title: 47 Meters Down: Uncaged

text: In the United States and Canada, the film was released alongside "Blinded by the Light", "Where'd You Go, Bernadette" and "Good Boys", and was projected to gross $11–14 million from 2,853 theaters in its opening weekend. It made $3.2 million on its first day, including $516,000 from Thursday night previews. The film went on to debut to $8.4 million, down from the original's $11.2 million, and finishing sixth. The film dropped 54% in its second weekend to $3.9 million, finishing 11th.


title: 47 Meters Down: Uncaged

text: On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . The website's critical consensus reads, ""47 Meters Down: Uncaged" may not be as ruthlessly efficient as its finned villains, but fans of shark peril thrillers should find it just chummy enough." On Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, the film has a score of 43 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews." Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it an average 2.5 out of 5 stars and a 52% "definite recommend."


title: Chess boxing

text: Chess boxing, or chessboxing, is a hybrid sport that combines two traditional disciplines: chess and boxing. Two combatants play alternating rounds of blitz chess and boxing until one wins by checkmate or knockout. It is also possible to win by time penalty as in normal chess, and by boxing decision if there is a draw in the chess round.


title: Chess boxing

text: Typically, events are held in a standard boxing ring using standard amateur boxing equipment and rules. The chess round is also played in the ring with the table, board, and seating being moved in and out of the ring for each round.


title: Chess boxing

text: The governing bodies of chessboxing are the World Chessboxing Association and the World Chess Boxing Organisation.


title: Chess boxing

text: Chessboxing was invented by French comic book artist Enki Bilal and adapted by Dutch performance artist Iepe Rubingh as an art performance and has subsequently grown into a competitive sport. Chessboxing is particularly popular in the United Kingdom, India, Finland, and Russia.


title: Chess boxing

text: An earlier version of combining chess and boxing took place in a boxing club outside London in the late 1970s. The Robinson brothers were in the habit of playing a round of chess against one another after a training session at their boxing club. The concept of chessboxing was first coined in the 1979 kung fu film "Mystery of Chessboxing" made by Joseph Kuo, where it referred to the Chinese variant of chess, xiangqi. In homage to the film of the same name, the Wu-Tang Clan brought chessboxing into popular consciousness for the first time in 1993, when they released the song "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'".


title: Chess boxing

text: The first chessboxing event was put on by Dutch performance artist Iepe Rubingh. Rubingh's idea to create a new sport fusing the two disciplines, chess and boxing, originates from the 1992 comic "Froid Équateur", written by French comic book artist Enki Bilal, that portrays a chessboxing world championship. In the comic book version, however, the opponents fight an entire boxing match before they face each other in a game of chess. Finding this to be impractical, Rubingh developed the idea further until it turned into the competitive sport that chessboxing is today, with alternating rounds of chess and boxing and a detailed set of rules and regulations.


title: Chess boxing

text: The first chessboxing competition took place in Berlin in 2003. That same year, the first world championship fight was held in Amsterdam, in cooperation with the Dutch Boxing Association as well as the Dutch Chess Federation and under the auspices of the World Chess Boxing Organization (WCBO) that had been founded in Berlin shortly before. Dutch middleweight fighters Iepe Rubingh and Jean Louis Veenstra faced each other in the ring. After his opponent exceeded the chess time limit, Rubingh won the fight in the eleventh round, going down in the history books as the first-ever World Chess Boxing Champion.


title: Chess boxing

text: By 2012, Rubingh in Berlin and Tim Woolgar in London had become the two shining lights of the chessboxing scene. Rubingh's events tended to have a more serious tone, while Woolgar's brought a party atmosphere and larger crowds. These two champions of the new sport were unable to agree on forming a unified style, which eventually left the sport with two governing bodies: the World Chessboxing Association (WCBA) and the WCBO. This period in chessboxing history was immortalised in the film "By Rook or Left Hook – The Story of Chessboxing".


title: Chess boxing

text: Two years after the first world championship, the first European Chess Boxing Championship took place in Berlin on 1 October 2005. Present-day chessboxing commentator Andreas Dilschneider was defeated by Tihomir Dovramadjiev (FIDE Master) when he resigned in the ninth round of chess, crowning the latter by being the first European Chess Boxing Champion. The event was covered by a number of world popular magazines and media, including Eurosport, CNN, the "Los Angeles Times", "Die Welt", and ChessBase. A video report by German television channel RBB presented the event in detail. In 2006, more than 800 spectators filled the Gloria Theatre in Cologne for the world championship qualification fight between Zoran Mijatovic and Frank Stoldt. The 36-year-old Frank Stoldt, who was a former UN peacekeeper in Kosovo and Afghanistan, won when his opponent resigned in chess in the seventh round. After qualifying to fight for the title in 2006, Frank Stoldt went up against American David Depto in November 2007 in Berlin to fight for the first world championship title in the light heavyweight division. More than 800 tickets were sold for the event at the Tape Club in Berlin, making it the biggest chessboxing title fight to that date. Frank Stoldt defeated Depto in the seventh round and thereby cemented Berlin's status as the leading city in the chessboxing world and becoming the first German world champion.


title: Chess boxing

text: Chessboxing first received credit from the International Chess Federation FIDE, in April 2008; its president, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, took part in a chessboxing demo fight in Elista. In 2008, chessboxing clubs were founded in London and Krasnoyarsk. Created in 2009, the Los Angeles Chessboxing Club was the first of its kind in the United States and was directly followed by the New York Chessboxing Club in 2010. The Boxer in Munich also opened in 2010 and offers chessboxing training. In addition to the WCBO's initially European and later world championships taking place, the scene at the London Chessboxing Club grew as well. In 2011, the first international club matchup took place, with Berlin and London in the ring.


title: Chess boxing

text: In 2011, the WCBO and with it, the global chessboxing community, made the biggest leap forward in its development to date with the foundation of the Chessboxing Organisation of India and its expansion in Asia, including Chessboxing China and the Chessboxing Organisation of Iran, which was founded in 2012. Furthermore, the third chessboxing organization in the United States, USA Chessboxing, was founded in 2011 and the European movement was being reinforced by the foundation of the Italian Chessboxing Federation in 2012. In addition to the WCBO becoming a registered association under German law in 2014, the Chess Boxing Global Marketing CBGM GmbH – called Chess Boxing Global (CBG) – was founded; it is responsible for organizing all professional chessboxing fights worldwide and above all, for the organization of the Chess Boxing World Championships.


title: Chess boxing

text: The Chess Boxing Organisation India was founded in 2011 by kickboxing official and former Indian kickboxing and karate champion Montu Das. With this, the growth of chessboxing in Asia gained momentum, with the first Chess Boxing Organisation in Western Asia already being built in the following year by another experienced official in the kickboxing world, Fereydoun Pouya, who started the Chess Boxing Organisation Iran.


title: Chess boxing

text: At the same time, the process of making chessboxing a professional discipline reached a milestone: The 2013 World Championship in Moscow was the first chessboxing event organized and marketed by Chess Boxing Global. With three world championship fights in one night, more than 1,200 spectators, and a standard of fighting never seen before, the first CBG event set new standards in the history of chessboxing, with Leonid Chernobaev leading the way. He has been able to make a name for himself with more than fifteen years of chess-playing experience, and in the boxing world as Marco Huck's and Yoan Pablo Hernández's sparring partner, and having fought over 200 amateur bouts. He won the light heavyweight title against Indian fighter Shailesh Tripathi after a technical knockout in the eighth round (boxing). Sven Rooch secured his title in the middleweight class division—winning against Jonatan Rodriguez Vega after the Spaniard resigned in the seventh round (chess), and Russian Nikolay Sazhin won the heavyweight title against Gianluca Sirci by checkmate. Thus, Sazhin (heavyweight), Chernobaev (light heavyweight), and Rooch (middleweight) would all go down in chessboxing history as the first Chess Boxing Global World Champions.


title: Chess boxing

text: In terms of its development into a mass sport, there was much success in 2013 and early 2014 for the chessboxing world. There were more competitors in the second and third Indian Championships in the summer of 2013 and early 2014 than in any chessboxing events ever before, with more than 245 fighters of varying age and weight class, taking place in Salem and Jodhpur, respectively. Furthermore, the chessboxing community in London—under the command of London Chessboxing and the WCBA—has continued to grow constantly since 2011 and by now stages chessboxing events for 800 or more spectators regularly four to five times a year at the Scala, King's Cross.


title: Chess boxing

text: Late 2014 also saw the Finnish Chessboxing Club being founded in Helsinki by five members. Since 2013, there has also been a Moscow Chess Boxing club.


title: Chess boxing

text: Chessboxing events in 2015 were produced by London Chessboxing under the WCBA—two events at Scala, Kings Cross. The second event, in June 2015, The Grandmaster Bash!, saw the British, European, and IBF light-welterweight world champion Terry Marsh fight and defeat Dymer Agasaryan. Terry Marsh is the first professional boxer to compete in chessboxing and has competed in three fights since June 2014 in London and still remains unbeaten in his career.


title: Chess boxing

text: Chessboxing has also become more popular among young, poor women in India, where the sport has been seen as an alternative to traditional roles.


title: Chess boxing

text: Actual numbers of local federations are officially registered in some countries, such as: China, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Iran, Italy, Madagascar, Mexico, Netherlands, Philippines, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, USA, and others.


title: Chess boxing

text: In 2016, then-FIDE president, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, publicly announced to "Top Sport" his desire to include chessboxing in the Olympic games.


title: Chess boxing

text: On 11 December 2022, content creator and YouTuber Ludwig Ahgren held a chess boxing event, called the Mogul Chessboxing Championship, at the Galen Center in Los Angeles. The competition's bouts featured other content creators. The event's live viewership peaked at over 315,000 viewers on YouTube.


title: Chess boxing

text: A match consists of eleven alternating rounds of chess and boxing, starting and ending with chess. Each boxing round lasts three minutes, followed by a one-minute break. The chess rounds are played under time control, with a total of nine minutes allotted to each player and no increment added to either player's clock after a move is made.


title: Chess boxing

text: If the chess game ends in a draw before the final round, one more round of boxing is held. If this round also ends without a clear victory, the fighter who is ahead on boxing points wins the overall bout. If the chess draw occurs in the final round, the fighter ahead on points is immediately declared the winner. In either case, if the bout ends with both fighters tied on points, the one playing the black chess pieces wins the bout, due to not having the first-move advantage in chess. This scenario has not yet occurred in practice as of 2022.


title: Chess boxing

text: Like boxing, chessboxers are divided into weight classes. Currently, the following apply to professional chessboxing events of Chess Boxing Global ():


title: Chess boxing

text: For amateur and youth chessboxing bouts under the flag of the WCBO, weight classes are graduated in 6-kilo steps. Exceptionally, event hosts can classify into 10-kilo steps.


title: Chess boxing

text: A chessboxer must have strong skills in both chess and boxing to be permitted to compete in a professional chessboxing fight. The current minimum requirements to fight in a Chess Boxing Global event include an Elo rating of 1,600 and a record of at least fifty amateur bouts fought in boxing or another similar martial art. One deciding factor in chessboxing is that the fighters have to mainly train in speed chess; the skills required by speed chess are different from those for chess using classical time controls. However, chessboxing is not only the ability to master both sports but above all, to be able to withstand the constant switch from a full-contact sport to a thinking game, round after round. After three minutes of boxing, opponents have to face each other at the chessboard barely having taken a break, and have to then perform calmly and think tactically. This switch becomes increasingly hard for the athletes as the contest progresses.


title: Chess boxing

text: To practice these skills, specialized chessboxing training is used, in which physical interval training forms are combined with blitz or speed chess games. Thereby, the fighters adopt the rhythm of a chessboxing bout. They will use exercises like "track chess" and "stair chess", in which training partners will play an 18-minute game of speed chess over six rounds, with intensive running exercises in between, such as 400-meter sprints or stair sprints. Other common methods of training combine speed chess games with strength exercises such as push-ups. The classic chessboxing training is box sparring combined with a game of speed chess.


title: Chess boxing

text: Between 2003 and 2013, the chessboxing world championships were organized by the WCBO. , they take the form of professional events under the auspices of Chess Boxing Global.


title: Chess boxing

text: The World Chessboxing Association (WCBA) is a legally recognized umbrella organization for chessboxing. It was founded in 2013 and is based in London, England. English heavyweight chessboxing champion Tim Woolgar is its current president. The WCBA originated from the London Chessboxing Club after having separated from the WCBO. It was founded by Woolgar in 2013 to accelerate the development of chessboxing. WCBO champions are also managed and recognized by the WCBA.


title: Chess boxing

text: The World Chess Boxing Organisation (WCBO) is the leading umbrella organization for international amateur chessboxing. It is based in Berlin, Germany, and legally recognized as a nonprofit organization by the German government. Iepe Rubingh founded the WCBO directly after the first chessboxing fight in 2003. Its goal is to establish the WCBO as the worldwide organization for the sport of chessboxing. The WCBO aims to collect and link all active chessboxing clubs worldwide under one roof. It was legally recognized as a registered association by Berlin's district court in 2014. The WCBO was the official organizer of the chessboxing world championships until it recognized Chess Boxing Global, following its statute, as the exclusive marketing agent for professional chessboxing fights, in 2013. Chessboxing inventor and WCBO founder Iepe Rubingh is also the current chairman. The first honorary member is comic book artist Enki Bilal, whose comic inspired the invention of chessboxing.


title: Chess boxing

text: London Chessboxing is a brand under which the sport of chessboxing has been promoted since 2008 in London, England. Although the sport has been practised in London since 1978, the home of chessboxing in London today is Islington Boxing Club, where London Chessboxing hosts regular training sessions.


title: Chess boxing

text: The first-ever chessboxing event hosted in the UK under the brand was at Bethnal Green Working Men's club in Hackney by Tim Woolgar on 15 August 2008. Other notable venues include Chelsea Old Town Hall, The Grange Hotel in St Pauls, and the Royal Albert Hall. Their events are hosted at Scala, King's Cross, York Hall, and The Dome, in Tuffnell Park. The events are also broadcast on the livestreaming service Twitch.


title: Chess boxing

text: In 2021 London Chessboxing rebranded as Chessboxing Nation in order to compete with Chessboxing Global; however, Chessboxing Global collapsed following the death of Iepe Rubingh.


title: Chess boxing

text: In July 2021, a documentary titled "By Rook or Left Hook – The Story of Chessboxing" premiered at the Doc Edge documentary festival in New Zealand, to positive reviews. The film was produced and directed by Canadian filmmaker David Bitton and executive-produced by Ed Cunningham, producer of the gaming documentary "The King of Kong". "By Rook or Left Hook" tracks the early years of chessboxing, primarily focusing on the tensions that formed between the sport's inventor, Iepe Rubingh, and London Chessboxing founder, Tim Woolgar, and the formation of the two rival governing bodies, the WCBO and the WCBA. Although the documentary was filmed over an eightyear period, (November 2010 to January 2018), the story spans over 21 years—from Rubingh's early years as an artist, all the way up to his death in May 2020.


title: Chess boxing

text: In parallel with the development of chessboxing as a sport, the discipline has found an increasing place in several works by leading scientists who study the potential application of the concept in various fields.


title: Paul Haggis

text: Paul Edward Haggis (born March 10, 1953) is a Canadian screenwriter, film producer, and director of film and television. He is best known as screenwriter and producer for consecutive Best Picture Oscar winners "Million Dollar Baby" (2004) and "Crash" (2005), the latter of which he also directed. Haggis also co-wrote the war film "Flags of Our Fathers" (2006) and the James Bond films "Casino Royale" (2006) and "Quantum of Solace" (2008). He is the creator of the television series "Due South" (1994–1999) and co-creator of "Walker, Texas Ranger" (1993–2001), among others. Haggis is a two-time Academy Award winner, two-time Emmy Award winner, and seven-time Gemini Award winner. He also assisted in the making of "We Are the World 25 for Haiti". In November 2022, he was found liable in a civil trial which alleged he raped publicist Haleigh Breest and he was required to pay $10 million in damages.


title: Paul Haggis

text: Paul Edward Haggis was born in London, Ontario, the son of Mary Yvonne ("née" Metcalf) and Ted Haggis, a World War II veteran and Olympic sprinter in the 1948 Summer Olympics. He was raised as a Catholic, attending Catholic school and facing confrontations with children from Ontario's Protestant majority. His family had stopped going to Mass after finding their parish priest driving a Cadillac, and he considered himself an atheist by early adulthood. The Gallery Theatre in London was owned by his parents, and Haggis gained experience in the field through work at the theatre.


title: Paul Haggis

text: Haggis attended St. Thomas More Elementary School. He started secondary school at Ridley College in St. Catharines, but began getting into bad behavior by skipping his required Royal Canadian Army Cadets drills, breaking into the prefect's office to erase his demerits, and reading the radical magazine "Ramparts". After a year Haggis's parents transferred him to a more progressive preparatory school in Muskoka Lakes. Haggis was taught by a producer of the CBC Radio One news program "As It Happens", who allowed him to sit with him as he edited John Dean's testimony to the Watergate hearings for broadcast.


title: Paul Haggis

text: After being inspired by Alfred Hitchcock and Jean-Luc Godard, Haggis proceeded to study art at H. B. Beal Secondary School. He opened a theater in Toronto to screen films banned by the Ontario Board of Censors such as "The Devils" and "Last Tango in Paris". After viewing Michelangelo Antonioni's 1966 film "Blowup" in 1974, he traveled to England with the intent of becoming a fashion photographer. Haggis later returned to Canada to pursue studies in cinematography at Fanshawe College. While in London, Ontario, Haggis was converted to the Church of Scientology. In 1975, Haggis moved to Los Angeles, California, to begin a career in writing in the entertainment industry.


title: Paul Haggis

text: Haggis began to work as a writer for television programs, including "Dingbat and the Creeps", "Richie Rich", "Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo", "The Love Boat", "One Day at a Time", "Diff'rent Strokes", and "The Facts of Life". With "The Facts of Life", Haggis also gained his first credit as producer. During the 1980s and 1990s, Haggis wrote for television series including "thirtysomething", "The Tracey Ullman Show", "FM", "Due South", "L.A. Law", and "EZ Streets". He helped to create the television series "Walker, Texas Ranger"; "Family Law"; and "Due South". Haggis served as executive producer of the series "Michael Hayes" and "Family Law". In 1999, he signed a first look deal with Columbia TriStar Television.


title: Paul Haggis

text: He gained recognition in the film industry for his work on the 2004 film "Million Dollar Baby", which "Allmovie" described as a "serious milestone" for the writer/producer, and as "his first high-profile foray into feature film". Haggis had read two stories written by Jerry Boyd, a boxing trainer who wrote under the name of F.X. Toole.


title: Paul Haggis

text: Haggis later acquired the rights to the stories, and developed them into the screenplay for "Million Dollar Baby". Clint Eastwood portrayed the lead character in the film. Eastwood also directed the film, and used the screenplay written by Haggis. "Million Dollar Baby" received four Academy Awards including the Academy Award for Best Picture.


title: Paul Haggis

text: After "Million Dollar Baby", Haggis worked on the 2004 film "Crash". Haggis came up with the story for the film on his own, and then wrote and directed the film, which allowed him greater control over his work. "Crash" was his first experience as director of a major feature film. Highly positive upon release, critical reception of "Crash" has since polarized, although Roger Ebert called it the best film of 2005.


title: Paul Haggis

text: "Crash" received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and Best Director, in addition to four other Academy Award nominations. Haggis received two Academy Awards for the film: Best Picture (as its producer), and Best Writing for his work on the screenplay. With "Million Dollar Baby" and then "Crash", Haggis became the first individual to have written Best Picture Oscar-winners in two consecutive years.


title: Paul Haggis

text: Haggis said that he wrote "Crash" to "bust liberals", arguing that his fellow liberals were not honest with themselves about the nature of race and racism because they believed that most racial problems had already been resolved in American society.


title: Paul Haggis

text: He has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the Writer's Branch since 2005. This allows him to vote on the Academy Awards.


title: Paul Haggis

text: In 2008, Haggis founded production company Hwy61 Films with producer Michael Nozik, and signed a deal to produce films for United Artists. The company is named after the title track of Bob Dylan's 1965 album "Highway 61 Revisited".


title: Paul Haggis

text: Haggis lives in Santa Monica, California. He has three daughters from his first marriage to Diana Gettas and one son from his second marriage to Deborah Rennard. His younger sister, Jo Francis, is a film editor; they have worked together on several projects.


title: Paul Haggis

text: In 2009, Haggis founded the non-profit organization Artists for Peace and Justice to assist impoverished youth in Haiti. In an interview with Dan Rather, Haggis mentioned that he is an atheist.


title: Paul Haggis

text: After maintaining active membership in the Church of Scientology for 35 years, Haggis left the organization in October 2009. He was motivated to leave Scientology in reaction to statements made by the San Diego branch of the Church of Scientology in support of Proposition 8, the ballot initiative which banned same-sex marriage in California.


title: Paul Haggis

text: Haggis wrote to Tommy Davis, the Church's spokesman, and requested that he denounce these statements; when Davis remained silent, Haggis responded that "Silence is consent, Tommy. I refuse to consent." Haggis went on to list other grievances against Scientology, including its policy of disconnection, and the smearing of its ex-members through the leaking of their personal details.


title: Paul Haggis

text: "The Observer" commented on the defections of Haggis and actor Jason Beghe from Scientology, "The decision of Beghe and Haggis to quit Scientology appears to have caused the movement its greatest recent PR difficulties, not least because of its dependence on Hollywood figures as both a source of revenue for its most expensive courses and an advertisement for the religion."


title: Paul Haggis

text: In an interview with "Movieline", Haggis was asked about similarities between his film "The Next Three Days" and his departure from the Scientology organization; Haggis responded, "I think one's life always parallels art and art parallels life." In February 2011, "The New Yorker" published a 25,000-word story, "The Apostate", by Lawrence Wright, detailing Haggis's allegations about the Church of Scientology. The article ended by quoting Haggis: "I was in a cult for thirty-four years. Everyone else could see it. I don't know why I couldn't." Haggis was interviewed as part of a group of ex-Scientologists for the 2015 movie "".


title: Paul Haggis

text: In December 2017, "Variety" reported Haleigh Breest had filed a lawsuit against Paul Haggis regarding an alleged incident in 2013. Haggis denied all allegations and filed a countersuit, claiming Breest intended to bankrupt him by extracting a $9 million settlement. His suit was dismissed.


title: Paul Haggis

text: "Variety" reported in April 2021 that Haggis had asked a judge to expedite his civil trial. He said he "cannot continue to pay his legal bills." Haggis requested the judge set a trial "at the earliest practical date." His lawyer, Seth Zuckerman, wrote in the motion that "the defendant is no longer in a position to finance his defence with this matter lingering in advance of trial." Haggis denied the allegations, claiming one of the accusers attempted to extort him for $9 million. In July 2019, Haggis was ordered to provide a DNA sample as part of legal proceedings. According to published reports, Haggis and his legal team have worked to block the testimony of additional alleged victims, as the initial civil case headed to trial. Following the initial accusation, three additional women came forward with various accusations of sexual assault and misconduct.


title: Paul Haggis

text: Fellow Scientology defectors Leah Remini and Mike Rinder have defended him, suggesting that the Church of Scientology may be involved, an assertion both the accusers and the Church itself deny.


title: Paul Haggis

text: According to "The New York Times" and "The Guardian", on June 19, 2022, Haggis was arrested in Ostuni in southern Italy over allegations of sexual assault. Local law enforcement charged him with aggravated sexual violence and aggravated personal injuries. A judge of the local court of Brindisi overturned Haggis's house arrest on July 4. On July 29, a three judge panel of the District Court of Lecce unanimously dismissed the charges against Haggis.


title: Paul Haggis

text: On November 10, 2022, a New York jury found Haggis liable for the rape of Breest in a civil suit and ordered him to pay her at least $7.5 million. On November 14, the jury ordered Haggis to pay an additional $2.5 million in punitive damages.


title: CAR-15

text: The Colt Automatic Rifle-15 or CAR-15 is a family of M16 rifle–based firearms marketed by Colt in the 1960s and early 1970s. However, the term "CAR-15" is most commonly associated with the Colt Commando (AKA: XM177); these select-fire carbines have ultrashort and barrels with over-sized flash suppressors.


title: CAR-15

text: The CAR-15 name was an attempt to re-associate the AR-15 name with Colt, since the AR initially stood for ArmaLite, the original manufacturer of the ArmaLite AR-15. Colt later abandoned the CAR-15 concept, but continued to make carbine variations, using the "M16" brand for select-fire models and the "Colt AR-15" brand for semi-automatic models. However, in present usage, "CAR-15" is the generic name for all carbine-length variants made before the M4 carbine.


title: CAR-15

text: Starting in 1965, Colt attempted to market the M16 rifle as a Modular Weapon System. By using various upper assemblies, buttstocks, and pistol grips, the weapon could be configured as assault rifles, carbines, submachine guns, open-bolt squad automatic weapons and a survival rifle version. Belt-fed light machine guns were also developed under the CAR-15 banner, although they have little in common with the M16 rifle. However, the U.S. military only made significant purchases of the Rifle and Commando versions, so Colt abandoned the CAR-15 family concept. The "CAR-15 Rifle" was already identified by most users as the M16 rifle, and "CAR-15" was similarly associated with the short-barreled Colt Submachine Gun and Commando models. Because of that, the term "CAR-15" has been used to describe any M16-based carbine, even if the particular weapon is not officially named this.


title: CAR-15

text: The "Model 603" CAR-15 Rifle, adopted initially by the United States Army as the XM16E1 and then later as the M16A1, and the "Model 604" CAR-15 Rifle, adopted by the United States Air Force as the M16, formed the core of the CAR-15 family. However, the United States military had already committed to purchases before Colt created the concept of the CAR-15 weapons system. The principal difference between the "Model 603" and "Model 604" is that the former has a forward assist, allowing a user to manually close a stuck bolt.


title: CAR-15

text: The CAR-15 Heavy Assault Rifle M1 was a heavy-barreled version of the standard AR-15 with a bipod attachment, intended for use as a Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW). It was designed to feed from 30-round box magazines.


title: CAR-15

text: The CAR-15 Heavy Assault Rifle M2 was a belt-fed conversion of the standard CAR-15, with a heavy barrel and bipod attachment. It was made in prototype form only and saw no sales.


title: CAR-15

text: The "Model 605A" CAR-15 Carbine was a shortened version for situations where longer weapons could be unwieldy, such as aboard vehicles or helicopters. It was an improved version of the AR-15 SBR, which was a shorter barrel version of the Colt Armalite AR-15. The only significant change from the M16 rifle was that the barrel was shortened to in length, so that it ended just forward of the front sight base. Because of the shorter barrel, no bayonet mounting lugs were provided. One prototype used a shorter handguard and a long barrel.


title: CAR-15

text: The "Model 605B" had no forward assist, but had a four-position selector switch (developed by Foster Sturtevant in December 1966) so that a user could select safe, semi-automatic, three-round burst, or full automatic modes of fire. Unlike the standard three-position group, the four-position group went from (going clockwise from the 9 o'clock position) safe, fully automatic, semi-automatic and finally burst. The selector itself had 360 degrees of motion, and could be moved either clockwise or counterclockwise, unlike with standard groups. Instead of three-round burst, the burst cam could be modified to two-round or six-round burst. Both versions used the rifle-length buttstock.


title: CAR-15

text: In late 1959, Colt introduced a Tanker Model of the AR-15. It was the first AR-15 made with a retractable buttstock, with its overall length being only with the buttstock retracted. The retractable buttstock resembled a shortened version of the fixed buttstock, but a two-position latch recessed in the back allowed it to be extended and locked into position, increasing the length of pull by . The barrel is too short to mount a bayonet, so the SMG had no bayonet lug.


title: CAR-15

text: In 1965, Colt introduces the new "Model 607" CAR-15 Submachine Gun (SMG), which is an improved version of the Colt Armalite AR-15 Tanker Model with some modifications from the M16. It was a compact weapon for use by special forces and vehicle crewmen. The dictionary definition of submachine gun is an automatic firearm that fires pistol-caliber cartridges. However, manufacturers such as Colt, Heckler & Koch, and Zastava Arms have referred to compact carbines as submachine guns, to emphasize their short length and to differentiate them from longer carbines.


title: CAR-15

text: About 50 CAR-15 SMGs were made. Most were issued to Navy SEALs and Army Special Forces, though some were also given to Army K-9 units. Since it never went into full production, CAR-15 SMGs were assembled from available spare parts. The first models were made with M16 receivers without forward assists and with shortened pistol grips from the Survival Rifle (see below). The later "Model 607A" was made with XM16E1 receiver with forward assist and standard pistol grip. The handguard was made from full-length rifle handguard by cutting it in half and using either the fore or aft pair, after machining the ends to fit the slip ring and handguard cap.


title: CAR-15

text: Because of the short barrel, the CAR-15 SMGs suffered from a loud and bright muzzle blast, and a number of muzzle devices were developed to reduce this. The SMGs were initially fitted with the standard M16 rifle's "duckbill" or three-prong flash hiders, which did not alleviate the problem. In September 1966, Colt developed a long moderator that lessened the noise and muzzle flash, which also increased the weapon's reliability by increasing the amount of back pressure. However, the moderator created its own problems, such as heavy bore fouling and causing tracer bullets to wildly yaw. A long moderator with six slots and an expansion chamber, which further reduced noise and flash, replaced the previous muzzle device and became standard for the SMG and the Commando series, but fouling and tracer problems persisted.


title: CAR-15

text: The Colt Commando was not initially part of the CAR-15 Military Weapons System, but was added in 1966 in response to the US military's desire for a shorter M16 and without the "Model 607" SMG's inadequacies. Colt engineer Rob Roy designed a simpler two-position telescoping tubular aluminum buttstock to replace the complicated extending triangular version. The fragile and ad hoc triangular handguards were replaced by reinforced round handguards. Each half of the round handguard is identical, simplifying logistics by not requiring a top/bottom or left/right pair. The "Model 609" Commando has a forward assist, while the "Model 610" Commando does not. A "Model 610B" with a four-position selector was available, but not used by the U.S. military. All versions are equipped with the long moderator.


title: CAR-15

text: The XM177 uses a unique flash suppressor sometimes called a flash or sound moderator for its barrel. This device is long and was designed primarily as a counterbalance measure as the shorter barrel makes the weapon unwieldy. This device reduces flash signature greatly and sound signature slightly, making the normally louder short barreled carbine sound like a longer barreled M16A1. Although it has no internal baffles and does not completely reduce the sound signature to subsonic levels, because it alters the sound level of the weapon, the US Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives has declared this muzzle device to be a sound suppressor and regulates its civilian purchase in the United States.


title: CAR-15

text: The "Model 610" was classified as the "XM177" but adopted by the Air Force as the "GAU-5/A" Submachine Gun (GA denoting an automatic gun and U a complete unit rather than a parts kit: the popular "gun aircraft unit" and "gun automatic unit" explanations are backronyms). The Army purchased 2,815 "Model 609" CAR-15 Commandos on June 28, 1966, which were officially designated Submachine Gun, 5.56 mm, "XM177E1". As part of the contract, Colt was supposed to supply each XM177E1s with seven 30-round magazines, but Colt was unable to build a reliable 30-round curved magazine that would fit in the M16 magazine well, so most XM177E1s were shipped with 20-round magazines. The exception was 5th Special Forces Group, who received a total of four early 30-round magazines. Colt completed delivery of the purchased XM177E1s in March 1967.


title: CAR-15

text: In 1967, in response to field testing, Colt lengthened the Commando's barrel from . The increased length reduced noise and muzzle flash, and allowed fitting of the Colt XM148 grenade launcher. A metal boss was added to the moderator for mounting of the XM148 and rifle grenades. The chambers were chrome-plated. The Commandos with the longer barrels were called the "Model 629" and "Model 649". The "Model 629" Commando has a forward assist; the "Model 649" Commando does not.


title: CAR-15

text: In April 1967, the Army purchased 510 "Model 629" Commandos for use by troops assigned to the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG), and designated them "XM177E2". Delivery was completed by the end of September 1967. The Air Force adopted a similar model without the forward assist feature as the "GAU-5A/A". Sources debate whether or not this was a Colt "Model 630" or "Model 649". According to John Plaster and other sources, the lack of 30-round magazines continued to be problematic and SOG operators resorted to pooling their personal resources and purchasing the larger capacity magazines on the civilian U.S. market. Problems with range, accuracy, barrel fouling, and usage of tracer bullets continued to plague the XM177 series, but Colt estimated that it would take a six-month $400,000 program to do a complete ballistic and kinematic study. There were also recommendations for a 29-month $635,000 research and development program. Both recommendations were declined by the U.S. military as American ground force involvement in the Vietnam War was gradually winding down. Production of the CAR-15 Commando ended in 1970.


title: CAR-15

text: The "Model 608" CAR-15 Survival Rifle was meant for use by downed aircrew. Because of the CAR-15's modular design, the Survival Rifle could be broken down into two subassemblies and stowed with four 20-round magazines in a pilot's seat pack. Resembling a Colt Commando, it also has a barrel and is in overall length when assembled. The Survival Rifle used a fixed tubular plastic-coated aluminum buttstock and a round handguard that were not used on the other CAR-15 versions, and did not have either a forward assist or a bayonet lug. The pistol grip was chopped down, and the muzzle was equipped with either a conical flash hider or the long moderator.


title: CAR-15

text: After the Vietnam War, Colt abandoned the CAR-15 Modular Weapon System concept, but continued to develop short barrel carbines. These were marketed as "M16s", while the civilian and law-enforcement semi-automatic counterparts were marketed as "Colt AR-15s". Although, they were all commonly called CAR-15s.


title: CAR-15

text: In the early 1970s, Colt began development of an M16 carbine with a long pencil barrel. The barrel length was compatible with the existing carbine-length gas system and allowed for the mounting of a standard M16 bayonet. Despite having a longer barrel, it's no longer than the Colt Commando, as the longer barrel did not require the long 4.5 inch moderator of the XM177 series, only the much shorter M16 birdcage-type flash hider. Colt labeled the M16 carbines the "Model 651", "652", "653", or "654", depending on whether or not it had a fixed or retractable buttstock, or a forward assist. Only the "Model 653" M16A1 carbine, with retractable buttstock and forward assist would be purchased in significant numbers by the U.S. military. The Malaysian Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, purchased Model 653s in small numbers for special operations forces or security forces.


title: CAR-15

text: The GUU-5/P was a result of United States Air Force making ad-hoc upgrades to its GAU-5 series. The barrels and flash suppressor were replaced with the longer barrel with a 1-in-12 twist, but the weapons retained their original designations. With the change to M855 cartridges, they either received 1-in-7 twist barrel or complete upper receiver assembly replacements. The GAU-5s markings were also removed and the weapons were re-stamped "GUU-5/P". These were used by the British Special Air Service during the Falklands War.


title: CAR-15

text: In the early 1980s, at the request of the United States Marine Corps, Colt upgraded the M16A1 rifle, resulting in the M16A2 rifle. Among the major changes were a reinforced lower receiver, a case deflector, a birdcage flash suppressor redesigned to be a muzzle brake, and a barrel with a faster 1-in-7 twist. The faster barrel was necessitated by the switch from the 55-grain M193 bullet to the 62-grain M855 bullet. The M16A2 rifle's barrel was also thicker for the portion in front of the handguard. Colt incorporated these changes into its carbines, which it called M16A2 carbines. The "Model 723" M16A2 carbine used the iron sights of the M16A1, but had a case deflector. The barrel had a 1-in-7 twist, but the thinner profile of the older M16A1 carbine's barrel. As with the Model 653, the United States military made small purchases of the Model 723 for its special operation forces. It was notably used by Delta Force operators from the late 1980s to the early 1990s.


title: CAR-15

text: In 1983, Diemaco developed a carbine similar to the Model 723, the "C8 carbine" for use by the Canadian Forces. The original C8s were built by Colt as the "Model 725". In 1984, the U.S. government asked Colt to develop a carbine with maximum commonality with the issue M16A2. Colt named the carbine as the "XM4". The project would eventually culminate in the development and official adoption of the M4 carbine in 1994.


title: CAR-15

text: Though Colt has focused its attention on carbines with barrels and rifles with barrels, Colt continues to make carbines with barrels, which it calls Commandos. Originally, Commandos were assembled from whatever spare parts were available, so "Model 733" Commandos could have A1-style upper receivers with case deflectors or A2-style upper receivers, and M16A1-profile 1:7 or M16A2-profile 1:7 barrels. Depending on the specific models, Commandos may have had three-position fire control groups (safe/semi-automatic/three-round burst), or four-position having both full-automatic and burst. The modern Model 933 has a "flattop" receiver, with a removable carrying handle and a MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail, with semi-automatic and automatic fire. The "Model 935" Commando has the features of the Model 933, but has three-round burst fire instead of automatic. Though originally called the M16A2 Commando, Colt now markets them as the "M4 Commando".


title: CAR-15

text: The M4 Commando with its short barrel suffers the same failings as its predecessors: a substantially lower muzzle velocity and greater muzzle flash, in comparison to longer M16 rifles and carbines. The lower muzzle velocity can reduce carbines' wounding effects. However, United States Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance personnel sometimes used M4 Commandos in place of their M9 pistols. United States Army Special Operations Command Groups also use M4 Commandos as self-defense weapons. United States Navy SEALs use the ultra-compact Mk 18 Mod 0 with its barrel in a similar role.


title: CAR-15

text: In 2019, a solution to give a personal firepower upgrade over the traditional sidearm for US aircrews in ACES ejection seat–equipped aircraft was to use commercially available AR-15 rifle parts including a special short quick-release barrel, collapsible stock, folding pistol-grip, and four magazines to fit inside the survival kit pan of the ejection seat. Major Gibson, an Air Force spokesperson, said, “This has driven the dimension of 16 x 14 x 3.5 inches.” The Aircrew Self Defense Weapon is to be included in survival kits for A-10, B-1, B-2, B-52, F-15C, F-15E, F-16, and F-22 aircraft. The rifle is being built at U.S. Air Force Gunsmith Shop at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. 2,137 GAU-5A ASDWs are planned.


title: Quantitative research

text: Quantitative research is a research strategy that focuses on quantifying the collection and analysis of data. It is formed from a deductive approach where emphasis is placed on the testing of theory, shaped by empiricist and positivist philosophies.


title: Quantitative research

text: Associated with the natural, applied, formal, and social sciences this research strategy promotes the objective empirical investigation of observable phenomena to test and understand relationships. This is done through a range of quantifying methods and techniques, reflecting on its broad utilization as a research strategy across differing academic disciplines.


title: Quantitative research

text: The objective of quantitative research is to develop and employ mathematical models, theories, and hypotheses pertaining to phenomena. The process of measurement is central to quantitative research because it provides the fundamental connection between empirical observation and mathematical expression of quantitative relationships.


title: Quantitative research

text: Quantitative data is any data that is in numerical form such as statistics, percentages, etc. The researcher analyses the data with the help of statistics and hopes the numbers will yield an unbiased result that can be generalized to some larger population. Qualitative research, on the other hand, inquires deeply into specific experiences, with the intention of describing and exploring meaning through text, narrative, or visual-based data, by developing themes exclusive to that set of participants.


title: Quantitative research

text: Quantitative research is widely used in psychology, economics, demography, sociology, marketing, community health, health & human development, gender studies, and political science; and less frequently in anthropology and history. Research in mathematical sciences, such as physics, is also "quantitative" by definition, though this use of the term differs in context. In the social sciences, the term relates to empirical methods originating in both philosophical positivism and the history of statistics, in contrast with qualitative research methods.


title: Quantitative research

text: Qualitative research produces information only on the particular cases studied, and any more general conclusions are only hypotheses. Quantitative methods can be used to verify which of such hypotheses are true. A comprehensive analysis of 1274 articles published in the top two American sociology journals between 1935 and 2005 found that roughly two-thirds of these articles used quantitative method.


title: Quantitative research

text: Quantitative research is generally closely affiliated with ideas from 'the scientific method', which can include:


title: Quantitative research

text: Quantitative research is often contrasted with qualitative research, which purports to be focused more on discovering underlying meanings and patterns of relationships, including classifications of types of phenomena and entities, in a manner that does not involve mathematical models. Approaches to quantitative psychology were first modeled on quantitative approaches in the physical sciences by Gustav Fechner in his work on psychophysics, which built on the work of Ernst Heinrich Weber. Although a distinction is commonly drawn between qualitative and quantitative aspects of scientific investigation, it has been argued that the two go hand in hand. For example, based on analysis of the history of science, Kuhn concludes that “large amounts of qualitative work have usually been prerequisite to fruitful quantification in the physical sciences”. Qualitative research is often used to gain a general sense of phenomena and to form theories that can be tested using further quantitative research. For instance, in the social sciences qualitative research methods are often used to gain better understanding of such things as intentionality (from the speech response of the researchee) and meaning (why did this person/group say something and what did it mean to them?) (Kieron Yeoman).


title: Quantitative research

text: Although quantitative investigation of the world has existed since people first began to record events or objects that had been counted, the modern idea of quantitative processes have their roots in Auguste Comte's positivist framework. Positivism emphasized the use of the scientific method through observation to empirically test hypotheses explaining and predicting what, where, why, how, and when phenomena occurred. Positivist scholars like Comte believed only scientific methods rather than previous spiritual explanations


title: Quantitative research

text: Quantitative methods are an integral component of the five angles of analysis fostered by the data percolation methodology, which also includes qualitative methods,


title: Quantitative research

text: reviews of the literature (including scholarly), interviews with experts and computer simulation, and which forms an extension of data triangulation.


title: Quantitative research

text: Quantitative methods have limitations. These studies do not provide reasoning behind participants' responses, they often do not reach underrepresented populations, and they may span long periods in order to collect the data.


title: Quantitative research

text: Statistics is the most widely used branch of mathematics in quantitative research outside of the physical sciences, and also finds applications within the physical sciences, such as in statistical mechanics. Statistical methods are used extensively within fields such as economics, social sciences and biology. Quantitative research using statistical methods starts with the collection of data, based on the hypothesis or theory. Usually a big sample of data is collected – this would require verification, validation and recording before the analysis can take place. Software packages such as SPSS and R are typically used for this purpose. Causal relationships are studied by manipulating factors thought to influence the phenomena of interest while controlling other variables relevant to the experimental outcomes. In the field of health, for example, researchers might measure and study the relationship between dietary intake and measurable physiological effects such as weight loss, controlling for other key variables such as exercise. Quantitatively based opinion surveys are widely used in the media, with statistics such as the proportion of respondents in favor of a position commonly reported. In opinion surveys, respondents are asked a set of structured questions and their responses are tabulated. In the field of climate science, researchers compile and compare statistics such as temperature or atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide.


title: Quantitative research

text: Empirical relationships and associations are also frequently studied by using some form of general linear model, non-linear model, or by using factor analysis. A fundamental principle in quantitative research is that correlation does not imply causation, although some such as Clive Granger suggest that a series of correlations can imply a degree of causality. This principle follows from the fact that it is always possible a spurious relationship exists for variables between which covariance is found in some degree. Associations may be examined between any combination of continuous and categorical variables using methods of statistics.


title: Quantitative research

text: Views regarding the role of measurement in quantitative research are somewhat divergent. Measurement is often regarded as being only a means by which observations are expressed numerically in order to investigate causal relations or associations. However, it has been argued that measurement often plays a more important role in quantitative research. For example, Kuhn argued that within quantitative research, the results that are shown can prove to be strange. This is because accepting a theory based on results of quantitative data could prove to be a natural phenomenon. He argued that such abnormalities are interesting when done during the process of obtaining data, as seen below:


title: Quantitative research

text: In classical physics, the theory and definitions which underpin measurement are generally deterministic in nature. In contrast, probabilistic measurement models known as the Rasch model and Item response theory models are generally employed in the social sciences. Psychometrics is the field of study concerned with the theory and technique for measuring social and psychological attributes and phenomena. This field is central to much quantitative research that is undertaken within the social sciences.


title: Quantitative research

text: Quantitative research may involve the use of "proxies" as stand-ins for other quantities that cannot be directly measured. Tree-ring width, for example, is considered a reliable proxy of ambient environmental conditions such as the warmth of growing seasons or amount of rainfall. Although scientists cannot directly measure the temperature of past years, tree-ring width and other climate proxies have been used to provide a semi-quantitative record of average temperature in the Northern Hemisphere back to 1000 A.D. When used in this way, the proxy record (tree ring width, say) only reconstructs a certain amount of the variance of the original record. The proxy may be calibrated (for example, during the period of the instrumental record) to determine how much variation is captured, including whether both short and long term variation is revealed. In the case of tree-ring width, different species in different places may show more or less sensitivity to, say, rainfall or temperature: when reconstructing a temperature record there is considerable skill in selecting proxies that are well correlated with the desired variable.


title: Quantitative research

text: In most physical and biological sciences, the use of either quantitative or qualitative methods is uncontroversial, and each is used when appropriate. In the social sciences, particularly in sociology, social anthropology and psychology, the use of one or other type of method can be a matter of controversy and even ideology, with particular schools of thought within each discipline favouring one type of method and pouring scorn on to the other. The majority tendency throughout the history of social science, however, is to use eclectic approaches-by combining both methods. Qualitative methods might be used to understand the meaning of the conclusions produced by quantitative methods. Using quantitative methods, it is possible to give precise and testable expression to qualitative ideas. This combination of quantitative and qualitative data gathering is often referred to as mixed-methods research.


title: Degrassi

text: Degrassi is a Canadian television franchise created by Kit Hood and Linda Schuyler in 1979. It is centred on a multigenerational teen drama about an ensemble cast of teenagers attending the namesake Toronto school as they navigate their adolescence and confront an array of social issues. The franchise is composed of five main series: "The Kids of Degrassi Street", "Degrassi Junior High", "Degrassi High", "", and "", and a variety of supplementary media, including television movies, documentaries, companion novels, non-fiction books, and soundtracks.


title: Degrassi

text: The first three series in the "Degrassi" franchise were produced by Hood and Schuyler's company Playing With Time and broadcast on the CBC. "The Kids Of Degrassi Street" (1979-86), which is unrelated to the other four series, evolved from a series of standalone short films about children. "Degrassi Junior High" (1987-89) marked a transition into teen drama, becoming a significant critical and commercial success for the CBC (becoming the highest-rated domestic drama in Canada) and gaining cult followings in the United States and Australia. "Degrassi High" (1987-89) revisited the "Junior High" cast in high school and met a similar response. The success of "Degrassi" in the 1980s helped establish the show as a part of Canadian popular culture. "Degrassi High" concluded with the post-graduation television movie "School's Out" (1992), which also marked the first time that "fuck" was heard on Canadian television. A non-fiction docuseries, "Degrassi Talks", where several actors from the series interviewed teenagers across Canada about issues the series tackled, followed later in 1992. It marked Hood's final involvement with the franchise, as all subsequent "Degrassi" series would be produced by Schuyler and Stephen Stohn through Epitome Pictures.


title: Degrassi

text: "Degrassi" endured in re-runs during the 1990s, culminating in its revival in 2001 as "Degrassi: The Next Generation" (2001-15) which aired on CTV in Canada and The N in the United States. It focused on a new generation of teenagers, including the daughter of original character Spike (Amanda Stepto), while featuring Spike and other previous characters as adults. It received rave reviews and was particularly successful in the United States. CTV cancelled the series in 2009, before it was saved via a deal with TeenNick. In addition, the format was changed to a telenovela style and the title was shortened to "Degrassi." After five more seasons, it was cancelled in 2015. "Degrassi: Next Class", a direct follow-up and soft reboot aimed at Generation Z, released on Netflix in early 2016 and ran until 2017, with its cancellation only confirmed in 2019. In January 2022, a new series was announced for HBO Max in which Schuyler would not be involved. Following months of silence and speculation of its cancellation, it was confirmed scrapped in November that year.


title: Degrassi

text: "Degrassi" has received critical acclaim for its portrayal of teenagers and has encountered controversy on multiple occasions for episodes depicting teenage pregnancy, abortion, and LGBT issues, with episodes of multiple incarnations being altered, withheld, or pulled by networks around the world. Having received numerous awards and nominations across its four-decade history, it is regarded as one of Canada's greatest television achievements and one of the most internationally successful franchises in Canadian history. In 2012, it surpassed "The Beachcombers" as the longest-running Canadian drama by episode count. Several actors have achieved wider recognition and stardom since appearing on "Degrassi", most notably rapper Drake and actress Nina Dobrev, both of "Degrassi: The Next Generation".


title: Degrassi

text: In 1976, Linda Schuyler, a Grade 7 and Grade 8 media teacher at Earl Grey Senior Public School in Toronto, founded Playing With Time Inc. with her partner Kit Hood. Schuyler had met Hood, who had a career in editing television commercials, when she needed help from an experienced editor to save the "muddled footage" of one of her projects. As a media teacher, Schuyler encouraged her students to use video as a narrative tool. Bruce Mackey, Earl Grey's librarian and a friend of Schuyler, ordered several books about filmmaking, one being "Ida Makes a Movie," by the American author Kay Chorao. Mackey did not realize that it was a children's book and discarded it, but Schuyler developed an interest in adapting the book into a film. Before leaving, Schuyler sought legal advice from Stephen Stohn, a young entertainment lawyer who had recently graduated from law school, and who would eventually become her producing partner and husband.


title: Degrassi

text: Stohn recalled in his 2018 memoir "Whatever It Takes" that he advised Schuyler that being out of print, buying the rights to the book on her own would be "relatively straightforward", and that involving lawyers would make the process "unnecessarily complicated". Stohn instead gave Schuyler a boilerplate form for permission to take with her to New York. Schuyler purchased the rights for $200. The feline characters were changed into human children, and the story was also largely repurposed. The film featured production techniques that Schuyler and Kit Hood felt were missing from children's programming: it was shot in a cinéma vérité style, with handheld camera work and entirely on-location shooting. Mackey offered his home, 98 De Grassi Street, as a filming location.


title: Degrassi

text: "Ida Makes A Movie" premiered on CBC Television on December 8, 1979. Over the next couple of years, the network ordered two more short films. By 1982, they ordered five more episodes, developing the series of short films into a television series named "The Kids Of Degrassi Street." In 1985, the episode "Griff Gets A Hand" (which starred future "Wheels" actor Neil Hope as Griff) received an International Emmy for Best Program for Children and Young People.


title: Degrassi

text: A new "Degrassi" series began development in 1986, this time with new characters and centered around the fictional eponymous school near the same street. The first actor to audition for the new "Degrassi" series was Pat Mastroianni, who would later win the role of Joey Jeremiah. Several of the actors from "The Kids Of Degrassi Street" would return with new roles, including Neil Hope, Stacie Mistysyn, Anais Granofsky, and Sarah Charlesworth. It was at this time that Playing With Time Inc. started a repertory company, with fifty children selected from auditions. The workshops would be repeated at the beginning of production for each season, as new cast members joined, and existing cast members underwent more advanced workshops. The repertory company also meant that even major characters could be relegated to the background if not the main focus of the episode, which according to Kathryn Ellis, was "nearly unheard-of on other television shows". Conversely, a background character could later be given more lines or a full role.


title: Degrassi

text: The cast would have significant input into the writing of their characters, with Schuyler seeking opinions during every read-through, and cast members often talking about their experiences to writer Yan Moore, who would eventually adapt said experiences to their characters. The resulting series, "Degrassi Junior High", premiered on CBC on January 18, 1987. The series marked the beginning of the franchise's canon, as characters from this series would appear as adults in later installments. The show also aired on PBS in the United States starting from September 1987. The show would feature one of the franchise's most well-known and influential storylines, in which 14 year old Christine "Spike" Nelson, portrayed by Amanda Stepto, becomes pregnant. The episode in which she discovers her pregnancy, "It's Late""," the eleventh episode of the show's first season, would win an International Emmy, for which Emma Nelson, Spike's daughter and central character of the later series, was named. The popularity of the show led to international publicity tours by members of the cast throughout North America and parts of Europe.


title: Degrassi

text: Upon its debut, it immediately garnered critical acclaim in Canada, where it was considered to be an alternative to the American sitcoms of the era that were perceived as unrealistic and heavy-handed in their portrayal of societal issues. Although not as well-known in the United States, it drew similar praise from the American media. Initially aired on Sundays at 5:00pm, Canadian critics believed the show deserved a better timeslot; Ivan Fecan, then the programming chief for CBC, was also a champion of the series, and had the series moved to primetime on Mondays at 8:30pm, in between "Kate & Allie" and "Newhart". When Fecan called Schuyler to inform her of the move, she reportedly disagreed, feeling that the series wasn't ready for prime time. She eventually agreed to the decision, under the condition that if the move was unsuccessful, the series wouldn't be cancelled and instead be moved back to its original timeslot. After its move to prime time, the viewership increased by 40%, and by August 1988, it had become the highest-rated Canadian-made drama in Canada. The series also premiered in the United Kingdom on BBC1 in 1988, where it drew in a reported six million viewers, making it the highest-rated children's television series in the country and the show's largest audience. However, in spite of a publicity tour by actress Amanda Stepto, controversial episodes from its first season, including those centred on Stepto's character's pregnancy, were aired in a later timeslot on BBC2, and the network did not air its second and third seasons. The series established the franchise's popularity and longevity. By the time its follow-up began, it amassed over a million viewers weekly in Canada.


title: Degrassi

text: In November 1988, after the premiere of the third and final season of "Degrassi Junior High", Linda Schuyler alluded to the potential of a high-school followup when discussing the direction of the franchise with the Montreal Gazette, although she was unsure if it would go forward. It was decided to continue into high school as the actors were becoming older, which would also make way for more controversial topics, including abortion, which was addressed in the series premiere. According to Schuyler: "As the kids get older, the only way we can remain true to this age group is by growing with them. Therefore, the issues get more complex."


title: Degrassi

text: In the series finale of "Degrassi Junior High", the titular school is destroyed in a fire. To keep the entire cast together, a creative decision was made to move the younger students displaced by the fire to the new school to join those that had already graduated. Conversely, the grade 7 students introduced in the third season of "Degrassi Junior High" were accelerated to grade 9 for an unspecified reason. To give the series a "harder-edged feel", several older characters were introduced. Reflecting the growing independence of the aging characters, "Degrassi High" began to give more focus to the characters' lives outside of school, with scenes taking place at nighttime, on the street, or at the characters' jobs. In contrast to "Degrassi Junior High", in which the extras were still made known to the viewers, the newer series would include a team of "extra extras", who would simply appear for no other purpose than to fill the background. "Degrassi High" notably tackled HIV/AIDS, with the character Dwayne Myers (Darrin Brown), and suicide with the character Claude Tanner (David Armin-Parcells). Despite continued success and demand from CBC, WGBH was finding it increasingly difficult to fund the show from the children's department of PBS, and backed out of the show. Combined with creative exhaustion, it was decided to end "Degrassi" "High" after its second season, and filming wrapped on October 1990. In November 1990, Schuyler explained to the Canadian Press that they wanted to end the series "while we were still feeling good about what we were doing". In addition, she noted that most of the cast were occupied with post-secondary education, and that she felt the show had already tackled what they had aimed to. Schuyler informed Ivan Fecan, then the programming chief of CBC and long-time supporter of "Degrassi", of their decision to end the series and suggested a feature-length finale as a compromise, which Fecan enthusiastically accepted and offered funding for.


title: Degrassi

text: In early 1991, as a TV movie to serve as the series finale was being developed, six Degrassi actors: Amanda Stepto, Pat Mastroianni, Stacie Mistysyn, Rebecca Haines, Siluck Saysanasy, and Neil Hope, travelled around Canada to interview teenagers about various health and social issues for the six-part documentary series "Degrassi Talks", which aired on CBC in six installments from February 29 to March 30, 1992, each tackling a specific issue that the series had portrayed. Each actor was chosen specifically for their character's relation to each topic. The series was personally funded by then-Minister of Health Benoît Bouchard, who contributed $350,000. The six actors conducted interviews in 26 cities, including bigger and smaller towns. The series also featured archive footage from the series, vox pop interviews and on-screen statistics. While it was well-received by critics, it proved less popular with teenage viewers, who felt it to be redundant and at times perpetuating certain stereotypes.


title: Degrassi

text: Principal photography began on "School's Out" on July 21, 1991, and the television movie premiered on CBC on January 5, 1992. The movie, which mostly focused on a love triangle between Joey, Caitlin (Mistysyn), and Tessa Campanelli (Kirsten Bourne), garnered a positive, yet mixed reception. It garnered controversy for its unusual characterization of certain popular characters as well as the catastrophic events experienced by other characters. It was also notable for its use of the word "fuck", first said by Stefan Brogren (Snake) and then Stacie Mistysyn (Caitlin), that are claimed to be the first uses of the word in Canadian television history. Despite the mixed reception, the film drew an estimated 2.3 million viewers: double that of the average audience that "Degrassi High" received. The movie did not air in the United States until over two years later, when it premiered on PBS on June 20, 1994.


title: Degrassi

text: In 1999, a reunion of the original cast took place on the CBC youth show Jonovision, hosted by Jonathan Torrens. The reunion became particularly popular, with the live taping drawing in audience members from as far as San Francisco. The success of the reunion inspired Yan Moore and Linda Schuyler, now running Epitome Pictures, to develop an interest in creating a new "Degrassi" series by December 1999. They had originally planned to create an unrelated teen drama titled "Ready, Willing And Wired". Moore noted that Emma, Spike's daughter, would be entering junior high school by the new millennium, and the show was retooled to centre around Emma and her friends attending Degrassi. Epitome would propose the idea of "Degrassi: The Next Generation" to CTV in October 2000, and Ivan Fecan, now CEO of CTV's parent company, ordered thirteen episodes of the new show. Filming began on July 3, 2001, and the show premiered on CTV on October 14, 2001.Although the original "Degrassi" series were widely popular in Canada, The "Next Generation" garnered a massive following in the United States and ran for fourteen seasons. The series is known for featuring several actors who went on to achieve wider recognition and stardom since their time on the series, most notably Canadian actor-turned-rapper Drake, who starred in "The Next Generation". Drake portrayed , a basketball star who became physically disabled after by a classmate. When asked about his early acting career, Drake replied, "My mother was very sick. We were very poor, like broke. The only money I had coming in was [from] Canadian TV." Nina Dobrev, who portrayed , went on to star as the lead character of the popular supernatural teen drama television series "The Vampire Diaries". During the show's ninth season, the producers were informed in a meeting with CTV executives that the network did not plan to renew the show. At the same time, Stephen Stohn was in talks with TeenNick to produce 48 episodes of a telenovela-style teen show, which he later pitched as the tenth season of "Degrassi: The Next Generation". To promote the series on the new network, TeenNick commissioned a promotional music video, set to "Shark in the Water" by V V Brown and themed around a carnival and circus, which contained clues foreshadowing later events of the season. The promo was extremely successful. According to Stephen Stohn, MuchMusic, the network that the series moved to from CTV in Canada, cited the promo as having improved the network's ratings significantly. Season 10 premiered on July 19, 2010, and marked a change in production style to a telenovela/soap opera format, and for the first time, episodes airing in Canada and the United States on the same day. "The Next Generation" was also dropped from the title, which became simply "Degrassi".


title: Degrassi

text: "Degrassi" was cancelled after fourteen seasons, and a spin off series called "" aired on Netflix for four seasons from 2016 to 2017. Season one was released on Netflix January 15, 2016, and started airing January 4, 2016, on Family's new teen programming block, "F2N". Fourteen cast members from season 14 of "Degrassi" also reprised their roles. On March 7, 2019, Stefan Brogren alluded to the show's cancellation in a tweet. Sara Waisglass, who played Frankie Hollingsworth, recalled to the "Toronto Star" in 2022 that she was disappointed at the cancellation and recalled: "They never told us anything. We had our contracts and the way it worked was they had to tell you by a certain date if we were picked up or not. We just never heard from them again."


title: Degrassi

text: On January 13, 2022, it was announced that HBO Max gave a series order to "Degrassi", a new series in the franchise consisting of 10 hour-long episodes set to premiere in 2023. .It was announced that the new series would be helmed by Lara Azzopardi and Julia Cohen, who previously wrote the "" episode "Heat of The Moment". Linda Schuyler, franchise co-creator, and Stephen Stohn, creative partner on "The Next Generation", issued a joint statement confirming that they would not be involved in the new series, stating that the "time is perfect to pass the baton" to Azzopardi and Cohen. On February 23, 2022, casting commenced for the series with a search for 13- to 20-year-old youth of all backgrounds. Filming was scheduled to begin July 1, 2022 and end November 30, 2022, In August 2022, reports surfaced of a restructuring of HBO Max, which led to fears of the reboot's potential cancellation. In November 2022, in the wake of the Warner Bros. Discovery merger earlier in the year, it was confirmed the series would not be moving forward.


title: Degrassi

text: During 2005 and 2006, a feature film adaptation of "Degrassi: The Next Generation" was in development. American filmmaker Kevin Smith, a longtime fan of the franchise, was slated to direct the movie. By September 2005, the film was awaiting a green light from Paramount Pictures, with a script written by Aaron Martin and Tassie Cameron, and was set to begin filming in May 2006. Smith told "Playback" that he had considered getting Ben Affleck to cameo in the movie, but decided against it. The project eventually came to be unrealized.


title: Degrassi

text: In 2022, Smith revealed to "Screen Rant" that the movie would have heavily centred on Drake's character Jimmy Brooks "getting up and walking". Smith claims that they incorporated elements from the script into a future episode of the television series.


title: Degrassi

text: During The Kids of Degrassi Street's run, a series of eight books based on episodes from the series were published by James Lorimer & Co. The books were written by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood, with help from Eve Jennings. Two of the books, "Casey Draws The Line" and "Griff Gets A Hand", were later reprinted with an updated cover with a similar style to the "Degrassi Junior High" and "Degrassi High" books.


title: Degrassi

text: Between 1988 and 1992, James Lorimer & Co. published a series of eleven paperback books based on the characters of "Degrassi Junior High" and "Degrassi High" to accompany the two series"." Each book focused on a different character, such as Spike, Joey, Caitlin, Wheels, and Snake, often expanding on their storylines or following new ones entirely. Another novel, "Exit Stage Left", was an original story focused on multiple characters. One book, focused on the characters of Arthur Kobalewscuy and Yick Yu, was written, but not released.


title: Degrassi

text: To coincide with the debut of "Degrassi Talks" in February 1992, Boardwalk Books published companion books based on the six episodes. The books, which contain more content than the television series, feature an image the host of the episode, usually while holding camera equipment on the front cover, and a preface written by "Degrassi" writer Catherine Dunphy, profiling the actor who hosted the episode. The books also feature expanded versions of several interviews seen in the series, as well as other interviews that were not shown in the series due to time constraints.


title: Degrassi

text: From 2006 to 2007, four graphic novels based on "Degrassi: The Next Generation" were released as part of the "Extra Credit" series, with the books centering on the characters Ellie Nash, Emma Nelson, Spinner Mason, and Marco Del Rossi respectively.


title: Degrassi

text: There were also several other non-fiction books based on the franchise, including "The Official 411: Degrassi Generations", a behind-the-scenes history book written by Degrassi writer and publicist Kathryn Ellis released to celebrate the franchise's 25th anniversary in September 2005, and "Growing Up Degrassi: Television, Identity and Youth Cultures", an anthology of scholarly essays on the franchise, edited by Michelle Byers. A memoir by Schuyler, titled "The Mother Of All Degrassi", is to be released on November 15, 2022.


title: Degrassi

text: The "Degrassi" franchise has had a significant cultural impact since its premiere in 1980, and has attracted critical acclaim and various accolades, such as numerous Gemini Awards, two International Emmys, a Peabody Award, several Teen Choice Awards and Young Artist Awards, among other awards and nominations. The "Degrassi" series were praised as being realistic teen dramas that addressed social issues in a more realistic and sincere manner than other television shows that dealt with the same subjects.


title: Degrassi

text: In the late 1980s and early 1990s", Degrassi Junior High" was an international critical and commercial success and was hailed by critics as a reaction to similar programs that were perceived as more saccharine and "unrealistically antiseptic". It contrasted with other teen dramas in that issues were not solved by the end of each episode, but that played out over the series and depicted consequences for the characters' actions. Although rarely included in discussions about teen-oriented television, Michelle Byers wrote in 2007 that it is "probably one of the earliest examples of the genre", predating "Saved by the Bell" and "Beverly Hills, 90210". Nonetheless, "Degrassi Junior High" is considered of Canada's greatest television achievements. The Canadian press celebrated the series and its international success, considering it to be one of the most groundbreaking children's television series of all time. In the lead-up to its American debut, Fred M. Hechinger of the "New York Times" pondered; "Can teen-agers be won over to entertainment that is not mindless, violent or sexually irresponsible?". In 1989 the series was profiled by John Fisher Burns, also of the New York Times, who asserted it was "remolding the pat-a-cake image of what the industry, with at least some sense of paradox, likes to call <nowiki>"</nowiki>children's television.<nowiki>"</nowiki> Its sequel, "Degrassi High", garnered similar praise. In 1990, Lynne Heffley of the "Los Angeles Times" called "Degrassi" one of the "gutsiest shows on television". Kelli Pryor of Entertainment Weekly called it the ""thirtysomething" of the book-bag set".


title: Degrassi

text: While initially receiving a degree of skepticism as to its potential impact compared to the original series, including from "The Ottawa Citizen"'s Tony Atherton and "The Seattle Times"' Melanie McFarland, "Degrassi: The Next Generation" also amassed critical and commercial acclaim. "Entertainment Weekly" called it "a cult hit", and "The New York Times" named it "Tha Best Teen TV N da WRLD (The best teen TV in the world)". AOL TV ranked it as the sixth TV's Biggest Guilty Pleasure. Schuyler explained to "Entertainment Weekly" in 2012 regarding the franchise's longevity: "The show set out to be an authentic — and I use the word authentic very carefully; I don't use the word realistic –- an authentic portrayal of teenage years. And although we get a lot of character loyalty, our audience is fascinated by that high school experience."


title: Degrassi

text: The "Degrassi" franchise has been noted for its casting of teenagers, in contrast to other teen dramas that cast young adults to play teenage roles. Its portrayal of real teenagers offered a more realistic and relatable depiction of teenage life than other teen drama shows. In 1986, Schuyler explained that "Degrassi Junior High" would cast real teenagers as "so much of the American stuff set in high schools is played by late teens and early 20s – and then some". She further elaborated to "IndieWire" in 2016: "I like to talk about the fact that you can take a 25-year-old who looks 15 and have them play a role, but that actor is bringing 10 more years of life experience to that role. By having our cast be age-appropriate, they bring the freshness and the authenticity of that age."


title: Degrassi

text: "Degrassi"s portrayal of LGBT youth was viewed by critics as groundbreaking. Linda Schuyler said that the impetus for the show's inclusion of LGBT themes stemmed from her colleague Bruce Mackey, who was central in the early development in the franchise, and who lived life secretly as a gay man. Schuyler said: "It made me so sad to see somebody who had to live duplicitously like that, that it kind of has been right from the very beginning of this show, it's been a very important mandate for me." The tenth season of "Degrassi: The Next Generation" introduced the female-to-male transgender character Adam Torres, played by Jordan Todosey, who by 2011 was the "only transgender regular or recurring character on scripted television" according to GLAAD. A central episode involving Adam's struggles with dysphoria, "My Body Is a Cage", won a Peabody Award that year.


title: Degrassi

text: The franchise has been the subject of numerous controversies and censorships since the 1980s. In the United Kingdom, several episodes of "Degrassi Junior High"'s first season, including the International Emmy award-winning episode "It's Late", were not aired in its regular place on the children's timeslot at 5pm on BBC1 due to complaints from parents that their content "too strong for [young children]", and were instead shown at 6pm on the BBC2 teen block DEF II. The network did not air its second and third seasons.


title: Degrassi

text: The two-part premiere of "Degrassi High", "A New Start", which centered around a character becoming pregnant and ultimately choosing to get an abortion, aired uncensored in Canada in November 1989, but was edited by PBS for its January 1990 American premiere to remove the episode's final scene depicting said character fighting through anti-abortion picketers outside of a clinic. This decision was met with backlash from the show's producers, with co-creator and director Kit Hood lambasting the network for giving the episode "an American ending, happy, safe but incomplete..." and requested his name be removed from the credits.


title: Degrassi

text: In 2004, Noggin's The N block decided to postpone an episode of "Degrassi: The Next Generation" revolving around abortion, titled "." The two-part episode focused on a character who becomes pregnant and decides to have an abortion. The N's decision prompted backlash from fans. A petition surfaced which condemned The N as "unjust and asinine" and argued that the episode did not espouse any forceful opinions about the subject and that the fans had the right to watch the series in an uncensored, unaltered form. Conversely, CTV in Canada showed the episode twice.


title: Charles George Gordon

text: Major-General Charles George Gordon CB (28 January 1833 – 26 January 1885), also known as Chinese Gordon, Gordon Pasha, and Gordon of Khartoum, was a British Army officer and administrator. He saw action in the Crimean War as an officer in the British Army. However, he made his military reputation in China, where he was placed in command of the "Ever Victorious Army", a force of Chinese soldiers led by European officers which was instrumental in putting down the Taiping Rebellion, regularly defeating much larger forces. For these accomplishments, he was given the nickname "Chinese Gordon" and honours from both the Emperor of China and the British.


title: Charles George Gordon

text: He entered the service of the Khedive of Egypt in 1873 (with British government approval) and later became the Governor-General of the Sudan, where he did much to suppress revolts and the local slave trade. Exhausted, he resigned and returned to Europe in 1880.


title: Charles George Gordon

text: A serious revolt then broke out in the Sudan, led by a Muslim religious leader and self-proclaimed Mahdi, Muhammad Ahmad. In early 1884 Gordon was sent to Khartoum with instructions to secure the evacuation of loyal soldiers and civilians and to depart with them. In defiance of those instructions, after evacuating about 2,500 civilians he retained a smaller group of soldiers and non-military men. In the months before the fall of Khartoum, Gordon and the Mahdi corresponded; Gordon offered him the Sultanate of Kordofan and the Mahdi requested Gordon to convert to his religion and join him, to which Gordon replied abruptly: "No!" Besieged by the Mahdi's forces, Gordon organised a citywide defence that lasted for almost a year and gained him the admiration of the British public, but not of the government, which had wished him not to become entrenched there. Only when public pressure to act had become irresistible did the government, with reluctance, send a relief force. It arrived two days after the city had fallen and Gordon had been killed.


title: Charles George Gordon

text: Gordon was born in Woolwich, Kent, a son of Major General Henry William Gordon (1786–1865) and Elizabeth (Enderby) Gordon (1792–1873). The men of the Gordon family had served as officers in the British Army for four generations, and as a son of a general, Gordon was raised to be the fifth generation; the possibility that Gordon would pursue anything other than a military career seems never to have been considered by his parents. All of Gordon's brothers also became Army officers.


title: Charles George Gordon

text: Gordon grew up in England, Ireland, Scotland and the Ionian Islands (which were under British rule until 1864) as his father was moved from post to post. He was educated at Fullands School in Taunton, Taunton School, and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.


title: Charles George Gordon

text: In 1843, Gordon was devastated when his favourite sibling, his sister Emily, died of tuberculosis, writing years later "humanly speaking it changed my life, it was never the same since". After her death, her place as Gordon's favourite sibling was taken by his very religious older sister Augusta, who nudged her brother towards religion.


title: Charles George Gordon

text: As a teenager and an army officer cadet, Gordon was known for his high spirits, a combative streak and tendency to disregard authority and the rules if he felt them to be stupid or unjust, a personality trait that held back his graduation by two years when teachers decided to punish him for flouting the rules.


title: Charles George Gordon

text: As a cadet, Gordon displayed exceptional talents at map-making and in designing fortifications, which led to his career choice of the Royal Engineers or "sappers" in the Army. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Royal Engineers on 23 June 1852, completing his training at Chatham, and he was promoted to full lieutenant on 17 February 1854. The sappers were an elite corps who performed reconnaissance work, led storming parties, demolished obstacles in assaults, and undertook rear-guard actions in retreats and other hazardous tasks.


title: Charles George Gordon

text: As an officer, Gordon showed strong charisma and leadership, but his superiors distrusted him on account of his tendency to disobey orders if he felt them to be wrong or unjust. A man of medium stature, with striking blue eyes, the charismatic Gordon had the ability to inspire men to follow him anywhere.


title: Charles George Gordon

text: Gordon was first assigned to construct fortifications at Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, Wales. During his time in Milford Haven, Gordon was befriended by a young couple, Francis and Anne Drew, who introduced him to evangelical Protestantism. Gordon was especially impressed with Philippians 1:21 where St. Paul wrote: "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain", a passage he underlined in his Bible and often quoted. He attended diverse congregations, including Roman Catholic, Baptist, Presbyterian, and Methodist. Gordon, who once said to a Roman Catholic priest that "the church is like the British Army, one army but many regiments", never aligned himself with or became a member of any church.


title: Charles George Gordon

text: When the Crimean War began, Gordon was assigned to his boyhood home of Corfu, but after several letters to the War Office, he was sent to the Crimea instead. He was sent to the Russian Empire, arriving at Balaklava in January 1855. He first displayed his death wish as he wrote at the time that he had gone "to the Crimea, hoping, without having a hand in it, to be killed".


title: Charles George Gordon

text: In the 19th century Russia was Britain's archenemy, with many people in both nations seeing an ideological conflict between Russian autocracy and British democracy, and Gordon was anxious to fight in the Crimea. He was put to work in the Siege of Sevastopol and took part in the assault of the Redan from 18 June to 8 September. As a sapper, Gordon had to map out the Russian fortifications at the city-fortress of Sevastopol designed by the famous Russian military engineer Eduard Totleben, a highly dangerous job that frequently put him under enemy fire, and led him to being wounded for the first time when a Russian sniper put a bullet into him. Gordon spent much time in "the Quarries", as the British called their section of the trenches facing Sevastopol.


title: Charles George Gordon

text: During his time in the Crimea, Gordon made a number of friendships that were to last for the rest of his life, most notably with Romolo Gessi, Garnet Wolseley and Gerald Graham, all of whom would cross paths with Gordon several times in the future.


title: Charles George Gordon

text: On 18 June 1855, the besieging British and French armies began what was intended to be the final assault that would take Sevastopol, which began with a huge bombardment. As a sapper, Gordon was in a front line trench where he was under intense fire, men fell all around him and he was forced to take cover so often that he was covered literally from head to toe with mud and blood. Despite the best efforts of the Allies, the French failed to take the Malakhov fortress while the British failed to take the Redan fortress on 18 June. The casualties on the Allied side were quite high that day.


title: Charles George Gordon

text: Gordon spent thirty-four consecutive days in the trenches around Sevastopol, and earned a reputation as an able and brave young officer. It was said at the British HQ that "If you want to know what the Russians are up to, send for Charlie Gordon."


title: Charles George Gordon

text: Gordon took part in the expedition to Kinburn, and returned to Sevastopol at the war's end. During the Crimean war, Gordon picked up an addiction to Turkish cigarettes which was to last for his rest of his life, and many commented that smoking was Gordon's most conspicuous vice as he always seemed to have a cigarette at his lips.


title: Charles George Gordon

text: For his services in the Crimea, he received the Crimean war medal and clasp. For the same services he was appointed a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour by the Government of France on 16 July 1856.


title: Charles George Gordon

text: Following the peace, he was attached to an international commission to mark the new border between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire in Bessarabia. When Gordon first arrived at the city of Galatz (modern Galați, Romania) in the Ottoman protectorate of Moldavia, he called the city "very dusty and not desirable at all as a place of residence". As he travelled to Bessarabia, he commented in his letters home about the richness and fertility of the Romanian countryside, which produced delicious fruits and vegetables in great abundance, and the poverty of the Romanian peasants.


title: Charles George Gordon

text: After a visit to Jassy (modern Iași), Gordon wrote: "The "boyers" live most of their lives in Paris and society is quite French... The prince keeps a great state and I was introduced to him with much ceremony. The English uniform produces an immediate sensation". Gordon did not speak Romanian, but his fluency in French allowed him to socialise with the Francophile Romanian elite, who were all fluent in French. As the maps that delineated the Russian-Ottoman frontier were all old and inaccurate, Gordon spent much time clashing with his Russian counterparts about where precisely the frontier was and soon discovered that Russians were very keen to have the frontier on the Danube, which Gordon had orders from London to prevent. Gordon called the Romanians the "most fickle and intriguing people on the earth. They ape the French in everything and are full of ceremony, dress, etc... The employees sent by the Moldovan government to take over the ceded territory have been receiving bribes and trafficking in the most disgraceful manner."


title: Charles George Gordon

text: Afterwards, Gordon was sent to delineate the frontier between Ottoman Armenia and Russian Armenia, the highlight of which was tobogganing down Mount Ararat. Gordon continued surveying, marking off the boundary into Asia Minor. During his time in Anatolia, Gordon embraced the new technology of the camera to take what the Canadian historian C. Brad Faught called a series of "evocative photographs" of the people and landscape of Armenia. Throughout his life, Gordon was always a keen amateur photographer and was elected a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society to honour him for his Armenian photographs. Gordon returned to Britain in late 1858, and was appointed as an instructor at Chatham. He was promoted to captain on 1 April 1859.


title: Charles George Gordon

text: Gordon was intensely bored with garrison duty in Chatham and often wrote to the War Office, begging them to send him anywhere in the world where British arms were seeing action. In 1860 Gordon volunteered to serve in China, in the Second Opium War. When Gordon arrived at Hong Kong, he was disappointed to learn he was "just too late for the fighting". Gordon had heard of the Taiping Rebellion long before he had set sail for China, and he was at first sympathetic towards the Taipings, led by the charismatic madman Hong Xiuquan who proclaimed himself to be the younger brother of Jesus Christ, viewing them as somewhat eccentric Christians.


title: Charles George Gordon

text: After stopping in Shanghai, Gordon visited the Chinese countryside and was appalled at the atrocities committed by the Taipings against the local peasants, writing to his family he would love to smash this "cruel" army with its "desolating presence" that killed without mercy. He arrived at Tianjin in September 1860. He was present during the capture of Peking and at the destruction of the Summer Palace. Gordon agreed with Lord Elgin that after the Chinese authorities had murdered a group of British and French officers travelling under a white flag to parley that a reprisal was in order, but called the burning of the Summer Palace "vandal-like" and informed his sister in a letter "it made one's heart sore" to burn it. The Anglo-French force remained in northern China until April 1862, then under General Charles William Dunbar Staveley, withdrew to Shanghai to protect the European settlement from the rebel Taiping army.


title: Charles George Gordon

text: Following the successes in the 1850s in the provinces of Guangxi, Hunan and Hubei, and the capture of Nanjing in 1853 the rebel advance had slowed. For some years, the Taipings gradually advanced eastwards, but eventually they came close enough to Shanghai to alarm the European inhabitants. A militia of Europeans and Asians was raised for the defence of the city and placed under the command of an American, Frederick Townsend Ward, and occupied the country to the west of Shanghai. The British arrived at a crucial time. Staveley decided to clear the rebels within of Shanghai in co-operation with Ward and a small French force. Gordon was attached to his staff as engineer officer. Jiading, northwest suburb of present Shanghai, Qingpu and other towns were occupied, and the area was fairly cleared of rebels by the end of 1862.