", "The Old Blood" follows William "B.J." Blazkowicz and Richard Wesley, also known as Agent One, who are sent to infiltrate Castle Wolfenstein and obtain a top secret folder that contains the whereabouts of General Deathshead. The mission goes awry as they are discovered by the Nazi troopers and are captured. During brutal interrogation, Agent One is killed, but Blazkowicz manages to evade the Nazi forces and escape the castle. With the aid of Kessler, the leader of a local resistance group, he discovers that the folder is held by Helga von Schabbs, a Nazi neurologist who has just arrived in the village of Wulfburg. Evidence begins to emerge of supernatural activities taking place under the command of von Schabbs, who is conducting an archaeological excavation in an attempt to find a hidden underground vault containing occult knowledge previously possessed by German King Otto I.


title: Wolfenstein

text: The game is a loose remake of "Return to Castle Wolfenstein", with similarities in the storylines of the two games, as well as the existence of various characters as homages to the ones from the older title. Developed by MachineGames and published by Bethesda Softworks, the game is a stand-alone expansion to "The New Order", and was released in 2015.


title: Wolfenstein

text: Set five months after the events of "The New Order", "B.J." Blazkowicz awakens from the coma he succumbed to in the aftermath of surviving a near-fatal explosion, residing on a stolen Nazi U-boat commandeered by the Wiesenau Kreis. After an attack ensues on the base orchestrated by Frau Engel, many of the resistance members are captured, and the leader of the group is killed. Escaping the clutches of Nazi forces with the rest of the team, Blazkowicz takes over the leadership of the Resistance and proceeds to what would have been the next step in the plan to liberate America from the Nazis and use the country as a center base to free the rest of the world from their monstrous regime. Recruiting new members to the resistance along the way, Blazkowicz and the group intend to assassinate prominent leaders in the Nazi regime to bring the public conscious into the idea of liberty and freedom, thus urging everyone to rise against the hefty powers who are running the government. But, before they ignite the operation, the resistance must attack and take over Engel's airship, the Ausmerzer, to disable its use against their own by the Nazis, and hijack its command systems in order to start a revolution, thus reclaiming the land of freedom that was once theirs.


title: Wolfenstein

text: "The New Colossus" is the third title in the series to be developed by MachineGames and published by Bethesda Softworks. It was released on multiple platforms in 2017.


title: Wolfenstein

text: Two decades after liberating the United States from the Nazis occupation in the Second American Revolution in 1961, the newest members of the Global Resistance, twin sisters Jessie and Zofia Blazkowicz embark on a search mission to France in the capital city of Paris when B.J., their father, goes missing in action. As they task themselves to locate and reclaim B.J., they must also fight the Nazi regime in Europe that still remains.


title: Wolfenstein

text: "Youngblood" was developed by MachineGames in collaboration with Arkane Studios and was published by Bethesda Softworks on July 26, 2019. The game can be played in single-player and multiplayer modes for the story campaign. Those who purchase the Deluxe edition of the game are able to invite other players to their sessions, regardless of whether the invitee owns the game.


title: Wolfenstein

text: Set twenty years after the events of "The New Colossus", the protagonist is depicted as a computer hacker known as Cyberpilot who works for the French Resistance against the Nazi regime.


title: Wolfenstein

text: "Cyberpilot" is a side story that takes place chronologically a week prior to the events of "Youngblood". Unlike previous entries, "Cyberpilot" is a virtual reality experience. The game was released alongside "Youngblood" on the same day to mixed reviews.


title: Wolfenstein

text: In an announcement made at the 2012 American Film Market (AFM), producer Samuel Hadida and Panorama Media said they have tapped Roger Avary to write and direct "Castle Wolfenstein".


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: Sharon Rachel Osbourne (née Levy, later Arden; born 9 October 1952) is a British-American television personality, music manager and author. She is married to heavy metal singer-songwriter Ozzy Osbourne and came to prominence while appearing on "The Osbournes" (2002–2005), a reality television show that aired on MTV, which followed her family's daily life. Osbourne later became a talent show judge on television shows, such as "The X Factor" (2004–2007, 2013, 2016–2017) and "America's Got Talent" (2007–2012).


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: Osbourne is credited with reviving her husband's heavy metal career by founding the summer Ozzfest tour, which was held almost annually between 1996 and 2018. From 2003 to 2006, she hosted her own television talk show "The Sharon Osbourne Show." In 2010, Osbourne was a contestant on NBC's "The Celebrity Apprentice", and became a co-host on the CBS talk show "The Talk," appearing until her termination in 2021. In 2022, she joined TalkTV, hosting a prime time show also titled "The Talk".


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: Osbourne has released three autobiographies and two novels. Her first autobiography, "Extreme", debuted at number one on the "Sunday Times" best-seller list and went on to become the most successful female autobiography ever.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: Osbourne holds both British and American citizenship and has resided in the United States with her husband since 2002.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: Sharon Rachel Levy was born on 9 October 1952 in London, United Kingdom, as the daughter of Don Arden (born Harry Levy, 1926–2007), who was a music promoter and rock and roll entrepreneur, and his wife, Hope (née Shaw, 1916–1999). She has a brother, David. Her mother was of Irish descent and her father was Ashkenazi Jewish.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: Osbourne revealed she was surrounded by violence during her childhood and that it was a normal occurrence to see her father threatening someone, or brandishing a firearm. Osbourne's father managed Black Sabbath and fired Ozzy Osbourne from the group. Levy subsequently began dating Ozzy, in 1979, and took over his management from the Arden organisation. Levy coordinated the recruitment of a backing band (Randy Rhoads, Bob Daisley, and Lee Kerslake) for the recording of the "Blizzard of Ozz" album and helped Ozzy launch what became a successful solo career. Arden resented his daughter for dating Ozzy and managing his career. In her memoir, Osbourne relates that he had robbed her, once tried to kill her, and once told Ozzy that she had tried to seduce him, to turn Ozzy against her. She soon lost contact with her father and did not speak to him for 20 years. In an interview in 2001, she commented that her father has never seen her children and that "he never will". Osbourne had told her children that their grandfather was dead but they unknowingly saw him for the first time when Osbourne was shouting abuse at him on a street in Los Angeles. When asked who she was shouting at, she replied Tony Curtis. They were reunited in 2001 and he then had a role in their reality show, "The Osbournes". In August 2004, Osbourne stated her father had Alzheimer's disease and she paid for his care in the last years of his life.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: Osbourne's relationship with her mother was also damaged. At the age of 17, Osbourne lost her virginity and realised two months later that she was pregnant. By her account, pressure from others, principally her mother, influenced her decision to have an abortion, which Osbourne has described as the biggest mistake in her life. While visiting her parents on a later occasion, her mother's dogs attacked her and it was some time before her mother appeared to call them off. She was pregnant at the time and subsequently lost the baby. According to a 2009 article in "The Guardian", Hope Arden was a cold woman who became even stranger after a serious car accident, something which Osbourne said "unhinged her". When Osbourne was informed of her mother's death, she said "Oh, what a shame" and simply put the phone down.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: A series of high-selling albums and world tours followed through the 1980s, eventually bringing about Ozzy's popularity. In 1996, Osbourne created the Ozzfest summer touring festival. It went on to become a regular rock occasion and celebrated a 10th anniversary in 2006. By 2007, the ticket prices had reached £76 and Osbourne announced that the tickets would be free to allow more people the opportunity to attend the concert. Prior to the founding of Ozzfest, Osbourne approached Lollapalooza, another rock/pop festival, to request that Ozzy play at that year's festival, only to be rejected and told that Ozzy was "uncool" and too drugged up. It was then that she decided to launch her own festival. Controversy ensued when she pulled the plug on Iron Maiden's set three times in one performance. She also harassed the singer Bruce Dickinson, and threw eggs at the band.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: In light of her success managing her husband, Osbourne branched out into managing other acts by creating Sharon Osbourne Management. The new company, with Osbourne as its sole employee, managed artists such as Gary Moore, Motörhead, Lita Ford, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Coal Chamber. She co-managed a band called Cube, with Cud guitarist Mike Dunphy. Cube were signed to Polydor Records but had limited success. She has also turned down career guidance requests from Fred Durst, Guns N' Roses, and Courtney Love.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: Osbourne gained celebrity status as one of the stars of MTV's reality show, "The Osbournes", which followed her family's daily life and had a national audience. As the person who negotiated with MTV to screen the show, she is often credited with bringing about her husband's emergence from heavy metal icon into mainstream celebrity. The show began airing in early 2002, and when, in July 2002, Osbourne was diagnosed with cancer, she insisted that filming should continue. The final episode of the show aired in the US on 21 March 2005. MTV's British affiliate has been airing the show since 2003. The show brought MTV its highest ratings ever in both America and Britain.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: The Osbournes' Beverly Hills home (made famous on the show) has since been sold and the Osbournes have taken up residence in another home in Beverly Hills. Her Beverly Hills home was later seen in "The X Factor" during series two. The show saw that Osbourne was responsible for the livelihood of 12 dogs and employs a dog walker named Cherie. From the mid-1990s until the end of "The Osbournes" in 2005, she was primarily based in Los Angeles with the rest of her family. Osbourne earned an estimated £11.5 million from "The Osbournes".


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: In 2009, she was included in Yahoo!'s Top 10 TV Moms from Six Decades of Television for the time period 2002–2005. In 2003, Osbourne became the host of her own television talk show, "The Sharon Osbourne Show", which was syndicated to various US channels and also shown in the UK on Sky One. The show was meant to be a reflection of her personality and home life, similar to her reality show but with the inclusion of guest interviews and performances. During the episodes, she conducted some of her interviews on a giant bed. However, the ratings were never successful and critics panned her inability to perform the basic tasks required of a talk show host, such as reading cue cards and conducting interviews. The show was cancelled in early 2004 after one season.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: In 2006, UK TV network ITV commissioned a new chat show, initially to be called "Mrs Osbourne Presents", but eventually just named "The Sharon Osbourne Show". Osbourne signed a deal with ITV for a reputed £2 million. The show began on Tuesday 29 August 2006, and was scheduled to run for six weeks in the 5 pm weekday timeslot. The premiere episode proved a close competition as the show received 1.9 million viewers with 17% share – 400,000 viewers (and 3% share) ahead of "Richard & Judy" on Channel 4. Her second show attracted 2.1 million viewers. However, ratings appeared to decrease after Channel 4 moved its game show "Deal Or No Deal", hosted by Noel Edmonds, into the timeslot, with Osbourne managing 1.2 million viewers compared to "Deal Or No Deal"'s 2.9m.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: Channel 4's "The New Paul O'Grady Show" returned on Monday 25 September 2006 with 2.3 million viewers compared to Osbourne's 1.6 million.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: Osbourne was a judge and mentor on the UK's "The X Factor" every year, from 2004 through to 2007. In the first series she mentored the 16–24s and chose Roberta Howett, Cassie Compton and Tabby Callaghan to represent her in the live rounds of the show. The best placed of these was Tabby, who finished third overall. The final was contested between Simon Cowell's act Steve Brookstein and Louis Walsh's act G4, with Steve winning. Osbourne's outburst against Steve on the night of the final is widely credited with helping him to win, although according to her autobiography he was well ahead at all stages of the voting.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: In the second series she mentored the 25-and-overs, and selected Andy Abraham, Brenda Edwards, Chico Slimani and Maria Lawson to contest the final rounds. Andy Abraham finished in second place to Louis Walsh's act Shayne Ward. During this series, the judges were again required to bring the selected candidates to their homes. Osbourne chose her Beverly Hills home as a suitable location, which saw Osbourne inviting her neighbours and husband Ozzy Osbourne to attend live performances by the candidates. During Chico's performance, he jumped into her functioning fountain with a live microphone, and proceeded to splash water.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: Osbourne also appeared in the spin-off show "". She was not required to choose her celebrity singing contestants but was selected to manage the 16–24s which were made up of Nikki Sanderson, Matt Stevens and Michelle Marsh.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: In the third series of "The X Factor" in 2006, she was mentoring the 25-and-overs, and selected Ben Mills, Dionne Mitchell, Robert Allen and Kerry McGregor. Kerry and Dionne were voted out in a double elimination on 28 October, Robert was voted out on 18 November and Ben was voted out on 9 December, sending Osbourne out of the competition. During the filming of the third series, Osbourne lived at the Dorchester Hotel in central London.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: Osbourne was criticised for her outbursts on the show, where before a live show in series three she reportedly spoke out against "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" presenter Chris Tarrant, who was in the show's audience prior to filming. Tarrant had made a joke about her husband Ozzy to which Osbourne took offence, but most of her outburst focused on criticising Tarrant's recent infidelity to his wife Ingrid from whom he was in the process of separating. It was rumoured that Cowell, fellow judge and creator of the show, was displeased with her performance in series three, and was thinking of replacing her and Walsh for the next series. However, it was confirmed that Osbourne had been contracted to return for the fourth series of the show. She then appeared in the fourth series along with judges Cowell, Walsh and new judge, Dannii Minogue, and mentored the Girls category during the series.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: During the first live show, aired on 20 October 2007, Osbourne walked out on the panel after learning of two of her own acts, Kimberley Southwick and Alisha Bennett, being in the bottom two. However, on "The Paul O'Grady Show", aired on 23 October 2007, Osbourne confirmed she would return on the next episode and stated that it is part of her personality to say things in the heat of the moment and not to contrive anything that she says. Two weeks into the live shows, a number of happy slapping videos of Emily Nakanda, the only other act in Osbourne's category, appeared in the media, apparently showing her beating another teenaged girl. The resulting backlash resulted in Nakanda withdrawing from the show. On 17 November, Bennett was voted out of the competition, leaving Osbourne with no acts halfway through the series.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: Osbourne joined the judging panel on the second season of "America's Got Talent", along with Piers Morgan and David Hasselhoff, replacing Brandy Norwood. Osbourne later worked on the show with Howie Mandel and Howard Stern as judges and Nick Cannon as host.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: The season premiered in the United States on 5 June 2007. In her first episode, Osbourne came into a conflict with Piers Morgan when she felt he judged a child contestant too harshly. She threatened to leave the show in the middle of filming, saying "I didn't sign up for this", but was talked out of it. The incident was shown on air. Osbourne has since stayed with the show for its third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh seasons. The new season was announced in a promotional video shown during a commercial break for season seven's second live show. Osbourne initially stated that she will not return for the season, but later said that she was staying with the show "for now". Following this, she announced she was quitting after a dispute with NBC and the producers of "Stars Earn Stripes" involving what she believed was disability discrimination against her son Jack.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: On 6 June 2008, it was announced in a statement on behalf of Osbourne that she has decided to step down as an "X Factor" judge after four series on the show. The statement read "Sharon would like to thank the wonderful British public for their enormous support during what's been an exciting ride. She would also like to take this opportunity to thank Simon Cowell and ITV while wishing them all the best for the next series." A spokesman from ITV commented "She has been a tremendous judge and mentor on the programme, but we respect her wish to leave and wish her the very best." Osbourne was replaced by Cheryl Cole. During an interview on "Piers Morgan's Life Stories", broadcast on 22 February 2009, Osbourne admitted that the reason for her departure from "The X Factor" was her fractured relationship with Minogue. She stated "I didn't enjoy working with her at all and didn't fancy the prospect of spending six months sitting next to her."


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: Osbourne hosted the second season of "" with co-hosts Riki Rachtman and Daniella Clarke on VH1. Osbourne had a physical altercation on 13 December 2008 with contestant Megan Hauserman on the reunion special for the show after Hauserman made derogatory statements about Osbourne's husband, Ozzy. Hauserman reportedly filed a report with the Los Angeles Police Department and has since filed a lawsuit against Osbourne, claiming battery, negligence and infliction of emotional distress. In 2011, Osbourne reached a settlement with Hauserman. In July 2008, Fox announced that the Osbourne family would be hosting a new variety show titled "" (working title was "Osbournes: Loud and Dangerous"). The show started filming at CBS Studios in Hollywood in December 2008 before a live audience. The show premiered in March 2009. Fremantle Media North America is producing the show. The show was cancelled after its premiere episode. In March 2010, Osbourne appeared on NBC's "The Celebrity Apprentice", coming in third place.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: From its inception on 18 October 2010 until her departure in 2021, Osbourne co-hosted the CBS talk show "The Talk". This decision came after CBS cancelled the soap opera "As the World Turns". The show is similar to "The View" and seeks to address motherhood and other contemporary issues. Osbourne was the last original co-host following the departure of fellow co-host and series creator Sara Gilbert.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: In September 2010, Osbourne made a return to "The X Factor" at the Judges' Houses round of series 7 where she assisted Walsh at Adare Manor, County Limerick, Ireland to pick the final 3 contestants of the Over 28s category, Then in September 2012, she joined Walsh again this time in Las Vegas, for the 9th series Judges' Houses segment of the competition, to help him choose his final 3 groups.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: Osbourne has expressed interest in reprising her role on the judging panel, notably in September 2012, when she said that she would 'love' to return for the show's tenth series. Media outlets reported in December 2012 that "X Factor" producers had approached Osbourne for a return in 2013, reportedly to replace Tulisa. In April 2013, the show's creative director Brian Friedman said that he was "confident" of Sharon Osbourne's return, following her departure from "America's Got Talent" and replacement by Heidi Klum. It was later announced by ITV that Osbourne would indeed be returning for the tenth series of the show, replacing Tulisa. She returned to the judging panel alongside Gary Barlow, Nicole Scherzinger, and original panellist Walsh. During the live shows, she mentored the Over 25s category which included Lorna Simpson, Shelley Smith and Sam Bailey. Bailey was eventually announced as the winner of the show on 15 December, marking Osbourne's first victory as a mentor in the show's ten-year history. Osbourne did not return for the eleventh series of "The X Factor UK" and was replaced by Cheryl Fernandez-Versini.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: On 1 June 2016, it was announced that once again, Osbourne would return to "The X Factor" for the show's thirteenth series to replace Cheryl Fernandez-Versini. She judged alongside Cowell, Walsh (who replaced Nick Grimshaw) and Scherzinger (who replaced Rita Ora). She once again mentored the Over 25s category, choosing Saara Aalto, Relley C and Honey G as her final three contestants. Aalto went on to become the series' runner-up. Although initially casting doubt on returning for another series due to her commitments with "The Talk", Osbourne returned to "The X Factor" for the fourteenth series. This time she again mentored the Girls category; her last act Grace Davies finished as the runner-up. Osbourne was initially confirmed to return for the fifteenth series as the fifth judge during the live shows portion of the competition but later declined the offer to return, feeling she wasn't needed on the panel and was replaced by Ayda Field.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: Sharon Osbourne's first autobiography, "Extreme" (co-authored by Penelope Dening), was published in October 2005 and tells of her difficult childhood growing up with her father, Don Arden, and also documents the highs and lows of her marriage to husband Ozzy Osbourne, shedding light on areas of her life previously not commented on. Domestic violence, drug abuse, alcoholism, affairs, bribery, colon cancer, robberies, a plane crash, therapy, and cosmetic surgery are also documented in the autobiography.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: Published by Time WarnerBooks, it went to Number 1 on the "Sunday Times" Bestseller List (UK) where it remained for 15 weeks and sold over 621,000 copies in hardback, becoming the biggest-selling autobiography since British records began, beating the previous record set by David Beckham's autobiography by 100,000 copies. In March 2006 it won Biography of the Year at the British Book Awards. The autobiography has proceeded to sell in excess of two million copies which has become the most successful female autobiography ever.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: Osbourne later released another autobiography named "Survivor", the title coming from surviving cancer. It was released in 2007. In August 2013, Osbourne announced on Twitter that her third autobiography named "Unbreakable", would be released on 10 October 2013.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: In January 2003, Osbourne and the rest of her family hosted the 30th Annual American Music Awards. The night was marked with constant "bleeping" due to some of the lewd and raunchy remarks made by both Osbourne and Ozzy. Additionally, the night was met with some controversy, as critics panned their hosting and presenter Patricia Heaton walked out midway in disgust.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: In January 2005, she was contracted to feature in a television advertising campaign for UK supermarket chain, Asda and later in 2007, Osbourne became the new face of "Galabingo" when she was featured in television advertisements promoting the gambling website. She has co-hosted one of the "Royal Variety Performances" with Jonathan Ross. Osbourne appeared in "Days of Our Lives", "It's a Boy Girl Thing".


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: On Friday 15 June 2007, Osbourne guest hosted "The Friday Night Project" with Justin Lee Collins and Alan Carr. Osbourne also made a cameo appearance on 23 June 2007 in an episode of the science fiction series "Doctor Who". The episode "The Sound of Drums" saw her appearing in a spoof party political broadcast, which featured testimonials from British celebrities such as Osbourne and the band McFly showing their support for Mr Saxon to become Prime Minister.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: On 20 February 2008, Sharon Osbourne co-hosted the 28th edition of the BRIT Awards at Earls Court in London, along with her husband and daughter Kelly. During the awards Osbourne caused controversy and sparked complaints by calling Vic Reeves, who was presenting one of the awards, a "piss head" and a "bastard" after he appeared to be drunk, although he claimed that he was having trouble reading the autocue. On 22 August 2008, Osbourne took part in the 2008 MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival in Scotland. In 2009 she co-hosted WWE Raw with her husband Ozzy.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: On 1 April 2010, Sharon Osbourne (along with Kelly Osbourne) joined Cyndi Lauper in the launch of her Give a Damn campaign to bring a wider awareness of discrimination of the LGBT community as part of her True Colors Fund. The organisation campaigns to urge straight people to stand up with the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community and stop discrimination. Other names included in the campaign are Whoopi Goldberg, Jason Mraz, Elton John, Judith Light, Cynthia Nixon, Kim Kardashian & Clay Aiken. Anna Paquin is also part of the campaign and came out as bisexual. This news clogged the Give A Damn website.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: Osbourne has a recurring voice role as Mama Hook in the animated television series "Jake and the Never Land Pirates", which was broadcast in 2012.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: In 2016, Osbourne appeared in two videos for PETA, explaining why she gave up wearing fur and encouraging others to do the same.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: On the "Sunday Times Rich List 2006", Osbourne was listed as the 44th richest woman in Britain and the 60th richest woman on the 2007 list. In the overall British list in 2006, Osbourne and her husband appeared together as the 554th richest people with a combined wealth of £100 million. As of 2008, the couple was ranked as the 724th richest people in Britain with an estimated joint wealth of £110 million.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: Osbourne has sent her son's or daughter's feces in Tiffany boxes on more than one occasion to people she felt had unreasonably criticised her or her family. When a journalist criticised her teenage children, Osbourne sent a box of excrement with a note saying, "I heard you've got an eating disorder. Eat this."


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: The popular British comedy "Dead Ringers", features and spoofs Osbourne (played by Jan Ravens) quite prominently alongside her husband (played by Jon Culshaw). Also, she was spoofed by impressionist Ronni Ancona on "Alistair McGowan's Big Impression" and was also featured in comedy "2DTV". On "Saturday Night Live", Amy Poehler played her on "Celebrity Jeopardy!" skit on 14 May 2005.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: Sharon Osbourne appeared in season nine of "Celebrity Apprentice". On 16 May 2010, she was fired during the double elimination round. Impressionist Francine Lewis performed an impression of her in the seventh series of "Britain's Got Talent".


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: At Iron Maiden's last Ozzfest performance, on 20 August 2005 at the Hyundai Pavilion at Glen Helen in San Bernardino, California, several negative events took place, allegedly the fault of Sharon Osbourne. Osbourne's actions were reportedly in retaliation to lead singer Bruce Dickinson slighting reality TV, with claims that this was an attack on Ozzy Osbourne himself.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: During the first Iron Maiden song, several members of the front row of the crowd (reportedly a combination of Osbourne's entourage and a few members from other bands persuaded by Osbourne or her entourage) were reported to have bombarded the band with eggs, bottle caps, and ice. Some reports also say that Sharon's daughter, Kelly, was throwing objects at the band. During three of Iron Maiden's songs, the PA system was switched off, cutting power to Dickinson's microphone and the band's instruments. In audio captured during the concert, it is reported that Dickinson can be heard accusing the festival's organisers of deliberately cutting off the band's power. Also unknown to Iron Maiden, played secretly through the PA at the very beginning and end of their set was a tape with the chant "Ozzy – Ozzy – Ozzy". On Iron Maiden's departure, Sharon made a few statements on stage in front of the 40,000 people in attendance. She told the audience that while she "absolutely loved Iron Maiden," she thought lead singer Bruce Dickinson was a "prick" and had "disrespected Ozzfest since they began their stint with the tour." Her words were met with booing, and soon afterwards she walked off the stage.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: Iron Maiden's manager, Rod Smallwood, issued a statement shortly after the debacle condemning the attack on the band as "vile, dangerous, criminal and cowardly" as well as disrespectful to fans who had paid to see the band perform "a full unhindered performance.". Dickinson later denied making a personal attack on Ozzy Osbourne; "Did I have a go at Ozzy and Black Sabbath? No. Why would I? But I do find "The Osbournes" TV series loathsome, and the whole cult of reality TV celebrities disgusting."


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: In 2000, Osbourne resigned from managing The Smashing Pumpkins by releasing a memo which said, "It was with great pride and enthusiasm that I took on management of the Pumpkins back in October, but unfortunately I must resign today due to medical reasons ... [The Smashing Pumpkins frontman] Billy Corgan was making me sick!!!" In an October 2008 interview, Osbourne revealed that she and Corgan had recently made up: "I saw him at the Scream Awards. We hadn't seen each other since that whole thing in Germany. The first time we ran into each other and we hugged and kissed and laughed."


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: In July 2011, Osbourne and some of her fellow "The Talk" panellists were criticised for their conduct when discussing the story of Catherine Kieu. Osbourne described Kieu's cutting off of her husband's penis and putting it in a garbage disposal as "quite fabulous", Osbourne also laughed about the incident with her fellow panellists and members of the audience. Osbourne's cohost Sara Gilbert offered the counterpoint "Not to be a total buzz kill, but it is a little bit sexist. If somebody cut a woman's breast off, nobody would be sitting laughing." Osbourne replied by saying "It's different". Osbourne later apologised for her behaviour, stating "she was sorry she offended people" and that she "did not condone genital mutilation".


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: Osbourne's co-hosts on "The Talk", Leah Remini and Holly Robinson Peete were released from their contracts in 2011. Osbourne spoke of their dismissals in December 2011 on "The Howard Stern Show", stating: "Some people don't really know who they are, and you have to know who you are when you're in something like this. You can't pretend to be something you're not. You have to know your brand. You can't be all things to everyone." Remini later protested her dismissal and levelled accusations aimed at Osbourne through a series of tweets.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: On 10 March 2021, whilst speaking on "The Talk", Osbourne defended Piers Morgan's negative comments towards Meghan Markle, resulting in a heated exchange with co-host Sheryl Underwood, Osbourne's behaviour towards Underwood during the argument was criticised as harsh and aggressive. In the same month, a 2018 clip from "The Talk" resurfaced in which Osbourne was discussing the Duchess of Sussex's skin colour. Osbourne said that Markle "ain't Black" and that "she doesn't look Black". In response, "The Talk" went on hiatus while CBS conducted a review on Osbourne. In a statement made 26 March 2021, CBS concluded that Osbourne's "behavior toward her co-hosts during the March 10 episode did not align with [CBS] values for a respectful workplace". Ultimately, Osbourne decided to depart from the program.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: In the midst of her scandal and termination from "The Talk", both Holly Robinson Peete and Leah Remini, Osbourne's former cohosts, took to social media to reproach Osbourne over her conduct in relation to her removal from the show, pointing out that they had been treated similarly by her, citing additional acts of discriminatory behaviours from her towards additional cast members. Osbourne responded with threats of defamation lawsuits against both Peete and Remini, but ultimately did nothing.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: In 2019, Osbourne appeared on the British panel show "Would I Lie to You?" in which guests make statements about themselves and fellow panellists guess whether or not the statements are true. She claimed that during a house fire she made her assistant go back into the house to save pieces of art. She also claimed that she ripped an oxygen mask off the assistant and gave it to her dog. She then proceeded to fire him when he did not find the situation funny, believing he might have lung damage from smoke inhalation, saying "he showed absolutely no sense of humour" during the fire. After the usual deliberations by fellow panellists, she confirmed the incident to be true.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: The clip of Osbourne's story on the show that was uploaded by the official BBC YouTube Channel was met with an overwhelmingly negative reception. There was also a considerable backlash from Twitter users. Following the backlash, Osbourne backtracked on her claims on "The Talk" in January 2020. She said: "I told a true story about a fire I had in my house. He went in, he got the paintings out. And then, just to be precocious, I said at the end of this little thing I was doing, 'Oh, and then I fired him.' It was a joke because I was on a comedy show. I fired him about 15 years later." Her response was met with scepticism.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: Sharon Osbourne (then Sharon Levy) met her future husband Black Sabbath vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, at the age of 18, while working for her father, Don Arden, who was managing Black Sabbath at the time. When Ozzy was fired from Black Sabbath in 1979, Sharon started to date him and took over his management as a solo artist. The two were married in Maui, Hawaii, on 4 July 1982. Together, Sharon and Ozzy have three children: Aimee, Kelly and Jack. She also has two stepchildren, Louis and Jessica, from her husband’s previous marriage to retired schoolteacher Thelma Riley.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: For years, the Osbourne marriage was plagued by alcohol, drug use, and violence, with Osbourne having even been arrested for driving while intoxicated. The couple used to physically fight regularly and, according to Osbourne, they would "beat the shit out of each other." She has described herself as "a beaten woman" when she was at the hands of husband Ozzy where he once knocked out her front teeth. She once retaliated by throwing a full bottle of scotch at his head. The most notorious incident arose in August 1989, when Ozzy was arrested for attempted murder after he had returned from the Moscow Music Peace Festival, and tried to strangle his wife in a haze of alcohol and drugs. After the incident, Ozzy spent six months in rehabilitation as a result of his actions, after which time, Sharon Osbourne said she regained her strength in their relationship and did not press charges.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: In July 2002, after colon cancer claimed the life of Reagan Erin Marcato, the mother of then-18-year-old son Robert who was a friend of Osbourne’s daughter Kelly, Osbourne told the BBC that she had adopted Robert; however, when he was later sent to live with his biological father following a nervous breakdown, Osbourne denied having legally adopted him.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: In 1999, Osbourne lost after lap-band surgery (adjustable gastric band). Osbourne commented that being large was an essential part of her persona when she worked for her father and that being larger, she made a more dramatic entrance. On 26 October 2006, she went on "The Howard Stern Show" and revealed that she gained 15 pounds in the last year and would be having her plastic band removed.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: In July 2002, Osbourne had surgery for cancer. She announced it was colon cancer and had spread to her lymph nodes and was more serious than originally thought. She survived the disease against a 33% survival prognosis. Despite battling cancer, she insisted that the MTV cameras document her illness during the filming of the second season of "The Osbournes". When Osbourne's hair fell out during her subsequent treatment, her wigs were custom made by Cher's wigmaker. Ozzy Osbourne admitted that he "fell apart" during her treatment and recovery, and it was revealed that her son, Jack Osbourne, tried to commit suicide because of his depression stemming from his mother's condition.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: In August 2004, she founded the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program at Cedars Sinai Hospital. In addition, she was the honoured guest at the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation's 2003 Fall Gala, where she spoke of her struggle against cancer. Osbourne has lent her support to design limited edition T-shirts or vests for the 'Little Tee Campaign' for Breast Cancer Care which donates money for breast cancer research.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: Osbourne has freely admitted to having extensive cosmetic surgery. As well as documenting this in her autobiography, she appeared on "Dr. Phil" on 14 December 2006, and commented on everything that had been surgically changed on her body to improve her appearance. She stated that she had had a full rhytidectomy, abdominoplasty, mastopexy, as well as many other procedures, but commented that she would not have any surgery performed on her eyes or lips. She has admitted to spending £300,000 on plastic surgery.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: In early November 2012, Osbourne revealed she had undergone a double mastectomy after learning she had a gene that increases the risk of developing breast cancer.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: In 2004, Osbourne's home in Jordans, Buckinghamshire, was burgled by a man who stole gems worth £2 million. The burglar managed to get away with the gems despite being put in a headlock by Ozzy. Items taken during the burglary included wedding rings, an engagement ring, pearl and diamond necklaces, a large 52 carat (10g) sapphire ring and two pairs of diamond earrings. After the incident, Osbourne appeared on "Crimewatch" and offered a reward of £100,000 for the return of her valuable jewellery.


title: Sharon Osbourne

text: In March 2005, there was an incident in the Osbournes' mansion in Jordans, Buckinghamshire. Ozzy and Sharon were forced to flee their mansion when a blaze broke out as they slept. They were not injured but had to be treated for smoke inhalation. In 2006, another fire broke out at the Osbourne's mansion; however, none of the family was at home.


title: Jules Verne

text: Jules Gabriel Verne (; ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the "Voyages extraordinaires", a series of bestselling adventure novels including "Journey to the Center of the Earth" (1864), "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas" (1870), and "Around the World in Eighty Days" (1872). His novels, always well documented, are generally set in the second half of the 19th century, taking into account the technological advances of the time.


title: Jules Verne

text: In addition to his novels, he wrote numerous plays, short stories, autobiographical accounts, poetry, songs and scientific, artistic and literary studies. His work has been adapted for film and television since the beginning of cinema, as well as for comic books, theater, opera, music and video games.


title: Jules Verne

text: Verne is considered to be an important author in France and most of Europe, where he has had a wide influence on the literary avant-garde and on surrealism. His reputation was markedly different in the Anglosphere where he had often been labeled a writer of genre fiction or children's books, largely because of the highly abridged and altered translations in which his novels have often been printed. Since the 1980s, his literary reputation has improved.


title: Jules Verne

text: Jules Verne has been the second most-translated author in the world since 1979, ranking between Agatha Christie and William Shakespeare. He has sometimes been called the "father of science fiction", a title that has also been given to H. G. Wells and Hugo Gernsback. In the 2010s, he was the most translated French author in the world. In France, 2005 was declared "Jules Verne Year" on the occasion of the centenary of the writer's death.


title: Jules Verne

text: Verne was born on 8 February 1828, on Île Feydeau, a small artificial island on the river Loire within the town of Nantes, in No. 4 Rue Olivier-de-Clisson, the house of his maternal grandmother Dame Sophie Marie Adélaïde Julienne Allotte de La Fuÿe (born Guillochet de La Perrière). His parents were Pierre Verne, an attorney originally from Provins, and Sophie Allotte de La Fuÿe, a Nantes woman from a local family of navigators and shipowners, of distant Scottish descent. In 1829, the Verne family moved some hundred metres away to No. 2 Quai Jean-Bart, where Verne's brother Paul was born the same year. Three sisters, Anne "Anna" (1836), Mathilde (1839), and Marie (1842) would follow.


title: Jules Verne

text: In 1834, at the age of six, Verne was sent to boarding school at 5 Place du Bouffay in Nantes. The teacher, Madame Sambin, was the widow of a naval captain who had disappeared some 30 years before. Madame Sambin often told the students that her husband was a shipwrecked castaway and that he would eventually return like Robinson Crusoe from his desert island paradise. The theme of the robinsonade would stay with Verne throughout his life and appear in many of his novels, some of which include,"The Mysterious Island" (1874), "Second Fatherland" (1900), and "The School for Robinsons" (1882).


title: Jules Verne

text: In 1836, Verne went on to École Saint‑Stanislas, a Catholic school suiting the pious religious tastes of his father. Verne quickly distinguished himself in "mémoire" (recitation from memory), geography, Greek, Latin, and singing. In the same year, 1836, Pierre Verne bought a vacation house at 29 Rue des Réformés in the village of Chantenay (now part of Nantes) on the Loire. In his brief memoir "Souvenirs d'enfance et de jeunesse" ("Memories of Childhood and Youth", 1890), Verne recalled a deep fascination with the river and with the many merchant vessels navigating it. He also took vacations at Brains, in the house of his uncle Prudent Allotte, a retired shipowner, who had gone around the world and served as mayor of Brains from 1828 to 1837. Verne took joy in playing interminable rounds of the Game of the Goose with his uncle, and both the game and his uncle's name would be memorialized in two late novels ("The Will of an Eccentric" (1900) and "Robur the Conqueror" (1886), respectively).


title: Jules Verne

text: Legend has it that in 1839, at the age of 11, Verne secretly procured a spot as cabin boy on the three-mast ship "Coralie" with the intention of traveling to the Indies and bringing back a coral necklace for his cousin Caroline. The evening the ship set out for the Indies, it stopped first at Paimboeuf where Pierre Verne arrived just in time to catch his son and make him promise to travel "only in his imagination". It is now known that the legend is an exaggerated tale invented by Verne's first biographer, his niece Marguerite Allotte de la Füye, though it may have been inspired by a real incident.


title: Jules Verne

text: In 1840, the Vernes moved again to a large apartment at No. 6 Rue Jean-Jacques-Rousseau, where the family's youngest child, Marie, was born in 1842. In the same year Verne entered another religious school, the Petit Séminaire de Saint-Donatien, as a lay student. His unfinished novel "Un prêtre en 1839" ("A Priest in 1839"), written in his teens and the earliest of his prose works to survive, describes the seminary in disparaging terms. From 1844 to 1846, Verne and his brother were enrolled in the Lycée Royal (now the Lycée Georges-Clemenceau) in Nantes. After finishing classes in rhetoric and philosophy, he took the baccalauréat at Rennes and received the grade "Good Enough" on 29 July 1846.


title: Jules Verne

text: By 1847, when Verne was 19, he had taken seriously to writing long works in the style of Victor Hugo, beginning "Un prêtre en 1839" and seeing two verse tragedies, "Alexandre VI" and "La Conspiration des poudres" ("The Gunpowder Plot"), to completion. However, his father took it for granted that Verne, being the firstborn son of the family, would not attempt to make money in literature but would instead inherit the family law practice.


title: Jules Verne

text: In 1847, Verne's father sent him to Paris, primarily to begin his studies in law school, and secondarily (according to family legend) to distance him temporarily from Nantes. His cousin Caroline, with whom he was in love, was married on 27 April 1847, to Émile Dezaunay, a man of 40, with whom she would have five children.


title: Jules Verne

text: After a short stay in Paris, where he passed first-year law exams, Verne returned to Nantes for his father's help in preparing for the second year. (Provincial law students were in that era required to go to Paris to take exams.) While in Nantes, he met Rose Herminie Arnaud Grossetière, a young woman one year his senior, and fell intensely in love with her. He wrote and dedicated some thirty poems to her, including "La Fille de l'air" ("The Daughter of Air"), which describes her as "blonde and enchanting / winged and transparent". His passion seems to have been reciprocated, at least for a short time, but Grossetière's parents frowned upon the idea of their daughter marrying a young student of uncertain future. They married her instead to Armand Terrien de la Haye, a rich landowner ten years her senior, on 19 July 1848.


title: Jules Verne

text: The sudden marriage sent Verne into deep frustration. He wrote a hallucinatory letter to his mother, apparently composed in a state of half-drunkenness, in which under pretext of a dream he described his misery. This requited but aborted love affair seems to have permanently marked the author and his work, and his novels include a significant number of young women married against their will (Gérande in "Master Zacharius" (1854), Sava in "Mathias Sandorf" (1885), Ellen in "A Floating City" (1871), etc.), to such an extent that the scholar Christian Chelebourg attributed the recurring theme to a "Herminie complex". The incident also led Verne to bear a grudge against his birthplace and Nantes society, which he criticized in his poem "La sixième ville de France" ("The Sixth City of France").


title: Jules Verne

text: In July 1848, Verne left Nantes again for Paris, where his father intended him to finish law studies and take up law as a profession. He obtained permission from his father to rent a furnished apartment at 24 Rue de l'Ancienne-Comédie, which he shared with Édouard Bonamy, another student of Nantes origin. (On his 1847 Paris visit, Verne had stayed at 2 Rue Thérèse, the house of his aunt Charuel, on the Butte Saint-Roch.)


title: Jules Verne

text: Verne arrived in Paris during a time of political upheaval: the French Revolution of 1848. In February, Louis Philippe I had been overthrown and had fled; on 24 February, a provisional government of the French Second Republic took power, but political demonstrations continued, and social tension remained. In June, barricades went up in Paris, and the government sent Louis-Eugène Cavaignac to crush the insurrection. Verne entered the city shortly before the election of Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte as the first president of the Republic, a state of affairs that would last until the French coup of 1851. In a letter to his family, Verne described the bombarded state of the city after the recent June Days uprising but assured them that the anniversary of Bastille Day had gone by without any significant conflict.


title: Jules Verne

text: Verne used his family connections to make an entrance into Paris society. His uncle Francisque de Chatêaubourg introduced him into literary salons, and Verne particularly frequented those of Mme de Barrère, a friend of his mother's. While continuing his law studies, he fed his passion for the theater, writing numerous plays. Verne later recalled: "I was greatly under the influence of Victor Hugo, indeed, very excited by reading and re-reading his works. At that time I could have recited by heart whole pages of "Notre Dame de Paris", but it was his dramatic work that most influenced me." Another source of creative stimulation came from a neighbor: living on the same floor in the Rue de l'Ancienne-Comédie apartment house was a young composer, Aristide Hignard, with whom Verne soon became good friends, and Verne wrote several texts for Hignard to set as chansons.


title: Jules Verne

text: During this period, Verne's letters to his parents primarily focused on expenses and on a suddenly appearing series of violent stomach cramps, the first of many he would suffer from during his life. (Modern scholars have hypothesized that he suffered from colitis; Verne believed the illness to have been inherited from his mother's side.) Rumors of an outbreak of cholera in March 1849 exacerbated these medical concerns. Yet another health problem would strike in 1851 when Verne suffered the first of four attacks of facial paralysis. These attacks, rather than being psychosomatic, were due to an inflammation in the middle ear, though this cause remained unknown to Verne during his life.


title: Jules Verne

text: In the same year, Verne was required to enlist in the French army, but the sortition process spared him, to his great relief. He wrote to his father: "You should already know, dear papa, what I think of the military life, and of these domestic servants in livery. … You have to abandon all dignity to perform such functions." Verne's strong antiwar sentiments, to the dismay of his father, would remain steadfast throughout his life.


title: Jules Verne

text: Though writing profusely and frequenting the salons, Verne diligently pursued his law studies and graduated with a "licence en droit" in January 1851.


title: Jules Verne

text: Thanks to his visits to salons, Verne came into contact in 1849 with Alexandre Dumas through the mutual acquaintance of a celebrated chirologist of the time, the Chevalier d'Arpentigny. Verne became close friends with Dumas' son, Alexandre Dumas fils, and showed him a manuscript for a stage comedy, "Les Pailles rompues" ("The Broken Straws"). The two young men revised the play together, and Dumas, through arrangements with his father, had it produced by the Opéra-National at the Théâtre Historique in Paris, opening on 12 June 1850.


title: Jules Verne

text: In 1851, Verne met with a fellow writer from Nantes, Pierre-Michel-François Chevalier (known as "Pitre-Chevalier"), the editor-in-chief of the magazine "Musée des familles" ("The Family Museum"). Pitre-Chevalier was looking for articles about geography, history, science, and technology, and was keen to make sure that the educational component would be made accessible to large popular audiences using a straightforward prose style or an engaging fictional story. Verne, with his delight in diligent research, especially in geography, was a natural for the job. Verne first offered him a short historical adventure story, "The First Ships of the Mexican Navy", written in the style of James Fenimore Cooper, whose novels had deeply influenced him. Pitre-Chevalier published it in July 1851, and in the same year published a second short story by Verne, "A Voyage in a Balloon" (August 1851). The latter story, with its combination of adventurous narrative, travel themes, and detailed historical research, would later be described by Verne as "the first indication of the line of novel that I was destined to follow".


title: Jules Verne

text: Dumas fils put Verne in contact with Jules Seveste, a stage director who had taken over the directorship of the Théâtre Historique and renamed it the Théâtre Lyrique. Seveste offered Verne the job of secretary of the theater, with little or no salary attached. Verne accepted, using the opportunity to write and produce several comic operas written in collaboration with Hignard and the prolific librettist Michel Carré. To celebrate his employment at the Théâtre Lyrique, Verne joined with ten friends to found a bachelors' dining club, the "Onze-sans-femme" ("Eleven Bachelors").


title: Jules Verne

text: For some time, Verne's father pressed him to abandon his writing and begin a business as a lawyer. However, Verne argued in his letters that he could only find success in literature. The pressure to plan for a secure future in law reached its climax in January 1852, when his father offered Verne his own Nantes law practice. Faced with this ultimatum, Verne decided conclusively to continue his literary life and refuse the job, writing: "Am I not right to follow my own instincts? It's because I know who I am that I realize what I can be one day."


title: Jules Verne

text: Meanwhile, Verne was spending much time at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, conducting research for his stories and feeding his passion for science and recent discoveries, especially in geography. It was in this period that Verne met the illustrious geographer and explorer Jacques Arago, who continued to travel extensively despite his blindness (he had lost his sight completely in 1837). The two men became good friends, and Arago's innovative and witty accounts of his travels led Verne toward a newly developing genre of literature: that of travel writing.


title: Jules Verne

text: In 1852, two new pieces from Verne appeared in the "Musée des familles": "Martin Paz", a novella set in Lima, which Verne wrote in 1851 and published 10 July through 11 August 1852, and "Les Châteaux en Californie, ou, Pierre qui roule n'amasse pas mousse" ("The Castles in California, or, A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss"), a one-act comedy full of racy double entendres. In April and May 1854, the magazine published Verne's short story "Master Zacharius", an E. T. A. Hoffmann-like fantasy featuring a sharp condemnation of scientific hubris and ambition, followed soon afterward by "A Winter Amid the Ice", a polar adventure story whose themes closely anticipated many of Verne's novels. The "Musée" also published some nonfiction popular science articles which, though unsigned, are generally attributed to Verne. Verne's work for the magazine was cut short in 1856 when he had a serious quarrel with Pitre-Chevalier and refused to continue contributing (a refusal he would maintain until 1863, when Pitre-Chevalier died, and the magazine went to new editorship).


title: Jules Verne

text: While writing stories and articles for Pitre-Chevalier, Verne began to form the idea of inventing a new kind of novel, a "Roman de la Science" ("novel of science"), which would allow him to incorporate large amounts of the factual information he so enjoyed researching in the Bibliothèque. He is said to have discussed the project with the elder Alexandre Dumas, who had tried something similar with an unfinished novel, "Isaac Laquedem", and who enthusiastically encouraged Verne's project.


title: Jules Verne

text: At the end of 1854, another outbreak of cholera led to the death of Jules Seveste, Verne's employer at the Théâtre Lyrique and by then a good friend. Though his contract only held him to a further year of service, Verne remained connected to the theater for several years after Seveste's death, seeing additional productions to fruition. He also continued to write plays and musical comedies, most of which were not performed.


title: Jules Verne

text: In May 1856, Verne traveled to Amiens to be the best man at the wedding of a Nantes friend, Auguste Lelarge, to an Amiens woman named Aimée du Fraysne de Viane. Verne, invited to stay with the bride's family, took to them warmly, befriending the entire household and finding himself increasingly attracted to the bride's sister, Honorine Anne Hébée Morel (née du Fraysne de Viane), a widow aged 26 with two young children. Hoping to find a secure source of income, as well as a chance to court Morel in earnest, he jumped at her brother's offer to go into business with a broker. Verne's father was initially dubious but gave in to his son's requests for approval in November 1856. With his financial situation finally looking promising, Verne won the favor of Morel and her family, and the couple were married on 10 January 1857.


title: Jules Verne

text: Verne plunged into his new business obligations, leaving his work at the Théâtre Lyrique and taking up a full-time job as an "agent de change" on the Paris Bourse, where he became the associate of the broker Fernand Eggly. Verne woke up early each morning so that he would have time to write, before going to the Bourse for the day's work; in the rest of his spare time, he continued to consort with the "Onze-Sans-Femme" club (all eleven of its "bachelors" had by this time married). He also continued to frequent the Bibliothèque to do scientific and historical research, much of which he copied onto notecards for future use—a system he would continue for the rest of his life. According to the recollections of a colleague, Verne "did better in repartee than in business".


title: Jules Verne

text: In July 1858, Verne and Aristide Hignard seized an opportunity offered by Hignard's brother: a sea voyage, at no charge, from Bordeaux to Liverpool and Scotland. The journey, Verne's first trip outside France, deeply impressed him, and upon his return to Paris he fictionalized his recollections to form the backbone of a semi-autobiographical novel, "Backwards to Britain" (written in the autumn and winter of 1859–1860 and not published until 1989). A second complimentary voyage in 1861 took Hignard and Verne to Stockholm, from where they traveled to Christiania and through Telemark. Verne left Hignard in Denmark to return in haste to Paris, but missed the birth on 3 August 1861 of his only biological son, Michel.


title: Jules Verne

text: Meanwhile, Verne continued work on the idea of a "Roman de la Science", which he developed in a rough draft, inspired, according to his recollections, by his "love for maps and the great explorers of the world". It took shape as a story of travel across Africa and would eventually become his first published novel, "Five Weeks in a Balloon".


title: Jules Verne

text: In 1862, through their mutual acquaintance Alfred de Bréhat, Verne came into contact with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel, and submitted to him the manuscript of his developing novel, then called "Voyage en Ballon". Hetzel, already the publisher of Honoré de Balzac, George Sand, Victor Hugo, and other well-known authors, had long been planning to launch a high-quality family magazine in which entertaining fiction would combine with scientific education. He saw Verne, with his demonstrated inclination toward scrupulously researched adventure stories, as an ideal contributor for such a magazine, and accepted the novel, giving Verne suggestions for improvement. Verne made the proposed revisions within two weeks and returned to Hetzel with the final draft, now titled "Five Weeks in a Balloon". It was published by Hetzel on 31 January 1863.


title: Jules Verne

text: To secure his services for the planned magazine, to be called the "Magasin d'Éducation et de Récréation" ("Magazine of Education and Recreation"), Hetzel also drew up a long-term contract in which Verne would give him three volumes of text per year, each of which Hetzel would buy outright for a flat fee. Verne, finding both a steady salary and a sure outlet for writing at last, accepted immediately. For the rest of his lifetime, most of his novels would be serialized in Hetzel's "Magasin" before their appearance in book form, beginning with his second novel for Hetzel, "The Adventures of Captain Hatteras" (1864–65).


title: Jules Verne

text: When "The Adventures of Captain Hatteras" was published in book form in 1866, Hetzel publicly announced his literary and educational ambitions for Verne's novels by saying in a preface that Verne's works would form a novel sequence called the "Voyages extraordinaires" ("Extraordinary Voyages" or "Extraordinary Journeys"), and that Verne's aim was "to outline all the geographical, geological, physical, and astronomical knowledge amassed by modern science and to recount, in an entertaining and picturesque format that is his own, the history of the universe". Late in life, Verne confirmed that this commission had become the running theme of his novels: "My object has been to depict the earth, and not the earth alone, but the universe… And I have tried at the same time to realize a very high ideal of beauty of style. It is said that there can't be any style in a novel of adventure, but it isn't true." However, he also noted that the project was extremely ambitious: "Yes! But the Earth is very large, and life is very short! In order to leave a completed work behind, one would need to live to be at least 100 years old!"


title: Jules Verne

text: Hetzel influenced many of Verne's novels directly, especially in the first few years of their collaboration, for Verne was initially so happy to find a publisher that he agreed to almost all of the changes Hetzel suggested. For example, when Hetzel disapproved of the original climax of "Captain Hatteras", including the death of the title character, Verne wrote an entirely new conclusion in which Hatteras survived. Hetzel also rejected Verne's next submission, "Paris in the Twentieth Century", believing its pessimistic view of the future and its condemnation of technological progress were too subversive for a family magazine. (The manuscript, believed lost for some time after Verne's death, was finally published in 1994.)


title: Jules Verne

text: The relationship between publisher and writer changed significantly around 1869 when Verne and Hetzel were brought into conflict over the manuscript for "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas". Verne had initially conceived of the submariner Captain Nemo as a Polish scientist whose acts of vengeance were directed against the Russians who had killed his family during the January Uprising. Hetzel, not wanting to alienate the lucrative Russian market for Verne's books, demanded that Nemo be made an enemy of the slave trade, a situation that would make him an unambiguous hero. Verne, after fighting vehemently against the change, finally invented a compromise in which Nemo's past is left mysterious. After this disagreement, Verne became notably cooler in his dealings with Hetzel, taking suggestions into consideration but often rejecting them outright.


title: Jules Verne

text: From that point, Verne published two or more volumes a year. The most successful of these are: "Voyage au centre de la Terre" ("Journey to the Center of the Earth", 1864); "De la Terre à la Lune" ("From the Earth to the Moon", 1865); "Vingt mille lieues sous les mers" ("Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas", 1869); and "Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours" ("Around the World in Eighty Days"), which first appeared in "Le Temps" in 1872. Verne could now live on his writings, but most of his wealth came from the stage adaptations of "Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours" (1874) and "Michel Strogoff" (1876), which he wrote with Adolphe d'Ennery.


title: Jules Verne

text: In 1867, Verne bought a small boat, the "Saint-Michel", which he successively replaced with the "Saint-Michel II" and the "Saint-Michel III" as his financial situation improved. On board the "Saint-Michel III", he sailed around Europe. After his first novel, most of his stories were first serialised in the "Magazine d'Éducation et de Récréation", a Hetzel biweekly publication, before being published in book form. His brother Paul contributed to "40th French climbing of the Mont-Blanc" and a collection of short stories – "Doctor Ox" – in 1874. Verne became wealthy and famous.


title: Jules Verne

text: Meanwhile, Michel Verne married an actress against his father's wishes, had two children by an underage mistress and buried himself in debts. The relationship between father and son improved as Michel grew older.


title: Jules Verne

text: Some scholars believe his novels reflect a deist philosophy, as they often involve the notion of God or divine providence but rarely mention the concept of Christ.


title: Jules Verne

text: On 9 March 1886, as Verne returned home, his twenty-six-year-old nephew, Gaston, shot at him twice with a pistol. The first bullet missed, but the second one entered Verne's left leg, giving him a permanent limp that could not be overcome. This incident was hushed up in the media, but Gaston spent the rest of his life in a mental asylum.


title: Jules Verne

text: After the deaths of both his mother and Hetzel (who died in 1886), Jules Verne began publishing darker works. In 1888 he entered politics and was elected town councillor of Amiens, where he championed several improvements and served for fifteen years.


title: Jules Verne

text: Verne was made a knight of France's Legion of Honour on 9 April 1870, and subsequently promoted in Legion of Honour rank to Officer on 19 July 1892.


title: Jules Verne

text: On 24 March 1905, while ill with chronic diabetes and complications from a stroke which paralyzed his right side, Verne died at his home in Amiens, 44 Boulevard Longueville (now Boulevard Jules-Verne). His son, Michel Verne, oversaw the publication of the novels "Invasion of the Sea" and "The Lighthouse at the End of the World" after Jules's death. The "Voyages extraordinaires" series continued for several years afterwards at the same rate of two volumes a year. It was later discovered that Michel Verne had made extensive changes in these stories, and the original versions were eventually published at the end of the 20th century by the Jules Verne Society (Société Jules Verne). In 1919, Michel Verne published "The Barsac Mission" (), whose original drafts contained references to Esperanto, a language that his father had been very interested in.


title: Jules Verne

text: In 1989, Verne's great-grandson discovered his ancestor's as-yet-unpublished novel "Paris in the Twentieth Century", which was subsequently published in 1994.


title: Jules Verne

text: Verne's largest body of work is the "Voyages extraordinaires" series, which includes all of his novels except for the two rejected manuscripts "Paris in the Twentieth Century" and "Backwards to Britain" (published posthumously in 1994 and 1989, respectively) and for projects left unfinished at his death (many of which would be posthumously adapted or rewritten for publication by his son Michel). Verne also wrote many plays, poems, song texts, operetta libretti, and short stories, as well as a variety of essays and miscellaneous non-fiction.


title: Jules Verne

text: After his debut under Hetzel, Verne was enthusiastically received in France by writers and scientists alike, with George Sand and Théophile Gautier among his earliest admirers. Several notable contemporary figures, from the geographer Vivien de Saint-Martin to the critic Jules Claretie, spoke highly of Verne and his works in critical and biographical notes.


title: Jules Verne

text: However, Verne's growing popularity among readers and playgoers (due especially to the highly successful stage version of "Around the World in Eighty Days") led to a gradual change in his literary reputation. As the novels and stage productions continued to sell, many contemporary critics felt that Verne's status as a commercially popular author meant he could only be seen as a mere genre-based storyteller, rather than a serious author worthy of academic study.


title: Jules Verne

text: This denial of formal literary status took various forms, including dismissive criticism by such writers as Émile Zola and the lack of Verne's nomination for membership in the Académie Française, and was recognized by Verne himself, who said in a late interview: "The great regret of my life is that I have never taken any place in French literature." To Verne, who considered himself "a man of letters and an artist, living in the pursuit of the ideal", this critical dismissal on the basis of literary ideology could only be seen as the ultimate snub.


title: Jules Verne

text: This bifurcation of Verne as a popular genre writer but a critical "persona non grata" continued after his death, with early biographies (including one by Verne's own niece, Marguerite Allotte de la Fuÿe) focusing on error-filled and embroidered hagiography of Verne as a popular figure rather than on Verne's actual working methods or his output. Meanwhile, sales of Verne's novels in their original unabridged versions dropped markedly even in Verne's home country, with abridged versions aimed directly at children taking their place.


title: Jules Verne

text: However, the decades after Verne's death also saw the rise in France of the "Jules Verne cult", a steadily growing group of scholars and young writers who took Verne's works seriously as literature and willingly noted his influence on their own pioneering works. Some of the cult founded the Société Jules Verne, the first academic society for Verne scholars; many others became highly respected "avant garde" and surrealist literary figures in their own right. Their praise and analyses, emphasizing Verne's stylistic innovations and enduring literary themes, proved highly influential for literary studies to come.


title: Jules Verne

text: In the 1960s and 1970s, thanks in large part to a sustained wave of serious literary study from well-known French scholars and writers, Verne's reputation skyrocketed in France. Roland Barthes' seminal essay "Nautilus et Bateau Ivre" ("The Nautilus and the Drunken Boat") was influential in its exegesis of the "Voyages extraordinares" as a purely literary text, while book-length studies by such figures as Marcel Moré and Jean Chesneaux considered Verne from a multitude of thematic vantage points.


title: Jules Verne

text: French literary journals devoted entire issues to Verne and his work, with essays by such imposing literary figures as Michel Butor, Georges Borgeaud, Marcel Brion, Pierre Versins, Michel Foucault, René Barjavel, Marcel Lecomte, Francis Lacassin, and Michel Serres; meanwhile, Verne's entire published opus returned to print, with unabridged and illustrated editions of his works printed by Livre de Poche and Éditions Rencontre. The wave reached its climax in Verne's sesquicentennial year 1978, when he was made the subject of an academic colloquium at the Centre culturel international de Cerisy-la-Salle, and "Journey to the Center of the Earth" was accepted for the French university system's "agrégation" reading list. Since these events, Verne has been consistently recognized in Europe as a legitimate member of the French literary canon, with academic studies and new publications steadily continuing.


title: Jules Verne

text: Verne's reputation in English-speaking countries has been considerably slower in changing. Throughout the 20th century, most anglophone scholars dismissed Verne as a genre writer for children and a naïve proponent of science and technology (despite strong evidence to the contrary on both counts), thus finding him more interesting as a technological "prophet" or as a subject of comparison to English-language writers such as Edgar Allan Poe and H. G. Wells than as a topic of literary study in his own right. This narrow view of Verne has undoubtedly been influenced by the poor-quality English translations and very loosely adapted Hollywood film versions through which most American and British readers have discovered Verne. However, since the mid-1980s a considerable number of serious English-language studies and translations have appeared, suggesting that a rehabilitation of Verne's anglophone reputation may currently be underway.


title: Jules Verne

text: Translation of Verne into English began in 1852, when Verne's short story "A Voyage in a Balloon" (1851) was published in the American journal "Sartain's Union Magazine of Literature and Art" in a translation by Anne T. Wilbur. Translation of his novels began in 1869 with William Lackland's translation of "Five Weeks in a Balloon" (originally published in 1863), and continued steadily throughout Verne's lifetime, with publishers and hired translators often working in great haste to rush his most lucrative titles into English-language print. Unlike Hetzel, who targeted all ages with his publishing strategies for the "Voyages extraordinaires", the British and American publishers of Verne chose to market his books almost exclusively to young audiences; this business move, with its implication that Verne could be treated purely as a children's author, had a long-lasting effect on Verne's reputation in English-speaking countries.


title: Jules Verne

text: These early English-language translations have been widely criticized for their extensive textual omissions, errors, and alterations, and are not considered adequate representations of Verne's actual novels. In an essay for "The Guardian", British writer Adam Roberts commented: "I'd always liked reading Jules Verne and I've read most of his novels; but it wasn't until recently that I really understood I hadn't been reading Jules Verne at all ... It's a bizarre situation for a world-famous writer to be in. Indeed, I can't think of a major writer who has been so poorly served by translation."


title: Jules Verne

text: Since 1965, a considerable number of more accurate English translations of Verne have appeared. However, the older, deficient translations continue to be republished due to their public domain status, and in many cases their easy availability in online sources.


title: Jules Verne

text: The relationship between Verne's "Voyages extraordinaires" and the literary genre science fiction is a complex one. Verne, like H. G. Wells, is frequently cited as one of the founders of the genre, and his profound influence on its development is indisputable; however, many earlier writers, such as Lucian of Samosata, Voltaire, and Mary Shelley, have also been cited as creators of science fiction, an unavoidable ambiguity arising from the vague definition and history of the genre.


title: Jules Verne

text: A primary issue at the heart of the dispute is the question of whether Verne's works count as science fiction to begin with. Maurice Renard claimed that Verne "never wrote a single sentence of scientific-marvelous". Verne himself argued repeatedly in interviews that his novels were not meant to be read as scientific, saying "I have invented nothing". His own goal was rather to "depict the earth [and] at the same time to realize a very high ideal of beauty of style", as he pointed out in an example:


title: Jules Verne

text: Closely related to Verne's science-fiction reputation is the often-repeated claim that he is a "prophet" of scientific progress, and that many of his novels involve elements of technology that were fantastic for his day but later became commonplace. These claims have a long history, especially in America, but the modern scholarly consensus is that such claims of prophecy are heavily exaggerated. In a 1961 article critical of "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas" scientific accuracy, Theodore L. Thomas speculated that Verne's storytelling skill and readers misremembering a book they read as children caused people to "remember things from it that are not there. The impression that the novel contains valid scientific prediction seems to grow as the years roll by". As with science fiction, Verne himself flatly denied that he was a futuristic prophet, saying that any connection between scientific developments and his work was "mere coincidence" and attributing his indisputable scientific accuracy to his extensive research: "even before I began writing stories, I always took numerous notes out of every book, newspaper, magazine, or scientific report that I came across."


title: Jules Verne

text: Verne's novels have had a wide influence on both literary and scientific works; writers known to have been influenced by Verne include Marcel Aymé, Roland Barthes, René Barjavel, Michel Butor, Blaise Cendrars, Paul Claudel, Jean Cocteau, Julio Cortázar, François Mauriac, Rick Riordan, Raymond Roussel, Claude Roy, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, and Jean-Paul Sartre, while scientists and explorers who acknowledged Verne's inspiration have included Richard E. Byrd, Yuri Gagarin, Simon Lake, Hubert Lyautey, Guglielmo Marconi, Fridtjof Nansen, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, Wernher von Braun, and Jack Parsons. Verne is credited with helping inspire the steampunk genre, a literary and social movement that glamorizes science fiction based on 19th-century technology.


title: Jules Verne

text: Ray Bradbury summarized Verne's influence on literature and science the world over by saying: "We are all, in one way or another, the children of Jules Verne."


title: Julián Álvarez (footballer)

text: Julián Álvarez (born 31 January 2000) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Premier League club Manchester City and the Argentina national team. Nicknamed "La Araña" ("The Spider"), he is known for his pressing, dynamic scoring ability, and link-up play.


title: Julián Álvarez (footballer)

text: Álvarez joined River Plate from Atlético Calchín in 2016, notably participating in the Generation Adidas Cup with the club's youth teams. Prior to signing for River, Álvarez had trials with Boca Juniors and Real Madrid; scoring twice in five games for the latter in a youth tournament. He was unable to join Real due to age restrictions. Álvarez was moved into River Plate's senior squad under manager Marcelo Gallardo during the 2018–19 season, with his professional debut arriving on 27 October 2018 during a Primera División fixture with Aldosivi; he was subbed on for Rodrigo Mora with twenty-six minutes remaining of a 1–0 victory.


title: Julián Álvarez (footballer)

text: Álvarez appeared late on during the second leg of the 2018 Copa Libertadores finals, with River beating rivals Boca Juniors. Álvarez scored the first goal of his senior career on 17 March 2019, netting in a 3–0 league win over Independiente. During the succeeding December, he scored in the 2019 Copa Argentina Final against Central Córdoba as River won 3–0 to secure the trophy In 2020, Álvarez netted five goals in six Copa Libertadores group stage encounters.


title: Julián Álvarez (footballer)

text: On 25 May 2022, Álvarez scored six goals for River Plate in an 8–1 win over Alianza Lima in the Copa Libertadores.


title: Julián Álvarez (footballer)

text: On 31 January 2022, his 22nd birthday, it was confirmed that Álvarez had signed for Premier League champions Manchester City on a five-and-a-half-year contract, but with the player remaining at River Plate on loan until July. He scored on his competitive debut on 30 July, where City lost 1–3 to rivals Liverpool in the Community Shield. On 7 August, Álvarez made his Premier League debut after coming on as a substitute for Erling Haaland in a 2–0 away win over West Ham United. On 31 August, Álvarez scored his first two Premier League goals in a 6–0 win against Nottingham Forest at the Etihad Stadium.


title: Julián Álvarez (footballer)

text: In 2018, Álvarez was selected by the Argentina U-20s to train against the senior team at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. In December, Álvarez was picked for the 2019 South American U-20 Championship. He received a call-up from Fernando Batista for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup in May 2019. Four matches and one goal, versus South Africa, arrived for him in Poland. Batista subsequently called Álvarez up for the U-23s in the succeeding September, which preceded his selection for the 2020 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament; which Argentina won, with Álvarez scoring once (versus Venezuela) in seven matches.


title: Julián Álvarez (footballer)

text: Álvarez made his debut for the Argentina senior team on 3 June 2021, in a World Cup qualifier against Chile. He substituted Ángel Di María in the 62nd minute. On 29 March 2022, he scored his first international goal in a 1–1 draw against Ecuador.


title: Julián Álvarez (footballer)

text: He was included in Argentina's 26 men squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. On 30 November, he scored his first World Cup goal in a 2–0 win in the last group stage match against Poland. Álvarez followed with a second World Cup goal on 3 December when he scored in Argentina's 2–1 win against Australia. He continued his scoring streak by adding two more goals in Argentina's 3–0 win against Croatia in the semi-finals. On 18 December, he was involved in Argentina's second goal as his team defeated France 4–2 on penalties after the match ended 3–3 in extra-time of the final to win the World Cup.


title: The Grand Tour

text: The Grand Tour is a British motoring television series, created by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, James May and Andy Wilman, made for Amazon exclusively for its online streaming service Amazon Prime Video, and premiered on 18 November 2016. The programme was conceived in the wake of the departure of Clarkson, Hammond, May and Wilman from the BBC series "Top Gear" and was originally contracted with 36 episodes over three years.


title: The Grand Tour

text: When the programme was launched, it followed a similar format to that of "Top Gear" between 2016 and 2019, including car reviews and timed laps, motoring challenges and races, studio segments, and celebrity guests, with the team using a studio within a large tent during this time; in its first series, the tent was located at different locations across the globe, before taking a fixed site within the Cotswolds. Episodes were released weekly to Amazon Prime Video accounts, and repeats of the first series were made available on traditional broadcasters in late 2017. At the conclusion of the third series, the production team switched out of this format, and towards a focus on producing special motoring films for future series, with episodes released at select intervals.


title: The Grand Tour

text: "The Grand Tour" is released to viewers across more than 195 countries and territories, attracting favourable viewing figures since its premiere episode, and receiving positive reviews from critics. A video game based on the programme, entitled "The Grand Tour Game", was released 15 January 2019.


title: The Grand Tour

text: Throughout the first three series of the programme, the format was focused on a similar arrangement to that of "Top Gear", involving a mixture of pre-recording television films - a mixture of single or multi-part films - and live-audience studio segments, though for legal reasons it was designed with significant differences to avoid clashing with the BBC's motoring series. Films focused primarily on car review, motoring challenges, and road trip journeys, often based around those of "Top Gear", such as a challenge in which the presenters have to purchase a class of a vehicle and see which is the best through a series of tests given through text messages from the show's producer. Alongside these episodes, the programme's format between 2016 to 2019 also included special episodes in similar format to "Top Gear" specials, focused on the presenters travelling on journeys in a specific type of vehicle or class within a foreign locale.


title: The Grand Tour

text: Like "Top Gear", car reviews on "The Grand Tour" functioned in a similar manner in which the presenters, either on their own or with their colleagues, take a look at various cars and test them out on various aspects such as performance, handling, and quality. Reviews are conducted in varying locales abroad, or within the United Kingdom, including a specially designed racetrack, parallel to the "Top Gear" Test Track, called the "Eboladrome". The track is not only used for reviews, but also for conducting timed laps of vehicles that are reviewed, except for ten cars which were timed outside of filming before the launch of the first series. Timed laps are conducted by a professional driver assigned to the programme - while the first series involved former NASCAR driver Mike Skinner, who was contracted to operate under the name "The American" and portray a stereotypical redneck accent and viewpoints alongside scripted character traits, the poor reception to his involvement led to him being replaced by British racing driver Abbie Eaton for the second and third series.


title: The Grand Tour

text: Studio segments were primarily filmed within a large studio tent that could house an audience of around 300, with the presenters sat around a trestle table and the audience seated in front of them. Initially, the first series involved these segments being filmed within a travelling tent that was set up in various countries, with audiences acquired from the local population at the site as part of an emphasis that the programme was on a "grand tour" around the world. However, Hammond's crash in Switzerland and Clarkson's pneumonia prior to the second series, led to the use of a travelling tent being dropped in favour of a more fixed location, resulting in studio segments being filmed on the outskirts of Chipping Norton for the second and third series. These live-audience segments act as breaks between pre-recorded films, much like in "Top Gear", and operated on a similar format. Throughout all three series, the presenters often used a discussion period on various topics within a segment entitled "Conversation Street", which had a running gag of opening with an intro of the presenters in silhouette doing something comedic and/or unusual.


title: The Grand Tour

text: Celebrities were not initially part of the programme to begin with, due to concerns over legal issues that the BBC could raise if it competed against the celebrity format used in "Top Gear". As such, the programme created a humorous segment for the first series entitled "Celebrity Brain Crash", which involved celebrities being "killed" in an accident while making their way to the presenter's tent - the segment was done for comedic effect, and either involved an actual celebrity who was filmed briefly for the segment before their death is staged outside the tent's location or with a look-alike, or involving someone representing them, despite not being clearly identifiable. This segment was later dropped leading to the decision that celebrities would be a part of the programme for the second series in a new segment entitled "Celebrity Face Off". Much like "Top Gear's" "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car", the segment involved two celebrities, who shared similar backgrounds or connections to certain elements (e.g. magicians) who competed against each other on a separate race track, to see who was the fastest, alongside conducting interviews with the presenters. The timed laps for this segment not only involved a different track, but also used a Jaguar F-Type R-Dynamic coupe to create the lap time. The use of celebrities was later dropped prior to filming of the third series, to dedicate more time to films.


title: The Grand Tour

text: When the programme was first conceived and created, the production team opted for the creation of a dedicated test track for the purpose of being used for reviews of testing of vehicles by presenters, alongside the establishment of lap times by cars that are reviewed. The track was eventually sited at the former RAF Wroughton airbase, with its layout consisting of two loops - one large and one small - connected by a single stretch of tarmac between them and christened as the "Eboladrome", due to the design of the track resembling the structure of the Ebola virus. The track was designed to "trip cars up" and included sections devised under a humorous arrangement, such as "Isn't Straight", "Your Name Here", "Old Lady's House", "Substation" and "Field of Sheep". The track was dropped from use from the programme after the third series.


title: The Grand Tour

text: For the second series, the production team decided to create a second track for the specific purpose of being used in the newly created celebrity segment "Celebrity Face Off". They eventually decided to situate the new track at Enstone Airfield, close to the fixed studio tent location - a site originally planned for use with "Top Gear". The track was mostly designed as an oval, with half of it involving a gravel track. The track was dropped from use in the second series, although was briefly involved in a motoring challenge during the third series.