title: 2021 Carolina Panthers season

text: In the Panthers' home and season opener against the New York Jets, quarterback Sam Darnold and wide receiver Robby Anderson faced their former team for the first time. Neither team scored in the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, as the Panthers attempted to convert on fourth down in the red zone, the football slipped out of Darnold's hands before he could hand it off to Christian McCaffrey, and the loose ball was recovered by the Jets' Sheldon Rankins. On the next drive, the Jets' rookie quarterback Zach Wilson tried to pass to Ryan Griffin but was intercepted by Shaq Thompson. From the turnover, Ryan Santoso kicked a 22-yard field goal for the Panthers. In the last five minutes of the first half, Carolina scored two touchdowns. Immediately after a Jets turnover on downs, Darnold found Anderson with a long pass for the first touchdown, but Santoso missed the extra point conversion wide left. Darnold then capped off the next Panthers drive by scoring on a five-yard run, and they went into halftime with a 16–0 lead. Late in the third quarter, the Jets finally scored when Wilson completed a touchdown pass to Corey Davis. Wilson then ran in on the ensuing two-point conversion to reduce the Panthers' lead to one score, but in the fourth quarter, Santoso converted a second field goal, increasing the Panthers' lead to 19–8. Right after the two-minute warning, Wilson connected with Davis again for a second touchdown, but his pass to Elijah Moore on the two-point conversion was deflected and fell short. With Jets kicker Matt Ammendola's onside kick going out of bounds, the Panthers retained possession for the remainder of the game and won 19–14 to begin the season at 1–0.


title: 2021 Carolina Panthers season

text: In the first quarter, the Panthers opened the scoring when Sam Darnold threw a touchdown pass to Brandon Zylstra on the opening drive, with newly signed kicker Zane Gonzalez converting the extra point conversion. Gonzalez then made a field goal early in the second quarter, increasing the Panthers' lead to 10. On the next Panthers drive, Darnold recorded his second touchdown of the game, finding D. J. Moore with a two-yard pass in the end zone. In the final minute of the quarter, Jameis Winston scrambled out of the pocket and launched a long pass downfield intended for Deonte Harris, but the pass fell short and was intercepted by Juston Burris. With the interception, the Panthers completed their first-half shutout of the Saints and went into halftime with a 17–0 lead. The third quarter was scoreless; the Panthers came closest to scoring, but a 50-yard field goal attempt from Gonzalez was blocked by Carl Granderson and recovered by the Saints' Zack Baun. With less than two minutes to go in the third quarter, as P. J. Williams about to sack him, Darnold attempted a shovel pass that fell to Malcolm Roach for an interception, the only Panthers turnover of the game. The Saints capitalized on the mistake, as Jameis Winston capped off the ensuing drive early in the fourth quarter with an eight-yard run for the Saints' only touchdown of the game. The Panthers once again increased their lead with an 11-yard touchdown run from Christian McCaffrey. Gonzalez missed the extra point conversion wide left but converted a 42-yard field goal following a Saints turnover on downs. In the final minutes of the game, Winston once again scrambled to avoid getting sacked before throwing a long pass downfield; his overthrown pass intended for Juwan Johnson resulted in his second interception of the game, this time at the hands of rookie Jaycee Horn. The Panthers' 26–7 victory improved their record to 2–0.


title: 2021 Carolina Panthers season

text: A five-yard touchdown run from Sam Darnold in the first quarter gave the Panthers the early lead. Just before halftime, Davis Mills found Anthony Miller with a short pass for a Texans touchdown, but former Panthers kicker Joey Slye missed the extra point conversion wide right, preventing the Texans from drawing level. In the third quarter, the Panthers extended their lead, as Tommy Tremble scored a touchdown off of an end-around run. In doing so, Tremble became the youngest tight end to score a rushing touchdown in NFL history; the last tight end to score a rushing touchdown at age 22 or younger was Rob Gronkowski, who did so for the New England Patriots in Week 13 of the 2011 season against the Indianapolis Colts. With a one-score game heading into the fourth quarter, the teams traded field goals before the Panthers secured the win with a quarterback sneak from Darnold for his second rushing touchdown of the game. With the 24–9 win, the Panthers began the season with three consecutive wins for the first time since the 2015 season.


title: 2021 Carolina Panthers season

text: Both teams scored one-yard rushing touchdowns in the first quarter, with Ezekiel Elliott scoring first for the Cowboys before Sam Darnold scored for the Panthers. On the extra point conversion after Dak Prescott's touchdown pass to Blake Jarwin, the Panthers were penalized for having too many players on the field, and the line of scrimmage was moved to the one-yard line. On the ensuing two-point conversion, Prescott threw to Dalton Schultz, who was initially ruled to have successfully scored. However, upon further review, Schultz was tackled just short of the goal line by Jeremy Chinn and the tip of the football had not broken the plane of the end zone by the time Schultz's knee was down. On the next drive, Darnold scored his second rushing touchdown of the game. With the touchdown, his fifth rushing touchdown of the season, Darnold became the NFL's sole leader in rushing touchdowns on the season; he also became the first quarterback in NFL history to reach that mark in the first four games of the season. The Panthers led 14–13 at halftime, but the Cowboys dominated the third quarter and pulled ahead. After the Panthers' opening drive of the second half ended with Zane Gonzalez missing a 54-yard field goal attempt wide left, Prescott threw for touchdowns on all three of the Cowboys' third-quarter drives, finding Amari Cooper, Schultz, and Cedrick Wilson Jr., respectively. The Cowboys tried another two-point conversion after Schultz's touchdown, but Prescott's pass to CeeDee Lamb was too high. The Cowboys defense also contributed, with rookie Trevon Diggs intercepting Darnold on back-to-back Panthers drives sandwiching the Cowboys' third touchdown drive of the quarter; Diggs also became a league leader with five interceptions on the season up to that point. From the second Diggs interception, the Cowboys opened the fourth quarter with a 37-yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein, increasing their lead further to 36–14. The Panthers countered with a pair of touchdowns from Darnold to D. J. Moore to reduce the deficit to eight points, but the Cowboys retained possession for the rest of the game and won 36–28. The loss was the Panthers' first of the season, and it left the Arizona Cardinals and the Las Vegas Raiders as the only remaining undefeated teams, though the Raiders would lose as well the following day.


title: 2021 Carolina Panthers season

text: After the 1–3 Eagles went three-and-out to start the game, the Panthers scored first with a 48-yard field goal from Zane Gonzalez. However, on the next Panthers drive, an underthrown pass from Sam Darnold intended for D. J. Moore was intercepted by Darius Slay, who advanced the ball to the ten-yard line. Despite starting from inside the red zone, the Eagles were unable to take full advantage of the turnover; they settled for a Jake Elliott field goal after a touchdown pass from Jalen Hurts to DeVonta Smith on fourth-and-goal was disallowed due to an offensive pass interference penalty on Greg Ward. The Panthers then countered with a touchdown pass from Darnold to rookie Tommy Tremble, the first receiving touchdown of the latter's NFL career. After a series of unsuccessful drives ending in punts from both teams, the Panthers increased their lead with a field goal from Gonzalez late in the second quarter. On the next play after the kickoff return, a high snap ricocheted off of Hurts' right hand and into the end zone; despite the attempts of several Panthers players to gain possession of the football, none of them could before Hurts batted the ball out of the end zone to minimize the consequences of the Eagles' mistake from a touchdown to a safety. After forcing a quick three-and-out from the Panthers, the Eagles drove down the field and ended the first half with a 58-yard field goal from Elliott, with the score at halftime being 15–6. The second half was filled with turnovers from both teams. After the Panthers punted on the opening drive of the second half, Hurts completed a pass to DeVonta Smith before Donte Jackson knocked the ball out of Smith's hands, with the fumble recovered by Jeremy Chinn. After the Panthers were unable to capitalize on the turnover, two interceptions followed in quick succession. On the next Eagles offensive play, Hurts overthrew Zach Ertz on a long pass down the left sideline and was intercepted by Jackson, who managed to keep both feet inbounds. Then, Slay stepped in front of Moore to once again intercept Darnold. Just before the end of the third quarter, the Eagles reduced the Panthers' lead to two points with Hurts scoring on a quarterback sneak, but a third Panthers field goal increased the lead back up to five points. In the fourth quarter, T. J. Edwards ran unimpeded through the punt formation and blocked a Joseph Charlton punt, which was recovered by Shaun Bradley. On the ensuing drive after the blocked punt, the Eagles took the lead with under three minutes left, with Hurts scoring his second rushing touchdown of the game before making the two-point conversion with a pass to Smith. The Panthers' attempt to retake the lead resulted in Darnold's third intercepted pass of the game, this time by Steven Nelson, who stepped in front of Robby Anderson. With the Eagles closing out the game, the Panthers lost 21–18, their second loss in a row after starting the season with three wins.


title: 2021 Carolina Panthers season

text: On the game's first play from scrimmage, Bashaud Breeland dove in front of Robby Anderson to intercept Sam Darnold, from which the Vikings scored with Greg Joseph converting a 25-yard field goal. After Kirk Cousins passed to Justin Jefferson, A. J. Bouye forced a fumble, which was recovered and advanced by Haason Reddick. From the turnover, Shi Smith ran 16 yards on the shovel pass from Sam Darnold before Chuba Hubbard scored a rushing touchdown. Joseph added another 25-yard field goal to close the deficit to one point before the Vikings regained the lead early in the second quarter with a touchdown pass from Cousins to Chris Herndon. The Vikings were unsuccessful on the two-point conversion, as Bouye tripped up Dalvin Cook before the latter could reach the goal line. The Panthers added a field goal from Zane Gonzalez later in the quarter, and the score was 12–10 in favor of the Vikings at halftime. On the second Vikings drive of the third quarter, Frankie Luvu ran through the middle of the punt formation and blocked a Jordan Berry punt, which was recovered by Kenny Robinson and returned for a Panthers touchdown. The Vikings then countered with touchdowns on consecutive possessions. First, Cook scored on a 16-yard run after the initial ruling that he was down at the one-yard line was overturned; the two-point conversion was once again unsuccessful, as Jefferson was unable to stay inbounds to catch a pass from Cousins. On the next Panthers play from scrimmage, D. J. Moore received a pass from Darnold and was tackled by Xavier Woods, who stripped away the football, which was subsequently recovered by Eric Kendricks. The Vikings once again capitalized on the Panthers turnover, with Cousins passing to Adam Thielen for a touchdown. Following a third Vikings field goal, Darnold lost the ball while being sacked by Armon Watts and Everson Griffen, and the loose ball was recovered by Dalvin Tomlinson, but the Vikings were unable to convert this turnover into points. After converting three field goals already, Joseph missed a 50-yard attempt wide right before Gonzalez converted a 23-yard field goal to narrow the deficit to eight points. After a Berry punt was downed at the four-yard line, Darnold recorded three straight incompletions before converting on fourth down with a 41-yard pass to Ian Thomas. The Panthers, having driven almost the entire length of the field in under 90 seconds, completed the drive with Darnold's first touchdown of the game on a seven-yard pass to Anderson. Tommy Tremble then converted the two-point conversion with a shovel pass from Darnold to tie the game at 28–28. Despite there only being 42 seconds left in the game, the Vikings advanced the ball to within field goal range, but Joseph missed wide right once again from 47 yards out on what could have been the game-winning field goal. In overtime, the Vikings won the coin toss and elected to receive; on their first possession, K. J. Osborn scored on a 27-yard touchdown pass from Cousins to win the game. This was the Panthers' third consecutive loss after winning their first three games of the season, and they remained winless after key players Christian McCaffrey and Jaycee Horn both picked up injuries during the against the Houston Texans.


title: 2021 Carolina Panthers season

text: On the Panthers' opening drive, Zane Gonzalez kicked a 45-yard field goal, which went in off the left upright, to give the Panthers the early lead and their only points of the game. After the Giants were unable to convert on fourth-and-goal from the two-yard line, the Panthers received the ball. After having only advanced the ball one yard in total on the first two downs, the Panthers faced third-and-nine to begin the second quarter. In the face of the Giants' oncoming blitz, Sam Darnold threw the ball away, but because the throw did not pass the line of scrimmage and was not in the vicinity of any eligible receivers, Darnold was penalized for intentional grounding, which resulted in a Giants safety given the field position. On the ensuing drive, former Panthers kicker Graham Gano converted a 49-yard field goal to give the Giants a 5–3 lead. Later in the quarter, after Darnold completed five passes consecutively on the same drive, his pass intended for Ian Thomas was intercepted by former Panther James Bradberry in the red zone. The Giants were unable to capitalize on the turnover but retained a two-point lead at halftime. Towards the end of the third quarter, Dante Pettis completed a 16-yard pass to Jones on a trick play, with the same drive culminating with a five-yard touchdown pass from Jones to Pettis. After a run of poor performances, Panthers head coach Matt Rhule benched Darnold, with P. J. Walker taking over at quarterback for the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, the Giants continued to extend their lead, with Gano adding two more field goals. A pair of Panthers turnovers on downs late in the fourth quarter sandwiched Devontae Booker's rushing touchdown to cap off the 25–3 loss, the Panthers' fourth in a row.


title: 2021 Carolina Panthers season

text: On the opening play from scrimmage, Deion Jones tackled Chuba Hubbard for a two-yard loss and knocked the ball out, with Adetokunbo Ogundeji recovering the fumble. Younghoe Koo converted the turnover into the game's first points with a field goal before Zane Gonzalez converted for the Panthers. The Falcons retook the lead on a touchdown pass from Matt Ryan to Cordarrelle Patterson early in the second quarter. After Gonzalez converted a second field goal, Ryan's pass intended for Hayden Hurst was intercepted by Shaq Thompson. The Panthers were unable to capitalize on the interception but Gonzalez added a 57-yard field goal on the last play of the first half, leaving them down by one point at halftime. On the only Panthers drive of the third quarter, which lasted almost nine minutes, Gonzalez added a fourth field goal, giving the Panthers their first lead of the game. Early in the fourth quarter, Koo missed a 45-yard field goal attempt wide right before Hubbard's rushing touchdown increased the Panthers' lead. On that touchdown drive, Sam Darnold sustained a hard hit from Foyesade Oluokun on an eight-yard scramble and, having already been hit hard by Jones on the previous play's scramble, had to leave the game with a concussion; P. J. Walker filled in at quarterback for the rest of the game. After Stephon Gilmore stepped in front of Kyle Pitts to intercept Ryan, the Panthers looked to close out the game but were forced to punt with under a minute left. Thirty-four seconds later, Koo added a 53-yard field goal, but his subsequent onside kick was recovered by Robby Anderson. With the 19–13 victory, the Panthers stopped their four-game losing streak and improved to 4–4. Meanwhile, Gonzalez's four successful field goals resulted in him winning his first NFC Special Teams Player of the Week award.


title: 2021 Carolina Panthers season

text: Both teams entered the game with identical 4–4 records. In the last minute of the first quarter, Brian Burns strip-sacked Mac Jones, with the ball being recovered by Frankie Luvu; on the ensuing drive, Zane Gonzalez converted a 39-yard field goal. Damien Harris then scored on a three-yard run. Later in the second quarter, Stephon Gilmore, who had been traded from the Patriots on October 6, intercepted Jones on a pass intended for Jakobi Meyers; from this, Gonzalez converted another field goal. With 24 seconds left in the half, Jones completed a touchdown pass to Hunter Henry. In the second half, Sam Darnold threw interceptions on three consecutive Panthers drives. The first of these came when Darnold, who was being chased down by Matthew Judon and Christian Barmore, overthrew Ian Thomas, with J. C. Jackson returning the interception for a touchdown. Jamie Collins recorded the second interception, jumping up at the line of scrimmage to grab a pass intended for Robby Anderson. After the Panthers drove into the red zone early in the fourth quarter, Darnold was once again intercepted by Jackson, who was covering D. J. Moore in the end zone. From these turnovers, Nick Folk added to the Patriots' lead with a 37-yard field goal after Collins's interception but missed a 54-yard attempt wide right after Jackson's second interception. The 24–6 loss dropped the Panthers to 4–5.


title: 2021 Carolina Panthers season

text: In his first game back after re-signing with the Panthers, Cam Newton was expected to receive limited playing action, while P. J. Walker remained as the starting quarterback. Meanwhile, the 8–1 Cardinals were without several key players on offense, including quarterback Kyler Murray and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. On the game's opening drive, Colt McCoy was strip-sacked by Haason Reddick, with the fumble recovered by Morgan Fox. From the turnover, Newton scored a two-yard touchdown run on his first snap of the game. After McCoy was unable to convert a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-one, resulting in a turnover on downs, Newton scored his second touchdown in as many snaps, with a two-yard pass to Robby Anderson. McCoy committed his second turnover of the first quarter, as an overthrown pass intended for Antoine Wesley was intercepted by Donte Jackson. The Panthers continued to increase their lead, with Zane Gonzalez converting a field goal on the ensuing drive before adding another field goal in the second quarter. Jalen Thompson then intercepted an overthrown pass from Walker intended for Terrace Marshall Jr., but the Cardinals were forced into a three-and-out and had to punt on their third consecutive drive. Gonzalez closed out the first half with a 49-yard field goal, completing the Panthers' 23–0 shutout of the Cardinals in the half. After the Panthers were forced to punt for the first time in the game on the opening drive of the second half, Matt Prater kicked a 47-yard field goal for the Cardinals' first points of the game. Chuba Hubbard then scored a rushing touchdown, with Walker completing a pass to Marshall for the two-point conversion. After McCoy sustained a chest injury (later clarified to be a pectoral injury) on a sack by Shaq Thompson, he left the game and was replaced by Chris Streveler. Streveler was involved in a pair of Cardinals turnover on downs, the first one coming after he was sacked by Fox and Reddick, and the second one after he fumbled the snap, which was recovered by Eno Benjamin but was advanced no further; these instances sandwiched a botched handoff between Walker and Hubbard that was recovered by Zach Allen. After James Conner scored on an 11-yard rush in the fourth quarter, Gonzalez capped off the Panthers' 34–10 victory with his fourth field goal of the game. While the other three NFC South teams lost their respective Week 10 games, the Panthers picked up a vital underdog victory and improved to 5–5, matching their win total from each of the previous two seasons. Additionally, Gonzalez's perfect kicking conversion rate won him the first NFC Special Teams Player of the Week award again.


title: 2021 Carolina Panthers season

text: Ahead of the game, Cam Newton was named as the starter over P. J. Walker. The Panthers scored first as Newton completed a pass to D. J. Moore for a touchdown on the opening drive. Later in the first quarter, Antonio Gibson fumbled the ball while being tackled by Morgan Fox, with Frankie Luvu recovering the loose ball, but the Panthers were unable to capitalize. Early in the second quarter, Washington, led by former Panthers head coach Ron Rivera and former Panthers quarterback Taylor Heinicke, drew even with Heinicke passing to Cam Sims for a touchdown. After Newton scored on a 25-yard touchdown run, Julian Stanford forced a fumble from DeAndre Carter on the ensuing kickoff return. However, Troy Apke was able to recover the ball for Washington, and they rebounded with a touchdown pass from Heinicke to Terry McLaurin with 14 seconds left in the first half. Washington then took the lead on the opening drive of the second half as Heinicke scored his third passing touchdown of the game, finding Carter in the end zone. The Panthers equalized early in the fourth quarter with a touchdown pass from Newton to Christian McCaffrey, but former Panthers kicker Joey Slye, who had played against the Panthers earlier in the season as a member of the Houston Texans, kicked two field goals in the final five minutes. This proved to be the difference, and the Panthers lost 27–21.


title: 2021 Carolina Panthers season

text: After Duke Riley blocked a punt from Lachlan Edwards, Justin Coleman recovered the ball and was pushed into the end zone for the opening score. On the next drive, Cam Newton scored a one-yard touchdown run on his second effort with help from right guard Trent Scott after initially being stopped at the line of scrimmage. Early in the second quarter, Newton threw a pair of interceptions on back-to-back Panthers drives. The first one was to Jevon Holland on an underthrown pass intended for Robby Anderson, while the second one was to Xavien Howard on a pass intended for Moore. From the Howard interception, Tua Tagovailoa passed to Jaylen Waddle for a touchdown. The Dolphins scored their third touchdown of the first half as Myles Gaskin took a direct snap from the wildcat formation and ran in from three yards out. In the final minute of the first half, the Dolphins were driving down the field in an attempt to further increase their lead before halftime, but a botched snap from Austin Reiter to Tagovailoa with 12 seconds left was recovered by Frankie Luvu. As Luvu attempted to return the fumble recovery, he was tackled by Isaiah Ford with one second left, allowing Zane Gonzalez to kick a 41-yard field goal to end the first half. The Panthers successfully executed a fake punt on the opening drive of the second half, with Sean Chandler taking the direct snap from long snapper J. J. Jansen and running 14 yards for the first down, but the drive still ended in a punt later. Gaskin then added his second rushing touchdown of the game, which also came from a direct snap three yards out. Jason Sanders hit the left upright on the ensuing extra point conversion but later added two field goals to secure Miami's lead. Meanwhile, Newton was benched after his poor performance and was replaced by P. J. Walker for the fourth quarter. However, on his first drive of the game, Walker was forced to scramble out of the pocket and his underthrown pass intended for Ian Thomas was intercepted by Nik Needham, leading to the second of Sanders' field goals. A late Panthers drive to try and narrow the deficit was unsuccessful, and the 33–10 loss dropped them to 5–7 ahead of their bye week.


title: 2021 Carolina Panthers season

text: The Panthers and the Falcons, both entering the game at 5–7, played each other for the second time this season, with the Panthers winning the first game 19–13 in . Cam Newton and Cordarrelle Patterson both scored rushing touchdowns for their respective teams in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Mykal Walker intercepted a pass from Newton intended for Ameer Abdullah and returned it 66 yards for a touchdown, before the Falcons bolstered their lead with a field goal from Younghoe Koo. For the second game in a row, Newton was replaced by P. J. Walker, albeit temporarily, as Walker was more familiar with the Panthers' two-minute offensive playbook, according to head coach Matt Rhule. However, Walker's first drive ended with an interception by A. J. Terrell on a pass intended for Robby Anderson. The Falcons were unable to capitalize on the turnover but retained a 17–7 lead at halftime. Newton returned to the game in the second half, and from the opening drive, Chuba Hubbard rushed for a touchdown before Koo kicked another field goal. With under five minutes left in the third quarter, Newton stumbled while attempting a handoff to Hubbard and fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Grady Jarrett. From this, Matt Ryan completed a touchdown pass to Hayden Hurst early in the fourth quarter, but the former was then unable to find an open receiver on the ensuing two-point conversion, which failed. Two consecutive Panthers drives ended in turnovers on downs, with the first one resulting in Koo's third field goal. Immediately following the second turnover on downs, Qadree Ollison was tackled by DaQuan Jones and fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Jermaine Carter. The Panthers closed the deficit to eight points as Walker completed a five-yard touchdown pass to Anderson, but the Falcons were able to retain possession for the rest of the game and win 29–21.


title: 2021 Carolina Panthers season

text: In Week 15, the Panthers faced the Buffalo Bills, a team that had several former notable Panthers coaches and players. These included head coach Sean McDermott (a former Panthers defensive coordinator), offensive lineman Daryl Williams, linebacker A. J. Klein, and defensive linemen Mario Addison, Efe Obada, Star Lotulelei, and Vernon Butler; Williams, Klein, Lotulelei, and Butler had all been drafted by the Panthers. After Panthers kicker Zane Gonzalez injured suffered a right quad injury during pre-game warmups, the Panthers were forced to convert on fourth down in situations where field goals would have been a possible option, while wide receiver Brandon Zylstra handled kickoff duties. Neither team was able to score in the first quarter, although the Panthers were unable to convert on fourth down within field goal range. Early in the second quarter, Devin Singletary scored on a 16-yard run before the Bills doubled their lead with an touchdown pass from Josh Allen to Stefon Diggs. Jeremy Chinn's interception on a pass from Allen intended for Diggs gave the Panthers possession late in the first half. From this, Cam Newton scored on a four-yard run before completing a pass to D. J. Moore for the two-point conversion. With under two minutes left in the half, the Bills were still able to drive within field goal range, with Tyler Bass converting from 26 yards as time expired, and the Bills led at halftime 17–8. Allen's 20-yard touchdown pass to Gabe Davis was the only scoring play in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Ameer Abdullah scored on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Newton, but on the ensuing two-point conversation, the latter's rush attempt was stopped short by Tremaine Edmunds. After Allen completed a second touchdown to Davis, Klein intercepted a pass from Newton intended for Terrace Marshall Jr. to close out the Bills' 31–14 win.


title: 2021 Carolina Panthers season

text: The Panthers faced the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first of three divisional games to finish the season. Although Sam Darnold returned from injured reserve and was expected to receive some playing time, Cam Newton remained the starting quarterback. On the Panthers' opening drive, the Panthers settled for a first career field goal from newly signed kicker Lirim Hajrullahu, who filled in for the still-injured Zane Gonzalez. Ke'Shawn Vaughn then scored on a 55-yard run to give the Buccaneers the lead. Near the end of the first quarter, an underthrown pass from Newton under pressure that was intended for Tommy Tremble was tipped by Shaquil Barrett and intercepted by Jordan Whitehead. In the second quarter, a pair of field goals from Ryan Succop sandwiched one from Hajrullahu. On the drive resulting in Hajrullahu's field goal, Darnold began to share snaps with Newton before taking over completely by the end of the third quarter. With under two minutes left in the first half, Tom Brady completed a touchdown pass to Cameron Brate but threw incomplete to Tyler Johnson on the two-point conversion that followed, though the Buccaneers still held a 19–6 lead at halftime. In the third quarter, the Buccaneers increased their lead with a third Succop field goal and a rushing touchdown from Ronald Jones II, before Succop added a fourth field goal in the fourth quarter. On the final drive of the game, the Panthers drove down to the six-yard line but were unable to score. With the Minnesota Vikings losing to the Los Angeles Rams, the 32–6 result allowed the Buccaneers to win the division and clinch a playoff spot; meanwhile, the Panthers were eliminated from playoff contention for the fourth consecutive season.


title: 2021 Carolina Panthers season

text: After both teams scored field goals on their respective opening drives, the Panthers scored a touchdown on a 21-yard run from Chuba Hubbard. In the second quarter, Sam Darnold was strip-sacked by P. J. Williams and the fumble was recovered by Marcus Davenport. From the turnover, Brett Maher kicked a 27-yard field goal before adding a 41-yard field goal at the end of the first half to reduce the Panthers' lead to 10–9 at halftime. Maher added a fourth field goal in the third quarter to give the Saints the lead. Then, after Lirim Hajrullahu missed a 47-yard attempt early in the fourth quarter, Taysom Hill completed a 12-yard pass to Alvin Kamara for the Saints' first touchdown since Week 14. Although Maher missed the extra point conversion, C. J. Gardner-Johnson intercepted Darnold on a pass intended for D. J. Moore in the final minute to seal the Saints' 18–10 win.


title: 2021 Carolina Panthers season

text: The Panthers began the game with a long opening drive, which ended with Sam Darnold's touchdown pass to Chuba Hubbard. A Panthers turnover on downs led to a 39-yard field goal from Ryan Succop. On fourth-and-one from the two-yard line, Darnold was stopped short on a quarterback sneak by Steve McLendon. The Buccaneers then took the lead after driving almost the entire length of the field in under two minutes, as Tom Brady completed a touchdown pass to Le'Veon Bell with 15 seconds left before halftime. A touchdown run from Ke'Shawn Vaughn and a field goal from Lirim Hajrullahu were the only scoring plays of the third quarter. Though the game had remained close thus far, the Buccaneers pulled away in the fourth quarter. First, a pair of touchdown passes from Brady to Mike Evans sandwiched a touchdown pass from Darnold to Robby Anderson. After Rakeem Nuñez-Roches forced a Darnold fumble that was recovered by Antoine Winfield Jr., Succop added another field goal. Then, immediately after another Panthers turnover on downs, Scotty Miller scored on a 33-yard end-around run. Following the ensuing kickoff return, Darnold threw an interception to Andrew Adams on a pass intended for Anderson. Although the Buccaneers were unable to capitalize on the turnover, as Succop missed a 46-yard field goal attempt, they secured a 41–17 win. For the Panthers, the loss meant that they would end the season on a seven-game losing streak, which also prevented them from improving on their 5–11 record from the previous two seasons.


title: Director of the Intelligence Bureau

text: The Director of the Intelligence Bureau (DIB) is the chief executive of the Intelligence Bureau, India's premier domestic-intelligence agency. The DIB is the senior-most Indian Police Service officer of India. The current director of Intelligence Bureau is Tapan Deka, who is serving since 24 June 2022


title: Director of the Intelligence Bureau

text: Director IB (DIB) is a member of the Strategic Policy Group and the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC), but intelligence inputs go through the regular channels in the Ministry of Home Affairs to the JIC. DIB reports to Union Home Secretary in the Union Ministry of Home affairs, GoI.


title: Earl of Leicester

text: Earl of Leicester is a title that has been created seven times. The first title was granted during the 12th century in the Peerage of England. The current title is in the Peerage of the United Kingdom and was created in 1837.


title: Earl of Leicester

text: The title was first created for Robert de Beaumont (also spelt de Bellomont), but he nearly always used his French title of Count of Meulan. Three generations of his descendants, all also named Robert, called themselves Earls of Leicester. The Beaumont male line ended with the death of the 4th Earl. His property was split between his two sisters, with Simon IV de Montfort, the son of the eldest sister, acquiring Leicester and the rights to the earldom. (The husband of the younger daughter, Saer de Quincy, was created Earl of Winchester.) However, Simon IV de Montfort was never formally recognized as earl, due to the antipathy between France and England at that time. His second son, Simon V de Montfort, did succeed in taking possession of the earldom and its associated properties. He is the Simon de Montfort who became so prominent during the reign of Henry III. He was killed at the Battle of Evesham in 1265, and his lands and titles were forfeited.


title: Earl of Leicester

text: In 1267 the title was created a second time and granted to the king's youngest son, Edmund Crouchback. In 1276 he also became Earl of Lancaster, and the titles became united. Crouchback's son Thomas lost the earldom when he was executed for treason in 1322, but a few years later, it was restored to his younger brother Henry. Henry's son Henry of Grosmont left only two daughters, and his estate was divided between them, the eldest daughter Matilda receiving the earldom, which was held by her husband William V of Holland. (The two passages of the earldom via females illustrate the medieval practice by which such inheritance was allowed in the absence of male heirs.) Matilda, however, soon died, and the title passed to John of Gaunt, husband of her younger sister, Blanche, who was later created Duke of Lancaster. Both the dukedom and the earldom were inherited by John of Gaunt's son, Henry Bolingbroke, and both titles ceased to exist when Henry usurped the throne, as the titles "merged into the crown". (The peers are vassals to the Sovereign, and no one can be a vassal to himself.) The properties associated with the earldom became part of what was later called the Duchy of Lancaster.


title: Earl of Leicester

text: In 1564 the earldom was again created for Queen Elizabeth I's favourite, Robert Dudley. Since Dudley died without heirs, the title became extinct at his death. The title was again created in 1618 for Robert Sidney (Baron Sydney), his nephew. Prior to being granted the earldom, Robert Sidney was granted the subsidiary title of Viscount Lisle on 4 May 1605. The Sidneys retained the titles until the death of the seventh Earl in 1743, when the titles again became extinct. The title of earl was then recreated for Thomas Coke (pronounced "Cook"), but it became extinct when he, too, died without heirs.


title: Earl of Leicester

text: The title was again bestowed upon George Townshend, 17th Baron Ferrers of Chartley and 8th Baron Compton, eldest son and heir apparent of George Townshend, 4th Viscount Townshend, later the first Marquess Townshend. Townshend was a female-line great-great-great-grandson of Lady Lucy Sydney, daughter of the second Earl of the 1618 creation. The earldom became extinct yet again upon the death of his son, the third Marquess and second Earl, in 1855 (the marquessate was passed on to a cousin and is extant).


title: Earl of Leicester

text: The Coke family is descended from the noted judge and politician Sir Edward Coke, Lord Chief Justice from 1613 to 1616. Through his son Henry Coke, his great-great-great-grandson Thomas Coke was a landowner, politician and patron of arts. In 1728 he was raised to the Peerage of Great Britain as Baron Lovel, of Minster Lovel in the County of Oxford, and in 1744 he was created Viscount Coke, of Holkham in the County of Norfolk, and Earl of Leicester, also in the Peerage of Great Britain. Lord Leicester began the construction of Holkham Hall in Norfolk. He married Lady Margaret Tufton, 19th Baroness de Clifford (1700—1775) (see the Baron de Clifford for earlier history of this title). Their only child Edward Coke, Viscount Coke, predeceased both his parents, without issue. Consequently, Lord Leicester's titles became extinct on his death in 1759 while the barony of de Clifford fell into abeyance on Lady de Clifford's death in 1775.


title: Earl of Leicester

text: The Coke estates were passed on to the late Earl's nephew Wenman Coke. Born Wenman Roberts, he was the son of Philip Roberts and Anne, sister of Lord Leicester, and assumed the surname of Coke in lieu of Roberts. His son Thomas Coke was a politician and noted agriculturalist. Known as "Coke of Norfolk", he sat as a Member of Parliament for many years but is best remembered for his interest in agricultural improvements and is seen as one of the instigators of the British Agricultural Revolution. In 1837 the titles held by his great-uncle were revived when Coke was raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Viscount Coke and Earl of Leicester, of Holkham in the County of Norfolk. This was despite the fact that the 1784 creation of the earldom held by the Townshend family was then still extant (then "usurped" by John Dunn-Gardner), hence the territorial designation "of Holkham". Lord Leicester was succeeded by his eldest son from his second marriage, the second Earl. He served as Lord-Lieutenant of Norfolk for sixty years and was made a Knight of the Garter in 1873.


title: Earl of Leicester

text: On his death in 1909 the titles passed to his eldest son, the third Earl. He was a colonel in the 2nd Battalion of the Scots Guards and also served as Lord-Lieutenant of Norfolk. He was succeeded by his eldest son, the fourth Earl in 1944. He was also Lord-Lieutenant of Norfolk. His younger son, David Arthur Coke was a friend of the author Roald Dahl but was killed in action during the second world war in December 1941. When he (fourth Earl) died the titles passed to his eldest son, the fifth Earl, in 1949. He was an Extra Equerry to both George VI and Elizabeth II. He died without male issue and was succeeded by his first cousin, the sixth Earl in 1976. He was the son of the Hon. Arthur George Coke, second son of the third Earl. Upon his death in 1994, his son became the 7th Earl of Leicester. the titles are held by his son Thomas Edward Coke, the eighth Earl, who succeeded in that year.


title: Earl of Leicester

text: The family seat is Holkham Hall, near Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk. The traditional burial place of the Coke family is a plot situated on the south side of the churchyard of the Holkham parish church of St Withburga. A family mausoleum was built in the same churchyard in the 1870s, but was later abandoned. Many members of the Coke family during the post-medieval period were also buried in St. Mary's Church, Tittleshall.


title: Camp Nowhere

text: Camp Nowhere is a 1994 American adventure comedy film directed by Jonathan Prince, written by Andrew Kurtzman and Eliot Wald, and stars Christopher Lloyd, Jonathan Jackson and Jessica Alba in her film debut.


title: Camp Nowhere

text: 12-year-old Morris "Mud" Himmel has a problem: his parents want to send him away to a summer computer camp. He hates going to summer camp and will do anything to get out of it. Talking to his friends, he realizes that they are all facing the same sentence of going to a boring summer camp. Together, they hatch a plan to create their own summer camp with no parents, no counselors, and no rules. Word gets out and other kids soon want to join the made-up summer camp. Mud decides to blackmail former drama teacher Dennis Van Welker into helping; he had bought an AMC Gremlin and failed to make most of the payments and is being pursued by soon-to-retire collector T.R. Polk, and agrees to help them in return for $1,000 and after they threaten to turn him in if he doesn't help.


title: Camp Nowhere

text: With Dennis' help, the kids trick all the parents into sending them to the camp, and then rent an old campground (that used to be a hippie commune back in the 1960s and '70s) with a cabin on a lake. Some parents believe it is a computer camp, while others believe it is a fat camp, military camp, or an acting camp. The kids use the money their parents had paid for camp to buy toys and food. After a little while, they get bored and wonder if they should just return home. Mud goes to Dennis for help, and with a bribe, he soon finds ways to keep things interesting and help them continue to have fun.


title: Camp Nowhere

text: Eventually, the parents want to come visit their kids despite being told that there are no parents' days. Mud makes a plan to trick them and, along with his friends, they keep the camp concealed. In a matter of hours, they fix it up and set up different scenarios representing the different camps (fat camp, computer camp, military camp, etc.) Their plan works and the parents don't suspect a thing. T.R. Polk then meets a state trooper who was also seeking Dennis, and they find their way into the camp and catch him. The police are called and Mud finds Dennis running away from the authorities. Mud is confronted by the police and protects Dennis from them, but soon after Dennis turns himself in. Mud confesses and explains that the whole thing was his idea, and uses the rest of the money to settle Dennis' debt with T.R. Polk, who'll retire with a perfect record. The other kids in a show of solidarity also claim responsibility and therefore all the parents refuse to press charges. Dennis gets off the hook and the kids leave for home, having had the greatest summer of their lives. Mostly Mudd is punished by his parents because of this scheme.


title: Camp Nowhere

text: On Rotten Tomatoes the film has a score of 17% based on reviews from 12 critics. Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "B" on scale of A to F.


title: Camp Nowhere

text: Janet Maslin of "The New York Times" gave the film a positive review. Maslin thought it could have been predictable and awful but that it had "a funny screenplay", "good-humored direction", and "a nice young cast" who "have television experience, and they bring a sturdy, no-frills professionalism to their roles".


title: Camp Nowhere

text: Hal Hinson of "The Washington Post" gave it a positive review, and wrote: "Instead of the usual coming-of-age coarseness, this celebration of kid power is a rather tame affair. It's sweet, likable and even vaguely hip."


title: Camp Nowhere

text: Brian Baker of the "Austin Chronicle" gave it 2 out of 5, and was critical of the plot. He says "It depends mostly on Lloyd's crazy characters to hold the narrative together and that works for a brief moment early in the film" and that "No kid is going to buy into a movie that revolves around a geek who isn't a geek and a fat girl who isn't fat."


title: Camp Nowhere

text: Chris Hicks of the Deseret News wrote: "The youngsters in the cast are appealing and the film is amusing, though it never quite builds up the head of steam it seems to be aiming for."


title: Camp Nowhere

text: "Camp Nowhere" was released on VHS on June 6, 1995, and released on DVD August 5, 2003. Mill Creek Entertainment released the film on Blu-ray on October 11, 2011. Kino Lorber released the film on DVD and Blu-ray April 17, 2018.


title: Jonathan D. Gray

text: Jonathan D. Gray (born February 4, 1970) is an American billionaire businessman and the president and chief operating officer of Blackstone Group, a New York-based asset management firm. He is also chairman of Hilton Worldwide.


title: Jonathan D. Gray

text: Gray was born in Highland Park, Illinois to a Jewish family. His father Allen Gray owned a small auto parts manufacturer on the West Side of Chicago (coincidentally named "Blackstone Manufacturing"); his mother Susan, remarried to his stepfather James Florsheim, ran a catering business. His parents divorced when he was young. In 1992, Gray graduated from the University of Pennsylvania "magna cum laude" with a B.A. in English from the School of Arts & Sciences and a B.S. from the Wharton School. He was elected Phi Beta Kappa.


title: Jonathan D. Gray

text: In 1992, Gray joined Blackstone's mergers and acquisitions and private equity group, and joined its newly formed real estate private equity group the following year. He became co-head of the real estate group in 2005 and global head of real estate in 2011, overseeing a portfolio of hotel, office, retail, industrial, and residential properties in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.


title: Jonathan D. Gray

text: Gray led Blackstone's LBO of Hilton Hotels, which became the most profitable private equity real estate deal ever, earning $14 billion for the firm's investors. Gray continues to act as Chairman of the Board of Hilton Worldwide, which went public in December 2013.


title: Jonathan D. Gray

text: Gray was named in Fortune's "40 under 40," in 2009. In 2016, he ranked #1 on Commercial Observer's "Power 100" ranking of the most powerful people in New York City real estate.


title: Jonathan D. Gray

text: In 2013, Gray helped create a business venture through Blackstone called Invitation Homes to buy foreclosed single-family houses and turn them into rentals. The Wall Street Journal reported that Gray went on the “biggest home buying spree in history” after the foreclosure crisis, spending $10billion in the company's first four years. The firm would later come under criticism for its business model, and US Senator Elizabeth Warren criticized Blackstone for "shamelessly" profiting from the 2008 housing crisis.


title: Jonathan D. Gray

text: In February 2018, it was announced that Gray would become president and chief operating officer of Blackstone, replacing Hamilton "Tony" James.


title: Jonathan D. Gray

text: Gray is scheduled to speak at the November 2022 Global Financial Leaders' Investment Summit, with the Hong Kong Democracy Council claiming that his presence, along with other financial executives, legitimizes the Hong Kong government's whitewashing of the erosion of freedoms in the city. In the report published by the HKDC, it listed Gray and said his "Participation constitutes support for the regime and collusion with it." The attendance of US financial executives drew heavy criticism from US lawmakers; Representative Chris Smith said that companies "that trumpet their so-called 'Environmental, Social and Governance Principles' at home are quick to discard these 'values' for a chance to make a profit from China." Representative Blaine Luetkemeyer said of Lee that "American executives attending an event with the CCP's so-called enforcer makes a person question whether human rights are a real concern." Representative Lance Gooden said "The hypocrisy is staggering and every financial institution enabling China's atrocities should be ashamed." On 27 October 2022, two more US lawmakers urged the US financial executives to cancel their attendance to the Summit, with Senator Jeff Merkley and Representative Jim McGovern of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China saying "Their presence only serves to legitimize the swift dismantling of Hong Kong's autonomy, free press, and the rule of law by Hong Kong authorities acting along with the Chinese Communist Party." Representative Smith also warned that "Examining U.S. corporate complicity in China's repression will be a top oversight item in the next Congress." On 22 October 2022, "The Wall Street Journal" released an article by its editorial board in its printed edition, titled "Wall Street and Hong Kong's Strongman," mentioning Gray's name, and saying that "These executives may feel they have assets to protect in the city, but by kowtowing to Mr. Lee they are doing their reputations, and that of their companies, no good."


title: Jonathan D. Gray

text: In 2016, it was reported that Gray was under consideration as Treasury Secretary for the incoming presidential administration of Donald Trump. Gray's boss and Trump's friend Stephen A. Schwarzman quickly dismissed the idea that a slot in a Republican cabinet would be offered to a Democratic supporter like Gray. Gray withdrew his name from consideration and Steven Mnuchin was eventually nominated and confirmed.


title: Jonathan D. Gray

text: Gray has been a major Democratic donor, backing Hillary Clinton in 2016 and several Democratic presidential candidates in the 2020 election


title: Jonathan D. Gray

text: The Gray Foundation was launched in 2014, focusing on inherited BRCA mutations and increasing access to education and healthcare for low-income youth in New York City.


title: Jonathan D. Gray

text: As of 2018, Gray had donated $120 million in his lifetime. In 2018, he gave $23 million, ranking #49 on Forbes' America's Top 50 Givers.


title: Jonathan D. Gray

text: The Grays have donated over $150 million to BRCA cancer research. In May 2012, Gray and his wife, Mindy Gray, founded the Basser Research Center, named in honor of Mindy's sister, Faith Basser, who died of ovarian cancer at age 44. The Grays donated $25million to create the Basser Research Center, which focuses on cancer prevention, treatment, and research of BRCA-related, genetically-inherited cancers. This donation also established the Basser Global Prize, honoring cutting-edge cancer research. In January 2014, the Basser Research Center announced an additional $5million gift from the couple to fund an external research grant program. Town & Country (magazine) noted this work in its "Top Philanthropists of 2016" feature, in which the Grays were included.


title: Jonathan D. Gray

text: In May 2017, the Grays announced they would be donating $21million to the Basser Center for BRCA at the University of Pennsylvania, bringing their total pledges to the initiative to $55million. In July 2019, it was announced that the Grays would donate a further $25million for research on pernicious genetic mutations that can lead to breast and ovarian cancer.


title: Jonathan D. Gray

text: In October 2022, the Grays announced a gift of $55 million to establish the Basser Cancer Interception Institute as part of the Basser Center for BRCA. The new institute will look for innovative ways to detect and treat BRCA-related cancers before surgery, radiation or chemotherapy become the necessary treatment. This donation brings their total giving to the University of Pennsylvania to over $125 million.


title: Jonathan D. Gray

text: In November 2016, "The New York Times" reported on a $10million donation from the Grays to finance a pilot program that creates college savings accounts for thousands of New York City public school kindergartners. Gray serves on the board of The Trinity School, as well as on the board of Harlem Village Academies, a group of charter schools in New York City. Gray recently donated $10million to purchase a building in northern Manhattan which will serve as the organization's second elementary school. In 2019, the Gray’s announced a $10 million gift to support first-generation, low-income students attending the University of Pennsylvania. In 2021 the Gray Foundation contributed $15 million to a program that opens a college savings account with $100 for every child enrolled in New York City public kindergartens.


title: Jonathan D. Gray

text: In 1995, Gray married Mindy Basser at Temple Beth Zion Israel in Philadelphia; the ceremony was officiated by Rabbi Ira F. Stone. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and their four daughters, Margo, Emma, Stella, and Tess. In August 2013, Bloomberg estimated his net worth at just over $1.0billion due to his owning 40.6million Blackstone shares valued at $913million combined with over $120million in bonuses and salary.


title: Hard candy

text: A hard candy (American English), or boiled sweet (British English), is a sugar candy prepared from one or more sugar-based syrups that is heated to a temperature of 160 °C (320 °F) to make candy. Among the many hard candy varieties are stick candy such as the candy cane, lollipops, rock, aniseed twists, and "bêtises de Cambrai". "Boiled" is a misnomer, as sucrose (a disaccharide) melts fully at approximately 186 °C. Further heating breaks it into glucose and fructose molecules before it can vaporize.


title: Hard candy

text: Most hard candy is nearly 100% sugar by weight, with a tiny amount of other ingredients for color or flavor, and negligible water content in the final product. Recipes for hard candy may use syrups of sucrose, glucose, fructose or other sugars. Sugar-free versions have also been created.


title: Hard candy

text: Recipes for hard candy use a sugar syrup, such as sucrose, glucose or fructose. This is heated to a particular temperature, at which point the candy maker removes it from the heat source and may add citric acid, food dye, and some flavouring, such as a plant extract, essential oil, or flavourant. The syrup concoction, which is now very thick, can be poured into a mold or tray to cool, or a cooling table in case of industrial mass production. When the syrup is cool enough to handle, it can be folded, rolled, or molded into the shapes desired. After the boiled syrup cools, it is called "hard candy", since it becomes stiff and brittle as it approaches room temperature.


title: Hard candy

text: Chemically, sugar candies are broadly divided into two groups: crystalline candies and amorphous candies. "Crystalline candies" are not as hard as crystals of the mineral variety, but derive their name and their texture from their microscopically organized sugar structure, formed through a process of crystallization, which makes them easy to bite or cut into. "Amorphous candies" have a disorganized crystalline structure. Hard candies are non-crystalline, amorphous candies containing about 98% (or more) solid sugar.


title: Hard candy

text: Hard candies are historically associated with cough drops. The extended flavor release of lozenge-type candy, which mirrors the properties of modern cough drops, had long been appreciated. Many apothecaries used sugar candy to make their prescriptions more palatable to their customers.


title: Hard candy

text: They are also carried by people with hypoglycemia to quickly raise their low blood sugar level which, when untreated, can sometimes lead to fainting and other physical complications, and are used as part of diabetic management.


title: Hard candy

text: Hard candies and throat lozenges prepared without sugar employ isomalt as a sugar substitute, and are sweetened further by the addition of an artificial sweetener, such as aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, or a sugar alcohol, such as xylitol.


title: Pan Am Flight 214

text: Pan Am Flight 214 was a scheduled flight of Pan American World Airways from Isla Verde International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Friendship Airport in Baltimore and Philadelphia International Airport. On December 8, 1963, the Boeing 707-121 serving the flight crashed near Elkton, Maryland, while flying from Baltimore to Philadelphia, after being hit by lightning. All 81 occupants of the plane were killed. The crash was Pan Am's first fatal accident with the 707, which it had introduced to its fleet five years earlier.


title: Pan Am Flight 214

text: An investigation by the Civil Aeronautics Board concluded that the cause of the crash was a lightning strike that had ignited fuel vapors in one of the aircraft's fuel tanks, causing an explosion that destroyed one of the wings. The exact manner of ignition was never determined, but the investigation yielded information about how lightning can damage aircraft, leading to new safety regulations. The crash also spawned research into the safety of various types of aviation fuel and into methods of reducing dangerous fuel-tank vapors.


title: Pan Am Flight 214

text: Pan Am Flight 214 was a regularly scheduled flight from Isla Verde International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Philadelphia International Airport, with a scheduled stopover at Baltimore's Friendship Airport. It operated three times a week as the counterpart to Flight 213, which flew from Philadelphia to San Juan via Baltimore earlier the same day. Flight 214 left San Juan at 4:10pm. Eastern time with 140 passengers and eight crew members, and arrived in Baltimore at 7:10pm. The crew did not report any maintenance issues or problems during the flight. After 67 passengers disembarked in Baltimore, the aircraft departed at 8:24pm with its remaining 73 passengers for the final leg to Philadelphia International Airport.


title: Pan Am Flight 214

text: As the flight approached Philadelphia, the pilots made radio contact with air traffic control near Philadelphia at 8:42pm. The controller informed the pilots that the airport was experiencing a line of thunderstorms in the vicinity, accompanied by strong winds and turbulence. The controller asked whether the pilots wanted to proceed directly to the airport or to enter a holding pattern to wait for the storm to pass. The crew elected to remain at in a holding pattern with five other aircraft. The controller told the pilots that the delay would last about 30minutes. Heavy rain was falling in the holding area, with frequent lightning and gusts of wind up to .


title: Pan Am Flight 214

text: At 8:58pm, the aircraft exploded. The pilots were able to transmit a final message: "MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY. Clipper 214 out of control. Here we go." Seconds later, the first officer of National Airlines Flight 16, holding higher in the same holding pattern, radioed, "Clipper 214 is going down in flames." The aircraft crashed at 8:59pm in a corn field east of Elkton, Maryland, near the Delaware Turnpike, setting the rain-soaked field on fire. The aircraft was completely destroyed, and all of the occupants were killed.


title: Pan Am Flight 214

text: The aircraft was the first Pan Am jet to crash in the five years since the company had introduced their jet fleet.


title: Pan Am Flight 214

text: A Maryland state trooper who had been patrolling on Route 213 radioed an alert as he drove toward the crash site, east of Elkton near the state line. The trooper was first to arrive at the crash site and later stated, "It wasn’t a large fire. It was several smaller fires. A [portion of] fuselage with about 8 or 10 window frames was about the only large recognizable piece I could see when I pulled up. It was just a debris field. It didn’t resemble an airplane. The engines were buried in the ground from the force of the impact."


title: Pan Am Flight 214

text: Firefighters and police officers soon recognized that little could be done other than to extinguish the fires and to begin collecting bodies. The wreckage was engulfed in intense fires that burned for more than four hours. First responders and police from across the county, along with men from the United States Naval Training Center Bainbridge, assisted with the recovery. They patrolled the area with flares and set up searchlights to define the accident scene and to ensure that the debris and human remains were undisturbed by curious spectators.


title: Pan Am Flight 214

text: Remains of the victims were brought to the National Guard Armory in Philadelphia, where a temporary morgue was created. Relatives came to the armory, but officials said it would not be possible to visually identify any of the victims. The state medical examiner needed nine days to complete identifications, using fingerprints, dental records, and nearby personal effects. In some cases, the team reconstructed the victims' faces to the extent possible using mannequins.


title: Pan Am Flight 214

text: The main impact crater contained most of the aircraft's fuselage, the left inner wing, the left main gear, and the nose gear. Portions of the plane's right wing and fuselage, right main landing gear, horizontal and vertical tail surfaces, and two of the engines were found within of the crater. A trail of debris from the plane extended as far as from the point of impact. The complete left wingtip was found nearly from the crash site. Parts of the wreckage ripped a hole in a country road, shattered windows in a nearby home, and spread burning jet fuel across a wide area.


title: Pan Am Flight 214

text: The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) was notified of the accident and was dispatched from Washington, D.C., to conduct an investigation. Witnesses of the crash described hearing the explosion and seeing the plane in flames as it descended. Of the 140 witnesses interviewed, 99 reported seeing an aircraft or a flaming object in the sky. Seven witnesses stated that they had seen lightning strike the aircraft. Seventy-two witnesses said that the ball of fire occurred at the same time as, or immediately after, the lightning strike. Twenty-three witnesses reported that the aircraft exploded after they had seen it ablaze.


title: Pan Am Flight 214

text: The aircraft was a Boeing 707-121 registered with tail number N709PA. Named the "Clipper Tradewind", it was the oldest aircraft in the U.S. commercial jet fleet at the time of the crash. It had been delivered to Pan Am on October 27, 1958, and had flown a total of 14,609 hours. It was powered by four Pratt & Whitney JT3C-6 turbojet engines, and its estimated value was $3,400,000 ().


title: Pan Am Flight 214

text: In 1959, the aircraft had been involved in an incident in which the right outboard engine was torn from the wing during a training flight in France. The plane entered a sudden spin during a demonstration of the aircraft's minimum control speed, and the aerodynamic forces caused the engine to break away. The pilot regained control of the aircraft and landed safely in London using the remaining three engines. The detached engine fell into a field on a farm southwest of Paris, where the flight had originated, with no injuries.


title: Pan Am Flight 214

text: The plane carried 73 passengers, who all died in the crash. All the passengers were residents of the United States.


title: Pan Am Flight 214

text: The pilot was George F. Knuth, 45, of Long Island. He had flown for Pan Am for 22 years and had accumulated 17,049 hours of flying experience, including 2,890 in the Boeing 707. He had been involved in another incident in 1949, when as pilot of Pan Am Flight 100, a Lockheed Constellation in flight over Port Washington, New York, a Cessna 140 single-engined airplane crashed into his plane. The two occupants of the Cessna were killed, but Captain Knuth was able to land safely with no injuries to his crew or passengers.


title: Pan Am Flight 214

text: The first officer was John R. Dale, 48, also of Long Island. He had a total of 13,963 hours of flying time, of which 2,681 were in the Boeing 707. The second officer was Paul L. Orringer, age 42, of New Rochelle, New York. He had 10,008 hours of flying experience, including 2,808 in Boeing 707 aircraft. The flight engineer was John R. Kantlehner of Long Island. He had a total flying time of 6,066 hours, including 76 hours in the Boeing 707.


title: Pan Am Flight 214

text: The CAB assigned more than a dozen investigators within an hour of the crash. The CAB team was assisted by investigators from the Boeing Company, Pan Am, the Air Line Pilots Association, Pratt & Whitney, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA). The costs of the CAB's investigations rarely exceeded $10,000, but the agency would spend about $125,000 investigating this crash (), not including the money spent by Boeing, the FAA, Pratt & Whitney, and other aircraft-part suppliers during additional investigations.


title: Pan Am Flight 214

text: Initial theories of the cause of the crash focused on the possibility that the plane had experienced severe turbulence in flight that caused a fuel tank or fuel line to rupture, leading to an in-flight fire from leaking fuel. U.S. House Representative Samuel S. Stratton of Schenectady, New York, sent a telegram to the FAA urging them to restrict jet operations in turbulent weather, but the FAA responded that it saw no pattern that suggested the need for such restrictions, and Boeing concurred. Other theories included sabotage or lightning, but by nightfall after the first day, investigators had not found evidence of either. Some speculation arose that metal fatigue as a result of the aircraft's 1959 incident could be a factor, but the aircraft had undergone four separate maintenance overhauls since the accident without any issues having been detected.


title: Pan Am Flight 214

text: Investigators rapidly located the flight data recorder, but it was badly damaged in the crash. Built to withstand an impact 100 times as strong as the force of gravity (g), it had been subjected to a force of 200 g, and its tape appeared to be hopelessly damaged. CAB chairman Alan S. Boyd told reporters shortly after the accident, "It was so compacted there is no way to tell at this time whether we can derive any useful information from it." Eventually, investigators were able to extract data from 95% of the tape that had been in the recorder.


title: Pan Am Flight 214

text: The recovery of the wreckage took place over a period of 12 days, and 16 truckloads of the debris were taken to Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, DC, for investigators to examine and reassemble. Investigators revealed that a fire had occurred in flight, and one commented that it was nearly certain that an in-flight explosion of some kind had occurred. Eyewitness testimony later confirmed that the plane had been burning on its way down to the crash site.


title: Pan Am Flight 214

text: Within days, investigators reported that the crash had apparently been caused by an explosion that had blown off one of the wing tips. The wing tip had been found about from the crash site bearing burn marks and bulging from an apparent internal explosive force. Remnants of of the wing tip had been found at various points along the flight path short of the impact crater. Investigators revealed that rough turbulence was unlikely to have caused the crash because the crews of other aircraft that had been circling in the area reported that the air was relatively smooth at the time. They also said that the plane would have had to dive a considerable distance before aerodynamic forces would have caused it to break up and explode, but the aircraft apparently had caught fire close to its cruising altitude of 5,000 feet.


title: Pan Am Flight 214

text: Before this flight, lightning had not been known to cause a plane to crash, despite many instances of planes being struck. Typically, an airplane is struck by lightning once or twice a year in normal operations. Scientists and airline industry representatives vigorously disputed the theory that lightning could have caused the aircraft to explode, calling it improbable. The closest example of such an instance occurred near Milan, Italy in June 1959, when a Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation crashed as a result of static electricity igniting fuel vapor emanating from the fuel vents. Despite the opposition, investigators found multiple lightning strike marks on the left wing tip, and a large area of damage that extended along the rear edge of the wing, leading investigators to conclude that lightning was indeed the cause. The CAB launched an urgent research program in an attempt to identify conditions in which fuel vapors in the wings could have been ignited by lightning. Within a week of the crash, the FAA issued an order requiring the installation of static electricity dischargers on the approximately 100 Boeing jet airliners that had not already been so equipped. Aviation industry representatives were critical of the order, countering that there was no evidence that the dischargers would have any beneficial effect since they were not designed to handle the effects of lightning. They said that the order would create a false impression that the risk of lightning strikes had been resolved.


title: Pan Am Flight 214

text: The CAB conducted a public hearing in Philadelphia in February 1964 as part of its investigation. Experts had still not concluded that lightning had caused the accident, but they were investigating how lightning could have triggered the explosion. The FAA said that it would conduct research to determine the relative safety of the two types of jet fuel used in the United States, both of which were present in the fuel tanks of Flight 214. Criticism of the JP-4 jet fuel that was in the tanks centered around the fact that its vapors can be easily ignited at the low temperatures encountered in flight. JP-4 advocates countered that the fuel was as safe, or safer than, kerosene, the other fuel used in jets at the time.


title: Pan Am Flight 214

text: Pan Am conducted a flight test in a Boeing 707 to investigate whether fuel could leak from the tank-venting system during a test flight that attempted to simulate moderate to rough turbulence in flight. The test did not reveal any fuel discharge, but some evidence showed that fuel had entered the vent system, collected in the surge tanks, and returned to the tanks. Pan Am said that it would test a new system to inject inert gas into the air spaces above the fuel tanks in aircraft in an attempt to reduce the risk of hazardous fuel-air mixtures that could ignite.


title: Pan Am Flight 214

text: On March 3, 1965, the CAB released its final accident report. The investigators concluded that a lightning strike had ignited the fuel-air mixture in the number-one reserve fuel tank, which had caused an explosive disintegration of the left outer wing, leading to a loss of control. Despite one of the most intensive research efforts in its history, the agency could not identify the exact mechanics of the fuel ignition, concluding that lightning had ignited vapors through an as-yet unknown pathway. The board said, "It is felt that the current state of the art does not permit an extension of test results to unqualified conclusions of all aspects of natural lightning effects. The need for additional research is recognized and additional programming is planned."


title: Pan Am Flight 214

text: The crash of Pan Am Flight 214 called attention to previously unknown risks to aircraft from lightning strikes. One month after the crash, the FAA formed a technical committee on lightning protection for fuel systems, including experts from the FAA, CAB, other government agencies and lightning experts. The committee agreed to conduct both long-range and short-range studies of the impact of lightning on aircraft fuel systems, and potential measures to defeat such hazards. In 1967, the FAA updated airworthiness standards for transport-category airplanes with requirements that fuel systems must be designed to prevent the ignition of fuel vapor within the system by lightning strikes, and published guidance related to that requirement. Additional requirements to protect the aircraft from lightning were enacted in 1970.


title: Pan Am Flight 214

text: Many aircraft-design improvements emerged as a result of the new guidelines and regulations. New regulations mandated the electrical bonding between the surface of the aircraft and any items that are installed on the surface of the wings near the tanks, such as fuel filler caps, drain valves, and access panels. Fuel-vent flame arrestors were added to aircraft to detect and discharge fire suppressant to extinguish fuel vapors that ignite at fuel-vent outlets. Passive flame arrestors were also added to internal vent pipes to help extinguish any flames that make it past the first stage arrestors. The thickness of the aluminum surfaces of aircraft wings was increased to reduce the potential for lightning to completely melt through a wing surface into the wing's internal components.


title: Vergina

text: Vergina (, "Vergína" ) is a small town in northern Greece, part of Veria municipality in Imathia, Central Macedonia. Vergina was established in 1922 in the aftermath of the population exchanges after the Treaty of Lausanne and was a separate municipality until 2011, when it was merged with Veroia under the Kallikratis Plan.


title: Vergina

text: Vergina is best known as the site of ancient Aigai (Αἰγαί, "Aigaí", Latinized: "Aegae"), the first capital of Macedon. In 336 BC Philip II was assassinated in Aigai's theatre and his son, Alexander the Great, was proclaimed king. In 1977, the burial sites of several kings of Macedon were uncovered, including the tomb of Philip II which had not been disturbed or looted, unlike so many of the other tombs there. The ancient town was also the site of an extensive royal palace. The archaeological museum of Vergina was built to house all the artifacts found at the site and is one of the most important museums in Greece.


title: Vergina

text: Aigai has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status as "an exceptional testimony to a significant development in European civilization, at the transition from classical city-state to the imperial structure of the Hellenistic and Roman periods".


title: Vergina

text: From 1000 BC the area within 7 km of the later city was already intensively occupied by villages forming an important population centre, as shown by archaeology since 1995, and similar to other ancient Greek cities' development.


title: Vergina

text: In the 7th century BC, the Temenids' dominance led to the Macedonians expanding and subduing local populations until the end of the 6th century BC, and establishing the dynasty at Aigai.


title: Vergina

text: Ancient sources give conflicting accounts of the origins of the Argead dynasty. Alexander I is the first truly historic figure and, based on the line of succession, the beginnings of the Macedonian dynasty have been traditionally dated to 750 BC. Herodotus says that the Argead dynasty was an ancient Greek royal house led by Perdiccas I who fled from Argos in about 650 BC.


title: Vergina

text: "Aigai" is the name of several ancient cities (see Aegean Sea#Etymology), derived from the name of a legendary founder, Aegeus, but also etymologized as "city of goats" (from αἴξ, "aíks", "goat") by Diodorus Siculus, who reports it was named so by Perdiccas I who was advised by the Pythian priestess to build the capital city of his kingdom where goats led him.


title: Vergina

text: From archaeology it now seems certain that Aigai developed and remained until the end an organized collection of villages and without a regular plan spatially representing the aristocratic structure of tribes centred on the power of the king. Indeed, Aigai never became a large city and most of its inhabitants lived in surrounding villages. The walled "asty" (acropolis) was built at the centre of Aigai.


title: Vergina

text: From Aigai the Macedonians spread to the central part of Macedonia and displaced the local population of Pierians.


title: Vergina

text: From 513 to 480 BC Aigai was part of the Persian Empire, but Amyntas I managed to keep its relative independence, avoid satrapy and extend its possessions. In the first half of the 5th century BC Aigai became the capital of Macedonia, the most important northern Hellenic state. Life reached unseen levels of luxury and to meet the needs of the court merchants from all over the ancient world brought to Aigai valuable goods including perfume, carved ornaments and jewellery. The city wall was built in the 5th century, probably by Perdiccas II. At the end of the 5th century Archelaus I brought to his court artists, poets, and philosophers from all over the Greek world; for example, it was at Aigai that Euripides wrote and presented his last tragedies.


title: Vergina

text: At the beginning of the 4th century BC, Archelaus transferred the Macedonian capital northeast to Pella on the central Macedonian plain.


title: Vergina

text: Nevertheless, Aegae retained its role as the sacred city of the Macedonian kingdom, the site of the traditional cult centres, a royal palace and the royal tombs. For this reason it was here that Philip II was attending the wedding of his daughter Cleopatra to King Alexander of Epirus when he was murdered by one of his bodyguard in the theatre.


title: Vergina

text: His was the most lavish funeral ceremony of historic times held in Greece. Laid on an elaborate gold and ivory deathbed wearing his precious golden oak wreath, the king was surrendered, like a new Hercules, to the funeral pyre.


title: Vergina

text: The bitter struggles between the heirs of Alexander in the 3rd century adversely affected the city; in 276 BC Gallic mercenaries of Pyrrhus plundered many of the tombs.


title: Vergina

text: After the overthrow of the Macedonian kingdom by the Romans in 168 BC, both old and new capitals were destroyed, the walls pulled down and all buildings burned. In the 1st century AD, a landslide destroyed what had been rebuilt (excavations establish that parts were still inhabited then).


title: Vergina

text: In the 2nd to 5th centuries AD the population gradually moved down from the foothills of the Pierian range to the plain, and all that remained was a small settlement whose name alone Palatitsia (palace) indicated its former importance.


title: Vergina

text: The modern settlement of Vergina was established in 1922, between two preexisting villages, "Kutlesh" (Κούτλες, "Koútles") and "Barbes" (Μπάρμπες, "Bármpes"), formerly part of the Ottoman Beylik of Palatitsia. In the 19th century, both Kutlesh and Barbes were Greek villages in the Ber Kaza of the Ottoman Empire. Several inhabitants of the two villages took part in the Greek uprising of 1821. Alexander Sinve (Les Grecs de l'Empire Ottoman. Etude Statistique et Ethnographique) wrote in 1878 that 120 Greeks lived in Barbas. According to the statistics of Vasil Kanchov ("Macedonia. Ethnography and Statistics"), in 1900, 60 Greek Christians lived in Kutlesh and 50 in Barbes. The town of Vergina was settled in the course of the population exchange between Greece and Turkey following the Treaty of Lausanne, by Greek families from Asia Minor. The name "Vergina" was a suggestion by the metropolitan of Veroia, chosen from a legendary queen Vergina (Bergina), who was said to have ruled somewhere north of the Haliacmon and to have had her summer palace near Palatitsia.


title: Vergina

text: Vergina was a separate municipality from 1922 until 2011, when it was incorporated into Veroia. The population of Vergina municipality as of 2011 was 2,464, of whom 1,242 lived in Vergina proper.


title: Vergina

text: Archaeologists were interested in the burial mounds around Vergina as early as the 1850s, supposing that the site of Aigai was in the vicinity. Excavations began in 1861 under the French archaeologist Léon Heuzey, sponsored by Napoleon III. Parts of a large building that was considered to be one of the palaces of Antigonus III Doson (263–221 BC), partly destroyed by fire, were discovered near Palatitsa, which preserved the memory of a palace in its modern name. However, the excavations had to be abandoned because of the risk of malaria. The excavator suggested that this was the site of the ancient city Valla, a view that prevailed until 1976.


title: Vergina

text: In 1937, the University of Thessaloniki resumed the excavations. More ruins of the ancient palace were found, but the excavations were abandoned on the outbreak of war with Italy in 1940. After the war the excavations were resumed, and during the 1950s and 1960s the rest of the royal capital was uncovered, including the theatre.


title: Vergina

text: The Greek archaeologist Manolis Andronikos became convinced that a hill called the "Great Tumulus" (Μεγάλη Τούμπα) concealed the tombs of the Macedonian kings. In 1977, Andronikos undertook a six-week dig at the Great Tumulus and found four buried tombs, two of which had never been disturbed. Andronikos claimed that these were the burial sites of the kings of Macedon, including the tomb of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great (Tomb II) and also of Alexander IV of Macedon, son of Alexander the Great and Roxana (Tomb III).


title: Vergina

text: This view was challenged by some archaeologists, but in 2010 research based on detailed study of the skeletons, vindicated Andronikos and supports the evidence of facial asymmetry caused by a possible trauma of the cranium of the male, evidence that is consistent with the history of Philip II. From 1987 the burial cluster of the queens was discovered including the tomb of Queen Eurydice. In March 2014, five more royal tombs were discovered in Vergina, possibly belonging to Alexander I of Macedon and his family or to the family of Cassander of Macedon. Some artifacts excavated at Vergina may be treated as influenced by Asian practices or even imported from Achaemenid Persia in late 6th and early 5th centuries BC, which is during the time Macedon was under the Persian sway.


title: Vergina

text: The museum of the tumulus of Philip II, which was inaugurated in 1993, was built over the tombs leaving them "in situ" and showing the tumulus as it was before the excavations. Inside the museum there are four tombs and one small temple, the "heroon" built as the temple for the burial cluster of Philip II. The two most important tombs (II and III) were not sacked and contained the main treasures of the museum. Tomb II of Philip II, the father of Alexander was discovered in 1977 and was separated in two rooms. The main room included a marble chest, and in it was the "larnax" made of 24-carat gold and weighing , embossed with the Vergina Sun symbol. Inside the golden larnax the bones of the dead were found and a golden wreath of 313 oak leaves and 68 acorns, weighing . In the room were also found the golden and ivory panoply of the dead, the richly carved burial bed on which he was laid and later burned and exquisite silver utensils for the funeral feast. Other magnificent items include several gold-adorned suits of armour, weapons and bronze funeral utensils.


title: Vergina

text: In the antechamber was another chest with another golden "larnax" containing the bones of a woman wrapped in a golden-purple cloth with a golden diadem decorated with flowers and enamel, indicating a queen (probably Philip's Thracian wife, Meda) who by tradition sacrificed herself at the funeral. Also included was another burial bed partially destroyed by the fire and on it a golden wreath representing leaves and flowers of myrtle. Above the Doric order entrance of the tomb is a magnificent wall painting measuring representing a hunting scene, believed to be the work of the celebrated Philoxenos of Eretria, and thought to show Philip and Alexander.


title: Vergina

text: Next to him in Tomb I a distinctive member of his family (probably Nicesipolis, another of his queens), was buried just a few years before in a cist grave, found unfortunately plundered. The only wall painting in the tomb pictures the Abduction of Persephone by the God of the Underworld, the silent Demeter and the three unprejudiced Fates with Hermes, the Guide of Souls, leading the way, and a scared nymph witnessing the horrifying event. This is a unique example of ancient painting, believed to be the work of the famous painter Nicomachus of Thebes, as well as one of the few surviving depictions of the ancient mystic views of afterlife.


title: Vergina

text: In 1978 Tomb III was discovered, also near the tomb of Philip, which is thought to belong to Alexander IV of Macedon, son of Alexander the Great, murdered 25 years after Philip's assassination. It is slightly smaller than Tomb II and was also not sacked. It was also arranged in two parts, but only the main room contained a cremated body. On a stone pedestal was found a fine silver hydria, which contained the cremated bones, and on it a golden oak wreath. There were also exquisite silver utensils and weaponry indicating royal status. A narrow frieze with a chariot race by a great painter decorated the walls of the tomb. The remains of a wooden mortuary couch adorned with gold and ivory is notable for an exquisite representation of Dionysos with a flute-player and a satyr.


title: Vergina

text: Tomb IV, discovered in 1980, had an impressive entrance with four Doric columns though is heavily damaged and may have contained valuable treasures. It was built in the 4th century BC and may have belonged to Antigonus II Gonatas.


title: Vergina

text: The great tumulus was constructed at the beginning of the third century BC (by Antigonos Gonatas) perhaps over smaller individual tumuli to protect the royal tombs from further pillaging after marauding Galati had looted and destroyed the cemetery. The hill material contained many earlier funeral stele.


title: Vergina

text: The most important building discovered is the monumental palace. Located on a plateau directly below the acropolis, this building of two or perhaps three stories is centred on a large open courtyard flanked by Doric colonnades. On the north side was a large gallery with a view of the stage of the neighboring theatre and the whole Macedonian plain. The palace was sumptuously decorated, with mosaic floors, painted plastered walls, and fine relief tiles. The masonry and architectural members were covered with high-quality marble stucco. Excavations have dated its construction to the reign of Philip II, even though he also had a palace in the capital, Pella. It has been suggested that the building was designed by the architect Pytheos of Priene, known for his work on the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus and for his views on urban planning and architectural proportions). The theatre, also from the second half of the 4th century BC, was closely associated with the palace.


title: Vergina

text: The cemetery of the tumuli extends for over and contains over 500 grave-mounds of significant wealth, some dating as early as the 11th century BC.


title: Vergina

text: To the north-west of the ancient city is the important group of tombs from the 6th and 5th centuries BC belonging to members of the Macedonian dynasty and their courts.


title: Vergina

text: The Cluster of the Queens includes cist and pit tombs dating to the Greco-Persian Wars era, two of which probably belong to the mother and spouse of Alexander I: the all golden "Lady of Aigai" and her female relative, in whose funeral at least twenty-six small terracotta statues. One from around 340 BC with an imposing marble throne is identified as that of Eurydice, mother of Philip II.


title: Vergina

text: The so-called "Ionic Tomb" or "Rhomaios's Tomb", named after its excavator, Konstantinos Rhomaios, is an elegant Macedonian tomb with an Ionic facade consisting of four engaged columns crowned by a painted floral frieze, now no longer visible because of weathering. It contained a marble throne with armrests supported by sphinxes.


title: Precision agriculture

text: Precision agriculture (PA) is a farming management concept based on observing, measuring and responding to inter and intra-field variability in crops. First conceptual work on PA and practical applications go back in the late 1980s. The goal of precision agriculture research is to define a decision support system (DSS) for whole farm management with the goal of optimizing returns on inputs while preserving resources.


title: Precision agriculture

text: Among these many approaches is a phytogeomorphological approach which ties multi-year crop growth stability/characteristics to topological terrain attributes. The interest in the phytogeomorphological approach stems from the fact that the geomorphology component typically dictates the hydrology of the farm field.


title: Precision agriculture

text: The practice of precision agriculture has been enabled by the advent of GPS and GNSS. The farmer's and/or researcher's ability to locate their precise position in a field allows for the creation of maps of the spatial variability of as many variables as can be measured (e.g. crop yield, terrain features/topography, organic matter content, moisture levels, nitrogen levels, pH, EC, Mg, K, and others). Similar data is collected by sensor arrays mounted on GPS-equipped combine harvesters. These arrays consist of real-time sensors that measure everything from chlorophyll levels to plant water status, along with multispectral imagery. This data is used in conjunction with satellite imagery by variable rate technology (VRT) including seeders, sprayers, etc. to optimally distribute resources. However, recent technological advances have enabled the use of real-time sensors directly in soil, which can wirelessly transmit data without the need of human presence.


title: Precision agriculture

text: Precision agriculture has also been enabled by unmanned aerial vehicles that are relatively inexpensive and can be operated by novice pilots. These agricultural drones can be equipped with multispectral or RGB cameras to capture many images of a field that can be stitched together using photogrammetric methods to create orthophotos. These multispectral images contain multiple values per pixel in addition to the traditional red, green blue values such as near infrared and red-edge spectrum values used to process and analyze vegetative indexes such as NDVI maps. These drones are capable of capturing imagery and providing additional geographical references such as elevation, which allows software to perform map algebra functions to build precise topography maps. These topographic maps can be used to correlate crop health with topography, the results of which can be used to optimize crop inputs such as water, fertilizer or chemicals such as herbicides and growth regulators through variable rate applications.


title: Precision agriculture

text: Precision agriculture is a key component of the third wave of modern agricultural revolutions. The first agricultural revolution was the increase of mechanized agriculture, from 1900 to 1930. Each farmer produced enough food to feed about 26 people during this time. The 1960s prompted the Green Revolution with new methods of genetic modification, which led to each farmer feeding about 156 people. It is expected that by 2050, the global population will reach about 9.6 billion, and food production must effectively double from current levels in order to feed every mouth. With new technological advancements in the agricultural revolution of precision farming, each farmer will be able to feed 265 people on the same acreage.


title: Precision agriculture

text: The first wave of the precision agricultural revolution came in the forms of satellite and aerial imagery, weather prediction, variable rate fertilizer application, and crop health indicators. The second wave aggregates the machine data for even more precise planting, topographical mapping, and soil data.


title: Precision agriculture

text: Prescriptive planting is a type of farming system that delivers data-driven planting advice that can determine variable planting rates to accommodate varying conditions across a single field, in order to maximize yield. It has been described as "Big Data on the farm." Monsanto, DuPont and others are launching this technology in the US.


title: Precision agriculture

text: Precision agriculture uses many tools but here are some of the basics: tractors, combines, sprayers, planters, diggers, which are all considered auto-guidance systems. The small devices on the equipment that uses GIS (geographic information system) are what makes precision ag what it is. You can think of the GIS system as the “brain.” To be able to use precision agriculture the equipment needs to be wired with the right technology and data systems. More tools include Variable rate technology (VRT), Global positioning system and Geographical information system, Grid sampling, and remote sensors.


title: Precision agriculture

text: Geolocating a field enables the farmer to overlay information gathered from analysis of soils and residual nitrogen, and information on previous crops and soil resistivity. Geolocation is done in two ways


title: Precision agriculture

text: Intra and inter-field variability may result from a number of factors. These include climatic conditions (hail, drought, rain, etc.), soils (texture, depth, nitrogen levels), cropping practices (no-till farming), weeds and disease.


title: Precision agriculture

text: Permanent indicators—chiefly soil indicators—provide farmers with information about the main environmental constants.


title: Precision agriculture

text: Point indicators allow them to track a crop's status, i.e., to see whether diseases are developing, if the crop is suffering from water stress, nitrogen stress, or lodging, whether it has been damaged by ice and so on.


title: Precision agriculture

text: This information may come from weather stations and other sensors (soil electrical resistivity, detection with the naked eye, satellite imagery, etc.).


title: Precision agriculture

text: Soil resistivity measurements combined with soil analysis make it possible to measure moisture content. Soil resistivity is also a relatively simple and cheap measurement.


title: Precision agriculture

text: Decisions may be based on decision-support models (crop simulation models and recommendation models) based on big data, but in the final analysis it is up to the farmer to decide in terms of business value and impacts on the environment- a role being takenover by artificial intelligence (AI) systems based on machine learning and artificial neural networks.


title: Precision agriculture

text: It is important to realize why PA technology is or is not adopted, "for PA technology adoption to occur the farmer has to perceive the technology as useful and easy to use. It might be insufficient to have positive outside data on the economic benefits of PA technology as perceptions of farmers have to reflect these economic considerations."


title: Precision agriculture

text: New information and communication technologies make field level crop management more operational and easier to achieve for farmers.


title: Precision agriculture

text: Application of crop management decisions calls for agricultural equipment that supports variable-rate technology (VRT), for example varying seed density along with variable-rate application (VRA) of nitrogen and phytosanitary products.


title: Precision agriculture

text: Precision agriculture uses technology on agricultural equipment (e.g. tractors, sprayers, harvesters, etc.):


title: Precision agriculture

text: The concept of precision agriculture first emerged in the United States in the early 1980s. In 1985, researchers at the University of Minnesota varied lime inputs in crop fields. It was also at this time that the practice of grid sampling appeared (applying a fixed grid of one sample per hectare). Towards the end of the 1980s, this technique was used to derive the first input recommendation maps for fertilizers and pH corrections. The use of yield sensors developed from new technologies, combined with the advent of GPS receivers, has been gaining ground ever since. Today, such systems cover several million hectares.


title: Precision agriculture

text: In the American Midwest (US), it is associated not with sustainable agriculture but with mainstream farmers who are trying to maximize profits by spending money only in areas that require fertilizer. This practice allows the farmer to vary the rate of fertilizer across the field according to the need identified by GPS guided Grid or Zone Sampling. Fertilizer that would have been spread in areas that don't need it can be placed in areas that do, thereby optimizing its use.


title: Precision agriculture

text: Around the world, precision agriculture developed at a varying pace. Precursor nations were the United States, Canada and Australia. In Europe, the United Kingdom was the first to go down this path, followed closely by France, where it first appeared in 1997-1998. In Latin America the leading country is Argentina, where it was introduced in the middle 1990s with the support of the National Agricultural Technology Institute. Brazil established a state-owned enterprise, Embrapa, to research and develop sustainable agriculture. The development of GPS and variable-rate spreading techniques helped to anchor precision farming management practices. Today, less than 10% of France's farmers are equipped with variable-rate systems. Uptake of GPS is more widespread, but this hasn't stopped them using precision agriculture services, which supplies field-level recommendation maps.


title: Precision agriculture

text: One third of the global population still relies on agriculture for a living. Although more advanced precision farming technologies require large upfront investments, farmers in developing countries are benefitting from mobile technology. This service assists farmers with mobile payments and receipts to improve efficiencies. For example, 30,000 farmers in Tanzania use mobile phones for contracts, payments, loans, and business organization.