Playing career.

Hitzfeld started playing football in the late 1960s with TuS Stetten and FV Lörrach in the lower German leagues before he captured the attention of Swiss first division team FC Basel. He joined the club, located on the other bank of the Rhine, in 1971. With this club the forward won the Swiss championship in 1972 and 1973, in the latter season even contributing as the top striker in Switzerland. In 1975, he also won the cup with Basel.  In 1973, while playing at Basel, he graduated from nearby Lörrach College as a teacher of mathematics and sports. He retained his amateur status to be able to participate in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. There, he played amongst others with Uli Hoeneß, the later Bayern Munich player and general manager who would hire him as coach in the late 1990s. One of the highlights of this tournament was the first encounter between the national sides of West and East Germany on the football pitch. West Germany lost this match 2–3, and thus failed to reach the semifinals. In this match, Hitzfeld scored one of his five goals in the tournament. In 1975, the 26-year-old Hitzfeld accepted an offer by the then German second division side VfB Stuttgart. At the Swabian side, he was part of a legendary "100 goal offense" (the goal difference that season being 100:36) and in one match against SSV Jahn Regensburg he scored six goals, still the record for a 2. Bundesliga player. After two years, in 1977, the team achieved promotion to the first division, the Bundesliga. Hitzfeld had by that time scored 33 goals in 55 league matches. In the Bundesliga, the club finished the season a remarkable fourth. Hitzfeld contributed five goals in 22 matches. After three years with Stuttgart, Hitzfeld returned to what by then had become his second home, Switzerland. There, he played from 1978 to 1980 with FC Lugano before joining FC Luzern, where he finished his playing career in 1983, aged 34.

Managerial career.

1983–91: Coaching in Switzerland.

Hitzfeld got his first coaching position with FC Zug, where he stayed for a year. In 1984, he followed an offer to coach FC Aarau, where he settled for four years. His tenure there was crowned with his first title as coach, the 1985 Swiss Cup. Soon he attracted also the attention of the major Swiss club Grasshopper in Zürich. Between 1988 and 1991, he gained another four trophies there, starting with a repeat of his cup victory by the end of his first season. The next year, he followed up with the double before finishing his engagement with the defence of the Swiss Championship in 1991.

1991–98: Borussia Dortmund.

In 1991, Hitzfeld became manager of Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund. In his first year, he and his assistant Michael Henke, with whom he would collaborate for the next 13 years, took the team to second spot in the league, securing a 1992–93 UEFA Cup place. The following season, Dortmund reached the finals of this competition, but both matches were lost against Juventus. In 1995, he gained his first Bundesliga title with Dortmund, their first trophy since the DFB-Pokal in 1989, and Hitzfeld's first trophy in Germany. In 1995–96, he had a successful defence of the title, but the great triumph had to wait for another year: in 1997, Dortmund finished third in the league, but reached the UEFA Champions League final, where another encounter with Juventus was due. This time, Borussia prevailed 3–1 in Munich's Olympiastadion against the team from northern Italy which featured Zinedine Zidane, Didier Deschamps, and Christian Vieri, amongst others. For his success, Hitzfeld was rewarded for the first time with the “World Coach of the Year” award, but as frictions with the team had come to a head, he was promoted out of the firing line to the position of sports manager with the club, where he witnessed his successor, Nevio Scala, taking Borussia Dortmund to win the 1997 Intercontinental Cup against Cruzeiro from Brazil. He finished with a record of 144 wins, 63 draws, and 65 losses.

1998–2008: Bayern Munich.

First spell.

In 1998, Hitzfeld was hired by Germany's most successful club, Bayern Munich. In his first year, he led the club to renewed championship glories, winning the league title by 15 points, a record margin. However, the club lost the DFB-Pokal final to Werder Bremen on penalties. Most important was their run to the Champions League final. The final is remembered for the dramatic Manchester United comeback inside the injury time period. Trailing 1–0, United scored two goals in stoppage time, condemning Bayern to a stunning defeat. They had also won the DFB-Ligapokal.  In the next season, domestic success was improved upon with Bayern winning the double. After winning by a record margin last season, Bayern won on a heartbeat finish this season. They had won the league on a tiebreaker. Hitzfeld's team depended on the neighbours from Unterhaching, a suburb of Munich, to beat Bayer Leverkusen on the last day play to secure the title. The DFB-Pokal final was won against Bremen, the team which beat Bayern in the previous final. In the Champions League, Bayern was stopped in the semifinal by eventual winners Real Madrid.  In the 2000–01 season, Hitzfeld led Bayern not only to the league championship hat-trick, but once again into the Champions League final, defeating Manchester United and defending champions Real Madrid en route. This time, the side from Munich prevailed, though it took a penalty shoot-out against Valencia. This made Hitzfeld only the second coach after Ernst Happel to win the major European trophy with two teams.  Again, he was recognized with the honour of "World Coach of the Year", but this time he remained in control over his team in the ensuing 2001 Intercontinental Cup final against Boca Juniors from Argentina. A sole goal by Ghanaian defender Samuel Kuffour in extra-time made it an evening to celebrate for "the General" and his team. By then, the team had a tendency to put in lacklustre performances and in the end had to make do with third place in the league.  The 2002–03 season started on 25 July 2002 when Bayern were knocked out of the DFB-Ligapokal in a shootout by Hertha BSC. In the 2002–03 season, Bayern once more dominated German football, claiming the league title four matches before the end of the Bundesliga season. Bayern won with a 16-point lead over second-place Stuttgart. With a 3–1 win over Kaiserslautern in the 2003 DFB-Pokal final, Hitzfeld's team secured another double.  Bayern started the 2003–04 season by getting knocked out of the DFB-Ligapokal in the semi-finals after losing a shootout Hamburger SV on 22 July 2003. The 2003–04 season yielded no titles after Bayern finished in second place, and getting knocked out of the DFB-Pokal in the quarter-finals by Alemannia Aachen, and getting knocked out of UEFA Champions League by Real Madrid in the round of 16. The club sacked Hitzfeld with a year remaining year of the contract of the 55-year-old coach. His final match was a 2–0 win against SC Freiburg on 22 May 2004. Hitzfeld finished with a record of 193 wins, 73 draws, 53 losses.

Second spell.

Hitzfeld had an offer to take over the reins of the German national team, but preferred to take a break from the game. On 1 February 2007, following the sacking of Felix Magath, he returned to Bayern Munich. His first match back was a 3–0 loss against 1. FC Nürnberg. Hopes that he might lead Bayern to another championship, despite trailing by eight points with 15 games remaining, were not fulfilled, though. Eventually, Bayern finished fourth, thereby failing to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in more than a decade. A multimillion spending spree before the new season helped Hitzfeld to lead the club to a new phase of domestic dominance, winning the DFB-Ligapokal, the DFB-Pokal, and the league championship. After several high wins and lots of draws, Bayern's UEFA Cup campaign ended in the semifinal with a humbling 4–0 defeat by eventual winner Zenit St. Petersburg. During the season, Hitzfeld had announced that he would not be available for another season at the helm and Jürgen Klinsmann became his successor at Bayern. His final match was a 4–1 win against Hertha BSC.

2008–14: Swiss national team.

Hitzfeld took over as coach of the Swiss national team in summer 2008. His first match at the helm was a friendly match that finished as a 4–1 win for Switzerland against Cyprus on 20 August 2008. His first competitive match was a 2–2 draw against Israel on 6 September 2008 in qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Switzerland finished FIFA World Cup qualifying with a 0–0 draw against Israel on 14 October 2009. Switzerland finished top of its qualifying group to reach the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Switzerland played Uruguay, Costa Rica, and Italy in friendlies leading up to the FIFA World Cup. Switzerland lost 3–1 to Uruguay on 3 March 2010, lost 1–0 to Costa Rica on 1 June 2010, and drew Italy 1–1 on 5 June 2010. Although Switzerland won their opening match 1–0 against eventual champions Spain, they went on to lose 1–0 against Chile and get a 0–0 draw against Honduras which eliminated their chances of qualifying from Group H.  Switzerland failed to qualify for Euro 2012, finishing third behind England and Montenegro in their qualifying group. Switzerland started qualifying with two consecutive losses to England and Montenegro. Then they defeated Wales in their final qualifier of 2010. They stretched their undefeated streak to four matches after a draw against England and a draw and a win against Bulgaria. The undefeated streak ended when Switzerland lost to Wales before defeating Montenegro in their final qualifying match. Switzerland started 2012 with a 3–1 loss to Argentina on 29 February 2012 and a 5–3 win against Germany on 26 May 2012. Then Switzerland lost to Romania four days later. Switzerland defeated Croatia on 15 August 2012.  Hitzfeld led Switzerland to a second successive FIFA World Cup as his team remained unbeaten throughout the qualifying campaign. Switzerland started qualifying with a pair of 2–0 wins against Slovenia on 7 September 2012 and Albania on 11 September 2012. Then they drew Norway 1–1 on 12 October 2012 and defeated Iceland 2–0 four days later. In the final match of 2012, Switzerland defeated Tunisia 2–1 in a friendly match. Switzerland started 2013 with a 0–0 draw against Greece on 6 February 2013. Switzerland's next two matches were against Cyprus. The match on 23 March 2013 finished in a 0–0 draw and the match on 8 June 2013 finished in a 1–0 win for Switzerland. Switzerland beat Brazil on 14 August 2013. Switzerland finished out qualifying with a 4–4 draw against Iceland and three consecutive wins against Norway, Albania, and Slovenia. On 17 October 2013, Hitzfeld announced that he would be retiring after the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Switzerland finished 2013 with a 2–1 loss against South Korea in a friendly match. Leading into the FIFA World Cup, Switzerland drew 2–2 with Croatia and defeated Jamaica and Peru. Switzerland defeated Ecuador, lost to France, and defeated Honduras to finish second in Group E. Hitzfeld's final match was a 1–0 extra time loss against Argentina in the round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup on 1 July 2014. Vladimir Petković succeeded Hitzfeld.

Retirement.

He announced his retirement from coaching after the World Cup with Vladimir Petković taking over on July 1, 2014.  It was said that Chinese Super League club Guangzhou Evergrande once offered Hitzfeld an 18–month-long contract, with a value of 24 million euros. However, he turned it down.

Personal life.

Hitzfeld was born in Lörrach in the valley of the Wiese in southwest Germany, close to the Swiss border. He grew up there and is the youngest of five children. Hitzfeld said that when he first left Bayern in 2004 he 'felt burnt out' and 'was a bit depressed', and 'it took me two years to recover.' He then had 'the best years at Bayern' on his return. He stated his views that people should not get too excited about things, not get too down about things, and treat each situation individually. His uncle was the World War II general Otto Hitzfeld.  The Ottmar Hitzfeld Stadium, the highest in Europe, is named after him.

Honours.

Player.

Basel

Individual.

Performance

Manager.

Aarau  Grasshopper  Borussia Dortmund  Bayern Munich

Ottmar Hitzfeld (; born 12 January 1949 in Lörrach, Baden) is a German former football player (striker) and retired manager, nicknamed "der General" (“the general”), and “Gottmar Hitzfeld” (a pun on "Gott", which is the German word for “god”). He has accumulated a total of 18 major titles, mostly in his tenures with Grasshopper Club Zürich, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. A trained mathematician and sports teacher, Hitzfeld is one of the most successful coaches of German and international football. He has been elected “World Coach of the Year” twice; he is one of only five managers to win the European Cup/UEFA Champions League with two clubs, along with Ernst Happel, José Mourinho, Jupp Heynckes and Carlo Ancelotti.

Ottmar Hitzfeld (narozen 12. ledna 1949 v Lörrach v Bádensko-Württembersku v Německu) je bývalý německý fotbalový útočník, olympijský medailista a bývalý fotbalový trenér.


History.

Early history.

In 1852, James Alexander Holden emigrated to South Australia from Walsall, England, and in 1856 established J.A. Holden & Co., a saddlery business in Adelaide. In 1879 J A Holden's eldest son Henry James (HJ) Holden, became a partner and effectively managed the company. In 1885, German-born H. A. Frost joined the business as a junior partner and J.A. Holden & Co became Holden & Frost Ltd. Edward Holden, James' grandson, joined the firm in 1905 with an interest in automobiles. From there, the firm evolved through various partnerships, and in 1908, Holden & Frost moved into the business of minor repairs to car upholstery. The company began to re-body older chassis using motor bodies produced by F T Hack and Co from 1914. Holden & Frost mounted the body, and painted and trimmed it. The company began to produce complete motorcycle sidecar bodies after 1913. After 1917, wartime trade restrictions led the company to start full-scale production of vehicle body shells. H.J. Holden founded a new company in late 1917, and registered Holden's Motor Body Builders Ltd (HMBB) on

1940s.

Holden's second full-scale car factory, located in Fishermans Bend (Port Melbourne), was opened on 5 November 1936 by Prime Minister Joseph Lyons, with construction beginning in 1939 on a new plant in Pagewood, New South Wales. However, World War II delayed car production with efforts shifted to the construction of vehicle bodies, field guns, aircraft, and engines. Before the war ended, the Australian government took steps to encourage an Australian automotive industry. Both GM and Ford provided studies to the Australian government outlining the production of the first Australian-designed car. Ford's proposal was the government's first choice, but required substantial financial assistance. GM's study was ultimately chosen because of its low level of government

1950s.

During the 1950s, Holden dominated the Australian car market. GM invested heavily in production capacity, which allowed the company to meet increased postwar demand for motor cars. Less expensive, four-cylinder cars did not offer Holdens the ability to deal with rugged rural areas. Holden 48–215 sedans were produced in parallel with the 50-2106 coupé utility from 1951; the latter was known colloquially as the "ute" and became ubiquitous in Australian rural areas as the workhorse of choice. Production of both the utility and sedan continued with minor changes until 1953, when they were replaced by the facelifted FJ model, introducing a third panel van body style. The FJ was the first major change to the Holden since its 1948 introduction. Over time, it gained iconic status and remains one of Australia's most recognisable automotive symbols. A new horizontally slatted grille dominated

1960s.

In 1960, Holden introduced its third major new model, the FB. The car's style was inspired by 1950s Chevrolets, with tailfins and a wrap-around windscreen with "dog leg" A-pillars. By the time it was introduced, many considered the appearance dated. Much of the motoring industry at the time noted that the adopted style did not translate well to the more compact Holden. The FB became the first Holden that was adapted for left-hand drive markets, enhancing its export potential, and as such was exported to New Caledonia, New Hebrides, the Philippines, and Hawaii. In 1960, Ford unveiled the new Falcon in Australia, only months after its introduction in the

1970s.

Holden launched the new HQ series in 1971. At this time, the company was producing all of its passenger cars in Australia, and every model was of Australian design; however, by the end of the decade, Holden was producing cars based on overseas designs. The HQ was thoroughly re-engineered, featuring a perimeter frame and semimonocoque (unibody) construction. Other firsts included an all-coil suspension and an extended wheelbase for station wagons, while the utilities and panel vans retained the traditional coil/leaf suspension configuration. The series included the new prestige Statesman brand, which also had a longer wheelbase, replacing the Brougham. The Statesman remains noteworthy because it was not marketed

1980s.

The 1980s were challenging for Holden and the Australian automotive industry. The Australian Government tried to revive the industry with the Button car plan, which encouraged car makers to focus on producing fewer models at higher, more economical volumes, and to export cars. The decade opened with the shut-down of the Pagewood, New South Wales production plant and introduction of the light commercial Rodeo, sourced from Isuzu in Japan. The Rodeo was available in both two- and four-wheel drive chassis cab models with a choice of petrol and diesel powerplants. The range was updated in 1988 with the TF series, based on the Isuzu TF. Other cars sourced from Isuzu during the 1980s were the four-wheel

1990s.

The company changed throughout the 1990s, increasing its Australian market share from 21 percent in 1991 to 28.2 percent in 1999. Besides manufacturing Australia's best selling car, which was exported in significant numbers, Holden continued to export many locally produced engines to power cars made elsewhere. In this decade, Holden adopted a strategy of importing cars it needed to offer a full range of competitive vehicles. During 1998, General Motors-Holden's Ltd name was shortened to "Holden Ltd".  On 26 April 1990, GM's New Zealand subsidiary Holden New Zealand announced that production

2000s.

Holden's market surge from the 1990s reversed in the 2000s decade. In Australia, Holden's market share dropped from 27.5 percent in 2000 to 15.2 percent in 2006. From March 2003, Holden no longer held the number one sales position in Australia, losing ground to Toyota.  This overall downturn affected Holden's profits; the company recorded a combined gain of A$842.9 million from 2002 to 2004, and a combined loss of A$290 million from 2005 to 2006. Factors contributing to the loss included the development of an all-new model, the strong Australian dollar and the cost of reducing the workforce at the Elizabeth plant, including the loss of 1,400 jobs after the closure of the third-shift assembly line in 2005, after two years in operation. Holden fared better in 2007, posting an A$6 million loss. This was followed by an A$70.2

2010s.

In March 2012, Holden was given a $270 million lifeline by the Australian, South Australian and Victorian governments. In return, Holden planned to inject over $1 billion into car manufacturing in Australia. They estimated the new investment package would return around $4 billion to the Australian economy and see GM Holden continue making cars in Australia until at least 2022.  Industry Minister Kim Carr confirmed on 10 July 2013 that talks had been scheduled between the Australian government and Holden. On 13 August 2013, 1,700 employees at the Elizabeth plant in northern Adelaide voted to accept a three-year wage freeze in order to decrease the chances of the production line's closure in 2016. Holden's ultimate survival, though, depended on continued negotiations with the Federal Government—to secure funding for the period from 2016 to 2022—and the final decision of the global headquarters in Detroit, US.  Following an unsuccessful attempt to secure

2020s.

On 17 February 2020, General Motors

Corporate affairs and identity.

On 8 May 2015, Jeff Rolfs, Holden's CFO, became interim chairman and managing director. Holden announced on 6 February 2015 that Mark Bernhard would return to Holden as chairman and managing director, the first Australian to hold the post in 25 years. In 2010, Holden sold vehicles across Australia through the Holden Dealer Network (310 authorised stores and 12 service centres), which employed more than 13,500 people.  In 1987, Holden established Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) in partnership with Tom Walkinshaw, who primarily manufactured modified, high-performance Commodore variants. To further reinforce the brand, HSV introduced the HSV Dealer Team into the V8 Supercar fold in 2005 under the naming rights of Toll HSV Dealer Team.  Holden's logo, of a lion holding a stone, was introduced in 1928. Holden's Motor Body Builders appointed Rayner Hoff to design the emblem, which refers to a fable in which observations of lions rolling stones led to the invention of the wheel. With the 1948 launch of the 48–215, Holden revised its logo. It commissioned another redesign in 1972 to better represent the company. The emblem was reworked once more in 1994.

Exports.

Holden began to export vehicles in 1954, sending the FJ to New Zealand. Exports to New Zealand continued, but to broaden their export potential, Holden began to cater their Commodore, Monaro and Statesman/Caprice models for both right- and left-hand drive markets. The Middle East was Holden's largest export market, with the Commodore sold as the Chevrolet Lumina from 1998, and the Statesman from 1999 as the Chevrolet Caprice. Commodores were also sold as the Chevrolet Lumina in Brunei, Fiji and South Africa, and as the Chevrolet Omega in Brazil. Pontiac in North America also imported Commodore sedans from 2008 through to 2009 as the G8. The G8's cessation was a consequence of GM's Chapter 11 bankruptcy resulting in the demise of the Pontiac brand.  Sales of the Monaro began in 2003 to the Middle East as the Chevrolet Lumina Coupe. Later that year a modified version of the Monaro began selling in the United States (but not in Canada) as the Pontiac GTO, and under the

Sales.

Whilst previously holding the number one position in Australian vehicle sales, Holden has

Motorsport.

Holden has been involved with factory backed teams in Australian touring car racing since 1968. The main factory-backed teams have been the Holden Dealer Team (1969–1987) and the Holden Racing Team (1990–2016). Since 2017, Triple Eight Race Engineering has been Holden's factory team. Holden has won the Bathurst 1000 32 times, more than any other manufacturer, and has won the Australian Touring Car and Supercars Championship title 20 times. Brad Jones Racing, Charlie Schwerkolt Racing, Erebus Motorsport, Matt Stone Racing, Tekno Autosports and Walkinshaw Andretti United also run Holden Commodores in the series.

Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, is an Australian automobile marque and former automobile manufacturer, which manufactured cars in Australia before switching to importing cars under the Holden brand. It is headquartered in Port Melbourne.

Holden je australská automobilka sídlící v Melbourne. Od roku 1931 je Holden divizí General Motors. Na podzim 2017 byla ukončena produkce automobilů v Austrálii, od té doby jsou vozy do Austrálie importovány z různých států světa. Celkové prodeje Holdenu v Austrálii v roce 2017 byly přibližně 90 000 automobilů, což představovalo 7,6% podíl na australském trhu s automobily.


Life and work.

Gérard Rancinan started his career as an apprentice in the laboratory of the photo department of the Bordeaux daily newspaper, Sud Ouest. After three years in the dark room he became, at the age of 18, the youngest photojournalist in France, covering news around the region. When he was 21, he was sent to the newspaper’s agency in Pau.  Having been spotted by the newly founded press agency, Sygma, in 1973, Rancinan decided to sign a distribution contract with the firm. Five years later he became a Sygma staff photographer in Paris. He covered current events - earthquakes in Algeria to political upheaval in Poland, war in Lebanon, riots in England; sporting events (Olympic Games, Football World Cups, World Athletics Championships); movie shoots (Ran by Akira Kurosawa, Betty Blue by Jean-Jacques Beineix, The Last Emperor by Bernardo Bertolucci); show business, fashion and the cinema.  He left Sygma in 1986 to set up his own agency, before once again becoming independent in 1989.  His portraits of leading personalities (Fidel Castro, Pope John Paul II, François Mitterrand, Monica Bellucci, Tiger Woods, Yasser Arafat, Bill Gates, etc.) and his photographic "sagas" describing major societal developments have been published on the front pages of magazines Paris Match, Life Magazine, Stern, The Sunday Times Magazine. Since 1984, Rancinan has also worked on a regular basis with Sports Illustrated. In his projects, he collaborates with writers, journalists, thinkers, sociologists, anthropologists and philosophers (Caroline Gaudriault, Virginie Luc, Paul Virilio, Francis Fukuyama etc.).  In the 1990s, Pierre Cornette de Saint-Cyr produced Rancinan's exhibition Urban Jungle at the Espace Cardin in Paris in 2000. Rancinan’s work has been exhibited in galleries and museums (Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art: "Portrait of Nathalie", Triennale di Milano: "Portraits of Cardinals", Palais de Tokyo Muséum, Paris: "Metamorphoses") "Trilogy of the Moderns", Triennale di Milano - Contemporary Art Museum, Italie. and is held in private contemporary art collections.  At an auction at the Étude Million at the l'Hôtel Drouot in 2008, his work sold at a price comparable with the upper echelons of French contemporary art photographers. His photograph, "Batman Girls", sold for a record price in London in May 2012 at the auction house, Philip de Pury. The sale of Rancinan’s "The Feast of the Barbarians" by the Étude Pillon in Versailles on 18 May 2014 – achieved the highest price of any living French photographer.  Rancinan photographs his contemporaries and analyses the behaviours and beliefs characterizing modern societies.  Rancinan’s photographs are studied in schools in France within the framework of the National Diploma (DNB) in the History of Art.  On 7 January 2013 Laurent Fabius, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, invited Rancinan to display, in one of the rooms of the Quai d'Orsay his photograph "Batman Boys", promoting the work of contemporary French artists abroad.

Gérard Rancinan is a French photographer whose work has appeared in publications such as "Sports Illustrated", "Time", "Life Magazine", "Sunday Times Magazine", and "Paris Match".

Gérard Rancinan (18. února 1953, Talence, Francie) je současný francouzský portrétní a reportážní fotograf, jehož snímky se objevují v magazínech jako například "Sports Illustrated", "Time" nebo "Life".


History.

The Iñupiaq language is an Inuit-Yupik-Unangan language, also known as Eskimo-Aleut, has been spoken in the northern regions of Alaska for as long as 5,000 years. Between 1,000 and 800 years ago, Inuit peoples migrated east from Alaska to Canada and Greenland, eventually occupying the entire Arctic coast and much of the surrounding inland areas. The Iñupiaq dialects are the most conservative forms of the Inuit language, with less linguistic change than the other Inuit languages.  In the mid to late 19th century, Russian, British, and American colonists would make contact with Inupiat people. In 1885, the American territorial government appointed Rev. Sheldon Jackson as General Agent of Education. Under his administration, Inupiat people (and all Alaska Natives) were educated in English-only environments, forbidding the use of Iñupiaq and other indigenous languages of Alaska. After decades of English-only education, with strict punishment if heard speaking Iñupiaq, after the 1970s, most Inupiat did not pass the Iñupiaq language on to their children, for fear of them being punished for speaking their language.  In 1972, the Alaska Legislature passed legislation mandating that if "a [school is attended] by at least 15 pupils whose primary language is other than English, [then the school] shall have at least one teacher who is fluent in the native language".  Today, the University of Alaska Fairbanks offers bachelor's degrees in Iñupiaq language and culture, while a preschool/kindergarten-level Iñupiaq immersion school named Nikaitchuat Ilisaġviat teaches grades PreK-1st grade in Kotzebue.  In 2014, Iñupiaq became an official language of the State of Alaska, alongside English and nineteen other indigenous languages.

Dialects.

There are four main dialect divisions and these can be organized within two larger dialect collections: Seward Peninsula Iñupiaq is spoken on the Seward Peninsula. Northern Alaskan Iñupiaq is spoken from the Northwest Arctic and North Slope regions of Alaska to the Mackenzie Delta in Northwest Territories, Canada.  Extra geographical information:  Bering Strait dialect:  The native population of the Big Diomede Island was moved to the Siberian mainland after World War II. The following generation of the population spoke Central Siberian Yupik or Russian. The entire population of King Island moved to Nome in the early 1960s. The Bering Strait dialect might also be spoken in Teller on the Seward Peninsula.  Qawiaraq dialect:  A dialect of Qawiaraq is spoken in Nome. A dialect of Qawariaq may also be spoken in Koyuk, Mary's Igloo, Council, and Elim. The Teller sub-dialect may be spoken in Unalakleet.  Malimiutun dialect:  Both sub-dialects can be found in Buckland, Koyuk, Shaktoolik, and Unalakleet. A dialect of Malimiutun may be spoken in Deering, Kiana, Noorvik, Shungnak, and Ambler. The Malimiutun sub-dialects have also been classified as "Southern Malimiut" (found in Koyuk, Shaktoolik, and Unalakleet) and "Northern Malimiut" found in "other villages".  North Slope dialect:  Common North Slope is "a mix of the various speech forms formerly used in the area". The Point Barrow dialect was "spoken only by a few elders" in 2010. A dialect of North Slope is also spoken in Kivalina, Point Lay, Wainwright, Atqasuk, Utqiagvik, Nuiqsut, and Barter Island.

Phonology.

Iñupiaq dialects differ widely between consonants used. However, consonant clusters of more than two consonants in a row do not occur. A word may not begin nor end with a consonant cluster.  All Iñupiaq dialects have three basic vowel qualities: /a i u/. There is currently no instrumental work to determine what allophones may be linked to these vowels. All three vowels can be long or short, giving rise to a system of six phonemic vowels /a aː i iː u uː/. Long vowels are represented by double letters in the orthography: ⟨aa⟩, ⟨ii⟩, ⟨uu⟩. The following diphthongs occur: /ai ia au ua iu ui/. No more than two vowels occur in a sequence in Iñupiaq.  The Bering strait dialect has a forth vowel /e/, which preserves the fourth proto-Eskimo vowel reconstructed as */ə/. In the other dialects, proto-Eskimo */e/ has merged with the closed front vowel /i/. The merged /i/ is referred to as the “strong /i/”, which causes palatalization when preceding consonant clusters in the North Slope dialect (see section on palatalization below). The other /i/ is referred to as “the weak /i/”. Weak and strong /i/s are not differentiated in orthography, making it impossible to tell which ⟨i⟩ represents palatalization “short of looking at other processes which depend on the distinction between two i's or else examining data from other Eskimo languages”. However, it can be assumed that, within a word, if a palatal consonant is preceded by an ⟨i⟩, it is strong. If an alveolar consonant is preceded by an ⟨i⟩, it is weak.  Words begin with a stop (with the exception of the palatal stop /c/), the fricative /s/, nasals /m n/, with a vowel, or the semivowel /j/. Loanwords, proper names, and exclamations may begin with any segment in both the Seward Peninsula dialects and the North Slope dialects. In the Uummarmiutun dialect words can also begin with /h/. For example, the word for "ear" in North Slope and Little Diomede Island dialects is "siun" whereas in Uummarmiutun it is "hiun".  A word may end in any nasal sound (except for the /ɴ/ found in North Slope), in the stops /t k q/ or in a vowel. In the North Slope dialect if a word ends with an m, and the next word begins with a stop, the m is pronounced /p/, as in "aġnam tupiŋa," pronounced /aʁnap tupiŋa/  Very little information of the prosody of Iñupiaq has been collected. However, "fundamental frequency (Hz), intensity (dB), loudness (sones), and spectral tilt (phons - dB) may be important" in Malimiutun. Likewise, "duration is not likely to be important in Malimiut Iñupiaq stress/syllable prominence".

North Slope Iñupiaq:.

For North Slope Iñupiaq  The voiceless stops /p/ /t/ /k/ and /q/ are not aspirated. This may or may not be true for other dialects as well.  <nowiki>*</nowiki> The sound might actually be the sound. The sound might not exist. Recent learners of the language, and heritage speakers are replacing the sound (written in Iñupiaq as "r") with the American English /ɹ/ sound.  /c/ is derived from a palatalized and unreleased /t/.

Assimilation:.

Two consonants cannot appear together unless they share the manner of articulation (in this case treating the lateral and approximate consonants as fricatives). The only exception to this rule is having a voiced fricative consonant appear with a nasal consonant. Since all stops in North Slope are voiceless, a lot of needed assimilation arises from having to assimilate a voiceless stop to a voiced consonant.  This process is realized by assimilating the first consonant in the cluster to a consonant that: 1) has the same (or closest possible) area of articulation as the consonant being assimilated; and 2) has the same manner of articulation as the second consonant that it is assimilating to. If the second consonant is a lateral or approximate, the first consonant will assimilate to a lateral or approximate if possible. If not the first consonant will assimilate to a fricative. Therefore: <nowiki>*</nowiki> The sound /ɴ/ is not represented in the orthography. Therefore the spelling ġn can be pronounced as /ʁn/ or /ɴn/. In both examples 1 and 2, since voiced fricatives can appear with nasal consonants, both consonant clusters are possible.  The stops /t̚j/ and /t/ do not have a corresponding voiced fricative, therefore they will assimilate to the closest possible area of articulation. In this case, the /t̚j/ will assimilate to the voiced approximant /j/. The /t/ will assimilate into a. Therefore: In the case of the second consonant being a lateral, the lateral will again be treated as a fricative. Therefore:  Since voiced fricatives can appear with nasal consonants, both consonant clusters are possible.  The sounds and are not represented in the orthography (unless they occur alone between vowels). Therefore, like the /ɴn/ example shown above, assimilation still occurs while the spelling remains the same. Therefore: These general features of assimilation are not shared with Uummarmiut, Malimiutun, or the Seward Peninsula dialects. Malimiutun and the Seward Peninsula dialects "preserve[] voiceless stops (k, p, q, t) when they are etymological (i.e. when they belong to the original word-base)". Compare:

Palatalization.

The following patterns of palatalization can occur in North Slope Iñupiaq: /t/ → /t̚j/ or /s/; → ; → ; and /n/ →. Palatalization only occurs when one of these four alveolars is preceded by a strong "i". Compare: Please note that the sound /t̚j/ does not have its own letter, and is simply spelled with a T t. The IPA transcription of the above vowels may be incorrect.  If a t that precedes a vowel is palatalized, it will become an /s/. The strong "i" affects the entire consonant cluster, palatalizing all consonants that can be palatalized within the cluster. Therefore: Note in the first example, due to the nature of the suffix, the /q/ is dropped. Like the first set of examples, the IPA transcriptions of above vowels may be incorrect.  If a strong "i" precedes geminate consonant, the entire elongated consonant becomes palatalized. For Example: niġḷḷaturuq and tikiññiaqtuq.

Further strong versus weak "i" processes.

The strong "i" can be paired with a vowel. The weak "i" on the other hand cannot. The weak i will become an "a" if it is paired with another vowel, or if the consonant before the "i" becomes geminate. This rule may or may not apply to other dialects. Therefore:  Like the first two sets of examples, the IPA transcriptions of above vowels may be incorrect.

Uummarmiutun sub-dialect:.

For the Uummarmiutun sub-dialect:  <nowiki>*</nowiki> Ambiguities: This sound might exist in the Uummarmiutun sub dialect.

Phonological rules.

The following are the phonological rules: The /f/ is always found as a geminate.  The /j/ cannot be geminated, and is always found between vowels or preceded by /v/. In rare cases it can be found at the beginning of a word.  The /h/ is never geminate, and can appear as the first letter of the word, between vowels, or preceded by /k/ /ɬ/ or /q/.  The and are always geminate or preceded by a /t/.  The can appear between vowels, preceded by consonants /k/ /q/ /t/ or /v/, or it can be followed by, /v/,.

Seward Peninsula Iñupiaq:.

For Seward Peninsula Iñupiaq:  Unlike the other Iñupiaq dialects, the Seward Peninsula dialect has a mid central vowel e (see the beginning of the phonology section for more information).

Gemination.

In North Slope Iñupiaq, all consonants represented by orthography can be geminated, except for the sounds /s/ /h/ and. Seward Peninsula Iñupiaq (using vocabulary from the Little Diomede Island as a representative sample) likewise can have all consonants represented by orthography appear as geminates, except for /b/ /h/ /w/ /z/ and. Gemination is caused by suffixes being added to a consonant, so that the consonant is found between two vowels.

Writing systems.

Iñupiaq was first written when explorers first arrived in Alaska and began recording words in the native languages. They wrote by adapting the letters of their own language to writing the sounds they were recording. Spelling was often inconsistent, since the writers invented it as they wrote. Unfamiliar sounds were often confused with other sounds, so that, for example, 'q' was often not distinguished from 'k' and long consonants or vowels were not distinguished from short ones.  Along with the Alaskan and Siberian Yupik, the Inupiat eventually adopted the Latin script ("Qaliujaaqpait") that Moravian missionaries developed in Greenland and Labrador. Native Alaskans also developed a system of pictographs, which, however, died with its creators.  In 1946, Roy Ahmaogak, an Iñupiaq Presbyterian minister from Utqiagvik, worked with Eugene Nida, a member of the Summer Institute of Linguistics, to develop the current Iñupiaq alphabet based on the Latin script. Although some changes have been made since its origin—most notably the change from 'ḳ' to 'q'—the essential system was accurate and is still in use. Extra letter for Kobuk dialect: ’  Extra letters for specific dialects:

Morphosyntax.

Due the number of dialects and complexity of Iñupiaq Morphosyntax, the following section will be discussing Malimiutun morphosyntax as a representative example. Any examples from other dialects will be marked as such.  Iñupiaq is a polysynthetic language, meaning that words can be extremely long, consisting of one of three stems (verb stem, noun stem, and demonstrative stem) along with one or more of three endings (postbases, (grammatical) endings, and enclitics). The stem gives meaning to the word, whereas endings give information regarding case, mood, tense, person, plurality, etc. The stem can appear as simple (having no postbases) or complex (having one or more postbases). In Iñupiaq a "postbase serves somewhat the same functions that adverbs, adjectives, prefixes, and suffixes do in English" along with marking various types of tenses. There are six word classes in Malimiut Inñupiaq: nouns (see Nominal Morphology), verbs (see Verbal Morphology), adverbs, pronouns, conjunctions, and interjections. All demonstratives are classified as either adverbs or pronouns.

Nominal morphology.

The Iñupiaq category of number distinguishes singular, dual, and plural. The language works on an Ergative-Absolutive system, where nouns are inflected for number, several cases, and possession. Iñupiaq (Malimiutun) has nine cases, two core cases (ergative and absolutive) and seven oblique cases (instrumental, allative, ablative, locative, perlative, similative and vocative). North Slope Iñupiaq does not have the vocative case. Iñupiaq does not have a category of gender and articles.  Iñupiaq Nouns can likewise be classified by Wolf A. Seiler's seven noun classes. These noun classes are "based on morphological behavior. [They]... have no semantic basis but are useful for case formation... stems of various classes interact with suffixes differently".  Due to the nature of the morphology, a single case can take on up to 12 endings (ignoring the fact that realization of these endings can change depending on noun class). For example, the possessed ergative ending for a class 1a noun can take on the endings: -ma, mnuk, pta, vich, ptik, -psi, -mi, -mik, -miŋ, -ŋan, -ŋaknik, and ŋata. Therefore, only general features will be described below. For an extensive list on case endings, please see Seiler 2012, Appendix 4, 6, and 7.

Absolutive case/noun stems.

The subject of an intransitive sentence or the object of a transitive sentence take on the absolutive case. This case is likewise used to mark the basic form of a noun. Therefore, all the singular, dual, and plural absolutive forms serve as stems for the other oblique cases. The following chart is verified of both Malimiutun and North Slope Iñupiaq.  If the singular absolutive form ends with -n, it has the underlying form of -ti /tə/. This form will show in the absolutive dual and plural forms. Therefore: tiŋmisuun (airplane) → tiŋmisuutik (two airplanes) and tiŋmisuutit (multiple airplanes)Regarding nouns that have an underlying /ə/ (weak i), the "i" will change to an "a" and the previous consonant will be geminated in the dual form. Therefore:Kamik (boot) → kammak (two boots). If the singular form of the noun ends with -k, the preceding vowel will be elongated. Therefore: savik (knife) → saviik (two knives). On occasion, the consonant preceding the final vowel is also geminated, though exact phonological reasoning is unclear.

Ergative case.

The ergative case is often referred to as the Relative Case in Iñupiaq sources. This case marks the subject of a transitive sentence or a genitive (possessive) noun phrase. For non-possessed noun phrases, the noun is marked only if it is a third person singular. The unmarked nouns leave ambiguity as to who/what is the subject and object. This can be resolved only through context. Possessed noun phrases and noun phrases expressing genitive are marked in ergative for all persons.  This suffix applies to all singular unpossessed nouns in the ergative case.  Please note the underlying /tə/ form in the first example.

Instrumental case.

This case is also referred to as the modalis case. This case has a wide range of uses described below: Since the ending is the same for both dual and plural, different stems are used. In all the examples the k is assimilated to an ŋ.

Allative case.

The allative case is also referred to as the terminalis case. The uses of this case are described below:

Verbal morphology.

Again, Malimiutun Iñupiaq is used as a representative example in this section. The basic structure of the verb is [(verb) + (derivational suffix) + (inflectional suffix) + (enclitic)], although Lanz (2010) argues that this approach is insufficient since it "forces one to analyze... optional... suffixes". Every verb has an obligatory inflection for person, number, and mood (all marked by a single suffix), and can have other inflectional suffixes such as tense, aspect, modality, and various suffixes carrying adverbial functions.

Tense.

Tense marking is always optional. The only explicitly marked tense is the future tense. Past and present tense cannot be marked and are always implied. All verbs can be marked through adverbs to show relative time (using words such as "yesterday" or "tomorrow"). If neither of these markings is present, the verb can imply a past, present, or future tense.

Aspect.

Marking aspect is optional in Iñupiaq verbs. Both North Slope and Malimiut Iñupiaq have a perfective versus imperfective distinction in aspect, along with other distinctions such as: frequentative (-ataq; "to repeatedly verb"), habitual (-suu; "to always, habitually verb"), inchoative (-łhiñaaq; "about to verb"), and intentional (-saġuma; "intend to verb"). The aspect suffix can be found after the verb root and before or within the obligatory person-number-mood suffix.

Mood.

Iñupiaq has the following moods: Indicative, Interrogative, Imperative (positive, negative), Coordinative, and Conditional. Participles are sometimes classified as a mood.  Indicative mood endings can be transitive or intransitive, as seen in the table below.

Syntax.

Nearly all syntactic operations in the Malimiut dialect of Iñiupiaq—and Inuit languages and dialects in general—are carried out via morphological means." The language aligns to an ergative-absolutive case system, which is mainly shown through nominal case markings and verb agreement (see above).  The basic word order is subject-object-verb. However, word order is flexible and both subject and/or object can be omitted. There is a tendency for the subject of a transitive verb (marked by the ergative case) to precede the object of the clause (marked by the absolutive case). There is likewise a tendency for the subject of an intransitive verb (marked by the absolutive case) to precede the verb. The subject of an intransitive verb and the object of a clause (both marked by the absolutive case) are usually found right before the verb. However, "this is [all] merely a tendency."  Iñupiaq grammar also includes morphological passive, antipassive, causative and applicative.

Noun incorporation.

Noun incorporation is a common phenomenon in Malimiutun Iñupiaq. The first type of noun incorporation is "lexical compounding". Within this subset of noun incorporation, the noun, which represents an instrument, location, or patient in relation to the verb, is attached to the front of the verb stem, creating a new intransitive verb. The second type is "manipulation of case". It is argued whether this form of noun incorporation is present as noun incorporation in Iñupiaq, or "semantically transitive noun incorporation"—since with this kind of noun incorporation the verb remains transitive. The noun phrase subjects are incorporated not syntactically into the verb but rather as objects marked by the instrumental case. The third type of incorporation, "manipulation of discourse structure", is supported by Mithun (1984) and argued against by Lanz (2010). See Lanz's paper for further discussion. The final type of incorporation is "classificatory noun incorporation", whereby a "general [noun] is incorporated into the [verb], while a more specific [noun] narrows the scope". With this type of incorporation, the external noun can take on external modifiers and, like the other incorporations, the verb becomes intransitive. See "Nominal Morphology" ("Instrumental Case, Usage of Instrumental" table, row four) on this page for an example.

Switch-references.

Switch-references occur in dependent clauses only with third person subjects. The verb must be marked as reflexive if the third person subject of the dependent clause matches the subject of the main clause (more specifically matrix clause). Compare:

Text sample.

This is a sample of the Iñupiaq language of the Kivalina variety from "Kivalina Reader," published in 1975. Aaŋŋaayiña aniñiqsuq Qikiqtami. Aasii iñuguġuni. Tikiġaġmi Kivaliñiġmiḷu. Tuvaaqatiniguni Aivayuamik. Qulit atautchimik qitunġivḷutik. Itchaksrat iñuuvlutiŋ. Iḷaŋat Qitunġaisa taamna Qiñuġana. This is the English translation, from the same source: Aaŋŋaayiña was born in Shishmaref. He grew up in Point Hope and Kivalina. He marries Aivayuaq. They had eleven children. Six of them are alive. One of the children is Qiñuġana.

Vocabulary comparison.

The comparison of various vocabulary in four different dialects:

External links and language resources.

There are a number of online resources that can provide a sense of the language and information for second language learners.

Inupiaq, Inupiat, Inupiatun or Alaskan Inuit, is a group of dialects of the Inuit languages, spoken by the Iñupiat people in northern and northwestern Alaska, and part of the Northwest Territories. The Inupiat language is a member of the Inuit-Yupik-Unangan language family, and is closely related to Inuit languages of Canada and Greenland. There are roughly 2,000 speakers. It is considered a threatened language with most speakers at or above the age of 40. Iñupiaq is an official language of the State of Alaska.

Inupik, Inupiaq, Iñupiaq, nebo Inupiatun je skupina dialektů inuitštiny používaná na severní a severozápadní Aljašce. Patří mezi eskymácko-aleutské jazyky. Hovoří jimi 2 420 mluvčích.


Design and description.

The "De Grasse" class was designed as an enlarged and improved version of the preceding. The ships would have had an overall length of, a beam of, and a draft of. They would have displaced at standard load and at deep load. The hull was divided by 15 bulkheads into 16 watertight compartments.

World War II capture.

The unfinished ship (some 28% complete) was captured in June 1940 by the invading Germans during the Second World War. In April 1942 the Germans began planning to convert "De Grasse" to a light aircraft carrier, provisionally named. On 3 December 1942 Hitler ordered that "De Grasse" was to be built as an aircraft carrier for Germany but the work was stopped in February 1943 for several reasons, including a lack of materials and manpower and the threat of air attacks in Lorient.

Post-war.

After the war the hull was eventually launched in 1946. The construction was halted again between 1946 and 1951, when she was towed to the Brest Navy yard to be completed, to a significantly modified design as an anti-aircraft cruiser. The trials began on 17 August 1954 and she was commissioned on 10 September 1956.

Nuclear testing Flagship.

She was used as an anti-aircraft cruiser and flagship within the Mediterranean squadron, until she was selected to join the Pacific Experimentation Centre to participate in the first nuclear tests in French Polynesia. She undertook some modification in from May 1964 until February 1966, with the bridge being doubled, a 50-meter-high quadripod mast mounted on the aft roof and half the armament removed. The ship was also made gas-tight and fitted with washdown facilities. The equipment was modernised and the crew was downsized to 560 men, to make accommodation available for 160 engineers and technicians.  The ship was used for six testing campaigns between 1966 and 1972. She was decommissioned in 1973 and was sold for scrap on 25 January 1974. Scrapping took place in La Spezia (Italy) in 1975.

De Grasse was an anti-aircraft cruiser of the French Navy. She was the first French vessel named in honour of François Joseph Paul, marquis de Grasse Tilly, comte de Grasse. From 1965 to 1971, she was involved in the nuclear test campaigns in the Pacific.

De Grasse (C 610) byl protiletadlový křižník francouzského námořnictva. Plavidlo rozestavěné roku 1938 jako lehký křižník, bylo dokončeno dlouho po druhé světové válce v podobě protiletadlového křižníku. Po modernizaci, provedené v polovině 60. let, "De Grasse" sloužil jako vlajková loď při francouzských jaderných testech na atolu Mururoa.


Description.

The relatively small size of "Telmatosaurus" with a length of five metres and a weight of half a tonne, has been explained as an instance of insular dwarfism.

Discovery.

In 1895 some peasants presented Ilona Nopcsa, the daughter of their lord, with a dinosaur skull they had found at the estate Săcele in the district Hunedoara (then named Hunyad) in Transylvania. Ilona had an elder brother, Ferenc or Franz Nopcsa von Felső-Szilvás who was inspired by the find to become a paleontology student at the University of Vienna. In 1899 Nopcsa named the skull "Limnosaurus transsylvanicus". The generic name was derived from Greek λιμνή, "limné", "swamp", a reference to the presumed swamp-dwelling habits of hadrosaurs. The specific name referred to Transylvania. Later Nopcsa discovered that the name "Limnosaurus" had already been used by Othniel Charles Marsh in 1872 for a crocodilian (later reclassified as "Pristichampsus"), so in 1903 Nopcsa renamed the genus "Telmatosaurus". "Telma" again means "marsh". In 1910 Barnum Brown, unaware of Nopcsa's replacement name, named the genus "Hecatasaurus", but this is a junior objective synonym.  The holotype, BMNH B.3386, was found in the Haţeg Basin in a layer of the Sânpetru Formation dating from the Maastrichtian, about 68 million years old, at the time part of the Haţeg Island, one of the islands of the European Archipelago. It consists of a skull with lower jaws.  In 1915 Nopcsa referred his species to the genus "Orthomerus", as an "Orthomerus transsylvanicus". However, since the 1980s, "Orthomerus" has been considered a "nomen dubium", leading to a revival of the name "Telmatosaurus". Fragmentary hadrosauroid material from Spain, France and Germany, that had been referred to "Orthomerus", is now often assigned to "Telmatosaurus", but an identity is hard to prove; the same is also true of many Romanian fragments and eggs.

Paleobiology.

Paleopathology.

A juvenile "Telmatosaurus" examined by Dumbrava et al. bears a large non-cancerous tumor called an ameloblastoma on its lower jaw. The presence of this benign tumor in a dinosaur is a first, as before the discovery, ameloblastomas were known only from modern mammals (including humans) and reptiles. The discovery of an ameloblastoma in a dinosaur gives evidence that the development of benign tumors is a basal characteristic, not just a relatively modern condition.  It is unlikely that the tumor caused the dinosaur any serious pain during its early stages of development, just as in humans with the same condition, but researchers can tell from its size that this particular dinosaur died before it reached adulthood. Since its preserved remains consist of only the two lower jaws, no one can ascertain its cause of death. The researchers were left wondering whether the presence of the ameloblastoma could have contributed to its death. From modern examples, we know that predators often target weak or injured individuals of the herd. The tumor in this dinosaur had not developed to its full extent at the moment it died, but it could have indirectly contributed to its early demise.

Telmatosaurus (meaning "marsh lizard") is a genus of basal hadrosaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous. It was a relatively small hadrosaur, approximately five meters (16 ft) long, found in what is now Romania.

Telmatosaurus („bažinný ještěr“) byl rod menšího býložravého ptakopánvého dinosaura (délka asi 5 metrů, hmotnost kolem 600 kg) ze skupiny Hadrosauridae, žijícího v období svrchní křídy (věk maastricht, asi před 70 miliony let) na území východní Evropy (dnešní Rumunsko, ostrov Haţeg). Jen asi 5 metrů dlouhý bazální hadrosaurid byl součástí fauny tzv. trpasličích dinosaurů, žijících na velkém ostrově v moři Tethys. V současnosti je známo 5-10 fragmentárních lebek a několik postkraniálních elementů tohoto dinosaura. Jsou také známá fosilní vejce, která snad mohla patřit tomuto druhu.


Geological history.

Avachinsky lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, at a point where the Pacific Plate is sliding underneath the Eurasian Plate at a rate of about 80 mm/year. A wedge of mantle material lying between the subducting Pacific Plate and the overlying Eurasian Plate is the source of dynamic volcanism over the whole Kamchatka Peninsula.  The volcano is one of the most active volcanoes on the Kamchatka Peninsula, and began erupting in the middle to late Pleistocene era. It has a horseshoe-shaped caldera, which formed 30-40,000 years ago in a major landslide which covered an area of 500 km2 south of the volcano, underlying the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Reconstruction of a new cone inside the caldera occurred in two major eruption phases, 18,000 and 7,000 years ago.

Recorded history.

In his Journal of Captain Cook's Last Voyage, John Ledyard records the eruption of Avachinsky on June 15, 1779. He refers to Koryaksky and Avachinsky as Peter and Paul.

Recent activity.

Avachinsky has erupted at least 16 times in recorded history. Eruptions have generally been explosive, and pyroclastic flows and lahars have tended to be directed to the south west by the breached caldera. The most recent large eruption (VEI=4) occurred in 1945, when about 0.25 km3 of magma was ejected. The volcano has since had small eruptions in 1991 and 2001.  The volcano continues to experience frequent earthquakes, and many fumaroles exist near the summit. The temperature of gases emitted at these fumaroles has been measured at over 400 °C. In light of its proximity to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Avachinsky was designated a Decade Volcano in 1996 as part of the United Nations' International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, together with the nearby Koryaksky volcano.

Avachinsky (also known as Avacha or Avacha Volcano or Avachinskaya Sopka) () is an active stratovolcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula in the far east of Russia. It lies within sight of the capital of Kamchatka Krai, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Together with neighboring Koryaksky volcano, it has been designated a Decade Volcano, worthy of particular study in light of its history of explosive eruptions and proximity to populated areas.

Avačinská sopka (, známá také jako Avača, Avačská sopka nebo vulkán Avačinskij) je aktivní stratovulkán, který se nachází nedaleko přístavního města Petropavlovsk-Kamčatskij na jihovýchodě poloostrova Kamčatka. Společně s Korjackou sopkou tvoří dominantu panorama tohoto města. Je zapsána do tzv. Decade Volcanoes - seznamu 16 nejnebezpečnějších sopek světa.


Background.

Dorticós was born to a wealthy family in Cienfuegos, Las Villas Province, on April 17, 1919. His father was both a lawyer and a physician, and one of his ancestors was Tomas Terry, a famous Venezuelan-born entrepreneur of paternal Irish descent who amassed one of the largest fortunes in the Western Hemisphere ($25 million at the time of his death in 1886), who established the Thomas Terry Theatre in Cienfuegos. After working briefly as a teacher, Dorticós studied law and philosophy at the University of Havana, graduating with a law degree in 1941. He joined the Communist-controlled Popular Socialist Party, and acted for a time as secretary to Juan Marinello, the party's leader.  In the 1950s, Dorticós established a prosperous law practice in Cienfuegos, and served as Commodore of the Cienfuegos Yacht Club. He strongly opposed the government of Fulgencio Batista, and participated in the Civil Resistance Movement, supplying the rebel forces with arms and supplies. Dorticós was elected dean of the Cuban Bar Association in 1958 prior to being arrested by the Batista regime in the same year and being briefly exiled to Mexico.

Roles in government.

After the success of the Revolution on 1 January 1959, Dorticós returned to Cuba and was appointed Minister of Revolutionary Laws in the cabinet headed by Fidel Castro. In that capacity, he played an important role in drafting revolutionary legislation such as the Agrarian Reform Act and the Fundamental Organic Law that supplanted the Constitution of 1940. After the resignation of President Manuel Urrutia, Dorticós was appointed President of Cuba by the Council of Ministers on 17 July 1959.  As President, Dorticós represented Cuba at the Summit of Non-Aligned Nations in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (1961), and at the Summit of the Organisation of American States in Punta del Este, Uruguay (1962). During the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, Dorticós gave a speech at the United Nations in which he announced that Cuba possessed nuclear weapons, which it hoped would never be used. He was present at the inauguration of Peronist President Héctor Cámpora on 25 May 1973, in Buenos Aires, along with Chilean President Salvador Allende.  In addition to being Cuba's President, Dorticós served as a member of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (from 1965); and as president of the Central Planning Council (from 1964). Upon implementation of the Cuban Constitution of 1976, Fidel Castro became Cuba's Head of State in 1976, and Dorticós was displaced and named President of the National Bank and a member of the Council of State.

Death.

Dorticós shot himself on 23 June 1983. His suicide was apparently brought on by the death of his wife, as well as chronic spinal disease.

Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado (April 17, 1919 – June 23, 1983) was a Cuban politician who served as the President of Cuba from 1959 until 1976.

Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado (17. dubna 1919 Cienfuegos – 23. června 1983 Havana) byl kubánský politik a 21. prezident Kuby od 17. června 1959 do 2. prosince 1976, tedy v době kdy byl premiérem Fidel Castro.


Doping.

In 2012, she was given a two-year ban for breaking anti-doping regulations. The reason given was an "abnormal haemoglobin profile in her biological passport". Her competition results will be annulled, beginning 10 October 2009 and her suspension began on 11 October 2012.  In May 2016, it was reported that Abitova was one of 14 Russian athletes, implicated in doping following the retesting of urine from the 2008 Olympic Games. Abitova was named by Russian press agency TASS as having failed the retest, which was undertaken following the Russian doping scandal of 2015 and 2016. If confirmed, under IOC and IAAF rules, she stands to lose all results, medals and records from the date of the original test to May 2016. Her doping offence was confirmed on 13 September.

Career.

As a junior athlete Abitova finished eleventh in the 3000 metres at the 1999 World Youth Championships. She began cross country running and – after taking part in the 2001 IAAF World Cross Country Championships – she took fourth place in the junior race at the 2005 European Cross Country Championships, helping the Russian junior team to a gold medal. She won the Belgrade Marathon in 2005, finishing in 2:38:20, and ran at the 2005 European Cross Country Championships, taking seventh place and leading the Russian women to a team gold.  In 2006, she became European champion over the 10,000 metres at the 2006 European Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden. Her winning time of 30:31.42 minutes meant a new personal best for her and the seventh-best time ever run by a European woman. Abitova won the 10,000 m at the 2007 Russian Championships. She later finished twelfth at the 2007 World Championships and sixth at the 2008 Olympic Games.  The following year she ran at the 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships and finished in ninth place – the best performance by a European woman. She participated in the inaugural edition of the Yokohama Women's Marathon held in Japan and she won the race in a time of 2:27:18. Abitova broke from the main pack at the 30 km mark and was unchallenged to the finish. Her first major race of 2010 was the London Marathon and she was the runner-up behind compatriot Liliya Shobukhova, having finished the race in a time of 2:22:19. Her results from the 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships onwards were subsequently annulled.  Currently, she trains under Vladimir Timofeyev. She graduated from the Samara Institute of Law of the Federal Penitentiary Service.

Inga Eduardovna Abitova (, born 6 March 1982 in Novokuibyshevsk) is a Russian long-distance runner, who specializes in the 10,000 metres and the marathon. She was the 2006 European Champion in the 10,000 m and reached the final at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Inga Eduardovna Abitovová (; * 6. března 1982, Novokujbyševsk, Samarská oblast) je ruská atletka, běžkyně, která se věnuje dlouhým tratím.


Concept and creation.

George Lucas motivated the team working on "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed" to make a brand-new character. Before deciding on Starkiller's character, other ideas for the main character included a Han Solo-like smuggler, a superheroic Rebel Wookiee, "the last Skywalker" and a gadget-wielding mercenary. The developers used feedback from focus test respondents and executives at LucasArts in order to make Starkiller. The developers consciously decided not to give him a name in the game, but as the novel's author Sean Williams said he needed a name, "Galen Marek" was given in the novel.  Starkiller was designed as Luke Skywalker's photo-negative, and is named after "Annikin Starkiller" (Luke or Anakin Skywalker's original name in the early "Star Wars" scripts). The developers tried to avoid making Starkiller too rigidly defined while keeping the character developed. The developers also wanted to avoid making Starkiller seem irredeemably evil, and used elements of his backstory and his relationships with other characters to balance it, while trying not to explain too much of his backstory. In order to avoid the character being over emotional, they tried to let short pieces of dialogue and looks carry scenes so that the player could interpret how Starkiller felt. They attempted to make Starkiller feel like he would belong in the classic "Star Wars" trilogy by making his actions faster and more intense. During an interview to Haden Blackman by "The Guardian", he claimed that most of the testing players wanted the character to be ultimately redeemed by the end of the game. Starkiller was voiced by and given the likeness of Samuel Witwer. According to Blackman, the staff were very hard on Witwer when casting him, but claimed he was far above the other candidates and that "he was already inhabiting the mind of this character". Starkiller's expressions are based on Witwer's, which Blackman described as "a new approach for LucasArts", noting that it "affected the way we handled casting for "The Force Unleashed"" and comparing it to how people see Bill Nighy as Davy Jones in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies. Blackman noted that Witwer brought new ideas and a sense of humanity to Starkiller. Sam Witwer has said that Starkiller would be a character he wouldn't mind revisiting.  During the concept stages of "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II", the developers considered replacing the character with either a new Force wielder or a previously named "Star Wars" character; however, they decided to keep Starkiller as the player character as they were fond of and attached to him. Also, the development team felt that there was more story that he could supply, and that a franchise could be built around him. Blackman commented that after deciding how to have Starkiller return, he felt "it all made sense and fell into place". Developers tried to make "The Force Unleashed" more personal to Starkiller, with the game focusing on Starkiller's search for the truth of his identity.

Characterization.

Witwer compared him as being "two parts Han Solo, one part Darth Maul, one part Indiana Jones [...] and then one essential part Luke Skywalker", noting that in the character's development "behind it all, there had to be this wide-eyed kid who was trying to figure out what the hell to do". According to Witwer, Starkiller's characteristics and personality depended on who he was talking to and what circumstances he is in. Witwer called him "a really interesting guy, speaking of layered characters". Although acting as a villain in the beginning of the, Blackman has commented how Starkiller is "really just this damaged kid."  Haden Blackman noted that in the first Starkiller was a hunter, while in the second Starkiller is more a fugitive. Matt Filbrandt, one of the producers of "The Force Unleashed II", said that the Starkiller in the second game is trying to find out "who he is" and "what it means to be human".

Fictional history.

"Star Wars: The Force Unleashed".

In the "" video game, Darth Vader dispatches Starkiller to kill the Jedi who survived the Great Jedi Purge. Starkiller is initially kept in secret. But after Starkiller is discovered by Emperor Palpatine, Vader sends Starkiller to find the Galactic Empire's enemies and unite them. Vader later betrays Starkiller and attempts to kill those he united, but Starkiller sacrifices himself for the Rebel Alliance and becomes a martyr for the rebels. During the game, he falls in love with Captain Juno Eclipse, an ex-Imperial Shuttle Pilot and his own ship's pilot. If Starkiller chooses to kill Vader rather than the Emperor at the end of the game, Starkiller becomes a minion of the Emperor and is put into a suit similar to Vader's. Starkiller reappears in this suit in the game's "Ultimate Sith Edition", which continues the dark-side path as a "what if" story. However, the light-side ending is the canon ending, and is used in the novel adaption and sequels.

"Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II".

In the "" video game and comic, as well as the novel, Starkiller is cloned by Darth Vader. Starkiller's clone is haunted by visions of the original Starkiller's life. After escaping Kamino, Starkiller goes on a quest to find out who he is and to find Juno Eclipse who has been kidnapped by Vader. At the end of the game, if the player chooses the light-side ending, Starkiller spares Vader, capturing him, and rescues Juno. But in the dark side ending, Starkiller is stabbed just before he can kill Vader by the Dark Apprentice (another successful clone) trained by Vader. Starkiller's dark side clone reappeared in downloadable content for the video game, which takes place on Endor. The light side ending is also used in the novel adaptation, though the dark side ending is used as a vision Starkiller sees on Juno's ship, the Salvation.

Legacy and third game cancellation.

After the "Unleashed" franchise was discontinued following Disney's decision to reboot the "Star Wars" canon in favor of producing a sequel trilogy, Sam Witwer, Marek's voice actor, revealed that Dave Filoni, the creator of the "Star Wars Rebels" animated series, considered bringing Marek back into the new canon and having him appear in that series, but ultimately decided against it because he could not find a way to do so without compromising either the new canon's quality or the character's unique distinctions.  Witwer remained involved with the "Star Wars" franchise, voicing Darth Maul in the animated series "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" and "Star Wars Rebels" and the film "". He also has voiced Palpatine and other minor characters.

Print works.

Novel.

Sean Williams' novelization was released in the United States on August 19, 2008. It spent one week as #1 on both "Publishers Weekly"s and "The New York Times" hardcover fiction bestsellers lists, slipping to #7 and #9, respectively, the following week. It also reached #15 on "USA Today"s bestsellers list.  Williams took on the writing project in part because of the "catchy description" of "The Force Unleashed" being "Episode 3.5" of the "Star Wars" saga. The novel focuses on the dark side of the Force and its practitioners; Williams found it "interesting" to portray the Jedi as "bad guys." The author most enjoyed developing the character of, exploring the "feminine" side of "The Force Unleashed" in a way the video game does not. Williams also said that while the game allows the player to "do" Starkiller's actions, the novel allows readers to experience Starkiller's thoughts about those actions, adding another dimension to the story.

Graphic Novel.

Dark Horse's "The Force Unleashed" graphic novel was published August 18, 2008. "Newsarama" called the graphic novel a "solid story" that matches the video game source material in both structure and plot. "IGN" gave the graphic novel a score of 6.9/10 (6.4/10 for art, 7.5/10 for the writing), praising the overall story but faulting inconsistency in the art and questioning whether the comic medium was the best way to convey the story.

Merchandise.

At Toy Fair 2007, Hasbro showed seven figures from their action figure line based on the game. Lego released a model of the main character's ship, the "Rogue Shadow".

Other appearances.

"Soulcalibur IV".

Starkiller debuted in "Soulcalibur IV" as a fighter, alongside Darth Vader and Yoda. In "Soulcalibur IV" he is known as the "Apprentice". After Vader sends him to investigate a dimensional rift that seems to be growing, he passes through to the "Soulcalibur" universe. The Apprentice defeats Algol and returns to Vader without either the Soul Edge or the Soul Calibur, due to perceiving them as worthless. Vader Force Chokes the Apprentice for disobeying him, causing the Apprentice to draw his lightsaber and prepare to fight Vader. Starkiller also appears in "Star Wars: Visions of the Blade", an Infinities comic focusing on the "Soulcalibur" and "Star Wars" crossover.

"Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars".

Starkiller appears under the name "Vader's Apprentice", as an unlockable character in "". He is unlocked by finding all the mini-kits in the "Defenders of Peace" level.

Other.

Dave Filoni, supervising director of the Disney-canonical animated series "Star Wars Rebels", considered reintroducing the character with a modified backstory and in the role of an "Inquisitor", with Sam Witwer reprising the role, but these plans ultimately went unused.

Promotion and reception.

Hasbro has made multiple action figures of Starkiller, along with the rest of the characters in "". A Lego version of Starkiller was released as one of the three figures in the "Rogue Shadow" Lego set.  UGO Networks chose the character as the 50th top "Star Wars" Expanded Universe character. IGN's Jesse Schedeen called Starkiller's appearance in "Soulcalibur IV" the second best bonus character in the series, complementing his inclusion from a story standpoint as "["Soulcalibur IV"] is about the dichotomy between good and evil, corruption and redemption, [...] Starkiller is a Dark Jedi who finds himself at a crossroads. He can either follow his master and take control of the galaxy, or break away and seek out his own destiny", with Schedeen later including Starkiller in a list of characters that would make up their idea of the ultimate fighting game. Chris Buffa also put the character as the 24th top gaming hunk, saying that "nothing compares to a bad boy". Jesse Schedeen called Starkiller one of the most promising player characters to be released during fall 2008. After the release of "The Force Unleashed", Robert Workman, also from GameDaily, put the character as one of his favorite "Star Wars" video game characters. Buffa chose Starkiller as one of the top double-crossing characters. Jesse Schedeen listed Starkiller as one of the best video game entertainers of 2008, commenting that "Starkiller unleashed the Force in ways the movies never showed us".  UGO Networks listed Sam Witwer's performance as Starkiller as one of their top 11 celebrity voice actors in video games. Chris Buffa put Starkiller as the 19th top anti-hero, commenting that "the thought of cutting through good guys as a Sith filled us with murderous joy", also praising his eventual turn to good. Jesse Schedeen also thought that it would be best if the character was not revisited in the upcoming live-action TV series after the first "The Force Unleashed" as "his story arc was nice and complete". Starkiller was voted the top 10th "Star Wars" character by IGN's readers. IGN later claimed Starkiller as the 34th top "Star Wars" character. GameSpot listed Starkiller, as "The Apprentice", in a vote for the all-time greatest video game character. Starkiller was eliminated in the first round after being put against Niko Bellic, a character from "Grand Theft Auto IV", with Starkiller garnering 44.9% of the votes. Starkiller was also voted as the 17th top video game character by Game Informer's readers. "Game Informer" listed him sixth on their list of the "Top 10 Dorks", saying "The words "jedi" and "dork" rarely go together, but Starkiller is the Chosen One to unite them".

Starkiller, born Galen Marek and also known as The Apprentice, is the fictional protagonist of the "" video games and literature, part of the "Star Wars" expanded (Legends) universe.

Galen Marek, znám také jako Starkiller nebo jen Učedník, je fiktivní postava ze světa "Star Wars", syn Jedie Kenta Marka a Mallie Markové, tajný sithský učedník Dartha Vadera. Je ústřední postavou herní série. Postavu ztvárnil americký herec Samuel Witwer, podle jehož podoby byl Starkiller navržen, a jenž také postavu v sérii nadaboval. Jméno "Starkiller" bylo převzato od původního jména pro Luka Skywalkera, které znělo Annikin Starkiller.


Appearance.

The distinguishing features of a northern snakehead include a long dorsal fin with 49–50 rays, an anal fin with 31–32 rays, a small, anteriorly depressed head, the eyes above the middle part of the upper jaw, a large mouth extending well beyond the eye, and villiform teeth in bands, with large canines on the lower jaw and palatines. It is generally reported to reach a length up to, but specimens approaching are known according to Russian ichthyologists. The largest registered by the International Game Fish Association weighed, although this was surpassed by a northern snakehead caught in 2016.  Its coloration is a golden tan to pale brown, with dark blotches on the sides and saddle-like blotches across the back. Blotches toward the front tend to separate between top and bottom sections, while rear blotches are more likely to be contiguous. Coloration is nearly the same between juveniles and adults, which is unusual among snakeheads, and is similar to "Channa maculata", but can be distinguished by two bar-like marks on the caudal peduncle (where the tail attaches); in "C. maculata", the rear bar is usually complete, with pale bar-like areas before and after, while in "C. argus", the rear bar is irregular and blotched, with no pale areas around it.

Behavior.

The northern snakehead is a freshwater species and cannot tolerate salinity in excess of 10 parts per million. It is a facultative air breather; it uses a suprabranchial organ and a bifurcated ventral aorta that permits aquatic and aerial respiration. This unusual respiratory system allows it to live outside of water for several days; it can wriggle its way to other bodies of water or survive being transported by humans. Only young of this species (not adults) may be able to move overland for short distances using wriggling motions. The preferred habitats of this species are stagnant water with mud substrate and aquatic vegetation, or slow, muddy streams; it is primarily piscivorous, but is known to eat crustaceans, other invertebrates, and amphibians.

Reproduction.

The northern snakehead can double its population in as few as 15 months. It reaches sexual maturity at age two or three, when it will be about long. The eggs are fertilized externally; a female can lay 100,000 eggs a year. Fertilization occurs in shallow water in the early morning. The eggs are yellow and spherical, about in diameter. Eggs hatch after about 1–2 days, but they can take much longer at lower temperatures. The eggs are guarded by the parents until yolk absorption, when the eggs are about long.

Subspecies.

Two subspecies have been recognized:

As an invasive species.

In Asia, the snakehead fish is considered to be an important food fish. Due to its economic value, "C. argus" has been introduced (intentionally or not) to several areas in the continental United States. In the U.S., the snakehead is a top-level predator; its introduction poses a substantial threat to native fish populations.  The fish first appeared in U.S. news when an alert fisherman discovered one in a Crofton, Maryland, pond in the summer of 2002.The snakehead fish was considered to be a threat to the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and wary officials took action by draining the pond in an attempt to destroy the species. The action was successful, and two adults and over 100 juvenile fish were found and destroyed. A man admitted having released two adults, which he had purchased from a New York market, into the pond.  In 2004, 19 northern snakeheads were captured in the Potomac River, and they were later confirmed to have become established (i.e., they were breeding). They are somewhat limited to that stretch of the river and its local tributaries, upstream by the Great Falls, and downstream by the salinity of Chesapeake Bay. Tests found they are not related to northern snakeheads found in other waters in the region, alleviating some concern of their overland migration. Northern snakeheads continue to be caught in the river as of 2012.  The northern snakehead has been found in three counties of Florida, and may already be established there. Apparently unestablished specimens have been found in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, New York City, two ponds in Philadelphia, a pond in Massachusetts, and reservoirs in California and North Carolina.In 2008, the northern snakehead was found in drainage ditches in Arkansas as a result of a commercial fish-farming accident. Recent flooding may have allowed the species to spread into the nearby White River, which would allow an eventual population of the fish in the Arkansas and Mississippi Rivers.  In the summer of 2008, an infestation of the northern snakehead was confirmed in Ridgebury Lake and Catlin Creek near Ridgebury, New York. By August 2008, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation had collected a number of the native fish, and then poisoned the waters with a liquid rotenone formulation. After the poisoning, the NYSDEC had to identify, measure, and additionally process the fish to adhere with Bureau of Fisheries procedures before disposal. The treatment plan was operated under several agents, and New York State Police were placed on stand-by in case of protests of local residents of the area.  A new concern is that this fish's spreading is getting close to the Great Lakes, which it may enter and disrupt that ecosystem.  When the snakehead was found in Crofton, the piscicide rotenone was added to the three adjacent ponds. This method of containment killed all fish present in the water body to prevent the spread of the highly invasive snakehead. The chemical breaks down rapidly, and has a half-life in water of 1-3 days.  In 2012, a snakehead was found in a pond in Burnaby, British Columbia, but further study revealed that it had been released three months or less before its capture and it was a blotched snakehead or perhaps a hybrid involving that species. Unlike the northern snakehead, which potentially can establish a population in parts of Canada, the blotched snakehead generally only lives in warmer waters. Before its exact identity was revealed, the province introduced legislation banning the possession of snakeheads and several other potentially invasive species.  In April 2013, sightings of the species in Central Park's Harlem Meer prompted New York City officials to urge anglers to report and capture any individuals. Ron P. Swegman, author of several angling essays on Central Park's ponds, confirmed the species had put both anglers and the New York State DEP on high alert.  In late 2013, authorities in Virginia and Maryland were counting snakeheads in the Chesapeake Bay to better understand the impact of the introduction of the fish to the local ecosystem. Virginia has criminalized the "introduc[tion]" of snakeheads into the state without specific authorization, although the relevant statute does not explain whether mere importation is sufficient to constitute "introduc[tion] into the Commonwealth" or whether instead release into the environment is required.  In October of 2019, a snakehead was found in a pond on private property in Georgia.

World record.

On the night of May 24, 2018, Andrew “Andy” Fox of Mechanicsville, Maryland shot a northern snakehead with a bow and arrow, which was officially listed as the biggest ever shot according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The record-breaking northern snakehead weighed 19.9 lb, with a length of 35.157 inches. The snakehead was shot near Indian Head, Mattawoman Creek, in Charles County, Maryland.  On May 20, 2014, Luis Aragon of Triangle, Virginia, caught a northern snakehead, which was officially listed as the biggest ever caught on rod and reel, according to the International Game Fish Association. On May 20, 2016, Emory "Dutch" Baldwin of Indian Head, Maryland boated an northern snakehead in tidal marshes of the Potomac using archery tackle. This fish is listed as the state sport record in Maryland by the Department of Natural Resources.

In traditional culture.

They are respected among some Chinese fishermen for their virtue, as parent snakefish are known to sacrifice themselves to protect their young. The young fish are said to rush to feed upon their mother after she gives birth and is temporarily unable to catch prey.

The northern snakehead ("Channa argus") is a species of snakehead fish native to China, Russia, North Korea, and South Korea, ranging from the Amur River to Hainan. It has been introduced to other regions, where it is considered invasive. In Europe, the first report of the species was from Czechoslovakia in 1956. In the United States, the fish is considered to be a highly invasive species. In a well-known incident, several were found in a pond in Crofton, Maryland, in June 2002, which led to major media coverage and three movies.

Hadohlavec skvrnitý ("Channa argus") je dravá sladkovodní paprskoploutvá ryba z čeledi hadohlavcovití (Channidae). Pochází z východní Číny, Koreje a jihovýchodního Ruska, jeho areál zasahuje nejseverněji ze všech hadohlavců. Introdukován byl v Japonsku a USA, kde je považován za nebezpečný invazní druh. Na přelomu padesátých a šedesátých let dvacátého století se konaly částečně úspěšné pokusy s vysazením hadohlavců skvrnitých i na území Česka. V Číně, Vietnamu a Koreji je běžně lovenou konzumní rybou, má velmi dobré, tučnější, růźové maso, chutí podobné lososímu, avšak s drobnými svalovými kůstkami. V Česku se prodává maso hadohlavců dovážené z Vietnamu v prodejnách asijských potravin. Někteří autoři rozlišují dva poddruhy – "Channa argus argus" původem z Koreje a Číny a "Channa argus warpachowskii" (hadohlavec skvrnitý amurský) původem z Ruska.


Performance history.

The opera was first performed at the Teatro Nuovo in Pavia on 24 May 1773. It was commissioned to serve as the first opera to be played in a newly constructed theater in the city, and it was considered to be a great honor for Mysliveček to compose the inaugural opera. The organizers were able to attract only one distinguished singer for the cast, however: the soprano Lucrezia Aguiari, whose name has been linked romantically to Mysliveček's erroneously in earlier musicological literature. Her aria "Agitata in tanti affanni" was widely disseminated in late eighteenth-century aria collections.

Vocal Set Pieces.

Act I, scene 1 - Aria of Olinto, "Di quell'ingiusto sdegno"
 Act I, scene 2 - Aria of Cleonice, "Fra tanti pensieri"
 Act I, scene 3 - Aria of Barsene, "Non ti lagnar del fato"
 Act I, scene 4 - Aria of Fenicio, "Ogni procella infida"
 Act I, scene 5 - Aria of Cleonice, "Se non posso su quel trono" [a non-Metastasian text]
 Act I, scene 6 - Aria of Fenicio, "Il ciel rispetta il soglio"
 Act I, scene 7 - Aria of Alceste, "Scherza il nocchier talora"
 Act I, scene 9 - Duet for Cleonice and Alceste, "D'un amoroso accento" [a non-Metastasian text]  Act II, scene 2 - Aria of Alceste, "Dal suo gentil sembiante" [a non-Metastasian text]
 Act II, scene 3 - Aria of Mitrane, "Dice che t'è fedele"
 Act II, scene 4 - Aria of Cleonice, "Nacqui gli affanni in seno"
 Act II, scene 5 - Aria of Fenicio, "Alme incaute che torbide ancora"
 Act II, scene 6 - Aria of Barsene, "So che per gioco"
 Act II, scene 7 - Aria of Olinto, "Non fidi al mar che freme"
 Act II, scene 9 - Aria of Alceste, "Non so frenare il pianto"
 Act II, scene 11 - Aria of Cleonice, "Agitata in tanti affanni" [a non-Metastasian text]  Act III, scene 1 - Aria of Cleonice, "Io so qual pena sia"
 Act III, scene 2 - Aria of Alceste, "Quel labbro adorato"
 Act III, scene 3 - Aria of Olinto, "Mi chi m'oltraggia" [a non-Metastasian text]
 Act III, scene 4 - Aria of Fenicio, "Giusti Dei da voi non chiede"
 Act III, scene 5 - Aria of Barsene, "Semplicetta tortorella"
 Act III, scene 6 - Chorus, "Quando scende in nobil petto" <br

Demetrio is an eighteenth-century Italian opera in 3 acts by the Czech composer Josef Mysliveček. It was the composer's first setting of a libretto by the Italian poet Metastasio that was first performed in 1731, one of the most popular of the Metastasian librettos in Mysliveček's day. For a performance in the 1770s, it would only be expected that a libretto of such age would be abbreviated and altered to suit contemporary operatic taste. The cuts and changes in the text made for the 1773 performance of Mysliveček's opera are not attributable. All of Mysliveček's operas are of the serious type in Italian language referred to as opera seria.

Démétrios (v italském originále Demetrio) je italská opera ve třech dějstvích českého skladatele Josefa Myslivečka. Bylo to skladatelovo první zhudebnění libreta italského básníka Pietra Metastasia, které bylo poprvé uvedeno roku 1731 s hudbou Antonia Caldary a v Myslivečkově době bylo jedním z nejpopulárnějších Metastasiových libret. K libretu se ještě jednou vrátil roku 1779 ve stejnojmenné opeře komponované pro neapolské Teatro San Carlo. Lze předpokládat, že Mysliveček libreto zkrátil a upravil tak, aby vyhovovalo soudobému opernímu vkusu, tyto úpravy však nelze s určitostí identifikovat. Tato opera (a všechny ostatní Myslivečkovy opery) náleží k žánru vážné opery nazývanému v italštině opera seria.