Orbit and classification.

"Vassar" is a member of the Alauda family (), a large family of typically bright carbonaceous asteroids and named after its parent body, 702 Alauda.  It orbits the Sun in the outer main-belt at a distance of 2.4–3.8 AU once every 5 years and 5 months (1,988 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.22 and an inclination of 22° with respect to the ecliptic. In 1908, it was first identified as at Heidelberg Observatory. The body's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation at Yerkes in 1933.

Physical characteristics.

Rotation period and pole.

In November 2011, American amateur astronomer David Higgins obtained a rotational lightcurve of "Vassar" from photometric observations taken at the Hunters Hill Observatory () in Australia. It gave a well-defined rotation period of 7.932 hours with a brightness variation of 0.35 magnitude (). In 2016, two modeled lightcurves were derived using data from the Lowell photometric database and other sources, giving a concurring period of 7.93189 and 7.93190 hours and a spin axis of (104.0°, −50°) and (251.0°, −23.0°) in ecliptic coordinates, respectively ().

Diameter and albedo.

According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, the Japanese Akari satellite, and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, "Vassar" measures between 27.56 and 36.28 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has an albedo between 0.064 and 0.09. The "Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link" agrees with the results obtained by IRAS and derives an albedo of 0.0703 and a diameter of 36.32 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 10.7.

Naming.

This minor planet was named by American astronomer Maud Worcester Makemson (1891–1977) after the U.S Vassar College (formerly: Vassar Female College), located in New York state. Makemson, who computed the asteroid's orbit, was a teacher at the private elite school and director of its Vassar College Observatory. Naming citation was first published in "The Names of the Minor Planets" by Paul Herget in 1955 ().

1312 Vassar, provisional designation, is a carbonaceous Alauda asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 30 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 27 July 1933, by Belgian–American astronomer George Van Biesbroeck at Yerkes Observatory in Wisconsin, United States. The asteroid was named for the American Vassar College.

(1312) Vassar ist ein Asteroid des Hauptgürtels, der am 27. Juli 1933 vom belgischen Astronomen George Van Biesbroeck am Yerkes-Observatorium in Williams Bay, Wisconsin entdeckt wurde.


History.

The X-planes concept officially came into being in 1944, as a joint programme between the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), the US Navy (USN) and the US Army Air Force (USAAF), in order to pursue research into high-speed aircraft. NACA later became the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the USAAF became the United States Air Force (USAF). Other organizations such as the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the US Marine Corps (USMC) have also since sponsored X-plane projects.  The first experimental aircraft specification, for a transonic rocket plane, was placed in 1945, and the first operational flight of an X-plane took place when the Bell X-1 made its first powered flight nearly three years later at Muroc Air Force Base, California, now known as Edwards Air Force Base. The majority of X-plane testing has since taken place there.  X-planes have since accomplished many aviation "firsts" including breaking speed and altitude barriers, varying wing sweep in flight, implementing exotic alloys and propulsion innovations, and many more.  New X-planes appeared fairly regularly for many years until the flow temporarily stopped in the early 1970s. A series of experimental hypersonic projects, including an advanced version of the Martin Marietta X-24 lifting body, were turned down. Eventually issues with the Rockwell HiMAT advanced UAV led to a manned X-plane with forward sweep, the Grumman X-29, which flew in 1984.  Some of the X-planes have been well publicized, while others, such as the X-16, have been developed in secrecy. The first, the Bell X-1, became well known in 1947 after it became the first aircraft to break the sound barrier in level flight. Later X-planes supported important research in a multitude of aerodynamic and technical fields, but only the North American X-15 rocket plane of the early 1960s achieved comparable fame to that of the X-1. X-planes 8, 9, 11, 12, and 17 were actually missiles used to test new types of engines, and some other vehicles were un-manned (some were remotely flown, some were partially or fully autonomous).  Most X-planes are not expected to go into full-scale production; one exception was the Lockheed Martin X-35, which competed against the Boeing X-32 during the Joint Strike Fighter Program, and has entered production as the F-35 Lightning II.

List.

In the list, the date is that of the first flight, or of cancellation if it never flew. ! class="unsortable" style="width:120px;" | Image! Type! Manufacturer! Agency! Date! Role! class="unsortable" | Notes

The X-planes are a series of experimental United States aircraft and rockets, used to test and evaluate new technologies and aerodynamic concepts. They have an X designator within the US system of aircraft designations, which denotes the experimental research mission.

Die X-Flugzeuge sind eine Reihe von Experimentalflugzeugen und -Raketen der US-amerikanischen Streitkräfte bzw. der NASA. Sie dienen der Erforschung neuer Technologien und/oder Bauweisen, wozu in der Regel nur wenige Exemplare eines Typs hergestellt werden. Nach dem Bezeichnungssystem für Luftfahrzeuge der US-Streitkräfte erhält das Fluggerät vor der Entwurfsnummer das Präfix X für seinen Haupteinsatzzweck (eXperimental). Seit 1940 erhielten 53 verschiedene Typen die Missionskennung „X“.


Life.

Hillyar was born in 1769, son of naval surgeon James Hillyar, at Portsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire. He entered the Navy at just ten years old, serving aboard the frigate HMS "Chatham" during the American War of Independence. "Chatham" was employed on the blockade of Boston during the war, and 1781 fought a fierce action against the French frigate "Magicienne", capturing the French ship, which was commissioned into the Royal Navy. "Chatham" was decommissioned in 1783 at the end of the war but Hillyar remained in service, principally on the North American Station, for the next ten years.  In 1793, at the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars, Hillyar was attached to HMS "Britannia", the flagship of Lord Hotham in the Mediterranean. The following year he moved to Lord Hood's flagship HMS "Victory" and participated in the Siege of Toulon and the capture of Corsica, for which services he was promoted to lieutenant aboard HMS "Aquilon" under Captain Robert Stopford with the Channel Fleet. In "Aquilon" he was present at the Glorious First of June and subsequently moved with Stopford into the frigate HMS "Phaeton", in which he remained until 1799, participating in Cornwallis' Retreat in 1794. In 1800, Stopford moved to the ship of the line HMS "Excellent" and Hillyar moved with him again, later taking command of the armed storeship HMS "Niger". In "Niger" he attacked Spanish shipping off Barcelona and later operated as part of a boat squadron in Egypt during the British invasion of 1801 culminating in the siege of Cairo and the siege of Alexandria  In 1803, after the Peace of Amiens, Hillyar served in the Mediterranean in "Niger", refusing herelovian promotion as it may have left him in reserve on half-pay, which would have left his family destitute. Horatio Nelson discovered this and especially recommended Hillyar for service to Lord St Vincent at the Admiralty. As a result, Hillyar was promoted and permitted to retain "Niger", with increased armament, in the Mediterranean. In 1805 he married Mary Taylor, daughter of a Maltese naval storekeeper. In 1807 he joined the fleet preparing for operations in the Baltic Sea and in 1809 commanded the 98-gun HMS "St George" as flag captain for Eliab Harvey. The same year he was given another frigate for independent service, HMS "Phoebe". Hillyar commanded "Phoebe" in the Indian Ocean and East Indies during 1810 and 1811, and was present at the Invasion of Ile de France and the subsequent invasion of Java. On 20 May 1811, he was one of the captains engaged at the Battle of Tamatave, when a French frigate squadron was defeated and two ships captured.  In 1813, Hillyar was appointed Commodore of the British Pacific Squadron and was ordered to operate in the Pacific Ocean against the American whaling fleets and fur trading posts. Off Chile, he discovered the American frigate USS "Essex" raiding British merchant ships and tracked her to the harbour of Valparaíso. Trapping "Essex" in the harbour, Hillyar waited six weeks for "Essex" to come out, thwarting all of the efforts of the American captain, David Porter to escape him. Eventually, on 28 March 1814, Porter attempted to break out of the harbour but was driven into a nearby bay and defeated in a short engagement. Hillyar brought "Essex" and her prizes back to Britain.  At the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Hillyar remained in the navy, and in 1830 was part of Edward Codrington's squadron in HMS "Revenge" and in 1832 was commander of the British squadron observing the French Siege of Antwerp. He later moved to the first rate HMS "Caledonia" and served off Portugal. In 1837 he was promoted to rear-admiral. Hillyar had been knighted in 1834, as a Knight Commander of the Royal Guelphic Order. In 1840 he was also made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, advancing from the Companionship of the Order of the Bath he had received in 1815. He died in 1843 at his home in Tor House, Torpoint, Cornwall and was buried in Anthony churchyard. He was survived by his three sons, two of whom, Charles Farrell Hillyar and Henry Shank Hillyar, later became admirals in Royal Navy.

Admiral Sir James Hillyar KCB KCH (29 October 1769 – 10 July 1843) was a prominent British Royal Navy officer of the early nineteenth century, who is best known for his service in the frigate HMS "Phoebe" during the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812. While in command of "Phoebe", Hillyar was present at the Invasion of Ile de France in 1810, was heavily engaged at the Battle of Tamatave in 1811 and captured the USS "Essex" off Valparaíso in Chile in 1814. In addition, Hillyar was engaged in numerous other operations, his first battle occurring in 1781 off Boston. He remained in the Navy until his death in 1843, and was active at sea during the 1830s, commanding fleets in the North Sea and off Portugal. He was knighted twice and two of his sons later became full admirals, Charles Farrell Hillyar and Henry Shank Hillyar.

Sir James Hillyar KCB KCH (* 29. Oktober 1769 in Portsea, Hampshire; † 10. Juli 1843 in Torpoint, Cornwall, Vereinigtes Königreich) war ein Konteradmiral der Britischen Royal Navy.


Early detection of colorectal tumors and polyps.

M2-PK, as measured in feces, is a potential tumor marker for colorectal cancer. When measured in feces with a cutoff value of 4 U/ml, its sensitivity has been estimated to be 85% (with a 95% confidence interval of 65 to 96%) for colon cancer and 56% (confidence interval 41–74%) for rectal cancer. Its specificity is 95%.  The M2-PK test is not dependent on occult blood (ELISA method), so it can detect bleeding or non-bleeding bowel cancer and also polyps with high sensitivity and high specificity with no false negative, but false positives may occur.  Most people are more willing to accept non-invasive preventive medical check-ups. Therefore, the measurement of tumor M2-PK in stool samples, with follow-up by colonoscopy to clarify the tumor M2-PK positive results, may prove to be an advance in the early detection of colorectal carcinomas. The CE marked M2-PK Test is available in form of an ELISA test for quantitative results or as point of care test to receive results within minutes.  Tumor M2-PK is also useful to diagnose lung cancer and better than SCC and NSE tumor markers. With renal cell carcinoma (RCC), the M2PK test has sensitivity of 66.7 percent for metastatic RCC and 27.5 percent for nonmetastatic RCC, but M2PK test cannot detect transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder, prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Cancer follow-up.

Studies from various international working groups have revealed a significantly increased amount of Tumor M2-PK in EDTA-plasma samples of patients with renal, lung, breast, cervical and gastrointestinal tumors (oesophagus, stomach, pancreas, colon, rectum), as well as melanoma, which correlated with the tumor stage.  The combination of Tumor M2-PK with the appropriate classical tumor marker, such as CEA for bowel cancer, CA 19-9 for pancreatic cancer and CA 72-4 for gastric cancer, significantly increases the sensitivity to detect various cancers.  An important application of the Tumor M2-PK test in EDTA-plasma is for follow-up during tumor therapy, to monitor the success or failure of the chosen treatment, as well as predicting the chances of a “cure” and survival.  If Tumor M2-PK levels decrease during therapy and then remain low after therapy it points towards successful treatment. An increase in the Tumor M2-PK values during or after therapy points towards relapse and/or metastasis.  Increased Tumor M2-PK values can sometimes also occur in severe inflammatory diseases, which must be excluded by differential diagnosis.

Tetrameric and dimeric PKM2.

Pyruvate kinase catalyzes the last step within the glycolytic sequence, the dephosphorylation of phosphoenolpyruvate to pyruvate and is responsible for net energy production within the glycolytic pathway. Depending upon the different metabolic functions of the tissues, different isoenzymes of pyruvate kinase are expressed.  M2-PK (PKM2) is the predominant pyruvate kinase isoform in proliferating cells, such as fibroblasts, embryonic cells and adult stem cells and most human tissue, including lung, bladder, kidney and thymus; M2-PK is upgregulated in many human tumors.  M2-PK can occur in two different forms in proliferating cells:  The tetrameric form of M2-PK has a high affinity to its substrate, phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), and is highly active at physiological PEP concentrations. Furthermore, the tetrameric form of M2-PK is associated with several other glycolytic enzymes within the so-called "glycolytic enzyme complex". Due to the close proximity of the enzymes, the association within the glycolytic enzyme complex leads to a highly effective conversion of glucose to lactate. When M2-PK is mainly in the highly active tetrameric form, which is the case in most normal cells, glucose is mostly converted to lactate, with the attendant production of energy.  In contrast, the dimeric form of M2-PK has a low affinity for phosphoenolpyruvate, being nearly inactive at physiological PEP concentrations. When M2-PK is mainly in the dimeric form, which is the case in tumor cells, all phosphometabolites above pyruvate kinase accumulate and are channelled into synthetic processes which branch off from glycolytic intermediates, such as nucleic acids, phospholipids and amino acids, important cell building blocks for highly proliferating cells such as tumor cells. As a consequence of the key position of pyruvate kinase within glycolysis, the tetramer : dimer ratio of M2-PK determines whether glucose carbons are converted to pyruvate and lactate, along with the production of energy (tetrameric form), or channelled into synthetic processes (dimeric form). In tumor cells M2-PK is mainly in the dimeric form. Therefore, the dimeric form of M2-PK has been termed "Tumor M2-PK".  The dimerization of M2-PK in tumor cells is induced by the direct interaction of M2-PK with different oncoproteins.  However, the tetramer : dimer ratio of M2-PK is not constant.  Oxygen starvation or highly accumulated glycolytic intermediates, such as fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (fructose 1,6-P2) or the amino acid serine, induce the reassociation of the dimeric form of M2-PK to the tetrameric form. Consequently, due to the activation of M2-PK, glucose is converted to pyruvate and lactate under the production of energy until the fructose 1,6-P2 levels drop below a certain threshold value, which allows the dissociation of the tetrameric form of M2-PK to the dimeric form. Thereafter, the cycle of oscillation starts again when the fructose 1,6-P2 levels reach a certain upper threshold value which induces the tetramerization of M2-PK.  When M2-PK is mainly in the less active dimeric form, energy is produced by the degradation of the amino acid glutamine to aspartate, pyruvate and lactate, which is termed glutaminolysis.  In tumor cells the increased rate of lactate production in the presence of oxygen is termed the Warburg effect.

Mutations.

For the first time pyruvate kinase M2 enzyme was reported with two missense mutations, H391Y and K422R, found in cells from Bloom syndrome patients, prone to develop cancer. Results show that despite the presence of mutations in the inter-subunit contact domain, the K422R and H391Y mutant proteins maintained their homotetrameric structure, similar to the wild-type protein, but showed a loss of activity of 75 and 20%, respectively. H391Y showed a 6-fold increase in affinity for its substrate phosphoenolpyruvate and behaved like a non-allosteric protein with compromised cooperative binding. However, the affinity for phosphoenolpyruvate was lost significantly in K422R. Unlike K422R, H391Y showed enhanced thermal stability, stability over a range of pH values, a lesser effect of the allosteric inhibitor Phe, and resistance toward structural alteration upon binding of the activator (fructose 1,6-bisphosphate) and inhibitor (Phe). Both mutants showed a slight shift in the pH optimum from 7.4 to 7.0. The co-expression of homotetrameric wild type and mutant PKM2 in the cellular milieu resulting in the interaction between the two at the monomer level was substantiated further by in vitro experiments. The cross-monomer interaction significantly altered the oligomeric state of PKM2 by favoring dimerisation and heterotetramerization. In silico study provided an added support in showing that hetero-oligomerization was energetically favorable. The hetero-oligomeric populations of PKM2 showed altered activity and affinity, and their expression resulted in an increased growth rate of Escherichia coli as well as mammalian cells, along with an increased rate of polyploidy. These features are known to be essential to tumor progression.

Tumor M2-PK is a synonym for the dimeric form of the pyruvate kinase isoenzyme type M2 (PKM2), a key enzyme within tumor metabolism. Tumor M2-PK can be elevated in many tumor types, rather than being an organ-specific tumor marker such as PSA. Increased stool (fecal) levels are being investigated as a method of screening for colorectal tumors, and EDTA plasma levels are undergoing testing for possible application in the follow-up of various cancers.

Pyruvatkinase M2 (PKM2, auch: M2-PK oder Tumor-M2-PK) ist ein Enzym im Menschen, das nur in fötalem und in Tumorgewebe vorkommt, und daher als Tumormarker dient. Es ist eine Isoform der Pyruvatkinase mit der Bezeichnung M2. Die Pyruvatkinase M2 ist ein Schlüsselenzym im Tumorstoffwechsel und kann zur Therapie und Verlaufskontrolle verschiedener Tumorerkrankungen eingesetzt werden. Die Pyruvatkinase M2 ist kein organspezifischer Tumormarker, wie beispielsweise PSA, vielmehr reflektiert der Gehalt an Pyruvatkinase M2 im Stuhl oder im EDTA-Blutplasma als Biomarker den spezifischen Stoffwechselzustand der Tumoren.


Geography.

Port Stephens is formed through the confluence of the Myall and Karuah rivers, Tilligerry Creek, and the Tasman Sea of the South Pacific Ocean. The lower port has a predominantly marine ecology and the upper port an estuarine ecology. The area to the east of Port Stephens comprises the Tomago/Tomaree/Stockton sand beds.  A narrow entrance between two striking hills of volcanic origin marks the opening of Port Stephens to the sea. The southern headland, "Tomaree" or South Head, rises to above mean sea level (AMSL) while "Yacaaba", the northern headland, is AMSL. The harbour is mostly shallow and sandy but contains sufficient deep water to accommodate large vessels. After its recovery from the wreck site in 1974 the bow of the, a Norwegian bulk carrier that was shipwrecked on Stockton Beach earlier that year, was moored in Port Stephens, at Salamander Bay, for almost two years.  With an area of approximately, Port Stephens is larger than Sydney Harbour. Port Stephens extends approximately inland from the Tasman Sea and at its widest point, between Tanilba Bay and Tahlee, it is across. The narrowest point is between Soldiers Point and Pindimar where the distance is only. Between Nelson Bay and Tea Gardens, in the most well known section of the port, it is wide.  The Karuah River drains into Port Stephens at its north-western corner. The Myall River (through the Myall Lakes) drains into the port on its northern shore, about from the mouth of the port. Twelve Mile Creek drains into the port's south-western corner.  The southern shore of the port is divided into two distinct areas known as the Tomaree and Tilligerry peninsulas. These are separated by Tilligerry Creek, a watercourse covering approximately, which drains the land in the low-lying areas of Salt Ash, Bobs Farm, Tanilba Bay and Mallabula. While the Tilligerry Peninsula is geographically closer to major centres such as Sydney and Newcastle, it lacks the urban development that has occurred on the much larger ( vs respectively) Tomaree peninsula. Although Lemon Tree Passage, on the Tilligerry Peninsula, and Soldiers Point, on the Tomaree Peninsula, are only from each other, physical separation of the suburbs by Port Stephens and Tilligerry Creek results in them being almost from each other by road.  The town of Karuah, located at the north-western corner of the port near the mouth of the Karuah River, experiences similar geographical separation from the Tilligerry Peninsula. Despite being only from Tanilba Bay, the road distance between the two suburbs is.  The western shore and the western part of the northern shore of the port are largely undeveloped with the flora ranging from scrubland in the west to the large tracts of bushland which are present along most of the northern shore. Closer to the mouth of the port, at and near Winda Woppa, sandy beaches are prevalent. These extend from Jimmys Beach, near the mouth of the port, to the mouth of the Myall River, a distance of approximately. Just outside the mouth of the port lie the two small insular nature reserves of Cabbage Tree Island and Boondelbah Island, both dedicated to the conservation of the threatened Gould's petrel, and with no public access.

History.

The port was named by Captain Cook when he passed by on 11 May 1770, honouring Sir Philip Stephens, who was Secretary to the Admiralty. Stephens was a personal friend of Cook and had recommended him for command of the voyage. It seems Cook's initial choice had actually been Point Keppel and Keppel Bay, but instead he used Keppel Bay later.  The first ship to enter the port was the "Salamander", a ship of the Third Fleet that later gave the suburb of Salamander Bay its name, in 1791. In that same year escaped convicts, then known as 'bolters', discovered coal in the area.  In 1795 the crew of discovered a group of escaped convicts, living with the Worimi people. Port Stephens became a popular haven for escaped convicts and so in 1820 a garrison of soldiers was established at what is now known as Soldiers Point.  The cutter "Lambton", commanded by Captain James Corlette, began shipping timber and wool out of the port in 1816. The suburb of Corlette was named after the captain.  Port Stephens has rather poor soil for the most part, and has limited agricultural potential. For this reason, no large towns developed there historically and it was never developed as a significant port. The major city and port of Newcastle developed at the mouth of the Hunter River, about south-west of Port Stephens. Despite this, in 1920 there was a push for Port Stephens to be the capital city of a new state in a proposal originating from the country newspaper "The Daily Observer". The proposal was the "Observer"'s editor Victor Charles Thompson's idea in response to continuing rural Australian antipathy at the Sydney-centralised funding and governance that many rural newspapers claimed had neglected to aid rural Australian towns.  During World War II, the remoteness and lack of any significant civilian population led to the Royal Australian Navy establishing HMAS "Assault", an amphibious landing training establishment, at Nelson Bay. The sick bay from HMAS "Assault" still stands and is used by the Port Stephens Community Arts Centre.  A number of small towns developed around the port as fishing, holiday and retirement communities. Since the 1970s, with improved road access from Sydney, and the increasing popularity of coastal retirement lifestyles, there has been major expansion of these towns.

Port Stephens-Great Lakes Marine Park.

On 1 December 2005 the Port Stephens-Great Lakes Marine Park was established pursuant to the. The park comprises approximately and includes all of Port Stephens, the Karuah and Myall rivers and all their creeks and tributaries under tidal influence. The park was established to protect the wide variety of sea life that inhabit the port and nearby coastal areas of the Tasman Sea from just south of Forster to the northern end of Stockton Beach.

Demographics.

At the time of the 2006 Census, more than 85% of the population around Port Stephens resided in towns and suburbs that have developed on or near the southern shores of the port. More than 22,188 people live within of the port in the suburbs of Corlette, Lemon Tree Passage, Mallabula, Nelson Bay, Oyster Cove, Salamander Bay, Shoal Bay, Soldiers Point, Tanilba Bay and Taylors Beach. Another 5,343 people live in other suburbs on the Tomaree peninsula that are within of Port Stephens. These suburbs include Anna Bay, Boat Harbour, Bobs Farm, Fingal Bay, Fishermans Bay and One Mile.  Most urban development to the south of Port Stephens has occurred on the Tomaree peninsula in the suburbs of Corlette, Nelson Bay, Salamander Bay, Shoal Bay and Soldiers Point.  On the western shore is the suburb of Swan Bay, a small community of around 100 persons. The main industry in the area is oyster farming, however a small tourist resort is located near the mouth of Twelve Mile Creek. Karuah township, which has a population of 857, is at the north-western corner of the port, at the mouth of the Karuah River.  East of the Karuah River, in the Mid-Coast Council local government area there are 3,584 people living in Bundabah, Carrington, Hawks Nest, North Arm Cove, Pindimar, Tahlee and Tea Gardens.

Tourism and recreation.

Port Stephens is a popular tourism destination with a strong focus on aquatic activities such as whale and dolphin watching, fishing and recreational boating and swimming.

Port Stephens, an open youthful tide-dominated drowned-valley estuary, is a large natural harbour of approximately located in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia.

Port Stephens ist ein 20 Kilometer ins Land reichender Naturhafen nördlich von Newcastle an der australischen Ostküste im Bundesstaat New South Wales.


History and culture.

The original site on the Poesta River was first settled by the Burke, Carroll and Heffernan families in the 1830s. Present-day Beeville was established on a 150-acre land donation made by Ann Burke in May 1859 after the Republic of Texas was annexed by the United States. It was first named "Maryville" for pioneer Mary Heffernan.  It was renamed "Beeville" after Barnard E. Bee, Sr., who had served as Secretary of State and Secretary of War for the Republic of Texas. It was called "Beeville-on-the-Poesta", with a nearby community "Beeville-on-the-Medio" seven miles (11 km) to the west. The first post office opened in 1859.  In 1886, the first railroad was constructed through Beeville, stimulating the growth of the economy and population. The Southern Pacific Transportation Company operated these railroads until the early 1970s.  Beeville was incorporated as a town in 1890, but the incorporation was dissolved the following year. Beeville was reincorporated as a town again in 1908.  The city streets were paved in 1921.  The Rialto Theater, one of the Beeville structures designed by W. C. Stephenson, cost $25,000. The Rialto opened on August 19, 1922, with the silent film "The Three Musketeers" starring Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. Admission was twenty-five cents for adults and ten cents for children. The theater is now used for special occasions and live performances.  The Texas oil boom brought in many new residents, which grew the population of the city to 4,806 in 1930. By 1950, the population more than doubled to 9,348.  The United States Navy operated the Beeville Naval Air Station, which trained Navy airplane pilots during World War II from 1943 through 1946. The base was reopened in 1952 as Naval Air Station Chase Field, continuing in operation until 1992.  Beeville was served by Trans-Texas Airways (TTa) during the 1950s. TTa operated scheduled passenger flights with Douglas DC-3 prop airliners from Chase Field with service to Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Harlingen, Houston, San Antonio and other destinations in Texas.  In 1967, the town was inundated by of rain during Hurricane Beulah.  Today, the city of around 14,000 residents is enjoying something of a boom from the Eagle Ford Shale oil extraction project.

Geography.

The city's terrain ranges from flat to gently rolling slopes, set in the South Texas Brush Country.  Beeville is located between San Antonio and Corpus Christi. Travel time to Corpus Christi is approximately one hour by car, and travel time to San Antonio is approximately 11⁄2 hours by car.  According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, all of it land.

Climate.

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. The temperature is influenced by the warm waters of the nearby Gulf of Mexico. Prevailing southerly winds of 8 to 10 miles per hour (13 to 16 km/hr) come off the Gulf. Annual rainfall is about 30 inches (76 cm), fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Beeville has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Demographics.

At the 2000 census, there were 13,129 people, 4,697 households and 3,287 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,149.7 per square mile (829.6/km2). There were 5,539 housing units at an average density of 906.9 per square mile (350.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 72.08% White, 2.87% African American, 0.59% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 20.63% from other races, and 3.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 67.67% of the population.  There were 4,697 households of which 39.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 19.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.0% were non-families. 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.30.  31.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.5 males.  The median household income was $25,475 and the median family income was $27,794. Males had a median income of $26,761 and females $20,411. The per capita income was $11,027. About 26.5% of families and 30.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.8% of those under age 18 and 24.4% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure.

The Beeville City Council consists of Mayor Francisco (Frank) Dominguez Jr., Mayor Pro-tem Benny Puente, Eric Holland, Brian Watson, and Ford Patton.  The city has nine parks scattered among the neighborhoods, with a swimming pool at Martin Luther King-City Pool Park.

Prisons.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates the Correctional Institutions Division Region IV Office on the grounds of the Chase Field Industrial Complex, the former Naval Air Station Chase Field, in Beeville. In addition, Garza East Unit and Garza West Unit, transfer facilities, are co-located on the grounds of the naval air station, and the McConnell Unit lies about outside the city limits. The Beeville Distribution Center is on the grounds of the air station.  Joseph T. Hallinan, the author of the 2001 book "Going Up the River: Travels in a Prison Nation", described Beeville as a prison town. At the time Beeville was trying to attract more prison business since the employment is stable. Hallinan wrote that Beeville was attempting to be "a prison hub, becoming roughly what Pittsburgh is to steel or Detroit is to cars".

Education.

Beeville is served by the Beeville Independent School District, which has approximately 3,500 students in six schools.  A C Jones High School boasts newly turfed football stadium and a brand new softball and baseball complex. Sports include golf, boys' and girls' basketball, baseball, softball, powerlifting, boys' and girls soccer', tennis, track, wrestling and cheerleading. The teams are the Trojans and Lady Trojans, and their colors are orange and white. Other extra-curricular programs include the Dazzlers Dance Team, band, choir, theater arts.  The main campus of Coastal Bend College in Beeville opened in 1967 with 790 students. Today it has over 3,700 students, more than 1,200 of them full-time. Dormitories and apartments on campus provide affordable housing. The community college offers an associate degree in 26 different fields. (Other campuses are in Alice, Kingsville and Pleasanton.)

Library.

The Joe Barnhart Bee County Library is located in downtown Beeville, directly across the street from the Bee County Courthouse.

Art Museum.

The Beeville Art Museum is a teaching museum, relying on traveling exhibitions. It is housed in the Esther Barnhart House. The house was built in 1910 by the R.L. Hodges family and occupied by their descendants until 1975. In 1981, the Hodges house and adjacent acreage were purchased by Dr. Joe Barnhart of Houston. He named the house the Esther Barnhart House in honor of his mother. He then developed the land into a park for the community. He named the park the Joe Barnhart Park in honor of his father.

Beeville is a city in Bee County, Texas, United States, with a population of 12,863 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Bee County and home to the main campus of Coastal Bend College. The area around the city contains three prisons operated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Beeville ist eine Stadt und Sitz der County-Verwaltung (County Seat) des Bee Countys im US-Bundesstaat Texas in den Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika.


History.

The Beauforts were a powerful and wealthy family from the start, and rose to greater power after their half-brother and uncle became King Henry IV in 1399. However, in 1406, Henry IV decided that although the Beauforts were legitimate, their genetic line could not be used to make any claim to the throne. John Beaufort had already been created Earl of Somerset in 1397. His second son John became the first Duke of Somerset in 1443.  The second son (of John of Gaunt), Henry, became a bishop, Lord Chancellor, and a Cardinal; the third son, Thomas, became Duke of Exeter; and the daughter, Joan, married Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland. Joan had the most pedigree, her many descendants including the Dukes of York, Warwick the "Kingmaker", the Dukes of Norfolk, the Dukes of Buckingham, the Earls of Northumberland, and Henry VIII's last queen, Catherine Parr.  When the dynastic struggle known as the Wars of the Roses broke out in the later fifteenth century, the Beauforts were the chief supporters of Henry VI and the House of Lancaster.  Henry VII traced his claim to the English crown through his mother, Margaret Beaufort, granddaughter of John Beaufort, and great-granddaughter of John of Gaunt.  The Beauforts suffered heavily in the Wars of the Roses. Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset and his three elder sons were killed in the war, leaving no legitimate male heir. The male line was continued through Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester, illegitimate son of Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset.  Henry Somerset, 3rd Marquess of Worcester (1629–1700) was the great-great-great-great-grandson of Charles Somerset. He assisted in the Restoration to the throne of Charles II. In 1682, Charles created Henry Somerset the first Duke of Beaufort.  The Beaufort family in the male line is today represented by its cadet branch the House of Somerset, whose senior representative is Henry Somerset, 12th Duke of Beaufort.

Notable Beauforts.

These included:

The House of Beaufort is an English noble family, which originated in the fourteenth century and played an important role in the Wars of the Roses in the fifteenth century. The name Beaufort refers to Montmorency-Beaufort (France, département de l'Aube, Champagne), once the possession of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, third son of King Edward III.

Die Beauforts waren ein englisches Adelsgeschlecht im Mittelalter. Sie waren die illegitimen Nachkommen des John of Gaunt, eines Sohnes Eduards III. und seiner Geliebten Catherine Swynford. Nach der Hochzeit der Eltern wurden die Beauforts legitimiert, jedoch von der Thronfolge ausgeschlossen.


Company.

Structure.

Heathrow Connect had a complex operating structure: Heathrow Airport Holdings (formerly BAA) supplied the rolling stock and on-board staff through its Heathrow Express subsidiary, and owned the track from Airport Junction to the terminals. GWR collected the revenue for journeys between Paddington and Hayes & Harlington, while Heathrow Airport Holdings collected the revenue for journeys between Hayes & Harlington and Heathrow.

Fares.

Fares between Paddington and Hayes & Harlington were the same as for GWR services, but the single fare between Hayes and Heathrow was £6.30. Oyster cards, Travelcards and Freedom Passes were not valid between Hayes & Harlington and Heathrow, but could be used throughout the rest of the route. When the service was first introduced in 2005, the fare for the journey from Hayes to Heathrow was £6, which at £2 per mile made it one of the most expensive train journeys in the world.  The service was designed principally for the use of airport staff and West London residents for travel to Heathrow or Paddington. With a staff ID card, discounted fares were available for the journey between Hayes and Heathrow.  Heathrow Connect was marketed as a cheaper way to reach Paddington from Heathrow and vice versa, with a single fare of £10.30 (less than half the Heathrow Express fare, but almost double the price of a London Underground journey) and a journey time of 25 minutes against the Express time of 15 minutes. Passengers were also permitted to use their Railcards to access discounts. Originally it was not intended to be used as a cheaper (but slower) alternative to the Heathrow Express service from Paddington to Heathrow: every Connect service was overtaken by an Express service en route, and at Paddington trains were originally advertised on departure boards as running to Hayes & Harlington only. Standard-class travel between Heathrow Airport terminals was free, and this included Heathrow Connect services.

Operations.

Route.

Heathrow Connect used the relief lines of the Great Western Main Line between Paddington and Airport Junction, replacing some stopping services operated by First Great Western Link. As part of the original Heathrow Express project, these lines were electrified at 25 kV AC overhead as a diversionary route, and feature Automatic Train Protection. An additional flyover bridge was built in 2008 as part of Crossrail works to enable trains to enter or leave the airport spur without crossing any of the Great Western Main Line tracks.  Services initially terminated at Heathrow Central. Following Heathrow Express services being diverted to Terminal 5, from March 2008 Heathrow Connect services were extended to Terminal 4.  The service pattern,, was as follows:

Rolling stock.

Heathrow Connect used five-car electric multiple units. Four were built by Siemens Mobility in Krefeld, Germany for Angel Trains as demonstrator Desiros. One was brought to Northampton Kings Heath Siemens Depot in 2002 before South West Trains' Class 450s were delivered. The others were used at the Wildenrath Test Centre.  All four were purchased by Heathrow Connect and rebuilt before being sent to England. A fifth five-car set was delivered in November 2005, but did not enter service until December 2006. A fifth carriage was added to the original four four-car sets in 2006.

Replacement by TfL Rail.

On 20 May 2018, TfL Rail took over the services operated by Heathrow Connect as a precursor to the full opening of the Elizabeth line. Fares on the line are now integrated into the TfL fare scheme, and therefore match the fare scheme of London Underground services, with the exception of a premium for single journeys to and from Heathrow using Pay As You Go (Oyster and contactless). Passengers are able to use Oyster cards, Travelcards and Freedom Passes to travel between Hayes & Harlington and Heathrow.  Eventually the service will be re-branded as the Elizabeth line and train paths will be extended through the new tunnels at Paddington through Central London, calling at stations such as Bond Street, Liverpool Street and Canary Wharf. When the line opens fully, eastbound trains from Heathrow will terminate at Shenfield or Abbey Wood.  TfL Rail had originally planned to replace the existing Class 360 units with Class 345s, but due to delays with the signalling system in the Heathrow Airport tunnels and late delivery of Class 345 units, a contingency plan has been implemented. The Class 360s will continue to be used between London Paddington and Heathrow, supplemented by two Class 345 trains per hour running between London Paddington and the extended bay platform at Hayes & Harlington, until the Class 360s can be fully replaced.

Heathrow Connect was a train service in London provided jointly by Heathrow Express and Great Western Railway (GWR), between Paddington station and Heathrow Airport. The service followed the same route as the non-stop Heathrow Express service but called at certain intermediate stations, connecting several locations in West London with each other, the airport, and Central London. It ran every half-hour throughout the day and evening. The service was launched on 12 June 2005 and ceased on 19 May 2018, when it was absorbed into the TfL Rail franchise, in advance of becoming part of the Elizabeth line in 2021.

Heathrow Connect war der Name einer Zugverbindung zwischen dem Flughafen London Heathrow und dem Bahnhof Paddington im Zentrum von London. Sie verkehrte mit Triebwagen der Britischen Klasse 360 auf derselben Route wie der Heathrow Express, jedoch mit mehr Zwischenhalten. Seit Mai 2018 wird die Route im Rahmen des Crossrail-Projekts von TfL Rail bedient.


Plot.

The film starts with Ali fetching his little sister Zahra's pink shoes after a cobbler has repaired them. He leaves them unattended to buy some potatoes. While he is pre-occupied, a homeless man picks up the shoes, hidden in a bag, thinking it was garbage and takes them away. Frantic to find them, the young boy, thinking the shoes fell behind the crates, knocks over plates of vegetables and is chased away by the grocer.  Ali's family lives in a poor South Tehran neighbourhood, and are having financial trouble, so he fears to tell his parents about the mishap. The landlord argues with Ali's mother because she is five months behind on the rent, and the grocer has not been paid in a while either. Ali tells Zahra about the shoes and begs her not to tell their mother; she agrees. That night, Ali's father scolds him for not helping his ill mother when she asked. While the siblings were doing their homework, they passed notes to each other discussing what to do. They devise a scheme to share Ali's Converse sneakers: Zahra will wear them to school in the morning and return them to Ali at midday so he can attend afternoon classes. Ali does well on a test and his teacher awards him a gold-colored pen with the others in his class that got good grades; he gives it to Zahra to partially make up for losing her shoes. However, the uncomfortable arrangement between him and his sister leads to Ali being late three times in a row, no matter how hard he runs; the first time the principal ignores him, the second time he gives him a warning, the third time he tells Ali to leave and return with his father who is at work trying to make money. Ali's teacher, noticing Ali's tears, persuades the principal that Ali is at the top of his class and to give the boy one more chance and let him back into class.  One day, Zahra notices her missing pink shoes on another student, Roya's, feet. After class, Zahra secretly follows Roya home. She later brings Ali with her for a confrontation, but from hiding, they discover that Roya's father is blind, so they decide to leave. When Roya does well in her studies, her father buys her new violet shoes and throws away Zahra's. Zahra is dismayed when she finds out from her new friend.  Ali's father, anxious to earn more money, borrows some gardening equipment and heads off with Ali to the rich suburbs of North Tehran to find some gardening work. They try many places without success, though Ali proves to be a great help to his tongue-tied father. Finally, they come upon a mansion in which a six-year-old boy named Alireza lives under the care of his grandfather. While Ali plays with Alireza, his father works. When he is finished, Ali's father is surprised and elated by how generous the grandfather is. On the way home, Ali mentions in passing that Zahra could use a new pair of shoes; his father says that new shoes for his children is a good idea, however, their elation is short lived as their bicycle's brakes fail and the father is injured in the resulting crash.  Finally, Ali learns of a high-profile children's 4 kilometer footrace involving many schools; the third prize is one week at a vacation camp and a pair of sneakers. Ali sees this as his chance to earn a new pair of shoes for Zahra. To his bitter disappointment, in a hard-fought dash to the finish, he accidentally places first instead. Ali returns home where Zahra is waiting for him. However, before he can reveal to his sister his disappointment in his placement in the race, she is called away by their mother. In a separate scene, there is a quick shot of the children's father's bicycle as he's riding home, showing a pair of white and a pair of pink shoes among his purchases. In the final shot, Ali is dejected as his sneakers are torn from the race—he is then shown dipping his bare blistered feet in a pool.  Some versions include an epilogue revealing that Ali eventually achieves success in a racing career.

Production.

The film was shot in Tehran. It was attempted to keep the filming secret in order to capture a more realistic image of the city. The production costs have been estimated at US$180,000.The fim was distributed by Miramax.

Release.

Box office.

"Children of Heaven" premiered in February 1997 at the Tehran Fajr Film Festival and was awarded several national film awards. It opened in the US on January 22, 1999, and earned a US box office total of $933,933. The worldwide total was $1,628,579.

Critical reception.

Critical response to the film was highly positive. Some critics compared it to Vittorio de Sica's "Bicycle Thieves" (1948). Roger Ebert's review in the "Chicago Sun-Times" called it "very nearly a perfect movie for children" that "lacks the cynicism and smart-mouth attitudes of so much American entertainment for kids and glows with a kind of good-hearted purity".  In 1998, it became the first Iranian film to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, losing to the Italian film "Life Is Beautiful" by Roberto Benigni. The majority of its US earnings came after the nomination was announced. After the film had become well known worldwide due to the Oscar nomination, it was shown in several European, South American, and Asian countries between 1999 and 2001. It was successfully shown in numerous film festivals and won awards at the Fajr Film Festival, the World Film Festival, the Newport International Film Festival, the Warsaw International Film Festival, and the Singapore International Film Festival. It competed for the Grand Prize at the American Film Institute's festival of 1997.  While watching the film, Singaporean filmmaker Jack Neo and his wife were moved to "holding hands and crying after seeing the love shared by the children". "Children of Heaven" inspired Neo to explore issues faced by Singaporean youths in his 2002 film "I Not Stupid".

Children of Heaven ( "Bačče-hâ-ye âsemân") is a 1997 Iranian family drama film written and directed by Majid Majidi. It deals with a brother and sister and their adventures over a lost pair of shoes. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1998.

Kinder des Himmels ( "Bacheha-Ye aseman") ist ein iranischer Film aus dem Jahr 1997. Majid Majidi führte Regie und schrieb das Drehbuch zu dem Kinderfilm. Die Hauptrollen spielten Amir Farrokh Hashemian und Bahare Seddiqi.


Early years.

Norman was born in Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia to Mervin and Toini Norman. His mother was the daughter of a Finnish carpenter, and his father an electrical engineer. As a youth, he played rugby and cricket and aspired to be a professional surfer. His mother Toini, who had a single-figure handicap, taught the 15-year-old Norman how to golf and allowed him to caddy for her at the Virginia Golf Club in Brisbane. Within about eighteen months, Norman went from a 27 handicap to a scratch handicap. Norman attended Townsville Grammar School in Townsville, Queensland (enrolled 1964) then moved on to Aspley State High School on the north side of Brisbane.

Career.

Early professional career: 1975–1980.

In 1975, at the age of 20, Norman served as assistant professional under Billy McWilliam OAM at Beverley Park Golf Club in Sydney, New South Wales. Shortly thereafter, in the same year, Norman started work as Charlie Earp's trainee in the Royal Queensland Golf Club pro shop, earning A$38 a week. In 1976, six years after he first began to golf, Norman turned professional as a tournament player. That year he earned his first victory at the West Lakes Classic at The Grange Golf Club in Adelaide, South Australia. He joined the European Tour in 1977, and had his first victory in a European event that same season, the Martini International, at the Blairgowrie Club in Scotland.  In 1980, Norman earned a sizable victory in the French Open, winning the tournament by ten shots. He won the Scandinavian Enterprise Open in Sweden with a course record of 64 in the final round. Later in 1980, Norman won the Suntory World Match Play Championship. Norman also won his first Australian Open that year, his first of five wins in that event.

European Tour success and joining the PGA Tour: 1981–1985.

In 1981, Norman finished in 4th place on his debut at the Masters in Augusta, finishing just three strokes behind the winner Tom Watson. Norman had a victory in the 1981 British Masters and he won his third Martini International tournament that year as well. In 1982, Norman was the leading money winner on the European Tour. He won three European events that year, including successfully defending his British Masters title. The following year, Norman joined the U.S. PGA Tour.  In June 1984, Norman won his maiden PGA Tour victory at the Kemper Open, winning by five strokes. He gained worldwide prominence a week later at the 1984 U.S. Open. Norman holed a dramatic 45-foot putt on the 72nd hole to force a playoff with former Masters champion Fuzzy Zoeller. At the next day's 18-hole playoff, Zoeller would earn a 67-75 victory over Norman. He was able to put the defeat behind him with a victory at the Canadian Open the next month in July for his second win of the year.  In 1985, Norman won the Toshiba Australian PGA Championship and the National Panasonic Australian Open. He had two runner-up finishes in the U.S. PGA Tour that year, finishing tied for second place at the Canadian Open and at the Bank of Boston Classic.

First major and the "Saturday Slam" season: 1986.

In 1986, Norman's 11 worldwide victories that year included four wins in Australia and two regular PGA Tour events; the Panasonic Las Vegas Invitational and the Kemper Open (for the second time) but 1986 is remembered for the "Norman Slam" or the "Saturday Slam." Norman held the lead for all four majors through 54 holes. This meant he played in the final group for every major and had perhaps the best chance in history of winning the single season Grand Slam. However, the only major victory Norman earned that year was in the 1986 Open Championship at Turnberry.  At the 1986 Masters, Norman began the final round with a one stroke lead which he maintained until he double-bogeyed the 10th. After making four consecutive birdies on holes 14 to 17, Norman was tied with Jack Nicklaus going to the 18th. Norman missed a par putt on the 18th that would have sent the two into a sudden death playoff. At the 1986 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, Norman again led after 54 holes. However, Norman faltered on the final day, finishing with a final round 75 placing him six strokes behind the winner, Raymond Floyd.  Norman finally broke through at the 1986 Open Championship for his first major title. Norman shot a second round of 63 on Friday at Turnberry, tying the record for the lowest ever round at the Open. Only 15 players broke par in the second round. Tom Watson described Norman's feat as "the greatest round ever played in a tournament in which I was a competitor." Norman survived the weekend's brutal conditions at Turnberry, with a final round of 69 to win The Open by five shots. After being presented with the Claret Jug trophy, Norman said: "Outside of Australia, Britain was the first place that accepted me as a professional golfer. To win my first Open in front of the British public is the greatest feeling ever." Norman was again in contention at the 1986 PGA Championship. He was in the lead on the final day, but shot a final round 76 to finish 2 strokes behind the eventual winner, Bob Tway.  Norman's four wins in Australia in 1986 helped him to finish top of the Australian Order of Merit for the fifth time. He also topped the U.S. PGA Tour money list for the first time that year. In September 1986, Norman won the Panasonic European Open at Sunningdale Golf Club and the following month he had another victory in England, winning his third World Match Play Championship at Wentworth. Norman ended 1986 with eleven worldwide victories and was officially ranked number 1 in the brand new Official World Golf Rankings.

Professional career: 1987–1990.

Norman endured another setback at the 1987 Masters. In his final round on the 18th green, Norman had a 20-foot putt for a birdie that would win the tournament. The ball trickled over the left lip of the cup, missing by millimetres. After Norman's par on the 72nd hole at Augusta, he found himself in a sudden-death playoff with Larry Mize and Seve Ballesteros. On the second playoff hole, with Ballesteros eliminated, Mize holed a 47-yard (140-foot) chip to win the tournament. Norman did, however, win the Australian Masters in February 1987 and the Australian Open later in the year by a record ten shots at Royal Melbourne Golf Club, beating the previous Australian Open record winning margin of eight strokes by Jack Nicklaus in 1971. Norman's 1987 victory at the Australian Open lifted him back above Seve Ballesteros to the top of the Official World Golf Ranking.  Norman had another four wins in Australia in 1988. In the U.S., Norman won the MCI Heritage Golf Classic at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina in April 1988, inspired by a leukemia-stricken teenager who got his wish to meet Norman and watch him play. The teenage boy was only supposed to watch the golfer for two rounds, but Norman arranged for him to stay until the tournament's completion. After the tournament, Norman awarded the teenager with the trophy. He was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in that year.  At the 1989 Masters, Norman missed a 12-foot par putt on the 72nd hole which would have put him into a playoff with Nick Faldo and Scott Hoch. Norman had another chance at a major in 1989, this time at the Open Championship at Royal Troon. He played a final-round of 64, starting his round with six straight birdies, to force his way into a playoff with Mark Calcavecchia and Wayne Grady. Going into the final playoff hole, Norman and Calcavecchia were tied, but two successive bunker shots by Norman gave Calcavecchia the victory.  Norman won the Doral-Ryder Open and Memorial Tournament in 1990. He also missed the cut for the first time at Augusta National in the 1990 Masters. In the 1990 Open Championship at St Andrews, Norman began with two rounds of 66, leaving himself sharing the lead with Nick Faldo after 36 holes and the pair four shots ahead of the rest of the field. Faldo then shot a third round of 67, but Norman could only manage 76. Norman finished the tournament tied for sixth place, while Faldo won by five shots. Although 1990 was not Norman's strongest majors year, he finished at the top of the PGA Tour money list for the second time in his career and won the Vardon Trophy and Byron Nelson Award. Later that year, he won the Australian Masters in his home country for a final and record sixth time.

Professional career: 1991–2009.

After a career slump in the early 1990s, Norman turned to renowned coach Butch Harmon for help. Together, the two rebuilt Norman's game by solving mechanical problems that had crept into his swing. As a result of this training, Norman earned his second major at Royal St George's in the 1993 Open Championship. There, in ideal conditions, Norman defeated a leaderboard consisting of Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer and Corey Pavin. Norman's final round 64 was the lowest score by a winner in Open history until Henrik Stenson's 63 at the 2016 Open Championship.  During the following year, 1994, Norman easily beat records for the lowest 18-, 54-, and 72-hole scores at The Players Championship. After opening with a course record-tying 63, he followed with three 67s to give him a final total of 264 strokes, or 24 under par—six strokes better than any previous winner. Norman finished third at the 1995 Masters and was the runner-up at the 1995 U.S. Open. In June, Norman won his second Memorial Tournament, a victory that marked the beginning of one of his best years on the PGA Tour. After his win at the Canon Greater Hartford Open, aided by a chip-in in for eagle on No. 14 in the final round, Norman overtook Nick Price as the number one golfer in the world. Later, he won the NEC World Series of Golf, holing a 70-foot birdie chip shot to defeat Billy Mayfair and Nick Price in a playoff on the first hole. He ultimately held the No. 1 ranking for 331 weeks in his career. He also topped the money list for the third time and was named PGA Player of the Year.  The following year, Norman opened the 1996 Masters Tournament with a course record-tying 63 which put him at the top of the leaderboard. He held the lead through three days of play. Norman took a six-stroke lead into the final round and lost the tournament to Nick Faldo by five strokes, shooting a Sunday 78 to Faldo's 67. In January 1997, Norman won his largest winner's check to date, one million dollars, when he won the Andersen Consulting World Championship of Golf. Norman then won two tournaments in 1997, but they were his final victories on the PGA Tour. In 1998, Norman missed part of the season after suffering hip and shoulder injuries. He contended in the 1999 Masters tournament, tying for the lead with five holes remaining before finishing third, three strokes behind, and again in the 1999 Open Championship, eventually finishing 6th, three strokes behind.  In July 2008, despite not playing in a major for three years, Norman finished nine over par in a tie for third at The Open Championship after being the 54-hole leader by two strokes. At 53, he set the record in becoming the oldest 54-hole leader in a major championship; a record that would last for just one year, until 59-year-old Tom Watson led the 2009 Open Championship after three rounds.

Champions Tour.

Norman turned 50 in February 2005, but has kept his distance from the senior golf circuit. This is due, in part, because of his focus on business, but also because of lingering hip and back issues. In 2003, Norman said: "Hitting about four million golf balls has created unfortunate wear and tear." He had knee surgery in October 2005 and February 2006. Norman believes his back injuries could have been averted had he been introduced to the concept of golf fitness early in his career.

Career achievements and legacy.

Norman has earned more than $1 million five times on the U.S. PGA Tour, including three Arnold Palmer Awards as the Tour's leading money winner in 1986, 1990 and 1995. He was also the first person in Tour history to surpass $10 million in career earnings. He has 30 top-10 finishes in majors, or more than 38% of those he has entered. His 20 PGA Tour wins in the 1980s and 1990s ranks second behind Tom Watson (21 total) during this span. He had the lowest total four round score in the history of The Open Championship 267, in 1993, (since broken by Henrik Stenson in 2016), and The Players Championship (264, in 1994).  Norman's dominance over his peers (despite his comparative lack of success in the majors) was probably best expressed in the Official World Golf Rankings: Norman finished the year on top of the ranking list on seven occasions, in 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1996 and 1997, and was second at the end of 1988, 1993 and 1994. Norman won the PGA Tour of Australia's Order of Merit six times: 1978, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1986 and 1988. He won the European Tour's Order of Merit in 1982, and topped the PGA Tour's money list in 1986, 1990, and 1995. He won the Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average on the PGA Tour three times: 1989, 1990 and 1994; and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2001.  In 1986, Norman was awarded the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year Award, a feat he replicated in 1993 to join Muhammad Ali as a multiple winner of the award (now also joined by Roger Federer and Usain Bolt). In 2007, Norman was elevated to "Legend" status in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. He received the 2008 Old Tom Morris Award from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, GCSAA's highest honour, at the 2008 Golf Industry Show in Orlando. Norman is a member of The Environmental Institute for Golf's board of trustees and also chairs The Institute's advisory council. He was also the recipient of the Golf Writers Association of America's 2008 Charlie Bartlett Award. In 2009 Norman was inducted into the Queensland Sport Hall of Fame.  In 2015, the PGA of Australia established the Greg Norman Medal, which is awarded to the best Australian male or female golfer in a given year. He also received the Australian Global Icon Award and the National Golf Course Owner's Association Award of Merit both in 2015.

Playing style.

Norman had a bold and aggressive style of play. He is widely regarded as one of the best drivers of the golf ball in his era. In the fourteen seasons between 1984 and 1997, Norman finished in the top 20 in total driving on the PGA Tour twelve times and in the top 6 nine times (including first in 1988, 1989 and 1993). When driving long and straight off the tee with a persimmon (wood) clubhead in his prime, Norman intimidated many of his fellow professionals. His high ball flight enabled him to carry the ball very long distances. In 2009, Nick Price said: "The best driver I ever saw was Greg Norman."

Greg Norman Company.

Norman founded the Greg Norman Company (originally known as Great White Shark Enterprises (GWSE)) in 1993 after leaving his previous management group, IMG. The now multinational corporation is headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida. He initially used the Reebok-licensed shark logo for his line of apparel; it now represents over a dozen different businesses. The company reports hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue annually. In 2016, the company changed its branding to become the "Greg Norman Company."  The following is a list of all business properties wholly owned by Great White Shark Enterprises.

Greg Norman Golf Course Design.

First established in 1987, Greg Norman Golf Course Design (GNGCD) has been responsible for the creation of over 100 golf courses across the world.

Greg Norman Collection.

The Greg Norman Collection began in 1992 after Reebok gave Norman his own line of clothing. It reached $100 million in annual sales in 2005. The collection is composed largely of golf-inspired activewear for men and women.

Greg Norman Estates.

Greg Norman Estates is a wine company that produces 14 different varietals from Australia, California, and Argentina. The brand is known for attracting attention from "Wine Spectator", having earned the number 8 spot in the world with a 1998 Reserve Shiraz. Greg Norman Estates controls 60% of the market share of all premium Australian wines.

Greg Norman Real Estate.

The real estate division of the company is responsible for a variety of developments and projects including the Medalist Village in Hobe Sound, Florida. The Greg Norman Design Group is a separate wing of the real estate division that deals in interior design.

Great White Shark Opportunity Fund.

The Great White Shark Opportunity Fund is an asset-based, debt-lending fund that invests in public and private small- to mid-cap growth companies throughout the world. The platform offers alternative lending and flex capital.

Shark Wake Park.

A joint venture between Norman and his son, Greg Norman, Jr., Shark Wake Park is a brand of wakeboarding complexes. The first park opened in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in June 2016, and a second, larger park opened in June 2019 in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Shark Experience.

Norman launched a connected golf cart in 2017 with partners Verizon, GPSi and Club Car. The cart is equipped with touchscreen display for music and GPS while playing a course.

Greg Norman Eyewear.

Debuting in 2011, Greg Norman Eyewear provides sunglasses that are designed for use on the golf course. The brand has a partnership with Aspex Eyewear and is distributed in the United States by Aspex.

Greg Norman Australian Prime.

Greg Norman Australian Prime is a branded line of premium Wagyu steaks and other beef products.

Greg Norman Australian Grille.

Located in Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Greg Norman Australian Grille offers fine dining with an Australian theme.

Non-GWSE properties and partnerships.

In addition to the wholly owned companies under the company umbrella, there are also numerous partially owned companies and partnerships. For instance, Norman invested in and became the ambassador for Vancouver-based GPS Industries in 2004. GWSE partnered with Kohlberg & Company to acquire Troon Golf, one of the world's largest golf management companies with over 250 golf courses in its portfolio. Norman is also a leading investment partner in Alchemy Global, a firm that seeks investors for sports startups.  Norman is also the brand ambassador and partner to numerous companies including Qantas (a partnership he's been in since 1976), Cobra Golf, OMEGA, and others.  In 2017, Authentic Brands Group become a controlling partner for the consumer products division of The Greg Norman Company.

Other ventures.

Philanthropy.

The QBE Shootout, formerly known as the Shark Shootout, is a PGA Tour team golf event hosted by Greg Norman. The event is played at the Tiburón Golf Club in Naples, Florida. The shootout benefits CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation. The Greg Norman Golf Foundation was formed by Greg Norman and his father Merv Norman in 1987. The foundation provides professional guidance and instruction throughout Queensland to school students and those in other educational establishments, children with specific physical disabilities, and junior members of golf clubs. The Environmental Institute for Golf the philanthropic arm of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), is a collaborative effort of the environmental and golf communities, dedicated to strengthening the compatibility of golf with the natural environment. Norman became a Trustee of the Institute and a member of its advisory council in 2004.

Broadcasting.

On 23 April 2014, Fox Sports announced that Norman would join Joe Buck as its lead commentary team for its coverage of the USGA's championships beginning in 2015. However, following criticism of his performance at the 2015 U.S. Open, Norman was let go in January 2016.

Autobiography.

Norman released his autobiography, titled "The Way of the Shark", in 2006.

Personal life.

Norman had a brief romance with British tennis player Sue Barker before he met Laura Andrassy, an American flight attendant. Norman married Andrassy in July 1981. They had two children—Greg Norman, Jr. and Morgan-Leigh. They divorced in 2006, with Andrassy receiving a $105 million settlement. He married former World No. 1 tennis player Chris Evert on Paradise Island in the Bahamas in June 2008, but they separated after only 15 months and were subsequently divorced. In November 2010, Norman married interior designer Kirsten Kutner on Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands, with Greg Jr. as his best man. Norman has two grandchildren—Harrison and Hendrix.

Professional wins (89).

PGA Tour wins (20).

PGA Tour playoff record (4–8)

European Tour wins (14).

European Tour playoff record (1–6)

PGA Tour of Australasia wins (32).

PGA Tour of Australasia playoff record (1–2)

Major championships.

Results timeline.

CUT = missed the halfway cut (3rd round cut in 1977 and 1980 Open Championships) WD = withdrew "T" indicates a tie for a place.

The Players Championship.

Results timeline.

CUT = missed the halfway cut WD = withdrew "T" indicates a tie for a place.

Results in World Golf Championships.

Cancelled due to 9/11
  QF, R16, R32, R64 = round in which player lost in match play
 "T" = tied
 NT = no tournament

Gregory John Norman AO (born 10 February 1955) is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 Official World Golf Rankings ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s. He has won 89 professional tournaments, including 20 PGA Tour tournaments and two majors: The Open Championships in 1986 and 1993. Norman also earned thirty top-10 finishes and was the runner-up 8 times in majors throughout his career. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2001 with the highest percentage of votes (80%) of any golfer to date. In a reference to his blond hair, size, aggressive golf style and his birthplace's native coastal animal, Norman's nickname is "The Great White Shark" (often shortened to just "The Shark"), which he earned after his play at the 1981 Masters.

Gregory John „Greg“ Norman AO (* 10. Februar 1955 in Mount Isa, Queensland) ist ein australischer Profigolfspieler, der in den 1980er und 1990er Jahren 331 Wochen lang die Golfweltrangliste anführte. Aufgrund seiner weißblonden Haarpracht wird er ', ‚der Weiße Hai‘, (oder kurz: ', ‚der Hai‘) genannt.


History.

The station was opened on 1 September 1887 on the Metropolitan Railway's extension from the previous terminus at Pinner, en route to Rickmansworth. Northwood was rebuilt in the 1960s so that platforms would be on the Watford slow lines rather than the Amersham fast lines. In the original Crossrail plans, Crossrail would have connected to Aylesbury via the fast lines from Harrow to Rickmansworth and Northwood would have been an interchange with two extra platforms (meaning that the fast platforms at Moor Park would have been demolished) built on the fast lines. However, plans for this were dropped during the late 1990s.  Northwood used to be a terminus for many Metropolitan trains, similar to the status of Harrow-on-the-Hill and Neasden, due to the placement of two sidings. Nowadays when there are engineering works or delays near Northwood, trains would turn around there. The goods depot has been demolished and the station car park has replaced it. The sidings were also a role to load A60/A62 Stock and C69/C77 Stock trains onto lorries, where they went to scrap.

Services.

In the northbound direction the station is served by trains to Watford (4tph), Amersham (2tph) and Chesham (2tph) trains (at peak times, 'fast' trains do not stop at stations between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Moor Park). In the southbound direction off-peak services generally run 4tph to Baker Street and 4tph to Aldgate.

Connections.

London Buses routes 282, 331 and H11 and Non TFL route LSP route 8 serve the station.

Northwood is a station on the Watford branch of the Metropolitan line, in Travelcard Zone 6. The station is located just off the main road through the town, Green Lane. The line serves as the sole continuous link between the town of Northwood and London, key for a region known as Metro-Land.

Northwood ist eine oberirdische Station der London Underground im Stadtbezirk London Borough of Hillingdon. Sie liegt in der Travelcard-Tarifzone 6 an der Green Lane. Die von der Metropolitan Line bediente Station wurde im Jahr 2013 von 2,28 Millionen Fahrgästen genutzt.


Early life.

Chara grew up in Kawaguchi, Saitama. She started learning the piano from age four, and starting composing songs in elementary school. In her first year of elementary school, she performed a song she had written,, at a school piano recital.  She originally received her nickname "Chara" in junior high school, after a teacher called her this. She was so well known by this name that even some of her friends did not know her real name. She continues to use this name as she believes it brings out her inner child. After finishing high school, Chara went to Tokyo to a vocational school, majoring in music and specialising in piano. However, she dropped out one year into her two-year degree.  From 1984 onward, she worked as a keyboardist in several different unsigned bands. During this time, she found part-time work as a roller-skating waitress. In 1988, to get a chance to sing her own compositions, she decided to become a band vocalist instead. Her first live performance was at the Shinjuku Ruido live house in 1990.

Career.

1991–1995 Early releases.

Chara sent a demo tape to Sony Music in 1990, which caught the attention of Masahiro Ohara and landed her a deal with Epic Records Japan She recorded her debut album in early 1991 in Tokyo and London, and debuted in September with a performance at the Shibuya Club Quattro and the release of her debut single "Heaven". In October, Chara became a personality on the ANN music show Video Jam, and later in November released her debut album "Sweet". The album was not very successful, only reaching No. 64 on Oricon's album charts.  Chara's career gained more momentum after her first tour, "Chara Live "Sweet"" in May 1992. She became a radio personality for the FM Yokohama, with her own radio show, and her second album, Soul Kiss, won the 1992 Japan Record Award for best rock/pop album from a new artist. The album reached No. 14 on the album charts.  In 1993, she starred in many different commercials (or had her songs featured in them), including commercials for Suntory, Shiseido, Marui and Snow Brand ice creams. Her single, the song used in the Shiseido campaign, was her first top 100 charting single, reaching No. 66. The resulting album, "Violet Blue", debuted at No. 4 on the charts. Her 1994 album, "Happy Toy", riding on the success of her first top 50 single, also debuting at No. 4.  In spring 1994, she filmed the Shunji Iwai film Picnic, in which she played a mental patient. The film would not be released for another two years. She starred aside Tadanobu Asano, whom she married in 1995. Chara took a short break from music, releasing "Chara the Best Baby Baby Baby XXX" and giving birth to her first child, a girl named.Sumire means violet.

1996–2001 Mainstream success.

In February 1996, Chara began filming her second film for Iwai, titled "Swallowtail Butterfly". She played, a slum prostitute with musical aspirations. Chara recorded the soundtrack for the movie, collaborating with Mr. Children music producer Takeshi Kobayashi to create a Beatles-esque sound. The music was released under the name "Yen Town Band", the name of the band Glico forms in the film.  Before the movie's release, the theme song "Swallowtail Butterfly (Ai no Uta)" was released, along with Chara's first film with Iwai, Picnic, finding a proper cinema release. The film was a massive hit, propelling Chara to stardom. Both the concept album, "Montage", and the theme song reached No. 1 on Oricon charts. Her performance awarded her a Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role nomination. The film won the "Most Popular Film" award.  Chara's fame soared, as shown by her next album "Junior Sweet". The main single from the album, "Yasashii Kimochi" (the Shiseido 'Tessera J' CM song), was a big hit, selling over 520,000 copies and became her second biggest hit after "Swallowtail Butterfly (Ai no Uta)". The album was certified by the RIAJ as selling over 1,000,000 copies.  Her 1999 album, "Strange Fruits", saw some success, debuting at No. 3 and selling over 300,000 copies. Chara teamed up with Judy and Mary vocalist Yuki to release a special single called "Ai no Hi Mittsu Orange". This song is Chara's third biggest hit, selling over 230,000 copies.  In 2000, Chara released her second best-of collection, "", and 2001 released her 8th album, "Madrigal". "Madrigal" featured two tracks co-written with American guitarist James Iha.

2001–2005 Mean Machine.

In late 2001, Chara released music as the drummer of the twin-drum all-girl rock band, Mean Machine, alongside Yuki, "Swallowtail" actress Ayumi Ito, 1980s musician Mayumi Chiwaki and former funk/rock band Jagatara dancer Yukarie. The band was conceived in 1998, when Chiwaki mentioned to Chara that she thought it would be good to start up a girls' rock band. One of the tenets of the band was that all members would have to do something they'd never tried before, landing Chara on drums. The band first practiced in 1999, and continued to sporadically practice throughout 2000, despite different members' schedules.  In 2001, the band debuted with the song, which was written by Chara during her second pregnancy, inspired by the breathing sounds of the Lamaze technique. Soon after, the band released their debut album "Cream".  In 2003, Chara released her 9th solo album, "Yoake Mae", and in 2004 released an album of re-recordings of songs from her early albums, "A Scenery Like Me". This heralded the end of Chara's Sony contract. Chara self-released her music after this point, recording songs from her own home and self-producing her work. These recordings resulted in a limited 2,000 copy album, "Something Blue", and a digital single (used as the theme song for the Japanese release of the movie "March of the Penguins").  During this period, Chara created several bands. One, "Cold Sugar" was a collaboration with Arai Akino.

2006–present.

Chara re-debuted as a major label artist in 2006, with the release of the single "Sekai". Her single "Fantasy" was a minor hit, reaching No. 13 on Oricon charts. It was written in collaboration with Seiji Kameda, producer for artists such as Do As Infinity and bassist for the band Tokyo Jihen. The following album, "Union", also fared well. It reached the top 5 in Oricon's album charts, and outsold her former two Sony released albums. On the back of Chara's returned success, Sony released the compilation album, "".  Chara's Universal singles have fared better on digital charts. "Trophy", a single from Chara's second Universal album "Honey", did well digitally, despite the physical release only reaching No. 37.  After the end of her contract with Universal, Chara released a new mini-album, Utakata, on November 2011 under BounDEE Inc. (a subsidiary of Space Shower Networks, the owners of Space Shower TV). "Utakata" charted at 56th spot on the Oricon charts and lasted there for three weeks.  Last December 14, 2011, Chara announced in a concert at Shibuya-AX her transfer to Ki/oon Records (now Ki/oon Music), an imprint of Sony Music Japan. She joined Ki/oon's 20th anniversary concert tour, "Ki/oon 20 Years and Days", in April 2012 at Liquidroom Ebisu, Tokyo. She released her first single through Ki/oon, "Alterna Girlfriend", on June 6, 2012.

Personal life.

In 1994, Chara married actor Tadanobu Asano. She met Asano on the set of the 1994 film "Picnic", in which they were both starring actors. Chara gave birth to a daughter,, on July 4, 1995. Chara also had a son with Asano on December 19, 1998. The couple attended the 80th Academy Awards in Los Angeles in 2008, as the film "Mongol", in which Asano starred, was nominated for the best foreign film category as the submission from Kazakhstan. On July 25, 2009, Chara announced her amicable divorce from Asano, after fourteen years of marriage. Chara has two tattoos: a blue bird on her back, and a on her neck. Chara's children feature in her music. Sumire features on the cover of her album "Honey", which also has a track named after her.

, better known by her stage name Chara, is a Japanese singer, actress and video jockey. She debuted in 1991 with the single "Heaven". She is most well known for her song "Swallowtail Butterfly (Ai no Uta)", the theme song for the 1996 Shunji Iwai film "Swallowtail Butterfly" (in which she starred), her 1997 hit single "Yasashii Kimochi", and her collaboration with Judy and Mary vocalist Yuki, "Ai no Hi Mittsu Orange". Chara later formed a band with Yuki, called Mean Machine.

Chara (jap. ; * 13. Januar 1968 in Kawaguchi, Präfektur Saitama), eigentlich "Miwa Satō" (, "Satō Miwa"), geborene "Miwa Watabiki" (, "Watabiki Miwa"), ist eine japanische Sängerin und Schauspielerin.


Life.

After his father's death in 1439, Jan II was still a minor and was placed with his brother Wenceslaus under the care of their older brothers Balthasar and Rudolf. The division of their domains was effective in 1449: Jan II and Wenceslaus received Przewóz as co-rulers. However, because at that time Wenceslaus was mentally ill, the full government of the Duchy was taken by Jan II.  The small Duchy of Przewóz did not satisfy the ambitions of Jan II, who demanded an equal division from his older brothers. The dispute ended in 1453, due to the mediation of Frederick of Saxony.  After Rudolf's death in 1454 and during the absence of Balthasar, who was in Prussia, Jan II declared himself Governor of the Duchy of Żagań. He then forced the Duchy states to pay tribute to him, an order that was eventually revoked when Balthasar return to Silesia in 1458.  The disputes erupted again in 1461, when Jan II, with the help of George of Poděbrady, King of Bohemia invaded Żagań and deposed his brother, who was forced to escape. In the same year, after the death of his mother Scholastika, he inherited her, the town of Nowogród Bobrzański. Seven years later, in 1468, Jan II lost Żagań, when Balthasar managed to recover the duchy, with the help of his cousin Henry XI of Głogów.  Jan II was determined to recapture Żagań, and, this time with the assistance of the Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus (who received from him florins to recruiting the needed troops who help him to win the Bohemian crown), he successfully invaded the Duchy again in 1472. Balthasar was captured and imprisoned, initially in the village of Witoszyn and later in the tower of the Przewóz castle, where, according to some sources, he was starved to death by order of Jan II (15 April 1472).  However, after only some months as a ruler of Żagań, he unexpectedly sold the Duchy (including Przewóz ) to the rulers of Saxony, Ernest and Albert, for Hungarian florins (12 December 1472). The agreement, confirmed by Matthias Corvinus, also guaranteed a decent pension to Wenceslaus. Since then, the Duke was called "Jan Lackland" ("Janem Bez Ziemi").  Despite the sale of his Duchy, Jan II sought to remain active in the political affairs. In 1474, at the head of troops recruited by Matthias Corvinus, he organized a successful rally at the Greater Poland, from where he brought a rich spoil. There is, of course, has very good relations with Poland.  In 1476 Henry XI of Głogów died, likely poisoned by Brandenburg agents. In his will he left his possessions to his child-widow Barbara (daughter of Albert III Achilles, Elector of Brandenburg) with reversion to her family. As the next male relative, Jan II claimed the succession of his cousin and refused to recognize the late Duke's will; also, he soon had to face the pretensions not only of Albert III Achilles but also of the King Casimir IV Jagiellon of Poland and Matthias Corvinus.  In the first phase of the war, Jan II was supported by Matthias Corvinus. His opponents sought support from Brandenburg, Bohemia and Poland. Soon was arranged the marriage between the King Władysław Jagiellon of Bohemia (Casimir IV's son) and Barbara of Brandenburg; however, this union was never consummated and under the Canon Law was invalid. Jan II used the influence of the Bohemian King in Rome and tried to force the inhabitants of Głogów to take the oath of loyalty in his favor, but they refused. The Papal legate then imposed the excommunication on Głogów, which forced them to submit to Jan II.  The Jan II's first success was on 7 December 1476, when the states of Żagań paid homage to him. One day later, on 8 December, Matthias Corvinus declared Henry XI's will null and void because the late Duke wrote them when mentally ill. By 1476–1477 the Bohemian troops gained Szprotawa and Kożuchów. In the hands of the Elector Albert III Achilles remained only Krosno Odrzańskie. In early 1477 a truce was announced between the warring parties, who lasted until April 1477. The war was resumed in spring 1477 and began years of war between the Bohemian and Hungarian troops. The disaster worsened the situation of Jan II and his Hungarian allies. However, the residents of Głogów maintain his fidelity to Jan II. The parties tried to resolve the fighting through diplomacy, but in the autumn of 1477 the truce was broken by Jan II, who invaded the Brandenburg possessions and even besieged Berlin and Frankfurt. The war continued during all 1478 with several battles. In the meanwhile, the ex-Duke of Żagań strengthened the position in Głogów. In mid-1479 a truce was concluded between the warring parties, under which the Elector Albert III Achilles gave up his claims over the Duchy of Głogów for the amount of 50,000 florins. Negotiations between Jan II and the Elector of Brandenburg lasted until September 1482. Jan II retained Głogów, but the northern part was taken by Brandenburg (around Krosno Odrzańskie, Sulechów, Świebodzin and Lubsko). According to the agreement with Matthias Corvinus, Jan II only ruled Głogów during his lifetime. After his death, the Duchy was inherited by the Hungarian King and his descendants.  In 1480 Jan II attempted to unify Głogów (the Duchy was divided in two parts, one belonged to him, and the other, which previously belonged to the Cieszyn branch, was now in power of the Bohemian Kingdom). After a siege of seven weeks, on 1 May 1480 the city was conquered and the Duchy of Głogów was finally reunited after almost 150 years of separation.  Despite all this success, Jan II's ambition became higher and therefore war erupted between him and Matthias Corvinus. The Duke of Głogów became ally of Henry I the Elder, son of George of Poděbrady and Duke of Oleśnica; as a part of the alliance, the marriage was arranged of Henry I's three sons with Jan II's three daughters. The marriage of the eldest single of Jan II's daughters, Salome, with Henry I's eldest son, Albert I was celebrated on 11 January 1487 in Głogów. One year later, on 6 January 1488, the formal betrothal was made of the other two Jan II's daughters, Hedwig and Anna, with the other two Henry I's sons, George I and Charles I. In the ceremony, Jan II declared his intentions to leave the Duchy of Głogów to his three sons-in-law after his death. That statement caused the reaction of Matthias Corvinus and the beginning of the war. Jan II wanted at all costs to force his subjects to swear fidelity to their future rulers. Unfortunately, they showed a strong resistance, even after the Duke sentenced to death seven members of the city council. In May 1488 began the siege of Głogów, culminating with the Jan II's capitulation in November of that year. The deposed Duke renounced to his claims over Głogów for 20,000 guilders.  In subsequent years, he tried unsuccessfully to find a piece of the Silesian Duchies where he could spend the rest of his turbulent life. He even put his claim over Ścinawa or his return to Głogów, but without positive results. In 1497 Henry I the Elder give him the town of Wołów as a fief during his lifetime.  Jan II died in Wołów on 22 September 1504, ending with him the male line of the Żagań-Głogów branch. He was buried in the local parish church.  A controversial figure, Jan II was praised by some historians for his ambitions and criticized by others for his fussiness and crazy ideas.

Marriage and issue.

By 1462 Jan II married Katharina (b. 1443 – d. 14 April 1505), daughter of Duke William I of Opava. They had five daughters:

Jan II the Mad also known as the Bad, the Wild or the Cruel (; 16 April 1435 – 22 September 1504), was a Duke of Żagań-Przewóz since 1439 (with his brothers as co-rulers until 1449), from 1449 Duke of Przewóz (as co-ruler of his younger brother), during 1461–1468 and briefly in 1472 Duke of Żagań and during 1476–1488 Duke of half-Głogów (the Duchy was finally reunited in 1480).

Johann II. (auch "Hans von Sagan"; Beinamen "der Grausame", "der Böse"; * 16. Juni 1435; † 22. Juni 1504 in Wohlau) war der letzte Herzog von Sagan und Söldnerführer des Deutschen Ordens. Er entstammte dem Glogauer Zweig der Schlesischen Piasten.


Background.

Davis was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania; her parents were Amos and Mary Elizabeth Davis. Amos was the Blair County District attorney from 1966 to 1975. Davis graduated from Hollidaysburg Area High School in 1962. She studied for her undergraduate degree at Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. Davis obtained her PhD in English from the University of Maryland, College Park. She also taught English at the University of Maryland while she started United Poultry Concerns. Davis married Dr. George Allan Cate (deceased). She has three brothers: Tim Davis of Palo Alto, California, Amos Davis of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Andrew Davis of Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.

Activism.

Davis regularly addresses the annual National Animal Rights conferences, and was inducted in July 2002 into the Animal Rights Hall of Fame "for outstanding contributions to animal liberation." Since 1999, she and United Poultry Concerns have hosted six conferences on farmed animal advocacy issues. She launched a campaign against National Public Radio's "This American Life" for its annual "Poultry Slam" show, arguing that host Ira Glass was contributing to the poor treatment and slaughter of chickens and turkeys. Eventually, Glass visited Davis's sanctuary and announced on the "Late Show with David Letterman" in 2008 that he had become a vegetarian thanks to Davis.  Davis is one of several people who provided information used in the writing of the book "Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism" (2008) by Mark Hawthorne.  Davis paid for an advertisement in the "New York Times" in protest at the practice of killing chickens in the streets of New York during the Yom Kippur ritual of kapparot.

Karen Davis (born February 4, 1944) is an American animal rights advocate, and president of United Poultry Concerns, a non-profit organization founded in 1990 to address the treatment of domestic fowl – including chickens, turkeys, and ducks – in factory farming. Davis also maintains a sanctuary.

Karen Davis (* 4. Februar 1944) ist eine US-amerikanische Tierrechtsaktivistin, Dozentin, Autorin und Gründerin von "United Poultry Concerns," einer Non-Profit Organisation, die 1990 zum Schutz von Hausgeflügel entstanden ist.


History.

The company started as a division of the agricultural machine business, Food Machinery Corporation (FMC), when they won a US Federal Government contract to build the Landing Vehicle Tracked (LVT) and became a weapon manufacturer during World War II. Bowen McLaughlin York (BMY), which became the BMY division of Harsco Corporation, soon added aircraft and tanks to its growing munitions capability, further adding to the firm's diversified economic success and defense specialization.  Following a massive decline in orders for tracked combat vehicles between 1983 and 1994 FMC and the Harsco Corporation agreed in January 1994 to combine their defense businesses to form United Defense. The new company owned the former FMC California-based Ground Systems Division and Harsco's Pennsylvania-based BMY Combat Systems Division. The new company restructured its operations to concentrate final assembly and testing to Pennsylvania.  In September 2000, UDI purchased Bofors Weapon Systems AB of Sweden, subsequently renamed Bofors Defence.  In 1997 UDI was subject to a takeover bids by rival General Dynamics and The Carlyle Group. It chose the lowest bid from private equity firm The Carlyle Group, which floated the company in 2001 but retained a share of the company.

BAE Systems acquisition.

On March 7, 2005 UK-based defence contractor BAE Systems announced it was to acquire UDI for US$3.974 billion (£2.1 billion). This followed expressions of interest from companies including Northrop Grumman.  BAE Systems' bid was referred to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to ensure there were no national security implications of the sale. The CFIUS granted approval of the deal in April 2005. BAE completed its acquisition of United Defense on June 24, 2005 and announced plans to merge the company with its existing land systems businesses to form BAE Systems Land and Armaments.

Products.

United Defense products included:

United Defense Industries (UDI) was an American defense contractor which became part of BAE Systems Land and Armaments after being acquired by BAE Systems in 2005. The company produced combat vehicles, artillery, naval guns, missile launchers and precision munitions.

United Defense Industries mit Firmensitz in Arlington, Virginia, gehörte bis 2005 zu den größten Rüstungskonzernen der Welt. Heute ist United Defense Industries Teil der BAE Systems Land and Armaments.