Early life.

O'Brien was born on April 18, 1963, in Brookline, Massachusetts. His father, Thomas Francis O'Brien (b. 1929), is a physician, epidemiologist, and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. His mother, Ruth O'Brien (née Reardon; b. 1931), is a retired attorney and former partner at the Boston firm Ropes & Gray. O'Brien has three brothers and two sisters.  O'Brien attended Brookline High School, where he served as the managing editor of the school newspaper, "The Sagamore". In his second year, he was an intern for Congressman Robert Drinan and in his senior year, he won the National Council of Teachers of English writing contest with his short story "To Bury the Living".  After graduating as valedictorian in 1981, O'Brien entered Harvard University. He lived in Holworthy Hall during his first year with future businessman Luis Ubiñas and two other roommates, and in Mather House during his three upper-class years. He concentrated in History & Literature, and graduated "magna cum laude" in 1985. O'Brien's senior thesis concerned the use of children as symbols in the works of William Faulkner and Flannery O'Connor. During college, O'Brien briefly played drums in a band called the Bad Clams, was a writer for the "Harvard Lampoon" humor magazine, and developed a spoof of the video game "" in which the Boston Celtics play against a classical ballet troupe. During his sophomore and junior years, he served as the "Lampoon"'s president. At this time, O'Brien's future boss at NBC, Jeff Zucker, was serving as president of the school newspaper "The Harvard Crimson".

Career.

"Saturday Night Live" (1987–1991).

O'Brien moved to Los Angeles after graduation to join the writing staff of HBO's "Not Necessarily the News". He was also a writer on the short-lived "The Wilton North Report". He spent two years with that show and performed regularly with improvisational groups, including the Groundlings. In January 1988, "Saturday Night Live" (SNL) executive producer Lorne Michaels, hired O'Brien as a writer. During his three years on "SNL", he wrote such recurring sketches as "Mr. Short-Term memory" and "The Girl Watchers"; the latter was first performed by Tom Hanks and Jon Lovitz.  While on a writers' strike from "Saturday Night Live" following the 1987–88 season, O'Brien put on an improvisational comedy revue in Chicago with fellow "SNL" writers Bob Odenkirk and Robert Smigel called "Happy Happy Good Show". While living in Chicago, O'Brien briefly roomed with Jeff Garlin. In 1989, O'Brien and his fellow "SNL" writers received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy or Variety Series.  O'Brien, like many "SNL" writers, occasionally appeared as an extra in sketches; his most notable appearance was as a doorman in a sketch in which Tom Hanks was inducted into the SNL "Five-Timers Club" for hosting his fifth episode. O'Brien returned to host the show in 2001 during its 26th season. O'Brien and Robert Smigel wrote the television pilot for "Lookwell" starring Adam West, which aired on NBC in 1991. The pilot never went to series, but it became a cult hit. It was later screened at "The Other Network", a festival of unaired TV pilots produced by Un-Cabaret; it featured an extended interview with O'Brien and was rerun in 2002 on the Trio network.  In 1991, O'Brien's engagement to be married was called off and "Lookwell" was not picked up. Burned out, he quit "Saturday Night Live". "I told Lorne Michaels I couldn't come back to work and I just needed to do something else," O'Brien recalled. "I had no plan whatsoever. I was literally in this big transition phase in my life where I decided, I'll just walk around New York City, and an idea will come to me."

"The Simpsons" (1991–1993).

Mike Reiss and Al Jean, then showrunners of the animated sitcom "The Simpsons", called O'Brien and offered him a job. The series was notorious in the writing community at the time; O'Brien recalls "everyone wanted to be on that show, but they never hired." O'Brien was one of the first hires after the show's original crew. With the help of old Groundlings friend, actor Lisa Kudrow, O'Brien purchased an apartment in Beverly Hills. He and Kudrow became involved as well, and Kudrow believed he should begin performing rather than writing. O'Brien disagreed, feeling that Kudrow was flattering him and asserting he was happy as a writer. In his speech given at Class Day at Harvard in 2000, O'Brien credited "The Simpsons" with saving him, a reference to the career slump he was experiencing prior to his being hired for the show.  From 1991 to 1993, O'Brien was a writer and producer for "The Simpsons". When O'Brien first arrived at the Fox lot, they temporarily gave him writer Jeff Martin's office. O'Brien was nervous and self-conscious, feeling that he would embarrass himself in front of what he regarded as an intimidating collection of writers. O'Brien would pitch characters in their voices, as he thought that was the norm, until Reiss informed him that no one did this. He fit in quickly, commanding control of the room frequently; writer Josh Weinstein called it a "ten-hour Conan show, nonstop". According to John Ortved, one of his fellow writers said that if Conan had been shoo-in to take over as showrunner.  O'Brien wrote some of the series' most acclaimed episodes: "Marge vs. the Monorail" and "Homer Goes to College". The show was initially a highly realistic family sitcom; after O'Brien's debut, the show took a rapid shift in the direction of the surreal. O'Brien also has sole writing credits on "New Kid on the Block" and "Treehouse of Horror IV", on which he wrote the episode wraparounds. Wallace Wolodarsky described a "room character" Conan put on for the writers: "Conan used to do this thing called the Nervous Writer that involved him opening a can of Diet Coke and then nervously pitching a joke. He would spray Diet Coke all over himself, and that was always a source of endless amusement among us." During his time at "The Simpsons", O'Brien also had a side project working with Smigel on the script for a musical film based on the "Hans and Franz" sketch from "Saturday Night Live", but the film was never produced.  Meanwhile, David Letterman was preparing to leave the talk show "Late Night", prompting executive producer Lorne Michaels to search for a new host. Michaels approached O'Brien to produce; then-agent Gavin Polone stressed that O'Brien wanted to perform, rather than produce. He arranged with Michaels that O'Brien would do a test audition on the stage of "The Tonight Show". Jason Alexander and Mimi Rogers were the guests, and the audience was composed of "Simpsons" writers. Wolodarksky recalled the experience: "Seeing this friend of yours, this guy that you worked with, walk out from behind that curtain and deliver a monologue was like something you could only dream up that you couldn't ever imagine actually happening." The performance was beamed by satellite to New York, where Lorne Michaels and NBC executives watched.  O'Brien was picked as the new host of "Late Night" on April 26, 1993. As the writers headed to the voice record for "Homer Goes to College", O'Brien received a phone call from Polone informing him of the decision. "He was passed out facedown into this horrible shag carpet. He was just quiet and comatose down there on that carpet," recalled postproduction supervisor Michael Mendel. "I remember looking at him and saying, 'Wow. Your life is about to change, in a really dramatic way.'" Fox, however, would not let O'Brien out of his contract. Eventually, NBC and O'Brien split the cost to get him out of the contract. After O'Brien's departure, the writers at "The Simpsons" would watch videotaped episodes of "Late Night" at lunch the day following their midnight broadcast and analyze them.

"Late Night" (1993–2009).

"Late Night with Conan O'Brien", originating from Studio 6A at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, premiered on September 13, 1993 to unfavorable reviews from contemporary critics. This reception was not completely unsurprising; O'Brien wrote a self-deprecating "The New York Times" piece titled "O'Brien Flops!" on the day of the show's premiere. Critics attacked O'Brien: Tom Shales of "The Washington Post" suggested that "the host resume his previous identity, Conan O'Blivion." Generally, critics viewed O'Brien as nervous and fidgety on-camera, and that he was "too smart, too East Coast, too sophisticated, too young and even too tall to be successful." The show was constantly at risk for cancellation; at one low point in 1994, NBC threatened to put him on a week-to-week contract. Executives were anxious to replace him with Greg Kinnear, who followed O'Brien with "Later" at 1:30 am. Interns filled empty seats in the audience while affiliates began to inquire about replacement hosts. In one installment after a short stretch of reruns, sidekick Andy Richter described his vacation activities as follows: "I sat back and reminded myself what it's like to be unemployed." The in-joke referenced the rumors floating in the trades that NBC was near canceling the program.  Things would improve slowly. Banter between O'Brien and Richter improved, and sketches grew in popularity ("If They Mated", "Desk Drive", "In the Year 2000"). A reliable staple involved a TV screen, lowered behind O'Brien's desk and displaying a still photo of news figure. The lips and voice of these characters – frequently a party-crazed hillbilly interpretation of Bill Clinton – were supplied by writing partner Robert Smigel. A turning point was David Letterman's February 1994 appearance. "It was a morale boost," said O'Brien. "I'm thinking, If the guy who created the 12:30 thing comes on and says we're smart and funny, let's go." The show went through a wobble in January 1995 when Robert Smigel, feeling burned out, quit as head writer. The show's quality improved slowly over time, and most credit O'Brien's growing comedic performance. Within a year, a comedic formula began to arise: the show would combine the lewd and wacky with a more elegant, narrative-driven remotes. Regular characters would typically include a "Masturbating Bear" and a famous remote found Conan visit a historic, Civil War-era baseball league. That piece was one of O'Brien's personal favorites, later remarking, "When I leave this earth, at the funeral, just show this, because this pretty much says who I'm all about."  O'Brien's audience, largely young and male (a coveted demographic), grew steadily and the show began to best competitors in the ratings, which it would continue to do for 15 seasons. In the early days of the Internet, fans launched unofficial websites, compiling precise summaries of each episode. Even Tom Shales was a convert: he called the show "one of the most amazing transformations in television history." Beginning in 1996, O'Brien and the "Late Night" writing team were nominated annually for the Emmy Award for Best Writing in a Comedy or Variety Series, winning the award for the first and only time in 2007. In 1997, 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2004, he and the "Late Night" writing staff won the Writers Guild Award for Best Writing in a Comedy/Variety Series. In 2001, he formed his own television production company, Conaco, which subsequently shared in the production credits for "Late Night". , "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" had for eleven years consistently attracted an audience averaging about 2.5 million viewers. The apotheosis of the "Late Night" remotes centered on the realization, in 2006, that O'Brien bore a striking resemblance to Tarja Halonen, entering her second term as president of Finland. "We took the show to Helsinki for five days," O'Brien recalled, "where we were embraced like a national treasure."  During the writers' strike in 2008, O'Brien staged a mock feud with Comedy Central's Jon Stewart (of "The Daily Show") and Stephen Colbert (of "The Colbert Report") over a dispute about which of the three were responsible for giving a "bump" to Mike Huckabee's campaign to become the Republican presidential nominee. This feud crossed over all three shows during the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike.  On February 20, 2009, NBC aired the last episode of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien". The show consisted of a compilation of previous "Late Night" clips and included a surprise appearance by former sidekick Andy Richter. Will Ferrell, John Mayer, and the White Stripes also appeared. O'Brien ended the episode by destroying the set with an axe, handing out the pieces of the set to the audience, and thanking a list of people who helped him get to that point in his career. Among those thanked were Lorne Michaels, David Letterman, Jay Leno, and O'Brien's wife and children.

"The Tonight Show" (2009–2010).

O'Brien hosted "The Tonight Show" for over seven months in 2009 and 2010. As part of a new contract negotiated with NBC in 2004, it was decided that O'Brien would take over "The Tonight Show" from Jay Leno in 2009. O'Brien was a guest on Jay Leno's final episode of "The Tonight Show". On June 1, 2009, Will Ferrell became Conan's first "Tonight Show" guest on the couch and Pearl Jam appeared as his first musical guest.  Conan acquired the nickname "Coco" after its use in the first "Twitter Tracker" sketch during the second episode of his "Tonight Show" run. Guest Tom Hanks used the nickname during his subsequent interview, even getting the audience to chant it. In reaction to the moniker, Conan remarked to Hanks in jest, "If that catches on, I'll sue you."  During the taping of the Friday, September 25, 2009, episode of "The Tonight Show", O'Brien suffered from a mild concussion after he slipped and hit his head while running a race as part of a comedy sketch with guest Teri Hatcher. He was examined at a hospital and released the same day. A rerun was aired that night, but O'Brien returned to work the following Monday and poked fun at the incident.  By January 2010, O'Brien's ratings for "The Tonight Show" were much lower than they had been when the show was hosted by Jay Leno. On January 7, 2010, NBC executive Jeff Zucker met with Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien to discuss how to move Leno out of prime time, where his ratings were lackluster, and back into late night. It was proposed that O'Brien would remain as host of "The Tonight Show", which would run at 12:05 am with Leno hosting a 30-minute show at 11:35 pm. Three days later, NBC Universal Television Entertainment chairman Jeff Gaspin confirmed that "The Jay Leno Show" would be moved to 11:35 pm following NBC's coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Sources familiar with the situation told the "New York Post" that O'Brien was unhappy with NBC's plan. On January 12, O'Brien released this statement: "I sincerely believe that delaying "The Tonight Show" into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. "The Tonight Show" at 12:05 simply isn't "The Tonight Show."" On January 21, 2010, it was announced that Conan had reached a deal with NBC that would see him exit "The Tonight Show" the next day. The deal also granted him $45 million, of which $12 million was designated for distribution to his staff, who had moved with Conan to Los Angeles from New York when he left "Late Night".  The final "Tonight Show" with Conan aired January 22, 2010, and featured guests Tom Hanks, Steve Carell (who did an exit interview and shredded Conan's ID badge), Neil Young (singing "Long May You Run"), and Will Ferrell. For Ferrell's appearance, Conan played guitar with the band and Ferrell sang "Free Bird" while reprising his "SNL" cowbell. Ferrell's wife, Viveca Paulin, together with Ben Harper, Beck, and ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons, also joined the band for this final performance.  Jay Leno returned to "The Tonight Show" following NBC's coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Under the $45 million deal with NBC, Conan was allowed to start working for another network as soon as September 2010. Conan's rumored next networks ranged from Fox to Comedy Central. Other networks reportedly interested in O'Brien included TNT, HBO, FX, Showtime, Revision3, and even the NBC Universal–owned USA Network.

Television hiatus.

On February 8, 2010, it was reported that O'Brien was attempting to sell his Central Park West penthouse in New York with an asking price of $35 million. He had purchased the apartment in 2007 for $10 million. Two years earlier, O'Brien had purchased a home in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles for over $10.5 million. Some industry insiders have speculated that O'Brien had chosen to stay on the west coast in order to facilitate a return to late night television and because he did not want to put his children through another move.  O'Brien was included in the 2010 "Time" 100, a list compiled by "Time" of the 100 most influential people in the world as voted on by readers. After being prohibited from making television appearances of any kind until May, O'Brien spoke about the "Tonight Show" conflict on the CBS newsmagazine "60 Minutes" on May 2, 2010. During the interview with Steve Kroft, O'Brien said the situation felt "like a marriage breaking up suddenly, violently, quickly. And I was just trying to figure out what happened." He also said he "absolutely" expected NBC to give him more of a chance and that, if in Jay Leno's position, he would not have come back to "The Tonight Show". However, Conan said he did not feel unfortunate. "It's crucial to me that anyone seeing this, if they take anything away from this, it's I'm fine. I'm doing great," said O'Brien. "I hope people still find me comedically absurd and ridiculous. And I don't regret anything." On March 11, 2010, O'Brien announced via his Twitter account that he would embark on a 30-city live tour beginning April 12, 2010, entitled "The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour". Co-host Andy Richter, along with members of the former Tonight Show Band, joined O'Brien on the tour. Max Weinberg, however, was not able to join, except for a guest appearance at one of Conan's New York City shows.  On April 12, 2010, O'Brien opened his two-month comedy tour in Eugene, Oregon, with a crowd of 2,500 and no TV cameras. The tour traveled through America's Northwest and Canada before moving on to larger cities, including Los Angeles and New York City, where he performed on the campuses that house both of the NBC-owned studios he formerly occupied. The tour ended in Atlanta on June 14.

"Conan" (2010–present).

The day his live tour began, O'Brien announced that he would host a new show on cable station TBS. The show, "Conan", debuted on November 8, 2010, and airs Monday through Thursday at 11:00 pm ET/10:00 pm CT. O'Brien's addition moved "Lopez Tonight" with George Lopez back one hour. Refusing at first to do to Lopez what had happened to him at NBC, O'Brien agreed to join the network after Lopez called to persuade him to come to TBS.  In February 2015, following the onset of the Cuban Thaw, O'Brien became the first American television personality to film in Cuba for more than half a century. Conan O'Brien then visited Armenia. In April 2016, O'Brien visited South Korea in response to a fan letter urging him to visit, as well as a growing fan base online. His visit included a trip to the Korean Demilitarized Zone, which resulted in O'Brien and Steven Yeun to also visit North Korea on a technicality by stepping across the border line at the DMZ. Conan commented on the significance during the sketch, claiming, "The idea that you and I could be in North Korea, talking and communicating freely, seems like kind of a cool message."  TBS extended the show through 2018 in 2014 and through 2022 in 2017.  In the fall of 2018, "Conan" took a hiatus while O'Brien launched another national comedy tour. The show returned January 22, 2019, in a new half-hour format without the live band.

"Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend" (2018–present).

In 2018, O'Brien's production company, TeamCoco, partnered with Earwolf to launch his own weekly podcast, "Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend". The podcast debuted November 18, 2018, with Will Ferrell as the first guest. The title of the podcast refers to the premise that O'Brien is lonely and is thus inviting people onto the show to see if they could be his actual friend. In each episode, Conan is joined by his guest, as well as his assistant Sona Movsesian and the show's producer Matt Gourley. Guests on the podcast have included Stephen Colbert, Michelle Obama, and Bob Newhart among others. The podcast has received strong reviews and is the top podcast on iTunes. This podcast has also won the iHeartRadio Podcast Award for Best Comedy Podcast and Best Ad Read.

Television producer.

O'Brien was executive producer and co-wrote the pilot of the 2007 NBC adventure/comedy series "Andy Barker, P.I.", starring O'Brien's sidekick Andy Richter. After six episodes and low ratings, the show was canceled despite being named one of the Top Ten Shows of 2007 by "Entertainment Weekly". Later, USA Network handed out a 90-minute, cast-contingent pilot order to the medical-themed "Operating Instructions" from O'Brien's production banner; O'Brien served as an executive producer through his Conaco label. In January 2010 NBC ordered two pilots from Conaco, the one-hour courtroom drama "Outlaw" and a half-hour comedy. "Outlaw" was produced in eight episodes and premiered on September 15, 2010.

Voice work.

O'Brien's first guest appearance after beginning his late-night career was playing himself in the season five "Simpsons" episode "Bart Gets Famous", interviewing Bart Simpson during his rise to fame as a catchphrase comedian. In 1999, O'Brien made an appearance on "Futurama" in the second-season episode "Xmas Story". O'Brien played himself as a head in a jar and still alive in the year 3000.  O'Brien has made multiple voice appearances on the Adult Swim series "Robot Chicken", including the specials "Robot Chicken: Star Wars" and "".  Other voice work performed by O'Brien has included the voice of Robert Todd Lincoln in the audiobook version of "Assassination Vacation" by Sarah Vowell, the voice of talk show host Dave Endochrine in the 2013 DC Universe animated original movie "", the voice of the character Kuchikukan in the "Operation: Lunacorn Apocalypse" episode of Nickelodeon's "The Penguins of Madagascar", and the voice of Santa Claus in "The Backyardigans" episode "The Action Elves Save Christmas Eve".

Guest appearances.

On the TV show "30 Rock", O'Brien is depicted as an ex-boyfriend of lead character Liz Lemon, who works in the same building. In the episode "Tracy Does Conan", Conan appears as himself, awkwardly reunited with Lemon and coerced by network executive Jack Donaghy into having the character Tracy Jordan on "Late Night", despite having been assaulted in Jordan's previous appearance. O'Brien also made a cameo appearance on the U.S. version of "The Office". In the episode "Valentine's Day", Michael believes that he spots former "SNL" cast member, Tina Fey, but has actually mistaken another woman for her. In the meantime, Conan has a quick walk-on, and the camera crew informs Michael when he returns from talking to the Tina Fey lookalike. In 2011, he starred as himself in the web series "Web Therapy" (opposite Lisa Kudrow) for three episodes. O’Brien also made a guest appearance as himself in the 2019 game "Death Stranding", where he communicates with the player using voice lines and facial expressions recorded during his visit to Kojima Productions’ headquarters.

Hosting duties.

O'Brien has hosted several awards shows and television specials. O'Brien hosted the 54th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2002 and the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2006, to critical acclaim. O'Brien also hosted the 2014 MTV Movie Awards.  Since 2011, O'Brien had hosted the "Christmas in Washington" special for TBS' sister network, TNT, featuring celebrity performances and a special appearance by the Obama family.  Conan has served as the master of ceremonies for the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, D.C. twice, in 1995 and 2013.  In 2016, O'Brien hosted the 5th Annual NFL Honors in San Francisco, California.

Influences.

O'Brien lists among his comedic influences David Letterman, Peter Sellers, Sid Caesar, Warner Bros. Cartoons, Johnny Carson, Ernie Kovacs, Bob Hope, and Woody Allen. In turn, actors and comedians who claim O'Brien as an influence include Mindy Kaling, Pete Holmes, Seth Meyers, Nikki Glaser, John Krasinski, Moses Storm, Ron Funches, John Mulaney, and James Corden.  On "Late Night," O'Brien became known for his active and spontaneous hosting style, which has been characterized as "awkward, self-deprecating humor".

Personal life.

O'Brien met Elizabeth Ann "Liza" Powel in 2000, when she appeared on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" in an advertising skit involving Foote, Cone & Belding, where she worked as senior copywriter. The couple dated for nearly 18 months before their 2002 marriage in Powel's hometown of Seattle. O'Brien and Powel have a daughter, Neve (born 2003) and a son, Beckett (born 2005).  O'Brien often affirms his Irish Catholic heritage on his show. On a 2009 episode of "Inside the Actors Studio", he stated that ancestors from both sides of his family moved to America from Ireland starting in the 1850s, subsequently marrying only other Irish Catholics, and that his lineage is thus 100% Irish Catholic.  He has been a registered Democrat since casting his first vote for president in 1984 for Walter Mondale. He considers himself a moderate on the political spectrum. O'Brien founded the anti-hunger organization "Labels Are For Jars" with his friend and former Harvard dormmate Father Paul B. O' Brien. He also helped open the "Cor Unum" meal center in 2006.  In January 2008, after his show was put on hold for two months owing to the strike by the Writers Guild of America, he reemerged on late-night TV sporting a beard, which guest Tom Brokaw described as making him look like "a draft dodger from the Civil War." After leaving "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" in 2010, O'Brien again grew a beard, which he kept until May 2011, when it was partially shaved on the set of "Conan" by Will Ferrell (and completely shaved off-screen by a professional barber).  O'Brien purchased a $10.5-million mansion in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, to prepare for his move there in 2009 from New York City to host "The Tonight Show" at Universal Studios Hollywood. As part of a long-running gag, he brought his 1992 Ford Taurus SHO with him to California, showcasing it on both the inaugural episodes of "The Tonight Show" and "Conan".  On October 21, 2011, O'Brien was ordained as a minister by the Universal Life Church Monastery, allowing him to perform a same-sex marriage while back in New York, then one of the few states in the US where gay marriage was legal, to tape a week's worth of shows. The wedding, between a member of O'Brien's staff and his partner, was held on the stage of the Beacon Theatre on November 3, 2011, and broadcast on "Conan".

Stalker.

Starting in September 2006, O'Brien was stalked by Father David Ajemian of the Archdiocese of Boston, who, despite multiple warnings to stop, sent O'Brien letters signed as "your priest stalker" and came into contact with O'Brien's parents. O'Brien and Ajemian had attended Harvard University at the same time. Frustrated that he had been denied a spot in the "Late Night" audience, Ajemian sent a letter to O'Brien stating that he flew to New York "in the dimming hope that you might finally acknowledge me." He stated in another letter, "Is this the way you treat your most dangerous fans??? You owe me big time, pal." In another letter, Ajemian seemed to make a death threat, saying, "Remember Frank Costello once dodged a bullet in your building and so can you."  Ajemian then tried to forcefully enter a taping of "Late Night" but was caught and arrested. He had previously been warned by the NBC security team to stay away from the studio. After a psychological evaluation, he was deemed fit to stand trial. He was bailed out of jail. He was then reported missing by his father on November 10, 2007. He was found and underwent evaluation at a hospital. He was again found fit to stand trial on April 4, 2008. On April 8, Ajemian pleaded guilty to stalking, stating that he "never meant to cause anxiety or to upset anyone." He was ordered to pay a $95 court charge and to sign a two-year restraining order barring him from coming near O'Brien. Ajemian was later laicized.

Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an American television host, comedian, writer, podcaster, and producer. He is best known for hosting the late-night talk shows "Late Night with Conan O'Brien", "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien", and since 2010, "Conan" on the cable channel TBS. Prior to his hosting career, he was a writer for "Saturday Night Live" and "The Simpsons".

Conan Christopher O'Brien (* 18. dubna 1963) je americký televizní moderátor, komik, scenárista, producent, herec a dabér. Je nejvíce známý z moderování nočních talkshow, nejznámější z nich, "Conan", se vysílá na americké kabelové televizi TBS od roku 2010. Narodil se v Brookline v Massachusetts a byl vychován v irské katolické rodině. Vystudoval Harvardovu univerzitu a během studia působil v komediální skupině Harvard Lampoon a byl scenáristou pro komediální seriál "Not Necessarily the News".


Basic properties.

Let "A" be an integrally closed domain with field of fractions "K" and let "L" be a field extension of "K". Then "x"∈"L" is integral over "A" if and only if it is algebraic over "K" and its minimal polynomial over "K" has coefficients in "A". In particular, this means that any element of "L" integral over "A" is root of a monic polynomial in "A"["X"] that is irreducible in "K"["X"].  If "A" is a domain contained in a field "K," we can consider the integral closure of "A" in "K" (i.e. the set of all elements of "K" that are integral over "A"). This integral closure is an integrally closed domain.  Integrally closed domains also play a role in the hypothesis of the Going-down theorem. The theorem states that if "A"⊆"B" is an integral extension of domains and "A" is an integrally closed domain, then the going-down property holds for the extension "A"⊆"B".

Examples.

The following are integrally closed domains.  To give a non-example, let "k" be a field and formula_8 ("A" is the subalgebra generated by "t" and "t".) "A" is not integrally closed: it has the field of fractions formula_9, and the monic polynomial formula_10 in the variable "X" has root "t" which is in the field of fractions but not in "A." This is related to the fact that the plane curve formula_11 has a singularity at the origin.  Another domain which is not integrally closed is formula_12; it does not contain the element formula_13 of its field of fractions, which satisfies the monic polynomial formula_14.

Noetherian integrally closed domain.

For a noetherian local domain "A" of dimension one, the following are equivalent.  Let "A" be a noetherian integral domain. Then "A" is integrally closed if and only if (i) "A" is the intersection of all localizations formula_15 over prime ideals formula_16 of height 1 and (ii) the localization formula_15 at a prime ideal formula_16 of height 1 is a discrete valuation ring.  A noetherian ring is a Krull domain if and only if it is an integrally closed domain.  In the non-noetherian setting, one has the following: an integral domain is integrally closed if and only if it is the intersection of all valuation rings containing it.

Normal rings.

Authors including Serre, Grothendieck, and Matsumura define a normal ring to be a ring whose localizations at prime ideals are integrally closed domains. Such a ring is necessarily a reduced ring, and this is sometimes included in the definition. In general, if "A" is a Noetherian ring whose localizations at maximal ideals are all domains, then "A" is a finite product of domains. In particular if "A" is a Noetherian, normal ring, then the domains in the product are integrally closed domains. Conversely, any finite product of integrally closed domains is normal. In particular, if formula_19 is noetherian, normal and connected, then "A" is an integrally closed domain. (cf. smooth variety)  Let "A" be a noetherian ring. Then (Serre's criterion) "A" is normal if and only if it satisfies the following: for any prime ideal formula_16,  Item (i) is often phrased as "regular in codimension 1". Note (i) implies that the set of associated primes formula_29 has no embedded primes, and, when (i) is the case, (ii) means that formula_30 has no embedded prime for any non-zerodivisor "f". In particular, a Cohen-Macaulay ring satisfies (ii). Geometrically, we have the following: if "X" is a local complete intersection in a nonsingular variety; e.g., "X" itself is nonsingular, then "X" is Cohen-Macaulay; i.e., the stalks formula_31 of the structure sheaf are Cohen-Macaulay for all prime ideals p. Then we can say: "X" is normal (i.e., the stalks of its structure sheaf are all normal) if and only if it is regular in codimension "1".

Completely integrally closed domains.

Let "A" be a domain and "K" its field of fractions. An element "x" in "K" is said to be almost integral over "A" if the subring "A"["x"] of "K" generated by "A" and "x" is a fractional ideal of "A"; that is, if there is a formula_32 such that formula_33 for all formula_34. Then "A" is said to be completely integrally closed if every almost integral element of "K" is contained in "A". A completely integrally closed domain is integrally closed. Conversely, a noetherian integrally closed domain is completely integrally closed.  Assume "A" is completely integrally closed. Then the formal power series ring formula_35 is completely integrally closed. This is significant since the analog is false for an integrally closed domain: let "R" be a valuation domain of height at least 2 (which is integrally closed.) Then formula_36 is not integrally closed. Let "L" be a field extension of "K". Then the integral closure of "A" in "L" is completely integrally closed.  An integral domain is completely integrally closed if and only if the monoid of divisors of "A" is a group.  See also: Krull domain.

"Integrally closed" under constructions.

The following conditions are equivalent for an integral domain "A":  1 → 2 results immediately from the preservation of integral closure under localization; 2 → 3 is trivial; 3 → 1 results from the preservation of integral closure under localization, the exactness of localization, and the property that an "A"-module "M" is zero if and only if its localization with respect to every maximal ideal is zero.  In contrast, the "integrally closed" does not pass over quotient, for Z[t]/(t+4) is not integrally closed.  The localization of a completely integrally closed need not be completely integrally closed.  A direct limit of integrally closed domains is an integrally closed domain.

Modules over an integrally closed domain.

Let "A" be a Noetherian integrally closed domain.  An ideal "I" of "A" is divisorial if and only if every associated prime of "A"/"I" has height one.  Let "P" denote the set of all prime ideals in "A" of height one. If "T" is a finitely generated torsion module, one puts: which makes sense as a formal sum; i.e., a divisor. We write formula_38 for the divisor class of "d". If formula_39 are maximal submodules of "M", then formula_40 and formula_41 is denoted (in Bourbaki) by formula_42.

In commutative algebra, an integrally closed domain "A" is an integral domain whose integral closure in its field of fractions is "A" itself. Spelled out, this means that if "x" is an element of the field of fractions of "A" which is a root of a monic polynomial with coefficients in "A," then "x" is itself an element of "A." Many well-studied domains are integrally closed: fields, the ring of integers Z, unique factorization domains and regular local rings are all integrally closed.

Celistvě uzavřený obor je pojem z oboru komutativní algebry. Jedná se o takový obor integrity formula_1, jenž je rovný svému celistvému uzávěru ve svém podílovém tělese formula_2, tedy do kterého patří každý prvek z formula_2, jenž je kořenem nějakého monického polynomu s koeficienty z formula_1. Celistvě uzavřená jsou například všechna tělesa, Gaussovy obory a Dedekindovy obory.


Worst Case Scenario (Star Trek: Voyager)

Plot.

Various members of "Voyager"s crew discover a holodeck simulation called "Insurrection Alpha", in which the Maquis members of the ship's crew mutiny against the Starfleet officers. The program appears unfinished, and its author is unknown. As the program becomes popular, Tuvok admits he wrote the program himself, to train his security officers in the event of a possible Maquis rebellion; however, as the Maquis proved to integrate well with their crewmates, Tuvok abandoned the program, believing that it would only exacerbate tensions on board the ship. However, given how popular that Insurrection Alpha has already become amongst the crew, Tom Paris offers to help complete the remainder of the program with Tuvok's help, turning the program into a full-fledged holonovel.  When Paris and Tuvok start to work on the program in the holodeck, they suddenly find themselves trapped in the virtual brig. They are addressed by the simulation's version of former crew member Seska, who admits that before she had escaped the ship, she had discovered Tuvok's program, and created this trap should he attempt to alter it. Seska's alterations not only affect the holodeck but other parts of "Voyager", threatening the well-being of the whole crew. While Tuvok and Paris attempt to survive the simulation, Captain Janeway and B'Elanna Torres attempt to effect changes in the simulation to help them. Ultimately, finding themselves cornered by the virtual Seska and her Maquis crew, Tuvok causes one of the simulation's phaser rifles to overload; the impact ends the simulation, and allows Tuvok and Paris to safely exit the holodeck.

Reception.

"The Hollywood Reporter" ranked this episode in the top 15 of "Star Trek:Voyager" in 2016. SyFy ranked "Worse Case Scenario" among the top 10 ten episodes of the series in 2015, noting it one of the "Star Trek" classic holodeck stories.  In 2016, "The Hollywood Reporter" rated "Worst Case Scenario" the 64th best television episode of all "Star Trek" franchise television prior to "", including live-action and the animated series but not counting the movies.  In 2016, "SyFy" ranked this the 5th best holodeck episode of the "Star Trek" franchise.  In 2019, CBR rated "Worse Case Scenario" the 9th best 'holodeck' episode of the "Star Trek" franchise.

"Worst Case Scenario" is the 67th series and 25th and penultimate episode of the of "". This episode focuses on events that take place on a spacecraft virtual reality system (a "Star Trek" holodeck in USS Voyager), involving a plot based on factions established earlier in the series.

„Krizový scénář“, v originále „Worst Case Scenario“, je v pořadí dvacátá pátá epizoda třetí řady seriálu "". V USA byla poprvé odvysílána 14. května 1997, v Česku měla premiéru 17. prosince 1998.


Types.

The tricorder of the 23rd century, as seen in "", is a black, rectangular device with a top-mounted rotating hood, two opening compartments, and a shoulder strap. The top pivots open, exposing a small screen and control buttons. The ship's doctor uses a variant of this model with a detachable "sensor probe" stored in the bottom compartment when not in use. The probe was actually fashioned from a salt shaker to save costs. The 24th-century version introduced in "" is a small, gray, hand-held model with a flip-out panel to allow for a larger screen. This design was later refined with a slightly more angular appearance that was seen in most "Next Generation"–era movies as well as later seasons of "" and "".  In the post-"Next Generation" era ("Star Trek Nemesis" and "" ), a newer tricorder was introduced. It is flatter, with a small flap that opens on top and a large touchscreen interface.

Production.

The tricorder prop for the was designed and built by Wah Ming Chang, who created several futuristic props under contract. Some of his designs are considered to have been influential on later, real-world consumer electronics devices. For instance, his communicator inspired cell phone inventor Martin Cooper's desire to create his own form of a mobile communication device. Many other companies followed this example and life-sized replicas remain popular collectibles today. The tricorder in "The Next Generation" was initially inspired by the HP-41C scientific calculator.

"Real" tricorders.

Software exists to make hand-held devices simulate a tricorder. Examples include Jeff Jetton's Tricorder for the PalmPilot; the Web application for the Pocket PC, iPhone, and iPod Touch; and an Android version.  Vital Technologies Corporation sold a portable device dubbed the "Official Star-Trek Tricorder Mark 1" (formally, the TR-107 Tricorder Mark 1) in 1996. Its features were an "Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Meter", "Two-Mode Weather Station" (thermometer and barometer), "Colorimeter" (no wavelength given), "Light meter", and "Stardate Clock and Timer" (a clock and timer). Spokespersons claimed the device was a "serious scientific instrument". Vital Technologies marketed the TR-107 as a limited run of 10,000 units before going out of business, although far fewer than 10,000 were likely ever built. The company was permitted to call this device a "tricorder" because Gene Roddenberry's contract included a clause allowing any company able to create functioning technology to use the name.  In February 2007, researchers from Purdue University publicly announced their portable (briefcase-sized) DESI-based mass spectrometer, the "Mini-10", which can be used to analyze compounds in ambient conditions without prior sample preparation. This was also announced as a "tricorder".  In March 2008, British biotech company QuantuMDx was founded to develop the world's first handheld DNA lab, a molecular diagnostic point-of-care device which will provide disease diagnosis in under 15 minutes. In March 2014, the company launched a crowdfunding campaign to support clinical trials of the device and to name it. Contributors and members of the public called for the device to be officially named a "Tricorder".  In May 2008, researchers from Georgia Tech publicly announced their portable hand-held multi-spectral imaging device, which aids in the detection of the severity of an injury under the skin, including the presence of pressure ulcers, regardless of lighting conditions or skin pigmentation. The day after the announcement, technology websites including Inside Tech and The Future of Things began comparing this device to the "Star Trek" tricorder.  On May 10, 2011, the X Prize Foundation partnered with Qualcomm Incorporated to announce the Tricorder X Prize, a $10 million incentive to develop a mobile device that can diagnose patients as well as or better than a panel of board-certified physicians. On the contest was officially opened at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Early entrants to the competition include two Silicon Valley startups, Scanadu and Senstore, which began work on the medical tricorder in early 2011. The winner of the competition was Final Frontier Medical Devices which is now Basil Leaf Technologies On Aug 23, 2011, moonblink's tricorder app for Android was served with a copyright infringement notice by lawyers for CBS and it was deleted from the Android Market by Google. On January 5, 2012, it was put back again as a new app in the Android market, although it is no longer available.  In 2012, cognitive science researcher Dr. Peter Jansen announced having developed a handheld mobile computing device modeled after the design of the tricorder.

Toys and replicas.

The first mass-produced tricorder replica was featured in AMT's "Star Trek" Exploration Set in 1974, followed shortly thereafter by a palm-sized version in Remco's 1975 "Star Trek" Utility Belt which was sized and marketed to young children in hopes of taking advantage of "" that was on TV at that time.  The first life-sized tricorder was produced by Mego Corporation in 1976 and was actually a cassette tape player made to look like a tricorder. In the 1990s, "Star Trek" replicas were mass-produced by Playmates, Playing Mantis, and Master Replicas, making commercially produced replicas affordable to the average fan for the first time. In the 2000s, Art Asylum and later Diamond Select produced prop replicas of the original tricorder.

In the science-fictional "Star Trek" universe, a tricorder is a multifunction hand-held device used for sensor (environment) scanning, data analysis, and recording data.

Trikordér je fiktivní příruční multifunkční zařízení, které se vyskytuje ve světě Star Treku. Slouží k rychlému získávání, analýzám a ukládání dat, přičemž kromě univerzálního trikordéru existují také specializované verze pro lékařské a inženýrské účely.


About.

Dresses are outer garments made up of a bodice and a skirt and can be made in one or more pieces. Dresses are generally suitable for both casual and formal wear in the West for women and girls.  Historically, dresses could also include other items of clothing such as corsets, kirtles, partlets, petticoats, smocks and stomachers.

History.

11th century.

In the 11th century, women in Europe wore dresses that were similar to men's tunics and were loose, with a hemline reaching to below the knees or lower. By the end of the century, these dresses featured a tighter fit on the arms and women's upper bodies. Dresses were made snug by featuring slits on the sides of the dress that were pulled tight in order to fit a woman's figure.

16th century.

Starting in the 1550s, middle- and upper-class women in Europe wore dresses which included a smock, stays, kirtle, gown, forepart, sleeves, ruff and a partlet. Undergarments were not worn underneath. In England, Queen Elizabeth dictated what kinds of dresses women were allowed to wear. French women were inspired by Spanish-style bodices and also wore ruffs. French dresses were known as "marlottes". In Italy, dresses were known as "ropa" and "semarra." Dresses in the 16th century also displayed surface decoration such as embroidery, with blackwork being especially popular.  Women's dresses in Russia during both the 16th and 17th centuries identified a woman's place in society or their family.

17th century.

Holland, as a center of textile production, was a particularly noted area of innovation in dress fashion during the 17th Century. In Spain and Portugal, women wore stomachers while in England and France, dresses became more "naturally" shaped. Lace and slashing were popular decorations. Skirts were full, with regular folds and the overskirt allowed the display of an underskirt of contrasting fabric. Necklines became lower as well. Embroidery that reflected scientific discoveries, such as newly discovered animals and plants were popular. In the British Colonies, multi-piece dresses were also popular, though less luxurious. Wealthy women living in the Spanish or Dutch colonies in the Americas copied the fashions that were popular from their homelands.  The three-piece dress, which had a bodice, petticoat and gown, was popular until the last 25 years of the century, in which the mantua, or a one-piece gown, became more popular. Corsets became more important in dresses by the 1680s.  Working women, and women in slavery in the Americas, used simple patterns to create shifts, wool or linen petticoats and gowns and cotton dresses. The bottoms of the skirts could be tucked into the waistband when a woman was near a cooking or heating fire.

18th century.

Large, triangular silhouettes were favored during the 18th century, skirts were wide and supported by hoop underskirts. One-piece gowns remained popular until the middle of the century. During the 1760s in France, hoop petticoats were reduced in size. Lighter colors and lighter fabrics were also favored. In Colonial America, women most often wore a gown and petticoat, in which the skirt of the gown opened to reveal the petticoat underneath. Women also had riding habits which consisted of the petticoat, jacket and a waistcoat.  French fashion regarding dresses became very fast-changing during the later part of the 18th century. Throughout this period, the length of fashionable dresses varied only slightly, between ankle-length and floor-sweeping. Between 1740 and 1770, the "robe à la française" was very popular with upper-class women. In France, the Empire style became popular after the French Revolution. This more simple style was also favored by Josephine Bonaparte, wife of Napoleon. Other popular styles during the revolution included tunic dresses and the "negligée à la patriot," which featured the red, white and blue colors of the flag.

19th century.

Women's dresses in the 19th century began to be classified by the time of day or purpose of the dress. High-waisted dresses were popular until around 1830.  Early nineteenth century dresses in Russia were influenced by Classicism and were made of thin fabrics, with some semi-transparent. Elizabeth Vigée Le Brun wore these types of dresses with a short skirt (reaching to her ankles) when she lived in Russia between 1785 and 1801 and many Russian women copied her style. By the 1840s, Russian women were turning to what was in fashion in Europe.  Europeans styles in dresses increased dramatically to the hoopskirt and crinoline-supported styles of the 1860s, then fullness was draped and drawn to the back. Dresses had a "day" bodice with a high neckline and long sleeves, and an "evening" bodice with a low neckline (decollete) and very short sleeves. In Russia, metal hoopskirts were known as "malakhovs." Skirts of the 1860s were heavily decorated.  To sleep, women in the American West wore floor-length dresses of white cotton with high collars displaying decoration. Various Native American people, such as the Navajo and the Mescalero Apache began to adapt the designs of their dresses to look more like the European Americans they came in contact with. Navajo women further adapted the European designs, incorporating their own sense of beauty, "creating "hózhó.""  Paper sewing patterns for women to sew their own dresses started to be readily available in the 1860s, when the Butterick Publishing Company began to promote them. These patterns were graded by size, which was a new innovation.  The Victorian era's dresses were tight-fitting and decorated with pleats, rouching and frills. Women in the United States who were involved in dress reform in the 1850s found themselves the center of attention, both positive and negative. By 1881, the Rational Dress Society had formed in reaction to the restrictive dress of the era.

20th century.

In the early twentieth century, the look popularized by the Gibson Girl was fashionable. The upper part of women's dresses in the Edwardian era included a "pigeon breast" look that gave way to a corseted waist and an s-shaped silhouette. Women called their dresses "waists" if one-piece, or "shirtwaists," if it consisted of a skirt and a blouse. The bodice of the dresses had a boned lining. Informally, wealthy women wore tea gowns at home. These garments were looser, though not as loose as a "wrapper," and made of expensive fabric and laces.  By 1910, the Edwardian look was replaced with a straighter silhouette. French designer, Paul Poiret, had a huge impact on the look of the time. Designs developed by Poiret were available in both boutiques and also in department stores. Popular dresses of the time were one-piece and included lingerie dresses which could be layered. At around the same time, in the United States, the American Ladies Tailors' Association developed a dress called the suffragette suit, which was practical for women to work and move around in. Another innovation of the 1910s was the ready availability of factory-made clothing.  Waistlines started out high and by 1915 were below the natural waist. By 1920, waistlines were at hip-level. Between 1910 and 1920 necklines were lower and dresses could be short-sleeved or sleeveless. Women who worked during World War I preferred shorter dresses, which eventually became the dominant style overall. In addition to the shorter dresses, waistlines were looser and the dominant colors were black, white and gray.  By 1920, the "new woman" was a trend that saw lighter fabrics and dresses that were easier to put on. Younger women were also setting the trends that older women started to follow. The dresses of the 1920s could be pulled over the head, were short and straight. It was acceptable to wear sleeveless dresses during the day. Flapper dresses were popular until end of the decade.  During World War II, dresses were slimmer and inspired by military uniforms. After WWII, the New Look, promoted by Christian Dior was very influential on fashion and the look of women's dresses for about a decade.  Since the 1970s, no one dress type or length has dominated fashion for long, with short and ankle-length styles often appearing side-by-side in fashion magazines and catalogs.

Use.

In most varieties of formal dress codes in Western cultures, a dress of an appropriate style is mandatory for women. They are also very popular for special occasions such as proms or weddings. For such occasions they, together with blouse and skirt, remain the de facto standard attire for many girls and women.

Basic dress.

A basic dress is a usually dark-colored dress of simple design which can be worn with various accessories to suit different occasions. Different kinds of jewelry, belts, scarves, and jackets can be worn with the basic dress to dress up or down. A little black dress is an example of a basic dress.

Bodycon dress.

A bodycon dress is a tight figure-hugging dress, often made from stretchy material. The name derives from "body confidence" or, originally, "body conscious", transformed into Japanese in the 1980s as "bodikon".

A dress (also known as a frock or a gown) is a garment traditionally worn by women or girls consisting of a skirt with an attached bodice (or a matching bodice giving the effect of a one-piece garment). It consists of a top piece that covers the torso and hangs down over the legs. A dress can be any one-piece garment containing a skirt of any length, and can be formal or casual.

Šaty, šatičky – jednodílný kus dámského svrchního oblečení, zakrývající trup a nohy, někdy s různě dlouhými rukávy zakrývajícími ruce, jindy jen na ramínkách, anebo i úplně bez nich.


Early life.

Bennett was born on 3 July 1870, when his mother, Henrietta Stiles, was visiting at her parents' home in Hopewell Hill, New Brunswick, Canada. He was the eldest of six children, and grew up nearby at the Bay of Fundy home of his father, Henry John Bennett, in Hopewell Cape, the shire town of Albert County, then a town of 1,800 people.  His father descended from English ancestors who had emigrated to Connecticut in the 17th century. His great-great-grandfather, Zadock Bennett, migrated from New London, Connecticut, to Nova Scotia c. 1760, before the American Revolution, as one of the New England Planters who took the lands forcibly removed from the deported Acadians during the Great Upheaval.  R. B. Bennett's family was poor, subsisting mainly on the produce of a small farm. His early days inculcated a lifelong habit of thrift. The driving force in his family was his mother. She was a Wesleyan Methodist and passed this faith and the Protestant ethic on to her son. Bennett's father does not appear to have been a good provider for his family, though the reason is unclear. He operated a general store for a while and tried to develop some gypsum deposits.  The Bennetts had previously been a relatively prosperous family, operating a shipyard in Hopewell Cape, but the change to steam-powered vessels in the mid-19th century meant the gradual winding down of their business. However, the household was a literate one, subscribing to three newspapers. They were strong Conservatives; indeed one of the largest and last ships launched by the Bennett shipyard (in 1869) was the "Sir John A. Macdonald".  Educated in the local school, Bennett was a very good student, but something of a loner. In addition to his Protestant faith, Bennett grew up with an abiding love of the British Empire, then at its apogee. A small legacy his mother received opened the doors for him to attend the Normal school in Fredericton, where he trained to be a teacher; he then taught for several years at Irishtown, north of Moncton, saving his money for law school.

Some important friendships.

One day, while Bennett was crossing the Miramichi River on the ferry boat, a well-dressed lad about nine years younger came over to him and struck up a conversation. This was the beginning of an improbable but important friendship with Max Aitken, later the industrialist and British press baron, Lord Beaverbrook. The agnostic Aitken liked to tease the Methodist Bennett, whose fiery temper contrasted with Aitken's ability to turn away wrath with a joke. This friendship would become important to his success later in life, as would his friendship with the Chatham lawyer, Lemuel J. Tweedie, a prominent Conservative politician. He began to study law with Tweedie on weekends and during summer holidays. Another important friendship was with the prominent Shirreff family of Chatham, the father being High Sheriff of Northumberland County for 25 years. The son, Harry, joined the E. B. Eddy Company, a large pulp and paper industrial concern, and was transferred to Halifax. His sister moved there to study nursing, and soon Bennett joined them to study law at Dalhousie University. Their friendship was renewed there, and became crucial to his later life when Jennie Shirreff married the head of the Eddy Company. She later made Bennett the lawyer for her extensive interests.

University, early legal career.

Bennett started at Dalhousie University in 1890, graduating in 1893 with a law degree and very high standing. He worked his way through with a job as assistant in the library, being recommended by the Dean, Dr. Richard Chapman Weldon, MP, and participated in debating and moot court activities.  He was then a partner in the Chatham law firm of Tweedie and Bennett. Max Aitken (later to become Lord Beaverbrook) was his office boy, while articling as a lawyer, acting as a stringer for the Montreal Gazette, and selling life insurance. Aitken persuaded him to run for alderman in the first Town Council of Chatham, and managed his campaign. Bennett was elected by one vote, and was later furious with Aitken when he heard all the promises he had made on Bennett's behalf.

Moving west.

Despite his election to the Chatham town council, Bennett's days in the town were numbered. He was ambitious and saw that the small community was too narrow a field for him. He was already negotiating with Sir James Lougheed to move to the North-West Territories and become his law partner in Calgary, on Weldon's recommendation. Lougheed was Calgary's richest man and most successful lawyer. Bennett moved to Calgary in 1897. A lifelong bachelor and teetotaler (although Bennett was known by select associates to occasionally drink alcohol when the press was not around to observe this), he led a rather lonely life in a hotel and later, in a boarding house. For a while a younger brother roomed with him. He ate his noon meal on workdays at the Alberta Hotel. Social life, such as it was, centred on church. There was, however, no scandal attached to his personal life. Bennett worked hard and gradually built up his legal practice. In 1908 he was one of five people appointed to the first Library Board for the city of Calgary and was instrumental in establishing the Calgary Public Library.  In 1910, Bennett became a director of Calgary Power Ltd. (now formally TransAlta Corporation) and just a year later he became President. During his leadership projects completed included the first storage reservoir at Lake Minnewanka, a second transmission line to Calgary and the construction of the Kananaskis Falls hydro station. At that time, he was also director of Rocky Mountains Cement Company and Security Trust.  Bennett developed an extensive legal practice in Calgary. In 1922, he started the partnership Bennett, Hannah & Sanford, which would eventually become Bennett Jones LLP. In 1929-30, he served as national President of the Canadian Bar Association. His successor in that office was Louis St. Laurent, another future Prime Minister.

Early political career.

He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the North-West Territories in the 1898 general election, representing the riding of West Calgary. He was re-elected to a second term in office in 1902 as an Independent in the North-West Territories legislature.  In 1905, when Alberta was carved out of the Territories and made a province, Bennett became the first leader of the Alberta Conservative Party. In 1909, he won a seat in the provincial legislature, before resigning and switching to federal politics. He was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in 1911.  At age 44, he tried to enlist in the Canadian military once World War I broke out, but was turned down as being medically unfit. In 1916, Bennett was appointed director general of the National service Board, which was in charge of identifying the number of potential recruits in the country.  While Bennett supported the Conservatives, he opposed Prime Minister Robert Borden's proposal for a Union Government that would include both Conservatives and Liberals, fearing that this would ultimately hurt the Conservative Party; he was proven to be correct in this analysis. While he campaigned for Conservative candidates in the 1917 federal election he did not stand for re-election himself.

Cabinet minister, Leader of the Conservative Party.

Nevertheless, Borden's successor, Arthur Meighen appointed Bennett Minister of Justice in his government, as it headed into the 1921 federal election in which both the government and Bennett were defeated. Bennett won the seat of Calgary West in the 1925 federal election and was returned to government as Minister of Finance in Meighen's short-lived government in 1926. The government was defeated in the 1926 federal election. Meighen stepped down as Tory leader, and Bennett became the party's leader in 1927 at the first Conservative leadership convention.  As Opposition leader, Bennett faced off against the more experienced Liberal Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King in Commons debates, and took some time to acquire enough experience to hold his own with King. In 1930, King blundered badly when he made overly partisan statements in response to criticism over his handling of the economic downturn, which was hitting Canada very hard. King's worst error was in stating that he "would not give Tory provincial governments a five-cent piece!" This serious mistake, which drew wide press coverage, gave Bennett his needed opening to attack King, which he did successfully in the election campaign which followed.

Prime Minister of Canada (1930–1935).

As the leader of the Conservative party, Bennett adapted its program, organization image to promote more rapid modernization of Canada. The "New Deal" was largely a mirror of the American program. The party was torn between reaction and reform, with deep internal factionalism that led to its defeat in 1935. Bennett's critics on the left had the last word, and textbooks typically portray him as a hard-driving capitalist, pushing for American-style high tariffs and British-style imperialism, while ignoring his reform efforts.

Confronting the Depression.

By defeating the William Lyon Mackenzie King in the 1930 federal election, he had the misfortune of taking office during the Great Depression. Bennett tried to combat the depression by increasing trade within the British Empire and imposing tariffs for imports from outside the Empire, promising that his measures would "blast" Canadian exports into world markets. His success was limited however, and his own wealth (often openly displayed) and impersonal style alienated many struggling Canadians.  While he was the first Prime Minister representing a constituency in Alberta, his party only won four of the province's 16 seats. His speeches to the Empire Clubs in Toronto and Montreal, when chairman of the House of Commons Committee on Representation under Borden, that while settlers from the United States were suitable to be included with those entitled to vote, they however lacked the 'noble element' normally found in the British, caused controversy. At the time, the federal government was required, under a Statute of British Parliament, to re-adjust representation to Alberta and Saskatchewan based on the 1911 census. The re-adjustment made to the four western provinces at the time can only be correlated if only those having British and French origins are considered.  When his "Imperial Preference" policy failed to generate the desired result, Bennett's government had no real contingency plan. The party's pro-business and pro-banking inclinations provided little relief to the millions of increasingly desperate and agitated unemployed. Despite the economic crisis, "laissez-faire" persisted as the guiding economic principle of Conservative Party ideology; similar attitudes dominated worldwide as well during this era. Government relief to the unemployed was considered a disincentive to individual initiative, and was therefore only granted in the most minimal amounts and attached to work programs. An additional concern of the federal government was that large numbers of disaffected unemployed men concentrating in urban centres created a volatile situation. As an "alternative to bloodshed on the streets", the stop-gap solution for unemployment chosen by the Bennett government was to establish military-run and -styled relief camps in remote areas throughout the country, where single unemployed men toiled for twenty cents a day. Any relief beyond this was left to provincial and municipal governments, many of which were either insolvent or on the brink of bankruptcy, and which railed against the inaction of other levels of government. Partisan differences began to sharpen on the question of government intervention in the economy, since lower levels of government were largely in Liberal hands, and protest movements were beginning to send their own parties into the political mainstream, notably the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation and William Aberhart's Social Credit Party in Alberta.  In July 1931, Bennett's government passed the Unemployment and Farm Relief Act in an effort to stanch the depression, but events were rapidly falling out of their control.

Hosts, dominates 1932 Imperial Conference.

Bennett hosted the 1932 Imperial Economic Conference in Ottawa; this was the first time Canada had hosted the meetings. It was attended by the leaders of the independent dominions of the British Empire (which later became the Commonwealth of Nations). Bennett dominated the meetings, which were ultimately unproductive, due to the inability of leaders to agree on policies, mainly to combat the economic woes dominating the world at the time.

Anti-Communism.

A nickname that would stick with Bennett for the remainder of his political career, "Iron Heel Bennett", came from a 1932 speech he gave in Toronto that ironically, if unintentionally, alluded to Jack London's socialist novel:  What do they offer you in exchange for the present order? Socialism, Communism, dictatorship. They are sowing the seeds of unrest everywhere. Right in this city such propaganda is being carried on and in the little out of the way places as well. And we know that throughout Canada this propaganda is being put forward by organizations from foreign lands that seek to destroy our institutions. And we ask that every man and woman put the iron heel of ruthlessness against a thing of that kind.  Reacting to fears of communist subversion, Bennett invoked the controversial Section 98 of the Criminal Code. Enacted in the aftermath of the Winnipeg general strike, section 98 dispensed with the presumption of innocence in outlawing potential threats to the state: specifically, anyone belonging to an organization that officially advocated the violent overthrow of the government. Even if the accused had never committed an act of violence or personally supported such an action, they could be incarcerated merely for attending meetings of such an organization, publicly speaking in its defense, or distributing its literature. Despite the broad power authorized under section 98, it targeted specifically the Communist Party of Canada. Eight of the top party leaders, including Tim Buck, were arrested on 11 August 1931 and convicted under section 98. This plan to stamp out communism backfired, however, and proved to be a damaging embarrassment for the government, especially after Buck was the target of an apparent assassination attempt. While confined to his cell during a prison riot, despite not participating in the riot, shots were fired into his cell. When an agit-prop play depicting these events, "Eight Men Speak", was suppressed on 4 December 1933 by the Toronto police, a protest meeting was held where Communist politician A. E. Smith repeated the play's allegations, and he was consequently arrested for sedition. This created a storm of public protest, compounded when Buck was called as a witness to the trial and repeated the allegations in open court. Although the remarks were stricken from the record, they still discredited the prosecution's case and Smith was acquitted. As a result, the government's case against Buck lost any credibility, and Buck and his comrades were released early and fêted as heroic champions of civil liberties.

Relief camp protest.

Having survived section 98, and benefiting from the public sympathy wrought by persecution, Communist Party members set out to organize workers in the relief camps set up by the Unemployment and Farm Relief Act. Camp workers laboured on a variety of infrastructure projects, including such things as municipal airports, roads, and park facilities, along with a number of other make-work schemes. Conditions in the camps were poor, not only because of the low pay, but also the lack of recreational facilities, isolation from family and friends, poor quality food, and the use of military discipline. Communists thus had ample grounds on which to organize camp workers, although the workers were there of their own volition. The Relief Camp Workers' Union was formed and affiliated with the Workers' Unity League, the trade union umbrella of the Communist Party. Camp workers in BC struck on 4 April 1935, and, after two months of protesting in Vancouver, began the On-to-Ottawa Trek to bring their grievances to Bennett's doorstep. The Prime Minister and his Minister of Justice, Hugh Guthrie, treated the trek as an attempted insurrection, and ordered it to be stopped. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) read the Riot Act to a crowd of 3,000 strikers and their supporters in Regina on 1 July 1935, resulting in two deaths and dozens of injured. All told, Bennett's anti-Communist policy would not bode well for his political career.

Bennett's New Deal.

In January 1934, Bennett told the provinces that they were "wasteful and extravagant", and even told Quebec and Ontario that they were wealthy enough to manage their own problems. One year later, he had changed his tune. Following the lead of President Roosevelt's New Deal in the United States, Bennett, under the advice of William Duncan Herridge, who was Canada's Envoy to the United States, the government eventually began to follow the Americans' lead. In a series of five radio speeches to the nation in January 1935, Bennett introduced a Canadian version of the "New Deal", involving unprecedented public spending and federal intervention in the economy. Progressive income taxation, a minimum wage, a maximum number of working hours per week, unemployment insurance, health insurance, an expanded pension program, and grants to farmers were all included in the plan.  In one of his addresses to the nation, Bennett said: Bennett's conversion, however, was seen as too little too late, and he faced criticism that his reforms either went too far, or did not go far enough, including from one of his cabinet ministers H. H. Stevens, who bolted the government to form the Reconstruction Party of Canada. Some of the measures were alleged to have encroached on provincial jurisdictions laid out in section 92 of the British North America Act, 1867. The courts, including the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, agreed and eventually struck down virtually all of Bennett's reforms. However, some of Bennett's initiatives, such as the Bank of Canada, which he founded in 1934, remain in place to this day, and the Canadian Wheat Board remained in place until 2011 when the government of Stephen Harper abolished it.

Defeat.

Although there was no unity among the motley political groups that constituted Bennett's opposition, a consensus emerged that his handling of the economic crisis was insufficient and inappropriate, even from Conservative quarters. Bennett personally became a symbol of the political failings underscoring the depression. Car owners, for example, who could no longer afford gasoline, had horses pull their vehicles, which they named "Bennett buggies". Unity in his own administration suffered, notably by the defection of his Minister of Trade, Henry Herbert Stevens. Stevens left the Conservatives and formed the Reconstruction Party of Canada, after Bennett refused to implement Stevens' plan for drastic economic reform to deal with the economic crisis.  The beneficiary of the overwhelming opposition during Bennett's tenure was the Liberal Party. The Tories were decimated in the October 1935 general election, winning only 40 seats to 173 for Mackenzie King's Liberals. The Tories would not form a majority government again in Canada until 1958. King's government soon implemented its own moderate reforms, including the replacement of relief camps with a scaled down provincial relief project scheme, and the repeal of section 98. Ultimately, Canada pulled out of the depression as a result of government-funded jobs associated with the preparation for and onset of the Second World War.

Other measures.

Bennett was something of a far sighted man. For example, during his tenure,

Retirement, House of Lords, and death.

Bennett retired to Britain in 1938, and, on 12 June 1941, became the first and only former Canadian Prime Minister to be elevated to the peerage as Viscount Bennett, of Mickleham in the County of Surrey and of Calgary and Hopewell in the Dominion of Canada. The honour, conferred by British PM Winston Churchill, was in recognition for Bennett's valuable unsalaried work in the Ministry of Aircraft Production, managed by his lifelong friend Lord Beaverbrook. Bennett took an active role in the House of Lords, and attended frequently until his death.  Bennett's interest in increasing public awareness and accessibility to Canada's historical records, led him to serve as Vice-President of The Champlain Society from 1933 until his death.  He died after suffering a heart attack while taking a bath on 26 June 1947 at Mickleham. He was exactly one week shy of his 77th birthday. He is buried there in St. Michael's Churchyard, Mickleham. The tomb, and Government of Canada marker outside, are steps from the front doors of the church. He is the only deceased former Canadian Prime Minister not buried in Canada. Unmarried, Bennett was survived by nephews William Herridge, Jr., and Robert Coats, and by brother Ronald V. Bennett. The viscountcy became extinct on his death.

Legacy and assessments.

While Bennett was, and is still, often criticized for lack of compassion for the impoverished masses, he stayed up through many nights reading and responding to personal letters from ordinary citizens asking for his help, and often dipped into his personal fortune to send a five-dollar bill to a starving family. The total amount he gave personally is uncertain, although he personally estimated that in 1927–37 he spent well over 2.3 million dollars. Bennett was a controlling owner of the E. B. Eddy match company, which was the largest safety match manufacturer in Canada, and he was one of the richest Canadians at that time. Bennett helped put many poor, struggling young men through university. Relative to the times he lived in, he was likely the wealthiest Canadian to become prime minister.  Bennett worked an exhausting schedule throughout his years as prime minister, often more than 14 hours per day, and dominated his government, usually holding several cabinet posts. He lived in a suite in the Château Laurier hotel, a short walk from Parliament Hill. The respected author Bruce Hutchison wrote that had the economic times been more normal, Bennett would likely have been regarded as a good, perhaps great, Canadian prime minister.  Bennett was also a noted talent spotter. He took note of and encouraged the young Lester Pearson in the early 1930s, and appointed Pearson to significant roles on two major government inquiries: the 1931 Royal Commission on Grain Futures, and the 1934 Royal Commission on Price Spreads. Bennett saw that Pearson was recognized with an OBE after he shone in that work, arranged a bonus of $1,800, and invited him to a London conference. Former Prime Minister John Turner, who as a child, knew Bennett while he was prime minister, praised Bennett's promotion of Turner's economist mother to the highest civil service post held by a Canadian woman to that time.

Criticisms.

Most historians consider his premiership to have been a failure at a time of severe economic crisis. H. Blair Neatby says categorically that "as a politician he was a failure". Jack Granatstein and Norman Hillmer, comparing him to all other Canadian prime ministers concluded, "Bennett utterly failed as a leader. Everyone was alienated by the end—Cabinet, caucus, party, voter and foreigner."  Bennett was ranked #12 by a survey of Canadian historians out of the then 20 Prime Ministers of Canada through Jean Chrétien. The results of the survey were included in the book "Prime Ministers: Ranking Canada's Leaders" by J. L. Granatstein and Norman Hillmer.  A 2001 book by Quebec nationalist writer Normand Lester, "Le Livre noir du Canada anglais" (later translated as "The Black Book of English Canada") accused Bennett of having a political affiliation with, and of having provided financial support to, fascist Quebec writer Adrien Arcand. This is based on a series of letters sent to Bennett following his election as Prime Minister by Arcand, his colleague Ménard and two Conservative caucus members asking for financial support for Arcand's antisemitic newspaper "Le Goglu". The book also claims that in a 1936 letter to Bennett, A. W. Reid, a Conservative organizer, estimated that Conservative Party members gave Arcand a total of $27,000 (the modern equivalent $359,284).

Supreme Court appointments.

Bennett chose the following jurists to be appointed as justices of the Supreme Court of Canada by the Governor General:

Other appointments.

Bennett was the Honorary Colonel of The Calgary Highlanders from the year of their designation as such in 1921 to his death in 1947. He visited the Regiment in England during the Second World War, and always ensured the 1st Battalion had a turkey dinner at Christmas every year they were overseas, including the Christmas of 1944 when the battalion was holding front line positions in the Nijmegen Salient.  Bennett served as the Rector of Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, from 1935 to 1937, even while he was still prime minister. At the time, this role covered mediation for significant disputes between Queen's students and the university administration.

Coat of arms.

Bennett's Coat of Arms was designed by Alan Beddoe "Argent within two bendlets Gules three maple leaves proper all between two demi-lions rampant couped gules. Crest, a demi-lion Gules grapsing in the dexter paw a battle axe in bend sinister Or and resting the sinister paw on an escallop also Gules. Supporters, Dexter a buffalo, sinister a moose, both proper. Motto, To be Pressed not Oppressed."

Electoral record.

Northwest Territories (West Calgary).

The by-election was caused by the resignation of Richard Bennett, who resigned his seat to run for the House of Commons of Canada in the 1900 Canadian federal election.

Publications.

Empire Relations (1942) – The Peter le Neve Foster Lecture, Delivered on the 3rd June 1942, at the Royal Society of Arts by The Right Hon. The Viscount Bennett, P.C.,K.C., R. B. Bennett 1945 43p,Published by Dorothy Crisp & Co Ltd Holborn London<br

Richard Bedford Bennett, 1st Viscount Bennett (July 3, 1870 – June 26, 1947), was a Canadian lawyer, businessman and politician. He served as the 11th prime minister of Canada, in office from 1930 to 1935. He led the Conservative Party from 1927 to 1938.

Richard Bedford Bennett (3. červenec 1870 – 26. červen 1947) byl kanadský politik. Byl jedenáctým premiérem Kanady, svůj úřad zastával v letech 1930–1935. Byl člen Liberálně-konzervativní strany Kanady, v jejímž čele stál v letech 1927–1938. V závěru svého života se přestěhoval do Anglie. Původní profesí byl právník a obchodník.


Early life.

Chen was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, of Chinese and 1/8 Portuguese descent. Chen's father is businessman Edward Chen (陳澤民), a Hong Kong entertainment industry mogul famously known as "Ninth Brother" (九哥).  He was a student at R.C. Palmer Secondary School in Richmond, British Columbia and also attended Hong Kong International School. He was in the same tenth grade class as fellow actor Nicholas Tse.  He spoke English as his first language before learning Cantonese and Mandarin later on. He speaks some Japanese as well. He also knows some basic Khmer since he had to learn it to play a Cambodian Assassin in "Dog Bite Dog." He has two older sisters.

Career.

Film.

In 1999, a talent scout approached Chen while he was clubbing with friends in Hong Kong and asked him to film a commercial. He was aged 19 when he was featured in a Leon Lai's Citibank commercial. In the same year, he also starred alongside Cecilia Cheung in a commemorative subway commercial.  From then on, his career began with the Japanese film "". He made his Hong Kong film debut in the film "Gen-Y Cops" in 2000. He starred in many popular films including "Infernal Affairs", "Infernal Affairs II", "Initial D", and "Dog Bite Dog". Determined to expand his horizons to countries around the world, he also starred in the Japanese drama "Under the Same Moon". In 2006, he made his American debut as a Hong Kong journalist in "The Grudge 2". He was offered a small role in "" but he declined. His final film in Hong Kong as of 2013 is "The Sniper", which was filmed before the Edison Chen photo scandal. He also filmed a cameo as a thug in "The Dark Knight" but because of the scandal, his role was reduced and was seen very briefly as a receptionist instead. Some reports states that he was originally cast to play Lau, a corrupted Chinese Accountant, which was played by Chin Han. He made his comeback in an Asian American film called "Almost Perfect" which he and his co-stars have been spending time promoting on several film festivals. On 28 October, during a fashion event in Beijing, Edison Chen announced that he would be starring in Initial D 2. The filming of the movie was scheduled to begin in 2011 but it has been delayed indefinitely. In 2014, he made an brief comeback to the Hong Kong film industry in "Golden Chickensss". After eight years of doing short roles, he is officially making a comeback to the entertainment business after he was spotted filming for Lou Ye's new project in Guangzhou in April 2016.

Music.

In 2000, at the age of 20, Chen landed a record deal with Emperor Entertainment Group. It took him a number of successful album releases before he was given the opportunity to produce a hip hop album. His first hip-hop release was in February 2004, called "Please Steal This Album" backed by MC Yan and Singaporean musician Hanjin Chen. Several singles from the album topped local pop charts. Chen mentioned the difficulty of fitting in Hong Kong, where it is dominated by cantopop, but said that hip hop has a great potential.  He is featured on M-Flo's album, "Cosmicolor", on the track ""LOVE ME, HATE THE GAME"" with Chan, Thaitanium and Ryohei Yamamoto.  After Chen's comeback in late 2009 he began work on his next album titled "CONFUSION". The record includes collaborations with well-known local hip hop artists MC HotDog, MC Yan, and Master Chef. Additional collaborations include Sammi Cheng and Jay Chou.

Fashion.

Edison's foray into the fashion industry accompanied his rising success as a young pop icon. Edison, along with partners Kevin Poon and Billy Ip, became the founders of CLOT Inc., a clothing company described as a "lifestyle company" that is geared toward youth culture, and bringing street fashion to China and Hong Kong. The company has collaborated with many big clothing companies, such as Adidas, Nike, A Bathing Ape, Subcrew and Disney. He is also part founder of clothing vendor JUICE, currently operating in Hong Kong (original), Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur with future plans to open a further 17 stores.

Multimedia company.

In February 2007, he invested $10 million HKD to open his own multi-media company, Clot Media Division, which plans to produce movies, commercials and music albums. In June 2007, he released a Mandarin album, "Allow Me to Re-Introduce Myself" (讓我再次介紹我自己), with tracks produced by Kanye West, Just Blaze, and Clinton Sparks.

Community work.

As early as 2001 Chen had appeared in Vancouver charity shows. He has also been a supporter for the gay and lesbian community in Hong Kong, including being voted as an icon in 2001.  In 2007 he was invited by Be@rbrick toys for a charity event in Hong Kong Harbour City. The charity proceeds were donated to "Hong Kong Blood Cancer Foundation".

Video game.

He provided voice work as a low-level triad member named Jackie Ma, a major character in "Sleeping Dogs", a 2012 open world action-adventure video game that is set in Hong Kong.

Incidents.

2004 Chen assault incident.

In March 2004, two male teenagers assaulted Chen in the Central District of Hong Kong. The two teenagers mocked Chen with dance moves outside a record store. Immediately following the dance taunt, both of the teenagers punched Chen. Upon doing so the two teenagers fled the scene, and Chen gave chase. Chen eventually caught up to the two individuals as they were trying to board a bus. They were turned over to Hong Kong Police. As a result of the incident, Chen reported that he sprained his ankle and that his cheekbone and ear were also injured. Chen declined to press charges and the two individuals were released.

2007 taxi incident.

Chen drove to his home after midnight 9 March 2007. The gate was blocked by a Toyota Crown Comfort taxi that had just dropped off its passengers. The taxi driver then signaled Chen to move away so he could pull out, clearing the way for Chen to enter. Chen's security guard told the taxi driver to pull over so that Chen could pass. The taxi driver insulted the security guard. Chen proceeded to have an argument with the taxi driver. Despite the presence of the security guard and other witnesses, he got out of his car and kicked the taxi several times, denting it and breaking all its windows. He was subsequently charged by the police. On the basis of these charges he was convicted and placed on a one-year good behavior bond. He was also fined; the taxi company was granted HK$4,700 in compensation for the damage inflicted to the car.

2008 photo scandal.

In January 2008, Chen was involved in a widely publicised sex scandal when sexually explicit nude photographs of himself taken four years earlier became widely circulated on the Internet. Chen was never accused of uploading the photos himself and a computer technician was later sentenced for accessing Chen's computer during a repair. Celebrities implicated in the scandal included 8 victims: Cecilia Cheung, Gillian Chung, Bobo Chan, Candice Chan (陈思慧), Vincy Yeung (杨永晴), Mandy Chen (陈育嬬) and Rachel Ngan (颜颖思). Nude photos of Edison's ex-girlfriend, Vincy Yeung, were also made public and the future of their relationship was the subject of intense media gossip.  Hong Kong police have stated that they confiscated a collection of sex-related photos that involve six other identifiable females and other unidentifiable males.  Initially the authenticity of the photos was denied, and digital manipulation was used as the primary explanation for the pictures. However, Hong Kong police and Photoshop experts argued that the photos were in fact real and not digitally altered. This brought about a serious reaction towards all parties involved in the scandal. As a result, Chen made a public apology in English to the Hong Kong people and the women involved and indirectly admitted his role and expressed remorse and subsequently announced his indefinite departure from the Hong Kong entertainment industry at a press conference.  Due to the scandal, the Google search engine rankings for 2008 resulted in Chen's Chinese name being the number 1 search term in China, and number 3 in Taiwan. Chen was runner-up to US president-elect Barack Obama in the Hong Kong Person of 2008 poll by government-run RTHK radio, with just under 30 percent of votes in the Person of the Year. On 1 June 2009, Chen spoke openly about the sex photo scandal for the first time since the scandal broke in an interview with TalkAsia on CNN. In the interview he reveals his side of the scandal and how he endured criticisms from the public, the media, and from the individuals affected by the case.

2011 photo scandal.

Three years later, Chen was involved in another photo scandal, this time with a 16-year-old Hong Kong model Cammi Tse. Their relationship was revealed after photos of them together hugging and kissing each other were leaked online and later, the 16-year-old model stated that her phone was lost. It was later revealed that Chen had sent text messages to Tse, asking her to pose for him in swimsuits and school uniforms. Tse confirmed that there were no nude photos. Tse reported that she lost her virginity to Chen and adding on that he filmed a two-minute video of her in the bedroom and he also bought sexy lingerie for her.

Personal life.

In 2015, Chen went into relationship with a Chinese model and actress Qin Shupei. In August 2017, Chen confirmed the birth of his baby daughter with Qin.

Edison Koon-hei Chen (born 7 October 1980) is a Canadian-born Hong Kong actor, singer, rapper, and fashion designer. Having made his debut in the Hong Kong music industry in 1999, he released a number of Cantopop and Mandopop albums under the record company Emperor Entertainment Group before finally making his first hip-hop album in Cantonese with the critically acclaimed 2004 release of "Please Steal This Album". He followed this up with the 2005 Cantonese hip-hop album "Hazy: The 144 Hour Project" and the 2007 Mandarin hip-hop album "Allow Me To Re-Introduce Myself". On 21 February 2008 he publicly announced that he intended to step away "indefinitely" from the Hong Kong entertainment industry due to the sex photo scandal in 2008, in which numerous photographs of his naked body and private parts, and those of several Hong Kong Chinese actresses, were published online. He returned in 2010 but other than a brief cameo in the 2014 film "Golden Chickensss", he did not make a complete comeback to the Hong Kong film industry until 2016. Musically, Chen has since cemented his place in Chinese hip-hop with his 2010 comeback album "Confusion", in addition to several successful studio albums since then.

Edison Chen (* 7. října 1980 Vancouver) je čínský herec a zpěvák původem z Kanady. Mluví čtyřmi jazyky: anglicky, kantonsky, mandarínsky a japonsky.