Wrestling career.

Švec, a native of Havlíčkův Brod from the former Czechoslovakia, started wrestling when he was a teenager, and was later admitted to PSK Olymp Praha, one of the most prominent wrestling clubs in the capital Prague, under his coach Ervin Varga. He eventually made his international debut in wrestling by competing in the heavyweight division at the 1994 European Championships, where he finished in fourteenth place. At the onset of his career, Svec struggled to manage his performance in front of the field, as he frequently placed below top-ten places in most of his qualifying tournaments.  In 1998, Svec achieved his first success in wrestling, when he won the silver medal, against Russia's Gogi Koguashvili at the World Championships in Gävle, Sweden. Following his major triumph, he improved further with skill, strategy, and training to qualify for the World and European Championships; however, he suffered numerous setbacks during the competition by placing farther from the medal podium. In 2004, Svec recaptured his success in the men's heavyweight division, after winning the bronze medal at the European Championships in Haparanda, Finland.  After long years of defeat and struggles in the competition, Švec finally managed to repeat his silver medal at the 2006 World Championships in Guangzhou, China, losing out to Estonia's Heiki Nabi by a technical score of 1–3. He also added bronze medals at the European Championships in Moscow and in Vilnius, and at the World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Olympic Games.

In addition to his numerous achievements at both the World and European championships, Švec was one of two Greco-Roman wrestlers from the Czech Republic, along with David Vála, to compete at three Olympic games. He made his official debut at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, where he achieved his first top-ten finish by placing eighth for the 90-kg category in men's Greco-Roman wrestling. At the 2000 Summer Olympics, Svec, however, suffered numerous setbacks during the preliminary pool in the men's 97-kg category. He lost to Garrett Lowney of the United States, without receiving any technical score, and Russia's Gogi Koguashvili, who previously defeated him at the World Championships two years before. With two losses and few technical points received in the preliminary pool, Svec dropped to last place, and eighteenth in the overall rankings.  Švec made an eight-year comeback at his third Olympics in Beijing, after winning a silver medal at the World Championships. He qualified for the men's 96-kg category, where he first defeated Kaloyan Dinchev of Bulgaria in the first preliminary round, and upset Georgia's Ramaz Nozadze, silver medalist from Athens, in the quarterfinal round, both with a classification point score of 3–1. Svec eventually fought against Russia's Aslanbek Khushtov in the semi-final round, but the latter received a technical fall to end a match, with an automatic score of 0–5. Having lost in the semi-final round, Švec qualified for the bronze medal bout, but was defeated by Kazakhstan's Asset Mambetov, who earned more points than him in the second period of the match, with a three-point counter takedown, and two-point reverse exposure. Švec originally finished fifth in the overall rankings, tying his place with Han Tae-Young of South Korea.  Asset Mambetov of Kazakhstan originally finished third, however in November 2016, it was announced that he tested positive for stanozolol.  The medals were reawarded by FILA following this decision and Švec was awarded his bronze medal in 2017.

Marek Švec (born February 17, 1973 in Havlíčkův Brod) is an amateur Greco-Roman wrestler from the Czech Republic. He is a three-time Olympian, and also, a multiple-time medalist at both the World and European Championships. He also won the bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Marek Švec (* 17. února 1973 Havlíčkův Brod, Československo) je bývalý reprezentant Česka v zápase řecko-římském a současný reprezentační trenér. Jde o největší osobnost českého zápasu od její samostatnosti.


Gameplay.

The gameplay of "Final Fantasy VII" is mostly comparable to earlier "Final Fantasy" titles and Japanese role-playing games. The game features three modes of play: the world map, the field, and the battle screen. At its grandest scale, players explore the entire world of "Final Fantasy VII" on a 3D world map. The world map is littered with representations of areas for the player to enter, including towns, environments, and ruins. Natural barriers—such as mountains, deserts, and bodies of water—block access by foot to some areas; as the game progresses, the player receives vehicles that help traverse these obstacles. Chocobos can be found in certain spots on the map, and if caught, can be ridden to areas inaccessible by foot or vehicle. In field mode, the player navigates fully scaled versions of the areas represented on the world map. For the first time in the series, this mode is represented in three-dimensional space. The player can explore the environment, talk with characters, advance the story, and initiate event games in this mode. Event games are short minigames that use special control functions and are often tied into the story. While in field mode, the player may also find shops and inns. Shops provide an opportunity to buy and sell items that can aid Cloud and his party, such as weapons, armor, and accessories. If the characters rest at an inn, their hit points and mana points will be restored, along with any abnormalities contracted during

Synopsis.

Setting and characters.

"Final Fantasy VII" takes place on a world referred to in-game as the "Planet", though it has been retroactively named "Gaia". The planet's lifeforce, called the Lifestream, is a flow of spiritual energy that gives life to everything on the Planet. Its processed form is known as "Mako". On a societal and technological level, the game has been defined as an industrial or post-industrial science fiction milieu. During "Final Fantasy VII", the Planet's Lifestream is being drained for energy by the Shinra Electric Power Company (神羅), a world-dominating megacorporation headquartered in the city of Midgar. Shinra's actions are weakening the Planet, threatening its existence and all life. Significant factions within the game include AVALANCHE, an eco-terrorist group seeking Shinra's downfall so the Planet can recover; the Turks, a covert branch of Shinra's security forces; SOLDIER, an elite Shinra fighting force created by enhancing humans

Plot.

AVALANCHE destroys a Shinra Mako reactor in Midgar; an attack on another reactor goes wrong, and Cloud falls into the city slums. There, he meets Aerith and protects her from Shinra. Meanwhile, Shinra finds AVALANCHE and collapses part of the upper city, killing most of AVALANCHE along with the slum population below. Aerith is also captured; as a Cetra, she can potentially reveal the "Promised Land", which Shinra believes is overflowing with exploitable Lifestream energy. Cloud, Barret, and Tifa rescue Aerith; during their escape from Midgar, they discover that President Shinra was murdered by Sephiroth, who was presumed dead five years earlier. The party pursues Sephiroth

Development.

Initial concept talks for "Final Fantasy VII" began in 1994 at "Final Fantasy" developer Square, following the completion of "Final Fantasy VI". As with the previous installment, series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi reduced his role to producer and granted others a more active role in development: these included Yoshinori Kitase, one of the directors of "Final Fantasy VI". The next installment was planned as a 2D game for Nintendo's Super Nintendo Entertainment System (Super NES). After creating an early 2D prototype of it, the team postponed development to help finish "Chrono Trigger". Once "Chrono Trigger" was completed, the team resumed discussions for "Final Fantasy VII" in 1995.  The team discussed continuing the 2D strategy, which would have been the safe and immediate path just prior to the imminent industry shift toward 3D gaming; such a change would require radical new development models. The team decided to take the riskier option and make a 3D game on new generation hardware but had yet to choose between the cartridge-based Nintendo 64 or the CD-ROM-based PlayStation from Sony Computer Entertainment. The team also considered the Sega Saturn console and Microsoft Windows. Their decision was influenced by two factors: a highly successful tech demo based on "Final Fantasy VI" using the new Softimage 3D software, and the escalating price of cartridge-based games, which was limiting Square's audience. Tests were made for a Nintendo 64 version, which would use the planned 64DD peripheral despite the lack of 64DD development kits and the prototype device's changing hardware specifications. This version was discarded during early testing, as the 2000 polygons needed to render the Behemoth monster placed excessive strain on the Nintendo 64 hardware, causing a low frame rate. It would have required an estimated thirty 64DD discs to run "Final Fantasy VII" properly with the data compression methods of the day. Faced with both technical and economic issues on Nintendo's current hardware, and impressed by the increased storage capacity of CD-ROM when compared to the Nintendo 64 cartridge, Square shifted development of "Final Fantasy VII", and all other planned projects, onto the PlayStation.  In contrast to the visuals and audio, the overall gameplay system remained mostly unchanged from "Final Fantasy V" and "VI", but with an emphasis on player control. The initial decision was for battles to feature shifting camera angles. Battle arenas had a lower polygon count than field areas, which made creating distinctive features more difficult. The summon sequences benefited strongly from the switch to the cinematic style, as the team had struggled to portray their scale using 2D graphics. In his role as producer, Sakaguchi placed much of his effort into developing the battle system. He proposed the Materia system as a way to provide more character customization than previous "Final Fantasy" games: battles no longer revolved around characters with innate skills and roles in battle, as Materia could be reconfigured between battles. Artist Tetsuya Nomura also contributed to the gameplay; he designed the Limit Break system as an evolution of the Desperation Attacks used in "Final Fantasy VI". The Limit Breaks served a purpose in gameplay while also evoking each character's personality in battle.  Square retained the passion-based game development approach from their earlier projects, but now had the resources and ambition to create the game they wanted. This was because they had extensive capital from their earlier commercial successes, which meant they could focus on quality and scale rather than obsessing over and working around their budget. "Final Fantasy VII" was at the time one of the most expensive video game projects ever, costing an estimated (equivalent to adjusted for inflation). Development of the final version took a staff of between 100 and 150 people just over a year to complete. As video game development teams were usually only 20 people, the game had what was described as the largest development team of any game up to that point. The development team was split between both Square's Japanese offices and its new American office in Los Angeles; the American team worked primarily on city backgrounds.

Release.

"Final Fantasy VII" was announced in February 1996. Square president and chief executive officer Tomoyuki Takechi were fairly confident about Japanese players making the game a commercial success despite it being on a new platform. A playable demo was included on a disc giveaway at the 1996 Tokyo Game Show, dubbed "Square's Preview Extra: Final Fantasy VII & Siggraph '95 Works". The disc also included the early test footage Square created using characters from "Final Fantasy VI". The initial release date was at some point in 1996, but to properly realize their vision, Square postponed the release date almost a full year. "Final Fantasy VII" was released on January 31, 1997. It was published in Japan by Square. A re-release of the game based on its Western version, titled "Final Fantasy VII International", was released on October 2, 1997. This improved "International" version would kickstart the trend for Square to create an updated version for the Japanese release, based on the enhanced Western versions. The "International" version was re-released as a physical disc as part of the "Final Fantasy 25th Anniversary Ultimate Box" Japanese package on December 18, 2012.  While its success in Japan had been taken for granted by Square executives, North America and Europe were another matter, as up to that time the Japanese role-playing genre was still a niche market in Western territories. Sony, due to the PlayStation's struggles against Nintendo and Sega's home consoles, lobbied for the publishing rights in North America and Europe following "Final Fantasy VII"s transfer to PlayStation—to further persuade Square, Sony offered a lucrative royalties deal with profits potentially equaling those Square would get by self-publishing the game. Square accepted Sony's offer as Square itself lacked Western publishing experience. Square was uncertain about the game's success, as other JRPGs including "Final Fantasy VI" had met with poor sales outside Japan. To help with promoting the title overseas, Square dissolved their original Washington offices and hired new staff for fresh offices in Costa Mesa. It was first exhibited to the Western public at Electronic Entertainment Expo 1996 (E3).  To promote the game overseas, Square and Sony launched a widespread three-month advertising campaign in August 1997. Beginning with a television commercial by TBWA\Chiat\Day that ran alongside popular shows including "Saturday Night Live", "The Simpsons", "Late Night with Conan O'Brien", and "Prime Time Sports", the campaign included numerous articles in both gaming and general interest magazines, advertisements in comics from publishers such as DC Comics and Marvel, a special collaboration with Pepsi, media events, sample discs, and merchandise. According to estimations by Takechi, the total worldwide marketing budget came to ; $10 million had been spent in Japan, $10 million in Europe, and $20 million in North America. Unlike its predecessors, "Final Fantasy VII" did not have its numeral adjusted to account for the lack of a Western release for "Final Fantasy II", "III", and "V" — while only the fourth "Final Fantasy" released outside Japan, its Japanese title was retained. It was released in North America on September 7, 1997. The game was released in Europe on November 17, becoming the first "Final Fantasy" game to be released in Europe. The Western version included additional elements and alterations, such as streamlining of the menu and Materia system, reducing the health of enemies, new visual cues to help with navigation across the world map, and additional cutscenes relating to Cloud's past.

Reception.

The game received widespread acclaim from critics upon release. It was referred to by "GameFan" as "quite possibly the greatest game ever made", a quote selected for the back cover of the game's jewel case. "GameSpot" commented that "never before have technology, playability, and narrative combined as well as in "Final Fantasy VII"," expressing particular favor toward the game's graphics, audio, and story. The four reviewers of "Electronic Gaming Monthly" unanimously gave it a 9.5 out of 10 and their "Game of the Month" award, lauding its rendered backgrounds, use of FMV, battles, and especially the story line, though they expressed disappointment that the ending didn't resolve all of the loose ends. They also considered the North American localization a dramatic improvement over the original Japanese version. "GamePro" gave it a perfect 5.0 out of 5 in all four categories (graphics, sound, control, and fun factor), calling the storytelling "dramatic, sentimental, and touching in a way that draws you into the characters", who "come alive thanks to sweetly subtle body movements." Both "GamePro" and "Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine" ("OPM") said the ATB system gives battles a tension and urgency not usually seen in RPGs.  IGN's Jay Boor insisted the game's graphics were "light years beyond anything ever seen on the PlayStation", and regarded its battle system as its strongest point. "Computer and Video Games"s Alex C praised the dramatic story and well-developed characters. In addition to calling the graphics "bar none the best the PlayStation has ever seen", "Next Generation" said of the story that "while "FFVII" may take a bit to get going, as in every entry in the series, moments of high melodrama are blended with scenes of sheer poetry and vision". "Edge" noted that "Final Fantasy VII" had come close to being an interactive movie in playable form, praising its combination of a complex story that went against Western graphic adventure trends and "excellently orchestrated chip music". RPGamer praised the game's soundtrack, both in variety and sheer volume, stating that "Uematsu has done his work exceptionally well" and saying that it was potentially his best work.  "Final Fantasy VII" has received some negative criticism. "OPM" and "GameSpot" questioned the game's linear progression. "OPM" considered the game's translation "a bit muddy" and felt the summon animations were "absolutely awe-inspiring." RPGamer cited its translation as "packed with typos and other errors which further obscure what is already a very confusing plot." "GamePro" also considered the Japanese-to-English translation a significant weakness in the game, and IGN regarded the ability to use only three characters at a time as "the game's only shortcoming."  Reviewers gave similar praise to the PC version but criticized its various technical faults. "Computer Games Magazine" said that no other recent game had the same "tendency to fail to work in any capacity on multiple [computers]." "Computer Gaming World" complained that the music quality suffered on PC sound cards, and "Next Generation Magazine" found the game's pre-rendered backgrounds significantly less impressive than those of the PlayStation version. However, the latter magazine found the higher-resolution battle visuals "absolutely stunning," and "Computer Games Magazine" said that they showed off the potential graphical power of PCs. All three magazines concluded by praising the game despite its technical flaws, and "PC Gamer" summarized that, while "Square apparently did only what was required to get its PlayStation game running under Windows," "Final Fantasy VII" is "still a winner on the PC."

Legacy.

The game inspired an unofficial version for the NES by Chinese company Shenzhen Nanjing Technology. This port features the "Final Fantasy VII" game scaled back to 2D, with some of the side quests removed. The game's popularity and open-ended nature also led director Kitase and scenario writer Nojima to establish a plot-related connection between "Final Fantasy VII" and "Final Fantasy X-2". The character Shinra from "Final Fantasy X-2" proposes the concept of extracting the life energy from within the planet Spira. Nojima has stated that Shinra and his proposal are a deliberate nod to the Shinra Company and that he envisioned the events of "Final Fantasy X-2" as a prequel to those in "Final Fantasy VII". The advances in technology used to create the FMV sequences and computer graphics for "Final Fantasy VII" allowed Sakaguchi to begin production on the first "Final Fantasy" film, "". The game introduced a particular aesthetic to the series—fantasy suffused with modern-to-advanced technology—that was explored further in "Final Fantasy VIII", "The Spirits Within", and "Final Fantasy XV". Re-releases of Square games in Japan with bonus features would occur frequently after the release of "Final Fantasy VII International". Later titles that would be re-released as international versions include "Final Fantasy X" and other follow-ups from the franchise, as well as the "Kingdom Hearts" series.  Several characters from "Final Fantasy VII" have made cameo appearances in other Square Enix titles, most notably the fighting game "Ehrgeiz" and the popular "Final-Fantasy"-to-Disney crossover series "Kingdom Hearts". Additionally, fighting video game "Dissidia Final Fantasy" includes "Final Fantasy VII" characters such as Cloud and Sephiroth, and allows players to fight with characters from throughout the "Final Fantasy" series, and its follow-up, "Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy", included Tifa as well. Cloud is also a playable character in "Final Fantasy Tactics". In December 2015, Cloud was released as a downloadable content character for the Nintendo crossover fighting games "Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS" and "Wii U", along with a stage based on Midgar. He returned in the 2018 sequel, "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate". On television, "Final Fantasy VII" was parodied in the second season of "Robot Chicken" in 2006.

Impact.

"Final Fantasy VII" is credited as having the largest impact of the "Final Fantasy" series. In 2002, "GameSpot" ranked it as the second most influential game ever made. In 2007, "GamePro" ranked it 14th on their list of the most important games of all time, and in 2009 it was ranked the same place on their list of the most influential and innovative games of all time. Bill Loguidice and Matt Barton listed "Final Fantasy VII" among the 25 most influential games of all time. Samuel Roberts of "Retro Gamer", writing for "GamesRadar", called "FFVII" "one of the most important and influential RPGs of all time" in January 2020.  The game is credited with allowing console role-playing games to gain mass-market appeal outside of Japan. Role-playing video games were a niche genre in North America up until "Final Fantasy VII" introduced the genre to a mainstream audience there, and it was the first "Final Fantasy" title released in Europe. It popularized Japanese role-playing games outside of Japan, in addition to opening up the game console market for Western computer role-playing game developers such as BioWare. According to Gene Park of "The Washington Post", "FFVII" "single-handedly put role-playing video games on the global map." It was also a killer app for the original PlayStation, and demonstrated the advantages of CD-ROM media over ROM cartridge media. According to Sony Computer Entertainment founder and PlayStation architect Ken Kutaragi, "Final Fantasy VII" was "a driving force that propelled gaming forward" along with the PlayStation, and the game contributed to growing global awareness of Japanese popular culture along with anime.  "FFVII" was one of the first video games produced at a blockbuster (AAA) scale. It was the most expensive video game ever developed up until then,

Themes.

The game is noted for its cyberpunk themes, with "GamesRadar+" calling it one of the best games of the genre, and Harry Mackin of "Paste Magazine" comparing its cyberpunk city of Midgar to "Akira" and "Blade Runner". Aja Romano of "The Daily Dot" and Philip Boyes of "Eurogamer" cited "Final Fantasy VII" as an example of dieselpunk, a genre similar to steampunk. According to "Comic Book Resources", the game's environmental and climate change themes are more relevant and meaningful in 2019 than they were in 1997. William Hughes of "The A.V. Club" notes that Barret and his terrorist cell AVALANCHE are one of the few examples of "heroic pop culture terrorists" in video games, and that the game's "political relevance remains" in a post-9/11 world. Dani Di Placido of "Forbes" also feels the game is still relevant in 2020, drawing parallels between the game's events and contemporary issues such as climate change, environmental catastrophe, economic collapse and the COVID-19 pandemic (comparing the latter to the game world after Meteor is summoned). Murray Clark of "Esquire" also argues that several characters wore clothing which anticipated several contemporary fashion trends.  "Final Fantasy VII" is noted for its use of the unreliable narrator literary concept, drawing comparisons to later films such as "Fight Club" (1999), "The Sixth Sense" (1999), "American Psycho" (2000) and "Memento" (2000). Patrick Holleman and Jeremy Parish argue that the game takes the unreliable narrator concept a step further, with its interactivity establishing a connection between the player and the protagonist Cloud, setting "Final Fantasy VII"

"Compilation of Final Fantasy VII".

The world of "Final Fantasy VII" is explored further in the "Compilation of Final Fantasy VII", a series of games, animated features, and short stories. The first title in the "Compilation" is the mobile game "", a prequel focusing on the Turks' activities six years before the original game. The CGI film sequel "", set two years

Related media and merchandise.

Releases not under the "Compilation" label include "Maiden Who Travels the Planet", which follows Aerith's journey in the Lifestream after her death, taking place concurrently with the second half of the original game. In 1998, the "Official Final Fantasy VII Strategy Guide" was licensed by Square Soft and published by Brady Games. "Final Fantasy VII Snowboarding" is a mobile port of the snowboard minigame featured in the original game, featuring different courses for the player to tackle. The game is downloadable on V Cast-compatible mobile phones and was first made available in 2005 in Japan and North America.

"Final Fantasy VII Remake".

With the announcement and development of the "Compilation of Final Fantasy VII", speculation spread that a remake of the original "Final Fantasy VII" would be released for the PlayStation 3. This conjecture was sparked by the release of a video featuring

Development began in 1994, originally for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. After delays and technical difficulties from experimenting on several platforms, Square moved production to the PlayStation, largely due to the advantages of the format. Veteran "Final Fantasy" staff returned, including series creator and producer Hironobu Sakaguchi, director Yoshinori Kitase, and composer Nobuo Uematsu. The title became the first in the series to use full motion video and 3D computer graphics, which featured 3D character models superimposed over 2D pre-rendered backgrounds. "Final Fantasy VII" introduced more widespread science fiction elements and a more realistic presentation, while the gameplay systems remained largely similar to previous entries, with the addition of new elements such as Materia, Limit Breaks and new minigames. The game had a staff of over 100, with a combined development and marketing budget of around.

Final Fantasy VII je videohra typu RPG od firmy Square pro PlayStation a později i pro PC. Od roku 2013 je k dispozici i v distribuční síti Steam. Původně vyšla roku 1997 a ve své době přinesla revoluci. Jako první hra série Final Fantasy přinesla 3D grafiku. Dále také nový systém ovládání a velmi rozsáhlý příběh. Tento díl se stal natolik oblíbený, že bylo podle něj vytvořeno několik dalších her a filmů, které jeho příběh dále rozšiřují.


Etymology and history.

The stone was given its name by Theophrastus, a Greek philosopher and naturalist, who discovered the stone along the shore line of the Dirillo River or Achates () in Sicily, sometime between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC.

Ancient use.

Agate is one of the most common materials used in the art of hardstone carving, and has been recovered at a number of ancient sites, indicating its widespread use in the ancient world; for example, archaeological recovery at the Knossos site on Crete illustrates its role in Bronze Age Minoan culture.

Formation and characteristics.

Agate minerals have the tendency to form on or within pre-existing rocks, creating difficulties in accurately determining their time of formation. Their host rocks have been dated to have formed as early as the Archean Eon. Agates are most commonly found as nodules within the cavities of volcanic rocks. These cavities are formed from the gases trapped within the liquid volcanic material forming vesicles. Cavities are then filled in with silica-rich fluids from the volcanic material, layers are deposited on the walls of the cavity slowly working their way inwards. The first layer deposited on the cavity walls is commonly known as the priming layer. Variations in the character of the solution or in the conditions of deposition may cause a corresponding variation in the successive layers. These variations in layers result in bands of chalcedony, often alternate with layers of crystalline quartz forming banded agate. Hollow agates can also form due to the deposition of liquid-rich silica not penetrating deep enough to fill the cavity completely. Agate will form crystals within the reduced cavity, the apex of each crystal may point towards the center of the cavity.  The priming layer are often dark green, but can be modified by iron oxide resulting in a rust like appearance. Agate is a very durable and therefore is often seen detached from its eroding matrix, once removed, the outer surface is usually pitted and rough from filling the cavity of its former matrix. Agates have also been found in sedimentary rocks, normally in limestone or dolomite; these sedimentary rocks require cavities often from decomposed branches or other buried organic material. If silica-rich fluids are able to penetrate into these cavities agates can be formed.

Types.

"Lace agate" is a variety that exhibits a lace-like pattern with forms such as eyes, swirls, bands or zigzags. "Blue lace agate" is found in Africa and is especially hard. "Crazy lace agate," typically found in Mexico, is often brightly colored with a complex pattern, demonstrating randomized distribution of contour lines and circular droplets, scattered throughout the rock. The stone is typically coloured red and white but is also seen to exhibit yellow and grey combinations as well.  "Moss agate", as the name suggests, exhibits a moss like pattern and is of a greenish colour. The coloration is not created by any vegetative growth, but rather through the mixture of chalcedony and oxidized iron hornblende. "Dendritic agate" also displays vegetative features, including fern-like patterns formed due to the presence of manganese and iron oxides.  "Turritella agate" ("Elimia tenera)" is formed from the shells of fossilized freshwater Turritellas, gastropods with elongated spiral shells. Similarly, coral, petrified wood, porous rocks and other organic remains can also form agate.  "Coldwater agates", such as the Lake Michigan Cloud Agate, did not form under volcanic processes, but instead formed within the limestone and dolomite strata of marine origin. Like volcanic-origin agates, Coldwater agates formed from silica gels that lined pockets and seams within the bedrock. These agates are typically less colorful, with banded lines of grey and white chalcedony.  "Greek agate" is a name given to pale white to tan colored agate found in Sicily, once a Greek colony, back to 400 BC. The Greeks used it for making jewelry and beads.  "Brazilian agate" is found as sizable geodes of layered nodules. These occur in brownish tones inter-layered with white and gray. Quartz forms within these nodules, creating a striking specimen when cut opposite the layered growth axis. It is often dyed in various colors for ornamental purposes.  "Polyhedroid agate" forms in a flat-sided shape similar to a polyhedron. When sliced, it often shows a characteristic layering of concentric polygons. It has been suggested that growth is not crystallographically controlled but is due to the filling-in of spaces between pre-existing crystals which have since dissolved.  Other forms of agate include Holley blue agate (also spelled "Holly blue agate"), a rare dark blue ribbon agate only found near Holley, Oregon; Lake Superior agate; Carnelian agate (has reddish hues); Botswana agate; Plume agate; Condor agate; Tube agate containing visible flow channels or pinhole-sized "tubes"; Fortification agate with contrasting concentric banding reminiscent of defensive ditches and walls around ancient forts; Binghamite, a variety found only on the Cuyuna iron range (near Crosby) in Crow Wing County, Minnesota; Fire agate showing an iridescent, internal flash or "fire", the result of a layer of clear agate over a layer of hydrothermally deposited hematite; Patuxent River stone, a red and yellow form of agate only found in Maryland; Enhydro agate contains tiny inclusions of water, sometimes with air bubbles.

Uses in industry and art.

Industrial uses of agate exploit its hardness, ability to retain a highly polished surface finish and resistance to chemical attack. It has traditionally been used to make knife-edge bearings for laboratory balances and precision pendulums, and sometimes to make mortars and pestles to crush and mix chemicals. It has also been used for centuries for leather burnishing tools.  The decorative arts use it to make ornaments such as pins, brooches or other types of jewellery, paper knives, inkstands, marbles and seals. Agate is also still used today for decorative displays, cabochons, beads, carvings and Intarsia art as well as face-polished and tumble-polished specimens of varying size and origin. Idar-Oberstein was one of the centers which made use of agate on an industrial scale. Where in the beginning locally found agates were used to make all types of objects for the European market, this became a globalized business around the turn of the 20th century: Idar-Oberstein imported large quantities of agate from Brazil, as ship's ballast. Making use of a variety of proprietary chemical processes, they produced colored beads that were sold around the globe. Agates have long been used in arts and crafts. The sanctuary of a Presbyterian church in Yachats, Oregon, has six windows with panes made of agates collected from the local beaches.

Health impact.

Respiratory diseases such as silicosis and higher incidence of tuberculosis among workers involved in the agate industry have been reported from India and China.

Agate is a common rock formation, consisting of chalcedony and quartz as its primary components, consisting of a wide variety of colors. Agates are primarily formed within volcanic and metamorphic rocks. Decorative uses of agates date back as far as Ancient Greece and are used most commonly as decorations or jewelry.

Achát (z řeckého "achates") je minerál, jehož název pochází z historického názvu řeky Achates (dnes Dirillo) na Sicílii. Jedná se o koncentricky jemně i hrubě vrstevnatou odrůdu chalcedonu (křemene). Přísně vědecky vzato není achát jeden minerál, ale směs proužků křemene, chalcedonu a opálu. Charakteristickým, okem viditelným znakem achátu je pestrobarevnost; mezi nejběžnější zbarvení patří bílo-šedá, bledě modrá, oranžovo-červená a černá. Na Mohsově stupnici tvrdosti má stupeň tvrdosti 6-7.


History.

Frederick Hasselborough, an Australian, discovered the uninhabited island on 11 July 1810 when looking for new sealing grounds. He claimed Macquarie Island for Britain and annexed it to the colony of New South Wales in 1810. The island took its name after colonel Lachlan Macquarie, Governor of New South Wales from 1810 to 1821. Hasselborough reported a wreck "of ancient design", which has given rise to speculation that the island may have been visited before by Polynesians or others.  Richard Siddins and his crew ended up being shipwrecked in Hasselborough Bay on 11 June 1812. Joseph Underwood sent the ship "Elizabeth" and "Mary" to the island to rescue the remaining crew. When Siddins landed on Macquarie island in 1812, he met the Russian explorer Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen there.  The sealing era on the island lasted from 1810 to 1919, during which time 144 vessel visits are recorded, twelve of which ended when the vessel was wrecked. Sealers' relics include iron try pots, casks, hut ruins, graves and inscriptions.  Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen, who explored the area for Alexander I of Russia, produced the first map of Macquarie Island. Bellingshausen landed on the island on 28 November 1820, defined its geographical position and traded his rum and food for Macquarie Island's fauna with the sealers. Between 1810 and 1919, seals and then penguins were hunted almost to the point of extinction. The conditions on the island and the surrounding seas were considered so harsh that a plan to use it as a penal settlement was rejected.  In 1877, the crew of the schooner "Bencleugh" was shipwrecked on the islands for four months; folklore says they came to believe there was hidden treasure on the island. The ship's owner, John Sen Inches Thomson, wrote a book on his sea travels, including his time on the island. The book, written in 1912, was entitled "Voyages and Wanderings In Far-off Seas and Lands".  The Tasmanian Government leased the island to Joseph Hatch (1837–1928) between 1902 and 1920 for his oil industry based on harvesting penguins. Between 1911 and 1914, the island became a base for the Australasian Antarctic Expedition under Sir Douglas Mawson. George Ainsworth operated a meteorological station between 1911 and 1913, followed by Harold Power (1913 to 1914) and by Arthur Tulloch from 1914 until it was shut down in 1915.  In 1933, the authorities declared the island a wildlife sanctuary under the Tasmanian "Animals and Birds Protection Act 1928", and in 1972 it was made a State Reserve under the Tasmanian "National Parks and Wildlife Act 1970".  The Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE) established its expedition headquarters on 25 May 1948 on Macquarie Island.  The island had status as a biosphere reserve under the Man and the Biosphere Programme from 1977 until its withdrawal from the programme in 2011.  On 5 December 1997, Macquarie Island was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a site of major geoconservation significance, being the only place on earth where rocks from the earth's mantle are being actively exposed above sea-level.  On 23 December 2004, an earthquake measuring 8.1 on the moment magnitude scale rocked the island but caused no significant damage.  Geoscience Australia issued a Tsunami Inundation Advice for Macquarie Island Station. The paper indicates that in certain scenario, a significant tsunami caused by a local earthquake could occur with no warning possible, and could inundate the isthmus where the existing station resides. Such a tsunami would likely affect other parts of the coastline and field huts located close to the shore. Such a significant earthquake at Macquarie Island capable of causing such a tsunami is a high risk according to several papers.  In 2018, the Australian Antarctic Division published a map signalling buildings on the island with confirmed or suspected contamination by asbestos. Over half the buildings in the island are at least suspected of containing asbestos.

Geography.

The island is about long and wide, with an area of. The island is in two main pieces of plateau of around elevation to the north and south, joined by a narrow isthmus close to sea level. The high points include Mount Elder on the north-east coastal ridge at, and Mounts Hamilton and Fletcher in the south at.  It is equidistant between Tasmania island and Anderson Peninsula on the Antarctic continent (). In addition, Macquarie Island is about south-west of Auckland Island, and north of the Balleny Islands.  Near Macquarie Island are two small groups of minor islands, the Judge and Clerk Islets (), to the north, in area, and the Bishop and Clerk Islets (), to the south, in area. The Bishop and Clerk Islets are part of the Australian state of Tasmania and mark the southernmost point of Australia (including islands).  In the 19th century a phantom island named "Emerald Island" was believed to lie south of Macquarie Island.

Geology.

Macquarie Island is an exposed portion of the Macquarie Ridge and is located where the Australian Plate meets the Pacific Plate. The island lies close to the edge of the submerged microcontinent of Zealandia, but is not regarded as part of it as the Macquarie Ridge is oceanic rather than continental crust.  It is the only place in the Pacific Ocean where rocks from the mantle are actively exposed at sea level. It also is the only oceanic environment with an exposed ophiolite sequence. Due to these unique geological exposures it was made a UNESCO world heritage site in 1997.

Climate.

Macquarie Island's climate is moderated by the sea, and all months have an average temperature above freezing although snow is common between June and October and may even occur in Macquarie Island's summer. Its climate is defined as a tundra climate under the Köppen climate classification due to its cool summers.  Average daily maximum temperatures range from in July to in January. Precipitation occurs fairly evenly throughout the year and averages annually. Macquarie Island is one of the cloudiest places on Earth with an average of only 856 hours of sunshine per year, similar to that in Tórshavn in the Faroe Islands, of which comprises 315.4 precipitation days; 289.4 cloudy days, jointly with a mere 3.5 clear days; 55.7 snowy days.

Flora and fauna.

The flora has taxonomic affinities with other subantarctic islands, especially those to the south of New Zealand. Plants rarely grow over 1 m in height, though the tussock-forming grass "Poa foliosa" can grow up to 2 m tall in sheltered areas. There are over 45 vascular plant species and more than 90 moss species, as well as many liverworts and lichens. Woody plants are absent.  The island has five principal vegetation formations: grassland, herbfield, fen, bog and feldmark. Bog communities include 'featherbed', a deep and spongy peat bog vegetated by grasses and low herbs, with patches of free water. Endemic flora include the cushion plant "Azorella macquariensis", the grass "Puccinellia macquariensis", as well as two orchids – "Nematoceras dienemum" and "Nematoceras sulcatum".  Mammals found on the island include: subantarctic fur seals, Antarctic fur seals, New Zealand fur seals and southern elephant seals – over 80,000 individuals of this species. Diversities and distributions of cetaceans are less known; southern right whales and orcas are more common followed by other migratory baleen and toothed whales especially sperm and beaked whales prefer deep waters. So called "Upland Seals" once found on Antipodes Islands and Macquarie Island have been claimed as a distinct subspecies of fur seals with thicker furs by scientists although it is unclear whether these seals were genetically distinct.  Royal penguins and Macquarie shags are endemic breeders, while king penguins, southern rockhopper penguins and gentoo penguins also breed here in large numbers. The island has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area because it supports about 3.5 million breeding seabirds of 13 species.

Ecological balance.

The ecology of the island was affected soon after the beginning of European visits to the island in 1810. The island's fur seals, elephant seals and penguins were killed for fur and blubber. Rats and mice that were inadvertently introduced from the ships prospered due to lack of predators. Cats were subsequently introduced deliberately to keep the rodents from eating human food stores. In about 1870, rabbits and a species of New Zealand rail (wekas) were left on the island by sealers to breed for food. By the 1970s, the then 130,000 rabbits were causing tremendous damage to vegetation.  The feral cats introduced to the island have had a devastating effect on the native seabird population, with an estimated 60,000 seabird deaths per year. From 1985, efforts were undertaken to remove the cats. In June 2000, the last of the nearly 2,500 cats were culled in an effort to save the seabirds. Seabird populations responded rapidly, but rats and rabbits population increased after the cats were culled, and continued to cause widespread environmental damage.  The rabbits rapidly multiplied before numbers were reduced to about 10,000 in the early 1980s when myxomatosis was introduced. Rabbit numbers then grew again to over 100,000 by 2006. The rodents feed on young chicks while rabbits nibbling on the grass layer has led to soil erosion and cliff collapses, destroying seabird nests. Large portions of the Macquarie Island bluffs are eroding as a result. In September 2006 a large landslip at Lusitania Bay, on the eastern side of the island, partially destroyed an important penguin breeding colony. Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service attributed the landslip to a combination of heavy spring rains and severe erosion caused by rabbits.  Research by Australian Antarctic Division scientists, published in the edition of 13 January 2009 of the British Ecological Society's "Journal of Applied Ecology", suggested that the success of the feral cat eradication program has allowed the rabbit population to increase, damaging the Macquarie Island ecosystem by altering significant areas of island vegetation. However, in a comment published in the same journal other scientists argued that a number of factors (primarily a reduction in the use of the Myxoma virus) were almost certainly involved and the absence of cats may have been relatively minor among them. The original authors examined the issue in a later reply and concluded that the effect of the Myxoma virus use was small and reaffirmed their original position.  On 4 June 2007 a media release by the Australian Federal Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Malcolm Turnbull, announced that the Australian and Tasmanian Governments had reached an agreement to jointly fund the eradication of rodent pests, including rabbits, to protect Macquarie Island's World Heritage values. The plan, estimated to cost $24 million Australian dollars, was based on mass baiting the island similar to an eradication program on New Zealand's Campbell Island, to be followed up with dog hunting teams trained by Steve Austin over a period of up to seven years. The baiting was expected to inadvertently affect kelp gulls, but higher than expected levels of bird deaths caused a temporary suspension of the program. Other species killed by the baits include giant petrels, black ducks and skuas.  In February 2012, "The Australian" reported that rabbits, rats and mice had been nearly eradicated from the island.  By April 2012, the hunting teams had located and exterminated 13 rabbits still surviving since the baiting in 2011. The last five rabbits found were in November 2011, including a lactating doe and four kittens. No fresh rabbit signs were found up to July 2013. On 8 April 2014 Macquarie Island was officially declared pest-free after seven years of conservation efforts. This achievement is the largest successful island pest-eradication program ever attempted.

Macquarie Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies in the Southwestern Pacific Ocean, about halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica. Regionally part of Oceania and politically a part of Tasmania, Australia, since 1900, it became a Tasmanian State Reserve in 1978 and was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1997.

Macquarie () je ostrov ležící v jihozápadní části Tichého oceánu, asi v polovině vzdálenosti mezi Austrálií a Antarktidou. Politicky je součástí australského státu Tasmánie. V roce 1978 byl ostrov prohlášen chráněným územím pod správou státní organizace Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service a v roce 1997 byl společně s okolní vodní plochou zařazen na Seznam světového přírodního dědictví UNESCO (souhrnná plocha 5400 km2). Jedinými obyvateli jsou výzkumní pracovníci na trvalé základně Australské vládní antarktické divize umístěné v severním cípu ostrova. Jejich počet kolísá mezi 20 a 40.


History.

The bridge across the New Meuse was designed by Ben van Berkel and completed in 1996. The cable-stayed bridge section has a single asymmetrical pale blue pylon with a prominent horizontal base, earning the bridge its nickname "The Swan".  The southernmost span of the bridge has an bascule bridge for ships that cannot pass under the bridge. The bascule bridge is the largest and heaviest in Western Europe and has the largest panel of its type in the world.  After costing more than 165 million Euros to construct, the bridge was officially opened by Queen Beatrix on September 6, 1996. Shortly after the bridge opened to traffic in October 1996, it was discovered the bridge would swing under particularly strong wind conditions. To reduce the trembling, stronger shock dampers were installed.

Design.

During the preliminary design process, many alternative designs were developed. In 1990, one of the review architects, Ben van Berkel, revealed his own design, which was similar to the one Santiago Calatrava used for the Alamillo Bridge in Sevilla, Spain: a single pylon positioned on one side of the river with a backward lean. Because the initially designed 150-m-high concrete bent pylon was to act as a counterweight for the 284-m span, the pylon had no back stays.  In the subsequent engineering feasibility study, a number of significant design changes were made. Most importantly, live loads, like 60-ton trucks, would introduce tremendous bending forces into the backward leaning pylon; therefore back stays were added to minimize bending forces. The 150-m-high concrete pylon was changed to a 139-m-high steel pylon. The overall appearance of the bridge design remained intact, however, which proved to be the decisive factor for its selection. In November 1991, the city council chose the highly ambitious backward leaning bent pylon shape and made available the necessary additional funds for the asymmetric bridge.  The thin deck profile was not only aesthetically motivated, but also dictated by a number of technical conditions, e.g., there needed to be a clear shipping height in the centre of the span of 12.5m for at least 200m. The deck was thus designed with two box girder spines, 2.25m high by 1.25m wide, where the cables were attached to support a deck with 4 traffic lanes and 2 tram tracks in between the two spines. The two spines were joined every 4.9m by transverse sections, which were cantilevered out 6.7m either side for the pedestrian and cycle ways.  On the concrete piers, the engineers designed the steel tubes within the concrete piers to support the bridge and the architects designed the concrete form around these inner steel tubes as a sculptural form.

Use in events.

The bridge featured in the 1998 Jackie Chan film "Who Am I?". In 2005, several planes flew underneath the bridge as part of the "Red Bull Air Race". The bridge is also part of The World Port Days in Rotterdam.  In 2005, the bridge served as the backdrop for a performance by DJ Tiësto titled "Tiësto @ The Bridge, Rotterdam". The performance featured fire-fighting ships spraying jets of water into the air in front of the bridge, a fireworks barge launching fireworks beside the bridge, and multi colored spot/search lights attached to the bridge itself.  The bridge was crossed during the prologue and the opening stage of the 2010 Tour de France It was also crossed during the second stage of the 2015 edition.

Erasmusbrug (English: "Erasmus Bridge") is a combined cable-stayed and bascule bridge completed in 1996 crossing the Nieuwe Maas in the centre of Rotterdam, connecting the north and south parts of this city, second largest in the Netherlands. The bridge was named in 1992 after Desiderius Erasmus, a prominent Christian Renaissance humanist also known as Erasmus of Rotterdam. The Erasmus Bridge is Rotterdam's most important landmark and is even part of the city's official logo.

Erasmusbrug (česky "Erasmův most") je zavěšený silniční most přes řeku Nová Máza, který spojuje jižní a severní část města Rotterdam v Nizozemsku. Název dostal podle filosofa Erasma Rotterdamského.


Participants.

The first World Cup was the only one without qualification. Every country affiliated with FIFA was invited to compete, and given a deadline of 28 February 1930 to accept. Plenty of interest was shown by nations in the Americas; Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru and the United States all entered. A total of seven South American teams participated, more than in any subsequent World Cup Finals. However, because of the long and costly trip by ship across the Atlantic Ocean, and the length of absence required for players, very few European teams were inclined to take part. Some refused to countenance travel to South America in any circumstances, and no European entries were received before the February deadline. In an attempt to gain some European participation, the Uruguayan Football Association sent a letter of invitation to The Football Association, even though the British Home Nations (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales) had resigned from FIFA at the time. This was rejected by the FA Committee on 18 November 1929. Two months before the start of the tournament, no team from Europe had officially entered. FIFA president Jules Rimet intervened, and eventually four European teams made the trip by sea: Belgium, France, Romania, and Yugoslavia. The Romanians, managed by Constantin Rădulescu and coached by their captain Rudolf Wetzer and Octav Luchide, entered the competition following the intervention of newly crowned King Carol II. He selected the squad personally, and negotiated with employers to ensure that the players would still have jobs upon their return. The French entered at the personal intervention of Rimet, but neither France's star defender Manuel Anatol nor the team's regular coach Gaston Barreau could be persuaded to make the trip. The Belgians participated at the instigation of German-Belgian FIFA vice-president Rodolphe Seeldrayers.  The Romanians boarded the SS "Conte Verde" at Genoa, Italy; the French and Yugoslavs were picked up at Villefranche-sur-Mer, France, on 21 June 1930; and the Belgians embarked at Barcelona, Spain. The "Conte Verde" carried Rimet, the trophy and the three designated European referees: the Belgians Jean Langenus and Henri Christophe, along with Thomas Balvay, a Parisian who may have been English. The Brazilian team were picked up when the boat docked in Rio de Janeiro on 29 June before arriving in Uruguay on 4 July. Yugoslavia travelled via the mail steamship "Florida" from Marseille, France.  In the Kingdom of Yugoslavia there were doubts about their participation at first. Since the Croatians decided to boycott the national team, King Alexander I did not want to finance the whole idea, but in the end they found a solution. Belgrade football association officials decided to round up only domestic (Serb) star players, mainly from two rival Belgrade clubs, BSK and SK Jugoslavija, with an additional three Serbs who played for French clubs (Ivan Bek among them).  Therefore, the Yugoslavia team was exclusively made up of Serbs; and with the two biggest stars of the team, Blagoje Marjanović ("Moša") and Aleksandar Tirnanić ("Tirke"), both from BSK, they were ready for a trip to South America to represent Yugoslavia in the World Cup. The Yugoslavs were the youngest team in the World Cup; with an average age of 21 years and 258 days. After their first match, against Brazil, they received a new nickname "The Ich-es" or "Ichachos" (in Spanish) by the Uruguayan press; referring to most of the player's surnames that ended up with the "-ić" or "-vić" suffix, which is quite common in Serb last names. They achieved the joint–biggest success in both Yugoslav and Serbian subsequent World Cup footballing history, by earning fourth place, a result that would be repeated in 1962.

Venues.

Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain, Hungary and Uruguay all lodged applications to host the event. Uruguay's bid became the clear selection after all the other countries withdrew their bids.  All matches took place in Montevideo. Three stadiums were used: Estadio Centenario, Estadio Pocitos, and Estadio Parque Central. The Estadio Centenario was built both for the tournament and as a celebration of the centenary of Uruguayan independence. Designed by Juan Scasso, it was the primary stadium for the tournament, referred to by Rimet as a "temple of football". With a capacity of 90,000, it was the largest football stadium outside the British Isles. The stadium hosted 10 of the 18 matches, including both semi-finals and the final. However, a rushed construction schedule and delays caused by the rainy season meant the Centenario was not ready for use until five days into the tournament. Early matches were played at smaller stadiums usually used by Montevideo football clubs Nacional and Peñarol, the 20,000 capacity Parque Central and the Pocitos.

Match officials.

Fifteen referees participated in the tournament: four Europeans – two Belgians (Henri Christophe and John Langenus), a Frenchman, and a Romanian (Constantin Rădulescu, also the Romanian team coach), and eleven from the Americas – among them six Uruguayans. In order to eliminate differences in the application of the Laws of the Game, the referees were invited to one short meeting to iron out the most conflicting issues arising from the game.  Of all the refereeing appointments, the two that attracted most attention were that of Gilberto de Almeida Rêgo in the match between Argentina and France, in which the Brazilian referee blew for full-time six minutes early, and that of the Bolivian Ulises Saucedo's in the Argentina and Mexico encounter, which Argentina won 6–3. During the game Saucedo, who was also the coach of Bolivia, awarded three penalties.  The following is the list of officials to serve as referees and linesmen. Officials in italics were only employed as linesmen during the tournament.

Format and draw.

The 13 teams were drawn into four groups, with Group 1 containing four teams, and the others containing three. Each group played a round-robin format, with the four group winners progressing to the knockout semi-final stage.  Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, and the United States were seeded, and were kept apart in the draw, which took place in Montevideo once all the teams arrived.  Since there were no qualifying games, the opening two matches of the tournament were the first World Cup games ever played, taking place simultaneously on 13 July 1930; France beat Mexico 4–1 at the Estadio Pocitos, while the United States defeated Belgium 3–0 at the same time at the Estadio Gran Parque Central. France's Lucien Laurent was the scorer of the first World Cup goal.

Tournament summary.

Group 1.

The first group was the only one to contain four teams: Argentina, Chile, France and Mexico. Two days after France's victory over Mexico, they faced group favourites Argentina. Injuries hindered France; goalkeeper Alex Thépot had to leave the field after 20 minutes, and Laurent, after a fierce tackle by Luis Monti, spent most of the match limping. However, they held out for most of the match, only succumbing to an 81st-minute goal scored from a Monti free kick. The game featured an officiating controversy when referee Almeida Rêgo erroneously blew the final whistle six minutes early, with Frenchman Marcel Langiller clear on goal; play resumed only after protests from the French players. Although France had played twice in 48 hours, Chile had yet to play their first match. They faced Mexico the following day, gaining a comfortable 3–0 win.  France's final match, against Chile, featured the first penalty kick of the World Cup. The first goalkeeper to save a penalty was Alex Thépot of France on 19 July 1930, saving from Chile's Carlos Vidal in the 30th minute of the match. In Argentina's second match, against Mexico, three penalty kicks were awarded. During the same match on 19 July 1930 Mexico's Oscar Bonfiglio Martínez saved another penalty at the 23rd minute of the match against Argentina's Fernando Paternoster. Guillermo Stábile scored a hat-trick in his international debut as Argentina won 6–3, despite the absence of their captain Manuel Ferreira, who had returned to Buenos Aires to take a law exam. Qualification was decided by the group's final match, contested by Argentina and Chile, who had beaten France and Mexico, respectively. The game was marred by a brawl sparked by a foul on Arturo Torres by Monti. Argentina won 3–1 against their neighbours and advanced to the semi-finals.

Group 2.

The second group contained Brazil, Bolivia and Yugoslavia. Brazil, the group seeds, were expected to progress, but in the group's opening match, unexpectedly lost 2–1 to Yugoslavia. Going into the tournament Bolivia had never previously won an international match. For their opener they paid tribute to the hosts by wearing shirts each emblazoned with a single letter, spelling "Viva Uruguay" as the team lined up. Both of Bolivia's matches followed a similar pattern, a promising start gradually transforming into heavy defeat. Against Yugoslavia, they held out for an hour before conceding, but were four goals down by the final whistle. Misfortune played its part; several Bolivian goals were disallowed. Against Brazil, when both teams had only pride to play for, the score was 1–0 to Brazil at half-time. Brazil added three more in the second half, two of them scored by the multi-sportsman Preguinho. Yugoslavia qualified for the semi-finals.

Group 3.

Hosts Uruguay were in a group with Peru and Romania. The opening match in this group saw the first player expulsion in the competition, when Plácido Galindo of Peru was dismissed against Romania. The Romanians made their man advantage pay; their 3–1 win included two late goals. This match had the smallest crowd of any in World Cup history. The official attendance was 2,459, but the actual figure is generally accepted to be around 300.  Because of construction delays at Estadio Centenario, Uruguay's first match was not played until five days into the tournament. The first to be held at the Centenario, it was preceded by a ceremony in honour of the Uruguayan centenary celebrations. The Uruguayan team spent the four weeks preceding the match in a training camp, at which strict discipline was exercised. Goalkeeper Andrés Mazali was dropped from the squad for breaking a curfew to visit his wife. One hundred years to the day of the creation of Uruguay's first constitution, the hosts won a tight match against Peru 1–0. Spectators praised Peru's defense, and this turned out to be the only tournament match in which Uruguay scored only one goal. The result was viewed as a poor performance by the Uruguayan press, but lauded in Peru. Uruguay subsequently defeated Romania with ease, scoring four first half goals to win 4–0.

Group 4.

The fourth group contained Belgium, Paraguay and the United States. The American team, which contained a significant number of new caps, were reputedly nicknamed "the shot-putters" by an unnamed source in the French contingent. They beat their first opponents, Belgium, 3–0. The ease of the victory was unexpected; Uruguayan newspaper "Imparcial" wrote that "the large score of the American victory has really surprised the experts". Belgian reports bemoaned the state of the pitch and refereeing decisions, claiming that the second goal was offside. The group's second match, played in windy conditions, witnessed the first tournament hat-trick, scored by Bert Patenaude of the United States against Paraguay. Until 10 November 2006, the first hat-trick that FIFA acknowledged had been scored by Guillermo Stábile of Argentina, two days after Patenaude; however, in 2006 FIFA announced that Patenaude's claim to being the first hat-trick scorer was valid, as a goal previously assigned to teammate Tom Florie was reattributed to Patenaude. With the United States having secured qualification, the final match in the group was a dead rubber. Paraguay beat Belgium by a 1–0 margin.

Semi-finals.

The four group winners, Argentina, Yugoslavia, Uruguay and the United States, moved to the semi-finals. The two semi-final matches saw identical scores. The first semi-final was played between the United States and Argentina on a rain-drenched pitch. The United States team, which featured six British-born players, lost midfielder Raphael Tracy after 10 minutes to a broken leg as the match became violent. A Monti goal halfway through the first half gave Argentina a 1–0 half-time lead. In the second half, the strength of the United States team was overwhelmed by the pace of the Argentinian attacks, the match finishing 6–1 to Argentina.  In the second semi-final there were shades of the 1924 Summer Olympics match between Yugoslavia and Uruguay. Here, though, Yugoslavia took a surprise lead through Vujadinović. Uruguay then took a 2–1 lead. Then shortly before half-time Yugoslavia had a goal disallowed by a controversial offside decision. The hosts scored three more in the second half to win 6–1, Pedro Cea completing a hat-trick.

Third and fourth place.

The now-traditional third place play-off was not established until 1934, so the format of the 1930 World Cup is unique in not distinguishing between the third and fourth placed teams. Occasional sources, notably a FIFA Bulletin from 1984, incorrectly imply that a third-place match occurred and was won 3–1 by Yugoslavia. Accounts differ as to whether a third-place match was originally scheduled. According to a 2009 book by Hyder Jawad, Yugoslavia refused to play a third-place match because they were upset with the refereeing in their semi-final against Uruguay.  At the end of the championship, the captains of the United States team (Tom Florie) and Yugoslavia (Milutin Ivković) both received bronze medals. Yet a FIFA technical committee report on the 1986 World Cup included full retrospective rankings of all teams at all previous World Cup finals; this report ranked the United States third and Yugoslavia fourth, due to a better goal difference on otherwise identical records, a practice since continued by FIFA. In 2010, the son of Kosta Hadži, the chief of Yugoslav delegation at the 1930 World Cup and the vice-president of the Football Association of Yugoslavia at the time, claimed that Yugoslavia, as a team, has been awarded one bronze medal, which has been kept by Hadži himself and his family for the following 80 years. According to this source, Yugoslavia was placed third because of the semi-finals loss to the eventual champions, Uruguay. The official recording however shows the United States team claiming third place.

Final.

The resounding wins for Uruguay and Argentina in the semi-finals meant the final was a repeat of the matchup in the 1928 Olympic final, which Uruguay had won 2–1 after a replay.  The final was played at the Estadio Centenario on 30 July. Feelings ran high around the La Plata Basin as the Argentine supporters crossed the river with the war cry "Victoria o muerte" ("victory or death"), dispelling any uncertainty as to whether the tournament had captured the imagination of the public. The ten boats earmarked to carry Argentine fans from Buenos Aires to Montevideo proved inadequate, and any number of assorted craft attempted the crossing. An estimated 10–15,000 Argentinians made the trip, but the port at Montevideo was so overwhelmed that many did not even make landfall before kick-off, let alone reach the stadium. At the stadium, supporters were searched for weapons. The gates were opened at eight o'clock, six hours before kick-off, and at noon the ground was full, the official attendance 93,000. A disagreement overshadowed the build-up to the match as the teams failed to agree on who should provide the match ball, forcing FIFA to intervene and decree that the Argentine team would provide the ball for the first half and the Uruguayans would provide their own for the second. Uruguay made one change from their semi-final line-up. Castro replaced Anselmo, who missed out due to illness. Monti played for Argentina despite receiving death threats on the eve of the match. The referee was Belgian John Langenus, who only agreed to officiate a few hours before the game, having sought assurances for his safety. One of his requests was for a boat to be ready at the harbour within one hour of the final whistle, in case he needed to make a quick escape.  The hosts scored the opening goal through Pablo Dorado, a low shot from a position on the right. Argentina, displaying superior passing ability, responded strongly. Within eight minutes they were back on level terms; Carlos Peucelle received a Ferreira through-ball, beat his marker and equalised. Shortly before half-time leading tournament goalscorer Guillermo Stábile gave Argentina a 2–1 lead. Uruguay captain Nasazzi protested, maintaining that Stábile was offside, but to no avail. In the second half Uruguay gradually became ascendant. Shortly after Monti missed a chance to make the score 3–1, Uruguay attacked in numbers, and Pedro Cea scored an equaliser. Ten minutes later a goal by Santos Iriarte gave Uruguay the lead, and just before full-time Castro made it 4–2 to seal the win. Langenus ended the match a minute later, and Uruguay thus added the title World Cup winners to their mantle of Olympic champions. Jules Rimet presented the World Cup Trophy, which was later named for him, to the head of the Uruguayan Football Association, Raúl Jude. The following day was declared a national holiday in Uruguay; in the Argentinian capital, Buenos Aires, a mob threw stones at the Uruguayan consulate. Francisco Varallo (who played as a forward for Argentina) was the last player of the final to die, on 30 August 2010.  France, Yugoslavia and the United States all played friendlies in South America following the competition. Brazil played France on 1 August, Yugoslavia on 10 August and the United States on 17 August, while Argentina hosted Yugoslavia on 3 August.  Uruguay's aggregate goal difference of +12 over four games, at an average of +3 per match, remains the highest average goal difference per match of any World Cup champion, and the second highest of any World Cup Finals participant, after Hungary in 1954.

Goalscorers.

With eight goals, Guillermo Stábile was the top scorer in the tournament. In total, 70 goals were scored by 36 players, with only one of them credited as an own goal.

FIFA retrospective ranking.

In 1986, FIFA published a report that ranked all teams in each World Cup up to and including 1986, based on progress in the competition, overall results and quality of the opposition. The rankings for the 1930 tournament were as follows:

Last surviving players.

The last surviving player from Uruguay's starting lineup was Ernesto Mascheroni, who died on 3 July 1984 at the age of 76. Several other players who participated in the tournament outlived the Uruguyan team, including Lucien Laurent, who scored the first goal in World Cup history. Laurent died in 2005, aged 97, several years after being a guest of honor at France's 1998 World Cup victory. The last surviving player from the 1930 tournament was Argentine forward Francisco Varallo, who died on 30 August 2010 at the age of 100, eighty years after the tournament.

The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the inaugural FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Uruguay from 13 to 30 July 1930. FIFA, football's international governing body, selected Uruguay as host nation, as the country would be celebrating the centenary of its first constitution, and the Uruguay national football team had successfully retained their football title at the 1928 Summer Olympics. All matches were played in the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo, the majority at the Estadio Centenario, which was built for the tournament.

1. Mistrovství světa ve fotbale se konalo od 13. do 30. července 1930 v Uruguayi. Zúčastnilo se jej 13 celků. Finále se hrálo 30. července 1930. Celkem padlo na turnaji 70 branek, což je v průměru 3,9 branky na zápas. Nejlepším střelcem turnaje se stal s 8 brankami Argentinec Guillermo Stábile. Na turnaji dále zazářili uruguayjští hráči José Leandro Andrade či José Nasazzi. Vítězem turnaje a držitelem prvního titulu mistra světa se stalo mužstvo domácí Uruguaye.


Host selection.

West Germany was chosen as the host nation by FIFA in London, England on 6 July 1966. Hosting rights for the 1978 and 1982 tournaments were awarded at the same time. West Germany agreed a deal with Spain by which Spain would support West Germany for the 1974 tournament, and in return West Germany would allow Spain to bid for the 1982 World Cup unopposed.

Qualification.

Ninety-eight countries took part in the qualifying tournament.  Some of football's most successful nations did not qualify, including 1966 champions England, France, hosts and quarter-finalists of the 1970 tournament Mexico, Spain, 1966 third-place finishers Portugal, 1970 quarter-finalists Peru, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Romania. The USSR was also disqualified after refusing to travel for the second leg of their playoff against Chile as a result of the 1973 Chilean coup d'état. The Netherlands and Poland qualified for the first time since 1938. Scotland was back in the Finals after a 16-year absence. Argentina and Chile were also back after having missed the 1970 tournament and Yugoslavia was back after missing both the 1966 and 1970 tournaments.  First-time qualifiers were East Germany; Australia, which would not qualify again until the next time the tournament was held in Germany, in 2006; Haiti, the first team from the Caribbean to qualify since Cuba in 1938; and Zaire, the first team from sub-Saharan Africa to reach the finals.  As of 2018, this was the last time Haiti and Zaire (now DR Congo) qualified for a FIFA World Cup finals, as well as the last time Spain failed to qualify.  This was the first tournament in which the defending champions (in this case Brazil) played in the opening game as opposed to the hosts, although this was later changed back to the hosts for the 2006 tournament, which was also held in Germany.

List of qualified teams.

The following 16 teams qualified for the final tournament. AFC (0) CAF (1) OFC (1)  CONCACAF (1) CONMEBOL (4)  UEFA (9)

Format.

The tournament featured a new format. While the competition once again began with the sixteen teams divided into four groups of four teams, the eight teams which advanced did not enter a knockout stage as in the previous five World Cups but instead played in a second group stage. The winners of the two groups in the second stage then played each other in the final, with the respective runners-up from each group meeting in the third place play-off. This was one of only two times that this format was deployed (1978 being the other); in 1982 a semi-final stage was introduced after the second group stage (expanded to four groups of three) before the World Cup revived the knockout stage in 1986 which is still used to the present day.  It was decided in advance that if the host nation progressed to the second stage their matches would not take place simultaneous to the other matches but instead be held in the other timeslot (either 16:00 or 19:30 local time).

Summary.

First round.

The tournament was held mostly in bad weather, and the stadia had few protected places. Few western European nations had qualified, of which only The Netherlands, West Germany and Sweden made it past the Group Stage. Fans from the Eastern Communist neighbour states such as East Germany were hindered by political circumstances.  Carlos Caszely of Chile became the first player to be sent off with a red card in a World Cup match, during their match against West Germany. Red cards were formally introduced in World Cup play in 1970, but no players were sent off in that tournament.  Two teams made a particularly powerful impact on the first round. The Netherlands demonstrated the "Total football" techniques pioneered by the top Dutch club Ajax, in which specialised positions were virtually abolished for the outfield players, and individual players became defenders, midfielders or strikers as the situation required. The Dutch marked their first World Cup finals since 1938 by topping their first-round group, with wins over Uruguay and Bulgaria and a draw with Sweden. Sweden joined the Dutch in the second group round after beating Uruguay 3–0.  Poland, meanwhile, took maximum points from a group containing two of the favourites for the tournament. They beat Argentina 3–2, trounced Haiti 7–0, then beat Italy 2–1 – a result that knocked the Italians out of the Cup and resulted in Argentina qualifying for the second group round on goal difference. Argentina would not fail to win either of their opening two games of a World Cup again until 2018. While Haiti didn't do particularly well in their first World Cup finals (losing all three of their games and finishing second to last) they did have one moment of glory. In their opening game against Italy, they managed to take the lead with a goal from Emmanuel Sanon, before eventually losing 3–1 (Italy had not conceded a goal in 12 international matches). That goal proved to be a significant goal as it ended Dino Zoff's run of 1142 minutes without conceding a goal.  Group 2 was a particularly close group. With Brazil, Yugoslavia and Scotland drawing all their games against each other, it was decided by the number of goals these three teams scored when defeating Zaire. Yugoslavia hammered the African nation 9–0, equalling a finals record for the largest margin of victory. Brazil beat them 3–0. Scotland however only managed a 2–0 margin, and so were edged out of the tournament on goal difference. They were the only team that did not lose a game in the tournament as well as becoming the first ever country to be eliminated from a World Cup Finals without having lost a match.  Group 1 contained both East Germany and the host West Germany, and they both progressed at the expense of Chile and newcomers Australia. The last game played in Group 1 was much anticipated, a first ever clash between the two German teams. West Germany was already assured of progression to the second round whatever the result. In one of the most politically charged matches of all time, it was the East that won, thanks to a late Jürgen Sparwasser goal. This result forced a realignment of the West German team that would later help them win the Cup.

Second round.

Coincidentally, the two second-round groups both produced matches that were, in effect, semi-finals. In Group A, the Netherlands and Brazil met after each had taken maximum points from their previous two matches. In Group B, the same happened with West Germany and Poland – so the winners of these two games would contest the final.  In Group A, two goals from the inspirational Johan Cruyff helped the Dutch side thrash Argentina 4–0. At the same time, Brazil defeated East Germany 1–0. The Dutch triumphed over East Germany 2–0 while in the "Battle of the South Americans", Brazil managed to defeat Argentina 2–1 in a scrappy match. Argentina and East Germany drew 1–1 and were on their way home while the crucial match between the Netherlands and Brazil turned into another triumph for 'total football', as second-half goals from Johan Neeskens and Cruyff put the Netherlands in the final. However the match would also be remembered for harsh defending on both sides.  Meanwhile, in Group B, West Germany and Poland both managed to beat Yugoslavia and Sweden. The crucial game between the Germans and the Poles was goalless until the 76th minute, when Gerd Muller scored to send the hosts through 1–0. The Poles took third place after defeating Brazil 1–0.

Final.

The final was held on 7 July 1974 at Olympiastadion, Munich. West Germany was led by Franz Beckenbauer, while the Dutch had their star Johan Cruyff, and their Total Football system which had dazzled the competition. With just a minute gone on the clock, following a solo run, Cruyff was brought down by Uli Hoeneß close to the German penalty area, and the Dutch took the lead from the ensuing penalty by Johan Neeskens before any German player had even touched the ball. West Germany struggled to recover, and in the 26th minute were awarded a penalty, after Bernd Hölzenbein fell within the Dutch area, causing English referee Jack Taylor to award another controversial penalty. Paul Breitner spontaneously decided to kick, and scored. These two penalties were the first in a World Cup final. West Germany now pushed, and in the 43rd minute, in his typical style, Gerd Müller scored what turned out to be the winning goal, and the last of his career as he retired from the national team. The second half saw chances for both sides, with Müller putting the ball in the net for a goal that was disallowed as offside. In the 85th, Hölzenbein was fouled again, but no penalty this time. Eventually, West Germany, European Champions of 1972, also won the 1974 World Cup.  This was the only case of the reigning European champions winning the World Cup, until Spain (champions of the UEFA Euro 2008) defeated the Netherlands in the South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup Final. France have also held both trophies, albeit in a different order, at the same time by winning the 1998 World Cup followed by Euro 2000.  Joao Havelange (former FIFA President from 1974 to 1998) claimed that the 1966 and 1974 World Cups were fixed so that England and Germany would win respectively.  This was only the second time that a team had won the World Cup after losing a match in the Finals (West Germany losing to East Germany during the group stage). The previous occasion was West Germany's earlier win in 1954.  Poland's Grzegorz Lato led the tournament in scoring seven goals. Gerd Müller's goal in the final was the 14th in his career of two World Cups, beating Just Fontaine's record of 13, in his single World Cup. Müller's record was only surpassed 32 years later, in 2006 by Ronaldo's 15 goals from three World Cups and then 8 years after, in 2014 by Klose's 16 goals from four World Cups.  Günter Netzer, who came on as a substitute for West Germany during the defeat by the East Germans, was playing for Real Madrid at the time: this was the first time that a World Cup winner had played for a club outside his home country.  This is the last of four FIFA World Cup tournaments to date with no extra-time matches. The others are the 1930, 1950, and 1962 tournaments.

Mascot.

The official mascots of this World Cup were "Tip" and "Tap", two boys wearing an outfit similar to West Germany's, with the letters WM ("Weltmeisterschaft", World Cup) and number 74.

Match officials.

AFC CAF CONCACAF  CONMEBOL  UEFA  OFC

Squads.

For a list of all squads that appeared in the final tournament, see "1974 FIFA World Cup squads".

Seeding.

It was agreed by a vote by the FIFA Organising Committee on who would be seeded. The four seeds, who had been the final four teams of the previous tournament, were first placed in separate groups:  Then the remaining spots in the groups were determined by dividing the participants into pots based on geographical sections. When the final draw was held, the sixteenth and final qualifier was not yet known; it would be either Yugoslavia or Spain. These teams finished with an identical record in their qualification group and following this situation, rules were changed so that tied teams had to compete in a play-off game on neutral ground.

Final draw.

The final draw took place on 5 January 1974 in Sendesaal des Hessischen Rundfunks in Frankfurt. The TV broadcast of this show was followed by an estimated 800 million people.  FIFA and the Local Organising Committee decided that the host nation (West Germany) and trophy holder (Brazil) would be respectively placed in Group 1 and Group 2. It was also decided that South American nations cannot play in same group during the first group stage. In other words, Argentina and Chile will not be allocated in a group seeded by Brazil or Uruguay.  Uruguay was drawn before Italy, taking a place in Group 3, and the runner up of 1970 FIFA World Cup received the seeding of Group 4. Other nations were draw one by one, pot by pot.  The "innocent hand" who made the draws was an 11-year-old boy, Detlef Lange, a member of the Schöneberger Sängerknaben, a children's choir.  The great sensation of the draw was the meeting of the two "German teams" in Group 1. When FIFA President Sir Stanley Rous had announced the lot, the room was quiet for a few moments, followed by long-lasting applause. In the days following the event, a rumour began circulating that the GDR would consider a World Cup withdrawal due to a meeting with the team of the Federal Republic. However, this was quickly and officially denied by the Government of East Germany.

First round.

The first round, or first group stage, saw the sixteen teams divided into four groups of four teams. Each group was a round-robin of six games, where each team played one match against each of the other teams in the same group. Teams were awarded two points for a win, one point for a draw and none for a defeat. The teams finishing first and second in each group qualified for the second round, while the bottom two teams in each group were eliminated from the tournament.  Tie-breaking criteria  Teams were ranked on the following criteria:

Second round.

The second round, or second group stage, saw the eight teams progressing from the first round divided into two groups of four teams on the basis of the tournament regulations. Group A would consist of the winners of Groups 1 and 3, plus the runners-up from Groups 2 and 4. Group B would consist of the other four teams, namely the winners of Groups 2 and 4, plus the runners-up from Group 1 and 3. Like the first group stage, each group in the second round was a round-robin of six games, where each team played one match against each of the other teams in the same group. Teams were awarded two points for a win, one point for a draw and none for a defeat. The two teams finishing first in each group advanced to the final, while the two runners-up would meet to decide third place.  Tie-breaking criteria  Teams were ranked on the following criteria:  "All times listed below are at local time ()"

Knockout stage.

The third place play-off was the first match in FIFA World Cup history in which a penalty shoot-out could potentially be held (in the event of the score being level after the regular 90 minutes and 30 minutes' extra time). If the teams remained tied in the final after extra time, a replay would be held. Only if the scores remained level during the replay after the regular 90 minutes and 30 minutes' extra time would penalties be used to determine the champion. At all previous World Cup tournaments, the drawing of lots had been foreseen in this situation to split the teams.  "All times listed below are at local time ()"

Goalscorers.

With seven goals, Grzegorz Lato of Poland was the top scorer in the tournament. In total, 97 goals were scored by 53 players, with three of them credited as own goals.  7 goals  5 goals  4 goals  3 goals  2 goals  1 goal  Own goals

FIFA retrospective ranking.

In 1986, FIFA published a report that ranked all teams in each World Cup up to and including 1986, based on progress in the competition, overall results and quality of the opposition. The rankings for the 1974 tournament were as follows:

The 1974 FIFA World Cup was the 10th FIFA World Cup, and was played in West Germany (including West Berlin) between 13 June and 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded. The previous trophy, the Jules Rimet Trophy, had been won for the third time by Brazil in 1970 and awarded permanently to the Brazilians. This was the first out of three World Cups to feature two rounds of group stages.

10. Mistrovství světa ve fotbale se konalo od 13. června do 7. července 1974 v Západním Německu. Zúčastnilo se jej 16 celků. Finále se hrálo 7. července 1974.Celkem padlo na turnaji 97 branek, což je v průměru 2,6 branky na zápas.Nejlepší střelec turnaje z 7 brankami se stal Grzegorz Lato (Polsko).Hvězdy mistrovství světa: Franz Beckenbauer (SRN), Johan Cruijff (Nizozemsko), Grzegorz Lato (Polsko)


Biography.

Jelínek was born at Tisa u Žlutic.  He studied painting and illustration as a pupil of František Tichý, but also showed early promise as a talented and skilful trumpeter. At first he worked as a professional painter and illustrator, and played in various amateur jazz ensembles, but in 1945 he began a part-time professional career as a trumpeter with the "Karel Vlach Orchestra" and the "Gustav Brom Orchestra" and began to use the distinctive, hoarse singing voice which later became one of his most notable characteristics. Jelínek left the "Karel Vlach Orchestra" and joined the "Taneční orchestr Československého rozhlasu" (Dance Orchestra of the Czechoslovak Radio), still dividing his time between his two part-time professional careers. In 1963 joined the "Semafor Theatre" as a replacement for Waldemar Matuška of the successful Semafor duo Matuška/Pilarová. In the event, both Matuška and Pilarová left to work with the Rokoko Theatre, and the Semafor's founders, Jiří Suchý and Jiří Šlitr, brought in Jana Malknechtová to partner Jelínek. Suchý and Šlitr composed ""Motýl"" (The Butterfly) for the duo. It became one of the best-selling recordings of its time. Jelínek sang other Semafor hits, including ""Zčervená"", ""Bolí mě hlava"" and "Chlupatý kaktus". He also took an acting role in the 1964 film "Kdyby tisíc klarinetů". Jelínek admired (and convincingly imitated) the famous jazz trumpeter and singer Louis Armstrong, whom he met during Armstrong's first visit to Prague and to whom he dedicated the song ""Hello Satchmo"". In 1963 he left the Semafor Theatre to perform with his own sextet. In 1968 he was one of the few members of the "Karel Duba Orchestra" to survive a tragic bus accident during their tour of Mongolia. The incident left a permanent mark on Jelínek's state of mind. He gradually retired from music, devoted himself to painting and worked for Czech Railways in Prague's Main railway station until his death in 1984 in Prague.

Jiří Jelínek (6 July 1922 – 16 October 1984) was a Czech painter, illustrator, jazz trumpeter, and popular singer, one of the music legends of the Semafor Theatre in 1960s. His hoarse singing voice – similar to Louis Armstrong's – earned him the nickname ""The Czech Satchmo"".

Jiří Jelínek (6. července 1922 Tisa u Žlutic – 16. října 1984 Praha) byl malíř, ilustrátor, jazzový trumpetista a populární zpěvák, jedna z muzikantských legend Divadla Semafor 60. let 20. století.


Etymology.

The Narewka River's name comes from a Proto-Indo-European root, "*nr", primarily associated with "water" (compare Narva, Neretva, Neris, Ner, and Nur).

Geography.

The Narewka flows through the European region known as the "Wysoczyzny Podlasko – Bialoruskie" (Podlasie–Belarus Plateau) in Poland's Podlasie Province and Belarus' Hrodna Voblast. A major part of the river flows through the Białowieża Forest. The Narewka River is the main watercourse of the Polish part of the Białowieża Forest.  The river is 61.1 km long, including 21.7 kilometers in the Republic of Belarus.  Catchment (basin) covers an area Narewka 710.7 km sq., of which the Polish border is 491.32 km. Within the forest is 380 km catchment area, part of which falls in the Białowieża National Park. Catchment forest cover is 49.9%. Until dry, the Narewka flowed through quite a muddy valley. In the 1960s has been draining uroczyska "Wild Nikora.  The width of the trough Narewka ranges from 5 to 15 m (at the mouth). The maximum depth at the measuring point in Bialowieza: 201 cm. The rate of flow is 2 km / hr.

History.

Narewka River is marked on the first map of Bialowieza, line drawn in 1784 by the royal surveyor Michael Połchowskiego. The documents appear much earlier.  In December 1409 Władysław Jagiełło took place in Bialowieza Forest a great hunt, making the stocks of meat before the battle of Grunwald. The meat is in the spring of next year, the river was floated Narewka, Narew and the Vistula to Plock.  In 1559 a partial separation was carried out from Bialowieza Forest Bielsko (Ladzkiej). Narewka River to the mouth of the Narew, along with the river Wieliczanka constituted the boundary between forests.

Cities and towns.

Villages: Białowieża, Pogorzelce, Narewka, Nowe Lewkowo and Stare Lewkowo.

The Narewka (; Belarusian "Нараўка") River is a left-bank tributary of the Narew River in western Belarus and northeastern Poland.

Narewka je řeka pramenící v západním Bělorusku (Brestská oblast), protékající východním Polskem (Podleské vojvodství) a vlévající se do řeky Narew (zleva), což je pravý přítok Visly. Celková délka toku je 61,1 km.