Background.

In the 440s, the Vandal king Genseric and the Roman Emperor Valentinian III had betrothed their children, Huneric and Eudocia, to strengthen their alliance, reached in 442 with a peace treaty (the marriage was delayed as Eudocia was too young). In 455 Valentinian was killed, and Petronius Maximus rose to the throne. Petronius married Valentinian's widow, Licinia Eudoxia, and had his son Palladius marry Eudocia; in this way Petronius was to strengthen his bond with the Theodosian dynasty. Unhappy, however, with her husband's murder and the usurpation of Maximus, Eudoxia turned to aid from the Vandals to remove Maximus from his undeserved throne. The overture was favorably met, because Maximus' revolution was damaging to Genseric's ambitions. The king of the Vandals claimed that the broken betrothal between Huneric and Eudocia invalidated his peace treaty with Valentinian, and set sail to attack Rome, landing at Ostia at the mouth of the Tiber.

The sack.

Before approaching the city, the Vandals knocked down all of the city's aqueducts. At the sight of the approaching Vandals, Maximus and his soldiers tried to flee the city but he was spotted and killed by a Roman mob outside the city, possibly together with his son Palladius. Upon the Vandal arrival, according to the chronicler Prosper of Aquitaine, Pope Leo I requested that Genseric not destroy the ancient city nor murder its inhabitants. Genseric agreed and the gates of Rome were thrown open to him and his men.  While Genseric kept his promise not to burn the city and slaughter its inhabitants, he did carry some off to be slaves, and during that time Genseric managed to capture Empress Licinia Eudoxia, Valentinian's widow, and her daughters, Eudocia and Placidia as they tried to escape. Eudoxia and her children were the last of Rome's imperial family. Eudocia would later marry Huneric.

Aftermath.

It is accepted that Genseric looted great amounts of treasure from the city, damaging objects of cultural significance such as the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus by stripping away the gilt bronze roof tiles. There is, however, some debate over the severity of the Vandal sack. The sack of 455 is generally seen as being more thorough than the Visigothic sack of 410 because the Vandals plundered Rome for fourteen days whereas the Visigoths spent only three days in the city.

Interpretation.

A cause of significant controversy is the claim that the sack was relatively "clean", in that there was little murder and violence, and the Vandals did not burn the buildings of the city. This interpretation seems to stem from Prosper's claim that Pope Leo I managed to persuade Genseric to refrain from violence. However, Victor of Vita records that a number of shiploads of captives arrived in Africa from Rome, with the purpose of being sold into slavery. Similarly, the Byzantine historian Procopius reports that a church was burned down. Some modern historians like John Henry Haaren stated that temples, public buildings, private houses and even the emperor's palace were sacked. Besides taking many Romans as slaves, the Vandals also committed other depredations like taking immense quantities of gold, silver, jewels and furniture, destroying works of art, and killing a number of citizens.

The sack of 455 was the third of four ancient sacks of Rome; it was conducted by the Vandals, who were then at war with the usurping Western Roman Emperor Petronius Maximus.

Le sac de Rome de 455 est le deuxième des trois pillages que subit la Rome antique au moment des invasions barbares ; après les Wisigoths en 410 et avant les Ostrogoths en 546, le sac de 455 est l’œuvre des Vandales de Genséric, alors en guerre contre l’usurpateur Pétrone Maxime.


Background.

Collins reported loss of hearing in his right ear in 2000, and in 2003 announced a farewell tour. He called it the "First Final Farewell Tour", a tongue-in-cheek reference to the multiple farewell tours of other popular artists.  Since releasing his seventh solo album "Testify" in 2002, Collins wrote the music for "Brother Bear" and a Broadway production of "Tarzan". He remarked in several interviews during this time that he was in semi-retirement and even retired from recording music at one stage. with Genesis in 2007 included Collins on drums and vocals, but involved no new music or songwriting.  In September 2009, it was reported that Collins could no longer play drums, due to a recent operation to repair dislocated vertebrae in his neck. However, a statement from Collins on the Genesis band website said, "There isn't any drama regarding my 'disability' and playing drums. Somehow, during the last Genesis tour, I dislocated some vertebrae in my upper neck and that affected my hands. After a successful operation on my neck, my hands still can't function normally. Maybe in a year or so it will change, but for now it is impossible for me to play drums or piano. I am not in any 'distressed' state, stuff happens in life."  Despite these statements of retirement and the effects from his spinal operation, it was reported in October 2009 that Collins was to record a Motown covers album. He told a German newspaper, "I want the songs to sound exactly like the originals", and that the album would feature up to 30 songs. Between the 29 tracks originally released and the live songs on the 2016 release, 31 different covers were released. 26 of these were songs originally released on the Motown family of labels, along with two covers each by The Impressions ("Talkin' About My Baby," "You've Been Cheatin'") and Dusty Springfield ("Going Back," "Some of Your Lovin'") and one by The Ronettes ("Do I Love You").

Production.

At the press release, Collins said the idea behind the album was "not to bring anything 'new' to these already great records, but to try to recreate the sounds and feelings that I had when I first heard them. My intention was to make an 'old' record, not a 'new' record".  In the summer of 2009, Daryl Stuermer hinted Collins was in the studio working on an album. He was asked to send a transcript of a Temptations song for the album.  Bob Babbitt, Eddie Willis and Ray Monette were the musicians during recording. The three were a part of the famous The Funk Brothers, session musicians who played on several Motown recordings from 1959 until 1972. The album was recorded in Geneva, Switzerland, under the sound engineering of Yvan Bing. Work began on overdubbing 25 songs for the album on 11 January and finished on 20 January. Collins said of having the Funk Brothers available to play on the album, "To be able to have three of the surviving Funk Brothers play on all the tracks was unbelievable. There was one moment when they were tracking 'Heat Wave' that I experienced a wave of happiness and wonder that this was actually happening to me!".  In January 2010, Chester Thompson said that the album had been completed and would be released soon. He also revealed that Collins managed to play the drums on the album despite the adverse effects of his recent spinal operation. Collins confirmed he had to tape drumsticks to his hands to play. Bob Babbitt on his forum stated that the album would be released in September, and confirmed that a filmed showcase would take place in Europe and the US during the summer.  Speaking at the 2010 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony, where Genesis were inductees, Collins said of the album: "You know, I mean, I started it for fun, really, and just chose all the Motown songs, the darker songs that I liked, the lesser known ones. And I ended up with about 40 of them and finished, I’ve actually finished about 29 of them".  Until early 2010, the album was going to be called "18 Good Reasons" with the album cover stylised to recall the Motown era. But the chance discovery of a photograph of 13-year-old Collins playing drums in the Getty Images library caused a change in direction, resulting in the album being called "Going Back". In an interview on "Today" in September 2010, Collins noted he actually had to pay for use of the picture of himself as the cover image. However, the 2016 reissue of the album used an entirely new cover photograph featuring present-day Collins instead of recreating or reusing the original cover.

Promotion and singles.

On 10 April 2010 the Phil Collins website was back up and running in anticipation of the album. The site was previously shut down in 2008. The first release of the recordings, "Too Many Fish in the Sea" was given free to new users who signed up to the relaunched website. The title track, "Going Back" started to receive airplay in May and was streamed online on Collins's website soon after.  Collins decided to perform a series of live shows in the summer to promote "Going Back". "Up Close & Personal: Phil Collins Plays 60's Motown & Soul" was exclusively devoted to the music from the new album and were not part of an upcoming world tour. The first of these shows were announced on 14 April, to take place at New York's Roseland Ballroom for three nights from 23 to 25 June. Two nights in Philadelphia were then added to the list. On 29 April, it was confirmed that Collins was to be part of the opening night of 2010 Montreux Jazz Festival. Two days later, it was announced that Collins would perform a one-off show in London on 28 June 2010. This show was broadcast live on ITV1 18 September 2010.  Collins was supported by an 18-piece band for the brief six show tour. The band included Funk Brothers bassist Bob Babbitt, guitarists Eddie Willis & Ray Monette, Genesis touring musicians Daryl Stuermer on guitar and drummer Chester Thompson, a five-piece horn section, six back-up singers (Amy Keys, Lamont Van Hooke, Lynne Fiddmont-Linsey, Connie Jackson-Comegys, Terron Brooks and Bill Cantos), percussionist/vocalist Leslie Smith and keyboardist Brad Cole.  Andy Greene, of "Rolling Stone", wrote of the final show in New York: "It's very hard not to come off like a glorified wedding band when you play a two-hour concert Motown and soul covers, but last night in New York, Phil Collins pulled it off".  Towards of the last show of the brief tour at Montreux, record producer Quincy Jones appeared on stage to praise Collins as sounding as if he was from the "south side of Chicago", while Montreux festival founder Claude Nobs said: "He was magnificent. There was a lot of emotion and sincerity. And it's only the beginning of the festival."  Both "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" and the title track "Going Back" were confirmed as single releases from the album. On 31 July 2010, Atlantic Records unveiled the music video to support "(Love Is Like a) Heatwave". On 24 August 2010, a music video for "Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)" was released on Phil Collins's official YouTube Channel, confirming it as the next single to be released from the album.

Critical reception.

Initial reception to the album was mixed, as Metacritic gave it a score of 53 out of 100. David Sheppard of BBC Music said "So faithfully have Collins and his confreres recreated the Sound of Young America – shimmering tambourines drowning out drums, bass compressed to a fat, distorted throb – that it's hard not to be swept along". The album was also featured as BBC Radio 2's "Album of the Week" on 4 September 2010.  Martin Townsend of the "Daily Express" stated "You have to take your hat off to Phil Collins. Expressing the refreshingly modest desire to make an “old-sounding” album of cover versions the 59-year-old singer zips through a selection of mostly-Motown classics like 'Jimmy Mack' and 'Uptight' with the verve energy and wit of a man reborn."  Jack Foley of IndieLondon gave it 3 out of 5 stars, adding "The resulting album is as heartfelt and faithfully recreated as you might expect from an artist of Collins’ calibre..." Donald Gibson of the "Seattle Post-Intelligencer" said that ""Going Back is" an homage, plain and simple, with which Collins honors the songwriters, musicians, and vocalists who inspired him to pursue his own musical path as a young man."  Graeme Thomson of "Uncut" was not so impressed, giving the album 2 stars out of 5 and stating "You can't fault the raw material, but Collins brings nothing new to these songs. If you have an overpowering desire to hear him gamely plough through renditions of 'Papa Was a Rollin' Stone' and 'Uptight', step aboard. For anyone else, "Going Back" is a heartfelt but pointless exercise in ersatz soul." Terry Staunton of "Record Collector" was even more negative, defining the album as a set "of 60s soul covers of baffling irrelevance" and wondering, "what possible use could anyone have for weedy-voiced faded Xeroxes of songs readily available in their wondrously uplifting original form?"  Ross Bennett of "Mojo" gave the album 3 stars out of 5 and wrote: "all are faithful reproductions of the originals. The likes of 'Uptight', 'Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever' and 'Jimmy Mack' capture the exuberance of those '60s sides, but the slower ballads – particularly 'Blame It on the Sun' and a desperately cloying 'Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer' – are plain dreary."  Legendary Motown songwriter and producer Lamont Dozier hailed "Going Back"; "Recording an album of Motown covers can be tricky, but I have to say this album has exceeded my expectations. Phil Collins has truly given us the real thing vocally, instrumentally, and production-wise... It's spectacular, making it impossible to pick a favorite because they're all masterfully done."  "Going Back" debuted at No. 1 in the Dutch Albums Chart for the week ending 18 September 2010.  "Going Back" reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart for the week ending 23 September 2010. It was his first UK No. 1 in 12 years ("...Hits") and his first UK No. 1 in 17 years ("Both Sides") counting only albums with new material.

Original track listing.

iTunes has a digital download deluxe version in the "iTunes LP" HD format which contains 26 (of the 29) audio songs plus the music video for "(Love Is Like a) Heatwave". The "iTunes LP" HD format contains complete song lyrics and a digital photo gallery.  Ultimate edition  In addition to the expanded 25-track CD, the DVD contains four bonus tracks making it the complete "Going Back" session recordings. All 29 tracks can be transferred to a PC as either WAV or mp3 (320kbit/s) files.  DVD bonus tracks  All 29 tracks can be played with a different replica 7" vinyl record sleeve presented for each track.  DVD video materials  A retailer-exclusive version of "Going Back" was offered at Best Buy in the U.S. This included an additional DVD containing a 30-minute interview with Collins. The DVD was packaged with the CD in a 2-disc jewel case, and was the only version of the album with a bonus disc sold at U.S. retail stores.  Collins recorded two of the extra tracks found on the "Ultimate Edition" DVD. "Tears of a Clown" was recorded as a B-side in 2002. In addition, he recorded "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" as a duet with The Manhattan Transfer on their 1995 album "Tonin'". Both tracks were newly recorded for "Going Back".

2016 track listing.

The album was reissued as "The Essential Going Back" on 10 June 2016 with fewer tracks than the original release, but with the addition of "Too Many Fish in the Sea," and a bonus disc with live recordings.. Just the first disc was included in the 'Take A Look At Me Now' 8 album box set of the 2016 editions of Collins' solo albums

Personnel.

Production

Going Back is the eighth solo studio album by English musician Phil Collins. It was released on 13 September 2010 in the United Kingdom and 28 September 2010 in the United States, and features covers of '60s Motown and soul standards. It also was his first full solo release in eight years, Collins having primarily concentrated on soundtracks, compilations, and his extensive touring as a solo artist and with Genesis. It is also the second album to be solely produced by Collins.

Going Back est le huitième et dernier album studio de Phil Collins, sorti le. Aux États-Unis, l'album est sorti le. Il s'agit du premier nouvel album studio de Phil Collins en huit ans. Son album met en vedette des titres classiques des années 1960 développés par Motown et du genre soul.


Career.

Banton was born into a musical family, where his father played the piano and his mother regularly sang along to music on the radio. Two of his uncles were church organists. He first started playing the piano at the age of 4, beginning formal piano lessons at 7. He was equally influenced by the family classical record collection and by music heard on Radio Luxembourg. In his teens he studied classical piano & organ whilst attending Silcoates School in Yorkshire under Dr Percy G. Saunders, organist at Wakefield Cathedral, however he continued to enjoy both rock 'n' roll and classical music.  After leaving school he trained as a television engineer with the BBC in Evesham, and subsequently in London, before joining Van der Graaf Generator in May 1968 when the group (then consisting of just Peter Hammill and Chris Judge Smith) moved from Manchester to London. In performance with this group he played Farfisa and Hammond organs, adding a wide range of effects including phasing, tape echo, distortion and overdrive.  From 1970 he took over the bass-player role within the group, using the organ foot pedals. He also played bass guitar on recordings. He modified his Hammond E112 organ to allow separate amplification, with different effects, of the output from the two keyboards and pedalboard, and added a remote reverb unit. In 1975 he began building a custom organ based on a Hammond but with added electronic oscillators to approximate closely a full pipe organ sound. Electronics, particularly the development of organs, having been a parallel interest since his early teens.  Banton changed career at the end of 1976 and left Van der Graaf Generator to work on the development, design and installation of electronic church organs for the Makin Organs company in Oldham, Lancashire, where he became Technical Director. In 1992 he set up his own company The Organ Workshop at Lymm in Cheshire, and latterly in Evesham, Worcestershire. His organs use digitally generated waveforms to emulate the sound of pipe organ stops, and a recent speciality is combining digitally generated organ stops within conventional wind-driven pipe organs, to create a larger hybrid instrument. His company have installed organs of all sizes both in the UK and abroad.  Since the reunion of Van der Graaf Generator in 2005 he has regularly contributed to concerts and recordings with former members, which continues as a trio with Peter Hammill and Guy Evans.

Hugh Robert Banton (born April 1949, Yeovil, Somerset) is a British organist and electronic organ builder, most widely known for his work with the group Van der Graaf Generator.

Hugh Robert Banton (né en 1949 à Yeovil, Somerset) est un organiste et facteur d'orgue anglais, principalement connu en tant que membre du groupe de rock progressif Van der Graaf Generator, au sein duquel il joue de l'orgue (Farfisa et Hammond), mais aussi du piano et de la basse.


Discovery.

The discovery of the planet was announced in February 2009, during the First Corot Symposium. It was discovered during the follow-up started in order to confirm the existence of CoRoT-7b, a super-Earth uncovered by the CoRoT mission. However, unlike CoRoT-7b, it was not detected by the transit method from the CoRoT satellite, but only by the radial velocity method using HARPS from La Silla Observatory, Chile. A posteriori search of transits of CoRoT-7c in the lightcurve of the star CoRoT-7 yielded a negative result, confirming the planet is not transiting. As a consequence no radius measurement is available, and no density and structure models of the planet can be established.

Characteristics.

Like CoRoT-7b, the mass of CoRoT-7c is weakly constrained, since the radial velocity data is noisy due to the presence of stellar activity. Published mass measurements range from 8.4 Earth masses to 13.5 Earth masses, passing through 12.4 Earth masses and 13.1 Earth masses. This mass range encompasses the Super-Earths to Neptunes transition, so the nature of CoRoT-7c, either a rocky planet or an ice giant, remains unclear. However, if the larger mass estimates are correct, CoRoT-7c is probably a hot Uranus-like planet. Chances are high that planet's rotation is tidally locked to the orbital period, with one side of the planet always facing the star CoRoT-7 and the other one in permanent darkness. A possible third planet, CoRoT-7d, may be present in the system, but pending further observations its status remains unconfirmed. If this planet is confirmed, strong mutual gravitational forces could be exchanged between these planets, leading to powerful tidal forces.

Doubts about existence.

A published study cast doubt on CoRoT-7c's existence, arguing that the combined presence of stellar activity and additional errors on HARPS radial velocity measurements preclude a meaningful search for additional companions besides CoRoT-7b. However, all the other studies seem to confirm the planet's existence: the signal in the HARPS data of CoRoT-7c is detected in analysis of different type, does not seem to be correlated with stellar activity and is stronger than the signal associated with the confirmed CoRoT-7b. The remarkable stability and precision showed by the HARPS spectrograph also speaks in favour of the detection. The status of CoRoT-7c seems very well confirmed.

CoRoT-7c is an extrasolar planet which orbits the G-type main sequence star CoRoT-7, located approximately 489 light years away in the constellation Monoceros. It's either a super-Earth or a Neptune-like planet, orbiting at 0.046 AU from the star, taking 3.7 days or 89 hours to make one round trip around the star.

CoRoT-7 c est une exoplanète en orbite autour de CoRoT-7, une naine orange plus jeune et plus petite que le Soleil située à environ du Système solaire dans la constellation de la Licorne. Un système planétaire de deux ou trois planètes a été détecté autour cette étoile :


Club career.

Beginnings and move to Italy.

Valdés started his career at Santiago-based Palestino. In December 1999, he was signed by then Italian Serie A side Bari along with countryman Pascual de Gregorio. He made his Serie A debut in the next season, on 15 October 2000. He replaced Rachid Neqrouz in the 84th minute when the team was a goal down to Juventus. The matched ended in 2-0. Valdés followed the team down to Serie B after the club's June 2001 relegation and became a first-team regular in the team, replacing Antonio Cassano.  In August 2004, he was signed by Serie A side ACF Fiorentina in a co-ownership deal. As part of the deal, Massimiliano Scaglia moved in the opposite direction, also in a co-ownership deal. Valdés played his first league game for "La Viola" on 19 December 2004, a 2–0 victory over Chievo. He replaced Javier Portillo in the 76th minute, six minutes after Portillo scored the 2nd goal. He only played 5 Serie A matches for Fiorentina in the first half of the season.

Spells at Lecce and Atalanta.

In January 2005, Valeri Bojinov was transferred to ACF Fiorentina from Lecce and Fiorentina sold its 50% registration rights to Lecce as part of the deal. Lecce then bought the remain 50% rights from Bari in June 2005. He followed Lecce relegated to Serie B in June 2006. He was a regular starter in 2006-07 season, but in 2007-08 just made 14 starts in 36 Serie B appearances.  After Lecce won promotion back to Serie A, he left for fellow Serie A team Atalanta on free transfer in July 2008, which the deal already agreed in January. At first he was a substitute player but gained a regular place in November 2008. He scored 7 league goals for Atalanta in 2009–10 season.

Sporting CP.

On 6 July 2010, Valdés joined Portuguese side Sporting CP from relegated Atalanta for a €2,992,500 transfer fee, signing a three-year contract with a €25 million release clause. He debuted for the club on 14 July in a 4–2 loss against Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes, and scored his first goal on 25 July in a 2–1 exhibition match away win over Tottenham Hotspur, where his side's goals were scored by him and his compatriot Matías Fernández for the victory at White Hart Lane. His league debut came on 14 August in a 1–0 away loss against Paços de Ferreira, where was used as left midfielder by his manager Paulo Sérgio, who usually occupied Valdés as central midfielder. On 31 October, Valdés netted a twice in a 2–1 win over União Leiria at Leiria, scoring their first two goals in Portugal and being praised by the press. On 27 November, Valdés scored his side's goal during the derby against Porto in a 1–1 draw, having previously scored a penalty goal the last matchday in a 2–1 win over Académica at Coimbra. Then he continued his streak in the league's first round end on 8 January 2011 in a 2–1 home win over Sporting Braga.  However, after two losses, two draws and one victory, his coach Paulo Sérgio was sacked, and with José Couceiro arrival Valdés was relegated to the bench. After an unsuccessful spell with Couceiro, on 6 July 2011, it was reported that Valdés would return to Italy to join Parma on loan with a purchase option worth of €1,8 million in an exchange operation for Valeri Bojinov.

Parma.

Parma exercised their option to buy the player in July 2012 after Valdés' well season.

International career.

Valdés capped for Chile under-20 team at 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship. He made his senior debut in the same year, on 24 April 2001 against Uruguay. He replaced Ítalo Díaz in the 57th minute. He was included in Chile's 30-men provisional 2010 FIFA World Cup squad, but later dropped after he played the warm-up match against Mexico on 16 May 2010. Valdés and Roberto Cereceda were substituted at half time by Jean Beausejour and Gonzalo Jara.  He also capped once in 2006, a match that Chile against 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier Ivory Coast on 30 May 2006. He was replaced by Jorge Francisco Vargas in the 60th minute.  He was also called up to the senior Chile squad for a friendly against the United States in January 2015.

Outside professional football.

Charity matches.

In September 2014, he was invited to play the "Match for the Peace" at Rome organized by the Pope Francis and Javier Zanetti's foundation, where played alongside legends like Diego Maradona, Iván Zamorano, Paolo Maldini, Roberto Baggio, Andriy Shevchenko, among others.

Jaime Andrés Valdés Zapata ( born 11 January 1981) is a Chilean footballer that currently plays for Primera División club Deportes La Serena. He usually plays as midfielder. Valdés was member of his national under-20 national team in the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship and has represented three times the senior team between 2001 and 2010.

Jaime Andrés Valdés Zapata (né le à Santiago du Chili) est un joueur de football chilien évoluant au poste de milieu de terrain au Colo-Colo.


Club career.

Real Madrid.

A product of Real Madrid youth ranks, Callejón was born in Motril, Granada, Andalusia. He made his professional debut for the reserves in May 2007, and played five games in that season's Segunda División without scoring a goal.  In the 2007–08 campaign, Callejón appeared in 37 matches and netted 21 times, finishing as team top scorer but in Segunda División B.

Espanyol.

At the end of the season, Callejón left Real Madrid (with twin brother Juanmi) and signed a four-year contract with RCD Espanyol. He made his La Liga debut on 20 September 2008, as a late substitute in a 1–1 home draw against Getafe CF.  On 15 March 2009, as Espanyol struggled immensely in the league – eventually ranking in tenth position – Callejón scored his first goal for the Catalans in a 3–3 home draw against RCD Mallorca. He continued to be an undisputed starter under Mauricio Pochettino in the following campaigns, operating mainly as a winger.  On 15 January 2011, Callejón scored twice to help to a 2–1 away defeat of Sevilla FC. He only missed one league game and netted six times for the "Pericos", who finished comfortably in mid-table.

Return to Real Madrid.

On 23 May 2011, Callejón re-joined Real Madrid on a five-year deal effective as of 1 July, for a reported fee of €5.5 million. On 16 July, he played his first match for them in a 4–1 friendly win over the Los Angeles Galaxy, scoring the first goal of the game in the 30th minute.  On 2 October 2011, Callejón netted his first official goal for Real Madrid after coming on midway through the second half of an away fixture against former club Espanyol; he scored from a Cristiano Ronaldo assist in an eventual 4–0 win but did not celebrate the goal, instead raising his arms in the air in a mark of respect for his former employer.  Profiting from the fact that his team had already qualified from the UEFA Champions League group stage as leaders, Callejón was handed a rare start by manager José Mourinho on 22 November 2011, and responded by scoring a brace in a 6–2 home triumph against NK Dinamo Zagreb. He added another two in the last round, at AFC Ajax (3–0).  As a starter, Callejón continued with his impressive scoring form: he scored once in a 6–2 away win over Sevilla on 17 December 2011, and in the tie against SD Ponferradina for the season's Copa del Rey he netted three of his team's seven aggregate goals, scoring one away and two at home.  On 14 January 2012, Callejón scored the winner in a 2–1 success at Mallorca, helping the visitors come from behind with his 84th-minute long-range strike. In the following matchday he added another, closing the score in a 4–1 home win over Athletic Bilbao.

Napoli.

On 9 July 2013, Italian club S.S.C. Napoli announced that they had reached an agreement for the transfer of Callejón for €10 million. The four-year deal was confirmed two days later.  Callejón scored in his Serie A debut on 25 August, netting the opener in a 3–0 home win over Bologna F.C. 1909, and went on to find the net a further seven times in his first 20 official appearances. On 22 October, he scored his first goal in Europe for his new team, grabbing his team's first in a 2–1 triumph at Olympique de Marseille in the Champions League group stage.  On 3 May 2014, Callejón set up Dries Mertens for the third goal in a 3–1 success over ACF Fiorentina in the final of the campaign's Coppa Italia. He scored once in the final game of the season, a 5–1 home win against Hellas Verona F.C. on 18 May; his strike after five minutes was Napoli's 100th goal in all competitions that season, and his 20th overall.  Callejón netted his first goal of 2014–15 on the opening day of the Serie A campaign, the opener in a 2–1 win over Genoa CFC. His second came on 24 September, as he scored at the stroke of half-time to put Napoli up 3–2 against U.S. Città di Palermo in an eventual 3–3 home draw. On 19 October, he scored twice in a 2–2 draw at Internazionale, with all four of the game's goals coming in the match's last 11 minutes.  In the Derby del Sole match against A.S. Roma on 2 November, Callejón hit the post and had a shot saved off the line before eventually finding the net late on in Napoli's 2–0 victory. The strike took his league goal tally to eight on the season, two more than his closest competitors, and he was included in the Serie A Team of the Week lineup.  On 17 September 2015, Callejón scored twice in Napoli's first game of the UEFA Europa League group stage, a 5–0 home routing of Club Brugge KV. For the same competition, away to FC Midtjylland on 22 October, he volleyed a long pass from Kalidou Koulibaly to open a 4–1 victory; UEFA dubbed the latter effort an "early contender for goal of the group stage".  On 9 April 2017, Callejón marked his 200th appearance for the "Azzurri" with his 57th goal, in a 3–0 league win over S.S. Lazio. His 300th came on 28 April 2019, in the 2–0 away victory over Frosinone Calcio.

International career.

Callejón made his debut for the Spanish under-21 team on 25 March 2008 against Kazakhstan in a 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifier; he entered the field in the 46th minute after replacing Bojan Krkić, and scored shortly after in a 5–0 win.  On 7 November 2014, Callejón was called up to the full side for the first time, being picked by Vicente del Bosque for matches against Belarus and Germany. He made his debut on the 15th against the former, coming on for Santi Cazorla in the 69th minute of the 3–0 triumph in Huelva for the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying phase.

Style of play.

A versatile, tenacious and hard-working right-footed player, Callejón is capable of playing anywhere along the front line, and has been used as a forward, as a winger on either flank, in the centre as an attacking midfielder and as a supporting striker. Although he usually occupies a position in or behind the main attacking line, due to his personality and ability to provide balance to his teams by linking-up play between the forwards and midfielders, he is also capable of playing in the centre as a main striker, and was also occasionally deployed in deeper roles under Mourinho during his time at Real Madrid, as a central midfielder or even as an attacking full-back or wingback.  A quick, mobile and creative player, with good technical ability, Callejón is capable of both creating and scoring goals, due to his powerful shot and excellent offensive movement off the ball, as demonstrated by his ability to lose his markers by make attacking runs in behind the defensive line and into the area from deeper or wider areas. He is also a good header of the ball, in spite of his average stature.

Personal life.

Callejón's twin brother Juanmi was also a footballer, and both were Real Madrid graduates.

Honours.

Real Madrid  Napoli  Individual

José María Callejón Bueno (; born 11 February 1987) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Italian club S.S.C. Napoli as a forward or winger.

José María Callejón Bueno, né le à Motril, est un footballeur international espagnol, qui évolue au poste d'attaquant au SSC Naples.


History.

The 43rd Rifle Division was formed in 1924–1925 in the Velikiye Luki region as part of the Leningrad Military District under the name of the 43rd Territorial Division. Stationed in the Western Special Military District. In autumn 1937 it was relocated directly in Leningrad. The division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for participation in the Winter War. Fought at Oranienbaum.  On June 24, 1941, when the Northern Front was formed, it became part of the 50th Rifle Corps, 23rd Army. In 1941 it fought in the defence of the Karelian isthmus during the Continuation War, from 1941 to 1944 in the Siege of Leningrad, in 1944 in the Leningrad-Novgorod Offensive, the Offensive Krasnoselsky-Ropshinskaya, Offensive Kingiseppsky-Gdovskii, the Baltic Offensive, Offensive Tartu, the Riga Offensive, and the Memel Offensive. In 1945 it fought in the Courland Pocket. With Leningrad Front May 1945.  In the summer of 1945, the division moved to Kuybyshev, in the Ural Military District. It became the 21st Rifle Brigade in 1946 and was upgraded to a division in October 1953. On 4 June 1957, it became a motor rifle division. On 1 March 1959, the 74th and 147th Motor Rifle Regiments disbanded and were replaced by the disbanded 44th Motor Rifle Division's 118th and 126th Motor Rifle Regiments. On 24 May 1962, it was converted to a training motor rifle division. On 22 February 1968, it was awarded a second Order of the Red Banner. On 14 September 1987, it became the 469th District Training Center. In 2004 it combined with the 473rd District Training Center.

The 43rd Rifle Division was a formation of the Red Army, which took part in the Second World War, known to the Soviets as the "Great Patriotic War".

La de fusiliers, où d'infanterie est une unité militaire de l'Armée rouge qui a pris part à la Grande Guerre patriotique.


History.

The band was formed in 2000 with Norio, Adachi, Run, Daisuke, and former drummer Chang.  After much practice, in 2002, two of their songs were put on a Japanese compilation album, "SURPLUS SUPPRESSION 3".  In the spring of 2003, a new member, Sensyu, joined as their new drummer, and Chang became the band's new guitarist. Now with three guitarists in the band, they released their debut 4-track EP titled "SEWN MOUTH FOREST" and experimented with black metal and hardcore punk. Following the release, they went on a national tour.  In 2004, another song was put on a compilation album, "METAL OSTENTATION Vol.6". Despite their moderate success, Chang decided to leave the band. The band hired new member, Cab, as guitarist. Due to this new line up change, the band decided to experiment more with a melodic death metal sound.  In 2005, the band, once again, found songs on compilation albums "EATTHQUAKE A.G.M" and "EXTREME GENERATION". Despite the success, Cab left the band. Soon after, Mako joined the group as a guitarist. This left them back to a two-guitarist band. In the winter of the same year, the band recorded a 2-track demo. This led to even more experimentation using keyboards.  The band sent their demo to Candlelight Records, a London-based metal label. Early on in 2006, the band signed a contract with them and began to work on their debut album "Cycle Repeats" which has since been released.  In 2009 the band split and Norio and Mako went on to form a new band called Each of the Days.

Lost Eden was a Japanese melodic death metal band. Forming in 2000, they released their first album "Cycle Repeats" on Candlelight Records in 2006 and has since gained international attention. The band split in 2009.

Lost Eden est un groupe de heavy metal japonais, originaire d'Aichi. Formé en 2000, ils publient leur premier album "Cycle Repeats" au label Candlelight Records en 2006. Le groupe sépare en 2009.


Playing career.

Championship Final appearances.

Ray French played left- in St. Helens' 35–12 victory over Halifax in the Championship Final during the 1965–66 season at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 28 May 1966, in front of a crowd of 30,165.

Challenge Cup Final appearances.

Ray French played left- in St. Helens' 21–2 victory over Wigan in the 1966 Challenge Cup Final during the 1965-66 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 21 May 1966, in front of a crowd of 98,536.

County Cup Final appearances.

Ray French played right- in St. Helens' 25–9 victory over Swinton in the 1961 Lancashire Cup Final at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 11 November 1961; played left- in the 15–4 victory over Leigh in the 1963 Lancashire Cup Final at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 26 October 1963, and played left- in the 12–4 victory over Swinton in the 1964 Lancashire Cup Final atCentral Park, Wigan on Saturday 24 October 1964.

BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Final appearances.

Ray French played left- in St. Helens' 0–4 defeat by Castleford in the 1965 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Final at Knowsley Road, St. Helens on Tuesday 14 December 1965.

Ray French Award.

In August 2019 the Rugby Football League ran a poll among fans on the Our League app to name a trophy for the man of the match award in the 1895 Cup Final. French was one of three names in the poll along with Willie Horne and Johnny Whiteley. French won the poll with over 60% of the votes cast and presented the award at the inaugural final on 24 August 2019 to Sheffield's Anthony Thackeray.

Raymond James "Ray" French, MBE (born 23 December 1939) is an English former rugby union and rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s, and former rugby league commentator. French played at international level in both codes. He won four caps for England in rugby union in 1961 as a lock forward. Then he moved to rugby league as a, and then played for his home town club, St. Helens, afterwards going on to play at Widnes.

Un ménage à trois est un arrangement dans lequel trois personnes décident de former un couple à trois, en habitant ou non dans le même logement. Dans un sens plus moderne, le terme fait référence à toutes relations, sexuelles ou non, entre trois personnes. Le mot "trouple" est un synonyme contemporain récemment forgé ; il lui est parfois préféré le mot plus ancien « triade ».


Formation and Ascanian rule.

After the dissolution of the medieval Duchy of Saxony, the name "Saxony" was first applied to a small territory midway along the river Elbe, around the city of Wittenberg, which had formerly belonged to the March of Lusatia. Around 1157 it was held by Albert the Bear, the first Margrave of Brandenburg. When Emperor Frederick Barbarossa deposed the Saxon duke, Henry the Lion in 1180, the Wittenberg lands belonged to Albert's youngest son, Count Bernhard of Anhalt, who assumed the Saxon ducal title. Bernard's eldest son, Albert I, ceded the territory known as, Anhalt to his younger brother, Henry, retaining the ducal title and attached to this territory the lordship of Lauenburg. His sons divided the territory into the duchies of Saxe-Wittenberg and Saxe-Lauenburg. Both lines claimed the Saxon "electoral dignity" or privilege, which led to confusion during the 1314 election of the Wittelsbach duke, Louis of Bavaria as King of the Romans against his Habsburg rival, Duke Frederick the Fair of Austria, as both candidates received one vote each from each of the two rival Ascanian branches. Louis was succeeded by the Luxembourg king, Charles of Bohemia. After his coronation as Holy Roman Emperor in 1355, Charles issued the "Golden Bull of 1356", the fundamental law of the Empire settling the method of electing the "German King" by seven Prince-electors. The rival Wittelsbach and Habsburg dynasties got nothing, instead the Duke of Saxe-Wittenberg, Archmarshal of the Empire, received the right to elect the King of the Romans and the prospective Emperor, together with six other elector Princes of the Empire. Thus, the country, though small in area, gained influence far beyond its extent.  The electoral privilege also contained the obligation of male primogeniture. That is, only the eldest son could succeed as ruler. It therefore forbade the division of the territory among several heirs, in order to prevent the disintegration of the country. The importance of this stipulation is shown by the history of most of the fragmented German principalities (e.g. the Saxon Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg) which were not constituted as electorates.

Wettin rule.

The Ascanian line of Saxe-Wittenberg became extinct with the death of Elector Albert III in 1422, after which Emperor Sigismund granted the country and electoral privilege upon Margrave Frederick IV of Meissen, who had been a loyal supporter in the Hussite Wars. The late Albert's Ascanian relative, Duke Eric V of Saxe-Lauenburg protested in vain. Frederick, one of the seven Prince-electors, was a member of the House of Wettin, which since 1089 had ruled over the adjacent Margravate of Meissen up the Elbe river - established under Emperor Otto I in 965 - and also over the Landgravate of Thuringia since 1242. Thus, in 1423, Saxe-Wittenberg, the Margravate of Meissen and Thuringia were united under one ruler, and as a unified territory gradually became known as, "Upper Saxony".  When Elector Frederick II died in 1464, his two surviving sons overrode the "primogeniture principle" and divided his territories by the Treaty of Leipzig on 26 August 1485. This resulted in the already separated Wettin dynasty becoming the Ernestine and Albertine branches. The elder Ernest, founder of the "Ernestine line", received large parts of the former Duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg with the electoral privilege attached to it, and the southern Landgravate of Thuringia. While the younger Albert, founder of the "Albertine line", received northern Thuringia and the lands of the former Margravate of Meissen. Thus, although the "Ernestine line" had initially had greater authority until the Battle of Mühlberg in 1547, the electoral privilege and territory then fell to the "Albertine line", which later also became a royal house when Saxony was proclaimed a kingdom in the 19th century. This partition was to decisively enfeeble the Wettin dynasty in relation to the then rising House of Hohenzollern. It had already achieved its own "electoral privilege" as Margraves of Brandenburg since 1415.

Protestant Reformation.

The Protestant movement of the 16th century largely spread under the protection of the Saxon rulers. Ernest's son, Elector Frederick the Wise established in 1502 the University at Wittenberg, where the Augustinian monk, Martin Luther, was appointed professor of philosophy in 1508. At the same time he became one of the preachers at the castle church in Wittenberg. On 31 October 1517, he enclosed in a protest letter to Albert of Brandenburg the Archbishop of Mainz, "The Ninety-five Theses" against the sale of indulgences and other Catholic practices, an action that marked the start of what came to be called the "Reformation". Although the Elector did not at first share the new attitude, he granted his protection to Luther anyway. Owing to this intervention, Pope Leo X decided against summoning Luther to Rome in 1518, and the Elector secured for Luther Imperial safe-conduct to the Diet of Worms in 1521. When Luther was declared banned in the entire empire by Emperor Charles V, the Elector had him brought to live in Wartburg Castle on his Thuringian estate. Lutheran doctrines spread first in "Ernestine" Saxony.  In 1525, Frederick died, possibly never having officially left the Catholic Church, unless on his deathbed in 1525, but he was sympathetic towards Lutheranism by the time of his death. He was succeeded by his brother, John the Constant. John was already a zealous Lutheran. He exercised full authority over the "new church" introduced as, the "Lutheran Confession", and ordered the dismissal of all priests who continued in the Catholic faith. He directed the use of the "Vernacular Liturgy" drawn up by Luther. In 1531 he formed the Schmalkaldic League with a number of other ruling princes for the continuation of the "Protestant doctrine" and for a joint defence against the Habsburg Emperor Charles V, a fierce opponent of the Reformation. John was followed in 1532 by his son, John Frederick the Magnanimous (died 1554), who was also one of the leaders of the Schmalkaldic League. In 1542, he seized the Diocese of Naumburg-Zeitz, and confiscated the secular possessions of the Dioceses of Meissen and Hildesheim. Lutheranism, as it came to be organised in Saxony, would serve as an example for future Protestant states throughout Europe.  The Electorate of Saxony was, however, not the first state to establish Lutheranism as the state religion. Other states, like the Duchy of Prussia (1525) and the Landgraviate of Hesse (1526), preceded the official establishment of it in Saxony (1527).

Schmalkaldic War.

Meanwhile, in the "Albertine" lands Duke Albert's son, George (1500–39), founder of the Catholic League of Dessau, was a strong opponent of the Lutheran doctrine and had repeatedly sought to influence his "Ernestine" cousins in favour of the Catholic Church. However, George's brother and successor, Duke Henry IV of Saxony (1539–41), was finally won over to Protestantism under the influence of his wife, Catherine of Mecklenburg, and thus the Catholic diocese of Meissen came to be abolished. Henry's son and successor, Duke Maurice, was one of the most controversial figures of the Reformation period. Although a zealous Protestant, ambition and desire to increase his wealth led him to join the Emperor against the Schmalkaldic League, established by his "Ernestine" cousin, John Frederick.  After the outbreak of the Schmalkaldic War Elector John Frederick was placed under an Imperial ban and was finally defeated and captured by Emperor Charles V at the Battle of Mühlberg on 24 April 1547. The Capitulation of Wittenberg of May 19 obliged him to cede former Saxe-Wittenberg with its electoral privilege to his "Albertine" cousin, Duke Maurice, who had switched sides as fortunes reversed. After the Capitulation, the Ernestine branch of the Wettin family only retained its possessions in Thuringia, that owing to repeated divisions among the heirs from 1572 onwards, was soon cut up into the minor Ernestine duchies of Saxe-Weimar, Saxe-Coburg-Eisenach et al. Those still in existence at the time of the 1918 German Revolution after World War I were the Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and the duchies of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Saxe-Meiningen and Saxe-Altenburg.  After the Wittenberg Capitulation the Saxon Electorate consisted of former Saxe-Wittenberg and Meissen now united, and remained under the authority of the "Albertine line" of the Wettin family. Maurice again became estranged from Charles V partly out of resentment for not receiving what was left of the Ernestine possessions, but even more on account of his motivation to see a Protestant at the head of the empire. After the Emperor had issued the Augsburg Interim, Maurice concluded an alliance with King Henry II of France and through the Treaty of Chambord 1552 ceded the Three Bishoprics of Metz, Toul, and Verdun in Lorraine to France. Maurice secretly took part in all the princely conspiracies against the Emperor, who only escaped capture by fleeing. During the same year, Charles V was obliged by the Peace of Passau to grant freedom of religion to the Protestant states.  Maurice died in 1553 at the age of 32. His brother and successor, Elector Augustus, seized the Catholic dioceses of Merseburg and Naumburg-Zeitz for himself. The last Bishop of Merseburg, Michael Helding called Sidonius, died at Vienna in 1561. The Emperor demanded the election of a new bishop, but Augustus forced the election of his son Alexander, who was eight years old, as administrator. After Alexander had died in 1565, he administered the diocese himself. Similarly, after the death in 1564 of Julius von Pflug, the last Catholic Bishop of Naumburg, the Elector confiscated the bishopric and forbade adherence to the Catholic religion. Those cathedral canons who were still Catholic were only permitted to practice their religion for ten more years. In 1581, John of Haugwitz, the last Bishop of Meissen, resigned his office. In 1587 he became a Protestant. The episcopal domains fell likewise to Saxony, and the cathedral chapter ceased to exist.  During the reigns of the Elector Augustus (1553–86) and Christian (1586–91), a movement called Crypto-Calvinism gained strength in the electorate. As Christian II (1591–1611) was too young to rule, his mother, Sophie of Brandenburg became regent in 1591 and was the only woman to act as "Elector". She was vehemently opposed to the "new" movement. Just as her young son was assuming the reins of power in 1601, the Saxon chancellor, Nikolaus Krell, who had been spreading the other Protestant doctrine, was overthrown and beheaded in 1601. A more strict adherence to Lutheranism was reintroduced and with it a religious oath.

Thirty Years' War.

The Thirty Years' War (1618–48) occurred during the reign of Elector John George (1611–56). In this struggle, the Elector was at first neutral, and for a long time he would not listen to the overtures of King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden. Not until the Imperial General Johann Tserclaes of Tilly advanced into Saxony did the Elector join the forces of the Swedish Empire. However, after the 1634 Battle of Nördlingen, the Elector concluded the Peace of Prague with Emperor Ferdinand II in 1635. By this treaty, Saxony received the Margravates of Upper and Lower Lusatia as a Bohemian fiefdom, and the condition of the Church lands that had been secularized was not altered. The Swedes, for their part, took revenge with ten years of plunder.  By the 1648 Peace of Westphalia Saxony retained its Lusatian possessions as an Imperial fiefdom. However, it lost forever the possibility of extending its territory along the lower course of the Elbe into the lands of the Archbishopric of Magdeburg, even though they were under the administration of the Wettin Duke, Augustus of Saxe-Weissenfels. Upon his death in 1680, the secularised Duchy of Magdeburg fell to the "Great Elector" Frederick William of Brandenburg, which confirmed the primacy of Brandenburg-Prussia under the Protestant Hohenzollern dynasty. In 1653, the Saxon elector became the head of the "Corpus Evangelicorum", the union of the Protestant Imperial Estates. Under the following Electors, religious questions were not as prominent. A rigid Lutheranism remained the prevailing faith, and the practice of any other faith was strictly prohibited. About the middle of the 17th century, Italian merchants were the first Catholics to reappear in the country. They settled in Dresden, the capital, and in Leipzig, the most important commercial city. The practice of Roman Catholicism was, however, not permitted to them.

Saxony-Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania.

On 1 June 1697, Elector Frederick Augustus I, "the Strong" (1694–1733) converted to Catholicism and was subsequently elected King of Poland and Grand duke of Lithuania. This marked a "personal union" between Saxony and the Commonwealth of Two Nations that lasted almost 70 years with interruptions (see Stanislaw Leszczynski). Meanwhile, in Saxony the formation of a Catholic parish and private observance of the Catholic faith was permitted at least in Dresden. The conversion of the Elector raised fears among many Lutherans that Catholicism would now be re-established in Saxony. In response, the Elector transferred his authority over Lutheran institutions (which, until then, had been exercised by the sovereign) to a government board, the Privy Council. The Privy Council was composed exclusively of Protestants. Even after his conversion, the Elector remained the head of the Protestant body in the Reichstag, despite an unsuccessful attempt by Brandenburg-Prussia and Hanover to take over the position in 1717–1720. His son, Elector Frederick Augustus II (1733–63), was received into the Catholic Church, while still heir-apparent, on 28 November 1712, in Bologna, Italy. With this conversion, which on account of the excitable sentiment of the Lutheran population, had to be kept secret for five years, the ruling family of Saxony once more became Catholic. He too was controversially "elected King of Poland and Grand duke of Lithuania", that is monarch of the Commonwealth of Poland-Lithuania against the French candidate, Louis François, Prince of Conti, who, on learning the result, attempted to claim the throne arriving by sea at the port of Gdańsk. His attempt was repulsed. Frederick Augustus reigned as Augustus III of Poland 1734–1763.

Saxony's partial return to Rome.

Before this, individual members of the "Albertine" line had returned to the Roman Church, but they had died without issue, as did the last rulers of Saxe-Merseburg (in 1738) and Saxe-Weissenfels who died out in 1746. Another collateral line founded in 1657 was that of Saxe-Zeitz, which became extinct in 1759. Members of this line who became Catholic were Christian Augustus (died 1725), Cardinal Archbishop of Gran in Esztergom, Hungary and Maurice Adolphus, Bishop of Leitmeritz in Bohemia (died 1759).  The most zealous promoter of the Catholic faith in Saxony was the Austrian Archduchess Maria Josepha, daughter of Emperor Joseph I, who in 1719 married Frederick Augustus, later the second elector of that name. The Court Church of Dresden was built 1739–51 by the Italian architect Chiaveri in the Roman Baroque style. It was heavily damaged during the bombing of Dresden and subsequently rebuilt. Notwithstanding the faith of its rulers, Saxony remained an entirely Protestant country. The few Catholics who settled there remained without any political or civil rights.

Fighting for survival.

In 1756, during the Third Silesian War between Prussia and Austria (part of the Seven Years' War), Saxony was invaded and overrun by the forces of King Frederick II of Prussia, who took Dresden and after the Siege of Pirna forced the Saxon army to surrender and join his Prussian Army. Many later deserted, and a force of Saxon troops fought to restore their independence. The Treaty of Hubertusburg in 1763 eventually restored Saxony as an entity.  When in 1806 Napoleon began a war with Prussia, Saxony at first allied itself with his long-time rival, but afterwards joined Napoleon and entered the Confederation of the Rhine. Elector Frederick Augustus III (1763–1827) was formally the last Elector of Saxony. With the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, he clung to office and became the first monarch of the short-lived Kingdom of Saxony, under the title of Frederick Augustus I of Saxony.

Subdivisions.

The Electorate of Saxony was divided into several districts or (literally "circles", singular ) in the late 15th and renamed in the 19th centuries. These were:  Additionally, there were several territories which were not part of, such as the Margravate of Lusatia.

Bibliography.

Sources in German:  Sources in English:

The Electorate of Saxony (, also "") was a state of the Holy Roman Empire established when Emperor Charles IV raised the Ascanian duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg to the status of an Electorate by the "Golden Bull of 1356". Upon the extinction of the House of Ascania, it was feoffed to the Margraves of Meissen from the Wettin dynasty in 1423, who moved the ducal residence up the river Elbe to Dresden. After the Empire's dissolution in 1806, the Wettin Electors raised Saxony to a territorially reduced kingdom.

L'électorat de Saxe (en ) était un État du Saint-Empire romain germanique qui joue un rôle majeur dans l'histoire de l'Allemagne. Il est né du duché de Saxe-Wittemberg en 1356, lors de la Bulle d’or promulguée par l’empereur Charles IV qui confirme les ducs de la maison d'Ascanie au statut des princes-électeurs – l'une des sept principautés investies d'une fonction élective au trône impérial.


History.

In 1884, the Phoenix Light and Fuel Company was formed to provide electricity and heat to the people of the three-year-old town of Phoenix. It changed its name to Pacific Gas and Electric Company in 1906 and to Central Arizona Light and Power in 1920. Also in 1920, it paid a dividend, and continued the annual dividend without interruption for the next 69 years.  The company became a subsidiary of the giant conglomerate American Power and Light in 1925, but became an independent company once again in 1945. In 1949, it merged with Northern Arizona Power and Light. In 1952, it merged with Arizona Edison and changed its name to Arizona Public Service.  The stock doubled in price through the long bear market of the 1970s, while paying a 10% dividend yield. By then it had become an electric and natural gas utility fueled 94.4% by coal plants, 5.2% by natural gas, and 0.4% by oil. The company traded its common stock on the New York Stock Exchange, and in 1976, the company issued a preferred stock (formerly ) with a 10.5% dividend, callable in 1990.  APS also performed well through the early 1980s recession, reaching peak earnings of over US$255 million in 1983. However, by then the company had accumulated over US$2.1 billion in long-term debt.  In 1982, APS issued another preferred stock (formerly ) with an 11.9% dividend, callable in 1987. And in 1983, it issued a third preferred stock (formerly ) paying an adjustable rate between 6 and 12%, through 1986.  1984 was a down year for both earnings and the stock price, which at its low that year had lost almost half its value from the 1983 peak.

Service territory.

APS serves about two-thirds of the Phoenix metropolitan area. It primarily serves downtown and northern Phoenix, as well as a large swath to the north and east of the city. Outside of the Valley, it serves Flagstaff, Prescott, Yuma and Douglas.

Major power outage.

On September 8, 2011, there was a widespread power outage affecting a region spreading west from Yuma, Arizona, to San Diego, California, and affecting parts of Northern Mexico. The outage was the result of 23 events that occurred on five power grids in a span of 11 minutes including the APS North Gila Substation. Federal, regional and local officials are investigating what happened and why the outage cascaded the way it did. Most of the areas affected were served by San Diego Gas & Electric, which saw its entire service area lose power.  The outage appears to have been caused by the actions of an APS employee in the North Gila substation, and it is unknown why safeguards did not keep the outage limited to the Yuma area.  The outage occurred days before the tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks, and hours before the United States Department of Homeland Security warned of a potential terrorist attack leading up to the anniversary, but the Federal Bureau of Investigation and SDG&E early in their investigations ruled out terrorism.

Blackout settlement.

On July 7, 2014, APS agreed to a $3.25 million settlement with NERC and FERC related to the September 2011 blackout.

2018 Street Protests.

On September 7, 2018, APS cut off the power to 72-year-old retiree Stephanie Pullman, due to an overdue electric bill. The same day, the temperature in the city hit 107 °F. Within a week, miss Pullman had died from heat exposure. Her death sparked statewide media coverage and street protests over APS's disconnect policy. The incident led to Arizona regulators banning power shutoffs on hot summer days.

Solar Generation.

As of 2016, APS has available one gigawatt of solar generating capacity. Approximately half is generated at large solar power stations and half at small rooftop solar systems.

Arizona Public Service (APS) is the largest electric utility in Arizona, United States, and the principal subsidiary of publicly traded S&P 500 member Pinnacle West Capital Corporation, which in turn had been formerly named AZP Group, when Arizona Public Service reorganized as that holding company in 1985.

Arizona Public Service Company (APS) est une société produisant, transportant et distribuant de l'électricité en Arizona aux États-Unis. La plus grande de son industrie dans cet État, elle fait partie du conglomérat "Pinnacle West Capital Corporation" (), une société publique dont les actions sont listés dans le S&P 500.


Family and early life.

Natalya was born in Berlin on 28 January 1741, the second daughter of Count Pyotr Chernyshyov, diplomat and ambassador to the Margraviate of Brandenburg. Her mother was Ekaterina Andreyevna, daughter of a famous chief of the secret office in Biron, Count Andrei Ivanovich Ushakov. She was a niece of Counts Zakhar and Ivan Chernyshov and the sister of the lady in waiting Princess Darya Petrovna Saltykova. Natalya went with the family to London, her father's new posting as ambassador to the Kingdom of Great Britain, and received an excellent education, eventually being able to speak five languages. The Chernyshyovs were recalled to Russia in 1756, spending four years in the country before her father's appointment in 1760 as ambassador to the court of Louis XV of France.  Upon the Chernyshyovs' return to Russia in 1762, Natalya and her sister Darya became known as two of the most learned women in Russia. In 1762 she was appointed maid of honour to Empress Catherine the Great, and was awarded a unique gold medal with Catherine's portrait by the empress for her dance in the “Court Carousel” of 1766. In October 1766 she married the 35-year old Prince Vladimir Borisovich Golitsyn, in a wedding attended by the Empress herself, who decorated the Princess's hair with diamonds and accompanied her to the church. The early years of her marriage were spent setting her husband's estates in order. The Golitsyns had very extensive households and landholdings, but they were in some disarray. Natalya Petrovna, by travelling from estate to estate, was able to put the estates in order, while also significantly increasing their income. As one of their contemporaries recorded: "Golitsyn was a rich landowner, but a simple-minded person. His wife easily got the better of him, putting him in the rank of a lowly brigadier, and reorganised the estates. Natalya Petrovna, a clever woman by nature and a great organiser, arranged things, taking management of the estates in her own hands and solely disposing affairs to increase her wealth. She kept all of her household in strict obedience; as the children grew up, they did not dare to sit in her presence."  In 1783 she left for Europe with her family, settling in Paris for the children's education and her husband's health. She attended the court of Marie Antoinette, where she became known as the "Moscow Venus", well regarded for her dancing ability. In 1789 the Golitsyns visited London, where the Prince of Wales, the future King George IV, presented her with his autographed portrait. After the French Revolution, Empress Catherine ordered all Russians abroad to return home, and the Golitsyns returned to Russia in 1790. She left two diaries from this period, which were subsequently published; "Notes About the Events of My Life" (), covering the years 1781 to 1783, and "Notes About My Travels" (), covering the years 1783 to 1790.

Salon hostess.

The Golitsyns settled at their St Petersburg townhouse,, where Natalya hosted a salon for French monarchist émigrés. Empress Catherine approved of the gatherings, seeing in them, as Filipp Vigel wrote "one of the strongholds of the throne against free-thinking", and even her successor Emperor Paul I allowed them. Natalya became a recognised figure at court, and an important centre of court affairs. Vladimir Sollogub wrote that "Almost all of the nobility were related to her by blood or by marriage. The emperors expressed an almost filial love for her. In the city, it was somehow recognized that she ruled with unconditional power. After their presentation to the court, each young girl was brought to bow to her; the guard officer, who had only just put on epaulets, came to her as the commander-in-chief." Her position in the capital's social life was such that every Emperor and Empress of Russia from Catherine the Great to Nicholas I paid their respects to her. In September 1801 Emperor Alexander I appointed her the Order of St. Catherine Second Class, while in 1806 she was made a lady in waiting to the court. In August 1826 she was made a member of the Order of St. Catherine First Class, at the coronation of Nicholas I.  She used her society position to press for the commutation of the death penalty of those convicted during Decembrist revolt of 1825. A contemporary recorded that she intervened on behalf of one of her Chernyshov nephews and Nikita Muravyov, and possibly others as well. Along with successes at court, Natalya Petrovna engaged in the improvement of her estates, and in 1824 became an honorary member of the Scientific and Economic Society. In 1832 she was listed as the owner of three enterprises in Oryol Governorate, a tannery and glass factory in Kokorevka and a linen factory in Radogoshch. Evidence shows that she personally managed her property, and in Radogoshch the estate's office building, a distillery, stud-farm and stone church were built during her time as owner. There is the suggestion that the serfs were worked hard however, as in 1797 they rioted and burned down the tannery's office and the distillery. Princess Golitsyna was known to be haughty with those of equal social standing, and friendly with those whom she considered lower than herself. A contemporary noted that "she ruled in the light, recognized by all".

Family.

Natalya Petrovna had five children with her husband. Her first son, Pyotr, was born in 1767, but died in 1778. Her second son Boris, born in 1769, became a lieutenant general, before dying in 1813 of wounds he sustained at the Battle of Borodino. Dmitry was born in 1771 and rose to be a statesman and military writer. He married Tatiana Vasilyevna Vasilchikova, with whom he had five children, before his death in 1844. The Golitsyn's two daughters, Ekaterina (1770-1854) and Sofia (1775–1845), married Stepan Stepanovich Apraksin and Pavel Alexandrovich Stroganov respectively, with each having five children. All received excellent educations, and while living in Paris before the revolution it was noted that they spoke French better than they did Russian.  Princess Golitsyna acquired a reputation as the autocrat of her family, being both capricious and domineering. Her children were afraid to sit in her presence; when her son Boris Vladimirovich did something to offend her, she refused to speak to him for over a year. Boris died during the Napoleonic Wars, leaving behind two orphaned illegitimate children he had had with a gypsy woman. In fear of Natalya's reaction to this news, their existence was kept a secret from her, and they were quietly raised with the family of Boris's brother Dmitry. On the death of her husband in 1798, Natalya's sons became heirs to the family fortune, but did not dare to demand their rightful share of the inheritance from their mother. On their marriages Princess Golitsyna's daughters received 2,000 serfs, while her sons received an annuity of 50,000 rubles. When Dmitry was appointed Governor-General of Moscow in 1820, a social position that required him to give receptions and balls, and to be engaged in charity, he soon fell into debt, as the allowance he received from his mother was not enough to support such a life. Eventually Emperor Nicholas I had to ask Princess Golitsyna to increase her son's allowance so that he would not compromise his name and position with debts. The princess added another 50,000 rubles, considering this a generous sum. It was only on his mother's death, seven years before his own, that Prince Dmitry received his full inheritance, amounting to 16,000 serfs.

Later life.

Princess Golytsina continued her salon hosting duties into her old age, and it was considered a signal honour to attend on her. She received all guests while sitting in her chair, making an exception only for the emperor. Near her chair stood one of her close relatives, who presented the guests, since her eyesight was poor. Depending on the rank or nobility of the guest, the princess would either incline her head, or say a few more or less private words.  On 18 January 1821 Konstantin Bulgakov wrote to his brother Alexander in Moscow, "yesterday I was at the house of old Golitsyna. In the morning I went to congratulate her and found the whole city there. The Empress Elizabeth Alekseevna also came. In the evening, the whole city was there again, although no one had been summoned. She turned 79 years old yesterday, and I admired her appetite and vigour... There is no happier mother than old Golitsyna, you have to see how her children take care of her, and her children already have grandchildren." In her youth the princess was a famous beauty. In old age her facial hair became more prominent, leading to the nickname bestowed upon her by the "sharp tongues of the high-society wits" "Princess Moustache", rendered in either French as "Princesse Moustache", or Russian as "Княгиня Усатая" ("Knyaginya Usataya") or "Княгиня Мусташ" ("Knyagina Mustash"), or by the androgynous "Princesse Woldemar".

Pushkin and the Queen of Spades.

Princess Golitsyna was an inspiration for the character of the countess in Alexander Pushkin's "The Queen of Spades", written in 1833. On its publication in 1834 Pushkin wrote about its reception, noting that "At the court, they found similarities between the old Countess and Princess Natalya Petrovna and do not seem to be angry." A story spread that Princess Golitsyna's grand-nephew, Prince had gone to her for help after losing a large sum of money at cards. Princess Golitsyna replied that she knew the secret of the three magic cards, the three, the seven and the ace, having been told it by her friend in France, the Count of St. Germain. Sergei Golitsyn then used this knowledge to win the money back. Sergei Golitsyn had then related this story to Pushkin. Princess Golitsyna, who by the time of the publication of her story was in her 90s, began to be identified with the character, being nicknamed the "Queen of Spades", while her house in St Petersburg became known as the (). In later years the house and the intersection it stood on came to be considered a haunted site.  The popular story stemmed from a friend of Pushkin's,, who related to historian P. I. Bartenev that it had been a Golitsyn who had told the cards anecdote to Pushkin. The Golitsyn in question was identified as likely being Sergei by Mstislav Tsiavlovskii, a connection challenged by A. A. Ilin-Tomich who presented evidence that he was not the source of the anecdote. The 1999 "Oxford World's Classics" edition notes that the characteristics of the countess likely owed more to Natalia Zagryazhskaya, who like Golitsyna had been a lady in waiting at court in the eighteenth century, and whose salons Pushkin had attended. When queried about the likeness with Zagryazhskaya, the great aunt of Pushkin's wife Natalia, by Pavel Nashchokin, Pushkin admitted "It was easier for me to portray Zagryazhskaya, than for Golitsyna, whose character and habits were more complicated." The Oxford edition also notes that, despite the story of Sergei Golitsyn and Pushkin, neither Zagryazhskaya or Golitsyna were the inspiration for the occult aspect of the story involving the Count of St. Germain.  Princess Golitsyna died in St Petersburg on 1 January 1838, a few weeks before her 97th birthday. In her long life she had been maid of honour during the reigns of five emperors and empresses, and a lady in waiting at the courts of Alexander I and Nicholas I. She was buried in the Golitsyn family tomb in the Donskoy Monastery in Moscow.

Princess Natalya Petrovna Golitsyna (), née Chernysheva or Chernyshyova (Чернышёва; 28 January 17411 January 1838), was a Russian lady-in-waiting, socialite and noble and Dame of the Order of St. Catherine's first degree.

La ville américaine d’Arapaho est le siège du comté de Custer, dans l’État d’Oklahoma. Lors du recensement de 2000, elle comptait. Son nom provient de celui de l’ethnie amérindienne Arapaho.


History.

The Durant area was once claimed by both Spain and France before officially becoming part of the United States after the Louisiana Purchase and Adams–Onís Treaty. During the 1820s and 1830s the area was designated as part of the Choctaw Nation in the southern Indian Territory. During the Indian removals the Choctaws followed the Choctaw Trail of Tears from their ancestral homeland in Mississippi and Alabama into this area. The Choctaw Nation originally extended from the Mexican border in the west (now part of the Texas panhandle) to the Arkansas Territory in the east, from the Red River in the south to the South Canadian River in the north. In 1855, the Choctaw and Chickasaws formally divided their land into two separate nations, with Durant remaining in Choctaw territory on the east. Chickasaw land extended west to the boundary that would divide Indian Territory from Oklahoma Territory after passage of the Oklahoma Organic Act in 1890.  Pierre Durant and his four sons, all of French-Choctaw origin, made the journey up the Trail of Tears on the way to the southeastern part of the Choctaw Nation in 1832. The brothers, grown, with families of their own, established homesteads from the Arkansas line to Durant. One son, Fisher, married to a full-blood Choctaw, found a beautiful location for a home between Durant's present Eighth and Ninth avenues. At the time of Durant's founding it was located in Blue County, a part of the Moshulatubbee District of the Choctaw Nation.  Fisher Durant's son Dixon Durant is recognized as the founder of Durant and is honored as its namesake. A minister, businessman and civic leader, Dixon Durant is credited with pastorates in local Presbyterian, Congregational and Methodist churches. He established the first store selling general merchandise in 1873, around the time of the 1872 creation of the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad (Katy Railroad) siding at Durant, which was the initial impetus for establishing the community.  The Missouri-Kansas and Texas Railway (also known as the MKT or "Katy") had already laid a line through the area that would become Durant by November 1882. A wheelless boxcar was parked on the siding there and named "Durant Station". Dixon Durant erected the first building, adjacent to the boxcar, where he opened a general store in 1873. The first post office, also named as Durant Station, Indian Territory, opened February 20, 1879, but closed on July 11, 1881. A.E. Fulsom was postmaster. The U.S. Postal Service re-established the post office at the site as Durant on March 8, 1882, dropping the word "station" from the name. Beginning in 1882, the area was simply called Durant.  Further growth of the town was inhibited by its proximity to the larger town of Caddo (also on the Katy line) and the fact that Dixon Durant did not want to sell more of the land he had inherited to non-Indians. The St. Louis and San Francisco Railway (also known as "SL & SF" or "Frisco") had intended to build an east–west line through Caddo, where it would intersect the Katy. However, the land prices near Caddo had increased rapidly, causing the Frisco to bypass Caddo in favor of Durant.  W.H. Hilton was elected the first mayor of Durant.  A memorable event in Durant's rail history occurred on April 5, 1905. A special southbound Katy train stopped in the city with President Theodore Roosevelt aboard.  In 1895, a fire destroyed the original business district, which had spread along the Katy tracks.  Calvin Institute was opened in 1894, representing the first institute of higher education in the immediate area, which was an outgrowth of Presbyterian mission work among the Choctaw Indian nation. Its success led it being reopened as a larger school, Durant Presbyterian College in 1901, later renamed as Oklahoma Presbyterian College. After statehood became effective on November 16, 1907, the state legislature created the Southeastern State Normal School at Durant, which opened March 6, 1909. This school was renamed Southeastern State Teachers College in 1921, and renamed again in 1974 as the present Southeastern Oklahoma State University.  In 1904, Durant was named in a grand jury instruction as a sundown town where a notice had been posted warning African Americans not to stay after dark.  The Oklahoma Constitutional Convention selected Durant as the county seat for Bryan County, Oklahoma, which would supersede Blue County at statehood. In 1908, a special election ratified this choice over three other candidates for the honor: Bokchito, Blue, and Sterrett (later renamed Calera).  Bryan County was created from Choctaw lands in 1907, the same time as statehood, and was named after William Jennings Bryan. Bryan was nominated three times for President of the United States and at the age of 36 lost to William McKinley. He lost to McKinley again in 1900, and to William H. Taft in 1908. Woodrow Wilson appointed the county's namesake as United States Secretary of State in 1913.  Eleven people were killed in Durant by a tornado in April 1919.  The town's population grew from 2,969 in 1900 to 5,330 in 1910, 12,823 in 1990, and to 13,549 in 2000.  The Durant Downtown Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography.

Durant is located in southern Oklahoma, in a region named Texoma, or Texomaland, because of its short distance from Lake Texoma. The city is also part of Choctaw Country formerly Kiamichi Country. Its geographic coordinates are (33.999834, −96.384825). It is approximately north of the Texas border at the Red River. Dallas is about south of Durant. The north edge of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, in McKinney, is about to the south.  According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Durant has a total area of, of which is land and, or 0.24%, is water.

Demographics.

As of the census of 2010, there were 15,856 people and 3,651 families residing in the city. The population density was 830 people per square mile (322/km2). There were 7,202 housing units. Nearly three fourths of the city's population (74.7%) self-identified as white, 13.3% self-identified as Native American, and 2.2% self-identified as black or African American. Less than a tenth of the population (7.1%) self-identified as Hispanic or Latino, regardless of race. Individuals of mixed Native American and white heritage accounted for 4.8% of the population. Less than 1% of the population was Asian or Pacific Islander.  Durant's first census was recorded in 1900, and the population was 2,969. The 2000 census reported Durant's population as 13,549.  There were 6,331 households in the city, of which 26% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.3% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.3% were non-families. Individuals living alone accounted for 32.9% of households and 25.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.96.  In the city, the population was spread out with 22% under the age of 18, 18.6% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30.9 years. There were slightly more females (51.4% of the population) than males (48.6%).  The median income for a household in the city was $35,135, and the median income for a family was $41,014. Males working full-time had a median income of $34,040 versus $26,197 for female full-time workers. The per capita income for the city was $18,009. About 21% of families and 28% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35% of those under age 18 and 14% of those age 65 or over.

Economy.

Durant was ranked as the fastest growing rural city in Oklahoma in 2004, having the fastest growth rate outside of the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metropolitan areas.  Durant's daytime population increases to approximately 20,000 people. The city has a pull factor of 1.8–2.1 times its population and was named an All-American City finalist for 2006.  Since 1999, the Durant Economic Development Department, the Durant Industrial Authority and the City of Durant have developed over $600,000,000 in new investments to the city.  Durant currently leads the state in economic development. One of the city's strongest industries is tourism; attractions include Lake Texoma, the Choctaw Casino Resort, and Fort Washita. Manufacturing and distribution are growing industries in Durant with several factories being constructed and planned.  The largest employer in Durant is the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, including the Choctaw Nation Headquarters and the Choctaw Casino Resort, which has two Choctaw Travel Plazas, two Choctaw casinos, the Choctaw Inn, and more facilities that are located in the resort. Over 5,400 people work for the Choctaw Nation in Durant. Though the capital of the Choctaw Nation is recognized as being Tuskahoma, the administrative offices are located in Durant.  In 1894, Calvin Institute, a school for Native American youths, was established in Durant. By 1899, it had attracted an enrollment of 300. It was renamed Durant Presbyterian College in 1900 and Oklahoma Presbyterian College in 1910. The support for the school came from the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, the federal government, and several denominational missionary boards. Because of financial difficulties, the school was closed as a learning institution in the late 1960s. Chief Clark David Gardner established the Choctaw Nation administrative offices at the old Oklahoma Presbyterian College Building in 1975.  In 1976, in cooperation with the Durant Chamber of Commerce and the owners of the buildings, the Red River Valley Historical Association, title was transferred to the federal government. Ceremonies were held August 17, 1976, commemorating the title transfer. Reacquisition of this building allowed centralization of government which permits more effective utilization of personnel in administering current programs and developing future programs. The buildings has been renovated, and administration of many Choctaw programs are headquartered there.  Another important part of Durant's economy is the city's historic central business district and the retail district. In the past few years, downtown Durant has seen growth, renewal projects such as streetscaping, and new businesses arriving. Durant has a Main Street program. The retail district is west of downtown, at the intersection of U.S. 69/75 and U.S. 70, and is Durant's fastest growing area.  Cardinal Glass Industries has a float glass manufacturing facility in western Durant. It became operational in July 2004. This plant is number 20 for Cardinal Glass Industries.  Big Lots has a. distribution center in Durant that began operating in January 2004.  Durant is home to the headquarters of First United Bank, one of the largest privately owned banks in the United States, and First Texoma National Bank. Indian Nation Wholesale, also headquartered in Durant, was the 15th largest wholesaler in the United States as of 2008.  Wal-Mart opened a supercenter in Durant in 2003, replacing the older, smaller Wal-Mart that had operated since 1986. Smaller grocery stores in Durant include Green Spray, Save-A-Lot, and Pruett's Grocery Store.

Arts and culture.

Durant is home to the annual Magnolia Festival and the Three Valley Museum. The festival is put on by the Durant Chamber of Commerce and Durant Main Street Program the weekend following Memorial Day. It features music, shopping, shows, and two pageants – the Magnolia Pageant and the Choctaw Princess Pageant.  The Oklahoma Legislature proclaimed Durant as the "Magnolia Capital of the World" in 1993. Every year since, the town has celebrated a Magnolia Festival during the weekend following Memorial Day.  Durant has a "World's Largest Peanut" monument, a title it shares with two other monuments in Texas and Ashburn, Georgia. This monument to the peanut growers in Bryan County is located on the front lawn of Durant's city hall. Dedicated in 1973, it includes a time capsule that contains historic and legal documents, which will be unearthed in the year 2023.  The Three Valley Museum houses historical artifacts of Bryan County. Opened in 1976, it is named for a book about Durant, "Queen of the Three Valleys" by Henry McCreary, which references the city's location in the middle of the Red, Blue River, and Washita River valleys. The museum's exhibits include an early law office, doctor's office, child's room, parlor, and general store.  The Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival is housed on the campus of Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival is one of the top summer theatre festivals in America. It has made Durant and Southeastern Oklahoma State University a destination for tourists, professional and aspiring actors and theatre artisans.

Sports.

Although no major sports team is located in Durant, many sporting opportunities are found in the city, including the Durant Multi-Sports Complex, golf, soccer pitches, and baseball fields.  The Durant Multi-Sports Complex is an athletic facility located 2 mi (3 km) southeast of Durant, on Highway 78. The sports complex, dedicated on November 17, 2006, sits on, with undeveloped. It consists of baseball and softball fields, soccer pitches, and a football stadium/track field. A lake is under construction, and a walking and biking trail is planned to be built around the lake. The cost of the complex was $7 million.

Parks and recreation.

The City of Durant maintains and operates 11 parks totaling more than. They include:  Less than away, Lake Texoma has between 8–10 million visitors every year and is the 12th largest lake in the United States, and also one of the largest reservoirs in the country, contributing to Durant's economic and population growth.

Government.

Durant is governed by a council-manager form of municipal government. The city manager is the administrative leader of the government and is appointed by the city council. The city's ceremonial head is the mayor, who is a voting member of the council with limited administrative power.  The city manager is John Dean. The current mayor is Oden Grube. The city is divided into four wards with a member of the city council from each. There is also an at-large city council member. The current mayor also represents Ward 1.

Education.

Higher education.

Durant is home to Southeastern Oklahoma State University, which has about 5,200 enrolled students. It is the only university in Oklahoma to offer a Master of Science in Aviation and Space. Southeastern Oklahoma State University offers degrees through its Aviation Sciences Institute, the largest aviation program in the state. The main campus in Durant has facilities at the airport to support flight training and facilities on campus to facilitate the management options in business, maintenance, safety, and security. The institute offers the undergraduate management degrees as well as the Master of Science degree in Aerospace Administration & Logistics.  Southeastern Oklahoma State University also offers a doctoral degree, Ed.D., in Applied Educational Studies with the Aviation and Space Science specialization and a Graduate Certificate in Aviation Security.

Career and technical education.

Durant is home to the Kiamichi Technology Center, which has eight other locations in southeastern Oklahoma. Kiamichi is part of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education.

Elementary and secondary.

The Durant Independent School District is the largest school district in southeastern Oklahoma and serves approximately 3,100 students. The district includes six schools and includes preschool, primary and secondary education.  The region is also home to the Silo School District, which includes three schools and serves approximately 680 students, and to one of two schools in the Rock Creek School District.  The city has a private K-12 school, Victory Life Academy, which has an enrollment of about 250 students.

Media.

Durant is served by a newspaper, "The Durant Democrat", formerly The Durant Daily Democrat, which publishes three days each week, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The Democrat was purchased by Graystone Media Group LLC, a group of local businessmen, in 2018. Graystone Media has also started monthly publications in Kingston, OK and Calera, OK. No television studios are located in the city, but it receives over the air reception from the Sherman-Ada DMA, which happens to have studios in Sherman and Denison, Texas, with branch studios in Ardmore, Oklahoma. The city has an independent cable television and Internet provider called Vyve. On August 26, 2016, Ryan Nazari, an Oklahoma City Thunder fan, created a petition to change the city's name to "Westbrook" because Kevin Durant left the team for the Golden State Warriors that received 1,999 supporters.  The city receives the following stations:  Public-access television cable television stations include:  The city receives the following radio stations:  Durant's KLBC publishes a monthly entertainment guide, "The KLBC Buzz". Available online and the print version is distributed to a six-county region of Texoma.

Infrastructure.

Roads and highways.

US 69/US 75 – A north-south four-lane divided highway and freeway. US 69/75 enters Oklahoma as a freeway from the Dallas area. It then downgrades to a divided four-lane highway just north of Colbert. The highway then enters Durant from the south. After its at-grade intersection with Choctaw Road, it again upgrades to a freeway, passing through western and northern Durant, and again downgrades to a four-lane divided highway at the Bryan-Atoka County line.  US 70 – An east–west route. Highway 70 enters Durant from the east as a two-lane highway as Mulberry Street, crossing a Union Pacific railroad via a bridge. It then heads southward toward downtown on First Avenue as a 3-lane, concurrent with SH 78 and Business Routes 69/75. Downtown it has an intersection with Main Street, then continues its route westward on West Main Street concurrent with Business Routes 69/75. Just west of downtown it turns into a three-lane street, and after its intersection with 9th Avenue it converts into a 5-lane street. At Washington Avenue it downgrades to a two-lane again while it travels through West End Heights, a historic and upscale neighborhood. At 21st Avenue it turns into a divided four-lane highway in the Retail District, intersecting with 69/75 as a parclo interchange. Highway 70 continues westward toward Mead and Lake Texoma as a 5-lane highway.  SH 78 – A north–south route. SH 78 enters Durant from the south as Southeast 3rd Avenue and as a two-lane. It comes to an intersection with East Main Street and turns westward toward downtown continuing its route. At the intersection of Main and First Avenue, the highway turns northward onto First Avenue as a 3-lane street, concurrent with Highway 70 and Business Routes 69/75. It continues northward to University Boulevard and turns into a two-lane highway. Just before its intersection with 69/75 (via ramps), SH 78 turns into a divided four-lane highway for a short time and then turns into a two-lane highway again, exiting the city.  In a 2006 study by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, an average of about 19,100 vehicles pass Durant's Main Street on U.S. 69/75 every day. Approximately 19,000 vehicles pass under 69/75 on Main Street daily.  The major streets are First Avenue, Southeast 3rd Avenue, South 9th Avenue, Washington Avenue, Radio Road, University Place, 49th Avenue, Choctaw Road, Rodeo Road, West Main Street, East Main Street, University Boulevard, Chuckwa Street, Gail Farrell Drive, and Mockingbird Lane.  There are four exits in Durant from U.S. 69/75, at First Avenue, Washington Avenue, University/Chuckwa (the exit off northbound 69/75 is the only one complete), and Main Street. There are also traffic lights at the intersection of U.S. 69/75 and Choctaw Road south of Durant, where the Choctaw Casino Resort is located.

Airports.

Durant Regional Airport – Eaker Field, the city's airport, and home to Southeastern Oklahoma State University's Aviation Sciences Institute, was a U.S. Navy auxiliary airfield during World War II. It is named after U.S. Army Air Force General Ira C. Eaker, early commander of the legendary Eighth Air Force in wartime England, who graduated from the university (then known as Southeastern State Teacher's College) in 1917.  The closest international airports to Durant are Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City.

Rail.

Durant is a major railroad center. The giant Union Pacific Railroad and the short-line Kiamichi Railroad intersect in downtown.

Utilities.

Durant is served by a city-owned water plant and sewage treatment center. Residents receive electricity from OG&E And Southeastern Electric Co-op.

Healthcare.

Durant is served by the AllianceHealth Durant. Built in 1987, the medical center replaced the Bryan Memorial Hospital.  Emergency Medical Services are provided by Bryan County EMS.

Other distinctions.

Durant has had the honor to be recognized on a national scale on various occasions, regarding famous visitations or other attention. An example of this is as follows:

Durant is a city in Bryan County, Oklahoma, United States and serves as the capital city and headquarters of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. The population was 15,856 at the 2010 census. Durant is the principal city of the Durant Micropolitan Statistical Area, which had a population of 42,416 in 2010. Durant ranks as the second largest city within the Choctaw Nation, following McAlester, and ahead of Poteau. Durant is also part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Combined Statistical Area, anchoring the northern edge.

La ville de Durant est le siège du comté de Bryan, dans l’État d’Oklahoma, aux États-Unis. Sa population s’élevait à lors du recensement, estimée à.