title: Ohio

text: Although predominantly not in a subtropical climate, some warmer-climate flora and fauna do reach well into Ohio. For instance, some trees with more southern ranges, such as the blackjack oak, "Quercus marilandica", are found at their northernmost in Ohio just north of the Ohio River. Also evidencing this climatic transition from a subtropical to a continental climate, several plants such as the Southern magnolia "(Magnolia grandiflora)", Albizia julibrissin (mimosa), Crape Myrtle, and even the occasional Needle Palm are hardy landscape materials regularly used as street, yard, and garden plantings in the Bluegrass region of Ohio; but these same plants will simply not thrive in much of the rest of the state. This interesting change may be observed while traveling through Ohio on Interstate 75 from Cincinnati to Toledo; the observant traveler of this diverse state may even catch a glimpse of Cincinnati's common wall lizard, one of the few examples of permanent "subtropical" fauna in Ohio.


title: Ohio

text: The highest recorded temperature was , near Gallipolis on July 21, 1934. The lowest recorded temperature was , at Milligan on February 10, 1899, during the Great Blizzard of 1899.


title: Ohio

text: Although few have registered as noticeable to the average resident, more than 200 earthquakes with a magnitude of 2.0 or higher have occurred in Ohio since 1776. The Western Ohio Seismic Zone and a portion of the Southern Great Lakes Seismic Zone are located in the state, and numerous faults lie under the surface.


title: Ohio

text: The most substantial known earthquake in Ohio history was the Anna (Shelby County) earthquake, which occurred on March 9, 1937. It was centered in western Ohio, with a magnitude of 5.4, and was of intensity VIII.


title: Ohio

text: Other significant earthquakes in Ohio include: one of magnitude 4.8 near Lima on September 19, 1884; one of magnitude 4.2 near Portsmouth on May 17, 1901; and one of 5.0 in LeRoy Township in Lake County on January 31, 1986, which continued to trigger 13 aftershocks of magnitude 0.5 to 2.4 for two months.


title: Ohio

text: Notable Ohio earthquakes in the 21st century include one occurring on December 31, 2011, approximately northwest of Youngstown, and one occurring on June 10, 2019, approximately north-northwest of Eastlake under Lake Erie; both registered a 4.0 magnitude.


title: Ohio

text: Ohio's three largest cities are Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, all three of which anchor major metropolitan areas. Columbus is the capital of the state, located near its geographic center and is well known for Ohio State University. In 2019, the city had six corporations named to the U.S. Fortune 500 list: Alliance Data, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, American Electric Power, L Brands, Huntington Bancshares, and Cardinal Health in suburban Dublin. Other major employers include hospitals (among others, Wexner Medical Center and Nationwide Children's Hospital), high tech research and development including the Battelle Memorial Institute, information-based companies such as OCLC and Chemical Abstracts Service, manufacturer Worthington Industries, and financial institutions such as JPMorgan Chase and Huntington Bancshares. Fast food chains Wendy's and White Castle are also headquartered in Columbus.


title: Ohio

text: Located in Northeast Ohio along the Lake Erie shore, Cleveland is characterized by its New England heritage, ethnic immigrant cultures, and history as a major American manufacturing and healthcare center. It anchors the Cleveland–Akron–Canton Combined Statistical Area, of which the cities of Akron and Canton are constituent parts. Mansfield and Youngstown are also major cities in the region. Northeast Ohio is known for major industrial companies Goodyear Tire and Rubber and Timken, top-ranked colleges Case Western Reserve University, Oberlin College, and Kent State University, the Cleveland Clinic, and cultural attractions including the Cleveland Museum of Art, Big Five member Cleveland Orchestra, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Playhouse Square, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.


title: Ohio

text: Cincinnati anchors Southwest Ohio and the Cincinnati Tri-State area, which also encompasses counties in the neighboring states of Kentucky and Indiana. The metropolitan area is home to Miami University and the University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Union Terminal, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and various Fortune 500 companies including Procter & Gamble, Kroger, Macy's, Inc., and Fifth Third Bank. Dayton and Springfield are located in the Miami Valley, which is home to the University of Dayton, the Dayton Ballet, and the extensive Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.


title: Ohio

text: Toledo and Lima are the major cities in Northwest Ohio, an area known for its glass-making industry. It is home to Owens Corning and Owens-Illinois, two Fortune 500 corporations. Steubenville is the only metropolitan city in Appalachian Ohio, a region known for its mixed mesophytic forests.


title: Ohio

text: The Cincinnati metropolitan area extends into Kentucky and Indiana, the Steubenville metropolitan area extends into West Virginia, and the Youngstown metropolitan area extends into Pennsylvania.


title: Ohio

text: Additionally, 30 Ohio cities function as centers of micropolitan areas, urban clusters smaller than that of metropolitan areas. Many of these are included as part of larger combined statistical areas, as shown in the table above.


title: Ohio

text: From just over 45,000 residents in 1800, Ohio's population grew faster than 10% per decade (except for the 1940 census) until the 1970 census, which recorded just over 10.65 million Ohioans. Growth then slowed for the next four decades. The United States Census Bureau counted 11,808,848 in the 2020 census, a 2.4% increase since the 2010 United States census. Ohio's population growth lags that of the entire United States, and whites are found in a greater density than the US average. , Ohio's center of population is located in Morrow County, in the county seat of Mount Gilead. This is approximately south and west of Ohio's population center in 1990.


title: Ohio

text: 6.2% of Ohio's population is under five years of age, 23.7 percent under 18 years of age, and 14.1 percent were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 51.2 percent of the population.


title: Ohio

text: "Note: Births in table do not add up because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number."


title: Ohio

text: In 2010, there were 469,700 foreign-born residents in Ohio, corresponding to 4.1% of the total population. Of these, 229,049 (2.0%) were naturalized US citizens and 240,699 (2.1%) were not. The largest groups were: Mexico (54,166), India (50,256), China (34,901), Germany (19,219), Philippines (16,410), United Kingdom (15,917), Canada (14,223), Russia (11,763), South Korea (11,307), and Ukraine (10,681). Though predominantly white, Ohio has large black populations in all major metropolitan areas throughout the state, Ohio has a significant Hispanic population made up of Mexicans in Toledo and Columbus, and Puerto Ricans in Cleveland and Columbus, and also has a significant and diverse Asian population in Columbus.


title: Ohio

text: Ancestries claimed by less than 1% of the population include Sub-Saharan African, Puerto Rican, Swiss, Swedish, Arab, Greek, Norwegian, Romanian, Austrian, Lithuanian, Finnish, West Indian, Portuguese and Slovene.


title: Ohio

text: About 6.7% of the population age 5 years and older reported speaking a language other than English, with 2.2% of the population speaking Spanish, 2.6% speaking other Indo-European languages, 1.1% speaking Asian and Austronesian languages, and 0.8% speaking other languages. Numerically: 10,100,586 spoke English, 239,229 Spanish, 55,970 German, 38,990 Chinese, 33,125 Arabic, and 32,019 French. In addition, 59,881 spoke a Slavic language and 42,673 spoke another West Germanic language according to the 2010 census. Ohio also had the nation's largest population of Slovene speakers, second largest of Slovak speakers, second largest of Pennsylvania Dutch (German) speakers, and the third largest of Serbian speakers.


title: Ohio

text: According to a Pew Forum poll, as of 2014, 73% of Ohioans identified as Christian. Specifically, 29% of Ohio's population identified as Evangelical Protestant, 17% as Mainline Protestant, 7% as Historically Black Protestant, and 18% as Catholic. 22% of the population is unaffiliated with any religious body. Small minorities of Jews (1%), Jehovah's Witnesses (1%), Muslims (1%), Hindus (<1%), Buddhists (1%), Mormons (1%), and other faiths (1-1.5%) exist.


title: Ohio

text: According to the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA), in 2010 the largest denominations by adherents were the Catholic Church with 1,992,567; the United Methodist Church with 496,232; the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America with 223,253, the Southern Baptist Convention with 171,000, the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ with 141,311, the United Church of Christ with 118,000, and the Presbyterian Church (USA) with 110,000. With about 80,000 adherents in 2020, Ohio has the second largest Amish population of all U.S. states, only behind neighboring Pennsylvania.


title: Ohio

text: According to the same data, a majority of Ohioans, 56%, feel religion is "very important", 25% that it is "somewhat important", and 19% that religion is "not too important/not important at all". 38% of Ohioans indicate that they attend religious services at least once weekly, 32% occasionally, and 30% seldom or never.


title: Ohio

text: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the total number of people employed in 2016 was 4,790,178. The total number of unique employer establishments was 252,201, while the total number of non-employer establishments was 785,833. In 2010, Ohio was ranked second in the country for best business climate by Site Selection magazine, based on a business-activity database. The state has also won three consecutive Governor's Cup awards from the magazine, based on business growth and developments. , Ohio's gross domestic product (GDP) was $626 billion. This ranks Ohio's economy as the seventh-largest of all fifty states and the District of Columbia.


title: Ohio

text: The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council ranked the state No. 10 for best business-friendly tax systems in their Business Tax Index 2009, including a top corporate tax and capital gains rate that were both ranked No. 6 at 1.9%. Ohio was ranked No. 11 by the council for best friendly-policy states according to their Small Business Survival Index 2009. The Directorship's Boardroom Guide ranked the state No. 13 overall for best business climate, including No. 7 for best litigation climate. Forbes ranked the state No. 8 for best regulatory environment in 2009. Ohio has five of the top 115 colleges in the nation, according to "U.S. News & World Report"s 2010 rankings, and was ranked No. 8 by the same magazine in 2008 for best high schools.


title: Ohio

text: Ohio's unemployment rate stands at 4.5% as of February 2018, down from 10.7% in May 2010. The state still lacks 45,000 jobs compared to the pre-recession numbers of 2007. The labor force participation as of April 2015 is 63%, slightly above the national average. Ohio's per capita income stands at $34,874. , Ohio's median household income is $58,642, and 13.1% of the population is below the poverty line.


title: Ohio

text: The manufacturing and financial activities sectors each compose 18.3% of Ohio's GDP, making them Ohio's largest industries by percentage of GDP. Ohio has the third largest manufacturing workforce behind California and Texas. Ohio has the largest bioscience sector in the Midwest, and is a national leader in the "green" economy. Ohio is the largest producer in the country of plastics, rubber, fabricated metals, electrical equipment, and appliances. 5,212,000 Ohioans are currently employed by wage or salary.


title: Ohio

text: By employment, Ohio's largest sector is trade/transportation/utilities, which employs 1,010,000 Ohioans, or 19.4% of Ohio's workforce, while the health care and education sector employs 825,000 Ohioans (15.8%). Government employs 787,000 Ohioans (15.1%), manufacturing employs 669,000 Ohioans (12.9%), and professional and technical services employs 638,000 Ohioans (12.2%). Ohio's manufacturing sector is the third-largest of all fifty United States states in terms of gross domestic product. Fifty-nine of the United States' top 1,000 publicly traded companies (by revenue in 2008) are headquartered in Ohio, including Procter & Gamble, Goodyear Tire & Rubber, AK Steel, Timken, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Wendy's.


title: Ohio

text: Ohio is also one of 41 states with its own lottery, the Ohio Lottery. , the Ohio Lottery has contributed more than $26 billion to education beginning in 1974.


title: Ohio

text: Many major east–west transportation corridors go through Ohio. One of those pioneer routes, known in the early 20th century as "Main Market Route 3", was chosen in 1913 to become part of the historic Lincoln Highway which was the first road across America, connecting New York City to San Francisco. In Ohio, the Lincoln Highway linked many towns and cities together, including Canton, Mansfield, Wooster, Lima, and Van Wert. The arrival of the Lincoln Highway to Ohio was a major influence on the development of the state. Upon the advent of the federal numbered highway system in 1926, the Lincoln Highway through Ohio became U.S. Route 30.


title: Ohio

text: Ohio has a highly developed network of roads and interstate highways. Major east-west through routes include the Ohio Turnpike (I-80/I-90) in the north, I-76 through Akron to Pennsylvania, I-70 through Columbus and Dayton, and the Appalachian Highway (State Route 32) running from West Virginia to Cincinnati. Major north–south routes include I-75 in the west through Toledo, Dayton, and Cincinnati, I-71 through the middle of the state from Cleveland through Columbus and Cincinnati into Kentucky, and I-77 in the eastern part of the state from Cleveland through Akron, Canton, New Philadelphia and Marietta south into West Virginia. Interstate 75 between Cincinnati and Dayton is one of the heaviest traveled sections of interstate in Ohio.


title: Ohio

text: Ohio also has a highly developed network of signed state bicycle routes. Many of them follow rail trails, with conversion ongoing. The Ohio to Erie Trail (route 1) connects Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland. U.S. Bicycle Route 50 traverses Ohio from Steubenville to the Indiana state line outside Richmond.


title: Ohio

text: Ohio has several long-distance hiking trails, the most prominent of which is the Buckeye Trail which extends in a loop around the state of Ohio. Part of it is on roads and part is on wooded trail. Additionally, the North Country Trail (the longest of the eleven National Scenic Trails authorized by Congress) and the American Discovery Trail (a system of recreational trails and roads that collectively form a coast-to-coast route across the mid-tier of the United States) pass through Ohio. Much of these two trails coincide with the Buckeye Trail.


title: Ohio

text: Ohio has an extensive rail network, though today most lines carry only freight traffic. Three Class I freight railroads operate in Ohio: CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern Railway, and Canadian National Railway. Many local freight carriers also exist in the state.


title: Ohio

text: Amtrak, the national passenger railroad, operates three long-distance rail routes through Ohio. The "Lake Shore Limited" serves , , , , and . The "Capitol Limited" stops in those cities as well as in . The "Cardinal" serves Cincinnati Union Terminal. From Ohio, passengers can ride directly to , , Boston, , , , , and dozens of destinations in-between.


title: Ohio

text: Columbus is the largest city in the United States without any form of passenger rail. Its Union Station was last served in 1979 by the "National Limited."


title: Ohio

text: Ohio is home to several scenic railways and museums, including the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad through Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the Age of Steam Roundhouse museum, and the Hocking Valley Scenic Railway near Hocking Hills State Park.


title: Ohio

text: Mass transit exists in many forms in Ohio cities, primarily through bus systems. The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) operates the RTA Rapid Transit system, which consists of one heavy rail line, three light rail lines, and three bus rapid transit lines. Cincinnati is served by the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) bus network as well as a streetcar line, the Cincinnati Bell Connector. Other major transit agencies in Ohio include the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) serving Columbus and the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority (GDRTA) serving Dayton.


title: Ohio

text: Ohio has four international airports, four commercial, and two military. The four international include Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, John Glenn Columbus International Airport, Dayton International Airport, and Rickenbacker International Airport (one of two military airfields). The other military airfield is Wright Patterson Air Force Base which is one of the largest Air Force bases in the United States. Other major airports are located in Toledo and Akron. Cincinnati's primary airport, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, is in Hebron, Kentucky, and therefore is not included in Ohio airport lists.


title: Ohio

text: The executive branch is headed by the governor of Ohio. The current governor is Mike DeWine since 2019, a member of the Republican Party. A lieutenant governor succeeds the governor in the event of any removal from office, and performs any duties assigned by the governor. The current lieutenant governor is Jon Husted. The other elected constitutional offices in the executive branch are the secretary of state (Frank LaRose), auditor (Keith Faber), treasurer (Robert Sprague), and attorney general (Dave Yost). There are 21 state administrative departments in the executive branch.


title: Ohio

text: The Ohio General Assembly is a bicameral legislature consisting of the Senate and House of Representatives. The Senate is composed of 33 districts, each of which is represented by one senator. Each senator represents approximately 330,000 constituents. The House of Representatives is composed of 99 members. The Republican Party is the controlling party in both houses as of the 2020 election cycle.


title: Ohio

text: In order to be enacted into law, a bill must be adopted by both houses of the General Assembly and signed by the Governor. If the Governor vetoes a bill, the General Assembly can override the veto with a three-fifths supermajority of both houses. A bill will also become a law if the Governor fails to sign or veto it within 10 days of its being presented. The session laws are published in the official "Law of Ohio". These in turn have been codified in the "Ohio Revised Code". The General Assembly, with the approval of the Governor, draws the U.S. congressional district lines for Ohio's 16 seats in the United States House of Representatives. The Ohio Apportionment Board draws state legislative district lines in Ohio.


title: Ohio

text: There are three levels of the Ohio state judiciary. The lowest level is the court of common pleas: each county maintains its own constitutionally mandated court of common pleas, which maintain jurisdiction over "all justiciable matters". The intermediate-level court system is the district court system. Twelve courts of appeals exist, each retaining jurisdiction over appeals from common pleas, municipal, and county courts in a set geographical area. A case heard in this system is decided by a three-judge panel, and each judge is elected.


title: Ohio

text: The state's highest-ranking court is the Ohio Supreme Court. A seven-justice panel composes the court, which, by its own discretion, hears appeals from the courts of appeals, and retains original jurisdiction over limited matters.


title: Ohio

text: There are also several levels of local government in Ohio: counties, municipalities (cities and villages), townships, special districts and school districts.


title: Ohio

text: Ohio is divided into 88 counties. Ohio law defines a structure for county government, although they may adopt charters for home rule. Summit County and Cuyahoga County have chosen an alternate form of government. The other counties have a government with a three-member board of county commissioners, a sheriff, coroner, auditor, treasurer, clerk of the court of common pleas prosecutor, engineer, and recorder.


title: Ohio

text: There are two kinds of incorporated municipalities, 251 cities and 681 villages. If a municipality has five thousand or more residents as of the last United States Census it is a city, otherwise it is a village. Municipalities have full home rule powers, may adopt a charter, ordinances and resolutions for self-government. Each municipality chooses its own form of government, but most have elected mayors and city councils or city commissions. City governments provide much more extensive services than county governments, such as police forces and paid (as opposed to volunteer) fire departments.


title: Ohio

text: The entire area of the state is encompassed by townships. When the boundaries of a township are coterminous with the boundaries of a city or village, the township ceases to exist as a separate government (called a paper township). Townships are governed by a three-member board of township trustees. Townships may have limited home rule powers.


title: Ohio

text: There are more than 600 city, local, and exempted village school districts providing K-12 education in Ohio, as well as about four dozen joint vocation school districts which are separate from the K-12 districts. Each city school district, local school district, or exempted village school district is governed by an elected board of education. A school district previously under state supervision (municipal school district) may be governed by a board whose members either are elected or appointed by the mayor of the municipality containing the greatest portion of the district's area.


title: Ohio

text: Six U.S. presidents hailed from Ohio at the time of their elections, giving rise to its nickname "mother of presidents", a sobriquet it shares with Virginia. It is also termed "modern mother of presidents", in contrast to Virginia's status as the origin of presidents earlier in American history. Seven presidents were born in Ohio, making it second to Virginia's eight. Virginia-born William Henry Harrison lived most of his life in Ohio and is also buried there. Harrison conducted his political career while living on the family compound, founded by his father-in-law, John Cleves Symmes, in North Bend, Ohio. The seven presidents born in Ohio were Ulysses S. Grant (elected from Illinois), Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Benjamin Harrison (grandson of William Henry Harrison & elected from Indiana), William McKinley, William Howard Taft and Warren G. Harding. All seven were Republicans.


title: Ohio

text: Ohio is considered a swing state, being won by either the Democratic or Republican candidates reasonably each election. As a swing state, Ohio is usually targeted by both major-party campaigns, especially in competitive elections. Pivotal in the election of 1888, Ohio has been a regular swing state since 1980 and has been considered a bellwether. This status, however, was called into question after incumbent Republican Donald Trump won the state by a comfortable eight-point margin in the 2020 presidential election despite losing nationally to Democratic challenger Joe Biden.


title: Ohio

text: Historian R. Douglas Hurt asserts that not since Virginia "had a state made such a mark on national political affairs". "The Economist" notes that "This slice of the mid-west contains a bit of everything American—part north-eastern and part southern, part urban and part rural, part hardscrabble poverty and part booming suburb". Since 1896, Ohio has had only three misses in the general election (Thomas E. Dewey in 1944, Richard Nixon in 1960, and Donald Trump in 2020) and had the longest perfect streak of any state, voting for the winning presidential candidate in each election from 1964 to 2016, and in 33 of the 38 held since the Civil War. No Republican has ever won the presidency without winning Ohio.


title: Ohio

text: As of 2019, there are more than 7.8 million registered Ohioan voters, with 1.3 million Democrats and 1.9 million Republicans. They are disproportionate in age, with a million more over 65 than there are 18- to 24-year-olds. Since the 2010 midterm elections, Ohio's voter demographic has leaned towards the Republican Party. The governor, Mike DeWine, is Republican, as are all other non-judicial statewide elected officials, including Lieutenant Governor Jon A. Husted, Attorney General Dave Yost, State Auditor Keith Faber, Secretary of State Frank LaRose and State Treasurer Robert Sprague. In the Ohio State Senate the Republicans are the majority, 25–8, and in the Ohio House of Representatives the Republicans control the delegation 64–35.


title: Ohio

text: Losing two seats in the U.S. House of Representatives following the 2010 census, Ohio has had 16 seats for the three presidential elections of the decade in 2012, 2016 and 2020. As of the 2020 cycle, twelve federal representatives are Republicans while four are Democrats. Marcy Kaptur (D-09) is the most senior member of the Ohio delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives. The senior U.S. senator, Sherrod Brown, is a Democrat, while the junior, Rob Portman, is a Republican.


title: Ohio

text: Since 1994, the state has had a policy of purging infrequent voters from its rolls. In April 2016, a lawsuit was filed, challenging this policy on the grounds that it violated the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 1993 and the Help America Vote Act of 2002. In June, the federal district court ruled for the plaintiffs and entered a preliminary injunction applicable only to the November 2016 election. The preliminary injunction was upheld in September by the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Had it not been upheld, thousands of voters would have been purged from the rolls just a few weeks before the election.


title: Ohio

text: Ohio's system of public education is outlined in Article VI of the state constitution, and in Title XXXIII of the Ohio Revised Code. Ohio University, the first university in the Northwest Territory, was also the first public institution in Ohio. Substantively, Ohio's system is similar to those found in other states. At the State level, the Ohio Department of Education, which is overseen by the Ohio State Board of Education, governs primary and secondary educational institutions. At the municipal level, there are approximately 700 school districts statewide. The Ohio Board of Regents coordinates and assists with Ohio's institutions of higher education which have recently been reorganized into the University System of Ohio under Governor Strickland. The system averages an annual enrollment of more than 400,000 students, making it one of the five largest state university systems in the U.S.


title: Ohio

text: Ohio schools consistently ranking in the top 50 nationally of the "U.S. News & World Report" of liberal arts colleges are Ohio Big Three; Denison University, Oberlin College, and Kenyon College. Ranking in the top 100 of national research universities typically includes Case Western Reserve University, Ohio State University and Miami University.


title: Ohio

text: Ohio is home to some of the nation's highest-ranked public libraries. The 2008 study by Thomas J. Hennen Jr. ranked Ohio as number one in a state-by-state comparison. For 2008, 31 of Ohio's library systems were all ranked in the top ten for American cities of their population category.


title: Ohio

text: The Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) is an organization that provides Ohio residents with internet access to their 251 public libraries. OPLIN also provides Ohioans with free home access to high-quality, subscription research databases.


title: Ohio

text: Ohio also offers the OhioLINK program, allowing Ohio's libraries (particularly those from colleges and universities) access to materials for the other libraries. The program is largely successful in allowing researchers for access to books and other media that might not be otherwise available.


title: Ohio

text: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame are both located in Cleveland. Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed is credited with coining the term and promoting rock and roll in the early 1950s. Cincinnati is home to the American Classical Music Hall of Fame and Museum.


title: Ohio

text: Popular musicians from Ohio include Mamie Smith, Dean Martin, Dave Grohl, Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun of Twenty One Pilots, Frankie Yankovic, Doris Day, The McGuire Sisters, The Isley Brothers, Bobby Womack, Howard Hewett, Shirley Murdock, Boz Scaggs, John Legend, Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney of The Black Keys, Griffin Layne, Joe Dolce, Kid Cudi, Benjamin Orr of The Cars, Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders, William "Bootsy" Collins, Stephanie Eulinberg of Kid Rock's Twisted Brown Trucker Band, and Devo. Five Ohio musicians are Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members.


title: Ohio

text: Playhouse Square in downtown Cleveland is the second-largest performing arts center in the United States, home to ten theaters. The Cleveland Orchestra is one of the historic Big Five orchestras in the U.S., and is considered one of the best worldwide.


title: Ohio

text: Many other Ohio cities are home to their own orchestras, including Akron, Blue Ash, Canton, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo, and Youngstown. Cincinnati is home to its own ballet, symphony orchestra, pops orchestra, and opera, all housed at the Cincinnati Music Hall. Dayton is also home to a ballet, orchestra, and opera, collectively known as the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance.


title: Ohio

text: Within the marching arts, Winter Guard International has hosted national championships in performing arts at the University of Dayton 18 times between 1983 and 2003, and has permanently since 2005. The Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps are Ohio's highest fielding drum corps, competing in the Drum Corps International World Class circuit out of Canton.


title: Ohio

text: Ohio is home to 30 art institutions, including the Columbus Museum of Art, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cleveland Museum of Art, and other entities. The full list includes:


title: Ohio

text: The Cincinnati Art Museum holds over 100,000 works spanning 6,000 years of human history, being among the most comprehensive collections in the Midwest. Among its notable collections are works by Master of San Baudelio, Jorge Ingles, Sandro Botticelli ("Judith with Head of Holofernes"), Matteo di Giovanni, Domenico Tintoretto ("Portrait of Venetian dux Marino Grimani"), Mattia Preti, Bernardo Strozzi, Frans Hals, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo ("St. Thomas of Villanueva"), Peter Paul Rubens ("Samson and Delilah") and Aert van der Neer. The collection also includes works by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Camille Pissarro, Claude Monet ("Rocks At Belle Isle"), and Pablo Picasso. The museum also has a large collection of paintings by American painter Frank Duveneck ("Elizabeth B. Duveneck").


title: Ohio

text: The Cleveland Museum of Art is internationally renowned for its substantial holdings of Asian and Egyptian art, and has a permanent collection of more than 61,000 works from around the world. It is the fourth-wealthiest art museum in the United States.


title: Ohio

text: The Columbus Museum of Art holds nineteenth and early twentieth-century American and European art, including early Cubist paintings by Pablo Picasso and Juan Gris, works by François Boucher, Paul Cézanne, Mary Cassatt, Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, Edgar Degas, Henri Matisse, Claude Monet, Edward Hopper, and Norman Rockwell, and installations by Mel Chin, Josiah McElheny, Susan Philipsz, and Allan Sekula. Also in Columbus, the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum collection includes 450,000 original cartoons, 36,000 books, 51,000 serial titles, and of manuscript materials, plus 2.5 million comic strip clippings and tear sheets, making it the largest research library for cartoon art.


title: Ohio

text: Youngstown's Butler Institute of American Art was the first museum to be dedicated exclusively to American art.


title: Ohio

text: Ohio is home to eight professional sports teams across the five different major leagues in the United States. Current teams include the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball, the Columbus Crew SC and FC Cincinnati of Major League Soccer, the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association, the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns of the National Football League, and the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League.


title: Ohio

text: Ohio has brought home seven World Series titles (Reds 1919, 1940, 1975, 1976, 1990; Indians 1920, 1948), two MLS Cups (Crew 2008, 2020), one NBA Championship (Cavaliers 2016), and nine NFL Championships (Pros 1920; Bulldogs 1922, 1923, 1924; Rams 1945; Browns 1950, 1954, 1955, 1964). Despite this success in the NFL in the first half of the 20th century, no Ohio team has won the Super Bowl since its inception in 1967. No Ohio team has made an appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals.


title: Ohio

text: Ohio played a central role in the development of both Major League Baseball and the National Football League. Baseball's first fully professional team, the Cincinnati Red Stockings of 1869, were organized in Ohio. An informal early-20th-century American football association, the Ohio League, was the direct predecessor of the modern NFL, although neither of Ohio's modern NFL franchises trace their roots to an Ohio League club. The NFL itself was founded in Canton, Ohio in 1920 as the American Professional Football Conference. The first official game occurred on October 3, 1920, when the Dayton Triangles beat the Columbus Panhandles 14-0 in Dayton. Canton would later be enshrined as the home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.


title: Ohio

text: On a smaller scale, Ohio hosts minor league baseball, arena football, indoor football, mid-level hockey, and lower division soccer.


title: Ohio

text: The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course has hosted several auto racing championships, including CART World Series, IndyCar Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, Can-Am, Formula 5000, IMSA GT Championship, American Le Mans Series and Rolex Sports Car Series.


title: Ohio

text: The Grand Prix of Cleveland also hosted CART races from 1982 to 2007. The Eldora Speedway is a major dirt oval that hosts NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, World of Outlaws Sprint Cars and USAC Silver Crown Series races.


title: Ohio

text: Ohio has eight NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football teams, divided among three different conferences. It has also experienced considerable success in the secondary and tertiary tiers of college football divisions.


title: Ohio

text: There is only one program in the Power Five conferences, the Ohio State Buckeyes, who play in the Big Ten Conference. The football team is second in all-time winning percentage, with a 931–327–53 overall record and a 25–26 bowl record as of 2020. The program has produced seven Heisman Trophy winners, forty conference titles, and eight undisputed national championships. The men's basketball program has appeared in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament 27 times.


title: Ohio

text: In the Group of Five conferences, the Cincinnati Bearcats play as a member of the American Athletic Conference. Their men's basketball team has over 1,800 wins, 33 March Madness appearances, and is currently on a nine-year streak of appearances as of 2019. Six teams are represented in the Mid-American Conference: the Akron Zips, Bowling Green Falcons, Kent State Golden Flashes, Miami RedHawks, Ohio Bobcats and the Toledo Rockets. The MAC headquarters are in Cleveland. The Cincinnati–Miami rivalry game has been played in southwest Ohio every year since 1888 and is the oldest current non-conference NCAA football rivalry.


title: Ohio

text: Other Division I schools, either part of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision or not fielding in football include the Cleveland State Vikings, Xavier Musketeers, Wright State Raiders, and Youngstown State Penguins. Xavier's men's basketball has performed particularly well, with 27 March Madness appearances. Youngstown State's football has the third most NCAA Division I Football Championship wins, with 3.


title: Maggie Smith

text: Dame Margaret Natalie Smith (born 28 December 1934) is an English actress. With an extensive career on screen and stage beginning in the mid-1950s, Smith has appeared in more than sixty films and seventy plays. She is one of the few performers to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting, having received highest achievement for film, television and theatre, winning two Academy Awards, a Tony Award and four Primetime Emmy Awards. Hailed as one of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actresses, she was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in 1990 for contributions to the Arts, and a Companion of Honour in 2014 for services to Drama.


title: Maggie Smith

text: Smith began her career on stage as a student, performing at the Oxford Playhouse in 1952, and made her professional debut on Broadway in "New Faces of '56". Over the following decades, Smith established herself alongside Judi Dench as one of the most significant British theatre performers, working for the National Theatre Company and the Royal Shakespeare Company. On the Broadway stage she's received Tony Award nominations for "Private Lives" (1975) and "Night and Day" (1979), winning Best Actress in a Play for "Lettice and Lovage" (1990).


title: Maggie Smith

text: Smith's breakout film role was in "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" (1969) for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. For her comedic role as an Oscar loser in "California Suite" (1978) she received her second Academy Award this time for Best Supporting Actress. Her other Oscar-nominated roles were in "Othello" (1965), "Travels with My Aunt" (1972), "A Room with a View" (1985), and "Gosford Park" (2001). She rose to popular fame portraying Minerva McGonagall in the "Harry Potter" film series (2001–2011). Other notable films include "Death on the Nile" (1978), "Hook" (1991), "Sister Act" (1992), "The Secret Garden" (1993), "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" (2012), "Quartet" (2012) and "The Lady in the Van" (2015).


title: Maggie Smith

text: On television she gained newfound attention and international fame for her role as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, on Julian Fellowes's period series "Downton Abbey" (2010–2015) as well as the 2019 film and the . The role earned her three Primetime Emmy Awards. She also won for the HBO film "My House in Umbria" (2003). She is the recipient of several honorary awards including the Society of London Theatre Special Award, the BAFTA Fellowship and the British Film Institute Fellowship.


title: Maggie Smith

text: Margaret Natalie Smith was born on 28 December 1934 in Ilford, Essex. Her mother, Margaret Hutton (née Little; 1896–1977), was a Scottish secretary from Glasgow, and her father, Nathaniel Smith (1902–1991), was a public-health pathologist from Newcastle upon Tyne, who worked at the University of Oxford. During childhood, her parents told Smith the romantic story of how they had met on a train from Glasgow to London via Newcastle. She moved with her family to Oxford when she was four years old. She had older twin brothers, Alistair (died 1981) and Ian. The latter went to architecture school. Smith attended Oxford High School until age sixteen, when she left to study acting at the Oxford Playhouse.


title: Maggie Smith

text: In 1952, aged 17, under the auspices of the Oxford University Dramatic Society, Smith began her career as Viola in "Twelfth Night" at the Oxford Playhouse. She continued to act in productions at the Oxford Playhouse including, "Cinderella" (1952), "Rookery Nook" (1953), "Cakes and Ale" (1953), and "The Government Inspector" (1954). In 1956 Smith made her Broadway debut playing several roles in the review "New Faces of '56", at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre from June to December 1956. In 1957, she starred opposite Kenneth Williams in the musical comedy "Share My Lettuce", written by Bamber Gascoigne.


title: Maggie Smith

text: In 1962, Smith won the first of a record six Best Actress "Evening Standard "Awards for her roles in Peter Shaffer's plays "The Private Ear" and "The Public Eye", again opposite Kenneth Williams. After seeing Smith in "The Double-Dealer" at The Old Vic, she caught the eye of Laurence Olivier, who invited her to become part of his new National Theatre Company soon after it was formed at The Old Vic in 1962. She soon became a fixture at the Royal National Theatre in the 1960s. British theatre critic Michael Coveney wrote that during her eight years in the company, Smith developed a fierce rivalry with Olivier writing, "He knew immediately he’d met his match – that she was extraordinary. He said that anyone who can play comedy that well can also play tragedy and he offered her the likes of Desdemona in Shakespeare’s Othello. But having got her into the company they became not enemies, but professional rivals. Never before had anyone on stage been quicker than him and now, it seemed, there was a contest." On "The Graham Norton Show" in 2015 Smith admitted that Olivier had slapped Smith across the face during a production of "Othello" in 1964. She appeared opposite Olivier in Ibsen's "The Master Builder", and played comedic roles in "The Recruiting Officer" and "Much Ado About Nothing" all in 1964. Smith started with the company at its inception in 1962 with Derek Jacobi and Michael Gambon and continued acting with the company for eight years.


title: Maggie Smith

text: In 1970, Smith played the title role in Ingmar Bergman's London production of the Henrik Ibsen play "Hedda Gabler", winning her second Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress.


title: Maggie Smith

text: From 1976 to 1980, Smith appeared in numerous productions at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario, to acclaim; her roles included: Cleopatra in "Anthony and Cleopatra" (1976), Queen Elizabeth in "Richard III" (1977), and Lady Macbeth in "Macbeth" (1978).


title: Maggie Smith

text: In 1975, Smith starred in the Noël Coward comedy "Private Lives" as Amanda Prynne on Broadway at the 46th Street Theatre. The play directed by John Gielgud received positive reviews. "The New York Times" theatre critic praised Smith's physical comedic skills writing, "Miss Smith's body spins, lurches, misses yards at a time before another foot comes down, ends in a paralysis that will require hypnosis to undo. The effect, because Noel Coward's situation is funny and because Miss Smith sends off that one little extra signal that spells extravagance, is hilarious, explosively so." Smith received her first Tony Award nomination and a Drama Desk Award nomination.


title: Maggie Smith

text: A few years later, Smith would return to Broadway in Tom Stoppard original play "Night and Day" as Ruth Carson in 1979. The play concerns a confrontation between British diplomat and an African leader over a local uprising that has attracted much media coverage. The diplomat's wife observes everyone else's behaviour throughout. The play received mixed reviews with Walter Kerr of "The New York Times" praising Smith's performance while critiquing the characters writing, "Which leaves us, theatrically and dramatically, where we began, with Miss Smith. The actress can, and does, do wonders. But she can't single‐handedly turn night into day." Smith received her second Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play nomination.


title: Maggie Smith

text: She won her third and fourth Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress, for her role as Virginia Woolf in "Virginia" (1981) and as Millament in "The Way of the World" (1984). She starred in the 1987 London production of "Lettice and Lovage" alongside Margaret Tyzack, receiving an Olivier Award nomination. She reprised the role in 1990, when it transferred to Broadway, and won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. The play was written specifically for her by the playwright Peter Shaffer. "There is only one Maggie Smith, but audiences get at least three of her in "Lettice and Lovage," the Peter Shaffer comedy that has brought this spellbinding actress back to Broadway after an indecently long absence and that has the shrewd sense to keep her glued to center stage."


title: Maggie Smith

text: In 1993, she portrayed Lady Bracknell in Oscar Wilde's comic play "The Importance of Being Earnest" at the Aldwych Theatre in the West End, receiving her fourth Olivier Award nomination. The following year she starred in Edward Albee's "Three Tall Women" for which she garnered critical acclaim. Theatre critic Paul Taylor for "The Independent" wrote, "Maggie Smith has to be seen to be believed. The sudden subsidings into wretched senile tears; the frustrated, dismissive flappings of her arm as her mind gropes impotently for a mislaid fact; the comic cunning with which she tries to cover over her patches of blankness; the beadily aggressive suspicion and the moments of alert cackling triumph - Smith's performance which, at the moment, is firmly on the right side of caricature, captures all this and more. She received her record fifth Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress for her performance.


title: Maggie Smith

text: In 1997 Smith starred in another Albee play "A Delicate Balance" opposite Eileen Atkins. She received her fifth Olivier Award nomination for her performance as the witty, alcoholic Claire. Matt Wolf of "Variety" wrote, "This actress [Smith] continues to get laughs where no one else ever would...but she can be as revealing when quiet: admitting, sad-eyed, that "time happens" or sending the audience out for the first intermission on a note of doomy suspense." In 1999 she gained critical acclaim for her performance as Miss Mary Shepherd in Alan Bennett's drama "The Lady in the Van". For her performance, she received her sixth Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress nomination.


title: Maggie Smith

text: In 2002, Smith reunited with Dame Judi Dench for David Hare's stage play "The Breath of Life". She toured Australia in Alan Bennett's "Talking Heads" in 2004. During 2007, Smith had a productive year appearing in films, television, and the stage. In March she starred in a revival of Edward Albee's stage play "The Lady from Dubuque" which ran at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in the West End. David Benedict of "Variety" criticised the production with however praising Smith writing, "The exception is Maggie Smith, who arrives in the last minute of the first act and then dominates the second. Yet even the magnetically watchable Smith cannot save the evening as a whole."


title: Maggie Smith

text: In April 2019, after an eleven-year absence from theatre, Smith returned to the stage in Christopher Hampton's play "A German Life" as Brunhilde Pomsel at the Bridge Theatre in London. The new play by Christopher Hampton is a one-woman solo play consisting of Smith giving an extended monologue as Pomsel, an elderly German woman who, in her youth, wound up working as a secretary for Joseph Goebbels at the Ministry of Propaganda. Jonathan Kent took the directorial role. "Variety" theatre critic praised Smith's performance writing, "It’s a performance that combines the knowingness of hindsight with the naivety of youth, blasé enough to catch you off-guard when the magnitude of events suddenly cuts through". Matt Wolf of "The New York Times" wrote, "[Smith's performance] represents a new high in a six-decade career with no shortage of peaks", and added "The audience knows it is witnessing something special". Her performance won her a record sixth Best Actress "Evening Standard" award.


title: Maggie Smith

text: In 1954, she appeared in the television programme "Oxford Accents" produced by Ned Sherrin. In the mid-1970s, she made several guest appearances on "The Carol Burnett Show". For her role on television as Mrs Silly in "All is Love" (1983) she received the first of her four Best Actress BAFTA TV Award nominations. In 1987, she starred as Susan in "A Bed Among the Lentils", part of Alan Bennett's Talking Heads series, receiving a second BAFTA TV nomination. Smith also received a third British Academy Television Award nomination for her role as Mrs. Mabel Pettigrew in the 1992 TV film "Memento Mori", and her first Primetime Emmy Award nomination for her role as Violet Venable in the 1993 PBS television film "Suddenly, Last Summer".


title: Maggie Smith

text: In 1999, Smith starred in the BBC television adaptation of the Charles Dickens' novel "David Copperfield" alongside Daniel Radcliffe. Smith portrayed Betsey Trotwood for which she received a British Academy Television Awards and her second Primetime Emmy Award nominations.


title: Maggie Smith

text: In 2003, Smith received her first Primetime Emmy Award in the Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie category for her role as Mrs. Emily Delahunty in the HBO Television film "My House in Umbria". She also received her 8th Golden Globes nomination for her performance in the television movie. In 2007 she starred in another HBO television movie, "Capturing Mary" alongside Ruth Wilson for which she was nominated for her fourth Primetime Emmy Award.


title: Maggie Smith

text: From 2010 to 2015, Smith appeared as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, in the British period drama "Downton Abbey". The show became a cultural phenomenon, with her performance becoming a fan favourite. This role won her three Primetime Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. In a March 2015 interview with Joe Utichi in "The Sunday Times", Smith announced that the sixth season of "Downton Abbey" would be her last (it was in fact the last to be produced).


title: Maggie Smith

text: Smith participated in the filmed event "" (2013) along with many actor of the stage including Michael Gambon and Judi Dench. The program features a variety of live performances from productions by the Royal National Theatre from the past five decades: The programme features a clip from the 1964 production of "Hay Fever" by Noël Coward starring Smith and Anthony Nichols which introduces her giving a live monologue from "The Beaux' Stratagem" by George Farquhar featuring Maggie Smith. Michael Billington of "The Guardian" wrote of the event, "Obviously it was moving to see legendary actors, either through archival footage or live performance, repeating past successes."


title: Maggie Smith

text: On 30 October 2015, Smith appeared on BBC's "The Graham Norton Show", her first appearance on a chat show in 42 years. During the show, Smith discussed her appearance in the comedy-drama film "The Lady in the Van" alongside Alex Jennings, which was directed by Nicholas Hytner.


title: Maggie Smith

text: In 2018, Smith starred in a British documentary titled "Nothing Like a Dame", directed by Roger Michell, which documents conversations between actresses Smith, Judi Dench, Eileen Atkins, and Joan Plowright, which were interspersed with scenes from their careers on film and stage. The film was released in the United States as "Tea with Dames".


title: Maggie Smith

text: Peter Bradshaw of "The Guardian" gave the film a five out of five star rating, declaring it an "outrageously funny film". Guy Lodge of "Variety" called the film a "richly enjoyable gabfest" but that the film was "hardly vital cinema".


title: Maggie Smith

text: She appeared in her first film in 1956, in an uncredited role of a party guest in the British drama "Child in the House", In 1959, she received the first of her eighteen British Academy Film Award nominations for her role as Bridget Howard in the film "Nowhere to Go", her first screen credit. In 1963 she appeared in a supporting role as Miss Dee Mead in the British drama film "The V.I.P.s" starring Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, and Orson Welles. She earned her first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the film adaptation of "Othello" (1965) as Desdemona acting alongside Laurence Olivier, Derek Jacobi, and Michael Gambon.


title: Maggie Smith

text: During this time she also appeared in the British comedy, "Go to Blazes" (1962), Jack Clayton's "The Pumpkin Eater" (1964) with Anne Bancroft, and "Young Cassidy" (1965) directed by Jack Cardiff and John Ford. She also appeared in Joseph L. Mankiewicz's crime comedy "The Honey Pot" (1967) starring Rex Harrison


title: Maggie Smith

text: and "Hot Millions" (1968) opposite Peter Ustinov, and guest-starred as Music Hall Star in Richard Attenborough ensemble comedy and musical "Oh! What A Lovely War" (1969).


title: Maggie Smith

text: Smith won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the title role of the 1969 film "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie". Vanessa Redgrave had originated the role on stage in London, and Zoe Caldwell won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play, when she played the role in New York City. Smith was singled out for her performance in the film. Dave Kehr of "Chicago Reader" said that Smith gives "one of those technically stunning, emotionally distant performances that the British are so damn good at." Greg Ferrara wrote that the film "is one of the best British films of the decade. It is as captivating today as it was upon its release and its two central performances by Maggie Smith and Pamela Franklin are both stirring and mesmerizing. "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" is the crème de la crème." The role also won Smith her first BAFTA Film Award for Best Actress.


title: Maggie Smith

text: In 1972, she starred as the eccentric Augusta Bertram in George Cukor's film "Travels with My Aunt". She received her third Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her performance. She also appeared in the film "Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing" (1973) directed by Alan J. Pakula.


title: Maggie Smith

text: In 1978, Smith played opposite Michael Caine in Neil Simon's "California Suite", playing an Oscar loser, for which she received the 1978 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She is, to date, the only person to win an Oscar for portraying a fictional Oscar nominee. For this role, she also won her first Golden Globe Award. Afterward, upon hearing that Michael Palin was about to embark on the film "The Missionary" (1982) with Smith, her co-star Michael Caine is supposed to have humorously telephoned Palin, warning him that she would steal the film.


title: Maggie Smith

text: Her other films at this time include "Murder by Death" (1976) with Vincent Canby of "The New York Times" writing, that the film had one of Simon's "nicest, breeziest screenplays" with David Niven and Maggie Smith "marvelous as Dick and Dora Charleston, though they haven't enough to do." Smith also starred as Miss Bowers in "Death on the Nile" (1978) alongside Angela Lansbury, Bette Davis, Peter Ustinov, and David Niven.


title: Maggie Smith

text: In 1981, Smith starred in the Merchant Ivory film "Quartet" alongside Alan Bates and Isabelle Adjani. The film premiered at the 34th Cannes Film Festival where it received positive reviews. Smith received her sixth BAFTA Award nomination for Best Actress for her performance as Lois Heidler. Smith also played the goddess Thetis in "Clash of the Titans" (1981).


title: Maggie Smith

text: In 1982, she starred as Daphne Castle in the locked-room mystery film "Evil Under the Sun" opposite Peter Ustinov, Jane Birkin and Diana Rigg. The following year, she appeared in the film "Better Late Than Never" alongside David Niven and Art Carney.


title: Maggie Smith

text: She won her second Best Actress BAFTA Film Awards for her role as Joyce Chilvers in the 1984 black comedy "A Private Function" with Michael Palin. Three pigs were used in the filming of "A Private Function" all named Betty. Producer Mark Shivas was advised by "Intellectual Animals UK", that the pigs used should be female and six months old, so as to not be too large or aggressive. However, the pigs were "unpredictable and often quite dangerous". During the filming of one of the kitchen scenes, Smith was hemmed in by one of the pigs, and needed to vault over the back of it in order to escape. She also starred in the 1984 Hungarian-American film "Lily in Love" with Christopher Plummer. According to Smith's biographer, she referred to the film as "the ghoulash" and admitted to not understanding the Hungarian director's direction. She also called her co-star "Christopher Bummer".


title: Maggie Smith

text: In 1985 Smith appeared as Charlotte Bartlett in the Merchant Ivory Production of "A Room with a View". The film received universal acclaim earning 8 Academy Award nominations including Best Picture. The film starred Helena Bonham Carter, Daniel Day-Lewis, Judi Dench, Simon Callow, and Denholm Elliott. For Smith's performance she earned her fifth Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and won her second Golden Globe Award and her third British Academy Film Award for Best Actress.


title: Maggie Smith

text: Smith won her fourth BAFTA Film Awards for Best Actress for the title role in the 1987 film "The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne". Pauline Kael wrote: "Clayton is a felicitous choice to direct a character study film about a woman's rage against the Church for her wasted life. His first feature was "Room at the Top" with Simone Signoret and he made "The Innocents" with Deborah Kerr and "The Pumpkin Eater" with Anne Bancroft – he knows how to show women's temperatures and their mind-body inter-actions. Maggie Smith becomes the essence of spinster – she makes you feel the ghastliness of knowing you're a figure of fun."


title: Maggie Smith

text: In the early 1990s, Smith appeared in various box office comedies. In 1991, Smith appeared as Granny Wendy in Steven Spielberg's 1991 hit movie "Hook", a fantasy adventure film based on the Peter Pan character. The film starred Robin Williams as Pan, Dustin Hoffman as Hook, and Julia Roberts as Tinker Bell. The film was a financial success making $300 million at the box office. In 1992, Smith starred as Mother Superior in the Whoopi Goldberg comedy film "Sister Act" and its sequel, "" (1993). In 1996, Smith appeared in the comedy film "The First Wives Club" alongside Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton and Bette Midler.


title: Maggie Smith

text: In 1993, Smith appeared in the film adaptation of "The Secret Garden" directed by Agnieszka Holland. The film was a critical success, Smith in particular was praised for her performance as Mrs. Medlock earning a British Academy Film Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. In 1995, Smith portrayed the Duchess of York in another film adaptation this time of William Shakespeare's "Richard III" (1995) starring Ian McKellen in the titular role. The film adapts the play's story and characters to a setting based on 1930s Britain, with Richard depicted as a fascist plotting to usurp the throne. The film also starred Annette Bening, Jim Broadbent, Robert Downey Jr., Nigel Hawthorne, and Kristin Scott Thomas. Smith also starred in another film by Holland titled "Washington Square" (1997), playing the incurably foolish Aunt Lavinia Penniman.


title: Maggie Smith

text: She won her fifth BAFTA Film Awards, this time for Best Supporting Actress, for the 1999 film "Tea with Mussolini", in which she played Lady Hester Random opposite Cher, Joan Plowright and Judi Dench. She also starred in "The Last September" opposite Michael Gambon and the film "Curtain Call" with Michael Caine in the same year.


title: Maggie Smith

text: From 2001 to 2011, Smith gained great acclaim and international recognition for playing Professor Minerva McGonagall in the "Harry Potter" movies. Smith reunited with Daniel Radcliffe with whom she recently starred in "David Copperfield" from 1999. Smith appeared in seven of the eight films. The series was known for hiring legendary and iconic British actors, including Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, Emma Thompson, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Julie Walters. Without inflation adjustment, it is the third-highest-grossing film series with $7.7 billion in worldwide receipts. In 2016, while promoting, "The Lady in the Van", Smith shared her experiences working on the "Harry Potter" films and working with the late Alan Rickman. "He [Rickman] was such a terrific actor, and that was such a terrific character that he played, and it was a joy to be with him. We used to laugh together because we ran out of reaction shots. They were always – when everything had been done and the children were finished, they would turn the camera around and we'd have to do various reaction shots of amazement or sadness and things. And we used to say we'd got to about number 200-and-something and we'd run out of knowing what to do when the camera came around on us. But he was a joy."


title: Maggie Smith

text: In 2001, Smith appeared in the British ensemble murder mystery "Gosford Park", which was directed by Robert Altman. The film's cast included Michael Gambon, Helen Mirren, Kristin Scott Thomas, Eileen Atkins, Emily Watson, Charles Dance, Richard E. Grant, Derek Jacobi, and Stephen Fry. Her portrayal as the haughty Constance, Countess of Trentham earned Smith her sixth Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress alongside Mirren. The film premiered at the 2001 London Film Festival, where it received critical acclaim from critics including Roger Ebert, who awarded it his highest rating of four stars, describing the story as "such a joyous and audacious achievement, it deserves comparison with his [Robert Altman's] very best movies."


title: Maggie Smith

text: In 2002, she starred in the film "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" alongside Sandra Bullock and Ellen Burstyn. She also acted with Judi Dench in the film "Ladies in Lavender" (2004) directed by Charles Dance. In 2005, she starred as Grace Hawkins alongside Rowan Atkinson and Kristin Scott Thomas in the black comedy "Keeping Mum". Smith also appeared in the British costume drama "Becoming Jane" (2007), a film that centres around the life of Jane Austen, played by Anne Hathaway. She appeared in Julian Fellowes's fantasy drama film "From Time to Time" in 2009. In 2010, she played Mrs. Docherty in period fantasy comedy film "Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang" opposite Emma Thompson.


title: Maggie Smith

text: In 2012, she played Muriel Donnelly in the British comedy "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" alongside Judi Dench, Dev Patel, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, and Penelope Wilton. The film was distributed by Fox Searchlight and received positive reviews. She received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for the role. The film became a surprise box-office hit following its international release and was such a financial success, it spawned a sequel, "The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" (2015). Also in 2012, Smith starred in Dustin Hoffman's directorial debut, "Quartet", based on Ronald Harwood's play. The film co-starred Tom Courtenay, Pauline Collins, Billy Connolly, and Michael Gambon. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to positive reviews and garnered her a 10th Golden Globe nomination. The following year, Smith starred in the romantic comedy "My Old Lady" (2014) alongside Kristin Scott Thomas and Kevin Kline. The film received modest critical praise according to Rotten Tomatoes, with Smith's performance being a standout.


title: Maggie Smith

text: In 2015, she received rapturous reviews for her performance in the film "The Lady in the Van" (2015) which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival. Kate Muir of "The Times" praised Smith's performance by writing, "Smith delivers a compelling performance in "The Lady in the Van", as Alan Bennett's play comes to the big screen 15 years after it premiered at the Royal National Theatre." Smith received a Golden Globe Award and British Academy Film Award nominations for her performance.


title: Maggie Smith

text: In September 2019, a continuation of the "Downton Abbey" series in form of a feature-length film was in theaters entitled simply, "Downton Abbey". The film was a financial success, and earned $194.3 million at the box office. She reprised her role as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess Of Grantham in Simon Curtis's 2022 historical-drama "" alongside Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern and Michelle Dockery.


title: Maggie Smith

text: In 2020, it was reported that Smith would be starring in an Irish drama film, "The Miracle Club", with Kathy Bates and Laura Linney. The film's plot is being described as a "joyful and hilarious" journey of a group of riotous working-class women from Dublin, whose pilgrimage to Lourdes in France leads them to discover each other's friendship and their own personal miracles." In 2021, Smith starred in the Netflix adaptation of the children's book by Matt Haig of the same name, "A Boy Called Christmas". The film was directed by Gil Kenan and also starred Sally Hawkins, Kristen Wiig, Jim Broadbent, and Toby Jones. Smith was announced as starring in the film version of Christopher Hampton's "A German Life", reprising the role she originated onstage in 2019 in London.


title: Maggie Smith

text: Smith was appointed a CBE in the 1970 New Year Honours, and was made a Dame (DBE) in the 1990 New Year Honours, for services to the performing arts. Smith was made a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) for services to drama in the 2014 Queen's Birthday Honours, becoming the third actress to receive the honour, after Dame Sybil Thorndike (1970) and Dame Judi Dench (2005). In 1971, Smith was conferred an honorary doctor of letters (DLitt) by the University of St Andrews. In 1986, she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters (DLitt) from the University of Bath. In 1994, Smith received an honorary Doctor of Letters (DLitt) from the University of Cambridge. In October 2017, Smith was conferred with an honorary fellowship of Mansfield College, Oxford.


title: Maggie Smith

text: Over her distinguished career she has been recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the following performances:


title: Maggie Smith

text: She has also received a Tony Award, four Primetime Emmy Awards, five British Academy Film Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and five Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 1993, she was awarded with the BAFTA Special Award by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. In 1996, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts presented her with the BAFTA Fellowship, the highest honour the Academy can bestow. At the 2010 Laurence Olivier Awards, she was celebrated with the Society of London Theatre Special Award. In 2013, she was awarded with the Evening Standard Icon Award.


title: Maggie Smith

text: She was awarded the Shakespeare Prize by the Hamburg Alfred Toepfer Foundation in 1991. Smith was made a Fellow of the British Film Institute in recognition of her outstanding contribution to film culture in 1992. She was elected to the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1994. On 10 April 1999, Smith received the William Shakespeare Award for Classical Theatre (The Will Award) presented by the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C. in recognition of her significant contribution to classical theatre in the US. On 9 February 2014 she was inducted into the Actors Hall of Fame. Smith had a star on the London Avenue of Stars until all of the stars were removed in 2006. In September 2012, she was honoured with the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's Legacy Award. She accepted the award, presented to her by Christopher Plummer, in a ceremony at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel. In March 2016, Smith was awarded the Critics' Circle Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts. In April 2016, she was awarded the Bodley Medal by the University of Oxford's Bodleian Libraries in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the performing arts.


title: Maggie Smith

text: Smith married actor Robert Stephens on 29 June 1967. They had two sons, actors Chris Larkin (born 1967) and Toby Stephens (born 1969), and were divorced on 6 April 1975. Smith married playwright Beverley Cross on 23 June 1975, at the Guildford Register Office, and they remained married until his death on 20 March 1998. When asked in 2013 if she was lonely, she replied, "it seems a bit pointless, going on on one's own, and not having someone to share it with". Smith has five grandchildren.


title: Maggie Smith

text: In January 1988, Smith was diagnosed with Graves' disease, for which she underwent radiotherapy and optical surgery.


title: Maggie Smith

text: In 2007, the "Sunday Telegraph" disclosed that Smith had been diagnosed with breast cancer. In 2009, she was reported to have made a full recovery.


title: Maggie Smith

text: In September 2011, Smith offered her support for raising the NZ$4.6million needed to help rebuild the Court Theatre in Christchurch, New Zealand, after the earthquake in 2011 that caused severe damage to the area. In July 2012, she became a patron of the International Glaucoma Association, hoping to support the organisation and raise the profile of glaucoma. She is also a patron of the Oxford Playhouse, where she first began her illustrious career. Smith is a vice-president of the Chichester Cinema at New Park and a vice-president of the Royal Theatrical Fund which provides support for members of the entertainment profession that are unable to work due to illness, injury or infirmity.


title: Maggie Smith

text: On 27 November 2012, she contributed a drawing of her own hand to the 2012 Celebrity Paw Auction, to raise funds for Cats Protection. In May 2013, Smith contributed a gnome which had been personally decorated by her, for an auction to raise money for the Royal Horticultural Society Campaign for School Gardening.


title: Maggie Smith

text: In November 2020, Smith joined Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi, and Ian McKellen for a conversation on Zoom entitled "For One Knight Only", for the charity Acting for Others. Branagh described the group as "the greatest quartet of Shakespearean actors on the planet" as they talked about the highs and lows of their careers. In April 2021, Smith appeared in a streaming event alongside Kathleen Turner. The event was in support of The Royal Theatrical Fund, which provides support to those who have worked in the industry.


title: Chris Brown

text: Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to "Billboard", Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contemporaries as the "King of R&B". His musical style has been defined as polyhedric, with his R&B being characterized by several influences from other genres, mainly hip hop and pop music. His lyrics develop predominantly over themes of sex, romance, fast life, desire, regret, and emotional conflict. Brown has gained a cult following and wide comparisons to Michael Jackson for his stage presence.


title: Chris Brown

text: In 2004, Brown signed with Jive Records, and released his self-titled debut studio album the following year, which was later certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). With his debut single "Run It!" peaking atop the "Billboard" Hot 100, Brown became the first male artist since 1995 to have his debut single top the chart. His second album, "Exclusive" (2007), was met with even bigger commercial success worldwide, and it spawned his second "Billboard" Hot 100 number one "Kiss Kiss". In 2009, Brown pled guilty to felony assault of his then girlfriend, singer Rihanna. In the same, year he released his third album, "Graffiti", which was considered to be a commercial failure compared to his previous works. Following "Graffiti", Brown released his fourth album "F.A.M.E." (2011), which became his first album to top the "Billboard" 200. The album contained the commercially successful singles: "Yeah 3x", "Look at Me Now" and "Beautiful People", and earned him the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. His fifth album, "Fortune", released in 2012, also topped the "Billboard" 200.


title: Chris Brown

text: Following the releases of "X" (2014) and "Royalty" (2015), his 2017 double-disc album, "Heartbreak on a Full Moon", consisting of 45 tracks, was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over 500,000 units after one week, and was later certified Double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Brown's ninth studio album "Indigo" was released in 2019, also debuted atop on the "Billboard" 200. It included the Drake featured track "No Guidance" which reached the top five on the "Billboard" Hot 100 and broke the record for the longest-running number one on "Billboard"'s R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. Its chart success was outdone with the single "Go Crazy" released the following year, alongside Young Thug as part of their collaborative mixtape "Slime & B" (2020).


title: Chris Brown

text: Brown has sold over 197 million records worldwide, making him one of the world's best-selling music artists. He is also one of the highest-grossing African American touring artists of all time. Brown has the most "Billboard" Hot 100 entries of any male singer in history; as well as the most top 40 hits of any R&B singer in history. Brown was also ranked third on "Billboard"'s top R&B/Hip-Hop artists of the 2010s chart.<ref name="Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artists"></ref> Throughout his career, Brown has won several awards, including a Grammy Award, eighteen BET Awards, four Billboard Music Awards, and thirteen Soul Train Music Awards. Brown has also pursued an acting career. In 2007, he made his on-screen feature film debut in "Stomp the Yard", and appeared as a guest on the television series "The O.C." Other films Brown has appeared in include "This Christmas" (2007), "Takers" (2010), "Think Like a Man" (2012), and "Battle of the Year" (2013) and "She Ball" (2020).


title: Chris Brown

text: Christopher Maurice Brown was born on May 5, 1989, in the small town of Tappahannock, Virginia, to Joyce Hawkins, a former day care center director, and Clinton Brown, a corrections officer at a local prison. He has an older sister, Lytrell Bundy, who works in a bank. Music was always present in Brown's life beginning in his childhood. He would listen to soul albums that his parents owned, and eventually began to show interest in the hip-hop scene.


title: Chris Brown

text: Brown taught himself to sing and dance at a young age and often cites Michael Jackson as his inspiration. He began to perform in his church choir and in several local talent shows. When he mimicked an Usher performance of "My Way", his mother recognized his vocal talent, and they began to look for the opportunity of a record deal. At the same time, Brown was going through personal issues. His parents had divorced, and his mother's boyfriend terrified him by subjecting her to domestic violence.


title: Chris Brown

text: At age 13, Brown was discovered by Hitmission Records, a local production team that visited his father's gas station while searching for new talent. Hitmission's Lamont Fleming provided voice coaching for Brown, and the team helped to arrange a demo package, under the name of "C. Sizzle", and approached contacts in New York, where Brown started to sojourn, to seek a record deal. Brown attended Essex High School in Virginia until late 2004, when he moved to New York to pursue his music career. Tina Davis, senior A&R executive at Def Jam Recordings, was impressed when Brown auditioned in her New York office, and she immediately took him to meet the former president of the Island Def Jam Music Group, Antonio "L.A." Reid, who offered to sign him that day, but Brown refused his proposal. "I knew that Chris had real talent," says Davis. "I just knew I wanted to be part of it."


title: Chris Brown

text: The negotiations with Def Jam continued for two months, and ended when Davis lost her job due to a corporate merger. Brown asked her to be his manager, and once Davis accepted, she promoted the singer to other labels such as Jive Records, J-Records and Warner Bros. Records. According to Mark Pitts, in an interview with HitQuarters, Davis presented Brown with a video recording, and Pitts' reaction was: "I saw huge potential ... I didn't love all the records, but I loved his voice. It wasn't a problem because I knew that he could sing, and I knew how to make records." Brown ultimately chose Jive due to its successful work with then-young acts such as Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. Brown stated, "I picked Jive because they had the best success with younger artists in the pop market, [...] I knew I was going to capture my African American audience, but Jive had a lot of strength in the pop area as well as longevity in careers." Brown said that during his permanence in Harlem, when he was trying to get his music heard by major labels, his artistic intention was to both rap and sing on his records, but Jive convinced him to stick to just singing, because he said that "it wasn't acceptable yet" for an R&B singer to also rap on records.


title: Chris Brown

text: After signing to Jive Records in 2004, Brown began recording his self-titled debut studio album in February 2005. By May, there were 50 songs already recorded, 14 of which were picked to the final track listing. The singer worked with several producers and songwriters—Scott Storch, Cool & Dre, Sean Garrett and Jazze Pha among them—commenting that they "really believed in [him]". Brown co-wrote half of the tracks. "I write about the things that 16 year olds go through every day," says Brown. "Like you just got in trouble for sneaking your girl into the house, or you can't drive, so you steal a car or something." The whole album took less than eight weeks to produce.


title: Chris Brown

text: Released on November 29, 2005, the self-titled "Chris Brown" album debuted at number two on the "Billboard" 200 with first week sales of 154,000 copies. "Chris Brown" was a commercial success with the time; selling over three million copies in the United States—where it was certified three times platinum by the RIAA—and six million copies worldwide. The album's lead single, "Run It!", made Brown the first male act (since Montell Jordan in 1995) to have his debut single to reach the summit of the "Billboard" Hot 100—later remaining for four additional weeks. Three of the other singles—"Yo (Excuse Me Miss)", "Gimme That" and "Say Goodbye"—peaked within the top twenty at the same chart.


title: Chris Brown

text: On June 13, 2006, Brown released a DVD entitled "Chris Brown's Journey", which shows footage of him traveling through England and Japan, getting ready for his first visit to the Grammy Awards, behind the scenes of his music videos and bloopers. On August 17, 2006, to further promote the album, Brown began his major co-headlining tour, "The Up Close and Personal Tour". Due to the tour, production for his next album was pushed back two months. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital received $10,000 in ticket proceeds from Brown's 2006 "Up Close & Personal" tour. Brown has made appearances on UPN's "One on One" and The N's "Brandon T. Jackson Show" on its pilot episode.


title: Chris Brown

text: In January 2007, Brown landed a small role as a band geek in the fourth season of the American television series "The O.C.". Brown then made his film debut in "Stomp the Yard", alongside Ne-Yo, Meagan Good and Columbus Short on January 12, 2007. In April 2007, Brown was the opening act for Beyoncé, on the Australian leg of her The Beyoncé Experience tour. On July 9, 2007, Brown was featured in an episode of MTV's "My Super Sweet 16" (for the event, it was retitled: "Chris Brown: My Super 18") celebrating his eighteenth birthday in New York City.


title: Chris Brown

text: Shortly after ending his summer tour with Ne-Yo, Brown quickly began production for his second studio album, "Exclusive". When the album's lead single, "Wall to Wall", was released, it didn't have a great commercial success, peaking at number 79 on US "Billboard" Hot 100 chart, and number 22 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, being his lowest charting single at the time. However, "Kiss Kiss", featuring and produced by T-Pain, released as the album's second single, received huge success, reaching number one on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 chart, and becoming Brown's second number one single following "Run It!" in 2005. "With You", produced by Stargate (duo of producers known at the time for their work with R&B singer Ne-Yo), was released as the third single from "Exclusive", had even bigger success than "Kiss Kiss", becoming one of the all-time best-selling singles, and reaching number two on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 chart. "Exclusive" was released in the United States on November 6, 2007. The album is musically R&B, having slight pop influences that were absent in the previous hip hop soul-influenced disc, reaching a big international success. The album debuted at number four on the US "Billboard" 200 chart, selling 294,000 copies in its first week, and received generally positive reviews from music critics. As of March 23, 2011, it has sold over 1.9 million copies in the United States.


title: Chris Brown

text: In November 2007, Brown starred as a video host for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's Math-A-Thon program. He showed his support by encouraging students to use their math skills to help children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. On November 21, 2007, Brown appeared in "This Christmas", a family drama starring Regina King. To further support the album "Exclusive", Brown embarked on his The Exclusive Holiday Tour, visiting over thirty venues in United States. The tour began in Cincinnati, Ohio, on December 6, 2007, and concluded on February 9, 2008, in Honolulu, Hawaii. In March 2008, Brown was featured on Jordin Sparks' single "No Air", which had worldwide success peaked at number three on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 chart. He also made a guest appearance on David Banner' single "Get Like Me" alongside Yung Joc. The song peaked at number sixteen on the "Billboard" Hot 100, and number two on the US Hot Rap Songs chart. Brown re-released "Exclusive" on June 3, 2008, as a deluxe edition, renamed "Exclusive: The Forever Edition", seven months after the release of the original version. The re-released version featured four new tracks, including the Eurodisco single "Forever", which became one of his most known singles, reaching number two on "Billboard" Hot 100. In August 2008, Brown guest-starred on Disney's "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" as himself. Towards the end of 2008, Brown was named Artist of the Year by "Billboard" magazine.


title: Chris Brown

text: In 2008, Brown began work on his third studio album, to be called "Graffiti", promising to experiment with a different musical direction inspired by singers Prince and Michael Jackson. He stated, "I wanted to change it up and really be different. Like my style nowadays, I don't try to be typical urban. I want to be like how Prince, Michael and Stevie Wonder were. They can cross over to any genre of music." Following the domestic violence scandal involving the singer and Rihanna on February 8, 2009, the majority of media took positions against the singer. The incident also caused Brown to lose significant commercial contracts, including one with Doublemint. The singer later participated in numerous television appearances during the year to express himself publicly about it. "Graffiti"s lead single "I Can Transform Ya" was released on September 29, 2009. The song peaked at number 20 on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 chart. "Crawl" was released as the album's second single on November 23, 2009. The song reached number 53 on the "Billboard" Hot 100. "Graffiti" was then released on December 8, 2009, featuring an R&B sound mixed with Eurodisco and rock. Brown, with this album, started to take full control of his art, managing the artistic direction, and writing every song of the album (with the exception of the song "I'll Go", written and produced by Brian Kennedy and James Fauntleroy). Brown started to be the only artistic director of all his future projects. He said that his decision to entirely direct and write his albums and songs came from the fact that he wanted to give his "own perspective of the music [he] wanted to make" and by his wanting to "verbalize whatever [he] was going through". The album, compared to its two precessors, was a commercial and critical failure, debuting at number 7 on the US "Billboard" 200 chart, selling 102,000 copies in its first week, and receiving generally negative reviews from critics. As of March 23, 2011, it has sold 341,000 copies in the United States.


title: Chris Brown

text: While performing a Michael Jackson Tribute at the 2010 BET Awards, Brown started to cry and fell to his knees while singing Jackson's "Man in the Mirror". The performance and his emotional turmoil resonated with several celebrities present at the ceremony, including Trey Songz, Diddy and Taraji P. Henson. Songz said, "He left his heart on the stage. He gave genuine emotion. I was proud of him and I was happy for him for having that moment". Michael's brother, Jermaine Jackson, expressed similar sentiments stating, "it was very emotional for me, because it was an acceptance from his fans from what has happened to him and also paying tribute to my brother". Later during the award ceremony, Brown stated, "I let y'all down before, but I won't do it again...I promise", while accepting the award for the AOL Fandemonium prize. In August 2010, Brown starred alongside an ensemble cast, including Matt Dillon, Paul Walker, Idris Elba, Hayden Christensen and T.I. in the crime thriller "Takers", and also served as executive producer of the film.


title: Chris Brown

text: During 2010 Brown released the 3 free mixtapes "In My Zone (Rhythm & Streets)", "Fan of a Fan" (collaborative mixtape with Tyga), and "In My Zone 2", which featured a new style of writing with grown themes, and a different musical style, mixing R&B with hip hop. For the mixtapes he worked with new producers, most notably Kevin McCall. The mixtapes were highly appreciated by the artist's loyal audience, consolidating it. The single "Deuces", extracted from the "Fan of a Fan" mixtape, obtained critical acclaim, also achieving a good success, peaking at number 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The song was later remixed by the biggest names in the hip-hop scene of that time, including Drake, Kanye West, André 3000, Rick Ross, Fabolous, and T.I. He later released the solo track "No BS" as his second single from "Fan of a Fan", and decided to include the two singles from the mixtape as anticipation singles for his next album.


title: Chris Brown

text: In September 2010 Brown announced his album, F.A.M.E. [backronym for "Forgiving All My Enemies"], releasing in October the first official single from the album, "Yeah 3x", a dance-pop song, different from his previous songs on the urban mixtapes. The single received enormous international success and entered the top-ten in eleven countries, including Australia, Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.. It was succeeded by the hip-hop single "Look at Me Now", featuring rappers Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes, that reached number one on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it remained for eight consecutive weeks. It also reached number one on the US Hot Rap Songs chart. The single became the best-selling rap song of 2011, as well as one of all-time best-selling singles in the United States.


title: Chris Brown

text: Brown's fourth studio album "F.A.M.E." was first released on March 18, 2011. The album debuted at number one on the US "Billboard" 200 chart, with first-week sales of 270,000 copies, giving Brown his first number-one album in the United States. The album's third single, "Beautiful People", featuring Benny Benassi, peaked at number one on the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart, and became the first number-one single on the chart for both Brown and Benassi. "She Ain't You" was released as the album's fourth US single, while "Next 2 You", featuring Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber, served as the album's fourth international single. To further promote the album, Brown embarked on his F.A.M.E. Tour in Australia and North America.


title: Chris Brown

text: Brown received six nominations at the 2011 BET Awards and ultimately won five awards, including Best Male R&B Artist, Viewers Choice Award, The Fandemonium Award, Best Collaboration and Video of the Year for "Look at Me Now". He also won three awards at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards, including the People's Champ Award, Reese's Perfect Combo Award and Best Hip Hop Video for "Look at Me Now". At the 2011 Soul Train Music Awards, "F.A.M.E." won Album of the Year. The album has also earned Brown three Grammy Award nominations at the 54th Grammy Awards for Best R&B Album, as well as Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song for "Look at Me Now". On February 12, 2012, Brown won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. During the ceremony, Brown performed several songs marking his first appearance at the awards show since his conviction of felony assault.


title: Chris Brown

text: Originally, Brown wanted "F.A.M.E." to be a double-disc consistent of 25–30 tracks, but the label was contrary to that. Right before the release of "F.A.M.E." Brown decided to follow his intentions in an acceptable way for the label, working on a sequel of "F.A.M.E." called "Fortune", that would be a whole new album that contained new material and even some tracks that didn't make the cut of the previous album, releasing it six months after it. The artist later decided to take more time to work on the album, developing it as a project of its own, with its own concept and sound being different than the one of its precedent album. On October 7, 2011, RCA Music Group announced it was disbanding Jive Records along with Arista Records and J Records. With the shutdown, Brown (and all other artists previously signed to these three labels) will release future material on the RCA Records brand. Brown's fifth studio album "Fortune" was released on July 3, 2012. The album debuted atop the "Billboard" 200, but received negative reviews from critics. "Strip", featuring Kevin McCall, was released as the album's buzz single, with "Turn Up the Music" released as the lead single, and "Sweet Love", "Till I Die", "Don't Wake Me Up" and "Don't Judge Me" released as the album's following singles, respectively. To further promote the album, Brown embarked on his Carpe Diem Tour in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Trinidad.


title: Chris Brown

text: After concluding his Carpe Diem Tour in 2012, Brown's next studio album started to develop. On February 15, 2013, the singer unofficially released the song "Home", with an official videoclip, where he expresses a reflection on the bitter price of fame, and on how the only moment of respite from that thought is when he returns to the neighborhood where he grew up with people who knew him from the start. On March 26, 2013, Brown announced the release of "X", in various interviews and listening sessions, releasing the song "Fine China" as the album lead single. In an interview with "Ebony", when Brown spoke of taking his music in a different direction and changing his sound from pop-infused and sexually explicit of the previous album "Fortune", to a more mature, soulful and vulnerable theme for the album. On March 29, 2013, he released "Fine China" as the lead single of the album.


title: Chris Brown

text: Following the dropping of two other anticipation singles off "X", "Don't Think They Know" and "Love More", on August 9, 2013, at 1:09 am PDT, Brown was reported to have suffered a seizure from Record Plant Studios in Hollywood, California as a 9-1-1 call was made. When paramedics arrived, Brown allegedly refused to receive treatment and also refused to be transported to the local hospital. (Brown has reportedly suffered from seizures since his childhood.) The next day, Brown's representative reported the seizure was caused by "intense fatigue and extreme emotional stress, both due to the continued onslaught of unfounded legal matters and the nonstop negativity." On November 20, 2013, Brown was sentenced to an anger management rehabilitation center for three months, putting the December 2013 release of "X" in jeopardy. To "hold [fans] over until [the "X" album] drops," Brown released a mixtape, titled "X Files" on November 19, 2013. On February 22, 2014, it was announced that the album would be released on Brown's birthday, May 5, 2014. On April 14, 2014, Brown released a teaser of the new track "Don't Be Gone Too Long" featuring Ariana Grande. However, following Brown's arrest for felony assault in Washington, D.C., on October 27, 2013, the song and album were again delayed due to Brown's prison sentence. While incarcerated, "Loyal" was released as the album's fourth single, becoming one of his most successful songs, by peaking at the top 10 on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 and in the United Kingdom. On August 3, 2014, Chris announced via Instagram that the album's release date will be on September 16, 2014. On August 6, 2014, the album cover was revealed. The song ended up being never released as a single, instead "New Flame" featuring Usher and Rick Ross was later released as the album's final single. The title track "X" was released as an instant-gratification track alongside the album pre-order on iTunes on August 25, 2014.


title: Chris Brown

text: Brown's sixth studio album, "X" was released on September 16, 2014. The album received positive reviews from critics, who celebrated the record's sound and Brown's vocal performances. The album was considered a big improvement compared to its critically panned predecessor "Fortune". At the 2015 Grammy Awards, the album was nominated for the Best Urban Contemporary Album, while "New Flame" was nominated for Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song. Commercially, the album debuted at number two on the US "Billboard" 200 selling 146,000 copies in its first week, becoming his first album to miss the summit of the chart since "Graffiti" (2009) and his third album to go to number two on the chart overall following "Exclusive" (2007). It also became his sixth consecutive top ten debut in the United States. By the end of 2015, the album had sold 404,000 copies in the United States. It has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Pushing the promotion for the album further, Brown performed and appeared at several televised music events and music festivals across the United States.


title: Chris Brown

text: On February 24, 2015, Brown released his first collaborative studio album with Tyga, titled "". The album was a follow-up to the pairs 2010 mixtape "Fan of a Fan". In early 2015, Brown also embarked on his "Between The Sheets Tour" with Trey Songz. Also in February 2015, Brown said during an interview for "The Breakfast Club" that he started working on the album going for a direction that would've been the sound predominant overseas. A couple months later he discovered that he had a daughter and simultaneously broke up with his ex-girlfriend Karrueche Tran. That happening made him change the idea for the album, ending up doing mostly R&B songs that he described as "representations of where i was in my life at that point", contemporarily starting his One Hell of a Nite Tour.


title: Chris Brown

text: In spring of 2015, Brown was featured on DJ Deorro's song "Five More Hours", which received an excellent worldwide success. On June 24, Brown released a new song titled "Liquor". Shortly after, it was announced that "Liquor" was the first single from his seventh studio album. On August 22, 2015, the singer officially declares from his Twitter profile that the new album will be titled "Royalty" in honor of his daughter, Royalty Brown. On October 16 he has revealed the album cover, portraying Chris with Royalty in her arms in a black and white picture. On October 13, 2015, Brown announced that "Royalty" will be released on November 27, 2015. After it was revealed that the album has been pushed back to December 18, 2015, in exchange on November 27, 2015, he released a free 34-track mixtape called "Before the Party" as a prelude to "Royalty", which features guest appearances from Rihanna, Wiz Khalifa, Pusha T, Wale, Tyga, French Montana and Fetty Wap. On October 16, 2015, the album cover was revealed. The album was released on December 18, 2015, and it debuted at number 3 on the US "Billboard" 200, selling 184,000 units (162,000 in pure album sales) in its first week, marking an improvement over Brown's last three studio albums. It also became his seventh solo album consecutive top ten debut in the United States.


title: Chris Brown

text: Brown started working and recording tracks for his next album few weeks before the release of "Royalty", in late 2015. On January 10, 2016, Brown had previewed 11 unreleased songs on his Periscope and Instagram profiles, showing him dancing and lip-synching these songs. In March 2016, he collaborated again with the Italian DJ Benny Benassi for the song "Paradise" from the album "Danceaholic". On May 3 he announced the single "Grass Ain't Greener", showing its cover art and announcing it as the first single from a new album titled "Heartbreak on a Full Moon". The single was released on May 5, 2016. On July 7, 2016, after 2016 shooting of Dallas police officers, Brown released on his SoundCloud page two piano ballads, "My Friend" and "A Lot of Love", saying that the songs are "released for free for anybody dealing with injustice or struggle in their lives." In 2016 he released two collaborative mixtapes with his OHB crew, "" and "Attack the Block", where they rap and sing about a reckless lifestyle full of drugs, sexual encounters with numerous untrustworthy easy women, also illustrating a dangerous street life filled with guns, dirty money and luxurious cars.