Early life and career.

Peters was born into a Sicilian-American family in Ozone Park in the New York City borough of Queens, the youngest of three children. Her father, Peter Lazzara, drove a bread delivery truck, and her mother, Marguerite ("née" Maltese), started her in show business by putting her on the television show "Juvenile Jury" at the age of three and a half. Her siblings are casting director Donna DeSeta and Joseph Lazzara. She appeared on the television shows "Name That Tune" and several times on "The Horn and Hardart Children's Hour" at age five.  In January 1958, at age nine, she obtained her Actors Equity Card in the name Bernadette Peters to avoid ethnic stereotyping, with the stage name taken from her father's first name. She made her professional stage debut the same month in "This Is Goggle", a comedy directed by Otto Preminger that closed during out-of-town tryouts before reaching New York. She then appeared on NBC television as Anna Stieman in "A Boy Called Ciske", a Kraft Mystery Theatre production, in May 1958, and in a vignette entitled "Miracle in the Orphanage", part of "The Christmas Tree", a Hallmark Hall of Fame production, in December 1958 with fellow child actor Richard Thomas and veteran actors Jessica Tandy and Margaret Hamilton. She first appeared on the New York stage at age 10 as Tessie in the New York City Center revival of "The Most Happy Fella" (1959). In her teen years, she

Film appearances.

Peters has appeared in 33 feature films or television movies beginning in 1973, including the 1976 Mel Brooks film "Silent Movie" (for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award), the musical "Annie" (1982), "Pink Cadillac" (1989), in which she co-starred with Clint Eastwood, and Woody Allen's "Alice" (1990).  Peters starred opposite Steve Martin in "The Jerk" (1979), in a role that he wrote for her, and again in "Pennies from Heaven" (1981), for which she won the Golden Globe Award as Best Motion Picture Actress in a Comedy or Musical. In "Pennies from Heaven", she played Eileen Everson, a schoolteacher turned prostitute. Of her

Theatre roles, 1980s to present.

In 1982, Peters returned to the New York stage after an eight-year absence in one of her few non-musical stage appearances, the Off-Broadway Manhattan Theatre Club production of the comedy-drama "Sally and Marsha", for which she was nominated for a Drama Desk Award. She then returned to Broadway as Dot/Marie in the Stephen Sondheim–James Lapine musical "Sunday in the Park with George" in 1984, for which she received her third Tony Award nomination. "The New York Times" theatre critic Frank Rich called her performance "radiant". She recorded the role for PBS in 1986, winning a 1987 ACE Award. Her next role was Emma in Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Song and Dance" on Broadway in 1985, winning her first Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical. Frank Rich wrote in an otherwise negative review of the show that Peters "has no peer in the musical theater right now."  She then created the role of the Witch in Sondheim-Lapine's "Into the Woods" (1987). Peters is "considered by many to be the premier interpreter of [Sondheim's] work," according to writer Alex Witchel. Raymond Knapp wrote that Peters "achieved her definitive stardom" in "Sunday in the Park With George" and "Into the Woods". Sondheim has said of Peters, "Like very few others, she sings and acts at the same time," he says. "Most performers act and then sing, act and then sing... Bernadette is flawless as far as I'm concerned. I can't think of anything negative." Peters continued her association with Sondheim by appearing in a 1995 benefit concert of "Anyone Can Whistle", playing the role of Fay Apple. Additionally, she appeared in several concerts featuring Sondheim's work, and performed for him at his 1993 Kennedy Center Honors ceremony. She next starred in the musical adaptation of Neil Simon's "The Goodbye Girl" with music by Marvin Hamlisch (1993). Peters won her second Tony for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance as Annie Oakley in the 1999 Broadway revival of "Annie Get Your Gun". Among many glowing notices, critic Lloyd Rose of the "Washington Post" commented: "[Peters] banishes all thoughts of Ethel Merman about two bars into her first number, 'Doin' What Comes Natur'lly.' Partly this is because Merman's Annie was a hearty, boisterous gal, while Peters plays an adorable, slightly goofy gamine.... For anyone who cares about the American musical theater, the chance to see Peters in this role is reason enough to see the show." "Playbill" went even further: "Arguably the most talented comedienne in the musical theatre today, Peters manages to extract a laugh from most every line she delivers."  In 2003, Peters starred as Mama Rose in the Broadway revival of "", earning another Tony nomination. Ben Brantley in his "New York Times" review wrote, "Working against type and expectation under the direction of Sam Mendes, Ms. Peters has created the most complex and compelling portrait of her long career, and she has done this in ways that deviate radically from the Merman blueprint." In 2006, she participated in a reading of the Sondheim - Weidman musical "Bounce". In 2007, Peters participated in a charity reading of the play "Love Letters" with John Dossett. Peters starred in the Broadway revival of Sondheim's "A Little Night Music" (2010), replacing Catherine Zeta-Jones in the role. "The New York Times" reviewer wrote of her performance,  Peters' next stage appearance was in the role of Sally Durant Plummer in the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts production of the Sondheim–Goldman musical "Follies" in 2011. One critic wrote: "Peters... exquisitely captures the character's unfathomable sadness and longing. It's a star turn, for sure, but one that brings attention to itself because of its truthfulness. Not surprisingly, her rendition of 'Losing My Mind' is simply shattering." She reprised the role in the Broadway revival at the Marquis Theatre, later in 2011, and received a nomination for the Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Actress in a Musical.  Peters starred in the Sondheim and Wynton Marsalis staged concert revue titled "A Bed and a Chair: A New York Love Affair" at New York City Center in 2013. This collaboration between Encores! and Jazz at Lincoln Center was directed by John Doyle, with jazzy arrangements of Sondheim's songs. Peters sang "Broadway Baby", "The Ladies Who Lunch", "Isn't He Something?", "I Remember" and "With So Little to Be Sure Of", among others. Jesse Green, in his review in "New York Magazine"s "Vulture" site, commented: "[W]hat a wrenching (and funny) actress Peters remains, not on top of her voice but through it." Brantley, in his "New York Times" review wrote: "As a singer and actress, she just can't help being ardent, full-throated and sincere. She also reminds us here of her considerable and original comic gifts."  Peters returned to Broadway in the title role of the 2017 revival of "Hello, Dolly!" at the Shubert Theatre. Replacing Bette Midler, Peters began performances on January 20, 2018. Marilyn Stasio wrote in "Variety": "This Dolly’s personal style is to twinkle and charm people into getting her way. (Her 'So Long, Dearie' is an irresistible gem.) She also has the acting chops to moisten eyeballs when she entreats her late husband to bless her renouncement of widowhood and rejoin the human race in 'Before the Parade Passes By'." Peters played her final performance as Dolly on July 15, 2018.

Television appearances.

Peters was nominated for Emmy Awards for her guest starring roles on "The Muppet Show" (1977) and "Ally McBeal" (2001). On "The Muppet Show", Peters sang the song "Just One Person" to Robin the Frog. She was one of the Muppets' guests when they hosted "The Tonight Show" in 1979, again singing "Just One Person" to Robin, and she appeared in other episodes with the Muppets. Peters was also nominated for a 2003 Daytime Emmy Award, Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special, for her work in the 2002 made-for-television movie "Bobbie's Girl". She won the 1987 "CableACE Award" for her role as Dot in the television version of "Sunday in the Park with George".  She has appeared in many variety shows with stars such as Sonny and Cher and George Burns. She has both performed and presented on the Academy Awards broadcasts in 1976, 1981, 1983, 1987 and 1994. Peters has been a presenter at the annual Tony Awards ceremony and co-hosted the ceremony with Gregory Hines in June 2002. She also hosted "Saturday Night Live" in November 1981. She made 11 guest appearances on "The Carol Burnett Show" as well as appearing with Burnett in the made-for-television version of "Once Upon a Mattress" and the 1982 film "Annie". She also performed at the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony for Burnett in 2003. Peters appeared on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" and on the day-time talk show "Live with Regis and Kelly", both as a co-host and a guest. Peters voiced Rita the stray cat in the "Rita and Runt" segments of the animated series "Animaniacs" in the 1990s. Peters, as Rita, sang both original songs written for the show and parodies of Broadway musical numbers. She appeared on "Inside the Actor's Studio" in November 2000, discussing her career and craft.  Peters has co-starred in a number of television movies, including "The Last Best Year" (1990) with Mary Tyler Moore, "Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella" (1997) with Brandy (receiving a nomination for the "Golden Satellite Award" for her role), and "Prince Charming" (2003) with Martin Short. She co-starred

Recordings.

Peters has recorded six solo albums and several singles. Three of her albums have been nominated for the Grammy Award. Peters' 1980 single "Gee Whiz", remaking Carla Thomas' 1960 Memphis soul hit, reached the top forty on the U.S. "Billboard" pop singles charts. She has recorded most of the Broadway and off-Broadway musicals she has appeared in, and four of these cast albums have won Grammy Awards.  Peters' debut album in 1980 (an LP), titled "Bernadette Peters" contained 10 songs, including "If You Were The Only Boy", "Gee Whiz", "Heartquake", "Should've Never Let Him Go", "Chico's Girl", "Pearl's a Singer", "Other Lady", "Only Wounded", "I Never Thought I'd Break" and "You'll Never Know". The original cover painting by Alberto Vargas was one of his last works, created at the age of 84. According to "The New York Daily News", Peters "persuaded him to do one last 'Vargas Girls' portrait... She just went to his California retreat, asked him to do one more, he looked at her and said, 'You ARE a Vargas girl!'" She kept the original painting. The original title planned for the album was "Decades". "Rolling Stone" wrote of her debut album: Her next solo album, "Now Playing" (1981), featured songs by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Carole Bayer Sager and Marvin Hamlisch, and Stephen Sondheim (for example, "Broadway Baby"). "Bernadette Peters" was re-released on CD in 1992 as "Bernadette", with the 1980 Vargas cover art, and included some of the songs from "Now Playing". In 1996, she was nominated for a Grammy Award for her best-selling album, "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight", which includes popular songs by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Lyle Lovett, Hank Williams, Sam Cooke and Billy Joel, as well as Broadway classics by Leonard Bernstein and Rodgers and Hammerstein. The live recording of her 1996 Carnegie Hall concert, "Sondheim, Etc. - Bernadette Peters Live At Carnegie Hall", also was nominated for a Grammy Award.  Peters' next studio album, in 2002, "Bernadette Peters Loves Rodgers and Hammerstein", consisted entirely of Rodgers and Hammerstein songs, including two that she often sings in her concerts, "Some

Concert performances.

Peters has been performing her solo concert in the United States and Canada for many years. She made her solo concert debut at Carnegie Hall in New York City in 1996, devoting the second half to the work of Stephen Sondheim. She performed a similar concert in London, which was taped and released on video, and also aired on U.S. Public Television stations in 1999. She continues to perform her solo concert at venues around the U.S., such as the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, and with symphony orchestras such as the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Hall.  In a review of her 2002 Radio City Music Hall concert, Stephen Holden of "The New York Times" described Peters as "the peaches-and-cream embodiment of an ageless storybook princess... inside a giant soap bubble floating toward heaven. A belief in the power of the dreams behind Rodgers and Hammerstein's songs, if not in their reality, was possible." Peters made her solo concert debut at Lincoln Center in New York City in 2006. Holden, reviewing this concert, noted, "Even while swiveling across the stage of Avery Fisher Hall like a voluptuous Botticelli Venus in Bob Mackie spangles... she radiated a preternatural innocence... For the eternal child in all of us, she evokes a surrogate childhood playmate". Peters was the headliner

Children's books.

Peters sings four songs on the CD accompanying a 2005 children's picture book "Dewey Doo-it Helps Owlie Fly Again", the proceeds of which benefit the Christopher Reeve Foundation. Her co-star from "Sunday in the Park with George", Mandy Patinkin, also sings on the CD.  To support Broadway Barks, the animal adoption charity that she co-founded with Mary Tyler Moore, Peters has written three children's books, illustrated by Liz Murphy. The first is about a scrappy dog, named after her dog Kramer, and the pleasure of adopting a pet. Titled "Broadway Barks", the book is published by Blue Apple Books (2008). Peters wrote the words and music to a lullaby, titled "Kramer's Song", which is included on a CD in the book. The book reached #5 on "The New York Times" Children's Best Sellers: Picture Books list for the week of June 8, 2008.  Her second children's book is the story of a pit bull, named after Peters' dog Stella. The character

Other activities.

In 2018, Peters received the Brooke Astor Award from the Animal Medical Center for her lifelong commitment to animal welfare, including the "over 2,000 adoptions" to date at Broadway Barks events.  Peters serves on the Board of Trustees of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and participates in that organization's events, such as the annual Broadway Flea Market and Grand Auction, and the "Gypsy of the Year" competition. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of Standing Tall, a non-profit educational program offering an innovative program for children with multiple disabilities, based in New York City. Her late husband was the Director and Treasurer of Standing Tall. The 1995 benefit concert "Anyone Can Whistle" and Peters' "Carnegie Hall" 1996 concert were benefits for the Gay Men's Health Crisis.  In 2007, Peters helped the Broadway community celebrate the end of the stagehand strike in a "Broadway's Back" concert at the Marquis Theatre. In 2008, she was one of the participants in a fund-raiser for the Westport Country Playhouse,

Personal life.

Peters and Steve Martin began a romantic relationship in 1977 that lasted approximately four years. By 1981, her popularity led to her appearing on the cover and in a spread in the December 1981 issue of "Playboy Magazine", in which she posed in

Honorary awards.

Peters has received many honorary awards, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1987. She was named the Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year in 1987. Other honors include the Sarah Siddons Award for outstanding performance in a Chicago theatrical production (1994 for "The Goodbye Girl"); the American Theatre Hall of Fame at the Gershwin Theatre in New York City (1996), as the youngest person so honored; The Actors' Fund Artistic Achievement Medal (1999); an Honorary Doctorate from Hofstra University (2002); the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame in 2002 and the National Dance Institute 2009 Artistic Honoree. She was the recipient of the Sondheim Award, presented by the Signature Theatre in 2011.  In 2012, New Dramatists, an organization that supports beginning playwrights, presented Peters with their Lifetime Achievement Award, stating: "She has brought a new sound into the theatre and continues to do so, in surprising and miraculous ways. By some sleight of magic, her singularity always manages to bring out the best and richest in the work of her composers and writers." In 2013 the Drama League gave Peters its Special Award of Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre Award for "her contribution to the musical theatre." Peters was the Centennial Honoree at the Drama League Centennial Gala in 2015. A musical tribute was presented by many of Peters' costars over the years, including the original and current casts of "Dames at Sea". The League said that Peters "exemplifies the absolute best of what American musical theater can be."  She received the 2016 John Willis Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, presented at the Theatre World Awards on May 23, 2016. She was the honoree at the Manhattan Theatre Club 2018 Fall Benefit in November 2018. She is the 2019 recipient of the Prince Rainier III Award "for her outstanding artistry and exemplary philanthropic give-back."

Bernadette Peters (born Bernadette Lazzara; February 28, 1948) is an American actress, singer, and children's book author. Over a career spanning five decades, she has starred in musical theatre, television and film, performed in solo concerts and released recordings. She is a critically acclaimed Broadway performer, having received seven nominations for Tony Awards, winning two (plus an honorary award), and nine nominations for Drama Desk Awards, winning three. Four of the Broadway cast albums on which she has starred have won Grammy Awards.

Bernadette Peters (narozená jako Bernadette Lazzara; * 28. února 1948) je americká herečka, zpěvačka a autorka dětských knih. Její kariéra trvá více než pět desetiletí a objevila se v hudebním divadle, filmu a divadle, stejně jako vystupovala na sólových koncertech a nahrávkách. Je jednou z nejvíce oceňovaných broadwayských umělců, získala sedm nominací na cenu Tony a vyhrála dvě (cenu za celoživotní mistrovství) a devět nominací na Drama Desk Awards, a z toho vyhrála tři. Čtyři z broadwayských záznamů muzikálů, ve kterých vystupovala, získaly cenu Grammy.


History.

The oldest historic mention of Piława Górna comes from the 12th century under the Latin name "Pilava Superius". Piława Górna was part of Piast-ruled Poland. Then the city came under the suzerainty of the Kingdom of Bohemia, Hungary, again Bohemia and the Habsburg Monarchy. It was an agricultural village in Lower Silesia.  After its annexation by the Kingdom of Prussia from Austria in the First Silesian War, German settlers developed a clothing industry in the village in 1743. A settlement congregation of the Moravian Brethren was built in Upper Peilau, i.e. Piława Górna, on the estate of the Austrian noble Ernst Julius, Count von Seydlitz. Imprisoned for his Protestant faith by the Habsburg rulers of Silesia, when he was freed following the Prussian seizure of Silesia, he named the new settlement "Gnadenfrei" ("freed by [God's] Grace") to commemorate the event. Later on Gnadenfrei would be merged with Piława Górna. From 1871 to 1945 Peilau/Piława was part of Germany. It was for many years "the longest village in Germany", stretching for several miles along the Piława/Peila stream.  By the beginning of the 20th century the village was almost completely German in ethnicity and Protestant in confession. In 1945 after World War II, it was transferred from Germany to Poland. Its German population was expelled and replaced with Roman Catholic Poles, themselves having been expelled from the Lwów (Lviv) region (now in Ukraine).  In 1962 Piława Górna was granted town privileges.

Sights.

Architectural sights include: the Saint Martin church (built in the 16th–19th centuries), an 18th-century palace complex and the Educational Centre building from the 19th century.

Economy.

Weaving mills and quarries were located in the vicinity of Piława Górna by the 14th century; the former state textile firm and quarry still exists in the town. In 2002 Piława Górna had 120 stone-working businesses, 27 textile businesses of various kinds, 172 trade companies, and 157 service industries. The agricultural industry is based on local farming and consists of 115 small businesses which mostly grow sugar beets, rapeseed, and grains.  In order to promote tourism in the region, Piława Górna engages in agritourism.

Twin towns – sister cities.

Piława Górna is twinned with:

Piława Górna (, then "Gnadenfrei") is a town in Dzierżoniów County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland, in the western part of the Wzgórza Strzelińskie hills. It lies approximately east of Dzierżoniów, and south of the regional capital Wrocław.

Piława Górna (do roku 1945 Gnadenfrei) je město v okrese Dzierżoniów, v Dolnoslezském vojvodství, v podhůří Sovích hor. Město bylo po roce 1945 předáno Polsku, vysídleno a znovuobydleno Poláky, kteří byli vystěhováni z oblastí, připojených k SSSR. Válka však v Piławě Górnej nepoškodila historické jádro města. Do roku 1945 bylo město čistě německé a uchovávalo si dlouhou tradici v oblasti textilní výroby.


Design and description.

The Type 1936B design retained the hull design of the preceding Type 1936A, but reverted to the lighter main armament of the Type 1936 to reduce topweight and improve seakeeping. They were also given a stronger anti-aircraft armament than the older ships.  The ships had an overall length of and were long at the waterline. They had a beam of, and a maximum draught of. They displaced at standard load and at deep load. The ship's hulls were divided into 16 watertight compartments and they were fitted with a double bottom that covered 47% of their length amidships. Their crew consisted of 11–15 officers and 305–20 sailors.  The Type 1936Bs were powered by two Wagner geared steam turbine sets, each driving a single three-bladed propeller, using steam provided by six high-pressure Wagner water-tube boilers with superheaters that operated at a pressure of and a temperature of. The turbines were designed to produce for a speed of. The ships carried a maximum of of fuel oil which gave a range of at.

Armament and sensors.

The Type 1936B ships carried five 45-calibre SK C/34 guns in single mounts with gun shields, two each superimposed, fore and aft of the superstructure. The fifth mount was positioned on top of the rear superstructure. The guns were designated No. 1 to 5 from front to rear. The mounts had a range of elevation from -10° to +30°, which gave them a range of at maximum elevation. They fired projectiles at a muzzle velocity of at a rate of 15–18 rounds per minute. The ships carried a total of 600 shells for the guns.  Their anti-aircraft armament consisted of four 80-calibre SK C/30 guns in two twin mounts abreast the aft funnel. The power operated mounts had a maximum elevation of 85° which gave the guns a ceiling of ; horizontal range was at an elevation of 35.7°. The single-shot SK C/30 fired projectiles at a muzzle velocity of at a rate of 30 rounds per minute. The mounts were stabilized, but their gyroscopes were undersized and could not cope with sharp turns or heavy rolling. They were also fitted with fifteen fully automatic 65-calibre C/30 guns in three quadruple and three single mounts. The gun had an effective rate of fire of about 120 rounds per minute. Its projectiles were fired at a muzzle velocity of which gave it a ceiling of and a maximum horizontal range of.  The ships carried eight above-water torpedo tubes in two power-operated mounts. Two reloads were provided for each mount. The standard torpedo for the Type 36B destroyers was the G7a torpedo. It had a warhead and three speed/range settings: at ; at and at. They had four depth charge launchers and mine rails could be fitted on the rear deck that had a maximum capacity of 74–76 mines. 'GHG' (Gruppenhorchgerät) passive hydrophones were fitted to detect submarines and an "S-Gerät" sonar was also probably fitted. The ships were equipped with a "FuMO" 24/25 radar set above the bridge.

Service.

All three of the completed ships were assigned to the "6. Zerstörerflotille" (6th Destroyer Flotilla) in the Baltic in 1944 as they completed working up. The flotilla was tasked to support minelaying efforts in the Baltic and the Gulf of Finland in February 1944, but initially escorted convoys before laying its first minefield in mid-March. Its primary activity remained minelaying through July, including reinforcing the existing minefields in the Gulf of Finland in April. Reinforced by the arrival of "Z36" in late June, the flotilla began bombarding Soviet positions at the end of July, both by themselves and while escorting heavy cruisers on the same mission and intermittently continued to do so almost up until the end of the war. In September it covered the convoys evacuating German forces from Finland and then Estonia before "Z43" was assigned to the flotilla the following month.  In mid-December the flotilla was ordered to lay a new minefield between the Estonian coast and an existing minefield slightly further out to sea. In bad weather on the night of 11/12 December, "Z35" and "Z36" blundered into that minefield and struck one or more mines each around 02:00. "Z36" sank very quickly with the loss of all hands and "Z35" lasted a bit longer before sinking. The crew abandoned ship before she sank, but only about 70 men were rescued by the Soviets. The only operational ship of the class remaining, "Z43", escorted convoys at the beginning of 1945 before resuming her previous task of shore bombardment in mid-February. She continued to do so until early April when she struck a mine on 10 April that crippled her. After emergency repairs, "Z43" then steamed into Warnemünde harbour where she provided gunfire support for German troops ashore. The ship departed Warnemünde on 2 May for Kiel after exhausting all of her ammunition. "Z43" was scuttled the following day.  Construction of "Z44" and "Z45" was slowed by their lack of priority and only "Z44" was launched before the end of the war. Work on both ships was ordered halted for at least three months on 24 July 1944, although it was rendered moot five days later when "Z44" was sunk while fitting-out during an air raid by the Royal Air Force on Bremen. Both ships were already being cannibalized for parts to repair the destroyer by then and salvaging "Z44" became impractical when her stern broke off in early September. Her wreck was scrapped in place in 1948–1949. "Z45" was never finished and was broken up on the slipway in 1946.

The Type 1936B destroyers were a group of five destroyers built for Nazi Germany's "Kriegsmarine" between 1941 and 1942, of which only three were completed and saw service. Eight ships to this design were ordered, but the orders for three ships were cancelled before construction began. was the first ship of the class to be completed and was commissioned in mid-1943. Her sister ships, and, followed in 1944. "Z44" was sunk during an air raid in 1944 before she was completed while "Z45" was never completed. Both ships were scrapped after the war.

Zerstörer 1936B byla třída torpédoborců německé Kriegsmarine účastnících se druhé světové války. Byly to poslední německé torpédoborce, které se před koncem války podařilo zařadit do služby. Jejich služba tří hotových kusů byla krátká, v letech 1944–1945 byly potopeny. Dvě rozestavěné lodě byly po válce sešrotovány.


Premise.

"Kim Possible" takes place primarily within the town of Middleton, USA and focuses on the life and adventures of Kim Possible, an accomplished high school student who fights crime on a regular basis, assisted by her best friend and sidekick Ron Stoppable and Rufus, his pet naked mole rat. Ron's personal fears, insecurities, and clumsiness tend to jeopardize the success of their own missions. Kim and Ron are aided remotely by Wade, a 10 year-old computer genius who seldom leaves his bedroom and communicates with the duo via a device he invented himself known as a Kimmunicator. Together, the foursome is known as Team Possible. The majority of Kim's missions involve her traveling to various destinations around the world to rescue citizens from harm and fight a variety of enemies and villains, the most frequent of whom are Dr. Drakken, a mad scientist constantly plotting world domination, and his superpowered sidekick Shego, who possesses the ability to generate powerful energy blasts and emit them from her hands, making her the heroine's most dangerous opponent. Not yet of age to drive herself to most of her missions, Kim often relies on favors from various people she has

Characters.

Some episodes revolve around characters other than Kim and Ron, particularly villains, who have been provided with nearly as much back story as the heroes. Other significant recurring characters include Kim's parents, Drs. James and Ann Possible (Gary Cole and Jean Smart, respectively), and her younger brothers, twin geniuses Jim and Tim (Shaun Fleming, 2002–06; Spencer Fox, 2007), to whom she refers as "Tweebs" (a portmanteau of "twin" and "dweebs"); the twins speak their own made up language known as "Twinnish". Kim shares a bitter rivalry with fellow cheerleader Bonnie Rockwaller (Kirsten Storms), who, unlike

Production.

Conception and main characters.

Long-time collaborators and veteran Disney writers, Bob Schooley and Mark McCorkle had already been writing for Disney Channel for several years, contributing to the network's male-led animated series "Aladdin", "Hercules" and "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command", each one spin-offs of their respective feature-length animated films. Although they had enjoyed working on those projects, Schooley and McCorkle were becoming interested in contributing to "something original". At the same time, the writers learned that Disney Channel had become interested in developing a show featuring ordinary children in extraordinary circumstances. Thus, the network commissioned Schooley and McCorkle to create an animated series geared towards the nine to 14 year-old demographic that was also capable of entertaining older audiences at the same time. While traveling in an elevator on their way back to their office from their lunch break, McCorkle said to Schooley, "Kim Possible. She can do anything", to which Schooley responded, "Ron Stoppable, he can’t", and nearly the entire premise of "Kim Possible" naturally unfolded thereafter. According to Schooley and McCorkle, both lead characters' names indicate that "Kim Possible" "is going to be an arched show

Casting.

Much of "Kim Possible"s cast consists of Disney Channel and ABC alumnae, as well as actors known for their roles on other popular animated and comedy series. After auditioning several actresses to voice the title character, then-16 year-old Christy Carlson Romano was finally cast as Kim after first being introduced to Schooley and McCorkle by Disney Channel executives. Romano had already been well known to Disney Channel audiences for her portrayal of Ren Stevens on the series "Even Stevens", and began voicing Kim while completing her stint on the show. Her first voice acting role, Romano immediately identified with her character because both were "dealing with teenage issues" at the same time, comparing Kim's challenge of battling both her personal life and villains to herself balancing schoolwork with

Writing and development.

Serving as executive producers in addition to writers throughout the entire series, Schooley and McCorkle oversaw the show for its entire duration to maintain consistency. As executive producers, Schooley and McCorkle were mostly involved in the writing process, focusing mainly on plot and dialogue, while storyboarding was chiefly handled by Loter. The writing staff consisted of both Disney Channel employees and freelance writers. Much of the series is based on both Schooley and McCorkle's own experiences growing up as teenagers in high school. Although essentially a comedy series, Schooley and McCorkle also combined elements of adventure, relationships, and humor in order to appeal to both boys, who are primarily interested in action, and girls, who are more-so attracted to relationships and character development, aware of "ancient truisms" surrounding the belief that boys are generally less likely to watch a series starring a female lead, while girls seldom exhibit such reservations when the casting situation is reversed. Without alienating younger viewers, to whom the show refuses to "talk down", the writing in "Kim Possible" is "a little older

Design and animation.

Creating the "Kim Possible" universe and environment was very much a collaborative process between Schooley and McCorkle, Disney Channel, the character designers, and the cast, who were also encouraged to contribute their own ideas. Although Schooley and McCorkle participated in designing Kim, the majority of that particular task was the combined efforts of Loter, inaugural season director Chris Bailey, art director Alan Bodner and character designer Stephen Silver, each of whom had worked together on previous animated projects. Due to their extensive animation experience, Schooley and McCorkle were aware that "Kim had to be an appealing character", while Ron would be more-so "goofy-appealing". Evolving dramatically over the course of three months, Kim, who had originally been designed to resemble a "standard" athletic-looking blonde heroine, underwent several changes. At one point, the character's appearance was based on that of video game character Lara Croft from the "Tomb Raider" franchise until Disney Channel abandoned this concept in favor of one more akin to that of a 14 year-old girl as opposed to a bombshell. Admitting that Kim would have been their dream girl in high school, the creators joked, "She would have

Music.

Written by musicians Cory Lerios and George Gabriel, the show's theme song "Call Me, Beep Me" (also known as "Call Me, Beep Me! (The Kim Possible Song)" or simply "The Kim Possible Song") is performed by American recording artist Christina Milian. Having already been working for Disney Channel at the time, appearing as a correspondent on the network's miniseries "Movie Surfers" after declining an offer to appear on their variety show "The Mickey Mouse Club", Milian learned about "Kim Possible" from Disney when the studio called her in recruitment of an artist to record the new show's theme song. After meeting with the songwriters, who then proceeded to write the song, for the first time, Milian returned to the studio to record

Style and themes.

Episodes typically adhere to a simple, similar format, featuring a power-hungry villain who Kim and Ron must somehow prevent from taking over the world. Although primarily an action-comedy series, "Music in Television: Channels of Listening" author James Deaville observed that "Kim Possible" adheres to the long-standing tradition of combining adventure with comedy in animated television. According to Telebisyon, "The show is fairly action-oriented, but also has a strong, light-hearted comedic atmosphere". In addition to action, comedy and adventure, "Kim Possible"s storylines also explore elements of romance and drama. According to "The Artifice", the show's unique brand of humor distinguishes it from the slapstick style associated with most Disney Channel sitcoms, namely "Phil of the Future" and "That's so Raven", although Ron can be considered a slapstick character. The villains are also depicted as clever, yet comical. With a tendency not to take itself seriously, "Kim Possible" both parodies and pays homage to the spy, action and superhero genres, its comedy benefiting from the show's emphasis on "over-the-top plots" and circumstances. Shego's own family of superheroes, Team Go, is a deliberate parody of the Marvel superhero team the Fantastic Four; the series also references the "Tomb Raider" and "" film franchises. Self-referential in its humor that avoids talking down to viewers, the series additionally parodies the teen sitcom genre, teenage fads and trends in general, and sometimes makes fun of its own plot holes and oversights, while occasionally adopting common cartoon and sitcom tropes.  In addition to other "mainstays" of modern-day youth, technology serves an important role throughout the series, specifically the Internet and Kim's gadgets, the most significant of which is the Kimmunicator designed to help Kim communicate with Wade and grants her access to virtually any information she desires. McCorkle elaborated on the show's emphasis on technology: "Using the Internet theme in the series became an easy launching pad partially because it is such a major part of the fabric of teen life and the interactive possibilities are endless... It's as though we get to play James Bond's 'Q' for each episode -- the more imaginative the toy, the better." Particularly desirable to younger viewers, technology enables Kim to travel around the world effortlessly and, to some extent, mirrors children's ability to speak to anyone in the world via the Internet. Kim's ability to travel virtually anywhere around the world within a short period of time is left largely unexplained; BuzzFeed referred to Wade as an "example that sitting in front of your computer all day is actually the most powerful position to be in." The fact that Wade never leaves his bedroom could potentially indicate that he suffers from agoraphobia.  Kim is raised in a nuclear family. Unlike popular animated sitcoms such as "The Simpsons" and "Family Guy", both of Kim's parents are intelligent, accomplished and attractive; Kim's own intelligence is often attributed to the fact that she is born to a rocket scientist father and neurosurgeon mother. Kim's inherent confidence is a Possible family trait; her father James, who views women as equals, proudly reiterates the phrase "Nothing is impossible for a Possible" on numerous occasions. In her younger years, Kim's grandmother "Nana" Possible fought crime much like Kim herself. "Kim Possible" approaches the subject of the friend zone via Kim and Ron's relationship, discussing male-female friendship in a manner reminiscent to that of the romantic comedy "When Harry Met Sally..." (1989). According to Sarah Freymiller of "Bustle", the protagonists

Broadcast.

Produced by Walt Disney Television Animation, "Kim Possible"s episodes are typically 22 minutes in length and occupy half-hour time slots. Season 1 included a total of 21 episodes; the first, "Crush", premiered on Disney Channel on June 7, 2002, followed by the airing of two back-to-back episodes, occupying the evening's 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm time slot. In total, three half-hour episodes premiered back-to-back. A ratings success, "Kim Possible"s premiere became the most-watched of any Disney Channel Original Series. Following its premiere, Disney Channel aired one new episode of the series Friday nights at 6:30 pm. By 2005, the show's time slot had been changed to Friday evenings at 5:30 pm. Episodes were also broadcast in syndication on several Disney-affiliated television networks including Toon Disney, weekdays at 7:30 am and weekends at 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm, and ABC's ABC Kids Saturday mornings at 11:00 am, ultimately becoming the "lynchpin" of that particular segment. Internationally, "Kim Possible" aired on the Family Channel in Canada, while broadcasting on CCTV 12 in China, Dubai TV in Dubai in their respective local languages, Mandarin and Arabic and on ABS-CBN in the Philippines in Filipino language. The show proved particularly popular in Germany and Japan.  In terms of ratings, "Kim Possible" continued to perform consistently well into its second and third seasons. Typically, series that originate on Disney Channel seldom surpass three seasons (65 episodes) before they are canceled, a rule that had been practiced since the late 1990s.

Episodes.

"Lilo & Stitch" crossover.

A crossover episode of "" and "Kim Possible" aired on August 26, 2005 as part of the former show's second season. Entitled "Rufus", Season 2, Episode 20 features

Reception.

Critical response.

In the days leading up to "Kim Possible"s premiere, television critics speculated whether or not the show would attract a large enough male audience despite its female lead to prove successful. Ultimately, "Kim Possible" premiered to both widespread acclaim and strong viewership. The first season currently holds a perfect 100% score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. The series continued to garner critical acclaim throughout its run, earning particular praise for its dialogue, humor and animation, as well as appeal towards both younger and older viewers. Describing the show as

Awards and nominations.

In its first season, "Kim Possible" was nominated for its first and only Primetime Emmy Award in 2003, for Outstanding Animated Program. In 2004, the series was nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards in the categories Outstanding Children's Animated Program and Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program. In 2005, "Kim Possible" was nominated for a record-breaking total of five Daytime Emmy Awards, the highest number of Emmy Award nominations ever received by the series. The

Legacy.

"Polygon" writer Petrana Radulovic observed that the series "bears a weighty legacy" due to being "a staple of many childhoods... Unlike many other action comedies at the time, "Kim Possible" centered around a capable heroine, and many boys and girls alike watched the show. Because it is such a beloved childhood show, the nostalgia value is high." One of Disney Channel's most popular and successful original shows, "Kim Possible" remains the project for which Schooley and McCorkle are best known. Few anticipated "Kim Possible" would become as successful as it ultimately did, proving popular among both male and female audiences. Explaining "Kim Possible"s universal appeal, the creators said, "Whenever there's an action complement to a show, boys get excited, and when Kim does her martial arts and when she's doing one of these incredible stunts, boys love to watch it... And one of the things that we’ve always found is that boys of any age... love humour and characters that

Related media.

Films.

The success of "Kim Possible" spawned two animated—as well as a live action—television films based on the series, becoming the first animated series to be adapted into a Disney Channel Original Movie. The first, "", is science fiction-themed and premiered on Disney Channel on November 28, 2003, following Kim as she travels both back in time and into the future to save the world. Dubbed an "extended episode", the film also explores the character's origin, revealing how both she and Ron became crime fighters, and features an all-star cast. The second, "," was released in 2005 and was originally going to be the series finale, but due to popular demand the series was renewed

Video games and merchandise.

The success of "Kim Possible" spawned its own video game series; a total of six video games were released, supported by various gaming consoles and platforms: In 2003, Disney began using the popularity of both Disney Channel's "Kim Possible" and "Lizzie McGuire" in an attempt to revive the company's struggling

Epcot attraction.

Based on the series, the "Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure" was an interactive attraction that took place in several of Epcot's World Showcase pavilions in Walt Disney World. The attraction is an electronic scavenger hunt that has guests using special "Kimmunicators" (in actuality, modified cell phones) to help Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable solve a "crime" or disrupt an

Kim Possible is an American animated action comedy-adventure television series created by Bob Schooley and Mark McCorkle for Disney. The title character is a teenage girl tasked with fighting crime on a regular basis while coping with everyday issues commonly associated with adolescence. Kim is aided by her clumsy best friend and eventual love interest, Ron Stoppable, his pet naked mole rat Rufus, and ten year-old computer genius Wade. Known collectively as Team Possible, Kim and Ron's missions primarily require them to thwart the evil plans of the mad scientist–supervillain duo Dr. Drakken and his sidekick Shego, though they encounter other enemies as well.

Kim Possible je americký animovaný televizní seriál vysílaná v letech 2002–2007 na stanici Disney Channel. Hlavní postavou je superagentka Kim Possible, která ve svém volném čase zachraňuje svět. Kim Possible je 19 let a chodí na Middletonskou střední školu. Její nejlepší kamarád se jmenuje Ron Stoppable a má rypoše jménem Rufus. Kim je kapitánkou školního roztleskávacího týmu. Její školní rivalka je Bonnie Rockwallová. Wade Load, génius, zajišťuje Kim dopravu na akce, technické zázemí a supervybavení. Seriál má 4. série, avšak seriál byl v České republice odvysílán jen do 3. série. Úhlavním nepřítelem Kim Possible Dr. Drakken a jeho pomocnice Shego,dále pak Gorilí pěst,Duff Kiligan,Senor Senior Senior a Senor Senior Junior. K seriálu byli ještě dotočeny dva celovečerní filmy – Kim Possible: Problém s časem a Kim Possible: Velký drámo.


Early life.

Downing was born in Newburgh, New York, United States, to Samuel Downing (a nurseryman and wheelwright) and Eunice Bridge. After finishing his schooling at sixteen, he worked in his father's nursery in the Town of Newburgh, and gradually became interested in landscape gardening and architecture. He began writing on botany and landscape gardening and then undertook to educate himself thoroughly in these subjects. He married Caroline DeWint in 1838.

Professional career.

His official writing career started when he began writing articles for various newspapers and horticultural journals in the 1830s. In 1841 his first book, "A Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Landscape Gardening, Adapted to North America", was published to a great success; it was the first book of its kind published in the United States.  In 1842 Downing collaborated with Alexander Jackson Davis on the book "Cottage Residences", a highly influential pattern book of houses that mixed romantic architecture with the English countryside's pastoral picturesque, derived in large part from the writings of John Claudius Loudon. The book was widely read and consulted, doing much to spread the so-called "Carpenter Gothic" and Hudson River Bracketed architectural styles among Victorian builders, both commercial and private.  With his brother Charles, he wrote "Fruits and Fruit Trees of America" (1845), long a standard work. In the early 1850s, Downing called the "Jonathan's Fine Winter" apple the "Imperial of Keepers", which led to it being renamed the York Imperial apple. This was followed by "The Architecture of Country Houses" (1850), another influential pattern book.  By the mid-1840s Downing's reputation was impeccable and he was, in a way, a celebrity of his day. This afforded him a friendship with Luther Tucker— publisher and printer of Albany, New York – who hired Downing to edit a new journal. ""The Horticulturist and Journal of Rural Art and Rural Taste"" was first published under Downing's editorship in the summer of 1846; he remained editor of this journal until his death in 1852. The journal was his most frequent influence on society and operated under the premises of horticulture, pomology, botany, entomology, rural architecture, landscape gardening, and, unofficially, premises dedicated public welfare in various forms. It was in this journal that Downing first argued for a New York Park, which in time became Central Park. It was in this publication that Downing argued for state agricultural schools, which eventually gave rise. And it was here that Downing worked diligently to educate and influence his readers on refined tastes regarding architecture, landscape design, and even various moral issues.  In 1850, as Downing traveled in Europe, an exhibition of continental landscape watercolors by Englishman Calvert Vaux captured his attention. He encouraged Vaux to emigrate to the United States, and opened what was to be a thriving practice in Newburgh. Frederick Clarke Withers (1828–1901) joined the firm during its second year. Downing and Vaux worked together for two years, and during those two years, he made Vaux a partner. Together they designed many significant projects, including the grounds in the White House and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. Vaux's work on the Smithsonian inspired an article he wrote for "The Horticulturist", in which he stated his view that it was time the government should recognize and support the arts.  In 1846, the Smithsonian Institution was established, and soon a building to house the new institution was started on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. James Renwick's Norman-style building stimulated a move to landscape the Mall in a manner consistent with the romantic character of the Smithsonian's building. President Millard Fillmore commissioned Downing to create a plan that would redeem the Mall from its physical neglect.  Downing presented his plan for the National Mall to the Regents of the Smithsonian Institution on February 27, 1851. The plan was a radical departure from the geometric, classical design for the Mall that Pierre (Peter) Charles L'Enfant had placed in his 1791 plan for the future federal capital city (see L'Enfant Plan). Instead of L'Enfant's "Grand Avenue," Downing envisioned four individual parks, with connecting curvilinear walks and drives defined with trees of various types. Downing's objective was to form a national park that would serve as a model for the nation, as an influential example of the "natural style of landscape gardening" and as a "public museum of living trees and shrubs." President Fillmore endorsed two-thirds of Downing's plan in 1851, but Congress found it to be too expensive and released only enough funds to develop the area around the Smithsonian. In 1853, Congress cut off all funds so that the plan was never entirely completed. However, federal agencies developed several naturalistic parks within the Mall over the next half century in accordance with Downing's plan. The parks remained until replaced by features that the McMillan Plan of 1902 described (see History of the National Mall). In 1845, Downing was elected into the National Academy of Design as an Honorary Academician.

Architectural influence.

Downing's building designs were mostly for single family rural houses built in the Picturesque Gothic and Italianate styles. He believed every American deserved a good home, so he designed homes for three types: villas for the wealthy, cottages for working people and farmhouses for farmers  Downing believed that architecture and the fine arts could affect the morals of the owners, and that improvement of the external appearance of a home would help "better" all those who had contact with the home. The general good of America was benefited by good taste and beautiful architecture, he wrote. Downing saw that the family home was becoming the place for moral education and the focus of middle class America's search for the meaning of life.  Downing developed his view that country residences should fit into the surrounding landscape and blend with its natural habitat. He also believed that architecture should be functional and that designs for residences should be both beautiful and functional. In the beginning of his Architecture of Country Houses is a lengthy essay on the real meaning of architecture. He wrote that even the simplest form of architecture should be an expression of beauty, but the design should never neglect the useful for the beautiful. He went on to say that "(in) perfect architecture no principle of utility will be sacrificed to beauty, only elevated and ennobled by it." He considered landscape gardening and architecture to be an art.  In "Cottage Residences" he published the designs for 28 houses; in addition to the house plans, the designs included the plans for laying out the gardens, orchards, grounds and even included various plants to be used. In his "Architecture of Country Houses", he included designs for cottages, farmhouses and villas and commented on interiors, furniture and even the best methods of warming and ventilating them. Some of his designs were very simple and affordable so that all classes of society could enjoy life outside the city. In his publication, he criticized the builders who borrowed architectural elements to imitate villa style in a cottage as having a poor taste. Examples of such were "temple cottage" where a portico with large wooden columns were added to a small cottage, "cooked-hat cottage" where many gables were added to fill the cottage roof, and improper use of ornamental parts such as using "gingerbread" look sawn-out thin board instead of a properly carved-out vergeboard. His own residence, Highland Gardens, in Newburgh, New York, was quite large with meticulous grounds and many greenhouses with plants and trees from around the world brought to him by his whaling father-in-law.  Through the publication of his designs, he is credited with the popularization of the front porch. He saw the porch as the link from the house to nature. Building porches had just become easier due to the advance in building methods, and these two factors together resulted in the frequency of front porches being built on residences at that time. At the same time, many people were moving from the city to the surrounding countryside because of the advent of railroad and steamship transportation. Downing believed interacting with nature had a healing effect on mankind and wanted all people to be able to experience nature.  By the 1860s, Downing's preferred style had completely overshadowed the earlier Gothic Revival style.

Early death.

On July 28, 1852, Downing was traveling on the steamer "Henry Clay" with his wife and extended family. A fire broke out amidships when the ship was just south of Yonkers, New York, on the Hudson River. A boiler explosion quickly spread flames across the wooden vessel and Downing was killed along with 80 others. A few ashen remains and his clothes were recovered days later.  Downing's remains were interred in Cedar Hill Cemetery, in his birthplace of Newburgh, New York.  Following Downing's death, Withers and Vaux took over his architectural practice. After his death, writer and friend Nathaniel Parker Willis referred to Downing as "our country's one solitary promise of a supply for [the]... scarcity of beauty coin in our every-day pockets. He was the one person who could be sent for... to look at fields and woods and tell what could be made out of them".

Legacy.

Downing influenced not only Vaux but also landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted; the two men met at Downing's home in Newburgh. In 1858, their joint design, the Greensward Plan, was selected in a design competition for the new Central Park in New York City. In 1860, Olmsted and Vaux proposed that a bust of Downing be placed in the new park as an "appropriate acknowledgment of the public indebtedness to the labors of the late A. J. Downing, of which we feel the Park itself is one of the direct results." The monument was never built in the park, but a memorial urn honoring Downing stands in the Enid A. Haupt Garden near the Smithsonian's "Castle" (see "Andrew Jackson Downing Urn").  Botanist John Torrey named the genus "Downingia" after Downing.  In 1889, the city of Newburgh commissioned a park design from Olmsted and Vaux. They accepted, on the condition that it be named after their former mentor. It opened in 1897, called "Downing Park". It was their last collaboration.  One of the few surviving structures known to have been designed by Downing is the cottage at Springside (Matthew Vassar Estate) in Poughkeepsie, New York. The cottage and the estate's gardens designed by Downing are a National Historic Landmark. The Cedarcliff Gatehouse is also believed to have been designed by him.  Jackson's wife and friends of the family put up a monument to Jackson in the shape of an urn that was at his home in Newburgh, New York. They inscribed on it words that he had written "Plant spacious parks in your cities, and loose their gates as wide as the morning, to the whole people."  The residence Brambleworth located at Bedford, New York, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of The Woodpile historic district in 1992.  Another of Andrew Jackson Downing's surviving structures, and one three of Downing's earliest examples of the Italian Victorian Style, the "Robert Dodge Mansion" still stands today in Georgetown, D.C., however has been significantly altered from when originally constructed The "Robert Dodge Mansion" was an exact opposite of the "Francis Dodge Mansion" (aside from the windows and fenestration/decoration) ornaments. It is also noteworthy to note that Downing's first buildings completed in this Italian Victorian Style were made for the Dodge family.

Andrew Jackson Downing (October 31, 1815 – July 28, 1852) was an American landscape designer, horticulturist, and writer, a prominent advocate of the Gothic Revival in the United States, and editor of "The Horticulturist" magazine (1846–52). Downing is considered to be a founder of American landscape architecture.

Andrew Jackson Downing (31. října 1815 – 28. července 1852) byl americký zahradní architekt, zahradník a spisovatel, prominentní obhájce architektury novogotického stylu ve Spojených státech a editor časopisu "The Horticulturist" (1846–1852). Mnoho osobností nazývá Downinga "otcem americké krajinářské architektury", ačkoli někteří jiní míní, že tento titul náleží právem Fredericku Law Olmstedovi.


Context.

In earliest recorded history, Norway was divided into a number of small and sometimes warring petty kingdoms with weak central authority. In traditional historiography the rise of Harald Fairhair in the 9th century started the process of unification of the country and the consolidation of royal power. Harald's descendants, and other claimants to the throne, had to contend with strong regional leaders such as the Jarls of Lade in the north and the rulers of Vingulmark in the east, while the kings of Denmark claimed regions in the south and were eager to acquire Norwegian vassals to increase their influence. The spread of Christianity also became an increasingly important political issue in the late 10th century.  In the 970s, Haakon Sigurdsson, Jarl of Lade, became the most powerful man in Norway, at first supported by Harald Bluetooth of Denmark and paying tribute to him—though the two later fell out over religious matters. Harald had converted to Christianity and was eager to Christianise Norway, while Haakon remained a staunch pagan. In 995 Haakon was deposed and the young Christian leader Olaf Tryggvason came to the throne.  While rejecting Danish authority, Olaf made it his mission to convert Norway and the Norse colonies in the west as quickly and as completely as possible. Proceeding with threats, torture and executions, Olaf broke down pagan resistance and within a few years Norway was, at least nominally, a Christian country. But King Olaf had acquired several enemies during his meteoric rise to power. The most prominent were Eirik Jarl, son of Haakon Jarl, and Svein Forkbeard, king of Denmark, both of whom felt that Olaf had deprived them of their share of Norway.  The same interests which clashed in the Battle of Svolder were to divide Norway for decades to come, leading to further major engagements, including the Battle of Nesjar and the Battle of Stiklestad. The resolution came in 1035 with the accession of the Norwegian Magnus the Good to the throne of an independent and Christian Norway.

Sources.

The Battle of Svolder is mentioned in a number of historical sources. The earliest written work is by Adam of Bremen (ca. 1080), who wrote from a Danish point of view as his source was King Svein II of Denmark. The later Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus made use of and expanded Adam of Bremen's account in his "Gesta Danorum" (ca. 1200).  In Norway the three "synoptic histories", "Historia de Antiquitate Regum Norwagiensium", "Historia Norwegie" and "Ágrip af Nóregskonungasögum" (ca. 1190), all give a short account of the battle. The Icelandic kings' sagas offer a much more extensive treatment, starting with Oddr Snorrason's "Saga of Olaf Tryggvason" (ca. 1190). Working from skaldic poetry, oral history, learned European examples and an uninhibited imagination, Oddr constructed an elaborate account of the battle. This was taken up by the later Icelandic sagas, "Fagrskinna" and "Heimskringla" (ca. 1220), both of which add quotations of skaldic verse. Three Icelandic poems from around 1200 also have some historical interest: "Nóregs konungatal", "Rekstefja" and "Óláfs drápa Tryggvasonar". The immense "Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar en mesta" (ca. 1300) combines several of the above sources to form the last, longest and least reliable saga account.  Contemporary skaldic poetry which refers to the battle includes a work by Hallfreðr the Troublesome Poet, who was in Olaf Tryggvason's service. Hallfreðr was not present at the battle but gathered information about it afterwards for a eulogy on Olaf. On Jarl Eirik's side, a number of stanzas are preserved by Halldórr the Unchristian, who speaks of the battle as happening "last year" and dwells on the scene of Eirik capturing the "Long Serpent". Some verses on the battle are also preserved in Þórðr Kolbeinsson's elegy on Eirik, probably composed around 1015. Finally, Skúli Þórsteinsson fought with Eirik in the battle and spoke of it in verse in his old age.  While historians value contemporary skaldic poetry highly as the most accurate source available, it must be remembered that the poems are not preserved independently but as quotations in the kings' sagas. After two centuries of oral preservation, there is often doubt that a verse was accurately remembered and correctly attributed. Furthermore, skaldic poetry did not primarily aim at giving information but at artistically rendering facts already known to the hearers. Historians frequently fall back on the less reliable but more detailed accounts of the sagas.

Events leading up to the battle.

Nothing can be gleaned from the contemporary skaldic poems on the causes of the battle. Adam of Bremen states that Olaf Tryggvason's Danish wife, Thyri, egged him on to make war against Denmark. When Olaf heard that Svein Forkbeard and Olaf the Swede had formed an alliance, he was angered and decided the time had come for an attack. "Ágrip" and "Historia Norwegie" have a similar account. Thyri was the sister of Svein Forkbeard, and when Olaf Tryggvason married her, Svein refused to pay her promised dowry. Angered, Olaf launched an expedition to attack Denmark, but he was too impatient to wait for a fleet to assemble from all of Norway, and he set sail for the south with only 11 ships, expecting the rest to follow. When that hope was not realized, he set out for Wendland (Pomerania) to seek allies and on the way was ambushed by Svein and his allies. These accounts are contradicted by a contemporary verse of Halldórr the Unchristian which states that Olaf Tryggvason was travelling "from the south" when he came to the battle. Oddr Snorrason has an elaborate account of the problems arising from Thyri's marriages. He tells us that she was betrothed and married to the Wendish king Burislav, who received a large dowry for her; but she did not want to be his wife and starved herself after their wedding, so Burislav sent her back to Denmark. She then arranged to have herself married to Olaf Tryggvason, to the displeasure of her brother Svein. Svein's queen, Sigrid the Haughty, a staunch opponent of Olaf, egged Svein to make war on him. Svein then conspired with Jarl Sigvaldi and King Olaf of Sweden to lure Olaf Tryggvason into a trap. Olaf Tryggvason travelled to Wendland to collect Thyri's dowry from King Burislav and while there heard rumours of a planned ambush; but Sigvaldi arrived to tell him these rumours were false. Believing Sigvaldi, Olaf sent most of his fleet home, as his men were impatient. He therefore had only a small fleet left when he was ambushed near Svolder.  "Fagrskinna" and "Heimskringla" largely follow Oddr's account but simplify it and diverge from it in some respects. According to "Heimskringla", Sigvaldi sailed from Wendland with Olaf and a fleet of Wendish ships and led him into the ambush.  Whether the above details are accurate or not, it is clear that Svein, Olaf the Swede and Eirik had ample reason to oppose Olaf Tryggvason. Olaf had taken control of Viken in south Norway, an area long under Danish overlordship. Olaf and Svein had been in England together, but Olaf had made peace while Svein kept campaigning. Svein was on friendly terms with Olaf the Swede and connected to him by marriage, so the two were natural allies. Finally, Jarl Eirik had been driven from his patrimony by Olaf Tryggvason, as arguably had his father, Jarl Hakon, whom he may have wished to avenge.  From the conflicting accounts of the sources, historians have tried to reconstruct the most likely sequence of events leading up to the battle. It is probable that Olaf Tryggvason was indeed sailing from Wendland to Norway when he was ambushed, though the kings' sagas probably play up the importance of Thyri and her marriages. While it is possible that Olaf was collecting dowry, it seems more probable that he was expecting war and seeking allies in Wendland, but met with little success. The character of Sigvaldi remains enigmatic, though there is evidence from skaldic poetry that he did indeed betray Olaf.

Time and location.

All sources which date the battle agree that it took place in 1000. The oldest source to date it is the meticulous "Íslendingabók", written around 1128, which specifies that it took place in the summer. Oddr Snorrason says further that the battle is "memorialized for the fallen men on the Third or Fourth Ides of September", (10 or 11 September). "Mesta" states that the battle occurred on 9 September, and other sources agree with either date. Since some medieval writers reckoned the end of the year in September, it is possible that the year referred to is in fact the one we know as 999.  The location of the battle cannot be identified with any certainty. According to Adam of Bremen, it took place in Oresund. "Ágrip" and "Historia Norwegie" also place it off Zealand. Theodoricus says it took place "beside the island which is called Svöldr; and it lies near Slavia". "Fagrskinna" speaks of "an island off the coast of Vinðland... [t]his island is called Svölðr." Oddr Snorrason and "Heimskringla" agree on the island's name but do not specify its location. A stanza by Skúli Þórsteinsson speaks of "the mouth of Svolder", suggesting that "Svolder" was originally the name of a river which Norse unfamiliarity with Wendish geography turned into an island. The Danish "Annales Ryenses" are unique in placing the battle in the Schlei. Modern historians are divided, some locating the confrontation near the German island of Rügen while others prefer Oresund.

Composition of the fleets.

The Norse sources agree that Olaf Tryggvason fought against overwhelming odds in the battle. "Fagrskinna", for example, says that he had "only a small force", and that the sea around him was "carpeted with warships" The sources which specify the number of warships all agree that Olaf Tryggvason had 11 vessels but they give various numbers for the allied fleets. Most sources cite the Danish and Swedish forces as equal in size, with the exception of "Rekstefja".  Though the sagas agree that Olaf Tryggvason had only 11 ships in the battle, some of them quote a verse by Halldórr the Unchristian saying that Olaf had 71 ships when he sailed from the south. The sagas explain the discrepancy by saying that some of the 71 ships belonged to Jarl Sigvaldi, who deserted Olaf, and that others sailed past the trap at Svolder before it was sprung.  The sagas describe three of the ships in Olaf Tryggvason's fleet. According to "Heimskringla", the "Crane" was a large swift-sailing warship with thirty rowers' benches, high in stem and stern. It was commissioned by King Olaf and used as his flagship for some time.  Olaf confiscated the second of his great ships from a pagan he had tortured to death for refusing to convert to Christianity. King Olaf "steered it himself, because it was a much larger and finer ship than the "Crane". Its stem had a dragon's head on it, and on its stern, a crook shaped like a tail; and both sides of the neck and all the stern were gilded. That ship the king called the "Serpent", because when the sail was hoisted it was to look like the wing of a dragon. That was the finest ship in all Norway."  Olaf's third flagship, the "Long Serpent", was a legendary vessel mentioned in several anecdotes in the sagas.  The only allied ship described is Jarl Eirik's "Iron Ram". According to "Fagrskinna" it was "the biggest of all ships". "Heimskringla" gives more detail:

The leaders assess their opponents.

It is unlikely that the saga writers had accurate information on details of the battle beyond the sparse accounts in the surviving poems. Nevertheless, starting with Oddr Snorrason, they present an elaborate literary account, depicting the main participants through their words and deeds.  Olaf Tryggvason's ships pass the anchorage of his allied enemies in a long column without order, as no attack is expected. Conveniently placed to observe the fleet, Jarl Eirik and the two kings remark upon the passing vessels. Svein and Olaf are eager to join battle, but Eirik is portrayed as more cautious and familiar with the Norwegian forces.  As progressively larger vessels appear, the Danes and Swedes think each one is the "Long Serpent" and want to attack straight away, but Eirik holds them off with informed comments:  As Eirik finally consents to attack, King Svein boasts that he will command the "Long Serpent" "before the sun sets". Eirik makes a remark "so that few men heard him" saying that "with only the Danish army at his disposal, King Sveinn would never command this ship". As the allies set out to attack Olaf Tryggvason, the point of view shifts to the Norwegian fleet.  After spotting the enemy, Olaf might have used sail and oar to outrun the ambush and escape, but he refuses to flee and turns to give battle with the eleven ships immediately about him. Seeing the Danish fleet arrayed against him, he comments: "The forest goats will not overcome us, for the Danes have the courage of goats. We will not fear that force because the Danes have never carried off the victory if they fought on ships." Similarly, Olaf writes off the Swedes with a reference to their pagan customs:  It is only when Olaf Tryggvason sights Eirik Hákonarson's contingent that he realises he is in for a hard battle, because "they are Norwegians like us". The sagas' emphasis of Eirik's contribution stands in marked contrast to the Danish accounts of Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus, who portray the battle as a Danish victory over Norwegians, with no mention of Jarl Eirik or his men.

The battle is joined.

The disposition adopted in the battle was one which recurs in many sea-fights of the Middle Ages where a fleet had to fight on the defensive. Olaf lashed his ships side to side, with his own, the "Long Serpent", in the middle of the line, where her bows projected beyond the others. The advantages of this arrangement were that it left all hands free to fight, that a barrier could be formed with the oars and yards, and that it limited the enemy's ability to make its superior numbers count. The "Long Serpent" was the longest ship and so also the tallest—another advantage to the defenders, who could rain down arrows, javelins and other missiles while the enemy would have to shoot upwards. Olaf, in effect, turned his eleven ships into a floating fort.  The sagas give all the credit to the Norwegians, praising Eirik Hákonarson for any intelligence and for most of the valour shown by Olaf Tryggvason's opponents. The Danes and Swedes rush at the front of Olaf's line and are repulsed, suffering heavy casualties and loss of ships. Jarl Eirik attacks the flank and forces his vessel, the "Iron Ram", up against the last ship of Olaf's line, which he clears with a fierce attack and then proceeds onto the next ship. In this way, Olaf's ships were cleared one by one, till the "Long Serpent" alone was left.

Einarr Þambarskelfir.

One of the best known episodes from the battle involves Einarr Þambarskelfir, an archer in King Olaf's fleet who later became a cunning politician. Heimskringla describes his attempt at killing Jarl Eirik and saving the day for Olaf:  The same story is found in "Gesta Danorum", though there Einarr is aiming at Svein, rather than Eirik.

King Olaf's death.

At last, the "Long Serpent" is overpowered and Olaf Tryggvason defeated. The Danish sources report that when all was lost he committed suicide by throwing himself into the sea, "the end befitting his life", according to Adam of Bremen. Saxo Grammaticus says that Olaf preferred suicide to death at the hands of the enemy and jumped overboard in full armour rather than see his foes victorious. The Norwegian and Icelandic accounts are more complex and more favourable to Olaf. Hallfreðr's memorial poem for his lord had already alluded to rumours that Olaf escaped death at Svolder. The sagas offer a variety of possibilities. "Ágrip" reports:  Other sagas suggest that one way or another Olaf made his way to the shore; perhaps by swimming, perhaps with the help of angels, most likely rescued by one of the Wendish ships present. After his escape, Olaf supposedly sought salvation for his soul abroad, perhaps joining a monastery. "Mesta" describes a series of "sightings" of him in the Holy Land, the last in the 1040s.  King Olaf, like Charlemagne, Frederick Barbarossa and Sebastian of Portugal, is one of those legendary heroic figures whose return was looked for by the people, their deaths never completely accepted. (See King asleep in mountain.)

Aftermath.

After the Battle of Svolder, the victorious leaders split Norway into areas of control. "Heimskringla" gives the most detailed account of the division, describing it as threefold. Olaf the Swede received four districts in Trondheim as well as Møre, Romsdal and Rånrike. He gave these to Jarl Svein Hákonarson, his son in law, to hold as a vassal. Svein Forkbeard gained possession of the Viken district, where Danish influence had long been strong. The rest of Norway was ruled by Eirik Hákonarson as Svein's vassal. "Fagrskinna", in contrast, says that the Swedish part consisted of Oppland and a part of Trondheim. Other sources are less specific.  The Jarls Eirik and Svein proved strong, competent rulers, and their reign was prosperous. Most sources say that they adopted Christianity but allowed the people religious freedom, leading to a backlash against Christianity which undid much of Olaf Tryggvason's missionary work.

Legacy.

Several factors combined to make the Battle of Svolder one of the most famous battles of the Viking Age. In Norwegian-Icelandic historiography, King Olaf Tryggvason was held in high regard as the man who brought Christianity to the North. His colourful end in a battle against overwhelming odds therefore makes a fitting narrative. Jarl Eirik's court poets also ensured their lord a fair share of the glory. "Mesta" says:  In Iceland, where the kings' sagas continued to be copied and studied, the battle exercised the imagination of several poets. A 15th century "rímur" cycle, "Svöldrar rímur", chronicles the battle in verse, largely following the account of Oddr Snorrason. Two more "rímur" cycles on the same topic were composed in the 18th century, one of which is preserved. In the 19th century, the popular poet Sigurður Breiðfjörð composed yet another "rímur" cycle on the battle, based on the account in "Mesta".  With the 19th century rise of nationalism and romanticism and the growing number of translations of the sagas, interest in the battle of Svolder increased outside of Iceland. Around 1830, the Faroese poet Jens Christian Djurhuus composed a ballad on the battle titled "Ormurin langi", following Snorri's account. The ballad was well received and remains among the most popular and well-known Faroese ballads. In 2002, a heavy metal version by the band Týr gained some following abroad.  In Norway, Johan Nordahl Brun's rousing patriotic play "Einar Tambarskjelve", written in 1772, is considered a milestone in Norwegian literature. Later Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson wrote a well-known short poem, "Olav Trygvason", on the fall of the king. Bjørnson also collaborated with Edvard Grieg on an opera about Olaf Tryggvason, but the two fell out before the work was finished. Ragnar Søderlind has now completed the opera, which premiered in September 2000, 1000 years after the Battle of Svolder. Søderlind introduced fate motifs from Wagner, Beethoven and Liszt in the battle scene.  The battle has also inspired art outside of Scandinavia, including a manga volume by the Japanese artist Ryō Azumi. The best known English-language work is probably Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's cycle "The Saga of King Olaf" (from his 1863 collection of poems "Tales of a Wayside Inn"), much of which is dedicated to the Battle of Svolder, and which includes the verse:

The Battle of Svolder ("Svold" or "Swold") was a naval battle fought in September 999 or 1000 in the western Baltic Sea between King Olaf Tryggvason of Norway and an alliance of his enemies. The backdrop of the battle was the unification of Norway into a single state, long-standing Danish efforts to gain control of the country, and the spread of Christianity in Scandinavia.

Bitva u Svolderu byla námořní bitva, která začala 9. září roku 1000 v západním Baltickém moři. Odehrála se mezi Norskem a ostatními Skandinávci. Místo do dnešní doby nebylo identifikováno, protože formace Baltického pobřeží bylo v následujících stoletích hodně měněno, částečně od zanášení moře a částečně od bouřek ze 14. století. Svolder byl ostrov pravděpodobně na severním pobřeží Německa blízko Rujány. Bitva se odehrála mezi Olafem Tryggvasonem (králem Norska) a koalicí jeho nepřátel Eric Hakonson (jeho bratranec a soupeř).


1998–1999.

Yamaha launched the YZF-R1 after redesigning the Genesis engine to create a more compact engine by raising the gearbox input shaft and allowing the gearbox output shaft to be placed beneath it. This'stacked gearbox' was followed by other manufacturers. Compacting the engine made the engine much shorter, allowing the wheelbase to be shortened. This allowed the frame design to place the weight of the engine in the frame to aid handling because of an optimized center of gravity. The swingarm could be made longer without compromising the overall wheelbase, which was a short. Four 40 mm Keihin CV carburetors fed fuel to the engine. It had KYB upside down 41 mm front forks and 300 mm semi-floating disk brakes. The instrument panel was electrical with a self diagnosis system and digital speed readout. The exhaust system used Yamaha's Exhaust Ultimate Power Valve (EXUP), which controlled the exhaust gas flow to maximize engine power production at all revs. This created a high powered and high torque engine. The Yamaha YZF-R6 was introduced in 1999 as the 600 cc version of the R1 super bike.  The 1999 R1 saw only minor changes, apart from paint and graphics. More improvements were a redesigned gear change linkage and the gear change shaft length being increased. Fuel tank reserve capacity was reduced from, while the total fuel tank capacity was unchanged at.  "Motorcycle Consumer News" tests of the 1998 model year YZF-R1 yielded a time of 2.96 seconds and of 5.93 seconds, a time of 10.19 seconds at, and a top speed of, with deceleration from of. For the 1999 model year, "Cycle World" tests recorded a time of 3.0 seconds, time of 10.31 seconds at, and a top speed of.

2000–2001.

In 2000, Yamaha introduced a series of changes to improve the bike, and minor changes to the bodywork to allow for better long duration ride handling. Yamaha's main design goal was to sharpen the pre-existing bike and not to redesign it. The dry weight was reduced five pounds to.  At at the rear wheel, top-end output remained the same, but changes to the engine management system were intended to result in a smoother, broader distribution of power. The bodywork was still unmistakably R1, although a few changes were made resulting in a 3% reduction in the drag coefficient. The headlight housing's profile was sharpened, the side panels were made more aerodynamic and slippery, and the windscreen was reshaped for better rider protection.  The seating area was also updated. The fuel tank was reshaped, with a more relaxed rear angle and deeper leg recesses to provide for a better rider feel. The seat extended further towards the rear of the tank and the new, steeper, seating position put additional weight on the front end. All of this was aimed at improving weight bias and offering sharper cornering and more stability.  Mechanically, the carburetors were re-jetted in an effort to improve throttle response, especially in the low end, all the way up to the bike's 11,750 rpm redline. The redesigned camshafts were lightened and used internal oil ways to lubricate journals that, when combined with reduced tappet clearance, provided less friction and created less engine noise. The gearbox received a taller first gear, a hollow chrome moly shift shaft with an additional bearing and a completely redesigned shift linkage and foot pedal. These changes were aimed at eliminating problems with the transmission in earlier models, and to help to seamlessly transfer the bike's power to the road.

2002–2003.

A new fuel injection system was introduced for the 2002 year, which worked like a carburetor by employing a CV carburetor slide controlled by vacuum created by the engine. With a similar power output to the 2000-2001 bike, the engine remained largely the same. One notable improvement was the use of new cylinder sleeves of a high silicon content alloy containing magnesium that minimized heat induced distortion, reducing oil consumption. Also in 2002, Yamaha released the newly developed Deltabox frame, which, with its hydro formed construction, reduced the total number of frame welds. These changes improved the frame's rigidity by 30%. The cooling system was redesigned for better performance and compactness. The exhaust system was changed from a 4-into-1 to a new titanium 4-into-2-into-1 design. The rear end of the motorcycle was updated and streamlined with a LED taillight. This allowed for very clean rear body lines when choosing one of several common after market modifications, such as removal of the turn signal stalks and stock license plate bracket; and replacing them with assorted available replacements that "hug" the body or frame. Also, front end lighting was improved in 2002, between the higher definition headlights and also side "parking" lights within the twin-headlight panel, giving a more angular appearance. This also gave additional after market possibilities, such as to remove the front turn signals and use these front lights as directional or hazard markers while stopped. For 2003, the only change was fitted hazard warning lights and dipped headlights, which stay on all the time the engine is running.  In 2002, "Cycle World" reported fuel mileage of, a time of 2.9 seconds, a time of 10.32 seconds at, and a top speed of.

2004–2005.

With the competition advancing, Yamaha made some major changes to the model. This included style updates, like an under seat twin exhaust, and performance upgrades including radial brakes, and, for the first time an R1 Ram-air intake. Furthermore, the tendency for wheelies by earlier productions was reduced by changing the geometry of the frame and weight distribution. The all-new engine was no longer used as a stressed member of the chassis, and had a separate top crankcase and cylinder block.  The 2004 R1 weighs dry. The conventional front brake calipers were replaced by radially mounted calipers, activated by a radial master cylinder. A factory-installed steering damper was also added this year. Combined with the changes to the frame, this helped to eliminate the tendency of the handlebars to shake violently during rapid acceleration or deceleration on less-than-perfect surfaces, a phenomenon known as a speed wobble or tank slapper.  "Motorcycle Consumer News" tests of the 2004 model year YZF-R1S yielded a time of 3.04 seconds and of 5.42 seconds, a quarter-mile time of 9.90 seconds at, and a top speed of.  John McGuinness won the senior race at the 2005 Isle of Man TT.

2006.

The swingarm was extended by to reduce acceleration instability. In this year, Yamaha also released a limited edition version in original Yamaha racing colors to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The model (LE/SP) had a Kenny Roberts front and rear custom Öhlins suspension units developed by the same team as the YZR-M1 MotoGP bike. Custom forged aluminum Marchesini wheels specifically designed for the LE shaved nearly a pound off the unsprung weight. A back torque-limiting slipper clutch, and an integrated lap timer rounded out the package, making the LE virtually a production racer. Only 500 units were made for the United States with another 500 units for Europe.

2007–2008.

An all-new YZF-R1 for the 2007 model year was announced on 8 October 2006. It had an all-new inline four-cylinder engine, going back to a more conventional four-valves per cylinder, rather than Yamaha's trade mark five-valve Genesis layout. It also had the Yamaha Chip Control Intake (YCC-I) electronic variable-length intake funnel system, Yamaha Chip Control Throttle (YCC-T) fly-by-wire throttle system, slipper-type clutch, all-new aluminum Deltabox frame and swingarm, six-piston radial-mount front brake calipers with 310 mm discs, a wider radiator, and M1 styling on the new large ram-air ports in the front fairing. There were no major changes for 2008. Power at the rear wheel was @ 10,160 rpm.  Motorcycle Consumer News tests of the 2007 model year YZF-R1 yielded a time of 2.94 seconds and of 5.46 seconds, a 1⁄4 mile time of 9.88 seconds at.

2009–2014.

In late 2008, Yamaha announced they would release an all new R1 for 2009. The new R1 takes engine technology from the M1 MotoGP bike with its cross plane crankshaft. Crossplane technology puts each connecting rod 90° from the next, with an uneven firing interval of 270°- 180°- 90°- 180°. The 2009 R1 was the first production sportbike to use a crossplane crankshaft. The power delivery is the same as a 90° V4 with a 180° crank, such as the Honda VFR800 and very similar to the Yamaha V-Max which has been lauded for its exhaust sound. Yamaha claims the bike would give the rider 'two engines in one', the low end torque of a twin and the pace of an inline four. As with previous incarnations of the R1, the 2009 model keeps its Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle (YCC-T).  Another advancement included on the 2009 model was D-Mode Throttle Control Valve Mapping, which allows a rider to choose between three distinct maps depending on the rider's environment. Each mode of operation controls YCC-T characteristics, changing how the R1 reacts to rider input. The first mode is Standard Mode, which delivers performance for a wide variety of driving conditions. The second mode is "A" mode which will give a rider more available power in the lower to mid RPM range. The third mode is "B" mode, which is a dial back of the previous mode, designed to soften throttle response in inclement weather and heavy traffic. D-Mode throttle control is controlled by the rider through a forward mode button near the throttle. The instrument panel is more comprehensive than previous models, and the 2009/2010 Yamaha YZF-R1 model had a gear indicator as standard.  Overall handling of the R1 was improved through changes to frame and suspension. A new sub frame was designed for the 2009 R1, cast from magnesium giving lower weight aiding mass centralisation. The rear shock absorber on the 2009 offers variable speed damping, as well as an easy to tweak pre-load via a screw adjustment. The rear shock now connects underneath the swing arm through a different linkage; a change from previous years' models. To improve overall handling and safety, Yamaha included an electronic steering damper.  The front has the same classic R1 shape, though the air intake location and headlamp design have been revamped on the 2009 model; using only projector lamps, and using the new-found design space within the nose cone to reroute ram air tubes next to the lights.  Testing the 2010 model year in the confines of a tri-oval racetrack, "Motorcyclist" magazine reported a time of 10.02 seconds @, and fuel consumption of. "Motorcycle Consumer News" reported a tested top speed of.  In 2012 the Yamaha YZF-R1 received traction control, redesigned upper cowl (nose of bike), and a special edition 50th Anniversary R1 was released. The special edition color is inspired from Assen TT-winning MotoGP bike. The special edition commemorates the participation of Yamaha in MotoGP. Only 2000 units of this edition were made.

2015–2020.

At the centennial EICMA motorcycle show, Yamaha officially unveiled a new generation of R1. It is similar to MotoGP's 2005–Present YZR M1. Yamaha claims a wet weight of The new bike has an electronics package that includes a sophisticated Traction Control (TCS) and Slide Control System (SCS), antiwheelie Lift Control System (LIF), linked antilock brakes, Launch Control System (LCS), Quick Shift System (QSS), and selectable power modes. The Slide Control System on the Yamaha YZF-R1 is the first on a production motorcycle. Information is fed to the bike through a six-axis gyro (Inertial measurement unit) and other sensors over 100 times a second. Power delivery is tapered through manipulation of the throttle butterfly and ignition and fuel cuts. Engine changes include shortened bore-to-stroke ratio, larger airbox, a finger-follower valve system, and fracture split titanium conrods. It comes standard with magnesium wheels. Information is presented to the rider through a user-customizable thin-film display.  A second higher-spec, limited production model is also produced called the R1M, and is differentiated from the standard model by having more expensive components such as electronic semi-active Öhlins suspension, carbon fiber bodywork, Yamaha's Communication Control Unit (CCU), Y-TRAC data logging system, and stickier Bridgestone tires with larger rear 200/55-size. A third model starting in 2016 is also offered a lower-spec R1S.

Motorsport.

The bike had five wins in the Macau Grand Prix between 1999 and 2013. Lorenzo Alfonsi won the 2004 FIM Superstock 1000 Cup, followed by Didier Van Keymeulen in 2005. Yamaha World Superbike riders Troy Corser and Noriyuki Haga finished 2nd and 3rd respectively in the 2008 Superbike World Championship season. Yamaha World Superbike rider Ben Spies won the 2009 Superbike World Championship season title recording 14 wins and 11 poles in his one season in WSBK. The Yamaha Factory Racing Team with riders N. Nakasuga, P. Espargaro, and B. Smith won the 2015 Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race. Katsuyuki Nakasuga, Alex Lowes, Pol Espargaro won the 2016 Suzuka 8 Hours endurance Race. Tommy Hill won the British Superbike title in 2011 on board a YZF-R1. Yamaha rider Josh Brookes won the 2015 British Superbike series title.

The Yamaha YZF-R1, or R1, is an open class sport bike, or superbike, motorcycle made by Yamaha from 1998 through the current 2020 model year.

Yamaha YZF-R1, někdy uváděna zkráceně jako R1 a přezdívaná „královna superbiků“ nebo „eR-jednička“, je robustnější čtyřválec využívaný jako sportovní motocykl nebo superbike. První verze stroje od japonského výrobce Yamaha Motor Company byla uvedena do provozu v roce 1998.